Multifunctional FeS2@SRF@BSA nanoplatform for chemo-combined photothermal enhanced photodynamic/chemodynamic combination therapy

A universal nanoreactor triggering butterfly effect for encouraging Fenton/Fenton-like reactions and chemodynamic therapy

Fenton/Fenton-like reaction induced chemical dynamic therapy (CDT) has been widely recognized in tumor therapy. Due to the low efficiency of conversion from high-valent metal ions (M(n+1)+) to low-valent ions (Mn+) in the Fenton/Fenton-like catalytic process, enhancing the conversion efficiency safely and effectively would create a great opportunity for the clinical application of CDT. In the study, a universal nanoreactor (NR) consisting of liposome (Lip), tumor cell membrane (CM), and bis(2,4,5-trichloro-6-carboxyphenyl) oxalate (CPPO) is developed to tackle this challenge. The CPPO was first discovered to decompose under weak acidity and H2O2 conditions to generate carboxylic acids (R'COOH) and alcohols (R'OH) with reducibility, which will reduce M(n+1)+ to Mn+ and magnify the effect of CDT. Furthermore, glucose oxidase (GOx) was introduced to decompose glucose in tumor and generate H2O2 and glucose acid, which promote the degradation of CPPO, further strengthening the efficiency of CDT, leading to a butterfly effect. This demonstrated that the butterfly effect triggered by NR and GOx encourages Fenton/Fenton-like reactions of Fe3O4 and MoS2, thereby enhancing the tumor inhibition effect. The strategy of combining GOx and CPPO to strengthen the Fenton/Fenton-like reaction is a universal strategy, which provides a new and interesting perspective for CPPO in the application of CDT, reflecting the exquisite integration of Fenton chemistry and catalytic medicine.

Engineering Diselenide-IR780 Homodimeric Nanoassemblies with Enhanced Photodynamic and Immunotherapeutic Effects for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as an efficient approach for non-invasive cancer treatment. However, organic small-molecule photosensitizers are often associated with defects in hydrophobicity, poor photostability, and aggregation-caused quenching, which limit their application. Usually, the carrier-assisted drug delivery system is a common strategy to solve the above obstacles, but additional carrier material could increase the risk of potential biological toxicity. The carrier-free drug delivery system with easy preparation and high drug-loading capability is proposed subsequently as a potential strategy to develop the clinical use of hydrophobic drugs. Herein, we rationally designed three IR780-based carrier-free nanosystems formed by carbon/disulfide/diselenide bond conjugated IR780-based homodimers. The IR780-based homodimers could self-assemble to form nanoparticles (DC-NP, DS-NP, DSe-NP) and exhibited higher reactive oxygen species generation capability and photostability than free IR780, in which DSe-NP with 808 nm laser irradiation performed best and resulted in the strongest cytotoxicity to 4T1 cells. Meanwhile, the glutathione consumption ability of DSe-NP boosted its PDT effect and then induced excessive oxidative stress of 4T1 cells, increasing antitumor efficacy by enhancing immunogenic cell death further. In tumor-bearing mice, DSe-NP displayed obvious tumor site accumulation, which obviously inhibited tumor growth and metastasis, and enhanced the immunological effect by effectively inducing dendritic cells to mature and activating T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. In summary, our study presented an IR780-based carrier-free nanodelivery system for a combination of PDT and immunity therapy and established expanding the application of organic small-molecule photosensitizers by an approach of carrier-free drug delivery system.

The Application of Biomedicine in Chemodynamic Therapy: From Material Design to Improved Strategies

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) has garnered significant interest as an innovative approach for cancer treatment, owing to its notable tumor specificity and selectivity, minimal systemic toxicity and side effects, and absence of the requirement for field stimulation during treatment. This treatment utilizes nanocatalytic medicines containing transitional metals to release metal ions within tumor cells, subsequently initiating Fenton and Fenton-like reactions. These reactions convert hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into hydroxyl radical (•OH) specifically within the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME), thereby inducing apoptosis in tumor cells. However, insufficient endogenous H2O2, the overexpressed reducing substances in the TME, and the weak acidity of solid tumors limit the performance of CDT and restrict its application in vivo. Therefore, a variety of nanozymes and strategies have been designed and developed in order to potentiate CDT against tumors, including the application of various nanozymes and different strategies to remodel TME for enhanced CDT (e.g., increasing the H2O2 level in situ, depleting reductive substances, and lowering the pH value). This review presents an overview of the design and development of various nanocatalysts and the corresponding strategies employed to enhance catalytic drug targeting in recent years. Additionally, it delves into the prospects and obstacles that lie ahead for the future advancement of CDT.

