Reproducible and Characterized Method for Ponatinib Encapsulation into Biomimetic Lipid Nanoparticles as a Platform for Multi-Tyrosine Kinase-Targeted Therapy

Leveraging nature's nanocarriers: Translating insights from extracellular vesicles to biomimetic synthetic vesicles for biomedical applications

Naturally occurring extracellular vesicles (EVs) and synthetic nanoparticles like liposomes have revolutionized precision diagnostics and medicine. EVs excel in biocompatibility and cell targeting, while liposomes offer enhanced drug loading capacity and scalability. The clinical translation of EVs is hindered by challenges including low yield and heterogeneity, whereas liposomes face rapid immune clearance and limited targeting efficiency. To bridge these gaps, biomimetic synthetic vesicles (SVs) have emerged as innovative platforms, combining the advantageous properties of EVs and liposomes. This review emphasizes critical aspects of EV biology, such as mechanisms of EV-cell interaction and source-dependent functionalities in targeting, immune modulation, and tissue regeneration, informing biomimetic SV engineering. We reviewed a broad array of biomimetic SVs, with a focus on lipid bilayered vesicles functionalized with proteins. These include cell-derived nanovesicles, protein-functionalized liposomes, and hybrid vesicles. By addressing current challenges and highlighting opportunities, this review aims to advance biomimetic SVs for transformative biomedical applications.

Biohybrid nano-platforms manifesting effective cancer therapy: Fabrication, characterization, challenges and clinical perspective

Nanotechnology-based delivery systems have brought a paradigm shift in the management of cancer. However, the main obstacles to nanocarrier-based delivery are their limited circulation duration, excessive immune clearance, inefficiency in interacting effectively in a biological context and overcoming biological barriers. This demands effective engineering of nanocarriers to achieve maximum efficacy. Nanocarriers can be maneuvered with biological components to acquire biological identity for further regulating their biodistribution and cell-to-cell cross-talk. Thus, the integration of synthetic and biological components to deliver therapeutic cargo is called a biohybrid delivery system. These delivery systems possess the advantage of synthetic nanocarriers, such as high drug loading, engineerable surface, reproducibility, adequate communication and immune evasion ability of biological constituents. The biohybrid delivery vectors offer an excellent opportunity to harness the synergistic properties of the best entities of the two worlds for improved therapeutic outputs. The major spotlights of this review are different biological components, synthetic counterparts of biohybrid nanocarriers, recent advances in hybridization techniques, and the design of biohybrid delivery systems for cancer therapy. Moreover, this review provides an overview of biohybrid systems with therapeutic and diagnostic applications. In a nutshell, this article summarizes the advantages and limitations of various biohybrid nano-platforms, their clinical potential and future directions for successful translation in cancer management.

Sex-dependent improvement in traumatic brain injury outcomes after liposomal delivery of dexamethasone in mice

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have long-lasting physical, emotional, and cognitive consequences due to the neurodegeneration caused by its robust inflammatory response. Despite advances in rehabilitation care, effective neuroprotective treatments for TBI patients are lacking. Furthermore, current drug delivery methods for TBI treatment are inefficient in targeting inflamed brain areas. To address this issue, we have developed a liposomal nanocarrier (Lipo) encapsulating dexamethasone (Dex), an agonist for the glucocorticoid receptor utilized to alleviate inflammation and swelling in various conditions. In vitro studies show that Lipo-Dex were well tolerated in human and murine neural cells. Lipo-Dex showed significant suppression of inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and TNF-α, release after induction of neural inflammation with lipopolysaccharide. Further, the Lipo-Dex were administered to young adult male and female C57BL/6 mice immediately after controlled cortical impact injury (a TBI model). Our findings demonstrate that Lipo-Dex can selectively target the injured brain, thereby reducing lesion volume, cell death, astrogliosis, the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and microglial activation compared to Lipo-treated mice in a sex-dependent manner, showing a major impact only in male mice. This highlights the importance of considering sex as a crucial variable in developing and evaluating new nano-therapies for brain injury. These results suggest that Lipo-Dex administration may effectively treat acute TBI.

