Lipoperoxide Nanoemulsion as Adjuvant in Cisplatin Cancer Therapy: In Vitro Study on Human Colon Adenocarcinoma DLD-1 Cells

Advancements and prospects of lipid-based nanoparticles: dual frontiers in cancer treatment and vaccine development

Cancer is a complex heterogeneous disease that poses a significant public health challenge. In recent years, lipid-based nanoparticles (LBNPs) have expanded drug delivery and vaccine development options owing to their adaptable, non-toxic, tuneable physicochemical properties, versatile surface functionalisation, and biocompatibility. LBNPs are tiny artificial structures composed of lipid-like materials that can be engineered to encapsulate and deliver therapeutic agents with pinpoint accuracy. They have been widely explored in oncology; however, our understanding of their pharmacological mechanisms, effects of their composition, charge, and size on cellular uptake, tumour penetration, and how they can be utilised to develop cancer vaccines is still limited. Hence, we reviewed LBNPs' unique characteristics, biochemical features, and tumour-targeting mechanisms. Furthermore, we examined their ability to enhance cancer therapies and their potential contribution in developing anticancer vaccines. We critically analysed their advantages and challenges impeding swift advancements in oncology and highlighted promising avenues for future research.

Nanoemulsion: An Emerging Novel Technology for Improving the Bioavailability of Drugs

The pharmaceutical sector has made considerable strides recently, emphasizing improving drug delivery methods to increase the bioavailability of various drugs. When used as a medication delivery method, nanoemulsions have multiple benefits. Their small droplet size, which is generally between 20 and 200 nanometers, creates a significant interfacial area for drug dissolution, improving the solubility and bioavailability of drugs that are weakly water-soluble. Additionally, nanoemulsions are a flexible platform for drug administration across various therapeutic areas since they can encapsulate hydrophilic and hydrophobic medicines. Nanoemulsion can be formulated in multiple dosage forms, for example, gels, creams, foams, aerosols, and sprays by using low-cost standard operative processes and also be taken orally, topically, topically, intravenously, intrapulmonary, intranasally, and intraocularly. The article explores nanoemulsion formulation and production methods, emphasizing the role of surfactants and cosurfactants in creating stable formulations. In order to customize nanoemulsions to particular medication delivery requirements, the choice of components and production techniques is crucial in assuring the stability and efficacy of the finished product. Nanoemulsions are a cutting-edge technology with a lot of potential for improving medication bioavailability in a variety of therapeutic contexts. They are a useful tool in the creation of innovative pharmaceutical formulations due to their capacity to enhance drug solubility, stability, and delivery. Nanoemulsions are positioned to play a crucial role in boosting medication delivery and enhancing patient outcomes as this field of study continues to advance.

Carvacrol-Fabricated Chitosan Nanoparticle Synergistic Potential with Topoisomerase Inhibitors on Breast and Cervical Cancer Cells

Breast and cervical cancers are the most common heterogeneous malignancies in women. Chemotherapy with conventional drug delivery systems having several limitations along with development of multidrug resistance compelled us to seek out targeted therapeutics. Nanoparticles are suitable substitutes to circumvent multidrug resistance for the targeted treatment of cancer. The current study was aimed to investigate the anticancer effect of carvacrol-loaded chitosan nanoparticles with topoisomerase inhibitors. The average size of carvacrol-loaded chitosan nanoparticles was found to be 80 nm with 24.7 mV ζ-potential, and maximum absorbance was observed at 275 nm. Among all drug combinations, the carvacrol nanoparticles with the doxorubicin combination group exerted greater dose-dependent growth inhibition of both MCF-7 and HeLa cells as compared to single carvacrol nanoparticles and doxorubicin. Combination index values of carvacrol nanoparticles and the doxorubicin combination group showed a strong synergistic effect as they were found to be between 0.2 and 0.4, 0.31 for MCF-7 and 0.34 for HeLa cells. The carvacrol nanoparticles in combination with doxorubicin on MCF-7 cells reduced the dose 16.32-fold for carvacrol nanoparticles and 4.09-fold for doxorubicin at 6.23 μg/mL IC50, while on HeLa cells, this combination reduced the dose 13.18-fold for carvacrol nanoparticles and 3.83-fold for doxorubicin at 9.33 μg/mL IC50. As the dose reduction values were greater than 1, they indicated favorable dose reduction. It was concluded that the combination of carvacrol-loaded chitosan nanoparticles with topoisomerase inhibitors may represent an innovative and promising strategy to improve the efficacy, resistance, and targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics in cancer.

Colorectal cancer and therapy response: a focus on the main mechanisms involved

Introduction

The latest GLOBOCAN 2021 reports that colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Most CRC cases are sporadic and associated with several risk factors, including lifestyle habits, gut dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress.

Aim

To summarize the biology of CRC and discuss current therapeutic interventions designed to counteract CRC development and to overcome chemoresistance.

Methods

Literature searches were conducted using PubMed and focusing the attention on the keywords such as "Current treatment of CRC" or "chemoresistance and CRC" or "oxidative stress and CRC" or "novel drug delivery approaches in cancer" or "immunotherapy in CRC" or "gut microbiota in CRC" or "systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials" or "CSCs and CRC". The citations included in the search ranged from September 1988 to December 2022. An additional search was carried out using the clinical trial database.

Results

Rounds of adjuvant therapies, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy are commonly planned to reduce cancer recurrence after surgery (stage II and stage III CRC patients) and to improve overall survival (stage IV). 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy in combination with other cytotoxic drugs, is the mainstay to treat CRC. However, the onset of the inherent or acquired resistance and the presence of chemoresistant cancer stem cells drastically reduce the efficacy. On the other hand, the genetic-molecular heterogeneity of CRC often precludes also the efficacy of new therapeutic approaches such as immunotherapies. Therefore, the CRC complexity made of natural or acquired multidrug resistance has made it necessary the search for new druggable targets and new delivery systems.

Conclusion

Further knowledge of the underlying CRC mechanisms and a comprehensive overview of current therapeutic opportunities can provide the basis for identifying pharmacological and biological barriers that render therapies ineffective and for identifying new potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for advanced and aggressive CRC.