Name: contrast ultrasound targeted treatment of gliomas in mice via drug-bearing nanoparticle delivery and microvascular ablation
Uploaded: 2010-12-15T17:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Contrast Ultrasound Targeted Treatment of Gliomas in Mice via Drug-Bearing Nanoparticle Delivery and Microvascular Ablation at JoVE.com

Supported by NIH R01 HL74082, the Hartwell Foundation, and the Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation.

1. Microbubble Production
<ol>
	<li>To prepare albumin microbubbles ( MBs), place a 1% solution of serum albumin in normal saline in a flask with a blanket of gas (octafluoropropane) above the aqueous phase. Briefly sonicate the solution (30 sec) with an ultrasound disintegrator equipped with an extended &frac12;" titanium probe. This formulation is similar to Optison (GE Heathcare), which is provided in a concentration range of 0.5- 1.2 x 109 MBs/ml. Determine mean MB diameter with a Multisizer Coulter ...

<ol>
	<li>Chappell, J., Song, J., Burke, C., Klibanov, A., Price, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Targeted+delivery+of+nanoparticles+bearing+fibroblast+growth+factor-2+by+ultrasonic+microbubble+destruction+for+therapeutic+arteriogenesis.">Targeted delivery of nanoparticles bearing fibroblast growth factor-2 by ultrasonic microbubble destruction for therapeutic arteriogenesis.</a> Small. 10, 1769-1777 (2008).</li><li>Chomas, J. E., Pollard, R., Wisner, E., Ferrara, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Subharmonic+Phase-Inversion+for+Tumor+Perfusion+Estimation.">Subharmonic Phase-Inversion for Tumor Perfusion Estimation.</a> IEEE. 2, 1713-1716 (2001).</li><li>Davda, J., Labhasetwar, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Characterization+of+nanoparticle+uptake+by+endothelial+cells.">Characterization of nanoparticle uptake by endothelial cells.</a> Int J Pharm. 233, 51-51 (2002).</li><li>Hynynen, K., McDannolod, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Noninvasive+MR+imaging-guided+focal+opening+of+the+blood-brain+barrier+in+rabbits.">Noninvasive MR imaging-guided focal opening of the blood-brain barrier in rabbits.</a> Radiology. 220, 640-646 (2001).</li><li>McDannold, N., Vykhodtseva, N., Hynynen, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microbubble+contrast+agent+with+focused+ultrasound+to+create+brain+lesions+at+low+power+levesl:+MR+imaging+and+histological+study+in+rabbits.">Microbubble contrast agent with focused ultrasound to create brain lesions at low power levesl: MR imaging and histological study in rabbits.</a> Radiology. 241, 95-106 .</li><li>McDannold, N., Vykhodtseva, N., Hynynen, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Targeted+disruption+of+the+blood-brain+barrier+with+focused+ultrasound:+Association+with+cavitation+activity.">Targeted disruption of the blood-brain barrier with focused ultrasound: Association with cavitation activity.</a> Phys Med Biol. 51, 793-807 .</li><li>McDannold, N., Clement, G. T., Black, P., Jolesz, F., Hynynen, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transcranial+magnetic+resonance+imaging-+guided+focused+ultrasound+surgery+of+brain+tumors:+initial+findings+in+3+patients.">Transcranial magnetic resonance imaging- guided focused ultrasound surgery of brain tumors: initial findings in 3 patients.</a> Neurosurgery. 66, 323-332 (2009).</li><li>Meairs, S., Alonso, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ultrasound+microbubblesand+the+blood+brain+barrier.">Ultrasound microbubblesand the blood brain barrier.</a> Progr Biophys Mol Biol. 93, 354-362 (2007).</li><li>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Optison, products insert. , (2009).</li><li>Sadlowskie, A., Chromas, J., Pollard, R., Bloch, S., Griffey, S., Wisner, W., Ferrara, K. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mean+Flow+Rate+and+Intergrated+Perfusion+Estimates+Obtained+with+Contrast-Assisted+Ultrasound.">Mean Flow Rate and Intergrated Perfusion Estimates Obtained with Contrast-Assisted Ultrasound.</a> IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium. , 1977-1980 (2002).</li><li>Song, J., Chappell, J. C., Qi, M., VanGieson, E. J., Kaul, S., Price, R. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Influence+of+injection+site,+microvascular+pressure+and+ultrasound+variables+on+microbubble-mediated+delivery+of+microspheres+to+muscle.">Influence of injection site, microvascular pressure and ultrasound variables on microbubble-mediated delivery of microspheres to muscle.</a> J Am Coll. Cardiol. 39, 726-731 (2002).</li><li>Sheikov, N., McDannold, N., Vykhodtseva, N., Jolesz, F., Hynynen, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cellular+mechanisms+of+blood-brain+barrier+opeing+induced+by+ultrasound+in+the+presences+of+microbubbles.">Cellular mechanisms of blood-brain barrier opeing induced by ultrasound in the presences of microbubbles.</a> Ultrasound Med. Biol. 30, 979-989 (2004).</li><li>Tanter, J., Fink, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Focusing+and+steering+through+absorbing+and+aberrating+layers:+Application+to+ultrasonic+propagation+through+the+skull.">Focusing and steering through absorbing and aberrating layers: Application to ultrasonic propagation through the skull.</a> J Acoust Soc Am. 103, 2403-2410 (1998).</li><li>Yeh, C. K., Kruse, D. E., Lim, M. C., Redline, D. E., Ferrara, K. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+New+High+Frequency+Destruction/Reperfusion+System.">A New High Frequency Destruction/Reperfusion System.</a> IEEE. 1, 433-436 (2003).</li></ol>

