Superparticles Formed by Amphiphilic Tadpole-like Single Chain Polymeric Nanoparticles and Their Application as an Ultrasonic Responsive Drug Carrier

Herein, we report self-assembly of tadpole-like single chain polymeric nanoparticles （TPPs） and the ultrasonic response of the resultant superparticles. The TPPs are with an intramolecularly crosslinked poly（2-（methacryloyloxy）ethyl pent-4-ynoate）-rpoly（hydroxyethyl methacrylate） （PMAEP-r-PHEMA） chain as the ＂head＂ and a poly（2- （dimethylamino）ethyl methacrylate （PDMAEMA） linear chain as the ＂tail＂, and are pre- pared simply and emciently by Glaser-coupling of the pendant alkynes in the PMAEP-r- PHEMA block in the common solvent methanol. The formation of the TPPs was confirmed by gel permeation chromatograph, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, static dynamic scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. In aqueous solution, the amphiphilic TPPs could self-assemble into regular superparticles, driven by aggregation of the hydrophobic ＂heads＂. Since in the structure there is no chain entanglement and the embedding of PDMAEMA chains disturb close-packing of the ＂heads＂, the superpartieles are responsive to a low-energy ultrasonic vibration, as evidenced by greatly enhanced release of the functional molecules from the superparticles by treatment of a low-energy ultrasound. Therefore, the superparticles should be very promising in the use as the drug carriers that can be manipulated from a long distance, considering that ultrasonic energy can be focused at a small area in a relatively long distance from the ultrasound-radiating source.

Dendritic macromolecules as nano-scale drug carriers:Phase solubility,in vitro drug release,hemolysis and cytotoxicity study

Potential of nanoscale triazine based dendritic macromolecules G1,G2 and G3 as solubility enhancers of drug was investigated.Effect of pH,concentration and generation of synthesized dendritic macromolecules on solubility of ketoprofen was studied.G3 dendrimer was further exploited as carrier for sustained release.Ketoprofen was encapsulated by inclusion complex method and also characterized by Flourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy.Sustained release study of ketoprofen from ketoprofen loaded dendrimer was carried out and compared with free ketoprofen.Hemolytic potential and Cytotoxicity assay using A-549 lung cancer cell lines revealed that synthesized triazine based dendritic macromolecules having more potential that commercially available PAMAM dendrimer.

Size,shape,charge and“stealthy”surface:Carrier properties affect the drug circulation time in vivo

The present review sets out to discuss recent developments of the effects and mechanisms of carrier properties on their circulation time.For most drugs,sufficient in vivo circulation time is the basis of high bioavailability.Drug carrier plays an irreplaceable role in helping drug avoid being quickly recognized and cleared by mononuclear phagocyte system,to give drug enough time to arrive at targeted organ and tissue to play its therapeutic effect.The physical and chemical properties of drug carriers,such as size,shape,surface charge and surface modification,would affect their in vivo circulation time,metabolic behavior and biodistribution.The final circulation time of carriers is determined by the balance between macrophage recognitions,blood vessel penetration and urine excretion.Therefore,when designing the drug delivery system,we should pay much attention to the properties of drug carriers to get enough in vivo circulation time to arrive at target site eventually.This article mainly reviews the effect of carrier size,size,surface charge and surface properties on its circulation time in vivo,and discusses the mechanism of these properties affecting circulation time.This review has reference significance for the research of long-circulation drug delivery system.

A New Type of Nanogel Carrier based on Mixed Pluronic Loaded with Low-Dose Antitumor Drugs

