Current and Future Approaches for Effective Cancer Imaging and Treatment

Ceratophyllum demersum the submerged macrophyte from the mining subsidence reservoir Nadrybie Poland as a source of anticancer agents

Aquatic plants are a rich source of health-beneficial substances. One of such organisms is the submerged macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum, which has not been sufficiently studied in this aspect so far. In this work, we have studied environmental conditions prevailing in a subsidence mining reservoir in Eastern Poland and shown that C. demersum can be harvested for further analysis even from artificial anthropogenic reservoirs. The phytochemical analysis of C. demersum ethanolic extract using LC-MS revealed high content of phenolic compounds (18.50 mg/g) (mainly flavonoids, 16.09 mg/g), including those that have not yet been identified in this plant, namely isorhamnetin, sakuranetin, taxifolin, and eriodictyol. Such rich flavonoid content is most likely responsible for the anticancer activity of the C. demersum extract, which was targeted especially at neoplastic cells of gastrointestinal tract origin. The flow cytometry analysis of treated cells showed an increased percentage of late apoptotic and necrotic cells. The fish embryo toxicity (FET) test showed safety of the extract towards Danio rerio fish up to the concentration of 225 µg/ml. This study has shown that the submerged macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum can be taken into consideration as a rich source of a set of anticancer agents with chemopreventive potential.

Comprehensive exploration of Biochanin A as an oncotherapeutics potential in the treatment of multivarious cancers with molecular insights

Cancer is considered a leading cause of mortality. This rising cancer death rate and several existing limitations like side effects, poor efficacies, and high cost of the present chemotherapeutic agents have increased the demand for more potent and alternative cancer treatments. This review elucidated a brief overview of Biochanin A (BCA) and its potentiality on various cancers with details of anticancer mechanism. According to our review, a number of studies including in silico, in vitro, pre-clinical, and clinical trials have tested to evaluate the efficacy of BCA. This compound is effective against 15 types of cancer, including breast, cervical, colorectal, gastric, glioblastoma, liver, lung, melanoma, oral, osteosarcoma, ovarian, pancreatic, pharynx, prostate, and umbilical vein cancer. The general anticancer activities of this compound are mediated via several molecular processes, including regulation of apoptosis, cell proliferation, metastasis and angiogenesis, signaling, enzymatic pathways, and other mechanisms. Targeting both therapeutic and oncogenic proteins, as well as different pathways, makes up the molecular mechanism underlying the anticancer action. Many signaling networks and their components, such as EFGR, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK, MMP-2, MMP-9, PARP, Caspase-3/8/9, Bax, Bcl2, PDL-1, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, JAK, STAT3, VEGFR, VEGF, c-MY, Cyclin B1, D1, E1 and CDKs, Snail, and E-cadherin proteins, can be regulated in cancer cells by BCA. Such kind of anticancer properties of BCA could be a result of its correct structural chemistry. The use of BCA-based therapies as nano-carriers for the delivery of chemotherapeutic medicines has the potential to be very effective. This natural compound synergises with other natural compounds and standard drugs, including sorafenib, 5-fluorouracil, temozolomide, doxorubicin, apigenin, and genistein. Moreover, proper use of this compound can reverse multidrug resistance through numerous mechanisms. BCA has better drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic properties and is nontoxic (eye, liver, kidney, skin, cardio) in human bodies. As having a wide range of cancer-fighting mechanisms, synergistic effects, and good pharmacokinetic properties, BCA can be used as a supplementary food until standard drugs are available at pharma markets.

68 Ga-labeled, imatinib encapsulated, theranostic liposomes: Formulation, characterization, and in vitro evaluation of anticancer activity

Cancer is still a global health problem. Among cancer types, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed one, and it causes a high mortality rate if not diagnosed in the early stages. In our study, imatinib encapsulated, nanosized, neutral/cationic liposome formulations were prepared as theranostic agents for breast cancer. After the characterization studies in which all liposomes exhibited proper profile owing to their particle size between 133 and 250 nm, polydispersity index values lower than 0.4, neutral and cationic zeta potential values, and high drug encapsulation efficiency, controlled drug release behaviors with zero-order kinetic were obtained. The higher than 90% radiolabeling efficiency values were obtained thanks to the determination of optimum radiolabeling condition (80°C temperature, 5 mCi radioactivity, and 10 min incubation period). According to the resazurin assay evaluating the cytotoxic profile of liposomes on MCF7 cells, neutral empty liposome was found as biocompatible, while both cationic liposomes (empty and drug-loaded ones) exhibited high nonspecific cytotoxicity at even low drug concentration due to the existence of stearyl amine in the formulations. However, dose-dependent cytotoxic effect and the highest cellular binding capacity were obtained by imatinib loaded neutral liposomes. In conclusion, 68 Ga-radiolabeled, imatinib-loaded, neutral, nanosized liposome formulation is the most promising one as a theranostic agent among all formulations.