Critical Steps
Cannulation of mouse tail vein:
Intravenous injection into the mouse tail vein can be a challenging procedure. However, a tail vein catheter can greatly improve the likelihood of a successful injection. To make the catheter, repeatedly bend back and forth a 25 gauge needle until it breaks from the hub. Insert the blunt end into the end of PE 20 tubing and seal the connection with silicon glue. To prepare the catheter for cannulation, attach a syringe ...

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		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>ApoptTag kit</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Intergen Co.</td>
<td>S7110</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>un-capped 85:15 poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLAGA)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Lakeshore Biomaterials</td>
<td>Custom</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Vivo Tag 680</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>VisEn Medical</td>
<td>10120</td>
<td>Used to Tag BSA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Poly(vinyl alcohol)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>363136</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>MicroTip Sonicator</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Misonix</td>
<td>S-4000</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Sequoia</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Simons Medical</td>
<td>P.O.A</td>
<td>Equipped with CPS </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FreeZone 2.5</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Labconco</td>
<td>7670020</td>
<td>Equipped with Nitrogen Trap</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Methylene chloride (CH2Cl2)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>D37-500</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>FMT 250</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>VisEn Medical</td>
<td>P.O.A</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>F-12K Nutrient Mixture</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Gibco</td>
<td>21127-022</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>polyethyleneglycol-40 stearate </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma Chemical </td>
<td>9004-99-3</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>distearoyl phosphatidylcholine</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Avanti Polar Lipids</td>
<td>770365</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Multisizer Coulter Counter</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Beckman Coulter </td>
<td>P.O.A</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Waveform Generator </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Tektronix, Inc.</td>
<td>AFG-310</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>water-based ultrasound gel </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Parker Laboratories</td>
<td>Aquasonic 100</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Infusion pump </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Harvard Apparatus</td>
<td>Harvard Apparatus PHD 2000</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC) </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Pierce Biotechnology</td>
<td>25952-53-8</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (Sulfo-NHS)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Pierce Biotechnology</td>
<td>106627-54-7</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Succinic anhydride</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
<td>603902</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Power Amplifier </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Electronic Navigation Industries</td>
<td>ENI 3100LA</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Needle Thermocouple Probe </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Omega</td>
<td>HYP1-30-1/2-T-G-60-SMPW-M</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>BioGel (P100, medium)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Bio-Rad</td>
<td>150-4170</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>.75&#x2019;&#x2019; diameter 1 MHz unfocused transducer</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Panametrics</td>
<td>A314S </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
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contrast ultrasound targeted treatment of gliomas in mice via drug-bearing nanoparticle delivery and microvascular ablation

