Recent advances of hyaluronic acid-based materials in drug delivery systems and regenerative medicine: A review

Nowadays, diseases have a high rate of incidence and mortality worldwide. On the other side, the drawbacks of conventional modalities in the suppression of diseases have encountered serious problematic issues for the health of human beings. For instance, although various approaches have been applied for the treatment of cancer, it has an ever-increasing rate of incidence and mortality throughout the globe. Thus, there is a fundamental requirement for the development of breakthrough technologies in the inhibition of diseases. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the most practical biopolymers in the suppression of diseases. HA has lots of potential physicochemical (like rheological, structural, molecular weight, and ionization, etc.) and biomedical properties (bioavailability, biocompatibility, CD44 targeting and signaling pathways, components of biological organs, mucoadhesion, immunomodulation, etc.), which made it a potential candidate for the development of breakthrough tools in pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. The ease of surface modification (carboxylation, amidation, hydroxylation, and esterification), high bioavailability and synthesis routes, and various administration routes are considered as other merits of HA-based vehicles. These mucopolysaccharide HA-based materials have been considerably developed for use in drug delivery systems (DDSs), cancer therapy, wound healing, antiaging, and tissue engineering. This review summarizes the advantages of HA-based DDS and scaffolds in the treatment of diseases.

Advances in polysaccharide-based materials for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications: A comprehensive review

Polysaccharides, the most abundant biopolymers in nature, have attracted the attention of researchers and clinicians due to its practicality in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. These biomaterials have high bioavailability and play structural and functional roles in living organisms. Polysaccharides are classified into several groups based on their origin, including plant polysaccharides and marine polysaccharides (like chitosan, hyaluronic acid, dextran, alginates, etc.) with specific applications. These biopolymers possess unique physicochemical (such as surface functional groups, solubility, and stability), mechanical (like mechanical strength and tensile), and biomedical (such as antioxidant activity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, renewability, and non-immunogenicity) characteristics which have made them excellent platforms for a wide variety of biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Ease of extraction and different preparation approaches are mentioned as other potential properties of polysaccharides that further improved their practicality in biomedical sciences. They have high drug/bioactive encapsulation capacity and sustained/controlled release manner in in vivo microenvironments. The anti-inflammatory and immunomodulation, stimuli-responsive drug/bioactive release, and passive and active drug/bioactive delivery are considered the potential features of these biopolymers in pharmaceutical sciences. Polysaccharides have indicated practical applications in biomedical sciences, including biosensors, tissue engineering, implantation, wound healing, vascular grafting, and vaccines. This review highlights the advances of polysaccharide-based materials in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences.

Recent advances in polysaccharide-based drug delivery systems for cancer therapy: a comprehensive review

Cancer has a high rate of incidence and mortality throughout the world. Although several conventional approaches have been developed for the treatment of cancer, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and thermal therapy, they have remarkable disadvantages which result in inefficient treatment of cancer. For example, immunogenicity, prolonged treatment, non-specificity, metastasis and high cost of treatment, are considered as the major drawbacks of chemotherapy. Therefore, there is a fundamental requirement for the development of breakthrough technologies for cancer suppression. Polysaccharide-based drug delivery systems (DDSs) are the most reliable drug carriers for cancer therapy. Polysaccharides, as a kind of practical biomaterials, are divided into several types, including chitosan, alginates, dextran, hyaluronic acid, cyclodextrin, pectin, etc. Polysaccharides are extracted from different natural resources (like herbal, marine, microorganisms, etc.). The potential features of polysaccharides have made them reliable candidates for therapeutics delivery to cancer sites; the simple purification, ease of modification and functionalization, hydrophilicity, serum stability, appropriate drug loading capacity, biocompatibility, bioavailability, biodegradability and stimuli-responsive and sustained drug release manner are considerable aspects of these biopolymers. This review highlights the practical applications of polysaccharides-based DDSs in pharmaceutical science and cancer therapy.

