Antibody-platinum(IV)prodrugs conjugates for targeted treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Antibody-drug conjugates(ADCs)are a new type of targeting antibodies that conjugate with highly toxic anticancer drugs via chemical linkers to exert high specificity and efficient killing of tumor cells,thereby attracting considerable attention in precise oncology therapy.Cetuximab(Cet)is a typical antibody that offers the benefits of good targeting and safety for individuals with advanced and inoperable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma(cSCC);however,its anti-tumor activity is limited to a single use.Cisplatin(CisPt)shows good curative effects;however,its adverse effects and non-tumor-targeting ability are major drawbacks.In this study,we designed and developed a new ADC based on a new cytotoxic platinum(IV)prodrug(C8Pt(IV))and Cet.The so-called antibody-platinum(IV)prodrugs conjugates,named Cet-C8Pt(IV),showed excellent tumor targeting in cSCC.Specifically,it accurately delivered C8Pt(IV)into tumor cells to exert the combined anti-tumor effect of Cet and CisPt.Herein,metabolomic analysis showed that Cet-C8Pt(IV)promoted cellular apoptosis and increased DNA damage in cSCC cells by affecting the vitamin B6 metabolic pathway in tumor cells,thereby further enhancing the tumor-killing ability and providing a new strategy for clinical cancer treatment using antibody-platinum(IV)prodrugs conjugates.

Anti-aging based on stem cell therapy:A scoping review

Stem cells are present in the tissues and organs and remain in a quiescent and undifferentiated state until it is physiologically necessary to produce new descendant cells.Due to their multipotency property,mesenchymal stem cells have attracted considerable attention worldwide due to their immunomodulation and therapeutic function in tissue regeneration.Stem cells secrete components such as paracrine factors,extracellular vesicles,and exosomes which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory,anti-aging,reconstruction and wound healing potentials in many in vitro and in vivo models.The pluripotency and immunomodulatory features of stem cells could potentially be an effective tool in cell therapy and tissue repair.Aging affects the capacity for self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells,decreasing the potential for regeneration and the loss of optimal functions in organisms over time.Current progress in the field of cellular therapy and regenerative medicine has facilitated the evolution of particular guidelines and quality control approaches,which eventually lead to clinical trials.Cell therapy could potentially be one of the most promising therapies to control aging due to the fact that single stem cell transplantation can regenerate or substitute the injured tissue.To understand the involvement of stem cells not only in tissue maintenance and disease but also in the control of aging it is important to know and identify their properties,functions,and regulation in vivo,which are addressed in this review.

Stem cell technology for antitumor drug loading and delivery in oncology

The main aim of antineoplastic treatment is to maximize patient benefit by augmenting the drug accumulation within affected organs and tissues,thus incrementing drug effects and,at the same time,reducing the damage of non-involved tissues to cytotoxic agents.Mesenchymal stromal cells(MSC)represent a group of undifferentiated multipotent cells presenting wide self-renewal features and the capacity to differentiate into an assortment of mesenchymal family cells.During the last year,they have been proposed as natural carriers for the selective release of antitumor drugs to malignant cll,s thus optimizing cytotoxic action on cancer cll,while significantly reducing adverse side efect on healthy cells.MSC chemotherapeutic drug loading and delivery is an encouraging new area of cell therapy for several tumors,especially for those with unsatisfactory prognosis and limited treatment options available.Although some experim ental models have been sucesfuly developed,phase I dinical studies are needed to confirm this potential application of cell therapy,in particular in the case of primary and secondary lung cancers.

