How can we use the endocytosis pathways to design nanoparticle drug-delivery vehicles to target cancer cells over healthy cells?

Supramolecular Modulator Assisted Cryo-Engineered Porous Cu-DNA Nano-Vehicles for Versatile Theranostic Agent Delivery

DNA nanotechnology combines structural design with therapeutic functions via programmable DNA motifs, but faces challenges in drug loading capacity. Herein a pore-engineering strategy is reported to develop a highly porous, universal DNA nano-vehicle through coordination self-assembly, cryo-engineering, and supramolecular chemistry, adapting to diverse cargo loading with desired theranostic agents. Thus, the complex synthesis and compatibility challenges typically associated with switching between different drug carriers are avoided. To this end, Cu2+ and nucleic acid therapeutic G3139 self-assemble into a prefabricated solid nanostructure, which subsequently undergoes ultrafast freezing and sublimation to introduce porosity, forming highly porous Cu-G3139 nanoparticles (CG NPs). The porous CG NPs efficiently accommodate diverse therapeutic molecules, from chemotherapeutics to non-chemotherapeutic agents, facilitated by positively-charged cyclodextrin. As a proof-of-concept, the photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) is loaded and coated with tannic acid (TA) to form CICG@TA, enabling remarkable photothermal and fluorescence imaging-guided synergistic tumor ablation. This work represents the first demonstration of sublimation-induced pore formation in metal-DNA hybrid nanoparticles without chemical etching, offering a scalable "plug-and-play" platform for personalized cancer therapy without redesign. This versatile pore-engineering strategy, merging supramolecular chemistry with cryo-engineered porosity, opens up new avenues for efficient, customized multidrug delivery for diverse tumor theranostic applications.

Carrier-free chemo-phototherapeutic nanomedicines with endo/lysosomal escape function enhance the therapeutic effect of drug molecules in tumors

Carrier-free nanomedicines offer advantages of extremely high drug loading capacity (>80%), minimal non-drug constituent burden, and facile preparation processes. Numerous studies have proved that multimodal cancer therapy can enhance chemotherapy efficiency and mitigate multi-drug resistance (MDR) through synergistic therapeutic effects. Upon penetration into the tumor matrix, nanoparticles (NPs) are anticipated to be uptaken by cancer cells, primarily through clathrin-meditated endocytosis pathways, leading to their accumulation in endosomes/lysosomes within cells. However, endo/lysosomes exhibit a highly degradative environment for organic NPs and drug molecules, often resulting in treatment failure. Hence, this study designed a lysosomal escape mechanism with carrier-free nanomedicine, combining the chemotherapeutic drug, curcumin (Cur), and the photothermal/photodynamic therapeutic drug, indocyanine green (ICG), for synergistic cancer treatment (ICG-Cur NPs) via a facile preparation process. To facilitate endo/lysosomal escape, ICG-Cur NPs were modified with metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) of different thickness. The results indicate that a thick MPN coating promotes rapid endo/lysosomal escape of ICG-Cur NPs within 4 h and enhances the photothermal conversion efficiency of ICG-Cur NPs by 55.8%, significantly improving anticancer efficacy in both chemo- and photo-therapies within 3D solid tumor models. This finding underscores the critical role of endo/lysosomal escape capacity in carrier-free drug NPs for therapeutic outcomes and offers a facile solution to achieve it.

Enhanced Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen Targeting by Precision Control of DNA Scaffolded Nanoparticle Ligand Presentation

Targeted nanoparticles have been extensively explored for their ability to deliver their payload to a selective cell population while reducing off-target side effects. The design of actively targeted nanoparticles requires the grafting of a ligand that specifically binds to a highly expressed receptor on the surface of the targeted cell population. Optimizing the interactions between the targeting ligand and the receptor can maximize the cellular uptake of the nanoparticles and subsequently improve their activity. Here, we evaluated how the density and presentation of the targeting ligands dictate the cellular uptake of nanoparticles. To do so, we used a DNA-scaffolded PLGA nanoparticle system to achieve efficient and tunable ligand conjugation. A prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) expressing a prostate cancer cell line was used as a model. The density and presentation of PSMA targeting ligand ACUPA were precisely tuned on the DNA-scaffolded nanoparticle surface, and their impact on cellular uptake was evaluated. It was found that matching the ligand density with the cell receptor density achieved the maximum cellular uptake and specificity. Furthermore, DNA hybridization-mediated targeting chain rigidity of the DNA-scaffolded nanoparticle offered ∼3 times higher cellular uptake compared to the ACUPA-terminated PLGA nanoparticle. Our findings also indicated a ∼ 3.7-fold reduction in the cellular uptake for the DNA hybridization of the non-targeting chain. We showed that nanoparticle uptake is energy-dependent and follows a clathrin-mediated pathway. Finally, we validated the preferential tumor targeting of the nanoparticles in a bilateral tumor xenograft model. Our results provide a rational guideline for designing actively targeted nanoparticles and highlight the application of DNA-scaffolded nanoparticles as an efficient active targeting platform.

