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Lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide for decades. Despite the increasing understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms, the prognosis still remains poor for many patients. Novel adjuvant therapies have emerged as a promising treatment method to augment conventional methods and boost the therapeutic effects of primary therapies. Adjuvant therapy based on nanomedicine has gained considerable interest for supporting and enhancing traditional therapies, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy, due to the tunable physicochemical features and ease of synthetic design of nanomaterials. In addition, nanomedicine can provide protective effects against other therapies by reducing adverse side effects through precise disease targeting. Therefore, nanomedicine-based adjuvant therapies have been extensively employed in a wide range of preclinical and clinical cancer treatments to overcome the drawbacks of conventional therapies. In this review, we mainly discuss the recent advances in adjuvant nanomedicine for lung cancer treatment and highlight their functions in improving the therapeutic outcome of other therapies, which may inspire new ideas for advanced lung cancer therapies and stimulate research efforts around this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on bispecific proteins, particularly bispecific antibodies (BsAbs), and their potential in the treatment of diseases. Topics covered include the advantages and classifications of BsAbs, their application in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) treatment using an ultra-small bispecific fusion protein, and the use of bispecific proteins in nuclear medicine for imaging and combination therapies.

The process of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization is characterized by the ability to accurately deliver chemotherapy drugs with minimal systemic side effects and has become the standard treatment for unresectable intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, this treatment option still has much room for improvement, one of which may be the introduction of nanomaterials, which exhibit unique functions and can be applied to in vivo tumor imaging and therapy. Several biodegradable and multifunctional nanomaterials and nanobeads have recently been developed and applied in the locoregional treatment of hepatocellular cancer. This review explores recent developments and findings in relation to micro-nano medicines in transarterial therapy for HCC, emerging strategies to improve the efficacy of delivering nano-based medicines, and expounding prospects for clinical applications of nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on use of Photodynamic therapy (PDT), a two-step process that utilizes light energy to excite a photosensitizer to generate harmful singlet oxygen, as an effective treatment approach for several types of cancer. It presents the views on comparison of PDT with conventional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and surgery.

Nanocarriers are employed to deliver photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT) through the enhanced penetration and retention effect, but disadvantages including the premature leakage and non‐selective release of photosensitizers still exist. Herein, we report a 1O2‐responsive block copolymer (POEGMA‐b‐P(MAA‐co‐VSPpaMA) to enhance PDT via the controllable release of photosensitizers. Once nanoparticles formed by the block copolymer have accumulated in a tumor and have been taken up by cancer cells, pyropheophorbide a (Ppa) could be controllably released by singlet oxygen (1O2) generated by light irradiation, enhancing the photosensitization. This was demonstrated by confocal laser scanning microscopy and in vivo fluorescence imaging. The 1O2‐responsiveness of POEGMA‐b‐P(MAA‐co‐VSPpaMA) block copolymer enabled the realization of self‐amplified photodynamic therapy by the regulation of Ppa release using NIR illumination. This may provide a new insight into the design of precise PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in molecular characterization of tumors have made possible the emergence of new types of cancer therapies where traditional cytotoxic drugs and nonspecific chemotherapy can be complemented with targeted molecular therapies. One of the main revolutionary treatments is the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that