Nucleus-targeted Silencer nanoplatform regulating ZEB1-AS1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma therapy

Long noncoding RNAs have emerged as key players in the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC). Among them, ZEB1-AS1 was identified as an upregulated candidate in HNSC through comprehensive analysis of RNA-sequencing datasets. Here, elevated ZEB1-AS1 expression was correlated with poor prognosis in HNSC patients. Further investigations demonstrated that downregulation of ZEB1-AS1 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and increased sensitivity to cisplatin in Cal27 cells, while its upregulation reversed these effects, underscoring its pivotal role in tumor metastasis and cisplatin resistance in Cal27 cells. Mechanistically, ZEB1-AS1, located in cytoplasm and nucleus, directly regulated the expression of ZEB1, thereby influencing the expression of μ opioid receptor (MOR) and implicating in cancer progression. To advance clinical translation, we employed a nucleus-targeting nanoparticle platform for efficient delivery of a mixture of antisense oligonucleotides and siRNA (Silencer), effectively manipulating ZEB1-AS1 expression in vitro and in vivo. Besides, a predictive model for HNSC patients was developed by analyzing the expression levels of ZEB1-AS1, ZEB1, and MOR in the HNSC datasets. Our study underscored the critical role of ZEB1-AS1 in HNSC and its potential as a therapeutic target. By elucidating its functional mechanisms and utilizing a nucleus-targeting nanoparticle platform for efficient delivery, we proved the potential of ZEB1-AS1-targeted therapies in HNSC.

Nanodelivery of antioxidant Agents: A promising strategy for preventing sensorineural hearing loss

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), often stemming from reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation due to various factors such as ototoxic drugs, acoustic trauma, and aging, remains a significant health concern. Oxidative stress-induced damage to the sensory cells of the inner ear, particularly the non-regenerating hair cells, is a critical pathologic mechanism leading to SNHL. Despite the proven efficacy of antioxidants in mitigating oxidative stress, their clinical application for otoprotection is hindered by the limitations of conventional drug delivery methods. This review highlights the challenges associated with systemic and intratympanic administration of antioxidants, including the blood-labyrinthine barrier, restricted permeability of the round window membrane, and inadequate blood flow to the inner ear. To overcome these hurdles, the application of nanoparticles as a delivery platform for antioxidants emerges as a promising solution. Nanocarriers facilitate indirect drug delivery to the cochlea through the round and oval window membrane, optimising drug absorption while reducing dosage, Eustachian tube clearance, and associated side effects. Furthermore, the development of nanoparticles carrying antioxidants tailored to the intracochlear environment holds immense potential. This literature research aimed to critically examine the root causes of SNHL and ROS overproduction in the inner ear, offering insights into the application of nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for safeguarding sensorineural hair cells. By focusing on the intricate interplay between oxidative stress and hearing loss, this research aims to contribute to the advancement of innovative therapeutic strategies for the prevention of SNHL.

Probucol-bile acid nanoparticles: a novel approach and promising solution to prevent cellular oxidative stress in sensorineural hearing loss

The use of antioxidants could thus prove an effective medication to prevent or facilitate recovery from oxidative stress-induced sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). One promising strategy to prevent SNHL is developing probucol (PB)-based nanoparticles using encapsulation technology and administering them to the inner ear via the established intratympanic route. The preclinical, clinical and epidemiological studies support that PB is a proven antioxidant that could effectively prevent oxidative stress in different study models. Such findings suggest its applicability in preventing oxidative stress within the inner ear and its associated neural cells. However, several hurdles, such as overcoming the blood-labyrinth barrier, ensuring sustained release, minimising systemic side effects and optimising targeted delivery in the intricate inner ear structures, must be overcome to efficiently deliver PB to the inner ear. This review explores the background and pathogenesis of hearing loss, the potential of PB in treating oxidative stress and its cellular mechanisms, and the obstacles linked to inner ear drug delivery for effectively introducing PB to the inner ear.

Mitochondrial targeting of potent nanoparticulated drugs in combating diseases

Mitochondrial dysfunction, characterized by the electron transport chain (ETC) leakage and reduced adenosine tri-phosphate synthesis, occurs primarily due to free radicals -induced mutations in either the mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mtDNA) or nuclear (n) DNA caused by pathogenic infections, toxicant exposures, adverse drug-effects, or other environmental exposures, leading to secondary dysfunction affecting ischemic, diabetic, cancerous, and degenerative diseases. In these concerns, mitochondria-targeted remedies may include a significant role in the protection and treatment of mitochondrial function to enhance its activity. Coenzyme Q10 pyridinol and pyrimidinol antioxidant analogues and other potent drug-compounds for their multifunctional radical quencher and other anti-toxic activities may take a significant therapeutic effectivity for ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, the encapsulation of these bioactive ligands-attached potent compounds in vesicular system may enable them a superb biological effective for the treatment of mitochondria-targeted dysfunction-related diseases with least side effects. This review depicts mainly on mitochondrial enzymatic dysfunction and their amelioration by potent drugs with the usages of nanoparticulated delivery system against mitochondria-affected diseases.