Achieving Endo/Lysosomal Escape Using Smart Nanosystems for Efficient Cellular Delivery

The delivery of therapeutic agents faces significant hurdles posed by the endo-lysosomal pathway, a bottleneck that hampers clinical effectiveness. This comprehensive review addresses the urgent need to enhance cellular delivery mechanisms to overcome these obstacles. It focuses on the potential of smart nanomaterials, delving into their unique characteristics and mechanisms in detail. Special attention is given to their ability to strategically evade endosomal entrapment, thereby enhancing therapeutic efficacy. The manuscript thoroughly examines assays crucial for understanding endosomal escape and cellular uptake dynamics. By analyzing various assessment methods, we offer nuanced insights into these investigative approaches' multifaceted aspects. We meticulously analyze the use of smart nanocarriers, exploring diverse mechanisms such as pore formation, proton sponge effects, membrane destabilization, photochemical disruption, and the strategic use of endosomal escape agents. Each mechanism's effectiveness and potential application in mitigating endosomal entrapment are scrutinized. This paper provides a critical overview of the current landscape, emphasizing the need for advanced delivery systems to navigate the complexities of cellular uptake. Importantly, it underscores the transformative role of smart nanomaterials in revolutionizing cellular delivery strategies, leading to a paradigm shift towards improved therapeutic outcomes.

Comparing Cell Penetration of Biotherapeutics across Human Cell Lines

A major obstacle in biotherapeutics development is maximizing cell penetration. Ideally, assays would allow for optimization of cell penetration in the cell type of interest early in the drug development process. However, few assays exist to compare cell penetration across different cell types independent of drug function. In this work, we applied the chloroalkane penetration assay (CAPA) in seven mammalian cell lines as well as primary cells. Careful controls were used to ensure that data could be compared across cell lines. We compared the nuclear penetration of several peptides and drug-like oligonucleotides and saw significant differences among the cell lines. To help explain these differences, we quantified the relative activities of endocytosis pathways in these cell lines and correlated them with the penetration data. Based on these results, we knocked down clathrin in a cell line with an efficient permeability profile and observed reduced penetration of peptides but not oligonucleotides. Finally, we used small-molecule endosomal escape enhancers and observed enhancement of cell penetration of some oligonucleotides, but only in some of the cell lines tested. CAPA data provide valuable points of comparison among different cell lines, including primary cells, for evaluating the cell penetration of various classes of peptides and oligonucleotides.

Repair spinal cord injury with a versatile anti-oxidant and neural regenerative nanoplatform

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in motor and sensory deficits, or even paralysis. Due to the role of the cascade reaction, the effect of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the early and middle stages of SCI severely damage neurons, and most antioxidants cannot consistently eliminate ROS at non-toxic doses, which leads to a huge compromise in antioxidant treatment of SCI. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have excellent ROS scavenging bioactivity, but the toxicity control problem limits the therapeutic window. Here, we propose a synergistic therapeutic strategy of SeNPs encapsulated by ZIF-8 (SeNPs@ZIF-8) to obtain synergistic ROS scavenging activity. Three different spatial structures of SeNPs@ZIF-8 were synthesized and coated with ferrostatin-1, a ferroptosis inhibitor (FSZ NPs), to achieve enhanced anti-oxidant and anti-ferroptosis activity without toxicity. FSZ NPs promoted the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis, thereby regulating the expression of inflammatory factors and promoting the polarization of macrophages into M2 phenotype. In addition, the FSZ NPs presented strong abilities to promote neuronal maturation and axon growth through activating the WNT4-dependent pathways, while prevented glial scar formation. The current study demonstrates the powerful and versatile bioactive functions of FSZ NPs for SCI treatment and offers inspiration for other neural injury diseases.

