Intratumor injected gold molecular clusters for NIR-II imaging and cancer therapy

Surgical resections of solid tumors guided by visual inspection of tumor margins have been performed for over a century to treat cancer. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence labeling/imaging of tumor in the NIR-I (800 to 900 nm) range with systemically administrated fluorophore/tumor-targeting antibody conjugates have been introduced to improve tumor margin delineation, tumor removal accuracy, and patient survival. Here, we show Au25 molecular clusters functionalized with phosphorylcholine ligands (AuPC, ~2 nm in size) as a preclinical intratumorally injectable agent for NIR-II/SWIR (1,000 to 3,000 nm) fluorescence imaging-guided tumor resection. The AuPC clusters were found to be uniformly distributed in the 4T1 murine breast cancer tumor upon intratumor (i.t.) injection. The phosphocholine coating afforded highly stealth clusters, allowing a high percentage of AuPC to fill the tumor interstitial fluid space homogeneously. Intra-operative surgical navigation guided by imaging of the NIR-II fluorescence of AuPC allowed for complete and non-excessive tumor resection. The AuPC in tumors were also employed as a photothermal therapy (PTT) agent to uniformly heat up and eradicate tumors. Further, we performed in vivo NIR-IIb (1,500 to 1,700 nm) molecular imaging of the treated tumor using a quantum dot-Annexin V (QD-P3-Anx V) conjugate, revealing cancer cell apoptosis following PTT. The therapeutic functionalities of AuPC clusters combined with rapid renal excretion, high biocompatibility, and safety make them promising for clinical translation.

Age-dependent assessment of selenium nanoparticles: biodistribution and toxicity study in young and adult rats

Aim: To study the biodistribution and toxicology of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) versus their bulk counterpart in young and adult male rats in a 28-day study. Methods: SeNPs were synthesized and conjugated with indocyanine green to assess comparative biodistribution by in vivo imaging and further characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, UV and ζ-analysis. The toxicity of bulk selenium was evaluated relative to its nano form by hematology indices, redox, inflammatory markers and histopathology. Results: Indocyanine green-conjugated nanoparticles showed preferential accumulation in the liver, followed by testis and kidney. The protective effect of SeNPs was more significantly observed in young livers than in adults compared with the bulk counterpart. Conclusion: Age-dependent monitoring and diagnosis of toxicity may need different biomarkers of selenium and may also provide better understanding of SeNPs as therapeutics.

Recent progress on near-infrared fluorescence heptamethine cyanine dye-based molecules and nanoparticles for tumor imaging and treatment

Recenly, near-infrared fluorescence heptamethine cyanine dyes have shown satisfactory values in bioengineering, biology, and pharmacy especially in cancer diagnosis and treatment, owing to their excellent fluorescence property and biocompatibility. In order to achieve broad application prospects, diverse structures, and chemical properties of heptamethine cyanine dyes have been designed to develop novel functional molecules and nanoparticles over the past decade. For fluorescence and photoacoustic tumor imaging properties, heptamethine cyanine dyes are equipped with good photothermal performance and reactive oxygen species production properties under near-infrared light irradiation, thus holding great promise in photodynamic and/or photothermal cancer therapies. This review offers a comprehensive scope of the structures, comparisons, and applications of heptamethine cyanine dyes-based molecules as well as nanoparticles in tumor treatment and imaging in current years. Therefore, this review may drive the development and innovation of heptamethine cyanine dyes, significantly offering opportunities for improving tumor imaging and treatment in a precise noninvasive manner. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.

Chitosan-sialic acid nanoparticles of selenium: Statistical optimization of production, characterization, and assessment of cytotoxic effects against two human glioblastoma cell lines