selectively target the disseminated tumor cells while sparing normal tissues. mAbs and related therapeutics can be efficiently radiolabeled with a wide range of radionuclides to facilitate preclinical and clinical studies. Non‐invasive molecular imaging techniques, such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET), using radiolabeled mAbs provide useful information on the whole‐body distribution of the biomolecules, which may enable patient stratification, diagnosis, selection of targeted therapies, evaluation of treatment response, and prediction of dose limiting tissue and adverse effects. In addition, when mAbs are labeled with therapeutic radionuclides, the combination of immunological and radiobiological cytotoxicity may result in enhanced treatment efficacy. The pharmacokinetic profile of antibodies demands the use of long half‐life isotopes for longitudinal scrutiny of mAb biodistribution and precludes the use of well‐stablished short half‐life isotopes. Herein, we review the most promising PET radiometals with chemical and physical characteristics that make the appealing for mAb labeling, highlighting those with theranostic radioisotopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanomaterials with renal clearance from the body within a reasonable timescale have shown great promises in the area of nanomedicine recently. However, the integration of theranostic and renal clearance properties into a single ultrasmall nanostructure remains a great challenge. Herein, meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) structure is utilized as a model, for the first time using noninvasive dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to investigate the balance of the renal clearance and tumor uptake behaviors of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified porphyrin nanoparticles (TCPP-PEG) with various molecular weights. This study finds that TCPP-PEG nanoparticles with larger molecular weight show higher tumor uptake due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect, while the lower ones tend to be better for renal clearance. Based on dynamic PET and fluorescence dual-modal imaging modalities, the TCPP-PEG10K nanoparticles seem to be an excellent choice for the balance of renal clearance and tumor retention. In vitro and in vivo photodynamic therapy confirms an excellent therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, this work presents a simplified approach to fabricate and select biocompatible multifunctional TCPP-PEG-based theranostic agents with renal clearance behavior, which highlights the clinical application potential of TCPP-PEG nanoparticles as theranostic probes for imaging-guided cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional theranostic agents have become rather attractive to realize image-guided combination cancer therapy. Herein, a novel method is developed to synthesize Bi2Se3 nanosheets decorated with mono-dispersed FeSe2 nanoparticles (FeSe2/Bi2Se3) for tetra-modal image-guided combined photothermal and radiation tumor therapy. Interestingly, upon addition of Bi(NO3)3, pre-made FeSe2 nanoparticles via cation exchange would be gradually converted into Bi2Se3 nanosheets, on which remaining FeSe2 nanoparticles are decorated. The yielded FeSe2/Bi2Se3 composite-nanostructures are then modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Taking advantages of the high r2 relaxivity of FeSe2, the X-ray attenuation ability of Bi2Se3, the strong near-infrared optical absorbance of the whole nanostructure, as well as the chelate-free radiolabeling of 64Cu on FeSe2/Bi2Se3-PEG, in vivo magnetic resonance/computer tomography/photoacoustic/position emission tomography multimodal imaging is carried out, revealing efficient tumor homing of FeSe2/Bi2Se3-PEG after intravenous injection. Utilizing the intrinsic physical properties of FeSe2/Bi2Se3-PEG, in vivo photothermal and radiation therapy to achieve synergistic tumor destruction is then realized, without causing obvious toxicity to the treated animals. This work presents a unique method to synthesize composite-nanostructures with highly integrated functionalities, promising not only for nano-biomedicine but also potentially for other different nanotechnology fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented to the article "Clinical summary of fibroblast activation protein inhibitor‑based radiopharmaceuticals: cancer and beyond.

