Enhanced antitumor effect of icariin nanoparticles coated with iRGD functionalized erythrocyte membrane

Erythrocyte membrane vesicles as drug delivery systems: A systematic review of preclinical studies on biodistribution and pharmacokinetics

This systematic review aims to summarize the development of erythrocyte membrane vesicles (EMVs) as drug delivery carriers, with a focus on elucidating their fate in terms of biodistribution and pharmacokinetics in preclinical studies. The PubMed database was systematically reviewed to search for original peer-reviewed published studies on the use of EMVs for drug delivery to summarize the preclinical findings, following the PRISMA guidelines. A total of 142 articles matched the selection criteria and were included in the review. For each study, the following parameters were extracted: type of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) encapsulated into EMVs, EMVs-API formulation method and final particle size, EMVs surface modifications for active targeting, cell lines and animal models used in the study, crucial treatment data, biodistribution data and finally, where applicable, data about the EMVs circulation time and blood half-life. EMVs size did not vary significantly among the different formulation methods. A complete list of cell lines and animal models used is provided. Circulation times and data for blood half-life were grouped per animal type. For the most commonly used animal type, BALB/c mice, the average half-life of EMV-API was calculated to be 10.4 h, and in all cases, up to a 10-fold increase was observed compared with that of free API. Surface modifications did not drastically change the circulation time but did improve target tissue accumulation. The most critical weaknesses in the analysed studies were identified. Key points for future studies are provided to fill the current knowledge gaps and improve the quality of publications.

Efficient Biosynthesis of 8-Prenylkaempferol from Kaempferol by Using Flavonoid 8-Dimethylallyltransferase Derived from Epimedium koreanum

The genus Epimedium includes popular Chinese medicinal plants, and icariin and its precursor icaritin are the key bioactive components of Epimedium. Here, we identified flavonoid 8-dimethylallyltransferase (F8DT) in the authentic medicinal material of Epimedium koreanum, which is a key gene in the icariin biosynthesis pathway. This enzyme can catalyze the synthesis of 8-prenylkaempferol (8PK) from kaempferol. The catalytic ability of the rate-limiting enzyme EkF8DT was significantly improved by truncating its N-terminal intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) and enhancing the flux of the mevalonate pathway. Icaritin was also successfully synthesized by introducing flavonoid 4'-O-methyltransferase into the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. Finally, the highest production of 8PK and icaritin (3.6 g/L and 172.0 mg/L, respectively) was obtained in the S. cerevisiae strain.

Emerging roles of non-coding RNAs in modulating the PI3K/Akt pathway in cancer

Cancer progression results from the dysregulation of molecular pathways, each with unique features that can either promote or inhibit tumor growth. The complexity of carcinogenesis makes it challenging for researchers to target all pathways in cancer therapy, emphasizing the importance of focusing on specific pathways for targeted treatment. One such pathway is the PI3K/Akt pathway, which is often overexpressed in cancer. As tumor cells progress, the expression of PI3K/Akt increases, further driving cancer advancement. This study aims to explore how ncRNAs regulate the expression of PI3K/Akt. NcRNAs are found in both the cytoplasm and nucleus, and their functions vary depending on their location. They can bind to the promoters of PI3K or Akt, either reducing or increasing their expression, thus influencing tumorigenesis. The ncRNA/PI3K/Akt axis plays a crucial role in determining cell proliferation, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and even chemoresistance and radioresistance in human cancers. Anti-tumor compounds can target ncRNAs to modulate the PI3K/Akt axis. Moreover, ncRNAs can regulate the PI3K/Akt pathway both directly and indirectly.

Enhancing Tumor Targeted Therapy: The Role of iRGD Peptide in Advanced Drug Delivery Systems

