Sex as an important factor in nanomedicine

Liver cirrhosis: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic interventions

Liver cirrhosis is the end-stage of chronic liver disease, characterized by inflammation, necrosis, advanced fibrosis, and regenerative nodule formation. Long-term inflammation can cause continuous damage to liver tissues and hepatocytes, along with increased vascular tone and portal hypertension. Among them, fibrosis is the necessary stage and essential feature of liver cirrhosis, and effective antifibrosis strategies are commonly considered the key to treating liver cirrhosis. Although different therapeutic strategies aimed at reversing or preventing fibrosis have been developed, the effects have not be more satisfactory. In this review, we discussed abnormal changes in the liver microenvironment that contribute to the progression of liver cirrhosis and highlighted the importance of recent therapeutic strategies, including lifestyle improvement, small molecular agents, traditional Chinese medicine, stem cells, extracellular vesicles, and gut remediation, that regulate liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. Meanwhile, therapeutic strategies for nanoparticles are discussed, as are their possible underlying broad application and prospects for ameliorating liver cirrhosis. Finally, we also reviewed the major challenges and opportunities of nanomedicine‒biological environment interactions. We hope this review will provide insights into the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of liver cirrhosis, thus facilitating new methods, drug discovery, and better treatment of liver cirrhosis.

Gold nanorod-assisted theranostic solution for nonvisible residual disease in bladder cancer

Residual nonvisible bladder cancer after proper treatment caused by technological and therapeutic limitations is responsible for tumor relapse and progression. This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of a solution for simultaneous detection and treatment of bladder cancer lesions smaller than one millimeter. The α5β1 integrin was identified as a specific marker in 81% of human high-grade nonmuscle invasive bladder cancers and used as a target for the delivery of targeted gold nanorods (GNRs). In a preclinical model of orthotopic bladder cancer expressing the α5β1 integrin, the photoacoustic imaging of targeted GNRs visualized lesions smaller than one millimeter, and their irradiation with continuous laser was used to induce GNR-assisted hyperthermia. Necrosis of the tumor mass, improved survival, and computational modeling were applied to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of this solution. Our study highlights the potential of the GNR-assisted theranostic strategy as a complementary solution in clinical practice to reduce the risk of nonvisible residual bladder cancer after current treatment. Further validation through clinical studies will support the findings of the present study.

The quantification of zebrafish ocular-associated proteins provides hints for sex-biased visual impairments and perception

Biochemical differences between sexes can also be seen in non-sexual organs and may affect organ functions and susceptibility to diseases. It has been shown that there are sex-biased visual perceptions and impairments. Abundance differences of eye proteins could provide explanations for some of these. Exploration of the ocular proteome was performed to find sex-based protein abundance differences in zebrafish Danio rerio. A label-free protein quantification workflow using high-resolution mass spectrometry was employed to find proteins with significant differences between the sexes. In total, 3740 unique master proteins were identified and quantified, and 49 proteins showed significant abundance differences between the eyes of male and female zebrafish. Those proteins belong to lipoproteins, immune system, blood coagulation, antioxidants, iron and heme-binding proteins, ion channels, pumps and exchangers, neuronal and photoreceptor proteins, and the cytoskeleton. An extensive literature review provided clues for the possible links between the sex-biased level of proteins and visual perception and impairments. In conclusion, sexual dimorphism at the protein level was discovered for the first time in the eye of zebrafish and should be accounted for in ophthalmological studies. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD033338.

Unleashing the potential: integrating nano-delivery systems with traditional Chinese medicine

This review explores the potential of integrating nano-delivery systems with traditional Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, and Chinese medical theory. It highlights the intersections and potential of nano-delivery systems in enhancing the effectiveness of traditional herbal medicine and acupuncture treatments. In addition, it discusses how the integration of nano-delivery systems with Chinese medical theory can modernize herbal medicine and make it more readily accessible on a global scale. Finally, it analyzes the challenges and future directions in this field.

Recent Advances in Nanotechnology-Based Drug Delivery Systems for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Reproductive Disorders

Over the past decade, nanotechnology has seen extensive integration into biomedical applications, playing a crucial role in biodetection, drug delivery, and diagnostic imaging. This is especially important in reproductive health care, which has become an emerging and significant area of research. Global concerns have intensified around disorders such as infertility, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, erectile dysfunction, benign prostate hyperplasia, sexually transmitted infections, and reproductive cancers. Nanotechnology presents promising solutions to address these concerns by introducing innovative tools and techniques, facilitating early detection, targeted drug delivery, and improved imaging capabilities. Through the utilization of nanoscale materials and devices, researchers can craft treatments that are not only more precise but also more effective, significantly enhancing outcomes in reproductive healthcare. Looking forward, the future of nanotechnology in reproductive medicine holds immense potential for reshaping diagnostics, personalized therapies, and fertility preservation. The utilization of nanotechnology-driven drug delivery systems is anticipated to elevate treatment effectiveness, minimize side effects, and offer patients therapies that are not only more precise but also more efficient. This review aims to delve into the various types, properties, and preparation techniques of nanocarriers specifically designed for drug delivery in the context of reproductive disorders, shedding light on the current landscape and potential future directions in this dynamic field.

