Combination prostate cancer therapy: Prostate-specific membranes antigen targeted, pH-sensitive nanoparticles loaded with doxorubicin and tanshinone

Synergistic Potential of Nanomedicine in Prostate Cancer Immunotherapy: Breakthroughs and Prospects

Given the global prevalence of prostate cancer in men, it is crucial to explore more effective treatment strategies. Recently, immunotherapy has emerged as a promising cancer treatment due to its unique mechanism of action and potential long-term effectiveness. However, its limited efficacy in prostate cancer has prompted renewed interest in developing strategies to improve immunotherapy outcomes. Nanomedicine offers a novel perspective on cancer treatment with its unique size effects and surface properties. By employing targeted delivery, controlled release, and enhanced immunogenicity, nanoparticles can be synergized with nanomedicine platforms to amplify the effectiveness of immunotherapy in treating prostate cancer. Simultaneously, nanotechnology can address the limitations of immunotherapy and the challenges of immune escape and tumor microenvironment regulation. Additionally, the synergistic effects of combining nanomedicine with other therapies offer promising clinical outcomes. Innovative applications of nanomedicine include smart nanocarriers, stimulus-responsive systems, and precision medicine approaches to overcome translational obstacles in prostate cancer immunotherapy. This review highlights the transformative potential of nanomedicine in enhancing prostate cancer immunotherapy and emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to drive research and clinical applications forward.

A review of tanshinone compounds in prostate cancer treatment

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant epithelial tumors in men worldwide. PCa patients are initially sensitive to chemotherapy, but patients in the advanced stages of PCa eventually develop resistance, leaving them with limited therapeutic options. Therefore, it is very important to screen new drugs for treating PCa. Salvia miltiorrhiza is a common Chinese herbal medicine used in some Asian countries. It has many functions and is widely used to treat a variety of diseases, including heart diseases and cancers. For the past few years, research has shown that liposoluble constituents of tanshinones (TANs), including cryptotanshinone, TAN IIA, dihydrotanshinone I, and TAN I, exhibit good anticancer activity in PCa. In this study, we review the progress of TAN compounds (cryptotanshinone, TAN IIA, dihydrotanshinone I, and TAN I) in treating PCa over the past decade. These compounds can act on the same molecular mechanisms, as they have a very similar structure; they are also found to work slightly differently in PCa. According to current studies, compared with other TAN compounds, TAN IIA appears to hold more potential for treating PCa. The toxicity, side effects or biodistribution of Salvia miltiorrhiza and these four TANs need to be confirmed with further research. Findings obtained in this study may provide important information for the potential clinical application of cryptotanshinone, TAN IIA, dihydrotanshinone I, and TAN I in the treatment of PCa.

Paclitaxel Overload Supramolecular Oxidative Stress Nanoamplifier with a CDK12 Inhibitor for Enhanced Cancer Therapy

Combination therapy has emerged as a promising approach for treating tumors, although there is room for improvement. This study introduced a novel strategy that combined the enhancement of apoptosis, ferroptosis, and DNA damage to improve therapeutic outcomes for prostate cancer. Specifically, we have developed a supramolecular oxidative stress nanoamplifier, which was comprised of β-cyclodextrin, paclitaxel, and ferrocene-poly(ethylene glycol). Paclitaxel within the system disrupted microtubule dynamics, inducing G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis. Concurrently, ferrocene utilized hydrogen peroxide to generate toxic hydroxyl radicals in cells through the Fenton reaction, triggering a cascade of reactive oxygen species expansion, reduction of glutathione levels, lipid peroxidation, and ferroptosis. The increased number of hydroxyl radicals and the inhibitory effect of THZ531 on DNA repair mechanisms exacerbated DNA damage within tumor cells. As expected, the supramolecular nanoparticles demonstrated excellent drug delivery ability to tumor cells or tissues, exhibited favorable biological safety in vivo, and enhanced the killing effect on prostate cancer.