Unveiling the potential anti-cancer activity of calycosin against multivarious cancers with molecular insights: A promising frontier in cancer research

BACKGROUND

Calycosin may be a potential candidate regarding chemotherapeutic agent, because already some studies against multivarious cancer have been made with this natural compound.

AIM

This review elucidated a brief overview of previous studies on calycosin potential effects on various cancers and its potential mechanism of action.

METHODOLOGY

Data retrieved by systematic searches of Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Scopus by using keywords including calycosin, cancer types, anti-cancer mechanism, synergistic, and pharmacokinetic and commonly used tools are BioRender, ChemDraw Professional 16.0, and ADMETlab 2.0.

RESULTS

Based on our review, calycosin is available in nature and effective against around 15 different types of cancer. Generally, the anti-cancer mechanism of this compound is mediated through a variety of processes, including regulation of apoptotic pathways, cell cycle, angiogenesis and metastasis, oncogenes, enzymatic pathways, and signal transduction process. These study conducted in various study models, including in silico, in vitro, preclinical and clinical models. The molecular framework behind the anti-cancer effect is targeting some oncogenic and therapeutic proteins and multiple signaling cascades. Therapies based on nano-formulated calycosin may make excellent nanocarriers for the delivery of this compound to targeted tissue as well as particular organ. This natural compound becomes very effective when combined with other natural compounds and some standard drugs. Moreover, proper use of this compound can reverse resistance to existing anti-cancer drugs through a variety of strategies. Calycosin showed better pharmacokinetic properties with less toxicity in human bodies.

CONCLUSION

Calycosin exhibits excellent potential as a therapeutic drug against several cancer types and should be consumed until standard chemotherapeutics are available in pharma markets.

Esculetin unveiled: Decoding its anti-tumor potential through molecular mechanisms-A comprehensive review

BACKGROUND

The growing complexity of cancer has made it a significant concern in the medical community. Although cancer research has advanced, it is still challenging to create new effective medications due to the limitations and side effects of existing treatment strategies. These are enforcing the development of some alternative drugs from natural compounds with fewer drawbacks and side effects.

AIM

Therefore, this review aims to provide up-to-date, crucial, and all-encompassing data on esculetin's anticancer activity, including all relevant molecular and cellular processes based on in vivo and in vitro investigations.

RESULTS

According to the literature review, esculetin is available in nature and is effective against 16 different types of cancer. The general mechanism shown by esculetin is modulating signaling cascades and its related pathways, like cell proliferation, cell growth, autophagy, apoptosis, necrosis, inflammation, angiogenesis, metastasis, invasion, and DNA damage. Nanoformulation of esculetin improves this natural product's efficacy by improving water solubility. Esculetin's synergistic effects with both natural substances and conventional treatments have been shown, and this method aids in reversing resistance mechanisms by modulating resistance-related proteins. In addition, it has fewer side effects on humans than other phytochemicals and standard drugs with some good pharmacokinetic features.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, until standard chemotherapeutics are available in pharmaceutical markets, esculetin should be used as a therapeutic drug against various cancer types.

Imaging biomarkers associated with extra-axial intracranial tumors: a systematic review

Extra-axial brain tumors are extra-cerebral tumors and are usually benign. The choice of treatment for extra-axial tumors is often dependent on the growth of the tumor, and imaging plays a significant role in monitoring growth and clinical decision-making. This motivates the investigation of imaging biomarkers for these tumors that may be incorporated into clinical workflows to inform treatment decisions. The databases from Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and Medline were searched from 1 January 2000 to 7 March 2022, to systematically identify relevant publications in this area. All studies that used an imaging tool and found an association with a growth-related factor, including molecular markers, grade, survival, growth/progression, recurrence, and treatment outcomes, were included in this review. We included 42 studies, comprising 22 studies (50%) of patients with meningioma; 17 studies (38.6%) of patients with pituitary tumors; three studies (6.8%) of patients with vestibular schwannomas; and two studies (4.5%) of patients with solitary fibrous tumors. The included studies were explicitly and narratively analyzed according to tumor type and imaging tool. The risk of bias and concerns regarding applicability were assessed using QUADAS-2. Most studies (41/44) used statistics-based analysis methods, and a small number of studies (3/44) used machine learning. Our review highlights an opportunity for future work to focus on machine learning-based deep feature identification as biomarkers, combining various feature classes such as size, shape, and intensity. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, CRD42022306922.

