Co-delivery of docetaxel and curcumin prodrug via dual-targeted nanoparticles with synergistic antitumor activity against prostate cancer

PLGA nanomedical consignation: A novel approach for the management of prostate cancer

The malignancy of the prostate is a complicated ailment which impacts millions of male populations around the globe. Despite the multitude of endeavour accomplished within this domain, modalities that are involved in the ameliorative management of predisposed infirmity are still relent upon non-specific and invasive procedures, thus imposing a detrimental mark on the living standard of the individual. Also, the orchestrated therapeutic interventions are still incompetent in substantiating a robust and unabridged therapeutic end point owing to their inadequate solubility, low bioavailability, limited cell assimilation, and swift deterioration, thereby muffling the clinical application of these existing treatment modalities. Nanotechnology has been employed in an array of modalities for the medical management of malignancies. Among the assortment of available nano-scaffolds, nanocarriers composed of a bio-decomposable and hybrid polymeric material like PLGA hold an opportunity to advance as standard chemotherapeutic modalities. PLGA-based nanocarriers have the prospect to address the drawbacks associated with conventional cancer interventions, owing to their versatility, durability, nontoxic nature, and their ability to facilitate prolonged drug release. This review intends to describe the plethora of evidence-based studies performed to validate the applicability of PLGA nanosystem in the amelioration of prostate malignancies, in conjunction with PLGA focused nano-scaffold in the clinical management of prostate carcinoma. This review seeks to explore numerous evidence-based studies confirming the applicability of PLGA nanosystems in ameliorating prostate malignancies. It also delves into the role of PLGA-focused nano-scaffolds in the clinical management of prostate carcinoma, aiming to provide a comprehensive perspective on these advancements.

Nanotherapeutics for prostate cancer treatment: A comprehensive review

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most prevalent solid organ malignancy and seriously affects male health. The adverse effects of prostate cancer therapeutics can cause secondary damage to patients. Nanotherapeutics, which have special targeting abilities and controlled therapeutic release profiles, may serve as alternative agents for PCa treatment. At present, many nanotherapeutics have been developed to treat PCa and have shown better treatment effects in animals than traditional therapeutics. Although PCa nanotherapeutics are highly attractive, few successful cases have been reported in clinical practice. To help researchers design valuable nanotherapeutics for PCa treatment and avoid useless efforts, herein, we first reviewed the strategies and challenges involved in prostate cancer treatment. Subsequently, we presented a comprehensive review of nanotherapeutics for PCa treatment, including their targeting methods, controlled release strategies, therapeutic approaches and mechanisms. Finally, we proposed the future prospects of nanotherapeutics for PCa treatment.

Targeting the prostate tumor microenvironment by plant-derived natural products

Prostate cancer is among the most common malignancies for men, with limited therapy options for last stages of the tumor. There are some different options for treatment and control of prostate tumor growth. However, targeting some specific molecules and cells within tumors has been attracted interests in recent years. The tumor microenvironment (TME) has an important role in the initiation of various malignancies, which can also expand the progression of tumor and facilitate invasion of malignant cells. By regulating immune responses and distinct changes in the metabolism of cells in the tumor, TME has substantial effects in the resistance of cancer cells to therapy. TME in various solid cancers like prostate cancer includes various cells, including cancer cells, supportive stromal cells, immunosuppressive cells, and anticancer inflammatory cells. Natural products including herbal-derived agents and also other natural compounds have been well studied for their anti-tumor potentials. These compounds may modulate various signaling pathways involved in TME, such as immune responses, the metabolism of cells, epigenetics, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix (ECM). This paper provides a review of the current knowledge of prostate TME and complex interactions in this environment. Additionally, the potential use of natural products and also nanoparticles loaded with natural products as therapeutic adjuvants on different cells and therapeutic targets within prostate TME will be discussed.

Effects of curcumin and ursolic acid in prostate cancer: A systematic review

The major barriers to phytonutrients in prostate cancer therapy are non-specific mechanisms and bioavailability issues. Studies have pointed to a synergistic combination of curcumin (CURC) and ursolic acid (UA). We investigate this combination using a systematic review process to assess the most likely mechanistic pathway and human testing in prostate cancer. We used the PRISMA statement to screen titles, abstracts, and the full texts of relevant articles and performed a descriptive analysis of the literature reviewed for study inclusion and consensus of the manuscript. The most common molecular and cellular pathway from articles reporting on the pathways and effects of CURC (n = 173) in prostate cancer was NF-κB (n = 25, 14.5%). The most common molecular and cellular pathway from articles reporting on the pathways and effects of UA (n = 24) in prostate cancer was caspase 3/caspase 9 (n = 10, 41.6%). The three most common molecular and cellular pathway from articles reporting on the pathways and effects of both CURC and UA (n = 193) in prostate cancer was NF-κB (n = 28, 14.2%), Akt (n = 22, 11.2%), and androgen (n = 19, 9.6%). Therefore, we have identified the potential synergistic target pathways of curcumin and ursolic acid to involve NF-κB, Akt, androgen receptors, and apoptosis pathways. Our review highlights the limited human studies and specific effects in prostate cancer.

Polysaccharide-Based Stimulus-Responsive Nanomedicines for Combination Cancer Immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy is a promising antitumor approach, whereas nontherapeutic side effects, tumor microenvironment (TME) intricacy, and low tumor immunogenicity limit its therapeutic efficacy. In recent years, combination immunotherapy with other therapies has been proven to considerably increase antitumor efficacy. However, achieving codelivery of the drugs to the tumor site remains a major challenge. Stimulus-responsive nanodelivery systems show controlled drug delivery and precise drug release. Polysaccharides, a family of potential biomaterials, are widely used in the development of stimulus-responsive nanomedicines due to their unique physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, and modifiability. Here, the antitumor activity of polysaccharides and several combined immunotherapy strategies (e.g., immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, or photothermal therapy) are summarized. More importantly, the recent progress of polysaccharide-based stimulus-responsive nanomedicines for combination cancer immunotherapy is discussed, with the focus on construction of nanomedicine, targeted delivery, drug release, and enhanced antitumor effects. Finally, the limitations and application prospects of this new field are discussed.

Nano-drug co-delivery system of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs for cancer treatment: a review

Chemotherapy drugs have been used for a long time in the treatment of cancer, but serious side effects are caused by the inability of the drug to be solely delivered to the tumor when treating cancer with chemotherapy. Natural products have attracted more and more attention due to the antitumor effect in multiple ways, abundant resources and less side effects. Therefore, the combination of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs may be an effective antitumor strategy, which can inhibit the growth of tumor and multidrug resistance, reduce side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Nano-drug co-delivery system (NDCDS) can play an important role in the combination of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the research status and application prospect of nano-delivery strategies for the combination of natural active ingredients and chemotherapy drugs, aiming to provide a basis for the development of anti-tumor drugs.

