Design and synthesis of mixed micellar system for enhanced anticancer efficacy of Paclitaxel through its co-delivery with Naringin

Bioactive flavonoids metabolites in citrus species: their potential health benefits and medical potentials

Citrus flavonoids are naturally occurring phytochemicals widely present in the peels and pulps of citrus fruits. They exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, lipid-lowering, antimicrobial, and gut-protective effects. These metabolites show great potential in improving metabolic syndromes such as diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, citrus flavonoids have demonstrated significant effects in inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity, regulating lipid metabolism, and enhancing intestinal barrier function. Advances in extraction and purification techniques have further promoted their applications in the fields of food, medicine, and functional materials. This review systematically summarizes the types, bioactivities, and mechanisms of action of citrus flavonoids, providing scientific evidence for their research and development.

Naringin: A flavanone with a multifaceted target against sepsis-associated organ injuries

BACKGROUND

Sepsis causes multiple organ dysfunctions and raises mortality and morbidity rates through a dysregulated host response to infection. Despite the growing research interest over the last few years, no satisfactory treatment exists. Naringin, a naturally occurring bioflavonoid with vast therapeutic potential in citrus fruits and Chinese herbs, has received much attention for treating sepsis-associated multiple organ dysfunctions.

PURPOSE

The review describes preclinical evidence of naringin from 2011 to 2024, particularly emphasizing the mechanism of action mediated by naringin against sepsis-associated specific injuries. The combination therapy, safety profile, drug interactions, recent advancements in formulation, and future perspectives of naringin are also discussed.

METHODS

In vivo and in vitro studies focusing on the potential role of naringin and its mechanism of action against sepsis-associated organ injuries were identified and summarised in the present manuscript, which includes contributions from 2011 to 2024. All the articles were extracted from the Medline database using PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science with relevant keywords.

RESULTS

Research findings revealed that naringin modulates many signaling cascades, such as Rho/ROCK and PPAR/STAT1, PIP3/AKT and KEAP1/Nrf2, and IkB/NF-kB and MAPK/Nrf2/HO-1, to potentially protect against sepsis-induced intestinal, cardiac, and lung injury, respectively. Furthermore, naringin treatment exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antioxidant action against sepsis harm, highlighting naringin's promising effects in septic settings. Naringin could be employed as a treatment against sepsis, based on studies on combination therapy, synergistic effects, and toxicological investigation that show no reported severe side effects.

CONCLUSION

Naringin might be a promising therapeutic approach for preventing sepsis-induced multiple organ failure. Naringin should be used alongside other therapeutic therapies with caution despite its great therapeutic potential and lower toxicity. Nonetheless, clinical studies are required to comprehend the therapeutic benefits of naringin against sepsis.

Innovative Encapsulation Strategies for Food, Industrial, and Pharmaceutical Applications

Bioactive metabolites obtained from fruits and vegetables as well as many drugs have various capacities to prevent or treat various ailments. Nevertheless, their efficiency, in vivo, encounter many challenges resulting in lower efficacy as well as different side effects when high doses are used resulting in many challenges for their application. Indeed, demand for effective treatments with no or less unfavorable side effects is rising. Delivering active molecules to a particular site of action within the human body is an example of targeted therapy which remains a challenging field. Developments of nanotechnology and polymer science have great promise for meeting the growing demands of efficient options. Encapsulation of active ingredients in nano-delivery systems has become as a vitally tool for protecting the integrity of critical biochemicals, improving their delivery, enabling their controlled release and maintaining their biological features. Here, we examine a wide range of nano-delivery techniques, such as niosomes, polymeric/solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, and nano-emulsions. The advantages of encapsulation in targeted, synergistic, and supportive therapies are emphasized, along with current progress in its application. Additionally, a revised collection of studies was given, focusing on improving the effectiveness of anticancer medications and addressing the problem of antimicrobial resistance. To sum up, this paper conducted a thorough analysis to determine the efficacy of encapsulation technology in the field of drug discovery and development.