Research progress of nano-delivery systems for the active ingredients from traditional Chinese medicine

INTRODUCTION

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for thousands of years in China, characterizing with novel pharmacological mechanisms, low toxicity, and limited side effects. However, the application of TCM active ingredients is often hindered by their physical and chemical properties, including poor solubility, low bioavailability, short half-life, toxic side effects within therapeutic doses, and instability in biological environments. Consequently, an increasing number of researchers are directing their attention towards the discovery of nano-delivery systems for TCM to overcome these clinical challenges.

OBJECTIVES

This review aims to provide the latest knowledge and results concerning the studies on the nano-delivery systems for the active ingredients from TCM.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Recent literature relating to nano-delivery systems for the active ingredients from TCM is summarized to provide a fundamental understanding of how such systems can enhance the application of phytochemicals.

RESULTS

The nano-delivery systems of six types of TCM monomers are summarized and categorized based on the skeletal structure of the natural compounds. These categories include terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, quinones, polyphenols, and polysaccharides. The paper analyzes the characteristics, types, materials used, and the efficacy achieved by TCM-nano systems. Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages of nano-drug delivery systems for TCM are summarized in this paper.

CONCLUSION

Nano-delivery systems represent a promising approach to overcoming clinical obstacles stemming from the physical and chemical properties of TCM active ingredients, thereby enhancing their clinical efficacy.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen) based nano-delivery systems for anticancer therapeutics

BACKGROUND

The ancient Chinese herb Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen), plays the important role in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Furthermore, Danshen could also be used for curing carcinogenesis. Up to now, the anti-tumor effects of the main active constituents of Danshen have made great progress. However, the bioavailability of the active constituents of Danshen were restricted by their unique physical characteristics, like low oral bioavailability, rapid degradation in vivo and so on.

PURPOSE

With the leap development of nano-delivery systems, the shortcomings of the active constituents of Danshen have been greatly ameliorated. This review tried to summarize the recent progress of the active constituents of Danshen based delivery systems used for anti-tumor therapeutics.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using 5 databases (Embase, Google scholar, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases) for the identification of relevant data published before September 2023. The words "Danshen", "Salvia miltiorrhiza", "Tanshinone", "Salvianolic acid", "Rosmarinic acid", "tumor", "delivery", "nanomedicine" and other active ingredients contained in Danshen were searched in the above databases to gather information about pharmaceutical decoration for the active constituents of Danshen used for anti-tumor therapeutics.

RESULTS

The main extracts of Danshen could inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells effectively and a great deal of studies were conducted to design drug delivery systems to ameliorate the anti-tumor effect of the active contents of Danshen through different ways, like improving bioavailability, increasing tumor targeting ability, enhancing biological barrier permeability and co-delivering with other active agents.

CONCLUSION

This review systematically represented recent progress of pharmaceutical decorations for the active constituents of Danshen used for anti-tumor therapeutics, revealing the diversity of nano-decoration skills and trying to inspire more designs of Danshen based nanodelivery systems, with the hope that bringing the nanomedicine of the active constituents of Danshen for anti-tumor therapeutics from bench to bedside in the near future.

Nanodelivery system of traditional Chinese medicine bioactive compounds: Application in the treatment of prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

The long history of clinical experience in China have confirmed the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating prostate cancer (PCa). Until now, several bioactive compounds with anti-PCa potential, such as curcumin, gallic acid, and quercetin, have been extracted from TCM. Recent studies have shown that encapsulating these TCM bioactive compounds into nano-delivery system enhanced their bioavailability and improved their ability to target PCa tumors.

PURPOSE

This review aims to summarize the anti-PCa effects and molecular mechanisms of TCM bioactive compounds and discuss the clinical application prospects and future research trends of nano-delivery system based on these compounds.

METHODS

Literatures focusing on the treatment of PCa using traditional Chinese medicine compounds via nano-drug delivery system were searched from Electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus until December 2023.