Generation of peptides using phage display technology for cancer diagnosis and molecular imaging

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide; nearly 10 million people died from it in 2020. The high mortality rate results from the lack of effective screening approaches where early detection cannot be achieved, reducing the chance of early intervention to prevent cancer development. Non-invasive and deep-tissue imaging is useful in cancer diagnosis, contributing to a visual presentation of anatomy and physiology in a rapid and safe manner. Its sensitivity and specificity can be enhanced with the application of targeting ligands with the conjugation of imaging probes. Phage display is a powerful technology to identify antibody- or peptide-based ligands with effective binding specificity against their target receptor. Tumour-targeting peptides exhibit promising results in molecular imaging, but the application is limited to animals only. Modern nanotechnology facilitates the combination of peptides with various nanoparticles due to their superior characteristics, rendering novel strategies in designing more potent imaging probes for cancer diagnosis and targeting therapy. In the end, a myriad of peptide candidates that aimed for different cancers diagnosis and imaging in various forms of research were reviewed.

Protein and Gene Delivery Systems for Neurodegenerative Disorders: Where Do We Stand Today?

It has been estimated that every year, millions of people are affected by neurodegenerative disorders, which complicate their lives and their caregivers' lives. To date, there has not been an approved pharmacological approach to provide the complete treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. The only available drugs may only relieve the symptoms or slow down the progression of the disease. The absence of any treatment is quite rational given that neurodegeneration occurs by the progressive loss of the function or structure of the nerve cells of the brain or the peripheral nervous system, which eventually leads to their death either by apoptosis or necrotic cell death. According to a recent study, even though adult brain cells are injured, they can revert to an embryonic state, which may help to restore their function. These interesting findings might open a new path for the development of more efficient therapeutic strategies to combat devastating neurodegenerative disorders. Gene and protein therapies have emerged as a rapidly growing field for various disorders, especially neurodegenerative diseases. Despite these promising therapies, the complete treatment of neurodegenerative disorders has not yet been achieved. Therefore, the aim of this review is to address the most up-to-date data for neurodegenerative diseases, but most importantly, to summarize the available delivery systems incorporating proteins, peptides, and genes that can potentially target such diseases and pass into the blood-brain barrier. The authors highlight the advancements, at present, on delivery based on the carrier, i.e., lipid, polymeric, and inorganic, as well as the recent studies on radiopharmaceutical theranostics.

Tailoring Polymer-Based Nanoassemblies for Stimuli-Responsive Theranostic Applications

Polymer assemblies on the nanoscale represent a powerful toolbox for the design of theranostic systems when combined with both therapeutic compounds and diagnostic reporting ones. Here, recent advances in the design of theranostic systems for various diseases, containing-in their architecture-either polymers or polymer assemblies as one of the building blocks are presented. This review encompasses the general principles of polymer self-assembly, from the production of adequate copolymers up to supramolecular assemblies with theranostic functionality. Such polymer nanoassemblies can be further tailored through the incorporation of inorganic nanoparticles to endow them with multifunctional therapeutic and/or diagnostic features. Systems that change their architecture or properties in the presence of stimuli are selected, as responsivity to changes in the environment is a key factor for enhancing efficiency. Such theranostic systems are based on the intrinsic properties of copolymers or one of the other components. In addition, systems with a more complex architecture, such as multicompartments, are presented. Selected systems indicate the advantages of such theranostic approaches and provide a basis for further developments in the field.

