A CARP-1 functional mimetic loaded vitamin E-TPGS micellar nano-formulation for inhibition of renal cell carcinoma

An insight into photodynamic therapy towards treating major dermatological conditions

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), as the name suggests is a light-based, non-invasive therapeutic treatment method that has garnered immense interest in the recent past for its efficacy in treating several pathological conditions. PDT has prominent use in the treatment of several dermatological conditions, which consequently have cosmetic benefits associated with it as PDT improves the overall appearance of the affected area. PDT is commonly used for repairing sun-damaged skin, providing skin rejuvenation, curbing pre-cancerous cells, treating conditions like acne, keratosis, skin-microbial infections, and cutaneous warts, etc. PDT mediates its action by generating oxygen species that are involved in bringing about immunomodulation, suppression of microbial load, wound-healing, lightening of scarring, etc. Although there are several challenges associated with PDT, the prominent ones being pain, erythema, insufficient delivery of the photosensitizing agent, and poor clinical outcomes, still PDT stands to be a promising approach with continuous efforts towards maximizing clinical efficacy while being cautious of the side effects and working towards lessening them. This article discusses the major skin-related conditions which can be treated or managed by employing PDT as a better or comparable alternative to conventional treatment approaches such that it also brings about aesthetic improvements thereof.

Utilizing TPGS for Optimizing Quercetin Nanoemulsion for Colon Cancer Cells Inhibition

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most challenging cancers to treat. Exploring novel therapeutic strategies is necessary to overcome drug resistance and improve patient outcomes. Quercetin (QR) is a polyphenolic lipophilic compound that was chosen due to its colorectal anticancer activity. Nanoparticles could improve cancer therapy via tumor targeting by utilizing D-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (vitamin-E TPGS) as a surfactant in a nanoemulsion preparation, which is considered an efficient drug delivery system for enhancing lipophilic antineoplastic agents. Thus, this study aims to develop and optimize QR-loaded nanoemulsions (NE) using TPGS as a surfactant to enhance the QR antitumor activity. Method: The NE was prepared using a self-assembly technique using the chosen oils according to QR maximum solubility and TPGS as a surfactant. The prepared QR-NE was evaluated according to its particle morphology and pH. QR entrapment efficiency and QR in vitro drug release rate were determined from the selected QR-NE then we measured the QR-NE stability. The anticancer activity of the best-selected formula was studied on HT-29 and HCT-116 cell lines. Results: Oleic acid was chosen to prepare QR-NE as it has the best QR solubility. The prepared NE, which had particles size < 200 nm, maximum entrapment efficiency > 80%, and pH 3.688 + 0.102 was selected as the optimal formula. It was a physically stable formula. The prepared QR-NE enhanced the QR release rate (84.52 ± 0.71%) compared to the free drug. QR-NPs significantly improved the cellular killing efficiency in HCT-116 and HT-29 colon cancer cell lines (lower IC50, two folds more than free drug). Conclusion: The prepared QR-NE could be a promising stable formula for improving QR release rate and anticancer activity.

Renal cell carcinoma management: A step to nano-chemoprevention

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common kidney cancers, responsible for nearly 90 % of all renal malignancies. Despite the availability of many treatment strategies, RCC still remains to be an incurable disease due to its resistivity towards conventional therapies. Nanotechnology is an emerging field of science that offers newer possibilities in therapeutics including cancer medicine, specifically by targeted delivery of anticancer drugs. Several phytochemicals are known for their anti-cancer properties and have been regarded as chemopreventive agents. However, the hydrophobic nature of many phytochemicals decreases its bioavailability and distribution, thus showing limited therapeutic effect. Application of nanotechnology to enhance chemoprevention is an effective strategy to increase the bioavailability of phytochemicals and thereby its therapeutic efficacy. The present review focuses on the utility of nanotechnology in RCC treatment and chemopreventive agents of RCC. We have also visualized the future prospects of nanomolecules in the prevention and cure of RCC.