Achieving Precision Healthcare through Nanomedicine and Enhanced Model Systems

The ability to customize medical choices according to an individual's genetic makeup and biomarker patterns marks a significant advancement toward overall improved healthcare for both individuals and society at large. By transitioning from the conventional one-size-fits-all approach to tailored treatments that can account for predispositions of different patient populations, nanomedicines can be customized to target the specific molecular underpinnings of a patient's disease, thus mitigating the risk of collateral damage. However, for these systems to reach their full potential, our understanding of how nano-based therapeutics behave within the intricate human body is necessary. Effective drug administration to the targeted organ or pathological niche is dictated by properties such as nanocarrier (NC) size, shape, and targeting abilities, where understanding how NCs change their properties when they encounter biomolecules and phenomena such as shear stress in flow remains a major challenge. This Review specifically focuses on vessel-on-a-chip technology that can provide increased understanding of NC behavior in blood and summarizes the specialized environment of the joint to showcase advanced tissue models as approaches to address translational challenges. Compared to conventional cell studies or animal models, these advanced models can integrate patient material for full customization. Combining such models with nanomedicine can contribute to making personalized medicine achievable.

Sex-specific considerations in nanomedicine: highlighting the impact of the menstrual cycle on drug development

Tweetable abstract The female menstrual cycle is one of the most overlooked sex-specific factors in drug distribution and response. Unlocking the potential of nanomedicine demands a fundamental understanding of the impact biological sex has on drug distribution, efficacy and adverse effects.

Future Nanotechnology-Based Strategies for Improved Management of Helicobacter pylori Infection

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a recalcitrant pathogen, which can cause gastric disorders. During the past decades, polypharmacy-based regimens, such as triple and quadruple therapies have been widely used against H. pylori. However, polyantibiotic therapies can disturb the host gastric/gut microbiota and lead to antibiotic resistance. Thus, simpler but more effective approaches should be developed. Here, some recent advances in nanostructured drug delivery systems to treat H. pylori infection are summarized. Also, for the first time, a drug release paradigm is proposed to prevent H. pylori antibiotic resistance along with an IVIVC model in order to connect the drug release profile with a reduction in bacterial colony counts. Then, local delivery systems including mucoadhesive, mucopenetrating, and cytoadhesive nanobiomaterials are discussed in the battle against H. pylori infection. Afterward, engineered delivery platforms including polymer-coated nanoemulsions and polymer-coated nanoliposomes are poposed. These bioinspired platforms can contain an antimicrobial agent enclosed within smart multifunctional nanoformulations. These bioplatforms can prevent the development of antibiotic resistance, as well as specifically killing H. pylori with no or only slight negative effects on the host gastrointestinal microbiota. Finally, the essential checkpoints that should be passed to confirm the potential effectiveness of anti-H. pylori nanosystems are discussed.

Understanding protein-nanoparticle interactions leading to protein corona formation: In vitro - in vivo correlation study

Nanoparticles (NPs) in contact with biological fluids form a biomolecular corona through interactions with proteins, lipids, and sugars, acquiring new physicochemical properties. This work explores the interaction between selected proteins (hemoglobin and fetuin-A) that may alter NP circulation time and NPs of different surface charges (neutral, positive, and negative). The interaction with key proteins albumin and transferrin, the two of the most abundant proteins in plasma was also studied. Binding affinity was investigated using quartz crystal microbalance and fluorescence quenching, while circular dichroism assessed potential conformational changes. The data obtained from in vitro experiments were compared to in vivo protein corona data. The results indicate that electrostatic interactions primarily drive protein-NP interactions, and higher binding affinity does not necessarily translate into more significant structural changes. In vitro and single protein-NP studies provide valuable insights that can be correlated with in vivo observations, opening exciting possibilities for future protein corona studies.

Sex Influences the Safety and Therapeutic Efficacy of Cardiac Nanomedicine Technologies

Nanomedicine technologies are being developed for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of death worldwide. Before delving into the nuances of cardiac nanomedicine, it is essential to comprehend the fundamental sex-specific differences in cardiovascular health. Traditionally, CVDs have been more prevalent in males, but it is increasingly evident that females also face significant risks, albeit with distinct characteristics. Females tend to develop CVDs at a later age, exhibit different clinical symptoms, and often experience worse outcomes compared to males. These differences indicate the need for sex-specific approaches in cardiac nanomedicine. This Perspective discusses the importance of considering sex in the safety and therapeutic efficacy of nanomedicine approaches for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of CVD.

