Water/pH dual responsive in situ calcium supplement collaborates simvastatin for osteoblast promotion mediated osteoporosis therapy via oral medication

Development strategies and application of antimicrobial peptides as future alternatives to in-feed antibiotics

The use of in-feed antibiotics has been widely restricted due to the significant environmental pollution and food safety concerns they have caused. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted widespread attention as potential future alternatives to in-feed antibiotics owing to their demonstrated antimicrobial activity and environment friendly characteristics. However, the challenges of weak bioactivity, immature stability, and low production yields of natural AMPs impede practical application in the feed industry. To address these problems, efforts have been made to develop strategies for approaching the AMPs with enhanced properties. Herein, we summarize approaches to improving the properties of AMPs as potential alternatives to in-feed antibiotics, mainly including optimization of structural parameters, sequence modification, selection of microbial hosts, fusion expression, and industrially fermentation control. Additionally, the potential for application of AMPs in animal husbandry is discussed. This comprehensive review lays a strong theoretical foundation for the development of in-feed AMPs to achieve the public health globally.

Water-soluble biopolymers calcium polymalate derived from fermentation broth of Aureobasidium pullulans markedly alleviates osteoporosis and fatigue

Osteoporosis is a prevalent condition characterized by bone loss and decreased skeletal strength, resulting in an elevated risk of fractures. Calcium plays a crucial role in preventing and managing osteoporosis. However, traditional calcium supplements have limited bioavailability, poor solubility, and adverse effects. In this study, we isolated a natural soluble biopolymer, calcium polymalate (PMACa), from the fermentation broth of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans, to investigate its potential as an anti-osteoporosis therapeutic agent. Characterization revealed that linear PMA-Ca chains juxtaposed to form a porous, rod-like state, in the presence of Ca2+. In vivo mouse models demonstrated that PMA-Ca significantly promoted the conversion of serum calcium into bone calcium, and stimulated bone growth and osteogenesis. Additionally, PMA-Ca alleviated exercise fatigue in mice by facilitating the removal of essential metabolites, such as serum lactate (BLA) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), from their bloodstream. In vitro studies further showed that PMA-Ca strengthened osteoblast cell activity, proliferation, and mineralization. And PMA-Ca upregulated the expression of some genes involved in osteoblast differentiation, indicating a potential correlation between bone formation and PMACa. These findings indicate that soluble PMA-Ca has the potential to be a novel biopolymer-based calcium supplement with sustainable production sourced from the fermentation industry.

Immunomodulatory nanomedicine for osteoporosis: Current practices and emerging prospects

Osteoporosis results from the disruption of the balance between bone resorption and bone formation. However, classical anti-osteoporosis drugs exhibit several limitations in clinical applications, such as multiple adverse reactions and poor therapeutic effects. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative treatment strategies. With the evolution of immunomodulatory nanomedicine, a variety of nanomaterials have been designed for anti-osteoporosis treatment, offering prospects of minimal adverse reactions, enhanced bone induction, and high osteogenic activity. This review initially provides a brief overview of the fundamental principles of bone reconstruction, current osteogenic clinical methods in osteoporosis treatment, and the significance of osteogenic-angiogenic coupling, laying the groundwork for understanding the pathophysiology and therapeutics of osteoporosis. Subsequently, the article emphasizes the relationship between bone immunity and osteogenesis-angiogenesis coupling and provides a detailed analysis of the application of immunomodulatory nanomedicines in the treatment of osteoporosis, including various types of nanomaterials and their integration with carrier biomaterials. Importantly, we discuss the potential of some emerging strategies in immunomodulatory nanomedicine for osteoporosis treatment. This review introduces the innovative applications of immunomodulatory nanomedicine in the treatment of osteoporosis, aiming to serve as a reference for the application of immunomodulatory nanomedicine strategies in osteoporosis treatment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Osteoporosis, as one of the most prevalent skeletal disorders, poses a significant threat to public health. To date, conventional anti-osteoporosis strategies have been limited in efficacy and plagued with numerous side effects. Fortunately, with the advancement of research in osteoimmunology and nanomedicine, strategies integrating these two fields show great promise in combating osteoporosis. Nanomedicine with immunomodulatory properties exhibits enhanced efficiency, prolonged effectiveness, and increased safety. However, as of now, there exists no comprehensive review amalgamating immunomodulation with nanomedicine to delineate the progress of immunomodulatory nanomedicine in osteoporosis treatment, as well as the future direction of this strategy.