We are developing minimally-invasive contrast agent microbubble based therapeutic approaches in which the permeabilization and/or ablation of the microvasculature are controlled by varying ultrasound pulsing parameters.  Specifically, we are testing whether such approaches may be used to treat malignant brain tumors through drug delivery and microvascular ablation.  Preliminary studies have been performed to determine whether targeted drug-bearing nanoparticle delivery can be facilitated by the ultrasound mediated destruction of "composite" delivery agents comprised of 100nm poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLAGA) nanoparticles that are adhered to albumin shelled microbubbles. We denote these agents as microbubble-nanoparticle composite agents (MNCAs). When targeted to subcutaneous C6 gliomas with ultrasound, we observed an immediate 4.6-fold increase in nanoparticle delivery in MNCA treated tumors over tumors treated with microbubbles co-administered with nanoparticles and a 8.5 fold increase over non-treated tumors. Furthermore, in many cancer applications, we believe it may be desirable to perform targeted drug delivery in conjunction with ablation of the tumor microcirculation, which will lead to tumor hypoxia and apoptosis. To this end, we have tested the efficacy of non-theramal cavitation-induced microvascular ablation, showing that this approach elicits tumor perfusion reduction, apoptosis, significant growth inhibition, and necrosis. Taken together, these results indicate that our ultrasound-targeted approach has the potential to increase therapeutic efficiency by creating tumor necrosis through microvascular ablation and/or simultaneously enhancing the drug payload in gliomas.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Contrast Ultrasound Targeted Treatment of Gliomas in Mice via Drug-Bearing Nanoparticle Delivery and Microvascular Ablation at JoVE.com

Contrast Ultrasound Targeted Treatment of Gliomas in Mice via Drug-Bearing Nanoparticle Delivery and Microvascular Ablation

Insonation of microbubbles is a promising strategy for tumor ablation at reduced time-averaged acoustic powers, as well as for the targeted delivery of therapeutics. The purpose of the present study is to develop low duty cycle ultrasound pulsing strategies and nanocarriers to maximize non-thermal microvascular ablation and payload delivery to subcutaneous C6 gliomas.

We are developing minimally-invasive contrast agent microbubble based therapeutic approaches in which the permeabilization and/or ablation of the ...

contrast-ultrasound-targeted-treatment-gliomas-mice-via-drug-bearing

Research

JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

Introduction to the Ultrasound Targeted Microbubble Destruction Technique

In UTMD, bioactive molecules, such as negatively charged plasmid DNA vectors encoding a gene of interest, are added to the cationic shells of lipid microbubble contrast agents7-9. In mice these vector-carrying microbubbles can be administered intravenously or directly to the left ventricle of the heart. In larger animals they can also be infused through an intracoronary catheter. The subsequent delivery from the circulation to a target organ occurs by acoustic cavitation at a resonant frequency of the microbubbles. It seems likely that the mechanical energy generated by the microbubble destruction results in transient pore formation in or between the endothelial cells of the microvasculature of the targeted region10. As a result of this sonoporation effect, the transfection efficiency into and across the endothelial cells is enhanced, and transgene-encoding vectors are deposited into the surrounding tissue. Plasmid DNA remaining in the circulation is rapidly degraded by nucleases in the blood, which further reduces the likelihood of delivery to non-sonicated tissues and leads to highly specific target-organ transfection.

Ultrasound Targeted Microbubble Destruction (UTMD) can be used to direct site-specific delivery of bioactive molecules, including therapeutic genes, to target organs accessible to ultrasound, such as the heart and liver1-6.

In UTMD, bioactive molecules, such as negatively charged plasmid DNA vectors encoding a gene of interest, are added to the cationic shells of lipid ...

Cellular Lipid Extraction for Targeted Stable Isotope Dilution Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analysis

