One-step preparation of gold nanovectors using folate modified polyethylenimine and their use in target-specific gene transfection

Gallic Acid-Modified Polyethylenimine-Polypropylene Carbonate-Polyethylenimine Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Anti-Periodontitis Evaluation

The aim of the research was to develop novel gallic acid (GA)-modified amphiphilic nanoparticles of polyethylenimine (PEI)-polypropylene carbonate (PPC)-PEI (PEPE) and comprehensively assess its properties as an antiperiodontitis nanoparticle targeting the Toll-like receptor (TLR). The first step is to evaluate the binding potential of GA to the core trigger receptors TLR2 and TLR4/MD2 for periodontitis using molecular docking techniques. Following this, we conducted NMR, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering analyses on the synthesized PEPE nanoparticles. As the final step, we investigated the synthetic results and in vitro antiperiodontitis properties of GA-PEPE nanoparticles. The investigation revealed that GA exhibits potential for targeted binding to TLR2 and the TLR4/MD2 complex. Furthermore, we successfully developed 91.19 nm positively charged PEPE nanoparticles. Spectroscopic analysis indicated the successful synthesis of GA-modified PEPE. Additionally, CCK8 results demonstrated that GA modification significantly reduced the biotoxicity of PEPE. The in vitro antiperiodontitis properties assessment illustrated that 6.25 μM of GA-PEPE nanoparticles significantly reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. The GA-PEPE nanoparticles, with their targeted TLR binding capabilities, were found to possess excellent biocompatibility and antiperiodontitis properties. GA-PEPE nanoparticles will provide highly innovative input into the development of anti- periodontitis nanoparticles.

Thiol functionalised gold nanoparticles loaded with methotrexate for cancer treatment: From synthesis to in vitro studies on neuroblastoma cell lines

HYPOTHESIS

Colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalised with hydrophilic thiols can be used as drug delivery probes, thanks to their small size and hydrophilic character. AuNPs possess unique properties for their use in nanomedicine, especially in cancer treatment, as diagnostics and therapeutic tools.

EXPERIMENTS

Thiol functionalised AuNPs were synthesised and loaded with methotrexate (MTX). Spectroscopic and morphostructural characterisations evidenced the stability of the colloids upon interaction with MTX. Solid state (GISAXS, GIWAXS, FESEM, TEM, FTIR-ATR, XPS) and dispersed phase (UV-Vis, DLS, ζ-potential, NMR, SAXS) experiments allowed to understand structure-properties correlations. The nanoconjugate was tested in vitro (MTT assays) against two neuroblastoma cell lines: SNJKP and IMR5 with overexpressed n-Myc.

FINDINGS

Molar drug encapsulation efficiency was optimised to be >70%. A non-covalent interaction between the π system and the carboxylate moiety belonging to MTX and the charged aminic group of one of the thiols was found. The MTX loading slightly decreased the structural order of the system and increased the distance between the AuNPs. Free AuNPs showed no cytotoxicity whereas the AuNPs-MTX nanoconjugate had a more potent effect when compared to free MTX. The active role of AuNPs was evidenced by permeation studies: an improvement on penetration of the drug inside cells was evidenced.

Multilayer gold nanoparticles as non-viral vectors for targeting MCF-7 cancer cells

Cargocomplexes play a vital role in non-viral delivery methods due to their capacity to target certain cells (or cells through the cell-division cycle) and inject their (macro)molecular "cargo" into them. The development of gene carriers that can efficiently transport and deliver genetic material into human-targeted cells with minimal toxicity is an important challenge in the field. The present study reports the straightforward preparation and testing of a modular non-viral gene carrier based on AuNPs. The design, synthesis, and in vitro evaluation of multilayer gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as non-viral gene carriers with high transfection efficiency, reduced cytotoxicity for targeted therapeutic delivery of nucleic acids to MCF-7 cancer cells are presented. The developed non-viral vector is based on supramolecular "host-guest" inclusion complexes of β-cyclodextrin, positioned on the AuNPs surface over a layer of polyethyleneimine, and adamantyl moiety from polyethylene glycol conjugated decapeptide (WXEAAYQRFL). First, the β-CD functionalized PEI was utilized as the template for the synthesis of AuNPs of controlled sizes. The reaction produced small AuNPs with a cationic layer which is known for efficient condensation of genetic material and β-CD suitable for the decoration of the carrier with targeting moieties using "host-guest" inclusion complexation. Subsequently, adamantine-polyethylene glycol conjugated decapeptide was attached to the AuNPs. The in vitro results have validated the ability of the proposed systems to selectively target tumor cells with high efficacy and low toxicity due to the unique affinity of the aptamer-functionalized nanoparticles toward breast cancer cells. The findings of this work demonstrated that the proposed modular system may represent a very promising platform for the AuNP-based non-viral vectors mainly due to the versatility of the system, which allows for the facile exchange of several types of ligands for improving the targeting properties and transfection efficiency, or for providing better protection from the endocytotic systems.

