Nanoscale polysaccharide derivative as an AEG-1 siRNA carrier for effective osteosarcoma therapy

Current advance of nanotechnology in diagnosis and treatment for malignant tumors

Cancer remains a significant risk to human health. Nanomedicine is a new multidisciplinary field that is garnering a lot of interest and investigation. Nanomedicine shows great potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Specifically engineered nanoparticles can be employed as contrast agents in cancer diagnostics to enable high sensitivity and high-resolution tumor detection by imaging examinations. Novel approaches for tumor labeling and detection are also made possible by the use of nanoprobes and nanobiosensors. The achievement of targeted medication delivery in cancer therapy can be accomplished through the rational design and manufacture of nanodrug carriers. Nanoparticles have the capability to effectively transport medications or gene fragments to tumor tissues via passive or active targeting processes, thus enhancing treatment outcomes while minimizing harm to healthy tissues. Simultaneously, nanoparticles can be employed in the context of radiation sensitization and photothermal therapy to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of malignant tumors. This review presents a literature overview and summary of how nanotechnology is used in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors. According to oncological diseases originating from different systems of the body and combining the pathophysiological features of cancers at different sites, we review the most recent developments in nanotechnology applications. Finally, we briefly discuss the prospects and challenges of nanotechnology in cancer.

Targeting pediatric solid tumors in the new era of RNA therapeutics

Despite substantial progress in pediatric cancer treatment, poor prognosis remained for patients with recurrent or metastatic disease, given the limitations of approved targeted treatments and immunotherapies. RNA therapeutics offer significant potential for addressing a broad spectrum of diseases, including cancer. Advances in manufacturing and delivery systems are paving the way for the rapid development of therapeutic RNAs for clinical applications. This review summarizes therapeutic RNA classifications and the mechanisms of action, highlighting their potential in manipulating major cancer-related pathways and biological effects. We also focus on the pre-clinical investigation of RNA molecules with efficient delivery systems for their therapeutic potential targeting pediatric solid tumors.

Co-delivery of siAEG-1 and doxorubicin to treat osteosarcoma via nanomicelles for azide-alkyne "click" conjugation of poly(l-lysine) dendrons onto Zein

Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) oncogene is a notorious and evolving target in a variety of human malignancies including osteosarcoma. The RNA interference (RNAi) has been clinically proven to effectively knock down specific genes. To successfully implement RNAi in vivo, protective vectors are required not only to protect unstable siRNAs from degradation, but also to deliver siRNAs to target cells with controlled release. Here, we synthesized a Zein-poly(l-lysine) dendrons non-viral modular system that enables efficient siRNA-targeted AEG-1 gene silencing in osteosarcoma and encapsulation of antitumor drugs for controlled release. The rational design of the ZDP integrates the non-ionic and low immunogenicity of Zein and the positive charge of the poly(l-lysine) dendrons (DPLL) to encapsulate siRNA and doxorubicin (DOX) payloads via electrostatic complexes and achieve pH-controlled release in a lysosomal acidic microenvironment. Nanocomplexes-directed delivery greatly improves siRNA stability, uptake, and AEG-1 sequence-specific knockdown in 143B cells, with transfection efficiencies comparable to those of commercial lipofectamine but with lower cytotoxicity. This AEG-1-focused RNAi therapy supplemented with chemotherapy inhibited, and was effective in inhibiting the growth in of osteosarcoma xenografts mouse models. The combination therapy is an alternative or combinatorial strategy that can produce durable inhibitory responses in osteosarcoma patients.

Design of Nanodrug Delivery Systems for Tumor Bone Metastasis

Tumor metastasis is a complex process that is controlled at the molecular level by numerous cytokines. Primary breast and prostate tumors most commonly metastasize to bone, and the development of increasingly accurate targeted nanocarrier systems has become a research focus for more effective anti-bone metastasis therapy. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of bone metastasis and the principles and methods for designing bone-targeted nanocarriers and then provides an in-depth review of bone-targeted nanocarriers for the treatment of bone metastasis in the context of chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, gene therapy, and combination therapy. Furthermore, this review also discusses the treatment of metastatic and primary bone tumors, providing directions for the design of nanodelivery systems and future research.

