MCP mediated active targeting calcium phosphate hybrid nanoparticles for the treatment of orthotopic drug-resistant colon cancer

Dual-targeted and esterase-responsive cyclodextrin-based host-guest nanocomposites for enhanced antitumor therapy

Conventional chemotherapy drugs are difficult to effectively target tumor tissue, leading to poor treatment outcomes and side effects. Actively targeted and stimuli-responsive nanomedicine greatly improves this situation, allowing for more precise drug accumulation at tumor sites. Herein, carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CMCD) - based host-guest nanocomposites (NPs) encapsulating hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) were fabricated, which responded to esterase and had the function of targeting CD 44 receptors and the nucleus. PS-CMCD was firstly synthesized through an amide reaction of protamine (PS) and CMCD to enhance the function of penetrating membrane and nuclear localization. PS-CMCD/HCPT/HA NPs were then prepared by the host-guest complexation of PS-CMCD and HCPT and followed by surface modification of hyaluronic acid (HA) with CD44 receptor-targeting properties. The successful inclusion was also validated through computer simulation. The obtained nanocomposites displayed the esterase-responsive release behaviors of HCPT. Moreover, the synthesized PS-CMCD/HCPT/HA NPs enhanced the intracellular drug uptake due to the tumor cell- and nuclear-mediated targeting. In addition, in vivo application exhibited that PS-CMCD/HCPT/HA NPs realized good antitumor effects. These findings suggested its potential for targeted delivery and more effective tumor therapy.

Recent advances in self-targeting natural product-based nanomedicines

Natural products, recognized for their potential in disease prevention and treatment, have been integrated with advanced nano-delivery systems to create natural product-based nanomedicines, offering innovative approaches for various diseases. Natural products derived from traditional Chinese medicine have their own targeting effect and remarkable therapeutic effect on many diseases, but there are some shortcomings such as poor physical and chemical properties. The construction of nanomedicines using the active ingredients of natural products has become a key step in the modernization research process, which could be used to make up for the defects of natural products such as low solubility, large dosage, poor bioavailability and poor targeting. Nanotechnology enhances the safety, selectivity, and efficacy of natural products, positioning natural product-based nanomedicines as promising candidates in medicine. This review outlines the current status of development, the application in different diseases, and safety evaluation of natural product-based nanomedicines, providing essential insights for further exploration of the synergy between natural products and nano-delivery systems in disease treatment.

Steroidal saponins: Natural compounds with the potential to reverse tumor drug resistance (Review)

Steroidal saponins are a type of natural product that have been widely used in Chinese herbal medicine, with a variety of pharmacological activities, such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects. Cancer has become a growing global health problem, and drug therapy is currently the most important clinical antitumor treatment. However, drug resistance is a major obstacle to the effectiveness of chemotherapy, resulting in >90% of deaths of patients with cancer receiving conventional chemotherapy. It has been found that steroidal saponins may exert an effect on the reversal of drug resistance in tumor cells by regulating apoptosis, autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and drug efflux through multiple related signaling pathways. The present study reviews the role and mechanism of steroidal saponins in the treatment of tumor drug resistance, aiming to provide a scientific basis and research ideas for the future development and clinical application of natural steroidal saponins.

Engineered plant-derived extracellular vesicles for targeted regulation and treatment of colitis-associated inflammation

