Boosting nanomedicine performance by conditioning macrophages with methyl palmitate nanoparticles

Understanding nanoparticle-liver interactions in nanomedicine

INTRODUCTION

Understanding the interactions between administered nanoparticles and the liver is crucial for developing safe and effective nanomedicines. As the liver can sequester up to 99% of these particles due to its major phagocytic role, understanding these interactions is vital for clinical translation.

AREAS COVERED

This review highlights recent studies on nanoparticle-liver interactions, including the influence of nanoparticle physicochemical properties on delivery, strategies to enhance delivery efficiency by modulating liver Kupffer cells, and their potential for treating certain hepatic diseases. Additionally, we discuss how aging impacts the liver's phagocytic functions.

EXPERT OPINION

While liver accumulation can hinder nanomedicine safety and effectiveness, it also presents opportunities for treating certain liver diseases. A thorough understanding of nanoparticle-liver interactions is essential for advancing the clinical application of nanomedicines.

Rediscovery of mononuclear phagocyte system blockade for nanoparticle drug delivery

Rapid uptake of nanoparticles by mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) significantly hampers their therapeutic efficacy. Temporal MPS blockade is one of the few ways to overcome this barrier - the approach rediscovered many times under different names but never extensively used in clinic. Using meta-analysis of the published data we prove the efficacy of this technique for enhancing particle circulation in blood and their delivery to tumours, describe a century of its evolution and potential combined mechanism behind it. Finally, we discuss future directions of the research focusing on the features essential for successful clinical translation of the method.

Exploring and Analyzing the Systemic Delivery Barriers for Nanoparticles

Most nanomedicines require efficient in vivo delivery to elicit diagnostic and therapeutic effects. However, en route to their intended tissues, systemically administered nanoparticles often encounter delivery barriers. To describe these barriers, we propose the term "nanoparticle blood removal pathways" (NBRP), which summarizes the interactions between nanoparticles and the body's various cell-dependent and cell-independent blood clearance mechanisms. We reviewed nanoparticle design and biological modulation strategies to mitigate nanoparticle-NBRP interactions. As these interactions affect nanoparticle delivery, we studied the preclinical literature from 2011-2021 and analyzed nanoparticle blood circulation and organ biodistribution data. Our findings revealed that nanoparticle surface chemistry affected the in vivo behavior more than other nanoparticle design parameters. Combinatory biological-PEG surface modification improved the blood area under the curve by ~418%, with a decrease in liver accumulation of up to 47%. A greater understanding of nanoparticle-NBRP interactions and associated delivery trends will provide new nanoparticle design and biological modulation strategies for safer, more effective, and more efficient nanomedicines.

The Nanotech Potential of Curcumin in Pharmaceuticals: An Overview

It is safe to use Curcumin as a cosmetic and therapeutic ingredient in pharmaceutical products. For the uses mentioned above and for fundamental research, it is essential to obtain pure Curcumin from plant sources. There is a requirement for effective extraction and purification techniques that adhere to green chemistry standards for efficiency improvement, process safety, and environmental friendliness. Several outstanding studies have looked into the extraction and purification of Curcumin. This review thoroughly covers the currently available curcumin extraction, synthesis, and transformation techniques. Additionally, Curcumin's poor solubility and low absorption in the human body have limited its potential for pharmaceutical use. However, recent developments in novel curcumin formulations utilizing nanotechnology delivery methods have provided new approaches to transport and maximize the human body's curcumin absorption efficiency. In this review, we explore the various curcumin nanoformulations and the potential medicinal uses of nano curcumin. Additionally, we review the necessary future research directions to recommend Curcumin as an excellent therapeutic candidate.

