Efficacy and safety of paclitaxel albumin assisted platinum chemotherapy in the treatment of recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer based on tumor factors and inflammatory status / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel albumin assisted platinum chemotherapy in the treatment of recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer based on tumor factors and inflammatory status. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer in our hospital from January 2020 to January 2023 were randomly divided into two groups: 50 patients in the control group were treated with paclitaxel-assisted nedaplatin regimen, and 50 patients in the study group were treated with paclitaxel-assisted nedaplatin regimen. The short-term efficacy, tumor factors, inflammatory factors, relapse-metastasis related indexes, quality of life, functional status and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The total remission rate of the study group (72.00%) was higher than that of the control group (48.00%) (P0.05), but the total incidence of adverse reactions (12.00%) was lower than that of the control group (32.00%) (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Paclitaxel albumin-assisted nedaplatin has a reliable effect in the treatment of recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer, which can further reduce the level of tumor factors, relieve inflammation, and has high safety.

Cancer cell membrane-coated bacterial ghosts for highly efficient paclitaxel delivery against metastatic lung cancer

Chemotherapy is one of the major approaches for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer, although it is limited by the low tumor delivery efficacy of anticancer drugs. Bacterial therapy is emerging for cancer treatment due to its high immune stimulation effect; however, excessively generated immunogenicity will cause serious inflammatory response syndrome. Here, we prepared cancer cell membrane-coated liposomal paclitaxel-loaded bacterial ghosts (LP@BG@CCM) by layer-by-layer encapsulation for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer. The preparation processes were simple, only involving film formation, electroporation, and pore extrusion. LP@BG@CCM owned much higher 4T1 cancer cell toxicity than LP@BG due to its faster fusion with cancer cells. In the 4T1 breast cancer metastatic lung cancer mouse models, the remarkably higher lung targeting of intravenously injected LP@BG@CCM was observed with the almost normalized lung appearance, the reduced lung weight, the clear lung tissue structure, and the enhanced cancer cell apoptosis compared to its precursors. Moreover, several major immune factors were improved after administration of LP@BG@CCM, including the CD4+/CD8a+ T cells in the spleen and the TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-4 in the lung. LP@BG@CCM exhibits the optimal synergistic chemo-immunotherapy, which is a promising medication for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer.

Modified FOLFIRINOX compared to Gemcitabine & nab-Paclitaxel in advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma - results of a match-pair analysis

Background & objectives: FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GN) are the most commonly used regimens in advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs). As there is limited data on comparison of these two regimens, the present study was aimed to compare survivals and tolerance for both regimens through a match-pair analysis. Methods: The data of 350 patients with metastatic and locally advanced PDAC, treated between January 2013 and December 2019, were retrieved. A 1:1 matching, using age and performance status, without replacement was performed by using nearest neighbour matching method. Results: A total of 260 patients (130 modified FOLFIRINOX and 130 GN) were matched. The median overall survival (OS) was 12.98 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 7.257-8.776 months] in modifications of FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX) cohort and 12.06 months (95% CI 6.690-8.88 months) in GN group (P=0.080). The incidence of grade 3 and 4 infections, diarrhoea, oral mucositis, and fatigue was higher with mFOLFIRINOX. Patients who received second line therapy had improved OS as compared to those who did not (14.06 vs. 9.07 months, P<0.001). Interpretation & conclusions: GN and mFOLFIRINOX appear to have similar survival outcomes in an unselected match paired patient population with advanced PDAC. A markedly increased incidence of non-myelosuppressive grade 3 and grade 4 side-effects and lack of survival improvements suggest a need for nuanced use of the mFOLFIRINOX regimen. Administration of second-line chemotherapy improves OS in patients with advanced PDAC.