Integrating natural compounds and nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems: A novel strategy for enhanced efficacy and selectivity in cancer therapy

Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, necessitating the development of innovative and more effective treatment strategies. Conventional cancer treatments often suffer from limitations such as systemic toxicity, poor pharmacokinetics, and drug resistance. Recently, there has been growing attention to utilizing natural compounds derived from various sources as possible cancer therapeutics. Natural compounds have demonstrated diverse bioactive properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects, making them attractive candidates for cancer treatment. However, their limited solubility and bioavailability present challenges for effective delivery to cancer cells. To overcome these limitations, researchers have turned to nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems. Nanoparticles, with their small size and unique properties, can encapsulate therapeutic agents and offer benefits such as improved solubility, prolonged drug release, enhanced cellular uptake, and targeted delivery. Functionalizing nanoparticles with specific ligands further enhances their precision in recognizing and binding to cancer cells. Combining natural compounds with nanotechnology holds great promise in achieving efficient and safe cancer treatments by enhancing bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and selectivity toward cancer cells. This review article provides an overview of the advancements in utilizing natural substances and nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems for cancer treatment. It discusses the benefits and drawbacks of various types of nanoparticles, as well as the characteristics of natural compounds that make them appealing for cancer therapy. Additionally, current research on natural substances and nanoparticles in preclinical and clinical settings is highlighted. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives in developing natural compound-nanoparticle-based cancer therapies are discussed.

Supercritical antisolvent-fluidized bed for the preparation of dry powder inhaler for pulmonary delivery of nanomedicine

The supercritical antisolvent-fluidized bed coating process (SAS-FB) shows great potential as a technique to manufacture dry powder inhaler (DPI) that incorporate nanodrugs onto micronized matrix particles, capitalizing on the merits of both nanoparticle and pulmonary delivery. In this study, naringin (NAR), a pharmacologically active flavonoid with low solubility and in vivo degradation issues, was utilized as a model active pharmaceutical ingredient to construct nanomedicine-based DPI through SAS-FB. It is showed that processed NAR exhibited a near-spherical shape and an amorphous structure with an average size of around 130 nm. Notably, SAS-FB products prepared with different fluidized matrices resulted in varying deposition patterns, particularly when mixed with a coarse lactose to enhance the fine particle fraction (FPF) of the formulations. The FPF was positively associated with specific surface area of the SAS-FB products, while the specific surface area was directly related to surface roughness and particle size. In vitro dissolution studies using simulated lung fluid revealed that the NAR nanoparticles coated on the products were released immediately upon contact with solution, with a cumulative dissolution exceeding 90% within the first minute. Importantly, compared to oral raw NAR, the optimized DPI formulation demonstrated superior in vivo plasmatic and pulmonary AUC0→∞ by 51.33-fold and 104.07-fold respectively in a Sprague-Dawley rat model. Overall, SAS- FB technology provides a practical approach to produce nanomedicine DPI product that combine the benefits of nanoparticles with the aerodynamics properties of inhaled microparticles.

Nanocarriers overcoming biological barriers induced by multidrug resistance of chemotherapeutics in 2D and 3D cancer models

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is currently a big challenge in cancer therapy and limits its success in several patients. Tumors use the MDR mechanisms to colonize the host and reduce the efficacy of chemotherapeutics that are injected as single agents or combinations. MDR mechanisms are responsible for inactivation of drugs and formbiological barriers in cancer like the drug efflux pumps, aberrant extracellular matrix, hypoxic areas, altered cell death mechanisms, etc. Nanocarriers have some potential to overcome these barriers and improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutics. In fact, they are versatile and can deliver natural and synthetic biomolecules, as well as RNAi/DNAi, thus providing a controlled release of drugs and a synergistic effect in tumor tissues. Biocompatible and safe multifunctional biopolymers, with or without specific targeting molecules, modify the surface and interface properties of nanocarriers. These modifications affect the interaction of nanocarriers with cellular models as well as the selection of suitable models for in vitro experiments. MDR cancer cells, and particularly their 2D and 3D models, in combination with anatomical and physiological structures of tumor tissues, can boost the design and preparation of nanomedicines for anticancer therapy. 2D and 3D cancer cell cultures are suitable models to study the interaction, internalization, and efficacy of nanocarriers, the mechanisms of MDR in cancer cells and tissues, and they are used to tailor a personalized medicine and improve the efficacy of anticancer treatment in patients. The description of molecular mechanisms and physio-pathological pathways of these models further allow the design of nanomedicine that can efficiently overcome biological barriers involved in MDR and test the activity of nanocarriers in 2D and 3D models of MDR cancer cells.

