Chitosan Encapsulation Enhances the Bioavailability and Tissue Retention of Curcumin and Improves its Efficacy in Preventing B[a]P-induced Lung Carcinogenesis

Fenpropathrin provoked kidney damage via controlling the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis: The palliative role of curcumin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles

This study assessed the ability of formulated curcumin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CU-CS-NPs) to reduce the kidney damage resulting from fenpropathrin (FPN) in rats compared to curcumin (CU) in rats. Sixty male Sprague Dawley rats were separated into six groups and orally administered 1 mL/kg b.wt corn oil, 50 mg CU/kg b.wt, 50 mg CU-CS-NPs /kg b.wt., 15 mg FPN /kg b.wt, CU+ FPN or CU-CS-NPs + FPN for 60 days. Then, serum renal damage products were assessed. Total antioxidant capacity, reactive oxygen species, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), malondialdehyde, NF-κB P65, cleaved-Caspase-1, and Caspase-8 were estimated in kidney homogenates. The cleaved Caspase-3 and TNF-α immunoexpression and pyroptosis-related genes were determined in renal tissues. The results showed that CU-CS-NPS significantly repressed the FPN-induced increment in kidney damage products (urea, uric acid, and creatinine). Moreover, the FPN-associated hypo-proteinemia, renal oxidative stress and apoptotic reactions, and impaired renal histology were considerably repaired by CU and CU-CS-NPs. Additionally, compared to FPN-exposed rats, CU, and CU-CS-NPs-treated rats had considerably lower immunoexpression of cleaved Caspase-3 and TNF-α in renal tissue. The pyroptosis-related genes NLRP3, GSDMD, IL-18, Caspase-3, Caspase-1, IL-1β, Caspase-8, TNF-α, and NF-κB dramatically upregulated by FPN exposure in the renal tissues. Yet, in CU and CU-CS-NPs-treated rats, the gene above expression deviations were corrected. Notably, CU-CS-NPs were superior to CU in preventing oxidative damage and inflammation and regulating pyroptosis in the renal tissues of the FPN-exposed group. The results of the present study conclusively showed the superior favorable effect of CU-CS-NPs in counteracting renal impairment linked to environmental pollutants.

Chitosan nanoparticles loaded with Foeniculum vulgare extract regulate retrieval of sensory and motor functions in mice

In this study, chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) encapsulating Foeniculum vulgare (FV) seed extract (SE) were prepared for the controlled delivery of bioactive phytoconstituents. The prepared CSNPs encapsulating FVSE as sustain-releasing nanoconjugate (CSNPs-FVSE) was used as a potent source of functional metabolites including kaempferol and quercetin for accelerated reclamation of sensory and motor functions following peripheral nerve injury (PNI). The nanoconjugate exhibited in vitro a biphasic diffusion-controlled sustained release of quercetin and kaempferol ensuring prolonged therapeutic effects. The CSNPs-FVSE was administered through gavaging to albino mice daily at a dose rate of 25 mg/kg body weight from the day of induced PNI till the end of the experiment. The conjugate-treatment induced a significant acceleration in the regain of motor functioning, evaluated from the sciatic function index (SFI) and muscle grip strength studies. Further, the hotplate test confirmed a significantly faster recuperation of sensory functions in conjugate-treated group compared to control. An array of underlying biochemical pathways regulates the regeneration under well-optimized glucose and oxidant levels. Therefore, oxidant status (TOS), blood glycemic level and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were evaluated in the conjugate-treated group and compared with the controls. The treated subjects exhibited controlled oxidative stress and regulated blood sugars compared to the non-treated control. Thus, the nanoconjugate enriched with polyphenolics significantly accelerated the regeneration and recovery of functions after nerve lesions. The biocompatible nanocarriers encapsulating the nontoxic natural bioactive constitutents have great medicinal and economic value.

Hydrogel-Embedded Precision-Cut Lung Slices Model Lung Cancer Premalignancy Ex Vivo

Lung cancer is the leading global cause of cancer-related deaths. Although smoking cessation is the best prevention, 50% of lung cancer diagnoses occur in people who have quit smoking. Research into treatment options for high-risk patients is constrained to rodent models, which are time-consuming, expensive, and require large cohorts. Embedding precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) within an engineered hydrogel and exposing this tissue to vinyl carbamate, a carcinogen from cigarette smoke, creates an in vitro model of lung cancer premalignancy. Hydrogel formulations are selected to promote early lung cancer cellular phenotypes and extend PCLS viability to six weeks. Hydrogel-embedded PCLS are exposed to vinyl carbamate, which induces adenocarcinoma in mice. Analysis of proliferation, gene expression, histology, tissue stiffness, and cellular content after six weeks reveals that vinyl carbamate induces premalignant lesions with a mixed adenoma/squamous phenotype. Putative chemoprevention agents diffuse through the hydrogel and induce tissue-level changes. The design parameters selected using murine tissue are validated with hydrogel-embedded human PCLS and results show increased proliferation and premalignant lesion gene expression patterns. This tissue-engineered model of human lung cancer premalignancy is the foundation for more sophisticated ex vivo models that enable the study of carcinogenesis and chemoprevention strategies.

