Multifunctional nanocarriers harbouring specific targeting moieties and with pH-responsive properties offer great potential for targeted cancer therapy. Several synthetic drug carriers have been studied extensively as drug delivery systems but not much information is available on the application of virus-like nanoparticles (VLNPs) as multifunctional nanocarriers. Here, we describe the development of pH-responsive VLNPs, based on truncated hepatitis B virus core antigen (tHBcAg), displaying folic acid (FA) for controlled drug delivery. FA was conjugated to a pentadecapeptide containing nanoglue bound on tHBcAg nanoparticles to increase the specificity and efficacy of the drug delivery system. The tHBcAg nanoparticles loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) demonstrated a sustained drug release profile in vitro under tumour tissue conditions in a controlled manner and improved the uptake of DOX in colorectal cancer cells, leading to enhanced antitumour effects. This study demonstrated that DOX-PAA can be packaged into VLNPs without any modification of the DOX molecules, preserving the pharmacological activity of the loaded DOX. The nanoglue can easily be used to display a tumour-targeting molecule on the exterior surface of VLNPs and can bypass the laborious and time-consuming genetic engineering approaches.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep37891 | DOI Listing |
J Biomater Appl
March 2025
Department of Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.
Colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Capecitabine is a chemotherapeutic agent commonly used for the treatment of colon cancer. To realize local sustained release, promote efficient local intracellular transport, and mitigate the systemic toxic effects of capecitabine, a capecitabine prodrug, capecitabine-poly (p-dioxanone) (Cap-PPDO), was successfully synthesized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLangmuir
March 2025
Department of Information and Electrical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, Fisciano, Salerno 84084, Italy.
The interaction between organic molecules and nanomaterials leads to complexation or the functionalization of later and modification of their properties, which are promising for electronics, terahertz technology, photonics, medical imaging, drug delivery, and other applications. Based on theoretical and experimental (THz, Raman, and fluorescence spectroscopy) studies, we analyzed the main spectroscopic characteristics of a weakly bound van der Waals complex of -stilbene (TS) molecule and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Raman scattering was demonstrated to be the most effective tool to confirm complex formation, exhibiting blue-shifted TS fingerprint lines in the TS + hBN Raman spectrum with respect to the spectra of pure TS or BN.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChem Rec
March 2025
College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Biomolecule-engineered metal-organic frameworks (Bio-MOFs) are designed by incorporating biomolecules into or onto MOFs through covalent and non-covalent interactions. These composite frameworks exhibit unique catalytic and biological activities, making them highly suitable for various biocatalytic applications. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the material design, bioengineering methods, structural and functional regulation techniques, and biocatalytic applications of Bio-MOFs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanomaterials (Basel)
February 2025
Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania.
Chitosan is widely used in drug delivery applications, due to its biocompatibility, bio-degradability, and low toxicity. Nevertheless, its properties can be enhanced through the physical or chemical modification of its amino and hydroxyl groups. This work explores the electrostatic complexation of two chitosan samples of differing lengths with two poly(-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) homopolymers of different molecular weight carrying a chargeable carboxyl end group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanomaterials (Basel)
February 2025
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
Acute myocardial infarction, a leading cause of death globally, is often associated with cardiometabolic disorders such as atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic treatment of these disorders can improve cardiac outcomes, as exemplified by the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a novel metabolic regulator, plays pivotal roles in lipid mobilization and energy conversion, reducing lipotoxicity, inflammation, mitochondrial health, and subsequent tissue damage in organs such as the liver, pancreas, and heart.
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