An Overview of Nanoparticle Protein Corona Literature

The protein corona forms spontaneously on nanoparticle surfaces when nanomaterials are introduced into any biological system/fluid. Reliable characterization of the protein corona is, therefore, a vital step in the development of safe and efficient diagnostic and therapeutic nanomedicine products. 2134 published manuscripts on the protein corona are reviewed and a down-selection of 470 papers spanning 2000-2021, comprising 1702 nanoparticle (NP) systems is analyzed. This analysis reveals: i) most corona studies have been conducted on metal and metal oxide nanoparticles; ii) despite their overwhelming presence in clinical practice, lipid-based NPs are underrepresented in protein corona research, iii) studies use new methods to improve reliability and reproducibility in protein corona research; iv) studies use more specific protein sources toward personalized medicine; and v) careful characterization of nanoparticles after corona formation is imperative to minimize the role of aggregation and protein contamination on corona outcomes. As nanoparticles used in biomedicine become increasingly prevalent and biochemically complex, the field of protein corona research will need to focus on developing analytical approaches and characterization techniques appropriate for each unique nanoparticle formulation. Achieving such characterization of the nano-bio interface of nanobiotechnologies will enable more seamless development and safe implementation of nanoparticles in medicine.

Impact of Nanomedicine in Women's Metastatic Breast Cancer

Metastatic breast cancer is responsible for 90% of mortalities among women suffering from various types of breast cancers. Traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause significant side effects and may not be effective in many cases. However, recent advances in nanomedicine have shown great promise in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. For example, nanomedicine demonstrated robust capacity in detection of metastatic cancers at early stages (i.e., before the metastatic cells leave the initial tumor site), which gives clinicians a timely option to change their treatment process (for example, instead of endocrine therapy they may use chemotherapy). Here recent advances in nanomedicine technology in the identification and treatment of metastatic breast cancers are reviewed.

The protein corona from nanomedicine to environmental science

The protein corona spontaneously develops and evolves on the surface of nanoscale materials when they are exposed to biological environments, altering their physiochemical properties and affecting their subsequent interactions with biosystems. In this Review, we provide an overview of the current state of protein corona research in nanomedicine. We next discuss remaining challenges in the research methodology and characterization of the protein corona that slow the development of nanoparticle therapeutics and diagnostics, and we address how artificial intelligence can advance protein corona research as a complement to experimental research efforts. We then review emerging opportunities provided by the protein corona to address major issues in healthcare and environmental sciences. This Review details how mechanistic insights into nanoparticle protein corona formation can broadly address unmet clinical and environmental needs, as well as enhance the safety and efficacy of nanobiotechnology products.

Human amniotic membrane as a multifunctional biomaterial: recent advances and applications

The developing fetus is wrapped by a human amniotic membrane or amnion. Amnion is a promising human tissue allograft in clinical application because of its chemical composition, collagen-based, and mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix. In addition, amnion contains cells and growth factors; therefore, meets the essential parameters of tissue engineering. No donor morbidity, easy processing and storage, fewer ethical issue, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and non-immunogenic properties are other advantages of amnion usage. For these reasons, amnion can resolve some bottlenecks in the regenerative medicine issues such as tissue engineering and cell therapy. Over the last decades, biomedical applications of amnion have evolved from a simple sheet for skin or cornea repair to high-technology applications such as amnion nanocomposite, powder, or hydrogel for the regeneration of cartilage, muscle, tendon, and heart. Furthermore, amnion has anticancer as well as drug/cell delivery capacity. This review highlights various ancient and new applications of amnion in research and clinical applications, from regenerative medicine to cancer therapy, focusing on articles published during the last decade that also revealed information regarding amnion-based products. Challenges and future perspectives of the amnion in regenerative medicine are also discussed.

Sex-Specific Silica Nanoparticle Protein Corona Compositions Exposed to Male and Female BALB/c Mice Plasmas

As various nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly being used in nanomedicine products for more effective and less toxic therapy and diagnosis of diseases, there is a growing need to understand their biological fate in different sexes. Herein, we report a proof-of-concept result of sex-specific protein corona compositions on the surface of silica NPs as a function of their size and porosity upon incubation with plasma proteins of female and male BALB/c mice. Our results demonstrate substantial differences between male and female protein corona profiles on the surface of silica nanoparticles. By comparing protein abundances between male and female protein coronas of mesoporous silica nanoparticles and Stöber silica nanoparticles of ∼100, 50, and 100 nm in diameter, respectively, we detected 17, 4, and 4 distinct proteins, respectively, that were found at significantly different concentrations for these constructs. These initial findings demonstrate that animal sex can influence protein corona formation on silica NPs as a function of the physicochemical properties. A more thorough consideration of the role of plasma sex would enable nanomedicine community to design and develop safer and more efficient diagnostic and therapeutic nanomedicine products for both sexes.

