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Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2023As an emerging technology, microneedles offer advantages such as painless administration, good biocompatibility, and ease of self-administration, so as to effectively... (Review)
Review
As an emerging technology, microneedles offer advantages such as painless administration, good biocompatibility, and ease of self-administration, so as to effectively treat various diseases, such as diabetes, wound repair, tumor treatment and so on. How to regulate the release behavior of loaded drugs in polymer microneedles is the core element of transdermal drug delivery. As an emerging on-demand drug-delivery technology, intelligent responsive microneedles can achieve local accurate release of drugs according to external stimuli or internal physiological environment changes. This review focuses on the research efforts in smart responsive polymer microneedles at home and abroad in recent years. It summarizes the response mechanisms based on various stimuli and their respective application scenarios. Utilizing innovative, responsive microneedle systems offers a convenient and precise targeted drug delivery method, holding significant research implications in transdermal drug administration. Safety and efficacy will remain the key areas of continuous efforts for research scholars in the future.
Topics: Skin; Administration, Cutaneous; Drug Delivery Systems; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Polymers; Stimuli Responsive Polymers
PubMed: 37959830
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28217411 -
Biotechnology Advances Nov 2023Antibodies are highly selective and sensitive, making them the gold standard for recognition affinity tools. However, their production cost is high and their downstream... (Review)
Review
Antibodies are highly selective and sensitive, making them the gold standard for recognition affinity tools. However, their production cost is high and their downstream processing is time-consuming. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are tailor-made by incorporating specific molecular recognition sites in their structure, thus translating into receptor-like activity mode of action. The interest in molecular imprinting technology, applied to biomacromolecules, has increased in the past decade. MIPs, produced using biomolecules as templates, commonly referred to as "plastic antibodies" or "artificial receptors", have been considered as suitable cheaper and easy to produce alternatives to antibodies. Research on MIPs, designed to recognize proteins or peptides is particularly important, with potential contributions towards biomedical applications, namely biosensors and targeted drug delivery systems. This mini review will cover recent advances on (bio)molecular imprinting technology, where proteins or peptides are targeted or mimicked for sensing and therapeutic applications. Polymerization methods are reviewed elsewhere, being out of the scope of this review. Template selection and immobilization approaches, monomers and applications will be discussed, highlighting possible drawbacks and gaps in research.
Topics: Polymers; Plastics; Proteins; Molecular Imprinting; Biosensing Techniques
PubMed: 37482116
DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108220 -
Nature Communications Jun 2023Cell division is spatiotemporally precisely regulated, but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. In the social bacterium Myxococcus xanthus, the...
Cell division is spatiotemporally precisely regulated, but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. In the social bacterium Myxococcus xanthus, the PomX/PomY/PomZ proteins form a single megadalton-sized complex that directly positions and stimulates cytokinetic ring formation by the tubulin homolog FtsZ. Here, we study the structure and mechanism of this complex in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that PomY forms liquid-like biomolecular condensates by phase separation, while PomX self-assembles into filaments generating a single large cellular structure. The PomX structure enriches PomY, thereby guaranteeing the formation of precisely one PomY condensate per cell through surface-assisted condensation. In vitro, PomY condensates selectively enrich FtsZ and nucleate GTP-dependent FtsZ polymerization and bundle FtsZ filaments, suggesting a cell division site positioning mechanism in which the single PomY condensate enriches FtsZ to guide FtsZ-ring formation and division. This mechanism shares features with microtubule nucleation by biomolecular condensates in eukaryotes, supporting this mechanism's ancient origin.
Topics: Tubulin; Biomolecular Condensates; Polymerization; Cell Division; Myxococcus xanthus
PubMed: 37380708
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39513-2 -
International Journal of Biological... Dec 2023The global shortage of cotton for textile production, forces the exploitation of forests´ lignocellulosic biomass to produce man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF). This has...
