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Corsi F, Deidda Tarquini G, Urbani M, Bejarano I, Traversa E, Ghibelli L. The Impressive Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles: More than Redox? Nanomaterials (Basel) 2023; 13:2803. [PMID: 37887953 PMCID: PMC10609664 DOI: 10.3390/nano13202803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) are biocompatible nanozymes exerting multifunctional biomimetic activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase, photolyase, and phosphatase. SOD- and catalase-mimesis depend on Ce3+/Ce4+ redox switch on nanoparticle surface, which allows scavenging the most noxious reactive oxygen species in a self-regenerating, energy-free manner. As oxidative stress plays pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders, CNPs have recently attracted attention as potential anti-inflammatory agents. A careful survey of the literature reveals that CNPs, alone or as constituents of implants and scaffolds, strongly contrast chronic inflammation (including neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases, liver steatosis, gastrointestinal disorders), infections, and trauma, thereby ameliorating/restoring organ function. By general consensus, CNPs inhibit inflammation cues while boosting the pro-resolving anti-inflammatory signaling pathways. The mechanism of CNPs' anti-inflammatory effects has hardly been investigated, being rather deductively attributed to CNP-induced ROS scavenging. However, CNPs are multi-functional nanozymes that exert additional bioactivities independent from the Ce3+/Ce4+ redox switch, such as phosphatase activity, which could conceivably mediate some of the anti-inflammatory effects reported, suggesting that CNPs fight inflammation via pleiotropic actions. Since CNP anti-inflammatory activity is potentially a pharmacological breakthrough, it is important to precisely attribute the described effects to one or another of their nanozyme functions, thus achieving therapeutic credibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Corsi
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (G.D.T.); (M.U.); (E.T.)
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Greta Deidda Tarquini
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (G.D.T.); (M.U.); (E.T.)
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Urbani
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (G.D.T.); (M.U.); (E.T.)
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Ignacio Bejarano
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University of Seville, HUVR, Junta de Andalucía, CSIC, 41013 Seville, Spain;
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Immunology, University of Seville, 41004 Seville, Spain
| | - Enrico Traversa
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (G.D.T.); (M.U.); (E.T.)
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy
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Corsi F, Di Meo E, Lulli D, Deidda Tarquini G, Capradossi F, Bruni E, Pelliccia A, Traversa E, Dellambra E, Failla CM, Ghibelli L. Safe-Shields: Basal and Anti-UV Protection of Human Keratinocytes by Redox-Active Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Prevents UVB-Induced Mutagenesis. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12030757. [PMID: 36979005 PMCID: PMC10045349 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12030757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria), biocompatible multifunctional nanozymes exerting unique biomimetic activities, mimic superoxide-dismutase and catalase through a self-regenerating, energy-free redox cycle driven by Ce3+/4+ valence switch. Additional redox-independent UV-filter properties render nanoceria ideal multitask solar screens, shielding from UV exposure, simultaneously protecting tissues from UV-oxidative damage. Here, we report that nanoceria favour basal proliferation of primary normal keratinocytes, and protects them from UVB-induced DNA damage, mutagenesis, and apoptosis, minimizing cell loss and accelerating recovery with flawless cells. Similar cell-protective effects were found on irradiated noncancerous, but immortalized, p53-null HaCaT keratinocytes, with the notable exception that here, nanoceria do not accelerate basal HaCaT proliferation. Notably, nanoceria protect HaCaT from oxidative stress induced by irradiated titanium dioxide nanoparticles, a major active principle of commercial UV-shielding lotions, thus neutralizing their most critical side effects. The intriguing combination of nanoceria multiple beneficial properties opens the way for smart and safer containment measures of UV-induced skin damage and carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Corsi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Erika Di Meo
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Lulli
- Experimental Immunology Laboratory, IDI-IRCCS, 00167 Rome, Italy
| | - Greta Deidda Tarquini
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Capradossi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.C.); (L.G.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-4218 (L.G.)
| | - Emanuele Bruni
- Experimental Immunology Laboratory, IDI-IRCCS, 00167 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Pelliccia
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Dellambra
- Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, IDI-IRCCS, 00167 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.C.); (L.G.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-4218 (L.G.)
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Dong S, Xia J, Zhu H, Du X, Gu Y, Liu Q, Luo Y, Kong Q, Guo H, Li T, Traversa E. ZrO
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/C Nanosphere Enables High‐Efficiency Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia at Ambient Conditions. ChemCatChem 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202200458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuyue Dong
- School of Materials and Energy University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu 611731, Sichuan P. R. China
| | - Jiaojiao Xia
- School of Materials and Energy University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu 611731, Sichuan P. R. China
| | - Hexin Zhu
- School of Materials and Energy University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu 611731, Sichuan P. R. China
| | - Xiangning Du
- School of Materials and Energy University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu 611731, Sichuan P. R. China
| | - Yang Gu
- School of Materials and Energy University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu 611731, Sichuan P. R. China
| | - Qian Liu
- Institute for Advanced Study Chengdu University Chengdu 610106, Sichuan P. R. China
| | - Yonglan Luo
- Institute for Advanced Study Chengdu University Chengdu 610106, Sichuan P. R. China
| | - Qingquan Kong
- Institute for Advanced Study Chengdu University Chengdu 610106, Sichuan P. R. China
| | - Haoran Guo
- School of Chemical Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Shijingshan District Beijing 100049 P. R. China
| | - Tingshuai Li
- School of Materials and Energy University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu 611731, Sichuan P. R. China
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Materials and Energy University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu 611731, Sichuan P. R. China
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Corsi F, Capradossi F, Pelliccia A, Briganti S, Bruni E, Traversa E, Torino F, Reichle A, Ghibelli L. Apoptosis as Driver of Therapy-Induced Cancer Repopulation and Acquired Cell-Resistance (CRAC): A Simple In Vitro Model of Phoenix Rising in Prostate Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031152. [PMID: 35163077 PMCID: PMC8834753 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Apoptotic cells stimulate compensatory proliferation through the caspase-3-cPLA-2-COX-2-PGE-2-STAT3 Phoenix Rising pathway as a healing process in normal tissues. Phoenix Rising is however usurped in cancer, potentially nullifying pro-apoptotic therapies. Cytotoxic therapies also promote cancer cell plasticity through epigenetic reprogramming, leading to epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition (EMT), chemo-resistance and tumor progression. We explored the relationship between such scenarios, setting-up an innovative, straightforward one-pot in vitro model of therapy-induced prostate cancer repopulation. Cancer (castration-resistant PC3 and androgen-sensitive LNCaP), or normal (RWPE-1) prostate cells, are treated with etoposide and left recovering for 18 days. After a robust apoptotic phase, PC3 setup a coordinate tissue-like response, repopulating and acquiring EMT and chemo-resistance; repopulation occurs via Phoenix Rising, being dependent on high PGE-2 levels achieved through caspase-3-promoted signaling; epigenetic inhibitors interrupt Phoenix Rising after PGE-2, preventing repopulation. Instead, RWPE-1 repopulate via Phoenix Rising without reprogramming, EMT or chemo-resistance, indicating that only cancer cells require reprogramming to complete Phoenix Rising. Intriguingly, LNCaP stop Phoenix-Rising after PGE-2, failing repopulating, suggesting that the propensity to engage/complete Phoenix Rising may influence the outcome of pro-apoptotic therapies. Concluding, we established a reliable system where to study prostate cancer repopulation, showing that epigenetic reprogramming assists Phoenix Rising to promote post-therapy cancer repopulation and acquired cell-resistance (CRAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Corsi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (A.P.); (E.B.)
- Correspondence: (F.C.); (L.G.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-4095 (F.C.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-4218 (L.G.)
| | - Francesco Capradossi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (A.P.); (E.B.)
- PhD Program in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Pelliccia
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (A.P.); (E.B.)
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Stefania Briganti
- Cutaneous Physiopathology and Integrated Center of Metabolomics Research, San Gallicano Dermatological Institute, IRCCS, 00144 Rome, Italy;
| | - Emanuele Bruni
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (A.P.); (E.B.)
| | - Enrico Traversa
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy;
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610056, China
| | - Francesco Torino
- Department of Systems Medicine, Medical Oncology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Albrecht Reichle
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany;
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (A.P.); (E.B.)
