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Curcumin (CUR) is a natural compound extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa), which has been reported to be a promising anti-cancer drug in various cancers. However, poor water solubility and low bioavailability posed a challenge for clinical application of curcumin. In this work, four CUR prodrugs, namely PEG4000-SS-CUR, PEG1500-SS-CUR, PEG4000-SeSe-CUR and PEG1500-SeSe-CUR were synthesized. These four CUR prodrugs have high CUR loading content and can self-assemble into spherical nanoparticles (NPs) with particle size of 90–190 nm in aqueous solution. The four CUR prodrug NPs exhibit good colloidal stability in PBS buffer and promoted drug release in response to GSH. Due to the enhanced water solubility, the four CUR prodrug NPs all exhibit reduced cellular uptake amount as compared to CUR in in vitro cellular uptake study. The four CUR prodrug NPs exhibit similar cytotoxicity against 22Rv1 cells as compared to free CUR while PEG4000-SeSe-CUR NPs exhibit the highest cytotoxicity and induce the highest cell apoptosis ratio against 4T1 cells in in vitro antitumor effect study. PEG4000-SeSe-CUR NPs developed in this work were proven to be an effective nanoformulation of CUR against 4T1 cells.

Aim: The clinical application of sorafenib is limited because of its hydrophobicity, low bioavailability and unsatisfying treatment effect. Therefore, sorafenib-loaded PEG-poly (ε-caprolactone) micelles (SF micelles) were fabricated for sorafenib delivery. Materials & methods: In vitro assays investigated the solubility, dispersity, stability, cytotoxicity and uptake capacity of SF micelles. In vivo biodistribution and therapeutic effects were studied using HepG2-Luc tumor-bearing mice. Results: SF micelles had a regular spherical structure with good water solubility. In vivo imaging results showed PEG-poly (ε-caprolactone) micelles could elevate the sorafenib concentration in tumor tissues. Meanwhile, SF micelles exhibited higher tumor growth inhibition in vivo. Conclusion: SF micelles might be a potential drug delivery system, which could enhance the therapeutic effects of sorafenib.

Automotive reinforced inner plate is a typical sheet metal stamping parts, which is characterized by complex shape, the need for multi-channel process to complete. If the parts can be based on the needs and possibilities of a reasonable combination of some processes, not only can improve the quality of the workpiece, but also can save mold costs and improve production efficiency. The finite element analysis software Dy naform is used to develop the finite element model, and the forming process of the automotive reinforced inner plate was simulated and analyzed. The process parameters influencing the forming quality were optimized, and the shape and size of the blank were optimized to obtain the ideal billet state. In the wrinkled surface on the local optimization, a good control of the product forming quality. Finally, the simulation results are compared with those of the actual production. The correctness of the numerical simulation is verified.