Synergistic effect of Hsp90 inhibitor ginkgolic acids C15 ꞉1 combined with paclitaxel on nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#Nasopharyngeal cracinoma is a kind of head and neck malignant tumor with high incidence and high mortality. Due to the characteristics of local recurrence, distant metastasis, and drug resistance, the survival rate of patients after treatment is not high. Paclitaxel (PTX) is used as a chemotherapy drug in treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells are easy to develop resistance to PTX. Inhibition of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) can overcome common signal redundancy and resistance in many cancers. This study aims to investigate the anti-tumor effect of ginkgolic acids C15꞉1 (C15:1) combined with PTX on nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2Z cells and the mechanisms.@*METHODS@#This experiment was divided into a control group (without drug), a C15:1 group (10, 30, 50, 70 μmol/L), a PTX group (5, 10, 20, 40 nmol/L), and a combination group. CNE-2Z cells were treated with the corresponding drugs in each group. The proliferation of CNE-2Z cells was evaluated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT). Wound-healing assay and transwell chamber assay were used to determine the migration of CNE-2Z cells. Transwell chamber was applied to the impact of CNE-2Z cell invasion. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining was used to observe the effect on apoptosis of CNE-2Z cells. The changes of proteins involved in cell invasion, migration, and apoptosis after the combination of C15꞉1 and PTX treatment were analyzed by Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the control group, the C15꞉1 group and the PTX group could inhibit the proliferation of CNE-2Z cells (all P<0.05). The cell survival rates of the C15꞉1 50 μmol/L combined with 5, 10, 20, or 40 nmol/L PTX group were lower than those of the single PTX group (all P<0.05), the combination index (CI) value was less than 1, suggesting that the combined treatment group had a synergistic effect. Compared with the 50 μmol/L C15꞉1 group and the 10 nmol/L PTX group, the combination group significantly inhibited the invasion and migration of CNE-2Z cells (all P<0.05). The results of Western blotting demonstrated that the combination group could significantly down-regulate Hsp90 client protein matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. The results of double staining showed that compared with the 50 μmol/L C15꞉1 group and the 10 nmol/L PTX group, the apoptosis ratio of CNE-2Z cells in the combination group was higher (both P<0.05). The results of Western blotting suggested that the combination group could decrease the Hsp90 client proteins [Akt and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)] and increase the Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The combination of C15꞉1 and PTX has a synergistic effect which can inhibit cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and induce cell apoptosis. This effect may be related to the inhibition of Hsp90 activity by C15꞉1.

Efficacy of Bevacizumab Combined with Paclitaxel and Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Advanced Metastatic Cervical Cancer and Its Effect on T Lymphocyte Subsets and Tumor Markers / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To investigate the efficacy of bevacizumab combined with paclitaxel and platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced metastatic cervical cancer and its effect on T lymphocyte subsets and tumor markers. Methods Sixty patients with advanced metastatic cervical cancer (treated in our hospital) were randomly divided into control (30 cases) and treatment (30 cases) groups. All patients were given radiotherapy; the control group received paclitaxel and platinum-based chemotherapy, whereas the treatment group received the same with added bevacizumab. The pain conditions (visual analog score (VAS)) and quality of life (Karl Fischer quality of life (KPS)), clinical efficacy, T lymphocyte subset levels (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+), tumor markers (carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and squamous epithelial carcinoma-associated antigen (SCCA)) and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results The VAS score, serum CA125, CEA, SCCA, and CD8+ level were significantly reduced in both groups after treatment (P < 0.05), and it significantly decreased in the treatment group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). KPS score, CD3+, and CD4+ levels significantly increased after treatment in the two groups (P < 0.05), and compared with the control group, the treatment group significantly increased (P < 0.05). Moreover, the total effective rate (66.67%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (40.00%) (P < 0.05), and no significant difference existed in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion Bevacizumab combined with paclitaxel and platinum-based chemotherapy can effectively reduce the pain and improve the immune function and quality of life of patients with advanced metastatic cervical cancer. This chemotherapy is also safe and effective.

