Albumin Nano-Encapsulation of Piceatannol Enhances Its Anticancer Potential in Colon Cancer Via Downregulation of Nuclear p65 and HIF-1α

Trend of albumin nanoparticles in oncology: a bibliometric analysis of research progress and prospects

Background

Delivery systems based on albumin nanoparticles (NPs) have recently garnered substantial interest in anti-tumor drug development. However, systematic bibliometric analyses in this field remain lacking. This study aimed to analyze the current research status, hotspots, and frontiers in the application of albumin NPs in the field of oncology from a bibliometric perspective.

Methods

Using the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) as the data source, retrieved articles were analyzed using software, such as VOSviewer 1.6.18 and CiteSpace 6.1.6, and the relevant visualization maps were plotted.

Results

From 1 January 2000, to 15 April 2024, 2,262 institutions from 67 countries/regions published 1,624 articles related to the application of albumin NPs in the field of oncology. The USA was a leader in this field and held a formidable academic reputation. The most productive institution was the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The most productive author was Youn YS, whereas Kratz F was the most frequently co-cited author. The most productive journal was the International Journal of Nanomedicine, whereas the Journal of Controlled Release was the most co-cited journal. Future research hotspots and frontiers included "rapid and convenient synthesis methods predominated by self-assembly," "surface modification," "construction of multifunctional NPs for theranostics," "research on natural active ingredients mainly based on phenolic compounds," "combination therapy," and "clinical applications."

Conclusion

Based on our bibliometric analysis and summary, we obtained an overview of the research on albumin NPs in the field of oncology, identified the most influential countries, institutions, authors, journals, and citations, and discussed the current research hotspots and frontiers in this field. Our study may serve as an important reference for future research in this field.

Recent progress in biomimetic nanomedicines based on versatile targeting strategy for atherosclerosis therapy

Atherosclerosis (AS) is considered to be one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease. Its pathological microenvironment is characterised by increased production of reactive oxygen species, lipid oxides, and excessive inflammatory factors, which accumulate at the monolayer endothelial cells in the vascular wall to form AS plaques. Therefore, intervention in the pathological microenvironment would be beneficial in delaying AS. Researchers have designed biomimetic nanomedicines with excellent biocompatibility and the ability to avoid being cleared by the immune system through different therapeutic strategies to achieve better therapeutic effects for the characteristics of AS. Biomimetic nanomedicines can further enhance delivery efficiency and improve treatment efficacy due to their good biocompatibility and ability to evade clearance by the immune system. Biomimetic nanomedicines based on therapeutic strategies such as neutralising inflammatory factors, ROS scavengers, lipid clearance and integration of diagnosis and treatment are versatile approaches for effective treatment of AS. The review firstly summarises the targeting therapeutic strategy of biomimetic nanomedicine for AS in recent 5 years. Biomimetic nanomedicines using cell membranes, proteins, and extracellular vesicles as carriers have been developed for AS.

Natural Stilbenes: Their Role in Colorectal Cancer Prevention, DNA Methylation, and Therapy

The resistance of colorectal cancer (CRC) to conventional therapeutic modalities, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, along with the associated side effects, significantly limits effective anticancer strategies. Numerous epigenetic investigations have unveiled that naturally occurring stilbenes can modify or reverse abnormal epigenetic alterations, particularly aberrant DNA methylation status, offering potential avenues for preventing or treating CRC. By modulating the activity of the DNA methylation machinery components, phytochemicals may influence the various stages of CRC carcinogenesis through multiple molecular mechanisms. Several epigenetic studies, especially preclinical research, have highlighted the effective DNA methylation modulatory effects of stilbenes with minimal adverse effects on organisms, particularly in combination therapies for CRC. However, the available preclinical and clinical data regarding the effects of commonly encountered stilbenes against CRC are currently limited. Therefore, additional epigenetic research is warranted to explore the preventive potential of these phytochemicals in CRC development and to validate their therapeutic application in the prevention and treatment of CRC. This review aims to provide an overview of selected bioactive stilbenes as potential chemopreventive agents for CRC with a focus on their modulatory mechanisms of action, especially in targeting alterations in DNA methylation machinery in CRC.

Exploring the therapeutic potential of naturally occurring piceatannol in non-communicable diseases

Piceatannol is a naturally occurring hydroxylated resveratrol analogue that can be found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. It has been documented to have a wide range of beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-allergic, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, and chemopreventive properties. Piceatannol has significantly higher antioxidant activity than resveratrol. Piceatannol has been shown in preclinical studies to have the ability to inhibit or reduce the growth of cancers in various organs such as the brain, breast, lung, colon, cervical, liver, prostate, and skin. However, the bioavailability of Piceatannol is comparatively lower than resveratrol and other stilbenes. Several approaches have been reported in recent years to enhance its bioavailability and biological activity, and clinical trials are required to validate these findings. This review focuses on several aspects of natural stilbene Piceatannol, its chemistry, and its mechanism of action, and its promising therapeutic potential for the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of complex human diseases.

Factors Affecting the Synthesis of Bovine Serum Albumin Nanoparticles Using the Desolvation Method

Currently, protein-based nanoparticles are in high demand as drug delivery systems due to their exceptional qualities, including nontoxicity, nonantigenicity, and biodegradability. Other qualities include high nutritional value, abundance of renewable resources, excellent drug binding capacity, greater stability during storage and in vivo, as well as ease of upgrading during manufacture. Examples of protein suitable for this purpose include ovalbumin (OVA) derived from egg white, human serum albumin (HSA), and bovine serum albumin (BSA). To create albumin nanoparticles, six different processes have been investigated in depth and are frequently used in drug delivery systems. These included desolvation, thermal gelation, emulsification, NAB technology, self-assembly, and nanospray drying. Several experimental conditions in the synthesis of albumin nanoparticles can affect the physicochemical characterization. Therefore, this study aimed to provide an overview of various experimental conditions capable of affecting the physicochemical characteristics of BSA nanoparticles formed using the desolvation method. By considering the variation in optimal experimental conditions, a delivery system of BSA nanoparticles with the best physicochemical characterization results could be developed.

Translational Challenges and Prospective Solutions in the Implementation of Biomimetic Delivery Systems

Biomimetic delivery systems (BDSs), inspired by the intricate designs of biological systems, have emerged as a groundbreaking paradigm in nanomedicine, offering unparalleled advantages in therapeutic delivery. These systems, encompassing platforms such as liposomes, protein-based nanoparticles, extracellular vesicles, and polysaccharides, are lauded for their targeted delivery, minimized side effects, and enhanced therapeutic outcomes. However, the translation of BDSs from research settings to clinical applications is fraught with challenges, including reproducibility concerns, physiological stability, and rigorous efficacy and safety evaluations. Furthermore, the innovative nature of BDSs demands the reevaluation and evolution of existing regulatory and ethical frameworks. This review provides an overview of BDSs and delves into the multifaceted translational challenges and present emerging solutions, underscored by real-world case studies. Emphasizing the potential of BDSs to redefine healthcare, we advocate for sustained interdisciplinary collaboration and research. As our understanding of biological systems deepens, the future of BDSs in clinical translation appears promising, with a focus on personalized medicine and refined patient-specific delivery systems.

