Phage-Templated Synthesis of Targeted Photoactive 1D-Thiophene Nanoparticles.

Thiophene-based nanoparticles (TNPs) are promising therapeutic and imaging agents. Here, using an innovative phage-templated synthesis, a strategy able to bypass the current limitations of TNPs in nanomedicine applications is proposed. The phage capsid is decorated with oligothiophene derivatives, transforming the virus in a 1D-thiophene nanoparticle (1D-TNP).

In vivo neuromodulation of animal behavior with organic semiconducting oligomers.

Modulating neural activity with electrical or chemical stimulus can be used for fundamental and applied research. Typically, neuronal stimulation is performed with intracellular and extracellular electrodes that deliver brief electrical pulses to neurons. However, alternative wireless methodologies based on functional materials may allow clinical translation of technologies to modulate neuronal function.

Optical Control of Tissue Regeneration through Photostimulation of Organic Semiconducting Nanoparticles.

Next generation bioengineering strives to identify crucial cues that trigger regeneration of damaged tissues, and to control the cells that execute these programs with biomaterials and devices. Molecular and biophysical mechanisms driving embryogenesis may inspire novel tools to reactivate developmental programs in situ. Here nanoparticles based on conjugated polymers are employed for optical control of regenerating tissues by using an animal with unlimited regenerative potential, the polyp Hydra, as in vivo model, and human keratinocytes as an in vitro model to investigate skin repair.

The Aquatic Invertebrate Releases Molecular Messages Through Extracellular Vesicles.

Recent body of evidence demonstrates that extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent the first language of cell-cell communication emerged during evolution. In aquatic environments, transferring signals between cells by EVs offers protection against degradation, allowing delivering of chemical information in high local concentrations to the target cells. The packaging of multiple signals, including those of hydrophobic nature, ensures target cells to receive the same EV-conveyed messages, and the coordination of a variety of physiological processes across cells of a single organisms, or at the population level, i.

Seamless integration of bioelectronic interface in an animal model via polymerization of conjugated oligomers.

Leveraging the biocatalytic machinery of living organisms for fabricating functional bioelectronic interfaces, , defines a new class of micro-biohybrids enabling the seamless integration of technology with living biological systems. Previously, we have demonstrated the polymerization of conjugated oligomers forming conductors within the structures of plants. Here, we expand this concept by reporting that , an invertebrate animal, polymerizes the conjugated oligomer ETE-S both within cells that expresses peroxidase activity and within the adhesive material that is secreted to promote underwater surface adhesion.

In Vivo Bioengineering of Fluorescent Conductive Protein-Dye Microfibers.

Engineering protein-based biomaterials is extremely challenging in bioelectronics, medicine, and materials science, as mechanical, electrical, and optical properties need to be merged to biocompatibility and resistance to biodegradation. An effective strategy is the engineering of physiological processes in situ, by addition of new properties to endogenous components. Here we show that a green fluorescent semiconducting thiophene dye, DTTO, promotes, in vivo, the biogenesis of fluorescent conductive protein microfibers via metabolic pathways.

Gold Nanorods and Nanoprisms Mediate Different Photothermal Cell Death Mechanisms In Vitro and In Vivo.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an efficient method of inducing localized hyperthermia and can be achieved using gold nanoparticles as photothermal agents. However, there are many hurdles to get over before this therapy can safely reach the clinics, including nanoparticles' optimal shape and the accurate prediction of cellular responses. Here, we describe the synthesis of gold nanorods and nanoprisms with similar surface plasmon resonances in the near-infrared (NIR) and comparable photothermal conversion efficiencies and characterize the response to NIR irradiation in two biological systems, melanoma cells and the small invertebrate .

In Vivo Toxicity Assessment of Hybrid Diatomite Nanovectors Using Hydra vulgaris as a Model System.

Drug nanocarriers based on nanostructured materials are very promising for precision and personalized medicine applications. Diatomite porous biosilica has been recently proposed as a novel and effective material in formulations of drug systems for oral and systemic delivery. In this paper, the cytotoxicity of hybrid diatomite silica functionalized nanovectors is assessed in vivo in a living model organism, the cnidarian freshwater polyp Hydra vulgaris.

An Integrated Multilevel Analysis Profiling Biosafety and Toxicity Induced by Indium- and Cadmium-Based Quantum Dots in Vivo.

