Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) Combined with SAXS-Driven Molecular Dynamics for Structural Analysis of Multistranded RNA Assemblies.

Nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) play crucial roles in all living organisms and find wide utility in clinical settings. The convergence of rationally designed nucleic acid multistranded assemblies with embedded therapeutic properties has led to the development of a platform based on nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs). NANPs incorporate various functional moieties to deliver their combinations to diseased cells in a highly controlled manner.

Immunostimulatory nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) augment protective osteoblast and osteoclast type I interferon responses to Staphylococcus aureus.

Recalcitrant staphylococcal osteomyelitis may be due, in part, to the ability of Staphylococcus aureus to invade bone cells. However, osteoclasts and osteoblasts are now recognized to shape host responses to bacterial infection and we have recently described their ability to produce IFN-β following S. aureus infection and limit intracellular bacterial survival/propagation.

Synthesis of DNA-Templated Silver Nanoclusters and the Characterization of Their Optical Properties and Biological Activity.

DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) are a unique class of bioinorganic nanomaterials. The optical properties and biological activities of DNA-AgNCs are readily modulated by the minor adjustments in the sequence or structure of the templating oligonucleotide. Excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMS) enables the fluorescence of compounds to be measured in a way that examines the entirety of a material's fluorescent properties.

Structural Characterization of DNA-Templated Silver Nanoclusters by Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy.

Here, a novel method of structural determination for DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) is introduced. This technique uses energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) coupled with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to analyze a monodisperse solution of nucleic acid-based structures. Exploiting the consistent number of phosphate atoms in each structure, we determine the average number of silver atoms that make up the DNA-AgNCs.

Optical, structural, and biological properties of silver nanoclusters formed within the loop of a C-12 hairpin sequence.

Silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) are the next-generation nanomaterials representing supra-atomic structures where silver atoms are organized in a particular geometry. DNA can effectively template and stabilize these novel fluorescent AgNCs. Only a few atoms in size - the properties of nanoclusters can be tuned using only single nucleobase replacement of C-rich templating DNA sequences.

Break to Build: Isothermal Assembly of Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles (NANPs) Enzymatic Degradation.

The intrinsic properties of RNA and DNA biopolymers emphasized by engineered nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) offer accelerated development of next-generation therapies. The rational design of NANPs facilitates programmable architectures intended for regulated molecular and cellular interactions. The conventional bottom-up assembly of NANPs relies on the thermal annealing of individual strands.

Expanding Structural Space for Immunomodulatory Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles (Nanps) via Spatial Arrangement of Their Therapeutic Moieties.

Different therapeutic nucleic acids (TNAs) can be unified in a single structure by their elongation with short oligonucleotides designed to self-assemble into nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs). With this approach, therapeutic cocktails with precisely controlled composition and stoichiometry of active ingredients can be delivered to the same diseased cells for enhancing pharmaceutical action. In this work, an additional nanotechnology-based therapeutic option that enlists a biocompatible NANP-encoded platform for their controlled patient-specific immunorecognition is explored.

Therapeutic immunomodulation by rationally designed nucleic acids and nucleic acid nanoparticles.

The immune system has evolved to defend organisms against exogenous threats such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites by distinguishing between "self" and "non-self". In addition, it guards us against other diseases, such as cancer, by detecting and responding to transformed and senescent cells. However, for survival and propagation, the altered cells and invading pathogens often employ a wide range of mechanisms to avoid, inhibit, or manipulate the immunorecognition.

Biomotors, viral assembly, and RNA nanobiotechnology: Current achievements and future directions.

The International Society of RNA Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine (ISRNN) serves to further the development of a wide variety of functional nucleic acids and other related nanotechnology platforms. To aid in the dissemination of the most recent advancements, a biennial discussion focused on biomotors, viral assembly, and RNA nanobiotechnology has been established where international experts in interdisciplinary fields such as structural biology, biophysical chemistry, nanotechnology, cell and cancer biology, and pharmacology share their latest accomplishments and future perspectives. The results summarized here highlight advancements in our understanding of viral biology and the structure-function relationship of frame-shifting elements in genomic viral RNA, improvements in the predictions of SHAPE analysis of 3D RNA structures, and the understanding of dynamic RNA structures through a variety of experimental and computational means.

The Application of Light-Assisted Drying to the Thermal Stabilization of Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles.

Cold-chain storage can be challenging and expensive for the transportation and storage of biologics, especially in low-resource settings. Nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) are an example of new biological products that require refrigerated storage. Light-assisted drying (LAD) is a new processing technique to prepare biologics for anhydrous storage in a trehalose amorphous solid matrix at ambient temperatures.

Anhydrous Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles for Storage and Handling at Broad Range of Temperatures.

Recent advances in nanotechnology now allow for the methodical implementation of therapeutic nucleic acids (TNAs) into modular nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) with tunable physicochemical properties which can match the desired biological effects, provide uniformity, and regulate the delivery of multiple TNAs for combinatorial therapy. Despite the potential of novel NANPs, the maintenance of their structural integrity during storage and shipping remains a vital issue that impedes their broader applications. Cold chain storage is required to maintain the potency of NANPs in the liquid phase, which greatly increases transportation costs.

To PEGylate or not to PEGylate: Immunological properties of nanomedicine's most popular component, polyethylene glycol and its alternatives.

Polyethylene glycol or PEG has a long history of use in medicine. Many conventional formulations utilize PEG as either an active ingredient or an excipient. PEG found its use in biotechnology therapeutics as a tool to slow down drug clearance and shield protein therapeutics from undesirable immunogenicity.

DNA-Templated Fluorescent Silver Nanoclusters Inhibit Bacterial Growth While Being Non-Toxic to Mammalian Cells.

Silver has a long history of antibacterial effectiveness. The combination of atomically precise metal nanoclusters with the field of nucleic acid nanotechnology has given rise to DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) which can be engineered with reproducible and unique fluorescent properties and antibacterial activity. Furthermore, cytosine-rich single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides designed to fold into hairpin structures improve the stability of AgNCs and additionally modulate their antibacterial properties and the quality of observed fluorescent signals.

II-VI Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanostructures with Greatly Enhanced Optoelectronic Properties, Perfectly Ordered Structures, and Shelf Stability of Over 15 Years.

Organic-inorganic hybrids may offer material properties not available from their inorganic components. However, they are typically less stable and disordered. Long-term stability study of the hybrid materials, over the anticipated lifespan of a real-world electronic device, is practically nonexistent.