Biomimetic nanoparticles for effective Celastrol delivery to targeted treatment of rheumatoid arthritis through the ROS-NF-κB inflammasome axis

Previous study has indicated that Celastrol (Cel) has various physiological and pharmacological effects, including antibacterial, antioxidant, pro-apoptotic, anticancer and anti-rheumatoid arthritis (RA) effects. However, low water solubility, low oral bioavailability, narrow treatment window, and high incidence of systemic adverse reactions still limit the further clinical application of Cel. Here, aiming at effectively overcome those shortcomings of Cel to boost its beneficial effects for treating RA, we developed the leukosome (LEUKO) coated biomimetic nanoparticles (NPs) for the targeted delivery of Cel to arthritis injury area in RA. LEUKO were synthesized using membrane proteins purified from activated J774 macrophage. LEUKO and Cel-loaded LEUKO (Cel@LEUKO) were characterized using dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Our results demonstrated that Cel@LEUKO can inhibit the inflammatory response of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced mouse monocyte macrophage leukemia cells (RAW264.7 cells) and human rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (MH7A) cells through the inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-NF-κB pathway. In addition, research has shown that LEUKO effectively targets and transports Cel to the inflammatory site of RA, increased drug concentration in affected areas, reduced systemic toxicity of Cel, and reduced clinical symptoms, inflammatory infiltration, bone erosion, and serum inflammatory factors in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats.

Integrated Stress Response Potentiates Ponatinib-Induced Cardiotoxicity

BACKGROUND

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a primary driver of cardiac contractile failure; yet, the cross talk between mitochondrial energetics and signaling regulation remains obscure. Ponatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia, is among the most cardiotoxic tyrosine kinase inhibitors and causes mitochondrial dysfunction. Whether ponatinib-induced mitochondrial dysfunction triggers the integrated stress response (ISR) to induce ponatinib-induced cardiotoxicity remains to be determined.

METHODS

Using human induced pluripotent stem cells-derived cardiomyocytes and a recently developed mouse model of ponatinib-induced cardiotoxicity, we performed proteomic analysis, molecular and biochemical assays to investigate the relationship between ponatinib-induced mitochondrial stress and ISR and their role in promoting ponatinib-induced cardiotoxicity.

RESULTS

Proteomic analysis revealed that ponatinib activated the ISR in cardiac cells. We identified GCN2 (general control nonderepressible 2) as the eIF2α (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α) kinase responsible for relaying mitochondrial stress signals to trigger the primary ISR effector-ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4), upon ponatinib exposure. Mechanistically, ponatinib treatment exerted inhibitory effects on ATP synthase activity and reduced its expression levels resulting in ATP deficits. Perturbed mitochondrial function resulting in ATP deficits then acts as a trigger of GCN2-mediated ISR activation, effects that were negated by nicotinamide mononucleotide, an NAD+ precursor, supplementation. Genetic inhibition of ATP synthase also activated GCN2. Interestingly, we showed that the decreased abundance of ATP also facilitated direct binding of ponatinib to GCN2, unexpectedly causing its activation most likely because of a conformational change in its structure. Importantly, administering an ISR inhibitor protected human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes against ponatinib. Ponatinib-treated mice also exhibited reduced cardiac function, effects that were attenuated upon systemic ISRIB administration. Importantly, ISRIB does not affect the antitumor effects of ponatinib in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

Neutralizing ISR hyperactivation could prevent or reverse ponatinib-induced cardiotoxicity. The findings that compromised ATP production potentiates GCN2-mediated ISR activation have broad implications across various cardiac diseases. Our results also highlight an unanticipated role of ponatinib in causing direct activation of a kinase target despite its role as an ATP-competitive kinase inhibitor.

