Nanoparticle-mediated convection-enhanced delivery of a DNA intercalator to gliomas circumvents temozolomide resistance

Sonodynamic activated nanoparticles with Glut1 inhibitor and cystine-containing polymer stimulate disulfidptosis for improved immunotherapy in bladder cancer

Disulfidptosis, a novel form of programmed cell death characterized by cystine accumulation and disulfide stress, primarily affects metabolically active tumors like bladder cancer, which is often considered to be a highly metabolic and energy-consuming tumor. However, translating disulfidptosis induction into clinical practice face substantial obstacles, including the limited solubility of key inducers, insufficient cystine buildup within cells, and cellular mechanisms regulating the NADP+/NADPH equilibrium. To fully unlock the therapeutic potential of disulfidptosis, a promising solution has emerged in the form of nanotechnology combined with sonodynamic therapy (SDT). This study reports a novel approach that enhances disulfidptosis through SDT, simultaneously promoting immunogenic cell death (ICD) and improving the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The system, SPCP/CCP@Bay, comprises a degradable sonodynamic-pseudo-conjugate-polymer (SPCP) and a cystine-containing polymer (CCP), loaded with Bay-876. Following intravenous administration, SPCP/CCP@Bay effectively accumulates at tumor sites. Under ultrasound radiation, SPCP/CCP@Bay effectively releases Bay-876, disrupts the intracellular redox balance, releases cystine from CCP, and induces disulfidptosis. Moreover, SPCP/CCP@Bay induces ICD and synergizes with PD-1 monoclonal antibodies (α-PD-1) to suppress tumor growth. This integrated strategy holds significant promise in reshaping the tumor microenvironment, converting "cold tumors" to "hot tumors", and advancing the field of cancer immunotherapy.

Imaging probes for the detection of brain microenvironment

The brain microenvironment (BME) is a highly dynamic system that plays a critical role in neural excitation, signal transmission, development, aging, and neurological disorders. BME consists of three key components: neural cells, extracellular spaces, and physical fields, which provide structures and physicochemical properties to synergistically and antagonistically regulate cell behaviors and functions such as nutrient transport, waste metabolism and intercellular communication. Consequently, monitoring the BME is vital to acquire a better understanding of the maintenance of neural homeostasis and the mechanisms underlying neurological diseases. In recent years, researchers have developed a range of imaging probes designed to detect changes in the microenvironment, enabling precise measurements of structural and biophysical parameters in the brain. This advancement aids in the development of improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for brain disorders and in the exploration of cutting-edge mechanisms in neuroscience. This review summarizes and highlights recent advances in the probes for sensing and imaging BME. Also, we discuss the design principles, types, applications, challenges, and future directions of probes.

Ultrasound-responsive nanobubble-mediated sonodynamic therapy sensitizes disulfidptosis in the treatment of liver hepatocellular carcinoma

Disulfidptosis, a newly identified regulated cell death, is linked to tumor progression, particularly in cancers with elevated SLC7A11 expression. This study investigates SLC7A11 expression in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) and evaluates the therapeutic potential of ICG@C3F8-KL nanobubbles (NBs) combined with sonodynamic therapy (SDT) for inducing disulfidptosis. Bioinformatics analysis of TCGA datasets revealed upregulation of SLC7A11 in LIHC tissues. The synthesized ICG@C3F8-KL NBs exhibited a mean diameter of 156.46 nm and stable properties, with high encapsulation efficiencies of 51.32 % ± 0.7 % for KL and 80.15 % ± 0.21 % for ICG. In vitro, ICG@C3F8-KL NBs, under ultrasound, generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), enhancing cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells with an IC50 lower than KL alone. These NBs also inhibited cell migration and colony formation, suggesting disulfidptosis induction via altered glucose uptake and NADP+/NADPH ratio, as well as F-actin contraction. In vivo, ICG@C3F8-KL NBs accumulated in tumor tissues and suppressed growth without significant toxicity. Unsupervised clustering of disulfidptosis-related genes in TCGA LIHC cohort identified subtypes with distinct prognoses, and a predictive model based on five key genes was developed. In conclusion, ICG@C3F8-KL NBs, combined with ultrasound, effectively induce disulfidptosis, offering a promising strategy for LIHC treatment, with the potential for personalized therapy informed by disulfide-associated gene signatures.

Elucidating the dual mechanistic action and synergism of platinum complexes bearing valproic acid as leaving ligand on NF-κB and inflammatory pathways in glioma

The valproic acid (VPA), an anti-epileptic drug, has demonstrated anticancer properties alone or in combination regimens in glioma. It has been shown synergistic activity with cisplatin in resistant cancer cells. In the current study, we synthesized Pt(II) complexes bearing VPA as ancillary/leaving ligand. All these complexes were obtained in good yields through simple reproducible synthetic procedures and characterized by multiple analytical techniques in both solution and solid state. In situ release of ancillary ligand (VPA) by these complexes was studied by 1H NMR in solution state that was catalysed by water in time dependent manner. The tumor preferential selective VPA-Pt actively controlling NF-kB signaling, culminating in the attenuation of IL-6 expression and the concomitant activation of p53 and caspase-3 pathways in gliomas. VPA-Pt exhibits potent cytotoxicity in human and mice glioma cancer cell lines, inducing apoptosis as evidenced by inhibition of cell proliferation and migration, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, and suppression of colony formation. An inhibitory effect of VPA-Pt4 on glioma was clearly evidenced through in vivo live bioluminescence imaging, histopathological examination, immunofluorescence evaluation, and protein expression analysis demonstrated that VPA-Pt4 significantly triggered apoptosis, with elevated levels of P53, caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3, along with a reduction in IL-6. Our discovery reveals a novel and efficient approach to glioma therapy.

HDAC9-mediated deacetylation of CALML6 promotes excessive proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells in IgA nephropathy

PURPOSE

This study seeks to investigate the fundamental molecular processes through which histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) governs the proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells in the context of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and to identify novel targets for clinical research on IgAN.

METHODS

Data from high-throughput RNA sequencing for IgAN were procured from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to assess the expression profiles and clinical diagnostic significance of histone deacetylase family proteins (HDACs). Blood samples from 20 IgAN patients were employed in RT-qPCR analysis, and the spearman linear regression method was utilized to analyze the clinical correlation. The proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) under the influence of HDAC9 was examined using the 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay. Proteins interacting with HDAC9 were predicted utilizing the STRING database. Immunoprecipitation and protein immunoblotting employing anti-acetylated lysine antibodies were conducted to determine the acetylation status of calmodulin-like protein 6 (CALML6).

RESULTS

Analysis of the GSE141295 dataset revealed a significant upregulation of HDAC9 expression in IgAN and the results of RT-qPCR demonstrated a substantial increase in HDAC9 expression in IgAN patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that the area under the curve (AUC) value for HDAC9 were 0.845 and Spearman correlation analysis showed that HDAC9 expression was positively correlated with blood levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Crea). The EdU cell proliferation assay indicated that HDAC9 facilitated the excessive proliferation of GMCs. The STRING database and recovery experiments identified CALML6 as a downstream effector of HDAC9 in controlling abnormal GMC multiplication. Co-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that HDAC9 modulates CALML6 expression through acetylation modification.

CONCLUSION

HDAC9 is markedly upregulated in IgAN, and it mediates the excessive proliferation of GMCs by regulating the deacetylation of CALML6.

Smart Organic-Inorganic Copolymer Nanoparticles Distinguish Between Microglia and Cancer Cells for Synergistic Immunotherapy in Glioma

The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway has emerged as a new immunotherapy strategy with potent local stimulation specificity, showing promising potential to counteract the immunosuppression in glioma. Herein, a tumor microenvironment (TME) responsive nanoagonists are developed based on an organic-inorganic copolymer composed of the polymer PC6AB coupled with manganous phosphate ionic oligomers (MnP). The degradation of nanoagonists into PC6AB and MnP in the acidic TME enables spatiotemporal control of their delivery to tumor cells and immune cells, respectively. PC6AB with membranolytic activity selectively interacts with tumor cell membranes to induce immunogenic cell death, while manganese metal can activate the STING pathway in immune cells and trigger downstream immunostimulatory signals. Nanoagonists can stimulate robust antitumor immunity after local injection into the brain extracellular space (ECS), showing significant therapeutic efficacy in mouse glioma. Nanoagonists can achieve spatiotemporal orchestration of STING activation in response to TME and enhance immune response against "cold" solid tumors, providing a promising approach for clinical immunotherapy.

