Carrier Cells for Delivery of Oncolytic Measles Virus into Tumors: Determinants of Efficient Loading

Oncolytic measles virus (OMV) is a promising antitumor agent. However, the presence of anti-measles neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against the hemagglutinin (H) protein of OMV is a major barrier to the therapeutic application of OMV in clinical practice. In order to overcome this challenge, specific types of cells have been used as carriers for OMV. Differential loading strategies appear to result in different therapeutic outcomes; despite this, only few studies have reported practical ex vivo loading strategies required for effective treatment. To this end, we systematically evaluated the antitumor efficacy of OMV using different loading strategies; this involved varying the in vitro loading duration and loading dose of OMV. We found that improved oncolysis of carrier cells was achieved by a prolonged loading duration in the absence of NAbs. However, the enhanced oncolytic effect was abrogated in the presence of NAbs. Further, we found that the expression of H protein on the surface of carrier cells was predominantly determined by the loading duration rather than the loading dose. Finally, we showed that NAbs blocked viral transfer by targeting H protein prior to the occurrence of cell-to-cell interactions. Our results provide comprehensive information on the determinants of an effective loading strategy for carrier cell-based virotherapy; these results may be useful for guiding the application of OMV as an antitumor agent in clinical practice.     

The Effect of Nanoemulsion as a Carrier of Hydrophilic Compound for Transdermal Delivery

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of nanoemulsions as a carrier vehicle of hydrophilic drug for transdermal delivery. The response surface methodology with a mixture design was used to evaluate the effect of ingredient levels of nanoemulsion formulations including cosurfactant (isopropyl alcohol, 20∼30%), surfactant (mixed of Brij 30 and Brij 35, 20∼30%), and distilled-water (34.5∼50.0%) on properties of the drug-loaded nanoemulsions including physicochemical characters and drug permeability through rat skin. The result showed that the hydrophilic drug in aqueous solution with or without penetration enhancer could not transport across rat skin after 12 h of application. Used nanoemulsions as carrier vehicle, the permeation rate of drug was significantly increased from 0 to 63.23 µg/cm²/h and the lag time was shortened from more than 12 h to about 2.7∼4.0 h. Moreover, the drug-loaded nanoemulsion formulation also showed physicochemical stability after 3 month storage at 25°C and 40°C.     

Rosin Nanoparticles as a Drug Delivery Carrier for the Controlled Release of Hydrocortisone

Hydrocortisone (HC)-loaded rosin nanoparticles were prepared by a dispersion and dialysis method without addition of surfactant. They were spherical: 167–332 nm diam. The drug was loaded approximately 50% of initial feeding amount in all formulation. Release of hydrocortisone from the nanoparticles in vitro gradually decreased with increasing initial rosin content at pH 7.4. HC was also released very slowly at pH 1.2. Nanoparticles based on rosin thus are potentially useful as a drug delivery system.     

七甲川花菁染料作为肿瘤靶向和光动力治疗载体的研究进展

七甲川花菁近红外荧光染料(NIRF)可直接被肿瘤细胞特异性吸收,具有肿瘤靶向性。与化疗药物偶联后,该类染料可通过血脑屏障将药物转运至肿瘤部位,不仅可以减少化疗药物使用剂量,降低药物的毒副作用,也可通过近红外荧光成像实现对肿瘤治疗的实时监控。七甲川花菁染料所展示的线粒体毒性和光敏特性,可直接杀死肿瘤细胞,抑制肿瘤新生血管的形成。通过纳米包裹,能够显著增强该类染料的肿瘤靶向能力,实现实时跟踪药物释放情况。七甲川花菁染料特异性识别肿瘤细胞的能力与有机阴离子转运肽的作用密切相关,缺氧和线粒体膜电位也参与了染料吸收的调控。这些发现有利于将近红外荧光染料应用于肿瘤的靶向治疗。     

Preparation and some properties of multinucleate cells of Saccharomyces cervisiae after colchicine treatment

For the purpose of forming cells possessing more than three nuclei and of determining the factors inducing multinucleation, cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were treated with 0, 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0% [w/v] colchicine solution, with and without shaking. When the cells were treated with 1.0% [w/v] colchicine solution, the number of cells containing two to eight nuclei was the largest. The multinucleate cells could grow on potato dextrose agar medium and their multinucleate nature did not disappear for at least three generations. This means that such cells are genetically stable. The proliferation rate of the multinucleate cells was not superior to that of the original strain. However, by monitoring the weight loss of the flask, it was possible to indirectly estimate the increase in the alcohol production of the multinucleate cell. It was concluded that the shaking treatment and higher colchicine concentrations contributed to multinucleation.     