Interview: insights from a career researching the protein corona and combating academic bullying

M Mahmoudi is an assistant professor in the Department of Radiology and Precision Health Program at Michigan State University (MI, USA). His research group has three broad lines of enquiry: nanomedicine, regenerative medicine and academic bullying and harassment. In the field of nanomedicine, the lab focuses on understanding the protein corona - the mix of biomolecules that binds to the surface of a nanoparticle when it interacts with biological fluids - and the complications this brings to reproducibility and data interpretation in the field of nanomedicine. In regenerative medicine, his lab works on cardiac regeneration and wound healing. His lab is also very active in the social sciences, specifically in the fields of gender disparity in the sciences and academic harassment. In addition to his academic postings, M Mahmoudi is a cofounder and director of the Academic Parity Movement (a nonprofit organization); a cofounder of NanoServ, Targets' Tip and Partners in Global Wound Care; and a member of the Nanomedicine editorial board.

Nanomedicine for Treating Muscle Dystrophies: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Muscular dystrophies are a group of genetic muscular diseases characterized by impaired muscle regeneration, which leads to pathological inflammation that drives muscle wasting and eventually results in weakness, functional dependency, and premature death. The most known causes of death include respiratory muscle failure due to diaphragm muscle decay. There is no definitive treatment for muscular dystrophies, and conventional therapies aim to ameliorate muscle wasting by promoting physiological muscle regeneration and growth. However, their effects on muscle function remain limited, illustrating the requirement for major advancements in novel approaches to treatments, such as nanomedicine. Nanomedicine is a rapidly evolving field that seeks to optimize drug delivery to target tissues by merging pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. However, the therapeutic potential of nanomedicine in muscular dystrophies is poorly understood. This review highlights recent work in the application of nanomedicine in treating muscular dystrophies. First, we discuss the history and applications of nanomedicine from a broader perspective. Second, we address the use of nanoparticles for drug delivery, gene regulation, and editing to target Duchenne muscular dystrophy and myotonic dystrophy. Next, we highlight the potential hindrances and limitations of using nanomedicine in the context of cell culture and animal models. Finally, the future perspectives for using nanomedicine in clinics are summarized with relevance to muscular dystrophies.

Liver-specific drug delivery platforms: Applications for the treatment of alcohol-associated liver disease

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a common chronic liver disease and major contributor to liver disease-related deaths worldwide. Despite its pre-valence, there are few effective pharmacological options for the severe stages of this disease. While much pre-clinical research attention is paid to drug development in ALD, many of these experimental therapeutics have limitations such as poor pharmacokinetics, poor efficacy, or off-target side effects due to systemic administration. One means of addressing these limitations is through liver-targeted drug delivery, which can be accomplished with different platforms including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, exosomes, bacteria, and adeno-associated viruses, among others. These platforms allow drugs to target the liver passively or actively, thereby reducing systemic circulation and increasing the ‘effective dose’ in the liver. While many studies, some clinical, have applied targeted delivery systems to other liver diseases such as viral hepatitis or hepatocellular carcinoma, only few have investigated their efficacy in ALD. This review provides basic information on these liver-targeting drug delivery platforms, including their benefits and limitations, and summarizes the current research efforts to apply them to the treatment of ALD in rodent models. We also discuss gaps in knowledge in the field, which when addressed, may help to increase the efficacy of novel therapies and better translate them to humans.

Harnessing Protein Corona for Biomimetic Nanomedicine Design

Nanoparticles (NPs) are usually treated as multifunctional agents combining several therapeutical applications, like imaging and targeting delivery. However, clinical translation is still largely hindered by several factors, and the rapidly formed protein corona on the surface of NPs is one of them. The formation of protein corona is complicated and irreversible in the biological environment, and protein corona will redefine the “biological identity” of NPs, which will alter the following biological events and therapeutic efficacy. Current understanding of protein corona is still limited and incomplete, and in many cases, protein corona has adverse impacts on nanomedicine, for instance, losing targeting ability, activating the immune response, and rapid clearance. Due to the considerable role of protein corona in NPs’ biological fate, harnessing protein corona to achieve some therapeutic effects through various methods like biomimetic approaches is now treated as a promising way to meet the current challenges in nanomedicine such as poor pharmacokinetic properties, off-target effect, and immunogenicity. This review will first introduce the current understanding of protein corona and summarize the investigation process and technologies. Second, the strategies of harnessing protein corona with biomimetic approaches for nanomedicine design are reviewed. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future outlooks of biomimetic approaches to tune protein corona in nanomedicine.

Tissue engineered drug delivery vehicles: Methods to monitor and regulate the release behavior

Tissue engineering is a rapidly evolving, multidisciplinary field that aims at generating or regenerating 3D functional tissues for in vitro disease modeling and drug screening applications or for in vivo therapies. A variety of advanced biological and engineering methods are increasingly being used to further enhance and customize the functionality of tissue engineered scaffolds. To this end, tunable drug delivery and release mechanisms are incorporated into tissue engineering modalities to promote different therapeutic processes, thus, addressing challenges faced in the clinical applications. In this review, we elaborate the mechanisms and recent developments in different drug delivery vehicles, including the quantum dots, nano/micro particles, and molecular agents. Different loading strategies to incorporate the therapeutic reagents into the scaffolding structures are explored. Further, we discuss the main mechanisms to tune and monitor/quantify the release kinetics of embedded drugs from engineered scaffolds. We also survey the current trend of drug delivery using stimuli driven biopolymer scaffolds to enable precise spatiotemporal control of the release behavior. Recent advancements, challenges facing current scaffold-based drug delivery approaches, and areas of future research are discussed.

