Highly Efficient Photothermal Therapy with Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Modified Bumpy Au Triangular Nanoprisms using Low Laser Power and Low Probe Dose.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) exploits nanomaterials with optimal heat conversion and cellular penetration using near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. However, current PTT agents suffer from inefficient heat conversion, poor intracellular delivery, and a high dose of probes along with excessive laser irradiation, causing limited therapeutic outcomes. Here, bumpy Au triangular nanoprisms (BATrisms) are developed for increasing the surface area, improving cell penetration, shifting the absorption peak to the NIR region, and enhancing the photothermal conversion efficiency (∼86%). Further, leucine (L)- and lysine (K)-rich cell-penetrating peptides (LK peptides) were employed to largely improve their cellular uptake efficiency. Importantly, a significant in vivo therapeutic efficacy with LK-BATrisms was demonstrated in a triple-negative breast cancer xenograft mice model. A very small dose of LK-BATrism (2.5 µg Au) was enough to exert antitumor efficacy under very low laser power (808 nm, 0.25 W/cm2), causing minimal tissue damages while very efficiently killing cancer cells.

Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization of Bicyclic α,ß-Unsaturated Anhydrides for Ready-to-be-grafted Polymers Having Tailored pH-Responsive Degradability.

Polymers having α,ß-unsaturated anhydrides as repeating units were synthesized by ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). The anhydride moieties were ready-to-be-grafted with amines to form acid-labile cis-α,ß-unsaturated acid amide linkages. The pH-responsive reversible de-grafting can be controlled by changing the intramolecular accessibility between acid and amide groups. The alendronate-grafted ROMP polymers showed distinct pH-dependent cytotoxicity according to the anhydride structures.

Protective Effect of Tat PTD-Hsp27 Fusion Protein on Tau Hyperphosphorylation Induced by Okadaic Acid in the Human Neuroblastoma Cell Line SH-SY5Y.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related disorder that causes a loss of brain function. Hyperphosphorylation of tau and the subsequent formation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of AD. Hyperphosphorylated tau accumulates into insoluble paired helical filaments that aggregate into NFTs; therefore, regulation of tau phosphorylation represents an important treatment approach for AD. Heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) plays a specific role in human neurodegenerative diseases; however, few studies have examined its therapeutic effect. In this study, we induced tau hyperphosphorylation using okadaic acid, which is a protein phosphatase inhibitor, and generated a fusion protein of Hsp27 and the protein transduction domain of the HIV Tat protein (Tat-Hsp27) to enhance the delivery of Hsp27. We treated Tat-Hsp27 to SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells for 2 h; the transduction level was proportional to the Tat-hsp27 concentration. Additionally, Tat-Hsp27 reduced the level of hyperphosphorylated tau and protected cells from apoptotic cell death caused by abnormal tau aggregates. These results reveal that Hsp27 represents a valuable protein therapeutic for AD.

Recent advances in selective and targeted drug/gene delivery systems using cell-penetrating peptides.

Biological cell membranes are a natural barrier for living cells. In the last few decades, the cell membrane has been the main hurdle in the efficient delivery of bioactive and therapeutic agents. To increase the drug efficacy of these agents, additional mediators have been considered. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), a series of oligopeptides composed of mostly hydrophobic and/or positively charged side chains, can increase the interaction with the cell membrane. CPP-based delivery platforms have shown great potential for the efficient and direct cytosol delivery of various cargos, including genes, proteins, and small molecule drugs. Bypassing endocytosis allows the CPP-based delivery systems greater defense against the degradation of protein-based drugs than other drug delivery systems. However, the delivery of CPPs exhibits intrinsically non-specific targeting, which limits their medical applications. To endow CPPs with specific targeting ability, the conjugation of pH-sensitive, enzyme-specific cleavable, and multiple targeting ligands has been reported. Optimization of the length and sequence of CPPs is still needed for various drugs of different sizes and surface charges. Toxicity issues in CPP-based delivery systems should be addressed carefully before clinical use.