Design of biocompatible gelatin hydrogels reinforced with magnetite nanoparticles: Effective removal of chromium from water environment

The development of biocompatible adsorbents is vital for environmental remediation to control and reduce pollution and waste accumulation in ecosystems. Biocompatible hydrogels represent an innovative class of materials that are primarily composed of polymer chain units forming their structural framework. They have a high affinity for water molecules. This research thus aims to incorporate iron oxide particles into the gelatin matrix to produce gelatin hydrogel beads to remove hexavalent chromium from an aqueous solution. The synthesized beads, known for their consistent size, low friction, high specific surface area, mechanical stability, and lightweight characteristics, demonstrated their suitability for various industrial applications. The effectiveness of these hydrogels in removing hexavalent chromium ions was confirmed through a thorough analysis using techniques such as FTIR, TGA, SEM, EDX, VSM, and XPS. Batch experiments revealed that the gelatin-based nanocomposite beads exhibited optimal adsorption efficiency under acidic conditions, lower initial concentrations of chromium ions, extended contact time, and elevated temperature (50-60 °C). The composite achieved a maximum removal efficiency of 99% at pH 1, with an adsorbent dose of 0.5 g at 50 °C, and an initial concentration of 50 mg per liter. The use of 0.7 N NaOH in the regeneration process resulted in a commendable 70.5% desorption efficiency, enabling potential reuse and regeneration. Significantly, the desorption efficiency remained consistently high even after four desorption-readsorption cycles, contributing to the economic and environmental sustainability of chromium removal. Additionally, the study determined that the sorption process was feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic. These collective findings suggest that magnetic gelatin hydrogel beads could serve as a cost-effective alternative adsorbent for the efficient removal of chromium ions from aqueous solutions.

Synthesis and in vitro study of surface-modified and anti-EGFR DNA aptamer -conjugated chitosan nanoparticles as a potential targeted drug delivery system

Nowadays, finding effective approaches for cancer therapy is one of the significant issues related to human health all over the world. Hence, in this research, we designed and synthesized a novel targeted DDS based on surface-modified chitosan (CS) for the effective delivery of noscapine (NO). As the surface of CS nanoparticles was firstly modified with carboxyl groups and followed by covalent conjugation of DNA-aptamer (Ap) as targeting and receptor blocker agent. Secondly, NO, as a chemotherapeutic agent, was loaded into prepared nano-complex and synthetics were effectively characterized via various analytical devices, including FT-IR, 1H NMR, DLS, Zeta potential analyzer, TGA, TEM, and SEM to verify quality and quantity of synthetics. Drug loading was obtained about 25 % and sustained drug release was observed for nano-complex at different pHs. Then, the cell viability assay was performed on MCF-7 (as breast cancer cell) and HFF-1 (as normal cell) cell lines to investigate cancer cell inhibition potency of nano-complex. Cell viability of cancer cells was 19.84 ± 1.87 % (for C-CS-Ap-NO) and 75.43 ± 2.64 % (for C-CS-Ap) after 72 h of treatment with 400 nM concentration. These results have been confirming the excellent potency of synthesized novel nano-complex as practical DDS in cancer therapy.

Biocompatible PAMAM-PLGA-PCL Nanocarrier for Efficient Curcumin Delivery to Lung Cancer Cells: In Vitro Studies

Lung cancer, as the leading cause of death among other types of cancer, has a high rate of incidence throughout the world. Although conventional modalities, like chemotherapy, have been applied for the inhibition of this cancer, they have not led to the suppression of lung cancer owing to their deficiencies. Thus, we developed a novel polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)-polyamidoamine G4 (PAMAM G4)-polycaprolactone (PCL) nanocarrier for efficient delivery of curcumin (Cur) to A549 lung cancer cells. The synthesized nanocarrier was characterized by applying analytical techniques, FT-IR, DLS, TEM, and TGA. Successful synthesis, nano-size diameter (40-80 nm), near neutral surface charge (8.0 mV), and high drug entrapment (11.5 %) were measured for the nanocarrier. Controlled (about 5 folds within first 2 h) and pH-sensitive (2-3 folds faster within first hours) Cur release observed for PLGA-PAMAM-PCL-Cur. Cell viability test (MTT assay) indicated the high capability of nanocarrier in suppression of A549 cancer cells (21 % viability after 24 h of treatment with 200 nM) while did not result in toxicity on MSC normal cells. The IC50 observed for 50 nM at 24 h of post-treatment in A549 cells. The qRT-PCR technique indicated inducing the expression of apoptotic genes (Caspase9 and Bax) by 6-8 folds and suppressing anti-apoptotic gene (Bcl2) by 7 folds. ROS considerably increased in cancer cells as well. This nanocarrier would be a promising drug delivery system against lung cancer.