Implications of siRNA Therapy in Bone Health: Silencing Communicates

The global statistics of bone disorders, skeletal defects, and fractures are frightening. Several therapeutic strategies are being used to fix them; however, RNAi-based siRNA therapy is starting to prove to be a promising approach for the prevention of bone disorders because of its advanced capabilities to deliver siRNA or siRNA drug conjugate to the target tissue. Despite its 'bench-to-bedside' usefulness and approval by food and drug administration for five siRNA-based therapeutic medicines: Patisiran, Vutrisiran, Inclisiran, Lumasiran, and Givosiran, its use for the other diseases still remains to be resolved. By correcting the complications and complexities involved in siRNA delivery for its sustained release, better absorption, and toxicity-free activity, siRNA therapy can be harnessed as an experimental tool for the prevention of complex and undruggable diseases with a personalized medicine approach. The present review summarizes the findings of notable research to address the implications of siRNA in bone health for the restoration of bone mass, recovery of bone loss, and recuperation of bone fractures.

Nano-Based Drug Delivery Systems: Potential Developments in the Therapy of Metastatic Osteosarcoma-A Narrative Review

Osteosarcoma, a predominant malignant bone tumor, poses significant challenges due to its high metastatic and recurrent nature. Although various therapeutic strategies are currently in use, they often inadequately target osteosarcoma metastasis. This review focuses on the potential of nanoscale drug delivery systems to bridge this clinical gap. It begins with an overview of the molecular mechanisms underlying metastatic osteosarcoma, highlighting the limitations of existing treatments. The review then transitions to an in-depth examination of nanoscale drug delivery technologies, emphasizing their potential to enhance drug bioavailability and reduce systemic toxicity. Central to this review is a discussion of recent advancements in utilizing nanotechnology for the potential intervention of metastatic osteosarcoma, with a critical analysis of several preclinical studies. This review aims to provide insights into the potential applications of nanotechnology in metastatic osteosarcoma therapy, setting the stage for future clinical breakthroughs and innovative cancer treatments.

Research Progress of Nanomaterials in Chemotherapy of Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common malignant bone tumor that occurs mostly in children and adolescents. At present, surgery after chemotherapy or postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is the main treatment plan. However, the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs is limited by the occurrence of chemotherapeutic resistance, toxicity to normal cells, poor pharmacokinetic performance, and drug delivery failure. The delivery of chemotherapy drugs to the bone to treat OS may fail for a variety of reasons, such as a lack of selectivity for OS cells, initial sudden release, short-term release, and the presence of biological barriers (such as the blood-bone marrow barrier). Nanomaterials are new materials with at least one dimension on the nanometer scale (1-100 nm) in three-dimensional space. These materials have the ability to penetrate biological barriers and can accumulate preferentially in tumor cells. Studies have shown that the effective combination of nanomaterials and traditional chemotherapy can significantly improve the therapeutic effect. Therefore, this article reviews the latest research progress on the use of nanomaterials in OS chemotherapy.

Multifunctional nanoparticles for the treatment and diagnosis of osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common primary malignant bone tumor in adolescents. Currently, the commonly used treatment strategies for OS include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, these methods have some problems that cannot be ignored, such as postoperative sequelae and severe side effects. Therefore, in recent years, researchers have been looking for other means to improve the treatment or diagnosis effect of OS and increase the overall survival rate of patients. With the development of nanotechnology, nanoparticles (NPs) have presented excellent properties in improving the therapeutic efficacy of drugs for OS. Nanotechnology makes it possible for NPs to combine various functional molecules and drugs to achieve multiple therapeutic effects. This review presents the important properties of multifunctional NPs for the treatment and diagnosis of OS and focuses on the research progress of common NPs applied for drug or gene delivery, phototherapy and diagnosis of OS, such as carbon-based quantum dots, metal, chitosan and liposome NPs. Finally, the promising prospects and challenges of developing multifunctional NPs with enhanced efficacy are discussed, which lays the foundation and direction for improving the future therapeutic and diagnostic methods of OS.

