Ultra-pH-sensitive nanoprobe library with broad pH tunability and fluorescence emissions.

pH is an important physiological parameter that plays a critical role in cellular and tissue homeostasis. Conventional small molecular pH sensors (e.g., fluorescein, Lysosensor) are limited by broad pH response and restricted fluorescent emissions. Previously, we reported the development of ultra-pH-sensitive (UPS) nanoprobes with sharp pH response using fluorophores with small Stokes shifts (<40 nm). In this study, we expand the UPS design to a library of nanoprobes with operator-predetermined pH transitions and wide fluorescent emissions (400-820 nm). A copolymer strategy was employed to fine tune the hydrophobicity of the ionizable hydrophobic block, which led to a desired transition pH based on standard curves. Interestingly, matching the hydrophobicity of the monomers was critical to achieve a sharp pH transition. To overcome the fluorophore limitations, we introduced copolymers conjugated with fluorescence quenchers (FQs). In the micelle state, the FQs effectively suppressed the emission of fluorophores regardless of their Stokes shifts and further increased the fluorescence activation ratios. As a proof of concept, we generated a library of 10 nanoprobes each encoded with a unique fluorophore. The nanoprobes cover the entire physiologic range of pH (4-7.4) with 0.3 pH increments. Each nanoprobe maintained a sharp pH transition (on/off < 0.25 pH) and high fluorescence activation ratio (>50-fold between on and off states). The UPS library provides a useful toolkit to study pH regulation in many pathophysiological indications (e.g., cancer, lysosome catabolism) as well as establishing tumor-activatable systems for cancer imaging and drug delivery.

Nanoparticle eluting-angioplasty balloons to treat cardiovascular diseases.

Nanoparticles (NPs) can be used to locally deliver anti-restenosis drugs when they are infused directly to the injured arteries after intervention procedures such as angioplasty. However, the efficacy of transferring NPs via infusion to the arterial wall is limited, at least partially, due to poor NP retention on the inner artery wall. To improve NP retention, angioplasty balloons coated with drug-loaded NPs were fabricated via either layer-by-layer (LbL) electrostatic coating or acrylic-based hydrogel (AAH) coating techniques. Three types of NPs, namely poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), biodegradable photo-luminescent PLGA and urethane doped polyester were studied. The transfer efficacy of NPs from various coatings to the arterial wall were further evaluated to find the optimal coating conditions. The ex vivo NP transfer studies showed significantly more NPs being transferred to the rat arterial wall after the angioplasty procedure by the AAH coating (95% transfer efficiency) compared to that of the LbL technique (60%) and dip coating (20%) under flow conditions (10 dyn/cm2). Our results suggest that the AAH coating of drug-loaded NPs on the angioplasty balloon could potentially provide superior retention of drug-loaded NPs onto the arterial wall for a better local delivery of drug-loaded NPs to effectively treat arterial diseases.

Study on the Antimicrobial Properties of Citrate-Based Biodegradable Polymers.

Citrate-based polymers possess unique advantages for various biomedical applications since citric acid is a natural metabolism product, which is biocompatible and antimicrobial. In polymer synthesis, citric acid also provides multiple functional groups to control the crosslinking of polymers and active binding sites for further conjugation of biomolecules. Our group recently developed a number of citrate-based polymers for various biomedical applications by taking advantage of their controllable chemical, mechanical, and biological characteristics. In this study, various citric acid derived biodegradable polymers were synthesized and investigated for their physicochemical and antimicrobial properties. Results indicate that citric acid derived polymers reduced bacterial proliferation to different degrees based on their chemical composition. Among the studied polymers, poly(octamethylene citrate) showed ~70-80% suppression to microbe proliferation, owing to its relatively higher ratio of citric acid contents. Crosslinked urethane-doped polyester elastomers and biodegradable photoluminescent polymers also exhibited significant bacteria reduction of ~20 and ~50% for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. Thus, the intrinsic antibacterial properties in citrate-based polymers enable them to inhibit bacteria growth without incorporation of antibiotics, silver nanoparticles, and other traditional bacteria-killing agents suggesting that the citrate-based polymers are unique beneficial materials for wound dressing, tissue engineering, and other potential medical applications where antimicrobial property is desired.

