Monthly ,Founded in 1964 Resume Publication in 1980 Editor-in-Chief:YU Jihong ISSN 0251-0790 CN 22-1131/O6
The dynamic exchange and recombination of disulfide bonds make it easy to polymerization to obtain poly(disulfide)s, among which ring-opening polymerization(ROP) is a common preparation method. The environmental sensitivity of poly(disulfide)s makes it widely used in the field of drug delivery. In this paper, the ROP strategies of disulfide are reviewed, which are mainly divided into ring-opening self-polymerization and thiol-induced disulfide exchange polymerization. Then, the latest research progress of poly(disulfide)s in drug delivery is also discussed, including nucleic acid delivery, protein delivery and small molecule drug delivery. Last, the ROP stategies and application in drug delivery of poly(disulfide)s are prospected.
Supramolecular drug delivery nanoplatforms have attracted much attention due to their diverse functions, controllable drug-releasing property, and unsophisticated techniques for preparation. Polyphenols with phenolic hydroxyl structure have been reported to easily have non-covalent interactions with different drugs, next self- assembling to be supramolecular nanosystems and successfully delivering drugs through desirable administrations. Moreover, polyphenols per se are generally active in defensing tumor, bacteria, oxidative species, inflammation, and protecting cardiac function, which can broaden the biomedical application scope of polyphenol-based delivery systems. In this review, we comprehensively depict the supramolecular interactions involved in the polyphenol-based supramolecular drug delivery systems, and detailedly explain how the interaction force highly affects the drug loading(e.g., hydrophobic drugs, proteins, and DNA, etc.). Finally, the controversial issues existing in current polyphenol-based supramolecular nanosystems are summarized and reviewed. This article is expected to shed a new light on the rational designs and fundamental studies of emerging polyphenol-based materials.
Nanomaterials are considered as promising cancer treatment materials by selectively inducing programmed cell death(PCD) of tumor cells. Cuproptosis is a newly discovered PCD pattern caused by intracellular copper ion overload, characterized by the aggregation of acylated mitochondrial enzymes and the loss of Fe-S proteins. Various nanomaterials have been developed to induce cuproptosis in tumor cells as a treatment for cancer. Numerous studies have demonstrated that cuproptosis achieves better anti-tumor effects when combined with other tumor therapeutic modalities, showing a great potential. This paper introduces the mechanisms and characteristics of cellular cuproptosis, outlines the strategies and mechanisms of nanomaterial-induced cuproptosis in tumor cells, focuses on classifying and outlining the recent research progress of nanomaterial-induced cuproptosis combination therapy, and looks forward to the future prospects of this emerging therapeutic modality.
Cancer is a major threat to healthcare and people’s wellbeing worldwide. Despite the accumulative progress in current antitumor therapies including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, phototherapy and immunotherapy, cancer treatment still remains a major clinical challenge due to insufficient anticancer potency and serious side effects, which are largely associated with the uncontrollable drug release behavior. Therefore, targeted and controlled delivery of anticancer therapeutics to the tumor site emerges as a crucial task to improve tumor inhibition efficacy while alleviating adverse effects to normal cells and tissues. In recent years, drug-delivery nanosystems have gained much attention owing to its high drug loading capacity, low side effects, controllable drug release performance and good targeting effects. Among those emerging drug-delivery nanotechnologies based on supramolecular self-assembly are particularly attractive for cancer therapy on account of the unique dynamic and reversible interaction modes, which endow sensitivity to even small changes in the ambient environment. Based on the above knowledge, this review summarizes the latest progress of supramolecular delivery nanosystems, including the construction of different types of supramolecular nanostructures, controlled drug release strategies through harnessing supramolecular chemistries and biological applications of supramolecular drug delivery nanosystems. In addition, the prospect and key challenges of supramolecular drug delivery nanotechnology for precision cancer therapy are further discussed.
The cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate(GMP-AMP) synthase(cGAS protein)- stimulator of interferon genes(STING protein)(cGAS-STING) signaling pathway is a crucial pathway for recognizing abnormal DNA in the cytoplasm and activating the innate immune response system. After recognizing abnormal DNA in the cytoplasm, cGAS protein can catalyze the synthesis of cyclic guanosine diphosphate adenosine(cyclic GMP-AMP, cGAMP) from adenosine triphosphate(ATP) and guanosine triphosphate(GTP). cGAMP, as a second messenger, activates the stimulator of interferon gene(STING protein), promoting the release of type I interferons and thus initiating a series of immune responses. The cGAS-STING pathway can regulate tumor metastasis and growth, participate in anti-tumor innate immune responses, and exploring the mechanism of action of the cGAS-STING pathway is of great significance in tumor immunotherapy. This review introduces the mechanism of action of the cGAS-STING pathway and summarizes various strategies currently used to activate the cGAS-STING pathway in anti-tumor immunotherapy.
To solve the problems of instability, inactivation of natural enzymes and to tackle the limitations of low delivery efficiency, nanozyme-based micro/nanomotors have been designed and prepared. These motors, with the combination of the efficient and stable catalytic ability of nanozyme and the autonomous motion capability of micro/ nanomotors, could achieve active targeted drug delivery at the diseased site and respond to specific signals for intelligent and controllable drug release, therefore exhibiting significant potential in smart drug delivery applications. Following the developing idea of “from motility, to controllability and applicability”, this paper provides a comprehensive review of various types of nanozymes, discusses the motion regulatory strategies of micro/nanomotors, systematically reviews the cutting-edge applications of nanozyme-based micro/nanomotors in precision drug delivery, and summarizes the challenges and future development prospects for this technology in practical application, wishing to provide fundamental guidance for the development of this field.
We employed supramolecular interactions to fabricate amino acid-iron nano-assemblies using β-iron hydroxide oxide as the building block. The dynamics of assembly at various temperatures was investigated, shedding light on how temperature influences the nucleation, growth, and assembly processes. By optimizing the assembly conditions, a shuttle-shaped nano-assembly with a length of 179.1 nm and a width of 36.1 nm was successfully prepared, featuring a total iron(Fe) content of 49.6%, with complex Fe accounting for 32.1%. Cell experiments demonstrated that this unique amino acid-iron nano-assembly could be efficiently uptaken by human bladder transitional cell carcinoma T24 cells and inhibited their proliferation, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 163.8 μg/mL. These findings suggest that the nano-assembly possesses excellent tumor therapeutic potential and holds significant promise for research in the field of nanomedicine.
A series of cationic poly(α-amino acid)s(PALGn) materials with different side group structures was synthesized. The synthesized cationic poly(α-amino acid)s exhibited certain antibacterial activity in vitro. Among them, poly(γ-allyl-L-glutamate)20-butyl1(PALG20-Bu1) with the optimal ratio of cationic/hydrophobic group ratio showed the best antibacterial ability, with a minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) of 12.5 μg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus) and Escherichia coli(E. coli.). Further mechanistic studies indicated that PALG20-Bu1 could effectively disrupt the integrity of bacterial cell membranes, leading to bacterial death. Due to this unique antibacte-rial mechanism, PALG20-Bu1 exhibited rapid bactericidal kinetics. In summary, this work proposes a promising strategy for the treatment of clinical bacterial infections.
A nanomicelle(denoted as TPGS/Ppa) was fabricated via the coassembly of the amphiphilic D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate(TPGS) and the hydrophobic photosensitizer pyropheophorbide a(Ppa) for photodynamic therapy(PDT). The obtained nanomicelle possessed a spherical structure with a diameter of (18.0±2.2) nm and a zeta potential of approximately -18 mV. Besides, the nanomicelle exhibited excellent photostability, biocompatibility, and phototoxicity, and could effectively reach the tumor region via the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Additionally, it could be found that the TPGS/Ppa nanomicelle exhibited higher phototoxicity against 4T1 murine mammary cancer cells than free Ppa. In the 4T1 tumor-bearing mouse model, the nanomicelle showed an excellent antitumor therapeutic effect. This study develops a new type of photodynamic nanomicelle TPGS/Ppa, which can increase the accumulation of drugs and prolong their tumor retention time, providing a feasible strategy for realizing the delivery of small-molecule hydrophobic drugs and tumor PDT.
