Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Naihui Sun, Xing Zhao
Summary: Metabolic reprogramming is crucial for tumor cells to adapt to nutrient-deprived environment and promote malignant behaviors. Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), upregulated in various malignant solid tumors, is not only involved in activating oncogenic signaling pathways but also in rewiring the metabolic phenotypes of tumor cells to meet their high energy demand.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Man Wang, Fei Yu, Peifeng Li
Summary: Advances in oncoimmunology have led to extensive research into tumor immune landscape and clinical immunotherapy trials. Immunotherapy enhances the host immune system against cancer, but drug resistance remains a major obstacle. Understanding the mechanisms underlying immunotherapy resistance can provide new directions for cancer treatment.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Enaya Mohiuddin, Hiroaki Wakimoto
Summary: The extracellular matrix plays a crucial role in tumor research, the composition of tumor ECM affects angiogenesis, invasion, and therapeutic resistance, therapeutic strategies targeting ECM offer new opportunities, such as antibodies or ligands, RNA interference, etc.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Hua-Zhong Ying, Wei Xie, Meng-Chuan Wang, Jia-Qi He, Huan-Huan Zhang, Chen-Huan Yu
Summary: Gut dysbiosis plays a crucial role in the development of colorectal cancer, affecting the absorption and metabolism of drugs and subsequently impacting the clinical outcomes of patients. Natural herbs, as a novel source of anticancer drugs, have shown promising effects in improving gut microbiota composition, repairing intestinal barrier, and reducing inflammation in CRC models.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Melania Lo Iacono, Chiara Modica, Gaetana Porcelli, Ornella Roberta Brancato, Giampaolo Muratore, Paola Bianca, Miriam Gaggianesi, Alice Turdo, Veronica Veschi, Matilde Todaro, Simone Di Franco, Giorgio Stassi
Summary: The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in cancer growth, with adipose tissue (AT) being a prevalent component of TME and contributing to cancer development. Cancer-associated adipocytes (CAAs), reprogrammed by cancer stem cells (CSCs), promote cancer progression through the release of metabolites and inflammatory adipokines. This review highlights the mechanisms of bidirectional crosstalk between CAAs, CSCs, and stromal cells, and discusses the recent advances in targeting adipocyte-released factors as a promising strategy to counteract cancer progression.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Md Nazir Hossen, Lin Wang, Shailendra Kumar Dhar Dwivedi, Yushan Zhang, Geeta Rao, Chandra Kumar Elechalwar, Vinit Sheth, Anindya Dey, Sima Asfa, Suresh Kumar Gulla, Chao Xu, Kar-Ming Fung, J. David Robertson, Magdalena Bieniasz, Stefan Wilhelm, Resham Bhattacharya, Priyabrata Mukherjee
Summary: By utilizing the self-therapeutic properties of gold nanoparticles, researchers identified a molecular axis that promotes the growth of ovarian cancer and validated its potential for inhibiting tumor growth.
Review
Cell Biology
Jiawei Chen, Zhiyue Li, Qun Zhao, Linxi Chen
Summary: This article reviews the role of the apelin/APJ system in the occurrence and development of various cancers, as well as its impact on angiogenesis, tumor stem cells, tumor microenvironment, drug resistance, and poor prognosis.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Yongmin Li, Fei Liu
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication as small particles secreted by various cell types. They have become attractive candidates for treating tumors, including melanoma, due to their involvement in multiple physiological and pathological processes. Targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME) through EVs-based therapy has emerged as a cutting-edge strategy for inhibiting melanoma progression and enhancing anti-tumor immunity. This review aims to summarize and discuss the therapeutic role of EVs that target TME components in melanoma, providing insights into promising clinical strategies for melanoma treatment.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Wu-Tong Zhou, Wei-Lin Jin
Summary: B7-H3 protein, overexpressed in tumor tissues and showing limited expression in normal tissues, is a promising target for cancer immunotherapy due to its involvement in tumor microenvironment shaping and development. Numerous B7-H3-based immunotherapy strategies have demonstrated potent antitumor activity and acceptable safety profiles in preclinical models.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Junyu Shi, Yi Zhang, Xiaomeng Zhang, Ruiying Chen, Jianxu Wei, Jiazhen Hou, Bing Wang, Hongchang Lai, Yongzhuo Huang
Summary: A therapeutic resveratrol-loaded liposomal system (Lipo-RSV) was developed to treat periodontitis, showing good biocompatibility and ability to regulate inflammatory macrophages, as well as reduce the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Guidong Zhu, Qing Zhang, Junwen Zhang, Fusheng Liu
Summary: CAR-T therapy shows promising results in treating blood cancers, particularly leukemia, but its effectiveness for solid tumors like glioblastoma is limited. The immunosuppressive microenvironment of malignant gliomas hinders CAR-T therapy and restricts its efficacy, despite ongoing research efforts to enhance its potential clinical applications.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Priya Mondal, Bhavjot Kaur, Jagadish Natesh, Syed Musthapa Meeran
Summary: Studies have shown that miRNAs can overcome chemoresistance by modulating the tumor microenvironment, affecting immune surveillance and response, regulating immune system activity, and altering drug sensitivity towards cancer cells. Moreover, miRNAs can serve as potential biomarkers for predicting response and outcomes in cancer therapy.
