A targeted drug nanoparticle (NP) delivery system has shown potential as a possible cancer treatment. Given its merits, such as its selective distribution at tumor sites and its controllable drug release, drug-loaded NPs can be effectively delivered to selected organs and targeted cells, thus enhancing its antitumor efficiency and reducing its toxicity. We reported that hyaluronic acid (HA)-coated chitosan NPs promoted the drug delivery of 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) into tumor cells that highly expressed CD44. Our new findings suggested that HA-coated chitosan NPs enhanced drug accumulation by effectively transporting NPs into CD44-overexpressed tumor cells, and they also resulted in mitochondrial damage induced by the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Compared to free drug and uncoated NPs, HA-coated chitosan NPs exhibited stronger inhibition rates and induced obvious apoptosis in CD44-overexpressed A549 cells. Biocompatible and biodegradable HA-coated chitosan NPs were developed to encapsulate a chemotherapeutic drug (5-Fu) to enhance drug accumulation in tumor cells and to improve the agent’s antitumor efficiency by offering targeted drug delivery via CD44.

Active targeting endocytosis mediated by the specific interaction between folic acid and its receptor has been a hotspot in biological therapy of many human cancers. Various studies have demonstrated that folate and its conjugates could facilitate the chemotherapeutic drug delivery into folate receptor (FR)-positive tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. In order to utilize FA-FR binding specificity to achieve targeted delivery of drugs into tumor cells, we prepared Gefitinib loaded folate decorated bovine serum albumin conjugated carboxymethyl-?-cyclodextrin nanoparticles for enhancing drug delivery in cancer cells. On this context, the aim of our study was to develop a novel nano-delivery system for promoting tumor-targeting drug delivery in folate receptor-positive Hela cells. We prepared folic acid (FA)-decorated bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugated carboxymethyl-?-cyclodextrin (CM-?-CD) nanoparticles (FA-BSA-CM-?-CD NPs) capable of entrapping a hydrophobic Gefitinib. It was observed that nanoparticles are monodisperse and spherical nanospheres with an average diameter of 90.2 nm and negative surface charge of -18.6 mV. FA-BSA-CM-ß-CD NPs could greatly facilitate Gefitinib uptake and enhance the toxicity to folate receptor-positive Hela cells. Under the reaction between FA and FR, Gefitinib loaded FA-BSA-CM-ß-CD NPs induced apoptosis of Hela cells through elevating the expression of caspase-3 and inhibited autophagy through decreasing the expressing of LC3. It also confirmed that clathrin-mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis exerted great influence on the internalization of both NPs. These results demonstrated that FA may be an effective targeting molecule and FA-BSA-CM-ß-CD NPs provided a new strategy for the treatment of human cancer cells which over-expressed folate receptors.

Acquired drug resistance is becoming common during cancer chemotherapy and leads to treatment failure in clinic. To conquer acquired drug resistance, nanotechnology has been employed to deliver drug. In this paper, we prepared chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) capable of entrapping Gefitinib and chloroquine (CQ) for multiple drugs combinational therapy. The results showed that Gefitinib/CQ-NPs were characterized of small particle size about 80.8 ± 9.7 nm and positive zeta potential about 21.3 ± 1.56 mV, and drug controlled to release slowly on a biphasic pattern. Compared with free Gefitinib and Gefitinib loaded NPs, Gefitinib and CQ co-delivery by CS nanoparticles showed the higher inhibition rates and enhanced cell apoptosis. Through western blot analysis, we found that Gefitinib could promote LC3 expression, which is the marker of autophagosomes. So, the acquired drug resistance may be associated with autophagy. CQ as an inhibitor of autophagolysosomes formation could overcome autophagy in the resistant cells. These findings demonstrated that chitosan nanoparticles entrapping Gefitinib and chloroquine have the potential to overcome acquired resistance and improve cancer treatment efficacy, especially towards resistant strains.

