Designing and Formulation Optimization of Hyaluronic Acid Conjugated PLGA Nanoparticles of Tamoxifen for Tumor Targeting

Effect of hyaluronic acid-enriched transfer medium on frozen-thawed embryo transfer outcomes in RIF patients: a single-centre retrospective study

Introduction

Many patients who undergo assisted reproductive technology (ART) suffer from recurrent implantation failure (RIF). The addition of hyaluronic acid (HA) to the transfer medium is one of several methods to improve pregnancy outcomes. We investigated whether HA could improve the live birth and clinical pregnancy rates of RIF patients.

Methods

This study included 248 RIF patients, who were divided into two groups: the control (CTL) group (n=137), which received transfer medium without HA, and the HA group (n=111), which received transfer medium with HA. The two groups were compared according to the ART outcome.

Results

The primary outcomes were the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. Secondary outcomes include a positive urine pregnancy test, the implantation, ongoing pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, clinical miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy rates, foetal or congenital defects, obstetric complications, infant birth weight and any related adverse events. Regarding the primary outcomes, the clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the HA group than in the control group, and there was no significant difference in the live birth rate (LBR) between the HA and control groups. Regarding the secondary outcomes, the implantation, multiple pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy rates were similar between the two groups.

Discussion

Our findings supported the conclusion that HA can improve the clinical pregnancy rate of patients with RIF undergoing FET cycles, but the live birth rate was not significantly improved with the addition of HA to the traditional transfer medium.

Preparation and sulfate modified of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl polysaccharide and its immune-enhancing adjuvant activity

Herbal polysaccharides and their modifiers used as vaccine adjuvants have been widely investigated due to their safety and good immunoenhancing activity. In this study, the 50% ethanol concentration precipitated Lagenaria siceraria(Molina) standl polysaccharide (LSP50) and sulfated modified LSP50 (sLSP50) was prepared, and their characterization was investigated. LSP50 and sLSP50_-1.5 were used as vaccine adjuvants to immunize chickens, and the strength and type of immune responses induced by different adjuvants were detected. Our results showed that LSP50 was homogeneous polysaccharides, and the carbohydrate content was 98.6%. The sLSP50_-1.5 with the DS value of 1.5 was optimized by response surface methodology. The sLSP50_-1.5 has both characteristics of polysaccharide functional groups and sulfate functional groups. Adjuvant activity of LSP50 and sLSP50_-1.5 showed that LSP50 and sLSP50_-1.5 could induce long-lasting and high hemagglutination (HI) titers, antigen-specific lgG-NDV antibody, splenic lymphocyte proliferation, high immune organ index. Moreover, chicken immunized with sLSP50_-1.5 showed a strong mixed Th1-type (IFN-γ and TNF-α) and Th2-type (IL-4 and IL-6) cytokines expression. Thus, these findings demonstrated that sLSP50_-1.5 as a vaccine adjuvant can induce a mixed cellular and humoral immune response and can potentially serve as an effective vaccine adjuvant for NDV antigen.

Hyaluronic acid-coated chitosan nanoparticles as targeted-carrier of tamoxifen against MCF7 and TMX-resistant MCF7 cells

Tamoxifen (TMX) is used to treat hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers at early stages. This research aimed to assess the potential of NPs in targeted delivery of TMX against MCF7 and TMX-resistant MCF7 breast cancer cell lines. For this purpose, a targeted delivery system including chitosan NPs coated with hyaluronic acid (HA-CS NPs) was created and examined in vitro. Chitosan NPs were first fabricated and loaded with TMX using the ionic-gelation method to prepare a drug-delivery system. Then, TMX-loaded CS NPs were coated by crosslinking the amino groups of chitosan to the carboxylic group of hyaluronic acid. The developed TMX delivery system was then optimized and characterized for particle fabrication, drug release, and targeting against cancer cells. The HA-CS particle size was 210 nm and its zeta potential was +25 mv. The encapsulation efficiency of TMX in NPs was 55%. TMX released from the NPs in acidic pH (5-6) was higher than the physiological pH (7.4). The cytotoxic effect of TMX-loaded HA-CS NPs on MCF7 and TMX-resistant MCF7 cells was significantly higher than TMX-loaded CS NPs and free drug. The findings confirmed the significant suppressive impact of TMX-loaded HA-CS NPs on MCF7 and TMX-resistant MCF7 cancer cells compared to the TMX-loaded CS NPs and free TMX. Graphical abstract.

Enhanced Cytotoxic Effect of TAT-PLGA-Embedded DOXO Carried by Biomimetic Magnetic Nanoparticles upon Combination with Magnetic Hyperthermia and Photothermia

The synergy between directed chemotherapy and thermal therapy (both magnetic hyperthermia and photothermia) mediated by a nanoassembly composed of functionalized biomimetic magnetic nanoparticles (BMNPs) with the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOXO) covered by the polymer poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), decorated with TAT peptide (here referred to as TAT–PLGA(DOXO-BMNPs)) is explored in the present study. The rationale behind this nanoassembly lies in an optimization of the nanoformulation DOXO-BMNPs, already demonstrated to be more efficient against tumor cells, both in vitro and in vivo, than systemic traditional therapies. By embedding DOXO-BMNPs into PLGA, which is further functionalized with the cell-penetrating TAT peptide, the resulting nanoassembly is able to mediate drug transport (using DOXO as a drug model) and behaves as a hyperthermic agent (induced by an alternating magnetic field (AMF) or by laser irradiation with a laser power density of 2 W/cm²). Our results obtained using the HepG2 cell line show that there is a synergy between chemotherapy and thermal therapy that results in a stronger cytotoxic effect when compared to that caused by the soluble DOXO. This is probably due to the enhanced DOXO release occurring upon the application of the thermal therapy, as well as the induced local temperature rise mediated by BMNPs in the nanoassembly following exposition to AMF or to near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. These results represent a proof of concept demonstrating that TAT–PLGA(DOXO-BMNPs) can be used to efficiently combine therapies against tumor cells, which is a step forward in the transition from systemic to local treatments.