The Synergistic Effects of Curcumin and Chemotherapeutic Drugs in Inhibiting Metastatic, Invasive and Proliferative Pathways

Curcumin, the main phytochemical identified from the Curcuma longa L. family, is one of the spices used in alternative medicine worldwide. It has exhibited a broad range of pharmacological activities as well as promising effects in the treatment of multiple cancer types. Moreover, it has enhanced the activity of other chemotherapeutic drugs and radiotherapy by promoting synergistic effects in the regulation of various cancerous pathways. Despite all the literature addressing the molecular mechanism of curcumin on various cancers, no review has specifically addressed the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of curcumin in combination with therapeutic drugs on cancer metastasis. The current review assesses the synergistic effects of curcumin with multiple drugs and light radiation, from a molecular perspective, in the inhibition of metastasis, invasion and proliferation. A systemic review of articles published during the past five years was performed using MEDLINE/PubMed and Scopus. The assessment of these articles evidenced that the combination therapy with various drugs, including doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, paclitaxel, berberine, docetaxel, metformin, gemcitabine and light radiation therapy on various types of cancer, is capable of ameliorating different metastatic pathways that are presented and evaluated. However, due to the heterogeneity of pathways and proteins in different cell lines, more research is needed to confirm the root causes of these pathways.

Prostate Cancer Therapy Using Docetaxel and Formononetin Combination: Hyaluronic Acid and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Targeted Peptide Dual Ligands Modified Binary Nanoparticles to Facilitate the in vivo Anti-Tumor Activity

Objective

To evaluate the prostate cancer therapy efficiency of the synergistic combination docetaxel (DTX) and formononetin (FMN) in one nano-sized drug delivery system. Hyaluronic acid (HA) and epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted peptide (GE11) dual ligands were applied to modify the nano-systems.

Methods

In this study, GE11-modified nanoparticles (GE-NPs) were applied for the loading of DTX, and HA-decorated NPs (HA-NPs) were used to encapsulate FMN. HA and GE11 dual ligand-modified binary nanoparticles (HAGE-DTX/FMN-NPs) were constructed by the self-assembling of GE-NPs and HA-NPs. The anti-PCa ability of the system was evaluated in vitro on PC-3 human prostate carcinoma cells (PC3 cells) and in vivo on PC3 tumor-bearing mice in comparison with single NPs and free drugs formulations.

Results

HA/GE-DTX/FMN-NPs were nano-sized particles with smaller particles coating on the inner core and achieved a size of 189.5 nm. HA/GE-DTX/FMN-NPs showed a cellular uptake efficiency of 59.6%, and a more efficient inhibition effect on PC3 cells compared with single ligand-modified NPs and free drugs. HA/GE-DTX/FMN-NPs showed significantly higher tumor inhibition efficiency than their single drug-loaded counterparts and free drugs.

Conclusion

HA/GE-DTX/FMN-NPs have a synergistic anti-tumor effect and also could the reduce unexpected side effects during the cancer therapy. It could be used as a promising anti-PCa system.

Challenges for the application of EGFR-targeting peptide GE11 in tumor diagnosis and treatment

Abnormal regulation of cell signaling pathways on cell survival, proliferation and migration contributes to the development of malignant tumors. Among them, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most important biomarkers in many types of malignant solid tumors. Its over-expression and mutation status can be served as a biomarker to identify patients who can be benifit from EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and anti-EGFR monocloncal antibody (mAb) therapy. For decades, researches on EGFR targeted ligands were actively carried out to identify potent candidates for cancer therapy. An ideal EGFR ligand can competitively inhibit the binding of endogenous growth factor, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-α(TGF-α) to EGFR, thus block EGFR signaling pathway and downregulate EGFR expression. Alternatively, conjugation of EGFR ligands on drug delivery systems (DDS) can facilitate targeting delivery of therapeutics or diagnostic agents to EGFR over-expression tumors via EGFR-mediated endocytosis. GE11 peptide is one of the potent EGFR ligand screened from a phage display peptide library. It is a dodecapeptide that can specifically binds to EGFR with high affinity and selectivity. GE11 has been widely used in the diagnosis and targeted delivery of drugs for radiotherapy, genetherapy and chemotherpy against EGFR positive tumors. In this review, the critical factors affecting the in vivo and in vitro targeting performance of GE11 peptide, including ligand-receptor intermolecular force, linker bond properties and physiochemical properties of carrier materials, are detailedly interpreted. This review provides a valuable vision for the rational design and optimization of GE11-based active targeting strategies for cancer treatment, and it will promote the translation studies of GE11 from lab research to clinical application.

Combination Therapy of Metastatic Castration-Recurrent Prostate Cancer: Hyaluronic Acid Decorated, Cabazitaxel-Prodrug and Orlistat Co-Loaded Nano-System

Purpose

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among men in developed countries. Cabazitaxel (CBZ) is recommended as one of the most active chemotherapy agents for PCa. This study aimed to develop a hyaluronic acid (HA) decorated, cabazitaxel-prodrug (HA-CBZ) and orlistat (ORL) co-loaded nano-system against the prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

Cabazitaxel-prodrug was firstly synthesized by conjugating HA with CBZ through the formation of ester bonds. HA contained ORL and CBZ prodrug co-loaded lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (ORL/HA-CBZ/LPNs) were constructed and characterized in terms of particle size, zeta potential, drug loading capacity and stability. The antitumor efficiency and systemic toxicity of LPNs were evaluated in vitro and in vivo.

Results

The resulting ORL/HA-CBZ/LPNs were 150.9 nm in particle size with narrow distribution and high entrapment efficiency. The minimum combination index of 0.57 was found at a drug ratio of 1:2 (ORL:HA-CBZ, w/w) in the drug co-loaded formulations, indicating the strongest synergism effect. ORL/HA-CBZ/LPNs demonstrated an enhanced in vitro and in vivo antitumor effect compared with single drug loaded LPNs and free drug formulations.

Conclusion

ORL/HA-CBZ/LPNs showed remarkable synergism cytotoxicity and the best tumor inhibition efficiency in mice with negligible systemic toxicity. ORL/HA-CBZ/LPNs can be highly useful for targeted prostate cancer therapy.

Is Curcumin the Answer to Future Chemotherapy Cocktail?

The rise in cancer cases in recent years is an alarming situation worldwide. Despite the tremendous research and invention of new cancer therapies, the clinical outcomes are not always reassuring. Cancer cells could develop several evasive mechanisms for their survivability and render therapeutic failure. The continuous use of conventional cancer therapies leads to chemoresistance, and a higher dose of treatment results in even greater toxicities among cancer patients. Therefore, the search for an alternative treatment modality is crucial to break this viscous cycle. This paper explores the suitability of curcumin combination treatment with other cancer therapies to curb cancer growth. We provide a critical insight to the mechanisms of action of curcumin, its role in combination therapy in various cancers, along with the molecular targets involved. Curcumin combination treatments were found to enhance anticancer effects, mediated by the multitargeting of several signalling pathways by curcumin and the co-administered cancer therapies. The preclinical and clinical evidence in curcumin combination therapy is critically analysed, and the future research direction of curcumin combination therapy is discussed.

