Current Nanomedicine - Volume 11, Issue 1, 2021

Recently, nanotherapeutics has revolutionized the major impact on healthcare strategies and health facilities. Nanotherapeutics includes design, development and application of therapeutic agents having nano-size (1-100 nm). Due to implications in gene therapy and drug delivery, nanotherapeutics has received much interest in the current scenario. The major area where research is going on and giving maximum benefits from nano-based delivery system includes cancer diagnosis and targeting. The nanotherapeutics are designed in such a way that they will overcome the major drawbacks of conventional therapy and have multi-functionalities so that it can be targeted to cancer site. Nanotherapeutics have increased the permeability and retention of anticancer agents thereby targeting them to the tumor site. Nanotherapeutics has increased the effectiveness of anticancer agents with less or no toxicity. Likewise, diagnostic imaging is also possible with fluorescent nanoparticles based nanotherapeutics and has major potential applications in recent upcoming years with newer fluorescent nanomaterials for specific cancer targeting. NTs provided the possibility of delivering drugs to specific cells using nanoparticles. The overall drug consumption and side-effects may be lowered significantly by depositing the active agent in the morbid region only and in no higher dose than needed. Thus, attempts have been made to define the nanotherapeutics and to compile the latest developments in the field. Because the topic is of high importance to the general human wellbeing and covers recapitulation of cancer nanotherapeutics and summarizes and restates the main points of nanotherapeutics in the treatment of cancer disease.

Background: The disease leading the whole world in a lockdown state, Coronavirus, is a highly transmitted virus that has spread to the whole world with an intensive speed. Introduction: Novel coronavirus, termed as COVID-19, is an RNA genome comprising spherical spiked structure, which can infect humans by majorly attacking the respiratory system. The infection is characterized by high fever, dry cough and fatigue. The purpose of this review is to highlight the main characteristic features of COVID-19, the symptoms, and the genetic material present in the virus. The review also focuses on the uniqueness of this virus from other viruses, which has made it difficult to develop a vaccine for its cure. Discussion and Conclusion: The review has illustrated the number of people who have been affected by COVID 19 in the world with a special emphasis on India. Analysis has shown that how vastly COVID- 19 has affected human beings.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease of the skin that is chronic, inflammatory, recurring, and affects about 2-5 percent of the population of the world. For treating psoriasis, ample drugs and molecules are available. However, none are safe and efficient for treating the disease without sacrificing the compliance of the patient. Also, existing medications are intended to mitigate the signs and symptoms and 100% cure is not achieved. They do, however, concentrate on treating the illness and relieving the symptoms. Therefore, finding a delivery mechanism that can treat psoriasis safely and efficiently without sacrificing patient enforcement remains a critical task. Nano based formulations present a high prospect of overcoming the weakness of traditional formulations by providing dose reductions, reduced side effects, and dosage frequency with improved efficacy while herbal medicinal products can also be used as potential drugs against psoriasis as they are easily available and are safe. This review focuses primarily on the traditional strategies and recent discoveries of a range of anti-psoriatic drugs in metallic, polymer, and herbal-based formulations. Nanocarriers such as nanoparticles, dendrimers, micelles, nano-capsules, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), ethosome, liposomes have been elaborated. Also, studies relating to the use of Phyto based plants in psoriasis has been discussed. Nano and herbal based formulations, in a nutshell, remain known as a promising approach for treating psoriasis.

Several lipid-based nanophytomedicines for illustrations, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanocomposites, lipid carriers, phytosomes, cubosomes, nanoemulsions, microcapsules, ethosomes, etc., are exploited to enhance the efficacy and safety of various bioactive phytochemicals with respect to their delivery to therapeutic target sites. Less lipid solubility, week stability, complex moiety, and inadequate metabolism in the gut are approximate of the serious problems of phytomedicine that have been emphasized extremely. In addition, these help design therapeutically efficacious and active nanophytomedicines. Disease diagnosis and compound imaging have also become important applications of nano-phytomedicine now. The aim of this review is to provide the current progress of lipid-based nanophytomedicines for the treatment of various life-threatening diseases and their theranostic applications.

