Nanoparticles of a New Small-Molecule P-Selectin Inhibitor Attenuate Thrombosis, Inflammation, and Tumor Growth in Two Animal Models

Progress of nanomaterials in the treatment of thrombus

Thrombus has long been the major contributor of death and disability because it can cause adverse effects to varying degrees on the body, resulting in vascular blockage, embolism, heart valve deformation, widespread bleeding, etc. However, clinically, conventional thrombolytic drug treatments have hemorrhagic complication risks and easy to miss the best time of treatment window. Thus, it is an urgent need to investigate newly alternative treatment strategies that can reduce adverse effects and improve treatment effectiveness. Drugs based on nanomaterials act as a new biomedical strategy and promising tools, and have already been investigated for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in thrombus therapy. Recent studies have some encouraging progress. In the present review, we primarily concern with the latest developments in the areas of nanomedicines targeting thrombosis therapy. We present the thrombus' formation, characteristics, and biomarkers for diagnosis, overview recent emerging nanomedicine strategies for thrombus therapy, and focus on the future design directions, challenges, and prospects in the nanomedicine application in thrombus therapy.

Recent Advances on the Molecular Mechanism and Clinical Trials of Venous Thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism is a condition that includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. It is the third most common cardiovascular disease behind acute coronary heart disease and stroke. Over the past few years, growing research suggests that venous thrombosis is also related to the immune system and inflammatory factors have been confirmed to be involved in venous thrombosis. The role of inflammation and inflammation-related biomarkers in cerebrovascular thrombotic disease is the subject of ongoing debate. P-selectin leads to platelet-monocyte aggregation and stimulates vascular inflammation and thrombosis. The dysregulation of miRNAs has also been reported in venous thrombosis, suggesting the involvement of miRNAs in the progression of venous thrombosis. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a crucial component of the plasminogen-plasmin system, and elevated levels of PAI-1 in conjunction with advanced age are significant risk factors for thrombosis. In addition, it has been showed that one of the ways that neutrophils promote venous thrombosis is the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). In recent years, the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the occurrence and development of VTE has been continuously revealed. With the advancement of research technology, the complex regulatory role of EVs on the coagulation process has been gradually discovered. However, our understanding of the causes and consequences of these changes in venous thrombosis is still limited. Therefore, we review our current understanding the molecular mechanisms of venous thrombosis and the related clinical trials, which is crucial for the future treatment of venous thrombosis.

Novel strategies in antithrombotic therapy: targeting thrombosis while preserving hemostasis

Antithrombotic therapy is a delicate balance between the benefits of preventing a thrombotic event and the risks of inducing a major bleed. Traditional approaches have included antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications, require careful dosing and monitoring, and all carry some risk of bleeding. In recent years, several new targets have been identified, both in the platelet and coagulation systems, which may mitigate this bleeding risk. In this review, we briefly describe the current state of antithrombotic therapy, and then present a detailed discussion of the new generation of drugs that are being developed to target more safely existing or newly identified pathways, alongside the strategies to reverse direct oral anticoagulants, showcasing the breadth of approaches. Combined, these exciting advances in antithrombotic therapy bring us closer than we have ever been to the "holy grail" of the field, a treatment that separates the hemostatic and thrombotic systems, preventing clots without any concurrent bleeding risk.

The roles of P-selectin in cancer cachexia

P-selectin, a cell adhesion molecule of the selectin family, is expressed on the surface of activated endothelial cells (ECs) and platelets. Binding of P-selectin to P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) supports the leukocytes capture and rolling on stimulated ECs and increases the aggregation of leukocytes and activated platelets. Cancer cachexia is a systemic inflammation disorder characterized by metabolic disturbances, reduced body weight, loss of appetite, fat depletion, and progressive muscle atrophy. Cachexia status is associated with increased pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), which activates ECs to release P-selectin. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) loci of P-selectin encoding gene SELP are associated with higher level of plasma P-selectin and increase the susceptibility to cachexia in cancer patients. Elevated P-selectin expression has been observed in the hypothalamus, liver, and gastrocnemius muscle in animal models with cancer cachexia. Increased P-selectin may cause excessive inflammatory processes, muscle atrophy, and blood hypercoagulation, thus facilitating the development of cancer cachexia. In this review, physiological functions of P-selectin and its potential roles in cancer cachexia have been summarized. We also discuss the therapeutic potential of P-selectin inhibitors for the treatment of cancer cachexia.

Advances in Ultra-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Pharmaceutical Analysis

Pharmaceutical analysis refers to an area of analytical chemistry that deals with active compounds either by themselves (drug substance) or when formulated with excipients (drug product). In a less simplistic way, it can be defined as a complex science involving various disciplines, e.g., drug development, pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, tissue distribution studies, and environmental contamination analyses. As such, the pharmaceutical analysis covers drug development to its impact on health and the environment. Moreover, due to the need for safe and effective medications, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most heavily regulated sectors of the global economy. For this reason, powerful analytical instrumentation and efficient methods are required. In the last decades, mass spectrometry has been increasingly used in pharmaceutical analysis both for research aims and routine quality controls. Among different instrumental setups, ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry with Fourier transform instruments, i.e., Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) and Orbitrap, gives access to valuable molecular information for pharmaceutical analysis. In fact, thanks to their high resolving power, mass accuracy, and dynamic range, reliable molecular formula assignments or trace analysis in complex mixtures can be obtained. This review summarizes the principles of the two main types of Fourier transform mass spectrometers, and it highlights applications, developments, and future perspectives in pharmaceutical analysis.

Fabrication of betamethasone micro- and nanoparticles using supercritical antisolvent technology: In vitro drug release study and Caco-2 cell cytotoxicity evaluation

Poor solubility limits the pharmacological activities of betamethasone (BM), including its anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. To improve the aqueous solubility and dissolution rate of BM, supercritical antisolvent (SAS) technology was used to prepare BM microparticles and BM-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solid dispersion nanoparticles. The effects of temperature, pressure, solution feeding rate, and drug concentration on particle formation were investigated using both single-factor and orthogonal experimental methods, and the optimal preparation process was screened. The physicochemical properties of the BM particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. After the SAS process, the particle size was reduced significantly and the crystalline shape was altered, which considerably increased the solubility and dissolution rate of BM. Furthermore, the toxicity of BM to live cells was reduced because of the BM-PVP solid dispersions.

Anti-inflammatory, ulcerogenic and platelet activation evaluation of novel 1,4-diaryl-1,2,3-triazole neolignan-celecoxib hybrids

This study reports the synthesis of novel neolignans-celecoxib hybrids and the evaluation of their biological activity. Analogs8-13(L13-L18) exhibited anti-inflammatory activity, inhibited glycoprotein expression (P-selectin) related to platelet activation, and were considered non- ulcerogenic in the animal model, even with the administration of 10 times higher than the dose used in reference therapy. In silico drug-likeness showed that the analogs are compliant with Lipinski's rule of five. A molecular docking study showed that the hybrids8-13(L13-L18) fitted similarly with celecoxib in the COX-2 active site. According to this data, it is possible to infer that extra hydrophobic interactions and the hydrogen interactions with the triazole core may improve the selectivity towards the COX-2 active site. Furthermore, the molecular docking study with P-selectin showed the binding affinity of the analogs in the active site, performing important interactions with amino acid residues such as Tyr 48. Whereas the P-selectin is a promising target to the design of new anti-inflammatory drugs with antithrombotic properties, a distinct butterfly-like structure of 1,4-diaryl-1,2,3-triazole neolignan-celecoxib hybrids synthesized in this work may be a safer alternative to the traditional COX-2 inhibitors.