Chitosan-based nanoparticle co-delivery of docetaxel and curcumin ameliorates anti-tumor chemoimmunotherapy in lung cancer

The application of traditional chemotherapy drugs for lung cancer has obvious limitations, such as toxic side effects, uncontrolled drug-release, poor bioavailability, and drug-resistance. Thus, to address the limitations of free drugs and improve treatment effects, we developed novel T7 peptide-modified nanoparticles (T7-CMCS-BAPE, CBT) based on carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), which is capable of targeted binding to the transferrin receptor (TfR) expressed on lung cancer cells and precisely regulating drug-release according to the pH value and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. The results showed that the drug-loading content of docetaxel (DTX) and curcumin (CUR) was approximately 7.82% and 6.48%, respectively. Good biosafety was obtained even when the concentration was as high as 500 μg/mL. More importantly, the T7-CMCS-BAPE-DTX/CUR (CBT-DC) complexes exhibited better in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effects than DTX monotherapy and other nanocarriers loaded with DTX and CUR alone. Furthermore, we determined that CBT-DC can ameliorate the immunosuppressive micro-environment to promote the inhibition of tumor growth. Collectively, the current findings help lay the foundation for combinatorial lung cancer treatment.

Lung cancer chemotherapy using nanoparticles: Enhanced target ability of redox-responsive and pH-sensitive cisplatin prodrug and paclitaxel

Platinum-based combination therapy is more effective and less toxic, but lack of targeting, and is not capable to enrich in the tumor zone. To obstacle these drawbacks, prodrug and nanotechnology strategies have been investigated in this study. GSH-responsive and pH-responsive cisplatin prodrug was synthesized. Cisplatin prodrug and paclitaxel co-loaded nanoparticles: DDP-P/PTX NPs were constructed. The drug release behavior and cytotoxicity of nanoparticles was assessed in vitro. In vivo anticancer efficiency and toxicity were evaluated on lung cancer bearing mice animal model. DDP-P/PTX NPs had a nanoscale size of 112.9 ± 3.5 nm. A reduction and pH triggered drug release with a synergistic tumor cell inhibition ability was observed by DDP-P/PTX NPs. DDP-P/PTX NPs also exhibited high tumor distribution, low systemic toxicity and remarkable antitumor effects in vivo. DDP-P/PTX NPs could be applied as promising anticancer system for the treatment of NSCLC.

Targeted nanomedicine modalities for prostate cancer treatment

Prostate cancer (PC) is the second most common cause of death amongst men in the USA. Therapy of PC has been transformed in the past decade by introducing novel therapeutics, advanced functional imaging and diagnostic approaches, next generation sequencing, as well as improved application of existing therapies in localized PC. Treatment of PC at the different stages of the disease may include surgery, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, although ADT has proven efficacious in PC treatment, its effectiveness may be temporary, as these tumors frequently develop molecular mechanisms of therapy resistance, which allow them to survive and proliferate even under conditions of testosterone deprivation, inhibition of androgen receptor signaling, or cytotoxic drug treatment. Importantly, ADT was found to induce key alterations which frequently result in the formation of metastatic tumors displaying a therapy refractory phenotype. Hence, to overcome these serious therapeutic impediments, novel PC cell-targeted therapeutic strategies are being developed. These include diverse platforms enabling specific enhanced antitumor drug uptake and increased intracellular accumulation. Studies have shown that these novel treatment modalities lead to enhanced antitumor activity and diminished systemic toxicity due to the use of selective targeting and decreased drug doses. The underlying mechanism of targeting and internalization is based upon the interaction between a selective ligand, conjugated to a drug-loaded nanoparticle or directly to an anti-cancer drug, and a specific plasma membrane biomarker, uniquely overexpressed on the surface of PC cells. Another targeted therapeutic approach is the delivery of unique anti-oncogenic signaling pathway-based therapeutic drugs, which are selectively cytotoxic to PC cells. The current paper reviews PC targeted modalities reported in the past 6 years, and discusses both the advantages and limitations of the various targeted treatment strategies.

Surface-engineered nanostructured lipid carrier systems for synergistic combination oncotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer

Nanoparticle-aided combination chemotherapy offers several advantages like ratiometric drug delivery, dose reduction, multi-targeted therapy, synergism, and overcoming multi-drug resistance. The current research was instigated to facilitate targeted and ratiometric co-delivery of docetaxel (DT) and curcumin (CR) through the development of folate (FA)-appended nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), i.e., FA-DTCR-NLCs to lung cancer cells. The FA-DTCR-NLCs were formulated by employing a scaleable and solvent-free high-pressure homogenization approach. The FA-DTCR-NLCs were evaluated for in vitro and in vivo characteristics using suitable analytical and statistical techniques. The FA-DTCR-NLCs demonstrated physicochemical properties and particokinetics suitable for targeted, ratiometric co-delivery of the anticancer agents. This was further affirmed by significantly better in vivo relative bioavailability of DT (24.85 fold) with FA-DTCR-NLCs as compared with Taxotere^® (p < 0.05) and cell line studies. A significant tumor regression was observed from the results of tumor staging in a murine model of lung carcinoma (p < 0.05). Immunostaining of the tumor sections with tumor differentiation biomarkers suggested considerably higher apoptotic, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic, and anti-metastatic potential of FA-DTCR-NLCs compared with Taxotere^®. In vivo toxicity assessment of the FA-DTCR-NLCs demonstrated a noteworthy reduction in DT associated side effects. The in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical findings prove the therapeutic and safety pre-eminence of FA-DTCR-NLCs for the treatment of NSCLC.

Novel T7-Modified pH-Responsive Targeted Nanosystem for Co-Delivery of Docetaxel and Curcumin in the Treatment of Esophageal Cancer

Background

Although single-drug chemotherapy is still an effective treatment for esophageal cancer, its long-term application is limited by severe side-effects, poor bioavailability, and drug-resistance. Increasing attention has been paid to nanomedicines because of their good biological safety, targeting capabilities, and high-efficiency loading of multiple drugs. Herein, we have developed a novel T7 peptide-modified pH-responsive targeting nanosystem co-loaded with docetaxel and curcumin for the treatment of esophageal cancer.

Methods

Firstly, CM-β-CD-PEI-PEG-T7/DTX/CUR (T7-NP-DC) was synthesized by the double emulsion (W/O/W) method. The targeting capacity of the nanocarrier was then investigated by in vitro and in vivo assays using targeted (T7-NP) and non-targeted nanoparticles (NP). Furthermore, the anti-tumor efficacy of T7-NP-DC was studied using esophageal cancer cells (KYSE150 and KYSE510) and a KYSE150 xenograft tumor model.

