三明治结构rGO/Fe3O4@mSiO2载体的构筑及协同抗肿瘤性能

采用温和的反应条件,制备出三明治结构rGO/Fe_3O_4@mSiO_2,利用SEM、TEM、FTIR、XRD和N_2吸附-脱附等对其形貌和性能进行表征,考查了其对Hela细胞的毒性和细胞荧光成像效果,并探讨了其形成机理。实验结果表明:rGO/Fe_3O_4@mSiO_2具有较高的比表面积(217 m~2·g~(-1)),对抗癌药物五氟尿嘧啶(5-FU)的载药率达到57.34%;它还具有较好的磁性,磁饱和强度为32 emu·g-1;而且rGO/Fe_3O_4@mSiO_2纳米复合物在光照条件下具有优异的光热转换性能,对He La细胞表现出明显的杀伤效果。     

Sulfur speciation defined subcellular localization of coumarin derivatives: Correlation of structural relationship to biological behaviors

Modulating the speciation of sulfur containing functional group could alter the subcellular localization of a series thiomorpholine incorporated coumarins.     

Acid‐Responsive Transferrin Dissociation and GLUT Mediated Exocytosis for Increased Blood–Brain Barrier Transcytosis and Programmed Glioma Targeting Delivery

Receptor mediated transcytosis (RMT) is a common mechanism used for nanotherapeutics to traverse the blood–brain barrier (BBB). However, the transcytosis of ligand modified nanoparticles via RMT is likely to be trapped within brain capillary endothelial cells due to the high binding affinity of ligand with receptors, which greatly reduces the amount of nanoparticles across BBB. Here, P‐aminophenyl‐α‐D‐mannopyranoside (MAN) decorated doxorubicin‐loaded dendrigraft poly‐l‐lysine with acid‐cleavable transferrin (Tf) coating outside (DD‐MCT) is proposed. The DD‐MCT is engineered to specifically recognize the Tf receptor (TfR) on the luminal side of BBB endothelium. Then the DD‐MCT undergoes an acid‐responsive cleavage of Tf, leading to the separation of MAN‐decorated DGL‐DOX (DD‐M) from the Tf–TfR complex in endo/lysosomes. The detached DD‐M is more prone to escape from endo/lysosomes and can further be exocytosed into brain parenchyma via the mediation of glucose transporter located on the abluminal endothelial membrane. Moreover, the DD‐M in brain parenchyma can target glioma cells. Significantly, the DD‐MCT enters into brain parenchyma in greater amounts, resulting in enhanced accumulation at glioma site and thus improved antiglioma therapeutic outcome. This strategy pioneers a new path for reducing the trapping of nanotherapeutics within BBB endothelium but increasing their transcytosis into brain parenchyma.     

Bioengineered Dual-Targeting Protein Nanocage for Stereoscopical Loading of Synergistic Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Drugs to Enhance Anticancer Efficacy

A biocompatible and modifiable protein nanocarrier is a promising candidate for tumor targeted drug delivery. However, it is challenging to effectively load hydrophobic drugs, not to mention to upload both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs on one protein nanocarrier. Here, an amphiphilic multi-drug loading protein nanocage (Am-PNCage) is presented which is generated by replacing the fifth helix of human H-ferritin (HFn) subunit with a functional motif composed of hydrophobic–hydrophilic-RGD peptides. The Am-PNCage possesses a dual targeting property resulting from the intrinsic CD71 targeting ability of HFn and the integrin α vβ3 targeting ability of displayed RGD peptides. Through the hydrophilic drug entry channel in the protein nanocage and hydrophobic peptides displayed on the outer surface, amphiphilic epirubicin (132)/camptothecin (50) are stereoscopically loaded into the inner cavity/outer protein shell, respectively, for one Am-PNCage, exhibiting cascade drug release pattern. The dual-targeted Am-PNCage promotes the loaded drugs penetrating various 3D tumor models in vitro, as well as traversing the brain blood barrier and accumulating in brain tumors in vivo. Moreover, the drug loaded Am-PNCage shows reduced side effects and significantly enhances synergistic efficacy against brain tumor, metastatic liver cancers, and drug resistant breast tumor. Thus, the Am-PNCage represents a novel promising protein nanocarrier for targeted combination chemotherapy.     

Targeted Tumor Hypoxia Dual‐Mode CT/MR Imaging and Enhanced Radiation Therapy Using Dendrimer‐Based Nanosensitizers

The efficacy of radiation therapy (RT) is often limited by the poor response of hypoxia inside most solid tumors. The development of a theranostic nanoplatform for precision‐imaging‐guided sensitized RT for tumor hypoxia is still challenging. Herein, the creation of hypoxia‐targeted dendrimer‐entrapped gold nanoparticles complexed with gadolinium(III) (Gd‐Au DENPs‐Nit) for dual‐mode CT/MR imaging and sensitized RT of hypoxic tumors is reported. In this work, generation 5 poly(amidoamine) dendrimers are partially conjugated with Gd(III) chelator, entrapped with Au nanoparticles, and conjugated with hypoxia‐targeting agent nitroimidazole via a polyethylene glycol linker, and ending with chelation of Gd(III) and conversion of their leftover amine termini to acetamides. The designed dendrimer‐based nanohybrids with 3.2 nm Au cores exhibit an excellent X‐ray attenuation effect, acceptable r₁ relaxivity (1.32 mM^?1 s^?1), and enhanced cellular uptake in hypoxic cancer cells, affording efficient dual‐mode CT/MR imaging of tumor hypoxia. Under X‐ray irradiation, the Gd‐Au DENPs‐Nit nanohybrids can produce reactive oxygen species, promote DNA damage, and prevent DNA repair, facilitating sensitized RT of hypoxic cancer cells in vitro and tumor hypoxia in vivo. The developed hypoxia‐targeted dendrimer‐based nanohybrids may be employed as both contrast agents and nanosensitizers for precision tumor hypoxia imaging and sensitized tumor RT.     

