Le nuove frontiere del volo spaziale: Nanotecnologie e Biomedicina

Il rinnovato interesse per l'esplorazione dello spazio ha evidenziato la necessità di una comprensione profonda dei rischi per l'equipaggio e delle opportunità commerciali insite nel volo, sia in bassa orbita terrestre che nello spazio profondo. L'esplorazione spaziale rappresenta una sfida complessa per gli organismi di origine terrestre, comportando per essi notevoli stress di natura fisica (transizioni gravitazionali, permanenza in microgravità ed assorbimento di radiazioni cosmiche), ma anche chimica, microbiologica e psicologica. Fortemente ostile alla vita, l'ambiente spaziale rappresenta inoltre un prezioso banco di prova di strumenti innovativi per il contrasto di numerosi fenomeni degenerativi associati all'invecchiamento, nonché all'insorgenza di malattie a Terra. Fra questi strumenti, quelli nanotecnologici iniziano a mostrare evidenze promettenti di un valido supporto alla vita nello spazio

Le nuove frontiere del volo spaziale: Nanotecnologie e Biomedicina

Il rinnovato interesse per l'esplorazione dello spazio ha evidenziato la necessità di una comprensione profonda dei rischi per l'equipaggio e delle opportunità commerciali insite nel volo, sia in bassa orbita terrestre che nello spazio profondo. L'esplorazione spaziale rappresenta una sfida complessa per gli organismi di origine terrestre, comportando per essi notevoli stress di natura fisica (transizioni gravitazionali, permanenza in microgravità ed assorbimento di radiazioni cosmiche), ma anche chimica, microbiologica e psicologica. Fortemente ostile alla vita, l'ambiente spaziale rappresenta inoltre un prezioso banco di prova di strumenti innovativi per il contrasto di numerosi fenomeni degenerativi associati all'invecchiamento, nonché all'insorgenza di malattie a Terra. Fra questi strumenti, quelli nanotecnologici iniziano a mostrare evidenze promettenti di un valido supporto alla vita nello spazio

Liposomes loaded with polyphenol-rich grape pomace extracts protect from neurodegeneration in a rotenone-based in vitro model of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no satisfactory therapy options. Similar to other neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases, oxidative stress plays a key factor in the neurodegeneration process. To counteract the uncontrolled increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress-dependent cell death, several preclinical and clinical tests exploit natural-derived organic antioxidants, such as polyphenols. Despite some promising results, free antioxidants show scarce brain accumulation and may exhaust their scavenging activity before reaching the brain. In this work, we developed an antioxidant therapeutic nanoplatform consisting of nano-sized functionalized liposomes loaded with selected polyphenol-rich vegetal extracts with high blood-brain barrier crossing capabilities. The antioxidant extracts were obtained from the grape seeds and skins as a byproduct of wine production (i.e., pomace), following a sustainable circular approach with reduced environmental impact. The antioxidant nanoplatform was successfully tested in a relevant in vitro model of PD, where it completely rescued the ROS levels, prevented the aggregation of alpha-synuclein fibrils, and restored cell viability, paving the way for preclinical translation of the approach

Pilot in vivo toxicological investigation of boron nitride nanotubes

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) have attracted huge attention in many different research fields thanks to their outstanding chemical and physical properties. During recent years, our group has pioneered the use of BNNTs for biomedical applications, first of all assessing their in vitro cytocompatibility on many different cell lines. At this point, in vivo investigations are necessary before proceeding toward realistic developments of the proposed applications. In this communication, we report a pilot toxicological study of BNNTs in rabbits. Animals were injected with a 1 mg/kg BNNT solution and blood tests were performed up to 72 hours after injection. The analyses aimed at evaluating any acute alteration of hematic parameters that could represent evidence of functional impairment in blood, liver, and kidneys. Even if preliminary, the data are highly promising, as they showed no adverse effects on all the evaluated parameters, and therefore suggest the possibility of the realistic application of BNNTs in the biomedical field

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticle Administration to Skeletal Muscle Cells under Different Gravity and Radiation Conditions

For their remarkable biomimetic properties implying strong modulation of the intracellular and extracellular redox state, cerium oxide nanoparticles (also termed "nanoceria") were hypothesized to exert a protective role against oxidative stress associated with the harsh environmental conditions of spaceflight, characterized by microgravity and highly energetic radiations. Nanoparticles were supplied to proliferating C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cells under different gravity and radiation levels. Biological responses were thus investigated at a transcriptional level by RNA next-generation sequencing. Lists of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were generated and intersected by taking into consideration relevant comparisons, which led to the observation of prevailing effects of the space environment over those induced by nanoceria. In space, upregulation of transcription was slightly preponderant over downregulation, implying involvement of intracellular compartments, with the majority of DEGs consistently over- or under-expressed whenever present. Cosmic radiations regulated a higher number of DEGs than microgravity and seemed to promote increased cellular catabolism. By taking into consideration space physical stressors alone, microgravity and cosmic radiations appeared to have opposite effects at transcriptional levels despite partial sharing of molecular pathways. Interestingly, gene ontology denoted some enrichment in terms related to vision, when only effects of radiations were assessed. The transcriptional regulation of mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 in space-relevant samples suggests perturbation of the intracellular redox homeostasis, and leaves open opportunities for antioxidant treatment for oxidative stress reduction in harsh environments

ZnO nanowire arrays as substrates for cell proliferation and differentiation

In the latest years, the use of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures has been proposed in different biomedical applications, however, to date, only a few contrasting results concerning their biocompatibility can be found in the literature. In particular, the application of the extraordinary piezoelectric properties of ZnO nanostructures has poorly been explored for the culture of electrically excitable cells, and, for this reason, systematic investigations of their interactions with these living systems appear to be necessary. In this paper, we report about adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of two mammalian cell lines (PC12, as model of neuronal cells, and H9c2, as model of muscle cells) over ZnO nanowire arrays. We demonstrate suitability of these arrays in sustaining cellular functions, and their potential in applications that range from tissue engineering to minimally invasive sensing and/or stimulation. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Transcriptional profile of genes involved in oxidative stress and antioxidant defense in PC12 cells following treatment with cerium oxide nanoparticles

Thanks to their impressive catalytic properties, cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) are able to mimic the activity of superoxide dismutase and of catalase, therefore acting as reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers in many biological contexts, for instance offering neuroprotection and reduction of apoptosis rate in many types of cells exposed to oxidative stress (stem cells, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, osteoblasts, etc.