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.

Gold Nanoshells Coated 5-Aminolevulinic Liposomes for Photothermal-Photodynamic Antitumor Therapy.

In this study, a novel antitumor system was designed on the basis of photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy using gold nanoshells coated 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) liposomes (GNALs). As a widely used photosensitizer prodrug, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-derived protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) can accumulate to a higher level in tumors than in normal tissues. Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) initiates a series of cytotoxic reactions after irradiation of target tissue with a measured dose of light with appropriate wavelength, which may be dependent on the generation of reactive oxygen species. Gold nanoshells can strongly absorb NIR lasers at the same time, and can generate hyperthermia to provide photothermic effects. Gold nanoshells coated 5-ALA-Liposomes (GNALs) exhibit a uniform-sized spherical shape of 185.8±0.91 nm, with a zeta potential of 33±1.6 mV. Liposomes with specific sizes ranging from 100 to 200 nm can escape into the tumor interstitial tissue and accumulate preferentially in tumor tissue owing to the EPR effect. In addition, NIR light-excited nanosystems significantly promoted antitumor effects in this study compared to single photodynamic therapy. It was also found that the increased temperature promoted inhibition rate of SKOV3 cells. The novel drug delivery system shows great potential in photothermal-photodynamic antitumor therapy.

Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment.

Ganoderma sinense is one of well-known herb medicine and has been used for 2000 years in China. G. lucidum and G. sinense are two family members of Ganoderma, a genus of polypore fungi. In Chinese, "Lingzhi" is designated as G. lucidum or red "Lingzhi" whereas "Zizhi" as G. sinense or purple "Lingzhi." The polysaccharides or glycans extracted from both G. lucidum and G. sinense have been developed into clinical drugs and recorded in Chinese Pharmacopeia. G. lucidum polysaccharide (GLPS) is one of a few non-hormonal drugs used for treating neurosis, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, atrophic myotonia and muscular dystrophy in China during the past 40 years. In contrast, G. sinense polysaccharide (GSP) tablet is approved as an adjunctive therapeutic drug in China for treating leukopenia and hematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiation therapy during cancer treatment by the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) in 2010. ß-glucan, an established immunostimulanting polysaccharide, is one of the components in GSP. In this study, we will review the biological activities and preclinical studies of GSP in China based on literatures searches from CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), VIP (Chongqing VIP Chinese Scientific Journals Database), Wanfang database, and PubMed database. Both basic and preclinical studies showed that GSP has antitumor, antioxidant, anticytopenia, and unique mushroom-poison detoxification properties that are different from that of GLPS. Our goal is to provide a molecular picture that would allow in-depth evaluation of GSP as one of few glycan-based drugs that has been used as an immunomodulatory adjunctive drug during cancer therapy.

Lentinan as an immunotherapeutic for treating lung cancer: a review of 12 years clinical studies in China.

PURPOSE: Lentinan is a polysaccharide extracted from Shiitake mushrooms that have been used to improve general health for thousands of years in Asia. Lentinan injection is a clinically approved drug in several countries in Asia. The purpose of this study is to review the structure, preclinical and clinical studies, and molecular mechanisms of lentinan. Most importantly, the clinical effectiveness of lentinan as an adjuvant therapeutic drug in treating patients with lung cancer in China during the past 12 years is analyzed statistically. METHODS: We carried out literature search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 2004 to 2016 based on CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), VIP (Chongqing VIP Chinese Scientific Journals Database) and Wanfang database, and 38 eligible RCTs of lentinan-associated lung cancer treatment were identified, containing 3,117 patients. RESULTS: The structure and function relationship and underlying molecular mechanism of lentinan as an immunostimulant has been summarized. The mean value of overall response rate in treating lung cancer was increased from 43.3% of chemotherapy alone to 56.9% of lentinan plus chemotherapy [p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.102-0.170]. Compared with chemotherapy alone, lentinan plus chemotherapy showed more efficacy in treating lung cancer (pooled RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.74-0.85) and no statistical heterogeneity was found among studies (I2 = 11%). CONCLUSION: Clinical data presented in the past 12 years shows that lentinan is effective not only in improving quality of life, but also in promoting the efficacy of chemotherapy during lung cancer treatment.

Overview of Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide-an adjunctive drug used during concurrent Chemo/Radiation therapy for cancer treatment in China.

Ganoderma sinense or "Chinese Lingzhi" is a well-known medicinal fungus in China for more than 2000 years. Polysaccharide is the main immunomodulatory and antitumor component in G. sinense. In 2010, G. sinense polysaccharide (GSP) tablet is approved as an adjunctive therapeutic drug in China for treating leukopenia and hematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiation therapy during cancer treatment by the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA). ß-glucan, an established immunostimulant, is one of the components in GSP. Based on CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), VIP (Chongqing VIP Chinese Scientific Journals Database), Wanfang database, and PubMed searches, we have not only summarized but also translated all the basic and preclinical studies about GSP published in Chinese into English in this review article. Unfortunately, all the clinical studies about GSP tablet could not be found during the search or by contacting the drug manufacturers. However, both basic and preclinical studies showed that GSP has antitumor, antioxidant, anticytopenia, and unique mushroom-poison detoxification properties that are different from that of G. lucidum polysaccharide, another "Lingzhi" polysaccharide. The structure and molecular mechanisms of GSP are also discussed. This article urges availability of clinical study results of GSP tablet that would allow in-depth evaluation if the tablet is appropriate to serve as an immunomodulatory drug during cancer therapy at world stage.

Preclinical and clinical studies of Coriolus versicolor polysaccharopeptide as an immunotherapeutic in China.

Conventional cancer treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. In recent years, immunotherapy in cancer care has been gaining momentum. Interestingly, an immunotherapeutic regime that employs polysaccharopeptide (PSP), a unique peptide-containing polysaccharide isolated from Coriolus versicolor, has already become a routine clinical practice in Japan since 1977 and in China since 1987. Coriolus versicolor is one of the most well-known traditional food and medicinal mushrooms in China for thousands of years. Medically used PSP is mostly obtained from the extraction of cultured Coriolus versicolor mycelia where ß-glucan is the major component. PSP has proven beneficial to survival and quality of life not only for cancer patients but also for patients with hepatitis, hyperlipidemia, and other chronic diseases. In this article, the results of PSP-related preclinical and clinical studies conducted in China from over 40 independent studies during the past 40 years based on searching the Chinese VIP, CNKI, and Wanfang databases are presented. Its immunomodulatory and anti-tumor molecular mechanisms are also summarized. PSP activates immune cells, increases the expressions of cytokines and chemokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukins (IL-1ß and IL-6), histamine, and prostaglandin E, enhances dendritic and T-cell infiltration into tumors, and ameliorates the adverse events associated with chemotherapy. The clinical studies support PSP being a potential immunotherapeutic. However, the complicated chemical and multiple pharmacological properties of PSP need to be investigated further.