Smart osteoclasts targeted nanomedicine based on amorphous CaCO3 for effective osteoporosis reversal

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis is characterized by an imbalance in bone homeostasis, resulting in the excessive dissolution of bone minerals due to the acidified microenvironment mediated by overactive osteoclasts. Oroxylin A (ORO), a natural flavonoid, has shown potential in reversing osteoporosis by inhibiting osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. The limited water solubility and lack of targeting specificity hinder the effective accumulation of Oroxylin A within the pathological environment of osteoporosis.

RESULTS

Osteoclasts' microenvironment-responsive nanoparticles are prepared by incorporating Oroxylin A with amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) and coated with glutamic acid hexapeptide-modified phospholipids, aiming at reinforcing the drug delivery efficiency as well as therapeutic effect. The obtained smart nanoparticles, coined as OAPLG, could instantly neutralize acid and release Oroxylin A in the extracellular microenvironment of osteoclasts. The combination of Oroxylin A and ACC synergistically inhibits osteoclast formation and activity, leading to a significant reversal of systemic bone loss in the ovariectomized mice model.

CONCLUSION

The work highlights an intelligent nanoplatform based on ACC for spatiotemporally controlled release of lipophilic drugs, and illustrates prominent therapeutic promise against osteoporosis.

Unlocking the potential of amorphous calcium carbonate: A star ascending in the realm of biomedical application

Calcium-based biomaterials have been intensively studied in the field of drug delivery owing to their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. Calcium-based materials can also deliver contrast agents, which can enhance real-time imaging and exert a Ca2+-interfering therapeutic effect. Based on these characteristics, amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), as a brunch of calcium-based biomaterials, has the potential to become a widely used biomaterial. Highly functional ACC can be either discovered in natural organisms or obtained by chemical synthesis However, the standalone presence of ACC is unstable in vivo. Additives are required to be used as stabilizers or core-shell structures formed by permeable layers or lipids with modified molecules constructed to maintain the stability of ACC until the ACC carrier reaches its destination. ACC has high chemical instability and can produce biocompatible products when exposed to an acidic condition in vivo, such as Ca2+ with an immune-regulating ability and CO2 with an imaging-enhancing ability. Owing to these characteristics, ACC has been studied for self-sacrificing templates of carrier construction, targeted delivery of oncology drugs, immunomodulation, tumor imaging, tissue engineering, and calcium supplementation. Emphasis in this paper has been placed on the origin, structural features, and multiple applications of ACC. Meanwhile, ACC faces many challenges in clinical translation, and long-term basic research is required to overcome these challenges. We hope that this study will contribute to future innovative research on ACC.

Reconstituted Lipid Nanoparticles from Cells/Tissues for Drug Delivery in Cancer

Nanomedicine represents a promising way to devise better drug delivery systems (DDSs), and the development of cell/tissue-based lipid carriers is a promising strategy. In this study, the author proposes the concept of reconstituted lipid nanoparticles (rLNPs) and offers a facile preparation method. The results demonstrated that the preparation of ultrasmall (∼20 nm) rLNPs can be highly reproducible from both cells (a mouse breast cancer cell line, 4T1) and tissue (mouse liver tissue). As a selected model platform, rLNPs derived from mouse liver tissue can be further labeled with imaging molecules (indocyanine green and coumarin 6) and modified with targeting moiety (biotin). Moreover, rLNPs were proved to be highly biocompatible and able to load various drugs, such as doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox) and curcumin (Cur). Most importantly, Dox-loaded rLNPs (rLNPs/Dox) exerted good in vitro and in vivo anticancer performances. Therefore, rLNPs might be a potential versatile carrier for the construction of different DDSs and treatment of a variety of diseases.

