Advanced mesoporous silica nanocarriers in cancer theranostics and gene editing applications

Redox-Responsive Polymeric Nanoparticle for Nucleic Acid Delivery and Cancer Therapy: Progress, Opportunities, and Challenges

Cancer development and progression of cancer are closely associated with the activation of oncogenes and loss of tumor suppressor genes. Nucleic acid drugs (e.g., siRNA, mRNA, and DNA) are widely used for cancer therapy due to their specific ability to regulate the expression of any cancer-associated genes. However, nucleic acid drugs are negatively charged biomacromolecules that are susceptible to serum nucleases and cannot cross cell membrane. Therefore, specific delivery tools are required to facilitate the intracellular delivery of nucleic acid drugs. In the past few decades, a variety of nanoparticles (NPs) are designed and developed for nucleic acid delivery and cancer therapy. In particular, the polymeric NPs in response to the abnormal redox status in cancer cells have garnered much more attention as their potential in redox-triggered nanostructure dissociation and rapid intracellular release of nucleic acid drugs. In this review, the important genes or signaling pathways regulating the abnormal redox status in cancer cells are briefly introduced and the recent development of redox-responsive NPs for nucleic acid delivery and cancer therapy is systemically summarized. The future development of NPs-mediated nucleic acid delivery and their challenges in clinical translation are also discussed.

Silicon-containing nanomedicine and biomaterials: materials chemistry, multi-dimensional design, and biomedical application

The invention of silica-based bioactive glass in the late 1960s has sparked significant interest in exploring a wide range of silicon-containing biomaterials from the macroscale to the nanoscale. Over the past few decades, these biomaterials have been extensively explored for their potential in diverse biomedical applications, considering their remarkable bioactivity, excellent biocompatibility, facile surface functionalization, controllable synthesis, etc. However, to expedite the clinical translation and the unexpected utilization of silicon-composed nanomedicine and biomaterials, it is highly desirable to achieve a thorough comprehension of their characteristics and biological effects from an overall perspective. In this review, we provide a comprehensive discussion on the state-of-the-art progress of silicon-composed biomaterials, including their classification, characteristics, fabrication methods, and versatile biomedical applications. Additionally, we highlight the multi-dimensional design of both pure and hybrid silicon-composed nanomedicine and biomaterials and their intrinsic biological effects and interactions with biological systems. Their extensive biomedical applications span from drug delivery and bioimaging to therapeutic interventions and regenerative medicine, showcasing the significance of their rational design and fabrication to meet specific requirements and optimize their theranostic performance. Additionally, we offer insights into the future prospects and potential challenges regarding silicon-composed nanomedicine and biomaterials. By shedding light on these exciting research advances, we aspire to foster further progress in the biomedical field and drive the development of innovative silicon-composed nanomedicine and biomaterials with transformative applications in biomedicine.

A dual catalytic functionalized hollow mesoporous silica-based nanocarrier coated with bacteria-derived exopolysaccharides for targeted delivery of irinotecan to colorectal cancer cells

In this study, we introduced a multifunctional hollow mesoporous silica-based nanocarrier (HMSN) for the targeted delivery of irinotecan (IRT) to colorectal cancer cells. Due to their large reservoirs, hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles are suitable platforms for loading significant amounts of drugs for sustained drug release. To respond to pH and redox, HMSNs were functionalized with cerium and iron oxides. Additionally, they were coated with bacterial-derived exopolysaccharide (EPS) as a biocompatible polymer. In vitro analyses revealed that cytotoxicity induced in cancer cells through oxidative stress, mediated by mature nanocarriers (EPS.IRT.Ce/Fe.HMSN), was surprisingly greater than that caused by free drugs. Cerium and iron ions, in synergy with the drug, were found to generate reactive oxygen species when targeting the acidic pH within lysosomes and the tumor microenvironment. This, in turn, triggered cascade reactions, leading to cell death. In vivo experiments revealed that the proposed nanocarriers had no noticeable effect on healthy tissues. These findings indicate the selective delivery of the drug to cancerous tissue and the induction of antioxidant effects due to the dual catalytic properties of cerium in normal cells. Accordingly, this hybrid drug delivery system provides a more effective treatment for colorectal cancer with the potential for cost-effective scaling up.

Tumor microenvironment-responsive degradable silica nanoparticles: design principles and precision theranostic applications

Silica nanoparticles have emerged as promising candidates in the field of nanomedicine due to their remarkable versatility and customizable properties. However, concerns about their potential toxicity in healthy tissues and organs have hindered their widespread clinical translation. To address this challenge, significant attention has been directed toward a specific subset of silica nanoparticles, namely degradable silica nanoparticles, primarily because of their excellent biocompatibility and responsive biodegradability. In this review, we provide a comprehensive understanding of degradable silica nanoparticles, categorizing them into two distinct groups: inorganic species-doped and organic moiety-doped silica nanoparticles based on their framework components. Next, the recent progress of tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive degradable silica nanoparticles for precision theranostic applications is summarized in detail. Finally, current bottlenecks and future opportunities of theranostic nanomedicines based on degradable silica nanoparticles in clinical applications are also outlined and discussed. The aim of this comprehensive review is to shed light on the potential of degradable silica nanoparticles in addressing current challenges in nanomedicine, offering insights into their design, applications in tumor diagnosis and treatment, and paving the way for future advancements in clinical theranostic nanomedicines.

