Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Ri Huang, Hong Du, Liang Cheng, Peizhuo Zhang, Fenghua Meng, Zhiyuan Zhong
Summary: In this study, cRGD peptide-modified bioresponsive chimaeric polymersomes (cRGD-BCP) were used for efficient delivery of siKRAS to PANC-1 tumor cells, resulting in potent silencing of KRAS G12D mRNA and effective suppression of pancreatic cancer tumor growth in mice. The density of cRGD greatly impacted the uptake and silencing efficiency of cRGD-BCP-siKRAS. cRGD-BCP-siKRAS significantly enhanced the uptake of siKRAS in PANC-1 tumor and achieved remarkable tumor inhibition and survival benefits.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu Pu, Helin Ke, Changqiang Wu, Shaodan Xu, Yang Xiao, Lina Han, Guorong Lyu, Shilin Li
Summary: In this study, a therapeutic probe based on polyetherimide-superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (PEI-SPION) combined with siRNA nanoprobes (PEI-SPION-siRNA) was designed to assess the contrast in MRI. It showed good biocompatibility, the ability to load and protect siRNA, and a good silencing effect on MUC4.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENERAL SUBJECTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yu Xia, Guoyi Tang, Yi Chen, Changbing Wang, Min Guo, Tiantian Xu, Mingqi Zhao, Yongjian Zhou
Summary: RNA interference (RNAi) is a promising method for treating malignant tumors, and in this study, RGDfC-SeNPs were successfully synthesized as a tumor-targeted carrier for delivering siSox2 to HepG2 liver cancer cells. The results showed that RGDfC-Se@siSox2 effectively silenced Sox2, inhibited tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, induced apoptosis through reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial membrane potential disruption, and significantly inhibited tumor growth in mice bearing HepG2 tumors. These findings suggest that RGDfC-SeNPs could be a valuable gene carrier for specific gene-targeted therapy in HCC.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jianye Liu, Yi Zhang, Hongliang Zeng, Long Wang, Qun Zhang, Pei Wu, Xiaoming Liu, Hongyi Xie, Wei Xiang, Biao Liu, Jiahao Liu, Xuewen Liu, Jianfei Xie, Jin Tang, Zhi Long, Leye He, Mengqing Xiao, Liang Xiang, Ke Cao
Summary: Fe-doped chrysotile nanotubes (FeSiNTs) efficiently delivered siRNA against the SPAG5 oncogene, inhibiting growth and metastasis of bladder cancer cells by suppressing PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The nanomaterials showed no activation of innate immune response or systemic toxicity, suggesting their potential therapeutic utility in treating bladder cancer.
JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xin Gao, Xingyan Fan, Kuan Jiang, Yang Hu, Yu Liu, Weiyue Lu, Gang Wei
Summary: Gene therapy provides hope for inherited ocular diseases that may lead to severe vision loss or blindness. However, delivering genes to the posterior segment of the eye is challenging due to absorption barriers. To overcome this limitation, a modified polyamidoamine polyplex was developed to deliver siRNA via eye drops, effectively silencing genes in orthotopic retinoblastoma.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Meenu Chopra, Agustin Sgro, Marck Norret, Pilar Blancafort, K. Swaminathan Iyer, Cameron W. Evans
Summary: Highly selective transient transfection of liver cancer cells over normal non-transformed hepatocytes was achieved using a dendronised polymer system functionalised with a targeting peptide. This specific delivery agent shows potential applications in gene therapy for the treatment of liver cancer.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiu Han, Yan Lu, Haiping Wu, Xiaoxiang Guan, Xueping Ma, Yanan Chu, Bingjie Zou, Guohua Zhou
Summary: In this study, a prism oligonucleotide nanoparticle (pONP)-based delivery system was designed for the specific release of siRNA into telomerase-positive cancer cells. Both in vitro and in vivo tests confirmed the high precision and effectiveness of this nanoparticle cage in delivering siRNA. This delivery method shows great promise for targeted siRNA release into cancer cells.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Prasanna Srinivasan Ramalingam, Sivakumar Arumugam
Summary: Four potential siRNAs against KRAS mRNA were designed and molecular docking analysis showed their high negative binding energies towards hAgo2 protein. Normal mode analysis indicated that these siRNAs could be effective therapeutic agents. These siRNAs may serve as potential therapeutic agents against KRAS-mutated cancers.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Vu Thanh Cong, Richard D. Tilley, George Sharbeen, Phoebe A. Phillips, Katharina Gaus, J. Justin Gooding