To design a new type of antitumor nanodrug carrier with good biocompatibility, a drug delivery system with a 2.19% drug-loading rate, measured by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), was prepared by membrane hydration using a mixed polymer: Pluronic■ F-127, which binds folic acid(FA), Pluronic■ F-68 and triptolide(TPL)(FA-F-127/F-68-TPL). As a control, another drug delivery system based on a single polymer(FA-F-127-TPL) with a 1.90% drug-loading rate was prepared by substituting F-68 with F-127. The average particle sizes of FA-F-127/F-68-TPL and FA-F-127-TPL measured by a particle size analyzer were 30.7 nm and 31.6 nm, respectively. Their morphology was observed by atomic force microscopy(AFM). The results showed that FA-F-127-TPL self-assembled into nanomicelles, whereas FA-F-127/F-68-TPL self-assembled into nanogels. An MTT assay showed that a very low concentration of FA-F-127/F-68-TPL or FA-F-127-TPL could significantly inhibit the proliferation of multidrug-resistant(MDR) breast cancer cells(MCF-7/ADR cells) and induce cell death. The effects were significantly different from those of free TPL(P < 0.01). Using the fluorescent probe Nile red(Nr) as the drug model, FA-F-127/F-68-Nr nanogels and FAF-127-Nr nanomicelles were prepared and then incubated with human hepatocarcinoma(HepG2) and MCF-7/ADR cells, and the fluorescence intensity in the cells was measured by a multifunctional microplate reader. The results indicated that both FA-F-127/F-68-Nr and FA-F-127-Nr had sustained release in the cells, but HepG2 and MCF-7/ADR cells exhibited significantly higher endocytosis of FA-F-127/F-68-Nr than that of FA-F-127-Nr(P < 0.01). A nude mice transplanted tumor model was prepared to monitor FA-F-127/F-68-Nr in the tumor tissue and organs by whole-body fluorescent imaging. The results showed that FA-F-127/F-68-Nr targeted tumor tissues. The prepared nanogels had small particle size, were easy to swallow, exhibited slow release property,targeted tumor cells, and could improve the antitumor effects of TPL;hence, they are ideal carriers for low-dose antineoplastic drugs.

Research progress in nanoparticles as anticancer drug carrier

Nanoparticles drug delivery system has sustained and controlled release features as well as targeted drug delivery, which can change the characteristics of drug distribution in vivo. It can increase the stability of the drug and enhance drug bioavailability. The selective targeting of nanoparticles can be achieved through enhanced permeability and retention effect and a conjugated specific ligand or through the effects of physiological conditions, such as pH and temperature. Nanoparticles can be prepared by using a wide range of materials and can be used to encapsulate chemotherapeutic agents to reduce toxicity, which can be used for imaging, therapy, and diagnosis. In this research, recent progress on nanoparticles as a targeted drug delivery system will be reviewed, including positive-targeting, negative-targeting, and physicochemical-targeting used as anticancer drug carriers.

Preparation and Characterization of Superparamagnetic Fe_3O_4/CNTs Nanocomposites Dual-drug Carrier

Fe3O4/carbon nanotubes（Fe3O4/CNTs） nanocomposites were prepared by polylol hightemperature decomposition of the precursor ferric chloride and CNTs in liquid triethylene glycol.After surface modification with hexanediamine,folate was covalently linked to the amine group of magnetic Fe3O4/CNTs nanocomposites.The products were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and vibrating sample magnetometry.Then Fe3O4/CNTs were used as a dual-drug carrier to co-delivery of the hydrophilic drug epirubicin hydrochloride and hydrophobic drug paclitaxel.The results indicated that the Fe3O4/CNTs had a favorable release property for epirubicin and paclitaxel,and thus had potential application in tumor-targeted combination chemotherapy.

Perspectives on bone-targeted nano-drug carriers for bone tumor treatment

Bone tumour is one of most common primary cancer which exhibits cancerous osteoblastic differentiation and malignant osteoid in patients.At present,chemotherapy(pre-and post-operative)is used as a standard treatment protocol for bone tumour.However,drugs used in the treatment of bone tumour induce high toxicity to normal tissues including anaemia,neutropenia,thrombocytopenia,and heart damage which further reduce the survival rate of patients.Therefore,there is an urgent need to develop a new therapeutic approach for the treatment such that it induce maximum cell killing effect in tumor cells while sparing the healthy bone cells.In this article,some new perspectives were provided on the development of bone-targeted nano-drug carriers for bone cancer treatment.We hope such discussions wouldencourage more detailed and careful studies to support product development of bone-targeted drug carriers for bone cancer treatment.

