Particle Margination and Its Implications on Intravenous Anticancer Drug Delivery

“Margination” refers to the movement of particles in flow toward the walls of a channel. The term was first coined in physiology for describing the behavior of white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets in blood flow. The margination of particles is desirable for anticancer drug delivery because it results in the close proximity of drug-carrying particles to the endothelium, where they can easily diffuse into cancerous tumors through the leaky vasculature. Understanding the fundamentals of margination may further lead to the rational design of particles and allow for more specific delivery of anticancer drugs into tumors, thereby increasing patient comfort during cancer treatment. This paper reviews existing theoretical and experimental studies that focus on understanding margination. Margination is a complex phenomenon that depends on the interplay between inertial, hydrodynamic, electrostatic, lift, van der Waals, and Brownian forces. Parameters that have been explored thus far include the particle size, shape, density, stiffness, shear rate, and the concentration and aggregation state of red blood cells (RBCs). Many studies suggested that there exists an optimal particle size for margination to occur, and that nonspherical particles tend to marginate better than spherical particles. There are, however, conflicting views on the effects of particle density, stiffness, shear rate, and RBCs. The limitations of using the adhesion of particles to the channel walls in order to quantify margination propensity are explained, and some outstanding questions for future research are highlighted.     

药物输送系统中Janus纳米粒子的制备及应用

Janus纳米粒子(Janus nanoparticle,JNP)用于描述由两个不同侧面组合而成的一种异质结构的实体材料。Janus纳米粒子每个侧面在化学性质和/或极性上都有所差异,可将不同材料的特征和功能结合在一起,这是同类均质的材料难以实现的。近年来,Janus纳米粒子的制备方法已取得了重大突破,但其应用的发展方向仍然是一个充满挑战的领域,其中在抗肿瘤药物输送系统领域的研究较为突出。主要介绍了在药物输送系统中Janus纳米粒子的制备方法及应用,并提出了研究前景和可能面临的挑战。     

去唾液酸糖蛋白受体及其在药物肝靶向递送中的应用

去唾液酸糖蛋白受体(ASGPR)是肝细胞特异性表达的受体,且是一种高效的内吞型受体,去唾液酸糖蛋白、半乳糖、半乳糖胺、N-乙酰半乳糖胺等糖分子对其有高亲和性.该综述回顾了ASGPR的发现历程、结构特征、生物学功能、表达模式、胞吞特点.总结了影响ASGPR与其配体亲和、介导胞吞的影响因素(包括配体类型、触角数量、空间距离与颗粒粒径).概述了早期ASGPR与其特异性配体在药物递送中的应用.最后介绍了最近利用N-乙酰半乳糖胺的缀合或修饰来实现肝靶向核酸药物递送的研究进展.     

Anticancer Efficacy of Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System of Sunitinib Malate

Sunitinib malate (SM) is reported as a weakly soluble drug in water due to its poor dissolution rate and oral bioavailability. Hence, in the current study, various “self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS)” of SM were prepared, characterized and evaluated for the enhancement of its in vitro dissolution rate and anticancer efficacy. On the basis of solubilization potential of SM in various excipients, “Lauroglycol-90 (oil), Triton-X100 (surfactant) and Transcutol-P (cosurfactant)” were selected for the preparation of SM SNEDDS. SM-loaded SNEDDS were developed by spontaneous emulsification method, characterized and evaluated for “thermodynamic stability, self-nanoemulsification efficiency, droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), surface morphology, refractive index (RI), the percent of transmittance (% T) and drug release profile.” In vitro dissolution rate of SM was significantly enhanced from an optimized SNEDDS in comparison with SM suspension. The optimized SNEDDS of SM with droplet size of 42.3 nm, PDI value of 0.174, ZP value of ?36.4 mV, RI value of 1.339, % T value of 97.3%, and drug release profile of 95.4% (after 24 h via dialysis membrane) was selected for in vitro anticancer efficacy in human colon cancer cells (HT-29) by MTT assay. MTT assay indicated significant anticancer efficacy of optimized SM SNEDDS against HT-29 cells in comparison with free SM. The results of this study showed the great potential of SNEDDS in the enhancement of in vitro dissolution rate and anticancer efficacy of poorly soluble drug such as SM.     

Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation on Surface or in the Bulk of Soil

Microbial precipitation of calcium carbonate takes place in nature by different mechanisms. One of them is microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), which is performed due to bacterial hydrolysis of urea in soil in the presence of calcium ions. The MICP process can be adopted to reduce the permeability and/or increase the shear strength of soil. In this paper, a study on the use of Bacillus sp., which was isolated from tropical beach sand, to perform MICP either on the surface or in the bulk of sand is presented. If the level of calcium salt solution was below the sand surface, MICP took place in the bulk of sand. On the other hand, if the level of calcium salt solution was above the sand surface, MICP was performed on the sand surface and formed a thin layer of crust of calcium carbonate. After six sequential batch treatments with suspension of urease-producing bacteria and solutions of urea and calcium salt, the permeability of sand was reduced to 14 mm/day (or 1.6×10^?7 m/s) in both cases of bulk and surface MICP. Quantities of precipitated calcium after six treatments were 0.15 and 0.60 g of Ca per cm² of treated sand surface for the cases of bulk or surface MICP, respectively. The stiffness of the MICP treated sand also increased considerably. The modulus of rupture of the thin layer of crust was 35.9 MPa which is comparable with limestone.     

新型抗癌药物分子靶标STAT3的研究进展

信号转导与转录激活因子(STATs)是一类发挥信号转导和转录因子调节作用的蛋白质家族,它们可以作为信号转导分子和转录调节因子参与到细胞因子和生长因子对于正常细胞的调控作用中。STATs的异常激活,特别是STAT3激活,和多种人类恶性肿瘤相关联。相关的分子生物学和药理学模型的研究也已确认STAT3在肿瘤发生中的重要作用,这些工作为抗癌药物研发和治疗癌症提供了新的靶标。此外,结构性活化的STAT3突变体就足以诱导瘤原细胞的转化,并且进一步在体内形成肿瘤。结构性激活的STAT3信号通路常常伴随着一些基因如cyclinD1,c-Myc和Bcl-x的上调,同时也会破坏正常细胞生长与生存的调控机制。体外和体内的实验研究结果也证明,对于STAT3信号通路结构性的阻断可以导致STAT3高表达肿瘤类型中的细胞生长抑制和凋亡。这种已被证实了的肿瘤细胞内的结构性激活和生长存活之间的相互联系,为癌症治疗提供了广阔的应用前景。近年来针对STAT3抑制剂的研究逐渐成为热点,本文就此作一综述。     

Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC) for Parenteral Delivery of an Anticancer Drug

The purpose of this research was to formulate nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for the parenteral delivery of an anticancer drug, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). The ATRA was incorporated into NLC by the de novo emulsification method. The effect of the formulation factor, i.e., type and oil ratio, initial ATRA concentration on physicochemical properties was determined. The anticancer efficacy of ATRA-loaded NLC on HL-60 and HepG2 cells was also studied. NLC was formulated using a blend of solid lipids (cetyl palmitate) and liquid lipids (soybean oil (S), medium-chain triglyceride (M), S/oleic acid (O; 3:1) and M/O (3:1)) at a weight ratio of 1:1. ATRA-loaded NLC had an average size of less than 200 nm (141.80 to 172.95 nm) with a narrow PDI and negative zeta potential that was within an acceptable range for intravenous injection. The results indicated that oleic acid enhanced the ATRA-loading capacity of NLC. In vitro ATRA release was only approximately 4.06% to 4.34% for 48 h, and no significant difference in ATRA release rate from all NLC formulations in accordance with the composition of the oil phase. Moreover, no burst release of the drug was observed, indicating that NLC could prolong the release of ATRA. The initial drug concentration affected the photodegradation rate but did not affect the release rate. All ATRA-loaded NLC formulations exhibited the photoprotective property. The cytotoxicity results showed that all ATRA-loaded NLC had higher cytotoxicity than the free drug and HL-60 cells were more sensitive to ATRA than HepG2 cells.     

维生素E自微乳化给药系统的制备

目的:研究维生素E自微乳的制备工艺.方法:考察了维生素E在不同油、乳化剂、助乳化剂中的溶解情况,筛选油相、乳化剂和助乳化剂.以假三角相图中形成微乳的面积为指标,采用正交设计表对处方进行优化,确定维生素E自乳化给药系统的最佳处方.结果:微乳最佳处方:油酸乙酯:Tween-80:丙二醇的比例为3:4:3.结论:该处方自乳化区域大,自微乳化速率快,所形成的乳剂稳定.     

壳聚糖在给药系统中的应用

壳聚糖来源丰富,具有良好的生物相容性、生物可降解性、无毒性、成膜性和极强的可塑性,已经作为高分子材料,广泛用于给药系统中.将壳聚糖应用于给药系统中可以提高药物安全性、有效性及可靠性,可以调整药物释放速率,减少给药次数.此外,壳聚糖可塑性强,可制成膜、压成片、制成颗粒、微球或增粘剂等多种剂型.该文就壳聚糖的特性及其在给药系统中的应用予以综述.     

