NIR-guided dendritic nanoplatform for improving antitumor efficacy by combining chemo-phototherapy

Cypate-loaded hollow mesoporous Prussian blue nanoparticle/hydrogel system for efficient photodynamic therapy/photothermal therapy dual-modal antibacterial therapy

Infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms are a significant burden on public health and the economic stability of societies all over the world. The appearance of drug-resistant bacteria has severely blocked the effectiveness of conventional antibiotics. Therefore, developing novel antibiotic-free strategies to combat bacteria holds huge potential for maximizing validity and minimizing the risk of enhancing bacterial resistance. Herein, a cypate-loaded hollow mesoporous Prussian blue nanoparticles (Cy-HMPBs) was built to achieve the PDT/PTT synergistic antimicrobial therapy. The carbomer hydrogel (CH) was combined with the Cy-HMPBs to form a nanoparticle/hydrogel therapeutic system (Cy-HMPBs/CH) to reach the goal of local delivery of antimicrobial cargo. The low concentration of Cy-HMPBs/CH receives over 99% of antimicrobial ability against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus upon near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. More importantly, Cy-HMPBs/CH has favorable biocompatibility and can play therapeutic effects only after laser irradiation, indicating the on-demand therapy at the targeted region to avert side effects on healthy tissue. This study provides ideas for the design of an antibiotic-free antimicrobial strategy against infectious diseases.

Extracellular vesicles: a rising star for therapeutics and drug delivery

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized, natural, cell-derived vesicles that contain the same nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids as their source cells. Thus, they can serve as natural carriers for therapeutic agents and drugs, and have many advantages over conventional nanocarriers, including their low immunogenicity, good biocompatibility, natural blood-brain barrier penetration, and capacity for gene delivery. This review first introduces the classification of EVs and then discusses several currently popular methods for isolating and purifying EVs, EVs-mediated drug delivery, and the functionalization of EVs as carriers. Thereby, it provides new avenues for the development of EVs-based therapeutic strategies in different fields of medicine. Finally, it highlights some challenges and future perspectives with regard to the clinical application of EVs.

Acoustic triggered nanobomb for US imaging guided sonodynamic therapy and activating antitumor immunity

We fabricated an ultrasound activated ‘nanobomb’ as a noninvasive and targeted physical therapeutic strategy for sonodynamic therapy and priming cancer immunotherapy. This ‘nanobomb’ was rationally designed via the encapsulation of indocyanine green (ICG) and perfluoropentane (PFP) into cRGD peptide-functionalized nano-liposome. The resulting Lip-ICG-PFP-cRGD nanoparticle linked with cRGD peptide could actively targeted ID8 and TC-1 cells and elicits ROS-mediated apoptosis after triggered by low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU). Moreover, the phase change of PFP (from droplets to microbubbles) under LIFU irradiation can produce a large number of microbubbles, which act as intra-tumoral bomber and can detonate explode tumor cells by acoustic cavitation effect. Instant necrosis of tumor cells further induces the release of biologically active damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) to facilitate antitumor immunity. More important, the ‘nanobomb’ in combination with anti-PD-1checkpoint blockade therapy can significantly improve the antitumor efficacy in a subcutaneous model. In addition, the liposomes may also be used as an imaging probe for ultrasound (US) imaging after being irradiated with LIFU. In summary, the US imaging-guided, LIFU activated ROS production and explosion ‘nanobomb’ might significantly improve the antitumor efficacy and overcome drug resistance through combination of SDT and immunotherapy, we believe that this is a promising approach for targeted therapy of solid tumor including ovarian cancer.

Long-circulation zwitterionic dendrimer nanodrugs for phototherapy of tumors

The development of stealth and effective antitumor nanodrugs has been drawing great attention. Herein, generation five poly(amide amine) dendrimer (G5 PAMAM) was modified by zwitterionic material carboxybetaine methacrylamide (CBMAA) on its surface to prepare zwitterionic dendrimer (G5-CBMAA_n). The results showed that G5-CBMAA₃₀ had the longest blood circulation time due to its thickest zwitterionic layer, and its residual rate after injection into mice at 2 and 12 h was as high as 47.22 % and 14.37 %, respectively. Nanodrug G5-CBMAA₃₀-ICG was prepared by containing indocyanine green (ICG) in the cavity of G5-CBMAA₃₀. G5-CBMAA₃₀-ICG had better tumor targeting ability and antitumor effect than free ICG in mice after laser irradiation, and the tumor inhibition rate was 96.6 % after 14 days' treatment. The prepared G5-CBMAA₃₀-ICG has great potential applications in the field of antitumor by phototherapy.