Recent nanotheranostic approaches in cancer research

Humanity is suffering from cancer which has become a root cause of untimely deaths of individuals around the globe in the recent past. Nanotheranostics integrates therapeutics and diagnostics to monitor treatment response and enhance drug efficacy and safety. We hereby propose to discuss all recent cancer imaging and diagnostic tools, the mechanism of targeting tumor cells, and current nanotheranostic platforms available for cancer. This review discusses various nanotheranostic agents and novel molecular imaging tools like MRI, CT, PET, SPEC, and PAT used for cancer diagnostics. Emphasis is given to gold nanoparticles, silica, liposomes, dendrimers, and metal-based agents. We also highlight the mechanism of targeting the tumor cells, and the limitations of different nanotheranostic agents in the field of research for cancer treatment. Due to the complexity in this area, multifunctional and hybrid nanoparticles functionalized with targeted moieties or anti-cancer drugs show the best feature for theranostics that enables them to work on carrying and delivering active materials to the desired area of the requirement for early detection and diagnosis. Non-invasive imaging techniques have a specificity of receptor binding and internalization processes of the nanosystems within the cancer cells. Nanotheranostics may provide the appropriate medicine at the appropriate dose to the appropriate patient at the appropriate time.

Engineered mesoporous silica nanoparticles, new insight nanoplatforms into effective cancer gene therapy

The use of nucleic acid to control the expression of genes relevant to tumor progression is a key therapeutic approach in cancer research. Therapeutics based on nucleic acid provide novel concepts for untreatable targets. Nucleic acids as molecular medications must enter the target cell to be effective and obstacles in the systemic delivery of DNA or RNA limit their use in a clinical setting. The creation of nucleic acid delivery systems based on nanoparticles in order to circumvent biological constraints is advancing quickly. The ease of synthesis and surface modification, biocompatibility, biodegradability, cost-effectiveness and high loading capability of nucleic acids have prompted the use of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) in gene therapy. The unique surface features of MSNs facilitate their design and decoration for high loading of nucleic acids, immune system evasion, cancer cell targeting, controlled cargo release, and endosomal escape. Reports have demonstrated successful therapeutic outcomes with the administration of a variety of engineered MSNs capable of delivering genes to tumor sites in laboratory animals. This comprehensive review of studies about siRNA, miRNA, shRNA, lncRNA and CRISPR/Cas9 delivery by MSNs reveals engineered MSNs as a safe and efficient system for gene transfer to cancer cells and cancer mouse models.

Thermo- and pH-responsive targeted lipid-coated mesoporous nano silica platform for dual delivery of paclitaxel and gemcitabine to overcome HER2-positive breast cancer

In the current study, a new monoclonal antibody conjugated dual stimuli lipid-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (L-MSNs) platform was developed and investigated for specific co-delivery of the paclitaxel (PTX) and gemcitabine (Gem) to cancer cells and preventing their side effects during the treatment process. First, MSNs were synthesized and then coated with as-prepared pH-, and thermo-sensitive niosomes to produce L-MSNs. For this aim, Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) was used to create thermo-sensitivity, and 1, 2-Distearoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphoethanolamine -Citraconic Anhydride-Polyethylene Glycol (DSPE-CA-PEG) polymers were prepared and incorporated to the lipid layer for creation of pH-sensitivity. In the next step, trastuzumab as a monoclonal antibody (mAb) was conjugated to the maleimide groups of the 1, 2-Distearoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphoethanolamine DSPE-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-maleimide agents in the lipid bilayer via a disulfide bond. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were utilized to characterize the synthesized particles before and after surface modification. The encapsulation efficiency (EE%) and loading efficiency (LE%) of the particles were also evaluated. Additionally, the drug release study and MTT assay were done to evaluate the bioactivity potential of the fabricated platforms. The results of DLS and zeta potential measurements revealed an average size of 200 nm and a neutral zeta potential of about -1 mV for mAb-L-MSNs. Also, the FTIR spectra confirmed the formation of mAb-L-MSNs. Moreover, SEM analysis showed spherical-shaped MSNs with amorphous structure confirmed by XRD analysis, and BET test revealed ∼ 820 m2/g specific surface area and pore about 5 nm in size. The values of EE% and LE% of PTX were 90.3 % and 26.7 %, while these values for GEM were 89.5 % and 38.8 % in the co-loaded form, respectively. The thermo-pH-sensitivity examination showed approximately 500 nm of size increase after the change of pH and temperature from 7.4 and 37˚C to 5 and 42˚C. The release profile showed a pH-, and thermo-dependence manner, which led to about 89 % and 95 % of PTX and GEM released from the co-loaded platform at a pH of 5 and 42 °C while these values were 31.1 % and 32.2 % at pH of 7.4 and 37˚C, respectively. MTT assay data presented that when the mAb-L-co-loaded-MSNs platform containing 250 µg/mL drug was used, about 92 % of cells died in human epidermal receptors (HER2)-positive breast cancer cells (SKBR3), while just about 4 % of HER2-negative normal cells were killed. However, the growth inhibition rate of SKBR3 cells was caused by empty-mAb-L-MSNs, pure PTX and GEM combination were 9 % and 87 %, respectively. Moreover, the half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the pure PTX, pure GEM, and mAb-coloaded-L-MSNs were 33, 17.6, and 6.5 µg/mL. The synergic effect of co-encapsulation of PTX and GEM in addition to trastuzumab conjugated L-MSNs was confirmed by a combinational index (CI) of 0.34. Therefore, this strategy leads to specific targeted drug delivery to cancer cells using a key-lock interaction between the trastuzumab and HER-2 receptors on the cancer cell membrane which stimuli the endocytosis of the particles to the cells followed by the destruction of the lipid layer in the acidic pH and the temperature of the lysosome, leading to enhanced release of PTX and GEM (pH of 5 and 42˚C). So, this platform can be considered a suitable carrier for cancer treatment.

