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Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive combinatorial therapeutic modality using light, photosensitizer (PS), and oxygen used for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. When PSs in cells are exposed to specific wavelengths of light, they are transformed from the singlet ground state (S0) to an excited singlet state (S1–Sn), followed by intersystem crossing to an excited triplet state (T1). The energy transferred from T1 to biological substrates and molecular oxygen, via type I and II reactions, generates reactive oxygen species, (1O2, H2O2, O2*, HO*), which causes cellular damage that leads to tumor cell death through necrosis or apoptosis. The solubility, selectivity, and targeting of photosensitizers are important factors that must be considered in PDT. Nano-formulating PSs with organic and inorganic nanoparticles poses as potential strategy to satisfy the requirements of an ideal PDT system. In this review, we summarize several organic and inorganic PS carriers that have been studied to enhance the efficacy of photodynamic therapy against cancer.

Despite its widespread usage as a chemotherapy drug in cancer treatment, doxorubicin (DOX) has limitations such as short in vivo circulation time, low solubility, and poor permeability. In this regard, a pH‐responsive chitosan (CS)‐ montmorillonite (MMT)‐ nitrogen‐doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) nanocomposite was first developed, loaded with DOX, and then incorporated into a double emulsion to further develop the sustained release. The incorporated NCQDs into the CS‐MMT hydrogel exhibited enhanced loading and entrapment efficiencies. The presence of NCQDs nanoparticles in the CS‐MMT hydrogel also resulted in an extended pH‐responsive release of DOX over a period of 96 h compared to that of CS‐MMT‐DOX nanocarriers at pH 5.4. Based on the Korsmeyer‐Peppas model, there was a controlled DOX release at pH 5.4, while no diffusion was observed at pH 7.4, indicating fewer side effects. MTT assay showed that the cytotoxicity of DOX‐loaded CS‐MMT‐NCQDs hydrogel nanocomposite was significantly higher than those of free DOX (p < 0.001) and CS‐MMT‐NCQDs (p < 0.001) on MCF‐7 cells. Flow cytometry results demonstrated that a higher apoptosis induction achieved after incorporating NCQDs nanoparticles into CS‐MMT‐DOX nanocarrier. These findings suggest that the DOX‐loaded nanocomposite is a promising candidate for the targeted treatment of cancer cells.

Nanobiotechnology research has recently provided numerous basic and applied advances in the health sector. Nanocarriers have been developed for efficient drug delivery and diagnostic tools. Nanocarrier enables an effective, targeted biomolecular interaction in order to lower side effects caused during the treatment. Here, we review the problems associated with the conventional drug development and its delivery system. The efficacy of the treatment can be improved by the usage of efficient nanocarriers such as polymeric nanocarriers, superparamagnetic nanoparticles, quantum dot, dendrimers and lipid nanoparticles. We discuss the mechanisms of delivery. This review may aid in providing better solutions for unsolved problems that prevails with the day-to-day in silico, in vitro and in vivo drug delivery model development.

There are two main limitations for sprayable RNA pesticide development: delivery efficiency and synthetic cost of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). We previously constructed a nanocarrier-based transdermal dsRNA delivery system and a novel bacteria-based hairpin RNA (hpRNA) expression system to solve these challenges. Herein, as a subsequent exploration of RNA pesticide (sprayable ds/hpRNA for pest control), we performed a greenhouse application of bacteria-expressed and nanocarrier-delivered RNA pesticide on green peach aphid. The nanoparticle SPc could combine and deliver dsRNA across the aphid cuticle and V-type proton ATPase subunits d (ATP-d) and G (ATP-G) were selected as the potential RNA interference (RNAi) targets. Our plasmid- Escherichia coli system simultaneously expressing ATP-d and ATP-G hairpin RNAs (hpRNAs) was constructed for mass production of hpRNA. The expressed hpRNA was mixed with SPc and detergent to form RNA formulation, which showed a certain insecticidal activity through the spray application in the greenhouse. Total control efficacy of our RNA pesticide could reach 61% on 3 d and maintained at 50% until the sixth day. To our knowledge, our study is the first attempt to apply the bacteria-expressed and nanocarrier-delivered RNA pesticides for pest control in the greenhouse trial, which is beneficial for promoting the development of RNA pesticides.

Summary Aphids secrete diverse repertoires of salivary effectors into host plant cells to promote infestation by modulating plant defence. The greenbug Schizaphis graminum is an important cereal aphid worldwide. However, the secreted effectors of S. graminum are still uncharacterized. Here, 76 salivary proteins were identified from the watery saliva of S. graminum using transcriptome and proteome analyses. Among them, a putative salivary effector Sg2204 was significantly up‐regulated during aphid feeding stages, and transient overexpression of Sg2204 in Nicotiana benthamiana inhibited cell death induced by BAX or INF1. Delivering Sg2204 into wheat via the type III secretion system of Pseudomonas fluorescens EtAnH suppressed pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI)‐associated callose deposition. The transcript levels of jasmonic acid (JA)‐ and salicylic acid (SA)‐associated defence genes of wheat were significantly down‐regulated, and the contents of both JA and SA were also significantly decreased after delivery of Sg2204 into wheat leaves. Additionally, feeding on wheat expressing Sg2204 significantly increased the weight and fecundity of S. graminum and promoted aphid phloem feeding. Sg2204 was efficiently silenced via spray‐based application of the nanocarrier‐mediated transdermal dsRNA delivery system. Moreover, Sg2204‐silenced aphids induced a stronger wheat defence response and resulted in negative impacts on aphid feeding behaviour, survival and fecundity. Silencing of Sg2204 homologues from four aphid species using nanocarrier‐delivered dsRNA also significantly reduced aphid performance on host plants. Thus, our study characterized the salivary effector Sg2204 of S. graminum involved in promoting host susceptibility by suppressing wheat defence, which can also be regarded as a promising RNAi target for aphid control.

