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Nanotechnology in Cancer Treatment 3.0

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 13346

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Guest Editor
Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1550 Orleans St., Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
Interests: magnetic fluid hyperthermia; hyperthermia; cancer nanomedicine; magnetic nanoparticles; nanoparticle-immune modulation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The unique size of nanoparticles, in the 10–200 nm range, endows them with interesting and unique biological properties. They are small enough to penetrate most areas of the body and be ingested by cells, but large enough to carry multiple effector and targeting capabilities on their surface and within them. These unique capabilities have generated tremendous interest and effort to utilize nanoparticles of many sorts for cancer therapy, and the field is moving very rapidly. The challenge of this field is that it lies at the intersection of multiple areas of extensive complexity, namely, the inherent complexity of any cancer treatment and the variety of nanoparticle types that can be synthesized and component options that can be included, such as drugs, cytokines, targeting molecules, toxins, lipids, and metallic particles. Further complexity involves the intersection of chemistry, engineering, cell biology, virology (viruses are nanoparticles), immunology, and cancer biology, which all participate in this field. At this interface of multiple scientific fields are unique opportunities to develop new cancer therapies with specific physical attributes of nanoparticles.

Cancer immunotherapy is providing a powerful additional approach to treat metastatic disease. While we seek manuscripts on all uses of nanoparticles for cancer treatment, we particularly welcome manuscripts focused on nanoparticle usage as part of cancer immunotherapy.

Prof. Dr. Steven Fiering
Dr. Robert Ivkov
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Nanoparticles
  • Immunology
  • Cancer immunotherapy
  • Nanoparticle characterization
  • Magnetic nanoparticles
  • Magnetic hyperthermia

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3669 KiB  
Article
Liposome Formulation for Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery Using Radiation Therapy
by Amanda J. Stolarz, Bijay P. Chhetri, Michael J. Borrelli, Samir V. Jenkins, Azemat Jamshidi-Parsian, Joshua H. Phillips, Daniel Fologea, Jay Gandy and Robert J. Griffin
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11662; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms231911662 - 02 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2239
Abstract
Targeted delivery of drugs or other therapeutic agents through internal or external triggers has been used to control and accelerate the release from liposomal carriers in a number of studies, but relatively few utilize energy of therapeutic X-rays as a trigger. We have [...] Read more.
Targeted delivery of drugs or other therapeutic agents through internal or external triggers has been used to control and accelerate the release from liposomal carriers in a number of studies, but relatively few utilize energy of therapeutic X-rays as a trigger. We have synthesized liposomes that are triggered by ionizing radiation (RTLs) to release their therapeutic payload. These liposomes are composed of natural egg phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), cholesterol, and 1,2-disteroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy (polyethylene glycol)-2000] (DSPE-PEG-2000), and the mean size of the RTL was in the range of 114 to 133 nm, as measured by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). The trigger mechanism is the organic halogen, chloral hydrate, which is known to generate free protons upon exposure to ionizing radiation. Once protons are liberated, a drop in internal pH of the liposome promotes destabilization of the lipid bilayer and escape of the liposomal contents. In proof of principle studies, we assessed RTL radiation-release of fluorescent tracers upon exposure to a low pH extracellular environment or exposure to X-ray irradiation. Biodistribution imaging before and after irradiation demonstrated a preferential uptake and release of the liposomes and their cargo at the site of local tumor irradiation. Finally, a potent metabolite of the commonly used chemotherapy irinotecan, SN-38, was loaded into RTL along with near infrared (NIR) fluorescent dyes for imaging studies and measuring tumor cell cytotoxicity alone or combined with radiation exposure, in vitro and in vivo. Fully loaded RTLs were found to increase tumor cell killing with radiation in vitro and enhance tumor growth delay in vivo after three IV injections combined with three, 5 Gy local tumor radiation exposures compared to either treatment modality alone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology in Cancer Treatment 3.0)
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11 pages, 1935 KiB  
Communication
Plant Viral Nanoparticle Conjugated with Anti-PD-1 Peptide for Ovarian Cancer Immunotherapy
by Aayushma Gautam, Veronique Beiss, Chao Wang, Lu Wang and Nicole F. Steinmetz
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(18), 9733; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22189733 - 08 Sep 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3297
Abstract
Immunotherapy holds tremendous potential in cancer therapy, in particular, when treatment regimens are combined to achieve synergy between pathways along the cancer immunity cycle. In previous works, we demonstrated that in situ vaccination with the plant virus cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) activates and [...] Read more.
Immunotherapy holds tremendous potential in cancer therapy, in particular, when treatment regimens are combined to achieve synergy between pathways along the cancer immunity cycle. In previous works, we demonstrated that in situ vaccination with the plant virus cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) activates and recruits innate immune cells, therefore reprogramming the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment toward an immune-activated state, leading to potent anti-tumor immunity in tumor mouse models and canine patients. CPMV therapy also increases the expression of checkpoint regulators on effector T cells in the tumor microenvironment, such as PD-1/PD-L1, and we demonstrated that combination with immune checkpoint therapy improves therapeutic outcomes further. In the present work, we tested the hypothesis that CPMV could be combined with anti-PD-1 peptides to replace expensive antibody therapies. Specifically, we set out to test whether a multivalent display of anti-PD-1 peptides (SNTSESF) would enhance efficacy over a combination of CPMV and soluble peptide. Efficacy of the approaches were tested using a syngeneic mouse model of intraperitoneal ovarian cancer. CPMV combination with anti-PD-1 peptides (SNTSESF) resulted in increased efficacy; however, increased potency against metastatic ovarian cancer was only observed when SNTSESF was conjugated to CPMV, and not added as a free peptide. This can be explained by the differences in the in vivo fates of the nanoparticle formulation vs. the free peptide; the larger nanoparticles are expected to exhibit prolonged tumor residence and favorable intratumoral distribution. Our study provides new design principles for plant virus-based in situ vaccination strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology in Cancer Treatment 3.0)
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15 pages, 4257 KiB  
Article
Theoretical Analysis for Using Pulsed Heating Power in Magnetic Hyperthermia Therapy of Breast Cancer
by Thanh-Luu Cao, Tuan-Anh Le, Yaser Hadadian and Jungwon Yoon
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(16), 8895; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22168895 - 18 Aug 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2004
Abstract
In magnetic hyperthermia, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are used to generate heat in an alternating magnetic field to destroy cancerous cells. This field can be continuous or pulsed. Although a large amount of research has been devoted to studying the efficiency and side effects [...] Read more.
In magnetic hyperthermia, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are used to generate heat in an alternating magnetic field to destroy cancerous cells. This field can be continuous or pulsed. Although a large amount of research has been devoted to studying the efficiency and side effects of continuous fields, little attention has been paid to the use of pulsed fields. In this simulation study, Fourier’s law and COMSOL software have been utilized to identify the heating power necessary for treating breast cancer under blood flow and metabolism to obtain the optimized condition among the pulsed powers for thermal ablation. The results showed that for small source diameters (not larger than 4 mm), pulsed powers with high duties were more effective than continuous power. Although by increasing the source domain the fraction of damage caused by continuous power reached the damage caused by the pulsed powers, it affected the healthy tissues more (at least two times greater) than the pulsed powers. Pulsed powers with high duty (0.8 and 0.9) showed the optimized condition and the results have been explained based on the Arrhenius equation. Utilizing the pulsed powers for breast cancer treatment can potentially be an efficient approach for treating breast tumors due to requiring lower heating power and minimizing side effects to the healthy tissues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology in Cancer Treatment 3.0)
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Review

