Synergic Antitumor Effect of Photodynamic Therapy and Chemotherapy Mediated by Nano Drug Delivery Systems

Exploring Si-phthalocyanines with different valency for PSMA-targeted photodynamic therapy: Synthesis and preclinical validation

Prostate cancer remains a significant health concern, with existing treatments often proving invasive or inadequate in preventing recurrence. This study explores the development and preclinical validation of silicon-phthalocyanine (SiPc)-based photosensitizers (PSs) targeted at prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Two PSMA-targeted SiPcs, monovalent and bivalent, were synthesized with axial conjugation through Si-O-C linkages to evaluate their efficacy and specificity. The bivalent SiPc-PQ-(PSMAi)2 demonstrated superior optical properties, reduced aggregation, and enhanced target specificity compared to the monovalent SiPc-PQ-PSMAi. Cellular and in vivo assays confirmed its high PSMA-specific uptake, potent photoinduced cytotoxicity mediated by reactive oxygen species, and significant tumor growth inhibition post-PDT. These findings underscore the potential of bivalent SiPc-PQ-(PSMAi)2 as an effective agent for targeted PDT, combining imaging and therapeutic capabilities for improved prostate cancer management. Further optimization and clinical evaluation could establish its role in theranostic strategies to enhance surgical outcomes and reduce recurrence.

A simple co-assembly strategy to control the dimensions of nanoparticles for enhanced synergistic therapy

Despite phthalocyanine has excellent photodynamic and photothermal effects as a photosensitizer and photothermal agent, hydrophobicity and aggregation limits its biological application. In this paper, phthalocyanine-cyanine co-assembled nanoparticles were designed to modulate the dimensions and morphology by introducing water-soluble cyanine. The cyanine had the ability to transform the nanomaterials from microrods to nanospheres, thus successfully constructing photoactivated nanomedicines. Their appropriate size effect and improved water solubility conferred the nanoparticles with extended blood circulation time and tumor accumulation capacity. Meanwhile, the fluorescence effect of cyanine enabled the nanoparticles to have the ability of fluorescence imaging. The nanoparticles achieved enhanced PDT/PTT synergistic effect under single laser induction, especially the generation of type I photodynamics.

Anticancer effects of silymarin-loaded ACA-HA/sulfonamide IR-MOF nanoplatform in CT-26 xenograft model

Silymarin, a herbal compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has shown potential in inhibiting colon cancer cell growth. However, its clinical application is hindered by poor bioavailability. This study introduces a novel metal-organic framework, Sul-IRMOF, modified with 6-aminocaproic acid (ACA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) to create Sul-IRMOF-ACA-HA, which enables targeted drug delivery via HA receptors. Histological staining, biochemical analyses, and flow cytometry revealed that Sul-IRMOF-ACA-HA@Sily significantly enhances cytotoxicity against CT-26 cells compared to pure silymarin. According to oxidative stress markers, Sul-IRMOF-ACA-HA@Sily significantly reduced total thiol and glutathione (GSH) content compared to the control (p < 0.001) and silymarin (p < 0.001). Catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were significantly reduced in all treatment groups (p < 0.001), with Sul-IRMOF-ACA-HA@Sily showing the most pronounced effects (p < 0.001 vs. silymarin). Additionally, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels were significantly elevated in the silymarin and Sul-IRMOF-ACA-HA@Sily groups compared to the control (p < 0.001), with Sul-IRMOF-ACA-HA@Sily further increasing both markers compared to silymarin (p < 0.001). The synergistic design of ACA, HA, and Sul-IRMOF offers a promising strategy to overcome silymarin's bioavailability limitations, positioning Sul-IRMOF-ACA-HA@Sily as a novel therapeutic candidate for colorectal cancer.

