scholarly journals Biomedical Applications of Antiviral Nanohybrid Materials Relating to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Viral Crises

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 2833
Author(s):  
Shahin Homaeigohar ◽  
Qiqi Liu ◽  
Danial Kordbacheh

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven a global research to uncover novel, effective therapeutical and diagnosis approaches. In addition, control of spread of infection has been targeted through development of preventive tools and measures. In this regard, nanomaterials, particularly, those combining two or even several constituting materials possessing dissimilar physicochemical (or even biological) properties, i.e., nanohybrid materials play a significant role. Nanoparticulate nanohybrids have gained a widespread reputation for prevention of viral crises, thanks to their promising antimicrobial properties as well as their potential to act as a carrier for vaccines. On the other hand, they can perform well as a photo-driven killer for viruses when they release reactive oxygen species (ROS) or photothermally damage the virus membrane. The nanofibers can also play a crucial protective role when integrated into face masks and personal protective equipment, particularly as hybridized with antiviral nanoparticles. In this draft, we review the antiviral nanohybrids that could potentially be applied to control, diagnose, and treat the consequences of COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the short age of this health problem, trivially the relevant technologies are not that many and are handful. Therefore, still progressing, older technologies with antiviral potential are also included and discussed. To conclude, nanohybrid nanomaterials with their high engineering potential and ability to inactivate pathogens including viruses will contribute decisively to the future of nanomedicine tackling the current and future pandemics.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6320
Author(s):  
Monia Lenzi ◽  
Veronica Cocchi ◽  
Sofia Gasperini ◽  
Raffaella Arfè ◽  
Matteo Marti ◽  
...  

Mexedrone, α-PVP and α-PHP are synthetic cathinones. They can be considered amphetamine-like substances with a stimulating effect. Actually, studies showing their impact on DNA are totally absent. Therefore, in order to fill this gap, aim of the present work was to evaluate their mutagenicity on TK6 cells. On the basis of cytotoxicity and cytostasis results, we selected the concentrations (35–100 µM) to be used in the further analysis. We used the micronucleus (MN) as indicator of genetic damage and analyzed the MNi frequency fold increase by flow cytometry. Mexedrone demonstrated its mutagenic potential contrary to the other two compounds; we then proceeded by repeating the analyzes in the presence of extrinsic metabolic activation in order to check if it was possible to totally exclude the mutagenic capacity for α-PVP and α-PHP. The results demonstrated instead the mutagenicity of their metabolites. We then evaluated reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction as a possible mechanism at the basis of the highlighted effects but the results did not show a statistically significant increase in ROS levels for any of the tested substances. Anyway, our outcomes emphasize the importance of mutagenicity evaluation for a complete assessment of the risk associated with synthetic cathinones exposure.


Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Xinzhen Fan ◽  
L’Hocine Yahia ◽  
Edward Sacher

Microbes, including bacteria and fungi, easily form stable biofilms on many surfaces. Such biofilms have high resistance to antibiotics, and cause nosocomial and postoperative infections. The antimicrobial and antiviral behaviors of Ag and Cu nanoparticles (NPs) are well known, and possible mechanisms for their actions, such as released ions, reactive oxygen species (ROS), contact killing, the immunostimulatory effect, and others have been proposed. Ag and Cu NPs, and their derivative NPs, have different antimicrobial capacities and cytotoxicities. Factors, such as size, shape and surface treatment, influence their antimicrobial activities. The biomedical application of antimicrobial Ag and Cu NPs involves coating onto substrates, including textiles, polymers, ceramics, and metals. Because Ag and Cu are immiscible, synthetic AgCu nanoalloys have different microstructures, which impact their antimicrobial effects. When mixed, the combination of Ag and Cu NPs act synergistically, offering substantially enhanced antimicrobial behavior. However, when alloyed in Ag–Cu NPs, the antimicrobial behavior is even more enhanced. The reason for this enhancement is unclear. Here, we discuss these results and the possible behavior mechanisms that underlie them.


2013 ◽  
Vol 113 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asiya Parvin Allaudeen ◽  
Ajay Devendran ◽  
John E Baker ◽  
Anuradha Dhanasekaran

