Preparation, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of polymeric nanoparticles based on hyaluronic acid-poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) and D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate for tumor-targeted delivery of morin hydrate

Mirtazapine loaded polymeric micelles for rapid release tablet: A novel formulation-In vitro and in vivo studies

Major depression is a prevalent disorder characterized by sadness, lack of interest or pleasure, interrupted sleep or food, and impaired concentration. Mirtazapine (MTZ), a tetracyclic antidepressant drug, is commonly used to treat moderate to severe depression. MTZ is classified as a BCS class II drug that has shown bioavailability of 50% due to extensive first-pass metabolism. The aim of this research is to develop a delivery platform with enhanced solubility and oral bioavailability of MTZ through formulating polymeric micelles modeled in a rapid release tablet. Mirtazapine loaded polymeric micelles (MTZ-PMs) were formulated to enhance the solubility. Solutol® HS 15 and Brij 58 were used as combined surfactants in a ratio of (20:1) to MTZ in addition to Transcutol® P as a penetration enhancer. The following in vitro tests were performed: particle size, PDI, zeta potential, solubility factor, stability index, and transmission electron microscopes. Afterward, MTZ-PMs were converted to dry free flowable powder through loading on the adsorptive surface of Aerosil 200; then, the powder mixture was directly compressed (MTZ-PMs-RRT) into 13 mm tablets. MTZ-PMs-RRT was further investigated using in vitro evaluation tests of the tablets, namely, weight variation, thickness, diameter, hardness, friability, disintegration time, drug content, and in vitro dissolution test, which complied with the pharmacopeial limits. The pharmacokinetic parameters of MTZ-PMs-RRT compared to Remeron® tablet were further investigated in rabbits. The results showed enhanced solubility of MTZ with improved percentage relative bioavailability to 153%. The formulation of MTZ in the form of MTZ-PMs-RRT successfully improved the solubility, stability, and bioavailability of MTZ using a simple and scalable manufacturing process.

Preparation of self-assembly silica redox nanoparticles to improve drug encapsulation and suppress the adverse effect of doxorubicin

Background and Purpose

The utilization of doxorubicin (DOX) in clinal trials is also challenging owing to its adverse effects, including low oral bioavailability, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cardiotoxicity, and epithelial barrier damage. Recently, scavenging of ROS reduced the cytotoxicity of DOX, suggesting a new approach for using DOX as an anticancer treatment. Thus, in this study, non-silica and silica redox nanoparticles (denoted as RNPN and siRNP, respectively) with ROS scavenging features have been designed to encapsulate DOX and reduce its cytotoxicity.

Experimental Approach

DOX-loaded RNPN (DOX@RNPN) and DOX-loaded siRNP (DOX@siRNP) were prepared by co-dissolving DOX with RNPN and siRNP, respectively. The size and stability of nanoparticles were characterized by the dynamic light scattering system. Additionally, encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity, and release profile of DOX@RNPN and DOX@siRNP were identified by measuring the absorbance of DOX. Finally, the cytotoxicity of DOX@RNPN and DOX@siRNP against normal murine fibroblast cells (L929), human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2), and human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were also investigated.

Key results

The obtained result showed that RNPN exhibited a pH-sensitive character while silanol moieties improved the stability of siRNP in physiological conditions. DOX@RNPN and DOX@siRNP were formed at several tens of nanometers in diameter with narrow distribution. Moreover, DOX@siRNP stabilized under different pH buffers, especially gastric pH, and improved encapsulation of DOX owing to the addition of silanol groups. DOX@RNPN and DOX@siRNP maintained anticancer activity of DOX against HepG2, and MCF-7 cells, while their cytotoxicity on L929 cells was significantly reduced compared to free DOX treatment.

Conclusion

DOX@RNPN and DOX@siRNP could effectively suppress the adverse effect of DOX, suggesting the potential to become promising nanomedicines for cancer treatments.

