Preparation and in vitro investigation of prostate-specific membrane antigen targeted lycopene loaded niosomes on prostate cancer cells.

In this study, it's aimed to develop prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeted niosomes with a multifunctional theranostic approach. With this aim, PSMA-targeted niosomes were synthesized by a thin-film hydration method followed by bath sonication. Drug-loaded niosomes (Lyc-ICG-Nio) were coated with DSPE-PEG-COOH (Lyc-ICG-Nio-PEG) and subsequently anti-PSMA antibody conjugated to niosomes (Lyc-ICG-Nio-PSMA) with amide bond formation. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis showed that the hydrodynamic diameter of Lyc-ICG-Nio-PSMA was approximately 285 nm and it was found with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that the niosome formulation was spherical. Encapsulation efficiency was 45% and %65 upon dual encapsulation of ICG and lycopene. The results of fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated that PEG coating and antibody coupling were successfully done. In vitro studies showed that cell viability decreased when lycopene was entrapped into niosomes applied while the total apoptotic cell population rose slightly. When Lyc-ICG-Nio-PSMA was applied to cells, decreased cell viability and enhanced apoptotic effect were seen compared to those for Lyc-ICG-Nio. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that targeted niosomes displayed improved cellular association and decreased cell viability on PSMA + cells.

A novel anti-angiogenic radio/photo sensitizer for prostate cancer imaging and therapy: 89Zr-Pt@TiO2-SPHINX, synthesis and in vitro evaluation.

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy and leading cause of cancer deaths in men. Thus, the development of novel strategies for performing combined prostate cancer imaging and therapy methods is crucial and could have a significant impact on patient care. This current study aimed to design a multimodality nanoconjugate to be used for both PET and optical imaging and as a therapeutic radio/photo sensitizer and anti-angiogenesis agent. Initial characterization of this novel nanoconjugate was performed via HPLC, FTIR, TEM and DLS analyses. Pt@TiO2-SPHINX was further evaluated using fluorometric and radiochromatographic methods. Cytotoxicity, cell uptake and internalization were also investigated as well as therapy with photodynamic/radio therapy combinations. Both nanoparticles and nanoconjugates were robustly synthesized according to literature methods. Radiochemistry and cell culture assays showed high 89Zr radiolabeling efficiency with sufficient stability for studies at later time points. Pt@TiO2-SPHINX was shown to target prostate cancer cells (PC3 and LNCaP), and was non-toxic to normal prostate cells (RWPE-1). This finding was supported by the WST-8 assay and AFM images. The uptake of the compound in prostate cancer cells is significantly higher than prostate normal cells and according to ELISA results, Pt@TiO2-SPHINX can increase anti-angiogenic VEGFA165b. Additionally, Pt@TiO2-SPHINX dramatically decreased the cell viability of prostate cancer cells when photodynamic and radio therapy were performed at the same time. In vitro results are promising for future studies of Pt@TiO2-SPHINX as a PET imaging agent and anti-angiogenic radio sensitizer.

Examination of the Association Between 3,4-Divanillyltetrahydrofuran Lignan (Urtica dioica Origin) and Prostate Cancer Cells by 131I Radiolabeling.

Background: Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer for men in many countries. One of the various prostate cancer therapy methods is hormone therapy, and explaining the association between androgen hormones and prostate cancer is a critical role for successful prostate cancer treatment. Materials and Methods: In the current study, the behavior of 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran (DTH) was examined against prostate cancer cells, which have androgen sensitivity differences [LNCaP (+), PC3 (-)]. For this aim, DTH was obtained by extraction of Urtica dioica roots. The molecular structure of isolated compound was confirmed as DTH by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analyses. To evaluate the association of androgen sensitivity, DTH was radiolabeled with 131I, and cell uptake assay was performed by using 131I-radiolabeled DTH. Also, cytotoxicity (WST-1) assay of DTH was performed against LNCaP and PC3 cells to determinate the toxic effects of DTH on different androgen mechanisms. Results: The results of assays on cells have shown that DTH lignan behaves different like being more toxic to LNCaP cells than PC3 cells, depending on androgen sensitivity. Conclusion: The results may contribute both the research topics of phytolignan prostate cancer and androgen-sensitive prostate cancer.

In Vitro Determination of Wound Healing Potential of Axonge

BACKGROUND: Research on treatment alternatives that improve wound healing is an ever-evolving area in medicine, and a wound healing agent that carries minimal pain, discomfort, and scarring for patients with burn wounds, venous and decubitis ulcers, traumatic wounds, and many others is needed. The phases of wound healing include homeostasis, inflammation, migration, proliferation, and maturation. Adeps suillus (axonge) is known as a therapeutic agent for skin diseases and mainly consists of triglycerides. OBJECTIVE: In the current study, the proliferation effect of axonge was determined on human normal epidermal keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells and human normal foreskin fibroblast cell line (BJ) cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experimental steps included preparation of HaCaT and BJ cell lines, axonge's stable tetrazolium salt-based proliferation assay, and evaluation of the wound healing effect of axonge on HaCaT and BJ cells. RESULTS: Axonge concentrations of 3.12 µg/mL, 6.25 µg/mL, 12.5 µg/mL, 25 µg/mL, and 50 µg/mL showed no cytotoxic effect on both HaCaT and BJ cells for 24, 48, and 72 hours. Considering the wound area of HaCaT cells, after 6 hours the wound healing effect of the axonge group reached almost 70% and then stopped. According to the results of the study on BJ cells, after 6 hours axonge wound closure was found to be 50% while the control group was only 10%. CONCLUSION: On the basis of this study, the authors determined that axonge might have potential for use in wound healing.