Amino-functionalised polystyrene microspheres are promising candidates as delivery systems due to their unique features, tunable surface functionalities, and controllable release of the cargo. Herein several strategies for the conjugation of biologically relevant cargoes to these microspheres and their biological evaluation are described. Firstly, dispersion and suspension polymerisation methods were applied for the synthesis of these devices. Subsequently, these polymeric particles were employed in multistep solid phase synthesis to conjugate a broad range of cargoes. The capability of the resulting constructs to cross the cell membrane and deliver the desired cargo was evaluated by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Additionally, the effect of these particles on cell viability was determined. Moreover a chemical strategy for dual fuctionalisation allowed the production of microspheres capable of carrying two cargos simultaneously (e.g. a biologically relevant cargo and a tracking fluorophore). Several strategies were used to transport biomolecules such as peptides and oligonucleotides inside cells. Cell-impermeable peptides with neuroprotective activity were conjugated to microspheres to facilitate their internalisation and they were efficiently delivered into neuroblastom cells (SH-SY5Y) without affecting their therapeutic activity. In addition, several microsphere-mediated oligonucleotide delivery strategies were investigated. As a first approach, siRNA was successfully attached to microspheres via thiol linkage or via electrostatic interaction (by formation of polycationated microspheres-siRNA microplexes). Using both strategies EGFP expression was efficiently down-regulated in cervical cancer cells permanently expressing EGFP (HeLa-EGFP) following beadfection. Additionally embryonic stem (ES) cells were beadfected with siRNA linked to microspheres by amide formation and essential transcription factors implicated in cell renewal and differentiation were successfully silenced, exceeding the silencing capabilities of commercially available lipofection products. Furthermore, a novel approach for the intracellular delivery of plasmid DNA was designed. Following an easy protocol for the linearisation and functionalisation of the plasmid DNA, this was covalently coupled to beads and cells were homogeneously ‘beadfected’. Finally, the coupling of fluorogenic substrates for caspase-3 to microspheres allowed the in situ monitoring and quantification of apoptotic process within cells. In conclusion, these small particles are excellent devices for the efficient intracellular delivery of a broad range of cargoes.

Intracellular delivery of macromolecules is crucial for the success of many research and clinical applications. Several conventional intracellular delivery methods have been used for many years but are still inadequate for several applications because of the issues associated with toxicity, low-throughput, and/or difficulty to target certain cell types. In this study, we developed and evaluated new high-throughput intracellular delivery methods for the efficient delivery of macromolecules while maintaining high cell viability. First, we studied the feasibility of using an array of nanoneedles, with sharp tip diameters in the range of tens of nanometers, to physically make transient holes in cell membranes for intracellular delivery. Puncture loading and centrifuge loading methods were developed and assessed for the effect of various experimental parameters on cell viability and delivery efficiency of fluorescent molecules. In both methods, high-throughput intracellular delivery was feasible by creating transient holes in cell membranes with the sharp tips of the nanoneedles. The second physical intracellular delivery method we studied was a novel microfluidic device that created transient holes in the cell membrane by mechanical deformation and shear stress to the cell. We observed efficient delivery of fluorescent molecules and studied the effect of device design and flow pressure on the delivery efficiency compared to data in the literature. We accounted for cell loss and clogging in the microfluidic devices and determined the true loss of cell viability associated with this method. Lastly, we investigated the possibility of intracellular delivery using nanoparticles on a leukemia cell line. Among number of materials for nanoparticles tested, mesoporous silica/poly-L-lysine nanoparticles were selected for further intracellular delivery study based on cell viability and intracellular delivery capability. We demonstrated the co-delivery of protein and plasmid by encapsulating into and coating onto the surface of the nanoparticles, respectively, which would be advantageous for certain therapeutic strategies. In summary, this work introduced two new intracellular delivery methods involving nanoneedles and novel nanoparticles, and provided an early, independent assessment of microfluidic delivery, showing the strengths and weaknesses of each method. These methods can be further optimized for a number of laboratory and clinical applications with continued research.

No description available.

