pH-Responsive Charge-Conversional and Hemolytic Activities of Magnetic Nanocomposite Particles for Cell-Targeted Hyperthermia

Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Pulmonary Drug Delivery

Nanoscale drug delivery systems have provoked interest for application in various therapies on account of their ability to elevate the intracellular concentration of drugs inside target cells, which leads to an increase in efficacy, a decrease in dose, and dose-associated adverse effects. There are several types of nanoparticles available; however, core-shell nanoparticles outperform bare nanoparticles in terms of their reduced cytotoxicity, high dispersibility and biocompatibility, and improved conjugation with drugs and biomolecules because of better surface characteristics. These nanoparticulate drug delivery systems are used for targeting a number of organs, such as the colon, brain, lung, etc. Pulmonary administration of medicines is a more appealing method as it is a noninvasive route for systemic and locally acting drugs as the pulmonary region has a wide surface area, delicate blood-alveolar barrier, and significant vascularization. A core-shell nano-particulate drug delivery system is more effective in the treatment of various pulmonary disorders. Thus, this review has discussed the potential of several types of core-shell nanoparticles in treating various diseases and synthesis methods of core-shell nanoparticles. The methods for synthesis of core-shell nanoparticles include solid phase reaction, liquid phase reaction, gas phase reaction, mechanical mixing, microwave- assisted synthesis, sono-synthesis, and non-thermal plasma technology. The basic types of core-shell nanoparticles are metallic, magnetic, polymeric, silica, upconversion, and carbon nanomaterial- based core-shell nanoparticles. With this special platform, it is possible to integrate the benefits of both core and shell materials, such as strong serum stability, effective drug loading, adjustable particle size, and immunocompatibility.

A review: hemocompatibility of magnetic nanoparticles and their regenerative medicine, cancer therapy, drug delivery, and bioimaging applications

Nanoparticles have demonstrated noteworthy advancements in the management of various complex medical conditions, particularly cancer. In any case, these particles still harbor the potential to improve medicate conveyance to challenging, hard-to-reach loci. The interactions that occur between nanoparticles and red blood cells during their journey throughout the human body, despite exposure to blood, are still not fully understood. Assessment of the ability of nanoparticles to integrate with blood, characterized as nanoparticle compatibility, has been consistently overlooked and undervalued in its import. This review article investigates the effect of nanoparticles on red blood cells, while examining the compatibility of nanoparticles through the angle of hemolysis. This article discusses the main roles of erythrocytes and also provides an informed interpretation of several mechanisms involved in the interaction of nanoparticles and erythrocytes. Throughout the review, significant emphasis is attributed to the investigation of hemocompatibility studies concerning newly designed nanoparticles to promote their successful translation into clinical application. This review article examines the compatibility of magnetic nanoparticles in various fields, including regenerative medicine, cancer therapy, bioimaging, and drug delivery. Our results show that the chemical composition of the nanoparticle surface is a determining factor in hemocompatibility performance and interaction with blood cells. The surface properties of nanoparticles, namely surface charge, geometry, porosity, and surface functionalities of polymers or specific functional groups, represent key determinants of hemocompatibility.

A facile aqueous production of bisphosphonated-polyelectrolyte functionalized magnetite nanoparticles for pH-specific targeting of acidic-bone cells

Bone malignancy treatment is being hindered due to the insufficient selectivity of therapeutic nanoparticles towards malignant bone sites. Polyelectrolyte functionalized magnetic nanoparticles having dually specific pH-sensing ability and bisphosphonate moieties, can be an effective solution for selective targeting of bone malignancies. First, polyelectrolyte was prepared via N-carboxycitraconyzation of chitosan (NCCS) followed by successive functionalization with alendronic acid (AL) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). Then, Fe3O4-NCCS-FITC-AL nanoparticles were synthesized by a facile one-step microwave-assisted aqueous method via in situ surface functionalization. The formation, crystal structure, and surface conjugation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles with polyelectrolytic stabilizer were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analyses. Synthesized Fe3O4-NCCS-FITC-AL nanoparticles were superparamagnetic, colloidally stable and highly hemocompatible under physiological conditions. Moreover, at pH 5.0, Fe3O4-NCCS-FITC-AL nanoparticles formed a precipitate due to inversion of their surface charge. This pH-dependent charge-inversion drastically changed the interactions with erythrocytes and bones. Selective membranolysis of erythrocytes occurred at pH 5.0. The designed nanoparticles showed enough potential for selective targeting of pathological bone sites in early-stage magnetofluorescent imaging and as a therapeutics carrier to treat malignant bone diseases.