Silica nanoparticles: A review of their safety and current strategies to overcome biological barriers

Silica nanoparticles (SNP) have gained tremendous attention in the recent decades. They have been used in many different biomedical fields including diagnosis, biosensing and drug delivery. Medical uses of SNP for anti-cancer, anti-microbial and theranostic applications are especially prominent due to their exceptional performance to deliver many different small molecules and recently biologics (mRNA, siRNA, antigens, antibodies, proteins, and peptides) at targeted sites. The physical and chemical properties of SNP such as large specific surface area, tuneable particle size and porosity, excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility make them an ideal drug delivery and diagnostic platform. Based on the available data and the pre-clinical performance of SNP, recent interest has driven these innovative materials towards clinical application with many of the formulations already in Phase I and Phase II trials. Herein, the progress of SNP in biomedical field is reviewed, and their safety aspects are analysed. Importantly, we critically evaluate the key structural characteristics of SNP to overcome different biological barriers including the blood-brain barrier (BBB), skin, tumour barrier and mucosal barrier. Future directions, potential pathways, and target areas towards rapid clinical translation of SNP are also recommended.

Nanoparticle-based materials in anticancer drug delivery: Current and future prospects

The past decade has witnessed a breakthrough in novel strategies to treat cancer. One of the most common cancer treatment modalities is chemotherapy which involves administering anti-cancer drugs to the body. However, these drugs can lead to undesirable side effects on healthy cells. To overcome this challenge and improve cancer cell targeting, many novel nanocarriers have been developed to deliver drugs directly to the cancerous cells and minimize effects on the healthy tissues. The majority of the research studies conclude that using drugs encapsulated in nanocarriers is a much safer and more effective alternative than delivering the drug alone in its free form. This review provides a summary of the types of nanocarriers mainly studied for cancer drug delivery, namely: liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, magnetic nanoparticles, mesoporous nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and quantum dots. In this review, the synthesis, applications, advantages, disadvantages, and previous studies of these nanomaterials are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the future opportunities and possible challenges of translating these materials into clinical applications are also reported.

Conjugated Nanoparticles for Solid Tumor Theranostics: Unraveling the Interplay of Known and Unknown Factors

Cancer diagnoses have been increasing worldwide, and solid tumors are among the leading contributors to patient mortality, creating an enormous burden on the global healthcare system. Cancer is responsible for around 10.3 million deaths worldwide. Solid tumors are one of the most prevalent cancers observed in recent times. On the other hand, early diagnosis is a significant challenge that could save a person's life. Treatment with existing methods has pitfalls that limit the successful elimination of the disorder. Though nanoparticle-based imaging and therapeutics have shown a significant impact in healthcare, current methodologies for solid tumor treatment are insufficient. There are multiple complications associated with the diagnosis and management of solid tumors as well. Recently, surface-conjugated nanoparticles such as lipid nanoparticles, metallic nanoparticles, and quantum dots have shown positive results in solid tumor diagnostics and therapeutics in preclinical models. Other nanotheranostic material platforms such as plasmonic theranostics, magnetotheranostics, hybrid nanotheranostics, and graphene theranostics have also been explored. These nanoparticle theranostics ensure the appropriate targeting of tumors along with selective delivery of cargos (both imaging and therapeutic probes) without affecting the surrounding healthy tissues. Though they have multiple applications, nanoparticles still possess numerous limitations that need to be addressed in order to be fully utilized in the clinic. In this review, we outline the importance of materials and design strategies used to engineer nanoparticles in the treatment and diagnosis of solid tumors and how effectively each method overcomes the drawbacks of the current techniques. We also highlight the gaps in each material platform and how design considerations can address their limitations in future research directions.

