Application of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone-ferrosoferric oxide nanoparticles in targeted imaging of breast tumors

Magnetic Particle Imaging-Guided Hyperthermia for Precise Treatment of Cancer: Review, Challenges, and Prospects

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a novel quantitative imaging technique using the nonlinear magnetization behavior of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to determine their local concentration. Magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) is a promising non-invasive therapy using the heating effects of MNPs. MPI-MFH is expected to enable real-time MPI guidance, localized MFH, and non-invasive temperature monitoring, which shows great potential for precise treatment of cancer. In this review, we introduce the fundamentals of MPI and MFH and their applications in the treatment of cancer. Also, we discuss the challenges and prospects of MPI-MFH.

Conventional and new proposals of GnRH therapy for ovarian, breast, and prostatic cancers

For many years, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone or gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs have been used to treat androgen or estrogen-dependent tumors. However, emerging evidence shows that the GnRH receptor (GnRH-R) is overexpressed in several cancer cells, including ovarian, endometrial, and prostate cancer cells, suggesting that GnRH analogs could exert direct antitumoral actions in tumoral tissues that express GnRH-R. Another recent approach based on this knowledge was the use of GnRH peptides for developing specific targeted therapies, improving the delivery and accumulation of drugs in tumoral cells, and decreasing most side effects of current treatments. In this review, we discuss the conventional uses of GnRH analogs, together with the recent advances in GnRH-based drug delivery for ovarian, breast, and prostatic cancer cells.

A Multifunctional, Highly Biocompatible, and Double-Triggering Caramelized Nanotheranostic System Loaded with Fe3O4 and DOX for Combined Chemo-Photothermal Therapy and Real-Time Magnetic Resonance Imaging Monitoring of Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Purpose

Owing to lack of specific molecular targets, the current clinical therapeutic strategy for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is still limited. In recent years, some nanosystems for malignancy treatment have received considerable attention. In this study, we prepared caramelized nanospheres (CNSs) loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and Fe₃O₄ to achieve the synergistic effect of combined therapy and real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) monitoring, so as to improve the diagnosis and therapeutic effect of TNBC.

Methods

CNSs with biocompatibility and unique optical properties were prepared by hydrothermal method, DOX and Fe₃O₄ were loaded on it to obtain Fe₃O₄/DOX@CNSs nanosystem. Characteristics including morphology, hydrodynamic size, zeta potentials and magnetic properties of Fe₃O₄/DOX@CNSs were evaluated. The DOX release was evaluated by different pH/near-infrared (NIR) light energy. Biosafety, pharmacokinetics, MRI and therapeutic treatment of Fe₃O₄@CNSs, DOX and Fe₃O₄/DOX@CNSs were examined in vitro or in vivo.

Results

Fe₃O₄/DOX@CNSs has an average particle size of 160 nm and a zeta potential of 27.5mV, it demonstrated that Fe₃O₄/DOX@CNSs is a stable and homogeneous dispersed system. The hemolysis experiment of Fe₃O₄/DOX@CNSs proved that it can be used in vivo. Fe₃O₄/DOX@CNSs displayed high photothermal conversion efficiency, extensive pH/heat-induced DOX release. 70.3% DOX release is observed under the 808 nm laser in the pH = 5 PBS solution, obviously higher than pH = 5 (50.9%) and pH = 7.4 (less than 10%). Pharmacokinetic experiments indicated the t1/2β, and AUC_0-t of Fe₃O₄/DOX@CNSs were 1.96 and 1.31 -fold higher than those of DOX solution, respectively. Additionally, Fe₃O₄/DOX@CNSs with NIR had the greatest tumor suppression in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, this nanosystem demonstrated distinct contrast enhancement on T2 MRI to achieve real-time imaging monitoring during treatment.

Conclusion

Fe₃O₄/DOX@CNSs is a highly biocompatible, double-triggering and improved DOX bioavailability nanosystem that combines chemo-PTT and real-time MRI monitoring to achieve integration of diagnosis and treatment of TNBC.

Enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of nanoparticles for cancer treatment using versatile targeted strategies

Poor targeting of therapeutics leading to severe adverse effects on normal tissues is considered one of the obstacles in cancer therapy. To help overcome this, nanoscale drug delivery systems have provided an alternative avenue for improving the therapeutic potential of various agents and bioactive molecules through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Nanosystems with cancer-targeted ligands can achieve effective delivery to the tumor cells utilizing cell surface-specific receptors, the tumor vasculature and antigens with high accuracy and affinity. Additionally, stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms have also been considered as a promising and effective targeting strategy against tumors, as these nanoplatforms maintain their stealth feature under normal conditions, but upon homing in on cancerous lesions or their microenvironment, are responsive and release their cargoes. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the field of active targeting drug delivery systems and a number of stimuli-responsive release studies in the context of emerging nanoplatform development, and also discuss how this knowledge can contribute to further improvements in clinical practice.

An efficient and green one-pot synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[a]xanthenes, 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthenes and dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes by Fe3O4@Agar-Ag as nanocatalyst

Agar-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@agar) were prepared simply through in situ co-precipitation of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions via NH₄OH in an aqueous solution of Agar. Coating of Ag⁺ ions on the surface of the latter followed by mild reduction of Ag⁺ with NaBH₄ gives Fe₃O₄@Agar-Ag NPs. The magnetic Fe₃O₄@Agar-Ag nanocatalyst was characterized thoroughly by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, VSM, EDX, TGA, and ICP analyses. Its catalytic activity was assessed in the synthesis of 12-aryl-8,9,10,12-tetrahydrobenzo[a]xanthene-11-one, 14-aryl-14H-dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes, and 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthene derivatives through a one-pot condensation of dimedone, 2-naphthol, and aryl aldehydes in EtOH. This novel method represents lots of advantages compared to the previous researches, such as avoiding the toxic catalysts, easy method for isolation of the products, satisfying yields, totally clean conditions, and simplicity of the methodology. This catalytic system is attributed to an eco-friendly process, high catalytic activity, and facility of recovery using an external magnet. A novel and magnetically recyclable catalyst known as Fe3O4@Agar-Ag NPs as a heterogeneous catalyst were synthesized by a simple method. Using this facile, efficient, and eco-friendly Nanocomposite, for the different models of xanthene reaction was represented.

Application of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Based on Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles in the Treatment of Cerebrovascular Diseases

Due to its high stability and excellent performance, inorganic nanomaterials have attracted much attention in the research of disease diagnosis and treatment. Focusing on inorganic nanomaterials, high-temperature pyrolysis has been used to successfully prepare Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with different particle sizes. The diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease have advanced, and many new diagnostic methods have been adopted clinically. In this paper, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle magnetic resonance imaging technology is used to explore the application of magnetic Fe₃O₄ inorganic nanomaterials in cerebrovascular diseases in vivo. The results show that SWI has higher sensitivity and semi-quantitative advantages than traditional T2WI imaging technology. With different critical SWI concentrations, this article lays the experimental foundation for the clinical progress of inorganic nanomaterials and plays an important role in the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases.

Nanoparticles-based drug delivery and gene therapy for breast cancer: Recent advancements and future challenges

Breast cancer (BC) is amongst the most lethal cancer among females and conventional treatment methods like surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are not effective enough as expected and suffer concerns of low bioavailability, low cellular uptake, emerging resistance, and adverse toxicities. Gene therapy using free nucleic acids has potential to deal with key candidate genes of BC, but their effect is retarded due to poor cell uptake and instability in circulation. The rapidly evolving field of nanomedicine aiming targeted drug/gene delivery curtailing BC promises to overcome the limitations of conventional therapies. Nanoparticles can be game changer for BC gene therapy as they can be effective carrier of specific drug/gene by improving the circulation time, enhancing bioavailability, reducing the immune system based recognition chances, and delivering the gene regulator accurately. Herein, we discuss the mechanism of nanoparticles targeted drug delivery, recent advancement of therapeutic strategies of nanoparticles based carriers for small interfering RNA, and microRNA, and gene augmentation therapies in BC. We also discuss the future prospect and challenges of nanoparticle-based therapies for BC.