An organic solvent-free technology for the fabrication of albumin-based paclitaxel nanoparticles for effective cancer therapy

In Vitro and In Vivo Synergistic Antitumor Activity of Albumin-Coated Oleic Acid-Loaded Liposomes toward Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal and prevalent cancers, closely associated with cirrhosis and fibrosis. This study aimed to assess the antitumor activity of oleic acid-liposomes (uncoated liposomes) upon coating with albumin against HCC. The in vitro studies revealed the high safety of the prepared uncoated and albumin-coated liposomes to normal HFB-4 cells (EC100 of 35.57 ± 0.17 and 79.133 ± 2.92 µM, respectively) with significant anticancer activity against HepG-2 cells with IC50 of 56.29 ± 0.91 and 26.74 ± 0.64 µM, respectively. The albumin-coated liposomes revealed superior apoptosis induction potential (80.7%) with significant upregulation of p53 gene expression (> 7.0-fold), compared to OA. The in vivo study revealed that the administration of uncoated or albumin-coated liposomes (100 mg/kg) for six weeks markedly retarded the DENA-induced HCC in Wistar albino rates through regulating the liver enzymes, total bilirubin level, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress. Accordingly, the current study supports the in vitro and in vivo chemo-preventive feature of albumin-coated liposomes against HCC through modulation of apoptosis, improvement of the immune response, reduction of inflammation, and restoration of impaired oxidative stress, which is the first reported to the best of our knowledge.

Nano delivery system for paclitaxel: Recent advances in cancer theranostics

Paclitaxel is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic drugs which processes the obvious curative effect for a broad range of cancers including breast, ovarian, lung, and head & neck cancers. Though some novel paclitaxel-loaded formulations have been developed, the clinical application of the paclitaxel is still limited due to its toxicity and solubility issues. Over the past decades, we have seen rapid advances in applying nanocarriers in paclitaxel delivery systems. The nano-drug delivery systems offer unique advantages in enhancing the aqueous solubility, reducing side effects, increasing permeability, prolonging circulation half-life of paclitaxel. In this review, we summarize recent advances in developing novel paclitaxel-loaded nano delivery systems based on nanocarriers. These nanocarriers show great potentials in overcoming the disadvantages of pure paclitaxel and as a result improving the efficacy.

Reverse-QTY code design of active human serum albumin self-assembled amphiphilic nanoparticles for effective anti-tumor drug doxorubicin release in mice

Human serum albumin (HSA) is a highly water-soluble protein with 67% alpha-helix content and three distinct domains (I, II, and III). HSA offers a great promise in drug delivery with enhanced permeability and retention effect. But it is hindered by protein denaturation during drug entrapment or conjugation that result in distinct cellular transport pathways and reduction of biological activities. Here we report using a protein design approach named reverse-QTY (rQTY) code to convert specific hydrophilic alpha-helices to hydrophobic to alpha-helices. The designed HSA undergo self-assembly of well-ordered nanoparticles with highly biological actives. The hydrophilic amino acids, asparagine (N), glutamine (Q), threonine (T), and tyrosine (Y) in the helical B-subdomains of HSA were systematically replaced by hydrophobic leucine (L), valine (V), and phenylalanine (F). HSArQTY nanoparticles exhibited efficient cellular internalization through the cell membrane albumin binding protein GP60, or SPARC (secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine)-mediated pathways. The designed HSArQTY variants displayed superior biological activities including: i) encapsulation of drug doxorubicin, ii) receptor-mediated cellular transport, iii) tumor cell targeting, and iv) antitumor efficiency compare to denatured HSA nanoparticles. HSArQTY nanoparticles provided superior tumor targeting and antitumor therapeutic effects compared to the albumin nanoparticles fabricated by antisolvent precipitation method. We believe that the rQTY code is a robust platform for specific hydrophobic modification of functional hydrophilic proteins with clear-defined binding interfaces.

