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Brain delivery of drugs remains challenging due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). With advances in nanotechnology and biotechnology, new possibilities for brain-targeted drug delivery have emerged. Biomimetic nano drug delivery systems with high brain-targeting and BBB-penetrating capabilities, along with good biocompatibility and safety, can enable 'invisible' drug delivery. In this review, five different types of biomimetic strategies are presented and their research progress in central nervous system disorders is reviewed. Finally, the challenges and future prospects for biomimetic nano drug delivery systems in intracerebral drug delivery are summarized.
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Cancer is the most important leading cause of death worldwide, with about 10 million deaths caused by cancer in 2020. In situ gel drug delivery systems have attracted much attention in the field of pharmacy and biotechnology due to their good histo-compatibility, excellent injectability, high drug delivery capacity, slow-release drug delivery, and less influence by the in vivo environment. Meanwhile, in situ gel can be combined with chemotherapy, photo-thermal therapy, chemokinetic therapy, immunotherapy and so on to deliver drugs into the tumor site in a less invasive way without surgical operation, forming a semi-solid gel reservoir in the tumor site to realize in situ tumor combined therapy. In this paper, the author summarized the research progress of anti-tumor in situ gel delivery system in the past 10 years, introduced its commonly used polymer materials, classification principles and specific application examples, and finally summarized and discussed the key issues, in order to provide reference for the development of new anti-tumor drug delivery system in the future.
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Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (D. officinale) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A mixture of D. officinale and American ginseng has been shown to enhance cell-mediated immunity, humoral immunity, and monocyte/macrophage functions in mice. Here, the effects of a D. officinale and American ginseng mixture on the structure of gut microbial community in dogs were examined using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The data revealed that while the mixture did not change the diversity of gut microbial community significantly, differences among individuals were significantly reduced. Furthermore, the mixture-responsive operational taxonomic units (OTUs) exhibited a phase-dependent expression pattern. Fifty-five OTUs were found to exhibit a mixture-induced expression pattern, among which one third were short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing genera and the others were probiotic genera included Lactobacillus spp., Sutterella, Alistipes, Anaerovorax, Bilophila, Coprococcus, Gordonibacter, Oscillibacter, among others. By contrast, 36% of the OTUs exhibiting a mixture-repressed expression pattern were disease-associated microorganisms, and six genera, namely Actinomyces, Escherichia/Shigella, Fusobacterium, Slackia, Streptococcus and Solobacterium, were associated with cancer. In addition, five genera were closely associated with diabetes, namely Collinsella, Rothia, Howardella, Slackia and Intestinibacter. Our results indicate that this D. officinale and American ginseng mixture may be used as a prebiotic agent to enhance SCFA-producing genera and prevent gut dysbiosis.
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Exosomes are membranous vesicles that are actively secreted by cells. They can be isolated from various cell culture media and animal body fluids. Exosomes are mainly composed of lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. They have small molecular structure and high biocompatibility with size of 40-100 nm. In addition, exosomes are natural endogenous nanocarriers that can transport lipids, proteins, DNA and RNA. Studies have shown that exosomes play an important role in long-distance communication between cells, in physiological and pathological processes. This article introduces the composition and physiological functions of exosomes, and summarizes the relevant content of exosomes as drug delivery vehicles. The applications of exosomes in central nervous system diseases, especially brain diseases and tumors are summarized.
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Anti-tumor antibiotics exhibit great application potential in the anti-tumor therapy. Some drugs have become the first-line medication clinically. However, there are always various problems associated with anti-tumor antibiotics, such as poor solubility and instability as well as severe systemic side effects. It is important to choose suitable delivery carriers for a reasonable delivery system for a good targeting ability, enhanced anti-tumor efficacy and reduced adverse effects of the anti-tumor antibiotics, especially in the smart delivery systems. This review summarizes the carriers and the advances in the delivery systems of anti-tumor antibiotics, including anti-tumor antibiotic drugs currently on the market, in the clinical research stage and in the basic research stage.
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This paper reports a severe case of Strongyloides stercoralis infection during routine sputum smear examinations, due to cough and shortness of breath, so as to improve clinicians’ awareness of strongyloidiasis to avoid and reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.
