Search results for "Biomaterials"

Amphiphilic Polysaccharide Block Copolymers for pH-Responsive Micellar Nanoparticles

2017

A full polysaccharide amphiphilic block copolymer was prepared from end group-functionalized dextrans using copper-mediated azide-alkyne click chemistry. Sufficient modification of the reducing end in both blocks was achieved by microwave-enhanced reductive amination in a borate-buffer/methanol solvent system. The combination of a hydrophilic dextran block with a hydrophobic acetalated dextran block results in an amphiphilic structure that turns water-soluble upon acid treatment. The material has a low critical micelle concentration and self-assembles in water to spherical micellar nanoparticles. The formed nanoparticles have a narrow size distribution below 70 nm in diameter and disassembl…

HPMA-Based Nanocarriers for Effective Immune System Stimulation.

2019

The selective activation of the immune system using nanoparticles as a drug delivery system is a promising field in cancer therapy. Block copolymers from HPMA and laurylmethacrylate-co-hymecromone-methacrylate allow the preparation of multifunctionalized core-crosslinked micelles of variable size. To activate dendritic cells (DCs) as antigen presenting cells, the carbohydrates mannose and trimannose are introduced into the hydrophilic corona as DC targeting units. To activate DCs, a lipophilic adjuvant (L18-MDP) is incorporated into the core of the micelles. To elicit an immune response, a model antigen peptide (SIINFEKL) is attached to the polymeric nanoparticle-in addition-via a click rea…

Bioencapsulation of living bacteria (Escherichia coli) with poly(silicate) after transformation with silicatein-α gene

2007

Bioencapsulation is an intriguing way to immobilize biological materials, including cells, in silica, metal-oxides or hybrid sol-gel polymers. Until now only the sol-gel precursor technology was utilized to immobilize bacteria or yeast cells in silica. With the discovery of silicatein, an enzyme from demosponges that catalyzes the formation of poly(silicate), it became possible to synthesize poly(silicate) under physiological (ambient) conditions. Here we show that Escherichia coli can be transformed with the silicatein gene, its expression level in the presence of isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) can be efficiently intensified by co-incubation with silicic acid. This effect co…

Solid-State Synthesis of “Bamboo-Like” and Straight Carbon Nanotubes by Thermolysis of Hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene–Cobalt Complexes

2006

Electrostatic Anchoring of Mn4 Single-Molecule Magnets onto Chemically Modified Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

2012

Two different routes that enable the electrostatic grafting of cationic single-molecule magnets (SMMs) onto the surface of chemically modified anionic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are described. The chemical nature and physical properties of the resulting hybrids are discussed on the basis of a complete battery of experimental techniques. The data show that the chemical nature of the SMM unit remains intact, while its magnetic response is significantly affected by the grafting process, which is likely due to surface effects.

Specific Zn(II)-binding site in the C-terminus of Aspf2, a zincophore from Aspergillus fumigatus

2022

Abstract Aspergillus fumigatus, one of the most widespread opportunistic human fungal pathogens, adapts to zinc limitation by secreting a 310 amino acid Aspf2 zincophore, able to specifically bind Zn(II) and deliver it to a transmembrane zinc transporter, ZrfC. In this work, we focus on the thermodynamics of Zn(II) complexes with unstructured regions of Aspf2; basing on a variety of spectrometric and potentiometric data, we show that the C-terminal part has the highest Zn(II)-binding affinity among the potential binding sites, and Ni(II) does not compete with Zn(II) binding to this region. The 14 amino acid Aspf2 C-terminus coordinates Zn(II) via two Cys thiolates and two His imidazoles and…

Self-assembly of bioelastomeric structures from solutions: Mean-field critical behavior and Flory-Huggins free energy of interactions

1993

Elastic and quasi-elastic light scattering studies were performed on aqueous solutions of poly (Val-Pro-Gly-Gly), a representative synthetic bioelastomer that differs from the previously studied poly (Val-Pro-Gly-Val-Gly) by the deletion of the hydrophobic Val in position four. When the spinodal line was approached from the region of thermodynamic stability, the intensity of light scattered by fluctuations, and the related lifetime and correlation length, were observed to diverge with mean-field critical exponents for both systems. Fitting of the experimental data allowed determining the spinodal and binodal (coexistence) lines that characterize the phase diagrams of the two systems, and it…

Development of controlled release systems of biocides for the conservation of cultural heritage

2017

Abstract The presence of microorganisms is one of the main causes of monument deterioration. Biocides are usually applied after or before restoration in order to prevent or slow down microbial growth. Frequent applications are necessary leading to increased costs and high risks to humans and the environment. The aim of this study is the design of novel controlled release systems comprising a biocide loaded into a mesoporous silica. Pristine MCM41 as well as MCM41 functionalised with carboxy- (MCM41-COOH) and amino-groups (MCM41-NH2) were used. Biotin T and New Des 50, two commercial formulations, were chosen as biocides. The biocide encapsulation was performed adding the mesoporous silica t…

Film-forming process and biocide assessment of high-molecular-weight chitosan as determined by combined ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and antimicrobial assay…

2006

This pioneering study reported about the film-forming properties of high-molecular-weight chitosan as followed in situ by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and has implications in fields such as biomedical, pharmaceutical, packaging, and coating applications. From the results, it was observed that immediately after dissolution in an acetic acid aqueous solution and subsequent casting over the ATR crystal, the formed carboxylate antimicrobial (-NH3+ -OOCH) species are not stable in the film formulation and become reduced over time; further assays confirmed previous research, which suggested that the presence and stability of these groups is stron…

Particles of vaterite, a metastable CaCO3polymorph, exhibit high biocompatibility for human osteoblasts and endothelial cells and may serve as a biom…

2018

We have previously described a promising alternative to conventional synthetic bone biomaterials using vaterite, a metastable CaCO3 polymorph that increases the local Ca2+ concentration in vitro and leads to an oversaturation of phosphate, the primary bone mineral. This stimulates a natural bone-like mineralisation in a short period of time. In this study, sterile and endotoxin-free vaterite particles were synthesised in a nearly quantitative yield. The 500-1,000 nm vaterite particles did not exhibit any cytotoxic effects as measured by MTS, lactate dehydrogenase, or crystal violet assays on the human osteoblast cell line (MG-63) exposed to concentrations up to 500 μg/ml vaterite up to 72 h…