Controllable delivery of dual-drugs for combination therapy of chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy based on pH-responsive hyaluronic acid

The non-selectivity and undesirable water solubility are major limitations for the utilization of anti-cancer drugs in traditional therapy, leading to diminished therapeutic efficacy and severe side effects. Besides, the tumor inhibitory effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) is limited, due to the limited depth of light penetration. However, combination therapies can reverse the dilemma that monotherapies face in clinical use. Here, a stimulus-sensitive drug delivery system was prepared by self-assembly for synchronized delivery and combination therapy. It was constructed by employing pH-responsive imine bonds to attach the chemotherapeutic drug daunorubicin (DNR) and the photosensitizer methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) to oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA), named NPs(MAL/DNR). The nanoparticles demonstrated excellent inhibitory effect and synergistic effect in tumor suppression, as evidenced by in vitro cytotoxicity results (CI = 0.90, synergism). In summary, the prepared dual-drug nanoparticles can play a synergistic role in selectively killing tumor cells. This provides a new feasible direction for the use of combined chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy in the treatment of breast cancer.

Development of photodynamic therapy in treating oral diseases

The morbidity of oral disorders, including gingivitis, caries, endodontic-periodontal diseases, and oral cancer, is relatively high globally. Pathogenic cells are the root cause of many oral disorders, and oral therapies depend on eradicating them. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been established as a potential and non-invasive local adjuvant treatment for oral disorders. PDT consists of three essential components: photosensitizer (PS), a light source with a certain wavelength, and oxygen dissolved in the cells. These three components can interact to cause damage to proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and other biological components within diseased tissues. Herein, we aimed to provide a detailed understanding of PDT and how it can treat oral diseases. Concerns about PDT and potential remedies are also a factor. PDT has been shown in numerous clinical studies to be an efficient supplementary therapy that can reduce pathogenic cells. The PDT has great potential for dental applications, including treating bacterial and fungal infections during root canal therapy and preventing oral cancer, potentially malignant disorders, periodontitis, dental caries, and peri-implant disorders. Although PDT has been promoted as having significant potential and utility in dentistry, more clinical research must be conducted before being used broadly.

Proteolysis-targeting drug delivery system (ProDDS): integrating targeted protein degradation concepts into formulation design

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a revolutionary paradigm in drug discovery and development, offering a promising avenue to tackle challenging therapeutic targets. Unlike traditional drug discovery approaches that focus on inhibiting protein function, TPD aims to eliminate proteins of interest (POIs) using modular chimeric structures. This is achieved through the utilization of proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), which redirect POIs to E3 ubiquitin ligases, rendering them for degradation by the cellular ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Additionally, other TPD technologies such as lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs) and autophagy-based protein degraders facilitate the transportation of proteins to  endo-lysosomal or autophagy-lysosomal pathways for degradation, respectively. Despite significant growth in preclinical TPD research, many chimeras fail to progress beyond this stage in the drug development. Various factors contribute to the limited success of TPD agents, including a significant hurdle of inadequate delivery to the target site. Integrating TPD into delivery platforms could surmount the challenges of in vivo applications of TPD strategies by reshaping their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic profiles. These proteolysis-targeting drug delivery systems (ProDDSs) exhibit superior delivery performance, enhanced targetability, and reduced off-tissue side effects. In this review, we will survey the latest progress in TPD-inspired drug delivery systems, highlight the importance of introducing delivery ideas or technologies to the development of protein degraders, outline design principles of protein degrader-inspired delivery systems, discuss the current challenges, and provide an outlook on future opportunities in this field.

A review on the recent advances of interaction studies of anticancer metal-based drugs with therapeutic targets, DNA and RNAs

Metal-based drugs hold promise as potent anticancer agents owing to their unique interactions with cellular targets. This review discusses recent advances in our understanding of the intricate molecular interactions of metal-based anticancer compounds with specific therapeutic targets in cancer cells. Advanced computational and experimental methodologies delineate the binding mechanisms, structural dynamics and functional outcomes of these interactions. In addition, the review sheds light on the precise modes of action of these drugs, their efficacy and the potential avenues for further optimization in cancer-treatment strategies and the development of targeted and effective metal-based therapies for combating various forms of cancer.