Chitosan nanoparticles encapsulating curcumin counteract salt-mediated ionic toxicity in wheat seedlings: an ecofriendly and sustainable approach

Over-accumulating salts in soil are hazardous materials that interfere with the biochemical pathways in growing plants drastically affecting their physiological attributes, growth, and productivity. Soil salinization poses severe threats to highly-demanded and important crops directly challenging food security and sustainable productivity. Recently, there has been a great demand to exploit natural sources for the development of nontoxic nanoformulations of growth enhancers and stress emulators. The chitosan (CS) has growth-stimulating properties and widespread use as nanocarriers, while curcumin (CUR) has a well-established high ROS scavenging potential. Herein, we use CS and CUR for the preparation of CSNPs encapsulating CUR as an ecofriendly nanopriming agent. The hydroprimed, nanoprimed (0.02 and 0.04%), and unprimed (control) wheat seeds were germinated under salt stress (150 mM NaCl) and normal conditions. The seedlings established from the aforementioned seeds were employed for germination studies and biochemical analyses. Priming imprints mitigated the ionic toxicity by upregulating the machinery of antioxidants (CAT, POD, APX, and SOD), photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, Chl b, total Chl, and lycopene), tannins, flavonoids, and protein contents in wheat seedlings under salt stress. It controlled ROS production and avoided structural injuries, thus reducing MDA contents and regulating osmoregulation. The nanopriming-induced readjustments in biochemical attributes counteracted the ionic toxicity and positively influenced the growth parameters including final germination, vigor, and germination index. It also reduced the mean germination time, significantly validating the growth-stimulating and stress-emulating role of the prepared nanosystem. Hence, the nanopriming conferred tolerance against salt stress during germination and seedling development, ensuring sustainable growth.

Targeting receptor tyrosine kinase signaling: Avenues in the management of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide. Among the various types of NMSCs, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) exhibits more aggressive phenotype and is also the second-most prevalent type. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) triggers key signaling events that play critical roles in the development of various cancers including cSCC. Unsurprisingly, for this reason, this family of proteins has become the cynosure of anti-cancer drug discovery pipelines and is also being considered as attractive targets against cSCC. Though inhibition of RTKs in cSCC has yielded favourable results, there is still scope for bettering the therapeutic outcome. In this review, we discuss the relevance of RTK signaling in the progression of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, and observations from clinical trials that used RTK inhibitors against cSCC. Backed by results from preclinical studies, including those from our lab, we also give insights into the scope of using some natural products as effective suppressors of RTK signaling and skin carcinogenesis.

Curcuminoids as Anticancer Drugs: Pleiotropic Effects, Potential for Metabolic Reprogramming and Prospects for the Future

The number of published studies on curcuminoids in cancer research, including its lead molecule curcumin and synthetic analogs, has been increasing substantially during the past two decades. Insights on the diversity of inhibitory effects they have produced on a multitude of pathways involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression have been provided. As this wealth of data was obtained in settings of various experimental and clinical data, this review first aimed at presenting a chronology of discoveries and an update on their complex in vivo effects. Secondly, there are many interesting questions linked to their pleiotropic effects. One of them, a growing research topic, relates to their ability to modulate metabolic reprogramming. This review will also cover the use of curcuminoids as chemosensitizing molecules that can be combined with several anticancer drugs to reverse the phenomenon of multidrug resistance. Finally, current investigations in these three complementary research fields raise several important questions that will be put among the prospects for the future research related to the importance of these molecules in cancer research.

Precision Cut Lung Slices as a Preclinical Model for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Chemoprevention

Lung cancer chemoprevention is critical to addressing cancer burden in high-risk populations. Chemoprevention clinical trials rely on data from preclinical models; however, in vivo studies have high financial, technical, and staffing requirements. Precision cut lung slices (PCLS) provide an ex vivo model that maintains the structure and function of native tissues. This model can be used for mechanistic investigations and drug screenings and reduces the number of animals and time required to test hypotheses compared with in vivo studies. We tested the use of PCLS for chemoprevention studies, demonstrating recapitulation of in vivo models. Treatment of PCLS with the PPARγ agonizing chemoprevention agent iloprost produced similar effects on gene expression and downstream signaling as in vivo models. This occurred in both wild-type tissue and Frizzled 9 knockout tissue, a transmembrane receptor required for iloprost's preventive activity. We explored new areas of iloprost mechanisms by measuring immune and inflammation markers in PCLS tissue and media, and immune cell presence with immunofluorescence. To demonstrate the potential for drug screening, we treated PCLS with additional lung cancer chemoprevention agents and confirmed activity markers in culture. PCLS offers an intermediate step for chemoprevention research between in vitro and in vivo models that can facilitate drug screening prior to in vivo studies and support mechanistic studies with more relevant tissue environments and functions than in vitro models.

