Recent Advances on Antitumor Agents-loaded Polymeric and Lipid-based Nanocarriers for the Treatment of Brain Cancer

Targeting ferroptosis unveils a new era for traditional Chinese medicine: a scientific metrology study

In the past 11 years, there has been a surge in studies exploring the regulatory effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on ferroptosis. However, a significant gap persists in comprehensive scientometric analysis and scientific mapping research, especially in tracking the evolution, primary contributors, and emerging research focal points. This study aims to comprehensively update the advancements in targeting ferroptosis with various TCMs during the previous 11 years. The data, covering the period from 1 January 2012, to 30 November 2023, were retrieved from the Web of Science database. For in-depth scientometric and visualized analyses, a series of advanced analytical instruments were employed. The findings highlight China's predominant role, accounting for 71.99% of total publications and significantly shaping research in this domain. Noteworthy productivity was observed at various institutions, including Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Zhejiang University. Thomas Efferth emerged as the foremost author within this field, while Frontiers in Pharmacology boasted the highest publication count. This study pinpointed hepatocellular carcinoma, chemical and drug-induced liver injury, mitochondrial diseases, acute kidney injury, and liver failure as the most critical disorders addressed in this research realm. The research offers a comprehensive bibliometric evaluation, enhancing our understanding of the present status of TCM therapy in managing ferroptosis-related diseases. Consequently, it aids both seasoned researchers and newcomers by accelerating access to vital information and fostering innovative concept extraction within this specialized field.

Lipid-based nanoparticles for drug delivery in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that predominantly affects dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area, resulting in symptoms such as tremors, muscle rigidity, bradykinesia, and potential cognitive and affective disturbances. The effective delivery of pharmacological agents to the central nervous system is hindered by various factors, including the restrictive properties of the blood‒brain barrier and blood‒spinal cord barrier, as well as the physicochemical characteristics of the drugs. Traditional drug delivery methods may not provide the therapeutic concentrations necessary for functional restoration in PD patients. However, lipid-based nanoparticles (NPs) offer new possibilities for enhancing the bioavailability of established treatment regimens and developing innovative therapies that can modify the course of the disease. This review provides a concise overview of recent advances in lipid-based NP strategies aimed at mitigating specific pathological mechanisms relevant to PD progression. This study also explores the potential applications of nanotechnological innovations in the development of advanced treatment modalities for individuals with PD.

Chitosan-decorated and tripolyphosphate-crosslinked pH-sensitive niosomal nanogels for Controlled release of fluoropyrimidine 5-fluorouracil

In the present study, 5-fluorouracil-loaded niosomal nanoparticles were successfully prepared and coated with chitosan and subsequently crosslinked by tripolyphosphate to form niosomal nanogels. The prepared niosomal formulations were fully characterized for their particle size, zeta potential, particle morphology, drug entrapment efficiency, and in vitro drug release profile. The prepared niosomal nanocarriers exhibited nanoscale particle sizes of 165.35 ± 2.75-322.85 ± 2.75 nm. Chitosan-coated and TPP-crosslinked niosomes exhibited a slightly decreased in particle size and a switch of zeta potential from negative to positive values. In addition, high yield percentage, drug encapsulation efficiency, and drug loading values of 92.11 ± 2.07 %, 66.59 ± 6.06, and 4.65 ± 0.5 were obtained for chitosan-coated formulations, respectively. Moreover, lowering the rate of 5-FU in vitro release was achieved within 72 h by using chitosan-coated formulations. All prepared formulations revealed hemocompatible properties in hemolysis assay with less than 5 % hemolysis percentage at their higher possible concentrations (500 µM and 1 mM). The cell viability by MTT assay showed higher anticancer activity against B16F10 cancerous cells and lower cytotoxicity toward NIH3T3 normal cells than control and pure 5-FU in the studied concentration range (10-100 µM). Investigating the cell migration inhibition properties of fabricated formulations revealed similar results with in vitro cell viability assay with a higher migration inhibition rate for B16F10 cells than NIH3T3 cells, controls, and free 5-FU.

