The role played by bacterial infections in the onset and metastasis of cancer

Understanding various responses of cells towards change in their external environment, presence of other species and is important in identifying and correlating the mechanisms leading to malignant transformations and cancer development. Although uncovering and comprehending the association between bacteria and cancer is highly challenging, it promises excellent perspectives and approaches for successful cancer therapy. This review introduces various bacterial species, their virulence factors, and their role in cell transformations leading to cancer (particularly gastric, oral, colon, and breast cancer). Bacterial dysbiosis permutates host cells, causes inflammation, and results in tumorigenesis. This review explored bacterial-mediated host cell transformation causing chronic inflammation, immune receptor hyperactivation/absconding immune recognition, and genomic instability. Bacterial infections downregulate E-cadherin, leading to loosening of epithelial tight junction polarity and triggers metastasis. In addition to understanding the role of bacterial infections in cancer development, we have also reviewed the application of bacteria for cancer therapy. The emergence of bacteriotherapy combined with conventional therapies led to new and effective ways of overcoming challenges associated with available treatments. This review discusses the application of bacterial minicells, microswimmers, and outer cell membrane vesicles (OMV) for drug delivery applications. © 2021 The Author(s

Casein nanoformulations - Potential biomaterials in theranostics

Casein is a milk protein emerging as a potential nanosystem for applications in therapy and diagnosis. Casein consists of four major phosphoproteins with their homologous primary amino acid sequences into the following families αs1, αs2, β, and κ-casein. In the aqueous phase, casein forms micelles binding with colloidal calcium phosphate. Biocompatibility, high drug binding/encapsulation capability, potential to cross the blood-brain barrier, and targeted cellular uptake are a few of the properties of casein micelles, enabling their application in therapy. This review discusses various components, properties, and functions of casein phosphoproteins and casein micelles. Application-specific cross-linking mechanisms and different synthesis approaches are also discussed. This review extensively explores casein's structural and functional properties and its biomedical application: targeted drug delivery and tissue engineering. The potential applications of casein-based complexes for treating iron deficiency anaemia and casein-derived peptides for inhibition of neuronal cognitive disorders are also discussed in this review. © 2022 Elsevier Lt

Impact of bandgap tuning on ZnS for degradation of environmental pollutants and disinfection

The materials showing multiple applications are appealing for their practical use and industrial production. To realize the suitable property for various applications, we have produced ZnS (sf-ZnS) and metal-doped ZnS nanoflakes (sf-m-ZnS; where m = Cu, Ni, Cd, Bi, or Mn) and correlated their activity with bandgap variation. We obtained all these materials via hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)-assisted synthetic method without using any surfactants, polymers, or template molecules and characterized them thoroughly using various techniques. Photocatalytic, as well as antibacterial, activities of these materials showed their bifunctional utility. We have demonstrated the effect of doping and consequent extension of absorption band to the visible region and resultant improved photocatalytic activity under sunlight. Thus, the change in bandgap influenced their performance as photocatalysts. Among all materials produced, sf-Cd-ZnS provided superior results as a photocatalyst while degrading two organic pollutants—rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) in water. The antibacterial activity of sf-ZnS and sf-m-ZnS against Gram-positive bacteria, i.e., Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), was examined by the zone of inhibition method, wherein sf-Ni-ZnS showed maximum activity. The enhanced activity of these ZnS materials can be attributed to the free surface of nanoparticles without any capping by organic molecules, which provided an intimate interaction of inorganic semiconductor material with organic and biomolecules. Thus, we have demonstrated modification of properties both by bandgap tuning of materials and providing the opportunity for intimate interaction of materials with substrates. The photocatalytic activity and antibacterial action of metal-doped ZnS produced by our method exhibited their potential for environmental remediation, specifically water purification. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

7‑Amino-6H-anthra[9,1-cd] Isothiazol-6-one-Casein Nanosystem for Live Cell Staining and Augmenting Therapeutic Effectiveness in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) causes a significant challenge in oncology due to its aggressive nature and limited treatment options. This study introduces a promising strategy to enhance therapeutic effectiveness against TNBC by developing a dual-functioning 7-amino-6H-anthra[9,1-cd] isothiazol-6-one (AAT) encapsulated Casein nanosystem (CAAT NPs). This innovative approach serves both as a live cell staining technique and as a means to augment therapeutic outcomes in highly metastatic TNBC. AAT, chosen for its dual role as a fluorescence marker for live cells and its inherent anticancer properties, undergoes fluorescence quenching upon inducing cancer cell death. The Casein nanosystem ensures efficient dye encapsulation, providing stability and controlled release. Physicochemical analysis validates successful encapsulation, yielding a desirable size distribution of CAAT NPs. Cellular uptake studies demonstrate effective internalization in 4T1 cells with minimal cytotoxicity in healthy cell lines and organisms. Subsequent investigations revealed subcellular localization, altered mitochondrial membrane potential, nucleus breakage, antimigration activity, and growth suppression in 4T1 cells. Increased expression of γH2AX, indicating DNA damage, further underscores the therapeutic potential. In a 3-D model of 4T1 cells, CAAT NPs exhibit significant therapeutic efficacy, suggesting a promising option for safe and efficient TNBC treatment

Label-free miniaturized electrochemical nanobiosensor triaging platform for swift identification of the bacterial type

In chronic wounds, rapid identification of the bacterial type is critical for immediate clinical assessment. A novel, cost-effective, and label-free electrochemical nanobiosensor was developed with the help of an indigenously fabricated carbon paste working electrode to rapidly identify the bacterial type. The proposed platform made use of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to boost electrochemical activity, and the strong affinity of boronic acid moieties for diols allowed for detection and differentiation of gram + ve and gram -ve bacteria on the same platform. A scalable and robust miniaturized Electrochemical Cell (E-Cell) designed for the developed electrodes assisted in reducing sample waste, detection time, and Limit of Detection (LOD). Within 15 min, the proposed nano biosensing platform identified Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria with an excellent recovery rate for the blind samples. Because of its size and the extra lipopolysaccharides (LPS) layer containing diols, the bioelectrode demonstrated a superior response to E. coli, effectively distinguishing it from S. aureus. Furthermore, the proposed biosensing platform demonstrated an excellent shelf-life and reproducibility with acceptable selectivity and exhibited an excellent specificity towards bacteria, making it an ideal candidate for rapid identification of the bacterial type. © 2022 Elsevier B.V

Plasma Functionalized Carbon Interfaces for Biosensor Application: Toward the Real-Time Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7

Nonthermal plasma, a nondestructive, fast, and highly reproducible surface functionalization technique, was used to introduce desired functional groups onto the surface of carbon powder. The primary benefit is that it is highly scalable, with a high throughput, making it easily adaptable to bulk production. The plasma functionalized carbon powder was later used to create highly specific and low-cost electrochemical biosensors. The functional groups on the carbon surface were confirmed using NH3-temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. In addition, for biosensing applications, a novel, cost-effective, robust, and scalable electrochemical sensor platform comprising in-house-fabricated carbon paste electrodes and a miniaturized E-cell was developed. Biotin-Streptavidin was chosen as a model ligand-analyte combination to demonstrate its applicability toward biosensor application, and then, the specific identification of the target Escherchia coli O157:H7 was accomplished using an anti-E. coli O157:H7 antibody-modified electrode. The proposed biosensing platform detected E. coli O157:H7 in a broad linear range of (1 × 10-1-1 × 106) CFU/mL, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 CFU/mL. In addition, the developed plasma functionalized carbon paste electrodes demonstrated high specificity for the target E. coli O157:H7 spiked in pond water, making them ideal for real-time bacterial detection.