Search Results (218)

Human serum albumin (HSA), as a natural protein carrier, possesses excellent biocompatibility and drug binding capacity. Due to the synergistic effects of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and Gp60/SPARC-mediated active targeting, this drug carrier demonstrates favorable tumor selectivity and can be enriched in tumor tissues to achieve long-term therapeutic effects. Particularly, HSA undergoes pH-dependent recycling through the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn), which significantly prolongs its half-life and enhances its feasibility as a drug delivery platform. In practical clinical applications, the regulation of HSA release rates requires multiple strategies to work synergistically. Additionally, the targeting efficiency of delivery systems due to tumor heterogeneity remains a major bottleneck limiting its universality. This article systematically reviews the unique advantages, clinical applications, challenges, and future perspectives of HSA as a prodrug carrier in tumor therapy. Full article

Cancer remains a major global health challenge, characterized by abnormal cell growth and metastasis. Current limitations of conventional therapies, particularly non-specific toxicity harming healthy cells, highlight the need for more targeted approaches. Nanotechnology offers a revolutionary solution, utilizing nanoparticles (NPs) for precise drug delivery to tumor sites while minimizing off-target effects. These nanometer-scale particles enable superior binding to cancer cell membranes, the tumor microenvironment, or nuclear receptors, facilitating significantly higher local concentrations of therapeutic agents. NPs, synthesized via physical, chemical, or biological methods, are categorized as organic (organic material-based) or inorganic (metallic particle-based). Key delivery mechanisms include the Enhanced Permeability and Retention (EPR) effect and Active Transport and Retention (ATR). This review specifically examines NP applications for the most prevalent cancers in the US (2025): breast, prostate, and lung. Gold and magnetic NPs show significant promise for early breast cancer detection. For lung cancer, polymeric NPs like PCL, PLA, and PLGA are effective carriers for peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids. BIND-014, a docetaxel-loaded NP formulation, represents an emerging strategy for prostate cancer. Clinically established examples include liposomal doxorubicin and albumin-bound paclitaxel. We comprehensively discuss the synthesis methods, delivery mechanisms, and the current landscape of NPs in research and clinical trials for these cancers. This analysis underscores the potential of nanotechnology to provide more effective and targeted therapeutic options for cancer patients in the future. A distinctive feature of this review is its comparative cancer-specific analysis of NP platforms in breast, prostate, and lung cancers. Unlike previous generalized reviews, this work integrates synthesis strategies, delivery mechanisms, translational challenges, and clinically relevant formulations to provide a bench-to-bedside perspective on the future of nanomedicine in oncology. Full article

Background: Colistin (Col) resistance and heteroresistance in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii severely limit therapeutic options. We investigated the activity and mechanism of human albumin nanoparticles (haNPs) as colistin potentiators against genetically characterized clinical isolates. Methods: Sixteen clinical isolates were analyzed. Col MICs were determined by broth microdilution, and heteroresistance by population analysis profiling. Potentiation of Col activity was assessed using both Col-loaded haNPs (Col/haNPs) and free Col co-administered with empty haNPs, alongside the proton motive force (PMF) uncoupler carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Assays included checkerboard synergy (FICI), membrane potential analysis (DiOC₂(3)), intracellular Col quantification (UPLC–MS/MS), zeta potential measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), protein leakage, and ROS detection. Results: Heteroresistance was detected in 9/16 isolates. Col/haNPs reduced Col MICs by 4–64-fold in resistant strains and shifted MICs to ≤2 mg/L in most heteroresistant isolates. Empty haNPs displayed no intrinsic antibacterial activity yet selectively potentiated Col, with strong synergy (FICI down to 0.035). Membrane depolarization and increased intracellular Col accumulation under haNP-treated conditions paralleled the effects of CCCP, indicating that haNPs elicit a CCCP-like functional response. These findings are compatible with perturbation of membrane energetics and possible downstream effects on PMF-dependent transport processes. TEM and surface charge analyses supported direct nanoparticle–envelope interaction and progressive membrane disruption. Conclusions: haNPs enhance Col activity across genetically diverse A. baumannii isolates, with particularly strong effects in heteroresistant strains. The combined effects of PMF modulation, increased intracellular drug availability, and envelope interaction provide a mechanistic rationale for the use of albumin-based nanoparticles, either as Col carriers or in combination with free drug, to overcome Col resistance and heteroresistance. Full article

