Immune lipoprotein nanostructures inspired relay drug delivery for amplifying antitumor efficiency

Gemcitabine-loaded synthetic high-density lipoprotein preferentially eradicates hepatic monocyte-derived macrophages in mouse liver with colorectal cancer metastases

Liver metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is the critical cause of CRC-related death due to its unique immunosuppressive microenvironment. In this study we generated a gemcitabine-loaded synthetic high-density lipoprotein (G-sHDL) to reverse immunosuppression in livers with CRC metastases. After intravenous injection, sHDL targeted hepatic monocyte-derived alternatively activated macrophages (Mono-M2) in the livers of mice bearing both subcutaneous tumors and liver metastases. The G-sHDL preferentially eradicated Mono-M2 in the livers with CRC metastases, which consequently prevented Mono-M2-mediated killing of tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in the livers and thus improved the densities of tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in the blood, tumor-draining lymph nodes and subcutaneous tumors of the treated mice. While reversing the immunosuppressive microenvironment, G-sHDL also induced immunogenic cell death of cancer cells, promoted maturation of dendritic cells, and increased tumor infiltration and activity of CD8+ T cells. Collectively, G-sHDL inhibited the growth of both subcutaneous tumors and liver metastases, and prolonged the survival of animals, which could be further improved when used in conjunction with anti-PD-L1 antibody. This platform can be a generalizable platform to modulate immune microenvironment of diseased livers.

Research progress in nucleus-targeted tumor therapy

The nucleus is considered the most important organelle in the cell as it plays a central role in controlling cell reproduction, metabolism, and the cell cycle. The successful delivery of drugs into the nucleus can achieve excellent therapeutic effects, which reveals the potential of nucleus-targeted therapy in precision medicine. However, the transportation of therapeutics into the nucleus remains a significant challenge due to various biological barriers. Herein, we summarize the recent progress in the nucleus-targeted drug delivery system (NDDS). The structures of the nucleus and nuclear envelope are first described in order to understand the mechanisms by which drugs cross the nuclear envelope. Then, various drug delivery strategies based on the mechanisms and their applications are discussed. Finally, the challenges and solutions in the field of nucleus-targeted drug delivery are raised for developing a more efficient NDDS and promoting its clinical transformation.

Erythrocyte membrane-camouflaged DNA-functionalized upconversion nanoparticles for tumor-targeted chemotherapy and immunotherapy

A synergistic combination of treatment with immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducers and immunoadjuvants may be a practical way to boost the anticancer response and successfully induce an immune response. The use of HR@UCNPs/CpG-Apt/DOX, new biomimetic drug delivery nanoparticles generated to combat breast cancer, is reported here as a unique strategy to produce immunogenicity and boost cancer immunotherapy. HR@UCNPs/CpG-Apt/DOX (HR-UCAD) consists of two parts. The core is composed of an immunoadjuvant CpG (a toll-like receptor 9 agonist) fused with a dendritic cell-specific aptamer sequence (CpG-Apt) to decorate upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with the successful intercalation of doxorubicin (DOX) into the consecutive base pairs of Apt-CpG to construct an immune nanodrug UCNPs@CpG-Apt/DOX. The targeting molecule hyaluronic acid (HA) was inserted into a red blood cell membrane (RBCm) to form the shell (HR). HR-UCAD possessed a strong capacity to specifically induce ICD. Following DOX-induced ICD of cancer cells, sufficient exposure to tumor antigens and UCNPs@CpG-Apt (UCA) activated the tumor-specific immune response and reversed the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In addition, HR-UCAD has good biocompatibility and increases the active tumor-targeting effect. Furthermore, HR-UCAD exhibits excellent near-infrared upconversion luminescence emission at 804 nm under irradiation with a 980 nm laser, which has great potential in biomedical imaging. Thus, the RBCm-camouflaged drug delivery system is a promising targeted chemotherapy and immunotherapy nanocomplex that could be used for effective targeted breast cancer treatment.