Based on disulfidptosis, unveiling the prognostic and immunological signatures of Asian hepatocellular carcinoma and identifying the potential therapeutic target ZNF337-AS1

BACKGROUND

Disulfidptosis is a newly discovered programmed cell death pathway that may be connected to tumorigenesis and development, showing promise as a novel treatment strategy for cancer. This study aims to construct a prognostic model of disulfidptosis-related Long non-coding RNAs (DRLRs) within the Asian HCC population and to investigate the impact of DRLRs on HCC.

METHODS

Utilising a combination of univariate Cox, Lasso-Cox, and multivariate Cox analyses, five pivotal DRLRs (AC099850.3, ZNF337-AS1, LINC01138, AL031985.3, AC131009.1) were identified, forming a robust prognostic signature. Subsequent validations included Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) and Concordance Index analyses, alongside Principal Component Analysis. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was performed on the hub DRLRs, followed by experimental validation using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and cellular functional assays.

RESULTS

The risk score independently predicted prognosis, outperforming traditional clinical-pathological factors across varying ages, tumour stages, and pathological classifications in the cohort. A nomogram integrating these variables demonstrated capability in forecasting survival. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the risk score and AJCC TNM staging are independent prognostic factors for predicting overall survival (OS) in Asian HCC patients (both P < 0.001). The prognostic model's ROC area under the ROC values for 1-, 3-, and 5-year predictions were 0.837, 0.794, and 0.783, respectively, indicating its strong diagnostic and prognostic value. Pathway and immune landscape analyses elucidated the biological underpinnings and immune modulations associated with the high-risk group. Immune landscape analysis indicated that both immunescore (P < 0.001) and estimatescore (P < 0.05) were significantly decreased in the high-risk group, with both specific and non-specific immune responses being significantly suppressed, while the tumour immune dysfunction and exclusion score was notably increased (P < 0.001). Tumour mutational burden (TMB) analysis revealed a significantly higher TMB in the high-risk group (P = 0.033) and shorter OS for HCC patients in the high TMB subgroup (P = 0.002). Notably, Potential chemotherapeutic agents (PFI3, 5-Fluorouracil, BPD-00008900, GDC0810, and AZ6102) were identified for high-risk group. Experimental validations through quantitative PCR and in vitro assays confirmed the deregulation of these DRLRs in HCC, with functional studies highlighting the potential of ZNF337-AS1 silencing in curtailing tumour invasiveness.

CONCLUSION

Our investigations validate a DRLR-based risk scoring model as an effective prognostic tool for Asian HCC. This model not only enhances understanding of disulfidptosis's role in HCC but also facilitates personalised treatment strategies, potentially improving patient outcomes.

Sonodynamic Therapy by Reactive Oxygen Species Generation-Responsive Pseudo-Semiconducting Polymer Nanoparticles Combined with a Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor for Enhancing Immunotherapy in Bladder Cancer

Sonodynamic therapy, a treatment modality recently widely used, is capable of disrupting the tumor microenvironment by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) and enhancing antitumor immunity during immunotherapy. Erdafitinib, an inhibitor of the fibroblast growth factor receptor, has demonstrated potential benefits for treating bladder cancer. However, Erdafitinib shows effectiveness in only a small number of patients, and the majority of patients responding positively to the medication have "immune-cold" tumors. To increase the therapeutic efficacy of Erdafitinib, we have herein developed a biodegradable pseudoconjugate polymer (PSP) with sonodynamic capabilities. Erdafitinib could be efficiently encapsulated in nanoparticles (NP-PE) prepared through the self-assembly of PSP with an oxidation-sensitive polymer (P1). Under ultrasound conditions, NP-PE effectively induced cytotoxicity by producing reactive oxygen species and further triggering ICD. Compared with Erdafitinib, NP-PE inhibited the expression of FGFR3 to a higher extent. In animal models with bladder cancer, NP-PE inhibited tumor growth, stimulated antitumor immunity, and synergized with antiprogrammed cell death-ligand 1 (aPD-L1), offering a novel approach for the treatment of bladder cancer.

Activating the cGAS-STING Pathway by Manganese-Based Nanoparticles Combined with Platinum-Based Nanoparticles for Enhanced Ovarian Cancer Immunotherapy

Recent research has demonstrated that activating the cGAS-STING pathway can enhance interferon production and the activation of T cells. A manganese complex, called TPA-Mn, was developed in this context. The reactive oxygen species (ROS)-sensitive nanoparticles (NPMn) loaded with TPA-Mn are developed. NPMn activates the cGAS-STING pathway via cGAS activation (i.e., 1.6-fold enhancement of P-STING), which in turn increases the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-2). This promotes dendritic cell maturation, enhances the infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and reduces the percentage of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells. In addition, it is crucial to emphasize that cisplatin-induced DNA damage can potentially trigger activation of the cGAS-STING pathway. NPMn, in combination with low-dose NPPt, a carrier of a Cis(IV) prodrug capable of causing DNA damage, augments the cGAS-STING pathway activation and significantly activates the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Furthermore, combined with anti-PD-1 antibody, NPPt+NPMn shows synergistic efficacy in both ovarian cancer peritoneal metastases and recurrence models. It not only effectively eliminates tumors but also induces a strong immune memory response, providing a promising strategy for the clinical management of ovarian cancer. This work offers a design of manganese-based nanoparticles for immunotherapy.

Disulfidptosis as a key regulator of glioblastoma progression and immune cell impairment

Background

Glioblastoma, associated with poor prognosis and impaired immune function, shows potential interactions between newly identified disulfidptosis mechanisms and T cell exhaustion, yet these remain understudied.

Methods

Key genes were identified using Lasso regression, followed by multivariate analysis to develop a prognostic model. Single-cell pseudotemporal analysis explored disulfidptosis T-cell exhaustion (Tex) signaling in cell differentiation. Immune infiltration was assessed via ssGSEA, while transwell assays and immunofluorescence examined the effects of disulfidptosis-Tex genes on glioma cell behavior and immune response.

Results

Eleven disulfidptosis-Tex genes were found critical for glioblastoma survival outcomes. This gene set underpinned a model predicting patient prognosis. Single-cell analysis showed high disulfidptosis-Tex activity in endothelial cells. Memory T cell populations were linked to these genes. SMC4 inhibition reduced LN299 cell migration and increased chemotherapy sensitivity, decreasing CD4 and CD8 T cell activation.

Conclusions

Disulfidptosis-Tex genes are pivotal in glioblastoma progression and immune interactions, offering new avenues for improving anti-glioblastoma therapies through modulation of T cell exhaustion.

Progress in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease based on nanosized traditional Chinese medicines

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been employed for centuries in treating and managing Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, their effective delivery to target sites can be a major challenge. This is due to their poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and potential toxicity. Furthermore, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a major obstacle to effective TCM delivery, significantly reducing efficacy. Advancements in nanotechnology and its applications in TCM (nano-TCM) can deliver active ingredients or components of TCM across the BBB to the targeted brain area. This review summarizes the recent advances in nanocarrier-based delivery systems for different types of active constituents of TCM for AD, including terpenoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, and quinones. Besides, the main challenges and opportunities for the future development of these advanced TCM nanocarriers are emphasized. In conclusion, this review provides valuable insights and guidance for utilizing nanocarriers to shape future TCM drug delivery.