Nanomedicine for urologic cancers: diagnosis and management

Urologic cancers accounted for more than 2 million new cases and around 0.8 million deaths in 2020. Although surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, as well as castration for prostate cancer, remain the cornerstones for managing urologic neoplasms, they can result in severe adverse effects, poor patient compliance, and unsatisfactory survival rates, thus, it is essential to develop novel options that enable the early detection of these malignancies, together with providing accurate diagnoses, and more efficient treatment strategies. Nanomedicine represents an emerging approach that can deliver formulations or drugs across traditional biological barriers in the body and be directed to specific cell types within target organs via active targeting or passive targeting, thus, showing potential to improve the management of urologic cancers. In this review, we discussed the most recent updates on the application of nanomedicines in the diagnosis and treatment of urologic cancers, with focus on prostate, bladder and kidney tumors. We also presented the anti-tumor molecular mechanisms of newly designed nanomedicine for treating urologic cancers, mainly including image-guided surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, and their synergetic therapy. Current studies have demonstrated the potential advantages of nanomedicine over conventional approaches. However, most developments and new findings in this area have not been validated in clinical trials yet, and therefore, efforts shall be made to translate these research insights into clinical practices for urologic cancers.

Rediscovering Tocophersolan: A Renaissance for Nano-Based Drug Delivery and Nanotheranostic Applications

A unique and pleiotropic polymer, d-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (Tocophersolan), is a polymeric, synthetic version of vitamin E. Tocophersolan has attracted enormous attention as a versatile excipient in different biomedical applications including drug delivery systems and nutraceuticals. The multiple inherent properties of Tocophersolan allow it to play flexible roles in drug delivery system design, including excipients with outstanding biocompatibility, solubilizer with the ability to promote drug dissolution, drug permeation enhancer, P-glycoprotein inhibitor, and anticancer compound. For these reasons, Tocophersolan has been widely used for improving the bioavailability of numerous pharmaceutical active ingredients. Tocophersolan has been approved by stringent regulatory authorities (such as the US FDA, EMA, and PMDA) as a safe pharmaceutical excipient. In this review, the current advances in nano-based delivery systems consisting of Tocophersolan, with possibilities for futuristic applications in drug delivery, gene therapy, and nanotheranostics, were systematically curated.

CD44 Targeted Nanomaterials for Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Identified as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among American women after lung cancer, breast cancer of all types has been the focus of numerous research studies. Even though triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents 15-20% of the number of breast cancer cases worldwide, its existing therapeutic options are fairly limited. Due to the pivotal role of the presence/absence of specific receptors to luminal A, luminal B, HER-2+, and TNBC in the molecular classification of breast cancer, the lack of these receptors has accounted for the aforementioned limitation. Thereupon, in an attempt to participate in the ongoing research endeavors to overcome such a limitation, the conducted study adopts a combination strategy as a therapeutic paradigm for TNBC, which has proven notable results with respect to both: improving patient outcomes and survivability rates. The study hinges upon an investigation of a promising NPs platform for CD44 mediated theranostic that can be combined with JAK/STAT inhibitors for the treatment of TNBC. The ability of momelotinib (MMB), which is a JAK/STAT inhibitor, to sensitize the TNBC to apoptosis inducer (CFM-4.16) has been evaluated in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468. MMB + CFM-4.16 combination with a combination index (CI) ≤0.5, has been selected for in vitro and in vivo studies. MMB has been combined with CD44 directed polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) loaded with CFM-4.16, namely CD44-T-PNPs, which selectively delivered the payload to CD44 overexpressing TNBC with a significant decrease in cell viability associated with a high dose reduction index (DRI). The mechanism underlying their synergism is based on the simultaneous downregulation of P-STAT3 and the up-regulation of CARP-1, which has induced ROS-dependent apoptosis leading to caspase 3/7 elevation, cell shrinkage, DNA damage, and suppressed migration. CD44-T-PNPs showed a remarkable cellular internalization, demonstrated by uptake of a Rhodamine B dye in vitro and S0456 (NIR dye) in vivo. S0456 was conjugated to PNPs to form CD44-T-PNPs/S0456 that simultaneously delivered CFM-4.16 and S0456 parenterally with selective tumor targeting, prolonged circulation, minimized off-target distribution.

Nanomaterials for Antiangiogenic Therapies for Cancer: A Promising Tool for Personalized Medicine

Angiogenesis is one of the hallmarks of cancer. Several studies have shown that vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) plays a leading role in angiogenesis progression. Antiangiogenic medication has gained substantial recognition and is commonly administered in many forms of human cancer, leading to a rising interest in cancer therapy. However, this treatment method can lead to a deteriorating outcome of resistance, invasion, distant metastasis, and overall survival relative to its cytotoxicity. Furthermore, there are significant obstacles in tracking the efficacy of antiangiogenic treatments by incorporating positive biomarkers into clinical settings. These shortcomings underline the essential need to identify additional angiogenic inhibitors that target numerous angiogenic factors or to develop a new method for drug delivery of current inhibitors. The great benefits of nanoparticles are their potential, based on their specific properties, to be effective mechanisms that concentrate on the biological system and control various important functions. Among various therapeutic approaches, nanotechnology has emerged as a new strategy for treating different cancer types. This article attempts to demonstrate the huge potential for targeted nanoparticles and their molecular imaging applications. Notably, several nanoparticles have been developed and engineered to demonstrate antiangiogenic features. This nanomedicine could effectively treat a number of cancers using antiangiogenic therapies as an alternative approach. We also discuss the latest antiangiogenic and nanotherapeutic strategies and highlight tumor vessels and their microenvironments.

