Impact of the conjugation of antibodies to the surfaces of polymer nanoparticles on the immune cell targeting abilities

Antibodies have been widely used to provide targeting ability and to enhance bioactivity owing to their high specificity, availability, and diversity. Recent advances in biotechnology and nanotechnology permit site-specific engineering of antibodies and their conjugation to the surfaces of nanoparticles (NPs) in various orientations through chemical conjugations and physical adhesions. This study proposes the conjugation of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NPs with antibodies by using two distinct methods, followed by a comparison between the cell-targeting efficiencies of both techniques. Full-length antibodies were conjugated to the PLGA-poly(ethylene glycol)-carboxylic acid (PLGA-PEG-COOH) NPs through the conventional carbodiimide coupling reaction, and f(ab′)2 antibody fragments were conjugated to the PLGA-poly(ethylene glycol)-maleimide(PLGA-PEG-Mal) NPs through interactions between the f(ab′)2 fragment thiol groups and the maleimide located on the nanoparticle surface. The results demonstrate that the PLGA nanoparticles conjugated with the f(ab′)2 antibody fragments had a higher targeting efficiency in vitro and in vivo than that of the PLGA nanoparticles conjugated with the full-length antibodies. The results of this study can be built upon to design a delivery technique for drugs through biocompatible nanoparticles.This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (NRF-2019R1A4A1028700 and NRF-2019R1C1C1006300). This work was supported by the Fourth Stage of Brain Korea 21 Project of the Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare and IBS-R015-D1

Enhanced extraction of butyric acid under high-pressure CO2 conditions to integrate chemical catalysis for value-added chemicals and biofuels

Abstract Background Extractive fermentation with the removal of carboxylic acid requires low pH conditions because acids are better partitioned into the solvent phase at low pH values. However, this requirement conflicts with the optimal near-neutral pH conditions for microbial growth. Results CO2 pressurization was used, instead of the addition of chemicals, to decrease pH for the extraction of butyric acid, a fermentation product of Clostridium tyrobutyricum, and butyl butyrate was selected as an extractant. CO2 pressurization (50 bar) improved the extraction efficiency of butyric acid from a solution at pH 6, yielding a distribution coefficient (D) 0.42. In situ removal of butyric acid during fermentation increased the production of butyric acid by up to 4.10 g/L h, an almost twofold increase over control without the use of an extraction process. Conclusion In situ extraction of butyric acid using temporal CO2 pressurization may be applied to an integrated downstream catalytic process for upgrading butyric acid to value-added chemicals in an organic solvent

MOESM1 of Enhanced extraction of butyric acid under high-pressure CO2 conditions to integrate chemical catalysis for value-added chemicals and biofuels

Additional file 1: Figure S1. The different extraction efficiencies of solvents used for butyric acid extraction. Figure S2. A comparison of extraction efficiencies at different extraction times. Figure S3. pH changes after CO2 purging. Figure S4. Microbial growth in fresh medium including 1 g/L butyl butyrate with or without tetradecane treatment

Cancer risk after renal transplantation in South Korea: a nationwide population-based study

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate patterns of posttransplant malignancies among renal transplant recipients (RTRs) in South Korea using nationwide data. Methods The nationwide cohort assessed in this study included RTRs from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2014. We analyzed cancer incidence during the time course after renal transplantation. Additionally, we calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) to evaluate the risk of malignancies in RTRs. Results A total of 1343 RTRs (871 males and 472 females, mean age 48.5 ± 11.6 years) were assessed. Among them, 104 (7.7%) developed malignancies after transplantation, most commonly in the thyroid cancer (23.1%). The SIR for all cancers was 3.54; particularly, the SIRs for renal cancer, myeloma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were 16.31, 24.02, and 28.64, respectively. Females showed a higher risk of malignancy than males (SIRs: 4.04 for women and 3.26 for men). The median interval between transplantation and malignancy diagnosis was 27.2 months (range 12.3–54.8 months). Conclusions RTRs in South Korea demonstrated a high risk of malignancy after transplantation compared with the general population. This indicates that close surveillance and routine screening for cancer in RTRs are needed

Sepsis diagnosis and treatment using nanomaterials

Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction that occurs when the body's severe response to an infection damages the host's own tissues. Sepsis has been globally recognized as a fatal disease. Rapid treatment of sepsis requires prompt identification, administering antibiotics, careful hemodynamic support, and treating the cause of the infection. Clinical outcomes of sepsis depend on early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, current sepsis diagnosis and treatment, such as polymerase chain reaction-based assay, blood culture assay, and antibiotic therapy, are ineffective; consequently, sepsis-related mortality remains high and increases antimicrobial resistance. To overcome this challenge, nanotechnology, which involves engineering at a nanoscale, is used for diagnosing and treating sepsis. Preclinical models have shown protective effects and potential utility in managing septic shock. Furthermore, nanotechnology treatments based on diverse materials result in the effective treatment of sepsis, improving the survival rate. In this review, we present an overview of the recent research advancements in nanotechnology to diagnose and treat sepsis with a brief introduction to sepsis.11Nsciescopuskc

Biomaterial-based strategies to prime dendritic cell-mediated anti-cancer immune responses

Cancer immunotherapy has been extremely successful in curing patients over the last decade. Immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) that unleash the brakes in T-cells to promote cytotoxicity against cancer cells are the most successful forms of cancer immunotherapy, yet therapeutic efficacy needs to be improved as only a fraction of patients responds. Dendritic cells (DCs) are immune cells that prime immune responses by collecting information in tumour tissues, and carrying that information to T-cells, thus delivering proper information to DCs is essential. Biomaterial-based approaches can be powerful tools for this purpose, as biomaterials allow us to deliver a variety of immunotherapeutic agents at the right time and place. Herein, we review the key concepts of cancer immunotherapy; discuss the principles for designing biomaterials to deliver immunomodulatory molecules; and outline biomaterial-based strategies to prime anti-cancer immune responses. Specifically, we focus on two widely used forms of biomaterials, multifunctional nanoparticles and biocompatible scaffolds.N

Advances in Nanoparticles for Effective Delivery of RNA Therapeutics

© 2022, The Korean BioChip Society.RNA therapeutics, including messenger RNA (mRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA), are genetic materials that mediate the translation of genetic direction from genes to induce or inhibit specific protein production. Although the interest in RNA therapeutics is rising globally, the absence of an effective delivery system is an obstacle to the clinical application of RNA therapeutics. Additionally, immunogenicity, short duration of protein expression, unwanted enzymatic degradation, and insufficient cellular uptake could limit the therapeutic efficacy of RNA therapeutics. In this regard, novel platforms based on nanoparticles are crucial for delivering RNAs to the targeted site to increase efficiency without toxicity. In this review, the most recent status of nanoparticles as RNA delivery vectors, with a focus on polymeric nanoparticles, peptide-derived nanoparticles, inorganic nanoparticles, and hybrid nanoparticles, is discussed. These nanoparticular platforms can be utilized for safe and effective RNA delivery to augment therapeutic effects. Ultimately, RNA therapeutics encapsulated in nanoparticle-based carriers will be used to treat many diseases and save lives.11Nsciescopuskc