Nano revolution in cardiovascular health: Nanoparticles (NPs) as tiny titans for diagnosis and therapeutics

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are known as life-threatening illnessescaused by severe abnormalities in the cardiovascular system. They are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide.Nanotechnology integrated substantialinnovations in cardiovascular diagnostic and therapeutic at the nanoscale. This in-depth analysis explores cutting-edge methods for diagnosing CVDs, including nanotechnological interventions and crucial components for identifying risk factors, developing treatment plans, and monitoring patients' progress with chronic CVDs.Intensive research has gone into making nano-carriers that can image and treat patients. To improve the efficiency of treating CVDs, the presentreview sheds light on a decision-tree-based solution by investigating recent and innovative approaches in CVD diagnosis by utilizing nanoparticles (NPs). Treatment choices for chronic diseases like CVD, whose etiology might take decades to manifest, are very condition-specific and disease-stage-based. Moreover, thisreview alsobenchmarks the changing landscape of employing NPs for targeted and better drug administration while examining the limitations of various NPs in CVD diagnosis, including cost, space, time, and complexity. To better understand and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the conversation moves on to the nano-cardiovascular possibilities for medical research.We also focus on recent developments in nanoparticle applications, the ways they might be helpful, and the medical fields where they may find future use. Finally, this reviewadds to the continuing conversation on improved diagnosis and treatment approaches for cardiovascular disorders by discussing the obstacles and highlighting the revolutionary effects of nanotechnology.

Traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharide in nano-drug delivery systems: Current progress and future perspectives

Traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharides (TCMPs) have gained increasing attention in the field of nanomedicine due to their diverse biological activities and favorable characteristics as drug carriers, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, safety, and ease of modification. TCMPs-based nano-drug delivery systems (NDDSs) offer several advantages, such as evasion of reticuloendothelial system (RES) phagocytosis, protection against biomolecule degradation, enhanced drug bioavailability, and potent therapeutic effects. Therefore, a comprehensive review of the latest developments in TCMPs-based NDDSs and their applications in disease therapy is of great significance. This review provides an overview of the structural characteristics and biological activities of TCMPs relevant to carrier design, the strategies employed for constructing TCMPs-based NDDSs, and the versatile role of TCMPs in these systems. Additionally, current challenges and future prospects of TCMPs in NDDSs are discussed, aiming to provide valuable insights for future research and clinical translation.

Folate-modified liposomes mediate the co-delivery of cisplatin with miR-219a-5p for the targeted treatment of cisplatin-resistant lung cancer

Cisplatin (DDP) resistance, often leading to first-line chemotherapy failure in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), poses a significant challenge. MiR-219a-5p has been reported to enhance the sensitivity of human NSCLC to DDP. However, free miR-219a-5p is prone to degradation by nucleases in the bloodstream, rendering it unstable. In light of this, our study developed an efficient nanodrug delivery system that achieved targeted delivery of DDP and miR-219a-5p by modifying liposomes with folate (FA). Based on the results of material characterization, we successfully constructed a well-dispersed and uniformly sized (approximately 135.8 nm) Lipo@DDP@miR-219a-5p@FA nanodrug. Agarose gel electrophoresis experiments demonstrated that Lipo@DDP@miR-219a-5p@FA exhibited good stability in serum, effectively protecting miR-219a-5p from degradation. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry experiments revealed that, due to FA modification, Lipo@DDP@miR-219a-5p@FA could specifically bind to FA receptors on the surface of tumor cells (A549), thus enhancing drug internalization efficiency. Safety evaluations conducted in vitro demonstrated that Lipo@DDP@miR-219a-5p@FA exhibited no significant toxicity to non-cancer cells (BEAS-2B) and displayed excellent blood compatibility. Cellular functional experiments, apoptosis assays, and western blot demonstrated that Lipo@DDP@miR-219a-5p@FA effectively reversed DDP resistance in A549 cells, inhibited cell proliferation and migration, and further promoted apoptosis. In summary, the Lipo@DDP@miR-219a-5p@FA nanodrug, through specific targeting of cancer cells and reducing their resistance to DDP, significantly enhanced the anti-NSCLC effects of DDP in vitro, providing a promising therapeutic option for the clinical treatment of NSCLC.