Antagonizing binding of cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory protein 1 (CARP-1) to the NEMO/IKKγ protein enhances the anticancer effect of chemotherapy

NF-κB is a pro-inflammatory transcription factor that critically regulates immune responses and other distinct cellular pathways. However, many NF-κB-mediated pathways for cell survival and apoptosis signaling in cancer remain to be elucidated. Cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory protein 1 (CARP-1 or CCAR1) is a perinuclear phosphoprotein that regulates signaling induced by anticancer chemotherapy and growth factors. Although previous studies have reported that CARP-1 is a part of the NF-κB proteome, regulation of NF-κB signaling by CARP-1 and the molecular mechanism(s) involved are unclear. Here, we report that CARP-1 directly binds the NF-κB-activating kinase IκB kinase subunit γ (NEMO or NF-κB essential modulator) and regulates the chemotherapy-activated canonical NF-κB pathway. Importantly, blockade of NEMO-CARP-1 binding diminished NF-κB activation, indicated by reduced phosphorylation of its subunit p65/RelA by the chemotherapeutic agent adriamycin (ADR), but not NF-κB activation induced by tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin (IL)-1β, or epidermal growth factor. High-throughput screening of a chemical library yielded a small molecule inhibitor of NEMO-CARP-1 binding, termed selective NF-κB inhibitor 1 (SNI)-1). We noted that SNI-1 enhances chemotherapy-dependent growth inhibition of a variety of cancer cells, including human triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and patient-derived TNBC cells in vitro, and attenuates chemotherapy-induced secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-8. SNI-1 also enhanced ADR or cisplatin inhibition of murine TNBC tumors in vivo and reduced systemic levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. We conclude that inhibition of NEMO-CARP-1 binding enhances responses of cancer cells to chemotherapy.

A H2AX⁻CARP-1 Interaction Regulates Apoptosis Signaling Following DNA Damage

Cell Cycle and Apoptosis Regulatory Protein (CARP-1/CCAR1) is a peri-nuclear phosphoprotein that regulates apoptosis via chemotherapeutic Adriamycin (doxorubicin) and a novel class of CARP-1 functional mimetic (CFM) compounds. Although Adriamycin causes DNA damage, data from Comet assays revealed that CFM-4.16 also induced DNA damage. Phosphorylation of histone 2AX (γH2AX) protein is involved in regulating DNA damage repair and apoptosis signaling. Adriamycin or CFM-4.16 treatments inhibited cell growth and caused elevated CARP-1 and γH2AX in human breast (HBC) and cervical cancer (HeLa) cells. In fact, a robust nuclear or peri-nuclear co-localization of CARP-1 and γH2AX occurred in cells undergoing apoptosis. Knock-down of CARP-1 diminished γH2AX, their co-localization, and apoptosis in CFM-4.16- or Adriamycin-treated cells. We found that CARP-1 directly binds with H2AX, and H2AX interacted with CARP-1, but not CARP-1 (Δ600–652) mutant. Moreover, cells expressing CARP-1 (Δ600–652) mutant were resistant to apoptosis, and had diminished levels of γH2AX, when compared with cells expressing wild-type CARP-1. Mutagenesis studies revealed that H2AX residues 1–35 harbored a CARP-1-binding epitope, while CARP-1 amino acids 636–650 contained an H2AX-interacting epitope. Surface plasmon resonance studies revealed that CARP-1 (636–650) peptide bound with H2AX (1–35) peptide with a dissociation constant (K_d) of 127 nM. Cells expressing enhanced GFP (EGFP)-tagged H2AX (1–35) peptide or EGFP-tagged CARP-1 (636–650) peptide were resistant to inhibition by Adriamycin or CFM-4.16. Treatment of cells with transactivator of transcription (TAT)-tagged CARP-1 (636–650) peptide resulted in a moderate, statistically significant abrogation of Adriamycin-induced growth inhibition of cancer cells. Our studies provide evidence for requirement of CARP-1 interaction with H2AX in apoptosis signaling by Adriamycin and CFM compounds.