高分子囊泡在药物释放体系的应用

高分子囊泡作为一种新型的纳米药物载体,具有生物可降解性、稳定性、生物相容性及可修饰的多功能化等特点。改变聚合物种类和亲水-疏水嵌段的比例,可以制备具有不同形态和膜特性的高分子囊泡。经过修饰后的高分子囊泡,可赋予其更多的功能,从而实现药物的控释和药物靶向的能力。对高分子囊泡的结构、组成和制备方法以及在药物释放体系的应用等方面进行了较为详细的综述,目的是了解高分子囊泡最新研究进展以及未来科学家们亟须解决的重要问题。     

碳纳米管作为药物载体在治疗肿瘤方面的研究进展

碳纳米管(carbon nanotubes,CNTs)所展现的独特物理与化学性质引起了广泛关注。近年来,碳纳米管在生物医学方面的应用日益受到医学界的重视。本文通过回顾近年来碳纳米管功能化修饰的方法、生物毒性、进入细胞的机制,及其在体内、外肿瘤治疗方面的研究现状,分析了现有的研究特点,并对碳纳米管作为药物载体治疗肿瘤的应用前景进行了展望。     

DNA-金属纳米材料在分子识别和药物递送中的应用

分子识别和药物递送对疾病的早期诊断和靶向治疗至关重要。DNA作为一种天然纳米分子，具有良好的生物相容性、分子识别性及序列可编程性等特点，因此在生物医学研究中受到广泛关注。然而，DNA纳米材料存在依赖于光响应系统且不能穿透细胞膜等缺点，导致单独使用无法满足实际应用的需求。近年来，涌现出大量DNA-金属纳米材料，这些复合材料具有光化学特性、组织穿透能力和药物装载能力等功能，克服了单一材料的缺陷，在生物传感、生物成像和药物靶向递送中表现出巨大的应用潜力。本文集中于3种近年热门的DNA-金属纳米材料（DNA-铜纳米材料、DNA-上转换纳米材料、DNA-金属有机框架纳米材料），依据DNA与各金属纳米材料的结合方式进行合理分类，介绍其在生物传感、生物成像和药物递送中的最新应用进展，并对未来发展方向进行了展望。     

Wax-incorporated Emulsion Gel Beads of Calcium Pectinate for Intragastric Floating Drug Delivery

The purpose of this study was to prepare wax-incorporated pectin-based emulsion gel beads using a modified emulsion-gelation method. The waxes in pectin–olive oil mixtures containing a model drug, metronidazole, were hot-melted, homogenized and then extruded into calcium chloride solution. The beads formed were separated, washed with distilled water and dried for 12 h. The influence of various types and amounts of wax on floating and drug release behavior of emulsion gel beads of calcium pectinate was investigated. The drug-loaded gel beads were found to float on simulated gastric fluid if the sufficient amount of oil was used. Incorporation of wax into the emulsion gel beads affected the drug release. Water-soluble wax (i.e. polyethylene glycol) increased the drug release while other water-insoluble waxes (i.e. glyceryl monostearate, stearyl alcohol, carnauba wax, spermaceti wax and white wax) significantly retarded the drug release. Different waxes had a slight effect on the drug release. However, the increased amount of incorporated wax in the formulations significantly sustained the drug release while the beads remained floating. The results suggest that wax-incorporated emulsion gel beads could be used as a carrier for intragastric floating drug delivery.     

生物可降解嵌段共聚物在给药载体中的应用

生物可降解嵌段聚合物因具有双亲性 ,靶向药物到特定部位等优点大大推动了作为给药载体系统的发展。本文综述了生物可降解嵌段聚合物在表面修饰、水凝胶、胶束、生物大分子载体系统中的应用     

Characterization of Soy Polysaccharide and Its In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation for Application in Colon Drug Delivery

