SCO-pH: Microfluidic dynamic phenotyping platform for high-throughput screening of single cell acidification.

Studies on the dynamics of single cell phenotyping have been hampered by the lack of quantitative high-throughput metabolism assays. Extracellular acidification, a prominent phenotype, yields significant insights into cellular metabolism, including tumorigenicity. Here, we develop a versatile microfluidic system for single cell optical pH analysis (SCO-pH), which compartmentalizes single cells in 140-pL droplets and immobilizes approximately 40,000 droplets in a two-dimensional array for temporal extracellular pH analysis.

Subcellular omics: a new frontier pushing the limits of resolution, complexity and throughput.

We argue that the study of single-cell subcellular organelle omics is needed to understand and regulate cell function. This requires and is being enabled by new technology development.

Generation of zinc ion-rich surface via in situ growth of ZIF-8 particle: Microorganism immobilization onto fabric surface for prohibit hospital-acquired infection.

Viruses/bacteria outbreaks have motivated us to develop a fabric that will inhibit their transmission with high potency and long-term stability. By creating a metal-ion-rich surface onto polyester (PET) fabric, a method is found to inhibit hospital-acquired infections by immobilizing microorganisms on its surface. ZIF-8 and APTES are utilized to overcome the limitations associated with non-uniform distribution, weak biomolecule interaction, and ion leaching on surfaces.

A Nanocoating Co-Localizing Nitric Oxide and Growth Factor onto Individual Endothelial Cells Reveals Synergistic Effects on Angiogenesis.

The delivery of nitric oxide (NO)-an intrinsic cellular signaling molecule-is promising for disease treatment, in particular to vascular diseases, due to its endothelial-derived inherent nature. The limited diffusion distance of labile NO prompts researchers to develop various carriers and targeting methods for specific sites. In contrast to the apoptotic effect of NO, such as anticancer, delivering low NO concentration at the desired targeting area is still intricate in a physiological environment.

Co-existing "spear-and-shield" air filter: Anchoring proteinaceous pathogen and self-sterilized nanocoating for combating viral pandemic.

Infectious pollutants bioaerosols can threaten human public health. In particular, the indoor environment provides a unique exposure situation to induce infection through airborne transmission like SARS-CoV-2. To prevent the infection from spreading, personal protective equipment or indoor air purification is necessary.

2D graphene oxide particles induce unwanted loss in pluripotency and trigger early differentiation in human pluripotent stem cells.

The potential health hazards of particulates, such as micro/nano-sized plastics and carbon materials have recently received extensive attention. However, their toxicological properties in association with stem cell differentiation is still relatively unexplored. In this study, we elucidated the cytotoxic effects of 2D graphene oxide (GO), in relation to differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs).

Acceleration of Nitric Oxide Release in Multilayer Nanofilms through Cu(II) Ion Intercalation for Antibacterial Applications.

Implant-derived bacterial infection is a prevalent cause of diseases, and no antibacterial coating currently exists that is biocompatible and that does not induce multidrug resistance. To this end, nitric oxide (NO) has been emerging as an effective antimicrobial agent that acts on a broad range of bacteria and elicits no known resistance. Here, a method for accelerating NO release from multilayered nanofilms has been developed for facilitating antibacterial activity.

Controlled Nitric Oxide Release Using Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Nanoparticles for Anti-Inflammatory Effects.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in several physiological functions such as inflammatory responses and immune regulation. However, despite its beneficial functions, the short half-life and diffusion radius limit NO availability in biomedical applications. Hence, controlled release is important to achieve the desired therapeutic effects with exogenous NO delivery.

Effects of Nonporous Silica Nanoparticles on Human Trabecular Meshwork Cells.

Precis: Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs), which are potential drug carriers for glaucoma treatment, may induce mild dose-dependent cytotoxicity but not so severe as to compromise a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in immortalized trabecular meshwork (TM) cells.

Purpose: Nanoparticle-based ophthalmic drug delivery is a promising field of drug development. In this study, we evaluated the effect of nonporous SiNPs on human TM cells.

Sustained Nitric Oxide-Providing Small Molecule and Precise Release Behavior Study for Glaucoma Treatment.

Incidence ofglaucoma, a severe disease leading to irreversible loss of vision, is increasing with global aging populations. Lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only proven treatment method for glaucoma. Nitric oxide (NO) is an emerging material targeting the conventional outflow pathway by relaxing the trabecular meshwork (TM).

Developing regulatory property of gelatin-tannic acid multilayer films for coating-based nitric oxide gas delivery system.

To utilize potentials of nitric oxide (NO) gas in anti-bacterial, anticancer, wound healing applications, numerous studies have been conducted to develop a NO delivery system in the past few decades. Even though a coating method and film types are essential to apply in biomedical device coating from previous NO delivery systems, release control from the coating system is still challenging. In this study, we introduced a multilayered polymeric coating system to overcome the uncontrollable NO release kinetics of film systems.

Nitric Oxide Delivery Using Biocompatible Perfluorocarbon Microemulsion for Antibacterial Effect.

Nitric oxide (NO) participates in various physiological and pathophysiological processes, for example, as a cell messenger and as an antimicrobial agent of the cell-mediated immune response. The development of NO-releasing materials to carry and deliver NO for biomedical applications has gained immense attention. NO-releasing perfluorooctane (PFO) microemulsion (ME) has been prepared using a simple and time-saving method.

