Reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐induced apoptosis is a widely practiced strategy for cancer therapy. Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) takes advantage of the spatial–temporal control of ROS ...generation, the meticulous participation of light, photosensitizer, and oxygen greatly hinders the broad application of PDT as a first‐line cancer treatment option. An activatable system has been developed that enables tumor‐specific singlet oxygen (1O2) generation for cancer therapy, based on a Fenton‐like reaction between linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LAHP) tethered on iron oxide nanoparticles (IO NPs) and the released iron(II) ions from IO NPs under acidic‐pH condition. The IO‐LAHP NPs are able to induce efficient apoptotic cancer cell death both in vitro and in vivo through tumor‐specific 1O2 generation and subsequent ROS mediated mechanism. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of modulating biochemical reactions as a ROS source to exert cancer death.
Singlet oxygen generation through an activatable biochemical reaction between lipid hydroperoxide and catalytic iron(II) ions from iron oxide nanoparticles was engineered as a novel cancer therapy strategy, which showed promise to exert apoptotic cancer cell death both in vitro and in vivo.
Nanomedicines that co-deliver DNA, RNA, and peptide therapeutics are highly desirable yet remain underdeveloped for cancer theranostics. Herein, we report self-assembled intertwining DNA-RNA ...nanocapsules (iDR-NCs) that efficiently delivered synergistic DNA CpG and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) adjuvants, as well as tumor-specific peptide neoantigens into antigen presenting cells (APCs) in lymph nodes for cancer immunotherapy. These nanovaccines were prepared by (1) producing tandem CpG and shRNA via concurrent rolling circle replication and rolling circle transcription, (2) self-assembling CpG and shRNA into DNA-RNA microflowers, (3) shrinking microflowers into iDR-NCs using PEG-grafted cationic polypeptides, and (4) physically loading neoantigen into iDR-NCs. CpG and shRNA in iDR-NCs synergistically activate APCs for sustained antigen presentation. Remarkably, iDR-NC/neoantigen nanovaccines elicit 8-fold more frequent neoantigen-specific peripheral CD8
T cells than CpG, induce T cell memory, and significantly inhibit the progression of neoantigen-specific colorectal tumors. Collectively, iDR-NCs represent potential DNA/RNA/peptide triple-co-delivery nanocarriers and synergistic tumor immunotherapeutic nanovaccines.
Nanomedicines have been demonstrated to have passive or active tumor targeting behaviors, which are promising for cancer chemotherapy. However, most nanomedicines still suffer from a suboptimal ...targeting effect and drug leakage, resulting in unsatisfactory treatment outcome. Herein, a hierarchical responsive nanomedicine (HRNM) is developed for programmed delivery of chemotherapeutics. The HRNMs are prepared via the self‐assembly of cyclic Arg‐Gly‐Asp (RGD) peptide conjugated triblock copolymer, poly(2‐(hexamethyleneimino)ethyl methacrylate)‐poly(oligo‐(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether methacrylate)‐polyreduction‐responsive camptothecin (PC7A‐POEG‐PssCPT). In blood circulation, the RGD peptides are shielded by the POEG coating; therefore, the nanosized HRNMs can achieve effective tumor accumulation through passive targeting. Once the HRNMs reach a tumor site, due to the hydrophobic‐to‐hydrophilic conversion of PC7A chains induced by the acidic tumor microenvironment, the RGD peptides will be exposed for enhanced tumor retention and cellular internalization. Moreover, in response to the glutathione inside cells, active CPT drugs will be released rapidly for chemotherapy. The in vitro and in vivo results confirm effective tumor targeting, potent antitumor effect, and reduced systemic toxicity of the HRNMs. This HRNM is promising for enhanced chemotherapeutic delivery.
A hierarchical responsive nanomedicine, which can achieve programmed targeting and triggered drug release, is developed for enhanced chemotherapeutic delivery. In physiological conditions, the nanomedicine shows high stability without obvious drug leakage. Once reaching the tumor microenvironment, the activated RGD peptides can achieve enhanced cellular uptake. Then, active camptothecin moieties are rapidly released in response to the intracellular glutathione.