PREVENTION RELEVANCE

PCLS could be a new model for premalignancy and chemoprevention research, and this work evaluates the model with tissue from prevention-relevant genetic and carcinogen exposed in vivo mouse models, in addition to evaluating chemoprevention agents.

Tumor-targeted exosomes for delivery of anticancer drugs

Exosomes are small phospholipid bilayer vesicles that are naturally produced by all living cells, both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The exosomes due to their unique size, reduced immunogenicity, and their ability to mimic synthetic liposomes in carrying various anticancer drugs have been tested as drug delivery vehicles for cancer treatment. An added advantage of developing exosomes as a drug carrier is the ease of manipulating their intraluminal content and their surface modification to achieve tumor-targeted drug delivery. In the past ten-years, there has been an exponential increase in the number of exosome-related studies in cancer. Preclinical studies demonstrate exosomes-mediated delivery of chemotherapeutics, biologicals and natural products produce potent anticancer activity both, in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, the number of exosome-based clinical trials are few due to challenges in the manufacturing and scalability related to large-scale production of exosomes and their storage and stability. Herein, we discuss recent advances in exosome-based drug delivery for cancer treatment in preclinical and clinical studies and conclude with challenges to be overcome for translating a larger number of exosome-based therapies into the clinic.

Tissue-engineered models of lung cancer premalignancy

Lung cancer is the leading global cause of cancer-related deaths. Although smoking cessation is the best preventive action, nearly 50% of all lung cancer diagnoses occur in people who have already quit smoking. Research into treatment options for these high-risk patients has been constrained to rodent models of chemical carcinogenesis, which are time-consuming, expensive, and require large numbers of animals. Here we show that embedding precision-cut lung slices within an engineered hydrogel and exposing this tissue to a carcinogen from cigarette smoke creates an in vitro model of lung cancer premalignancy. Hydrogel formulations were selected to promote early lung cancer cellular phenotypes and extend PCLS viability up to six weeks. In this study, hydrogel-embedded lung slices were exposed to the cigarette smoke derived carcinogen vinyl carbamate, which induces adenocarcinoma in mice. At six weeks, analysis of proliferation, gene expression, histology, tissue stiffness, and cellular content revealed that vinyl carbamate induced the formation of premalignant lesions with a mixed adenoma/squamous phenotype. Two putative chemoprevention agents were able to freely diffuse through the hydrogel and induce tissue-level changes. The design parameters selected using murine tissue were validated with hydrogel-embedded human PCLS and results showed increased proliferation and premalignant lesion gene expression patterns. This tissue-engineered model of human lung cancer premalignancy is the starting point for more sophisticated ex vivo models and a foundation for the study of carcinogenesis and chemoprevention strategies.

Nanoparticles loaded with pharmacologically active plant-derived natural products: Biomedical applications and toxicity

Pharmacologically active natural products have played a significant role in the history of drug development. They have acted as sources of therapeutic drugs for various diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases. However, most natural products suffer from poor water solubility and low bioavailability, limiting their clinical applications. The rapid development of nanotechnology has opened up new directions for applying natural products and numerous studies have explored the biomedical applications of nanomaterials loaded with natural products. This review covers the recent research on applying plant-derived natural products (PDNPs) nanomaterials, including nanomedicines loaded with flavonoids, non-flavonoid polyphenols, alkaloids, and quinones, especially their use in treating various diseases. Furthermore, some drugs derived from natural products can be toxic to the body, so the toxicity of them is discussed. This comprehensive review includes fundamental discoveries and exploratory advances in natural product-loaded nanomaterials that may be helpful for future clinical development.

Graphene oxide quantum dot-chitosan nanotheranostic platform as a pH-responsive carrier for improving curcumin uptake internalization: In vitro & in silico study

We herein fabricated a cancer nanotheranostics platform based on Graphene Oxide Quantum Dot-Chitosan-polyethylene glycol nanoconjugate (GOQD-CS-PEG), which were targeted with MUC-1 aptamer towards breast and colon tumors. The interaction between aptamer and MUC-1 receptor on the desired cells was investigated utilizing molecular docking. The process of curcumin release was investigated, as well as the potential of the produced nanocomposite in targeted drug delivery, specific detection, and photoluminescence imaging. The fluorescence intensity of GOQD-CS-PEG was reduced due to transferred energy between (cytosine-guanin) base pairs in the hairpin structure of the aptamer, resulting in an "on/off" photoluminescence bio-sensing. Interestingly, the integration of pH-responsive chitosan nanoparticles in the nanocomposite results in a smart nanocomposite capable of delivering more curcumin to desired tumor cells. When selectively binds to the MUC-1 receptor, the two strands of aptamer separate in acidic conditions, resulting in a sustained drug release and photoluminescence recovery. The cytotoxicity results also revealed that the nanocomposite was more toxic to MUC-1-overexpressed tumor cells than to negative control cell lines, confirming its selective targeting. As a result, the proposed nanocomposite could be used as an intelligent cancer nanotheranostic platform for tracing MUC-1-overexpressed tumor cells and targeting them with great efficiency and selectivity.