Nanocarriers: A Reliable Tool for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs

Nanomedicines have gained popularity due to their potential therapeutic applications, especially cancer treatment. Targeted nanoparticles can deliver drugs directly to cancer cells and enable prolonged drug release, reducing off-target toxicity and increasing therapeutic efficacy. However, translating nanomedicines from preclinical to clinical settings has been difficult. Rapid advancements in nanotechnology promise to enhance cancer therapies. Nanomedicine offers advanced targeting and multifunctionality. Nanoparticles (NPs) have several uses nowadays. They have been studied as drug transporters, tumor gene delivery agents, and imaging contrast agents. Nanomaterials based on organic, inorganic, lipid, or glycan substances and synthetic polymers have been used to enhance cancer therapies. This review focuses on polymeric nanoparticle delivery strategies for anticancer nanomedicines.

Anticancer Activity of Cordia dichotoma against a Panel of Human Cancer Cell Lines and Their Phytochemical Profiling via HPLC and GCMS

The current study was conducted to examine the in vitro anticancer potential of Cordia dichotoma (bark, leaves, pulp and seed). The plant material was collected from UT of J&K and methodical bioassays were carried out on ten human cancer cell lines (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7), M.D. Anderson-Metastatic Breast (MDA-MB-231), Neuroblastoma-2a (N2A), SH-SY5Y, U-251, HCT-116, SW-620, A-549, MIA PaCa-2, Panc-1) from five different origins (breast, CNS, colon, lung, pancreas) respectively. Methanolic extracts were produced and fractions were then obtained from the extracts and evaluated for cytotoxicity. Mechanistic assays, HPLC, and GCMS profiling were performed on the highest active fraction. The Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay determined the in vitro cytotoxicity. The findings revealed that the bark portion had in vitro cytotoxicity against the A-549 human lung cancer cell line. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that the plant’s bark has anticancer properties and induced chromatin condensation, confirmed cell death via ROS generation, and significantly decreased colony formation in A-549 cell line from lung origin in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, HPLC and GCMS investigations indicated the presence of a number of bioactive molecules such as gallic acid (144,969.86) uV*sec, caffeic acid (104.26) uV*sec, ferulic acid (472.87) uV*sec, vanillic acid (13,775.39) uV*sec, palmitic acid (18.34%), cis vaccenic acid (28.81%), etc. and one of the compounds was reported for the first time from the bark. As a result of its promising efficacy, it may become an essential cancer chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic medication for patients with lung carcinoma.

Preparation of Long-acting Somatostatin and GnRH Analogues and their Applications in Tumor Therapy

Hormonal drugs are essential treatment options for some hormone-dependent or hormone-sensitive tumors. The common dosage forms of hormonal drugs have a short half-life. Hence, frequent administration is needed, which results in poor patient compliance. Nevertheless, using drug delivery technology, somatostatin analogues (SSAs) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues are prepared into long-acting formulations that can significantly prolong the action time of these drugs, reducing medication frequency and increasing patient compliance. Such drugs are advantageous when treating acromegaly, gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other diseases having a relatively long course. SSAs and GnRH analogues are two typical hormonal drugs, the long-acting formulations of which are essential in clinical practice. This review summarized the preparation methods and clinical application of long-acting formulations in cancer. Further, the action mechanism and new research of SSAs and GnRH analogues were discussed, and suggestions related to the development of long-acting SSAs and GnRH analogues were provided.

Screening of the small molecule library of Meinox enables the identification of anticancer compounds in pathologically distinct cancers

Small molecules are widely used for the modulation of the molecular basis of diseases. This makes them the perfect tool for discovering and developing new therapeutics. In this work, we have established a library of small molecules in house and characterized its molecular and druglike properties. We have shown that most small molecules have molecular weights less than 450. They have pharmaceutically relevant cLogP, cLogS, and druglikeness value distributions. In addition, Meinox’s small molecule library contained small molecules with polar surface areas that are less than 60 square angstroms, suggesting their potent ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Meinox’s small molecule library was also tested in vitro for pathologically distinct forms of cancer, including pancreatic adenocarcinoma PANC1, breast carcinoma MCF7, and lymphoblastic carcinoma RS4-11 cell lines. Analysis of this library at a dose of 1 μM allowed the discovery of potent, specific or broadly active anticancer compounds against pathologically distinct cancers. This study shows that in vitro analysis of different cancers or other phenotypic assays with Meinox small molecule library may generate novel and potent bioassay-specific compounds.

