Anticancer effect and safety of doxorubicin and nutraceutical sulforaphane liposomal formulation in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) animal model

"Triple-Punch" Strategy Exosome-Mimetic Nanovesicles for Triple Negative Breast Cancer Therapy

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most malignant breast cancer, with high rates of relapse and metastasis. Because of the nonspecific targeting of chemotherapy and insurmountable aggressiveness, TNBC therapy lacks an effective strategy. Exosomes have been reported as an efficient drug delivery system (DDS). CD82 is a tumor metastasis inhibitory molecule that is enriched in exosomes. Aptamer AS1411 specifically targets TNBC cells due to its high expression of nucleolin. We generated a "triple-punch" cell membrane-derived exosome-mimetic nanovesicle system that integrated with CD82 overexpression, AS1411 conjugation, and doxorubicin (DOX) delivery. CD82 enrichment effectively inhibits the migration of TNBC cells. AS1411 conjugation specifically targets TNBC cells. DOX loading effectively inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of TNBC cells. Our results demonstrate a system of exosome-mimetic nanovesicles with "triple-punch" that may facilitate TNBC therapeutics.

Harnessing Sulforaphane Potential as a Chemosensitizing Agent: A Comprehensive Review

Recent advances in oncological research have highlighted the potential of naturally derived compounds in cancer prevention and treatment. Notably, sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate derived from cruciferous vegetables including broccoli and cabbage, has exhibited potent chemosensitizing capabilities across diverse cancer types of bone, brain, breast, lung, skin, etc. Chemosensitization refers to the enhancement of cancer cell sensitivity to chemotherapy agents, counteracting the chemoresistance often developed by tumor cells. Mechanistically, SFN orchestrates this sensitization by modulating an array of cellular signaling pathways (e.g., Akt/mTOR, NF-κB, Wnt/β-catenin), and regulating the expression and activity of pivotal genes, proteins, and enzymes (e.g., p53, p21, survivin, Bcl-2, caspases). When combined with conventional chemotherapeutic agents, SFN synergistically inhibits cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and metastasis while potentiating drug-induced apoptosis. This positions SFN as a potential adjunct in cancer therapy to augment the efficacy of standard treatments. Ongoing preclinical and clinical investigations aim to further delineate the therapeutic potential of SFN in oncology. This review illuminates the multifaceted role of this phytochemical, emphasizing its potential to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of anti-cancer agents, suggesting its prospective contributions to cancer chemosensitization and management.

Doxorubicin-loaded Niosomes functionalized with gelatine and alginate as pH-responsive drug delivery system: A 3D printing approach

Despite many efforts, breast cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers and its treatment faces challenges related to cancer drug side effects and metastasis. Combining 3D printing and nanocarriers has created new opportunities in cancer treatment. In this work, 3D-printed gelatin-alginate nanocomposites containing doxorubicin-loaded niosomes (Nio-DOX@GT-AL) were recruited as an advanced potential pH-sensitive drug delivery system. Morphology, degradation, drug release, flow cytometry, cell cytotoxicity, cell migration, caspase activity, and gene expression of nanocomposites and controls (Nio-DOX and Free-DOX) were evaluated. Results show that the obtained niosome has a spherical shape and size of 60-80 nm. Sustained drug release and biodegradability were presented by Nio-DOX@GT-AL and Nio-DOX. Cytotoxicity analysis revealed that the engineered Nio-DOX@GT-AL scaffold had 90 % cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells (MCF-7), whereas exhibited <5 % cytotoxicity against the non-tumor breast cell line (MCF-10A), which was significantly more than the antitumor effect of the control samples. Scratch-assay as an indicator cell migration demonstrated a reduction of almost 60 % of the covered surface. Gene expression could provide an explanation for the antitumor effect of engineered nanocarriers, which significantly reduced metastasis-promoting genes (Bcl2, MMP-2, and MMP-9), and significantly enhanced the expression and activity of genes that promote apoptosis (CASP-3, CASP-8, and CASP-9). Also, considerable inhibition of metastasis-associated genes (Bax and p53) was observed. Moreover, flow-cytometry data demonstrated that Nio-DOX@GT-AL decreased necrosis and enhanced apoptosis drastically. The findings of this research can confirm that employing 3D-printing and niosomal formulation can be an effective strategy in designing novel nanocarriers for efficient drug delivery applications.

Functional Materials for Subcellular Targeting Strategies in Cancer Therapy: Progress and Prospects

Neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies have made significant progress in cancer treatment. However, tumor adjuvant therapy still faces challenges due to the intrinsic heterogeneity of cancer, genomic instability, and the formation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Functional materials possess unique biological properties such as long circulation times, tumor-specific targeting, and immunomodulation. The combination of functional materials with natural substances and nanotechnology has led to the development of smart biomaterials with multiple functions, high biocompatibilities, and negligible immunogenicities, which can be used for precise cancer treatment. Recently, subcellular structure-targeting functional materials have received particular attention in various biomedical applications including the diagnosis, sensing, and imaging of tumors and drug delivery. Subcellular organelle-targeting materials can precisely accumulate therapeutic agents in organelles, considerably reduce the threshold dosages of therapeutic agents, and minimize drug-related side effects. This review provides a systematic and comprehensive overview of the research progress in subcellular organelle-targeted cancer therapy based on functional nanomaterials. Moreover, it explains the challenges and prospects of subcellular organelle-targeting functional materials in precision oncology. The review will serve as an excellent cutting-edge guide for researchers in the field of subcellular organelle-targeted cancer therapy.