Morin Hydrate Encapsulation and Release from Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Melanoma Therapy

Melanoma incidence, a type of skin cancer, has been increasing worldwide. There is a strong need to develop new therapeutic strategies to improve melanoma treatment. Morin is a bioflavonoid with the potential for use in the treatment of cancer, including melanoma. However, therapeutic applications of morin are restrained owing to its low aqueous solubility and limited bioavailability. This work investigates morin hydrate (MH) encapsulation in mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to enhance morin bioavailability and consequently increase the antitumor effects in melanoma cells. Spheroidal MSNs with a mean size of 56.3 ± 6.5 nm and a specific surface area of 816 m²/g were synthesized. MH was successfully loaded (MH-MSN) using the evaporation method, with a loading capacity of 28.3% and loading efficiency of 99.1%. In vitro release studies showed that morin release from MH-MSNs was enhanced at pH 5.2, indicating increased flavonoid solubility. The in vitro cytotoxicity of MH and MH-MSNs on human A375, MNT-1 and SK-MEL-28 melanoma cell lines was investigated. Exposure to MSNs did not affect the cell viability of any of the cell lines tested, suggesting that the nanoparticles are biocompatible. The effect of MH and MH-MSNs on reducing cell viability was time- and concentration-dependent in all melanoma cell lines. The A375 and SK-MEL-28 cell lines were slightly more sensitive than MNT-1 cells in both the MH and MH-MSN treatments. Our findings suggest that MH-MSNs are a promising delivery system for the treatment of melanoma.

Encapsulation of morin in lipid core/PLGA shell nanoparticles significantly enhances its anti-inflammatory activity and oral bioavailability

Morin (3,5,7,2',4'-pentahydroxyflavone; MR) is a bioactive plant polyphenol whose therapeutic efficacy is hindered by its poor biopharmaceutical properties. The purpose of this study was to develop a nanoparticle (NP) formulation to enhance the bioactivity and oral bioavailability of MR. The nanoprecipitation technique was employed to encapsulate MR in lipid-cored poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) NPs. The optimal NPs were about 200 nm in size with an almost neutral surface charge and a loading efficiency of 82%. The NPs exhibited sustained release of MR within 24 h. In vitro antioxidant assays showed that MR encapsulation did not affect its antioxidant activity. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory assays in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages revealed a superior anti-inflammatory activity of MR NPs compared to free MR. Furthermore, oral administration of MR NPs to mice at a single dose of 20 mg/kg MR achieved a 5.6-fold enhancement in bioavailability and a prolongation of plasma half-life from 0.13 to 0.98 h. The results of this study present a promising NP formulation for MR which can enhance its oral bioavailability and bioactivity for the treatment of different diseases such as inflammation.

Immunopharmacological Properties of Methacrylic Acid Polymers as Potential Polymeric Carrier Constituents of Anticancer Drugs

Cytostatic chemotherapeutics provide a classical means to treat cancer, but conventional treatments have not increased in efficacy in the past years, warranting a search for new approaches to therapy. The aim of the study was, therefore, to obtain methacrylic acid (MAA) (co)polymers and to study their immunopharmacological properties. 4-Cyano-4-[(dodecylsulfanylthiocarbonyl)sulfanyl] pentanoic acid (CDSPA) and 2-cyano-2-propyl dodecyl trithiocarbonate (CPDT) were used as reversible chain transfer agents. Experiments were carried out in Wistar rats. The MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of the polymeric systems on peritoneal macrophages. An experimental tumor model was obtained by grafting RMK-1 breast cancer cells. Serum cytokine levels of tumor-bearing rats were analyzed. The chain transfer agents employed in classical radical polymerization substantially reduced the molecular weight of the resulting polymers, but a narrow molecular weight distribution was achieved only with CDSPA and high CPDT concentrations. Toxicity was not observed when incubating peritoneal macrophages with polymeric systems. In tumor-bearing rats, the IL-10 concentration was 1.7 times higher and the IL-17 concentration was less than half that of intact rats. Polymeric systems decreased the IL-10 concentration and normalized the IL-17 concentration in tumor-bearing rats. The maximum effect was observed for a MAA homopolymer with a high molecular weight. The anion-active polymers proposed as carrier constituents are promising for further studies and designs of carrier constituents of drug derivatives.