Evaluation of Hepatoprotective Effects of Piperlongumine Derivative PL 1-3-Loaded Albumin Nanoparticles on Lipopolysaccharide/d-Galactosamine-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice

In recent years, piperlongumine (PL) having specific cytotoxicity has attracted considerable attention for anticancer activity. Through structural modification, the active derivative PL 1-3 shows potential anti-inflammatory activity and low cytotoxicity, but its water solubility is low. Here, PL 1-3-loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (1-3 NPs) were prepared and characterized, which can improve the dissolution. 1-3 NPs exhibited effective hepatoprotective effects on lipopolysaccharide/d-galactosamine-induced acute liver injury of mice, which was similar to liver injury in clinical settings. 1-3 NPs treatment can inhibit inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis via the downregulation of NF-κB signaling pathways, the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways, and the inhibition of expression of Bax and caspase 3 proteins. The above results demonstrated that PL 1-3-loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles possessed potential value in intervention of inflammation-based liver injury.

Multispectroscopic and synergistic antioxidant study on the combined binding of caffeic acid and (-)-epicatechin gallate to lysozyme

The binding of caffeic acid (CA) and/or (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) to lysozyme was investigated by multispectroscopic methods and molecular docking. The effects of the single and combined binding on the structure, activity and stability of lysozyme and the synergistic antioxidant activity of CA and ECG were also studied. Fluorescence quenching spectra, time-resolved fluorescence spectra, and UV-vis absorption difference spectra all ascertained the static quenching mechanism of lysozyme by CA/ECG. Thermodynamic parameters indicated that CA and ECG competitively bound to lysozyme, and CA had a stronger binding affinity, which was consistent with the results of molecular docking. Hydrogen bonding, van der Waals' force and electrostatic interaction were the main driving forces for the binding process. Synchronous fluorescence spectra displayed that the interaction of CA/ECG exposed the tryptophan residues of lysozyme to a more hydrophilic environment. Circular dichroism spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering indicated that the binding of CA and/or ECG to lysozyme resulted in the change of the secondary structure and increased the particle size of lysozyme. The binding of CA and/or ECG to lysozyme inhibited the enzyme activity and enhanced the thermal stability of lysozyme. The combined application of CA and ECG showed antioxidant synergy which was influenced by the encapsulation of lysozyme and cellular uptake. In summary, this work provides theoretical guidance for lysozyme as a carrier for the combined application of CA and ECG.

Hepatoprotective Effects of Albumin-Encapsulated Nanoparticles of a Curcumin Derivative COP-22 against Lipopolysaccharide/D-Galactosamine-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice

Acute liver injury (ALI) is a severe syndrome and can further develop into acute liver failure (ALF) which can lead to high mortality and cause irreversible liver injuries in the clinic. Liver transplantation is the most common treatment; however, liver donors are lacking, and the progression of ALF is rapid. Nanoparticles can increase the bioavailability and the targeted accumulation of drugs in the liver, so as to significantly improve the therapeutic effect of ALI. Curcumin derivative COP-22 exhibits low cytotoxicity and effective anti-inflammatory activity; however, it has poor water solubility. In this study, COP-22-loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles (22 NPs) were prepared and characterized. They exhibit effective hepatoprotective effects by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis on Lipopolysaccharide/D-Galactosamine-induced acute liver injury of mice. The anti-inflammatory activity of 22 NPs is related to the regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathways; the antioxidant activity is related to the regulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathways; and the apoptosis activity is related to mitochondrial pathways, involving Bcl-2 family and Caspase-3 protein. These three cellular pathways are interrelated and affected each other. Moreover, 22 NPs could be passively targeted to accumulate in the liver through the retention effect and are more easily absorbed than 22.HCl salt in the liver.

Albumin-encapsulated Nanoparticles of Naproxen Platinum(IV) Complexes with Inflammation Inhibitory Competence Displaying Effective Antitumor Activities in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND

Platinum(IV) complexes with inflammation inhibitory properties are much favored in improving antitumor activities. Nanodrug-delivery system as a preferable measure for antitumor therapy are widely explored in platinum(IV) drug delivery.