Advances in Research on Cellulose-based Drug Carriers

Traditional drug delivery methods are prone to large fluctuations in drug concentration and require multiple frequent doses.As a green material with excellent properties,cellulose has been widely used as a drug carrier for the development and preparation of drug controlled-release system.Based on the mechanisms of slow drug release,such as dissolution-diffusion release,degradation release,and nanochannel-controlled release,the preparation methods of cellulose-based drug carriers are introduced in this paper.The applications of cellulose-based drug carriers in the fields of antitumor therapy,antibacterial therapy,chronic disease treatment,and viral disease treatment are summarized with the aim of providing a useful reference for research on cellulose-based drug carriers.

Molecularly imprinted nanoparticles and their releasing properties, bio-distribution as drug carriers

Molecular imprinted nanoparticles(MINPs) can memorize the shape and functional group positions complementary to template, which account for the large drug loading capacity and slow drug release behavior as drug carriers. We synthesized MINPs via precipitation polymerization with vinblastine(VBL) as a model drug, and investigated the drug loading,releasing property in vitro and bio-distribution in vivo. The obtained MINPs, from 300 to 450 nm,had smooth surface and favorable dispersibility. The entrapment efficacy and drug loading capacity of VBL loaded MINPs(MINPs-VBL) were 83.25% and 8.72% respectively. In PBS(pH 7.4),MINPs-VBL showed sustained release behavior. The cumulative release percentage reached about 70% during 216 h and no burst release was observed. The releasing behavior of MINPsVBL in vitro conformed to the first-order kinetics model. MINPs-VBL and commercially available vinblastine sulfate injection(VBL injection) were injected via tail vein of SD rats respectively to investigate the bio-distribution. MINPs-VBL group showed higher concentration of VBL in tissues and serum than VBL injection group after 60 min, and the drug level in liver was the highest. MINPs-VBL exhibited liver targeting trend to some extent, which was based on the evaluation of drug targeting index(DTI) and drug selecting index(DSI).

A hybrid genipin-crosslinked dual-sensitive hydrogel/nanostructured lipid carrier ocular drug delivery platform

The objective of this study was to develop a novel hybrid genipin-crosslinked dual-sensitive hydrogel/nanostructured lipid carrier(NLC) drug delivery platform. An ophthalmic antiinflammatory drug, baicalin(BN) was chosen as the model drug. BN –NLC was prepared using melt-emulsification combined with ultra-sonication technique. Additionally, a dual pH-and thermo-sensitive hydrogel composed of carboxymethyl chitosan(CMCS) and poloxamer 407(F127) was fabricated by a cross-linking reaction with a nontoxic crosslinker genipin(GP). GP-CMCS/F127 hydrogel was characterized by FTIR, NMR, XRD and SEM. The swelling studies showed GP-CMCS/F127 hydrogel was both pH-and thermo-sensitive. The results of in vitro release suggested BN –NLC gel can prolong the release of baicalin comparing with BN eye drops and BN –NLC. Ex vivo cornea permeation study was evaluated using Franz diffusion cells. The apparent permeability coefficient(Papp) of BN –NLC gel was much higher(4.46-fold) than that of BN eye drops. Through the determination of corneal hydration levels, BN –NLC gel was confirmed that had no significant irritation to cornea. Ex vivo precorneal retention experiments were carried out by a flow-through approach. The results indicated that the NLC-based hydrogel can prolong precorneal residence time. In conclusion, the hybrid NLCbased hydrogel has a promising potential for application in ocular drug delivery.

Preparation and Drug-release Behavior of β-TCP Ceramics Drug Carrier in vitro

β-TCP ceramics drug carrier was first prepared and characterized. SEM showed that β-TCP carrier was in porous amorphous structure with diameters around 10 μm. The physical properties including apparent porosity, volume-weight, tensile strength and the permeability were measured and the results indicated those properties fit the clinical usage of β-TCP drug carrier. Furthermore, drug release experiment in vitro showed that the carrier could prolong drug release in simulated body fluid which provides basis for the clinical use of β-TCP ceramics as drug carrier.

