Water-Soluble Bimodal Magnetic-Fluorescent Radical Dendrimers as Potential MRI-FI Imaging Probes.

Dual or multimodal imaging probes have become potent tools for enhancing detection sensitivity and accuracy in disease diagnosis. In this context, we present a bimodal imaging dendrimer-based structure that integrates magnetic and fluorescent imaging probes for potential applications in magnetic resonance imaging and fluorescence imaging. It stands out as one of the rare examples where bimodal imaging probes use organic radicals as the magnetic source, despite their tendency to entirely quench fluorophore fluorescence.

Pegylated-polycaprolactone nano-sized drug delivery platforms loaded with biocompatible silver(i) complexes for anticancer therapeutics.

Cytotoxic potential of Ag(i) coordination compounds against cancer cells is widely recognized, but their frequently low water solubility and potential adverse interactions of Ag(i) ions in biological media require their incorporation into suitable platforms to ensure effective transport and delivery at target sites. Herein, we developed and evaluated the cytotoxic activity of a biodegradable copolymer-based nano-sized drug delivery system for three cytotoxically active and lipophillic Ag(i) compounds. In particular, polymer-based nanoparticles of the newly synthesized amphiphilic methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(caprolactone) () copolymer were prepared as carriers for [Ag(dmp2SH)(PPh)]NO (1), [Ag(dmp2SH)(xantphos)]NO (2) and [Ag(dmp2S)(xantphos)] (3) (dmP2SH = 4,6-dimethylpyrimidine-2-thiol, xantphos = 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-9,9-dimethylxanthene) which exhibit high cytotoxicity against HeLa cancer cells, while they maintain low toxicity against HDFa normal cells.

Design and Synthesis of Porphyrin-Nitrilotriacetic Acid Dyads with Potential Applications in Peptide Labeling through Metallochelate Coupling.

The need to detect and monitor biomolecules, especially within cells, has led to the emerging growth of fluorescent probes. One of the most commonly used labeling techniques for this purpose is reversible metallochelate coupling via a nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) moiety. In this study, we focus on the synthesis and characterization of three new porphyrin-NTA dyads, , , and composed of a porphyrin derivative covalently connected with a modified nitrilotriacetic acid chelate ligand (NTA), for possible metallochelate coupling with Ni ions and histidine sequences.

Laser Nanostructuring for Diffraction Grating Based Surface Plasmon-Resonance Sensors.

The surface plasmon resonance properties of highly regular laser-induced periodic surface structures (HR-LIPSSs) on Si, functionalized with Au nanoparticles (NPs), were investigated. In particular, the spectral dependencies of polarized light reflectance at various angles of incidence were measured and discussed. It is found that the deposition of Au NPs on such periodically textured substrates leads to significant enhancement of the plasmon resonance properties, compared to that measured on planar ones.

Combined effect of shear stress and laser-patterned topography on Schwann cell outgrowth: synergistic or antagonistic?

Although the peripheral nervous system exhibits a higher rate of regeneration than that of the central nervous system through a spontaneous regeneration after injury, the functional recovery is fairly infrequent and misdirected. Thus, the development of successful methods to guide neuronal outgrowth, in vitro, is of great importance. In this study, a precise flow controlled microfluidic system with specific custom-designed chambers, incorporating laser-microstructured polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates comprising microgrooves, was fabricated to assess the combined effect of shear stress and topography on Schwann cells' behavior.

Supramolecular Nanodrugs Constructed by Self-Assembly of Peptide Nucleic Acid-Photosensitizer Conjugates for Photodynamic Therapy.

Two hybrid materials were designed by conjugating peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) to porphyrin or boron-dipyrromethene, generating PNA-porphyrin (PNA-TPP) and PNA-BODIPY (PNA-BDP) conjugates, respectively. Because of the combination of the supramolecular characteristics of PNAs and photosensitizers, the two hybrid conjugates readily self-assemble in aqueous solutions and produce well-defined nanoparticles with uniform particle sizes. The resulting two kinds of nanoparticles show good stability in biological solutions and upon dilution.

Femtosecond Laser Fabrication of Stable Hydrophilic and Anti-Corrosive Steel Surfaces.

