scholarly journals New multiscale characterisation methodology for effective determination of isolation-structure-function relationship of extracellular vesicles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thanh Huyen Phan ◽  
Shiva Kamini Divakarla ◽  
Jia Hao Yeo ◽  
Qingyu Lei ◽  
Priyanka Tharkar ◽  
...  

AbstractExtracellular vesicles (EVs) have been lauded as next generation medicines, but very few EV-based therapeutics have progressed to clinical use. Limited clinical translation is largely due to technical barriers that hamper our ability to mass-produce EVs, i.e. to isolate, purify and characterise them effectively. Technical limitations in comprehensive characterisation of EVs leads to unpredicted biological effects of EVs. Here, using a range of optical and non-optical techniques, we showed that the differences in molecular composition of EVs isolated using two isolation methods correlated with the differences in their biological function. Our results demonstrated that the isolation method determines the composition of isolated EVs at single and sub-population levels. Besides the composition, we measured for the first time the dry mass and predicted sedimentation of EVs. These parameters were shown to correlate well with the biological and functional effects of EVs on single cell and cell cultures. We anticipate that our new multiscale characterisation approach, which goes beyond traditional experimental methodology, will support fundamental understanding of EVs as well as elucidate the functional effects of EVs in in vitro and in vivo studies. Our findings and methodology will be pivotal for developing optimal isolation methods and establishing EVs as mainstream therapeutics and diagnostics. This innovative approach is applicable to a wide range of sectors including biopharma and biotechnology as well as to regulatory agencies.

Author(s):  
Thanh Huyen Phan ◽  
Shiva Kamini Divakarla ◽  
Jia Hao Yeo ◽  
Qingyu Lei ◽  
Priyanka Tharkar ◽  
...  

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been lauded as next-generation medicines, but very few EV-based therapeutics have progressed to clinical use. Limited clinical translation is largely due to technical barriers that hamper our ability to mass produce EVs, i.e., to isolate, purify, and characterize them effectively. Technical limitations in comprehensive characterization of EVs lead to unpredicted biological effects of EVs. Here, using a range of optical and non-optical techniques, we showed that the differences in molecular composition of EVs isolated using two isolation methods correlated with the differences in their biological function. Our results demonstrated that the isolation method determines the composition of isolated EVs at single and sub-population levels. Besides the composition, we measured for the first time the dry mass and predicted sedimentation of EVs. These parameters were likely to contribute to the biological and functional effects of EVs on single cell and cell cultures. We anticipate that our new multiscale characterization approach, which goes beyond traditional experimental methodology, will support fundamental understanding of EVs as well as elucidate the functional effects of EVs in in vitro and in vivo studies. Our findings and methodology will be pivotal for developing optimal isolation methods and establishing EVs as mainstream therapeutics and diagnostics. This innovative approach is applicable to a wide range of sectors including biopharma and biotechnology as well as to regulatory agencies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 1983-1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Lenin Maruthanila ◽  
Ramakrishnan Elancheran ◽  
Ajaikumar B. Kunnumakkar ◽  
Senthamaraikannan Kabilan ◽  
Jibon Kotoky

Emerging evidence present credible support in favour of the potential role of mahanine and girinimbine. Non-toxic herbal carbazole alkaloids occur in the edible part of Murraya koenigii, Micromelum minutum, M. zeylanicum, and M. euchrestiolia. Mahanine and girinimbine are the major potent compounds from these species. In fact, they interfered with tumour expansion and metastasis development through down-regulation of apoptotic and antiapoptotic protein, also involved in the stimulation of cell cycle arrest. Consequently, these compounds were well proven for the in-vitro and in vivo evaluation that could be developed as novel agents either alone or as an adjuvant to conventional therapeutics. Therefore, mahanine and girinimbine analogs have the potential to be the promising chemopreventive agents for the tumour recurrence and the treatment of human malignancies. In this review, an updated wide-range of pleiotropic anticancer and biological effects induction by mahanine and girinimbine against cancer cells were deeply summarized.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 596 ◽  
Author(s):  
María del Carmen Villegas-Aguilar ◽  
Álvaro Fernández-Ochoa ◽  
María de la Luz Cádiz-Gurrea ◽  
Sandra Pimentel-Moral ◽  
Jesús Lozano-Sánchez ◽  
...  