Ponatinib: An update on its drug targets, therapeutic potential and safety

Leukemia is a malignancy of the hematopoietic system, and as its pathogenesis has become better understood, three generations of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been developed. Ponatinib is the third-generation breakpoint cluster region (BCR) and Abelson (ABL) TKI, which has been influential in the leukemia therapy for a decade. Moreover, ponatinib is a potent multi-target kinase inhibitor that acts on various kinases, such as KIT, RET, and Src, making it a promising treatment option for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), lung cancer, myeloproliferative syndrome, and other diseases. The drug's significant cardiovascular toxicity poses a significant challenge to its clinical use, requiring the development of strategies to minimize its toxicity and side effects. In this article, the pharmacokinetics, targets, therapeutic potential, toxicity and production mechanism of ponatinib will be reviewed. Furthermore, we will discuss methods to reduce the drug's toxicity, providing new avenues for research to improve its safety in clinical use.

Sex-dependent improvement in traumatic brain injury outcomes after liposomal delivery of dexamethasone in mice

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can have long-lasting physical, emotional, and cognitive consequences due to the neurodegeneration caused by its robust inflammatory response. Despite advances in rehabilitation care, effective neuroprotective treatments for TBI patients are lacking. Furthermore, current drug delivery methods for TBI treatment are inefficient in targeting inflamed brain areas. To address this issue, we have developed a liposomal nanocarrier (Lipo) encapsulating dexamethasone (Dex), an agonist for the glucocorticoid receptor utilized to alleviate inflammation and swelling in various conditions. In vitro studies show that Lipo-Dex were well tolerated in human and murine neural cells. Lipo-Dex showed significant suppression of inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and TNF-α, release after induction of neural inflammation with lipopolysaccharide. Further, the Lipo-Dex were administered to young adult male and female C57BL/6 mice immediately after a controlled cortical impact injury. Our findings demonstrate that Lipo-Dex can selectively target the injured brain, thereby reducing lesion volume, cell death, astrogliosis, the release of proinflammatory cytokines, and microglial activation compared to Lipo-treated mice in a sex-dependent manner, showing a major impact only in male mice. This highlights the importance of considering sex as a crucial variable in developing and evaluating new nano-therapies for brain injury. These results suggest that Lipo-Dex administration may effectively treat acute TBI.

Current progress and open challenges for applying tyrosine kinase inhibitors in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a mesenchymal-origin tumor that constitutes the most common primary malignant bone tumor. The survival rate of the patients has significantly improved since the introduction of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and extensive resection, but it has stagnated in recent 40 years. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have played a key part in the treatment of malignant tumors. In advanced OS, TKIs including anlotinib, apatinib, sorafenib, etc. have significantly improved the progression-free survival of patients, while the overall survival remains unchanged. The main reason is the rapid and inevitable progress of acquired drug resistance of OS. However, as the application of TKIs in OS and other tumors is still in the exploratory phase, its drug resistance mechanism and corresponding solutions are rarely reported. Hence, in this review, we summarize knowledge of the applications of TKIs, the mechanism of TKIs resistance, and the attempts to overcome TKIs resistance in OS, which are the three potentially novel insights of TKIs in OS. Because most evidence is derived from studies using animal and cell models, we also reviewed clinical trials and related bioinformatics data available in public databases, which partially improved our understanding of TKIs applications.