Zwitterionic polymer on silicone implants inhibits the bacteria-driven pathogenic mechanism and progress of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) occurs in the capsule surrounding breast implants. Malignant transformation of T cells by bacteria-driven chronic inflammation may be underlying BIA-ALCL mechanism. Here, we covalently grafted 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-based polymers on a silicone surface and examined its effects against BIA-ALCL pathogenesis. MPC grafting strongly inhibited the adhesion of bacteria and bacteria-causing inflammation. Additionally, cancer T cell proliferation and capsule-derived fibroblast-cancer cell communication were effectively inhibited by MPC grafting. We further demonstrated the effect of MPC against the immune responses causing BIA-ALCL around human silicone implants in micro-pigs. Finally, we generated a xenograft anaplastic T cell lymphoma mouse model around the silicone implants and demonstrated that MPC grafting could effectively inhibit the lymphoma progression. This study is the first to show that bacteria-driven induction and progression of BIA-ALCL can be effectively inhibited by surface modification of implants. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a major concern in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. In this study, we demonstrate strong inhibitory effect of zwitterionic polymer grafting on BIA-ALCL pathogenesis and progression, induced by bacterial infection and inflammation, both in vitro and in vivo. This study provides a molecular basis for the development of novel breast implants that can prevent various potential complications such as excessive capsular contracture, breast implant illness, and BIA-ALCL incidence, as well as for expanding the biomedical applications of zwitterionic polymers.

Engineering Approaches for the Development of Antimicrobial Peptide-Based Antibiotics.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have received increasing attention as potential alternatives for future antibiotics because of the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. AMPs are small cationic peptides with broad-spectrum antibiotic activities and different action mechanisms to those of traditional antibiotics. Despite the desirable advantages of developing peptide-based antimicrobial agents, the clinical applications of AMPs are still limited because of their enzymatic degradation, toxicity, and selectivity. In this review, structural modifications, such as amino acid substitution, stapling, cyclization of peptides, and hybrid AMPs with conventional antibiotics or other peptides, will be presented. Additionally, nanodelivery systems using metals or lipids to deliver AMPs will be discussed based on the structural properties and action mechanisms of AMPs.

The complex of miRNA2861 and cell-penetrating, dimeric α-helical peptide accelerates the osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells.

BACKGROUND: The restoration of the functional ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) using epigenetic modification is very promising for patients with weak osteogenesis ability. This study focused on the acceleration of osteogenesis from MSCs using microRNA (miRNA)2861 and a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), LK. METHODS: We performed MSCs penetration test of complex between the LK peptides and miRNA 2861. Three different experiments were performed to investigate the effects of miRNA 2861 on osteogenic differentiation in MSCs: 1) intensity of alizarin red staining, which reflects the status of mineralization by osteoblasts; 2) gene expression related to osteoblast differentiation; and 3) confirmation of corresponding protein translation for comparison with RNA expression levels. RESULTS: We found that cLK effectively delivered miRNA 2861 into the cytoplasm of human MSCs and accelerated osteogenic differentiation from MSCs, as well as mineralization. CONCLUSION: The complex of miRNA 2861 with LK may have a positive effect on the osteogenic differentiation from MSCs and mineralization. Therapies using miRNAs combined with LK may be good candidates for the augmentation of osteogenesis in patients.

One-bead-one-compound screening approach to the identification of cyclic peptoid inhibitors of cyclophilin D as neuroprotective agents from mitochondrial dysfunction.

In an effort designed to discover superior inhibitors of cyclophilin D (CypD), we identified and screened members of a one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) library of cyclic peptoid analogues of cyclosporin A (CsA). The results show that the one member of this cyclic peptoid family, I11, inhibits mitochondrial membrane potential changes mediated by CypD.