The metabolism of fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid (AA) and linoleic acid (LA), results in the formation of oxidized bioactive lipids, including numerous stereoisomers1,2. These metabolites can be formed from free or esterified fatty acids. Many of these oxidized metabolites have biological activity and have been implicated in various diseases including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, asthma, and cancer3-7. Oxidized bioactive lipids can be formed enzymatically or by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Enzymes that metabolize fatty acids include cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LO), and cytochromes P450 (CYPs)1,8. Enzymatic metabolism results in enantioselective formation whereas ROS oxidation results in the racemic formation of products.
While this protocol focuses primarily on the analysis of AA- and some LA-derived bioactive metabolites; it could be easily applied to metabolites of other fatty acids. Bioactive lipids are extracted from cell lysate or media using liquid-liquid (l-l) extraction. At the beginning of the l-l extraction process, stable isotope internal standards are added to account for errors during sample preparation. Stable isotope dilution (SID) also accounts for any differences, such as ion suppression, that metabolites may experience during the mass spectrometry (MS) analysis9. After the extraction, derivatization with an electron capture (EC) reagent, pentafluorylbenzyl bromide (PFB) is employed to increase detection sensitivity10,11. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) is used to increase the selectivity of the MS analysis. Before MS analysis, lipids are separated using chiral normal phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC conditions are optimized to separate the enantiomers and various stereoisomers of the monitored lipids12. This specific LC-MS method monitors prostaglandins (PGs), isoprostanes (isoPs), hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs), hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids (HODEs), oxoeicosatetraenoic acids (oxoETEs) and oxooctadecadienoic acids (oxoODEs); however, the HPLC and MS parameters can be optimized to include any fatty acid metabolites13.
Most of the currently available bioanalytical methods do not take into account the separate quantification of enantiomers. This is extremely important when trying to deduce whether or not the metabolites were formed enzymatically or by ROS. Additionally, the ratios of the enantiomers may provide evidence for a specific enzymatic pathway of formation. The use of SID allows for accurate quantification of metabolites and accounts for any sample loss during preparation as well as the differences experienced during ionization. Using the PFB electron capture reagent increases the sensitivity of detection by two orders of magnitude over conventional APCI methods. Overall, this method, SID-LC-EC-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization APCI-MRM/MS, is one of the most sensitive, selective, and accurate methods of quantification for bioactive lipids.

This protocol will demonstrate the extraction and analysis of free and esterified bioactive fatty acids from cells. Fatty acids are accurately quantified using stable isotope dilution, chiral liquid chromatography, electron capture atmospheric chemical ionization multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (SID-LC-ECAPCI-MRM/MS).

The metabolism of fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid (AA) and linoleic acid (LA), results in the formation of oxidized bioactive lipids, including ...

Therapeutic Gene Delivery and Transfection in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells using Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-targeted Gelatin Nanoparticles

More than 32,000 patients are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States per year and the disease is associated with very high mortality 1. Urgent need exists to develop novel clinically-translatable therapeutic strategies that can improve on the dismal survival statistics of pancreatic cancer patients. Although gene therapy in cancer has shown a tremendous promise, the major challenge is in the development of safe and effective delivery system, which can lead to sustained transgene expression. 
Gelatin is one of the most versatile natural biopolymer, widely used in food and pharmaceutical products. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that type B gelatin could physical encapsulate DNA, which preserved the supercoiled structure of the plasmid and improved transfection efficiency upon intracellular delivery. By thiolation of gelatin, the sulfhydryl groups could be introduced into the polymer and would form disulfide bond within nanoparticles, which stabilizes the whole complex and once disulfide bond is broken due to the presence of glutathione in cytosol, payload would be released 2-5. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-modified GENS, when administered into the systemic circulation, provides long-circulation times and preferentially targets to the tumor mass due to the hyper-permeability of the neovasculature by the enhanced permeability and retention effect 6. Studies have shown over-expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on Panc-1 human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells 7. In order to actively target pancreatic cancer cell line, EGFR specific peptide was conjugated on the particle surface through a PEG spacer.8
Most anti-tumor gene therapies are focused on administration of the tumor suppressor genes, such as wild-type p53 (wt-p53), to restore the pro-apoptotic function in the cells 9. The p53 mechanism functions as a critical signaling pathway in cell growth, which regulates apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, metabolism and other processes 10. In pancreatic cancer, most cells have mutations in p53 protein, causing the loss of apoptotic activity. With the introduction of wt-p53, the apoptosis could be repaired and further triggers cell death in cancer cells 11. 
Based on the above rationale, we have designed EGFR targeting peptide-modified thiolated gelatin nanoparticles for wt-p53 gene delivery and evaluated delivery efficiency and transfection in Panc-1 cells.

Type B gelatin-based engineered nanovectors system (GENS) was developed for systemic gene delivery and transfection in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. By modification with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) specific peptide on the surface of nanparticles, they could target on EGFR receptor and release plasmid under reducing environment, such as high intracellular glutathione concentrations.