According to the favorable antitumor properties of selenium, this study aimed to design a novel form of selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) functionalized with chitosan (Cs) and sialic acid to assess their antitumor effects on the human glioblastoma cell lines (T98 and A172). Se NPs were synthesized in the presence of chitosan and ascorbic acid (Vc) and the synthesis conditions were optimized using response surface methodology. Se NPs@Cs were obtained with a monoclinic structure with an average diameter of 23 nm under the optimum conditions (reaction time = 30 min, chitosan concentration = 1 % w/v, Vc/Se molar ratio = 5). To modify Se NP@Cs for glioblastoma treatment, sialic acid was used to cover the surface of the NPs. Sialic acid was successfully attached to the surface of Se NPs@Cs, and Se NPs@Cs-sialic acid were formed in the size range of 15-28 nm. Se NPs@Cs-sialic acid were stable for approximately 60 days at 4 ℃. The as-synthesized NPs exerted inhibitory effects on T98 greater than 3 T3 > A172 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Additionally, sialic acid ameliorated the blood biocompatibility of Se NPs@Cs. Taken together, sialic acid improved both the stability and biological activity of Se NPs@Cs.

Progress in the Surface Functionalization of Selenium Nanoparticles and Their Potential Application in Cancer Therapy

As an essential micronutrient, selenium participates in numerous life processes and plays a key role in human health. In the past decade, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have attracted great attention due to their excellent functionality for potential applications in pharmaceuticals. However, the utilization of SeNPs has been restricted by their instability and low targeting ability. Since the existing reviews mainly focused on the applications of SeNPs, this review highlights the synthesis of SeNPs and the strategies to improve their stability and targeting ability through surface functionalization. In addition, the utilization of functionalized SeNPs for the single and co-delivery of drugs or genes to achieve the combination of therapy are also presented, with the emphasis on the potential mechanism. The current challenges and prospects of functionalized SeNPs are also summarized. This review may provide valuable information for the design of novel functionalized SeNPs and promote their future application in cancer therapy.

Voyage of selenium from environment to life: Beneficial or toxic?

Selenium (Se), a naturally occurring metalloid, is an essential micronutrient for life as it is incorporated as selenocysteine in proteins. Although beneficial at low doses, Se is hazardous at high concentrations and poses a serious threat to various ecosystems. Due to this contrasting 'dual' nature, Se has garnered the attention of researchers wishing to unravel its puzzling properties. In this review, we describe the impact of selenium's journey from environment to diverse biological systems, with an emphasis on its chemical advantage. We describe the uneven distribution of Se and how this affects the bioavailability of this element, which, in turn, profoundly affects the habitat of a region. Once taken up, the subsequent incorporation of Se into proteins as selenocysteine and its antioxidant functions are detailed here. The causes of improved protein function due to the incorporation of redox-active Se atom (instead of S) are examined. Subsequently, the reasons for the deleterious effects of Se, which depend on its chemical form (organo-selenium or the inorganic forms) in different organisms are elaborated. Although Se is vital for the function of many antioxidant enzymes, how the pro-oxidant nature of Se can be potentially exploited in different therapies is highlighted. Furthermore, we succinctly explain how the presence of Se in biological systems offsets the toxic effects of heavy metal mercury. Finally, the different avenues of research that are fundamental to expand our understanding of selenium biology are suggested.

Research Progress of Photothermal Nanomaterials in Multimodal Tumor Therapy

The aggressive growth of cancer cells brings extreme challenges to cancer therapy while triggering the exploration of the application of multimodal therapy methods. Multimodal tumor therapy based on photothermal nanomaterials is a new technology to realize tumor cell thermal ablation through near-infrared light irradiation with a specific wavelength, which has the advantages of high efficiency, less adverse reactions, and effective inhibition of tumor metastasis compared with traditional treatment methods such as surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Photothermal nanomaterials have gained increasing interest due to their potential applications, remarkable properties, and advantages for tumor therapy. In this review, recent advances and the common applications of photothermal nanomaterials in multimodal tumor therapy are summarized, with a focus on the different types of photothermal nanomaterials and their application in multimodal tumor therapy. Moreover, the challenges and future applications have also been speculated.

Evaluation of Different Surface Coating Agents for Selenium Nanoparticles: Enhanced Anti-Inflammatory Activity and Drug Loading Capacity

Background

Inflammation is the keystone in the disease’s pathological process in response to any damaging stimuli. Therefore, any agent that inhibits the inflammatory response is under focus, either a drug or a bioactive compound. Selenium nanoparticles have drawn attention in various biomedical applications, including the anti-inflammatory activity.

