3D-Printed Gastric Resident Electronics.

Long-term implantation of biomedical electronics into the human body enables advanced diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities. However, most long-term resident electronics devices require invasive procedures for implantation as well as a specialized receiver for communication. Here, a gastric resident electronic (GRE) system that leverages the anatomical space offered by the gastric environment to enable residence of an orally delivered platform of such devices within the human body is presented.

Biocompatibility of hydrogel-based scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

Recently, understanding of the extracellular matrix (ECM) has expanded rapidly due to the accessibility of cellular and molecular techniques and the growing potential and value for hydrogels in tissue engineering. The fabrication of hydrogel-based cellular scaffolds for the generation of bioengineered tissues has been based on knowledge of the composition and structure of ECM. Attempts at recreating ECM have used either naturally-derived ECM components or synthetic polymers with structural integrity derived from hydrogels.

Oral, ultra-long-lasting drug delivery: Application toward malaria elimination goals.

Efforts at elimination of scourges, such as malaria, are limited by the logistic challenges of reaching large rural populations and ensuring patient adherence to adequate pharmacologic treatment. We have developed an oral, ultra-long-acting capsule that dissolves in the stomach and deploys a star-shaped dosage form that releases drug while assuming a geometry that prevents passage through the pylorus yet allows passage of food, enabling prolonged gastric residence. This gastric-resident, drug delivery dosage form releases small-molecule drugs for days to weeks and potentially longer.

Physicochemical characterization of a navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) protein fraction produced using a solvent-free method.

A solvent-free electrostatic separation method was employed to separate navy bean flour (NBF) into protein-rich (PR) and starch-rich (SR) fractions. The physicochemical properties of NBF and separated fractions were compared to proteins (navy bean isolate (NBI) and 7S globulin) prepared using a wet process. Gel electrophoresis confirmed that the protein distribution in the isolated fractions was similar to that of NBF.

DEGylation Enhanced the Stability of Peptide-siRNA Complexes in Serum.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) shows great therapeutic potential due to its ability to regulate gene expression in a highly selective manner, but this application has been limited by effective delivery, partly because of the low nuclease resistance of siRNA in the presence of serum, and inefficient cellular uptake. We previously reported a library of cell-penetrating and amino acid-pairing peptides that facilitate effective siRNA delivery to mammalian cells without causing cytotoxicity, but they are unstable within serum-containing medium. Here, we investigated the possibility of conjugating the peptide with diethylene glycol to improve its serum stability without compromising its gene-regulation capability.

Natural Carriers for siRNA Delivery.

This review is based on carriers of natural origin such as polysaccharides, proteins, and cell derived entities which have been used for delivery of siRNA. To realize the therapeutic potential of a delivery system, the role of the carrier is of utmost importance. Historical aspects of viral vectors, the first carriers of genes are briefly outlined.

A novel peptide for efficient siRNA delivery in vitro and therapeutics in vivo.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) shows great therapeutic potential due to its ability to regulate gene expression in a highly selective manner. However, its application has been limited by ineffective cellular uptake of siRNAs. To achieve successful gene-silencing efficiency, a safe and effective delivery vector is generally required.

In vitro and in vivo therapeutic siRNA delivery induced by a tryptophan-rich endosomolytic peptide.

At the forefront of medicine, gene therapy provides an effective way to treat a range of diseases by regulating defective genes at the root of the disease. Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) hold great promise as therapeutic agents in this domain; however, intracellular delivery remains a major obstacle to clinical applications of therapeutic siRNAs. Here we report a peptide designed to mediate siRNA delivery.

Evaluation of biocompatibility of the AC8 peptide and its potential use as a drug carrier.

Peptide-based nanoparticles have emerged as promising drug delivery systems for targeted cancer therapy. Yet, the biocompatibility of these nanoparticles has not been elucidated. Here, the in vitro biocompatibility and toxicity and in vivo immunocompatibility and bioactivity of the self/coassembling peptide AC8 in its nanoparticle form are evaluated.

Serum stability and physicochemical characterization of a novel amphipathic peptide C6M1 for siRNA delivery.

The efficient delivery of nucleic acids as therapeutic agents is a major challenge in gene therapy. Peptides have recently emerged as a novel carrier for delivery of drugs and genes. C6M1 is a designed amphipathic peptide with the ability to form stable complexes with short interfering RNA (siRNA).

Modification of a designed amphipathic cell-penetrating peptide and its effect on solubility, secondary structure, and uptake efficiency.

The development of safe and efficient nonviral gene delivery carriers has received a great deal of attention in the past decade. A class of amphipathic peptides has shown to be able to cross cell membranes and deliver cargo to the intracellular environment. Here, we introduce an 18-mer amphipathic peptide, C6M1, as a modified version of peptide C6 for short interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery.

Biocompatibility of engineered nanoparticles for drug delivery.

The rapid advancement of nanotechnology has raised the possibility of using engineered nanoparticles that interact within biological environments for treatment of diseases. Nanoparticles interacting with cells and the extracellular environment can trigger a sequence of biological effects. These effects largely depend on the dynamic physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles, which determine the biocompatibility and efficacy of the intended outcomes.

A new amphipathic, amino-acid-pairing (AAP) peptide as siRNA delivery carrier: physicochemical characterization and in vitro uptake.

RNA interference has emerged as a powerful tool in biological and pharmaceutical research; however, the enzymatic degradation and polyanionic nature of short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) lead to their poor cellular uptake and eventual biological effects. Among nonviral delivery systems, cell-penetrating peptides have been recently employed to improve the siRNA delivery efficiency. Here we introduce an 18-mer amphipathic, amino-acid-pairing peptide, C6, as an siRNA delivery carrier.

Self-assembling peptides: potential role in tumor targeting.

This review focuses on the application of two classes of peptides, i.e., self-assembling peptides (SAPs) and cell-targeting peptides (CTPs), in the development of nanocarrier delivery systems.

Peptide mediated siRNA delivery.

Applying RNA interference to silence a specific gene has opened a new and promising avenue of gene therapy. But a key bottleneck is the poor stability and inability of naked siRNA to translocate through cell membranes. Among several delivery systems, cationic peptides capable of penetrating cell membranes have drawn attention due to their structural and functional versatility, potential biocompatibility and ability to target cells.

Physicochemical characterization of siRNA-peptide complexes.

Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) trigger RNA interference (RNAi), where the complementary mRNA is degraded, resulting in silencing of the encoded protein. A delivery carrier is desired to increase the solution stability of siRNA and improve its cellular uptake to overcome its rapid enzymatic degradation and low transfection efficiency. In this study, Arginine-9 (R9), a cell-penetrating peptide derived from the HIV 1 Tat protein, was investigated as a potential carrier for siRNAs.