Probing the links: Long non-coding RNAs and NF-κB signalling in atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that involves the accumulation of lipids and immune cells in the arterial wall. NF-kB signaling is a key regulator of inflammation and is known to play a critical role in atherosclerosis. Recent studies have shown that lncRNAs can regulate NF-kB and contribute to the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Preliminary findings reveal significant alterations in the expression of specific lncRNAs in atherosclerotic lesions compared to healthy arterial tissue. Experimental evidence suggests that these dysregulated lncRNAs can influence the NF-kB pathway. By unravelling the crosstalk between lncRNAs and NF-kB signaling, this review aims to enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis. Identifying novel therapeutic targets and diagnostic markers may lead to developing interventions and management strategies for this prevalent cardiovascular disease. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the role of lncRNAs in NF-kB signaling in atherosclerosis and highlights their potential as therapeutic targets for this disease.

Human Serum Albumin Based Nanodrug Delivery Systems: Recent Advances and Future Perspective

With the success of several clinical trials of products based on human serum albumin (HSA) and the rapid development of nanotechnology, HSA-based nanodrug delivery systems (HBNDSs) have received extensive attention in the field of nanomedicine. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive reviews exploring the broader scope of HBNDSs in biomedical applications beyond cancer therapy. To address this gap, this review takes a systematic approach. Firstly, it focuses on the crystal structure and the potential binding sites of HSA. Additionally, it provides a comprehensive summary of recent progresses in the field of HBNDSs for various biomedical applications over the past five years, categorized according to the type of therapeutic drugs loaded onto HSA. These categories include small-molecule drugs, inorganic materials and bioactive ingredients. Finally, the review summarizes the characteristics and current application status of HBNDSs in drug delivery, and also discusses the challenges that need to be addressed for the clinical transformation of HSA formulations and offers future perspectives in this field.

The Antiproliferative Activity of Adiantum pedatum Extract and/or Piceatannol in Phenylhydrazine-Induced Colon Cancer in Male Albino Rats: The miR-145 Expression of the PI-3K/Akt/p53 and Oct4/Sox2/Nanog Pathways

Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide, and its incidence is increasing. Despite advances in medical science, the treatment of colon cancer still poses a significant challenge. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of Adiantum pedatum (AP) extract and/or piceatannol on colon cancer induced via phenylhydrazine (PHZ) in terms of the antioxidant and apoptotic pathways and histopathologic changes in the colons of male albino rats. The rats were randomly divided into eight groups: control, AP extract, piceatannol (P), PHZ, PHZ and AP treatments, PHZ and P treatments, PHZ and both AP and P, and PHZ and prophylaxis with both AP and P. The results demonstrated that PHZ induced oxidative damage, apoptosis, and histopathological changes compared to the control group. However, the administration of AP or P or AP + P as therapy or prophylaxis significantly ameliorated these changes and upregulated the colonic mir-145 and mRNA expression of P53 and PDCD-4 while downregulating the colonic mRNA expression of PI3K, AKT, c-Myc, CK-20, SOX-2, OCT-4, and NanoG compared to the PHZ group. These findings suggest that the candidate drugs may exert their anti-cancer effects through multiple mechanisms, including antioxidant and apoptotic activities.

Newly Developed Electrochemiluminescence Based on Bipolar Electrochemistry for Multiplex Biosensing Applications: A Consolidated Review

Recently, there has been an upsurge in the extent to which electrochemiluminescence (ECL) working in synergy with bipolar electrochemistry (BPE) is being applied in simple biosensing devices, especially in a clinical setup. The key objective of this particular write-up is to present a consolidated review of ECL-BPE, providing a three-dimensional perspective incorporating its strengths, weaknesses, limitations, and potential applications as a biosensing technique. The review encapsulates critical insights into the latest and novel developments in the field of ECL-BPE, including innovative electrode designs and newly developed, novel luminophores and co-reactants employed in ECL-BPE systems, along with challenges, such as optimization of the interelectrode distance, electrode miniaturization and electrode surface modification for enhancing sensitivity and selectivity. Moreover, this consolidated review will provide an overview of the latest, novel applications and advances made in this field with a bias toward multiplex biosensing based on the past five years of research. The studies reviewed herein, indicate that the technology is rapidly advancing at an outstanding purse and has an immense potential to revolutionize the general field of biosensing. This perspective aims to stimulate innovative ideas and inspire researchers alike to incorporate some elements of ECL-BPE into their studies, thereby steering this field into previously unexplored domains that may lead to unexpected, interesting discoveries. For instance, the application of ECL-BPE in other challenging and complex sample matrices such as hair for bioanalytical purposes is currently an unexplored area. Of great significance, a substantial fraction of the content in this review article is based on content from research articles published between the years 2018 and 2023.

Recent advancement on albumin nanoparticles in treating lung carcinoma

With the advancement of nanotechnology, many different forms of nanoparticles (NPs) are created, which specifically enhance anticancer drug delivery to tumor cells. Albumin bio-macromolecule is a flexible protein carrier for the delivery of drugs that is biodegradable, biocompatible, and non-toxic. As a result, it presents itself as an ideal material for developing nanoparticles for anticancer drug delivery. Toxicological investigations demonstrated that this novel drug delivery technique is safe for use in the human population. Furthermore, drug compatibility with the albumin nanoparticle is remarkable. The robust structure of the nanoparticle, high drug encapsulation, and customizable drug release make it a promising carrier option for the treatment of lung cancer. In this review, we summarize human serum albumin and bovine serum albumin in the targeted delivery of anticancer drugs to lung cancer cells.

Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) mediated improved oral bioavailability of thymoquinone: optimization, characterization, pharmacokinetic, and hepatotoxicity studies

Thymoquinone (TQ) is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective compound obtained from the black seed oil of Nigella sativa. However, high hydrophobicity, instability at higher pH levels, photosensitivity, and low oral bioavailability hinder its delivery to the target tissues. A self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) was fabricated using the microemulsification technique to address these issues. Its physicochemical properties, thermodynamic stability studies, drug release kinetics, in vivo pharmacokinetics, and hepatoprotective activity were evaluated. The droplet size was in the nano-range (< 90 nm). Zeta potential was measured to be -11.35 mV, signifying the high stability of the oil droplets. In vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation showed a fourfold increase in the bioavailability of TQ-SNEDDS over pure TQ. Furthermore, in a PCM-induced animal model, TQ-SNEDDS demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) hepatoprotective activity compared to pure TQ and silymarin. Reduction in liver biomarker enzymes and histopathological examinations of liver sections further supported the results. In this study, SNEDDS was demonstrated to be an improved oral delivery method for TQ, since it potentiates hepatotoxicity and enhances bioavailability.