Recent Advances in Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Delivering siRNA for Cancer Treatment

Silencing genes using small interfering (si) RNA is a promising strategy for treating cancer. However, the curative effect of siRNA is severely constrained by low serum stability and cell membrane permeability. Therefore, improving the delivery efficiency of siRNA for cancer treatment is a research hotspot. Recently, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have emerged as bright delivery vehicles for nucleic acid drugs. A comprehensive understanding of the design of MSN-based vectors is crucial for the application of siRNA in cancer therapy. We discuss several surface-functionalized MSNs' advancements as effective siRNA delivery vehicles in this paper. The advantages of using MSNs for siRNA loading regarding considerations of different shapes, various options for surface functionalization, and customizable pore sizes are highlighted. We discuss the recent investigations into strategies that efficiently improve cellular uptake, facilitate endosomal escape, and promote cargo dissociation from the MSNs for enhanced intracellular siRNA delivery. Also, particular attention was paid to the exciting progress made by combining RNAi with other therapies to improve cancer therapeutic outcomes.

Mucoadhesive Mesoporous Silica Particles as Versatile Carriers for Doxorubicin Delivery in Cancer Therapy

Due to their structural, morphological, and behavioral characteristics (e.g., large volume and adjustable pore size, wide functionalization possibilities, excellent biocompatibility, stability, and controlled biodegradation, the ability to protect cargoes against premature release and unwanted degradation), mesoporous silica particles (MSPs) are emerging as a promising diagnostic and delivery platform with a key role in the development of next-generation theranostics, nanovaccines, and formulations. In this study, MSPs with customized characteristics in-lab prepared were fully characterized and used as carriers for doxorubicin (DOX). The drug loading capacity and the release profile were evaluated in media with different pH values, mimicking the body conditions. The release data were fitted to Higuchi, Korsmeyer-Peppas, and Peppas-Sahlin kinetic models to evaluate the release constant and the mechanism. The in vitro behavior of functionalized silica particles showed an enhanced cytotoxicity on human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells. Bio- and mucoadhesion on different substrates (synthetic cellulose membrane and porcine tissue mucosa)) and antimicrobial activity were successfully assessed, proving the ability of the OH- or the organically modified MSPs to act as antimicrobial and mucoadhesive platforms for drug delivery systems with synergistic effects.

Research Progress of Nanomaterials in Chemotherapy of Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common malignant bone tumor that occurs mostly in children and adolescents. At present, surgery after chemotherapy or postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is the main treatment plan. However, the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs is limited by the occurrence of chemotherapeutic resistance, toxicity to normal cells, poor pharmacokinetic performance, and drug delivery failure. The delivery of chemotherapy drugs to the bone to treat OS may fail for a variety of reasons, such as a lack of selectivity for OS cells, initial sudden release, short-term release, and the presence of biological barriers (such as the blood-bone marrow barrier). Nanomaterials are new materials with at least one dimension on the nanometer scale (1-100 nm) in three-dimensional space. These materials have the ability to penetrate biological barriers and can accumulate preferentially in tumor cells. Studies have shown that the effective combination of nanomaterials and traditional chemotherapy can significantly improve the therapeutic effect. Therefore, this article reviews the latest research progress on the use of nanomaterials in OS chemotherapy.

The use of RNA-based treatments in the field of cancer immunotherapy

Over the past several decades, mRNA vaccines have evolved from a theoretical concept to a clinical reality. These vaccines offer several advantages over traditional vaccine techniques, including their high potency, rapid development, low-cost manufacturing, and safe administration. However, until recently, concerns over the instability and inefficient distribution of mRNA in vivo have limited their utility. Fortunately, recent technological advancements have mostly resolved these concerns, resulting in the development of numerous mRNA vaccination platforms for infectious diseases and various types of cancer. These platforms have shown promising outcomes in both animal models and humans. This study highlights the potential of mRNA vaccines as a promising alternative approach to conventional vaccine techniques and cancer treatment. This review article aims to provide a thorough and detailed examination of mRNA vaccines, including their mechanisms of action and potential applications in cancer immunotherapy. Additionally, the article will analyze the current state of mRNA vaccine technology and highlight future directions for the development and implementation of this promising vaccine platform as a mainstream therapeutic option. The review will also discuss potential challenges and limitations of mRNA vaccines, such as their stability and in vivo distribution, and suggest ways to overcome these issues. By providing a comprehensive overview and critical analysis of mRNA vaccines, this review aims to contribute to the advancement of this innovative approach to cancer treatment.

