Magnetic particle targeting for diagnosis and therapy of lung cancers

A Review on Micro and Nanoengineering in Powder-Based Pulmonary Drug Delivery

Pulmonary delivery of drugs has emerged as a promising approach for the treatment of both lung and systemic diseases. Compared to other drug delivery routes, inhalation offers numerous advantages including high targeting, fewer side effects, and a huge surface area for drug absorption. However, the deposition of drugs in the lungs can be limited by lung defence mechanisms such as mucociliary and macrophages' clearance. Among the delivery devices, dry powder inhalers represent the optimal choice due to their stability, ease of use, and absence of propellants. In the last decades, several bottom-up techniques have emerged over traditional milling to produce inhalable powders. Among these techniques, the most employed ones are spray drying, supercritical fluid technology, spray freeze-drying, and thin film freezing. Inhalable dry powders can be constituted by micronized drugs attached to a coarse carrier (e.g., lactose) or drugs embedded into a micro- or nanoparticle. Particulate-based formulations are commonly composed of polymeric micro- and nanoparticles, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, dendrimers, nanocrystals, extracellular vesicles, and inorganic nanoparticles. Moreover, engineered formulations including large porous particles, swellable microparticles, nano-in-microparticles, and effervescent nanoparticles have been developed. Particle engineering has also a crucial role in tuning the physical-chemical properties of both carrier-based and carrier-free inhalable powders. This approach can increase powder flowability, deposition, and targeting by customising particle surface features.

Towards More Precise Targeting of Inhaled Aerosols to Different Areas of the Respiratory System

Pharmaceutical aerosols play a key role in the treatment of lung disorders, but also systemic diseases, due to their ability to target specific areas of the respiratory system (RS). This article focuses on identifying and clarifying the influence of various factors involved in the generation of aerosol micro- and nanoparticles on their regional distribution and deposition in the RS. Attention is given to the importance of process parameters during the aerosolization of liquids or powders and the role of aerosol flow dynamics in the RS. The interaction of deposited particles with the fluid environment of the lung is also pointed out as an important step in the mass transfer of the drug to the RS surface. The analysis presented highlights the technical aspects of preparing the precursors to ensure that the properties of the aerosol are suitable for a given therapeutic target. Through an analysis of existing technical limitations, selected strategies aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of targeted aerosol delivery to the RS have been identified and presented. These strategies also include the use of smart inhaling devices and systems with built-in AI algorithms.

Recent trends in preparation and biomedical applications of iron oxide nanoparticles

The iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), possessing both magnetic behavior and semiconductor property, have been extensively used in multifunctional biomedical fields due to their biocompatible, biodegradable and low toxicity, such as anticancer, antibacterial, cell labelling activities. Nevertheless, there are few IONPs in clinical use at present. Some IONPs approved for clinical use have been withdrawn due to insufficient understanding of its biomedical applications. Therefore, a systematic summary of IONPs' preparation and biomedical applications is crucial for the next step of entering clinical practice from experimental stage. This review summarized the existing research in the past decade on the biological interaction of IONPs with animal/cells models, and their clinical applications in human. This review aims to provide cutting-edge knowledge involved with IONPs' biological effects in vivo and in vitro, and improve their smarter design and application in biomedical research and clinic trials.

Self-driven bioactive hybrids co-deliver doxorubicin and indocyanine green nanoparticles for chemo/photothermal therapy of breast cancer

Breast cancer is characterized by insidious onset, rapid progression, easy recurrence, and metastasis. Conventional monotherapies are usually ineffective due to insufficient drug delivery. Therefore, the combination of multimodal therapy with tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive nanoplatforms is increasingly being considered for the targeted treatment of breast cancer. We synthesized bioactive hybrid nanoparticles for synergistic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy. Briefly, doxorubicin (DOX) and indocyanine green (ICG)-loaded nanoparticles (DI) of average particle size 113.58 ± 2.14 nm were synthesized, and their surface were modified with polydopamine (PDA) and attached to the anaerobic probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis (Bif). The bioactive Bif@DIP hybrid showed good photothermal conversion efficiency of about 38.04%. In addition, the self-driving ability of Bif allowed targeted delivery of the PDA-coated DI nanoparticles (DIP) to the hypoxic regions of the tumor. The low pH and high GSH levels in the TME stimulated the controlled release of DOX and ICG from the Bif@DIP hybrid, which then triggered apoptosis of tumor cells and induced immunogenic cell death (ICD), resulting in effective and sustained anti-tumor effect with minimum systemic toxicity. Thus, the self-driven Bif@DIP hybrid is a promising nanodrug for the targeted chemotherapy and photothermal therapy against solid cancers.

