Synthesis of superparamagnetic particles with tunable morphologies: the role of nanoparticle-nanoparticle interactions

Targeting Mucin Protein Enables Rapid and Efficient Ovarian Cancer Cell Capture: Role of Nanoparticle Properties in Efficient Capture and Culture

The development of specific and sensitive immunomagnetic cell separation nanotechnologies is central to enhancing the diagnostic relevance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and improving cancer patient outcomes. The limited number of specific biomarkers used to enrich a phenotypically diverse set of CTCs from liquid biopsies has limited CTC yields and purity. The ultra-high molecular weight mucin, mucin16 (MUC16) is shown to physically shield key membrane proteins responsible for activating immune responses against ovarian cancer cells and may interfere with the binding of magnetic nanoparticles to popular immunomagnetic cell capture antigens. MUC16 is expressed in ≈90% of ovarian cancers and is almost universal in High Grade Serous Epithelial Ovarian Cancer. This work demonstrates that cell bound MUC16 is an effective target for rapid immunomagnetic extraction of expressor cells with near quantitative yield, high purity and viability from serum. The results provide a mechanistic insight into the effects of nanoparticle physical properties and immunomagnetic labeling on the efficiency of immunomagnetic cell isolation. The growth of these cells has also been studied after separation, demonstrating that nanoparticle size impacts cell-particle behavior and growth rate. These results present the successful isolation of "masked" CTCs enabling new strategies for the detection of cancer recurrence and select and monitor chemotherapy.

Role of detergents and nuclease inhibitors in the extraction of RNA from eukaryotic cells in complex matrices

The potential for liquid biopsy samples to be used in place of more invasive tissue biopsies has become increasingly revalent as it has been found that nucleic acids (NAs) present in the blood of cancer patients originate from tumors. Nanomagnetic extraction has proven to be a highly effective means to rapidly prepare NA from clinical samples for molecular diagnostics. In this article, the lysis reaction used to extract RNA from the human epithelial melanoma cells have been optimized using silica coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPM NP). The lysis buffer (LB) is composed of several agents that denature cells, i.e., surfactant and guanidinium isothiocyanate (GITC), and agents that inhibit the degradation of circulated nucleic acids (cfNAs). The surfactant Triton X-100 has been widely used in LB but has been placed on the European Union REACH list. We have compared the qRT-PCR sensitivity resulting from LBs composed of Triton X-100 to several sustainable surfactants, i.e., Tergitol 15-S-7, Tergitol 15-S-9 and Tween-20. Surprisingly, the inclusion of these surfactants in the LB was not found to significantly improve cell lysis, and subsequently the sensitivity of qRT-PCR. The role of the sample matrix was also examined by performing extractions from solutions containing up to 30 mg mL^-1 serum albumin. The qRT-PCR sensitivity was found to decrease as the concentration of this protein was increased; however, this was linked to an increased RNase activity and not the concentration of the protein itself. These results lead us to recommend a reformulation of LB for clinical samples, and to conclude that sensitive qRT-PCR RNA analysis can be performed in serum with the timely addition of an RNase inhibitor.

Influence of viral transport media and freeze-thaw cycling on the sensitivity of qRT-PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acids

Objective: The events of the last year have highlighted the complexity of implementing large-scale molecular diagnostic testing for novel pathogens. The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical influences of sample collection media and storage on the stability and detection of viral nucleic acids by qRT-PCR. We studied the mechanism(s) through which viral transport media (VTM) and number of freeze-thaw cycles influenced the analytical sensitivity of qRT-PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2. Our goal is to reinforce testing capabilities and identify weaknesses that could arise in resource-limited environments that do not have well-controlled cold chains. Method: The sensitivity of qRT-PCR analysis was studied in four VTM for synthetic single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) simulants of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Results: The sensitivity and reproducibility of qRT-PCR for the synthetic ssRNA and dsDNA were found to be highly sensitive to VTM with the best results observed for ssRNA in HBSS and PBS-G. Surprisingly, the presence of epithelial cellular material with the ssRNA increased the sensitivity of the qRT-PCR assay. Repeated freeze-thaw cycling decreased the sensitivity of the qRT-PCR with two noted exceptions. Conclusions: The choice of VTM is critically important to defining the sensitivity of COVID-19 molecular diagnostics assays and this study suggests they can impact upon the stability of the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome. This becomes increasingly important if the virus structure is destabilised before analysis, which can occur due to poor storage conditions. This study suggests that COVID-19 testing performed with glycerol-containing PBS will produce a high level of stability and sensitivity. These results are in agreement with clinical studies reported for patient-derived samples.

