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Gong Y, Hu X, Chen M, Wang J. Recent progress of iron-based nanomaterials in gene delivery and tumor gene therapy. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:309. [PMID: 38825720 PMCID: PMC11145874 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02550-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy aims to modify or manipulate gene expression and change the biological characteristics of living cells to achieve the purpose of treating diseases. The safe, efficient, and stable expression of exogenous genes in cells is crucial for the success of gene therapy, which is closely related to the vectors used in gene therapy. Currently, gene therapy vectors are mainly divided into two categories: viral vectors and non-viral vectors. Viral vectors are widely used due to the advantages of persistent and stable expression, high transfection efficiency, but they also have certain issues such as infectivity, high immunological rejection, randomness of insertion mutation, carcinogenicity, and limited vector capacity. Non-viral vectors have the advantages of non-infectivity, controllable chemical structure, and unlimited vector capacity, but the transfection efficiency is low. With the rapid development of nanotechnology, the unique physicochemical properties of nanomaterials have attracted increasing attention in the field of drug and gene delivery. Among many nanomaterials, iron-based nanomaterials have attracted much attention due to their superior physicochemical properties, such as Fenton reaction, magnetic resonance imaging, magnetothermal therapy, photothermal therapy, gene delivery, magnetically-assisted drug delivery, cell and tissue targeting, and so on. In this paper, the research progress of iron-based nanomaterials in gene delivery and tumor gene therapy is reviewed, and the future application direction of iron-based nanomaterials is further prospected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Gong
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, China
| | - Xiaoyan Hu
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100864, China
| | - Ming Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.
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Zhang N, Zhou J, Li S, Cai W, Ru B, Hu J, Liu W, Liu X, Tong X, Zheng X. Advances in Nanoplatforms for Immunotherapy Applications Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:410-426. [PMID: 38170627 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is a treatment method that activates or enhances the autoimmune response of the body to fight tumor growth and metastasis, has fewer toxic side effects and a longer-lasting efficacy than radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and has become an important means for the clinical treatment of cancer. However, clinical results from immunotherapy have shown that most patients lack responsiveness to immunotherapy and cannot benefit from this treatment strategy. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in the response to immunotherapy. The TME typically prevents effective lymphocyte activation, reducing their infiltration, and inhibiting the infiltration of effector T cells. According to the characteristic differences between the TME and normal tissues, various nanoplatforms with TME targeting and regulation properties have been developed for more precise regulation of the TME and have the ability to codeliver a variety of active pharmaceutical ingredients, thereby reducing systemic toxicity and improving the therapeutic effect of antitumor. In addition, the precise structural design of the nanoplatform can integrate specific functional motifs, such as surface-targeted ligands, degradable backbones, and TME stimulus-responsive components, into nanomedicines, thereby reshaping the tumor microenvironment, improving the body's immunosuppressive state, and enhancing the permeability of drugs in tumor tissues, in order to achieve controlled and stimulus-triggered release of load cargo. In this review, the physiological characteristics of the TME and the latest research regarding the application of TME-regulated nanoplatforms in improving antitumor immunotherapy will be described. Furthermore, the existing problems and further applications perspectives of TME-regulated platforms for cancer immunotherapy will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Zhang
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Junyu Zhou
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Shun Li
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Wenjun Cai
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Bin Ru
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Jiaqi Hu
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Wenlong Liu
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Xuanxi Liu
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Xiangmin Tong
- Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, Zhejiang 324000, China
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Su M, Hu Z, Sun Y, Qi Y, Yu B, Xu FJ. Hydroxyl-rich branched polycations for nucleic acid delivery. Biomater Sci 2024; 12:581-595. [PMID: 38014423 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm01394d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Recently, nucleic acid delivery has become an amazing route for the treatment of various malignant diseases, and polycationic vectors are attracting more and more attention among gene vectors. However, conventional polycationic vectors still face many obstacles in nucleic acid delivery, such as significant cytotoxicity, high protein absorption behavior, and unsatisfactory blood compatibility caused by a high positive charge density. To solve these problems, the fabrication of hydroxyl-rich branched polycationic vectors has been proposed. For the synthesis of hydroxyl-rich branched polycations, a one-pot method is considered as the preferred method due to its simple preparation process. In this review, typical one-pot methods for fabricating hydroxyl-rich polycations are presented. In particular, amine-epoxide ring-opening polymerization as a novel approach is mainly introduced. In addition, various therapeutic scenarios of hydroxyl-rich branched polycations via one-pot fabrication are also generalized. We believe that this review will motivate the optimized design of hydroxyl-rich branched polycations for potential nucleic acid delivery and their bio-applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengrui Su
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials of Natural Macromolecules (Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Ministry of Education), Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China.
