| 1. |
- Eskilson, Olof, 1992-, et al.
(författare)
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Self-Assembly of Mechanoplasmonic Bacterial Cellulose-Metal Nanoparticle Composites
- 2020
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Ingår i: Advanced Functional Materials. - : Wiley-VCH Verlagsgesellschaft. - 1616-301X .- 1616-3028. ; 30:40
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nanocomposites of metal nanoparticles (NPs) and bacterial nanocellulose (BC) enable fabrication of soft and biocompatible materials for optical, catalytic, electronic, and biomedical applications. Current BC-NP nanocomposites are typically prepared by in situ synthesis of the NPs or electrostatic adsorption of surface functionalized NPs, which limits possibilities to control and tune NP size, shape, concentration, and surface chemistry and influences the properties and performance of the materials. Here a self-assembly strategy is described for fabrication of complex and well-defined BC-NP composites using colloidal gold and silver NPs of different sizes, shapes, and concentrations. The self-assembly process results in nanocomposites with distinct biophysical and optical properties. In addition to antibacterial materials and materials with excellent senor performance, materials with unique mechanoplasmonic properties are developed. The homogenous incorporation of plasmonic gold NPs in the BC enables extensive modulation of the optical properties by mechanical stimuli. Compression gives rise to near-field coupling between adsorbed NPs, resulting in tunable spectral variations and enhanced broadband absorption that amplify both nonlinear optical and thermoplasmonic effects and enables novel biosensing strategies.
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| 2. |
- Malmberg, Per, 1974, et al.
(författare)
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Imaging mass spectrometry for novel insights into contact allergy - a proof-of-concept study on nickel
- 2018
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Ingår i: Contact Dermatitis. - : Wiley. - 0105-1873 .- 1600-0536. ; 78:2, s. 109-116
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. In spite of extensive regulation to limit exposure, nickel remains the main cause of contact allergy in the general population. More detailed knowledge on the skin uptake of haptens is required. So far, no method exists for the visualization of this clinically relevant hapten and its distribution in the skin. Objectives. To show, in terms of a proof of concept, that imaging mass spectrometry [time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS)] can be applied for investigation of the penetration and distribution of nickel in human skin. Method. Full-thickness human skin obtained from breast reduction surgery was exposed to nickel sulfate (5% in deionized water) for 24 h in Franz-type diffusion cells. Biopsies were obtained from nickel-treated samples and control (deionized water). The tissue was sliced, and analysed with ToF-SIMS, generating high-resolution images of ion distribution in the epidermis and upper dermis. Results. The skin layers could be discerned from the ToF-SIMS data, particularly on the basis of the collagen signal. Nickel ions were localized to the stratum corneum and upper epidermis. Conclusions. This is the first time that ToF-SIMS has been applied to trace the distribution of a hapten in human skin. Proof of principle was shown for nickel, and the technique can, in the future, be expanded for investigation of the skin distribution of clinically relevant sensitizers in general.
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| 3. |
- Stenqvist, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Membrane permeability based on mesh analysis
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0021-9797 .- 1095-7103. ; 633, s. 526-535
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The main function of a membrane is to control the exchange of matter between the surrounding regions. As such, accurate modeling of membranes is important to properly describe their properties. In many cases in both biological systems and technical applications, the membranes are composite structures where transport properties may vary between the different sub-regions of the membrane. In this work we develop a method based on Mesh analysis that is asymptotically exact and can describe diffusion in composite membrane structures. We do this by first reformulating a generalized Fick's law to include the effects from activity coefficient, diffusion coefficient, and solubility using a single condensed param-eter. We then use the derived theory and Mesh analysis to, in essence, retrieve a finite element method approach. The calculated examples are based on a membrane structure that reassembles that of the brick and mortar structure of stratum corneum, the upper layer of our skin. Resulting concentration profiles from this procedure are then compared to experimental results for the distribution of different probes within intact stratum corneum, showing good agreement. Based on the derived approach we further investigate the impact from a gradient in the fluidity of the stratum corneum mortar lipids across the membrane, and find that it is substantial. We also show that anisotropic organisation of the lipid mortar can have large impact on the effective permeability compared to isotropic mortar lipids. Finally, we examine the effects of corneocyte swelling, and their lateral arrangement in the membrane on the overall membrane permeability.
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| 4. |
- Topel, S. D., et al.
