Biology subjects

Vaswani, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Vaswani, P..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

DNA tetrahedron as a carrier of doxorubicin for metastatic breast cancer treatment

Metastatic breast cancer is a significant clinical challenge calling for novel and efficient therapeutic approaches. DNA tetrahedron, a highly programmable nanocage, offers some promising attributes including biocompatibility, stability, and functionalization making it an attractive candidate for drug delivery. In this study, we have explored the potential of DNA tetrahedron as a carrier of doxorubicin, a DNA and RNA synthesis-inhibiting chemotherapy drug. We have encapsulated doxorubicin in DNA tetrahedron (TD: Dox) and subsequently focused on metastatic breast cancer cells for the effect of the same. We showed that TD: Dox has the potential to inhibit the migration of cancerous cells in the 2D model and inhibit the invasion of tumor cells in the 3D model as well. This system also can be uptaken in in vivo zebrafish model as well. Overall, this study promises the TD: Dox system as an ideal drug delivery model and a viable approach for metastatic breast cancer treatment.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2023

Red Fluorescent Carbon Nanoparticles Derived from Spinacia oleracea L.: A Versatile Tool for Bioimaging & Biomedical Applications

Carbon-based fluorescent quantum dots are an emerging class of nanoparticles for targeted bioimaging and biomedical applications. We present a facile microwave-assisted approach for synthesizing carbon nanoparticles with bright red fluorescence using ethanolic extracts of Spinacia oleracea leaves, with a quantum yield of 94.67%. These nanoparticles, called CNPs, ranging from 15-50 nm, demonstrated fluorescence emission in the near-infrared (NIR) region between 650 and 700 nm, independent of excitation wavelength. Upon excitation at a wavelength of 410 nm, they exhibit an emission maxima peak at 672 nm. The significant uptake of CNPs in mammalian cells and zebrafish larvae highlights their potential as bioimaging agents in diverse biomedical applications in vivo. Further, these quantum dots enhance cellular proliferation and migration as observed by wound healing assay in mammalian cells, indicating their possible application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. These findings suggest that biosynthesized carbon nanoparticles possess significant potential for biomedical activities, which can serve as a robust benchmark for researchers towards promoting sustainability.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2022

Self-assembled DNA nanostructures promote cell migration & differentiation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells

DNA nanostructures have been explored for capabilities to influence cellular behavior and its functions. Recent times have seen the development of new emergent functionalities of DNA nanodevices as class of biomaterials with immense capacity to interface with biological systems and having vast potential in disease diagnosis and therapeutics. Being chemically robust and biocompatible in nature, DNA nanostructures have been surface modified and structurally fine-tuned to find emerging applications in the field of stem cell therapy and tissue regeneration. DNA nanostructures can be utilized for therapeutic angiogenesis that involves induction of blood vessel formation and can be used to treat ischemic diseases like stroke or heart failure. This work addresses the effect of DNA nanostructures structural topology in their capacity to stimulate endothelial cells angiogenesis. We tested a panel of four geometries of DNA nanostructure and checked their potential on the differentiation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). While different DNA nanostructure geometries showed successful angiogenesis induction and cell migration in HUVECs, tetrahedral DNA cages showed the maximum uptake and angiogenesis potential indicating that not only the composition of materials, but also the 3D arrangement of ligands might also play role in stimulating the angiogenesis process.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2021

Ligand geometry dictates cellular and in vivo uptake of 3D DNA nanostructures

Fabrication of nanoscale DNA devices to generate 3D nano-objects with precise control of shape, size, and presentation of ligands has shown tremendous potential for therapeutic applications. The interactions between different topologies of 3D DNA nanostructures and the cell membranes are crucial for designing efficient tools for interfacing DNA devices with biological systems. The practical applications of these DNA nanocages are still limited in cellular and biological systems owing to the limited understanding of interactions of different surface topologies of DNA nanodevices with cell membranes. The correlation between the geometry of DNA nanostructures and their internalization efficiency remains elusive. We investigated the influence of the shape and size of 3D DNA nanostructure on their cellular internalization efficiency. We found that of different geometries designed, one particular geometry, i.e., the tetrahedral shape, is more favoured over other geometries for their cellular uptake in 2D and 3D cell models. This is also replicable for cellular processes like 3D cell invasion assays in 3D spheroid models and passing the epithelial barriers in in-vivo zebrafish model systems. Our work establishes ground rules for the rational designing of DNA nanodevices for their upcoming biological and biomedical applications.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2021

Water soluble, red emitting, carbon nanoparticles stimulate 3D cell invasion via clathrin-mediated endocytic uptake

Bright, fluorescent nanoparticles with excitation and emission towards the red end of the spectrum are highly desirable in the field of bioimaging. We present here a new class of organic carbon-based nanoparticles (CNPs) with robust quantum yield and fluorescence towards the red region of the spectrum. Using organic substrates like para-phenylenediamine (PPDA) dispersed in diphenyl ether and reflux conditions, we achieved scalable amounts of CNPs of the average size of 25 nm. These CNPs were readily uptaken by different mammalian cells, and we show that they prefer clathrin-mediated endocytosis for their cellular entry route. Not only can these CNPs be specifically uptaken in cells, but they also stimulate cellular processes like cell invasion from 3D spheroid models. These new class of CNPs, which have sizes similar to proteinaceous ligands, hold immense potential for their surface functionalization, whereby they could be explored as promising bioimaging agents for biomedical imaging and intracellular drug delivery.

bioengineering↗