Paclitaxel-loaded lignin particle encapsulated into electrospun PVA/PVP composite nanofiber for effective cervical cancer cell inhibition

Natural lignin nanoparticles target tumor by saturating the phagocytic capacity of Kupffer cells in the liver

Ligand-receptor recognition serves as the fundamental driving force for active targeting, yet it is still constrained by off-target effects. Herein, we demonstrate that circumventing or blocking the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) are both viable strategies to address off-target effects. Naturally derived lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) show great potential to block MPS due to its good stability, low toxicity, and degradability. We further demonstrate the impact of LNPs dosage on in vivo tumor targeting and antitumor efficacy. Our results show that a high dose of LNPs (300 mg/kg) leads to significant accumulation at the tumor site for a duration of 14 days after intravenous administration. In contrast, the low-dose counterparts (e.g., 50, 150 mg/kg) result in almost all LNPs accumulating in the liver. This discovery indicates that the liver is the primary site of LNP capture, leaving only the surplus LNPs the chance to reach the tumor. In addition, although cell membrane-engineered LNPs can rapidly penetrate tumors, they are still prone to capture by the liver during subsequent circulation in the bloodstream. Excitingly, comparable therapeutic efficacy is obtained for the above two strategies. Our findings may offer valuable insights into the targeted delivery of drugs for disease treatment.

Current development of theragnostic nanoparticles for women's cancer treatment

In the biomedical industry, nanoparticles (NPs-exclusively small particles with size ranging from 1-100 nanometres) are recently employed as powerful tools due to their huge potential in sophisticated and enhanced cancer theragnostic (i.e. therapeutics and diagnostics). Cancer is a life-threatening disease caused by carcinogenic agents and mutation in cells, leading to uncontrolled cell growth and harming the body's normal functioning while affecting several factors like low levels of reactive oxygen species, hyperactive antiapoptotic mRNA expression, reduced proapoptotic mRNA expression, damaged DNA repair, and so on. NPs are extensively used in early cancer diagnosis and are functionalized to target receptors overexpressing cancer cells for effective cancer treatment. This review focuses explicitly on how NPs alone and combined with imaging techniques and advanced treatment techniques have been researched against 'women's cancer' such as breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer which are substantially occurring in women. NPs, in combination with numerous imaging techniques (like PET, SPECT, MRI, etc) have been widely explored for cancer imaging and understanding tumor characteristics. Moreover, NPs in combination with various advanced cancer therapeutics (like magnetic hyperthermia, pH responsiveness, photothermal therapy, etc), have been stated to be more targeted and effective therapeutic strategies with negligible side effects. Furthermore, this review will further help to improve treatment outcomes and patient quality of life based on the theragnostic application-based studies of NPs in women's cancer treatment.

Recent status and trends of nanotechnology in cervical cancer: a systematic review and bibliometric analysis

Background

Cervical cancer is currently the second leading cause of cancer death among women from developing countries (1). However, there is a lack of effective treatment methods, and the existing treatments often result in significant adverse reactions and high chances of recurrence, which ultimately impact the prognosis of patients. As a result, the application of nanotechnology, specifically nanoparticle-based approaches, in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer has gained significant attention. This study aims to examine the current research status and future development trends of nanotechnology in relation to cervical cancer using a bibliometric perspective.

Methods

A bibliometric analysis was performed to gather relevant research papers from the Web of Science database. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were utilized to conduct quantitative analysis and identify hot topics in the field, focusing on countries, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords.

Result

A total of 997 eligible literature were retrieved. From January 1, 2014 to September 20, 2023, the overall number of publications showed an upward trend. The paper mainly comes from China (n=414). The main institution is the Chinese Academy of Sciences (n=62), and 60% of the top 10 institutions in the number of documents issued are from China. First authors Ma, Rong (n=12) and Alifu, Nuernisha (n=12). The journal with the highest publication volume is ACS Applied Materials&INTERFACES (n=35), and the journal with the highest citation frequency is BIOMATERIALS (n=508). "Nanoparticles (n=295)", "cervical cancer (n=248)", and "drug delivery (n=218)" are the top three most frequently occurring keywords. In recent years, photothermal therapy and indocyanine green have become research hotspots.

