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Mondal S, Tavares MT, Brazinha C. Sustainable production of porous chitosan microparticles by energy-efficient membrane emulsification. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31823. [PMID: 38845862 PMCID: PMC11153182 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In drug delivery, it is common to use porous particles as carrier media, instead of dense particles, due to their high specific surface area and available entrapment volume, which allows a higher amount of drug to be encapsulated and then released. Chitosan microparticles are extensively used in drug delivery, but porous chitosan microparticles are scarcely reported. In this work, the preparation of porous chitosan microparticles using membrane emulsification is addressed, a technology that involves mild operating conditions and less energy consumption than traditional methods (such as ultrasound), and with higher control of the particle size. The dense structure is obtained by a water-in-oil emulsion. The porous structure is obtained by a gas-in-water-in-oil G/W/O double emulsion, where argon bubbles get entrapped in an aqueous chitosan solution that is further emulsified in a paraffin/petroleum ether mixture. Porous chitosan particles were obtained with sizes of 7.7 ± 1.6 μm, which was comparable with dense chitosan particles (6.2 ± 2.3 μm). The pore structure was optimized by varying the argon flow rate, being optimized at 0.24 L h-1. The impact of drug loading by adsorption or encapsulation, and of the drug release behaviour when using porous and dense particles were assessed, using the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model drug. The results showed that by encapsulating BSA the loading efficiency was above 95 % for both types of particles, with the release being slightly slower for the dense particles. As for the adsorbed BSA, the loading efficiency was significantly higher for porous particles - 70 % - against the 40 % for dense particles. Porous chitosan particles were successfully obtained using the membrane emulsification technology and showed that these carriers are advantageous regarding drug loading and release.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carla Brazinha
- LAQV/Requimte, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, FCT NOVA, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal
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2
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Dada ST, Toprakcioglu Z, Cali MP, Röntgen A, Hardenberg MC, Morris OM, Mrugalla LK, Knowles TPJ, Vendruscolo M. Pharmacological inhibition of α-synuclein aggregation within liquid condensates. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3835. [PMID: 38714700 PMCID: PMC11076612 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47585-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Aggregated forms of α-synuclein constitute the major component of Lewy bodies, the proteinaceous aggregates characteristic of Parkinson's disease. Emerging evidence suggests that α-synuclein aggregation may occur within liquid condensates formed through phase separation. This mechanism of aggregation creates new challenges and opportunities for drug discovery for Parkinson's disease, which is otherwise still incurable. Here we show that the condensation-driven aggregation pathway of α-synuclein can be inhibited using small molecules. We report that the aminosterol claramine stabilizes α-synuclein condensates and inhibits α-synuclein aggregation within the condensates both in vitro and in a Caenorhabditis elegans model of Parkinson's disease. By using a chemical kinetics approach, we show that the mechanism of action of claramine is to inhibit primary nucleation within the condensates. These results illustrate a possible therapeutic route based on the inhibition of protein aggregation within condensates, a phenomenon likely to be relevant in other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel T Dada
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Zenon Toprakcioglu
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Mariana P Cali
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Alexander Röntgen
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Maarten C Hardenberg
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Owen M Morris
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Lena K Mrugalla
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
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Wiita EG, Toprakcioglu Z, Jayaram AK, Knowles TPJ. Selenium-silk microgels as antifungal and antibacterial agents. NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2024; 9:609-619. [PMID: 38288551 PMCID: PMC10962633 DOI: 10.1039/d3nh00385j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a leading threat to global health. Alternative therapeutics to combat the rise in drug-resistant strains of bacteria and fungi are thus needed, but the development of new classes of small molecule therapeutics has remained challenging. Here, we explore an orthogonal approach and address this issue by synthesising micro-scale, protein colloidal particles that possess potent antimicrobial properties. We describe an approach for forming silk-based microgels that contain selenium nanoparticles embedded within the protein scaffold. We demonstrate that these materials have both antibacterial and antifungal properties while, crucially, also remaining highly biocompatible with mammalian cell lines. By combing the nanoparticles with silk, the protein microgel is able to fulfill two critical functions; it protects the mammalian cells from the cytotoxic effects of the bare nanoparticles, while simultaneously serving as a carrier for microbial eradication. Furthermore, since the antimicrobial activity originates from physical contact, bacteria and fungi are unlikely to develop resistance to our hybrid biomaterials, which remains a critical issue with current antibiotic and antifungal treatments. Therefore, taken together, these results provide the basis for innovative antimicrobial materials that can target drug-resistant microbial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth G Wiita
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lenseld Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Zenon Toprakcioglu
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lenseld Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Akhila K Jayaram
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lenseld Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lenseld Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