Current trends in the use of human serum albumin for drug delivery in cancer

INTRODUCTION

Human serum albumin is the most abundant transport protein in plasma, which has recently been extensively utilized to form nanoparticles for drug delivery in cancer. The primary reason for selecting albumin protein as drug delivery cargo is its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and non-immunogenicity. Moreover, the albumin structure containing three homologous domains constituted of a single polypeptide (585 amino acid) incorporates various hydrophobic drugs by non-covalent interactions. Albumin shows active tumor targeting via their interaction with gp60 and SPARC proteins abundant in the tumor-associated endothelial cells and the tumor microenvironment.

AREAS COVERED

The review discusses the importance of albumin as a drug-carrier system, general procedures to prepare albumin NPs, and the current trends in using albumin-based nanomedicines to deliver various chemotherapeutic agents. The various applications of albumin in the nanomedicines, such as NPs surface modifier and fabrication of hybrid/active-tumor targeted NPs, are delineated based on current trends.

EXPERT OPINION

Nanomedicines have the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment. However, clinical translation is limited majorly due to the lack of suitable nanomaterials offering systemic stability, optimum drug encapsulation, tumor-targeted delivery, sustained drug release, and biocompatibility. The potential of albumin could be explored in nanomedicines fabrication for superior treatment outcomes in cancer.

Piceatannol Prevents Colon Cancer Progression via Dual-Targeting to M2-Polarized Tumor-Associated Macrophages and the TGF-β1 Positive Feedback Signaling Pathway

SCOPE

M2 phenotype tumor-associated macrophages (M2-TAMs) play a key role in distant metastasis and poor clinical outcomes. Herein, a specific molecular mechanism that contributes to malignant progression is illuminated and investigates whether piceatannol (PIC) can target the crosstalk between M2-TAMs and cancer cells for potential colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy.

METHODS AND RESULTS

To mimic the tumor microenvironment (TME), direct and indirect coculture systems in vitro and in vivo mouse xenograft models are established. The results demonstrate that post-treatment with PIC in TME more effectively prevented the aggressive features and stemness of SW480 cells by restricting the polarization of M2-like macrophages and blocking the transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) positive feedback autocrine/paracrine loop that exists between M2-like polarized macrophages and cancer cells. Furthermore, xenograft assays also observe significant repression in tumor growth and lung metastases with the administration of PIC. The key mechanism underlying the antimetastasis effects of PIC may include its directly inhibitory activity against TGF-β receptor type-1 (TGF-βR1) in the M2-like TAMs-created TME.

CONCLUSION

These novel findings demonstrate that PIC is a potent TGF-β1/TGF-βR1 pathway inhibitor and TME modulator for preventing tumor progression and metastasis in CRC by reeducating TAMs.

Bioactive compounds: Application of albumin nanocarriers as delivery systems

Enriched products with bioactive compounds (BCs) show the capacity to produce a wide range of possible health effects. Most BCs are essentially hydrophobic and sensitive to environmental factors; so, encapsulation becomes a strategy to solve these problems. Many globular proteins have the intrinsic ability to bind, protect, encapsulate, and introduce BCs into nutraceutical or pharmaceutical matrices. Among them, albumins as human serum albumin (HSA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), ovalbumin (OVA) and α-lactalbumin (ALA) are widely abundant, available, and applied in many industrial sectors, becoming promissory materials to encapsulate BCs. Therefore, this review focuses on researches about the main groups of natural origin BCs (namely phenolic compounds, lipids, vitamins, and carotenoids), the different types of nanostructures based on albumins to encapsulate them and the main fields of application for BCs-loaded albumin systems. In this context, phenolic compounds (catechins, quercetin, and chrysin) are the most extensively BCs studied and encapsulated in albumin-based nanocarriers. Other extensively studied subgroups are stilbenes and curcuminoids. Regarding lipids and vitamins; terpenes, carotenoids (β-carotene), and xanthophylls (astaxanthin) are the most considered. The main application areas of BCs are related to their antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Finally, BSA is the most used albumin to produced BCs-loaded nanocarriers.

pH-Sensitive nanoparticles containing 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin as an improved anti-cancer option for colon cancer

Background: Parenteral administration of chemotherapeutic drugs, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV), is commonly used to treat large bowel carcinomas such as colon cancer (CC) and colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Aim: Our study aims to design a novel nanoparticulate drug-delivery vehicle for oral use capable of colon-specific release. Methods: A modified double-emulsion solvent evaporation method was used in the preparation of pH-responsive Eudargit^® S100 polymeric nanoparticles, loaded with 5-FU/LV combination (5-FU/LV-loaded Eudargit S100 NPs). Results: Our optimized drug-loaded NP showed a pH-responsive drug release and exhibited significantly more cytotoxic actions in cancer-cell lines than free drugs. Conclusion: These findings open the way for conducting clinical trials for colon malignancies treated with nanoparticles.

Recent Progress of RGD Modified Liposomes as Multistage Rocket Against Cancer

Cancer is a life-threatening disease, contributing approximately 9.4 million deaths worldwide. To address this challenge, scientific researchers have investigated molecules that could act as speed-breakers for cancer. As an abiotic drug delivery system, liposomes can hold both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs, which promote a controlled release, accumulate in the tumor microenvironment, and achieve elongated half-life with an enhanced safety profile. To further improve the safety and impair the off-target effect, the surface of liposomes could be modified in a way that is easily identified by cancer cells, promotes uptake, and facilitates angiogenesis. Integrins are overexpressed on cancer cells, which upon activation promote downstream cell signaling and eventually activate specific pathways, promoting cell growth, proliferation, and migration. RGD peptides are easily recognized by integrin over expressed cells. Just like a multistage rocket, ligand anchored liposomes can be selectively recognized by target cells, accumulate at the specific site, and finally, release the drug in a specific and desired way. This review highlights the role of integrin in cancer development, so gain more insights into the phenomenon of tumor initiation and survival. Since RGD is recognized by the integrin family, the fate of RGD has been demonstrated after its binding with the acceptor’s family. The role of RGD based liposomes in targeting various cancer cells is also highlighted in the paper.

Piceatannol alleviates glucolipotoxicity induced vascular barrier injury through inhibition of the ROS/NF-kappa B signaling pathway

Vascular barrier dysfunction is considered as the initial and critical event in atherosclerosis progression. Recent studies have revealed that treatment with piceatannol (PIC) alleviates both acute and chronic responses to vascular injury. We investigated whether PIC treatment would have beneficial effects on glucolipotoxicity-induced endothelial barrier dysfunction. Target proteins of PIC were identified from several online databases. Then, we confirmed the effect of PIC on endothelial barrier function. PIC treatment mitigated the impairment of endothelial cell motility, adhesion and migration ability associated with high glucose/lipid stimulation. PIC stabilized cytoskeletal reorganization and expression of cell cytoskeletal associated proteins GTPase. PIC reversed changes in critical vascular junction proteins and thus preserved endothelial barrier function and permeability. Finally, we confirmed that reducing of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)/p65 activation and elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were involved in the protective effect of PIC against glucolipotoxicity-induced vascular barrier injury. We identify PIC as a promising therapeutic strategy for glucolipotoxicity-induced endothelial barrier injury.

