Rapid, one-pot procedure to synthesise 103Pd:Pd@Au nanoparticles en route for radiosensitisation and radiotherapeutic applications

The radioisotope palladium (103Pd), encapsulated in millimetre-size seed implants, is widely used in prostate cancer brachytherapy. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) distributed in the vicinity of 103Pd radioactive implants, strongly enhance the therapeutic dose of radioactive implants (radiosensitisation effect). A new strategy under development to replace millimetre-size implants, consist in injecting radioactive NPs in the affected tissues. The development of 103Pd@Au NPs distributed in the diseased tissue, could increase the uniformity of treatment (compared with massive seeds), while enhancing the radiotherapeutic dose to the cancer cells (through Au-mediated radiosensitisation effect). To achieve this goal, it is necessary to develop a rapid, efficient, one-pot and easy-to-automatise procedure, allowing the synthesis of coreshell Pd@Au NPs. The novel synthesis route proposed here enables the production of Pd@Au NPs in not more than 4h, in aqueous media, with minimal manipulations, and relying on biocompatible and non-toxic molecules. This rapid multi-step process consists of the preparation of ultra-small Pd NPs by chemical reduction of an aqueous solution of H2PdCl4 supplemented with ascorbic acid (AA) as reducing agent and 2, 3-meso-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) as a capping agent. Pd conversion yields close to 87% were found, indicating the efficiency of the reaction process. Then Pd NPs were used as seeds for the growth of a gold shell (Pd@Au), followed by grafting with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to ensure colloidal stability. Pd@Au-PEG (TEM: 20.2 ± 12.1 nm) formed very stable colloids in saline solution as well as in cell culture medium. The physico-chemical properties of the particles were characterised by FTIR, XPS, and UV-vis. spectroscopies. The viability of PC3 human prostate cancer cells was not affected after a 24-h incubation cycle with Pd@Au-PEG NPs to concentrations up to 4.22 mM Au. Finally, suspensions of Pd@Au-PEG NPs measured in computed tomography (CT) are found to attenuate X-rays more efficiently than commercial Au NPs CT contrast media. A proof-of-concept was performed to demonstrate the possibility synthesise radioactive 103Pd:Pd@Au-PEG NPs. This study reveals the possibility to synthesise Pd@Au NPs rapidly (including radioactive 103Pd:Pd@Au-PEG NPs), and following a methodology that respects all the strict requirements underlying the production of NPs for radiotherapeutic use (rapidity, reaction yield, colloidal stability, NPs concentration, purification)

Alien Registration- Lagueux, Marie A. (Lewiston, Androscoggin County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/28705/thumbnail.jp

Alien Registration- Lagueux, Marie A. (Lewiston, Androscoggin County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/28705/thumbnail.jp

Caractérisation chez la drosophile de molécules de la famille C3 du complément / a2-macroglobuline (Recherche de fonction)

STRASBOURG-Sc. et Techniques (674822102) / SudocSudocFranceF

Reconnaissance du non-soi infectieux et prolifération des cellules sanguines chez la drosophile

STRASBOURG-Sc. et Techniques (674822102) / SudocSudocFranceF

Constitutive expression of a complement-like protein in Toll and JAK gain-of-function mutants of Drosophila

We show that Drosophila expresses four genes encoding proteins with significant similarities with the thiolester-containing proteins of the complement C3/α(2)-macroglobulin superfamily. The genes are transcribed at a low level during all stages of development, and their expression is markedly up-regulated after an immune challenge. For one of these genes, which is predominantly expressed in the larval fat body, we observe a constitutive expression in gain-of-function mutants of the Janus kinase (JAK) hop and a reduced inducibility in loss-of-function hop mutants. We also observe a constitutive expression in gain-of-function Toll mutants. We discuss the possible roles of these novel complement-like proteins in the Drosophila host defense

graal: a Drosophila gene coding for several mosaic serine proteases.

International audienceSerine proteases play vital roles in several biological processes such as development and immunity. We have characterized Graal, a large multi-domain serine protease from Drosophila. Graal is spliced in at least three transcripts that are present throughout development. The domains found in Graal proteins are: chitin-binding domains (CBD), scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) domains, low density lipoprotein receptor cysteine-rich (LDLR-CR) domains, histidine and proline-rich domains, a NGGYQPP-repeat domain and a serine protease domain. The last 2370 nucleotides of these RNAs are identical and encode a His-rich domain, two SRCR domains, two LDLR-CR domains and a protease domain. The transcription of graal is upregulated after fungal or bacterial infection. Analysis of the Iso1 (y;cn,sp,bw) strain shows that graal transcription is impaired in this fly line due to the insertion of a retrotransposon in the sixth exon. However, no phenotype could be observed consecutive to the absence of graal full length transcripts, particularly in the context of an immune challenge

Differential display of peptides induced during the immune response of Drosophila

We have developed an approach based on a differential mass spectrometric analysis to detect molecules induced during the immune response of Drosophila, regardless of their biological activities. For this, we have applied directly matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization MS to hemolymph samples from individual flies before and after an immune challenge. This method provided precise information on the molecular masses of immune-induced molecules and allowed the detection, in the molecular range of 1.5-11 kDa, of 24 Drosophila immune-induced molecules (DIMs). These molecules are all peptides, and four correspond to already characterized antimicrobial peptides. We have further analyzed the induction of the various peptides by immune challenge in wild-type flies and in mutants with a compromised antimicrobial response. We also describe a methodology combining matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight MS, HPLC, and Edman degradation, which yielded the peptide sequence of three of the DIMs. Finally, molecular cloning and Northern blot analyses revealed that one of the DIMs is produced as a prepropeptide and is inducible on a bacterial challenge