Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yang Bu, Sheng Ni, Levent Yobas
Summary: This article investigates the mechanism of synchronous coefficient of drag alteration and finds that using a microfabricated artificial sieve can reduce the purification time of DNA from hours to minutes. An electrophoretic protocol is also proposed to facilitate the collection of purified DNA from the sieve, which can be used for rapid diagnostic applications.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Fangfei Yin, Haipei Zhao, Shasha Lu, Juwen Shen, Min Li, Xiuhai Mao, Fan Li, Jiye Shi, Jiang Li, Baijun Dong, Wei Xue, Xiaolei Zuo, Xiurong Yang, Chunhai Fan
Summary: The article introduces a DNA-encoded molecular classifier that can classify multidimensional molecular clinical data and has been tested in prostate cancer patients.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biology
Gleb S. S. Ivanov, Vyacheslav G. G. Tribulovich, Nikolay B. B. Pestov, Temitope I. I. David, Abdul-Saleem Amoah, Tatyana V. V. Korneenko, Nikolai A. A. Barlev
Summary: Peptide nucleic acids and other artificial genetic polymers have garnered significant interest from the scientific community since their discovery by Nielsen in 1991. Due to their unique biophysical properties, these artificial hybrid polymers are now widely used in various areas of therapy and diagnostics. This review provides an overview of their structure, rational design principles, and biophysical features, highlighting successful implementation in biology and biomedicine. The review also discusses areas of improvement for their future use as a new class of therapeutics.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuanyuan Chen, Peng Gao, Wei Pan, Mingwan Shi, Shujie Liu, Na Li, Bo Tang
Summary: The research developed an X-ray-induced phenotypic transformation strategy through macrophage engineering for safe and efficient tumor immunotherapy. The engineered macrophages demonstrated high tumor recognition and X-ray-induced polarization effects, significantly inhibiting tumor growth in mice even with a reduced radiation dose compared to natural macrophages. The X-PT strategy opens a new avenue for clinical immune cell-based therapy.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jasper W. Dittmar, Michelle H. Teplensky, Michael Evangelopoulos, Lei Qin, Bin Zhang, Chad A. Mirkin
Summary: The stability of the liposome core is crucial for the effectiveness of liposome-based drugs. This study explores the impact of anchor chemistry on immunotherapeutic function and demonstrates that a stable anchor can enhance immune stimulation and improve therapeutic efficacy.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohsen Mohammadniaei, Ming Zhang, Jon Ashley, Ulf Bech Christensen, Lennart Jan Friis-Hansen, Rasmus Gregersen, Jan Gorm Lisby, Thomas Lars Benfield, Finn Erland Nielsen, Jens Henning Rasmussen, Ellen Botker Pedersen, Anne Christine Rye Olinger, Laerke Torring Kolding, Maryam Naseri, Tao Zheng, Wentao Wang, Jan Gorodkin, Yi Sun
Summary: The study introduces a novel non-enzymatic isothermal amplification method for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, without the need for reverse transcription, with high specificity and sensitivity. The method is simple, fast, cost-effective, stable, and suitable for a wide range of testing needs.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Takahito Tomori, Koya Uekusa, Aya Koyama, Takayuki Kanagawa, Yoshiaki Masaki, Kohji Seio
Summary: A synthetic scheme was developed for the synthesis of a modified ribothymidine with a 3-(N-methylsulfamoyl)propyl group. The modification can be used to modulate the properties of oligonucleotides by changing the substituents on the nitrogen, enabling them to possess suitable properties for antisense oligonucleotides.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ya-Ling Tan, A-Qian Huang, Li-Juan Tang, Jian-Hui Jiang
Summary: The development of multiplexed droplet loop-mediated isothermal amplification (multiplexed dLAMP) technique, which allows simultaneous quantification of multiple targets, provides a highly sensitive digital nucleic acid method for rapid and effective detection of viruses and other pathogens. The technology not only has been successfully demonstrated in the laboratory, but also holds promise for digital detection of HCV and HIV RNA in clinical applications. With high precision and low detection limits, it offers a new approach for the prevention and control of infectious diseases.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Gan Zhu, Ping Song, Jing Wu, Minglan Luo, Zhipeng Chen, Tingjian Chen
Summary: Nucleic acids play a crucial role in storing and retrieving genetic information in all living organisms, as well as providing materials for artificial nanostructures and scaffolds for constructing high-performance multi-enzyme systems. Introducing unnatural moieties into nucleic acids significantly increases their diversity, expanding the toolbox for making nanomaterials and multi-enzyme system scaffolds.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Valeria Genoud, Martin Stortz, Ariel Waisman, Bruno G. Berardino, Paula Verneri, Virginia Dansey, Melina Salvatori, Federico Remes Lenicov, Valeria Levi
Summary: The PK+HID method is an extraction-free RT-qPCR technique for SARS-CoV-2 detection, showing improved performance compared to traditional heat-inactivation procedures. It can be combined with multiplexing RT-qPCR kits, demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity in clinical sample analysis.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marjon Zamani, James M. Robson, Andy Fan, Michael S. Bono, Ariel L. Furst, Catherine M. Klapperich
Summary: Sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV and HPV, have a disproportionate impact on low-resource settings. Early diagnosis is crucial for managing HIV and preventing HPV-induced cervical cancer. A novel electrochemical platform combined with loop-mediated isothermal amplification and CRISPR-based detection shows promise for rapidly and cost-effectively detecting viral infections.
ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Ian Roszak, Laurence Oswald, Abdelaziz Al Ouahabi, Annabelle Bertin, Eline Laurent, Olivier Felix, Isaure Carvin-Sergent, Laurence Charles, Jean-Francois Lutz
Summary: Sequence-defined poly(amino phosphodiester)s with main-chain tertiary amines were synthesized using automated solid-phase phosphoramidite chemistry. The polymers were characterized by HPLC and mass spectrometry, demonstrating the preparation of molecularly-defined polymers. The presence of tertiary amines in the polymer backbones facilitates sequencing by tandem mass spectrometry.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Yota Sakurai, Takao Yamaguchi, Tokuyuki Yoshida, Masahiko Horiba, Takao Inoue, Satoshi Obika
Summary: Naturally occurring 5-hydroxycytosine (5-OHCyt) has been found to reduce the hepatotoxicity of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) while maintaining its antisense activity. Sugar modified nucleic acids, such as 2'-O-methylribonucleic acid (2'-OMe-RNA) and 2'-O,4'-C-spirocyclopropylene-bridged nucleic acid (scpBNA), are useful antisense materials. In this study, dual modified nucleic acids 2'-OMe-RNA-5-OHCyt and scpBNA-5-OHCyt were designed and synthesized, and they showed similar duplex-forming ability and base discrimination properties as 2'-OMe-RNA-Cyt and scpBNA-mCyt modified oligonucleotides.
JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Toby Lewis-Atwell, Piers A. Townsend, Matthew N. Grayson
Summary: In this study, the relative performances of different force fields for conformational searching of hydrogen-bond-donating catalyst-like molecules were compared. MM3, MMFFs, and OPLS3e consistently showed strong performances and are recommended for conformationally searching molecules structurally similar to those in this study.
JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Puja Saha, Deepanjan Panda, Jyotirmayee Dash
Summary: Nucleic acids are crucial in cellular information transfer and gene regulation. DNA and RNA molecules are associated with human diseases and offer opportunities for small molecule-based therapeutics. However, developing target-selective molecules with defined biological activity has always been challenging.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Emanuele L. Sciuto, Salvatore Petralia, Jan R. van der Meer, Sabrina Conoci
Summary: The study introduces an innovative portable biosensor for detecting traces of trivalent arsenic and bivalent mercury in water. By combining engineered Escherichia coli and microelectrodes, the sensor demonstrates high sensitivity and effectiveness in detection.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Giovanna Calabrese, Salvatore Petralia, Domenico Franco, Giuseppe Nocito, Claudia Fabbi, Lucia Forte, Salvatore Guglielmino, Stefano Squarzoni, Francesco Traina, Sabrina Conoci
Summary: A new chemical method for incorporating silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) into Mg-hydroxyapatite (Mg-HA) scaffolds, forming Ag-Mg-HA scaffolds, was reported. The scaffold showed excellent antibacterial properties with high reduction rates against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, cytotoxicity testing revealed a significant decrease in cell proliferation and inhibition of osteogenic differentiation, possibly due to oxidative stress caused by Ag NPs.
MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING C-MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Domenico Franco, Giovanna Calabrese, Salvatore Petralia, Giulia Neri, Carmelo Corsaro, Lucia Forte, Stefano Squarzoni, Salvatore Guglielmino, Francesco Traina, Enza Fazio, Sabrina Conoci
Summary: The study involved functionalizing a MgHA scaffold with gold nanorods, which significantly improved its antibacterial properties with 100% bacterial reduction after 24 hours. However, long-term toxicity study showed a 4.38-fold decrease in cell number after 24 days. Further optimization on nano-functionalization process is needed for reducing cytotoxicity.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
M. G. Rizzo, S. Carnazza, L. M. De Plano, D. Franco, M. S. Nicol, V Zammuto, S. Petralia, Giovanna Calabrese, C. Gugliandolo, S. Conoci, S. P. P. Guglielmino
Summary: The study developed a new method for rapid and sensitive detection of bacteria in blood using engineered M13 phages and PCR in a miniaturized silicon microchip, providing a fast and efficient diagnosis approach.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Grazia Maria Letizia Consoli, Rita Tosto, Ausilia Baglieri, Salvatore Petralia, Tiziana Campagna, Giuseppe Di Natale, Stefania Zimbone, Maria Laura Giuffrida, Giuseppe Pappalardo
Summary: Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition affecting the elderly, and targeting beta-amyloid peptides aggregation is considered a promising therapeutic approach. Peptide-based inhibitors are emerging as safe drug candidates and interesting compounds for early diagnosis of AD, with the ability to alter the aggregation pathways and architectural changes of beta-amyloid fibrils.