Chemotherapy remains the primary therapeutic approach in treating cancer. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the complex network surrounding tumor cells, comprising various cell types, such as immune cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, as well as ECM components, blood vessels, and signaling molecules. The often stiff and dense network of the TME interacts dynamically with tumor cells, influencing cancer growth, immune response, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. The effectiveness of the treatment of solid tumors is frequently reduced due to the poor penetration of the drug, which leads to attaining concentrations below the therapeutic levels at the site. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) present a promising approach that improves the internalization of therapeutic agents. CPPs, which are short amino acid sequences, exhibit a high ability to pass cell membranes, enabling them to deliver drugs efficiently with minimal toxicity. Specifically, the iRGD peptide, a member of CPPs, is notable for its capacity to deeply penetrate tumor tissues by binding simultaneously integrins ανβ3/ανβ5 and neuropilin receptors. Indeed, ανβ3/ανβ5 integrins are characteristically expressed by tumor cells, which allows the iRGD peptide to home onto tumor cells. Notably, the respective dual-receptor targeting mechanism considerably increases the permeability of blood vessels in tumors, enabling an efficient delivery of co-administered drugs or nanoparticles into the tumor mass. Therefore, the iRGD peptide facilitates deeper drug penetration and improves the efficacy of co-administered therapies. Distinctively, we will focus on the iRGD mechanism of action, drug delivery systems and their application, and deliberate future perspectives in developing iRGD-conjugated therapeutics. In summary, this review discusses the potential of iRGD in overcoming barriers to drug delivery in cancer to maximize treatment efficiency while minimizing side effects.

Biomimetic nanocarriers in cancer therapy: based on intercellular and cell-tumor microenvironment communication

Inspired by the concept of "natural camouflage," biomimetic drug delivery systems have emerged to address the limitations of traditional synthetic nanocarriers, such as poor targeting, susceptibility to identification and clearance, inadequate biocompatibility, low permeability, and systemic toxicity. Biomimetic nanocarriers retain the proteins, nucleic acids, and other components of the parent cells. They not only facilitate drug delivery but also serve as communication media to inhibit tumor cells. This paper delves into the communication mechanisms between various cell-derived biomimetic nanocarriers, tumor cells, and the tumor microenvironment, as well as their applications in drug delivery. In addition, the additional communication capabilities conferred on the modified biomimetic nanocarriers, such as targeting and environmental responsiveness, are outlined. Finally, we propose future development directions for biomimetic nanocarriers, hoping to inspire researchers in their design efforts and ultimately achieve clinical translation.

Nano-formulated delivery of active ingredients from traditional Chinese herbal medicines for cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy has garnered promise in tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis through establishing durable and memorable immunological activity. However, low response rates, adverse side effects, and high costs compromise the additional benefits for patients treated with current chemical and biological agents. Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) are a potential treasure trove of natural medicines and are gaining momentum in cancer immunomodulation with multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway characteristics. The active ingredient extracted from CHMs benefit generalized patients through modulating immune response mechanisms. Additionally, the introduction of nanotechnology has greatly improved the pharmacological qualities of active ingredients through increasing the hydrophilicity, stability, permeability, and targeting characteristics, further enhancing anti-cancer immunity. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of active ingredients for cancer immunomodulation, highlight nano-formulated deliveries of active ingredients for cancer immunotherapy, and provide insights into the future applications in the emerging field of nano-formulated active ingredients of CHMs.

Exploiting Nanotechnology for Drug Delivery: Advancing the Anti-Cancer Effects of Autophagy-Modulating Compounds in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background

Cancer continues to be a prominent issue in the field of medicine, as demonstrated by recent studies emphasizing the significant role of autophagy in the development of cancer. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) provides a variety of anti-tumor agents capable of regulating autophagy. However, the clinical application of autophagy-modulating compounds derived from TCM is impeded by their restricted water solubility and bioavailability. To overcome this challenge, the utilization of nanotechnology has been suggested as a potential solution. Nonetheless, the current body of literature on nanoparticles delivering TCM-derived autophagy-modulating anti-tumor compounds for cancer treatment is limited, lacking comprehensive summaries and detailed descriptions.

Methods

Up to November 2023, a comprehensive research study was conducted to gather relevant data using a variety of databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer Link, Web of Science, and CNKI. The keywords utilized in this investigation included "autophagy", "nanoparticles", "traditional Chinese medicine" and "anticancer".

Results

This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential of nanotechnology in overcoming delivery challenges and enhancing the anti-cancer properties of autophagy-modulating compounds in TCM. The evaluation is based on a synthesis of different classes of autophagy-modulating compounds in TCM, their mechanisms of action in cancer treatment, and their potential benefits as reported in various scholarly sources. The findings indicate that nanotechnology shows potential in enhancing the availability of autophagy-modulating agents in TCM, thereby opening up a plethora of potential therapeutic avenues.

Conclusion

Nanotechnology has the potential to enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of autophagy-modulating compounds in traditional TCM, through regulation of autophagy.