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a cytokine produced primarily in the kidney that is essential for red blood cell production. Apart from playing a role in hematopoiesis, EPO also has a protective role in heart myocytes, ovarian, glial cells brain and retinal diseases. In this study we observed that recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) reduces Hypoxia/ Reperfusion (H/R) injury by virtue of its effect on EPO receptor prosurvival signaling pathway, which ultimately leads to reduced expression of apoptotic proteins and increased survival of cardiomyocytes. H9C2 cells were exposed to H/R with or without pretreatment using 10, 15 and 20 U/ml of rhEPO. We determined viability using MTT, nuclear fragmentation by Hoechst staining, apoptotic nuclei by Acridine orange and Ethidium bromide, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) by Dicholorofluoresin Diacetate and activity of late apoptotic protease, Caspase-3 by colorimetric Caspase-3 assay. The expression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) by RT-PCR and Western blot, phospho-Akt and p38 MAPK by Confocal microscopy were analyzed. Cell viability is increased in cells pretreated with rhEPO compared to cell exposed to H/R. Cells subjected to H/R showed early apoptotic and late apoptotic cells but showed normal nuclei with intact cell membrane in cells pretreated with rhEPO. Intracellular production of ROS and Caspase-3 activity was decreased in cells pretreated with rhEPO compared to cells exposed to H/R. The expression of MnSOD RNA and protein was up-regulated in response to rhEPO, but not in H/R. The phosphorylative activation of Akt, p38MAPK progressively diminished during H/R but increased in rhEPO pretreated cells. We show that rhEPO prevents apoptosis in cardiomyocytes, subjected to H/R injury via phosphorylation of Akt and p38MAPK. These results it is hoped would help us distinguish the cell signaling pathways involved in cardioprotection and thus would open new avenues in cardiovascular therapy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizhen Zhang ◽  
Chengyuan Zhu ◽  
Rongtao Huang ◽  
Yanwen Ding ◽  
Changping Ruan ◽  
...  

Recently, inorganic nanomaterials have received considerable attention for use in biomedical applications owing to their unique physicochemical properties based on their shapes, sizes, and surface characteristics. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), sonodynamic therapy (SDT), and chemical dynamic therapy (CDT), which are cancer therapeutics mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), have the potential to significantly enhance the therapeutic precision and efficacy for cancer. To facilitate cancer therapeutics, numerous inorganic nanomaterials have been developed to generate ROS. This mini review provides an overview of the generation mechanisms of ROS by representative inorganic nanomaterials for cancer therapeutics, including the structures of engineered inorganic nanomaterials, ROS production conditions, ROS types, and the applications of the inorganic nanomaterials in cancer PDT, SDT, and CDT.


2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (01) ◽  
pp. 88-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Barja-Fidalgo ◽  
Vany Nascimento-Silva ◽  
Maria Arruda ◽  
Iolanda Fierro

SummaryLipoxins and their aspirin-triggered carbon-15 epimers have emerged as mediators of key events in endogenous anti-inflammation and resolution. However, the implication of these novel lipid mediators on cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure has not been investigated. One of the major features shared by these pathological conditions is the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by vascular NAD(P)H oxidase activation. In this study, we have examined whether an aspirin-triggered lipoxin A4 analog (ATL-1) modulates ROS generation in endothelial cells (EC). Pre-treatment of EC with ATL-1 (1–100 nM) completely blocked ROS production triggered by different agents, as assessed by dihydrorhodamine 123 and hydroethidine. Furthermore, ATL-1 inhibited the phosphorylation and translocation of the cytosplamic NAD(P)H oxidase subunit p47phox to the cell membrane as well as NAD(P)H oxidase activity. Western blot and immunofluorescence microscopy analyses showed that ATL-1 (100 nM) impaired the redox-sensitive activation of the transcriptional factor NF-κB, a critical step in several events associated to vascular pathologies. These results demonstrate that ATL-1 suppresses NAD(P)H oxidase-mediated ROS generation in EC, strongly indicating that lipoxins may play a protective role against the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bartosz Wiernicki ◽  
Hanne Dubois ◽  
Yulia Y. Tyurina ◽  
Behrouz Hassannia ◽  
Hülya Bayir ◽  
...  

Abstract Lipid peroxidation (LPO) drives ferroptosis execution. However, LPO has been shown to contribute also to other modes of regulated cell death (RCD). To clarify the role of LPO in different modes of RCD, we studied in a comprehensive approach the differential involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS), phospholipid peroxidation products, and lipid ROS flux in the major prototype modes of RCD viz. apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis. LC-MS oxidative lipidomics revealed robust peroxidation of three classes of phospholipids during ferroptosis with quantitative predominance of phosphatidylethanolamine species. Incomparably lower amounts of phospholipid peroxidation products were found in any of the other modes of RCD. Nonetheless, a strong increase in lipid ROS levels was detected in non-canonical pyroptosis, but only during cell membrane rupture. In contrast to ferroptosis, lipid ROS apparently was not involved in non-canonical pyroptosis execution nor in the release of IL-1β and IL-18, while clear dependency on CASP11 and GSDMD was observed. Our data demonstrate that ferroptosis is the only mode of RCD that depends on excessive phospholipid peroxidation for its cytotoxicity. In addition, our results also highlight the importance of performing kinetics and using different methods to monitor the occurrence of LPO. This should open the discussion on the implication of particular LPO events in relation to different modes of RCD.


2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (38) ◽  
pp. 24937-24943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Wen ◽  
Weiwei He ◽  
Yu Chong ◽  
Yi Liu ◽  
Jun-Jie Yin ◽  
...  

Pd nanostructures can promote the decomposition of H2O2 in a pH-dependent manner and scavenge superoxide and singlet oxygen.


2015 ◽  
Vol 411 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 317-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey Bolevich ◽  
Alekandr Haritonovic Kogan ◽  
Vladimir Zivkovic ◽  
Dusan Djuric ◽  
Aleksey Aleksejevic Novikov ◽  
...  

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