| | - Zichen Hu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials of Natural Macromolecules (Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Ministry of Education), Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China.
| | - Yujie Sun
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials of Natural Macromolecules (Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Ministry of Education), Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China.
| | - Yu Qi
- China Meat Food Research Center, Beijing Academy of Food Sciences, Beijing 100068, PR China.
- Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Bingran Yu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials of Natural Macromolecules (Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Ministry of Education), Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China.
| | - Fu-Jian Xu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials of Natural Macromolecules (Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Ministry of Education), Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China.
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Avgoustakis K, Angelopoulou A. Biomaterial-Based Responsive Nanomedicines for Targeting Solid Tumor Microenvironments. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:179. [PMID: 38399240 PMCID: PMC10892652 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16020179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Solid tumors are composed of a highly complex and heterogenic microenvironment, with increasing metabolic status. This environment plays a crucial role in the clinical therapeutic outcome of conventional treatments and innovative antitumor nanomedicines. Scientists have devoted great efforts to conquering the challenges of the tumor microenvironment (TME), in respect of effective drug accumulation and activity at the tumor site. The main focus is to overcome the obstacles of abnormal vasculature, dense stroma, extracellular matrix, hypoxia, and pH gradient acidosis. In this endeavor, nanomedicines that are targeting distinct features of TME have flourished; these aim to increase site specificity and achieve deep tumor penetration. Recently, research efforts have focused on the immune reprograming of TME in order to promote suppression of cancer stem cells and prevention of metastasis. Thereby, several nanomedicine therapeutics which have shown promise in preclinical studies have entered clinical trials or are already in clinical practice. Various novel strategies were employed in preclinical studies and clinical trials. Among them, nanomedicines based on biomaterials show great promise in improving the therapeutic efficacy, reducing side effects, and promoting synergistic activity for TME responsive targeting. In this review, we focused on the targeting mechanisms of nanomedicines in response to the microenvironment of solid tumors. We describe responsive nanomedicines which take advantage of biomaterials' properties to exploit the features of TME or overcome the obstacles posed by TME. The development of such systems has significantly advanced the application of biomaterials in combinational therapies and in immunotherapies for improved anticancer effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Avgoustakis
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece;
- Clinical Studies Unit, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 4 Soranou Ephessiou Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Athina Angelopoulou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnic School, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
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He S, Jia X, Feng S, Hu J. Three Strategies in Engineering Nanomedicines for Tumor Microenvironment-Enabled Phototherapy. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2300078. [PMID: 37226364 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202300078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Canonical phototherapeutics have several limitations, including a lack of tumor selectivity, nondiscriminatory phototoxicity, and tumor hypoxia aggravation. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by hypoxia, acidic pH, and high levels of H2 O2 , GSH, and proteases. To overcome the shortcomings of canonical phototherapy and achieve optimal theranostic effects with minimal side effects, unique TME characteristics are employed in the development of phototherapeutic nanomedicines. In this review, the effectiveness of three strategies for developing advanced phototherapeutics based on various TME characteristics is examined. The first strategy involves targeted delivery of phototherapeutics to tumors with the assistance of TME-induced nanoparticle disassembly or surface modification. The second strategy involves near-infrared absorption increase-induced phototherapy activation triggered by TME factors. The third strategy involves enhancing therapeutic efficacy by ameliorating TME. The functionalities, working principles, and significance of the three strategies for various applications are highlighted. Finally, possible challenges and future perspectives for further development are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiliang He
- College of Health Science and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
| | - Xiao Jia
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Sai Feng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Junqing Hu
- College of Health Science and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China