Recent advances in photodynamic therapy combined with chemotherapy for cervical cancer: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Despite the evidence that photodynamic therapy (PDT) associated with chemotherapy presents great potential to overcome the limitations of monotherapy, little is known about the current status of this combination against cervical cancer. This systematic review aimed to address the currently available advances in combining PDT and chemotherapy in different research models and clinical trials of cervical cancer.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review based on PRISMA Statement and Open Science Framework review protocol using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, LILACS, and Cochrane databases. We selected original articles focusing on 'Uterine Cervical Neoplasms' and 'Photochemotherapy and Chemotherapy' published in the last 10 years. The risk of bias in the studies was assessed using the CONSORT and SYRCLE tools.

RESULTS

Twenty-three original articles were included, focusing on HeLa cells, derived from endocervical adenocarcinoma and on combinations of several chemotherapeutics. Most of the combinations used modern drug delivery systems for improved simultaneous delivery and presented promising results with increased cytotoxicity compared to monotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Despite the scarcity of animal studies and the absence of clinical studies, the combination of chemotherapy with PDT presents a potential option for cervical cancer therapy requiring additional studies.

OSF REGISTRATION

https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/WPHN5 [Figure: see text].

Investigation of Anticancer Therapy Using pH-Sensitive Carbon Dots-Functionalized Doxorubicin in Cubosomes

Cancer remains a highly lethal disease due to its elusive early detection, rapid spread, and significant side effects. Nanomedicine has emerged as a promising platform for drug delivery, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring. In particular, carbon dots (CDs), a type of fluorescent nanomaterial, offer excellent fluorescence properties and the ability to carry multiple drugs simultaneously through covalent bonding. In this work, CDs with carbonyl groups on the surface were prepared by aldol condensation and reacted with amine groups in the structure of doxorubicin (DOX) through Schiff base reaction to generate pH-responsive CDs-DOX. On the other hand, cubosomes with three-dimensional lattice structures formed by lipid bilayers have advantageous capabilities of encapsulating various hydrophilic, amphiphilic, and hydrophobic substances. The pH-responsive CDs-DOX are subsequently loaded into cubosomes to form an anticancer therapeutic nanosystem, CDs-DOX@cubosome. Leveraging the unique properties of CDs-DOX and cubosomes, our CDs-DOX@cubosome can enter tumor tissue through the enhanced permeation and retention effect first and conduct membrane fusion with tumor cells to intracellularly release CDs-DOX. Then, the imine bond in CDs-DOX breaks under acidic conditions within human cancer cell lines (HeLa and HepG-2 cells), releasing DOX and achieving enhanced treatment of tumors. Additionally, fluorescent CDs can synchronously achieve real-time in situ diagnosis of tumor tissue. We demonstrate that our CDs-DOX@cubosome works as an excellent drug delivery system with therapeutic efficiency enhancement to the tumor and reduced side effects.

Photoinduced in situ generation of DNA-targeting ligands: DNA-binding and DNA-photodamaging properties of benzo[c]quinolizinium ions

The photoreactions of selected styrylpyridine derivatives to the corresponding benzo[c]quinolizinium ions are described. It is shown that these reactions are more efficient in aqueous solution (97-44%) than in organic solvents (78-20% in MeCN). The quinolizinium derivatives bind to DNA by intercalation with binding constants of 6-11 × 104 M-1, as shown by photometric and fluorimetric titrations as well as by CD- and LD-spectroscopic analyses. These ligand-DNA complexes can also be established in situ upon irradiation of the styrylpyridines and formation of the intercalator directly in the presence of DNA. In addition to the DNA-binding properties, the tested benzo[c]quinolizinium derivatives also operate as photosensitizers, which induce DNA damage at relative low concentrations and short irradiation times, even under anaerobic conditions. Investigations of the mechanism of the DNA damage revealed the involvement of intermediate hydroxyl radicals and C-centered radicals. Under aerobic conditions, singlet oxygen only contributes to marginal extent to the DNA damage.

