DACHPt-Loaded Nanoparticles Self-assembled from Biodegradable Dendritic Copolymer Polyglutamic Acid-b-D-α-Tocopheryl Polyethylene Glycol 1000 Succinate for Multidrug Resistant Lung Cancer Therapy

Advances in thiosemicarbazone metal complexes as anti-lung cancer agents

The great success of cisplatin as a chemotherapeutic agent considerably increased research efforts in inorganic biochemistry to identify more metallic drugs having the potential of treating lung cancer. Metal coordination centres, which exhibit a wide range of coordination numbers and geometries, various oxidised and reduced states and the inherent ligand properties offer pharmaceutical chemists a plethora of drug structures. Owing to the presence of C=N and C=S bonds in a thiosemicarbazone Schiff base, N and S atoms in its hybrid orbital has lone pair of electrons, which can generate metal complexes with different stabilities with most metal elements under certain conditions. Such ligands and complexes play key roles in the treatment of anti-lung cancer. Research regarding metallic anti-lung cancer has advanced considerably, but there remain several challenges. In this review, we discuss the potential of thiosemicarbazone Schiff base complexes as anti-lung cancer drugs, their anti-cancer activities and the most likely action mechanisms involving the recent families of copper, nickel, platinum, ruthenium and other complexes.

Engineered Nanoscale Lipid-Based Formulation as Potential Enhancer of Gefitinib Lymphatic Delivery: Cytotoxicity and Apoptotic Studies Against the A549 Cell Line

The present study aimed to engineer a nanoscale lipid-based lymphatic drug delivery system with D-α-Tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate to combat the lymphatic metastasis of lung cancer. The nanoscale lipid-based systems including GEF-SLN, GEF-NLC, and GEF-LE were prepared and pharmaceutically characterized. In addition, the most stable formulation (GEF-NLC) was subjected to an in vitro release study. Afterward, the optimized GEF-NLC was engineered with TPGS (GEF-TPGS-NLC) and subjected to in vitro cytotoxicity, and apoptotic studies using the A549 cells line as a surrogate model for lung cancer. The present results revealed that particle size and polydispersity index of freshly prepared formulations were ranging from 198 to 280 nm and 0.106 to 0.240, respectively, with negative zeta potential ranging from − 14 to − 27.6.mV. An in vitro release study showed that sustained drug release was attained from GEF-NLC containing a high concentration of lipid. In addition, GEF-NLC and GEF-TPGS-NLC showed remarkable entrapment efficiency above 89% and exhibited sustained release profiles. Cytotoxicity showed that IC₅₀ of pure GEF was 11.15 μg/ml which decreased to 7.05 μg/ml for GEF-TPGS-NLC. The apoptotic study revealed that GEF-TPGS-NLC significantly decreased the number of living cells from 67 to 58% when compared with pure GEF. The present results revealed that the nanoscale and lipid composition of the fabricated SLN, NLC, and LE could mediate the lymphatic uptake of GEF to combat the lymphatic tumor metastasis. Particularly, GEF-TPGS-NLC is a promising LDDS to increase the therapeutic outcomes of GEF during the treatment of metastatic lung cancer.

Platinum Nanoparticles in Biomedicine: Preparation, Anti-Cancer Activity, and Drug Delivery Vehicles

Cancer is the main cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, excluding infectious disease. Because of their lack of specificity in chemotherapy agents are used for cancer treatment, these agents have severe systemic side effects, and gradually lose their therapeutic effects because most cancers become multidrug resistant. Platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) are relatively new agents that are being tested in cancer therapy. This review covers the various methods for the preparation and physicochemical characterization of PtNPs. PtNPs have been shown to possess some intrinsic anticancer activity, probably due to their antioxidant action, which slows tumor growth. Targeting ligands can be attached to functionalized metal PtNPs to improve their tumor targeting ability. PtNPs-based therapeutic systems can enable the controlled release of drugs, to improve the efficiency and reduce the side effects of cancer therapy. Pt-based materials play a key role in clinical research. Thus, the diagnostic and medical industries are exploring the possibility of using PtNPs as a next-generation anticancer therapeutic agent. Although, biologically prepared nanomaterials exhibit high efficacy with low concentrations, several factors still need to be considered for clinical use of PtNPs such as the source of raw materials, stability, solubility, the method of production, biodistribution, accumulation, controlled release, cell-specific targeting, and toxicological issues to human beings. The development of PtNPs as an anticancer agent is one of the most valuable approaches for cancer treatment. The future of PtNPs in biomedical applications holds great promise, especially in the area of disease diagnosis, early detection, cellular and deep tissue imaging, drug/gene delivery, as well as multifunctional therapeutics.

Recent advances in prodrug-based nanoparticle therapeutics

Extensive research into prodrug modification of active pharmaceutical ingredients and nanoparticle drug delivery systems has led to unprecedented levels of control over the pharmacological properties of drugs and resulted in the approval of many prodrug or nanoparticle-based therapies. In recent years, the combination of these two strategies into prodrug-based nanoparticle drug delivery systems (PNDDS) has been explored as a way to further advance nanomedicine and identify novel therapies for difficult-to-treat indications. Many of the PNDDS currently in the clinical development pipeline are expected to enter the market in the coming years, making the rapidly evolving field of PNDDS highly relevant to pharmaceutical scientists. This review paper is intended to introduce PNDDS to the novice reader while also updating those working in the field with a comprehensive summary of recent efforts. To that end, first, an overview of FDA-approved prodrugs is provided to familiarize the reader with their advantages over traditional small molecule drugs and to describe the chemistries that can be used to create them. Because this article is part of a themed issue on nanoparticles, only a brief introduction to nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems is provided summarizing their successful application and unfulfilled opportunities. Finally, the review's centerpiece is a detailed discussion of rationally designed PNDDS formulations in development that successfully leverage the strengths of prodrug and nanoparticle approaches to yield highly effective therapeutic options for the treatment of many diseases.