Dietary phenolic compounds are considered as bioactive compounds that have effects in different chronic disorders related to oxidative stress, inflammation process, or aging. These compounds, coming from a wide range of natural sources, have shown a pleiotropic behavior on key proteins that act as regulators. In this sense, this review aims to compile information on the effect exerted by the phenolic compounds and their metabolites on the main metabolic pathways involved in energy metabolism, inflammatory response, aging and their relationship with the biological properties reported in high prevalence chronic diseases. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated their pleiotropic molecular mechanisms of action and these findings raise the possibility that phenolic compounds have a wide variety of roles in different targets.


1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (2) ◽  
pp. L13-L28 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Sigal

The metabolism of arachidonic acid by cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes results in a wide range of oxidized products with potent biological activities. These metabolites, which include the prostaglandins and leukotrienes, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of inflammatory diseases. Research over the last decade has focused primarily on the elucidation of the chemical structure of the metabolites and their biological effects in vitro and in vivo. Recently, research on the enzymes that produce these bioactive metabolites through oxidization of arachidonic acid has intensified. Recombinant DNA techniques have enabled investigators to determine the nucleotide sequences for several of the enzymes in the arachidonic acid cascade. The resulting cDNAs are now being used to further investigate the biochemical and biological features of arachidonic acid metabolism. The purpose of this paper is to review how the cDNAs for these enzymes were obtained, what information they convey, and how they are being applied in current research.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingjie Wang ◽  
Le Zhang ◽  
Zhiqin Sun ◽  
Boyu Chi ◽  
Ailin Zou ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Naturally secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs) play important roles in stem-mediated cardioprotection. This study aimed to investigate the cardioprotective function and underlying mechanisms of EVs derived from HIF-1a engineered mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a rat model of AMI.Methods and Results EVs isolated from HIF-1a engineered MSCs (HIF-1a-EVs) and control MSCs (MSCs-EVs) were prepared. In in vitro experiments, the EVs were incubated with cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells exposed to hypoxia and serum deprivation (H/SD); in in vivo experiments, the EVs were injected in the acutely infarcted hearts of Sprague-Dawley rats. Compared with MSCs-EVs, HIF-1a-EVs significantly inhibited the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and enhanced angiogenesis of endothelial cells; meanwhile, HIF-1a-EVs also significantly shrunk fibrotic area and strengthened cardiac function in infarcted rats. After treatment with EVs/RGD-biotin hydrogels, we observed longer retention, higher stability in HIF-1a-EVs, and stronger cardiac function in the rats. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) displayed that miRNA-221-3p was highly expressed in HIF-1a-EVs. After miR-221-3p was inhibited in HIF-1a-EVs, the biological effects of HIF-1a EVs on apoptosis and angiogenesis were attenuated.Conclusion EVs released by MSCs with HIF-1a overexpression can promote the angiogenesis of endothelial cells and the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes via upregulating the expression of miR-221-3p. RGD hydrogels can enhance the therapeutic efficacy of HIF-1a engineered MSC-derived EVs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Hošek ◽  
Kristýna Šebrlová ◽  
Petra Kaucká ◽  
Ondřej Peš ◽  
Eva Táborská

Quaternary benzophenanthridine alkaloids are known to have a wide range of biological effects, including antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antitumour activities. However, only sanguinarine and chelerythrine have been studied intensively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of the five minor quaternary benzophenanthridine alkaloids sanguilutine, sanguirubine, chelirubine, chelilutine, and macarpine in vitro and to compare them with more thoroughly studied sanguinarine and chelerythrine. Before making cell-based assays, the cytotoxicity of the alkaloids was evaluated. The anti-inflammatory potential of the chosen alkaloids was evaluated as for their ability to modulate the lipopolysaccharide-induced secretion of tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in the macrophage-like cell line THP-1. The cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 inhibitory activities were also measured. The results indicate that the presence of a methylenedioxy ring attached at carbon (C)7-C8 is important for reducing the secretion of TNF-α. Interestingly, this effect did not show a simple dependence on concentration. The selected alkaloids showed little or no anti-COX activity. The results obtained from the present experiments may provide additional information useful in understanding the structure-to-activity relationship of the quaternary benzophenanthridine alkaloids. The anti-inflammatory potential and the cytotoxic effect are driven by the presence of a methylenedioxy ring attached at C7-C8 and C2-C3, respectively.