Automated Insulin Delivery Systems as a Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Review

ObjectiveApproximately 6.3% of the worldwide population has type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and the number of people requiring insulin is increasing. Automated insulin delivery (AID) systems integrate continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion and continuous glucose monitoring with a predictive control algorithm to provide more physiologic glycemic control. Personalized glycemic targets are recommended in T2DM owing to the heterogeneity of the disease. Based on the success of hybrid closed-loop systems in improving glycemic control and safety in type 1 diabetes mellitus, there has been further interest in the use of these systems in people with T2DM.MethodsWe performed a review of AID systems with a focus on the T2DM population.ResultsIn 5 randomized controlled trials, AID systems improve time in range and reduce glycemic variability, without increasing insulin requirements or the risk of hypoglycemia.ConclusionAID systems in T2DM are safe and effective in hospitalized and closely monitored settings. Home studies of longer duration are required to assess for long-term benefit and identify target populations of benefit.     

Biosynthesis of lysine in Saccharomyces cervisiae: properties and spectrophotometric determination of homocitrate synthase activity.

A rapid assay is described for homocitrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.21) of the lysine biosynthetic pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent cleavage of acetyl-coA was measured spectrophotometrically as decrease in absorbance at 600 nm in the presence of 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol and enzyme from the wild type strain X2180. This activity was also present in citrate synthaseless glutamate auxotroph glu3, and the activity was inhibited by 5 mM L-lysine. Radioactive homocitric acid was obtained from a reaction mixture containing [1-14C]acetyl-coA. Homocitrate synthase activity was dependent upon time, both substrates, and enzyme. The activity exhibited a pH and temperature optimum of 7.5-8.0 and 32 degrees C, respectively, and was inhibited by metal-chelating and sulfhydryl-binding agents.     

Fabrication and Optimization of Linear PEI-Modified Crystal Nanocellulose as an Efficient Non-Viral Vector for In-Vitro Gene Delivery

Background:One of the major challenges in gene therapy is producing gene carriers that possess high transfection efficiency and low cytotoxicity (1). To achieve this purpose, crystal nanocellulose (CNC) -based nanoparticles grafted with polyethylenimine (PEI) have been developed as an alternative to traditional viral vectors to eliminate potential toxicity and immunogenicity.Methods:In this study, CNC-PEI10kDa (CNCP) nanoparticles were synthetized and their transfection efficiency was evaluated and compared with linear cationic PEI10kDa (PEI) polymer in HEK293T (HEK) cells. Synthetized nanoparticles were characterized with AFM, FTIR, DLS, and gel retardation assays. In-vitro gene delivery efficiency by nano-complexes and their effects on cell viability were determined with fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry.Results:Prepared CNC was oxidized with sodium periodate and its surface cationized with linear PEI. The new CNCP nano-complex showed different transfection efficiencies at different nanoparticle/plasmid ratios, which were greater than those of PEI polymer. CNPC and Lipofectamine were similar in their transfection efficiencies and effect on cell viability after transfection.Conclusion:CNCP nanoparticles are appropriate candidates for gene delivery. This result highlights CNC as an attractive biomaterial and demonstrates how its different cationized forms may be applied in designing gene delivery systems.Key Words: Crystal Nanocellulose, Gene transfection, Nanoparticle, Nano-complex     

碳纳米管作为药物载体在治疗肿瘤方面的研究进展

碳纳米管(carbon nanotubes,CNTs)所展现的独特物理与化学性质引起了广泛关注。近年来,碳纳米管在生物医学方面的应用日益受到医学界的重视。本文通过回顾近年来碳纳米管功能化修饰的方法、生物毒性、进入细胞的机制,及其在体内、外肿瘤治疗方面的研究现状,分析了现有的研究特点,并对碳纳米管作为药物载体治疗肿瘤的应用前景进行了展望。     

Grafting Chitosan with Polyethylenimine in an Ionic Liquid for Efficient Gene Delivery

Modifying chitosan (CS) with polyethylenimine (PEI) grafts is an effective way to improve its gene transfection performance. However, it is still a challenge to conduct the grafting with fine control and high efficiency, particularly for the modification of water-insoluble CS. Herein, a novel method to graft CS with PEI (1.8 kDa, PEI-1.8) was developed by using ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium acetate ([BMIM]Ac) as a reaction solvent, water-insoluble CS as a reaction substrate and 1,1-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) as a linking agent. The grafting reaction was greatly accelerated and the reaction time was largely shortened to 4 h by taking advantages of the good solubility of CS, the enhanced nucleophilicity of amino groups and the preferential stability of the activated complexes in the ionic liquid. The chitosan-graft-polyethylenimine (CS-g-PEI) products were characterized by ¹H NMR, FTIR and GPC. PEI-1.8 was quantitatively grafted to CS through urea linkages, and the grafting degree (GD) was conveniently tuned by varying the molar ratios of PEI-1.8 to D-glucosamine units of CS in the range of 9.0 × 10^-3 to 9.0 × 10^-2. Compared with CS, the synthesized CS-g-PEI copolymers showed higher pDNA-binding affinity, which increased with the GD as shown in Agarose gel electrophoresis. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiment demonstrated that the CS-g-PEI/pDNA polyplexes had suitable particle sizes and proper ζ-potentials for cell transfection. The CS-g-PEI copolymer with a medium GD of 4.5% conferred the best gene transfection, with the efficiency 44 times of CS and 38 times of PEI-1.8 in HEp-2 cells. The cytotoxicity of CS-g-PEI was tested and found nearly as low as that of CS and much lower than that of PEI.     

