Real-Time Monitoring of Nanoparticle Formation by FRET Imaging

Fluorescent Probes with Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Function for Monitoring the Gelation and Formation of Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan Copolymers

Nanogel-forming polymers such as chitosan and alginic acid have a number of practical applications in the fields of drug delivery, food technology and agrotechnology as biocompatible, biodegradable polymers. Unlike bulk macrogel formation, which is followed by visually or easily detectable changes and physical parameters, such as viscosity or turbidity, the formation of nanogels is not followed by such changes and is therefore very difficult to track. The counterflow extrusion method (or analogues) enables gel nanoparticle formation for certain polymers, including chitosan and its derivatives. DLS or TEM, which are typically used for their characterization, only allow for the study of the already-formed nanoparticles. Alternatively, one might introduce a fluorescent dye into the gel-forming polymer, with the purpose of monitoring the effect of its microenvironment on the fluorescence spectra. But apparently, this approach does not provide a sufficiently specific signal, as the microenvironment may be affected by a big number of various factors (such as pH changes) including but not limited to gel formation per se. Here, we propose a new approach, based on the FRET effect, which we believe is much more specific and enables the elucidation of nanogel formation process in real time. Tryptophan-Pyrene is suggested as one of the donor-acceptor pairs, yielding the FRET effect when the two compounds are in close proximity to one another. We covalently attached Pyrene (the acceptor) to the chitosan (or PEG-chitosan) polymeric chain. The amount of introduced Pyrene was low enough to produce no significant effect on the properties of the resulting gel nanoparticles, but high enough to detect the FRET effect upon its interaction with Trp. When the Pyr-modified chitosan and Trp are both present in the solution, no FRET effect is observed. But as soon as the gel formation is initiated using the counterflow extrusion method, the FRET effect is easily detectable, manifested in a sharp increase in the fluorescence intensity of the pyrene acceptor and reflecting the gel formation process in real time. Apparently, the gel formation promotes the Trp-Pyr stacking interaction, which is deemed necessary for the FRET effect, and which does not occur in the solution. Further, we observed a similar FRET effect when the chitosan gel formation is a result of the covalent crosslinking of chitosan chains with genipin. Interestingly, using ovalbumin, having numerous Trp exposed on the protein surface instead of individual Trp yields a FRET effect similar to Trp. In all cases, we were able to detect the pH-, concentration- and temperature-dependent behaviors of the polymers as well as the kinetics of the gel formation for both nanogels and macrogels. These findings indicate a broad applicability of FRET-based analysis in biomedical practice, ranging from the optimization of gel formation to the encapsulation of therapeutic agents to food and biomedical technologies.

Engineered Cancer-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicle-Liposome Hybrid Delivery System for Targeted Treatment of Breast Cancer

Cancer-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) may be a promising drug delivery system that targets cancer cells due to their unique features, such as native homing ability, biological barrier crossing capability, and low immune response. However, the oncogenic cargos within them pose safety concerns, hence limiting their application thus far. We proposed using an electroporation-based strategy to extract the endogenous cargos from cancer-derived sEVs and demonstrated that their homing ability was still retained. A membrane fusion technique was used to fuse these sEVs with liposomes to form hybrid particles, which possessed both benefits of sEVs and liposomes. Anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies were modified on the hybrid particles to improve their targeting ability further. The engineered hybrid particles showed higher drug loading ability that is 33.75 and 43.88% higher than that of liposomes and sEVs, respectively, and improved targeting ability by 52.23% higher than hybrid particles without modification. This delivery system showed >90% cell viability and enhanced treatment efficiency with 91.58 and 79.26% cell migration inhibition rates for the miR-21 inhibitor and gemcitabine, respectively.

Light and latex: advances in the photochemistry of polymer colloids

Unparalleled temporal and spatial control of colloidal chemical processes introduces immense potential for the manufacturing, modification, and manipulation of latex particles.

Recent advances in the use of fluorescent nanoparticles for bioimaging

Rapid and recent progress in fluorescence microscopic techniques has allowed for routine discovery and viewing of biological structures and processes in unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. In these imaging techniques, fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) play important roles in the improvement of reporting systems. A short overview of recently developed fluorescent NPs used for advanced in vivo imaging will be discussed in this mini-review. The discussion begins with the contribution of fluorescence imaging in exploring the fate of NPs in biological systems. NP applications for in vivo imaging, including cell labeling, multimodal imaging and theranostic agents, are then discussed. Finally, despite all of the advancements in bioimaging, some unsolved challenges will be briefly discussed concerning future research directions.