Determining The Role of Surface Glycans in The Pharmacokinetics of Small Extracellular Vesicles.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are important mediators of intercellular communication and are thereby expected to be promising carriers for drug delivery. Understanding the factors that affect sEV pharmacokinetics is crucial for its application as a drug delivery carrier. In this study, the role of sEV surface glycans was investigated by evaluating the effects of enzymatic deglycosylation treatment on sEV pharmacokinetics.

Cytotoxic effects of secosterols and their derivatives on several cultured cells.

The cytotoxic effects of various oxysterols on several culture cells were examined. Ozonolysis products of cholesterol, secosterols (3β-hydroxy-5-oxo-5,6-secocholestan-6-al) and its aldolization product (3β-hydroxy-5β-hydroxy-B-norcholestane-6β-carboxaldehyde) and their keto alcohol and acid derivatives, were found to have potent cytotoxic activities, as compared with major endogenous oxysterols such as 5β,6β-epoxycholesterol, 7β-hydroxycholesterol, 7-ketocholesterol, and 25-hydroxycholesterol. Secosterols might play important roles in tissue damage and inflammation-associated diseases.