Multifaceted applications of nanomaterials in cell engineering and therapy

Nanomaterials with superior physiochemical properties have been rapidly developed and integrated in every aspect of cell engineering and therapy for translating their great promise to clinical success. Here we demonstrate the multifaceted roles played by innovatively-designed nanomaterials in addressing key challenges in cell engineering and therapy such as cell isolation from heterogeneous cell population, cell instruction in vitro to enable desired functionalities, and targeted cell delivery to therapeutic sites for prompting tissue repair. The emerging trends in this interdisciplinary and dynamic field are also highlighted, where the nanomaterial-engineered cells constitute the basis for establishing in vitro disease model; and nanomaterial-based in situ cell engineering are accomplished directly within the native tissue in vivo. We will witness the increasing importance of nanomaterials in revolutionizing the concept and toolset of cell engineering and therapy which will enrich our scientific understanding of diseases and ultimately fulfill the therapeutic demand in clinical medicine.     

Synthesis and characterization of N-(2-aminoethyl)-2-acetamidyl gellan gum with potential biomedical applications

N-(2-aminoethyl)-2-acetamidyl gellan gum (GCM-EDA) was prepared by carboxymethylation (via nucleophilic substitution of primary hydroxyl groups of the β-d-glucose unit of gellan gum, in the presence of alkali and chloroacetic acid) and reaction with tert-butyl N-(2-aminoethyl) carbamate (N-Boc-EDA) using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDAC) as an activator, followed by deprotection with trifluoroacetic acid. The structural confirmation and characterization of N-(2-aminoethyl)-2-acetamidyl gellan gum was performed by spectroscopic, rheological and thermogravimetric analysis, and in vitro tests showed a lack of cytotoxicity which is indicative of the potential of this material to be used in biomedical applications.     

The multiple forms of bovine seminal ribonuclease: Structure and stability of a C-terminal swapped dimer

Bovine seminal ribonuclease (BS-RNase) acquires an interesting anti-tumor activity associated with the swapping on the N-terminal. The first direct experimental evidence on the formation of a C-terminal swapped dimer (C-dimer) obtained from the monomeric derivative of BS-RNase, although under non-native conditions, is here reported. The X-ray model of this dimer reveals a quaternary structure different from that of the C-dimer of RNase A, due to the presence of three mutations in the hinge peptide 111–116. The mutations increase the hinge peptide flexibility and decrease the stability of the C-dimer against dissociation. The biological implications of the structural data are also discussed.     

Synthesis of azide derivative and discovery of glyoxalase pathway inhibitor against pathogenic bacteria

A glyoxalase inhibitor was synthesized and tested against Staphylococcus aureus for first time and showed MIC₉₀ of 20 μg/ml. Henceforth, we synthesized unnatural azide derivative of the same inhibitor to improve the biological activity. In that order, an azide carboxylate was synthesized from dimethyl tartrate by tosylation and azide substitution. The synthesized, azide compound was coupled with glutathione derivative in high yield and tested against S. aureus and showed improved MIC₉₀ of 5 μg/ml. In general, it can be also easily converted to unnatural β-amino acid in good yield. The shown methodology will be extended to study induced suicide in Burkholderia mallei, Francisella tularensis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in future.     

Polyethylenimine of various molecular weights as adjuvant for transfection mediated by cationic liposomes

Over the last years significant progress has been made in non-viral gene delivery mediated by cationic liposomes. However, the results obtained are still far from being satisfactory regarding transfection efficiency, particularly when compared to that achieved using viral vectors. We have previously demonstrated that association of transferrin with cationic liposomes significantly improves transfection in a large variety of cells, both in vitro and in vivo. In this work, several strategies have been explored in order to further improve transfection mediated by transferrin-associated lipoplexes. To this regard, the effect on transfection of pre-condensation of DNA with polyethylenimine of low MWs (2.7, 2.0 and 0.8 KDa) at various N/P ratios, lipid composition, cationic lipid/DNA (+/-) charge ratio and the presence of a surfactant in the lipoplexes was investigated. Two different modes for preparing the liposomes were tested and the extent of cell association of their complexes with DNA as well as their capacity to protect the carried DNA were evaluated. Our results show that complexes generated from cationic liposomes prepared by the ethanol injection method in which the carried DNA was pre-condensed with low MW polyethylenimine are highly efficient in mediating transfection. The differential modulating effect observed upon association of transferrin to various liposome formulations on transfection mediated by the polyethylenimine-complexes suggests that these complexes enter into the cells through different pathways (involving clathrin versus caveolin), most likely by taking advantage of their intrinsic biophysical properties to escape from the endosome to the cytosol.     