Establishment of a prognostic signature and immune infiltration characteristics for uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma based on a disulfidptosis/ferroptosis-associated signature

Background

Disulfidptosis and ferroptosis are two different programmed cell death pathways, and their potential therapeutic targets have important clinical prospects. Although there is an association between the two, the role of genes associated with these two forms of cell death in the development of endometrial cancer remains unclear.

Methods

In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and clinical data were obtained from public databases, and comprehensive analysis methods, including difference analysis, univariate Cox regression, and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) analysis were used to construct a disulfidptosis/ferroptosis-related genes (DFRGs) prognostic signature. To further explore this new feature, pathway and functional analyses were performed, and the differences in gene mutation frequency and the level of immune cell infiltration between the high- and low-risk groups were studied. Finally, we validated the prognostic gene expression profile in clinical samples.

Results

We identified five optimal DFRGs that were differentially expressed and associated with the prognosis of uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC). These genes include CDKN2A, FZD7, LCN2, ACTN4, and MYH10. Based on these DFRGs, we constructed a robust prognostic model with significantly lower overall survival in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group, with differences in tumor burden and immune invasion between the different risk groups. The expression of two key genes, ACTN4 and LCN2, was verified by immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR.

Conclusion

This study established a clinical prognostic model associated with disulfidptosis/ferroptosis-related genes, and the expression characteristics of key genes were validated in clinical samples. The comprehensive assessment of disulfidptosis and ferroptosis provides new insights to further guide patient clinical management and personalized treatment.

Enhancing PARP inhibitor efficacy using reduction-responsive nanoparticles encapsulating NADP

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have shown success in cancer chemotherapy; however, not all tumors respond effectively to PARPi treatment, even in the presence of BRCA1/2 mutations or homologous recombination (HR) repair defects. NADP+ was recently identified as an endogenous inhibitor of ADP-ribosylation with the potential to sensitize cancer cells to PARPi, yet its lack of membrane permeability poses a significant challenge to its clinical application. In this study, we developed reduction-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) containing disulfide bonds, which can be cleaved in the reductive environment of tumor cells. These NPs encapsulate NADP+ and the commercially available PARP inhibitor olaparib. The uptake of these NPs significantly increases the intracellular concentration of NADP+, which negatively regulates DNA damage-induced PARylation and impairs DNA damage repair. The combined effects of elevated NADP+ levels and olaparib synergistically suppress tumor cell growth. Overall, our study offers a promising strategy for the clinical application of NADP+.

Nanosystems for targeted drug Delivery: Innovations and challenges in overcoming the Blood-Brain barrier for neurodegenerative disease and cancer therapy

The evolution of sophisticated nanosystems has revolutionized biomedicine, notably in treating neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. These systems show potential in delivering medication precisely to affected tissues, improving treatment effectiveness while minimizing side effects. Nevertheless, a major hurdle in targeted drug delivery is breaching the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a selective shield separating the bloodstream from the brain and spinal cord. The tight junctions between endothelial cells in brain capillaries create a formidable physical barrier, alongside efflux transporters that expel harmful molecules. This presents a notable challenge for brain drug delivery. Nanosystems present distinct advantages in overcoming BBB challenges, offering enhanced drug efficacy, reduced side effects, improved stability, and controlled release. Despite their promise, challenges persist, such as the BBB's regional variability hindering uniform drug distribution. Efflux transporters can also limit therapeutic agent efficacy, while nanosystem toxicity necessitates rigorous safety evaluations. Understanding the long-term impact of nanomaterials on the brain remains crucial. Additionally, addressing nanosystem scalability, cost-effectiveness, and safety profiles is vital for widespread clinical implementation. This review delves into the advancements and obstacles of advanced nanosystems in targeted drug delivery for neurodegenerative diseases and cancer therapy, with a focus on overcoming the BBB.

Polymer-locking fusogenic liposomes for glioblastoma-targeted siRNA delivery and CRISPR-Cas gene editing

In patients with glioblastoma (GBM), upregulated midkine (MDK) limits the survival benefits conferred by temozolomide (TMZ). RNA interference (RNAi) and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology are attractive approaches for regulating MDK expression. However, delivering these biologics to GBM tissue is challenging. Here we demonstrate a polymer-locking fusogenic liposome (Plofsome) that can be transported across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and deliver short interfering RNA or CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes into the cytoplasm of GBM cells. Plofsome is designed by integrating a 'lock' into the fusogenic liposome using a traceless reactive oxygen species (ROS)-cleavable linker so that fusion occurs only after crossing the BBB and entering the GBM tissue with high ROS levels. Our results showed that MDK suppression by Plofsomes significantly reduced TMZ resistance and inhibited GBM growth in orthotopic brain tumour models. Importantly, Plofsomes are effective only at tumour sites and not in normal tissues, which improves the safety of combined RNAi and CRISPR-Cas9 therapeutics.

Highly Efficient Synergistic Chemotherapy and Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Targeted Ovarian Cancer Therapy Using Hyaluronic Acid-Coated Coordination Polymer Nanoparticles

The diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer (OC) are still a grand challenge, more than 70% of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage with a dismal prognosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown superior results to other examinations in preoperative assessment, while cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for OC. However, few previous studies have brought together the two rapidly expanding fields. Here a technique is presented using cisplatin prodrug (Pt-COOH), Fe3+, and natural polyphenols (Gossypol) to construct the nanoparticles (HA@PFG NPs) that have a stable structure, controllable drug release behavior, and high drug loading capacity. The acidic pH values in tumor sites facilitate the release of Fe3+, Pt-COOH, and Gossypol from HA@PFG NPs. Pt-COOH with GSH consumption and cisplatin-based chemotherapy plus Gossypol with pro-apoptotic effects displays a synergistic effect for killing tumor cells. Furthermore, the release of Fe3+ at the tumor sites promotes ferroptosis and enables MRI imaging of OC. In the patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) model, HA@PFG NPs alleviate the tumor activity. RNA sequencing analysis reveals that HA@PFG NPs ameliorate OC symptoms mainly through IL-6 signal pathways. This work combines MRI imaging with cisplatin-based chemotherapy, which holds great promise for OC diagnosis and synergistic therapy.

Dual Oxygen-Supply Immunosuppression-Inhibiting Nanomedicine to Avoid the Intratumoral Recruitment of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are reported to be responsible for the negative prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients due to the mediated immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The selective and chronic circumvention of tumor-infiltrated MDSCs has potential clinical significance for CRC treatment, which unluckily remains a technical challenge. Because tumor hypoxia makes a significant contribution to the recruitment of MDSCs in tumor sites, a dual oxygen-supplied immunosuppression-inhibiting nanomedicine (DOIN) is demonstrated for overcoming tumor hypoxia, which achieves selective and long-term inhibition of intratumoral recruitment of MDSCs. The DOIN is constructed by the encasement of perfluorooctyl bromide (PFOB) and 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) into a TME-responsive amphiphilic polymer. This nanoplatform directly carries oxygen to the tumor region and simultaneously loosens the condensed tumor extracellular matrix for the normalization of tumor vasculature, which selectively remodels the TME toward one adverse to the intratumoral recruitment of MDSCs. Importantly, this nanoplatform offers a long-acting alleviation of the hypoxic TME, chronically avoiding the comeback of tumor-infiltrated MDSCs. Consequently, the immunosuppressive TME is relieved, and T cells are successfully proliferated and activated into cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which boosts a systemic immune response and contributes to lasting inhibition of tumor growth with a prolonged survival span of xenograft.

A natural killer cell mimic against intracellular pathogen infections

In the competition between the pathogen infection and the host defense, infectious microorganisms may enter the host cells by evading host defense mechanisms and use the intracellular biomolecules as replication nutrient. Among them, intracellular Staphylococcus aureus relies on the host cells to protect itself from the attacks by antibiotics or immune system to achieve long-term colonization in the host, and the consequent clinical therapeutic failures and relapses after antibiotic treatment. Here, we demonstrate that intracellular S. aureus surviving well even in the presence of vancomycin can be effectively eliminated using an emerging cell-mimicking therapeutic strategy. These cell mimics with natural killer cell-like activity (NKMs) are composed of a redox-responsive degradable carrier, and perforin and granzyme B within the carrier. NKMs perform far more effectivly than clinical antibiotics in treating intracellular bacterial infections, providing a direct evidence of the NK cell-mimicking immune mechanism in the treatment of intracellular S. aureus.