Biomimetic Nano-Degrader Based CD47-SIRPα Immune Checkpoint Inhibition Promotes Macrophage Efferocytosis for Cardiac Repair

CD47-SIRPα axis is an immunotherapeutic target in tumor therapy. However, current monoclonal antibody targeting CD47-SIRPα axis is associated with on-target off-tumor and antigen sink effects, which significantly limit its potential clinical application. Herein, a biomimetic nano-degrader is developed to inhibit CD47-SIRPα axis in a site-specific manner through SIRPα degradation, and its efficacy in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is evaluated. The nano-degrader is constructed by hybridizing liposome with red blood cell (RBC) membrane (RLP), which mimics the CD47 density of senescent RBCs and possesses a natural high-affinity binding capability to SIRPα on macrophages without signaling capacity. RLP would bind with SIRPα and induce its lysosomal degradation through receptor-mediated endocytosis. To enhance its tissue specificity, Ly6G antibody conjugation (aRLP) is applied, enabling its attachment to neutrophils and accumulation within inflammatory sites. In the myocardial infarction model, aRLP accumulated in the infarcted myocardium blocks CD47-SIRPα axis and subsequently promoted the efferocytosis of apoptotic cardiomyocytes by macrophage, improved heart repair. This nano-degrader efficiently degraded SIRPα in lysosomes, providing a new strategy for immunotherapy with great clinical transformation potential.

Mitoxantrone encapsulated photosensitizer nanomicelle as carrier-free theranostic nanomedicine for near-infrared fluorescence imaging-guided chemo-photodynamic combination therapy on cancer

Combination therapy exhibits higher efficacy than any single therapy, inspiring various nanocarrier-assisted multi-drug co-delivery systems for the combined treatment of cancer. However, most nanocarriers are inert and non-therapeutic and have potential side effects. Herein, an amphiphilic polymer composed of a hydrophobic photosensitizer and hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) was employed as the nanocarriers and photosensitizers to encapsulate the chemotherapeutic drug mitoxantrone for chemo-photodynamic combination therapy. The resulting nanodrug consisted solely of pharmacologically active ingredients, thus avoiding potential toxicity induced by inert excipients. This multifunctional nanoplatform demonstrated significantly superior treatment performance compared to monotherapy for colorectal cancer, both in vitro and in vivo, achieving near-infrared fluorescence imaging-mediated chemo-photodynamic combined eradication of malignancy.

Pharmacological approaches for targeting lysosomes to induce ferroptotic cell death in cancer

Lysosomes are crucial organelles responsible for the degradation of cytosolic materials and bulky organelles, thereby facilitating nutrient recycling and cell survival. However, lysosome also acts as an executioner of cell death, including ferroptosis, a distinctive form of regulated cell death that hinges on iron-dependent phospholipid peroxidation. The initiation of ferroptosis necessitates three key components: substrates (membrane phospholipids enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids), triggers (redox-active irons), and compromised defence mechanisms (GPX4-dependent and -independent antioxidant systems). Notably, iron assumes a pivotal role in ferroptotic cell death, particularly in the context of cancer, where iron and oncogenic signaling pathways reciprocally reinforce each other. Given the lysosomes' central role in iron metabolism, various strategies have been devised to harness lysosome-mediated iron metabolism to induce ferroptosis. These include the re-mobilization of iron from intracellular storage sites such as ferritin complex and mitochondria through ferritinophagy and mitophagy, respectively. Additionally, transcriptional regulation of lysosomal and autophagy genes by TFEB enhances lysosomal function. Moreover, the induction of lysosomal iron overload can lead to lysosomal membrane permeabilization and subsequent cell death. Extensive screening and individually studies have explored pharmacological interventions using clinically available drugs and phytochemical agents. Furthermore, a drug delivery system involving ferritin-coated nanoparticles has been specifically tailored to target cancer cells overexpressing TFRC. With the rapid advancements in understandings the mechanistic underpinnings of ferroptosis and iron metabolism, it is increasingly evident that lysosomes represent a promising target for inducing ferroptosis and combating cancer.

