Nanomedicine Commons^™

Mesoporous Silica Administration As A New Strategy In The Management Of Warfarin Toxicity: An In-Vitro And In-Vivo Study, Fatemeh Farjadian, Fatemeh Parsi, Reza Heidari, Khatereh Zarkesh, Hamid Reza Mohammadi, Soliman Mohammadi-Samani, Lobat Tayebi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Purpose: Warfarin is one of the most widely used anticoagulants that functions by inhibiting vitamin K epoxide reductase. Warfarin overdose, whether intentional or unintentional, can cause life-threatening bleeding. Here, we present a novel warfarin adsorbent based on mesoporous silica that could serve as an antidote to warfarin toxicity.

Method: Amino-functionalized mesoporous silica (MS-NH₂) was synthesized based on the cocondensation method through a soft template technique followed by template removal. The prepared structure and functional group were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) checked the morphology. The …

Hybridization Kinetics Of Four-Way Junctions Localized On A Dna Scaffold, Katherine N. Taylor

Honors Undergraduate Theses

DNA computing is an ever-growing field with scientists trying to design structures that optimize logic gate communication to develop fast, biologically compatible, computational structures. We hypothesize that by using the principles of DNA computing, it is possible to design a DNA tile capable of studying localized DNA hybridization that can differentiate between oligonucleotides of different structural conformations. This includes synthetically manipulating DNA into a nanostructure that can perform Boolean logic functions to calculate the different rates of hybridization. To test our hypothesis, we designed a DNA Tile that incorporated a 4WJ using YES logic. Linear and hairpin single-stranded (ss) DNA …

Levofloxacin Incorporated Extracellular Matrix Nanoparticles For Pulmonary Cystic Fibrosis Infections, Raahi Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a progressive genetic disorder that affects around 40,000 people in the United States. CF is characterized by a mutation in the CFTR protein that causes dysregulated ion transport across epithelial cells, producing viscous mucus in the lung that increases bacterial invasion, causing persistent infections and subsequent inflammation. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are two of the most common infections in CF patients that are resistant to antibiotics. One antibiotic approved to treat these infections is levofloxacin (LVX) that functions to inhibit bacterial replication, but can be further developed into tailorable particles. Nanoparticles are an emerging inhaled …

Revolutionizing Psoriasis Topical Treatment: Enhanced Efficacy Through Ceramide/Phospholipid Composite Cerosomes Co-Delivery Of Cyclosporine And Dithranol: In-Vitro, Ex-Vivo, And In-Vivo Studies, Sammar Fathy Elhabal, Nashwa Abdelaal, Saeed A S Al-Zuhairy, Mohamed Fathi Mohamed Elrefai, Mohamed Mansour Khalifa, Mohammad Ahmad Khasawneh, Ahmed Mohsen Elsaid Hamdan, Passant M Mohie, Rania A Gad, Soad L Kabil, Mohamed Kandeel El-Ashery, Bhaskara R Jasti, Nahla A Elzohairy, Nehal Elfar, Tayseer Elnawawy, Fatma E Hassan, Mohamed Ahmed El-Nabarawi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: Improving the treatment of psoriasis is a serious challenge today. Psoriasis is an immune-mediated skin condition affecting 125 million people worldwide. It is commonly treated with cyclosporine-A (CsA) and dithranol (DTH). CsA suppresses the activation of T-cells, immune cells involved in forming psoriatic lesions. Meanwhile, DTH is a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative drug that effectively reduces the severity of psoriasis symptoms such as redness, scaling, and skin thickness. CsA and DTH belong to BCS class II with limited oral bioavailability. We aim to develop a drug delivery system for topical co-delivery of CsA and DTH, exploring its therapeutic potential. …

Quantum Dots' Toxicity: A Multi-Level Investigation On The Impact Of Quantum Dots On The Actin Cytoskeleton, Nhi Le

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Quantum dots (QDs) are fluorescence nanomaterials with unique optical and physical properties. As such, they are highly sought after for their potential use in several biomedical and industrial applications. Despite their vast potential, recent studies have suggested that quantum dots are toxic to cells. Yet, the mechanism of quantum dots’ toxicity remains unclear. As such, my thesis aims to comprehensively examine the mechanism of quantum dots’ toxicity, emphasizing how quantum dots disrupt the actin cytoskeleton. In this study, I used RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry to investigate the influence of CdSe/ZnS QDs on the transcriptomic proteomic level of Saccharomyces cerevisiae …

