: Recently, breast cancer has reached the highest incident rate amongst all the reported cancers,... more : Recently, breast cancer has reached the highest incident rate amongst all the reported cancers, and one of its variants, known as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), is deadlier compared to the other types of breast cancer due to a lack of feasible diagnostic techniques. Advancements in nanotechnology have paved the way to formulate several nanocarriers with the ability to deliver anticancer drugs effectively and selectively to cancer cells with minimum side effects to non-cancerous cells. Nanotheranostics is a novel approach that can be used in the diagnosis of disease along with therapeutic effects. Currently, various imaging agents, such as organic dyes, radioactive agents, upconversion nanoparticles, various contrasting agents, quantum dots, etc., are being explored for the imaging of internal organs or to examine drug distribution. Furthermore, ligand-targeted nanocarriers, which have the potential to target cancer sites, are being used as advanced agents for cancer theranostic applications, including the identification of various metastatic sites of the cancerous tumor. This review article discusses the need for theranostic application in breast cancer with various imaging techniques, the latest nanotheranostic carriers in breast cancer, and related safety and toxicity issues, as well as highlights the importance of nanotheranostics in breast cancer, which could be helpful in deciphering questions related to nanotheranostic systems.
Artificial Cells Nanomedicine and Biotechnology, Jun 10, 2015
Quantum dots (QDs) have captured the fascination and attention of scientists due to their simulta... more Quantum dots (QDs) have captured the fascination and attention of scientists due to their simultaneous targeting and imaging potential in drug delivery, in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. In the present study, we have exhaustively reviewed various aspects of QDs, highlighting their pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, pharmacology, interactions, and toxicological manifestations. The eventual use of QDs is to dramatically improve clinical diagnostic tests for early detection of cancer. In recent years, QDs were introduced to cell biology as an alternative fluorescent probe.
Infectious diseases are prevalent and have contributed to high morbidity rates by creating havoc ... more Infectious diseases are prevalent and have contributed to high morbidity rates by creating havoc like the COVID-19, 1918 influenza and Black Death (the plague) pandemics. Antimicrobial resistance, adverse effects, the emergence of co-infections and the high cost of antimicrobial therapies are major threats to the health of people worldwide while impacting overall healthcare and socioeconomic development. One of the most common ways to address this issue lies in improving existing antimicrobial drug-delivery systems. Nanoemulsions and their modified forms have been successfully employed for the delivery of antimicrobials to treat infectious diseases. In this article, the authors comprehensively reviewed how nanoemulsion-based formulation systems are shifting the paradigm for therapeutics and diagnosis of infectious diseases.
The accumulation of amyloid-beta at the neuronal sites is a major pathological hallmark involved ... more The accumulation of amyloid-beta at the neuronal sites is a major pathological hallmark involved in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. To reduce the Aβ-induced neuronal cytotoxicity, selenium nanoparticles and silymarin were fabricated in a single polysaccharide matrix for dual antioxidant and Aβ fibril disaggregation activity. These nanoparticles were further stabilized by an exopolysaccharide xanthan gum. The nanoparticles were fabricated to reduce the amyloid-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. A three-step method employing redox reaction of sodium selenite and ascorbic acid has been adopted for the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles. Consequently, xanthan gum powder was added to impart stability to the nanocarriers. The nanoparticles exhibited a particle size of 119.2 ± 2.8 nm, zeta potential of - 35.4 ± 3.8 mV, and % EE of 87.7 ± 2.23. HR-TEM with EDX analysis confirmed the presence of spherical nanoparticles. An in vitro drug release study exhibited 89.33 ± 5.4% release of silymarin from nanocarriers and was able to scavenge 90% free radicals of DPPH reagent. The thioflavin T (ThT) fibrillation kinetics study showed that the nanoparticles elicited maximum disaggregation of Aβ fibrils that was depicted by the quenched fluorescence intensity signal. The cell viability results revealed that the highest neuroprotection activity was observed in the cell group treated with SLY-XG-Se against Aβ 1-42-induced toxicity. The nanoparticles were able to internalize in SH-SY5Y cells. Our findings showed that the nanocarrier elicited anti-aggregation efficacy in neuronal cell lines and mitigated the Aβ-induced cytotoxicity, which represents the prospects of neuroprotection involved in the therapeutics of AD.
