In vitro cytotoxicity of GO-DOx on FaDu squamous carcinoma cell lines.

We have synthesized graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets using modified Hummer's method and conjugated it with doxorubicin (DOx), an anticancer drug. Drug release kinetics from GO-DOx conjugate indicated the drug release at acidic pH. MTT assay performed on FaDu hypopharyngeal cancer cell lines revealed that the GO-DOx nanoconjugate inhibited cell proliferation more efficiently compared with pure DOx. Preliminary results indicate the potential of designed GO-DOx drug conjugate for head and neck cancer.

Nanotechnology in Disease Diagnostic Techniques.

Currently the major research highlights of bioengineering and medical technology are directed towards development of improved diagnostic techniques to screen complex diseases. Screening requirements are for the identification of the cause of illnesses, monitoring the improvement or progression of the state of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular or neurodegenerative diseases. Nanotechnology enables the manipulation of materials at nanoscale and has shown potential to enhance sensitivity, selectivity and lower the cost of a diagnosis. The causative biomolecules (DNA, proteins) can be detected by red-shifted absorbance of gold nanoparticles or alteration in the conductance of a nanowire or nanotubes, and deflection of a micro or nano-cantilever. Several types of nanomaterials such as metals, metal-oxides and quantum dots have shown ample advantages over traditional diagnosis, intracellular labeling and visualization of target cells/tissues. Nanotechnology has also opened several avenues which could be further developed to enable enhanced visualization of tissues, cells, DNA and proteins over a point-of-care device. Protein or gene chips created using nanomaterials could be further be integrated into a convenient nano-fluidic device for better disease diagnosis.

Resveratrol as an adjunct therapy in cyclophosphamide-treated MCF-7 cells and breast tumor explants.

Cyclophosphamide (CPA) has efficacy as a breast cancer therapy. However, toxicity to CPA limits its clinical applications. Hence there is a need to develop compounds that may be combined with it to improve the efficacy and overcome toxicity. We showed previously that Resveratrol (RES), a chemopreventive agent, increased the growth inhibitory effect of CPA-treated MCF-7 cells. Here we have explored the molecular basis of 5 mM CPA and 50 µM RES as a combination on cell-cycle progression, apoptosis and oxidative stress in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Efficacy of the combination was also evaluated in a serum-free tumor explant culture model. The combination elicited enhanced anti-proliferative action coupled with differential expression of cell-cycle, apoptosis and stress factors. Furthermore, co-treatment superiority in histologically validated ER positive breast cancer explants suggests that this combination may be a worthy future clinical anti-neoplastic regimen.

Identification of differentially expressed genes after acute exposure to bulaquine (CDRI 80/53) in mice liver.

Therapeutic agents derived from 8-aminoquinoline possess potent activity against hepatic stages of plasmodia. Bulaquine (CDRI 80/53), an enamine analogue of primaquine and a relatively new derivative of 8-aminioquinoline, synthesized at the Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India, has shown promising activity against hypnozoites of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale. Moreover, it has been found to be three to four times safer than primaquine in pre-clinical studies. In this study, global gene profiling using 22,827 probes was carried out in the livers of male Swiss mice to identify affected genes and cellular pathways at 6, 12 and 24 hr after a single oral dose of bulaquine (40 mg/kg). Present gene expression analysis revealed perturbation in 11 probes (P < 0.01 and 2-fold), including those corresponding to protein synthesis, cell division, protein ubiquitination, transcription regulation and steroid biosynthesis. Large numbers of probes (>100) corresponding to transcription, protein biosynthesis and intracellular signalling showed >2-fold differential expression at one of the time-points. Furthermore, 60 Gene Ontology terms were affected significantly (z score > 2). Conversely, serum biochemistry and histological evaluation of hepatic tissue showed no signs of stress. These gene expression alterations provide the first report of early hepatic response after an acute dose of bulaquine in mice liver; however, absence of traditional markers of hepatic stress might suggest a general hepatic response inherent in these transcriptional changes. Interestingly, the total number of affected probes was less as compared to that previously reported for primaquine.