An update on dual targeting strategy for cancer treatment

The key issue in the treatment of solid tumors is the lack of efficient strategies for the targeted delivery and accumulation of therapeutic cargoes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Targeting approaches are designed for more efficient delivery of therapeutic agents to cancer cells while minimizing drug toxicity to normal cells and off-targeting effects, while maximizing the eradication of cancer cells. The highly complicated interrelationship between the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles, and the physiological and pathological barriers that are required to cross, dictates the need for the success of targeting strategies. Dual targeting is an approach that uses both purely biological strategies and physicochemical responsive smart delivery strategies to increase the accumulation of nanoparticles within the TME and improve targeting efficiency towards cancer cells. In both approaches, either one single ligand is used for targeting a single receptor on different cells, or two different ligands for targeting two different receptors on the same or different cells. Smart delivery strategies are able to respond to triggers that are typical of specific disease sites, such as pH, certain specific enzymes, or redox conditions. These strategies are expected to lead to more precise targeting and better accumulation of nano-therapeutics. This review describes the classification and principles of dual targeting approaches and critically reviews the efficiency of dual targeting strategies, and the rationale behind the choice of ligands. We focus on new approaches for smart drug delivery in which synthetic and/or biological moieties are attached to nanoparticles by TME-specific responsive linkers and advanced camouflaged nanoparticles.

Safety and Toxicity Implications of Multifunctional Drug Delivery Nanocarriers on Reproductive Systems In Vitro and In Vivo

In the recent past, nanotechnological advancements in engineered nanomaterials have demonstrated diverse and versatile applications in different arenas, including bio-imaging, drug delivery, bio-sensing, detection and analysis of biological macromolecules, bio-catalysis, nanomedicine, and other biomedical applications. However, public interests and concerns in the context of human exposure to these nanomaterials and their consequential well-being may hamper the wider applicability of these nanomaterial-based platforms. Furthermore, human exposure to these nanosized and engineered particulate materials has also increased drastically in the last 2 decades due to enormous research and development and anthropocentric applications of nanoparticles. Their widespread use in nanomaterial-based industries, viz., nanomedicine, cosmetics, and consumer goods has also raised questions regarding the potential of nanotoxicity in general and reproductive nanotoxicology in particular. In this review, we have summarized diverse aspects of nanoparticle safety and their toxicological outcomes on reproduction and developmental systems. Various research databases, including PubMed and Google Scholar, were searched for the last 20 years up to the date of inception, and nano toxicological aspects of these materials on male and female reproductive systems have been described in detail. Furthermore, a discussion has also been dedicated to the placental interaction of these nanoparticles and how these can cross the blood–placental barrier and precipitate nanotoxicity in the developing offspring. Fetal abnormalities as a consequence of the administration of nanoparticles and pathophysiological deviations and aberrations in the developing fetus have also been touched upon. A section has also been dedicated to the regulatory requirements and guidelines for the testing of nanoparticles for their safety and toxicity in reproductive systems. It is anticipated that this review will incite a considerable interest in the research community functioning in the domains of pharmaceutical formulations and development in nanomedicine-based designing of therapeutic paradigms.

Nanomedicine, a valuable tool for skeletal muscle disorders: Challenges, promises, and limitations

Muscular dystrophies are a group of rare genetic disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness, which, in the most severe forms, leads to the patient's death due to cardiorespiratory problems. There is still no cure available for these diseases and significant effort is being placed into developing new strategies to either correct the genetic defect or to compensate muscle loss by stimulating skeletal muscle regeneration. However, the vast anatomical extension of the target tissue poses great challenges to these goals, highlighting the need for complementary strategies. Nanomedicine is an actively evolving field that merges nanotechnologies with biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. It holds great potential in regenerative medicine, both in supporting tissue engineering and regeneration, and in optimizing drug and oligonucleotide delivery and gene therapy strategies. In this review, we will summarize the state‐of‐the‐art in the field of nanomedicine applied to skeletal muscle regeneration. We will discuss the recent work toward the development of nanopatterned scaffolds for tissue engineering, the efforts in the synthesis of organic and inorganic nanoparticles for gene therapy and drug delivery applications, as well as their use as immune modulators. Although nanomedicine holds great promise for muscle and other degenerative diseases, many challenges still need to be systematically addressed to assure a smooth transition from the bench to the bedside.