Nanobiotechnological approaches in osteosarcoma therapy: Versatile (nano)platforms for theranostic applications

Constructive achievements in the field of nanobiotechnology and their translation into clinical course have led to increasing attention towards evaluation of their use for treatment of diseases, especially cancer. Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the primary bone malignancies that affects both males and females in childhood and adolescence. Like other types of cancers, genetic and epigenetic mutations account for OS progression and several conventional therapies including chemotherapy and surgery are employed. However, survival rate of OS patients remains low and new therapies in this field are limited. The purpose of the current review is to provide a summary of nanostructures used in OS treatment. Drug and gene delivery by nanoplatforms have resulted in an accumulation of therapeutic agents for tumor cell suppression. Furthermore, co-delivery of genes and drugs by nanostructures are utilized in OS suppression to boost immunotherapy. Since tumor cells have distinct features such as acidic pH, stimuli-responsive nanoparticles have been developed to appropriately target OS. Besides, nanoplatforms can be used for biosensing and providing phototherapy to suppress OS. Furthermore, surface modification of nanoparticles with ligands can increase their specificity and selectivity towards OS cells. Clinical translation of current findings suggests that nanoplatforms have been effective in retarding tumor growth and improving survival of OS patients.

Active targeting schemes for nano-drug delivery systems in osteosarcoma therapeutics

Osteosarcoma, the most common malignant tumor of the bone, seriously influences people's lives and increases their economic burden. Conventional chemotherapy drugs achieve limited therapeutic effects owing to poor targeting and severe systemic toxicity. Nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems can significantly enhance the utilization efficiency of chemotherapeutic drugs through targeting ligand modifications and reduce the occurrence of systemic adverse effects. A variety of ligand-modified nano-drug delivery systems have been developed for different targeting schemes. Here we review the biological characteristics and the main challenges of current drug therapy of OS, and further elaborate on different targeting schemes and ligand selection for nano-drug delivery systems of osteosarcoma, which may provide new horizons for the development of advanced targeted drug delivery systems in the future.

The palmitoylation of AEG-1 dynamically modulates the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma

Rationale: Protein palmitoylation is tightly related to tumorigenesis or tumor progression as many oncogenes or tumor suppressors are palmitoylated. AEG-1, an oncogene, is commonly elevated in a variety of human malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although AEG-1 was suggested to be potentially modified by protein palmitoylation, the regulatory roles of AEG-1 palmitoylation in tumor progression of HCC has not been explored.

Methods: Techniques as Acyl-RAC assay and point mutation were used to confirm that AEG-1 is indeed palmitoylated. Moreover, biochemical experiments and immunofluorescent microscopy were applied to examine the cellular functions of AEG-1 palmitoylation in several cell lines. Remarkably, genetically modified knock-in (AEG-1-C75A) and knockout (Zdhhc6-KO) mice were established and subjected to the treatment of DEN to induce the HCC mice model, through which the roles of AEG-1 palmitoylation in HCC is directly addressed. Last, HCQ, a chemical compound, was introduced to prove in principal that elevating the level of AEG-1 palmitoylation might benefit the treatment of HCC in xenograft mouse model.

Results: We showed that AEG-1 undergoes palmitoylation on a conserved cysteine residue, Cys-75. Blocking AEG-1 palmitoylation exacerbates the progression of DEN-induced HCC in vivo. Moreover, it was demonstrated that AEG-1 palmitoylation is dynamically regulated by zDHHC6 and PPT1/2. Accordingly, suppressing the level of AEG-1 palmitoylation by the deletion of Zdhhc6 reproduces the enhanced tumor-progression phenotype in DEN-induced HCC mouse model. Mechanistically, we showed that AEG-1 palmitoylation adversely regulates its protein stability and weakens AEG-1 and staphylococcal nuclease and tudor domain containing 1 (SND1) interaction, which might contribute to the alterations of the RISC activity and the expression of tumor suppressors. For intervention, HCQ, an inhibitor of PPT1, was applied to augment the level of AEG-1 palmitoylation, which retards the tumor growth of HCC in xenograft model.

Conclusion: Our study suggests an unknown mechanism that AEG-1 palmitoylation dynamically manipulates HCC progression and pinpoints that raising AEG-1 palmitoylation might confer beneficial effect on the treatment of HCC.