Engineered bacterial outer membrane vesicles: a versatile bacteria-based weapon against gastrointestinal tumors

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are nanoscale lipid bilayer structures released by gram-negative bacteria. They share membrane composition and properties with their originating cells, making them adept at traversing cellular barriers. These OMVs have demonstrated exceptional membrane stability, immunogenicity, safety, penetration, and tumor-targeting properties, which have been leveraged in developing vaccines and drug delivery systems. Recent research efforts have focused on engineering OMVs to increase production yield, reduce cytotoxicity, and improve the safety and efficacy of treatment. Notably, gastrointestinal (GI) tumors have proven resistant to several traditional oncological treatment strategies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated efficacy in some patients, their usage as monotherapy remains limited by tumor heterogeneity and individual variability. The immunogenic and modifiable nature of OMVs makes them an ideal design platform for the individualized treatment of GI tumors. OMV-based therapy enables combination therapy and optimization of anti-tumor effects. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in OMV engineering for GI tumor therapy and discusses the challenges in the clinical translation of emerging OMV-based anti-tumor therapies.

Recent Innovations of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Combined with Photodynamic Therapy for Improving Cancer Treatment

Cancer is a global health burden and is one of the leading causes of death. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is considered an alternative approach to conventional cancer treatment. PDT utilizes a light-sensitive compound, photosensitizers (PSs), light irradiation, and molecular oxygen (O2). This generates cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can trigger necrosis and/ or apoptosis, leading to cancer cell death in the intended tissues. Classical photosensitizers impose limitations that hinder their clinical applications, such as long-term skin photosensitivity, hydrophobic nature, nonspecific targeting, and toxic cumulative effects. Thus, nanotechnology emerged as an unorthodox solution for improving the hydrophilicity and targeting efficiency of PSs. Among nanocarriers, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have gained increasing attention due to their high surface area, defined pore size and structure, ease of surface modification, stable aqueous dispersions, good biocompatibility, and optical transparency, which are vital for PDT. The advancement of integrated MSNs/PDT has led to an inspiring multimodal nanosystem for effectively treating malignancies. This review gives an overview of the main components and mechanisms of the PDT process, the effect of PDT on tumor cells, and the most recent studies that reported the benefits of incorporating PSs into silica nanoparticles and integration with PDT against different cancer cells.

Nanocarriers for photodynamic-gene therapy

The use of nanotechnology in medicine has important potential applications, including in anticancer strategies. Nanomedicine has made it possible to overcome the limitations of conventional monotherapies, in addition to improving therapeutic results by means of synergistic or cumulative effects. A highlight is the combination of gene therapy (GT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), which are alternative anticancer approaches that have attracted attention in the last decade. In this review, strategies involving the combination of PDT and GT will be discussed, together with the role of nanocarriers (nonviral vectors) in this synergistic therapeutic approach, including aspects related to the design of nanomaterials, responsiveness, the interaction of the nanomaterial with the biological environment, and anticancer performance in studies in vitro and in vivo.

Combinations of Photodynamic Therapy with Other Minimally Invasive Therapeutic Technologies against Cancer and Microbial Infections

The rapid rise in research and development following the discovery of photodynamic therapy to establish novel photosensitizers and overcome the limitations of the technology soon after its clinical translation has given rise to a few significant milestones. These include several novel generations of photosensitizers, the widening of the scope of applications, leveraging of the offerings of nanotechnology for greater efficacy, selectivity for the disease over host tissue and cells, the advent of combination therapies with other similarly minimally invasive therapeutic technologies, the use of stimulus-responsive delivery and disease targeting, and greater penetration depth of the activation energy. Brought together, all these milestones have contributed to the significant enhancement of what is still arguably a novel technology. Yet the major applications of photodynamic therapy still remain firmly located in neoplasms, from where most of the new innovations appear to launch to other areas, such as microbial, fungal, viral, acne, wet age-related macular degeneration, atherosclerosis, psoriasis, environmental sanitization, pest control, and dermatology. Three main value propositions of combinations of photodynamic therapy include the synergistic and additive enhancement of efficacy, the relatively low emergence of resistance and its rapid development as a targeted and high-precision therapy. Combinations with established methods such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy and demonstrated applications in mop-up surgery promise to enhance these top three clinical tools. From published in vitro and preclinical studies, clinical trials and applications, and postclinical case studies, seven combinations with photodynamic therapy have become prominent research interests because they are potentially easily applied, showing enhanced efficacy, and are rapidly translating to the clinic. These include combinations with chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, magnetic hyperthermia, cold plasma therapy, sonodynamic therapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy. Photochemical internalization is a critical mechanism for some combinations.