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) play a pivotal role in promoting osteogenesis and angiogenesis that concurrently take place during bone regeneration. The rapid degradation and diffusion of these growth factors, combined with the potential side effects associated with their exogenous insertion, limit their applications. To overcome these shortcomings, we developed a controlled release system for BMP-2 and VEGF on microspheres comprising gelatin (Gel) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). We fabricated Gel–PVA microspheres using a constant Gel concentration of 10% w/v and a varied PVA concentration of 0, 5, and 10% w/v (Gel–PVA0%, Gel–PVA5%, and Gel–PVA10%, respectively). The microspheres were loaded with the model protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) first. The Gel–PVA10% microspheres demonstrated significantly higher loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency, as well as lower cumulative release rate, compared to the Gel–PVA5% ones when loaded with BSA. Thus, the microspheres with the Gel–PVA10% composition were selected for loading with BMP-2 and VEGF. Kinetic studies of BMP-2 and VEGF loaded into Gel–PVA10% microspheres indicated similar results to those with BSA. The microsphere concentration with the optimal cytocompatibility was 0.5 mg/mL, and it was applied for the assessment of the osteogenic differentiation using bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and for the angiogenic differentiation in Wharton jelly and adipose-derived MSCs. Alkaline phosphatase activity, collagen secretion, and calcium mineralization were significantly upregulated in the presence of BMP-2-loaded microspheres, while tubular formation and PECAM-1 secretion were significantly higher in VEGF-loaded microspheres compared to the unloaded control, demonstrating their effectiveness as drug delivery carriers. Full article

Antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds, are essential for mammal physiology. Significant research made on the gut–brain axis has produced volumes of evidence indicating that some plant-derived phenolic compounds can reach brain cells to exert protective effects on them, mainly by maintaining and/or restoring redox homeostasis. Their systemic uptake and transport might be determined by the phenolic’s physicochemical properties, along with complex interactions with protein transporters and carriers, including GLUT, SGLT1, ABC transporters (P-glycoprotein, breast cancer resistance protein), albumin, fibrinogen, organic anion and cation transporters, and MATE1. The present work focuses on the chemical interactions and transport pathways of some phenolic compounds to reach brain cells. Full article

Modern medicine requires effective, continuous, and safe therapies, which largely depend on the targeted delivery and activity of the drug. This goal can be achieved by designing drug delivery systems with improved pharmacokinetic properties and enhanced drug transport to the affected tissue. Human serum albumin (HSA) is an attractive carrier for the synthesis of therapeutic nanoparticles, several of which have already been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The success of Abraxane as an effective treatment for metastatic breast cancer and non-small cell lung carcinoma, the application of Optison in ultrasound imaging, and the use of Nanocoll as an agent for SPECT diagnostics in sentinel node localisation confirm the strong potential of albumin-based systems. Further benefits are expected in patients with soft tissue cancers, as LadRx is seeking FDA marketing approval for Aldoxorubicin. The future of oncology lies in theranostics, which combines a tumour-localising factor on one platform with a drug targeting cancer cells and a factor that activates the cytotoxicity of the drug after it reaches the target tissue. This article presents recent advancements in albumin-based nanoparticles for drug delivery, targeting, and imaging. It also briefly discusses methods of synthesis and surface modification of albumin nanocarriers to enable targeted delivery to pathological sites. Finally, it outlines the latest approaches in multimodal theranostic platforms, highlighting albumin’s potential to improve cancer therapy. Full article

The glomerular filtration barrier poses a significant challenge for circulating proteins, with molecules below ~60–70 kDa facing rapid renal clearance. Endogenous proteins have evolved sophisticated evasion mechanisms including oligomerization, carrier binding, electrostatic repulsion, and FcRn-mediated recycling. Understanding these natural strategies provides blueprints for engineering therapeutic proteins with improved pharmacokinetics. This review examines how endogenous proteins resist filtration, evaluates their application in protein engineering, and discusses clinical translation including established technologies (PEGylation, Fc-fusion) and emerging strategies (albumin-binding domains, glycoengineering). We address critical challenges of balancing half-life extension with tissue penetration, biological activity, and immunogenicity—essential considerations for the rational design of next-generation therapeutics with optimized dosing and enhanced efficacy. Full article

Colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy faces challenges due to limited drug penetration across the blood–tumor barrier. Neutrophils, with their natural ability to migrate to inflamed and tumor sites, offer a promising cell-mediated delivery strategy. This study developed albumin nanoparticles loaded with 6-shogaol (NPs/6-shogaol) and utilized activated neutrophils as carriers to transport the nanoparticles across vascular barriers for colon cancer therapy. The physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, and targeting efficiency of the NPs were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The formulated NPs/6-shogaol exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, including a uniform nano-scale size (~150 nm), negative zeta potential, and high drug loading efficiency. In both subcutaneous and orthotopic colon cancer models, neutrophil-mediated delivery significantly enhanced tumor accumulation of 6-shogaol, inhibited tumor growth, and induced apoptosis by suppressing neutrophil elastase (NE) expression. Notably, no significant systemic toxicity was observed. This neutrophil-hitchhiking albumin nanoplatform provides a targeted and biocompatible strategy for effective colon cancer therapy. Full article