- Correspondence: (F.C.); (L.G.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-4095 (F.C.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-4218 (L.G.)
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Li T, Xia J, Chen Q, Xu K, Gu Y, Liu Q, Luo Y, Guo H, Traversa E. Monodisperse Cu Cluster-Loaded Defective ZrO 2 Nanofibers for Ambient N 2 Fixation to NH 3. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:40724-40730. [PMID: 34423967 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c12279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction to ammonia has attracted increasing attention as it is more energy-saving and eco-friendly. For this endeavor, the development of high-efficiency electrocatalysts with excellent selectivity and stability is indispensable to break up the stable covalent triple bond in nitrogen. In this study, we report monodisperse Cu clusters loaded on defective ZrO2 nanofibers for nitrogen reduction under mild conditions. Such an electrocatalyst achieves an NH3 yield rate of 12.13 μg h-1 mgcat.-1 and an optimal Faradaic efficiency of 13.4% at -0.6 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode in 0.1 M Na2SO4. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the N2 molecule was reduced to NH3 at the Cu active site with an ideal overpotential. Meanwhile, the interaction between bonding and antibonding of the Cu-N bond promotes activation of N2 and maintains a low desorption barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingshuai Li
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731 Sichuan, China
| | - Jiaojiao Xia
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731 Sichuan, China
| | - Qiru Chen
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731 Sichuan, China
| | - Ke Xu
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731 Sichuan, China
| | - Yang Gu
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731 Sichuan, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106 Sichuan, China
| | - Yonglan Luo
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054 Sichuan, China
| | - Haoran Guo
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731 Sichuan, China
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Xian H, Guo H, Xia J, Chen Q, Luo Y, Song R, Li T, Traversa E. Iron-Doped MoO 3 Nanosheets for Boosting Nitrogen Fixation to Ammonia at Ambient Conditions. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:7142-7151. [PMID: 33550806 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c19644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen can be electrochemically reduced to produce ammonia, which supplies an energy-saving and environmental-benign route at room temperature, but high-efficiency catalysts are sought to reduce the reaction barrier. Here, iron-doped α-MoO3 nanosheets are thus designed and proposed as potential catalysts for fixing N2 to NH3. The α-MoO3 band structure is intentionally modulated by the iron doping, which narrows the band gap of α-MoO3 and turns the semiconductor into a metal-like catalyst. Oxygen vacancies, generated by substituting Mo6+ for Fe3+ anions, are beneficial for nitrogen adsorption at the active sites. In 0.1 M Na2SO4, the Fe-doped MoO3 catalyst reached a high faradaic efficiency of 13.3% and an excellent NH3 yield rate of 28.52 μg h-1 mgcat-1 at -0.7 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, superior to most of the other metal-based catalysts. Theoretical calculations confirmed that the N2 reduction reaction at the Fe-MoO3 surface followed the distal reaction path.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haohong Xian
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China
| | - Haoran Guo
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiaojiao Xia
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiru Chen
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China
| | - Yonglan Luo
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Rui Song
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tingshuai Li
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China
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Deganello F, Tavares AC, Traversa E. Editorial: Chemistry, a Sustainable Bridge From Waste to Materials for Energy and Environment. Front Chem 2021; 8:641129. [PMID: 33585408 PMCID: PMC7873474 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.641129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Deganello
- Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Italiano (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Ana C Tavares
- Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Varennes, QC, Canada
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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Shi Y, Wang L, Wang Z, Vinai G, Braglia L, Torelli P, Aruta C, Traversa E, Liu W, Yang N. Defect Engineering for Tuning the Photoresponse of Ceria-Based Solid Oxide Photoelectrochemical Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:541-551. [PMID: 33373206 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c17921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Solid oxide photoelectrochemical cells (SOPECs) with inorganic ion-conducting electrolytes provide an alternative solution for light harvesting and conversion. Exploring potential photoelectrodes for SOPECs and understanding their operation mechanisms are crucial for continuously developing this technology. Here, ceria-based thin films were newly explored as photoelectrodes for SOPEC applications. It was found that the photoresponse of ceria-based thin films can be tuned both by Sm-doping-induced defects and by the heating temperature of SOPECs. The whole process was found to depend on the surface electrochemical redox reactions synergistically with the bulk photoelectric effect. Samarium doping level can selectively switch the open-circuit voltages polarity of SOPECs under illumination, thus shifting the potential of photoelectrodes and changing their photoresponse. The role of defect chemistry engineering in determining such a photoelectrochemical process was discussed. Transient absorption and X-ray photoemission spectroscopies, together with the state-of-the-art in operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy, allowed us to provide a compelling explanation of the experimentally observed switching behavior on the basis of the surface reactions and successive charge balance in the bulk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanuo Shi
- Electrochemical Thin Film Group, School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Luyao Wang
- Electrochemical Thin Film Group, School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Ziyu Wang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, P.R. China
| | - Giovanni Vinai
- Istituto Officina dei Materiali (IOM)-CNR, Laboratorio TASC, Area Science Park, S.S. 14 km 163.5, Trieste I-34149, Italy
| | - Luca Braglia
- Istituto Officina dei Materiali (IOM)-CNR, Laboratorio TASC, Area Science Park, S.S. 14 km 163.5, Trieste I-34149, Italy
| | - Piero Torelli
- Istituto Officina dei Materiali (IOM)-CNR, Laboratorio TASC, Area Science Park, S.S. 14 km 163.5, Trieste I-34149, Italy
| | - Carmela Aruta
- CNR-SPIN, c/o Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico, 1 Rome 00133, Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 2006 Xiyuan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, P.R. China
| | - Weimin Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, P.R. China
| | - Nan Yang
- Electrochemical Thin Film Group, School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, P.R. China
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Gori M, Giannitelli SM, Torre M, Mozetic P, Abbruzzese F, Trombetta M, Traversa E, Moroni L, Rainer A. 3D Liver Models: Biofabrication of Hepatic Constructs by 3D Bioprinting of a Cell‐Laden Thermogel: An Effective Tool to Assess Drug‐Induced Hepatotoxic Response (Adv. Healthcare Mater. 21/2020). Adv Healthc Mater 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202070078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Gori M, Giannitelli SM, Torre M, Mozetic P, Abbruzzese F, Trombetta M, Traversa E, Moroni L, Rainer A. Biofabrication of Hepatic Constructs by 3D Bioprinting of a Cell-Laden Thermogel: An Effective Tool to Assess Drug-Induced Hepatotoxic Response. Adv Healthc Mater 2020; 9:e2001163. [PMID: 32940019 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202001163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A thermoresponsive Pluronic/alginate semisynthetic hydrogel is used to bioprint 3D hepatic constructs, with the aim to investigate liver-specific metabolic activity of the 3D constructs compared to traditional 2D adherent cultures. The bioprinting method relies on a bioinert hydrogel and is characterized by high-shape fidelity, mild depositing conditions and easily controllable gelation mechanism. Furthermore, the dissolution of the sacrificial Pluronic templating agent significantly ameliorates the diffusive properties of the printed hydrogel. The present findings demonstrate high viability and liver-specific metabolic activity, as assessed by synthesis of urea, albumin, and expression levels of the detoxifying CYP1A2 enzyme of cells embedded in the 3D hydrogel system. A markedly increased sensitivity to a well-known hepatotoxic drug (acetaminophen) is observed for cells in 3D constructs compared to 2D cultures. Therefore, the 3D model developed herein may represent an in vitro alternative to animal models for investigating drug-induced hepatotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuele Gori
- Department of Engineering Università Campus Bio‐Medico di Roma via Álvaro del Portillo 21 Rome 00128 Italy
| | - Sara M. Giannitelli
- Department of Engineering Università Campus Bio‐Medico di Roma via Álvaro del Portillo 21 Rome 00128 Italy
| | - Miranda Torre
- Department of Engineering Università Campus Bio‐Medico di Roma via Álvaro del Portillo 21 Rome 00128 Italy
| | - Pamela Mozetic
- Center for Translational Medicine (CTM) International Clinical Research Center (ICRC) St. Anne's University Hospital Studentská 812/6 Brno 62500 Czechia
- Institute of Nanotechnology (NANOTEC) National Research Council via Monteroni Lecce 73100 Italy
| | - Franca Abbruzzese
- Department of Engineering Università Campus Bio‐Medico di Roma via Álvaro del Portillo 21 Rome 00128 Italy
| | - Marcella Trombetta
- Department of Engineering Università Campus Bio‐Medico di Roma via Álvaro del Portillo 21 Rome 00128 Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Energy Science and Engineering University of Electronic Science and Technology of China 2006 Xiyuan Road Chengdu Sichuan 611731 China