Prox1 Suppresses Proliferation and Drug Resistance of Retinoblastoma Cells via Targeting Notch1

Objective Retinoblastoma(RB)is a prevalent type of eye cancer in youngsters.Prospero homeobox 1(Prox1)is a homeobox transcriptional repressor and downstream target of the proneural gene that is relevant in lymphatic,hepatocyte,pancreatic,heart,lens,retinal,and cancer cells.The goal of this study was to investigate the role of Prox1 in RB cell proliferation and drug resistance,as well as to explore the underlying Notch1 mechanism.Methods Human RB cell lines(SO-RB50 and Y79)and a primary human retinal microvascular endothelial cell line(ACBRI-181)were used in this study.The expression of Prox1 and Notch1 mRNA and protein in RB cells was detected using quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and Western blotting.Cell proliferation was assessed after Prox1 overexpression using the Cell Counting Kit-8 and the MTS assay.Drug-resistant cell lines(SO-RB50/vincristine)were generated and treated with Prox1 to investigate the role of Prox1 in drug resistance.We employed pcDNA-Notch1 to overexpress Notch1 to confirm the role of Notch1 in the protective function of Prox1.Finally,a xenograft model was constructed to assess the effect of Prox1 on RB in vivo.Results Prox1 was significantly downregulated in RB cells.Overexpression of Prox1 effectively decreased RB cell growth while increasing the sensitivity of drug-resistant cells to vincristine.Notch1 was involved in Prox1’s regulatory effects.Notch1 was identified as a target gene of Prox1,which was found to be upregulated in RB cells and repressed by increased Prox1 expression.When pcDNA-Notch1 was transfected,the effect of Prox1 overexpression on RB was removed.Furthermore,by downregulating Notch1,Prox1 overexpression slowed tumor development and increased vincristine sensitivity in vivo.Conclusion These data show that Prox1 decreased RB cell proliferation and drug resistance by targeting Notch1,implying that Prox1 could be a potential therapeutic target for RB.

Rehmannia glutinosa exhibits anti-aging effect through maintaining the quiescence and decreasing the senescence of hematopoietic stem cells

Background: The time-related decline in regenerative capacity and organ homeostasis is a major feature of aging. Rehmannia glutinosa and Astragalus membranaceus have been used as traditional Chinese herbal medicines for enhanced immunity and prolonged life. However, the mechanism by which this herbal medicine slows aging is unknown. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of the herbal anti-aging effect.Methods: Mice were fed diets supplemented with R. glutinosa or A. membranaceus for 10 months; the control group was fed a standard diet. The phenotypes were evaluated using a grading score system and survival analysis. The percentages of the senescence phenotypes of hematopoietic stem cells(HSCs) were determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis. The function and the mechanism of HSCs were analyzed by clonogenic assay and the real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results: The anti-aging effect of R. glutinosa is due to the enhanced function of HSCs. Mice fed with R. glutinosa displayed characteristics of a slowed aging process,including decreased senescence and increased rate of survival. Flow cytometry analysis showed decreased numbers of Lin–Sca1^+c-kit–(LSK) cells, long-term HSCs(LT-HSCs) and short-term HSCs(ST-HSCs) in the R. glutinosa group. In vitro, clonogenic assays showed increased self-renewal ability of LT-HSCs from the R. glutinosa group as well as maintaining LSK quiescence through upregulated p18 expression. The R. glutinosa group also showed decreased reactive oxygen species levels and the percentage of β-gal^+ cells through downregulation of the cellular senescence-associated protein p53 and p16.Conclusion: Rehmannia glutinosa exerts anti-aging effects by maintaining the quiescence and decreasing the senescence of HSCs.

Potential of Natural Killer Cell Enriched Conditioned Media for Skin Care and Anti-Aging

Natural killer (NK) cell is a type of immune cell and is known to be particularly responsible for innate immunity such as anti-cancer immunity, defense mechanisms against infections, and secretion of various cytokines and chemokines for increasing recruitment of other immune cells. In this study, we investigated the potentials of NK-enriched lymphocytes (NKEL) conditioned media (CM) on skin care for cosmeceutical compositions. Various cytokines of NKEL CM can improve wound healing through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by increasing KLKs (kallikreins) and reduce metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and MMP-2 to inhibit wrinkle formation. Our results suggest that NKEL CM which has various cytokines promotes up-regulation of cell migration and KLKs and down-regulation of MMP-1 and MMP-2 by stimulating HaCaT keratinocytes migration. Therefore, NKEL CM can be used as a cosmetic composition that can play a role in skin regeneration and anti-aging.