Identification of a disulfidptosis-related genes signature for diagnostic and immune infiltration characteristics in endometriosis

Endometriosis (EMs) is the prevalent gynecological disease with the typical features of intricate pathogenesis and immune-related factors. Currently, there is no effective therapeutic intervention for EMs. Disulfidptosis, the cell death pattern discovered recently, may show close relationships to immunity and EMs. In this study, bioinformatics analysis was used to investigate the role of disulfide breakdown related genes (DRGs) in EMs. The EMs gene expression matrix was subjected to differential analysis for identifying overlap between differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in EMs and genes associated with disulfide poisoning. Immunoinfiltration analysis was performed. In addition, the association of hub genes with immune cells was examined. Multiple machine learning methods were employed to identify hub genes, construction of predictive models, and validation using external datasets and clinical samples. Totally 15 overlapping genes were identified. Immune-correlation analysis showed that NK cells played a vital role, and these 15 genes were closely related to NK cells. PDLIM1 was further determined as the hub gene through machine learning techniques. Clinical samples and external datasets were adopted for validating the performance in diagnosis. According to the above findings, we built the predictive model, and calculated the AUCs obtained from three external validation datasets to demonstrate the model accuracy. RT-qPCR and IHC analyses were applied to confirm the results. Colony formation was used to verify the effect of PDLIM1 on the proliferation of primary EMs cells. A strong correlation between disulfidptosis and EMs was identified in this study, highlighting its close correlation with the immune microenvironment. Moreover, our results shed new lights on exploring biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for EMs.

Hollow Copper Sulfide Nanocubes Loaded with Pt(IV) Complexes for Cancer Multimodal Therapy

Chemotherapy (CT) can significantly inhibit tumor growth, metastasis, and recurrence during cancer therapy. People have widely used platinum drugs in cancer treatment. However, as most chemotherapeutic drugs, platinum drugs still have shortcomings such as poor solubility, low cell uptake, nonspecific distribution, multidrug resistance, and adverse side effects. Therefore, we synthesized hollow copper sulfide (CuS) nanocubes with photothermal and photodynamic properties as carriers for Pt(IV) drugs. Hollow CuS nanocubes have attracted considerable interest in the field of cancer photothermal therapy (PTT) using multiple biological windows. Under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, Cu2+ can be reduced into Cu+ in the presence of hydrogen peroxide in the tumor microenvironment. The resulting Cu+ can be used for photodynamic therapy (PDT), which can perform a Fenton-like reaction under acidic conditions (pH 5.5-6.5) and catalyze hydrogen peroxide to produce ·OH in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, compared with Pt(II) drugs, Pt(IV) drugs not only have lower systemic toxicity but also consume glutathione (GSH), thereby increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in tumor cells and effectively promoting PDT. In this study, we oxidized ethylenediamine platinum chloride to its tetravalent state, loaded the Pt(IV) complexes using hollow CuS nanocubes, and modified the surfaces of the nanoparticles with PEG to improve the EPR effect. The Pt(IV)-loaded hollow CuS nanocubes modified with PEG (Pt(IV)-CuS@PEG) are expected to be used for tumor chemo/photothermal/photodynamic therapy.

Neighboring Effect-Initiated Supramolecular Nanocomplex with Sequential Infiltration as Irreversible Apoptosis Inducer for Synergetic Chemo-Immunotherapy

Chemotherapy-based combination regimens are recommended as first-line treatment for colorectal cancer. However, multidrug resistance (MDR) and limited drug infiltration in tumor microenvironment remain critical challenges. Herein, a pH/redox dual activated supramolecular DAS@CD-OxPt (IV) nanoparticles (NPs) via host-guest molecular recognition to achieve relay drugs delivery of active oxaliplatin (OxPt (IV)) and Src inhibitor dasatinib (DAS) between tumor cells is developed. DAS@CD-OxPt (IV) NPs exhibit prolonged circulation in the blood and intra-tumoral retention. Triggered by the endo/lysosome (pH 5.0), flexible DAS@CD-OxPt (IV) NPs exhibited proton-driven in situ assembly to form nanofiber in tumor cells. Dual chemotherapeutic agents released from DAS@CD-OxPt (IV) NPs synergistically cause irreversible DNA damage by blocking p53-mediated DNA repair. Supramolecular nanofibers can further serve as the "ammunition depot" to continuously release drugs from dying cells and transport them into neighboring tumor cells, leading to domino-like cell death and enhanced immunogenicity. Furthermore, DAS@CD-OxPt (IV) NPs combined with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy strikingly suppress CT26 tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis.

Near Infrared-Fluorescent Dinuclear Iridium(III) Nanoparticles for Immunogenic Sonodynamic Therapy

Dinuclear iridium(III) complexes activated by light-inducible spatiotemporal control are emerging as promising candidates for cancer therapy. However, broader applications of current light-activated dinuclear iridium(III) complexes are limited by the ineffective tissue penetration and undesirable feedback on guidance activation. Here, an ultrasound (US) triggered near infrared-fluorescent dinuclear iridium(III) nanoparticle, NanoIr, is first reported to precisely and spatiotemporally inhibit tumor growth. It is demonstrated that reactive oxygen species can be generated by NanoIr upon exposure to US irradiation (NanoIr + US), thereby inducing immunogenic cell death. When combined with cisplatin, NanoIr + US elicits synergistic effects in patient-derived tumor xenograft mice models of ovarian cancer. This work first provides a design of dinuclear iridium(III) nanoparticles for immunogenic sonodynamic therapy.

Construction of a prognostic model for disulfidptosis-related long noncoding RNAs in R0 resected hepatocellular carcinoma and analysis of their impact on malignant behavior

BACKGROUND

Disulfidptosis is an emerging form of cellular death resulting from the binding of intracellular disulfide bonds to actin cytoskeleton proteins. This study aimed to investigate the expression and prognostic significance of hub disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs (DRLRs) in R0 resected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as well as their impact on the malignant behaviour of HCC cells.

METHODS

A robust signature for R0 resected HCC was constructed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression and was validated in an independent internal validation cohort to predict the prognosis of R0 HCC patients. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was performed on the hub DRLRs (KDM4A-AS1, MKLN1-AS, and TMCC1-AS1), followed by experimental validation using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR) and cellular functional assays.

RESULTS

The signature served as an independent prognostic factor applicable to R0 HCC patients across different age groups, tumour stages, and pathological characteristics. Gene Ontology (GO) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed hub pathways associated with this signature. The high-risk group presented an increased abundance of M0 macrophages and activated memory CD4 T cells as well as elevated macrophage and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I expression. High-risk R0 HCC patients also presented increased tumour immune dysfunction and exclusion scores (TIDEs), mutation frequencies, and tumour mutational burdens (TMBs). Drug sensitivity analysis revealed that high-risk patients were more responsive to drugs, including GDC0810 and osimertinib. High expression levels of the three hub DRLRs were detected in R0 HCC tissues and HCC cell lines. Functional assays revealed that the three hub DRLRs enhanced HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

A signature was constructed on the basis of three DRLRs, providing novel insights for personalized precision therapy in R0 HCC patients.

