Controlled release of adeno-associated virus from alginate hydrogel microbeads with enhanced sensitivity to ultrasound

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy holds promise as a fundamental treatment for genetic disorders. For clinical applications, it is necessary to control AAV release timing to avoid an immune response to AAV. Here we propose an ultrasound (US)-triggered on-demand AAV release system using alginate hydrogel microbeads (AHMs) with a release enhancer. By using a centrifuge-based microdroplet shooting device, the AHMs encapsulating AAV with tungsten microparticles (W-MPs) are fabricated. Since W-MPs work as release enhancers, the AHMs have high sensitivity to the US with localized variation in acoustic impedance for improving the release of AAV. Furthermore, AHMs were coated with poly-l -lysine (PLL) to adjust the release of AAV. By applying US to the AAV encapsulating AHMs with W-MPs, the AAV was released on demand, and gene transfection to cells by AAV was confirmed without loss of AAV activity. This proposed US-triggered AAV release system expands methodological possibilities in gene therapy.     

Stereoselective sulfate conjugation of isoproterenol in humans: Comparison of hepatic,intestinal, and platelet activity

The stereochemistry of sulfate conjugation of isoproterenol (ISO) was examined with human liver, intestine, and platelets as the phenolsulfotransferase (PST) enzyme source and PAP³⁵S as the cosubstrate. With the hepatic cytosol, two distinct sulfation reactions were identified, a high affinity reaction (K_m 5 to 50 μM) and a low affinity reaction (K_m 360 to 2,900 μM). The efficiency of sulfation (V_max/K_m) for both reactions was 5-fold higher for (+)- than for (?)-ISO. When the hepatic PSTs were resolved by ionexchange chromatography, it could be shown that the high affinity reaction was catalyzed by the monoamine (M) form and the low affinity reaction by the phenol (P) form of PST. Only the high affinity (M form) sulfation was detected in the jejunal cytosol with a V_max/K_m value 6.1-fold higher for (+)- than for (?)-ISO. Finally the platelet, as a potentially useful model tissue, also demonstrated only the high affinity M form reaction with a V_max/K_m value 5.7-fold higher for (+)- than for (?)-ISO. In summary, this study has shown that sulfation of ISO by PSTs in various human tissues is stereoselective and favors the inactive (+)-enantiomer over the active (?)-enantiomer by about 5-fold, a finding which should be considered in the therapeutic use of chiral drugs cleared by sulfate conjugation. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Interactions between the toxicity of the heavy metals cadmium,copper, zinc in combinations and the detoxifying role of calcium in the brown algaCystoseira barbata

The toxicity of three heavy metals, Cd, Cu and Zn, and the detoxifying role of Ca have been studied for the brown algaCystoseira barbata formaaurentia after a 4-week laboratory culture. The experimental design was based upon a complete factorial design 2^k, which seems to be the first time it has been used in algal physiology. It was demonstrated that these three elements, applied jointly, act on weight-growth, chlorophyll a, c and carotenoid synthesis and Cd, Cu and Zn uptake. Cd and Zn act in synergy or in antagony, depending on their exogenous concentrations, on chlorophyll a and on carotenoid synthesis. Zn is antagonistic towards Cd and Cu on weight-growth in the combination Cd-Cu-Zn. From different element combinations, the protective role of Ca appears evident on weight-growth (Cd-Zn-Ca and Cu-Ca), chlorophyll a (Cd-Cu-Ca and Cu-Zn-Ca), chlorophyll c (Cd-Ca), carotenoid synthesis (Cd-Cu-Ca and Cu-Zn-Ca), Cd and Cu uptake (Cd-Cu-Ca) and Zn uptake (Cu-Zn-Ca). This role is confirmed by cytological investigations. This is apparently the first report concerning a Ca interaction with toxicity of heavy metals applied in combinations. However, the mechanisms of tolerance remain unknown.     