Abstract: Up-regulation of integrin αvβ3 has been shown to play a key role in tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. In this study, we evaluated the role of integrin αvβ3 in breast cancer cell resistance to ionizing irradiation (IR) and tested the anti-tumor efficacy of combining integrin αv siRNA and IR. Colonogenic survival assay, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle analysis were carried out to determine the treatment effect of siRNA, IR, or combination of both on MDA-MB-435 cells (integrin αvβ3-positive). Integrin αvβ3-negative MCF-7 cells exert more radiosensitivity than MDA-MB-435 cells. IR up-regulates integrin αvβ3 expression in MDA-MB-435 cells and integrin αv siRNA can effectively reduce both αv and αvβ3 integrin expression, leading to increased radiosensitivity. Integrin αv siRNA also promotes IR-induced apoptosis and enhances IR-induced G2/M arrest in cell cycle progression. This study, with further optimization, may provide a simple and highly efficient treatment strategy for breast cancer as well as other integrin αvβ3-positive cancer types. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Autophagy is a conserved process that is critical for sequestering and degrading proteins, damaged or aged organelles, and for maintaining cellular homeostasis under stress conditions. Despite its dichotomous role in health and diseases, autophagy usually promotes growth and progression of advanced cancers. In this context, clinical trials using chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as autophagy inhibitors have suggested that autophagy inhibition is a promising approach for treating advanced malignancies and/or overcoming drug resistance of small molecule therapeutics (i.e., chemotherapy and molecularly targeted therapy). Efficient delivery of autophagy inhibitors may further enhance the therapeutic effect, reduce systemic toxicity, and prevent drug resistance. As such, nanocarrier‐based drug delivery systems have several distinct advantages over free autophagy inhibitors that include increased circulation of the drugs, reduced off‐target systemic toxicity, increased drug delivery efficiency, and increased solubility and stability of the encapsulated drugs. With their versatile drug encapsulation and surface‐functionalization capabilities, nanocarriers can be engineered to deliver autophagy inhibitors to tumor sites in a context‐specific and/or tissue‐specific manner. This review focuses on the role of nanomaterials utilizing autophagy inhibitors for cancer therapy, with a focus on their applications in different cancer types. Autophagy is a conserved process that is critical for sequestering and degrading proteins, damaged or aged organelles, and for capturing nanoparticles. Clinical trials have suggested that autophagy inhibition is a promising approach for treating advanced malignancies. With their versatile drug encapsulation and surface‐functionalization capabilities, nanocarrier‐based delivering of autophagy inhibitors has several distinct advantages over free autophagy inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica nanoparticles have been one of the most promising nanosystems for biomedical applications due to their facile surface chemistry and non-toxic nature. However, it is still challenging to effectively deliver them into tumor sites and noninvasively visualize their in vivo biodistribution with excellent sensitivity and accuracy for effective cancer diagnosis. In this study, we design a yolk/shell-structured silica nanosystem 64Cu-NOTA-QD@HMSN-PEG-TRC105, which can be employed for tumor vasculature targeting and dual-modality PET/optical imaging, leading to superior targeting specificity, excellent imaging capability and more reliable diagnostic outcomes. By combining vasculature targeting, pH-sensitive drug delivery, and dual-modality imaging into a single platform, as-designed yolk/shell-structured silica nanosystems may be employed for the future image-guided tumor-targeted drug delivery, to further enable cancer theranostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous silica nanoshell (MSN) coating has been demonstrated as a versatile surface modification strategy for various kinds of inorganic functional nanoparticles, such as gold nanorods (GNRs), to achieve not only improved nanoparticle stability but also concomitant drug loading capability. However, limited drug loading capacity and low tumor accumulation rate in vivo are two major challenges for the biomedical applications of MSN-coated GNRs (GNR@MSN). In this study, by coating uniformly sized GNRs with MSN in an oil-water biphase reaction system, we have successfully synthesized a new bacteria-like GNR@MSN (i.e., bGNR@MSN) with a significantly enlarged pore size (4–8 nm) and surface area (470 m 2 /g). After PEGylation and highly efficient loading of doxorubicin (DOX, 40.9%, w/w), bGNR@MSN were used for positron emission tomography (PET, via facile and chelator-free 89 Zr-labeling) and photoacoustic imaging-guided chemo-photothermal cancer therapy in vivo . PET imaging showed that 89 Zr-labeled bGNR@MSN(DOX)-PEG can passively target to the 4T1 murine breast cancer-bearing mice with high efficiency (∼10 %ID/g), based on enhanced permeability and retention effect. Significantly enhanced chemo-photothermal combination therapy was also achieved due to excellent photothermal effect and near-infrared-light-triggered drug release by bGNR@MSN(DOX)-PEG at the tumor site. The promising results indicate great potential of bGNR@MSN-PEG nanoplatforms for future cancer diagnosis and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]