Lipid-based nanoparticles as drug delivery carriers for cancer therapy

Cancer is a severe disease that results in death in all countries of the world. A nano-based drug delivery approach is the best alternative, directly targeting cancer tumor cells with improved drug cellular uptake. Different types of nanoparticle-based drug carriers are advanced for the treatment of cancer, and to increase the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of cancer therapy, many substances have been looked into as drug carriers. Lipid-based nanoparticles (LBNPs) have significantly attracted interest recently. These natural biomolecules that alternate to other polymers are frequently recycled in medicine due to their amphipathic properties. Lipid nanoparticles typically provide a variety of benefits, including biocompatibility and biodegradability. This review covers different classes of LBNPs, including their characterization and different synthesis technologies. This review discusses the most significant advancements in lipid nanoparticle technology and their use in medicine administration. Moreover, the review also emphasized the applications of lipid nanoparticles that are used in different cancer treatment types.

Bridging Smart Nanosystems with Clinically Relevant Models and Advanced Imaging for Precision Drug Delivery

Intracellular delivery of nano-drug-carriers (NDC) to specific cells, diseased regions, or solid tumors has entered the era of precision medicine that requires systematic knowledge of nano-biological interactions from multidisciplinary perspectives. To this end, this review first provides an overview of membrane-disruption methods such as electroporation, sonoporation, photoporation, microfluidic delivery, and microinjection with the merits of high-throughput and enhanced efficiency for in vitro NDC delivery. The impact of NDC characteristics including particle size, shape, charge, hydrophobicity, and elasticity on cellular uptake are elaborated and several types of NDC systems aiming for hierarchical targeting and delivery in vivo are reviewed. Emerging in vitro or ex vivo human/animal-derived pathophysiological models are further explored and highly recommended for use in NDC studies since they might mimic in vivo delivery features and fill the translational gaps from animals to humans. The exploration of modern microscopy techniques for precise nanoparticle (NP) tracking at the cellular, organ, and organismal levels informs the tailored development of NDCs for in vivo application and clinical translation. Overall, the review integrates the latest insights into smart nanosystem engineering, physiological models, imaging-based validation tools, all directed towards enhancing the precise and efficient intracellular delivery of NDCs.

A Nanoplatform Based on Pillar[5]arene Nanovalves for Combined Drug Delivery and Enhanced Antitumor Activity

Modern nanodrug delivery technologies offer new approaches in the fight against cancer. However, due to the heterogeneity of tumors and side effects of anticancer drugs, monotherapies are less effective. Herein, we report a novel pH and light dual-responsive nanodrug delivery platform. The platform was formed by sulfonate-modified gold nanoparticles loaded with the anticancer drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and glucose oxidase (GOx) and then covered by water-soluble pillar[5]arene as a nanovalve. The nanovalve formed by the host-guest interaction between pillar[5]arene and the sulfonic acid group grafted onto the gold nanoparticle increased the drug loading capacity of the nanoplatform and enabled sustained release of the drug in a simulated weakly acidic tumor environment. The released GOx can consume intracellular glucose, namely, starvation therapy, while the generated hydrogen peroxide can further kill tumor cells, complementing DOX chemotherapy. Gold nanoparticles have good photothermal conversion ability and can enhance the drugs release rate under specific wavelengths of light irradiation. The results of in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that this novel nanodrug delivery platform has good biocompatibility and better therapeutic efficacy relative to monotherapy. This study successfully developed a combined chemo/starvation therapy strategy with good tumor suppression, providing a new approach for cancer treatment.

Advancing the Boundaries of Immunotherapy in Lung Adenocarcinoma with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis by a Biomimetic Proteinoid Enabling Selective Endocytosis