Mitochondrial temperature-responsive drug delivery reverses drug resistance in lung cancer

Reversal of cancer drug resistance remains a critical challenge in chemotherapy. Mitochondria-targeted drug delivery has been suggested to mitigate drug resistance in cancer. To overcome the intrinsic limitations in conventional mitochondrial targeting strategies, we develop mitochondrial temperature-responsive drug delivery to reverse doxorubicin (DOX) resistance in lung cancer. Results demonstrate that the thermoresponsive nanocarrier can prevent DOX efflux and facilitate DOX accumulation and mitochondrial targeting in DOX-resistant tumors. As a consequence, thermoresponsive nanocarrier enhances the cytotoxicity of DOX and reverses the drug resistance in tumor-bearing mice. This work represents the first example of mitochondrial temperature-responsive drug delivery for reversing cancer drug resistance.

Nanomaterials for Inner Ear Diseases: Challenges, Limitations and Opportunities

The inner ear is located deep in the temporal bone and has a complex anatomy. It is difficult to observe and obtain pathological tissues directly. Therefore, the diagnosis and treatment of inner ear diseases have always been a major clinical problem. The onset of inner ear disease can be accompanied by symptoms such as hearing loss, dizziness and tinnitus, which seriously affect people's lives. Nanoparticles have the characteristics of small size, high bioavailability and strong plasticity. With the development of related research on nanoparticles in inner ear diseases, nanoparticles have gradually become a research hotspot in inner ear diseases. This review briefly summarizes the research progress, opportunities and challenges of the application of nanoparticles in inner ear diseases.

Mitochondria-Targeting Enhanced Phototherapy by Intrinsic Characteristics Engineered "One-for-All" Nanoparticles

Mitochondria-targeted synergistic therapy, including photothermal (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), has aroused wide attention due to the high sensitivity to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and heat shock of mitochondria. However, most of the developed nanosystems for the combinatorial functions require the integration of different components, such as photosensitizers and mitochondria-targeted molecules. Consequently, it indispensably requires sophisticated design and complex synthetic procedures. In this work, a well-designed Bi2S3-based nanoneedle, that localizes to mitochondria and produces extra ROS with inherent photothermal effect, was reported by doping of Fe (denoted as FeBS). The engineered intrinsic characteristics certify the capacity of such "one-for-all" nanosystems without additional molecules. The lipophilicity and surface positive charge are demonstrated as crucial factors for specifical mitochondria targeting. Significantly, Fe doping overcomes the disadvantage of the narrow band gap of Bi2S3 to prevent the fast recombination of electron-hole, hence resulting in the generation of ROS for PDT. The "one-for-all" nanoparticles integrate with mitochondria-targeting and synergistic effect of PDT and PTT, thus exhibit enhanced therapeutic effect and inhibit the growth of tumors observably. This strategy may open a new direction in designing the mitochondria-targeted materials and broadening the properties of inorganic semiconductor materials for satisfactory therapeutic outcomes.

Effect of Protein Corona on Mitochondrial Targeting Ability and Cytotoxicity of Triphenylphosphonium Conjugated with Polyglycerol-Functionalized Nanodiamond

Functionalization of nanoparticles (NPs) with targeting moieties has a high potential to advance precision nanomedicine. However, the targeting moieties on a NP surface are known to be masked by a protein corona in biofluids, lowering the targeting efficiency. Although it has been demonstrated at the cellular level, little is known about the influence of the protein corona on the subcellular targeting. Herein, we adopted triphenylphosphonium (TPP) as a mitochondrial targeting moiety and investigated the effects of protein coronas from fetal bovine serum and human plasma on its targeting ability and cytotoxicity. Specifically, we introduced TPP in low (l) and high (h) densities on the surface of nanodiamond (ND) functionalized with polyglycerol (PG). Despite the "corona-free" PG interface, we found that the TPP moiety attracted proteins to form a corona layer with clear linearity between the TPP density and the protein amount. By performing investigations on human cervix epithelium (HeLa) and human lung epithelial carcinoma (A549) cells, we further demonstrated that (1) the protein corona alleviated the cytotoxicity of both ND-PG-TPP-l and -h, (2) a smaller amount of proteins on the surface of ND-PG-TPP-l did not affect its mitochondrial targeting ability, and (3) a larger amount of proteins on the surface of ND-PG-TPP-h diminished its targeting specificity by restricting the NDs inside the endosome and lysosome compartments. Our findings will provide in-depth insights into the design of NPs with active targeting moiety for more precise and safer delivery at the subcellular level.