Recent advances on chitosan/hyaluronic acid-based stimuli-responsive hydrogels and composites for cancer treatment: A comprehensive review

Cancer, as leading cause of death, has a high rate of mortality worldwide. Although there is a wide variety of conventional approaches for the treatment of cancer (such as surgery and chemotherapy), they have considerable drawbacks in terms of practicality, treatment efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Therefore, there is a fundamental requirement for the development of safe and efficient treatment modalities based on breakthrough technologies to suppress cancer. Chitosan (CS) and hyaluronic acid (HA) polysaccharides, as FDA-approved biomaterials for some biomedical applications, are potential biopolymers for the efficient treatment of cancer. CS and HA have high biocompatibility, bioavailability, biodegradability, and immunomodulatory function which guarantee their safety and non-toxicity. CS-/HA-based hydrogels (HGs)/composites stand out for their potential anticancer function, versatile preparation and modification, ease of administration, controlled/sustained drug release, and active and passive drug internalization into target cells which is crucial for efficient treatment of cancer compared with conventional treatment approaches. These HGs/composites can respond to external (magnetic, ultrasound, light, and thermal) and internal (pH, enzyme, redox, and ROS) stimuli as well which further paves the way to their manipulation, targeted drug delivery, practicality, and efficient treatment. The above-mentioned properties of CS-/HA-based HGs/composites are unique and practical in cancer treatment which can ignore the deficiencies of conventional approaches. The present manuscript comprehensively highlights the advances in the practical application of stimuli-responsive HGs/composites based on CS/HA polysaccharides.

Advances in chitosan-based blends as potential drug delivery systems: A review

During the last decades, the ever-increasing incidence of diseases has led to high rates of mortality throughout the world. On the other hand, the inability and deficiencies of conventional approaches (such as chemotherapy) in the suppression of diseases remain challenging issues. As a result, there is a fundamental requirement to develop novel, biocompatible, bioavailable, and practical nanomaterials to prevent the incidence and mortality of diseases. Chitosan (CS) derivatives and their blends are outstandingly employed as promising drug delivery systems for disease therapy. These biopolymers are indicated more efficient performance against diseases compared with conventional modalities. The CS blends possess improved physicochemical properties, ease of preparation, high affordability, etc. characteristics compared with other biopolymers and even pure CS which result in efficient thermal, mechanical, biochemical, and biomedical features. Also, these blends can be administrated through different routes without a long-term treatment period. Due to the mentioned properties, numerous formulations of CS blends are developed for pharmaceutical sciences to treat diseases. This review article highlights the progressions in the development of CS-based blends as potential drug delivery systems against diseases.

Bifunctional folic acid targeted biopolymer Ag@NMOF nanocomposite [{Zn2 (1,4-bdc) 2 (DABCO)} n] as a novel theranostic agent for molecular imaging of colon cancer by SERS

Without a doubt, cancer and its negative impact on human health have created many hurdles for people across the world since conventional approaches have not offered a reliable ability in the eradication of cancer. As a result, finding novel approaches, like using bimodal nanoparticles as a potential nanocarrier in molecular imaging and cancer therapy, is remarkably required these days. In the present study, ex-situ (Ge) and in-situ (Gi) green synthesized silver (Ag) nanoparticles entrapped in metal-organic framework nanocomposites (NMOF) coated with folic acid (FA) targeted chitosan (CS) was successfully developed as a novel bifunctional nanocarrier for detection and treatment of colon cancer cells. Then nanocarriers, such as NMOF-CS-FA, Ge-Ag@NMOF-CS-FA, Gi-Ag@NMOF-CS-FA, and C-Ag@NMOF-CS-FA, were characterized via FT-IR, DLS, SERS, TEM, and SEM and results have potentially confirmed the quality and quantity of synthesized nanocomposites. The hydrodynamic diameters of NMOF-CS, Ge-Ag@NMOF-CS, Gi-Ag@NMOF-CS, and C-Ag@NMOF-CS specimens were measured at around 99.7 ± 10 nm, 110 ± 10 nm, 118 ± 10 nm, 115 ± 10 nm, respectively. Also, the PDI values less than 0.2 confirm the reliable distribution of these nanocomposites. Afterward, the cell viability assay was conducted on HCT116 and HGF cell lines for evaluating biocompatibility and targeting efficiency of nanocomposites; FA functionalized nanocomposites have intensively indicated better performance in cancer cells targeting and their inhibition, and IC50 was attained for 10 ng/mL of Ge-Ag@NMOF-CS-FA while non-targeted nanocarriers did not have toxicity more than 20 % on HCT116 colon cancer cells. Moreover, according to the results, the cell viability of HGF normal cells was at least 85 % after being exposed to different concentrations of nanocomposites for 24 h. This indicates that the synthesized nanocomposites do not have significant toxic effects on normal cells. The results indicate that this novel nanocomposite has the potential to effectively deliver drugs to cancer cells.