Background: The exchange of mitochondria reportedly plays an important role in cell–cell communication in the central nervous system (CNS). The transfer of fragmented and dysfunctional astrocytic mitochondria into neurons and subsequent mitochondrial fusion often cause serious neuronal damage and cerebral ischaemic injury. Methods: In this study, we prepared macrophage-derived exosomes laden with heptapeptide (Hep) as a dynamin-related protein-1 (Drp1)–fission 1 (Fis1) peptide inhibitor P110 to alleviate cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury by reducing mitochondrial Drp1/Fis1 interaction-mediated astrocytic mitochondrial disorder and promoting the transfer of astrocyte-derived healthy mitochondria into neurons. Results: The results demonstrated that Hep-loaded macrophage-derived exosomes (EXO-Hep) reduced mitochondrial damage in astrocytes by inhibiting the Drp1/Fis1 interaction after ischemia–reperfusion, ensuring the release of heathy astrocytic mitochondria and their subsequent transmission to neurons, alleviating mitochondria-mediated neuronal damage. Conclusion: EXO-Hep significantly mitigated ischemic injury in a model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) by reducing the infarct area and improving neurological performance during the process of cerebral ischemia–reperfusion. Graphical

Mitochondria as an important organ in eukaryotic cells produced energy through oxidative phosphorylation and also played an important role in regulating the apoptotic signal transduction process. Importantly, mitochondria like nuclei also contained the functional DNA and were very sensitive to anticancer drugs which could effectively inhibit the synthesis of nucleic acid, especially the production of DNA. In this work, we designed novel triphenyl phosphine (TPP)-conjugated chitosan (CS) nanoparticles (NPs) for efficient drug delivery to cell mitochondria. The results showed that compared with free doxorubicin (Dox), Dox-loaded TPP-NPs were specifically distributed in mitochondria of tumor cells and interfered with the function of mitochondria, thus resulted in the higher cytotoxicity and induced the significant cell apoptosis effect. Taken together, triphenyl phosphine-conjugated chitosan nanoparticles may become a promising mitochondria-targeting nanocarrier candidate for enhancing antitumor effects.

Emerging data have suggested that cell surface GRP78 is a multifunctional receptor and has been linked to proliferative and antiapoptotic signaling cascades. Activated α2−macroglobin (α2M*) is a natural circulating ligand of cell surface GRP78. Association of cell surface GRP78 with α2M* is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, survival and apoptosis in human cancers. The invasion and metastasis of HCC cells were examined using transwell and wound healing assay; Cell surface expression of GRP78 was detected by in cell western assay. Translocation of GRP78 from cytosol to cell surface was observed by transfection of GRP78-EGFP plus TRIRC-WGA staining. The levels of Src, phosphor-Src, FAK, phospho-FAK, EGFR, phospho-EGFR, phospho-Cortactin, phospho-Paxillin were determined by western blot. Cell surface expression of GRP78 in HCC tissue samples was observed by immunofluorescence. The distribution of Paxillin and Cortactin in HCC cells was also observed by immunofluorescence. The interaction between GRP78 and Src were detected by far-western blot, co-immunoprecipitation and GST pulldown. GRP78 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. In the current study, we showed that association of cell surface GRP78 with α2M* stimulated the invasion and metastasis of HCC. Cell surface GRP78 could interact directly with c-Src, promoted the phosphorylation of c-Src at Y416. Inhibition of the tyrosine kinase activity of c-Src with PP2 reverted the stimulatory effect caused by association of cell surface GRP78 with α2M*. Moreover, association of cell surface GRP78 with α2M* facilitates the interaction between EGFR and c-Src and consequently phosphorylated EGFR at Y1101 and Y845, promoting the invasion and metastasis of HCCs. However, inhibition of the tyrosine kinase of c-Src do not affect the interaction between EGFR and Src. c-Src plays a critical role in the invasion and metastasis of HCC induced by association of cell surface GRP78 with α2M*. Cell surface GRP78 directly binds and phosphorylates c-Src. As a consequence, c-Src phosphorylated EGFR, promoting the invasion and metastasis of HCCs.