Polydiacetylene (PDA) liposomes were prepared to selectively capture target released from bacteria. Specific interplay between released-surfactin and PDA resulted in a conformal change in the structure of PDA, highlighting the potential of indirect interactions between bacteria and PDA in the construction of new label-free bacterial sensors.

An alternative signal transduction mechanism of polydiacetylene (PDA) sensors is devised by combining stimuli-responsive polymer hydrogel as a matrix and PDA sensory materials as a signal-generating component. We hypothesized that volumetric expansion of the polymer hydrogel matrix by means of external stimuli can impose stress on the imbedded PDA materials, generating a sensory signal. PDA assembly as a sensory component was ionically linked with the alginate hydrogel in order to transfer the volumetric expansion force of alginate hydrogel efficiently to the sensory PDA molecules. Under the same swelling ratio of alginate hydrogel, alginate gel having embedded 1-dimensional thin PDA nanofibers (∼20 nm diameter) presented a sharp color change while 0-dimensional PDA liposome did not give any sensory signal when it was integrated in alginate gel. The results implied that dimensionality is an important design factor to realize stimuli-responsive matrix-driven colorimetric PDA sensory systems; more effective contact points between 1-dimensional PDA nanofibers and the alginate matrix much more effectively transfer the external stress exerted by the volumetric expansion force, and thin PDA nanofibers respond more sensitively to the stress.

PurposeNitric oxide (NO) can be clinically applied at low concentrations to regulate angiogenesis. However, studies using small molecule NO donors (N-diazeniumdiolate, S-nitrosothiol, etc) have yet to meet clinical requirements due to the short half-life and initial burst-release profile of NO donors. In this study, we report the feasibility of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (mPEG-PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) as NO-releasing polymers (NO-NPs) for inducing angiogenesis.Materials and methodsThe mPEG–PLGA copolymers were synthesized by typical ring-opening polymerization of lactide, glycolide and mPEG as macroinitiators. Double emulsion methods were used to prepare mPEG–PLGA NPs incorporating hydrophilic NONOate (dieth-ylenetriamine NONOate).ResultsThis liposomal NP encapsulates hydrophilic diethylenetriamine NONOate (70%±4%) more effectively than other previously reported materials. The application of NO-NPs at different ratios resulted in varying NO-release profiles with no significant cytotoxicity in various cell types: normal cells (fibroblasts, human umbilical vein endothelial cells and epithelial cells) and cancer cells (C6, A549 and MCF-7). The angiogenic potential of NO-NPs was confirmed in vitro by tube formation and ex vivo through an aorta ring assay. Tubular formation increased 189.8% in NO-NP–treated groups compared with that in the control group. Rat aorta exhibited robust sprouting angiogenesis in response to NO-NPs, indicating that NO was produced by polymeric NPs in a sustained manner.ConclusionThese findings provide initial results for an angiogenesis-related drug development platform by a straightforward method with biocompatible polymers.