Investigation of structural transition of dsDNA on various substrates studied by atomic force microscopy

Distinct Binding Characteristics of Pathogenic Anti-Platelet Factor-4/Polyanion Antibodies to Antigens Coated on Different Substrates: A Perspective on Clinical Application

The polyanion heparin, which is frequently used in patients, complexes with the platelet-derived cationic chemokine platelet factor (PF4, CXCL4). This results in the formation of anti-PF4/heparin antibodies (anti-PF4/H Abs). Anti-PF4/H Abs are classified into three groups: (i) nonpathogenic Abs (group 1) with no clinical relevance; (ii) pathogenic heparin-dependent Abs (group 2), which activate platelets and can cause the severe adverse drug effect heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT); and (iii) pathogenic autoimmune-HIT Abs (group 3), in which group 3 anti-PF4/H Abs causes a HIT-like autoimmune disease in the absence of heparin. Enzyme immunoassays using PF4/H complexes coated on the solid phase for detection of anti-PF4/H Abs cannot differentiate between pathogenic and nonpathogenic anti-PF4/H Abs. By single-molecule force spectroscopy, we identify a specific feature of pathogenic group 2 and group 3 Abs antibodies that (in contrast to nonpathogenic group 1 Abs) their binding forces to PF4/H complexes coated on platelets were significantly higher compared with those of PF4/H complexes immobilized on a solid phase. Only group 3 Abs showed high binding forces to platelets without the addition of PF4. In the presence of 50 μg/mL PF4, group 2 Abs also showed high binding forces to platelets. In contrast, binding forces of group 1 Abs always remained low (<100 pN). Our findings may have major relevance for the development of clinically applicable solid-phase assays, which allow differentiation of pathogenic platelet-activating from nonpathogenic anti-PF4/H Abs. Membrane-based expression of antigens might also increase the specificity of other assays for the detection of pathogenic (auto)-antibodies in clinical medicine.

The Role of Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy in Unraveling Typical and Autoimmune Heparin-induced Thrombocytopenia

For the last two decades, heparins have been widely used as anticoagulants. Besides numerous advantages, up to 5% patients with heparin administration suffer from a major adverse drug effect known as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). This typical HIT can result in deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, occlusion of a limb artery, acute myocardial infarct, stroke, and a systemic reaction or skin necrosis. The basis of HIT may lead to clinical insights. Recent studies using single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS)-based atomic force microscopy revealed detailed binding mechanisms of the interactions between platelet factor 4 (PF4) and heparins of different lengths in typical HIT. Especially, SMFS results allowed identifying a new mechanism of the autoimmune HIT caused by a subset of human-derived antibodies in patients without heparin exposure. The findings proved that not only heparin but also a subset of antibodies induce thrombocytopenia. In this review, the role of SMFS in unraveling a major adverse drug effect and insights into molecular mechanisms inducing thrombocytopenia by both heparins and antibodies will be discussed.

Single-molecule force spectroscopy applied to heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), occurring up to approximately 1% to 5% of patients receiving the antithrombotic drug heparins, has a complex pathogenesis involving multiple partners ranging from small molecules to cells/platelets. Recently, insights into the mechanism of HIT have been achieved by using single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS), a methodology that allows direct measurements of interactions among HIT partners. Here, the potential of SMFS in unraveling the mechanism of the initial steps in the pathogenesis of HIT at single-molecule resolution is highlighted. The new findings ranging from the molecular binding strengths and kinetics to the determination of the boundary between risk and non-risk heparin drugs or platelet-surface and platelet-platelet interactions will be reviewed. These novel results together have contributed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying HIT and demonstrate how SMFS can be applied to develop safer drugs with a reduced risk profile.