Purpose

In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the capacity of different surface coating materials (soybean lecithin, PEG 6000, and β-cyclodextrin) to enhance the anti-inflammatory activity of the synthesized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). The capability of the coated SeNPs to adsorb indomethacin (IND) on their surfaces compared to the uncoated SeNPs was also evaluated.

Methods

SeNPs were synthesized, coated with different materials, and characterized in vitro using X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and particle size and zeta potential measurements. The in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of the uncoated/coated SeNPs loaded into hydrogel was evaluated using a carrageenan-induced paw edema rat model. The effect of SeNPs surface coatings was further evaluated for IND loading capacity.

Results

Our findings proved the superior anti-inflammatory activity of all coated SeNPs compared to the uncoated SeNPs, especially with β-cyclodextrin surface coating. Regarding the IND loading capacity of the prepared uncoated/coated SeNPs, the amount of drug loaded was 0.12, 1.12, 0.3, and 0.14 µg IND/µg SeNPs for the uncoated, lecithin-, PEG- and β-CD-coated SeNPs, respectively.

Conclusion

Surface functionalization of SeNPs can provide a synergistic therapeutic activity. Our results are promising for further investigation of the in vivo anti-inflammatory synergistic activity of the IND-loaded surface-coated SeNPs.

A Novel Nanoprobe for Targeted Imaging and Photothermal/Photodynamic Therapy of Lung Cancer

An effective accumulation of the photosensitive drugs in the target tissues is a vital prerequisite for obtaining the optimal photodynamic or photothermal treatment effects during the lung cancer treatment. In this study, porous Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were used to efficiently load the near-infrared photosensitive drug indocyanine green (ICG) in the pores (denoted as Fe/ICG) by electrostatic adsorption. Subsequently, Fe/ICG was modified with hyaluronic acid (HA) to construct a novel target nanoprobe (denoted as Fe/ICG@HA). Fe/ICG@HA exhibited not only excellent ICG loading and stability but also a significant uptake by the lung cancer cells owing to the targeting characteristics. Meanwhile, the nanoprobe improved the efficiency of thermal conversion and generation of singlet oxygen, thereby resulting in an optimal photothermal/photodynamic therapy effect. Based on the in vivo experiments and T2-magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the nanoprobe was confirmed to possess excellent tumor-targeting abilities. Furthermore, under 808 nm laser irradiation, a significant therapeutic effect was observed on the tumor growth in the animal models. The proposed treatment strategy may provide a functional pathway for the targeted combined photothermal/photodynamic lung cancer therapy.

Anticancer nano-delivery systems based on bovine serum albumin nanoparticles: A critical review

Among the health-promotional protein-based vehicles, bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSA NPs) are particularly interesting. Meeting requirements e. g., non-toxicity, non-immunogenicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and high drug-binding capacity, has introduced BSA NPs as a promising candidate for efficient anti-cancer drug delivery and its application is now a rapidly-growing strategy to promote cancer therapy. Nevertheless, the leverage of such carriers requires an in-depth understanding of structural/physicochemical features of the BSA molecule and its derived nanovehicles, together with the utilized nano-formulation approaches, effective variables in delivery mechanism, specific shortfalls, and recent nanoencapsulation progresses. The current review highlights the novel advances in the application of BSA NPs to engineer drug vehicles for delivering anti-cancer agents. The factors influencing the efficiency of the therapeutics in such nano-delivery systems, alongside their advantaged and limitations are also discussed.

Functionalized layered double hydroxide nanoparticles as an intelligent nanoplatform for synergistic photothermal therapy and chemotherapy of tumors

In this work, a novel layered double hydroxide (LDH)-based multifunctional nanoplatform was built for synergistic photothermal therapy (PTT)/chemotherapy. The platform was modified using the peptide B3int to target cancer cells with overexpression of integrin αvβ3. Indocyanine green (ICG) and doxorubicin (DOX) were loaded into the nanocarrier (LDH-PEG-B3int NPs) to form a system having a high drug loading (18.62%) and a remarkable photothermal conversion efficiency of 25.38%. It also showed pH-responsive and near-infrared (NIR)-triggered DOX release. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that the anti-tumor activity of the combined delivery system was significantly higher than that of a single delivery system. This co-delivery nanosystem may be helpful for future application in the clinical treatment of cancer.