We report on a novel single-step method to develop steel surfaces with permanent highly hydrophilic and anti-corrosive properties, without employing any chemical coating. It is based on the femtosecond (fs) laser processing in a saturated background gas atmosphere. It is particularly shown that the fs laser microstructuring of steel in the presence of ammonia gas gives rise to pseudoperiodic arrays of microcones exhibiting highly hydrophilic properties, which are stable over time.

Self-assembly of aliphatic dipeptides coupled with porphyrin and BODIPY chromophores.

In this work, the self assembly ability of chromophores covalently linked to aliphatic dipeptides is described. Altering various parameters such as the protecting group, the solvent mixture, the dipeptide and the chromophore resulted in different nanostructures. Interestingly, a peptide-porphyrin hybrid is capable of forming a hydrogel in HFIP-water solvent mixture.

Engineering Cell Adhesion and Orientation via Ultrafast Laser Fabricated Microstructured Substrates.

Cell responses depend on the stimuli received by the surrounding extracellular environment, which provides the cues required for adhesion, orientation, proliferation, and differentiation at the micro and the nano scales. In this study, discontinuous microcones on silicon (Si) and continuous microgrooves on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates were fabricated via ultrashort pulsed laser irradiation at various fluences, resulting in microstructures with different magnitudes of roughness and varying geometrical characteristics. The topographical models attained were specifically developed to imitate the guidance and alignment of Schwann cells for the oriented axonal regrowth that occurs in nerve regeneration.

Cells on hierarchically-structured platforms hosting functionalized nanoparticles.

In this work, we report on a novel approach to develop hierarchically-structured cell culture platforms incorporating functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). In particular, the hierarchical substrates comprise primary pseudo-periodic arrays of silicon microcones combined with a secondary nanoscale pattern of homogeneously deposited AuNPs terminated with bio-functional moieties. AuNPs with various functionalities (i.

A switchable self-assembling and disassembling chiral system based on a porphyrin-substituted phenylalanine-phenylalanine motif.

Artificial light-harvesting systems have until now not been able to self-assemble into structures with a large photon capture cross-section that upon a stimulus reversibly can switch into an inactive state. Here we describe a simple and robust FLFL-dipeptide construct to which a meso-tetraphenylporphyrin has been appended and which self-assembles to fibrils, platelets or nanospheres depending on the solvent composition. The fibrils, functioning as quenched antennas, give intense excitonic couplets in the electronic circular dichroism spectra which are mirror imaged if the unnatural FDFD-analogue is used.

Application of multispectral imaging detects areas with neuronal myelin loss, without tissue labelling.

The application of multispectral imaging to discriminate myelinated and demyelinated areas of neural tissue is herein presented. The method is applied through a custom-made, multispectral imaging monochromator, coupled to a commercially available microscope. In the present work, a series of spinal cord sections were analysed derived from mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an experimental model widely used to study multiple sclerosis (MS).

Data in support on the shape of Schwann cells and sympathetic neurons onto microconically structured silicon surfaces.

This article contains data related to the research article entitled "Laser fabricated discontinuous anisotropic microconical substrates as a new model scaffold to control the directionality of neuronal network outgrowth" in the Biomaterials journal [1]. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis is performed to investigate whether Schwann cells and sympathetic neurons alter their morphology according to the underlying topography, comprising arrays of silicon microcones with anisotropic geometrical characteristics [1]. It is observed that although soma of sympathetic neurons always preserves its round shape, this is not the case for Schwann cells that become highly polarized in high roughness microconical substrates.

Laser fabricated discontinuous anisotropic microconical substrates as a new model scaffold to control the directionality of neuronal network outgrowth.

Patterning of neuronal outgrowth in vitro is important in tissue engineering as well as for the development of neuronal interfaces with desirable characteristics. To date, this has been achieved with the aid of micro- and nanofabrication techniques giving rise to various anisotropic topographies, either in the form of continuous or discontinuous structures. In this study we propose a currently unexplored geometry of a 3D culture substrate for neuronal cell growth comprising discontinuous subcellular microstructures with anisotropic geometrical cross-section.