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Mitochondria are indispensable in cellular functions such as energy production and death execution. They are emerging as intriguing therapeutic target as their dysregulation was found to be monumental in diseases such as neurodegenerative disease, obesity, and cancer etc. Despite tremendous interest being focused on therapeutically intervening mitochondrial function, few mito-active drugs were successfully developed, particularly due to challenges in delivering active compound to this organelle. In this review, effort in utilizing nanotechnology for targeted mitochondrial delivery of compound is expounded based on the nature of the nanomaterial used. The advantage and potential offered are discussed alongside the limitation. Finally the review is concluded with perspectives of the application of nanocarrier in mitochondrial medicine, given the unresolved concern on potential complications.

The use of antigen delivery systems is essential for inducing antitumor immune responses. Among these, virus-like particles (VLPs) increase the immunogenicity of coupled antigens to stimulate cellular and humoral immune responses. In particular, non-enveloped or capsid VLPs (cVLPs) are a promising antigen delivery system option due to their additional advantages of high production yields and low cost. This review summarizes the latest works on cVLPs in cancer vaccines, supporting cVLPs as a tumor antigen delivery system for immunotherapy and addressing some critical aspects of cVLP use such as production, assembly, decoration and immunization strategies, which can improve the effectiveness of cancer vaccines based on cVLPs.

We examined the long-term result of rhBMP-2(recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2), delivered in a IBM (insoluble bone matrix) particles implant, on heterotopic bone formation in rats in order to evaluate the IBM delivery system, and look forward to finding an effective carrier which can be applied clinically from this clue.

Chondroblast cells conforming to the shapes of lacunae with the basophilic matrix were merely observed at one and two weeks after implantation. The chondroid tissue was partially absorbed at two weeks after implantation. Bone formation and remodelling was noticed from two weeks. Both endochondral and intramembranous ossification were observed and the former was predominant at two weeks. Bone marrow-like structure was observed at three weeks and fatten marrow was found from four weeks. From seven weeks after implantation, new bone formation and absorption were not active. The IBM particles which covered by new bone were also in a stable state, and by the end of 9 weeks the mature bone tissue was still existent. Thus rhBMP-2 and IBM composites has high osteoinductive capability and the newly formed bone is relatively stable for a long time. This results indicate that IBM provides a excellent delivery system in early period of rhBMP-2 induced bone formation. After the remodeling of new bone, IBM seem to be turned into a part of bone matrix.