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Park HS, Yokomizo S, Wang H, Manganiello S, Monaco H, McDonnell R, Kim HJ, Rho J, Ahn S, Jung H, Kang H, Bao K, Kashiwagi S, Choi HS. Bifunctional Tumor-Targeted Bioprobe for Phothotheranosis. Biomater Res 2024; 28:0002. [PMID: 38327616 PMCID: PMC10845606 DOI: 10.34133/bmr.0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Near-infrared (NIR) phototheranostics provide promising noninvasive imaging and treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), capitalizing on its adjacency to skin or mucosal surfaces. Activated by laser irradiation, targeted NIR fluorophores can selectively eradicate cancer cells, harnessing the power of synergistic photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy. However, there is a paucity of NIR bioprobes showing tumor-specific targeting and effective phototheranosis without hurting surrounding healthy tissues. Methods: We engineered a tumor-specific bifunctional NIR bioprobe designed to precisely target HNSCC and induce phototheranosis using bioconjugation of a cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (cRGD) motif and zwitterionic polymethine NIR fluorophore. The cytotoxic effects of cRGD-ZW800-PEG were measured by assessing heat and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation upon an 808-nm laser irradiation. We then determined the in vivo efficacy of cRGD-ZW800-PEG in the FaDu xenograft mouse model of HNSCC, as well as its biodistribution and clearance, using a customized portable NIR imaging system. Results: Real-time NIR imaging revealed that intravenously administered cRGD-ZW800-PEG targeted tumors rapidly within 4 h postintravenous injection in tumor-bearing mice. Upon laser irradiation, cRGD-ZW800-PEG produced ROS and heat simultaneously and exhibited synergistic photothermal and photodynamic effects on the tumoral tissue without affecting the neighboring healthy tissues. Importantly, all unbound bioprobes were cleared through renal excretion. Conclusions: By harnessing phototheranosis in combination with tailored tumor selectivity, our targeted bioprobe ushers in a promising paradigm in cancer treatment. It promises safer and more efficacious therapeutic avenues against cancer, marking a substantial advancement in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae Sang Park
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine,
Hallym University, Chuncheon 24253, South Korea
| | - Shinya Yokomizo
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Haoran Wang
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Sophia Manganiello
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hailey Monaco
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Rose McDonnell
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hajin Joanne Kim
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jiyun Rho
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Sung Ahn
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Harry Jung
- Institute of New Frontier Research Team, Hallym Clinical and Translation Science Institute,
Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, South Korea
| | - Homan Kang
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kai Bao
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Satoshi Kashiwagi
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hak Soo Choi
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Sarkar T, Sahoo S, Neekhra S, Paul M, Biswas S, Babu BN, Srivastava R, Hussain A. A dipyridophenazine Ni(II) dithiolene complex as a dual-acting cancer phototherapy agent activatable within the phototherapeutic window. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 261:115816. [PMID: 37717381 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
A combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) within the phototherapeutic window (600-900 nm) can lead to significantly enhanced therapeutic outcomes, surpassing the efficacy observed with PDT or PTT alone in cancer phototherapy. Herein, we report a novel small-molecule mixed-ligand Ni(II)-dithiolene complex (Ni-TDD) with a dipyridophenazine ligand, demonstrating potent red-light PDT and significant near-infrared (NIR) light mild-temperature PTT activity against cancer cells and 3D multicellular tumour spheroids (MCTSs). The four-coordinate square planar complex exhibited a moderately intense absorption band (ε ∼ 3700 M-1cm-1) centered around 900 nm and demonstrated excellent dark and photostability in an aqueous phase. Ni-TDD induced a potent red-light (600-720 nm) PDT effect on HeLa cancer cells (IC50 = 1.8 μM, photo irritation factor = 44), triggering apoptotic cell death through efficient singlet oxygen generation. Ni-TDD showed a significant intercalative binding affinity towards double-helical calf thymus DNA, resulting in a binding constant (Kb) ∼ 106 M-1. The complex induced mild hyperthermia and exerted a significant mild-temperature PTT effect on MDA-MB-231 cancer cells upon irradiation with 808 nm NIR light. Simultaneous irradiation of Ni-TDD-treated HeLa MCTSs with red and NIR light led to a remarkable synergistic inhibition of growth, exceeding the effects of individual irradiation, through the generation of singlet oxygen and mild hyperthermia. Ni-TDD displayed minimal toxicity towards non-cancerous HPL1D and L929 cells, even at high micromolar concentrations. This is the first report of a Ni(II) complex demonstrating red-light PDT activity and the first example of a first-row transition metal complex exhibiting combined PDT and PTT effects within the clinically relevant phototherapeutic window. Our findings pave the way for designing and developing metal-dithiolene complexes as dual-acting cancer phototherapy agents using long wavelength light for treating solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tukki Sarkar
- Department of Fluoro-Agrochemicals, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, 500007, India
| | - Somarupa Sahoo
- Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Suditi Neekhra
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Milan Paul
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Jawahar Nagar, Medchal, Hyderabad, 500078, Telangana, India
| | - Swati Biswas
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Jawahar Nagar, Medchal, Hyderabad, 500078, Telangana, India.
