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Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Nanoscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2023) | Viewed by 15873

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gerardo Prieto

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Guest Editor

Colloids and Polymers Physics Group, Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Interests: surfactants; micelles; vesicles; liquid crystal; denaturation proteins; surfactants in cell lysis; surfactants in nanotechnology; surfactant lyotropic phases; self-assembly; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Silvia Barbosa

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Guest Editor

Área de Física de la Materia Condensada, Facultad de Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Interests: biosurfactants; micelles; vesicles; liquid crystal; denaturation proteins; surfactant in cell lysis; surfactant in nanotechnology; surfactant lyotropic phases; self-assembly; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The application of nanotechnology to medicine—nanomedicine—has emerged as a new field of interdisciplinary research which currently constitutes one of the priority research areas in most Western countries. Nanomedicine makes it possible to combine the properties of multiple materials (e.g., organic and inorganic nanoparticles, biomolecules, drugs, surfactants, etc.) through self-assembly techniques, manufacturing multifunctional nanomaterials for application as "smart" nanosystems in diagnosis and therapy or the combination of both of them, that is, theranosis.

In the field of drug delivery, nanotechnology is bringing us solutions for a safer and more efficient administration of drugs compared to traditional medicine, improving the drug pharmacokinetic and the therapies results. On the other hand, some of these multifunctional smart nanocarriers let the combination of chemical therapies with some other therapies as for example dynamic (PDT) or photothermal (PTT) as well as the diagnosis using image techniques.

In this sense, this Special Issue aims to analyze the current and future state of “smart” nanoparticles in the field of nanomedicine. Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue is to collect state-of-the-art research on the design and characterization of novel smart/soft nanomaterials and their intended applications in different fields, in particular cancer therapy. To achieve such a goal, we would like to invite researchers to contribute original works or review articles with expert opinions and perspectives in these areas.

Prof. Dr. Gerardo Prieto
Dr. Silvia Barbosa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

surfactants in nanobiotechnology
organic and inorganic nanoparticles
self-assembly
drug delivery
cancer therapy
smart/soft nanoparticles
theranostic agents

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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29 pages, 5989 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantification of Xanthone and Anthocyanin in Mangosteen Peel by UPLC-MS/MS and Preparation of Nanoemulsions for Studying Their Inhibition Effects on Liver Cancer Cells

by Rui Li, Baskaran Stephen Inbaraj and Bing-Huei Chen

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 3934; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043934 - 15 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2473

Abstract

Mangosteen peel, a waste produced during mangosteen processing, has been reported to be rich in xanthone and anthocyanin, both of which possess vital biological activities such as anti-cancer properties. The objectives of this study were to analyze various xanthones and anthocyanins in mangosteen peel by UPLC-MS/MS for the subsequent preparation of both xanthone and anthocyanin nanoemulsions to study their inhibition effects on liver cancer cells HepG2. Results showed that methanol was the optimal solvent for the extraction of xanthones and anthocyanins, with a total amount of 68,543.39 and 2909.57 μg/g, respectively. A total of seven xanthones, including garcinone C (513.06 μg/g), garcinone D (469.82 μg/g), γ-mangostin (11,100.72 μg/g), 8-desoxygartanin (1490.61 μg/g), gartanin (2398.96 μg/g), α-mangostin (51,062.21 μg/g) and β-mangostin (1508.01 μg/g), as well as two anthocyanins including cyanidin-3-sophoroside (2889.95 μg/g) and cyanidin-3-glucoside (19.72 μg/g), were present in mangosteen peel. The xanthone nanoemulsion was prepared by mixing an appropriate portion of soybean oil, CITREM, Tween 80 and deionized water, while the anthocyanin nanoemulsion composed of soybean oil, ethanol, PEG400, lecithin, Tween 80, glycerol and deionized water was prepared as well. The mean particle size of the xanthone extract and nanoemulsion were, respectively, 22.1 and 14.0 nm as determined by DLS, while the zeta potential was −87.7 and −61.5 mV. Comparatively, xanthone nanoemulsion was more effective than xanthone extract in inhibiting the growth of HepG2 cells, with the IC₅₀ being 5.78 μg/mL for the former and 6.23 μg/mL for the latter. However, the anthocyanin nanoemulsion failed to inhibit growth of HepG2 cells. Cell cycle analysis revealed that the proportion of the sub-G1 phase followed a dose-dependent increase, while that of the G0/G1 phase showed a dose-dependent decline for both xanthone extracts and nanoemulsions, with the cell cycle being possibly arrested at the S phase. The proportion of late apoptosis cells also followed a dose-dependent rise for both xanthone extracts and nanoemulsions, with the latter resulting in a much higher proportion at the same dose. Similarly, the activities of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 followed a dose-dependent increase for both xanthone extracts and nanoemulsions, with the latter exhibiting a higher activity at the same dose. Collectively, xanthone nanoemulsion was more effective than xanthone extract in inhibiting the growth of HepG2 cells. Further research is needed to study the anti-tumor effect in vivo. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy)

