Growth inhibition and chemosensitization of human carcinoma cells by human serum albumin-coated liposomal antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide against bcl-2

Advances in chemically modified HSA as a multifunctional carrier for transforming cancer therapy regimens

Human serum albumin (HSA) is a versatile, biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic, and non-immunogenic protein nanocarrier, making it an ideal platform for developing advanced drug delivery systems. These properties have garnered significant attention in utilizing HSA nanoparticles for the safe and efficient delivery of chemotherapeutic agents. HSA-based nanoparticles can be surface-modified with various ligands to enable tumor-targeted drug delivery, enhancing therapeutic specificity and efficacy. Furthermore, the multifunctionality of HSA nanoparticles offers promising strategies to overcome challenges in cancer therapy, including poor bioavailability, off-target toxicity, and drug resistance. This review highlights the structural features of HSA, explores its diverse modifications to improve drug-binding affinity and targeting ability, and discusses its potential as a multifunctional carrier in oncology. By summarizing the latest advances in HSA modification techniques and applications, this review provides a comprehensive perspective on the future of protein-based drug delivery systems in tumor therapy.

The Neoteric Paradigm of Biomolecule-Functionalized Albumin-Based Targeted Cancer Therapeutics

Albumin is a nature-derived, versatile protein carrier, that has been explored extensively by researchers for anticancer drug delivery due to its role in enhancing drug stability, solubility, circulation time, targeting capabilities, and overall therapeutic efficacy. Albumin nanoparticles possess inherent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and passive tumor-targeting ability due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect. However, non-specific accumulation of cytotoxic agents in healthy tissues remains a challenge. In this paper, the functionalization of albumin nanoparticles using various biomolecules including antibodies, nucleic acids, proteins and peptides, vitamins, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid, and lactobionic acid have been discussed which enables specific recognition and binding to cancer cells. Furthermore, we highlight the supremacy of such a targeted approach in tumor-specific drug delivery, minimization of off-target effects, potential improvement in therapeutic efficacy, cellular internalization, reduced side effects, and better clinical outcomes. This review centers on how they have revolutionized the field of biomedical research and tuned into an excellent targeted approach. In conclusion, this review highlights in detail the role of albumin as a nanocarrier for tumor-targeted delivery using biomolecules as ligands.

Protein-lipid nanohybrids as emerging platforms for drug and gene delivery: Challenges and outcomes

Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems have been long used to deliver a vast range of drugs and bioactives owing to their ability to demonstrate novel physical, chemical, and/or biological properties. An exponential growth has spurred in research and development of these nanocarriers which led to the evolution of a great number of diverse nanosystems including liposomes, nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), micelles, dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), metallic NPs, and carbon nanotubes. Among them, lipid-based nanocarriers have made the largest progress whether commercially or under development. Despite this progress, these lipid-based nanocarriers suffer from several limitations that led to the development of many protein-coated lipid nanocarriers. To less extent, protein-based nanocarriers suffer from limitations that led to the fabrication of some lipid bilayer enveloping protein nanocarriers. This review discusses in-depth some limitations associated with the lipid-based or protein-based nanocarriers and the fruitful outcomes brought by protein-lipid hybridization. Also discussed are the various hybridization techniques utilized to formulate these protein-lipid nanohybrids and the mechanisms involved in the drug loading process.

Albumin nanostructures as advanced drug delivery systems

INTRODUCTION

One of the biggest impacts that the nanotechnology has made on medicine and biology, has been in the area of drug delivery systems (DDSs). Many drugs suffer from serious problems concerning insolubility, instability in biological environments, poor uptake into cells and tissues, sub-optimal selectivity for targets and unwanted side effects. Nanocarriers can be designed as DDSs to overcome many of these drawbacks. One of the most versatile building blocks to prepare these nanocarriers is the ubiquitous, readily available and inexpensive protein, serum albumin. Areas covered: This review covers the use of different types of albumin (human, bovine, rat, and chicken egg) to prepare nanoparticle and microparticle-based structures to bind drugs. Various methods have been used to modify the albumin structure. A range of targeting ligands can be attached to the albumin that can be recognized by specific cell receptors that are expressed on target cells or tissues. Expert opinion: The particular advantages of albumin used in DDSs include ready availability, ease of chemical modification, good biocompatibility, and low immunogenicity. The regulatory approvals that have been received for several albumin-based therapeutic agents suggest that this approach will continue to be successfully explored.

Downregulation of miR-363 increases drug resistance in cisplatin-treated HepG2 by dysregulating Mcl-1

Systemic therapy with cytotoxic agents provides marginal benefit in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment especially for patients with advanced HCC. Cisplatin is one of the most active cytotoxic agents for HCC treatment. However, acquisition of cisplatin resistance is common, and one important underlying mechanism of such resistance is apoptosis-resistance. In this study, we found that miR-363 levels were significantly decreased in HCC patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. MiR-363 levels were also lower in cisplatin-resistant HepG2 (HepG2-R) cells than in HepG2 cells. Exogenous miR-363 significantly overcame cisplatin resistance in HepG2-R cells, whereas miR-363 knockdown increased the cell viability during cisplatin treatment. We further demonstrated that miR-363 directly targeted to Mcl-1 3'-UTR (3'-Untranslated Regions). Downregulation of miR-363 resulted in upregulation of Mcl-1 which is a key member of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family and increased drug resistance. We finally demonstrated that miR-363 decreased cisplatin resistance of HCC cell, partly by targeting Mcl-1. These data suggest that the combination of miR-363 and cisplatin may represent a novel approach in treatment for HCC, thus offering a new target for chemotherapy of HCC.