Modulating tumoral exosomes and fibroblast phenotype using nanoliposomes augments cancer immunotherapy.

Cancer cells program fibroblasts into cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in a two-step manner. First, cancer cells secrete exosomes to program quiescent fibroblasts into activated CAFs. Second, cancer cells maintain the CAF phenotype via activation of signal transduction pathways.

Development of Verapamil Hydrochloride-loaded Biopolymer-based Composite Electrospun Nanofibrous Mats: In vivo Evaluation of Enhanced Burn Wound Healing without Scar Formation.

Introduction: Researchers aim for new heights in wound healing to produce wound dressings with unique features. Natural, synthetic, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymers especially in the nanoscale are being employed to support and provide efficient wound management. Economical and environmentally friendly sustainable wound management alternatives are becoming an urgent issue to meet future needs.

Inhalable Lactoferrin/Chondroitin-Functionalized Monoolein Nanocomposites for Localized Lung Cancer Targeting.

Localized drug delivery to lung cancer can overcome the limitations of systemic nanocarriers including low drug amounts reaching lung tissues and severe off-target toxicity. The current work presented novel inhalable nanocomposites as noninvasive platforms for lung cancer therapy. Nanoparticulate liquid crystals (LCNPs) based on monoolein were developed for synergistic co-encapsulation of the cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drug, pemetrexed, and the phytoherbal drug, resveratrol (PEM-RES-LCNPs).

Liquid crystalline nanoreservoir releasing a highly skin-penetrating berberine oleate complex for psoriasis management.

Aim: The current work highlighted preparation of highly penetrating liquid crystalline nanoparticulates (LCNPs) reservoir of a solubility modified berberine oleate (Brb-OL) complex for effective psoriasis management. Materials & methods: Brb-OL-loaded LCNPs (Brb-OL-LCNPs) were prepared using hydrotrope method.

Results: The proposed Brb-OL-LCNPs showed a particle size of 137 ± 3.

Liquid crystalline assembly for potential combinatorial chemo-herbal drug delivery to lung cancer cells.

Background: Lung cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of total deaths worldwide. Its classified into two major types including non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) based on the origin of abnormal lung cells as well as the smoking status of the patient. NSCLC is the most common and aggressive type of lung cancer representing 80%-85% of all cases.

Protein-polysaccharide nanohybrids: Hybridization techniques and drug delivery applications.

Complex nanosystems fabricated by hybridization of different types of materials such as lipids, proteins, or polysaccharides are usually superior to simple ones in terms of features and applications. Proteins and polysaccharides hold great potential for development of nanocarriers for drug delivery purposes based on their unique biocompatibility, biodegradability, ease of functionalization, improved biodistribution and minimal toxicity profiles. Protein-polysaccharide nanohybrids have gained a lot of attention in the past few years particularly for drug delivery applications.

Novel skin penetrating berberine oleate complex capitalizing on hydrophobic ion pairing approach.

Berberine hydrochloride (Brb) is a well-known herbal drug that holds a great promise in the recent years thanks to its various pharmacological actions. Currently, Brb is extensively researched as a natural surrogate with evidenced potentiality against numerous types of skin diseases including skin cancer. However, Brb's high aqueous solubility and limited permeability hinder its clinical topical application.

Exploiting polymer blending approach for fabrication of buccal chitosan-based composite sponges with augmented mucoadhesive characteristics.

In the course of application and modernization of buccal dosage forms, lyophilized sponges for transmucosal drug delivery symbolize one of the most attractive approaches. Chitosan (CS) has been extensively investigated as a forming material of different buccal dosage forms including sponges. However, CS-based buccal delivery systems suffer from many limitations like weak adhesion strength and poor tensile properties.

Laminated chitosan-based composite sponges for transmucosal delivery of novel protamine-decorated tripterine phytosomes: Ex-vivo mucopenetration and in-vivo pharmacokinetic assessments.

In the current study, laminated chitosan (CS):hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) composite sponges were exploited as solid matrices for buccal delivery of tripterine phytosomes functionalized with novel mucopenetrating protamine layer (PRT-TRI-PHY). Tripterine (TRI) is a herbal drug widely investigated as a potential anticancer candidate against various types of cancers. However, clinical use of TRI is handicapped by its low oral bioavailability.

Inhalable particulate drug delivery systems for lung cancer therapy: Nanoparticles, microparticles, nanocomposites and nanoaggregates.

