Synthesis and characterization of multifunctional hybrid-polymeric nanoparticles for drug delivery and multimodal imaging of cancer

The Emerging Roles of Nanocarrier Drug Delivery System in Treatment of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration-Current Knowledge, Hot Spots, Challenges and Future Perspectives

Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition that has substantial consequences on individuals and society, both socially and economically. The primary contributor to LBP is often identified as intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), which worsens and leads to significant spinal problems. The conventional treatment approach for IVDD involves physiotherapy, drug therapy for pain management, and, in severe cases, surgery. However, none of these treatments address the underlying cause of the condition, meaning that they cannot fundamentally reverse IVDD or restore the mechanical function of the spine. Nanotechnology and regenerative medicine have made significant advancements in the field of healthcare, particularly in the area of nanodrug delivery systems (NDDSs). These approaches have demonstrated significant potential in enhancing the efficacy of IVDD treatments by providing benefits such as high biocompatibility, biodegradability, precise drug delivery to targeted areas, prolonged drug release, and improved therapeutic results. The advancements in different NDDSs designed for delivering various genes, cells, proteins and therapeutic drugs have opened up new opportunities for effectively addressing IVDD. This comprehensive review provides a consolidated overview of the recent advancements in the use of NDDSs for the treatment of IVDD. It emphasizes the potential of these systems in overcoming the challenges associated with this condition. Meanwhile, the insights and ideas presented in this review aim to contribute to the advancement of precise IVDD treatment using NDDSs.

Biological analyses of the effects of TiO2 and PEG-b-PLA nanoparticles on three-dimensional spheroid-based tumor

The aim of our study was to monitor the antiproliferative/ cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of both, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(lactic acid) (PEG-b-PLA) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on the tumor (HT-29, MCF-7, U118MG) and healthy (HEK-293T) cell lines during 2D cultivation and during cultivation in the spheroid form (3D cultivation). Cells or spheroids were cultivated with nanoparticles (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 50, and 100 ?g/ml) for 72 hours. The cytotoxic effect was determined by the MTT test and the genotoxic effect by the comet assay. We found that 2D cultivation of tumor cell lines with PEG-b-PLA and TiO2 nanoparticles had an anti-proliferative effect on human colon cancer cell line HT-29, human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, human glioma cell line U-118MG during 72h cultivation, but not on control/healthy HEK-293T cells. At the concentrations used, the tested nanoparticles caused no cytotoxic effect on tumor cell lines. Nanoparticles PEG-b-PLA induced significant damage to DNA in HT-29 and MCF-7 cells, while TiO2 nanoparticles in MCF-7 and U-118MG cells. Only PEG-b-PLA nanoparticles caused cytotoxic (IC50 = 7 mikrog/ml) and genotoxic effects on the healthy cell line HEK-293T after 72h cultivation. The cells which were cultivated in spheroid forms were more sensitive to both types of nanoparticles. After 72h cultivation, we observed the cytotoxic effect on both, the tumor and healthy cell lines.

Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery Systems For The Treatment Of IBD: Current Perspectives

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which mainly consists of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. The traditional treatment strategies relied on frequent administration of high dosages of medications, including antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, biologics, and immunomodulators, with the goal of reducing inflammation. Some of these medications were effective in alleviating the early-stage inflammatory symptoms, but their long-term efficacies were compromised by the accumulation of toxicities. Recently, nanoparticle (NP)-based drugs have been widely studied for their potential to solve such problems. Various mechanisms/strategies, including size-, charge-, pH-, pressure-, degradation-, ligand-receptor-, and microbiome- dependent drug delivery systems, have been exploited in preclinical studies. A certain number of NP delivery systems have sought to target drugs to the inflamed intestine. Although several NP-based drugs have entered clinical trials for the treatment of IBD, most have failed due to premature drug release, weak targeting ability, and the high immune toxicity of some of the synthetic nanomaterials that have been used to fabricate the NPs. Therefore, there is still a need for rationally designed and stable NP drug delivery system that can specifically target drugs to the disease site, prolong the drug’s residence time, and minimize systemic side effects. This review will analyze the current state of the art in NP-mediated drug delivery for IBD treatment. We will focus on topics such as deliverable targets (at the tissue or cellular level) for treating inflammation; the target-homing NP materials that can interact with such targets; and the major administration routes for treating IBD. These discussions will integrate notable trends in the research and development of IBD medications, including multi-responsive NP-mediated delivery and naturally-derived targeting NPs. Finally, current challenges and future directions will be presented in the hopes of advancing the study of NP-mediated strategies for treating IBD.

