preparation-of-exosomes-for-sirna-delivery-to-cancer-cells

Preparation of Exosomes for siRNA Delivery to Cancer Cells

Extracellular vesicles, in particular exosomes, have recently gained interest as novel drug delivery vectors due to their biological origin, abundance, ...

King's College London

The surface characteristics of bioceramics are critical in modulating the cellular events in osteogenesis. However, understanding on the effect of surface properties-derived inflammation on osteogenesis is unclear. In this study, dense biphase calcium phosphate (BCP) ceramics with various surface micropatterns were fabricated to investigate the effect of surface morphologies on the behaviors and functions of macrophages, and the subsequent cascade regulation on the osteogenic differentiation of preosteoblast. We found that the change of surface roughness and wettability of single convex in micropatterns with different sizes could make dramatic differences on the adherence, distribution and morphology of macrophages. Specifically, the patterned surface with smaller single convex area was more likely to drive macrophages towards M1-like phenotype, as was determined by the upregulated gene expression and molecular secretion of M1-specific markers compared with flat surface. Moreover, the macrophages/scaffolds-derived medium showed an obvious promotion on osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells that suggested the surface characteristics of BCP ceramics are important in terms of scaffolds-induced inflammation, which might contribute to its osteogenesis potential.

Micro-patterned surface construction on BCP ceramics and the regulation on inflammation-involved osteogenic differentiation.

Responsive polymer brushes are a category of polymer brushes that are capable of conformational and chemical changes in response to external stimuli. They offer unique opportunities for the control of bio-nano interactions due to the precise control of chemical and structural parameters such as the brush thickness, density, chemistry, and architecture. The design of responsive brushes at the surface of nanomaterials for theranostic applications has developed rapidly. These coatings can be generated from a very broad range of nanomaterials, without compromising their physical, photophysical, and imaging properties. Although the use of responsive brushes for nanotheranostic remains in its early stages, in this review, the aim is to present how the systems developed to date can be combined to control sensing, imaging, and controlled delivery of therapeutics. The recent developments for such design and associated methods for the synthesis of responsive brushes are discussed. The responsive behaviors of homo polymer brushes and brushes with more complex architectures are briefly reviewed, before the applications of responsive brushes as smart delivery systems are discussed. Finally, the recent work is summarized on the use of responsive polymer brushes as novel biosensors and diagnostic tools for the detection of analytes and biomarkers.

Responsive Polymer Brush Design and Emerging Applications for Nanotheranostics.

Currently the world is being challenged by a public health emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Extensive efforts in testing for coronavirus infection, combined with isolating infected cases and quarantining those in contact, have proven successful in bringing the epidemic under control. Rapid and facile screening of this disease is in high demand. This review summarises recent advances in strategies reported by international researchers and engineers concerning how to tackle COVID-19 via rapid testing, mainly through nucleic acid- and antibody- testing. The roles of biosensors as powerful analytical tools are emphasized for the detection of viral RNAs, surface antigens, whole viral particles, antibodies and other potential biomarkers in human specimen. We critically review in depth newly developed biosensing methods especially for in-field and point-of-care detection of SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, this review describes possible future strategies for virus rapid detection. It helps researchers working on novel sensor technologies to tailor their technologies in a way to address the challenge for effective detection of COVID-19.

Lizhou Xu

Institute of Pharmaceutical Science

King's College London

Preparation of Exosomes for siRNA Delivery to Cancer Cells