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Igaku Butsuri : Nihon Igaku Butsuri... 2017Radiochromic hydrogel dosimeters are a useful tool for the verification of 3D dose distributions using optical CT scanners which are lower cost and with higher spatial...
Radiochromic hydrogel dosimeters are a useful tool for the verification of 3D dose distributions using optical CT scanners which are lower cost and with higher spatial resolution in a limited time than MRI scanners. In this paper, recent development of radiochromic micelle gel and genipin-gelatin gel dosimeters are described. They have the advantage of water equivalency, low or no diffusion property, and lower toxicity. Micelle gels consist of leuco dye, surfactant, radical initiator (halocarbons), and gelling agent. The dose sensitivities are affected by the concentration of each component and the temperature during irradiation. In non-diffusing genipin-gelatin gels, radiation induced bleaching is observed. The dose sensitivity is strongly affected by the concentration of genipin and sulfuric acid and by the blending time with gelatin. Higher dose sensitivity and standardization of the dose evaluation procedure will be the future issue.
Topics: Gels; Hydrogels; Micelles; Radiation Dosimeters; Radiometry; Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 29151471
DOI: 10.11323/jjmp.37.2_95 -
Advances in Experimental Medicine and... 2016The synthesis of multi-functional nanocarriers and the design of new stimuli-responsive means are equally important for drug delivery. Ultrasound can be used as a... (Review)
Review
The synthesis of multi-functional nanocarriers and the design of new stimuli-responsive means are equally important for drug delivery. Ultrasound can be used as a remote, non-invasive and controllable trigger for the stimuli-responsive release of nanocarriers. Polymeric micelles are one kind of potential drug nanocarrier. By combining ultrasound and polymeric micelles, a new modality (i.e., ultrasound-mediated polymeric micelle drug delivery) has been developed and has recently received increasing attention. A major challenge remaining in developing ultrasound-responsive polymeric micelles is the improvement of the sensitivity or responsiveness of polymeric micelles to ultrasound. This chapter reviews the recent advance in this field. In order to understand the interaction mechanism between ultrasound stimulus and polymeric micelles, ultrasound effects, such as thermal effect, cavitation effect, ultrasound sonochemistry (including ultrasonic degradation, ultrasound-initiated polymerization, ultrasonic in-situ polymerization and ultrasound site-specific degradation), as well as basic micellar knowledge are introduced. Ultrasound-mediated polymeric micelle drug delivery has been classified into two main streams based on the different interaction mechanism between ultrasound and polymeric micelles; one is based on the ultrasound-induced physical disruption of the micelle and reversible release of payload. The other is based on micellar ultrasound mechanochemical disruption and irreversible release of payload.
Topics: Drug Delivery Systems; High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation; Micelles; Polymers; Ultrasonics
PubMed: 26486348
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-22536-4_20 -
Journal of Hazardous Materials Apr 20222,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(heptafluoropropoxy) propanoate, a.k.a. "GenX", is a surfactant introduced as a safer alternative to replace perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in the...
2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(heptafluoropropoxy) propanoate, a.k.a. "GenX", is a surfactant introduced as a safer alternative to replace perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in the manufacturing of fluorinated polymers, however, GenX is shown to cause adverse health effects similar to, or even worse than, those of the legacy PFOA. With an overarching goal to understand the behavior of GenX molecules in aqueous media, we report here on GenX micelle formation and structure in aqueous solutions, on the basis of results obtained from a combination of experimental techniques such as surface tension, fluorescence, viscosity, and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. To our best knowledge, this is the first report on GenX micelles. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of GenX ammonium salt in water is 175 mM. GenX forms small micelles with association number 6-8 and 10 Å radius. GenX molecules prefer to align along the micelle surface, and the ether oxygen of GenX has very little interaction with and exposure to water. Information on the surfactant and interfacial properties of GenX is crucial, since such properties are manifestations of interactions between GenX molecules and between GenX and water molecules and, in turn, the amphiphilic character of GenX dictates its fate and transport in the aqueous environment, its interactions with various biomolecules, and its binding to adsorbent materials.