Results

T7-NP-DC was synthesized successfully and its diameter was determined to be about 100 nm by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. T7-NP-DC with docetaxel and curcumin loading of 10% and 6.1%, respectively, had good colloidal stability and exhibited pH-responsive drug release. Good biosafety was observed, even when the concentration was as high as 800 μg/mL. Significant enhancement of T7-NP uptake was observed 6 hours after intravenous injection compared with NP. In addition, the therapeutic efficacy of T7-NP-DC was better than NP-DC and docetaxel in terms of growth suppression in the KYSE150 esophageal cancer model.

Conclusion

The findings demonstrated that T7-NP-DC is a promising, non-toxic, and controllable nanoparticle that is capable of simultaneous delivery of the chemotherapy drug, docetaxel, and the Chinese Medicine, curcumin, for treatment of esophageal cancer. This novel T7-modified targeting nanosystem releases loaded drugs when exposed to the acidic microenvironment of the tumor and exerts a synergistic anti-tumor effect. The data indicate that the nanomaterials can safely exert synergistic anti-tumor effects and provide an excellent therapeutic platform for combination therapy of esophageal cancer.

Efficiency of Different Treatment Regimens Combining Anti-tumor and Anti-inflammatory Liposomes for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Nanomedicines such as liposomes have been widely exploited in the treatment of tumors, and are also involved in combination therapies to enhance anti-tumor efficacy and reduce side effects. However, few studies have systematically discussed the significance and optimized regimens for nanomedicine-based combination therapy. In this study, we used anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor liposomes for co-administration, and compared three regimens: intermittent, metronomic, or sequential administration (IA, MA, and SA). The anti-inflammatory liposome HA/TN-CCLP was constructed in our previous research, which co-loaded curcumin (CUR) and celecoxib (CXB), modified with TAT-NBD peptide (TN) and finally coated with hyaluronic acid (HA), thereby inhibiting NF-κB and STAT3 pathways in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Furthermore, doxorubicin liposomes with and without TN modification (namely TN-DOXLP and DOXLP) were constructed and administrated with HA/TN-CCLP. The anti-tumor and anti-metastasis efficacy of different regimens was investigated. Results showed that in vitro cytotoxicity of DOXLP and TN-DOXLP was significantly enhanced when combined with HA/TN-CCLP. In vivo experiments also revealed the superiority of three combination therapies in inhibiting tumor growth, prolonging the survival of tumor-bearing mice, inducing apoptosis, and reducing lung metastases. In particular, the combination therapy could reduce MDSCs (Gr-1⁺/CD11b⁺) and CSCs (CD44⁺/CD24⁺) infiltration, which are two important factors in tumor metastasis and recurrence. Among three regimens, sequential administration (SA) showed the best therapeutic outcome and was especially effective for the inhibition of CSCs. In general, the results demonstrated that combination therapy, particularly the sequential administration of anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor liposome, was superior to monotherapy in inhibiting the development and metastasis of inflammation-related tumors.

GE11 peptide-installed chimaeric polymersomes tailor-made for high-efficiency EGFR-targeted protein therapy of orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading malignancy with a high mortality and little improvement in treatments. Protein drugs though known for their extraordinary potency and specificity have rarely been investigated for HCC therapy owing to lack of appropriate delivery systems. Here, we designed GE11 peptide-installed chimaeric polymersomes (GE11-CPs) for high-efficiency EGFR-targeted protein therapy of orthotopic SMMC-7721 HCC-bearing nude mice. GE11-CPs were assembled from poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-dithiolane trimethylene carbonate)-b-poly(aspartic acid) (PEG-P(TMC-DTC)-PAsp) and GE11-functionalized PEG-P(TMC-DTC), which allowed efficient loading and protection of proteins in the watery interior and fine-tuning of GE11 densities at the surface. CPs with short PAsp segments (degree of polymerization (DP) = 5, 10 and 15) exhibited a protein loading efficiency of 60%-72% and glutathione-responsive protein release. Saporin-loaded GE11-CPs had a size of 36 - 62 nm depending on GE11 densities and DP of PAsp. Notably, GE11-CPs with 10% GE11 revealed greatly enhanced uptake in SMMC-7721 cells, boosting the anticancer potency of saporin for over 3-folds compared with non-targeted control (half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) = 11.0 versus 36.3 nM). The biodistribution studies using Cy5-labeled cytochrome C as a model protein demonstrated about 3-fold higher accumulation of GE11-CPs formulation than CPs counterpart in both subcutaneous and orthotopic SMMC-7721 tumor models. Notably, saporin-loaded GE11-CPs revealed low toxicity, effective tumor inhibition and significant improvement of survival rate compared with PBS and non-targeted groups (median survival time: 99 versus 37 and 42 days). EGFR-targeted chimaeric polymersomes carrying proteins appear an interesting HCC treatment modality.

Docetaxel-Loaded Cholesterol-PEG Co-Modified Poly (n-Butyl) Cyanoacrylate Nanoparticles for Antitumor Drug Pulmonary Delivery: Preparation, Characterization, and in vivo Evaluation

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) have received much attention as promising carrier systems in lung cancer and brain metastases.

METHODS

Here, for the first time, we investigated the feasibility of using inhaled cholesterol-PEG co-modified poly (n-butyl) cyanoacrylate NPs (CLS-PEG NPs) of docetaxel (DTX) for sustained pulmonary drug delivery in cancer metastasis.

RESULTS

Spray-dried or freeze-dried NPs yielded sustained drug release in vitro. In vitro inhalation evaluation data indicated that the inhalation formulation had better inhalability. Compared with intravenous (IV) administration, pharmacokinetic data suggested that the inhalation formulation prolonged plasma concentration of DTX for greater than 24 h and is more quickly and completely absorbed into the rat lung after intratracheal (IT) administration. Furthermore, freeze-dried powders were found to increase the t1/2 and area under curve (AUC) by 2.3 and 6.5 fold compared to the free drug after IT administration, and spray-dried powders were found to increase the t1/2 and AUC by 3.4 and 8.8 fold, respectively. After pulmonary administration of the inhalation formulation, DTX appeared to prolong the pulmonary absorption time. In addition, the inhalation formulation was distributed to the brain in a sustained release manner.

CONCLUSION

These experimental results demonstrated that freeze- and spray-dried powders have the potential for pulmonary sustained release, and they also have the potential to be used as a novel treatment for the delivery of drugs that pass through the air-blood barrier and enter the brain and are efficient carriers for the treatment of brain metastasis.

Combination Therapy of Lung Cancer Using Layer-by-Layer Cisplatin Prodrug and Curcumin Co-Encapsulated Nanomedicine

Purpose

Lung cancer remains the leading cancer-associated deaths worldwide. Cisplatin (CDDP) was used in combination with curcumin (CUR) for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. The aim of this study was to prepare and characterize CDDP prodrug and CUR co-encapsulated layer-by-layer nanoparticles (CDDP-PLGA/CUR LBL NPs) to induce cooperative response, maximize the therapeutic effect, overcome drug resistance, and reduce adverse side effects.