Effects of paclitaxel on Müller cells in retina / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the effects of antitumor drug paclitaxel(PTX)on the proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, cell morphology, and related protein expression of Müller cells, and to evaluate its potential toxicity to the retina.METHODS:Müller cells were cultured in vitro and divided into two groups: control group(normal medium)and PTX group. Retinal Müller cells were treated with different concentrations of PTX(0.005, 0.05, 0.5 and 5mg/L)for varying durations(12, 24, 36, 48 and 72h). The CCK8 method was used to assess the effects of different concentrations of PTX and treatment duration on the proliferation Müller cells. Flow cytometry was employed to investigate the impact of different concentrations of PTX on Müller cells apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Immunofluorescence was used to observe morphological changes in Müller cells. The effects of PTX on the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and aquaporins were analyzed by Western blot and qRT-PCR.RESULTS: PTX exhibits the ability to inhibit the proliferation of Müller cells when cultured in vitro. The efficacy of this inhibition was found to be dependent on both the concentration of the drug and the duration of the stimulation. Higher concentrations of the drug and longer stimulation times resulted in a weaker ability of the cells to proliferate. Additionally, PTX also induces apoptosis in Müller cells, with increased drug concentrations and longer stimulation times leading to higher apoptosis rates. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrates that PTX arrests Müller cells in the G2-M phase of the cell cycle. Moreover, there is a distinct change in cell morphology, with a shift from the typical appearance characterized by clear and slender fibrous structures to a rounder morphology, accompanied by a significant decrease in cell numbers. Further, our findings reveal that there is a transient increase in the expression of cytoinflammatory factors following drug treatment compared to the control group. However, discontinuation of drug stimulation can alleviate this heightened expression. In treated cells, the expression of the CA XIV protein is upregulated compared to the control group, while the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)is downregulated(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). Additionally, the levels of inflammatory factors in the PTX group are significantly higher than those in the control group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), suggesting that PTX has the potential to disrupt the retinal barrier function.CONCLUSION: PTX affects the proliferation and apoptosis of Müller cells, with the effects dependent on stimulation duration and drug concentration. In addition, PTX blocks the Müller cell cycle at the G2-M phase and alters cell morphology, leading to a transient upregulation of inflammatory factors and affecting the integrity of the retinal barrier. These findings indicate the potential toxicity of the antitumor drug PTX to the retina.

Expressions of STMN1, BubR1, bcl-2 and Bad in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and their relationship with chemotherapy effect of paclitaxel-containing regimen / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the correlation between the expression levels of STMN1, BubR1, bcl-2 and Bad and the chemotherapy effect of paclitaxel-containing regimen in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).Methods:The clinical data of ESCC patients who received paclitaxel-containing chemotherapy at Fenyang Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University from September 2016 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 59 cases received maintenance chemotherapy and 27 cases received surgery after 3 courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The expression levels of STMN1, BubR1, bcl-2 and Bad in tumor tissues before chemotherapy were detected by immunohistochemistry. The imaging efficacy after 3 courses of chemotherapy and pathological efficacy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated. The imaging efficacy, pathological efficacy and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between the high expression group and the low expression group of each protein.Results:The proportion of patients with stage Ⅳ (46.3%, 19/41), the proportion of patients with low differentiation (22%, 9/41) and the incidence of lymph node metastasis (95.1%, 39/41) in STMN1 high expression group were higher than those in STMN1 low expression group (17.8%, 8/45; 4.4%, 2/45; 64.4%, 29/45), and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The proportion of patients with stage Ⅳ in Bad high expression group was lower than that in Bad low expression group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). In the evaluation of imaging efficacy, the chemotherapy sensitivity rates in STMN1 and BubR1 high expression groups (29.3%, 12/41; 37.9%, 22/58) were lower than those in STMN1 and BubR1 low expression groups (75.6%, 34/45; 85.7%, 24/28), and the chemotherapy sensitivity rate of patients in Bad high expression group (65.9%, 27/41) was higher than that in Bad low expression group (42.2%, 19/45), and the difference was statistically significant (all P < 0.05). There was no statistical correlation between bcl-2 expression and chemotherapy sensitivity rate ( P > 0.05). In the evaluation of pathological efficacy, the proportion of patients with tumor regression grade (TRG) score 0-1 after neoadjuvant therapy in STMN1 high expression group (27.3%, 3/11) was lower than that in STMN1 low expression group (75.0%, 12/16), and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.022). There were no statistical differences in the proportions of patients with TRG score 0-1 after neoadjuvant therapy between high and low expression groups of BubR1, bcl-2 and Bad (all P > 0.05). The PFS rate was 15.2% (9/59) for patients received maintenance chemotherapy, and the median PFS time was 6 months. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that PFS in STMN1 low expression group was better than that in STMN1 low expression group ( χ2 = 12.90, P < 0.001). PFS in BubR1 low expression group was better than that in BubR1 high expression ( χ2 =12.04, P < 0.001). PFS in Bad high expression group was better than that in Bad low expression group ( χ2 =9.69, P = 0.004). There was no statistical difference in PFS between high and low bcl-2 expression groups ( χ2 =1.43, P = 0.320). Conclusions:ESCC patients with low expression of STMN1, low expression of BubR1 and high expression of Bad have better chemotherapy effect after receiving paclitaxel-containing regimen, but there is no correlation between bcl-2 expression and chemotherapy efficacy.

