Integrin-Specific Stimuli-Responsive Nanomaterials for Cancer Theranostics.

: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The tumor microenvironment makes the tumor difficult to treat, favoring drug resistance and the formation of metastases, resulting in death. : Stimuli-responsive nanoparticles have shown great capacity to be used as a powerful strategy for cancer treatment, diagnostic, as well as theranostic.

Navigating the intricate in-vivo journey of lipid nanoparticles tailored for the targeted delivery of RNA therapeutics: a quality-by-design approach.

RNA therapeutics, such as mRNA, siRNA, and CRISPR-Cas9, present exciting avenues for treating diverse diseases. However, their potential is commonly hindered by vulnerability to degradation and poor cellular uptake, requiring effective delivery systems. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as a leading choice for in vivo RNA delivery, offering protection against degradation, enhanced cellular uptake, and facilitation of endosomal escape.

Multi-functional tyrosinase inhibitors derived from kojic acid and hydroquinone-like diphenols for treatment of hyperpigmentation: Synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation.

A series of multi-functional tyrosinase inhibitors derived from kojic acid (KA) and hydroquinone-like diphenols were designed and synthesized using click chemistry. The in vitro enzymatic assay revealed that all compounds containing a free enolic structure showed excellent activity against tyrosinase (IC = 0.14-3.

Dihydroxyphenylalanine-conjugated high molecular weight polyethylenimine for targeted delivery of Plasmid.

High molecular weight polyethylenimine (HMW PEI; branched 25 kDa PEI) has been widely investigated for gene delivery due to its high transfection efficiency. However, the toxicity and lack of targeting to specific cells have limited its clinical application. In the present investigation, L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) was conjugated on HMW PEI in order to target L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT-1) and modulate positive charge density on the surface of polymer/plasmid complexes (polyplexes).

Emerging Methods in the Identification of Bacterial Respiratory Tract Pathogens.

Aims: Here, we will review different bacterial causes of respiratory tract infections and discuss the available diagnostic methods. Moreover, we will provide some recently published patents and newer techniques, such as respiratory panels and omics approaches, and express the challenges in this path.

Background: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) include those infections that can lead to the involvement of different respiratory parts, including the sinuses, throat, airways, and lungs.

Targeted delivery of interleukin-12 plasmid into HepG2 cells through folic acid conjugated graphene oxide nanocarrier.

Successful gene therapy relies on carriers to transfer genetic materials with high efficiency and low toxicity in a targeted manner. To enhance targeted cell binding and uptake, we developed and synthesized a new gene delivery vector based on graphene oxide (GO) modified by branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI) and folic acid (FA). The GO-PEI-FA nanocarriers exhibit lower toxicity compared to unmodified PEI, as well as having the potential to efficiently condense and protect pDNA.

Gene polymorphisms of TACR1 serve as the potential pharmacogenetic predictors of response to the neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist-based antiemetic regimens: a candidate-gene association study in breast cancer patients.

Purpose: The current candidate gene association study aims to investigate tag SNPs from the TACR1 gene as pharmacogenetic predictors of response to the antiemetic guidelines-recommended, NK-1 receptor antagonist-based, triple antiemetic regimens.

Methods: A set of eighteen tag SNPs of TACR1 were genotyped in breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline and cyclophosphamide (with/without docetaxel) applying real-time PCR-HRMA. Data analysis for 121 ultimately enrolled patients was initiated by defining haplotype blocks using PHASE v.

Surface decoration of low molecular weight polyethylenimine (LMW PEI) by phthalated dextrin for improved delivery of interleukin-12 plasmid.

In this investigation, low molecular weight polyethyleneimine (LMW PEI; 1.8 kDa branched PEI) was conjugated to phathalated dextrin. The aim of this chemical modification was to decorate PEI molecules with a hydrophilic layer to improve its biophysical properties while the phthalic moiety may improve the hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance of the final structure.

Polyethylenimine (PEI) in gene therapy: Current status and clinical applications.

Polyethlyenimine (PEI) was introduced 1995 as a cationic polymer for nucleic acid delivery. PEI and its derivatives are extensively used in basic research and as reference formulations in the field of polymer-based gene delivery. Despite its widespread use, the number of clinical applications to date is limited.

Lipid-Based Delivery Systems for Flavonoids and Flavonolignans: Liposomes, Nanoemulsions, and Solid Lipid Nanoparticles.

Herbal chemicals with a long history in medicine have attracted a lot of attention. Flavonolignans and flavonoids are considered as two classes of the above-mentioned compounds with different functional groups which exhibit several therapeutic capabilities such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Based on the studies, high hydrophobic properties of the aforementioned compounds limit their bioavailability inside the human body and restrict their wide application.

Knowledge Gaps in Generating Cell-Based Drug Delivery Systems and a Possible Meeting with Artificial Intelligence.

Cell-based drug delivery systems are new strategies in targeted delivery in which cells or cell-membrane-derived systems are used as carriers and release their cargo in a controlled manner. Recently, great attention has been directed to cells as carrier systems for treating several diseases. There are various challenges in the development of cell-based drug delivery systems.

An study to find potential effective circRNAs in the progression of Huntington's disease.

Objectives: Huntington's disease (HD) is identified as a progressive genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the Huntington gene. Although the pathogenesis of this disease has not been fully understood, investigations have demonstrated the role of various genes and non-coding RNAs in the disease progression. In this study, we aimed to discover the potential promising circRNAs which can bind to miRNAs of HD.

Next-Generation Hydrogels as Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications: Exploring the Role of Curcumin.