Targeted drug delivery in pulmonary therapy based on adhesion and transmission of nanocarriers designed with a metal-organic framework

With the recent increase in lung diseases, especially with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the design of a highly efficient and optimal targeted drug delivery system for the lungs is crucial in inhaler-based delivery systems. This study aimed to design a magnetic field-assisted targeted drug delivery system to the lungs using three types of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and nanoliposomes. The optimization of the system was based on three main parameters: the surface density of the nanocarriers' (NCs) adherence to each of the lung branches, the amount of drug transferred to each branch, and the toxicity based on the rate of nanocarrier delivery to the branches. The study investigated the effect of increasing the diameter of the drug carriers and the amount of drug loaded onto the NCs in improving drug delivery to targeted areas of the lung. Results showed that the presence of a magnetic field significantly increased the adhesion of NCs to the targeted branches. The application of a magnetic field and the type of drug carrier had a significant effect on drug delivery downstream of the lung and reduced drug toxicity. The study found that Fe3O4@UiO-66 (iron-oxide nanoparticle attached to the surface of UiO-66, a type of MOF) and Fe3O4@PAA/AuNCs/ZIF-8 carriers, (iron-oxide nanoparticle attached to a hybrid structure composed of three different materials: poly (acrylic acid) (PAA), gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), and zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8)), had the greatest drug delivery rate in diameters above 200 nm and less than 200 nm, respectively.

Targeted EGFR Nanotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite advances in treatment, the prognosis remains poor, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies. The present review explores the potential of targeted epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) nanotherapy as an alternative treatment for NSCLC, showing that EGFR-targeted nanoparticles are efficiently taken up by NSCLC cells, leading to a significant reduction in tumor growth in mouse models. Consequently, we suggest that targeted EGFR nanotherapy could be an innovative treatment strategy for NSCLC; however, further studies are needed to optimize the nanoparticles and evaluate their safety and efficacy in clinical settings and human trials.

N-Acetylcysteine-Loaded Magnetic Nanoparticles for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition characterized by the rapid onset of lung inflammation Therefore, monitoring the spatial distribution of the drug directly administered to heterogeneously damaged lungs is desirable. In this work, we focus on optimizing the drug N-acetylcysteine (NAC) adsorption on poly-l-lysine-modified magnetic nanoparticles (PLLMNPs) to monitor the drug spatial distribution in the lungs using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. The physicochemical characterizations of the samples were conducted in terms of morphology, particle size distributions, surface charge, and magnetic properties followed by the thermogravimetric quantification of NAC coating and cytotoxicity experiments. The sample with the theoretical NAC loading concentration of 0.25 mg/mL was selected as an optimum due to the hydrodynamic nanoparticle size of 154 nm, the surface charge of +32 mV, good stability, and no cytotoxicity. Finally, MRI relaxometry confirmed the suitability of the sample to study the spatial distribution of the drug in vivo using MRI protocols. We showed the prevailing transverse relaxation with high transverse relaxivity values and a high r₂⁽*⁾/r₁ ratio, causing visible hypointensity in the final MRI signal. Furthermore, NAC adsorption significantly affects the relaxation properties of PLLMNPs, which can help monitor drug release in vitro/in vivo.

Sequential targeting dual-responsive magnetic nanoparticle for improved therapy of lung metastatic breast cancer

Lung metastatic breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in women and difficult to treat due to non-specific drug delivery. Herein a sequential targeting dual-responsive magnetic nanoparticle was fabricated, where Fe3O4 nanoparticle was used as magnetic core, then sequentially coated with tetraethyl orthosilicate, bis[3-(triethoxy-silyl)propyl] tetrasulfide, and 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propylmethacrylate to afford -C = C- on the surface for further polymerisation with acrylic acid, acryloyl-6-ethylenediamine-6-deoxy-β-cyclodextrin using N, N-bisacryloylcy- stamine as cross-linker, obtaining pH/redox dual-responsive magnetic nanoparticle (MNPs-CD) to delivery doxorubicin (DOX) for suppressing lung metastatic breast cancer. Our results suggested DOX-loaded nanoparticle could target the lung metastases site by sequential targeting, in which they first be delivered to the lung and even the metastatic nodules through size-driven, electrical interaction, and magnetic field-guided mechanisms, then be effectively internalised into the cancer cells followed by intelligently triggering DOX release. MTT analysis demonstrated DOX-loaded nanoparticle exhibited high anti-tumour activity against 4T1 and A549 cells. 4T1 tumour-bearing mice were employed to confirm the higher specific accumulation in lung and improved anti-metastatic therapy efficiency of DOX by focussing an extracorporeal magnetic field on the biological target. Our findings suggested the as-proposed dual-responsive magnetic nanoparticle offered a prerequisite to inhibit lung metastasis of breast cancer tumours.

Multi-Biomarkers Panel in Identifying Benign and Malignant Lung Diseases and Pathological Types of Lung Cancer

With the discovery of many tumor markers, there are new strategies for the early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer and the prediction of prognosis. We examined the multi-protein markers panel (4MP, consisting of Pro-SFTPB, CA125, Cyfra21-1, and CEA) diagnosis performance in differentiating benign and malignant lung diseases and identifying pathological types of lung cancer. Meantime, the complementary performance of three conventional tumor markers (NSE, SCC, and Pro-GRP) for 4MP was assessed. A total of 294 patients with lung cancer or benign lung disease are contained in this study. The AUCs of 4MP and 7MP (NSE, SCC, Pro-GRP, and 4MP) in distinguishing benign lung disease and lung cancer were 0.808 and 0.832, respectively. In distinguishing SQCLC and SCLC, the AUCs were 0.716 and 0.985, respectively. In distinguishing LADC and SCLC, the AUCs were 0.849 and 0.998, respectively. This study demonstrated that 4MP can distinguish lung cancer from benign disease. Traditional biomarkers NSE, SCC, and Pro-GRP can significantly improve the performance of 4MP in the differentiation of LADC, SQCLC, and SCLC, which is expected to contribute to the accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment of patients.