In this study, glucose oxidase nanocapsules(nGOx) and mesoporous silica nanocapsules loaded with tirapazamide(nMSNs-TPZ) were designed and synthesized using in situ radical polymerization reactions. The crosslinked polymer shell structure provided GOx and MSNs-TPZ with higher stability and longer tumor retention time. The sustained enhancement of the tumor hypoxic microenvironment by nGOx promoted the conversion of TPZ into cytotoxic free radicals, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of tumor treatment through synergistic effects. Both nGOx and nMSNs-TPZ were found to have spherical structures with uniform sizes. nGOx exhibited significantly improved stability and good catalytic activity in trypsin, specific temperatures, and different pH solutions. On the other hand, nMSNs-TPZ could be efficiently degraded in the presence of GSH, allowing for the controlled release of TPZ. In vitro cellular experiments and in vivo animal studies confirmed that the local hypoxic environment generated by nGOx was more favorable for TPZ to exert its effects. The synergistic treatment of the two nanocapsules shows superior tumor suppression effects. Therefore, this therapeutic strategy holds promise as another potential method for tumor treatment.
Cellular uptake and endosomal escape are two critical biological barriers to nanoscale drug delivery. The exofacial thiols at cell surface have been previously reported to simultaneously overcome these two barriers via the thiol-disulfide/diselenide exchange reaction. However, the power of such approach for nanomedicine delivery enhancement was limited. To address the above issue, we employed the mechanical force(ultrasound) that could significantly enhance the kinetics of thiol-disulfide/diselenide exchange reactions, and then the delivery efficiency. The discovery in the current work opens new avenues of tailored nanomedicine design to circumvent the delivery hurdles.
The in situ polymerization strategy was applied to construct a polymeric shell on the surface of ribonuc-lease A(RNase A) to obtain n(RNase A) nanocapsules. The characterization showed that n(RNase A) exhibited a homogeneously spherical structure with hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential values of (118.9±14.1) nm and (7.3±1.5) mV, respectively. Using fluorescence microscopic and flow cytometric analysis, n(RNase A) nanocapsules were identified to be efficiently internalized by A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells. After the internalization, n(RNase A) could further cleave RNA molecules in the cytosol, thereby inducing the cell apoptosis and inhibiting the cell proliferation. In conclusion, the present research successfully prepared a nanoformulation to facilitate the intracellular delivery of RNase A using surface-initiated in situ polymerization, and thus provided a useful idea for the construction and evaluation of other medicinal enzymes-based nanocapsules.
By using resveratrol(RES) and polyethylpyrrolidone(PVP) as raw materials, RES-PVP spherical nanoparticles(RES-PVP NPs) with uniform size were prepared by nano-precipitation method. Then the RES-PVP NPs were loaded into soluble microneedles(MNs) based on hyaluronic acid to prepare the nanodrug-loaded microneedles MN-NPs. The microneedles still maintain high mechanical strength after drug loading, which can meet the needs of penetrating the skin of human scar tissue. The RES-PVP NPs in MN-NPs can induce the apoptosis of human keloid fibroblasts and inhibit their migration. In experiments in vivo, MN-NPs can effectively inhibit the growth of keloid, showing the ability in keloid treatment. The method proposed in this work of transdermal delivery of resveratrol nanodrug using drug-loaded microneedles to treat keloid is feasible, and has good application prospect.
