RNA interfering(RNAi), mediated by small interfering RNAs and microRNAs, is currently one of the most promising tools of gene therapy. Small RNAs are capable of inducing specific post-transcriptional gene silencing, p...RNA interfering(RNAi), mediated by small interfering RNAs and microRNAs, is currently one of the most promising tools of gene therapy. Small RNAs are capable of inducing specific post-transcriptional gene silencing, providing a potentially effective platform for the treatment of a wide array of diseases. However, similar to other nucleic acid-based drugs,the major hurdle of RNAi therapy is lack of efficient and non-immunogenic delivery vehicles. Currently, viruses, synthetic polymers, and lipid-based carriers are among the most widely studied vehicles for small RNA delivery. However, many drawbacks are reported to be associated with these delivery vehicles. There is a pressing need to replace them with more efficient and better-tolerated approaches. Exosomes secreted from the endocytic compartment of live cells, are a subtype of endogenous extracellular vesicles that transfer genetic and biochemical information among different cells, thus playing an important role in cellcell communication. Recently, accumulating attention has been focused on harnessing exosomes as nanaocarriers for small RNAs delivery. Due to their natural role in shuttling endogenous nucleic acid in our body, exosomes may exhibit higher delivery efficiency, lower immunogenicity, and better compatibility than existing foreign RNA carriers. Importantly,exosomes own intrinsic homing capacity that can guide small RNAs across natural membranous barriers. Moreover, such a capacity can be further improved by adding appropriate targeting moieties. In this manuscript, we briefly review the progress and challenges of RNAi therapy, and discuss the potential of exosomes' applications in small RNA delivery with focus on the most recent advances in exosome-based small RNA delivery for disease therapy.展开更多
Bioequivalence(BE) assessment of topical dermatological products is a long standing challenge. The development of generic topical dermatological products has often been hampered due to the limited number of acceptable...Bioequivalence(BE) assessment of topical dermatological products is a long standing challenge. The development of generic topical dermatological products has often been hampered due to the limited number of acceptable approaches, which are capable of determining the BE between generic products and reference list products. The aim of this manuscript is to review different BE assessment approaches of topical dermatological products. Besides, the advances in BE evaluation and biowaivers are also provided. Currently, except in the case of dermatological corticosteroids, the golden rule to establish the BE of most topical dermatological products still heavily relied on clinical endpoint trials,which are often unreliable, time-consuming and expensive. The regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical industries are forging ahead to the development of new surrogate BE assessment approaches for other topical dermatological products. These promising approaches include dermatopharmacokinetic study(DPK), dermal microdialysis(DMD), in vitro studies, pharmacokinetic study(PK), near-infrared spectrometry(NIR), and confocal Raman spectroscopy(CRS). In addition, the expansion of biowaivers for topical dermatological products has been explored by pharmaceutical scientists. In conclusion, to accelerate the development and approval of topical dermatological products, emphasis should be put on the following areas, i.e., optimizing and standardizing the existing BE assessment methods, exploring novel alternatives of BE assessment approaches, and expanding biowaivers for topical dermatological products.展开更多
A cationic gene delivery vector, guanidinylated disulfide-containing poly(amido amine)(CARCBA), was synthesized by Michael addition reaction between N,N′-cystaminebisacrylamide(CBA) and guanidine hydrochloride(CAR). ...A cationic gene delivery vector, guanidinylated disulfide-containing poly(amido amine)(CARCBA), was synthesized by Michael addition reaction between N,N′-cystaminebisacrylamide(CBA) and guanidine hydrochloride(CAR). Gel permeation chromatography(GPC) was used to evaluate the molecular weight of synthesized CAR-CBA. Polyethyleneimine(PEI) with molecular weight of 25 kDa was adopted as a reference, and polyethylene glycols(PEG) with different molecular weights were used to establish a standard curve for determining the molecular weight of CAR-CBA. The effects of two critical factors, namely columns and eluents,on the molecular weight measurement of CAR-CBA were investigated to optimize the GPC quantitative method. The results showed that Ultrahydrogel columns(120, 250) and HAc–NaAc(0.5 M, pH 4.5) buffer solution were the optimal column and GPC eluent, respectively.The molecular weight of the synthesized CAR-CBA was analyzed by the optimized GPC method and determined to be 24.66 kDa.展开更多