Les cellules endothéliales cornéennes (CEC) jouent un rôle essentiel pour le maintien de la transparence de la cornée. Cependant, chez l’homme, elles sont incapables de proliférer en raison d’un arrêt de leur cycle cellulaire en phase G1, ce qui rend la couche endothéliale cornéenne particulièrement vulnérable. La délivrance de molécules thérapeutiques (gènes ou médicaments) représente une solution prometteuse pour maintenir la viabilité des CEC. Néanmoins, la difficulté majeure de cette technique repose sur le fait de traverser la membrane cellulaire, normalement imperméable aux molécules de grande taille. Plusieurs techniques de délivrance de molécules ont déjà été testées sur le tissu cornéen mais aucune d’entre elles ne donnent de résultats suffisamment probants pour être utilisée en applications cliniques. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’adapter et de développer une nouvelle technique de délivrance intracellulaire de molécules, basé sur une perforation cellulaire via un phénomène photoacoustique induite par l’activation de nanoparticules de carbone par laser femtoseconde, sur un modèle d’endothélium cornéen in vitro et ex vivo / Corneal endothelial cells (CEC) are essential for corneal transparency. However, on humans, they are unable of proliferation owing to its arrest of G1 phase of the cell cycle, making corneal endothelial monolayer particularly vulnerable. The gene and drug delivery represents a promising solution to maintain CEC viability. Unfortunately, the major difficulty of this technique is the transport across the cell membrane, normally impermeable to high-size molecules. Several techniques of molecules delivery have already been tested on corneal tissue but none of them gives results sufficiently convincing to be used in clinical applications. The aim of this thesis is to adapt and develop a new technique of intracellular molecules delivery, based on cell perforation via photoacoustic effect induced by the activation of carbon nanoparticles by femtosecond laser, on in vitro and ex vivo models of corneal endothelium

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(薬科学) / 甲第22753号 / 薬科博第127号 / 新制||薬科||14(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院薬学研究科薬科学専攻 / (主査)教授 二木 史朗, 教授 中山 和久, 教授 髙倉 喜信 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第18693号 / 工博第3971号 / 新制||工||1611(附属図書館) / 31626 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科合成・生物化学専攻 / (主査)教授 北川 進, 教授 梅田 眞郷, 教授 濵地 格 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DGAM

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(薬科学) / 甲第24549号 / 薬科博第166号 / 新制||薬科||18(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院薬学研究科薬科学専攻 / (主査)教授 髙倉 喜信, 教授 山下 富義, 教授 小野 正博 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Kyoto University / DFAM

No description available.

Protein therapeutics have great potential in treating human disease, especially for those caused by alternations in the functions of intracellular proteins. However, clinical use of protein by intracellular delivery has been hampered by the instability due to proteins' physicochemical properties, and some barriers in the delivery pathway. This study was to prepare and test a novel intracellular protein delivery system - magnesium phosphate nanoparticles with cationic lipid coating for catalase intracellular delivery (LP MgP NP-CAT), and investigate whether it can release the encapsulated catalase to cytosol. LP MgP NP-CAT was designed, prepared and characterized, showing that it had an average diameter around 300 nm and zeta potential around +40mV. The pH - triggered catalase release from LP MgP NP-CAT was determined by a hydrogen peroxide degradation assay, where the concentration of remaining hydrogen peroxide was measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy, indicating catalase was released in response to the drop of pH, which was confirmed by the morphology change of LP MgP NP-CAT observed by transmission electron microscopy. The in vitro catalase release behavior was conducted on MCF-7 cells and EA.hy926 cells. LP MgP NP-CAT was delivered into MCF-7 cells and the release behavior was determined by the resultant resistance of the cells against hydrogen peroxide using MTS cell viability assay. The delivery of LP MgP NP-CAT into EA.hy926 cells was determined by the decrease of the reactive oxygen species level. Both of the studies showed that catalase was successfully delivered and released which is supported by the reduction of hydrogen peroxide.

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as a new class of fluorescent probes and labeling agents for biological samples. QDs are bright, highly photostable and allow simultaneous excitation of multiple emissions. Owing to these properties, QDs hold exceptional promise in enabling intracellular biochemical studies and diagnosis with unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy. However, use of QD probes inside living cells remains a challenge due to difficulties in delivery of nanoparticles without causing aggregation and imaging single nanoparticles inside living cells. In this dissertation, a systematic approach to deliver, image and locate single QDs inside living cells is presented and the properties of molecular motor protein driven QD transport are studied. First, spectroscopic and imaging methods capable of differentiating single nanoparticles from the aggregates were developed. These technologies were validated by differentiating surface protein expression on viral particles and by enabling rapid counting of single biomolecules. Second, controlled delivery of single QDs into living cells is demonstrated. A surprising finding is that single QDs associate non-specifically with the dynein motor protein complex and are transported to the microtubule organizing center. Accurate localization and tracking of QDs inside cell cytoplasm revealed multiple dynein motor protein attachment resulting in increased velocity of the QDs. Further, spectrin molecule which is known to recruit dynein motor protein complex to phospholipid micelles was found to associate with the QDs. These results may serve as a benchmark for developing new QD surface coatings suitable for intracellular applications. Since, nanoparticles are similar in size to viral pathogens; better understanding of nanoparticle-cell interactions should also help engineer nanoparticle models to study virus-host cell interactions. (Contains AVI format multimedia files)