Advances in drug delivery applications of modified bacterial cellulose-based materials.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is generated by certain species of bacteria and comprises polysaccharides with unique physical, chemical, and mechanical characteristics. Due to its outstanding biocompatibility, high purity, excellent mechanical strength, high water absorption, and highly porous structure, bacterial cellulose has been recently investigated for biomedical application. However, the pure form of bacterial cellulose is hardly used as a biomedical material due to some of its inherent shortcomings. To extend its applications in drug delivery, modifications of native bacterial cellulose are widely used to improve its properties. Usually, bacterial cellulose modifications can be carried out by physical, chemical, and biological methods. In this review, a brief introduction to bacterial cellulose and its production and fabrication is first given, followed by up-to-date and in-depth discussions of modification. Finally, we focus on the potential applications of bacterial cellulose as a drug delivery system.

Identification of ESM1 as a Potential Biomarker Involving Drug Sensitivity and the Tumor Immune Microenvironment that Promotes Proliferation of Melanoma.

ESM1 may play a role in human cancers, but its role in melanoma remains unclear. This study investigated ESM1 expression in Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases and confirmed it through immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blotting (WB). Using the ESM1 gene expression levels, we divided TCGA samples into high and low-expression groups and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between them. We then performed GO and KEGG enrichment analyses on these DEGs and explored the immune landscape while identifying anti-tumor drugs. ESM1 was found to be highly expressed in metastatic melanoma compared to primary melanoma and normal tissues. This was associated with increased numbers of immune-related cells and genes, as well as the activation of tumor progression pathways such as Notch and Wnt. In the high ESM1 expression group, the number of multiple immune-related cells and the expression of immune-related genes correlated with the presentation of ESM1, as well as the agonism of pathways related to tumor progressions. Immunohistochemistry and WB demonstrated a significant increase in ESM1 expression in metastatic lesions. Multiple GEO datasets showed higher ESM1 mRNA expression in malignant melanoma than in other benign tumors. ESM1 knockdown in a mouse model reduced tumor volume and weight related to the Wnt/-catenin and NOTCH signaling pathways. So, ESM1 is a promising biomarker for drug sensitivity, the tumor immune microenvironment, and the proliferation of cutaneous melanoma.

Recent advances in bacteria-mediated cancer therapy.

Cancer is among the leading cause of deaths worldwide. Although conventional therapies have been applied in the fight against the cancer, the poor oxygen, low extracellular pH, and high interstitial fluid pressure of the tumor microenvironment mean that these treatments fail to completely eradicate cancer cells. Recently, bacteria have increasingly been considered to be a promising platform for cancer therapy thanks to their many unique properties, such as specific tumor-targeting ability, high motility, immunogenicity, and their use as gene or drug carriers. Several types of bacteria have already been used for solid and metastatic tumor therapies, with promising results. With the development of synthetic biology, engineered bacteria have been endowed with the controllable expression of therapeutic proteins. Meanwhile, nanomaterials have been widely used to modify bacteria for targeted drug delivery, photothermal therapy, magnetothermal therapy, and photodynamic therapy, while promoting the antitumor efficiency of synergistic cancer therapies. This review will provide a brief introduction to the foundation of bacterial biotherapy. We begin by summarizing the recent advances in the use of many different types of bacteria in multiple targeted tumor therapies. We will then discuss the future prospects of bacteria-mediated cancer therapies.

Red-Blood-Cell-Membrane-Coated Metal-Drug Nanoparticles for Enhanced Chemotherapy.

To overcome high toxicity, low bioavailability and poor water solubility of chemotherapeutics, a variety of drug carriers have been designed. However, most carriers are severely limited by low drug loading capacity and adverse side effects. Here, a new type of metal-drug nanoparticles (MDNs) was designed and synthesized. The MDNs self-assembled with Fe(III) ions and drug molecules through coordination, resulting in nanoparticles with high drug loading. To assist systemic delivery and prolong circulation time, the obtained MDNs were camouflaged with red blood cell (RBCs) membranes (RBCs@Fe-DOX MDNs) to improve their stability and dispersity. The RBCs@Fe-DOX MDNs presented pH-responsive release functionalities, resulting in drug release accelerated in acidic tumor microenvironments. The outstanding in vitro and in vivo antitumor therapeutic outcome was realized by RBCs@Fe-DOX MDNs. This study provides an innovative design guideline for chemotherapy and demonstrates the great capacity of nanomaterials in anticancer treatments.