Advances in the clinical translation of nanotechnology

Self-adjuvanting polymeric nanovaccines enhance IFN production and cytotoxic T cell response

Vaccines represent one of the most powerful and cost-effective innovations for controlling a wide range of infectious diseases caused by various viruses and bacteria. Unlike mRNA and DNA-based vaccines, subunit vaccines carry no risk of insertional mutagenesis and can be lyophilized for convenient transportation and long-term storage. However, existing adjuvants are often associated with toxic effect and reactogenicity, necessitating expanding the repertoire of adjuvants with better biocompatibility, for instance, designing self-adjuvating polymeric carriers. We herein report a novel subunit vaccine delivery platform constructed via in situ free radical polymerization of C7A (2-(Hexamethyleneimino) ethyl methacrylate) and acrylamide around the surface of individual protein antigens. Using ovalbumin (OVA) as a model antigen, we observed substantial increases in both diameter (∼70 nm) and surface potential (-1.18 mV) following encapsulation, referred to as n(OVA)C7A. C7A's ultra pH sensitivity with a transition pH around 6.9 allows for rapid protonation in acidic environments. This property facilitates crucial processes such as endosomal escape and major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I-mediated antigen presentation, culminating in the substantial CD8+ T cell activation. Additionally, compared to OVA nanocapsules without the C7A components and native OVA without modifications, we observed heightened B cell activation within the germinal center, along with remarkable increases in serum antibody and cytokine production. It's important to note that mounting evidence suggests that adjuvant effects, particularly its targeted stimulation of type I interferons (IFNs), can contribute to advantageous adaptive immune responses. Beyond its exceptional potency, the nanovaccine also demonstrated robust formation of immune memory and exhibited a favorable biosafety profile. These findings collectively underscore the promising potential of our nanovaccine in the realm of immunotherapy and vaccine development.

Nanotechnology in inflammation: cutting-edge advances in diagnostics, therapeutics and theranostics

Inflammatory dysregulation is intimately associated with the occurrence and progression of many life-threatening diseases. Accurate detection and timely therapeutic intervention on inflammatory dysregulation are crucial for the effective therapy of inflammation-associated diseases. However, the clinical outcomes of inflammation-involved disorders are still unsatisfactory. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop innovative anti-inflammatory strategies by integrating emerging technological innovations with traditional therapeutics. Biomedical nanotechnology is one of the promising fields that can potentially transform the diagnosis and treatment of inflammation. In this review, we outline recent advances in biomedical nanotechnology for the diagnosis and treatment of inflammation, with special attention paid to nanosensors and nanoprobes for precise diagnosis of inflammation-related diseases, emerging anti-inflammatory nanotherapeutics, as well as nanotheranostics and combined anti-inflammatory applications. Moreover, the prospects and challenges for clinical translation of nanoprobes and anti-inflammatory nanomedicines are highlighted.

Overcoming Barriers Associated with Oral Delivery of Differently Sized Fluorescent Core-Shell Silica Nanoparticles

Oral delivery, while a highly desirable form of nanoparticle-drug administration, is limited by challenges associated with overcoming several biological barriers. Here, the authors study how fluorescent and poly(ethylene glycol)-coated (PEGylated) core-shell silica nanoparticles sized 5 to 50 nm interact with major barriers including intestinal mucus, intestinal epithelium, and stomach acid. From imaging fluorescence correlation spectroscopy studies using quasi-total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, diffusion of nanoparticles through highly scattering mucus is progressively hindered above a critical hydrodynamic size around 20 nm. By studying Caco-2 cell monolayers mimicking the intestinal epithelia, it is observed that ultrasmall nanoparticles below 10 nm diameter (Cornell prime dots, [C' dots]) show permeabilities correlated with high absorption in humans from primarily enhanced passive passage through tight junctions. Particles above 20 nm diameter exclusively show active transport through cells. After establishing C' dot stability in artificial gastric juice, in vivo oral gavage experiments in mice demonstrate successful passage through the body followed by renal clearance without protein corona formation. Results suggest C' dots as viable candidates for oral administration to patients with a proven pathway towards clinical translation and may generate renewed interest in examining silica as a food additive and its effects on nutrition and health.

Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Properties of a Thinned-Nectarine-Based Nanoformulation in a Pancreatic β-Cell Line

Pancreatic β-cells play a crucial role in maintaining glucose homeostasis, although they are susceptible to oxidative damage, which can ultimately impair their functionality. Thinned nectarines (TNs) have gained increasing interest due to their high polyphenol and abscisic acid (ABA) content, both of which possess antidiabetic properties. Nevertheless, the efficacy of these bioactive compounds may be compromised by limited stability and bioavailability in vivo. This study aimed to develop nanoformulations (NFs) containing pure ABA or a TN extract (TNE) at an equivalent ABA concentration. Subsequently, the insulinotropic and antioxidant potential of the NFs and their unformulated (free) forms were compared in MIN-6 pancreatic cells exposed to varying glucose (5.5 mM and 20 mM) and iron (100 µM) concentrations. NF-TNE treatment exhibited enhanced antioxidant activity compared to free TNE, while ABA-based groups showed no significant antioxidant activity. Moreover, MIN6 cells incubated with both high glucose and iron levels demonstrated significantly higher insulin AUC levels after treatment with all samples, with NF-TNE displaying the most pronounced effect. In conclusion, these results highlight the additional beneficial potential of TNE due to the synergistic combination of bioactive compounds and demonstrate the significant advantage of using a nanoformulation approach to further increase the benefits of this and similar phytobioactive molecules.

Albumin-hitchhiking: Fostering the pharmacokinetics and anticancer therapeutics

Nanotherapeutics demonstrate poor accumulation in the tumor microenvironment due to poor extravasation and penetration into the tumor. Therapeutics such as oligonucleotides, peptides and other biologicals suffer from low systemic half-life and rapid degradation. Albumin-hitchhiking has emerged as an effective strategy to enhance tumor-specific accumulation of various therapeutics. Hitchhiking on serum albumin (SA) have shown to improve biological half-life of various therapeutics including nanocarriers (NCs), biologics, oligonucleotides, vaccines, etc. In addition, passive and active accumulation of SA-riding therapeutics in the tumor, site-specific drug release, and SA-mediated endosomal escape have improved the potential of various anticancer modalities such as chemo-, immune-, vaccine, and gene therapies. In this review, we have discussed the advantages of employing SA-hitchhiking in anticancer therapies. In addition, vaccine strategies employing inherent lymph-nodes accumulating property of albumin have been discussed. We have presented a clinical overview of SA-hitchhiked formulations along with possible bottlenecks for improved clinical outcomes. We have also discussed the role of physiologically based pharmacokinetics (PBPK) modelling for efficient characterization of anti-cancer nanotherapeutics.

Mitochondria-targeted nanoparticles in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a class of heterogeneous diseases that includes Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mitochondria play an important role in oxidative balance and metabolic activity of neurons; therefore, mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with NDs and mitochondria are considered a potential treatment target for NDs. Several obstacles, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and cell/mitochondrial membranes, reduce the efficiency of drug entry into the target lesions. Therefore, a variety of neuron mitochondrial targeting strategies has been developed. Among them, nanotechnology-based treatments show especially promising results. Owing to their adjustable size, appropriate charge, and lipophilic surface, nanoparticles (NPs) are the ideal theranostic system for crossing the BBB and targeting the neuronal mitochondria. In this review, we discussed the role of dysfunctional mitochondria in ND pathogenesis as well as the physiological barriers to various treatment strategies. We also reviewed the use and advantages of various NPs (including organic, inorganic, and biological membrane-coated NPs) for the treatment and diagnosis of NDs. Finally, we summarized the evidence and possible use for the promising role of NP-based theranostic systems in the treatment of mitochondrial dysfunction-related NDs.

Nanoparticles and bioorthogonal chemistry joining forces for improved biomedical applications

Bioorthogonal chemistry comprises chemical reactions that can take place inside complex biological environments, providing outstanding tools for the investigation and elucidation of biological processes. Its use in combination with nanotechnology can lead to further developments in diverse areas of biomedicine, such as molecular bioimaging, targeted delivery, in situ drug activation, study of cell-nanomaterial interactions, biosensing, etc. Here, we summarise the recent efforts to bring together the unique properties of nanoparticles and the remarkable features of bioorthogonal reactions to create a toolbox of new or improved biomedical applications. We show how, by joining forces, bioorthogonal chemistry and nanotechnology can overcome some of the key current limitations in the field of nanomedicine, providing better, faster and more sensitive nanoparticle-based bioimaging and biosensing techniques, as well as therapeutic nanoplatforms with superior efficacy.

