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Polita A, Stancikaitė M, Žvirblis R, Maleckaitė K, Dodonova-Vaitkūnienė J, Tumkevičius S, Shivabalan AP, Valinčius G. Designing a green-emitting viscosity-sensitive 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza- s-indacene (BODIPY) probe for plasma membrane viscosity imaging. RSC Adv 2023; 13:19257-19264. [PMID: 37377877 PMCID: PMC10291278 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra04126c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Viscosity is a key characteristic of lipid membranes - it governs the passive diffusion of solutes and affects the lipid raft formation and membrane fluidity. Precise determination of viscosity values in biological systems is of great interest and viscosity-sensitive fluorescent probes offer a convenient solution for this task. In this work we present a novel membrane-targeting and water-soluble viscosity probe BODIPY-PM, which is based on one of the most frequently used probes BODIPY-C10. Despite its regular use, BODIPY-C10 suffers from poor integration into liquid-ordered lipid phases and lack of water solubility. Here, we investigate the photophysical characteristics of BODIPY-PM and demonstrate that solvent polarity only slightly affects the viscosity-sensing qualities of BODIPY-PM. In addition, with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), we imaged microviscosity in complex biological systems - large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs), tethered bilayer membranes (tBLMs) and live lung cancer cells. Our study showcases that BODIPY-PM preferentially stains the plasma membranes of live cells, equally well partitions into both liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phases and reliably distinguishes lipid phase separation in tBLMs and LUVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artūras Polita
- Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University Saulėtekio Av. 7 Vilnius LT-10257 Lithuania
| | - Milda Stancikaitė
- Center of Physical Sciences and Technology Saulėtekio Av. 3 Vilnius LT-10257 Lithuania
| | - Rokas Žvirblis
- Life Sciences Center, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University Saulėtekio Av. 7 Vilnius LT-10257 Lithuania
| | - Karolina Maleckaitė
- Center of Physical Sciences and Technology Saulėtekio Av. 3 Vilnius LT-10257 Lithuania
| | - Jelena Dodonova-Vaitkūnienė
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University Naugarduko St. 24 Vilnius LT-03225 Lithuania
| | - Sigitas Tumkevičius
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University Naugarduko St. 24 Vilnius LT-03225 Lithuania
| | - Arun Prabha Shivabalan
- Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University Saulėtekio Av. 7 Vilnius LT-10257 Lithuania
| | - Gintaras Valinčius
- Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University Saulėtekio Av. 7 Vilnius LT-10257 Lithuania
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2
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Marciano Y, Nayeem N, Dave D, Ulijn RV, Contel M. N-Acetylation of Biodegradable Supramolecular Peptide Nanofilaments Selectively Enhances Their Proteolytic Stability for Targeted Delivery of Gold-Based Anticancer Agents. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:3379-3389. [PMID: 37192486 PMCID: PMC10699682 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Peptide materials are promising for various biomedical applications; however, a significant concern is their lack of stability and rapid degradation in vivo due to non-specific proteolysis. For materials specifically designed to respond to disease-specific proteases, it would be desirable to retain high susceptibility to target proteases while minimizing the impact of non-specific proteolysis. We describe N-terminal acetylation as a simple synthetic modification of amphiphilic self-assembling peptides that contain an MMP-9-cleavable segment and form soluble, nanoscale filaments. We found that the N-terminus capping of these peptides did not significantly impact their self-assembly behavior, critical aggregation concentration, or ability to encapsulate hydrophobic payloads. By contrast, their proteolytic stability in human plasma (especially for anionic peptide sequences) was considerably increased while susceptibility to hydrolysis by MMP-9 was retained when compared to non-acetylated peptides, especially during the first 12 h. We note, however, that due to the longer time scale required for in vitro studies (72 h), non-specific proteolysis of both anionic acetylated peptides leads to similar activity in vitro despite differing MMP-9 kinetics during the early stages. Overall, the enhanced stability against non-specific proteases, combined with the ability of these nanofilaments to enhance the effectiveness of gold-based drugs toward cancerous cells compared to healthy cells, brings these acetylated peptide filaments a step closer toward clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaron Marciano
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
- Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 85 Saint Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10031, USA
- PhD Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Nazia Nayeem
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
- PhD Program Biology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Dhwanit Dave
- Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 85 Saint Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10031, USA
- PhD Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Rein V. Ulijn
- Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 85 Saint Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10031, USA
- PhD Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- PhD Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Maria Contel
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
- PhD Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- PhD Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- PhD Program Biology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
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3
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Sun Y, Lyu B, Yang C, He B, Zhang H, Wang X, Zhang Q, Dai W. An enzyme-responsive and transformable PD-L1 blocking peptide-photosensitizer conjugate enables efficient photothermal immunotherapy for breast cancer. Bioact Mater 2023; 22:47-59. [PMID: 36203955 PMCID: PMC9519467 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild photothermal therapy combined with immune checkpoint blockade has received increasing attention for the treatment of advanced or metastatic cancers due to its good therapeutic efficacy. However, it remains a challenge to facilely integrate the two therapies and make it potential for clinical translation. This work designed a peptide-photosensitizer conjugate (PPC), which consisted of a PD-L1 antagonist peptide (CVRARTR), an MMP-2 specific cleavable sequence, a self-assembling motif, and the photosensitizer Purpurin 18. The single-component PPC can self-assemble into nanospheres which is suitable for intravenous injection. The PPC nanosphere is cleaved by MMP-2 when it accumulates in tumor sites, thereby initiating the cancer-specific release of the antagonist peptide. Simultaneously, the nanospheres gradually transform into co-assembled nanofibers, which promotes the retention of the remaining parts within the tumor. In vivo studies demonstrated that PPC nanospheres under laser irradiation promote the infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and maturation of DCs, which sensitize 4T1 tumor cells to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Therefore, PPC nanospheres inhibit tumor growth efficiently both in situ and distally and blocked the formation of lung metastases. The present study provides a simple and efficient integrated strategy for breast cancer photoimmunotherapy. A peptide-photosensitizer conjugate (PPC) with self-assembled ability. Self-assembled PPC realized enzyme-responsive PD-L1 blocking peptide release. Shape transformation from nanospheres to co-assembled nanofibers. Efficient integrated strategy for breast cancer photoimmunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Bochen Lyu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Chang Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Bing He
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xueqing Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Wenbing Dai
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
- Corresponding author.
