Immunopharmacological perspective on zinc in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The novel SARS-CoV-2 which was first reported in China is the cause of infection known as COVID-19. In comparison with other coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV and MERS, the mortality rate of SARS-CoV-2 is lower but the transmissibility is higher. Immune dysregulation is the most common feature of the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 that leads to hyperinflammation.

Blockade of HIF-1α and STAT3 by hyaluronate-conjugated TAT-chitosan-SPION nanoparticles loaded with siRNA molecules prevents tumor growth.

HIF-1α and STAT3 are two of the critical factors in the growth, proliferation, and metastasis of cancer cells and play a crucial role in inhibiting anti-cancer immune responses. Therefore, we used superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPION) nanoparticles (NPs) coated with thiolated chitosan (ChT) and trimethyl chitosan (TMC) and functionalized with hyaluronate (H) and TAT peptide for delivery of siRNA molecules against STAT3 and HIF-1α to cancer cells both in vivo and in vitro. The results indicated that tumor cell transfection with siRNA-encapsulated NPs robustly inhibited proliferation and migration and induced apoptosis in tumor cells.

Inhibition of CD73 using folate targeted nanoparticles carrying anti-CD73 siRNA potentiates anticancer efficacy of Dinaciclib.

Conventional therapeutic methods against cancer, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and combination therapy, have exhibited different toxicity levels due to their unspecific mechanism of action. To overcome the challenges facing conventional cancer therapies, newly developed methods are being investigated. Significant levels of specificity, remarkable accumulation at the tumor site, limited side effects, and minimal off-target effects enable the newly synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) to become the preferred drug delivery method in anticancer therapeutic approaches.

Silencing adenosine A2a receptor enhances dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy.

Overexpression of adenosine in the tumor region leads to suppression of various immune cells, particularly T cells through ligation with adenosine 2a receptor (A2aR). In this study, we intended to increase the efficacy of tumor lysate-loaded DC vaccine by silencing the expression of A2aR on T cells through the application of A2aR-specific siRNA-loaded PEG-chitosan-lactate (PCL) nanoparticles (NPs) in the 4T1 breast tumor-bearing mice. Combination therapy by DC vaccine and siRNA-loaded NPs markedly induced tumor regression and increased survival time of mice.