NIR Laser Responsive Nanoparticles for Ovarian Cancer Targeted Combination Therapy with Dual-Modal Imaging Guidance

κ-carrageenan - Gelatin hydrogel embedding carvacrol loaded gold nanobipyramids for treating prostate cancer via fractionated photothermal-chemotherapy

Conventional treatment of prostate cancer need more specificity, and higher efficiency. The present work is the first attempt to utilize hydrogel-loaded carvacrol-based chemotherapy with fractionated photothermal therapy (F-PTT) using a 635 nm laser for its treatment. Gold nanobipyramids (AuNBPs) were used as drug carrier and photosensitizer. A marine-derived hydrogel (AuNBP-HG) was fabricated and physicochemically characterized. A 635 nm NIR light was used for the fractionated PTT in three cycles of treatment on different days at varying power densities for 5 min. The efficiency of single and dual treatments was experimented in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the dual therapy imparted a better effect than monotherapy. The AuNBP-CVL synthesized was nearly 50 nm and efficiently loaded within AuNBP-HG, displaying thermal responsiveness, a good sol-gel transition, a controlled drug release rate, and high stability. In vitro evaluation demonstrated that the F-PTT evinced stability during temperature rise without damaging healthy surrounding tissue. In vivo study revealed that a stable temperature rise up to 60 °C by the 635 nm NIR light due to photosensitization of AuNBP and sustained CVL release from AuNBP-HG into the tumor microenvironment exhibited successful thermal ablation of the cancer cells. Histological analysis confirmed that the uniform suspension of AuNBP within cancer tissues might have enhanced tumor cell lysis during the dual therapy. Western blot analysis exhibited that the cellular death could result from the upregulation of pJNK and p53 protein. In conclusion, the current study illustrated that dual therapy could be a feasible alternative to non-target specific and invasive traditional therapies against prostate cancer.

Advances in lysosomal escape mechanisms for gynecological cancer nano-therapeutics

Gynecological cancers present significant treatment challenges due to drug resistance and adverse side effects. This review explores advancements in lysosomal escape mechanisms, essential for enhancing nano-therapeutic efficacy. Strategies such as pH-sensitive linkers and membrane fusion are examined, showcasing their potential to improve therapeutic outcomes in ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers. We delve into novel materials and strategies developed to bypass the lysosomal barrier, including pH-sensitive linkers, fusogenic lipids, and nanoparticles (NPs) engineered for endosomal disruption. Mechanisms such as the proton sponge effect, where NPs induce osmotic swelling and rupture of the lysosomal membrane, and membrane fusion, which facilitates the release of therapeutic agents directly into the cytoplasm, are explored in detail. These innovations not only promise to improve therapeutic outcomes but also minimize side effects, marking a significant step forward in the treatment of ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers. By providing a comprehensive analysis of current advancements and their implications for clinical applications, this review sheds light on the potential of lysosomal escape strategies to revolutionize gynecological cancer treatment, setting the stage for future research and development in this vital area.

Nanotechnology for boosting ovarian cancer immunotherapy

Ovarian cancer, often referred to as the "silent killer," is notoriously difficult to detect in its early stages, leading to a poor prognosis for many patients. Diagnosis is often delayed until the cancer has advanced, primarily due to its ambiguous and frequently occurring clinical symptoms. Ovarian cancer leads to more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. The main reasons for the high mortality rates include delayed diagnosis and resistance to treatment. As a result, there is an urgent need for improved diagnostic and treatment options for ovarian cancer. The standard treatments typically involve debulking surgery along with platinum-based chemotherapies. Among patients with advanced-stage cancer who initially respond to current therapies, 50-75% experience a recurrence. Recently, immunotherapy-based approaches to enhance the body's immune response to combat tumor growth have shown promise. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown promising results in treating other types of tumors. However, in ovarian cancer, only a few of these inhibitors have been effective because the tumor's environment suppresses the immune system and creates barriers for treatment. This hampers the effectiveness of existing immunotherapies. Nonetheless, advanced immunotherapy techniques and delivery systems based on nanotechnology hold promise for overcoming these challenges.

Bi2S3/Ti3C2-TPP nano-heterostructures induced by near-infrared for photodynamic therapy combined with photothermal therapy on hypoxic tumors

BACKGROUND

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy of bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) semiconductor has been severely restricted by its electron-hole pairs (e--h+) separation inefficiency and oxygen (O2) deficiency in tumors, which greatly hinders reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and further clinical application of Bi2S3 nanoparticles (NPs) in biomedicine.