Bionic lipoprotein loaded with chloroquine-mediated blocking immune escape improves antitumor immunotherapy

Tumor immunotherapy hold great promise for eradicating tumors. However, immune escape and the immunosuppressive microenvironment of tumor usually limit the efficiency of tumor immunotherapy. Therefore, simultaneously blocking immune escape and improving immunosuppressive microenvironment are the current problems to be solved urgently. Among them, CD47 on cancer cells membrane could bind to signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα) on macrophages membrane and sent out "don't eat me" signal, which was an important pathway of immune escape. The large number of M2-type macrophages in tumor microenvironment was a significant factor contributing to the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here, we present a drug loading system for enhancing cancer immunotherapy, comprising CD47 antibody (aCD47) and chloroquine (CQ) with Bionic lipoprotein (BLP) carrier (BLP-CQ-aCD47). On the one hand, as drug delivery carrier, BLP could allow CQ to be preferentially taken up by M2-type macrophages, thereby efficiently polarized M2-type tumor-promoting cells into M1-type anti-tumor cells. On the other hand, blocking CD47 from binding to SIRPα could block the "don't eat me" signal, and improve the phagocytosis of macrophages to tumor cells. Taken together, BLP-CQ-aCD47 could block immune escape, improve immunosuppressive microenvironment of tumor, and induce a strong immune response without substantial systemic toxicity. Therefore, it provides a new idea for tumor immunotherapy.

Aptamer-Based Probes for Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment

Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA oligomers that have the ability to generate unique and diverse tertiary structures that bind to cognate molecules with high specificity. In recent years, aptamer researches have witnessed a huge surge, owing to its unique properties, such as high specificity and binding affinity, low immunogenicity and toxicity, and simplicity of synthesis with negligible batch-to-batch variation. Aptamers may bind to targets, such as various cancer biomarkers, making them applicable for a wide range of cancer diagnosis and treatment. In cancer diagnostic applications, aptamers are used as molecular probes instead of antibodies. They have the potential to detect various cancer-associated biomarkers. For cancer therapeutic purposes, aptamers can serve as therapeutic or delivery agents. The chemical stabilization and modification strategies for aptamers may expand their serum half-life and shelf life. However, aptamer-based probes for cancer diagnosis and therapy still face several challenges for successful clinical translation. A deeper understanding of nucleic acid chemistry, tissue distribution, and pharmacokinetics is required in the development of aptamer-based probes. This review summarizes their application in cancer diagnostics and treatments based on different localization of target biomarkers, as well as current challenges and future prospects.

"Carrier-drug" layer-by-layer hybrid assembly of biocompatible polydopamine nanoparticles to amplify photo-chemotherapy

Polydopamine (PDA) is capable of wide drug delivery for biomedical applications by virtue of an adjustable polymerization process, including surface coating and conjugation. Inspired by the polymerization of dopamine, we introduce a layer-by-layer hybrid co-assembly strategy for the incorporation of doxorubicin (DOX) and dopamine to form PDA "carrier-drug" hybrid assembly. The "carrier-drug" hybrid assembly relies on the π-π stacking interaction between the drug (DOX) and carrier (PDA), and such the stacked-layer structure enables PDA nanoparticles with a superior drug loading of 58%, which is about 1.7-fold higher than that of the DOX surface coating (∼35%). To further improve blood circulation stability and enhance tumor penetration, we herein propose the conjugation of native apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) with tumor-homing cyclic peptide iRGD for PDA surface modification. The "carrier-drug" hybrid assembly can respond to triple stimuli of the acidic pH, concentrated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation for realizing site-specific and on-demand drug release. In chemo-photothermal synergy therapy, the "carrier-drug" hybrid assembly performs efficient tumor penetration and accumulation, dramatically suppressing tumor growth and metastasis in a 4T1 orthotopic tumor-bearing mice model at a safe level. Collectively, our findings share new insights into the design of "carrier-drug" hybrid assembly for enhanced chemo-photothermal oncotherapy.

Biofunctionalized graphene oxide nanosheet for amplifying antitumor therapy: Multimodal high drug encapsulation, prolonged hyperthermal window, and deep-site burst drug release