A dimeric α-helical cell penetrating peptide mounted with an HER2-selective affibody.

We have developed a cell penetrating peptide (CPP) system with high selectivity and penetrability at nanomolar concentrations with a combination of an HER2-selective affibody, ZHER2:342 (ZHER2), and a dimeric α-helical leucine- and lysine-rich peptide, LK-2. ZHER2 and LK-2 are linearly fused together and expressed in a prokaryotic system to create the LK-2-ZHER2 protein, which can successfully distinguish and penetrate HER2-overexpressing cancer cells at nanomolar concentrations. LK-2-ZHER2 has the ability to intracellularly deliver doxorubicin as a conjugate form to enhance its anti-cancer effect on HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells with a great selectivity. The selective penetrability was confirmed in vitro, in 3D spheroids, and in in vivo models. LK-2-ZHER2 has the capability to overcome the weak points of current CPPs, such as poor penetrability at low concentrations and a lack of selectivity, by combining powerful CPP and affibody sequences.

pH-Activatable cell penetrating peptide dimers for potent delivery of anticancer drug to triple-negative breast cancer.

We developed a pH-activatable cell-penetrating peptide dimer LH2 with histidine residues, which can penetrate cells, specifically in weak acidic conditions, even at few tens of nanomolar concentrations. LH2 effectively delivered paclitaxel into triple-negative breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231, via formation of non-covalent complexes (PTX-LH2(M)) or covalent conjugates (PTX-LH2(C)). Moreover, LH2 showed prolonged circulation in the body and enhanced accumulation in tumors. Both PTX-LH2(M) and PTX-LH2(C) showed strong antitumor effects in a triple-negative breast cancer grafted mouse model at an extremely low dosage.

Augmented osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells using a fragmented Runx2 mixed with cell-penetrating, dimeric a-helical peptide.

The intracellular delivery of transcription factor/cofactor using cell penetrating peptide (CPP) can lead to selective osteogenesis. The present work investigates the cell-penetrating potential of the a cyclic, α-helical cell-penetrating peptide based on leucine and lysine residues (cLK) for intracellular delivery in MC3T3 cells and the osteogenic effects of a C-terminal proline­serine­threonine-rich (PST) domain of Runx2 using cLK in rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). We confirmed that the combination of cLK and fluorescein 5-isothiocyanate (FITC)-fragmented-Runx2 (fRunx2) showed an enhanced cell-penetrating activity of FITC-fRunx2 compared with FITC-fRunx2 alone. In addition, the fRunx2-cLK group showed strong staining with alizarin red compared with other groups and the degree of alizarin red staining in the fRunx2-cLK group was also 1.2-fold higher than that in the fRunx2-Tat group. The ALP and osteocalcin gene expression levels in the fRunx2-cLK group were higher than those in the other groups. The fRunx2 transferred effectively into the cytoplasm aided by the cLK peptide and augmented the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs.

De novo formation of citrate-based fluorophores on N-termini of peptides and proteins in cells and tissues.

We developed a new method for the de novo formation of fluorophores based on citrate (DNFC) in biological samples. Use of an amide coupling reagent and microwave irradiation greatly facilitates the fluorophore formation on peptides and proteins with N-terminal cysteine or serine. Since N-terminal cysteine and serine can form thiazolopyridone- or oxazolopyridone-based fluorophores emitting blue and green fluorescence, respectively, by the DNFC staining, each organelle, cell and tissue exhibited a characteristic fluorescence distribution. The DNFC staining is able to provide a new potential protocol for future cell imaging, histology and diagnosis.