Engineering nanomedicines to inhibit hypoxia-inducible Factor-1 for cancer therapy

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), an essential promoter of tumor progression, has attracted increasing attention as a therapeutic target. In addition to hypoxic cellular conditions, HIF-1 activation can be triggered by cancer treatment, which causes drug tolerance and therapeutic failure. To date, a series of effective strategies have been explored to suppress HIF-1 function, including silencing the HIF-1α gene, inhibiting HIF-1α protein translation, degrading HIF-1α protein, and inhibiting HIF-1 transcription. Furthermore, nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems have been widely developed to improve the stability and pharmacokinetics of HIF-1 inhibitors or achieve HIF-1-targeted combination therapies as a nanoplatform. In this review, we summarize the current literature on nanomedicines targeting HIF-1 to combat cancer and discuss their potential for future development.

Development of an Icariin-Loaded Bilosome-Melittin Formulation with Improved Anticancer Activity against Cancerous Pancreatic Cells

Pancreatic cancer currently represents a severe issue for the entire world. Therefore, much effort has been made to develop an effective treatment against it. Emerging evidence has shown that icariin, a flavonoid glycoside, is an effective anti-pancreatic cancer drug. Melittin, as a natural active biomolecule, has also shown to possess anticancer activities. In the present study, with the aim to increase its effectiveness against cancerous cells, icariin-loaded bilosome-melittin (ICA-BM) was developed. For the selection of an optimized ICA-BM, an experimental design was implemented, which provided an optimized formulation with a particle size equal to 158.4 nm. After estimation of the release pattern, the anti-pancreatic cancer efficacy of this new formulation was evaluated. The MTT assay was employed for the determination of half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀), providing smaller IC₅₀ for ICA-BM (2.79 ± 0.2 µM) compared to blank-BM and ICA-Raw (free drug) against PNAC1, a human pancreatic cancer cell line isolated from a pancreatic carcinoma of ductal cell origin. Additionally, cell cycle analysis for ICA-BM demonstrated cell arrest at the S-phase and pre-G1 phase, which indicated a pro-apoptotic behavior of the new developed formulation. The pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative activity of the optimized ICA-BM against PNAC1 cells was also demonstrated through annexin V staining as well as estimation of caspase-3 and p53 protein levels. It can be concluded that the optimized ICA-BM formulation significantly improved the efficacy of icariin against cancerous pancreatic cells.

Development and evaluation of the effect of ethanol and surfactant in vesicular carriers on Lamivudine permeation through the skin

The skin embodies a relatively large and readily accessible surface area to absorb a drug through a non-invasive procedure. The vesicular carrier systems such as liposomes, ethosomes, and transethosomes have been explored as non-invasive systems for transdermal delivery of drugs. In the present study, different vesicular carriers were prepared by the thin-film hydration method with modification, and various parameters like size, elasticity, and release profiles were evaluated. Ethosomes and transethosomes have shown the smaller size of 362.21 ± 55.76 and 314.34 ± 41.21 nm, with deformity of 19.34% and 25.04%, respectively, compared with liposomes. The FTIR study of the skin before and after the application of vesicular formulation was performed. The ethosomes and transethosomes changed the orthorhombic phase to the liquid crystalline phase to move the vesicular carrier with the drug to cross the stratum corneum (SC) of the skin. The thermotropic behaviour of drug and vesicular carrier ingredients was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Fluorescence images of vesicular-skin permeation have revealed that ethosome and transethosome formulation have shown deeper penetration across the SC and epidermis. The in vitro drug release from the ethosomes and transethosomes has shown 93.34 ± 1.23% and 95.45 ± 2.67% of drug release using Franz diffusion cell and porcine skin as a membrane. The nanostructured flexible vesicular carrier containing ethanol alone and a combination of ethanol and edge activator is a perfect carrier for drug penetration to the deeper skin layer and maintaining the sustained release of drug for a prolonged time.

RGD engineered dendrimer nanotherapeutic as an emerging targeted approach in cancer therapy

A bird's eye view is now demanded in the area of cancer research to suppress the suffering of cancer patient and mediate the lack of treatment related to chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is always preferred over surgery or radiation therapy, but they never met the patient's demand of safe medication. Targeted therapy has now been in research that could hinder the unnecessary effect of drug on normal cells but could affect the tumor cells in much efficient manner. Angiogenesis is process involved in development of new blood vessel that nourishes tumor growth. Integrin receptors are over expressed on cancer cells that play vital role in angiogenesis for growth and metastasis of tumor cell. A delivery of RGD based peptide to integrin targeted site could help in its successful binding and liberation of drug in tumor vasculature. Dendrimers, in addition to its excellent pharmacokinetic properties also helps to carry targeting ligand to site of tumor by successfully conjugating with them. The aim of this review is to bring light upon the role of integrin in cancer progression, interaction of RGD to integrin receptor and more importantly the RGD-dendrimer based targeted therapy for the treatment of various cancers.

Nanoencapsulation of Polyphenols as Drugs and Supplements for Enhancing Therapeutic Profile - A Review

Polyphenolic phytoconstituents have been widely in use worldwide since ages and are categorised as secondary metabolites of plants. The application of polyphenols such as quercetin, resveratrol. curcumin as nutritional supplement has been researched widely. The use of polyphenols, and specifically quercetin for improving the memory and mental endurance have shown significant effects among rats. Even though similar results has not been resonated among human but encouraging preclinical results have encouraged researchers to explore other polyphenols to study the effects as supplements among athletes. The phytopharmacological research has elucidated the use of natural polyphenols to prevent and treat various physiological and metabolic disorders owing to its free radical scavenging properties, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and immunomodulatory effects. In spite of the tremendous pharmacological profile, one of the most dominant problem regarding the use of polyphenolic compounds is their low bioavailability. Nanonization is considered as one of the most prominent approaches among many. This article aims to review and discuss the molecular mechanisms of recently developed nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems for polyphenols and its application as drugs and supplements. Nanoformulations of natural polyphenols are bioactive agents, such as quercetin, kaempferol, fisetin, rutin, hesperetin, and naringenin epigalloccatechin-3-gallate, genistein, ellagic acid, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, curcuminoids and stilbenes is expected to have better efficacy. These delivery systems are expected to provide higher penetrability of polyphenols at cellular levels and exhibit a controlled release of the drugs. It is widely accepted that natural polyphenols do demonstrate significant therapeutic effect. However, the hindrances in their absorption, specificity and bioavailability can be overcome using nanotechnology.

Anti-Cancer Activity of Phytochemicals Targeting Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 Alpha

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is overexpressed in cancer, leading to a poor prognosis in patients. Diverse cellular factors are able to regulate HIF-1α expression in hypoxia and even in non-hypoxic conditions, affecting its progression and malignant characteristics by regulating the expression of the HIF-1α target genes that are involved in cell survival, angiogenesis, metabolism, therapeutic resistance, et cetera. Numerous studies have exhibited the anti-cancer effect of HIF-1α inhibition itself and the augmentation of anti-cancer treatment efficacy by interfering with HIF-1α-mediated signaling. The anti-cancer effect of plant-derived phytochemicals has been evaluated, and they have been found to possess significant therapeutic potentials against numerous cancer types. A better understanding of phytochemicals is indispensable for establishing advanced strategies for cancer therapy. This article reviews the anti-cancer effect of phytochemicals in connection with HIF-1α regulation.