Guanidinylated bioresponsive poly(amido amine)s polymers, CAR-CBA and CHL-CBA, weresynthesized by Michael-type addition reaction between guanidine hydrochloride(CAR) orchlorhexidine(CHL) and N,N-cystaminebisacrylamide...Guanidinylated bioresponsive poly(amido amine)s polymers, CAR-CBA and CHL-CBA, weresynthesized by Michael-type addition reaction between guanidine hydrochloride(CAR) orchlorhexidine(CHL) and N,N-cystaminebisacrylamide(CBA). Previous studies have shownthat both polymers had high transfection efficiencies as gene delivery carriers. In this study,we investigated the nucleolus localization abilities and cellular internalization pathways ofthese two polymers in gene delivery. Each polymer condensed plasmid DNA(p DNA) andformed nanoparticle complexes, and then their transfection studies were performed inMCF-7 cells. Both complexes were found enriched in nucleolus after cellular transfection,and their transfection efficiencies were significantly improved when transfection was per-formed on MCF-7 cells arrested at M phase. The transfection efficiency of CAR-CBA-pDNAwas inhibited by chlorpromazine, and cell endosomes were disrupted after being exposedto CAR-CBA-pDNA. In regards to CHL-CBA-pDNA, its transfection efficiency was not affected by three types of endocytosis inhibitors used in the study, and CHL-CBA-pDNA showed no effect on endosomes. Cellular lactate dehydrogenase release and membrane morphology were changed after cells were transfected by the two complexes. The results indicated that both CAR-CBA and CHL-CBA polymers demonstrated good nucleolus localization abilities. It was beneficial for transfection when cells were arrested at M phase. CAR-CBA-pDNA cellular internalization was involved with clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway, and escaping from endosomal entrapment, while the cellular uptake of CHL-CBA-pDNA occurs via clathrin-and caveolae-independent mechanism.展开更多
Most of the newly developed drug candidates are lipophilic and poorly water-soluble. Enhancing the dissolution and bioavailability of these drugs is a major challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. Liquisolid techni...Most of the newly developed drug candidates are lipophilic and poorly water-soluble. Enhancing the dissolution and bioavailability of these drugs is a major challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. Liquisolid technique, which is based on the conversion of the drug in liquid state into an apparently dry, non-adherent, free flowing and compressible powder,is a novel and advanced approach to tackle the issue. The objective of this article is to present an overview of liquisolid technique and summarize the progress of its applications in pharmaceutics. Low cost, simple processing and great potentials in industrial production are main advantages of this approach. In addition to the enhancement of dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs, this technique is also a fairly new technique to effectively retard drug release. Furthermore, liquisolid technique has been investigated as a tool to minimize the effect of pH variation on drug release and as a promising alternative to conventional coating for the improvement of drug photostability in solid dosage forms. Overall, liquisolid technique is a newly developed and promising tool for enhancing drug dissolution and sustaining drug release, and its potential applications in pharmaceutics are still being broadened.展开更多