Application of the Ugi reaction for preparation of submicron capsules based on sugar beet pectin

The Ugi four-component condensation in diluted liposomal suspensions was used to prepare pectin-based submicron capsules. A set of isocyanides and aldehydes was used to optimize the synthesis of capsule shells. Modified sugar beet pectin was selected as a natural polymer with pronounced surface activity to create a capsule shell. At first, liposomal composition was optimized in order to select suitable conditions for capsule formation. Then, the wide set of capsules constructed on modified sugar beet pectin scaffold has been synthesized. The choice was determined by level of substitution degree and possible chemical diversity of the modified surface. Detailed characterization of products has been performed for polysaccharide particles with liposomal core prepared with various processing parameters (concentration, cross-linking components, the density of linkage). The chemical structure, average size, polydispersity index, morphology, stability, and cytotoxicity of obtained particles have been investigated in dependence on the shell content. The obtained submicrometer cross-linked capsules (220-240 nm) with controlled colloidal properties showed high stability and low toxicity. Thus, the proposed carriers have a great potential as sustained drug delivery systems for different administration routes.

Advanced strategies to evade the mononuclear phagocyte system clearance of nanomaterials

Nanomaterials are promising carriers to improve the bioavailability and therapeutic efficiency of drugs by providing preferential drug accumulation at their sites of action, but their delivery efficacy is severely limited by a series of biological barriers, especially the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS)-the first and major barrier encountered by systemically administered nanomaterials. Herein, the current strategies for evading the MPS clearance of nanomaterials are summarized. First, engineering nanomaterials methods including surface modification, cell hitchhiking, and physiological environment modulation to reduce the MPS clearance are explored. Second, MPS disabling methods including MPS blockade, suppression of macrophage phagocytosis, and macrophages depletion are examined. Last, challenges and opportunities in this field are further discussed.

Nanomaterials targeting macrophages in sepsis: A promising approach for sepsis management

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from dysregulated host responses to infection. Macrophages play significant roles in host against pathogens and the immunopathogenesis of sepsis, such as phagocytosis of pathogens, secretion of cytokines, and phenotype reprogramming. However, the rapid progression of sepsis impairs macrophage function, and conventional antimicrobial and supportive treatment are not sufficient to restore dysregulated macrophages roles. Nanoparticles own unique physicochemical properties, surface functions, localized surface plasmon resonance phenomenon, passive targeting in vivo, good biocompatibility and biodegradability, are accessible for biomedical applications. Once into the body, NPs are recognized by host immune system. Macrophages are phagocytes in innate immunity dedicated to the recognition of foreign substances, including nanoparticles, with which an immune response subsequently occurs. Various design strategies, such as surface functionalization, have been implemented to manipulate the recognition of nanoparticles by monocytes/macrophages, and engulfed by them to regulate their function in sepsis, compensating for the shortcomings of sepsis traditional methods. The review summarizes the mechanism of nanomaterials targeting macrophages and recent advances in nanomedicine targeting macrophages in sepsis, which provides good insight for exploring macrophage-based nano-management in sepsis.

Inflammation Self-Limiting Electrospun Fibrous Tape via Regional Immunity for Deep Soft Tissue Repair

Overexpression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines occurs at deep soft tissue injury sites impeding the inflammation self-limiting and impairing the tissue remodeling process. Inspired by the electrostatically extracellular matrix (ECM) binding property of the inflammatory signals, an inflammation self-limiting fibrous tape is designed by covalently modifying the thermosensitive methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) and negatively charged methacrylated heparin (HepMA) hydrogel mixture with proper ratio onto the electrospun fibrous membrane by mild alkali hydrolysis and carboxyl-amino condensation reaction to restore inflammation self-limiting and promote tissue repair via regional immunity regulation. While the GelMA guarantees cell compatibility, the negatively charged HepMA successfully adsorbs the inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by electrostatic interactions and inhibits immune cell migration in vitro. Furthermore, in vivo inflammation self-limiting and regional immunity regulation efficacy is evaluated in a rat abdominal hernia model. Reduced local inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the early stage and increased angiogenesis and ECM remodeling in the later phase confirm that the tape is an approach to maintain an optimal regional immune activation level after soft tissue injury. Overall, the reported electrospun fibrous tape will find its way into clinical transformation and solve the challenges of deep soft tissue injury.