Codelivery of Phytochemicals with Conventional Anticancer Drugs in Form of Nanocarriers

Anticancer drugs in monotherapy are ineffective to treat various kinds of cancer due to the heterogeneous nature of cancer. Moreover, available anticancer drugs possessed various hurdles, such as drug resistance, insensitivity of cancer cells to drugs, adverse effects and patient inconveniences. Hence, plant-based phytochemicals could be a better substitute for conventional chemotherapy for treatment of cancer due to various properties: lesser adverse effects, action via multiple pathways, economical, etc. Various preclinical studies have demonstrated that a combination of phytochemicals with conventional anticancer drugs is more efficacious than phytochemicals individually to treat cancer because plant-derived compounds have lower anticancer efficacy than conventional anticancer drugs. Moreover, phytochemicals suffer from poor aqueous solubility and reduced bioavailability, which must be resolved for efficacious treatment of cancer. Therefore, nanotechnology-based novel carriers are employed for codelivery of phytochemicals and conventional anticancer drugs for better treatment of cancer. These novel carriers include nanoemulsion, nanosuspension, nanostructured lipid carriers, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, metallic nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes that provide various benefits of improved solubility, reduced adverse effects, higher efficacy, reduced dose, improved dosing frequency, reduced drug resistance, improved bioavailability and higher patient compliance. This review summarizes various phytochemicals employed in treatment of cancer, combination therapy of phytochemicals with anticancer drugs and various nanotechnology-based carriers to deliver the combination therapy in treatment of cancer.

Naringin: Nanotechnological Strategies for Potential Pharmaceutical Applications

Polyphenols comprise a number of natural substances, such as flavonoids, that show interesting biological effects. Among these substances is naringin, a naturally occurring flavanone glycoside found in citrus fruits and Chinese medicinal herbs. Several studies have shown that naringin has numerous biological properties, including cardioprotective, cholesterol-lowering, anti-Alzheimer’s, nephroprotective, antiageing, antihyperglycemic, antiosteoporotic and gastroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiapoptotic, anticancer and antiulcer effects. Despite its multiple benefits, the clinical application of naringin is severely restricted due to its susceptibility to oxidation, poor water solubility, and dissolution rate. In addition, naringin shows instability at acidic pH, is enzymatically metabolized by β-glycosidase in the stomach and is degraded in the bloodstream when administered intravenously. These limitations, however, have been overcome thanks to the development of naringin nanoformulations. This review summarizes recent research carried out on strategies designed to improve naringin’s bioactivity for potential therapeutic applications.

Nano-drug co-delivery system of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs for cancer treatment: a review

Chemotherapy drugs have been used for a long time in the treatment of cancer, but serious side effects are caused by the inability of the drug to be solely delivered to the tumor when treating cancer with chemotherapy. Natural products have attracted more and more attention due to the antitumor effect in multiple ways, abundant resources and less side effects. Therefore, the combination of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs may be an effective antitumor strategy, which can inhibit the growth of tumor and multidrug resistance, reduce side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Nano-drug co-delivery system (NDCDS) can play an important role in the combination of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the research status and application prospect of nano-delivery strategies for the combination of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs, aiming to provide a basis for the development of anti-tumor drugs.

Recent Trends in Nanomedicine-Based Strategies to Overcome Multidrug Resistance in Tumors

Cancer is the leading cause of economic and health burden worldwide. The commonly used approaches for the treatment of cancer are chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. Chemotherapy frequently results in undesirable side effects, and cancer cells may develop resistance. Combating drug resistance is a challenging task in cancer treatment. Drug resistance may be intrinsic or acquired and can be due to genetic factors, growth factors, the increased efflux of drugs, DNA repair, and the metabolism of xenobiotics. The strategies used to combat drug resistance include the nanomedicine-based targeted delivery of drugs and genes using different nanocarriers such as gold nanoparticles, peptide-modified nanoparticles, as well as biomimetic and responsive nanoparticles that help to deliver payload at targeted tumor sites and overcome resistance. Gene therapy in combination with chemotherapy aids in this respect. siRNA and miRNA alone or in combination with chemotherapy improve therapeutic response in tumor cells. Some natural substances, such as curcumin, quercetin, tocotrienol, parthenolide, naringin, and cyclosporin-A are also helpful in combating the drug resistance of cancer cells. This manuscript summarizes the mechanism of drug resistance and nanoparticle-based strategies used to combat it.

