Beneficial effects of the combination of BCc1 and Hep-S nanochelating-based medicines on IL-6 in hospitalized moderate COVID-19 adult patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: In the severe forms of COVID-19 and many other infectious diseases, the patients develop a cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) where pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α play a key role in the development of this serious process. Selenium and iron are two important trace minerals, and their metabolism is tightly connected to immune system function. Numerous studies highlight the role of selenium and iron metabolism changes in the procedure of COVID-19 inflammation. The immunomodulator effect of nanomedicines that are synthesized based on nanochelating technology has been proved in previous studies. In the present study, the effects of the combination of BCc1(with iron-chelating property) and Hep-S (containing selenium) nanomedicines on mentioned cytokines levels in hospitalized moderate COVID-19 patients were evaluated. METHODS: Laboratory-confirmed moderate COVID-19 patients were enrolled to participate in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in two separate groups: combination of BCc1 and Hep-S (N = 62) (treatment) or placebo (N = 60) (placebo). The blood samples were taken before medications on day zero, at discharge, and 28 days after consumption to measure hematological and biochemical parameters and cytokine levels. The clinical symptoms of all the patients were recorded according to an assessment questionnaire before the start of the treatment and on days 3 and discharge day. RESULTS: The results revealed that consumption of the nanomedicines led to a significant decrease in the mean level of IL-6 cytokine, and at the end of the study, there was a 77% downward trend in IL-6 in the nanomedicine group, while an 18% increase in the placebo group (p < 0.05). In addition, the patients in the nanomedicines group had lower TNF-α levels; accordingly, there was a 21% decrease in TNF-α level in the treatment group, while a 31% increase in this cytokine level in the placebo was observed (p > 0.05). On the other hand, in nanomedicines treated groups, clinical scores of coughing, fatigue, and need for oxygen therapy improved. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the combination of BCc1 and Hep-S inhibits IL-6 as a highly important and well-known cytokine in COVID-19 pathophysiology and presents a promising view for immunomodulation that can manage CSS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials RCT20170731035423N2 . Registered on June 12, 2020.

Nanoadjuvants Produced by Advanced Nanochelating Technology in the Inactivated-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Vaccine Formulation: Preliminary Results on Cytokines and IgG Responses.

Despite the great success of vaccines in various infectious diseases, most current vaccines are not effective enough, and on the contrary, clinically approved alum adjuvants cannot induce sufficient immune responses, including a potent cellular immune response to confer protection. In this study, we used Nanochelating Technology to develop novel nanoadjuvants to boost the potency of the alum-adjuvanted inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine. BALB/c mice were immunized twice over 2 weeks with different doses of adjuvanted-vaccine formulations and immune responses were assessed. The analysis results of IFN-γ and IL-17 cytokines demonstrated the effectiveness of the nanoadjuvants produced by the Nanochelating Technology in shifting the alum-based vaccine toward a stronger Th1 pattern. In addition, these nanoadjuvants improved IL-2 cytokine response, which shows the efficacy of these novel formulations in inducing specific T lymphocyte proliferation. Using these nanoadjuvants increased IL-10 cytokine secretion that may be representative of a better immunoregulatory impact and may also potentially prevent immunopathology responses. Moreover, specific IgG titer analysis revealed the potency of these nanoadjuvants in improving humoral immune responses. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific IgG response showed that the developed novel formulations induced strong IgG responses against this protein. This study shows that the nanostructures produced by the Advanced Nanochelating Technology have potent adjuvant effects on alum-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to not only compensate for alum weakness in inducing the cellular immune responses by smart regulation of the immune system but also significantly improve the humoral and cellular immune responses simultaneously.

Effect of advanced chelate compounds-based mineral supplement in laying hen diet on the performance, egg quality, yolk mineral content, fatty acid composition, and oxidative status.