Biofunctional surface-modification surpassed critical limitation of graphene oxide (GO) in biocompatibility and drug delivery efficiency, contributing to versatile biomedical applications. Here, a protein corona-bridged GO nanoplatform with high drug loading, longstanding hyperthermia, and controllable drug release, was engineered for amplified tumor therapeutic benefits. Structurally, GO surface was installed with phenylboronic acid (PBA) layer, on which iRGD conjugated apolipoprotein A-I (iRGD-apoA-I) was coordinated via boron electron-deficiency, to form the sandwich-like GO nanosheet (iAPG). The GO camouflaging by iRGD-apoA-I corona provided multimodal high doxorubicin (DOX) loading by π-π stacking and coordination, and generated a higher photothermal transformation efficiency simultaneously. In vitro studies demonstrated that iAPG significantly improved drug penetration and internalization, then achieved tumor-targeted DOX release through near-infrared (NIR) controlled endo/lysosome disruption. Moreover, iAPG mediated site-specific drug shuttling to produce a 3.53-fold enhancement of tumor drug-accumulation compared to the free DOX in vivo, and induced deep tumor penetration dramatically. Primary tumor ablation and spontaneous metastasis inhibition were further demonstrated with negligible side effects under optimal NIR. Taken together, our work provided multifunctional protein corona strategy to inorganic nanomaterials toward advantageous biomedical applications.

When Natural Compounds Meet Nanotechnology: Nature-Inspired Nanomedicines for Cancer Immunotherapy

Recent significant strides of natural compounds in immunomodulation have highlighted their great potential against cancer. Despite many attempts being made for cancer immunotherapy, the biomedical application of natural compounds encounters a bottleneck because of their unclear mechanisms, low solubility and bioavailability, and limited efficacy. Herein, we summarize the immune regulatory mechanisms of different natural compounds at each step of the cancer-immunity cycle and highlight their anti-tumor potential and current limitations. We then propose and present various drug delivery strategies based on nanotechnology, including traditional nanoparticles (NPs)-based delivery strategies (lipid-based NPs, micelles, and polysaccharide/peptide/protein-based NPs) and novel delivery strategies (cell-derived NPs and carrier-free NPs), thus providing solutions to break through existing bottlenecks. Furthermore, representative applications of nature-inspired nanomedicines are also emphasized in detail with the advantages and disadvantages discussed. Finally, the challenges and prospects of natural compounds for cancer immunotherapy are provided, hopefully, to facilitate their far-reaching development toward clinical translation.

Prospects and challenges of dynamic DNA nanostructures in biomedical applications

The physicochemical nature of DNA allows the assembly of highly predictable structures via several fabrication strategies, which have been applied to make breakthroughs in various fields. Moreover, DNA nanostructures are regarded as materials with excellent editability and biocompatibility for biomedical applications. The ongoing maintenance and release of new DNA structure design tools ease the work and make large and arbitrary DNA structures feasible for different applications. However, the nature of DNA nanostructures endows them with several stimulus-responsive mechanisms capable of responding to biomolecules, such as nucleic acids and proteins, as well as biophysical environmental parameters, such as temperature and pH. Via these mechanisms, stimulus-responsive dynamic DNA nanostructures have been applied in several biomedical settings, including basic research, active drug delivery, biosensor development, and tissue engineering. These applications have shown the versatility of dynamic DNA nanostructures, with unignorable merits that exceed those of their traditional counterparts, such as polymers and metal particles. However, there are stability, yield, exogenous DNA, and ethical considerations regarding their clinical translation. In this review, we first introduce the recent efforts and discoveries in DNA nanotechnology, highlighting the uses of dynamic DNA nanostructures in biomedical applications. Then, several dynamic DNA nanostructures are presented, and their typical biomedical applications, including their use as DNA aptamers, ion concentration/pH-sensitive DNA molecules, DNA nanostructures capable of strand displacement reactions, and protein-based dynamic DNA nanostructures, are discussed. Finally, the challenges regarding the biomedical applications of dynamic DNA nanostructures are discussed.

Tumor microcalcification-mediated relay drug delivery for photodynamic immunotherapy of breast cancer