Conclusion

The application of nanotechnology in the field of cervical cancer has garnered considerable attention. Nanoparticles-based methods for diagnosis, administration, and treatment have proven to be instrumental in enhancing the sensitivity of cervical cancer detection, improving the accuracy and efficiency of administration, and reducing drug toxicity. Enhancing treatment efficacy and improving patient prognosis have emerged as current research priorities and future directions.

Current issues and potential solutions for the electrospinning of major polysaccharides and proteins: A review

Biopolymers, especially polysaccharides and proteins, are the promising green replacement for petroleum based polymers. Due to their innate properties, they are effectively used in biomedical applications, especially tissue engineering, wound healing, and drug delivery. The fibrous morphology of biopolymers is essentially required for the effectiveness in these biomedical applications. Electrospinning (ES) is the most advanced and robust method to fabricate nanofibers (NFs) and provides a complete solution to the conventional methods issues. However, the major issues regarding fabricating polysaccharides and protein nanofibers using ES include poor electrospinnability, lack of desired fundamental properties for a specific application by a single biopolymer, and insolubility among common solvents. The current review provides the main strategies for effective electrospinning of the major biopolymers. The key strategies include blending major biopolymers with suitable biopolymers and optimizing the solvent system. A systematic literature review was done to provide the optimized solvent system of the major biopolymers along with their best possible biopolymeric blend for ES. The review also highlights the fundamental issues with the commercialization of ES based biomedical products and provides future directions to improve the fabrication of biopolymeric nanofibers.

Lignins as Promising Renewable Biopolymers and Bioactive Compounds for High-Performance Materials

The recycling of biomass into high-value-added materials requires important developments in research and technology to create a sustainable circular economy. Lignin, as a component of biomass, is a multipurpose aromatic polymer with a significant potential to be used as a renewable bioresource in many fields in which it acts both as promising biopolymer and bioactive compound. This comprehensive review gives brief insights into the recent research and technological trends on the potential of lignin development and utilization. It is divided into ten main sections, starting with an outlook on its diversity; main properties and possibilities to be used as a raw material for fuels, aromatic chemicals, plastics, or thermoset substitutes; and new developments in the use of lignin as a bioactive compound and in nanoparticles, hydrogels, 3D-printing-based lignin biomaterials, new sustainable biomaterials, and energy production and storage. In each section are presented recent developments in the preparation of lignin-based biomaterials, especially the green approaches to obtaining nanoparticles, hydrogels, and multifunctional materials as blends and bio(nano)composites; most suitable lignin type for each category of the envisaged products; main properties of the obtained lignin-based materials, etc. Different application categories of lignin within various sectors, which could provide completely sustainable energy conversion, such as in agriculture and environment protection, food packaging, biomedicine, and cosmetics, are also described. The medical and therapeutic potential of lignin-derived materials is evidenced in applications such as antimicrobial, antiviral, and antitumor agents; carriers for drug delivery systems with controlled/targeting drug release; tissue engineering and wound healing; and coatings, natural sunscreen, and surfactants. Lignin is mainly used for fuel, and, recently, studies highlighted more sustainable bioenergy production technologies, such as the supercapacitor electrode, photocatalysts, and photovoltaics.