Background: Several studies have suggested the potential aptitude of polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)-derived nanoparticles (NPs) to improve the antitumor efficacy of anticancer drugs against colon cancer. Further, conjugation of lectins over the surface of the NPs may ameliorate interaction and thus enhance the attachment of NPs with receptors. Objective: The main goal of the study was to prepare and evaluate the targeting potential (in vivo) of the optimized NPs against colorectal cancer. Methods: The 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) loaded and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-conjugated PLGA- NPs (WFUNPs) were prepared and then they were evaluated in vivo for targeting aptitude of formulation using gamma scintigraphy after oral delivery. The WGA-conjugated and non-conjugated optimized NPs were compared for any significant results. Further, optimized formulations were also assessed for different parameters such as radiolabeling efficiency, sodium pertechnetate uptake, stability of NPs, and organ distribution study. Results: Findings suggested prolonged retention of 99mTc-tagged WFUNPs in the colonic region after 24 h study. Eventually, the outcome from conjugated formulation revealed enhanced bioavailability of the drug in blood plasma for up to 24 h. Conclusion: In conclusion, WGA-conjugation to NPs could improve the performance of the PLGA- NPs in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Background: The occurrence of cancer results in cellular changes that cause the uncontrolled growth and division of cells. Apoptosis removes cells during development and eliminates potentially cancerous cells. The bioactive compounds present in the herbal plant show cytotoxic activity that results in apoptosis. The traditional herbal plants are used worldwide both in allopathy and other traditional ways. Objective: The main objective of this study was to extract the bioactive compound Quercetin from the medicinally significant plant Ocimum sanctum and also to develop nanomedicine as Qu-PEGNiGs. Materials and Methods: Leaf extract of the medicinally significant plant Ocimum sanctum (O. sanctum) has been used for the synthesis of nickel nanoparticles (NiGs) and extraction of quercetin (Qu). The ethanolic extract of Ocimum sanctum was added to 1 mM Nickel nitrate (Ni(NO3)2) and stirred for 3 hrs at room temperature and dried at 60°C for 3hrs and calcinated at 400°C for 2hrs and characterized using Uv-Vis Spectrophotometer, FT-IR, SEM, DLS and zeta potential. The quercetin was isolated from Ocimum sanctum leaf extract using the reflux condenser method. The bio-polymer was PEG-coated over NiGs and quercetin was loaded into it. The apoptosis activity using MCF-7 cells was performed with Qu-PEG-NiGs. The purity of quercetin was characterized using HPLC. In order to analyse apoptosis efficiency, MTT assay, and reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell cycle analysis has been performed. Results: The NiGs absorption spectrum gives a peak at 408nm. The FT-IR confirms the presence of particular functional groups shifting from the compound NiGs and then coated with PEG-Qu- NiGs. The SEM images show the size of NiGs ranging from 27.3 nm to 40.4 nm with varied morphology such as hexagonal and other irregular shapes. The presence of quercetin extracted from the leaf powder is approximately 1.5 mg/g. The ROS results show the Qu-PEG-NiGs induced efficiency of the apoptosis, while the increased concentrations promote ROS and lead to activation of the apoptosis. The cell cycle analysis has shown the cytotoxic effect. Conclusion: The Quercetin loaded PEG coated nickel nanoparticles can be used as a promising chemotherapeutic agent against MCF7 breast cancer cells. Further studies are required for evaluating Qu-PEG-NiGs anticancer activity on different types of cancer cells.

Background: The exciting benefits of Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the biomedical field necessitate generating knowledge on the safety concerns which have been raised over the applications of these NPs. Objective: To understand the biological effects and mechanism of toxicity induction of Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) stabilized AgNPs as well as CTAB alone in mice following intravenous injection. Methods: The investigations were carried out by measuring hematological and serum biochemical parameters, oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and histopathology. Results: AgNPs’ treatment was found to induce a marked decrease (p<0.05) in platelet and lymphocyte count, Serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), and an increase (p<0.05) in granulocytes count and Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) whereas CTAB treatment-induced a decrease in platelet count. The decrease in glutathione (GSH) and an increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels in the liver, spleen, and kidney of mice suggest the potential role of AgNPs in inducing oxidative stress. Genotoxicity was apparent from the increased comet parameters and micronuclei formation observed in the liver, spleen, and kidney of mice treated with AgNPs and CTAB. Histological examination in mice treated with AgNPs and CTAB showed diffused venous congestion and focal venous congestion respectively in the liver, while mild red pulp congestion in the spleen and acute tubular necrosis in the kidney were also observed. Conclusion: There is a need to develop methods to dissolve the toxicity of CTAB, thereby it inducing relatively low or no toxicity without compromising the stability of nanosilver formation. Such insights are believed to be fundamental in the synthesis of high-performance AgNPs demonstrated for outstanding biomedical applications.