| | - Lorenzo Moroni
- Institute of Nanotechnology (NANOTEC) National Research Council via Monteroni Lecce 73100 Italy
- MERLN Institute for Technology Inspired Regenerative Medicine Department of Complex Tissue Regeneration Maastricht University Universiteitssingel 40 Maastricht 6229 ER the Netherlands
| | - Alberto Rainer
- Department of Engineering Università Campus Bio‐Medico di Roma via Álvaro del Portillo 21 Rome 00128 Italy
- Institute of Nanotechnology (NANOTEC) National Research Council via Monteroni Lecce 73100 Italy
- MERLN Institute for Technology Inspired Regenerative Medicine Department of Complex Tissue Regeneration Maastricht University Universiteitssingel 40 Maastricht 6229 ER the Netherlands
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Abate C, Duncan K, Esposito V, Traversa E, Wachsman ED. Synthesis and Characterization of Y2Ru2O7 and Y2-XPrXRu2O7 for Cathode Application in Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1149/1.2215560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Chen F, D'Epifanio A, Mecheri B, Traversa E, Licoccia S. Nafion/Tin Oxide Composite Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3210749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Marzorati S, Cristiani P, Longhi M, Trasatti SP, Traversa E. Nanoceria acting as oxygen reservoir for biocathodes in microbial fuel cells. Electrochim Acta 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2019.134954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Nocita E, Del Giovane A, Tiberi M, Boccuni L, Fiorelli D, Sposato C, Romano E, Basoli F, Trombetta M, Rainer A, Traversa E, Ragnini-Wilson A. EGFR/ErbB Inhibition Promotes OPC Maturation up to Axon Engagement by Co-Regulating PIP2 and MBP. Cells 2019; 8:cells8080844. [PMID: 31390799 PMCID: PMC6721729 DOI: 10.3390/cells8080844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Remyelination in the adult brain relies on the reactivation of the Neuronal Precursor Cell (NPC) niche and differentiation into Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells (OPCs) as well as on OPC maturation into myelinating oligodendrocytes (OLs). These two distinct phases in OL development are defined by transcriptional and morphological changes. How this differentiation program is controlled remains unclear. We used two drugs that stimulate myelin basic protein (MBP) expression (Clobetasol and Gefitinib) alone or combined with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or Retinoid X Receptor gamma (RXRγ) gene silencing to decode the receptor signaling required for OPC differentiation in myelinating OLs. Electrospun polystyrene (PS) microfibers were used as synthetic axons to study drug efficacy on fiber engagement. We show that EGFR inhibition per se stimulates MBP expression and increases Clobetasol efficacy in OPC differentiation. Consistent with this, Clobetasol and Gefitinib co-treatment, by co-regulating RXRγ, MBP and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) levels, maximizes synthetic axon engagement. Conversely, RXRγ gene silencing reduces the ability of the drugs to promote MBP expression. This work provides a view of how EGFR/ErbB inhibition controls OPC differentiation and indicates the combination of Clobetasol and Gefitinib as a potent remyelination-enhancing treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Nocita
- NeurotechIT Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Alice Del Giovane
- NeurotechIT Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Tiberi
- NeurotechIT Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Boccuni
- NeurotechIT Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Denise Fiorelli
- NeurotechIT Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Carola Sposato
- NeurotechIT Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Romano
- Advanced Microscopy Center, Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Basoli
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcella Trombetta
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Rainer
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Antonella Ragnini-Wilson
- NeurotechIT Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy.
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15
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Campana PT, Marletta A, Piovesan E, Francisco KJM, Neto FVR, Petrini L, Silva TR, Machado D, Basoli F, Oliveira ON, Licoccia S, Traversa E. Pulsatile Discharge from Polymeric Scaffolds: A Novel Method for Modulated Drug Release. BCSJ 2019. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20180403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia T. Campana
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo (USP), Arlindo Bettio Av., 1000, São Paulo, 03828-000, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Marletta
- Institute of Physics, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), João Naves de Ávila Av., 2121, Uberlândia 38408-100, Brazil
| | - Erick Piovesan
- Institute of Physics, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), João Naves de Ávila Av., 2121, Uberlândia 38408-100, Brazil
| | - Kelliton J. M. Francisco
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo (USP), Arlindo Bettio Av., 1000, São Paulo, 03828-000, Brazil
| | - Francisco V. R. Neto
- Institute of Physics, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), João Naves de Ávila Av., 2121, Uberlândia 38408-100, Brazil
| | - Leandro Petrini
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo (USP), Arlindo Bettio Av., 1000, São Paulo, 03828-000, Brazil
| | - Thiago R. Silva
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo (USP), Arlindo Bettio Av., 1000, São Paulo, 03828-000, Brazil
| | - Danilo Machado
- Institute of Physics, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), João Naves de Ávila Av., 2121, Uberlândia 38408-100, Brazil
| | - Francesco Basoli
- Department of Engineering, University of Rome “Campus Bio-Medico di Roma”, Alvaro del Portillo St., 21, Rome 00128, Italy
| | - Osvaldo N. Oliveira
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo (USP), CP 369, 13560-970, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Silvia Licoccia
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica St. Rome 00133, Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 2006 Xiyuan Road, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, P. R. China
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16
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Caputo F, Giovanetti A, Corsi F, Maresca V, Briganti S, Licoccia S, Traversa E, Ghibelli L. Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Re-establish Cell Integrity Checkpoints and Apoptosis Competence in Irradiated HaCat Cells via Novel Redox-Independent Activity. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:1183. [PMID: 30459604 PMCID: PMC6232693 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) are potent radical scavengers protecting cells from oxidative insults, including ionizing radiation. Here we show that CNPs prevent X-ray-induced oxidative imbalance reducing DNA breaks on HaCat keratinocytes, nearly abating mutagenesis. At the same time, and in spite of the reduced damage, CNPs strengthen radiation-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis outcome, dropping colony formation; notably, CNPs do not possess any intrinsic toxicity toward non-irradiated HaCat, indicating that they act on damaged cells. Thus CNPs, while exerting their antioxidant action, also reinforce the stringency of damage-induced cell integrity checkpoints, promoting elimination of the “tolerant” cells, being in fact radio-sensitizers. These two contrasting pathways are mediated by different activities of CNPs: indeed Sm-doped CNPs, which lack the Ce3+/Ce4+ redox switch and the correlated antioxidant action, fail to decrease radiation-induced superoxide formation, as expected, but surprisingly maintain the radio-sensitizing ability and the dramatic decrease of mutagenesis. The latter is thus attributable to elimination of damaged cells rather than decreased oxidative damage. This highlights a novel redox-independent activity of CNPs, allowing selectively eliminating heavily damaged cells through non-toxic mechanisms, rather reactivating endogenous anticancer pathways in transformed cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Caputo
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Corsi
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Silvia Licoccia
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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17
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Corsi F, Caputo F, Traversa E, Ghibelli L. Not Only Redox: The Multifaceted Activity of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles in Cancer Prevention and Therapy. Front Oncol 2018; 8:309. [PMID: 30155442 PMCID: PMC6103310 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Much information is accumulating on the effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) as cell-protective agents, reducing oxidative stress through their unique ability of scavenging noxious reactive oxygen species via an energy-free, auto-regenerative redox cycle, where superoxides and peroxides are sequentially reduced exploiting the double valence (Ce3+/Ce4+) on nanoparticle surface. In vitro and in vivo studies consistently report that CNPs are responsible for attenuating and preventing almost any oxidative damage and pathology. Particularly, CNPs were found to exert strong anticancer activities, helping correcting the aberrant homeostasis of cancer microenvironment, normalizing stroma-epithelial communication, contrasting angiogenesis, and strengthening the immune response, leading to reduction of tumor mass in vivo. Since these homeostatic alterations are of an oxidative nature, their relief is generally attributed to CNPs redox activity. Other studies however reported that CNPs exert selective cytotoxic activity against cancer cells and sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced apoptosis: such effects are hardly the result of antioxidant activity, suggesting that CNPs exert such important anticancer effects through additional, non-redox mechanisms. Indeed, using Sm-doped CNPs devoid of redox activity, we could recently demonstrate that the radio-sensitizing effect of CNPs on human keratinocytes is independent from the redox switch. Mechanisms involving particle dissolution with release of toxic Ce4+ atoms, or differential inhibition of the catalase vs. SOD-mimetic activity with accumulation of H2O2 have been proposed, explaining such intriguing findings only partially. Much effort is urgently required to address the unconventional mechanisms of the non-redox bioactivity of CNPs, which may provide unexpected medicinal tools against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Corsi
