Nanomedicine : nanotechnology, biology, and medicine最新文献

Cytoreductive surgery remains as the gold standard to treat ovarian cancer, but with limited efficacy since not all tumors can be intraoperatively visualized for resection. We have engineered erythrocyte-derived nano-constructs that encapsulate the near infrared (NIR) fluorophore, indocyanine green (ICG), as optical probes for NIR fluorescence imaging of ovarian tumors. Herein, we have enriched the membrane of these nano-constructs with cholesterol, and functionalized their surface with folic acid (FA) to target the folate receptor-α. Using a mouse model, we show that the average fraction of the injected dose per tumor mass for nano-constructs with both membrane cholesterol enrichment and FA functionalization was ~ sixfold higher than non-encapsulated ICG, ~ twofold higher than nano-constructs enriched with cholesterol alone, and 33 % higher than nano-constructs with only FA functionalization at 24-h post-injection. These results suggest that erythrocyte-derived nano-constructs containing both cholesterol and FA present a platform for improved fluorescence imaging of ovarian tumors.

Fracture healing is a complex interplay of molecular and cellular mechanisms lasting from days to weeks. The inflammatory phase is the first stage of fracture healing and is critical in setting the stage for successful healing. There has been growing interest in exploring the role of the immune system and novel therapeutic strategies, such as nanoparticle drug delivery systems in enhancing fracture healing. Advancements in nanotechnology have revolutionized drug delivery systems to the extent that they can modulate immune response during fracture healing by leveraging unique physiochemical properties. Therefore, understanding the intricate interactions between nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems and the immune response, specifically macrophages, is essential for therapeutic efficacy. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between the immune system and nanoparticles during fracture healing. Specifically, we highlight the influence of nanoparticle characteristics, such as size, surface properties, and composition, on macrophage activation, polarization, and subsequent immune responses.

Impact statement

This review provides valuable insights into the interplay between fracture healing, the immune system, and nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. Understanding nanoparticle-macrophage interactions can advance the development of innovative therapeutic approaches to enhance fracture healing, improve patient outcomes, and pave the way for advancements in regenerative medicine.

The pressing demand for innovative approaches to create delivery systems with heightened drug loading and prolonged circulation has spurred numerous efforts, yielding some successes but accompanied by constraints. Our study proposes employing dendritic lipopeptide with precisely balanced opposing charges to extend blood residency for biomimetic nanoplatforms. Neutrally mixed-charged zwitterionic nanoparticles (NNPs) achieved a notable 19 % simvastatin loading content and kept stable even after one-month storage at 4 °C. These nanoplatforms demonstrated low cytotoxicity in NIH-3T3 and L02 cells and negligible hemolysis (<5 %). NNPs inhibited protein adhesion (>95 %) from positively and negatively charged sources through surface hydration. In comparison to positively charged CNPs, NNPs demonstrated an 86 % decrease in phagocytic rate by BMDMs, highlighting their efficacy. Importantly, NNPs showed prolonged circulation compared to CNPs and free simvastatin. These findings highlight the potential of this biomimetic nanoplatform for future therapeutic applications with enhanced drug loading and circulation traits.

DNA nanostructures have captured great interest as drug delivery vehicles for cancer therapy. Despite rapid progress in the field, some hurdles, such as low cellular uptake, low tissue specificity or ambiguous drug loading, remain unsolved. Herein, well-known antitumor drugs (doxorubicin, auristatin, and floxuridine) were site-specifically incorporated into DNA nanostructures, demonstrating the potential advantages of covalently linking drug molecules via structural staples instead of incorporating the drugs by noncovalent binding interactions. The covalent strategy avoids critical issues such as an unknown number of drug-DNA binding events and premature drug release. Moreover, covalently modified origami offers the possibility of precisely incorporating several synergetic antitumor drugs into the DNA nanostructure at a predefined molar ratio and to control the exact spatial orientation of drugs into DNA origami. Additionally, DNA-based nanoscaffolds have been reported to have a low intracellular uptake. Thus, two cellular uptake enhancing mechanisms were studied: the introduction of folate units covalently linked to DNA origami and the transfection of DNA origami with Lipofectamine. Importantly, both methods increased the internalization of DNA origami into HTB38 and HCC2998 colorectal cancer cells and produced greater cytotoxic activity when the DNA origami incorporated antiproliferative drugs. The results here present a successful and conceptually distinct approach for the development of DNA-based nanostructures as drug delivery vehicles, which can be considered an important step towards the development of highly precise nanomedicines.