Nanostructured Lipid Carrier-Based Codelivery of Raloxifene and Naringin: Formulation, Optimization, In Vitro, Ex Vivo, In Vivo Assessment, and Acute Toxicity Studies

This work aimed to develop dual drug-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers of raloxifene and naringin (RLX/NRG NLCs) for breast cancer. RLX/NRG NLCs were prepared using Compritol 888 ATO and oleic acid using a hot homogenization-sonication method and optimized using central composite design (CCD). The optimized RLX/NRG NLCs were characterized and evaluated using multiple technological means. The optimized RLX/NRG NLCs exhibited a particle size of 137.12 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.266, zeta potential (ZP) of 25.9 mV, and entrapment efficiency (EE) of 91.05% (raloxifene) and 85.07% (naringin), respectively. In vitro release (81 ± 2.2% from RLX/NRG NLCs and 31 ± 1.9% from the RLX/NRG suspension for RLX and 93 ± 1.5% from RLX/NRG NLCs and 38 ± 2.01% from the RLX/NRG suspension for NRG within 24 h). Concurrently, an ex vivo permeation study exhibited nearly 2.3 and 2.1-fold improvement in the permeability profiles of RLX and NRG from RLX/NRG NLCs vis-à-vis the RLX/NRG suspension. The depth of permeation was proved with CLSM images which revealed significant permeation of the drug from the RLX/NRG NLCs formulation, 3.5-fold across the intestine, as compared with the RLX/NRG suspension. An in vitro DPPH antioxidant study displayed a better antioxidant potential of RLX/NRG in comparison to RLX and NRG alone due to the synergistic antioxidant effect of RLX and NRG. An acute toxicity study in Wistar rats showed the safety profile of the prepared nanoformulations and their excipients. Our findings shed new light on how poorly soluble and poorly permeable medicines can be codelivered using NLCs in an oral nanoformulation to improve their medicinal performance.

Simultaneous pulmonary administration of celecoxib and naringin using a nebulization-friendly nanoemulsion: A device-targeted delivery for treatment of lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is a principal cause of death worldwide, and its treatment is very challenging. Nebulization offers a promising means of targeting drugs to their site of action in the lung.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In the present study, nebulizable oil in water nanoemulsion formulations were co-loaded with naringin/celecoxib, and tested for pulmonary administration by different nebulizer types.

RESULTS

: The translucent appearance of nanoemulsion formulations was revealed, with particle size (75-106 nm), zeta potential (-3.42 to -4.86 mV), and controlled in-vitro release profiles for both drugs. The nanoemulsions showed favourable stability profiles, and superior cytotoxicity on A549 lung cancer cells. Aerosolization studies on the selected nanoemulsion formulation revealed its high stability during nebulization, with the generation of an aerosol of small volume median diameter, and mass median aerodynamic diameter lower than 5 µm. Moreover, it demonstrated considerable safety and bioaccumulation in lung tissues, in addition to accumulation in the brain, liver and bones which are the main organs to which lung cancer metastasizes.

CONCLUSIONS

Nanoemulsion proved to be a promising nebulizable system, which paves the way for treatment of pulmonary diseases other than lung cancer.

Nanoplatform-based natural products co-delivery system to surmount cancer multidrug-resistant

The emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) in malignant tumors is the primary reason for invalid chemotherapy. Antitumor drugs are often adversely affected by the MDR of tumor cells. Treatments using conventional drugs, which have specific drug targets, hardly regulate the complex signaling pathway of MDR cells because of the complex formation mechanism of MDR. However, natural products have positive advantages, such as high efficiency, low toxicity, and ability to target multiple mechanism pathways associated with MDR. Natural products, as MDR reversal agents, synergize with chemotherapeutics and enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutics, and the co-delivery of natural products and antitumor drugs with nanocarriers maximizes the synergistic effects against MDR in tumor cells. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of MDR, the advantages of natural products combined with chemotherapeutics in offsetting complicated MDR mechanisms, and the types and mechanisms of natural products that are potential MDR reversal modulators. Meanwhile, aiming at the low bioavailability of cocktail combined natural products and chemotherapeutic in vivo, the advantages of nanoplatform-based co-delivery system and recent research developments are illustrated on the basis of our previous research. Finally, prospective horizons are analyzed, which are expected to considerably improve the nano-co-delivery of natural products and chemotherapeutic systems for MDR reversal in cancer.

