Updated Mechanisms of IL-6 in Human Endothelial Cells.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine primarily involved in inflammation and vascular remodeling. While it is known to influence angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, the underlying mechanisms and downstream targets in endothelial cells (ECs) remain poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the angiogenic effect of IL-6 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1 cells) and to gain insights into the mechanistic pathways involved.

Boosted breast cancer treatment with cell membrane-coated PLGA nanocarriers: Investigating the interactions with various cell types.

Nanomaterials inspired by nature and applied in the medical field have exhibited remarkable potential to diagnose and treat diseases. However, further improvements are required to enhance therapeutic effectiveness, particularly in terms of targeting. In this study, we formulated paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded poly lactic-co-glycolic (PLGA) nanocarriers (PLGA-PTX NCs) and coated with cancer cell membrane derived from MCF-7 breast cancer cells, mPLGA-PTX NCs.

Using design of experiments (DoE) to optimize performance and stability of biomimetic cell membrane-coated nanostructures for cancer therapy.

Cell membrane-covered biomimetic nanosystems have allowed the development of homologous nanostructures to bestow nanoparticles with enhanced biointerfacing capabilities. The stability of these structures, however, still represents a challenge for the scientific community. This study is aimed at developing and optimizing cell derived membrane-coated nanostructures upon applying design of experiments (DoE) to improve the therapeutic index by homotypic targeting in cancer cells.

The amount of dextran in PLGA nanocarriers modulates protein corona and promotes cell membrane damage.

Polymeric nanocarriers (NCs) are efficient vehicles to prevent drug unspecific biodistribution and increase the drug amounts delivered to tumor tissues. However, some toxicological aspects of NCs still lack a comprehensive assessment, such as their effects on cellular processes that lead to toxicity. We evaluate the interaction of poly(lactic--glycolic acid) (PLGA) NCs prepared using dextran (Dex) and Pluronic®-F127 as stabilizing agents with myocardial cells (H9C2), breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7) and macrophages (RAW 264.

Modulating Fingolimod (FTY720) Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity Using a PLGA-Based Drug Delivery System.

COVID-19 has resulted in more than 490 million people being infected worldwide, with over 6 million deaths by April 05th, 2022. Even though the development of safe vaccine options is an important step to reduce viral transmission and disease progression, COVID-19 cases will continue to occur, and for those cases, efficient treatment remains to be developed. Here, a drug repurposing strategy using nanotechnology is explored to develop a therapy for COVID-19 treatment.

Comparing extracellular vesicles and cell membranes as biocompatible coatings for gold nanorods: Implications for targeted theranostics.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) and cell membrane nanoghosts are excellent coatings for nanomaterials, providing enhanced delivery in the target sites and evasion of the immune system. These cell-derived coatings allow the exploration of the delivery properties of the nanoparticles without stimulation of the immune system. Despite the advances reported on the use of EVs and cell-membrane coatings for nanomedicine applications, there are no standards to compare the benefits and main differences between these technologies.

Modulation of beta-amyloid aggregation using ascorbic acid.

Studies have shown that the level of ascorbic acid (AA) is reduced in the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. However, its effect on amyloid-β 1-42 (Aβ) aggregation has not yet been elucidated. Here we investigated for the first time the effect of AA on Aβ aggregation using fluorescence assay, circular dichroism, atomic force microscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, ligand docking, and molecular dynamics.

Near-Infrared Photoactive Theragnostic Gold Nanoflowers for Photoacoustic Imaging and Hyperthermia.

Branched anisotropic gold nanostructures present distinguished performance acting both as contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging and as active agents for photothermal therapies. Despite advances in their fabrication methods, the synthesis of such gold nanomaterials in a simple and reproducible way is still a challenge. In this paper, we report the development of branched anisotropic gold nanoparticles, the so-called gold nanoflowers (AuNFs), as near-infrared active theragnostic materials for cancer therapy and diagnosis.