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Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated anticancer modalities, which disturb the redox balance of cancer cells through multi-pathway simulations, hold great promise for effective cancer management. Among these, cooperative physical and biochemical activation strategies have attracted increasing attention because of their spatiotemporal controllability, low toxicity, and high therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we demonstrate a nanogel complex as a multilevel ROS-producing system by integrating chloroperoxidase (CPO) into gold nanorod (AuNR)-based nanogels (ANGs) for cascade-amplifying photothermal-enzymatic synergistic tumor therapy. Benefiting from photothermal-induced hyperthermia upon near-infrared (NIR) laser exposure, the exogenous ROS (including H2O2) were boosted by the AuNR nanogel owing to the intercellular stress response. This ultimately promoted the efficient enzyme-catalyzed reaction of loaded CPO combined with the rich endogenous H2O2 in tumor cells to significantly elevate intracellular ROS levels above the threshold for improved therapeutic outcomes. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have verified the cascade-amplifying ROS-mediated antitumor effects, providing feasible multimodal synergistic tactics for tumor treatment.
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Gynecological cancers present significant treatment challenges due to drug resistance and adverse side effects. This review explores advancements in lysosomal escape mechanisms, essential for enhancing nano-therapeutic efficacy. Strategies such as pH-sensitive linkers and membrane fusion are examined, showcasing their potential to improve therapeutic outcomes in ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers. We delve into novel materials and strategies developed to bypass the lysosomal barrier, including pH-sensitive linkers, fusogenic lipids, and nanoparticles (NPs) engineered for endosomal disruption. Mechanisms such as the proton sponge effect, where NPs induce osmotic swelling and rupture of the lysosomal membrane, and membrane fusion, which facilitates the release of therapeutic agents directly into the cytoplasm, are explored in detail. These innovations not only promise to improve therapeutic outcomes but also minimize side effects, marking a significant step forward in the treatment of ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers. By providing a comprehensive analysis of current advancements and their implications for clinical applications, this review sheds light on the potential of lysosomal escape strategies to revolutionize gynecological cancer treatment, setting the stage for future research and development in this vital area.
A wide number of natural molecules demonstrated neuroprotective effects on synaptic plasticity defects induced by amyloid-β (Aβ) in ex vivo and in vivo Alzheimer's disease (AD) models, suggesting a possible use in the treatment of this neurodegenerative disorder. However, several compounds, administered parenterally and orally, are unable to reach the brain due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) which prevents the passage of external substances, such as proteins, peptides, or phytocompounds, representing a limit to the development of treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD. The combination of nano vesicular systems, as colloidal systems, and nose to brain (NtB) delivery depicts a new nanotechnological strategy to overtake this limit and to develop new treatment approaches for brain diseases, including the use of natural molecules in combination therapy for AD. Herein, we will provide an updated overview, examining the literature of the last 20 years and using specific keywords that provide evidence on natural products with the ability to restore synaptic plasticity alterations in AD models, and the possible application using safe and non-invasive strategies focusing on nano vesicular systems for NtB delivery.
Recently, small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) have transcended the genomic "noise" to emerge as pivotal molecular markers due to their essential roles in tumor progression. Substantial evidence indicates a strong association between snoRNAs and critical clinical features such as tumor pathology and drug resistance. Historically, snoRNA research has concentrated on two classical mechanisms: 2'-O-ribose methylation and pseudouridylation. This review specifically summarizes the novel regulatory mechanisms and functional patterns of snoRNAs in tumors, encompassing transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational regulation. We further discuss the synergistic effect between snoRNA host genes (SNHGs) and snoRNAs in tumor progression. More importantly, snoRNAs extensively contribute to the development of tumor cell resistance as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Accordingly, we provide a comprehensive review of the clinical diagnosis and treatment associated with snoRNAs and explore their significant potential as novel drug targets.
Allergic inflammation is closely related to the activation of mast cells (MCs), which is regulated by its intracellular Ca2+ level, but the intake and effects of the intracellular Ca2+ remain unclear. The Ca2+ influx is controlled by members of Ca2+ channels, among which calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C (CaV1.2) is the most robust. This study aimed to reveal the role and underlying mechanism of MC CaV1.2 in allergic inflammation. We found that CaV1.2 participated in MC activation and allergic inflammation. Nimodipine (Nim), as a strong CaV1.2-specific antagonist, ameliorated allergic inflammation in mice. Further, CaV1.2 activation in MC was triggered by phosphatizing at its Ser1928 through protein kinase C (PKC), which calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) catalyzed. Overexpression or knockdown of MC CaV1.2 influenced MC activation. Importantly, CaV1.2 expression in MC had detrimental effects, while its deficiency ameliorated allergic pulmonary inflammation. Results provide novel insights into CaV1.2 function and a potential drug target for controlling allergic inflammation.
Triclocarban (TCC) is a common antimicrobial agent that has been widely used in medical care. Given the close association between TCC treatment and metabolic disorders, we assessed whether long-term treatment to TCC at a human-relevant concentration could induce nephrotoxicity by disrupting the metabolic levels in a mouse model. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) was applied to investigate the alterations in the spatial distributions and abundances of TCC, endogenous and exogenous metabolites in the kidney after TCC treatment. The results showed that TCC treatment induced the changes in the organ weight, organ coefficient and histopathology of the mouse kidney. MSI data revealed that TCC accumulated in all regions of the kidney, while its five metabolites mainly distributed in the cortex regions. The abundances of 79 biomolecules associated with pathways of leukotriene E4 metabolism, biosynthesis and degradation of glycerophospholipids and glycerolipids, ceramide-to-sphingomyelin signaling were significantly altered in the kidney after TCC treatment. These biomolecules showed distinctive distributions in the kidney and displayed a favorable spatial correlation with the pathological damage. This work offers new insights into the related mechanisms of TCC-induced nephrotocicity and exhibits the potential of MALDI-MSI-based spatial metabolomics as a promising approach for the risk assessment of agents in medical care.
Green analytical chemistry (GAC) focuses on mitigating the adverse effects of analytical activities on human safety, human health, and environment. In addition to the 12 principles of GAC, proper GAC tools should be developed and employed to assess the greenness of different analytical assays. The 15 widely used GAC metrics, i.e., national environmental methods index (NEMI), advanced NEMI, assessment of green profile (AGP), chloroform-oriented toxicity estimation scale (ChlorTox Scale), Analytical Eco-Scale, Green Certificate Modified Eco-Scale, analytical method greenness score (AMGS), green analytical procedure index (GAPI), ComplexGAPI, red-green-blue (RGB) additive color model, RGB 12 algorithm, analytical greenness calculator (AGREE), AGREE preparation (AGREEprep), HEXAGON, and blue applicability grade index (BAGI), are selected as the typical tools. This article comprehensively presents and elucidates the principles, characteristics, merits, and demerits of 15 widely used GAC tools. This review is helpful for researchers to use the current GAC metrics to assess the environmental sustainability of analytical assays.