There is progressive evolution in the use of inhalable drug delivery systems (DDSs) for lung cancer therapy. The inhalation route offers many advantages, being non-invasive method of drug administration as well as localized delivery of anti-cancer drugs to tumor tissue. This article reviews various inhalable colloidal systems studied for tumor-targeted drug delivery including polymeric, lipid, hybrid and inorganic nanocarriers.

Self-assembled phospholipid-based phytosomal nanocarriers as promising platforms for improving oral bioavailability of the anticancer celastrol.

Celastrol (CST) is a promising natural drug of herbal origin that gained a great interest in the recent years by virtue of its wide variety of pharmacological actions. Nowadays, CST is extensively studied as a natural anticancer surrogate with a potential activity against various types of cancers. However, CST suffers from many limitations that handicapped its clinical utility such as limited aqueous solubility and poor gastrointestinal absorption which resulted into its low oral bioavailability.

Protein-inorganic Nanohybrids: A Potential Symbiosis in Tissue Engineering.

Background: Recently, a great interest has been paid to the development of hybrid proteininorganic nanoparticles (NPs) for tissue engineering applications to combine the merits of both inorganic and protein nanocarriers.

Objective: This short review primarily discusses the most important advances in the application of the hybrids of proteins (gelatin, zein, silk fibroin,….etc) with inorganic NPs (calcium phosphate NPs, cadmium QDs, carbon nanotubes,…etc) in tissue engineering.

Hyaluronate-Lipid Nanohybrids: Fruitful Harmony in Cancer Targeting.

Significant research efforts have been concerned over the past few years to design carrier systems that could specifically deliver active agents to the tumor sites, with the purposes of maximizing the therapeutic benefits and minimizing the toxic side-effects. Hyaluronic acid is a type of polysaccharide that has been extensively studied as a selective targeting ligand to cancerous cells that overexpress its specific receptor CD44. The aim of this review is to highlight the role of HA in cancer, focusing on the recent advances of HA-functionalized lipid nanoparticles towards cancer therapy and imaging.

Hybrid protein-inorganic nanoparticles: From tumor-targeted drug delivery to cancer imaging.

Recently, a great interest has been paid to the development of hybrid protein-inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery and cancer diagnostics in order to combine the merits of both inorganic and protein nanocarriers. This review primarily discusses the most outstanding advances in the applications of the hybrids of naturally-occurring proteins with iron oxide, gadolinium, gold, silica, calcium phosphate NPs, carbon nanotubes, and quantum dots in drug delivery and cancer imaging. Various strategies that have been utilized for the preparation of protein-functionalized inorganic NPs and the mechanisms involved in the drug loading process are discussed.

Layer-by-layer-coated lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles for active tumor targeting of rapamycin.

Aim: This work spotlights on fabrication of CD44-tropic, layer-by-layer (LbL) coated, liquid crystalline nanoparticles of rapamycin (Rap-LbL-LCNPs) to enhance its water solubility and enable its anticancer use.

Methods: Rap-LCNPs were fabricated using hydrotrope method and then coated using LbL self-assembly technique.

Results: LbL coating strategy successfully reduced monoolein-induced hemolysis and increased LCNPs serum stability.

Stealth, biocompatible monoolein-based lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles for enhanced aloe-emodin delivery to breast cancer cells: in vitro and in vivo studies.

Recently, research has progressively highlighted on clues from conventional use of herbal medicines to introduce new anticancer drugs. Aloe-emodin (AE) is a herbal drug with promising anticancer activity. Nevertheless, its clinical utility is handicapped by its low solubility.

Lyophilized phytosomal nanocarriers as platforms for enhanced diosmin delivery: optimization and ex vivo permeation.

Diosmin (DSN) is an outstanding phlebotonic flavonoid with a tolerable potential for the treatment of colon and hepatocellular carcinoma. Being highly insoluble, DSN bioavailability suffers from high inter-subject variation due to variable degrees of permeation. This work endeavored to develop novel DSN loaded phytosomes in order to improve drug dissolution and intestinal permeability.

Development of novel polymer-stabilized diosmin nanosuspensions: in vitro appraisal and ex vivo permeation.

Scanty solubility and permeability of diosmin (DSN) are perpetrators for its poor oral absorption and high inter-subject variation. This article investigated the potential of novel DSN nanosuspensions to improve drug delivery characteristics. Bottom-up nanoprecipitation technique has been employed for nanosuspension development.