Characterization and Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Oxaliplatin Long-Circulating Liposomes

The clinical efficacy of Oxaliplatin (L-OHP) is potentially limited by dose-dependent neurotoxicity and high partitioning to erythrocytes in vivo. Long-circulating liposomes could improve the pharmacokinetic profile of L-OHP and thus enhance its therapeutic efficacy and reduce its toxicity. The purpose of this study was to prepare L-OHP long-circulating liposomes (L-OHP PEG lip) by reverse-phase evaporation method (REV) and investigate their pharmacokinetic behavior based on total platinum in rat plasma using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). A simple and a sensitive AAS method was developed and validated to determine the total platinum originated from L-OHP liposomes in plasma. Furthermore, long-circulating liposomes were fully characterized in vitro and showed great stability when stored at 4°C for one month. The results showed that the total platinum in plasma of L-OHP long-circulating liposomes displayed a biexponential pharmacokinetic profile with five folds higher bioavailability and longer distribution half-life compared to L-OHP solution. Thus, long-circulating liposomes prolonged L-OHP circulation time and may present a potential candidate for its tumor delivery. Conclusively, the developed AAS method could serve as a reference to investigate the pharmacokinetic behavior of total platinum in biological matrices for other L-OHP delivery systems.

Investigation on the Linear and Nonlinear Properties of Morin in Presence of Reverse Micelle and Different Oil Content in Reverse Micelle

We investigate the linear and nonlinear optical property of Morin (MN) at different concentration (1 × 10-6 and 5 × 10-6 M) within AOT reversed micelle prepared by water-in-decane microemulsion having a constant molar ratio of water-to-surfactant molecules of 40 (W = [H2O]/[AOT] = 40) as well as the function of mass fraction of nano-droplet (MFD) values of 0.01,0.04, 0.07, and 0.1 by using UV-Visible, Fluorescence, FTIR, and Z-scan techniques. The steady-state measurement indicates that the presence of microenvironment can greatly affect the tautomeric structure of morin and also Morin property in microenvironment depends upon the amount of oil and Morin concentration. The increase in dipole moment from the ground state to excited state in microenvironment indicate the change in the molecular structure on morin. Morin does not show any nonlinear absorption property but the nonlinear refractive index is observed as a function of Morin concentration as well as MFD values which are due to the thermal agitation of formed dimers. Morin nonlinearity.

Engineered nanoparticle bio-conjugates toxicity screening: The xCELLigence cells viability impact

Introduction: The vast diverse products and applications of engineered nanoparticle bio-conjugates (ENPBCs) are increasing, and thus flooding the-markets. However, the data to support risk estimates of ENPBC are limited. While it is important to assess the potential benefits, acceptability and uptake, it is equally important to understand where ENPBCs safety is and how to expand and affirm consumer security concerns. Methods: Online articles were extracted from 2013 to 2016 that pragmatically used xCELLigence real-time cell analysis (RTCA) technology to describe the in-vitro toxicity of ENPBCs. The xCELLigence is a +noninvasive in vitro toxicity monitoring process that mimics exact continuous cellular bio-responses in real-time settings. On the other hand, articles were also extracted from 2008 to 2016 describing the in vivo animal models toxicity of ENPBCs with regards to safety outcomes. Results: Out of 32 of the 121 (26.4%) articles identified from the literature, 23 (71.9%) met the in-vitro xCELLigence and 9(28.1%) complied with the in vivo animal model toxicity inclusion criteria. Of the 23 articles, 4 of them (17.4%) had no size estimation of ENPBCs. The xCELLigence technology provided information on cell interactions, viability, and proliferation process. Eighty-three (19/23) of the in vitro xCELLigence technology studies described ENPBCs as nontoxic or partially nontoxic materials. The in vivo animal model provided further toxicity information where 1(1/9) of the in vivo animal model studies indicated potential animal toxicity while the remaining results recommended ENPPCs as potential candidates for drug therapy though with limited information on toxicity. Conclusion: The results showed that the bioimpacts of ENPBCs either at the in vitro or at in vivo animal model levels are still limited due to insufficient information and data. To keep pace with ENPBCs biomedical products and applications, in vitro, in vivo assays, clinical trials and long-term impacts are needed to validate their usability and uptake. Besides, more real-time ENPBCs-cell impact analyses using xCELLigence are needed to provide significant data and information for further in vivo testing.

