Nanoparticle-emitted light attenuates amyloid-ß-induced superoxide and inflammation in astrocytes.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the sixth leading cause of age-related death with no effective intervention yet available. Our previous studies have demonstrated the potential efficacy of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in AD cell models by mitigating amyloid-ß peptide (Aß)-induced oxidative stress and inflammation. However, the penetration depth of light is still the major challenge for implementing LLLT in animal models and in the clinical settings. In this study, we present the potential of applying Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer to Quantum Dots (BRET-Qdots) as an alternative near infrared (NIR) light source for LLLT. Our results show that BRET-Qdot-emitted NIR suppresses Aß-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in primary rat astrocytes. These data provide a proof of concept for a nanomedicine platform for LLLT. FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR: Low Level Laser Therapy has already been demonstrated to mitigate amyloid-ß peptide induced oxidative stress and inflammation, a key driver of Alzheimer's disease. The major issue in moving this forward from cell cultures to live animals and potentially to human subjects is light penetration depth. In this novel study, BRET-Qdots were used as an alternative near infrared light source with good efficacy, paving the way to the development of a nanomedicine platform.

Photoacoustic tomography of intact human prostates and vascular texture analysis identify prostate cancer biopsy targets.

Prostate cancer is poorly visualized on ultrasonography (US) so that current biopsy requires either a templated technique or guidance after fusion of US with magnetic resonance imaging. Here we determined the ability for photoacoustic tomography (PAT) and US followed by texture-based image processing to identify prostate biopsy targets. K-means clustering feature learning and testing was performed on separate datasets comprised of 1064 and 1197 nm PAT and US images of intact, ex vivo human prostates. 1197 nm PAT was found to not contribute to the feature learning, and thus, only 1064 nm PAT and US images were used for final feature testing. Biopsy targets, determined by the tumor-assigned pixels' center of mass, located 100% of the primary lesions and 67% of the secondary lesions. In conclusion, 1064 nm PAT and US texture-based feature analysis provided successful prostate biopsy targets.

Role of membrane biophysics in Alzheimer's-related cell pathways.

Cellular membrane alterations are commonly observed in many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Membrane biophysical properties, such as membrane molecular order, membrane fluidity, organization of lipid rafts, and adhesion between membrane and cytoskeleton, play an important role in various cellular activities and functions. While membrane biophysics impacts a broad range of cellular pathways, this review addresses the role of membrane biophysics in amyloid-ß peptide aggregation, Aß-induced oxidative pathways, amyloid precursor protein processing, and cerebral endothelial functions in AD. Understanding the mechanism(s) underlying the effects of cell membrane properties on cellular processes should shed light on the development of new preventive and therapeutic strategies for this devastating disease.