Immunotherapy has revolutionized the landscape of cancer treatment.However,single immunotherapy only works well in a small subset of patients.Combined immunotherapy with antitumor synergism holds considerable potentia...Immunotherapy has revolutionized the landscape of cancer treatment.However,single immunotherapy only works well in a small subset of patients.Combined immunotherapy with antitumor synergism holds considerable potential to boost the therapeutic outcome.Nevertheless,the synergistic,additive or antagonistic antitumor effects of combined immunotherapies have been rarely explored.Herein,we established a novel combined cancer treatment modality by synergizing p21-activated kinase 4(PAK4)silencing with immunogenic phototherapy in engineered extracellular vesicles(EVs)that were fabricated by coating M1 macrophage-derived EVs on the surface of the nano-complex cores assembled with si RNA against PAK4 and a photoactivatable polyethyleneimine.The engineered EVs induced potent PAK4 silencing and robust immunogenic phototherapy,thus contributing to effective antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo.Moreover,the antitumor synergism of the combined treatment was quantitatively determined by the Compu Syn method.The combination index(CI)and isobologram results confirmed that there was an antitumor synergism for the combined treatment.Furthermore,the dose reduction index(DRI)showed favorable dose reduction,revealing lower toxicity and higher biocompatibility of the engineered EVs.Collectively,the study presents a synergistically potentiated cancer treatment modality by combining PAK4 silencing with immunogenic phototherapy in engineered EVs,which is promising for boosting the therapeutic outcome of cancer immunotherapy.展开更多
In South China,the tropical weather and climate result in severe sugarcane lodging problems which greatly hinders sugarcane mechanical harvesting.The main function of the crop divider is to lift lodged canes and facil...In South China,the tropical weather and climate result in severe sugarcane lodging problems which greatly hinders sugarcane mechanical harvesting.The main function of the crop divider is to lift lodged canes and facilitate base-cut cane feeding.In this study,a series of field tests were conducted on crop dividers of Liugong 4GQ-180 sugarcane chopper harvester.The tests were designed to identify the relationships of the performance index(maximum lifting height of sugarcane)and the main influencing factors(machine forward speed,rotational speed of inside scrolls,and ground clearance of crop divider toes).The single factor test was conducted to determine optimum range of these test factors:the forward speed(FS)was 2.0-4.0 km/h,the rotational speed of inside scrolls(RS)was 100-140 r/min,and the toe ground clearance(GC)was 0-5 cm.The orthogonal test(three factors and three levels)was carried out to determine the optimal combination of operating parameters:FS was 2.0 km/h,RS was 115 r/min,and GC was 0 cm.In addition,the range analysis of orthogonal test results revealed that the order of each test factor affecting crop divider performance was RS,FS,GC.This study was expected to provide valuable references for the optimal operation of sugarcane harvester crop dividers.展开更多
基金the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.81373335)Liaoning Province Natural Science Foundation (Grant No.20170541025)
文摘RNA interfering(RNAi), mediated by small interfering RNAs and microRNAs, is currently one of the most promising tools of gene therapy. Small RNAs are capable of inducing specific post-transcriptional gene silencing, providing a potentially effective platform for the treatment of a wide array of diseases. However, similar to other nucleic acid-based drugs,the major hurdle of RNAi therapy is lack of efficient and non-immunogenic delivery vehicles. Currently, viruses, synthetic polymers, and lipid-based carriers are among the most widely studied vehicles for small RNA delivery. However, many drawbacks are reported to be associated with these delivery vehicles. There is a pressing need to replace them with more efficient and better-tolerated approaches. Exosomes secreted from the endocytic compartment of live cells, are a subtype of endogenous extracellular vesicles that transfer genetic and biochemical information among different cells, thus playing an important role in cellcell communication. Recently, accumulating attention has been focused on harnessing exosomes as nanaocarriers for small RNAs delivery. Due to their natural role in shuttling endogenous nucleic acid in our body, exosomes may exhibit higher delivery efficiency, lower immunogenicity, and better compatibility than existing foreign RNA carriers. Importantly,exosomes own intrinsic homing capacity that can guide small RNAs across natural membranous barriers. Moreover, such a capacity can be further improved by adding appropriate targeting moieties. In this manuscript, we briefly review the progress and challenges of RNAi therapy, and discuss the potential of exosomes' applications in small RNA delivery with focus on the most recent advances in exosome-based small RNA delivery for disease therapy.
