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Capturing circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from the peripheral blood of cancer patients, where they are disseminated among billions of other blood cells, is one of the most daunting challenge. We report OncoDiscover®, a multicomponent nano-system consisting of iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles (NPs), polyamidoamine generation 4 dendrimers (PAMAM-G4-NH 2 ), graphene oxide (GO) sheets and an anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule (anti-EpCAM) antibody (Fe-GSH-PAMAM-GO-EpCAM) for the selective and precise capture of CTCs. We further evaluated this system for therapeutically important oncotargets, exemplifying overexpression of the programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) as a functional assay on CTCs in cancer patients. We retrospectively evaluated 134 cancer patients for the presence of CTCs and 113 (84%) showed the presence of CTCs. About 62 (55%) of the CTC +ve patients showed CTCs with PD-L1 expression. The personalized cancer detection demonstrated by the OncoDiscover® CTC analysis tool is highly relevant for cancer monitoring and treatment outcomes.

Comprehensive next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays enable the identification of clinically relevant mutations, enhancing the capability for targeted therapeutic interventions. In addition, genomic alterations driving the oncogenic roadmap and leading to resistance mechanisms are reshaping precision oncology. We report the workflow and clinical and technical validation of the OncoIndx ® NGS platform-a comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP)-based assay for pan-cancer investigation. We evaluated the concordance between the OncoIndx ® test findings and clinically established hotspot detection using SeraSeq reference standards. OncoIndx is a hybridization capture-based NGS assay for the targeted deep sequencing of all exons and selected introns of 1080 cancer-related genes. We show the outcome in the form of tier I and tier II single nucleotide variants (SNVs), copy number alterations (CNAs), and specific gene fusions. OncoIndx ® also informs genome-wide tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), and genomic loss of heterozygosity (gLOH). A total of 63 samples were utilized for validation with reference standards, clinical samples, and orthogonal assessment for genomic alterations. In addition, 49 cross-laboratory samples were validated for microsatellite instability (MSI), and for the tumor mutation burden (TMB), 18 samples as reference standards, 6 cross-laboratory samples, and 29 TCGA samples were utilized. We show a maximum clinical sensitivity of 98% and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 100% for the clinically actionable genomic variants detected by the assay. In addition, we demonstrate analytical validation with the performance of the assay, limit of detection (LoD), precision, and orthogonal concordance for various types of SVs, CNAs, genomic rearrangements, and complex biomarkers like TMB, MSI, and HRD. The assay offers reliable genomic predictions with the high-precision detection of actionable variants, validated by established reference standards.

Objective: Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a serious cardiorespiratory problem. PPHN is frequently associated with refractory hypoxia and hypotension, and optimal management has the potential to improve important clinical outcomes including mortality. The primary objective is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rescue vasopressin (VP) therapy in the management of severe (refractory) hypoxia and refractory systemic hypotension in term neonates with severe PPHN., Study Design: Neonates with refractory hypoxia and refractory hypotension due to severe PPHN needing VP were prospectively enrolled in the study. Refractory hypoxia was defined as oxygenation index (OI) ≥ 25 for at least 4 hours after the commencement of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and nitric oxide at 20 ppm. Refractory hypotension was defined as mean blood pressure lesser than mean gestational age lasting for more than 15 minutes in spite of dopamine infusion at 10 µg/kg/min, adrenaline infusion at 0.3 µg/kg/min, and noradrenaline infusion at 0.1 µg/kg/min., Results: Thirty-two neonates with PPHN were recruited. The baseline OI (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) before starting VP was 33.43 ± 16.54 which started decreasing significantly between 1 and 6 hours after the commencement of VP ( p  < 0.05). The mean blood pressure also increased concomitantly with a significant effect seen by 1 hour ( p  < 0.05). The vasoactive infusion score before the commencement of VP was mean 46.07 (SD = 25.72) and started decreasing after 12 to 24 hours of commencement of VP ( p  < 0.05). Lactate levels (mean ± SD) before starting VP were 7.8 ± 8.6 mmol/L and started decreasing between 6 and 12 hours ( p  < 0.05). Two neonates died due to refractory hypoxia and refractory hypotension (overall mortality 6.2%) CONCLUSION:  Rescue VP therapy is a useful adjunct in the management of neonates with severe PPHN with refractory hypoxia and/or refractory hypotension. Improvement in oxygenation and hemodynamics with the use of VP results in reduced mortality., Key Points: · Rescue vasopressin is a useful adjunct in the management of neonates with severe PPHN.. · Vasopressin helps reduce OI.. · Vasopressin reduces the vasoactive inotrope score.., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background: The lack of appropriate prognostic biomarkers remains a significant obstacle in the early detection of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), a cancer type with a high mortality rate. Despite considerable advancements in treatment, the success in diagnosing HNSCC at an early stage still needs to be improved. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) are overexpressed in various cancers, including HNSCC, and have recently been proposed as possible therapeutic targets for HNSCC. Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) is a novel concept used for the early detection of cancers, and studies have suggested that a higher CTC count is associated with the aggressiveness of HNSCC and poor survival rates. Therefore, we aimed to establish molecular markers for the early diagnosis of HNSCC considering Shh/Nrf2 overexpression in the background. In addition, the relation between Shh/Nrf2 and CTCs is still unexplored in HNSCC patients., Methods: In the present study, we selected a cohort of 151 HNSCC patients and categorized them as CTC positive or negative based on the presence or absence of CTCs in their peripheral blood. Data on demographic and clinicopathological features with the survival of the patients were analyzed to select the patient cohort to study Shh/Nrf2 expression. Shh and Nrf2 expression was measured by qRT-PCR., Results: Considering significant demographic [smoking, betel leaf (p-value < 0.0001)] and clinicopathological risk factors [RBC count (p < 0.05), Platelet count (p < 0.05), Neutrophil count (p < 0.005), MCV (p < 0.0001), NLR (p < 0.05), MLR (p < 0.05)], patients who tested positive for CTC also exhibited significant overexpression of Shh/Nrf2 in both blood and tissue compared to CTC-negative patients. A strong association exists between CTCs and tumor grade. Following chemotherapy (a combination of Cisplatin, 5FU, and Paclitaxel), the frequency of CTCs was significantly decreased in patients with HNSCC who had tested positive for CTCs. The Kaplan-Meier plot illustrated that a higher number of CTCs is associated with poorer overall survival (OS) in patients with HNSCC., Conclusions: Detecting CTCs, and higher expression of Shh and Nrf2 in HNSCC patients' blood, can be a promising tool for diagnosing and prognosticating HNSCC., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In this report, the relative efficiency of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and nanofibers (CNFs) to capture circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from the blood sample of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients was evaluated. Detection and enumeration of CTCs are critical for monitoring cancer progression. Both types of nanostructured cellulose were chemically modified with Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) antibody and iron oxide nanoparticles. The EpCAM antibody facilitated the engagement of CTCs, promoting entrapment within the cellulose cage structure. Iron oxide nanoparticles, on the other hand, rendered the cages activatable via the use of a magnet for the capture and separation of entrapped CTCs. The efficiency of the network structures is shown in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients' blood samples. It was observed that the degree of chemical functionalization of hydroxyl groups located within the CNCs or CNFs with anti-EpCAM determined the efficiency of the system's interaction with CTCs. Further, our result indicated that inflexible scaffolds of nanocrystals interacted more efficiently with CTCs than that of the fibrous CNF scaffolds. Network structures derived from CNCs demonstrated comparable CTC capturing efficiency to commercial standard, OncoDiscover®. The output of the work will provide the chemical design principles of cellulosic materials intended for constructing affordable platforms for monitoring cancer progression in 'real time'., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Liquid biopsy is emerging as a non-invasive tool, providing a personalized snapshot of a primary and metastatic tumour. It aids in detecting early metastasis, recurrence or resistance to the disease. We aimed to assess the role of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) as a predictive biomarker in recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC))., Methodology: Thirty-five patients receiving palliative chemotherapy underwent blood sampling [2 mL in Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) vial] at baseline and at 3 months intervals. The CTCs were isolated and evaluated using anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule antibody-based enrichment using the OncoDiscover platform., Results: CTCs isolated from 80% of patients ( n = 28) showed the sensitivity of cell detection at the baseline and 3 months intervals. The median CTC count was 1/1.5 mL of blood and the concordance with clinic-radiological outcomes was 51.4%. The median CTC count (1 (range:0-4) to 0 (range:0-1)) declined at 3 months in responders, while the non-responders had an increase in levels (0 (range :0-2) to 1 (range :0-3)). Although CTCs positively correlated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), the association of CTCs did not show a significant difference with these parameters (PFS: 6 months versus 4 months; hazard ratio: 0.68; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.29-1.58, p = 0.323; OS: 10 months versus 8 months; hazard ratio: 0.54; 95% (CI):0.18-1.57 p = 0.216) between CTC positive and CTC negative patients at 3 months., Conclusion: This study highlights the utility of CTC as a disease progression-monitoring tool in recurrent HNSCC patients. Our findings suggest the potential clinical utility of CTC and the need for exploration in upfront settings of the disease as well (NCT: CTRL/2020/02/023378)., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest., (© the authors; licensee ecancermedicalscience.)

