Nanotechnology Commons^™

Identification And Molecular Analysis Of Dna In Exosomes, Jena Tavormina

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Exosomes are heterogeneous nanoparticles 50-150nm in diameter. Exosomes contain many functional cargo components, such as protein, DNA, and RNA. While protein and RNA exosome content has been extensively studied, very little work has been done to characterize exosomal DNA. Here, we demonstrate that exosomal DNA is heterogeneous and its packaging into exosomes is dependent on the cell of origin. Furthermore, through a rigorous assessment of various isolation methods, we identify Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) as the best method for the isolation of exosomal DNA for downstream applications. Additionally, we evaluate the methylation status of exosomal DNA and demonstrate that exosomal …

A Compressed Sensing Approach To Detect Immobilized Nanoparticles Using Superparamagnetic Relaxometry, Sara Thrower

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Superparamagnetic relaxometry (SPMR) is an emerging technology that leverages the unique properties of biologically targeted superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles to detect cancer. The use of ultra-sensitive sensors enables SPMR to detect tumors ten times smaller than current imaging methods. Reconstructing the distribution of cancer-bound nanoparticles from SPMR measurements is challenging because the inverse problem is ill posed. Current methods of source reconstruction rely on prior knowledge of the number of clusters of bound nanoparticles and their approximate locations, which is not known in clinical applications. In this work, we present a novel reconstruction algorithm based on compressed sensing methods that …

Bioactivity And Cell-Mediated Targeting Of Multistage Nanoporous Silicon Particles, Jonathan O. Martinez

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Progress in drug delivery approaches have not adequately translated into clinical advances in the diagnosis or treatment of inflammatory disorders (e.g., cancer). This disconnect is rooted in the inefficient delivery of imaging and therapeutic agents to the inflamed site upon systemic delivery. A multitude of biological barriers pose insurmountable obstacles limiting the ability of the agent to effectively reach and accumulate at the target site. Nanoparticles (NP) surfaced as potential vectors to encapsulate and deliver biological agents. However, even after surface decoration, NP have failed to evade biological barriers (i.e., MPS) and to accumulate at the tumor site at therapeutic …

Targeting Breast Cancer With Bacteriophage Associated Silicon Particles, Srimeenakshi Srinivasan

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Nanoparticle based therapeutics have been successfully used in the treatment of breast cancer. Development of nanovectors targeted to cancer cells or elements in the tumor microenvironment has been pursued to improve their site specific accumulation while reducing the non-specific delivery to normal tissues. However, addition of targeting ligands to the surface of nanovectors while maintaining their payload carrying potential is generally challenging. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop surface decoration strategies that allow for effective combination of targeting and payload delivery to the tumor.

In this study, we propose a novel strategy for covering the surface of mesoporous …