巯基化壳聚糖季铵盐用于基因输送的研究

目的:本研究诣在对壳聚糖进行修饰,以解决其水溶性问题和基因释放困难的问题。方法:本研究通过2,3-环氧丙基三甲基氯化铵和N-乙酰-L-半胱氨酸对壳聚糖进行修饰,得到巯基化壳聚糖季铵盐(TMC-SH),使其在生理条件下带正电并含有一定量的游离巯基。以TMC-SH为基因载体,形成基因复合物。通过琼脂糖凝胶电泳考察其稳定性,并测定其粒径和ζ-电位。通过DTT条件下的粒径测定,考察基因复合物的还原响应性。结果:核磁结果表明合成TMC-SH的季铵盐取代度为22%,游离巯基-SH含量为79.22μmol/g;琼脂糖凝胶电泳结果表明以TMC-SH为载体形成的二硫键交联的基因复合物TMC-SS/p DNA具有较好的稳定性;而且,二硫键交联以后基因复合物粒径较小,结构更为密实;在还原条件下粒径变大,表明二硫键交联的基因复合物变得疏松,说明其粒径具有还原响应性。结论:对壳聚糖进行低取代度的季铵盐修饰和一定量的巯基化修饰后,其具有较好的包载p DNA能力和还原响应性的基因释放能力。     

Physicochemical and Safety Evaluation of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid in Novel Liposomes as Carrier for Skin Delivery

In this study we successfully entrapped 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in liposome, although it exists as a zwitter ion. A molar ratio of 2:1:2.5 phosphatidyle-thanolamine (PE)/cholesterol/sodium stearate represented the best condition to achieve high entrapment efficiency (29.37 ± 1.21%), and the average vehicle size was 133.6 ± 2.8 nm. After 32 days of storage, the vehicle sizes of formulations with PE series were still approximately less than 200 nm. The safety of liposomes was tested and ensured both with regard to cellular cytotoxicity and erythrocyte hemolysis. Safety studies showed that liposome formulations did not affect cell viability except when both potassium stearate and sodium oleate were added. Moreover, PE and PE/cholesterol did not damage human erythrocytes in this study. The range of the hemolytic effect caused by liposomes was 5 to 37% and the effect was dependent on the amount of sodium stearate added to the formulation. According to the release rates and skin penetration of ALA liposomes in vitro, PE/cholesterol/sodium stearate liposomes might increase skin penetration, and it was shown that penetration across the stratum–corneum (sc) layer was the rate-limiting process. Images from confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) confirmed the great potency of liposomes for delivering ALA into skin.     

有效呈递系统——免疫增强重建流感病毒体

免疫增强重建流感病毒体(IRIV)是重建的流感病毒囊膜,保持由病毒囊膜糖蛋白血凝素介导的细胞结合和膜融合特性,但缺乏病毒遗传物质.在IRIV重建的过程中,外源大分子包括蛋白质抗原、DNA/RNA和多糖能包被入IRIV.因此,一旦由细胞通过受体介导的内吞作用摄取,IRIV就能将其内含物递送入胞质溶胶.重点综述IRIV作为呈递系统在疫苗和基因治疗中的应用.     

基因治疗导入载体的研究进展

基因治疗在恶性肿瘤、癌症、遗传性疾病和心脑血管等疾病的治疗中开始应用,临床治疗效果明显。基因治疗中的关键技术是选用合适的载体将外源基因高效导入受体靶细胞,综述了基因治疗中病毒和非病毒载体的研究进展。     

Filter Mud as a Carrier for Rhizobium Inoculants

Laboratory tests indicated that filter mud, a waste product from sugar cane mills, proved to be a suitable carrier for Rhizobium inoculants, provided it was not dried by heating. Autoclaving air dried material was not detrimental and ensured high survival when held at room temperature. The adverse effect of oven drying, which was increased by subsequent autoclaving or gamma irradiation, lessened with time.