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25 pages, 5316 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hybrid Gold Nanorod-Based Nanoplatform with Chemo and Photothermal Activities for Bimodal Cancer Therapy

by Lilia Arellano-Galindo, Eva Villar-Alvarez, Alejandro Varela, Valeria Figueroa, Javier Fernandez-Vega, Adriana Cambón, Gerardo Prieto, Silvia Barbosa and Pablo Taboada

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(21), 13109; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232113109 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1464

Abstract

Metal nanoparticles (NPs), particularly gold nanorods (AuNRs), appear as excellent platforms not only to transport and deliver bioactive cargoes but also to provide additional therapeutic responses for diseased cells and tissues and/or to complement the action of the carried molecules. In this manner, here, we optimized a previous developed metal-based nanoplatform composed of an AuNR core surrounded by a polymeric shell constructed by means of the layer-by-layer approach, and in which very large amounts of the antineoplasic drug doxorubicin (DOXO) in a single loading step and targeting capability thanks to an outer hyaluronic acid layer were incorporated by means of an optimized fabrication process (PSS/DOXO/PLL/HA-coated AuNRs). The platform retained its nanometer size with a negative surface charge and was colloidally stable in a range of physiological conditions, in which only in some of them some particle clustering was noted with no precipitation. In addition, the dual stimuli-responsiveness of the designed nanoplatform to both endogenous proteases and external applied light stimuli allows to perfectly manipulate the chemodrug release rates and profiles to achieve suitable pharmacodynamics. It was observed that the inherent active targeting abilities of the nanoplatfom allow the achievement of specific cell toxicity in tumoral cervical HeLa cells, whilst healthy ones such as 3T3-Balb fibroblast remain safe and alive in agreement with the detected levels of internalization in each cell line. In addition, the bimodal action of simultaneous chemo- and photothermal bioactivity provided by the platform largely enhances the therapeutic outcomes. Finally, it was observed that our PSS/DOXO/PLL/HA-coated AuNRs induced cell mortality mainly through apoptosis in HeLa cells even in the presence of NIR light irradiation, which agrees with the idea of the chemo-activity of DOXO predominating over the photothermal effect to induce cell death, favoring an apoptotic pathway over necrosis for cell death. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy)

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18 pages, 13993 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Silver Nano Particles Using Myricetin and the In-Vitro Assessment of Anti-Colorectal Cancer Activity: In-Silico Integration

by Syed Tauqeer Anwer, Mohammad Mobashir, Omer I. Fantoukh, Bushra Khan, Khalid Imtiyaz, Irshad Hussain Naqvi and M. Moshahid Alam Rizvi

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11024; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911024 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2741

Abstract

The creation of novel anticancer treatments for a variety of human illnesses, including different malignancies and dangerous microbes, also potentially depends on nanoparticles including silver. Recently, it has been successful to biologically synthesize metal nanoparticles using plant extracts. The natural flavonoid 3,3′, 4′, 5,5′, and 7 hexahydroxyflavon (myricetin) has anticancer properties. There is not much known about the regulatory effects of myricetin on the possible cell fate-determination mechanisms (such as apoptosis/proliferation) in colorectal cancer. Because the majority of investigations related to the anticancer activity of myricetin have dominantly focused on the enhancement of tumor cell uncontrolled growth (i.e., apoptosis). Thus, we have decided to explore the potential myricetin interactors and the associated biological functions by using an in-silico approach. Then, we focused on the main goal of the work which involved the synthesis of silver nanoparticles and the labeling of myricetin with it. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were examined using UV-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In this study, we have investigated the effects of myricetin on colorectal cancer where numerous techniques were used to show myricetin’s effect on colon cancer cells. Transmission Electron Microscopy was employed to monitor morphological changes. Furthermore, we have combined the results of the colorectal cancer gene expression dataset with those of the myricetin interactors and pathways. Based on the results, we conclude that myricetin is able to efficiently kill human colorectal cancer cell lines. Since, it shares important biological roles and possible route components and this myricetin may be a promising herbal treatment for colorectal cancer as per an in-silico analysis of the TCGA dataset. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy)