Towards precision nanomedicine for cerebrovascular diseases with emphasis on Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM)

Introduction: Cerebrovascular diseases encompass various disorders of the brain vasculature, such as ischemic/hemorrhagic strokes, aneurysms, and vascular malformations, also affecting the central nervous system leading to a large variety of transient or permanent neurological disorders. They represent major causes of mortality and long-term disability worldwide, and some of them can be inherited, including Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM), an autosomal dominant cerebrovascular disease linked to mutations in CCM1/KRIT1, CCM2, or CCM3/PDCD10 genes.Areas covered: Besides marked clinical and etiological heterogeneity, some commonalities are emerging among distinct cerebrovascular diseases, including key pathogenetic roles of oxidative stress and inflammation, which are increasingly recognized as major disease hallmarks and therapeutic targets. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the different clinical features and common pathogenetic determinants of cerebrovascular diseases, highlighting major challenges, including the pressing need for new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, and focusing on emerging innovative features and promising benefits of nanomedicine strategies for early detection and targeted treatment of such diseases.Expert opinion: Specifically, we describe and discuss the multiple physico-chemical features and unique biological advantages of nanosystems, including nanodiagnostics, nanotherapeutics, and nanotheranostics, that may help improving diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases and neurological comorbidities, with an emphasis on CCM disease.

Modular Medical Imaging Agents Based on Azide-Alkyne Huisgen Cycloadditions: Synthesis and Pre-Clinical Evaluation of 18 F-Labeled PSMA-Tracers for Prostate Cancer Imaging

Since the seminal contribution of Rolf Huisgen to develop the [3+2] cycloaddition of 1,3-dipolar compounds, its azide-alkyne variant has established itself as the key step in numerous organic syntheses and bioorthogonal processes in materials science and chemical biology. In the present study, the copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition was applied for the development of a modular molecular platform for medical imaging of the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), using positron emission tomography. This process is shown from molecular design, through synthesis automation and in vitro studies, all the way to pre-clinical in vivo evaluation of fluorine-18- labeled PSMA-targeting 'F-PSMA-MIC' radiotracers (t1/2 =109.7 min). Pre-clinical data indicate that the modular PSMA-scaffold has similar binding affinity and imaging properties to the clinically used [68 Ga]PSMA-11. Furthermore, we demonstrated that targeting the arene-binding in PSMA, facilitated through the [3+2]cycloaddition, can improve binding affinity, which was rationalized by molecular modeling. The here presented PSMA-binding scaffold potentially facilitates easy coupling to other medical imaging moieties, enabling future developments of new modular imaging agents.

Toxicity of carbon-based nanomaterials: Reviewing recent reports in medical and biological systems

Application of nanomaterials in our daily life is increasing, day in day out and concerns have raised about their toxicity for human and other organisms. In this manner, carbon-based nanomaterials have been applied to different products due to their unique physicochemical, electrical, mechanical properties, and biological compatibility. But, there are several reports about the negative effects of these materials on biological systems and cellular compartments. This review article describes the various types of carbon-based nanomaterials and methods that use for determining these toxic effects that are reported recently in the papers. Then, extensively discussed the toxic effects of these materials on the human and other living organisms and also their toxicity routs including Neurotoxicity, Hepatotoxicity, Nephrotoxicity, Immunotoxicity, Cardiotoxicity, Genotoxicity and epigenetic toxicity, Dermatotoxicity, and Carcinogenicity.

Future perspectives of nanoparticle-based contrast agents for cardiac magnetic resonance in myocardial infarction

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR), thanks to high spatial resolution and absence of ionizing radiation, has been widely used in myocardial infarction (MI) assessment to evaluate cardiac structure, function, perfusion and viability. Nevertheless, it suffers from limitations in tissue and assessment of myocardial pathophysiological changes subsequent to MI. In this issue, nanoparticle-based contrast agents offer the possibility to track biological processes at cellular and molecular level underlying the various phases of MI, infarct healing and tissue repair. In this paper, first we examine the conventional CMR protocol and its findings in MI patients. Next, we looked at how nanoparticles can help in the imaging of MI and give an overview of the major approaches currently explored. Based on the presentation of successful nanoparticle applications as contrast agents (CAs) in preclinical and clinical models, we discuss promises and outstanding challenges facing the field of CMR in MI, their translational potential and clinical application.

