Amelioration of Cancer Employing Chitosan, Its Derivatives, and Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles: Recent Updates

The limitations associated with the conventional treatment of cancer have necessitated the design and development of novel drug delivery systems based mainly on nanotechnology. These novel drug delivery systems include various kinds of nanoparticles, such as polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, hydrogels, and polymeric micelles. Among the various kinds of novel drug delivery systems, chitosan-based nanoparticles have attracted the attention of researchers to treat cancer. Chitosan is a polycationic polymer generated from chitin with various characteristics such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and mucoadhesiveness, making it an ideal polymer to fabricate drug delivery systems. However, chitosan is poorly soluble in water and soluble in acidic aqueous solutions. Furthermore, owing to the presence of reactive amino groups, chitosan can be chemically modified to improve its physiochemical properties. Chitosan and its modified derivatives can be employed to fabricate nanoparticles, which are used most frequently in the pharmaceutical sector due to their possession of various characteristics such as nanosize, appropriate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, non-immunogenicity, improved stability, and improved drug loading capacity. Furthermore, it is capable of delivering nucleic acids, chemotherapeutic medicines, and bioactives using modified chitosan. Chitosan and its modified derivative-based nanoparticles can be targeted to specific cancer sites via active and passive mechanisms. Based on chitosan drug delivery systems, many anticancer drugs now have better effectiveness, potency, cytotoxicity, or biocompatibility. The characteristics of chitosan and its chemically tailored derivatives, as well as their use in cancer therapy, will be examined in this review.

Super absorbent chitosan-based hydrogel sponges as carriers for caspofungin antifungal drug

Novel chitosan copolymers (CS-g-SBMA) grafted with [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SBMA) in various molar ratio 1.5:1, 5:1, 11.5:1 and 20:1, were synthesized in the present study. SBMA was selected as zwitterion molecule showing promising antibacterial properties. Grafted chitosan derivatives were fully characterized for their successful synthesis by NMR and FT-IR, for their crystallinity by XRD showing reduced crystallinity compared to CS alone. Furthermore, swelling studies were conducted with the grafted derivatives showing extensive swelling capacity (maximum degree of swelling up to 1800%) and water absorption was studied with differential scanning calorimetry and equilibrium water adsorption/desorption isotherms were analyzed. Caspofungin, a novel antifungal drug, was used to prepare a double-acting system, with both antibacterial and antifungal properties, proper for topical use. Drug loaded hydrogels were prepared with 10, 20 and 30 wt% drug content and the loaded hydrogels were fully characterized while antimicrobial studies showed enhanced properties. Caspofungin in vitro release showed an initial burst effect followed by a diffusion process while data analysis verified the initial burst release followed by a quasi Fickian diffusion-driven sustained release. Enhance antimicrobial properties was also observed in caspofungin-loaded hydrogels showing the successful fulfill of our scope; an amphiphilic system having great potential for the development of patches with inherent antimicrobial properties and prolonged antifungal properties.

Chitosan Nanomedicine in Cancer Therapy: Targeted Delivery and Cellular Uptake

Nanomedicine has gained much attention for the management and treatment of cancers due to the distinctive physicochemical properties of the drug-loaded particles. Chitosan's cationic nature is attractive for the development of such particles for drug delivery, transfection, and controlled release. The particle properties can be improved by modification of the polymer or the particle themselves. The physicochemical properties of chitosan particles are analyzed in 126 recent studies, which allows to highlight their impact on passive and active targeted drug delivery, cellular uptake, and tumor growth inhibition (TGI). From 2012 to 2019, out of 40 in vivo studies, only 4 studies are found reporting a reduction in tumor size by using chitosan particles while all other studies reported tumor growth inhibition relative to controls. A total of 23 studies are analyzed for cellular uptake including 12 studies reporting cellular uptake mechanisms. Understanding and exploiting the processes involved in targeted delivery, endocytosis, and exocytosis by controlling the physicochemical properties of chitosan particles are important for the development of safe and efficient nanomedicine. It is concluded based on the recent literature available on chitosan particles that combination therapies can play a pivotal role in transformation of chitosan nanomedicine from bench to bedside.

Biomedical and Pharmacological Uses of Fluorescein Isothiocyanate Chitosan-Based Nanocarriers

Chitosan-based nanocarriers (ChNCs) are considered suitable drug carriers due to their ability to encapsulate a variety of drugs and cross biological barriers to deliver the cargo to their target site. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled chitosan-based NCs (FITC@ChNCs) are used extensively in biomedical and pharmacological applications. The main advantage of using FITC@ChNCs consists of the ability to track their fate both intra and extracellularly. This journey is strictly dependent on the physico-chemical properties of the carrier and the cell types under investigation. Other applications make use of fluorescent ChNCs in cell labeling for the detection of disorders in vivo and controlling of living cells in situ. This review describes the use of FITC@ChNCs in the various applications with a focus on understanding their usefulness in labeled drug-delivery systems.

Nanoparticles based on the zwitterionic pillar[5]arene and Ag+: synthesis, self-assembly and cytotoxicity in the human lung cancer cell line A549

For the first time, stable pillar[5]arene/Ag+ nanoparticles, consisting of water-soluble pillar[5]arene containing γ-sulfobetaine fragments and Ag+ ions without Ag-Ag bonds, were synthesized and characterized. The pillar[5]arene/Ag+ (ratio 1:10) nanoparticles obtained were cubic with a rib length of 100 nm and are less cytotoxic than Ag+ ions. The survival of the A549 model cells in the presence of pillar[5]arene/Ag+ (1:10) nanoparticles at a concentration of 30 and 40 μM was 76% and 55%, while in the absence of pillar[5]arene, the cell survival for free Ag+ ions at the same concentration was 30% and 10%, respectively. The results can be used to create new antibacterial materials and 2D biomedical coatings.