Apatite‐Binding Nanoparticulate Agonist of Hedgehog Signaling for Bone Repair

The hedgehog signaling pathway plays a critical role in bone development and regeneration. Applications of hedgehog morphogens or small molecular agonists are of interest in bone repair but constrained by low stability, high dose requirement, and nonspecific targeting in vivo. Herein, a nanoparticulate agonist as a new type of hedgehog signaling activator is developed for efficacious bone healing. The shell of nanoparticulate agonist consists of palmitic acid and oxysterol, which could modify hedgehog function and bind with the smoothened receptor to positively modulate hedgehog signaling. Meanwhile, the core is assembled with the sonic hedgehog gene/polyethyleneimine complex, which could synergistically enhance hedgehog signaling with oxysterol constituents. Moreover, alendronate is introduced into the nanoparticulate agonist to bind with hydroxyapatite for potential bone tissue targeting. Lastly, the nanoparticulate agonist surface is decorated with the guanidine group to overcome cell membrane barriers. The created multifunctional nanoparticulate agonist is successfully integrated onto apatite‐coated 3D scaffolds and demonstrates greatly improved osteogenesis in vitro and calvarial bone healing. This work suggests a novel biomaterial design to specifically promote hedgehog signaling for the treatment of bone defects.     

Lung‐Endothelium‐Targeted Nanoparticles Based on a pH‐Sensitive Lipid and the GALA Peptide Enable Robust Gene Silencing and the Regression of Metastatic Lung Cancer

The development of efficient gene delivery systems targeting the lung endothelium remains a serious challenge. This study reports on the design and optimization of a multifunctional envelope‐type nanodevice (MEND) for an efficient siRNA delivery to the lung endothelium based on GALA‐peptide targeting ability. The incorporation of a pH‐sensitive lipid (YSK05) results in a dramatic improvement in silencing efficiency by enhancing endosomal escape, but this also causes a reduction in the lung selectivity. Contrary to the assumption that active targeting is largely dependent on the presence of a targeting ligand, the findings of the present study indicate that nanocarrier composition is critical for achieving the organ selectivity. Interestingly, helper lipids substantially mask the liver delivery resulting in optimum lung targeting. The optimized YSK05‐MEND is 40‐fold more efficient than a previously developed MEND, with a robust lung endothelium gene knockdown at small doses. The YSK05‐MEND strongly inhibits a metastatic lung cancer model and exerts superior control over lung metastasis compared to chemotherapy or the previously developed MEND. The YSK05‐MEND is well‐tolerated in mice after acute or chronic administration. As far as it is known, YSK05‐MEND achieves the most efficient lung endothelium gene silencing reported thus far with a median effective dose of 0.01 mg siRNA kg^?1 while minimally affecting the endothelium of other organs.     

Emerging Approaches of Cell‐Based Nanosystems to Target Cancer Metastasis

Cancer metastasis accounts for the high mortality of cancer‐related deaths and the therapy is greatly challenged by the limited drug delivery efficiency. Inspired by the essential role of culprit cancer cells and versatile accessory cells during cancer metastasis, diverse cell‐based nanosystems (CBNs) are emerging as attractive and encouraging drug delivery platforms to target cancer metastasis. Herein, the authors focus on the emerging strategies of versatile CBNs that synergistically combine the merit of source cells and nanoparticles for antimetastasis therapy. CBNs are usually comprised of natural nanosized vesicles, cell membrane camouflaged nanoparticles, and bioengineered living cell vehicles. The authors discuss the rationality and advances of various CBNs in targeting different stages of cancer metastasis, including primary tumor, circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and distant metastasis as well as the tumor immune microenvironments (TIM). On this basis, this review provides some feasible perspectives on designing CBNs to enhance the drug delivery efficiency for treating cancer metastasis.     

ATP‐Responsive Aptamer‐Based Metal–Organic Framework Nanoparticles (NMOFs) for the Controlled Release of Loads and Drugs

Nanoparticles consisting of metal–organic frameworks (NMOFs) modified with nucleic acid binding strands are synthesized. The NMOFs are loaded with a fluorescent agent or with the anticancer drug doxorubicin, and the loaded NMOFs are capped by hybridization with a complementary nucleic acid that includes the ATP‐aptamer or the ATP‐AS1411 hybrid aptamer in caged configurations. The NMOFs are unlocked in the presence of ATP via the formation of ATP‐aptamer complexes, resulting in the release of the loads. As ATP is overexpressed in cancer cells, and since the AS1411 aptamer recognizes the nucleolin receptor sites on the cancer cell membrane, the doxorubicin‐loaded NMOFs provide functional carriers for targeting and treatment of cancer cells. Preliminary cell experiments reveal impressive selective permeation of the NMOFs into MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells as compared to MCF‐10A normal epithelial breast cells. High cytotoxic efficacy and targeted drug release are observed with the ATP‐AS1411‐functionalized doxorubicin‐loaded NMOFs.