The application of open disk-like structures as model membrane and drug carriers

The objective of this review is to outline the application of bicelles(or called bilayer micelles)and bilayer nanodisks in pharmaceutics,pharmaceutical analysis and biochemistry.The application of open disk-like structures as model membrane and drug carrier has been described.The exploration of many reports in different fields suggested that these open disk-like structures have great potential in studying interactions between drug-membrane and structure/function studies of membrane-bound proteins.Furthermore,they could be applied as promising carriers for in vivo delivery of drugs,protein and peptide.

Research progress on pharmacological action and effective drug carrier of berberine

Berberine(BBR)is an isoquinoline alkaloid that can be extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Huang Lian.It has anti-inflammatory,anti-cancer,protection of nerves,hypoglycemic,blood lipid,anti-oxidation,antibacterial and other effects.It can be used clinically to treat chronic colitis,bacterial vaginitis,rheumatoid arthritis,breast cancer,liver cancer,Alzheimer's disease,diabetes,obesity and other common diseases.This paper reviews the pharmacological effects of berberine and the research progress of effective drug carriers in order to provide new ideas for the clinical application of berberine.

Preparation and Characterization of Copolymer Micelles Formed by Poly(ethylene glycol)-Polylactide Block Copolymers as Novel Drug Carriers

Diblock copolymer poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether–polylactide (MePEG–PLA) micelles were prepared by dialysis against water. Indomethacin (IMC) as a model drug was entrapped into the micelles by dialysis method. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the prepared micelles in distilled water investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy was 0.0051 mg/mL which is lower than that of common low molecular weight surfactants. The diameters of MePEGPLA micelles and IMC loaded MePEGPLA micelles in a number-averaged scale measured by dynamic light scattering were 52.4 and 53.7 nm respectively. The observation with transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope showed that the appearance of MePEGPLA micelles was in a spherical shape. The content of IMC incorporated in the core portion of the micelles was 18% (ω). The effects of the synthesis method of the copolymer on the polydispersity of the micelles and the yield of the micelles formation were discussed.

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable nanoparticles from methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(D,L-lactide)block copolymers as novel drug carriers

Methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(D,L-lactide) block copolymers (PEG-PLA) were prepared through ring-opening polymerization.The oil in water suspension method was used to prepare block copolymer micelles. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) by fluorescence spectroscopy was 0.0056 mg·ml -1 . The physical state of the inner core region of micelles was characterized with 1HNMR. The size of indomethacin (IMC) loaded micelles measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed narrow monodisperse size distribution and the average diameters were less than 50 nm. In addition, the nanoparticles with relatively high drug loading content (DLC) were obtained.

Preparation of Star-Shaped Polylactic Acid Drug Carrier Nanoparticles

Drug carrier biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles of about 15 nm were prepared by solvent evaporation technique from star-shaped poly(D,L-lactide) synthesized using dipentaerythritol as core and Tin (II) ethylhexanoate as catalyst.

Nanoparticles for the treatment of spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injuries lead to significant loss of motor, sensory, and autonomic functions, presenting major challenges in neural regeneration. Achieving effective therapeutic concentrations at injury sites has been a slow process, partly due to the difficulty of delivering drugs effectively. Nanoparticles, with their targeted delivery capabilities, biocompatibility, and enhanced bioavailability over conventional drugs, are garnering attention for spinal cord injury treatment. This review explores the current mechanisms and shortcomings of existing treatments, highlighting the benefits and progress of nanoparticle-based approaches. We detail nanoparticle delivery methods for spinal cord injury, including local and intravenous injections, oral delivery, and biomaterial-assisted implantation, alongside strategies such as drug loading and surface modification. The discussion extends to how nanoparticles aid in reducing oxidative stress, dampening inflammation, fostering neural regeneration, and promoting angiogenesis. We summarize the use of various types of nanoparticles for treating spinal cord injuries, including metallic, polymeric, protein-based, inorganic non-metallic, and lipid nanoparticles. We also discuss the challenges faced, such as biosafety, effectiveness in humans, precise dosage control, standardization of production and characterization, immune responses, and targeted delivery in vivo. Additionally, we explore future directions, such as improving biosafety, standardizing manufacturing and characterization processes, and advancing human trials. Nanoparticles have shown considerable progress in targeted delivery and enhancing treatment efficacy for spinal cord injuries, presenting significant potential for clinical use and drug development.