RESULTS

Herein, novel Bi2S3/titanium carbide (Ti3C2) two-dimensional nano-heterostructures (NHs) are designed to realize multimode PDT of synchronous O2 self-supply and ROS generation combined with highly efficient photothermal tumor elimination for hypoxic tumor therapy. Bi2S3/Ti3C2 NHs were synthesized via the in situ synthesis method starting from Ti3C2 nanosheets (NSs), a classical type of MXene nanostructure. Compared to simple Bi2S3 NPs, Bi2S3/Ti3C2 NHs significantly extend the absorption to the near-infrared (NIR) region and enhance the photocatalytic activity owing to the improved photogenerated carrier separation, where the hole on the valence band (VB) of Bi2S3 can react with water to supply O2 for the electron on the Ti3C2 NSs to generate ·O2- and ·OH through electron transfer. Furthermore, they also achieve 1O2 generation through energy transfer due to O2 self-supply. After the modification of triphenylphosphium bromide (TPP) on Bi2S3/Ti3C2 NHs, systematic in vitro and in vivo evaluations were conducted, revealing that the synergistic-therapeutic outcome of this nanoplatform enables complete eradication of the U251 tumors without recurrence by NIR laser irradiation, and it can be used for computed tomography (CT) imaging because of the strong X-ray attenuation ability.

CONCLUSION

This work expands the phototherapeutic effect of Bi2S3-based nanoplatforms, providing a new strategy for hypoxic tumor theranostics.

Self-Assembled Nanodelivery System with Rapamycin and Curcumin for Combined Photo-Chemotherapy of Breast Cancer

Nanodelivery systems combining photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy (CT), have been widely used to improve the efficacy and biosafety of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer. In this work, we constructed a self-assembled nanodelivery system, formed by the assembling of photosensitizer (IR820), rapamycin (RAPA), and curcumin (CUR) into IR820-RAPA/CUR NPs, to realize photothermal therapy and chemotherapy for breast cancer. The IR820-RAPA/CUR NPs displayed a regular sphere, with a narrow particle size distribution, a high drug loading capacity, and good stability and pH response. Compared with free RAPA or free CUR, the nanoparticles showed a superior inhibitory effect on 4T1 cells in vitro. The IR820-RAPA/CUR NP treatment displayed an enhanced inhibitory effect on tumor growth in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, compared to free drugs in vivo. In addition, PTT could provide mild hyperthermia (46.0 °C) for 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, and basically achieve tumor ablation, which is beneficial to improving the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs and avoiding damage to the surrounding normal tissue. The self-assembled nanodelivery system provides a promising strategy for coordinating photothermal therapy and chemotherapy to treat breast cancer.

Multifunctional nanoparticle for cancer therapy

Cancer is a complex disease associated with a combination of abnormal physiological process and exhibiting dysfunctions in multiple systems. To provide effective treatment and diagnosis for cancer, current treatment strategies simultaneously focus on various tumor targets. Based on the rapid development of nanotechnology, nanocarriers have been shown to exhibit excellent potential for cancer therapy. Compared with nanoparticles with single functions, multifunctional nanoparticles are believed to be more aggressive and potent in the context of tumor targeting. However, the development of multifunctional nanoparticles is not simply an upgraded version of the original function, but involves a sophisticated system with a proper backbone, optimized modification sites, simple preparation method, and efficient function integration. Despite this, many well-designed multifunctional nanoparticles with promising therapeutic potential have emerged recently. Here, to give a detailed understanding and analyzation of the currently developed multifunctional nanoparticles, their platform structures with organic or inorganic backbones were systemically generalized. We emphasized on the functionalization and modification strategies, which provide additional functions to the nanoparticle. We also discussed the application combination strategies that were involved in the development of nanoformulations with functional crosstalk. This review thus provides an overview of the construction strategies and application advances of multifunctional nanoparticles.

Ce doped polyaniline nanoparticles for absorption and photoacoustic imaging response to GSH in vitro and in vivo

Glutathione (GSH) is an important biological thiol in cells, which is involved in many physiological processes in the organism and regulates pathological processes of cells. Rapid and accurate monitoring of GSH in vitro and in vivo is quite needed in investigating important biochemical events. In this contribution, innovative cerium (Ce) doped polyaniline (Ce–Fe@PANI NPs) were prepared via Fe(III) induced oxidization polymerization method. Upon addition of GSH, the absorption of Ce–Fe@PANI NPs red shifted from the visible to the NIR region, confirming the excellent absorption response to GSH. Moreover, Ce–Fe@PANI NPs exhibited excellent photoacoustic (PA) imaging enhancement in tube and shifted the PA intensity peak from 680 nm to 820 nm upon addition of GSH. In vitro and in vivo experiment verified that Ce–Fe@PANI NPs can monitor GSH in deep tissues via PA imaging technology. Collectively, this research provides Ce–Fe@PANI NPs would serve as a powerful nanoplatform to realize PA imaging detection of GSH in vitro and in vivo.

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Ce doped polyaniline nanoparticles (Ce–Fe@PANI NPs) with NIR absorption were prepared.

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Ce–Fe@PANI NPs demonstrated absorption response to GSH.

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Ce–Fe@PANI NPs had excellent PA enhancement and shifted the PA intensity peak from 680 nm to 820 nm upon addition of GSH.

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Ce–Fe@PANI NPs can monitor GSH in deep tissues via PA imaging technology in vivo.