Bioinspired Adaptive Microdrugs Enhance the Chemotherapy of Malignant Glioma: Beyond Their Nanodrugs

Solid nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery systems are usually confined to nanoscale due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect. However, they remain a great challenge for malignant glioma chemotherapy because of poor drug delivery efficiency and insufficient tumor penetration resulting from the blood-brain barrier/blood-brain tumor barrier (BBB/BBTB). Inspired by biological microparticles (e.g., cells) with excellent adaptive deformation, it is demonstrated that the adaptive microdrugs (even up to 3.0 µm in size) are more efficient than their nanodrugs (less than 200 nm in size) to cross BBB/BBTB and penetrate into tumor tissues, achieving highly efficient chemotherapy of malignant glioma. The distinct delivery of the adaptive microdrugs is mainly attributed to the enhanced interfacial binding and endocytosis via adaptive deformation. As expected, the obtained adaptive microdrugs exhibit enhanced accumulation, deep penetration, and cellular internalization into tumor tissues in comparison with nanodrugs, significantly improving the survival rate of glioblastoma mice. It is believed that the bioinspired adaptive microdrugs enable them to efficiently cross physiological barriers and deeply penetrate tumor tissues for drug delivery, providing an avenue for the treatment of solid tumors.

A Tween-80 modified hypoxia/esterase dual stimulus-activated nanomicelle as a delivery platform for carmustine - Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation

As a clinical anti-glioma agent, the therapeutic effect of carmustine (BCNU) was largely decreased because of the drug resistance mediated by O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) and the blood-brain barrier (BBB). To overcome these obstacles, we synthesized a BCNU-loaded hypoxia/esterase dual stimulus-activated nanomicelle, abbreviated as T80-HACB/BCNU NPs. In this nano-system, Tween 80 acts as the functional coating on the surface of the micelle to facilitate transport across the BBB. Hyaluronic acid (HA) with active tumor-targeting capability was linked with the hypoxia-sensitive AGT inhibitors (O6-azobenzyloxycarbonyl group) via an esterase-activated ester bond. The obtained T80-HACB/BCNU NPs had an average particle size of 232.10 ± 10.66 nm, the zeta potential of -18.13 ± 0.91 mV, and it showed high drug loading capacity, eximious biocompatibility and dual activation of hypoxia/esterase drug release behavior. The obtained T80-HACB/BCNU NPs showed enhanced cytotoxicity against hypoxic T98G and SF763 cells with IC50 at 132.2 μM and 133.1 μM, respectively. T80 modification improved the transportation of the micelle across an in vitro BBB model. The transport rate of the T80-HACB/Cou6 NPs group was 12.37 %, which was 7.6-fold (p<0.001) higher than the micelle without T80 modification. T80-HACB/BCNU NPs will contribute to the development of novel CENUs chemotherapies with high efficacy.

Nanoparticles destabilizing the cell membranes triggered by NIR light for cancer imaging and photo-immunotherapy

Cationic polymers have great potential for cancer therapy due to their unique interactions with cancer cells. However, their clinical application remains limited by their high toxicity. Here we show a cell membrane-targeting cationic polymer with antineoplastic activity (Pmt) and a second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescent biodegradable polymer with photosensitizer Bodipy units and reactive oxygen species (ROS) responsive thioketal bonds (PBodipy). Subsequently, these two polymers can self-assemble into antineoplastic nanoparticles (denoted mt-NPBodipy) which could further accumulate at the tumor and destroy cell membranes through electrostatic interactions, resulting in cell membrane destabilization. Meanwhile, the photosensitizer Bodipy produces ROS to induce damage to cell membranes, proteins, and DNAs to kill cancer cells concertedly, finally resulting in cell membrane lysis and cancer cell death. This work highlights the use of near-infrared light to spatially and temporarily control cationic polymers for photodynamic therapy, photo-immunotherapy, and NIR-II fluorescence for bio-imaging.

Electrokinetic convection-enhanced delivery for infusion into the brain from a hydrogel reservoir

Electrokinetic convection-enhanced delivery (ECED) utilizes an external electric field to drive the delivery of molecules and bioactive substances to local regions of the brain through electroosmosis and electrophoresis, without the need for an applied pressure. We characterize the implementation of ECED to direct a neutrally charged fluorophore (3 kDa) from a doped biocompatible acrylic acid/acrylamide hydrogel placed on the cortical surface. We compare fluorophore infusion profiles using ECED (time = 30 min, current = 50 µA) and diffusion-only control trials, for ex vivo (N = 18) and in vivo (N = 12) experiments. The linear intensity profile of infusion to the brain is significantly higher in ECED compared to control trials, both for in vivo and ex vivo. The linear distance of infusion, area of infusion, and the displacement of peak fluorescence intensity along the direction of infusion in ECED trials compared to control trials are significantly larger for in vivo trials, but not for ex vivo trials. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of ECED to direct a solute from a surface hydrogel towards inside the brain parenchyma based predominantly on the electroosmotic vector.

Therapeutic and prognostic effect of disulfidptosis-related genes in lung adenocarcinoma

Disulfidptosis, a new form of cell death, may be induced by disulfide stress associated with cystine disulfide buildup, which can promote cell toxicity, leading to cell death. Nevertheless, the role of direct prognosis and the mechanism underlying the regulation of disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of DRGs in LUAD prognosis and diagnosis through multiomics analysis. First, copy number variations (CNVs) and mutations in the 10 genes were assessed. Considering that five differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with disulfidptosis, a novel DRG score that can be utilized to anticipate LUAD prognosis was developed. Next, the generated receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and survival curves demonstrated that the model had an excellent predictive quality in LUAD in both the training and validation cohorts. Meanwhile, substantial functional disparities between the high DRG group and the low DRG group were observed, and the second gap mitosis (G2M) checkpoint, E2 promoter-binding factor (E2F) targets, and myelocytomatosis (MYC) target activities were consistently higher in the high DRG group than in the low DRG group. Additionally, the T-cell dysfunction score and tumor inflammation signature (Merck18) were negatively correlated with DRGs, whereas myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) were positively correlated with DRGs. Moreover, DRGs were negatively linked to most of the immunological checkpoints. Meanwhile, samples of low DRGs benefited more from immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). The correlation analysis between DRGs and clinical characteristics revealed increasing malignancy with increasing DRG scores. Drug sensitization experiment results indicated that sensitivity to cisplatin, vincristine, docetaxel, and gemcitabine was higher in the high DRG group than in the low DRG group. The function of model genes in LUAD was also verified using immunohistochemistry, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EDU), and clonogenic formation.

The Influence of Size on the Intracranial Distribution of Biomedical Nanoparticles Administered by Convection-enhanced Delivery in Minipigs

Because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), successful drug delivery to the brain has long been a key objective for the medical community, calling for pioneering technologies to overcome this challenge. Convection-enhanced delivery (CED), a form of direct intraparenchymal microinfusion, shows promise but requires optimal infusate design and real-time distribution monitoring. The size of the infused substances appears to be especially critical, with current knowledge being limited. Herein, we examined the intracranial administration of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated nanoparticles (NPs) of various sizes using CED in groups of healthy minipigs (n = 3). We employed stealth liposomes (LIPs, 130 nm) and two gold nanoparticle designs (AuNPs) of different diameters (8 and 40 nm). All were labeled with copper-64 for quantitative and real-time monitoring of the infusion via positron emission tomography (PET). NPs were infused via two catheters inserted bilaterally in the putaminal regions of the animals. Our results suggest CED with NPs holds promise for precise brain drug delivery, with larger LIPs exhibiting superior distribution volumes and intracranial retention over smaller AuNPs. PET imaging alongside CED enabled dynamic visualization of the process, target coverage, timely detection of suboptimal infusion, and quantification of distribution volumes and concentration gradients. These findings may augment the therapeutic efficacy of the delivery procedure while mitigating unwarranted side effects associated with nonvisually monitored delivery approaches. This is of vital importance, especially for chronic intermittent infusions through implanted catheters, as this information enables informed decisions for modulating targeted infusion volumes on a catheter-by-catheter, patient-by-patient basis.

