ABSTRACT
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of tumor-related death worldwide. Conventional treatments for HCC include drugs, radiation, and surgery. Despite the unremitting efforts of researchers, the curative effect of HCC has been greatly improved, but because HCC is often found in the middle and late stages, the curative effect is still not satisfactory, and the 5-year survival rate is still low. Nanomedicine is a potential subject, which has been applied to the treatment of HCC and has achieved promising results. Here, we summarized the factors affecting the efficacy of drugs in HCC treatment and the strategies for improving the efficacy of nanotechnology-based drugs in HCC, reviewed the recent applications' progress on nanotechnology-based drugs in HCC treatment, and discussed the future perspectives and challenges of nanotechnology-based drugs in HCC treatment.
ABSTRACT
Ferroptosis is a type of regulated cell death caused by iron overload and lipid peroxidation, and its core is an imbalance of redox reactions. Recent studies showed that ferroptosis played a dual role in liver diseases, that was, as a therapeutic target and a pathogenic factor. Therefore, herein, we summarized the role of ferroptosis in liver diseases, reviewed the part of available targets, such as drugs, small molecules, and nanomaterials, that acted on ferroptosis in liver diseases, and discussed the current challenges and prospects.
ABSTRACT
Nanomedicine shows great potential in screening, diagnosing and treating diseases. However, given the limitations of current technology, detection of some smaller lesions and drugs' dynamic monitoring still need to be improved. With the advancement of nanotechnology, researchers have produced various nanomaterials with imaging capabilities which have shown great potential in biomedical research. Here, we summarized the researches based on the characteristics of imageable nanomaterials, highlighted the advantages and biomedical applications of imageable nanomaterials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and discussed current challenges and prospects.
ABSTRACT
Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide (TFPS), which is the extract of Tremella fuciformis Berk, has previously been demonstrated to exhibit potent antioxidative, antiinflammatory and antiaging effects. However, the mechanisms underlying these protective and therapeutic effects remain to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of TFPS on hydrogen peroxideinduced injury of human skin fibroblasts and to elucidate the aforementioned underlying mechanisms. A hydrogen peroxideinduced human skin fibroblast injury model was firstly established. MTT and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production assays, in addition to terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling, reverse transcriptionquantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, were performed to investigate the protective effects of TFPS. Hydrogen peroxide decreased human skin fibroblast viability with a concurrent increase in ROS generation and cell apoptosis. Treatment with 0400 µg/ml TFPS alone for up to 48 h did not result in alteration in cell viability. Notably, TFPS pretreatment reduced oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in hydrogen peroxidetreated skin fibroblasts. In addition, there was profound inhibition of p16, p21, p53 and caspase3 expression, and activation of extracellularsignal regulated kinase and Akt serine/threonine kinase 1, following TFPS pretreatment. Furthermore, it was revealed that TFPS additionally protected fibroblasts via the upregulation of SIRT1 expression, and this was abrogated by the SIRT1 inhibitor niacinamide. These results indicated that TFPS alleviated hydrogen peroxideinduced oxidative stress and apoptosis in skin fibroblasts via upregulation of SIRT1 expression, indicating that TFPS may act as a potential therapeutic agent for oxidativestressassociated skin diseases and aging.
