Ion-specific effects modulate the diffusive mobility of colloids in an extracellular matrix gel

Nonspecific membrane-matrix interactions influence diffusivity of lipid vesicles in hydrogels

The diffusion of extracellular vesicles and liposomes in vivo is affected by different tissue environmental conditions and is of great interest in the development of liposome-based therapeutics and drug-delivery systems. Here, we use a bottom-up biomimetic approach to better isolate and study steric and electrostatic interactions and their influence on the diffusivity of synthetic large unilamellar vesicles in hydrogel environments. Single-particle tracking of these extracellular vesicle-like particles in agarose hydrogels as an extracellular matrix model shows that membrane deformability and surface charge affect the hydrogel pore spaces that vesicles have access to, which determines overall diffusivity. Moreover, we show that passivation of vesicles with PEGylated lipids, as often used in drug-delivery systems, enhances diffusivity, but that this effect cannot be fully explained with electrostatic interactions alone. Finally, we compare our experimental findings with existing computational and theoretical work in the field to help explain the nonspecific interactions between diffusing particles and gel matrix environments.

Insights into Infusion-Based Targeted Drug Delivery in the Brain: Perspectives, Challenges and Opportunities

Targeted drug delivery in the brain is instrumental in the treatment of lethal brain diseases, such as glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive primary central nervous system tumour in adults. Infusion-based drug delivery techniques, which directly administer to the tissue for local treatment, as in convection-enhanced delivery (CED), provide an important opportunity; however, poor understanding of the pressure-driven drug transport mechanisms in the brain has hindered its ultimate success in clinical applications. In this review, we focus on the biomechanical and biochemical aspects of infusion-based targeted drug delivery in the brain and look into the underlying molecular level mechanisms. We discuss recent advances and challenges in the complementary field of medical robotics and its use in targeted drug delivery in the brain. A critical overview of current research in these areas and their clinical implications is provided. This review delivers new ideas and perspectives for further studies of targeted drug delivery in the brain.

A novel modelling and simulation approach for the hindered mobility of charged particles in biological hydrogels

This article presents a novel computational model to study the selective filtering of biological hydrogels due to the surface charge and size of diffusing particles. It is the first model that includes the random three-dimensional fibre orientation and connectivity of the biopolymer network and that accounts for elastic deformations of the fibres by means of beam theory. As a key component of the model, novel formulations are proposed both for the electrostatic and repulsive steric interactions between a spherical particle and a beam. In addition to providing a thorough validation of the model, the presented computational studies yield new insights into the underlying mechanisms of hindered particle mobility, especially regarding the influence of the aforementioned aspects that are unique to this model. It is found that the precise distribution of fibre and thus charge agglomerations in the network have a crucial influence on the mobility of oppositely charged particles and gives rise to distinct motion patterns. Considering the high practical significance for instance with respect to targeted drug release or infection defence, the provided proof of concept motivates further advances of the model towards a truly predictive computational tool that allows a case- and patient-specific assessment for real (biological) systems.

Microrheology for biomaterial design

Microrheology analyzes the microscopic behavior of complex materials by measuring the diffusion and transport of embedded particle probes. This experimental method can provide valuable insight into the design of biomaterials with the ability to connect material properties and biological responses to polymer-scale dynamics and interactions. In this review, we discuss how microrheology can be harnessed as a characterization method complementary to standard techniques in biomaterial design. We begin by introducing the core principles and instruments used to perform microrheology. We then review previous studies that incorporate microrheology in their design process and highlight biomedical applications that have been supported by this approach. Overall, this review provides rationale and practical guidance for the utilization of microrheological analysis to engineer novel biomaterials.

Antibody-mediated trapping in biological hydrogels is governed by sugar-sugar hydrogen bonds

