Intranasal Vaccination with Recombinant TLR2-Active Outer Membrane Vesicles Containing Sequential M2e Epitopes Protects against Lethal Influenza a Challenge.

Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease, resulting in an estimated 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness annually. While most influenza vaccines are administered parenterally via injection, one shortcoming is that they do not generate a strong immune response at the site of infection, which can become important in a pandemic. Intranasal vaccines can generate both local and systemic protective immune responses, can reduce costs, and enhance ease of administration.

Selective Accumulation of Near Infrared-Labeled Multivalent Quinidine Copolymers in Tumors Overexpressing P-Glycoprotein: Potential for Noninvasive Diagnostic Imaging.

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a promiscuous small molecule transporter whose overexpression in cancer is associated with multidrug resistance (MDR). In these instances, anticancer drugs can select for P-gp-overexpressing cells, leading to cancer recurrence with an MDR phenotype. To avoid selection for MDR cancers and inform individual patient treatment plans, it is critical to noninvasively identify P-gp-overexpressing tumors prior to administration of chemotherapy.

Biological Nanoparticles in Vaccine Development.

Vaccines represent one of the most successful public health initiatives worldwide. However, despite the vast number of highly effective vaccines, some infectious diseases still do not have vaccines available. New technologies are needed to fully realize the potential of vaccine development for both emerging infectious diseases and diseases for which there are currently no vaccines available.

Regulation of PTP1B activation through disruption of redox-complex formation.

We have identified a molecular interaction between the reversibly oxidized form of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and 14-3-3ζ that regulates PTP1B activity. Destabilizing the transient interaction between 14-3-3ζ and PTP1B prevented PTP1B inactivation by reactive oxygen species and decreased epidermal growth factor receptor phosphorylation. Our data suggest that destabilizing the interaction between 14-3-3ζ and the reversibly oxidized and inactive form of PTP1B may establish a path to PTP1B activation in cells.

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Single Molecule Protein Detection.

A two-step process of protein detection at a single molecule level using SERS was developed as a proof-of-concept platform for medical diagnostics. First, a protein molecule was bound to a linker in the bulk solution and then this adduct was chemically reacted with the SERS substrate. Traut's Reagent (TR) was used to thiolate Bovine serum albumin (BSA) in solution followed by chemical cross linking to a gold surface through a sulfhydryl group.

Biologically-derived nanomaterials for targeted therapeutic delivery to the brain.

Delivery of imaging agents and pharmaceutical payloads to the central nervous system (CNS) is essential for efficient diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases. However, therapeutic delivery is often restricted by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which prevents transport of clinical compounds to their region of interest. This review discusses the methods that have been used to avoid or overcome this barrier, presenting the use of biologically-derived nanomaterial systems as an efficient strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of CNS diseases.

MRI compatible MS2 nanoparticles designed to cross the blood-brain-barrier: providing a path towards tinnitus treatment.

Fundamental challenges of targeting specific brain regions for treatment using pharmacotherapeutic nanoparticle (NP) carriers include circumventing the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) and tracking delivery. Angiopep-2 (AP2) has been shown to facilitate the transport of large macromolecules and synthetic nanoparticles across the BBB. Thus, conjugation of AP2 to an MS2 bacteriophage based NP should also permit transport across the BBB.