Spatiotemporal targeting of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and tumor cells is emerging as a promising strategy for tumor therapy. Tumor microcalcifications that specifically bind to bisphosphonates are potentially used to design efficient relay drug delivery nanosystems to achieve spatiotemporal drug modulation. Here, we developed manganese dioxide (MnO₂)-embedded and LyP-1 peptide-labeled liposomal nanoparticles (NPs) for photodynamic immunotherapy of breast cancer; zoledronic acid (Zol) was encapsulated in the hydrophilic cavity of liposomes, and a hydrophobic photosensitizer (IR780) was embedded in the phospholipid bilayer of liposomes. These Lipo Zol/IR NPs generated O₂ bubbles through MnO₂ in response to H₂O₂ in the tumor microenvironment, leading to the degradation of the liposomal membrane, which triggered the release of Zol and provided O₂ for photodynamic therapy. The released Zol attached to microcalcifications and was selectively phagocytosed by TAMs, leading to the induction of death or repolarization of TAMs from the immunosuppressive M2 phenotype to the immunostimulatory M1 phenotype. The remaining liposomal fragments embedded with IR780 then preferentially targeted tumor cells through LyP-1 peptide and produced abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS) under near infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, resulting in the death of tumor cells and mild immune activation. All in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated the effective photodynamic and immunoregulatory performance of Lipo Zol/IR NPs. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Spatiotemporal targeting of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and tumor cells remains a challenge in tumor photodynamic immunotherapy for promoting synergy and reducing side effects. Here, we developed tumor microcalcification-mediated relay drug delivery nanoliposomes for breast cancer therapy. H₂O₂ in the tumor microenvironment (TME) triggers the breakage of nanoliposomes, thereby causing the separation of zoledronic acid (Zol) and the photosensitizer IR780 and allowing them to perform their respective functions. Microcalcifications enable Zol to target TAMs, resulting in immunomodulation. LyP-1 guides IR780 to target tumor cells for PDT with adequate O₂ supply. These nanoliposomes enable precise spatiotemporal targeting of different types of cells in the TME and promote the synergy between immunotherapy and PDT while ensuring the effectiveness of both methods.

Decreased serum apolipoprotein A1 level predicts poor prognosis of patients with de novo myelodysplastic syndromes

BACKGROUND

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is a group of heterogeneous myeloid clonal diseases originating from hematopoietic stem cells. It has been demonstrated that apolipoproteins A1(ApoA1) are associated with disease risk in many cancer types. However, there still lacks evidence regarding the link between ApoA1 and MDS. This study was designed to investigate the prognostic value of pretreatment ApoA1 levels in MDS patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 228 MDS patients to explore the prognostic value of the serum ApoA1 levels at diagnosis. Patients were divided into the high ApoA1 group and the low ApoA1 group. The prognostic significance was determined by univariate and multivariate Cox hazard models.

RESULTS

MDS patients with low ApoA1 levels had significantly shorter overall survival (OS, P < 0.0001) along with a higher frequency of TP53 mutation (P = 0.002). Based on univariate analysis, age (≥ 60 years), gender (male), lower levels of hemoglobin (< 10 g/dl), HDL (≤0.91 mmol/L), higher bone marrow blast percentage (> 5%), higher IPSS-R scores and poorer karyotype were significantly associated with decreased OS. However, low ApoA1 level did not influence leukemia-free survival (LFS, P = 0.367). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that low ApoA1 level (≤ 1.02 g/L) was also an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS in MDS (P = 0.034).

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased ApoA1 level predicts a poor prognosis of MDS patients and thus provides a novel evaluation factor for them that is independent of the IPSS-R system.

Progress in cancer drug delivery based on AS1411 oriented nanomaterials

Targeted cancer therapy has become one of the most important medical methods because of the spreading and metastatic nature of cancer. Based on the introduction of AS1411 and its four-chain structure, this paper reviews the research progress in cancer detection and drug delivery systems by modifying AS1411 aptamers based on graphene, mesoporous silica, silver and gold. The application of AS1411 in cancer treatment and drug delivery and the use of AS1411 as a targeting agent for the detection of cancer markers such as nucleoli were summarized from three aspects of active targeting, passive targeting and targeted nucleic acid apharmers. Although AS1411 has been withdrawn from clinical trials, the research surrounding its structural optimization is still very popular. Further progress has been made in the modification of nanoparticles loaded with TCM extracts by AS1411.

