Biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles provides many advantages over synthetic nanoparticles including clean and non-toxic approaches. Nanoparticle-based application for the development of diagnostics and therapeutics is a promising field that requires further enrichment and investigation. The use of biological systems for the generation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has been extensively studied. The search for a biocompatibility approach for the development of nanoparticles is of great interest since it can provide more targeting and less toxicity. Here, we reported a bio-reductive approach of gold to AuNPs using metabolites extracted from mammalian cells, which provided a simple and efficient way for the synthesis of nanomaterials. AuNPs were more efficiently synthesized by the metabolites extracted from breast cancer (MCF7) and normal fibroblasts (F180) cells when compared to metabolites extracted from cell-free supernatants. The metabolites involved in biogenic synthesis are mainly alcohols and acids. Spectroscopic characterization using UV-visible spectra, morphological characterization using electron microscopy and structural characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the AuNPs synthesis from mammalian cells metabolites. AuNPs generated from MCF7 cells metabolites showed significant anticancer activities against MCF7 and low toxicity when compared to those generated from F180 cells metabolites. The results reflected the cytotoxic activities of the parent metabolites extracted from MCF7 versus those extracted from F180. Comparative metabolomics analysis indicated that MCF7-generated AuNPs harbored tetratetracontane, octacosane, and cyclotetradecane while those generated from F180 harbored a high percentage of stearic, palmitic, heptadecanoic acid. We related the variation in cytotoxic activities between cell types to the

: The field of cancer research has massively grown in recent decades, leading to a better understanding of the underlying causes and greatly improved the therapeutic approaches. Breast cancer (BC) is the third leading cause of mortality among all cancers and the most common malignant disease in women worldwide, representing one in four cancers in women. The crosstalk between cancer cells and the surrounding microenvironment is crucial for tumor progression and metastatic process. Tumor cells communicate not only through classical paracrine signaling mechanisms, including cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, but also through“exosomes”. Exosomes are nano-vesicles that are released by various types of cells. Over the last decade, researchers have been attracted to the role of exosomes in breast cancer. It has been proven that exosomes influence major tumor-related pathways, including invasion, migration, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis, and drug resistance. Additionally, exosomes play important roles in clinical applications. Several studies have demonstrated the potential applications of exosomes in cancer therapy and diagnosis. Furthermore, exosomes have been engineered to function as nano-delivery systems of chemotherapeutic drugs. They can also be designed as vaccines to trigger the patient’s immune system. This review discusses the recent progress regarding the use of exosomes as drug delivery systems, therapeutic agents, biomarkers, and vaccines against breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed and second leading cause of death among women worldwide. Elevated levels of lipids have been reported in BC patients. On the other hand, lipids play an important role in coronavirus infections including the newly emerged disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and designated COVID-19 by WHO. Cancer patients including BC have been reported to be at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which is mostly attributed to the chronic immunosuppressive status of cancer patients along with the use of cytotoxic drugs. Here in this review, we highlighted the role of dyslipidemia associated with BC patients in the incidence and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Elevated levels of lipids namely phospholipids, cholesterol, sphingolipids, and eicosanoids in the serum of BC patients and their re-localization to the alveolar spaces can increase susceptibility and/or severity due to SARA-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, manipulation of dyslipidemia in BC patients should be recommended as prophylactic and therapy against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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