Mesoporous Drug Delivery System: From Physical Properties of Drug in Solid State to Controlled Release

Mesoporous materials, which exhibit great potential in the control of polymorphs and delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs, have obtained considerable attention in the field of pharmaceutical science. The physical properties and release behaviors of amorphous or crystalline drugs may be affected by formulating them into mesoporous drug delivery systems. In the past few decades, an increasing amount of papers have been written about mesoporous drug delivery systems, which play a crucial role in improving the properties of drugs. Herein, mesoporous drug delivery systems are comprehensively reviewed in terms of their physicochemical characteristics, control of polymorphic forms, physical stability, in vitro performance, and in vivo performance. Moreover, the challenges and strategies of developing robust mesoporous drug delivery systems are also discussed.

Metal-based nanomaterials and nanocomposites as promising frontier in cancer chemotherapy

Cancer is a disease associated with complex pathology and one of the most prevalent and leading reasons for mortality in the world. Current chemotherapy has challenges with cytotoxicity, selectivity, multidrug resistance, and the formation of stemlike cells. Nanomaterials (NMs) have unique properties that make them useful for various diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in cancer research. NMs can be engineered to target cancer cells for early detection and can deliver drugs directly to cancer cells, reducing side effects and improving treatment efficacy. Several of NMs can also be used for photothermal therapy to destroy cancer cells or enhance immune response to cancer by delivering immune-stimulating molecules to immune cells or modulating the tumor microenvironment. NMs are being modified to overcome issues, such as toxicity, lack of selectivity, increase drug capacity, and bioavailability, for a wide spectrum of cancer therapies. To improve targeted drug delivery using nano-carriers, noteworthy research is required. Several metal-based NMs have been studied with the expectation of finding a cure for cancer treatment. In this review, the current development and the potential of plant and metal-based NMs with their effects on size and shape have been discussed along with their more effective usage in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Biodegradable silica nanocapsules enable efficient nuclear-targeted delivery of native proteins for cancer therapy

Cell nucleus is the desired subcellular organelle of many therapeutic drugs. Although numerous nanomaterial-based methods have been developed which could facilitate nuclear-targeted delivery of small-molecule drugs, few are known to be capable of delivering exogenous native proteins. Herein, we report a convenient and highly robust approach for effective nuclear-targeted delivery of native proteins/antibodies by using biodegradable silica nanocapsules (BSNPs) that were surface-modified with different nuclear localization signals (NLS) peptides. We found that, upon gaining entry to mammalian cells via endocytosis, such nanocapsules (protein@BSNP-NLS) could effectively escape from endolysosomal vesicles with the assistance of an endosomolytic peptide (i.e., L17E), accumulate in cell nuclei and release the encapsulated protein cargo with biological activities. Cloaked with HeLa cell membrane, DNase@BSNP-NLS/L17E-M (with L17E encapsulated) homologously delivered functional proteins to cancer cell nuclei in tumor-xenografted mice. In vitro and in vivo anti-tumor properties, such as long blood circulation time and effective tumor growth inhibition, indicate that the nuclear-targeted cell-membrane-cloaked BSNPs (DNase@BSNP-NLS/L17E-M) platform is a promising therapeutic approach to nuclear related diseases.

Chiral Nanosilica Drug Delivery Systems Stereoselectively Interacted with the Intestinal Mucosa to Improve the Oral Adsorption of Insoluble Drugs

Chiral nanoparticles (NPs) with nanoscale rough surfaces have enormous application prospects in drug delivery. However, the stereoselective interactions between the chiral NPs and biosurfaces remain challenging and mysterious. Herein, we designed mesoporous silica nanocarriers (l/d/dl-TA-PEI@CMSN) exhibiting the same structural parameters (hydrophilic, electroneutral, spherical NPs, ∼120 nm) but different geometrical chirality as oral nanodrug delivery systems (Nano-DDS) for insoluble drugs nimesulide (NMS) and ibuprofen (IBU) and demonstrated their stereoselective interactions with the intestinal mucosa, that is, l-TA-PEI@CMSN as well as Nano-DDS in the l-configuration displayed apparent superior behaviors in multiple microprocesses associated with oral adsorption, including adhesion, penetration, adsorption, retention and uptake, causing by the stereomatching between the chiral mesostructures of NPs and the inherent chiral topologies of the biosurfaces. As hosting systems, l/d/dl-TA-PEI@CMSN effectively incorporated drugs in amorphous states and helped to overcome the stability, solubility and permeability bottlenecks of drugs. Subsequently, Nano-DDS in the l-configuration (including IBU/l-TA-PEI@CMSN and NMS/d-TA-PEI@CMSN owing to a chiral inversion) showed higher oral delivery efficiency of NMS and IBU evidenced by the larger relative bioavailability (1055.06% and 583.17%, respectively) and stronger anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. In addition, l/d/dl-TA-PEI@CMSN were stable, nonirritative, biocompatible and biodegradable, benefiting for their clinical applications. These findings provided insights into the rational design of functionalized Nano-DDS and contributed to the further knowledge in the field of chiral pharmaceutical science.

