scholarly journals Exosomal targeting and its potential clinical application

Author(s):  
Jiao He ◽  
Weihong Ren ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Wenyan Han ◽  
Lu Jiang ◽  
...  

AbstractExosomes are extracellular vesicles secreted by a variety of living cells, which have a certain degree of natural targeting as nano-carriers. Almost all exosomes released by cells will eventually enter the blood circulation or be absorbed by other cells. Under the action of content sorting mechanism, some specific surface molecules can be expressed on the surface of exosomes, such as tetraspanins protein and integrin. To some extent, these specific surface molecules can fuse with specific cells, so that exosomes show specific cell natural targeting. In recent years, exosomes have become a drug delivery system with low immunogenicity, high biocompatibility and high efficacy. Nucleic acids, polypeptides, lipids, or small molecule drugs with therapeutic function are organically loaded into exosomes, and then transported to specific types of cells or tissues in vivo, especially tumor tissues, to achieve targeting drug delivery. The natural targeting of exosome has been found and recognized in some studies, but there are still many challenges in effective clinical treatments. The use of the natural targeting of exosomes alone is incapable of accurately transporting the goods loaded to specific sites. Besides, the natural targeting of exosomes is still an open question in disease targeting and efficient gene/chemotherapy combined therapy. Engineering transformation and modification on exosomes can optimize its natural targeting and deliver the goods to a specific location, providing wide use in clinical treatment. This review summarizes the research progress of exosomal natural targeting and transformation strategy of obtained targeting after transformation. The mechanism of natural targeting and obtained targeting after transformation are also reviewed. The potential value of exosomal targeting in clinical application is also discussed. Graphical abstract

2022 ◽  
Vol 2022 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Zhe Li ◽  
Tingting Zhao ◽  
Jiaxin Li ◽  
Qingying Yu ◽  
Yu Feng ◽  
...  

Natural products have antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other pharmacological activities and are an important source of drugs for prevention and treatment of various diseases. However, the inherent defects of natural products in physiological media such as poor solubility and stability and short biological half-life limit their clinical application. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the science of drug delivery by nanoscale materials. A large number of in vitro and in vivo studies have further confirmed the efficacy and safety of nanomedicine based on natural products in preclinical models of various diseases. In this review, we summarized the achievements of nanomaterials in improving the efficacy of natural products, introduced the research progress in several key fields of natural product-based nanomedicine in medical application, and discussed the challenges and prospects of clinical transformation of nanomedicine.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Longyun Wang ◽  
Qianqian Yin ◽  
Cun Liu ◽  
Ying Tang ◽  
Changgang Sun ◽  
...  

Background: Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural pentacyclic triterpene derived from fruit, herb, and other plants. UA can act on molecular targets of various signaling pathways, inhibit the growth of cancer cells, promote cycle stagnation, and induce apoptosis, thereby exerting anticancer activity. However, its poor water-solubility, low intestinal mucosal absorption, and low bioavailability restrict its clinical application. In order to overcome these deficiencies, nanotechnology, has been applied to the pharmacological study of UA.Objective: In this review, we focused on the absorption, distribution, and elimination pharmacokinetics of UA in vivo, as well as on the research progress in various UA nanoformulations, in the hope of providing reference information for the research on the anticancer activity of UA.Methods: Relevant research articles on Pubmed and Web of Science in recent years were searched selectively by using the keywords and subheadings, and were summarized systematically.Key finding: The improvement of the antitumor ability of the UA nanoformulations is mainly due to the improvement of the bioavailability and the enhancement of the targeting ability of the UA molecules. UA nanoformulations can even be combined with computational imaging technology for monitoring or diagnosis.Conclusion: Currently, a variety of UA nanoformulations, such as micelles, liposomes, and nanoparticles, which can increase the solubility and bioactivity of UA, while promoting the accumulation of UA in tumor tissues, have been prepared. Although the research of UA in the nanofield has made great progress, there is still a long way to go before the clinical application of UA nanoformulations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 6786
Author(s):  
Safeera Khan ◽  
Andrew Dunphy ◽  
Mmesoma S. Anike ◽  
Sarah Belperain ◽  
Kamal Patel ◽  
...  