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Review

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21 pages, 3735 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Advances on Affibody- and DARPin-Conjugated Nanomaterials in Cancer Therapy

by Federica Gabriele, Marta Palerma, Rodolfo Ippoliti, Francesco Angelucci, Giuseppina Pitari and Matteo Ardini

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(10), 8680; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24108680 - 12 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1973

Abstract

Affibodies and designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) are synthetic proteins originally derived from the Staphylococcus aureus virulence factor protein A and the human ankyrin repeat proteins, respectively. The use of these molecules in healthcare has been recently proposed as they are endowed with biochemical and biophysical features heavily demanded to target and fight diseases, as they have a strong binding affinity, solubility, small size, multiple functionalization sites, biocompatibility, and are easy to produce; furthermore, impressive chemical and thermal stability can be achieved. especially when using affibodies. In this sense, several examples reporting on affibodies and DARPins conjugated to nanomaterials have been published, demonstrating their suitability and feasibility in nanomedicine for cancer therapy. This minireview provides a survey of the most recent studies describing affibody- and DARPin-conjugated zero-dimensional nanomaterials, including inorganic, organic, and biological nanoparticles, nanorods, quantum dots, liposomes, and protein- and DNA-based assemblies for targeted cancer therapy in vitro and in vivo. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy)

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19 pages, 725 KiB

Open AccessReview

Theranostics Nanomedicine Applications for Colorectal Cancer and Metastasis: Recent Advances

by Phanindra Babu Kasi, Venkata Ramana Mallela, Filip Ambrozkiewicz, Andriy Trailin, Václav Liška and Kari Hemminki

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(9), 7922; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24097922 - 27 Apr 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3093

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide, and metastatic CRC is a fatal disease. The CRC-affected tissues show several molecular markers that could be used as a fresh strategy to create newer methods of treating the condition. The liver and the peritoneum are where metastasis occurs most frequently. Once the tumor has metastasized to the liver, peritoneal carcinomatosis is frequently regarded as the disease’s final stage. However, nearly 50% of CRC patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis do not have liver metastases. New diagnostic and therapeutic approaches must be developed due to the disease’s poor response to present treatment choices in advanced stages and the necessity of an accurate diagnosis in the early stages. Many unique and amazing nanomaterials with promise for both diagnosis and treatment may be found in nanotechnology. Numerous nanomaterials and nanoformulations, including carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, liposomes, silica nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, metal-organic frameworks, core-shell polymeric nano-formulations, and nano-emulsion systems, among others, can be used for targeted anticancer drug delivery and diagnostic purposes in CRC. Theranostic approaches combined with nanomedicine have been proposed as a revolutionary approach to improve CRC detection and treatment. This review highlights recent studies, potential, and challenges for the development of nanoplatforms for the detection and treatment of CRC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy)

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22 pages, 1226 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nanoparticles Loaded with Platinum Drugs for Colorectal Cancer Therapy

by Buhle Buyana, Tobeka Naki, Sibusiso Alven and Blessing Atim Aderibigbe

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11261; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911261 - 24 Sep 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3232

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is a common cancer in both men and women. Numerous studies on the therapeutic effectiveness of nanoparticles against colorectal cancer have been reported. Platinum treatments as well as other medications comprising of nanoparticles have been utilized. Drug resistance restricts the use of platinum medicines, despite their considerable efficacy against a variety of cancers. This review reports clinically licensed platinum medicines (cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin) combined with various nanoparticles that have been evaluated for their therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of colorectal cancer, including their mechanism of action, resistance, and limitations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy)

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