Nanotechnology Based Approach for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Targeting

Nano-revolution in hepatocellular carcinoma: A multidisciplinary odyssey - Are we there yet?

In this editorial we comment on the review by Zhou et al reviewing the landscape of nanomedicine in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We focus on the immense potential of nanotechnology, particularly ligand-receptor mediated nanotherapy, in revolutionizing the treatment landscape of HCC. Despite advancements in multidisciplinary treatment, HCC remains a significant global health challenge. Ligand-mediated nanotherapy offers the opportunity for precise drug delivery to tumor sites, targeting specific receptors overexpressed in HCC cells, thereby enhancing efficacy and minimizing side effects. Overcoming drug resistance and aggressive tumor biology is facilitated by nanomedicine, bypassing traditional hurdles encountered in chemotherapy. Examples include targeting glypican-3, asialoglycoprotein, transferrin receptor or folic acid receptors, capitalizing on their over-expression in tumor cells. The ability for multi-receptor targeting through dual-ligand nanoparticle modification holds the prospect of further enhancement in specificity and efficacy of directed therapy. However, challenges including immune responses, reproducibility in nanoparticle synthesis, and production scalability remain. Future directions involve refining targeting strategies, improving drug release mechanisms, and streamlining production processes to enable personalized and multifunctional nanotherapies. Overall, the integration of nanotherapy in HCC treatment holds immense promise, but continued partnership and effort are needed in offering hope for more effective, precise, and accessible clinical care in the management of HCC.

Nanoemulsion potentiates the anti-cancer activity of Myricetin by effective inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in triple-negative breast cancer cells

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous tumor with a poor prognosis and high metastatic potential, resulting in poor clinical outcomes, necessitating investigation to devise effective therapeutic strategies. Multiple studies have substantiated the anti-cancer properties of the naturally occurring flavonoid "Myricetin" in various malignancies. However, the therapeutic application of Myricetin is impeded by its poor water solubility and low oral bioavailability. To overcome this limitation, we aimed to develop nanoemulsion of Myricetin (Myr-NE) and evaluate its advantage over Myricetin alone in TNBC cells. The nanoemulsion was formulated using Capryol 90 (oil), Tween 20 (surfactant), and Transcutol HP (co-surfactant). The optimized nano-formulation underwent an evaluation to determine its size, zeta potential, morphology, stability, drug encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro release properties. The anti-cancer activity of Myr-NE was further studied to examine its distinct impact on intracellular drug uptake, cell-viability, anti-tumor signaling, oxidative stress, clonogenicity, and cell death, compared with Myricetin alone in MDA-MB-231 (TNBC) cells. The in vitro drug release and intracellular drug uptake of Myricetin was significantly increased in Myr-NE formulation as compared to Myricetin alone. Moreover, Myr-NE exhibited significant inhibition of cell proliferation, clonogenicity, and increased apoptosis with ~ 2.5-fold lower IC50 as compared to Myricetin. Mechanistic investigation revealed that nanoemulsion augmented the anti-cancer efficacy of Myricetin, most likely by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, eventually leading to enhanced cell death in TNBC cells. The study provides substantial experimental evidence to support the notion that the Myr-NE formulation has the potential to be an effective therapeutic drug for TNBC treatment.

A Pharmaco-Technical Investigation of Thymoquinone and Peat-Sourced Fulvic Acid Nanoemulgel: A Combination Therapy

Thymoquinone has a multitude of pharmacological effects and has been researched for a wide variety of indications, but with limited clinical success. It is associated with pharmaco-technical caveats such as hydrophobicity, high degradation, and a low oral bioavailability. A prudent approach warrants its usage through an alternative dermal route in combination with functional excipients to harness its potential for treating dermal afflictions, such as psoriasis. Henceforth, the present study explores a nanoformulation approach for designing a fulvic acid (peat-sourced)-based thymoquinone nanoemulsion gel (FTQ-NEG) for an enhanced solubility and improved absorption. The excipients, surfactant/co-surfactant, and oil selected for the o/w nanoemulsion (FTQ-NE) are Tween 80/Transcutol-P and kalonji oil. The formulation methodology includes high-energy ultrasonication complemented with a three-dimensional/factorial Box-Behnken design for guided optimization. The surface morphology assessment through scanning/transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy revealed a 100 nm spherical, globule-like structure of the prepared nanoemulsion. Furthermore, the optimized FTQ-NE had a zeta potential of -2.83 ± 0.14 Mv, refractive index of 1.415 ± 0.036, viscosity of 138.5 ± 3.08 mp, and pH of 5.8 ± 0.16, respectively. The optimized FTQ-NE was then formulated as a gel using Carbopol 971^® (1%). The in vitro release analysis of the optimized FTQ-NEG showed a diffusion-dominant drug release (Higuchi model) for 48 h. The drug permeation flux observed for FTQ-NEG (3.64 μg/cm²/h) was much higher compared to that of the pure drug (1.77 mg/cm²/h). The results were further confirmed by confocal microscopy studies, which proved the improved penetration of thymoquinone through mice skin. Long-term stability studies of the purported formulation were also conducted and yielded satisfactory results.