Compton Scattering Of Mammographic Soft X-Ray Beams By Alkali And Transition Metal Salt Filters Produce X-Ray Interference Zones That May Have Treatment Potential For Localized Cancer Lesions, Subhendra N. Sarkar, Eric Lobel, Sabina Rakhmatova, Derbie Desir, Somdat Kissoon, Daler Djuraev, Katie Tam

Publications and Research

In breast x-ray imaging scattered radiation adds 50% of harmful radiation dose from anisotropic Compton scattering mechanism. We have been working with double layered inorganic salt materials that can induce Compton scattering to the incident mammographic x ray beams (in 20-30 kVp range) with adequate isotropy (angular control). Typically metal nitrates and alkali halide salt layers are shown here to cause low energy radiation interference zones with high and low photon intensities and local flux heterogeneity in terms of flux covariance. Spatial variation of low energy photon flux creates concentrated and sparse radiation zones that may be used to induce …

Neuromuscular Polytrauma Pain Is Resolved By Macrophage Cox-2 Nanoimmunomodulation, Ibdanelo Cortez, Caitlyn M Gaffney, Riddhi Vichare, Caitlin V Crelli, Lu Liu, Eric Lee, Jules Edralin, James M Nichols, Hoang Vu Pham, Syed Mehdi, Jelena M Janjic, Andrew J Shepherd

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Soft tissue injuries often involve muscle and peripheral nerves and are qualitatively distinct from single-tissue injuries. Prior research suggests that damaged innervation compromises wound healing. To test this in a traumatic injury context, we developed a novel mouse model of nerve and lower limb polytrauma, which features greater pain hypersensitivity and more sustained macrophage infiltration than either injury in isolation. We also show that macrophages are crucial mediators of pain hypersensitivity in this model by delivering macrophage-targeted nanoemulsions laden with the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib. This treatment was more effective in males than females, and more effective when delivered 3 …

The Effects Of Nanobubbles For Gene Delivery For Osteoporosis Treatment, Abel Córdova Flores

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In recent years, the field of nanomedicine has provided promising alternatives to traditional ways of gene and drug delivery, such as nanobubbles instead of viral vectors. Manufacturing these nanomaterials is cost-effective and tends to be safer than previous forms of treatment for clinical use. In the realm of osteoporosis, a disease based around a higher rate of bone resorption to bone formation, leads to weak and brittle bones, leaving sufferers at risk for fractures, which are sudden and unexpected. These fractures are estimated to cost USD 22 Billion annually in the US alone. Reports show a significant effect on the …

Enhancing The Anticancer Potential Of Metformin: Fabrication Of Efficient Nanospanlastics, In Vitro Cytotoxic Studies On Hep-2 Cells And Reactome Enhanced Pathway Analysis, Shereen Nader, Sara El Wahed, Noha Badawy, Mona Saber, Maha Abdollah

Pharmacy

Metformin (MET), an oral antidiabetic drug, was reported to possess promising anticancer effects. We hypothesized that MET encapsulation in unique nanospanlastics would enhance its anticancer potential against HEP-2 cells. Our results showed the successful fabrication of Nano-MET spanlastics (d = 232.10 ± 0.20 nm; PDI = 0.25 ± 0.11; zeta potential = (−) 44.50 ± 0.96; drug content = 99.90 ± 0.11 and entrapment efficiency = 88.01 ± 2.50%). MTT assay revealed the enhanced Nano-MET cytotoxicity over MET with a calculated IC50 of 50 μg/mL and > 500 μg/mL, respectively. Annexin V/PI apoptosis assay showed that Nano-MET significantly decreased …

Functionalized Surface Of Plga Nanoparticles In Thermosensitive Gel To Enhance The Efficacy Of Antibiotics Against Antibiotic Resistant Infections In Endodontics: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Mona Arafa, Hadeel Moussa, Mohamed Medhat Kataia

