Investigation of self-assembled poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(L-lactic acid) micelle as potential drug delivery system for poorly water soluble anticancer drug abemaciclib

A DFT investigation of the adsorption mechanism of paclitaxel on functionalized graphene oxide for enhanced drug delivery

The development of effective drug delivery systems is vital for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer agents, particularly paclitaxel (PTX). Despite its potent anticancer properties, PTX faces limitations due to poor solubility and non-specific distribution, leading to significant side effects. To address these challenges, researchers have explored the use of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a nanocarrier. Functionalized rGO exhibits unique physicochemical properties, including high surface area and biocompatibility, which enhance drug loading capacity. This study investigates the adsorption mechanisms of PTX on various functionalized rGO surfaces, utilizing computational methods such as Density Functional Theory and Molecular Dynamics simulations. The results demonstrate that functionalization with hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (-COOH), and sulfonic (-SO) groups significantly influences the adsorption energy and charge transfer characteristics of PTX on GO. The adsorption energies calculated for PTX@rGO-OH and PTX@rGO-COOH were found to be -0.76 eV and - 0.91 eV, respectively, indicating physisorption predominantly through hydrogen bonding. In contrast, PTX@rGO-SO exhibited a higher adsorption energy of -2.09 eV, suggesting chemisorption facilitated by stronger covalent interactions. The presence of these functional groups also enhanced the binding affinity and stability of the drug-nanocarrier complex. Charge transfer analysis revealed that the rGO-COOH and rGO-SO systems exhibited significant changes in electronic properties, with charge transfers estimated at -0.16e and - 0.08e, respectively. These results indicate enhanced electronic coupling between PTX and the functionalized rGO surfaces, which can improve drug loading efficiency and release kinetics. The study also highlights the importance of optimizing surface chemistry to maximize drug interactions, leading to improved therapeutic outcomes. In conclusion, the investigation underscores the potential of functionalized graphene oxide as a promising platform for drug delivery systems. The findings, including the adsorption energies and charge transfer data, provide valuable insights into the interactions between PTX and functionalized rGO, paving the way for the design of optimized nanocarriers capable of enhancing the efficacy of anticancer therapies. The continued exploration of these systems is essential for advancing the field of nanomedicine and improving treatment strategies for cancer patients.

Molecular insight into the role of benzotriazole nanocapsule to deliver anticancer drug in smart drug delivery system

The use of nanomaterials as drug delivery systems is an area of interest for various anticancer drugs, aiming to minimize their side effects while ensuring they reach the target site effectively. In the current study, Benzotriazole capsule as drug delivery system for cyclophosphamide (CP) and gemcitabine (GB) drugs adsorption is explored. Various electronic and structural parameters shows that both drugs have good interaction with nanocapsule and can be carried to the target site easily. The calculated binding energies of drug@Capsule complexes are in the range of -43.34 and - 56.64 kcal/mol, which shows stronger interaction of drug molecules with nanocapsule. The noncovalent interactions between CP, GB and capsule are confirmed through QTAIM and NCI analyses. NBO analysis is used to understand the shifting of electron density, which shifts from drug to surface. FMO analysis is performed to estimate the perturbations in the electronic parameters upon complexation, which reveals reduction in the EH-L gap. Moreover, pH effect and dipole moment analysis are performed to get insight into the drug release mechanism. Dipole moment values indicate that nanocapsule can effectively release CP drug on a target site. The findings suggest that benzotriazole capsule surface is highly selective toward CP and GB.

Introducing carbon quantum dot-Capivasertib drug carrier complex for enhanced treatment of breast cancer

Capivasertib (AZD5363) is a 2023 FDA-approved pyrrolopyrimidine-derived compound that treats hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer in adult patients. It is a novel pan-AKT kinase catalytic inhibitor in ER + breast cancer cell lines, including MCF7. The dominant influence of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) in combination with multiple chemotherapy drugs is also demonstrated as a drug delivery system that significantly enhances the effectiveness of cancerous tumour treatments by providing reduced side-effects, through targeted delivery of the drug, controlled release, enhanced solubility, permeability and retention. In this study, the impact of the conjugation of AZD5363 drug to N-doped, S-doped, and N/S-doped CQDs was investigated on inducing apoptosis by inhibiting the AKT signalling pathway in the MCF7 cell line. Initially, hydrothermal and pyrolysis methods were used to construct CQDs. Then, the synthesized quantum dots were conjugated with AZD5363 at three different concentrations, i.e., 0.03, 0.3, and 3nM. The MTT test results, on MCF7 cells, showed that although all the studied CQDs were biocompatible, the complex of N/S-doped CQD-AZD5363 at a concentration of 0.03nM was the most effective. After obtaining immunocytochemistry results, flow cytometry and cell invasion tests were employed to demonstrate the high potential of the introduced drug carrier complex in reducing AKT protein expression, induction of apoptosis and prevention of cell metastasis and invasion. According to these results, the binding of N/S-doped CQD to AZD5363 increases the effectiveness of this drug, with reducing the IC50 concentration, and more specificity to cancerous cells, introducing it as a suitable candidate for the treatment of breast cancer.