Aim: Bedaquiline fumarate (BQF), an antitubercular drug, shows limited bioavailability due to sol... more Aim: Bedaquiline fumarate (BQF), an antitubercular drug, shows limited bioavailability due to solubility-limited intestinal absorption. In this research, the authors formulated a BQF-loaded microemulsion to improve BQF's oral bioavailability. Methods: Microemulsion was prepared by a spontaneous emulsification method and evaluated for thermodynamic stability, size, dispersibility, transmittance, rheology, microrheology, drug release, cytotoxicity and cellular uptake. Results: Microemulsion showed an average globule size of 26.50 ± 6.29 nm with spherical geometry and revealed gel-sol-gel behavior in microrheological studies. Cytotoxicity and cell uptake studies in Caco-2 cells showed that BQF microemulsion was cytocompatible at the highest concentration of 500 μg/ml with significantly higher cellular uptake than control. Conclusion: The present study indicates that BQF microemulsion could be explored further for effective treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
Dendrimers have attracted growing attention in the field of drug delivery as smart nanoengineered... more Dendrimers have attracted growing attention in the field of drug delivery as smart nanoengineered polymers. They are defined as novel three-dimensional polymers with nearly monodispersed architectures with well-defined size and shape. Dendrimers are synthesized by step-by-step controlled chemical reactions. Because of their unique properties, exclusive synthesis methods, distinctive architecture, monodispersity, and physicochemical properties, dendrimers are emerging as smart, tailor-made, safe, and effective nanoengineered polymers for biomedical applications. In the current scenario dendrimers are extensively being investigated as bioinspired polymers for various drug delivery applications to achieve controlled delivery as well as to develop personalized medicine systems. They have shown potential as intracellular delivery vector to achieve therapeutic concentration at cellular targets with enhanced specificity. Furthermore, dendrimers have also shown their applicability in tissue engineering. Dendrimers have been explored in the controlled and targeted delivery of a large number of bioactives, including anticancer drugs, antiviral drugs, antileishmanial drugs, small interfering RNA, gene, antigens, and diagnostic and contrast agents. Unmodified dendrimers with surface cationic groups may elicit some toxic manifestations, and the surface engineering of dendrimers to mask these cationic surface groups plays a critical role in their possible clinical applications by rendering them a more biocompatible surface with less toxicity. Dendrimers are being explored for a vast array of biomedical applications, and in this chapter we have given an account on the various aspects of this nanoengineered polymer, particularly in relevance to its drug delivery applications.
: Recently, breast cancer has reached the highest incident rate amongst all the reported cancers,... more : Recently, breast cancer has reached the highest incident rate amongst all the reported cancers, and one of its variants, known as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), is deadlier compared to the other types of breast cancer due to a lack of feasible diagnostic techniques. Advancements in nanotechnology have paved the way to formulate several nanocarriers with the ability to deliver anticancer drugs effectively and selectively to cancer cells with minimum side effects to non-cancerous cells. Nanotheranostics is a novel approach that can be used in the diagnosis of disease along with therapeutic effects. Currently, various imaging agents, such as organic dyes, radioactive agents, upconversion nanoparticles, various contrasting agents, quantum dots, etc., are being explored for the imaging of internal organs or to examine drug distribution. Furthermore, ligand-targeted nanocarriers, which have the potential to target cancer sites, are being used as advanced agents for cancer theranostic applications, including the identification of various metastatic sites of the cancerous tumor. This review article discusses the need for theranostic application in breast cancer with various imaging techniques, the latest nanotheranostic carriers in breast cancer, and related safety and toxicity issues, as well as highlights the importance of nanotheranostics in breast cancer, which could be helpful in deciphering questions related to nanotheranostic systems.
Artificial Cells Nanomedicine and Biotechnology, Jun 10, 2015
Quantum dots (QDs) have captured the fascination and attention of scientists due to their simulta... more Quantum dots (QDs) have captured the fascination and attention of scientists due to their simultaneous targeting and imaging potential in drug delivery, in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. In the present study, we have exhaustively reviewed various aspects of QDs, highlighting their pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, pharmacology, interactions, and toxicological manifestations. The eventual use of QDs is to dramatically improve clinical diagnostic tests for early detection of cancer. In recent years, QDs were introduced to cell biology as an alternative fluorescent probe.
Infectious diseases are prevalent and have contributed to high morbidity rates by creating havoc ... more Infectious diseases are prevalent and have contributed to high morbidity rates by creating havoc like the COVID-19, 1918 influenza and Black Death (the plague) pandemics. Antimicrobial resistance, adverse effects, the emergence of co-infections and the high cost of antimicrobial therapies are major threats to the health of people worldwide while impacting overall healthcare and socioeconomic development. One of the most common ways to address this issue lies in improving existing antimicrobial drug-delivery systems. Nanoemulsions and their modified forms have been successfully employed for the delivery of antimicrobials to treat infectious diseases. In this article, the authors comprehensively reviewed how nanoemulsion-based formulation systems are shifting the paradigm for therapeutics and diagnosis of infectious diseases.