RESULTS

Polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenes, and quinones exhibit anti-PCa effects through various pathways. Notably, compounds like curcumin, gallic acid, quercetin, and tanshinone have been extensively studied in nano-delivery systems for anti-PCa purpose. Nano-delivery systems enhance the biological activity of free compounds and reduce toxic side effects, as well. Commonly used nanomaterials for delivering TCM compounds include polymer nanomaterials, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, and niosomes.

CONCLUSION

Research on nano-delivery systems for TCM bioactive compounds holds promising prospects for anti-PCa therapy. However, extensive clinical trials are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of these nanodrugs.

Adjuvant role of Salvia miltiorrhiza bunge in cancer chemotherapy: A review of its bioactive components, health-promotion effect and mechanisms

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Chemotherapy is a common cancer treatment strategy. However, its effectiveness is constrained by toxicity and adverse effects. The Lamiaceae herb Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge has a long history of therapeutic use in the treatment of blood stasis illnesses, which are believed by traditional Chinese medicine to be connected to cancer.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review summarized the common toxicity of chemotherapy and the potential chemo-adjuvant effect and mechanisms of active ingredients from S. miltiorrhiza, hoping to provide valuable information for the development and application of S. miltiorrhiza resources.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The literatures were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Baidu Scholar and Google Scholar databases from 2002 to 2022. The inclusion criteria were studies reporting that S. miltiorrhiza or its constituents enhanced the efficiency of chemotherapy drugs or reduced the side effects.

RESULTS

Salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B, salvianolic acid C, rosmarinic acid, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, cryptotanshinone, dihydrotanshinone I and miltirone are the primary adjuvant chemotherapy components of S. miltiorrhiza. The mechanisms mainly involve inhibiting proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis, inducing apoptosis, regulating autophagy and tumor microenvironment. In addition, they also improve chemotherapy drug-induced side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

The bioactive compounds of S. miltiorrhiza are shown to inhibit proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis, induce apoptosis and autophagy, regulate immunity and tumor microenvironment when combined with chemotherapy drugs. However, further clinical studies are required to validate the current studies.

Emerging frontiers in nanomedicine targeted therapy for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a prevalent cancer in men, often treated with chemotherapy. However, it tumor cells are clinically grows slowly and is heterogeneous, leading to treatment resistance and recurrence. Nanomedicines, through targeted delivery using nanocarriers, can enhance drug accumulation at the tumor site, sustain drug release, and counteract drug resistance. In addition, combination therapy using nanomedicines can target multiple cancer pathways, improving effectiveness and addressing tumor heterogeneity. The application of nanomedicine in prostate cancer treatment would be an important strategy in controlling tumor dynamic process as well as improve survival. Thus, this review highlights therapeutic nanoparticles as a solution for prostate cancer chemotherapy, exploring targeting strategies and approaches to combat drug resistance.

Potential chemoprotective effects of active ingredients in Salvia miltiorrhiza on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity: a systematic review of in vitro and in vivo studies

Background

Recently, attention has been paid to the protective properties of active ingredients in Salvia miltiorrhiza (AISM) against organ toxicity induced by chemotherapy drugs. Purpose of the present systematic review is to evaluate the chemoprotective effects and mechanisms of AISM on in vitro and in vivo models of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC).

Methods

According to the PRISMA guideline, the current systematic review was conducted in the Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to collect all relevant in vitro and in vivo studies on "the role of AISM on DIC" published up until May 2023. The SYRCLE's tool was used to identify potential risk of bias.

Results

Twenty-two eligible articles were included in this systematic review. Eleven types of active ingredients in Salvia miltiorrhiza were used for DIC, which have the following effects: improvement of physical signs and biochemical indicators, reduction of cardiac function damage caused by DIC, protection of heart tissue structure, enhancement of myocardial cell viability, prevention of cardiomyocyte apoptosis, increase of the chemosensitivity of cancer cells to Doxorubicin, etc. The cardioprotective mechanism of AISM involves inhibiting apoptosis, attenuating oxidative stress, suppressing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, decreasing inflammation, improving mitochondrial structure and function, affecting cellular autophagy and calcium homeostasis. The quality scores of included studies ranged from 4 to 7 points (a total of 10 points), according to SYRCLE's risk of bias tool.