Pharmacy

Enterococcus faecalis plays the key role in endodontic infections and is responsible for the formation of biofilm on dentin, which causes a resistance against periradicular lesions treatment, consequently the aim of this study is to use nanoparticles entrapping anibacterial agents coated with chitosan that in authors previous study showed a successful in vitro biofilm inhibition, additionally incorporated in thermoresponsive gel.to benefit nanoparticles` small size, and the positive charge of their surfaces that binds with the negatively charged surface of bacterial cell causing its destruction, in addition to the sustained release pattern of the drug based nanoparticles in gel. Therefore, Ciprofloxacin …

Development Of Targeted Drug Delivery System To Improve Immunotherapy In Pancreatic Cancer, Poornima Devi Shaji, Ana Martinez Bulnes, Nirnoy Dan, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Colloquium

Introduction: About 95% of tumor arises from epithelial cell lining ducts known to be pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, with less than 5-7% survival rate. Unfortunately, little progress has been seen in the outcomes of patients with PDAC as tumor develops high desmoplasia and chemo-resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, such as gemcitabine (Gem). Immunotherapy has shown promising results in other cancers but limited response in pancreatic cancer due to desmoplasia and fibrotic tumor microenvironment. A recently identified mucin, MUC13 is aberrantly expressed in pancreatic tumors but not in normal pancreas. Due to its high membrane expression, MUC13 may serve as an excellent target …

Novel Therapy Targeting Mutant-Krasg12d And Galectin-1 In Pancreatic Cancer, Ana I. Martinez Bulnes, Nirnoy Dan, Poornima Devi Shaji, Swathi Holla, Murali M. Yallapu, Sheema Khan

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Although, surgical resection and chemotherapy are the gold standard for treating Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC), low patient survival rate remains the problem. The activating point mutation of the KRAS on codon-12 is present in 70–95% of PDAC cases and so far, no success has been achieved to inhibit KRAS. KRASG12D regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis. Recent preliminary and published studies show high Galectin-1 (Gal-1) levels in both pancreatic cancer and stromal cells, which modulate tumor microenvironment and metastasis. Additionally, genetic deletion of gal1 inhibits metastasis and improves survival in KRAS mouse model of PDAC (1). Therefore, our objective is …

Developing A Chlorophyll-Based Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe For Cancer Cell Imaging, Benilde E. Adriano, Nycol M. Cotto, Neeraj Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Near-Infrared (NIR) fluorescence-based imaging is a noteworthy and safer strategy for cancer cells/tissues imaging compared to radiological imaging. NIR fluorescence offers deep tissue penetration and have minimal obstruction by autofluorescence and photon scattering [1]. There are several NIR dyes including indocyanine green (ICG) [2] and IR-1061 [3] that allow high-resolution tissue imaging. However, these dyes possess some low-quality characteristics which limit their use, namely photo instability, toxicity, poor water solubility, and short half-lives [4]. Therefore, more efficient and effective alternatives are urgently required to provide the desired clinical outcomes. Chlorophyll (Chl) is a natural dietary NIR fluorescence emitting …

Novel Therapy Targeting Mutant-Krasg12d And Galectin-1 In Pancreatic Cancer, Ana I. Martinez Bulnes, Poornima Devi Shaji, Swathi Holla, Nirnoy Dan, Shabnam Malik, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Stephen W. Behrman, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan

Research Colloquium

Introduction: In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), low patient survival rate remains a problem. The activating point mutation of KRAS on codon-12 is present in 70–95% of PDAC cases and so far, no success has been achieved to inhibit KRAS. KRAS^G12D regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis; recent preliminary and published studies show high Galectin-1 (Gal-1) levels in both PDAC and stromal cells, which modulate tumor microenvironment and metastasis. Therefore, we have developed a novel combination therapy for PDAC by targeting mutated KRAS^G12D and Gal-1 to target both proliferation and metastasis in PDAC. This includes the delivery of KRAS^{G12D …}

Smoking And Drinking Activates Nf-Κb /Il-6 Axis To Promote Inflammation During Cervical Carcinogenesis, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Prashanth Kb Nagesh, Ajay K. Singh, Andrew Massey, Godwin P. Darkwah, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: High-risk strains of HPV are known to cause cervical cancer. Multiple clinical studies have emphasized that smoking and drinking are critical risk factors for cervical cancer and its high-grade precursors. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the interplay of smoking and/or drinking with HPV infectivity and defined a systematic therapeutic approach for their attenuation in cervical cancer.