Nanoparticle Synthesis and Their Integration into Polymer-Based Fibers for Biomedical Applications

The potential of nanoparticles as effective drug delivery systems combined with the versatility of fibers has led to the development of new and improved strategies to help in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Nanoparticles have extraordinary characteristics that are helpful in several applications, including wound dressings, microbial balance approaches, tissue regeneration, and cancer treatment. Owing to their large surface area, tailor-ability, and persistent diameter, fibers are also used for wound dressings, tissue engineering, controlled drug delivery, and protective clothing. The combination of nanoparticles with fibers has the power to generate delivery systems that have enhanced performance over the individual architectures. This review aims at illustrating the main possibilities and trends of fibers functionalized with nanoparticles, focusing on inorganic and organic nanoparticles and polymer-based fibers. Emphasis on the recent progress in the fabrication procedures of several types of nanoparticles and in the description of the most used polymers to produce fibers has been undertaken, along with the bioactivity of such alliances in several biomedical applications. To finish, future perspectives of nanoparticles incorporated within polymer-based fibers for clinical use are presented and discussed, thus showcasing relevant paths to follow for enhanced success in the field.

Electrospun Nanofiber-Based Bioinspired Artificial Skins for Healthcare Monitoring and Human-Machine Interaction

Artificial skin, also known as bioinspired electronic skin (e-skin), refers to intelligent wearable electronics that imitate the tactile sensory function of human skin and identify the detected changes in external information through different electrical signals. Flexible e-skin can achieve a wide range of functions such as accurate detection and identification of pressure, strain, and temperature, which has greatly extended their application potential in the field of healthcare monitoring and human-machine interaction (HMI). During recent years, the exploration and development of the design, construction, and performance of artificial skin has received extensive attention from researchers. With the advantages of high permeability, great ratio surface of area, and easy functional modification, electrospun nanofibers are suitable for the construction of electronic skin and further demonstrate broad application prospects in the fields of medical monitoring and HMI. Therefore, the critical review is provided to comprehensively summarize the recent advances in substrate materials, optimized fabrication techniques, response mechanisms, and related applications of the flexible electrospun nanofiber-based bio-inspired artificial skin. Finally, some current challenges and future prospects are outlined and discussed, and we hope that this review will help researchers to better understand the whole field and take it to the next level.

Designing Lignin-Based Biomaterials as Carriers of Bioactive Molecules

There is a need to develop circular and sustainable economies by utilizing sustainable, green, and renewable resources in high-tech industrial fields especially in the pharmaceutical industry. In the last decade, many derivatives of food and agricultural waste have gained considerable attention due to their abundance, renewability, biocompatibility, environmental amiability, and remarkable biological features. Particularly, lignin, which has been used as a low-grade burning fuel in the past, recently attracted a lot of attention for biomedical applications because of its antioxidant, anti-UV, and antimicrobial properties. Moreover, lignin has abundant phenolic, aliphatic hydroxyl groups, and other chemically reactive sites, making it a desirable biomaterial for drug delivery applications. In this review, we provide an overview of designing different forms of lignin-based biomaterials, including hydrogels, cryogels, electrospun scaffolds, and three-dimensional (3D) printed structures and how they have been used for bioactive compound delivery. We highlight various design criteria and parameters that influence the properties of each type of lignin-based biomaterial and corelate them to various drug delivery applications. In addition, we provide a critical analysis, including the advantages and challenges encountered by each biomaterial fabrication strategy. Finally, we highlight the prospects and future directions associated with the application of lignin-based biomaterials in the pharmaceutical field. We expect that this review will cover the most recent and important developments in this field and serve as a steppingstone for the next generation of pharmaceutical research.

Nanofibers in Ocular Drug Targeting and Tissue Engineering: Their Importance, Advantages, Advances, and Future Perspectives

Nanofibers are frequently encountered in daily life as a modern material with a wide range of applications. The important advantages of production techniques, such as being easy, cost effective, and industrially applicable are important factors in the preference for nanofibers. Nanofibers, which have a broad scope of use in the field of health, are preferred both in drug delivery systems and tissue engineering. Due to the biocompatible materials used in their construction, they are also frequently preferred in ocular applications. The fact that they have a long drug release time as a drug delivery system and have been used in corneal tissue studies, which have been successfully developed in tissue engineering, stand out as important advantages of nanofibers. This review examines nanofibers, their production techniques and general information, nanofiber-based ocular drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering concepts in detail.