This article is categorized under:

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanotechnology in Tissue Repair and Replacement

Nanoparticles Accumulate in the Female Reproductive System during Ovulation Affecting Cancer Treatment and Fertility

Throughout the female menstrual cycle, physiological changes occur that affect the biodistribution of nanoparticles within the reproductive system. We demonstrate a 2-fold increase in nanoparticle accumulation in murine ovaries and uterus during ovulation, compared to the nonovulatory stage, following intravenous administration. This biodistribution pattern had positive or negative effects when drug-loaded nanoparticles, sized 100 nm or smaller, were used to treat different cancers. For example, treating ovarian cancer with nanomedicines during mouse ovulation resulted in higher drug accumulation in the ovaries, improving therapeutic efficacy. Conversely, treating breast cancer during ovulation, led to reduced therapeutic efficacy, due to enhanced nanoparticle accumulation in the reproductive system rather than at the tumor site. Moreover, chemotherapeutic nanoparticles administered during ovulation increased ovarian toxicity and decreased fertility compared to the free drug. The menstrual cycle should be accounted for when designing and implementing nanomedicines for females.

Single-Vesicle Electrochemistry Reveals Sex Difference in Vesicular Storage and Release of Catecholamine

Quantitative measurements of sex difference in vesicle chemistry (i.e., chemical storage and release) at the single-vesicle level are essential to understand sex differences in cognitive behaviors; however, such measurements are very challenging to conventional analytical methods. By using single-vesicle electrochemistry, we find the duration of single exocytotic events of chromaffin cells prepared from male rats is statistically longer than that from female rats, leading to more neurotransmitter released in the male group. Further analysis reveals that a higher percentage of vesicles in the female group release part of the neurotransmitter, i.e., partial release, during exocytosis than that in male group. This sex dimorphism in neurotransmitter release in exocytosis might relate to the sex difference in the expression of voltage-dependent calcium channels and membrane lipid composition. Our finding offers the first experimental evidence that sex dimorphism even exists in vesicle chemistry, providing a brand new viewpoint for understanding the sex dimorphism in exocytosis.

An update on the applications and characteristics of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for drug delivery

INTRODUCTION

In the field of drug delivery, controlling the release of therapeutic substances at localized targets has become a primary focus of medical research, especially in the field of cancer treatment. Magnetic nanoparticles are one of the most promising drug carriers thanks to their biocompatibility and (super)paramagnetic properties. These properties allow for the combination between imaging modalities and specific release of drugs at target sites using either local stimulus (i.e. pH, conjugation of biomarkers, …) or external stimulus (i.e. external magnetic field).

AREAS COVERED

This review provides an update on recent advances with the development of targeted drug delivery systems based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). This overview focuses on active targeting strategies and systems combining both imaging and therapeutic modalities (i.e. theranostics). If most of the examples concern the particular case of cancer therapy, the possibility of using MNPs for other medical applications is also discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

The development of clinically relevant drug delivery systems based on magnetic nanoparticles is driven by advantages stemming from their remarkable properties (i.e. easy preparation, facile chemical functionalization, biocompatibility, low toxicity and superior magnetic responsiveness). This literature review shows that drug carriers based on magnetic nanoparticles can be efficiently used for the controlled release of drug at targeted locations mediated by various stimuli. Advances in the field should lead to the implementation of such systems into clinical trials, especially systems enabling drug tracking in the body.

Physiology, pathology and the biomolecular corona: the confounding factors in nanomedicine design

The biomolecular corona that forms on nanomedicines in different physiological and pathological environments confers a new biological identity. How the recipient biological system's state can potentially affect nanomedicine corona formation, and how this can be modulated, remains obscure. With this perspective, this review summarizes the current knowledge about the content of biological fluids in various compartments and how they can be affected by pathological states, thus impacting biomolecular corona formation. The content of representative biological fluids is explored, and the urgency of integrating corona formation, as an essential component of nanomedicine designs for effective cargo delivery, is highlighted.

Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles for Tumor Therapy: Effective Heating versus Possible Toxicity

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are widely considered for cancer treatment, in particular for magnetic hyperthermia (MHT). Thereby, MNPs are still being optimized for lowest possible toxicity on organisms while the magnetic properties are matched for best heating capabilities. In this study, the biocompatibility of 12 nm cobalt ferrite MNPs, functionalized with citrate ions, in different dosages on mice and rats of both sexes was investigated for 30 days after intraperitoneal injection. The animals' weight, behavior, and blood cells changes, as well as blood biochemical parameters are correlated to histological examination of organs revealing that cobalt ferrite MNPs do not have toxic effects at concentrations close to those used previously for efficient MHT. Moreover, these MNPs demonstrated high specific loss power (SLP) of about 400 W g-1. Importantly the MNPs retained their magnetic properties inside tumor tissue after intratumoral administration for several MHT cycles within three days. Thus, cobalt ferrite MNPs represent a perspective platform for tumor therapy by MHT due to their ability to provide effective heating without exerting a toxic effect on the organism. This opens up new avenues for smaller MNPs sizes while their heating efficiency is maintained.

