Polyphyllin D-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Breast Cancer: Synthesis, Characterization, In Vitro, and in Vivo Studies

Review on anti-tumour lipid nano drug delivery systems of traditional Chinese medicine

In recent years, the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of cancer has received widespread attention. Treatment of tumours using TCM can effectively reduce the side effects of anti-tumour drugs, meanwhile to improve the treatment efficacy of patients. However, most of the active ingredients in TCM, such as saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, volatile oils, etc., have defects such as low bioavailability and poor solubility in clinical application, which seriously restrict the application of TCM. Meanwhile, the encapsulation of TCM into lipid nano-delivery systems for cancer therapy has received much attention. Lipid nano-delivery systems are obtained by using phospholipids as the base material and adding other auxiliary materials under a certain preparation process, including, for example, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), microemulsions, and self-microemulsion drug delivery systems (SMEDDS), can resolve the application problems of TCM by improving the efficacy of active ingredients of TCM and reducing the toxicity of anti-tumour drugs. This paper focuses on the categories, development status, and research progress of lipid nano delivery system of TCM, aiming to provide a certain theoretical basis for further in-depth research and rational application of these systems.

Advancing triple-negative breast cancer treatment through peptide decorated solid lipid nanoparticles for paclitaxel delivery

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) presents a global health challenge due to its aggressive behavior and limited treatment options. This study explores a novel therapeutic strategy using C-peptide-conjugated solid lipid nanoparticles (C-peptide-SLNs) for targeting paclitaxel (PTX) delivery in TNBC treatment. C-peptide, derived from endostatin, enhances efficacy by targeting overexpressed integrin αvβ3 receptors on TNBC cells. Characterization confirmed suitable particle size, stability, and encapsulation efficiency over 90%, with favorable release profiles for acidic tumor environments. In vitro, C-peptide-SLN-PTX markedly improved cytotoxicity against 4T1 carcinoma cells, with an IC50 of 1.2 µg/mL, compared to 3.4 µg/mL for SLN-PTX and 8.9 µg/mL for free PTX. Wound-healing assays verified significant inhibition of cell migration in 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Flow cytometry confirmed αv integrin targeting by C-peptide-SLN-PTX. In vivo studies in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice showed an 82% tumor volume reduction and prevented pulmonary metastasis, with normal liver enzyme levels indicating reduced toxicity. PET imaging revealed decreased tumor metabolic activity in treated groups, and immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated superior antitumor efficacy with reduced Ki-67 expression and apoptosis induction (p53 upregulation, Bcl-2 downregulation). These findings highlight the potential of C-peptide-SLNs as an effective targeted PTX delivery system for TNBC, offering promising avenues for enhancing cancer treatment strategies.

Enhancing breast cancer treatment: Evaluating the efficacy of hyaluronic acid-coated tamoxifen-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles on MCF7 cells

INTRODUCTION

Tamoxifen (TMX) shows promise in treating breast cancer, but it faces challenges such as poor solubility, instability, and incomplete release when targeting tumors. Additionally, TMX therapy's toxicity is a critical issue in breast cancer treatment. This study aimed to assess the impact of hyaluronic acid (HA)-coated TMX-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (HA-TMX-SLNs) on MCF7 breast cancer cells.

METHODS

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were prepared using hot homogenization. The HA-TMX-SLNs and TMX-SLNs were characterized and evaluated through transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT assay, and Western blot analysis was utilized to identify key factors in the cell cycle and apoptosis.

RESULTS

The nanoparticles (HA-TMX-SLNs) demonstrated approximately 55% loading efficiency after 100 h. HA-TMX-SLNs exhibited lower cytotoxicity in MCF7 cells compared to other treatments. Significant decreases in expression levels of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4, Cyclin D1, CDK2, and Bcl2 were observed after treatment with HA-TMX-SLNs, along with an increase in cleaved/procaspase-7.

DISCUSSION

The in vitro release study showed that HA-coated SLNs consistently released the drug into the media under controlled conditions. Furthermore, HA-TMX-SLNs exhibited cytotoxic effects, increasing apoptosis and inhibiting cancer cell proliferation. These findings suggest that HA-TMX-SLNs effectively deliver TMX to breast cancer cells.

Recent trends and advances in novel formulations as an armament in Bcl-2/Bax targeted breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) remains a significant health burden worldwide, necessitating the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins, Bcl-2 and Bax, play a crucial role in regulating apoptosis and thus are promising targets for BC therapy. We focus on the recent advancements in novel formulations that specifically target Bcl-2/Bax pathway to combat BC. It provides an overview on biological functions of Bcl-2/Bax in apoptosis regulation, emphasizing their significance in pathogenesis and progression of the disease while covering the numerous therapeutic approaches aimed at modulating the Bcl-2/Bax pathway, including small-molecule inhibitors, peptides, gene-based therapies and other repurposed drugs harboured onto cutting-edge technologies and nanocarrier systems employed to enhance the targeted delivery of Bcl-2/Bax inhibitors tumor cells. These advanced formulations aim to improve therapeutic efficacy, minimize off-target effects, and overcome drug resistance, offering promising prospects in its treatment. In conclusion, it illuminates the diverse and evolving landscape of novel formulations as an essential armament in targeting these proteins while bridging and unravelling the obscurity of Bcl-2/Bax pathway-targeted drug delivery systems which are presently in their nascent stages of exploration for BC therapy which can benefit researchers, clinicians, and pharmaceutical scientists.