Alginate-based microcapsules have gained considerable attention as drug delivery systems due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ability to encapsulate therapeutic agents. In this study, microcapsules were synthesized by crosslinking with calcium ions, with albumin serving as a carrier for doxorubicin. The goal was to develop a stable system capable of controlled drug release under physiological conditions, with potential applications in cancer therapy. Sodium alginate was used as a base polymer, which formed a stable matrix after crosslinking with calcium ions. The resulting microcapsules showed a uniform size distribution in the microscale range. Analyses confirmed their stability in simulated physiological environments with minimal degradation. Observations revealed a homogeneous structure of the microcapsules, while incubation studies confirmed controlled drug release triggered by pH changes. The results indicate that alginate–albumin microcapsules can serve as an effective platform for drug delivery, especially in cancer therapy and other biomedical applications. Full article

Backgroud/Objectives: Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CVL), caused by Leishmania infantum, is a significant public health concern due to dogs serving as reservoirs for human infection. An accurate and rapid diagnostic method to distinguish symptomatic and asymptomatic CVL from healthy and vaccinated animals is essential for controlling canine and human disease. Developing innovative antibody detection techniques and exploring new antigens are essential for enhancing CVL testing efficiency. Our study focuses on a multiplex flow cytometry technique to detect Leishmania-specific antibodies in canine serum. This involved conjugating small peptides with carrier proteins or peptide tags, sequences designed to facilitate bead coupling. Methods: A peptide from the L. infantum A2 protein was coupled to beads in three forms: unconjugated, conjugated with BSA, and conjugated with a C-terminal β-alanine–lysine (x4)–cysteine TAG. This TAG was previously designed to enhance peptide solubility, improve binding efficiency, and provide functional groups for covalent attachment to the beads, ensuring stable immobilization in the multiplex assay. Results: Our results suggest that the multiplex approach shows promise as a rapid serological test for CVL, particularly with TAG-conjugated peptides, which optimize bead coupling. However, peptide/BSA conjugation revealed anti-BSA antibodies in samples from healthy and CVL dogs. Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings highlight the potential of multiplex methodologies to enhance CVL diagnostics and caution against using BSA as a bead coupling agent in serological tests for canine samples due to its impact on test specificity and sensitivity. Full article

We report the synthesis and characterization of folic acid (FA)-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles, (HSA-FA):Ru NPs, as targeted carriers for rutin (Ru), a flavonoid with known anticancer activity. Nanoparticles were fabricated via a desolvation method, and their surface was functionalized with folic acid to promote selective uptake by cancer cells overexpressing folate receptors. Morphological and dimensional analyses performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and fluorescence microscopy confirmed that all nanoparticles were below 100 nm and exhibited good colloidal stability. Voltametric measurements confirmed the successful incorporation of both rutin and folic acid within the (HSA-FA):Ru nanoparticle formulation. Biological evaluation was conducted on healthy L929 fibroblasts and HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cells. MTS colorimetric assays revealed that (HSA-FA):Ru NPs significantly reduced the viability of HT-29 cells, while maintaining higher compatibility with L929 cells. Fluorescence and electron microscopy further confirmed preferential nanoparticle uptake and surface accumulation in HT-29 cells, supporting the role of folic acid in enhancing targeted delivery. The study demonstrates that HSA-based nanoparticles functionalized with FA and loaded with Ru offer a biocompatible and efficient strategy for selective intracellular drug delivery in colorectal cancer. These findings support the use of albumin-based nanocarriers in the development of targeted therapeutic platforms for cancer treatment. Full article

Protein-bound nano-injectable solutions represent a cutting-edge advancement in nanomedicine, offering a versatile platform for precise and controlled drug delivery. By leveraging the biocompatibility and functional versatility of proteins such as albumin, gelatin, and casein, these nano systems enhance drug solubility, prolong circulation time, and improve site-specific targeting, which are particularly beneficial in cancer and inflammatory diseases. This review provides a comprehensive overview of their formulation strategies, physicochemical characteristics, and biological behavior. Emphasis is placed on therapeutic applications, regulatory considerations, fabrication techniques, and the underlying mechanisms of drug–protein interactions. This review also highlights improved pharmacokinetics and reduced systemic toxicity, while also critically addressing challenges like immunogenicity, protein instability, and production scalability. Recent FDA-approved formulations and emerging innovations in precision medicine and theranostics underscore the transformative potential of protein-based nanosuspensions in next-generation drug delivery systems. Full article