Emerging Nano-Based Strategies Against Drug Resistance in Tumor Chemotherapy

Drug resistance is the most significant causes of cancer chemotherapy failure. Various mechanisms of drug resistance include tumor heterogeneity, tumor microenvironment, changes at cellular levels, genetic factors, and other mechanisms. In recent years, more attention has been paid to tumor resistance mechanisms and countermeasures. Nanomedicine is an emerging treatment platform, focusing on alternative drug delivery and improved therapeutic effectiveness while reducing side effects on normal tissues. Here, we reviewed the principal forms of drug resistance and the new possibilities that nanomaterials offer for overcoming these therapeutic barriers. Novel nanomaterials based on tumor types are an excellent modality to equalize drug resistance that enables gain more rational and flexible drug selectivity for individual patient treatment. With the emergence of advanced designs and alternative drug delivery strategies with different nanomaterials, overcome of multidrug resistance shows promising and opens new horizons for cancer therapy. This review discussed different mechanisms of drug resistance and recent advances in nanotechnology-based therapeutic strategies to improve the sensitivity and effectiveness of chemotherapeutic drugs, aiming to show the advantages of nanomaterials in overcoming of drug resistance for tumor chemotherapy, which could accelerate the development of personalized medicine.

Unraveling the Effect of Breast Cancer Patients' Plasma on the Targeting Ability of Folic Acid-Modified Chitosan Nanoparticles

The formation of protein corona (PC) around nanoparticles (NPs) has been reported inside biological conditions. This effect can alter delivery capacity toward the targeted tissues. Here, we synthesized folic acid-modified chitosan NPs (FA-CS NPs) using different concentrations of folic acid (5, 10, and 20%). FA-CS NPs were exposed to plasmas of breast cancer patients and healthy donors to evaluate the possibility of PC formation. We also monitored uptake efficiency in in vitro conditions after incubation with human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and monocyte/macrophage-like Raw264.7 cells. Data showed that the formation of PC around FA-CS NPs can change physicochemical properties coincided with the rise in NP size and negative surface charge. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis revealed differences in the type and content rate of plasma proteins attached to NP surface in a personalized manner. Based on MTT data, the formation of PC around NPs did not exert cytotoxic effects on MDA-MB-231 cells while this phenomenon reduced uptake rate. Fluorescence imaging and flow cytometry analyses revealed reduced cellular internalization rate in NPs exposed to patients' plasma compared to the control group. In contrast to breast MDA-MB-231 cells, Raw264.7 cells efficiently adsorbed the bare and PC-coated NPs from both sources, indicating the involvement of ligand-receptor-dependent and independent cellular engulfment. These data showed that the PC formed on the FA-CS NPs is entirely different in breast cancer patients and healthy counterparts. PC derived from patients' plasma almost abolishes the targeting efficiency of FA-CS NPs even in different mechanisms, while this behavior was not shown in the control group. Surprisingly, Raw264.7 cells strongly adsorbed the PC-coated NPs, especially when these particles were in the presence of patients' sera. It is strongly suggested that the formation of PC around can affect delivering capacity of FA-CS NPs to cancer cells. It seems that the PC-coated FA-CS NPs can be used as an efficient delivery strategy for the transfer of specific biomolecules in immune system disorders.

Smart biomaterials to enhance the efficiency of immunotherapy in glioblastoma: State of the art and future perspectives

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is considered as the most lethal tumor among CNS malignancies. Although immunotherapy has achieved remarkable advances in cancer treatment, it has not shown satisfactory results in GBM patients. Biomaterial science, along with nanobiotechnology, is able to optimize the efficiency of immunotherapy in these patients. They can be employed to provide the specific activation of immune cells in tumor tissue and combinational therapy as well as preventing systemic adverse effects resulting from hyperactivation of immune responses and off-targeting effect. Advance biomaterials in this field are classified into targeting nanocarriers and localized delivery systems. This review will offer an overview of immunotherapy strategies for glioblastoma and advance delivery systems for immunotherapeutics that may have a high potential in glioblastoma treatment.

Nanotechnology for Targeted Detection and Removal of Bacteria: Opportunities and Challenges

The emergence of nanotechnology has created unprecedented hopes for addressing several unmet industrial and clinical issues, including the growing threat so-termed "antibiotic resistance" in medicine. Over the last decade, nanotechnologies have demonstrated promising applications in the identification, discrimination, and removal of a wide range of pathogens. Here, recent insights into the field of bacterial nanotechnology are examined that can substantially improve the fundamental understanding of nanoparticle and bacteria interactions. A wide range of developed nanotechnology-based approaches for bacterial detection and removal together with biofilm eradication are summarized. The challenging effects of nanotechnologies on beneficial bacteria in the human body and environment and the mechanisms of bacterial resistance to nanotherapeutics are also reviewed.

