Interfacial Phenomena on Biomedicines

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomedical Engineering and Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 10263

Special Issue Editor

Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Fundamental Engineering, Nippon Institute of Technology, Miyashiro, Saitama 345-0826, Japan
Interests: protein engineering and biochemistry; drug delivery; interface between biomolecules and materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomedicines typically work at interfaces in different hierarchies. In hierarchies at the cellular level, the plasma membrane works as an interface between the interior of the cells and the extracellular space, and many of drugs are designed to target the plasma membrane. The interface is not limited to the cellular level, however. In hierarchies at the molecular level, the designation of the interface between target molecules and the pharmaceutical molecules is a critical issue in the development of molecular target drugs. The importance of interfaces in biomedicines is not limited to these examples. 

Because of the difficulties when it comes to accurately understanding interfacial phenomena, multidisciplinary approaches, in other words, interfaces among research fields, are necessary. The purpose of this Special Issue is to address the attributes of a wide variety of interfacial phenomena on any biomedicines at any hierarchies, such as transdermal administration, intracellular drug delivery, implants and biomaterials, and protein–drug interactions. This Special Issue will serve as a broad overview for scientists from multidisciplinary fields working on biointerfaces. I invite both original research articles as well as review articles; in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Ken-Ichi Sano
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • molecular interface
  • cellular interface
  • interface between biomolecules and materials
  • viral and bacterial infections
  • transdermal administration
  • intracellular delivery
  • endocytosis
  • design of molecular target drugs
  • implant and biomaterials

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 3382 KiB  
Article
Time-Resolved Studies of Ytterbium Distribution at Interfacial Surfaces of Ferritin-like Dps Protein Demonstrate Metal Uptake and Storage Pathways
by Kornelius Zeth, Gabriela Pretre and Mitsuhiro Okuda
Biomedicines 2021, 9(8), 914; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biomedicines9080914 - 29 Jul 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1449
Abstract
Cage-shaped protein (CSP) complexes are frequently used in bionanotechnology, and they have a variety of different architectures and sizes. The smallest cage-shaped protein, Dps (DNA binding protein from starved cells), can naturally form iron oxide biominerals in a multistep process of ion attraction, [...] Read more.
Cage-shaped protein (CSP) complexes are frequently used in bionanotechnology, and they have a variety of different architectures and sizes. The smallest cage-shaped protein, Dps (DNA binding protein from starved cells), can naturally form iron oxide biominerals in a multistep process of ion attraction, translocation, oxidation, and nucleation. The structural basis of this biomineralization mechanism is still unclear. The aim of this paper is to further develop understanding of this topic. Time-resolved metal translocation of Yb3+ ions has been investigated on Dps surfaces using X-ray crystallography. The results reveal that the soak time of protein crystals with Yb3+ ions strongly affects metal positions during metal translocation, in particular, around and inside the ion translocation pore. We have trapped a dynamic state with ongoing translocation events and compared this to a static state, which is reached when the cavity of Dps is entirely filled by metal ions and translocation is therefore blocked. By comparison with La3+ and Co2+ datasets, the time-dependence together with the coordination sphere chemistry primarily determine metal−protein interactions. Our data can allow structure-based protein engineering to generate CSPs for the production of tailored nanoparticles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interfacial Phenomena on Biomedicines)
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15 pages, 1866 KiB  
Article
Identification and Evaluation of New Potential Inhibitors of Human Neuraminidase 1 Extracted from Olyra latifolia L.: A Preliminary Study
by Camille Albrecht, Zachée Louis Evariste Akissi, Philomène Akoua Yao-Kouassi, Abdulmagid Alabdul Magid, Pascal Maurice, Laurent Duca, Laurence Voutquenne-Nazabadioko and Amar Bennasroune
Biomedicines 2021, 9(4), 411; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biomedicines9040411 - 11 Apr 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2141
Abstract
Sialidases, also called neuraminidases, are involved in several human pathologies such as neurodegenerative disorders, cancers, as well as infectious and cardiovascular diseases. Several studies have shown that neuraminidases, such as neuraminidase 1 (NEU-1), may be promising pharmacological targets. Therefore, the discovery of new [...] Read more.
Sialidases, also called neuraminidases, are involved in several human pathologies such as neurodegenerative disorders, cancers, as well as infectious and cardiovascular diseases. Several studies have shown that neuraminidases, such as neuraminidase 1 (NEU-1), may be promising pharmacological targets. Therefore, the discovery of new selective inhibitors of NEU-1 are necessary to better understand the biological functions of this sialidase. In the present study, we describe the isolation and characterization of nine known compounds from Olyra latifolia L. leaves. This plant, known to have several therapeutic properties, belongs to the family of Poaceae and is found in the neotropics and in tropical Africa and Madagascar. Among the purified compounds, feddeiketone B, 2,3-dihydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3,5-diméthoxyphényl)-l-propanone, and syringylglycerol were shown to present structural analogy with DANA, and their effects on membrane NEU-1 sialidase activity were evaluated. Our results show that they possess inhibitory effects against NEU-1-mediated sialidase activity at the plasma membrane. In conclusion, we identified new natural bioactive molecules extracted from Olyra latifolia as inhibitors of human NEU-1 of strong interest to elucidate the biological functions of this sialidase and to target this protein involved in several pathophysiological contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interfacial Phenomena on Biomedicines)
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10 pages, 2058 KiB  
Article
In Silico Drug Repurposing by Structural Alteration after Induced Fit: Discovery of a Candidate Agent for Recovery of Nucleotide Excision Repair in Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group D Mutant (R683W)
by Yutaka Takaoka, Mika Ohta, Satoshi Tateishi, Aki Sugano, Eiji Nakano, Kenji Miura, Takashi Suzuki and Chikako Nishigori
Biomedicines 2021, 9(3), 249; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biomedicines9030249 - 03 Mar 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2356
Abstract
Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group D (XPD) is a UV-sensitive syndrome and a rare incurable genetic disease which is caused by the genetic mutation of the excision repair cross-complementation group 2 gene (ERCC2). Patients who harbor only XPD R683W mutant protein develop [...] Read more.
Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group D (XPD) is a UV-sensitive syndrome and a rare incurable genetic disease which is caused by the genetic mutation of the excision repair cross-complementation group 2 gene (ERCC2). Patients who harbor only XPD R683W mutant protein develop severe photosensitivity and progressive neurological symptoms. Cultured cells derived from patients with XPD (XPD R683W cells) demonstrate a reduced nucleotide excision repair (NER) ability. We hope to ameliorate clinical symptoms if we can identify candidate agents that would aid recovery of the cells’ NER ability. To investigate such candidates, we created in silico methods of drug repurposing (in silico DR), a strategy that utilizes the recovery of ATP-binding in the XPD R683W protein after the induced fit. We chose 4E1RCat and aprepitant as the candidates for our in silico DR, and evaluated them by using the UV-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assay to verify the recovery of NER in XPD R683W cells. UDS values of the cells improved about 1.4–1.7 times after 4E1RCat treatment compared with solvent-only controls; aprepitant showed no positive effect. In this study, therefore, we succeeded in finding the candidate agent 4E1RCat for XPD R683W. We also demonstrated that our in silico DR method is a cost-effective approach for drug candidate discovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interfacial Phenomena on Biomedicines)
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Review

