Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Verena Wulf, Gadi Slor, Parul Rathee, Roey J. Amir, Gili Bisker
Summary: The study presents amphiphilic polymer-dendron hybrids composed of hydrophobic dendrons and hydrophilic polyethylene glycol for suspending SWCNTs and monitoring enzymatic activity through changes in the SWCNT fluorescent signal. This research provides a rational design approach for functional SWCNTs that can be used for optical sensing of enzymatic activity in the near-infrared spectral range.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dong Wang, Zhihao Fan, Xuecheng Zhang, Hui Li, Yawei Sun, Meiwen Cao, Guangcheng Wei, Jiqian Wang
Summary: A novel anticancer prodrug molecule was designed for targeted drug delivery, which could self-assemble into different nanostructures at different pH levels. The self-assemblies demonstrated good cancer cell selectivity, mainly due to their pH-responsive structural transition and folate active targeting effect.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Vera Tchakalova, Eric Lutz, Serge Lamboley, Emilie Moulin, Daniel Benczedi, Nicolas Giuseppone, Andreas Herrmann
Summary: Amphiphilic imines derived from hydrophobic fragrance aldehyde and a hydrophilic amine from a specific block copolymer were studied as cleavable surfactant profragrances in functional perfumery applications. In water, these surfactants formed micelles for solubilization of perfume molecules without covalent attachment. The surfactants showed stable performance during storage and a balanced fragrance release upon dilution, enhancing the evaporation of less volatile fragrances while retaining the more volatile ones.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Deblina Sarkar, Monalisa Chowdhury, Prasanta Kumar Das
Summary: This research developed a supramolecular material that responds to external triggers, forming vesicles through self-assembly with stimuli-responsive azo moieties. The material successfully released an anticancer drug in a hypoxic environment for killing cancer cells.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Han Yan, He Ma, Bin He, Bing Yu, Youqing Shen, Hailin Cong
Summary: Although there has been a lot of research on cancer nano-drug carriers, delivering more drugs accurately to tumor sites and being endocytosed by cells remains a key problem in cancer treatment. We have designed a polymer nanomicelle as a drug carrier that can respond to the increased concentration of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) in the tumor microenvironment. The overexpressed GGT on cancer cells will recognize and cut the carrier, releasing primary amines that improve the transport and endocytosis ability for nano-drugs, ultimately achieving drug release in cancer cells.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Han Yan, He Ma, Bin He, Bing Yu, Youqing Shen, Hailin Cong
Summary: Research on cancer nano-drug carriers has focused on how to accurately deliver more nano-drugs to tumor sites and ensure their endocytosis by cells, which remains a critical issue in cancer treatment. In response to the increased concentration of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) in the tumor microenvironment when organs like the liver and kidney become cancerous, a polymer nanomicelle as a drug carrier has been designed. The overexpressed GGT on cancer cell surfaces recognizes and cuts the carrier's gamma-glutamyl group, releasing primary amines and transforming the system into weakly positively charged, thereby enhancing active transport and endocytosis abilities for nano-drugs in cancer cells. Additionally, the positive charge on the carrier's surface improves its permeability in tumor tissue, enabling drug endocytosis by cancer cells in hypoxic areas.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Eric Lutz, Emilie Moulin, Vera Tchakalova, Daniel Benczedi, Andreas Herrmann, Nicolas Giuseppone
Summary: This work systematically studied the design of stable imine bonds in amphiphilic micellar structures, considering parameters such as pH, concentration, and the positioning of the imine function. The stable systems were shown to be stimuli-responsive, potentially useful for trapping and releasing micellar components as needed.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Debabrata Dutta, Qinghao Zhou, Jean Felix Mukerabigwi, Nannan Lu, Zhishen Ge
Summary: The study introduces a hypoxia-activatable polyprodrug nanoparticle system for targeted drug delivery to hypoxic areas in tumors, enhancing drug release efficiency and inhibiting tumor growth. Through self-assembly and encapsulation of photosensitizers, these nanoparticles can perform photodynamic therapy under near-infrared laser irradiation, while also aggravating intratumoral hypoxia.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ender Sarigul, Merve Zaim, Mehmet Senel, Tugba Sagir, Sevim Isik
Summary: A novel drug carrier was designed with an interior for drug encapsulation and a biocompatible surface, showing inhibitory effects on the proliferation of gastric adenocarcinoma cells.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Xueyi Chang, Qun Luo, Yongfu Qiu, Zhiyu Cheng, Guiping Tan, Tao Guan, Biye Ren
Summary: In this study, two novel polymeric ferrocenyl amphiphiles were synthesized and their electrochemically redox-controlled self-assembly behaviors were investigated. The results showed that the polymeric amphiphiles could reversibly aggregate into spherical micelles and disassemble into irregular fragments in aqueous solution by electrochemical redox reaction. This research offers significant possibilities for the fundamental science of controlled self-assembly and drug release.
