Reduction of Molecular Leaching from a Gel Matrix for the Precisely Controlled Release of Encapsulated Molecules by Light Stimulus

Abstract

We have developed a general method for controlling molecular functions using a photodegradable hydrogel; gels containing molecules made from such materials are capable of release and activation by light stimulus. As the elimination of molecular leaching from the gel before irradiation was a barrier to the precise control of molecular function, we optimized the monomer used in gel preparation during this study. The addition of N,N′-methylenebis(acrylamide) (MBAA) inhibited molecular leaching from the gel; the MBAA concentration is a critical factor in controlling the leaching of encapsulated molecules. We succeeded in preparing a gel that halved the leaching of small encapsulated molecules, while the leaching of large molecules, such as albumin (66 kDa) and ferritin (450 kDa), was at negligible levels, or disappeared. The on/off ratios (released amount/leached amount) of albumin and ferritin were 8 and 17, respectively.

Comparison of the migration behavior of nanoparticles based on polyethylene glycol and silica using micellar electrokinetic chromatography

“…We hypothesize the following reason for this phenomenon: the PEG nanoparticles were made from tangled long PEG chains with many spaces between them (Fig. ), as predicted in our previous computer simulation study . SDS entered these spaces and influenced the migration of the PEG nanoparticles.…”

Photodegradable Nanoparticles for Functional Analysis of Intracellular Protein

“…siRNA) [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. A correlation was observed between the space size of the mesh structure of the nanoparticles and the size of the encapsulated protein by wet experiments and a computer simulation study [21,22]. Irradiation-induced release of proteins from nanoparticles can be used to selectively study protein function within a given area of the cell.…”

Rapid and mild purification method for nanoparticles from a dispersed solution using a monolithic silica disk

“…The preparation scheme of 4-armed PEG is shown in our previous papers [21,22]. We mixed a solution of 800 L of 100 mg/mL PEG-Ac, 250 L of 1 mg/mL doxorubicin, 950 L of water, 250 L of 20 mg/mL APS, and 250 L of 0.1 M TEMED in 1 M Tris/HCl buffer in a tube and then stirring the mixture for 20 min using a vortex mixing device (VORTEX-GENIE 2, Scientific Industries, Inc., Bohemia, NY, USA).…”