The coexistence of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which has been extensively documented as a prominent risk factor for checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis (CIP) in patients undergoing immunotherapy, has long been considered a restricted domain for the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). To overcome it, an approach was employed herein to specifically target PD-L1 within the cellular interior, surpassing the conventional focus solely on the cytomembrane, thereby facilitating the development of ICIs capable of distinguishing between LUAD cells and noncancerous cells based on their distinctive endocytic propensities. By exploiting the aurophilicity-driven self-assembly of a PD-L1 binding peptide (PDBP) and subsequently encapsulating it within erythrocyte membranes (EM), the resulting biomimetic ICIs protein EMS-PDBP exhibited extraordinary selectivity in internalizing LUAD cells, effectively targeting PD-L1 within cancer cells while hindering its membrane translocation. The EMS-PDBP treatment not only reactivated the antitumor immune response in the LUAD orthotopic allograft mouse model but also demonstrated a favorable safety profile by effectively eliminating any immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Most significantly, EMS-PDBP successfully and safely restored the antitumor immune response in a mouse model of LUAD with coexistent IPF, thus shattering the confines of ICIs immunotherapy. The reported EMS-PDBP collectively offers a potential strategy for immune reactivation to overcome the limitations of immunotherapy in LUAD coexisting with IPF.

Intracellular self-aggregation of biomimetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles for enhanced ferroptosis-inducing therapy of breast cancer

Nanomedicines based on ferroptosis may be effective strategies for cancer therapy due to their unique inducing mechanism. However, the challenges, including non-target distribution, poor accumulation and retention of nanomedicine, have a profound impact on the effectiveness of drug delivery. Here, we developed cancer cell membrane (CCM)-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) modified with supramolecular precursors and loaded with sulfasalazine (SAS) for breast cancer therapy. Benefiting from the coating of the CCM, these NPs can be specifically recognized and internalized by tumor cells rapidly after being administered and form aggregates via the host-guest interaction between adamantane (ADA) and cyclodextrins (CD), which in turn effectively reduces the exocytosis of tumor cells and prolongs the retention time. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that Fe3O4 NPs possessed effective cellular uptake and precise specific accumulation in tumor cells and tissues through CCM-targeted supramolecular in situ aggregation, demonstrating enhanced ferroptosis-inducing therapy of breast cancer. Overall, this work provided a supramolecular biomimetic platform to achieve targeted delivery of Fe3O4 NPs with high efficiency and precise self-assembly for improved cancer therapy.

Glutamate affects self-assembly, protein corona, and anti-4 T1 tumor effects of melittin/vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)n nanoparticles

Melittin (M) has attracted increasing attention for its significant antitumor effects and various immunomodulatory effects. However, various obstacles such as the short plasma half-life and adverse reactions restrict its application. This study aimed to systematically investigate the self-assembly mechanism, components of the protein corona, targeting behavior, and anti-4 T1 tumor effect of vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)n /melittin nanoparticles with varying amounts of glutamic acid. Here, we present a new vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)5 (E5), vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)10 (E10) or vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)15 (E15), and their co-assembly system with positively charged melittin in water. The molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that the electrostatic energy and van der Waals force in the system decreased significantly with the increase in the amount of glutamic acid. The melittin and E15 system exhibited the optimal stability for nanoparticle self-assembly. When nanoparticles derived from different self-assembly systems were co-incubated with plasma from patients with breast cancer, the protein corona showed heterogeneity. In vivo imaging demonstrated that an increase in the number of glutamic acid residues enhanced circulation duration and tumor-targeting effects. Both in vitro and in vivo antitumor evaluation indicated a significant increase in the antitumor effect with the addition of glutamic acid. According to our research findings, the number of glutamic acid residues plays a crucial role in the targeted delivery of melittin for immunomodulation and inhibition of 4 T1 breast cancer. Due to the self-assembly capabilities of vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)n in water, these nanoparticles carry significant potential for delivering cationic peptides such as melittin.

Polydopamine-Modified Zeolite Imidazole Framework Drug Delivery System for Photothermal Chemotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising drug-delivering platforms for their intrinsic capability of loading and releasing different cargoes. To further extend their biomedical practices, the development of collaborative MOF systems with good biocompatibility and synergistic efficacy is essential. Herein, the near-infrared and pH dual-response collaborative zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) platform SOR@ZIF-8@PDA (SZP) was constructed, in which the chemotherapeutic drug sorafenib (SOR) was encapsulated in ZIF-8 and via polydopamine (PDA) coating on ZIF-8 by hierarchical self-assembly. PDA coating serves as a photothermal agent for PPT while reducing the toxicity of ZIF-8. SZP achieves intelligent release of therapeutic drugs by responding to the lower pH of the tumor microenvironment and thermal stimulation generated by near-infrared light irradiation. In addition, under light irradiation, SZP could effectively realize treatment of cancer cells through synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy, as evidenced by the enhanced cell apoptosis, inhibited tumor cell proliferation and migration. This collaborative MOFs system showed excellent biocompatibility and antitumor ability in vivo on a mouse HepG2 tumor model. Our results demonstrated that PDA-modified MOFs exhibited a fantastic good development prospect in biomedical applications.

