Autologous extracellular vesicles derived from conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma deliver therapeutic microRNAs to induce apoptosis in originating cancer.

There are significant challenges in treating advanced and recurrent conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Therapeutic miRNAs directed at cSCC may have anticancer potential, but questions remain regarding efficiency of their targeted delivery. In this study, we address limitations of miRNA delivery by engineering autologous extracellular vesicles (EVs) of ∼130 nm sizes derived from cSCC UMSCC9 cells and tumors (cSCC-EVs) using a microfluidic based reconstruction system.

An Ultrasound-Responsive Theranostic Cyclodextrin-Loaded Nanoparticle for Multimodal Imaging and Therapy for Atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Left undiagnosed and untreated, atherosclerotic plaques can rupture and cause cardiovascular complications such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Atherosclerotic plaques are composed of lipids, including oxidized low-density lipoproteins and cholesterol crystals, and immune cells, including macrophages.

Immunomodulatory nanosystems for treating inflammatory diseases.

Inflammatory disease (ID) is an umbrella term encompassing all illnesses involving chronic inflammation as the central manifestation of pathogenesis. These include, inflammatory bowel diseases, hepatitis, pulmonary disorders, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, pancreatitis, arthritis, periodontitis, psoriasis. The IDs create a severe burden on healthcare and significantly impact the global socio-economic balance.

Ultrasound-Responsive Carriers for Therapeutic Applications.

Ultrasound (US)-responsive carriers have emerged as promising theranostic candidates because of their ability to enhance US-contrast, promote image-guided drug delivery, cause on-demand pulsatile release of drugs in response to ultrasound stimuli, as well as to enhance the permeability of physiological barriers such as the stratum corneum, the vascular endothelium, and the blood-brain barrier (BBB). US-responsive carriers include microbubbles MBs, liposomes, droplets, hydrogels, and nanobubble-nanoparticle complexes and have been explored for cavitation-mediated US-responsive drug delivery. Recently, a transient increase in the permeability of the BBB by microbubble (MB)-assisted low-frequency US has shown promise in enhancing the delivery of therapeutic agents in the case of neurological disorders.

Trigger-responsive engineered-nanocarriers and image-guided theranostics for rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), one of the leading causes of disability due to progressive autoimmune destruction of synovial joints, affects ∼1% of the global population. Standard therapy helps in reducing inflammation and delaying the progression of RA but is limited by non-responsiveness on long-term use and several side-effects. The conventional nanocarriers (CNCs), to some extent, minimize toxicity associated with free drug administration while improving the therapeutic efficacy.

Perturbation of tubulin structure by stellate gold nanoparticles retards MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell viability.

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) of different sizes and shapes have been investigated extensively for their therapeutic potential against several diseases including cancer. However, the mechanisms with which they affect the cells are yet to be fully comprehended. In this study, we report the strong antiproliferative potential of novel, star-shaped ("stellate") GNPs that target tubulin-the building-block protein of the cytoskeletal filaments called microtubules-and disrupt microtubule network integrity.

Vertical flow paper-based plasmonic device for cysteine detection.

Cystinuria, is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder involving increasingly high levels of poorly soluble cysteine in urine leading to formation of stones. Developing a facile, low-cost, point-of-care and selective sensor for diagnosis of cysteine is imperative. Accordingly, for the detection of cysteine, the present study demonstrates an inexpensive colorimetric, paper-based vertical flow plasmonic micro-well device with a two-minute turn-around time.

Efficiency of Biosynthesized Silver and Zinc Nanoparticles Against Multi-Drug Resistant Pathogens.

Biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles has acquired particular attention due to its economic feasibility, low toxicity, and simplicity of the process. In this study, extracellular synthesis of silver and zinc nanoparticle was carried out by isolated from the effluent of an electroplating industry in Mumbai. Characterization studies revealed synthesis of 40 and 60 nm nanoparticles of silver (AgNP) and zinc (ZnNP), respectively, with distinct morphology as observed in TEM and its crystalline nature confirmed by XRD.

Tryptone-stabilized gold nanoparticles target tubulin and inhibit cell viability by inducing an unusual form of cell cycle arrest.

Gold nanoparticles have been investigated extensively for their molecular mechanisms of action and anticancer potential. We report a novel, tubulin-targeted antiproliferative mechanism of action of tryptone-stabilized gold nanoparticles (TsAuNPs). TsAuNPs, synthesized using HAuCl·3HO and tryptone and characterized by a variety of spectroscopic methods and transmission electron microscopy, were found to be inhibitory to viability of human pancreatic (PANC-1), cervical (HeLa), and breast (MDA-MB-231) cancer cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner, with highest efficacy against PANC-1 cells.

Antimicrobial Activity and Mechanism of Inhibition of Silver Nanoparticles against Extreme Halophilic Archaea.

Haloarchaea are salt-loving halophilic microorganisms that inhabit marine environments, sea water, salterns, and lakes. The resistance of haloarchaea to physical extremities that challenge organismic survival is ubiquitous. Metal and antibiotic resistance of haloarchaea has been on an upsurge due to the exposure of these organisms to metal sinks and drug resistance genes augmented in their natural habitats due to anthropogenic activities and environmental pollution.

Analysis of inflammatory biomarkers by Arrayed Imaging Reflectometry.

Levels of serum cytokines are important markers for a broad range of human health conditions, ranging from infectious disease and cancer, to pollutant exposure and stress. In the interest of developing new rapid label-free methods for profiling serum cytokines, we have examined the utility of Arrayed Imaging Reflectometry (AIR) microarrays for this application. We find that AIR is readily able to profile 14 cytokines and other inflammatory biomarker proteins in a background of buffered bovine serum albumin or 1% bovine serum with performance metrics comparable to singleplex ELISA, but in a multiplex, chip-based, reagentless format.