The global shortage of cotton for textile production, forces the exploitation of forests´ lignocellulosic biomass to produce man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF). This has a considerable environmental impact, pressing the textile industry to search for new sustainable materials and to the development of sustainable recycling processes. Bacterial cellulose (BC), an exopolysaccharide produced by fermentation, could represent such an alternative. In particular, we tested the possibility of improving the mechanical properties of cellulose filaments with a low degree of polymerization (DP) by combining them with high DP from BC, so far exploited to little extent in the textile field. In this work, BC with different degrees of polymerization (DP) (BC: 927; BC:634 and BC: 814) were dissolved in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) and their spinnability was studied. The rheological behaviour of the dopes was assessed and all were found to be spinnable, at suitable concentrations (BC:9.0 %; BC:12.2 %; BC:10.5 %). A continuous spinning was obtained and the resulting filaments offered similar mechanical performance to those of Lyocell. Further, the blending of BC pulps with different DPs (BC, obtained by combining BC and BC) allowed the production of fibres with higher stiffness (breaking tenacity 56.4 CN.tex) and lower elongation (8.29 %), as compared to samples with more homogeneous size distribution (neat BC and depolymerized BC).
Topics: Humans; Cellulose; Carbohydrates; Textiles; Mechanical Phenomena; Polymerization
PubMed: 37813214
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127310 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2023is an obligate intracellular pathogen that actively promotes invasion of epithelial cells. A virulence-associated type III secretion system contributes to chlamydial...
is an obligate intracellular pathogen that actively promotes invasion of epithelial cells. A virulence-associated type III secretion system contributes to chlamydial entry and at least four effectors have been described that are deployed during this time. Two of these invasion-related effectors, the translocated membrane-associated effectors A and B (TmeA and TmeB), are encoded in a bi-cistronic operon. TmeA directly activates host N-WASP to stimulate Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization. According to current working models, TmeA-mediated N-WASP activation contributes to invasion. TmeB has not been functionally characterized. Unlike a null strain, loss of does not impact invasion efficiency of . Using strains deficient for multiple genes, we provide evidence that TmeA is dispensable for invasion in the absence of TmeB. Our data indicate that overabundance of TmeB interferes with invasion and that this activity requires active Arp2/3 complex. We further show that TmeB is capable of interfering with Arp2/3-mediated actin polymerization. In aggregate, these data point to opposing functions for TmeA and TmeB that manifest during the invasion process. These studies raise intriguing questions regarding the dynamic interplay between TmeA, TmeB, and branched actin polymerization during chlamydial entry.
Topics: Humans; Actins; HeLa Cells; Chlamydia trachomatis; Bacterial Proteins; Polymerization
PubMed: 37483386
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1232391 -
Molecular Cancer Oct 2023Lipid-based polymeric nanoparticles are the highly popular carrier systems for cancer drug therapy. But presently, detailed investigations have revealed their flaws as... (Review)
Review
Lipid-based polymeric nanoparticles are the highly popular carrier systems for cancer drug therapy. But presently, detailed investigations have revealed their flaws as drug delivery carriers. Lipid polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNPs) are advanced core-shell nanoconstructs with a polymeric core region enclosed by a lipidic layer, presumed to be derived from both liposomes and polymeric nanounits. This unique concept is of utmost importance as a combinable drug delivery platform in oncology due to its dual structured character. To add advantage and restrict one's limitation by other, LPHNPs have been designed so to gain number of advantages such as stability, high loading of cargo, increased biocompatibility, rate-limiting controlled release, and elevated drug half-lives as well as therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing their drawbacks. The outer shell, in particular, can be functionalized in a variety of ways with stimuli-responsive moieties and ligands to provide intelligent holding and for active targeting of antineoplastic medicines, transport of genes, and theragnostic. This review comprehensively provides insight into recent substantial advancements in developing strategies for treating various cancer using LPHNPs. The bioactivity assessment factors have also been highlighted with a discussion of LPHNPs future clinical prospects.
Topics: Humans; Liposomes; Polymers; Drug Delivery Systems; Neoplasms; Drug Carriers; Lipids; Nanoparticles
PubMed: 37784179
DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01849-0 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2023In the past few decades, conjugated organic oligomers and polymers have been shown to have amazing properties, such as conductivity, which were traditionally considered...
In the past few decades, conjugated organic oligomers and polymers have been shown to have amazing properties, such as conductivity, which were traditionally considered counterintuitive for macromolecules consistently used as plastics and fibers (and thus, insulators) until the late 1970s [...].