Rationale: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder characterized by persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to the elusive causes and complex mechanisms of this disorder, the development of highly effective therapeutic drugs is crucial. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane-bound structures released by cells into the surrounding environment. Recent research has witnessed a substantial surge in the utilization of plant-derived EVs that offer advantages such as high productivity, low production costs, diverse biological functions, and low cytotoxicity. Herein, Red cabbage-derived EVs (Rabex) were investigated and engineered as potential therapeutic agents for IBD. Methods: Rabex was engineered by surface conjugation with hyaluronic acid (t-Rabex) to simultaneously enhance the targeting of intestinal epithelial and immune cells, thereby improving their therapeutic targeting and efficacy. The properties and therapeutic potential of t-Rabex were assessed through both in vitro studies and in vivo experiments, focusing on their capacity to reach the gastrointestinal tract and exert a therapeutic effect compared to unmodified Rabex. Results: Rabex exhibited dual functions, including the suppression of inflammation in macrophages and promotion of colon epithelial cell regeneration, both of which are critical for effective IBD treatment. In vitro and in vivo studies of t-Rabex have demonstrated its superior targeting efficiency to the gastrointestinal tract and therapeutic efficacy compared to Rabex, making it a promising and more effective IBD treatment. Understanding the mechanism of action of t-Rabex in colonic tissues highlighted its anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and tight-junction maintenance properties. Conclusions: These findings underscore the potential of t-Rabex as a precise therapeutic agent for IBD and shed light on the diverse applications of plant-derived EVs.

Swelling, Protein Adsorption, and Biocompatibility of Pectin-Chitosan Hydrogels

The study aims to determine how chitosan impacts pectin hydrogel's ability to attach peritoneal leukocytes, activate complement, induce hemolysis, and adsorb blood proteins. The hydrogels PEC-Chi0, PEC-Chi25, PEC-Chi50, and PEC-Chi75 were prepared by placing a mixture solution of 4% pectin and 4% chitosan in a ratio of 4:0, 3:1, 2:2, and 1:3 in a solution of 1.0 M CaCl2. Chitosan was found to modify the mechanical properties of pectin-calcium hydrogels, such as hardness and cohesiveness-to-adhesiveness ratio. Chitosan in the pectin-calcium hydrogel caused pH-sensitive swelling in Hanks' solution. The PEC-Chi75 hydrogel was shown to adsorb serum proteins at pH 7.4 to a greater extent than other hydrogels. PEC-Chi75's strong adsorption capacity was related to lower peritoneal leukocyte adherence to its surface when compared to other hydrogels, showing improved biocompatibility. Using the optical tweezers approach, it was shown that the force of interaction between pectin-chitosan hydrogels and plasma proteins increased from 10 to 24 pN with increasing chitosan content from 0 to 75%. Thus, the properties of pectin-calcium hydrogel, which determine interactions with body tissues after implantation, are improved by the addition of chitosan, making pectin-chitosan hydrogel a promising candidate for smart biomaterial development.

Targeting the Gut: A Systematic Review of Specific Drug Nanocarriers

The intestine is essential for the modulation of nutrient absorption and the removal of waste. Gut pathologies, such as cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and celiac disease, which extensively impact gut functions, are thus critical for human health. Targeted drug delivery is essential to tackle these diseases, improve therapy efficacy, and minimize side effects. Recent strategies have taken advantage of both active and passive nanocarriers, which are designed to protect the drug until it reaches the correct delivery site and to modulate drug release via the use of different physical-chemical strategies. In this systematic review, we present a literature overview of the different nanocarriers used for drug delivery in a set of chronic intestinal pathologies, highlighting the rationale behind the controlled release of intestinal therapies. The overall aim is to provide the reader with useful information on the current approaches for gut targeting in novel therapeutic strategies.

Nano-modulators with the function of disrupting mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis and photothermal conversion for synergistic breast cancer therapy

Breast cancer treatment has been a global puzzle, and apoptosis strategies based on mitochondrial Ca2+ overload have attracted extensive attention. However, various limitations of current Ca2+ nanogenerators make it difficult to maintain effective Ca2+ overload concentrations. Here, we constructed a multimodal Ca2+ nano-modulator that, for the first time, combined photothermal therapy (PTT) and mitochondrial Ca2+ overload strategies to inhibit tumor development. By crosslinking sodium alginate (SA) on the surface of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles encapsulating with Cur and ICG, we prepared a synergistic Ca2+ nano-regulator SA/Cur@CaCO3-ICG (SCCI). In vitro studies have shown that SCCI further enhanced photostability while preserving the optical properties of ICG. After uptake by tumor cells, SCCI can reduce mitochondrial membrane potential and down-regulate ATP production by producing large amounts of Ca2+ at low pH. Near-infrared light radiation (NIR) laser irradiation made the tumor cells heat up sharply, which not only accelerated the decomposition of CaCO3, but also produced large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) followed by cell apoptosis. In vivo studies have revealed that the Ca2+ nano-regulators had excellent targeting, biocompatibility, and anti-tumor effects, which can significantly inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and play a direct killing effect. These findings indicated that therapeutic strategies based on ionic interference and PTT had great therapeutic potential, providing new insights into antitumor therapy.

