Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Hydrogel Nanoparticles: Synthetic Antibodies for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

Hydrogel-mediated delivery of platelet-derived exosomes: Innovations in tissue engineering

In this scholarly review, we conduct a thorough examination of the significant role played by platelet-derived exosomes (Plt-Exos) and hydrogels in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Our detailed investigation highlights the central involvement of Plt-Exos in various physiological and pathological processes, underscoring their potential contributions to diverse areas such as wound healing, neural rejuvenation, and cancer progression. Despite the promising therapeutic aspects, the notable variability in the isolation and characterization of pEVs underscores the need for a more rigorous and standardized methodology. Shifting our focus to hydrogels, they have emerged as promising biomaterials relevant to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Their unique characteristics, especially their chemical and physical adaptability, along with the modifiability of their biochemical properties, make hydrogels a captivating subject. These exceptional features open avenues for numerous tissue engineering applications, facilitating the delivery of essential growth factors, cytokines, and microRNAs. This analysis explores the innovative integration of Plt-Exos with hydrogels, presenting a novel paradigm in tissue engineering. Through the incorporation of Plt-Exos into hydrogels, there exists an opportunity to enhance tissue regeneration endeavors by combining the bioactive features of Plt-Exos with the restorative capabilities of hydrogel frameworks. In conclusion, the cooperative interaction between platelet-derived exosomes and hydrogels indicates a promising path in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Nevertheless, the successful execution of this approach requires a deep understanding of molecular dynamics, coupled with a dedication to refining isolation techniques.

Affinity Capillary Electrophoresis as a Tool To Characterize Molecularly Imprinted Nanogels in Solution

In this work, an innovative and accurate affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) method was set up to monitor the complexation of aqueous MIP nanogels (NGs) with model cancer-related antigens. Using α2,6'- and α2,3'-sialyllactose as oversimplified cancer biomarker-mimicking templates, NGs were synthesized and characterized in terms of size, polydispersity, and overall charge. A stability study was also carried out in order to select the best storage conditions and to ensure product quality. After optimization of capillary electrophoresis conditions, injection of MIP NGs resulted in a single, sharp, and efficient peak. The mobility shift approach was applied to quantitatively estimate binding affinity, in this case resulting in an association constant of K ≈ 106 M-1. The optimized polymers further displayed a pronounced discrimination between the two sialylated sugars. The newly developed ACE protocol has the potential to become a very effective method for nonconstrained affinity screening of NG in solution, especially during the NG development phase and/or for a final accurate quantitation of the observed binding.

Synthetic Peptide Antibodies as TNF-α Inhibitors: Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Nanogels Neutralize the Inflammatory Activity of TNF-α in THP-1 Derived Macrophages

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) is a cytokine that is normally produced by immune cells when fighting an infection. But, when too much TNF-α is produced as in autoimmune diseases, this leads to unwanted and persistent inflammation. Anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibodies have revolutionized the therapy of these disorders by blocking TNF-α and preventing its binding to TNF-α receptors, thus suppressing the inflammation. Herein, we propose an alternative in the form of molecularly imprinted polymer nanogels (MIP-NGs). MIP-NGs are synthetic antibodies obtained by nanomoulding the 3-dimensional shape and chemical functionalities of a desired target in a synthetic polymer. Using an in-house developed in silico rational approach, epitope peptides of TNF-α were generated and 'synthetic peptide antibodies' were prepared. The resultant MIP-NGs bind the template peptide and recombinant TNF-α with high affinity and selectivity, and can block the binding of TNF-α to its receptor. Consequently they were applied to neutralize pro-inflammatory TNF-α in the supernatant of human THP-1 macrophages, leading to a downregulation of the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Our results suggest that MIP-NGs, which are thermally and biochemically more stable and easier to manufacture than antibodies, and cost-effective, are very promising as next generation TNF-α inhibitors for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

A meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis of P4HB expression levels in the prognosis of cancer patients

BACKGROUND

P4HB (prolyl 4-hydroxylase, beta polypeptide) is a human chromosomal gene that encodes an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) molecular chaperone protein with oxidoreductase, chaperone and isomerase activities. Recent studies indicated that P4HB may have clinical significance, with elevated P4HB expression reported in cancer patients, but its impact on tumor prognosis is not yet clear. To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis to show an association between P4HB expression and the prognosis of various cancers.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search in the PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang and Weipu databases, followed by a quantitative meta-analysis using Stata SE14.0 and R statistics software 4.2.1. The hazard ratio (HR) and relative risk (RR) were analyzed to evaluate the relationships of P4HB expression levels with overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and clinicopathological parameters of cancer patients. Subsequently, P4HB expression in various cancer types was validated using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) online database.

