polymer and gene

Chitosan-based nanoparticles have emerged as a promising tool in the realm of cancer therapy, particularly for gene delivery. With cancer being a prevalent and devastating disease, finding effective treatment options is of utmost importance. These nanoparticles provide a unique solution by encapsulating specific genes and delivering them directly to cancer cells, offering immense potential for targeted therapy. The biocompatibility and biodegradability of chitosan, a naturally derived polymer, make it an ideal candidate for this purpose...

Development of theranostic nanomedicines to tackle glioma remains to be challenging. Here, we present an advanced blood-brain barrier (BBB)-crossing nanovaccine based on cancer cell membrane-camouflaged poly( N -vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) nanogels (NGs) incorporated with MnO2 and doxorubicin (DOX). We show that the disulfide bond-cross-linked redox-responsive PVCL NGs can be functionalized with dermorphin and imiquimod R837 through cell membrane functionalization. The formed functionalized PVCL NGs having a size of 220 nm are stable, can deplete glutathione, and responsively release both Mn2+ and DOX under the simulated tumor microenvironment to exert the chemo/chemodynamic therapy mediated by DOX and Mn2+ , respectively...

The link between Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and Parkinson's Disease (PD) dates back to the early 1960s, and ongoing research is exploring this association. PD is linked to dysregulation of dopaminergic pathways, neuroinflammation, decreased PPAR-γ coactivator 1-α, increased phosphoprotein enriched in diabetes, and accelerated α-Syn amyloid fibril production caused by T2DM. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the T2DM-PD association and risk factors for PD in T2DM individuals. The study reviews existing literature using reputable sources like Scopus, ScienceDirect, and PubMed, revealing a significant association between T2DM and worsened PD symptoms...

Delivery of therapeutic stem cells to treat bone tissue damage is a promising strategy that faces many hurdles to clinical translation. Among them is the design of a delivery vehicle which promotes desired cell behavior for new bone formation. In this work, we describe the use of an injectable microporous hydrogel, made of crosslinked gelatin microgels, for the encapsulation and delivery of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and compared it to a traditional nonporous injectable hydrogel. MSCs encapsulated in the microporous hydrogel showed rapid cell spreading with direct cell-cell connections whereas the MSCs in the nonporous hydrogel were entrapped by the surrounding polymer mesh and isolated from each other...

The three-dimensional organization of chromatin is thought to play an important role in controlling gene expression. Specificity in expression is achieved through the interaction of transcription factors and other nuclear proteins with particular sequences of DNA. At unphysiological concentrations many of these nuclear proteins can phase-separate in the absence of DNA, and it has been hypothesized that, in vivo, the thermodynamic forces driving these phases help determine chromosomal organization. However it is unclear how DNA, itself a long polymer subject to configurational transitions, interacts with three-dimensional protein phases...

The three-dimensional organization of chromatin is thought to play an important role in controlling gene expression. Specificity in expression is achieved through the interaction of transcription factors and other nuclear proteins with particular sequences of DNA. At unphysiological concentrations many of these nuclear proteins can phase-separate in the absence of DNA, and it has been hypothesized that, in vivo, the thermodynamic forces driving these phases help determine chromosomal organization. However it is unclear how DNA, itself a long polymer subject to configurational transitions, interacts with three-dimensional protein phases...

Gastric cancer continues to have a high death rate despite advancements in their diagnosis and treatment. Novel treatment techniques are thus desperately needed. This is where double-stranded RNA molecules known as small interfering RNA (siRNA), which may selectively target the mRNA of disease-causing genes, may find use in medicine. For siRNAs to function properly in the human body, they must be shielded from deterioration. Furthermore, in order to maintain organ function, they must only target the tumor and spare normal tissue...

BACKGROUND: Transfection is an important analytical method for studying gene expression in the cellular environment. There are some barriers to efficient DNA transfection in host cells, including circumventing the plasma membrane, escaping endosomal compartmentalization, autophagy, immune sensing pathways, and translocating the nuclear envelope. Therefore, it would be very useful to introduce an optimum transfection approach to achieve a high transfection efficiency in the Vero cell line...

SARS-CoV-2 can re-structure chromatin organization and alter the epigenomic landscape of the host genome, but the mechanisms that produce such changes remain unclear. Here, we use polymer physics to investigate how the chromatin of the host genome is re-organized upon infection with SARS-CoV-2. We show that re-structuring of A/B compartments can be explained by a re-modulation of intra-compartment homo-typic affinities, which leads to the weakening of A-A interactions and the enhancement of A-B mixing. At the TAD level, re-arrangements are physically described by a reduction in the loop extrusion activity coupled with an alteration of chromatin phase-separation properties, resulting in more intermingling between different TADs and a spread in space of the TADs themselves...

Dexamethasone (DEX) is a hormone drug that is often detected in wastewater treatment plants, but its impact on activated sludge systems is unknown. This study explored the long-term effects of DEX on nutrient removal, microbial activities, microbial assembly, and microbial interactions in the activated sludge system. During the 90-day DEX exposure experiment, both chemical oxygen demand and total nitrogen removal efficiencies were initially inhibited and then recovered. Microbial activities, i.e., specific oxygen uptake rate and denitrification, did not differ significantly from that of the control reactor (p > 0...

