The Effect of Dantonic Pill on ? -Catenin Expression in a Rat Model of Streptozotocin-Induced Early Stage of Diabetic Nephropathy.

The Effect of Dantonic Pill on ? -Catenin Expression in a Rat Model of Streptozotocin-Induced Early Stage of Diabetic Nephropathy.

J Diabetes Res. 2013; 2013: 848679
Shuhong Z, Hongjun L, Bo C, Li X, Bingyin S

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common causes of end-stage renal failure. This study was performed to determine the effect of Dantonic Pill (DP) treatment on ? -catenin expression in a rat model of streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced early-stage DN, with irbesartan treatment as a positive control. Including an analysis of the general metabolic index and renal function, immunohistochemical staining and reverse transcription real-time PCR for ? -catenin were performed in the renal cortex of the rat models every 4 weeks. After the treatments of DP and irbesartan, the albuminuria level, kidney weight/body weight, and thickness of the glomerular basement membrane were decreased, but the expression of ? -catenin was not downregulated in the renal cortex. The effective drug target of DP to ameliorate albuminuria and renal hypertrophy should not inhibit the upregulated expression of ? -catenin in rats with STZ-induced early-stage diabetic damage. HubMed – drug

Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy of iRGD-Conjugated Crosslinked Multilayer Liposomes for Drug Delivery.

Biomed Res Int. 2013; 2013: 378380
Liu Y, Ji M, Wong MK, Joo KI, Wang P

Targeting nanoparticles by conjugating various specific ligands has shown potential therapeutic efficacy in nanomedicine. However, poor penetration of antitumor drugs into solid tumors remains a major obstacle. Here, we describe a targeting strategy for antitumor drug delivery by conjugating a crosslinked multilamellar liposomal vesicle (cMLV) formulation with a tumor-penetrating peptide, iRGD. The results showed that iRGD peptides could facilitate the binding and cellular uptake of drug-loaded cMLVs and consequently enhance the antitumor efficacy in breast tumor cells, including multidrug-resistant cells. Moreover, colocalization data revealed that iRGD-conjugated cMLVs (iRGD-cMLVs) entered cells via the clathrin-mediated pathway, followed by endosome-lysosome transport for efficient drug delivery. Finally, in vivo study indicated that iRGD-cMLVs could deliver anticancer drugs efficiently to mediate significant tumor suppression. HubMed – drug

Application of Nanoparticles on Diagnosis and Therapy in Gliomas.

Biomed Res Int. 2013; 2013: 351031
Hernández-Pedro NY, Rangel-López E, Magaña-Maldonado R, de la Cruz VP, Santamaría Del Angel A, Pineda B, Sotelo J

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most deadly diseases that affect humans, and it is characterized by high resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Its median survival is only fourteen months, and this dramatic prognosis has stilled without changes during the last two decades; consequently GBM remains as an unsolved clinical problem. Therefore, alternative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are needed for gliomas. Nanoparticles represent an innovative tool in research and therapies in GBM due to their capacity of self-assembly, small size, increased stability, biocompatibility, tumor-specific targeting using antibodies or ligands, encapsulation and delivery of antineoplastic drugs, and increasing the contact surface between cells and nanomaterials. The active targeting of nanoparticles through conjugation with cell surface markers could enhance the efficacy of nanoparticles for delivering several agents into the tumoral area while significantly reducing toxicity in living systems. Nanoparticles can exploit some biological pathways to achieve specific delivery to cellular and intracellular targets, including transport across the blood-brain barrier, which many anticancer drugs cannot bypass. This review addresses the advancements of nanoparticles in drug delivery, imaging, diagnosis, and therapy in gliomas. The mechanisms of action, potential effects, and therapeutic results of these systems and their future applications in GBM are discussed. HubMed – drug