Ultrasound and hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging enable the visualization of biological processes in deep tissues. However, few molecular contrast agents are available to connect these modalities to specific aspects of biological function. We recently discovered that a unique class of gas-filled protein nanostructures known as gas vesicles could serve as nanoscale molecular reporters for these modalities. However, the need to produce these nanostructures via expression in specialized cultures of cyanobacteria or haloarchaea limits their broader adoption by other laboratories and hinders genetic engineering of their properties. Here, we describe recombinant expression and purification of gas vesicles using a common laboratory strain of , and characterize the physical, acoustic and magnetic resonance properties of these nanostructures. Recombinantly expressed gas vesicles produce ultrasound and hyperpolarized Xe MRI contrast at sub-nanomolar concentrations, thus validating a simple platform for their production and engineering.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aic.16138 | DOI Listing |
Int Med Case Rep J
January 2025
Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia.
Introduction: Opportunistic infections (IO) are infections of microbiota (fungi, viruses, bacteria, or parasites) that generally do not cause disease but turn into pathogens when the body's defense system is compromised. This can be triggered by various factors, one of which is due to a weakened immune system due to Diabetes Mellitus (DM), which increases the occurrence of opportunistic infections, especially in the oral cavity. Fungal (oral candidiasis) and viral (recurrent intraoral herpes) infections can occur in the oral cavity of DM patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngew Chem Int Ed Engl
January 2025
Fudan University, Macromolecular Science, No.220, Handan Road, Yangpu District, 200433, Shanghai, CHINA.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as a gasotransmitter, not only plays a vital role in mediating many cellular activities but also manifests exciting applications in clinical therapy. However, one main obstacle in using H2S as a gaseous therapeutic agent is to realize on-demand storage and delivery of gas, and thus, it is of great importance to develop H2S-donating vehicle platforms. Although a variety of polymer-based gas-releasing carriers have been designed, almost all the systems are limited to spherical structures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Extracell Vesicles
January 2025
Cell-Tech HUB and Institute for Research and Biomedical Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Palermo, Italy.
The application of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as therapeutics or nanocarriers in cell-free therapies necessitates meticulous evaluations of different features, including their identity, bioactivity, batch-to-batch reproducibility, and stability. Given the inherent heterogeneity in EV preparations, this assessment demands sensitive functional assays to provide key quality control metrics, complementing established methods to ensure that EV preparations meet the required functionality and quality standards. Here, we introduce the detectEV assay, an enzymatic-based approach for assessing EV luminal cargo bioactivity and membrane integrity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe rapid growth, invasiveness, and resistance to treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) underscore the urgent need for improved diagnostics and therapies. Current surgical practice is limited by challenges with intraoperative imaging, while recurrence monitoring requires expensive magnetic resonance or nuclear imaging scans. Here we introduce 'acoustic tumor paint', an approach to labeling brain tumors for ultrasound imaging, a widely accessible imaging modality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRSC Adv
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing 400016 China +86-13708302390.
Nanomedicine enables precision-targeted therapies through a non-invasive approach, and nanoparticles may be biologically affected during their colonization . Ensuring the efficient expression of their performance , while ensuring biosafety, is of great significance. Previous studies have employed genetically engineered following entry as a genetically engineered targeting synergist, to enhance the effect of focused ultrasound ablation by exploiting its targeted colonization of tumor tissue.
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