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Bu-Fu Tang, Ruo-Chen Yan, Si-Wei Wang, Zhao -Chong Zeng, Shi-Suo Du
Summary: Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is a member of the AMPK protein family and is highly expressed in various cancers. It plays an important role in regulating tumor cell functions and the tumor microenvironment. Targeting MELK has shown promising results in anti-tumor therapy.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lu Shi, Hongchen Gu
Summary: Despite the great progress in immunotherapy, the efficacy in treating solid tumors has not met expectations, largely due to the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play crucial roles in this environment, and research focuses on repolarizing them from pro-tumor to anti-tumor phenotypes. Nanotechnology offers significant opportunities for targeting and modulating TAM polarization to improve cancer immunotherapy outcomes.
Article
Oncology
Noor Essa, Fiona O'Connell, Adriele Prina-Mello, Jacintha O'Sullivan, Simone Marcone
Summary: The relationship between obesity and cancer has been well characterized, but the biological mechanisms in obese cancer patients are still unclear. The obese tumor microenvironment provides additional benefits to tumor cells against anticancer therapies by altering the extracellular matrix composition and immune cell profile, while nanotechnology, particularly gold nanoparticles, is being researched for cancer treatment due to their sensitizing abilities for cancer cells and enhancement of drug delivery.
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Sara B. Aboeleneen, Mackenzie A. Scully, Jenna C. Harris, Eric H. Sterin, Emily S. Day
Summary: Cancer is a global health problem and conventional treatments are not satisfactory. Nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy has immense potential as a treatment for solid-tumor cancers. By camouflaging with cell membranes, light-responsive nanoparticles can play a unique role in cancer treatment and improve treatment outcomes.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Jenna C. Harris, Eric H. Sterin, Emily S. Day
Summary: This study reports the development of a biomimetic membrane-wrapped nanoparticle platform for targeted chemotherapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The system showed efficient and targeted delivery of the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX), inducing apoptosis in AML cells. These findings suggest that this drug delivery system has great potential for future development in treating AML and other blood cancers.
ACS BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maximilian R. J. Marek, Trong-Nhan Pham, Jianxin Wang, Qiuqi Cai, Glenn P. A. Yap, Emily S. Day, Joel Rosenthal
Summary: Photothermal therapy is a promising treatment option for various diseases. Researchers have developed new nanomaterials that can efficiently convert light into heat in the 850-1000 nm wavelength range, allowing for effective photothermal therapy. These materials provide a new platform for activating photothermal therapy.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jilian R. Melamed, Saigopalakrishna S. Yerneni, Mariah L. Arral, Samuel T. LoPresti, Namit Chaudhary, Anuradha Sehrawat, Hiromi Muramatsu, Mohamad-Gabriel Alameh, Norbert Pardi, Drew Weissman, George K. Gittes, Kathryn A. Whitehead
Summary: Systemic delivery of mRNA to organs outside the liver, spleen, and lungs is difficult. This study presents a novel strategy using lipid nanoparticles to deliver mRNA specifically to the pancreas. Intraperitoneal administration of lipid nanoparticles containing cationic helper lipids results in robust and specific protein expression in the pancreas, with a majority occurring in insulin-producing beta cells. The delivery of pancreatic mRNA is found to be dependent on horizontal gene transfer by peritoneal macrophage exosome secretion. This strategy holds potential for gene therapies targeting pancreatic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Samik Das, Jenna C. Harris, Erica J. Winter, Chen-Yuan Kao, Emily S. Day, Eleftherios Terry Papoutsakis
Summary: Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are difficult to target and transfect using existing viral vector-based delivery methods. This study demonstrates the potential of using megakaryocyte (Mk) membranes and megakaryoblastic cell membranes to wrap around poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles, creating MkNPs and CHNPs, respectively, for targeted delivery to HSPCs. These nanoparticle formulations show promising results in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that they can be effective vehicles for gene therapy in HSPCs.