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF): Fuel for Cancer Progression

Hypoxia is an integral part of the tumor microenvironment, caused primarily due to rapidly multiplying tumor cells and a lack of proper blood supply. Among the major hypoxic pathways, HIF-1 transcription factor activation is one of the widely investigated pathways in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME). HIF-1 is known to activate several adaptive reactions in response to oxygen deficiency in tumor cells. HIF-1 has two subunits, HIF-1β (constitutive) and HIF-1α (inducible). The HIF-1α expression is largely regulated via various cytokines (through PI3K-ACT-mTOR signals), which involves the cascading of several growth factors and oncogenic cascades. These events lead to the loss of cellular tumor suppressant activity through changes in the level of oxygen via oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent pathways. The significant and crucial role of HIF in cancer progression and its underlying mechanisms have gained much attention lately among the translational researchers in the fields of cancer and biological sciences, which have enabled them to correlate these mechanisms with various other disease modalities. In the present review, we have summarized the key findings related to the role of HIF in the progression of tumors.

Formulation, Characterisation and In vitro Cytotoxic Effect of Lens culinaris Medikus Seeds Extract Loaded Chitosan Microspheres

OBJECTIVE

The aim of present study was to formulate chitosan microspheres loaded with ethanolic extract of Lens culinaris Medikus (L.culinaris) seeds (ME) and to explore its anticancer potential against lung cancer (A549) cell line.

METHODS

Central composite design was applied to prepare and optimise the chitosan microspheres. The prepared microspheres were evaluated for its physicochemical characterisation, in vitro drug release and anti-cancer potential in vitro.

RESULTS

L.culinaris loaded chitosan microspheres were prepared successfully with suitable particle size, entrapment efficiency and drug release. The developed ME were spherical shaped with the particle size of 2.08 μm. The drug entrapment efficiency and cumulative drug release was found 1.58±0.02% and 81.95±0.35%, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry studies revealed no interaction between drugs and polymers used. The cytotoxic effect of the optimised formulation revealed a significant response as compared to the ethanolic extract of L.culinaris seeds (IC₅₀: 22.56 μg/ml vs. 63.58 μg/ml), which was comparable to that of reference drug, doxorubicin (22 μg/ml). These observations demonstrate that the optimised microspheres are effective against lung cancer (A549) cells.

CONCLUSION

The significant cytotoxic response of the developed microspheres may be attributed due to its low particle size, high entrapment efficiency and prolonged drug release profile.

Increasing the Power of Polyphenols through Nanoencapsulation for Adjuvant Therapy against Cardiovascular Diseases

Polyphenols play a therapeutic role in vascular diseases, acting in inherent illness-associate conditions such as inflammation, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and oxidative stress, as demonstrated by clinical trials and epidemiological surveys. The main polyphenol cardioprotective mechanisms rely on increased nitric oxide, decreased asymmetric dimethylarginine levels, upregulation of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes via the Nrf2-ARE pathway and anti-inflammatory action through the redox-sensitive transcription factor NF-κB and PPAR-γ receptor. However, poor polyphenol bioavailability and extensive metabolization restrict their applicability. Polyphenols carried by nanoparticles circumvent these limitations providing controlled release and better solubility, chemical protection, and target achievement. Nano-encapsulate polyphenols loaded in food grade polymers and lipids appear to be safe, gaining resistance in the enteric route for intestinal absorption, in which the mucoadhesiveness ensures their increased uptake, achieving high systemic levels in non-metabolized forms. Nano-capsules confer a gradual release to these compounds, as well as longer half-lives and cell and whole organism permanence, reinforcing their effectiveness, as demonstrated in pre-clinical trials, enabling their application as an adjuvant therapy against cardiovascular diseases. Polyphenol entrapment in nanoparticles should be encouraged in nutraceutical manufacturing for the fortification of foods and beverages. This study discusses pre-clinical trials evaluating how nano-encapsulate polyphenols following oral administration can aid in cardiovascular performance.

Berberine-Albumin Nanoparticles: Preparation, Thermodynamic Study and Evaluation Their Protective Effects Against Oxidative Stress in Primary Neuronal Cells as a Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Berberine has shown an outstanding antioxidant activity, however the low bioavailability limits its applications in pharmaceutical platforms. Therefore, in this paper, after fabrication of the berberine-HSA nanoparticles by desolvation method, they were well characterized by TEM, SEM, DLS, and FTIR techniques. Afterwards the interaction of HSA and the berberine was evaluated by molecular docking analysis. Finally, the antioxidant activity of the berberine-HSA nanoparticles against H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in cultured neurons as a model of AD was evaluated by cellular assays. The results showed that the prepared berberine-HSA nanoparticles have a spherical-shaped morphology with a size of around 100 nm and zeta potential value of -31.84 mV. The solubility value of nanoparticles was calculated to be 40.27%, with a berberine loading of 19.37%, berberine entrapment efficiency of 70.34%, and nanoparticles yield of 88.91%. Also, it was shown that the berberine is not significantly released from HSA nanoparticles within 24 hours. Afterwards, molecular docking investigation revealed that berberine spontaneously interacts with HSA through electrostatic interaction. Finally, cellular assays disclosed that the pretreatment of neuronal cultures with berberine-HSA nanoparticles decreased the H₂O₂-stimulated cytotoxicity and relevant morphological changes and enhanced the CAT activity. In conclusion, it can be indicated that the nanoformulation of the berberine can be used as a promising platform for inhibition of oxidative damage-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Human Serum Albumin as Multifunctional Nanocarrier for Cancer Therapy

Human serum albumin or simply called albumin is a flexible protein employed as a carrier in the fabrication of albumin-based nanocarriers (ANCs) for the administration of cancer therapeutics. Albumin can contribute enhanced tumour specificity, reduced drug induced cytotoxicity and retain concentration of the therapeutically active agent such as drug, peptide, protein, and gene for a prolonged time duration. Nevertheless, apart from cancer management, ANCs are also employed in the diagnosis, imaging, and multimodal cancer therapy. This article figures out salient characteristics, design as well as categories of ANCs in the context of their application in cancer management. In addition, this review article discusses the fabrication methods of ANCs, use of ANCs in gene, cancer, and multimodal therapy along with cancer diagnosis and imaging. Lastly, this review also briefly discusses about (ANCs) formulations, commercial products, and those under clinical testing.