Chitosan-based biomaterials for the treatment of bone disorders

Bone is an alive and dynamic organ that is well-differentiated and originated from mesenchymal tissues. Bone undergoes continuous remodeling during the lifetime of an individual. Although knowledge regarding bones and their disorders has been constantly growing, much attention has been devoted to effective treatments that can be used, both from materials and medical performance points of view. Polymers derived from natural sources, for example polysaccharides, are generally biocompatible and are therefore considered excellent candidates for various biomedical applications. This review outlines the development of chitosan-based biomaterials for the treatment of bone disorders including bone fracture, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, arthritis rheumatoid, and osteosarcoma. Different examples of chitosan-based formulations in the form of gels, micro/nanoparticles, and films are discussed herein. The work also reviews recent patents and important developments related to the use of chitosan in the treatment of bone disorders. Although most of the cited research was accomplished before reaching the clinical application level, this manuscript summarizes the latest achievements within chitosan-based biomaterials used for the treatment of bone disorders and provides perspectives for future scientific activities.

Recent and Ongoing Research into Metastatic Osteosarcoma Treatments

The survival rate for metastatic osteosarcoma has not improved for several decades, since the introduction and refinement of chemotherapy as a treatment in addition to surgery. Over two thirds of metastatic osteosarcoma patients, many of whom are children or adolescents, fail to exhibit durable responses and succumb to their disease. Concerted efforts have been made to increase survival rates through identification of candidate therapies via animal studies and early phase trials of novel treatments, but unfortunately, this work has produced negligible improvements to the survival rate for metastatic osteosarcoma patients. This review summarizes data from clinical trials of metastatic osteosarcoma therapies as well as pre-clinical studies that report efficacy of novel drugs against metastatic osteosarcoma in vivo. Considerations regarding the design of animal studies and clinical trials to improve survival outcomes for metastatic osteosarcoma patients are also discussed.

Glycyrrhiza polysaccharides can improve and prolong the response of chickens to the Newcastle disease vaccine

Licorice is a medicinal and food plant widely used to treat diseases and produce food additives, because of its unique chemical constituents like polysaccharides, flavones, and saponins. Glycyrrhiza Polysaccharides (GPS-1) are water-soluble neutral polysaccharides extracted from licorice. Currently, GPS-1 is administrated to chickens by gavage every d for 14 d to observe the impact of GPS-1 on the Newcastle disease vaccine. To determine the immunity of these chickens to NDV, blood serum levels of hemagglutinin-inhibition (HI) antibody, and immunoglobulins IgA and IgG were measured. Meanwhile, the expression levels of cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IL-17, and IFN-γ were measured to evaluate the degree of immune booster activity. The chickens' spleen and peripheral blood lymphocytes displayed a significant increase in the proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells after booster treatments with GPS-1. The results indicated that GPS-1 had a significant, dose-dependent, immune-boosting effect which could enhance NDV vaccine immunity in chickens.

Recent Developments in Nanomedicine for Pediatric Cancer

Cancer is the second biggest cause of death in children in the US. With the development of chemotherapy, there has been a substantial increase in the overall survival rate in the last 30 years. However, the overall mortality rate in children with cancer remains 25%, and many survivors experience a decline in overall quality of life and long-term adverse effects caused by treatments. Although cancer cells share common characteristics, pediatric cancers are different from adult cancers in their prevalence, mutation load, and drug response. Therefore, there is an urgent unmet need to develop therapeutic approaches specifically designed for children with cancer. Nanotechnology can potentially overcome the deficiencies of conventional methods of administering chemotherapy and ultimately improve clinical outcomes. The nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems can decrease the toxicity of therapy, provide a sustained or controlled drug release, improve the pharmacokinetic properties of loading contents, and achieve a targeted drug delivery with achievable modifications. Furthermore, therapeutic approaches based on combining nanoformulated drugs with novel immunotherapeutic agents are emerging. In this review, we discussed the recently developed nanotechnology-based strategies for treating blood and solid pediatric cancers.

Osteosarcoma, personalized medicine, and tissue engineering; an overview of overlapping fields of research

INTRODUCTION

Osteosarcoma is a common bone malignancy in patients of all ages. Surgical and chemotherapy interventions fail to shrink tumor growth and metastasis. The development of efficient patient-specific therapeutic strategies for osteosarcoma is of great interest in tissue engineering and personalized medicine. The present manuscript aimed to review the advancements in tissue engineering and personalized medicine strategies to overcome osteosarcoma and the relevant biological aspects as well as the current tumor models in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

Tissue engineering and personalized medicine contribute to gene/cell engineering and cell-based therapies specific to genomic and proteomic profiles of individual patients to improve the current treatment options. Also, tissue engineering scaffolds provide physical support to missing bones, could trap cancer cells and deliver immune cells. Taken together, these strategies suppress tumor growth, angiogenic potential, and the subsequent metastasis as well as elicit desirable immune responses against tumor mass.

