pH-/Redox-Responsive Nanodroplet Combined with Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble Destruction for the Targeted Treatment of Drug-Resistant Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Recent advances in stimuli-responsive hyaluronic acid-based nanodelivery systems for cancer treatment: A review

Cancer is a worldwide public health problem that poses a serious threat to human health. Drug therapy, as the mainstay of cancer treatment, relies on carriers for the in vivo delivery of chemotherapeutic or nucleic acid-based drugs. Traditional drug delivery carriers have shortcomings, however, including a lack of targeting, uncontrollable release of drugs, and low stability, potentially leading to toxic side effects and reducing their antitumor efficacy. Advances in nanotechnology and biomedicine have furthered the development of stimuli-responsive nanodelivery systems, which can be used to realize the accumulation and on-demand release of drugs and reduce the required drug dosage and toxicity. Hyaluronic acid (HA), as a natural anionic polysaccharide with excellent biocompatibility, an easily modified structure, and the ability to target cancer cells, is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved biomaterial that is ideal for the construction of stimuli-responsive nanodelivery systems. Herein, we review HA-based stimuli-responsive nanodelivery systems including various HA-modified structures. We summarize the feasibility and effectiveness of these systems in cancer therapy according to their roles as endogenous- (pH, redox, enzyme, and hypoxia) or exogenous- (light, temperature, ultrasound, and magnetism) stimuli-responsive systems. We also discuss the problems and challenges in the development of HA-based stimuli-responsive nanodelivery systems and the perspectives for future development. This review highlights the great potential of HA-based stimuli-responsive nanodelivery systems for use in precision cancer treatment and controlled drug release.

Multilayer cascade-response nanoplatforms as metabolic symbiotic disruptors to reprogram the immunosuppressive microenvironment

Nanomedicine is extensively utilized in tumor treatment, however, the restricted permeability of nanomaterials within tumor tissues, along with the inherent metabolic complexity of these tissues, have hindered effective control of tumor progression. Hypoxic and normoxic tumor cells utilize monocarboxylic acid transporters (MCTs) for the rapid reutilization of lactate, facilitating accelerated tumor growth. Here, cascade-response nanoplatforms (NPs) with contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging (CEUI) capability had been established, incorporating basigin siRNA internally and featuring hyaluronidase (HAase) and γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT)-responsive lipid coatings externally (GHB NPs). The GHB NPs took advantage of GGT-responsive HAase release to facilitate deep tumor penetration. Furthermore, ultrasound (US) irradiation decreased the expression of glycolysis-related proteins through the modulation of the β-catenin/c-Myc pathway, and US irradiation induced mitochondrial damage, leading to a low-energy state in tumor cells. On this basis, GHB NPs was paired with US stimulation to provide a combination therapy that disturbed tumor cell metabolic symbiosis and remodeled the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. This study formulates an effective therapeutic approach for metabolic-immunotherapy, potentially offering a viable candidate for tumor treatment.

Folate from probiotic bacteria and its therapeutic applications

Folate, an essential water soluble vitamin B9 that cannot be synthesized naturally by the bodily function. Dietary sources or probiotic-folates are the two biological modes for acquiring the target vitamin which aids DNA synthesis and repair. Probiotics are known for their divergent health benefits and have garnered significant interest. Particularly in microbial strains that produce folate offers a promising way to enhance the level of folate. Notably, folate-producing probiotic strain includes Lactiplantibacillus, Lactococcus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus. As an emerging source of health benefits, folate producing probiotics helps in improving the gut microbiota for overall well-being of human body. On the other side, chemically synthesized folic acid were not highly advantageous as they lacks absorption, conversion and excretion. Hence, usage of microbial-folate are safer as it can easily undergo absorption and reduces severe side effects. The present review mainly focus on folate one-carbon metabolism, its significance in human health, folate deficiency and malabsorption, adverse effects and folate synthesis from probiotic bacterial strains, and also toxicological impacts. In particular, the beneficiary role of these probiotic strains were found to be associated with therapeutic applications in several diseases such as autoimmune disorder, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), wound healing, drug delivery and cancer.

Responsive nanomaterials in biomedicine, patent path and prospect analysis

In recent years, responsive nanomaterials have demonstrated tremendous potential in biomedical applications due to their unique advantages in precise drug delivery and controlled release. For complex diseases such as cancer, chronic inflammation, and genetic disorders, traditional treatment methods are often limited by insufficient targeting and significant side effects. Responsive nanotechnology, by sensing specific internal or external stimuli, has significantly enhanced the precision and efficiency of treatments. This study systematically summarizes the technological trajectory and emerging research directions of responsive nanomaterials through global patent and literature data, employing main path analysis, derivative path analysis, and keyword co-occurrence analysis. The results reveal the evolution of this field, from the optimization of early single-stimulus-responsive nano delivery systems to the rise of theranostics integration, followed by advancements in multi-stimuli-responsive synergistic therapies, and finally, the innovation in biomimetic material design. Each developmental phase has increasingly focused on adapting to complex biological environments, achieving superior targeting performance, and enhancing therapeutic efficacy. Keyword co-occurrence analysis highlights key research hotspots, including biomimetic design, multimodal synergistic therapies, and emerging response mechanisms. In the future, responsive nanomaterials are expected to play a pivotal role in personalized medicine, multifunctional carrier design, and complex disease management, providing novel insights and technological support for precision medicine.