Sorafenib-Loaded Nanoparticles Based on Biodegradable Dendritic Polymers for Enhanced Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE

In spite of its enhanced efficacy and reduced side effects in clinical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy, the therapeutic efficacy of antitumor angiogenesis inhibitor sorafenib (SFB) is still restricted due to short in vivo half-life and drug resistance. Here, a novel SFB-loaded dendritic polymeric nanoparticle (NP-TPGS-SFB) was developed for enhanced therapy of HCC.

METHODS

NP-TPGS-SFB was fabricated by encapsulating SFB with biodegradable dendritic polymers poly(amidoamine)-poly(γ-benzyl-L-Glutamate)-b-D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (PAM-PBLG-b-TPGS).

RESULTS

NP-TPGS-SFB exhibited excellent stability and achieved acid-responsive release of SFB. It also exhibited much higher cellular uptake efficiency in HepG2 human liver cells than PEG-conjugated NP (NP-PEG-SFB). Furthermore, MTT assay confirmed that NP-TPGS-SFB induced higher cytotoxicity than NP-PEG-SFB and free SFB, respectively. Lastly, NP-TPGS-SFB significantly inhibited tumor growth in mice bearing HepG2 xenografts, with negligible side effects.

CONCLUSION

Our result suggests that NP-TPGS-SFB may be a novel approach for enhanced therapy of HCC with promising potential.

Bioinspired hyaluronic acid and polyarginine nanoparticles for DACHPt delivery

This work here presented provides insights over a novel biodegradable polymeric nanosystem made of hyaluronic acid and polyarginine for diaminocyclohexane-platinum (DACHPt) encapsulation. Using mild conditions based on ionic gelation technique, monodispersed blank and DACHPt-loaded nanoparticles (NP) with a size of around 200 nm and negative ζ potential (-35 mV) were obtained. The freeze-drying process was optimized to improve the stability and shelf-life of the developed nanoparticles. After reconstitution, nanoparticles maintained their size showing an association efficiency of around 70% and a high drug loading (8%). In vitro cytotoxicity studies revealed that DACHPt-loaded nanoparticles had a superior anticancer activity compared with oxaliplatin solution. The IC50 was reduced by a factor of two in HT-29 cells (IC50 39 µM vs 74 µM, respectively), and resulted almost 1.3 fold lower in B6KPC3 cells (18 µM vs 23 µM respectively). Whereas toxic effects of both drug and DACHPt-loaded nanoparticles were comparable in the A549 cell line (IC50 11 µM vs 12 µM). DACHPt-loaded nanoparticles were also able to modulate immunogenic cell death (ICD) in vitro. After incubation with B6KPC3 cells, an increase in HMGB1 (high-mobility group box 1) production associated with ATP release occurred. Then, in vivo pharmacokinetic studies were performed after intravenous injection (IV) of DACHPt-loaded nanoparticles and oxaliplatin solution in healthy mice (35.9 µg of platinum equivalent/mouse). An AUC six times higher (24 h * mg/L) than the value obtained following the administration of oxaliplatin solution (3.76 h * mg/L) was found. C_max was almost five times higher than the control (11.4 mg/L for NP vs 2.48 mg/L). Moreover, the reduction in volume of distribution and clearance clearly indicated a more limited tissue distribution. A simulated repeated IV regimen was performed in silico and showed no accumulation of platinum from the nanoparticles. Overall, the proposed approach discloses a novel nano-oncological treatment based on platinum derivative with improved antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo stability as compared to the free drug.

pH-Responsive Dual Drug-Loaded Nanocarriers Based on Poly (2-Ethyl-2-Oxazoline) Modified Black Phosphorus Nanosheets for Cancer Chemo/Photothermal Therapy

Synergistic cancer therapy, such as those combining chemotherapeutic and photothermal methods, has stronger treatment effect than that of individual ones. However, it is challenging to efficiently deliver nanocarriers into tumor cells to elevate intracellular drug concentration. Herein, we developed an effective pH-responsive and dual drug co-delivery platform for combined chemo/photothermal therapy. An anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was first loaded onto the surface of black phosphorus (BP). With poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEOz) ligand conjugated onto the polydopamine (PDA) coated BP nanosheets, targeted long circulation and cellular uptake in vivo was significantly improved. With another anticancer drug bortezomib (BTZ) loaded onto the surface of the nanocapsule, the platform can co-deliver two different drugs. The surface charge of the nanocapsule was reversed from negative to positive at the tumor extracellular pH (∼6.8), ionizing the tertiary amide groups along the PEOz chain, thus facilitating the cell internalization of the nanocarrier. The cytotoxicity therapeutic effect of this nanoplatform was further augmented under near-infrared laser irradiation. As such, our DOX-loaded BP@PDA-PEOz-BTZ platform is very promising to synergistic cancer therapy.