Differences in therapeutic effect and prognosis of different molecular subtypes of invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast treated with nab-paclitaxel / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To explore the differences in therapeutic effect and prognosis of different molecular subtypes of breast invasive lobular carcinoma treated with nab-paclitaxel, so as to provide a basis for the selection of clinical drugs for breast cancer.Methods:The data of 180 patients with advanced invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast who were treated in Handan Central Hospital and the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2017 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, including 34 cases of Luminal A type, 92 cases of Luminal B type, 21 cases of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression type, and 33 cases of triple-negative type. The patients were treated with nab-paclitaxel, and the clinical curative effect was evaluated according to the solid tumor response evaluation criteria version 1.1 after 1 year of treatment, and the objective response rate (ORR) (calculated as complete remission + partial remission) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) (calculated as complete remission + partial remission + stable disease) were calculated; the occurrence of adverse reactions during the treatment was recorded. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) curves for each subtype of patients, and the log-rank method was used to test them.Results:The differences in ORR and CBR among patients with the four subtypes of Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2 overexpression, and triple-negative were statistically significant (all P < 0.001), with the triple-negative type having the lowest ORR and CBR [21.2% (7/33) and 63.6% (21/33)] and the Luminal A type having the highest ORR and CBR [70.6% (24/34) and 100.0% (34/34)]. The ORR and CBR of Luminal B type were 45.7% (42/92) and 90.2% (83/92), and the HER2 overexpression type was 38.1% (8/21) and 90.5% (19/21). The differences in the incidence of myelosuppression, numbness of limbs, joint and muscle pain among the four subtypes were statistically significant (all P < 0.05), with the triple-negative type having the highest incidence of all of the above adverse reactions. The PFS and OS of triple-negative subtype were worse than those of Luminal A, Luminal B and HER2 overexpression subtypes, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The clinical response and prognosis of patients with different molecular subtypes of invasive lobular carcinoma is significantly different after nab-paclitaxel intervention, among which the prognosis of patients with triple-negative type is the worst, and the clinical medication can be guided according to the pathological test results.

Clinical efficacy of paclitaxel and carboplatin with versus without bevacizumab in treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and adverse reactions of paclitaxel and carboplatin with or without bevacizumab in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods    The databases including PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMbase, CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP and CBM were searched from inception to October 2022 to collect randomized controlled trials of the clinical efficacy of paclitaxel and carboplatin with or without bevacizumab for the treatment of NSCLC. RevMan 5.4 software was used for meta-analysis. Results    Eight randomized controlled trials were enrolled, involving a total of 1 724 patients. Meta-analysis showed that for the treatment of NSCLC, the disease control rate, overall response rate, 1-year survival rate, and 2-year survival rate were higher in the trial group (paclitaxel and carboplatin combined with bevacizumab) than those in the control group (paclitaxel and carboplatin) (P<0.05); however, the incidences of the adverse reactions, such as leukopenia, hemorrhage, proteinuria and hypertension, etc, were higher in the trial group than those in the control group (P<0.05). There were no statistical differences between the trial group and the control group in the incidences of fatigue, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia or hyponatremia, etc (P>0.05). In addition, the median progression-free survival and overall survival were longer in the trial  group than those in the control group. Conclusion    For the treatment of NSCLC, paclitaxel and carboplatin combined with bevacizumab is superior in terms of disease control, overall response and prolonging patient survival, etc, but will be associated with more adverse reactions.

Chinese expert consensus of albumin-bound paclitaxel in the treatment of breast cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor of women, which seriously threatens women's health. Albumin-bound paclitaxel is the basic chemotherapy drug for breast cancer treatment. We can promote reasonable clinical medication and improve patients' quality of life by standardizing chemotherapy plans, rationally optimizing treatment strategy and managing adverse reactions of albumin-bound paclitaxel. In order to standardize the clinical application of albumin-bound paclitaxel in breast cancer, Chinese Medical Doctor Association Oncologist Branch Breast Cancer Group and International Medical Exchange Branch of China Anti-Cancer Association consulted guidelines and the latest evidence-based evidences and formulated Chinese expert consensus of albumin-bound paclitaxel in the treatment of breast cancer to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. The consensus mainly introduces the clinical application strategies and evidence-based evidences of albumin-bound paclitaxel in advanced therapy, neoadjuvant therapy and adjuvant therapy of breast cancer. Among them, the regimens containing albumin-bound paclitaxel are the better recommended regimens for preoperative neoadjuvant and advanced rescue therapy of breast cancer. However, there is little evidence in adjuvant therapy, so it is recommended to use albumin-bound paclitaxel cautiously. We also invited breast cancer clinical experts to vote on some controversial issues, including but not limited to the usage and dosage of albumin-bound paclitaxel, combined medication and management of peripheral neuropathy, and formed consensus recommendations for the reference of breast cancer clinical workers.