From Single-Core Nanoparticles in Ferrofluids to Multi-Core Magnetic Nanocomposites: Assembly Strategies, Structure, and Magnetic Behavior

Iron oxide nanoparticles are the basic components of the most promising magnetoresponsive nanoparticle systems for medical (diagnosis and therapy) and bio-related applications. Multi-core iron oxide nanoparticles with a high magnetic moment and well-defined size, shape, and functional coating are designed to fulfill the specific requirements of various biomedical applications, such as contrast agents, heating mediators, drug targeting, or magnetic bioseparation. This review article summarizes recent results in manufacturing multi-core magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) systems emphasizing the synthesis procedures, starting from ferrofluids (with single-core MNPs) as primary materials in various assembly methods to obtain multi-core magnetic particles. The synthesis and functionalization will be followed by the results of advanced physicochemical, structural, and magnetic characterization of multi-core particles, as well as single- and multi-core particle size distribution, morphology, internal structure, agglomerate formation processes, and constant and variable field magnetic properties. The review provides a comprehensive insight into the controlled synthesis and advanced structural and magnetic characterization of multi-core magnetic composites envisaged for nanomedicine and biotechnology.

Magnetic Nanoparticle Systems for Nanomedicine—A Materials Science Perspective

Iron oxide nanoparticles are the basic components of the most promising magneto-responsive systems for nanomedicine, ranging from drug delivery and imaging to hyperthermia cancer treatment, as well as to rapid point-of-care diagnostic systems with magnetic nanoparticles. Advanced synthesis procedures of single- and multi-core iron-oxide nanoparticles with high magnetic moment and well-defined size and shape, being designed to simultaneously fulfill multiple biomedical functionalities, have been thoroughly evaluated. The review summarizes recent results in manufacturing novel magnetic nanoparticle systems, as well as the use of proper characterization methods that are relevant to the magneto-responsive nature, size range, surface chemistry, structuring behavior, and exploitation conditions of magnetic nanosystems. These refer to particle size, size distribution and aggregation characteristics, zeta potential/surface charge, surface coating, functionalization and catalytic activity, morphology (shape, surface area, surface topology, crystallinity), solubility and stability (e.g., solubility in biological fluids, stability on storage), as well as to DC and AC magnetic properties, particle agglomerates formation, and flow behavior under applied magnetic field (magnetorheology).

Biomechanical Characterization at the Cell Scale: Present and Prospects

The rapidly growing field of mechanobiology demands for robust and reproducible characterization of cell mechanical properties. Recent achievements in understanding the mechanical regulation of cell fate largely rely on technological platforms capable of probing the mechanical response of living cells and their physico–chemical interaction with the microenvironment. Besides the established family of atomic force microscopy (AFM) based methods, other approaches include optical, magnetic, and acoustic tweezers, as well as sensing substrates that take advantage of biomaterials chemistry and microfabrication techniques. In this review, we introduce the available methods with an emphasis on the most recent advances, and we discuss the challenges associated with their implementation.

Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using the Interface of an Emulsion Droplet

A facile and rapid method for synthesizing single crystal gold spherical or platelet (nonspherical) particles is reported. The reaction takes place at the interface of two immiscible liquids where the reducing agent decamethylferrocene (DmFc) was initially added to hexane and gold chloride (AuCl₄^-) to an aqueous phase. The reaction is spontaneous at room temperature, leading to the creation of Au nanoparticles (AuNP). A flow focusing microfluidic chip was used to create emulsion droplets, allowing the same reaction to take place within a series of microreactors. The technique allows the number of droplets, their diameter, and even the concentration of reactants in both phases to be controlled. The size and shape of the AuNP are dependent upon the concentration of the reactants and the size of the droplets. By tuning the reaction parameters, the synthesized nanoparticles vary from nanometer to micrometer sized spheres or platelets. The surfactant used to stabilize the emulsion was also shown to influence the particle shape. Finally, the addition of other nanoparticles within the droplet allows for core@shell particles to be readily formed, and we believe this could be a versatile platform for the large scale production of core@shell particles.

Bio-Nano-Magnetic Materials for Localized Mechanochemical Stimulation of Cell Growth and Death

Magnetic nanoparticles are promising new tools for therapeutic applications, such as magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia therapy and targeted drug delivery. Recent in vitro studies have demonstrated that a force application with magnetic tweezers can also affect cell fate, suggesting a therapeutic potential for magnetically modulated mechanical stimulation. The magnetic properties of nanoparticles that induce physical responses and the subtle responses that result from mechanically induced membrane damage and/or intracellular signaling are evaluated. Magnetic particles with various physical, geometric, and magnetic properties and specific functionalization can now be used to apply mechanical force to specific regions of cells, which permit the modulation of cellular behavior through the use of spatially and time controlled magnetic fields. On one hand, mechanochemical stimulation has been used to direct the outgrowth on neuronal growth cones, indicating a therapeutic potential for neural repair. On the other hand, it has been used to kill cancer cells that preferentially express specific receptors. Advances made in the synthesis and characterization of magnetic nanomaterials and a better understanding of cellular mechanotransduction mechanisms may support the translation of mechanochemical stimulation into the clinic as an emerging therapeutic approach.

