Efficient GSH delivery using PAMAM-GSH into MPP-induced PC12 cellular model for Parkinson's disease

Biomaterials for neuroengineering: applications and challenges

Neurological injuries and diseases are a leading cause of disability worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for effective therapies. Neural regaining and enhancement therapies are seen as the most promising strategies for restoring neural function, offering hope for individuals affected by these conditions. Despite their promise, the path from animal research to clinical application is fraught with challenges. Neuroengineering, particularly through the use of biomaterials, has emerged as a key field that is paving the way for innovative solutions to these challenges. It seeks to understand and treat neurological disorders, unravel the nature of consciousness, and explore the mechanisms of memory and the brain's relationship with behavior, offering solutions for neural tissue engineering, neural interfaces and targeted drug delivery systems. These biomaterials, including both natural and synthetic types, are designed to replicate the cellular environment of the brain, thereby facilitating neural repair. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview for biomaterials in neuroengineering, highlighting their application in neural functional regaining and enhancement across both basic research and clinical practice. It covers recent developments in biomaterial-based products, including 2D to 3D bioprinted scaffolds for cell and organoid culture, brain-on-a-chip systems, biomimetic electrodes and brain-computer interfaces. It also explores artificial synapses and neural networks, discussing their applications in modeling neural microenvironments for repair and regeneration, neural modulation and manipulation and the integration of traditional Chinese medicine. This review serves as a comprehensive guide to the role of biomaterials in advancing neuroengineering solutions, providing insights into the ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between innovation and clinical application.

Detection of GSH with a dual-mode biosensor based on carbon quantum dots prepared from dragon fruit peel and the T-Hg(II)-T mismatch

Glutathione (GSH) is commonly used as a diagnostic biomarker for many diseases. In this study, based on carbon quantum dots prepared from dragon fruit peel (D-CQDs) and the T-Hg(II)-T mismatch, a dual-mode biosensor was developed for the detection of GSH. This system consists of two single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). DNA1 was the T-rich sequence; DNA2 was attached to streptavidin-coated magnetic beads and consisted of T-rich and G-rich fragments. Due to the presence of Hg(II), the T-Hg(II)-T mismatch was formed between T-rich fragments of two ssDNA. In the presence of GSH, Hg(II) detached from dsDNA and bound with GSH to form a new complex. The G-rich fragment assembled with the hemin shed from D-CQDs to form the G-quadruplex/hemin complex. At this time, in fluorescence mode, the fluorescence of D-CQDs quenched by hemin could be restored. In colorimetric mode, after the magnetic beads separate, a visual signal could be produced by catalyzing the oxidation of ABTS using the peroxide-like activity of the G-quadruplex/hemin complex. This biosensor in both fluorescence mode and colorimetric mode had excellent selectivity and sensitivity, and the limit of detection was 0.089 µM and 0.26 µM for GSH, respectively. Moreover, the proposed dual-mode biosensor had good application prospects for detection of GSH.

Plasmon-Stimulated Colorimetry Biosensor Array for the Identification of Multiple Metabolites

Rationally designing highly catalytic and stable nanozymes for metabolite monitoring is of great importance because of their huge potential in early disease diagnosis. Herein, a novel nanozyme based on hierarchically structured CuS/ZnS with a highly efficient peroxidase (POD)-mimic capability was developed and synthesized for multiple metabolite determination and recognition via the plasmon-stimulated biosensor array strategy. The designed nanozyme can simultaneously harvest plasmon triggered hot electron-hole pairs and generate photothermal properties, leading to a sharply boosted POD-mimic capability under 808 nm laser irradiation. Interestingly, because of the interaction diversity of the metabolite with POD-like nanomaterials, the unique inhibitory effect of metabolites on the POD-mimic activity could be the signal response as the differentiation. Thus, utilizing TMB as a typical chromogenic substrate in the addition of H2O2, the designed colorimetric biosensor array can produce diverse fingerprints for the three vital metabolisms (cysteine (Cys), ascorbic acid (AA), and glutathione (GSH)), which can be precisely identified by principal component analysis (PCA). Notably, a distinct fingerprint of a single metabolite with different levels and metabolite mixtures is also achieved with a detection limit of 1 μM. Most importantly, cell lysis could be effectively discriminated by the biosensor assay, implying its great potential in clinical diagnosis.