The study aimed to determine the efficiency of advanced chelate compounds-based trace minerals (OTM) in laying hens. Laying hens (240, 32 weeks old) were assigned to one of the following five groups: NOTM (no added trace minerals), CONTM (standard mineral salts), and three experimental groups in which chelates were used to replace 33, 66, and 100% of mineral salts (OTM33, OTM66, and OTM100, respectively). Each treatment had six replicates with eight hens per replicate. After 18 weeks, performance and physicochemical properties of eggs in all experimental groups was better than those in the NOTM group. Among the treatments, OTM66 and OTM100 produced the best results in terms of laying performance, yolk PUFA/SFA ratio, Zn and Se contents, and malondialdehyde concentration in both serum and yolk. In conclusion, up to 66% OTM supplementation was beneficial for performance, lipid and mineral composition of yolk, and oxidative status.

Lactation responses of Holstein dairy cows to supplementation with a combination of trace minerals produced using the advanced chelate compounds technology.

Advanced chelate compounds technology is a novel technology that introduces a new generation of chelates to deliver trace elements better by polymerization of organic acids. In the present study, the over-supplementation effect of Bonzaplex7 supplement, which is designed based on the aforementioned technology, was evaluated on milk yield of dairy Holstein cattle through two experiments. In the first experiment (exp. I), 24 primiparous dairy cows were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: (1) without over-supplementation (control); (2) daily allowance of 7 g/cow Bonzaplex7 containing Co (12 mg), Cr (3.5 mg), Cu (126 mg), Fe (56 mg), Mn (196 mg), Se (2 mg), and Zn (357 mg) (Bonzaplex7); and (3) daily allowance of the same amounts of all of the trace minerals in amino acid complex form (AA). In the second experiment (exp. II), 170 multiparous dairy cows received either 7 g/day/cow Bonzaplex7 (85 cows, test) or no additional supplement (85 cows, NS). In exp. I, the milk yields in control, Bonzaplex7, and AA were 34.30, 36.46, and 35.83 kg/day, respectively (P = 0.528). No significant differences in milk composition were detected among the groups. In exp. II, however, higher milk fat and energy-corrected milk yield were observed in test compared with NS. Both Bonzeplex7 and AA elevated the plasma concentrations of Cu, Mn, and Se. The results provided evidence that supplementing dairy cows with a combination of trace minerals which produced using the advanced chelate compounds technology has a potential to improve milk fat and to decrease disease susceptibility under stressed conditions.

Ameliorative effect of a nano chromium metal-organic framework on experimental diabetic chronic kidney disease.

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a new class of crystalline porous structures which can be used as a novel structure in diverse fields of medical science. Several studies have shown that chromium supplementation can be effective in amelioration of biochemical parameters of diabetes and its renal complications. Therefore, a chromium-containing MOF (DIFc) was synthetized by nanochelating technology in the present study and then its effect on biochemical indices in diabetic rats was evaluated. Diabetes was induced by high-fat diet consumption and streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) injection and then the treatment started 8 weeks after disease induction and continued for 8 weeks. The results showed that DIFc treatment decreased HOMA-IR index, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid and malondialdehyde in plasma samples. This nano MOF also reduced albumin, malondialdehyde and 8-isoprostane in urine specimen, while it increased creatinine clearance. In conclusion, DIFc MOF demonstrated promising results in the present study, indicating that it can be developed and evaluated in future investigations with the aim of designing a novel agent for management of diabetes and its renal complications.

GFc7 as a Smart Growth Nanofactor for ex vivo Expansion and Cryoprotection of Humans' Hematopoietic Stem Cells.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, smart synthesized nanostructures have attracted wide attention in the field of stem cell nanotechnology due to their effect on different properties of stem cells. METHODS: GFc7 growth nanofactor was synthesized based on nanochelating technology as an iron-containing copper chelator nanocomplex. The effect of this nanocomplex on the expansion and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) as well as its performance as a cryoprotectant was evaluated in the present study. RESULTS: The results showed that the absolute count of CD34+ and CD34+CD38- cells on days 4, 7, 10 and 13; the percentage of lactate dehydrogenase enzyme on the same days and CD34+CXCR4 population on day 10 were significantly increased when they were treated with GFc7 growth nanofactor in a fetal bovine serum (FBS)-free medium. This medium also led to delayed differentiation in HSCs. One noticeable result was that CD34+CD38- cells cultured in an FBS medium were immediately differentiated into CD34+CD38+ cells, while CD34+CD38- cells treated with GFc7 growth nanofactor in FBS medium did not show such an immediate significant differentiation. De-freezing GFc7-treated CD34+ cells, which were already frozen according to cord blood bank protocols, showed a higher percentage of cell viability and a larger number of colonies according to colony-forming cell assay as compared to control. CONCLUSION: It can be claimed that treating HSCs with GFc7 growth nanofactor leads to quality and quantity improvement of HSCs, both in terms of expansion in vitro and freezing and de-freezing processes.