More than 32,000 patients are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States per year and the disease is associated with very high mortality 1. ...

Endothelialized Microfluidics for Studying Microvascular Interactions in Hematologic Diseases

Advances in microfabrication techniques have enabled the production of inexpensive and reproducible microfluidic systems for conducting biological and biochemical experiments at the micro- and nanoscales 1,2. In addition, microfluidics have also been specifically used to quantitatively analyze hematologic and microvascular processes, because of their ability to easily control the dynamic fluidic environment and biological conditions3-6. As such, researchers have more recently used microfluidic systems to study blood cell deformability, blood cell aggregation, microvascular blood flow, and blood cell-endothelial cell interactions6-13.However, these microfluidic systems either did not include cultured endothelial cells or were larger than the sizescale relevant to microvascular pathologic processes. A microfluidic platform with cultured endothelial cells that accurately recapitulates the cellular, physical, and hemodynamic environment of the microcirculation is needed to further our understanding of the underlying biophysical pathophysiology of hematologic diseases that involve the microvasculature.
Here, we report a method to create an "endothelialized" in vitro model of the microvasculature, using a simple, single mask microfabrication process in conjunction with standard endothelial cell culture techniques, to study pathologic biophysical microvascular interactions that occur in hematologic disease. This "microvasculature-on-a-chip" provides the researcher with a robust assay that tightly controls biological as well as biophysical conditions and is operated using a standard syringe pump and brightfield/fluorescence microscopy. Parameters such as microcirculatory hemodynamic conditions, endothelial cell type, blood cell type(s) and concentration(s), drug/inhibitory concentration etc., can all be easily controlled. As such, our microsystem provides a method to quantitatively investigate disease processes in which microvascular flow is impaired due to alterations in cell adhesion, aggregation, and deformability, a capability unavailable with existing assays.

A method to culture an endothelial cell monolayer throughout the entire inner 3D surface of a microfluidic device with microvascular-sized channels (&lt;30 &mu;m) is described. This in vitro microvasculature model enables the study of biophysical interactions between blood cells, endothelial cells, and soluble factors in hematologic diseases.

Advances in  microfabrication techniques have enabled the production of inexpensive and  reproducible microfluidic systems for conducting biological and ...

Evaluation of Polymeric Gene Delivery Nanoparticles by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis and High-throughput Flow Cytometry

Non-viral gene delivery using polymeric nanoparticles has emerged as an attractive approach for gene therapy to treat genetic diseases1 and as a technology for regenerative medicine2. Unlike viruses, which have significant safety issues, polymeric nanoparticles can be designed to be non-toxic, non-immunogenic, non-mutagenic, easier to synthesize, chemically versatile, capable of carrying larger nucleic acid cargo and biodegradable and/or environmentally responsive. Cationic polymers self-assemble with negatively charged DNA via electrostatic interaction to form complexes on the order of 100 nm that are commonly termed polymeric nanoparticles. Examples of biomaterials used to form nanoscale polycationic gene delivery nanoparticles include polylysine, polyphosphoesters, poly(amidoamines)s and polyethylenimine (PEI), which is a non-degradable off-the-shelf cationic polymer commonly used for nucleic acid delivery1,3 . Poly(beta-amino ester)s (PBAEs) are a newer class of cationic polymers4 that are hydrolytically degradable5,6 and have been shown to be effective at gene delivery to hard-to-transfect cell types such as human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs)7, mouse mammary epithelial cells8, human brain cancer cells9 and macrovascular (human umbilical vein, HUVECs) endothelial cells10.
A new protocol to characterize polymeric nanoparticles utilizing nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) is described. In this approach, both the particle size distribution and the distribution of the number of plasmids per particle are obtained11. In addition, a high-throughput 96-well plate transfection assay for rapid screening of the transfection efficacy of polymeric nanoparticles is presented. In this protocol, poly(beta-amino ester)s (PBAEs) are used as model polymers and human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs) are used as model human cells. This protocol can be easily adapted to evaluate any polymeric nanoparticle and any cell type of interest in a multi-well plate format.

A protocol for nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and high-throughput flow cytometry to evaluate polymeric gene delivery nanoparticles is described. NTA is utilized to characterize the nanoparticle particle size distribution and the plasmid per particle distribution. High-throughput flow cytometry enables quantitative transfection efficacy evaluation for a library of gene delivery biomaterials.

