Nanocarrier-mediated co-delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and gene agents for cancer treatment

The efficacy of chemotherapeutic drug in cancer treatment is often hampered by drug resistance of tumor cells,which is usually caused by abnormal gene expression.RNA interference mediated by si RNA and mi RNA can selectively knock down the carcinogenic genes by targeting specific m RNAs.Therefore,combining chemotherapeutic drugs with gene agents could be a promising strategy for cancer therapy.Due to poor stability and solubility associated with gene agents and drugs,suitable protective carriers are needed and have been widely researched for the co-delivery.In this review,we summarize the most commonly used nanocarriers for co-delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and gene agents,as well as the advances in co-delivery systems.

Evaluation of the Effect of Chemotherapeutic Drug Training on Mobile Terminal for Neuro-Oncology Nurses Based on Kirkpatrick’s Model

Background: Since there has been training, there has been discussion about the effect of training. But training evaluation is not systematic until Kirkpatrick came up with the training evaluation model in 1959. At present, the prevailing model in the systematic summary of training evaluation is still The Kirkpatrick’s model. This model was further improved in 1994, more responsive to contemporary needs, and thus widely used all over the world. At the beginning, it was widely used in human resource management of enterprises. In recent years, this model has been gradually used in the medical field to evaluate the effect of medical training. The Kirkpatrick’s model has a systematic, integrated and persuasive evaluation system for trainees. It has good effects in the pre-service nurse training, the professional image and code of conduct nurses training, and the geriatric nurse training. At present, there are few studies on the chemotherapeutic drug training of neurologist nurses in China. In clinical work, nurses’ cognitive and practical behaviors of chemotherapeutic drug protection and drug extravasation prevention and treatment are insufficient. It directly harms the health of nursing staff and increases the complications of chemotherapy, increases pain of tumor patients, delays or interrupts chemotherapy, and aggravates the economic burden of patients. Especially, Chemotherapeutic drugs for neuro-oncology have particularity and necessity of urgent training. Objective: To investigate the effect of chemotherapeutic drug training through mobile terminal for neuro-oncology nurses based on the Kirkpatrick’s model. Methods: The training content and evaluation questionnaire for chemotherapeutic drugs were designed by nursing management personnel and senior nurses in our department according to the guidelines and common diseases requiring chemotherapy in the department. The content includes the basic knowledge of neuro-oncology chemotherapy, pharmacological knowledge, toxic and side effect of chemotherapy, etc., which are regularly pushed through the mobile terminal-WeChat. Forty nurses participated in the training and the effect is evaluated by Kirkpatrick’s model. Result: After the training, 100% of nurses were satisfied with the training content and 97.5% with the training form. The scores of nurses in learning level such as basic pharmacological knowledge, drug configuration and exposure, drug treatment and infusion, observation of toxic and side effects, and treatment of drug extravasation were significantly higher than those before the training (P < 0.01). The scores of nurses in the behavior level such as drug allocation, health education, toxic and side effect observation and prediction, treatment of exosmosis, occupational protection were significantly higher than those before the training. After the training, the satisfaction of managers, chemotherapy physicians and chemotherapy patients on the behavior of nurses was significantly higher than that before the training (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The chemotherapeutic drug training through mobile terminal based on Kirkpatrick’s model can improve the ability of neuro-oncology nurses, so as to improve the satisfaction of physicians and patients.

Low dosages:new chemotherapeutic weapons on the battlefield of immune-related disease

Chemotherapeutic drugs eliminate tumor cells at relatively high doses and are considered weapons against tumors in clinics and hospitals.However,despite their ability to induce cellular apoptosis,chemotherapeutic drugs should probably be regarded more as a class of cell regulators than cell killers,if the dosage used and the fact that their targets are involved in basic molecular events are considered.Unfortunately,the regulatory properties of chemotherapeutic drugs are usually hidden or masked by the massive cell death induced by high doses.Recent evidence has begun to suggest that low dosages of chemotherapeutic drugs might profoundly regulate various intracellular aspects of normal cells,especially immune cells.Here,we discuss the immune regulatory roles of three kinds of chemotherapeutic drugs under low-dose conditions and propose low dosages as potential new chemotherapeutic weapons on the battlefield of immune-related disease.