Micro and nanobots (MNBs) are unprecedented in their ability to be chemically tuned for autonomous tasks with enhanced targeting and functionality while maintaining their mobility. A myriad of chemical modifications involving a large variety of advanced materials have been demonstrated to be effective in the design of MNBs. Furthermore, they can be controlled for their autonomous motion, and their ability to carry chemical or biological payloads. In addition, MNBs can be modified to achieve targetability with specificity for biological implications. MNBs by virtue of their chemical compositions may be limited by their biocompatibility, tissue accumulation, poor biodegradability and toxicity. This review presents a note on artificial intelligence materials (AIMs), their importance, and the dimensional scales at which intrinsic autonomy can be achieved for diverse utility. We briefly discuss the evolution of such systems with a focus on their advancements in nanomedicine. We highlight MNBs covering their contemporary traits and the emergence of a few start-ups in specific areas. Furthermore, we showcase various examples, demonstrating that chemical tunability is an attractive primary approach for designing MNBs with immense capabilities both in biology and chemistry. Finally, we cover biosafety and ethical considerations in designing MNBs in the era of artificial intelligence for varied applications.

Wearable, point-of-care diagnostics, and biosensors are on the verge of bringing transformative changes in detection, management, and treatment of cancer. Bioinspired materials with new forms and functions have frequently been used, in both translational and commercial spaces, to fabricate such diagnostic platforms. Engineered from organic or inorganic molecules, bioinspired systems are naturally equipped with biorecognition and stimuli-sensitive properties. Mechanisms of action of bioinspired materials are deeply connected with thermodynamically or kinetically controlled self-assembly at the molecular and supramolecular levels. Thus, integration of bioinspired materials into wearable devices, either as triggers or sensors, brings about unique device properties usable for detection, capture, or rapid readout for an analyte of interest. In this review, we present the basic principles and mechanisms of action of diagnostic devices engineered from bioinspired materials, describe current advances, and discuss future trends of the field, particularly in the context of cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and their correlation with prognostic factors and clinical outcomes in treatment-naive patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma., Study Design: CTCs were isolated using OncoDiscover technique from presurgically obtained peripheral blood of 152 patients with treatment naïve oral squamous cell carcinoma. Sensitivity analysis was performed by including 40 healthy controls. CTCs cutoff values for clinicopathologic factors were obtained from receiver operating characteristic curves. Multivariate models determined the significance of CTC as independent variables. Kaplan-Meier analysis differentiated in overall survival between CTC values corresponding to the stage., Results: Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CTC detection were 94.32%, 98%, and 95.17%, respectively. Platform differentiated true positives at >3.5 CTCs (P < .00001). CTCs above 20.5 were suggestive of nodal metastasis (P < .0001) with a linear trend for detecting occult metastasis (P = .061). Early and advanced stages could be differentiated by >13.5 CTCs (P < .0001). Elevated CTCs were significantly associated with extranodal extension (>21.45 CTCs, P = .025), perineural invasion (>19.35 CTCs, P = .049), and depth of invasion (>12.5 CTCs, P = .0038). Median survival was reduced by 19 months when CTCs were >13., Conclusions: Preoperative CTC levels demonstrated a strong correlation with adverse clinicopathology factors and suggested its role as a sensitive prognostic marker to predict survival outcome and disease progress., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are distinct cancer biomarkers established in clinical settings for early cancer detection, metastasis progression, and minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring. Despite numerous advances, the comprehensive molecular characterization of CTCs is extremely challenging owing to their rarity and heterogeneity. Here, we present a novel cotton microfluidic substrate (CMS) as an innovative biomedical matrix that efficiently isolates CTCs while facilitating in vitro CTC expansion to enable a further downstream analysis of these rare cells. CMS enabled static and dynamic isolation of cells from the MCF-7 cancer cell line, as well as from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients' blood and the cell capture efficiencies were further compared with a clinically regulated OncoDiscover® Liquid Biopsy Test. Further, CMS acted as a matrix on which the captured cancer cells were grown in 3D tumor models for studying anti-cancer drug efficacy and multi-drug resistance (MDR) mechanisms. The design of the CMS employed two different surface chemistries, flattened and nanostructured surfaces, each conjugated to anti-EpCAM antibodies to evaluate the CTC capture efficiency and 3D tumor growth dynamics. The nanostructured surface was highly efficient for capturing CTCs and promoted 3D tumor spheroid formation with a 5-fold increase in size from day 03 to day 10 of culture. Moreover, when treated with an anti-cancer drug, cisplatin, an almost 1/2 reduction in tumor size was achieved within 24 hours, followed by a cytostatic threshold and eventual acquisition of drug resistance within 3 days. Conclusively, the CMS matrix exhibits potential for further development of "tissue on chip" and "point-of-care" medical devices in cancer diagnostics, and chemo-therapeutic efficacy evaluations in both drug discovery and development.