Effects of curcumin for preventing restenosis in a hypercholesterolemic rabbit iliac artery stent model.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of the curcumin-coating stent (CCS) on the inhibition of restenosis in a rabbit iliac artery stent model. RESULTS: Curcumin, pigment naturally acquired from the rhizome of the plant curcuma longa, is known to have antiproliferative, antimigratory, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, it is still unclear that curcumin can inhibit neointimal proliferation of the injured vessel. METHODS: Dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth was observed over a dose range from 10 nM to 10 microM. CCS was prepared by a dip-coating method (high-dose: HD, low-dose: LD). The release profile of the HD CCS showed that drug release persisted until day 21. Scanning electron microscopy of the CCS showed an intact surface of the stent even after expansion. To test the efficacy of CCS in vivo, LD CCS, HD CCS, and bare metal stents (BMS) were implanted in random order in one iliac artery (N = 30 arteries) of male New Zealand White rabbits (N = 15). RESULTS: After 28 days, the LD and HD CCS groups had a 43% and 55% reduction in the neointimal area, compared with the BMS group (BMS 3.3 +/- 1.0 mm(2), LD 1.9 +/- 0.8 mm(2), and HD 0.9 +/- 0.5 mm(2), P < 0.05). There appeared to be no cytotoxicity related to curcumin at the indicated doses. CONCLUSIONS: Curcumin, a natural compound in the human diet, seems to be a safe and effective candidate drug for use in a drug-eluting stent for the prevention of stent restenosis following angioplasty.

Spatiotemporal Evolution of the Primary Glioblastoma Genome.

Tumor recurrence following treatment is the major cause of mortality for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients. Thus, insights on the evolutionary process at recurrence are critical for improved patient care. Here, we describe our genomic analyses of the initial and recurrent tumor specimens from each of 38 GBM patients. A substantial divergence in the landscape of driver alterations was associated with distant appearance of a recurrent tumor from the initial tumor, suggesting that the genomic profile of the initial tumor can mislead targeted therapies for the distally recurred tumor. In addition, in contrast to IDH1-mutated gliomas, IDH1-wild-type primary GBMs rarely developed hypermutation following temozolomide (TMZ) treatment, indicating low risk for TMZ-induced hypermutation for these tumors under the standard regimen.

Topically administered Risedronate shows powerful anti-osteoporosis effect in ovariectomized mouse model.

We investigated the therapeutic effect of topical Risedronate (RIS) on a mouse model of estrogen-deficient osteoporosis. Fourteen-week-old female mice were ovariectomized and assigned to 4 groups: SHAM-operated (SHAM), OVX mice treated with vehicle (OVX-V), OVX mice treated with 0.2% RIS (OVX-0.2% RIS), and OVX-mice treated with 0.02% RIS (OVX-0.02% RIS). Topical samples containing RIS were prepared in 10% (w/w) polyethylene glycol (PEG, MW 400) and 80 µg of sample was spread on the mice's mid-backs every 3 days for 5 weeks. Micro-CT analysis of femora demonstrated that OVX-0.2% RIS exhibited a 29% greater bone mineral density and 24% greater bone volume fraction than that of OVX-V group. Investigation of the trabecular bone in OVX-0.2% RIS revealed a 24% higher bone volume (BV/TV), 51% higher trabecular number (Tb.N), and 40% lower trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) compared to OVX-V mice. Additionally, bone phenotypes of tibiae were further confirmed by histological analysis. OVX-0.2% RIS group exhibited a 494% greater BV/TV, 464% less Tb.Sp, 81% greater active osteoclast surface (Oc.S/BS) and 26% less osteoclast number (N.Oc/BS) than that of OVX-V group. Collectively, these results indicated that topical delivery of RIS has powerful pharmaceutical effects on the prevention of osteoporosis and bone turnover.

Differential effects of the steaming time and frequency for manufactured red Liriope platyphylla on nerve growth factor secretion ability, nerve growth factor receptor signaling pathway and regulation of calcium concentration.