Development of asialoglycoprotein receptor directed nanoparticles for selective delivery of curcumin derivative to hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular cellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most challenging liver cancer subtypes. Due to lack of cell surface biomarkers and highly metastatic nature, early detection and targeted therapy of HCC is an unmet need. Galactosamine (Gal) is among the few selective ligands used for targeting HCCs due to its high binding affinity to asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGPRs) overexpressed in HCC. In the present work, we engineered nanoscale G4 polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers anchored to galactosamine and loaded with the potent anticancer curcumin derivative (CDF) as a platform for targeted drug delivery to HCC. In vivo targeting ability and bio-distribution of PAMAM-Gal were assessed via its labeling with the clinically used, highly contrast, near infrared (NIR) dye: S0456, with testing of the obtained conjugate in aggressive HCC xenograft model. Our results highlighted the targeted dendrimer PAMAM-Gal ability to achieve selective high cellular uptake via ASGPR mediated endocytosis and significantly enhance the delivery of CDF into the studied HCC cell lines. Cytotoxicity MTT assays in HCC cell lines, interestingly highlighted, the comparative high potency of CDF, where CDF was more potent as a chemotherapeutic anticancer small molecule than the currently in use Doxorubicin, Sorafenib and Cisplatin chemotherapeutic agents. In conclusion the proof-of-concept study using nanoscale PAMAM-Gal dendrimer has demonstrated its competency as an efficient delivery system for selective delivery of potent CDF for HCC anticancer therapy as well as HCC diagnosis via NIR imaging.

Tumor hypoxia directed multimodal nanotherapy for overcoming drug resistance in renal cell carcinoma and reprogramming macrophages

Drug resistance is one of the significant clinical burden in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The development of drug resistance is attributed to many factors, including impairment of apoptosis, elevation of carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX, a marker of tumor hypoxia), and infiltration of tumorigenic immune cells. To alleviate the drug resistance, we have used Sorafenib (Sor) in combination with tumor hypoxia directed nanoparticle (NP) loaded with a new class of apoptosis inducer, CFM 4.16 (C4.16), namely CA IX-C4.16. The NP is designed to selectively deliver the payload to the hypoxic tumor (core), provoke superior cell death in parental (WT) and Everolimus-resistant (Evr-res) RCC and selectively downmodulate tumorigenic M2-macrophage. Copper-free 'click' chemistry was utilized for conjugating SMA-TPGS with Acetazolamide (ATZ, a CA IX-specific targeting ligand). The NP was further tagged with a clinically approved NIR dye (S0456) for evaluating hypoxic tumor core penetration and organ distribution. Imaging of tumor spheroid treated with NIR dye-labeled CA IX-SMA-TPGS revealed remarkable tumor core penetration that was modulated by CA IX-mediated targeting in hypoxic-A498 RCC cells. The significant cell killing effect with synergistic combination index (CI) of CA IX-C4.16 and Sor treatment suggests efficient reversal of Evr-resistance in A498 cells. The CA IX directed nanoplatform in combination with Sor has shown multiple benefits in overcoming drug resistance through (i) inhibition of p-AKT, (ii) upregulation of tumoricidal M1 macrophages resulting in induction of caspase 3/7 mediated apoptosis of Evr-res A498 cells in macrophage-RCC co-culturing condition, (iii) significant in vitro and in vivo Evr-res A498 tumor growth inhibition as compared to individual therapy, and (iv) untraceable liver and kidney toxicity in mice. Near-infrared (NIR) imaging of CA IX-SMA-TPGS-S0456 in Evr-res A498 RCC model exhibited significant accumulation of CA IX-oligomer in tumor core with >3-fold higher tumor uptake as compared to control. In conclusion, this proof-of-concept study demonstrates versatile tumor hypoxia directed nanoplatform that can work in synergy with existing drugs for reversing drug-resistance in RCC accompanied with re-education of tumor-associated macrophages, that could be applied universally for several hypoxic tumors.