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Fanny Caputo
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Sichuan, China
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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18
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Bi L, Shafi SP, Da'as EH, Traversa E. Tailoring the Cathode-Electrolyte Interface with Nanoparticles for Boosting the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Performance of Chemically Stable Proton-Conducting Electrolytes. Small 2018; 14:e1801231. [PMID: 29931743 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201801231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 05/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) represent the most efficient devices for producing electrical power from fuels. The limit in their application is due to the high operation temperature of conventional SOFC materials. Progress is made toward lower operating temperatures using alternative oxygen-ion conducting electrolytes, but problems of stability and electronic conductivity still remain. A promising alternative is the use of chemically stable proton-conducting Y-doped BaZrO3 (BZY) electrolytes, but their practical applications are limited by the BZY's relatively low performance. Herein, it is reported that deposition by impregnation of cathode nanoparticles on BZY backbones provides a powerful strategy to improve the BZY-based SOFC performance below 600 °C, allowing an outstanding power output for this chemically stable electrolyte. Moreover, it is demonstrated that keeping the nanostructure is more important than keeping the desired chemical composition. The proposed scalable processing method can make BZY a competitive electrolyte for SOFC applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Bi
- Institute of Materials for Energy and Environment, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Ningxia Road No.308, Qingdao, 266071, P. R. China
| | - Shahid P Shafi
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - Eman Husni Da'as
- Energy and Building Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Shuwaikh, 13109, Kuwait
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 2006 Xiyuan Road, Chengdu, 611731, Sichuan, P. R. China
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19
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Pergolesi D, Gilardi E, Fabbri E, Roddatis V, Harrington GF, Lippert T, Kilner JA, Traversa E. Interface Effects on the Ionic Conductivity of Doped Ceria-Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Heterostructures. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2018; 10:14160-14169. [PMID: 29617562 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b01903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Multilayered heterostructures of Ce0.85Sm0.15O2-δ and Y0.16Zr0.92O2-δ of a high crystallographic quality were fabricated on (001)-oriented MgO single crystal substrates. Keeping the total thickness of the heterostructures constant, the number of ceria-zirconia bilayers was increased while reducing the thickness of each layer. At each interface Ce was found primarily in the reduced, 3+ oxidation state in a layer extending about 2 nm from the interface. Concurrently, the conductivity decreased as the thickness of the layers was reduced, suggesting a progressive confinement of the charge transport along the YSZ layers. The comparative analysis of the in-plane electrical characterization suggests that the contribution to the total electrical conductivity of these interfacial regions is negligible. For the smallest layer thickness of 2 nm the doped ceria layers are electrically insulating and the ionic transport only occurs through the zirconia layers. This is explained in terms of a reduced mobility of the oxygen vacancies in the highly reduced ceria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisa Gilardi
- Paul Scherrer Institut , 5232 Villigen-PSI , Switzerland
| | | | - Vladimir Roddatis
- Institute of Materials Physics , University of Göttingen , 37077 Göttingen , Germany
| | - George F Harrington
- Department of Materials , Imperial College London , London SW7 2BP , United Kingdom
- Next-Generation Fuel Cell Research Centre , Kyushu University , 744 Motooka , Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 , Japan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02139 , United States
| | - Thomas Lippert
- Paul Scherrer Institut , 5232 Villigen-PSI , Switzerland
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry , ETH Zürich , Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10 , 8093 Zürich , Switzerland
- International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER) , Kyushu University , 744 Motooka , Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 , Japan
| | - John A Kilner
- Department of Materials , Imperial College London , London SW7 2BP , United Kingdom
- International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER) , Kyushu University , 744 Motooka , Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 , Japan
| | - Enrico Traversa
- School of Materials and Energy , University of Electronic Science and Technology of China , 2006 Xiyuan Road , Chengdu 611731 , Sichuan People's Republic of China
- NAST Center & Department of Chemical Science and Technology , University of Rome Tor Vergata , 00133 Rome , Italy
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20
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21
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Gliga AR, Edoff K, Caputo F, Källman T, Blom H, Karlsson HL, Ghibelli L, Traversa E, Ceccatelli S, Fadeel B. Cerium oxide nanoparticles inhibit differentiation of neural stem cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9284. [PMID: 28839176 PMCID: PMC5570910 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09430-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) display antioxidant properties and have shown cytoprotective effects both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we explored the effects of nanoceria on neural progenitor cells using the C17.2 murine cell line as a model. First, we assessed the effects of nanoceria versus samarium (Sm) doped nanoceria on cell viability in the presence of the prooxidant, DMNQ. Both particles were taken up by cells and nanoceria, but not Sm-doped nanoceria, elicited a temporary cytoprotective effect upon exposure to DMNQ. Next, we employed RNA sequencing to explore the transcriptional responses induced by nanoceria or Sm-doped nanoceria during neuronal differentiation. Detailed computational analyses showed that nanoceria altered pathways and networks relevant for neuronal development, leading us to hypothesize that nanoceria inhibits neuronal differentiation, and that nanoceria and Sm-doped nanoceria both interfere with cytoskeletal organization. We confirmed that nanoceria reduced neuron specific β3-tubulin expression, a marker of neuronal differentiation, and GFAP, a neuroglial marker. Furthermore, using super-resolution microscopy approaches, we could show that both particles interfered with cytoskeletal organization and altered the structure of neural growth cones. Taken together, these results reveal that nanoceria may impact on neuronal differentiation, suggesting that nanoceria could pose a developmental neurotoxicity hazard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anda R Gliga
- Division of Molecular Toxicology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Edoff
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fanny Caputo
- Department of Biology, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
| | - Thomas Källman
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Bioinformatics Infrastructure for Life Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hans Blom
- Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden
| | - Hanna L Karlsson
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
- International Research Center for Renewable Energy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Sandra Ceccatelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bengt Fadeel
- Division of Molecular Toxicology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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22
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Caputo F, Mameli M, Sienkiewicz A, Licoccia S, Stellacci F, Ghibelli L, Traversa E. A novel synthetic approach of cerium oxide nanoparticles with improved biomedical activity. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4636. [PMID: 28680107 PMCID: PMC5498533 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04098-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) are novel synthetic antioxidant agents proposed for treating oxidative stress-related diseases. The synthesis of high-quality CNPs for biomedical applications remains a challenging task. A major concern for a safe use of CNPs as pharmacological agents is their tendency to agglomerate. Herein we present a simple direct precipitation approach, exploiting ethylene glycol as synthesis co-factor, to synthesize at room temperature nanocrystalline sub-10 nm CNPs, followed by a surface silanization approach to improve nanoparticle dispersibility in biological fluids. CNPs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements. CNP redox activity was studied in abiotic systems using electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements, and in vitro on human cell models. In-situ silanization improved CNP colloidal stability, in comparison with non-functionalized particles, and allowed at the same time improving their original biological activity, yielding thus functionalized CNPs suitable for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Caputo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, 00133, Roma, Italy
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, 00133, Roma, Italy
| | - Marta Mameli
- Institute of Materials, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andrzej Sienkiewicz
- Institute of Physics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Licoccia
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, 00133, Roma, Italy
| | - Francesco Stellacci
- Institute of Materials, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, 00133, Roma, Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, 00133, Roma, Italy.