Chemotherapeutic drug-induced immunogenic cell death for nanomedicine-based cancer chemo-immunotherapy

Chemotherapy has been a conventional paradigm for cancer treatment, and multifarious chemotherapeutic drugs have been widely employed for decades with significant performances in suppressing tumors. Moreover, some of the antitumor chemotherapeutic agents, such as doxorubicin (DOX), oxaliplatin (OXA), cyclophosphamide (CPA) and paclitaxel (PTX), can also tackle tumors through the induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumor cells to trigger specific antitumor immune responses of the body and improve chemotherapy efficacy. In recent years, chemo-immunotherapy has attracted increasing attention as one of the most promising combination therapies to struggle with malignant tumors. Many effective antitumor therapies have benefited from the successful induction of ICD in tumors, which could incur the release of endogenous danger signals and tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), further stimulating antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and ultimately initiating efficient antitumor immunity. In this review, several well-characterized damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) were introduced and the progress of ICD induced by representative chemotherapeutic drugs for nanomedicine-based chemo-immunotherapy was highlighted. In addition, the combination strategies involving ICD cooperated with other therapies were discussed. Finally, we shared some perspectives in chemotherapeutic drug-induced ICD for future chemo-immunotherapy. It was hoped that this review would provide worthwhile presentations and enlightenments for cancer chemo-immunotherapy.

Lipids and Lipid Derivatives for RNA Delivery

RNA-based therapeutics have shown great promise in treating a broad spectrum of diseases through various mechanisms including knockdown of pathological genes, expression of therapeutic proteins, and programmed gene editing. Due to the inherent instability and negative-charges of RNA molecules, RNA-based therapeutics can make the most use of delivery systems to overcome biological barriers and to release the RNA payload into the cytosol. Among different types of delivery systems, lipid-based RNA delivery systems, particularly lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), have been extensively studied due to their unique properties, such as simple chemical synthesis of lipid components, scalable manufacturing processes of LNPs, and wide packaging capability. LNPs represent the most widely used delivery systems for RNA-based therapeutics, as evidenced by the clinical approvals of three LNP-RNA formulations, patisiran, BNT162b2, and mRNA-1273. This review covers recent advances of lipids, lipid derivatives, and lipid-derived macromolecules used in RNA delivery over the past several decades. We focus mainly on their chemical structures, synthetic routes, characterization, formulation methods, and structure-activity relationships. We also briefly describe the current status of representative preclinical studies and clinical trials and highlight future opportunities and challenges.

High-density lipoprotein in Alzheimer's disease: From potential biomarkers to therapeutics

The inverse correlation between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in vivo and the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become an inspiration for HDL-inspired AD therapy, including plain HDL and various intelligent HDL-based drug delivery systems. In this review, we will focus on the two endogenous HDL subtypes in the central nervous system (CNS), apolipoprotein E-based HDL (apoE-HDL) and apolipoprotein A-I-based HDL (apoA-I-HDL), especially their influence on AD pathophysiology to reveal HDL's potential as biomarkers for risk prediction, and summarize the relevant therapeutic mechanisms to propose possible treatment strategies. We will emphasize the latest advances of HDL as therapeutics (plain HDL and HDL-based drug delivery systems) to discuss the potential for AD therapy and review innovative techniques in the preparation of HDL-based nanoplatforms to provide a basis for the rational design and future development of anti-AD drugs.

Prognostic Value of Serum Apolipoprotein B to Apolipoprotein A-I Ratio in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Treated with Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

INTRODUCTION

The prognosis of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) varies in patients receiving transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). In this study, we aimed to assess the prognostic value of serum apolipoprotein B (ApoB)/apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) in this group of patients.

METHODS

The serum lipid levels of HCC patients undergoing TACE were obtained from routine preoperative blood lipid examination. A propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis was used to eliminate the imbalance of baseline characteristics of the high and low ApoB/ApoA-I groups. Then, univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted to evaluate the prognostic value of ApoB/ApoA-I.

RESULTS

In 455 HCC patients treated with TACE, ApoB/ApoA-I was positively correlated with AFP, T stage, distant metastasis, and TNM stage (p < 0.05). Patients with high ApoB/ApoA-I had a significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than those with low ApoB/ApoA-I (median OS, 21.7 vs. 39.6 months, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that ApoB/ApoA-I was an independent prognostic index for OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.42, p = 0.008). After baseline characteristics were balanced, 288 patients were included in the PSM cohort. In this cohort, high ApoB/ApoA-I still predicted inferior OS in both univariate analysis (median OS, 27.6 vs. 39.3 months, p = 0.002) and multivariate analysis (HR = 1.58, p = 0.006).

CONCLUSION

Serum ApoB/ApoA-I is a useful biomarker in predicting aggressive clinicopathological characteristics and poor prognosis in HCC patients treated with TACE.

