Efficacy-shaping nanomedicine by loading Calcium Peroxide into Tumor Microenvironment-responsive Nanoparticles for the Antitumor Therapy of Prostate Cancer

Reprogramming exosomes for immunity-remodeled photodynamic therapy against non-small cell lung cancer

Traditional treatments against advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with high morbidity and mortality continue to be dissatisfactory. Given this situation, there is an urgent requirement for alternative modalities that provide lower invasiveness, superior clinical effectiveness, and minimal adverse effects. The combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and immunotherapy gradually become a promising approach for high-grade malignant NSCLC. Nevertheless, owing to the absence of precise drug delivery techniques as well as the hypoxic and immunosuppressive characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME), the efficacy of this combination therapy approach is less than ideal. In this study, we construct a novel nanoplatform that indocyanine green (ICG), a photosensitizer, loads into hollow manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanospheres (NPs) (ICG@MnO2), and then encapsulated in PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (anti-PD-L1) reprogrammed exosomes (named ICG@MnO2@Exo-anti-PD-L1), to effectively modulate the TME to oppose NSCLC by the synergy of PDT and immunotherapy modalities. The ICG@MnO2@Exo-anti-PD-L1 NPs are precisely delivered to the tumor sites by targeting specially PD-L1 highly expressed cancer cells to controllably release anti-PD-L1 in the acidic TME, thereby activating T cell response. Subsequently, upon endocytic uptake by cancer cells, MnO2 catalyzes the conversion of H2O2 to O2, thereby alleviating tumor hypoxia. Meanwhile, ICG further utilizes O2 to produce singlet oxygen (1O2) to kill tumor cells under 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. Furthermore, a high level of intratumoral H2O2 reduces MnO2 to Mn2+, which remodels the immune microenvironment by polarizing macrophages from M2 to M1, further driving T cells. Taken together, the current study suggests that the ICG@MnO2@Exo-anti-PD-L1 NPs could act as a novel drug delivery platform for achieving multimodal therapy in treating NSCLC.

"Abraxane-Like" Radiosensitizer for In Situ Oral Cancer Therapy

Radiotherapy plays a vital role in cancer therapy. However, the hypoxic microenvironment of tumors greatly limits the effectiveness, thus it is crucial to develop a simple, efficient, and safe radiosensitizer to reverse hypoxia and ameliorate the efficacy of radiotherapy. Inspired by the structure of canonical nanodrug Abraxane, herein, a native HSA-modified CaO2 nanoparticle system (CaO2-HSA) prepared by biomineralization-induced self-assembly is developed. CaO2-HSA will accumulate in tumor tissue and decompose to produce oxygen, altering the hypoxic condition inside the tumor. Simultaneously, ROS and calcium ions will lead to calcium overload and further trigger immunogenic cell death. Notably, its sensitizing enhancement ratio (SER = 3.47) is much higher than that of sodium glycididazole used in the clinic. Furthermore, in animal models of in situ oral cancer, CaO2-HSA can effectively inhibit tumor growth. With its high efficacy, facile preparation, and heavy-metal free biosafety, the CaO2-HSA-based radiosensitizer holds enormous potential for oral cancer therapy.

Optimizing Oxygen-Production Kinetics of Manganese Dioxide Nanoparticles Improves Hypoxia Reversal and Survival in Mice with Bone Metastases

Persistent hypoxia in bone metastases induces an immunosuppressive environment, limiting the effectiveness of immunotherapies. To address chronic hypoxia, we have developed manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoparticles with tunable oxygen production kinetics for sustained oxygenation in bone metastases lesions. Using polyethylene glycol (PEG)-stabilized MnO2 or poly(lactic[50]-co-glycolic[50] acid) (50:50 PLGA), poly(lactic[75]-co-glycolic[25] acid) (75:25 PLGA), and polylactic acid (PLA)-encapsulated MnO2 NPs, we demonstrate that polymer hydrophobicity attenuates burst oxygen production and enables tunable oxygen production kinetics. The PEG-MnO2 NPs resulted in rapid hypoxia reduction in spheroids, which was rapidly attenuated, while the PLA-MnO2 NPs exhibited delayed hypoxia control in cancer spheroids. The 50:50 PLGA-MnO2 NPs exhibited the best short- and long-term control of hypoxia in cancer spheroids, resulting in sustained regulation of the expression of HIF-1α and immunosuppressive genes. The sustained control of hypoxia by the 50:50 PLGA-MnO2 NPs enhanced the cytotoxicity of natural killer cells against cancer spheroids. In vivo, 50:50 PLGA-MnO2 showed greater accumulation in the long bones and pelvis, common sites for bone metastases. The NPs decreased hypoxia in bone metastases and decreased regulatory T cell levels, resulting in enhanced survival of mice with established bone metastases.

Nanotherapeutics for prostate cancer treatment: A comprehensive review

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most prevalent solid organ malignancy and seriously affects male health. The adverse effects of prostate cancer therapeutics can cause secondary damage to patients. Nanotherapeutics, which have special targeting abilities and controlled therapeutic release profiles, may serve as alternative agents for PCa treatment. At present, many nanotherapeutics have been developed to treat PCa and have shown better treatment effects in animals than traditional therapeutics. Although PCa nanotherapeutics are highly attractive, few successful cases have been reported in clinical practice. To help researchers design valuable nanotherapeutics for PCa treatment and avoid useless efforts, herein, we first reviewed the strategies and challenges involved in prostate cancer treatment. Subsequently, we presented a comprehensive review of nanotherapeutics for PCa treatment, including their targeting methods, controlled release strategies, therapeutic approaches and mechanisms. Finally, we proposed the future prospects of nanotherapeutics for PCa treatment.

Application of calcium overload-based ion interference therapy in tumor treatment: strategies, outcomes, and prospects

Low selectivity and tumor drug resistance are the main hinderances to conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy against tumor. Ion interference therapy is an innovative anti-tumor strategy that has been recently reported to induce metabolic disorders and inhibit proliferation of tumor cells by reordering bioactive ions within the tumor cells. Calcium cation (Ca2+) are indispensable for all physiological activities of cells. In particular, calcium overload, characterized by the abnormal intracellular Ca2+ accumulation, causes irreversible cell death. Consequently, calcium overload-based ion interference therapy has the potential to overcome resistance to traditional tumor treatment strategies and holds promise for clinical application. In this review, we 1) Summed up the current strategies employed in this therapy; 2) Described the outcome of tumor cell death resulting from this therapy; 3) Discussed its potential application in synergistic therapy with immunotherapy.

A TME-activated nano-catalyst for triple synergistic therapy of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer cells are highly heterogeneous and exhibit various drug resistances, making personalized treatment necessary. This typically involves a combination of different treatment modalities such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy to increase patient survival. Inspired by this, synergistic therapy, which combines multiple modalities into a single nanotherapeutic drug, shows promise in treating cancer. In this study, a nano-catalyst based on calcium peroxide (CaO2) and the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) co-loaded into HPB nanoparticles (HPB@CaO2/DOX-PAA) was developed to achieve synergistic cancer treatment through chemodynamic/chemo/photothermal (CDT/CT/PTT) mechanisms. After being endocytosed by cancer cells, the nano-catalyst decomposes, releasing cargo. During near-infrared light irradiation, HPB induces a photothermal effect, DOX exhibits significant RNA and DNA destruction capabilities, meanwhile CaO2 produces a large amount of H2O2 in the moderately acidic TME, which combines with Fe2+ ions derived from HPB to form the highly toxic •OH in a Fenton-like reaction, enhancing the chemodynamic treatment. Assays conducted ex vivo and in vivo have exhibited the efficacy of this triple synergistic therapeutic regimen, indicating its potential clinical application.