Tailoring Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Efficient Cellular Internalization and Endosomal Escape

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) have been widely explored for biomedical applications due to their high biocompatibility, surface-coating versatility, and superparamagnetic properties. Upon exposure to an external magnetic field, IONs can be precisely directed to a region of interest and serve as exceptional delivery vehicles and cellular markers. However, the design of nanocarriers that achieve an efficient endocytic uptake, escape lysosomal degradation, and perform precise intracellular functions is still a challenge for their application in translational medicine. This review highlights several aspects that mediate the activation of the endosomal pathways, as well as the different properties that govern endosomal escape and nuclear transfection of magnetic IONs. In particular, we review a variety of ION surface modification alternatives that have emerged for facilitating their endocytic uptake and their timely escape from endosomes, with special emphasis on how these can be manipulated for the rational design of cell-penetrating vehicles. Moreover, additional modifications for enhancing nuclear transfection are also included in the design of therapeutic vehicles that must overcome this barrier. Understanding these mechanisms opens new perspectives in the strategic development of vehicles for cell tracking, cell imaging and the targeted intracellular delivery of drugs and gene therapy sequences and vectors.

Core-shell nanostructures: perspectives towards drug delivery applications

Nanosystems have shown encouraging outcomes and substantial progress in the areas of drug delivery and biomedical applications. However, the controlled and targeted delivery of drugs or genes can be limited due to their physicochemical and functional properties. In this regard, core-shell type nanoparticles are promising nanocarrier systems for controlled and targeted drug delivery applications. These functional nanoparticles are emerging as a particular class of nanosystems because of their unique advantages, including high surface area, and easy surface modification and functionalization. Such unique advantages can facilitate the use of core-shell nanoparticles for the selective mingling of two or more different functional properties in a single nanosystem to achieve the desired physicochemical properties that are essential for effective targeted drug delivery. Several types of core-shell nanoparticles, such as metallic, magnetic, silica-based, upconversion, and carbon-based core-shell nanoparticles, have been designed and developed for drug delivery applications. Keeping the scope, demand, and challenges in view, the present review explores state-of-the-art developments and advances in core-shell nanoparticle systems, the desired structure-property relationships, newly generated properties, the effects of parameter control, surface modification, and functionalization, and, last but not least, their promising applications in the fields of drug delivery, biomedical applications, and tissue engineering. This review also supports significant future research for developing multi-core and shell-based functional nanosystems to investigate nano-therapies that are needed for advanced, precise, and personalized healthcare systems.

Clinical effects of high frequency hyperthermia-assisted irinotecan chemotherapy on patients with middle and advanced colorectal cancer and its safety assessment

Clinical effects of high frequency hyperthermia-assisted irinotecan chemotherapy on patients with middle and advanced colorectal cancer and its safety assessment were investigated. A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical records of 103 patients with middle and advanced colorectal cancer treated in Cancer Center of Guangzhou Medical University from May 2011 to June 2015, including 48 patients receiving irinotecan plus conventional treatment (irinotecan group) and 55 patients receiving high frequency hyperthermia-assisted irinotecan plus conventional treatment (combination group). The treatment effects, severity and incidence of adverse reactions, quality of life and 3-year survival rates of patients were analyzed and compared between the two groups. After 4 courses of treatment, there were statistically significant differences in the proportions of patients with partial remission and objective remission, with those in combination group higher than those in irinotecan group (both P<0.05). After 4 courses of treatment, no patient died. After 4 courses of treatment, those that increased in different degrees (all P<0.05), compared with those in combination group were significantly higher than those in irinotecan group (all P<0.05). The 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates of patients in irinotecan group were 31.25% (15 cases), 22.92% (11 cases) and 12.50% (6 cases), respectively. Those in combination group were 58.18% (32 cases), 29.09% (16 cases) and 16.36% (9 cases), respectively. The results of K-M survival curve analysis showed that there was no statistically significant difference in survival rate between the two groups of patients (P=0.050). High frequency hyperthermia-assisted chemotherapy for patients with middle and advanced colorectal cancer can effectively improve its treatment effects and patients' quality of life, with better treatment safety, worthy of clinical promotion.