Targeting Agents in Biomaterial-Mediated Bone Regeneration

Bone diseases are a global public concern that affect millions of people. Even though current treatments present high efficacy, they also show several side effects. In this sense, the development of biocompatible nanoparticles and macroscopic scaffolds has been shown to improve bone regeneration while diminishing side effects. In this review, we present a new trend in these materials, reporting several examples of materials that specifically recognize several agents of the bone microenvironment. Briefly, we provide a subtle introduction to the bone microenvironment. Then, the different targeting agents are exposed. Afterward, several examples of nanoparticles and scaffolds modified with these agents are shown. Finally, we provide some future perspectives and conclusions. Overall, this topic presents high potential to create promising translational strategies for the treatment of bone-related diseases. We expect this review to provide a comprehensive description of the incipient state-of-the-art of bone-targeting agents in bone regeneration.

Hybrid Gastric Cancer Exosome as Potential Drug Carrier for Targeted Gastric Cancer Therapy

Gastric cancer is among the leading lethal cancer types in the world. However, its five year survival rate is far from satisfactory. Therefore, the development of targeted cancer gastric cancer therapy is a promising way to cure gastric cancer. Gastric cancer exosome is reported to have high caner targeting efficacy, but its yield is relatively low. Herein, we proposed a facile way to construct hybrid gastric cancer exosome (HGCE) with high yield as potential drug carrier for targeted gastric cancer therapy. The doxorubicin (Dox) loaded HGCE (Dox/HGCE) was developed as drug delivery system (DDS) to treat gastric cancer. In vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that Dox/HGCE showed not only high and specific homing ability to the gastric cancer cells (SGC7901) but also good anticancer performance which can be a promising DDS for gastric cancer therapy.

Degradable microneedle patches loaded with antibacterial gelatin nanoparticles to treat staphylococcal infection-induced chronic wounds

Infection-induced chronic wounds cause prolonged pains, a high risk of amputation, and even increased mortality in immunocompromised patients. Here we report an antibacterial microneedle (MN) patch, which features high degradability in biological fluids and gelatinase-responsive release of an antibacterial photothermal peptide AMP-Cypate. We first synthesize gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) and then conjugate the AMP-Cypate to afford composite AMP-Cypate@GNPs. The proteinaceous nanoparticles can responsively release AMP-Cypate in the presence of gelatinase, an enzyme secreted specifically by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). AMP-Cypate@GNPs were then deposited in the tips of MNs fabricated by PVP and recombinant human type III collagen (Col III) to devise the antibacterial MN/AMP-Cypate@GNP patches. When applied to the infection site, MNs break through the epidermis and the stratum corneum, dissolve in the infected dermis, reach the bacterial colony or biofilm, release AMP-Cypate@GNPs, and exert a gelatinase-responsive photothermal therapy under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation to kill the pathogen S. aureus. In a rat model of staphylococcal infection-induced chronic wounds mimicking the condition of diabetic foot ulcer, the antibacterial MN/AMP-Cypate@GNP patches eradiated the bacterial infection and resulted in complete healing of the wounds, proving its potential application in the treatment of chronic wound infections and diabetic foot ulcers.

