| AVS 64th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Biomaterial Interfaces Division | Thursday Sessions |
| Session BI+AS-ThA |
| Session: | Biomolecules and Biophysics at Interfaces |
| Presenter: | Diego La Mendola, University of Pisa, Italy |
| Authors: | L.M. Cucci, University of Catania, Italy C. Satriano, University of Catania, Italy E. Rizzarelli, University of Catania, Italy D. La Mendola, University of Pisa, Italy |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Angiogenin (Ang) is a physiological constituent of the human plasma and is a protein overexpressed in different types of tumours [1]. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) exhibit anti-angiogenic activity [2] and inhibit growth factor-mediated signalling in vitro as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced angiogenesis in vivo [3].
Herein, the fragment Ang60-68, including the putative cellular binding site of the protein Ang, has been synthesized and used to functionalize spherical AuNPs of 12 nm of diameter. The Ang mimicking activity of the peptide was evaluated by the staining of actin, a key target of the entire Ang, in terms of cell cytoskeleton reorganisation.
The hybrid peptide-nanoparticle assembly was obtained by physical adsorption of the peptides at the surface of AuNPs and was analysed by UV-visible spectroscopy, in order to characterise, with titration experiments, the variations of the plasmonic properties of AuNPs as well as the peptide spectral features. Another hybrid nanosystem was prepared by the immobilisation on AuNPs of the fluorescent analogous, Fam-Ang59-68, synthetized through an amidic bond which involved the N-terminal residue with the carboxyfluorescein (Fam) moiety.
The hydrodynamic size of the peptide-Au nanosystems was determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis.
Proof-of-work experiments with human neuroblastoma cells line were carried out to prove the non-toxicity of Ang-mimicking peptide functionalised gold nanoparticles. Furthermore, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSM) images showed the localization of the peptide-nanoparticles at the cell membrane and their sub-cellular distribution. These data reveal an auspicious new platform for imaging and therapeutic activities in angiogenesis-involved diseases.
[1] D.J. Strydom, Cellular and Molecular Life Science, 1998, 54:811–824.
[2] P. Mukherjee, R. Bhattacharya, P. Wang, L. Wang, S. Basu, J.A. Nagy, A. Atala, D. Mukhopadhyay, S. Soker, Clinical Cancer Research, 2005,11(9), 3530-4.
[3] S. Basu, J.A. Nagy, S. Pal, E. Vasile, I.A Eckelhoefer, V.S. Bliss, E.J. Manseau, P.S. Dasgupta, H.F. Dvorak, D. Mukhopadhyay, Nature Medicine, 2001, 7, 569-574.