BIOENGINEERING & TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Z. Fereshteh, M. N. Dang, C. Wenck, E. S. Day, J. H. Slater
Summary: This study investigated the efficacy of inhibiting cancer cell binding to human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC-Ls) via antibody blocking of E-selectin using antibody-functionalized gold nanoshells (NS). The results demonstrated that E-selectin-targeted NS reduced the binding of MDA-MB-231 cancer cells to HMVEC-Ls by up to 41%, suggesting the potential of these conjugates in inhibiting cancer cell extravasation during metastasis.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Sara B. Aboeleneen, Mackenzie A. Scully, George C. Kramarenko, Emily S. Day
Summary: Cancer is a devastating health problem and current treatment options are inadequate. Nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy is a promising minimally invasive treatment for solid-tumor cancers. Cell-derived membrane coatings have emerged as a potential method to improve the tumor-specific delivery of nanoparticles, enhancing the effectiveness of the therapy. Dual-functional membrane-wrapped nanoparticles are also being explored for tumor imaging and ensuring sufficient nanoparticle accumulation in the tumor.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYPERTHERMIA
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Mackenzie A. A. Scully, Dana E. E. Wilkins, Megan N. N. Dang, Elise C. C. Hoover, Sara B. B. Aboeleneen, Emily S. S. Day
Summary: Overexpression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) is linked to poor prognosis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but current Bcl-2 inhibitors have limited success against solid tumors. In this study, Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-737 was loaded into poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles coated with cancer cell membranes, which increased targeting of TNBC cells and improved accumulation in tumors compared to regular PLGA nanoparticles. The cancer cell membrane-wrapped PLGA nanoparticles induced higher levels of apoptosis in TNBC cells in vitro and showed increased anticancer effects in a metastasis model. The specific targeting provided by the TNBC cell membrane coating also reduced off-target adverse effects. Further development of drug-loaded biomimetic nanoparticles may be a promising approach for treating TNBC.
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
N'Dea S. Irvin-Choy, Katherine M. Nelson, Jason P. Gleghorn, Emily S. Day
Summary: Women with preexisting conditions during pregnancy face challenges in maintaining the safety of the developing fetus and their own health. This study explores the potential use of nanoparticle-based therapies delivered vaginally in pregnant mice, demonstrating their distribution to the reproductive organs without impacting maternal or fetal weight. The findings encourage further investigation into vaginally delivered nanoparticle therapies for vaginal conditions during pregnancy.
DRUG DELIVERY AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Mackenzie A. Scully, Eric H. Sterin, Emily S. Day
Summary: There is a need for carriers that can deliver nucleic acids (NAs) to cancer cells and tumors for gene regulation and disease management. Membrane-wrapped nanoparticles (NPs) can overcome challenges presented by NAs' negative charge, hydrophilicity, and large size and enhance their circulation and accumulation. This review discusses the role of membrane-wrapped NPs as NA delivery vehicles and their advancements in cancer gene regulation. This technology has great potential as a future clinical tool for treating cancer and genetic diseases.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Megan N. Dang, Sejal Suri, Kejian Li, Carolina Gomez Casas, Gianna Stigliano, Mackenzie A. Scully, Elise C. Hoover, Sara Aboeleneen, Emily S. Day
Meeting Abstract
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Katherine M. Nelson, N'Dea Irvin-Choy, Emily S. Day, Jason P. Gleghorn
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Megan N. Dang, Carolina Gomez Casas, Emily S. Day
Meeting Abstract
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jenna C. Harris, Samik Das, E. Terry Papoutsakis, Emily S. Day
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Emily H. Powsner, Jenna C. Harris, Emily S. Day
Summary: Hematologic malignancies, derived from abnormal hematopoietic stem cells, are often treated with chemotherapy and stem cell transplants, which have detrimental side effects. Researchers are exploring the use of biomimetic nanotherapeutic to treat these cancers, showing promising results in delivering therapeutic cargo to diseased cells.
ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH
(2021)