Impact of Macrophages on the Interaction of Cetuximab-Functionalized Polyelectrolyte Capsules with EGFR-Expressing Cancer Cells

Polyelectrolyte capsules (PCs) are a promising tool for anticancer drug delivery and tumor targeting. Surface functionalization of PCs with antibodies is widely used for providing their specific interactions with cancer cells. The efficiency of PC-based targeted delivery systems can be affected by the cellular heterogeneity of the tumor, particularly by the presence of tumor-associated macrophages. We used human epidermoid carcinoma cells and macrophages derived from human leukemia monocytic cells in either monoculture or coculture to analyze the targeting capacity and internalization efficiency of PCs with a mean size of 1.03 ± 0.11 μm. The PCs were functionalized with the monoclonal antibody cetuximab targeting the human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We have shown that surface functionalization of the PCs with cetuximab ensures a specific interaction with EGFR-expressing cancer cells and promotes capsule internalization. In monoculture, the macrophages derived from human leukemia monocytic cells have been found to internalize both nonfunctionalized PCs and cetuximab-functionalized PCs (Cet-PCs) more intensely compared to epidermoid carcinoma cells. The internalization of Cet-PCs by cancer cells is mediated by lipid rafts of the cell membrane, whereas the PC internalization by macrophages is only slightly influenced by lipid rafts. Experiments with a coculture of human epidermoid carcinoma cells and macrophages derived from human leukemia monocytic cells have shown that Cet-PCs preferentially interact with cancer cells, which are subsequently attacked by macrophages. These data can be used to further improve the strategy of PC functionalization for targeted delivery, with the cellular heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment taken into consideration.

Current research trends of nanomedicines

Owing to the inherent shortcomings of traditional therapeutic drugs in terms of inadequate therapeutic efficacy and toxicity in clinical treatment, nanomedicine designs have received widespread attention with significantly improved efficacy and reduced non-target side effects. Nanomedicines hold tremendous theranostic potential for treating, monitoring, diagnosing, and controlling various diseases and are attracting an unfathomable amount of input of research resources. Against the backdrop of an exponentially growing number of publications, it is imperative to help the audience get a panorama image of the research activities in the field of nanomedicines. Herein, this review elaborates on the development trends of nanomedicines, emerging nanocarriers, in vivo fate and safety of nanomedicines, and their extensive applications. Moreover, the potential challenges and the obstacles hindering the clinical translation of nanomedicines are also discussed. The elaboration on various aspects of the research trends of nanomedicines may help enlighten the readers and set the route for future endeavors.

Endoplasmic Reticulum-Targeted Aggregation-Induced Emission Luminogen for Synergetic Tumor Ablation with Glibenclamide

Photodynamic therapy based on fluorescence illumination of subcellular organelles and in situ bursts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been recognized as a promising strategy for cancer theranostics. However, the short life of ROS and unclarified anticancer mechanism seriously restrict the application. Herein, we rationally designed and facilely synthesized a 2,6-dimethylpyridine-based triphenylamine (TPA) derivative TPA-DMPy with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) features and production of type-I ROS. Except for its selective binding to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), TPA-DMPy, in synergy with glibenclamide, a medicinal agent used against diabetes, induced significant apoptosis of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, TPA-DMPy greatly incited the release of calcium from ER upon light irradiation to further aggravate the depolarization of ER membrane potential caused by glibenclamide, thus inducing fatal ER stress and crosstalk between ER and mitochondria. Our study extends the biological design and application of AIE luminogens and provides new insights into discovering novel anticancer targets and agents.

