Polymer/Nanoceria Hybrid Polyplexes for Gene and Antioxidant Delivery.

Various diseases, including cancers and inflammatory diseases, are characterized by a disruption of redox homeostasis, suggesting the need for synergistic treatments involving co-delivery of gene therapies and free radical scavengers. In this report, polyethylenimine (PEI), nanoceria (NC), and DNA were complexed to form nanoparticles providing simultaneous delivery of a gene and an antioxidant. NC was coated in citric acid to provide stable, 4 nm particles that electrostatically bound PEI/DNA polyplexes.

Evaluation of FOXC1 as a therapeutic target for basal-like breast cancer.

Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is a malignant carcinoma with aggressive motility and rapid growth. Accounting for 15% of breast cancers, BLBC often exhibits a poor prognosis and tends to metastasize to the brain and lungs. Because most BLBC display a triple-negative phenotype (ER-, PR-, and HER2-), conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the only treatment option despite poor success and high rate of relapse.