Nanotechnology Commons^™

The Effect Of K562-Il21-2 Plasma Membrane Particles On The Proliferation Of Natural Killer Cells To Fight Cancer, Michelle Prophete

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Immunotherapy has emerged as a current and future paradigm of cancer treatment, which utilizes the body’s immune system to eradicate cancer. Natural Killer (NK) cells as part of the innate immune system have immense potential in their anti-tumor cytotoxic activities and host cell surveillance properties. NK cells comprise approximately five to fifteen percent of peripheral blood lymphocytes and can be proliferated in vitro using recently developed methods with co-cultures with feeder cells (derived from engineered tumor cells) or plasma membrane (PM) particles, produced from the fore mentioned feeder cells, in combination with soluble cytokines. For efficient growth and maintenance of …

Evaluation Of The Regional Drug Deposition Of Nasal Delivery Devices Using In Vitro Realistic Nasal Models, Mandana Azimi

Theses and Dissertations

The overall objectives of this research project were i) to develop and evaluate methods of characterizing nasal spray products using realistic nasal airway models as more clinically relevant in vitro tools and ii) to develop and evaluate a novel high-efficiency antibiotic nanoparticle dry powder formulation and delivery device. Two physically realistic nasal airway models were used to assess the effects of patient-use experimental conditions, nasal airway geometry and formulation / device properties on the delivery efficiency of nasal spray products. There was a large variability in drug delivery to the middle passages ranging from 17 – 57 % and 47 …

Development Of Diverse Size And Shape Rna Nanoparticles And Investigation Of Their Physicochemical Properties For Optimized Drug Delivery, Daniel L. Jasinski

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

RNA nanotechnology is an emerging field that holds great promise for advancing drug delivery and materials science. Recently, RNA nanoparticles have seen increased use as an in vivo delivery system. RNA was once thought to have little potential for in vivo use due to biological and thermodynamic stability issues. However, these issues have been solved by: (1) Finding of a thermodynamically stable three-way junction (3WJ) motif; (2) Chemical modifications to RNA confer enzymatic stability in vivo; and (3) the finding that RNA nanoparticles exhibit low immunogenicity in vivo.

In vivo biodistribution and pharmacokinetics are affected by the physicochemical …

Halo- And Solvato-Fluorochromic Polymer Nanoassemblies For Cancer Theranostics, Derek Alexander Reichel

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Theranostics is an emerging treatment approach that combines diagnostics with therapy in order to personalize treatment regimens for individual patients and decrease cancer mortality. Previously, nanoparticles entrapping conventional fluorescent dyes were developed for cancer theranostics, but fluorescent nanoparticles did not allow clinicians to significantly improve cancer treatments.

The use of fluorescent dyes that are sensitive to solvent acidity (halo-fluorochromism) and polarity (solvato-fluorochromism) may overcome the limitations of fluorescent nanoparticles and improve cancer therapy by enabling researchers to detect chemical properties within the nanoparticle core environment. The model halo- and solvato-fluorochromic dye Nile blue was attached to the core of nanoscale …

Graphene Toxicity As A Double-Edged Sword Of Risks And Exploitable Opportunities: A Critical Analysis Of The Most Recent Trends And Developments, Yuri Volkov, Jennifer Mcintyre, Adriele Prina-Mello

Articles

Increased production volumes and a broadening application spectrum of graphene have raised concerns about its potential adverse effects on human health. Numerous reports demonstrate that graphene irrespective of its particular form exerts its effects on a widest range of living organisms, including prokaryotic bacteria and viruses, plants, micro-and macro-invertebrates, mammalian and human cells and whole animals in vivo. However, the available experimental data is frequently a matter of significant divergence and even controversy. Therefore, we provide here a critical analysis of the most recent (2015-2016) reports accumulated in the graphene-related materials biocompatibility and toxicology field in order to elucidate the …

Liposomal Encapsulation Of Silver Nanoparticles Enhances Cytotoxicity And Causes Induction Of Reactive Oxygen Species‐ Independent Apoptosis, Azeez O. Yusef, A. Brophy, Brian Gorey, Alan Casey

Doctoral

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are one of the most widely investigated metallic NPs due to their promising antibacterial activities. In recent years, AgNP research has shifted beyond antimicrobial use to potential applications in the medical arena. This shift coupled with the extensive commercial applications of AgNP will further increase human exposure and the subsequent risk of adverse effects that may result from repeated exposures and inefficient delivery, meaning research into improved AgNP delivery is of paramount importance. In this study, AgNP were encapsulated in a natural biosurfactant, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, in an attempt to enhance the intracellular delivery and simultaneously mediate the associated …

In Vitro Comparative Cytotoxicity Study Of Aminated Polystyrene, Zinc Oxide And Silver Nanoparticles On A Cervical Cancer Cell Line, Akash Sharma, Brian Gorey, Alan Casey

