Surface Modification of Porous Polyethylene Implants with an Albumin-Based Nanocarrier-Release System.

Background: Porous polyethylene (PPE) implants are used for the reconstruction of tissue defects but have a risk of rejection in case of insufficient ingrowth into the host tissue. Various growth factors can promote implant ingrowth, yet a long-term gradient is a prerequisite for the mediation of these effects. As modification of the implant surface with nanocarriers may facilitate a long-term gradient by sustained factor release, implants modified with crosslinked albumin nanocarriers were evaluated in vivo.

Nanovaccine impact on dendritic cells: transcriptome analysis enables new insights into antigen and adjuvant effects.

For vaccines the combination between an antigen and adjuvants are both crucially important to trigger an effective immune response in dendritic cells. Innovative adjuvants like resiquimod or muramyldipeptide have their target protein inside the cell. Up/downregulation and proteome expression was investigated for the adjuvant combination resiquimod and muramyldipeptide in a soluble form versus encapsulated into a nanocarrier.

Delivering all in one: Antigen-nanocapsule loaded with dual adjuvant yields superadditive effects by DC-directed T cell stimulation.

Therapeutic vaccination is and remains a major challenge, particularly in cancer treatment. In this process, the effective activation of dendritic cells by a combination of distinctly acting adjuvants and an antigen is crucial for success. While most common vaccine formulations lack the efficiency to trigger sufficient T cell responses in a therapeutic tumor treatment, nanovaccines offer unique properties to tackle that challenge.

Fully degradable protein nanocarriers by orthogonal photoclick tetrazole-ene chemistry for the encapsulation and release.

The encapsulation of sensitive drugs into nanocarriers retaining their bioactivity and achieving selective release is a challenging topic in current drug delivery design. Established protocols rely on metal-catalyzed or unspecific reactions to build the (mostly synthetic) vehicles which may inhibit the drug's function. Triggered by light, the mild tetrazole-ene cycloaddition enables us to prepare protein nanocarriers (PNCs) preserving at the same time the bioactivity of the sensitive antitumor and antiviral cargo Resiquimod (R848).

Polymeric hepatitis C virus non-structural protein 5A nanocapsules induce intrahepatic antigen-specific immune responses.

Targeting antigen combined with adjuvants to hepatic antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is essential for the induction of intrahepatic T cellular immunity controlling and resolving viral infections of the liver. Intravenous injection of antigen-loaded nanoparticles is a promising approach for the delivery of antigens to liver APCs. Accordingly, polymeric nanocapsules (NCs) synthesized exclusively of hepatitis C virus non-structural protein 5A (NS5A) and the adjuvant monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) adsorbed to the nanocapsule surface were developed.

MPLA-coated hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) nanocapsules induce vigorous T cell responses in cord blood derived human T cells.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most prevalent serious liver infection in the world. A frequent route of infection represents mother-to-child transmission. Efficient control of HBV replication depends on antigen-specific cellular immune response mediated by dendritic cells (DCs).

Reactions and Polymerizations at the Liquid-Liquid Interface.

Reactions and polymerizations at the interface of two immiscible liquids are reviewed. The confinement of two reactants at the interface to form a new product can be advantageous in terms of improved reaction kinetics, higher yields, and selectivity. The presence of the liquid-liquid interface can accelerate the reaction, or a phase-transfer catalyst is employed to draw the reaction in one phase of choice.

Biodegradable protein nanocontainers.

The application of synthetic polymers for drug delivery often requires tremendous efforts to ensure biocompatibility and -degradation. To use the body's own substances can help to overcome these problems. Herein, we present the first synthesis of nanocontainers entirely composed of albumin proteins.