Exploiting Nanotechnology for Drug Delivery: Advancing the Anti-Cancer Effects of Autophagy-Modulating Compounds in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Background: Cancer continues to be a prominent issue in the field of medicine, as demonstrated by recent studies emphasizing the significant role of autophagy in the development of cancer. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) provides a variety of anti-tumor agents capable of regulating autophagy. However, the clinical application of autophagy-modulating compounds derived from TCM is impeded by their restricted water solubility and bioavailability. To overcome this challenge, the utilization of nanotechnology has been suggested as a potential solution. Nonetheless, the current body of literature on nanoparticles delivering TCM-derived autophagy-modulating anti-tumor compounds for cancer treatment is limited, lacking comprehensive summaries and detailed descriptions. Methods: Up to November 2023, a comprehensive research study was conducted to gather relevant data using a variety of databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer Link, Web of Science, and CNKI. The keywords utilized in this investigation included "autophagy", "nanoparticles", "traditional Chinese medicine" and "anticancer". Results: This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential of nanotechnology in overcoming delivery challenges and enhancing the anti-cancer properties of autophagy-modulating compounds in TCM. The evaluation is based on a synthesis of different classes of autophagy-modulating compounds in TCM, their mechanisms of action in cancer treatment, and their potential benefits as reported in various scholarly sources. The findings indicate that nanotechnology shows potential in enhancing the availability of autophagy-modulating agents in TCM, thereby opening up a plethora of potential therapeutic avenues. Conclusion: Nanotechnology has the potential to enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of autophagy-modulating compounds in traditional TCM, through regulation of autophagy.

A systematic strategy for investigating the pharmacological effects and mechanism of traditional Chinese medicinal formula: Guilin Xiguashuang as a case.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicinal formula (TCMF) has specific advantages in treating diseases. However, the pharmacological effects and mechanism of TCMF composed of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) with unclear active components or targets have not yet been fully elucidated. OBJECTIVES: This research proposed a strategy for elucidating the pharmacological effects and mechanism to address this issue systematically. METHODS: With Guilin Xiguashuang (GLXGS) taken as a case, this study newly provided the multi-level assays, which decomposes TCMF into components, TCM, and TCMF levels. The main pharmacological effects were acquired through a comprehensive analysis based on the active components, pharmacological effects of TCM, and clinical efficacy of TCMF, respectively. The core targets and pathways were further identified and verified to elucidate the mechanism. RESULTS: The main pharmacological effects of GLXGS were anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial, immunoregulatory, and wound healing. Moreover, the mechanism analysis demonstrated that GLXGS was involved in the regulation of NF-κB and VEGF signaling pathways and core targets, such as IL-6 and TNF-α. Finally, unproven immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory mechanism were verified using RAW264.7 and THP-1 cells. GLXGS was verified to down-regulate IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and CD86 in lipopolysaccharides-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, while enhancing polarization in both RAW264.7 and THP-1 cells, which were consistent with analysis results. CONCLUSION: The present research provides a systematic strategy for the pharmacological effect prediction and mechanism analysis of TCMF, which is of great significance for studying complex TCMF.

Discovery of a traditional Chinese herbal combination for the treatment of atopic dermatitis: saposhnikoviae radix, astragali radix and cnidium monnieri.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a skin disease characterized by pruritus. The present study aimed to discover a herbal combination with anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory activities to treat AD. First, the anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory activities of herbs were evaluated by RBL-2H3 degranulation and HaCaT inflammatory models. Subsequently, the optimal proportion of herbs was determined by uniform design-response surface methodology. The effectiveness and synergistic mechanism was further verified. Cnidium monnieri (CM) suppressed ß-hexosaminidase (ß-HEX) release, saposhnikoviae radix (SR), astragali radix (AR), and CM inhibited the release of IL-8 and MCP-1. The optimal proportion of herbs was SR∶AR∶CM = 1: 2: 1. The in vivo experiments results indicated that the topical application of combination at high (2 ×) and low (1 ×) doses improved dermatitis score and epidermal thickness, and attenuated mast cell infiltration. Network pharmacology and molecular biology further clarified that the combination resisted AD by regulating the MAPK, JAK signaling pathways, and the downstream cytokines such as IL-6, IL-1ß, IL-8, IL-10, and MCP-1. Overall, the herbal combination could inhibit inflammation and allergy, improving AD-like symptoms. The present study discovers a promising herbal combination, worthy of further development as a therapeutic drug for AD.

Development of a highly sensitive immunoassay for detecting aminopyrine abuse in herbal tea.

With the popularity of herbal tea in China, many food fraudsters have added illegal drugs to herbal tea to enhance its functions, among which aminopyrine is widely abused as an antipyretic and analgesic. Presently, there is no immunoassays for aminopyrine, and it is difficult to achieve real-time detection in the field. Based on a polyclonal antibody of aminopyrine with high specificity and sensitivity, an optimal combination of coating antigen/antibody was obtained by screening different coating antigens. On this basis, a sensitive ic-ELISA method was established to detect aminopyrine in herbal tea. The detection limit of the ic-ELISA was 0.18 ng mL-1, which was much lower than the 100 ng mL-1 required as a standard. The method had good consistency with LC-MS in the detection of actual samples and could be used as a reliable method for the detection of aminopyrine in herbal tea.

Developing an ultrasensitive immunochromatographic assay for authentication of an emergent fraud aminopyrine in herbal tea.

