Search

Tumor cells often exhibit metabolic abnormalities to meet the needs of rapid proliferation, and targeting tumor metabolism has become one of the effective strategies for cancer treatment. However, most of the current methods targeting metabolism focus on inhibiting hyperactivated metabolic pathways, hindering their further application. A recent innovative work, proposed a nutrient-based strategy to reactivate metabolism for tumor therapy by targeting suppressed metabolic pathways. This approach through delivering nutrients to tumor cells directly using nanotechnology indicates that specific nutrients can serve as potent activators of metabolic pathways. As a new direction along the reverse thinking, this study suggests that this nutrient-based metabolism reactivation strategy will inspire broad applications in the treatment of other diseases associated with metabolic disorders, besides tumor. The recent innovative work based on the reverse thinking, proposes a nutrient-based metabolism reactivation strategy for tumor treatment. The prepared L-tyrosine-oleylamine nanomicelles (MTyr–OANPs) can deliver L-tyrosine to stimulate melanin production, and thus effectively impeding proliferation of melanoma cells.

Tumor therapy is facing great challenges in improving drug efficiency while reducing side effects. Herein, a novel multifunctional nanodrug carrier UC@mSiO2-RB@ZIF-O2-DOX-PEGFA (URODF) that combines oxygen (O2)-enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) with pH-responsive chemotherapy is presented. Eight hundred eight nanometer NIR light-irradiated NaYF4:Yb/Er@NaYbF4:Nd@NaGdF4nanoparticles (UC) were employed as both upconversion/magnetic resonance imaging matrix and motivator for photosensitizer in PDT with deep penetration depth. Mesoporous silica shell (mSiO2) was used as the carrier for photosensitizer Rose Bengal (RB). Zeolitic imidazolate framework-90 (ZIF-90) was coated outside of mSiO2as O2reservoir to quickly release O2in tumor microenvironment and alleviate tumor hypoxia for enhanced PDT. Doxorubicin (DOX) and NH2-poly(ethylene glycol) modified folic acid (PEGFA) were covalently conjugated on the surface of nanoparticles for synergetic therapy. The drug-loading capacity reaches 5.6 and 6.0% for RB and DOX, respectively. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate great therapeutic effect of URODF. This work presents for the first time a multifunctional nanodrug carrier that combines upconversion nanoparticles with metal–organic framework structure for O2-loaded combination therapy, which might open a promising way of enhancing tumor therapeutic efficacy.

The human oral cavity presents as an exceptional microbiological environment from other surfaces of the body. This environment allows for the extended colonization and development of microbial communities. It is essential to gain a complete understanding of all the microbes within the oral flora to better define the role of plaque as the primary cause of periodontitis. This review will provide an insight into effective methods to evaluate the cause and pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. The following information provides a summary of the primary research techniques that have been employed in the effort to describe the natural and pathologic flora of human gingival sites. Discovery and refinement of these methods have led to the development of our current research methods.