The accumulation of amyloid-beta at the neuronal sites is a major pathological hallmark involved ... more The accumulation of amyloid-beta at the neuronal sites is a major pathological hallmark involved in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. To reduce the Aβ-induced neuronal cytotoxicity, selenium nanoparticles and silymarin were fabricated in a single polysaccharide matrix for dual antioxidant and Aβ fibril disaggregation activity. These nanoparticles were further stabilized by an exopolysaccharide xanthan gum. The nanoparticles were fabricated to reduce the amyloid-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. A three-step method employing redox reaction of sodium selenite and ascorbic acid has been adopted for the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles. Consequently, xanthan gum powder was added to impart stability to the nanocarriers. The nanoparticles exhibited a particle size of 119.2 ± 2.8 nm, zeta potential of - 35.4 ± 3.8 mV, and % EE of 87.7 ± 2.23. HR-TEM with EDX analysis confirmed the presence of spherical nanoparticles. An in vitro drug release study exhibited 89.33 ± 5.4% release of silymarin from nanocarriers and was able to scavenge 90% free radicals of DPPH reagent. The thioflavin T (ThT) fibrillation kinetics study showed that the nanoparticles elicited maximum disaggregation of Aβ fibrils that was depicted by the quenched fluorescence intensity signal. The cell viability results revealed that the highest neuroprotection activity was observed in the cell group treated with SLY-XG-Se against Aβ 1-42-induced toxicity. The nanoparticles were able to internalize in SH-SY5Y cells. Our findings showed that the nanocarrier elicited anti-aggregation efficacy in neuronal cell lines and mitigated the Aβ-induced cytotoxicity, which represents the prospects of neuroprotection involved in the therapeutics of AD.
Aim: Bedaquiline fumarate (BQF), an antitubercular drug, shows limited bioavailability due to sol... more Aim: Bedaquiline fumarate (BQF), an antitubercular drug, shows limited bioavailability due to solubility-limited intestinal absorption. In this research, the authors formulated a BQF-loaded microemulsion to improve BQF's oral bioavailability. Methods: Microemulsion was prepared by a spontaneous emulsification method and evaluated for thermodynamic stability, size, dispersibility, transmittance, rheology, microrheology, drug release, cytotoxicity and cellular uptake. Results: Microemulsion showed an average globule size of 26.50 ± 6.29 nm with spherical geometry and revealed gel-sol-gel behavior in microrheological studies. Cytotoxicity and cell uptake studies in Caco-2 cells showed that BQF microemulsion was cytocompatible at the highest concentration of 500 μg/ml with significantly higher cellular uptake than control. Conclusion: The present study indicates that BQF microemulsion could be explored further for effective treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
Dendrimers have attracted growing attention in the field of drug delivery as smart nanoengineered... more Dendrimers have attracted growing attention in the field of drug delivery as smart nanoengineered polymers. They are defined as novel three-dimensional polymers with nearly monodispersed architectures with well-defined size and shape. Dendrimers are synthesized by step-by-step controlled chemical reactions. Because of their unique properties, exclusive synthesis methods, distinctive architecture, monodispersity, and physicochemical properties, dendrimers are emerging as smart, tailor-made, safe, and effective nanoengineered polymers for biomedical applications. In the current scenario dendrimers are extensively being investigated as bioinspired polymers for various drug delivery applications to achieve controlled delivery as well as to develop personalized medicine systems. They have shown potential as intracellular delivery vector to achieve therapeutic concentration at cellular targets with enhanced specificity. Furthermore, dendrimers have also shown their applicability in tissue engineering. Dendrimers have been explored in the controlled and targeted delivery of a large number of bioactives, including anticancer drugs, antiviral drugs, antileishmanial drugs, small interfering RNA, gene, antigens, and diagnostic and contrast agents. Unmodified dendrimers with surface cationic groups may elicit some toxic manifestations, and the surface engineering of dendrimers to mask these cationic surface groups plays a critical role in their possible clinical applications by rendering them a more biocompatible surface with less toxicity. Dendrimers are being explored for a vast array of biomedical applications, and in this chapter we have given an account on the various aspects of this nanoengineered polymer, particularly in relevance to its drug delivery applications.
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