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38 pages, 7108 KiB  
Review
Polyphenols as Antioxidants for Extending Food Shelf-Life and in the Prevention of Health Diseases: Encapsulation and Interfacial Phenomena
by Marlene Costa, Zerrin Sezgin-Bayindir, Sonia Losada-Barreiro, Fátima Paiva-Martins, Luciano Saso and Carlos Bravo-Díaz
Biomedicines 2021, 9(12), 1909; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biomedicines9121909 - 14 Dec 2021
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3428
Abstract
Toxicity caused by the exposure to human-made chemicals and environmental conditions has become a major health concern because they may significantly increase the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), negatively affecting the endogenous antioxidant defense. Living systems have evolved complex antioxidant mechanisms to [...] Read more.
Toxicity caused by the exposure to human-made chemicals and environmental conditions has become a major health concern because they may significantly increase the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), negatively affecting the endogenous antioxidant defense. Living systems have evolved complex antioxidant mechanisms to protect cells from oxidative conditions. Although oxidative stress contributes to various pathologies, the intake of molecules such as polyphenols, obtained from natural sources, may limit their effects because of their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties against lipid peroxidation and against a broad range of foodborne pathogens. Ingestion of polyphenol-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, help to reduce the harmful effects of ROS, but the use of supramolecular and nanomaterials as delivery systems has emerged as an efficient method to improve their pharmacological and therapeutic effects. Suitable exogenous polyphenolic antioxidants should be readily absorbed and delivered to sites where pathological oxidative damage may take place, for instance, intracellular locations. Many potential antioxidants have a poor bioavailability, but they can be encapsulated to improve their ideal solubility and permeability profile. Development of effective antioxidant strategies requires the creation of new nanoscale drug delivery systems to significantly reduce oxidative stress. In this review we provide an overview of the oxidative stress process, highlight some properties of ROS, and discuss the role of natural polyphenols as bioactives in controlling the overproduction of ROS and bacterial and fungal growth, paying special attention to their encapsulation in suitable delivery systems and to their location in colloidal systems where interfaces play a crucial role. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interfacial Phenomena on Biomedicines)
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