Conclusion

This systematic review demonstrated that AISM have chemoprotective effects on DIC in vivo and in vitro models through several main mechanisms such as anti-apoptosis, antioxidant effects, anti-ER stress, and anti-inflammatory.

Biomolecule-functionalized nanoformulations for prostate cancer theranostics

BACKGROUND

Even with the advancement in the areas of cancer nanotechnology, prostate cancer still poses a major threat to men's health. Nanomaterials and nanomaterial-derived theranostic systems have been explored for diagnosis, imaging, and therapy for different types of cancer still, for prostate cancer they have not delivered at full potential because of the limitations like in vivo biocompatibility, immune responses, precise targetability, and therapeutic outcome associated with the nanostructured system.

AIM OF REVIEW

Functionalizing nanomaterials with different biomolecules and bioactive agents provides advantages like specificity towards cancerous tumors, improved circulation time, and modulation of the immune response leading to early diagnosis and targeted delivery of cargo at the site of action.

KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW

In this review, we have emphasized the classification and comparison of various nanomaterials based on biofunctionalization strategy and source of biomolecules such that it can be used for possible translation in clinical settings and future developments. This review highlighted the opportunities for embedding highly specific biological targeting moieties (antibody, aptamer, oligonucleotides, biopolymer, peptides, etc.) on nanoparticles which can improve the detection of prostate cancer-associated biomarkers at a very low limit of detection, direct visualization of prostate tumors and lastly for its therapy. Lastly, special emphasis was given to biomimetic nanomaterials which include functionalization with extracellular vesicles, exosomes and viral particles and their application for prostate cancer early detection and drug delivery. The present review paves a new pathway for next-generation biofunctionalized nanomaterials for prostate cancer theranostic application and their possibility in clinical translation.

Formulation and Evaluation on Synergetic Anti-Hepatoma Effect of a Chemically Stable and Release-Controlled Nanoself-Assembly with Natural Monomers

Introduction

Hepatoma is the leading cause of death among liver diseases worldwide. Modern pharmacological studies suggest that some natural monomeric compounds have a significant effect on inhibiting tumor growth. However, poor stability and solubility, and side effects are the main factors limiting the clinical application of natural monomeric compounds.

Methods

In this paper, drug-co-loaded nanoself-assemblies were selected as a delivery system to improve the chemical stability and solubility of Tanshinone II A and Glycyrrhetinic acid, and to produce a synergetic anti-hepatoma effect.

Results

The study suggested that the drug co-loaded nanoself-assemblies showed high drug loading capacity, good physical and chemical stability, and controlled release. In vitro cell experiments verified that the drug-co-loaded nanoself-assemblies could increase the cellular uptake and cell inhibitory activity. In vivo studies verified that the drug co-loaded nanoself-assemblies could prolong the MRT_0-∞, increase accumulation in tumor and liver tissues, and show strong synergistic anti-tumor effect and good bio-safety in H22 tumor-bearing mice.

Conclusion

This work indicates that natural monomeric compounds co-loaded nanoself-assemblies would be a potential strategy for the treatment of hepatoma.

Paclitaxel and docetaxel resistance in prostate cancer: Molecular mechanisms and possible therapeutic strategies