The application of marine polysaccharides to antitumor nanocarriers

Nanotechnology has revolutionized the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of biomedical diseases, in which nanocarriers have greatly improved the targeting and bioavailability of antitumor drugs. The marine natural polysaccharides fucoidan, chitosan, alginate, carrageenan and porphyran have broad-spectrum bioactivities and unique physicochemical properties such as excellent non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability and reproducibility, which have placed them as a principal focus in the nanocarrier field. Nanocarriers based on different types of marine polysaccharides are distinctive in addressing antitumor therapeutic challenges such as targeting, environmental responsiveness, drug resistance, tissue toxicity, enhancing diagnostic imaging, overcoming the first-pass effect and innovative 3D binding. Additionally, they all share the possibility of relatively easy chemical modification, while their separation into well-defined derivatives provide innovative structure-activity relationship possibilities. Liposomes, nanoparticles and polymer-micelles constructed from them can efficiently deliver drugs such as paclitaxel, gemcitabine, siRNA and others, which are widely used in radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, nucleic acid therapy and photothermal therapy, yet there are still infinite possibilities for innovation and exploration. This article reviews the recent advances and challenges of marine polysaccharide-based delivery systems as oncology drug nanocarriers.

Recent advances on chitosan/hyaluronic acid-based stimuli-responsive hydrogels and composites for cancer treatment: A comprehensive review

Cancer, as leading cause of death, has a high rate of mortality worldwide. Although there is a wide variety of conventional approaches for the treatment of cancer (such as surgery and chemotherapy), they have considerable drawbacks in terms of practicality, treatment efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Therefore, there is a fundamental requirement for the development of safe and efficient treatment modalities based on breakthrough technologies to suppress cancer. Chitosan (CS) and hyaluronic acid (HA) polysaccharides, as FDA-approved biomaterials for some biomedical applications, are potential biopolymers for the efficient treatment of cancer. CS and HA have high biocompatibility, bioavailability, biodegradability, and immunomodulatory function which guarantee their safety and non-toxicity. CS-/HA-based hydrogels (HGs)/composites stand out for their potential anticancer function, versatile preparation and modification, ease of administration, controlled/sustained drug release, and active and passive drug internalization into target cells which is crucial for efficient treatment of cancer compared with conventional treatment approaches. These HGs/composites can respond to external (magnetic, ultrasound, light, and thermal) and internal (pH, enzyme, redox, and ROS) stimuli as well which further paves the way to their manipulation, targeted drug delivery, practicality, and efficient treatment. The above-mentioned properties of CS-/HA-based HGs/composites are unique and practical in cancer treatment which can ignore the deficiencies of conventional approaches. The present manuscript comprehensively highlights the advances in the practical application of stimuli-responsive HGs/composites based on CS/HA polysaccharides.

Homologous Tumor Cell-Derived Biomimetic Nano-Trojan Horse Integrating Chemotherapy with Genetherapy for Boosting Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Therapy

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer that carries the worst prognosis and lacks specific therapeutic targets. To achieve accurate "cargos" delivery at the TNBC site, we herein constructed a novel biomimetic nano-Trojan horse integrating chemotherapy with gene therapy for boosting TNBC treatment. Briefly, we initially introduce the diselenide-bond-containing organosilica moieties into the framework of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MONs), thereby conferring biodegradability to intratumoral redox conditions in the obtained MONSe. Subsequently, doxorubicin (Dox) and therapeutic miR-34a are loaded into MONSe, thus achieving the combination of chemotherapy and gene-therapy. After homologous tumor cell membrane coating, the ultimate homologous tumor cell-derived biomimetic nano-Trojan horse (namely, MONSe@Dox@miR-34a@CM) can selectively enter the tumor cells in a stealth-like fashion. Notably, such a nanoplatform not only synergistically eradicated the tumor but also inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer stem-like cells (BCSCs) in vitro and in vivo. With the integration of homologous tumor cell membrane-facilitated intratumoral accumulation, excellent biodegradability, and synergistic gene-chemotherapy, our biomimetic nanocarriers hold tremendous promise for the cure of TNBC in the future.

Advances in Doxorubicin-based nano-drug delivery system in triple negative breast cancer

Triple positive breast cancer (TPBC) is one of the most aggressive breast cancer. Due to the unique cell phenotype, aggressiveness, metastatic potential and lack of receptors or targets, chemotherapy is the choice of treatment for TNBC. Doxorubicin (DOX), one of the representative agents of anthracycline chemotherapy, has better efficacy in patients with metastatic TNBC (mTNBC). DOX in anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens have higher response rates. Nano-drug delivery systems possess unique targeting and ability of co-load, deliver and release chemotherapeutic drugs, active gene fragments and immune enhancing factors to effectively inhibit or kill tumor cells. Therefore, advances in nano-drug delivery systems for DOX therapy have attracted a considerable amount of attention from researchers. In this article, we have reviewed the progress of nano-drug delivery systems (e.g., Nanoparticles, Liposomes, Micelles, Nanogels, Dendrimers, Exosomes, etc.) applied to DOX in the treatment of TNBC. We also summarize the current progress of clinical trials of DOX combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIS) for the treatment of TNBC. The merits, demerits and future development of nanomedicine delivery systems in the treatment of TNBC are also envisioned, with the aim of providing a new class of safe and efficient thoughts for the treatment of TNBC.