Protein mimetic 2D FAST rescues alpha synuclein aggregation mediated early and post disease Parkinson's phenotypes.

Abberent protein-protein interactions potentiate many diseases and one example is the toxic, self-assembly of α-Synuclein in the dopaminergic neurons of patients with Parkinson's disease; therefore, a potential therapeutic strategy is the small molecule modulation of α-Synuclein aggregation. In this work, we develop an Oligopyridylamide based 2-dimensional Fragment-Assisted Structure-based Technique to identify antagonists of α-Synuclein aggregation. The technique utilizes a fragment-based screening of an extensive array of non-proteinogenic side chains in Oligopyridylamides, leading to the identification of NS132 as an antagonist of the multiple facets of α-Synuclein aggregation. We further identify a more cell permeable analog (NS163) without sacrificing activity. Oligopyridylamides rescue α-Synuclein aggregation mediated Parkinson's disease phenotypes in dopaminergic neurons in early and post disease Caenorhabditis elegans models. We forsee tremendous potential in our technique to identify lead therapeutics for Parkinson's disease and other diseases as it is expandable to other oligoamide scaffolds and a larger array of side chains.

"Common-Precursor" Protein Mimetic Approach to Rescue Aß Aggregation-Mediated Alzheimer's Phenotypes.

Abberent protein-protein interactions (aPPIs) are associated with an array of pathological conditions, which make them important therapeutic targets. The aPPIs are mediated via specific chemical interactions that spread over a large and hydrophobic surface. Therefore, ligands that can complement the surface topography and chemical fingerprints could manipulate aPPIs. Oligopyridylamides (OPs) are synthetic protein mimetics that have been shown to manipulate aPPIs. However, the previous OP library used to disrupt these aPPIs was moderate in number (∼30 OPs) with very limited chemical diversity. The onus is on the laborious and time-consuming synthetic pathways with multiple chromatography steps. We have developed a novel chromatography-free technique to synthesize a highly diverse chemical library of OPs using a "common-precursor" approach. We significantly expanded the chemical diversity of OPs using a chromatography-free high-yielding method. To validate our novel approach, we have synthesized an OP with identical chemical diversity to a pre-existing OP-based potent inhibitor of Aß aggregation, a process central to Alzheimer's disease (AD). The newly synthesized OP ligand (RD242) was very potent in inhibiting Aß aggregation and rescuing AD phenotypes in an in vivo model. Moreover, RD242 was very effective in rescuing AD phenotypes in a post-disease onset AD model. We envision that our "common-precursor" synthetic approach will have tremendous potential as it is expandable for other oligoamide scaffolds to enhance affinity for disease-relevant targets.

Biomaterial-based microstructures fabricated by two-photon polymerization microfabrication technology.

Two-photon polymerization (TPP) microfabrication technology can freely prepare micro/nano structures with different morphologies and high accuracy for micro/nanophotonics, micro-electromechanical systems, microfluidics, tissue engineering and drug delivery. With the broad application of 3D microstructures in the biomedical field, people have paid more attention to the physicochemical properties of the corresponding materials such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, stimuli responsiveness and immunogenicity. Therefore, microstructures composed of biocompatible synthetic polymers, polysaccharides, proteins and their complexes have been widely studied. In this review, we briefly summarize the TPP mechanism, the photoinitiators for TPP microfabrication, photoresist based on biomaterials, their corresponding microstructures and subsequently their biomedical applications. We will point out the issues in previous research and provide a useful perspective on the future development of TPP microfabrication technology.

Injectable and self-healing polysaccharide-based hydrogel for pH-responsive drug release.

Injectable hydrogels with self-healing and pH-responsive property are appealing for biomedical applications. Herein, we developed a facile and green method to prepare a multifunctional polysaccharide-based hydrogel as a new carrier of drug. The hydrogels were prepared by forming reversible chemical bond between carboxyethyl-modified chitosan (CEC) and aldehyde modified hyaluronic acid (A-HA). The morphology and rheological property of the hydrogels with different solid content were systematically characterized. Owing to the dynamic equilibrium of the Schiff base bonds between amine groups on CEC and aldehyde groups on A-HA, the rapid self-healing performance of hydrogels was confirmed through qualitative and quantitative methods without any external stimulus. The pH-responsive behaviour was demonstrated by equilibrium swelling and in vitro Doxorubicin (Dox) release in PBS medium with various pH. In acidic condition, Dox can be release more rapidly compared with weak alkaline medium. Furthermore, the kill effect of Dox released from hydrogels for cancer cells was investigated. In vitro degradation and cytotoxicity examinations showed that the hydrogel is biodegradable and biocompatible. Therefore, such polysaccharide-based injectable self-healing and pH-responsive hydrogel is a promising candidate as drug delivery carrier.