Methods

CDDP prodrug (CDDP-PLGA) was synthesized. CDDP-PLGA/CUR LBL NPs were constructed and their physicochemical properties were investigated by particle-size analysis, zeta potential measurement, drug loading, drug entrapment efficiency, and in vitro drug release behavior. In vitro cytotoxicity against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549 cells) was investigated, and in vivo anti-tumor efficiency of CDDP-PLGA/CUR LBL NPs was evaluated on mice bearing A549 cell xenografts.

Results

CDDP-PLGA/CUR LBL NPs have a size of 179.6 ± 6.7 nm, a zeta potential value of −29.9 ± 3.2 mV, high drug entrapment efficiency of 85.6 ± 3.9% (CDDP) and 82.1 ± 2.8% (CUR). The drug release of LBL NPs exhibited a sustained behavior, which made it an ideal vehicle for drug delivery. Furthermore, CDDP-PLGA/CUR LBL NPs could significantly enhance in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo antitumor effect against A549 cells and lung cancer animal model compared to the single drug-loaded LBL NPs and free drug groups.

Conclusion

CDDP-PLGA/CUR LBL NPs were reported for the first time in the combination therapy of lung cancer. The results demonstrated that the CDDP-PLGA/CUR LBL NPs might be a novel promising system for the synergetic treatment of lung carcinoma.

Preparation of Poloxamer188-b-PCL and Study on in vitro Radioprotection Activity of Curcumin-Loaded Nanoparticles

A novel polymer of poloxamer188-b-PCL was synthesized via a ring-opening polymerization. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman, and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectra were used to study the structures of obtained poloxamer188-b-PCL. The thermo-stability of poloxamer188 -b-PCL was carried out with a thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), and cytotoxicity was obtained using the CCK8 method. Cargo-free and curcumin (CUR)-loaded poloxamer188-b-PCL NPs were fabricated via the solvent evaporation method. The morphology, particle size distribution, and stability of cargo-free NPs were studied with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and laser particle analyzer. The in vitro radioprotection activity of CUR-loaded NPs was performed. FTIR, Raman, and ¹H NMR spectra confirmed that poloxamer188-b-PCL was obtained. TGA curves suggested poloxamer188-b-PCL had better thermo-stability than original poloxamer188. Cell tests suggested that the cargo-free NPs had no cytotoxicity. SEM image showed that the cargo-free NPs were spherical with a diameter of 100 nm. Free radical scavenging experiments proved that CUR-loaded NPs had better antioxidant activity than CUR solutions. CUR-loaded NPs could be detected in all tissues, including liver, kidneys and lung. In summary, this work demonstrated a feasibility of developing an injective formulation of CUR and provided a protection agent in caner radiotherapy.

Targeted Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Co-Delivery of Sorafenib and Curcumin Using Lactosylated pH-Responsive Nanoparticles

PURPOSE

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cancer worldwide. In the present investigation, sorafenib (SFN) and curcumin (CCM) were co-delivered using pH-sensitive lactosylated nanoparticles (LAC-NPs) for targeted HCC treatment.

METHODS

pH-responsive lactosylated materials were synthesized. SFN and CCM co-delivered, pH-responsive lactosylated nanoparticles (LAC-SFN/CCM-NPs) were self-assembled by using the nanoprecipitation technique. The nanoparticles were characterized in terms of particle size, charge and drug release profile. The anti-cancer effects of the nanoparticles were evaluated in human hepatic carcinoma cells (HepG2) cells and HCC tumor xenograft models.

RESULTS

LAC-SFN/CCM-NPs are spherical particles with light coats on the surface. The size and zeta potential of LAC-SFN/CCM-NPs were 115.5 ± 3.6 nm and -34.6 ± 2.4, respectively. The drug release of LAC-SFN/CCM-NPs in pH 5.5 was more efficient than in pH 7.4. LAC-SFN/CCM-NPs group exhibited the smallest tumor volume (239 ± 14 mm3), and the inhibition rate of LAC-SFN/CCM-NPs was 77.4%.

CONCLUSION

In summary, LAC-SFN/CCM-NPs was proved to be a promising system for targeted HCC therapy.

The Application of Nanotechnology in the Codelivery of Active Constituents of Plants and Chemotherapeutics for Overcoming Physiological Barriers during Antitumor Treatment

Antitumor therapy using a combination of drugs has shown increased clinical efficacy. Active constituents derived from plants can offer several advantages, such as high efficiacy, low toxicity, extensive effects, and multiple targets. At present, the combination of plants' active constituents and chemotherapeutic drugs has attracted increased attention. Nanodrug delivery systems (NDDSs) have been widely used in tumor-targeted therapy because of their efficacy of delivering antitumor drugs. The in vivo process of tumor-targeted NDDSs has several steps. They include blood circulation, tumor accumulation and penetration, target cell internalization and uptake, and drug release and drug response. In each step, NDDSs encounter multiple barriers that prevent their effective delivery to target sites. Studies have been performed to find alternative strategies to overcome these barriers. We reviewed the recent progress of codelivery of active constituents of plants and chemotherapeutics using NDDSs. Progress into transversing the physiological barriers for more effective in vivo antitumor delivery will be discussed in this review.

pH sensitive peptide functionalized nanoparticles for co-delivery of erlotinib and DAPT to restrict the progress of triple negative breast cancer

Although a variety of drug delivery strategies have been designed for enhancing the treatment of Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), combating with TNBCs is still dramatically challenged by the selection of appropriate therapeutic targets and insufficient tumor accumulation or inner penetration of chemotherapeutics. To address these issues, the classical EGFR-inhibitor, erlotinib (EB), was selected as the model drug here and PLA-based nano-platform (NP-EB) was prepared for tumor site drug delivery. Given the significant role of Notch-EGFR interplay in raising severe resistance to EGFR inhibition of EB, gamma secretase inhibitor (GSI)-DAPT was further entrapped into the core of nanoparticles to inhibit the activation of Notch signaling (NP-EB/DART). For achieving the goal of tumor targeting drug delivery, we developed a new peptide CF and decorating it on the surface of EB/DART-dual loaded nanoparticles (CF-NP-EB/DART). Such CF peptide was designed by conjugating two separated peptide CREKA, tumor-homing peptide, and F3, cell penetrating peptide, to together via a pH-sensitive hydrazone bond. By this way, the tumor unspecific property of F3 was sealed and significantly reduced the site effects. However, after the nanoparticles reach the tumor site, the pH-sensitive linkage can be broken down by the unique acidic environment of tumor, and subsequently discovered the F3 peptide to penetrate into tumor cells.

