Enzyme-Responsive Materials as Carriers for Improving Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a mini-invasive therapy on malignancies via reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by photosenitizer (PS) upon light irradiation. However, poor target of PS to tumor limits the clinical application of PDT. Compared with normal tissues, tumor tissues have a unique enzymatic environment.

In Vitro and In Vivo Demonstration of Ultraefficient and Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Agents for Photodynamic Antibacterial Chemotherapy.

Increasing threats from both pathogenic infections and antibiotic resistance highlight the pressing demand for nonantibiotic agents and alternative therapies. Herein, we report several new phenothiazinium-based derivatives, which could be readily synthesized via fragment-based assembly, which exhibited remarkable bactericidal activities both in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, in contrast to numerous clinically and preclinically used antibacterial photosensitizers, these compounds were able to eliminate various types of microorganisms, including Gram-(+) (), Gram-(-) , multidrug-resistant , and their associated biofilms, at low drug and light dosages (e.

Smart Responsive Nanoformulation for Targeted Delivery of Active Compounds From Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat disorders in China for ~1,000 years. Growing evidence has shown that the active ingredients from TCM have antibacterial, antiproliferative, antioxidant, and apoptosis-inducing features. However, poor solubility and low bioavailability limit clinical application of active compounds from TCM.

Tumor Microenvironment-Responsive Nanomaterials as Targeted Delivery Carriers for Photodynamic Anticancer Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), as an alternative approach to treat tumors through reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the activated photosensitizers (PS) upon light irradiation, has attracted wide attention in recent years due to its low invasive and highly efficient features. However, the low hydrophilicity and poor targeting of PS limits the clinical application of PDT. Stimuli-responsive nanomaterials represent a major class of remarkable functional nanocarriers for drug delivery.

Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Influenza Virus Infection.

Influenza virus infection is a major health care concern associated with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, and cause annual seasonal epidemics and pandemics at irregular intervals. Recent research has highlighted that viral components can be found on the extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from infected cells, implying a functional relevance of EVs with influenza virus dissemination. Therefore, exploring the role of EVs in influenza virus infection has been attracting significant attention.

Photodynamic treatment with purpurin 18 effectively inhibits triple negative breast cancer by inducing cell apoptosis.

This study aims to evaluate the photodynamic efficacy of purpurin 18 (pu-18) on triple negative breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo. Two states of 4T1 cells, 2D culture and 3D spheroids, were used to evaluate the photodynamic action of pu-18 in vitro. The in vitro study results indicated that for the 4T1 2D cell culture, the photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment showed significant photocytotoxicity at low pu-18 concentrations following light irradiation.

Pyridine-Embedded Phenothiazinium Dyes as Lysosome-Targeted Photosensitizers for Highly Efficient Photodynamic Antitumor Therapy.

Development of new photosensitizers (PSs) with high photodynamic efficacy and minimal side effects is of great interest in photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this work, we reported several pyridine-embedded phenothiazinium (pyridophenothiazinium) dyes, which could be conveniently synthesized in a few short steps and acted as highly efficient and potent PSs to selectively localize to lysosomes and photosensitively kill cancer cells. Among them, compound , which possessed the ability of promoting intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon light irradiation by almost 40-fold higher than that of methylene blue (MB, a general phenothiazinium-based PS), exhibited a remarkable phototherapeutic index (PI = 53.

Ultrasound-Responsive Materials for Drug/Gene Delivery.

Ultrasound is one of the most commonly used methods in the diagnosis and therapy of diseases due to its safety, deep penetration into tissue, and non-invasive nature. In the drug/gene delivery systems, ultrasound shows many advantages in terms of site-specific delivery and spatial release control of drugs/genes and attracts increasing attention. Microbubbles are the most well-known ultrasound-responsive delivery materials.

Role of Exosomes in Photodynamic Anticancer Therapy.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a promising alternative treatment for malignancies based on photochemical reaction induced by Photosensitizers (PS) under light irradiation. Recent studies show that PDT caused the abundant release of exosomes from tumor tissues. It is well-known that exosomes as carriers play an important role in cell-cell communication through transporting many kinds of bioactive molecules (e.

Bacteria-Responsive Nanoliposomes as Smart Sonotheranostics for Multidrug Resistant Bacterial Infections.

Rapid emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) "superbugs" poses a severe threat to global health. Notably, undeveloped diagnosis and concomitant treatment failure remain highly challenging. Herein, we report a sonotheranostic strategy to achieve bacteria-specific labeling and visualized sonodynamic therapy (SDT).

Preventive Effect of Curcumin Against Chemotherapy-Induced Side-Effects.

Cancer is still a severe threat to the health of people worldwide. Chemotherapy is one of main therapeutic approaches to combat cancer. However, chemotherapy only has a limited success with severe side effects, especially causing damage to normal tissues such as bone marrow, gastrointestine, heart, liver, renal, neuron, and auditory tissues, etc.

TAK1 inhibition attenuates both inflammation and fibrosis in experimental pneumoconiosis.

Pneumoconiosis, caused by inhalation of mineral dusts, is a major occupational disease worldwide. Currently, there are no effective drugs owing to a lack of potential therapeutic targets during either the inflammation or fibrosis molecular events in pneumoconiosis. Here, we performed microarrays to identify aberrantly expressed genes in the above molecular events and found a hub gene transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (), which was highly expressed and activated in pneumoconiosis patients as well as silica-exposed rats with experimental pneumoconiosis.

