Soft Electrochemical Probes for Mapping the Distribution of Biomarkers and Injected Nanomaterials in Animal and Human Tissues.

Monitoring biomarkers and injected theranostic nanomaterials in tissues and organs plays a pivotal role in numerous medical applications ranging from cancer diagnostics to drug delivery. Scanning electrochemical microscopy has been demonstrated as a powerful tool to create highly resolved maps of the distributions of relevant biomolecules in cells and tissues without suffering from the optical interferences of conventional microscopy. We demonstrate for the first time the application of soft microelectrodes brushing in contact mode over large and thick tissues as well as organs that were immersed in an electrolyte solution. Amperometric currents were recorded based on the local flux of redox-active species locally and specifically generated by the biomarkers and nanomaterials to create maps of the biodistribution of graphene oxide nanoribbons in mouse livers, prognostic protein biomarkers in human melanoma and redox-active proteins in mouse heart.

Targeting TGFß receptor-mediated snail and twist: WSG, a polysaccharide from Ganoderma lucidum, and it-based dissolvable microneedle patch suppress melanoma cells.

Cutaneous melanoma is a lethal skin cancer variant with pronounced aggressiveness and metastatic potential. However, few targeted medications inhibit the progression of melanoma. Ganoderma lucidum, which is a type of mushroom, is widely used as a non-toxic alternative adjunct therapy for cancer patients. This study determines the effect of WSG, which is a water-soluble glucan that is derived from G. lucidum, on melanoma cells. The results show that WSG inhibits cell viability and the mobility of melanoma cells. WSG induces changes in the expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers. WSG also downregulates EMT-related transcription factors, Snail and Twist. Signal transduction assays show that WSG reduces the protein levels in transforming growth factor ß receptors (TGFßRs) and consequently inhibits the phosphorylation of intracellular signaling molecules, such as FAK, ERK1/2 and Smad2. An In vivo study shows that WSG suppresses melanoma growth in B16F10-bearing mice. To enhance transdermal drug delivery and prevent oxidation, two highly biocompatible compounds, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), are used to synthesize a dissolvable microneedle patch that is loaded with WSG (MN-WSG). A functional assay shows that MN-WSG has an effect that is comparable to that of WSG alone. These results show that WSG has significant potential as a therapeutic agent for melanoma treatment. MN-WSG may allow groundbreaking therapeutic approaches and offers a novel method for delivering this potent compound effectively.