Topics: Micelles; Surface Tension; Surface-Active Agents; Water; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 35016121
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.128137 -
International Journal of Pharmaceutics Sep 2021A continuous polymeric micelle processing platform was successfully developed, which eliminated batch-to-batch variation in critical quality attributes (for example,...
A continuous polymeric micelle processing platform was successfully developed, which eliminated batch-to-batch variation in critical quality attributes (for example, size and polydispersity that are typically associated with batch processing). A continuous precipitation process was achieved via coaxial turbulent jet in co-flow technology allowing precise control of particle size with average particle size in the range 15 to 70 nm and low polydispersity. Critical relationships between material attributes (e.g., block copolymer design), process parameters (e.g., polymer concentration, organic to aqueous flow rate ratios, and temperature), and critical quality attributes (e.g., size and polydispersity) of the polymeric micelles were realized via multiple designs of experiments studies. Both polymer molecular weight and concentration were shown to influence the micelle polydispersity index. Notably, higher molecular weight polymer required higher processing temperatures to produce monodispersed particles and were generally of larger size. Using optimized conditions, paclitaxel polymeric micelles that are qualitatively and quantitatively equivalent to commercial Genexol PM were produced, exhibiting comparable quality attributes including particle size, size distribution, morphology, drug loading, release characteristics, and stability. Lastly, a dynamic light scattering method was adapted to determine the critical micelle concentration and aggregation number of the block copolymers, providing useful information about the raw material.
Topics: Dynamic Light Scattering; Micelles; Paclitaxel; Particle Size; Polymers
PubMed: 34333023
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120946 -
Nature Reviews. Chemistry Dec 2021Protocells at life's origin are often conceived as bilayer-enclosed precursors of life, whose self-reproduction rests on the early advent of replicating catalytic... (Review)
Review
Protocells at life's origin are often conceived as bilayer-enclosed precursors of life, whose self-reproduction rests on the early advent of replicating catalytic biopolymers. This Perspective describes an alternative scenario, wherein reproducing nanoscopic lipid micelles with catalytic capabilities were forerunners of biopolymer-containing protocells. This postulate gains considerable support from experiments describing micellar catalysis and autocatalytic proliferation, and, more recently, from reports on cross-catalysis in mixed micelles that lead to life-like steady-state dynamics. Such results, along with evidence for micellar prebiotic compatibility, synergize with predictions of our chemically stringent computer-simulated model, illustrating how mutually catalytic lipid networks may enable micellar compositional reproduction that could underlie primal selection and evolution. Finally, we highlight studies on how endogenously catalysed lipid modifications could guide further protocellular complexification, including micelle to vesicle transition and monomer to biopolymer progression. These portrayals substantiate the possibility that protocellular evolution could have been seeded by pre-RNA lipid assemblies.
Topics: Micelles; Artificial Cells; Catalysis; Computer Simulation; Lipids
PubMed: 37117387
DOI: 10.1038/s41570-021-00329-7 -
Journal of Oleo Science 2021Monoammonium glycyrrhizinate is produced by the neutralization of glycyrrhizic acid from plant licorice with ammonia. In this study, the physicochemical properties of...
