Browsing by Author "Morales Zavala, Francisco"

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    In vivo micro computed tomography detection and decrease in amyloid load by using multifunctionalized gold nanorods: a neurotheranostic platform for Alzheimer's disease
    (Royal Soc Chemistry, 2021) Morales Zavala, Francisco; Jara Guajardo, Pedro; Chamorro Veloso, David Daniel; Riveros, Ana L.; Chandia Cristi, América Valeska; Salgado Cortés, Nicole Andrea; Pismante, Paola; Giralt, Ernest; Sanchez Navarro, Macarena; Araya, Eyleen; Vasquez, Rodrigo; Acosta, Gerardo; Albericio, Fernando; Alvarez, Alejandra R.; Kogan, Marcelo J.
    The development and use of nanosystems is an emerging strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of a broad number of diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we developed a neurotheranostic nanosystem based on gold nanorods (GNRs) that works as a therapeutic peptide delivery system and can be detected in vivo for microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), being a diagnostic tool. GNRs functionalized with the peptides Ang2 (a shuttle to the Central Nervous System) and D1 (that binds to the A beta peptide, also inhibiting its aggregation) allowed detecting differences in vivo between wild type and AD mice (APPswe/PSEN1dE9) 15 minutes after a single dose by micro-CT. Moreover, after a recurrent treatment for one month with GNRs-D1/Ang2, we observed a diminution of amyloid load and inflammatory markers in the brain. Thus, this new designed nanosystem exhibits promising properties for neurotheranostics of AD.
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    Light-induced release of the cardioprotective peptide angiotensin-(1-9) from thermosensitive liposomes with gold nanoclusters
    (2020) Bejarano, Julian; Rojas, Aldo; Ramirez Sagredo, Andrea; Riveros, Ana L.; Morales Zavala, Francisco; Flores, Yvo; Riquelme, Jaime A.; Guzman, Fanny; Araya, Eyleen; Chiong, Mario; Ocaranza, María Paz; Morales, Javier O.; Villamizar Sarmiento, Maria Gabriela; Sanchez, Gina; Lavandero, Sergio; Kogan, Marcelo J.
    Angiotensin-(1-9), a component of the non-canonical renin-angiotensin system, has a short half-life in blood. This peptide has shown to prevent and/or attenuate hypertension and cardiovascular remodeling. A controlled release of angiotensin-(1-9) is needed for its delivery to the heart. Our aim was to develop a drug delivery system for angiotensin-(1-9). Thermosensitive liposomes (LipoTherm) were prepared with gold nanoclusters (LipoThermAuNC) to increase the stability and reach a temporal and spatial control of angiotensin-(1-9) release. Encapsulation efficiencies of nearly 50% were achieved in LipoTherm, reaching a total angiotensin-(1-9) loading of around 180 mu M. This angiotensin-(1-9)-loaded LipoTherm sized around 100 nm and exhibited a phase transition temperature of 43.C. AuNC were grown on LipoTherm and the new hybrid nanosystem showed energy absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength range. By NIR laser irradiation, a controlled release of angiotensin-(1-9) was achieved from the LipoTherm-AuNC nanosystem. These nanosystems did not show any cytotoxic effect on cultured cardiomyocytes. Biological activity of angiotensin-(1-9) released from the LipoTherm-AuNCbased nanosystem was confirmed using an ex vivo Langendorff heart model.