Gold nanorods of different aspect ratios are prepared using the growth-directing surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), which forms a bilayer on the gold nanorod surface. Toxicological assays of CTAB-capped nanorod solutions with human colon carcinoma cells (HT-29) reveal that the apparent cytotoxicity is caused by free CTAB in solution. Overcoating the nanorods with polymers substantially reduces cytotoxicity. The number of nanorods taken up per cell, for the different surface coatings, is quantitated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry on washed cells; the number of nanorods per cell varies from 50 to 2300, depending on the surface chemistry. Serum proteins from the biological media, most likely bovine serum albumin, adsorb to gold nanorods, leading to all nanorod samples bearing the same effective charge, regardless of the initial nanorod surface charge. The results suggest that physiochemical surface properties of nanomaterials change substantially after coming into contact with biological media. Such changes should be taken into consideration when examining the biological properties or environmental impact of nanoparticles.

SUMMARY Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) are clinically effective predominantly for BRCA-mutant tumors. We introduce a mechanism-based strategy to enhance PARPi efficacy based on DNA damage-related binding between DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and PARP1. In AML and breast cancer cells, DNMT inhibitors (DNMTis) alone covalently bind DNMTs into DNA and increase PARP1 tightly bound into chromatin. Low doses of DNMTis plus PARPis, versus each drug alone, increase PARPi efficacy, increasing amplitude and retention of PARP1 directly at laser-induced DNA damage sites. This correlates with increased DNA damage, synergistic tumor cytotoxicity, blunting of self-renewal and strong anti-tumor responses in unfavorable AML subtypes and BRCA wild-type breast cancer cells. Our combinatorial approach introduces a strategy to enhance efficacy of PARPis in treating cancer.

Gold nanorods were synthesized using a seed-mediated wet chemical approach with a quaternary ammonium surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), that forms a bilayer on the surface of the nanorods. The CTAB molecules in the bilayer were exchanged with a similar polymerizable analog, 11-(acryloyloxy) undecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (p-CTAB). Mass spectrometric analysis of the degree of exchange of CTAB for p-CTAB, after gold digestion, gave 77 +/- 3 and 23 +/- 1% for p-CTAB and CTAB, respectively. On-rod polymerization with a cationic free-radical initiator was confirmed by FTIR analysis and did not induce aggregation as judged by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering measurements after polymerization. In contrast to the nanorods before polymerization, the nanorods with a polymerized bilayer showed improved stability against dialysis as well as enhanced biocompatibility as measured using a viability assay on cultured human cells. Our results indicate that (1) CTAB molecules on the surface of the gold nanorods are exchangeable with similar surfactants that have a positively charged headgroup and (2) surfactant polymerization on the surface of the gold nanorods enhances both the stability and biocompatibility of these nanomaterials, probably by decreasing the degree of surfactant desorption from the surface.

Background The generation of vascular progenitors (VP) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) has great potential for treating vascular disorders such as ischemic retinopathies. However, long-term in vivo engraftment of hiPSC-derived VP into retina has not yet been reported. This goal may be limited by the low differentiation yield, greater senescence, and poor proliferation of hiPSC-derived vascular cells. To evaluate the potential of hiPSC for treating ischemic retinopathies, we generated VP from a repertoire of viral-integrated and non-integrated fibroblast and cord blood (CB)-derived hiPSC lines, and tested their capacity for homing and engrafting into murine retina in an ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) model. Methods and Results VP from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and hiPSC were generated with an optimized hemato-vascular differentiation system. FACS-purification of human embryoid body (hEB) cells differentially expressing endothelial/pericytic markers identified a CD31+ CD146+ VP population with high vascular potency. Episomal CB-iPSC generated these VP with higher efficiencies than fibroblast-iPSC. Moreover, in contrast to fibroblast-iPSC-VP, CB-iPSC-VP maintained expression signatures more comparable to hESC-VP, expressed higher levels of immature vascular markers, demonstrated less culture senescence and sensitivity to DNA damage, and possessed fewer transmitted reprogramming errors. Luciferase transgene-marked VP from hESC, CB-iPSC, and fibroblast-iPSC were injected systemically or directly into the vitreous of retinal I/R-injured adult NOD-SCID mice. Only hESC- and CB-iPSC-derived VP reliably homed and engrafted into injured retinal capillaries, with incorporation into damaged vessels for up to 45 days. Conclusions VP generated from CB-iPSC possessed augmented capacity to home, integrate into, and repair damaged retinal vasculature.