Murine Skin Carcinogenesis and the Role of Immune System Dysregulation in the Tumorigenicity of 2-Ethylhexyl Acrylate

Some chemicals act as human carcinogens in various organ systems including the skin. Mice have been an ideal model to study a wide variety of chemical carcinogens because the pathogenesis in that species often mirrors that in humans. However, different mouse strains vary in their susceptibility to these agents. Thus, reliance on a single strain may lead to inaccurate findings. 2-Ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA) is an acrylate used as a co-monomer in the production of polymer resins for adhesives, latex paints, cross-linking agents, finishes for textiles and leather, and paper coatings. Monomer exposure may occur in occupational settings where it is produced or used; the only exposure that may occur to consumers or construction personnel is trace amounts in the final polymer product. There are no reports of cancer in humans caused by exposure to 2-EHA. However, 2-EHA has been reported to cause cancer in one strain of mice. This is an important issue since recommendations about its safety in humans depend, in part, on information derived from animal studies. We reviewed the literature on the preclinical effects of acrylates on skin carcinogenesis in C3H/HeJ mice, which can be criticized because of peculiarities in the immunological composition of that strain, the lack of rigorous histopathologic characterization of tumors that developed, the high doses of 2-EHA that were used for evaluation, and the lack of reproducibility in a second strain of mice. The C3H/HeJ mouse model is not ideal as it has a mutation in Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) that impairs its innate and adaptive immune responses. Inconsistencies in the histological evaluation of tumors induced in C3H/HeJ mice provide further evidence that the tumorigenic effect of 2-EHA was strain specific, a result of chronic inflammation during the promotion stage and/or a skewed immune response caused by the TLR4 mutation. In conclusion, 2-EHA has not convincingly been demonstrated to have skin carcinogenic activity to date. More relevant mouse models that mimic human squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma with amounts that do not exceed a maximum tolerated dose are needed to assess the carcinogenic effects of 2-EHA.

Dual-Functionalized Janus Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Active Targeting and Charge Reversal for Synergistic Tumor-Targeting Therapy

Janus nanoparticles with an anisotropic feature concentrated multiple properties on a single carrier, providing synergistic effects. In this study, dual-functionalized Janus nanoparticles (HA-JMSN/DOX-DMMA) were constructed with a tumor-targeting ligand (hyaluronic acid, HA) modified on the one side and a charge reversal group (2,3-dimethylmaleic anhydride, DMMA) on the other side. The drug release of HA-JMSN/DOX-DMMA was positively correlated with the acidity of the environment. The cytotoxicity and cell uptake of HA-JMSN/DOX-DMMA were superior to the isotropous nanoparticles. The endocytosis pathway of HA-JMSN/DOX-DMMA involved the clathrin-mediated endocytosis (HA) and the micropinocytosis (DMMA) at the same time, which indicated that they both participated in the interaction between nanoparticles and tumor cells. After being injected intravenously in mice, the distribution of HA-JMSN/DOX-DMMA in tumor was enhanced significantly. The antitumor therapy study in vivo showed that HA-JMSN/DOX-DMMA inhibited tumor growth and improved the survival rate of tumor-bearing mice effectively. In general, HA-JMSN/DOX-DMMA could take the synergistic effect of active targeting and charge reversal to deliver drug in tumor cells and kill them efficiently, which was a promising antitumor nanodrug.