Hollow Cavity CaO2 @Polydopamine Nanocomposites for pH-Responsive Ca2+ -Enhanced Efficient Mild Hyperthermia in the NIR-II Region

Second near-infrared (NIR-II) mild photothermal therapy with higher tissue penetration depth and less damage to healthy tissues is emerging as an attractive antitumor modality, but its therapeutic efficiency is dramatically suppressed by the resistance of heat shock proteins (HSPs). As a widely explored photothermal agent, the application of polydopamine (PDA) in the NIR-II region is hampered by low photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE). Herein, its PCE in the NIR-II region is improved by developing novel hollow cavity CaO2 @PDA nanocomposites through chelation-induced diffusion of inner core Ca2+ to the shell PDA to facilitate multiple reflections of laser in the cavity. Upon pH-responsive degradation of CaO2 , its structure is transformed into a stacked "nano-mesh" with excellent light absorption and an enlarged effective irradiation area. Overloading of Ca2+ ions not only induces downregulation of HSPs but also enhances interference of light on membrane potential, which further aggravate mitochondrial dysfunction and reduce the thermotolerance of tumor cells, promoting efficient mild hyperthermia of PDA in the NIR-II region.

Nano-modulators with the function of disrupting mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis and photothermal conversion for synergistic breast cancer therapy

Breast cancer treatment has been a global puzzle, and apoptosis strategies based on mitochondrial Ca2+ overload have attracted extensive attention. However, various limitations of current Ca2+ nanogenerators make it difficult to maintain effective Ca2+ overload concentrations. Here, we constructed a multimodal Ca2+ nano-modulator that, for the first time, combined photothermal therapy (PTT) and mitochondrial Ca2+ overload strategies to inhibit tumor development. By crosslinking sodium alginate (SA) on the surface of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles encapsulating with Cur and ICG, we prepared a synergistic Ca2+ nano-regulator SA/Cur@CaCO3-ICG (SCCI). In vitro studies have shown that SCCI further enhanced photostability while preserving the optical properties of ICG. After uptake by tumor cells, SCCI can reduce mitochondrial membrane potential and down-regulate ATP production by producing large amounts of Ca2+ at low pH. Near-infrared light radiation (NIR) laser irradiation made the tumor cells heat up sharply, which not only accelerated the decomposition of CaCO3, but also produced large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) followed by cell apoptosis. In vivo studies have revealed that the Ca2+ nano-regulators had excellent targeting, biocompatibility, and anti-tumor effects, which can significantly inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and play a direct killing effect. These findings indicated that therapeutic strategies based on ionic interference and PTT had great therapeutic potential, providing new insights into antitumor therapy.

Inorganic Nanoparticles as Radiosensitizers for Cancer Treatment

Nanotechnology has expanded what can be achieved in our approach to cancer treatment. The ability to produce and engineer functional nanoparticle formulations to elicit higher incidences of tumor cell radiolysis has resulted in substantial improvements in cancer cell eradication while also permitting multi-modal biomedical functionalities. These radiosensitive nanomaterials utilize material characteristics, such as radio-blocking/absorbing high-Z atomic number elements, to mediate localized effects from therapeutic irradiation. These materials thereby allow subsequent scattered or emitted radiation to produce direct (e.g., damage to genetic materials) or indirect (e.g., protein oxidation, reactive oxygen species formation) damage to tumor cells. Using nanomaterials that activate under certain physiologic conditions, such as the tumor microenvironment, can selectively target tumor cells. These characteristics, combined with biological interactions that can target the tumor environment, allow for localized radio-sensitization while mitigating damage to healthy cells. This review explores the various nanomaterial formulations utilized in cancer radiosensitivity research. Emphasis on inorganic nanomaterials showcases the specific material characteristics that enable higher incidences of radiation while ensuring localized cancer targeting based on tumor microenvironment activation. The aim of this review is to guide future research in cancer radiosensitization using nanomaterial formulations and to detail common approaches to its treatment, as well as their relations to commonly implemented radiotherapy techniques.

Targeted inhibition of mTOR by BML-275 induces mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and autophagy in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men and the second leading cause of death in Western countries. Clinically, screening drugs and develop developing new therapeutics to treat PCa is of great significance. In this study, BML-275 was demonstrated to exert potent antitumor effects in PCa by antagonizing mTOR activity. In cultured PCa cells, BML-275 treatment reduced the expression levels of c-Myc and survivin, promoted the activation of p53, and thereby induced p21/cyclin D1/CDK4/6-dependent cell cycle G1/S arrest. As a result, BML-275 inhibited cellular proliferation and induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. In addition, BML-275 treatment triggered autophagy. Interestingly, EACC-mediated suppression of autophagy did not affect BML-275-induced proliferation and apoptosis. Nude mouse tumorigenic experiments also confirmed that BML-275 inhibited PCa growth, induced PCa cell apoptosis and autophagy. Mechanistically, the activities of PI3K/AKT and AMPK pathways were downregulated by BML-275 treatment in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, mTOR, a common downstream negative protein of PI3K/AKT and AMPK signaling, was induced to inactivate, which may be associated with the induction of apoptosis and autophagy. The pharmacological activation of mTOR by MHY1485 abolished the induction of apoptosis and autophagy of BML-275. Molecular docking results showed that BML-275 can bind to the FKRP12-rapamycin binding site on mTOR protein, and thereby may have the same inhibitory activity on mTOR as rapamycin. Thus, these findings indicated that BML-275 induces mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and autophagy in PCa by targeting mTOR inhibition. BML-275 may be a potential candidate for the treatment of PCa.

Bisphosphonate-incorporated coatings for orthopedic implants functionalization

Bisphosphonates (BPs), the stable analogs of pyrophosphate, are well-known inhibitors of osteoclastogenesis to prevent osteoporotic bone loss and improve implant osseointegration in patients suffering from osteoporosis. Compared to systemic administration, BPs-incorporated coatings enable the direct delivery of BPs to the local area, which will precisely enhance osseointegration and bone repair without the systemic side effects. However, an elaborate and comprehensive review of BP coatings of implants is lacking. Herein, the cellular level (e.g., osteoclasts, osteocytes, osteoblasts, osteoclast precursors, and bone mesenchymal stem cells) and molecular biological regulatory mechanism of BPs in regulating bone homeostasis are overviewed systematically. Moreover, the currently available methods (e.g., chemical reaction, porous carriers, and organic material films) of BP coatings construction are outlined and summarized in detail. As one of the key directions, the latest advances of BP-coated implants to enhance bone repair and osseointegration in basic experiments and clinical trials are presented and critically evaluated. Finally, the challenges and prospects of BP coatings are also purposed, and it will open a new chapter in clinical translation for BP-coated implants.

CaO2nanomedicines: a review of their emerging roles in cancer therapy

Metal peroxide-based nanomedicines have emerged as promising theranostic agents for cancer due to their multifunctional properties, including the generation of bioactive small molecules such as metal ions, H2O2, O2, and OH-. Among these metal peroxides, calcium peroxide (CaO2) nanomedicines have attracted significant attention due to their facile synthesis and good biocompatibility. CaO2nanoparticles have been explored for cancer treatment through three main mechanisms: (1) the release of O2, which helps alleviate tumor hypoxia and enhances oxygen-dependent therapies such as chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy; (2) the generation of H2O2, a precursor for ·OH generation, which enables cancer chemodynamic therapy; and (3) the release of Ca2+ions, which induce calcium overload and promote cell apoptosis (called ion-interference therapy). This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent examples of CaO2nanoparticle-based cancer therapeutic strategies, as well as discusses the challenges and future directions in the development of CaO2nanomedicines for cancer treatment.

