基于肿瘤微环境响应的DNA纳米结构递药系统

DNA分子由于其独特的生物相容性和可编程性,在增强药物靶向性和降低药物毒性方面展现了独特的优势和巨大的潜力。随着人们对肿瘤微环境研究的深入和环境响应性的DNA触发器的研制,近些年已报道了许多基于肿瘤微环境响应的DNA纳米结构递药系统,这些DNA纳米结构递药系统结合了纳米运载工具良好的生物分布和药代动力学特性,以及小型药物载体的快速扩散和渗透特性。通过靶向广泛的肿瘤栖息地而不是肿瘤特异性受体,该策略有可能克服肿瘤异质性问题,并可用于设计诊断和治疗多种实体肿瘤的纳米颗粒。在体内能够稳定地转运,在肿瘤组织独特的微环境刺激下释放药物,能有效地控制药物释放部位和释放速度,极大地降低了肿瘤治疗的毒副作用。本文主要从pH响应型、GSH响应型、ATP响应型、酶响应型、抗原响应型五个方面,综述了基于肿瘤微环境响应的DNA纳米结构递药系统的最新研究进展,分类介绍了这些DNA纳米载体的设计策略和响应释放机制,此外,还重点介绍了该领域面临的前景和挑战。     

光控释药型药物递送系统的研究进展

释药可控的药物递送系统能够在特定刺激条件下,在时间和空间上精确实现在病灶处释放包载的药物分子,具有药物利用率高、毒副作用低等诸多优点,为各种重大疾病,如肿瘤的精准治疗提供了新思路.在众多的可控释药递送系统中,利用特定光照控制药物释放的光控释药型药物递送系统展现出广阔的应用潜力,受到研究者的广泛关注.近年来,基于不同光响应机理的光控释药型药物递送系统被设计开发用于药物的精确可控释放,本文介绍了四种光敏感基团的不同光响应机理,对基于不同光响应机理的光控释药型药物递送系统的研究进展进行了综述,指出现有光控释药型药物递送系统存在的问题及对未来的研究方向进行了展望.     

高分子材料调控肿瘤免疫微环境的研究进展

随着肿瘤免疫疗法在临床应用取得巨大突破,通过抗肿瘤免疫反应提高抗肿瘤疗效的治疗方式受到了广泛的关注.然而,肿瘤组织存在复杂的免疫抑制性微环境,严重限制了部分免疫疗法的效果.长期以来,高分子材料作为重要的药物递送载体受到广泛关注,但是其在调控肿瘤免疫微环境的功能及应用方面尚未引起足够的重视.在本文中,我们一方面介绍了肿瘤组织形成免疫抑制性微环境的成因,如肿瘤组织存在多种免疫抑制性细胞,如调节性T细胞(Tregs)、髓系来源抑制性细胞(MDSCs)和肿瘤相关巨噬细胞(TAMs)等,以及免疫细胞、肿瘤细胞等分泌的大量细胞因子、趋化因子、代谢产物等.另一方面,重点介绍了近年来高分子材料作为载体递送免疫调节分子或发挥自身免疫调节功能,调控或逆转免疫抑制性微环境的策略和典型代表,证明了高分子材料在调控肿瘤免疫微环境,改善肿瘤治疗效果方面的巨大潜力.     

智能中空药物载体的门控设计

由于具有独特新颖的结构和广泛的应用领域,中空材料已成为合成化学和材料化学研究的热点;特别是其高的表面体积比、低密度及大空腔等特点,成为药物递送载体的最佳选择.通过对中空结构的精确选择和精准修饰,可赋予中空材料独特的刺激响应行为,从而实现该类药物载体的智能设计和药物的可控释放.目前,构建中空智能载体主有以下两条思路:(1)利用自身可对环境中的物理化学刺激做出响应的中空材料作为载体;(2)在中空载体表面修饰功能性分子,以实现在特定的刺激下精确控制孔道的“开-关”转换.其核心在于分子组成和构型的精准调控.基于此,本文综合评述了中空智能载体的可控释放机制.首先介绍中空药物载体的发展历史,随后阐述药物分子在中空结构中的扩散规律,并总结了中空结构载体的智能响应行为、不同的门控机制、控制释放原理以及应用前景,最后对未来的发展做了展望.     

