Construction of Fe-doped ZIF-8/DOX nanocomposites for ferroptosis strategy in the treatment of breast cancer.

Breast cancer has become one of the top five commonest causes of cancer death. The use of ferroptosis to induce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer cells presents a promising and potential strategy for cancer treatment. Herein, a series of facile bimetallic nanoparticles (x% Fe-doped ZIF-8) were synthesized and tested, and doxorubicin (DOX), a classic drug for breast cancer therapy, was encapsulated. After comparing the ratios of Fe2+/(Fe2+ + Zn2+), 7% Fe-doped ZIF-8 (7FZ) was found to be the most suitable particle for medical application. The drug loading efficiency of DOX@7FZ was 58.01 ± 0.02%. The pH-sensitive DOX@7FZ was degraded and DOX was released in lysosomes once internalized. Both the intracellular content of iron and ROS increased significantly. Meanwhile, the cell viability declined to 13.98% in 24 h at a concentration of 60 µg mL-1 and the IC50 was 42.68 µg mL-1. Moreover, the expression of Bcl-2 and GPX-4 proteins decreased in a time-dependent manner, indicating that DOX@7FZ was able to enhance the ROS level in cancer cells via a synergistic effect between apoptosis and ferroptosis. The mechanism of action of DOX@7FZ was further verified using hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical staining of Bcl-2 and GPX-4. These remarkable characteristics of DOX@7FZ may inspire further advancements in the treatment of breast cancer.

Novel formulations of metal-organic frameworks for controlled drug delivery.

INTRODUCTION: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are one of the typical coordination polymers which constructed by metal ions/clusters and multitopic organic ligands. Compared with traditional porous materials, MOFs have the advantages of significant porosity, large specific surface area, adjustable chemical composition, and structure tailorability, these unique features make them a promising candidate for controlled drug delivery. AREAS COVERED: This review aims to summarize recent advances in the development of MOFs for drug delivery, in particular, focusing on its ability to deliver various drugs and their release mechanism, as well as the in vivo and in vitro biological evaluation. Moreover, the future research directions of MOFs for clinical treatment are also outlined. EXPERT OPINION: Although large numbers of MOFs have been developed as nanocarriers for drug delivery, further improvements are still needed to advance the application of MOFs in the clinic. For example, the circulation mechanism and degradation process of MOFs in vivo, the efficiency and pharmacokinetics of drugs in vivo, and the biological evaluation of MOFs in the controlled release of drugs. The present review work main focus on the recent progress of MOFs as effective nanocarriers for drug delivery and to examine some challenges and directions for its further clinical applications.

Recent Advances in Fe-MOF Compositions for Biomedical Applications.

BACKGROUND: To date, number of new and attractive materials have been applied in drug delivery systems (DDDs) to improve the efficiency of the treatment of cancers. Some problems like low stability, toxicity and weak ability of targeting have hampered most of materials for further applications in biomedicine. MIL(MIL = Materials of Institute Lavoisier), as a specific subclass of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) owns more advantages than other subclass MOFs, such as better biodegradability and lower cytotoxicity. However, until now, systematic -s and analyses of Fe-based MIL on medical applications are rarely though the majority of documents discussed one research branch of the porous materials MOFs. DISCUSSION: In this review, we have focussed mainly on the latest studies of applications, including bioimaging, biosensing, and antibacterial and drug delivery on Fe-based MIL. The existing shortcomings and future perspectives of the rapidly growing biomedical applications of Fe-based MIL materials addressing dosage and loading strategies issues are also discussed briefly, and further studies with the use of different therapies will be of great interest. CONCLUSION: This article reviews the Fe-based MOFs design and biomedical application, including biosensing, bioimaging, antibacterial agent, and drug delivery in recent years.

A new magnetic adsorbent of eggshell-zeolitic imidazolate framework for highly efficient removal of norfloxacin.

Many effluents contain various antibiotics commonly, where the simultaneous removal of them is a big challenge. In this study, the magnetic biocomposite (eggshell-zeolitic imidazolate framework) was designed and synthesized by green and facile method. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) particles were stabilized on the surface of magnetic eggshell (Fe3O4-ES), generating a new Fe3O4-ES/ZIF-8 adsorbent, which was also fully characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM and BET techniques. Thereafter, norfloxacin (NOR) adsorption processes were investigated through different influencing factors (dosage, concentration, pH and temperature). The Langmuir adsorption isotherm could confirm a maximum removal efficiency of 80.13% for NOR. Kinetic studies illustrated that the pseudo-first-order model was in line with the experimental data of the simultaneous removal of NOR. Moreover, the magnetic nature of the adsorbent caused an easy separation from the aqueous solution.

Recent advances in MOF-based nanoplatforms generating reactive species for chemodynamic therapy.

