Biomedical

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Case Western Reserve University have developed an in situ method for rapid and efficient synthesis of degradable branched lipidoids, key components of lipid nanoparticles, which are used for delivery of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. The new method simplifies the manufacture of lipid nanoparticles and improves their ability to deliver mRNA to cells. The team tested the method for the treatment of obesity and genetic diseases. 

Aortic aneurysms are bulges in the aorta, the largest blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. "The soft tissues that make up blood vessels act essentially like rubber bands, and it's the elastic fibers within these tissues that allow them to stretch and snap back," said Prof. Anand Ramamurthi, from Lehigh University. Ramamurthi and colleagues are working on minimally invasive ways to regenerate and repair these elastic fibers using nanoparticles designed to release novel regenerative therapeutics.

Researchers from Oregon State University, Oregon Health and Science University, and EnterX Biosciences, Inc. in Portland, Ore., have developed a type of lipid nanoparticle that can reach the lungs and the eyes, an important step toward a genetic therapy for hereditary conditions like cystic fibrosis and inherited vision loss. "These nanoparticles filled with fatty lipids can encapsulate genetic medicines like mRNA and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editors, which can be used to treat and even cure rare genetic diseases," said Yulia Eygeris, one of the scientists involved in this study.

Researchers from Washington State University have discovered that bacteria can be tricked into sending death signals to stop the growth of biofilms, which are slimy, protective homes that lead to deadly infections. The researchers discovered that extracellular vesicles are key to managing the growth of the protective biofilm. The vesicles, tiny bubbles from 30 to 50 nanometers, shuttle molecules from cells, entering and then re-programming neighboring cells and acting as a cell-to-cell communications system.

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School have shown that a type of nanoparticle called a metal organic framework can provoke a strong immune response by activating the innate immune system – the body’s first line of defense against any pathogen – through cell proteins called toll-like receptors. In a study of mice, the researchers showed that this metal organic framework could successfully encapsulate and deliver part of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, while also acting as an adjuvant once the metal organic framework is broken down inside cells.

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh are providing guidance on the design of lipid nanoparticles for safe use during pregnancy. Lipid nanoparticles are the delivery vehicles that bring messenger RNA into cells. The researchers are studying how changes during pregnancy (for example, immune system changes) alter nanoparticle behavior, compared to non-pregnant people. So far, the researchers have shown that the inclusion of different lipids in a nanoparticle alters its chemistry, which in turn changes the way the immune system responds.

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University have developed a "GPS nanoparticle" that, after being injected intravenously, can home in on cancer cells to deliver a genetic punch to the protein implicated in tumor growth and spread. The researchers showed that this nanoparticle works for basal-like breast cancers, which are characterized by aggressive, quickly growing tumors that shed cancer cells, which then spread elsewhere in the body.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have found that targeting a non-encoding stretch of RNA may help shrink tumors caused by an aggressive type of brain cancer in children. A previous study showed that a long noncoding stretch of RNA contributes to the growth of brain tumors by attaching to a piece of DNA that increases expression of cancer-causing genes.

Materials scientists at Rice University are shedding light on the intricate growth processes of 2D crystals, paving the way for controlled synthesis of these materials with unprecedented precision. The researchers have developed a custom-built miniaturized chemical vapor deposition system to observe and record the growth of 2D molybdenum disulfide crystals in real time.

Tumors constantly shed DNA from dying cells, which briefly circulates in the patient's bloodstream before it is quickly broken down. But the amount of tumor DNA circulating at any given time is extremely small, so it has been challenging to develop tests sensitive enough to pick up that tiny signal. A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has now come up with a way to significantly boost that signal, by temporarily slowing the clearance of tumor DNA circulating in the bloodstream.