Research Progress on the Bone Metastasis Mechanism of Prostate Cancer and Bone-Targeted Drugs

Prostate cancer is a common male malignant tumor,and bone metastasis is one of the common complications in the late stage of prostate cancer.The mechanism of prostate cancer bone metastasis is a complex process involving multiple factors and steps.In recent years,with in-depth research on the mechanism of prostate cancer bone metastasis and the development of new drugs,important progress has been made in the treatment of prostate cancer bone metastasis.Based on this,this article introduces the mechanism of prostate cancer bone metastasis and the research progress of several bone-targeted drugs to provide reference and inspiration for future research.

<i>In Vitro</i>Evaluation of Anticancer Drugs with Kinetic and Static Alternating Cell Culture System

Variable bioreactors have been developed for the evaluation of anti-cancer drug efficacy. The Kinetic and Static Alternating Cell Culture System (KSACCS) combines the advantages of kinetic bioreactors and static cultures to improve cell growth by providing adequate metabolic support while minimizing shear-stress. In the current studies, the KSACCS in the ZYX Bioreactor could significantly increase the sensitivity of lung cancer cells (PLS008) and leukemia cells (HL60) to anticancer drugs Cisplatin and 5-FU by accelerating the apoptosis of cancer cells. It was also shown that excessive agitation of the cells could lead to severe cell damage, which resulted in a diminished sensitivity of anticancer drug evaluation, and co-culture systems tend to reduce the sensitivity of anticancer drug evaluation although it might better mimic in vivo conditions.

Adult Langerhans cell histiocytosis and immunomodulatory drugs:Review and analysis of thirty-four case reports

Langerhans cell histiocytosis(LCH)is a rare neoplastic disease in dendritic cells.LCH is classified as either a single-system(SS)or multisystem(MS)disease.There is not a standard first-line treatment for LCH in adults.We analyzed the efficacy and safety of immunomodulatory drugs(IMiDs)by searching PubMed/MEDLINE for case reports previously published.The clinical response(nonactive disease or active disease that regressed)was 94%in SS and 53%in MS.IMiDs should only be considered for adults with cutaneous SS involvement;in MS,they should be used only for patients not eligible for more aggressive treatments.

Genetic Cell Therapy in Anti-Aging Regenerative Cosmetology

As post-WWII baby boomer approaching age 80, Anti-Aging Regenerative Cosmetology (AARC) has been developed and patented for beautifying and strengthening the human body using live cells;to enhance the appearance and function of various bodily parts to provide health and aestheticism of human being throughout life. It is a combined cosmetic and preventive medicine to intervene with and to correct the undesirable phenotypic expression of aging. The intrinsic properties of myoblasts and foreskin fibroblasts in development and regeneration are harnessed to formulate a genetic cell therapy program which is safe and efficacious as previously been tested in FDA Phase III clinical trials. Myoblasts are selected for strength development and foreskin fibroblasts for tenacity and smooth-to-the-touch. Both cell types are highly mitotic and non-carcinogenic. In additional to providing large quantities of nuclei as regenerative gene medicine, and of mitochondria as energy generators, myoblasts secret tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) for skin whitening and melanoma prevention. Myoblasts, because of their small size, spindle shape, and resilience, grow readily on collagen and laminin within wrinkles of skin surfaces, thus enhancing the color, luster, and texture of the skin “plated” with them. Alternatively, they can be injected subcutaneously as cell filler to reduce wrinkles. Intramuscular injection of myoblasts can augment the size, shape, consistency, tone, and strength of muscle groups, improving the lines, contours, and vitality to sculpt a youthful appearance. By improving cell genetics and organ functions, the program holds promise to sustain the human subject in good health and appearance, with a good quality of life and life prolongation.