A real-world study on the efficacy and safety analysis of paclitaxel liposome in advanced breast cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To explore the application and efficacy of paclitaxel liposome in the treatment of advanced breast cancer among Chinese population in the real world. Methods: The clinical characteristics of patients with advanced breast cancer who received paclitaxel liposome as salvage treatment from January 1, 2016 to August 31, 2019 in 11 hospitals were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcome was progression free survival (PFS), and the secondary outcome included objective response rate (ORR) and safety. The survival curve was drawn by Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox regression model were used for the multivariate analysis. Results: Among 647 patients with advanced breast cancer who received paclitaxel liposome, the first-line treatment accounted for 43.3% (280/647), the second-line treatment accounted for 27.7% (179/647), and the third-line and above treatment accounted for 29.1% (188/647). The median dose of first-line and second-line treatment was 260 mg per cycle, and 240 mg in third line and above treatment. The median period of paclitaxel liposome alone and combined chemotherapy or targeted therapy is 4 cycles and 6 cycles, respectively. In the whole group, 167 patients (25.8%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome combined with capecitabine±trastuzumab (TX±H), 123 patients (19.0%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome alone (T), and 119 patients (18.4%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome combined with platinum ± trastuzumab (TP±H), 108 patients (16.7%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome combined with trastuzumab ± pertuzumab (TH±P). The median PFS of first-line and second-line patients (5.5 and 5.5 months, respectively) were longer than that of patients treated with third line and above (4.9 months, P<0.05); The ORR of the first line, second line, third line and above patients were 46.7%, 36.8% and 28.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that event-free survival (EFS) and the number of treatment lines were independent prognostic factors for PFS. The common adverse events were myelosuppression, gastrointestinal reactions, hand foot syndrome and abnormal liver function. Conclusion: Paclitaxel liposomes is widely used and has promising efficacy in multi-subtype advanced breast cancer.

Cost-utility analysis of sintilimab combined with chemotherapy in first-line treatment of advanced，recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of sintilimab combined with chemotherapy than single-use chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of advanced， recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC） from the perspective of health system of our country， and provide reference for rational use of drug in clinic. METHODS Based on ORIENT-15 study data， TreeAge Pro 2011 software was used to establish a three-state Markov model of non-progressive survival （PFS）， disease progression and death for cost-utility analysis. The model period was 3 weeks， the research time limit was 10 years， and the discount rate was 5%. The main outputs of the model were total cost， quality-adjusted life year （QALY） and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio （ICER）. The 1-3 times of China’s GDP per capita in 2021 was taken as the threshold of willing- ness to pay （WTP）. The uncertainty of the parameters was analyzed by single factor sensitivity analysis and probability sensitivity analysis， and the cost-effectiveness of the two schemes was discussed under three situations： different discount rates， comparison with other similar treatment schemes and charitable drug donation schemes. RESULTS The results of basic analysis showed that compared with chemotherapy plan alone， the ICER of sintilimab combined with chemotherapy was 64 208.75 yuan/QALY， which was less than WTP threshold. The results of single factor sensitivity analysis show that PFS state utility value， cycle cost of sintilimab and discount rate had relatively great influence on the results. Probability sensitivity analysis showed that when WTP≥120 000 yuan， the economic probability of sintilimab combined with chemotherapy plan was 100%. The results of situational analysis showed that sintilimab combined chemotherapy was more cost- effective than single-use chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Sintilimab combined with chemotherapy is more cost-effective than single-use chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of advanced， recurrent or metastatic ESCC.