苯硼酸选择性结合的pH响应脂质体用于药物递送

通过取代反应和酯化反应合成了一端以酰胺键连接苯硼酸(PBA)另一端以酯键连接硬脂酸(SA)的聚乙二醇(PEG)的衍生物PBA-PEG-SA,并将之与二硬脂酰胆碱磷酸(DSCP)、胆固醇(CH)共组装制备了一种具有pH响应特性的脂质体(Lip)。研究表明,当m(PBA-PEG-SA)∶m(CH)∶m(DSCP)=1∶3∶10共组装时,所制备的脂质体的粒径为115 nm,在20 d内保持良好的粒径稳定性,并且具有良好的生物相容性,在质量浓度达到800μg/mL时,小鼠胚胎成纤维细胞(NIH-3T3)和肝癌细胞(HepG2)的存活率皆可达到90%以上。同时,由于苯硼酸与果糖(Fru)的选择性结合,在负载阿霉素(Dox)后,与DSCP脂质体药物(Lip/Dox)相比,Fru/PBA/Lip/Dox脂质体可以有效增强对HepG2细胞的毒性,降低对正常细胞NIH-3T3的毒性,同时也改善了细胞对载药脂质体的内吞作用。因此,DSCP与PBA-PEG-SA共组装形成的脂质体,具有良好的pH响应性能以及增强脂质体在肿瘤组织的富集能力,在肿瘤治疗领域具有较好的应用前景。     

肿瘤微环境刺激响应型上转换光动力诊疗体系的构建和发展

光动力治疗是一种新型的非侵入式肿瘤治疗方法,具有创伤性和毒性小、选择性好、无耐药性、可重复治疗等突出优点,在癌症的治疗上取得了显著的成效.为了增加光动力治疗的组织穿透深度,研究者提出构建基于上转换纳米颗粒(upconversion nanoparticles, UCNPs)的光动力诊疗探针(简称上转换光动力诊疗探针).基于发光共振能量转移过程,上转换光动力诊疗探针利用UCNPs在近红外光激发下发射的荧光激活负载的光敏剂发挥光动力疗效,有助于实现深层肿瘤的治疗.新型的上转换光动力诊疗探针通过多功能一体化的结构组合设计可以实现靶向运输、成像诊断以及刺激响应的按需治疗,是未来纳米医药发展的必然趋势.目前,研究者越来越关注构建基于肿瘤微环境刺激响应型上转换光动力诊疗体系,以提高治疗体系的靶向性,改善光动力治疗效果,并减小对周围正常组织的毒性.本工作主要讨论了基于pH、酶及过氧化氢刺激响应型上转换光动力诊疗体系的构建和发展,并对其发展前景进行了展望.     

基于多肽的药物递送系统研究进展

药物递送系统是将药物输送到药物作用靶点的系统,理想的递送系统可以提高药物作用效果并降低给药剂量和毒副作用.本文综述了药物递送系统中的多肽类药物递送系统的研究进展.多肽具有易合成、易代谢、免疫原性低、毒副作用低等优点,多肽支链上大量的官能团可以和药物偶联,是药物递送系统的重要发展方向.本文从靶向肽、穿透肽、响应肽和组装肽四个方面介绍了多肽药物递送系统的原理和实例.组装肽可以形成纳米结构,显著提升多肽药物递送系统的稳定性,可以实现长效释放.组装肽体内原位调控进一步增加了多肽药物递送系统的智能型、精准性,展现出巨大的转化潜力.     

