Monitoring of Nutrients, Metabolites, IgG Titer, and Cell Densities in 10 L Bioreactors Using Raman Spectroscopy and PLS Regression Models.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell metabolism is complex, influenced by nutrients like glucose and glutamine and metabolites such as lactate. Real-time monitoring is necessary for optimizing culture conditions and ensuring consistent product quality. Raman spectroscopy has emerged as a robust process analytical technology (PAT) tool due to its non-invasive, in situ capabilities.

Strat-M® positioning for skin permeation studies: A comparative study including EpiSkin® RHE, and human skin.

In the development and optimization of dermatological products, In Vitro Permeation Testing (IVPT) is pivotal for controlled study of skin penetration. To enhance standardization and replicate human skin properties reconstructed human skin and synthetic membranes are explored as alternatives. Strat-M® is a membrane designed to mimic the multi-layered structure of human skin for IVPT.

Efficiency of emulsifier-free emulsions in delivering caffeine and α-tocopherol to human skin.

Objective: Increasing consumer demand for natural and environmentally friendly products is driving the cosmetic industry to seek greener and safer processes. High-frequency ultrasound technology (HFUT) stabilizes emulsions without adding emulsifying surfactants (ES). In this work, the formulation characteristics of an HFUT-treated emulsion and a Reference emulsion were compared for both caffeine and α-tocopherol.

Photosensitizers incorporation in SOPC films at different hydration levels.

In the present work, two photosensitizing drugs, Temoporfin and Verteporfin have been studied. Both have regular approval in Europe, Temoporfin for the treatment of head and neck cancers and Verteporfin for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The treatment modality, known as "Photodynamic Therapy" (PDT), involves drug activation with visible light in the presence of oxygen and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to destroy the pathological tissues.

Estimating the Analytical Performance of Raman Spectroscopy for Quantification of Active Ingredients in Human .

Confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) has become a versatile technique that can be applied routinely to monitor skin penetration of active molecules. In the present study, CRM coupled to multivariate analysis (namely PLSR-partial least squares regression) is used for the quantitative measurement of an active ingredient (AI) applied to isolated (ex vivo) human (SC), using systematically varied doses of resorcinol, as model compound, and the performance is quantified according to key figures of merit defined by regulatory bodies (ICH, FDA, and EMA). A methodology is thus demonstrated to establish the limit of detection (LOD), precision, accuracy, sensitivity (SEN), and selectivity (SEL) of the technique, and the performance according to these key figures of merit is compared to that of similar established methodologies, based on studies available in literature.

Monitoring the water content in NADES extracts from spirulina biomass by means of ATR-IR spectroscopy.

Attenuated total reflectance-infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) coupled with partial least squares regression (PLSR) was evaluated as a rapid, label free and cost-effective tool to quantify water content in extracts obtained from spirulina wet biomass using a glucose glycerol natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES). NADESs are green, renewable and biodegradable solvents with unique properties outcompeting existing organic solvents, for instance, for plant or biomass extraction. The properties of NADESs depend critically on their water concentration, and therefore, it is essential to develop methods to monitor it, to ensure optimal extraction efficiency and experimental repeatability to achieve a better standardization of extraction protocols.

Two-step formulation of magnetic nanoprobes for microRNA capture.

MicroRNAs (miRs) belong to a family of short non-coding endogenous RNAs. Their over-expression correlates with various pathologies: for instance, miRNA-155 (miR-155) is over-expressed upon the development of breast cancers. However, the detection of miRs as disease biomarkers suffers from insufficient sensitivity.

Freezing Weakens the Barrier Function of Reconstructed Human Epidermis as Evidenced by Raman Spectroscopy and Percutaneous Permeation.

The development and characterization of reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) is an active area of R&D. RHE can replace animal tissues in pharmaceutical, toxicological and cosmetic sciences, yielding scientific and ethical advantages. RHEs remain costly, however, due to consumables and time required for their culture and a short shelf-life.

One-step synthesis of gold nanoflowers of tunable size and absorption wavelength in the red & deep red range for SERS spectroscopy.

We describe a novel protocol for a one-step, seed-less, organic solvent- and surfactant-free synthesis of optically dense aqueous colloids of gold nanoflowers (AuNF), with tunable absorption wavelength between 620 and 800 nm. We demonstrate that simple variation of the ratio of two reagents allows the plasmonic band position to be tuned to any desired wavelength ± 5 nm, namely to those of the laser sources commonly used for SERS spectroscopy. The AuNF size distribution was sufficiently narrow, comparable to that known with seed-mediated synthesis.

gH625 Cell-Penetrating Peptide Promotes the Endosomal Escape of Nanovectorized siRNA in a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Line.

The use of small interfering RNA (siRNA) to regulate oncogenes appears as a promising strategy in the context of cancer therapy, especially if they are vectorized by a smart delivery system. In this study, we investigated the cellular trafficking of a siRNA nanovector (called CS-MSN) functionalized with the cell-penetrating peptide gH625 in a triple-negative breast cancer model. With complementary techniques, we showed that siRNA nanovectors were internalized by both clathrin- and caveolae-mediated endocytosis.

1,1-Diheterocyclic Ethylenes Derived from Quinaldine and Carbazole as New Tubulin-Polymerization Inhibitors: Synthesis, Metabolism, and Biological Evaluation.

We report the synthesis and metabolic and biological evaluation of a series of 17 novel heterocyclic derivatives of isocombretastatin-A4 (iso-CA-4) and their structure-activity relationships. Among these derivatives, the most active compound, 4f, inhibited the growth of a panel of seven cancer cell lines with an IC in the low nanomolar range. In addition, 4f showed interesting activity against CA-4-resistant colon-carcinoma cells and multidrug-resistant leukemia cells.