Insights into Lipid-Based Delivery Nanosystems of Protein-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy

According to the WHO, cancer caused almost 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020, i.e., almost one in six deaths. Among the most common are breast, lung, colon and rectal and prostate cancers. Although the diagnosis is more perfect and spectrum of available drugs is large, there is a clear trend of an increase in cancer that ends fatally. A major advance in treatment was the introduction of gentler antineoplastics for targeted therapy-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Although they have undoubtedly revolutionized oncology and hematology, they have significant side effects and limited efficacy. In addition to the design of new TKIs with improved pharmacokinetic and safety profiles, and being more resistant to the development of drug resistance, high expectations are placed on the reformulation of TKIs into various drug delivery lipid-based nanosystems. This review provides an insight into the history of chemotherapy, a brief overview of the development of TKIs for the treatment of cancer and their mechanism of action and summarizes the results of the applications of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems, nanoemulsions, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers used as drug delivery systems of TKIs obtained in vitro and in vivo.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor-loaded biomimetic nanoparticles as a treatment for osteosarcoma

Small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) represent a potentially powerful approach to the treatment of osteosarcoma (OS). However, dose-limiting toxicity, therapeutic efficacy, and targeting specificity are significant barriers to the use of TKIs in the clinic. Notably among TKIs, ponatinib demonstrated potent anti-tumor activity; however, it received an FDA black box warning for potential side effects. We propose ponatinib-loaded biomimetic nanoparticles (NPs) to repurpose ponatinib as an efficient therapeutic option for OS. In this study, we demonstrate enhanced targeting ability and maintain potent ponatinib nano-therapeutic activity, while also reducing toxicity. In in vitro two- and three-dimensional models, we demonstrate that ponatinib-loaded biomimetic NPs maintain the efficacy of the free drug, while in vivo we show that they can improve tumor targeting, slow tumor growth, and reduce evidence of systemic toxicities. Though there is limited Pon encapsulation within NPs, this platform may improve current therapeutic approaches and reduce dosage-related side effects to achieve better clinical outcomes in OS patients.

Graphical Abstract

Optimization of Biomimetic, Leukocyte-Mimicking Nanovesicles for Drug Delivery Against Colorectal Cancer Using a Design of Experiment Approach

The development of biomimetic nanoparticles (NPs) has revolutionized the concept of nanomedicine by offering a completely new set of biocompatible materials to formulate innovative drug delivery systems capable of imitating the behavior of cells. Specifically, the use of leukocyte-derived membrane proteins to functionalize nanovesicles (leukosomes) can enable their long circulation and target the inflamed endothelium present in many inflammatory pathologies and tumors, making them a promising and versatile drug delivery system. However, these studies did not elucidate the critical experimental parameters involved in leukosomes formulation. In the present study, we approached the preparation of leukosomes using a design of experiment (DoE) method to better understand the influence of experimental parameters on leukosomes features such as size, size distribution, and protein loading. We also validated this formulation technologically and tested its behavior in in vitro colorectal cancer (CRC) models, including CRC patient-derived tumor organoids (PDOs). We demonstrated leukosomes biocompatibility, endothelium adhesion capability, and tumor target in three-dimensional (3D) settings using CRC cell lines. Overall, our study offers a novel conceptual framework for biomimetic NPs using a DoE strategy and consolidates the high therapeutic potential of leukosomes as a viable drug delivery system for anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic applications.

Latest Advances in Biomimetic Cell Membrane-Coated and Membrane-Derived Nanovectors for Biomedical Applications

In the last decades, many nanovectors were developed for different diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. However, most nanosystems have been designed using a “bottom-up” approach, in which the basic components of the nanovector become assembled to achieve complex and specific behaviors. Despite the fine control of formulative conditions, the complexity of these systems often results cumbersome and difficult to scale-up. Recently, biomimetic materials emerged as a complementary or alternative design approach through a “top-down strategy”, using cell-derived materials as building blocks to formulate innovative nanovectors. The use of cell membranes as nanoparticle coatings endows nanomaterials with the biological identity and some of the functions of the cells they are derived from. In this review, we discuss some of the latest examples of membrane coated and membrane-derived biomimetic nanomaterials and underline the common general functions offered by the biomaterials used. From these examples, we suggest a systematic classification of these biomimetic materials based on their biological sources and formulation techniques, with their respective advantages and disadvantages, and summarize the current technologies used for membranes isolation and integration on nanovectors. We also discuss some current technical limitations and hint to future direction of the improvement for biomimetics.