Ciprofloxacin loaded PEG coated ZnO nanoparticles with enhanced antibacterial and wound healing effects

Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide health problem that demands alternative antibacterial strategies. Modified nano-composites can be an effective strategy as compared to traditional medicine. The current study was designed to develop a biocompatible nano-drug delivery system with increased efficacy of current therapeutics for biomedical applications. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized by chemical and green methods by mediating with Moringa olifera root extract. The ZnO-NPs were further modified by drug conjugation and coating with PEG (CIP-PEG-ZnO-NPs) to enhance their therapeutic potential. PEGylated ZnO-ciprofloxacin nano-conjugates were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. During antibacterial screenings chemically and green synthesized CIP-PEG-ZnO-NPs revealed significant activity against clinically isolated Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. The sustainable and prolonged release of antibiotics was noted from the CIP-PEG conjugated ZnO-NPs. The synthesized nanoparticles were found compatible with RBCs and Baby hamster kidney cell lines (BHK21) during hemolytic and MTT assays respectively. Based on initial findings a broad-spectrum nano-material was developed and tested for biomedical applications that eradicated Staphylococcus aureus from the infectious site and showed wound-healing effects during in vivo applications. ZnO-based nano-drug carrier can offer targeted drug delivery, and improved drug stability and efficacy resulting in better drug penetration.

Multifunctional role of nanoparticles for the diagnosis and therapeutics of cardiovascular diseases

The increasing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains responsible for morbidity and mortality worldwide; their effective diagnostic or treatment methods are of great interest to researchers. The use of NPs and nanocarriers in cardiology has drawn much interest. The present comprehensive review provides deep insights into the use of current and innovative approaches in CVD diagnostics to offer practical ways to utilize nanotechnological interventions and the critical elements in the CVD diagnosis, associated risk factors, and management strategies of patients with chronic CVDs. We proposed a decision tree-based solution by discussing the emerging applications of NPs for the higher number of rules to increase efficiency in treating CVDs. This review-based study explores the screening methods, tests, and toxicity to provide a unique way of creating a multi-parametric feature that includes cutting-edge techniques for identifying cardiovascular problems and their treatments. We discussed the benefits and drawbacks of various NPs in the context of cost, space, time and complexity that have been previously suggested in the literature for the diagnosis of CVDs risk factors. Also, we highlighted the advances in using NPs for targeted and improved drug delivery and discussed the evolution toward the nano-cardiovascular potential for medical science. Finally, we also examined the mixed-based diagnostic approaches crucial for treating cardiovascular disorders, broad applications and the potential future applications of nanotechnology in medical sciences.

Research progress in nano-drug delivery systems based on the characteristics of the liver cancer microenvironment

The liver cancer has microenvironmental features such as low pH, M2 tumor-associated macrophage enrichment, low oxygen, rich blood supply and susceptibility to hematotropic metastasis, high chemokine expression, enzyme overexpression, high redox level, and strong immunosuppression, which not only promotes the progression of the disease, but also seriously affects the clinical effectiveness of traditional therapeutic approaches. However, nanotechnology, due to its unique advantages of size effect and functionalized modifiability, can be utilized to develop various responsive nano-drug delivery system (NDDS) by using these characteristic signals of the liver cancer microenvironment as a source of stimulation, which in turn can realize the intelligent release of the drug under the specific microenvironment, and significantly increase the concentration of the drug at the target site. Therefore, researchers have designed a series of stimuli-responsive NDDS based on the characteristics of the liver cancer microenvironment, such as hypoxia, weak acidity, and abnormal expression of proteases, and they have been widely investigated for improving anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy and reducing the related side effects. This paper provides a review of the current application and progress of NDDS developed based on the response and regulation of the microenvironment in the treatment of liver cancer, compares the effects of the microenvironment and the NDDS, and provides a reference for building more advanced NDDS.