Nanotechnology strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis and treatment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy threatening human health, and existing diagnostic and therapeutic techniques are facing great challenges. In the last decade or so, nanotechnology has been developed and improved for tumor diagnosis and treatment. For example, nano-intravenous injections have been approved for malignant perivascular epithelioid cell tumors. This article provides a comprehensive review of the applications of nanotechnology in HCC in recent years: (I) in radiological imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluorescence imaging (FMI) and multimodality imaging. (II) For diagnostic applications in HCC serum markers. (III) As embolic agents in transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or directly as therapeutic drugs. (IV) For application in photothermal therapy and photodynamic therapy. (V) As carriers of chemotherapeutic drugs, targeted drugs, and natural plant drugs. (VI) For application in gene and immunotherapy. Compared with the traditional methods for diagnosis and treatment of HCC, nanoparticles have high sensitivity, reduce drug toxicity and have a long duration of action, and can also be combined with photothermal and photodynamic multimodal combination therapy. These summaries provide insights for the further development of nanotechnology applications in HCC.

Multiple health benefits of curcumin and its therapeutic potential

Turmeric, or Curcuma longa as it is formally named, is a multifunctional plant with numerous names. It was dubbed "the golden spice" and "Indian saffron" not only for its magnificent yellow color, but also for its culinary use. Turmeric has been utilized in traditional medicine since the dawn of mankind. Curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin, which are all curcuminoids, make up turmeric. Although there have been significant advancements in cancer treatment, cancer death and incidence rates remain high. As a result, there is an increasing interest in discovering more effective and less hazardous cancer treatments. Curcumin is being researched for its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-metabolic syndrome, neuroprotective, and antibacterial properties. Turmeric has long been used as a home remedy for coughs, sore throats, and other respiratory problems. As a result, turmeric and its compounds have the potential to be used in modern medicine to cure a variety of diseases. In this current review, we highlighted therapeutic potential of curcumin and its multiple health benefits on various diseases.

A Revolutionary Blueprint for Mitigation of Hypertension via Nanoemulsion

Hypertension is one of the most important causes of mortality, affecting the health status of the patient. At the same time, hypertension causes a huge health and economic burden on the whole world. The incidence and prevalence of hypertension are rising even among young people in both urban as well as rural communities. Although various conventional therapeutic moieties are available for the management of hypertension, they have serious flaws such as hepatic metabolism, reduced dose frequency, poor aqueous solubility, reduced bioavailability, and increased adverse effects, making the drug therapy ineffective. Therefore, it is required to design a novel drug delivery system having the capability to solve the constraints associated with conventional treatment of hypertension. Nanotechnology is a new way of using and manipulating the matter at the molecular level, whose functional organization is measured in nanometers. The applications of nanotechnology in the field of medicine provide an alternative and novel direction for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and show excellent performance in the field of targeted drug therapy. Various nanotechnologies based drug delivery systems, such as solid lipid nanoparticles, nanosuspension, nanoemulsion, liposome, self-emulsifying systems, and polymeric nanoparticles, are available. Among them, nanoemulsion has provided a niche to supplement currently available therapeutic choices due to numerous benefits like stability, ease of preparation, enhanced drug absorption, reduced hepatic metabolism, increased dose frequency, enhanced bioavailability, and encapsulation of hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic drugs. This present review provides an in-depth idea about progression in treatment of hypertension, constraints for antihypertensive drug therapy, need of nanoemulsions to overcome these constraints, comparative analysis of nanoemulsions over other nanostructure drug delivery systems, pharmacodynamics studies of nanoemulsions for treatment of hypertension, recent patents for drug-loaded nanoemulsions meant for hypertension, and marketed formulations of nanoemulsions for hypertension.

Bioactive Compounds and Traditional Herbal Medicine: Promising Approaches for the Treatment of Dementia

Dementia is a term that encompasses a group of clinical symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities, characterized by progressive impairment of memory performance and cognitive functions. There are several factors involved in the pathogenesis and progression of dementia, such as old age, brain ischemia, toxin exposure, and oxidative stress. There are extensive similarities between dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) either in clinical manifestations or experimental animal models. AD is the most dominant form of dementia, characterized by the accumulation of beta-amyloid protein and cholinergic neurotransmission deficits in the brain. Currently available medications for the treatment of dementia, such as choline esterase inhibitors, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists (memantine), have short-term efficacy and only relieve symptoms rather than targeting the main underlying pathogenesis. Several animal studies and clinical trials are being conducted to provide a rational approach to these medicinal plants in the prevention or treatment of memory deficits. This review highlights the potential effects of medicinal plants and their derived lead molecules, and explains the related mechanisms and effects reviewed from published literature as major thrust aspects and hopeful strategies in the prevention or treatment of dementia.