Herbal chemicals with a long history in medicine have attracted a lot of attention. Flavonolignans and flavonoids are considered as two classes of the above-mentioned compounds with different functional groups which exhibit several therapeutic capabilities such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Based on the studies, high hydrophobic properties of the aforementioned compounds limit their bioavailability inside the human body and restrict their wide application. Nanoscale formulations such as solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, and other types of lipid-based delivery systems have been introduced to overcome the above-mentioned challenges. This approach allows the aforementioned hydrophobic therapeutic compounds to be encapsulated between hydrophobic structures, resulting in improving their bioavailability. The above-mentioned enhanced delivery system improves delivery to the targeted sites and reduces the daily required dosage. Lowering the required daily dose improves the performance of the drug by diminishing its side effects on non-targeted tissues. The present study aims to highlight the recent improvements in implementing lipid-based nanocarriers to deliver flavonolignans and flavonoids.

The transdermal route of administration provides numerous advantages over conventional routes i.e., oral or injectable for the treatment of different diseases and cosmetics applications. The skin also works as a reservoir, thus deliver the penetrated drug for more extended periods in a sustained manner. It reduces toxicity and local irritation due to multiple sites for absorption and owes the option of avoiding systemic side effects. However, the transdermal route of delivery for many drugs is limited since very few drugs can be delivered at a viable rate using this route. The stratum corneum of skin works as an effective barrier, limiting most drugs’ penetration posing difficulty to cross through the skin. Fortunately, some non-invasive methods can significantly enhance the penetration of drugs through this barrier. The use of nanocarriers for increasing the range of available drugs for the transdermal delivery has emerged as a valuable and exciting alternative. Both the lipophilic and hydrophilic drugs can be delivered via a range of nanocarriers through the stratum corneum with the possibility of having local or systemic effects to treat various diseases. In this review, the skin structure and major obstacle for transdermal drug delivery, different nanocarriers used for transdermal delivery, i.e., nanoparticles, ethosomes, dendrimers, liposomes, etc., have been discussed. Some recent examples of the combination of nanocarrier and physical methods, including iontophoresis, ultrasound, laser, and microneedles, have also been discussed for improving the therapeutic efficacy of transdermal drugs. Limitations and future perspectives of nanocarriers for transdermal drug delivery have been summarized at the end of this manuscript.

RNA interference (RNAi) has been recognized as a novel and safe strategy in pest management due to its high sequence-dependent specificity. However, the existing dsRNA delivery methods largely restrict the application of the RNAi-based pest management strategy; thus, we previously constructed a nanocarrier-based transdermal dsRNA delivery system on the soybean aphid Aphis glycines with the help of nanocarrier and detergent. In the current study, we improved our transdermal dsRNA delivery system with a smaller and cheaper nanocarrier to investigate the efficacy of spraying aphid-infested soybean seedlings to apply our RNA pesticide. A dsRNA/nanocarrier/detergent formulation was performed, and the dsRNA could penetrate the aphid body wall within 4 h with the help of nanocarrier through the topical application. Four potential RNAi target genes ( TREH , ATPD , ATPE and CHS1 ) were selected and cloned, and their dsRNA fragments were synthesized and tested through the transdermal dsRNA delivery system. The delivered dsRNA efficiently silenced the target gene expression with the knockdown effects ranging from 86.86 to 58.87% and resulted in a high mortality up to 81.67% (dsATPD + dsATPE) through the topical application, when through the spray method, with the highest percent mortality of 78.50% (dsATPD + dsCHS1). Our novel transdermal dsRNA delivery system not only provides a powerful tool for gene functional analysis in laboratory, but also shows a great potential for the pest management in the field, which will promote the practice and development of RNAi-based pest management.

Solid–lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers are delivery systems for the delivery of drugs and other bioactives used in diagnosis, therapy, and treatment procedures. These nanocarriers may enhance the solubility and permeability of drugs, increase their bioavailability, and extend the residence time in the body, combining low toxicity with a targeted delivery. Nanostructured lipid carriers are the second generation of lipid nanoparticles differing from solid lipid nanoparticles in their composition matrix. The use of a liquid lipid together with a solid lipid in nanostructured lipid carrier allows it to load a higher amount of drug, enhance drug release properties, and increase its stability. Therefore, a direct comparison between solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers is needed. This review aims to describe solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers as drug delivery systems, comparing both, while systematically elucidating their production methodologies, physicochemical characterization, and in vitro and in vivo performance. In addition, the toxicity concerns of these systems are focused on.

Nanocarriers are transport and encapsulation systems that primarily serve to protect and improve the dispersibility of predominantly hydrophobic active ingredients but also enable their targeted delivery and controlled release at the site of action. Nanocarriers are mainly made of either organic or inorganic materials, but various combinations of materials in complex structures are also under development. Most nanocarriers represent entities that are rationally designed to meet the functional requirements of a specific application. They can therefore be understood as Advanced Materials. Nanocarrier systems are already being used in medicine, cosmetics, agriculture, food, and household products. They are therefore used in a variety of products, ideally designed to be safe and sustainable, and may need to be registered before they can be placed on the market. Inspired by medical research, nanocarriers are also increasingly being used for precision farming (nano-agrochemicals) or products, such as air fresheners or lithium-ion batteries, and could thus be released into the environment in large quantities. To enable the identification of critical nanocarriers in subsequent investigations, a comprehensive literature review of the broad and heterogeneous research field of nanocarriers is provided, as well as an approach for categorization based on the origin and chemical composition of their constituent materials. A definition of nanocarriers based on size (1–1000 nm) and function is also proposed for their risk assessment. Graphical abstract