Nanotechnology as a new strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of gliomas

Glioma is the most common malignant tumor of the central nervous system (CNS), and is characterized by high aggressiveness and a high recurrence rate. Currently, the main treatments for gliomas include surgical resection, temozolomide chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, the prognosis of glioma patients after active standardized treatment is still poor, especially for glioblastoma (GBM); the median survival is still only 14.6 months, and the 5-year survival rate is only 4-5%. The current challenges in glioma treatment include difficulty in complete surgical resection, poor blood‒brain barrier (BBB) drug permeability, therapeutic resistance, and difficulty in tumor-specific targeting. In recent years, the rapid development of nanotechnology has provided new directions for diagnosing and treating gliomas. Nanoparticles (NPs) are characterized by excellent surface tunability, precise targeting, excellent biocompatibility, and high safety. In addition, NPs can be used for gene therapy, photodynamic therapy, and antiangiogenic therapy and can be combined with biomaterials for thermotherapy. In recent decades, breakthroughs in diagnosing and treating gliomas have been made with various functional NPs, and NPs are expected to become a new strategy for glioma diagnosis and treatment. In this paper, we review the main obstacles in the treatment of glioma and discuss the potential and challenges of the latest nanotechnology in the diagnosis and treatment of glioma.

Intelligent Reconfiguration-Promoted Cellular Internalization of Core-Shell DNA Nanoprobe Equipped with Successive Dual Stimuli-Responsive Protective Satellites for Amplification Fluorescence Imaging of Tumor Cells

Although DNA probes have attracted increasing interest for precise tumor cell identification by imaging intracellular biomarkers, the requirement of commercial transfection reagents, limited targeting ligands, and/or non-biocompatible inorganic nanostructures has hampered the clinic translation. To circumvent these shortcomings, a reconfigurable ES-NC (Na+-dependent DNAzyme (E)-based substrate (S) cleavage core/shell DNA nanocluster (NC)) entirely from DNA strands is assembled for precise imaging of cancerous cells in a successive dual-stimuli-responsive manner. This nanoprobe is composed of a strung DNA tetrahedral satellites-based protective (DTP) shell, parallelly aligned target-responsive sensing (PTS) interlayer, and hydrophobic cholesterol-packed innermost layer (HCI core). Tetrahedral axial rotation-activated reconfiguration of DTP shell promotes the exposure of interior hydrophobic moieties, enabling cholesterol-mediated cellular internalization without auxiliary elements. Within cells, over-expressed glutathione triggers the disassembly of the DTP protective shell (first stimulus), facilitating target-stimulated signal transduction/amplification process (second stimuli). Target miRNA-21 is detected down to 10.6 fM without interference from coexisting miRNAs. Compared with transfection reagent-mediated counterpart, ES-NC displays a higher imaging ability, resists nuclease degradation, and has no detectable damage to healthy cells. The blind test demonstrates that the ES-NC is suitable for the identification of cancerous cells from healthy cells, indicating a promising tool for early diagnosis and prediction of cancer.

A Polyplatin with Hands-Holding Near-Infrared-II Fluorophores and Prodrugs at a Precise Ratio for Tracking Drug Fate with Realtime Readout and Treatment Feedback

The in vivo fate of chemotherapeutic drugs plays a vital role in understanding the therapeutic outcome, side effects, and the mechanism. However, the lack of imaging abilities of drugs, tedious labeling processes, and premature leakage of imaging agents result in loss of fidelity between the drugs and imaging signals. Herein, an amphiphilic polymer is created by copolymerization of a near-infrared-II (NIR-II) fluorophore tracer (T) and an anticancer Pt(IV) prodrug (D) of cisplatin in a hand-holding manner into one polymer chain for the first time. The obtained PolyplatinDT is capable of delivering the drugs and the fluorophores concomitantly at a precise D/T ratio, thereby resulting in tracking the platinum drugs and even readout of them in real-time via NIR-II imaging. PolyplatinDT can self-assemble into nanoparticles, referred to as NanoplatinDT. Furthermore, a caspase-3 cleavable peptide that serves as an apoptosis reporter is attached to NanoplatinDT, resulting in NanoplatinDTR that are capable of simultaneously tracking platinum drugs and evaluating the therapeutic efficacy. Overall, it is reported here the design of the first theranostic polymer with anticancer drugs, drug tracers, and drug efficacy reporters that can work in concert to provide insight into the drug fate and mechanism of action.

Identification of disulfidptosis-related clusters and construction of a disulfidptosis-related gene prognostic signature in triple-negative breast cancer

Objective

This study aimed to explore disulfidptosis-related clusters of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and build a reliable disulfidptosis-related gene signature for forecasting TNBC prognosis.

Methods

The disulfidptosis-related clusters of TNBC were identified based on public datasets, and a comparative analysis was conducted to assess their differences in the overall survival (OS) and immune cell infiltration. Morever, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between clusters were recognized. Then, the prognostic DEGs were then chosen. A prognostic signature was constructed by the prognostic DEGs, followed by nomogram construction, drug sensitivity, immune correlation, immunotherapy response prediction, and cluster association analyses.

Results

Two disulfidptosis-related clusters of TNBC were identified, which had different OS and macrophage infiltration. Moreover, 235 DEGs were identified between two clusters. A prognostic signature was then constructed by five prognostic DEGs including HLA-DQA2, CCL13, GBP1, LAMP3, and SLC7A11. This signature was highly valuable in predicting prognosis. A nomogram was built by risk score and AJCC stage, which could forecast OS accurately. Moreover, patients with high-risk scores exhibited greater sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs such as lapatinib and had a lower immunotherapy response.

Conclusions

Two TNBC clusters linked to disulfidptosis were identified, with different OS and immune cell infiltration. Moreover, a five-disulfidptosis-related gene signature may be a powerful prognostic biomarker for TNBC.

Multi-Omics Insights into Disulfidptosis-Related Genes Reveal RPN1 as a Therapeutic Target for Liver Cancer

Disulfidptosis, a newly identified mode of programmed cell death, is yet to be comprehensively elucidated with respect to its multi-omics characteristics in tumors, specific pathogenic mechanisms, and antitumor functions in liver cancer. This study included 10,327 tumor and normal tissue samples from 33 cancer types. In-depth analyses using various bioinformatics tools revealed widespread dysregulation of disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) in pan-cancer and significant associations with prognosis, genetic variations, tumor stemness, methylation levels, and drug sensitivity. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression and LASSO regression were used to screen and construct prognosis-related hub DRGs and predictive models in the context of liver cancer. Subsequently, single cell analysis was conducted to investigate the subcellular localization of RPN1, a hub DRG, in various solid tumors. Western blotting was performed to validate the expression of RPN1 at both cellular and tissue levels. Additionally, functional experiments, including CCK8, EdU, clone, and transwell assays, indicated that RPN1 knockdown promoted the proliferative and invasive capacities of liver cancer cells. Therefore, this study elucidated the multi-omics characteristics of DRGs in pan-cancer and established a prognostic model for liver cancer. Additionally, this study revealed the molecular functions of RPN1 in liver cancer, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for this disease.

Efficient Delivery of Lomitapide using Hybrid Membrane-Coated Tetrahedral DNA Nanostructures for Glioblastoma Therapy

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and prevalent primary malignant tumor of the central nervous system. Traditional chemotherapy has poor therapeutic effects and significant side effects due to drug resistance, the natural blood-brain barrier (BBB), and nonspecific distribution, leading to a lack of clinically effective therapeutic drugs. Here, 1430 small molecule compounds are screened based on a high-throughput drug screening platform and a novel anti-GBM drug, lomitapide (LMP) is obtained. Furthermore, a bionic nanodrug delivery system (RFA NPs) actively targeting GBM is constructed, which mainly consists of tetrahedral DNA nanocages (tFNA NPs) loaded with LMP as the core and a folate-modified erythrocyte-cancer cell-macrophage hybrid membrane (FRUR) as the shell. FRUR camouflage conferred unique features on tFNA NPs, including excellent biocompatibility, improved pharmacokinetic profile, efficient BBB permeability, and tumor targeting ability. The results show that the LMP RFA NPs exhibited superior and specific anti-GBM activities, reduced off-target drug delivery, prolonged lifespan, and has negligible side effects in tumor-bearing mice. This study combines high-throughput drug screening with biomimetic nanodrug delivery system technology to provide a theoretical and practical basis for drug development and the optimization of clinical treatment strategies for GBM treatment.