Gold nanotheranostics: future emblem of cancer nanomedicine

Cancer nanotheranostics aims at providing alternative approaches to traditional cancer diagnostics and therapies. In this context, plasmonic nanostructures especially gold nanostructures are intensely explored due to their tunable shape, size and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), better photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) ability, effective contrast enhancing ability in Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scan. Despite rapid breakthroughs in gold nanostructures based theranostics of cancer, the translation of gold nanostructures from bench side to human applications is still questionable. The major obstacles that have been facing by nanotheranostics are specific targeting, poor resolution and photoinstability during PTT etc. In this regard, various encouraging studies have been carried out recently to overcome few of these obstacles. Use of gold nanocomposites also overcomes the limitations of gold nanostructure probes and emerged as good nanotheranostic probe. Hence, the present article discusses the advances in gold nanostructures based cancer theranostics and mainly emphasizes on the importance of gold nanocomposites which have been designed to decipher the past questions and limitations of in vivo gold nanotheranostics.

Modular Synthesis of Peptide-Based Single- and Multimodal Targeted Molecular Imaging Agents

A practical, modular synthesis of targeted molecular imaging agents (TMIAs) containing near-infrared dyes for optical molecular imaging (OMI) or chelated metals for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single-photon emission correlation tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) has been developed. In the method, imaging modules are formed early in the synthesis by attaching imaging agents to the side chain of protected lysines. These modules may be assembled to provide a given set of single- or dual-modal imaging agents, which may be conjugated in the last steps of the synthesis under mild conditions to linkers and targeting groups. A key discovery was the ability of a metal such as gadolinium, useful in MRI, to serve as a protecting group for the chelator, 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA). It was further discovered that two lanthanide metals, La and Ce, can double as protecting groups and placeholder metals, which may be transmetalated under mild conditions by metals used for PET in the final step. The modular method enabled the synthesis of discrete targeted probes with two of the same or different dyes, two same or different metals, or mixtures of dyes and metals. The approach was exemplified by the synthesis of single- or dual-modal imaging modules for MRI-OMI, PET-OMI, and PET-MRI, followed by conjugation to the integrin-seeking peptide, c(RGDyK). For Gd modules, their efficacy for MRI was verified by measuring the NMR spin-lattice relaxivity. To validate functional imaging of TMIAs, dual-modal agents containing Cy5.5 were shown to target A549 cancer cells by confocal fluorescence microscopy.

Molecular docking and dynamics simulation study of bioactive compounds from Ficus carica L. with important anticancer drug targets

Ficus carica L., commonly known as fig, has been used in traditional medicine for metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and cancer. Various bioactive compounds have been previously isolated from the leaves, fruit, and bark, which have different pharmacological properties, but the anticancer mechanisms of this plant are not known. In the current study we focused on understanding the probable mechanisms underlying the anticancer activity of F. carica plant extracts by molecular docking and dynamic simulation approaches. We evaluated the drug-likeness of the active constituents of the plant and explored its binding affinity with selected anticancer drug target receptors such as cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK-2), cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK-6), topoisomerase-I (Topo I), topoisomerase-II (Topo II), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). In silico toxicity studies revealed that thirteen molecules out of sixty-eight major active compounds in the plant extract have acceptable drug-like properties. Compound 37 (β-bourbonene) has a good binding affinity with the majority of drug targets, as revealed by molecular docking studies. The complexes of the lead molecules with the drug receptors were stable in terms of molecular dynamics simulation derived parameters such as root mean square deviation and radius of gyration. The top ten residues contributing significantly to the binding free energies were deciphered through analysis of molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) and molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA). Thus, the results of our studies unravel the potential of F. carica bioactive compounds as anticancer candidate molecules against selected macromolecular receptors.

Magnetic nanoparticles applied in targeted therapy and magnetic resonance imaging: crucial preparation parameters, indispensable pre-treatments, updated research advancements and future perspectives

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have attracted much attention in cancer treatment as carriers for drug delivery and imaging contrast agents due to their distinctive performances based on their magnetic properties and nanoscale structure. In this review, we aim to comprehensively dissect how the applications of MNPs in targeted therapy and magnetic resonance imaging are achieved and their specificities by focusing on the following aspects: (1) several important preparation parameters (pH, temperature, ratio of the reactive substances, etc.) that have crucial effects on the properties of MNPs, (2) indispensable treatments to improve the biocompatibility, stability, and targeting ability of MNPs and prolong their circulation time for biomedical applications, (3) the mechanism for MNPs to deliver and release medicine to the desired sites and be applied in magnetic hyperthermia as well as related updated research advancements, (4) comparatively promising research directions of MNPs in magnetic resonance imaging, and (5) perspectives in the further optimization of their preparations, pre-treatments and applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Cholecystokinin-2 Receptor Targeting with Radiolabeled Peptides: Current Status and Future Directions