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOF)-Assisted Sonodynamic Therapy in Anticancer Applications

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has emerged as a promising therapeutic modality for anticancer treatments and is becoming a cutting-edge interdisciplinary research field. This review starts with the latest developments of SDT and provides a brief comprehensive discussion on ultrasonic cavitation, sonodynamic effect, and sonosensitizers in order to popularize the basic principles and probable mechanisms of SDT. Then the recent progress of MOF-based sonosensitizers is overviewed, and the preparation methods and properties (e.g., morphology, structure, and size) of products are presented in a fundamental perspective. More importantly, many deep observations and understanding toward MOF-assisted SDT strategies were described in anticancer applications, aiming to highlight the advantages and improvements of MOF-augmented SDT and synergistic therapies. Last but not least, the review also pointed out the probable challenges and technological potential of MOF-assisted SDT for the future advance. In all, the discussions and summaries of MOF-based sonosensitizers and SDT strategies will promote the fast development of anticancer nanodrugs and biotechnologies.

Fe3O4 Composite Superparticles with RGD/Magnetic Dual-Targeting Capabilities for the Imaging and Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

In clinical practice, the incidence and mortality of non-small cell lung cancer are increasing year by year, which is a serious threat to the health of patients. Once the optimal surgical window is missed, the toxic side effects of chemotherapy have to be confronted. With the rapid development of nanotechnology in recent years, medical science and health have been greatly impacted. Therefore, in this manuscript, we design and prepare chemotherapeutic drug vinorelbine (VRL)-loaded polydopamine (PDA) shell-coated Fe₃O₄ superparticles, and further graft the targeted ligand RGD onto their surface. Because of the introduction of the PDA shell, the toxicity of the prepared Fe₃O₄@PDA/VRL-RGD SPs is greatly reduced. At the same time, due to the existence of Fe₃O₄, the Fe₃O₄@PDA/VRL-RGD SPs also have MRI contrast capability. Under the dual-targeting effect of RGD peptide and external magnetic field, Fe₃O₄@PDA/VRL-RGD SPs can accumulate into tumors effectively. The accumulated superparticles in the tumor sites can not only effectively identify and mark the location and boundary of the tumor under MRI, guideing the application of near-infrared laser, but also release the loaded VRL under the stimulation of the acidic microenvironment of the tumor to play the role of chemotherapy. On further combination with photothermal therapy under laser irradiation, A549 tumors are completely eliminated without recurrence. Our proposed RGD/magnetic field dual-targeting strategy can effectively improve the bioavailability of nanomaterials and contribute to better imaging and therapeutic effects, which has a promising application prospect in the future.

Synthesis of Multi-Stimuli Responsive Fe3O4 Coated with Diamonds Nanocomposite for Magnetic Assisted Chemo-Photothermal Therapy

Nanodiamonds with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and targeted drug delivery to exert combined effects for biomedical applications have been considered to be an urgent challenge. Herein, a novel bio-nanoarchitectonics (Fe₃O₄@NDs) with simultaneous imaging and therapeutic capacities was fabricated by covalently conjugating nanodiamonds (NDs) with Fe₃O₄. Fe₃O₄@NDs exhibited better biocompatibility and excellent photothermal stability with superb photothermal conversion performance (37.2%). Fe₃O₄@NDs has high doxorubicin (DOX) loading capacity (193 mg/g) with pH and NIR-responsive release characteristics. Fe₃O₄@NDs loading DOX showed a combined chemo-photothermal inhibitory effect on the tumor cells. Enhanced T₂-weighted MRI contrast toward the tumor, with the assistance of a magnetic field, convinced the Fe₃O₄@NDs gathered in the tumor more efficiently and could be used for MRI-based cancer diagnosis. Our results revealed an effective strategy to achieve a stimuli-sensitive nanoplatform for multifunctional theranostics by the combined action.

Magnetically Driven Muco-Inert Janus Nanovehicles for Enhanced Mucus Penetration and Cellular Uptake

One of the main challenges of transmucosal drug delivery is that of enabling particles and molecules to move across the mucosal barrier of the mucosal epithelial surface. Inspired by nanovehicles and mucus-penetrating nanoparticles, a magnetically driven, mucus-inert Janus-type nanovehicle (Janus-MMSN-pCB) was fabricated by coating the zwitterionic polymer poly(carboxybetaine methacrylate) (pCB) on the mesoporous silica nanorod, which was grown on one side of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticle using the sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and Fourier infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure and morphology of the nanovehicles, proving the success of each synthesis step. The in vitro cell viability assessment of these composites using Calu-3 cell lines indicates that the nanovehicles are biocompatible in nature. Furthermore, the multiparticle tracking, Transwell® system, and cell imaging experimental results demonstrate that both the modification of pCB and the application of a magnetic field effectively accelerated the diffusion of the nanovehicles in the mucus and improved the endocytosis through Calu-3. The favorable cell uptake performance of Janus-MMSN-pCB in mucus systems with/without magnetic driving proves its potential role in the diagnosis, treatment, and imaging of mucosal-related diseases.