Fe-involved nanostructures act as photothermal transduction agents in cancer photothermal therapy

Cancer, a disease notorious for its difficult therapy regimen, has long puzzled researchers. Despite attempts to cure cancer using surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, their effectiveness is limited. Recently, photothermal therapy (PTT), a rising strategy, has gained attention. PTT can increase the surrounding temperature of cancer tissues and cause damage to them. Fe is widely used in PTT nanostructures due to its strong chelating ability, good biocompatibility, and the potential to induce ferroptosis. In recent years, many nanostructures incorporating Fe3+ have been developed. In this article, we summarize PTT nanostructures containing Fe and introduce their synthesis and therapy strategy. However, PTT nanostructures containing Fe are still in their infancy, and more effort must be devoted to improving their effectiveness so that they can eventually be used in clinics.

Targeting tumor energy metabolism via simultaneous inhibition of mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis using biodegradable hydroxyapatite nanorods

Tumor cells obtain energy supply from the unique metabolic pathways of mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis, which can be used interchangeably to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for survival. To simultaneously block the two metabolic pathways and sharply cut off ATP supply, a multifunctional "nanoenabled energy interrupter" (called as HNHA-GC) was prepared by attaching glucose oxidase (GOx), hyaluronic acid (HA), and 10-hydroxycamptothecin (CPT) on the surface of degradable hydroxyapatite (NHA) nanorods. After targeted delivery of HNHA-GC to the tumor site by HA, the tumor-selective acid degradation of HNHA-GC as well as the subsequent deliveries of Ca²⁺, drug CPT, and GOx take place. The released Ca²⁺ and CPT induce mitochondrial dysfunction by Ca²⁺ overload and chemotherapy respectively, while the GOx-triggered glucose oxidation inhibits glycolysis by starvation therapy (exogenous effect). The generated H₂O₂ and released CPT increase the intracellular reactive oxygen (ROS) level. Moreover, the generated H⁺ and enhanced ROS promote Ca²⁺ overload by accelerating the degradation of HNHA-GC and preventing intracellular Ca²⁺ efflux, respectively (endogenous effect). As a result, the HNHA-GC displays a promising therapeutic modality for simultaneously cutting off mitochondrial and glycolytic ATP production through a combination of Ca²⁺ overload, chemotherapy, and starvation therapy.

Light-related activities of metal-based nanoparticles and their implications on dermatological treatment

Metal-based nanoparticles (MNPs) represent an emerging class of materials that have attracted enormous attention in many fields. By comparison with other biomaterials, MNPs own unique optical properties which make them a potential alternative to conventional therapeutic agents in medical applications. Especially, owing to the easy access to the skin, the use of MNPs based on their optical properties has gained importance for the treatment of a variety of skin diseases. This review provides an insight into the different optical properties of MNPs, including photoprotection, photocatalysis, and photothermal, and highlights their implications in treating skin disorders, with a special emphasis on their use in infection control. Finally, a perspective on the safety concern of MNPs for dermatological use is discussed and analyzed. The information gathered and presented in this review will help the readers have a comprehensive understanding of utilizing the photo-triggered activity of MNPs for the treatment of skin diseases.

Multifunctional nanoparticle for cancer therapy

Cancer is a complex disease associated with a combination of abnormal physiological process and exhibiting dysfunctions in multiple systems. To provide effective treatment and diagnosis for cancer, current treatment strategies simultaneously focus on various tumor targets. Based on the rapid development of nanotechnology, nanocarriers have been shown to exhibit excellent potential for cancer therapy. Compared with nanoparticles with single functions, multifunctional nanoparticles are believed to be more aggressive and potent in the context of tumor targeting. However, the development of multifunctional nanoparticles is not simply an upgraded version of the original function, but involves a sophisticated system with a proper backbone, optimized modification sites, simple preparation method, and efficient function integration. Despite this, many well-designed multifunctional nanoparticles with promising therapeutic potential have emerged recently. Here, to give a detailed understanding and analyzation of the currently developed multifunctional nanoparticles, their platform structures with organic or inorganic backbones were systemically generalized. We emphasized on the functionalization and modification strategies, which provide additional functions to the nanoparticle. We also discussed the application combination strategies that were involved in the development of nanoformulations with functional crosstalk. This review thus provides an overview of the construction strategies and application advances of multifunctional nanoparticles.