Development and challenges of antimicrobial peptide delivery strategies in bacterial therapy: A review

The escalating global prevalence of antimicrobial resistance poses a critical threat, prompting concerns about its impact on public health. This predicament is exacerbated by the acute shortage of novel antimicrobial agents, a scarcity attributed to the rapid surge in bacterial resistance. This review delves into the realm of antimicrobial peptides, a diverse class of compounds ubiquitously present in plants and animals across various natural organisms. Renowned for their intrinsic antibacterial activity, these peptides provide a promising avenue to tackle the intricate challenge of bacterial resistance. However, the clinical utility of peptide-based drugs is hindered by limited bioavailability and susceptibility to rapid degradation, constraining efforts to enhance the efficacy of bacterial infection treatments. The emergence of nanocarriers marks a transformative approach poised to revolutionize peptide delivery strategies. This review elucidates a promising framework involving nanocarriers within the realm of antimicrobial peptides. This paradigm enables meticulous and controlled peptide release at infection sites by detecting dynamic shifts in microenvironmental factors, including pH, ROS, GSH, and reactive enzymes. Furthermore, a glimpse into the future reveals the potential of targeted delivery mechanisms, harnessing inflammatory responses and intricate signaling pathways, including adenosine triphosphate, macrophage receptors, and pathogenic nucleic acid entities. This approach holds promise in fortifying immunity, thereby amplifying the potency of peptide-based treatments. In summary, this review spotlights peptide nanosystems as prospective solutions for combating bacterial infections. By bridging antimicrobial peptides with advanced nanomedicine, a new therapeutic era emerges, poised to confront the formidable challenge of antimicrobial resistance head-on.

Glycolysis-based drug delivery nanosystems for therapeutic use in tumors and applications

Tumor cells are able to use glycolysis to produce energy under hypoxic conditions, and even under aerobic conditions, they rely mainly on glycolysis for energy production, the Warburg effect. Conventional tumor therapeutic drugs are unidirectional, lacking in targeting and have limited therapeutic effect. The development of a large number of nanocarriers and targeted glycolysis for the treatment of tumors has been extensively investigated in order to improve the therapeutic efficacy. This paper reviews the research progress of nanocarriers based on targeting key glycolytic enzymes and related transporters, and combines nanocarrier systems with other therapeutic approaches to provide a new strategy for targeted glycolytic treatment of tumors, providing a theoretical reference for achieving efficient targeted treatment of tumors.

Microfluidics for nano-drug delivery systems: From fundamentals to industrialization

In recent years, owing to the miniaturization of the fluidic environment, microfluidic technology offers unique opportunities for the implementation of nano drug delivery systems (NDDSs) production processes. Compared with traditional methods, microfluidics improves the controllability and uniformity of NDDSs. The fast mixing and laminar flow properties achieved in the microchannels can tune the physicochemical properties of NDDSs, including particle size, distribution and morphology, resulting in narrow particle size distribution and high drug-loading capacity. The success of lipid nanoparticles encapsulated mRNA vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 by microfluidics also confirmed its feasibility for scaling up the preparation of NDDSs via parallelization or numbering-up. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of microfluidics-based NDDSs, including the fundamentals of microfluidics, microfluidic synthesis of NDDSs, and their industrialization. The challenges of microfluidics-based NDDSs in the current status and the prospects for future development are also discussed. We believe that this review will provide good guidance for microfluidics-based NDDSs.

Active targeting schemes for nano-drug delivery systems in osteosarcoma therapeutics

Osteosarcoma, the most common malignant tumor of the bone, seriously influences people's lives and increases their economic burden. Conventional chemotherapy drugs achieve limited therapeutic effects owing to poor targeting and severe systemic toxicity. Nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems can significantly enhance the utilization efficiency of chemotherapeutic drugs through targeting ligand modifications and reduce the occurrence of systemic adverse effects. A variety of ligand-modified nano-drug delivery systems have been developed for different targeting schemes. Here we review the biological characteristics and the main challenges of current drug therapy of OS, and further elaborate on different targeting schemes and ligand selection for nano-drug delivery systems of osteosarcoma, which may provide new horizons for the development of advanced targeted drug delivery systems in the future.

Anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties of lactic acid bacteria and its peptides

Recent studies manifest an increase of inflammatory diseases at an alarming rate due to gut microbiota dysbiosis, genetic and other environmental factors. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known for their antimicrobial properties and their extensive applications in food and pharmaceutical industries. Cyclic peptides are receiving increased attention due to their remarkable stability to withstand variations in temperature and pH. LAB produces anti-inflammatory that can inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced production of proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages. The structural backbones of cyclic peptides offer a promising approach for the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions. The current review aims to present the overview of anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties of LAB-derived cyclic peptides.

A dual-responsive "Yin-Yang" photothermal delivery system to accelerate Parthenolide anti-tumor efficacy

Parthenolide (PTL), a germacrane sesquiterpene lactone extracted from the "Yin" Chinese traditional herb feverfew, has gained interest due to its lethal effects on tumor cells and its pharmacological effects within traditional Chinese medicine theory. To overcome low, non-targeted accumulation and uncontrolled release of PTL administration, a dual-responsive PTL-liposomes@chitosan@gold nanoshells (PTL-Lips@CS@GNS) system was fabricated. Hyperthermia generated under light irradiation in the near-infrared region via local surface plasmon resonance of gold nanoshells induced photothermal therapy, which also stimulated PTL release due to the liposomes gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition. Additionally, PTL-Lips@CS@GNS exhibited a pH-responsive release in the acidic tumor microenvironment. Collectively, this study provides a realistic strategy for an effective combination of traditional Chinese medicine and current nanotechnology for tumor therapy.

Functionalized layered double hydroxide nanoparticles as an intelligent nanoplatform for synergistic photothermal therapy and chemotherapy of tumors

In this work, a novel layered double hydroxide (LDH)-based multifunctional nanoplatform was built for synergistic photothermal therapy (PTT)/chemotherapy. The platform was modified using the peptide B3int to target cancer cells with overexpression of integrin αvβ3. Indocyanine green (ICG) and doxorubicin (DOX) were loaded into the nanocarrier (LDH-PEG-B3int NPs) to form a system having a high drug loading (18.62%) and a remarkable photothermal conversion efficiency of 25.38%. It also showed pH-responsive and near-infrared (NIR)-triggered DOX release. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that the anti-tumor activity of the combined delivery system was significantly higher than that of a single delivery system. This co-delivery nanosystem may be helpful for future application in the clinical treatment of cancer.

Relationship and improvement strategies between drug nanocarrier characteristics and hemocompatibility: What can we learn from the literature

This article discusses the various blood interactions that may occur with various types of nano drug-loading systems. Nanoparticles enter the blood circulation as foreign objects. On the one hand, they may cause a series of inflammatory reactions and immune reactions, resulting in the rapid elimination of immune cells and the reticuloendothelial system, affecting their durability in the blood circulation. On the other hand, the premise of the drug-carrying system to play a therapeutic role depends on whether they cause coagulation and platelet activation, the absence of hemolysis and the elimination of immune cells. For different forms of nano drug-carrying systems, we can find the characteristics, elements and coping strategies of adverse blood reactions that we can find in previous researches. These adverse reactions may include destruction of blood cells, abnormal coagulation system, abnormal effects of plasma proteins, abnormal blood cell behavior, adverse immune and inflammatory reactions, and excessive vascular stimulation. In order to provide help for future research and formulation work on the blood compatibility of nano drug carriers.