Sprayed PAA-CaO2 nanoparticles combined with calcium ions and reactive oxygen species for antibacterial and wound healing

The most common socioeconomic healthcare issues in clinical are burns, surgical incisions and other skin injuries. Skin lesion healing can be achieved with nanomedicines and other drug application techniques. This study developed a nano-spray based on cross-linked amorphous calcium peroxide (CaO2) nanoparticles of polyacrylic acid (PAA) for treating skin wounds (PAA-CaO2 nanoparticles). CaO2 serves as a 'drug' precursor, steadily and continuously releasing calcium ions (Ca2+) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) under mildly acidic conditions, while PAA-CaO2 nanoparticles exhibited good spray behavior in aqueous form. Tests demonstrated that PAA-CaO2 nanoparticles exhibited low cytotoxicity and allowed L929 cells proliferation and migration in vitro. The effectiveness of PAA-CaO2 nanoparticles in promoting wound healing and inhibiting bacterial growth in vivo was assessed in SD rats using full-thickness skin defect and Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus)-infected wound models based thereon. The results revealed that PAA-CaO2 nanoparticles demonstrated significant advantages in both aspects. Notably, the infected rats' skin defects healed in 12 days. The benefits are linked to the functional role of Ca2+ coalesces with H2O2 as known antibacterial and healing-promoted agents. Therefore, we developed nanoscale PAA-CaO2 sprays to prevent bacterial development and heal skin lesions.

A pH-responsive polymer-coated CaO2as oxygen-generating nanoparticlein situfor enhanced chemo-photodynamic synergistic therapy against tumors

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as an efficient strategy for tumor treatment. However, Insufficient amounts of inherent hypoxia and intrinsic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the tumor microenvironment severely constrained PDT, as oxygen is the critical substrate for photosensitivity reaction. Here, a pH-responsive H2O2and O2self-supplying hybrid nanoparticle was designed. Through, the calcium peroxide (CaO2) as carriers loading a chemotherapeutic drug a photosensitizer 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-aminophenyl) porphyrin (TAPP) and doxorubicin (DOX), was covered with polyacrylic acid (PAA) to build up a feature material DOX-TAPP-CaO2@OA@PAA (denoted as DTCOP) through the reverse microemulsion method. In the acidic tumor microenvironment conditions exposing the water-sensitive CaO2nanocore to generate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and O2, the self-supplied O2alleviates hypoxia to enhance the PDT, and releasing DOX and TAPP. Synthetic characterization shows that the succeeded synthesized Nanocarriers could effectively carry DOX and TAPP to the tumor site and release O2at the low pH of TME. And the experimental results demonstrated that this interpose exogenous oxygen strategy is efficient at inhibition of tumor growth bothin vitroandin vivo. The nanocomposite exhibits excellent biocompatibility and the ability to inhibit tumor growth and has significant potential for the treatment of hypoxic tumors.

Microneedle/CD-MOF-mediated transdural controlled release of methylprednisolone sodium succinate after spinal cord injury

A new method of transdural delivering drugs to the spinal cord has been developed, involving the use of microneedles (MNs) and a β-cyclodextrin metal-organic framework (CD-MOF). This epidural microneedle array, dubbed MNs@CD-MOF@MPSS, can be utilized to deliver methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) to the site of spinal cord injury (SCI) in a controlled manner. MNs allows to generate micropores in the dura for direct drug delivery to the spinal cord, overcoming tissue barriers and targeting damaged regions. Additionally, the CD-MOF provides a secondary extended release after separating from the MNs. In in vitro study, inward MNs increased cellular absorption of MPSS and then reduced LPS-induced M1 polarization of microglia. And animal studies have shown that this method of drug delivery results in improved BMS scores and a reduction in M1 phenotype microphage and glial scar formation. Furthermore, the downregulation of the NLRP3-positive inflammasome and related pro-inflammatory cytokines was observed. In conclusion, this new drug platform has potential for clinical application in spinal cord diseases and is a valuable composite for minimally transdural controlled drug delivery. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This research presents a new epidural microneedle patch made up of microneedles (MNs) and a β-cyclodextrin metal-organic framework (CD-MOF). The epidural microneedle patch boasts high drug loading capacity, the ability to penetrate the dura, and controlled release. When loaded with methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS), it effectively reduces inflammation and improves neurological function after spinal cord injury. Therefore, it is a novel and promising drug platform for the treatment of spinal cord diseases in a clinical setting.

The D-amino acid oxidase-carbon nanotubes: evaluation of cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of a potential anticancer nanosystem

The 'enzyme prodrug therapy' represents a promising strategy to overcome limitations of current cancer treatments by the systemic administration of prodrugs, converted by a foreign enzyme into an active anticancer compound directly in tumor sites. One example is D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO), a dimeric flavoenzyme able to catalyze the oxidative deamination of D-amino acids with production of hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species (ROS), able to favor cancer cells death. A DAAO variant containing five aminoacidic substitutions (mDAAO) was demonstrated to possess a better therapeutic efficacy under low O2 concentration than wild-type DAAO (wtDAAO). Recently, aiming to design promising nanocarriers for DAAO, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to reduce their tendency to aggregation and to improve their biocompatibility. Here, wtDAAO and mDAAO were adsorbed on PEGylated MWCNTs and their activity and cytotoxicity were tested. While PEG-MWCNTs-DAAOs have shown a higher activity than pristine MWCNTs-DAAO (independently on the DAAO variant used), PEG-MWCNTs-mDAAO showed a higher cytotoxicity than PEG-MWCNTs-wtDAAO at low O2 concentration. In order to evaluate the nanocarriers' biocompatibility, PEG-MWCNTs-DAAOs were incubated in human serum and the composition of protein corona was investigated via nLC-MS/MS, aiming to characterize both soft and hard coronas. The mDAAO variant has influenced the bio-corona composition in both number of proteins and presence of opsonins and dysopsonins: notably, the soft corona of PEG-MWCNTs-mDAAO contained less proteins and was more enriched in proteins able to inhibit the immune response than PEG-MWCNTs-wtDAAO. Considering the obtained results, the PEGylated MWCNTs conjugated with the mDAAO variant seems a promising candidate for a selective antitumor oxidative therapy: under anoxic-like conditions, this novel drug delivery system showed a remarkable cytotoxic effect controlled by the substrate addition, against different tumor cell lines, and a bio-corona composition devoted to prolong its blood circulation time, thus improving the drug's biodistribution.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03568-1.

Construction of a risk model and prediction of prognosis and immunotherapy based on cuproptosis-related LncRNAs in the urinary system pan-cancer

BACKGROUND

Urinary pan-cancer system is a general term for tumors of the urinary system including renal cell carcinoma (RCC), prostate cancer (PRAD), and bladder cancer (BLCA). Their location, physiological functions, and metabolism are closely related, making the occurrence and outcome of these tumors highly similar. Cuproptosis is a new type of cell death that is different from apoptosis and plays an essential role in tumors. Therefore, it is necessary to study the molecular mechanism of cuproptosis-related lncRNAs to urinary system pan-cancer for the prognosis, clinical diagnosis, and treatment of urinary tumors.

METHOD

In our study, we identified 35 co-expression cuproptosis-related lncRNAs (CRLs) from the urinary pan-cancer system. 28 CRLs were identified as prognostic-related CRLs by univariate Cox regression analysis. Then 12 CRLs were obtained using lasso regression and multivariate cox analysis to construct a prognostic model. We divided patients into high- and low-risk groups based on the median risk scores. Next, Kaplan-Meier analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), functional rich annotations, and nomogram were used to compare the differences between the high- and low-risk groups. Finally, the prediction of tumor immune dysfunction and rejection, gene mutation, and drug sensitivity were discussed.

CONCLUSION

Finally, the candidate molecules of the urinary system pan-cancer were identified. This CRLs risk model may be promising for clinical prediction of prognosis and immunotherapy response in urinary system pan-cancer patients.

ATXN3 promotes prostate cancer progression by stabilizing YAP

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common neoplasm and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men worldwide. The Hippo tumor suppressor pathway is highly conserved in mammals and plays an important role in carcinogenesis. YAP is one of major key effectors of the Hippo pathway. However, the mechanism supporting abnormal YAP expression in PC remains to be characterized.

METHODS

Western blot was used to measure the protein expression of ATXN3 and YAP, while the YAP target genes were measured by real-time PCR. CCK8 assay was used to detect cell viability; transwell invasion assay was used to measure the invasion ability of PC. The xeno-graft tumor model was used for in vivo study. Protein stability assay was used to detect YAP protein degradation. Immuno-precipitation assay was used to detect the interaction domain between YAP and ATXN3. The ubiquitin-based Immuno-precipitation assays were used to detect the specific ubiquitination manner happened on YAP.