Prostate cancer is among most malignant tumors around the world and this urological tumor can be developed as result of genomic mutations and their accumulation during progression towards advanced stage. Due to lack of specific symptoms in early stages of prostate cancer, most cancer patients are diagnosed in advanced stages that tumor cells display low response to chemotherapy. Furthermore, genomic mutations in prostate cancer enhance the aggressiveness of tumor cells. Docetaxel and paclitaxel are suggested as well-known compounds for chemotherapy of prostate tumor and they possess a similar function in cancer therapy that is based on inhibiting depolymerization of microtubules, impairing balance of microtubules and subsequent delay in cell cycle progression. The aim of current review is to highlight mechanisms of paclitaxel and docetaxel resistance in prostate cancer. When oncogenic factors such as CD133 display upregulation and PTEN as tumor-suppressor shows decrease in expression, malignancy of prostate tumor cells enhances and they can induce drug resistance. Furthermore, phytochemicals as anti-tumor compounds have been utilized in suppressing chemoresistance in prostate cancer. Naringenin and lovastatin are among the anti-tumor compounds that have been used for impairing progression of prostate tumor and enhancing drug sensitivity. Moreover, nanostructures such as polymeric micelles and nanobubbles have been utilized in delivery of anti-tumor compounds and decreasing risk of chemoresistance development. These subjects are highlighted in current review to provide new insight for reversing drug resistance in prostate cancer.

Laser-activated nanoparticles for ultrasound/photoacoustic imaging-guided prostate cancer treatment

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignant tumor in men. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which is overexpressed on the surface of Prostate cancer cells, may serve as a potential therapeutic target. Recently, image-guided and targeted therapy for prostate cancers has attracted much attention by using Prostate-specific membrane antigen targeting nanoparticle. In this study, we produced PSMA-targeted light-responsive nanosystems. These nanosystems of liquid perfluorocarbon cores and polymer shells were loaded with the photosensitizer IR780 and therapeutic drugs paclitaxel. The liquid perfluorocarbon (PFP) in nanoparticles can perform ultrasound-enhanced imaging by liquid-gas transition and promote the deliver and release of paclitaxel. IR780 can perform photothermal therapy (PTT) guided by photoacoustic (PA) imaging. Combination treatment with photothermal therapy and chemotherapy exhibited excellent inhibition of cell proliferation in vitro and a significant therapeutic effect in vivo. In conclusion, we successfully formulated PSMA-targeted nanosystems with precision targeting and ultrasound/PA dual-modality imaging for anti-tumor effects.

Construction and validation of a novel cuproptosis-related long noncoding RNA signature for predicting the outcome of prostate cancer

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common tumors of the urinary system. Cuproptosis is a novel mode of controlled cell death that is related to the development of various tumor types. However, the functions of cuproptosis-related long noncoding RNAs (CRLs) in PCa have not yet been well studied. Methods: In this study, data of PCa patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and from the Changhai Hospital. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and LASSO regression analysis were conducted to screen CRLs linked to the prognosis of PCa patients. A risk score model was constructed on the basis of CRLs to predict prognosis. PCa patients were categorized into high- and low-risk cohorts. The predictive value of the risk score was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic curves, and nomograms. In addition, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were used to explore possible pathways involving CRLs in PCa. Immune function analysis confirmed the correlation between CRLs and immunity in PCa. Finally, we explored the tumor mutational burden and drug response in the high- and low-risk cohorts. Results: First, we identified seven CRLs (C1orf229, C9orf139, LIPE-AS1, MCPH1-AS1, PRR26, SGMS1-AS1, and SNHG1) that were closely related to prognosis in PCa. The risk score model based on the selected CRLs could accurately predict the prognosis of PCa patients. The high-risk cohort was associated with worse disease-free survival (DFS) time in PCa patients (p < 0.001). ROC curve analysis was performed to confirm the validity of the signature (area under the curve (AUC) at 1 year: 0.703). Nomograms were constructed based on the risk score and clinicopathological features and also exhibited great predictive efficiency for PCa. GO and KEGG analyses showed that the CRLs were mainly enriched in metabolism-related biological pathways in PCa. In addition, immune function analysis showed that patients in the high-risk cohort had higher TMB and were more sensitive to conventional chemotherapy and targeted drugs including doxorubicin, epothilone B, etoposide, and mitomycin C. Conclusion: We constructed a novel CRL-related risk score model to accurately predict the prognosis of PCa patients. Our results indicate that CRLs are potential targets for drug therapy in PCa and provide a possible new direction for personalized treatment of PCa patients.

