SPRi analysis of molecular interactions of mApoE-functionalized liposomes as drug delivery systems for brain diseases.

The application of liposomes (LPs) to central nervous system disorders could represents a turning point in the therapy and quality of life of patients. Indeed, LPs have demonstrated their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and, as a consequence, to enhance the therapeutics delivery into the brain. Some approaches for BBB crossing involve the modification of LP surfaces with biologically active ligands. Among them, the Apolipoprotein E-modified peptide (mApoE) has been used for several LP-based nanovectors under investigation. In this study, we propose Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging (SPRi) for the characterization of multifunctionalized LPs for Glioblastoma treatment. LPs were functionalized with mApoE and with a metallo-protease sensitive lipopeptide to deliver and guarantee the localized release of an encapsulated drug in diseased areas. The SPRi analysis was optimized in order to evaluate the binding affinity between LPs and mApoE receptors, finding that mApoE-LPs generated SPRi signals referred to interactions between mApoE and receptors mainly present in the brain. Moreover, a significant binding between LPs and VCAM-1 (endothelial receptor) was observed, whereas LPs did not interact significantly with peripheral receptors expressed on monocytes and lymphocytes. SPRi results confirmed not only the presence of mApoE on LP surfaces, but also its binding affinity, thanks to the specific interaction with selected receptors. In conclusion, the high sensitivity and the multiplexing capability associated with the low volumes of sample required and the minimal sample preparation, make SPRi an excellent technique for the characterization of multifunctionalized nanoparticles-based formulations.

Evidence for Biological Age Acceleration and Telomere Shortening in COVID-19 Survivors.

The SARS-CoV-2 infection determines the COVID-19 syndrome characterized, in the worst cases, by severe respiratory distress, pulmonary and cardiac fibrosis, inflammatory cytokine release, and immunosuppression. This condition has led to the death of about 2.15% of the total infected world population so far. Among survivors, the presence of the so-called persistent post-COVID-19 syndrome (PPCS) is a common finding. In COVID-19 survivors, PPCS presents one or more symptoms: fatigue, dyspnea, memory loss, sleep disorders, and difficulty concentrating. In this study, a cohort of 117 COVID-19 survivors (post-COVID-19) and 144 non-infected volunteers (COVID-19-free) was analyzed using pyrosequencing of defined CpG islands previously identified as suitable for biological age determination. The results show a consistent biological age increase in the post-COVID-19 population, determining a DeltaAge acceleration of 10.45 ± 7.29 years (+5.25 years above the range of normality) compared with 3.68 ± 8.17 years for the COVID-19-free population (p < 0.0001). A significant telomere shortening parallels this finding in the post-COVID-19 cohort compared with COVID-19-free subjects (p < 0.0001). Additionally, ACE2 expression was decreased in post-COVID-19 patients, compared with the COVID-19-free population, while DPP-4 did not change. In light of these observations, we hypothesize that some epigenetic alterations are associated with the post-COVID-19 condition, particularly in younger patients (< 60 years).

Biochemical Characterization of Human Salivary Extracellular Vesicles as a Valuable Source of Biomarkers.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are natural nanoparticles secreted under physiological and pathological conditions. Thanks to their diagnostic potential, EVs are increasingly being studied as biomarkers of a variety of diseases, including neurological disorders. To date, most studies on EV biomarkers use blood as the source, despite different disadvantages that may cause an impure isolation of the EVs. In the present article, we propose the use of saliva as a valuable source of EVs that could be studied as biomarkers in an easily accessible biofluid. Using a comparable protocol for the isolation of EVs from both liquid biopsies, salivary EVs showed greater purity in terms of co-isolates (evaluated by nanoparticle tracking analysis and Conan test). In addition, Raman spectroscopy was used for the identification of the overall biochemical composition of EVs coming from the two different biofluids. Even considering the limited amount of EVs that can be isolated from saliva, the use of Raman spectroscopy was not hampered, and it was able to provide a comprehensive characterization of EVs in a high throughput and repeatable manner. Raman spectroscopy can thus represent a turning point in the application of salivary EVs in clinics, taking advantage of the simple method of collection of the liquid biopsy and of the quick, sensitive and label-free biophotonics-based approach.