DISCUSSION

Advanced and high-throughput gene and protein identification technologies have facilitated the recognition of genomic and proteomic profiles of patients to design and develop patient-specific treatments. The pre-clinical studies showed promising outcomes to inhibit tumor growth and invasion but controversial results compared to clinical investigations make the importance of more clinical reports inevitable. The experimental tumor models assist the evolution of effective treatments by understanding the mechanisms of tumor progression.

CONCLUSION

Tissue engineering and personalized medicine strategies seem encouraging alternatives to conventional therapies against osteosarcoma. Modeling the tumor microenvironment coupled with pre-clinical results give new intelligence into the translation of strategies into the clinic.

Magnetic transfection with superparamagnetic chitosan-loaded IGFBP5 nanoparticles and their in vitro biosafety

We prepared the superparamagnetic chitosan nanoparticles (SPCIONPs) to study the application of them as gene vectors using a magnetic transfection system for the targeted treatment of lung metastasis of osteosarcoma. The SPCIONPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, superconducting quantum interference device and atomic force microscopy. Their biosafety was determined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) and live-dead staining assays. The transfection in vitro was detected by laser confocal microscopy. SPCIONPs, which can bind closely to plasmids and protect them from DNA enzyme degradation, were prepared with an average particle size of approximately 22 nm and zeta potential of 11.3 mV. The results of the CCK8 and live-dead staining assays showed that superparamagnetic chitosan nanoparticles loaded with insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 5 (SPCIONPs/pIGFBP5) induced no significant cytotoxicity compared to the control group. The result of transfection in vitro suggested that pIGFBP5 emitted a greater amount of red fluorescence in the SPCIONPs/pIGFBP5 group than that in the chitosan-loaded IGFBP5 (CS/pIGFBP5) group. In conclusion, the prepared SPCIONPs had good biosafety and could be effectively used to transfer pIGFBP5 into 143B cells, and they thus have good application prospects for the treatment of lung metastasis of osteosarcoma.

Chitosan applications in studying and managing osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma has a high prevalence among children and adolescents. Common treatments of this disease are not promising enough. Molecular processes involved in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma are not fully understood. Besides, the remnants of tumor cells after surgery can cause bone destruction and recurrence of the disease. Thus, there is a need to develop novel drugs or enhancing the currently-used drugs as well as identifying bone-repairing methods. Chitosan is a natural compound produced by the deacetylation of chitin. Research has shown that chitosan can be used in various fields due to its beneficial effects, such as biodegradability and biocompatibility. Regarding cancer, chitosan exerts several anti-tumor activities. Moreover, it can be used in diagnostic techniques, drug delivery systems, and cell culture methods. Herein, we aim to discuss the potential roles of chitosan in studying and treating osteosarcoma. We review the literature on chitosan's applications as a drug delivery system and how it can be combined with other substances to improve its ability of local drug delivery. We take a look into the studies concerning the possible benefits of chitosan in the field of bone tissue engineering and 3D culturing. Furthermore, anti-cancer activities of different compounds of chitosan are reviewed.

AEG-1 deletion promotes cartilage repair and modulates bone remodeling-related cytokines via TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB inhibition in ovariectomized rats with osteoporosis

Background

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder that can impact a variety of bones throughout the body. Astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) is involved in multiple pro-tumorigenic functions and participates in various inflammatory reactions. However, whether it has an impact on osteoporosis-related cartilage repair and bone remodeling remains unknown.

Methods

We utilized an ovariectomy mouse model with AEG-1 deletion to investigate the role of AEG-1 in osteoporosis. The mRNA level of AEG-1 was detected by RT-PCR, bone markers, bone volume/total volume (BV/TV), trabecular bone surface/bone volume (BSA/BV) and trabecular bone thickness (Tb. Th) were detected by micro computed tomography (µCT), bone injury was observed by HE and alcian blue staining. The contents of IL-6, IL-17, iNOS and IL-10 in peripheral blood of the three groups were detected by ELISA. The expression of OSX, coi1a1, OC, TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB were detected by Western Blot.