Magnetic Nanoparticles: Current Advances in Nanomedicine, Drug Delivery and MRI

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have evolved tremendously during recent years, in part due to the rapid expansion of nanotechnology and to their active magnetic core with a high surface-to-volume ratio, while their surface functionalization opened the door to a plethora of drug, gene and bioactive molecule immobilization. Taming the high reactivity of the magnetic core was achieved by various functionalization techniques, producing MNPs tailored for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular or neurological disease, tumors and cancer. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are established at the core of drug-delivery systems and could act as efficient agents for MFH (magnetic fluid hyperthermia). Depending on the functionalization molecule and intrinsic morphological features, MNPs now cover a broad scope which the current review aims to overview. Considering the exponential expansion of the field, the current review will be limited to roughly the past three years.

Update of ultrasound-assembling fabrication and biomedical applications for heterogeneous polymer composites

As a power-driving approach, ultrasound irradiation is very appealing to the preparation or modification of new materials. In the review, we overviewed the latest development of ultrasound-mediated effects or reactions in polymer composites, and demonstrated its unique and powerful aspects on the polymerization or aggregation. The review generalized the different categories of heterogeneous polymer composites by defining the constituents, and described the shapes, sizes and basic properties of various purpose-specific or site-specific products. Importantly, the review paid more attention to the main biomedicine applications of heterogeneous polymer composites, such as drug or bioactive substance entrapment, delivery, release, imaging, and therapy, and emphasized many advantages of ultrasound-assembling approaches and heterogeneous polymer composites in biology and medicine fields. In addition, the review also indicated the prospective challenges of heterogeneous polymer composites both in ultrasound-assembling designs and in biomedical applications.

Immunogenic Cell Death Activates the Tumor Immune Microenvironment to Boost the Immunotherapy Efficiency

Tumor immunotherapy is only effective in a fraction of patients due to a low response rate and severe side effects, and these challenges of immunotherapy in clinics can be addressed through induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD). ICD is elicited from many antitumor therapies to release danger associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and tumor‐associated antigens to facilitate maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) and infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). The process can reverse the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment to improve the sensitivity of immunotherapy. Nanostructure‐based drug delivery systems (NDDSs) are explored to induce ICD by incorporating therapeutic molecules for chemotherapy, photosensitizers (PSs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal conversion agents for photothermal therapy (PTT), and radiosensitizers for radiotherapy (RT). These NDDSs can release loaded agents at a right dose in the right place at the right time, resulting in greater effectiveness and lower toxicity. Immunotherapeutic agents can also be combined with these NDDSs to achieve the synergic antitumor effect in a multi‐modality therapeutic approach. In this review, NDDSs are harnessed to load multiple agents to induce ICD by chemotherapy, PDT, PTT, and RT in combination of immunotherapy to promote the therapeutic effect and reduce side effects associated with cancer treatment.

Euler-Lagrange numerical simulation of improved magnetic drug delivery in a three-dimensional CT-based carotid artery bifurcation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Magnetic drug targeting (MDT) is a promising method to improve the therapy efficiency for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and cancers. In MDT, therapeutic agents are bonded to superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPION) cores and then are guided toward the damaged tissue through a magnetic field. Fundamentally, it's vital to steer the SPIONs to the desired location to increase the capture efficiency at the target lesion. Hence, the present study aims to enhance the drug delivery to the desired branch in a carotid bifurcation. Besides, it is tried to decrement the particles' entry to the unwanted outlet by using four different magnet configurations (with a maximum magnetic flux density of 0.4 T) implanted adjacent to the artery wall. Also, the effect of particles' diameter -ranging from 200 nm to 2 µm- on the drug delivery performance is studied in the four cases.

METHODS

The Eulerian-Lagrangian approach with one-way coupling is employed for numerical simulation of the problem using the finite element method (FEM). The dominant forces acting on particles are drag and magnetophoretic. A computed tomography (CT) model of the carotid bifurcation is adopted to have a 3D realistic geometry. The blood flow is considered to be laminar, incompressible, pulsatile, and non-Newtonian. Boundary conditions are applied using the three-element Windkessel equation.

RESULTS

Results are presented in terms of velocity, pressure, magnetic field flux density, wall shear stress, and streamlines. Also, the number of particles in each direction is presented for the four studied cases. The results show that using proper magnets configurations makes it possible to guide more particles to the desired branch (up to 4%) while preventing particles from entering the unwanted branch (up to 13%). By defining connectivity between oscillatory shear index (OSI) value and magnetic drug delivery efficacy, it becomes clear that places with lower OSI values are more proper to place the magnets than areas with higher OSI values.