RESULTS

In the present study, we identified ATXN3, a DUB enzyme in the ubiquitin-specific proteases family, as a bona fide deubiquitylase of YAP in PC. ATXN3 was shown to interact with, deubiquitylate, and stabilize YAP in a deubiquitylation activity-dependent manner. Depletion of ATXN3 decreased the YAP protein level and the expression of YAP/TEAD target genes in PC, including CTGF, ANKRD1 and CYR61. Further mechanistic study revealed that the Josephin domain of ATXN3 interacted with the WW domain of YAP. ATXN3 stabilized YAP protein via inhibiting K48-specific poly-ubiquitination process on YAP protein. In addition, ATXN3 depletion significantly decreased PC cell proliferation, invasion and stem-like properties. The effects induced by ATXN3 depletion could be rescued by further YAP overexpression.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, our findings establish a previously undocumented catalytic role for ATXN3 as a deubiquitinating enzyme of YAP and provides a possible target for the therapy of PC. Video Abstract.

In Situ Fabrication of Silver Peroxide Hybrid Ultrathin Co-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Chemodynamic Antibacterial Therapy

Bacterial-induced infectious diseases have always caused an unavoidable problem and lead to an increasing threat to human health. Hence, there is an urgent need for effective antibacterial strategies to treat infectious diseases. Current methods are often ineffective and require large amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), with harmful effects on normal healthy tissue. Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) provides an ideal infection microenvironment (IME)-activated paradigm to tackle bacterial-related diseases. To take full advantage of the specificity of IME and enhanced CDT for wounds with bacterial infection, we have designed an intelligent antibacterial system that exploits nanocatalytic ZIF-67@Ag₂O₂ nanosheets. In this system, silver peroxide nanoparticles (Ag₂O₂ NPs) were grown on ultrathin zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) nanosheets by in situ oxidation, and then, ZIF-67@Ag₂O₂ nanosheets with the ability to self-generate H₂O₂ were triggered by the mildly acidic environment of IME. Lamellar ZIF-67 nanosheets were shown to rapidly degrade and release Co²⁺, allowing the conversion of less reactive H₂O₂ into the highly toxic reactive oxygen species hydroxyl radicals (^•OH) for enhanced CDT antibacterial properties. In vivo results revealed that the ZIF-67@Ag₂O₂ nanosheet system exhibits excellent antibacterial performance against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The proposed hybrid strategy demonstrates a promising therapeutic strategy to enable antibacterial agents with IME-responsive nanocatalytic activity to circumvent antibiotic resistance against bacterial infections.

SAA1 Has Potential as a Prognostic Biomarker Correlated with Cell Proliferation, Migration, and an Indicator for Immune Infiltration of Tumor Microenvironment in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important part in the initiation and development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, an understanding of the immune infiltration in TME is still unknown. Our study aims to explore the correlation between the TME and the clinical features, as well as the prognosis of ccRCC. In the present study, ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT computational methods were applied to calculate the proportion of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) and the amount of immune and stromal fractions in the ccRCC form The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Then, we sought to find out those immune cell types and genes which may play a significant role and validated them in the GEO database. Furthermore, an immunohistochemical analysis of our external validation dataset was used to detect SAA1 and PDL1 expression in the ccRCC cancer tissues and corresponding normal tissues. Statistical analysis was performed to study the relationship between SAA1 and clinical characteristics, as well as PDL1 expression. Furthermore, a ccRCC cell model with SAA1 knockdown was constructed, which was used for cell proliferation and the migration test. The intersection analysis of the univariate COX and PPI analysis were performed to imply Serum Amyloid A1 (SAA1) as a predictive factor. The expression of SAA1 was significantly negatively correlated to OS and positively correlated to the clinical TMN stage system. The genes in the high-expression SAA1 group were basically enriched in immune-related activities. The proportion of mast cells resting was negatively correlated with SAA1 expression, indicating that SAA1 may be involved in the maintenance of the immune status for the TME. Moreover, the PDL1 expression was positively related to the SAA1 expression and negatively correlated with the patients' prognosis. Further experiments revealed that the knockdown of SAA1 inhibited ccRCC development through suppressing cell proliferation and migration. SAA1 may be a novel marker for the prognosis prediction of ccRCC patients and may play a vital role in the TME by mast cell resting and PDL1 expression. SAA1 has the potential to become a therapeutic target and indicator for immune target therapy in ccRCC treatment.

NIR absorptive croconic acid/quercetin/CaO2 nanoplatform for tumor calcium overload therapy combined mild photothermal therapy

With excellent biocompatibility, stable chemical and optical properties, small organic molecules-based agents have always been a research hotspot in cancer photothermal therapy (PTT). In this work, a novel croconic acid-based molecule (CR) was designed and synthesized as an ideal photothermal agent (PTA), which showed abundant near-infrared (NIR) light absorption, high photothermal conversion ability, and excellent photothermal stability. By loading CR and quercetin (Qu) in CaO₂, and coated with DSPE-PEG₂₀₀₀, a multifunctional theranostic nanoparticle (CCQ) was successfully prepared for calcium overloading mitochondrial metabolism inhibition synergetic mild PTT. Upon entering tumor microenvironment, CCQ can produce abundant H₂O₂ and a large amount of calcium ions, which lead to the imbalance of calcium concentration in the internal environment of tumor cells and induced mitochondrial apoptosis. With the existence of Qu, CCQ can effectively inhibit the expression of heat shock proteins (Hsp) during the PTT process, which weaken the heat resistance of tumors, ablate tumors at lower temperature (~45 °C), and reduce the damage to normal tissues. Guided by photoacoustic imaging (PAI), CCQ showed excellent multimodal therapeutic effect of tumors. This study provided a novel CR organic molecule-based theranostic nanoplatform that can be used to treat tumors via calcium overload therapy synergetic PTT at safe temperatures, which has promising potential for the future clinical cancer treatment.

A dual-amplified ROS-responsive nanosystem with self-accelerating drug release for synergistic chemotherapy

In this work, we have developed a tumor-specific self-accelerating prodrug activation nanosystem consisting of self-amplifying degradable polyprodrug PEG-TA-CA-DOX and encapsulated fluorescent prodrug BCyNH₂, equipped with a reactive oxygen species dual-cycle amplification effect. Furthermore, activated CyNH₂ is a therapeutic agent with potential to synergistically improve chemotherapy.

Dual drug-loaded PLGA fibrous scaffolds for effective treatment of breast cancer in situ

Advanced metastatic breast cancer remains nearly an incurable disease. In situ therapy may help patients with worse prognoses have better clinical outcomes by significantly reducing systematic toxicity. Dural-drug fibrous scaffold was created and assessed using an in-situ therapeutic strategy, simulating the preferred regimens advised by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. DOX, a once-used chemotherapy drug is embedded into scaffolds and produces a fast release for two cycles to kill tumor cells. PTX, a hydrophobic drug is continuously injected and produces a gradual release for up to two cycles to treat long cycles. Chosen drug loading system and the designated fabrication parameter controlled the releasing profile. Drug carrier system complied with the clinical regimen. It demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo anti-proliferative effects on the breast cancer model. The dosage of an intratumoral injection to drug capsules, the local tissue toxicity could be significantly reduced. To optimized intravenous injection with dual drugs, fewer side effects and a higher survival rate were seen even in the large tumor model (450-550 mm³). Drug delivery system makes the precise accumulation of the topical drug concentration possible, simulating clinically successful therapy and possibly offering better clinical treatment options for solid tumors.