A review of recent developments of metal-organic frameworks as combined biomedical platforms over the past decade

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), also called porous coordination polymers, represent a class of crystalline porous materials made up of organic ligands and metal ions/metal clusters. Herein, an overview of the preparation of different metal-organic frameworks and the recent advances in MOF-based stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems (DDSs) with the drug release mechanisms including pH-, temperature-, ion-, magnetic-, pressure-, adenosine-triphosphate (ATP)-, H₂S-, redox-, responsive, and photoresponsive MOF were rarely introduced. The combination therapy containing of two or more treatments can be enhanced treatment effectiveness through overcoming limitations of monotherapy. Photothermal therapy (PTT) combined with chemotherapy (CT), chemotherapy in combination with PTT or other combinations were explained to overcome drug resistance and side effects in normal cells as well as enhancing the therapeutic response. Integrated platforms containing of photothermal/drug-delivering functions with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) properties exhibited great advantages in cancer therapy.

Delivery of Doxorubicin by Ferric Ion-Modified Mesoporous Polydopamine Nanoparticles and Anticancer Activity against HCT-116 Cells In Vitro

In clinical cancer research, photothermal therapy is one of the most effective ways to increase sensitivity to chemotherapy. Here, we present a simple and effective method for developing a nanotherapeutic agent for chemotherapy combined with photothermal therapy. The nanotherapeutic agent mesoporous polydopamine-Fe(III)-doxorubicin-hyaluronic acid (MPDA-Fe(III)-DOX-HA) was composed of mesoporous polydopamine modified by ferric ions and loaded with the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX), as well as an outer layer coating of hyaluronic acid. The pore size of the mesoporous polydopamine was larger than that of the common polydopamine nanoparticles, and the particle size of MPDA-Fe(III)-DOX-HA nanoparticles was 179 ± 19 nm. With the presence of ferric ions, the heat generation effect of the MPDA-Fe(III)-DOX-HA nanoparticles in the near-infrared light at 808 nm was enhanced. In addition, the experimental findings revealed that the active targeting of hyaluronic acid to tumor cells mitigated the toxicity of DOX on normal cells. Furthermore, under 808 nm illumination, the MPDA-Fe(III)-DOX-HA nanoparticles demonstrated potent cytotoxicity to HCT-116 cells, indicating a good anti-tumor effect in vitro. Therefore, the system developed in this work merits further investigation as a potential nanotherapeutic platform for photothermal treatment of cancer.

Additively Manufactured MAX- and MXene-Composite Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration- Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Human bones can suffer from various injuries, such as fractures, bone cancer, among others, which has initiated research activities towards bone replacement using advanced bio-materials. However, it is still challenging to design bio-scaffolds with bone-inducing agents to regenerate bone defects. In this regard, MAX-phases and MXenes (early transition metal carbides and/or nitrides) have gained notable attention due to their unique hydrophilicity, bio-compatibility, chemical stability, and photothermal properties. They can be used in bone tissue engineering as a suitable replacement or reinforcement for common bio-materials (polymers, bio-glasses, metals, or hydroxyapatite). To fabricate bio-scaffolds, additive manufacturing is prospective due to the possibility of controlling porosity and creating complex shapes with high resolution. Until now, no comprehensive article summarizing the existing state-of-the-art related to bone scaffolds reinforced by MAX-phases and MXenes fabricated by additive manufacturing has been published. Therefore, our article addresses the reasons for using bone scaffolds and the importance of choosing the most suitable material. We critically discuss the recent developments in bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine using MAX-phases and MXenes with a particular emphasis on manufacturing, mechanical properties, and bio-compatibility. Finally, we discuss the existing challenges and bottlenecks of bio-scaffolds reinforced by MAX-phases and MXenes before deriving their future potential.