Still today, cancer remains a threat to human health. Possible common treatments to cure this disease include chemotherapy (CT), radiotherapy (RT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and surgical resection, which give unreasonable results because of their limited efficiency and also lead to side-effects. Hence, different strategies are now being exploited to not only enhance the efficiency of these traditional therapeutic methods or treat the tumor cells but also curtail the side effects. A latest method with authentic proof of chemodynamic therapy (CDT) utilizing the Fenton reaction is now gaining importance. This approach, which is developed based on the high level of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in a tumor microenvironment (TME), can be used to catalyze the Fenton reaction to generate cancer cell-killing reactive oxygen species (ROS). The selection of materials is extremely important and nanomaterials offer the most likely method to facilitate CDT. Among various materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) which have been extensively applied in medical areas are regarded as a promising material and possess potential for the next generation of nanotechnology. This review focuses on summarizing the use of MOFs in CDT and their synergetic therapeutics as well as the challenges, obstacles, and development.

Structures and photocatalytic properties of two new Zn(ii) coordination polymers based on semi-rigid V-shaped multicarboxylate ligands.

Two new metal-organic coordination polymers (CPs), aqua-2,2'-bipyridine-5-(4'-carboxylphenoxy)isophthalatezinc(ii) polymer [Zn(HL)(2,2'-bipy)(H2O)] n (1) and tris-4,4'-bipyridine-bis-5-(4'-carboxylphenoxy)isophthalatetrizinc(ii) polymer [Zn3(L)2(4,4'-bipy)3] n (2) (H3L = 5-(4'-carboxylphenoxy)isophthalic acid, 4,4'-bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine and 2,2'-bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine), were obtained under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by microanalysis, FTIR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The single crystal X-ray diffraction indicated that in both the CPs the coordination networks exhibited varied topologies and coordination modes around the Zn(ii) centers. CP 1 exhibits a one-dimensional (1D) chain structure, which further forms a 3D supramolecular architecture via intermolecular π⋯π and hydrogen bonding interactions, while 2 possesses a 3D framework generated from a 2D layered motif comprising zinc and tripodal carboxylate subunits pillared by 4,4'-bpy ligands. Apart from the structural investigation, the photocatalytic performances of both the coordination polymers to photodecompose an aqueous solution of methyl violet (MV) were examined. The results indicated that both the CPs displayed the potential to photodecompose aromatic dyes and in particular 2 showed good photocatalytic activity for dye degradation under light irradiation. The photocatalytic mechanism through which these CPs executed degradation of dyes has been explained with the assistance of band gap calculations using density of states (DOS) and its decomposed partial DOS calculations.

Lipoprotein ratios are better than conventional lipid parameters in predicting arterial stiffness in young men.

Although dyslipidemia is associated with cardiovascular disease, there are conflicting data about the role of serum lipids and their ratios in promoting arterial stiffness. The authors aimed to compare serum lipid profiles to predict arterial stiffness, which was assessed by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity in young Chinese men. A total of 1015 participants aged 18 to 44 years without serious comorbidities were recruited for conventional detection. Anthropometrics, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, serum lipids, and other laboratory data were measured. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed to examine the relationship between serum lipid profiles and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity. Participants with high brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity exhibited higher levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/HDL-C, and non-HDL-C/HDL-C. The subsequent multivariable logistic regression showed that TG/HDL-C, total cholesterol/HDL-C, non-HDL-C/HDL-C, and TG significantly increased the risk for arterial stiffness after adjustment for confounding factors. Results indicate that lipid ratios are superior to conventional lipid parameters for predicting arterial stiffness in young men and that the TG/HDL-C ratio has the strongest association with arterial stiffness.

Triglyceride to HDL-C ratio and increased arterial stiffness in apparently healthy individuals.

OBJECTIVES: High triglycerides and low high density lipoprotein cholesterol are important cardiovascular risk factors. Triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C) has been reported to be useful in predicting cardiovascular disease. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is a valid and reproducible measurement by which to assess arterial stiffness and a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis. However, there is limited evidence about the relationship between them. Therefore, we tested the hypotheses that TG/HDL-C is associated with baPWV in healthy individuals. METHODS: Fasting lipid profiles, baPWV and clinical data were measured in 1498 apparently healthy, medication-free subjects (926 men, 572 women) who participated in a routine health screening from 2011 to 2013. Participants were stratified into quartiles of TG/HDL-C ratio. BaPWV > 1400 cm/s was defined as abnormal baPWV, Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify associations of TG/HDL-C quartiles and baPWV, after adjusting for the presence of conventional cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: In both genders, we observed positive relationships between TG/HDL-C quartiles and BMI, systolic BP, diastolic BP, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C, triglycerides, uric acid, and percentages of high baPWV. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that baPWV abnormality OR value of the highest TG/HDL-C quartiles was 1.91 (95% CI: 1.11-3.30, P < 0.05) and 2.91 (95% CI: 1.02-8.30, P < 0.05) in male and female after adjusting for age, systolic BP, diastolic BP, BMI, fasting plasma glucose, LDL-C, uric acid and estimated glomerular filtration rate when compared with the lowest TG/HDL-C quartiles. CONCLUSION: Increased TG/HDL-C was independently associated with baPWV abnormality in apparently healthy individuals.