Delivery of Therapeutic Biopolymers Employing Silica-Based Nanosystems

The use of nanoparticles is crucial for the development of a new generation of nanodevices for clinical applications. Silica-based nanoparticles can be tailored with a wide range of functional biopolymers with unique physicochemical properties thus providing several advantages: (1) limitation of interparticle interaction, (2) preservation of cargo and particle integrity, (3) reduction of immune response, (4) additional therapeutic effects and (5) cell targeting. Therefore, the engineering of advanced functional coatings is of utmost importance to enhance the biocompatibility of existing biomaterials. Herein we will focus on the most recent advances reported on the delivery and therapeutic use of silica-based nanoparticles containing biopolymers (proteins, nucleotides, and polysaccharides) with proven biological effects.

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for pH-Responsive Delivery of Iridium Metallotherapeutics and Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Using nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery to cancer, in response to its weakly acidic environment, represents a promising approach toward increasing the effectiveness and reducing the adverse effects of cancer therapy. Hence, the aim of this study is to construct novel mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN)-based acidification-responsive drug delivery systems for targeted cancer therapy. Herein, the surface of MSN is covalently functionalized with Ir(III)-based complex through a pH-cleavable hydrazone-based linker and characterized by nitrogen sorption, SEM, FTIR, EDS, TGA, DSC, DLS, and zeta potential measurements. Enhanced release of Ir(III)-complexes is evidenced by UV/VIS spectroscopy at the weakly acidic environments (pH 5 and pH 6) in comparison to the release at physiological conditions. The in vitro toxicity of the prepared materials is tested on healthy MRC-5 cells while their potential for the efficient treatment of glioblastoma multiforme is demonstrated on the U251 cell line.

Nanomaterials: small particles show huge possibilities for cancer immunotherapy

With the economy's globalization and the population's aging, cancer has become the leading cause of death in most countries. While imposing a considerable burden on society, the high morbidity and mortality rates have continuously prompted researchers to develop new oncology treatment options. Anti-tumor regimens have evolved from early single surgical treatment to combined (or not) chemoradiotherapy and then to the current stage of tumor immunotherapy. Tumor immunotherapy has undoubtedly pulled some patients back from the death. However, this strategy of activating or boosting the body's immune system hardly benefits most patients. It is limited by low bioavailability, low response rate and severe side effects. Thankfully, the rapid development of nanotechnology has broken through the bottleneck problem of anti-tumor immunotherapy. Multifunctional nanomaterials can not only kill tumors by combining anti-tumor drugs but also can be designed to enhance the body's immunity and thus achieve a multi-treatment effect. It is worth noting that the variety of nanomaterials, their modifiability, and the diversity of combinations allow them to shine in antitumor immunotherapy. In this paper, several nanobiotics commonly used in tumor immunotherapy at this stage are discussed, and they activate or enhance the body's immunity with their unique advantages. In conclusion, we reviewed recent advances in tumor immunotherapy based on nanomaterials, such as biological cell membrane modification, self-assembly, mesoporous, metal and hydrogels, to explore new directions and strategies for tumor immunotherapy.

Cancer Inhibition and In Vivo Osteointegration and Compatibility of Gallium-Doped Bioactive Glasses for Osteosarcoma Applications

Traditional osteosarcoma therapies tend to focus solely on eradicating residual cancer cells and often fail to promote local bone regeneration and even inhibit it due to lack of precise control over target cells, i.e., the treatment affects both normal and cancer cells. Typically, multistep procedures are required for optimal efficacy. Here, we found that a silica-based bioactive material containing 3 mol % gallium oxide selectively kills human osteosarcoma cells and presents excellent in vivo osteointegration, while showing no local or systemic toxicity. Cell culture media conditioned with the proposed material was able to kill 41% of osteosarcoma cells, and no significant deleterious effect on normal human osteoblasts was observed. In addition, rats treated with the gallium-doped material showed excellent material-bone integration with no sign of local toxicity or implant rejection. Systemic biocompatibility investigation did not indicate any sign of toxicity, with no presence of fibrosis or cellular infiltrate in the histological microstructure of the liver and kidneys after 56 days of observation. Taken together, these results show that synergistic bone regeneration and targeted cancer therapy can be combined, paving the way toward new bone cancer treatment approaches.

The Bibliometric Landscape of Gene Editing Innovation and Regulation in the Worldwide

Gene editing (GE) has become one of the mainstream bioengineering technologies over the past two decades, mainly fueled by the rapid development of the CRISPR/Cas system since 2012. To date, plenty of articles related to the progress and applications of GE have been published globally, but the objective, quantitative and comprehensive investigations of them are relatively few. Here, 13,980 research articles and reviews published since 1999 were collected by using GE-related queries in the Web of Science. We used bibliometric analysis to investigate the competitiveness and cooperation of leading countries, influential affiliations, and prolific authors. Text clustering methods were used to assess technical trends and research hotspots dynamically. The global application status and regulatory framework were also summarized. This analysis illustrates the bottleneck of the GE innovation and provides insights into the future trajectory of development and application of the technology in various fields, which will be helpful for the popularization of gene editing technology.