Chitosan-based nanofibrous scaffolds for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications: A comprehensive review

Nowadays, there is a wide range of deficiencies in treatment of diseases. These limitations are correlated with the inefficient ability of current modalities in the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Therefore, there is a fundamental need for the development of novel approaches to overcome the mentioned restrictions. Chitosan (CS) nanoparticles, with remarkable physicochemical and mechanical properties, are FDA-approved biomaterials with potential biomedical aspects, like serum stability, biocompatibility, biodegradability, mucoadhesivity, non-immunogenicity, anti-inflammatory, desirable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, etc. CS-based materials are mentioned as ideal bioactive materials for fabricating nanofibrous scaffolds. Sustained and controlled drug release and in situ gelation are other potential advantages of these scaffolds. This review highlights the latest advances in the fabrication of innovative CS-based nanofibrous scaffolds as potential bioactive materials in regenerative medicine and drug delivery systems, with an outlook on their future applications.

Chitosan-Albumin Nanocomposite as a Promising Nanocarrier for Efficient Delivery of Fluconazole Against Vaginal Candidiasis

Currently, the high incidence of fungal infections among females has resulted in outstanding problems. Candida species is related with multidrug resistance and destitute clinical consequences. Chitosan-albumin derivatives with more stability exhibit innate antifungal and antibacterial effects that boost the activity of the drug without inflammatory impact. The stability and sustained release of Fluconazole in mucosal tissues can be ensured by encapsulating in protein/polysaccharide nanocomposites. Thus, we developed chitosan-albumin nanocomposite (CS-A) loaded with Fluconazole (Flu) antifungals against vaginal candidiasis. Various ratios of CS/Flu (1:1, 1:2, 2:1) were prepared. Thereafter, the CS-A-Flu nanocomposites were qualified and quantified using FT-IR, DLS, TEM, and SEM analytical devices, and the size range from 60 to 100 nm in diameter was attained for the synthesized nanocarriers. Afterward, the antifungal activity, biofilm reduction potency, and cell viability assay were performed for biomedical evaluation of formulations. The minimum inhibitory concentration) and minimum fungicidal concentration on Candida albicans were attained at 125 ng/μL and 150 ng/μL after treatment with a 1:2 (CS/Flu) ratio of CS-A-Flu. The biofilm reduction assay indicated that biofilm formation was between 0.05 and 0.1% for CS-A-Flu at all ratios. The MTT assay also exhibited excellent biocompatibility for samples, about 7 to 14% toxicity on human HGF normal cells. These data have indicated that CS-A-Flu would be a promising candidate against Candida albicans.

Folic Acid-Decorated Chitosan-PLGA Nanobiopolymers for Targeted Drug Delivery to Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells: In Vitro Studies

OBJECTIVES

This study developed a drug delivery system (DDS) using folic acid (FA)-functionalized chitosan (CS) and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanocarriers for targeted sodium butyrate (NB) delivery to leukemia cells (NALM6). The goal was to enhance NB's therapeutic efficacy while reducing its cytotoxicity to non-malignant cells.

METHODS

FA-CS-PLGA nanocarriers were synthesized and characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Encapsulation efficiency, release kinetics, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis induction were assessed using MTT assays and flow cytometry in NALM6 cells.

RESULTS

The FA-CS-PLGA nanocarriers had a surface charge of 34.2 ± 0.12 mV and a size range of 40-60 nm. Encapsulation efficiency was 16%, with 16% of NB released within the first 4 h. MTT assays showed a reduction in leukemia cell viability to 26% after 24 h with 400 nM FA-CS-PLGA-NB, compared to over 50% viability with pure NB. The IC50 was around 300 nM. Flow cytometry revealed that FA-CS-PLGA-NB induced apoptosis in over 20% of leukemia cells, far exceeding the 5% induced by unmodified NB.