Combination of Vancomycin and Cefazolin Lipid Nanoparticles for Overcoming Antibiotic Resistance of MRSA

Vancomycin is the treatment of choice for infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Clinically, combinations of vancomycin (VAN) and beta-lactams have been shown to improve patient outcomes compared to VAN alone for the treatment of MRSA bloodstream infections. However, VAN is known to cause nephrotoxicity, which could be ameliorated using biocompatible lipid drug delivery systems or liposomes. Previous attempts have been made for encapsulation of VAN in liposomes; however, drug loading has been poor, mainly because of the high aqueous solubility of VAN. In this study, we report a robust method to achieve high loading of VAN and cefazolin (CFZ) in unilamellar liposomes. Liposomes of sizes between 170–198 nm were prepared by modified reverse phase evaporation method and achieved high loading of 40% and 26% (weight/weight) for VAN and CFZ, respectively. Liposomal VAN reduced minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values 2-fold in comparison to commercial VAN. The combination of liposomal VAN (LVAN) and liposomal CFZ (LCFZ) demonstrated a 7.9-fold reduction compared to LVAN alone. Rhodamine dye-loaded liposomes demonstrated superior cellular uptake in macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cells. Fluorescent images of LVAN-encapsulating near-infrared (NIR) dye, S0456 (LVAN-S0456) clearly indicated that LVAN-S0456 had reduced renal excretion with very low fluorescent intensity in the kidneys. It is anticipated that the long circulation and reduced kidney clearance of LVAN-S0456 compared to VAN-S0456 injected in mice can lead to enhanced efficacy against MRSA infections with reduced nephrotoxicity. Overall, our developed formulations of VAN when administered alone or in combination with CFZ, provide a rational approach for combating MRSA infections.

Potential Applications of Nanotechnology in Urological Cancer

Nowadays, the potential scope of nanotechnology in uro-oncology (cancers of the prostate, bladder, and kidney) is broad, ranging from drug delivery, prevention, and diagnosis to treatment. Novel drug delivery methods using magnetic nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, and polymeric nanoparticles have been investigated in prostate cancer. Additionally, renal cancer treatment may be profoundly influenced by applications of nanotechnology principles. Various nanoparticle-based strategies for kidney cancer therapy have been proposed. Partly due to the dilution of drug concentrations by urine production, causing inadequate drug delivery to tumor cells in the treatment of bladder cancer, various multifunctional bladder-targeted nanoparticles have been developed to enhance therapeutic efficiency. In each of these cancer research fields, nanotechnology has shown several advantages over widely used traditional methods. Different types of nanoparticles improve the solubility of poorly soluble drugs, and multifunctional nanoparticles have good specificity toward prostate, renal, and bladder cancer. Moreover, nanotechnology can also combine with other novel technologies to further enhance effectivity. As our understanding of nanotechnologies grows, additional opportunities to improve the diagnosis and treatment of urological cancer are excepted to arise. In this review, we focus on nanotechnologies with potential applications in urological cancer therapy and highlight clinical areas that would benefit from nanoparticle therapy.

A CARP-1 functional mimetic compound is synergistic with BRAF-targeting in non-small cell lung cancers

Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) account for 85% of all lung cancers, and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is highly expressed or activated in many NSCLC that permit use of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) as frontline therapies. Resistance to EGFR TKIs eventually develops that necessitates development of improved and effective therapeutics. CARP-1/CCAR1 is an effector of apoptosis by Doxorubicin, Etoposide, or Gefitinib, while CARP-1 functional mimetic (CFM) compounds bind with CARP-1, and stimulate CARP-1 expression and apoptosis. To test whether CFMs would inhibit TKI-resistant NSCLCs, we first generated and characterized TKI-resistant NSCLC cells. The GI₅₀ dose of Erlotinib for parental and Erlotinib-resistant HCC827 cells was ∼0.1 μM and ≥15 μM, respectively. While Rociletinib or Ocimertinib inhibited the parental H1975 cells with GI₅₀ doses of ≤0.18 μM, the Ocimertinib-resistant pools of H1975 cells had a GI₅₀ dose of ∼12 μM. The GI₅₀ dose for Rociletinib-resistant H1975 sublines ranged from 4.5-8.0 μM. CFM-4 and its novel analog CFM-4.16 attenuated growth of the parental and TKI-resistant NSCLC cells. CFMs activated p38/JNKs, inhibited oncogenic cMet and Akt kinases, while CARP-1 depletion blocked NSCLC cell growth inhibition by CFM-4.16 or Erlotinib. CFM-4.16 was synergistic with B-Raf-targeting in NSCLC, triple-negative breast cancer, and renal cancer cells. A nano-lipid formulation (NLF) of CFM-4.16 in combination with Sorafenib elicited a superior growth inhibition of xenografted tumors derived from Rociletinib-resistant H1975 NSCLC cells in part by stimulating CARP-1 and apoptosis. These findings support therapeutic potential of CFM-4.16 together with B-Raf targeting in treatment of TKI-resistant NSCLCs.