Corona protein impacts on alternating current biosusceptometry signal and circulation times of differently coated MnFe2O4 nanoparticles

Background: We evaluated the impacts of corona protein (CP) formation on the alternating current biosusceptometry (ACB) signal intensity and in vivo circulation times of three differently coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNP): bare, citrate-coated and bovine serum albumin-coated MNPs. Methods: We employed the ACB system, gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry analysis. Results: Higher CP formation led to a greater reduction in the in vitro ACB signal intensity and circulation time. We found fewer proteins forming the CP for the bovine serum albumin-coated MNPs, which presented the highest circulation time in vivo among the MNPs studied. Conclusion: These data showed better biocompatibility, stability and magnetic signal uniformity in biological media for bovine serum albumin-coated MNPs than for citrate-coated MNPs and bare MNPs.

Cancer-Nano-Interaction: From Cellular Uptake to Mechanobiological Responses

With the advancement of nanotechnology, the nano-bio-interaction field has emerged. It is essential to enhance our understanding of nano-bio-interaction in different aspects to design nanomedicines and improve their efficacy for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Many researchers have extensively studied the toxicological responses of cancer cells to nano-bio-interaction, while their mechanobiological responses have been less investigated. The mechanobiological properties of cells such as elasticity and adhesion play vital roles in cellular functions and cancer progression. Many studies have noticed the impacts of cellular uptake on the structural organization of cells and, in return, the mechanobiology of human cells. Mechanobiological changes induced by the interactions of nanomaterials and cells could alter cellular functions and influence cancer progression. Hence, in addition to biological responses, the possible mechanobiological responses of treated cells should be monitored as a standard methodology to evaluate the efficiency of nanomedicines. Studying the cancer-nano-interaction in the context of cell mechanics takes our knowledge one step closer to designing safe and intelligent nanomedicines. In this review, we briefly discuss how the characteristic properties of nanoparticles influence cellular uptake. Then, we provide insight into the mechanobiological responses that may occur during the nano-bio-interactions, and finally, the important measurement techniques for the mechanobiological characterizations of cells are summarized and compared. Understanding the unknown mechanobiological responses to nano-bio-interaction will help with developing the application of nanoparticles to modulate cell mechanics for controlling cancer progression.

Let's talk about sex: Differences in drug therapy in males and females

Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady said, 'Why can't a woman be more like a man?' Perhaps unintended, such narration extends to the reality of current drug development. A clear sex-gap exists in pharmaceutical research spanning from preclinical studies, clinical trials to post-marketing surveillance with a bias towards males. Consequently, women experience adverse drug reactions from approved drug products more often than men. Distinct differences in pharmaceutical response across drug classes and the lack of understanding of disease pathophysiology also exists between the sexes, often leading to suboptimal drug therapy in women. This review explores the influence of sex as a biological variable in drug delivery, pharmacokinetic response and overall efficacy in the context of pharmaceutical research and practice in the clinic. Prospective recommendations are provided to guide researchers towards the consideration of sex differences in methodologies and analyses. The promotion of disaggregating data according to sex to strengthen scientific rigour, encouraging innovation through the personalisation of medicines and adopting machine learning algorithms is vital for optimised drug development in the sexes and population health equity.

Restoring Endogenous Repair Mechanisms to Heal Chronic Wounds with a Multifunctional Wound Dressing

Current treatment of chronic wounds has been critically limited by various factors, including bacterial infection, biofilm formation, impaired angiogenesis, and prolonged inflammation. Addressing these challenges, we developed a multifunctional wound dressing-based three-pronged approach for accelerating wound healing. The multifunctional wound dressing, composed of nanofibers, functional nanoparticles, natural biopolymers, and selected protein and peptide, can target multiple endogenous repair mechanisms and represents a promising alternative to current wound healing products.

Interdependency of influential parameters in therapeutic nanomedicine

Introduction:Current challenges to successful clinical translation of therapeutic nanomedicine have discouraged many stakeholders, including patients. Significant effort has been devoted to uncovering the reasons behind the less-than-expected success, beyond failures or ineffectiveness, of therapeutic nanomedicine products (e.g. cancer nanomedicine). Until we understand and address the factors that limit the safety and efficacy of NPs, both individually and in combination, successful clinical development will lag.Areas covered:This review highlights the critical roles of interdependent factors affecting the safety and therapeutic efficacy of therapeutic NPs for drug delivery applications.Expert opinion:Deep analysis of the current nanomedical literature reveals ahistory of unanticipated complexity by awide range of stakeholders including researchers. In the manufacture of nanomedicines themselves, there have been persistent difficulties with reproducibility and batch-to-batch variation. The unanticipated complexity and interdependency of nano-bio parameters has delayed our recognition of important factors affecting the safety and therapeutic efficacy of nanomedicine products. These missteps have had many factors including our lack of understanding of the interdependency of various factors affecting the biological identity and fate of NPs and biased interpretation of data. All these issues could raise significant concern regarding the reproducibility- or even the validity- of past publications that in turn formed the basis of many clinical trials of therapeutic nanomedicines. Therefore, the individual and combined effects of previously overlooked factors on the safety and therapeutic efficacy of NPs need to be fully considered in nanomedicine reports and product development.