CONCLUSION

FA-CS-PLGA nanocarriers show significant promise as a targeted DDS for leukemia therapy, enhancing NB delivery to leukemia cells and improving therapeutic efficacy while minimizing off-target toxicity. These results support further in vivo studies and potential clinical applications.

Advances in chitosan-based hydrogels for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications: A comprehensive review

The treatment of diseases, such as cancer, is one of the most significant issues correlated with human beings health. Hydrogels (HGs) prepared from biocompatible and biodegradable materials, especially biopolymers, have been effectively employed for the sort of pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, including drug delivery systems, biosensors, and tissue engineering. Chitosan (CS), one of the most abundant bio-polysaccharide derived from chitin, is an efficient biomaterial in the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. CS-based HGs possess some potential advantages, like high values of bioactive encapsulation, efficient drug delivery to a target site, sustained drug release, good biocompatibility and biodegradability, high serum stability, non-immunogenicity, etc., which made them practical and useful for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. In this review, we summarize recent achievements and advances associated with CS-based HGs for drug delivery, regenerative medicine, disease detection and therapy.

Advances in preparation, biomedical, and pharmaceutical applications of chitosan-based gold, silver, and magnetic nanoparticles: A review

During the last decades, the ever-increasing incidence of various diseases, like cancer, has led to a high rate of death worldwide. On the other hand, conventional modalities (such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy) have not indicated enough efficiency in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Thus, potential novel approaches should be taken into consideration to pave the way for the suppression of diseases. Among novel approaches, biomaterials, like chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs, N-acetyl-glucosamine and D-glucosamine), have been approved by the FDA for some efficient pharmaceutical applications. These NPs owing to their physicochemical properties, modification with different molecules, biocompatibility, serum stability, less immune response, suitable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, etc. have received deep attention among researchers and clinicians. More importantly, the impact of CS polysaccharide in the synthesis, preparation, and delivery of metallic NPs (like gold, silver, and magnetic NPs), and combination of CS with these metallic NPs can further facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Metallic NPs possess some features, like converting NIR photon energy into thermal energy and anti-microorganism capability, and can be a potential candidate for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in combination with CS NPs. These combined NPs would be efficient pharmaceuticals in the future.

Biomedical applications of PLGA nanoparticles in nanomedicine: advances in drug delivery systems and cancer therapy

INTRODUCTION

During the last decades, the ever-increasing proportion of patients with cancer has been led to serious concerns worldwide. Therefore, the development and use of novel pharmaceuticals, like nanoparticles (NPs)-based drug delivery systems (DDSs), can be potentially effective in cancer therapy.

AREA COVERED

Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) NPs, as a kind of bioavailable, biocompatible, and biodegradable polymers, have approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for some biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. PLGA is comprised of lactic acid (LA) and glycolic acid (GA) and their ratio could be controlled during various syntheses and preparation approaches. LA/GA ratio determines the stability and degradation time of PLGA; lower content of GA results in fast degradation. There are several approaches for preparing PLGA NPs that can affect their various aspects, such as size, solubility, stability, drug loading, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics, and so on.

EXPERT OPINION

These NPs have indicated the controlled and sustained drug release in the cancer site and can use in passive and active (via surface modification) DDSs. This review aims to provide an overview of PLGA NPs, their preparation approach and physicochemical aspects, drug release mechanism and the cellular fate, DDSs for efficient cancer therapy, and status in the pharmaceutical industry and nanomedicine.

Smart chitosan-PLGA nanocarriers functionalized with surface folic acid ligands against lung cancer cells

Lung cancer is the second most prevalent and first killer cancer worldwide, and conventional approaches do not have enough ability to suppress it. Therefore, a novel targeted chitosan (CS)-poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)-folic acid (FA) nanocarrier was developed for delivery of sorafenib (Sor) to lung cancer cells. The nanocarrier (CPSF) had a size of 30-40 nm with globular shapes. Surface charge and drug content of CPSF were ascertained at about 1.1 mV and 15 %, respectively. Controlled (4 % within 2 h) and pH-sensitive (18 % within 2 h at pH = 5.0) Sor release were observed for the nanocarrier. The MTT assay demonstrated a cell viability of 13 % after 24 h treatment with 400 nM CPSF in A549 cancer cells while it was 78 % in MSC normal cells. The qRT-PCR revealed >8 folds and 11 folds increase for Caspase9 and P53 genes after 5 h treatment with 100 nM (IC₅₀) CPSF; but a reduction of 5 folds was observed for the Bcl2 gene. Besides, 57 % and 20 % apoptosis were attained in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis assays for CPSF, respectively. CPF indicated about 88 % internalization in cancer cells. These data prove that CPSF is a promising nanodelivery system for lung cancer suppression.