DIBc nano metal-organic framework improves biochemical and pathological parameters of experimental chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: The growing morbidity and mortality rate of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has forced researchers to find more efficient strategies for controlling this disease. Studies have proven the important role of alteration in iron, zinc and selenium metabolism in CKD pathological process. Nanotechnology, through synthetizing nano metal-organic framework (NMOF) structures, can be employed as a valuable strategy for using these trace elements as the key for modification and improvement of CKD-related pathological events. After proving the anti-diabetic property of DIBc NMOF (which contains selenium and zinc) in the previous study, the impact of this NMOF on some important biochemical and pathological parameters of CKD was evaluated in the current study. METHODS: Knowing that diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of CKD, male wistar rats were selected and given a high fat diet for 2 weeks and then were injected with streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) to induce DN. Six weeks after streptozotocin injection, DIBc or metformin treatment started and continued for 8 weeks. RESULTS: Eight weeks of DIBc treatment decreased plasma fasting blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, malondialdehyde (MDA) and HOMA-IR index compared to DN control and metformin groups. This NMOF significantly reduced urinary albumin excretion rate, MDA and 8-isoprostane, while it increased creatinine clearance in comparison to the above-mentioned groups. Renal histo-pathological images indicated that DIBc ameliorated glomerular basement membrane thickening and wrinkling, mesangial matrix expansion and hypercellularity and presence of intra-cytoplasmic hyaline droplets in proximal cortical tubules of kidney samples. CONCLUSION: The results showed the therapeutic effect of DIBc on important biochemical and histo-pathological parameters of CKD, so this NMOF could be regarded as a promising novel anti-CKD agent.

BCc1 Nanomedicine Therapeutic Effects in Streptozotocin and High-Fat Diet Induced Diabetic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: One common feature of chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), is the disruption of iron metabolism and increase in labile iron pool, which can result in excessive production of harmful oxidative stress. The proper management of iron metabolism in this situation can be a valuable tool to ameliorate pathological events. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the previous studies, the anti-neoplastic effects of BCc1, a nanochelating-based nanomedicine with iron-chelating property, were demonstrated in cell culture, animal models and clinical trials. In the present study, the therapeutic effects of BCc1 in animal model of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), induced by streptozotocin injection (35 mg/kg) and high-fat diet consumption, were evaluated. RESULTS: The results showed that BCc1 significantly decreased HOMA-IR index, uric acid, blood urea nitrogen, malondialdehyde and 8-isoprostane. In addition, it reduced urinary albumin excretion rate and albumin-to-creatinine ratio in comparison to DKD control rats. This nanomedicine had no negative impact on liver iron content, hemoglobin level, red blood cell count, hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume, while it significantly decreased aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase compared to DKD control group. Moreover, the histopathological assessment indicated that lesser glomerular basement membrane and wrinkling, mesangial matrix expansion and pathological changes in proximal cortical tubules were seen in the kidney samples of BCc1-treated rats. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, BCc1 as an iron-chelating agent shows promising impacts in DKD animal model, which can ameliorate biochemical and pathological events of this disease.

Using Nanochelating Technology for Biofortification and Yield Increase in Rice.