Discovery of Potent and Orally Bioavailable Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor (PDGFR) Inhibitors for the Treatment of Osteosarcoma

Platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRs) are now considered promising targets for the treatment of osteosarcoma. Herein, the design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships (SAR) of novel pyrimidine-2,4-diamine derivatives that selectively inhibit PDGFRα/β kinases have been studied. The screening cascades revealed that 7m was the preferred compound among these derivatives, with IC₅₀ values of 2.4 and 0.9 nM for PDGFRα and PDGFRβ, respectively. Moreover, the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) experiment revealed that 7m has a substantial cytotoxic effect against all osteosarcoma cancer cell lines; 7m also displayed robust antitumor effects and low toxicity in a xenograft model. Additionally, 7m showed excellent bioavailability (F = 62.9%), suitable half-life (T_1/2 = 2.12 h), satisfactory metabolic stability, and weak CYP isoform inhibitory activity, suggesting that 7m is a potential drug candidate for PDGFR-driven osteosarcoma.

Mechanomimetic 3D Scaffolds as a Humanized In Vitro Model for Ovarian Cancer

The mechanical homeostasis of tissues can be altered in response to trauma or disease, such as cancer, resulting in altered mechanotransduction pathways that have been shown to impact tumor development, progression, and the efficacy of therapeutic approaches. Specifically, ovarian cancer progression is parallel to an increase in tissue stiffness and fibrosis. With in vivo models proving difficult to study, tying tissue mechanics to altered cellular and molecular properties necessitate advanced, tunable, in vitro 3D models able to mimic normal and tumor mechanic features. First, we characterized normal human ovary and high-grade serous (HGSC) ovarian cancer tissue stiffness to precisely mimic their mechanical features on collagen I-based sponge scaffolds, soft (NS) and stiff (MS), respectively. We utilized three ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR-3, Caov-3, and SKOV3) to evaluate changes in viability, morphology, proliferation, and sensitivity to doxorubicin and liposomal doxorubicin treatment in response to a mechanically different microenvironment. High substrate stiffness promoted the proliferation of Caov-3 and SKOV3 cells without changing their morphology, and upregulated mechanosensors YAP/TAZ only in SKOV3 cells. After 7 days in culture, both OVCAR3 and SKOV3 decreased the MS scaffold storage modulus (stiffness), suggesting a link between cell proliferation and the softening of the matrix. Finally, high matrix stiffness resulted in higher OVCAR-3 and SKOV3 cell cytotoxicity in response to doxorubicin. This study demonstrates the promise of biomimetic porous scaffolds for effective inclusion of mechanical parameters in 3D cancer modeling. Furthermore, this work establishes the use of porous scaffolds for studying ovarian cancer cells response to mechanical changes in the microenvironment and as a meaningful platform from which to investigate chemoresistance and drug response.

Humanized Biomimetic Nanovesicles for Neuron Targeting

Nanovesicles (NVs) are emerging as innovative, theranostic tools for cargo delivery. Recently, surface engineering of NVs with membrane proteins from specific cell types has been shown to improve the biocompatibility of NVs and enable the integration of functional attributes. However, this type of biomimetic approach has not yet been explored using human neural cells for applications within the nervous system. Here, this paper optimizes and validates the scalable and reproducible production of two types of neuron-targeting NVs, each with a distinct lipid formulation backbone suited to potential therapeutic cargo, by integrating membrane proteins that are unbiasedly sourced from human pluripotent stem-cell-derived neurons. The results establish that both endogenous and genetically engineered cell-derived proteins effectively transfer to NVs without disruption of their physicochemical properties. NVs with neuron-derived membrane proteins exhibit enhanced neuronal association and uptake compared to bare NVs. Viability of 3D neural sphere cultures is not disrupted by treatment, which verifies the utility of organoid-based approaches as NV testing platforms. Finally, these results confirm cellular association and uptake of the biomimetic humanized NVs to neurons within rodent cranial nerves. In summary, the customizable NVs reported here enable next-generation functionalized theranostics aimed to promote neuroregeneration.