Self-assembly of Peptide dendrimers and their bio-applications in theranostics

Nanotechnology has brought revolutionized advances in disease diagnosis and therapy. Self-assembled peptide dendrimers own novel physicochemical properties through the synergistic effects of the polypeptide chain, dendrimer and nano-structure, exhibiting great potential in theranostic. This review provides comprehensive insights into various peptide dendrimers for self-assembly. Their nanosize, morphology and composition are presented to understand self-assembly behaviors precisely. We further introduce the emerging theranostic applications based on specific imaging and efficient delivery recently.

Dual Blood-Brain Barrier-Glioma Targeting Peptide-Poly(levodopamine) Hybrid Nanoplatforms as Potential Near Infrared Phototheranostic Agents in Glioblastoma

Combined chemo-phototherapy for boosting the efficacy of individual modalities by synergism for antiglioma treatments is in its embryonic stage and far away from effective clinical translation. Herein, moving a step closer, we recommend a facile stratagem to fabricate smart biocompatible and biodegradable multifunctional nanoplatforms comprising inherently fluorescent poly(levodopamine) nanoparticles (FLs) co-loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and indocyanine green (ICG). The designed near-infrared (NIR) phototheranostic agents upon NIR laser irradiation helped precipitate combined chemo-phototherapy [both photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT)] and optical imaging under one roof. Excellent glioma-targeting ability was allocated to the nanoplatforms by conjugating them with a novel chimeric therapeutic peptide with glioma homing and antiglioma dual functionality. Further, DOX/ICG/peptide co-loaded nanoplatforms (FLDIPs) exhibited triggered drug release in response to multiple stimuli. Studies performed in 2D C6 glioma cells and 3D spheroids exhibited superior combined chemo-PDT/PTT effects (∼94% killing in cells and ∼87% in spheroids) of the designed FL based nanoplatforms compared to individual therapeutic components. Herein, the FL based multifunctional nanoplatforms with active targeting ability and stimuli responsive drug release behavior will further help in nullifying chemotherapy based adverse effects and mitigate chemo-resistance by adopting a combinatorial approach.

Engineered non-invasive functionalized dendrimer/dendron-entrapped/complexed gold nanoparticles as a novel class of theranostic (radio)pharmaceuticals in cancer therapy

Nanomedicine represents a very significant contribution in current cancer treatment; in addition to surgical intervention, radiation and chemotherapeutic agents that unfortunately also kill healthy cells, inducing highly deleterious and often life-threatening side effects in the patient. Of the numerous nanoparticles used against cancer, gold nanoparticles had been developed for therapeutic applications. Inter alia, a large variety of dendrimers, i.e. soft artificial macromolecules, have turned up as non-viral functional nanocarriers for entrapping drugs, imaging agents, and targeting molecules. This review will provide insights into the design, synthesis, functionalization, and development in biomedicine of engineered functionalized hybrid dendrimer-tangled gold nanoparticles in the domain of cancer theranostic. Several aspects are highlighted and discussed such as 1) dendrimer-entrapped gold(0) hybrid nanoparticles for the targeted imaging and treatment of cancer cells, 2) dendrimer encapsulating gold(0) nanoparticles (Au DENPs) for the delivery of genes, 3) Au DENPs for drug delivery applications, 4) dendrimer encapsulating gold radioactive nanoparticles for radiotherapy, and 5) dendrimer/dendron-complexed gold(III) nanoparticles as technologies to take down cancer cells.

Chemosensitivity enhanced by autophagy inhibition based on a polycationic nano-drug carrier

In recent years, with the increasing understanding of the role of autophagy in tumorigenesis and development, a steady stream of studies have demonstrated that both excessive induction and inhibition of autophagy could effectively improve the therapeutic efficacy against tumors during cytotoxic or molecularly targeted drug therapy. Among them, autophagy inhibition mediated by nanomaterials has become an appealing notion in nanomedicine therapeutics, since it can be exploited as an effective adjuvant in chemotherapy or as a potential anti-tumor agent. Herein, we constructed a pH-sensitive nanoplatform loaded with epirubicin (EPI) (mPEG-b-P(DPA-b-DMAEMA)/EPI), enabling effective autophagy inhibition in the process of tumor-targeting therapy and further sensitized the tumors to EPI. It was found that polycationic nanomicelles (PEDD-Ms) displayed specific localization in lysosomes after entering tumor cells and caused the impairment of lysosomal degradation capacity through lysosomal alkalization in a dose-dependent manner. HepG2 cells treated with PEDD-Ms displayed a large-scale accumulation of autophagosomes and LC3 (an autophagosome marker protein), and the degradation of the autophagy substrate p62 was also blocked, which indicated that these functional nanomicelles could significantly inhibit autophagy. Meanwhile, the typical morphological characteristics of autophagosomes were directly visualized by TEM. In vivo results also showed that the tumor-targeted and autophagy inhibition-associated nanoplatform therapy could effectively improve the therapeutic efficiency of EPI, which may be partially attributed to the fact that autophagy inhibition could enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells to EPI. Overall, we revealed the effect of polycationic nanomicelles on autophagic processes in tumor cells and explored their possible molecular mechanism, also considering the synergistic outcome between autophagy mediated by nanomaterials and chemotherapeutic drugs to improve the therapeutic effect on tumors.