Lipid polymers such as cutin and suberin strengthen the diffusion barrier properties of the cell wall in specific cell types and are essential for water relations, mineral nutrition, and stress protection in plants. Land plant-specific glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases (GPATs) of different clades are central players in cutin and suberin monomer biosynthesis. Here, we show that the GPAT4 / 6 / 8 clade in Arabidopsis thaliana , which is known to mediate cutin formation, is also required for developmentally regulated root suberization, in addition to the established roles of GPAT5/7 in suberization...

A polysaccharide fraction from Diospyros kaki (PLE0) leaves was previously reported to possess immunostimulatory, anti-osteoporotic, and TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition inhibitory activities. Although a few beneficial effects against colon cancer metastasis have been reported, we aimed to investigate the anti-metastatic activity of PLE0 and its underlying molecular mechanisms in HT-29 and HCT-116 human colon cancer cells. We conducted a wound-healing assay, invasion assay, qRT-PCR analysis, western blot analysis, gelatin zymography, luciferase assay, and small interfering RNA gene silencing in colon cancer cells...

Studying cell settlement in the three-dimensional structure of synthetic biomaterials over time is of great interest in research and clinical translation for the development of artificial tissues and organs. Tracking cells as physical objects improves our understanding of the processes of migration, homing, and cell division during colonisation of the artificial environment. In this study, the 3D environment had a direct effect on the behaviour of biological objects. Recently, deep learning-based algorithms have shown significant benefits for cell segmentation tasks and, furthermore, for biomaterial design optimisation...

The formulation of novel delivery protocols for the targeted delivery of genes into hepatocytes by receptor mediation is important for the treatment of liver-specific disorders, including cancer. Non-viral delivery methods have been extensively studied for gene therapy. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have gained attention in nanomedicine due to their biocompatibility. In this study, AuNPs were synthesized and coated with polymers: chitosan (CS), and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The targeting moiety, lactobionic acid (LA), was added for hepatocyte-specific delivery...

In this study, we developed a novel nanocomposite by synthesizing zinc (ZnNPs), copper (CuNPs), and silver (AgNPs) nanoparticles using olive leaf extract and incorporating them into a chitosan polymer. This approach combines the biocompatibility of chitosan with the antimicrobial and anticancer properties of metal nanoparticles, enhanced by the phytochemical richness of olive leaf extract. The significance of our research lies in its potential to offer a biodegradable and stable alternative to conventional antibiotics and cancer treatments, particularly in combating multidrug-resistant bacteria and various cancer types...

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) is a promising target for adjuvants utilized in in situ cancer vaccination approaches. However, key barriers remain for clinical translation, including low cellular uptake and accessibility, STING variability necessitating personalized STING agonists, and interferon (IFN)-independent signals that can promote tumor growth. Here, we identify C100, a highly deacetylated chitin-derived polymer (HDCP), as an attractive alternative to conventional STING agonists. C100 promotes potent anti-tumor immune responses, outperforming less deacetylated HDCPs, with therapeutic efficacy dependent on STING and IFN alpha/beta receptor (IFNAR) signaling and CD8+ T cell mediators...

Cadmium (Cd) pollution is a serious global environmental problem, which requires a global concern and practical solutions. Microbial remediation has received widespread attention owing to advantages, such as environmental friendliness and soil amelioration. However, Cd toxicity also severely deteriorates the remediation performance of functional microorganisms. Analyzing the mechanism of bacterial resistance to Cd stress will be beneficial for the application of Cd remediation. In this study, the bacteria strain, up to 1400 mg/L Cd resistance, was employed and identified as Proteus mirabilis Ch8 (Ch8) through whole genome sequence analyses...

Microplastics (MPs) waste is widespread globally in water systems. The opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause serious acute and chronic infections that are notoriously difficult to treat. Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is broadly applied as an anti-P. aeruginosa drug. A growing evidence reveals that antibiotic-resistance genes-carrying Pseudomonas aeruginosa were detected on MPs forming plastisphere due to their adsorbability along with high occurrence of CIP in water environments. The MPs-niched CIP-resistant P...

Cell replacement therapy is under development for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A thin membrane resembling the Bruch's membrane is required to form a cell-on-membrane construct with retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. These cells have been differentiated from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in vitro. A carrier membrane is required for cell implantation, which is biocompatible for cell growth and has dimensions and physical properties resembling the Bruch's membrane. Here a nanofiber electrospun poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) membrane is tested for capacity to support cell growth and maturation...

Microplastics (MPs) are distributed widely in the ocean surface waters and sediments. Increasing MPs contamination in intertidal zone profoundly impacts microbial ecosystem services and biogeochemical process. Little is known about the response of tidal sediment microbiome to MPs. We conducted a 30-day laboratory microcosm study using five polymers (PE, PBS, PC, PLA and PET) at three concentrations (1 %, 2 % and 5 %, w/w). High throughput sequencing of 16 S rRNA, qPCR and enzyme activity test were applied to demonstrate the response of microbial community and nitrogen cycling functional genes to MPs...