PURPOSE

The aim for this study was to develop novel bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles (NPs) based on naproxen platinum(IV) complexes to display a synergistic antitumor mechanism targeting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS).

METHODS

Herein, we reported the preparation of two BSA NPs of naproxen platinum(IV) complexes, and their antitumor activities were investigated in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

Both NPs possessed relatively uniform size and good stability for 30 days in aqueous solution. They exhibited prominent antitumor activities in vitro, and showed great potential in reversing drug resistance. Furthermore, these two NPs played superior tumor growth suppression in vivo in contrast to the free compounds, which were comparable to that of cisplatin and oxaliplatin, but induced lower toxic influences than platinum(II) drugs especially to spleen and liver. Moreover, the naproxen platinum(IV) NPs could decrease tumor inflammation targeting COX-2, MMP-9 and iNOs, and decreasing NO production, which would be in favor of enhancing the antitumor competence, and reducing toxicity.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, BSA NPs of naproxen platinum(IV) complexes demonstrated a powerful antitumor efficacy in vitro and in vivo. The platinum(IV) NPs with inflammation inhibitory competence targeting multiple enzymes reported in this work afford a new strategy for the development of antitumor therapy to overcome drawbacks of clinical platinum(II) drugs.

Co-encapsulation of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate and piceatannol/oxyresveratrol in β-lactoglobulin: effect of ligand-protein binding on the antioxidant activity, stability, solubility and cytotoxicity

The co-encapsulation of multiple bioactive components in a carrier may produce synergistic effects and improve health benefits. In this study, the interactions of β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) with epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and/or piceatannol (PIC)/oxyresveratrol (OXY) were investigated by multispectroscopic techniques, isothermal titration calorimetry, and molecular docking. The static quenching mechanism of β-LG by EGCG, PIC and OXY was confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy and UV-vis absorption difference spectroscopy. The binding sites of these three polyphenols in β-LG were identified by site marking fluorescence experiments and molecular docking. The thermodynamic parameters of the β-LG + EGCG/PIC/OXY binary complex and β-LG + EGCG + PIC/OXY ternary complex were obtained from fluorescence data and used to analyze the main driving force for complex formation. The exothermic binding process was further confirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry. The α-helical content, particle size and morphology of free and ligand-bound β-LG were determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The effect of EGCG, PIC and OXY on the conformation of β-LG was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, the maximum synergistic antioxidant activity between EGCG and PIC/OXY was obtained by response surface analysis. The effects of β-LG in the binary and ternary systems on the antioxidant activity, stability, solubility and cytotoxicity of the polyphenols were also studied. Finally, the different cytotoxicities of the complexes and nanoparticles of the binary and ternary systems were compared. The results of this study are expected to provide a theoretical basis for the development of β-LG-based carriers co-encapsulating a variety of bioactive components.

Towards Green Nanoscience: From extraction to nanoformulation

The use of nanotechnology has revolutionized many biotechnological sectors, from bioengineering to medicine, passing through food and cosmetic fields. However, their clinic and industrial application has been into the spotlight due to their safety risk and related side effects. As a result, Green Nanoscience/Nanotechnology emerged as a strategy to prevent any associated nanotoxicity, via implementation of sustainable processes across the whole lifecycle of nanoformulation. Notwithstanding its success across inorganic nanoparticles, the green concept for organic nanoparticle elaboration is still at its infancy. This, coupled with the organic nanoparticles being the most commonly used in biomedicine, highlights the need to implement specific green principles for their elaboration. In this review, we will discuss the possible green routes for the proper design of organic nanoparticles under the umbrella of Green Nanoscience: from the extraction of nanomaterials and active compounds to their final nanoformulation.