Recent progressions in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of chitosan nanoparticles: A comprehensive review

Nowadays, the most common approaches in the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases are along with undeniable limitations. Thus, the ever-increasing need for using biocompatible natural materials and novel practical modalities is required. Applying biomaterials, such as chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs: FDA-approved long-chain polymer of N-acetyl-glucosamine and D-glucosamine for some pharmaceutical applications), can serve as an appropriate alternative to overcome these limitations. Recently, the biomedical applications of CS NPs have extensively been investigated. These NPs and their derivatives can not only prepare through different physical and chemical approaches but also modify with various molecules and bioactive materials. The potential properties of CS NPs, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, serum stability, solubility, non-immunogenicity, anti-inflammatory properties, appropriate pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and so forth, have made them excellent candidates for biomedical applications. Therefore, CS NPs have efficiently applied for various biomedical applications, like regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, biosensors for the detection of microorganisms, and drug delivery systems (DDS) for the suppression of diseases. These NPs possess a high level of biosafety. In summary, CS NPs have the potential ability for biomedical and clinical applications, and it would be remarkably beneficial to develop new generations of CS-based material for the future of medicine.

Targeted PEGylated Chitosan Nano-complex for Delivery of Sodium Butyrate to Prostate Cancer: An In Vitro Study

Introduction: Cancer remains a challenging issue against human health throughout the world; As a result, introducing novel approaches would be beneficial for cancer treatment. In this research, sodium butyrate (Sb) is one of the effective anti-cancer therapeutics (also a potent survival factor for normal cells) that was used for prostate cancer suppression in the platform of modified chitosan (CS) nano-complex (polyethylene glycol (PEG)-folic acid (FA)-Sb-CS). Methods: Different analytical devices including Fourier transform infrared, dynamic light scattering, high-performance liquid chromatography, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were applied for the characterization of synthetics. On the other hand, biomedical tests including cell viability assay, molecular and functional assay of apoptosis/autophagy pathways, and cell cycle arrest analysis were potentially implemented on human PC3 (folate receptor-negative prostate cancer) and DU145 (folate receptor-positive prostate cancer) and HFF-1 normal cell lines. Results: The quality of the syntheses was effectively verified, and the size range from 140 to 170 nm was determined for the PEG-CS-FA-Sb sample. Also, 75  ±  5% of drug entrapment efficiency with controlled drug release manner (Sb release of 54.21% and 74.04% for pHs 7.4 and 5.0) were determined for nano-complex. Based on MTT results, PEG-CS-FA-Sb has indicated 72.07% and 33.53% cell viability after 24 h of treatment with 9 mM on PC3 and DU145 cell lines, respectively, which is desirable anti-cancer performance. The apoptotic and autophagy genes overexpression was 15-fold (caspase9), 2.5-fold (BAX), 11-fold (ATG5), 2-fold (BECLIN1), and 3-fold (mTORC1) genes in DU145 cancer cells. More than 50% of cell cycle arrest and 45.05% of apoptosis were obtained for DU145 cancer cells after treatment with nano-complex. Conclusion: Hence, the synthesized Sb-loaded nano-complex could specifically suppress prostate cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis and autophagy in the molecular and cellular phases.

