Targeted-gene silencing of BRAF to interrupt BRAF/MEK/ERK pathway synergized photothermal therapeutics for melanoma using a novel FA-GNR-siBRAF nanosystem

Melanoma is significantly associated with mutant BRAF gene, a suitable target for siRNA-based anti-melanoma therapy. However, a tumor-specific delivery system is a major hurdle for clinical applications. Here, we developed a novel nano-carrier, FA-GNR-siBRAF for safe topical application, which consists of folic acid (FA) as the tumor-targeting moiety, golden nanorods (GNR) providing photothermal capability to kill tumor cells under laser irradiation, and siRNA specifically silencing BRAF (siBRAF). The in vitro and in vivo results revealed that FA-GNR-siBRAF displayed high transfection rates, and subsequently induced remarkable gene knockdown of BRAF, resulting in suppression of melanoma growth due to the interruption of the MEK/ERK pathway. Combinatorial photothermal effects and BRAF knockdown by FA-GNR-siBRAF effectively killed tumor cells through apoptosis, with enhanced efficiency than individual treatments. Therefore, the FA-GNR-siBRAF simultaneously induced BRAF gene silencing and photothermal effects which achieved synergistic efficacy in the treatment of melanoma, paving a new path for developing clinical treatment methods for melanoma.     

Lipid based nanocarriers: a translational perspective

Over the recent couple of decades, pharmaceutical field has embarked most phenomenal noteworthy achievements in the field of medications as well as drug delivery. The rise of Nanotechnology in this field has reformed the existing drug delivery for targeting, diagnostic, remedial applications and patient monitoring. The convincing usage of nanotechnology in the conveyance of medications that prompts an extension of novel lipid-based nanocarriers and non-liposomal systems has been discussed. Present review deals with the late advances and updates in lipidic nanocarriers, their formulation strategies, challenging aspects, stability profile, clinical applications alongside commercially available products and products under clinical trials. This exploration may give a complete idea viewing the lipid based nanocarriers as a promising choice for the formulation of pharmaceutical products, the challenges looked by the translational process of lipid-based nanocarriers and the combating methodologies to guarantee the headway of these nanocarriers from bench to bedside.     

PEI增强G250 DNA疫苗和重组肽疫苗的prime-boost免疫策略研究

目的 :探讨PEI作为免疫佐剂对G250抗原肽基因PVAX1/C-G250肽-C免疫保护效果的增强作用及联合应用CAIX蛋白疫苗进行PRIME—BOOST免疫程序免疫增强效果。方法:用Eco R I、Xho I和Eco R I、Sal I分别双酶切PVAX1及既往构建的p ET28a(+)/C-G250肽-C质粒。利用DNA重组技术构建重组质粒PVAX1/C-G250肽-C,酶切分析鉴定。大量提取质粒并分光光度计测质粒含量。将32只雌性昆明小鼠随机分为(A)裸DNA组,(B)DNA-PEI复合物组,(C)DNA-PEI+蛋白疫苗组,(D)空白对照组。按0,10,20,30天程序经股四头肌注射免疫。C组在第20天及第30天进行蛋白冲击。初次免疫前和第40天鼠尾取血,ELISA法检测抗体滴度。流式细胞术测淋巴细胞亚群CD4+和CD8+。结果:酶切及基因测序鉴定证实G250抗原肽c DNA正确插入PVAX1/C-G250肽-C真核表达的重组质粒中。昆明小鼠经4次免疫后,3个实验组都产生了特异性的体液和细胞免疫反应,B组的抗体滴度1:1.28×104及CD4+、CD8+达26.12%和12.60%,明显高于A组的1:3.2×103和CD4+,CD8+占到19.32%和10.74%。而蛋白冲击组的1:5.12×104和CD4+,CD8+占到41.96%和15.14%,明显高于B组(P0.05)。结论:成功构建重组质粒PVAX1/C-G250肽-C。该DNA疫苗与PEI和G250蛋白疫苗联合使用后产生极强的免疫原性,诱导产生了高滴度、高特异性抗体及细胞免疫反应。证实G250DNA疫苗联合PEI使用并进行蛋白疫苗冲击的免疫策略可产生强大的免疫保护作用。为恶性肿瘤的术后辅助治疗提供新的思路和方法。     

PEG- and PDMAEG-Graft-Modified Branched PEI as Novel Gene Vector: Synthesis,Characterization and Gene Transfection

The cytotoxicity of polyethylenimine (PEI) was a dominating obstacle to its application. Introduction of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) blocks to PEI is one of the strategies to alleviate the cytotoxocity of PEI. However, it is well known that the transfection efficiency of PEGylated PEI is decreased to some extent compared to the corresponding PEI. Thus, the aim of our study was to enhance the transfection efficiency of PEGylated PEI. A series of tri-block co-polymers, PEG-g-PEI-g-poly(dimethylaminoethyl L-glutamine) (PEG-g-PEI-g-PDMAEG), as novel vectors for gene therapy was synthesized and evaluated. PEG-g-PEI was first obtained by linking PEG and PEI using isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) as coupling reagent. The anionic co-polymerization of γ-benzyl-L-glutamate N-carboxyanhydride (BLG-NCA) using PEG-g-PEI as a macro-initiator was carried out, followed by aminolysis with 2-dimethylaminoethylamine to obtain the target water-soluble tri-block co-polymer. The structures of the polymers were confirmed by FT-IR and ¹H-NMR. The influence of the molecular weight of PEI and the length of the PDMAEG chain on the physicochemical properties and transfection activity of polymer/DNA was evaluated. All PEI derivates were revealed to compact plasmid DNA effectively to give polyplexes with suitable size (approx. 100 nm) and moderate zeta potentials (10–15 mV) at N/P ratios over 10. The PEG-g-PEI-g-PDMAEG tri-block co-polymers displayed particularly low cytotoxicity, even at high concentration, reflecting an improved safety profile compared to PEI 25k. Gene transfection efficiency of PEG-g-PEI-g-PDMAEG on HeLa in the presence and absence of serum was determined. Remarkably, the transfection activity of PEG-g-PEI (10k)-g-PDMAEG (PPP-4)/DNA polyplex formulations was nearly twofold higher than PEI 25k/DNA formulations in vitro, and the transfection efficiency was less affected by the presence of serum. These results indicated that the synthesized PEG-g-PEI-g-PDMAEG tri-block co-polymers are promising candidates as carriers for gene delivery.     

Percutaneous ethanol injection for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma. Study of 95 patients

Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) was applied to 120 lesions in 95 patients with hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) smaller than 3 cm in the past 6 years. All main target tumours, in 67 patients who had been followed by sonography for more than 6 months after PEI, decreased in size; 28 tumours (41.8%) became undetectable and have remained so until now. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year survival rates calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method were 93%, 81%, 65%, 52% and 28% respectively. These survival rates were better than those of patients with HCC smaller than 3 cm who did not receive anticancer treatment (P less than 0.01). The survival of patients of the Child's A or Child's B status was better than that of those with Child's C disease. Recurrence occurred in areas within the liver different from the original lesion in 34% in one year, 61% in two years and 66% in three years after PEI. PEI was then repeated in 61% of such patients.