CONCLUSIONS

It was observed that increasing the diameter of particles does not necessarily result in a higher drug delivery efficiency. The configuration of the magnets and the size of particles are the main affecting parameters that should be chosen precisely to meet the most efficient drug delivery performance. Magnetic drug targeting (MDT) is a promising method to improve the therapy efficiency for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and cancers. Fundamentally, it's vital to steer the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) to the target lesion location to increase the capture efficiency. Hence, the present study aims to enhance the drug delivery to the desired branch in a 3D carotid bifurcation. Besides, it is tried to decrement the particles' entry to the unwanted outlet by using four different magnet configurations implanted adjacent to the artery wall. The Eulerian-Lagrangian approach with one-way coupling is employed for numerical simulation of the problem using the finite element method (FEM). The dominant forces acting on particles are drag and magnetophoretic. The blood flow is laminar, incompressible, pulsatile, and non-Newtonian. The results show that it is possible to guide more particles to the desired branch (up to 4%) while preventing particles from entering the unwanted branch (up to 13%). By defining connectivity between oscillatory shear index (OSI) value and magnetic drug delivery efficacy, it becomes clear that places with lower OSI values are more proper to place the magnets than areas with higher OSI values.

Construction of targeted delivery system for curcumin loaded on magnetic α-Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterogeneous nanotubes and its apoptosis mechanism on MCF-7 cell

In this work, the magnetic α-Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄ heterogeneous nanotubes were successfully prepared by solvent hydrothermal-controlled calcination method. The effects of additive concentration, hydrothermal temperature and time on morphology of products were investigated. The α-Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄ nanotubes with a saturation magnetization of 50 emu/g were prepared calcinated at 600 °C for 4 h using 0.8 g of glucose. Their average length, the outer and inner diameters were around 240 nm, 178 nm and 145 nm, respectively. The α-Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄ heterogeneous nanotubes coated with water-soluble liposome were applied for targeted delivery of curcumin. The release of curcumin inside the hollow structure of the nanocomposites could be triggered and effectively sustained represented a process of slow release. The encapsulation efficiency of curcumin in the α-Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄-CUR@LIP nanocomposites reached 82.1 ± 0.9%. MTT assays demonstrated that blank carriers had excellent biocompatibility and application of magnetic field significantly elevated the cytotoxicity of α-Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄-CUR@LIP nanocomposites on MCF-7 cell. Electrochemical experiment and Prussian blue staining indicated that the α-Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄@LIP nanocomposites could aggregate in cells to promote the internalization of curcumin. Magnetic α-Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄-CUR@LIP nanocomposites and curcumin enhanced the expression of reactive oxygen species in MCF-7 cells and induced apoptosis by fluorescence detection. Flow cytometry and western blot verified that the α-Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄@LIP nanocomposites under magnetic field enhanced cells late-apoptosis by adjusting the expression of apoptosis-related proteins.

On-Chip Arbitrary Manipulation of Single Particles by Acoustic Resonator Array

Effective and arbitrary manipulation of particles in liquid has attracted substantial interest. Acoustic tweezers, a new and promising tool, exhibit high biocompatibility, universality, and precision but lack arbitrariness. In this work, we report a gigahertz (GHz) bulk acoustic streaming tweezer (AST)-based micro-manipulation platform capable of efficiently translating acoustic energy to fluid kinetic energy, creating a controllable, quick-response, and stable flow field and precisely, arbitrarily, and universally manipulating a single particle to move like a microrobot. Through controlling the radio frequency signals applied on these resonators, the intensity and direction of the acoustic streaming flow can be quickly and arbitrarily adjusted. Consequently, the particle dispersed at the bottom can be arbitrarily and steadily driven along the predesigned route to the target position by the acoustic streaming drag force (ASF). We utilized four resonators cooperated as a work group to manipulate single SiO₂ particles to complete nearly uniform linear motions and U-shaped motions, as well as playing billiards and exploring a maze, demonstrating the enormous potential of this GHz AST-based single-particle manipulation platform for separation, assembly, sensing, enriching, transporting, and so forth.

Cutting-edge Nanotechnological Approaches for Lung Cancer Therapy

Lung cancer is the second leading cancer with a high rate of mortality. It can be treated using different intervention techniques such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical removal, and photodynamic therapy. All of these interventions lack specificity, implying that it harms the normal cells adjacent to the infected ones. Nanotechnology provides a promising solution that increases the bioavailability of anticancer drugs at the tumor site with reduced toxicity and improved therapeutic efficacy. Nanotechnology also improves the way lung cancer is diagnosed and treated. Various nanocarriers like liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles, and different theranostic approaches are already approved for medical use, while various are under clinical and preclinical stages. This review article covers the details about lung cancer, types of overexpressed receptors, and cutting-edge nanocarriers used for treating lung cancer at its specific target.

PEGylated green halloysite/spinel ferrite nanocomposites for pH sensitive delivery of dexamethasone: A potential pulmonary drug delivery treatment option for COVID-19