Intranasal Delivery of Thermostable Subunit Vaccine for Cross-Reactive Mucosal and Systemic Antibody Responses Against SARS-CoV-2

Despite the remarkable efficacy of currently approved COVID-19 vaccines, there are several opportunities for continued vaccine development against SARS-CoV-2 and future lethal respiratory viruses. In particular, restricted vaccine access and hesitancy have limited immunization rates. In addition, current vaccines are unable to prevent breakthrough infections, leading to prolonged virus circulation. To improve access, a subunit vaccine with enhanced thermostability was designed to eliminate the need for an ultra-cold chain. The exclusion of infectious and genetic materials from this vaccine may also help reduce vaccine hesitancy. In an effort to prevent breakthrough infections, intranasal immunization to induce mucosal immunity was explored. A prototype vaccine comprised of receptor-binding domain (RBD) polypeptides formulated with additional immunoadjuvants in a chitosan (CS) solution induced high levels of RBD-specific antibodies in laboratory mice after 1 or 2 immunizations. Antibody responses were durable with high titers persisting for at least five months following subcutaneous vaccination. Serum anti-RBD antibodies contained both IgG1 and IgG2a isotypes suggesting that the vaccine induced a mixed Th1/Th2 response. RBD vaccination without CS formulation resulted in minimal anti-RBD responses. The addition of CpG oligonucleotides to the CS plus RBD vaccine formulation increased antibody titers more effectively than interleukin-12 (IL-12). Importantly, generated antibodies were cross-reactive against RBD mutants associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, including alpha, beta and delta variants, and inhibited binding of RBD to its cognate receptor angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). With respect to stability, vaccines did not lose activity when stored at either room temperature (21-22°C) or 4°C for at least one month. When delivered intranasally, vaccines induced RBD-specific mucosal IgA antibodies, which may protect against breakthrough infections in the upper respiratory tract. Altogether, data indicate that the designed vaccine platform is versatile, adaptable and capable of overcoming key constraints of current COVID-19 vaccines.

Polysaccharide-Drug Conjugates: A Tool for Enhanced Cancer Therapy

Cancer is one of the most widespread deadly diseases, following cardiovascular disease, worldwide. Chemotherapy is widely used in combination with surgery, hormone and radiation therapy to treat various cancers. However, chemotherapeutic drugs can cause severe side effects due to non-specific targeting, poor bioavailability, low therapeutic indices, and high dose requirements. Several drug carriers successfully overcome these issues and deliver drugs to the desired sites, reducing the side effects. Among various drug delivery systems, polysaccharide-based carriers that target only the cancer cells have been developed to overcome the toxicity of chemotherapeutics. Polysaccharides are non-toxic, biodegradable, hydrophilic biopolymers that can be easily modified chemically to improve the bioavailability and stability for delivering therapeutics into cancer tissues. Different polysaccharides, such as chitosan, alginates, cyclodextrin, pullulan, hyaluronic acid, dextran, guar gum, pectin, and cellulose, have been used in anti-cancer drug delivery systems. This review highlights the recent progress made in polysaccharides-based drug carriers in anti-cancer therapy.

PEGylated Chitosan Nanoparticles Encapsulating Ascorbic Acid and Oxaliplatin Exhibit Dramatic Apoptotic Effects against Breast Cancer Cells

This study aims to design a pH-responsive dual-loaded nanosystem based on PEGylated chitosan nanoparticles loaded with ascorbic acid (AA) and oxaliplatin (OX) for the effective treatment of breast cancer. In this regard, non-PEGylated and PEGylated chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) loaded with either ascorbic acid (AA), oxaliplatin (OX), or dual-loaded with AA-OX were fabricated using the ionotropic gelation method. The hydrodynamic diameters of the fabricated AA/CS NPs, OX/CS NPs, and AA-OX/CS NPs were 157.20 ± 2.40, 188.10 ± 9.70, and 261.10 ± 9.19 nm, respectively. While the hydrodynamic diameters of the designed AA/PEG-CS NPs, OX/PEG-CS NPs, and AA-OX/PEG-CS NPs were 152.20 ± 2.40, 156.60 ± 4.82, and 176.00 ± 4.21 nm, respectively. The ζ-potential of the prepared nanoparticles demonstrated high positive surface charges of +22.02 ± 1.50, +22.58 ± 1.85 and +40.4 ± 2.71 mV for AA/CS NPs, OX/CS NPs, and AA-OX/CS NPs, respectively. The ζ-potential of the PEGylated CS NPs was reduced owing to the shielding of the positive charges by the PEG chains. Additionally, all the prepared nanoparticles exhibited high entrapment efficiencies (EE%) and spherical-shaped morphology. The chemical features of the prepared nanoparticles were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Release studies showed the capability of the prepared non-PEGylated and PEGylated chitosan NPs to release their cargo in the acidic environment of cancer tissue (pH 5.5). Furthermore, the AA/CS NPs, AA/PEG-CS NPs, OX/CS NPs, OX/PEG-CS NPs, AA-OX/CS NPs and AA-OX/PEG-CS NPs exhibited remarkable cytotoxic activities against breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells with IC₅₀ values of 44.87 ± 11.49, 23.3 ± 3.73, 23.88 ± 6.29, 17.98 ± 3.99, 18.69 ± 2.22, and 7.5 ± 0.69 µg/mL, respectively; as compared to free AA and OX (IC₅₀ of 150.80 ± 26.50 and 147.70 ± 63.91 µg/mL, respectively). Additionally, treatment of MCF-7 cells with IC₅₀ concentrations of AA, AA/CS NPs, AA/PEG-CS NPs, OX, OX/CS NPs, OX/PEG-CS NPs, AA-OX/CS NPs or AA-OX/PEG-CS NPs increased the percentages of early apoptotic cells to 5.28%, 9.53%, 11.20%, 5.27%, 13.80%, 8.43%, 2.32%, and 10.10%, respectively, and increased the percentages of late apoptotic cells to 0.98%, 0.37%, 2.41%, 2.06%, 0.97%, 9.66%, 56%, and 81.50%, respectively. These results clearly indicate that PEGylation enhances the apoptotic effect of AA and OX alone, in addition to potentiating the apoptotic effect of AA and OX when combined on MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, PEGylated chitosan nanoparticles encapsulating AA, OX, or AA and OX represent an effective formula for induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.

