Enhanced Uptake of Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles by Intestinal Epithelial Cells in a State of Inflammation

A Biomimetic Nanoparticle Exerting Protection against Acute Liver Failure by Suppressing CYP2E1 Activity and Scavenging Excessive ROS

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a severe liver disease caused by many reasons. One of them is the overdosed acetaminophen (APAP), which is metabolized into N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), an excessive toxic metabolite, by CYP2E1, resulting in excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), exhausted glutathione (GSH), and thereafter hepatocyte necrosis. N-acetylcysteine is the Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for detoxification of APAP, but it has limited clinical application due to the short therapeutic time window and concentration-related adverse effects. In this study, a carrier-free and bilirubin dotted nanoparticle (B/BG@N) is developed, which is formed using bilirubin and 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) is then adsorbed to mimic the in vivo behavior of the conjugated bilirubin for hitchhiking. The results demonstrate that B/BG@N can effectively reduce the production of NAPQI as well as exhibit antioxidant effects against intracellular oxidative stress via regulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 signal axis and reducing the production of inflammatory factors. In vivo study shows that B/BG@N can effectively improve the clinical symptom of the mice model. This study suggests that B/BG@N own increases circulation half-life, improves accumulation in the liver, and dual detoxification, providing a promising strategy for clinical ALF treatment.

Flowing through Gastrointestinal Barriers with Model Nanoparticles: From Complex Fluids to Model Human Intestinal Epithelium Permeation

Most nanomaterial-based medicines are intravenously applied since oral administration comprises challenging-related biological obstacles, such as interactions with distinct digestive fluids and their transport through the intestinal barrier. Moreover, there is a lack of nanoparticle-based studies that faithfully consider the above-cited obstacles and boost oral-administered nanomedicines' rational design. In this study, the physicochemical stability of fluorescent model silica nanoparticles (f-SiO₂NPs) passing through all simulated gastrointestinal fluids (salivary, gastric, and intestinal) and their absorption and transport across a model human intestinal epithelium barrier are investigated. An aggregation/disaggregation f-SiO₂NPs process is identified, although these particles remain chemically and physically stable after exposure to digestive fluids. Further, fine imaging of f-SiO₂NPs through the absorption and transport across the human intestinal epithelium indicates that nanoparticle transport is time-dependent. The above-presented protocol shows tremendous potential for deciphering fundamental gastrointestinal nanoparticles' evolution and can contribute to rational oral administration-based nanomedicine design.

Nano-Nutraceuticals for Health: Principles and Applications

The use of nanotechnological products is increasing steadily. In this scenario, the application of nanotechnology in food science and as a technological platform is a reality. Among the several applications, the main use of this technology is for the development of foods and nutraceuticals with higher bioavailability, lower toxicity, and better sustainability. In the health field, nano-nutraceuticals are being used as supplementary products to treat an increasing number of diseases. This review summarizes the main concepts and applications of nano-nutraceuticals for health, with special focus on treating cancer and inflammation.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43450-022-00338-7.

Optimising PLGA-PEG Nanoparticle Size and Distribution for Enhanced Drug Targeting to the Inflamed Intestinal Barrier

Oral nanomedicines are being investigated as an innovative strategy for targeted drug delivery to treat inflammatory bowel diseases. Preclinical studies have shown that nanoparticles (NPs) can preferentially penetrate inflamed intestinal tissues, allowing for targeted drug delivery. NP size is a critical factor affecting their interaction with the inflamed intestinal barrier and this remains poorly defined. In this study we aimed to assess the impact of NP particle size (PS) and polydispersity (PDI) on cell interaction and uptake in an inflamed epithelial cell model. Using 10, 55 and 100 mg/mL poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-polyethylene glycol (PLGA-PEG), NPs of 131, 312 and 630 nm PS, respectively, were formulated by solvent dispersion. NP recovery was optimised by differential centrifugation to yield NPs of decreased and unimodal size distribution. NP-cell interaction was assessed in healthy and inflamed caco-2 cell monolayers. Results show that NP interaction with caco-2 cells increased with increasing PS and PDI and was significantly enhanced in inflamed cells. Trypan blue quenching revealed that a significant proportion of multimodal NPs were primarily membrane bound, while monomodal NPs were internalized within cells. These results are interesting as the PS and PDI of NPs can be optimised to allow targeting of therapeutic agents to the epithelial membrane and/or intracellular targets in the inflamed intestinal epithelium.

Tailoring Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Efficient Cellular Internalization and Endosomal Escape

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) have been widely explored for biomedical applications due to their high biocompatibility, surface-coating versatility, and superparamagnetic properties. Upon exposure to an external magnetic field, IONs can be precisely directed to a region of interest and serve as exceptional delivery vehicles and cellular markers. However, the design of nanocarriers that achieve an efficient endocytic uptake, escape lysosomal degradation, and perform precise intracellular functions is still a challenge for their application in translational medicine. This review highlights several aspects that mediate the activation of the endosomal pathways, as well as the different properties that govern endosomal escape and nuclear transfection of magnetic IONs. In particular, we review a variety of ION surface modification alternatives that have emerged for facilitating their endocytic uptake and their timely escape from endosomes, with special emphasis on how these can be manipulated for the rational design of cell-penetrating vehicles. Moreover, additional modifications for enhancing nuclear transfection are also included in the design of therapeutic vehicles that must overcome this barrier. Understanding these mechanisms opens new perspectives in the strategic development of vehicles for cell tracking, cell imaging and the targeted intracellular delivery of drugs and gene therapy sequences and vectors.

Influence of Gold Nanoparticles with Different Surface Charges on Localization and Monocyte Behavior

The use of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) has been established in nanocarriers, diagnostics, and biosensors. Access to the targeted sites of these nanomaterials could directly involve the first line of defense, the innate immune system. Charges of nanomaterials play a critical role in a number of aspects such as stabilization, cellular uptake, modulation, and function of cells. Interactions and modulations of the charged nanomaterials against the innate immune system may occur even at very low concentration. To understand the effects of charges on monocyte behavior, in this study, the positively and negatively charged AuNP (AuNP+ve and AuNP-ve) of the similar size and shape on cytotoxicity, recognition, cellular behavior, and function were evaluated in vitro using U937 human monocyte cells as an innate immunity model. Both types of AuNP at various concentrations (0-5 nM) exhibited low toxicity. In addition, the cellular internalization of the AuNP+ve and AuNP-ve, as determined by TEM, occurred by different mechanisms, and the internalization had no effect on cellular destruction, as implied by the low levels of %LDH. Interestingly, the AuNP+ve recognition and internalization seemingly entered cells through receptor dependence and strongly affected cellular response to express both pro-inflammatory (IL-1β) and anti-inflammatory (TGF-β) cytokines, while the AuNP-ve stimulated TNF-α expression. Nevertheless, the AuNP-treated cells maintained normal function when exposed to planktonic bacteria. Thus, these results indicated that one part of the immune system interacted with different surface-charged AuNP, suggesting appropiate immunomodulation in biomedicine.

Bacteriophages targeting intestinal epithelial cells: a potential novel form of immunotherapy

In addition to their established role as a physical barrier to invading pathogens and other harmful agents, intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) are actively involved in local immune reactions. In the past years, evidence has accumulated suggesting the role of IEC in the immunopathology of intestinal inflammatory disorders (IBD). Recent advances in research on bacteriophages strongly suggest that-in addition to their established antibacterial activity-they have immunomodulating properties that are potentially useful in the clinic. We suggest that these immunomodulating phage activities targeting IEC may open novel treatment perspectives in disorders of the alimentary tract, particularly IBD.