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Salvatore Petralia, Giuseppe Forte, Morena Aiello, Giuseppe Nocito, Sabrina Conoci
Summary: Bioconjugate gold-based nanostructures that combine the plasmonic photothermal effect with photothermal-triggered DNA delivery are promising materials for medical applications. In this study, DNA-modified gold nanorods were prepared using surface hybridization to create a photo-delivery system for single stranded oligonucleotides. The presence of cationic charges on the surfactant at the gold surface was found to induce a remarkable de-hybridization of DNA strands.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Giuseppe Nocito, Giovanna Calabrese, Stefano Forte, Salvatore Petralia, Caterina Puglisi, Michela Campolo, Emanuela Esposito, Sabrina Conoci
Summary: Carbon Dots (CDs) are a promising type of carbon-based nanomaterials with excellent fluorescence, biocompatibility, and low cytotoxicity, making them suitable for various applications in the biomedical field. Their ease of preparation and potential applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy highlight CDs as a valuable tool in biomedicine.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Grazia Maria Letizia Consoli, Maria Laura Giuffrida, Cristina Satriano, Teresa Musumeci, Giuseppe Forte, Salvatore Petralia
Summary: In this study, luminescent and photothermic carbon polymer dots were synthesized using a novel, simple, solvent- and reagent-free method. The formation of these dots was controlled by temperature and heating time, and they exhibited excellent photothermal conversion efficiency and drug release activity.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Giorgio Ivan Russo, Nicolo Musso, Alessandra Romano, Giuseppe Caruso, Salvatore Petralia, Luca Lanzano, Giuseppe Broggi, Massimo Camarda
Summary: Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a label-free cell manipulation technique based on electrical differences that can be applied to liquid biopsies for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. DEP offers advantages in terms of cost, yield, and specificity compared to other technologies, but further technical and clinical development is still needed.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giuseppe Nicolosi, Sandro Galdenzi, Maria Anna Messina, Ana Z. Miller, Salvatore Petralia, Serban M. Sarbu, Marco Isaia
Summary: The diverse invertebrate community thriving in the deepest sections of the gypsum karst system of the Monte Conca sinkhole suggests the existence of a complex food web associated with a sulfidic pool and chemoautotrophic microbial activity. The investigation revealed a structured biological assemblage of specialized and non-specialized species encompassing all trophic levels. The presence of a significant chemoautotrophic support by microbial communities to the local food web was observed, especially during the dry season.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Giorgio Ventimiglia, Massimiliano Pesaturo, Alastair Malcolm, Salvatore Petralia
Summary: A silicon lab-on-chip, integrating PCR and hybridization microarray, has been developed for nucleic acid detection. The lab-on-chip shows remarkable sensitivity, multiplexing analysis, and specificity for the detection of target sequences.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luca Vanella, Valeria Consoli, Ilaria Buro, Maria Gulisano, Manuela Stefania Giglio, Ludovica Maugeri, Salvatore Petralia, Angela Castellano, Valeria Sorrenti
Summary: Several studies have found that snail mucus has emollient, regenerative, and protective properties for maintaining healthy skin conditions. The mucus from Helix aspersa muller has shown beneficial properties like antimicrobial activity and wound repair capacity. By enriching snail mucus with antioxidant compounds derived from edible flower waste, researchers have demonstrated that the flower waste extract boosts the antioxidant activity of snail mucus, providing cytoprotective effects against UVB radiation in keratinocytes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Federica Sipala, Gianfranco Cavallaro, Giuseppe Forte, Cristina Satriano, Alessandro Giuffrida, Aurore Fraix, Angelo Spadaro, Salvatore Petralia, Carmela Bonaccorso, Cosimo Gianluca Fortuna, Simone Ronsisvalle
Summary: In recent years, the study of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its mutations has become crucial in understanding its interaction with human host receptors. Through in silico studies, it has been found that heterocyclic compounds with different chemical characteristics may interact with the spike protein and disrupt the interaction between ACE2 and the spike protein. Although further research is needed, this study suggests that these heterocyclic push-pull compounds could potentially inhibit spike protein-ACE2 binding.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alice Foti, Luana Cali, Salvatore Petralia, Cristina Satriano
Summary: In this study, noble metal nanoparticles with inherent antiangiogenic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties were synthesized. These nanoparticles have potential as potent chemotherapeutics due to their unique features, such as plasmonic properties for photothermal therapy and the ability to slow down cancer cell migration and suppress metastasis. The physicochemical properties of these nanoparticles were investigated, and biophysical studies with model cell membranes were conducted. In vitro cellular experiments with prostate cancer cells confirmed the cytotoxicity, cell migration, NP cellular uptake, and cytoskeleton actin perturbation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elisabetta Anna Tendi, Giovanna Morello, Maria Guarnaccia, Valentina La Cognata, Salvatore Petralia, Maria Anna Messina, Concetta Meli, Agata Fiumara, Martino Ruggieri, Sebastiano Cavallaro
Summary: Hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) is a common genetic disorder characterized by serious clinical manifestations. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology can help identify the molecular basis of this disease due to its genetic and allelic heterogeneity. We developed a targeted NGS (tNGS) approach for detecting genetic variants associated with HPA, providing a comprehensive view and optimizing patient care.