In vitro release of paclitaxel derivative liposome by paddle membrane binding assay / 中国药科大学学报

@#The in vitro release is an important index to evaluate the quality of liposome formulation.Currently, there is no evaluation method for the in vitro release of liposome in pharmacopoeia of various countries, which leads to the lack of unified standard and safety guarantee for the quality evaluation of liposome formulation.Taking the self-made paclitaxel derivative liposomes as an example, the paddle membrane binding method established by optimizing external release conditions was used to simulate the complete release of paclitaxel derivative drugs in 12 hours under physiological conditions.The results showed that using 0.5% SDS-HEPES as the release medium and a dialysis bag with a molecular weight cutoff of 1 000 kD to release the liposome solution met the requirements and had discrimination ability, providing a reference for the development of drug-loaded liposomes release methods in vitro.

Versatile flexible micelles integrating mucosal penetration and intestinal targeting for effectively oral delivery of paclitaxel

The extremely low bioavailability of oral paclitaxel (PTX) mainly due to the complicated gastrointestinal environment, the obstruction of intestinal mucus layer and epithelium barrier. Thus, it is of great significance to construct a coordinative delivery system which can overcome multiple intestinal physicochemical obstacles simultaneously. In this work, a high-density PEGylation-based glycocholic acid-decorated micelles (PTX@GNPs) was constructed by a novel polymer, 9-Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-polyethylene glycocholic acid (Fmoc-PEG-GCA). The Fmoc motif in this polymer could encapsulate PTX via π‒π stacking to form the core of micelles, and the low molecular weight and non-long hydrophobic chain of Fmoc ensures the high-density of PEG. Based on this versatile and flexible carriers, PTX@GNPs possess mucus trapping escape ability due to the flexible PEG, and excellent intestine epithelium targeting attributed to the high affinity of GCA with apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter. The in vitro and in vivo results showed that this oral micelle could enhance oral bioavailability of PTX, and exhibited similar antitumor efficacy to Taxol injection via intravenous route. In addition, oral PTX@GNPs administered with lower dosage within shorter interval could increase in vivo retention time of PTX, which supposed to remodel immune microenvironment and enhance oral chemotherapy efficacy by synergistic effect.

Self-assembled nanoformulations of paclitaxel for enhanced cancer theranostics

Chemotherapy has occupied the critical position in cancer therapy, especially towards the post-operative, advanced, recurrent, and metastatic tumors. Paclitaxel (PTX)-based formulations have been widely used in clinical practice, while the therapeutic effect is far from satisfied due to off-target toxicity and drug resistance. The caseless multi-components make the preparation technology complicated and aggravate the concerns with the excipients-associated toxicity. The self-assembled PTX nanoparticles possess a high drug content and could incorporate various functional molecules for enhancing the therapeutic index. In this work, we summarize the self-assembly strategy for diverse nanodrugs of PTX. Then, the advancement of nanodrugs for tumor therapy, especially emphasis on mono-chemotherapy, combinational therapy, and theranostics, have been outlined. Finally, the challenges and potential improvements have been briefly spotlighted.

Ginsenoside Rg_3 based liposomes target delivery of dihydroartemisinin and paclitaxel for treatment of triple-negative breast cancer / 中国中药杂志

Ginsenoside Rg_3, an active component of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), was used as the substitute for cholesterol as the membrane material to prepare the ginsenoside Rg_3-based liposomes loaded with dihydroartemisinin and paclitaxel. The effect of the prepared drug-loading liposomes on triple-negative breast cancer in vitro was evaluated. Liposomes were prepared with the thin film hydration method, and the preparation process was optimized by single factor experiments. The physicochemical properties(e.g., particle size, Zeta potential, and stability) of the liposomes were characterized. The release behaviors of drugs in different media(pH 5.0 and pH 7.4) were evaluated. The antitumor activities of the liposomes were determined by CCK-8 on MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells. The cell scratch test was carried out to evaluate the effect of the liposomes on the migration of MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells. Further, the targeting ability of liposomes and the mechanism of lysosome escape were investigated. Finally, H9c2 cells were used to evaluate the potential cardiotoxicity of the preparation. The liposomes prepared were spheroid, with uniform particle size distribution, the ave-rage particle size of(107.81±0.01) nm, and the Zeta potential of(2.78±0.66) mV. The encapsulation efficiency of dihydroartemisinin and paclitaxel was 57.76%±1.38% and 99.66%±0.07%, respectively, and the total drug loading was 4.46%±0.71%. The accumulated release of dihydroartemisinin and paclitaxel from the liposomes at pH 5.0 was better than that at pH 7.4, and the liposomes could be stored at low temperature for seven days with good stability. Twenty-four hours after administration, the inhibition rates of the ginsenoside Rg_3-based liposomes loaded with dihydroartemisinin(70 μmol·L~(-1)) and paclitaxel on MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells were higher than those of the positive control(adriamycin) and free drugs(P<0.01). Compared with free drugs, liposomes inhibited the migration of MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells(P<0.05). Liposomes demonstrated active targeting and lysosome escape. In particular, liposomes showed lower toxicity to H9c2 cells than free drugs(P<0.05), which indicated that the preparation had the potential to reduce cardiotoxicity. The findings prove that ginsenoside Rg_3 characterized by the combination of drug and excipient is an ideal substitute for lipids in liposomes and promoted the development of innovative TCM drugs for treating cancer.