Background: Accurate measurement of blood pressure (BP) is extremely important in the management of sick preterm newborns. The primary objective of this study was to compare non-invasive blood pressure measurement (NIBP) with invasive blood pressure measurement (IBP) using peripheral arterial cannulation (PAC) in preterm neonates < 37 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit., Methods: Preterm neonates needing PAC were prospectively enrolled in the study. NIBP measurements were taken in the same limb as that of peripheral arterial line. Initially IBP was recorded followed by NIBP within 1 min using the same monitor. These were called as paired measurements since they are taken within 1 min of each other., Results: Seventy-three preterm infants with 1703 paired measurements were included in the final analysis (median gestational age 32 weeks, IQR 30-34 weeks, median birth weight 1540 g, IQR 1160-2100 g). In preterm infants not receiving vasoactive agents (n = 51, 1428 paired measurements, Bland-Altman analysis for agreement between invasive mean blood pressure (MBP) and non-invasive mean BP revealed a bias of -2.9123 mmHg (SD 7.8074). The 95% limits of agreement were from -18.2157 to 12.3893 mmHg. In preterm infants with hypotension, we detected a bias of -3.9176 mmHg (SD 5.1135) between invasive MBP and non-invasive MBP. The 95% limits of agreement were from -13.9401 to 6.1048 mmHg. In normotensive preterm infants receiving vasoactive agents, we detected a bias of -0.7629 mmHg (SD 8.0539) between invasive MBP and non-invasive MBP. The 95% limits of agreement were from -16.5485 to 15.02274 mmHg., Conclusions: There is poor level of agreement between IBP and NIBP measurements in sick preterm neonates, leading to overestimation or underestimation of blood pressure. The bias was less for mean BP measurements as compared with systolic BP measurements and also for normotensive neonates as compared with hypotensive neonates. Hence, NIBP may be used as a screening method in haemodynamically stable preterm infants, but infants who are haemodynamically unstable and need to be commenced on vasoactive agents should have IBP monitoring., (© The Author(s) [2021]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Designing nano-substrates (NS) that support three-dimensional (3D) cell growth using physico-chemical interventions mimicking the cellular microenvironment is highly challenging. Here we report NS that assist 3D cell development (3D NS) using multi-components on a glass substrate (2D GS), which mimics the ex vivo tissue microenvironment and promotes 3D cell growth superior to conventional 2D cell culturing methodologies. 3D NS were chemically fabricated by linking the combination of advanced materials imparting different physico-chemical traits, for example, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene (G), bovine serum albumin (BSA), and iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNP). We compared cell-substrate interactions resulting in cellular morphological changes, influence on the cell circularity index (CI), nuclear-cytoplasmic ratios (N/C), and nuclear compression or derangements using human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT116) and cervical cancer (HeLa) cells. We observed the increase in N/C, extended on the 3D NS micro-environment as indicative of cellular adaptation and the transformation. HCT116 and HeLa cells on 2D GS showed an N/C ratio <0.3, and 3D NS cultured cells exhibited a higher N/C ratio (>0.5). The most significant increase in the ratio, relative to arrested cell spreading, was observed with G-3D NS. Furthermore, 3D NS were evaluated for the cell viability differentiations using the anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox). The drug-treated cells on 3D NS demonstrated far-displaced N/C ratios compared to 2D GS. In conclusion, 3D NS systems implicate an ' in vitro to in vivo' relevance for the outcome in cell biology, cell proliferation and migration, and in anticancer drug efficacy evaluation.

Advanced materials and chemo-specific designs at the nano/micrometer-scale have ensured revolutionary progress in next-generation clinically relevant technologies. For example, isolating a rare population of cells, like circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from the blood amongst billions of other blood cells, is one of the most complex scientific challenges in cancer diagnostics. The chemical tunability for achieving this degree of exceptional specificity for extra-cellular biomarker interactions demands the utility of advanced entities and multistep reactions both in solution and in the insoluble state. Thus, this review delineates the chemo-specific substrates, chemical methods, and structure-activity relationships (SARs) of chemical platforms used for isolation and enumeration of CTCs in advancing the relevance of liquid biopsy in cancer diagnostics and disease management. We highlight the synthesis of cell-specific, tumor biomarker-based, chemo-specific substrates utilizing functionalized linkers through chemistry-based conjugation strategies. The capacity of these nano/micro substrates to enhance the cell interaction specificity and efficiency with the targeted tumor cells is detailed. Furthermore, this review accounts for the importance of CTC capture and other downstream processes involving genotypic and phenotypic CTC analysis in real-time for the detection of the early onset of metastases progression and chemotherapy treatment response, and for monitoring progression free-survival (PFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and eventually overall survival (OS) in cancer patients.