Recent Emerging Immunological Treatments for Primary Brain Tumors: Focus on Chemokine-Targeting Immunotherapies

Primary brain tumors are a leading cause of death worldwide and are characterized by extraordinary heterogeneity and high invasiveness. Current drug and radiotherapy therapies combined with surgical approaches tend to increase the five-year survival of affected patients, however, the overall mortality rate remains high, thus constituting a clinical challenge for which the discovery of new therapeutic strategies is needed. In this field, novel immunotherapy approaches, aimed at overcoming the complex immunosuppressive microenvironment, could represent a new method of treatment for central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Chemokines especially are a well-defined group of proteins that were so named due to their chemotactic properties of binding their receptors. Chemokines regulate the recruitment and/or tissue retention of immune cells as well as the mobilization of tumor cells that have undergone epithelial–mesenchymal transition, promoting tumor growth. On this basis, this review focuses on the function and involvement of chemokines and their receptors in primary brain tumors, specifically examining chemokine-targeting immunotherapies as one of the most promising strategies in neuro-oncology.

Myricetin: targeting signaling networks in cancer and its implication in chemotherapy

The gaps between the complex nature of cancer and therapeutics have been narrowed down due to extensive research in molecular oncology. Despite gathering massive insight into the mysteries of tumor heterogeneity and the molecular framework of tumor cells, therapy resistance and adverse side effects of current therapeutic remain the major challenge. This has shifted the attention towards therapeutics with less toxicity and high efficacy. Myricetin a natural flavonoid has been under the spotlight for its anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The cutting-edge molecular techniques have shed light on the interplay between myricetin and dysregulated signaling cascades in cancer progression, invasion, and metastasis. However, there are limited data available regarding the nano-delivery platforms composed of myricetin in cancer. In this review, we have provided a comprehensive detail of myricetin-mediated regulation of different cellular pathways, its implications in cancer prevention, preclinical and clinical trials, and its current available nano-formulations for the treatment of various cancers.

Nano-traditional Chinese medicine: a promising strategy and its recent advances

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been applied to the prevention and treatment of numerous diseases and has an irreplaceable role in rehabilitation and health care. However, the application of TCMs is drastically limited by their defects, such as single administration, poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and weak targeting capability. Recently, nanoparticles have been extensively used in resolving pharmaceutical obstacles in consideration of their large specific surface area, strong targeting capability, good sustained-release effect, etc. In this review, we first describe the limitations of TCM ingredients and two significant forms of nanotechnology applied in TCM, nanometerization of TCMs and nano-drug delivery systems for TCMs. Then, we discuss the preparation methods of nanometerization: mechanical crushing, spray drying, and high-pressure homogenization, which have been utilized to conquer the various weaknesses of TCMs. Then, recent advances in nano-drug delivery systems for TCM ingredients are discussed, including lipid-based nanocarriers, polymeric nanoparticles, inorganic nanocarriers, hybrid nanoparticles, and TCM self-assembled nanoparticles. Finally, the future challenges and perspectives of TCM formula complexity and the limitations of nanocarriers are also discussed. Better understanding the function of nanotechnology in TCM will help to modernize Chinese medicine and broaden the application of nano-TCM in the clinic.

Biodegradable nanoparticles for the treatment of epilepsy: From current advances to future challenges

Epilepsy is the second most prevalent neurological disease worldwide. It is mainly characterized by an electrical abnormal activity in different brain regions. The massive entrance of Ca²⁺ into neurons is the main neurotoxic process that lead to cell death and finally to neurodegeneration. Although there are a huge number of antiseizure medications, there are many patients who do not respond to the treatments and present refractory epilepsy. In this context, nanomedicine constitutes a promising alternative to enhance the central nervous system bioavailability of antiseizure medications. The encapsulation of different chemical compounds at once in a variety of controlled drug delivery systems gives rise to an enhanced drug effectiveness mainly due to their targeting and penetration into the deepest brain region and the protection of the drug chemical structure. Thus, in this review we will explore the recent advances in the development of drugs associated with polymeric and lipid-based nanocarriers as novel tools for the management of epilepsy disorders.

Magnetic nanoparticles for cancer theranostics: Advances and prospects

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Nanoparticles have been broadly studied and emerged as a novel approach in diagnosis and treatment of tumors. Over the last decade, researches have significantly improved magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)'s theranostic potential as nanomedicine for cancer. Newer MNPs have various advantages such as wider operating temperatures, smaller sizes, lower toxicity, simpler preparations and lower production costs. With a series of unique and superior physical and chemical properties, MNPs have great potential in medical applications. In particular, using MNPs as probes for medical imaging and carriers for targeted drug delivery systems. While MNPs are expected to be the future of cancer diagnosis and precision drug delivery, more research is still required to minimize their toxicity and improve their efficacy. An ideal MNP for clinical applications should be precisely engineered to be stable to act as tracers or deliver drugs to the targeted sites, release drug components only at the targeted sites and have minimal health risks. Our review aims to consolidate the recent improvements in MNPs for clinical applications as well as discuss the future research prospects and potential of MNPs in cancer theranostics.

