Nanodrugs systems for therapy and diagnosis of esophageal cancer

Tiny Green Army: Fighting Malaria with Plants and Nanotechnology

Malaria poses a global threat to human health, with millions of cases and thousands of deaths each year, mainly affecting developing countries in tropical and subtropical regions. Malaria's causative agent is Plasmodium species, generally transmitted in the hematophagous act of female Anopheles sp. mosquitoes. The main approaches to fighting malaria are eliminating the parasite through drug treatments and preventing transmission with vector control. However, vector and parasite resistance to current strategies set a challenge. In response to the loss of drug efficacy and the environmental impact of pesticides, the focus shifted to the search for biocompatible products that could be antimalarial. Plant derivatives have a millennial application in traditional medicine, including the treatment of malaria, and show toxic effects towards the parasite and the mosquito, aside from being accessible and affordable. Its disadvantage lies in the type of administration because green chemical compounds rapidly degrade. The nanoformulation of these compounds can improve bioavailability, solubility, and efficacy. Thus, the nanotechnology-based development of plant products represents a relevant tool in the fight against malaria. We aim to review the effects of nanoparticles synthesized with plant extracts on Anopheles and Plasmodium while outlining the nanotechnology green synthesis and current malaria prevention strategies.

Enhanced photodynamic therapy through multienzyme-like MOF for cancer treatment

Overcoming resistance to apoptosis is a major challenge in cancer therapy. Recent research has shown that manipulating mitochondria, the organelles critical for energy metabolism in tumor cells, can increase the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy and trigger apoptosis in tumor cells. However, there is currently insufficient research and effective methods to exploit mitochondrial damage to induce apoptosis in tumor cells and improve the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy. In this study, we present a novel nanomedicine delivery and therapeutic system called PyroFPSH, which utilizes a nanozymes-modified metal-organic framework as a carrier. PyroFPSH exhibits remarkable multienzyme-like activities, including glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) mimicry, allowing it to overcome apoptosis resistance, reduce endogenous glutathione levels, and continuously generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, PyroFPSH can serve as a carrier for the targeted delivery of sulfasalazine, a drug that can induce mitochondrial depolarization in tumor cells, thereby reducing oxygen consumption and energy supply in the mitochondria of tumor cells and weakening resistance to other synergistic treatment approaches. Our experimental results highlight the potential of PyroFPSH as a versatile nanoplatform in cancer treatment. This study expands the biomedical applications of nanomaterials as platforms and enables the integration of various novel therapeutic strategies to synergistically improve tumor therapy. It deepens our understanding of multienzyme-mimicking active nanocarriers and mitochondrial damage through photodynamic therapy. Future research can further explore the potential of PyroFPSH in clinical cancer treatment and improve its drug loading capacity, biocompatibility and targeting specificity. In summary, PyroFPSH represents a promising therapeutic approach that can provide new insights and possibilities for cancer treatment.