Carbon nanodots (CNDs) are an emerging class of nanomaterials and have generated much interest in the field of biomedicine by way of unique properties, such as superior biocompatibility, stability, excellent photoluminescence, simple green synthesis, and easy surface modification. CNDs have been featured in a host of applications, including bioimaging, biosensing, and therapy. In this review, we summarize the latest research progress of CNDs and discuss key advances in our comprehension of CNDs and their potential as biomedical tools. We highlighted the recent developments in the understanding of the functional tailoring of CNDs by modifying dopants and surface molecules, which have yielded a deeper understanding of their antioxidant behavior and mechanisms of action. The increasing amount of in vitro research regarding CNDs has also spawned interest in in vivo practices. Chief among them, we discuss the emergence of research analyzing CNDs as useful therapeutic agents in various disease states. Each subject is debated with reflection on future studies that may further our grasp of CNDs.


Energies ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 426
Author(s):  
Lukáš Děkanovský ◽  
Jinhua Li ◽  
Huaijuan Zhou ◽  
Zdenek Sofer ◽  
Bahareh Khezri

Nano/microrobots (NMRs) are tiny devices that can convert energy into motion and operate at nano/microscales.54 Especially in biomedical research, NMRs have received much attention over the past twenty years because of their excellent capabilities and great potential in various applications, including on-demand drug delivery, gene and cell transport, and precise microsurgery. Reports published in recent years show that synthetic nano/microrobots have promising potential to function in the gastrointestinal (GI) region, particularly in terms of drug delivery. These tiny robots were able to be designed in such a way that they propel in their surroundings (biological media) with high speed, load cargo (drug) efficiently, transport it safely, and release upon request successfully. Their propulsion, retention, distribution, and toxicity in the GI tract of mice has been evaluated. The results envisage that such nano/microrobots can be further modified and developed as a new-generation treatment of GI tract diseases. In this minireview, we focus on the functionality of micro/nanorobots as a biomedical treatment system for stomach/intestinal diseases. We review the research progress from the first in vivo report in December 2014 to the latest in August 2021. Then, we discuss the treatment difficulties and challenges in vivo application (in general) and possible future development routes.


Author(s):  
Zhang Ruirui ◽  
He Jian ◽  
Ximei Xu ◽  
Li Shengxian ◽  
Peng Hongmei ◽  
...  

Abstract In recent years, PLGA micro/nano particle drug delivery systems has been widely used in cancer treatment. According to the unique properties of PLGA, carriers of various structures are designed to keep the function of drugs or bioactive substances, ensure the effective load of molecules and improve the bioavailability of drugs in diseased parts. PLGA is one of the earliest and most commonly used biodegradable materials. It is often used for functional modification with other polymers (such as polyethylene glycol and chitosan) or other molecules (such as aptamers and ligands) to deliver various small molecule drugs (such as DOX and DTX) and bioactive macromolecules (such as proteins and nucleic acids) to improve targeting, controlled release and therapeutic properties. In this paper, the preparation methods, physical and chemical properties and medical applications of PLGA micro/nano particles are discussed. We focused on the recent research progress of the PLGA-based drug carrier system in tumor combination therapy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dapeng Fu ◽  
Qingbo Fang ◽  
Fukang Yuan ◽  
Junle Liu ◽  
Heyi Ding ◽  
...  