Identification of SV2C and DENR as Key Biomarkers for Parkinson's Disease Based on Bioinformatics, Machine Learning, and Experimental Verification

The objective of this study is to investigate the potential biomarkers and therapeutic target genes for Parkinson's disease (PD). We analyzed four datasets (GSE8397, GSE20292, GSE20163, GSE20164) from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. We employed weighted gene co-expression network analysis and differential expression analysis to select genes and perform functional analysis. We applied three algorithms, namely, random forest, support vector machine recursive feature elimination, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, to identify hub genes, perform functional analysis, and assess their clinical diagnostic potential using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. We employed the xCell website to evaluate differences in the composition patterns of immune cells in the GEO datasets. We also collected serum samples from PD patients and established PD cell model to validate the expression of hub genes using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Our findings identified SV2C and DENR as two hub genes for PD and decreased in PD brain tissue compared with controls. ROC analysis showed effectively value of SV2C and DENR to diagnose PD, and they were downregulated in the serum of PD patients and cell model. Functional analysis revealed that dopamine vesicle transport and synaptic vesicle recycling are crucial pathways in PD. Besides, the differences in the composition of immune cells, especially basophils and T cells, were discovered between PD and controls. In summary, our study identifies SV2C and DENR as potential biomarkers for diagnosing PD and provides a new perspective for exploring the molecular mechanisms of PD.

Tri-element nanozyme PtCuSe as an ingenious cascade catalytic machine for the amelioration of Parkinson's disease-like symptoms

Parkinson's disease (PD), as the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's, has become intractable with the increasing aging global population. The exploration of nanomedicine has broadened the opportunities for developing novel neuroprotective therapies. In particular, polymetallic functional nanomaterials have been widely used in the biomedicine field in recent years, exhibiting flexible and diversified functions and controllable properties. In this study, a tri-element nanozyme (PtCuSe nanozyme) has been developed with desirable CAT- and SOD-like activities for the cascade scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In particular, the nanozyme is suitable for relieving nerve cell damage by removing reactive oxygen species in cells and mitigating the behavioral and pathological symptoms in animal models of Parkinson's disease. Therefore, this ingenious tri-element nanozyme may have potential in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The role of ferroptosis in neurodegenerative diseases

Ferroptosis is newly identified as a non-apoptotic form of programmed cell death. It is characterized by iron-dependent intracellular accumulation of lipid peroxides which ultimately leads to oxidative stress and cell death. Ferroptosis has been identified in several diseases, such as cancer, renal failure, liver injury, and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Besides, it has been reported to be involved in the pathological mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases (NDD). In addition, interventions targeting ferroptosis can influence the course of NDD, making it a potential therapeutic target for NDD. By summarizing the current research on ferroptosis and its impact on many neurological diseases, we hope to provide valuable strategies for the underlying mechanisms and treatment of these neurological diseases.

Research Progress of Antioxidant Nanomaterials for Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a complex inflammatory disease caused by multiple etiologies, the pathogenesis of which has not been fully elucidated. Oxidative stress is important for the regulation of inflammation-related signaling pathways, the recruitment of inflammatory cells, the release of inflammatory factors, and other processes, and plays a key role in the occurrence and development of AP. In recent years, antioxidant therapy that suppresses oxidative stress by scavenging reactive oxygen species has become a research highlight of AP. However, traditional antioxidant drugs have problems such as poor drug stability and low delivery efficiency, which limit their clinical translation and applications. Nanomaterials bring a brand-new opportunity for the antioxidant treatment of AP. This review focuses on the multiple advantages of nanomaterials, including small size, good stability, high permeability, and long retention effect, which can be used not only as effective carriers of traditional antioxidant drugs but also directly as antioxidants. In this review, after first discussing the association between oxidative stress and AP, we focused on summarizing the literature related to antioxidant nanomaterials for the treatment of AP and highlighting the effects of these nanomaterials on the indicators related to oxidative stress in pathological states, aiming to provide references for follow-up research and promote clinical application.