Monoammonium glycyrrhizinate is produced by the neutralization of glycyrrhizic acid from plant licorice with ammonia. In this study, the physicochemical properties of aqueous monoammonium glycyrrhizinate were investigated from the viewpoint of surface chemistry. The structure of the amphiphilic molecule is bola type, comprising two glucuronic acid moieties having two carboxylic acids groups and an aglycone part having a carboxylic acid at the opposite end of the molecule from the glucuronic acids. We found that the physicochemical properties of aqueous monoammonium glycyrrhizinate are dependent on the ionization of the carboxylic acid groups. The solubility of monoammonium glycyrrhizinate gradually increased above pH 4 in the buffer solution. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) and surface tension at the CMC (γ) of monoammonium glycyrrhizinate were determined by the surface tension method to be 1.5 mmol L and 50 mN m in pH 5 buffer and 3.7 mmol L and 51 mN m in pH 6 buffer, respectively. The surface tension gradually decreased with increasing concentration of monoammonium glycyrrhizinate in the pH 7 buffer, but the CMC was not defined by the curve. Light scattering measurements also did not reveal a clear CMC in the pH 7 buffer. The ionization of the carboxylic acid groups in the bola-type amphiphilic molecule with increasing pH is disadvantageous for micelle formation. Cryo-transmission electron microscopy showed that monoammonium glycyrrhizinate forms rod-like micelles in pH 5 buffer, and small angle X-ray scattering experiments confirmed that the average micellar structure was rod-like in pH 5 buffer. Thus, it was found that monoammonium glycyrrhizinate can form micelles only in weakly acidic aqueous solutions.
Topics: Buffers; Glycyrrhizic Acid; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Micelles; Solubility; Surface Tension
PubMed: 34193668
DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess21046 -
Chemistry and Physics of Lipids Nov 2018Functionality of articular cartilage results from complex interactions between its molecular components. Among many biomolecules, two are of prime importance for...
Functionality of articular cartilage results from complex interactions between its molecular components. Among many biomolecules, two are of prime importance for lubrication: hyaluronic acid (HA) and phospholipids (PL). The purpose of this study is to discuss a mechanism of interaction between these two components and how their synergies contribute to nanobiolubrication of articular cartilage. Preliminary molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate these interactions by adopting a capstan-like mechanism of action. By applying a constant pulling force to both ends of a HA molecule, wrapped around a PL micelle, we viewed the rotation of the PL micelle. The simulations were performed upon two physicochemical constraints: force- and solvent-dependency. The results show the efficiency of rotation from intermolecular bond creation and annihilation. We found a direct relation between the available surface of the micelle and the magnitude of the force, which varies significantly through the unwinding. The movement of the attached molecules is characterized by a slide-to-roll relation, which is affected by the viscosity of the surrounding medium. As a consequence, two solvents were studied for specific force conditions and the molecular dynamics simulation exhibited double the slide-to-roll coefficient for the viscous solvent as compared to its low-viscosity limit.
Topics: Hyaluronic Acid; Micelles; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Phospholipids; Viscosity
PubMed: 30144435
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2018.08.002 -
International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2022The use of surfactants in polymerization reactions is particularly important, mainly in emulsion polymerizations. Further, micelles from biocompatible surfactants find... (Review)
Review
The use of surfactants in polymerization reactions is particularly important, mainly in emulsion polymerizations. Further, micelles from biocompatible surfactants find use in pharmaceutical dosage forms. This paper reviews recent developments in the synthesis of novel gemini and bicephalous surfactants, micelle formation, and their applications in polymer and nanoparticle synthesis, oil recovery, catalysis, corrosion, protein binding, and biomedical area, particularly in drug delivery.
