Controlled self-assembly of macrocyclic peptide into multifunctional photoluminescent nanoparticles.

Self-assembled peptide nanoparticles are unique stimuli responsive biodegradable materials with applications in biomedicines as delivery carriers and imaging agents. This study investigates the controlled self-assembly of chicken Angiogenin 4 derived immunomodulatory macrocyclic peptide (mCA4-5) in the presence of an inert amphipathic stabilizing peptide and as a function of pH, temperature and presence of ions to yield optically active, physiologically stable and biodegradable peptide nanoparticles. The photoluminescent peptide nanoparticles (PLPNs) produced were characterized for the size, surface charge, optical properties and crystallinity.

Clinical Advances in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment: Focus on Poly (L-lactide-coglycolide) Nanoparticles.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive type of breast cancer and is associated with high probability of metastasis and poor prognosis. Chemotherapeutics and surgery remain the most common options for TNBC patients; however, chemotherapeutic resistance and relapse of tumors limit the progression free survival and patient life span. This review provides an overview of recent chemotherapeutics that are in clinical trial, and the combination of drugs that are being investigated to overcome the drug resistance and to improve patient survival in different molecular subtypes of TNBCs.

Enhanced Cryopreservation Efficacies of Ice Recrystallization Inhibiting Nanogels.

Development of new cryopreservation technologies holds significant potential to revolutionize the fields of cell culture, tissue engineering, assisted reproduction, and transfusion medicine. The current gold standard small-cell permeating cryopreservation agents (CPAs) demonstrate promising cryopreservation efficacies but are cytotoxic and immunogenic at the concentrations required for cryopreservation applications. In comparison, new cell impermeable CPAs of nanodimensions demonstrate outstanding potential to overcome the drawbacks of existing CPAs.

Metastatic Breast Cancer: Review of Emerging Nanotherapeutics.

Metastases of breast cancer (BC) are often referred to as stage IV breast cancer due to their severity and high rate of mortality. The median survival time of patients with metastatic BC is reduced to 3 years. Currently, the treatment regimens for metastatic BC are similar to the primary cancer therapeutics and are limited to conventional chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery.

Curcumin loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles for activity-enhanced antibacterial and anticancer applications.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles and curcumin have been shown to be excellent antimicrobial agents and promising anticancer agents, both on their own as well as in combination. Together, they have potential as alternatives/supplements to antibiotics and traditional anticancer drugs. In this study, different morphologies of zinc oxide-grafted curcumin nanocomposites (ZNP-Cs) were synthesized and characterized using SEM, TGA, FTIR, XRD and UV-vis spectrophotometry.

Antimicrobial and Alpha-Amylase Inhibitory Activities of Organic Extracts of Selected Sri Lankan Bryophytes.

Medicinal plants have been the main focus of natural product research. However, recent research has revealed that lower plants including bryophytes are also a major resource of biologically active compounds with novel structures. Sri Lanka is considered as a biodiversity hotspot with a higher degree of endemism flora including bryophytes.

Drug-Loaded Halloysite Nanotube-Reinforced Electrospun Alginate-Based Nanofibrous Scaffolds with Sustained Antimicrobial Protection.

Halloysite nanotube (HNT)-reinforced alginate-based nanofibrous scaffolds were successfully fabricated by electrospinning to mimic the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) structure which is beneficial for tissue regeneration. An antiseptic drug, cephalexin (CEF)-loaded HNT, was incorporated into the alginate-based matrix to obtain sustained antimicrobial protection and robust mechanical properties, the key criteria for tissue engineering applications. Electron microscopic imaging and drug release studies revealed that CEF had penetrated into the lumen space of the HNT and also deposited on the outer walls, with a total loading capacity of 30 wt %.

Antimicrobial activities of endophytic fungi of the Sri Lankan aquatic plant and chaetoglobosin A and C, produced by the endophytic fungus .

Twenty distinct endophytic fungi were isolated from the surface-sterilized plant parts of and were identified using morphological and molecular techniques. At 300 µg/disc concentration, eight of the 20 fungal extracts exhibited antimicrobial activities against (ATCC 25923) and (ATCC 11778) while two within the eight showed activity against (ATCC 9027) and (ATCC 35218). Furthermore, investigation of the crude extract of resulted in the isolation of two known cytochalasans, chaetoglobosin A and C, and their structures were elucidated and confirmed by mass and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (H, C, COSY, HSQC, HMBC and tROESY) spectral data.