Search

Looking retrospectively at the development of humanity, vaccination is an unprecedented medical landmark that saves lives by harnessing the human immune system. During the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, vaccination is still the most effective defense modality. The successful clinical application of the lipid nanoparticle-based Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines highlights promising future of nanotechnology in vaccine development. Compared with conventional vaccines, nanovaccines are supposed to have advantages in lymph node accumulation, antigen assembly, and antigen presentation; they also have, unique pathogen biomimicry properties because of well-organized combination of multiple immune factors. Beyond infectious diseases, vaccine nanotechnology also exhibits considerable potential for cancer treatment. The ultimate goal of cancer vaccines is to fully mobilize the potency of the immune system as a living therapeutic to recognize tumor antigens and eliminate tumor cells, and nanotechnologies have the requisite properties to realize this goal. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in vaccine nanotechnology from infectious disease prevention to cancer immunotherapy and highlight the different types of materials, mechanisms, administration methods, as well as future perspectives. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the application of vaccine nanotechnology for infectious disease prevention and cancer immunotherapy, involving the contribution of materials, mechanisms, and administration methods. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial-based cancer immunotherapy combines research from multiple subdisciplines of material science, nano-chemistry, in particular nano-biological interactions, immunology, and medicinal chemistry. Most importantly, the "biological identity" of nanomaterials governed by bio-molecular corona in terms of bimolecular types, relative abundance, and conformation at the nanomaterial surface is now believed to influence blood circulation time, bio-distribution, immune response, cellular uptake, and intracellular trafficking. A better understanding of nano-bio interactions can improve utilization of 2D nano-architectures for cancer immunotherapy and immunotheranostics, allowing them to be adapted or modified to treat other immune dysregulation syndromes including autoimmune diseases or inflammation, infection, tissue regeneration, and transplantation. The manuscript reviews the biological interactions and immunotherapeutic applications of 2D nanomaterials, including understanding their interactions with biological molecules of the immune system, summarizes and prospects the applications of 2D nanomaterials in cancer immunotherapy. The two-dimensional nanomaterials would affect and could modulate immune system via specific design, which endows them great potential in cancer immunotherapy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To investigate the expression, clinical significance, biological function, and the potential mechanism of PHGDH in pancreatic cancer. Methods The expression of PHGDH in human pancreatic cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues were analyzed through immunohistochemistry staining. Simultaneously, the association between the PHGDH expression and the clinicopathological parameters and OS and DFS was evaluated. Human pancreatic cancer cell line BxPC-3 and SW1990 were selected to investigate the effect of PHGDH knockdown on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, we performed western blot to assess the expression of cyclin B1, and cyclin D1, MMP-2, and MMP-9 protein. Results Our results suggested that the expression of PHGDH is increased in pancreatic cancer compared with adjacent normal tissues and the increased expression of PHGDH is associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and TNM state of pancreatic cancer patients. Moreover, the expression of PHGDH is an independent prognostic indicator for pancreatic cancer patients. In addition, we found that knockdown of PHGDH in pancreatic cancer cells inhibits the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities by down-regulating the expression of cyclin B1, and cyclin D1, MMP-2, and MMP-9. Conclusions Our data indicated that the expression of PHGDH is increased in pancreatic cancer and is an independent molecular prognostic factor for pancreatic cancer patients. In addition, PHGDH controls cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities. Therefore, PHGDH could serve as an important prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular disruption-based tumor starvation therapy efficacy is negatively affected by potential hypoxia-induced immunosuppression. Herein, MnO 2 nanosheets with Fenton-like catalytic activity and immunogenic cell death induction activity were chosen as complementary components to overcome the above bottleneck of vascular disruption therapy. Based on this, we developed a therapeutic hydrogel (CM@Gel) that co-encapsulates MnO 2 nanosheets and the vascular disrupting agent CA4P to exacerbate tumor starvation and enhance immunotherapy. Moreover, the form of hydrogel via local administration contributes to durable drug release while avoiding potential adverse events of vascular disruption when systemically administered. In the breast cancer animal model, the prepared CM@Gel not only alleviates hypoxia after selectively blocking tumor nutrient sources but also transforms the immunosuppressive tumor environment into an immunoactive phenotype. CM@Gel can also dramatically potentiate the efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy (ICB) on the condition of tumor starvation, further verifying its potential as an antitumor immunity booster. This study provides a unique synergistic strategy of tumor starvation therapy and immunotherapy, leveraging a powerful combination of MnO 2 nanosheets and vascular disruption. [Display omitted] • The therapeutic hydrogel was prepared for enhanced anti-tumor immunotherapy. • Vascular disruption agent CA4P blocks tumor lifeblood and seldom impacts the normal vasculature. • MnO 2 nanosheets reverse hypoxia and immunosuppression by Fenton-like catalytic activity and immunogenic cell death effect. • The combination of MnO 2 nanosheets and vascular disruption exerts an excellent synergism effect. • The form of hydrogel via local administration contributes to durable drug release and lower potential adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schematic illustration showed the applications of SDT against various diseases and synergistic effects of SDT in combination with other therapeutic modalities. • This review highlights the recent advances of nanomaterials based SDT against various diseases, and its possible mechanisms of action. • The synergistic effects of SDT in combination with other therapeutic modalities against different diseases are summarized. • The potential limitations and future prospects of SDT in nanoscience are also discussed. As an effective treatment approach, photo-therapeutic has great potential in treating various diseases, but this light-activated strategy suffers from the major shortcoming of low tissue penetration depth. Low-intensity ultrasound features with non-invasive and high tissue-penetrating ability have been widely used in clinical diagnostic, which can effectively overcome the major limitation of light. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a novel noninvasive therapeutic modality that involves a combination of low-intensity ultrasound and sonosensitizers. Combining nanotechnology with SDT can effectively augment the SDT efficiency and may essentially reverse the disadvantages of traditional SDT, paving an avenue for more efficient and safer therapeutic options. In this review, we highlight the recent advances of SDT in nanoscience in terms of its possible mechanisms of action, applications against various diseases and synergistic effects of SDT in combination with other therapeutic modalities. Moreover, potential limitations and future prospects are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review provides an overview of biologically modified nanoparticles as theranostic bionanomaterials, which are anticipated to revolutionize the current theranostic modalities of diseases in the clinic and exhibit huge potential for further clinical applications. Inspired by natural biology, cell membrane-mimetic surface engineering and cell membrane camouflaging technology have been widely investigated. Notably, the cell membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles (CM-NPs), which are produced by fusing synthetic nanoparticles with cellular membranes, gain unprecedented attention in biomedical fields. Compared with conventional nanosystems, these biomimetic nanoparticles (NPs) are bestowed with favored properties of elongated circulation time, immune evading and active targeting, which exhibit great potential in numerous biomedical applications and are anticipated to revolutionize the traditional nanomedicine. So far, a variety of cell membranes, along with expansive options of core materials, have been extensively investigated to construct the biomimetic system with unique functionalities. This review describes the evolution process from cell membrane-mimetic surface engineering to cell membrane camouflaging technology, which focuses on (I) cell membrane-mimetic surface engineering strategies (II) the fabrication of CM-NPs, (III) cell membrane-camouflaged nano-carriers, (VI) cell membrane camouflaged nano-phototherapeutic agents, (V) cell membrane camouflaged nano-antidotes, (VI) cell membrane camouflaged nanovaccines, (VII) cell membrane camouflaged nanoprobes, and (VIII) other relevant applications, providing an overview of the latest progress in the fabrication and application of cell membrane-based biomimetic and highlighting the major challenges as well as opportunities in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]