Red blood cell-derived materials for cancer therapy: Construction, distribution, and applications

Cancer has become an increasingly important public health issue owing to its high morbidity and mortality rates. Although traditional treatment methods are relatively effective, they have limitations such as highly toxic side effects, easy drug resistance, and high individual variability. Meanwhile, emerging therapies remain limited, and their actual anti-tumor effects need to be improved. Nanotechnology has received considerable attention for its development and application. In particular, artificial nanocarriers have emerged as a crucial approach for tumor therapy. However, certain deficiencies persist, including immunogenicity, permeability, targeting, and biocompatibility. The application of erythrocyte-derived materials will help overcome the above problems and enhance therapeutic effects. Erythrocyte-derived materials can be acquired via the application of physical and chemical techniques from natural erythrocyte membranes, or through the integration of these membranes with synthetic inner core materials using cell membrane biomimetic technology. Their natural properties such as biocompatibility and long circulation time make them an ideal choice for drug delivery or nanoparticle biocoating. Thus, red blood cell-derived materials are widely used in the field of biomedicine. However, further studies are required to evaluate their efficacy, in vivo metabolism, preparation, design, and clinical translation. Based on the latest research reports, this review summarizes the biology, synthesis, characteristics, and distribution of red blood cell-derived materials. Furthermore, we provide a reference for further research and clinical transformation by comprehensively discussing the applications and technical challenges faced by red blood cell-derived materials in the treatment of malignant tumors.

Nanoghosts: Harnessing Mesenchymal Stem Cell Membrane for Construction of Drug Delivery Platforms Via Optimized Biomimetics

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are becoming hotspots for application in disease therapies recently, combining with biomaterials and drug delivery system. A major advantage of MSCs applied in drug delivery system is that these cells enable specific targeting and releasing of cargos to the disease sites. However, the potential tumor tropic effects of MSCs raised concerns on biosafety. To solve this problem, there are emerging methods of isolating cell membranes and developing nanoformulations to perform drug delivery, which avoids concerns on biosafety without disturbing the membrane functions of specific polarizing and locating. These cargoes are so called "nanoghosts." This review article summarizes the current applications of nanoghosts, the promising potential of MSCs to be applied in membrane isolation and nanoghost construction, and possible approaches to develop better drug delivery system harnessing from MSC ghost cell membranes.

Simple and novel icariin-loaded pro-glycymicelles as a functional food: physicochemical characteristics, in vitro biological activities, and in vivo experimental hyperlipidemia prevention evaluations

A novel functional food for hyperlipidemia named icariin (ICA) pro-glycymicelles (ICA-PGs) using glycyrrhizin as a phytonanomaterial was easily prepared with improved storage, pH, and salt stabilities. ICA-PGs can easily dissolve in water to self-assemble into a clear glycymicelle solution with high ICA encapsulation efficiency. The ICA in ICA-PGs exhibits significantly increased aqueous solubility, faster in vitro release, and higher bioaccessibility than bare ICA. The ICA-PGs exhibited improved in vitro activities including antioxidant, anti-α-glucosidase, anti-lipase, and anti-cholesterol esterase activities. The ICA-PG also demonstrated improved antioxidant activity in cells. In vivo evaluation confirmed that the ICA-PG demonstrated a significant protective effect against experimental hyperlipidemia in mice, exhibiting decreasing levels of triglycerides (TGs), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) in the serum, and restoring the hepatic morphology to the normal state. These results indicated that the ICA-PG could improve in vitro/in vivo profiles of ICA, providing a new concept and a promising functional food for hyperlipidemia.

Icariin as a potential anticancer agent: a review of its biological effects on various cancers

Numerous chemical compounds used in cancer treatment have been isolated from natural herbs to address the ever-increasing cancer incidence worldwide. Therein is icariin, which has been extensively studied for its therapeutic potential due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidepressant, and aphrodisiac properties. However, there is a lack of comprehensive and detailed review of studies on icariin in cancer treatment. Given this, this study reviews and examines the relevant literature on the chemopreventive and therapeutic potentials of icariin in cancer treatment and describes its mechanism of action. The review shows that icariin has the property of inhibiting cancer progression and reversing drug resistance. Therefore, icariin may be a valuable potential agent for the prevention and treatment of various cancers due to its natural origin, safety, and low cost compared to conventional anticancer drugs, while further research on this natural agent is needed.