Teaching and learning in biophotonics: Crossing the bridge between educators and students.

As a rapidly growing field, biophotonics demonstrates an increasingly higher demand for interdisciplinary professionals and requires the implementation of a structured approach to educational and outreach activities focused on appropriate curriculum, and teaching and learning for audiences with diverse technical backgrounds and learning styles. Our study shows the main findings upon applying this approach to biophotonics workshops delivered 2 consecutive years while updating and improving learning outcomes, teaching strategies, workshop content based on student and teacher feedback. We provided resources for a variety of lecture-based, experimental, computer simulation activities.

Evaluation of Selenomethionine Entrapped in Nanoparticles for Oral Supplementation Using In Vitro, Ex Vivo and In Vivo Models.

Selenium methionine (SeMet) is an essential micronutrient required for normal body function and is associated with additional health benefits. However, oral administration of SeMet can be challenging due to its purported narrow therapeutic index, low oral bioavailability, and high susceptibility to oxidation. To address these issues, SeMet was entrapped in zein-coated nanoparticles made from chitosan using an ionic gelation formulation.

Formulation, Characterisation and Evaluation of the Antihypertensive Peptides, Isoleucine-Proline-Proline and Leucine-Lysine-Proline in Chitosan Nanoparticles Coated with Zein for Oral Drug Delivery.

Isoleucine-Proline-Proline (IPP) and Leucine-Lysine-Proline (LKP) are food-derived tripeptides whose antihypertensive functions have been demonstrated in hypertensive rat models. However, peptides display low oral bioavailability due to poor intestinal epithelial permeability and instability. IPP and LKP were formulated into nanoparticles (NP) using chitosan (CL113) via ionotropic gelation and then coated with zein.

Lasmiditan for Patients with Migraine and Contraindications to Triptans: A Post Hoc Analysis.

Introduction: As 5-HT receptor agonists, triptans produce vasoconstriction and have cardiovascular contraindications and precautions. Lasmiditan, a selective 5-HT receptor agonist, has a low affinity for 5-HT receptors, does not cause vasoconstriction, and is free of cardiovascular contraindications and precautions. The objective of this post hoc analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lasmiditan in patients with and without at least one triptan contraindication.

Nutraceutical formulation, characterisation, and in-vitro evaluation of methylselenocysteine and selenocystine using food derived chitosan:zein nanoparticles.

Selenoamino acids (SeAAs) have been shown to possess antioxidant and anticancer properties. However, their bioaccessibility is low and they may be toxic above the recommended nutritional intake level, thus improved targeted oral delivery methods are desirable. In this work, the SeAAs, Methylselenocysteine (MSC) and selenocystine (SeCys) were encapsulated into nanoparticles (NPs) using the mucoadhesive polymer chitosan (Cs), via ionotropic gelation with tripolyphosphate (TPP) and the NPs produced were then coated with zein (a maize derived prolamine rich protein).

Application of Box-Behnken experimental design for the formulation and optimisation of selenomethionine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles coated with zein for oral delivery.

Selenomethionine is an essential amino acid with a narrow therapeutic index and susceptibility to oxidation. Here it was encapsulated into a nanoparticle composed of chitosan cross-linked with tripolyphosphate for oral delivery. The formulation was optimised using a three-factor Box-Behnken experimental design.

Sodium caprate enables the blood pressure-lowering effect of Ile-Pro-Pro and Leu-Lys-Pro in spontaneously hypertensive rats by indirectly overcoming PepT1 inhibition.

The tripeptides, Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP) and Leu-Lys-Pro (LKP), inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) resulting in lowered blood pressure. Our hypothesis was that the medium chain fatty acid permeation enhancer, sodium caprate (C), may prevent the decrease in permeability of the tripeptides when PepT1 is inhibited by glycyl-sarcosine (Gly-Sar), a situation that may occur in the presence of food hydrolysates. Using Caco-2 monolayers and isolated rat jejunal tissue, the apparent permeability coefficients (P) of [H]-IPP and [H]-LKP were assessed in the presence of Gly-Sar with and without C.

Formulation, Characterization and Stability Assessment of a Food-Derived Tripeptide, Leucine-Lysine-Proline Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles.

The chicken- or fish-derived tripeptide, leucine-lysine-proline (LKP), inhibits the angiotensin converting enzyme and may be used as an alternative treatment for prehypertension. However, it has low permeation across the small intestine. The formulation of LKP into a nanoparticle (NP) has the potential to address this issue.

