The Development of Hyaluronan/Fucoidan-Based Nanoparticles as Macrophages Targeting an Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Delivery System

The aim of this study was to develop a macrophage-targeted nanoparticle composed of hyaluronan/fucoidan complexes with polyethylene glycol-gelatin to encapsulate and deliver epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a compound that can regulate macrophage activation and pro-inflammatory mediator production. We show that our nanoparticles can successfully bond to macrophages and deliver more EGCG than an EGCG solution treatment, confirming the anti-inflammatory effects of these nanoparticles in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. The prepared nanoparticles were established with a small mean particle size (217.00 ± 14.00 nm), an acceptable polydispersity index (0.28 ± 0.07), an acceptable zeta potential value (−33.60 ± 1.30 mV), and a high EGCG loading efficiency (52.08% ± 5.37%). The targeting abilities of CD44 binding were increased as the hyaluronan concentration increased and decreased by adding a competitor CD44 antibody. Moreover, we found that fucoidan treatment significantly reduced macrophage migration after lipopolysaccharide treatment in a dose-responsive manner. In summary, we successfully created macrophage-targeted nanoparticles for effective targeted delivery of EGCG, which should aid in the development of future anti-inflammatory drugs against macrophage-related diseases.

Mouse and human HSPC immobilization in liquid culture by CD43- or CD44-antibody coating

Key Points Anti-CD43– and anti-CD44–antibody coating immobilizes live mouse and human HSPCs. This enables 2D colony formation, medium exchange without cell-identification loss, and increased throughput of time-lapse imaging.

CD44 Antibody-Conjugated Gold Nanostars as SERS Probes for Distinguishing Cancer Cells (A549 Cells, H1229 Cells) from Normal Cells (ATII Cells)

In this paper, we report a novel antibody conjugated gold nanostars ( AuNSs ) as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) probes for distinguishing cancer cells (A549 cells, H1229 cells) from normal cells (ATII cells). In such a probe, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was served as the protective agent and stabilizing agent, 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) was used as the Raman reporter to generate SERS signals as well as the conjugation agent for attaching CD44 antibody (anti-CD44) molecules to AuNSs , where anti-CD44 could effectively target to CD44 protein over-expressed cells. All the results of the experiments confirmed that more SERS probes have been targeted to cancer cells (A549 cells and H1229 cells) than that of normal cells (ATII cells) under the same condition. The anti-CD44 SERS probes hold a potential application in distinguishing cancer cells from normal cells with high sensitivity and good biocompatibility.