N-glycans on IgG and IgM antibodies (Ab) facilitate Ab-mediated crosslinking of viruses and nanoparticles to the major structural elements of mucus and basement membranes. Nevertheless, the chemical moieties in these biological hydrogel matrices to which Ab can bind remain poorly understood. To gain insights into the chemistries that support Ab-matrix interactions, we systematically evaluated IgG- and IgM-mediated trapping of nanoparticles in different polysaccharide-based biogels with unique chemical features. In agarose, composed of alternating d-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-l-galactopyranose (i.e. hydroxyl groups only), anti-PEG IgM but not anti-PEG IgG trapped PEGylated nanoparticles. In alginate, comprised of homopolymeric blocks of mannuronate and guluronate (i.e. both hydroxyl and carboxyl groups), both IgG and IgM trapped PEGylated nanoparticles. In contrast, chitosan, comprised primarily of glucosamine (i.e. both hydroxyl and primary amine groups), did not facilitate either IgG- or IgM-mediated trapping. IgG-mediated trapping in alginate was abrogated upon removal of IgG N-glycans, whereas IgM-mediated trapping was eliminated in agarose but not alginate upon desialylation. These results led us to propose a model in which hydrogen bonding between carboxyl and hydroxyl groups of glycans on both Ab and matrix facilitates Ab-mediated trapping of pathogens in biogels. Our work here offers a blueprint for designing de novo hydrogels that could harness Ab-matrix interactions for various biomedical and biological applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Here, we interrogated the molecular mechanism of antibody-mediated trapping to address what are the chemical moieties on biogels that are essential for facilitating trapping in biogels. We systematically evaluated the potencies of IgG and IgM to trap nanoparticles in different polysaccharide-based biogels with unique and highly defined chemical moieties: hydroxyl groups (agarose), amine groups (chitosan), and carboxyl groups (alginate). We discovered that only hydroxyl/carboxyl hydrogen bonds (and stronger) are sufficiently strong enough to facilitate antibody-mediated trapping; weaker hydroxyl/hydroxyl bonds or hydroxyl/amine bonds fail to adequately slow particles. Our findings presents the first blueprint for how to engineer de novo biogels that are capable of harnessing antibodies to immobilize foreign entities in the biogels, for applications ranging from infectious disease to contraception to purification processes.

Particle Trapping Mechanisms Are Different in Spatially Ordered and Disordered Interacting Gels

Using stochastic simulations, we study the influence of spatial disorder on the diffusion of a single particle through a gel that consists of rigid, straight fibers. The interaction between the particle and the gel fibers consists of an invariant short-range repulsion, the steric part, and an interaction part that can be attractive or repulsive and of varying range. The effect that spatial disorder of the gel structure has on the particle diffusivity depends crucially on the presence of nonsteric interactions. For attractive interactions, disorder slows down diffusion, because in disordered gels, the particle becomes strongly trapped in regions of locally increased fiber density. For repulsive interactions, the diffusivity is minimal for intermediate disorder strength, because highly disordered lattices exhibit abundant passageways of locally low fiber density. The comparison with experimental data on protein and fluorophore diffusion through various hydrogels is favorable. Our findings shed light on particle-diffusion mechanisms in biogels and thus on biological barrier properties, which can be helpful for the optimal design of synthetic diffusors as well as synthetic mucus constructs.

Preventing Obstructions of Nanosized Drug Delivery Systems by the Extracellular Matrix

Although nanosized drug delivery systems are promising tools for the treatment of severe diseases, the extracellular matrix (ECM) constitutes a major obstacle that endangers therapeutic success. Mobility of diffusing species is restricted not only by small pore size (down to as low as 3 nm) but also by electrostatic interactions with the network. This article evaluates commonly used in vitro models of ECM, analytical methods, and particle types with respect to their similarity to native conditions in the target tissue. In this cross-study evaluation, results from a wide variety of mobility studies are analyzed to discern general principles of particle-ECM interactions. For instance, cross-linked networks and a negative network charge are essential to reliably recapitulate key features of the native ECM. Commonly used ECM mimics comprised of one or two components can lead to mobility calculations which have low fidelity to in vivo results. In addition, analytical methods must be tailored to the properties of both the matrix and the diffusing species to deliver accurate results. Finally, nanoparticles must be sufficiently small to penetrate the matrix pores (ideally R_d/p < 0.5; d = particle diameter, p = pore size) and carry a neutral surface charge to avoid obstructions. Larger (R_d/p >> 1) or positively charged particles are trapped.

An electrochemical study of microporous track-etched membrane permeability and the effect of surface protein layers

Microporous track-etched membranes serve as important permeable growth surfaces for cell culture where diffusive solute transport is needed across two growth compartments. This study has established effective solute diffusion coefficients for four probe micro-solutes: hydrogen peroxide, pyrocatechol, acetaminophen and ascorbic acid across three track-etched membranes formulated, respectively, from polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate. Chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetry were used for the diffusion measurements. These showed substantially reduced intra-pore diffusion in relation to available pore area. Diffusion coefficients ranging from 1.43×10^-10 to 3.17×10^-7cm²s^-1 were demonstrated. This strongly suggests that water organisation in micro-pores is not equivalent to that of bulk water. Superimposed protein layers of Type I and IV collagen, Type I collagen-fibronectin, Type I collagen-heparin, and Type I collagen-chondroitin sulphate increased diffusional resistance, but with disproportional retardation of ascorbate diffusion due to charge repulsion at collagen-heparin and collagen-chondroitin sulphate combinations. Diffusive resistance at natural tendon and cartilage was considerably smaller; diffusion coefficients ranged from 8.33×10^-6 to 1.09×10^-8cm²s^-1.