Here we report nanocarrier-anticancer drug conjugates culpable for cellular deformations, critically evidenced through image-based analysis as a measure of karyoplasmic ratio (KR) and nuclear surface area (NSA). Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were coordinated additionally with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) to evaluate the symbiotic influence, and further conjugated to Dox for evaluating the cellular kinetics and for measuring cell deformations. Cellular entry kinetics of the CNT (CNT-Dox and CNT-Cys-Fe3O4-Dox) nanocarriers and their efficiency in nuclear localization were evaluated using cervical cancer (HeLa) cells. Of note, the Dox-bound nanocarriers showed significantly enhanced cell toxicity over the free form of the drug. CNT-Dox and CNT-Cys-Fe3O4-Dox influx occurred within 4 hours, while maximum cellular retention of Dox was observed for CNT-Dox at 24 h. However, the highest KR (∼0.51) was observed for CNT-Dox within 8 hours indicating similar cellular deformations using nanocarrier anticancer drug-conjugates to that of free Dox (KR ∼0.50) at 4 hours. In addition, we observed increased NSA at 4 h in Dox treatment whereas in the case of the Dox conjugated nanocarrier, increased NSA was noted at 8 h treatment. At 8 h exposure of HeLa cells with Dox conjugates, we observed that the cells fall into distinct regions of the morphospace with respect to KR and NSA. Conclusively, nano delivery systems considered for clinical and biomedical translations must take into account the possible negative influences imparting higher cellular deformations and secondary adverse effects over the free form of the drug.

Control of the sub-cellular localization of nanoparticles (NPs) with enhanced drug-loading capacity, employing graphene oxide (GO), iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ) NPs and sandwiched deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) bearing intercalated anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) has been investigated in this work. The nanosystems G-DNA-DOX-Fe 3 O 4 and Fe 3 O 4 -DNA-DOX differentially influence serum protein binding and deliver DOX to lysosomal compartments of cervical cancer (HeLa) cells with enhanced retention. Stern-Volmer plots describing BSA adsorption on the nanosystems demonstrated the quenching constants, K sv for G-DNA-DOX-Fe 3 O 4 and Fe 3 O 4 -DNA-DOX (0.025 mL μg -1 and 0.0103 mL μg -1 respectively). Nuclear DOX intensity, measured at 24 h, was ∼2.0 fold higher for Fe 3 O 4 -DNA-DOX in HeLa cells. Parallelly, the cytosol displayed ∼2.2 fold higher DOX intensity for Fe 3 O 4 -DNA-DOX compared to G-DNA-DOX-Fe 3 O 4 . Fe 3 O 4 -DNA-DOX was more efficacious in the cytotoxic effect than G-DNA-DOX-Fe 3 O 4 (viability of treated cells: 33% and 49% respectively). The DNA:nanosystems demonstrated superior cytotoxicity compared to mole-equivalent free DOX administration. The results implicate DNA:DOX NPs in influencing the cellular uptake mechanism and were critically subject to cellular localization. Furthermore, cell morphology analysis evidenced maximum deformation attributed to free-DOX with 34% increased cell roundness, 63% decreased cell area and ∼1.9 times increased nuclear-to-cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio after 24 h. In the case of Fe 3 O 4 -DNA-DOX, the N/C ratio increased 1.2 times and a maximum ∼37% decrease in NSA was noted suggesting involvement of non-canonical cytotoxic pathways. In conclusion, the study makes a case for designing nanosystems with controlled and regulated sub-cellular localization to potentially exploit secondary cytotoxic pathways, in addition to optimized drug-loading for enhanced anticancer efficacy and reduced adverse effects., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Herein we report a hierarchically organized, water-dispersible 'nanocage' composed of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which are magnetically powered by iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles (NPs) to capture circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Capturing CTCs from peripheral blood is extremely challenging due to their low abundance and its account is clinically validated in progression-free survival of patients with HNC. Engaging multiple hydroxyl groups along the molecular backbone of CNC, we co-ordinated Fe 3 O 4 NPs onto CNC scaffold, which was further modified by conjugation with a protein - transferrin (Tf) for targeted capture of CTCs. Owing to the presence of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles, these nanocages were magnetic in nature, and CTCs could be captured under the influence of a magnetic field. Tf-CNC-based nanocages were evaluated using HNC patients' blood sample and compared for the CTC capturing efficiency with clinically relevant Oncoviu platform. Conclusively, we observed that CNC-derived nanocages efficiently isolated CTCs from patient's blood at 85% of cell capture efficiency to that of the standard platform. Capture efficiency was found to vary with the concentration of Tf and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles immobilized onto the CNC scaffold. We envision that, Tf-CNC platform has immense connotation in 'liquid biopsy' for isolation and enumeration of CTCs for early detection of metastasis in cancer.

Aims: This retrospective audit aimed to analyze whether routine frequent monitoring for hypoglycemia is required in asymptomatic infant of diabetic mother born in tertiary care hospital., Methods: The study analyzed the blood sugar level of 196 infants of diabetic mothers., Results: The overall incidence of hypoglycemia from 196 study participants was 9.18% (N = 18). The incidence of hypoglycemia at 2 h of life was maximum (83.33%) and it was significant when compared to 3, 6, 9 and 12 h (p < 0.0001). Blood glucose levels were significantly more at 6 (p = 0.0002)), 9 (p = 0.0001) and 12 h (p = 0.0001) when compared to glucose level at 2 h except at 3 h of life (p = 0.062). Similarly blood glucose at 9 (p = 0.0001) and 12 h of life (p = 0.0002) were significantly more than at 3 h of life. Blood glucose at 9 h was significantly more than at 6 h of life (0.032) and at 12 hours of life (p = 0.0237) was significantly higher than at 6 h of life., Conclusion: The frequent blood glucose monitoring for hypoglycemia in infant of diabetic mother as per American Academy of Pediatrics may be reduced as per the findings in our study. However, this needs to be confirmed by a properly designed observational study/adequately powered randomized controlled trial., (© The Author(s) [2019]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Magnetic nanogels (MNGs) are designed to have all the required features for their use as highly efficient trapping materials in the challenging task of selectively capturing circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from the bloodstream. Advantageously, the discrimination of CTCs from hematological cells, which is a key factor in the capturing process, can be optimized by finely tuning the polymers used to link the targeting moiety to the MNG. We describe herein the relationship between the capturing efficiency of CTCs with overexpressed transferrin receptors and the different strategies on the polymer used as linker to decorate these MNGs with transferrin (Tf). Heterobifunctional polyethylene glycol (PEG) linkers with different molecular weights were coupled to Tf in different ratios. Optimal values over 80% CTC capture efficiency were obtained when 3 PEG linkers with a length of 8 ethylene glycol (EG) units were used, which reveals the important role of the linker in the design of a CTC-sorting system., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood circulation holds immense promise as it predicts the overall probability of patient survival. Therefore, CTC-based technologies are gaining prominence as a "liquid biopsy" for cancer diagnostics and prognostics. Here, we describe the design and synthesis of two distinct multicomponent magnetic nanosystems for rapid capture and detection of CTCs. The multifunctional Magneto-Dendrimeric Nano System (MDNS) composed of an anchoring dendrimer that is conjugated to multiple agents such as near infrared (NIR) fluorescent cyanine 5 NHS (Cy5), glutathione (GSH), transferrin (Tf), and iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ) magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) for simultaneous tumor cell-specific affinity, multimodal high resolution confocal imaging, and cell isolation. The second nanosystem is a self-propelled microrocket that is composed of carbon nanotube (CNT), chemically conjugated with targeting ligand such as transferrin on the outer surface and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles in the inner surface. The multicomponent nanosystems described here are highly efficient in targeting and isolating cancer cells thus benefiting early diagnosis and therapy of cancer.