In recent years, with the continuous development of nanotechnology, multifunctional nanocomposites have been widely applied in the field of tumor therapy. Due to the heterogeneity, complexity, and diversity of tumors, single treatment approaches often fail to achieve ideal therapeutic outcomes. Therefore, combining multiple treatment methods to achieve synergistic tumor therapy has become a research hotspot. This paper designs a novel nanotherapy platform. A polydopamine(PDA) shell was coated on the surface of Pt@mesoporous Au nanomaterials(Pt@Au), and doxorubicin(DOX) was loaded into the PDA shell. The surface of the PDA shell was modified with glucose oxidase(GOx) and NH2-PEG5K-cRGD. NH2-PEG5K-cRGD can specifically bind to the overexpressed αvβ3 integrin in tumor cells, facilitating the accumulation of the nanotherapy platform in the tumor region. DOX can damage the DNA of tumor cells and is used for chemotherapy. The excellent photothermal properties of mesoporous Au and PDA can be used for photothermal therapy. GOx can react with glucose in tumor cells to produce gluconic acid and H2O2, achieving starvation therapy. Pt, as a common peroxidase mimic, can catalyze the decomposition of H2O2 in tumor cells to generate O2, alleviating the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and promoting starvation therapy. Therefore, the Pt@Au@PDA-DOX-GOx-cRGD possesses the ability to perform chemotherapy-photothermal therapy-self-enhanced starvation therapy for combined tumor treatment.
Biocompatible and biodegradable sodium alginate(SA) was used to stabilize Au nanoclusters(NCs) in this paper. Combined with the chemical inertness of Au, SA-AuNCs of (4.2±0.9) nm in diameter exhibited extremely low cytotoxicity. After administrated into mice, SA could delay the renal clearance of SA-AuNCs and prolong the half-life to (8.2±0.2) h in blood circulation. Thus the tumor uptake rate was increased to 10.4%ID/g. When tumor area contained high concentration of calcium ions, the tumor uptake rate could be further improved to 14.5%ID/g due to cross-link between Ca2+ and SA. The SA-AuNCs were mainly excreted through renal clearance, which only involved minor, but recoverable interference to the renal function. This indicates good biosafety of SA-AuNCs. This work can solves the contradiction between the renal clearance and tumor uptake of nanoclusters by using functional of ligands, which provides theoretical guidance for other high-performance diagnostic and therapeutic nanomaterials.
Fe3+-doped polyaminopyrrole nanoparticles(Fe/Ppy-NH2 NPs) with uniform size are prepared by Fe3+- induced oxidative polymerization of aminopyrrole and the coordination between Fe3+ and polyaminopyrrole. The colloidal stability of Fe/Ppy-NH2 NPs is good, and the mass fraction of Fe3+ is as high as 17.4%. On the one hand, the large amount of Fe3+ doping in Fe/Ppy-NH2 NPs can enhance the extinction ability in near infrared region, and the photothermal conversion efficiency of is 37.9%, which showing that Fe/Ppy-NH2 NPs is a good photothermal reagent for the photothermal therapy of tumors. On the other hand, the presence of single electron in the 3d orbit of Fe3+ can reduce the longitudinal relaxation time, Fe/Ppy-NH2 NPs are able to act as T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents for tumor localization. In conclusion, Fe/Ppy-NH2 NPs have shown good effects in in-situ MRI and photothermal therapy of breast cancer.
To enhance the curing performance and biocompatibility of current resin composites under near-infrared light, a novel dental resin composite incorporating non-cytotoxic rare earth upconversion nanoparticles(RE UCNPs) has been developed. Fluorescence spectrum studies reveal that these RE UCNPs emit visible light at 450—475 nm when stimulated by an 808 nm near-infrared laser, corresponding to the excitation wavelength of the photoinitiator camphorquinone(CQ). The integration of RE UCNPs into the resin matrix enhances monomer curing, mechanical properties, monomer conversion rate, and biocompatibility. With optimal concentrations of 1%(mass fraction) camphorquinone/2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate(CQ/DMAEMA) and 4%(mass fraction) RE UCNPs, the composite achieves maximum curing efficacy under 808 nm irradiation. Additionally, the composite can incorporate up to 40% modified SiO2 inorganic filler to achieve improved mechanical strength. The dental resin composites incorporating RE UCNPs improved the curing effect and biocompatibility of current resin composites under near-infrared light, presenting a promising alternative for dental caries treatment.
Anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering are currently effective strategies for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Therefore, a nanomedicine delivery system with targeted, photothermal therapy synergistic drug therapy was designed and synthesized to slow the progression of atherosclerosis through lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects. The CD44 receptor overexpressed in inflammatory macrophages was targeted by using hyaluronic acid as a backbone. Ag2S quantum dots exert photothermal therapeutic effects through covalent binding, while lovastatin is encapsulated to realize the pharmacological therapeutic effect. Moreover, physicochemical analyses and cellular experiments were performed on this nanomedicine delivery system. The results show that the material has suitable dimensions for good drug release in the presence of hyaluronidase and exerts excellent photothermal effects. In addition, both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the material has good biocompatibility and inhibits the developmental process of atherosclerosis, which provides new insights into the development of safe and effective treatments for atherosclerosis.
Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, and radiotherapy effectively improves the prognosis of breast cancer patients. In order to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy for breast cancer, this study prepared composite nanoparticles(E-DA NPs) based on the chemical reaction-driven self-assembly of epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG), D-arginine(D-Arg), and formaldehyde in an aqueous medium, and explored their radiosensitizing effects. These composite nanoparticles effectively increased the half-life and bioavailability of EGCG drug delivery, inhibited tumor cell proliferation, and enhanced the radiation-induced damage to tumor cells. Additionally, in the tumor microenvironment, the reaction of high concentrations of H2O2 with D-Arg released nitric oxide(NO), which reduced DNA damage repair levels, affected cell proliferation, enhanced the radiosensitivity of tumor cells, and improved tumor control and cure rates. This work, through the construction of polyphenol-arginine self-assembling nanomedicines, provides a new direction for developing novel radiotherapy sensitizers responsive to the tumor microenvironment.
This study developed a novel dentinal tubule sealant material that combines the antibacterial properties of zinc, the surface adhesivity of phase-transitioned lysozyme(PTL), and the drug-loading capabilities of hollow mesoporous silica(HMSN). Initially, HMSN were synthesized using the hard templating method and selective etching, with tetraethyl orthosilicate as the silica source. The negatively charged surfaces of HMSN adsorbed Zn2+ ions through electrostatic attraction, forming Zn2+@HMSN. Subsequently, Zn2+@HMSN was encapsulated with PTL, resulting in Zn2+/PTL@HMSN composite material which exhibited antibacterial activity and enhanced adhesion. Zn2+/PTL@HMSN not only exhibited outstanding biocompatibility which could seal dentinal tubules effectively, but also demonstrated robust resistance to acid and wear. Zn2+/PTL@HMSN significantly inhibited the adhesion of streptococcus mutans, underscoring its great potential for treating dentinal hypersensitivity.
By the coordination between dimethylimidazole and ZnNO3·6H2O, the dodecahedral ZIF-8 were prepared first. Using ZIF-8 as template and dopamine hydrochloride as raw material, polydopamine nanoparticles(PDA NPs) with hollow structure were then prepared by chelation competition induced polymerization(CCIP) method. Furthermore, by using PDA NPs as drug carrier, azithromycin loaded PDA NPs(AZM@PDA NPs) were finally prepared. The hollow structure of PDA NPs contributed to high azithromycin loading with a drug loading rate of up to 20.2%. AZM@PDA NPs have high biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity, and can promote the expression of anti- inflammatory cytokines in cells. The sustained release of azithromycin achieved by AZM@PDA NPs can effectively treat periodontitis and resist alveolar ridge resorption, with good biosafety in vivo and broad application prospects.
Multimodal imaging techniques have attracted great attention under the background of tumor theranostics, which are promoted by the development of nanomaterials. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and fluorescence imaging are clinically used imaging techniques, the combination of which will establish novel dual mode imaging methods and facilitate disease diagnosis. In this work, Fe3O4/CuInS2 binary superparticles(SPs) are fabricated through the co-assembly of Fe3O4 nanoparticles(NPs) with T2 MRI function and CuInS2 NPs with fluorescence imaging function using oil-in-water droplets as the templates. The biosafety of the SPs is improved through the modification with biocompatible methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactide-co-glycolide)(mPEG-PLGA). Besides the dual mode imaging, the constituent Fe3O4 NPs endows the SPs with a photothermal effect. The SPs can be also employed as nanocarriers for loading anti-tumor drugs, such as paclitaxel(PTX). The current work provides a new chance for the development of imaging-guided tumor therapeutics.