Flavonoids as an effective sensitizer for anti-cancer therapy: insights into multi-faceted mechanisms and applicability towards individualized patient profiles

Cost-efficacy of currently applied treatments is an issue in overall cancer management challenging healthcare and causing tremendous economic burden to societies around the world. Consequently, complex treatment models presenting concepts of predictive diagnostics followed by targeted prevention and treatments tailored to the personal patient profiles earn global appreciation as benefiting the patient, healthcare economy, and the society at large. In this context, application of flavonoids as a spectrum of compounds and their nano-technologically created derivatives is extensively under consideration, due to their multi-faceted anti-cancer effects applicable to the overall cost-effective cancer management, primary, secondary, and even tertiary prevention. This article analyzes most recently updated data focused on the potent capacity of flavonoids to promote anti-cancer therapeutic effects and interprets all the collected research achievements in the frame-work of predictive, preventive, and personalized (3P) medicine. Main pillars considered are: - Predictable anti-neoplastic, immune-modulating, drug-sensitizing effects; - Targeted molecular pathways to improve therapeutic outcomes by increasing sensitivity of cancer cells and reversing their resistance towards currently applied therapeutic modalities.

A Systematic Review of the Preventive and Therapeutic Effects of Naringin Against Human Malignancies

Background: Natural product-based cancer preventive and therapeutic entities, such as flavonoids and their derivatives, are shown to have a noticeable capability to suppress tumor formation and cancer cell growth. Naringin, a natural flavanone glycoside present in various plant species, has been indicated to modulate different signaling pathways and interact with numerous cell signaling molecules, which allows for an extensive variety of pharmacological actions, such as amelioration of inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic syndromes, bone disorders, and cancer. The purpose of this systematic review is to present a critical and comprehensive assessment of the antitumor ability of naringin and associated molecular targets in various cancers. Methods: Studies were identified through systematic searches of Science Direct, PubMed, and Scopus as well as eligibility checks according to predefined selection criteria. Results: Eighty-seven studies were included in this systematic review. There was strong evidence for the association between treatment with naringin alone, or combined with other drugs and antitumor activity. Additionally, studies showed that naringin-metal complexes have greater anticancer effects compared to free naringin. It has been demonstrated that naringin employs multitargeted mechanisms to hamper cancer initiation, promotion, and progression through modulation of several dysregulated signaling cascades implicated in cell proliferation, autophagy, apoptosis, inflammation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and invasion. Conclusion: The results of our work show that naringin is a promising candidate for cancer prevention and treatment, and might offer substantial support for the clinical application of this phytocompound in the future. Nevertheless, further preclinical and clinical studies as well as drug delivery approaches are needed for designing novel formulations of naringin to realize the full potential of this flavonoid in cancer prevention and intervention.

Galactosylated iron oxide nanoparticles for enhancing oral bioavailability of ceftriaxone

The current study focuses on the development, characterization, biocompatibility investigation and oral bioavailability evaluation of ceftriaxone (CFT)-loaded lactobionic acid (LBA)-functionalized iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNP-LBA). Atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering showed that the developed CFT-loaded MNP-LBA is spherical, with a measured hydrodynamic size of 147 ± 15.9 nm and negative zeta potential values (-35 ± 0.58 mV). Fourier transformed infrared analysis revealed interactions between the nanocarrier and the drug. Nanoparticles showed high drug entrapment efficiencies of 91.5 ± 2.2%, and the drug was released gradually in vitro and shows prolonged in vitro stability using simulated gastrointestinal (GI) fluids. The formulations were found to be highly biocompatible (up to 100 µg/mL) and hemocompatible (up to 1.0 mg/mL). Using an albino rabbit model, the formulation showed a significant enhancement in drug plasma concentration up to 14.46 ± 2.5 µg/mL in comparison with its control (1.96 ± 0.58 µg/mL). Overall, the developed MNP-LBA formulation was found promising for provision of high-drug entrapment, gradual drug release and was appropriate for enhancing the oral delivery of CFT.