Cancer Chemoprevention: A Strategic Approach Using Phytochemicals

Cancer chemoprevention approaches are aimed at preventing, delaying, or suppressing tumor incidence using synthetic or natural bioactive agents. Mechanistically, chemopreventive agents also aid in mitigating cancer development, either by impeding DNA damage or by blocking the division of premalignant cells with DNA damage. Several pre-clinical studies have substantiated the benefits of using various dietary components as chemopreventives in cancer therapy. The incessant rise in the number of cancer cases globally is an issue of major concern. The excessive toxicity and chemoresistance associated with conventional chemotherapies decrease the success rates of the existent chemotherapeutic regimen, which warrants the need for an efficient and safer alternative therapeutic approach. In this scenario, chemopreventive agents have been proven to be successful in protecting the high-risk populations from cancer, which further validates chemoprevention strategy as rational and promising. Clinical studies have shown the effectiveness of this approach in managing cancers of different origins. Phytochemicals, which constitute an appreciable proportion of currently used chemotherapeutic drugs, have been tested for their chemopreventive efficacy. This review primarily aims to highlight the efficacy of phytochemicals, currently being investigated globally as chemopreventives. The clinical relevance of chemoprevention, with special emphasis on the phytochemicals, curcumin, resveratrol, tryptanthrin, kaempferol, gingerol, emodin, quercetin genistein and epigallocatechingallate, which are potential candidates due to their ability to regulate multiple survival pathways without inducing toxicity, forms the crux of this review. The majority of these phytochemicals are polyphenols and flavanoids. We have analyzed how the key molecular targets of these chemopreventives potentially counteract the key drivers of chemoresistance, causing minimum toxicity to the body. An overview of the underlying mechanism of action of these phytochemicals in regulating the key players of cancer progression and tumor suppression is discussed in this review. A summary of the clinical trials on the important phytochemicals that emerge as chemopreventives is also incorporated. We elaborate on the pre-clinical and clinical observations, pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, and molecular targets of some of these natural products. To summarize, the scope of this review comprises of the current status, limitations, and future directions of cancer chemoprevention, emphasizing the potency of phytochemicals as effective chemopreventives.

Chitosan based encapsulation increased the apoptotic efficacy of thymol on A549 cells and exhibited non toxic response in swiss albino mice

Thymol is a plant-derived natural phenolic compound abundantly present in Thymus vulgaris species. In the present study, we developed a chitosan-based drug delivery system to deliver thymol to A549 cells. The physicochemical properties of thymol-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (thymol-NP) were characterized using polyphasic techniques viz., FTIR, XRD, DLS, and SEM. Thymol-NP exhibited a size of 282.5 nm and encapsulation efficiency of 74.08 ± 0.73%. The IC₅₀ of thymol-NP against A549 cells was 99.57 μg/ml at 24 h, which was lower than that of the pure form. Clear apoptotic features such as cellular morphology, cell shrinkage, and augmentation of dead cells were observed in both the thymol and thymol-NP treated A549 cells. The percentage of apoptotic cells in the thymol-NP IC₅₀ treated cells was >90% which was considerably higher than the group treated with thymol alone. In vivo toxicity study showed that the swiss albino mice treated up to a concentration of 1000 mg/kg of thymol-NP neither showed signs of toxicity nor death up to 14 days. Also, no significant influence was observed on behavior, body weight, organ weight, and organ histology. Overall, the data concluded that thymol-NP can be considered a safe and potent drug candidate against A549 cells.