Biomimetic Nanoparticles as a Theranostic Tool for Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) triggers both central and peripheral inflammatory responses. Existing pharmacological drugs are unable to effectively and quickly target the brain inflamed regions, setting up a major roadblock towards effective brain trauma treatments. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been used in multiple diseases as drug delivery tools with remarkable success due to their rapid diffusion and specificity in the target organ. Here, leukocyte-based biomimetic NPs are fabricated as a theranostic tool to directly access inflamed regions in a TBI mouse model. This NP systemic delivery is visualized using advanced in vivo imaging techniques, including intravital microscopy and in vivo imaging system. The results demonstrate selective targeting of NPs to the injured brain and increased NPs accumulation among the peripheral organs 24 h after TBI. Interestingly, increased microglial proliferation, decreased macrophage infiltration, and reduced brain lesion following the NPs treatments compared to sham vehicle-treated mice are also found. In summary, the results suggest that NPs represent a promising future theranostic tool for TBI treatment.

Nanotechnology of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Cancer Therapy: A Perspective

Nanotechnology is an important application in modern cancer therapy. In comparison with conventional drug formulations, nanoparticles ensure better penetration into the tumor mass by exploiting the enhanced permeability and retention effect, longer blood circulation times by a reduced renal excretion and a decrease in side effects and drug accumulation in healthy tissues. The most significant classes of nanoparticles (i.e., liposomes, inorganic and organic nanoparticles) are here discussed with a particular focus on their use as delivery systems for small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). A number of these new compounds (e.g., Imatinib, Dasatinib, Ponatinib) have been approved as first-line therapy in different cancer types but their clinical use is limited by poor solubility and oral bioavailability. Consequently, new nanoparticle systems are necessary to ameliorate formulations and reduce toxicity. In this review, some of the most important TKIs are reported, focusing on ongoing clinical studies, and the recent drug delivery systems for these molecules are investigated.

Enhancing Inflammation Targeting Using Tunable Leukocyte-Based Biomimetic Nanoparticles

Biomimetic nanoparticles aim to effectively emulate the behavior of either cells or exosomes. Leukocyte-based biomimetic nanoparticles, for instance, incorporate cell membrane proteins to transfer the natural tropism of leukocytes to the final delivery platform. However, tuning the protein integration can affect the in vivo behavior of these nanoparticles and alter their efficacy. Here we show that, while increasing the protein:lipid ratio to a maximum of 1:20 (w/w) maintained the nanoparticle's structural properties, increasing protein content resulted in improved targeting of inflamed endothelium in two different animal models. Our combined use of a microfluidic, bottom-up approach and tuning of a key synthesis parameter enabled the synthesis of reproducible, enhanced biomimetic nanoparticles that have the potential to improve the treatment of inflammatory-based conditions through targeted nanodelivery.

Bioinspired Extracellular Vesicles: Lessons Learned From Nature for Biomedicine and Bioengineering

Efficient communication is essential in all layers of the biological chain. Cells exchange information using a variety of signaling moieties, such as small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids. Cells carefully package these messages into lipid complexes, collectively named extracellular vesicles (EVs). In this work, we discuss the nature of these cell carriers, categorize them by their origin, explore their role in the homeostasis of healthy tissues, and examine how they regulate the pathophysiology of several diseases. This review will also address the limitations of using EVs for clinical applications and discuss novel methods to engineer nanoparticles to mimic the structure, function, and features of EVs. Using lessons learned from nature and understanding how cells use EVs to communicate across distant sites, we can develop a better understanding of how to tailor the fundamental features of drug delivery carriers to encapsulate various cargos and target specific sites for biomedicine and bioengineering.