Tumour-Targeted Drug Delivery with Mannose-Functionalized Nanoparticles Self-Assembled from Amphiphilic β-Cyclodextrins.

Multivalent mannose-functionalized nanoparticles self-assembled from amphiphilic β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs) facilitate the targeted delivery of anticancer drugs to specific cancer cells. Doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded nanoparticles equipped with multivalent mannose target units were efficiently taken up via receptor-mediated endocytosis by MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells that overexpress the mannose receptor. Upon entering the cell, the intracellular pH causes the release of DOX, which triggers apoptosis.

Effect of Transition Metals on Polysialic Acid Structure and Functions.

Polysialic acid (PSA) is one of the most abundant glycopolymer present in embryonic brain, and it is known to be involved in key roles such as plasticity in the central nervous system, cell adhesion, migration and localization of neurotrophins. However, in adult brain, its expression is quite low. The exception to this is in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain, where significantly increased levels of polysilylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) have been reported.

Carbohydrates in Supramolecular Chemistry.

Carbohydrates are involved in a variety of biological processes. The ability of sugars to form a large number of hydrogen bonds has made them important components for supramolecular chemistry. We discuss recent advances in the use of carbohydrates in supramolecular chemistry and reveal that carbohydrates are useful building blocks for the stabilization of complex architectures.

Multivalency at Interfaces: Supramolecular Carbohydrate-Functionalized Graphene Derivatives for Bacterial Capture, Release, and Disinfection.

A supramolecular carbohydrate-functionalized two-dimensional (2D) surface was designed and synthesized by decorating thermally reduced graphene sheets with multivalent sugar ligands. The formation of host-guest inclusions on the carbon surface provides a versatile strategy, not only to increase the intrinsic water solubility of graphene-based materials, but more importantly to let the desired biofunctional binding groups bind to the surface. Combining the vital recognition role of carbohydrates and the unique 2D large flexible surface area of the graphene sheets, the addition of multivalent sugar ligands makes the resulting carbon material an excellent platform for selectively wrapping and agglutinating Escherichia coli (E.

Use of Boolean and fuzzy logics in lactose glycocluster research.

Fuzzy logic systems can be exploited for defining the degrees of true or false binding between calcium mediated multivalent lactose and peanut agglutinin lectin, which are difficult to define with Boolean logic.

Probing carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions by photoswitchable supramolecular glycoclusters.

The synthesis of photo-switchable glycoclusters with distinct sugar arrangements is described and the use of these clusters to study carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions (CCIs) is demonstrated.