Iron is a vital microelement that plays an important role in plant metabolism. Consuming a large amount of chemical fertilizers increases the risk factors of neoplastic diseases such as heavy metals and harmful components in crops edible parts. Therefore, utilizing novel technologies to increase yields without requiring more chemical fertilizers seems essential. In this regard, nanotechnology holds considerable potentials for creating valuable outputs in agriculture. The effect of nano chelated iron fertilizer, which is synthesized based on novel nanochelating technology, on agronomic traits and yield of rice were evaluated in the present study. A randomized complete block experiment was conducted with 3 replicates. The treatments were: T0 (control), T1 (2.5 g/L foliar application twice at nursery with a one-week interval), T2 (foliar application at tillering + T1), T3 (foliar application at booting + T1), T4 (foliar application at tillering and booting + T1), T5 (8 kg/ha soil application at tillering + T1), T6 (8 kg/ha soil application at booting + T1), T7 (4 kg/ha soil application at tillering + 4 kg/ha soil application at booting + T1). Nano chelated iron fertilizer increased biological yield by 27% and decreased hollow grain number by 254%; in addition, it raised protein content by 13%. This fertilizer also led to increase in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc concentrations in white rice by 46%, 43%, 41%, 25% and 50%, respectively. Nanochelating technology can decrease the need for chemical fertilizers; additionally, this technology has the capability to bio-fortify crops with vital micronutrients.

Neuroprotective Effect of New Nanochelating-Based Nano Complex, ALZc3, Against Aß (1-42)-Induced Toxicity in Rat: a Comparison with Memantine.

PURPOSE: The current drugs for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are only used to slow or delay the progression of the pathology. So using a novel technology is a necessity to synthesize more effective medications to control this most common cause of dementia. In this study, using nanochelating technology, ALZc3 was synthesized and its therapeutic effects were evaluated in comparison with memantine on a well-known rat model of AD, which is based on Amyloid-ßeta (Aß) injection into the brain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Aß (1-42) was injected bilaterally into the CA1 area of the hippocampus of male rats and then animals were treated daily by oral administration of Alz-C3, memantine or their vehicles. Activities of antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, as well as Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, caspase-3 activation, and TNF-α expression were evaluated 7 days after Aß injection. Finally, learning and memory of the rats were assessed by Morris water maze test. RESULTS: ALZc3 and memantine improved memory impairment and antioxidant activity and reduced TNF-α expression, caspase-3 activity and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in the rat's hippocampus. The results showed a superiority of ALZC3 compared to memantine in reducing caspase-3, increasing CAT activity in Aß (1-42)-injected groups and improving apoptosis factor in healthy mice. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that ALZc3 could significantly prevent the memory impairment and Aß (1-42) toxicity. Thus, ALZc3 could be a promising novel anti-AD agent.

Effects of BCc1 nanoparticle and its mixture with doxorubicin on survival of murine 4T1 tumor model.

Background: Our previous findings showed that BCc1, a nanoparticle designed based on nanochelating technology, can be considered a new anti-cancer nanoparticle if confirmed by complementary studies. Goal: In the present study, we investigated the effects of the BCc1 nanoparticle alone on some gene expressions influencing the apoptosis pathway, and also the effect of the mixture of BCc1 nanoparticle and doxorubicin on survival. Method: Using an in vitro study, the effects of the BCc1 nanoparticle on Bax, Bcl2, p53, Caspase7 and p21 gene expressions were assessed after a 24-h treatment using real-time PCR in MCF-7 and MEFs; in addition, using an in vivo study, 4T1 tumor-bearing female Balb/c mice were treated with different doses of the BCc1 nanoparticle and doxorubicin alone and together and then their mean and median survival was evaluated. Result: The results showed that the BCc1 nanoparticle increased gene expressions of RB, p53, Caspase7, p21, and Bax and decreased gene expressions of Bcl2 in MCF-7 significantly, but no change was observed in MEFs expressions. The findings revealed that the BCc1 nanoparticle, when used orally, had the highest mean and median survival time. A mixture of a high dose of the BCc1 nanoparticle (1 mg/kg) and a low dose of doxorubicin (0.1 mg/kg) showed synergistic effects on enhanced life span, while doxorubicin dose was prescribed approximately 50 times less than the murine applicable dose (5 mg/kg). Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that the BCc1 nanoparticle not only has the potential to become a novel nanomedicine for cancer therapy, but it can also provide the basis of a new medicine for cancer management when mixed with a lower applicable dose of doxorubicin.