Low-density lipoprotein decorated silica nanoparticles co-delivering sorafenib and doxorubicin for effective treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Combinational therapy is usually considered as a preferable approach for effective cancer therapy. Especially, combinational chemotherapies targeting different molecular targets are of particular interest due to its high flexibility as well as efficiency. In our study, the surface of silica nanoparticles (SLN) was modified with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to construct platform (LDL-SLN) capable of specifically targeting low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLRs) that overexpressing in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, the versatile drug loading capacity of LDL-SLN was employed to fabricate a preferable drug delivery system to co-deliver sorafenib (Sor) and doxorubicin (Dox) for combinational chemotherapy of HCC. Our results revealed that the LDL-SLN/Sor/Dox nanoparticles with size around 100 nm showed preferable stability in physiological environments. Moreover, the LDL-SLN/Sor/Dox could target LDLR overexpressed HepG2 cells. More importantly, both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the LDL-SLN/Sor/Dox exerted elevated antitumor efficacy compared to Sor or Dox alone, which indicated that LDL-SLN/Sor/Dox could be a powerful tool for effective combinational chemotherapy of HCC.

Anti-Cancerous Potential of Polyphenol-Loaded Polymeric Nanotherapeutics

Recent evidence has extensively demonstrated the anticancer potential of nutraceuticals, including plant polyphenols. Polymeric nanocarrier systems have played an important role in improving the physicochemical and pharmacological properties of polyphenols, thus ameliorating their therapeutic effectiveness. This article summarizes the benefits and shortcomings of various polymeric systems developed for the delivery of polyphenols in cancer therapy and reveals some ideas for future work.

Quercetin and doxorubicin co-delivery using mesoporous silica nanoparticles enhance the efficacy of gastric carcinoma chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Effective gastric carcinoma (GC) chemotherapy is subject to many in vitro and in vivo barriers, such as tumor microenvironment and multidrug resistance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Herein, we developed a hyaluronic acid (HA)-modified silica nanoparticle (HA-SiLN/QD) co-delivering quercetin and doxorubicin (DOX) to enhance the efficacy of GC therapy (HA-SiLN/QD). The HA modification was done to recognize overexpressed CD44 receptors on GC cells and mediate selective tumor targeting. In parallel, quercetin delivery decreased the expression of Wnt16 and P-glycoprotein, thus remodeling the tumor microenvironment and reversed multidrug resistance to facilitate DOX activity.

RESULTS

Experimental results demonstrated that HA-SiLN/QD was nanoscaled particles with preferable stability and sustained release property. In vitro cell experiments on SGC7901/ADR cells showed selective uptake and increased DOX retention as compared to the DOX mono-delivery system (HA-SiLN/D).

CONCLUSION

In vivo anticancer assays on the SGC7901/ADR tumor-bearing mice model also revealed significantly enhanced efficacy of HA-SiLN/QD than mono-delivery systems (HA-SiLN/Q and HA-SiLN/D).

Nanostructured lipid carriers co-delivering lapachone and doxorubicin for overcoming multidrug resistance in breast cancer therapy

BACKGROUND

Multidrug resistance is responsible for the poor outcome in breast cancer therapy. Lapa is a novel therapeutic agent that generates ROS through the catalysis of the NAD(P) H:quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) enzyme which significantly facilitate the intracellular accumulation of the co-delivered DOX to overcome MDR in cancer cells.

PURPOSE

Herein, in our study, nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) co-delivering β-lapachone (Lapa) and doxorubicin (DOX) was developed (LDNLC) with the aim to overcome the multidrug resistance (MDR) in breast cancer therapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Lapa and DOX were loaded into NLC to prepare LDNLC using melted ultrasonic dispersion method.

