纳米中药的发展与中药现代化

纳米中药是纳米技术中药制剂的重要创新成果,纳米制备技术有效解决了传统中药有效成分难溶、中药生物利用度不高的难题。现分析传统中药制剂的发展与局限性,通过对纳米超微化技术、药物纳米载体2个纳米中药制备技术,以及纳米混悬剂、纳米共晶、混悬凝胶剂等纳米中药剂型的介绍,对目前纳米中药制剂存在的不足进行分析,探讨纳米中药制备技术和剂型的优化方向,以期为纳米技术在中药领域的进一步创新提供思路,并为推动中药现代化提供参考。     

肿瘤的分子靶确认与超声纳米分子影像学

超声纳米分子影像学为肿瘤分子靶确认这一崭新肿瘤诊治理念的实现提供了技术手段,在肿瘤分子靶确认领域展示出明确的应用前景。本文就肿瘤分子靶确认与超声纳米分子影像学的相关问题作一简述和探讨。     

siRNA Delivery: From Lipids to Cell‐penetrating Peptides and Their Mimics

To deliver siRNA for therapeutic use, several hurdles must be addressed. Metabolic degradation must be blocked, and the RNAi cellular machinery is located in the cytoplasm, while double‐stranded siRNA is large, highly charged and impermeable to cell membranes. To date, the solutions to the delivery issues have mostly involved different forms of lipid particle encapsulation. Cell‐penetrating peptides and their mimics or analogues offer a different approach and this is an emerging field with the first in vivo examples now reported. Recent reports point to lipid receptors being involved in the cellular uptake of both types of transporter. This review examines the delivery of siRNA with a focus on cell‐penetrating peptides and their small molecule and oligomeric mimics. The current status of siRNA delivery methods in clinical trials is examined. It now seems that the goal of delivering siRNA therapeutically is achievable but will they form part of a sustainable healthcare portfolio for the future.     

The implications and applications of nanotechnology in dentistry: A review

The emerging science of nanotechnology, especially within the dental and medical fields, sparked a research interest in their potential applications and benefits in comparison to conventional materials used. Therefore, a better understanding of the science behind nanotechnology is essential to appreciate how these materials can be utilised in our daily practice. The present paper will help the reader understand nanoscience, and the benefits and limitations of nanotechnology by addressing its ethical, social, and health implications. Additionally, nano-applications in dental diagnostics, dental prevention, and in dental materials will be addressed, with examples of commercially available products and evidence on their clinical performance.     

Nanomedicinal delivery approaches for therapeutic siRNA

RNA interference (RNAi) has been named as “breakthrough technology” in 2002 by Science magazine. In a short timespan this technology has conquered life sciences and numerous therapeutic approaches and is now well underway to become an important pilier of novel class of RNA based therapeutics. This mini-review focuses on nanomedicinal delivery approaches for siRNA that have shown promise with small molecules, and have recently been applied with the aim to deliver siRNA to humans for treatment of disease.     

Cadmium-containing nanoparticles: Perspectives on pharmacology and toxicology of quantum dots

The field of nanotechnology is rapidly expanding with the development of novel nanopharmaceuticals that have potential for revolutionizing medical treatment. The rapid pace of expansion in this field has exceeded the pace of pharmacological and toxicological research on the effects of nanoparticles in the biological environment. The development of cadmium-containing nanoparticles, known as quantum dots, show great promise for treatment and diagnosis of cancer and targeted drug delivery, due to their size-tunable fluorescence and ease of functionalization for tissue targeting. However, information on pharmacology and toxicology of quantum dots needs much further development, making it difficult to assess the risks associated with this new nanotechnology. Further, nanotechnology poses yet another risk for toxic cadmium, which will now enter the biological realm in nano-form. In this review, we discuss cadmium-containing quantum dots and their physicochemical properties at the nano-scale. We summarize the existing work on pharmacology and toxicology of cadmium-containing quantum dots and discuss perspectives in their utility in disease treatment. Finally, we identify critical gaps in our knowledge of cadmium quantum dot toxicity, and how these gaps need to be assessed to enable quantum dot nanotechnology to transit safely from bench to bedside.     

Cellular behavior on TiO2 nanonodular structures in a micro-to-nanoscale hierarchy model

Biological tissues involve hierarchical organizations of structures and components. We created a micropit-and-nanonodule hybrid topography of TiO₂ by applying a recently reported nanonodular self-assembly technique on acid-etch-created micropit titanium surfaces. The size of the nanonodules was controllable by changing the assembly time. The created micro-nano-hybrid surface rendered a greater surface area and roughness, and extensive geographical undercut on the existing micropit surface and resembled the surface morphology of biomineralized matrices. Rat bone marrow-derived osteoblasts were cultured on titanium disks with either micropits alone, micropits with 100-nm nodules, micropits with 300-nm nodules, or micropits with 500-nm nodules. The addition of nanonodules to micropits selectively promoted osteoblast but not fibroblast function. Unlike the reported advantages of microfeatures that promote osteoblast differentiation but inhibit its proliferation, micro-nano-hybrid topography substantially enhanced both. We also demonstrated that these biological effects were most pronounced when the nanonodules were tailored to a diameter of 300 nm within the micropits. An implant biomechanical test in a rat femur model revealed that the strength of bone–titanium integration was more than three times greater for the implants with micropits and 300-nm nanonodules than the implants with micropits alone. These results suggest the establishment of functionalized nano-in-microtitanium surfaces for improved osteoconductivity, and may provide a biomimetic micro-to-nanoscale hierarchical model to study the nanofeatures of biomaterials.     

Novel technologies: A weapon against tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading chronic bacterial infection. Despite potentially curative pharmacotherapies being available for over 50 years, the length of the treatment and the pill burden can hamper patient lifestyle. Low compliance and adherence to administration schedules remain the main reasons for therapeutic failure and contribute to the development of multidrug-resistant strains. The design of novel antibiotics attempts to overcome drug resistance, to shorten the treatment course, and to reduce drug interactions. In this framework, nanotechnology appears as one of the promising approaches for the development of more effective medicines. The present review thoroughly overviews the development of novel microparticulate, encapsulation, and various other carrier-based drug delivery systems for incorporating the principal anti-TB agents. Drug delivery systems have been designed that either target the site of TB or reduce the dosing frequency with the aim of improving patient healthcare.     

Simultaneous two-color spectral fluorescence lymphangiography with near infrared quantum dots to map two lymphatic flows from the breast and the upper extremity

Due to their small size and poor access, the lymphatic function has been difficult to study in vivo. Especially difficult is the mapping of lymphatic drainage from two basins into the same node. Quantum dots can be used to perform multicolor images with high fluorescent intensity and are of a nano-size size suitable for lymphatic imaging via direct interstitial injection. Here we show simultaneous two-color in vivo wavelength-resolved spectral fluorescence lymphangiography using two near infrared quantum dots with different emission spectra, which allow non-invasive and simultaneous visualization of two separate lymphatic flows draining the breast and the upper extremity and variations in the drainage patterns and the water sheds within the axillary node. Two-color spectral fluorescence lymphangiography can provide insight into mechanisms of drainage from different lymphatic basins that may lead to sentinel lymph nodes detection of the breast cancer as well as prevention of complications such as lymphedema of the arm. Yukihiro Hama and Yoshinori Koyama are contributed equally to this work.