Margetuximab conjugated-PEG-PAMAM G4 nano-complex: a smart nano-device for suppression of breast cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer due to its high incidence and mortality is the second leading cause of death among females. On the other hand, nanoparticle-based drug delivery is one of the most promising approaches in cancer therapy, nowadays. Hence, margetuximab- and polyethylene glycol-conjugated PAMAM G4 dendrimers were efficiently synthesized for targeted delivery of quercetin (therapeutic agent) to MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Synthesized nano-complexes were characterized using analytical devices such as FT-IR, TGA, DLS, Zeta potential analyzer, and TEM. The size less than 40 nm, - 18.8 mV surface charge, efficient drug loading capacity (21.48%), and controlled drug release (about 45% of drug release normal pH after 8 h) were determined for the nano-complex. In the biomedical test, the cell viability was obtained 14.67% at 24 h of post-treatment for 800 nM concentration, and IC₅₀ was ascertained at 100 nM for the nano-complex. The expression of apoptotic Bax and Caspase9 genes was increased by more than eightfolds and more than fivefolds after treatment with an optimal concentration of nanocarrier. Also, more than threefolds of cell cycle arrest was observed at the optimal concentration synthetics, and 27.5% breast cancer cell apoptosis was detected after treatment with 100 nM nano-complex. These outputs have been indicating the potential capacity of synthesized nano-complex in inhibiting the growth of breast cancer cells.

Graphic abstract

Preparation of Gentamicin Sulfate Nanoparticles using Eudragit RS-100 and Evaluation of Their Physicochemical Properties

Improving permeability and absorption of drugs are critical research challenges in pharmaceutical science. Gentamicin sulfate is an aminoglycoside antibiotic, which is very active against gram-negative bacteria; however, it has very poor bioavailability. This study aimed to prepare gentamicin nanoparticles with the intention of increased bioavailability. Accordingly, Eudragit RS-100 nanoparticles loaded with gentamicin sulfate were prepared by the double emulsification and solvent evaporation method, a proper technique for encapsulating hydrophilic molecules. Nanoparticles’ suspensions with polymer to drug ratios of 1:1 ([Formula: see text] and 2:1 ([Formula: see text]) were prepared, lyophilized and evaluated for their production yield, physicochemical properties and morphology. The mean particle size was 195.67[Formula: see text]nm and 228[Formula: see text]nm for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively. The formulations’ loading efficiencies were relatively high (85.73 for [Formula: see text] and 85.20 for [Formula: see text]). The nanoparticles’ surface charge (+40.5[Formula: see text]mV) was sufficient to inhibit their aggregation and facilitate the nanoparticles’ absorption through the gastrointestinal tract. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed that drug and polymer stabilized each other by physical interactions between their functional groups. Both formulations presented an initial burst drug release of nearly 20% after 30[Formula: see text]min in phosphate buffer (pH = 7.4). After 24[Formula: see text]h, [Formula: see text] did not release the drug completely, while [Formula: see text] released the whole drug. Overall, nanoparticles with proper characteristics were obtained. This study puts forward the necessity of conducting further research in order to explore the intestinal absorption of these nanoparticles and the possibility of being utilized for oral administration of gentamicin sulfate.

Chitosan-based nanodelivery systems for cancer therapy: Recent advances

Nowadays, cancer is one of the most prominent issues related to human health since it causes more than one-tenth of death cases throughout the world. On the other hand, routine therapeutic approaches in cancer suppression such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, etc. due to their undesirable therapeutic outputs, including low efficiency in cancer inhibition, non-targeted drug delivery, nonselective distribution, and enormous side effects, have been indicated inefficient potency in cancer therapy or at least its growth inhibition. As a result, the development of novel and practical therapeutic methods such as nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems can be outstandingly beneficial in cancer suppression. Among various nanoparticles used in the delivery of bioactive to the tumor site, chitosan (CS) nanoparticles have received high attention. CS, poly [β-(1-4)-linked-2-amino-2-deoxy-d-glucose], is a natural linear amino polysaccharide derived from chitin which is made of irregularly distributed d-glucosamine and N-acetyl-d-glucosamine units. CS nanoparticles owing to their appropriate aspects, including nanometric size, great drug loading efficacy, ease of manipulation, non-toxicity, excellent availability and biocompatibility, good serum stability, long-term circulation time, suitable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics, non-immunogenicity, and enhanced drug solubility in the human body, have been designated as an efficient candidate for drug delivery systems. They can be involved in both passive (based on the enhanced permeability and retention effect cancer targeting) and active (receptor-mediated or stimuli-responsive cancer targeting) drug delivery systems for potential cancer therapy. This review presents the properties, preparation, modification, and numerous pharmaceutical applications of CS-based drug nanodelivery systems in the diagnosis and therapy of cancer.