Nanoencapsulation of Polyphenols as Drugs and Supplements for Enhancing Therapeutic Profile - A Review

Polyphenolic phytoconstituents have been widely in use worldwide since ages and are categorised as secondary metabolites of plants. The application of polyphenols such as quercetin, resveratrol. curcumin as nutritional supplement has been researched widely. The use of polyphenols, and specifically quercetin for improving the memory and mental endurance have shown significant effects among rats. Even though similar results has not been resonated among human but encouraging preclinical results have encouraged researchers to explore other polyphenols to study the effects as supplements among athletes. The phytopharmacological research has elucidated the use of natural polyphenols to prevent and treat various physiological and metabolic disorders owing to its free radical scavenging properties, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and immunomodulatory effects. In spite of the tremendous pharmacological profile, one of the most dominant problem regarding the use of polyphenolic compounds is their low bioavailability. Nanonization is considered as one of the most prominent approaches among many. This article aims to review and discuss the molecular mechanisms of recently developed nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems for polyphenols and its application as drugs and supplements. Nanoformulations of natural polyphenols are bioactive agents, such as quercetin, kaempferol, fisetin, rutin, hesperetin, and naringenin epigalloccatechin-3-gallate, genistein, ellagic acid, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, curcuminoids and stilbenes is expected to have better efficacy. These delivery systems are expected to provide higher penetrability of polyphenols at cellular levels and exhibit a controlled release of the drugs. It is widely accepted that natural polyphenols do demonstrate significant therapeutic effect. However, the hindrances in their absorption, specificity and bioavailability can be overcome using nanotechnology.

Modifications of polysaccharide-based biomaterials under structure-property relationship for biomedical applications

Polysaccharides are well accepted biomaterials that have attracted considerable attention. Compared with other materials under research, polysaccharides show unique advantages: they are available in nature and are normally easily acquired, those acquired from nature show favorable immunogenicity, and are biodegradable and bioavailable. The bioactivity and possible applications are based on their chemical structure; however, naturally acquired polysaccharides sometimes have unwanted flaws that limit further applications. For this reason, carefully summarizing the possible modifications of polysaccharides to improve them is crucial. Structural modifications can not only provide polysaccharides with additional functional groups but also change their physicochemical properties. This review based on the structure-property relation summarizes the common chemical modifications of polysaccharides, the related bioactivity changes, possible functionalization methods, and major possible biomedical applications based on modified polysaccharides.

Hybrid Nanosystems for Biomedical Applications

Inorganic/organic hybrid nanosystems have been increasingly developed for their versatility and efficacy at overcoming obstacles not readily surmounted by nonhybridized counterparts. Currently, hybrid nanosystems are implemented for gene therapy, drug delivery, and phototherapy in addition to tissue regeneration, vaccines, antibacterials, biomolecule detection, imaging probes, and theranostics. Though diverse, these nanosystems can be classified according to foundational inorganic/organic components, accessory moieties, and architecture of hybridization. Within this Review, we begin by providing a historical context for the development of biomedical hybrid nanosystems before describing the properties, synthesis, and characterization of their component building blocks. Afterward, we introduce the architectures of hybridization and highlight recent biomedical nanosystem developments by area of application, emphasizing hybrids of distinctive utility and innovation. Finally, we draw attention to ongoing clinical trials before recapping our discussion of hybrid nanosystems and providing a perspective on the future of the field.

Optimization of peptide-plasmid DNA vectors formulation for gene delivery in cancer therapy exploring design of experiments

The field of gene therapy still attracts great interest due to its potential therapeutic effect towards the most deadly diseases, such as cancer. For cancer gene therapy to be feasible and viable in a clinical setting, the design and development of a suitable gene delivery system is imperative. Peptide based vectors, in particular, reveal to be promising for therapeutic gene release. Following this, two different peptides, RALA and WRAP5, have been investigated mainly regarding their ability to form complexes with a p53 encoding plasmid (pDNA) with suitable properties for gene delivery. To address this issue, and after an initial screening study focused on the dependence of pDNA complexation capacity with the nitrogen to phosphate groups (N/P) ratio, a design of experiments (DoE) tool has been employed. For each peptide/pDNA system, parameters such as, the buffer pH and the N/P ratio were considered the DoE inputs and the vector size, zeta potential and pDNA complexation capacity (CC) were monitored as DoE outputs. The main goal was to find the optimal experimental conditions to minimize particle sizes, as well as, to maximize the positive surface charges of the formulated nanosystems and maximize the pDNA CC. Through the DoE method applied, the optimal RALA/pDNA and WRAP5/pDNA formulations were revealed and show interesting features related to peptide structure and pDNA complexation ability. This work illustrates the great utility of experimental design tools in optimizing the formulation of peptide/pDNA vectors in a minimum number of experiments providing relevant knowledge for the development of more suitable and efficient gene delivery systems. The new insights achieved on these carriers clearly instigate deeper research on gene therapy.

Kaempferol conjugated gold nanoclusters enabled efficient for anticancer therapeutics to A549 lung cancer cells

Background: Kaempferol (K) is a recognized anticancer drug that can conjugate with small-size gold nanoclusters (AuNCs).

Materials and methods: K-AuNCs were synthesized and their use as an anticancer drug was explored using A549 lung cancer cells. Colony formation and cell migration assays were carried out. The morphology of the K-AuNCs treated A549 cells was explored using bio-atomic force microscopy.

Results: The K-AuNCs were 1-3 nm in diameter and emitted strong fluorescent at 650 nm following excitation at 550 nm. The stretching and bending nature of the K-AuNCs were analyzed by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The presence of kaempferol in the AuNCs were confirmed by the PL spectroscopy.

Conclusion: The synthesized K-AuNCs mainly targeted and damaged the nuclei of the cancer cells. This composite nanocluster was less toxicity to the normal human cell and higher toxicity to the A549 lunch cancer cell and these material is potential for anticancer drug delivery and bio imaging applications.