Temperature-Ion-pH Triple Responsive Gellan Gum as In Situ Hydrogel for Long-Acting Cancer Treatment

Background: Promising cancer chemotherapy requires the development of suitable drug delivery systems (DDSs). Previous research has indicated that a hydrogel is a powerful DDS for tumor therapy and holds great potential to offer a feasible method for cancer management. Methods: In this study, glutathione-gellan gum conjugate (GSH-GG) was synthesized through chemical reaction. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) was loaded into GSH-GG to accomplish DOX-loaded GSH-GG. The properties, injectability, drug release, and in vitro and in vivo anticancer effects of DOX-loaded GSH-GG were tested. Results: DOX-loaded GSH-GG showed a temperature-ion dual responsive gelling property with good viscosity, strength, and injectability at an optimized gel concentration of 1.5%. In addition, lower drug release was found under acidic conditions, offering beneficial long-acting drug release in the tumor microenvironment. DOX-loaded GSH-GG presented selective action by exerting substantially higher cytotoxicity on cancer cells (4T1) than on normal epithelial cells (L929), signifying the potential of complete inhibition of tumor progression, without affecting the health quality of the subjects. Conclusions: GSH-GG can be applied as a responsive gelling material for delivering DOX for promising cancer therapy.

One-Pot Synthesis Bodipy Nano-Precipitations for Prostate Cancer Treatment

Here in this study, we proposed a polystyrene maleic anhydride (PSMA) stabilized Bodipy nanoparticles (PB NPs) in a one-pot approach for the photodynamic therapy (PDT) of prostate cancer. The nanoparticle formed by precipitation method was then employed to treat PC-3 cells and PC-3 tumor bearing nude mice model. It was shown that this platform showed promising anticancer performance than free bodipy with reduced side effects.

Bone-Targeted Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System: An Emerging Strategy for Bone-Related Disease

Targeted delivery by either systemic or local targeting of therapeutics to the bone is an attractive treatment for various bone metabolism diseases such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, osteosarcoma, osteomyelitis, etc. To overcome the limitations of direct drug delivery, the combination of bone-targeted agents with nanotechnology has the opportunity to provide a more effective therapeutic approach, where engineered nanoparticles cause the drug to accumulate in the bone, thereby improving efficacy and minimizing side effects. Here, we summarize the current advances in systemic or local bone-targeting approaches and nanosystem applications in bone diseases, which may provide new insights into nanocarrier-delivered drugs for the targeted treatment of bone diseases. We envision that novel drug delivery carriers developed based on nanotechnology will be a potential vehicle for the treatment of currently incurable bone diseases and are expected to be translated into clinical applications.

Liposome Loaded Ion/Temperature Dual Responsive Gellan Gum Hydrogel as Potential Nasal-To-Brain Delivery System

Intranasal administration, which can bypass the blood-brain barrier (BBB), is widely recognized as a promising strategy for high-efficiency drug delivery to the brain. Herein, for the purpose of effectively delivering drugs to the brain via intranasal administration, glutathione (GSH)-modified gellan gum (GSH-GG) with ion/temperature dual responsive properties was synthesized and encapsulated on galanthamine hydrobromide (GH)-loaded liposomes (GH-Lipo) for effective GH delivery to the brain (GH-Lipo@GSH-GG). Our results demonstrated that GSH-GG greatly decreased the gelation temperature of GG from 44.0 °C to 22.1 °C without compromising its ion responsiveness. Moreover, GSH-GG had a good protection ability for GH-loaded liposomes without affecting its drug release. Most importantly, the finally obtained GH-Lipo@GSHGG showed acceptable targeted delivery of GH to the brain upon in vivo administration. Therefore, this formulation can be employed as a potential delivery system in nasal-to-brain delivery.

One-pot synthesis chlorin e6 nano-precipitation for colorectal cancer treatment Ce6 NPs for colorectal cancer treatment

The drug nanoparticles free of additional carriers hold great promise in drug delivery and are suitable for the therapy of cancers. Herein, we developed a one-pot method to prepare chlorin e6 (Ce6) nano-precipitations (Ce6 NPs) for effective photodynamic therapy of colorectal cancer. The drug loading of Ce6 NPs was around 81% and showed acceptable stability, high biocompatibility as well as effective reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation capability. As a result, the Ce6 NPs can produce significantly elevated ROS upon laser irradiations and achieved better anticancer benefits than free Ce6.