- International Research Center for Renewable Energy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 710049, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
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De Nicola M, Bruni E, Traversa E, Ghibelli L. Slow release of etoposide from dextran conjugation shifts etoposide activity from cytotoxicity to differentiation: A promising tool for dosage control in anticancer metronomic therapy. Nanomedicine 2017; 13:2005-2014. [PMID: 28535989 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Drug conjugation, improving drug stability, solubility and body permanence, allows achieving impressive results in tumor control. Here, we show that conjugation may provide a straightforward method to administer drugs by the emerging anticancer metronomic approach, presently consisting of low, repeated doses of cytotoxic drugs used in traditional chemotherapy, thus reducing toxicity without reducing efficiency; however, low dose maintenance in tumor sites is difficult. We show that conjugating the antitumor drug etoposide to dextran via pH-sensitive bond produces slow releasing, apoptosis-proficient conjugates rapidly internalized into acidic lysosomes; importantly, release of active etoposide requires cell internalization and acidic pH. Conjugation, without impairing etoposide-induced complete elimination of tumor cells, shifted the mode of apoptosis from cytotoxicity- to differentiation-related; interestingly, high conjugate doses acted as low doses of free etoposide, thus mimicking the effect of metronomic therapy. This indicates slow release as a promising novel strategy for stabilizing low drug levels in metronomic regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena De Nicola
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy.
| | - Emanuele Bruni
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy.
| | - Enrico Traversa
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy; International Research Center for Renewable Energy (IRCRE), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy.
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24
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Tian D, Lin B, Yang Y, Chen Y, Lu X, Wang Z, Liu W, Traversa E. Enhanced performance of symmetrical solid oxide fuel cells using a doped ceria buffer layer. Electrochim Acta 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2016.04.189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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25
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Caputo F, De Nicola M, Sienkiewicz A, Giovanetti A, Bejarano I, Licoccia S, Traversa E, Ghibelli L. Cerium oxide nanoparticles, combining antioxidant and UV shielding properties, prevent UV-induced cell damage and mutagenesis. Nanoscale 2015; 7:15643-56. [PMID: 26349675 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03767k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Efficient inorganic UV shields, mostly based on refracting TiO2 particles, have dramatically changed the sun exposure habits. Unfortunately, health concerns have emerged from the pro-oxidant photocatalytic effect of UV-irradiated TiO2, which mediates toxic effects on cells. Therefore, improvements in cosmetic solar shield technology are a strong priority. CeO2 nanoparticles are not only UV refractors but also potent biological antioxidants due to the surface 3+/4+ valency switch, which confers anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing and therapeutic properties. Herein, UV irradiation protocols were set up, allowing selective study of the extra-shielding effects of CeO2vs. TiO2 nanoparticles on reporter cells. TiO2 irradiated with UV (especially UVA) exerted strong photocatalytic effects, superimposing their pro-oxidant, cell-damaging and mutagenic action when induced by UV, thereby worsening the UV toxicity. On the contrary, irradiated CeO2 nanoparticles, via their Ce(3+)/Ce(4+) redox couple, exerted impressive protection on UV-treated cells, by buffering oxidation, preserving viability and proliferation, reducing DNA damage and accelerating repair; strikingly, they almost eliminated mutagenesis, thus acting as an important tool to prevent skin cancer. Interestingly, CeO2 nanoparticles also protect cells from the damage induced by irradiated TiO2, suggesting that these two particles may also complement their effects in solar lotions. CeO2 nanoparticles, which intrinsically couple UV shielding with biological and genetic protection, appear to be ideal candidates for next-generation sun shields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Caputo
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy.
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El Fray M, Strzalkowska D, Mandoli C, Pagliari F, Di Nardo P, Traversa E. Influence of ceria nanoparticles on chemical structure and properties of segmented polyesters. Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl 2015; 53:15-22. [PMID: 26042685 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2015.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2015] [Revised: 03/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we present new nanocomposite materials derived from segmented copolyesters, comprising ethylene terephthalate (PET) segments and dimerized linoleic acid (DLA), and nanometric cerium oxide particles (CeO2). Nanoparticles were incorporated in situ during polycondensation in various concentrations, from 0.1 up to 0.6 wt.%. It was found that preparation of nanocomposites in situ, during polycondensation, had no significant influence on changes in segmental composition as determined from (1)H and (13)C, as well as 2D NMR. Thermal analysis and calculated degree of crystallinity showed that increasing concentration of ceria nanoparticles lead to an increase in mass content of PET crystallites in hard segments. The XRD investigations also showed an increased intensity of characteristic signals with increasing ceria concentration. Simultaneously, the incorporation of CeO2 led to an increase in tensile strength and elongation at break, indicating a reinforcing and plasticizing effect of ceria nanoparticles. However, the modulus at 10% strain decreased with increasing amount of nanoparticles. The in vitro culture of human cardiac progenitor cells (hCPCs) on the new materials indicated a homogenous cell displacement across the samples after 5 days with no signs of cytotoxicity, indicating good biocompatibility in vitro of CeO2-based nanocomposites and a potential for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- M El Fray
- West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Polymer Institute, Division of Biomaterials and Microbiological Technologies, Al. Piastów 45, 70-311 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - D Strzalkowska
- West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Polymer Institute, Division of Biomaterials and Microbiological Technologies, Al. Piastów 45, 70-311 Szczecin, Poland
| | - C Mandoli
- International Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
| | - F Pagliari
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome 00133, Italy
| | - P Di Nardo
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome 00133, Italy
| | - E Traversa
- International Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
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Pergolesi D, Roddatis V, Fabbri E, Schneider CW, Lippert T, Traversa E, Kilner JA. Probing the bulk ionic conductivity by thin film hetero-epitaxial engineering. Sci Technol Adv Mater 2015; 16:015001. [PMID: 27877751 PMCID: PMC5036489 DOI: 10.1088/1468-6996/16/1/015001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Highly textured thin films with small grain boundary regions can be used as model systems to directly measure the bulk conductivity of oxygen ion conducting oxides. Ionic conducting thin films and epitaxial heterostructures are also widely used to probe the effect of strain on the oxygen ion migration in oxide materials. For the purpose of these investigations a good lattice matching between the film and the substrate is required to promote the ordered film growth. Moreover, the substrate should be a good electrical insulator at high temperature to allow a reliable electrical characterization of the deposited film. Here we report the fabrication of an epitaxial heterostructure made with a double buffer layer of BaZrO3 and SrTiO3 grown on MgO substrates that fulfills both requirements. Based on such template platform, highly ordered (001) epitaxially oriented thin films of 15% Sm-doped CeO2 and 8 mol% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 are grown. Bulk conductivities as well as activation energies are measured for both materials, confirming the success of the approach. The reported insulating template platform promises potential application also for the electrical characterization of other novel electrolyte materials that still need a thorough understanding of their ionic conductivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Christof W Schneider
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Department of General Energy Research, CH-5225, Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Lippert
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Department of General Energy Research, CH-5225, Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Enrico Traversa
- Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - John A Kilner
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BP, UK
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Walkey C, Das S, Seal S, Erlichman J, Heckman K, Ghibelli L, Traversa E, McGinnis JF, Self WT. Catalytic Properties and Biomedical Applications of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles. Environ Sci Nano 2015; 2:33-53. [PMID: 26207185 PMCID: PMC4508017 DOI: 10.1039/c4en00138a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Cerium oxide nanoparticles (Nanoceria) have shown promise as catalytic antioxidants in the test tube, cell culture models and animal models of disease. However given the reactivity that is well established at the surface of these nanoparticles, the biological utilization of Nanoceria as a therapeutic still poses many challenges. Moreover the form that these particles take in a biological environment, such as the changes that can occur due to a protein corona, are not well established. This review aims to summarize the existing literature on biological use of Nanoceria, and to raise questions about what further study is needed to apply this interesting catalytic material to biomedical applications. These questions include: 1) How does preparation, exposure dose, route and experimental model influence the reported effects of Nanoceria in animal studies? 2) What are the considerations to develop Nanoceria as a therapeutic agent in regards to these parameters? 3) What biological targets of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are relevant to this targeting, and how do these properties also influence the safety of these nanomaterials?