Therapeutics of Stem Cell Treatment in Anti-Aging and Rejuvenation

Aging populations are increasing the incidence of age-related diseases, resulting in problems at the individual and socioeconomic level. The need for effective strategies in regenerative medicine for the elderly is more important than ever. Previous studies have shown that the number and function of stem cells decline with age, thereby undermining endogenous repair processes. It has also been suggested that the aging-induced deterioration of stem cell function may play a key role in the pathophysiology of various aging-related diseases. Recent advances in our understanding of tissue regeneration and the development of methods aimed at inducing and differentiating pluripotent stem cells for cell replacement therapy which provides exciting opportunities for the treatment of degenerative diseases, such as those related to senility. In this review article, we examine several mechanisms that are believed to contribute to the aging-related dysfunction of stem cells associated with diseases of the immune system, cardiac tissue, neuronal system, articular cartilage, and skeletal muscle. We also discuss factors that affect the therapeutic potential of adult stem/progenitor cells as well as current trends in the treatment of these conditions using regenerative medicine.

Integrated bioinformatics analysis of potential biomarkers and candidate drugs of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC),the major subtype of esophageal carcinoma(ESCA),is one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide.This study aimed to identify potential biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets for ESCC.The datasets GSE44021,GSE77861,GSE20347,and GSE29001 retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database contained 117 ESCC tissues and 109 normal tissues.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)associated with ESCC were identified using the GEO2R tool.Dysregulated pathways associated with ESCC mainly included mitotic regulation,cell cycle,ECM-receptor interaction,DNA replication,etc.The protein-protein interaction(PPI)network of overlapping DEGs was constructed and nine key genes(KGs)were identified from the complex interaction network using Degree,maximum neighborhood component(MNC),and maximal clique centrality(MCC)algorithms.Expression patterns of KGs at the transcriptional and translational levels were validated using ESCC-related data from the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA),Oncomine,and Human Protein Atlas(HPA)databases.Genetic alterations calculation,immune cell infiltrates evaluation,methylation analysis,prognostic analysis,transcription factors(TFs)and miRNAs regulatory networks construction,and targeted drug prediction were further performed.It was also found that the knockout of these KGs affected the survival of more than two types of ESCC cells by genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 dropout screens.In conclusion,we identified KGs,TFs,and miRNAs with biomarker potential(e.g.,NDC80,BUB1,TOP2A,AURKA,AURKB,TTK,UBE2C,TPX2,BUB1B,E2F1,and hsa-miR-483-5p)and 23 candidate targeted drugs for ESCC by utilizing an integrated multi-omics approach.These findings provide additional insights into uncovering the molecular mechanism and improving the efficiency of clinical diagnosis and treatment for ESCC.

Induction of Tolerance to Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs Might Be an Alternative Therapeutic in the Painful Crisis of Sickle Cell Disease

Background and Aims: In Ivoirian’s school, the management of vaso-occlusive painful crisis in sickle cell disease requires non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Although their effectiveness, these drugs may be accompanied by intolerance reactions. When these occur, no codified alternative therapeutic seems to be used to our knowledge. Authors aimed to evaluate the induction of tolerance to NSAIDs as an effective alternative therapeutic. Methods: 22 patients (15 men and 7 women aged from 12 to 39 years with mean age: 22.41 ± 7.88) suffering from vaso-occlusive painful crisis were enrolled. They were known to have a history of sickle cell disease and at least one episode of adverse reactions following the Ibuprofen or Diclofenac intake. A rapid protocol of oral challenge was used in patients to induce tolerance to NSAIDs. The first day, initial doses (8.82 mg for Ibuprofen and 2.20 mg for Diclofenac) were given and gradually increased at intervals of 1 hour over a total period of 6 hours. On the second and third days, the therapeutic dose has been orally administrated with an interval of 6 hours over a period of 12 hours. Results: Despite of some cases of failure that might be related to the severity of symptoms or possible patho-physiological mechanism, more than 80% of patients have successfully tolerated Diclofenac and Ibuprofen. Conclusion: This experience appears to be the first in our context. It might be used as a solution in the lack of alternative therapeutic in the management of vaso-occlusive painful crisis of sickle cell disease as well as in other diseases such as HIV infection where patients often develop intolerance to none alternative antibiotics.