Antioxidant Properties of 2-O-β-D-Glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic Acid

The antioxidant activity of a provitamin C agent, 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid (AA-2βG), was compared to that of 2-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid (AA-2G) and ascorbic acid (AA) using four in vitro methods, 1,1-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay, 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation (ABTS^?+)-scavenging assay, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay, and 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced erythrocyte hemolysis inhibition assay. AA-2βG slowly and continuously scavenged DPPH radicals and ABTS^?+ in roughly the same reaction profiles as AA-2G, whereas AA quenched these radicals immediately. In the ORAC assay and the hemolysis inhibition assay, AA-2βG showed similar overall activities to AA-2G and to AA, although the reactivity of AA-2βG against the peroxyl radical generated in both assays was lower than that of AA-2G and AA. These data indicate that AA-2βG had roughly the same radical-scavenging properties as AA-2G, and a comprehensive in vitro antioxidant activity of AA-2βG appeared to be comparable not only to that of AA-2G but also to that of AA.     

Induction of Non-diapause Eggs by Imidazole Derivative KK-42 in the Diapause Type of Bombyx mori Silkworm

The injection of an imidazole compound, KK-42, into fifth instar larvae of a silkworm (Bombyx mori, Daizo strain), which had been destined to produce diapause eggs, induced the moths to lay non-diapause eggs. The critical period for KK-42 injection in the induction of non-diapause eggs was 24 h to 72 h after the fourth ecdysis. Topical application of KK-42 to 48 h-old fifth instar larvae also induced non-diapause eggs.     

Sedimentation Analysis of the Interacting Mixture of Dextran Sulfate and Low Density Lipoprotein

The reversible interaction between dextran sulfate (D) and the low density lipoprotein of human serum (P) was investigated by sedimentation velocity. Analysis of the velocity patterns of dextran sulfate—lipoprotein mixtures revealed that the maximum number of binding sites on dextran sulfate molecule is approximately 6. It was also shown that the species of the complex formed is affected by the mixing ratio of the two constituents: at the molar ratio (P/D) 0.69, the complex exists in average as DP_1.6 and at 0.98 as DP_2.2. The linear increment of sedimentation coefficient of the complex due to the binding of one lipoprotein molecule was 7.8S. Finally, the mechanism of precipitation of the complexes was discussed.     

Regio- and stereoselective oxygenation of proline derivatives by using microbial 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases

We evaluated the substrate specificities of four proline cis-selective hydroxylases toward the efficient synthesis of proline derivatives. In an initial evaluation, 15 proline-related compounds were investigated as substrates. In addition to l-proline and l-pipecolinic acid, we found that 3,4-dehydro-l-proline, l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, cis-3-hydroxy-l-proline, and l-thioproline were also oxygenated. Subsequently, the product structures were determined, revealing cis-3,4-epoxy-l-proline, cis-3-hydroxy-l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, and 2,3-cis-3,4-cis-3,4-dihydroxy-l-proline.     

Generation of the antioxidant yellow pigment derived from 4-methylthio-3-butenyl isothiocyanate in salted radish roots (takuan-zuke)

2-[3-(2-Thioxopyrrolidin-3-ylidene)methyl]-tryptophan (TPMT) is a yellow pigment of salted radish roots (takuan-zuke) derived from 4-methylthio-3-butenyl isothiocyanate (MTBITC), the pungent component of radish roots. Here, we prepared salted radish and analyzed the behavior of the yellow pigment and related substances in the dehydration process and long-term salting process. All salted radish samples turned yellow, and their b^* values increased with time and temperature. The salted radish that was sun-dried and pickled at room temperature turned the brightest yellow, and the generation of TPMT was clearly confirmed. These results indicate that tissue shrinkage due to dehydration, salting temperature, and pH play important roles in the yellowing of takuan-zuke.