新疆阿克苏地区一株羊源沙门菌及其小菌落变异株的生物学特性

【背景】小菌落变异株(smallcolonyvariant,SCV)是一种具有独特的表型及致病特征且生长缓慢的细菌亚群,而国内鲜有关于食源性沙门菌SCV的研究报道。【目的】为食源性沙门菌的防治及动物性食品安全提供实验数据。【方法】使用氨基糖苷类抗生素对羊源胆汁中分离的沙门菌进行实验室诱导得到SCV,然后分别对野生株和诱导株的菌落形态、生长、生化特性、营养缺陷型检测、运动性、耐药性检测及耐药基因、毒力基因、生物被膜形成能力进行比较和分析。【结果】经卡那霉素诱导获得一株血红素依赖型沙门菌SCV,与野生株相比,诱导株生长缓慢,低于野生株84%,不利用柠檬酸盐,溶血能力增强40%,对磺胺类和氨基糖苷类药物的耐受性增强,生物被膜形成能力减弱45%,运动能力减弱78%。【结论】沙门菌SCV的生长和生理生化特性与野生株相比有显著差异,使得沙门菌SCV的分离鉴定尤为困难;并且SCV的致病性与耐药性等方面的变化可能给沙门菌病的防治带来更大挑战,其机制还有待深入研究。     

台湾山柚属(山柚子科)的一个新组合

木文是对《甜菜树属(中国山柚子科新记录属)一新种》(载“云南植物研究”1989年11卷4期)一文的修订。将误定于甜菜树属(Mlelientha Pierre)下的长蕊甜菜树(M.longi-staminea)改隶于台湾山柚属(Champereia Griff.),重新组合为四数台湾山柚(Champereia)longistaminea。如果将长蕊甜菜树(Melientha longistaminea)置于甜菜树属(Melientha)中,则混淆了台湾山柚属(Champereia Pierre)与甜菜树属(Melientha Pierre)的区别界线。     

瞬时受体电位香草醛亚家族1(TRPV1)的生物学功能

瞬时受体电位香草醛亚家族1 (TRPV1)又称辣椒素受体(VR1),是一类可被辣椒素、热(>43℃)、酸(pH<6.0)所激活的配体门控性非选择性阳离子通道,对Ca²⁺有高度通透性。早期研究发现TRPV1主要分布在神经系统并介导瘙痒及痛觉反应,近些年研究表明其在非神经细胞如肥大细胞、膀胱上皮细胞、单核细胞、皮肤角化上皮细胞、胰岛细胞等中也广泛分布,在代谢性疾病、消化、呼吸和心血管系统疾病、皮肤病及肿瘤等疾病的发生发展中均发挥了重要作用。本文介绍了TRPV1的分布、结构特征及其功能研究的最新进展,并重点综述了TRPV1介导的瘙痒和疼痛信号通路及以TRPV1为靶点的中草药研究进展,以期为以TRPV1为潜在治疗靶点相关疾病的中西医防治提供理论指导。     

酶类药物现状、问题及展望

随着生物制药的迅速发展,许多酶类药物应运而生,在治疗代谢疾病、心血管疾病、癌症等诸多疾病上发挥着越来越重要的作用。但是酶类药物也存在一些不足,如潜在的免疫原性、较短的体内半衰期,以及较差的组织靶向性,影响了酶类药物的疗效和应用。为克服这些缺点,人们已开发出多种技术,如通过糖基化、聚乙二醇修饰等分子工程技术提升酶蛋白药效,另一方面酶基因疗法也已成功用于多种酶缺陷疾病的治疗。基于酶类药物的迅速发展和广泛的应用前景,本文对酶类药物的现状进行较详细的阐述,并对酶类药物的优势、所存在的问题及未来发展趋势进行分析和评述。     

Design of a Robotized Magnetic Platform for Targeted Drug Delivery in the Cochlea