A review on the latest developments of mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a promising platform for diagnosis and treatment of cancer

Cancer is the second cause of human mortality after cardiovascular disease around the globe. Conventional cancer therapies are chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. In fact, due to the lack of absolute specificity and high drug concentrations, early recognition and treatment of cancer with conventional approaches have become challenging issues in the world. To mitigate against the limitations of conventional cancer chemotherapy, nanomaterials have been developed. Nanomaterials exhibit particular properties that can overcome the drawbacks of conventional therapies such as lack of specificity, high drug concentrations, and adverse drug reactions. Among nanocarriers, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have gained increasing attention due to their well-defined pore size and structure, high surface area, good biocompatibility and biodegradability, ease of surface modification, and stable aqueous dispersions. This review highlights the current progress with the use of MSNs for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Various stimuli-responsive gatekeepers, which endow the MSNs with on-demand drug delivery, surface modification strategies for targeting purposes, and multifunctional MSNs utilized in drug delivery systems (DDSs) are also addressed. Also, the capability of MSNs as flexible imaging platforms is considered. In addition, physicochemical attributes of MSNs and their effects on cancer therapy with a particular focus on recent studies is emphasized. Moreover, major challenges to the use of MSNs for cancer therapy, biosafety and cytotoxicity aspects of MSNs are discussed.

The emergence of nanoporous materials in lung cancer therapy

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers, affecting more than 2.1 million people across the globe every year. A very high occurrence and mortality rate of lung cancer have prompted active research in this area with both conventional and novel forms of therapies including the use of nanomaterials based drug delivery agents. Specifically, the unique physico-chemical and biological properties of porous nanomaterials have gained significant momentum as drug delivery agents for delivering a combination of drugs or merging diagnosis with targeted therapy for cancer treatment. This review focuses on the emergence of nano-porous materials for drug delivery in lung cancer. The review analyses the currently used nanoporous materials, including inorganic, organic and hybrid porous materials for delivering drugs for various types of therapies, including chemo, radio and phototherapy. It also analyses the selected research on stimuli-responsive nanoporous materials for drug delivery in lung cancer before summarizing the various findings and projecting the future of emerging trends. This review provides a strong foundation for the current status of the research on nanoporous materials, their limitations and the potential for improving their design to overcome the unique challenges of delivering drugs for the treatment of lung cancer.

Engineering mesoporous silica nanoparticles for drug delivery: where are we after two decades?

The present review details a chronological description of the events that took place during the development of mesoporous materials, their different synthetic routes and their use as drug delivery systems. The outstanding textural properties of these materials quickly inspired their translation to the nanoscale dimension leading to mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). The different aspects of introducing pharmaceutical agents into the pores of these nanocarriers, together with their possible biodistribution and clearance routes, would be described here. The development of smart nanocarriers that are able to release a high local concentration of the therapeutic cargo on-demand after the application of certain stimuli would be reviewed here, together with their ability to deliver the therapeutic cargo to precise locations in the body. The huge progress in the design and development of MSNs for biomedical applications, including the potential treatment of different diseases, during the last 20 years will be collated here, together with the required work that still needs to be done to achieve the clinical translation of these materials. This review was conceived to stand out from past reports since it aims to tell the story of the development of mesoporous materials and their use as drug delivery systems by some of the story makers, who could be considered to be among the pioneers in this area.

Toward Gene Transfer Nanoparticles as Therapeutics

Genetic medicine has great potential to treat the underlying causes of many human diseases with exquisite precision, but the field has historically been stymied by delivery as the central challenge. Nanoparticles, engineered constructs the size of natural viruses, are being designed to more closely mimic the delivery efficiency of viruses, while enabling the advantages of increased safety, cargo-carrying flexibility, specific targeting, and ease in manufacturing. The speed in which nonviral gene transfer nanoparticles are making progress in the clinic is accelerating, with clinical validation of multiple nonviral nucleic acid delivery nanoparticle formulations recently FDA approved for both expression and for silencing of genes. While much of this progress has been with lipid nanoparticle formulations, significant development is being made with other nanomaterials for gene transfer as well, with favorable attributes such as biodegradability, scalability, and cell targeting. This review highlights the state of the field, current challenges in delivery, and opportunities for engineered nanomaterials to meet these challenges, including enabling long-term therapeutic gene editing. Delivery technology utilizing different kinds of nanomaterials and varying cargos for gene transfer (DNA, mRNA, and ribonucleoproteins) are discussed. Clinical applications are presented, including for the treatment of genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis.