The potential role of nanomedicine in the treatment of breast cancer to overcome the obstacles of current therapies

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed malignant tumor among women in the world. BC is the heterogeneous tumor with different subtypes including luminal A-like, luminal B-like (HER2-/HER2+), HER2 enriched, and triple-negative BC. The therapeutic strategies including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and endocrine therapy are well developed and commonly used in the treatment of BC. However, some adverse effects of these conventional treatments limited their wide application in clinical. Therefore, it is necessary to develop more safe and more efficient individualized treatment strategies of the BC. Nanomedicine, as the most promising strategy for controlled and targeted drug delivery, is widely used in multiple aspects of cancer therapy. Importantly, accumulative evidences show that nanomedicine has achieved good outcomes in the treatment of BC and a huge amount of BC patients benefited from the nanomedicine related treatments. In this review, we summarized and discussed the major problems occurred during the administration of conventional treatment strategies for BC and the potential roles of nanomedicine in promoting the treatment efficacy of BC by overcoming obstacles of current treatment of BC.

Reactive Oxygen Species-Enhanced Low-Dose Chemo-Photodynamic Therapy for Gastric Cancer

A photosensitizer can react with oxygen or a substrate based on energy or electron transfer processes in order to generate free radicals, singlet oxygen (SOG), or other reactive oxygen species (ROS). SOG can damage cellular components and eventually cause cell death. However, SOG generation requires sufficient oxygen. Therefore, the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) via SOG may be decreased in oxygen-deficient tumor tissues, including gastric cancer. Here, we synthesized a nanosized cationic liposome integrated with a photosensitizer and low-dose chemotherapeutic drug related to ROS to improve the ROS-mediated PDT effect and lower the risk of drug resistance and side effects induced by chemotherapy. The cationic liposome was used as a drug carrier to increase the efficiency of drug delivery, prolong drug circulation time, and achieve the simultaneous delivery of the photosensitizer and chemotherapeutic drug. The low-dose chemotherapeutic agent related to ROS was adopted for increasing the permeability of the mitochondrial membrane and inducing the entry of high levels of the photosensitizer into the cell so as to generate toxic ROS. Generally, the ROS-mediated enhanced effect could quickly induce long-lasting apoptosis. This integrated nanosized cationic liposome system is a potential agent for gastric cancer therapy and is based on enhanced ROS-mediated synergistic therapy.

Development of New Natural Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Loaded with Aluminum-Phthalocyanine for Photodynamic Therapy against Melanoma

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated by photosensitizers loaded in nanostructures as solid lipid nanoparticles has been pinpointed as an effective and safe treatment against different skin cancers. Amazon butters have an interesting lipid composition when it comes to forming solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN). In the present report, a new third-generation photosensitizing system consisting of aluminum-phthalocyanine associated with Amazon butter-based solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN-AlPc) is described. The SLN was developed using murumuru butter, and a monodisperse population of nanodroplets with a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately 40 nm was obtained. The study of the permeation of these AlPc did not permeate the analyzed skin, but when incorporated into the system, SLN-AlPc allowed permeation of almost 100% with 8 h of contact. It must be emphasized that SLN-AlPc was efficient for carrying aluminum-phthalocyanine photosensitizers and exhibited no toxicity in the dark. Photoactivated SLN-AlPc exhibited a 50% cytotoxicity concentration (IC₅₀) of 19.62 nM when applied to B16-F10 monolayers, and the type of death caused by the treatment was apoptosis. The exposed phospholipid phosphatidylserine was identified, and the treatment triggered a high expression of Caspase 3. A stable Amazon butter-based SLN-AlPc formulation was developed, which exhibits strong in vitro photodynamic activity on melanoma cells.

The Potential of Antibody Technology and Silver Nanoparticles for Enhancing Photodynamic Therapy for Melanoma

