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Nanoparticles in Cellular Drug Delivery
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Nanoparticles in Cellular Drug Delivery

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 3472

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jessica M. Rosenholm

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Abo Akademi University, Abo, Finland
Interests: mesoporous silica nanoparticles; drug formulation; 3D printing; tissue engineering; nanomedicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jixi Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
Interests: theranostic nanoparticles; functional assembly; drug nanocarriers; nanocatalysts; combined therapy; nano-bio interfaces; stimuli responsiveness

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the millennium shift, there has been an explosive development in the intracellular delivery of active agents, especially with the aid of nanoparticles (NPs). Diverse drug formulations have emerged by combining technologies of host–guest interactions, self-assembly, aggregation/clustering, encapsulation, loading, and so forth at molecular and nanometer scale. NPs can flexibly be designed to overcome the challenges associated with intracellular delivery, including crossing of the cell membrane, protection of sensitive agents during delivery, and the integration of controlled release functions into the carrier system. Drug action targets and activation pathways can be accessed/triggered more efficiently and specifically to realize precise therapy based on various mechanisms such as modification of biomacromolecules and their interaction networks, intervention of organelle functions, reprogramming of energy metabolism, remodeling of tumor microenvironment, reversion of immunosuppression, etc. The more recent surge in biological drugs (peptides, proteins, genes) in particular highlighted the importance of effective cellular delivery systems, boosted by the success of the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 nanovaccines. Moreover, the combination of externally applied energy and endogenous triggers is now frequently employed to further improve the selectivity of the NP-facilitated drug treatment or boost the therapeutic outcomes. Although many challenges have been solved, plenty remain—especially in view of the efficacy and translation of the more novel technologies.

This Special Issue is dedicated to presenting the recent advances relevant to Nanoparticles in Cellular Drug Delivery, ranging from synthesis methods and regulatory aspects to their detailed physicochemical characterization, interactions at the nano–bio interfaces, mechanisms of cell fate decisions, and performance in vitro and in vivo, especially for controlled and/or targeted drug delivery applications. 

Prof. Dr. Jessica M. Rosenholm
Prof. Dr. Jixi Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanomedicine
  • intracellular delivery
  • controlled release
  • cellular targeting
  • delivery of biologicals
  • gene transfection
  • precision therapy

Published Papers (2 papers)

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21 pages, 5746 KiB  
Article
Peptide-Based Nanoparticles for αvβ3 Integrin-Targeted DNA Delivery to Cancer and Uterine Leiomyoma Cells
by Anna Egorova, Alexander Selutin, Marianna Maretina, Sergei Selkov and Anton Kiselev
Molecules 2022, 27(23), 8363; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27238363 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1309
Abstract
Uterine leiomyoma is the most common benign tumor of the reproductive system. Current therapeutic options do not simultaneously meet the requirements of long-term efficiency and fertility preservation. Suicide gene delivery can be proposed as a novel approach to uterine leiomyoma therapy. Non-viral vehicles [...] Read more.
Uterine leiomyoma is the most common benign tumor of the reproductive system. Current therapeutic options do not simultaneously meet the requirements of long-term efficiency and fertility preservation. Suicide gene delivery can be proposed as a novel approach to uterine leiomyoma therapy. Non-viral vehicles are an attractive approach to DNA delivery for gene therapy of both malignant and benign tumors. Peptide-based vectors are among the most promising candidates for the development of artificial viruses, being able to efficiently cross barriers of DNA transport to cells. Here we described nanoparticles composed of cysteine-crosslinked polymer and histidine-arginine-rich peptide modified with iRGD moiety and characterized them as vehicles for plasmid DNA delivery to pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells and the uterine leiomyoma cell model. Several variants of nanoparticles were formulated with different targeting ligand content. The physicochemical properties that were studied included DNA binding and protection, interaction with polyanions and reducing agents, size, structure and zeta-potential of the peptide-based nanoparticles. Cytotoxicity, cell uptake and gene transfection efficiency were assessed in PANC-1 cells with GFP and LacZ-encoding plasmids. The specificity of gene transfection via αvβ3 integrin binding was proved in competitive transfection. The therapeutic potential was evaluated in a uterine leiomyoma cell model using the suicide gene therapy approach. The optimal formulation was found to be at the polyplex with the highest iRGD moiety content being able to transfect cells more efficiently than control PEI. Suicide gene therapy using the best formulation resulted in a significant decrease of uterine leiomyoma cells after ganciclovir treatment. It can be concluded that the application of iRGD-modified peptide-based nanoparticles has a high potential for cellular delivery of DNA therapeutics in favor of uterine leiomyoma gene therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles in Cellular Drug Delivery)
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27 pages, 2322 KiB  
Review
Functionalized and Nonfunctionalized Nanosystems for Mitochondrial Drug Delivery with Metallic Nanoparticles
by Shashi Kiran Misra, Jessica M. Rosenholm and Kamla Pathak
Molecules 2023, 28(12), 4701; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28124701 - 12 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1656
Abstract
Background: The application of metallic nanoparticles as a novel therapeutic tool has significant potential to facilitate the treatment and diagnosis of mitochondria-based disorders. Recently, subcellular mitochondria have been trialed to cure pathologies that depend on their dysfunction. Nanoparticles made from metals and their [...] Read more.
Background: The application of metallic nanoparticles as a novel therapeutic tool has significant potential to facilitate the treatment and diagnosis of mitochondria-based disorders. Recently, subcellular mitochondria have been trialed to cure pathologies that depend on their dysfunction. Nanoparticles made from metals and their oxides (including gold, iron, silver, platinum, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide) have unique modi operandi that can competently rectify mitochondrial disorders. Materials: This review presents insight into the recent research reports on exposure to a myriad of metallic nanoparticles that can alter the dynamic ultrastructure of mitochondria (via altering metabolic homeostasis), as well as pause ATP production, and trigger oxidative stress. The facts and figures have been compiled from more than a hundred PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus indexed articles that describe the essential functions of mitochondria for the management of human diseases. Result: Nanoengineered metals and their oxide nanoparticles are targeted at the mitochondrial architecture that partakes in the management of a myriad of health issues, including different cancers. These nanosystems not only act as antioxidants but are also fabricated for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents. However, the biocompatibility, safety, and efficacy of using metal nanoparticles is contested among researchers, which will be discussed further in this review. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles in Cellular Drug Delivery)
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