Recent Advancement of Nanotheranostics in Cancer Applications.

The field of nanomedicine shows promising implications in the concurrent delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic (theranostics) compounds in a single platform. Nanotheranostics is incredibly promising since it offers simultaneous non-invasive disease detection and treatment together with the exciting ability to track drug release and distribution in real-time, thereby forecasting and evaluating the efficacy of the therapy. The cancer theranostic approach improves the cancer prognosis safely and effectively. Common classes of nanoscale biomaterials, including magnetic nanoparticles, quantum dots, upconversion nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, carbon- based nanoparticles, and organic dye-based nanoparticles, have demonstrated enormous potential for theranostic activity. The need for improved disease detection and enhanced chemotherapeutic treatments, together with realistic considerations for clinically translatable nanomaterials will be key driving factors for theranostic agent research shortly. The developments of precision theranostic nanomaterials are employed in imaging systems like, MRI, PET, and SPECT with multifunctional ability. In this review, different nanoparticles/nanomaterials that are used/developed for theranostic activity are discussed.

Naringenin Nanoformulations for Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a grade-IV astrocytoma, which is the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor, spreads rapidly and has a life-threatening catastrophic effect. GBM mostly occurs in adults with an average survival time of 15 to 18 months, and the overall mortality rate is 5%. Significant invasion and drug resistance activity cause the poor diagnosis of GBM. Naringenin (NRG) is a plant secondary metabolite byproduct of the flavanone subgroup. NRG can cross the blood-brain barrier and deliver drugs into the central nervous system when conjugated with appropriate nanocarriers to overcome the challenges associated with gliomas through naringenin-loaded nanoformulations. Here, we discuss several nanocarriers employed that are as delivery systems, such as polymeric nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanosuspensions, and nanoemulsions. These naringenin-loaded nanoformulations have been tested in various in vitro and in vivo models as a potential treatment for brain disorders. This review nanoformulations of NRG can a possible therapeutic alternative for the treatment of neurological diseases are discussed.

A clinical perspective of chitosan nanoparticles for infectious disease management.

Infectious diseases and their effective management are still a challenge in this modern era of medicine. Diseases, such as the SARS-CoV-2, Ebola virus, and Zika virus, still put human civilization at peril. Existing drug banks, which include antivirals, antibacterial, and small-molecule drugs, are the most advocated method for treatment, although effective but they still flounder in many instances. This calls for finding more effective alternatives for tackling the menace of infectious diseases. Nanoformulations are progressively being implemented for clinical translation and are being considered a new paradigm against infectious diseases. Natural polymers like chitosan are preferred to design nanoparticles owing to their biocompatibility, biodegradation, and long shelf-life. The chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) being highly adaptive delivers contemporary prevention for infectious diseases. Currently, they are being used as antibacterial, drug, and vaccine delivery vehicles, and wound-dressing materials, for infectious disease treatment. Although the recruitment of CNPs in clinical trials associated with infectious diseases is minimal, this may increase shortly due to the sudden emergence of unknown pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, thus turning them into a panacea for the management of microorganisms. This review particularly focuses on the all-around application of CNPs along with their recent clinical applications in infectious disease management.

Nanoparticle-based CRISPR/Cas Delivery: An Emerging Tactic for Cancer Therapy.

Genome editing arose as a new promising approach for treating numerous intricate ailm ents including cancer. Over the past couple of decades, delivery technologies that have serendipitously been developed using viral vectors are successful to some extent in protein and nucleic acid delivery but their effectiveness still lags due to their efficiency, tissue targeting capabilities, and toxicity which must be further improved. With the infiltration of nanotechnology into every sphere of life, nano-vehicles can be implemented as an ideal modality that can overcome challenges, also can be introspective as new genome editing tools for cancer therapy owing to the safety and efficiency in clinical settings. Such projected substitution can help in developing highly efficacious therapy regimes which are successful in clinical settings. This emerging approach of incorporation of genome editors (CRISPR/Cas) in different nano vehicles and their utility in targeting various aspects of cancer therapy like treatment, diagnostics, modelling has been comprehensively done in this review.

Responsive Role of Nanomedicine in the Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Drug Resistance.

Cancer remains a major worldwide health challenge. Current studies emphasize the tumor microenvironment that plays a vital role in tumor proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. The tumor microenvironment (TME) supports the cancer cell to evade conventional treatment such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Moreover, the components of tumor microenvironments have a major contribution towards developing therapy resistance in solid tumors. Therefore, targeting the tumor microenvironment can be a novel approach for achieving advancement in cancer nanomedicine. The recent progress in understanding TME and developing TME-responsive nanoparticles offers a great advantage in treating cancer drug resistance. These nanoparticles are developed in response to TME stimuli such as low pH, redox, and hypoxia improve nanomedicine's pharmacokinetic and therapeutic efficacy. This review discusses the various components of the tumor microenvironment responsible for drug resistance and nanomedicine's role in overcoming it.

Application of Therapeutic Nanoplatforms as a Potential Candidate for the Treatment of CNS Disorders: Challenges and Possibilities.