In Situ-Induced Multivalent Anticancer Drug Clusters in Cancer Cells for Enhancing Drug Efficacy

Increasing intracellular drug concentration is an effec-tive way for cancer chemotherapeutics to enhance efficacy and combat drug resistance.In this work,a series of anticancer drug conjugates were prepared by linking thiol-modified oligo(p-phenylene viny-lene)with paclitaxel,vincristine,teniposide,tamoxi-fen,doxorubicin,or podophyllotoxin(OPV-S-Drugs)through a Michael addition reaction.

Efficacy of integrating short-course chemotherapy with Chinese herbs to treat multi-drug resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in China: a study protocol

Background:Tuberculosis(TB)causedMycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tb)is one of infectious disease that lead a large number of morbidity and mortality all over the world.Although no reliable evidence has been found,it is considered that combining chemotherapeutic drugs with Chinese herbs can significantly improves the cure rate and the clinical therapeutic effect.Methods:Multi-drug resistant pulmonary tuberculosis(MDR-PTB,n=258)patients with Qi-yin deficiency syndrome will be randomly assigned into a treatment group(n=172)or control/placebo group(n=86).The treatment group will receive the chemotherapeutic drugs combined with Chinese herbs granules(1+3 granules),while the control group will receive the chemotherapeutic drugs combined with Chinese herbs placebo(1+3 placebo granules).In addition,MDR-PTB(n=312)patients with Yin deficiency lung heat syndrome will be randomly assigned to a treatment(n=208)or control/placebo(n=104)group.The treatment group will receive the chemotherapeutic regimen combined with Chinese herbs granules(2+4 granules),while the control group will receive the chemotherapeutic drugs and Chinese herbs placebo(2+4 placebo granules).The primary outcome is cure rate,the secondary outcomes included time to sputum culture conversion,lesion absorption rate and cavity closure rate.BACTEC^(TM)MGIT^(TM)automated mycobacterial detection system will be used to evaluate theM.tb infection and drug resistance.Chi-square test and Cox regression will be conducted with SAS 9.4 Statistical software to analyze the data.Discussion:The treatment cycle for MDR-PTB using standardized modern medicine could cause lengthy substantial side effects.Chinese herbs have been used for many years to treat MDR-PTB,but are without high-quality evidence.Hence,it is unknown whether Chinese herbs enhances the clinical therapeutic effect of synthetic drugs for treating MDR-PTB.Therefore,this study will be conducted to evaluate the clinical therapeutic effect of combining Chinese herbs and chemotherapeutic drugs to treat MDR-PTB cases.It will assist in screening new therapeutic drugs and establishing treatment plan that aims to improve the clinical therapeutic effect for MDR-PTB patients.Trial registration This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov(ChiCTR1900027720)on 24 November 2019(prospective registered).

Dual-functional porous and cisplatin-loaded polymethylmethacrylate cement for reconstruction of load-bearing bone defect kills bone tumor cells

Malignant bone tumors are usually treated by resection of tumor tissue followed by filling of the bone defect with bone graft substitutes.Polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA)cement is the most commonly used bone substitute in clinical orthopedics in view of its reliability.However,the dense nature of PMMA renders this biomaterial unsuitable for local delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to limit the recurrence of bone tumors.Here,we introduce porosity into PMMA cement by adding carboxymethylcellulose(CMC)to facilitate such local delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs,while retaining sufficient mechanical properties for bone reconstruction in load-bearing sites.Our results show that the mechanical strength of PMMA-based cements gradually decreases with increasing CMC content.Upon incorporation of≥3%CMC,the PMMA-based cements released up to 18%of the loaded cisplatin,in contrast to cements containing lower amounts of CMC which only released less than 2%of the cisplatin over 28 days.This release of cisplatin efficiently killed osteosarcoma cells in vitro and the fraction of dead cells increased to 91.3%at day 7,which confirms the retained chemotherapeutic activity of released cisplatin from these PMMA-based cements.Additionally,tibias filled with PMMA-based cements containing up to 3%of CMC exhibit comparable compressive strengths as compared to intact tibias.In conclusion,we demonstrate that PMMA cements can be rendered therapeutically active by introducing porosity using CMC to allow for release of cisplatin without compromising mechanical properties beyond critical levels.As such,these data suggest that our dual-functional PMMA-based cements represent a viable treatment option for filling bone defects after bone tumor resection in load-bearing sites.