Hepatic cancer stem cells and drug resistance: Relevance in targeted therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of most common malignancies in the world. Systemic treatments for HCC, particularly for advanced stages, are limited by the drug resistance phenomenon which ultimately leads to therapy failure. Recent studies have indicated an association between drug resistance and the existence of the cancer stem cells (CSCs) as tumor initiating cells. The CSCs are resistant to conventional chemotherapies and might be related to the mechanisms of the ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters and alterations in the CSCs signaling pathways. Therefore, to contribute to the development of new HCC treatments, further information on the characterization of CSCs, the modulation of the ABC transporters expression and function and the signaling pathway involved in the self renewal, initiation and maintenance of the cancer are required. The combination of transporters modulators/inhibitors with molecular targeted therapies may be a potent strategy to block the tumoral progression. This review summarizes the association of CSCs, drug resistance, ABC transporters activities and changes in signaling pathways as a guide for future molecular therapy for HCC.

Current Perspective in the Discovery of Anti-aging Agents from Natural Products

Aging is a process characterized by accumulating degenerative damages,resulting in the death of an organism ultimately.The main goal of aging research is to develop therapies that delay age-related diseases in human.Since signaling pathways in aging of Caenorhabditis elegans(C.elegans),fruit flies and mice are evolutionarily conserved,compounds extending lifespan of them by intervening pathways of aging may be useful in treating age-related diseases in human.Natural products have special resource advantage and with few side effect.Recently,many compounds or extracts from natural products slowing aging and extending lifespan have been reported.Here we summarized these compounds or extracts and their mechanisms in increasing longevity of C.elegans or other species,and the prospect in developing antiaging medicine from natural products.

Down-regulation of Hsp90 could change cell cycle distribution and increase drug sensitivity of tumor cells

AIM:To construct Hsp90 antisense RNA eukaryotic expression vector, transfect it into SGC7901 and SGC7901/VCR of MDR-type human gastric cancer cell lines, HCC7402 of human hepatic cancer and Ec109 of human esophageal cancer cell lines, and to study the cell cycle distribution of the gene transected cells and their response to chemotherapeutic drugs.METHODS:A 1.03kb cDNA sequence of Hsp90beta was obtained from the primary plasmid phHSP90 by EcoR I and BamH I nuclease digestion and was cloned to the EcoR I and BamH I site of the pcDNA by T4DNA ligase and an antisense orientation of Hsp90beta expression vector was constructed. The constructs were transfected with lipofectamine and positive clones were selected with G418. The expression of RNA was determined with dot blotting and RNase protection assay, and the expression of Hsp90 protein determined with western blot. Cell cycle distribution of the transfectants was analyzed with flow cytometry, and the drug sensitivity of the transfectants to Adriamycin (ADR), vincrinstine (VCR), mitomycin (MMC) and cyclophosphamide (CTX) with MTT and intracellular drug concentration of the transfectants was determined with flow cytometry.RESULTS:In EcoR I and BamH I restriction analysis, the size and the direction of the cloned sequence of Hsp90beta remained what had been designed and the gene constructs were named pcDNA-Hsp90.AH-SGC7901, AH-SGC7901/VCR, AH-HCC7402 and AH-Ec109 cell clones all expressed Hsp90 anti-sense RNA. The expression of Hsp90 was down-regulated in AH-SGC7901, AH-SGC7901/VCR, AH-HCC7402 and AH-Ec109 cell clones. Cell cycle distribution was changed differently. In AH-SGC7901/VCR and AH-Ec109 cells, G(1) phase cells were increased; S phase and G(2) phase cells were decreased as compared with their parental cell lines. In AH-SGC7901 cell, G(1)phase cells were decreased, G(2) phase cells increased and S phase cells were not changed, and in AH-HCC7402 cells G(1), S and G(2) phase cells remained unchanged as compared with their parental cell lines. The sensitivity of AH-SGC7901, AH-SGC7901/VCR, AH-HCC7402 and AH-Ec109 to chemotherapeutic drugs, the sensitivity of AH-SGC7901/VCR to ADR, VCR, MMC and CTX the sensitivity of AH-HCC7402 to ADR and VCR, and the sensitivity of Ec109 to ADR, VCR and CTX all increased as compared with their parental cell lines. The mean fluorescence intensity of ADR in AH-SGC7901, AH-SGC7901/VCR, AH-HCC7402 and AH-Ec109 was also significantly elevated (P 【 0.05).CONCLUSION: Down-regulation of Hsp90 could change cell cycle distribution and increase the drug sensitivity of tumor cells.