The herb Liriope platyphylla (LP) has been considered to have curative properties for diabetes, asthma and neurodegenerative disorders. To examine the effects of steaming time and frequency of manufactured red LP (RLP) on the nerve growth factor (NGF) secretion ability and NGF receptor signaling pathway, the NGF concentration, cell differentiation, NGF signaling pathway and calcium concentration were analyzed in neuronal cells treated with several types of LPs manufactured under different conditions. The maximum NGF secretion was observed in B35 cells treated with 50 µg/ml LP extract steamed for 9 h (9-SLP) and with two repeated steps (3 h steaming and 24 h air-dried) carried out 7 times (7-SALP). No significant changes in viability were detected in any of the cells treated with the various LPs, with the exception of 0-SLP and 0-SALP. In addition, PC12 cell differentiation was induced by treatment with the NGF-containing conditional medium (CM) collected from the RLP-treated cells. The levels of TrkA and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in the high affinity NGF receptor signaling pathway were significantly higher in the cells treated with 3-SLP or 1-SALP/3-SALP CM compared with those treated with the vehicle CM. In the low affinity NGF receptor pathway, the expression levels of most components were higher in the 9-, 15- and 24-SALP CM-treated cells compared with the vehicle CM-treated cells. However, this level was significantly altered in cells treated with 3-SALP CM. Furthermore, an examination of the RLP function on calcium regulation revealed that only the LP- or RLP-treated cells exhibited changes in intracellular and extracellular calcium levels. RLP induced a significant decrease in the intracellular calcium levels and an increase in the extracellular calcium levels. These results suggest the possibility that steaming-processed LP may aid in the relief of neurodegenerative diseases through the NGF secretion ability and NGF signaling pathway.

Ion pairs of risedronate for transdermal delivery and enhanced permeation rate on hairless mouse skin.

Ion-paired solutions of risedronate (RIS) with L-arginine (ARG), L-lysine (LYS), and diethylenetriamine (DETA) were tested in vitro for their potential to enhance the penetration of RIS across the skin of hairless mouse. The xylene solubilities of RIS paired with ARG, LYS, and DETA in molar ratios of 1:2, 1:2, and 1:1 were 8.9%, 12.0%, and 2.1%, respectively, in comparison with the solubility in deionized water, but non-ion-paired RIS was not detected in xylene. In vitro permeation tests were performed on the skin of hairless mice, and the results indicated that ion-paired RIS could penetrate mice skin about 36 times more effectively than RIS alone. The cumulative amount of ion paired RIS after 24 h resulted in 475.18±94.19 µg/cm(2) and 511.21±106.52 µg/cm(2) at molar ratio of 1:2 and 1:1. The cumulative amount of RIS alone was as low as 14.13±5.49 µg/cm(2) in 24h. The hairless mice showed no skin irritation after a single administration of RIS alone and ion-paired RIS (1:2 molar ratio with ARG, and 1:1 molar ratio with DETA). In this study, we found that RIS can be delivered transdermally, and the ion-paired system in an aqueous solution showed an enhanced flux through the skin barrier.

Differential regulation of the biosynthesis of glucose transporters by the PI3-K and MAPK pathways of insulin signaling by treatment with novel compounds from Liriope platyphylla.

The insulin signaling pathway, involving protein kinase B (PKB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), mediates the biological response to insulin and several growth factors and cytokines. To investigate the correlation between glucose transporter (Glut) biosynthesis and the insulin signaling pathway activated by novel compounds of Liriope platyphylla (LP9M80-H), alterations in Glut and key protein expression in the insulin signaling pathway were analyzed in the liver and brain of ICR mice treated with LP9M80-H. An in vitro assay showed that the highest level of insulin concentration was observed in the LP9M80-H-treated group, followed by the LP-H, LP-M, LP-E, and LP9M80-C-treated groups. Therefore, LP9M80-H was selected for use in studying the detailed mechanism of the insulin signaling pathway in animal systems. In an in vivo experiment, LP9M80-H induced a significant increase in glucose levels and a decrease of insulin concentration in the blood of mice, while their body weight remained constant over 5 days. The expression level of Glut-3 was down-regulated in the liver, or maintained at the same level in the brain of LP9MH80-H-treated mice. These changes corresponded to the phosphorylation of the p38 protein rather than to ERK and JNK in the MAPK signaling pathway. In addition, the expression level of Glut-1 increased significantly after LP9MH80-H treatment of both insulin target tissues in mice. Western blot analysis showed that Akt in the PI3-K pathway mainly participated in Glut-1 biosynthesis. Thus, these results suggest the possibility that the LP9M80-H-induced regulation of Glut-1 and Glut-3 biosynthesis may be mediated by the Akt and p38 MAPK signaling of the insulin signaling pathway in the liver and brain of mice.