(författare)
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Cellulose acetate encapsulated upconversion nanoparticles – A novel theranostic platform
- 2021
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Ingår i: Materials Today Communications. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-4928. ; 26
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Luminescent upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are of great interest in a wide range of nanotechnological applications, particularly in the biomedical area like imaging and therapy but their biocompatibility and stability pose major challenges hampering progression towards further pharmaceutical applications. Herein, we present a biocompatible theranostic platform enabling simultaneous diagnosis and drug delivery consisting of UCNPs encapsulated with cellulose acetate (CA), a biocompatible polymer. Luminescence properties of UCNPs in the developed theranostic platform remain stable even after encapsulation. The size of the CA capsules, ranging from micro- to nano-sized particles, can easily be tuned by adjusting the stirring rate during encapsulation. Doxorubicin, a well-known chemotherapeutic drug, onto the CA nanocapsules containing UCNPs (UCNP-CA nanocapsules) was loaded with up to ∼63 % efficiency and acid-induced release (∼47 %) obtained at pH 3.6 and 5.5. It was found that encapsulation decreased toxicity of UCNPs as confirmed in a cellular assay (L-929 and MCF-7 cell lines). Taken together, the developed UCNP-CA nanocapsules serve as a highly interesting novel theranostic platform, combining the biocompatible optical properties of UCNP, with reduced cell toxicity and drug encapsulating properties of CA. The proposed system could be subject for further refinement and exploration. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
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| 5. |
- Westas, Emma, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Using QCM-D to study the adhesion of human gingival fibroblasts on implant surfaces
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Part A. - : Wiley. - 1549-3296 .- 1552-4965. ; 103:10, s. 3139-3147
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sealing the soft tissue-implant interface is one of the key issues in preventing transcutaneous implant-associated infections. A promising surface modification for improving osseointegration and possibly soft tissue integration is to coat the implant surface with hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles. When new implant materials are developed, their ability to facilitate cell attachment and spreading are commonly investigated in vitro to establish their potential for good in vivo performance. However, commonly used techniques, such as microscopy methods, are time consuming, invasive, and subjective. This is the first study using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, where the real-time adhesion of biopsy-derived human gingival fibroblasts onto titanium and nanostructured HA was investigated. Experiments were performed for at least 16 h, and we found that cellular attachment and spreading kinetics can be followed in situ by observing the change in dissipation and frequency with time. Interestingly, a correlation between cell coverage and the magnitude of dissipation shift reached at the end of the experiment was found, but no such trend was observed for the frequency. Furthermore, the level of cell coverage was found to influence the cellular attachment and spreading behavior. No difference in cell response to the two surface types, Ti and nanostructured HA, was found.
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| 6. |
- Bauer, Brigitte, 1978, et al.
(författare)
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Modification and expulsion of keratins by human epidermal keratinocytes upon hapten exposure in vitro.
- 2011
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Ingår i: Chemical research in toxicology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-5010 .- 0893-228X. ; 24:5, s. 737-43
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Allergic contact dermatitis is the most prevalent form of human immunotoxicity. It is caused by reactive low molecular weight chemicals, that is, haptens, coming in contact with the skin where hapten-peptide complexes are formed, activating the immune system. By using sensitizing fluorescent thiol-reactive haptens, that is, bromobimanes, we show how keratinocytes respond to hapten exposure in vitro and reveal, for the first time in a living system, an exact site of haptenation. Rapid internalization and reaction of haptens with keratin filaments were visualized. Subsequently, keratinocytes respond in vitro to hapten exposure by release of membrane blebs, which contain haptenated keratins 5 and 14. Particularly, cysteine 54 of K5 was found to be a specific target. A mechanism is proposed where neoepitopes, otherwise hidden from the immune system, are released after hapten exposure via keratinocyte blebbing. The observed expulsion of modified keratins by keratinocytes in vitro might play a role during hapten sensitization in vivo and should be subject to further investigations.
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| 7. |
- Bender, Johanna, 1975, et al.
(författare)
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Lipid cubic phases for improved topical drug delivery in photodynamic therapy.
- 2005
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Ingår i: Journal of Controlled Release. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-3659 .- 1873-4995. ; 106:3, s. 350-360
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have evaluated the efficacy of lipid cubic phases, highly ordered self-assembly systems on the nanometer level, as drug delivery vehicles for in vivo topical administration of delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and its methyl ester (m-ALA) on nude mice skin. ALA, a precursor of heme, induces the production of the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in living tissue. Measuring the PpIX fluorescence at the skin surface, after topical administration, makes indirect quantification of the penetration of ALA into the tissue possible. Cubic phases were formed of lipid (monoolein or phytantriol), water and drug. In some cases, propylene glycol was included in the cubic phase as well. The drug concentration was 3% (w/w, based on the total sample weight) in all investigated vehicles. When the formulations were applied for 1 h, the monoolein cubic systems and the three-component phytantriol sample showed higher fluorescence compared to the standard ointment during the 10 h of measurement. Both ALA and m-ALA yielded similar results, although the differences between the investigated vehicles were more pronounced when using m-ALA. For the 24-h applications, the monoolein cubic systems with m-ALA showed faster PpIX formation than the standard ointment, implying higher PpIX levels at short application times (less than 4 h). The systemic PpIX fluorescence of ALA was elevated by using the lipid cubic formulations. Notably, a small systemic effect was also observed for the monoolein cubic sample with m-ALA. These results imply improved PpIX formation when using the lipid cubic systems, most probably due to enhanced drug penetration.