Construction of a novel disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs signature for prognosis prediction and anti-tumor immunity in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Disulfidptosis, an innovative type of controlled cellular death linked to metabolic dysfunction, has garnered attention. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the involvement of disulfidptosisrelated lnRNAs (DRlncRNAs) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). The objective of our team in this study seeks to establish a DRlncRNAs signature, investigate their prognostic value in LSCC, and explore their associations with immune cell subpopulations, biological signaling pathways, and exploring implications for drug sensitivity. We accessed LSCC patients' RNA-seq data and pertinent clinical data for subsequent further analysis from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) portal. A literature search was conducted focusing on disulfidptosis-related genes. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to identify DRlncRNAs. Differential expression analysis of lncRNAs was performed. Utilizing univariate Cox regression analysis, we identified disulfidptosis-associated prognostic lncRNAs. The LASSO-Cox regression analysis was employed to refine this set of lncRNAs and construct a disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs signature. Various statistical techniques were employed to appraise model predictive performance. Subsequently, risk groups were stratified based on the risk score derived from the DRlncRNAs signature. The superiority of the risk score in prognostication over traditional clinicopathological features in LSCC patients was demonstrated. Evident distinctions emerged between risk groups, particularly in immune cell subpopulations like activated mast cells, eosinophils, and activated NK cells. Finally, the low-risk group demonstrated reduced IC50 values for specific chemotherapeutics like cisplatin and gemcitabine. The in vitro experiments indicated differential behavior of our DRlncRNAs. The DRlncRNAs signature can serve as a robust biomarker with the ability to predict both prognosis and therapeutic responses among patients with LSCC.

Activating CD8+ T Cells by Pt(IV) Prodrug-Based Nanomedicine and aPD-L1 Antibody for Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy

Recent years have witnessed substantial progress in cancer immunotherapy, specifically T cell-based therapies. However, the application of T cell therapies has been primarily limited to hematologic malignancies, with limited success in the treatment of solid tumors. The main challenge in treating solid tumor is immune escape, which is characterized by reduced antigenicity, diminished immunogenicity, and the development of suppressive tumor immune microenvironments. To address these obstacles and restore T cell-mediated anti-tumor responses, a novel nanoparticle formulation known as PRA@Oxa-c16 is developed. This innovative approach combines retinoic acid and Pt(IV) to specifically target and overcome immune escape. Notably, the therapeutic efficacy of PRA@Oxa-c16 primarily relies on its ability to induce anti-tumor T cell responses, in contrast to the cytotoxicity associated with conventional chemotherapeutic agents. When combined with an immune checkpoint blockade, anti-programmed death-ligand 1 antibody, PRA@Oxa-c16 effectively eliminates solid tumors and induces immune memory responses, which prevent tumor metastasis and recurrence. This promising approach holds great potential for enhancing the treatment of solid tumors with T cell-based immunotherapy.

Nanomedomics

Nanomaterials have attractive physicochemical properties. A variety of nanomaterials such as inorganic, lipid, polymers, and protein nanoparticles have been widely developed for nanomedicine via chemical conjugation or physical encapsulation of bioactive molecules. Superior to traditional drugs, nanomedicines offer high biocompatibility, good water solubility, long blood circulation times, and tumor-targeting properties. Capitalizing on this, several nanoformulations have already been clinically approved and many others are currently being studied in clinical trials. Despite their undoubtful success, the molecular mechanism of action of the vast majority of nanomedicines remains poorly understood. To tackle this limitation, herein, this review critically discusses the strategy of applying multiomics analysis to study the mechanism of action of nanomedicines, named nanomedomics, including advantages, applications, and future directions. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanism could provide valuable insight and therefore foster the development and clinical translation of nanomedicines.

Strategies for the Nuclear Delivery of Metal Complexes to Cancer Cells

The nucleus is an essential organelle for the function of cells. It holds most of the genetic material and plays a crucial role in the regulation of cell growth and proliferation. Since many antitumoral therapies target nucleic acids to induce cell death, tumor-specific nuclear drug delivery could potentiate therapeutic effects and prevent potential off-target side effects on healthy tissue. Due to their great structural variety, good biocompatibility, and unique physico-chemical properties, organometallic complexes and other metal-based compounds have sparked great interest as promising anticancer agents. In this review, strategies for specific nuclear delivery of metal complexes are summarized and discussed to highlight crucial parameters to consider for the design of new metal complexes as anticancer drug candidates. Moreover, the existing opportunities and challenges of tumor-specific, nucleus-targeting metal complexes are emphasized to outline some new perspectives and help in the design of new cancer treatments.

Nanoparticles targeting mutant p53 overcome chemoresistance and tumor recurrence in non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) shows high drug resistance and leads to low survival due to the high level of mutated Tumor Protein p53 (TP53). Cisplatin is a first-line treatment option for NSCLC, and the p53 mutation is a major factor in chemoresistance. We demonstrate that cisplatin chemotherapy increases the risk of TP53 mutations, further contributing to cisplatin resistance. Encouragingly, we find that the combination of cisplatin and fluvastatin can alleviate this problem. Therefore, we synthesize Fluplatin, a prodrug consisting of cisplatin and fluvastatin. Then, Fluplatin self-assembles and is further encapsulated with poly-(ethylene glycol)-phosphoethanolamine (PEG-PE), we obtain Fluplatin@PEG-PE nanoparticles (FP NPs). FP NPs can degrade mutant p53 (mutp53) and efficiently trigger endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). In this study, we show that FP NPs relieve the inhibition of cisplatin chemotherapy caused by mutp53, exhibiting highly effective tumor suppression and improving the poor NSCLC prognosis.

Identification of a novel disulfideptosis-related gene signature for prognostic implication in lower-grade gliomas

Lower-grade gliomas (GBMLGG) are common, fatal, and difficult-to-treat cancers. The current treatment choices have impressive efficacy constraints. As a result, the development of effective treatments and the identification of new therapeutic targets are urgent requirements. Disulfide metabolism is the cause of the non-apoptotic programmed cell death known as disulfideptosis, which was only recently discovered. The mRNA expression data and related clinical information of GBMLGG patients downloaded from public databases were used in this study to investigate the prognostic significance of genes involved in disulfideptosis. In the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohort, our findings showed that many disulfidptosis-related genes were expressed differently in normal and GBMLGG tissues. It was discovered that IQ motif-containing GTPase-activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) is a key gene that influences the outcome of GBMLGG. Besides, a nomogram model was built to foresee the visualization of GBMLGG patients. In addition, in vivo and in vitro validation of IQGAP1's cancer-promoting function was done. In conclusion, we discovered a gene signature associated with disulfideptosis that can effectively predict OS in GBMLGG patients. As a result, treating disulfideptosis may be a viable alternative for GBMLGG patients.

Comprehensive analysis of scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq reveal the characteristics of disulfidptosis and a prognostic signature in BLCA

Disulfidptosis is a newly discovered mode of cell death. However, its biological mechanism in bladder cancer (BLCA) is still uncharacterized. In this investigation, we firstly examined the expression and mutation of disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) in BLCA. Two disulfidptosis phenotypes associated with DRGs expression patterns and immune cell infiltration were built. A disulfidptosis risk score signature was constructed based on ten differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the disulfidptosis subtypes, which allowed patients to be stratified into high- and low-risk groups. We further confirmed that the disulfidptosis risk score signature has great power to predict prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and immunotherapy efficacy in BLCA. Additionally, we analyzed the differences in therapeutic sensitivities between high- and low-risk groups concerning targeted inhibitor therapy and immunotherapy. Analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing was conducted of the ten hub DRGs. Of the ten genes, we found that DUSP2 and SLCO1B3 were differentially expressed in BLCA tissues and adjacent normal tissues, and were markedly associated with patients' prognosis. Functional experiments revealed that overexpression of DUSP2 or knockdown of SLCO1B3 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in BLCA cells. In all, we present a fresh disulfidptosis-related prognostic signature, which has a remarkable capacity to characterize the immunological landscape and prognosis of BLCA patients.

