Ultrasound (US), in combination with microbubbles, has been found to be a potential alternative to viral therapies for transfecting biological cells. The translation of this technique to the clinical environment, however, requires robust and systematic optimization of the acoustic parameters needed to achieve a desired therapeutic effect. Currently, a variety of different devices have been developed to transfect cells in vitro, resulting in a lack of standardized experimental conditions and difficulty in comparing results from different laboratories. To overcome this limitation, we propose an easy-to-fabricate and cost-effective device for application in US-mediated delivery of therapeutic compounds. It comprises a commercially available cell culture dish coupled with a silicon-based "lid" developed in-house that enables the device to be immersed in a water bath for US exposure. Described here are the design of the device, characterization of the sound field and fluid dynamics inside the chamber and an example protocol for a therapeutic delivery experiment.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2015.03.020 | DOI Listing |
J Mol Cell Cardiol Plus
September 2024
O'Brien Institute Department, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Victoria 3065, Australia.
Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is a mitochondrial fission protein and a viable target for cardioprotection against myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Here, we reported a novel Drp1 inhibitor (DRP1i1), delivered using a cardiac-targeted nanoparticle drug delivery system, as a more effective approach for achieving acute cardioprotection. DRP1i1 was encapsulated in cubosome nanoparticles with conjugated cardiac-homing peptides (NanoDRP1i1) and the encapsulation efficiency was 99.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFmRNA delivery offers new opportunities for disease treatment by directing cells to produce therapeutic proteins. However, designing highly stable mRNAs with programmable cell type-specificity remains a challenge. To address this, we measured the regulatory activity of 60,000 5' and 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) across six cell types and developed PARADE (Prediction And RAtional DEsign of mRNA UTRs), a generative AI framework to engineer untranslated RNA regions with tailored cell type-specific activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer Drug Resist
December 2024
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China.
Drug resistance is a major challenge in cancer therapy that often leads to treatment failure and disease relapse. Despite advancements in chemotherapeutic agents and targeted therapies, cancers often develop drug resistance, making these treatments ineffective. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have gained attention for their potential applications in drug delivery because of their natural origin, biocompatibility, and ability to cross biological barriers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Pharm X
June 2025
State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory for Sericulture Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Yibin Academy, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Systemic administration of methotrexate (MTX), widely regarded as one of the most effective treatments for psoriasis, poses significant challenges due to its high toxicity, limited solubility, and potential for adverse effects. Consequently, developing a topical form of MTX may offer a safer and more effective strategy for psoriasis management. Silk fibroin (SF), a protein-based biomacromolecule, has shown considerable promise as a nanocarrier for sustained and targeted drug delivery, owing to its exceptional physicochemical and biological properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFData Brief
February 2025
Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3M2, Canada.
Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) is currently administered orally to patients for treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection and as a part of a combination therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. A long-acting delivery system could provide several advantages as a formulation strategy for this drug including improved patient adherence, convenience, more consistent drug levels and potentially fewer side effects. To date, the vast majority of polymer-based long-acting delivery systems have been prepared from poly(lactide--glycolide) [1].
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!