Massive hemorrhage caused by the uncontrolled release of thrombolysis drugs is a key issue of thrombolysis therapy in clinical practice. In this study, we report a near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered drug delivery system, i.e., CuS@mSiO2-PEG (CSP) nanoparticles, for the loading of a thrombolytic drug (urokinase plasminogen activators, uPA). CSP nanoparticles with the CuS nanoparticles as photothermal agents and mesoporous SiO2 for the loading of uPA were synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method. The CSP core-shell nanoparticles were demonstrated to possess excellent photothermal performance, exhibiting a photothermal conversion efficiency of up to 52.8%. Due to the mesoporous SiO2 coating, the CSP core-shell nanoparticles exhibited appropriate pore size, high pore volume, and large surface area; thus, they showed great potential to be used as drug carriers. Importantly, the release of uPA from CuS@mSiO2-PEG/uPA (CSPA) carriers can be promoted by the NIR laser irradiation. The drug loading content of uPA for the as-prepared NIR-triggered drug delivery system was calculated to be 8.2%, and the loading efficiency can be determined to be as high as 89.6%. Due to the excellent photothermal effect of CSP nanocarriers, the NIR-triggered drug delivery system can be used for infrared thermal imaging in vivo. The in vivo thrombolysis assessment demonstrated that the NIR-triggered drug delivery system showed excellent thrombolytic ability under the irradiation of an 808 nm laser, showing the combined therapy for thrombolysis. As far as we know, the CSPA core-shell nanoparticles used as NIR-triggered drug delivery systems for thrombolysis have not been reported.


Author(s):  
Baifeng Qian ◽  
Andreas Termer ◽  
Christof M. Sommer ◽  
Arianeb Mehrabi ◽  
Eduard Ryschich

AbstractCells of the immune system were proposed for use as Trojan horse for tumour-specific drug delivery. The efficacy of such cell-based drug delivery depends on the site-specific cell homing. This present study was aimed to investigate the potential of leucocytes for intratumoural site-specific enrichment using a locoregional application route in experimental liver tumours. Human neutrophils were isolated from peripheral blood and directly labelled with calcein AM or loaded with doxorubicin. The neutrophil loading and release of doxorubicin and the migration and adhesion to ICAM-1 were analysed in vitro. Macrophages were isolated and activated in vitro. Leucocyte plugging and the distribution pattern in the liver microvasculature were studied ex vivo, and the efficacy of leucocyte plugging in tumour blood vessels was analysed in vivo after superselective intra-arterial injection in mouse liver tumour models. Neutrophils were characterised by the high dose-dependent uptake and rapid release of doxorubicin. Doxorubicin loading did not affect neutrophil migration function. Neutrophil plugging in liver microvasculature was very high (> 90%), both after ex vivo perfusion and after injection in vivo. However, neutrophils as well as activated macrophages plugged insufficiently in tumour blood vessels and passed through the tumour microvasculture with a very low sequestration rate in vivo. Neutrophils possess several properties to function as potentially effective drug carriers; however, the tumour site-specific drug delivery after selective locoregional injection was observed to be insufficient owing to low intratumoural microvascular plugging. Graphical abstract


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 645-675
Author(s):  
Parasuraman Padmanabhan ◽  
Mathangi Palanivel ◽  
Ajay Kumar ◽  
Domokos Máthé ◽  
George K. Radda ◽  
...  

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), affect the ageing population worldwide and while severely impairing the quality of life of millions, they also cause a massive economic burden to countries with progressively ageing populations. Parallel with the search for biomarkers for early detection and prediction, the pursuit for therapeutic approaches has become growingly intensive in recent years. Various prospective therapeutic approaches have been explored with an emphasis on early prevention and protection, including, but not limited to, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy. Many pharmacological interventions have proved to be promising novel avenues, but successful applications are often hampered by the poor delivery of the therapeutics across the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). To overcome this challenge, nanoparticle (NP)-mediated drug delivery has been considered as a promising option, as NP-based drug delivery systems can be functionalized to target specific cell surface receptors and to achieve controlled and long-term release of therapeutics to the target tissue. The usefulness of NPs for loading and delivering of drugs has been extensively studied in the context of NDDs, and their biological efficacy has been demonstrated in numerous preclinical animal models. Efforts have also been made towards the development of NPs which can be used for targeting the BBB and various cell types in the brain. The main focus of this review is to briefly discuss the advantages of functionalized NPs as promising theranostic agents for the diagnosis and therapy of NDDs. We also summarize the results of diverse studies that specifically investigated the usage of different NPs for the treatment of NDDs, with a specific emphasis on AD and PD, and the associated pathophysiological changes. Finally, we offer perspectives on the existing challenges of using NPs as theranostic agents and possible futuristic approaches to improve them.


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