The use of RNA-based treatments in the field of cancer immunotherapy

Over the past several decades, mRNA vaccines have evolved from a theoretical concept to a clinical reality. These vaccines offer several advantages over traditional vaccine techniques, including their high potency, rapid development, low-cost manufacturing, and safe administration. However, until recently, concerns over the instability and inefficient distribution of mRNA in vivo have limited their utility. Fortunately, recent technological advancements have mostly resolved these concerns, resulting in the development of numerous mRNA vaccination platforms for infectious diseases and various types of cancer. These platforms have shown promising outcomes in both animal models and humans. This study highlights the potential of mRNA vaccines as a promising alternative approach to conventional vaccine techniques and cancer treatment. This review article aims to provide a thorough and detailed examination of mRNA vaccines, including their mechanisms of action and potential applications in cancer immunotherapy. Additionally, the article will analyze the current state of mRNA vaccine technology and highlight future directions for the development and implementation of this promising vaccine platform as a mainstream therapeutic option. The review will also discuss potential challenges and limitations of mRNA vaccines, such as their stability and in vivo distribution, and suggest ways to overcome these issues. By providing a comprehensive overview and critical analysis of mRNA vaccines, this review aims to contribute to the advancement of this innovative approach to cancer treatment.

Variation of Saponins in Sanguisorba officinalis L. before and after Processing (Paozhi) and Its Effects on Colon Cancer Cells In Vitro

The incidence of colon cancer is increasing year over year, seriously affecting human health and quality of life in recent years. However, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been utilized for the treatment of colon cancer. S. officinalis Saponins (S-Saponins), the potential compound of TCM, displays multiple biological activities in colon cancer treatment. In our study, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) combined with multivariate statistical analysis were performed to analyze and identify raw and processed saponins. Then, MTT and cell migration assays were used to preliminarily explore the effects of saponins in vitro on colon cancer cells. The results showed that 29 differential saponins compounds under Paozhi were identified by UHPLC-MS/MS. Moreover, in vitro validation showed that Sprocessed better inhibited the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells than Sraw. This study provides a basis for the determination of the chemical fundamentals of the efficacy changes during Paozhi through inferring the changes in saponin components and its possible transformation mechanisms before and after processing S. officinalis. Meanwhile, it also provides new insights into potential bioactive ingredients for the treatment of colon cancer.

Perspectives of using microRNA-loaded nanocarriers for epigenetic reprogramming of drug resistant colorectal cancers

Epigenetic regulation by microRNAs (miRs) demonstrated a promising therapeutic potential of these molecules to regulate genetic activity in different cancers, including colorectal cancers (CRCs). The RNA-based therapy does not change genetic codes in tumor cells but can silence oncogenes and/or reactivate inhibited tumor suppressor genes. In many cancers, specific miRs were shown to promote or stop tumor progression. Among confirmed and powerful epigenetic regulators of colon carcinogenesis and development of resistance are onco-miRs, which include let-7, miR-21, miR-22, miR-23a, miR-27a, miR-34, miR-92, miR-96, miR-125b, miR-135b, miR-182, miR-200c, miR-203, miR-221, miR-421, miR-451, and others. Moreover, various tumor-suppressor miRs (miR-15b-5b, miR-18a, miR-20b, miR-22, miR-96, miR-139-5p, miR-145, miR-149, miR-197, miR-199b, miR-203, miR-214, miR-218, miR-320, miR-375-3p, miR-409-3p, miR-450b-5p, miR-494, miR-577, miR-874, and others) were found silenced in drug-resistant CRCs. Re-expression of tumor suppressor miR is complicated by the chemical nature of miRs that are not long-lasting compounds and require protection from the enzymatic degradation. Several recent studies explored application of miRs using nanocarrier complexes. This study critically describes the most successfully tested nanoparticle complexes used for intracellular delivery of nuclear acids and miRs, including micelles, liposomes, inorganic and polymeric NPs, dendrimers, and aptamers. Nanocarriers shield incorporated miRs and improve the agent stability in circulation. Attachment of antibodies and/or specific peptide or ligands facilitates cell-targeted miR delivery. Addressing in vivo challenges, a broad spectrum of non-toxic materials has been tested and indicated reliable advantages of lipid-based (lipoplexes) and polymer-based liposomes. Recent cutting-edge developments indicated that lipid-based complexes with multiple cargo, including several miRs, are the most effective approach to eradicate drug-resistant tumors. Focusing on CRC-specific miRs, this review provides a guidance and insights towards the most promising direction to achieve dramatic reduction in tumor growth and metastasis using miR-nanocarrier complexes.