Strategies to target bioactive molecules to subcellular compartments. Focus on natural compounds

Many potential pharmacological targets are present in multiple subcellular compartments and have different pathophysiological roles depending on location. In these cases, selective targeting of a drug to the relevant subcellular domain(s) may help to sharpen its impact by providing topological specificity, thus limiting side effects, and to concentrate the compound where needed, thus increasing its effectiveness. We review here the state of the art in precision subcellular delivery. The major approaches confer "homing" properties to the active principle via permanent or reversible (in pro-drug fashion) modifications, or through the use of special-design nanoparticles or liposomes to ferry a drug(s) cargo to its desired destination. An assortment of peptides, substituents with delocalized positive charges, custom-blended lipid mixtures, pH- or enzyme-sensitive groups provide the main tools of the trade. Mitochondria, lysosomes and the cell membrane may be mentioned as the fronts on which the most significant advances have been made. Most of the examples presented here have to do with targeting natural compounds - in particular polyphenols, known as pleiotropic agents - to one or the other subcellular compartment.

Thermoresponsive drug delivery to mitochondria in vivo

Thermoresponsive drug delivery to mitochondria in a mouse model of cancer.

A pH-responsive hydrogel with potent antibacterial activity against both aerobic and anaerobic pathogens

A pH-responsive hydrogel prepared by oxidized dextran with aminoglycoside and an ornidazole analogue can kill both aerobic and anaerobic pathogens.

Nanolipid Formulations of Benzoporphyrin Derivative: Exploring the Dependence of Nanoconstruct Photophysics and Photochemistry on Their Therapeutic Index in Ovarian Cancer Cells

With the rapidly emerging designs and applications of light-activated, photodynamic therapy (PDT)-based nanoconstructs, photonanomedicines (PNMs), an unmet need exists to establish whether conventional methods of photochemical and photophysical characterization of photosensitizers are relevant for evaluating new PNMs in order to intelligently guide their design. As a model system, we build on the clinical formulation of benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD), Visudyne^® , by developing a panel of nanolipid formulations entrapping new lipidated chemical variants of BPD with differing chemical, photochemical and photophysical properties. These are 16:0 and 20:0 lysophosphocholine-BPD (16:0/20:0 BPD-PC), DSPE-PEG-BPD and BPD-cholesterol. We show that Visudyne^® was the most phototoxic formulation to OVCAR-5 cells, and the least effective was liposomal DSPE-PEG-BPD. However, these differences did not match their optical, photophysical and photochemical properties, as the static BPD quenching was highest in Visudyne, which also exhibited the lowest generation of singlet oxygen. Furthermore, we establish that OVCAR-5 cell phototoxicity also does not correlate with rates of photosensitizer photobleaching and fluorescence quantum yields in any nanolipid formulations. These findings warrant critical future studies into subcellular targets and molecular mechanisms of phototoxicity of photodynamic nanoconstructs, as more reliable prognostic surrogates for predicting efficacy to appropriately and intelligently guide their design.

Triphenylphosphonium-modified mitochondria-targeted paclitaxel nanocrystals for overcoming multidrug resistance

Mitochondria are currently known as novel targets for treating cancer, especially for tumors displaying multidrug resistance (MDR). This present study aimed to develop a mitochondria-targeted delivery system by using triphenylphosphonium cation (TPP⁺)-conjugated Brij 98 as the functional stabilizer to modify paclitaxel (PTX) nanocrystals (NCs) against drug-resistant cancer cells. Evaluations were performed on 2D monolayer and 3D multicellular spheroids (MCs) of MCF-7 cells and MCF-7/ADR cells. In comparison with free PTX and the non-targeted PTX NCs, the targeted PTX NCs showed the strongest cytotoxicity against both 2D MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR cells, which was correlated with decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. The targeted PTX NCs exhibited deeper penetration on MCF-7 MCs and more significant growth inhibition on both MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR MCs. The proposed strategy indicated that the TPP⁺-modified NCs represent a potentially viable approach for targeted chemotherapeutic molecules to mitochondria. This strategy might provide promising therapeutic outcomes to overcome MDR.