The objective of the present investigation was to establish potential of commercially available soy polysaccharide (Emcosoy®) for colon drug delivery. The soy polysaccharide–ethyl cellulose films were fabricated and characterized. The effect of the pectinase enzyme on the tensile strength and surface morphology of the film was evaluated. The permeation of chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM), a model hydrophilic drug from pectinase enzyme treated and untreated films was measured in pH 7.4 buffer. The soy polysaccharide–ethyl cellulose films were also incubated with Lactobacillus sp. culture for a specific duration, and effect on the CPM permeation was evaluated. The CPM capsules were coated with the soy polysaccharide–ethyl cellulose mixture, and Eudragit S100 was applied as a secondary coat. The coated CPM capsules were radiolabelled, and their in vivo transit was evaluated in human volunteers on oral administration. The pectinase enzyme had a significant influence on the tensile strength and surface morphology of the soy polysaccharide–ethyl cellulose films. The permeability of pectinase enzyme-treated and Lactobacillus sp.-treated films was significantly higher than that of untreated films. The CPM capsules were coated with the soy polysaccharide–ethyl cellulose mixture and Eudragit S100 and were successfully radiolabelled by a simple method. Gamma scintigraphic studies in human volunteers showed that the radiolabelled capsules maintained integrity for at least 9 h after oral administration. Thus, the soy polysaccharide has a potential in colon drug delivery.     

脑肿瘤靶向递药策略及其研究进展

脑肿瘤严重威胁人类生命,其特有的屏障结构阻碍了药物有效进入。以脑胶质瘤为例,对现有脑肿瘤主要靶向策略作一简要综述, 并提出了脑肿瘤靶向递药的新理念——系统靶向（或全过程靶向）递药,即集脑肿瘤发生发展各阶段特征靶向策略于一体,设计对脑肿瘤 发生发展各阶段具有靶向功能的纳米递药系统,以实现更为有效的脑肿瘤靶向治疗目标。     

高强度聚焦超声在药物控制释放的应用及进展

高强度聚焦超声能够以一种非侵入性的方式有效地穿透身体内部组织,聚焦在深层组织中一个很小的空间区域内,产生很强的声能,这些能量被组织吸收引起局部温度的升高。当温度到达热敏脂质体的相变温度时,磷脂烷基链构象的会发生改变,导致脂质体的通透性增强,从而能够促进药物的释放。因此,高强度聚焦超声可以被用作外源刺激控制体内特定位置热敏脂质体的药物释放。本文对高强度聚焦超声在药物控制释放领域的应用及进展进行综述。     

Dendrimer,Liposomes, Carbon Nanotubes and PLGA Nanoparticles: One Platform Assessment of Drug Delivery Potential

Liposomes (LIP), nanoparticles (NP), dendrimers (DEN), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), represent eminent classes of drug delivery devices. A study was carried out herewith by employing docetaxel (DTX) as model drug to assess their comparative drug delivery potentials. Under optimized conditions, highest entrapment of DTX was observed in CNT-based formulation (DTX-CNTs, 74.70 ± 4.9%) followed by nanoparticles (DTX-NP, 62.34 ± 1.5%), liposome (49.2 ± 1.51%), and dendrimers (28.26 ± 1.74%). All the formulations were found to be of nanometric size. In vitro release studies were carried out in PBS (pH 7.0 and 4.0), wherein all the formulations showed biphasic release pattern. Cytotoxicity assay in human cervical cancer SiHa cells inferred lowest IC₅₀ value of 1,235.09 ± 41.93 nM with DTX-CNTs, followed by DTX-DEN, DTX-LIP, DTX-NP with IC₅₀ values of 1,571.22 ± 151.27, 1,653.98 ± 72.89, 1,922.75 ± 75.15 nM, respectively. Plain DTX showed higher hemolytic toxicity of 22.48 ± 0.94%, however loading of DTX inside nanocarriers drastically reduced its hemolytic toxicity (DTX-DEN, 17.22 ± 0.48%; DTX-LIP, 4.13 ± 0.19%; DTX-NP, 6.43 ± 0.44%; DTX-CNTs, 14.87 ± 1.69%).KEY WORDS: carbon nanotubes, dendrimer, drug delivery, liposomes, nanoparticles, nanotechnology     

介孔碳纳米材料的制备及其在药物传递方面的应用进展

新型功能性纳米材料在设计和制备技术方面的进步为纳米医学的发展提供了很大的机遇。在过去十年中,介孔碳纳米材料在制备和应用方面获得了巨大的进步。作为一种新型无机材料体系,介孔碳纳米材料结合了介孔的结构以及碳质组成的特点,显示出不同于传统介孔二氧化硅以及其它一些碳基材料体系(碳纳米管、石墨烯、富勒烯等)的优越特性。介孔碳纳米材料在药物的吸附与控释、光热治疗、协同治疗、肿瘤细胞的荧光标记、催化、生物传感、生物大分子的分离等诸多领域表现出其他多孔材料难以达到的优越性和应用潜力。本文对介孔碳纳米材料的制备和修饰技术进行介绍,重点关注介孔碳纳米颗粒在药物负载和光热控释方面的应用,最后对介孔碳纳米材料在生物医学领域的应用前景和所面临的关键问题进行讨论。