基于靶向调控肿瘤微环境的多肽纳米药物系统研究进展

肿瘤微环境在肿瘤的发生、发展和转移过程中起着至关重要的作用,因此靶向调控微环境为发展肿瘤精准治疗的新策略提供了机遇。纳米技术的快速发展为传统药物的增效减毒提供了契机,已有一系列纳米药物用于肿瘤临床治疗。近年来,分子自组装领域的快速发展为智能纳米药物的研发提供了新机遇。多肽作为生物相容性高、序列可设计、易修饰、功能多样化的生物分子,可组装构建结构多样和功能集成的纳米药物系统。本文综述了利用多肽自组装超分子体系实现药物对肿瘤微环境的响应释放和高效递送,并对其通过调控微环境中的血管、成纤维细胞和胞外基质等组分,改变肿瘤赖以生存的"土壤",并与抗肿瘤细胞治疗有机结合的最新进展进行了介绍。针对肿瘤异质性和复杂性的难题,构建表/界面性质可控的纳米药物系统,发展基于肿瘤微环境调控与联合治疗的肿瘤综合治疗方案,将是未来重要的发展方向之一。     

刺激响应性水凝胶在肿瘤治疗中的研究进展

恶性肿瘤的治疗在临床中一直备受关注,由于肿瘤细胞的浸润性和顽固性,常规治疗通常会产生严重的毒副作用。相较于全身化疗,局部载药水凝胶的使用显著降低了全身毒性并可实现药物在肿瘤部位的持续递送。此外,经物理掺杂或化学修饰的刺激响应性水凝胶,还可响应环境条件变化(如温度、pH、光等),实现原位交联和药物可控释放,大大提高了临床顺应性和药物递送效率。本综述分类讨论了用于肿瘤治疗的刺激响应性水凝胶的设计策略;汇总了近年来此类水凝胶的研究进展及其药物递送方案;并针对该领域存在的实际问题提出了可能的发展方向。     

外泌体递药系统及其在肿瘤治疗中的应用

癌症是世界上第二大死亡原因,其每年的发病率都很高。尽管现有的治疗方法在过去十年中取得了重大进展。但是由于现有多数抗肿瘤药物具有非特异性细胞毒性、生物相容性差和生物利用度低等缺点,导致化疗等方法的治疗效果较差。外泌体是由多种细胞分泌的囊泡,具有磷脂双层结构和纳米颗粒大小。它具有良好的生物相容性、高稳定性和良好的靶向性。在癌症治疗中,外泌体作为一种潜在有效的药物递送系统已经引起越来越多的关注。本文综述了外泌体作为靶向肿瘤药物载体的设计策略,并试图为基于外泌体的纳米载体在各种肿瘤治疗中的应用提供新的见解。     

Exploiting a New Approach to Destroy the Barrier of Tumor Microenvironment: Nano-Architecture Delivery Systems

Recent findings suggest that tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important regulatory role in the occurrence, proliferation, and metastasis of tumors. Different from normal tissue, the condition around tumor significantly altered, including immune infiltration, compact extracellular matrix, new vasculatures, abundant enzyme, acidic pH value, and hypoxia. Increasingly, researchers focused on targeting TME to prevent tumor development and metastasis. With the development of nanotechnology and the deep research on the tumor environment, stimulation-responsive intelligent nanostructures designed based on TME have attracted much attention in the anti-tumor drug delivery system. TME-targeted nano therapeutics can regulate the distribution of drugs in the body, specifically increase the concentration of drugs in the tumor site, so as to enhance the efficacy and reduce adverse reactions, can utilize particular conditions of TME to improve the effect of tumor therapy. This paper summarizes the major components and characteristics of TME, discusses the principles and strategies of relevant nano-architectures targeting TME for the treatment and diagnosis systematically.     

Preparation of a Camptothecin Prodrug with Glutathione‐Responsive Disulfide Linker for Anticancer Drug Delivery

We present here a novel camptothecin (CPT) prodrug based on polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether‐block‐poly(2‐methacryl ester hydroxyethyl disulfide‐graft‐CPT) (MPEG‐SS‐PCPT). It formed biocompatible nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters of approximately 122 nm with a CPT loading content as high as approximately 25 wt % in aqueous solution. In in vitro release studies, these MPEG‐SS‐PCPT NPs could undergo triggered disassembly and much faster release of CPT under glutathione (GSH) stimulus than in the absence of GSH. The CPT prodrug had high antitumor activity, and another anticancer drug, doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX ? HCl), could also be introduced into the prodrug with a high loading amount. The DOX ? HCl‐loaded CPT prodrug could deliver two anticancer drugs at the same time to produce a collaborative cytotoxicity toward cancer cells, which suggested that this GSH‐responsive NP system might become a promising carrier to improve drug‐delivery efficacy.     