New Perspectives in the Pharmacological Potential of Naringin in Medicine

BACKGROUND

Naringin (NAR) is a flavonoid enriched in several medicinal plants and fruits. An increasing interest in this molecule has emerged because it has the potential to contribute to alleviating many health problems.

OBJECTIVE

This review briefly describes the NAR pharmacokinetics and it mainly focuses on the in vitro and in vivo animal studies showing NAR beneficial effects on cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological and pulmonary disorders and cancer. The anabolic effects of NAR on different models of bone and dental diseases are also analyzed. In addition, the evidence of the NAR action on the gastrointestinal tract is reported as well as its influence on the microbiota composition and activity. Finally, current research on NAR formulations and clinical applications are discussed.

METHODS

The PubMed database was searched until 2019, using the keywords NAR, naringenin, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, neurological and pulmonary disorders, cancer, bone and dental diseases, gastrointestinal tract, microbiota, NAR formulations, clinical trials.

RESULTS

The number of studies related to the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of NAR is limited. Positive effects of NAR have been reported on cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), metabolic syndrome, pulmonary disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and gastrointestinal pathologies. The current NAR formulations seem to improve its bioavailability, which would allow its clinical applications.

CONCLUSION

NAR is endowed with broad biological effects that could improve human health. Since a scarce number of clinical studies have been performed, the NAR use requires more investigation in order to know better their safety, efficacy, delivery, and bioavailability in humans.

Naringin and naringenin as anticancer agents and adjuvants in cancer combination therapy: Efficacy and molecular mechanisms of action, a comprehensive narrative review

Although the rates of many cancers are controlled in Western countries, those of some cancers, such as lung, breast, and colorectal cancer are currently increasing in many low- and middle-income countries due to increases in risk factors caused by development and societal problems. Additionally, endogenous factors, such as inherited mutations, steroid hormones, insulin, and insulin-like growth factor systems, inflammation, oxidative stress, and exogenous factors (including tobacco, alcohol, infectious agents, and radiation), are believed to compromise cell functions and lead to carcinogenesis. Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapies are some examples of the approaches used for cancer treatment. However, various short- and long-term side effects can also considerably impact patient prognosis based on clinical factors associated with treatments. Recently, increasing numbers of studies have been conducted to identify novel therapeutic agents from natural products, among which plant-derived bioactive compounds have been increasingly studied. Naringin (NG) and its aglycone naringenin (NGE) are abundantly present in citrus fruits, such as grapefruits and oranges. Their anti-carcinogenic activities have been shown to be exerted through several cell signal transduction pathways. Recently, different pharmacological strategies based on combination therapy, involving NG and NGE with the current anti-cancer agents have shown prodigious synergistic effects when compared to monotherapy. Besides, NG and NGE have been reported to overcome multidrug resistance, resulting from different defensive mechanisms in cancer, which is one of the major obstacles of clinical treatment. Thus, we comprehensively reviewed the inhibitory effects of NG and NGE on several types of cancers through different signal transduction pathways, the roles on sensitizing with the current anticancer medicines, and the efficacy of the cancer combination therapy.

Targeted MRI and chemotherapy of ovarian cancer with clinic available nano-drug based nanoprobe

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, and chemotherapy, as its main treatment, has side effects in clinical application due to lack of targeting selectivity to tumor tissues. Theranostic nanomaterials have shown wonderful functions for the diagnosis and therapy of disease benefitting from the controllability of nanomaterials. However, there is still little available for clinical transformation due to the uncertain biocompatibility. It is urgent to develop nanoprobes possessing bright transformation potentials. This study reports a facile biomineralization route to synthesize the theranostic nanoprobe using the clinic available nano-drug (trademark Abraxane). Further profiting from the binding ability of albumin to metal cations, we successfully prepared biocompatible nanoprobe, BSA-Gd₂O₃/PTX@Anti-HE4 mAb, for the targeted magnetic resonance imaging and chemotherapy of ovarian carcinoma. The obtained nanoprobe has the advantages of uniform particle size, good dispersibility and favorable stability. In vivo and in vitro experiment results showed that the nanoprobe can realize targeted magnetic resonance imaging and chemotherapy of ovarian carcinoma. Such a novel multifunctional nanoprobe based on clinic nano-drug might be promising for clinic transformation.