Dexamethasone (Dex) is used in drug regimen for treatment of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) fusion and entry into the cell occurs at pH 5.5. In our present study, we have identified a green, cheap clay based halloysite (Hal) nanoformulation with release capability of Dex at such interactive pH condition. 30%ZnFe₂O₄/Hal and 30%NiFe₂O₄/Hal were prepared by one-pot synthesis technique. Dex (5% wt/wt) was functionalized over both nanocomposites. Finally, polyethylene glycol (PEG) was coated over ZnFe₂O₄/Hal/Dex and NiFe₂O₄/Hal/Dex nanocomposite using lyophilization technique (0.08 μl/mg of nanocarrier). The release ability of Dex was studied under pulmonary infection and normal pH conditions (pH = 5.6 and 7.4). The characterization study using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-visible diffuse reflectance (DRS) spectra confirmed the presence of spinel ferrites over Hal. Nitrogen adsorption isotherm showed the surface area of ZnFe₂O₄/Hal (75 m²/g), pore volume (0.27 cm³/g) with average pore size (14.5 nm). Scanning electron microscope/Energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed a textural change in halloysite tubular type indicating drug adsorption and PEG adhesion. DRS spectra indicated an intergrowth of zinc ferrite nanoparticles on the halloysite nanotubes. Interestingly, ZnFe₂O₄/Hal/Dex/PEG exhibited a high Dex release ability (17.5%, 168 h) at pH = 5.6 relevant to SARS-CoV-2 fusion entry into the cell pH condition of 5.5. Comparatively, the nanocomposite showed a less Dex release (<5%) release for 168 h at neutral pH = 7.4. The drug release kinetics were studied and the obtained data were fitted for the release constant and release exponent, using the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. To test the compatibility of our nanocomposites, we performed the cell viability assay (MTT) using HEK293 cells. Our results showed that at 0.3 mg/ml, Dex-loaded nanocomposite had a statistically significant improvement in cell viability compared to Dex alone. These results suggest that our nanocomposite has prevented the toxic effect of Dex and has huge potential to act as pulmonary drug delivery system for targeted lung infection therapeutics.

SPIONs self-assembly and magnetic sedimentation in quadrupole magnets: Gaining insight into the separation mechanisms

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are currently popular materials experiencing rapid development with potential application value, especially in biomedical and chemical engineering fields. Examples include wastewater management, bio-detection, biological imaging, targeted drug delivery and biosensing. While not exclusive, magnetically driven isolation methods are typically required to separate the desired entity from the media in specific applications and in their manufacture and/or quality control. However, due to the nano-size of SPIONs, their magnetic manipulation is affected by Brownian motion, adding considerable complexities. The two most common methods for SPION magnetic separation are high and low gradient magnetic separation (HGMS and LGMS, respectively). Nevertheless, the effect of specific magnetic energy fields on SPIONs, such as horizontal (perpendicular to gravity), high fields and gradients (higher than LGMS) on the horizontal magnetophoresis and vertical sedimentation of SPIONs has only recently been suggested as a way to separate very small particles (5 nm). In this work, we continue those studies on the magnetic separation of 5-30 nm SPIONs by applying fields and gradients perpendicular to gravity. The magnetic field was generated by permanent magnets arranged in quadrupolar configurations (QMS). Different conditions were studied, and multiple variables were evaluated, including the particle size, the initial SPIONs concentration, the temperature, the magnetic field gradient and the magnetic exposure time. Our experimental data show that particles are subjected to horizontal magnetic forces, to particle agglomeration due to dipole-dipole interactions, and to vertical sedimentation due to gravity. The particle size and the type of separator employed (i.e. different gradient and field distribution acting on the particle suspension) have significant effects on the phenomena involved in the separation, whereas the temperature and particle concentration affect the separation to a lesser extent. Finally, the separation process was observed to occur in less than 3 mins for our experimental conditions, which is encouraging considering the long operation time (up to days) necessary to separate particles of similar sizes in LGMS columns that also employ permanent magnets.

Emerging Application of Magnetic Nanoparticles for Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer

Cancer is a disease that has resulted in millions of deaths worldwide. The current conventional therapies utilized for the treatment of cancer have detrimental side effects. This led scientific researchers to explore new therapeutic avenues with an improved benefit to risk profile. Researchers have found nanoparticles, particles between the 1 and 100 nm range, to be encouraging tools in the area of cancer. Magnetic nanoparticles are one of many available nanoparticles at present. Magnetic nanoparticles have increasingly been receiving a considerable amount of attention in recent years owing to their unique magnetic properties, among many others. Magnetic nanoparticles can be controlled by an external magnetic field, signifying their ability to be site specific. The most popular approaches for the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles are co-precipitation, thermal decomposition, hydrothermal, and polyol synthesis. The functionalization of magnetic nanoparticles is essential as it significantly increases their biocompatibility. The most utilized functionalization agents are comprised of polymers. The synthesis and functionalization of magnetic nanoparticles will be further explored in this review. The biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles investigated in this review are drug delivery, magnetic hyperthermia, and diagnosis. The diagnosis aspect focuses on the utilization of magnetic nanoparticles as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging. Clinical trials and toxicology studies relating to the application of magnetic nanoparticles for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer will also be discussed in this review.

Targeted pulmonary drug delivery in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) therapy: A patient-specific in silico study based on magnetic nanoparticles-coated microcarriers adhesion

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly most confirmed cases develop respiratory syndromes. Using targeted drug delivery by microcarriers is one of the most important noteworthy methods for delivering drugs to the involved bronchi. This study aims to investigate the performance of a drug delivery that applies microcarriers to each branch of the lung under the influence of a magnetic field. The results show that by changing the inlet velocity from constant to pulsatile, the drug delivery performance to the lungs increases by ∼31%. For transferring the microcarriers to the right side branches (LUL and LLL), placing the magnet at zero height and ∼30° angle yields the best outcome. Also, the microcarriers' delivery to branch LUL improves by placing the magnet at LUL-LLL bifurcation and the angle of ∼30°. It was observed that dense (9300[kgm³]) microcarriers show the best performance for delivering drugs to LLL and RLL&RML branches. Also, low-density (1000[kgm³]) microcarriers are best for delivering drugs to LUL and RUL branches. The findings of this study can improve our understanding of different factors, such as inlet velocity, the magnet's position, and the choice of microcarrier - that affect drug delivery to the infected parts of the lung.