Targetable Clinical Nanoparticles for Precision Cancer Therapy Based on Disease-Specific Molecular Inflection Points

Novel translational approaches based on clinical modular nanoplatforms are needed in order to treat solid cancers according to their discrete molecular features. In the present study, we show that the clinical nanopharmaceutical Ferumoxytol, which consists of a glucose-based coat surrounding an iron oxide core, could identify molecular characteristics of prostate cancer, corresponding to unique phases of the disease continuum. By affixing a targeting probe for the prostate-specific membrane antigen on its surface, the nanopharmaceutical was able to assess the functional state of the androgen receptor pathway via MRI, guiding therapy and delivering it with the same clinical nanoparticle. In order to simultaneously inhibit signaling from key oncogenic pathways of more advanced forms of prostate cancer, a single-agent therapy for early stage disease to inhibit DNA replication, as well as combination therapy with two drugs co-retained within the nanopharmaceutical's polymeric coating, were tested and resulted in complete tumor ablation. Recalcitrant and terminal forms of the disease were effectively treated with a nanopharmaceutical delivering a combination that upregulates endoplasmic reticulum stress and inhibits metastasis, thereby showing that this multifunctional nanoplatform can be used in the clinic for patient stratification, as well as precision treatment based on the individual's unique disease features.

Fluorescence-coded DNA Nanostructure Probe System to Enable Discrimination of Tumor Heterogeneity via a Screening of Dual Intracellular microRNA Signatures in situ

Since the delivery kinetics of different cell types are different, the signal from the target cell is greatly affected by the noise signal of the diagnostic system. This is a major obstacle hindering the practical application of intracellular diagnostic systems, such as tumor heterogeneity. To address these issues, here we present a microRNA detection platform using fluorescence-encoded nanostructured DNA-based probes. The nanostructured DNA was designed to include molecular beacons for detecting cytosolic microRNA as well as additional fluorophores. When the intracellular diagnostic system is delivered, fluorescence signals are generated by the molecular beacons, depending on the concentration of the target microRNA. The fluorescence signals are then normalized to the intensity of the additional fluorophore. Through this simple calculation, the concentration of intracellular microRNA can be determined without interference from the diagnosis system itself. And also it enabled discrimination of microRNA expression heterogeneity in five different breast cancer cell lines.

Lessons learned from protein aggregation: toward technological and biomedical applications

The close relationship between protein aggregation and neurodegenerative diseases has been the driving force behind the renewed interest in a field where biophysics, neurobiology and nanotechnology converge in the study of the aggregate state. On one hand, knowledge of the molecular principles that govern the processes of protein aggregation has a direct impact on the design of new drugs for high-incidence pathologies that currently can only be treated palliatively. On the other hand, exploiting the benefits of protein aggregation in the design of new nanomaterials could have a strong impact on biotechnology. Here we review the contributions of our research group on novel neuroprotective strategies developed using a purely biophysical approach. First, we examine how doxycycline, a well-known and innocuous antibiotic, can reshape α-synuclein oligomers into non-toxic high-molecular-weight species with decreased ability to destabilize biological membranes, affect cell viability and form additional toxic species. This mechanism can be exploited to diminish the toxicity of α-synuclein oligomers in Parkinson's disease. Second, we discuss a novel function in proteostasis for extracellular glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in combination with a specific glycosaminoglycan (GAG) present in the extracellular matrix. GAPDH, by changing its quaternary structure from a tetramer to protofibrillar assembly, can kidnap toxic species of α-synuclein, and thereby interfere with the spreading of the disease. Finally, we review a brighter side of protein aggregation, that of exploiting the physicochemical advantages of amyloid aggregates as nanomaterials. For this, we designed a new generation of insoluble biocatalysts based on the binding of photo-immobilized enzymes onto hybrid protein:GAG amyloid nanofibrils. These new nanomaterials can be easily functionalized by attaching different enzymes through dityrosine covalent bonds.