[Correlation between Pretreatment Serum Apolipoprotein Level and Prognosis of Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients]

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has a poor prognosis in all types of lung cancer. This study evaluated the relationship between pretreatment serum apolipoprotein levels and prognosis in patients with SCLC, seeks a new index can guide diagnosis and treatment of SCLC.

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 122 patients with SCLC. The clinical results of patients with serum apolipoprotein levels within 2 weeks before treatment were collected, including apolipoprotein AI (ApoA-I), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and the ratio of apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein AI (ApoB/ApoA-I). Patients' progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) are the main outcome indicators. The best critical to determine the index's value by X-tile tool. For survival analysis, Kaplan-Meier method was used for analysis, and Cox regression analysis method was used for single factor analysis and multifactor analysis.

RESULTS

Compared with patients with low ApoA-I levels, patients with high ApoA-I levels (ApoA-I>1.12 g/L) had better OS (21.5 mon vs 12.3 mon, P=0.007) and PFS (7.3 mon vs 5.5 mon, P=0.017). In contrast, patients with higher ApoB/ApoA-I levels had worse median OS than patients with lower ApoB/ApoA-I levels (13.4 mon vs 20.7 mon, P=0.012). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that ApoA-I was an independent prognostic factor affecting PFS in SCLC patients (HR=0.67, 95%CI: 0.45-0.99, P=0.043). ApoB/ApoA-I is an independent risk factor for OS in patients with SCLC (HR=1.98, 95%CI: 1.21-3.23, P=0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum ApoA-I level and ApoB/ApoA-I level before treatment can be important prognostic factors for SCLC, which is helpful to judge the prognosis of patients.

Nonviral siRNA delivery systems for pancreatic cancer therapy

The serious drawbacks of the conventional treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) such as nonspecific toxicity and high resistance to chemo and radiation therapy, have prompted the development and application of countless small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based therapeutics. Recent advances in drug delivery systems hold great promise for improving siRNA-based therapeutics and developing a new class of drugs, known as nano-siRNA drugs. However, many fundamental questions, regarding toxicity, immunostimulation, and poor knowledge of nano-bio interactions, need to be addressed before clinical translation. In this review, we provide recent achievements in the design and development of various nonviral delivery vehicles for pancreatic cancer therapy. More importantly, codelivery of conventional anticancer drugs with siRNA as a new revolutionary pancreatic cancer combinational therapy is completely discussed.

Nanoparticle-mediated synergistic chemoimmunotherapy for tailoring cancer therapy: recent advances and perspectives

Nowadays, a potent challenge in cancer treatment is considered the lack of efficacious strategy, which has not been able to significantly reduce mortality. Chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) as a promising approach in both for the first-line and relapsed therapy demonstrated particular benefit from two key gating strategies, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy to cancer therapy; therefore, the discernment of their participation and role of potential synergies in CIT approach is determinant. In this study, in addition to balancing the pros and cons of CIT with the challenges of each of two main strategies, the recent advances in the cancer CIT have been discussed. Additionally, immunotherapeutic strategies and the immunomodulation effect induced by chemotherapy, which boosts CIT have been brought up. Finally, harnessing and development of the nanoparticles, which mediated CIT have expatiated in detail.

Advances in Lipid-Based Nanoparticles for Cancer Chemoimmunotherapy

Nanomedicines have shown great potential in cancer therapy; in particular, the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy (namely chemoimmunotherapy) that is revolutionizing cancer treatment. Currently, most nanomedicines for chemoimmunotherapy are still in preclinical and clinical trials. Lipid-based nanoparticles, the most widely used nanomedicine platform in cancer therapy, is a promising delivery platform for chemoimmunotherapy. In this review, we introduce the commonly used immunotherapy agents and discuss the opportunities for chemoimmunotherapy mediated by lipid-based nanoparticles. We summarize the clinical trials involving lipid-based nanoparticles for chemoimmunotherapy. We also highlight different chemoimmunotherapy strategies based on lipid-based nanoparticles such as liposomes, nanodiscs, and lipid-based hybrid nanoparticles in preclinical research. Finally, we discuss the challenges that have hindered the clinical translation of lipid-based nanoparticles for chemoimmunotherapy, and their future perspectives.

pH-sensitive and bubble-generating mesoporous silica-based nanoparticles for enhanced tumor combination therapy

