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Rudakovskaya PG, Barmin RA, Kuzmin PS, Fedotkina EP, Sencha AN, Gorin DA. Microbubbles Stabilized by Protein Shell: From Pioneering Ultrasound Contrast Agents to Advanced Theranostic Systems. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1236. [PMID: 35745808 PMCID: PMC9227336 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14061236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound is a widely-used imaging modality in clinics as a low-cost, non-invasive, non-radiative procedure allowing therapists faster decision-making. Microbubbles have been used as ultrasound contrast agents for decades, while recent attention has been attracted to consider them as stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems. Pioneering microbubbles were Albunex with a protein shell composed of human serum albumin, which entered clinical practice in 1993. However, current research expanded the set of proteins for a microbubble shell beyond albumin and applications of protein microbubbles beyond ultrasound imaging. Hence, this review summarizes all-known protein microbubbles over decades with a critical evaluation of formulations and applications to optimize the safety (low toxicity and high biocompatibility) as well as imaging efficiency. We provide a comprehensive overview of (1) proteins involved in microbubble formulation, (2) peculiarities of preparation of protein stabilized microbubbles with consideration of large-scale production, (3) key chemical factors of stabilization and functionalization of protein-shelled microbubbles, and (4) biomedical applications beyond ultrasound imaging (multimodal imaging, drug/gene delivery with attention to anticancer treatment, antibacterial activity, biosensing). Presented critical evaluation of the current state-of-the-art for protein microbubbles should focus the field on relevant strategies in microbubble formulation and application for short-term clinical translation. Thus, a protein bubble-based platform is very perspective for theranostic application in clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina G. Rudakovskaya
- Center for Photonic Science and Engineering, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Nobel Str. 3, 121205 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Roman A. Barmin
- Center for Photonic Science and Engineering, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Nobel Str. 3, 121205 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Pavel S. Kuzmin
- Institute of Materials for Modern Energy and Nanotechnology, Dmitry Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Miusskaya Sq. 9, 125047 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Elena P. Fedotkina
- Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Akademika Oparina Str. 4, 117198 Moscow, Russia; (E.P.F.); (A.N.S.)
| | - Alexander N. Sencha
- Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Akademika Oparina Str. 4, 117198 Moscow, Russia; (E.P.F.); (A.N.S.)
| | - Dmitry A. Gorin
- Center for Photonic Science and Engineering, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Nobel Str. 3, 121205 Moscow, Russia;
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Jo YK, Lee D. Biopolymer Microparticles Prepared by Microfluidics for Biomedical Applications. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1903736. [PMID: 31559690 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Biopolymers are macromolecules that are derived from natural sources and have attractive properties for a plethora of biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, low antigenicity, and high bioactivity. Microfluidics has emerged as a powerful approach for fabricating polymeric microparticles (MPs) with designed structures and compositions through precise manipulation of multiphasic flows at the microscale. The synergistic combination of materials chemistry afforded by biopolymers and precision provided by microfluidic capabilities make it possible to design engineered biopolymer-based MPs with well-defined physicochemical properties that are capable of enabling an efficient delivery of therapeutics, 3D culture of cells, and sensing of biomolecules. Here, an overview of microfluidic approaches is provided for the design and fabrication of functional MPs from three classes of biopolymers including polysaccharides, proteins, and microbial polymers, and their advances for biomedical applications are highlighted. An outlook into the future research on microfluidically-produced biopolymer MPs for biomedical applications is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Kee Jo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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Chen Z, Pulsipher KW, Chattaraj R, Hammer DA, Sehgal CM, Lee D. Engineering the Echogenic Properties of Microfluidic Microbubbles Using Mixtures of Recombinant Protein and Amphiphilic Copolymers. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:10079-10086. [PMID: 30768278 PMCID: PMC6698903 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b03882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Microbubbles are used as ultrasound contrast agents in medical diagnosis and also have shown great promise in ultrasound-mediated therapy. However, short lifetime and broad size distribution of microbubbles limit their applications in therapy and imaging. Moreover, it is challenging to tailor the echogenic response of microbubbles to make them suitable for specific applications. To overcome these challenges, we use microfluidic flow-focusing to prepare monodisperse microbubbles with a mixture of a recombinant amphiphilic protein, oleosin, and a synthetic amphiphilic copolymer, Pluronic. We show that these microbubbles have superior uniformity and stability under ultrasonic stimulation compared to commercial agents. We also demonstrate that by using different Pluronics, the echogenic response of the microbubbles can be tailored. Our work shows the versatility of using the combination of microfluidics and protein/copolymer mixtures as a method of engineering microbubbles. This tunability could potentially be important and powerful in producing microbubble agents for theranostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Katherine W. Pulsipher
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Rajarshi Chattaraj
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Daniel A. Hammer
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Chandra M. Sehgal
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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Chen Z, Chattaraj R, Pulsipher KW, Karmacharya MB, Hammer DA, Lee D, Sehgal CM. Photoacoustic and Ultrasound Dual-Mode Imaging via Functionalization of Recombinant Protein-Stabilized Microbubbles with Methylene Blue. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2019; 2:4020-4026. [DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.9b00545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Rajarshi Chattaraj
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | | | - Mrigendra B. Karmacharya
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | | | | | - Chandra M. Sehgal