Results

µCT revealed increased bone volume in the AEG-1 knockout (KO) ovariectomy (OVX) group compared to the wildtype (WT) OVX group 4 weeks after surgery, indicating restored bone formation after AEG-1 deletion. Flow sorting revealed that AEG-1 deletion inhibited the production of inflammatory factors. Western blot demonstrated activation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway after LPS exposure, which was reduced by AEG-1 deletion. AEG-1 deletion also improved lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced adverse reactions.

Conclusions

Taken together, these findings indicate that AEG-1 deletion improves cartilage repair and bone remodeling during osteoporosis, which may partly occur through the inhibition of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Osteosarcoma: A comprehensive review of management and treatment strategies

Osteosarcoma, a bone cancer usually seen in children and young adults, is generally a high-grade malignancy presented by extreme metastases to the lungs. Osteosarcoma has a tendency for appearing in bones with rapid growth rate. The etiology of osteosarcoma is multifaceted and poorly understood. A molecular consideration of this disease will lead to a directed tumor treatment. The present treatment for osteosarcoma comprises of an arrangement of systemic chemotherapy and wide surgical resection. Survival rate is increased by the progress of destructive systemic chemotherapies. So, the development of new treatment approaches for metastatic osteosarcoma is essential. Immunomodulation has been used in clinical settings. Through targeting surface antigens expressed on tumor cells, particular antibodies and exploitation of cellular immunotherapy against sarcomas have been confirmed to be effective as cancer therapeutics. In this article, we have reviewed epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of osteosarcoma and we have focused on different methods of immunotherapy including vaccines, cell-based immunotherapy, cytokines, and monoclonal antibodies.

Targeting nanoparticles for diagnosis and therapy of bone tumors: Opportunities and challenges

A variety of targeted nanoparticles were developed for the diagnosis and therapy of orthotopic and metastatic bone tumors during the past decade. This critical review will focus on principles and methods in the design of these bone-targeted nanoparticles. Ligands including bisphosphonates, aspartic acid-rich peptides and synthetic polymers were grafted on nanoparticles such as PLGA nanoparticles, liposomes, dendrimers and inorganic nanoparticles for bone targeting. Besides, other ligands such as monoclonal antibodies, peptides and aptamers targeting biomarkers on tumor/bone cells were identified for targeted diagnosis and therapy. Examples of targeted nanoparticles for the early detection of bone metastatic tumors and the ablation of cancer via chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, gene therapy and combination therapy will be intensively reviewed. The development of multifunctional nanoparticles to break down the "vicious" cycle between tumor cell proliferation and bone resorption, and the challenges and perspectives in this area will be discussed.

Polarization and function of tumor-associated macrophages mediate graphene oxide-induced photothermal cancer therapy

Polarization status of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) plays an essential role in tumor growth and invasion. However, emerging treatment like photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT) paid little attention on TAMs. In recent years, photothermal therapy (PTT) has gained immense attention in the anti-tumor strategy field while the effect of PTT on macrophage polarization in a tumor microenvironment has rarely been reported. Here, we used graphene oxide (GO) combined with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the photothermal material to induce heating effect in macrophages to define its anti-tumor effect in vitro and in vivo. Firstly, we treated the macrophage cell line RAW264.7 with near infrared (NIR) light irradiation and detected their polarization status by flow cytometric and mRNA expression analysis. Following this, we analyzed the migration and invasion ability of an osteosarcoma HOS cell line cultured in a conditioned medium (CM) that contains cytokine generated by macrophages with or without NIR treatment. Finally, we investigated the in vivo effects of NIR-induced macrophage polarization on osteosarcoma growth and invasion. GO-PEG (GP) showed great photothermal effect, thermal stability, and biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo. Photothermal materials can alleviate interleukin-4-induced M2 polarization of macrophages and modulate their anti-tumor capability. Thus, the migration and invasion capabilities of HOS cells were weakened, leading to an anti-tumor effect in a mouse subcutaneous tumor model. In conclusion, our study identified PTT treatment as an approach for preventing osteosarcoma invasion by inhibition of M2 polarization.