Antibody-modified Gold Nanobiostructures: Advancing Targeted Photodynamic Therapy for Improved Cancer Treatment

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an innovative, non-invasive method of treating cancer that uses light-activated photosensitizers to create reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, challenges associated with the limited penetration depth of light and the need for precise control over photosensitizer activation have hindered its clinical translation. Nanomedicine, particularly gold nanobiostructures, offers promising solutions to overcome these limitations. This paper reviews the advancements in PDT and nanomedicine, focusing on applying antibody-modified gold nanobiostructures as multifunctional platforms for enhanced PDT efficacy and improved cancer treatment outcomes. The size, shape, and composition of gold nanobiostructures can significantly influence their PDT efficacy, making synthetic procedures crucial. Functionalizing the surface of gold nanobiostructures with various molecules, such as antibodies or targeting agents, bonding agents, PDT agents, photothermal therapy (PTT) agents, chemo-agents, immunotherapy agents, and imaging agents, allows composition modification. Integrating gold nanobiostructures with PDT holds immense potential for targeted cancer therapy. Antibody-modified gold nanobiostructures, in particular, have gained significant attention due to their tunable plasmonic characteristics, biocompatibility, and surface functionalization capabilities. These multifunctional nanosystems possess unique properties that enhance the efficacy of PDT, including improved light absorption, targeted delivery, and enhanced ROS generation. Passive and active targeting of gold nanobiostructures can enhance their localization near cancer cells, leading to efficient eradication of tumor tissues upon light irradiation. Future research and clinical studies will continue to explore the potential of gold nanobiostructures in PDT for personalized and effective cancer therapy. The synthesis, functionalization, and characterization of gold nanobiostructures, their interaction with light, and their impact on photosensitizers' photophysical and photochemical properties, are important areas of investigation. Strategies to enhance targeting efficiency and the evaluation of gold nanobiostructures in vitro and in vivo studies will further advance their application in PDT. The integrating antibody-modified gold nanobiostructures in PDT represents a promising strategy for targeted cancer therapy. These multifunctional nanosystems possess unique properties that enhance PDT efficacy, including improved light absorption, targeted delivery, and enhanced ROS generation. Continued research and development in this field will contribute to the advancement of personalized and effective cancer treatment approaches.

Biomedical applications of iron sulfide-based nanozymes

Nanozymes have attracted great interest owing to their marvelous advantages, such as high stability, facile preparation, and high tunability. In particular, iron sulfide-based nanozymes (termed as ISNs), as one of the most researched nanomaterials with versatile enzyme-mimicking properties, have proved their potential in biomedical applications. In this review, we briefly summarize the classification, catalytic mechanisms of ISNs and then principally introduce ISNs’ biomedical applications in biosensors, tumor therapy, antibacterial therapy, and others, demonstrating that ISNs have promising potential for alleviating human health.

Review on the Therapeutic Potential of Curcumin and its Derivatives on Glioma Biology

Gliomas are common and aggressive brain tumors that carry a poor prognosis. The current multimodal therapeutic option for glioma includes surgery subsequently temozolomide chemotherapy and/or radiation; but gliomas are often associated with multidrug resistance, intensive adverse events, and tumor relapse. Thus, novel interventions that can enhance successful chemo-prevention and overcome therapeutic resistance are urgently needed. Phytochemicals have several biological properties with multi-target sites and relatively limited degrees of toxicity. Curcumin is a natural polyphenolic compound with several anti-tumor effects which potentially inhibit tumor growth, development, proliferation, invasion, dissemination, and angiogenesis in different human malignancies. Experimental model studies have demonstrated that curcumin attenuates glioma cell viability by G2/M cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, induction of autophagy, gene expression alteration, and disruption of multi-molecular pathways. Moreover, curcumin has been reported to re-sensitize cancer to chemotherapeutics as well as augment the effect of radiotherapy on glioma cells. In this review, we have provided an update on the in vitro and in vivo effects of curcumin-based therapy on gliomas. We have also discussed the use of curcumin in combination therapies, its effectiveness on drug-resistant cells, and new formulations of curcumin in the treatment of gliomas.

Progress of Nanomaterials in Photodynamic Therapy Against Tumor

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an advanced therapeutic strategy with light-triggered, minimally invasive, high spatiotemporal selective and low systemic toxicity properties, which has been widely used in the clinical treatment of many solid tumors in recent years. Any strategies that improve the three elements of PDT (light, oxygen, and photosensitizers) can improve the efficacy of PDT. However, traditional PDT is confronted some challenges of poor solubility of photosensitizers and tumor suppressive microenvironment. To overcome the related obstacles of PDT, various strategies have been investigated in terms of improving photosensitizers (PSs) delivery, penetration of excitation light sources, and hypoxic tumor microenvironment. In addition, compared with a single treatment mode, the synergistic treatment of multiple treatment modalities such as photothermal therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy can improve the efficacy of PDT. This review summarizes recent advances in nanomaterials, including metal nanoparticles, liposomes, hydrogels and polymers, to enhance the efficiency of PDT against malignant tumor.