In vitro and in vivo investigations of hemoglobin-loaded PEGylated ZIF-8 nanoparticles as oxygen carriers for emergency transfusion.

The limitations of traditional blood supply systems, particularly where ideal storage is unfeasible, challenge the efficacy of transfusion medicine, especially in emergencies and battlefield scenarios. This study investigates a novel hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC) using a dual-coating approach with metal phenolic networks (MPNs) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Utilizing zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles for their porosity and biocompatibility, the addition of MPN and PEG coatings enhances biocompatibility and stabilizes encapsulated hemoglobin (Hb).

Simple-by-design approach for production of stabilizer-free cubosomes from phosphatidylglycerol and docosahexaenoic acid monoacylglycerol.

Docosahexaenoic acid monoacylglycerol represents a promising lipid constituent in the development of drug nanocarriers owing to its amphiphilicity and the beneficial health effects of this docosahexaenoic acid precursor in various disorders including cancer and inflammatory diseases. Here, we describe the formation and characterization of simple-by-design and stabilizer-free lamellar and non-lamellar crystalline nanoparticles (vesicles and cubosomes, respectively) from binary mixtures of docosahexaenoic acid monoacylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol, which is a ubiquitous amphiphilic component present in biological systems. At the physiological temperature of 37 °C, these single amphiphilic components tend to exhibit inverse hexagonal and lamellar liquid crystalline phases, respectively, on exposure to excess water.

Synthesis of bioactive hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier nanoparticles via metal-phenolic complexation.

The transfusion of donor red blood cells (RBCs) is seriously hampered by important drawbacks that include limited availability and portability, the requirement of being stored in refrigerated conditions, a short shelf life or the need for RBC group typing and crossmatching. Thus, hemoglobin (Hb)-based oxygen (O) carriers (HBOCs) which make use of the main component of RBCs and the responsible protein for O transport, hold a lot of promise in modern transfusion and emergency medicine. Despite the great progress achieved, it is still difficult to create HBOCs with a high Hb content to attain the high O demands of our body.

PEGylation of Phosphatidylglycerol/Docosahexaenoic Acid Hexosomes with d-α-Tocopheryl Succinate Poly(ethylene glycol) Induces Morphological Transformation into Vesicles with Prolonged Circulation Times.

Considering the broad therapeutic potential of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), here we study the effect of PEGylation of DHA-incorporated hexosomes on their physicochemical characteristics and biodistribution following intravenous injection into mice. Hexosomes were formed from phosphatidylglycerol and DHA with a weight ratio of 3:2. PEGylation was achieved through the incorporation of either d-α-tocopheryl succinate poly(ethylene glycol) (TPGS-mPEG) or 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) (DSPE-mPEG) at a concentration of 1.

Cell medium-dependent dynamic modulation of size and structural transformations of binary phospholipid/ω-3 fatty acid liquid crystalline nano-self-assemblies: Implications in interpretation of cell uptake studies.

Lyotropic non-lamellar liquid crystalline (LLC) nanoparticles, with their tunable structural features and capability of loading a wide range of drugs and reporter probes, are emerging as versatile injectable nanopharmaceuticals. Secondary emulsifiers, such as Pluronic block copolymers, are commonly used for colloidal stabilization of LLC nanoparticles, but their inclusion often compromises the biological safety (e.g.

Advances in microfluidic synthesis and coupling with synchrotron SAXS for continuous production and real-time structural characterization of nano-self-assemblies.

Microfluidic platforms have become highly attractive tools for synthesis of nanoparticles, including lipid nano-self-assemblies, owing to unique features and at least three important aspects inherent to miniaturized micro-devices. Firstly, the fluids flow under controlled conditions in the microchannels, providing well-defined flow profiles and shorter diffusion lengths that play important roles in enhancing the continuous production of lipid and polymer nanoparticles with relatively narrow size distributions. Secondly, various geometries adapted to microfluidic device designs can be utilized for enhancing the colloidal stability of nanoparticles and improving their drug loading.