Synergistic combination therapy of lung cancer: Cetuximab functionalized nanostructured lipid carriers for the co-delivery of paclitaxel and 5-Demethylnobiletin

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer associated deaths worldwide. Recent efforts have been focused on combinational and nanoparticulate therapies that can efficiently deliver multiple therapeutics. Herein, we reported cetuximab (CET) functionalized, paclitaxel (PTX) and 5-Demethylnobiletin (DMN) co-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) (CET-PTX/DMN-NLCs). The morphology, particle size, zeta potential, stability and drug release were tested. Cellular uptake, cell viability, synergistic effects and in vivo anti-tumor effects were evaluated on human lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549 cells), human embryonic lung cells (MRC-5 cells) and A549 paclitaxel-resistant cells bearing mice models. NLCs had sizes of around 130 nm and zeta potentials of +20-30 mV. The release of drugs from NLCs was relatively fast at the first 12 h and then became slow until completion of sustained release behavior. Cells uptake of CET-PTX/DMN-NLCs (65.8%) was remarkably higher than that of PTX/DMN-NLCs (35.5%) in A549 cells. The combination treatment with PTX and DMN synergistically decreases the viability of cells than the single PTX-NLCs and DMN-NLCs. CET-PTX/DMN-NLCs exhibited the most remarkable in vivo tumor inhibition efficiency, which suspended the tumor growth from 1010.23 to 211.18 mm³ at the end of the study. The highest tumor accumulation amount and low toxicity made CET-PTX/DMN-NLCs a promising system for the synergistic combination therapy of lung cancer.

Nanoparticle Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Overview and Perspectives

Traditional prostate cancer therapy and especially chemotherapy has faced many challenges. Low accumulation levels, rapid clearance or drug resistance at the tumor site have been central to why the effect of chemotherapy drugs has declined. Applications of nanotechnology to biomedicine have enabled the development of nanoparticle therapeutic carriers suited for the delivery of chemotherapeutics in cancer therapy. This review describes the current nature of nanoparticle therapeutic carriers for prostate cancer. It describes typical nanocarriers commonly used for the delivery of chemotherapy or for imaging examination. Targeting strategies and related influencing factors are investigated to find ways of enhancing treatment effects of nanoparticles. The overall purpose of this review is to further understanding and to offer recommendations on the design and development of therapeutic nanoparticles for prostate cancer.

Lung cancer combination therapy: doxorubicin and β-elemene co-loaded, pH-sensitive nanostructured lipid carriers

Purpose: Co-delivery of drugs to achieve the synergistic anticancer effect is a promising strategy for lung cancer therapy. The purpose of this research is to develop a doxorubicin (DOX) and β-elemene (ELE) co-loaded, pH-sensitive nanostructured lipid carriers (DOX/ELE Hyd NLCs).

Methods: In this study, DOX/ELE Hyd NLCs were produced by a hot homogenization and ultrasonication method and used for lung cancer treatment. In vitro and in vivo efficiency as well as toxicity of the system was evaluated on lung cancer cell lines and lung tumor-bearing mice.

Results: DOX/ELE Hyd NLCs had a particle size of 190 nm, with a PDI lower than 0.2. DOX/ELE Hyd NLCs exhibited a significantly enhanced cytotoxicity (drug concentration causing 50% inhibition was 7.86 μg/mL), synergy antitumor effect (combination index lower than 1), and profound tumor inhibition ability (tumor inhibition ratio of 82.9%) compared with the non pH-responsive NLCs and single-drug-loaded NLCs.

Conclusion: Since the synergistic effect of the drugs was found in this system, it would have great potential to inhibit lung tumor cells and tumor growth.

Traditional Chinese medicine-combination therapies utilizing nanotechnology-based targeted delivery systems: a new strategy for antitumor treatment

Cancer is a major public health problem, and is now the world’s leading cause of death. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-combination therapy is a new treatment approach and a vital therapeutic strategy for cancer, as it exhibits promising antitumor potential. Nano-targeted drug-delivery systems have remarkable advantages and allow the development of TCM-combination therapies by systematically controlling drug release and delivering drugs to solid tumors. In this review, the anticancer activity of TCM compounds is introduced. The combined use of TCM for antitumor treatment is analyzed and summarized. These combination therapies, using a single nanocarrier system, namely codelivery, are analyzed, issues that require attention are determined, and future perspectives are identified. We carried out a systematic review of >280 studies published in PubMed since 1985 (no patents involved), in order to provide a few basic considerations in terms of the design principles and management of targeted nanotechnology-based TCM-combination therapies.

Co-delivery nanoparticles of doxorubicin and chloroquine for improving the anti-cancer effect in vitro

To increase the efficacy of small molecule chemotherapeutic drug (SMCD) and reduce its toxic and side effects, we selected two model drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and chloroquine (CQ). DOX is a SMCD and CQis a chemosensitizer with autophagy inhibition. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and alpha-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate were chosen as delivery carriers to design and prepare a novel type of drug co-delivery single-nanoparticles by emulsification-solvent volatilisation, named NP_DOX+CQ. The physicochemical properties of NP_DOX+CQ were characterised. Then A549 cells and A549/Taxol cells were used for the in vitro anti-cancer effect study. At the same time, cellular uptake, intracellular migration and anti-cancer mechanism of nanoparticles were studied. The NPs showed a uniform spherical shape with good dispersibility, and both drugs had good encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity. In all formulations, NP_DOX+CQ showed the highest in vitro cytotoxicity. The results showed that NPs could protect drugs from being recognised and excluded by P-glycoprotein (P-gp). Moreover, the results of the mechanistic study demonstrated that NPs were transported by autophagy process after being taken up by the cells. Therefore, during the migration of NP_DOX+CQ, CQ could exert its efficacy and block autophagy so that DOX would not be hit by autophagy. Western Blot results showed that NP_DOX+CQ had the best inhibition effect of autophagy. It can be concluded that the system can prevent the drug from being recognised and excluded by P-gp, and CQ blocks the process of autophagy so that the DOX is protected and more distributed to the nucleus of multidrug resistance (MDR) cell. The NP_DOX+CQ constructed in this study provides a feasible strategy for reversing MDR in tumour cells.

Lung cancer therapy using doxorubicin and curcumin combination: Targeted prodrug based, pH sensitive nanomedicine

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. To overcome the toxic side effects and multidrug resistance (MDR) during doxorubicin (DOX) chemotherapy, a urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) targeting U11 peptide decorated, pH-sensitive, dual drugs co-encapsulated nanoparticles (NPs) system is employed in this study. A U11 peptide conjugated, pH-sensitive DOX prodrug (U11-DOX) was synthesized and used as materials to produce NPs. A curcumin (CUR) and U11-DOX co-encapsulated NPs system (U11-DOX/CUR NPs) was constructed to treat lung cancer. After the characterization of biophysical properties of this NPs system, synergistic chemotherapeutic efficacy was evaluated in both cultured cancer cells and tumor-bearing animal model. U11-DOX/CUR NPs had a uniformly spherical shape with a core-shell structure. The mean particle size and zeta potential of the U11-DOX/CUR NPs was 121.3 nm and -33.5 mV, with a DOX and CUR EE of 81.7 and 90.5%, respectively. The DOX release from U11-DOX/CUR NPs was 83.5, 55.2, and 32.8% correspondence to the pH of 5.0, 6.0 and 7.4. Cellular uptake efficiency of U11-DOX/CUR NPs was significantly higher than non U11 peptide decorated DOX/CUR NPs. U11-DOX/CUR NPs displayed a pronounced synergy effects in vitro and an obvious tumor tissue accumulation efficiency in vivo. In vivo antitumor experiment showed that U11-DOX/CUR NPs could inhibit the tumor growth to a level of 85%.In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that U11-DOX/CUR NPs is a sustained released, pH responsive, synergistic antitumor system. This study suggests that the U11-DOX/CUR NPs have promising potential for combination treatment of lung cancer.