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Zhu X, Li S. Nanomaterials in tumor immunotherapy: new strategies and challenges. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:94. [PMID: 37312116 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01797-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor immunotherapy exerts its anti-tumor effects by stimulating and enhancing immune responses of the body. It has become another important modality of anti-tumor therapy with significant clinical efficacy and advantages compared to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy. Although various kinds of tumor immunotherapeutic drugs have emerged, the challenges faced in the delivery of these drugs, such as poor tumor permeability and low tumor cell uptake rate, had prevented their widespread application. Recently, nanomaterials had emerged as a means for treatment of different diseases due to their targeting properties, biocompatibility and functionalities. Moreover, nanomaterials possess various characteristics that overcome the defects of traditional tumor immunotherapy, such as large drug loading capacity, precise tumor targeting and easy modification, thus leading to their wide application in tumor immunotherapy. There are two main classes of novel nanoparticles mentioned in this review: organic (polymeric nanomaterials, liposomes and lipid nanoparticles) and inorganic (non-metallic nanomaterials and metallic nanomaterials). Besides, the fabrication method for nanoparticles, Nanoemulsions, was also introduced. In summary, this review article mainly discussed the research progress of tumor immunotherapy based on nanomaterials in the past few years and offers a theoretical basis for exploring novel tumor immunotherapy strategies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xudong Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, People's Republic of China
| | - Shenglong Li
- Second Ward of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, People's Republic of China.
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Nanomaterials: Breaking through the bottleneck of tumor immunotherapy. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 230:123159. [PMID: 36610572 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy exerts its excellent anti-tumor effects by stimulating and enhancing the immune response of the body, and has become another important class of anti-tumor therapy besides chemotherapy, targeted therapy and radiotherapy. Various types of immunotherapeutic drugs have gained their clinical values, but the in vivo delivery of drugs still faces many challenges, such as poor tumor permeability and low tumor cell uptake rate. In recent years, owing to highly targeting properties, better biocompatibility, and easy functionalization, nanomaterials have been widely applicated in tumor treatment, especially in tumor immunotherapy. Furthermore, nanomaterials have large drug loading capacity, strong tumor targeting and easy modification, which can effectively overcome the drawbacks of traditional immunotherapy. This paper reviews the progress of nanomaterial-based tumor immunotherapy in recent years and provides a theoretical basis for exploring new nanomaterial-based tumor immunotherapy strategies.
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Yang HZ, Guo Y, Pu L, Yu XQ, Zhang J. Fluorescent Self-Reporting Lipid Nanoparticles for Nitric Oxide/Gene Co-Delivery and Combination Therapy. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:1404-1414. [PMID: 36594589 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The combination cancer therapy of nitric oxide (NO) with gene therapy is a promising method for tumor treatment. However, efficient co-delivery of gas and therapeutic genes to tumor cells remains a challenge. Herein, we designed a nano-sized ultraviolet (UV) light-responsive cationic lipid vector DPNO(Zn). Fluorescence spectroscopy and confocal imaging experiments revealed that DPNO(Zn) lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) could rapidly release NO under low-power UV light irradiation. Moreover, the fluorescence turn-on might take place along with the release of NO, indicating the self-reporting ability. Gene delivery experiments showed that DPNO(Zn) LNPs had good gene transfection ability, making such materials a good candidate for gas/gene combination therapy. In vitro antitumor assay demonstrated that the co-delivery system was more effective in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation than individual NO or pTrail treatment. Studies on the mechanism of tumor cell apoptosis induced by NO/pTrail co-delivery showed that NO could not only effectively increase the accumulation of p53 protein in tumor cells, thereby promoting the activation of caspase-3, but also induce mitochondrial damage. On the other hand, the Trail protein expressed by pTrail gene could enhance the degree of NO-induced caspase-3 activation, indicating the synergistic effect. These results proved that DPNO(Zn) LNP may serve as a multifunctional nanocarrier for potential tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Zhen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, P. R. China
| | - Yu Guo
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, P. R. China
| | - Lin Pu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, P. R. China.,Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, McCormick Rd, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Xiao-Qi Yu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, P. R. China.,Asymmetric Synthesis and Chiral Technology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Chemistry, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, P. R. China
| | - Ji Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, P. R. China
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