Summary: Recent research has shown that utilizing the shape of nanoparticles can selectively target cancer cells and reduce the side effects of anticancer drugs by restricting uptake by healthy cells. By loading drugs such as hydroxychloroquine and doxorubicin into mesoporous silica nanorods, selective killing of cancer cells can be achieved, offering exciting possibilities for cancer cell targeting based on material shape.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Joslyn Quick, Nancy Dos Santos, Miffy H. Y. Cheng, Nisha Chander, Cedric A. Brimacombe, Jayesh Kulkarni, Roy van der Meel, Yuen Yi C. Tam, Dominik Witzigmann, Pieter R. Cullis
Summary: This study explores the use of RNA interference to target a universally conserved region of all androgen receptor splice variants for cleavage and degradation, thereby eliminating protein level resistance mechanisms. Through testing five siRNA sequences designed against exon 1 of the AR mRNA, it was found that some induced potent knockdown of full-length and truncated variant ARs in the 22Rv1 human prostate cancer cell line.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Guolin Zhao, William Ho, Jinxian Chu, Xiaojian Xiong, Bin Hu, Kofi Oti Boakye-Yiadom, Xiaoyang Xu, Xue-Qing Zhang
Summary: A noninvasive aerosol inhalation nanoparticle system has been developed for the treatment of KRAS-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The inhalable nanoparticles show effective tumor targeting and enhanced antitumor activity in a mouse model. Compared to systemic delivery, the nebulized nanoparticles demonstrate better biosafety and present a promising gene therapy approach for KRAS-mutant NSCLC and other respiratory diseases.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nafiseh Khelghati, Jafar Soleimanpour Mokhtarvand, Mostafa Mir, Forough Alemi, Zatollah Asemi, Alireza Sadeghpour, Masomeh Maleki, Hossein Samadi Kafil, Farhad Jadidi-niaragh, Maryam Majidinia, Bahman Yousefi
Summary: Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, with single-drug therapy having limitations due to low efficacy, leading to the trend of combination therapy. siRNA is a highly attractive method for suppressing tumor growth, but faces challenges in efficient delivery. Overcoming challenges in successful RNA interference and utilizing suitable delivery systems such as nanoparticles are crucial for targeting therapy.
CHEMICAL BIOLOGY & DRUG DESIGN
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xiu Han, Xiang Xu, Ziheng Wu, Zhenghong Wu, Xiaole Qi
Summary: DNA tetrahedron nanocages conjugated with i-motif showed good endosomal escape behaviors in tumor cells, downregulating the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor. In tumor-bearing mice, the treatment with 2X-Td@2siRNA significantly inhibited tumor growth compared to non-i-motif-conjugated Td@2siRNA and free siRNA. These results demonstrate a general strategy for achieving effective in vivo gene delivery and therapy with DNA nanostructures.
ACTA PHARMACEUTICA SINICA B
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Lizhou Xu, Farid N. Faruqu, Yau M. Lim, Kee Y. Lim, Revadee Liam-Or, Adam A. Walters, Paul Lavender, David Fear, Claire M. Wells, Julie Tzu-Wen Wang, Khuloud T. Al-Jamal
Summary: Pancreatic cancer has a low survival rate and limited therapeutic options, with exosomes being investigated as potential carriers for RNAi therapy, specifically targeting PAK4 as a therapeutic candidate.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huan Zhang, Yuhong Cao, Dawei Xu, Natalie S. Goh, Gozde S. Demirer, Stefano Cestellos-Blanco, Yuan Chen, Markita P. Landry, Peidong Yang
Summary: The study synthesizes PEI-AuNCs for delivering siRNA into intact plants, achieving efficient gene knockdown without being hindered by the plant cell wall, providing a new approach for broad applications in plant biotechnology.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Yuxin Wang, Daliang Zhong, Fan Xie, Siying Chen, Zaiqiang Ma, Xinyan Yang, M. Zubair Iqbal, Quan Zhang, Jiaju Lu, Shibo Wang, Ruibo Zhao, Xiangdong Kong
Summary: In this study, a one-step method for the preparation of manganese phosphate-doxorubicin nanomedicines was proposed by manganese ion and doxorubicin complexation. The nanocomplexes exhibited controlled sizes and shapes, and the drug molecules were integrated into the nanocarriers by mimetic mineralization, allowing for high-efficiency drug release and achieving significant cancer inhibition.