Non-viral gene delivery using polymeric nanoparticles has emerged as an attractive approach for gene therapy to treat genetic diseases1 and as a ...

Real-time Monitoring of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Ablation of In Vitro Canine Livers Using Harmonic Motion Imaging for Focused Ultrasound (HMIFU)

Harmonic Motion Imaging for Focused Ultrasound (HMIFU) is a technique that can perform and monitor high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation. An oscillatory motion is generated at the focus of a 93-element and 4.5 MHz center frequency HIFU transducer by applying a 25 Hz amplitude-modulated signal using a function generator. A 64-element and 2.5 MHz imaging transducer with 68kPa peak pressure is confocally placed at the center of the HIFU transducer to acquire the radio-frequency (RF) channel data. In this protocol, real-time monitoring of thermal ablation using HIFU with an acoustic power of 7 W on canine livers in vitro is described. HIFU treatment is applied on the tissue during 2 min and the ablated region is imaged in real-time using diverging or plane wave imaging up to 1,000 frames/second. The matrix of RF channel data is multiplied by a sparse matrix for image reconstruction. The reconstructed field of view is of 90&#176; for diverging wave and 20 mm for plane wave imaging and the data are sampled at 80 MHz. The reconstruction is performed on a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) in order to image in real-time at a 4.5 display frame rate. 1-D normalized cross-correlation of the reconstructed RF data is used to estimate axial displacements in the focal region. The magnitude of the peak-to-peak displacement at the focal depth decreases during the thermal ablation which denotes stiffening of the tissue due to the formation of a lesion. The displacement signal-to-noise ratio (SNRd) at the focal area for plane wave was 1.4 times higher than for diverging wave showing that plane wave imaging appears to produce better displacement maps quality for HMIFU than diverging wave imaging.

Real-time Monitoring of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound HIFU Ablation of In Vitro Canine Livers Using Harmonic Motion Imaging for Focused Ultrasound HMIFU

This article describes real-time monitoring of HIFU ablation in canine liver with high frame rate ultrasound imaging using diverging and plane wave imaging. Harmonic Motion Imaging for Focused Ultrasound is used to image the decrease of acoustic radiation force induced displacement in the ablated region.

Harmonic Motion Imaging for Focused Ultrasound (HMIFU) is a technique that can perform and monitor high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation. An ...

Targeted Plasma Membrane Delivery of a Hydrophobic Cargo Encapsulated in a Liquid Crystal Nanoparticle Carrier

The controlled delivery of drug/imaging agents to cells is critical for the development of therapeutics and for the study of cellular signaling processes. Recently, nanoparticles (NPs) have shown significant promise in the development of such delivery systems. Here, a liquid crystal NP (LCNP)-based delivery system has been employed for the controlled delivery of a water-insoluble dye, 3,3&#8242;-dioctadecyloxacarbocyanine perchlorate (DiO), from within the NP core to the hydrophobic region of a plasma membrane bilayer. During the synthesis of the NPs, the dye was efficiently incorporated into the hydrophobic LCNP core, as confirmed by multiple spectroscopic analyses. Conjugation of a PEGylated cholesterol derivative to the NP surface (DiO-LCNP-PEG-Chol) enabled the binding of the dye-loaded NPs to the plasma membrane in HEK 293T/17 cells. Time-resolved laser scanning confocal microscopy and F&#246;rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging confirmed the passive efflux of DiO from the LCNP core and its insertion into the plasma membrane bilayer. Finally, the delivery of DiO as a LCNP-PEG-Chol attenuated the cytotoxicity of DiO; the NP form of DiO exhibited ~30-40% less toxicity compared to DiOfree delivered from bulk solution. This approach demonstrates the utility of the LCNP platform as an efficient modality for the membrane-specific delivery and modulation of hydrophobic molecular cargos.

A liquid crystal nanoparticle (LCNP) nanocarrier is exploited as a vehicle for the controlled delivery of a hydrophobic cargo to the plasma membrane of living cells.

The controlled delivery of drug/imaging agents to cells is critical for the development of therapeutics and for the study of cellular signaling processes. ...