Mitochondria, the NLRP3 Inflammasome, and Sirtuins in Type 2 Diabetes: New Therapeutic Targets

SIGNIFICANCE

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and hyperglycemia can lead to the development of comorbidities such as atherosclerosis and microvascular/macrovascular complications. Both type 2 diabetes and its complications are related to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Type 2 diabetes is also a chronic inflammatory condition that leads to inflammasome activation and the release of proinflammatory mediators, including interleukins (ILs) IL-1β and IL-18. Moreover, sirtuins are energetic sensors that respond to metabolic load, which highlights their relevance in metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. Recent Advances: Over the past decade, great progress has been made in clarifying the signaling events regulated by mitochondria, inflammasomes, and sirtuins. Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) is the best characterized inflammasome, and the generation of oxidant species seems to be critical for its activation. NLRP3 inflammasome activation and altered sirtuin levels have been observed in type 2 diabetes. Critical Issue: Despite increasing evidence of the relationship between the NLRP3 inflammasome, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress and of their participation in type 2 diabetes physiopathology, therapeutic strategies to combat type 2 diabetes that target NLRP3 inflammasome and sirtuins are yet to be consolidated.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

In this review article, we attempt to provide an overview of the existing literature concerning the crosstalk between mitochondrial impairment and the inflammasome, with particular attention to cellular and mitochondrial redox metabolism and the potential role of the NLRP3 inflammasome and sirtuins in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. In addition, we discuss potential targets for therapeutic intervention based on these molecular interactions. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 29, 749-791.

Non-peptidic guanidinium-functionalized silica nanoparticles as selective mitochondria-targeting drug nanocarriers

We report on the design and fabrication of a Fe₃O₄ core-mesoporous silica nanoparticle shell (Fe₃O₄@MSNs)-based mitochondria-targeting drug nanocarrier. A guanidinium derivative (GA) was conjugated onto the Fe₃O₄@MSNs as the mitochondria-targeting ligand. The fabrication of the Fe₃O₄@MSNs and their functionalization with GA were carried out by the sol-gel polymerization of alkoxysilane groups. Doxorubicin (DOX), an anti-cancer drug, was loaded into the pores of a GA-attached Fe₃O₄@MSNs due to both its anti-cancer properties and to allow for the fluorescent visualization of the nanocarriers. The selective and efficient mitochondria-targeting ability of a DOX-loaded GA-Fe₃O₄@MSNs (DOX/GA-Fe₃O₄@MSNs) was demonstrated by a co-localization study, transmission electron microscopy, and a fluorometric analysis on isolated mitochondria. It was found that the DOX/GA-Fe₃O₄@MSNs selectively accumulated into mitochondria within only five minutes; to the best of our knowledge, this is the shortest accumulation time reported for mitochondria targeting systems. Moreover, 2.6 times higher amount of DOX was accumulated in mitochondria by DOX/GA-Fe₃O₄@MSNs than by DOX/TPP-Fe₃O₄@MSNs. A cell viability assay indicated that the DOX/GA-Fe₃O₄@MSNs have high cytotoxicity to cancer cells, whereas the GA-Fe₃O₄@MSNs without DOX are non-cytotoxic; this indicates that the DOX/GA-Fe₃O₄@MSNs have great potential for use as biocompatible and effective mitochondria-targeting nanocarriers for cancer therapy.

FA-PEG decorated MOF nanoparticles as a targeted drug delivery system for controlled release of an autophagy inhibitor

A novel drug delivery system with pH-responsive release and specific targeting identification was developed to control the release of an autophagy inhibitor.

Novel SS-31 modified liposomes for improved protective efficacy of minocycline against drug-induced hearing loss

SS-31 modified, minocycline-loaded liposomes significantly increased hair cell survival against chronic exposure to gentamicin in a zebrafish model.

SS-31 peptide enables mitochondrial targeting drug delivery: a promising therapeutic alteration to prevent hair cell damage from aminoglycosides

Aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss stems from damage or loss of mechanosensory hair cells in the inner ear. Intrinsic mitochondrial cell death pathway plays a key role in that cellular dysfunction for which no proven effective therapies against oto-toxicities exist. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop a new mitochondrial targeting drug delivery system (DDS) that provided improved protection from gentamicin. Particularly, SS-31 peptide-conjugated geranylgeranylacetone (GGA) loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles were constructed successfully via emulsion-solvent evaporation method. The zebrafish lateral line sensory system was used as an in vivo evaluating platform to investigate the protective efficiency against gentamicin. SS-31 modification significantly reduced the activity of mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) channel and gentamicin uptake in zebrafish lateral line hair cells. As expected, SS-31 conjugated nanoparticles showed mitochondrial specific accumulation in hair cells when compared with unconjugated formulations. Furthermore, intracellular SS-31 modified PLGA NPs slightly enhanced mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm) and then returned to a steady-state, indicating their effect on the respiratory chain complexes in mitochondria. GGA loaded SS-31 conjugated nanoparticles demonstrated the most favorable hair cells survivals against gentamicin when compared with unconjugated groups whereas blank formulations failed to exhibit potency, indicating that the efficiency was attributed to drug delivery of GGA. These results suggest that our constructed mitochondria-targeting PLGA based DDS have potential application in protecting hair cells from ototoxic agents.