Aminopyrine is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug only for medical purposes, however, it has been illegally added in traditional Chinese herbal teas for fraud activity recently. In this study, a specific antibody against aminopyrine with IC50 of 3.00 ng/mL was obtained for the first time by a rational hapten design. Furthermore, an ultrasensitive gold nanoparticles immunochromatographic assay (AuNPs-ICA) for determination of aminopyrine based on a portable reader was firstly developed, with cut-off value of 100.00 ng/mL, limit of detection (LOD) of 4.80 ng/mL and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 5.71 ng/mL for herbal tea, respectively. The recovery rates ranged from 93.21 % to 105.61 %, with inter-assay coefficient of variation (CV) from 1.08 % to 3.82 %. Additionally, 24 blind samples were examined simultaneously by AuNPs-ICA and LC-MS/MS, demonstrating a good consistency for each other. The proposed AuNPs-ICA is an ultrasensitive and reliable tool for on-site surveillance screening of fraud additives in herbal tea.

Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery for Rectal Anastomotic Stenosis After Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic stenosis is a common complication of colorectal cancer surgery with anastomosis. Transanal minimally invasive surgery is a novel approach to the treatment of anastomotic stenosis. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transanal minimally invasive surgery for anastomotic stenosis treatment. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study. SETTINGS: This study was conducted at a comprehensive cancer center. PATIENTS: This study included patients with rectal anastomotic stenosis who after undergoing colorectal surgery were admitted to the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital between September 2017 and June 2019. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the operative success rate. The secondary outcomes were intraoperative variables, postoperative complications, stoma closure conditions, and stenosis recurrence risks. RESULTS: Nine patients, aged 52 to 80 years, with a history of colorectal cancer with end-to-end anastomosis underwent transanal minimally invasive surgery for anastomotic stenosis. The distance between the stenosis and the anal verge ranged from 5 to 12 cm. The mean stenosis diameter was 0.3 cm. Four patients had completely obstructed rectal lumens. Eight of 9 patients successfully underwent transanal minimally invasive surgery radial incision and cutting. The average operation time was 50 minutes. After the procedure, 1 patient had symptomatic procedure-associated perforations but recovered with conservative treatment. No perioperative mortality occurred. One patient underwent transverse colostomy 1 month after transanal minimally invasive surgery because of proximal colon ischemia induced by primary rectal surgery. Eight patients underwent protective loop ileostomy. After transanal minimally invasive surgery, stoma closure was performed in 88% of patients with no stenosis recurrence or obstruction at follow-up (21-42 mo). LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by its small sample size and single-center design. CONCLUSIONS: Transanal minimally invasive surgery provides an excellent operative field, good maneuverability, and versatile instrumentation and is a safe and effective treatment for rectal anastomotic stenosis, especially for severe fibrotic stenosis or complete obstruction. See Dynamic Article Video at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B965 .

Preparation and Characterization of Active Targeting Dual-Functionalized Liposome with Anti-Tumor Ability and Optimized Fluorescent Intensity.

Although the preparation of Indocyanine Green (ICG) liposomes obtained stronger performance than free ICG. With increase in depth of tissue, ICG exhibits limited background (SBR) and blurs structure characteristics. In this research, a Stearylamine-Bearing cationic liposome was prepared for improved fluorescence performance (higher SBR and deeper imaging depth). In addition, the effect of ICG and lipid interactions was explored. Hyaluronic acid is subsequently modified on the liposomes for prolonging blood circulation time and active tumor targeting. In vitro study confirmed that the liposome (HA-ICG-SA-LP) was capable of reversing surface zeta potential under acidic conditions in the presence of HAase which might enhance cellular uptake. Additionally, the photothermal heating of liposomes was investigated. The MTT assay showed that the liposome has strong cancer cell inhibition ability. In summary, HA-ICG-SA-LP exhibited a great potential for high sensitivity imaging and tumor hyperthermia.

Follow the Smoke: Immersive Display of Motion Data With Synthesized Smoke.

With the development of motion capture and graphics technology, visual feedback becomes increasingly important for tasks such as motion training. In order to engage users with immersive visual feedback, we introduce smoke simulation to enhance the motion display. Boundary conditions in the smoke simulation are designed to produce smoke which follows and implies the corresponding complex human motion. We also synthesize multilayer smoke, which is shown to be useful for emphasizing the motion of specified limbs. We implement our technique in an HMD-based virtual reality (VR) system for Tai-Chi training. User study results show that synthesized smoke is useful for enhancing the motion display, and that the training process is generally preferred in terms of engagement.

Baicalein inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cells through suppressing the expression of CD24.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death and is the most common type of liver cancer. Current therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma are still rather limited and novel therapeutic strategies are required. Baicalein, extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis, has anticancer effects on HCC in vitro and vivo. However, the detailed mechanisms are not well studied yet. In the present study, we evaluated anticancer effects of purified botanical extracts on HCC cells using high-throughput screening and investigated the effects of baicalein on HCC cells using proliferation and apoptosis assays, RT-PCR, and Western blot. Transfection was used to explore the underlying mechanisms of these effects. Our results showed that baicalein is the most efficient botanical extract in a HCC cell line as compared with the other 13 extracts. Baicalein significantly decreased the expression of c-Myc, a crucial regulator of cell proliferation, apoptosis and cellular transformation, in dose- and time-dependent manners in HCC cells. Moreover, baicalein inhibited HCC cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. The mRNA and protein expressions of CD24 were downregulated by baicalein in HCC cells and ectopic overexpression of CD24 reversed baicalein-induced inhibition of cell proliferation and survival. Taken together, our results demonstrate efficient anticancer effects of baicalein on HCC cells and indicate that baicalein suppresses cell growth and cell survival through downregulation of CD24.