Swelling, Protein Adsorption, and Biocompatibility In Vitro of Gel Beads Prepared from Pectin of Hogweed Heracleum sosnówskyi Manden in Comparison with Gel Beads from Apple Pectin

The study aims to develop gel beads with improved functional properties and biocompatibility from hogweed (HS) pectin. HS4 and AP4 gel beads were prepared from the HS pectin and apple pectin (AP) using gelling with calcium ions. HS4 and AP4 gel beads swelled in PBS in dependence on pH. The swelling degree of HS4 and AP4 gel beads was 191 and 136%, respectively, in PBS at pH 7.4. The hardness of HS4 and AP4 gel beads reduced 8.2 and 60 times, respectively, compared with the initial value after 24 h incubation. Both pectin gel beads swelled less in Hanks’ solution than in PBS and swelled less in Hanks’ solution containing peritoneal macrophages than in cell-free Hanks’ solution. Serum protein adsorption by HS4 and AP4 gel beads was 118 ± 44 and 196 ± 68 μg/cm² after 24 h of incubation. Both pectin gel beads demonstrated low rates of hemolysis and complement activation. However, HS4 gel beads inhibited the LPS-stimulated secretion of TNF-α and the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB by macrophages, whereas AP4 gel beads stimulated the inflammatory response of macrophages. HS4 gel beads adsorbed 1.3 times more LPS and adhered to 1.6 times more macrophages than AP4 gel beads. Thus, HS pectin gel has advantages over AP gel concerning swelling behavior, protein adsorption, and biocompatibility.

Characterization and Biocompatibility Properties In Vitro of Gel Beads Based on the Pectin and κ-Carrageenan

This study aimed to investigate the influence of kappa (κ)-carrageenan on the initial stages of the foreign body response against pectin gel. Pectin-carrageenan (P-Car) gel beads were prepared from the apple pectin and κ-carrageenan using gelling with calcium ions. The inclusion of 0.5% κ-carrageenan (Car0.5) in the 1.5 (P1.5) and 2% pectin (P2) gel formulations decreased the gel strength by 2.5 times. Car0.5 was found to increase the swelling of P2 gel beads in the cell culture medium. P2 gel beads adsorbed 30–42 mg/g of bovine serum albumin (BSA) depending on pH. P2-Car0.2, P2-Car0.5, and P1.5-Car0.5 beads reduced BSA adsorption by 3.1, 5.2, and 4.0 times compared to P2 beads, respectively, at pH 7. The P1.5-Car0.5 beads activated complement and induced the haemolysis less than gel beads of pure pectin. Moreover, P1.5-Car0.5 gel beads allowed less adhesion of mouse peritoneal macrophages, TNF-α production, and NF-κB activation than the pure pectin gel beads. There were no differences in TLR4 and ICAM-1 levels in macrophages treated with P and P-Car gel beads. P2-Car0.5 hydrogel demonstrated lower adhesion to serous membrane than P2 hydrogel. Thus, the data obtained indicate that the inclusion of κ-carrageenan in the apple pectin gel improves its biocompatibility.