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4
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Wang D, Fan Z, Min H, Wang X, Li H, Wang J. Enzyme-triggered targeted lipopeptide carriers for anti-tumor drug delivery: the effect of hydrophobicity and secondary structures. J Mol Liq 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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5
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Quader S, Van Guyse JFR. Bioresponsive Polymers for Nanomedicine-Expectations and Reality! Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14173659. [PMID: 36080733 PMCID: PMC9460233 DOI: 10.3390/polym14173659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioresponsive polymers in nanomedicine have been widely perceived to selectively activate the therapeutic function of nanomedicine at diseased or pathological sites, while sparing their healthy counterparts. This idea can be described as an advanced version of Paul Ehrlich’s magic bullet concept. From that perspective, the inherent anomalies or malfunction of the pathological sites are generally targeted to allow the selective activation or sensory function of nanomedicine. Nonetheless, while the primary goals and expectations in developing bioresponsive polymers are to elicit exclusive selectivity of therapeutic action at diseased sites, this remains difficult to achieve in practice. Numerous research efforts have been undertaken, and are ongoing, to tackle this fine-tuning. This review provides a brief introduction to key stimuli with biological relevance commonly featured in the design of bioresponsive polymers, which serves as a platform for critical discussion, and identifies the gap between expectations and current reality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Quader
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine, Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 212-0821, Japan
- Correspondence: (S.Q.); (J.F.R.V.G.)
| | - Joachim F. R. Van Guyse
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine, Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 212-0821, Japan
- Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: (S.Q.); (J.F.R.V.G.)
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6
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Zhu JQ, Wu H, Li ZL, Xu XF, Xing H, Wang MD, Jia HD, Liang L, Li C, Sun LY, Wang YG, Shen F, Huang DS, Yang T. Responsive Hydrogels Based on Triggered Click Reactions for Liver Cancer. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2201651. [PMID: 35583434 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202201651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Globally, liver cancer, which is one of the major cancers worldwide, has attracted the growing attention of technological researchers for its high mortality and limited treatment options. Hydrogels are soft 3D network materials containing a large number of hydrophilic monomers. By adding moieties such as nitrobenzyl groups to the network structure of a cross-linked nanocomposite hydrogel, the click reaction improves drug-release efficiency in vivo, which improves the survival rate and prolongs the survival time of liver cancer patients. The application of a nanocomposite hydrogel drug delivery system can not only enrich the drug concentration at the tumor site for a long time but also effectively prevents the distant metastasis of residual tumor cells. At present, a large number of researches have been working toward the construction of responsive nanocomposite hydrogel drug delivery systems, but there are few comprehensive articles to systematically summarize these discoveries. Here, this systematic review summarizes the synthesis methods and related applications of nanocomposite responsive hydrogels with actions to external or internal physiological stimuli. With different physical or chemical stimuli, the structural unit rearrangement and the controlled release of drugs can be used for responsive drug delivery in different states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Qi Zhu
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
| | - Han Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Zhen-Li Li
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xin-Fei Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Hao Xing
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Ming-Da Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Hang-Dong Jia
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
| | - Lei Liang
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
| | - Chao Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Li-Yang Sun
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
| | - Yu-Guang Wang
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
| | - Feng Shen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
| | - Tian Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
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7
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Song J, Wu C, Zhao Y, Yang M, Yao Q, Gao Y. Bioorthogonal Disassembly of Tetrazine Bearing Supramolecular Assemblies Inside Living Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2104772. [PMID: 34843166 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202104772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular assemblies are an emerging class of nanomaterials for drug delivery systems (DDS), while their unintended retention in the biological milieu remains largely unsolved. To realize the prompt clearance of supramolecular assemblies, the bioorthogonal reaction to disassemble and clear the supramolecular assemblies within living cells is investigated here. A series of tetrazine-capped assembly precursors which can self-assemble into nanofibers and hydrogels upon enzymatic dephosphorylation are designed. Such an enzyme-instructed supramolecular assembly process can perform intracellularly. The time-dependent accumulation of assemblies elicits oxidative stress and induces cellular toxicity. Tetrazine-bearing assemblies react with trans-cyclooctene derivatives, which lead to the disruption of π-π stacking and induce disassembly. In this way, the intracellular self-assemblies disassemble and are deprived of potency. This bioorthogonal disassembly strategy leverages the biosafety aspect in developing nanomaterials for DDSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialei Song
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chengling Wu
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Min Yang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Qingxin Yao
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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8
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Wang M, Gao B, Wang X, Li W, Feng Y. Enzyme-responsive strategy as a prospective cue to construct intelligent biomaterials for disease diagnosis and therapy. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:1883-1903. [DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00067a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive materials have been widely studied and applied in biomedical field. Under the stimulation of enzymes, the enzyme-responsive materials (ERMs) can be triggered to change their structures, properties and functions....