Study on the mechanism of Taohong siwu decoction improving peripheral nerve injury induced by paclitaxel in rats / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Taohong siwu decoction （THD） improving peripheral nerve injury induced by paclitaxel （PTX） in rats. METHODS The effects of THD （1 g/mL drug-containing serum） and PTX （0.1 μmol/L） alone or in combination on the proliferation rate of Schwann cells line RSC96 as well as the expressions of lysosomal-associated membrane protein-2 （LAMP2）， autophagy marker protein yeast Atg 6 homolog （Beclin1）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， protein kinase B （Akt）， and mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） were investigated， and then compared with autophagy promoter rapamycin and autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine （3-MA）. The effects of high-dose and low-dose THD on the expressions of myelin basic protein （MBP） and myelin protein zero （MPZ）， S100 calcium-binding protein （S100）， LAMP2， Beclin1， PI3K， Akt and mTOR were tested at the end of the experiment. RESULTS After treatment of THD+PTX， the proliferation rate of RSC96 cells was significantly higher than those treated with PTX alone. After treatment of THD+PTX or THD+ 3-MA， the protein expressions of LAMP2 and Beclin1 in RSC96 cells were significantly higher than those treated with PTX or 3- MA alone， while the protein expressions of PI3K， Akt and mTOR were significantly lower than those treated with PTX or 3-MA alone （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， the protein expressions of MBP， MPZ， S100， LAMP2 and Beclin1 in sciatic nerve of rats were increased significantly in THD high-dose and low-dose groups， while the protein expressions of PI3K， Akt and mTOR were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS THD may activate Schwann cell autophagy by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/ mTOR signaling pathway， thereby improving peripheral nerve injury caused by PTX.

Study on mechanism of interfering with LncRNA expressing to reduce paclitaxel resistance in non-small cell lung cancer cells / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study the mechanism of interfering with long non-coding RNA nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase-antisense RNA1 （LncRNA NNT-AS1） expressing to reduce paclitaxel （TAX） resistance in non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） cells. METHODS NSCLC TAX-resistant cell line （A549/TAX） was constructed， and the expressions of LncRNA NNT-AS1 in normal， parental， and drug-resistant cells were observed. The targeting relationship of microRNA-582-5p （miR-582- 5p） with LncRNA NNT-AS1 and high mobility group box2 （HMGB2） was verified. A549/TAX cells were cultured in vitro to observe the effects of interfering with LncRNA NNT-AS1 alone or interfering with LncRNA NNT-AS1 and miR-582-5p on the expressions of LncRNA NNT-AS1 and miR-582-5p， the mRNA and protein expressions of HMGB2， cell viability， clone formation and apoptosis. The effects of interfering with LncRNA NNT-AS1 on tumor growth and the expression of miR-582-5p and the mRNA and protein expressions of HMGB2 in tumor tissue were observed in nude mice. RESULTS Compared with normal cells， LncRNA NNT-AS1 was highly expressed in parental and drug-resistant cells （P＜0.05）， showing an increasing trend. It was validated that miR-582-5p had a targeting relationship with LncRNA NNT-AS1 and HMGB2. After interfering with the expression of LncRNA NNT-AS1， the expression of LncRNA NNT-AS1 and the mRNA and protein expressions of HMGB2， cell viability and the number of cloned cells in A549/TAX cell， decreased significantly， while the expression of miR-582-5p and the apoptotic rate increased significantly （P＜0.05）； simultaneously interfering with the expression of miR-582-5p could reverse above changes （P＜ 0.05）. Interfering with the expression of LncRNA NNT-AS1 in tumor cell could significantly reduce tumor volume and tumor weight of nude mice bearing tumors； at the same time， the expression of miR-582-5p was up-regulated significantly and the mRNA and protein expressions of HMGB2 were down-regulated significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Interfering with the expression of LncRNA NNT-AS1 may alleviate TAX chemotherapy resistance in NSCLC through targeted up-regulation of miR-582-5p and down-regulation of HMGB2.