The potential of micelleplexes as a therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma disease

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare aggressive bone, presenting low patient survival rate, high metastasis and relapse occurrence, mostly due to multi-drug resistant cells. To surpass that, the use of nanomedicine for the targeted delivery of genetic material, drugs or both have been extensively researched. In this review, we address the current situation of the disorder and some gene therapy options in the nanomedicine field that have been investigated. Among them, polymeric micelles (PM) are an advantageous therapeutic alternative highly explored for OS, as they allow for the targeted transportation of poorly water-soluble drugs to cancer cells. In addition, micelleplexes are PMs with cationic properties with promising features, such as the possibility for a dual therapy, which have made them an attractive research subject. The aim of this review article is to elucidate the application of a micelleplex formulation encapsulating the underexpressed miRNA145 to achieve an active targeting to OS cells and overcome multi-drug resistance, as a new and viable therapeutic strategy.

Surface engineering of nanoparticles with ligands for targeted delivery to osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common malignant bone tumors which affect adolescents. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by operation has become recommended for osteosarcoma treatment. Whereas, the effects of conventional chemotherapy are unsatisfactory because of multidrug resistance, fast clearance rate, nontargeted delivery, side effects and so on. Accordingly, Nanoparticle-mediated targeted drug delivery system (NTDDS) is recommended to be a novel treatment strategy for osteosarcoma. NTDDS can overcome the above obstacles by enhanced permeability and retention effect and active targeting. The active targeting of the delivery system is mainly based on ligands. In this study, we investigate and summarize the most common ligands used in the latest NTDDS for osteosarcoma. It might provide new insights into nanomedicine for osteosarcoma treatment.

Recent advances of drug delivery nanocarriers in osteosarcoma treatment

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor mainly occurred in children and adolescence, and chemotherapy is limited for the side effects and development of drug resistance. Advances in nanotechnology and knowledge of cancer biology have led to significant improvements in developing tumor-targeted drug delivery nanocarriers, and some have even entered clinically application. Delivery of chemotherapeutic agents by functionalized smart nanocarriers could protect the drugs from rapid clearance, prolong the circulating time, and increase the drug concentration at tumor sites, thus enhancing the therapeutic efficacy and reducing side effects. Various drug delivery nanocarriers have been designed and tested for osteosarcoma treatment, but most of them are still at experimental stage, and more further studies are needed before clinical application. In this present review, we briefly describe the types of commonly used nanocarriers in osteosarcoma treatment, and discuss the strategies for osteosarcoma-targeted delivery and controlled release of drugs. The application of nanoparticles in the management of metastatic osteosarcoma is also briefly discussed. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of recent progress of nanoscale drug delivery platforms in osteosarcoma, and inspire new ideas to develop more effective therapeutic options.

Improving Magnetofection of Magnetic Polyethylenimine Nanoparticles into MG-63 Osteoblasts Using a Novel Uniform Magnetic Field

This study aimed to improve the magnetofection of MG-63 osteoblasts by integrating the use of a novel uniform magnetic field with low molecular weight polyethylenimine modified superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (PEI-SPIO-NPs). The excellent characteristics of PEI-SPIO-NPs such as size, zeta potential, the pDNA binding and protective ability were determined to be suitable for gene delivery. The novel uniform magnetic field enabled polyethylenimine-modified superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles/pDNA complexes (PEI-SPIO-NPs/pDNA complexes) to rapidly and uniformly distribute on the surface of MG-63 cells, averting local transfection and decreasing disruption of the membrane caused by the centralization of positively charged PEI-SPIO-NPs, thereby increasing the effective coverage of magnetic gene carriers during transfection, and improving magnetofection efficiency. This innovative uniform magnetic field can be used to determine the optimal amount between PEI-SPIO-NPs and pDNA, as well as screen for the optimal formulation design of magnetic gene carrier under the homogenous conditions. Most importantly, the novel uniform magnetic field facilitates the transfection of PEI-SPIO-NPs/pDNA into osteoblasts, thereby providing a novel approach for the targeted delivery of therapeutic genes to osteosarcoma tissues as well as a reference for the treatment of other tumors.