Multifunctional nanoparticles as somatostatin receptor-targeting delivery system of polyaniline and methotrexate for combined chemo-photothermal therapy

Lanreotide (LT), a synthetic analog of somatostatin, has been demonstrated to specifically bind to somatostatin receptors (SSTRs), which are widely overexpressed in several types of cancer cells. In this study, we incorporated a chemotherapeutic agent, methotrexate (MTX), and a photosensitizer material, polyaniline (PANI), into hybrid polymer nanoparticles (NPs), which could target cancer cells after conjugation with LT (LT-MTX/PANI NPs). The successful preparation of LT-MTX/PANI NPs was confirmed by a small particle size (187.9 ± 3.2 nm), a polydispersity index of 0.232 ± 0.011, and a negative ζ potential of -14.6 ± 1.0 mV. Notably, LT-MTX/PANI NPs showed a greater uptake into SSTR-positive cancer cells and thereby better inhibited cell viability and induced higher levels of apoptosis than MTX, PANI NP, and MTX/PANI NP treatments did. In addition, the heat associated with the burst drug release induced by near-infrared (NIR) irradiation resulted in remarkably enhanced cell apoptosis, which was confirmed by an increase in the expression levels of apoptotic marker proteins. In agreement with the in vitro results, the administration of the SSTR-targeting NPs, followed by NIR exposure, to xenograft tumor-bearing mice resulted in an improved suppression of tumor development compared to that shown by MTX, PANI NPs, and MTX/PANI NPs, as well as by LT-MTX/PANI NPs without photothermal therapy. Thus, the SSTR-targeting NPs could be a promising delivery system for the effective treatment of SSTR-positive cancers.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Somatostatin receptors are widely overexpressed in several types of cancer cells. In this study, we designed nanoparticles for targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to tumor sites by conjugating hybrid polymers with a synthetic analog of somatostatin, specifically binding to somatostatin receptors. In addition, a photosensitizer material, polyaniline, was incorporated into the nanoparticles for combined chemo-photothermal therapy. The results demonstrated clear advantages of the newly designed targeted nanoparticles over their non-targeted counterparts or a free chemotherapeutic drug in inhibiting the viability of cancer cells in vitro and targeting/suppressing the tumor growth in an animal xenograft model. The study suggests that the designed nanoparticles are a promising delivery system for the effective treatment of somatostatin receptor-positive cancers.

Multicellular Tumor Spheroids (MCTS) as a 3D In Vitro Evaluation Tool of Nanoparticles

Multicellular tumor spheroid models (MCTS) are often coined as 3D in vitro models that can mimic the microenvironment of tissues. MCTS have gained increasing interest in the nano-biotechnology field as they can provide easily accessible information on the performance of nanoparticles without using animal models. Considering that many countries have put restrictions on animals testing, which will only tighten in the future as seen by the recent developments in the Netherlands, 3D models will become an even more valuable tool. Here, an overview on MCTS is provided, focusing on their use in cancer research as most nanoparticles are tested in MCTS for treatment of primary tumors. Thereafter, various types of nanoparticles-from self-assembled block copolymers to inorganic nanoparticles, are discussed. A range of physicochemical parameters including the size, shape, surface chemistry, ligands attachment, stability, and stiffness are found to influence nanoparticles in MCTS. Some of these studies are complemented by animal studies confirming that lessons from MCTS can in part predict the behaviour in vivo. In summary, MCTS are suitable models to gain additional information on nanoparticles. While not being able to replace in vivo studies, they can bridge the gap between traditional 2D in vitro studies and in vivo models.