Antimicrobial peptides towards clinical application: Delivery and formulation

Antimicrobial peptides hold promise to supplement small molecules antibiotics and combat the multidrug resistant microbes. There are however technical hurdles towards the clinical applications, largely due to the inherent limitations of peptides including stability, cytotoxicity and bioavailability. Here we review recent studies concerning the delivery and formulation of antimicrobial peptides, by categorizing the different strategies as driven by physical interactions or chemical conjugation reactions, and carriers ranging from inorganic based ones (including gold, silver and silica based solid nanoparticles) to organic ones (including micelle, liposome and hydrogel) are covered. Besides, targeted delivery of antimicrobial peptides or using antimicrobial peptides as the targeting moiety, and responsive release of the peptides after delivery are also reviewed. Lastly, strategies towards the increase of oral bioavailability, from both physical or chemical methods, are highlighted. Altogether, this article provides a comprehensive review of the recent progress of the delivery and formulation of antimicrobial peptides towards clinical application.

Knockdown of hsa_circ_0001275 reverses dexamethasone-induced osteoblast growth inhibition via mediation of miR-377/CDKN1B axis

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis affects the quality of life among middle-aged and elderly individuals. In addition, dysfunction of osteoblasts can lead to the progression of osteoporosis. Circular (circ)RNAs are involved in various types of diseases, including osteoporosis. Moreover, it has been reported that hsa_circ_0001275 expression is upregulated in osteoporosis. However, the effects of hsa_circ_0001275 on the growth of osteoblasts remain unclear.

METHODS

In the present study, the gene and protein expression levels in hFOB1.19 cells were detected via reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-qPCR) and western blot analyses, respectively. In addition, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium nodules were examined by ALP and alizarin red staining, respectively. Cell proliferation was measured using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry. Furthermore, dual luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assay were used to confirm the association among hsa_circ_0001275, microRNA (miR)-377 and CDKN1B.

RESULTS

DEX-induced hFOB1.19 cell growth inhibition was significantly reversed by silencing hsa_circ_0001275. Moreover, DEX significantly increased ALP activity and calcium nodules in hFOB1.19 cells, while this effect was significantly reversed in the presence of hsa_circ_0001275 small interfering RNA. In addition, miR-377 was sponged by hsa_circ_0001275 and CDKN1B was directly targeted by miR-377 in hFOB1.19 cells. Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of hsa_circ_0001275 knockdown on osteoporosis was notably reversed by miR-377 antagomir.

CONCLUSION

The data demonstrated that knockdown of hsa_circ_0001275 reversed DEX-induced osteoblast growth inhibition via activation of the miR-377/CDKN1B axis. Therefore, this study might shed new lights on the treatment of osteoporosis.

Antibacterial Photodynamic Gold Nanoparticles for Skin Infection

Damage or injury to the skin creates wounds that are vulnerable to bacterial infection, which in turn retards the process of skin regeneration and wound healing. In patients with severe burns and those with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, skin infection by multidrug-resistant bacteria can be lethal. Therefore, a broad-spectrum therapy to effectively eradicate bacterial infection through a mechanism different from that of antibiotics is much sought after. We successfully synthesized antibacterial photodynamic gold nanoparticles (AP-AuNPs), which are self-assembled nanocomposites of an antibacterial photodynamic peptide and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-stabilized AuNPs. The AP-AuNPs exhibited aqueous and light stability, a satisfactory generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and a remarkable antibacterial effect toward both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli upon light irradiation. Moreover, the synthesized nanocomposites significantly inhibited bacterial growth and biofilm formation in vitro. Photodynamic antibacterial treatment accelerated the wound-healing rate in S. aureus infections, mimicking staphylococcal skin infections. Using a combination of the bactericidal effect of a peptide, the photodynamic effect of a photosensitizer, and the multivalency clustering on AuNPs for maximal antibacterial effect under light irradiation, we synthesized AP-AuNPs as a wound-dressing nanomaterial in skin infections to promote wound healing. Our findings indicate a promising strategy in the management of bacterial infections resulting from damaged skin tissue, an aspect that has not been fully explored by our peers.