When a new oral dosage form is developed, its dissolution behavior must be quantitatively analyzed. Dissolution analysis involves a comparison of the dissolution profiles and the application of mathematical models to describe the drug release pattern. This report aims to assess the application of the DDSolver, an Excel add-in software package, which is designed to analyze data obtained from dissolution experiments. The data used in this report were chosen from two dissolution studies. The results of the DDSolver analysis were compared with those obtained using an Excel worksheet. The comparisons among three different products obtained similarity factors(f2)of 23.21, 46.66, and 17.91 using both DDSolver and the Excel worksheet. The results differed when DDSolver and Excel were used to calculate the release exponent “n” in the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. Performing routine quantitative analysis proved to be much easier using the DDSolver program than an Excel spreadsheet. The use of the DDSolver program reduced the calculation time and has the potential to omit calculation errors, thus making this software package a convenient tool for dissolution comparison.

Macrophages with tumor-tropic migratory properties can serve as a cellular carrier to enhance the efficacy of anti neoplastic agents. However, limited drug loading (DL) and insufficient drug release at the tumor site remain the main obstacles in developing macrophage-based delivery systems. In this study, we constructed a biomimetic delivery system (BDS) by loading doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded reduced graphene oxide (rGO) into a mouse macrophage-like cell line (RAW264.7), hoping that the newly constructed BDS could perfectly combine the tumor-tropic ability of macrophages and the photothermal property of rGO. At the same DOX concentration, the macrophages could absorb more DOX/PEG-BPEI-rGO than free DOX. The tumor-tropic capacity of RAW264.7 cells towards RM-1 mouse prostate cancer cells did not undergo significant change after drug loading in vitro and in vivo. PEG-BPEI-rGO encapsulated in the macrophages could effectively convert the absorbed near-infrared light into heat energy, causing rapid release of DOX. The BDS showed excellent anti-tumor efficacy in vivo. The BDS that we developed in this study had the following characteristic features: active targeting of tumor cells, stimuli-release triggered by near-infrared laser (NIR), and effective combination of chemotherapy and photothermotherapy. Using the photothermal effect produced by PEG-BPEI-rGO and DOX released from the macrophages upon NIR irradiation, MAs-DOX/PEG-BPEI-rGO exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on tumor growth.

Modulation of lipid metabolism during cancer development and progression is one of the hallmarks of cancer in solid tumors; its importance in prostate cancer (PCa) has been demonstrated in numerous studies. Lipid metabolism is known to interact with androgen receptor signaling, an established driver of PCa progression and castration resistance. Similarly, immune cell infiltration into prostate tissue has been linked with the development and progression of PCa as well as with disturbances in lipid metabolism. Immuno-oncological drugs inhibit immune checkpoints to activate immune cells’ abilities to recognize and destroy cancer cells. These drugs have proved to be successful in treating some solid tumors, but in PCa their efficacy has been poor, with only a small minority of patients demonstrating a treatment response. In this review, we first describe the importance of lipid metabolism in PCa. Second, we collate current information on how modulation of lipid metabolism of cancer cells and the surrounding immune cells may impact the tumor’s immune responses which, in part, may explain the unimpressive results of immune-oncological treatments in PCa.