Antiangiogenic Therapeutic mRNA Delivery Using Lung-Selective Polymeric Nanomedicine for Lung Cancer Treatment.

Therapeutic antibodies that block vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) show clinical benefits in treating nonsmall cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Nonetheless, the therapeutic effects of systemically administered anti-VEGF antibodies are often hindered in NSCLCs because of their limited distribution in the lungs and their adverse effects on normal tissues. These challenges can be overcome by delivering therapeutic antibodies in their mRNA form to lung endothelial cells, a primary target of VEGF-mediated pulmonary angiogenesis, to suppress the NSCLCs. In this study, we synthesized derivatives of poly(ß-amino esters) (PBAEs) and prepared nanoparticles to encapsulate the synthetic mRNA encoding bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF antibody used in the clinic. Optimization of nanoparticle formulations resulted in a selective lung transfection after intravenous administration. Notably, the optimized PBAE nanoparticles were distributed in lung endothelial cells, resulting in the secretion of bevacizumab. We analyzed the protein corona on the lung- and spleen-targeting nanoparticles using proteomics and found distinctive features potentially contributing to their organ-selectivity. Lastly, bevacizumab mRNA delivered by the lung-targeting PBAE nanoparticles more significantly inhibited tumor proliferation and angiogenesis than recombinant bevacizumab protein in orthotopic NSCLC mouse models, supporting the therapeutic potential of bevacizumab mRNA therapy and its selective delivery through lung-targeting nanoparticles. Our proof-of-principle results highlight the clinical benefits of nanoparticle-mediated mRNA therapy in anticancer antibody treatment in preclinical models.

Functional ligands for improving anticancer drug therapy: current status and applications to drug delivery systems.

Conventional chemotherapy lacking target selectivity often leads to severe side effects, limiting the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Therefore, drug delivery systems ensuring both selective drug release and efficient intracellular uptake at the target sites are highly demanded in chemotherapy to improve the quality of life of patients with low toxicity. One of the effective approaches for tumor-selective drug delivery is the adoption of functional ligands that can interact with specific receptors overexpressed in malignant cancer cells. Various functional ligands including folic acid, hyaluronic acid, transferrin, peptides, and antibodies, have been extensively explored to develop tumor-selective drug delivery systems. Furthermore, cell-penetrating peptides or ligands for tight junction opening are also actively pursued to improve the intracellular trafficking of anticancer drugs. Sometimes, multiple ligands with different roles are used in combination to enhance the cellular uptake as well as target selectivity of anticancer drugs. In this review, the current status of various functional ligands applicable to improve the effectiveness of cancer chemotherapy is overviewed with a focus on their roles, characteristics, and preclinical/clinical applications.

Recent advancements in lipid-mRNA nanoparticles as a treatment option for cancer immunotherapy.

Background: Cancer remains a serious health concern worldwide, and different approaches are being developed for its treatment. The strategy to use the immune system as an approach for treating cancer has recently gained momentum. Messenger RNA (mRNA) has been assessed as an up-and-coming resource for the evolution of advanced cancer immunotherapies over the past decades. However, degradation in extracellular compartments and during endosomal escape remain obstacles for efficient mRNA delivery and limit the therapeutic applications of this approach. Area covered: Lipid-based nanocarriers are gaining significant attention as non-viral mRNA vectors. Various lipid-based nanocarrier types have been developed to enhance the stability of mRNA molecules, facilitate their transfection, and ensure delivery to an intracellular compartment suitable for further processing. This review discusses the development of novel mRNA delivery systems using lipids for effective cancer immunotherapy. Expert opinion: mRNAs are superior to other biomolecules for developing therapeutic drugs and vaccines with multiple medical applications that are currently being explored by researchers in various biomedical fields. Lipid-based mRNA nanoparticles can improve the potency of the mRNA by enhancing its stability, enabling its cellular uptake, and facilitating its endosomal escape. Targetability of these therapeutics can be increased by conjugating their surface with the desired ligands or targeting agents. Lipid-mRNA nanoparticles are increasingly being incorporated in cancer immunotherapy applications, including vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell treatment, and several such nanoparticles are being assessed in clinical trials. Further research that assesses key variables for transfection efficiency of lipid-mRNA nanoparticles will expedite the development of improved therapeutics.

A study of anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of new 2,3-disubstituted 1,2-dihydroquinazolin-4(3h)-one derivative and its transition metal complexes.

A new 2,3-disubstituted 1,2-dihydroquinazolin-4(3H)-one derivative namely 2-hydroxy-2-ethyl-(3-carboxylideneamino)-3-(2-(4-methyl-phenyl))-1,2-dihydroquinazolin-4(3H)-one (HECMDQ) is synthesized employing a modified method in higher yield and is complexed with Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) metal ions in order to study its coordinating behavior. All the complexes were characterized by various physicochemical (analytical, IR, NMR, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), mass, Thermogravimetric Analysis Differential Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA-DTA)) methods. The molar conductivity measurements in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution indicate the non-electrolytic nature of complexes. IR spectral analysis reveal that coordination takes place through the deprotonated hydroxyl group, azomethine nitrogen and carbonyl oxygen. Four coordinated geometry was assigned to all the complexes on the basis of spectral studies. The anti-inflammatory activities of compounds are moderate. Co(II) complex exhibited highest activity among all the complexes. At lower dose level activity of Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes is more compared to that of ligand. The analgesic activity of ligand has enhanced on complexation with Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) metal ions. Among the compounds studied Co(II) complex has shown highest activity and is comparable with standard used.