Overexpression of Insulin Degrading Enzyme could Greatly Contribute to Insulin Down-regulation Induced by Short-Term Swimming Exercise.

Exercise training is highly correlated with the reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), although it enhanced insulin sensitivity, glucose uptake and glucose transporter expression to reduce severity of diabetic symptoms. This study investigated the impact of short-term swimming exercise on insulin regulation in the Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat as a non-obese model of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Wistar (W/S) and GK rats were trained 2 hours daily with the swimming exercise for 4 weeks, and then the changes in the metabolism of insulin and glucose were assessed. Body weight was markedly decreased in the exercised GK rats compare to their non-exercised counterpart, while W/S rats did not show any exercise-related changes. Glucose concentration was not changed by exercise, although impaired glucose tolerance was improved in GK rats 120 min after glucose injection. However, insulin concentration was decreased by swimming exercise as in the decrease of GSIS after running exercise. To identify the other cause for exercise-induced insulin down-regulation, the changes in the levels of key factors involved in insulin production (C-peptide) and clearance (insulin-degrading enzyme; IDE) were measured in W/S and GK rats. The C-peptide level was maintained while IDE expression increased markedly. Therefore, these results showed that insulin down-regulation induced by short-term swimming exercise likely attributes to enhanced insulin clearance via IDE over-expression than by altered insulin production.

Effects of Steaming Time and Frequency for Manufactured Red Liriope platyphylla on the Insulin Secretion Ability and Insulin Receptor Signaling Pathway.

In oriental medicine, Liriope platyphylla (LP) has long been regarded as a curative herb useful for the treatment of diabetes, asthma, and neurodegenerative disorders. The principal objective of this study was to assess the effects of steaming time and frequency for manufactured Red LP (RLP) on insulin secretion ability and insulin receptor signaling pathway. To achieve our goal, several types of LPs manufactured under different conditions were applied to INS cells and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic ICR mice, after which alterations in insulin concentrations were detected in the culture supernatants and sera. The optimal concentration for the investigation of insulin secretion ability was found to be 50 ug/mL of LP. At this concentration, maximum insulin secretion was observed in the INS cells treated with LP extract steamed for 3 h (3-SLP) with two repeated steps (3 h steaming and 24 h air-dried) carried out 9 times (9-SALP); no significant changes in viability were detected in any of the treated cells. Additionally, the expression and phosphorylation levels of most components in the insulin receptor signaling pathway were increased significantly in the majority of cells treated with steaming-processed LP as compared to the cells treated with LP prepared without steaming. With regard to glucose transporter (GLUT) expression, alterations of steaming time induced similar responses on the expression levels of GLUT-2 and GLUT-3. However, differences in steaming frequency were also shown to induce dose-dependent responses in the expression level of GLUT-2 only; no significant differences in GLUT-3 expression were detected under these conditions. Furthermore, these responses observed in vitro were similarly detected in STZ-induced diabetic mice. 24-SLP and 9-SALP treatment applied for 14 days induced the down-regulation of glucose concentration and upregulation of insulin concentration. Therefore, these results indicated that the steaming processed LP may contribute to the relief of diabetes symptoms and should be regarded as an excellent candidate for a diabetes treatment.