Mesoporous silica@chitosan@gold nanoparticles as "on/off" optical biosensor and pH-sensitive theranostic platform against cancer

A cancer nanotheranostic system was fabricated based on mesoporous silica@chitosan@gold (MCM@CS@Au) nanosystem targeted by aptamer toward the MUC-1 positive tumor cells. Subsequently, curcumin as an efficient herbal anticancer drug was first encapsulated into chitosan-triphosphate nanoparticles and then the resulted nanoparticle was loaded into the nanosystem (MCM@CS@Au-Apt). The nanosystem successful fabrication was approved at each synthesis step through FTIR, XRD, BET, DLS, FE-SEM, HRTEM, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Besides, the interaction between aptamer and curcumin was evaluated using full atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. The mechanism of curcumin release was likewise investigated through different kinetic models. Afterwards, the potential of the designed nanosystem in targeted imaging, and drug delivery was evaluated using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. It was found that the energy transfer between the base pairs in the hairpin of double strands of DNA aptamer acts as a quencher for MCM@CS@Au fluorescence culminating in an "on/off" optical biosensor. On the other hand, the presence of pH-sensitive chitosan nanoparticles creates smart nanosystem to deliver more curcumin into the desired cells. Indeed, when the aptamer specifically binds to the MUC-1 receptor, its double strands separate under the low pH condition, leading to the drug release and the recovery of the fluorescence ("On" state). Based on the toxicity results, this nanosystem had more toxicity toward the MUC-1-positive tumor cells than MUC-1-negative cells, representing its selective targeting. Therefore, this nanosystem could be introduced as a smart anticancer nanotheranostic system for tracing particular biomarkers (MUC-1), non-invasive fluorescence imaging, and targeted curcumin delivery.

Chitosan Nanoparticle-Based System: A New Insight into the Promising Controlled Release System for Lung Cancer Treatment

Lung cancer has been recognized as one of the most often diagnosed and perhaps most lethal cancer diseases worldwide. Conventional chemotherapy for lung cancer-related diseases has bumped into various limitations and challenges, including non-targeted drug delivery, short drug retention period, low therapeutic efficacy, and multidrug resistance (MDR). Chitosan (CS), a natural polymer derived from deacetylation of chitin, and comprised of arbitrarily distributed β-(1-4)-linked d-glucosamine (deacetylated unit) and N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (acetylated unit) that exhibits magnificent characteristics, including being mucoadhesive, biodegradable, and biocompatible, has emerged as an essential element for the development of a nano-particulate delivery vehicle. Additionally, the flexibility of CS structure due to the free protonable amino groups in the CS backbone has made it easy for the modification and functionalization of CS to be developed into a nanoparticle system with high adaptability in lung cancer treatment. In this review, the current state of chitosan nanoparticle (CNP) systems, including the advantages, challenges, and opportunities, will be discussed, followed by drug release mechanisms and mathematical kinetic models. Subsequently, various modification routes of CNP for improved and enhanced therapeutic efficacy, as well as other restrictions of conventional drug administration for lung cancer treatment, are covered.

Prospects of Curcumin Nanoformulations in Cancer Management

There is increasing interest in the use of natural compounds with beneficial pharmacological effects for managing diseases. Curcumin (CUR) is a phytochemical that is reportedly effective against some cancers through its ability to regulate signaling pathways and protein expression in cancer development and progression. Unfortunately, its use is limited due to its hydrophobicity, low bioavailability, chemical instability, photodegradation, and fast metabolism. Nanoparticles (NPs) are drug delivery systems that can increase the bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs and improve drug targeting to cancer cells via different mechanisms and formulation techniques. In this review, we have discussed various CUR-NPs that have been evaluated for their potential use in treating cancers. Formulations reviewed include lipid, gold, zinc oxide, magnetic, polymeric, and silica NPs, as well as micelles, dendrimers, nanogels, cyclodextrin complexes, and liposomes, with an emphasis on their formulation and characteristics. CUR incorporation into the NPs enhanced its pharmaceutical and therapeutic significance with respect to solubility, absorption, bioavailability, stability, plasma half-life, targeted delivery, and anticancer effect. Our review shows that several CUR-NPs have promising anticancer activity; however, clinical reports on them are limited. We believe that clinical trials must be conducted on CUR-NPs to ensure their effective translation into clinical applications.

Chitosan oligosaccharide modified liposomes enhance lung cancer delivery of paclitaxel

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Various therapeutic failed in the effective treatment of the lung cancer due to their limited accumulation and exposure in tumors. In order to promote the chemotherapeutics delivery to lung tumor, we introduced chitosan oligosaccharide (CSO) modification on the liposomes. CSO conjugated Pluronic P123 polymers with different CSO grafting amounts, called as CP50 and CP20, were synthesized and used to prepare CSO modified liposomes (CP50-LSs and CP20-LSs). CP50-LSs and CP20-LSs displayed significantly enhanced cellular uptake in A549 cells in vitro as well as superior tumor accumulation in vivo compared with non-CSO modified liposomes (P-LSs). This phenomenon was related to the increased affinity between CSO modified liposomes and tumor cells following massive adsorption of collagen, which was highly expressed in lung tumors. In the A549 tumor-bearing mouse model, intravenous injection of paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded CP50-LSs every 3 days for 21 days resulted in optimal antitumor therapeutic performance with an inhibition rate of 86.4%. These results reveal that CSO modification provides promising applicability for nanomedicine design in the lung cancer treatment.