Author(s):  
Y. X. Qin ◽  
S. Zhang ◽  
J. Cheng

Mechanotransduction has demonstrated potentials for tissue adaptation in vivo and in vitro. It is well documented that ultrasound, as a mechanical signal, can produce a wide variety of biological effects in vitro and in vivo[1]. For example, pulsed ultrasound can be used to accelerate the rate of bone fracture healing noninvasively. Although a wide range of studies have been done, mechanism for this therapeutic effect on bone healing is currently unknown and still under active investigation. In our previous studies, we have developed methodology allowed in vitro manipulating osteoblastic cells using acoustic radiation force (ARF) generated by ultrasound without the effects of acoustic streaming and ultrasound-induced temperature rise. Furthermore, we also confirmed that ARF modulated intracellular Ca2+ transient in MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells in a strain and frequency-dependent manner. A potential mechanism by which bone cells may sense ultrasound is through their structures such as primary cilia and cytoskeletons. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the hypothesis that acoustic radiation force can regulate the activities of the primary cilium and the cytoskeleton of the cells, which act as the mechanotransductive signals to mediate Ca2+ flux, as a pathway in response to cyclic loading.


Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 407
Author(s):  
José Edwin Neciosup Quesñay ◽  
Naomi L. Pollock ◽  
Raghavendra Sashi Krishna Nagampalli ◽  
Sarah C. Lee ◽  
Vijayakumar Balakrishnan ◽  
...  

The molecular identity of the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) was presented in 2012, forty years after the active transport of cytosolic pyruvate into the mitochondrial matrix was first demonstrated. An impressive amount of in vivo and in vitro studies has since revealed an unexpected interplay between one, two, or even three protein subunits defining different functional MPC assemblies in a metabolic-specific context. These have clear implications in cell homeostasis and disease, and on the development of future therapies. Despite intensive efforts by different research groups using state-of-the-art computational tools and experimental techniques, MPCs’ structure-based mechanism remains elusive. Here, we review the current state of knowledge concerning MPCs’ molecular structures by examining both earlier and recent studies and presenting novel data to identify the regulatory, structural, and core transport activities to each of the known MPC subunits. We also discuss the potential application of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies of MPC reconstituted into nanodiscs of synthetic copolymers for solving human MPC2.


2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1908-1920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory A. Peters ◽  
Rune Hartmann ◽  
Jun Qin ◽  
Ganes C. Sen

ABSTRACT PACT is a 35-kDa human protein that can directly bind and activate the latent protein kinase, PKR. Here we report that PKR activation by PACT causes cellular apoptosis in addition to PKR autophosphorylation and translation inhibition. We analyzed the structure-function relationship of PACT by measuring its ability to bind and activate PKR in vitro and in vivo. Our studies revealed that among three domains of PACT, the presence of either domain 1 or domain 2 was sufficient for high-affinity binding of PACT to PKR. On the other hand, domain 3, consisting of 66 residues, was absolutely required for PKR activation in vitro and in vivo. When fused to maltose-binding protein, domain 3 was also sufficient for efficiently activating PKR in vitro. However, it bound poorly to PKR at the physiological salt concentration and consequently could not activate it properly in vivo. As anticipated, activation of PKR by domain 3 in vivo could be restored by attaching it to a heterologous PKR-binding domain. These results demonstrated that the structure of PACT is modular: it is composed of a distinct PKR-activation domain and two mutually redundant PKR-interacting domains.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Fitzgerald ◽  
Michael L. Freeman ◽  
Michael M. Lederman ◽  
Elena Vasilieva ◽  
Roberto Romero ◽  
...  

Abstract Cytokines are soluble factors that mediate cell–cell communications in multicellular organisms. Recently, another system of cell–cell communication was discovered, which is mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs). Here, we demonstrate that these two systems are not strictly separated, as many cytokines in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo are released in EV-encapsulated forms and are capable of eliciting biological effects upon contact with sensitive cells. Association with EVs is not necessarily a property of a particular cytokine but rather of a biological system and can be changed upon system activation. EV-encapsulated cytokines were not detected by standard cytokine assays. Deciphering the regulatory mechanisms of EV-encapsulation will lead to a better understanding of cell–cell communications in health and disease.


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