Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shuai Xu, Wenjing Pan, Zhi-Ling Song, Lin Yuan
Summary: Cell membrane is a phospholipid bilayer that maintains cell integrity and is involved in various physiological and pathological processes. There has been significant progress in developing small-molecular fluorescent probes for visualizing cell membrane-related events, especially in the near-infrared region. This review summarizes the design principles, targeting mechanisms, and biological applications of these probes and discusses the challenges and future directions in designing near-infrared cell membrane-targeting probes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hongping Deng, Christian J. Konopka, Suma Prabhu, Suresh Sarkar, Natalia Gonzalez Medina, Muhammad Fayyaz, Opeyemi H. Arogundade, Hashni Epa Vidana Gamage, Sayyed Hamed Shahoei, Duncan Nall, Yeoan Youn, Iwona T. Dobrucka, Christopher O. Audu, Amrita Joshi, William J. Melvin, Katherine A. Gallagher, Paul R. Selvin, Erik R. Nelson, Lawrence W. Dobrucki, Kelly S. Swanson, Andrew M. Smith
Summary: This study presents fluorescent and radioisotopic quantum dots (QDs) for multimodal imaging of macrophage cells. These dextran-mimetic QDs exhibit enhanced optical quantification, long-term photostability, and resistance to chemical fixation compared to other probes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Susanna Seppala, Taylor Gierke, Elizabeth E. E. Schauer, Jennifer L. L. Brown, Michelle A. A. O'Malley
Summary: Membrane-embedded transporters play essential roles in cellular functions such as nutrient uptake and waste product extrusion. Multidrug exporters are important for resistance mechanisms and enhancing tolerance to hydrophobic bioproducts in microbial engineering. In this study, we identified small multidrug resistance (SMR) transporters in anaerobic fungi, which have not been reported in eukaryotes before. We demonstrated the potential of these SMR transporters as targets for further characterization by heterologously producing them in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These novel anaerobic fungal SMR transporters offer a promising approach to enhance bioproduction in engineered microbial strains.
Article
Microbiology
Jan Viglas, Petra Olejnikova
Summary: The ABC transporter superfamily plays a crucial role in transporting various molecules across biological membranes, including antifungal compounds in filamentous fungi. Understanding the physiological substrates and roles of individual subfamilies of ABC transporters in fungi is important for clarifying their significance in clinical and agricultural settings.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Giorgia Zambito, Gunja Mishra, Christopher Schliehe, Laura Mezzanotte
Summary: Melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer with a poor prognosis. Early detection is crucial for effective therapy. Recent research has shown that the interaction between melanoma cells and the immune system can aid in the development of efficient treatment strategies. This study used engineered macrophages as cell-based sensors to detect metastatic melanoma, demonstrating the potential of using optical imaging technologies to track circulating macrophages for non-invasive detection of the disease.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biology
Lisanne K. A. Neijenhuis, Lysanne D. A. N. de Myunck, Okker D. Bijlstra, Peter J. K. Kuppen, Denise E. Hilling, Frank J. Borm, Danielle Cohen, J. Sven D. Mieog, Willem H. Steup, Jerry Braun, Jacobus Burggraaf, Alexander L. Vahrmeijer, Merlijn Hutteman
Summary: Lung cancer, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is prevalent worldwide. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging has been tested as an intraoperative technique to localize pulmonary nodules, allowing tumor identification, detection of additional lesions, and prevention of positive resection margins.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pengye Du, Yi Wei, Yuan Liang, Ran An, Shuyu Liu, Pengpeng Lei, Hongjie Zhang
Summary: Rare earth nanoparticles (RENPs) have shown great potential in optical imaging and wireless phototherapy for the treatment of malignant diseases due to their excellent optical properties. This review discusses the mechanisms underlying the response of RENPs to near-infrared (NIR) light and summarizes recent advancements in their applications in various therapeutic modalities. The challenges and opportunities for the use of NIR-responsive RENPs in optical imaging and wireless phototherapy are also analyzed.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Laura Braconi, Elisabetta Teodori, Marialessandra Contino, Chiara Riganti, Gianluca Bartolucci, Dina Manetti, Maria Novella Romanelli, Maria Grazia Perrone, Nicola Antonio Colabufo, Stefano Guglielmo, Silvia Dei
Summary: Some 2,4-disubstituted quinazolines have been synthesized and studied as multidrug resistance (MDR) reversers. The compounds showed good inhibitory activity against the P-gp transporter and some exhibited activity against MRP1 and BCRP as well.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiaguo Huang, Kanyi Pu
Summary: Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging shows great potential in both basic biomedical research and clinical practice, especially in the diagnosis of nephron-urological diseases. The development of molecular probes has improved detection specificity and contrast enhancement in imaging.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fei Ding, Jing Feng, Xueli Zhang, Jielin Sun, Chunhai Fan, Zhilei Ge
Summary: Optical imaging is crucial in biomedicine and theragnostic, but faces limitations in deep-tissue visualization due to light scattering and tissue autofluorescence. Responsive optical probes are designed for precise diagnosis and surgery excision by specific reactions with biological analytes or disease biomarkers.