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Kamada A, Toprakcioglu Z, Knowles TPJ. Kinetic Analysis Reveals the Role of Secondary Nucleation in Regenerated Silk Fibroin Self-Assembly. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1709-1716. [PMID: 36926854 PMCID: PMC10091410 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Silk proteins obtained from the Bombyx mori silkworm have been extensively studied due to their remarkable mechanical properties. One of the major structural components of this complex material is silk fibroin, which can be isolated and processed further in vitro to form artificial functional materials. Due to the excellent biocompatibility and rich self-assembly behavior, there has been sustained interest in such materials formed through the assembly of regenerated silk fibroin feedstocks. The molecular mechanisms by which the soluble regenerated fibroin molecules self-assemble into protein nanofibrils remain, however, largely unknown. Here, we use the framework of chemical kinetics to connect macroscopic measurements of regenerated silk fibroin self-assembly to the underlying microscopic mechanisms. Our results reveal that the aggregation of regenerated silk fibroin is dominated by a nonclassical secondary nucleation processes, where the formation of new fibrils is catalyzed by the existing aggregates in an autocatalytic manner. Such secondary nucleation pathways were originally discovered in the context of polymerization of disease-associated proteins, but the present results demonstrate that this pathway can also occur in functional assembly. Furthermore, our results show that shear flow induces the formation of nuclei, which subsequently accelerate the process of aggregation through an autocatalytic amplification driven by the secondary nucleation pathway. Taken together, these results allow us to identify the parameters governing the kinetics of regenerated silk fibroin self-assembly and expand our current understanding of the spinning of bioinspired protein-based fibers, which have a wide range of applications in materials science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayaka Kamada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Zenon Toprakcioglu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.,Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FE, U.K
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Toprakcioglu Z, Wiita EG, Jayaram AK, Gregory RC, Knowles TPJ. Selenium Silk Nanostructured Films with Antifungal and Antibacterial Activity. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:10452-10463. [PMID: 36802477 PMCID: PMC9982822 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c21013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The rapid emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and fungi poses a threat for healthcare worldwide. The development of novel effective small molecule therapeutic strategies in this space has remained challenging. Therefore, one orthogonal approach is to explore biomaterials with physical modes of action that have the potential to generate antimicrobial activity and, in some cases, even prevent antimicrobial resistance. Here, to this effect, we describe an approach for forming silk-based films that contain embedded selenium nanoparticles. We show that these materials exhibit both antibacterial and antifungal properties while crucially also remaining highly biocompatible and noncytotoxic toward mammalian cells. By incorporating the nanoparticles into silk films, the protein scaffold acts in a 2-fold manner; it protects the mammalian cells from the cytotoxic effects of the bare nanoparticles, while also providing a template for bacterial and fungal eradication. A range of hybrid inorganic/organic films were produced and an optimum concentration was found, which allowed for both high bacterial and fungal death while also exhibiting low mammalian cell cytotoxicity. Such films can thus pave the way for next-generation antimicrobial materials for applications such as wound healing and as agents against topical infections, with the added benefit that bacteria and fungi are unlikely to develop antimicrobial resistance to these hybrid materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zenon Toprakcioglu
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth G. Wiita
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Akhila K. Jayaram
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Cavendish
Laboratory, Department of Physics, University
of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca C. Gregory
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Cavendish
Laboratory, Department of Physics, University
of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
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Zhu H, Roode LW, Parry AJ, Erkamp NA, Rodriguez-Garcia M, Narita M, Shen Y, Ou Y, Toprakcioglu Z, Narita M, Knowles TP. Core–Shell Spheroid‐Laden Microgels Crosslinked under Biocompatible Conditions for Probing Cancer‐Stromal Communication. ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202200138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hongjia Zhu
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Lianne W.Y. Roode
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Aled J. Parry
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute University of Cambridge Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way Cambridge CB2 0RE UK
| | - Nadia A. Erkamp
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Marc Rodriguez-Garcia
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Masako Narita
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute University of Cambridge Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way Cambridge CB2 0RE UK
| | - Yi Shen
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Yangteng Ou
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Zenon Toprakcioglu
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Masashi Narita
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute University of Cambridge Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way Cambridge CB2 0RE UK
- Tokyo Tech World Research Hub Initiative (WRHI) Institute of Innovative Research Tokyo Institute of Technology Yokohama, Tokyo 152-8550 Japan
| | - Tuomas P.J. Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
- Department of Physics University of Cambridge JJ Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0HE UK
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Zhu P, Wang Y, Bai X, Pan J. CO2-in-Water Pickering Emulsion-Assisted Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly of Raspberry-like sorbent microbeads for uranium adsorption. Sep Purif Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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8
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A Brief Overview of Recent Progress in Porous Silica as Catalyst Supports. JOURNAL OF COMPOSITES SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jcs5030075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Porous silica particles have shown applications in various technological fields including their use as catalyst supports in heterogeneous catalysis. The mesoporous silica particles have ordered porosity, high surface area, and good chemical stability. These interesting structural or textural properties make porous silica an attractive material for use as catalyst supports in various heterogeneous catalysis reactions. The colloidal nature of the porous silica particles is highly useful in catalytic applications as it guarantees better mass transfer properties and uniform distribution of the various metal or metal oxide nanocatalysts in solution. The catalysts show high activity, low degree of metal leaching, and ease in recycling when supported or immobilized on porous silica-based materials. In this overview, we have pointed out the importance of porous silica as catalyst supports. A variety of chemical reactions catalyzed by different catalysts loaded or embedded in porous silica supports are studied. The latest reports from the literature about the use of porous silica-based materials as catalyst supports are listed and analyzed. The new and continued trends are discussed with examples.
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