Topics: Micelles; Polymerization; Polymers; Surface-Active Agents
PubMed: 35163721
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031798 -
Drug Delivery and Translational Research Jan 2023Since the beginning of pharmaceutical research, drug delivery methods have been an integral part of it. Polymeric micelles (PMs) have emerged as multifunctional... (Review)
Review
Since the beginning of pharmaceutical research, drug delivery methods have been an integral part of it. Polymeric micelles (PMs) have emerged as multifunctional nanoparticles in the current technological era of nanocarriers, and they have shown promise in a range of scientific fields. They can alter the release profile of integrated pharmacological substances and concentrate them in the target zone due to their improved permeability and retention, making them more suitable for poorly soluble medicines. With their ability to deliver poorly soluble chemotherapeutic drugs, PMs have garnered considerable interest in cancer. As a result of their remarkable biocompatibility, improved permeability, and minimal toxicity to healthy cells, while also their capacity to solubilize a wide range of drugs in their micellar core, PMs are expected to be a successful treatment option for cancer therapy in the future. Their nano-size enables them to accumulate in the tumor microenvironment (TME) via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. In this review, our major aim is to focus primarily on the stellar applications of PMs in the field of cancer therapeutics along with its mechanism of action and its latest advancements in drug and gene delivery (DNA/siRNA) for cancer, using various therapeutic strategies such as crossing blood-brain barrier, gene therapy, photothermal therapy (PTT), and immunotherapy. Furthermore, PMs can be employed as "smart drug carriers," allowing them to target specific cancer sites using a variety of stimuli (endogenous and exogenous), which improve the specificity and efficacy of micelle-based targeted drug delivery. All the many types of stimulants, as well as how the complex of PM and various anticancer drugs react to it, and their pharmacodynamics are also reviewed here. In conclusion, commercializing engineered micelle nanoparticles (MNPs) for application in therapy and imaging can be considered as a potential approach to improve the therapeutic index of anticancer drugs. Furthermore, PM has stimulated intense interest in research and clinical practice, and in light of this, we have also highlighted a few PMs that have previously been approved for therapeutic use, while the majority are still being studied in clinical trials for various cancer therapies.
Topics: Humans; Micelles; Drug Delivery Systems; Neoplasms; Antineoplastic Agents; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 35727533
DOI: 10.1007/s13346-022-01197-4 -
Bioconjugate Chemistry Aug 2023Nucleic acid-based medicines and vaccines are becoming an important part of our therapeutic toolbox. One key genetic medicine is antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), which...
Nucleic acid-based medicines and vaccines are becoming an important part of our therapeutic toolbox. One key genetic medicine is antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), which are short single-stranded nucleic acids that downregulate protein production by binding to mRNA. However, ASOs cannot enter the cell without a delivery vehicle. Diblock polymers containing cationic and hydrophobic blocks self-assemble into micelles that have shown improved delivery compared to linear nonmicelle variants. Yet synthetic and characterization bottlenecks have hindered rapid screening and optimization. In this study, we aim to develop a method to increase throughput and discovery of new micelle systems by mixing diblock polymers together to rapidly form new micelle formulations. We synthesized diblocks containing an -butyl acrylate block chain extended with cationic moieties amino ethyl acrylamide (A), dimethyl amino ethyl acrylamide (D), or morpholino ethyl acrylamide (M). These diblocks were then self-assembled into homomicelles (A100, D100, and M100)), mixed micelles comprising 2 homomicelles (MixR%+R'%), and blended diblock micelles comprising 2 diblocks blended into one micelle (BldR%R'%) and tested for ASO delivery. Interestingly, we observed that mixing or blending M with A (BldA50M50 and MixA50+M50) did not improve transfection efficiency compared to A100; however, when M was mixed with D, there was a significant increase in transfection efficacy for the mixed micelle MixD50+M50 compared to D100. We further examined mixed and blended D systems at different ratios. We observed a large increase in transfection and minimal change in toxicity when M was mixed with D at a low percentage of D incorporation in mixed diblock micelles (i.e., BldD20M80) compared to D100 and MixD20+M80. To understand the cellular mechanisms that may result in these differences, we added proton pump inhibitor Bafilomycin-A1 (Baf-A1) to the transfection experiments. Formulations that contain D decreased in performance in the presence of Baf-A1, indicating that micelles with D rely on the proton sponge effect for endosomal escape more than micelles with A. This result supports our conclusion that M is able to modulate transfection of D, but not with A. This research shows that polymer blending in a manner similar to that of lipids can significantly boost transfection efficiency and is a facile way to increase throughput of testing, optimization, and successful formulation identification for polymeric nucleic acid delivery systems.
Topics: Micelles; Oligonucleotides, Antisense; Polymers; Oligonucleotides; Acrylamides
PubMed: 37437196
DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00186