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Application of Novel Polymeric Nanoparticles in Nanomedicine

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecular Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2020) | Viewed by 18408

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Rosaria Rinaldi

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Guest Editor

Department of Mathematics and Physics “E. De Giorgi” and Scuola Superiore ISUFI, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: nanomaterials; nanobioelectronics; nanosensors; nanomedicine; drug delivery; smart materials and surfaces
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Micro/nanosized colloidal and polymeric particles have attracted interest due to their fascinating properties and large array of applications. The synthesis of these nano- and micro-particles has led to the development of new functional materials and drug carriers as well as various applications in coating, paint production, building industries, and microelectronics.

In recent times, colloidal nanoparticles are extensively employed as biomaterials because of their unique characteristics in terms of simple elaboration and design, easy tailoring of their morpho-mechanical and chemo-physical properties, good biocompatibility, broad structural variety, and noticeable biomimetic characteristics. The development of smart engineered organic nano-carriers has the double advantage of hosting biomolecules in the inner core and facilitating their adsorption on the surface through electrostatic or chemical interactions.

Nano-theranostics represents the next generation of medicine, fusing nanotechnology, therapeutics, and diagnostics. By integrating therapeutic and imaging agents into one nanoparticle, this new treatment strategy has the potential not only to detect and diagnose disease but also to treat and monitor the therapeutic response. This capability could have a profound impact in both the research and clinical settings.

This Special Issue on “Application of Novel Polymeric Nanoparticles in Nanomedicine” welcomes original research and reviews on this topic, ranging from novel synthetic routes to smart application in cancer theranostics and tissue engineering, as well as novel drug formulation for targeted drug delivery applications.

Prof. Rosaria Rinaldi
Guest Editor

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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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

polymer
colloidal particles
micro- and nanoparticles
functional drug delivery systems
stimuli-responsive polymeric aggregates
nanomedicine
imaging
tissue engineering
nanotherapeutics
novel composite materials
lock-and-key assemblies

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 6250 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of Doxycycline Polymeric Nanoparticles: Effect on Tumor Apoptosis in Solid Ehrlich Carcinoma

by Ahmed R. Gardouh, Mohammed A. Attia, Eman T. Enan, Alaaeldeen M. Elbahaie, Rania A. Fouad, Mohamed El-Shafey, Amal M. Youssef, Suliman Y. Alomar, Zinab Abd-Elhady Ali, Sawsan A. Zaitone and Mona K.E. Qushawy

Molecules 2020, 25(14), 3230; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25143230 - 15 Jul 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3148

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to prepare doxycycline polymeric nanoparticles (DOXY-PNPs) with hope to enhance its chemotherapeutic potential against solid Ehrlich carcinoma (SEC). Methods: Three DOXY-PNPs were formulated by nanoprecipitation method using hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) as a polymer. The prepared DOXY-PNPs were evaluated for the encapsulation efficiency (EE%), the drug loading capacity, particle size, zeta potential (ZP) and the in-vitro release for selection of the best formulation. PNP number 3 was selected for further biological testing based on the best pharmaceutical characters. PNP3 (5 and 10 mg/kg) was evaluated for the antitumor potential against SEC grown in female mice by measuring the tumor mass as well as the expression and immunohistochemical staining for the apoptosis markers; caspase 3 and BAX. Results: The biological study documented the greatest reduction in tumor mass in mice treated with PNP3. Importantly, treatment with 5 mg/kg of DOXY-PNPs produced a similar chemotherapeutic effect to that produced by 10 mg/kg of free DOXY. Further, a significant elevation in mRNA expression and immunostaining for caspase 3 and BAX was detected in mice group treated with DOXY-PNPs. Conclusions: The DOXY-PNPs showed greater antitumor potential against SEC grown in mice and greater values for Spearman’s correlation coefficients were detected when correlation with tumor mass or apoptosis markers was examined; this is in comparison to free DOXY. Hence, DOXY-PNPs should be tested in other tumor types to further determine the utility of the current technique in preparing chemotherapeutic agents and enhancing their properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Polymeric Nanoparticles in Nanomedicine)

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14 pages, 2304 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Redox-Responsive LXR-Activating Nanoparticle Formulations in Primary Mouse Macrophages

by Tyler K. T. Smith, Zaina Kahiel, Nicholas D. LeBlond, Peyman Ghorbani, Eliya Farah, Refel Al-Awosi, Marceline Cote, Suresh Gadde and Morgan D. Fullerton

Molecules 2019, 24(20), 3751; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24203751 - 18 Oct 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5079