Glycyrrhetinic acid modified and pH-sensitive mixed micelles improve the anticancer effect of curcumin in hepatoma carcinoma cells

Curcumin (CUR), a natural polyphenolic compound existing in plants, exhibits anticancer potential in inhibiting the growth of various types of human cancer. However, the poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability limit its clinical applications. pH-sensitive macromolecule F68-acetal-PCL (FAP) and active targeting macromolecule F68-glycyrrhetinic acid (FGA) were designed to fabricate mixed micelles for efficient delivery of CUR. The thin film hydration method was used to prepare CUR loaded mixed (MIX/CUR) micelles. The drug loading rate (DL) of MIX/CUR micelles was 6.31 ± 0.92%, which remained stable for 15 days at 4 °C. The particle size and zeta potential of the MIX/CUR micelles were 91.06 ± 1.37 nm and -9.79 ± 0.47 mV, respectively. The MIX/CUR micelles exhibited pH sensitivity in a weak acid environment, and showed rapid particle size variation and drug release. In addition, in vitro tests demonstrated that MIX/CUR micelles induced higher cytotoxicity and apoptosis than free CUR, non-pH-sensitive F68-PCL (FBP)/CUR micelles and pH-sensitive FAP/CUR micelles in SMMC7721 and Hepa1-6 cells. Besides, mixed micelles were more effective than FBP and FAP micelles in a cell uptake experiment, which was medicated by a GA receptor. All in all, these results indicated that MIX/CUR micelles could be regarded as an ideal drug administration strategy against hepatoma carcinoma cells.

Paclitaxel's Mechanistic and Clinical Effects on Breast Cancer

Paclitaxel (PTX), the most widely used anticancer drug, is applied for the treatment of various types of malignant diseases. Mechanisms of PTX action represent several ways in which PTX affects cellular processes resulting in programmed cell death. PTX is frequently used as the first-line treatment drug in breast cancer (BC). Unfortunately, the resistance of BC to PTX treatment is a great obstacle in clinical applications and one of the major causes of death associated with treatment failure. Factors contributing to PTX resistance, such as ABC transporters, microRNAs (miRNAs), or mutations in certain genes, along with side effects of PTX including peripheral neuropathy or hypersensitivity associated with the vehicle used to overcome its poor solubility, are responsible for intensive research concerning the use of PTX in preclinical and clinical studies. Novelties such as albumin-bound PTX (nab-PTX) demonstrate a progressive approach leading to higher efficiency and decreased risk of side effects after drug administration. Moreover, PTX nanoparticles for targeted treatment of BC promise a stable and efficient therapeutic intervention. Here, we summarize current research focused on PTX, its evaluations in preclinical research and application clinical practice as well as the perspective of the drug for future implication in BC therapy.

Biodegradable Redox-Sensitive Star Polymer Nanomicelles for Enhancing Doxorubicin Delivery

A typical amphiphilic star polymer adamantane-[poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-bis(2-carboxyethyl) sulfide-poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether)]₄ with a specific hydrophilic/redox-sensitive/hydrophobic structure was designed and synthesized through ring opening and esterification reactions. The self-assembled nanomicelles were used as doxorubicin (DOX) delivery vehicles with suitable critical micelle concentrations (5.0 mg/L). After the drug being loaded, drug-loaded micelles showed good drug-loading efficiency (10.39%), encapsulation efficiency (58.1%), and drug release (up to 60%) under simulated biological environment conditions. In addition, the backbone structure of the biodegradable polymer was easily hydrolyzed by the action of biological enzymes. As expected, cell-based studies showed that the designed polymer micelles possessed good biocompatibility (a survival rate of 85% for NH-3T3 cells). Moreover, the drug (DOX) still maintained good anti-cancer effects after being loaded, which caused 40% of MCF-7 cells to survive. These redox-sensitive micelles showed anti-tumor therapeutic potential.