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Walkey
- Integrated Nanotechnology and Biomedical Sciences Laboratory, Terrence Donnelly Building, University of Toronto, 160 College St., Toronto, ON M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Soumen Das
- Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Centre, Nanoscience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, US
| | - Sudipta Seal
- Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Centre, Nanoscience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, US
| | - Joseph Erlichman
- Department of Biology, St. Lawrence University, Johnson Hall of Science, 23 Romoda Drive, Canton, NY 13617
| | - Karin Heckman
- Department of Biology, St. Lawrence University, Johnson Hall of Science, 23 Romoda Drive, Canton, NY 13617
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Biology, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - James F McGinnis
- Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, 608 Stanton L. Young, Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73126
| | - William T Self
- Burnett School of Biomedical Science, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816
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Bi L, Boulfrad S, Traversa E. Steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) with proton-conducting oxides. Chem Soc Rev 2014; 43:8255-70. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cs00194j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 293] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Naganuma T, Traversa E. Air, aqueous and thermal stabilities of Ce3+ ions in cerium oxide nanoparticle layers with substrates. Nanoscale 2014; 6:6637-6645. [PMID: 24812662 DOI: 10.1039/c3nr06662b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Abundant oxygen vacancies coexisting with Ce(3+) ions in fluorite cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) have the potential to enhance catalytic ability, but the ratio of unstable Ce(3+) ions in CNPs is typically low. Our recent work, however, demonstrated that the abundant Ce(3+) ions created in cerium oxide nanoparticle layers (CNPLs) by Ar ion irradiation were stable in air at room temperature. Ce valence states in CNPs correlate with the catalytic ability that involves redox reactions between Ce(3+) and Ce(4+) ions in given application environments (e.g. high temperature in carbon monoxide gas conversion and immersion conditions in biomedical applications). To better understand the mechanism by which Ce(3+) ions achieve stability in CNPLs, we examined (i) extra-long air-stability, (ii) thermal stability up to 500 °C, and (iii) aqueous stability of Ce(3+) ions in water, buffer solution and cell culture medium. It is noteworthy that air-stability of Ce(3+) ions in CNPLs persisted for more than 1 year. Thermal stability results showed that oxidation of Ce(3+) to Ce(4+) occurred at 350 °C in air. Highly concentrated Ce(3+) ions in ultra-thin CNPLs slowly oxidized in water within 1 day, but stability was improved in the cell culture medium. Ce(3+) stability of CNPLs immersed in the medium was associated with phosphorus adsorption on the Ce(3+) sites. This study also illuminates the potential interaction mechanisms of stable Ce(3+) ions in CNPLs. These findings could be utilized to understand catalytic mechanisms of CNPs with abundant oxygen vacancies in their application environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamaki Naganuma
- Smart Biomaterials Group, Nano-Life Field, Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
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Seyedmahmoud R, Mozetic P, Rainer A, Giannitelli SM, Basoli F, Trombetta M, Traversa E, Licoccia S, Rinaldi A. A primer of statistical methods for correlating parameters and properties of electrospun poly(l-lactide) scaffolds for tissue engineering-PART 2: Regression. J Biomed Mater Res A 2014; 103:103-14. [DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.35183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rasoul Seyedmahmoud
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology and NAST Center; University of Rome Tor Vergata; Rome Italy
| | - Pamela Mozetic
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory, CIR-Center of Integrated Research, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma; Rome Italy
| | - Alberto Rainer
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory, CIR-Center of Integrated Research, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma; Rome Italy
| | - Sara Maria Giannitelli
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory, CIR-Center of Integrated Research, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma; Rome Italy
| | - Francesco Basoli
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology and NAST Center; University of Rome Tor Vergata; Rome Italy
| | - Marcella Trombetta
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory, CIR-Center of Integrated Research, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma; Rome Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology and NAST Center; University of Rome Tor Vergata; Rome Italy
- Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering; King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); Thuwal 23955-6900 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Silvia Licoccia
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology and NAST Center; University of Rome Tor Vergata; Rome Italy
| | - Antonio Rinaldi
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology and NAST Center; University of Rome Tor Vergata; Rome Italy
- ENEA,CR Casaccia; Via Anguillarese 301, Santa Maria di Galeria Rome Italy
- International Research Center for Mathematics & Mechanics of Complex Systems, University of L'Aquila; Via S. Pasquale, Cisterna di Latina (LT) Italy
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Mosqueira D, Pagliari S, Uto K, Ebara M, Romanazzo S, Escobedo-Lucea C, Nakanishi J, Taniguchi A, Franzese O, Di Nardo P, Goumans MJ, Traversa E, Pinto-do-Ó P, Aoyagi T, Forte G. Hippo pathway effectors control cardiac progenitor cell fate by acting as dynamic sensors of substrate mechanics and nanostructure. ACS Nano 2014; 8:2033-2047. [PMID: 24483337 DOI: 10.1021/nn4058984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Stem cell responsiveness to extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and mechanical cues has been the subject of a number of investigations so far, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying stem cell mechano-biology still need full clarification. Here we demonstrate that the paralog proteins YAP and TAZ exert a crucial role in adult cardiac progenitor cell mechano-sensing and fate decision. Cardiac progenitors respond to dynamic modifications in substrate rigidity and nanopattern by promptly changing YAP/TAZ intracellular localization. We identify a novel activity of YAP and TAZ in the regulation of tubulogenesis in 3D environments and highlight a role for YAP/TAZ in cardiac progenitor proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, we show that YAP/TAZ expression is triggered in the heart cells located at the infarct border zone. Our results suggest a fundamental role for the YAP/TAZ axis in the response of resident progenitor cells to the modifications in microenvironment nanostructure and mechanics, thereby contributing to the maintenance of myocardial homeostasis in the adult heart. These proteins are indicated as potential targets to control cardiac progenitor cell fate by materials design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Mosqueira
- Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan
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33
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Seyedmahmoud R, Rainer A, Mozetic P, Maria Giannitelli S, Trombetta M, Traversa E, Licoccia S, Rinaldi A. A primer of statistical methods for correlating parameters and properties of electrospun poly(l-lactide) scaffolds for tissue engineering-PART 1: Design of experiments. J Biomed Mater Res A 2014; 103:91-102. [DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.35153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Revised: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rasoul Seyedmahmoud
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology and NAST Center; University of Rome Tor Vergata; 00133 Rome Italy
| | - Alberto Rainer
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory; CIR-Center of Integrated Research, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma; 00128 Rome Italy
| | - Pamela Mozetic
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory; CIR-Center of Integrated Research, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma; 00128 Rome Italy
| | - Sara Maria Giannitelli
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory; CIR-Center of Integrated Research, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma; 00128 Rome Italy
| | - Marcella Trombetta
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory; CIR-Center of Integrated Research, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma; 00128 Rome Italy
| | - Enrico Traversa
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology and NAST Center; University of Rome Tor Vergata; 00133 Rome Italy
- Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); Thuwal 23955-6900 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Silvia Licoccia
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology and NAST Center; University of Rome Tor Vergata; 00133 Rome Italy
| | - Antonio Rinaldi
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology and NAST Center; University of Rome Tor Vergata; 00133 Rome Italy
- ENEA, CR Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301; Santa Maria di Galeria, 00123 Rome Italy