ACS BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Asim Mushtaq, Zhe Tang, Yike Hou, Zheng Zhu, Cong Tian, Yuling Wu, Yuguang Lu, M. Zubair Iqbal, Xiangdong Kong
Summary: Nanomedicine designs integrating diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms have achieved success in clinical applications. However, the toxicity of nanocomposites remains a major obstacle. In this study, a highly biocompatible Fe3O4-HAp nano-theranostic system was designed using a simple solvothermal synthesis method. The biocompatibility and drug encapsulation capacity of the nanocomposites were improved by polymer modification. The designed nanocomposites showed promising diagnostic and photothermal therapeutic performance.
MATERIALS TODAY COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jie Cao, Yonghe Zhang, Wenjun Shi, Lehan Du, Zhihua Cui, Shujie Liu, Ruibo Zhao, Shibo Wang, Quan Zhang, Xiangdong Kong
Summary: The development and use of mitochondria-targeted photosensitizers hold great promise for enhancing the efficacy of photodynamic therapy. This study synthesized boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) photosensitizers conjugated with pyridine cations and encapsulated them with liposomal nanoparticles for increased stability. The results showed that one of the photosensitizers had the highest efficiency for targeted delivery to mitochondria and effectively inhibited tumor growth.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Information Science & Library Science
Shabir Hussain, Asadullah Khan, Muhammad Zubair Iqbal
Summary: This study analyzes how journalists view the media coverage of climate change crisis in Pakistan. The findings show that both professional and economic factors contribute to the lack of interest in this important topic. Professional journalists are required to report on newsworthy events, and since climate news often lacks drama, sensationalism, and political consequences, it fails to meet the criteria for news selection. Additionally, the financial constraints faced by media outlets in Pakistan make it difficult to allocate resources for climate news coverage. The journalists propose changes in the existing political discourse and call for a more socially responsible role for the media in highlighting the severity of the situation in Pakistan.
INFORMATION DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liang Luan, Lehan Du, Wenjun Shi, Yunhui Li, Quan Zhang
Summary: In this study, a ligand containing benzoselenadiazole was designed and synthesized to construct a benzoselenadiazole-doped metal-organic framework (Se-MOF). The Se-MOF exhibited regular crystallinity and high porosity and effectively killed bacteria and inhibited the formation of bacterial biofilms under visible-light irradiation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuling Wu, Qingling He, Xun Che, Fei Liu, Jiaju Lu, Xiangdong Kong
Summary: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are potential alternatives to antibiotics and show effective antibacterial activity through the action of critical amino acids. Previous studies have shown that Fmoc-based phenylalanine peptides have good antibacterial potency against Gram-positive bacteria but are suboptimal against Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, a series of Fmoc-KnF peptides were designed to enhance their broad-spectrum antibacterial activity by adding lysine motifs. The Fmoc-KKF peptide showed the strongest antimicrobial activity against both types of bacteria, as well as low hemolytic activity.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jing Ling, Bei-Bei Wang, Xia-Nan Li, Rui Zhang, Ling-Feng Pan, Han Zhang, Ye-Ting Hu, Shi-Bo Wang, Xiang-Dong Kong
Summary: Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is a promising method that utilizes endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to produce cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals (·OH) for killing tumor cells. However, low H2O2 levels and the presence of glutathione (GSH) can reduce the effectiveness of CDT. In this study, a multifunctional nanoregulator (3-AT&MA@FHM) composed of Fe-doped hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (FHM), 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT), and maleimide (MA) is developed to address these challenges. This nanoplatform regulates the levels of H2O2 and GSH, leading to significantly enhanced CDT effect.
