Gold nanostructure-mediated delivery of anticancer agents: Biomedical applications, reversing drug resistance, and stimuli-responsive nanocarriers.

The application of nanoarchitectures in cancer therapy seems to be beneficial for the delivery of antitumor drugs. In recent years, attempts have been made to reverse drug resistance, one of the factors threatening the lives of cancer patients worldwide. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are metal nanostructures with a variety of advantageous properties, such as tunable size and shape, continuous release of chemicals, and simple surface modification. This review focuses on the application of GNPs for the delivery of chemotherapy agents in cancer therapy. Utilizing GNPs results in targeted delivery and increased intracellular accumulation. Besides, GNPs can provide a platform for the co-delivery of anticancer agents and genetic tools with chemotherapeutic compounds to exert a synergistic impact. Furthermore, GNPs can promote oxidative damage and apoptosis by triggering chemosensitivity. Due to their capacity for providing photothermal therapy, GNPs can enhance the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents against tumor cells. The pH-, redox-, and light-responsive GNPs are beneficial for drug release at the tumor site. For the selective targeting of cancer cells, surface modification of GNPs with ligands has been performed. In addition to improving cytotoxicity, GNPs can prevent the development of drug resistance in tumor cells by facilitating prolonged release and loading low concentrations of chemotherapeutics while maintaining their high antitumor activity. As described in this study, the clinical use of chemotherapeutic drug-loaded GNPs is contingent on enhancing their biocompatibility.

Non-coding RNAs and exosomal ncRNAs in multiple myeloma: An emphasis on molecular pathways.

One of the most common hematological malignancies is multiple myeloma (MM) that its mortality and morbidity have increased. The incidence rate of MM is suggested to be higher in Europe and various kinds of therapeutic strategies including stem cell transplantation. However, MM treatment is still challenging and gene therapy has been shown to be promising. The non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) including miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs are considered as key players in initiation, development and progression of MM. In the present review, the role of ncRNAs in MM progression and drug resistance is highlighted to provide new insights for future experiments for their targeting and treatment of MM. The miRNAs affect proliferation and invasion of MM cells, and targeting tumor-promoting miRNAs can induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and reduces proliferation of MM cells. Furthermore, miRNA regulation is of importance for modulating metastasis and chemotherapy response of tumor cells. The lncRNAs exert the same function and determine proliferation, migration and therapy response of MM cells. Notably, lncRNAs mainly target miRNAs in regulating MM progression. The circRNAs also target different molecular pathways in regulating MM malignancy that miRNAs are the most well-known ones. Furthermore, clinical application of ncRNAs in MM is discussed.

Association of Candidate Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Related to Candidate Genes in Patients With Schizophrenia.

INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia is a chronic heterogenic neurodevelopment disorder. Many genes interfere in the development of SCZ. All four genes, NrCAM, PRODH, ANK3, and ANKK1, which were evaluated in this study, were previously reported to be associated with Schizophrenia. The NrCAM contributes to creating cognitive deficiencies through the CAM's signaling pathway. PRODH plays a vital role in creating SCZ negative symptoms through the signaling pathway of glutamatergic and NMDA receptors. ANK3 affects ion channel and molecular adhesion in Ranvier and initial segments of axons, leading to mental retardation, sleep disorder, and SCZ. ANKK1 encodes a protein kinase and was reported to be associated with alcohol addiction, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and SCZ. METHODS: The subjects were selected from Schizophrenic patients referring to the Psychiatric Ward of Imam-Hussein Hospital and Schizophrenic Patients Support Institution (AHEBBA). 95 (30 Schizoaffective patients, 57 Paranoid patients, and 8 disorganized) patients were recruited as the subjects in the present case-control association study. 120 healthy subjects were recruited from the Tehran Medical Genetics Laboratory staff and a group of students from the Islamic Azad University of Science and Research in Tehran. The genotypes were determined with molecular genotyping techniques of PCR-RFLP, ARMS-PCR, and Cycle sequencing. Results were analyzed by the Chi-Square test using SPSS V. 24 and R, SNP STATE Package to investigate significant differences between cases and controls. RESULTS: The incidence of schizophrenia was 68% and 32% among men and women, respectively. The evaluation of the allelic association between schizophrenia and all the candidate SNPs showed a significant association between NrCAM's SNP rs10235968 and SCZ (P=0.001). Haplotype T, T, C in rs10235968, rs6967368, rs3763463, respectively, within the NrCAM gene, showed significant association with schizophrenia disorder (P=0.0001). CONCLUSION: No association was found between other candidate SNPs and SCZ among the subjects.