Engineering nanomaterials to deliver treatments for heart disease

Northwestern: Northwestern Medicine scientists have demonstrated an enhanced approach to using nanomaterials to target inflammatory cells involved in atherosclerosis. The findings, published in the journal ACS Nano, could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis, a leading cause of heart disease. Edward Thorp, PhD, assistant professor of Pathology, was a co-author of the paper. The study was led by Evan Scott, PhD, assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering and a member of the Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology.

Carbon nanoparticles you can make at home

Illinois: Researchers have found an easy way to produce carbon nanoparticles that are small enough to evade the body’s immune system, reflect light in the near-infrared range for easy detection, and carry payloads of pharmaceutical drugs to targeted tissues. Unlike other methods of making carbon nanoparticles – which require expensive equipment and purification processes that can take days – the new approach generates the particles in a few hours and uses only a handful of ingredients, including store-bought molasses.

Researchers design placenta-on-a-chip to better understand pregnancy

National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers and their colleagues have developed a “placenta-on-a-chip” to study the inner workings of the human placenta and its role in pregnancy. The device was designed to imitate, on a micro-level, the structure and function of the placenta and model the transfer of nutrients from mother to fetus. This prototype is one of the latest in a series of organ-on-a-chip technologies developed to accelerate biomedical advances.

Nanoparticles in drug delivery

Kent: Research by Medway School of Pharmacy  in the emerging area of nanotechnology, has shown that gold nanoparticles may be the key to developing new treatments for diseases such as allergy, leukaemia and autoimmune disorders. Nanoparticles are so small that they operate on the same scale as biologically active macromolecules, and gold nanoparticles were found to be an excellent platform for drug delivery. With clear potential for therapeutic innovation, these findings led to Dr Vadim Sumbayev’s  collaboration with the Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (part of the European Commission Joint Research Centre). The work has inspired further research from companies who specialise in nanotechnology, nanobiotechnology and synthetic biology.

Paper biosensor with nano-battery based upon microbial respiration

Binghamton: Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, can be used to create beautiful birds, frogs and other small sculptures. Now a Binghamton University engineer says the technique can be applied to building batteries, too. Seokheun “Sean” Choi developed an inexpensive, bacteria-powered battery made from paper, he writes in the July edition of the journal Nano Energy.

Marrying Microfluidics and Barcoding Technology Allows Efficient Probing Of The Single-Cell Variability

It has long been the dream of biologists to map gene expression at the single-cell level. With such data one might track heterogeneous cell sub-populations, and infer regulatory relationships between genes and pathways. Recently, RNA sequencing has achieved single-cell resolution. What is limiting is an effective way to routinely isolate and process large numbers of individual cells for quantitative in-depth sequencing. We have developed a high-throughput droplet-microfluidic approach for barcoding the RNA from thousands of individual cells for subsequent analysis by next-generation sequencing. The method shows a surprisingly low noise profile and is readily adaptable to other sequencing-based assays. We analyzed mouse embryonic stem cells, revealing in detail the population structure and the heterogeneous onset of differentiation after leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) withdrawal. The reproducibility of these high-throughput single-cell data allowed us to deconstruct cell populations and infer gene expression relationships.

What are the social implications of nanomedicine?

UNSW: Together Professor Maria Kavallaris and Dr Matthew Kearnes are embarking on a research project to consider some of the social implications of nanomedicine, and to develop a platform for engaging the public in the unfolding nano revolution. The pair sat down recently to talk about their collaboration.

DNA nanotechnology: new adventures for an old warhorse

Curr Opin Chem Biol: As the blueprint of life, the natural exploits of DNA are admirable. However, DNA should not only be viewed within a biological context. It is an elegantly simple yet functionally complex chemical polymer with properties that make it an ideal platform for engineering new nanotechnologies. Rapidly advancing synthesis and sequencing technologies are enabling novel unnatural applications for DNA beyond the realm of genetics. Here we explore the chemical biology of DNA nanotechnology for emerging applications in communication and digital data storage. Early studies of DNA as an alternative to magnetic and optical storage mediums have not only been promising, but have demonstrated the potential of DNA to revolutionize the way we interact with digital data in the future.

Injectable brain implant spies on individual neurons

Nature: A simple injection is now all it takes to wire up a brain. A diverse team of physicists, neuroscientists and chemists has implanted mouse brains with a rolled-up, silky mesh studded with tiny electronic devices, and shown that it unfurls to spy on and stimulate individual neurons. The implant has the potential to unravel the workings of the mammalian brain in unprecedented detail.

Researchers have developed nano-electronics that can be injected into living tissue and used to monitor its development

Scimex: US and Chinese researchers have developed tiny flexible electronics that can be injected into living tissue and used to monitor its development. After injecting the electronics into mice, they unfurl to 80 per cent of their original size within an hour, and allowed the scientists to monitor brain activity with little damage to the mice. Flexible electronics, which can be injected into synthetic cavities and living tissue through a needle with a diameter as small as 0.1 mm, are reported online this week in Nature Nanotechnology. The electronics, composed of a mesh of electrodes, unfold to their original shape in less than an hour following injection and have been used to monitor brain activity in live mice.

Nanotechnology drug delivery approaches for the treatment of glioblastoma

ACNB: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is by far the most common and aggressive form of glial tumor. It is characterized by a highly proliferative population of cells that invade surrounding tissue and that frequently recur after surgical resection and chemotherapy. Over the last decades, a number of promising novel pharmacological approaches have been investigated, but most of them have failed clinical trials due to some side-effects such as toxicity and poor drug delivery to the brain. The major obstacle in the treatment of GBM is the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Due to their relatively high molecular weight, most therapeutic drugs fail to cross the BBB from the blood circulation.