| | - Bathini Nagendra Babu
- Department of Fluoro-Agrochemicals, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, 500007, India.
| | - Rohit Srivastava
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India.
| | - Akhtar Hussain
- Department of Chemistry, Handique Girls' College, Guwahati, 781001, Assam, India.
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Yoshinaga M, Rocha WR. New Hybrid Compound Candidate as Photothermal Agent Based on DPP Derivatives and Toluidine Blue: A Theoretical Perspective. Photochem Photobiol 2023; 99:1429-1437. [PMID: 36890687 DOI: 10.1111/php.13799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
In this article, the synthesis of a new hybrid compound, candidate as photothermal agent, is proposed, based on TDPP (3,6-di(thiophene-2-yl)-2,5-dihydropyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione) and toluidine blue. Electronic structure calculations at the DFT, TD-DFT and CCSD level of theories were performed to obtain ground and excited states molecular structures, photophysical properties and absorption spectrum of the hybrid and the starting compounds. Additionally, ADMET calculations were performed to predict the pharmacokinetic, metabolic and toxicity properties of the proposed compound. The results showed that the proposed compound is a strong candidate for photothermal agent since (1) it absorbs close to the near-infrared region, (2) it has low fluorescence and intersystem crossing rate constants, (3) it has accessible conical intersection with low energy barrier, (4) the compound shows lower toxicity than the well know compound toluidine blue, which is used in photodynamic therapy, (5) the compound does not show carcinogenic potential, and (6) it obeys the Lipinski's rule of five, used as a reference for the design of new pharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Yoshinaga
- Laboratório de Estudos Computacionais em Sistemas Moleculares, eCsMolab, Departamento de Química, ICEx, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Willian R Rocha
- Laboratório de Estudos Computacionais em Sistemas Moleculares, eCsMolab, Departamento de Química, ICEx, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Sahoo P, Jana P, Kundu S, Mishra S, Chattopadhyay K, Mukherjee A, Ghosh CK. Quercetin@Gd 3+ doped Prussian blue nanocubes induce the pyroptotic death of MDA-MB-231 cells: combinational targeted multimodal therapy, dual modal MRI, intuitive modelling of r1- r2 relaxivities. J Mater Chem B 2023. [PMID: 37366114 DOI: 10.1039/d3tb00316g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Quercetin (Qu), a potential bioflavonoid has gained considerable interest as a promising chemotherapeutic drug which can inhibit the proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells due to its regulation of the expression of tumor-suppressor gene metastasis and antioxidant property. Notably, Qu exhibits a very negligible cytotoxic effect on normal cells, even with high-dose treatment, while it is shows high affinity to TNBC. However, the efficiency of Qu is limited clinically due to its poor bioavailability, caused by its low aqueous solubility (2.15 μg mL-1 at 25 °C), rapid gastrointestinal digestion and chemical instability in alkaline and neutral media. Herein, polydopamine (PDA)-coated, NH2-PEG-NH2 and hyaluronic acid (HA)-functionalized Gd3+-doped Prussian blue nanocubes (GPBNC) are reported as a multifunctional platform for the codelivery of Qu as a chemotherapeutic agent and GPBNC as a photodynamic (PDT) and photothermal (PTT) agent with improved therapeutic efficiency to overcome theses barriers. PDA, NH2-PEG-NH2 and HA stabilize GPBNC@Qu and facilitate bioavailability and active-targeting, while absorption of near infrared (NIR) (808 nm; 1 W cm-2) induces PDT and PTT activities and dual T1-T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with high relaxometric parameters (r1 10.06 mM-1 s-1 and r2 24.96 mM-1 s-1 at a magnetic field of 3 T). The designed platform shows a pH-responsive Qu release profile and NIR-induced therapeutic efficiency of ∼79% in 20 minutes of irradiation, wherein N-terminal gardermin D (N-GSDMD) and a