- International Research Center for Mathematics & Mechanics of Complex Systems, University of L'Aquila; Via S. Pasquale, 04012 Cisterna di Latina (LT) Italy
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Fronzi M, Piccinin S, Delley B, Traversa E, Stampfl C. CHx adsorption (x = 1–4) and thermodynamic stability on the CeO2(111) surface: a first-principles investigation. RSC Adv 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c4ra01224k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Bi L, Traversa E. A chemically stable electrolyte with a novel sandwiched structure for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Electrochem commun 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.elecom.2013.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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Da'as EH, Irvine JTS, Traversa E, Boulfrad S. Controllable Impregnation Via Inkjet Printing for the Fabrication of Solid Oxide Cell Air Electrodes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1149/05701.1851ecst] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Pergolesi D, Fabbri E, Cook SN, Roddatis V, Traversa E, Kilner JA. Tensile lattice distortion does not affect oxygen transport in yttria-stabilized zirconia-CeO2 heterointerfaces. ACS Nano 2012; 6:10524-10534. [PMID: 23106091 DOI: 10.1021/nn302812m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Biaxially textured epitaxial thin-film heterostructures of ceria and 8 mol % yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) were grown using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with the aim to unravel the effect of the interfacial conductivity on the charge transport properties. Five different samples were fabricated, keeping the total thickness constant (300 nm), but with a different number of heterointerfaces (between 4 and 60). To remove any potential contribution of the deposition substrate to the total conductivity, the heterostructures were grown on (001)-oriented MgO single-crystalline wafers. Layers free of high-angle grain boundaries and with low density of misfit dislocations were obtained, as revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis. The crystallographic quality of these samples allowed the investigation of their conduction properties, suppressing any transport effects along grain boundaries and/or interfacial dislocation pathways. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) measurements showed that for these samples the interfacial conductivity has a negligible effect on the transport properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Pergolesi
- International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 Japan
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Romanazzo S, Forte G, Ebara M, Uto K, Pagliari S, Aoyagi T, Traversa E, Taniguchi A. Substrate stiffness affects skeletal myoblast differentiation in vitro. Sci Technol Adv Mater 2012; 13:064211. [PMID: 27877538 PMCID: PMC5099771 DOI: 10.1088/1468-6996/13/6/064211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2012] [Accepted: 10/11/2012] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
To maximize the therapeutic efficacy of cardiac muscle constructs produced by stem cells and tissue engineering protocols, suitable scaffolds should be designed to recapitulate all the characteristics of native muscle and mimic the microenvironment encountered by cells in vivo. Moreover, so not to interfere with cardiac contractility, the scaffold should be deformable enough to withstand muscle contraction. Recently, it was suggested that the mechanical properties of scaffolds can interfere with stem/progenitor cell functions, and thus careful consideration is required when choosing polymers for targeted applications. In this study, cross-linked poly-ε-caprolactone membranes having similar chemical composition and controlled stiffness in a supra-physiological range were challenged with two sources of myoblasts to evaluate the suitability of substrates with different stiffness for cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, muscle-specific and non-related feeder layers were prepared on stiff surfaces to reveal the contribution of biological and mechanical cues to skeletal muscle progenitor differentiation. We demonstrated that substrate stiffness does affect myogenic differentiation, meaning that softer substrates can promote differentiation and that a muscle-specific feeder layer can improve the degree of maturation in skeletal muscle stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Romanazzo
- Cell–Materials Interaction Group, Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Giancarlo Forte
- Smart Biomaterials Laboratory, Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Ebara
- Smart Biomaterials Laboratory, Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Koichiro Uto
- Smart Biomaterials Laboratory, Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Stefania Pagliari
- Smart Biomaterials Laboratory, Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Takao Aoyagi
- Smart Biomaterials Laboratory, Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Enrico Traversa
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, Italy
| | - Akiyoshi Taniguchi
- Cell–Materials Interaction Group, Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Rinaldi
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), C.R. Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, Santa Maria di Galeria, 00060, Rome, Italy; Int. Research Center for Mathematics and Mechanics of Complex Systems, Via S. Pasquale, 04012, Cisterna di Latina (LT), Italy; and, NAST Centre and Dept. of Chemical Science and Technology, Universita’ di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, Roma 00133, Italy (corresponding author)
| | - Pedro Peralta
- Fulton Schools of Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ 85287-6106
| | - Karl Sieradzki
- Fulton Schools of Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ 85287-6106
| | - Enrico Traversa
- Fulton Schools of Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ 85287-6106
| | - Silvia Licoccia
- NAST Centre and Dept. of Chemical Science and Technology, Universita’ di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, Roma 00133, Italy
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Abstract
A high concentration of Ce(3+) ions, above 80%, was created in 5 nm thick cerium oxide nanoparticle (nanoceria) layers deposited on a polymer substrate. The reduction from Ce(4+) to Ce(3+) was achieved by irradiating the nanoceria layers with Ar ions, which resulted in the formation of oxygen vacancies at the surface. The samples were exposed to ambient air and compared with nanoceria pellets. Ce retained the 3+ valence state in the particle layers, but not in the pellets, even after 47 days of exposure to humid air. Thus, the irradiated nanoceria particle layers contain a high level of Ce(3+) ions and possess an outstanding stability in air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamaki Naganuma
- Sustainability Materials Group, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
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Forte G, Pagliari S, Ebara M, Uto K, Tam JKV, Romanazzo S, Escobedo-Lucea C, Romano E, Di Nardo P, Traversa E, Aoyagi T. Substrate stiffness modulates gene expression and phenotype in neonatal cardiomyocytes in vitro. Tissue Eng Part A 2012; 18:1837-48. [PMID: 22519549 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2011.0707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomaterials to be used as cell delivery systems for cardiac tissue engineering should be able to comply with cardiac muscle contractile activity, while favoring cell survival and neo-angiogenesis in a hostile environment. Biocompatible synthetic materials can be tailored to mimic cardiac tissue three-dimensional organization in the micro- and nanoscales. Nonetheless, they usually display mechanical properties that are far from those of the native myocardium and thus could affect host cell survival and activity. In the present investigation, inert poly-ε-caprolactone planar layers were manufactured to change the surface stiffness (with Young's modulus ranging from 1 to 133 MPa) without changing matrix chemistry. These substrates were challenged with neonatal murine cardiomyocytes to study the possible effect of substrate stiffness on such cell behavior without changing biological cues. Interestingly, softer substrates (0.91±0.08 and 1.53±0.16 MPa) were found to harbor mostly mature cardiomyocytes having assembled sarcomeres, as shown by the expression of alpha actinin and myosin heavy chain in typical striations and the upregulation of sarcomeric actin mRNA. On the other hand, a preferential expression of immature cardiac cell genes (Nkx-2.5) and proteins (GATA-4) in cardiac cells grown onto stiffer materials (49.67±2.56 and 133.23±8.67 MPa) was detected. This result could not be ascribed to significant differences in cell adhesion or proliferation induced by the substrates, but to the stabilization of cardiomyocyte differentiated phenotype induced by softer layers. In fact, cardiac cell electromechanical coupling was shown to be more organized on softer surfaces, as highlighted by connexin 43 distribution. Moreover, a differential regulation of genes involved in extracellular matrix remodeling was detected on soft films (0.91±0.08 MPa) as compared with the stiffest (133.23±8.67 MPa). Finally, the upregulation of a number of genes involved in inflammatory processes was detected when the stiffest polymer is used. These events highlight the differences in cell mechanosensitivity in a heterogeneous cell preparation and are likely to contribute to the differences encountered in cardiac cell phenotype induced by substrate stiffness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Forte
- Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan.