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OBJECTIVE: To prepare aziditaxel-loaded mPEG-PLA polymeric micelles, investigate its pharmaceutical characteristics and study its anti-tumor effects in vitro. METHODS: Aziditaxel-loaded polymeric micelles were prepared by thin-film dispersion method. The morphology of aziditaxel-loaded micelles was observed under transmission electron microscope. The particle size distribution and Zeta potential of aziditaxel-loaded micelles were determined by dynamic light scattering method using a Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS90 analyzer.The technical reproducibility and reconstitution stability of aziditaxel-loaded micelles were also checked. The drug loading and encapsulation efficiency were measured by HPLC. Dialysis method was used to investigate the in vitro release of aziditaxel-loaded micelles, and the release manner was fitted using the mathematic models.The in vitro anti-tumor activities were evaluated by proliferation inhibition and cycle block experiment. RESULTS: Aziditaxel-loaded polymeric micelles were prepared successfully.Aziditaxel-loaded polymeric micelles showed spherical shape with a mean particle size of 24.50 nm, polydispersity index of 0.117 and Zeta potential of -10.06 mV. The mean drug loading and entrapment efficiency were (16.00±0.15)% and (95.80±0.10)%, respectively.The preparation reproducibility was fine, and the reconstitution solution of lyophilized preparation of aziditaxel-loaded polymeric' micelles maintained stable within 6 h.The release behavior of aziditaxel-loaded micelles conformed to the ambiexponent model. Drug-loaded micelles could obviously inhibit the proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines in vitro, and induce significant G2/M cycle arrest and apoptosis on MCF-7 cancer cells. CONCLUSION: Aziditaxel-loaded mPEG-PLA polymeric micelles are successfullv prepared. The preparation method is simple, and the pharmaceutical properties of the products conform to the requirements of the subsequent study. The prepared aziditaxel-loaded polymeric micelles exhibit good application prospect with favourable in vitro anti-tumor activities.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship of plasma ghrelin and adenohypophyseal hormone levels in female precocious puberty.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 84 patients aged from 6 to 9 years were enrolled in this study. They were divided into idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) and premature thelarche(PT)groups according to their secondary sexual characteristics, bone age, volumes of uterus and ovary, and results of GnRH test. Plasma ghrelin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. ACTH, TSH, PRL, GH, LH and FSH were measured by chemoluminescence technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ghrelin levels in ICPP group were Log (2.42+/-0.26) ng/L, which were significantly lower than those in PT group and controls [Log (2.62+/-0.21) ng/L and Log (2.58+/-0.44) ng/L, respectively, P<0.05]. However there was no significant difference between PT group and controls(P>0.05). Ghrelin levels of ICPP girls with Tanner III were Log (2.31+/-0.24) ng/L, significantly lower than those of ICPP girls with Tanner II [Log (2.53+/-0.24) ng/L, P<0.05]. By bivariate correlation analysis, ghrelin levels in precocious puberty girls were negatively correlated with ACTH, PRL and LH15, LH30 and LH60 in GnRH test(r=-0.248, -0.235, -0.445, 0.405, 0.398, respectively, P<0.05). No significant correlation was found between ghrelin and GH, LH0(-2), FSH0(-2), and FSH15, FSH30 and FSH60 in GnRH test.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ICPP girls have lower plasma ghrelin levels, which are decreased with the development of Tanner stage. The plasma ghrelin levels are negatively correlated with ACTH, PRL and LH.</p>
Subject(s)
Child , Female , Humans , Adrenocorticotropic Hormone , Blood , Ghrelin , Blood , Gonadotropins, Pituitary , Blood , Luteinizing Hormone , Blood , Puberty, Precocious , BloodABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the changes of bone turnover markers and bone mass in children with growth hormone (GH) deficiency before and after recombinant human GH replacement therapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum levels of bone turnover markers (OC, BAP and ICTP), IGF1 and distal radius bone mass (SOS SDS) of 37 cases with complete growth hormone deficiency (CGHD), 31 partial growth hormone deficiency (PGHD) and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were measured. Twenty-nine patients received rhGH replacement therapy at dose of 0.03 mg/kg. day and the above parameters were measured every 3 or 6 months after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with the control, baseline serum levels of BAP, ICTP and IGF1 in CGHD group were significantly decreased (P<0.05), so was IGF1 in PGHD group (P<0.05). Significantly positive correlation was found between IGF1 and ICTP (r=0.32, P=0.01) in CGHD group. There was no significant difference between GHD group and the control in other biochemical parameters. All bone turnover markers and IGF1 increased significantly in both CGHD and PGHD children after rhGH replacement therapy for 3 months (P<0.05). ICTP and IGF1 were increasing with the prolonged rhGH replacement therapy. A tendency of increase in distal radius SOS SDS was also seen after rhGH-treatment, though not statistically significant (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared with the control, bone turnover markers BAP and ICTP are lower in children with CGHD, with lower IGF1 but unchanged bone mass in both CGHD and PGHD. All bone turnover markers can be significantly improved in GHD children after rhGH replacement treatment for 6 months, with a tendency of increase in bone mass.</p>