Nanoengineering of vaccines using natural polysaccharides

Biotechnology advances: Currently, there are over 70 licensed vaccines, which prevent the pathogenesis of around 30 viruses and bacteria. Nevertheless, there are still important challenges in this area, which include the development of more active, non-invasive, and thermo-resistant vaccines. Important biotechnological advances have led to safer subunit antigens, such as proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids. However, their limited immunogenicity has demanded potent adjuvants that can strengthen the immune response. Particulate nanocarriers hold a high potential as adjuvants in vaccination. Due to their pathogen-like size and structure, they can enhance immune responses by mimicking the natural infection process.

Revolutionary new probe to study the brain

Waterloo: Researchers are developing a tiny wire that will speed up the discovery of new drugs and could one day unlock the mysteries of illnesses such as Alzheimer’s or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Pr Pawliszyn, a chemistry professor from the University of Waterloo, along with researchers from Concordia University are teaming up to develop a new brain probe that can be used on live subjects. The new probe is expected to reduce the time, costs and risks related to drug development, as well as help neuroscientists better understand what causes degenerative brain diseases and how to treat them.

Nanotherapy effective in mice with multiple myeloma

Saint-Louis: Researchers have designed a nanoparticle-based therapy that is effective in treating mice with multiple myeloma, a cancer of immune cells in the bone marrow. Targeted specifically to the malignant cells, these nanoparticles protect their therapeutic cargo from degradation in the bloodstream and greatly enhance drug delivery into the cancer cells. These are longtime hurdles in the development of this class of potential cancer drugs. The study, by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, appears online in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapy.

Nanotechnologies are useful in respiratory medicine

Respiratory Research: Like two sides of the same coin, nanotechnology can be both boon and bane for respiratory medicine. Nanomaterials open new ways in diagnostics and treatment of lung diseases. Nanoparticle based drug delivery systems can help against diseases such as lung cancer, tuberculosis, and pulmonary fibrosis. Moreover, nanoparticles can be loaded with DNA and act as vectors for gene therapy in diseases like cystic fibrosis. Even lung diagnostics with computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) profits from new nanoparticle based contrast agents. However, the risks of nanotechnology also have to be taken into consideration as engineered nanomaterials resemble natural fine dusts and fibers, which are known to be harmful for the respiratory system in many cases. Recent studies have shown that nanoparticles in the respiratory tract can influence the immune system, can create oxidative stress and even cause genotoxicity. Another important aspect to assess the safety of nanotechnology based products is the absorption of nanoparticles. It was demonstrated that the amount of pulmonary nanoparticle uptake not only depends on physical and chemical nanoparticle characteristics but also on the health status of the organism. The huge diversity in nanotechnology could revolutionize medicine but makes safety assessment a challenging task.

New sensing technology could improve our ability to detect diseases, fraudulent art, chemical weapons and more

Buffalo: From airport security detecting explosives to art historians authenticating paintings, society’s thirst for powerful sensors is growing. Given that, few sensing techniques can match the buzz created by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Discovered in the 1970s, SERS is a sensing technique prized for its ability to identify chemical and biological molecules in a wide range of fields. It has been commercialized, but not widely, because the materials required to perform the sensing are consumed upon use, relatively expensive and complicated to fabricate. That may soon change.

Magnetic nanoparticles could stop blood clot-caused strokes

Houston: By loading magnetic nanoparticles with drugs and dressing them in biochemical camouflage, Houston Methodist researchers say they can destroy blood clots 100 to 1,000 times faster than a commonly used clot-busting technique. The finding,reported in Advanced Functional Materials (early online), is based on experiments in human blood and mouse clotting models. If the drug delivery system performs similarly well in planned human clinical trials, it could mean a major step forward in the prevention of strokes, heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, and other dire circumstances where clots -- if not quickly busted -- can cause severe tissue damage and death.

First Liquid Nanolaser Technology could lead to new way of doing ‘lab on a chip’ medical diagnostics

Northwestern University scientists have developed the first liquid nanoscale laser. And it’s tunable in real time, meaning you can quickly and simply produce different colors, a unique and useful feature. The laser technology could lead to practical applications, such as a new form of a “lab on a chip” for medical diagnostics. To understand the concept, imagine a laser pointer whose color can be changed simply by changing the liquid inside it, instead of needing a different laser pointer for every desired color. In addition to changing color in real time, the liquid nanolaser has additional advantages over other nanolasers: it is simple to make, inexpensive to produce and operates at room temperature.

A Nano-transistor Assesses Your Health Via Sweat

Lausanne: Made from state-of-the-art silicon transistors, an ultra-low power sensor enables real-time scanning of the contents of liquids such as perspiration. Compatible with advanced electronics, this technology boasts exceptional accuracy – enough to manufacture mobile sensors that monitor health. Imagine that it is possible, through a tiny adhesive electronic stamp attached to the arm, to know in real time one's level of hydration, stress or fatigue while jogging. A new sensor developed at the Nanoelectronic Devices Laboratory (Nanolab) at EPFL is the first step toward this application.

Hi-tech nanoknife treatment to kill kidney tumour

Leeds: A pioneering procedure has been carried out in by a University of Leeds specialist using a hi-tech ‘nanoknife’ technology to destroy cancer cells using pulses of high voltage electrical current. The technique has been used in the UK previously to treat liver and pancreatic cancer, but this was the first such procedure on a kidney tumour, and also the first time the nanoknife technology has been used in Leeds. Dr Tze Wah, of the School of Medicine, led the team which undertook the procedure on 59-year-old Alan Speight, from Dewsbury.  The treatment took less than two hours and after a night in hospital Mr Speight was able to return home.