122 research outputs found
Minimalism in Radiation Synthesis of Biomedical Functional Nanogels
A scalable, single-step, synthetic approach for the manufacture of
biocompatible, functionalized micro- and nanogels is presented. In particular,
poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone)-grafted-(aminopropyl)methacrylamide microgels and
nanogels were generated through e-beam irradiation of PVP aqueous solutions in
the presence of a primary amino-group-carrying monomer. Particles with
different hydrodynamic diameters and surface charge densities were obtained at
the variance of the irradiation conditions. Chemical structure was investigated by
different spectroscopic techniques. Fluorescent variants were generated through
fluorescein isothiocyanate attachment to the primary amino groups grafted to
PVP, to both quantify the available functional groups for bioconjugation and
follow nanogels localization in cell cultures. Finally, a model protein, bovine
serum albumin, was conjugated to the nanogels to demonstrate the attachment
of biologically relevant molecules for targeting purposes in drug delivery. The
described approach provides a novel strategy to fabricate biohybrid nanogels
with a very promising potential in nanomedicine
In Situ Loading of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Within Porous Silica Nanoparticles for a Prolonged Release
Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a protein, plays a key role in wound healing and blood vessel regeneration. However, bFGF is easily degraded in biologic systems. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with well-tailored porous structure have been used for hosting guest molecules for drug delivery. Here, we report an in situ route to load bFGF in MSNs for a prolonged release. The average diameter (d) of bFGF-loaded MSNs is 57 Β± 8 nm produced by a water-in-oil microemulsion method. The in vitro releasing profile of bFGF from MSNs in phosphate buffer saline has been monitored for 20 days through a colorimetric enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The loading efficiency of bFGF in MSNs is estimated at 72.5 Β± 3%. In addition, the cytotoxicity test indicates that the MSNs are not toxic, even at a concentration of 50 ΞΌg/mL. It is expected that the in situ loading method makes the MSNs a new delivery system to deliver protein drugs, e.g. growth factors, to help blood vessel regeneration and potentiate greater angiogenesis
Advances and Prospect of Nanotechnology in Stem Cells
In recent years, stem cell nanotechnology has emerged as a new exciting field. Theoretical and experimental studies of interaction between nanomaterials or nanostructures and stem cells have made great advances. The importance of nanomaterials, nanostructures, and nanotechnology to the fundamental developments in stem cells-based therapies for injuries and degenerative diseases has been recognized. In particular, the effects of structure and properties of nanomaterials on the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells have become a new interdisciplinary frontier in regeneration medicine and material science. Here we review some of the main advances in this field over the past few years, explore the application prospects, and discuss the issues, approaches and challenges, with the aim of improving application of nanotechnology in the stem cells research and development
Nonviral Approaches for Neuronal Delivery of Nucleic Acids
The delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids to neurons has the potential to treat neurological disease and spinal cord injury. While select viral vectors have shown promise as gene carriers to neurons, their potential as therapeutic agents is limited by their toxicity and immunogenicity, their broad tropism, and the cost of large-scale formulation. Nonviral vectors are an attractive alternative in that they offer improved safety profiles compared to viruses, are less expensive to produce, and can be targeted to specific neuronal subpopulations. However, most nonviral vectors suffer from significantly lower transfection efficiencies than neurotropic viruses, severely limiting their utility in neuron-targeted delivery applications. To realize the potential of nonviral delivery technology in neurons, vectors must be designed to overcome a series of extra- and intracellular barriers. In this article, we describe the challenges preventing successful nonviral delivery of nucleic acids to neurons and review strategies aimed at overcoming these challenges
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