Inner ear disorders' treatment remains challenging due to anatomical barriers. Robotic assistance seems to be a promising approach to enhance inner ear treatments and, more particularly, lead to effective targeted drug delivery into the human cochlea. In this paper we present a combination of a micro-macro system that was designed and realized in order to efficiently control the navigation of magnetic nanoparticles in an open-loop scheme throughout the cochlea, considering that the magnetic particles cannot be located in real time.In order to respect the anatomical constraints, we established the characteristics that the new platform must present then proceeded to the design of the latter. The developed system is composed of a magnetic actuator that aims to guide nanoparticles into the cochlea. Mounted on a robotic manipulator, it ensures its positioning around the patient's head. The magnetic device integrates four parallelepiped-rectangle permanent magnets. Their arrangement in space, position and orientation, allows the creation of an area of convergence of magnetic forces where nanoparticles can be pushed/pulled to. To ensure the reachability of the desired orientations and positions, a 3 DOF robot based on a Remote Centre of Motion (RCM) mechanism was developed. It features three concurrent rotational joints that generate a spherical workspace around the head. The control of the latter is based on kinematic models.A prototype of this platform was realized to validate the actuation process. Both magnetic actuator and robotic manipulator were realized using an additive manufacturing approach. We also designed a virtual human head with a life-size cochlea inside. A laser was mounted on the end effector to track the positioning of the actuator. This permitted to experimentally prove the capacity of the robotic system to reach the desired positions and orientations in accordance with the medical needs.This promising robotic approach, makes it possible to overcome anatomical barriers and steer magnetic nanoparticles to a targeted location in the inner ear and, more precisely, inside the cochlea.     

In Silico Design of an Oseltamivir Derivative with Increased Affinity against Wild-Type and Mutant Variants of Neuraminidase and Hemagglutinin of Influenza A H1N1 Virus

Antiviral resistance has turned into a world concern nowadays. Influenza A H1N1 emerged as a problem at the world level due to the neuraminidase (NA) mutations. The NA mutants conferred resistance to oseltamivir and zanamivir. Several efforts were conducted to develop better anti-influenza A H1N1 drugs. Our research group combined in silico methods to create a compound derived from oseltamivir to be tested in vitro against influenza A H1N1. Here we show the results of a new compound derived from oseltamivir but with specific chemical modifications, with significant affinity either on NA (in silico and in vitro assays) or HA (in silico) from influenza A H1N1 strain. We include docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the oseltamivir derivative at the binding site onto NA and HA of influenza A H1N1. Additionally, the biological experimental results show that oseltamivir derivative decreases the lytic-plaque formation on viral susceptibility assays, and it does not show cytotoxicity. Finally, oseltamivir derivative assayed on viral NA showed a concentration-dependent inhibition behavior at nM, depicting a high affinity of the compound for the enzyme, corroborated with the MD simulations results, placing our designed oseltamivir derivative as a potential antiviral against influenza A H1N1.     

An optimized live bacterial delivery vehicle safely and efficaciously delivers bacterially transcribed therapeutic nucleic acids

There is an unmet need for delivery platforms that realize the full potential of next-generation nucleic acid therapeutics. The in vivo usefulness of current delivery systems is limited by numerous weaknesses, including poor targeting specificity, inefficient access to target cell cytoplasm, immune activation, off-target effects, small therapeutic windows, limited genetic encoding and cargo capacity, and manufacturing challenges. Here we characterize the safety and efficacy of a delivery platform comprising engineered live, tissue-targeting, non-pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli SVC1) for intracellular cargo delivery. SVC1 bacteria are engineered to specifically bind to epithelial cells via a surface-expressed targeting ligand, to allow escape of their cargo from the phagosome, and to have minimal immunogenicity. We describe SVC1's ability to deliver short hairpin RNA (shRNA), localized SVC1 administration to various tissues, and its minimal immunogenicity. To validate the therapeutic potential of SVC1, we used it to deliver influenza-targeting antiviral shRNAs to respiratory tissues in vivo. These data are the first to establish the safety and efficacy of this bacteria-based delivery platform for use in multiple tissue types and as an antiviral in the mammalian respiratory tract. We expect that this optimized delivery platform will enable a variety of advanced therapeutic approaches.