The use of amphiphilic copolymer in the solid dispersion formulation of nimodipine to inhibit drug crystallization in the release media: Combining nano-drug delivery system with solid preparations

Solid dispersion is a widely used method to improve the dissolution and oral bioavailability of water-insoluble drugs. However, due to the strong hydrophobicity, the drug crystallization in the release media after drug dissolution and the resulted decreased drug absorption retards the use of solid dispersions. It is widely known that the amphiphilic copolymer can encapsulate the hydrophobic compounds and help form stable nano-dispersions in water. Inspired by this, we tried to formulate the solid dispersion of nimodipine by using amphipathic copolymer as one of the carriers. Concerning the solid dispersions, there are many important points involved in these formulations, such as the miscibility between the drug and the carriers, the storage stability of solid dispersions, the dissolution enhancement and so on. In this study, a systemic method is proposed. In details, the supersaturation test and the glass transition temperature (T_g) measurement to predict the crystallization inhibition, the ratios of different components and the storage stability, the interactions among the components were investigated in detail by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and, the final dissolution and oral bioavailability enhancement. It was found that the amphiphilic copolymer used in the solid dispersion encouraged the formation the drug loading micelles in the release media and, finally, the problem of drug crystallization in the dissolution process was successfully solved.

Targeting cancer stem cells in drug discovery: Current state and future perspectives

In recent decades, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been increasingly identified in many malignancies. CSC-related signaling pathways and their functions provide new strategies for treating cancer. The aberrant activation of related signaling pathways (e.g., Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog pathways) has been linked to multiple types of malignant tumors, which makes these pathways attractive targets for cancer therapy. CSCs display many characteristic features, such as self-renewal, differentiation, high tumorigenicity, and drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic strategies to target these pathways to control stem cell replication, survival, and differentiation. Notable crosstalk occurs among different signaling pathways and potentially leads to compensatory escape. Therefore, multitarget inhibitors will be one of the main methods to overcome the drug resistance of CSCs. Many small molecule inhibitors of components of signaling pathways in CSCs have entered clinical trials, and some inhibitors, such as vismodegib, sonidegib, and glasdegib, have been approved. Tumor cells are susceptible to sonidegib and vismodegib resistance due to mutations in the Smo protein. The signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibitor BBI608 is being evaluated in a phase III trial for a variety of cancers. Structural derivatives of BBI608 are the main focus of STAT3 inhibitor development, which is another strategy for CSC therapy. In addition to the potential pharmacological inhibitors targeting CSC-related signaling pathways, other methods of targeting CSCs are available, such as nano-drug delivery systems, mitochondrion targeting, autophagy, hyperthermia, immunotherapy, and CSC microenvironment targeting. In addition, we summarize the latest advances in the clinical development of agents targeting CSC-related signaling pathways and other methods of targeting CSCs.

Nano-drug delivery systems in wound treatment and skin regeneration

Skin damages are defined as one of most common lesions people suffer from, some of wounds are notoriously difficult to eradicate such as chronic wounds and deep burns. Existing wound therapies have been proved to be inadequate and far from satisfactory. The cutting-edge nanotechnology offers an unprecedented opportunity to revolutionize and invent new therapies or boost the effectiveness of current medical treatments. In particular, the nano-drug delivery systems anchor bioactive molecules to applied area, sustain the drug release and explicitly enhance the therapeutic efficacies of drugs, thus making a fine figure in field relevant to skin regeneration. This review summarized and discussed the current nano-drug delivery systems holding pivotal potential for wound healing and skin regeneration, with a special emphasis on liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, inorganic nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles, nanofibrous structures and nanohydrogel.