Osmanthus-Loaded PVP/PVA Hydrogel Inhibits the Proliferation and Migration of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells CAL-27

Conventional medical agents for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) with some adverse effects no longer meet the needs of the public. In this study, the prognosis-related hub genes of osmanthus-targeted therapy for OSCC were predicted and analyzed by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Osmanthus was extracted using the ethanol reflux method and osmanthus-loaded PVP/PVA (OF/PVP/PVA) hydrogel was prepared by electron beam radiation. The molecular structure, crystal structure and microscopic morphology of hydrogels were observed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. OSCC cells CAL-27 were cultured with OF/PVP/PVA hydrogel at different concentrations of extract to discover cell proliferation by MTT assay. The scratching test and JC-1 staining were used to observe the migration and mitochondrial membrane potential. Through experimental exploration, we found that a total of six prognosis-related targets were predicted, which are PYGL, AURKA, SQLE, etc., and osmanthus extract had good binding activity to AURKA. In vitro, except for proliferation inhibition, OF/PVP/PVA hydrogel prevented cell migration and changed the mitochondrial membrane potential of CAL-27 cells at a concentration equal to or greater than 50 μg/mL (p < 0.05). The addition of autophagy inhibitor chloroquine and 3-methyladenine weakened the migration inhibition of hydrogel (p < 0.05).

Lignin as a Natural Carrier for the Efficient Delivery of Bioactive Compounds: From Waste to Health

Lignin is a fascinating aromatic biopolymer with high valorization potentiality. Besides its extensive value in the biorefinery context, as a renewable source of aromatics lignin is currently under evaluation for its huge potential in biomedical applications. Besides the specific antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of lignin, that depend on its source and isolation procedure, remarkable progress has been made, over the last five years, in the isolation, functionalization and modification of lignin and lignin-derived compounds to use as carriers for biologically active substances. The aim of this review is to summarize the current state of the art in the field of lignin-based carrier systems, highlighting the most important results. Furthermore, the possibilities and constraints related to the physico–chemical properties of the lignin source will be reviewed herein as well as the modifications and processing required to make lignin suitable for the loading and release of active compounds.

Antibacterial Vancomycin@ZIF-8 Loaded PVA Nanofiber Membrane for Infected Bone Repair

Bone substitutes with strong antibacterial properties and bone regeneration effects have an inherent potential in the treatment of severe bone tissue infections, such as osteomyelitis. In this study, vancomycin (Van) was loaded into zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) to prepare composite particles, which is abbreviated as V@Z. As a pH-responsive particle, ZIF-8 can be cleaved in the weak acid environment caused by bacterial infection to realize the effective release of drugs. Then, V@Z was loaded into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber by electrospinning to prepare PVA/V@Z composite bone filler. The drug-loading rate of V@Z was about 6.735%. The membranes exhibited super hydrophilicity, water absorption and pH-controlled Van release behavior. The properties of anti E. coli and S. aureus were studied under the pH conditions of normal physiological tissues and infected tissues (pH 7.4 and pH 6.5, respectively). It was found that the material had good surface antibacterial adhesion and antibacterial property. The PVA/V@Z membrane had the more prominent bacteria-killing effect compared with the same amount of single antibacterial agent containing membrane such as ZIF-8 or Van loaded PVA, and the antibacterial rate was up to 99%. The electrospun membrane had good biocompatibility and can promote MC3T3-E1 cell spreading on it.

Polymer-Based Nanofiber-Nanoparticle Hybrids and Their Medical Applications

The search for higher-quality nanomaterials for medicinal applications continues. There are similarities between electrospun fibers and natural tissues. This property has enabled electrospun fibers to make significant progress in medical applications. However, electrospun fibers are limited to tissue scaffolding applications. When nanoparticles and nanofibers are combined, the composite material can perform more functions, such as photothermal, magnetic response, biosensing, antibacterial, drug delivery and biosensing. To prepare nanofiber and nanoparticle hybrids (NNHs), there are two primary ways. The electrospinning technology was used to produce NNHs in a single step. An alternate way is to use a self-assembly technique to create nanoparticles in fibers. This paper describes the creation of NNHs from routinely used biocompatible polymer composites. Single-step procedures and self-assembly methodologies are used to discuss the preparation of NNHs. It combines recent research discoveries to focus on the application of NNHs in drug release, antibacterial, and tissue engineering in the last two years.