Co-Delivery Nanosystems for Cancer Treatment: A Review

Massive data available on cancer therapy more than ever lead our mind to the general concept that there is no perfect treatment for cancer. Indeed, the biological complexity of this disease is too excessive to be treated by a single therapeutic approach. Current delivery systems containing a specific drug or gene have their particular opportunities and restrictions. It is worth noting that a considerable number of studies suggest that single- drug delivery systems result in insufficient suppression of cancer growth. Therefore, one of the main ideas of co-delivery system designing is to enhance the intended response or to achieve the synergistic/combined effect compared to the single drug strategy. This review focuses on various strategies for co-delivery of therapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer. The primary approaches within the script are categorized into co-delivery of conventional chemotherapeutics, gene-based molecules, and plant-derived materials. Each one is explained in examples with the recent researches. In the end, a brief summary is provided to conclude the gist of the review.

Low-density lipoprotein decorated silica nanoparticles co-delivering sorafenib and doxorubicin for effective treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Combinational therapy is usually considered as a preferable approach for effective cancer therapy. Especially, combinational chemotherapies targeting different molecular targets are of particular interest due to its high flexibility as well as efficiency. In our study, the surface of silica nanoparticles (SLN) was modified with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to construct platform (LDL-SLN) capable of specifically targeting low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLRs) that overexpressing in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, the versatile drug loading capacity of LDL-SLN was employed to fabricate a preferable drug delivery system to co-deliver sorafenib (Sor) and doxorubicin (Dox) for combinational chemotherapy of HCC. Our results revealed that the LDL-SLN/Sor/Dox nanoparticles with size around 100 nm showed preferable stability in physiological environments. Moreover, the LDL-SLN/Sor/Dox could target LDLR overexpressed HepG2 cells. More importantly, both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the LDL-SLN/Sor/Dox exerted elevated antitumor efficacy compared to Sor or Dox alone, which indicated that LDL-SLN/Sor/Dox could be a powerful tool for effective combinational chemotherapy of HCC.

Prostate cancer: updates on current strategies for screening, diagnosis and clinical implications of treatment modalities

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men by way of diagnosis and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Early detection and intervention remains key to its optimum clinical management. This review provides the most updated information on the recent methods of prostate cancer screening, imaging and treatment modalities. Wherever possible, clinical trial data has been supplemented to provide a comprehensive overview of current prostate cancer research and development. Considering the recent success of immunotherapy in prostate cancer, we discuss cell, DNA and viruses based, as well as combinatorial immunotherapeutic strategies in detail. Furthermore, the potential of nanotechnology is increasingly being realized, especially in prostate cancer research, and we provide an overview of nanotechnology-based strategies, with special emphasis on nanotheranostics and multifunctional nanoconstructs. Understanding these recent developments is critical to the design of future therapeutic strategies to counter prostate cancer.

Building Block Based Construction of Membrane-Organelle Double Targeted Nanosystem for Two-Drug Delivery

Despite the claim that encapsulation of drugs improves the therapeutic profile of free drugs, there are still important limitations in drug delivery. With respect to cancer treatment, two promising implementations are combination therapy and targeted devices, which are aimed at increasing the drug effect either by achieving higher cell death rates or by discriminating between cell populations. However, for the time being, the scope of combining both approaches is unknown. To advance this knowledge, a two-drug-delivery system with dual cell-organelle targeting based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles, which are known to be able to host drugs within their pores, has been designed. In vitro results show a synergistic effect and high efficacy, demonstrating that the combination of dual therapy and targeting could still advance the development of drug-delivery nanodevices against difficult-to-treat cancers.

Cancer-targeted delivery systems based on peptides

There is a growing interest for the discovery of new cancer-targeted delivery systems for drug delivery and diagnosis. A synopsis of the bibliographic data will be presented on bombesin, neurotensin, octreotide, Arg-Gly-Asp, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone and other peptides. Many of them have reached the clinics for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes, and have been utilized as carriers of known cytotoxic agents such as doxorubicin, paclitaxel, cisplatin, methotrexate or dyes and radioisotopes. In our article, recent advances in the development of peptides as carriers of cytotoxic drugs or radiometals will be analyzed.

Co-delivery nanoparticles of anti-cancer drugs for improving chemotherapy efficacy

To achieve superior therapeutic efficacy, the combination chemotherapy using two or more anticancer drugs in clinical practice has been generally accepted as a feasible strategy. On account of the concept of combination chemotherapy, co-delivery of anticancer drugs with nanotechnology gradually becomes a desired strategy and one of the research frontiers on modern drug delivery. In recent years, nano drug co-delivery system (NDCDS), which loads at least two anticancer drugs with different physicochemical and pharmacological properties into a combination delivery system, has achieved rapid development. NDCDS synergistically inhibited the growth of the tumor compared with the free drugs. In this review, we highlighted the current state of co-delivery nanoparticles and the most commonly used nanomaterial, discussed challenges and strategies, and prospect future development.

RGD peptide-modified, paclitaxel prodrug-based, dual-drugs loaded, and redox-sensitive lipid-polymer nanoparticles for the enhanced lung cancer therapy

One approach to improve the targeted therapeutic efficiency of lung cancer is to deliver drugs using nano-scaled systems. In this study, RGD peptide-modified, paclitaxel (PTX) prodrug-based, dual-drugs loaded, and redox-sensitive lipid-polymer nanoparticles were developed and the in vitro and in vivo antitumor efficiency was evaluated in lung cancer cells and tumor bearing animal models. RGD-modified PTX and cisplatin (CDDP) loaded LPNs (RGD-ss-PTX/CDDP LPNs) have sizes around 190 nm, and zeta potentials of -35 mV. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were 26.7 and 75.3 μg/mL for drugs loaded LPNs and free drugs combination, which indicates significantly higher antitumor activity of LPNs than free drugs. RGD-ss-PTX/CDDP LPNs also exhibited the best antitumor efficiency in vivo, which inhibited the tumor size of mice from 1486 mm³ to 263 mm³. The results illustrated that the system could successfully load drugs and achieve synergistic combination lung cancer treatment efficiency with lower systemic toxicity compared with free drugs counterparts. The resulting system could be facilitated as a promising targeted nanomedicine for the treatment of lung cancer.