细胞外囊泡在口腔鳞状细胞癌诊疗中的作用

背景:细胞外囊泡在不同的生理和病理生理条件下由多种细胞类型(包括肿瘤细胞)分泌到细胞外环境中,存在着广泛的生物学信号及细胞之间的信号传导。肿瘤衍生的细胞外囊泡可能会加剧癌症的进展、存活、侵袭和促进血管生成。目的:综述细胞外囊泡在口腔鳞状细胞癌诊疗中的研究进展。方法:由第一作者在Pub Med、万方和中国知网数据库中进行文献检索,关键词为“EVs,Oral squamous cell carcinoma,Diagnosis and treatment,Biopsy,Tissue engineering”及“细胞外囊泡,口腔鳞状细胞癌,诊疗,活检,组织工程”,最终纳入63篇文献进行分析。结果与结论:(1)在口腔鳞状细胞癌唾液活检中,细胞外囊泡作为肿瘤细胞与周围微环境间的信息传递工具,携带包括可溶性蛋白、脂质、DNA和RNA在内的多种生物分子,对口腔鳞状细胞癌的进展起着至关重要的作用,这些微小囊泡不仅在肿瘤的生长和扩散中扮演着关键角色,还提供了有关肿瘤生物学特性的重要信息。(2)唾液活检作为一种非侵入性诊断方法,通过分析其中的细胞外囊泡,可以为口腔鳞状细胞癌的早期诊断和靶向治疗开辟新的可能性。(3)研究发现,细胞外囊泡内含的生物活性分子,如micro RNAs(mi RNAs)和特定蛋白质,能作为口腔鳞状细胞癌的生物标志物,提高早期诊断的准确性。细胞外囊泡中的特定蛋白质如EHD2,CAVIN1,PF4V1和CXCL7等显示了作为新型预测性生物标志物的潜力。(4)此外,文章还强调了细胞外囊泡在口腔鳞状细胞癌治疗中的应用潜力,通过工程化改造,细胞外囊泡可以作为新一代纳米级药物输送系统,增强肿瘤靶向治疗的效率和特异性。(5)未来的研究将进一步深入探索细胞外囊泡在口腔鳞状细胞癌治疗中的作用及其机制,有望改善患者的生存率和生活质量。

Hydrogel-based local drug delivery strategies for spinal cord repair

Spinal cord injury results in significant loss of motor, sensory, and autonomic functions. Although a wide range of therapeutic agents have been shown to attenuate secondary injury or promote regeneration/repair in animal models of spinal cord injury, clinical translation of these strategies has been limited, in part due to difficulty in safely and effectively achieving therapeutic concentrations in the injured spinal cord tissue. Hydrogelbased drug delivery systems offer unique opportunities to locally deliver drugs to the injured spinal cord with sufficient dose and duration, while avoiding deleterious side effects associated with systemic drug administration. Such local drug delivery systems can be readily fabricated from biocompatible and biodegradable materials. In this review, hydrogel-based strategies for local drug delivery to the injured spinal cord are extensively reviewed, and recommendations are made for implementation.

Functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for drug delivery in tumor therapy

The side effects of chemotherapy are mainly the poor control of drug release. Magnetic nanoparticles(MNPs) have super-paramagnetic behaviors which are preferred for biomedical applications such as in targeted drug delivery, besides, in magnetic recording, catalysis, and others. MNPs, due to high magnetization response, can be manipulated by the external magnetic fields to penetrate directly into the tumor, thus they can act as ideal drug carriers. MNPs also play a crucial role in drug delivery system because of their high surface-to-volume ratio and porosity. The drug delivery in tumor therapy is related to the sizes, shapes, and surface coatings of MNPs as carriers. Therefore, in this review, we first summarize the effects of the sizes, shapes, and surface coatings of MNPs on drug delivery, then discuss three types of drug release systems, i.e., p H-controlled, temperature-controlled, and magnetic-controlled drug release systems, and finally compare the principle of passive drug release with that of active drug release in tumor therapy.