The delivery of therapeutic peptides for diabetes therapy is compromised by short half-lives of drugs with the consequent need for multiple daily injections that reduce patient compliance and ...increase treatment cost. In this study, we demonstrate a smart exendin-4 (Ex4) delivery device based on microneedle (MN)-array patches integrated with dual mineralized particles separately containing Ex4 and glucose oxidase (GOx). The dual mineralized particle-based system can specifically release Ex4 while immobilizing GOx as a result of the differential response to the microenvironment induced by biological stimuli. In this manner, the system enables glucose-responsive and closed-loop release to significantly improve Ex4 therapeutic performance. Moreover, integration of mineralized particles can enhance the mechanical strength of alginate-based MN by crosslinking to facilitate skin penetration, thus supporting painless and non-invasive transdermal administration. We believe this smart glucose-responsive Ex4 delivery holds great promise for type 2 diabetes therapy by providing safe, long-term, and on-demand Ex4 therapy.
The development of smart theranostic systems with favourable biocompatibility, high loading efficiency, excellent circulation stability, potent anti-tumour activity, and multimodal diagnostic ...functionalities is of importance for future clinical application. The premature burst release and poor degradation kinetics indicative of polymer-based nanomedicines remain the major obstacles for clinical translation. Herein we prepare theranostic shell-crosslinked nanoparticles (SCNPs) using a β-cyclodextrin-based polyrotaxane (PDI-PCL-b-PEG-RGD⊃β-CD-NH
) to avoid premature drug leakage and achieve precisely controllable release, enhancing the maximum tolerated dose of the supramolecular nanomedicines. cRGDfK and perylene diimide are chosen as the stoppers of PDI-PCL-b-PEG-RGD⊃β-CD-NH
, endowing the resultant SCNPs with excellent integrin targeting ability, photothermal effect, and photoacoustic capability. In vivo anti-tumour studies demonstrate that drug-loaded SCNPs completely eliminate the subcutaneous tumours without recurrence after a single-dose injection combining chemotherapy and photothermal therapy. These supramolecular nanomedicines also exhibit excellent anti-tumour performance against orthotopic breast cancer and prevent lung metastasis with negligible systemic toxicity.
We report a camptothecin (CPT) prodrug that was well formulated in solution and rapidly transformed into long-circulating nanocomplexes in vivo for highly efficient drug delivery and effective cancer ...therapy. Specifically, using a redox-responsive disulfide linker, CPT was conjugated with an albumin-binding Evans blue (EB) derivative; the resulting amphiphilic CPT-ss-EB prodrug self-assembled into nanostructures in aqueous solution, thus conferring high solubility and stability. By binding CPT-ss-EB to endogenous albumin, the 80 nm CPT-ss-EB nanoparticles rapidly transformed into 7 nm albumin/prodrug nanocomplexes. CPT-ss-EB was efficient at intracellular delivery into cancer cells, released intact CPT in a redox-responsive manner, and exhibited cytotoxicity as potent as CPT. In mice, the albumin/CPT-ss-EB nanocomplex exhibited remarkably long blood circulation (130-fold greater than CPT) and efficient tumor accumulation (30-fold of CPT), which consequently contributed to excellent therapeutic efficacy. Overall, this strategy of transformative nanomedicine is promising for efficient drug delivery.
Photodynamic therapy is an effective alternative to traditional treatments due to its minimally invasive nature, negligible systemic toxicity, fewer side effects, and avoidance of drug resistance. ...However, it is still challenging to design photosensitizers with high singlet oxygen (
O
) quantum yields (QY) due to severe aggregation of the hydrophobic photosensitizers. Herein, we developed a discrete organoplatinum(II) metallacage using therapeutic cis-(PEt
)
Pt(OTf)
as the building block to improve the
O
QY, thus achieving synergistic anticancer efficacy. The metallacage-loaded nanoparticles (MNPs) with tri-modality imaging capability allow precise diagnosis of tumor and real-time monitoring the delivery, biodistribution, and excretion of the MNPs. MNPs exhibited excellent anti-metastatic effect and superior anti-tumor performance against U87MG, drug resistant A2780CIS, and orthotopic tumor models, ablating the tumors without recurrence after a single treatment. Gene chip analyses confirmed the contribution of different therapeutic modalities to the tumor abrogation. This supramolecular platform holds potential in precise cancer theranostics.