Melanoma is highly aggressive and is known to be efficient at resisting drug-induced apoptotic signals. Resection is currently the gold standard for melanoma management, but it only offers local control of the early stage of the disease. Metastatic melanoma is prone to recurrence, and has a poor prognosis and treatment response. Thus, the need for advanced theranostic alternatives is evident. Photodynamic therapy has been increasingly studied for melanoma treatment; however, it relies on passive drug accumulation, leading to off-target effects. Nanoparticles enhance drug biodistribution, uptake and intra-tumoural concentration and can be functionalised with monoclonal antibodies that offer selective biorecognition. Antibody-drug conjugates reduce passive drug accumulation and off-target effects. Nonetheless, one limitation of monoclonal antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates is their lack of versatility, given cancer's heterogeneity. Monoclonal antibodies suffer several additional limitations that make recombinant antibody fragments more desirable. SNAP-tag is a modified version of the human DNA-repair enzyme, O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase. It reacts in an autocatalytic and covalent manner with benzylguanine-modified substrates, providing a simple protein labelling system. SNAP-tag can be genetically fused with antibody fragments, creating fusion proteins that can be easily labelled with benzylguanine-modified payloads for site-directed delivery. This review aims to highlight the benefits and limitations of the abovementioned approaches and to outline how their combination could enhance photodynamic therapy for melanoma.

Hyaluronic acid coated spinel ferrite for combination of chemo and photodynamic therapy: Green synthesis, characterization, and in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility study

In this project, different photosensitizers were prepared using different ratios of nickel, manganese, and iron. Then, multiple analysis were performed to evaluate their efficiency, and the most suitable one was used to be coated by hyaluronic acid to improve the nano-platform's biocompatibility and target ability. Moreover, another chemical targeting agent (riboflavin) was used to further improve the target ability of the prepared nano-platform. Different spectroscopies and thermal analysis were used to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of the prepared nano-platform. Also, in order to determine the biocompatibility of the nano-platform, in vitro and in vivo tests such as blood hemolysis, blood aggregation and lethal dose were performed. Then, an anti-cancer agent (curcumin) was loaded on the selected nano-platform to makes us able utilizing the synergistic effect of chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy simultaneously. Finally, the cell cytotoxicity results showed that the prepared nano-platform had a great anti-cancer potential which can make it a great candidate as a dual photo and chemo therapy agent for treatment of breast cancers.

Cyclodextrin-Based Nanoplatforms for Tumor Phototherapy: An Update

Tumor phototherapies are light-mediated tumor treatment modalities, which usually refer to tumor photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Due to the outstanding spatial-temporal control over treatment through light irradiation, tumor phototherapies display extremely low side effects during treatment and are believed to be a tumor treatment method with a clinical translation potential. However, current tumor phototherapy nanoplatforms face obstacles, including light irradiation-induced skin burning, tumor hypoxia microenvironments, limited light penetration depth, et al. Therefore, one important research direction is developing a tumor phototherapy nanoplatform with multifunctionality and enhanced pharmacological effects to overcome the complexity of tumor treatment. On the other hand, cyclodextrins (CDs) are starch-originated circular oligosaccharides with negligible toxicity and have been used to form supermolecular nanostructures through a host–guest interaction between the inner cavity of CDs and functional biomolecules. In the past few years, numerous studies have focused on CD-based multifunctional tumor phototherapy nanoplatforms with an enhanced photoeffect, responsive morphological transformation, and elevated drug bioavailability. This review focuses on the preparation methods of CD-based tumor phototherapy nanoplatforms and their unique physiochemical properties for improving anti-tumor pharmacological efficacy.

MXene (Ti3C2Tx)-Embedded Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications: A Review

Polymeric nanocomposites have been outstanding functional materials and have garnered immense attention as sustainable materials to address multi-disciplinary problems. MXenes have emerged as a newer class of 2D materials that produce metallic conductivity upon interaction with hydrophilic species, and their delamination affords monolayer nanoplatelets of a thickness of about one nm and a side size in the micrometer range. Delaminated MXene has a high aspect ratio, making it an alluring nanofiller for multifunctional polymer nanocomposites. Herein, we have classified and discussed the structure, properties and application of major polysaccharide-based electroactive hydrogels (hyaluronic acid (HA), alginate sodium (SA), chitosan (CS) and cellulose) in biomedical applications, starting with the brief historical account of MXene's development followed by successive discussions on the synthesis methods, structures and properties of nanocomposites encompassing polysaccharides and MXenes, including their biomedical applications, cytotoxicity and biocompatibility aspects. Finally, the MXenes and their utility in the biomedical arena is deliberated with an eye on potential opportunities and challenges anticipated for them in the future, thus promoting their multifaceted applications.