A wide variety of radiolabeled peptide analogs for specific targeting of cholecystokinin- 2 receptors (CCK2R) has been developed in the last decades. Peptide probes based on the natural ligands Minigastrin (MG) and Cholecystokinin (CCK) have a high potential for molecular imaging and targeted radiotherapy of different human tumors, such as Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC) and Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC). MG analogs with high persistent uptake in CCK2R expressing tumors have been preferably used for the development of radiolabeled peptide analogs. The clinical translation of CCK2R targeting has been prevented due to high kidney uptake or low metabolic stability of the different radiopeptides developed. Great efforts in radiopharmaceutical development have been undertaken to overcome these limitations. Various modifications in the linear peptide sequence of MG have been introduced mainly with the aim to reduce kidney retention. Furthermore, improved tumor uptake could be obtained by in situ stabilization of the radiopeptide against enzymatic degradation through coinjection of peptidase inhibitors. Recent developments focusing on the stabilization of the Cterminal receptor binding sequence (Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2) have led to new radiolabeled MG analogs with highly improved tumor uptake and tumor-to-kidney ratio. In this review, all the different aspects in the radiopharmaceutical development of CCK2R targeting peptide probes are covered, giving also an overview on the clinical investigations performed so far. The recent development of radiolabeled MG analogs, which are highly stabilized against enzymatic degradation in vivo, promises to have a high impact on the clinical management of patients with CCK2R expressing tumors in the near future.

Exploiting DNA repair pathways for tumor sensitization, mitigation of resistance, and normal tissue protection in radiotherapy

More than half of cancer patients are treated with radiotherapy, which kills tumor cells by directly and indirectly inducing DNA damage, including cytotoxic DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Tumor cells respond to these threats by activating a complex signaling network termed the DNA damage response (DDR). The DDR arrests the cell cycle, upregulates DNA repair, and triggers apoptosis when damage is excessive. The DDR signaling and DNA repair pathways are fertile terrain for therapeutic intervention. This review highlights strategies to improve therapeutic gain by targeting DDR and DNA repair pathways to radiosensitize tumor cells, overcome intrinsic and acquired tumor radioresistance, and protect normal tissue. Many biological and environmental factors determine tumor and normal cell responses to ionizing radiation and genotoxic chemotherapeutics. These include cell type and cell cycle phase distribution; tissue/tumor microenvironment and oxygen levels; DNA damage load and quality; DNA repair capacity; and susceptibility to apoptosis or other active or passive cell death pathways. We provide an overview of radiobiological parameters associated with X-ray, proton, and carbon ion radiotherapy; DNA repair and DNA damage signaling pathways; and other factors that regulate tumor and normal cell responses to radiation. We then focus on recent studies exploiting DSB repair pathways to enhance radiotherapy therapeutic gain.

Diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of folate-targeted paclitaxel and vinorelbine encapsulating theranostic liposomes for non-small cell lung cancer

NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer. However, non-specific contrast agents, radiopharmaceuticals, and treatment methods are insufficient in early diagnosis and eradication of all tumor tissue. Therefore, the formulation of a novel, targeted, specific theranostic agents possess critical importance. In our previous study, paclitaxel and vinorelbine encapsulating, Tc-99m radiolabeled, folate targeted, nanosized liposomes were formulated and found promising due to characterization properties, high cellular uptake, and cytotoxicity. In this study, in vivo therapeutic and diagnostic efficacy of liposomal formulations were tested by biodistribution study, evaluation of tumor growth inhibition, and histopathologic examination after in vitro assays on LLC1 cells. Both actively and passively targeted liposomal formulations exhibited high cellular uptake, and co-drug encapsulating liposomes showed a greater cytotoxicity profiles than free drug combination in LLC1 cells. By the results of biodistribution studies performed in NSCLC tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice, the uptake of radiolabeled, actively folate targeted, co-drug encapsulating liposomal formulation was found to be higher in tumor tissue when compared to non-actively targeted one. Also, more effective treatment was achieved by using folate-targeted, co-drug encapsulating liposomal formulation when compared to free drugs combination according to changes in tumor size of mice. Furthermore, liposomal formulations showed lower toxicity compared to free drug combinations in the toxicity study considering body weight. Moreover, according to the histopathological study, folate targeted, co-drug encapsulating liposomes not only inhibited the tumor growth effectively but also restricted the lung metastasis entirely.