P2X7-receptor-mediated pyroptosis pathway induces cell death, corroborating the up-regulation of NLRP3, caspase-1, caspase-5, N-GSDMD, IL-1β, cleaved Pannexin-1 and P2X7 proteins. More interestingly, the increasing relaxivity values of Prussian blue nanocubes with Gd3+ doping have been explained on the basis of Solomon-Bloembergen-Morgan theory, considering inner- and outer-sphere relaxivity, wherein crystal defects, coordinated water molecules, tumbling rate, metal to water proton distance, correlation time, magnetisation value etc. play a significant role. In summary, our study suggests that GPBNC could be a beneficial nanocarrier for theranostic purposes against TNBC, while our conceptual study clearly demonstrates the role of various factors in increasing relaxometric parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panchanan Sahoo
- School of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India.
- Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Biological Science Division, Indian Statistical Institute, Giridih, Jharkhand, India.
| | - Pulak Jana
- Structural Biology & Bio-Informatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mallick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh-201002, India
| | - Sudip Kundu
- School of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India.
| | - Snehasis Mishra
- School of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India.
| | - Krishnananda Chattopadhyay
- Structural Biology & Bio-Informatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mallick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Abhishek Mukherjee
- Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Biological Science Division, Indian Statistical Institute, Giridih, Jharkhand, India.
| | - Chandan Kumar Ghosh
- School of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India.
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5
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Wang Q, Chen N, Li M, Yao S, Sun X, Feng X, Chen Y. Light-related activities of metal-based nanoparticles and their implications on dermatological treatment. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2023; 13:386-399. [PMID: 35908132 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-022-01216-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Metal-based nanoparticles (MNPs) represent an emerging class of materials that have attracted enormous attention in many fields. By comparison with other biomaterials, MNPs own unique optical properties which make them a potential alternative to conventional therapeutic agents in medical applications. Especially, owing to the easy access to the skin, the use of MNPs based on their optical properties has gained importance for the treatment of a variety of skin diseases. This review provides an insight into the different optical properties of MNPs, including photoprotection, photocatalysis, and photothermal, and highlights their implications in treating skin disorders, with a special emphasis on their use in infection control. Finally, a perspective on the safety concern of MNPs for dermatological use is discussed and analyzed. The information gathered and presented in this review will help the readers have a comprehensive understanding of utilizing the photo-triggered activity of MNPs for the treatment of skin diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyue Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, ShenyangShenyang, 110122, China
| | - Naiying Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, ShenyangShenyang, 110122, China
| | - Mingming Li
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, ShenyangShenyang, 110122, China
| | - Sicheng Yao
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, ShenyangShenyang, 110122, China
| | - Xinxing Sun
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, ShenyangShenyang, 110122, China
| | - Xun Feng
- Department of Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Shenyang Medical College, No.146 Yellow River North Street, Shenyang, 110034, China.
| | - Yang Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, ShenyangShenyang, 110122, China.