Topics: Polymers; Plastics; Macromolecular Substances; Electric Conductivity
PubMed: 37511381
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411623 -
ACS Sensors Aug 2023Over the past decade, molecular imprinting (MI) technology has made tremendous progress, and the advancements in nanotechnology have been the major driving force behind... (Review)
Review
Over the past decade, molecular imprinting (MI) technology has made tremendous progress, and the advancements in nanotechnology have been the major driving force behind the improvement of MI technology. The preparation of nanoscale imprinted materials, i.e., molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP NPs, also commonly called nanoMIPs), opened new horizons in terms of practical applications, including in the field of sensors. Currently, hydrogels are very promising for applications in bioanalytical assays and sensors due to their high biocompatibility and possibility to tune chemical composition, size (microgels, nanogels, etc.), and format (nanostructures, MIP film, fibers, etc.) to prepare optimized analyte-responsive imprinted materials. This review aims to highlight the recent progress on the use of hydrogel MIP NPs for biosensing purposes over the past decade, mainly focusing on their incorporation on sensing devices for detection of a fundamental class of biomolecules, the peptides and proteins. The review begins by directing its focus on the ability of MIPs to replace biological antibodies in (bio)analytical assays and highlight their great potential to face the current demands of chemical sensing in several fields, such as disease diagnosis, food safety, environmental monitoring, among others. After that, we address the general advantages of nanosized MIPs over macro/micro-MIP materials, such as higher affinity toward target analytes and improved binding kinetics. Then, we provide a general overview on hydrogel properties and their great advantages for applications in the field of Sensors, followed by a brief description on current popular routes for synthesis of imprinted hydrogel nanospheres targeting large biomolecules, namely precipitation polymerization and solid-phase synthesis, along with fruitful combination with epitope imprinting as reliable approaches for developing optimized protein-imprinted materials. In the second part of the review, we have provided the state of the art on the application of MIP nanogels for screening macromolecules with sensors having different transduction modes (optical, electrochemical, thermal, etc.) and design formats for single use, reusable, continuous monitoring, and even multiple analyte detection in specialized laboratories or using mobile technology. Finally, we explore aspects about the development of this technology and its applications and discuss areas of future growth.
Topics: Polymers; Nanogels; Hydrogels; Nanostructures; Nanospheres
PubMed: 37556357
DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c01010 -
Bio Systems Oct 2023Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, are produced by heating amino acids to their melting point and initiating polymerisation to produce polymeric chains. In aqueous...
Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, are produced by heating amino acids to their melting point and initiating polymerisation to produce polymeric chains. In aqueous solutions proteinoids swell into hollow microspheres. These microspheres produce endogenous burst of electrical potential spikes and change patterns of their electrical activity in response to illumination. We report results on a detailed investigation on the effects of white cold light on the spiking of proteinoids. We study how different types and intensities of light determine proteinoids' spiking amplitude, period, and pattern. The results of this study will be utilised to evaluate proteinoids for their potential as optical sensors and their application in unconventional computing.
Topics: Amino Acids; Light; Microspheres; Polymerization
PubMed: 37657746
DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.105015 -
International Journal of Biological... Dec 2023The use of paper as a smart support in the field of electrochemical sensors has been largely improved over the last 15 years, driven by its outstanding features such as... (Review)
Review
The use of paper as a smart support in the field of electrochemical sensors has been largely improved over the last 15 years, driven by its outstanding features such as foldability and porosity, which enable the design of reagent and equipment-free multi-analysis devices. Furthermore, the easy surface engineering of paper has been used to immobilize different bioreceptors, through physical adsorption, covalent bonding, and electrochemical polymerization, boosting the fine customization of the analytical performances of paper-based biosensors. In this review, we focused on the strategies to engineer the surface of the paper for the immobilization of (bio)recognition elements (eg., enzymes, antibodies, DNA, molecularly imprinted polymers) with the overriding goal to develop accurate and reliable paper-based electrochemical biosensors. Furthermore, we highlighted how to take advantage of paper for designing smart configurations by integrating different analytical processes in an eco-designed analytical tool, starting from the immobilization of the (bio)receptor and the reagents, through a designed sample flow along the device, until the analyte detection.
Topics: Electrochemical Techniques; Biosensing Techniques; Molecularly Imprinted Polymers; Antibodies; Engineering
PubMed: 37848114
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127409