Since the first report on the pharmacological activity of curcumin in 1949, enormous amounts of research have reported diverse activities for this natural polyphenol found in the dietary spice turmeric. However, curcumin has not yet been used for human application as an approved drug. The clinical translation of curcumin has been hampered due to its low solubility and bioavailability.

Lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic: Vaccine platform is a key player.

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and emergence of COVID-19 resulted in the development of different vaccines based on various platforms to combat the disease. While the conventional platforms of inactivated/live attenuated, subunit proteins and virus-like particles (VLPs) have provided efficient and safe vaccines, novel platforms of viral vector- and nucleic acid-based vaccines opened up new horizons for vaccine development. The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic showed that the availability of platforms with high possibility of quick translation from bench to bedside is a prerequisite step in vaccine development in pandemics.

Interleukin-33 and Soluble ST2 as Potential Biomarkers of Cancer in Opium Users: A Nested Case-Control Study.

Background: Opium abuse is one of the social hazards in the Middle Eastern countries. Opium consumption attributes to various malignancies. However, the exact molecular mechanism of this correlation still remains unclear.

Targeted co-delivery of paclitaxel and anti P-gp shRNA by low molecular weight PEI decorated with L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine.

Co-delivery of small chemotherapeutic molecules and nucleic acid materials via targeted carriers has attracted great attention for treatment of resistant tumors and reducing adverse effects. In this study, a targeted carrier for co-delivery was prepared based on low-molecular weight polyethylenimine (LMW PEI). Paclitaxel (PTX) was covalently conjugated onto PEI via a succinate linker.

Structure-based virtual screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation and MM/PBSA calculations towards identification of steroidal and non-steroidal selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators.

Glucocorticoids have been used in the treatment of many diseases including inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Despite the wide therapeutic effects of synthetic glucocorticoids, the use of these compounds has been limited due to side effects such as osteoporosis, immunodeficiency, and hyperglycaemia. To this end, extensive studies have been performed to discover new glucocorticoid modulators with the aim of increasing affinity for the receptor and thus less side effects.

PLGA-graphene quantum dot nanocomposites targeted against αβ integrin receptor for sorafenib delivery in angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis is a vital step in many severe diseases such as cancer, diabetic retinopathy, and rheumatoid arthritis. Sorafenib (SFB), a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has recently been shown to inhibit tumor progression and suppress angiogenesis. Its narrow therapeutic window, however, has limited its clinical application and therapeutic efficacy.

Vesicles of yeast cell wall-sitagliptin to alleviate neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease.

A cell-based drug delivery system based on yeast-cell wall loaded with sitagliptin, a drug with an anti-inflammatory effect, was developed to control neuroinflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease. The optimized nanoparticles had a spherical shape with a negative surface charge, and were shown to be less toxic than the carrier and sitagliptin. Moreover, the nanoparticles caused anti-inflammatory effects against tumor necrosis factor-alpha in mice model of neuroinflammation.

Interleukin-12 Plasmid DNA Delivery by -[(2-Hydroxy-3-trimethylammonium)propyl]chitosan-Based Nanoparticles.

Cationic polysaccharides are capable of forming polyplexes with nucleic acids and are considered promising polymeric gene carriers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity of -[(2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammonium)propyl] chitosan salt (HTCS), a quaternary ammonium derivative of chitosan (CS), which benefits from non-ionizable positive charges. In this work, HTCS with a full quaternization of amino groups and a molar mass of 130,000 g·mol was synthesized to use for delivery of a plasmid encoding the interleukin-12 (IL-12) gene.

Dexamethasone: Insights into Pharmacological Aspects, Therapeutic Mechanisms, and Delivery Systems.

Dexamethasone (DEX) has been widely used to treat a variety of diseases, including autoimmune diseases, allergies, ocular disorders, cancer, and, more recently, COVID-19. However, DEX usage is often restricted in the clinic due to its poor water solubility. When administered through a systemic route, it can elicit severe side effects, such as hypertension, peptic ulcers, hyperglycemia, and hydro-electrolytic disorders.

FLOT (a chemotherapy regimen for gastric/esophagogastric junction cancer): to be treated as a highly emetogenic regimen or a moderately emetogenic one? Comparison of the emetogenic potential of FLOT versus FOLFOX and TAC regimens.

Purpose: The current study aimed at investigating the efficacy of aprepitant-containing triple antiemetic regimen in FLOT (fluorouracil + leucovorin + oxaliplatin + docetaxel) recipients as well as the emetogenic potential of FLOT regimen, through comparison of nausea and vomiting rates in a moderately emetogenic chemotherapy, FLOT, and a highly emetogenic chemotherapy recipients.

Study: Patients planned to receive one of FLOT, FOLFOX (fluorouracil + leucovorin + oxaliplatin/moderate-emetic risk), or TAC (docetaxel + doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide/high-emetic risk) regimens were recruited. All patients were treated with the same triple antiemetic regimen containing aprepitant.

Chitosan: A versatile bio-platform for breast cancer theranostics.

Breast cancer is considered one of the utmost neoplastic diseases globally, with a high death rate of patients. Over the last decades, many approaches have been studied to early diagnose and treat it, such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and MRI and biomarker tests; do not show the optimal efficacy. These existing approaches are accompanied by severe side effects, thus recognizing these challenges, a great effort has been done to find out the new remedies for breast cancer.

Editing Genes by CRISPR-Cas: Current Insights and Future Perspectives.

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and its associated proteins (Cas) is an adaptive immune system in archaea and most bacteria. By repurposing these systems for use in eukaryote cells, a substantial revolution has arisen in the genome engineering field. In recent years, CRISPR-Cas technology was rapidly developed and different types of DNA or RNA sequence editors, gene activator or repressor, and epigenome modulators established.