The development of radiation responsive materials, such as nanoscintillators, enables a variety of exciting new theranostic applications. In particular, the ability of nanophosphors to serve as molecular imaging agents in...
Naturally-derived polysaccharides, such as alginate and chitosan, can be assembled to form nanocarriers for the delivery of therapeutic agents. Here we exploit the electrostatic complexation of alginate/chitosan in a water-in-oil (w/o) emulsion process to produce doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded nanoparticles (~80 nm) with exceptional spherical morphology and uniformity. This robust synthetic route utilizes an aqueous phase dispersed in a cyclohexane/dodecylamine organic phase and is capable of encapsulating DOX in the nanoparticle solution. The uptake and efficacy of this novel formulation was evaluated in a murine breast cancer cell line, 4T1, with comparable 72 h IC50 values of the nanoparticle solution (0.15 μg/mL) and free DOX (0.13 μg/mL). Overall, the favorable performance, physiochemical properties, and their facile production support these nanocarriers as promising platform for the delivery of aqueous soluble drugs.
Lanthanide-doped nanocrystals have
been examined extensively as
contrast agents for various optical molecular imaging techniques.
One of the greatest strengths of these nanomaterials is their
ability to enable novel imaging modalities, such as X-ray excited
radioluminescence imaging, which leverages the exceptional tissue
depth penetration of X-rays and reduced tissue autofluorescence. Here,
we report a uniquely engineered NaGdF4/Tb@CaF2 nanoscintillator with substantial lattice mismatch through integration
of coprecipitation and thermal decomposition synthetic routes. We
observed greatly enhanced radioluminescence by the NaGdF4/15%Tb@CaF2 core/shell nanocrystals, which results from
the minimized surface quenching and localized structure transformation.
Polyethylene glycol coated NaGdF4/15%Tb@CaF2 nanocrystals demonstrated robust aqueous colloidal stability and
were well tolerated by a panel of cell lines. The core/shell NaGdF4/15%Tb@CaF2 nanophosphors were subsequently decorated
with targeting folate ligands and investigated as an X-ray luminescence
imaging probe in vitro. Overall, the results suggest that these optimized
radioluminescent nanophosphors have the potential to enable X-ray
excited optical emission for biological imaging and serve as energy
mediators in theranostic applications.
Chemoradiation is an effective combined modality therapeutic approach that utilizes principles of spatial cooperation in order to combat the adaptability associated with cancer and to potentially expand the therapeutic window. Optimal therapeutic efficacy requires intelligent selection and refinement of radio-synergistic pharmaceutical agents, enhanced delivery methods, and temporal consideration. Here, a monodisperse sub-20 nm mixed poloxamer micelle (MPM) system was developed to deliver hydrophobic drugs intravenously, in tandem with ionizing radiation. This report demonstrates in vitro synergy and enhanced radiosensitivity when two molecularly targeted DNA repair inhibitors, talazoparib and buparlisib, are encapsulated and combined with radiation in a 4T1 murine breast cancer model. Evaluation of in vivo biodistribution and toxicity exhibited no reduction in particle accumulation upon radiation and a lack of both acute and chronic toxicity. In vivo efficacy studies suggested the promise of combining talazoparib, buparlisib, and radiation to *
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