Anticancer Plants: A Review of the Active Phytochemicals, Applications in Animal Models, and Regulatory Aspects

The rising burden of cancer worldwide calls for an alternative treatment solution. Herbal medicine provides a very feasible alternative to western medicine against cancer. This article reviews the selected plant species with active phytochemicals, the animal models used for these studies, and their regulatory aspects. This study is based on a meticulous literature review conducted through the search of relevant keywords in databases, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Twenty plants were selected based on defined selection criteria for their potent anticancer compounds. The detailed analysis of the research studies revealed that plants play an indispensable role in fighting different cancers such as breast, stomach, oral, colon, lung, hepatic, cervical, and blood cancer cell lines. The in vitro studies showed cancer cell inhibition through DNA damage and activation of apoptosis-inducing enzymes by the secondary metabolites in the plant extracts. Studies that reported in vivo activities of these plants showed remarkable results in the inhibition of cancer in animal models. Further studies should be performed on exploring more plants, their active compounds, and the mechanism of anticancer actions for use as standard herbal medicine.

Tuning Organelle Specificity and Photodynamic Therapy Efficiency by Molecular Function Design

Efficient organic photosensitizers (PSs) have attracted much attention because of their promising applications in photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, guidelines on their molecular design are rarely reported. In this work, a series of PSs are designed and synthesized based on a triphenylamine-azafluorenone core. Their structure-property-application relationships are systematically studied. Cationization is an effective strategy to enhance the PDT efficiency of PSs by targeting mitochondria. From the molecularly dispersed state to the aggregate state, the fluorescence and the reactive oxygen species generation efficiency of PSs with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) increase due to the restriction of the intramolecular motions and enhancement of intersystem crossing. Cationized mitochondrion-targeting PSs show higher PDT efficiency than that of nonionized ones targeting lipid droplets. The ability of AIE PSs to kill cancer cells can be further enhanced by combination of PDT with radiotherapy. Such results should trigger research enthusiasm for designing and synthesizing AIE PSs with better PDT efficiency and properties.

Modified core–shell magnetic mesoporous zirconia nanoparticles formed through a facile “outside-to-inside” way for CT/MRI dual-modal imaging and magnetic targeting cancer chemotherapy

Iron oxide based magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as typical theranostic nanoagents have been popularly used in various biomedical applications. Conventional core–shell MNPs are usually synthesized from inside to outside. This method has strict requirements on the interface properties of magnetic cores and the precursors of the coating shell. The shape and size of MNPs are significantly influenced by that of the pre-synthesized magnetic cores. Most core–shell MNPs have only single T2W MRI imaging ability. Herein, we propose a new synthetic strategy for core-mesoporous shell structural MNPs, where hollow mesoporous nanospheres which exhibit an intrinsic property for both CT imaging and drug loading were used as the shell and the magnetic cores were produced in the cavity of the shell. A new type of MNPs, Fe₃O₄@ZrO₂ nanoparticles (M-MZNs), were developed using this facile outside-to-inside way, where multiple Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles grew inside the cavity of the mesoporous hollow ZrO₂ nanospheres through chemical coprecipitation. The obtained MNPs not only exhibited superior magnetic properties and CT/MR imaging ability but also high drug loading capacity. In vitro experiment results revealed that M-MZNs-PEG loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) presented selective growth inhibition against cancer cells due to pH-sensitive DOX release and enhanced endocytosis by cancer cells under a magnetic field. Furthermore, the proposed MNPs exhibited CT/MRI dual modal imaging ability and effective physical targeting to tumor sites in vivo. More importantly, experiments of magnetic targeting chemotherapy on tumor bearing mice demonstrated that the nanocomposites significantly suppressed tumor growth without obvious pathological damage to major organs. Henceforth, this study provides a new strategy for CT/MRI dual-modal imaging guided and magnetic targeting cancer therapy.

Magnetic mesoporous zirconia nanoparticle was synthesized by producing multiple iron oxide cores inside the cavity of mesoporous ZrO₂ hollow nanospheres and was used for CT/MRI dual-modal imaging and magnetic targeting chemotherapy.