The cytoprotective role of omentin against oxidative stress-induced PC12 apoptosis

Oxidative stress has been proven to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of neuronal injury. As a novel adipocytokine, omentin is produced by visceral adipose with insulin sensitizing effects and has been revealed to possess anti-inflammatory effects. However, the possible effect of omentin on oxidative stress remains unknown. The present study aimed to detect the potential protective effect of omentin against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cytotoxicity of PC12 cells. The results showed that no cytotoxic effect was shown in PC12 cells co-cultured with omentin alone at a concentration of 50-1000 ng/mL. The CCK8 and TUNEL assays suggested that omentin could remarkably attenuate apoptosis induced by 100 μM H2O2. The PCR and western blotting showed that the expression levels of Bax was significantly inhibited by omentin via the upregulation of miR-128-3p at its 3'-UTR. Taken together, these results indicated that omentin protects PC12 cells against H2O2-induced apoptosis, and further studies need to be conducted before utilization in the clinic for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Drug discovery and formulation development for acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation and only last for a short time, but might lead to a life-threatening emergency. Traditional drug therapy is an essential supportive method for acute pancreatitis treatment, yet, failed to achieve satisfactory therapeutic outcomes. To date, it is still challenging to develop therapeutic medicine to redress the intricate microenvironment promptly in the inflamed pancreas, and more importantly, avoid multi-organ failure. The understanding of the acute pancreatitis, including the causes, mechanism, and severity judgment, could help the scientists bring up more effective intervention and treatment strategies. New formulation approaches have been investigated to precisely deliver therapeutics to inflammatory lesions in the pancreas, and some even could directly attenuate the pancreatic damages. In this review, we will briefly introduce the involved pathogenesis and underlying mechanisms of acute pancreatitis, as well as the traditional Chinese medicine and the new drug option. Most of all, we will summarize the drug delivery strategies to reduce inflammation and potentially prevent the further development of pancreatitis, with an emphasis on the bifunctional nanoparticles that act as both drug delivery carriers and therapeutics.

NADPH ameliorates MPTP-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration through inhibiting p38MAPK activation

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Although the pathogenic mechanism underlying PD remains largely unknown, decreased nigral glutathione (GSH) in postmortem brains of PD patients supports the presence of oxidative stress in PD. We found that Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), which is important for maintaining the level of GSH, protected dopaminergic (DA) neurons from neurotoxicity of MPTP/MPP⁺. In the present study, NADPH prevented DA neurons from MPTP toxicity with increased GSH and decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the ventral midbrain of mice, and improved motor activity. Our present results demonstrated that NADPH inhibited the phosphorylation of p38MAPK, decreased the level of TP53 protein, and inhibited TP53 nuclear translocation in DA neurons of SNpc and in MES23.5 cells. Furthermore, NADPH decreased the protein level of TP53 target gene, Bax, cleavage of PARP, and nuclei condensation. Taken together, NADPH abrogated MPTP-induced p38MAPK phosphorylation, TP53 nuclear translocation, and Bax induction, and finally, MPTP/MPP⁺-induced apoptosis of DA neurons. This study suggests that NADPH may be a novel therapeutic candidate for PD.

New Advances in General Biomedical Applications of PAMAM Dendrimers

Dendrimers are nanoscopic compounds, which are monodispersed, and they are generally considered as homogeneous. PAMAM (polyamidoamine) was introduced in 1985, by Donald A. Tomalia, as a new class of polymers, named 'starburst polymers'. This important contribution of Professor Tomalia opened a new research field involving nanotechnological approaches. From then on, many groups have been using PAMAM for diverse applications in many areas, including biomedical applications. The possibility of either linking drugs and bioactive compounds, or entrapping them into the dendrimer frame can improve many relevant biological properties, such as bioavailability, solubility, and selectivity. Directing groups to reach selective delivery in a specific organ is one of the advanced applications of PAMAM. In this review, structural and safety aspects of PAMAM and its derivatives are discussed, and some relevant applications are briefly presented. Emphasis has been given to gene delivery and targeting drugs, as advanced delivery systems using PAMAM and an incentive for its use on neglected diseases are briefly mentioned.