Dual-Drug Nanosystem: Etoposide Prodrug and Cisplatin Coloaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Lung Cancer Therapy

Purpose

Cisplatin (CDDP) and etoposide (Etp) are recommended first-line therapy for lung cancer. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are engineered to deliver drugs for lung cancer treatment. In the present study, NLCs were applied to coload an Etp prodrug (EtpP) and CDDP.

Methods

The Etp prodrug was synthesized by linking the phenolic hydroxyl group of Etp with polyethylene glycol (PEG). EtpP and CDDP coencapsulated NLCs (EtpP-CDDP NLCs) were prepared using film ultrasound. Cytotoxicity of drugs and drug-containing NLCs was assessed by evaluating cell viability using MTT assays. In vivo antitumor efficiency of EtpP-CDDP NLCs was evaluated on lung cancer-bearing xenografts.

Results

EtpP-CDDP NLCs showed a uniformly spherical morphology with a size of 176.8±4.9 nm and -potential of -31.9±3.2 mV. Cellular uptake efficiency of EtpP-CDDP NLCs was 57.4%±3.9% on A549/DDP cells. EtpP-CDDP NLCs exhibited more sustained plasma retention, the highest drug distribution in tumors, and the highest tumor-inhibition rates in lung tumor-bearing mice.

Conclusion

EtpP-CDDP NLCs improved tumor-cell uptake, cytotoxicity, and tumor-inhibition efficiency, and could be used as a promising drug-delivery system for lung cancer combination therapy.

Nano-drug co-delivery system of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs for cancer treatment: a review

Chemotherapy drugs have been used for a long time in the treatment of cancer, but serious side effects are caused by the inability of the drug to be solely delivered to the tumor when treating cancer with chemotherapy. Natural products have attracted more and more attention due to the antitumor effect in multiple ways, abundant resources and less side effects. Therefore, the combination of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs may be an effective antitumor strategy, which can inhibit the growth of tumor and multidrug resistance, reduce side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Nano-drug co-delivery system (NDCDS) can play an important role in the combination of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the research status and application prospect of nano-delivery strategies for the combination of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs, aiming to provide a basis for the development of anti-tumor drugs.

A lncRNA-immune checkpoint-related gene signature predicts metastasis-free survival in prostate adenocarcinoma

Background

The 5-year overall survival rate in metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) is extremely low. Genomic studies of PRAD have improved our understanding of disease biology. However, the role of immune checkpoint genes (ICGs) in PRAD remains unclear.

Methods

Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze genes associated with metastasis-free survival (MFS) in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-PRAD dataset. The expressions of ADORA2A and TNFRSF18 were detected via immunohistochemical assay and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) assay in our in-house cohort. The expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) AL139287.1, SLC9A3-AS1, and SNHG12 were detected via RT-PCR assay in our in-house cohort. Stepwise regression, Cox regression, and nomogram analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic role of these genes in both the TCGA dataset and in-house cohort. The "pRRophetic" R package was used to evaluate drug sensitivity in the TCGA cohort according to the gene mRNA expression level.

Results

In our study, univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the mRNA expressions of two ICGs, ADORA2A and TNFRSF18, were independent factors affecting MFS in PRAD patients. A prognostic 2-ICG model predicted the MFS of PRAD patients with medium-to-high accuracy in the TCGA dataset and in-house cohort. The expressions of AL139287.1, SLC9A3-AS1, and SNHG12 were correlated with ADORA2A and TNFRSF18. A prognostic lncRNA-ICG model predicted the MFS of PRAD patients with medium-to-high accuracy in the TCGA dataset and in-house cohort. In addition, correlation analyses between the sensitivity of doxorubicin, erlotinib, gemcitabine, or vinorelbine and AL139287.1, SLC9A3-AS1, SNHG12, ADORA2A, and TNFRSF18 were conducted.