Design and Synthesis of Tubulin and Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Based on iso-Combretastatin A-4.

Designing multitarget drugs have raised considerable interest due to their advantages in the treatment of complex diseases such as cancer. Their design constitutes a challenge in antitumor drug discovery. The present study reports a dual inhibition of tubulin polymerization and HDAC activity.

Qualitative and Quantitative Study of the Potential of Lipid Nanocapsules of One Hundred Twenty Nanometers for the Topical Administration of Hydrophobic Molecules.

In this study, we evaluated the potential of lipid nanocapsules (LNC) of 120 nm as drug nanocarriers to treat skin diseases. As a model molecule, we encapsulated the fluorescent dye curcumin, which also is an antioxidant. Curcumin-loaded LNC showed interesting antioxidant properties and a low toxicity on human skin cells.

On the interaction of alginate-based core-shell nanocarriers with keratinocytes in vitro.

Calcium alginate nanocarriers (CaANCs) were developed as a potential tool for delivery of hydrophobic active molecules such as pharmaceutical and cosmetic active ingredients. In this study, we focused on interactions between CaANCs and keratinocytes in culture and examined toxicity, internalization and drug release. Prior to cellular interactions, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy images showed that CaANCs appear as regular, spherical and dense particles, giving evidence of the surface gelation of CaANCs.

Analysis of doxorubicin distribution in MCF-7 cells treated with drug-loaded nanoparticles by combination of two fluorescence-based techniques, confocal spectral imaging and capillary electrophoresis.

The intracellular distribution of the antiancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was followed qualitatively by fluorescence confocal spectral imaging (FCSI) and quantitatively by capillary electrophoresis (CE). FCSI permits the localization of the major fluorescent species in cell compartments, with spectral shifts indicating the polarity of the respective environment. However, distinction between drug and metabolites by FCSI is difficult due to their similar fluorochromes, and direct quantification of their fluorescence is complicated by quantum yield variation between different subcellular environments.

Colloidal stability and thermo-responsive properties of iron oxide nanoparticles coated with polymers: advantages of Pluronic® F68-PEG mixture.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are recognized to be an attractive platform for developing novel drug delivery approaches and thus several types of functionalized magnetic nanocarriers based on SPIONs have been synthesized and studied. The coating of the metal oxide surface was achieved in a one-pot synthesis with biocompatible polyethylene glycol (PEG) and thermo-responsive modified Pluronic® F68. The resulting thermo-responsive magnetic nanocarriers can incorporate water insoluble drugs into their hydrophobic compartment and later release them in a temperature dependent manner.

Magnetic nanocarriers of doxorubicin coated with poly(ethylene glycol) and folic acid: relation between coating structure, surface properties, colloidal stability, and cancer cell targeting.

We report the efficient one-step synthesis and detailed physicochemical evaluation of novel biocompatible nanosystems useful for cancer therapeutics and diagnostics (theranostics). These systems are the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) carrying the anticancer drug doxorubicin and coated with the covalently bonded biocompatible polymer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), native and modified with the biological cancer targeting ligand folic acid (PEG-FA). These multifunctional nanoparticles (SPION-DOX-PEG-FA) are designed to rationally combine multilevel mechanisms of cancer cell targeting (magnetic and biological), bimodal cancer cell imaging (by means of MRI and fluorescence), and bimodal cancer treatment (by targeted drug delivery and by hyperthermia effect).

Poly(ethylene glycol)-stabilized silver nanoparticles for bioanalytical applications of SERS spectroscopy.

The present work depicts the efficient one-step synthesis and detailed evaluation of stable aqueous colloids of silver nanoparticles (NPs) coated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) covalently attached to their surface. Due to steric repulsion between polymer-modified surfaces, the stability of the nanoparticle suspension was preserved even at high ionic strength (0.1 M NaCl).

Nanovectors for anticancer agents based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles.

During the last decade, the application of nanotechnologies for anticancer drug delivery has been extensively explored, hoping to improve the efficacy and to reduce side effects of chemotherapy. The present review is dedicated to a certain kind of anticancer drug nanovectors developed to target tumors with the help of an external magnetic field. More particularly, this work treats anticancer drug nanoformulations based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with biocompatible polymers.

On the interaction of doxorubicin with oleate ions: fluorescence spectroscopy and liquid-liquid extraction study.

Increase of lipophilicity of cationic doxorubicin (DOX) by its association with a fatty acid ion is of interest for pharmaceutical formulations and could have an impact on the drug delivery into cancer cells. On the basis of spectroscopic analysis of intrinsic DOX fluorescence, this study provides an experimental evidence of DOX-oleate interactions as function of ion/drug molar ratio (R) and pH. An electrostatic attraction to oleates is dominant for the cationic form of DOX (pH 6.

Optimization of iron oxide nanoparticles encapsulation within poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) sub-micron particles.

This work describes a method for preparation of sub-micron poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) particles loaded with magnetite/maghemite nanoparticles to be used as magnetically-controlled drug delivery systems. The methodology of simple emulsion/evaporation technique has been optimized to provide greater iron oxide loading rates. The surface of iron oxide nanoparticles was coated with oleic acid (OA) for better compatibility with organic phase containing the polymer.

Molecular composition of iron oxide nanoparticles, precursors for magnetic drug targeting, as characterized by confocal Raman microspectroscopy.

The chemical and structural properties of ferrite-based nanoparticles, precursors for magnetic drug targeting, have been studied by Raman confocal multispectral imaging. The nanoparticles were synthesised as aqueous magnetic fluids by co-precipitation of ferrous and ferric salts. Dehydrated particles corresponding to co-precipitation (CP) and oxidation (OX) steps of the magnetic fluid preparation have been compared in order to establish oxidation-related Raman features.