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The advent of nanotechnology has reignited interest in the field of pharmaceutical science for the development of nanomedicine. Nanomedicinal formulations are nanometer-sized carrier materials designed for increasing the drug tissue bioavailability, thereby improving the treatment of systemically applied chemotherapeutic drugs. Nanomedicine is a new approach to deliver the pharmaceuticals through different routes of administration with safer and more effective therapies compared to conventional methods. To date, various kinds of nanomaterials have been developed over the years to make delivery systems more effective for the treatment of various diseases. Even though nanomaterials have significant advantages due to their unique nanoscale properties, there are still significant challenges in the improvement and development of nanoformulations with composites and other materials. Here in this review, we highlight the nanomedicinal formulations aiming to improve the balance between the efficacy and the toxicity of therapeutic interventions through different routes of administration and how to design nanomedicine for safer and more effective ways to improve the treatment quality. We also emphasize the environmental and health prospects of nanomaterials for human health care.

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The mu-opioid receptor is encoded by the Oprm1 gene and contributes to mother–infant behaviors. Rodent dams lick male pups more than female pups in the anogenital region. This behavior is linked to stress responsivity in the offspring that may be mediated by epigenetic changes. We hypothesized that maternal behavior may affect DNA methylation levels of the Oprm1 gene and show sex differences. To further explore sex differences in mother–pup behaviors and DNA methylation levels, we altered the litter gender composition (LGC) of rats. Litters were culled to eight all male, all female, or four male/four female pups on postnatal (PN) day 1. On PN4, 7, and 10, a dam was placed in a test cage with a pup for a 10-min period. Latency to pup contact was determined as were times spent licking the anogenital and other body regions of the pup. Frequencies of other behaviors were tabulated. On PN35, samples from various brain regions were obtained. DNA methylation at specific CpG sites in the Oprm1 promoter region were measured by direct sequencing of bisulfite-treated DNA. LGC and sex interacted with day for latency to pup contact. Latencies were longest on PN4 for single-sex males and on PN10 for single-sex females. Dams licked male pups more than female pups in both the anogenital and other body areas. Sex differences were seen in other behaviors. LGC altered DNA methylation at specific CpG's of Oprm1 in hippocampus with higher levels in single-sex rats. In nucleus accumbens, single-sex males showed hypermethylation levels, a trend seen in caudate–putamen. Results confirm and extend sex differences in maternal care with modest LGC effects. That both LGC and sex have enduring effects on DNA methylation of the Oprm1 gene in brain regions associated with addiction, stress regulation, motivation, and cognition may suggest one factor that contributes to gender differences in these behaviors.

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BackgroundIn the present study, the tumor-specific, pH-responsive peptide H7K(R2)2-modified, theranostic liposome-containing paclitaxel (PTX) and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO NPs), PTX/SPIO-SSL-H7K(R2)2, was prepared by using H7K(R2)2 as the targeting ligand, SPIO NPs as the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agent, PTX as antitumor drug.MethodsThe PTX/SPIO-SSL-H7K(R2)2 was prepared by a thin film hydration method. The characteristics of PTX/SPIO-SSL-H7K(R2)2 were evaluated. The targeting effect, MRI, and antitumor activity of PTX/SPIO-SSL-H7K(R2)2 were investigated detail in vitro and in vivo in human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cell models.ResultsOur results of in vitro flow cytometry, in vivo imaging, and in vivo MR imaging confirmed the pH-responsive characteristic of H7K(R2)2 in MDA-MB-231 cell line in vitro and in vivo. The results of in vivo MRI and in vivo antitumor activity confirmed the theranostic effect of PTX/SPIO-SSL-H7K(R2)2 in MDA-MB-231 tumor-bearing model.ConclusionConsidering all our in vitro and in vivo results, we conclude that we developed targeting modified theranostic liposome which could achieve both role of antitumor and MRI.

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Small molecule modified anticancer drug conjugates (SMMDCs) can self-assemble into nanoparticles (NPs) as therapeutic NP platforms for cancer treatment. Here we demonstrate that the XlogP and Hansen solubility parameters of paclitaxel (PTX) SMMDCs is essential for SMMDCs self-assembling into NPs. The amorphous state of PTX SMMDCs will also affect SMMDCs self-assembling into NPs. However, the antitumor activity of these PTX SMMDCs NPs decreased along with their XlogP values, indicating that a suitable XlogP value for designing the SMMDCs is important for self-assembling into NPs and for possessing antitumor activity. For higher level XlogP SMMDCs, a degradable linker should be considered in the design of SMMDCs to overcome the problem of lower antitumor activity. It is preferable that the hydrophilic groups in the SMMDCs should be present on the surface of self-assembling NPs.