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| 8. |
- Bender, Johanna, 1975, et al.
(författare)
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Lipid cubic phases in topical drug delivery: Visualization of skin distribution using two-photon microscopy
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Controlled Release. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-3659 .- 1873-4995. ; 129:3, s. 163-169
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The distribution of sulphorhodamine B (SRB), a fluorescent hydrophilic model drug, was investigated in human skin after passive diffusion using four different topical delivery systems. The delivery vehicles applied were two bicontinuous lipid cubic systems, a commercial ointment and water. The lipid cubic systems consisted of either monoolein (MO) or phytantriol (PT) and water. The formulations were applied on full-thickness human skin during 24 h. Thereafter the samples were investigated using two-photon microscopy (TPM). The TPM system consisted of an inverted microscope with a 40× water-immersion objective, laser scan-box, and a pulsed femtosecond titanium:sapphire laser operating at 780 nm. The fluorescence was detected using a 560 nm long-pass filter. Sequential optical sectioning was performed, resulting in images obtained at different tissue depths. TPM revealed that SRB mainly penetrates the skin via the intercellular lipid matrix. Samples exposed to the cubic phases showed a higher accumulation of SRB in micro-fissures, from which a fluorescent network of threadlike structures spread laterally in the tissue. These structures were also detected in some of the ointment samples, but not as frequent. The penetration of SRB into the stratum granulosum was deduced from the fluorescence of SRB present inside polygonal keratinocytes with cell nuclei. Higher SRB fluorescence was obtained in the outermost layer of the epidermis using the bicontinuous cubic phases, compared to when using the reference formulations. Thus, our results suggest that the dominating delivery route using the cubic phases is via micro-fissures caused by microscopic clustering of the keratinocytes in the skin. From these micro--fissures hydrophilic compounds, here modeled by SRB, can diffuse into the surrounding intercellular lipid matrix acting like a source for sustained release.
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| 9. |
- Borglin, Johan, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Annular Beam Shaping in Multiphoton Microscopy to Reduce Out-of-Focus Background
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Spectroscopy. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1687-9449 .- 1687-9457.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the inherent spatial confinement of multiphoton processes that arises from focusing through an objective, the maximum imaging depth in conventional multiphoton microscopy is ultimately limited by noise from out-of-focus fluorescence. This is particularly evident when imaging beyond shallow depths in highly scattering tissue as increased laser powers are necessary. The out-of-focus signal originates from multiphoton processes taking place primarily at shallow depths and deteriorates contrast and limits imaging depth. In this paper, annular laser beams are explored as a concept to reduce this background signal in multiphoton microscopy. The approach is theoretically verified by data from simulations and proof of principle is demonstrated on a custom-built experimental multiphoton microscopy platform. Annular laser beams were created by adopting wavefront control using a spatial light modulator and implemented for imaging tissue phantoms simulating turbid media and human skin ex vivo. The signal-to-background ratios were calculated and compared to images acquired with a traditional, filled-aperture Gaussian beam. Experiments in tissue phantom show an improvement in signal-to-background ratio of about 30% when using annular beam illumination in comparison to Gaussian illumination at specific depths. When laser power is not the limiting factor, this approach is expected to provide even greater benefits.
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| 10. |
- Borglin, Johan, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Improving multiphoton microscopy using annular beam shaping, focusing on imaging of human skin
- 2014
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Ingår i: Multiphoton Microscopy in the Biomedical Sciences XIV: 2-4 February 2014, San Francisco, California, United States. Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE. - : SPIE. - 1605-7422. ; 8948
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Multiphoton fluorescence microscopy (MPM) is a method for high resolution, non-invasive investigations of biological tissue. The aim of introducing an annular shaped laser beam is to reduce the ouf-of-focus generated background signal improving imaging of light scattering tissue such as human skin. Simulations show that 50% of the beam radius can be blocked, while preserving the shape of the point spread function. Initial experiments performed on a phantom consisting of fluorescein and fluorescent beads embedded in agar by using a custom built MPM-set up show that by introducing a simple beam blocker to create an annular beam, the background signal is reduced with approximately 5%. Future work will include optimizing the set up, and creating phantoms with more light scattering properties. © 2014 SPIE.
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