Starch Nanoparticles for Enhancement of Oral Bioavailability of a Newly Synthesized Thienopyrimidine Derivative with Anti-Proliferative Activity Against Pancreatic Cancer

Anticancer and Antibacterial Activeness of Fused Pyrimidines: Newfangled Updates

Pyrimidine-based heterocyclic compounds are garnering substantial interest due to their essential role as a class of natural and synthetic molecules. These compounds show a diverse array of biologically relevant activities, making them highly prospective candidates for clinical translation as therapeutic agents in combating various diseases. Pyrimidine derivatives and their fused analogues, such as thienopyrimidines, pyrazolopyrimidines, pyridopyrimidines, and pyrimidopyrimidines, hold immense possibility in both anticancer and antibacterial research. These compounds exhibit notable efficacy by targeting protein kinases, which are crucial enzymes regulating fundamental cellular processes like metabolism, migration, division, and growth. Through enzyme inhibition, these derivatives disrupt key cellular signaling pathways, thereby affecting critical cellular functions and viability. The advantage lies in the ubiquity of the pyrimidine structure across various natural compounds, enabling interactions with enzymes, genetic material, and cellular components pivotal for chemical and biological processes. This interaction plays a central role in modulating vital biological activities, making pyrimidine-containing compounds indispensable in drug discovery. In the realm of anticancer therapy, these compounds strategically target key proteins like EGFR, important for aberrant cell growth. Fused pyrimidine motifs, exemplified by various drugs, are designed to inhibit EGFR, thereby impeding tumor progression. Moreover, these compounds influence potent antibacterial activity, interfering with microbial growth through mechanisms ranging from DNA replication inhibition to other vital cellular functions. This dual activity, targeting both cancer cells and microbial pathogens, underscores the versatility and potential of pyrimidine derivatives in medical applications. This review provides insights into the structural characteristics, synthesis methods, and significant medicinal applications of fused pyrimidine derivatives, highlighting their double role in combating cancer and bacterial infections.

Biopolymer-Based Nanomedicine for Cancer Therapy: Opportunities and Challenges

Cancer, as the foremost challenge among human diseases, has plagued medical professionals for many years. While there have been numerous treatment approaches in clinical practice, they often cause additional harm to patients. The emergence of nanotechnology has brought new directions for cancer treatment, which can deliver anticancer drugs specifically to tumor areas. This article first introduces the application scenarios of nanotherapies and treatment strategies of nanomedicine. Then, the noteworthy characteristics exhibited by biopolymer materials were described, which make biopolymers stand out in polymeric nanomedicine delivery. Next, we focus on summarizing the state-of-art studies of five categories of proteins (Albumin, Gelatin, Silk fibroin, Zein, Ferritin), nine varieties of polysaccharides (Chitosan, Starch, Hyaluronic acid, Dextran, cellulose, Fucoidan, Carrageenan, Lignin, Pectin) and liposomes in the field of anticancer drug delivery. Finally, we also provide a summary of the advantages and limitations of these biopolymers, discuss the prevailing impediments to their application, and discuss in detail the prospective research directions. This review not only helps readers understand the current development status of nano anticancer drug delivery systems based on biopolymers, but also is helpful for readers to understand the properties of various biopolymers and find suitable solutions in this field through comparative reading.

Development and Evaluation of a Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System for Sinapic Acid with Improved Antiviral Efficacy against SARS-CoV-2

This study aimed to develop a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNE) for sinapic acid (SA) to improve its solubility and antiviral activity. Optimal components for the SA-SNE formulation were selected, including Labrafil as the oil, Cremophor EL as the surfactant, and Transcutol as the co-surfactant. The formulation was optimized using surface response design, and the optimized SA-SNE formulation exhibited a small globule size of 83.6 nm, high solubility up to 127.1 ± 3.3, and a 100% transmittance. In vitro release studies demonstrated rapid and high SA release from the formulation. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed improved bioavailability by 2.43 times, and the optimized SA-SNE formulation exhibited potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. The developed SA-SNE formulation can enhance SA's therapeutic efficacy by improving its solubility, bioavailability, and antiviral activity. Further in silico, modeling, and Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD)-based studies revealed that SA could interact with and inhibit the viral main protease (Mpro). This research contributes to developing effective drug delivery systems for poorly soluble drugs like SA, opening new possibilities for their application via nebulization in SARS-CoV-2 therapy.

New anionic cobalt(III) complexes enable enantioselective synthesis of spiro-fused oxazoline and iodoacetal derivatives

Anionic salicylimine-based cobalt (III) complexes featuring chiral ligands derived from isoleucine amino acids were used as efficient bifunctional phase-transfer catalysts for electrophilic iodination of enol ethers. The Brønsted acids of these complexes enabled the enantioselective asymmetric iodocyclization of enol ethers, furnishing spiro-fused oxazoline derivatives in high yields with up to 90:10 er. In addition, chiral cobalt (III) complexes catalyze the asymmetric intermolecular iodoacetalization of enol ethers with various alcohols to afford 3-iodoacetal derivatives in high yields with up to 92:8 er.