Chemotherapy has been a major option in clinic treatment of malignant tumors. However, single chemotherapy faces some drawbacks, such as multidrug resistance, severe side effects, which hinder its clinic application in tumor treatment. Multifunctional nanoparticles loading with chemotherapeutic agent and photosensitizer could be a promising way to efficiently conduct tumor combination therapy. In the current study, a novel pH-sensitive and bubble-generating mesoporous silica-based drug delivery system (denoted as M(a)D@PI-PEG-RGD) was constructed. Ammonium bicarbonate (NH₄HCO₃; abc) and chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (DOX) were loaded into the pores of mesoporous silica. Indocyanine green (ICG) as a photothermal and photodynamic agent was loaded onto the polydopamine (PDA) layer surface. The synthesized nanoparticles displayed a narrow polydispersity (PDI) and small particle size as characterized through dynamic light scattering-autosizer analysis. The nanoparticles also showed high targeting efficacy through RGD modification as indicated by cellular uptake and animal studies. DOX release analysis confirmed that the nanoparticles were pH-dependent and that NH₄HCO₃ accelerated drug release. At the same time, the nanoparticles had obvious photothermal and photodynamic effects performed by ICG which restrained tumor growth remarkably. In summary, the multifunctional nanoparticles presented a promising system for combination therapy.

Therapeutic applications of AS1411 aptamer, an update review

Nucleolin or C23, is one of the most abundant non-ribosomal phosphoproteins of nucleolus. However, in several cancers, nucleolin is highly expressed both intracellularly and on the cell surface. So, it is considered as a potential target for the diagnosis and cancer therapy. Targeting nucleolin by compounds such as AS1411 aptamer can reduce tumor cell growth. In this regard, interest has increased in nucleolin as a molecular target for overcoming cancer therapy challenges. This review paper addressed recent progresses in nucleolin targeting by the G-rich AS1411 aptamer in the field of cancer therapy mainly over the past three years.

Nanomedicine-mediated alteration of the pharmacokinetic profile of small molecule cancer immunotherapeutics

The advent of immunotherapy is a game changer in cancer therapy with monoclonal antibody- and T cell-based therapeutics being the current flagships. Small molecule immunotherapeutics might offer advantages over the biological drugs in terms of complexity, tissue penetration, manufacturing cost, stability, and shelf life. However, small molecule drugs are prone to rapid systemic distribution, which might induce severe off-target side effects. Nanotechnology could aid in the formulation of the drug molecules to improve their delivery to specific immune cell subsets. In this review we summarize the current efforts in changing the pharmacokinetic profile of small molecule immunotherapeutics with a strong focus on Toll-like receptor agonists. In addition, we give our vision on limitations and future pathways in the route of nanomedicine to the clinical practice.

Prognostic value of the serum apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein A-I ratio in metastatic colorectal cancer patients

Background: The aim of our research was to assess the prognostic value of the apolipoprotein B (ApoB) to apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) ratio (ApoB/ApoA-I) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients.

Methods: We randomly assigned 838 patients into the training cohort (n=578) and the validation cohort (n=260). The cut-off value of the ApoB/ApoA-I in the training cohort identified by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.69 and was further validated in the validation cohort. A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was carried out to eliminate the imbalance in the baseline characteristics of the high and low ApoB/ApoA-I group. The PSM cohort of 542 mCRC patients was generated. We also validated our main findings and conclusions with an independent cohort (n=150). Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore the independent prognostic value of the ApoB/ApoA-I in the training cohort (n=578), the validation cohort (n=260), the PSM cohort (n=542) and the independent cohort (n=150).

Results: Patients in the high ApoB/ApoA-I group had significantly shorter overall survival compared to those in the low ApoB/ApoA-I group in the training cohort, the validation cohort, the PSM cohort and the independent cohort (P <0.01). Multivariate analysis indicated that the ApoB/ApoA-I was an independent prognostic index for OS in the training cohort [hazard ratio (HR):1.371; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.205-1.870, P=0.045], the validation cohort (HR: 1.924; 95% CI: 1.360-2.723, P<0.001), the PSM cohort (HR: 1.599; 95% CI: 1.287-1.988, P<0.001) and the independent cohort (HR: 1.949; 95% CI: 1.014-3.747, P=0.046).