Polymeric Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery: Recent Developments and Future Prospects

The complexity of some diseases—as well as the inherent toxicity of certain drugs—has led to an increasing interest in the development and optimization of drug-delivery systems. Polymeric nanoparticles stand out as a key tool to improve drug bioavailability or specific delivery at the site of action. The versatility of polymers makes them potentially ideal for fulfilling the requirements of each particular drug-delivery system. In this review, a summary of the state-of-the-art panorama of polymeric nanoparticles as drug-delivery systems has been conducted, focusing mainly on those applications in which the corresponding disease involves an important morbidity, a considerable reduction in the life quality of patients—or even a high mortality. A revision of the use of polymeric nanoparticles for ocular drug delivery, for cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as nutraceutical delivery, was carried out, and a short discussion about future prospects of these systems is included.

Novel carrier-free nanoparticles composed of 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin and chlorin e6: Self-assembly mechanism investigation and in vitro/in vivo evaluation

The combination therapy strategy based on both chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT) exhibits great potential for advanced cancer treatment. Multimodal nanodrug delivery systems based on both chemotherapeutic drug and photodynamic agent have been proven to possess excellent synergistic efficacy. In this study, 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN38) and chlorin e6 (Ce6) were co-assembled into novel carrier-free nanoparticles (SN38/Ce6 NPs) via simple antisolvent precipitation method. As expected, SN38/Ce6 NPs exhibited uniform morphology with a particle size of around 150 nm and a zeta potential of about -30 mV, good stability in aqueous solution/at lyophilized state and high cellular uptake efficiency against murine mammary carcinoma (4T1) cell lines. Besides, enhanced singlet oxygen generation capacity of the nanoparticles was both observed in test-tube and in 4T1 cell lines in contrast with Ce6 injection. Moreover, a ∼85 % inhibition rate of SN38/Ce6 NPs with laser was detected, which was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those without laser (∼65 %) and injections (less than 20 %), verified the excellent synergistic antitumor efficacy of the nanoparticles due to combined chemo-photodynamic therapy, enhanced tumor accumulation and higher cellular internalization. Notably, chemical thermodynamic method and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations supplied solid data and visual images to estimate the driving forces for the self-assembly process of the carrier-free nanoparticles as primary hydrophobic interactions (π-π stacking) and subordinate hydrogen bonds. Conclusively, the above self-assembled carrier-free nanoparticles represented a promising synergistic anticancer strategy capable of maximal therapeutic efficacy and minimal systemic toxicity. Moreover, the application of thermodynamic method together with MD simulations in the investigation of NPs self-assembly process also provided new ideas for the assembly mechanism exploration of more complicated nanodrug delivery system.

PH-Sensitive, Polymer Functionalized, Nonporous Silica Nanoparticles for Quercetin Controlled Release

Some pH-sensitive, poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEMA) grafted silica nanoparticles (SNPs) (SNPs-g-PDEAEMA) were designed and synthesized via surface initiated, metal-free, photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The structures of the polymers formed in solution were determined by 1H NMR. The modified nanoparticles were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, XPS, GPC, TEM and TGA. The analytical results show that α-bromoisobutyryl bromide (BIBB) (ATRP initiator) had been successfully anchored onto SNPs' surfaces, and was followed by surface-initiated, metal-free ATRP of 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA). The resultant SNPs-g-PDEAEMA were uniform spherical nanoparticles with the particles size of about 22-25 nm, and the graft density of PDEAEMA on SNPs' surfaces obtained by TGA was 19.98 μmol/m2. Owing to the covalent grafting of pH-sensitive PDEAEMA, SNPs-g-PDEAEMA can dispersed well in acidic aqueous solution, but poorly in neutral and alkaline aqueous solutions, which is conducive to being employed as drug carriers to construct a pH-sensitive controlled drug delivery system. In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation results showed that the cytotoxicity of SNPs-g-PDEAEMA to the L929 cells had completely disappeared on the 3rd day. The loading of quercetin on SNPs-g-PDEAEMA was performed using adsorption process from ethanol solutions, and the dialysis release rate increased sharply when the pH value of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) decreased from 7.4 to 5.5. All these results indicated that the pH-responsive microcapsules could serve as potential anti-cancer drug carriers.