Ionotropic Gelation and Polyelectrolyte Complexation Technique: Novel Approach to Drug Encapsulation

2017 ◽  
Vol 518 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 50-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annalisa Dalmoro ◽  
Alexander Y. Sitenkov ◽  
Sara Cascone ◽  
Gaetano Lamberti ◽  
Anna Angela Barba ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Henao ◽  
Ezequiel Delgado ◽  
Héctor Contreras ◽  
Germán Quintana

The preparation of gels by charge interaction methods has been extensively studied, but it is not yet clear how these methods influence gel characteristics. The objective of this work was to study differences in morphology and surface charge of hydrogels prepared by ionotropic gelation, polyelectrolyte complexation, and a combination of both methods. Thus, the anionic charge was provided by carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), carboxymethylated starch (CMS), and alginic acid (AA); calcium chloride (CaCl2) and chitosan (CS) were used for the ionotropic gelation and polyelectrolyte complexation, respectively. Those materials are commercially available, have low toxicity, and are widely used in the area. These compounds interact through physical crosslinks, which are affected by physical changes of the medium. Our results showed that these two methods produced changes in the morphology of the hydrogels. CMC gels exhibited larger pores in the presence of CaCl2. In polyelectrolyte complexation, CMS produced an increased agglomeration of particles, while the addition of CaCl2 to AA generated dispersed particles of size in the order of millimeters. Mixing both ionotropic gelation and polyelectrolyte complexation methods yielded gels of varied charge (568 mV for CMC, 502 mV for CMS, and 1713 mV for AA). FTIR spectra of the hydrogels showed interactions between the different polymeric compounds, being the greatest changes between 1250 and 1600 cm−1, due possibly to the replacement of Na by Ca at crosslinking points. Therefore, the method of gel preparation employed had a major influence on the size and pore distribution, parameters which in turn influence encapsulation and drug delivery in these systems.


2019 ◽  
Vol 476 (24) ◽  
pp. 3705-3719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avani Vyas ◽  
Umamaheswar Duvvuri ◽  
Kirill Kiselyov

Platinum-containing drugs such as cisplatin and carboplatin are routinely used for the treatment of many solid tumors including squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). However, SCCHN resistance to platinum compounds is well documented. The resistance to platinum has been linked to the activity of divalent transporter ATP7B, which pumps platinum from the cytoplasm into lysosomes, decreasing its concentration in the cytoplasm. Several cancer models show increased expression of ATP7B; however, the reason for such an increase is not known. Here we show a strong positive correlation between mRNA levels of TMEM16A and ATP7B in human SCCHN tumors. TMEM16A overexpression and depletion in SCCHN cell lines caused parallel changes in the ATP7B mRNA levels. The ATP7B increase in TMEM16A-overexpressing cells was reversed by suppression of NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2), by the antioxidant N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) and by copper chelation using cuprizone and bathocuproine sulphonate (BCS). Pretreatment with either chelator significantly increased cisplatin's sensitivity, particularly in the context of TMEM16A overexpression. We propose that increased oxidative stress in TMEM16A-overexpressing cells liberates the chelated copper in the cytoplasm, leading to the transcriptional activation of ATP7B expression. This, in turn, decreases the efficacy of platinum compounds by promoting their vesicular sequestration. We think that such a new explanation of the mechanism of SCCHN tumors’ platinum resistance identifies novel approach to treating these tumors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 544-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Murphy ◽  
Emily A. Diehm

Purpose Morphological interventions promote gains in morphological knowledge and in other oral and written language skills (e.g., phonological awareness, vocabulary, reading, and spelling), yet we have a limited understanding of critical intervention features. In this clinical focus article, we describe a relatively novel approach to teaching morphology that considers its role as the key organizing principle of English orthography. We also present a clinical example of such an intervention delivered during a summer camp at a university speech and hearing clinic. Method Graduate speech-language pathology students provided a 6-week morphology-focused orthographic intervention to children in first through fourth grade ( n = 10) who demonstrated word-level reading and spelling difficulties. The intervention focused children's attention on morphological families, teaching how morphology is interrelated with phonology and etymology in English orthography. Results Comparing pre- and posttest scores, children demonstrated improvement in reading and/or spelling abilities, with the largest gains observed in spelling affixes within polymorphemic words. Children and their caregivers reacted positively to the intervention. Therefore, data from the camp offer preliminary support for teaching morphology within the context of written words, and the intervention appears to be a feasible approach for simultaneously increasing morphological knowledge, reading, and spelling. Conclusion Children with word-level reading and spelling difficulties may benefit from a morphology-focused orthographic intervention, such as the one described here. Research on the approach is warranted, and clinicians are encouraged to explore its possible effectiveness in their practice. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12290687


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
Kaniksha Desai ◽  
Halis Akturk ◽  
Ana Maria Chindris ◽  
Shon Meek ◽  
Robert Smallridge ◽  
...  
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