Indium phosphide quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as a new class of fluorescent nanocrystals for manifold applications, from biophotonics to nanomedicine. Recent efforts in improving the photoluminescence quantum yield, the chemical stability and the biocompatibility turned them into a valid alternative to well established Cd-based nanocrystals. In vitro studies provided first evidence for the lower toxicity of In-based QDs.

Real time dynamics of β-catenin expression during Hydra development, regeneration and Wnt signalling activation.

Understanding the dynamic cellular behaviours driving morphogenesis and regeneration is a long-standing challenge in biology. Live imaging, together with genetically encoded reporters, may provide the necessary tool to address this issue, permitting the in vivo monitoring of the spatial and temporal expression dynamics of a gene of interest during a variety of developmental processes. Canonical Wnt/β-catenin signalling controls a plethora of cellular activities during development, regeneration and adulthood throughout the animal kingdom.

Dissecting common and divergent molecular pathways elicited by CdSe/ZnS quantum dots in freshwater and marine sentinel invertebrates.

Water ecosystems represent main targets of unintentional contamination of nanomaterials, due to industrial waste or other anthropogenic activities. Nanoparticle insult to living organisms may occur in a sequential way, first by chemical interactions of the material with the target membrane, then by progressive internalisation and interaction with cellular structures and organelles. These events trigger a signal transduction, through which cells modulate molecular pathway in order to respond and survive to the external elicitation.

Semiconducting polymers are light nanotransducers in eyeless animals.

Current implant technology uses electrical signals at the electrode-neural interface. This rather invasive approach presents important issues in terms of performance, tolerability, and overall safety of the implants. Inducing light sensitivity in living organisms is an alternative method that provides groundbreaking opportunities in neuroscience.

Impact of Carbon Nano-Onions on as a Model Organism for Nanoecotoxicology.

The toxicological effects of pristine and chemically modified carbon nano-onions (CNOs) on the development of the freshwater polyp were investigated in order to elucidate the ecotoxicological effects of CNOs. Chemical modifications of the CNOs were accomplished by surface functionalization with benzoic acid, pyridine and pyridinium moieties. thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the covalent surface functionalization of CNOs.

Deciphering intracellular events triggered by mild magnetic hyperthermia in vitro and in vivo.

Aim: To assess the cell response to magnetic nanoparticles under an alternating magnetic field by molecular quantification of heat responsive transcripts in two model systems.

Materials & Methods: Melanoma cells and Hydra vulgaris treated with magnetic nanoparticles were subjected to an alternating magnetic field or to macroscopic heating. Effect to these treatments were assessed at animal, cellular and molecular levels.

Impact of Amorphous SiO2 Nanoparticles on a Living Organism: Morphological, Behavioral, and Molecular Biology Implications.

It is generally accepted that silica (SiO2) is not toxic. But the increasing use of silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) in many different industrial fields has prompted the careful investigation of their toxicity in biological systems. In this report, we describe the effects elicited by SiO2NPs on animal and cell physiology.

Prepuberal stimulation of 5-HT7-R by LP-211 in a rat model of hyper-activity and attention-deficit: permanent effects on attention, brain amino acids and synaptic markers in the fronto-striatal interface.

The cross-talk at the prefronto-striatal interface involves excitatory amino acids, different receptors, transducers and modulators. We investigated long-term effects of a prepuberal, subchronic 5-HT7-R agonist (LP-211) on adult behaviour, amino acids and synaptic markers in a model for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Naples High Excitability rats (NHE) and their Random Bred controls (NRB) were daily treated with LP-211 in the 5th and 6th postnatal week.

Modulatory effects following subchronic stimulation of brain 5-HT7-R system in mice and rats.

The serotonin receptor 7 (5-HT7-R) plays important functional roles in learning and memory, in regulation of mood and circadian rhythmicity. LP-211 is a new selective agonist, belonging to 1-arylpiperazine category. We report studies aimed to evaluate the modulatory effect of a subchronic regimen on behavioral/molecular parameters.

Imaging inward and outward trafficking of gold nanoparticles in whole animals.

Gold nanoparticles have emerged as novel safe and biocompatible tools for manifold applications, including biological imaging, clinical diagnostics, and therapeutics. The understanding of the mechanisms governing their interaction with living systems may help the design and development of new platforms for nanomedicine. Here we characterized the dynamics and kinetics of the events underlying the interaction of gold nanoparticles with a living organism, from the first interaction nanoparticle/cell membrane, to the intracellular trafficking and final extracellular clearance.