Nanotherapeutics in the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a form of oxygenation failure primarily characterized by rapid inflammation resulting from a direct pulmonary or indirect systemic insult. ARDS has been a major cause of death in the recent COVID-19 outbreak wherein asymptomatic respiratory tract infection progresses to ARDS from pneumonia have emphasized the need for a reliable therapy for the disease. The disease has a high mortality rate of approximately 30-50%. Despite the high mortality rate, a dearth of effective pharmacotherapy exists that demands extensive research in this area. The complex ARDS pathophysiology which remains to be understood completely and the multifactorial etiology of the disease has led to the poor diagnosis, impeded drug-delivery to the deeper pulmonary tissues, and delayed treatment of the ARDS patients. Besides, critically ill patients are unable to tolerate the off-target side effects. The vast domain of nanobiotechnology presents several drug delivery systems offering numerous benefits such as targeted delivery, prolonged drug release, and uniform drug-distribution. The present review presents a brief insight into the ARDS pathophysiology and summarizes conventional pharmacotherapies available to date. Furthermore, the review provides an updated report of major developments in the nanomedicinal approaches for the treatment of ARDS. We also discuss different nano-formulations studied extensively in the ARDS preclinical models along with underlining the advantages as well as challenges that need to be addressed in the future.

Curcumin Loaded Chitosan-Protamine Nanoparticles Revealed Antitumor Activity Via Suppression of NF-κB, Proinflammatory Cytokines and Bcl-2 Gene Expression in the Breast Cancer Cells

Nano drug delivery has been recently used to enhance the stability and bioavailability of chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, Chitosan/protamine nanocarrier was synthesized and used to encapsulate curcumin (CUR). The physicochemical properties of the empty carrier (CHPNPs) and curcumin-containing carrier (CU-CHPNPs) were characterized by TEM imaging, Zetasizer, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The antitumor activity of the prepared nanoparticles was assessed by determination of cell count, cell viability, the level of NF-κB, IL-6, and TNF-α and Bcl-2 gene expression in breast cancer cells (MCF-7). The results revealed that the obtained CU-CHPNPs had an average hydrodynamic size of 200 nm, zeta potential of +26.66 mv, and showed a drug encapsulation efficiency of 67%, and drug loading capacity of 40.20%. The cell-based assay showed a significant reduction in the cell viability, and NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels upon treatment with CU-CHPNPs as compared to free CUR. Finally, the (CU-CHPNPs) downregulated the expression of the Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic gene more effectively than CUR and the CHPNPs comparing with the β Actin housekeeping gene. This study concluded that the nano-encapsulation of CUR significantly enhances its antitumor efficacy via inhibition of NF-κB, IL-6, and TNF-α and downregulation of Bcl-2.

Wound healing performance of PCL/chitosan based electrospun nanofiber electrosprayed with curcumin loaded chitosan nanoparticles

In this study, the electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/Chitosan (CS)/curcumin (CUR) nanofiber was fabricated successfully with curcumin loaded chitosan nano-encapsulated particles (CURCSNPs). The morphology of the produced CURCSNPs, PCL, PCL/CS, PCL/CS/CUR, and PCL/CS/CUR electrosprayed with CURCSNPs were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The physicochemical properties and biological characteristics of fabricated nanofibers such as antibacterial, antioxidant, cell viability, and in vivo wound healing efficiency and histological assay were tested. The electrospraying of CURCSNPs on surface PCL/CS/CUR nanofiber resulted in the enhanced antibacterial, antioxidant, cell proliferation efficiencies and higher swelling and water vapor transition rates. In vivo examination and Histological analysis showed PCL/CS/CUR electrosprayed with CURCSNPs led to significant improvement of complete well-organized wound healing process in MRSA infected wounds. These results suggest that the application of PCL/CS/CUR electrosprayed with CURCSNPs as a wound dressing significantly facilitates wound healing with notable antibacterial, antioxidant, and cell proliferation properties.

Oral administration of natural polyphenol-loaded natural polysaccharide-cloaked lipidic nanocarriers to improve efficacy against small-cell lung cancer

Oral administration shows good tolerance in patients. Botanic anticancer drugs without serious side effects have attracted increased attention worldwide. However, oral delivery of natural anticancer drugs faces great challenges due to low solubility, gastrointestinal side effects, first-pass effects, and P-glycoprotein efflux. Here, we loaded the natural polyphenol curcumin (Cc) into natural polysaccharide-cloaked lipidic nanocarriers (Cc@CLNs) to improve the efficacy in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) associated with oral administration. Compared to other nanoformulations, Cc@CLNs have advantages of simple operation, easy scale-up, low cost, and high safety. Cc@CLNs improve bioavailability by inducing synergistic effects (efficient cell membrane penetration, inherent muco-adhesiveness, resistance to pepsin and trypsin degradation, promoted dissolution, enhanced epithelia/M cellular uptake and inhibition of efflux transporters) and countering the tendency of nanocarriers to aggregate and fuse, which limit lipid-based nanosystems. In this study, we first evaluated the oral bioavailability of Cc@CLNs in rats and their efficacy in H446 tumor-bearing mice. The oral bioavailability increased by 8.94-fold, and the tumor growth inhibition rate doubled compared to that achieved with free Cc. We investigated the action of Cc against SCLC stem cells, and Cc@CLNs greatly enhanced this action. The expression of CD133 and ABCG2 in the Cc@CLNs group decreased by 38.05% and 32.57%, respectively, compared to the respective expression levels in the control.