The use of chemical pesticides has led to adverse effects on human health and the environment, prompting the exploration of alternative solutions. This study successfully biosynthesized iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) using chicken egg albumin, which served as reducing and capping agents, and evaluated their antifungal efficacy against Macrophomina phaseolina. The fungicidal potential of Fe₃O₄ NPs was assessed in vitro, demonstrating enhanced inhibition of M. phaseolina’s radial growth with increasing concentrations from 100 ppm to 300 ppm. Dielectric properties were also studied, revealing advantageous current conduction processes and conductive network development with temperature variation, which is particularly beneficial in the low-frequency range. At a fixed pH, dielectric studies showed increased mobile carrier movement and polarization with rising temperature at a fixed frequency. The photocatalytic activity of Fe₃O₄ NPs was assessed for the degradation of methylene blue (MB), an organic dye, under solar irradiation. In this study, Fe₃O₄ NPs photocatalysts achieved 89% (MB) degradation within 75 min. This research underscores the potential of using chicken egg albumin for the biosynthesis of Fe₃O₄ NPs. It offers a promising alternative for plant disease control and highlights their suitability for integration into eco-friendly plant protection strategies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Carvacrol, a monoterpenoid phenol found in essential oils, exhibits many biological activities, including anticancer properties through mechanisms such as induction of apoptosis. These properties can be enhanced if encapsulated within nanoparticles. This study focuses on producing functionalized carvacrol-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) applied to the treatment of breast cancer. Methods: NLCs were produced by hot emulsification with the sonication method and optimized by the Box–Behnken design, considering Precirol^® (1, 4, 7%), carvacrol (1, 5, 9%), and Tween^® (0.1, 0.5, 0.9%) as independent variables. Results: The optimized NLC containing 2% carvacrol had a particle size of 111 ± 2 nm, PdI of 0.26 ± 0.01, and zeta potential of −24 ± 0.8 mV. The solid lipid (Precirol^®) was the variable that most influenced particle size. NLCs were functionalized with Pluronic^® F68, cholesterol, chitosan, and polyethylene glycol (0.05–0.2%), with oNLC-Chol presenting the most promising results, with no significant increase in particle size (±12 nm) and high encapsulation efficiency (98%). Infrared spectra confirm effective carvacrol encapsulation, and stability tests showed no significant physicochemical changes for 120 days of storage at 4 °C. When incubated with albumin (5 mg/mL), NLCs showed overall good stability over 24 h, except for oNLC-Chol, which increased slightly in size after 24 h. In addition, oNLC increased the cytotoxic effect of carvacrol by 12-fold, resulting in an IC₅₀ of 7 ± 1 μg/mL. Conclusions: Therefore, it was possible to produce stable, homogeneous NLCs with nanometric sizes containing 2% carvacrol that displayed improved anticancer efficacy, indicating their potential as a delivery system. Full article

The study examined the sustained release of neem from the polymeric carrier system chitosan by varying the drug content, ionic strength of the release medium, and pH. Six different kinetic models, i.e., Korsmeyer–Peppas (KP), Peppas–Sahlin (PS), Higuchi, Hixson–Crowell, Zero order, and First order were used to investigate the drug release kinetics. Based on the R² values, the KP and PS models were chosen from the examined models to study the drug release mechanism from the chitosan biopolymer. The values found for model parameters n and m in the KP and PS models differ noticeably, suggesting that Fickian diffusion and Case II relaxation are important components of the neem release mechanism from chitosan. At lower ionic strengths and lower pH values, neem is released from the composite mostly by Fickian diffusion. The diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay served to assess the composite’s antioxidant properties. The composite’s antioxidant properties ranged from 3.56 ± 1.89% at 10 μg/mL to 51.28 ± 1.14% at 70 μg/mL. The ability of the composite to inhibit the denaturation of egg albumin was also tested and it ranged from 59.68 ± 0.93% at 25 μg/mL to 187.63 ± 3.53% at 1600 μg/mL. The drug composite has exhibited antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, and proved to be highly effective against P. aeruginosa at lower concentrations and against S. aureus at higher concentrations. The resulting inhibition zones for P. aeruginosa at 5 and 10 mg/mL concentrations were 16.5 ± 2.25 mm, and 14.83 ± 0.6 mm, respectively, whereas for S. aureus, it was 16.67 ± 0.33 mm at 20 mg/mL. The neem–chitosan composite’s minimum inhibitory concentration/minimum bactericidal concentration ratio for K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus was greater than 4, suggesting that they trigger bacteriostatic outcomes, whereas for E. coli, it was 4, which means that bactericidal effects were evident. Full article