The Combination of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy towards More Efficient Drug Delivery

Research on anticancer therapies has advanced significantly in recent years. New therapeutic platforms that can further improve the health of patients are still highly demanded. We propose the idea of combining regular chemotherapy with radiation therapy to minimize side effects as well as increase drug‐delivery efficiency. In this Focus Review, we seek to provide an overview of recent advances that can combine chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We begin by reviewing the current state of systems that can combine chemotherapy and gamma radiation. Among them, diselenide‐containing polymers are highlighted as sensitive drug‐delivery vehicles that can disassemble under gamma radiation. Then X‐ray responsive materials as promising alternative systems are summarized, including X‐ray responsive drug‐delivery vehicles, prodrugs that can be activated by X‐rays, and radiation‐site‐targeting systems. Finally, we describe strategies that involve phototherapies.     

Drug Self‐Delivery Systems Based on Hyperbranched Polyprodrugs towards Tumor Therapy

Amphiphilic hyperbranched polyprodrugs (DOX‐S‐S‐PEG) with drug repeat units in hydrophobic core linked by disulfide bonds were developed as drug self‐delivery systems for cancer therapy. The hydroxyl groups and the amine group in doxorubicin (DOX) were linked by 3,3′‐dithiodipropanoic acid as hydrophobic hyperbranched cores, then amino‐terminated polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether (mPEG‐NH₂) as hydrophilic shell was linked to hydrophobic cores to form amphiphilic and glutathione (GSH)‐responsive micelle of hyperbranched polyprodrugs. The amphiphilic micelles can be disrupted under GSH (1 mg mL^?1) circumstance. Cell viability of A549 cells and 293T cells was evaluated by CCK‐8 and Muse Annexin V & Dead Cell Kit. The disrupted polyprodrugs maintained drug activity for killing tumor cells. Meanwhile, the undisrupted polyprodrugs possessed low cytotoxicity to normal cells. The cell uptake experiments showed that the micelles of DOX‐S‐S‐PEG were taken up by A549 cells and distributed to cell nuclei. Thus, the drug self‐delivery systems with drug repeat units in hydrophobic cores linked by disulfide bonds showed significant special advantages: 1) facile one‐pot synthesis; 2) completely without toxic or non‐degradable polymers; 3) DOX itself functions as fluorescent labeled molecule and self‐delivery carrier; 4) drug with inactive form in hyperbranched cores and low cytotoxicity to normal cells. These advantages make them excellent drug self‐delivery systems for potential high efficient cancer therapy.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Sterculia Gum Based pH Responsive Drug Delivery System for Use in Colon Cancer

The present study deals with the modification of sterculia gum to develop the novel colon specific delivery system for use in colon cancer. The sterculia and acrylic acid based hydrogels were synthesized and characterized with FTIR, SEMs, TGA and swelling behavior. Swelling studies of the hydrogels were carried out as a function of reaction parameters such as monomer concentration, initiator concentration, amount of sterculia gum and crosslinker concentration and nature of swelling mediums. Swelling kinetics of the hydrogels and in vitro release dynamics of anticancer model drug methotrexate from the hydrogels were studied to evaluate the swelling mechanism and drug release mechanism from the drug-loaded hydrogels. The values of diffusion exponent for the release of drug were 0.883, 0.910 and 0.787 in distilled water, pH 2.2 buffer and pH 7.4 buffer, respectively. The release of drug from the polymer matrix occurred through a non -Fickian type diffusion mechanism.     

Advances in Exosomes‐Based Drug Delivery Systems

Exosomes, a subgroup of extracellular vesicles, are important mediators of long‐distance intercellular communication and are involved in a diverse range of biological processes such as the transport of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Researchers, seeing the problems caused by the toxic effects and clearance of synthetic nanoparticles, consider exosomes as an interesting alternative to such nanoparticles in the specific and controlled transport of drugs. In recent years, there have been remarkable advances in the use of exosomes in cancer therapeutics or for treating neurological diseases, among other applications. The objective of this work is to analyze studies focused on exosomes used in drug delivery system, present and future applications in this field of research are discussed based on the results obtained.