Application of cationized magnetoferritin for magnetic field-assisted delivery of short interfering RNA in vitro

Influence of magnetized water irrigation on characteristics of antioxidant enzyme, ferritin, and Cd excretion in Festuca arundinacea during phytoextraction

The magnetic field can alter the hydrogen-bond structure and polarity characteristics of water; therefore, we hypothesize that magnetized water can affect plant physiological functions, including metal detoxification and excretion. In this study, the amount of Cd excreted on the leaves of Festuca arundinacea was estimated using magnetized water and normal water irrigation patterns. Irrigation with magnetized water improved the shoot dry weight and Cd content in F. arundinacea by 13.6% and 52.8%, respectively, compared to the control. Magnetized water irrigation also increased antioxidant enzyme activities in plant leaves, thereby alleviating the oxidative damage. The concentration of ferritin was 0.91 folds higher than that of the control, increasing the Fe sequestration and detoxification capacity of F. arundinacea. The amount of Cd excreted was significantly higher under magnetized water irrigation, thereby increasing the annual Cd removal by 109.7% from soil by leaf washing compared with that of the control. In contrast, F. arundinacea irrigated with magnetized water excreted 38.1% less Fe owing to the increase in ferritin levels, compared with that of the control. This study suggests a novel pathway of Cd phytoremediation by rinsing excreted Cd from the leaf surface without harvesting and replanting F. arundinacea.

Tumor-targeted nano-delivery system of therapeutic RNA

The birth of RNAi technology has pioneered actionability at the molecular level. Compared to DNA, RNA is less stable and therefore requires more demanding delivery vehicles. With their flexible size, shape, structure, and accessible surface modification, non-viral vectors show great promise for application in RNA delivery. Different non-viral vectors have different ways of binding to RNA. Low immunotoxicity gives RNA significant advantages in tumor treatment. However, the delivery of RNA still has many limitations in vivo. This manuscript summarizes the size-targeting dependence of different organs, followed by a summary of nanovesicles currently in or undergoing clinical trials. It also reviews all RNA delivery systems involved in the current study, including natural, bionic, organic, and inorganic systems. It summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of different delivery methods, which will be helpful for future RNA vehicle design. It is hoped that this will be helpful for gene therapy of clinical tumors.

Detection of hypokalemia disorder and its relation with hypercalcemia in blood serum using LIBS technique for patients of colorectal cancer grade I and grade II

Cancer continues to be the most dangerous disease around the world; it causes electrolyte imbalance as well as metabolic changes. There is a complicated relationship between electrolyte disorder and cancer. Cancer patients commonly pass with abnormalities in serum electrolyte levels such as hypokalemia, hyperkalemia, hyponatremia, and hypercalcemia. So, these electrolyte imbalances indicate the existence of paraneoplastic processes and help come to a more informed prognosis. Hypokalemia is defined as a serum potassium concentration below 3.5 mmol/L and it is the second common electrolyte imbalance seen in patients with malignant diseases. In this paper, the contribution of serum potassium concentration to tumor progression was studied by applying a promising and non-invasive technique called laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). It was found that there is a correlation between hypokalemia and the colorectal cancer problem. Also, significant serum potassium concentration differences were detected among two different stages of the same cancer and also between two groups of the same stage of a cancer held in common but one of them suffers from hypercalcemia. In addition, the optimum conditions of LIBS setup were arranged such that it will be suitable to work with serum samples on glass substrate.

Monitoring of the choline/lipid ratio by 1H-MRS can be helpful for prediction and early detection of tumor response to nano-photo-thermal therapy

Nanotechnology-based photothermal therapy (NPTT) is a new emerging modality of cancer therapy. To have the right prediction and early detection of response to NPTT, it is necessary to get rapid feedback from a tumor treated by NPTT procedure and stay informed of what happens in the tumor site. We performed this study to find if proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) can be well responsive to such an imperative requirement. We considered various treatment groups including gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), laser, and the combination of AuNPs and laser (NPTT group). Therapeutic effects on CT26 colon tumor-bearing BALB/c mice were studied by looking at alterations that happened in 1H-MRS signals and tumor size after conducting treatment procedures. In MRS studies, the alterations of choline and lipid concentrations and their ratio were investigated. Having normalized the metabolite peak to water peak, we found a significant decrease in choline concentration post-NPTT (from (1.25 ± 0.05) × 10^-3 to (0.43 ± 0.04) × 10^-3), while the level of lipid concentration in the tumor was slightly increased (from (2.91 ± 0.23) × 10^-3 to (3.52 ± 0.31) × 10^-3). As a result, the choline/lipid ratio was significantly decreased post-NPTT (from 0.41 ± 0.11 to 0.11 ± 0.02). Such alterations appeared just 1 day after NPTT. Tumor shrinkage in all groups was studied and significant changes were significantly detectable on day 7 post-NPTT procedure. In conclusion, the study of choline/lipid ratio using 1H-MRS may help us estimate what happens in a tumor treated by the NPTT method. Such an in vivo assessment is interestingly feasible as soon as just 1 day post-NPTT. This would undoubtedly help the oncologists make a more precise decision about treatment planning strategies. Monitoring of the choline/lipid ratio by ¹H-MRS can be helpful for prediction and early detection of response to nano-photo-thermal therapy.

Preparation and Evaluation of Doxorubicin-Loaded PLA-PEG-FA Copolymer Containing Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) for Cancer Treatment: Combination Therapy with Hyperthermia and Chemotherapy

Background

Among the novel cancer treatment strategies, combination therapy is a cornerstone of cancer therapy.

Materials and Methods

Here, combination therapy with targeted polymer, magnetic hyperthermia and chemotherapy was presented as an effective therapeutic technique. The DOX-loaded PLA–PEG–FA magnetic nanoparticles (nanocarrier) were prepared via a double emulsion method. The nanocarriers were characterized by particle size, zeta potential, morphology, saturation magnetizations and heat generation capacity, and the encapsulation efficiency, drug content and in-vitro drug release for various weight ratios of PLA:DOX. Then, cytotoxicity, cellular uptake and apoptosis level of nanocarrier-treated cells for HeLa and CT26 cells were investigated by MTT assay, flow cytometry, and apoptosis detection kit.

Results and Conclusions

The synthesized nanoparticles were spherical in shape, had low aggregation and considerable magnetic properties. Meanwhile, the drug content and encapsulation efficiency of nanoparticles can be achieved by varying the weight ratios of PLA:DOX. The saturation magnetizations of nanocarriers in the maximum applied magnetic field were 59/447 emu/g and 28/224 emu/g, respectively. Heat generation capacity of MNPs and nanocarriers were evaluated in the external AC magnetic field by a hyperthermia device. The highest temperature, 44.2°C, was measured in the nanocarriers suspension at w/w ratio 10:1 (polymer:DOX weight ratio) after exposed to the magnetic field for 60 minutes. The encapsulation efficiency improved with increasing polymer concentration, since the highest DOX encapsulation efficiency was related to the nanocarriers’ suspension at w/w ratio 50:1 (79.6 ± 6.4%). However, the highest DOX loading efficiency was measured in the nanocarriers’ suspension at w/w ratio 10:1 (5.14 ± 0.6%). The uptake efficiency and apoptosis level of nanocarrier-treated cells were higher than those of nanocarriers (folic acid free) and free DOX-treated cells in both cell lines. Therefore, this targeted nanocarrier may offer a promising nanosystem for cancer-combined chemotherapy and hyperthermia.