Nanomedicine-based technologies and novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease: from current to future challenges

Increasing life expectancy has led to an aging population, which has consequently increased the prevalence of dementia. Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia worldwide, is estimated to make up 50-80% of all cases. AD cases are expected to reach 131 million by 2050, and this increasing prevalence will critically burden economies and health systems in the next decades. There is currently no treatment that can stop or reverse disease progression. In addition, the late diagnosis of AD constitutes a major obstacle to effective disease management. Therefore, improved diagnostic tools and new treatments for AD are urgently needed. In this review, we investigate and describe both well-established and recently discovered AD biomarkers that could potentially be used to detect AD at early stages and allow the monitoring of disease progression. Proteins such as NfL, MMPs, p-tau217, YKL-40, SNAP-25, VCAM-1, and Ng / BACE are some of the most promising biomarkers because of their successful use as diagnostic tools. In addition, we explore the most recent molecular strategies for an AD therapeutic approach and nanomedicine-based technologies, used to both target drugs to the brain and serve as devices for tracking disease progression diagnostic biomarkers. State-of-the-art nanoparticles, such as polymeric, lipid, and metal-based, are being widely investigated for their potential to improve the effectiveness of both conventional drugs and novel compounds for treating AD. The most recent studies on these nanodevices are deeply explained and discussed in this review.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate PEGylated poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles mitigate striatal pathology and motor deficits in 3-nitropropionic acid intoxicated mice

Aim: To compare free and nanoparticle (NP)-encapsulated epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) for the treatment of Huntington's disease (HD)-like symptoms in mice. Materials & methods: EGCG was incorporated into PEGylated poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid NPs with ascorbic acid (AA). HD-like striatal lesions and motor deficit were induced in mice by 3-nitropropionic acid-intoxication. EGCG and EGCG/AA NPs were co-administered and behavioral motor assessments and striatal histology performed after 5 days. Results: EGCG/AA NPs were significantly more effective than free EGCG in reducing motor disturbances and depression-like behavior associated with 3-nitropropionic acid toxicity. EGCG/AA NPs treatment also mitigated neuroinflammation and prevented neuronal loss. Conclusion: NP encapsulation enhances therapeutic robustness of EGCG in this model of HD symptomatology. Together with our previous findings, this highlights the potential of EGCG/AA NPs in the symptomatic treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Management of epileptic disorders using nanotechnology-based strategies for nose-to-brain drug delivery

INTRODUCTION

Epilepsy, a major neurological disorder affects about 1% of the Indian population. The discovery of noninvasive strategies for epilepsy presents a challenge for the scientists. Different types of nose-to-brain dosage-forms have been studied for epilepsy management. It aims to give new perspectives for developing new and existing anti-epileptic drugs. Combining nanotechnology with nose-to-brain approach can help in promoting the treatment efficacy by site-specific delivery. Also, it will minimize the side-effects and patient noncompliance observed in conventional administration routes. Peptide delivery can be an interesting approach for the management of epilepsy. Drug-loaded intranasal nanoformulations exhibit diverse prospective potentials in the management of epilepsy. Considering that, nanotherapy using nose-to-brain delivery as a prospective technique for the efficient management of epilepsy is reviewed.

AREAS COVERED

The authors have compiled all recently available data pertaining to the nose-to-brain delivery of therapeutics using nanotechnological strategies. The fundamental mechanism of nose-to-brain delivery, claims for intranasal delivery and medical devices for epilepsy are discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

Drug-loaded intranasal nanoformulations exhibit different prospective potentials in the management of epilepsy. Considering the foregoing research done in the field of nanotechnology, globally, authors propose nose-to-brain delivery of nanoformulations as a potential technique for the efficient management of epilepsy.

Current advances in the development of novel polymeric nanoparticles for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Effective intervention is essential to combat the coming epidemic of neurodegenerative (ND) diseases. Nanomedicine can overcome restrictions of CNS delivery imposed by the blood-brain barrier, and thus be instrumental in preclinical discovery and therapeutic intervention of ND diseases. Polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) have shown great potential and versatility to encapsulate several compounds simultaneously in controlled drug-delivery systems and target them to the deepest brain regions. Here, we critically review recent advances in the development of drugs incorporated into PNPs and summarize the molecular changes and functional effects achieved in preclinical models of the most common ND disorders. We also briefly discuss the many challenges remaining to translate these findings and technological advances successfully to current clinical settings.