Biocompatibility of electrospun cell culture scaffolds made from balangu seed mucilage/PVA composites

Synthesis of Balangu (Lallemantia royleana) seed mucilage (BSM) solutions combined with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was studied for the purpose of producing 3D electrospun cell culture scaffolds. Production of pure BSM nanofibers proved to be difficult, yet integration of PVA contributed to a facile and successful formation of BSM/PVA nanofibers. Different BSM/PVA ratios were fabricated to achieve the desired nanofibrous structure for cell proliferation. It is found that the optimal bead-free ratio of 50/50 with a mean fiber diameter of ≈180 nm presents the most desirable scaffold structure for cell growth. The positive effect of PVA incorporation was approved by analyzing BSM/PVA solutions through physiochemical assays such as electrical conductivity, viscosity and surface tension tests. According to the thermal analysis (TGA/DSC), incorporation of PVA enhanced thermal stability of the samples. Successful fabrication of the nanofibers is verified by FT-IR spectra, where no major chemical interaction between BSM and PVA is detected. The crystallinity of the electrospun nanofibers is investigated by XRD, revealing the nearly amorphous structure of BSM/PVA scaffolds. The MTT assay is employed to verify the biocompatibility of the scaffolds. The cell culture experiment using epithelial Vero cells shows the affinity of the cells to adhere to their nanofibrous substrate and grow to form continuous cell layers after 72 h of incubation.

Indocyanine Green-Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles Conjugated with Hyaluronic Acid Improve Target Specificity in Cervical Cancer Tumors

PURPOSE

Indocyanine green (ICG) is a promising agent for intraoperative visualization of tumor tissues and sentinel lymph nodes in early-stage gynecological cancer. However, it has some limitations, including a short half-life and poor solubility in aqueous solutions. This study aimed to enhance the efficacy of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging by overcoming the shortcomings of ICG using a nano-drug delivery system and improve target specificity in cervical cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

ICG and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) conjugated with polyethylenimine (PEI) were assembled to enhance stability. Hyaluronic acid (HA) was coated on PEI-PLGA-ICG nanoparticles to target CD44-positive cancer cells. The manufactured HA-ICG-PLGA nanoparticles (HINPs) were evaluated in vitro and in vivo on cervical cancer cells (SiHa; CD44+) and human dermal cells (ccd986sk; CD44-), respectively, using NIR imaging to compare intracellular uptake and to quantify the fluorescence intensities of cells and tumors.

RESULTS

HINPs were confirmed to have a mean size of 200 nm and a zeta-potential of 33 mV using dynamic light scattering. The stability of the HINPs was confirmed at pH 5.0-8.0. Cytotoxicity assays, intracellular uptake assays, and cervical cancer xenograft models revealed that, compared to free ICG, the HINPs had significantly higher internalization by cervical cancer cells than normal cells (p<0.001) and significantly higher accumulation in tumors (p<0.001) via CD44 receptor-mediated endocytosis.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated the successful application of HINPs as nanocarriers for delivering ICG to CD44-positive cervical cancer, with improved efficacy in NIR fluorescence imaging.