Lysine-Polydopamine Nanocrystals Loaded with the Codrug Abemaciclib-Flurbiprofen for Oral Treatment of Cancer

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) combined with chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) are a promising therapeutic strategy. NSAIDs can effectively boost the antitumor efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents by inhibiting the synthesis of COX-2. However, hazardous side effects and barriers to oral drug absorption are the main challenges for combination therapy with chemotherapeutics and NSAIDs. To address these issues, a safe and effective lysine-polydopamine@abemaciclib-flurbiprofen (Flu) codrug nanocrystal (Lys-PDA@AF NCs) was designed. Abemaciclib (Abe), a novel and effective inhibitor of the CDK4/6 enzyme, and Flu were joined to prepare Abemaciclib-Flu codrug (AF) by amide bonds, and then the AF was made into nanocrystals. Lysine-modified polydopamine was selected as a shell to encapsulate nanocrystals to enhance intestinal adhesion and penetration and lengthen the duration time of drugs in vivo. Nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, Massspectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy, and drug loading were used to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of the nanocrystals. In our study, Abe and Flu were released to exert their synergistic effect when the amide bond of AF was broken and the amide bond was sensitive to cathepsin B which is overexpressed in most tumor tissues, thus increasing the selectivity of the drug to the tumor. The results showed that Lys-PDA@AF NCs had higher cytotoxicity for CRC cell with an IC50 of 4.86 μg/mL. Additionally, pharmacokinetics showed that Abe and Flu had similar absorption rates in the Lys-PDA@AF NCs group, improving the safety of combination therapy. Meanwhile, in vivo experiments showed that Lys-PDA@AF NCs had excellent antitumor effects and safety. Overall, it was anticipated that the created Lys-PDA@AF NCs would be a potential method for treating cancer.

One-Pot Preparation of HCPT@IRMOF-3 Nanoparticles for pH-Responsive Anticancer Drug Delivery

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered to be promising materials for drug delivery. In this work, a Zinc-based MOF nanocomposite IRMOF-3 was introduced as a drug carrier for 10-hydroxycamptothecine (HCPT). Without an extra drug-loading process, a nanoscale drug delivery material HCPT@IRMOF-3 was prepared via one-pot synthesis. The composition and structure of the material were investigated, and the drug release character was measured. Compared with preparing IRMOF-3 first and loading the drug, the one-pot-prepared HCPT@IRMOF-3 exhibited a higher drug-loading capacity. The material presented pH-responsive release. The HCPT release rate at pH 5.0 was significantly higher than that at pH 7.4. The cytotoxicity experiments showed that IRMOF-3 was non-toxic, and HCPT@IRMOF-3 exhibited notable cytotoxicity to Hela and SH-SY5Y cells. One-pot synthesis is a simple and rapid method for the preparation of an MOF drug delivery system, and IRMOF-3 can be potentially used in pH-responsive drug delivery systems.

Multifunctional Polymeric Micelles for Cancer Therapy

Polymeric micelles, nanosized assemblies of amphiphilic polymers with a core-shell architecture, have been used as carriers for various therapeutic compounds. They have gained attention due to specific properties such as their capacity to solubilize poorly water-soluble drugs, biocompatibility, and the ability to accumulate in tumor via enhanced permeability and retention (EPR). Moreover, additional functionality can be provided to the micelles by a further modification. For example, micelle surface modification with targeting ligands allows a specific targeting and enhanced tumor accumulation. The introduction of stimuli-sensitive groups leads to the drug's release in response to environment change. This review highlights the progress in the development of multifunctional polymeric micelles in the field of cancer therapy. This review will also cover some examples of multifunctional polymeric micelles that are applied for tumor imaging and theragnosis.