Dual Photothermal/Chemotherapy of Melanoma Cells with Albumin Nanoparticles Carrying Indocyanine Green and Doxorubicin Leads to Immunogenic Cell Death

Recent focus on cancer immunotherapies has led to significant interest in the development of therapeutic strategies that can lead to immunogenic cell death (ICD), which can cause activation of an immune response against tumor cells and improve immunotherapy outcomes by enhancing the immunogenicity of the tumor microenvironment. In this work, a nanomedicine-mediated combination therapy is used to deliver the ICD inducers doxorubicin (Dox), a chemotherapeutic agent, and indocyanine green (ICG), a photothermal agent. These agents are loaded into nanoparticles (NPs) of bovine serum albumin (BSA) that are prepared through a desolvation process. The formulation of BSA NPs is optimized to achieve NPs of 102.6  nm in size and loadings of 8.55 % and 5.69 % (w/w) for ICG and Dox, respectively. The controlled release of these agents from the BSA NPs is confirmed. Upon laser irradiation for 2.5 min, NPs at a dose of 62.5 μg mL^-1 are able to increase the temperature of the cells by 7 °C and thereby inhibit the growth of B16F10 melanoma cells in vitro. Surface presentation of heat shock proteins and calreticulin from the cells after treatment confirmed the ability of the Dox/ICG loaded BSA NPs to induce ICD in the melanoma cells.

Localized therapy using anti-PD-L1 anchored and NIR-responsive hollow gold nanoshell (HGNS) loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) for the treatment of locally advanced melanoma

Drug resistance and inefficient localization of chemotherapeutic agent limit the current treatment strategy in locally advanced melanoma (MEL), accounting to the 10-year survival rate from 24% to 68%. In this study we constructed anti-PD-L1 conjugated and doxorubicin loaded hollow gold nanoshell (T-HGNS-DOX) for targeted and localized chemo-photothermal therapy of MEL by the conjugation of LA-PEG-anti-PD-L1 antibody and short PEG chain on the surface of HGNS-DOX. Near infrared (NIR) as well as pH dependent drug release profile was observed. Significant uptake of DOX following NIR due to high PD-L1 receptors resulted in pronounced anticancer effect of T-HGNS-DOX. Following intratumoral administration, maximum nanoparticles retention with the significant reduction in tumor growth was observed as a result of elevated apoptosis marker (cleaved caspase-3, cleaved PARP) as well as downregulation of proliferative (Ki-67) and angiogenesis marker (CD31). Cumulatively, our system avoids the systemic toxicities of the nanosystem thereby providing maximum chemotherapeutic retention in tumor.

In Vivo Regenerable Cerium Oxide Nanozyme-Loaded pH/H2O2-Responsive Nanovesicle for Tumor-Targeted Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapies

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapies (PTTs) are both promising strategies for effective tumor therapy. However, the absence of O2 at tumor sites hinders the sustained response of photosensitizers. Here, we develop a recycled cerium oxide (CeO2) catalase nanozyme-loaded hyaluronic acid nanovesicle to address the hypoxic tumor microenvironments and targeted delivery of the photosensitizers [indocyanine green (ICG)] to tumors. A polysaccharide complex effectively modifies the surface of a polyethylenimine phenylboronic acid nanostructure to achieve the CeO2 nanozyme-loading nanovesicles that exhibit both tumor-targeted enhancement and an improved hypoxic microenvironment. Also, the hydrogen peroxide responsiveness and acid-sensitive cleavage of phenylboronic acid specifically disintegrate the ICG/nanozyme coloaded nanovesicles in the tumor microenvironment. The in vitro synergistic tests and tumor suppression rate tests indicated that the cerium oxide nanozyme significantly improves the outcomes of PDT via cerium-element valence state recycling and hypoxia improvement, thus enhancing the tumor suppression efficiency. This pH/H2O2-responsive nanozyme/ICG codelivery system provides a good carrier model for improving the tumor microenvironment and increasing the efficiency of tumor-targeted PTT and PDT therapies.