Conclusions

Our results provide new targets for predicting tumor metastasis in PRAD and treating patients with metastatic PRAD.

Antitumor effects of Chinese herbal medicine compounds and their nano-formulations on regulating the immune system microenvironment

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including herbal medicine, acupuncture and meditation, has a wide range of applications in China. In recent years, herbal compounding and active ingredients have been used to control tumor growth, reduce suffering, improve quality of life, and prolong the life span of cancer patients. To reduce side effects, herbal medicine can be used in conjunction with radiotherapy and chemotherapy or can be used as an adjuvant to strengthen the immune effect of anticancer vaccines. In particular, in the immunosuppressed tumor microenvironment, herbal medicine can have antitumor effects by stimulating the immune response. This paper reviews the advances in research on antitumor immunomodulation in Chinese herbal medicine, including the regulation of the innate immune system, which includes macrophages, MDSCs, and natural killer cells, and the adaptive immune system, which includes CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and regulatory T cells (Tregs), to influence tumor-associated inflammation. In addition, a combination of active ingredients of herbal medicine and modern nanotechnology alter the tumor immune microenvironment. In recent years, immunological antitumor therapy in TCM has been applied on a reasonably large scale both nationally and internationally, and there is potential for further clinical expansion. Investigation of immune modulation mechanisms in Chinese herbal medicine will provide novel perspectives of how herbal medicine controls tumor growth and metastasis, which will contribute to the evolution of tumor research.

Molecular Mechanism of Tanshinone against Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignant tumor of the male urinary system in Europe and America. According to the data in the World Cancer Report 2020, the incidence rate of PCa ranks second in the prevalence of male malignant tumors and varies worldwide between regions and population groups. Although early PCa can achieve good therapeutic results after surgical treatment, due to advanced PCa, it can adapt and tolerate androgen castration-related drugs through a variety of mechanisms. For this reason, it is often difficult to achieve effective therapeutic results in the treatment of advanced PCa. Tanshinone is a new fat-soluble phenanthraquinone compound derived from Salvia miltiorrhiza that can play a therapeutic role in different cancers, including PCa. Several studies have shown that Tanshinone can target various molecular pathways of PCa, including the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway, androgen receptor (AR) pathway, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, which will affect the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and affect cell proliferation, apoptosis, tumor metabolism, genomic stability, and tumor drug resistance. Thus, the occurrence and development of PCa cells are inhibited. In this review, we summarized the in vivo and in vitro evidence of Tanshinone against prostate cancer and discussed the effect of Tanshinone on nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), AR, and mTOR. At the same time, we conducted a network pharmacology analysis on the four main components of Tanshinone to further screen the possible targets of Tanshinone against prostate cancer and provide ideas for future research.

Nanomedicine for urologic cancers: diagnosis and management

Urologic cancers accounted for more than 2 million new cases and around 0.8 million deaths in 2020. Although surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, as well as castration for prostate cancer, remain the cornerstones for managing urologic neoplasms, they can result in severe adverse effects, poor patient compliance, and unsatisfactory survival rates, thus, it is essential to develop novel options that enable the early detection of these malignancies, together with providing accurate diagnoses, and more efficient treatment strategies. Nanomedicine represents an emerging approach that can deliver formulations or drugs across traditional biological barriers in the body and be directed to specific cell types within target organs via active targeting or passive targeting, thus, showing potential to improve the management of urologic cancers. In this review, we discussed the most recent updates on the application of nanomedicines in the diagnosis and treatment of urologic cancers, with focus on prostate, bladder and kidney tumors. We also presented the anti-tumor molecular mechanisms of newly designed nanomedicine for treating urologic cancers, mainly including image-guided surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, and their synergetic therapy. Current studies have demonstrated the potential advantages of nanomedicine over conventional approaches. However, most developments and new findings in this area have not been validated in clinical trials yet, and therefore, efforts shall be made to translate these research insights into clinical practices for urologic cancers.