Antioxidant hydrolyzed peptides from Manchurian walnut (Juglans mandshurica Maxim.) attenuate scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice

BACKGROUND

Walnut protein, which is obtained as a by-product of oil expression, has not been used efficiently. Although walnuts are beneficial for cognitive functioning, the potential of their protein composition in strengthening learning and memory functions remains unknown. In this study, the inhibition of memory impairment by the Manchurian walnut hydrolyzed peptide (MWHP) was evaluated.

RESULTS

Small-molecular-weight MWHP (<3 kDa) achieved the optimal antioxidative activity. Therefore, MWHP (<3 kDa) was subjected to the following mice trials to evaluate its attenuation effect on memory impairment. In the Morris water maze test, MWHP shortened the total path for searching the platform, reduced the escape latency, and increased the dwelling distance and time in the coverage zone. MWHP also prolonged the latency and diminished errors in the passive avoidance response tests. These behavioral tests demonstrated that MWHP could inhibit scopolamine-induced memory impairment. MWHP improved memory by reducing oxidative stress, inhibiting apoptosis, regulating neurotransmitter functions, maintaining hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons, and increasing calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II levels in brain tissues.

CONCLUSION

Experimental results proved that MWHP exhibits potential in improving memory and should be used to develop novel functional food. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Sources of Reactive Oxygen Species and Its Possible Role in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The precise mechanism underlying pathogenesis of PD is not fully understood, but it has been widely accepted that excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the key mediator of PD pathogenesis. The causative factors of PD such as gene mutation, neuroinflammation, and iron accumulation all could induce ROS generation, and the later would mediate the dopaminergic neuron death by causing oxidation protein, lipids, and other macromolecules in the cells. Obviously, it is of mechanistic and therapeutic significance to understand where ROS are derived and how ROS induce dopaminergic neuron damage. In the present review, we try to summarize and discuss the main source of ROS in PD and the key pathways through which ROS mediate DA neuron death.

3,3'‑Diindolylmethane attenuates cardiomyocyte hypoxia by modulating autophagy in H9c2 cells

Autophagy is activated in the ischemic heart and is a process that is essential for survival, differentiation, development and homeostasis. 3,3'‑Diindolylmethane (DIM) is a natural product of the acid‑catalyzed condensation of indole‑3‑carbinol in cruciferous vegetables. Numerous studies have suggested that DIM has various pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, antitumor, anti‑angiogenic and anti‑apoptotic properties. However, the function of DIM on hypoxia‑induced cardiac injury remains to be elucidated. In the present study, H9c2 cells were pretreated with DIM (1, 5 and 10 µM) for 12 h and exposed to hypoxia for 12 h. It was demonstrated that DIM markedly attenuated the increased transcription of interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6 and tumor necrosis factor‑α induced by hypoxia. In addition, the transcription of autophagy associated genes increased in the DIM pretreated group, compared with the hypoxia group. DIM additionally attenuated the increased apoptosis, as determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining, and regulated the relative protein expression level of B cell lymphoma (Bcl) 2 associated X protein, Bcl‑xL and cleaved caspase 3. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of the 5' AMP‑activated protein kinase a (AMPKa) was activated and the phosphorylation of c‑Jun N‑terminal kinase (JNK) was inhibited. The effect of DIM on hypoxia‑induced apoptosis was abolished following pretreatment with JNK activator (anisomycin, 40 ng/ml). The effect of DIM on autophagy was reversed following pretreatment with AMPKa inhibitor (CpC, 20 µM) following stimulation with hypoxia. The results demonstrated that DIM prevented hypoxia‑induced inflammation and apoptosis and activated cardiomyocyte autophagy, which may be mediated by activation of AMPKa and inhibition of JNK pathways.

Controlled ROS production by corannulene: the vehicle makes a difference

The vehicle can dramatically influence corannulene's ability in terms of ROS production.