ADVANCED DRUG DELIVERY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Chloe N. Thomas, Nada Alfahad, Nicholas Capewell, Jamie Cowley, Eleanor Hickman, Antonio Fernandez, Neale Harrison, Omar S. Qureshi, Naomi Bennett, Nicholas M. Barnes, Andrew D. Dick, Colin J. Chu, Xiaoxuan Liu, Alastair K. Denniston, Marc Vendrell, Lisa J. Hill
Summary: This study investigates the potential use of photostable novel triazole NIR cyanine (TNC) dyes for detecting and characterising activated T-cell activity within the eye. The results demonstrate that TNC-1 and TNC-2 dyes exhibit greater fluorescence intensity than ICG and do not cause ocular cell toxicity at working concentrations of 10μM. The study suggests that TNC dyes have potential as a diagnostic marker for ocular inflammatory diseases.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhuoran Ma, Feifei Wang, Weizhi Wang, Yeteng Zhong, Hongjie Dai
Summary: This study utilized artificial neural networks to transform fluorescence images in the shorter-wavelength NIR window to images resembling NIR-IIb window, achieving high signal-to-background ratio in vivo lymph node imaging with human-approved molecular probes. Translation of PD-L1 or EGFR imaging greatly enhanced tumor-to-normal tissue ratio and improved tumor margin localization, showcasing the potential of deep learning in enhancing noninvasive NIR imaging and microscopy. Deep learning equipped NIR imaging could facilitate basic biomedical research and clinical diagnostics and imaging-guided surgery.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manuel Wagner, Daniel Blum, Stefanie L. Raschka, Lea-Marie Nentwig, Christoph G. W. Gertzen, Minghao Chen, Christos Gatsogiannis, Andrzej Harris, Sander H. J. Smits, Richard Wagner, Lutz Schmitt
Summary: This study demonstrates that Pdr5, as a multidrug resistance (MDR) efflux pump, not only actively transports substrates across the lipid bilayer, but also generates a proton motif force in the presence of Mg2+-ATP and substrates, thereby increasing its effectiveness.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Zhaomin Tang, Weijun Tian, Hongyu Long, Shuting Jiang, Jianqing Zhao, Jianren Zhou, Qian He, Xia Luo
Summary: Multidrug resistance is a significant challenge in cancer treatment, and combining chemotherapy with photothermal therapy has shown potential in overcoming MDR. In this study, a subcellular-targeted near-infrared-responsive nanomedicine was developed, which achieved improved photothermal stability and efficiency. This nanomedicine could enhance MDR cancer treatment by combining chemotherapy and photothermal therapy.
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Si Si Liew, Ziling Zeng, Penghui Cheng, Shasha He, Chi Zhang, Kanyi Pu
Summary: This study presents a near-infrared fluorescence activatable molecular probe for detecting SARS-CoV-2 protease in living mice, enabling sensitive detection of viral protease and optical urinalysis of viral infection. This in vivo sensor holds potential for preclinical high-throughput drug screening and clinical diagnostics in respiratory viral infections.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Nino Tetro, Sonia Moushaev, Miri Shmuel, Sara Eyal
Summary: The study found that antiseizure medications, especially at high therapeutic concentrations, may interfere with the placental uptake of choline. Therefore, careful adjustment of maternal doses of ASM is needed during pregnancy.
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Sara Eyal
Review
Environmental Sciences
Tomer Malchi, Sara Eyal, Henryk Czosnek, Moshe Shenker, Benny Chefetz
Summary: This paper introduces a novel approach to understand the interactions between bioactive pollutants and plants through the concept of plant pharmacology, dividing it into plant pharmacokinetics and plant pharmacodynamics, which discuss the fate of exogenous xenobiotics in plants and their impact on plant enzymes and biochemical pathways.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Erez Berman, Iris Noyman, Mordekhay Medvedovsky, Dana Ekstein, Sara Eyal
Summary: Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are increasingly being co-prescribed with other drugs, such as antiseizure medications (ASMs), raising concerns about potential drug interactions and treatment outcome. This literature review identified key issues related to mAb-ASM combinations and provided practice recommendations for clinicians. Further research is needed to establish class-based recommendations for mAb-ASM interactions to ensure safe and effective treatment for patients with epilepsy.