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Zhu L, Tao R, Peng W, Huo A, Guo W. Polyoxometalates immobilized on MIL-100 (Fe) as an emerging platform for eliminating breast cancer tumor cells. RESULTS IN CHEMISTRY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rechem.2023.100857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
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7
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Xiao F, Huang J, Zhao Y, Qu H, Yu H, Wang W. PDA-PEG-Ce6-Mn Multifunctional Nanoparticles for Magnetic Resonance Images-Guided Photo-Dynamic/Photo-Thermal Therapy. J Biomed Nanotechnol 2022. [DOI: 10.1166/jbn.2022.3351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
One of the most common brain cancer type is gliomas. Although traditional multi-modal therapy has made some progress, overall poor prognosis and low long-run rate of patient’s survival still persist. Due to its selective, noninvasive and repetitive nature, photo-dynamic/photo-thermal
therapy (PDT/PTT) is considered to enhance therapeutic effect of glioma. We report a new type of polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticle with targeting ability and excellent PDT/PTT synergistic effect. The Mn2+ chelated nanocomposite material exhibited a favorable contrast T1-weighted magnetic
resonance images (MRI). In the U251 tumor-bearing mouse model, near-infrared (NIR) imaging and MRI-guided PDT/PTT achieved significant synergistic therapeutic effects compared to their single treatment methods. Conclusively, PDA-PEG-Ce6-Mn nanoparticle demonstrated high potential in the diagnosis
and treatment of glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Xiao
- Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, No. 368, Hanjiang Middle Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, 225000, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, No. 368, Hanjiang Middle Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, 225000, China
| | - Yi Zhao
- Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, No. 368, Hanjiang Middle Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, 225000, China
| | - Hang Qu
- Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, No. 368, Hanjiang Middle Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, 225000, China
| | - Han Yu
- Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, No. 368, Hanjiang Middle Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, 225000, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, No. 368, Hanjiang Middle Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, 225000, China
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Zha M, Yang G, Li Y, Zhang C, Li B, Li K. Recent Advances in AIEgen-Based Photodynamic Therapy and Immunotherapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2101066. [PMID: 34519181 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202101066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cancer, one of the leading causes of death, has seriously threatened public health. However, there is still a lack of effective treatments. Nowadays, photodynamic therapy (PDT), relying on photosensitizers to trigger the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for killing cancer cells, has been emerging as a noninvasive anti-cancer strategy. To enhance the overall anti-cancer efficacy of PDT, various approaches including molecular design and combination with other therapeutic techniques have been proposed and implemented. Especially, photodynamic immunotherapy that can effectively evoke the body's immune response has attracted much attention. Recently, a class of photosensitizers with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) character have shown unique promises, taking advantage of their profound fluorescence and ROS-generating ability in the aggregation state. Despite the promising results demonstrated by several groups, the associated studies are few and the mechanism of such AIEgen-based photodynamic immunotherapy has not been fully understood. This review discusses the recent advances in the AIEgen-based enhanced PDT with a special focus on the AIE photosensitizers for photodynamic immunotherapy, aiming to inspire more opportunities for in-depth investigation of the working principles in this emerging anti-cancer approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menglei Zha
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd. Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 P. R. China
| | - Guang Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd. Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 P. R. China
| | - Yaxi Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd. Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 P. R. China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd. Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 P. R. China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Cardiology Shandong University Central Hospital of Zibo NO.10 South Shanghai Road Zibo 255000 China
| | - Kai Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd. Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 P. R. China
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Veroniaina H, Pan X, Wu Z, Qi X. Apoferritin: a potential nanocarrier for cancer imaging and drug delivery. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2021; 21:901-913. [PMID: 33844625 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2021.1910027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: As a protein-based biomaterial for potential cancer targeting delivery, apoferritin has recently attracted interest.Areas covered: In this review, we discuss the development of this cage-like protein as an endogenous nanocarrier that can hold molecules in its cavity. We present the specific characterizations and formulations of apoferritin nanocarriers, and outline the recent progress of the protein as an appropriate tumor-delivery vehicle in different therapeutic strategies to treat solid tumors. Finally, we propose how the application for cancer drug repurposing delivery within apoferritin could expand cancer treatment in the future.Expert opinion: Being a ubiquitous iron storage protein that exists in many living organisms, apoferritin is promising as a cancer tumor-targeting nanocarrier. By exploiting its versatility, apoferritin could be used for cancer repurposed drug delivery and could reduce the high cost of new drug discovery development and shorten the formulation process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiuhua Pan
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhenghong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaole Qi
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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