A rational design of magnetic capturing nanodevices, based on a specific interaction with circulating tumor cells (CTCs), can advance the capturing efficiency and initiate the development of modern smart nanoformulations for rapid isolation and detection of these CTCs from the bloodstream. Therefore, the development and evaluation of magnetic nanogels (MNGs) based on magnetic nanoparticles and linear thermoresponsive polyglycerol for the capturing of CTCs with overexpressed transferrin (Tf(+) ) receptors has been presented in this study. The MNGs are synthesized using a strain-promoted "click" approach which has allowed the in situ surface decoration with Tf-polyethylene glycol (PEG) ligands of three different PEG chain lengths as targeting ligands. An optimal value of around 30% of cells captures is achieved with a linker of eight ethylene glycol units. This study shows the potential of MNGs for the capture of CTCs and the necessity of precise control over the linkage of the targeting moiety to the capturing device., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease caused by obligate intramacrophage protozoa, threatens 350 million people in 98 countries around the world. There are already 12 million infected people worldwide and two million new cases occur annually. Leishmaniasis has three main clinical presentations: cutaneous (CL), mucosal (ML), and visceral (VL). It is considered an opportunistic, infectious disease and the HIV-leishmaniasis correlation is well known. Antimonial compounds are used as first-line treatment drugs, but their toxicity, which can be extremely high, leads to a number of undesirable side effects and resultant failure of the patients to adhere to treatment. There is also a reported increase in Leishmania sp. resistance to these drugs. Nanotechnology has emerged as an attractive alternative because of its improved bioavailability and lower toxicity, and other characteristics that help to relieve the burden of this disease. In this review we will present some of the recent advances in the nanotechnological research regarding the treatment of leishmaniasis. The preclinical results regarding the approaches for a biomedical treatment of the disease have been encouraging, but further efforts will still be necessary for this therapy to have greater clinical applicability in humans.

In this study, dendritic polyglycerol sulfate (dPGS) is evaluated as a delivery platform for the anticancer, tubulin-binding drug paclitaxel (PTX). The conjugation of PTX to dPGS is conducted via a labile ester linkage. A non-sulfated dendritic polyglycerol (dPG) is used as a control, and the labeling with an indocarbocyanine dye (ICC) renders multifunctional conjugates that can be monitored by fluorescence microscopy. The conjugates are characterized by (1)H NMR, UV-vis measurements, and RP-HPLC. In vitro cytotoxicity of PTX and dendritic conjugates is evaluated using A549 and A431 cell lines, showing a reduced cytotoxic efficacy of the conjugates compared to PTX. The study of uptake kinetics reveals a linear, non saturable uptake in tumor cells for dPGS-PTX-ICC, while dPG-PTX-ICC is hardly taken up. Despite the marginal uptake of dPG-PTX-ICC, it prompts tubulin polymerization to a comparable extent as PTX. These observations suggest a fast ester hydrolysis and premature drug release, as confirmed by HPLC measurements in the presence of plasma enzymes.

To gain insight into the factors that affect stability and transport efficiency under dilution conditions, dendronized and hyperbranched multifunctional amphiphilic polymers are synthesized by following the "grafting to" approach using varied amounts of propargylated alkyl chain with perfect and hyperbranched polyglycerol dendrons on the base copolymer of PEG (Mn: 1000 g mol(-1)) diethylester and 2-azidopropane-1,3-diol following the "bio-catalytic method" and "click approach". The dendronized and hyperbranched polymeric systems form supramolecular aggregates and exhibit an efficient transport potential for the model dye "Nile red" in the low μm range in the core-shell-type architecture provided with distinct amphiphilicity as required for encapsulation. Cytotoxicity studies show the polymeric systems to be non-toxic over a wide concentration range. The cellular internalization of Nile-red-encapsulated supramolecular micellar structures is also studied using cellular fluorescence micro-scopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) measurements. A comparison of the data for the dendronized polymers (PEG Mn: 600/1000 g mol(-1)) with the respective low-molecular-weight amphiphile reveal that these polymeric systems are excellent nanotransporters., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Carbon nanostructures such as multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene (G) are potential candidates in a large number of biomedical applications. However, there is limited understanding and connection between the physicochemical properties of diverse carbon nanostructures and biological systems, particularly with regard to cellular responses. It is also crucial to understand how the structure and surface composition of carbon nanostructures affect the cellular internalization process. Here, through in vitro cellular entry kinetics and cytotoxicity studies using MCF-7 breast cancer cells and H460 human lung cancer cells, we show that the structure and surface composition of CNT and G conjugates with various molecules such as PAMAM dendrimers (G4) and G4-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) are directly related to their cellular internalization ability and toxicity. Interestingly, the cellular association of CNT and G nanoconjugates was observed to be structure and surface composition dependent. We found that CNT conjugates internalized more compared to G conjugates. Furthermore, G4 conjugated CNT internalized more compared to G4-PEG conjugated CNT, whereas, higher internalization was found for G4-PEG conjugated G than G4 conjugated G. We have also correlated the cytotoxicity and cellular uptake mechanisms of CNT, G, and their conjugates through zeta potential measurements, fluorescence quenching studies and by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Altogether these studies suggest different biological activities of the carbon nanostructures, with the shape and surface composition playing a primary role.