Bioinspired fine-tuning of the mechanical rigidity of SNEDDS for the efficient crossing of multiple gastrointestinal barriers

Nanoproperties, such as size, charge, and rigidity, have been demonstrated to be crucial for nanovehicles to overcome numerous gastrointestinal obstacles. However, the facile approach of modifying the rigidity of nanovehicles remains scarce, limiting understanding of how rigidity impacts their oral delivery. Inspired by the fact that cellular phospholipid content regulates plasma membrane rigidity, the rigidity of self-nanoemulsifiying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) could be fine-tuned via phosphocholine content while their size and zeta potential remain unchanged, using insulin as a model drug. Notably, soft SNEDDS exerted longer gastrointestinal transit time, higher drug release rate, stronger gastrointestinal stability and relatively lower mucus permeation but superior epithelial transcytosis than their hard counterparts in a macropinocytosis-dependent manner. The rigidity-related enhanced transcytosis was attributed to improved endocytosis, lysosome escape capability and exocytosis. Rats with type 1 diabetes exhibited greater oral insulin absorption and blood glucose lowering effect with soft SNEDDS. This study demonstrated the regulatory role of phospholipids in nanovehicle rigidity, which could help develop mechanically optimized nanomedicines in the future.

Tumor Abnormality-Oriented Nanomedicine Design

Anticancer nanomedicines have been proven effective in mitigating the side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, challenges remain in augmenting their therapeutic efficacy. Nanomedicines responsive to the pathological abnormalities in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are expected to overcome the biological limitations of conventional nanomedicines, enhance the therapeutic efficacies, and further reduce the side effects. This Review aims to quantitate the various pathological abnormalities in the TME, which may serve as unique endogenous stimuli for the design of stimuli-responsive nanomedicines, and to provide a broad and objective perspective on the current understanding of stimuli-responsive nanomedicines for cancer treatment. We dissect the typical transport process and barriers of cancer drug delivery, highlight the key design principles of stimuli-responsive nanomedicines designed to tackle the series of barriers in the typical drug delivery process, and discuss the "all-into-one" and "one-for-all" strategies for integrating the needed properties for nanomedicines. Ultimately, we provide insight into the challenges and future perspectives toward the clinical translation of stimuli-responsive nanomedicines.

mRNA nanodelivery systems: targeting strategies and administration routes

With the great success of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines, mRNA therapeutics have gained significant momentum for the prevention and treatment of various refractory diseases. To function efficiently in vivo and overcome clinical limitations, mRNA demands safe and stable vectors and a reasonable administration route, bypassing multiple biological barriers and achieving organ-specific targeted delivery of mRNA. Nanoparticle (NP)-based delivery systems representing leading vector approaches ensure the successful intracellular delivery of mRNA to the target organ. In this review, chemical modifications of mRNA and various types of advanced mRNA NPs, including lipid NPs and polymers are summarized. The importance of passive targeting, especially endogenous targeting, and active targeting in mRNA nano-delivery is emphasized, and different cellular endocytic mechanisms are discussed. Most importantly, based on the above content and the physiological structure characteristics of various organs in vivo, the design strategies of mRNA NPs targeting different organs and cells are classified and discussed. Furthermore, the influence of administration routes on targeting design is highlighted. Finally, an outlook on the remaining challenges and future development toward mRNA targeted therapies and precision medicine is provided.

Nanomedicine in cancer therapy

Cancer remains a highly lethal disease in the world. Currently, either conventional cancer therapies or modern immunotherapies are non-tumor-targeted therapeutic approaches that cannot accurately distinguish malignant cells from healthy ones, giving rise to multiple undesired side effects. Recent advances in nanotechnology, accompanied by our growing understanding of cancer biology and nano-bio interactions, have led to the development of a series of nanocarriers, which aim to improve the therapeutic efficacy while reducing off-target toxicity of the encapsulated anticancer agents through tumor tissue-, cell-, or organelle-specific targeting. However, the vast majority of nanocarriers do not possess hierarchical targeting capability, and their therapeutic indices are often compromised by either poor tumor accumulation, inefficient cellular internalization, or inaccurate subcellular localization. This Review outlines current and prospective strategies in the design of tumor tissue-, cell-, and organelle-targeted cancer nanomedicines, and highlights the latest progress in hierarchical targeting technologies that can dynamically integrate these three different stages of static tumor targeting to maximize therapeutic outcomes. Finally, we briefly discuss the current challenges and future opportunities for the clinical translation of cancer nanomedicines.