Protein detection using tunable pores: resistive pulses and current rectification

We present the first comparison between assays that use resistive pulses or rectification ratios on a tunable pore platform. We compare their ability to quantify the cancer biomarker Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). The first assay measures the electrophoretic mobility of aptamer modified nanoparticles as they traverse the pore. By controlling the aptamer loading on the particle surface, and measuring the speed of each translocation event we are able to observe a change in velocity as low as 18 pM. A second non-particle assay exploits the current rectification properties of conical pores. We report the first use of Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly of polyelectrolytes onto the surface of the polyurethane pore. The current rectification ratios demonstrate the presence of the polymers, producing pH and ionic strength-dependent currents. The LbL assembly allows the facile immobilisation of DNA aptamers onto the pore allowing a specific dose response to VEGF. Monitoring changes to the current rectification allows for a rapid detection of 5 pM VEGF. Each assay format offers advantages in their setup and ease of preparation but comparable sensitivities.

Optomagnetically Controlled Microparticles Manufactured with Glancing Angle Deposition

Optical trapping and magnetic trapping are common micro-manipulation techniques for controlling colloids including micro- and nano-particles. Combining these two manipulation strategies allows for a larger range of applied forces and decoupled control of rotation and translation; each of which are beneficial properties for many applications including force spectroscopy and advanced manufacturing. However, optical trapping and magnetic trapping have conflicting material requirements inhibiting the combination of these methodologies. In this paper, anisotropic micron scaled particles capable of being simultaneously controlled by optical and magnetic trapping are synthesized using a glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. The anisotropic alignment of dielectric and ferromagnetic materials limits the optical scattering from the metallic components which typically prevents stable optical trapping in three dimensions. Compared to the current state of the art, the benefits of this approach are two-fold. First, the composite structure allows for larger volumes of ferromagnetic material so that larger magnetic moments may be applied without inhibiting the stability of optical trapping. Secondly, the robustness of the synthesis process is greatly improved. The dual optical and magnetic functionality of the synthesized colloids is demonstrated by simultaneously optically translating and magnetically rotating a magnetic GLAD particle using a custom designed opto-magnetic trapping system.

Magnetic microgels, a promising candidate for enhanced magnetic adsorbent particles in bioseparation: synthesis, physicochemical characterization, and separation performance

For specific applications in the field of high gradient magnetic separation of biomaterials, magnetic nanoparticle clusters of controlled size and high magnetic moment in an external magnetic field are of particular interest. We report the synthesis and characterization of magnetic microgels designed for magnetic separation purposes, as well as the separation efficiency of the obtained microgel particles. High magnetization magnetic microgels with superparamagnetic behaviour were obtained in a two-step synthesis procedure by a miniemulsion technique using highly stable ferrofluid on a volatile nonpolar carrier. Spherical clusters of closely packed hydrophobic oleic acid-coated magnetite nanoparticles were coated with cross linked polymer shells of polyacrylic acid, poly-N-isopropylacrylamide, and poly-3-acrylamidopropyl trimethylammonium chloride. The morphology, size distribution, chemical surface composition, and magnetic properties of the magnetic microgels were determined using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. Magnetically induced phase condensation in aqueous suspensions of magnetic microgels was investigated by optical microscopy and static light scattering. The condensed phase consists of elongated oblong structures oriented in the direction of the external magnetic field and may grow up to several microns in thickness and tens or even hundreds of microns in length. The dependence of phase condensation magnetic supersaturation on the magnetic field intensity was determined. The experiments using high gradient magnetic separation show high values of separation efficiency (99.9-99.97%) for the magnetic microgels.

Low piconewton towing of CNS axons against diffusing and surface-bound repellents requires the inhibition of motor protein-associated pathways

Growth cones, dynamic structures at axon tips, integrate chemical and physical stimuli and translate them into coordinated axon behaviour, e.g., elongation or turning. External force application to growth cones directs and enhances axon elongation in vitro; however, direct mechanical stimulation is rarely combined with chemotactic stimulation. We describe a microfluidic device that exposes isolated cortical axons to gradients of diffusing and substrate-bound molecules, and permits the simultaneous application of piconewton (pN) forces to multiple individual growth cones via magnetic tweezers. Axons treated with Y-27632, a RhoA kinase inhibitor, were successfully towed against Semaphorin 3A gradients, which repel untreated axons, with less than 12 pN acting on a small number of neural cell adhesion molecules. Treatment with Y-27632 or monastrol, a kinesin-5 inhibitor, promoted axon towing on substrates coated with chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, potent axon repellents. Thus, modulating key molecular pathways that regulate contractile stress generation in axons counteracts the effects of repellent molecules and promotes tension-induced growth. The demonstration of parallel towing of axons towards inhibitory environments with minute forces suggests that mechanochemical stimulation may be a promising therapeutic approach for the repair of the damaged central nervous system, where regenerating axons face repellent factors over-expressed in the glial scar.