JOURNAL OF ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chen Zhang, Jiaxin Li, Meng Xiao, Di Wang, Yan Qu, Liang Zou, Chuan Zheng, Jinming Zhang
Summary: In this study, colon-targeted nano-micelles with mucoadhesive effect and Azo reductase-triggered drug release profiles were developed for the delivery of curcumin in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The curcumin-loaded micelles exhibited Azo reductase-sensitive particle dissociation and drug release, enhanced cellular uptake, and prolonged retention on colonic mucosa due to the strong mucoadhesion of catechol structure.
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yu-Ting Lin, Shuhao Liu, Bhargavi Bhat, Kai-Yuan Kuan, Wentao Zhou, Ignacio Jose Cobos, Joseph Sang-Il Kwon, Mustafa E. S. Akbulut
Summary: pH and temperature-responsive binary supramolecular assembly with highly tunable viscous and viscoelastic properties was reported in this study. The system demonstrated high control over its viscosity and undergoes transitions between non-Maxwellian and Maxwellian fluid behavior. Cryo-TEM studies showed that the morphological transformation of the assembly was responsible for the switchable rheological properties.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yujia Wang, Wenjie Song, Lijun Bao, Junwu Wei, Yangyang Qian, Yunmei Bi
Summary: We report the synthesis and characterization of enzyme and pH dual responsive linear-dendritic block copolymers (LDBCs) for drug delivery applications. The LDBCs are capable of self-assembling into nanomicelles, which can be disassembled upon the presence of enzyme or changes in pH to release the encapsulated drugs. The release rates can be controlled by changing the generation of dendrons.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Elena Romero-Ben, M. Carmen Castillejos, Cristian Rosales-Barrios, Maria Exposito, Pilar Ruda, Paula M. Castillo, Stefania Nardecchia, Juan de Vicente, Noureddine Khiar
Summary: In this study, a divergent synthetic approach for the fabrication of stimuli-responsive biomaterials, including spherical micelles and 1D-glyconanotube-based photoresponsive gels, was presented. The resulting nanostructures demonstrated reversible gel-sol transition upon UV irradiation and enabled spatio-temporal control of adhesion and release. Additionally, the micelles and gels showed potential use as nanocontainers for drug loading and controlled release.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhijun Guo, Guangyue Bai, Xize Zhan, Kelei Zhuo, Jianji Wang, Yujie Wang
Summary: A coassembly strategy for a supramolecular vector/drug was proposed, which uses biocompatible molecules to achieve pH-responsive and sustained release functions. The self-assembling behaviors of the components and the functions of the vector/drug were characterized. The results demonstrate that this coassembly method is a simple and effective approach.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Roger Riera, Emmanouil Archontakis, Glenn Cremers, Tom de Greef, Peter Zijlstra, Lorenzo Albertazzi
Summary: This study develops a workflow based on super-resolution microscopy to improve the quantification of molecular density and distribution on synthetic substrates and cell membranes. By filtering out non-specific interactions and artifacts, enhanced accuracy and sensitivity are achieved. The workflow is validated by specifically quantifying the density of docking strands on a synthetic sensor surface and the densities of PD1 and EGF receptors (EGFR) on two cellular models.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Madhura Murar, Silvia Pujals, Lorenzo Albertazzi
Summary: In this study, the effect of multivalent targeting using polymeric NPs over the monomeric form of a cell targeting peptide WQP was evaluated, and it was observed that increasing valencies resulted in a higher cellular uptake of WQP-NPs compared to the peptide alone. Furthermore, WQP-NPs showed higher uptake in PSMA over-expressing cells, attributed to a stronger avidity for selective PSMA targeting. This strategy of improving the binding affinity of weak ligands for selective tumor targeting holds promise.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Laura Woythe, Marrit M. E. Tholen, Bas J. H. M. Rosier, Lorenzo Albertazzi
Summary: Upon contact with serum components, the surface properties of nanoparticles (NPs) can change due to the formation of a biomolecular corona. This can cause targeted NPs to lose their functionality and specificity, leading to poor therapeutic efficiency. This study quantifies the influence of serum exposure on antibody-functionalized NPs using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, revealing heterogeneity in interparticle functionality and differences between covalently and noncovalently conjugated NPs. The findings highlight the importance of characterizing NPs at a single-particle level in complex media for the design of targeted NPs with retained specificity and selectivity in biologically relevant conditions.