Janus nanoparticles (JNPs) offer unique features, including the precisely controlled distribution of compositions, surface charges, dipole moments, modular and combined functionalities, which enable ...excellent applications that are unavailable to their symmetrical counterparts. Assemblies of NPs exhibit coupled optical, electronic and magnetic properties that are different from single NPs. Herein, we report a new class of double‐layered plasmonic–magnetic vesicle assembled from Janus amphiphilic Au‐Fe3O4 NPs grafted with polymer brushes of different hydrophilicity on Au and Fe3O4 surfaces separately. Like liposomes, the vesicle shell is composed of two layers of Au‐Fe3O4 NPs in opposite direction, and the orientation of Au or Fe3O4 in the shell can be well controlled by exploiting the amphiphilic property of the two types of polymers.
Double‐layered plasmonic–magnetic vesicles were prepared by self‐assembly of Janus Au‐Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were grafted with amphiphilic polymer brushes of different hydrophilicity on Au and Fe3O4 surfaces separately.
Subunit vaccines have been investigated in over 1000 clinical trials of cancer immunotherapy, but have shown limited efficacy. Nanovaccines may improve efficacy but have rarely been clinically ...translated. By conjugating molecular vaccines with Evans blue (EB) into albumin-binding vaccines (AlbiVax), here we develop clinically promising albumin/AlbiVax nanocomplexes that self-assemble in vivo from AlbiVax and endogenous albumin for efficient vaccine delivery and potent cancer immunotherapy. PET pharmacoimaging, super-resolution microscopies, and flow cytometry reveal almost 100-fold more efficient co-delivery of CpG and antigens (Ags) to lymph nodes (LNs) by albumin/AlbiVax than benchmark incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA). Albumin/AlbiVax elicits ~10 times more frequent peripheral antigen-specific CD8
cytotoxic T lymphocytes with immune memory than IFA-emulsifying vaccines. Albumin/AlbiVax specifically inhibits progression of established primary or metastatic EG7.OVA, B16F10, and MC38 tumors; combination with anti-PD-1 and/or Abraxane further potentiates immunotherapy and eradicates most MC38 tumors. Albumin/AlbiVax nanocomplexes are thus a robust platform for combination cancer immunotherapy.
Supramolecular brush copolymers have attracted continuing interest due to their unusual architectures, fascinating properties, and potential applications in many fields involving smart ...stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems. Herein, the first pillararene-based amphiphilic supramolecular brush copolymer (P5-PEG-Biotin super(PTPE) was constructed on the basis of the host-guest molecular recognition between a water-soluble pillar5arene (P5) and a viologen salt (M). P5-PEG-Biotin) super(P)TPE self-assembled into supramolecular nanoparticles (SNPs), which were utilized as a self-imaging drug delivery vehicle by taking advantage of the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect. Encapsulation of anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) caused deactivation of the fluorescence of both the tetraphenylethene (TPE) and DOX chromophores due to the energy transfer relay (ETR) effect, mediated by Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ). The release of loaded DOX molecules can be triggered by low pH and reductase, recovering the "silenced" fluorescence caused by the interruption of the ETR effect, achieving in situ visualization of the drug release process by observing the location and magnitude of the energy transfer-dependent fluorescence variation. The biotin ligands on the surfaces of the DOX-loaded SNPs act as targeting agents to deliver DOX preferentially to cancer cells over-expressing biotin receptors. In vitro studies demonstrated that the loading of DOX by this supramolecular nanomaterial exhibited selective cytotoxicity towards cancer cells over normal cells. The potency of this sophisticated supramolecular drug delivery system in cancer therapy was further evaluated in HeLa tumor-bearing mice. In vivo experiments confirmed that the DOX-loaded SNPs possess excellent antitumor efficacy with negligible systemic toxicity.
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