Lipophilicity vs hydrophicility physicochemical traits are extremely important variables that are active considerations for optimizing drug delivery systems. The comparative anti-inflammatory delivery potential of dexamethasone (dex) in an encapsulation-based (liposome-lipophilic) and poly (amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer prodrug conjugation-based delivery systems (hydrophilic) was performed in this work. Dendrimer prodrug conjugates were characterized by (1)H NMR. The drug encapsulation efficiency for drug in liposomes was observed to be 14.02% and this was correlated with a dose-dependent tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibition (39-57% inhibition). The biological evaluation of nanocarriers for drug was demonstrated in a standard, conventionally used in vitro cell-based system for TNF-α inhibition. This served as a comparative tool to demonstrate a quantitatively higher TNF-α inhibition (67-71.48%) produced by the dendrimer-dex drug conjugate. The structure activity relationship (dose-for-dose) was inferred by relatively lesser inhibition of TNF-α by variants of PAMAM G4 (NH2) dendrimer-dex conjugates and was compared with liposomes carrying dex. In vitro results suggest that the prodrug conjugates of PAMAM dendrimer deliver dex to be more efficient in comparison with liposome-based dex in terms of higher TNF-α inhibition. This study has implications in designing efficient prodrug nanocarrier systems for delivering dex., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Many polymer based drug delivery nanosystems are currently being explored for delivering cytotoxic agents to the tumors. However, very few strategies delineate the comparative carrier ability of nanosystems, in similar experimental settings. As a result, it remains unclear how to optimally design polymer based multicomponent prodrug systems for delivery applications. The present study is aimed to design polymeric prodrug conjugate carriers for the comparative cellular delivery ability of anticancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) using linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), hyperbranched poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) G4 dendrimer, and PAMAM G4 dendrimer-PEG conjugate using MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the cellular targetability and in vitro anticancer activity of DOX conjugates is evaluated using transferrin (Tf) as a targeting ligand. Interestingly, conjugation of DOX to PAMAM G4-OH dendrimer significantly influences the cytotoxicity of DOX leading to -4 fold decrease in the IC50 dose when compared to pegylated DOX. This study establishes the rational and comparative structural activity relationship of polymeric prodrug carriers for delivery of anticancer drugs. The schematic representation of design of prodrug conjugates with varied polymeric architecures is as shown below (Fig. 1).

We describe a novel multicomponent graphene nanostructured system that is biocompatible, and has strong NIR optical absorbance and superparamagnetic properties. The fabrication of the multicomponent nanostructure system involves the covalent attachment of 3 components; Fe(3)O(4)(Fe) nanoparticles, PAMAM-G4-NH(2) (G4) dendrimer and Cy5 (Cy) on a graphene oxide (GO) surface to synthesize a biologically relevant multifunctional system. The resultant GO-G4-Fe-Cy nanosystem exhibits high dispersion in an aqueous medium, and is magnetically responsive and fluorescent. In vitro experiments provide a clear indication of successful uptake of the GO-G4-Fe-Cy nanosystem by MCF-7 breast cancer cells, and it is seen to behave as a bright and stable fluorescent marker. The study also reveals varied cellular distribution kinetics profile for the GO nanostructured system compared to free Cy. Furthermore, the newly developed GO nanostructured system is observed to be non-toxic to MDA-MB-231 cell growth, in striking contrast to free G4 dendrimer and GO-G4 conjugate. The GO-G4-Fe-Cy nanostructured system characterized by multifunctionality suggests the merits of graphene for cellular bioimaging and the delivery of bioactives.

A transferrin-conjugated PEG-Fe(3) O(4) nanostructured matrix is developed to explore cellular responses in terms of enhanced cell adhesion, specific interactions between ligands in the matrix and molecular receptors on the cell membrane, comparison of cell shapes on 2D and 3D surfaces, and effect of polymer architecture on cell adhesion. Integration of such advanced synthetic nanomaterials into a functionalized 3D matrix to control cell behavior on surfaces will have implications in nanomedicine., (Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Nanotechnology has resulted in materials that have greatly improved the effectiveness of drug delivery because of their ability to control matter on the nanoscale. Advanced forms of nanomedicine have been synthesized for better pharmacokinetics to obtain higher efficacy, less systemic toxicity, and better targeting. These criteria have long been the goal in nanomedicine, in particular, for systemic applications in oncological disorders. Now, the "holy grail" in nanomedicine is to design and synthesize new advanced macromolecular nanocarriers and to translate them from lab to clinic. This review describes the current and future perspectives of nanomedicine with particular emphasis on the clinical targets in cancer and inflammation. The advanced forms of liposomes and polyethylene glycol (PEG) based nanocarriers, as well as dendritic polymer conjugates will be discussed with particular attention paid to designs, synthetic strategies, and chemical pathways. In this critical review, we also report on the current status and perspective of dendritic polymer nanoconjugate platforms (e.g. polyamidoamine dendrimers and dendritic polyglycerols) for cellular localization and targeting of specific tissues (192 references).

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is the most widely used polymer in delivering anticancer drugs clinically. PEGylation (i.e., the covalent attachment of PEG) of peptides proteins, drugs, and bioactives is known to enhance the aqueous solubility of hydrophobic drugs, prolong circulation time, minimize nonspecific uptake, and achieve specific tumor targetability through the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Numerous PEG-based therapeutics have been developed, and several have received market approval. A vast amount of clinical experience has been gained which has helped to design PEG prodrug conjugates with improved therapeutic efficacy and reduced systemic toxicity. However, more efforts in designing PEG-based prodrug conjugates are anticipated. In light of this, the current paper highlights the synthetic advances in PEG prodrug conjugation methodologies with varied bioactive components of clinical relevance. In addition, this paper discusses FDA-approved PEGylated delivery systems, their intended clinical applications, and formulations under clinical trials.