RESULTS

The well designed LDNLC was nanoscaled particles that exhibited preferable stability in physiological environment. In vitro cell experiments on MCF-7 ADR cells showed increased DOX retention as compared to DOX mono-delivery NLC (DNLC). In vivo anti-cancer assays on MCF-7 ADR tumor bearing mice model also revealed significantly enhanced efficacy of LDNLC than mono-delivery NLCs (DNLC and LNLC).

CONCLUSION

LDNLC might be a promising platform for effective breast cancer therapy.

Recent developments in d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol-succinate-based nanomedicine for cancer therapy

Cancer remains an obstacle to be surmounted by humans. As an FDA-approved biocompatible drug excipient, d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) has been widely applied in drug delivery system (DDS). Along with in-depth analyses of TPGS-based DDS, increasingly attractive results have revealed that TPGS is able to act not only as a simple drug carrier but also as an assistant molecule with various bio-functions to improve anticancer efficacy. In this review, recent advances in TPGS-based DDS are summarized. TPGS can inhibit P-glycoprotein, enhance drug absorption, induce mitochondrial-associated apoptosis or other apoptotic pathways, promote drug penetration and tumor accumulation, and even inhibit tumor metastasis. As a result, many formulations, by using original TPGS, TPGS-drug conjugates or TPGS copolymers, were prepared, and as expected, an enhanced therapeutic effect was achieved in different tumor models, especially in multidrug resistant and metastatic tumors. Although the mechanisms by which TPGS participates in such functions are not yet very clear, considering its effectiveness in tumor treatment, TPGS-based DDS appears to be one of the best candidates for future clinical applications.

Anti-EGFR antibody conjugated silica nanoparticles as probes for lung cancer detection

A well-designed nanosystem [anti-epidermal growth factor receptor-MB-encapsulated thiol-terminated silica nanoparticles (EGFR/MB-SHSi) complexes] containing silica nanoparticles and near-infrared fluorescence dye (NIRF) methylene blue (MB) was established as a tumor-targeted probe for potential lung cancer detection. The anti-EGFR/MB-SHSi complexes exhibited desirable and homogenous particle size, high bovine serum albumin stability, low hemolytic activity, neutral surface charges and negligible cytotoxicity in vitro. Furthermore, the results of confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry confirmed that the EGFR-targeted function induced high and specific cellular uptake of anti-EGFR/MB-SHSi complexes. In vivo investigation of nude mice bearing A549 tumor xenografts revealed that anti-EGFR/MB-SHSi complexes possessed strong tumor target ability. These observations indicated that anti-EGFR/MB-SHSi complexes may be a safe and tumor-targeting probe for the detection of cancer.

Silica nanoparticle-based dual-responsive nanoprodrug system for liver cancer therapy

A thiol-terminated polyethyleneglycol (PEG)-paclitaxel (PTX) conjugate was synthesized and utilized to construct a novel drug delivery system with thiol-functionalized silica nanoparticles (SLNs) to improve the overall performance of PTX in liver cancer therapy. Drug loading was performed by coating the PTX conjugate on the surface of SLNs. The PTX-PEG/SLNs showed a binary responsive drug release behavior to esterase as well as high concentrations of glutathione. The synergic effects of these cancer cell-specific factors on the release characteristics of PTX-PEG/SLNs resulted in a significantly (P<0.01) elevated anti-cancer efficiency. This included prolonged circulation and passive tumor-targeting properties in vivo due to surface modification of PEG and targeted release of PTX inside tumor cells, which resulted in increased anti-cancer efficiency. Improving the in vitro properties of PTX-PEG/SLNs not only significantly (P<0.01) enhanced its therapeutic efficacy in a murine liver cancer model, but rendered these drug-conjugated SLNs a promising nanoprodrug system for potential use as clinical cancer therapeutics.