A mesoporous polydopamine-derived nanomedicine for targeted and synergistic treatment of inflammatory bowel disease by pH-Responsive drug release and ROS scavenging

Repurposing clinically approved drugs to construct novel nanomedicines is currently a very attractive therapeutic approach. Selective enrichment of anti-inflammatory drugs and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging at the region of inflammation by stimuli-responsive oral nanomedicine is an effective strategy for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study reports a novel nanomedicine, which is based on the excellent drug loading and free radical scavenging ability of mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (MPDA NPs). By initiating polyacrylic acid（PAA）polymerization on its surface, a "core-shell" structure nano-carrier with pH response is constructed. Then, under alkaline conditions, using the π-π stacking and hydrophobic interaction between the anti-inflammatory drug sulfasalazine (SAP) and MPDA, the nanomedicines (PAA@MPDA-SAP NPs) loaded efficiently (928 μ g mg^-1) of SAP was successfully formed. Our results reveal that PAA@MPDA-SAP NPs can pass through the upper digestive tract smoothly and finally accumulate in the inflamed colon. Through the synergistic effect of anti-inflammation and antioxidation, it can effectively reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and enhance the intestinal mucosal barrier, and finally significantly alleviate the symptoms of colitis in mice. Furthermore, we confirmed that PAA@MPDA-SAP NPs have good biocompatibility and anti-inflammatory repair ability under inflammation induction through human colonic organoids. In summary, this work provides a theoretical basis for the development of nanomedicines for IBD therapy.

Reactive oxygen species-upregulating nanomedicines towards enhanced cancer therapy

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a crucial role in physiological and pathological processes, emerging as a therapeutic target in cancer. Owing to the high concentration of ROS in solid tumor tissues, ROS-based treatments, such as photodynamic therapy and chemodynamic therapy, and ROS-responsive drug delivery systems have been widely explored to powerfully and specifically suppress tumors. However, their anticancer efficacy is still hampered by the heterogeneous ROS levels, and thus comprehensively upregulating the ROS levels in tumor tissues can ensure an enhanced therapeutic effect, which can further sensitize and/or synergize with other therapies to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. Herein, we review the recently emerging drug delivery strategies and technologies for increasing the H₂O₂, ˙OH, ¹O₂, and ˙O₂^- concentrations in cancer cells, including the efficient delivery of natural enzymes, nanozymes, small molecular biological molecules, and nanoscale Fenton-reagents and semiconductors and neutralization of intracellular antioxidant substances and localized input of mechanical and electromagnetic waves (such as ultrasound, near infrared light, microwaves, and X-rays). The applications of these ROS-upregulating nanosystems in enhancing and synergizing cancer therapies including chemotherapy, chemodynamic therapy, phototherapy, and immunotherapy are surveyed. In addition, we discuss the challenges of ROS-upregulating systems and the prospects for future studies.

Photodynamic therapy: Innovative approaches for antibacterial and anticancer treatments

Photodynamic therapy is an alternative treatment mainly for cancer but also for bacterial infections. This treatment dates back to 1900 when a German medical school graduate Oscar Raab found a photodynamic effect while doing research for his doctoral dissertation with Professor Hermann von Tappeiner. Unexpectedly, Raab revealed that the toxicity of acridine on paramecium depends on the intensity of light in his laboratory. Photodynamic therapy is therefore based on the administration of a photosensitizer with subsequent light irradiation within the absorption maxima of this substance followed by reactive oxygen species formation and finally cell death. Although this treatment is not a novelty, there is an endeavor for various modifications to the therapy. For example, selectivity and efficiency of the photosensitizer, as well as irradiation with various types of light sources are still being modified to improve final results of the photodynamic therapy. The main aim of this review is to summarize anticancer and antibacterial modifications, namely various compounds, approaches, and techniques, to enhance the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy.

Current applications of nanomaterials in urinary system tumors

The development of nanotechnology and nanomaterials has provided insights into the treatment of urinary system tumors. Nanoparticles can be used as sensitizers or carriers to transport drugs. Some nanoparticles have intrinsic therapeutic effects on tumor cells. Poor patient prognosis and highly drug-resistant malignant urinary tumors are worrisome to clinicians. The application of nanomaterials and the associated technology against urinary system tumors offers the possibility of improving treatment. At present, many achievements have been made in the application of nanomaterials against urinary system tumors. This review summarizes the latest research on nanomaterials in the diagnosis and treatment of urinary system tumors and provides novel ideas for future research on nanotechnologies in this field.

Targeting inorganic nanoparticles to tumors using biological membrane-coated technology

Inorganic nanoparticles have extensively revolutionized the effectiveness of cancer therapeutics due to their distinct physicochemical properties. However, the therapeutic efficiency of inorganic nanoparticles is greatly hampered by the complex tumor microenvironment, patient heterogeneity, and systemic nonspecific toxicity. The biomimetic technology based on biological membranes (cell- or bacteria-derived membranes) is a promising strategy to confer unique characteristics to inorganic nanoparticles, such as superior biocompatibility, prolonged circulation time, immunogenicity, homologous tumor targeting, and flexible engineering approaches on the surface, resulting in the enhanced therapeutic efficacy of inorganic nanoparticles against cancer. Therefore, a greater push toward developing biomimetic-based nanotechnology could increase the specificity and potency of inorganic nanoparticles for effective cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in biological membrane-coated inorganic nanoparticles in cancer precise therapy and highlight the different types of engineered approaches, applications, mechanisms, and future perspectives. The surface engineering of biological membrane can greatly enhance their targeting, intelligence, and functionality, thereby realizing stronger tumor therapy effects. Further advances in materials science, biomedicine, and oncology can facilitate the clinical translation of biological membrane-coated inorganic nanoparticles.

A Nanozyme-Immobilized Hydrogel with Endogenous ROS-Scavenging and Oxygen Generation Abilities for Significantly Promoting Oxidative Diabetic Wound Healing

Non-healing wound is a common complication of diabetic patients associated with high morbidity and mortality. Engineered therapeutic hydrogels have enviable advantages in tissue regeneration, however, they are suboptimal for the healing of diabetic wounds characterized by reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and chronic hypoxia. Here, a unique biological metabolism-inspired hydrogel, for ameliorating this hostile diabetic microenvironment, is presented. Consisting of natural polymers (hydrazide modified hyaluronic acid and aldehyde modified hyaluronic acid) and a metal-organic frameworks derived catalase-mimic nanozyme (ε-polylysine coated mesoporous manganese cobalt oxide), the engineered nanozyme-reinforced hydrogels can not only capture the endogenous elevated ROS in diabetic wounds, but also synergistically produce oxygen through the ROS-driven oxygen production ability. These fascinating properties of hydrogels protect skin cells (e.g., keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and vascular endothelial cells) from ROS and hypoxia-mediated death and proliferation inhibition. Diabetic wounds treated with the nanozyme-reinforced hydrogels highlight the potential of inducing the macrophages polarization from pro-inflammatory phenotype (M1) to anti-inflammatory subtype (M2). The hydrogel dressings demonstrate a prominently accelerated healing rate as shown by alleviating the excessive inflammatory, inducing efficiently proliferation, re-epithelialization, collagen deposition, and neovascularization. This work provides an effective strategy based on nanozyme-reinforced hydrogel as a ROS-driven oxygenerator for enhancing diabetic wound healing.

Computer classification and construction of a novel prognostic signature based on moonlighting genes in prostate cancer

Advanced prostate cancer (PRAD) patients have poor prognosis and rising morbidity despite the ongoing iteration of molecular therapeutic agents. As newly discovered proteins with several functions, Moonlighting proteins have showed an important role in tumor progression but has not been extensively investigated in PRAD. Our study aimed to identify moonlighting-related prognostic biomarkers and prospective PRAD therapy targets. 103 moonlighting genes were gathered from previous literatures. A PRAD classification and multivariate Cox prognostic signature were constructed using dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Subsequently, we tested our signature’s potential to predict biochemical failure-free survival (BFFS) using GSE21032, a prostate cancer dataset from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The performance of this signature was demonstrated by Kaplan-Meier (KM), receiver operator characteristic (ROC), areas under ROC curve (AUC), and calibration curves. Additionally, immune infiltration investigation was conducted to determine the impact of these genes on immune system. This signature’s influence on drug susceptibility was examined using CellMiner’s drug database. Both training and validation cohorts demonstrated well predictive capacity of this 9-gene signature for PRAD. The 3-year AUCs for TCGA-PRAD and GSE21032 were 0.802 and 0.60 respectively. It can effectively classify patients into various biochemical recurrence risk groups. These genes were also assessed to be connected with tumor mutation burden (TMB), immune infiltration and therapy. This work created and validated a moonlighting gene signature, revealing fresh perspectives on moonlighting proteins in predicting prognosis and improving treatment of PRAD.