DIBc, a nanochelating-based nano metal-organic framework, shows anti-diabetic effects in high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

AIMS: Despite daily increase in diabetic patients in the world, currently approved medications for this disease, at best, only reduce its progression speed. Using novel technologies is a solution for synthetizing more efficient medicines. In the present study, we evaluated anti-diabetic effects of DIBc, a nano metal-organic framework, which is synthetized based on nanochelating technology. METHODS: High-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were treated by DIBc or metformin for 6 weeks. RESULTS: DIBc decreased plasma glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein compared with diabetic and metformin groups. In DIBc-treated rats, significant homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index, malondialdehyde, and tumor necrosis factor-α decrease was observed. H&E staining showed increased islet number and area in DIBc-treated rats compared with diabetic controls. CONCLUSION: The results showed anti-diabetic effects of nanochelating-based framework. So DIBc, as a nano structure, has the capacity to be evaluated in future studies as a novel anti-diabetic agent.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of BCc1 nanomedicine effect on survival and quality of life in metastatic and non-metastatic gastric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Currently, the main goal of cancer research is to increase longevity of patients suffering malignant cancers. The promising results of BCc1 in vitro and vivo experiments made us look into the effect of BCc1 nanomedicine on patients with cancer in a clinical trial. METHODS: The present investigation was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel, and multicenter study in which 123 patients (30-to-85-year-old men and women) with metastatic and non-metastatic gastric cancer, in two separate groups of BCc1 nanomedicine or placebo, were selected using a permuted block randomization method. For metastatic and non-metastatic patients, a daily dose of 3000 and 1500 mg was prescribed, respectively. Overall survival (OS) as the primary endpoint and quality of life (measured using QLQ-STO22) and adverse effects as the secondary endpoints were studied. RESULTS: In metastatic patients, the median OS was significantly higher in BCc1 nanomedicine (174 days [95% confidence interval (CI) 82.37-265.62]) than in placebo (62 days [95% CI 0-153.42]); hazard ratio (HR): 0.5 [95% CI 0.25-0.98; p = 0.046]. In non-metastatic patients, the median OS was significantly higher in BCc1 nanomedicine (529 days [95% CI 393.245-664.75]) than in placebo (345 days [95% CI 134.85-555.14]); HR: 0.324 [95% CI 0.97-1.07; p = 0.066]. The QLQ-STO22 assessment showed a mean difference improvement of 3.25 and 2.29 (p value > 0.05) in BCc1 nanomedicine and a mean difference deterioration of - 4.42 and - 3 (p-value < 0.05) in placebo with metastatic and non-metastatic patients, respectively. No adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSION: The findings of this trial has provided evidence for the potential capacity of BCc1 nanomedicine for treatment of cancer. Trial registration IRCTID, IRCT2017101935423N1. Registered on 19 October 2017, http://www.irct.ir/ IRCT2017101935423N1.

TLc-A, the leading nanochelating-based nanochelator, reduces iron overload in vitro and in vivo.

Iron chelation therapy is an effective approach to the treatment of iron overload conditions, in which iron builds up to toxic levels in the body and may cause organ damage. Treatments using deferoxamine, deferasirox and deferiprone have been introduced and despite their disadvantages, they remain the first-line therapeutics in iron chelation therapy. Our study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the iron chelation agent TLc-A, a nano chelator synthetized based on the novel nanochelating technology, with deferoxamine. We found that TLc-A reduced iron overload in Caco2 cell line more efficiently than deferoxamine. In rats with iron overload, very low concentrations of TLc-A lowered serum iron level after only three injections of the nanochelator, while deferoxamine was unable to reduce iron level after the same number of injections. Compared with deferoxamine, TLc-A significantly increased urinary iron excretion and reduced hepatic iron content. The toxicity study showed that the intraperitoneal median lethal dose for TLc-A was at least two times higher than that for deferoxamine. In conclusion, our in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that the novel nano chelator compound, TLc-A, offers superior performance in iron reduction than the commercially available and widely used deferoxamine.