Structural heterogeneity in polymeric nitric oxide donor nanoblended coatings for controlled release behaviors.

Nitric oxide (NO) gas delivery has attracted extensive interest due to its endogenous therapeutic functions and potential biomedical applications for the treatment of various diseases. The important thing about NO delivery is the emission control due to the fast diffusion rate of gas molecules. To develop NO delivery platforms using macromolecules and to comprehend the chemical NO donor generation and release mechanisms, we studied branched polyethyleneimine/alginate (BPEI/ALG) nanoblended coatings fabricated by giving structural heterogeneity to the structure through a self-assembly process for the controlled release of gas molecules.

Effect of Nitric Oxide on Acanthamoeba castellanii.

Purpose: Acanthamoeba keratitis is a well-known intractable corneal infectious disease. We investigated the anti-Acanthamoeba effect of exogenous nitric oxide (NO).

Methods: Acanthamoeba castellanii was axenically cultured and exposed to various concentrations of NO donors, such as sodium nitrite, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and NO-releasing silica nanoparticles (coated in branched polyethylene imine, size:100 nm), for 1 to 7 days (sodium nitrite and SNP: 0, 0.

Safety of Nonporous Silica Nanoparticles in Human Corneal Endothelial Cells.

Nonporous silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are promising drug carrier platforms for intraocular drug delivery. In this study, we investigated the safety of three different sizes of SiNPs (50, 100, and 150 nm) in a human corneal endothelial cell (HCEC) line, B4G12. The HCECs were exposed to different concentrations (0, 25, 50, and 100 µg/ml) of three sizes of SiNPs for up to 48 h.

In vitro blood cell viability profiling of polymers used in molecular assembly.

Biocompatible polymers have been extensively applied to molecular assembly techniques on a micro- and nanoscale to miniaturize functional devices for biomedical uses. However, cytotoxic assessments of developed devices are prone to partially focus on non-specific cells or cells associated with the specific applications. Thereby, since toxicity is dependent on the type of cells and protocols, we do not fully understand the relative toxicities of polymers.

Drug Loading and Release Behavior Depending on the Induced Porosity of Chitosan/Cellulose Multilayer Nanofilms.

The ability to control drug loading and release is the most important feature in the development of medical devices. In this research, we prepared a functional nanocoating technology to incorporate a drug-release layer onto a desired substrate. The multilayer films were prepared using chitosan (CHI) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) polysaccharides by the layer-by-layer (LbL) method.

An Evaluation of the in vivo Safety of Nonporous Silica Nanoparticles: Ocular Topical Administration versus Oral Administration.

Nonporous silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have potential as promising carriers for ophthalmic drugs. However, the in vivo safety of ocular topical SiNPs remains unclear. This study investigated the in vivo safety of oral and ocular topical applications of 100 nm-sized SiNPs in Sprague-Dawley rats.

The Effects of Nonporous Silica Nanoparticles on Cultured Human Keratocytes.

Purpose: Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are promising carriers for ophthalmic drug delivery. In this study, we investigated the effect of various sizes of nonporous SiNPs on cultured human keratocytes.

Methods: Three different sizes of SiNPs (50, 100, and 150 nm) were manufactured.

The Effect of Silica Nanoparticles on Human Corneal Epithelial Cells.

Ocular drug delivery is an interesting field in current research. Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are promising drug carriers for ophthalmic drug delivery. However, little is known about the toxicity of SiNPs on ocular surface cells such as human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs).

Electronic Activation of a DNA Nanodevice Using a Multilayer Nanofilm.

A method to control activation of a DNA nanodevice by supplying a complementary DNA (cDNA) strand from an electro-responsive nanoplatform is reported. To develop functional nanoplatform, hexalayer nanofilm is precisely designed by layer-by-layer assembly technique based on electrostatic interaction with four kinds of materials: Hydrolyzed poly(β-amino ester) can help cDNA release from the film. A cDNA is used as a key building block to activate DNA nanodevice.

Durable Urushiol-Based Nanofilm with Water Repellency for Clear Overlay Appliances in Dentistry.

With increased esthetic needs, orthodontics is an indispensable medical treatment in dentistry, and transparent clear overlay appliances (COAs) are in general use to fix teeth. However, COAs are easily worn out because of the lack of durability. Here, we applied a nanofilm onto COAs using urushiol (U), a durable coating material from plant via a layer-by-layer assembly technique.

Multilayered Graphene Nano-Film for Controlled Protein Delivery by Desired Electro-Stimuli.

Recent research has highlighted the potential use of "smart" films, such as graphene sheets, that would allow for the controlled release of a variety of therapeutic drugs. Taking full advantage of these versatile conducting sheets, we investigated the novel concept of applying graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) materials as both barrier and conducting layers that afford controlled entrapment and release of any molecules of interest. We fabricated multilayered nanofilm architectures using a hydrolytically degradable cationic poly(β-amino ester) (PAE), a model protein antigen, ovalbumin (OVA) as a building block along with the GO and rGO.

Intrinsic Hydrophobic Cairnlike Multilayer Films for Antibacterial Effect with Enhanced Durability.

One important aspect of nanotechnology includes thin films capable of being applied to a wide variety of surfaces. Indispensable functions of films include controlled surface energy, stability, and biocompatibility in physiological systems. In this study, we explored the ancient Asian coating material "lacquer" to enhance the physiological and mechanical stability of nanofilms.