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lorenzo Albertazzi, Mike Heilemann
Summary: The exploitation of low-affinity molecular interactions in protein labeling is an emerging topic in optical microscopy, which allows for a constant renewal of fluorescence signals at target sites. It has versatile use across microscopy methods and has shown potential in 3D, live, and many-target applications. Although some progress has been made in developing low-affinity labels, this research field still has a lot of untapped potential.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Parul Rathee, Nicole Edelstein-Pardo, Francesca Netti, Lihi Adler-Abramovich, Amit Sitt, Roey J. J. Amir
Summary: Di- and triblockamphiphiles with different architectures and ratios can form different mesophases and have different responsiveness toward enzymatic degradation. This study demonstrates the ability to program formulation transitions from micelles to hydrogels and dissolved polymers using the different reactivities of di- and triblockamphiphiles. The results highlight the importance of molecular architecture in designing smart formulations with different structures and functions.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Maruthi Prasanna, Ruben Varela Calvino, Annie Lambert, Maria Arista Romero, Sylvia Pujals, Francois Trottein, Emilie Camberlein, Cyrille Grandjean, Noemi Csaba
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of chitosan-based nanovaccines for efficient delivery of glycoconjugate antigens. Encapsulated glycoconjugates showed enhanced uptake by cells and better immunostimulatory properties compared to naked antigens. The study also showed a 100-fold increase in IgG response with the encapsulated glycoconjugate compared to the nonencapsulated group in mice.
BIOCONJUGATE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Teodora Andrian, Yolanda Muela, Lidia Delgado, Lorenzo Albertazzi, Silvia Pujals
Summary: Nanoparticles are currently used to deliver therapeutic cargos specifically to target sites, but the lack of precise localization and quantification methods hinders further improvement. In this study, a correlative light and electron microscopy method combining direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy and transmission electron microscopy was proposed to address this issue. This method allows for the precise localization of individual fluorescently-labelled nanoparticles within cellular compartments and provides important information on nanoparticle trafficking.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pradip Das, Silvia Pujals, Lamiaa M. A. Ali, Magali Gary-Bobo, Lorenzo Albertazzi, Jean-Olivier Durand
Summary: In this study, the degradation of biodegradable periodic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (nanoPMOs) triggered by glutathione and the multivalency of antibody-conjugated nanoPMOs were quantified using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM). The impact of these properties on cancer cell targeting, drug loading and release capability, and anticancer activity were also investigated. The higher spatial resolution of dSTORM imaging enabled the characterization of structural properties of fluorescent and biodegradable nanoPMOs. The quantification of nanoPMOs' biodegradation using dSTORM imaging demonstrated their excellent structure-dependent degradation behavior at a higher glutathione concentration. The surface functionality of anti-M6PR antibody-conjugated nanoPMOs, as quantified by dSTORM imaging, played a key role in prostate cancer cell labeling and the higher biodegradability and cancer cell-targeting properties of nanorods conjugated with oriented antibody effectively delivered the anticancer drug doxorubicin to cancer cells, exhibiting potent anticancer effects.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marrit M. E. Tholen, Roderick P. Tas, Yuyang Wang, Lorenzo Albertazzi
Summary: In the last decade, point accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography (PAINT) has become a versatile tool for single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM). Currently, DNA-PAINT is widely used to reconstruct specific characteristics of biological or synthetic materials on a single-molecule level. However, there is a growing demand for PAINT probes that do not depend on DNA. These probes can be based on various interactions and provide complementary applications for SMLM. Researchers have been expanding the PAINT toolbox with new probes that go beyond DNA, which are discussed in this review.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Laura Woythe, Marrit M. E. Tholen, Bas J. H. M. Rosier, Lorenzo Albertazzi
Summary: The functionality of antibody-functionalized nanoparticles (NPs) exposed to serum was quantified using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. The study showed that NPs conjugated with a high amount of antibodies maintained their functionality to a certain extent and exhibited cell specificity and selectivity even after incubation in full serum. This research emphasizes the importance of single-particle functional characterization of NPs in complex media for the understanding and design of targeted NPs in biologically relevant conditions.
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tania Patino, Joaquin Llacer-Wintle, Silvia Pujals, Lorenzo Albertazzi, Samuel Sanchez
Summary: This study characterized the formation of a protein corona around enzyme-powered nanomotors using super resolution microscopy STORM. The results showed a significant decrease and different composition of the protein corona formation, but did not hinder the motion capabilities of the nanomotors.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shreyas S. Wagle, Parul Rathee, Krishna Vippala, Shahar Tevet, Alexander Gordin, Roman Dobrovetsky, Roey J. Amir
Summary: Self-assembled systems, such as polymeric micelles, are important tools for conducting organic reactions in aqueous media. This study demonstrated the significant impact of the architecture of amphiphilic molecules on the reactivity of Pd(II)-loaded nanoreactors, highlighting the potential for controlling the reactivity through tuning the internal architecture.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shreyas S. Wagle, Parul Rathee, Krishna Vippala, Shahar Tevet, Alexander Gordin, Roman Dobrovetsky, Roey J. Amir
Summary: Self-assembled systems, such as polymeric micelles, have been widely used for conducting organic reactions in aqueous media. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the architecture of amphiphiles and the reactivity of their Pd-II loaded micellar nanoreactors, and found that the dendritic architecture has a greater influence on the reactivity than the hydrophobicity.