In situ re-endothelialization via multifunctional nanoscaffolds.

The endothelium monolayer lining in the luminal side of blood vessels provides critical antithrombotic functions. Damage to these cells will expose a highly thrombogenic subendothelium, which leads to pathological vascular changes. Using combined tissue engineering and ligand-receptor targeting strategy, we developed a biodegradable urethane-doped polyester (UPE) multifunctional targeting nanoparticle (MTN) scaffold system with dual ligands: (1) glycoprotein 1b (GP1b) to target the injured arterial endothelium and subendothelium and (2) anti-CD34 antibodies to capture endothelial progenitor cells for endothelium regeneration. The fabricated spherical MTNs of 400 nm were found to be cytocompatible and hemocompatible. Both the in vitro and ex vivo targeting of these nanoscaffolds not only showed binding specificity of MTNs onto the von Willebrand factor -coated surfaces that simulate the injured arterial walls but also competed with platelets for binding onto these injured sites. Further in vivo study has revealed that a single delivery of MTNs upon vascular injury reduced neointimal hyperplasia by 57% while increased endothelium regeneration by ∼ 60% in 21 days. These results support the promise of using MTN nanoscaffolds for treating vascular injury in situ.

Dual growth factor releasing multi-functional nanofibers for wound healing.

The objective of this research is to develop a dual growth factor-releasing nanoparticle-in-nanofiber system for wound healing applications. In order to mimic and promote the natural healing procedure, chitosan and poly(ethylene oxide) were electrospun into nanofibrous meshes as mimics of extracellular matrix. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was loaded within nanofibers to promote angiogenesis in the short term. In addition, platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) encapsulated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles were embedded inside nanofibers to generate a sustained release of PDGF-BB for accelerated tissue regeneration and remodeling. In vitro studies revealed that our nanofibrous composites delivered VEGF quickly and PDGF-BB in a relayed manner, supported fibroblast growth and exhibited anti-bacterial activities. A preliminary in vivo study performed on normal full thickness rat skin wound models demonstrated that nanofiber/nanoparticle scaffolds significantly accelerated the wound healing process by promoting angiogenesis, increasing re-epithelialization and controlling granulation tissue formation. For later stages of healing, evidence also showed quicker collagen deposition and earlier remodeling of the injured site to achieve a faster full regeneration of skin compared to the commercial Hydrofera Blue® wound dressing. These results suggest that our nanoparticle-in-nanofiber system could provide a promising treatment for normal and chronic wound healing.

Multi-ligand poly(L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles inhibit activation of endothelial cells.

Endothelial cell (EC) activation and inflammation is a key step in the initiation and progression of many cardiovascular diseases. Targeted delivery of therapeutic reagents to inflamed EC using nanoparticles is challenging as nanoparticles do not arrest on EC efficiently under high shear stress. In this study, we developed a novel polymeric platelet-mimicking nanoparticle for strong particle adhesion onto ECs and enhanced particle internalization by ECs. This nanoparticle was encapsulated with dexamethasone as the anti-inflammatory drug, and conjugated with polyethylene glycol, glycoprotein 1b, and trans-activating transcriptional peptide. The multi-ligand nanoparticle showed significantly greater adhesion on P-selectin, von Willebrand Factor, than the unmodified particles, and activated EC in vitro under both static and flow conditions. Treatment of injured rat carotid arteries with these multi-ligand nanoparticles suppressed neointimal stenosis more than unconjugated nanoparticles did. These results indicate that this novel multi-ligand nanoparticle is efficient to target inflamed EC and inhibit inflammation and subsequent stenosis.