A series of bimetallic nanozymes(Pd3Rh, PdRh, PdRh3) was prepared using one-pot hydrothermal method by adjusting the ratio of palladium(Pd) to rhodium(Rh). The peroxidase-like(POD-like) and oxidase-like(OXD-like) activities of nanozymes were tested. The results showed that the catalytic activity of bimetallic nanozymes was significantly enhanced compared to that of single metallic nanozymes(Pd, Rh). The POD-like and OXD-like activities exhibited obvious component dependence, and PdRh3 and PdRh nanozyme showed the strongest POD-like and OXD-like activity, respectively. The analysis of enzymatic kinetics showed that the Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) of PdRh3 nanozyme with 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine(TMB) and H2O2 as substrates are 15.65 and 381.99 μmol/L, respectively. The corresponding maximum velocity(vmax) reach 8.40×10-8 and 11.01×10-8 mol/(L·s). In addition, the POD-like activity of PdRh3 nanozyme was pH-dependent, and the optimized activity was obtained at pH=5. A colorimetric sensing system was developed based on PdRh3 nanozyme, which realized the rapid quantitative detection of nitrite concentration in solution according to the fitting relationship between the absorbance ratio(A445 nm/A652 nm) and the concentration of nitrite ion(NO2-). The limit of detection(LOD) in pH=5 buffer and pure water are 0.467 and 30.523 μmol/L, respectively, and the system has a good specificity under the interference of various salt ions, demonstrating great application potential in biosensing.
The various types of diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria pose a constant threat to human life and health. The drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria is gradually increasing, which leads to a gradual decrease in the effectiveness of antibiotics. However, most of the current nanomaterials are mainly single-component antibacterials, whose singularity and one-sidedness hinder the comprehensive prevention and efficient control of microbial contamination. In order to prevent and curb the growth and spread of bacterial resistance, this work proposed the strategy of effectively compounding multiple antibacterial materials and constructing a multifaceted antibacterial system to achieve a multi-component synergistic bactericidal effect. In the study, a novel Au NP@pAMPS-Cl-b-PEG nano-antibacterial material was successfully developed by combining N-halamine polymer, which is an efficient bactericidal polymer, with gold nanoparticles(Au NP) possessing photothermal effect(PTT). The antibacterial material aims to fully utilize the synergistic effect of photothermal and chemical antibacterial mechanisms to effectively inhibit bacteria and reduce the occurrence of antibiotic resistance. This research provides a new strategy for combined antibacterial therapy, which is of great theoretical significance and reference value for promoting the development and application of novel antibacterial drugs.
As an important part of tumor immunotherapy, nanovaccines eradicate tumor mainly through activating the body’s immune system. However, the immunosuppressive microenvironment can largely reduce the therapeutic effect of nanovaccines in tumor tissues. Therefore, the preparation of nanovaccines that can both reverse the immunosuppressive microenvironment of tumor tissues and activate the antitumor immune response is of great significance for the development of tumor immunotherapy. In this study, the Fe/Shik supramolecular nanostructures were constructed by utilizing the coordination interaction between Fe3+ and Shikonin(Shik). Furthermore, OVA/R837@Fe/Shik nanovaccines were prepared by loading ovalbumin(OVA, B16-OVA tumor antigen) and R837 (TLR7 agonist, adjuvant) on the basis of Fe/Shik nanostructures. Thanks to the good colloidal stability and antitumor activity, the nanovaccines can specifically disassemble and release Fe2+, Shik, OVA, R837 in the tumor microenvironment, eliciting immunogenic cell death by ferroptosis and necroptosis of tumor cells. The released cell lysates cooperate with OVA and adjuvants to stimulate dendritic cells maturation, promoting the activation and infiltration of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, repolarization of macrophage, thereby activating the antitumor immune response. The study effectively overcames the inhibitory effect of the immunosuppressive microenvironment of tumor tissues on the nanovaccines, and provide a new strategy for tumor immunotherapy.