Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapy drug used for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment, but its effectiveness can be dramatically dampened by cancer cell chemoresistance. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is implicated with drug resistance in a range of cancers (e.g., HCC), and the STAT3 inhibition can reverse the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. In the present study, a combination regimen to improve the efficiency of DOX was provided via the STAT3 blockade using plumbagin (PLB). A poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) decorated by polyethylene glycol and aminoethyl anisamide was produced in the present study with the hope of generating the nanoparticles for co-delivery of DOX and PLB. The resulting co-formulation suppressed the STAT3 activity and achieved the synergistic chemotherapy, which led to tumor inhibition in the mice with subcutaneous DOX-resistant HCC, without causing any toxicity. The present study reveals the synergism of DOX and PLB, and demonstrates a promising combinatorial approach for treating HCC.
Bacterial biofilms play a critical role in chronic wound infections by significantly delaying wound healing. Staphylococcus aureus , one of the most prevalent biofilm-forming pathogens, secretes extracellular polymeric substances that effectively protect it from host immune defenses and antibiotic treatments. To address this challenge, nanoscale antibacterial strategies have attracted increasing attention in recent years. By encapsulating antibacterial agents within nanocarriers, drug penetration into biofilms can be enhanced, thereby improving bioavailability. In this study, we synthesized bovine serum albumin-functionalized carbon nanoparticles (CB) via the functionalization method. The antibacterial agent plumbagin (PLB) was subsequently loaded onto them to form nanocomposites (CB-PLB). We comprehensively characterized their physicochemical properties, including particle size, polydispersity index, morphology, drug-loading efficiency, thermal behavior (differential scanning calorimetry, DSC), crystallinity (X-ray diffraction, XRD), spectroscopic features, solubility, and in vitro drug-release profiles. Specifically, we examined the impact of CB-PLB on both biofilm formation and established mature biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus . In comparison to PLB, CB-PLB showed better antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity against formed and matured biofilm using crystal violet staining and XTT assay. High-content screening imaging analyses confirmed that CB-PLB exerted potent disruptive effects, including reduction of biomass, mean thickness, and alteration of biofilm roughness. Furthermore, molecular docking analysis confirmed specific interactions among carbon nanoparticles (CNP), PLB, and bovine serum albumin (BSA). These findings highlight the synergistic interaction between CB and PLB, suggesting that CB is a promising nanocarrier for hydrophobic antibacterial agents.
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）