Hymyc1 downregulation promotes stem cell proliferation in Hydra vulgaris.

Hydra is a unique model for studying the mechanisms underlying stem cell biology. The activity of the three stem cell lineages structuring its body constantly replenishes mature cells lost due to normal tissue turnover. By a poorly understood mechanism, stem cells are maintained through self-renewal while concomitantly producing differentiated progeny.

Mechanisms underlying toxicity induced by CdTe quantum dots determined in an invertebrate model organism.

A systematic and thorough quantitative analysis of the in vivo effects of inorganic nanoparticles is extremely important for the design of functional nanomaterials for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, better understanding of their non-specificity toward tissues and cell types, and for assessments of their toxicity. This study was undertaken to examine the impact of CdTe quantum dots (QDs) on an invertebrate freshwater model organism, Hydra vulgaris, for assessment of long term toxicity effects. The continuous exposure of living polyps to sub-lethal doses of QDs caused time and dose dependent morphological damages more severe than Cd(2+) ions at the same concentrations, impaired both reproductive and regenerative capability, activated biochemical and molecular responses.

Multiple functionalization of fluorescent nanoparticles for specific biolabeling and drug delivery of dopamine.

The development of fluorescent biolabels for specific targeting and controlled drug release is of paramount importance in biological applications due to their potential in the generation of novel tools for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in several neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and the controlled delivery of its agonists already proved to have beneficial effects both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we report the synthesis and multiple functionalization of highly fluorescent CdSe/CdS quantum rods for specific biolabeling and controlled drug release.

A new in vivo model system to assess the toxicity of semiconductor nanocrystals.

In the emerging area of nanotechnology, a key issue is related to the potential impacts of the novel nanomaterials on the environment and human health, so that this technology can be used with minimal risk. Specifically designed to combine on a single structure multipurpose tags and properties, smart nanomaterials need a comprehensive characterization of both chemicophysical properties and adequate toxicological evaluation, which is a challenging endeavour; the in vitro toxicity assays that are often employed for nanotoxicity assessments do not accurately predict in vivo response. To overcome these limitations and to evaluate toxicity characteristics of cadmium telluride quantum dots in relation to surface coatings, we have employed the freshwater polyp Hydra vulgaris as a model system.

Fluorescent nanocrystals reveal regulated portals of entry into and between the cells of Hydra.

Initially viewed as innovative carriers for biomedical applications, with unique photophysical properties and great versatility to be decorated at their surface with suitable molecules, nanoparticles can also play active roles in mediating biological effects, suggesting the need to deeply investigate the mechanisms underlying cell-nanoparticle interaction and to identify the molecular players. Here we show that the cell uptake of fluorescent CdSe/CdS quantum rods (QRs) by Hydra vulgaris, a simple model organism at the base of metazoan evolution, can be tuned by modifying nanoparticle surface charge. At acidic pH, amino-PEG coated QRs, showing positive surface charge, are actively internalized by tentacle and body ectodermal cells, while negatively charged nanoparticles are not uptaken.

Bioconjugation of rod-shaped fluorescent nanocrystals for efficient targeted cell labeling.

In the present work, we report a three-step approach for the functionalization of CdSe/CdS core/shell and CdSe/CdS/ZnS double-shell quantum rods (QRs) with either biotin or folic acid. We carried out an in vitro study on cultured cells and fixed tissue sections in which the biofunctionalized QRs were compared with the more traditional CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs), which were also functionalized with either biotin or folic acid. The QR and the QD samples exhibited the same specificity toward the targeting cells.

Rod-shaped nanocrystals elicit neuronal activity in vivo.

The development of novel nanomaterials has raised great interest in efforts to evaluate their effect on biological systems, ranging from single cells to whole animals. In particular, there exists an open question regarding whether nanoparticles per se can elicit biological responses, which could interfere with the phenomena they are intended to measure. Here it is reported that challenging the small cnidaria Hydra vulgaris in vivo with rod-shaped semiconductor nanoparticles, also known as quantum rods (QRs), results in an unexpected tentacle-writhing behavior, which is Ca(2+) dependent and relies on the presence of tentacle neurons.