Development of a Highly Potent Transthyretin Amyloidogenesis Inhibitor: Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation

Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a group of fatal diseases described by the misfolding and amyloid deposition of transthyretin (TTR). Discovering small molecules that bind and stabilize the TTR tetramer, preventing its dissociation and subsequent aggregation, is a therapeutic strategy for these pathologies. Departing from the crystal structure of TTR in complex with tolcapone, a potent binder in clinical trials for ATTR, we combined rational design and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to generate a series of novel halogenated kinetic stabilizers. Among them, M-23 displays one of the highest affinities for TTR described so far. The TTR/M-23 crystal structure confirmed the formation of unprecedented protein–ligand contacts, as predicted by MD simulations, leading to an enhanced tetramer stability both in vitro and in whole serum. We demonstrate that MD-assisted design of TTR ligands constitutes a new avenue for discovering molecules that, like M-23, hold the potential to become highly potent drugs to treat ATTR.

Mussel-inspired hydrogels: from design principles to promising applications

This review presents the recent progress of mussel-inspired hydrogels from fundamental interaction mechanisms and design principles to promising applications.

Polydopamine Surface Chemistry: A Decade of Discovery

Polydopamine is one of the simplest and most versatile approaches to functionalizing material surfaces, having been inspired by the adhesive nature of catechols and amines in mussel adhesive proteins. Since its first report in 2007, a decade of studies on polydopamine molecular structure, deposition conditions, and physicochemical properties have ensued. During this time, potential uses of polydopamine coatings have expanded in many unforeseen directions, seemingly only limited by the creativity of researchers seeking simple solutions to manipulating surface chemistry. In this review, we describe the current state of the art in polydopamine coating methods, describe efforts underway to uncover and tailor the complex structure and chemical properties of polydopamine, and identify emerging trends and needs in polydopamine research, including the use of dopamine analogs, nitrogen-free polyphenolic precursors, and improvement of coating mechanical properties.

Amphiphile self-assembly dynamics at the solution-solid interface reveal asymmetry in head/tail desorption

Asymmetric dynamics in fundamental adsorption and desorption steps drive self-assembly at solution/solid interface.

Butylated caffeic acid: An efficient novel antioxidant

A novel antioxidant, butylated caffeic acid (BCA) was rationally designed by adding a tert-butyl group to caffeic acid, which was synthesized at a high yield (36.2%) from 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol by a four-step reaction including Friedel-Crafts alkylation, bromine oxidation, ether bond hydrolysis and Knoevenagel condensation. Its antioxidant capacity was much stronger than common commercial antioxidant tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) and its mother compound, caffeic acid, in both rancimat and deep frying tests. When investigated via the DPPH method, the antioxidant capacity of BCA was almost equal to TBHQ, but lower than caffeic acid. BCA could be a potentially strong antioxidant, especially for food processing at high temperatures such as deep frying and baking.

Models for biomedical interfaces: a computational study of quinone-functionalized amorphous silica surface features

The structural and IR features of amorphous silica surfaces, functionalized by ortho-benzoquinone groups, were computed to obtain a deeper knowledge of multifunctional coatings with antimicrobial properties.

Multimodal underwater adsorption of oxide nanoparticles on catechol-based polymer nanosheets

Multimodal underwater adsorption behaviour of catechol units was demonstrated by examining the adsorption of different oxide nanoparticles on nanoscale-integrated polymer nanosheets. Catechol-based polymer nanosheets were fabricated using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique with random copolymers (p(DDA/DMA)s) of N-dodecylacrylamide (DDA) and dopamine methacrylamide (DMA). The p(DDA/DMA) nanosheets were immersed into water dispersions of SiO2, Al2O3, and WO3 nanoparticles (NPs) respectively. The results show that the adsorption properties can be altered by varying the NP type: SiO2 NP adsorption was observed only below pH = 6, at which the o-quinone form in p(DDA/DMA) nanosheets transforms into the catechol form or vice versa. However, their transition point for Al2O3 NP adsorption was found at approximately pH 10, at which the surface potential of Al2O3 NPs changes the charge polarity, indicating that the electrostatic interaction is predominant. For WO3 NPs, adsorption was observed when citric acid, which modifies the surface of WO3 NPs by complex formation, was used as a pH-controlling agent, but no adsorption was found for hydrochloric acid used as a pH controlling agent. FT-IR measurements proved that miniscule amounts of water molecules were trapped in p(DDA/DMA) nanosheets and that they acquired hydrogen bonding network formations, which might assist nanoparticle adsorption underwater and make the catechol units adjustable. The results indicate that the nanoscale spatial arrangements of catechol units in films are crucially important for the application of multimodal adsorption of oxide nanoparticles on catechol-based polymer materials.

Mussel-inspired hydrophobic coatings for water-repellent textiles and oil removal

A series of catechol derivatives with a different number of linear alkyl chain substituents, and different length, have been shown to polymerize in the presence of aqueous ammonia and air, yielding hydrophobic coatings that present the ability to provide robust and efficient water repellency on weaved textiles, including hydrophilic cotton. The polymerization strategy presented exemplifies an alternative route to established melanin- and polydopamine-like functional coatings, affording designs in which all catechol (adhesive) moieties support specific functional side chains for maximization of the desired (hydrophobic) functionality. The coatings obtained proved effective in the transformation of polyester and cotton weaves, as well as filter paper, into reusable water-repellent, oil-absorbent materials capable of retaining roughly double their weight in model compounds (n-tetradecane and olive oil), as well as of separating water/oil mixtures by simple filtration.

Two-dimensional self-assembly of single-, poly- and co-crystals at the liquid/solid interface

The observation of two polymorphs indicates that C2 cannot form single crystals because of an increase in molecular flexibility.

Catechol-based biomimetic functional materials

Catechols are found in nature taking part in a remarkably broad scope of biochemical processes and functions. Though not exclusively, such versatility may be traced back to several properties uniquely found together in the o-dihydroxyaryl chemical function; namely, its ability to establish reversible equilibria at moderate redox potentials and pHs and to irreversibly cross-link through complex oxidation mechanisms; its excellent chelating properties, greatly exemplified by, but by no means exclusive, to the binding of Fe(3+); and the diverse modes of interaction of the vicinal hydroxyl groups with all kinds of surfaces of remarkably different chemical and physical nature. Thanks to this diversity, catechols can be found either as simple molecular systems, forming part of supramolacular structures, coordinated to different metal ions or as macromolecules mostly arising from polymerization mechanisms through covalent bonds. Such versatility has allowed catechols to participate in several natural processes and functions that range from the adhesive properties of marine organisms to the storage of some transition metal ions. As a result of such an astonishing range of functionalities, catechol-based systems have in recent years been subject to intense research, aimed at mimicking these natural systems in order to develop new functional materials and coatings. A comprehensive review of these studies is discussed in this paper.