The Effect of Physiological Incubation on the Properties of Elastic Magnetic Composites for Soft Biomedical Sensors

Magnetic micro- and nanoparticles (MPs)-based composite materials are widely used in various applications in electronics, biotechnology, and medicine. This group of silicone composites have advantageous magnetic and mechanical properties as well as sufficient flexibility and biocompatibility. These composites can be applied in medicine for biological sensing, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and as remote-controlled microrobots operating in vivo. In this work, the properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based composites with different percentages (30 wt.%, 50 wt.%, 70 wt.%) of NdFeB microparticles as a filler were characterized. The novelty of the work was to determine the influence of the percentage of MP content and physiological conditioning on the properties of the PDMS-MP composites after in vitro incubation. An important essence of the work was a comprehensive study of the properties of materials important from the point of view of medical applications. Materials were tested before and after conditioning in 0.9 wt.% NaCl solution at a temperature of 37 °C. Several studies were carried out, including thermal, physicochemical, and rheological tests. The results show that with an increase of the incubation time, most of the measured thermal and physicochemical parameters decreased. The presence of the magnetic filler, especially at a concentration of 70 wt.%, has a positive effect on thermal stability and physicochemical and rheological properties. The performed tests provided important results, which can lead to further research for a broader application of magnetic composites in the biomedical field.

Dual targeting smart drug delivery system for multimodal synergistic combination cancer therapy with reduced cardiotoxicity

This study first reports the development of a smart drug delivery system (DDS) for multimodal synergistic cancer therapy combining chemo-photothermal-starvation approaches. A magnetic photothermal agent was synthesized by preparing iron oxide (IO) nanoparticles (NPs) with covalently attached indocyanine green (ICG) and glucose oxidase (GOx) (ICGOx@IO). Synthesized ICGOx@IO NPs were co-encapsulated with doxorubicin (Dox) and EGCG ((-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate) inside PLGA (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)) NPs using multiple emulsion solvent evaporation method. Such formulation gave the advantage of triggered drug release by near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation (808 nm at 1 W/cm²). RGD peptide was attached to the surface of PLGA NPs and the final hydrodynamic size was around 210 nm. Dual targeting by peptide and 240 mT external magnet significantly improved cellular uptake. Cellular uptake was observed using FACS, electron and optical microscopy. Dual targeting along with laser irradiation could reduce in vitro cell viability by 90 ± 2% (Dox-equivalent dose: 10 µg/ml) and complete tumor ablation was achieved in vivo due to synergetic therapeutic effect. Another attractive feature of the DDS was the significant reduction of cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin by EGCG. This new platform is thus expected to hold strong promise for future multimodal combination therapy of cancers. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Doxorubicin is one of the most studied and effective chemotherapeutic agents whose application is hindered due to its cardiotoxicity. In this study, we used (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) to overcome that limitation. However, drug delivery to tumor sites with no/minimum accumulation in healthy organs is always challenging. Although peptide-based targeting is very popular, the effectiveness of receptor/ligand binding active targeting is sometimes questioned which motivated us to apply dual targeting approach. Multimodal therapies can exhibit synergistic effects and subsequently reduce the required dose of drug over monotherapy. We aimed to achieve chemo-photothermal-starvation combination therapy in this study and such achievement is yet to be reported. Our developed system also has the advantage of triggered drug release by near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation.

A review on engineered magnetic nanoparticles in Non-Small-Cell lung carcinoma targeted therapy

There are growing appeals forthe design of efficacious treatment options for non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) as it accrues to ~ 85% cases of lung cancer. Although platinum-based doublet chemotherapy has been the main therapeutic intervention in NSCLC management, this leads to myriad of problems including intolerability to the doublet regimens and detrimental side effects due to high doses. A new approach is therefore needed and warrants the design of targeted drug delivery systems that can halt tumor proliferation and metastasis by targeting key molecules, while exhibiting minimal side effects and toxicity. This review aims to explore the rational design of magnetic nanoparticles for the development of tumor-targeting systems for NSCLC. In the review, we explore the anticancer merits of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and provide a concise incursion into its application for the invention of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles in the targeted treatment of NSCLC. Recent nanoparticle-based targeted chemotherapies for targeting angiogenesis biomarkers in NSCLC will also be reviewed to further highlight versatility of magnetic nanoparticles. These developments through molecular tuning at the nanoscale and supported by comprehensive pre-clinical studies could lead to the establishment of precise nanosystems for tumor-homing cancer therapy.

Current role of nanoparticles in the treatment of lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Worldwide, lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death. Nevertheless, new therapeutic agents have been developed to treat lung cancer that could change this mortality-rate. Interestingly, incredible advances have occurred in recent years in the development and application of nanotechnology in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer.

AIM

Nanoparticles (NPs) have the ability to incorporate multiple drugs and targeting agents and therefore lead to an improved bioavailability, sustained delivery, solubility, and intestinal absorption.