Lignin, lipid, protein, hyaluronic acid, starch, cellulose, gum, pectin, alginate and chitosan-based nanomaterials for cancer nanotherapy: Challenges and opportunities

Although nanotechnology-driven drug delivery systems are relatively new, they are rapidly evolving since the nanomaterials are deployed as effective means of diagnosis and delivery of assorted therapeutic agents to targeted intracellular sites in a controlled release manner. Nanomedicine and nanoparticulate drug delivery systems are rapidly developing as they play crucial roles in the development of therapeutic strategies for various types of cancer and malignancy. Nevertheless, high costs, associated toxicity and production of complexities are some of the critical barriers for their applications. Green nanomedicines have continually been improved as one of the viable approaches towards tumor drug delivery, thus making a notable impact on which considerably affect cancer treatment. In this regard, the utilization of natural and renewable feedstocks as a starting point for the fabrication of nanosystems can considerably contribute to the development of green nanomedicines. Nanostructures and biopolymers derived from natural and biorenewable resources such as proteins, lipids, lignin, hyaluronic acid, starch, cellulose, gum, pectin, alginate, and chitosan play vital roles in the development of cancer nanotherapy, imaging and management. This review uncovers recent investigations on diverse nanoarchitectures fabricated from natural and renewable feedstocks for the controlled/sustained and targeted drug/gene delivery systems against cancers including an outlook on some of the scientific challenges and opportunities in this field. Various important natural biopolymers and nanomaterials for cancer nanotherapy are covered and the scientific challenges and opportunities in this field are reviewed.

Piceatannol-Loaded Bilosome-Stabilized Zein Protein Exhibits Enhanced Cytostatic and Apoptotic Activities in Lung Cancer Cells

Piceatannol (PIC) is a naturally occurring polyphenolic stilbene, and it has pleiotropic pharmacological properties. Moreover, PIC has cytotoxic actions among various cancer cells. In this work, preparations of PIC-loaded bilosome-zein (PIC-BZ) were designed, formulated, and characterized, and the optimized PIC-BZ cytotoxic activities, measured as half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), against lung cancer cell line was investigated. Box-Behnken design was utilized in order to examine the effect of preparation factors on drug entrapment and particle size. PIC-BZ showed a spherical shape after optimization, and its particle size was determined as 157.45 ± 1.62 nm. Moreover, the efficiency of drug entrapment was found as 93.14 ± 2.15%. The cytotoxic activity evaluation revealed that the adjusted formulation, which is PIC-BZ formula, showed a substantially smaller IC50 versus A549 cells. Cell cycle analysis showed accumulation of cells in the G2-M phase. Moreover, it showed in the sub-G1 phase, a rise of cell fraction suggestion apoptotic improving activity. Increased early and late phases of apoptosis were demonstrated by staining of cells with annexin V. Furthermore, the cellular caspase-3 protein expression was significantly raised by PIC-BZ. In addition, the wound healing experiment confirmed the results. To conclude, compared to pure PIC, PIC-BZ demonstrated a higher cell death-inducing activity against A549 cells.

Targeting Cancer using Curcumin Encapsulated Vesicular Drug Delivery Systems

Curcumin is a major curcuminoid present in turmeric. The compound is attributed to various therapeutic properties, which include anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-malarial, and neuroprotection. Due to its therapeutic potential, curcumin has been employed for centuries in treating different ailments. Curcumin has been investigated lately as a novel therapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer. However, the mechanisms by which curcumin exerts its cytotoxic effects on malignant cells are still not fully understood. One of the main limiting factors in the clinical use of curcumin is its poor bioavailability and rapid elimination. Advancements in drug delivery systems such as nanoparticle-based vesicular drug delivery platforms have improved several parameters, namely, drug bioavailability, solubility, stability, and controlled release properties. The use of curcumin-encapsulated niosomes to improve the physical and pharmacokinetic properties of curcumin is one such approach. This review provides an up-to-date summary of nanoparticle-based vesicular drug carriers and their therapeutic applications. Specifically, we focus on niosomes as novel drug delivery formulations and their potential in improving the delivery of challenging small molecules, including curcumin. Overall, the applications of such carriers will provide a new direction for novel pharmaceutical drug delivery, as well as for biotechnology, nutraceutical, and functional food industries.

Advancing of Cellular Signaling Pathways in Respiratory Diseases Using Nanocarrier Based Drug Delivery Systems

Cell Signaling pathways form an integral part of our existence that allows the cells to comprehend a stimulus and respond back. Such reactions to external cues from the environment are required and are essential to regulate the normal functioning of our body. Abnormalities in the system arise when there are errors developed in these signals, resulting in a complication or a disease. Presently, respiratory diseases contribute to being the third leading cause of morbidity worldwide. According to the current statistics, over 339 million people are asthmatic, 65 million are suffering from COPD, 2.3 million are lung cancer patients and 10 million are tuberculosis patients. This toll of statistics with chronic respiratory diseases leaves a heavy burden on society and the nation's annual health expenditure. Hence, a better understanding of the processes governing these cellular pathways will enable us to treat and manage these deadly respiratory diseases effectively. Moreover, it is important to comprehend the synergy and interplay of the cellular signaling pathways in respiratory diseases, which will enable us to explore and develop suitable strategies for targeted drug delivery. This review, in particular, focuses on the major respiratory diseases and further provides an in-depth discussion on the various cell signaling pathways that are involved in the pathophysiology of respiratory diseases. Moreover, the review also analyses the defining concepts about advanced nano-drug delivery systems involving various nanocarriers and propose newer prospects to minimize the current challenges faced by researchers and formulation scientists.

Nanomedicine to Overcome Multidrug Resistance Mechanisms in Colon and Pancreatic Cancer: Recent Progress

The development of drug resistance is one of the main causes of cancer treatment failure. This phenomenon occurs very frequently in different types of cancer, including colon and pancreatic cancers. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. In recent years, nanomedicine has improved the delivery and efficacy of drugs, and has decreased their side effects. In addition, it has allowed to design drugs capable of avoiding certain resistance mechanisms of tumors. In this article, we review the main resistance mechanisms in colon and pancreatic cancers, along with the most relevant strategies offered by nanodrugs to overcome this obstacle. These strategies include the inhibition of efflux pumps, the use of specific targets, the development of nanomedicines affecting the environment of cancer-specific tissues, the modulation of DNA repair mechanisms or RNA (miRNA), and specific approaches to damage cancer stem cells, among others. This review aims to illustrate how advanced nanoformulations, including polymeric conjugates, micelles, dendrimers, liposomes, metallic and carbon-based nanoparticles, are allowing to overcome one of the main limitations in the treatment of colon and pancreatic cancers. The future development of nanomedicine opens new horizons for cancer treatment.

Nano-encapsulated Iron and Folic Acid-Fortified Functional Yogurt Enhance Anemia in Albino Rats

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a major health concern in developing countries, and these see an increased incidence in pregnant women and children in particular. The contribution of dairy products as natural products in drug delivery approaches is inspiring. This study aimed to analyze the application of iron (Fe) and folic acid (FA) bovine serum albumin-nanoparticles (BSA-NPs) as anti-anemic pharmacological agents that fortify stirred functional yogurt (SFY), comparing these with a plain control and SFY fortified with Fe and FA in free forms. The physicochemical, cytotoxicity, microbiological, viscosity, oxidative interactions, microstructural, sensorial analyses, and bioavailability properties of IDA-induced Albino rats were examined. The Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Zetasizer, and Scan Electron Microscope (SEM) were applied. Nanocapsule-fortified SFY showed an enhanced apparent viscosity, water-holding capacity, microstructure, least lipid oxidation, and overall sensorial acceptability. Feed that included Fe + FA nanocapsule-fortified SFY (G6) succeeded in restoring hemoglobin (16.53 gdL-1), iron (109.25 μgdL-1), ferritin (33.25 μgdL-1), and total protein (8.6 gdL-1) at the end of the 4-week feeding period, with significant competition revealed in calcium and zinc absorbance. Nanocapsule-fortified SFY showed no adverse effects or architectural alterations in the liver, kidney, or spleen, as indicated by biochemical and histological examinations. Bovine serum albumin-nanoparticles (BSA-NPs) of iron (Fe) and folic acid (FA) can be recommended as anti-anemia supplements in different functional food applications.