Versatile role of curcumin and its derivatives in lung cancer therapy

Lung cancer is a main cause of death all over the world with a high incidence rate. Metastasis into neighboring and distant tissues as well as resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy demand novel strategies in lung cancer therapy. Curcumin is a naturally occurring nutraceutical compound derived from Curcuma longa (turmeric) that has great pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antidiabetic. The excellent antitumor activity of curcumin has led to its extensive application in the treatment of various cancers. In the present review, we describe the antitumor activity of curcumin against lung cancer. Curcumin affects different molecular pathways such as vascular endothelial growth factors, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), mammalian target of rapamycin, PI3/Akt, microRNAs, and long noncoding RNAs in treatment of lung cancer. Curcumin also can induce autophagy, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest to reduce the viability and proliferation of lung cancer cells. Notably, curcumin supplementation sensitizes cancer cells to chemotherapy and enhances chemotherapy-mediated apoptosis. Curcumin can elevate the efficacy of radiotherapy in lung cancer therapy by targeting various signaling pathways, such as epidermal growth factor receptor and NF-κB. Curcumin-loaded nanocarriers enhance the bioavailability, cellular uptake, and antitumor activity of curcumin. The aforementioned effects are comprehensively discussed in the current review to further direct studies for applying curcumin in lung cancer therapy.

Nanoencapsulated dietary polyphenols for cancer prevention and treatment: successes and challenges

Many dietary polyphenols have been investigated for their therapeutic potential either as single agents or in combinations. Despite the significant anticancer potential of these polyphenols in in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal models, their clinical applications have been limited because of challenges such as ineffective systemic delivery, stability and low bioavailability. Nanoencapsulation of these polyphenols could prolong circulation, improve localization, enhance efficacy and reduce the chances of multidrug resistance. This review summarized the use of various polyphenols especially epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin, curcumin and resveratrol as nanoformulations for cancer prevention and treatment. Despite some success, more research is warranted to design a nanoencapsulated combination of polyphenols, effective in in vitro, in vivo and human systems.

Curcumin Delivery Mediated by Bio-Based Nanoparticles: A Review

Todays, nano-pharmaceutics is emerging as an important field of science to develop and improve efficacy of different drugs. Although nutraceuticals are currently being utilized in the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases such as cancers, a number of them have displayed issues associated with their solubility, bioavailability, and bio-degradability. In the present review, we focus on curcumin, an important and widely used polyphenol, with diverse pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-viral, etc. Notwithstanding, it also exhibits poor solubility and bioavailability that may compromise its clinical application to a great extent. Therefore, the manipulation and encapsulation of curcumin into a nanocarrier formulation can overcome these major drawbacks and potentially may lead to a far superior therapeutic efficacy. Among different types of nanocarriers, biological and biopolymer carriers have attracted a significant attention due to their pleiotropic features. Thus, in the present review, the potential protective and therapeutic applications of curcumin, as well as different types of bio-nanocarriers, which can be used to deliver curcumin effectively to the different target sites will be discussed.

Duchesnea indica extract attenuates oral cancer cells metastatic potential through the inhibition of the matrix metalloproteinase-2 activity by down-regulating the MEK/ERK pathway

BACKGROUND

Duchesnea indica (Andr.) Focke, an herb in folk medicine used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine, has cytostatic properties as well as antioxidant and antimetastasis activities in various cancer cells. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of Duchesnea indica extracts (DIEs) on human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) metastases remain unclear.

PURPOSE

In this study, we posit the hypothesis that DIE possesses antimetastatic effects on human OSCC cells.

METHODS

The effects of DIE on cell viability, motility, migration, and invasion were investigated. Gelatin zymography, Western blotting, migration and invasion assays were used to further study the underlying mechanisms involved in the antimetastatic effects of DIE in OSCC cells.

RESULTS

The results from MTT assay revealed that DIE did not affect the cell viability of OSCC cells. Moreover, DIE significantly attenuated OSCC cells' motility, migration, and invasion by reducing the MMP-2 protein expression and MMP-2 activity in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, DIE reduced the phosphorylation of both ERK1/2 and its upstream kinase but had no effect on the phosphorylation of p38 and JNK.

CONCLUSION

DIE triggers the antimetastatic activity in OSCC cells by suppressing the MMP-2 activity via the MEK/ERK signaling pathways. Therefore, these findings are promising for the use of DIE antimetastatic activity in oral cancer metastasis treatment.