Lactoferrin- and RGD-comodified, temozolomide and vincristine-coloaded nanostructured lipid carriers for gliomatosis cerebri combination therapy

PURPOSE

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor originating in the central nervous system in adults. Based on nanotechnology such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and lipid nanoparticles, recent research efforts have been aimed to target drugs to the brain.

METHODS

In this study, lactoferrin- and arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) dual- ligand-comodified, temozolomide and vincristine-coloaded nanostructured lipid carriers (L/RT/V-NLCs) were introduced for GBM combination therapy. The physicochemical properties of L/R-T/V-NLCs such as particle size, zeta potential, and encapsulated efficiency are measured. The drug release profile, cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, tissue distribution, and antitumor activity of L/R-T/V-NLCs are further investigated in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

L/R-T/V-NLCs were stable with nanosize and high drug encapsulation efficiency. L/R-T/V-NLCs exhibited sustained-release behavior, high cellular uptake, high cytotoxicity and synergy effects, increased drug accumulation in the tumor tissue, and obvious tumor inhibition efficiency with low systemic toxicity.

CONCLUSION

L/R-T/V-NLCs could be a promising drug delivery system for glioblastoma chemotherapy.

Targeted therapy of triple negative MDA-MB-468 breast cancer with curcumin delivered by epidermal growth factor-conjugated phospholipid nanoparticles

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with poor survival as chemotherapy is currently limited to conventional cytotoxic agents. Curcumin has promising anticancer actions against TNBC, but its application is hindered by poor bioavailability and rapid degradation in vivo. In the present study, curcumin-loaded phospholipid nanoparticles (Cur-NPs) conjugated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) were prepared for specific targeting of EGF receptors overexpressed in TNBC. NP formulation was performed by reacting EGF peptide with N-hydroxysuccinimide-Polyethylene Glycol-1,2-Distearoyl-sn-Glycero-3-Phosphoethanolamine (NHS-PEG₁₀₀₀₀-DSPE), followed by efficient curcumin loading through lipid film hydration. EGF conjugation did not significantly affect NP size, zeta potential or morphology. Specific targeting was confirmed by EGF receptor activation and blocking of ¹²⁵I-labeled NP binding by excess EGF. EGF-Cur-NP dose-dependently suppressed MDA-MB-468 TNBC cell survival (IC50, 620 nM), and completely abolished their capacity to form colonies. The cytotoxic effects were more potent compared with those of free curcumin or Cur-NP. In mice bearing MDA-MB-468 tumors, injections of 10 mg/kg EGF-Cur-NP caused a 59.1% retardation of tumor growth at 3 weeks compared with empty NP, whereas the antitumor effect of Cur-NP was weak. These results indicate that EGF-conjugated NHS-PEG₁₀₀₀₀-DSPE phospholipid NPs loaded with curcumin may be useful for treating TNBCs that overexpress the EGF receptor.

Polymer-Based Nanocarriers for Co-Delivery and Combination of Diverse Therapies against Cancers

Cancer gives rise to an enormous number of deaths worldwide nowadays. Therefore, it is in urgent need to develop new therapies, among which combined therapies including photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy (CHT) using polymer-based nanocarriers have attracted enormous interest due to the significantly enhanced efficacy and great progress has been made so far. The preparation of such nanocarriers is a comprehensive task involving the cooperation of nanomaterial science and biomedicine science. In this review, we try to introduce and analyze the structure, preparation and synergistic therapeutic effect of various polymer-based nanocarriers composed of anti-tumor drugs, nano-sized photothermal materials and other possible parts. Our effort may bring benefit to future exploration and potential applications of similar nanocarriers.

EGFR-targeting PLGA-PEG nanoparticles as a curcumin delivery system for breast cancer therapy

Poor bioavailability and non-specificity of chemotherapeutic agents are major challenges in breast cancer treatment. Antibodies and small molecules that block cell signaling pathways have shown promise in the clinic, but their application is also limited by the high costs and treatment dosages required. Novel therapies that aim to rapidly and specifically target malignant cells with long-lasting impact in the tumor microenvironment may ultimately improve clinical outcome in cancer patients. Here, we demonstrate that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeting GE11 peptides conjugated with PEGylated polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles can be used to effectively deliver an anti-cancer agent, curcumin, into EGFR-expressing MCF-7 cells in vitro and in vivo. Treatment of breast cancer cells and tumor-bearing mice with these curcumin-loaded nanoparticles gave rise to reduced phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling, decreased cancer cell viability, attenuated drug clearance from the circulation, and suppressed tumor burden compared with free curcumin or non-EGFR targeting nanoparticles. The targeted nanoscale drug delivery system we describe here may provide a new strategy for the design of targeted cancer therapy vectors. Our study provides evidence that the efficacy of pharmacologic anti-cancer agents can be enhanced through their delivery in the form of modified nanoparticles that effectively target specific malignant cell types.

Irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil-co-loaded, hyaluronic acid-modified layer-by-layer nanoparticles for targeted gastric carcinoma therapy

For targeted gastric carcinoma therapy, hyaluronic acid (HA)-modified layer-by-layer nanoparticles (NPs) are applied for improving anticancer treatment efficacy and reducing toxicity and side effects. The aim of this study was to develop HA-modified NPs for the co-loading of irinotecan (IRN) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). A novel polymer–chitosan (CH)–HA hybrid formulation (HA–CH–IRN/5-FU NPs) consisting of poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and IRN as the core, CH and 5-FU as a shell on the core and HA as the outmost layer was prepared. Its morphology, average size, zeta potential and drug encapsulation ability were evaluated. Human gastric carcinoma cells (MGC803 cells) and cancer-bearing mice were used for the testing of in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo antitumor efficiency of NPs. HA–CH–IRN/5-FU NPs displayed enhanced antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo than non-modified NPs, single drug-loaded NPs and drugs solutions. The results demonstrate that HA–CH–IRN/5-FU NPs can achieve impressive antitumor activity and the novel targeted drug delivery system offers a promising strategy for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Sustained-releasing hollow microparticles with dual-anticancer drugs elicit greater shrinkage of tumor spheroids

Polymeric particulate delivery systems are vastly explored for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents. However, the preparation of polymeric particulate systems with the capability of providing sustained release of two or more drugs is still a challenge. Herein, poly (D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid, 50:50) hollow microparticles co-loaded with doxorubicin and paclitaxel were developed through double-emulsion solvent evaporation technique. Hollow microparticles were formed through the addition of an osmolyte into the fabrication process. The benefits of hollow over solid microparticles were found to be higher encapsulation efficiency and a more rapid drug release rate. Further modification of the hollow microparticles was accomplished through the introduction of methyl-β-cyclodextrin. With this, a higher encapsulation efficiency of both drugs and an enhanced cumulative release were achieved. Spheroid study further demonstrated that the controlled release of the drugs from the methyl-β-cyclodextrin -loaded hollow microparticles exhibited enhanced tumor regressions of MCF-7 tumor spheroids. Such hollow dual-drug-loaded hollow microparticles with sustained releasing capabilities may have a potential for future applications in cancer therapy.