Comprehensive Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Safety of Placenta-Targeted Drug Delivery Using Three Complementary Methods

No effective treatments currently exist for placenta-associated pregnancy complications, and developing strategies for the targeted delivery of drugs to the placenta while minimizing fetal and maternal side effects remains challenging. Targeted nanoparticle carriers provide new opportunities to treat placental disorders. We recently demonstrated that a synthetic placental chondroitin sulfate A binding peptide (plCSA-BP) could be used to guide nanoparticles to deliver drugs to the placenta. In this protocol, we describe in detail a system for assessing the efficiency of drug delivery to the placenta by plCSA-BP that employs three separate methods used in combination: in vivo imaging, high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Using in vivo imaging, plCSA-BP-guided nanoparticles were visualized in the placentas of live animals, while HFUS and HPLC demonstrated that plCSA-BP-conjugated nanoparticles efficiently and specifically delivered methotrexate to the placenta. Thus, a combination of these methods can be used as an effective tool for the targeted delivery of drugs to the placenta and development of new treatment strategies for several pregnancy complications.

We describe a system that utilizes three methods to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of placenta-targeted drug delivery: in vivo imaging to monitor nanoparticle accumulation, high-frequency ultrasound to monitor placental and fetal development, and HPLC to quantify drug delivery to tissue.

No effective treatments currently exist for placenta-associated pregnancy complications, and developing strategies for the targeted delivery of drugs to ...

Preparing Protein Producing Synthetic Cells using Cell Free Bacterial Extracts, Liposomes and Emulsion Transfer

The bottom-up assembly approach for construction of synthetic cells is an effective tool for isolating and investigating cellular processes in a cell mimicking environment. Furthermore, the development of cell-free expression systems has demonstrated the ability to reconstitute the protein production, transcription and translation processes (DNA&#8594;RNA&#8594;protein) in a controlled manner, harnessing synthetic biology. Here we describe a protocol for preparing a cell-free expression system, including the production of a potent bacterial lysate and encapsulating this lysate inside cholesterol-rich lipid-based giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) (i.e., stable liposomes), to form synthetic cells. The protocol describes the methods for preparing the components of the synthetic cells including the production of active bacterial lysates, followed by a detailed step-by-step preparation of the synthetic cells based on a water-in-oil emulsion transfer method. These facilitate the production of millions of synthetic cells in a simple and affordable manner with a high versatility for producing different types of proteins. The obtained synthetic cells can be used to investigate protein/RNA production and activity in an isolated environment, in directed evolution, and also as a controlled drug delivery platform for on-demand production of therapeutic proteins inside the body.

This protocol describes the method, materials, equipment and steps for bottom-up preparation of RNA and protein producing synthetic cells. The inner aqueous compartment of the synthetic cells contained the S30 bacterial lysate encapsulated within a lipid bilayer (i.e., stable liposomes), using a water-in-oil emulsion transfer method.

The bottom-up assembly approach for construction of synthetic cells is an effective tool for isolating and investigating cellular processes in a cell ...

Patient-Specific Polyvinyl Alcohol Phantom Fabrication with Ultrasound and X-Ray Contrast for Brain Tumor Surgery Planning

Phantoms are essential tools for clinical training, surgical planning and the development of novel medical devices. However, it is challenging to create anatomically accurate head phantoms with realistic brain imaging properties because standard fabrication methods are not optimized to replicate any patient-specific anatomical detail and 3D printing materials are not optimized for imaging properties. In order to test and validate a novel navigation system for use during brain tumor surgery, an anatomically accurate phantom with realistic imaging and mechanical properties was required. Therefore, a phantom was developed using real patient data as input and 3D printing of molds to fabricate a patient-specific head phantom comprising the skull, brain and tumor with both ultrasound and X-ray contrast. The phantom also had mechanical properties that allowed the phantom tissue to be manipulated in a similar manner to how human brain tissue is handled during surgery. The phantom was successfully tested during a surgical simulation in a virtual operating room.
The phantom fabrication method uses commercially available materials and is easy to reproduce. The 3D printing files can be readily shared, and the technique can be adapted to encompass many different types of tumor.

This protocol describes the fabrication of a patient specific skull, brain and tumor phantom. It uses 3D printing to create molds, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA-c) is used as the tissue mimicking material.

Phantoms are essential tools for clinical training, surgical planning and the development of novel medical devices. However, it is challenging to create ...