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Sara Eyal
Summary: This study compared cognitive abilities of 2-year-old children born to women with epilepsy (WWE) versus healthy women, and found that maximum ASM exposure in the third trimester of WWE was associated with cognitive and motor abilities in children.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Emma Grabarnick (Portnoy), Alexander V. Andriyanov, Hadas Han, Sara Eyal, Yechezkel Barenholz
Summary: The study demonstrated that the combined treatment of liposomal doxorubicin, P-gp inhibitor quinine, and photodynamic therapy with indocyanine green can overcome multidrug resistance in cancer cells, particularly showing significant therapeutic effects in an adenocarcinoma drug-resistant tumor model.
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Iris Noyman, Dana Ekstein, Firas Fahoum, Moshe Herskovitz, Ilan Linder, Bruria Ben Zeev, Sara Eyal
Summary: The recommendations suggest caution in using nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in patients with epilepsy who are on moderate-to-strong enzyme-inducing antiseizure medications (ASMs) and everolimus. It is advised to consider rectal diazepam as an alternative to buccal midazolam, adjust doses of ASMs that are cytochrome P450 (CYP3A4) substrates, and monitor drug efficacy and adverse drug reactions in patients treated with combinations of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and ASMs that are CYP3A4 substrates or lamotrigine.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Erez Berman, Elkana Kohn, Matitiahu Berkovitch, Michal Kovo, Sara Eyal
Summary: This study found that lacosamide at high therapeutic concentrations exerted pharmacological effects on the human placenta, potentially affecting folate supply to the fetus. These findings suggest the importance of therapeutic monitoring and careful adjustment of lacosamide plasma concentrations during pregnancy.
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Sara Eyal
Summary: In an observational study of 28 children with drug-resistant epilepsy treated with the ketogenic diet, changes in gut microbiota and inflammation were identified during treatment. The findings suggest a general anti-inflammatory effect of KD, and specific Bifidobacteria and TNF may be associated with the efficacy of KD.
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Roaa Hamed, Amit David Eyal, Erez Berman, Sara Eyal
Review
Clinical Neurology
Firas Fahoum, Sara Eyal
Summary: Intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration is explored as a means to deliver antiseizure and antiepileptic therapies to epileptic brain tissue. This route bypasses the blood-brain barrier, allowing restricted therapeutics to reach the brain while reducing systemic adverse reactions. However, efficacy may be limited when epileptogenic tissue is far from the ventricles. This article provides an overview of ICV delivery and its challenges, and compares it with other administration routes.
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Sara Eyal
Summary: In this study, the researchers found that activating channelrhodopsin-2-expressing astrocytes effectively reduces neocortical seizures in rodent models. This anti-seizure effect is independent of classical calcium signaling and is instead related to the astrocytic Na+K+-ATPase-mediated buffering K+, which inhibits firing in highly active pyramidal neurons during seizures. Compared to inhibiting pyramidal neurons, stimulating astrocytes has several advantages as an anti-seizure strategy, including a wider therapeutic window, greater efficacy, and minimal side effects. Furthermore, optogenetic-driven astrocytic Na+K+-ATPase shows promising therapeutic effects in a chronic focal cortical dysplasia epilepsy model.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Erez Berman, Natalia Erenburg, Ron Beloosesky, Sara Eyal, Michal Kovo
Summary: The study found that CBD is sequestered in placental tissue, with lower concentrations in the fetal compartment. CBD did not significantly alter placental gene expression. While the placenta acts as a depot for CBD, there are still potential risks associated with its use during pregnancy.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Adili Tsur, Ronen Spierer, Renana Cohen, Dana Blatch, Sara Eyal, Asaf Honig, Dana Ekstein
Summary: The incidence rate of first unprovoked seizures (FUS) is higher in combat soldiers, but they have a two-fold lower risk of additional seizures compared to noncombat soldiers. This highlights the value of strenuous triggers as negative predictors for developing epilepsy and suggests a shift in the perception of epilepsy, calling for changes in the weighting of epilepsy etiologies and delivery of treatments.
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Sara Eyal
Summary: Cerebral hypoperfusion, which is characterized by decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF), is proposed as a potential cause of postictal neurological dysfunction in epilepsy. The study shows that a 30% reduction in postictal CBF has two contributing factors. The early hypoperfusion is mainly induced by arteriolar constriction, while the prolonged hypoperfusion is due to neutrophil adhesion to brain capillaries, decreased red blood cell flow, capillary and venule constriction, and elevated ICAM-1 expression. Antibodies against neutrophil marker Ly6G and against LFA-1 can prevent neutrophil adhesion and recover CBF reductions to control levels.
