Both personalized medicine and nanomedicine are new to medical practice. Nanomedicine is an application of the advances of nanotechnology in medicine and is being integrated into diagnostic and therapeutic tools to manage an array of medical conditions. On the other hand, personalized medicine, which is also referred to as precision medicine, is a novel concept that aims to individualize/customize therapeutic management based on the personal attributes of the patient to overcome blanket treatment that is only efficient in a subset of patients, leaving others with either ineffective treatment or treatment that results in significant toxicity. Novel nanomedicines have been employed in the treatment of several diseases, which can be adapted to each patient-specific case according to their genetic profiles. In this review, we discuss both areas and the intersection between the two emerging scientific domains. The review focuses on the current situation in personalized medicine, the advantages that can be offered by nanomedicine to personalized medicine, and the application of nanoconstructs in the diagnosis of genetic variability that can identify the right drug for the right patient. Finally, we touch upon the challenges in both fields towards the translation of nano-personalized medicine.

The Periprosthetic Joint Infection (PJI) is one of the most important complications of the joint arthroplasty. This surgical procedure is rising worldwide and is further affecting the public health because of the widespread resistance to antibiotics. New therapeutic strategies and innovative antimicrobial biomaterials development are needed to eradicate pathogens without inducing resistance and accelerating recovery. In this direction, herein Curcumin I- (Cur-) loaded DAC® (Defensive Antibacterial Coating, a hydrogel based on hyaluronic acid conjugated to polylactic acid, hereafter named DAC) has been built on. To incorporate Cur in the DAC, thus obtaining Cur-DAC (Cur ≅ 0.93 mg/g), the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) propylene glycol (PG) was used as cosolvent. The drugs combinations of Cur (≅ 0.93 mg/g) and Vancomycin (Van) (at low dose that is ≅ 0.033 mg/g) within the hydrogel (Cur/Van-DAC) was alsoexperienced . Hydrogels were prepared and characterized by rheological investigations and their erosion together with the drug release profile over the time evaluated in physiological conditions. The nanohydrogels produced upon water dilution were characterized by AFM, DLS, and UV/Vis absorption and emission spectroscopies. Superior Cur stability over pH-, solvent- and photoinduced degradations resulted in the DAC matrix. The photoinduced antimicrobial activity of Cur-DAC against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium was evaluated by spreading loaded DAC-based hydrogel onto titanium disk mimicking prosthesis, thus detecting a good reduction of bacterial load after 30 min of exposure to light and a subsequent decrease of cells number at 24 h in the absence of nutrients. The drug association in Cur/Van-DAC demonstrated the best activity against MRSA, even in the presence of nutrients, with respect to established DAC loaded with high amounts of Van (ranging from 18.7 mg/g to 45.8 mg/g) used during the surgery, due to the photoantibacterial activity of Cur, becoming promising to prevent and control joint infections.

Renewed interest towards natural substances has been pushed by the widespread diffusion of antibiotic resistance. Curcumin I is the most active and effective constituent of curcuminoids extracted from Curcuma longa and, among other beneficial effects, attracted attention for its antimicrobial potential. Since the poor pharmacokinetic profile hinders its efficient utilization, in the present paper, we report encapsulation of curcumin I in poly(styrene-co-maleic acid) (SMA-CUR) providing a nanomicellar system with improved aqueous solubility and bioavailability. SMA-CUR was characterized by means of size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, atomic force microscopy (AFM), drug release studies, spectroscopic properties and stability. SMA-CUR nanoformulation displayed exciting antimicrobial properties compared to free curcumin I towards Gram-positive and Gram-negative clinical isolates.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been identified as a potential new target in anticancer therapy, being overexpressed in different tumors and crucial for cell proliferation. Advances in the development of specific HO-1 inhibitors should support the understanding of controlling HO-1 activity as antitumoral strategies, opening the path for future therapeutic applications. In the present study, small series of new HO-1 inhibitors were synthesized by joining a butylimidazolic pharmacophore together with a hydrophobic moiety spaced by a 2-oxybenzamide central linker. The most active and selective HO-1 inhibitor, VP 21-04, 2-(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)butoxy)-N-benzyl-5-iodobenzamide (7b) was identified. This ligand showed strong cytotoxic activity against melanoma and breast cancer cell lines. Encapsulation of VP 21-04 in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC 21-04) was performed to exploit its therapeutic potential by passive-targeting delivery ameliorating water-solubility and toxicity. Interestingly, NLC 21-04 showed a marked antiproliferative effect in both cancer cell lines, and an improved safety profile with a wider therapeutic window when compared to the free drug. Finally, NLC 21-04 showed a marked tumor growth reduction while being safe in an in ovo tumor model, highlighting the therapeutic potential of the developed nanoparticles against triple negative metastatic breast cancer.