Application of the interferon minipellet to human renal cell carcinoma in nude mice

Effects of peritumoral bevacizumab injection against oral squamous cell carcinoma in a nude mouse xenograft model: A preliminary study

Angiogenesis serves a crucial role in tumor growth. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent regulator of tumor angiogenesis and is highly expressed in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Bevacizumab, which binds to VEGF-A, inhibits the biological activity of VEGF and is clinically administered by intravenous injection. As intravenous chemotherapy intensifies the side effects experienced by OSCC patients, an alternative treatment option is desirable, particularly for older patients with OSCC who present with systemic disease complications. Generally, local injections of antitumor agents enhance tumoricidal activity and decrease side effects. However, the antitumor effects of peritumoral bevacizumab injections in OSCC are not fully understood. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of peritumoral bevacizumab injections in an experimental nude mouse model of OSCC through immunohistochemical staining for cluster of differentiation (CD)31 and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and apoptosis assays. It was identified that peritumoral injections of bevacizumab significantly inhibited tumor growth in OSCC xenografts compared with peritumoral saline injections or no treatment (controls), and it was also revealed that treatment with bevacizumab significantly reduced CD31- and α-SMA-positive microvessel density (P<0.01) and increased level of tumor cell apoptosis (P<0.01) compared with the controls. In conclusion, these results collectively support the experimental basis for the clinical development of peritumoral bevacizumab injections for the treatment of OSCC.

Novel Delivery Systems for Interferons

Interferons, IFNs, are among the most widely studied and clinically used biopharmaceuticals. Despite their invaluable therapeutic roles, the widespread use of IFNs suffers from some inherent limitations, mainly their relatively short circulation lifespan and their unwanted effects on some non-target tissues. Therefore, both these constraints have become the central focus points for the research efforts on the development of a variety of novel delivery systems for these therapeutic agents with the ultimate goal of improving their therapeutic end-points. Generally, the delivery systems currently under investigation for IFNs can be classified as particulate delivery systems, including micro- and nano-particles, liposomes, minipellets, cellular carriers, and non-particulate delivery systems, including PEGylated IFNs, other chemically conjugated IFNs, immunoconjugated IFNs, and genetically conjugated IFNs. All these strategies and techniques have their own possibilities and limitations, which should be taken into account when considering their clinical application. In this article, currently studied delivery systems/techniques for IFN delivery have been reviewed extensively, with the main focus on the pharmacokinetic consequences of each procedure.