Novel application of pluronic lecithin organogels (PLOs) for local delivery of synergistic combination of docetaxel and cisplatin to improve therapeutic efficacy against ovarian cancer.

The synergistic combination of docetaxel (DTX) and cisplatin (CIS) by local drug delivery with a pluronic lecithin organogel (PLO) to facilitate high drug concentrations at tumor sites and less nonspecific distribution to normal organs is thought to be beneficial in chemotherapy. In this study, using Capryol-90 (C90) with the addition of lecithin as the oil phase was developed to carry DTX, which was then incorporated into a PLO-containing CIS to formulate a dual-drug injectable PLO for local delivery. An optimal PLO composite, PLO, composed of PF127:lecithin:C90 at a 13:0.

Codelivery of doxorubicin-containing thermosensitive hydrogels incorporated with docetaxel-loaded mixed micelles enhances local cancer therapy.

Doxorubicin (DOX) thermosensitive hydrogels (TSHs) incorporated with docetaxel (DOC)-loaded mixed micelles were developed to co-deliver these two drugs through a TSH system, DH700kMF-13.5/M-DocLF, to improve local cancer therapy and reduce side effects. First, Pluronics-based DOC-loaded mixed micelles were developed and optimized.

Development and Characterization of Acellular Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds from Porcine Menisci for Use in Cartilage Tissue Engineering.

Given the growing number of arthritis patients and the limitations of current treatments, there is great urgency to explore cartilage substitutes by tissue engineering. In this study, we developed a novel decellularization method for menisci to prepare acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds with minimal adverse effects on the ECM. Among all the acid treatments, formic acid treatment removed most of the cellular contents and preserved the highest ECM contents in the decellularized porcine menisci.

Efficacy of antioxidants as a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in combination with the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin.

Introduction: Although doxorubicin (Dox)-induced cardiac toxicity and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD)-induced hand-foot syndrome (HFS) were reported to be correlated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, there is no effective preventive treatment at present. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether antioxidants-resveratrol (RSVL), tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside (THSG), curcumin, and the ethanolic extract of Antrodia cinnamomea (EEAC)-have the ability to reduce Dox-induced ROS and have a synergistic anticancer effect with Dox that could prevent those side effects and enhance the efficacy of cancer treatment.

Methods: 3T3 normal cells were used as a model to evaluate the effects of these antioxidants in reducing ROS accumulation.

Novel injectable thermosensitive hydrogels for delivering hyaluronic acid-doxorubicin nanocomplexes to locally treat tumors.

Aim: A thermosensitive injectable hydrogel composed of nanocomplexes of doxorubicin and hyaluronic acid (HA) for the local treatment of cancer diseases was developed and characterized.

Materials & Methods: It was found that the addition of a divalent metal ion of Mg (MgCl2) was required to properly form HA-doxorubicin nanocomplexes, which were mixed with Pluronic® F127 (BASF, Germany) to form thermosensitive injectable hydrogels.

Results: The DH700KMF-15 hydrogel resulted in efficient growth inhibition of C26 colon cancer cells and it selectively targeted the lymphatic system by the specific affinity of HA to the lymphatic system in vivo.

Purification and characterization of novel glucanases from Trichoderma harzianum ETS 323.

Trichoderma harzianum ETS 323 secretes two glucanases, a 23.5 kDa endoglucanase (EG Th1) and a 61 kDa exoglucanase (ExG Th1). They were identified by their hydrolysis products and were purified to homogeneity.