Targeted Chinese Medicine Delivery by A New Family of Biodegradable Pseudo-Protein Nanoparticles for Treating Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: In Vitro and In Vivo Study

Antitumour mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine elicited by regulating tumour-associated macrophages in solid tumour microenvironments

Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), particularly M2-TAMs, constitute the largest proportion of immune cells in the solid tumour microenvironment, playing a crucial role in tumour progression and correlating with poor prognosis. TAMs promote the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of tumour cells by remodelling the extracellular matrix, inhibiting immunity, promoting immune escape and tumour angiogenesis, and affecting cell metabolism. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used clinically in China for millennia. Chinese herbs exhibit potent antitumour effects with minimal to no toxicity, substantially contributing to prolonging the lives of patients with cancer and improving their quality of life. TCM has unique advantages in improving the solid tumour microenvironment, particularly in regulating TAMs to further inhibit tumour angiogenesis, reduce drug resistance, reverse immunosuppression, and enhance antitumour immunity. This review highlights the TAM-associated mechanisms within the solid tumour microenvironment, outlines the recent advancements in TCM targeting TAMs for antitumour effects, emphasises the superiority of combining TCM with standard treatments or new nano-drug delivery systems, and evaluates the safety and efficacy of TCM combined with conventional treatments via clinical trials to provide insights and strategies for future research and clinical treatment.

Caged Polyprenylated Xanthones in Garcinia hanburyi and the Biological Activities of Them

The previous phytochemical analyses of Garcinia hanburyi revealed that the main structural characteristic associated with its biological activity is the caged polyprenylated xanthones with a unique 4-oxatricyclo [4.3.1.03,7] dec-2-one scaffold, which contains a highly substituted tetrahydrofuran ring with three quaternary carbons. Based on the progress in research of the chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and modification methods of the caged polyprenylated xanthones, this paper presents a preliminary predictive analysis of their drug-like properties based on the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADME/T) properties. It was found out that these compounds have very similar pharmacokinetic properties because they possess the same caged xanthone structure, the 9,10-double bond in a,b-unsaturated ketones are critical for the antitumor activity. The author believes that there is an urgent need to seek new breakthroughs in the study of these caged polyprenylated xanthones. Thus, the research on the route of administration, therapeutic effect, structural modification and development of such active ingredients is of great interest. It is hoped that this paper will provide ideas for researchers to develop and utilize the active ingredients derived from natural products.

Lactoferrin-Modified Gambogic Acid Liposomes for Colorectal Cancer Treatment

Colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy is a big challenge, and seeking an effective and safe drug is a pressing clinical need. Gambogic acid is a potent antineoplastic agent without the drawback of bone marrow suppression. To improve its druggability (e.g., poor water solubility and tumor delivery), a lactoferrin-modified gambogic acid liposomal delivery system (LF-lipo) was developed to enhance the treatment efficacy of CRC. The LF-lipo can specifically bind LRP-1 expressed on colorectal cancer cells to enhance drug delivery to the tumor cells and yield enhanced therapeutic efficacy. The LF-lipo promoted tumor cell apoptosis and autophagy, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in tumor cells, and inhibited angiogenesis; moreover, it could also repolarize tumor-associated macrophages from the M2 to M1 phenotype and induce ICD to activate T cells, exhibiting the capability of remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment. The liposomal formulation yielded an efficient and safe treatment outcome and has potential for clinical translation.

Determination and tissue distribution comparisons of five xanthones after orally administering crude and processed gamboge

Caged polyprenylated xanthones are the main active ingredients isolated from the resin of Garcinia hanburyi, which has been reported to exhibit potential anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. This study aimed to develop sensitive and specific ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with the triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method for investigating the tissue distribution of five xanthones in rats: β-morellic acid, isogambogenic acid, gambogenic acid, R-gambogic acid and S-gambogic acid. All tissue samples were prepared using the liquid-liquid extraction method and separated on a C₈ column with a gradient system. Detection was performed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer in multiple-reaction monitoring using positive ionization. The method established in this assay was successfully applied to the tissue distribution study of the five selected xanthones after orally administering crude and processed gamboge in rat tissues. The results indicated that these five xanthones were distributed to rat tissues rapidly and could be detected in all of the selected tissues after oral administration. After processing, the contents of R-gambogic acid and S-gambogic acid in the gastrointestinal tract were significantly reduced. The findings of this study might be helpful in further understanding the processing mechanism of gamboge and providing references for its reasonable clinical application.

A Structural Analysis of Proteinaceous Nanotube Cavities and Their Applications in Nanotechnology

Protein nanotubes offer unique properties to the materials science field that allow them to fulfill various functions in drug delivery, biosensors and energy storage. Protein nanotubes are chemically diverse, modular, biodegradable and nontoxic. Furthermore, although the initial design or repurposing of such nanotubes is highly complex, the field has matured to understand underlying chemical and physical properties to a point where applications are successfully being developed. An important feature of a nanotube is its ability to bind ligands via its internal cavities. As ligands of interest vary in size, shape and chemical properties, cavities have to be able to accommodate very specific features. As such, understanding cavities on a structural level is essential for their effective application. The objective of this review is to present the chemical and physical diversity of protein nanotube cavities and highlight their potential applications in materials science, specifically in biotechnology.