Evaluation of PepT1 transport of food-derived antihypertensive peptides, Ile-Pro-Pro and Leu-Lys-Pro using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo transport models.

Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP) and Leu-Lys-Pro (LKP) are food-derived antihypertensive peptides which inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and may have potential to attenuate hypertension. There is debate over their mechanism of uptake across small intestinal epithelia, but paracellular and PepT1 carrier-mediated uptake are thought to be important routes. The aim of this study was to determine their routes of intestinal permeability using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo intestinal models.

Exercise as a pro-cognitive, pro-neurogenic and anti-inflammatory intervention in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.

It is now well established, at least in animal models, that exercise elicits potent pro-cognitive and pro-neurogenic effects. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the leading causes of dementia and represents one of the greatest burdens on healthcare systems worldwide, with no effective treatment for the disease to date. Exercise presents a promising non-pharmacological option to potentially delay the onset of or slow down the progression of AD.

Neuroinflammation negatively affects adult hippocampal neurogenesis and cognition: can exercise compensate?

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is believed to be integral for certain forms of learning and memory. Dysregulation of hippocampal neurogenesis has been shown to be an important mechanism underlying the cognitive impairment associated with normal aging, as well as the cognitive deficits evident in preclinical models of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Neuroinflammation is a significant pathological feature of these conditions; it contributes to the observed cognitive decline, and recent evidence demonstrates that it also negatively affects hippocampal neurogenesis.

Stability, toxicity and intestinal permeation enhancement of two food-derived antihypertensive tripeptides, Ile-Pro-Pro and Leu-Lys-Pro.

Two food-derived ACE inhibitory peptides, Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP) and Leu-Lys-Pro (LKP), may have potential as alternative treatments for treatment of mild- or pre-hypertension. Lack of stability to secretory and intracellular peptidases and poor permeability across intestinal epithelia are typical limiting factors of oral delivery of peptides. The stability of IPP and LKP was confirmed in vitro in rat intestinal washes, and intestinal and liver homogenates over 60min.

Progress in the delivery of nanoparticle constructs: towards clinical translation.

The application of nanoparticle constructs in drug delivery and nanomedicine is anticipated to have a great impact on future public health. Progress in this area is expected to address some of modern medicine's unresolved problems and recent literature contains many articles discussing this topic. We focus here on recent nanomedicine developments mainly in relation to cancer, which have either being approved for the market or clinical trials.

First-in-class thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-based compound binds to a pharmacologically distinct TRH receptor subtype in human brain and is effective in neurodegenerative models.

JAK4D, a first-in-class thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-based compound, is a prospective therapeutic candidate offering a multifaceted approach to treating neurodegeneration and other CNS conditions. The purpose of these studies was to determine the ability of JAK4D to bind to TRH receptors in human brain and to evaluate its neuropharmacological effects in neurodegenerative animal models. Additionally, JAK4D brain permeation was examined in mouse, and initial toxicology was assessed in vivo and in vitro.

Negative regulation of TLX by IL-1β correlates with an inhibition of adult hippocampal neural precursor cell proliferation.

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is modulated by a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors including local signalling molecules, exercise, aging and inflammation. Inflammation is also a major contributor to several hippocampal-associated disorders. Interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) is the most predominant pro-inflammatory cytokine in the brain, and an increase in its concentration is known to decrease the proliferation of both embryonic and adult hippocampal neural precursor cells (NPCs).

An intra-articular salmon calcitonin-based nanocomplex reduces experimental inflammatory arthritis.

Prolonged inappropriate inflammatory responses contribute to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to aspects of osteoarthritis (OA). The orphan nuclear receptor, NR4A2, is a key regulator and potential biomarker for inflammation and represents a potentially valuable therapeutic target. Both salmon calcitonin (sCT) and hyaluronic acid (HA) attenuated activated mRNA expression of NR4A1, NR4A2, NR4A3, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 1, 3 and 13 in three human cell lines: SW1353 chondrocytes, U937 and THP-1 monocytes.

Direct peptide bioconjugation/PEGylation at tyrosine with linear and branched polymeric diazonium salts.