BCc1, the novel antineoplastic nanocomplex, showed potent anticancer effects in vitro and in vivo.

PURPOSE: In spite of all the efforts and researches on anticancer therapeutics, an absolute treatment is still a myth. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize novel technologies in order to synthesize smart multifunctional structures. In this study, for the first time, we have evaluated the anticancer effects of BCc1 nanocomplex by vitro and in vivo studies, which is designed based on the novel nanochelating technology. METHODS: Human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) and mouse embryonic fibroblasts were used for the in vitro study. Antioxidant potential, cell toxicity, apoptosis induction, and CD44 and CD24 protein expression were evaluated after treatment of cells with different concentrations of BCc1 nanocomplex. For the in vivo study, mammary tumor-bearing female Balb/c mice were treated with different doses of BCc1 and their effects on tumor growth rate and survival were evaluated. RESULTS: BCc1 decreased CD44 protein expression and increased CD24 protein expression. It induced MCF-7 cell apoptosis but at the same concentrations did not have negative effects on mouse embryonic fibroblasts viability and protected them against oxidative stress. Treatment with nanocomplex increased survival and reduced the tumor size growth in breast cancer-bearing balb/c mice. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that BCc1 has the capacity to be assessed as a new anticancer agent in complementary studies.

Nanochelating based nanocomplex, GFc7, improves quality and quantity of human mesenchymal stem cells during in vitro expansion.

INTRODUCTION: Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have been approved for therapeutic applications. Despite the advances in this field, in vitro approaches are still required to improve the essential indices that would pave the way to a bright horizon for an efficient transplantation in the future. Nanotechnology could help to improve these approaches. Studies signified the important role of iron in stem cell metabolism and efficiency of copper chelation application for stem cell expansion METHODS: For the first time, based on novel Nanochelating technology, we design an iron containing copper chelator nano complex, GFc7 and examined on hMSCs during in vitro expansion. In this study, the hMSCs were isolated, characterized and expanded in vitro in two media (with or without GFc7). Then proliferation, cell viability, cell cycle analysis, surface markers, HLADR, pluripotency genes expression, homing and antioxidative defense at genes and protein expression were investigated. Also we analyzed the spontaneous differentiation and examined osteogenic and lipogenic differentiation. RESULTS: GFc7 affected the expression of key genes, improving both the stemness and fitness of the cells in a precise and balanced manner. We observed significant increases in cell proliferation, enhanced expression of pluripotency genes and homing markers, improved antioxidative defense, repression of genes involved in spontaneous differentiation and exposing the hMSCs to differentiation medium indicated that pretreatment with GFc7 increased the quality and rate of differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, GFc7 appears to be a potential new supplement for cell culture medium for increasing the efficiency of transplantation.

Neuroprotective effects of three different sizes nanochelating based nano complexes in MPP(+) induced neurotoxicity.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the world's second most common dementia, which the drugs available for its treatment have not had effects beyond slowing the disease process. Recently nanotechnology has induced the chance for designing and manufacturing new medicines for neurodegenerative disease. It is demonstrated that by tuning the size of a nanoparticle, the physiological effect of the nanoparticle can be controlled. Using novel nanochelating technology, three nano complexes: Pas (150 nm), Paf (100 nm) and Pac (40 nm) were designed and in the present study their neuroprotective effects were evaluated in PC12 cells treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridine ion (MPP (+)). PC12 cells were pre-treated with the Pas, Paf or Pac nano complexes, then they were subjected to 10 µM MPP (+). Subsequently, cell viability, intracellular free Calcium and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, Glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and Caspase 3 expression were evaluated. All three nano complexes, especially Pac, were able to increase cell viability, SOD and CAT activity, decreased Caspase 3 expression and prevented the generation of ROS and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential caused by MPP(+). Pre-treatment with Pac and Paf nano complexes lead to a decrease of intracellular free Calcium, but Pas nano complex could not decrease it. Only Pac nano complex decreased MDA levels and other nano complexes could not change this parameter compared to MPP(+) treated cells. Hence according to the results, all nanochelating based nano complexes induced neuroprotective effects in an experimental model of PD, but the smallest nano complex, Pac, showed the best results.