Engineering H2 O2 and O2 Self-Supplying Nanoreactor to Conduct Synergistic Chemiexcited Photodynamic and Calcium-Overloaded Therapy in Orthotopic Hepatic Tumors

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is traditionally ineffective for deeply embedded tumors due to the poor penetration depth of the excitation light. Chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET) has emerged as a promising mode of PDT without external light. To date, related research has frequently used endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H₂ O₂ ) and oxygen (O₂ ) inside the solid tumor microenvironment to trigger CRET-mediated PDT. Unfortunately, this significantly restricts treatment efficacy and the development of further biomedical applications because of the limited amounts of endogenous H₂ O₂ and O₂ . Herein, a nanohybrid (mSiO₂ /CaO₂ /CPPO/Ce6: mSCCC) nanoparticle (NP) is designed to achieve synergistic CRET-mediated PDT and calcium (Ca²⁺ )-overload-mediated therapy. The calcium peroxide (CaO₂ ) formed inside mesoporous SiO₂ (mSC) with the inclusion of the chemiluminescent agent (CPPO) and photosensitizer (Ce6) self-supplies H₂ O₂ , O₂ , and Ca²⁺ allowing for the subsequent treatments. The Ce6 in mSCCC NPs is excited by chemical energy in situ following the supply of H₂ O₂ and O₂ to produce singlet oxygen (¹ O₂ ). The nanohybrid NPs are coated with stearic acid to avoid decomposition during blood circulation through contact with aqueous environment. This nanohybrid shows promising performance in the generation of ¹ O₂ for external light-free PDT and the release of Ca²⁺ ions for Ca²⁺ -overloaded therapy against orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma.

Oncocyte Membrane-Camouflaged Multi-Stimuli-Responsive Nanohybrids for Synergistic Amplification of Tumor Oxidative Stresses and Photothermal Enhanced Cancer Therapy

The combination of various therapeutic modalities has received considerable attention for improving antitumor performance. Herein, an innovative nanohybrid, namely CaO₂@FePt-DOX@PDA@CM (CFDPM), was developed for synergistic chemotherapy/chemodynamic therapy/Ca²⁺ overloading-mediated amplification of tumor oxidative stress and photothermal enhanced cancer therapy. Camouflage of the 4T1 cell membrane enabled CFDPM to escape the immune surveillance and accumulate in the tumor tissue. Ca²⁺, released from CaO₂, could lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and facilitate the production of reactive oxygen species to amplify intracellular oxidative stress. Meanwhile, the increase of H₂O₂ concentration could enhance the efficiency of the chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Moreover, the hypoxic condition could be alleviated remarkably, which is attributed to the sufficient O₂ supply by CaO₂, resulting in the suppression of drug resistance and promotion of the chemotherapeutic effect. The nanohybrids involving Ca²⁺ overloading/CDT/chemotherapy could synergistically amplify the tumor oxidative stresses and remarkably aggravate the death of cancer cells. Significantly, the excellent photothermal conversion performance of CFDPM could further promote the tumoricidal effect. The in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that CFDPM could effectively advance the therapeutic efficiency via the cooperation of various therapeutic modalities to optimize their individual virtue, which would open a valuable avenue for effective cancer treatment.

Minimalist O2 generator formed by in situ KMnO4 oxidation for tumor cascade therapy

Diverse oxygen generation strategies have been developed to overcome hypoxia in tumors for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy, but inevitably suffering from tedious synthesis process of oxygen generators in vitro before in vivo administration. Herein, we show direct injection of commercially and clinically used KMnO4 into solid tumors enables in situ formation of MnO2 as an oxygen depot for cascade oxidation damage and enhanced photodynamic therapy. KMnO4 can damage tumor tissues by oxidation and generate MnO2, and subsequent intravenous injection of Ce6 allows MnO2-triggered hypoxia-modulated photodynamic therapy of tumors. Excellent cascade tumor suppression effect is realized both in vitro and in vivo based on the KMnO4-Ce6 system without the need of synthesis. The proposed strategy lays down a novel way with unprecedented superiors of no need of synthesis process and ultra-facile administration procedure for tumor hypoxia-modulated cascade therapy.

Nanomedicine for urologic cancers: diagnosis and management

Urologic cancers accounted for more than 2 million new cases and around 0.8 million deaths in 2020. Although surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, as well as castration for prostate cancer, remain the cornerstones for managing urologic neoplasms, they can result in severe adverse effects, poor patient compliance, and unsatisfactory survival rates, thus, it is essential to develop novel options that enable the early detection of these malignancies, together with providing accurate diagnoses, and more efficient treatment strategies. Nanomedicine represents an emerging approach that can deliver formulations or drugs across traditional biological barriers in the body and be directed to specific cell types within target organs via active targeting or passive targeting, thus, showing potential to improve the management of urologic cancers. In this review, we discussed the most recent updates on the application of nanomedicines in the diagnosis and treatment of urologic cancers, with focus on prostate, bladder and kidney tumors. We also presented the anti-tumor molecular mechanisms of newly designed nanomedicine for treating urologic cancers, mainly including image-guided surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, and their synergetic therapy. Current studies have demonstrated the potential advantages of nanomedicine over conventional approaches. However, most developments and new findings in this area have not been validated in clinical trials yet, and therefore, efforts shall be made to translate these research insights into clinical practices for urologic cancers.

Aqueous decomposition behavior of solid peroxides: Effect of pH and buffer composition on oxygen and hydrogen peroxide formation

The ability of solid peroxides to provide sustained release of both oxygen and hydrogen peroxide makes them potentially suitable for oxygen release or antibacterial applications. Most recent reports using solid peroxides to augment oxygen levels do so by compounding solid peroxide powders in polymers to retard the aqueous decomposition. Compounds with peroxidase activity may be added to reduce hydrogen peroxide toxicity. Peroxides are rarely pure and are mixed with oxide and themselves decompose to form hydroxides in water. Therefore, even if buffering strategies are used, locally the pH at the surface of aqueously immersed peroxide particles is inevitably alkaline. Since pH affects the decomposition of peroxides and hydrogen peroxide stability, this study compared for the first-time the aqueous decomposition products of hydrogen and inorganic peroxides that are in use or have been used for medical applications of have been evaluated preclinically; calcium peroxide (CaO₂), magnesium peroxide (MgO₂), zinc peroxide (ZnO₂), sodium percarbonate (Na₂CO₃.1.5H₂O₂) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Since plasma can be approximated to be carbonate buffered phosphate solution, we maintained pH using carbonate and phosphate buffers and compared results with citrate buffers. For a given peroxide compound, we identified not only a strong effect of pH but also of buffer composition on the extent to which oxygen and hydrogen peroxide formation occurred. The influence of buffer composition was not previously appreciated, thereby establishing in vitro parameters for better design of intentional release of specific decomposition species. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This paper compares for the first time the aqueous decomposition products oxygen and hydrogen peroxide of solid peroxy compounds of metal cations, (calcium, magnesium, sodium and zinc) across a pH range that could feasibly be found in the body, (pH 5,7, 9) either physiologically or pathologically. We find that in addition to pH, buffer composition is also a critically important factor, making translation from in vitro models challenging. Cytotoxicity was related to hydrogen peroxide release, alkalinity and in the case of zinc peroxide to the cation itself. In vitro and preclinical studies generally report release data from polymer-peroxide composites and rarely compare peroxides with one another. Together our data provide guidance for oxygen and ROS delivery from these inorganic materials.

