Study of transport phenomena of FITC labeled dextran through nano self assembled microshells

New therapeutic strategies based on interference with telomeric DNA synthesis of tumor cells to suppress the growth of tumors

An unusual enzyme called telomerase acts on parts of chromosomes known as telomeres. The enzyme has recently been found in many human tumors and is viewed as a new target for tumor therapy. In this research, we chose the analogue of guanine "2',3'-dideoxyguanosine" (ddG) as the telomerase inhibitor and prepared the ddG-loaded cationic nanoliposomes (ddG-Clip) to specifically target the tumor tissue and preferentially occupy the telomerase nucleotide binding site. The mean diameter of ddG-Clip is 101.54 ± 2.60 nm and they are cationically charged with a zeta potential of 34.0 ± 9.43 mV; also, the encapsulation efficiency of ddG-Clip is 53.44% ± 2.29%. In vitro cytotoxicity results show that cationic nanoliposomes by themselves are almost non-toxic, but with the increase in ddG concentration, ddG-Clip has the ability to kill S180 tumor cells. The anti-tumor activity study suggests that ddG-Clip could not only suppress the tumor growth, but also inhibit tumor liver metastasis well. In conclusion, reverse transcriptase inhibitor-loaded cationic nanoliposomes could interfere with the synthesis of telomeric DNA and block abnormal proliferation of tumor cells, therefore achieving tumor apoptosis.

Bacteria-triggered degradation of nanofilm shells for release of antimicrobial agents

Due to an increase in lifestyle diseases in the developed world, the number of chronic wounds is increasing at a fast pace. Chronic wound infections are common and systemic antibiotics are usually used as a treatment. In this paper we describe an approach to encapsulate antimicrobial agents in hollow microcapsules covered with a nanofilm shell that degrades through the action of a virulence factor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The shell was assembled using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique with poly-l-lysine and hyaluronic acid. The microcapsules were loaded with a model substrate or a drug. By crosslinking the components in the nanofilm, the film remained intact when exposed to human wound proteases. However, the film was degraded and the drug exposed when in contact with Pseudomonas aeruginosa's Lys-X specific protease IV. The antimicrobial efficacy of the drug-loaded microcapsules was confirmed by exposure to virulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The current study contributes to the establishment of a release platform for targeted treatment of topical infections with the aim of minimizing both overexposure to drugs and development of bacterial resistance.

Optical properties of fluorescein-labeled organoclay

We report the preparation of aminopropyl-functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate (Mg-organoclay) conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) functionality (FITC-organoclay) by one-pot sol-gel synthesis. The physical characteristics of the Mg- and FITC-organoclays were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. X-ray fluorescence and elemental analysis were conducted to confirm the composition of the Mg-organoclay. The FITC-organoclay particles were polydispersed with an average particle size of approximately 50 nm, as determined from SEM images. The XRD patterns of FITC-organoclay exhibited broad peaks and reduced basal d(001) indicating a less condensed and more disordered structure than was observed for Mg-organoclay. The conjugation between FITC- and Mg-organoclay was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy. Fluorescence excitation and emission spectral data demonstrated the successful conjugation of FITC dye molecules to the Mg-organoclay. The time-resolved fluorescence measurements revealed that FITC had a lifetime of 4.58 ns, whereas the lifetime of FITC-organoclay required a double exponential fit (tau(1,2) = 0.72 and 2.68 ns). As a result, the lifetime of the FITC-organoclay was shorter than that of FITC in ethanol and indicated moderate photostability in the solution state. The cellular uptake of FITC-organoclay in human lung alveolar carcinoma epithelial cells (A549) was quantified and characterized.

Stability of self-assembled polymer films investigated by optical laser reflectometry

We studied the influence of post-treatment rinsing after the formation of self-assembled polyelectrolyte films made with the weak base poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and the strong acid poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS). The stability of the film was studied using optical fixed-angle laser reflectometry to measure the release of polymeric material and AFM experiments to reveal the change of morphology and thickness. We found that the polymer films were stable upon rinsing when the pH was the same in the solution as that used in the buildup (pH 9). The films released most of the polymeric material when rinsed at higher pH values, but a layer remained that corresponded to a PAH monolayer directly bound with the silica surface. Films containing at least four bilayers were stable upon rinsing at lower pH values, but the stability of thinner films depended on the type of the last polymer deposited. They were stable in the case of PSS as an outermost deposit, but they released a large part of their material in the case of PAH. The stability results were determined using a simple model of the step-by-step assembly of the polymer film described formerly.