Nanomedicine-Based Drug-Targeting in Breast Cancer: Pharmacokinetics, Clinical Progress, and Challenges

Breast cancer (BC) is a malignant neoplasm that begins in the breast tissue. After skin cancer, BC is the second most common type of cancer in women. At the end of 2040, the number of newly diagnosed BC cases is projected to increase by over 40%, reaching approximately 3 million worldwide annually. The hormonal and chemotherapeutic approaches based on conventional formulations have inappropriate therapeutic effects and suboptimal pharmacokinetic responses with nonspecific targeting actions. To overcome such issues, the use of nanomedicines, including liposomes, nanoparticles, micelles, hybrid nanoparticles, etc., has gained wider attention in the treatment of BC. Smaller dimensional nanomedicine (especially 50-200 nm) exhibited improved in vivo effectiveness, such as better tissue penetration and more effective tumor suppression through enhanced retention and permeation, as well as active targeting of the drug. Additionally, nanotechnology, which further extended and developed theranostic nanomedicine by incorporating diagnostic and imaging agents in one platform, has been applied to BC. Furthermore, hybrid and theranostic nanomedicine has also been explored for gene delivery as anticancer therapeutics in BC. Moreover, the nanocarriers' size, shape, surface charge, chemical compositions, and surface area play an important role in the nanocarriers' stability, cellular absorption, cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and toxicity. Additionally, nanomedicine clinical translation for managing BC remains a slow process. However, a few cases are being used clinically, and their progress with the current challenges is addressed in this Review. Therefore, this Review extensively discusses recent advancements in nanomedicine and its clinical challenges in BC.

Effects of cold atmospheric-pressure plasma in combination with doxorubicin drug against breast cancer cells in vitro and invivo

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been suggested for medical applications that can be applied indirectly through plasma-activated medium (PAM) and recently it has been introduced as an innovative therapeutic approach for all cancer types. Studies have exhibited that ROS/RNS are key factors in CAP-dependent apoptosis; nevertheless, ROS/RNS stability are weak. Combination therapy is considered an effective strategy to overcome these problems. In the present research, we revealed that the combination of CAP and doxorubicin (DOX) significantly induces the apoptosis of breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicated that both Ar and He/O2 CAP treatment as well as DOX drug alone reduced cell growth. CAP/PAM treatment in combination with DOX induced apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and 4T1-implanted BALB/c mice, resulting in a significant increase in antitumor activity. The apoptotic effects of CAP-DOX on MCF-7 cells were inferred from altered expression of BAX and cleaved-caspase-3 which mechanistically take place through the mitochondrial pathway mediated by Bcl-2 family members. Besides, the BAX/BCL-2 ratio is significantly higher in the simultaneous treatment of CAP and DOX. This ratio was equal to 2.82 ± 0.24, 2.54 ± 0.30, and 11.27 ± 0.31 for treatment with DOX, He/O2 plasma, and combination treatment, respectively. Additionally, the tumor growth rate of He/O2-PAM + DOX and Ar-PAM + DOX treatments was significantly inhibited by PAM-injection, and the tumor growth rate of PAM alone or DOX alone was slightly reduced. It can be concluded that the effect of PAM + DOX may increase the anticancer activity and decrease the dose required for the chemotherapeutic treatment.

Gene cloning and characterization of a novel recombinant 40-kDa heat shock protein from Mesobacillus persicus B48

The present study reports the recognition and characterization of the gene encoding the co-chaperone DnaJ in the halophilic strain Mesobacillus persicus B48. The new extracted gene was sequenced and cloned in E. coli, followed by protein purification using a C-terminal His-tag. The stability and function of the recombinant DnaJ protein under salt and pH stress conditions were evaluated. SDS-PAGE revealed a band on nearly 40-kDa region. The homology model structure of new DnaJ demonstrated 56% similarity to the same protein from Streptococcus pneumonia. Fluorescence spectra indicated several hydrophobic residues located on the protein surface, which is consistent with the misfolded polypeptide recognition function of DnaJ. Spectroscopic results showed 56% higher carbonic anhydrase activity in the presence of the recombinant DnaJ homolog compared to its absence. In addition, salt resistance experiments showed that the survival of recombinant E. coli+DnaJ was 2.1 times more than control cells in 0.5 M NaCl. Furthermore, the number of recombinant E. coli BL21+DnaJ colonies was 7.7 times that of the control colonies in pH 8.5. Based on the results, DnaJ from the M. persicus can potentially be employed for improving the functional features of enzymes and other proteins in various applications.