The particle in the spider's web: transport through biological hydrogels

Biological hydrogels such as mucus, extracellular matrix, biofilms, and the nuclear pore have diverse functions and compositions, but all act as selectively permeable barriers to the diffusion of particles. Each barrier has a crosslinked polymeric mesh that blocks penetration of large particles such as pathogens, nanotherapeutics, or macromolecules. These polymeric meshes also employ interactive filtering, in which affinity between solutes and the gel matrix controls permeability. Interactive filtering affects the transport of particles of all sizes including peptides, antibiotics, and nanoparticles and in many cases this filtering can be described in terms of the effects of charge and hydrophobicity. The concepts described in this review can guide strategies to exploit or overcome gel barriers, particularly for applications in diagnostics, pharmacology, biomaterials, and drug delivery.

Interactions between circulating nanoengineered polymer particles and extracellular matrix components in vitro

A simple and modular flow-based system is used to rapidly screen fundamental interactions of soft polymer particles with biologically relevant microenvironments under flow-conditions.

Diffusion Regulation in the Vitreous Humor

The efficient treatment of many ocular diseases depends on the rapid diffusive distribution of solutes such as drugs or drug delivery vehicles through the vitreous humor. However, this multicomponent hydrogel possesses selective permeability properties, which allow for the diffusion of certain molecules and particles, whereas others are immobilized. In this study, we perform an interspecies comparison showing that the selective permeability properties of the vitreous are conserved across several mammalian species. We identify the polyanionic glycosaminoglycans hyaluronic acid and heparan sulfate as two key macromolecules that establish this selective permeability. We show that electrostatic interactions between the polyanionic macromolecules and diffusing solutes can be weakened by charge screening or enzymatic glycosaminoglycan digestion. Furthermore, molecule penetration into the vitreous is also charge-dependent and only efficient as long as the net charge of the molecule does not exceed a certain threshold.

Influence of PEGylation on nanoparticle mobility in different models of the extracellular matrix

Nanoparticle transport inside the extracellular matrix (ECM) is a crucial factor affecting the therapeutic success. In this work, two in vitro ECM models - a neutrally charged collagen I network with an effective pore size of 0.47μm and Matrigel, a basement membrane matrix with strong negative charge and effective pore size of 0.14μm - were assessed for barrier function in the context of diffusing nanoparticles. Nanoparticles with a size of 120nm were coated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) of different molecular weights - 2, 5 and 20kDa - over a range of gradually increasing coating densities - precisely 0.2, 2, 8 and 20PEG/nm². The PEG corona was imaged in its native state without any drying process by atomic force microscopy, revealing that the experimentally determined arrangement of PEG at the surface did not match with what was theoretically expected. In a systematic investigation of nanoparticle mobility via fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, increasing both PEG MW and PEGylation density gradually improved diffusion properties predominately in collagen. Due to its smaller pore size and electrostatic obstruction, diffusion coefficients were about ten times lower in Matrigel than in the collagen network and an extension of the PEG MW and density did not necessarily lead to better diffusing particles. Consequently, collagen gels were revealed to be a poor model for nanoparticle mobility assessment, as neither their pore size nor their electrostatic properties reflect the expected in vivo conditions. In Matrigel, diffusion proceeded according to a sigmoidal increase with gradually increasing PEG densities showing threshold zeta potentials of 11.6mV (PEG_2kDa) and 13.8mV (PEG_5kDa), below which particles were regarded as mobile. Irrespective of the molecular weight particles with a PEGylation density lower than 2PEG/nm² were defined as immobile and those with a PEG coverage of more than 8PEG/nm² as mobile.