Thylakoid Membranes with Unique Photosystems Used to Simultaneously Produce Self-Supplying Oxygen and Singlet Oxygen for Hypoxic Tumor Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy has been dramatically limited by the insufficient oxygen (O₂ ) level in hypoxic tumors. Although various PDT nanosystems have been designed to deliver or produce O₂ in support of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, the feature of asynchronous O₂ generation and ROS formation still results in the low PDT efficacy. Herein, thylakoid membranes (TM) of chloroplasts is decorated on upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to form UCTM NPs, aiming at realizing spatiotemporally synchronous O₂ self-supply and ROS production. Upon 980 nm laser irradiation, UC NPs can emit the red light to activate both photosystem-I and photosystem-II of TM, the Z-scheme electronic structure of which facilitates water to produce O₂ and further to singlet oxygen (¹ O₂ ). UCTM NPs showed excellent biocompatibility, and can effectively remove the hypoxic tumor of mice upon 980 nm laser irradiation. This study develops a new PDT strategy for hypoxic tumor therapy based on photosynthesis.

Dendrimer-based nanohybrids in cancer photomedicine

Cancer phototherapy with non-invasiveness and high therapeutical efficiency has emerged as a hot spot research in cancer management. Various nanomaterials have been involved in the development of novel photoactive agents to overcome the current limitations in cancer phototherapy. Dendrimers, as an excellent nanocarrier with unique physicochemical properties, have received extensive attention and much effort has been made in the development of dendrimer-based hybrid platforms for photomedicine applications. Dendrimers can be entrapped with photosensitive agents within their internal cavities and be surface modified with reactive molecules, constructing multifunctional nanoplatforms for cancer treatment. In this review, we concisely survey the design of several different kinds of dendrimer-based nanohybrids for cancer photomedicine applications, and provide an overview of their recent applications in molecular imaging, single-modality photothermal therapy or photodynamic therapy, combination therapy, and theranostics of cancer. In addition, we also briefly discuss the future perspectives in the area of dendrimer-based nanohybrids for cancer photomedicine.

The effect of π-Conjugation on the self-assembly of micelles and controlled cargo release

Here we presented a novel micelle self-assembled from amphiphiles with π-conjugated moieties (OEG-DPH). The π-conjugated structural integrity of the micelles enabled stable encapsulation of Nile Red (NR, model drug). The self-assembly behaviour of the amphiphiles and the release profile of NR loaded micelles were investigated. Spherical core-shell structured NR loaded micelles with low CMC of 57 μg/mL and the efficient intracellular delivery process was monitored. This research provided a way to fabricate stable polymeric micelles and develop a practical nanocarrier for therapeutics delivery.

Mechanism Investigation of Hyaluronidase-Combined Multistage Nanoparticles for Solid Tumor Penetration and Antitumor Effect

Background

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a major component of extracellular matrix (ECM) and its over expression in tumor tissues contributes to the increase of interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) and hinders the penetration of nanoparticles into solid tumors.

Materials and Methods

We here reported a tumoral microenvironment responsive multistage drug delivery system (NPs-EPI/HAase) which was formed layer by layer via electrostatic interaction with epirubicin (EPI)-loaded PEG-b-poly(2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-b-poly(2-guanidinoethylmethacrylate) (mPEG-PDPA-PG, PEDG) micelles (NPs-EPI) and hyaluronidase (HAase). In this paper, we focused on the hyaluronidase-combined nanoparticles (NPs-EPI/HAase) for tumor penetration in tumor spheroid and solid tumor models in vitro and in vivo.

Results

Our results showed that NPs-EPI/HAase effectively degrade the HA in ECM and facilitate deep penetration of NPs-EPI into solid tumor. Moreover, NPs-EPI mainly employed clathrin-mediated and macropinocytosis-mediated endocytic pathways for cellular uptake and were subsequently directed to the lysosomes for further drug release triggered by proton sponge effect. Compared with NPs-EPI, the HAase coating group showed an enhanced tumoral drug delivery efficacy and inhibition of tumor growth.

Conclusion

Overall, our studies demonstrated that coating nanoparticles with HAase can provide a simple but efficient strategy for nano-drug carriers to enhance solid tumor penetration and chemotherapeutic efficacy.

