Celiac disease (CD) is a severe autoimmune disorder induced by gluten exposure and a complex interplay of environmental contributors and genetics. While a gluten-free diet (GFD) is the primary approach for managing CD, it is relatively costly, inconvenient, and challenging to follow. Recently, emerging studies have focused on pro-, pre-, and postbiotics, which have been demonstrated to break down gluten and provide a protective effect against the damage exerted by gluten. Thus, this study aimed to utilize postbiotic fractions obtained from the probiotic bacterium Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in the management of CD. The efficacy of the resulting postbiotic in both free and liposomal forms has been studied on the Caco-2 cell line as a model of CD. The particle size and Z potential of liposome-encapsulated postbiotic were assessed at about 289 ± 9.6 nm and −70.1 ± 3.8 mV, respectively. An encapsulation efficiency (EE, %) of 81.83 ± 3.2% and a sustained release profile were noted for the liposome-encapsulated postbiotic. The MTT assay was employed to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of free and liposomal postbiotic on Caco-2 cells. The free and liposomal postbiotic demonstrated less toxicity than gliadin toward the investigated cell line. Importantly, cotreatment of free and liposomal postbiotics with gliadin remarkably reduced the toxic effects of gliadin. The findings of this research revealed that the evaluated postbiotic from L. plantarum, particularly in its liposomal form, can significantly reduce zonulin secretion and have a protective effect against gluten-induced damage.
Pediatric respiratory diseases are a major burden of global disease because they are very common and their pathophysiological mechanisms are complex. Conventional therapies have suboptimal pulmonary deposition, systemic toxicity, and poor patient compliance in children. Nanomedicine based interventions provide targeted pulmonary delivery, promote increased bioavailability, controlled drug release and reduce toxicity. Pulmonary deposition, epithelial uptake and intracellular trafficking are regulated by the physicochemical properties and the functionalization of nanoparticles. Preclinical studies in juvenile animal models show superior pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, preclinical therapeutic efficacy and preliminary clinical studies in pediatric patients show favorable safety and tolerability characteristics. There are still challenges associated with translation, such as immunotoxicity, regulatory issues, and optimizing doses in children. New strategies that combine AI-assisted design and synthesis of nanoparticles, nanotheranostics, and biodegradable 2D nanomaterials have potential to address these challenges. In this review, recent advances in pediatric nanomedicine for respiratory diseases are discussed with special focus on mechanistic understanding, preclinical evidence, translation to the clinics and future directions of the therapeutic platforms.
Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent and life-threatening malignancies affecting women globally, and the development of precision therapeutic platforms capable of overcoming the inherent limitations of conventional monotherapies is a pressing clinical imperative. Here, we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a macrophage membrane-camouflaged IrO2-IR808 nanoplatform (IrO2-IR808@M1) that achieves precise and synergistic tumor ablation through the cooperative action of photothermal/photodynamic therapy (PDT). The IrO2 nanocore provides efficient light-to-heat conversion and catalase-like activity that locally generates oxygen to sustain PDT efficacy in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, while the covalently conjugated near-infrared (NIR) photosensitizer IR808 provides complementary NIR absorption and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Under 808 nm NIR irradiation, IrO2-IR808@M1 achieves rapid and reproducible temperature elevation with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of 55.22%, translating into potent concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and pronounced tumor growth suppression in syngeneic 4T1 murine models without discernible systemic toxicity. The M1 macrophage membrane camouflage confers extended systemic circulation, enhanced colloidal stability, and strengthened tumor selectivity through immune-mimetic surface interactions. This bioinspired, self-oxygen-supplying nanoplatform establishes a concise and translatable blueprint for precision phototherapy in breast cancer, with implications for broader application across solid tumor indications.
The heterogeneity of glioblastoma and recurrence pose a major threat to the life of brain cancer patients. The failure of the current therapeutic regime in preventing its recurrence leads to a growing need for effective cancer treatments with lesser side effects. Previous studies have shown the potential of plants extract to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against U-87 MG cell line. However, the need for optimum sized and effective nanoparticles is still not fulfilled. Hence, the current work aimed to utilize size controlled bioavailable AgNPs capped with Aloe barbadensis (aqueous extracts) and study their effectiveness against U-87 MG cells. Two different concentrations of Aloe vera extract (ALE) viz. ALE1 and ALE2, were used. Their physiochemistry was characterized via UV-Vis, dynamic light scattering (DLS), FE-SEM (50-60 nm diameter), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The observed zeta potentials were -8 and -16 mV for ALE1- and ALE2-AgNPs, respectively. This indicated that ALE2-AgNPs were more stable. Further, the anticancer potency of both ALE-AgNPs at 0, 24, and 48 h was evaluated. MTT-assay revealed ALE2-AgNPs were more cytotoxic, significantly inhibiting the proliferation of U-87 MG, indicating their dose-dependent cytotoxicity. At an effective concentration of ALE2-AgNPs, (i.e., 10 & micro;g/mL) viability of cancer cell line decreased significantly to 40% after 24 h of treatment. In apoptotic analysis pronounced elevation in early apoptotic cells was noted (5.1% and 9.9% for ALE1- and ALE2-AgNPs, respectively). The significant cytotoxicity and observed apoptosis induction shows ALE-AgNPs's therapeutic potential against glioblastoma and aqueous extract shows its high biocompatibility, thus having significant probability to be translated in clinical settings.