Nanomagnetic liposome-encapsulated parthenolide and indocyanine green for targeting and chemo-photothermal antitumor therapy

Aim: To synthesize a drug-delivery system with chemo-photothermal function and magnetic targeting, to validate its antitumor effect. Materials & methods: Parthenolide (PTL), employing chemotherapy and indocyanine green (ICG) providing phototherapy, were encased separately in the lipid and aqueous phases of liposomes (Lips). The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (MNPs), endowing magnetic targeting, were modified on the surface of Lips. The antitumor effects were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Results: ICG-PTL-Lips@MNPs showed outstanding synergistic antitumor efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Especially, after 14-day treatment, the tumor volumes decreased significantly and the biotoxicity was very low. Conclusion: The designed ICG-PTL-Lips@MNPs possess synergistic effects of chemotherapy, photothermal and targeting therapy, which are expected to provide an alternative way to further improve antitumor efficacy.

Nanoscale Covalent Organic Framework for Combinatorial Antitumor Photodynamic and Photothermal Therapy

Despite the excellent photodynamic and photothermal properties of organic molecular photosensitizers (PSs) and photothermal agents (PTAs), such as porphyrin and naphthalocyanine, their poor water solubility severely impedes their biological applications. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), as an emerging class of organic crystalline porous materials, possess free active end groups (bonding defects) and large inner pores, which make them an ideal type of nanocarriers for loading hydrophobic organic molecular PSs and PTAs by both bonding defect functionalization (BDF) and guest encapsulation approaches to obtain multifunctional nanomedicines for PDT/PTT combination therapy. In this work, we report a nanoscale COF (NCOF) prepared via a facile synthetic approach under ambient conditions. Furthermore, a dual-modal PDT/PTT therapeutic nanoagent, VONc@COF-Por (3), is successfully fabricated by stepwise BDF and guest encapsulation processes. The covalently grafted porphyrinic PS (Por) and the noncovalently loaded naphthalocyanine PTA (VONc) are independently responsible for the PDT and PTT functionalities of the nanoagent. Upon visible (red LED) and NIR (808 nm laser) irradiation, VONc@COF-Por (3) displayed high ¹O₂ generation and photothermal conversion ability (55.9%), consequently providing an excellent combined PDT/PTT therapeutic effect on inhibiting MCF-7 tumor cell proliferation and metastasis, which was well evidenced by in vitro and in vivo experiments. We believe that the results obtained herein can significantly promote the development of NCOF-based multifunctional nanomedicines for biomedical applications.

Dual-stimuli-responsive albumin-polyplex nanoassembly for spatially controlled gene release in metastatic breast cancer

Stimuli-responsive polymeric nanoparticles are useful for overcoming challenges such as transfection efficiency and the specific and safe delivery of genes to cancer cells. Transfection outcomes can be improved through spatially and temporally controlled gene release. We formulated a nanoassembly comprising a disulfide-crosslinked polyethylenimine (ssPEI) conjugated with a tumor-specific cell-penetrating peptide (DS 4-3) (SPD) polyplex and bovine serum albumin (BSA)-loaded IR780 (BI) nanoparticle, thereby forming a dual-stimulus-triggered, tumor-penetrating and gene-carrying nanoassembly (BI-SPD) via electrostatic complexing. BI-SPD nanoassembly were composed of highly stable nanosized complexes with an average size of 457 ± 27.5 nm, exhibiting an up to two-fold enhanced transfection efficiency with no sign of potential cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells. Moreover, upon laser irradiation, a four-fold increase in transfection efficiency was achieved due to the rapid endosomal escape of polyplexes triggered by the local heat induced by the BI-SPD nanoassembly. Additionally, the high redox environment in tumor cells facilitated the disassembly of the SPD polyplex for efficient plasmid release in the cytosol. The BI-SPD nanoassembly also exhibited high penetration and enhanced photothermally triggered gene expression in the 4T1 spheroid model. This BI-SPD nanoassembly has the potential to enhance the expression of therapeutic genes in tumor models without causing significant toxicity to surrounding healthy tissues, since it has shown higher tumor targeting and accumulation in the 4T1 tumor in mice model.