Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering - Research Publications

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    One-Step Assembly of Coordination Complexes for Versatile Film and Particle Engineering
    Ejima, H ; Richardson, JJ ; Liang, K ; Best, JP ; van Koeverden, MP ; Such, GK ; Cui, J ; Caruso, F (AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE, 2013-07-12)
    The development of facile and versatile strategies for thin-film and particle engineering is of immense scientific interest. However, few methods can conformally coat substrates of different composition, size, shape, and structure. We report the one-step coating of various interfaces using coordination complexes of natural polyphenols and Fe(III) ions. Film formation is initiated by the adsorption of the polyphenol and directed by pH-dependent, multivalent coordination bonding. Aqueous deposition is performed on a range of planar as well as inorganic, organic, and biological particle templates, demonstrating an extremely rapid technique for producing structurally diverse, thin films and capsules that can disassemble. The ease, low cost, and scalability of the assembly process, combined with pH responsiveness and negligible cytotoxicity, makes these films potential candidates for biomedical and environmental applications.
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    Tuning the Mechanical Properties of Nanoporous Hydrogel Particles via Polymer Cross-Linking
    Best, JP ; Cui, J ; Muellner, M ; Caruso, F (AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2013-08-06)
    Soft hydrogel particles with tunable mechanical properties are promising for next-generation therapeutic applications. This is due to the increasingly proven role that physicochemical properties play in particulate-based delivery vectors, both in vitro and in vivo. The ability to understand and quantify the mechanical properties of such systems is therefore essential to optimize function and performance. We report control over the mechanical properties of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) hydrogel particles based on a mesoporous silica templating method. The mechanical properties of the obtained particles can be finely tuned through variation of the cross-linker concentration, which is hereby quantified using a cross-linking polymer with a fluorescent tag. We demonstrate that the mechanical properties of the particles can be elucidated using an atomic force microscopy (AFM) force spectroscopy method, which additionally allows for the study of hydrogel material properties at the nanoscale through high-resolution force mapping. Young's modulus and stiffness of the particles were tuned between 0.04 and 2.53 MPa and between 1.6 and 28.4 mN m(-1), respectively, through control over the cross-linker concentration. The relationship between the concentration of the cross-linker added and the amount of adsorbed polymer was observed to follow a Langmuir isotherm, and this relationship was found to correlate linearly with the particle mechanical properties.
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    Preparation of Nano- and Microcapsules by Electrophoretic Polymer Assembly
    Richardson, JJ ; Ejima, H ; Loercher, SL ; Liang, K ; Senn, P ; Cui, J ; Caruso, F (WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH, 2013)
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    Immobilization and Intracellular Delivery of an Anticancer Drug Using Mussel-Inspired Polydopamine Capsules
    Cui, J ; Yan, Y ; Such, GK ; Liang, K ; Ochs, CJ ; Postma, A ; Caruso, F (AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2012-08)
    We report a facile approach to immobilize pH-cleavable polymer-drug conjugates in mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) capsules for intracellular drug delivery. Our design takes advantage of the facile PDA coating to form capsules, the chemical reactivity of PDA films, and the acid-labile groups in polymer side chains for sustained pH-induced drug release. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox) was conjugated to thiolated poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA(SH)) with a pH-cleavable hydrazone bond, and then immobilized in PDA capsules via robust thiol-catechol reactions between the polymer-drug conjugate and capsule walls. The loaded Dox showed limited release at physiological pH but significant release (over 85%) at endosomal/lysosomal pH. Cell viability assays showed that Dox-loaded PDA capsules enhanced the efficacy of eradicating HeLa cancer cells compared with free drug under the same assay conditions. The reported method provides a new platform for the application of stimuli-responsive PDA capsules as drug delivery systems.