A N7-Methylguanine-Related Gene Signature Applicable for the Prognosis and Microenvironment of Prostate Cancer

Background

Despite the constant iteration of small-molecule inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors, PRAD (prostate adenocarcinoma) patients with distant metastases and biochemical recurrence maintain a poor survival outcome along with an increasing morbidity in recent years. N⁷-Methylguanine, a new-found type of RNA modification, has demonstrated an essential role in tumor progression but has hardly been studied for its effect on prostate carcinoma. The current study aimed to seek m⁷G (N7-methylguanosine) related prognostic biomarkers and potential targets for PRAD treatment.

Methods

42 genes related to m⁷G were collected from former literatures and GSEA (Gene Set Enrichment Analysis) website. Then, RNA-seq (RNA sequencing) and clinical data from TCGA-PRAD (The Cancer Genome Atlas-Prostate) cohort were retrieved to screen the differentially expressed m⁷G genes to further construct a multivariate Cox prognostic model for PRAD. Next, GSE116918, a prostate cancer cohort acquired from GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) database, was analyzed for the external validation group to assess the ability to predict BFFS (biochemical failure-free survival) of our m⁷G prognostic signature. Kaplan-Meier, ROC (receiver operator characteristic), AUC (areas under ROC curve), and calibration curves were adopted to display the performance of this prognostic signature. In addition, immune infiltration analysis was implemented to evaluate the effect of these m⁷G genes on immunoinfiltrating cells. Correlation with drug susceptibility of the m⁷G signature was also analyzed by matching drug information in CellMiner database.

Results

The m⁷G-related prognostic signature, including three genes (EIF3D, EIF4A1, LARP1) illustrated superior prognostic ability for PRAD in both training and validation cohorts. The 5-year AUC were 0.768 for TCGA-PRAD and 0.608 for GSE116918. It can well distinguish patients into different risk groups of biochemical recurrence (p =1e-04 for TCGA-PRAD and p =0.0186 for GSE116918). Immune infiltration analysis suggested potential regulation of m⁷G genes on neutrophils and dendritic cells in PRAD.

Conclusions

A m⁷G-related prognostic signature was constructed and validated in the current study, giving new sights of m⁷G methylation in predicting the prognostic and improving the treatment of PRAD.

Smart PdH@MnO2 Yolk-Shell Nanostructures for Spatiotemporally Synchronous Targeted Hydrogen Delivery and Oxygen-Elevated Phototherapy of Melanoma

Hydrogen therapy, an emerging therapeutic strategy, has recently attracted much attention in anticancer medicine. Evidence suggests that hydrogen (H₂) can selectively reduce intratumoral overexpressed hydroxyl radicals (•OH) to break the redox homeostasis and thereby lead to redox stress and cell damage. However, the inability to achieve stable hydrogen storage and efficient hydrogen delivery hinders the development of hydrogen therapy. Furthermore, oxygen (O₂) deficiency in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the electron-hole separation inefficiency in photosensitizers have severely limited the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Herein, a smart PdH@MnO₂/Ce6@HA (PHMCH) yolk-shell nanoplatform is designed to surmount these challenges. PdH tetrahedrons combine stable hydrogen storage and high photothermal conversion efficiency of palladium (Pd) nanomaterials with near-infrared-controlled hydrogen release. Subsequently, the narrow bandgap semiconductor manganese dioxide (MnO₂) and the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) are introduced into the PHMCH nanoplatform. Upon irradiation, the staggered energy band edges in heterogeneous materials composed of MnO₂ and Ce6 can efficiently facilitate electron-hole separation for increasing singlet oxygen (¹O₂). Moreover, MnO₂ nanoshells generate O₂ in TME for ameliorating hypoxia and further improving O₂-dependent PDT. Finally, the hyaluronic acid-modified PHMCH nanoplatform shows negligible cytotoxicity and selectively targets CD44-overexpressing melanoma cells. The synergistic antitumor performance of the H₂-mediated gas therapy combined with photothermal and enhanced PDT can explore more possibilities for the design of gas-mediated cancer therapy.

Development of oral curcumin based on pH-responsive transmembrane peptide-cyclodextrin derivative nanoparticles for hepatoma

Herein, a pH-responsive cyclodextrin derivative (R6H4-CMβCD) with cell-penetrating ability was successfully synthesized, and curcumin-loaded nanoparticles (R6H4-CMβCD@CUR NPs, RCCNPs) were developed to improve its efficacy in hepatoma. RCCNPs could improve the cell uptake compared with CMβCD@CUR NPs (CCNPs) and were internalized into cells mainly through endocytosis mediated by reticulin and macropinocytosis. Furthermore, the accumulation of RCCNPs in hepatoma cells at pH 6.4 was higher than that at pH 7.4, indicating a pH-responsive uptake. Additionally, RCCNPs could escape from the lysosomes via the "proton sponge effect", and a high apoptosis rate was detected. Importantly, in vivo experiments revealed that orally administered RCCNPs could exert excellent anti-cancer effects in tumor-bearing mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining did not show significant histological changes in the major organs. Thus, our findings indicate the potential of R6H4-CMβCD as a nanopharmaceutical material, and RCCNPs as an effective delivery system for oral curcumin in cancer management.

Multifunctional inorganic nanomaterials for cancer photoimmunotherapy

Phototherapy and immunotherapy in combination is regarded as the ideal therapeutic modality to treat both primary and metastatic tumors. Immunotherapy uses different immunological approaches to stimulate the immune system to identify tumor cells for targeted elimination. Phototherapy destroys the primary tumors by light irradiation, which induces a series of immune responses through triggering immunogenic cancer cell death. Therefore, when integrating immunotherapy with phototherapy, a novel anti-cancer strategy called photoimmunotherapy (PIT) is emerging. This synergistic treatment modality can not only enhance the effectiveness of both therapies but also overcome their inherent limitations, opening a new era for the current anti-cancer therapy. Recently, the advancement of nanomaterials affords a platform for PIT. From all these nanomaterials, inorganic nanomaterials stand out as ideal mediators in PIT due to their unique physiochemical properties. Inorganic nanomaterials can not only serve as carriers to transport immunomodulatory agents in immunotherapy owing to their excellent drug-loading capacity but also function as photothermal agents or photosensitizers in phototherapy because of their great optical characteristics. In this review, the recent advances of multifunctional inorganic nanomaterial-mediated drug delivery and their contributions to cancer PIT will be highlighted.

Targeted pH/redox dual-responsive nanoparticles for cancer chemotherapy combined with photodynamic/photothermal therapy

The application of intelligent responsive nanoparticles in combination therapy has become an emerging issue for cancer therapeutics. In this work, we have constructed a targeted nanoparticle that is capable of...

A pH-responsive cascade nanoplatform with circulating oxygen supply for collaborative breast cancer treatment

A pH-responsive cascade nanoplatform based on ZIF-8 disintegrates in the weakly acidic tumor microenvironment to release MnO2, CaO2 and Ce6.

Rational design of flexible microneedles coupled with CaO2@PDA-loaded nanofiber films for skin wound healing on diabetic rats

Skin ulcers is one of the complications of diabetes. At present, the treatment of diabetic skin wound is still not satisfactory, and the efficiency of drug delivery is limited by the depth...

Prussian Blue/Calcium Peroxide Nanocomposites-Mediated Tumor Cell Iron Mineralization for Treatment of Experimental Lung Adenocarcinoma

Current lung cancer diagnosis methods encounter delayed visual confirmation of tumor foci and low-resolution metrics in imaging findings, which delays the early treatment of tumors. Here, we developed a potent lung cancer imaging and treatment strategy centered around a nanotransformational concept of tumor iron mineralization in situ, which employs Prussian blue/calcium peroxide nanocomposites as a precursor. The resultant iron mineralization in tumor cells greatly facilitates the early and differential diagnosis of lung carcinoma from benign nodules via medical imaging, meanwhile introducing oxidative stress to activate the cellular apoptosis and ferroptosis pathways, resulting in inhibition of the malignant behavior of tumor cells. Tumor-microenvironment-triggered iron mineralization enables integration of the detection and prevention of tumor metastasis at its early stages with no assistance of toxic drugs, which offers a potential solution for the precise management of lung cancer with ideal outcomes.