The Uniqueness of Albumin as a Carrier in Nanodrug Delivery

Albumin is an appealing carrier in nanomedicine because of its unique features. First, it is the most abundant protein in plasma, endowing high biocompatibility, biodegradability, nonimmunogenicity, and safety for its clinical application. Second, albumin chemical structure and conformation allows interaction with many different drugs, potentially protecting them from elimination and metabolism in vivo, thus improving their pharmacokinetic properties. Finally, albumin can interact with receptors overexpressed in many diseased tissues and cells, providing a unique feature for active targeting of the disease site without the addition of specific ligands to the nanocarrier. For this reason, albumin, characterized by an extended serum half-life of around 19 days, has the potential of promoting half-life extension and targeted delivery of drugs. Therefore, this article focuses on the importance of albumin as a nanodrug delivery carrier for hydrophobic drugs, taking advantage of the passive as well as active targeting potential of this nanocarrier. Particular attention is paid to the breakthrough NAB-Technology, with emphasis on the advantages of Nab-Paclitaxel (Abraxane), compared to the solvent-based formulations of Paclitaxel, i.e., CrEL-paclitaxel (Taxol) in a clinical setting. Finally, the role of albumin in carrying anticancer compounds is depicted, with a particular focus on the albumin-based formulations that are currently undergoing clinical trials. The article sheds light on the power of an endogenous substance, such as albumin, as a drug delivery system, signifies the importance of the drug vehicle in drug performance in the biological systems, and highlights the possible future trends in the use of this drug delivery system.

Topical review on nano-vaccinology: Biochemical promises and key challenges

Nanomaterials have wide-ranging biomedical applications in prevention, treatment and control of diseases. Nanoparticle based vaccines have proven prodigious prophylaxis of various infectious and non-infectious diseases of human and animal concern. Nano-vaccines outnumber the conventional vaccines by virtue of plasticity in physio-chemical properties and ease of administration. The efficacy of nano-based vaccines may be attributed to the improved antigen stability, minimum immuno-toxicity, sustained release, enhanced immunogenicity and the flexibility of physical features of nanoparticles. Based on these, the nano-based vaccines have potential to evoke both cellular and humoral immune responses. Targeted and highly specific immunological pathways required for solid and long lasting immunity may be achieved with specially engineered nano-vaccines. This review presents an insight into the prevention of infectious diseases (of bacterial, viral and parasitic origin) and non-infectious diseases (cancer, auto-immune diseases) using nano-vaccinology. Additionally, key challenges to the effective utilization of nano-vaccines from bench to clinical settings have been highlighted as research domains for future.

Piceatannol Attenuates Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Rats by Modulation of Nrf2/HO-1/NFκB Axis

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a serious illness affecting middle-aged and elderly male patients. It is a complication of several diseases including metabolic syndrome. BPH has been associated with inflammation and increased oxidative stress in prostatic tissues. Piceatannol (PIC) is an active natural polyhydroxylated stilbene found in many plants. It has profound anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant activities. However, it suffers relatively poor pharmacokinetic properties. Nanoformulation is an acknowledged approach to improve PIC bioavailability. The goal was to evaluate the ability of PIC in preventing testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats. PIC was prepared in a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS). Animals were placed into seven groups: 1) control (vehicle), 2) PIC SNEDDS (20 mg/kg), 3) testosterone (3 mg/kg), 4) testosterone + PIC SNEDDS (5 mg/kg), 5) testosterone + PIC (10 mg/kg), 6) testosterone + PIC SNEDDS (20 mg/kg) and 7) testosterone + finasteride (5 mg/kg). Testosterone was injected SC while PIC SNEDDS and finasteride were given orally. All treatments were given once daily, 5 days/week for four consecutive weeks. PIC administration ameliorated increased prostate weights and indices in addition to histopathological alterations. Further it inhibited accumulation of lipid peroxidation, depletion of glutathione (GSH) and exhaustion of catalase (CAT). PIC SNEDDS exhibited anti-proliferative activities as demonstrated by the inhibition of cyclin D1 protein expression and Bcl2 mRNA expression in addition to enhancement of Bax mRNA expression and caspase-3 content. Immunohistochemically, PIC SNEDDS protected against the testosterone-induced increased expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) and also offered protection against the decline in Nrf2 expression. Further, a significant enhancement of Nfe212 and Homx1 mRNA expression was detected in PIC SNEDDS-treated animals in comparison to the testosterone group. Conclusively, PIC prepared in SNEDDS protects against experimentally induced BPH via modulation of, at least partly, Nrf2/HO-1/NFκB axis.

Association of tumor size with prognosis in colon cancer: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database analysis

BACKGROUND

Thus far, the association of tumor size with prognosis in colon cancer has not been considered and has remained unclear. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate the association between tumor size as a continuous variable and prognosis in colon cancer using Cox models with restricted cubic splines.

METHODS

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we selected 128,369 patients with colon cancer who underwent surgery. Overall survival and colon cancer-specific survival were separately analyzed, and tumor size was separately evaluated as a continuous variable and a categorical variable. To investigate the relationship after adjusting for covariates, we used the proportional hazards models. The restricted cubic splines model was used to determine the presence of nonlinear or linear association and flexibly visualize the association.

RESULTS

The adjusted covariate model showed that the hazard ratio of colon cancer rapidly increased with a tumor size of 4 cm and slowly increased with a tumor size larger than 4 cm. When tumor size was analyzed as a categorical variable, the multivariable-adjusted model demonstrated a nearly linear relationship between tumor size and hazard ratio regardless of overall survival or cancer-specific survival, and the hazard ratio of group 5 (4.1-5 cm) was nearly a turning point. Subgroup analysis with respect to lymph node metastasis showed that the relationship between tumor size and prognosis in colon cancer was evident in lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSION

There was a strong negative relationship between tumor size and prognosis in colon cancer. However, when tumor size was less than 4 cm, the relationship between tumor size and prognosis was steep compared with that when tumor size was larger than 4 cm, especially in lymph node metastasis.

Correction: Aljabali, A.A.A.; et al. Albumin Nano-Encapsulation of Piceatannol Enhances Its Anticancer Potential in Colon Cancer via down Regulation of Nuclear p65 and HIF-1α. Cancers 2020, 12, 113

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...].

