In Vitro MCF-7 Cells Apoptosis Analysis of Carboplatin Loaded Silk Fibroin Particles

Breast cancer ranks as the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. Chemotherapy is commonly used directly or as neo-adjuvant therapy for the management of breast cancer with its attendant adverse effects, underscoring the need to develop biocompatible bioactive compounds for pharmacological applications. The aim of this study is to encapsulate carboplatin (CP) with silk fibroin protein (SF) by using an ionic gelation method as a drug carrier system and assess the apoptotic effect on MCF-7 breast cancer cells during in vitro studies. The characterization of silk fibroin encapsulated carboplatin (SFCP) microparticles was analyzed by FTIR spectrophotometer, SEM, Mastersizer, and biodegradation methods. The encapsulation efficiency and release profile of SFCP microparticles were analyzed by an indirect UV–Vis spectrophotometric method. An apoptotic screening of MCF-7 cells was carried out with 10–200 µg/mL CP loaded SFCP, which were cultured for 24, 48, and 72 h. Data were analyzed using the Student’s t test and analysis of variance. FTIR and drug release studies confirmed an interaction of silk fibroin with the carboplatin moiety. SFCP showed successful encapsulation of the carboplatin moiety. Apoptotic screening showed a dose dependent increase in absorbance, indicating significant cell death (p < 0.05). Thus, the direct apoptotic effect of SFCP microparticles on MCF-7 was confirmed

Intravitreal injectable hydrogels for sustained drug delivery in glaucoma treatment and therapy

Glaucoma is extensively treated with topical eye drops containing drugs. However, the retention time of the loaded drugs and the in vivo bioavailability of the drugs are highly influenced before reaching the targeted area sufficiently, due to physiological and anatomical barriers of the eye, such as rapid nasolacrimal drainage. Poor intraocular penetration and frequent administration may also cause ocular cytotoxicity. A novel approach to overcome these drawbacks is the use of injectable hydrogels administered intravitreously for sustained drug delivery to the target site. These injectable hydrogels are used as nanocarriers to intimately interact with specific diseased ocular tissues to increase the therapeutic efficacy and drug bioavailability of the anti-glaucomic drugs. The human eye is very delicate, and is sensitive to contact with any foreign body material. However, natural biopolymers are non-reactive, biocompatible, biodegradable, and lack immunogenic and inflammatory responses to the host whenever they are incorporated in drug delivery systems. These favorable biomaterial properties have made them widely applicable in biomedical applications, with minimal adversity. This review highlights the importance of using natural biopolymer-based intravitreal hydrogel drug delivery systems for glaucoma treatment over conventional methods

Conformational changes and spectroscopic study of polyethylene glycol and ctDNA biocomplexes in various environment conditions

The electronic absorption spectroscopy in polymer molecule and DNA interaction is one of the most useful technique s for studying the biocomplex formation for bioengineering and gene therapy. The current study focuses onto potential conformational changes during the (PEG) and ctDNA biocomplex formation at different environment, using Ultraviolet Visible spectroscopy (UV-visible) NIR spectra analysis, Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTlR) spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The influence of different PEG ratios, buffer, end pH environment on the PEG-ctDNA biocomplex has been studied mainly by using UV- visible at pH7.4 and 22 ''C for 10 minutes at the first stage. While the effect of interaction time duration was studied using FTlR at different incubation time using a ratio 1:1 of PEG-ctDNA. The UV visible spectroscopy showed a change of absorption effect. The result also showed that using pH medium effects on PEG ctDNA binding,. a little bathochromic peak shift in acidic medium, while blue peak shift (hypochromic) has been not iced in alkaline media. This provided a significant effect of pH medium sensitivity in the UV visible spectroscopy study of PEG-ctDNA biocomplex. FTlR characterization of the same biocomplexes showed the binding reaction of PEG and ctDNA proceeds rapidly at room temperature and complexation optimum stability reached a maximum peak in 1hr. On the other hand, microscopic characterization by TEM of biocomplex at ratio of 1:1 rep resented obvious biocomplex interactive structure and classical condensate structures. The biocomplex has be en obtained in form of regular morphology structure like toroidal and rod-~k e particles and irregular aggregate structures. Finally, the spectroscopic studies indicated that PEG forms biocomplex with ctDNA rapidly via out side groove binding or electrostatic binding modes. Moreover, the increase of PEG amount ratios to DNA was insignificant on UV visible spectra . FTlR demonstrated as a valuable tool for studying the biological properties of PEG with ctDNA an d has shown a rapid, good stability and significant effect of the pH sensitivity in the biocomplex formation. Moreover the microscopic characterization provided another dimension and represented through different condensate structures as a result of inter-potyelectotyter interactions between the biocomplexes

Spectroscopic characterization of PEG-DNA biocomplexes by FTIR

Understanding the mode involved in the binding of certain molecules to DNA is of prime importance, and PEG offers wide-ranging applications in biological, medical and pharmaceutical contexts. FTIR spectroscopy has been used to characterize how the formed biocomplexes bind or dissociate to/from each other between PEG400-ctDNA under different conditions. Characterization and investigation of the effect of incubation time on PEG400-ctDNA biocomplexes formation were studied through spectroscopic technique FTIR. The influence of time duration and incubation on intermolecular interaction was analysed at three different selected times (Zero, 1hr, and 48 hrs.) at 1:1 PEG400-ctDNA monomer to nucleotide ratio. The experiment was carried out at room temperature 22 °C, with prior vortex stirrer of biocomplex for 10 min to improve homogeneity of sample. The results showed that the binding reaction of PEG400-ctDNA proceeds rapidly through DNA base pairs and phosphate DNA backbone, and complexation was reached after a maximum 1hr after mixing PEG400 and ctDNA at 1:1 ratio. FTIR spectroscopy results suggest that PEG400 binds with ctDNA by weak to moderate biocomplexes formation, with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic contact through DNA base pairs, with minor binding preference towards phosphate backbone of DNA helix. The mode of interaction most likely referred to an interaction through outside groove binding or electrostatic binding modes. FTIR highlighted the significant effect of incubation time on the stable biocomplexes of non-ionic PEG400 and ctDNA. Moreover, FTIR spectroscopy technique was rapid, showed good stability, and is a valuable tool for studying the biological properties of biocomplexes of PEG400 and ctDNA