Rupture Forces among Human Blood Platelets at different Degrees of Activation

Little is known about mechanics underlying the interaction among platelets during activation and aggregation. Although the strength of a blood thrombus has likely major biological importance, no previous study has measured directly the adhesion forces of single platelet-platelet interaction at different activation states. Here, we filled this void first, by minimizing surface mediated platelet-activation and second, by generating a strong adhesion force between a single platelet and an AFM cantilever, preventing early platelet detachment. We applied our setup to measure rupture forces between two platelets using different platelet activation states, and blockade of platelet receptors. The rupture force was found to increase proportionally to the degree of platelet activation, but reduced with blockade of specific platelet receptors. Quantification of single platelet-platelet interaction provides major perspectives for testing and improving biocompatibility of new materials; quantifying the effect of drugs on platelet function; and assessing the mechanical characteristics of acquired/inherited platelet defects.

Cisplatin-functionalized silica nanoparticles for cancer chemotherapy

Cisplatin is used to treat a variety of tumors, but dose-limiting toxicities or intrinsic and acquired resistance limit its application in many types of cancer including breast. Cisplatin was attached to silica nanoparticles using aminopropyltriethoxy silane as a linker molecule and characterized in terms of size, shape, as well as the dissolution of cisplatin from the silica surface. The primary particle diameter of the as received silica nanoparticles ranged from 20 to 90 nm. The results show that adverse effects on cell function, as evidenced by reduced metabolic activity measured by the MTT assay and increased membrane permeability observed using the live/dead stain, can be correlated with surface area of the silica. Cisplatin-functionalized silica nanoparticles with the highest surface area incited the greatest response, which was almost equivalent to that induced by free cisplatin. Moreover, if verified by further studies, would indicate that cisplatin was attached to silica nanoparticles might prove to be useful in site-specific drug delivery.

Promising plasmid DNA vector based on APTES-modified silica nanoparticles

Nanoparticles have an enormous potential for development in biomedical applications, such as gene or drug delivery. We developed and characterized aminopropyltriethoxysilane-functionalized silicon dioxide nanoparticles (APTES-SiNPs) for gene therapy. Lipofectamine^® 2000, a commonly used agent, served as a contrast. We showed that APTES-SiNPs had a gene transfection efficiency almost equal to that of Lipofectamine 2000, but with lower cytotoxicity. Thus, these novel APTES-SiNPs can achieve highly efficient transfection of plasmid DNA, and to some extent reduce cytotoxicity, which might overcome the critical drawbacks in vivo of conventional carriers, such as viral vectors, organic polymers, and liposomes, and seem to be a promising nonviral gene therapy vector.

An improved measurement of dsDNA elasticity using AFM

The mechanical properties of a small fragment (30 bp) of an individual double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA) in water have been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). We have stretched three systems including ssDNA, double-fixed dsDNA (one strand of the dsDNA molecules was biotinylated at the 3'-end and thiolated at the 5'-end, this was reversed for the other complementary strand) and single-fixed dsDNA (one strand of the dsDNA molecules was biotinylated at the 3'-end and thiolated at the 5'-end, whereas the other complementary strand was biotinylated at only the 5'-end). The achieved thiolation and biotinylation were to bind ds- or ssDNA to the gold surface and streptavidin-coated AFM tip, respectively. Analysis of the force versus displacement (F-D) curves from tip-DNA-substrate systems shows that the pull-off length (L(o)) and stretch length (delta) from the double-fixed system were shorter than those observed in the ssDNA and the single-fixed system. The obtained stretch force (F(st)) from the single-fixed dsDNA was much greater than that from the ssDNA even though it was about 10 pN greater than the one obtained in the double-fixed system. As a result, the Young's modulus of the double-fixed dsDNA was greater than that of the single-fixed dsDNA and the ssDNA. A more reliable stiffness of the dsDNA was observed via the double-fixed system, since there is no effect of the unpaired molecules during stretching, which always occurred in the single-fixed system. The unpaired molecules were also observed by comparing the stiffness of ssDNA and single-fixed dsDNA in which the end of one strand was left free.