Articles

Nanoparticles use in nano-biotechnology applications have increased significantly with Aminated polystyrene amine (AmPs NP), Zinc oxide (ZnO NP), and Silver (Ag NP) nanoparticles utilized in wide variety of consumer products. This has presented a number of concerns due to their increased exposure risks and associated toxicity on living systems. Changes in the structural and physicochemical properties of nanoparticles can lead to changes in biological activities. This study investigates, compares, and contrasts the potential toxicity of AmPs, ZnO and Ag NPs on an in vitro model (HeLa cells) and assesses the associated mechanism for their corresponding cytotoxicity relative to the surface …

Electrospraying Extracellular Matrix To Form Nanoparticles, Patrick Link

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Alveolar wall destruction is a significant contributor to COPD. Inflammatory macrophages are a major source of the Extracellular Matrix (ECM) proteolysis. ECM breakdown causes air to get trapped in the alveoli, obstructing airflow. One step in curing COPD may be to convert inflammatory to pro-regenerative macrophages. Recently, decellularized ECM scaffolds have shown the ability to induce a pro-regenerative phenotype.

Yet these scaffolds are incapable for reaching the alveolar region of the lungs. To reach the alveolar region particles need a diameter of 1-5 μm or smaller than 300 …

Antimicrobial Activity Of Fractionated Borohydride-Capped And Electrochemical Colloidal Silver, Marjorie M. Markopoulos

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and ionic silver (Ag+) are known to be broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents. Recent studies show these agents may be an alternative to the most widely used drinking water disinfectant, chlorine. Chlorine is a toxic industrial chemical with a lethal concentration of 430 ppm after 30 minutes. Additionally, chlorine can react with naturally occurring materials to produce a number of disinfection byproducts such as chloroform and trihalomethanes. Some of these byproducts pose cancer risks in addition to other negative impacts to human health. These would be eliminated with the use of Ag+ or AgNPs. The main goal of this …

Toxicology Of Engineered Nanoparticles: Focus On Poly(Amidoamine) Dendrines, Pratap Naha, Sourav P. Mukherjee, Hugh Byrne

Doctoral

Engineered nanomaterials are increasingly being developed for paints, sunscreens, cosmetics, industrial lubricants, tyres, semiconductor devices, and also for biomedical applications such as in diagnostics, therapeutics, and contrast agents. As a result, nanomaterials are being manufactured, transported, and used in larger and larger quantities, and potential impacts on environmental and human health have been raised. Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are specifically suitable for biomedical applications. They are well-defined nanoscale molecules which contain a 2-carbon ethylenediamine core and primary amine groups at the surface. The systematically variable structural architecture and the large internal free volume make these dendrimers an attractive option for drug …

Design Of A Modified Stewart Platform Manipulator For Misalignment Correction, Adekunle Ayoko

Master of Technology Management Plan II Graduate Projects

This thesis work is about the design of a modified Stewart platform manipulator for misalignment correction. The common version of the Stewart platform uses six actuators. The traditional Stewart platform of this kind has a moving top plate and a fixed base plate. However, in this research, the modified design of the traditional Stewart platform is studied. It is designed to be an easy connect-disconnect platform that can wrap around different structures with different cross sections and symmetrically designed. It is able to adjust position easily by using four identical but independent linear actuators populated evenly in two parts fastened …

Mechanism Of Interaction Of Peptide Modified Nanoparticles With Porphyromonas Gingivalis., Ankita Jain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies suggest that P. gingivalis functions as a keystone pathogen and interacts with primary colonizers in the supragingival biofilm such as S. gordonii. This interaction contributes to the initial colonization of the oral cavity by P. gingivalis and thus represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention. We have identified a peptide (BAR) derived from the streptococcal SspB protein that functions to inhibit P. gingivalis adherence to S. gordonii. In addition, we showed that nanoparticles (NPs) functionalized with BAR inhibit this interaction more potently than free soluble peptide, possibly by promoting interaction with P. gingivalis at higher valency than …

Photothermal Therapy Improves The Efficacy Of A Mek Inhibitor In Neurofibromatosis Type 1-Associated Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors., Elizabeth E. Sweeney, Rachel A. Burga, Chaoyang Li, Yuan Zhu, Rohan Fernandes

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are aggressive tumors with low survival rates and the leading cause of death in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients under 40 years old. Surgical resection is the standard of care for MPNSTs, but is often incomplete and can generate loss of function, necessitating the development of novel treatment methods for this patient population. Here, we describe a novel combination therapy comprising MEK inhibition and nanoparticle-based photothermal therapy (PTT) for MPNSTs. MEK inhibitors block activity driven by Ras, an oncogene constitutively activated in NF1-associated MPNSTs, while PTT serves as a minimally invasive method to ablate …

Use Of A Modified Greenscreen Tool To Conduct A Screening-Level Comparative Hazard Assessment Of Conventional Silver And Two Forms Of Nanosilver., Jennifer Sass, Lauren Heine, Nina Hwang