Is the Fixed Periodic Treatment Effective for the Tumor System without Complete Information?

Objective

The treatment plans designed with the guidance of the mathematical model and adaptive strategy can trap tumor subpopulations in a periodic and controllable loop. But this process requires detailed information about the tumor system, which is difficult to obtain. Therefore, we wondered whether the fixed periodic treatment plans designed with the typical values of population parameters could be applied to a similar tumor system without complete information.

Methods

A binary tumor system constructed by an EGFR-mutant and a KRAS-mutant cell line was used to explore the applicability of the fixed periodic treatment plans. The dynamics of this system were described by combining the Lotka-Volterra model with the framework of the nonlinear mixed-effects model. The typical values of population parameters were used to design the plans, and the robust plans were screened through parameter variation. These screened plans were examined their applicability in animal experiments and simulations.

Results

In animal experiments where system parameters vary from -30% to 30%, the "osimertinib administration, withdrawal, FK866 administration and withdrawal" plan can trap subpopulations of the system in periodic cycles. In simulation, when there was an unknown resistant subpopulation, the screened fixed periodic treatment plans can still delay the evolution of resistance. The median outcomes of screened plans were better than conventional sequential treatment in most cases. There was no significant difference between the outcomes of the screened plan with median stability and the optimal therapy. The evolutionary trajectories of these two plans were similar.

Conclusion

According to the results, these fixed periodic plans should be tried in treatment even the information of the tumor system was incomplete.

Manipulating Intratumoral Fenton Chemistry for Enhanced Chemodynamic and Chemodynamic-Synergized Multimodal Therapy

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) uses the tumor microenvironment-assisted intratumoral Fenton reaction for generating highly toxic hydroxyl free radicals (•OH) to achieve selective tumor treatment. However, the limited intratumoral Fenton reaction efficiency restricts the therapeutic efficacy of CDT. Recent years have witnessed the impressive development of various strategies to increase the efficiency of intratumoral Fenton reaction. The introduction of these reinforcement strategies can dramatically improve the treatment efficiency of CDT and further promote the development of enhanced CDT (ECDT)-based multimodal anticancer treatments. In this review, the authors systematically introduce these reinforcement strategies, from their basic working principles, reinforcement mechanisms to their representative clinical applications. Then, ECDT-based multimodal anticancer therapy is discussed, including how to integrate these emerging Fenton reinforcement strategies for accelerating the development of multimodal anticancer therapy, as well as the synergistic mechanisms of ECDT and other treatment methods. Eventually, future direction and challenges of ECDT and ECDT-based multimodal synergistic therapies are elaborated, highlighting the key scientific problems and unsolved technical bottlenecks to facilitate clinical translation.

Phthalocyanine-based photoacoustic contrast agents for imaging and theranostics

Phthalocyanine, as an organic dye, has attracted much attention due to its high molar absorption coefficient in the near-infrared region (NIR). It is precisely because of this advantage that phthalocyanine is very beneficial to photoacoustic imaging (PAI). At present, many different strategies have been adopted to design phthalocyanine-based contrast agents with photoacoustic (PA) effect, including increasing water solubility, changing spectral properties, prolonging the circulation time, constructing activatable supramolecular nanoparticles, increasing targeting, etc. Based on this, this minireview highlighted the above ways to enhance the PA effect of phthalocyanine. What's more, the application of phthalocyanine-based PA contrast agents in biomedical imaging and image-guided phototherapy has been discussed. Finally, this minireview also provides the prospects and challenges of phthalocyanine-based PA contrast agents in order to provide some reference for the application of phthalocyanine-based PA contrast agents in biomedical imaging and guiding tumor treatment.

Calcium Peroxide Nanoparticles-Embedded Coatings on Anti-Inflammatory TiO2 Nanotubes for Bacteria Elimination and Inflammatory Environment Amelioration

Implant-associated bacterial infections significantly impair the integration between titanium and soft tissues. Traditional antibacterial modifications of titanium implants are able to eliminate bacteria, but the resulting pro-inflammatory reactions are usually ignored, which still poses potential risks to human bodies. Here, a dual drug-loading system on titanium has been developed via the adhesion of a catechol motif-modified methacrylated gelatin hydrogel onto TiO₂ nanotubes. Then synthesized CaO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) are embedded into the hydrogel, and interleukin-4 (IL-4) is loaded into the nanotubes to achieve both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The dual drug-loading system can eliminate Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) rapidly, attributed to the H₂ O₂ release from CaO₂ NPs. The potential cytotoxicity of CaO₂ NPs is also remarkably reduced after being embedded into the hydrogel. More importantly, with the gradual release of IL-4, the dual drug-loading system is capable of modulating pro-inflammatory reactions by inducing M2 phenotype polarization of macrophages. In a subcutaneous infection model, the S. aureus contamination is effectively resolved after 2 days, and the resulting pro-inflammatory reactions are also inhibited after 7 days. Finally, the damaged tissue is significantly recovered. Taken together, the dual drug-loading system exhibits great therapeutic potential in effectively killing pathogens and inhibiting the resulting pro-inflammatory reactions.

Calcium Peroxide-Based Nanosystem with Cancer Microenvironment-Activated Capabilities for Imaging Guided Combination Therapy via Mitochondrial Ca2+ Overload and Chemotherapy

Mitochondria are the "power plant" of the cell, providing a constant source of energy, and are involved in a variety of intracellular signaling pathways. Among these pathways, Ca²⁺ homeostasis is closely related to the normal function of mitochondria. By destroying the Ca²⁺ steady state of mitochondria and disrupting their multiple cellular activities, tumor cell killing can be achieved. In addition, the presence of an intracellular oxidative stress state triggers the closure of cellular calcium channels, which leads to intracellular Ca²⁺ retention and enrichment. We designed a targeted and tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive CaO₂-based nanosystem that can selectively target cancer cells for pH-controlled degradation and drug release, alter cellular physiological mechanisms by disrupting Ca²⁺ homeostasis in an artificial manner, and introduce mitochondrial Ca²⁺ excess-mediated apoptosis. Meanwhile, the production of Ca(OH)₂ will raise the pH of the microenvironment and subsequently promote the oxidation process of glutathione by H₂O₂ released from CaO₂ degradation, achieving the goal of remodeling TME. Moreover, calcium overload of tumor cells and calcification of tissues can both inhibit tumor growth and act as a contrast agent for computed tomography imaging.

Investigation of Polyacrylic Acid Toxicity in Human Breast Cancer (MCF-7) and Mouse Fibroblast (L-929) Cell Lines

In recent years, biopolymers have been widely used in various fields of medicine. Before using any polymer, its biocompatibility should be examined. Polyacrylic acid (PAA), a polyelectrolyte, is known to be used as an adjuvant effect in immunology, anti-thrombogenic effect in medical experiments, and as a carrier in drug delivery systems. Although there are studies on various conjugates and nanoparticles of PAA, studies on its toxicity alone are limited. Determination of toxicity in biopolymer studies is extremely important. Cultures of various cells are used for toxicity analyses. This study aimed to investigate the toxicity of PAA in human breast cancer (MCF-7) and mouse fibroblast (L-929) cell lines by various methods. Cell culture, 3-(4,5-dimethyltriazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), trypan blue and 4,6-diamidino 2 phenylindole (DAPI) methods were used in the study. The half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of PAA was 6.6 mg/ml in MCF 7 cells and 1.8 mg/ ml in L-929 cells. Apoptosis was observed in cells on the increasing PAA concentration with DAPI. With these results, the cytotoxic properties of PAA were determined in vitro. Accordingly, the biocompatibility of polymers to be used in modeling should be supported by in vitro and in vivo studies.