Tumor-Targeting Peptide for Redox-Responsive Pt Prodrug and Gene Codelivery and Synergistic Cancer Chemotherapy

Recent Advancements on Self-Immolative System Based on Dynamic Covalent Bonds for Delivering Heterogeneous Payloads

The precisely spatial-temporal delivery of heterogeneous payloads from a single system with the same pulse is in great demand in realizing versatile and synergistic functions. Very few molecular architectures can satisfy the strict requirements of dual-release translated from single triggers, while the self-immolative systems based on dynamic covalent bonds represent the "state-of-art" of ultimate solution strategy. Embedding heterogeneous payloads symmetrically onto the self-immolative backbone with dynamic covalent bonds as the trigger, can respond to the quasi-bio-orthogonal hallmarks which are higher at the disease's microenvironment to simultaneously yield the heterogeneous payloads (drug A/drug B or drug/reporter). In this review, the modular design principles are concentrated to illustrate the rules in tailoring useful structures, then the rational applications are enumerated on the aspects of drug codelivery and visualized drug-delivery. This review, hopefully, can give the general readers a comprehensive understanding of the self-immolative systems based on dynamic covalent bonds for delivering heterogeneous payloads.

The role of peptides in reversing chemoresistance of breast cancer: current facts and future prospects

Breast cancer is the first malignant tumor in women, and its incidence is also increasing year by year. Chemotherapy is one of the standard therapies for breast cancer, but the resistance of breast cancer cells to chemotherapy drugs is a huge challenge for the effective treatment of breast cancer. At present, in the study of reversing the drug resistance of solid tumors such as breast cancer, peptides have the advantages of high selectivity, high tissue penetration, and good biocompatibility. Some of the peptides that have been studied can overcome the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs in the experiment, and effectively control the growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells. Here, we describe the mechanism of different peptides in reversing breast cancer resistance, including promoting cancer cell apoptosis; promoting non-apoptotic regulatory cell death of cancer cells; inhibiting the DNA repair mechanism of cancer cells; improving the tumor microenvironment; inhibiting drug efflux mechanism; and enhancing drug uptake. This review focuses on the different mechanisms of peptides in reversing breast cancer drug resistance, and these peptides are also expected to create clinical breakthroughs in promoting the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy drugs in breast cancer patients and improving the survival rate of patients.

Simultaneous nanocarrier-mediated delivery of siRNAs and chemotherapeutic agents in cancer therapy and diagnosis: Recent advances

Recently, investigations have revealed that RNA interference (RNAi) has a remarkable potential to decrease cancer burden by downregulating genes. Among various RNAi molecules, small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been more attractive for this goal and is able to silence a target pathological path and promote the degradation of a certain mRNA, resulting in either gain or loss of function of proteins. Moreover, therapeutic siRNAs have exhibited low side effects compared to other therapeutic molecular candidates. Nevertheless, siRNA delivery has its own limitations including quick degradation in circulation, ineffective internalization and low passive uptake by cells, possible toxicity against off-target sites, and inducing unfavorable immune responses. Therefore, delivery tools must be able to specifically direct siRNAs to their target locations without inflicting detrimental effects on other sites. To conquer the mentioned problems, nanocarrier-mediated delivery of siRNAs, using inorganic nanoparticles (NPs), polymers, and lipids, has been developed as a biocompatible delivery approach. In this review, we have discussed recent advances in the siRNA delivery methods that employ nanoparticles, lipids, and polymers, as well as the inorganic-based co-delivery systems used to deliver siRNAs and anticancer agents to target cells.

Peptide-Assisted Nucleic Acid Delivery Systems on the Rise

Concerns associated with nanocarriers' therapeutic efficacy and side effects have led to the development of strategies to advance them into targeted and responsive delivery systems. Owing to their bioactivity and biocompatibility, peptides play a key role in these strategies and, thus, have been extensively studied in nanomedicine. Peptide-based nanocarriers, in particular, have burgeoned with advances in purely peptidic structures and in combinations of peptides, both native and modified, with polymers, lipids, and inorganic nanoparticles. In this review, we summarize advances on peptides promoting gene delivery systems. The efficacy of nucleic acid therapies largely depends on cell internalization and the delivery to subcellular organelles. Hence, the review focuses on nanocarriers where peptides are pivotal in ferrying nucleic acids to their site of action, with a special emphasis on peptides that assist anionic, water-soluble nucleic acids in crossing the membrane barriers they encounter on their way to efficient function. In a second part, we address how peptides advance nanoassembly delivery tools, such that they navigate delivery barriers and release their nucleic acid cargo at specific sites in a controlled fashion.

Imaging-Guided Chemo-Photothermal Polydopamine Carbon Dots for EpCAM-Targeted Delivery toward Liver Tumor

We demonstrate a versatile nanoparticle with imaging-guided chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy and EpCAM-targeted delivery of liver tumor cells. EpCAM antibody (anti-EpCAM) and Pt(IV) were grafted onto the polydopamine carbon dots (PDA-CDs) by the amidation reaction. The EpCAM antibody of particles enables the targeted interaction with liver progenitor cells due to their overexpressed EpCAM protein. The tetravalent platinum prodrug [Pt(IV)] induces apoptosis with minimum toxic side effects through the interaction between cisplatin and tumor cell DNA. The nanoparticles displayed stable photothermal property and considerable anti-tumor therapeutic effect in vivo. Coupling with cellular imaging due to their fluorescence property, anti-EpCAM@PDA-CDs@Pt(IV) offers a convenient and effective platform for imaging-guided chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy toward liver cancers in the near future.

Multi-responsive drug delivery nanoplatform for tumor-targeted synergistic photothermal/dynamic therapy and chemotherapy

“From one to all” multi-mode therapy using an integrated nanoplatform of multi-responsive GFCDH nanoparticles for tumor-targeted synergistic photothermal, photodynamic and chemotherapy.