Icaritin Inhibits Collagen Degradation-Related Factors and Facilitates Collagen Accumulation in Atherosclerotic Lesions: A Potential Action for Plaque Stabilization.

Most acute coronary syndromes result from rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. The collagen content of plaques may critically affect plaque stability. This study tested whether Icaritin (ICT), an intestinal metabolite of Epimedium-derived flavonoids, could alter the collagen synthesis/degradation balance in atherosclerotic lesions.

Sinoporphyrin sodium mediated photodynamic therapy inhibits the migration associated with collapse of F-actin filaments cytoskeleton in MDA-MB-231 cells.

Objective: We previously demonstrated that the photosensitizer sinoporphyrin sodium (DVDMS) mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) had potential advantages in inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis. However, details regarding the mechanism of cell migration inhibition remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of DVDMS-PDT on F-actin filaments, cell migration, apoptotic response and the possible interactions between them in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells.

Traditional Chinese medicine diagnoses in persons with ketamine abuse.

Objectives: To explore the distribution of TCM patterns in ketamine users and the inter-rater reliability of TCM diagnosis among TCM practitioners.

Methods: Eighty-four subjects recruited from substance abuse clinics and non-governmental counseling services catering for ketamine abusers were examined by one or two TCM practitioners. The distribution and inter-rater reliability of the TCM diagnoses between the two TCM practitioners were described and measured.

The beneficial effect of icaritin on osteoporotic bone is dependent on the treatment initiation timing in adult ovariectomized rats.

Background: Epimedium-derived flavonoids (EFs) have a potential to treat established osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. However, one of the main disadvantages of the compound is the high volume and dosage during long-term administration period. Meanwhile, the beneficial effect of EFs on osteoporotic bone depends greatly on the intervention timing.

Photodynamic therapy-mediated modulation of inflammatory cytokine production by Epstein-Barr virus-infected nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant disease associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. This study aims to examine the effects of EBV infection on the production of proinflammatory cytokines in NPC cells after the Zn-BC-AM photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment. Cells were treated with the photosensitiser Zn-BC-AM for 24 h before light irradiation.

Hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether enhances the killing action of ultrasound on osteosarcoma in vivo.

Objectives: Osteosarcoma is one of the most common malignant cancers afflicting young adults. Ultrasound is a new therapeutic modality for controlling malignant cancers. Enhancing the efficacy of ultrasound treatment will improve clinical outcomes.

Cell death induced by MPPa-PDT in prostate carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

Lack of effective photosensitizers has become a major limit for extensive application of photodynamic therapy. In this study, the photocytotoxicity and mode of death induced by a newly developed photosensitizer MPPa, a derivative of chlorophyll a, were investigated in PC-3M cell line, a highly metastatic variant of poorly differentiated androgen-independent proctanec adenocarcinoma PC-3. MTT reduction assay was used to measure cytotoxicity in both PC-3M and HUVEC, after which a flow cytometer was used to measure apoptotic rate and cell cycle, and then Caspase-3, -8, -9 were investigated.

[Changes in cAMP and cGMP levels in neonatal rat histaminergic neurons of tuberomammillary nucleus following 48-hour morphine exposure and effects of sinomenine intervention].

Objective: To explore the effects of long-term morphine exposure on cAMP and cGMP levels in primary cultured tuberomammillary nucleus (TM) neurons of neonatal rats and the effects of sinomenine on morphine-dependent TM cells.

Methods: TM neurons after a 7-day primary culture were further cultured in the medium containing 100 micromol/L morphine for 48 h to prepare the cell model of morphine dependence. Serial doses of histamine or sinomenine were administered 30 min naloxone treatment, the cAMP and cGMP levels of the TM cells were determined by enzyme immunoassay.

Involvement of both endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in photokilling of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by the photosensitizer Zn-BC-AM.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is recently developed as an effective treatment for malignant disease. In PDT, the photosensitizer eradicates tumour by induction of apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the mechanistic actions of a recently developed second generation photosensitizer, Zn-BC-AM, on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells.

[Primary culture of histaminergic neurons in neonatal rat hypothalamus tuberomammillary nucleus].

Objective: To establish primary cell culture conditions for tuberomammillary nucleus (TM) histaminergic neurons of neonatal rats.

Methods: The tuberomammillary nucleus was dissected from the posterior part of the hypothalamus of neonatal rats, and neurobasal medium supplemented with B27 was used for the primary cell culture. The cultured neurons were identified by immunocytochemical method (ICC).

Photodynamic activities of sulfonamide derivatives of porphycene on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

Two sulfonamide derivatives of porphycene, namely PS6 and PS6A, were synthesized, and their photodynamic efficacies on the nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell line NPC/CNE-2 were evaluated. By comparing the 50% lethal concentrations (LC(50)) of these photosensitizers, we found that PS6A with a cationic ammonium group on the side chain exhibited potent photocytotoxicity on the NPC cell line. At a light dose of 1 J/cm(2), the LC(50) values of PS6 and PS6A for NPC cells were 11.