Inorganic Nanoparticles in Bone Healing Applications

Modern biomedicine aims to develop integrated solutions that use medical, biotechnological, materials science, and engineering concepts to create functional alternatives for the specific, selective, and accurate management of medical conditions. In the particular case of tissue engineering, designing a model that simulates all tissue qualities and fulfills all tissue requirements is a continuous challenge in the field of bone regeneration. The therapeutic protocols used for bone healing applications are limited by the hierarchical nature and extensive vascularization of osseous tissue, especially in large bone lesions. In this regard, nanotechnology paves the way for a new era in bone treatment, repair and regeneration, by enabling the fabrication of complex nanostructures that are similar to those found in the natural bone and which exhibit multifunctional bioactivity. This review aims to lay out the tremendous outcomes of using inorganic nanoparticles in bone healing applications, including bone repair and regeneration, and modern therapeutic strategies for bone-related pathologies.

Activatable “Matryoshka” nanosystem delivery NgBR siRNA and control drug release for stepwise therapy and evaluate drug resistance cancer

Drug resistance is always a challenge in conquering breast cancer clinically. Recognition of drug resistance and enhancing the sensitivity of the tumor to chemotherapy is urgent. Herein, a dual-responsive multi-function “Matryoshka" nanosystem is designed, it activates in the tumor microenvironment, decomposes layer by layer, and release gene and drug in sequence. The cell is re-educated by NgBR siRNA first to regain the chemosensitivity through regulating the Akt pathway and inhibit ERα activation, then the drugs loaded in the core are controlled released to killing cells. Carbonized polymer dots are loaded into the nanosystem as an efficient bioimaging probe, due to the GE11 modification, the nanosystem can be a seeker to recognize and evaluate drug-resistance tumors by photoacoustic imaging. In the tumor-bearing mouse, the novel nanosystem firstly enhances the sensitivity to chemotherapy by knockdown NgBR, inducing a much higher reduction in NgBR up to 52.09%, then effectively inhibiting tumor growth by chemotherapy, tumor growth in nude mouse was inhibited by 70.22%. The nanosystem also can inhibit metastasis, prolong survival time, and evaluate tumor drug resistance by real-time imaging. Overall, based on regulating the key molecules of drug resistance, we created visualization nanotechnology and formatted new comprehensive plans with high bio-safety for tumor diagnosis and treatment, providing a personalized strategy to overcome drug resistance clinically.

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Knockdown NgBR regulate the Akt pathway and inhibit ERα activate, enhance the sensitivity of chemotherapy.

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Knockdown of NgBR inhibits metastasis and prolongs survival.

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Nanosystem can evaluate drug resistance and kill tumors at the same time.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticle-supported nanocarriers with enhanced drug loading, encapsulation stability, and targeting efficiency

For efficient drug delivery, stable encapsulation of a large amount of anticancer drug is crucial, not to mention cell-specific delivery. Among many possible nanocarriers, mesoporous silica nanoparticles are versatile frameworks...

Copper arsenite-complexed Fenton-like nanoparticles as oxidative stress-amplifying anticancer agents

We report copper(II) arsenite (CuAS)-integrated polymer micelles (CuAS-PMs) as a new class of Fenton-like catalytic nanosystem that can display reactive oxygen species (ROS)-manipulating anticancer therapeutic activity. CuAS-PMs were fabricated through metal-catechol chelation-based formation of the CuAS complex on the core domain of poly (ethylene glycol)-b-poly(3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine) (PEG-PDOPA) copolymer micelles. CuAS-PMs maintained structural robustness under serum conditions. The insoluble state of the CuAS complex was effectively retained at physiological pH, whereas, at endosomal pH, the CuAS complex was ionized to release arsenite and cuprous Fenton catalysts (Cu⁺ ions). Upon endocytosis, CuAS-PMs simultaneously released hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-generating arsenite and Fenton-like reaction-catalyzing Cu⁺ ions in cancer cells, which synergistically elevated the level of highly cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH), thereby preferentially killing cancer cells. Animal experiments demonstrated that CuAS-PMs could effectively suppress the growth of solid tumors without systemic in vivo toxicity. The design rationale of CuAS-PMs may provide a promising strategy to develop diverse oxidative stress-amplifying agents with great potential in cancer-specific therapy.

Silica-Based Nanoframeworks Involved Hepatocellular Carcinoma Theranostic

Silica-based nanoframeworks have been extensively studied for diagnosing and treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Several reviews have summarized the advantages and disadvantages of these nanoframeworks and their use as drug-delivery carriers. Encouragingly, these nanoframeworks, especially those with metal elements or small molecular drugs doping into the skeleton structure or modifying onto the surface of nanoparticles, could be multifunctional components participating in HCC diagnosis and treatment rather than functioning only as drug-delivery carriers. Therefore, in this work, we described the research progress of silica-based nanoframeworks involved in HCC diagnosis (plasma biomarker detection, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, photoacoustic imaging, fluorescent imaging, ultrasonography, etc.) and treatment (chemotherapy, ferroptotic therapy, radiotherapy, phototherapy, sonodynamic therapy, immunotherapy, etc.) to clarify their roles in HCC theranostics. Further, the future expectations and challenges associated with silica-based nanoframeworks were highlighted. We believe that this review will provide a comprehensive understanding for researchers to design novel, functional silica-based nanoframeworks that can effectively overcome HCC.