Influence of Surface Modifications on the Spatiotemporal Microdistribution of Quantum Dots In Vivo

For biomedical applications of nanoconstructs, it is a general prerequisite to efficiently reach the desired target site. In this regard, it is crucial to determine the spatiotemporal distribution of nanomaterials at the microscopic tissue level. Therefore, the effect of different surface modifications on the distribution of microinjected quantum dots (QDs) in mouse skeletal muscle tissue has been investigated. In vivo real-time fluorescence microscopy and particle tracking reveal that carboxyl QDs preferentially attach to components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), whereas QDs coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) show little interaction with tissue constituents. Transmission electron microscopy elucidates that carboxyl QDs adhere to collagen fibers as well as basement membranes, a type of ECM located on the basolateral side of blood vessel walls. Moreover, carboxyl QDs have been found in endothelial junctions as well as in caveolae of endothelial cells, enabling them to translocate into the vessel lumen. The in vivo QD distribution is confirmed by in vitro experiments. The data suggest that ECM components act as a selective barrier depending on QD surface modification. For future biomedical applications, such as targeting of blood vessel walls, the findings of this study offer design criteria for nanoconstructs that meet the requirements of the respective application.

A microfluidics approach to study the accumulation of molecules at basal lamina interfaces

For an efficient distribution of drugs and drug carriers through biological barriers such as the vascular system, the size and surface properties of nanoparticles and molecules play a key role. To screen for important parameters which determine the ability of drugs or drug carriers to translocate through complex biological barriers, an in vitro assay which correctly predicts the behavior of those objects in vivo would be highly desirable. Here, we present a microfluidic setup to probe the diffusive spreading of molecules with different net charges and molecular weights through a basal lamina interface - a biopolymer system which contributes to the barrier function of the vascular system and the skin. From our data, we find a charge dependent accumulation of molecules at the gel interface which is consistent with transient binding of those molecules to the gel constituents. We also observe a similar charge-dependent accumulation of molecules in living mice where the test molecules colocalize with collagen IV, a key component of the basal lamina. Our assay may serve as a platform to perform penetration experiments with even more complex interfaces combining cellular barriers with biopolymer coatings.

Flexibility and Charge of Solutes as Factors That Determine Their Diffusion in Casein Suspensions and Gels

This work explores the influence of both the physicochemical characteristics of solutes and the solute-matrix interactions on diffusion in casein systems. Diffusion coefficients of three solute groups (dextrans, proteins, and peptides) presenting different physicochemical characteristics, such as molecular flexibility and charge, were measured using the technique of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). The casein systems had the same casein concentration, but different microstructures (suspension or gel), and/or a different pH (5.2 or 6.6). Flexible solutes diffused more rapidly through the casein systems than the rigid ones. Electrostatic interactions between charged solute molecules and the casein matrix were partly screened due to the high ionic strength of the systems. As a consequence, it was the flexibility of the solute molecule (rather than its charge) that most influenced its diffusion through casein systems.

The biophysical properties of Basal lamina gels depend on the biochemical composition of the gel

The migration of cells within a three-dimensional extracellular matrix (ECM) depends sensitively on the biochemical and biophysical properties of the matrix. An example for a biological ECM is given by reconstituted basal lamina gels purified from the Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm sarcoma of mice. Here, we compare four different commercial variants of this ECM, which have all been purified according to the same protocol. Nevertheless, in those gels, we detect strong differences in the migration behavior of leukocyte cells as well as in the Brownian motion of nanoparticles. We show that these differences correlate with the mechanical properties and the microarchitecture of the gels which in turn arise from small variations in their biochemical composition.

Particle transport through hydrogels is charge asymmetric

Transport processes within biological polymer networks, including mucus and the extracellular matrix, play an important role in the human body, where they serve as a filter for the exchange of molecules and nanoparticles. Such polymer networks are complex and heterogeneous hydrogel environments that regulate diffusive processes through finely tuned particle-network interactions. In this work, we present experimental and theoretical studies to examine the role of electrostatics on the basic mechanisms governing the diffusion of charged probe molecules inside model polymer networks. Translational diffusion coefficients are determined by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy measurements for probe molecules in uncharged as well as cationic and anionic polymer solutions. We show that particle transport in the charged hydrogels is highly asymmetric, with diffusion slowed down much more by electrostatic attraction than by repulsion, and that the filtering capability of the gel is sensitive to the solution ionic strength. Brownian dynamics simulations of a simple model are used to examine key parameters, including interaction strength and interaction range within the model networks. Simulations, which are in quantitative agreement with our experiments, reveal the charge asymmetry to be due to the sticking of particles at the vertices of the oppositely charged polymer networks.