文摘Bioequivalence(BE) assessment of topical dermatological products is a long standing challenge. The development of generic topical dermatological products has often been hampered due to the limited number of acceptable approaches, which are capable of determining the BE between generic products and reference list products. The aim of this manuscript is to review different BE assessment approaches of topical dermatological products. Besides, the advances in BE evaluation and biowaivers are also provided. Currently, except in the case of dermatological corticosteroids, the golden rule to establish the BE of most topical dermatological products still heavily relied on clinical endpoint trials,which are often unreliable, time-consuming and expensive. The regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical industries are forging ahead to the development of new surrogate BE assessment approaches for other topical dermatological products. These promising approaches include dermatopharmacokinetic study(DPK), dermal microdialysis(DMD), in vitro studies, pharmacokinetic study(PK), near-infrared spectrometry(NIR), and confocal Raman spectroscopy(CRS). In addition, the expansion of biowaivers for topical dermatological products has been explored by pharmaceutical scientists. In conclusion, to accelerate the development and approval of topical dermatological products, emphasis should be put on the following areas, i.e., optimizing and standardizing the existing BE assessment methods, exploring novel alternatives of BE assessment approaches, and expanding biowaivers for topical dermatological products.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China for financial support(No.81373335)
文摘A cationic gene delivery vector, guanidinylated disulfide-containing poly(amido amine)(CARCBA), was synthesized by Michael addition reaction between N,N′-cystaminebisacrylamide(CBA) and guanidine hydrochloride(CAR). Gel permeation chromatography(GPC) was used to evaluate the molecular weight of synthesized CAR-CBA. Polyethyleneimine(PEI) with molecular weight of 25 kDa was adopted as a reference, and polyethylene glycols(PEG) with different molecular weights were used to establish a standard curve for determining the molecular weight of CAR-CBA. The effects of two critical factors, namely columns and eluents,on the molecular weight measurement of CAR-CBA were investigated to optimize the GPC quantitative method. The results showed that Ultrahydrogel columns(120, 250) and HAc–NaAc(0.5 M, pH 4.5) buffer solution were the optimal column and GPC eluent, respectively.The molecular weight of the synthesized CAR-CBA was analyzed by the optimized GPC method and determined to be 24.66 kDa.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 81373335)
文摘Guanidinylated bioresponsive poly(amido amine)s polymers, CAR-CBA and CHL-CBA, weresynthesized by Michael-type addition reaction between guanidine hydrochloride(CAR) orchlorhexidine(CHL) and N,N-cystaminebisacrylamide(CBA). Previous studies have shownthat both polymers had high transfection efficiencies as gene delivery carriers. In this study,we investigated the nucleolus localization abilities and cellular internalization pathways ofthese two polymers in gene delivery. Each polymer condensed plasmid DNA(p DNA) andformed nanoparticle complexes, and then their transfection studies were performed inMCF-7 cells. Both complexes were found enriched in nucleolus after cellular transfection,and their transfection efficiencies were significantly improved when transfection was per-formed on MCF-7 cells arrested at M phase. The transfection efficiency of CAR-CBA-pDNAwas inhibited by chlorpromazine, and cell endosomes were disrupted after being exposedto CAR-CBA-pDNA. In regards to CHL-CBA-pDNA, its transfection efficiency was not affected by three types of endocytosis inhibitors used in the study, and CHL-CBA-pDNA showed no effect on endosomes. Cellular lactate dehydrogenase release and membrane morphology were changed after cells were transfected by the two complexes. The results indicated that both CAR-CBA and CHL-CBA polymers demonstrated good nucleolus localization abilities. It was beneficial for transfection when cells were arrested at M phase. CAR-CBA-pDNA cellular internalization was involved with clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway, and escaping from endosomal entrapment, while the cellular uptake of CHL-CBA-pDNA occurs via clathrin-and caveolae-independent mechanism.