A structurally diverse library of glycerol monooleate/oleic acid non-lamellar liquid crystalline nanodispersions stabilized with nonionic methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG)-lipids showing variable complement activation properties.

Pluronic F127-stabilized non-lamellar liquid crystalline aqueous nanodispersions are promising injectable platforms for drug and contrast agent delivery. These nanodispersions, however, trigger complement activation in the human blood, where the extent of complement activation and opsonization processes may compromise their biological performance and safety. Here, we introduce a broad family of nanodispersions from glycerol monooleate (GMO) and oleic acid (OA) in different weight ratios, and stabilized with a plethora of nonionic methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG)-lipids of different PEG chain length and variable lipid moiety (monounsaturated or saturated diglycerides or D-α-tocopheryl succinate).

Internal Lamellar and Inverse Hexagonal Liquid Crystalline Phases During the Digestion of Krill and Astaxanthin Oil-in-Water Emulsions.

Krill oil represents an important alternative natural source of omega-3 () polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Considering the beneficial health effects of these essential fatty acids, particularly in various disorders including cancer, cardiovascular, and inflammation diseases, it is of paramount importance to gain insight into the digestibility of krill oil. In this work, we study the fate of krill oil-in-water emulsion, stabilized by sodium caseinate, during lipolysis by coupling time-resolved synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to flow-through lipolysis model.

Nanomedicines for cancer therapy: current status, challenges and future prospects.

The emergence of nanomedicine as an innovative and promising alternative technology shows many advantages over conventional cancer therapies and provides new opportunities for early detection, improved treatment, and diagnosis of cancer. Despite the cancer nanomedicines' capability of delivering chemotherapeutic agents while providing lower systemic toxicity, it is paramount to consider the cancer complexity and dynamics for bridging the translational bench-to-bedside gap. It is important to conduct appropriate investigations for exploiting the tumor microenvironment, and achieving a more comprehensive understanding of the fundamental biological processes in cancer and their roles in modulating nanoparticle-protein interactions, blood circulation, and tumor penetration.

Structural characterization of self-assemblies of new omega-3 lipids: docosahexaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid monoglycerides.

The attractiveness of new omega-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) monoglycerides (MAGs) lies in the amphiphilic nature and the beneficial health effects as PUFA precursors in various disorders including cancer, pulmonary hypertension, and inflammatory diseases. For exploring the potential therapeutic applications of these new amphiphilic lipids, particularly as main lipid constituents in the development of nanocarriers for delivery of drugs and PUFAs, it is of paramount importance to gain insight into their self-assembly behavior on exposure to excess water. This work describes the structural characteristics of self-assemblies based on two newly synthesized MAGs, namely docosahexaenoic acid (MAG-DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (MAG-DPA) monoglycerides, on exposure to excess water.

BODIPY-conjugated chitosan nanoparticles as a fluorescent probe.

Recently, development of fluorescent nanoparticle-based probes for various bioimaging applications has attracted great attention. This work aims to develop a new type fluorescent nanoparticle conjugate and evaluate its cytotoxic effects on A549 and BEAS 2B cell lines. Throughout the study, ionically crosslinked chitosan nanoparticles (CNs) were conjugated with carboxylated 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY-COOH).

Cytotoxic and cytostatic side effects of chitosan nanoparticles as a non-viral gene carrier.

Although chitosan nanoparticles (CNs) became a promising tool for several biological and medical applications owing to their inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability features, studies regarding their effects on cytotoxic and cytostatic properties still remain insufficient. Therefore, in the present study, we decided to perform comprehensive analysis of the interactions between CNs-pKindling-Red-Mito (pDNA) and different cell line models derived from blood system and human solid tissues cancers. The resulting CNs-pDNA was investigated in terms of their cellular uptake, transfection efficiency, and physico-chemical, cytotoxic and cytostatic properties.