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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Pulsipher KW, Hammer DA, Lee D, Sehgal CM. Engineering Theranostic Microbubbles Using Microfluidics for Ultrasound Imaging and Therapy: A Review. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2018; 44:2441-2460. [PMID: 30241729 PMCID: PMC6643280 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2018.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Microbubbles interact with ultrasound in various ways to enable their applications in ultrasound imaging and diagnosis. To generate high contrast and maximize therapeutic efficacy, microbubbles of high uniformity are required. Microfluidic technology, which enables precise control of small volumes of fluid at the sub-millimeter scale, has provided a versatile platform on which to produce highly uniform microbubbles for potential applications in ultrasound imaging and diagnosis. Here, we describe fundamental microfluidic principles and the most common types of microfluidic devices used to produce sub-10 μm microbubbles, appropriate for biomedical ultrasound. Bubbles can be engineered for specific applications by tailoring the bubble size, inner gas and shell composition and by functionalizing for additional imaging modalities, therapeutics or targeting ligands. To translate the laboratory-scale discoveries to widespread clinical use of these microfluidic-based microbubbles, increased bubble production is needed. We present various strategies recently developed to improve scale-up. We conclude this review by describing some outstanding problems in the field and presenting areas for future use of microfluidics in ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine W Pulsipher
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel A Hammer
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Chandra M Sehgal
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Jang Y, Champion JA. Self-Assembled Materials Made from Functional Recombinant Proteins. Acc Chem Res 2016; 49:2188-2198. [PMID: 27677734 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.6b00337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Proteins are potent molecules that can be used as therapeutics, sensors, and biocatalysts with many advantages over small-molecule counterparts due to the specificity of their activity based on their amino acid sequence and folded three-dimensional structure. However, they also have significant limitations in their stability, localization, and recovery when used in soluble form. These opportunities and challenges have motivated the creation of materials from such functional proteins in order to protect and present them in a way that enhances their function. We have designed functional recombinant fusion proteins capable of self-assembling into materials with unique structures that maintain or improve the functionality of the protein. Fusion of either a functional protein or an assembly domain to a leucine zipper domain makes the materials design strategy modular, based on the high affinity between leucine zippers. The self-assembly domains, including elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) and defined-sequence random coil polypeptides, can be fused with a leucine zipper motif in order to promote assembly of the fusion proteins into larger structures upon specific stimuli such as temperature and ionic strength. Fusion of other functional domains with the counterpart leucine zipper motif endows the self-assembled materials with protein-specific functions such as fluorescence or catalytic activity. In this Account, we describe several examples of materials assembled from functional fusion proteins as well as the structural characterization, functionality, and understanding of the assembly mechanism. The first example is zipper fusion proteins containing ELPs that assemble into particles when introduced to a model extracellular matrix and subsequently disassemble over time to release the functional protein for drug delivery applications. Under different conditions, the same fusion proteins can self-assemble into hollow vesicles. The vesicles display a functional protein on the surface and can also carry protein, small-molecule, or nanoparticle cargo in the vesicle lumen. To create a material with a more complex hierarchical structure, we combined calcium phosphate with zipper fusion proteins containing random coil polypeptides to produce hybrid protein-inorganic supraparticles with high surface area and porous structure. The use of a functional enzyme created supraparticles with the ability to degrade inflammatory cytokines. Our characterization of these protein materials revealed that the molecular interactions are complex because of the large size of the protein building blocks, their folded structures, and the number of potential interactions including hydrophobic interactions, electrostatic interactions, van der Waals forces, and specific affinity-based interactions. It is difficult or even impossible to predict the structures a priori. However, once the basic assembly principles are understood, there is opportunity to tune the material properties, such as size, through control of the self-assembly conditions. Our future efforts on the fundamental side will focus on identifying the phase space of self-assembly of these fusion proteins and additional experimental levers with which to control and tune the resulting materials. On the application side, we are investigating an array of different functional proteins to expand the use of these structures in both therapeutic protein delivery and biocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeongseon Jang
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Julie A. Champion
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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Guan X, Hou L, Ren Y, Deng X, Lang Q, Jia Y, Hu Q, Tao Y, Liu J, Jiang H. A dual-core double emulsion platform for osmolarity-controlled microreactor triggered by coalescence of encapsulated droplets. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2016; 10:034111. [PMID: 27279935 PMCID: PMC4884182 DOI: 10.1063/1.4952572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidics has provided a means to generate multi-core double emulsions, which are versatile platforms for microreactors in materials science, synthetic biology, and chemical engineering. To provide new opportunities for double emulsion platforms, here, we report a glass capillary microfluidic approach to first fabricate osmolarity-responsive Water-in-Oil-in-Water (W/O/W) double emulsion containing two different inner droplets/cores and to then trigger the coalescence between the encapsulated droplets precisely. To achieve this, we independently control the swelling speed and size of each droplet in the dual-core double emulsion by controlling the osmotic pressure between the inner droplets and the collection solutions. When the inner two droplets in one W/O/W double emulsion swell to the same size and reach the instability of the oil film interface between the inner droplets, core-coalescence happens and this coalescence process can be controlled precisely. This microfluidic methodology enables the generation of highly monodisperse dual-core double emulsions and the osmolarity-controlled swelling behavior provides new stimuli to trigger the coalescence between the encapsulated droplets. Such swelling-caused core-coalescence behavior in dual-core double emulsion establishes a novel microreactor for nanoliter-scale reactions, which can protect reaction materials and products from being contaminated or released.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuewei Guan
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology , West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Likai Hou
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology , West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Xiaokang Deng
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology , West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Lang
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology , West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yankai Jia
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology , West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingming Hu
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology , West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye Tao
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology , West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiangwei Liu
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology , West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China
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