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    Dopamine-Mediated Continuous Assembly of Biodegradable Capsules
    Ochs, CJ ; Hong, T ; Such, GK ; Cui, J ; Postma, A ; Caruso, F (AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2011-07-12)
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    Encapsulation of Water-Insoluble Drugs in Polymer Capsules Prepared Using Mesoporous Silica Templates for Intracellular Drug Delivery
    Wang, Y ; Yan, Y ; Cui, J ; Hosta-Rigau, L ; Heath, JK ; Nice, EC ; Caruso, F (WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH, 2010-10-08)
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    Templated Assembly of pH-Labile Polymer-Drug Particles for Intracellular Drug Delivery
    Cui, J ; Yan, Y ; Wang, Y ; Caruso, F (WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH, 2012-11-21)
    Abstract The preparation of pH‐labile polymer‐drug particles via mesoporous silica‐templated assembly for anticancer drug delivery into cancer cells is reported. The polymer‐drug conjugate is synthesized via thiol‐maleimide click chemistry using thiolated poly(methacrylic acid) (PMASH) and a pH‐labile doxorubicin (Dox) derivative. Drug‐loaded polymer particles that are stable under physiological conditions are obtained through infiltration of the conjugates into mesoporous silica particles, followed by cross‐linking the PMASH chains, and subsequent removal of the porous silica templates. The encapsulated Dox is released from the particles through cleavage of the hydrazone bonds between Dox and PMASH at endosomal/lysosomal pH. Cell viability assays show that the assembled PMASH particles have negligible cytotoxicity to LIM1899 human colorectal cancer cells. In comparison, Dox‐loaded PMASH particles cause significant cell death following internalization. The reported particles represent a novel and versatile class of stimuli‐responsive carriers for controlled drug delivery.
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    Particles on the Move: Intracellular Trafficking and Asymmetric Mitotic Partitioning of Nanoporous Polymer Particles
    Yan, Y ; Lai, ZW ; Goode, RJA ; Cui, J ; Bacic, T ; Kamphuis, MMJ ; Nice, EC ; Caruso, F (AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2013-06)
    Nanoporous polymer particles (NPPs) prepared by mesoporous silica templating show promise as a new class of versatile drug/gene delivery vehicles owning to their high payload capacity, functionality, and responsiveness. Understanding the cellular dynamics of such particles, including uptake, intracellular trafficking, and distribution, is an important requirement for their development as therapeutic carriers. Herein, we examine the spatiotemporal map of the cellular processing of submicrometer-sized disulfide-bonded poly(methacrylic acid) (PMASH) NPPs in HeLa cells using both flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. The data show that the PMASH NPPs are transported from the early endosomes to the lysosomes within a few minutes. Upon cell division, the lysosome-enclosed PMASH NPPs are distributed asymmetrically between two daughter cells. Statistical analysis of cells during cytokinesis suggests that partitioning of particles is biased with an average segregation deviation of 60%. Further, two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) analysis reveals that 127 out of 3059 identified spots are differentially regulated upon exposure to the PMASH NPPs. Pathway analysis of the proteomics data suggests that ubiquitylation, a reversible modification of cellular proteins with ubiquitin, plays a central role in overall cellular responses to the particles. These results provide important insights into the cellular dynamics and heterogeneity of NPPs, as well as the mechanisms that regulate the motility of these particles within cells, all of which have important implications for drug susceptibility characteristics in cancer cells using particle-based carriers.
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    Mechanically Tunable, Self-Adjuvanting Nanoengineered Polypeptide Particles
    Cui, J ; De Rose, R ; Best, JP ; Johnston, APR ; Alcantara, S ; Liang, K ; Such, GK ; Kent, SJ ; Caruso, F (WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH, 2013-07-05)
    DNA-loaded polypeptide particles are prepared via templated assembly of mesoporous silica for the delivery of adjuvants. The elasticity and cargo-loading capacity of the obtained particles can be tuned by the amount of cross-linker used to stabilize the polypeptide particles. The use of polypeptide particles as biocarriers provides a promising method for vaccine delivery.
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    Immersive Polymer Assembly on Immobilized Particles for Automated Capsule Preparation
    Richardson, JJ ; Liang, K ; Kempe, K ; Ejima, H ; Cui, J ; Caruso, F (WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH, 2013-12)
    We report a versatile approach for polymer capsule preparation using immobilized particles, which are immersed into polymer solutions either manually or by using an automated robotic dipping machine. This technique produces polyelectrolyte capsules with improved retention over conventionally prepared capsules. Additionally, responsive hydrogel capsules of different diameter can be prepared simultaneously.