Persistence of side population cells with high drug efflux capacity in pancreatic cancer

AIM: To investigate the persistence of side population (SP) cells in pancreatic cancer and their role and mechanism in the drug resistance. METHODS: The presentation of side population cells in pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1 and its proportion change when cultured with Gemcitabine, was detected by Hoechst 33342 staining and FACS analysis. The expression of ABCB1 and ABCG2 was detected by real- time PCR in either SP cells or non-SP cells. RESULTS: SP cells do exist in PANC-1, with a median of 3.3% and a range of 2.1-8.7%. After cultured with Gemcitabine for 3 d, the proportion of SP cells increased significantly (3.8% ± 1.9%, 10.7% ± 3.7%, t = 4.616, P = 0.001 < 0.05). ABCB1 and ABCG2 expressed at higher concentrations in SP as compared with non-SP cells (ABCB1: 1.15 ± 0.72, 5.82 ± 1.16, t = 10.839, P = 0.000 < 0.05; ABCG2: 1.16 ± 0.75, 5.48 ± 0.94, t = 11.305, P = 0.000 < 0.05), which may contribute to the efflux of fluorescent staining and drug resistance. CONCLUSION: SP cells with inherently high resistance to chemotherapeutic agents do exist in pancreatic cancers, which may be candidate cancer stem cells contributing to the relapse of the tumor.

Salvianolic acid B modulates the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes in HepG2 cells

BACKGROUND: Enzymes involved in drug and xenobiotic metabolism have been considered to exist in two groups: phase I and phase II enzymes. Cytochrome P450 isoenzymes (CYPs) are the most important phase I enzymes in the metabolism of xenobiotics. The products of phase I metabolism are then acted upon by phase II enzymes, including glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). Herbs that inhibit CYPs such as CYP3A4 or that induce GSTs may have the potential to protect against chemical carcinogenesis since the mutagenic effects of carcinogens are often mediated through an excess of CYP-generated reactive intermediates. This study was designed to investigate the effects of salvianolic acid B (Sal B), a pure compound extracted from Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, a Chinese herb, on cell proliferation and CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 mRNA expression in the presence or absence of rifampicin, a potent inducer of CYPs and GST protein expression in HepG2 cells. METHODS: HepG2 cells were incubated with different concentrations of Sal B. Cell proliferation was determined by SYTOX-Green nucleic acid staining. CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 mRNA expression was assayed by real-time PCR. GST protein expression was analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Low concentrations of Sal B (0-20 μmol/L) had no significant effects on cell proliferation, while higher concentrations (100-250 μmol/L) significantly inhibited proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. Ten μmol/L Sal B, but not 1 μmol/L, down-regulated CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 mRNA expression after 24 hours of incubation, whereas both 1 and 10 μmol/L Sal B down-regulated CYP3A4mRNA expression after 96 hours of incubation; moreover, 1 and 10 μmol/L Sal B inhibited CYP3A4 mRNA expression induced by rifampicin. Both 1 μmol/L and 10 μmol/L Sal B increased GST expression. CONCLUSION: Sal B inhibits CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 mRNA expression and induces GST expression in HepG2 cells.