Direct polymer conjugation at peptide tyrosine residues is described. In this study Tyr residues of both leucine enkephalin and salmon calcitonin (sCT) were targeted using appropriate diazonium salt-terminated linear monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)s (mPEGs) and poly(mPEG) methacrylate prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization. Judicious choice of the reaction conditions-pH, stoichiometry, and chemical structure of diazonium salt-led to a high degree of site-specificity in the conjugation reaction, even in the presence of competitive peptide amino acid targets such as histidine, lysines, and N-terminal amine.

PK/PD modelling of comb-shaped PEGylated salmon calcitonin conjugates of differing molecular weights.

Salmon calcitonin (sCT) was conjugated via cysteine-1 to novel comb-shaped end-functionalised (poly(PEG) methyl ether methacrylate) (sCT-P) polymers, to yield conjugates of total molecular weights (MW) inclusive of sCT: 6.5, 9.5, 23 and 40kDa.

In vitro and in vivo characterisation of a novel peptide delivery system: amphiphilic polyelectrolyte-salmon calcitonin nanocomplexes.

The cationic peptide, salmon calcitonin (sCT) was complexed with the cationic amphiphilic polyelectrolyte, poly(allyl)amine, grafted with palmitoyl and quaternary ammonium moieties at pH 5.0 and 7.4 to yield particulates (sCT-QPa).

Antibacterial effects of poly(2-(dimethylamino ethyl)methacrylate) against selected gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Antimicrobial coatings can reduce the occurrence of medical device-related bacterial infections. Poly(2-(dimethylamino ethyl)methacrylate) (pDMAEMA) is one such polymer that is being researched in this regard. The aims of this study were to (1) elucidate pDMAEMA's antimicrobial activity against a range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and (2) to investigate its antimicrobial mode of action.

Phosphine-mediated one-pot thiol-ene "click" approach to polymer-protein conjugates.

We employ water-soluble organic phosphines as key reagents in a one-pot synthetic protocol where a (poly)peptide disulfide bridge is first reduced followed by subsequent reaction of the two thiols in situ with poly(monomethoxy ethylene glycol)(meth)acrylates (p(mPEG)(M)A); we use salmon calcitonin (sCT) as a disulfide bridge-containing peptide, which contains a disulfide bridge-Cys1-Cys7-that can be reduced to give two sulfhydryl units available for thiol functionalisation; bioactivity is retained.

Conjugation of salmon calcitonin to a combed-shaped end functionalized poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) yields a bioactive stable conjugate.

Salmon calcitonin (sCT) was conjugated via its N-terminal cysteine to a comb-shaped end-functionalized poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (PolyPEG, 6.5 kDa), and to linear PEG (5 kDa). Conjugate molecular weight and purity was assessed by SEC-HPLC and MALDI-TOF MS.

Dexamethasone-pDMAEMA polymeric conjugates reduce inflammatory biomarkers in human intestinal epithelial monolayers.

The mucoadhesive polymer, poly(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate, (pDMAEMA), was synthesised by living radical polymerisation and subsequently conjugated by quaternisation reaction to a functionalised anti-inflammatory corticosteroid dexamethasone, to separately yield two conjugates with either 9:1 or 18:1 molar ratios of dexamethasone:polymer respectively. The hypothesis was to test whether the active agent maintained in vitro bioactivity when exposed to the apical side of human intestinal epithelial monolayers, Caco-2 and mucus-covered HT29-MTX-E12 (E12). HPLC analysis indicated high conjugate purity.

Advances in PEGylation of important biotech molecules: delivery aspects.

Background: Although various injected peptide and protein therapeutics have been developed successfully over the past 25 years, several pharmacokinetic and immunological challenges are still encountered that can limit the efficacy of both novel and established biotech molecules.

Objective And Method: PEGylation is a popular technique to address such properties. PEGylated drugs exhibit prolonged half-life, higher stability, water solubility, lower immunogenicity and antigenicity, as well as potential for specific cell targeting.

Screening for and identification of starch-, amylopectin-, and pullulan-degrading activities in bifidobacterial strains.

Forty-two bifidobacterial strains were screened for alpha-amylase and/or pullulanase activity by investigating their capacities to utilize starch, amylopectin, or pullulan. Of the 42 bifidobacterial strains tested, 19 were capable of degrading potato starch. Of these 19 strains, 11 were able to degrade starch and amylopectin, as well as pullulan.