Effect of SMAC Gene on Sensitivity of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells to Paclitaxel and Cell Viability Based on caspase-3/Bcl-2/Bax Signaling Pathway / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To investigate the effect of the SMAC gene on paclitaxel sensitivity and cellular activity in lung adenocarcinoma cells based on the caspase-3/Bcl-2/Bax signaling pathway. Methods A paclitaxel-resistant cell line A549/Taxol was established for lung adenocarcinoma, and the cells were divided into four following groups: pcDNA-NC (transfected with pcDNA-NC blank vector), pcDNA-SMAC (transfected with pcDNA-SMAC vector), siRNA-NC (transfected with siRNA-NC empty virus vector), and siRNA-SMAC groups (transfected with siRNA-SMAC lentiviral vector). The SMAC mRNA expression in cells was detected by qRT-PCR; cell sensitivity was detected by MTT; cell proliferation ability was detected by cloning assay; cell invasion ability was detected by Transwell; apoptosis ability was detected by flow cytometry assay; and caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression in cells were detected by Western blot analysis. Results The SMAC mRNA expression was significantly lower in A549 cells compared with BEAS-2B cells (P < 0.05). The SMAC mRNA expression was significantly higher in the pcDNA-SMAC group than that in the pcDNA-NC group cells (P < 0.05). The SMAC mRNA expression was significantly lower in the cells of the siRNA-SMAC group (P < 0.05) than that in the siRNA-NC group. The SMAC mRNA expression was significantly lower in the cells of the siRNA-SMAC group (P < 0.05) than in the siRNA-NC group. Compared with the pcDNA-NC group, the cell IC50, cell clone number, cell invasion ability, and Bcl-2 protein and Bcl-2/Bax ratio were significantly lower in the pcDNA-SMAC group, the cell resistance index reversal was 2.51-fold, and the apoptosis ability and caspase-3, as well as Bax protein expression, were significantly higher (P < 0.05). Compared with the siRNA-NC group, cell IC50, cell clone number, cell invasion ability, and Bcl-2 protein and Bcl-2/Bax ratio were significantly higher in the siRNA-SMAC group, and apoptosis ability and caspase-3 and Bax protein expression were significantly lower (P < 0.05). Conclusion High expression of SMAC increases paclitaxel sensitivity, inhibits cell growth and invasion, promotes apoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma cells, and has a regulatory effect on the caspase-3/Bcl-2/Bax signaling pathway.

Morphine counteracts the effects of paclitaxel in triple-negative breast cancer cells

Background & objectives: Several studies have provided evidence that opioids may play a role in cancer recurrence and metastasis. Multiple research data indicate that morphine can act as a proliferative or suppressive agent on tumour cells depending on the applied concentration. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate whether the presence of clinically relevant concentrations of morphine has any effect on the efficacy of paclitaxel, a widely used chemotherapeutic drug, on the viability and apoptosis of human triple-negative breast cancer cell line. Methods: MDA.MB.231 cells were treated with paclitaxel in the presence or absence of morphine and examined for cell proliferation by the MTT assay. In addition, the effect of morphine on paclitaxel- induced apoptosis was investigated by flow cytometric assay and by the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA expression levels with quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR. Results: Morphine significantly increased the proliferation of breast cancer cells at low concentrations (0.1-2.5 ?M) but higher concentrations showed cytotoxic effect. Pre-treatment with 0.1 or 1 ?M of morphine decreased the paclitaxel-induced cytotoxicity, the proportion of apoptotic cell, and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA expressions. Interpretation & conclusions: Our data suggest that morphine promotes breast cancer cell viability at clinically relevant plasma concentrations and reduces the apoptotic effect of paclitaxel. This interaction may be very important in clinical settings; however, more studies are needed to explore the plausible mechanisms of interaction and to correlate such findings through in vivo animal studies as well as clinically.