Black phosphorus nanosheets and docetaxel micelles co-incorporated thermoreversible hydrogel for combination chemo-photodynamic therapy

The platform of the combination chemo-photodynamic therapy has received widespread attention for enhancing anticancer efficacy and inhibiting tumor growth, which supports thermosensitive and controlled drug release. Here, an injectable thermoreversible hydrogel (BPNSs/DTX-M-hydrogel) co-encapsulating black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNSs) and docetaxel (DTX) micelles was prepared to increase drug accumulation in tumor tissue and improve anticancer efficacy. BPNSs were prepared by liquid exfoliation method with a simple and rapid preparation, and DTX micelles were prepared by the thin film dispersion method. Hydrogel was prepared with F127 as hydrogel matrix for intratumoral injection. BPNSs, DTX micelles, and BPNSs/DTX-M-hydrogel were characterized by particle size, morphology, stability and degradation, phase transition feature, and photodynamic performance. And the in vivo anticancer efficacy was evaluated in 4T1 tumor-bearing Balb/c mice. The results showed that the particle size of DTX micelles and BPNSs were about 16 and 180 nm, respectively. The hydrogel with the transformation temperature at near body exhibited great photodynamic efficacy and good biodegradability. Moreover, BPNSs/DTX-M-hydrogel with the combination of chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy exhibited unique anticancer efficacy with low toxicity. In conclusion, the combination platform of chemo-photodynamic therapy based on BPNSs could be a prospective strategy in antitumor research. Graphical abstract.

Overcoming Multiple Absorption Barrier for Insulin Oral Delivery Using Multifunctional Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan Derivatives and Hyaluronic Acid

Background

Although dynamics and uses of modified nanoparticles (NPs) as orally administered macromolecular drugs have been researched for many years, measures of molecule stability and aspects related to important transport-related mechanisms which have been assessed in vivo remain as relatively under characterized. Thus, our aim was to develop a novel type of oral-based delivery system for insulin and to overcome barriers to studying the stability, transport mechanisms, and efficacy in vivo of the delivery system.

Methods

NPs we developed and tested were composed of insulin (INS), dicyandiamide-modified chitosan (DCDA-CS), cell-penetrating octaarginine (r8), and hydrophilic hyaluronic acid (HA) and were physically constructed by electrostatic self-assembly techniques.

Results

Compared to free-insulin, levels of HA-DCDA-CS-r8-INS NPs were retained at more desirable measures of biological activity in our study. Further, our assessments of the mechanisms for NPs suggested that there were high measures of cellular uptake that mainly achieved through active transport via lipid rafts and the macropinocytosis pathway. Furthermore, investigations of NPs indicated their involvement in caveolae-mediated transport and in the DCDA-CS-mediated paracellular pathway, which contributed to increasing the efficiency of sequential transportation from the apical to basolateral areas. Accordingly, high efficiency of absorption of NPs in situ for intestinal loop models was realized. Consequently, there was a strong induction of a hypoglycemic effect in diabetic rats of NPs via orally based administrations when compared with measures related to free insulin.

Conclusion

Overall, the dynamics underlying and influenced by HA-DCDA-CS-r8-INS may hold great promise for stability of insulin and could help overcome interference by the epithelial barrier, and thus showing a great potential to improve the efficacy of orally related treatments.

Theranostic application of nanoemulsions in chemotherapy

Theranostics has the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cancer, where novel drug delivery systems could be used to detect the disease at an early stage with instantaneous treatment. Various preclinical approaches of nanoemulsions with entrapped contrast and chemotherapeutic agents have been documented to act specifically on the tumor microenvironment (TME) for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. However, bringing these theranostic nanoemulsions through preclinical trials to patients requires several fundamental hurdles to be overcome, including the in vivo behavior of the delivery tool, degradation, and clearance from the system, as well as long-term toxicities. Here, we discuss recent advances in the application of nanoemulsions in molecular imaging with simultaneous therapeutic efficacy in a single delivery system.

Prototypic Heptamethine Cyanine Incorporating Nanomaterials for Cancer Phototheragnostic

Developing technologies that allow the simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of cancer (theragnostic) has been the quest of numerous interdisciplinary research teams. In this context, nanomaterials incorporating prototypic near infrared (NIR)-light responsive heptamethine cyanines have been showing very promising results for cancer theragnostic. The precisely engineered features of these nanomaterials endow them with the ability to achieve a high tumor accumulation, enabling a tumor's visualization by NIR fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging modalities. Upon interaction with NIR light, the tumor-homed heptamethine cyanine-incorporating nanomaterials can also produce a photothermal/photodynamic effect with a high spatio-temporal resolution and minimal side effects, leading to an improved therapeutic outcome. This progress report analyses the application of nanomaterials incorporating prototypic NIR-light responsive heptamethine cyanines (IR775, IR780, IR783, IR797, IR806, IR808, IR820, IR825, IRDye 800CW, and Cypate) for cancer photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and imaging. Overall, the continuous development of nanomaterials incorporating the prototypic NIR absorbing heptamethine cyanines will cement their phototheragnostic capabilities.