Methods: The impact of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and/or ethanol (EtOH) exposure on cervical cancer cells was assessed by measuring changes in cell proliferation, clonogenicity, biophysical properties, cell migration, and invasion. Expression of HPV16 E6/E7, NF-κB, cytokines, cell cycle, and …

Development And Evaluation Of A Nanofiber Membrane In Vitro As A Therapeutic Alternative For The Post Treatment In Breast Cancer Cell In A Murine Model, Bruno A. Valades-Aguilar, Diana Ginette Zarate-Triviño, José Raúl Rángel-López, Moises Armides Franco-Molina, Jorge Luis Menchaca-Arredondo, María Cristina Rodríguez-Padilla

Research Symposium

Worldwide female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases in 2020, reason for the need of targeted therapies that can maximize treatment success and minimize toxicity. Nanoparticles of gold (AuNps) exhibit cytotoxic properties against certain types of cancer cell lines. Nanofibers have been use in the drug delivery systems due to its degradability and high surface area. We proposed a membrane with nanometric fibers using polivinilic alcohol (PVA) and chitosan (Qts) loaded with AuNps and Doxorubicin (Doxo) with the purpose of diminish tumor regression.

PVA-Qts membrane was develop with electrospinning, the injection, …

Folate Conjugated Nanomedicines For Selective Inhibition Of Mtor Signaling In Polycystic Kidneys At Clinically Relevant Doses, Rajasekharreddy Pala, Ayan K. Barui, Ashraf M. Mohieldin, Jing Zhou, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Although rapamycin is a very effective drug for rodents with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), it is not encouraging in the clinical trials due to the suboptimal dosages compelled by the off-target side effects. We here report the generation, characterization, specificity, functionality, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and toxicology profiles of novel polycystic kidney-specific-targeting nanoparticles (NPs). We formulated folate-conjugated PLGA-PEG NPs, which can be loaded with multiple drugs, including rapamycin (an mTOR inhibitor) and antioxidant 4-hydroxy-TEMPO (a nephroprotective agent). The NPs increased the efficacy, potency and tolerability of rapamycin resulting in an increased survival rate and improved kidney function by decreasing side effects and …

Nanoformulations Of Essential Oils Extracted From Pistacia Lentiscus And Boswellia Sacra And Investigation Of Their Anticancer, Antimicrobial, And Antioxidant Activities., Obaydah Abd Alkader Alabrahim

Theses and Dissertations

Essential oils (EOs) obtained from natural sources have shown promising biological and therapeutical properties such as anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities, attributing to their high content of a variety of bioactive components. However, EOs’ therapeutic properties are limited by their low stability, poor bioavailability, high volatility, and low targeting ability. Therefore, the encapsulation and nanoformulation of EOs can maximize their therapeutical efficiency and physicochemical properties while overcoming their undesirable side effects and drawbacks. EOs extracted from the resins of Pistacia Lentiscus var. Chia (P.oil) and Boswellia Sacra (B.oil) are two promising EOs that have shown great therapeutic potential. P.oil was …

Protein L Functionalized Microparticles For Early Detection Of Surface Markers In Heterogeneous Colorectal Lesions, Saleh Ramezani

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths among both men and women worldwide, a statistic that can be improved with early detection. Increased understanding of the tumor landscape has identified surface antigens that can be utilized to distinguish normal and cancerous tissue lining the colonic lumen. Use of antibodies conjugated to nano/micromaterials offers a means to detect these antigens, however, the heterogeneous nature of tumors makes it unlikely that antibodies against a single antigen will have sufficient sensitivity and specificity to detect all tumors. A versatile micromaterial able to be functionalized with more than one targeting …

Image Analysis Methodology For Evaluating Coating Uniformity Of Drug-Coated Angioplasty Balloons, Allison Dobson Zieschang

LSU Master's Theses

Percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTA) is a surgical procedure to treat peripheral artery disease, but restenosis causes suboptimal outcomes in many patients. Drug-coated angioplasty balloons (DCBs) were developed to reduce the risk of restenosis by delivering anti-proliferative drugs to the lesion. The efficacy of DCBs depends on factors like drug loading and drug release rate, both of which are directly impacted by the coating uniformity. This thesis evaluates the uniformity of DBCs using fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), qualitative analysis, and an image processing algorithm. Uniformity was quantified by three measurements: histogram standard deviation, histogram percentage of coverage, and …