Conclusions: An increased baseline serum ApoB/ApoA-I is an independent prognostic factor for a poor prognosis in mCRC patients.

One-Step Self-Assembly of Multifunctional DNA Nanohydrogels: An Enhanced and Harmless Strategy for Guiding Combined Antitumor Therapy

DNA nanostructure-based drug delivery system (DDS) has become an advanced therapeutic strategy for cancer because of its unsurpassed editability, intrinsic biodegradability, and tunable multifunctionality. An intelligent DNA nanosystem integrating targeting, immunostimulation, and chemotherapy was constructed based on unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligonucleotides (CpG ODNs) DNA nanohydrogels (CpG-MUC1-hydrogel). By facile one-step self-assembly, the cross-shaped DNAs (C-DNAs) assembled from pH-responsive I-motif sequences and targeted MUC1 aptamer-immunoadjuvant CpG-fused sequences (CpG-MUC1) were integrated into DNA nanohydrogels with controllable size by the hybridization of DNA linkers. Subsequently, DOX was successively intercalated into the base pairs of CpG-MUC1-hydrogel, resulting in CpG-MUC1-hydrogel/Dox that would disassemble and release DOX and CpGs at acidic conditions. After MUC1-mediated internalization, CpG-MUC1-hydrogel/Dox dissociated in the endo/lysosomes and induced favorable apoptosis of tumor cells. Afterward, liberated CpGs triggered vast cytokine secretion from immune cells which elicited potent immune response against malignancy. Notably, CpG-MUC1-hydrogel induced an apoptosis effect on MCF-7 cells via significantly increasing the Bax/Bcl₂ ratios and a higher level of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) on RAW264.7 cells than naked CpGs. Our results demonstrated that self-assembled CpG-MUC1-hydrogel represented an attractive DDS for precise delivery, potent immunostimulating activity, and considerable combination efficiency with few adverse effects, which is expected to make breakthroughs in clinical translation.

Nanoparticle Delivery of Immunostimulatory Agents for Cancer Immunotherapy

Immunostimulatory agents, including adjuvants, cytokines, and monoclonal antibodies, hold great potential for the treatment of cancer. However, their direct administration often results in suboptimal pharmacokinetics, vulnerability to biodegradation, and compromised targeting. More recently, encapsulation into biocompatible nanoparticulate carriers has become an emerging strategy for improving the delivery of these immunotherapeutic agents. Such approaches can address many of the challenges facing current treatment modalities by endowing additional protection and significantly elevating the bioavailability of the encapsulated payloads. To further improve the delivery efficiency and subsequent immune responses associated with current nanoscale approaches, biomimetic modifications and materials have been employed to create delivery platforms with enhanced functionalities. By leveraging nature-inspired design principles, these biomimetic nanodelivery vehicles have the potential to alter the current clinical landscape of cancer immunotherapy.

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorophores as imaging tools to trace the biological fate of nano-based drug delivery systems

The vigorous development of nanotechnology has been accompanied by an equally strong interest and research efforts in nano-based drug delivery systems (NDDSs). However, only a few NDDSs have been translated into clinic thus far. One of the important hurdles is the lack of tools to comprehensively and directly trace the biological fate of NDDSs. Recently, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorophores have emerged as attractive bioimaging tools due to flexible controllability, negligible toxicity and superior photostability. Herein, we recapitulate the current advances in the application of AIE fluorophores to monitor NDDSs both in vitro and in vivo. Particularly, we discuss the cellular fates of self-indicating and stimuli-responsive NDDSs with AIE fluorophores. Moreover, we highlight the in vivo application of AIE agents on the long-term tracking of therapeutics and the multi-modal monitoring of diagnostics in NDDSs. Challenges and opportunities in AIE-guided exploration of NDDSs are also discussed in detail.

Lipoprotein-inspired penetrating nanoparticles for deep tumor-targeted shuttling of indocyanine green and enhanced photo-theranostics

Biomimetic iRGD-rHDL/ICG nanoparticles exhibited deep tumor targeted shuttling of indocyanine green and enhanced phototherapy.

A NIR-triggered gatekeeper of supramolecular conjugated unimicelles with two-photon absorption for controlled drug release

Near-infrared-sensitive supramolecular hyperbranched conjugated unimicelles were constructed for controlled drug release via two-photon excited fluorescence resonance energy transfer.