Development of in vitro and in vivo tools to evaluate the antiangiogenic potential of melatonin to neutralize the angiogenic effects of VEGF and breast cancer cells: CAM assay and 3D endothelial cell spheroids

Capecitabine loaded potato starch-chitosan nanoparticles: A novel approach for targeted therapy and improved outcomes in aggressive colon cancer

Aggressive colon cancer treatment poses significant challenges. This study investigates the potential of innovative carbohydrate-based nanoparticles for targeted Capecitabine (CTB) delivery. CTB nanoparticles were synthesized by conjugating CTB with potato starch and chitosan using ultrasonication, hydrolysis, and ionotropic gelation. Characterization included drug loading, rheology, Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). In vitro and in vivo antitumor activity was evaluated using HT-29 cells and N, N-dimethylhydrazine-induced Balb/c mice, respectively. Cellular assays assessed angiogenesis, migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. Nanoparticles exhibited a mean size of 245 nm, positive zeta potential (+30 mV), high loading efficacy (76 %), and sustained drug release (92 % over 100 h). CTB-loaded nanoparticles displayed superior colon histology, reduced tumour scores, and inhibited VEGD and CD31 expression compared to free CTB. Cellular assays confirmed significant antitumor effects, including reduced tube formation, migration, and proliferation, and increased apoptosis. This study demonstrates the promise of CTB-loaded potato starch-chitosan nanoparticles for aggressive colon cancer treatment. These findings highlight the potential of these nanoparticles for further evaluation in diverse cancer models.

Apatinib beyond first progression is associated with prolonged overall survival in patients with advanced breast cancer: Results from an observational study

In the present study, the efficacy and safety of a low dose of apatinib in the treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC) in a real-world setting were assessed, the impact of continuous anti-angiogenic therapy beyond progression was determined and the factors associated with efficacy were evaluated. A total of 63 patients with ABC who were treated with apatinib and for whom several lines of treatment had failed were retrospectively analyzed in Tangshan People's Hospital (Tangshan, China) between January 2016 and October 2022. Apatinib was administered orally combined with chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy or monotherapy at a dose of 250 mg per day. Apatinib administration was continued in certain patients beyond first progressive disease (PD), and these patients were defined as the continued anti-angiogenic treatment beyond first progression (CABF) group, while those who discontinued apatinib were defined as the non-CABF group. In the evaluation of the first efficacy, the objective response rate was 33.3%. A total of 26 patients continued to receive apatinib post-first PD and were allocated to the CABF group. The median overall survival (OS) time of the 63 patients was 16 months. Log-rank univariate analysis revealed that the OS time was significantly associated with molecular subtype (P=0.014), CABF (P=0.004), and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (P=0.011). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that being in the non-CABF group and a high NLR were independent risk factors for lower OS time (P=0.017 and P=0.041, respectively). These results support the continued administration of low-dose apatinib beyond progression and the use of NLR as an easily accessible prognostic marker in patients with ABC treated with apatinib.

Development of a highly porous bioscaffold by the combination of bubble entrapping and freezing-thawing techniques to fabricate hyaluronic acid/gelatin tri-layer wound dressing

The electrospun nanofibers and porous scaffolds hold great promise in regenerative medicine. A novel nanofiber-hydrogel‑silicone tri-layer wound dressing has been designed and fabricated to address the limitations of each platform. The bottom nanofiber layer with a 110 mm diameter meets the wound surface and regulates cell attachment and migration. The middle hydrogel layer was fabricated through the optimization of chemical crosslink formation and freezing-thawing cycles (physical crosslink). The fabricated hydrogel with interconnected porous structure has optimized properties (gel fraction (89.45 %) and porosity (80 %)) for wound dressing application. The silicone layer on the outer surface was designed to fix the wound dressing on the skin and prevent the penetration of pathogens. The scanning electron microscope micrograph showed structural integrity in the tri-layer scaffold. In vivo data showed that the tri-layer scaffold accelerates wound healing in the mice model and angiogenesis in the chorioallantoic membrane model. Therefore, the designed scaffold inspired by the skin's structure can be used as a wound dressing to treat wounds.

Melatonin Exerts Prominent, Differential Epidermal and Dermal Anti-Aging Properties in Aged Human Eyelid Skin Ex Vivo

Human skin aging is associated with functional deterioration on multiple levels of physiology, necessitating the development of effective skin senotherapeutics. The well-tolerated neurohormone melatonin unfolds anti-aging properties in vitro and in vivo, but it remains unclear whether these effects translate to aged human skin ex vivo. We tested this in organ-cultured, full-thickness human eyelid skin (5-6 donors; 49-77 years) by adding melatonin to the culture medium, followed by the assessment of core aging biomarkers via quantitative immunohistochemistry. Over 6 days, 200 µM melatonin significantly downregulated the intraepidermal activity of the aging-promoting mTORC1 pathway (as visualized by reduced S6 phosphorylation) and MMP-1 protein expression in the epidermis compared to vehicle-treated control skin. Conversely, the transmembrane collagen 17A1, a key stem cell niche matrix molecule that declines with aging, and mitochondrial markers (e.g., TFAM, MTCO-1, and VDAC/porin) were significantly upregulated. Interestingly, 100 µM melatonin also significantly increased the epidermal expression of VEGF-A protein, which is required and sufficient for inducing human skin rejuvenation. In aged human dermis, melatonin significantly increased fibrillin-1 protein expression and improved fibrillin structural organization, indicating an improved collagen and elastic fiber network. In contrast, other key aging biomarkers (SIRT-1, lamin-B1, p16INK4, collagen I) remained unchanged. This ex vivo study provides proof of principle that melatonin indeed exerts long-suspected but never conclusively demonstrated and surprisingly differential anti-aging effects in aged human epidermis and dermis.