The role of cell-penetrating peptides in potential anti-cancer therapy

Due to the complex physiological structure, microenvironment and multiple physiological barriers, traditional anti-cancer drugs are severely restricted from reaching the tumour site. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are typically made up of 5-30 amino acids, and can be utilised as molecular transporters to facilitate the passage of therapeutic drugs across physiological barriers. Up to now, CPPs have widely been used in many anti-cancer treatment strategies, serving as an excellent potential choice for oncology treatment. However, their drawbacks, such as the lack of cell specificity, short duration of action, poor stability in vivo, compatibility problems (i.e. immunogenicity), poor therapeutic efficacy and formation of unwanted metabolites, have limited their further application in cancer treatment. The cellular uptake mechanisms of CPPs involve mainly endocytosis and direct penetration, but still remain highly controversial in academia. The CPPs-based drug delivery strategy could be improved by clever design or chemical modifications to develop the next-generation CPPs with enhanced cell penetration capability, stability and selectivity. In addition, some recent advances in targeted cell penetration that involve CPPs provide some new ideas to optimise CPPs.

Nanoparticle based medicines: approaches for evading and manipulating the mononuclear phagocyte system and potential for clinical translation

For decades, nanomedicines have been reported as a potential means to overcome the limitations of conventional drug delivery systems by reducing side effects, toxicity and the non-ideal pharmacokinetic behaviour typically exhibited by small molecule drugs. However, upon administration many nanoparticles prompt induction of host inflammatory responses due to recognition and uptake by macrophages, eliminating up to 95% of the administered dose. While significant advances in nanoparticle engineering and consequent therapeutic efficacy have been made, it is becoming clear that nanoparticle recognition by the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) poses an impassable junction in the current framework of nanoparticle development. Hence, this has negative consequences on the clinical translation of nanotechnology with respect to therapeutic efficacy, systemic toxicity and economic benefit. In order to improve the translation of nanomedicines from bench-to-bedside, there is a requirement to either modify nanomedicines in terms of how they interact with intrinsic processes in the body, or modulate the body to be more accommodating for nanomedicine treatments. Here we provide an overview of the current standard for design elements of nanoparticles, as well as factors to consider when producing nanomedicines that have minimal MPS-nanoparticle interactions; we explore this landscape across the cellular to tissue and organ levels. Further, rather than designing materials to suit the body, a growing research niche involves modulating biological responses to administered nanomaterials. We here discuss how developing strategic methods of MPS 'pre-conditioning' with small molecule or biological drugs, as well as implementing strategic dosing regimens, such as 'decoy' nanoparticles, is essential to increasing nanoparticle therapeutic efficacy. By adopting such a perspective, we hope to highlight the increasing trends in research dedicated to improving nanomedicine translation, and subsequently making a positive clinical impact.

Insulin Granule-Loaded MicroPlates for Modulating Blood Glucose Levels in Type-1 Diabetes

Type-1 diabetes (T1DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder resulting from the autoimmune destruction of β cells. The current standard of care requires multiple, daily injections of insulin and accurate monitoring of blood glucose levels (BGLs); in some cases, this results in diminished patient compliance and increased risk of hypoglycemia. Herein, we engineered hierarchically structured particles comprising a poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) prismatic matrix, with a 20 × 20 μm base, encapsulating 200 nm insulin granules. Five configurations of these insulin-microPlates (INS-μPLs) were realized with different heights (5, 10, and 20 μm) and PLGA contents (10, 40, and, 60 mg). After detailed physicochemical and biopharmacological characterizations, the tissue-compliant 10H INS-μPL, realized with 10 mg of PLGA, presented the most effective release profile with ∼50% of the loaded insulin delivered at 4 weeks. In diabetic mice, a single 10H INS-μPL intraperitoneal deposition reduced BGLs to that of healthy mice within 1 h post-implantation (167.4 ± 49.0 vs 140.0 ± 9.2 mg/dL, respectively) and supported normoglycemic conditions for about 2 weeks. Furthermore, following the glucose challenge, diabetic mice implanted with 10H INS-μPL successfully regained glycemic control with a significant reduction in AUC_0-120min (799.9 ± 134.83 vs 2234.60 ± 82.72 mg/dL) and increased insulin levels at 7 days post-implantation (1.14 ± 0.11 vs 0.38 ± 0.02 ng/mL), as compared to untreated diabetic mice. Collectively, these results demonstrate that INS-μPLs are a promising platform for the treatment of T1DM to be further optimized with the integration of smart glucose sensors.