A dual-functional buformin-mimicking poly(amido amine) for efficient and safe gene delivery

Multifunctional and stimuli-responsive liposomes in hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis and therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent type of liver cancer, mainly occurring in Asian countries with an increased incidence rate globally. Currently, several kinds of therapies have been deployed for HCC therapy including surgical resection, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. However, this tumor is still incurable, requiring novel strategies for its treatment. The nanomedicine has provided the new insights regarding the treatment of cancer that liposomes as lipid-based nanoparticles, have been widely applied in cancer therapy due to their biocompaitiblity, high drug loading and ease of synthesis and modification. The current review evaluates the application of liposomes for the HCC therapy. The drugs and genes lack targeting ability into tumor tissues and cells. Therefore, loading drugs or genes on liposomes can increase their accumulation in tumor site for HCC suppression. Moreover, the stimuli-responsive liposomes including pH-, redox- and light-sensitive liposomes are able to deliver drug into tumor microenvironment to improve therapeutic index. Since a number of receptors upregulate on HCC cells, the functionalization of liposomes with lactoferrin and peptides can promote the targeting ability towards HCC cells. Moreover, phototherapy can be induced by liposomes through loading phtoosensitizers to stimulate photothermal- and photodynamic-driven ablation of HCC cells. Overall, the findings are in line with the fact that liposomes are promising nanocarriers for the treatment of HCC.

Chitosan-curcumin complexation to develop functionalized nanosystems with enhanced antimicrobial activity against hetero-resistant gastric pathogen

With the apparent stagnation in the antibiotic discovery and the propagation of multidrug resistance, Helicobacter pylori associated gastric infections are hard to eradicate. In pursuance of alternative medicines, in this study, covalent modification of chitosan (CS) polymer with curcumin (Cur) was accomplished. Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy elucidated the covalent interaction between Cur and CS with characteristic peak of imine functional group (C=N). Scanning Electron Microscopy provided visual proof for surface topology, while size and zeta potential values further affirmed the development of curcumin functionalized chitosan nanosystems (Cur-FCNS). The complexation efficiency of CS with Cur was found as 70 ± 3% at an optimal ratio of 5:1 for CS and Cur, respectively. Cur-FCNS developed with ionic gelation and ultrasonication method demonstrated synergistic anti-H. pylori activity in growth-kinetics and anti-biofilm assays, which was superior to free Cur and even chitosan nanosystems. Under simulated gastric conditions, Cur-FCNS revealed cumulative-release of only 16 ± 0.8% till 40 h, which indicated its improved stability to interact with H. pylori. In silico findings affirmed high binding affinity of Cur-FCNS with multiple bacterial virulence factors. Thus, our results affirmed the exceptional potential of Cur-FCNS as next-generation alternative-medicine to treat resistant H. pylori.