RELEVANCE FOR PATIENTS

This review briefly summarizes the latest innovations in therapeutic nanomedicine in lung cancer with examples on magnetic, lipid, and polymer NP. Emphasis will be placed on future studies and ongoing clinical trials in this field.

Onco-Receptors Targeting in Lung Cancer via Application of Surface-Modified and Hybrid Nanoparticles: A Cross-Disciplinary Review

Lung cancer is among the most prevalent and leading causes of death worldwide. The major reason for high mortality is the late diagnosis of the disease, and in most cases, lung cancer is diagnosed at fourth stage in which the cancer has metastasized to almost all vital organs. The other reason for higher mortality is the uptake of the chemotherapeutic agents by the healthy cells, which in turn increases the chances of cytotoxicity to the healthy body cells. The complex pathophysiology of lung cancer provides various pathways to target the cancerous cells. In this regard, upregulated onco-receptors on the cell surface of tumor including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), integrins, transferrin receptor (TFR), folate receptor (FR), cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) receptor, etc. could be exploited for the inhibition of pathways and tumor-specific drug targeting. Further, cancer borne immunological targets like T-lymphocytes, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and dendritic cells could serve as a target site to modulate tumor activity through targeting various surface-expressed receptors or interfering with immune cell-specific pathways. Hence, novel approaches are required for both the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancers. In this context, several researchers have employed various targeted delivery approaches to overcome the problems allied with the conventional diagnosis of and therapy methods used against lung cancer. Nanoparticles are cell nonspecific in biological systems, and may cause unwanted deleterious effects in the body. Therefore, nanodrug delivery systems (NDDSs) need further advancement to overcome the problem of toxicity in the treatment of lung cancer. Moreover, the route of nanomedicines’ delivery to lungs plays a vital role in localizing the drug concentration to target the lung cancer. Surface-modified nanoparticles and hybrid nanoparticles have a wide range of applications in the field of theranostics. This cross-disciplinary review summarizes the current knowledge of the pathways implicated in the different classes of lung cancer with an emphasis on the clinical implications of the increasing number of actionable molecular targets. Furthermore, it focuses specifically on the significance and emerging role of surface functionalized and hybrid nanomaterials as drug delivery systems through citing recent examples targeted at lung cancer treatment.

Emerging technologies and commercial products in exosome-based cancer diagnosis and prognosis

Academic and industrial groups worldwide have reported technological advances in exosome-based cancer diagnosis and prognosis. However, the potential translation of these emerging technologies for research and clinical settings remains unknown. This work overviews the role of exosomes in cancer diagnosis and prognosis, followed by a survey on emerging exosome technologies, particularly microfluidic advances for the isolation and detection of exosomes in cancer research. The advantages and drawbacks of each of the technologies used for the isolation, detection and engineering of exosomes are evaluated to address their clinical challenges for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Furthermore, commercial platforms for exosomal detection and analysis are introduced, and their performance and impact on cancer diagnosis and prognosis are assessed. Also, the risks associated with the further development of the next generation of exosome devices are discussed. The outcome of this work could facilitate recognizing deliverable Exo-devices and technologies with unprecedented functionality and predictable manufacturability for the next-generation of cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

Focused targeting of inhaled magnetic aerosols in reconstructed in vitro airway models

The pulmonary tract is an attractive route for topical treatments of lung diseases. Yet, our ability to confine the deposition of inhalation aerosols to specific lung regions, or local airways, remains still widely beyond reach. It has been hypothesized that by coupling magnetic particles to inhaled therapeutics the ability to locally target airway sites can be substantially improved. Although the underlying principle has shown promise in seminal in vivo animal experiments as well as in vitro and in silico studies, its practical implementation has come short of delivering efficient localized airway targeting. Here, we demonstrate in an in vitro proof-of-concept an inhalation framework to leverage magnetically-loaded aerosols for airway targeting in the presence of an external magnetic field. By coupling the delivery of a short pulsed bolus of sub-micron (~500 nm diameter) droplet aerosols with a custom ventilation machine that tracks the volume of air inhaled past the bolus, focused targeting can be maximized during a breath hold maneuver. Specifically, we visualize the motion of the pulsed SPION-laden (superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles) aerosol bolus and quantify under microscopy ensuing deposition patterns in reconstructed 3D airway models. Our aerosol inhalation platform allows for the first time to deposit inhaled particles to specific airway sites while minimizing undesired deposition across the remaining airspace, in an effort to significantly augment the targeting efficiency (i.e. deposition ratio between targeted and untargeted regions). Such inhalation strategy may pave the way for improved treatment outcomes, including reducing side effects in chemotherapy.

Recent Progress of Lung Cancer Diagnosis Using Nanomaterials

Lung cancer is one of the serious malignant tumors with high morbidity and mortality due to the poor diagnosis and early metastasis. The developing nanotechnology provides novel concepts and research strategies for the lung cancer diagnosis by employing nanomaterials as diagnostic reagents to enhance diagnostic efficiency. This commentary introduces recent progress using nanoparticles for lung cancer diagnosis from two aspects of in vivo and in vitro detection. The challenges and future research perspectives are proposed at the end of the paper.