Drug delivery to central nervous system (CNS) diseases is one of the most challenging tasks. The innate blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (BCSF) barrier create an obstacle to effective systemic drug delivery to the CNS, by limiting the access of drugs to the brain. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery platform offers a potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurological disorders. Several studies have shown that nanomaterials have great potential to be used for the treatment of CNS diseases. The nanocarriers have simplified the targeted delivery of therapeutics into the brain by surpassing the BBB and actively inhibiting the disease progression of CNS disorders. The review is an overview of the recent developments in nanotechnology-based drug delivery approaches for major CNS diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ischemic stroke, and Glioblastoma. This review discusses the disease biology of major CNS disorders describing various nanotechnology-based approaches to overcome the challenges associated with CNS drug delivery, focussing on nanocarriers in preclinical and clinical studies for the same. The review also sheds light on the challenges during clinical translation of nanomedicine from bench to bedside. Conventional therapeutic agents used for the treatment of CNS disorders are inadequate due to their inability to cross BBB or BCSF, higher efflux from BBB, related toxicity, and poor pharmacokinetics. The amalgamation of nanotechnology with conventional therapeutic agents can greatly ameliorate the pharmacokinetic problems and at the same time assist in efficient delivery to the CNS.

Curcumin Encapsulated into Biocompatible Co-Polymer PLGA Nanoparticle Enhanced Anti-Gastric Cancer and Anti-Helicobacter Pylori Effect.

BACKGROUND: The current disadvantages (high cost, toxicity, resistance) of chemotherapy for gastric cancer opted people for alternative therapy from natural source. Curcumin (natural product) possess multiple biological activities but low bio-availability limits their uses as therapeutic. The Nano-formulation of curcumin increased the bioavailability and productivity of anti-cancer and anti-bacterial properties. The present study was initiated to determine the anti-cancer and anti-bacterial effect of Nano curcumin against gastric cancer and H. pylori. METHODS: Curcumin loaded PLGA nanoparticles (CUR-NPs) was prepared by single emulsion solvent evaporation method. The MIC were determined using agar dilution method to find the anti-H. Pylori activity of Nano curcumin. The cytotoxicity of Nano curcumin was evaluated by MTT assay and the apoptotic effect (cell cycle arrest and morphology change) was shown by PI staining and microscopy. RESULTS: The MIC of nanocurcumin and curcumin for all four H. pylori strains were 8 µg/ml and 16 µg/ml respectively. The inhibition rate of gastric cancer cells after treatment with curcumin was increased from 6% to 67% for 24h, from 8% to 75% for 48h, from 10% to 83% for 72h. In case of nanocurcumin, the inhibition rate increased from 7% to 69% for 24h, 11% to 87% for 48h and 16% to 97% for 72h. The IC50 of curcumin and Nano-curcumin were 24.20 µM and 18.78 µM respectively for 72 h. The population of cells in sub-G0 population increased from 4.1% in the control group to 24.5% and 57.8% when treated with curcumin and nanocurcumin respectively. After 72h of treatment with nanocurcumin, the apoptotic cells population increased as compared to native curcumin treated cells. CONCLUSION: The Nano curcumin might be used as a potential therapeutics against gastric cancer and H. Pylori. There is need of further in vivo study in order to validate CUR-NPs activity.

Nanocarriers For Vaginal Drug Delivery.

BACKGROUND: Vaginal drug delivery approach represents one of the imperative strategies for local and systemic delivery of drugs. The peculiar dense vascular networks, mucus permeability, and range of physiological characteristics of the vaginal cavity have been exploited for therapeutic benefit. Furthermore, the vaginal drug delivery has been curtailed due to the influence of different physiological factors like acidic pH, constant cervical secretion, microflora, cyclic changes during periods along with turnover of mucus of varying thickness. OBJECTIVE: This review highlights advancement of nanomedicine and its prospective progress towards the clinic. METHODS: Relevant literature reports and patents related to topics are retrieved and used. RESULT: The extensive literature search and patent revealed that nanocarriers are efficacious over conventional treatment approaches. CONCLUSION: Recently, nanotechnology based drug delivery approach has promised better therapeutic outcomes by providing enhanced permeation and sustained drug release activity. Different nanoplatforms based on drugs, peptides, proteins, antigens, hormones, nucleic material, and microbicides are gaining momentum for vaginal therapeutics.

Multifunctional Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy and Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a widespread disease and has a high mortality rate. Popular conventional treatment encompasses chemotherapy, radiation and surgical resection. However, these treatments impart lots of toxicity problems to the patients mostly due to their non-selectiveness nature, which invokes drug resistances and severe side-effects. OBJECTIVES: In this regard, nanotechnology has claimed to be a smart technology that provides the system with the ability to target drugs to the specific sites. With the use of nanotechnology, various nanomaterials that are widely used as a drug delivery vehicle are created for biomedical applications. Amongst variously diversified nanovehicles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have attracted enormous attention due to their structural characteristics, great surface areas, tunable pore diameters, good thermal and chemical stability, excellent biocompatibility along with ease of surface modification. Furthermore, the drug release from MSNs can be tailored through various stimuli response gatekeeper systems. The ordered structure of MSNs is extremely suitable for loading of the high amount of drug molecules with controlled delivery for targeting the cancer tissues via enhanced permeability and retention effect or further with surface modification, it can also be actively targeted by various ligands. METHODS: The review article emphases the common synthetic methods and current advancement of MSNs usages for stimuli response drug delivery, immunotherapy as well as the theranostic ability for cancer. CONCLUSION: Although MSNs are becoming the promising tool for more efficient and safer cancer therapy, however, additional translational studies are required to explore its multifunctional ability in a clinical setting.