Multi-omics analysis of disulfidptosis regulators and therapeutic potential reveals glycogen synthase 1 as a disulfidptosis triggering target for triple-negative breast cancer

Disruption of disulfide homeostasis during biological processes can have fatal consequences. Excess disulfides induce cell death in a novel manner, termed as "disulfidptosis." However, the specific mechanism of disulfidptosis has not yet been elucidated. To determine the cancer types sensitive to disulfidptosis and outline the corresponding treatment strategies, we firstly investigated the crucial functions of disulfidptosis regulators pan-cancer at multi-omics levels. We found that different tumor types expressed dysregulated levels of disulfidptosis regulators, most of which had an impact on tumor prognosis. Moreover, we calculated the disulfidptosis activity score in tumors and validated it using multiple independent datasets. Additionally, we found that disulfidptosis activity was correlated with classic biological processes and pathways in various cancers. Disulfidptosis activity was also associated with tumor immune characteristics and could predict immunotherapy outcomes. Notably, the disulfidptosis regulator, glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1), was identified as a promising target for triple-negative breast cancer and validated via in vitro and in vivo experiments. In conclusion, our study elucidated the complex molecular phenotypes and clinicopathological correlations of disulfidptosis regulators in tumors, laying a solid foundation for the development of disulfidptosis-targeting strategies for cancer treatment.

Antibody-platinum (IV) prodrugs conjugates for targeted treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a new type of targeting antibodies that conjugate with highly toxic anticancer drugs via chemical linkers to exert high specificity and efficient killing of tumor cells, thereby attracting considerable attention in precise oncology therapy. Cetuximab (Cet) is a typical antibody that offers the benefits of good targeting and safety for individuals with advanced and inoperable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC); however, its anti-tumor activity is limited to a single use. Cisplatin (CisPt) shows good curative effects; however, its adverse effects and non-tumor-targeting ability are major drawbacks. In this study, we designed and developed a new ADC based on a new cytotoxic platinum (IV) prodrug (C8Pt(IV)) and Cet. The so-called antibody-platinum (IV) prodrugs conjugates, named Cet-C8Pt(IV), showed excellent tumor targeting in cSCC. Specifically, it accurately delivered C8Pt(IV) into tumor cells to exert the combined anti-tumor effect of Cet and CisPt. Herein, metabolomic analysis showed that Cet-C8Pt(IV) promoted cellular apoptosis and increased DNA damage in cSCC cells by affecting the vitamin B6 metabolic pathway in tumor cells, thereby further enhancing the tumor-killing ability and providing a new strategy for clinical cancer treatment using antibody-platinum (IV) prodrugs conjugates.

A novel disulfidptosis-related prognostic gene signature and experimental validation identify ACTN4 as a novel therapeutic target in lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a prevalent form of malignancy globally. Disulfidptosis is novel programmed cell death pathway based on disulfide proteins, may have a positive impact on the development of LUAD treatment strategies.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) on the prognosis of LUAD, developed a risk model to facilitate the diagnosis and prognostication of patients. We also explored ACTN4 (DRGs) as a new therapeutic biomarker for LUAD.

METHODS

We investigated the expression patterns of DRGs in both LUAD and noncancerous tissues. To assess the prognostic value of the DRGs, we developed risk models through univariate Cox analysis and lasso regression. The expression and function of ACTN4 was evaluated by qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and in vitro experiments. The TIMER examined the association between ACTN4 expression and immune infiltration in LUAD.

RESULTS

Ten differentially expressed DRGs were identified. And ACTN4 was identified as potential risk factors through univariate Cox regression analysis (P < 0.05). ACTN4 expression and riskscore were used to construct a risk model to predict overall survival in LUAD, and high-risk demonstrated a significantly higher mortality rate compared to the low-risk cohort. qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry assays indicated ACTN4 was upregulated in LUAD, and the upregulation was associated with clinicopathologic features. In vitro experiments showed the knockdown of ACTN4 expression inhibited the proliferation in LUAD cells. The TIMER analysis demonstrated a correlation between the expression of ACTN4 and the infiltration of diverse immune cells. Elevated ACTN4 expression was associated with a reduction in memory B cell count. Additionally, the ACTN4 expression was associated with m6A modification genes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study introduced a prognostic model based on DRGs, which could forecast the prognosis of patients with LUAD. The biomarker ACTN4 exhibits promise for the diagnosis and management of LUAD, given its correlation with tumor immune infiltration and m6A modification.

GSH/pH Cascade-Responsive Nanoparticles Eliminate Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm via Synergistic Photo-Chemo Therapy

Bacterial biofilm infection threatens public health, and efficient treatment strategies are urgently required. Phototherapy is a potential candidate, but it is limited because of the off-targeting property, vulnerable activity, and normal tissue damage. Herein, cascade-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) with a synergistic effect of phototherapy and chemotherapy are proposed for targeted elimination of biofilms. The NPs are fabricated by encapsulating IR780 in a polycarbonate-based polymer that contains disulfide bonds in the main chain and a Schiff-base bond connecting vancomycin (Van) pendants in the side chain (denoted as SP-Van@IR780 NPs). SP-Van@IR780 NPs specifically target bacterial biofilms in vitro and in vivo by the mediation of Van pendants. Subsequently, SP-Van@IR780 NPs are decomposed into small size and achieve deep biofilm penetration due to the cleavage of disulfide bonds in the presence of GSH. Thereafter, Van is then detached from the NPs because the Schiff base bonds are broken at low pH when SP@IR780 NPs penetrate into the interior of biofilm. The released Van and IR780 exhibit a robust synergistic effect of chemotherapy and phototherapy, strongly eliminate the biofilm both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, these biocompatible SP-Van@IR780 NPs provide a new outlook for the therapy of bacterial biofilm infection.

Micro/nanosystems for controllable drug delivery to the brain

Drug delivery to the brain is crucial in the treatment for central nervous system disorders. While significant progress has been made in recent years, there are still major challenges in achieving controllable drug delivery to the brain. Unmet clinical needs arise from various factors, including controlled drug transport, handling large drug doses, methods for crossing biological barriers, the use of imaging guidance, and effective models for analyzing drug delivery. Recent advances in micro/nanosystems have shown promise in addressing some of these challenges. These include the utilization of microfluidic platforms to test and validate the drug delivery process in a controlled and biomimetic setting, the development of novel micro/nanocarriers for large drug loads across the blood-brain barrier, and the implementation of micro-intervention systems for delivering drugs through intraparenchymal or peripheral routes. In this article, we present a review of the latest developments in micro/nanosystems for controllable drug delivery to the brain. We also delve into the relevant diseases, biological barriers, and conventional methods. In addition, we discuss future prospects and the development of emerging robotic micro/nanosystems equipped with directed transportation, real-time image guidance, and closed-loop control.

Structural Determinants of Stimuli-Responsiveness in Amphiphilic Macromolecular Nano-assemblies

Stimuli-responsive nano-assemblies from amphiphilic macromolecules could undergo controlled structural transformations and generate diverse macroscopic phenomenon under stimuli. Due to the controllable responsiveness, they have been applied for broad material and biomedical applications, such as biologics delivery, sensing, imaging, and catalysis. Understanding the mechanisms of the assembly-disassembly processes and structural determinants behind the responsive properties is fundamentally important for designing the next generation of nano-assemblies with programmable responsiveness. In this review, we focus on structural determinants of assemblies from amphiphilic macromolecules and their macromolecular level alterations under stimuli, such as the disruption of hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB), depolymerization, decrosslinking, and changes of molecular packing in assemblies, which eventually lead to a series of macroscopic phenomenon for practical purposes. Applications of stimuli-responsive nano-assemblies in delivery, sensing and imaging were also summarized based on their structural features. We expect this review could provide readers an overview of the structural considerations in the design and applications of nanoassemblies and incentivize more explorations in stimuli-responsive soft matters.