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Pagliari F, Mandoli C, Forte G, Magnani E, Pagliari S, Nardone G, Licoccia S, Minieri M, Di Nardo P, Traversa E. Cerium oxide nanoparticles protect cardiac progenitor cells from oxidative stress. ACS Nano 2012; 6:3767-75. [PMID: 22524692 DOI: 10.1021/nn2048069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 240] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) are a promising autologous source of cells for cardiac regenerative medicine. However, CPC culture in vitro requires the presence of microenvironmental conditions (a complex array of bioactive substance concentration, mechanostructural factors, and physicochemical factors) closely mimicking the natural cell surrounding in vivo, including the capability to uphold reactive oxygen species (ROS) within physiological levels in vitro. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) are redox-active and could represent a potent tool to control the oxidative stress in isolated CPCs. Here, we report that 24 h exposure to 5, 10, and 50 μg/mL of nanoceria did not affect cell growth and function in cardiac progenitor cells, while being able to protect CPCs from H(2)O(2)-induced cytotoxicity for at least 7 days, indicating that nanoceria in an effective antioxidant. Therefore, these findings confirm the great potential of nanoceria for controlling ROS-induced cell damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Pagliari
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Brown CP, Harnagea C, Gill HS, Price AJ, Traversa E, Licoccia S, Rosei F. Rough fibrils provide a toughening mechanism in biological fibers. ACS Nano 2012; 6:1961-1969. [PMID: 22324287 DOI: 10.1021/nn300130q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Spider silk is a fascinating natural composite material. Its combination of strength and toughness is unrivalled in nature, and as a result, it has gained considerable interest from the medical, physics, and materials communities. Most of this attention has focused on the one to tens of nanometer scale: predominantly the primary (peptide sequences) and secondary (β sheets, helices, and amorphous domains) structure, with some insights into tertiary structure (the arrangement of these secondary structures) to describe the origins of the mechanical and biological performance. Starting with spider silk, and relating our findings to collagen fibrils, we describe toughening mechanisms at the hundreds of nanometer scale, namely, the fibril morphology and its consequences for mechanical behavior and the dissipation of energy. Under normal conditions, this morphology creates a nonslip fibril kinematics, restricting shearing between fibrils, yet allowing controlled local slipping under high shear stress, dissipating energy without bulk fracturing. This mechanism provides a relatively simple target for biomimicry and, thus, can potentially be used to increase fracture resistance in synthetic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron P Brown
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Forte G, Pietronave S, Nardone G, Zamperone A, Magnani E, Pagliari S, Pagliari F, Giacinti C, Nicoletti C, Musaró A, Rinaldi M, Ribezzo M, Comoglio C, Traversa E, Okano T, Minieri M, Prat M, Di Nardo P. Human cardiac progenitor cell grafts as unrestricted source of supernumerary cardiac cells in healthy murine hearts. Stem Cells 2012; 29:2051-61. [PMID: 22009661 DOI: 10.1002/stem.763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Human heart harbors a population of resident progenitor cells that can be isolated by stem cell antigen-1 antibody and expanded in culture. These cells can differentiate into cardiomyocytes in vitro and contribute to cardiac regeneration in vivo. However, when directly injected as single cell suspension, less than 1%-5% survive and differentiate. Among the major causes of this failure are the distressing protocols used to culture in vitro and implant progenitor cells into damaged hearts. Human cardiac progenitors obtained from the auricles of patients were cultured as scaffoldless engineered tissues fabricated using temperature-responsive surfaces. In the engineered tissue, progenitor cells established proper three-dimensional intercellular relationships and were embedded in self-produced extracellular matrix preserving their phenotype and multipotency in the absence of significant apoptosis. After engineered tissues were leant on visceral pericardium, a number of cells migrated into the murine myocardium and in the vascular walls, where they integrated in the respective textures. The study demonstrates the suitability of such an approach to deliver stem cells to the myocardium. Interestingly, the successful delivery of cells in murine healthy hearts suggests that myocardium displays a continued cell cupidity that is strictly regulated by the limited release of progenitor cells by the adopted source. When an unregulated cell source is added to the system, cells are delivered to the myocardium. The exploitation of this novel concept may pave the way to the setup of new protocols in cardiac cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Forte
- Laboratorio di Cardiologia Molecolare e Cellulare, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy
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45
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Tebano A, Fabbri E, Pergolesi D, Balestrino G, Traversa E. Room-temperature giant persistent photoconductivity in SrTiO₃/LaAlO₃ heterostructures. ACS Nano 2012; 6:1278-1283. [PMID: 22260261 DOI: 10.1021/nn203991q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
SrTiO(3)/LaAlO(3) interfaces show an unprecedented photoconductivity effect that is persistent even at room temperature and giant as it gives rise to a conductivity increase of about 5 orders of magnitude at room temperature. The persistent photoconductivity effects play a paramount role in the still controversial intrinsic behavior of the SrTiO(3)/LaAlO(3) interfaces, as even a limited exposure to visible light is able to strongly modify the electrical transport properties of the interface even above room temperature, while only an appropriate thermal treatment in a dark environment can completely suppress the persistent photoconductivity effect unveiling the intrinsic conduction mechanism of the interface. Moreover, our study demonstrates that the origin of the high conductivity, revealed at the STO/LAO interface at room temperature, is purely electronic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonello Tebano
- CNR-SPIN and Dipartimento di Informatica Sistemi e Produzione, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Fabbri E, Bi L, Pergolesi D, Traversa E. Towards the next generation of solid oxide fuel cells operating below 600 °c with chemically stable proton-conducting electrolytes. Adv Mater 2012; 24:195-208. [PMID: 21953861 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201103102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2011] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The need for reducing the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operating temperature below 600 °C is imposed by cost reduction, which is essential for widespread SOFC use, but might also disclose new applications. To this aim, high-temperature proton-conducting (HTPC) oxides have gained widespread interest as electrolyte materials alternative to oxygen-ion conductors. This Progress Report describes recent developments in electrolyte, anode, and cathode materials for protonic SOFCs, addressing the issue of chemical stability, processability, and good power performance below 600 °C. Different fabrication methods are reported for anode-supported SOFCs, obtained using state-of-the-art, chemically stable proton-conducting electrolyte films. Recent findings show significant improvements in the power density output of cells based on doped barium zirconate electrolytes, pointing out towards the feasibility of the next generation of protonic SOFCs, including a good potential for the development of miniaturized SOFCs as portable power supplies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliana Fabbri
- International Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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Ahmed Z, Belitto S, Di Vona ML, Trombetta M, Traversa E, Licoccia S. Sulphonated poly ether ether ketone/amino-diphenylsilandiol composite electrolyte for PEM fuel cells. J Appl Polym Sci 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/app.34906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Brown CP, Macleod J, Amenitsch H, Cacho-Nerin F, Gill HS, Price AJ, Traversa E, Licoccia S, Rosei F. The critical role of water in spider silk and its consequence for protein mechanics. Nanoscale 2011; 3:3805-3811. [PMID: 21837334 DOI: 10.1039/c1nr10502g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Due to its remarkable mechanical and biological properties, there is considerable interest in understanding, and replicating, spider silk's stress-processing mechanisms and structure-function relationships. Here, we investigate the role of water in the nanoscale mechanics of the different regions in the spider silk fibre, and their relative contributions to stress processing. We propose that the inner core region, rich in spidroin II, retains water due to its inherent disorder, thereby providing a mechanism to dissipate energy as it breaks a sacrificial amide-water bond and gains order under strain, forming a stronger amide-amide bond. The spidroin I-rich outer core is more ordered under ambient conditions and is inherently stiffer and stronger, yet does not on its own provide high toughness. The markedly different interactions of the two proteins with water, and their distribution across the fibre, produce a stiffness differential and provide a balance between stiffness, strength and toughness under ambient conditions. Under wet conditions, this balance is destroyed as the stiff outer core material reverts to the behaviour of the inner core.
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Celardo I, De Nicola M, Mandoli C, Pedersen JZ, Traversa E, Ghibelli L. Ce³+ ions determine redox-dependent anti-apoptotic effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles. ACS Nano 2011; 5:4537-49. [PMID: 21612305 DOI: 10.1021/nn200126a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 240] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Antioxidant therapy is the novel frontier to prevent and treat an impressive series of severe human diseases, and the search for adequate antioxidant drugs is fervent. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) are redox-active owing to the coexistence of Ce(3+) and Ce(4+) oxidation states and to the fact that Ce(3+) defects, and the compensating oxygen vacancies, are more abundant at the surface. Nanoceria particles exert outstanding antioxidant effects in vivo acting as well-tolerated anti-age and anti-inflammatory agents, potentially being innovative therapeutic tools. However, the biological antioxidant mechanisms are still unclear. Here, the analysis on two leukocyte cell lines undergoing apoptosis via redox-dependent or independent mechanisms revealed that the intracellular antioxidant effect is the direct cause of the anti-apoptotic and prosurvival effects of nanoceria. Doping with increasing concentrations of Sm(3+), which progressively decreased Ce(3+) without affecting oxygen vacancies, blunted these effects, demonstrating that Ce(3+)/Ce(4+) redox reactions are responsible for the outstanding biological properties of nanoceria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Celardo
- Department of Biology, University of Roma "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
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Abstract
Nanotechnology promises a revolution in pharmacology to improve or create ex novo therapies. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria), well-known as catalysts, possess an astonishing pharmacological potential due to their antioxidant properties, deriving from a fraction of Ce(3+) ions present in CeO(2). These defects, compensated by oxygen vacancies, are enriched at the surface and therefore in nanosized particles. Reactions involving redox cycles between the Ce(3+) and Ce(4+) oxidation states allow nanoceria to react catalytically with superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, mimicking the behavior of two key antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase and catalase, potentially abating all noxious intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) via a self-regenerating mechanism. Hence nanoceria, apparently well tolerated by the organism, might fight chronic inflammation and the pathologies associated with oxidative stress, which include cancer and neurodegeneration. Here we review the biological effects of nanoceria as they emerge from in vitro and in vivo studies, considering biocompatibility and the peculiar antioxidant mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Celardo
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
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