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Increased concern for potential health and environmental impacts of chemicals, including nanomaterials, in consumer products is driving demand for greater transparency regarding potential risks. Chemical hazard assessment is a powerful tool to inform product design, development and procurement and has been integrated into alternative assessment frameworks. The extent to which assessment methods originally designed for conventionally-sized materials can be used for nanomaterials, which have size-dependent physical and chemical properties, have not been well established. We contracted with a certified GreenScreen profiler to conduct three GreenScreen hazard assessments, for conventional silver and two forms of nanosilver. The contractor summarized publicly …

Design Of Drug Nano-Carriers For Study Of Multidrug Resistance In Single Live Cells, Pavan Kumar Cherukuri

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Multidrug resistance (MDR) exists in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. MDR is responsible for ineffective treatment of a wide range of diseases, such as infections and cancer. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) membrane transporters (efflux pumps) are one of the largest and most diverse super-families of membrane proteins found in all living organisms, ranging from bacteria to humans. All ABC transporters share a common structure of four core domains; two transmembrane domains (TMD) with variable sequence and topology and two nucleotide-binding domains (NBD) with conserved sequences. Conventional methods for the study of the efflux functions are radioactively labeled substrates and fluorescent …

Selective Anticancer Activity Of Hydroxyapatite/Chitosan-Poly(D,L)-Lactide-Co-Glycolide Particles Loaded With An Androstane-Based Cancer Inhibitor, Nenad Ignjatović, Katarina M. Penov-Gaši, Victoria M. Wu, Jovana J. Ajduković, Vesna V. Kojić, Dana Vasiljević-Radović, Maja Kuzmanović, Vuk Uskoković, Dragab Uskoković

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

In an earlier study we demonstrated that hydroxyapatite nanoparticles coated with chitosan-poly(d,l)-lactide-co-glycolide (HAp/Ch-PLGA) target lungs following their intravenous injection into mice. In this study we utilize an emulsification process and freeze drying to load the composite HAp/Ch-PLGA particles with 17β-hydroxy-17α-picolyl-androst-5-en-3β-yl-acetate (A), a chemotherapeutic derivative of androstane and a novel compound with a selective anticancer activity against lung cancer cells. ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR techniques confirmed the intact structure of the derivative A following its entrapment within HAp/Ch-PLGA particles. The thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses coupled with mass spectrometry were used to assess the …

Long-Acting Antiretroviral Nanoformulation Development And Subcellular Trafficking, Dongwei Guo

Theses & Dissertations

The introduction of nanoformulated antiretroviral therapeutic regimens is a promising alternative to standard once a day oral treatment of HIV infection. Our lab has pioneered this effort and was successful in harnessing mononuclear phagocytes (monocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages) as nanoformulated drug carriers. The approach was developed as Trojan horses for drug transport, delivery and distribution to sites of viral replication in order to facilitate microbial elimination in HIV sanctuaries. However, the remaining challenges for current antiretroviral nanoformulations include to formulate a broad range of hydrophilic short-acting drugs, and to elucidate the mechanism of sequestered nanoparticles in macrophages at the …

Gold Nanostars For Efficient In Vitro And In Vivo Real-Time Sers Detection And Drug Delivery Via Plasmonic-Tunable Raman/Ftir Imaging, Furong Tian, Joao Conde, Chenchen Bao, Yunsheng Chen, James Curtin, Daxiang Cui

Articles

The application of plasmonic-enhanced Raman imaging of cancer cells and drug delivery is gaining momentum. Here, we propose a new theranostic strategy based on an efficient plasmonic-tunable Raman/Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy imaging, to simultaneously evaluate the anticancer drug scattering cellular imaging and the Raman scattering molecular vibration signals in living cells. This technique allows to monitoring the drug release throughout the cell cycle and in vivo biodistribution and biocompatibility with low dose drug therapy (200 µg/mL) and low toxicity effect. This system can directly track in real-time the delivery and release of an anticancer drug (mitoxantrone, MTX) from gold …

Rnai Nanotechnology: A Platform For Sirna Screening And Cancer Gene Therapy, Mayurbhai Ravikant Patel

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Over the past two decades, advances in RNA structural biology have improved our understanding of the structures and folding properties of naturally occurring RNAs. RNA sequences and structures participate in many specific biological functions, such as those performed by messenger RNA (mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), micro RNA (miRNA), short-interfering RNA (siRNA), small nuclear RNA (snRNA) and many others. The noncoding RNAs, such as siRNA, do not express proteins but have been utilized in a wide range of applications, including RNA interference (RNAi) and the regulation of mRNA expression. These important biological functions have been implemented in gene …

Design And Development Of A Plasmid Vector For Protein Expression And Purification, Mahima Grover, Craig Sweet, David H. Thompson

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Production and isolation of proteins are difficult, costly and time-consuming processes. The aim of this project is for the development of plasmids, which allow for streamlined production and isolation of proteins. To allow for modular insertion of varying segments of DNA we are using ‘recursive directional ligation by plasmid reconstruction’. This technique uses type II restriction endonucleases, which cut downstream from their recognition site allowing multiple insertions without losing a restriction site. Using this process, we can ligate multiple DNA sequences together and express them to be able to construct a scar less fusion protein. In order to accomplish this, …