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9
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Denzer BR, Kulchar RJ, Huang RB, Patterson J. Advanced Methods for the Characterization of Supramolecular Hydrogels. Gels 2021; 7:158. [PMID: 34698172 PMCID: PMC8544384 DOI: 10.3390/gels7040158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
With the increased research on supramolecular hydrogels, many spectroscopic, diffraction, microscopic, and rheological techniques have been employed to better understand and characterize the material properties of these hydrogels. Specifically, spectroscopic methods are used to characterize the structure of supramolecular hydrogels on the atomic and molecular scales. Diffraction techniques rely on measurements of crystallinity and help in analyzing the structure of supramolecular hydrogels, whereas microscopy allows researchers to inspect these hydrogels at high resolution and acquire a deeper understanding of the morphology and structure of the materials. Furthermore, mechanical characterization is also important for the application of supramolecular hydrogels in different fields. This can be achieved through atomic force microscopy measurements where a probe interacts with the surface of the material. Additionally, rheological characterization can investigate the stiffness as well as the shear-thinning and self-healing properties of the hydrogels. Further, mechanical and surface characterization can be performed by micro-rheology, dynamic light scattering, and tribology methods, among others. In this review, we highlight state-of-the-art techniques for these different characterization methods, focusing on examples where they have been applied to supramolecular hydrogels, and we also provide future directions for research on the various strategies used to analyze this promising type of material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget R. Denzer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; (B.R.D.); (R.B.H.)
| | - Rachel J. Kulchar
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA;
| | - Richard B. Huang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; (B.R.D.); (R.B.H.)
| | - Jennifer Patterson
- Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Group, IMDEA Materials Institute, Getafe, 28906 Madrid, Spain
- Independent Consultant, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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10
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Kumar M, Son J, Huang RH, Sementa D, Lee M, O'Brien S, Ulijn RV. In Situ, Noncovalent Labeling and Stimulated Emission Depletion-Based Super-Resolution Imaging of Supramolecular Peptide Nanostructures. ACS NANO 2020; 14:15056-15063. [PMID: 33169979 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c05029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular materials have gained substantial interest for a number biological and nonbiological applications. However, for optimum utilization of these dynamic self-assembled materials, it is important to visualize and understand their structures at the nanoscale, in solution and in real time. Previous approaches for imaging these structures have utilized super-resolution optical imaging methods such as STORM, which has provided important insights, but suffers from drawbacks of complex sample preparation and slow acquisition times, thus limiting real-time in situ imaging of dynamic processes. We demonstrate a noncovalent fluorescent labeling design for STED-based super-resolution imaging of self-assembling peptides. This is achieved by in situ, electrostatic binding of anionic sulfonates of Alexa-488 dye to the cationic sites of lysine (or arginine) residues exposed on the peptide nanostructure surface. A direct, multiscale visualization of static structures reveals hierarchical organization of supramolecular fibers with sub-60 nm resolution. In addition, the degradation of nanofibers upon enzymatic hydrolysis of peptide could be directly imaged in real time, and although resolution was compromised in this dynamic process, it provided mechanistic insights into the enzymatic degradation process. Noncovalent Alexa-488 labeling and subsequent imaging of a range of cationic self-assembling peptides and peptide-functionalized gold nanoparticles demonstrated the versatility of the methodology for the imaging of cationic supramolecular structures. Overall, our approach presents a general and simple method for the electrostatic fluorescent labeling of cationic peptide nanostructures for nanoscale imaging under physiological conditions and probe dynamic processes in real time and in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Jiye Son
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Richard H Huang
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, New York 10031, United States
- Department of Chemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, 1024 Marshak, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Deborah Sementa
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Magdelene Lee
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Stephen O'Brien
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, New York 10031, United States
- Department of Chemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, 1024 Marshak, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Rein V Ulijn
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, New York 10031, United States
- Department of Chemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10065, United States
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