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16 pages, 2106 KiB  
Review
Current Nanomedicine for Targeted Vascular Disease Treatment: Trends and Perspectives
by Kyung-A Choi, June Hyun Kim, Kitae Ryu and Neha Kaushik
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(20), 12397; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms232012397 - 17 Oct 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2992
Abstract
Nanotechnology has been developed to deliver cargos effectively to the vascular system. Nanomedicine is a novel and effective approach for targeted vascular disease treatment including atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, strokes, peripheral arterial disease, and cancer. It has been well known for some time [...] Read more.
Nanotechnology has been developed to deliver cargos effectively to the vascular system. Nanomedicine is a novel and effective approach for targeted vascular disease treatment including atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, strokes, peripheral arterial disease, and cancer. It has been well known for some time that vascular disease patients have a higher cancer risk than the general population. During atherogenesis, the endothelial cells are activated to increase the expression of adhesion molecules such as Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1), Vascular cell adhesion protein 1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin, and P-selectin. This biological activation of endothelial cells gives a targetability clue for nanoparticle strategies. Nanoparticle formation has a passive targeting pathway due to the increased adhesion molecule expression on the cell surface as well as increased cell activation. In addition, the VCAM-1-targeting peptide has been widely used to target the inflamed endothelial cells. Biomimetic nanoparticles using platelet and leukocyte membrane fragment strategies have been promising techniques for targeted vascular disease treatment. Cyclodextrin, a natural oligosaccharide with a hydrophobic cavity, increase the solubility of cholesterol crystals at the atherosclerotic plaque site and has been used to deliver the hydrophobic drug statin as a therapeutic in a targeted manner. In summary, nanoparticles decorated with various targeting molecules will be an effective and promising strategy for targeted vascular disease treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology in Cancer Treatment 3.0)
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43 pages, 9099 KiB  
Review
Magnetic Micellar Nanovehicles: Prospects of Multifunctional Hybrid Systems for Precision Theranostics
by Margarida S. Miranda, Ana F. Almeida, Manuela E. Gomes and Márcia T. Rodrigues
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11793; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms231911793 - 04 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2034
Abstract
Hybrid nanoarchitectures such as magnetic polymeric micelles (MPMs) are among the most promising nanotechnology-enabled materials for biomedical applications combining the benefits of polymeric micelles and magnetic nanoparticles within a single bioinstructive system. MPMs are formed by the self-assembly of polymer amphiphiles above the [...] Read more.
Hybrid nanoarchitectures such as magnetic polymeric micelles (MPMs) are among the most promising nanotechnology-enabled materials for biomedical applications combining the benefits of polymeric micelles and magnetic nanoparticles within a single bioinstructive system. MPMs are formed by the self-assembly of polymer amphiphiles above the critical micelle concentration, generating a colloidal structure with a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic shell incorporating magnetic particles (MNPs) in one of the segments. MPMs have been investigated most prominently as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as heat generators in hyperthermia treatments, and as magnetic-susceptible nanocarriers for the delivery and release of therapeutic agents. The versatility of MPMs constitutes a powerful route to ultrasensitive, precise, and multifunctional diagnostic and therapeutic vehicles for the treatment of a wide range of pathologies. Although MPMs have been significantly explored for MRI and cancer therapy, MPMs are multipurpose functional units, widening their applicability into less expected fields of research such as bioengineering and regenerative medicine. Herein, we aim to review published reports of the last five years about MPMs concerning their structure and fabrication methods as well as their current and foreseen expectations for advanced biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology in Cancer Treatment 3.0)
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