Rationale for the use of multifunctional drugs as neuroprotective agents for glaucoma

Glaucoma, the leading cause globally of irreversible blindness, is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive retinal ganglion cell death. To date, no drug has been shown to prevent the retinal ganglion cell loss associated with glaucoma. Multiple mechanisms lead to ganglion cell death in glaucoma, suggesting that a neuroprotectant that has a single mode of action, like memantine, would have a limited positive effect at slowing down ganglion cell death. Conversely simultaneously targeting several factors may be the best therapeutic approach to improve outcomes Multifunctional drugs are fast gaining acceptance as a strategy for the treatment of complex disorders of the central nervous system, such as Parkinson＇s disease, Alzheimer＇s disease and other progressive neurodegenerative diseases. In this paper, we review the current literature on multifunctional drugs and propose a rationale for the use of multifunctional drugs in glaucomatous optic neuropathy.

High-density lipoprotein as a potential carrier for delivery of a lipophilic antitumoral drug into hepatoma cells

AIM: To investigate the possibility of recombinant highdensity lipoprotein (rHDL) being a carrier for delivering antitumoral drug to hepatoma cells. METHODS: Recombinant complex of HDL and aclacinomycin (rHDL-ACM) was prepared by cosonication of apoproteins from HDL (Apo HDL) and ACM as well as phosphatidylcholine. Characteristics of the rHDL-ACM were elucidated by electrophoretic mobility, including the size of particles, morphology and entrapment efficiency. Binding activity of rHDL-ACM to human hepatoma cells was determined by competition assay in the presence of excess native HDL. The cytotoxicity of rHDL-ACM was assessed by MTT method. RESULTS: The density range of rHDL-ACM was 1.063-1.210 g/mL, and the same as that of native HDL. The purity of all rHDL-ACM preparations was more than 92%. Encapsulated efficiencies of rHDL-ACM were more than 90%. rHDL-ACM particles were typical sphere model of lipoproteins and heterogeneous in particle size. The average diameter was 31.26±5.62 nm by measure of 110 rHDL-ACM particles in the range of diameter of lipoproteins. rHDL-ACM could bind on SMMC-7721 cells, and such binding could be competed against in the presence of excess native HDL. rHDL-ACM had same binding capacity as native HDL. The cellular uptake of rHDL-ACM by SMMC-7721 hepatoma cells was significantly higher than that of free ACM at the concentration range of 0.5-10 μg/mL (P<0.01). Cytotoxicity of rHDL-ACM to SMMC-7721 cells was significantly higher than that of free ACM at concentration range of less than 5 ug/mL (P<0.01) and IC50 of rHDL-ACM was lower than IC50 of free ACM (1.68 nmol/L vs3 nmol/L). Compared to L02 hepatocytes, a normal liver cell line, the cellular uptake of rHDL-ACM by SMMC-7721 cells was significantly higher (P<0.01) and in a dose-dependent manner at the concentration range of 0.5-10 μg/mL.Cytotoxicity of the rHDL-ACM to SMMC- 7721 cells was significantly higher than that to L02 cells at concentration range of 1-7.5μg/mL (P<0.01). IC50 for SMMC-7721 cells (1.68 nmol/L) was lower than that for L02 cells (5.68 nmol/L), showing a preferential cytotoxicity of rHDL-ACM for SMMC-7721 cells. CONCLUSION: rHDL-ACM complex keeps the basic physical and biological binding properties of native HDL and shows a preferential cytotoxicity for SMMC-7721 hepatoma to normal L02 hepatocytes, HDL is a potential carrier for delivering lipophilic antitumoral drug to hepatoma cells.