PARTICLE & PARTICLE SYSTEMS CHARACTERIZATION
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Lehan Du, Wenjun Shi, Xin Hao, Liang Luan, Shibo Wang, Jiaju Lu, Quan Zhang
Summary: Photosensitive metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles were developed to enhance the penetration of antibiotics into bacterial biofilms, achieving the eradication of biofilms through synergistic photodynamic and antibiotic therapy.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Rui Zhang, Cui Feng, Dandan Luo, Ruibo Zhao, Perumal Ramesh Kannan, Yuebang Yin, Muhammad Zubair Iqbal, Yeting Hu, Xiangdong Kong
Summary: Metformin hydrochloride can inhibit rotavirus replication and mitigate the lesions caused by rotavirus infection. This study also confirms the reliability of organoids as an in vitro virus model.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yang Shen, Baoqu Zhang, Zihan Yi, Lan Zhang, Jing Ling, Shibo Wang, Zhichao Sun, M. Zubair Iqbal, Xiangdong Kong
Summary: In this study, a series of sodium hyaluronate (SH) loaded with bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) nanorods (NRs) microspheres (Bi2S3@SH) were prepared for interventional treatment. Bi2S3@SH-1 microspheres exhibited the best performance with uniform size and good dispersibility. The introduction of Bi2S3 NRs as computed tomography (CT) contrast agents improved the mechanical properties of Bi2S3@SH-1 microspheres and endowed them with excellent X-ray impermeability. The blood compatibility and cytotoxicity tests demonstrated the good biocompatibility of Bi2S3@SH-1 microspheres. In vitro simulated embolization experiments showed that Bi2S3@SH-1 microspheres had excellent embolization effect, especially for small-sized blood vessels of 500-300 and 300 μm. The prepared Bi2S3@SH-1 microspheres have good biocompatibility, mechanical properties, as well as X-ray visibility and embolization effects, which have great guiding significance in the field of embolotherapy.
Review
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Zahra Nozhat, Shabnam Heydarzadeh, Mina Shahriari-Khalaji, Shibo Wang, M. Zubair Iqbal, Xiangdong Kong
Summary: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a difficult-to-treat brain tumor due to the blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB) and limited available drugs. However, recent research has shown that the use of nanoscale biomaterials can overcome these challenges and improve drug delivery to the tumor site.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Zhe Tang, Israt Ali, Yike Hou, Ozioma Udochukwu Akakuru, Quan Zhang, Asim Mushtaq, Han Zhang, Yuguang Lu, Xuehua Ma, Jian Ge, M. Zubair Iqbal, Xiangdong Kong
Summary: In this study, a nanotheranostic agent based on plasmonic nanostructures was developed for tumor-targeted NIR-II photothermal-augmented nanocatalytic therapy. The agent exhibited excellent targeting ability and photothermal conversion efficiency, as well as peroxidase and catalase activities for catalytic therapy and relieving tumor hypoxia. In vivo experiments demonstrated remarkable therapeutic effects of the agent on tumors.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Daliang Zhong, Yuxin Wang, Fan Xie, Siying Chen, Xinyan Yang, Zaiqiang Ma, Shibo Wang, M. Zubair Iqbal, Jian Ge, Quan Zhang, Ruibo Zhao, Xiangdong Kong
Summary: Photothermal therapy using Prussian blue (PB) as a reagent has promising potential for cancer treatment. However, the low conversion efficiency and stability of PB hinder its translational potential. By integrating PB with calcium phosphate (CaP) through biomineralization, the photothermal performance and stability of PB can be significantly improved.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Zihan Yi, Zhichao Sun, Yang Shen, Dandan Luo, Rui Zhang, Shitu Ma, Ruibo Zhao, Jabeen Farheen, Muhanmmed Zubair Iqbal, Xiangdong Kong
Summary: A simple technique for fabricating sodium hyaluronate microspheres as a potential therapeutic strategy for transcatheter arterial embolization was developed in this study. These microspheres possess excellent biocompatibility and X-ray imaging capability, showing significant effects on blood flow occlusion and in vivo observation.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