Integrin beta-3 is a cell adhesion molecule that mediate cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix communication. The major goal of this study was to explore melanoma cells (B16F10) based upon specific direct targeting of the β3 subunit (CD61) in the integrin αvβ3 receptor using carbon-encapsulated iron nanoparticles decorated with monoclonal antibodies (Fe@C-CONH-anti-CD61 and Fe@C-(CH₂)₂-CONH-anti-CD61). Both melanoma cells treated with nanoparticles as well as C57BL/6 mice bearing syngeneic B16-F10 tumors intravenously injected with nanoparticles were tested in preclinical MRI studies. The as-synthesized carbon-encapsulated iron nanoparticles functionalized with CD61 monoclonal antibodies have been successfully used as a novel targeted contrast agent for MRI-based tracking melanoma cells expressing the β3 subunit of the integrin αvβ3 receptor.

Objective

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by progressive cartilage degeneration and absence of curative therapies. Therefore, more efficient therapies are compellingly needed. Both mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) and Icariin (ICA) are promising for repair of cartilage defect. This study proposes that ICA may be combined to potentiate the cartilage repair capacity of MSC-EVs.

Materials and methods

MSC-EVs were isolated from sodium alginate (SA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) composite hydrogel (SA-HA) cell spheroid culture. EVs and ICA were combined in SA-HA hydrogel to test therapeutic efficacy on cartilage defect in vivo.

Results

EVs and ICA were synergistic for promoting both proliferation and migration of MSCs and inflammatory chondrocytes. The combination therapy led to strikingly enhanced repair on cartilage defect in rats, with mechanisms involved in the concomitant modulation of both cartilage degradation and synthesis makers.

Conclusion

The MSC-EVs-ICA/SA-HA hydrogel potentially constitutes a novel therapy for cartilage defect in OA.

Flow cytometry allows to characterize nanoparticles (NPs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) but results are often expressed in arbitrary units of fluorescence. We evaluated the precision and accuracy of molecules of equivalent soluble fluorophores (MESF) beads for calibration of NPs and EVs. Firstly, two FITC-MESF bead sets, 2 and 6 um in size, were measured on three flow cytometers. We showed that arbitrary units could not be compared between instruments but after calibration, comparable FITC MESF units were achieved. However, the two calibration bead sets displayed varying slopes that were consistent across platforms.

Further investigation revealed that the intrinsic uncertainty related to the MESF beads impacts the robust assignment of values to NPs and EVs based on extrapolation into the dim fluorescence range. Similar variations were found with PE MESF calibration.

Therefore, the same calibration materials and numbers of calibration points should be used for reliable comparison of submicron sized particles.

In recent decades, nanopores have become a promising diagnostic tool. Protein and solid-state nanopores are increasingly used for both RNA/DNA sequencing and small molecule detection. The latter is of great importance, as their detection is difficult or expensive using available methods such as HPLC or LC-MS. DNA aptamers are an excellent detection element for sensitive and specific detection of small molecules. Herein, a method for quantifying small molecules using a ready-to-use sequencing platform is described.

Taking ethanolamine as an example, a strand displacement assay is developed in which the target-binding aptamer is displaced from the surface of magnetic particles by ethanolamine. Non-displaced aptamer and thus the ethanolamine concentration are detected by the nanopore system and can be quantified in the micromolar range using our in-house developed analysis software. This method is thus the first to describe a label-free approach for the detection of small molecules in a protein nanopore system.

Mitochondrial oxidative stress and inflammation are the main pathological features of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, systemic toxicity of anti-inflammatory drugs and low bioavailability of antioxidants limit the treatment of AKI. Here, the lipid micelle nanosystem modified with l-serine was designed to improve treatment of AKI. The micelle kernels coating the antioxidant drug 4-carboxybutyl triphenylph-osphine bromide-modified curcumin (Cur-TPP) and quercetin (Que). In the cisplatin (CDDP)-induced AKI model, the nanosystem protected mitochondrial structure and improved renal function. Compared to mono-targeted group, the mitochondrial ROS content of renal tubular epithelial cells acting in the dual-target group decreased about 1.66-fold in vitro, serum creatinine (Scr) and urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were reduced by 1.5 and 1.2 mmol/L in vivo, respectively. Mechanistic studies indicated that the nanosystem inhibited the inflammatory response by interfering with the NF-κB and Nrf2 pathways. This study provides an efficient and low-toxicity strategy for AKI therapy.

Chronic inflammatory diseases are increasing in developed societies, thus new anti-inflammatory approaches are needed in the clinic. Synthetic peptides complexes can be designed to mimic the activity of anti-inflammatory mediators, in order to alleviate inflammation. Here, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory efficacy of tethered peptides mimicking the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and the heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70). We tested their biocompatibility and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro in primary human monocytes and differentiated macrophages activated with two different stimuli: the TLR agonists (LPS + IFN-γ) or Pam3CSK4. Our results demonstrate that IL-1Ra and HSP70 synthetic peptides present a satisfactory biocompatible profile and significantly inhibit the secretion of several pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β and TNFα). We further confirmed their anti-inflammatory activity when peptides were coated on a biocompatible material commonly employed in surgical implants. Overall, our findings support the potential use of IL-1Ra and HSP70 synthetic peptides for the treatment of inflammatory conditions.