The therapeutic effects of MSc1 nanocomplex, synthesized by nanochelating technology, on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitic C57/BL6 mice.

PURPOSE: Currently approved therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) at best only slow down its progression. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize novel technologies in order to synthesize smart multifunctional structures. In the present study, for the first time we evaluated the therapeutic potential of MSc1 nanocomplex, which was designed based on novel nanochelating technology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MSc1 cell-protection capacity, with and without iron bond, was evaluated against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress in cultured rat pheochromocytoma-12 cells. The ability of MSc1 to maintain iron bond at pH ranges of 1-7 was evaluated. Nanocomplex toxicity was examined by estimating the intraperitoneal median lethal dose (LD50). Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitic mice were injected with MSc1 14 days after disease induction, when the clinical symptoms appeared. The clinical score, body weight, and disease-induced mortality were monitored until day 54. In the end, after collecting blood samples for assessing hemoglobin and red blood cell count, the brains and livers of the mice were isolated for hematoxylin and eosin staining and analysis of iron content, respectively. RESULTS: The results showed that MSc1 prevented H2O2-induced cell death even after binding with iron, and it preserved its bond with iron constant at pH ranges 1-7. The nanocomplex intraperitoneal LD50 was 1,776.59 mg/kg. MSc1 prompted therapeutic behavior and improved the disabling features of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, which was confirmed by decreased clinical scores versus increased body mass and 100% survival probability. It did not cause any adverse effects on hemoglobin or red blood cell count. Histopathological studies showed no neural loss or lymphocyte infiltration in MSc1-treated mice, while the hepatic iron content was also normal. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that MSc1 could be a promising beneficial novel agent and has the capacity to be evaluated in further studies.

The new nano-complex, Hep-c, improves the immunogenicity of the hepatitis B vaccine.

Prevention of hepatitis B requires a vaccine that stimulates the humoral and cellular immune responses in a balanced manner, particularly those associated with Th1 and cytotoxic T cells. Alum adjuvant is currently used in the hepatitis B vaccine formulations but it lacks the efficiency of establishing such immune responses. Therefore, for accessing a suitable vaccine to prevent this fatal disease, it is essential to design and construct a new adjuvant which can overcome the limitations of the alum adjuvant and can stimulate a strong Th1 response as used along with it. In the present study, the adjuvant effect of Hep-c, the first nano-complex which was synthesized by nanochelating technology to improve the immunogenicity of the vaccine against hepatitis B, had been evaluated. Female Balb/c mice were divided into 7 groups and were injected with 10µg/ml of the hepatitis B vaccine and different doses of Hep-c for 3 times. Groups merely treated with the vaccine, Hep-c or phosphate buffered solution were used as control. Total specific antibody, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgM, interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels were examined by the ELISA method. The proliferative response of the splenocytes was evaluated using bromodeoxyuridine assay. Results showed that immunization with hepatitis B vaccine and Hep-c increased the lymphocyte proliferation and specific IgM and IgG2a compared to the hepatitis B vaccine immunized group. Also, this nano-complex significantly increased the IFN-γ and IL-4 cytokine levels compared to the hepatitis B vaccine immunized group. Our findings show that Hep-c can not only preserve the alum capacity to effectively stimulate production of the antibodies but also cover its inefficiency in inducing Th1 response and prompting cellular immunity. Thus, by boosting the performance of the hepatitis B vaccine, it seemed that this nano-adjuvant has the suitable potential to be used in the commercial HBS vaccine formulation.