Bis-Boronic Acid Liposomes for Carbohydrate Recognition and Cellular Delivery

Liposomes are effective therapeutic delivery nanocarriers due to their ability to encapsulate and enhance the pharmacokinetic properties of a wide range of drugs and diagnostic agents. A primary area in which improvement is needed for liposomal drug delivery is to enhance the delivery of these nanocarriers to cells. Cell membrane glycans provide exciting targets for liposomal delivery since they are often densely clustered on cell membranes and glycan overabundance and aberrant glycosylation patterns are a common feature of diseased cells. Herein, we report a liposome platform incorporating bis-boronic acid lipids (BBALs) to increase valency in order to achieve selective saccharide sensing and enhance cell surface binding interactions based on carbohydrate binding interactions. In order to vary properties, multiple BBALs ( 1a-d ) with variable linkers in between the binding units were designed and synthesized. Fluorescence-based microplate screening of carbohydrate binding showed that these compounds exhibit varying binding properties depending on their structures. Additionally, fluorescence microscopy experiments indicated enhancements in cellular association when BBALs were incorporated in liposomes. These results demonstrate that multivalent BBALs serve as an exciting glycan binding liposome system for targeted liposome delivery.

Targeted co-delivery of epirubicin and NAS-24 aptamer to cancer cells using selenium nanoparticles for enhancing tumor response in vitro and in vivo

Chemotherapy is a commonly used cancer treatment strategy that causes severe side effects by damaging normal tissue. Therefore, targeted drug delivery systems have attracted great attention for the treatment of cancer in recent years. In this study, epirubicin (EPI)-loaded-NAS-24-functionalized PEI-PEG-5TR1 aptamer coated selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), known as the ENPPASe complex, were developed and used for targeted delivery of both EPI (anticancer drug) and NAS-24 aptamer (apoptosis induction agent) to MCF7 (human breast carcinoma cell) and C26 (murine colon carcinoma cell) cancer cells using 5TR1 aptamer as the target agent. The ENPPASe complex could significantly reduce the toxicity in non-target cells (HEPG2, hepatocellular carcinoma cell). As with the EPI alone, the ENPPASe complex could significantly reduce cell viability in the target cancer cells (MCF-7 and C26). In addition, the complex significantly reduced the tumor growth in cancer-bearing mice compared to EPI treatment alone.

Synthesis and Study of Chemical, Thermal, Mesomorphic, and Optical Properties of Terphenyls Modified with Nitrile Groups

We report the synthesis, characterization, and the thermotropic and photoluminescence properties of dialkoxyterphenyls with (T12-CN and T12-2CN) and without (T12) nitrile groups. These terphenyls were prepared through the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction using a palladium-based catalyst. The products obtained were analyzed as powders or after being drop-casted or spin-coated on glass. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques confirmed the structure and purity of the synthesized terphenyls. The mesomorphic behavior was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). T12 developed various mesophases, whereas T12-CN and T12-2CN displayed one single mesophase of low order over a wide temperature range. The films topology was studied by AFM and the optical properties were determined by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and spectrofluorometry. Higher roughness was found for the films prepared with the asymmetric terphenyl (T12-CN). The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum obtained for the asymmetric terphenyl (T12-CN) exhibited the expected characteristics with an emission band centered at 381 nm and an overtone around 760 nm.