CD44 directed nanomicellar payload delivery platform for selective anticancer effect and tumor specific imaging of triple negative breast cancer

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive tumor subtype, lacking estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER-2) receptors. Thus, early detection and targeted therapy of TNBC is an urgent need. Herein, we have developed a CD44 targeting Hyaluronic Acid (HA) decorated biocompatible oligomer, containing FDA approved vitamin E TPGS and Styrene Maleic Anhydride (SMA) (HA-SMA-TPGS) for targeting TNBC. The self-assembling HA-SMA-TPGS was encapsulated with poorly water soluble, potent curcumin analogue (CDF) to form nanomicelles (NM), HA-SMA-TPGS-CDF has demonstrated excellent nanoparticle characteristics for parenteral delivery. The targeted NM can selectively kill TNBC cells through CD44 mediated apoptosis pathway. Tumor imaging using phase-2 clinical trial near infrared (NIR)-fluorescent dye (S0456) conjugate, HA-SMA-TPGS-S0456 showed excellent TNBC tumor accumulation with minimum liver and spleen uptake. To our best of knowledge, for the first time, we are reporting a promising platform for CD44 mediated multimodal NIR imaging and cytotoxin delivery to TNBC.

Multifunctional nanoparticles for cancer immunotherapy: A groundbreaking approach for reprogramming malfunctioned tumor environment

Several cancer immunotherapy approaches have been recently introduced into the clinics and they have shown remarkable therapeutic potentials. The groundbreaking cancer immunotherapeutic agents function as a stimulant or modulator of the body immune system to fight against or kill cancers. Although targeted immunotherapies such as immune check point inhibitors (CTLA-4 or PD-1/PD-L1), DNA vaccination and CAR-T therapy are revolutionizing cancer treatment, the delivery efficacy can be further improved while their off-target toxicity can be mitigated through nanotechnology approaches. Recent research has demonstrated that nanotechnology has multifaceted role for (i) reeducating tumor associated macrophages (TAM) to function as tumor suppressor agent, (ii) serving as an efficient alternative for Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell generation and transduction, and (iii) selective knockdown of Kras oncogene addiction by nano-Crisper-Cas9 delivery system. The function of host immune stimulatory signals and tumor immunotherapies can further be improved by repurposing of nanomedicine platform. This review summarizes the role of multifunctional polymeric, lipid, metallic and cell based nanoparticles for improving current immunotherapy.

A tumor multicomponent targeting chemoimmune drug delivery system for reprograming the tumor microenvironment and personalized cancer therapy

Nanoparticle library engineered with tunable size, shape, and geometry will provide a better idea of targeting multicomponent of tumor microenvironment consisting of epithelial cells, tumor hypoxia, tumor immune cells and angiogenic blood vessels.

Copper-Free 'Click' Chemistry-Based Synthesis and Characterization of Carbonic Anhydrase-IX Anchored Albumin-Paclitaxel Nanoparticles for Targeting Tumor Hypoxia

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a difficult to treat disease due to the absence of the three unique receptors estrogen, progesterone and herceptin-2 (HER-2). To improve the current therapy and overcome the resistance of TNBC, there is unmet need to develop an effective targeted therapy. In this regard, one of the logical and economical approaches is to develop a tumor hypoxia-targeting drug formulation platform for selective delivery of payload to the drug-resistant and invasive cell population of TNBC tumors. Toward this, we developed a Carbonic Anhydrase IX (CA IX) receptor targeting human serum albumin (HSA) carriers to deliver the potent anticancer drug, Paclitaxel (PTX). We used Acetazolamide (ATZ), a small molecule ligand of CA IX to selectively deliver HSA-PTX in TNBC cells. A novel method of synthesis involving copper free ‘click’ chemistry (Dibenzocyclooctyl, DBCO) moiety with an azide-labeled reaction partner, known as Strain-Promoted Alkyne Azide Cycloaddition (SPAAC) along with a desolvation method for PTX loading were used in the present study to arrive at the CA IX selective nano-carriers, HSA-PTX-ATZ. The anticancer effect of HSA-PTX-ATZ is higher compared to HSA, PTX and non-targeted HSA-PTX in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells. The cell killing effect is associated with induction of early and late phases of apoptosis. Overall, our proof-of-concept study shows a promising avenue for hypoxia-targeted drug delivery that can be adapted to several types of cancers.