To study the mechanism of cellular internalization, hyperbranched polyether derivatives consisting of amino-bearing hyperbranched polyglycerols (HPGs) of varied molecular mass and size range are designed and synthesized. HPGs were further fluorescently labelled by conjugating maleimido indocarbocyanine dye (ICC-mal). The conjugates are characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence profile, zeta potential, and dynamic light scattering. The uptake mechanism is studied by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and confocal microscopy with human lung cancer cells A549, human epidermoid carcinoma cells A431, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) cells. For the first time, the results suggest that the higher-molecular-weight HPGs (40-870 kDa) predominantly accumulate in the cytoplasm much better than their low-molecular-weight counterparts (2-20 kDa). The HPG nanocarriers discussed here have many biomedical implications, particularly for delivering drugs to the targeted site., (Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Nanocarriers possess advanced physicochemical properties that improve bioavailability, enhance cellular dynamics, and control targetability in drug delivery. In particular, dendritic polyglycerol is a promising new biocompatible scaffold for drug delivery. The present explores the structure-biocompatibility relationship of dendritic polyglycerol (dPG) derivatives possessing neutral, cationic, and anionic charges. The effect of solution pH on the surface charge was studied in buffered aqueous solution between pH 4.8 and 7.4. Surface charge properties of dPG derivatives are discussed in terms of surface functionalities and compared with amine and hydroxyl terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers. Zeta potential measurements and fluorescence quenching studies address the binding interactions of dPGs to bovine serum albumin in order to explore the applicability of dPG derivatives for systemic delivery. Cellular entry of dPG-dye conjugate was evaluated using A549 lung epithelial cells, while in vitro toxicity was studied for various dPGs and compared to PAMAM dendrimers, polyethyleneimine (PEI), dextran, and linear polyethylene glycol (PEG) using human hematopoietic cell line U-937. Cellular uptake studies of dye labelled dPGs inferred that the charged derivatives (dPG-sulfate and dPG-amine) are more rapidly internalized primarily inside the cytosol of A549 cells compared to the neutral dPG. The cell compatibility results show that the dendritic polyglycerols are as safe as linear PEG polymer or dextran, which indicates the suitability of dPG derivatives in delivering therapeutic agents systemically., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This chapter presents a general overview of pharmaceutically used polymers with respect to their physicochemical characteristics and factors affecting drug delivery abilities. Pharmaceutical polymers, chemical structure, and properties are discussed for their applications in controlled drug release systems. An additional focus is on new polymers (dendrimers, hyperbranched polymers), considering their chemical versatility, uniqueness, and future implications. Problems associated with controlled drug release systems are also highlighted. Finally, applications of FDA-approved polymers used for oral drug delivery systems are outlined.

Drug release from hyperbranched polymer-drug conjugates and the subsequent activity are influenced by the branching architecture and the linker. To gain an understanding of these effects, we used hyperbranched polyol and G4-OH polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer with methyl prednisolone (MP) as the model drug. The drug was conjugated to dendrimer or polyol using a glutaric acid (GA) or a succinic acid (SA) spacer. Drug payload was the highest with polyol, while in the case of dendrimer, a higher payload was achieved with the GA than the SA spacer. Cell uptake of the polymer conjugates in A549 lung epithelial cells was higher than that of the free drug, and the conjugates largely localized in the cytosol. The anti-inflammatory activity of polymer conjugated MP, as measured by inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, was the highest for MP-SA-dendrimer conjugate, followed by MP-GA-polyol conjugate, and then MP-GA-dendrimer conjugate. This study suggests that the branching architecture and spacer influence the drug payload and pharmacological activity of a drug-nanopolymer conjugate, which may significantly influence the in vivo efficacy of these nanodevices. This has key implications in the eventual in vivo efficacy of these nanodevices.

A novel targeted proapoptotic anticancer drug delivery system (DDS) was developed and evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The system contains poly(ethylene glycol) polymer (PEG) as a carrier, camptothecin (CPT) as an anticancer drug/cell death inducer, a synthetic analogue of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) peptide as a targeting moiety/penetration enhancer, and a synthetic analogue of BCL2 homology 3 domain (BH3) peptide as a suppressor of cellular antiapoptotic defense. The design of the multicomponent DDS allowed for a conjugation of one or two copies of each active ingredient (CPT, LHRH, and BH3) to one molecule of PEG carrier. The complex structure of the PEG conjugates was visualized at nanometer resolution using atomic force microscopy. We found that the ligand-targeted DDS for cancer cells preferentially accumulated in the tumor and allowed the delivery of active ingredients into the cellular cytoplasm and nuclei of cancer cells. Simultaneous apoptosis induction through the caspase-dependent signaling pathway and inhibition of cellular antiapoptotic defense by the suppression of BCL2 protein enhanced cytotoxicity and antitumor activity of the entire DDS to a level which could not be achieved by individual components applied separately. The DDS containing two copies of each active component (CPT, LHRH, and BH3) per molecule of PEG polymer had the highest anticancer efficiency in vitro and in vivo.

Dendritic nanostructures can play a key role in drug delivery, due to the high density and variety of surface functional groups that can facilitate and modulate the delivery process. We have investigated the effect of dendrimer end-functionality on the activity of polyamido amine (PAMAM) dendrimer-methotrexate (MTX) conjugates in MTX-sensitive and MTX-resistant human acute lymphoblastoid leukemia (CCRF-CEM) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. Two amide-bonded PAMAM dendrimer-MTX conjugates were prepared using a dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) coupling reaction: one between a carboxylic acid-terminated G2.5 dendrimer and the amine groups of the MTX (conjugate A) and another between an amine-terminated G3 dendrimer and the carboxylic acid group of the MTX (conjugate B). Our studies suggest that conjugate A showed an increased drug activity compared to an equimolar amount of free MTX toward both sensitive and resistant cell lines, whereas conjugate B did not show significant activity on any of the cell lines. Despite substantially impaired MTX transport by MTX-resistant CEM/MTX and RII cells, conjugate A showed sensitivity increases of approximately 8- and 24-fold (based on IC50 values), respectively, compared to free MTX. Co-incubation of the cells with adenosine and thymidine along with either conjugate A or MTX resulted in almost complete protection, suggesting that the conjugate achieves its effect on dihyrofolate reductase (DHFR) enzyme through the same mechanism as that of MTX. The differences in cytotoxicity of these amide-bonded conjugates may be indicative of differences in the intracellular drug release from the cationic dendrimer (conjugate B) versus the anionic dendrimer (conjugate A), perhaps due to the differences in lysosomal residence times dictated by the surface functionality. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using dendrimers as drug delivery vehicles for achieving higher therapeutic effects in chemotherapy, especially in drug-resistant cells.