RESULTS

Ten articles containing the data of 4121 cancer patients were included in the analysis, and a significant correlation of high P4HB expression with apparently shorter OS was found (HR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.50-2.40; P < 0.01), while there was no significant correlation with gender (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.91-1.22; P = 0.084), or age. Additionally, GEPIA online analysis revealed significant upregulation of P4HB in 13 types of cancer. Among them, P4HB overexpression was associated with shorter OS in 9 and worse DFS in 11 cancer types.

CONCLUSIONS

Upregulation of P4HB is correlated with worse prognosis in various cancers, which could provide new ideas for the development of P4HB-related diagnostic biomarkers and new therapeutic targets.

Electrochemical and thermal detection of allergenic substance lysozyme with molecularly imprinted nanoparticles

Lysozyme (LYZ) is a small cationic protein which is widely used for medical treatment and in the food industry to act as an anti-bacterial agent; however, it can trigger allergic reactions. In this study, high-affinity molecularly imprinted nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) were synthesized for LYZ using a solid-phase approach. The produced nanoMIPs were electrografted to screen-printed electrodes (SPEs), disposable electrodes with high commercial potential, to enable electrochemical and thermal sensing. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) facilitated fast measurement (5-10 min) and is able to determine trace levels of LYZ (pM) and can discriminate between LYZ and structurally similar proteins (bovine serum albumin, troponin-I). In tandem, thermal analysis was conducted with the heat transfer method (HTM), which is based on monitoring the heat transfer resistance at the solid-liquid interface of the functionalized SPE. HTM as detection technique guaranteed trace-level (fM) detection of LYZ but needed longer analysis time compared to EIS measurement (30 min vs 5-10 min). Considering the versatility of the nanoMIPs which can be adapted to virtually any target of interest, these low-cost point-of-care sensors hold great potential to improve food safety.

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers as Synthetic Antibodies for Protein Recognition: The Next Generation

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are chemical antibody mimics obtained by nanomoulding the 3D shape and chemical functionalities of a desired target in a synthetic polymer. Consequently, they possess exquisite molecular recognition cavities for binding the target molecule, often with specificity and affinity similar to those of antigen-antibody interactions. Research on MIPs targeting proteins began in the mid-90s, and this review will evaluate the progress made till now, starting from their synthesis in a monolith bulk format through surface imprinting to biocompatible soluble nanogels prepared by solid-phase synthesis. MIPs in the latter format will be discussed more in detail because of their tremendous potential of replacing antibodies in the biomedical domain like in diagnostics and therapeutics, where the workforce of antibodies is concentrated. Emphasis is also put on the development of epitope imprinting, which consists of imprinting a short surface-exposed fragment of a protein, resulting in MIPs capable of selectively recognizing the whole macromolecule, amidst others in complex biological media, on cells or tissues. Thus selecting the 'best' peptide antigen is crucial and in this context a rational approach, inspired from that used to predict peptide immunogens for peptide antibodies, is described for its unambiguous identification.

Colloidal Polyelectrolyte Complexes from Hyaluronic Acid: Preparation and Biomedical Applications

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a naturally occurring polysaccharide which has been extensively exploited in biomedical fields owing to its outstanding biocompatibility. Self-assembly of HA and polycations through electrostatic interactions can generate colloidal polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs), which can offer a wide range of applications while being relatively simple to prepare with rapid and "green" processes. The advantages of colloidal HA-based PECs stem from the combined benefits of nanomedicine, green chemistry, and the inherent properties of HA, namely high biocompatibility, biodegradability, and biological targeting capability. Accordingly, colloidal PECs from HA have received increasing attention in the recent years as high-performance materials for biomedical applications. Considering their potential, this review is aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of colloidal PECs from HA in complex with polycations, from the most fundamental aspects of the preparation process to their various biomedical applications, notably as nanocarriers for delivering small molecule drugs, nucleic acids, peptides, proteins, and bioimaging agents or the construction of multifunctional platforms.

Recent advances in electrochemical and optical sensing of the organophosphate chlorpyrifos: a review

Chlorpyrifos (CP) is one of the most popular organophosphorus pesticides that is commonly used in agricultural and nonagricultural environments to combat pests. However, several concerns regarding contamination due to the unmitigated use of chlorpyrifos have come up over recent years. This has popularized research on various techniques for chlorpyrifos detection. Since conventional methods do not enable smooth detection, the recent trends of chlorpyrifos detection have shifted toward electrochemical and optical sensing techniques that offer higher sensitivity and selectivity. The objective of this review is to provide a brief overview of some of the important and innovative contributions in the field of electrochemical and optical sensing of chlorpyrifos with a primary focus on the comparative advantages and shortcomings of these techniques. This review paper will help to offer better perspectives for research in organophosphorus pesticide detection in the future.