文摘Most of the newly developed drug candidates are lipophilic and poorly water-soluble. Enhancing the dissolution and bioavailability of these drugs is a major challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. Liquisolid technique, which is based on the conversion of the drug in liquid state into an apparently dry, non-adherent, free flowing and compressible powder,is a novel and advanced approach to tackle the issue. The objective of this article is to present an overview of liquisolid technique and summarize the progress of its applications in pharmaceutics. Low cost, simple processing and great potentials in industrial production are main advantages of this approach. In addition to the enhancement of dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs, this technique is also a fairly new technique to effectively retard drug release. Furthermore, liquisolid technique has been investigated as a tool to minimize the effect of pH variation on drug release and as a promising alternative to conventional coating for the improvement of drug photostability in solid dosage forms. Overall, liquisolid technique is a newly developed and promising tool for enhancing drug dissolution and sustaining drug release, and its potential applications in pharmaceutics are still being broadened.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32101157,82104105,31871003,32171394,32030060)National Key Research&Development Program of China(2021YFA1201000,2021YFE0106900,2021YFC2302400,2018YFE0117800)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2022CX01013,China)China Post-doctoral Science Foundation(2021M693966)。
文摘Immunotherapy has revolutionized the landscape of cancer treatment.However,single immunotherapy only works well in a small subset of patients.Combined immunotherapy with antitumor synergism holds considerable potential to boost the therapeutic outcome.Nevertheless,the synergistic,additive or antagonistic antitumor effects of combined immunotherapies have been rarely explored.Herein,we established a novel combined cancer treatment modality by synergizing p21-activated kinase 4(PAK4)silencing with immunogenic phototherapy in engineered extracellular vesicles(EVs)that were fabricated by coating M1 macrophage-derived EVs on the surface of the nano-complex cores assembled with si RNA against PAK4 and a photoactivatable polyethyleneimine.The engineered EVs induced potent PAK4 silencing and robust immunogenic phototherapy,thus contributing to effective antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo.Moreover,the antitumor synergism of the combined treatment was quantitatively determined by the Compu Syn method.The combination index(CI)and isobologram results confirmed that there was an antitumor synergism for the combined treatment.Furthermore,the dose reduction index(DRI)showed favorable dose reduction,revealing lower toxicity and higher biocompatibility of the engineered EVs.Collectively,the study presents a synergistically potentiated cancer treatment modality by combining PAK4 silencing with immunogenic phototherapy in engineered EVs,which is promising for boosting the therapeutic outcome of cancer immunotherapy.
基金The research presented in this work was partially supported by the Major Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32071916)the Major State Research Development Program of China(Grant No.2016YFD0701200)+1 种基金and China Agricultural University,Institute for New Rural Development Guangxi Fusui Professor Workstation Grant(No.201805510710115)Any opinions,findings,and conclusions expressed in this work are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of China Agricultural University.The authors acknowledge Mr.Xiangwei Li,Mr.Xiaobin Huang,Mr.Yuanmin Gan and Mr.Pingang Wu for their help in the harvesting test.
文摘In South China,the tropical weather and climate result in severe sugarcane lodging problems which greatly hinders sugarcane mechanical harvesting.The main function of the crop divider is to lift lodged canes and facilitate base-cut cane feeding.In this study,a series of field tests were conducted on crop dividers of Liugong 4GQ-180 sugarcane chopper harvester.The tests were designed to identify the relationships of the performance index(maximum lifting height of sugarcane)and the main influencing factors(machine forward speed,rotational speed of inside scrolls,and ground clearance of crop divider toes).The single factor test was conducted to determine optimum range of these test factors:the forward speed(FS)was 2.0-4.0 km/h,the rotational speed of inside scrolls(RS)was 100-140 r/min,and the toe ground clearance(GC)was 0-5 cm.The orthogonal test(three factors and three levels)was carried out to determine the optimal combination of operating parameters:FS was 2.0 km/h,RS was 115 r/min,and GC was 0 cm.In addition,the range analysis of orthogonal test results revealed that the order of each test factor affecting crop divider performance was RS,FS,GC.This study was expected to provide valuable references for the optimal operation of sugarcane harvester crop dividers.