Tumor-targeting templated silica nanoparticles as a dual-drug delivery system for anti-angiogenic ovarian cancer therapy

The present study indicated the successful construction of a silica nanoparticle (SLN)-based drug delivery system (DDS) for the tumor-targeted co-delivery of two anti-angiogenic drugs, candesartan (CD) and trastuzumab (Tra), for ovarian cancer therapy via different anti-angiogenic mechanisms using hyaluronic acid (HA)/Tra/CD/SLNs. In vitro and in vivo anti-angiogenic assays indicated that CD and Tra exert beneficial functions on suppressing cancer angiogenesis, and exhibited significantly enhanced effects compared with the angiotensin stimulated group (P<0.01). CD and Tra co-delivery also significantly increased the anti-angiogenic effect compared with applying either drug alone (P<0.01). Furthermore, HA on the surface of the DDS was demonstrated to reduce the cytotoxicity of the DDS and also endowed the particles with an advanced tumor-homing property in vitro and in vivo. The present results revealed that HA/Tra/CD/SLNs may be a preferable formulation for anti-angiogenic ovarian cancer therapy.

Polyphenols delivery by polymeric materials: challenges in cancer treatment

Nanotechnology can offer different solutions for enhancing the therapeutic efficiency of polyphenols, a class of natural products widely explored for a potential applicability for the treatment of different diseases including cancer. While possessing interesting anticancer properties, polyphenols suffer from low stability and unfavorable pharmacokinetics, and thus suitable carriers are required when planning a therapeutic protocol. In the present review, an overview of the different strategies based on polymeric materials is presented, with the aim to highlight the strengths and the weaknesses of each approach and offer a platform of ideas for researchers working in the field.

Enhanced tumor delivery and antitumor response of doxorubicin-loaded albumin nanoparticles formulated based on a Schiff base

A novel method was developed here to prepare albumin-based nanoparticles (NPs) for improving the therapeutic and safety profiles of chemotherapeutic agents. This approach involved crosslinking bovine serum albumin (BSA) using a Schiff base-containing vanillin, into NPs and loading doxorubicin (DOX) into the NPs by incubation. The resultant NPs (DOX-BSA-V-NPs) displayed a particle size of 100.5±1.3 nm with a zeta potential of -23.05±1.45 mV and also showed high drug-loading efficiency and excellent stability with respect to storage and temperature. The encapsulation of DOX into the BSA-V-NPs was confirmed by dynamic scanning calorimetry and Raman spectroscopy. DOX-BSA-V-NPs exhibited a significantly faster DOX release at pH 6.5 than pH 7.4, as well as in a solution with a higher glutathione concentration. In vitro studies showed that the cellular uptake of DOX-BSA-V-NPs was time-dependent, concentration-dependent, and faster than free DOX, while the cytotoxicity of DOX-BSA-V-NPs (IC50 value of 3.693 μg/mL) was superior to free DOX (IC50 value of 4.007 μg/mL). More importantly, DOX-BSA-V-NPs showed a longer mean survival time of 24.83 days, a higher tumor inhibition rate of 56.66%, and a decreased distribution in the heart than other DOX formulations in animal studies using a tumor xenograft model. Thus, the vanillin-based albumin NPs were shown here to be a promising carrier for tumor-targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents and, thus, should be further studied.

Drug Delivery Innovations for Enhancing the Anticancer Potential of Vitamin E Isoforms and Their Derivatives

Vitamin E isoforms have been extensively studied for their anticancer properties. Novel drug delivery systems (DDS) that include liposomes, nanoparticles, and micelles are actively being developed to improve Vitamin E delivery. Furthermore, several drug delivery systems that incorporate Vitamin E isoforms have been synthesized in order to increase the bioavailability of chemotherapeutic agents or to provide a synergistic effect. D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (Vitamin E TPGS or TPGS) is a synthetic derivative of natural alpha-tocopherol which is gaining increasing interest in the development of drug delivery systems and has also shown promising anticancer effect as a single agent. This review provides a summary of the properties and anticancer effects of the most potent Vitamin E isoforms and an overview of the various formulations developed to improve their efficacy, with an emphasis on the use of TPGS in drug delivery approaches.