Dendrimers are emerging as a relatively new class of polymeric biomaterials with applications in drug delivery, and imaging. Achieving a high drug payload in dendrimers, and understanding the therapeutic effect of the dendrimer-drug conjugates are receiving increasing attention. A high drug payload nanodevice was obtained by covalent conjugation of ibuprofen to a polyamidoamine (PAMAM-G4-OH) dendrimer. Using DCC as a coupling agent, 58 molecules of ibuprofen were covalently conjugated to one molecule of generation 4 PAMAM-OH dendrimer. Cellular entry of the fluoroisothiocynate (FITC)-labeled dendrimer-drug conjugate was evaluated in vitro by using human lung epithelial carcinoma A549 cells by flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and UV/Visible spectroscopy. The pharmacological activity of the dendrimer-ibuprofen conjugate was compared to pure ibuprofen at various time points by measuring the suppression of prostaglandin E2. Significant amounts of the conjugate entered the cells rapidly within 15 min. Suppression of prostaglandin was noted within 30 min for the dendrimer-drug conjugates versus 1 h for the free ibuprofen. The results suggest that dendrimers with high drug payload improve the drug's efficacy by enhanced cellular delivery, and may produce a rapid pharmacological response. These dendrimer-drug conjugates can potentially be further modified by attaching antibodies and ligands for targeted drug delivery.

The central problem in cancer chemotherapy is the severe toxic side effects of anticancer drugs on healthy tissues. Invariably the side effects impose dose reduction, treatment delay, or discontinuance of therapy. To limit the adverse side effects of cancer chemotherapy on healthy organs, we proposed a drug delivery system (DDS) with specific targeting ligands for cancer cells. The proposed DDS minimizes the uptake of the drug by normal cells and enhances the influx and retention of the drug in cancer cells. This delivery system includes three main components: (i) an apoptosis-inducing agent (anticancer drug), (ii) a targeting moiety-penetration enhancer, and (iii) a carrier. We describe one of the variants of such a system, which utilizes camptothecin as an apoptosis-inducing agent and poly(ethylene glycol) as a carrier. Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) was used as a targeting moiety (ligand) to LHRH receptors that are overexpressed in the plasma membrane of several types of cancer cells and are not expressed detectably in normal visceral organs. The results showed that the use of LHRH peptide as a targeting moiety in the anticancer DDS substantially enhanced the efficacy of chemotherapy, led to amplified apoptosis induction in the tumor, and minimized the side effects of the anticancer drug on healthy organs. The LHRH receptor targeting DDS did not show in vivo pituitary toxicity and did not significantly influence the time course or the plasma concentration of luteinizing hormone and its physiological effects on the reproductive functions of mice.

Dendrimers have emerged as promising multifunctional nanomaterials for drug delivery due to their well-defined size and tailorability. We compare two schemes to obtain methylprednisolone (MP)-polyamidoamine dendrimer (PAMAM-G4-OH) conjugate. Glutaric acid (GA) was used as a spacer to facilitate the conjugation. In scheme A, PAMAM-G4-OH was first coupled to GA and then further conjugated with MP to obtain PAMAM-G4-GA-MP conjugates. This scheme yields a lower conjugation ratio of MP, presumably because of lower reactivity and steric hindrance for the steroid at the crowded dendrimer periphery. In scheme B, this steric hindrance was overcome by first preparing the MP-GA conjugate, which was then coupled to the PAMAM-G4-OH dendrimer. The (1)H NMR spectrum of the conjugate from scheme B indicates a conjugation of 12 molecules of MP with the dendrimer, corresponding to a payload of 32 wt %. In addition, conjugates were further fluorescent-labeled with fluoroisothiocynate (FITC) to evaluate the dynamics of cellular entry. Flow cytometry and UV/visible spectroscopic analysis showed that the conjugate is rapidly taken up inside the cell. Fluorescence and confocal microscopy images on A549 human lung epithelial carcinoma cells treated with conjugates show that the conjugate is mostly localized in cytosol. MP-GA-dendrimer conjugate showed comparable pharmacological activity to free MP, as measured by inhibition of prostaglandin secretion. These conjugates can potentially be further conjugated with a targeting moiety to deliver the drugs to specific cells in vivo.

Purpose: To synthesize and evaluate hyperbranched polymer (HBP)-drug conjugates with high drug payload for enhanced cellular delivery., Methods: Polyol- and polyglycerol-ibuprofen conjugates with or without imaging agent fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) were synthesized using dicyclohexilcarbodiimide (DCC) as a coupling agent. Drug-polymer conjugates were characterized using 13C NMR, 1H NMR, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Stability of the drug-conjugates was studied using free drug release through a dialysis membrane. Cellular entry of FITC-labeled HBP conjugates was studied using fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS), and cell supernatant was analyzed by UV-visible spectrophotometer. The intracellular localization of FITC-labeled conjugates in A549 lung epithelial cells was imaged using fluorescence microscopy. Anti-inflammatory activity of the HBP-ibuprofen conjugates was estimated in vitro by measuring the concentration of prostaglandin (PGE2) using an ELISA kit., Results: The average number of ibuprofen molecules conjugated per molecule of HBP was estimated to be 50 for polyol and 53 for polyglycerol. The HBP-drug conjugates did not release the drug up to 72 h in methanol, indicating the presence of stable ester bonds. Both the polymer-drug conjugates entered the cells rapidly. The conjugates were localized in the cell cytosol as evidenced by fluorescence microscopy. Within 30 min, the HBP-drug conjugates showed rapid suppression of PGE2 synthesis, whereas free ibuprofen did not show any activity. At later times, the conjugates showed comparable activity., Conclusions: For the first time, we report HBP conjugates with a high drug payload. HBP-drug conjugates entered the cells rapidly and produced the desired pharmacological action. This study demonstrates that hyperbranched polyol and polyglycerol are promising nanovehicles for achieving enhanced cellular delivery of drugs.