Ultralow-power flexible transparent carbon nanotube synaptic transistors for emotional memory

Emulating the biological behavior of the human brain with artificial neuromorphic devices is essential for the future development of human-machine interactive systems, bionic sensing systems and intelligent robotic systems. In this paper, artificial flexible transparent carbon nanotube synaptic transistors (F-CNT-STs) with signal transmission and emotional learning functions are realized by adopting the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/SiO2 proton-conducting electrolyte. Synaptic functions of biological synapses including excitatory and inhibitory behaviors are successfully emulated in the F-CNT-STs. Besides, synaptic plasticity such as spike-duration-dependent plasticity, spike-number-dependent plasticity, spike-amplitude-dependent plasticity, paired-pulse facilitation, short-term plasticity, and long-term plasticity have all been systematically characterized. Moreover, the F-CNT-STs also closely imitate the behavior of human brain learning and emotional memory functions. After 1000 bending cycles at a radius of 3 mm, both the transistor characteristics and the synaptic functions can still be implemented correctly, showing outstanding mechanical capability. The realized F-CNT-STs possess low operating voltage, quick response, and ultra-low power consumption, indicating their high potential to work in low-power biological systems and artificial intelligence systems. The flexible artificial synaptic transistor enables its potential to be generally applicable to various flexible wearable biological and intelligent applications.

Feasibility study of oxidized hyaluronic acid cross-linking acellular bovine pericardium with potential application for abdominal wall repair

Bovine pericardium(BP)is one of the biological membranes with extensive application in tissue engineering. To fully investigate the potential clinical applications of this natural biological material, a suitable cross-linking reagent is hopefully adopted for modification. Glutaraldehyde (GA) is a clinically most common synthetic cross-linking reagent. In the study, oxidized hyaluronic acid (AHA) was developed to substitute GA to fix acellular bovine pericardium (ABP) for lower cytotoxicity, aiming to evaluate the feasibility of AHA as a cross-linking reagent and develop AHA-fixed ABP as a biological patch for abdominal wall repair. The AHA with the feeding ratio (1.8:1.0) has an appropriate molecular weight and oxidation degree, almost no cytotoxicity and good cross-linking effect. The critical cross-linking characteristics and cytocompatibility of AHA-fixed ABP were also investigated. The results demonstrated that 2.0% AHA-fixed ABP had the most suitable mechanical properties, thermal stability, resistance to enzymatic degradation and hydrophilicity. Moreover, 2.0% AHA-fixed samples exhibited an excellent cytocompatibility with human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMC) and low antigenicity. It also showed a prominent anti-calcification ability required for abdominal wall repair. Our data provided experimental basis for future research on AHA as a new cross-linking reagent and AHA-fixed ABP for abdominal wall repair.

Electrospun paclitaxel delivery system based on PGCL/PLGA in local therapy combined with brachytherapy

The local administration of different drugs in anticancer therapy continue to attract attention. Thus, the idea of local delivery of cytostatics from nonwoven-structured polyesters seems to be highly desirable. It could reduce systemic drug levels and provide high local concentration of the chemotherapeutics at the tumor site and contribute to enhance the efficiency of the anticancer therapy. Poly(glycolide-ɛ-caprolactone) (PGCL) and poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) synthesized with zirconium-based initiator have been used to prepare electrospun, drug-eluting patches since they possess very good fiber-forming ability. Well-known chemotherapeutic drug-paclitaxel has been loaded into fibrous structure as a model anticancer agent in order to obtain drug delivery systems for local administration. The drug dose in obtained nonwovens might be regulated by the thickness and total area of the implanted patches. Electrospinning of PGCL/PLGA blend allowed to obtain soft and flexible implantable materials. Flexibility has been important factor since it ensures convenient use when covering a tumor or filling a resection cavity. The effectiveness of designed nonwovens presented in the study has been tested in vivo on mouse model of breast cancer. The growth of the tumors was slowed down during in vivo study in comparison with drug-free nonwovens- The volume of the tumor was 40% lower. Drug-loaded electrospun systems implanted locally to the tumor site was further combined with brachytherapy which improved the effectiveness of the therapy in about 18%. Detailed analysis of the nonwovens before and during degradation process has been performed by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Gel Permeation Chromatography, X-ray Diffraction. The molar mass changes of the nonwoven were quite rapid contrary to changes of comonomer unit content, thermal properties and morphology of the fiber.