Abstract

Activation of the transcription factor liver X receptor (LXR) has beneficial effects on macrophage lipid metabolism and inflammation, making it a potential candidate for therapeutic targeting in cardiometabolic disease. While small molecule delivery via nanomedicine has promising applications for a number of chronic diseases, questions remain as to how nanoparticle formulation might be tailored to suit different tissue microenvironments and aid in drug delivery. In the current study, we aimed to compare the in vitro drug delivering capability of three nanoparticle (NP) formulations encapsulating the LXR activator, GW-3965. We observed little difference in the base characteristics of standard PLGA-PEG NP when compared to two redox-active polymeric NP formulations, which we called redox-responsive (RR)1 and RR2. Moreover, we also observed similar uptake of these NP into primary mouse macrophages. We used the transcript and protein expression of the cholesterol efflux protein and LXR target ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1) as a readout of GW-3956-induced LXR activation. Following an initial acute uptake period that was meant to mimic circulating exposure in vivo, we determined that although the induction of transcript expression was similar between NPs, treatment with the redox-sensitive RR1 NPs resulted in a higher level of ABCA1 protein. Our results suggest that NP formulations responsive to cellular cues may be an effective tool for targeted and disease-specific drug release. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Polymeric Nanoparticles in Nanomedicine)

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13 pages, 4134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antitumor Efficacy of Liposome-Encapsulated NVP-BEZ235 Combined with Irreversible Electroporation for Head and Neck Cancer

by Li Tian, Lucas Wang, Yang Qiao, Linfeng Lu, Patrick Lee, Ashley Chang, Saisree Ravi, Thomas A. Rogers and Marites P. Melancon

Molecules 2019, 24(19), 3560; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24193560 - 01 Oct 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3277

Abstract

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) kills tumor cells by the delivery of short pulses of strong electric fields. However, the field strength decreases with distance from the treatment center. When IRE cannot eradicate the entire tumor mass, the surviving tumor cells can regrow. NVP-BEZ235 is a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor that has been administered orally in clinical trials. However, its hydrophobicity and poor water solubility make NVP-BEZ235 difficult to deliver to target areas. To improve its pharmacokinetics and therapeutic efficacy, we have encapsulated NVP-BEZ235 in a liposome (termed as L-BEZ). Our current study focuses on the long-term antitumor efficacy of IRE and intratumoral injection of L-BEZ in HN5 head and neck cancer xenografts in nude mice. We compared in vitro efficacy, as well as the effect on tumor size and growth rate in vivo, between IRE alone, IRE + oral BEZ, and IRE + L-BEZ over the course of two months. All animals in the control group were sacrificed by day 36, due to excess tumor burden. Tumors treated with IRE alone grew faster and larger than those in the control group. IRE + oral BEZ suppressed tumor growth, but the growth rate increased to that of the controls toward the end of 21 days. Only IRE + L-BEZ eradicated the tumor masses, with no palpable or extractable tumor mass observed after two months. The combination of IRE and L-BEZ could effectively eradicate tumors and prevent recurrence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Polymeric Nanoparticles in Nanomedicine)

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17 pages, 3866 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Encapsulation of Thermo-Sensitive Lauric Acid in Silica Shell: A Green Derivate for Chemo-Thermal Therapy in Breast Cancer Cell

by Valeria De Matteis, Mariafrancesca Cascione, Maria Luisa De Giorgi, Stefano Leporatti and Rosaria Rinaldi

Molecules 2019, 24(11), 2034; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24112034 - 28 May 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3448

Abstract

Lauric acid is a green derivate that is abundant in some seeds such as coconut oil where it represents the most relevant fatty acid. Some studies have emphasized its anticancer effect due to apoptosis induction. In addition, the lauric acid is a Phase Change Material having a melting temperature of about 43.2 °C: this property makes it a powerful tool in cancer treatment by hyperthermal stress, generally induced at 43 °C. However, the direct use of lauric acid can have some controversial effects, and it can undergo degradation phenomena in the extracellular environment. For this reason, we have encapsulated lauric acid in a silica shell with a one-step and reproducible synthetic route in order to obtain a monodispersed SiO₂@LA NPs with a good encapsulation efficiency. We have used these NPs to expose breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) at different concentrations in combination with hyperthermal treatment. Uptake, viability, oxidative stress induction, caspases levels, and morphometric parameters were analyzed. These nanovectors showed double action in anticancer treatments thanks to the synergic effect of temperature and lauric acid activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Polymeric Nanoparticles in Nanomedicine)

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Review

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35 pages, 7355 KiB

Open AccessReview

Engineering Polymeric Nanosystems against Oral Diseases

by Valeria Mercadante, Edoardo Scarpa, Valeria De Matteis, Loris Rizzello and Alessandro Poma

Molecules 2021, 26(8), 2229; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26082229 - 13 Apr 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2933

Abstract

Nanotechnology and nanoparticles (NPs) are at the forefront of modern research, particularly in the case of healthcare therapeutic applications. Polymeric NPs, specifically, hold high promise for these purposes, including towards oral diseases. Careful optimisation of the production of polymeric NPs, however, is required to generate a product which can be easily translated from a laboratory environment to the actual clinical usage. Indeed, considerations such as biocompatibility, biodistribution, and biodegradability are paramount. Moreover, a pre-clinical assessment in adequate in vitro, ex vivo or in vivo model is also required. Last but not least, considerations for the scale-up are also important, together with an appropriate clinical testing pathway. This review aims to eviscerate the above topics, sourcing at examples from the recent literature to put in context the current most burdening oral diseases and the most promising polymeric NPs which would be suitable against them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Polymeric Nanoparticles in Nanomedicine)

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