Recent Advances and Challenges in Controlling the Spatiotemporal Release of Combinatorial Anticancer Drugs from Nanoparticles

To overcome cancer, various chemotherapeutic studies are in progress; among these, studies on nano-formulated combinatorial drugs (NFCDs) are being actively pursued. NFCDs function via a fusion technology that includes a drug delivery system using nanoparticles as a carrier and a combinatorial drug therapy using two or more drugs. It not only includes the advantages of these two technologies, such as ensuring stability of drugs, selectively transporting drugs to cancer cells, and synergistic effects of two or more drugs, but also has the additional benefit of enabling the spatiotemporal and controlled release of drugs. This spatial and temporal drug release from NFCDs depends on the application of nanotechnology and the composition of the combination drug. In this review, recent advances and challenges in the control of spatiotemporal drug release from NFCDs are provided. To this end, the types of combinatorial drug release for various NFCDs are classified in terms of time and space, and the detailed programming techniques used for this are described. In addition, the advantages of the time and space differences in drug release in terms of anticancer efficacy are introduced in depth.

Antiproliferative effects of boswellic acid-loaded chitosan nanoparticles on human lung cancer cell line A549

Aim: In the present study boswellic acids-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were synthesized using ionic gelation technique. The influence of independent variables were studied and optimized on dependent variables using central composite design. Methodology & results: The designed nanoparticles were observed spherical in shape with an average size of 67.5-187.2 nm and have also shown an excellent entrapment efficiency (80.06 ± 0.48). The cytotoxicity assay revealed enhanced cytotoxicity for drug-loaded nanoparticles in contrast to the free drug having an IC₅₀ value of 17.29 and 29.59 μM, respectively. Flow cytometry confirmed that treatment of cells with 40 μg/ml had arrested 22.75 ± 0.3% at SubG₀ phase of the cell cycle when compared with untreated A459 cells. The observed results justified the boswellic acids-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were effective due to greater cellular uptake, sustained intercellular drug retention and enhanced antiproliferative effect by inducing apoptosis.

Aristocratic human papillomavirus drove cervical cancer: a study of the therapeutic potential of the combination of interferon with zinc

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is related to cancer growth of vaginal, cervical, vulva, penile, anogenital, and non-genital oropharyngeal sites. HPV, as a sexually transmitted virus, infects all sexes similarly but with more significant pathological risks in women. This accounts for high mortality due to late detection and poor prognosis. The initial development and eventual progress of this cancer type depend entirely on three main oncogenes E5, E6 and E7, constitutively expressed to lead to carcinogenesis. Despite an opportunity for pharmacological therapy, there is still a shortage of medical treatment that may remove HPV from infected lesions. This study offers a concise summary of the nature of the issue and the current status of work on potential lead molecules and therapeutic approaches that show the capacity of HPV therapies to counteract the roles of deregulation of E5, E6, and E7.

Targeting respiratory diseases using miRNA inhibitor based nanotherapeutics: Current status and future perspectives

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a fundamental role in the developmental and physiological processes that occur in both animals and plants. AntagomiRs are synthetic antagonists of miRNA, which prevent the target mRNA from suppression. Therapeutic approaches that modulate miRNAs have immense potential in the treatment of chronic respiratory disorders. However, the successful delivery of miRNAs/antagomiRs to the lungs remains a major challenge in clinical applications. A range of materials, namely, polymer nanoparticles, lipid nanocapsules and inorganic nanoparticles, has shown promising results for intracellular delivery of miRNA in chronic respiratory disorders. This review discusses the current understanding of miRNA biology, the biological roles of antagomiRs in chronic respiratory disease and the recent advances in the therapeutic utilization of antagomiRs as disease biomarkers. Furthermore our review provides a common platform to debate on the nature of antagomiRs and also addresses the viewpoint on the new generation of delivery systems that target antagomiRs in respiratory diseases.

Advanced drug delivery systems can assist in managing influenza virus infection: A hypothesis

Outbreaks of influenza infections in the past have severely impacted global health and socioeconomic growth. Antivirals and vaccines are remarkable medical innovations that have been successful in reducing the rates of morbidity and mortality from this disease. However, the relentless emergence of drug resistance has led to a worrisome increase in the trend of influenza outbreaks, characterized by worsened clinical outcomes as well as increased economic burden. This has prompted the need for breakthrough innovations that can effectively manage influenza outbreaks. This article provides an insight into a novel hypothesis that describes how the integration of nanomedicine, with the development of drugs and vaccines can potentially enhance body immune response and the efficacies of anti-viral therapeutics to combat influenza infections.

Investigating the expression level of NF-KB and HIF1A genes among the inhabitants of two different background radiation areas in Ramsar, Iran

This study investigated the fluctuation of NF-KB and HIF-1a gene expression between inhabitants of a high-level background radiation area (HBRA) and a normal-level background radiation area (NBRA) of Ramsar, Iran. Sixty participants with the mean age of 48 ± 15 years were selected and divided into two groups. The group receiving a dose of ≤1.5 mGy/year (NBRA) was considered the control group and the target group (HBRA) received a dose of >1.5 mGy/year. These two groups were from neighbor regions to minimize socioeconomic differences between the participants. Blood samples were collected from each group and NF-KB and HIF-1a expression levels were compared using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) based on the stem loop method. The effects of residency duration in the respective areas and gender on the expression of NF-KB and HIF-1a was also examined. The HIF-1a expression level was statistically lower in the HLBRA region (P < 0.0002), while NF-KB expression was upregulated (P < 0.0001). Although the under-expression of HIF-1a in response to dose rate was significant in females (P < 0.0004), it was not different in males (P = 0.74), indicating a significant difference between sexes (P = 0.0047). The upregulation of NF-KB expression related to dose level was also significant for the female group (P < 0.0001), whereas it was not for the male group (P = 0.72). Notably and as expected, there was a significant relation between longer residency in the HBRA and HIF-1A under-expression (P < 0.026), while there was no effect of increasing residency time for NF-KB over-expression level (P = 0.29). The dwellers of the HBRA those noted that despite receiving an elevated radiation level were seemingly good in general health, showed some alterations in their molecular mechanisms, specifically HIF-1a and NF-KB expression levels. It is not clear if this is indicative of a beneficial adaptive response and more research is recommended.

Natural Ingredient-Based Polymeric Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment

Cancer is a global health challenge. There are drawbacks to conventional chemotherapy such as poor bioavailability, development of drug resistance and severe side effects. Novel drug delivery system may be an alternative to optimize therapeutic effects. When such systems consist of natural materials, they offer important advantages: they are usually highly biocompatible, biodegradable, nontoxic and nonimmunogenic. Furthermore, natural materials can be easily modified for conjugation with a wide range of therapeutic agents and targeting ligands, according to the therapeutic purpose. This article reviews different natural ingredients and their applications in drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. Firstly, an overview of the polysaccharides and protein-based polymers that have been extensively investigated for drug delivery are described. Secondly, recent advances in using various natural ingredient-based polymeric nanoparticles for cancer therapy are reviewed. The characteristics of these delivery systems are summarized, followed by a discussion of future development and clinical potential. This review aims to summarize current knowledge and provide a basis for developing effective tailor-made formulations for cancer therapy in the future.