Development and Evaluation of a PSMA-Targeted Nanosystem Co-Packaging Docetaxel and Androgen Receptor siRNA for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Treatment

Primary prostate cancer (PC) progresses to castration-resistant PC (CRPC) during androgen deprivation therapy (ADR) in early stages of prostate cancer. Thus, rather than blocking the androgen-related pathway further, docetaxel (DTX)-based therapy has become the most effective and standard first-line chemotherapy for CRPC. Although the therapy is successful in prolonging the survival of patients with CRPC, chemotherapy resistance develops due to the abnormal activation of the androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway. Thus, to optimize DTX efficacy, continued maximum suppression of androgen levels and AR signaling is required. Here, we designed a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted nanosystem to carry both DTX and AR siRNA (Di-PP/AR-siRNA/DTX) for CRPC treatment. Specifically, DTX was encapsulated into the hydrophobic inner layer, and the AR siRNA was then condensed with the cationic PEI block in the hydrophilic outer layer of the PEI-PLGA polymeric micelles. The micelles were further coated with PSMA-targeted anionic polyethylene glycol-polyaspartic acid (Di-PEG-PLD). In vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that the resulting Di-PP/AR-siRNA/DTX exhibited prolonged blood circulation, selective targeting, and enhanced antitumor effects. Consequently, Di-PP/AR-siRNA/DTX holds great potential for efficient CRPC treatment by combining chemotherapy and siRNA silencing of androgen-related signaling pathways.

Single-Step Self-Assembly of Zein–Honey–Chitosan Nanoparticles for Hydrophilic Drug Incorporation by Flash Nanoprecipitation

Zein- and chitosan-based nanoparticles have been described as promising carrier systems for food, biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. However, the manufacture of size-controlled zein and chitosan particles is challenging. In this study, an adapted anti-solvent nanoprecipitation method was developed. The effects of the concentration of zein and chitosan and the pH of the collection solution on the properties of the zein–honey–chitosan nanoparticles were investigated. Flash nanoprecipitation was demonstrated as a rapid, scalable, single-step method to achieve the self-assembly of zein–honey–chitosan nanoparticles. The nanoparticles size was tuned by varying certain formulation parameters, including the total concentration and ratio of the polymers. The zein–honey–chitosan nanoparticles’ hydrodynamic diameter was below 200 nm and the particles were stable for 30 days. Vitamin C was used as a hydrophilic model substance and efficiently encapsulated into these nanoparticles. This study opens a promising pathway for one-step producing zein–honey–chitosan nanoparticles by flash nanoprecipitation for hydrophilic compounds’ encapsulation.

Targeted Cancer Therapy via pH-Functionalized Nanoparticles: A Scoping Review of Methods and Outcomes

(1) Background: In recent years, several studies have described various and heterogenous methods to sensitize nanoparticles (NPs) to pH changes; therefore, in this current scoping review, we aimed to map current protocols for pH functionalization of NPs and analyze the outcomes of drug-loaded pH-functionalized NPs (pH-NPs) when delivered in vivo in tumoral tissue. (2) Methods: A systematic search of the PubMed database was performed for all published studies relating to in vivo models of anti-tumor drug delivery via pH-responsive NPs. Data on the type of NPs, the pH sensitization method, the in vivo model, the tumor cell line, the type and name of drug for targeted therapy, the type of in vivo imaging, and the method of delivery and outcomes were extracted in a separate database. (3) Results: One hundred and twenty eligible manuscripts were included. Interestingly, 45.8% of studies (n = 55) used polymers to construct nanoparticles, while others used other types, i.e., mesoporous silica (n = 15), metal (n = 8), lipids (n = 12), etc. The mean acidic pH value used in the current literature is 5.7. When exposed to in vitro acidic environment, without exception, pH-NPs released drugs inversely proportional to the pH value. pH-NPs showed an increase in tumor regression compared to controls, suggesting better targeted drug release. (4) Conclusions: pH-NPs were shown to improve drug delivery and enhance antitumoral effects in various experimental malignant cell lines.