PEGylated doxorubicin cloaked nano-graphene oxide for dual-responsive photochemical therapy

Graphene oxide (GO) owns huge surface area and high drug loading capacity for aromatic molecules, such as doxorubicin (DOX). However, its biocompatibility is poor and it might agglomerate in physiological conditions. Chemical modification of GO with hydrophilicpolymer, especially PEGylation, was a common method to improve its biocompatibility. But the chemical modification of GO was complicated, and its drug loading capacity might be reduced because of the occupation of its functional groups. In this study, DOX-PEG polymers with different PEG molecular weights were synthesized to modify nano graphene oxide (NGO) to simultaneously realize the solubilization of NGO and the high loading capacity of DOX. The result showed that the drug release of NGO@DOX-PEG was pH sensitive. NIR irradiation could augment the drug release, cellular uptake, cytotoxicity and nuclear translocation of nanodrugs. Among the three kinds of nanodrugs, NGO@DOX-PEG5K was superior to others. It suggested that after conjugating with PEG, the bond between DOX-PEG and NGO was weakened, which resulted in a better drug release and treatment effect. In summary, the NIR and pH dual-responsive NGO@DOX-PEG nanodrugs were developed by noncovalent modification, and it demonstrated excellent biocompatibility and photochemical therapeutic effect, presenting a promising candidate for antitumor therapy, especially NGO@DOX-PEG5K.

Novel controlled drug release system engineered with inclusion complexes based on carboxylic graphene

A novel drug carrier is constructed by compositing hydrophilic hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrins (HP-β-CD) and carboxylated graphene nanomaterial (GO-COOH). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms that the two materials are successfully combined via chemical bonds. Further, a crosslinking agent of glutaraldehyde is applied to fabricate composite GO-COO-HP-β-CD nanospheres, as demonstrated by an atomic force microscope. Dexamethasone (DEX) is selected as the model drug, and the drug loading efficiency and water solubility of the nanospheres greatly increased. Additionally, the achieved DEX/nanosphere inclusion complex exhibits better heat resistance compared with pure DEX, which is a desired property for drug processing. More importantly, different models are applied to different releasing durations to investigate in detail the release profile of DEX. The best fitting release kinetics model is given to reveal the release mechanism of the drug delivery system. The highest hemolysis rate of the DEX/nanosphere inclusion is 0.44%, far lower than the standard of 5% delivered by the American Society for Testing and Materials, ensuring its safety in practical applications. Meanwhile, recalcification tests indicate that DEX/nanosphere retains the normal blood coagulation function. In vitro cytotoxicity tests of the inclusion demonstrate that the nanospheres have no toxicity and are qualified for intravenous applications with good blood compatibility. Finally, the bioactivity of DEX after release from the carriers is investigated. Results corroborate that the drug anti-inflammation efficacy is not affected and that the biomedical function can be well retained. The engineered controlled drug release system represents a promising formulation platform for a broad range of therapeutic medicine in pharmaceutical technology.

A novel lactoferrin-modified β-cyclodextrin nanocarrier for brain-targeting drug delivery

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) restricts the transfer and delivery of most drug substances to brain. In this study, a novel nano-drug delivery system for brain-targeting was developed and investigated in vitro and in vivo. Lactoferrin (Lf) was selected as a brain-targeting ligand and conjugated to β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) via the heterobifunctional polyethyleneglycol (PEG) linker NHS-PEG-MAL, yielding Lf conjugated β-cyclodextrin (Lf-CD). UV-vis, FTIR, NMR and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques clearly demonstrated the successful synthesis of Lf-CD nanoparticles with the average diameter of 92.9 ± 16.5 nm. Using near-infrared fluorescent dye IR-775 chloride (IR) as a model compound of poorly water-soluble drugs, IR-loaded Lf-CD nanoparticles (Lf-CD/IR) were successfully prepared with a high entrapment efficiency of 98.1 ± 4.8%. Biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of Lf-CD/IR were evaluated in KM mice after intravenous administration. The results of tissue distribution studies revealed that Lf-CD/IR treatment showed greatly improved BBB transport efficiency. In addition, AUC0-2h of IR in brain after Lf-CD/IR treatment was seven fold higher compared with that of IR treatment without Lf-CD nano-carriers, demonstrating that the introduction of Lf-CD drug-delivery system positively resulted in a higher AUC located in brain tissue. These results provide evidence that Lf-CD nanoparticles could be exploited as a potential brain-targeting drug delivery system for hydrophobic drugs and diagnostic reagents which normally fail to pass through the BBB.