Biomaterial-enabled therapeutic modulation of cGAS-STING signaling for enhancing antitumor immunity

cGAS-STING signaling is a central component in the therapeutic action of most existing cancer therapies. The accumulated knowledge of tumor immunoregulatory network in recent years has spurred the development of cGAS-STING agonists for tumor treatment as an effective immunotherapeutic strategy. However, the clinical translation of these agonists is thus far unsatisfactory because of the low immunostimulatory efficacy and unrestricted side effects under clinically relevant conditions. Interestingly, the rational integration of biomaterial technology offers a promising approach to overcome these limitations for more effective and safer cGAS-STING-mediated tumor therapy. Herein, we first outline the cGAS-STING signaling axis and generally discuss its association with tumors. We then symmetrically summarize the recent progress in those biomaterial-based cGAS-STING agonism strategies to generate robust antitumor immunity, categorized by the chemical nature of those cGAS-STING stimulants and carrier substrates. Finally, a perspective is provided to discuss the existing challenges and potential opportunities in cGAS-STING modulation for tumor therapy.

A Smart Nano-Theranostic Platform Based on Dual-microRNAs Guided Self-Feedback Tetrahedral Entropy-Driven DNA Circuit

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors, capable of up or down-regulating gene expression during tumorigenesis; they are diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for tumors. To detect low abundance of intracellular oncogenic miRNAs (onco-miRNAs) and realize synergistic gene therapy of onco-miRNAs and tumor suppressors, a smart nano-theranostic platform based on dual-miRNAs guided self-feedback tetrahedral entropy-driven DNA circuit is created. The platform as a delivery vehicle is a DNA tetrahedral framework, in which the entropy-driven DNA circuit achieves a dual-miRNAs guided self-feedback, between an in situ amplification of the onco-miRNAs and activation of suppressor miRNAs release. To test this platform, dual-miRNAs are selected, miRNA-155, an up-regulated miRNA, as cancer indicators, and miRNA-122, a down-regulated miRNA as therapy targets in hepatocellular carcinoma, respectively. Through the circuit, the platform to detect onco-miRNAs at femtomolar level as well as visualized miRNAs inside cells, fixed tissues, and mice is programmed. Furthermore, triggered by miRNA-155, preloaded miRNA-122 is amplified via the self-feedback and released into target cells; the sudden increase of miRNA-122 and simultaneous decrease of miRNA-155 synergistically served as therapeutic drugs for gene regulation with enhanced antitumor efficacy and superior biosafety. It is envisioned that this nano-theranostic platform will initiate an essential step toward tumor theranostics in personalized/precise medicine.

Distinguishing the Cellular Transport of Folic Acid Conjugated Nano-Drugs among Different Cell Lines by Using Force Tracing Technique

Folic acid (FA) is a ligand that has been renowned for its strong binding to FA receptor (FR), and the robustness of the specific interaction has led to the generation of multitudinous tumor-targeted nano-drug delivery systems. However, selecting the appropriate FA targeted nano-drugs according to types of cancerous cells to achieve a high effect is critical. Understanding of how the drug is transported through the cell membrane and is delivered intracellularly is very important in screening ideal targeted nano-drugs for cancerous changes in different organs. Herein, by using a force tracing technique based on atomic force microscopy (AFM), the dynamic process of FA-polyamidoamine-Doxorubicin (FA-PAMAM-DOX) entry into different tumor cells (HeLa and A549) and normal cells (Vero) was monitored in real time. The cell membrane transport efficacy of FA-PAMAM-DOX in tumor cells with an FR high overexpression level (HeLa) and FR low overexpression level (A549) is analyzed, which is significantly higher than that in normal cells (Vero), especially for HeLa cells. Subsequently, the intracellular delivery efficiency of FA-PAMAM-DOX in different cell lines was measured by using fluorescence imaging and AFM-based nanoindentation techniques. This report will help to discover the cellular transport mechanism of nano-drugs and screen out optimal therapeutic nano-drugs for different types of tumors.

Investigating the trans-membrane transport of HAIYPRH peptide-decorated nano-drugs

Transferrin (Tf) has been effectively used to promote the cellular uptake of HAIYPRH (T7) peptide-conjugated nano-drugs. In this study, the enhancing effect of Tf on T7-decorated nano-drug transport was investigated using force tracing and nano-indentation techniques at a single-particle/cell level. Furthermore, the results were confirmed by ensemble fluorescence imaging.