The Supramolecular Buildup of Eumelanin: Structures, Mechanisms, Controllability

Büngeler, Anne; Hämisch, Benjamin; Strube, Oliver I.

doi:10.3390/ijms18091901

Cited by 49 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…The method most similar to the in vivo process of melanin synthesis is by using tyrosinase, in which the product obtained shows to have the most similarity to natural melanin regarding its molecular structure. This approach results in NPs with an average size of 200 nm, similar to those obtained from Sepia officinalis melanin [44] .…”

Section: Natural Versus Synthetic Melaninmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…According to this model, the oligomer sheets of DHI and DHICA form a protoparticle (10 −9 m) that densifies into a larger protoparticle, creating an onion-like structure, a type-A particle (10 −8 m), which, in turn, consolidates and agglomerates into a larger and spherical type-B particle (10 −7 m). This chemical final form of melanin corresponds to the one found in the natural sources, after isolation and purification processes [20] .…”

Section: Source and Structurementioning

confidence: 73%

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Melanin nanoparticles as a promising tool for biomedical applications – a review

et al. 2020

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Melanin is a biopolymer of easy and cheap availability that can be found among the living organisms and excels for its biocompatibility and biodegradability properties, along with scavenging abilities, metal chelation and electronic conductance. This biomaterial can act as a nanocarrier or agent itself to be used in diverse biomedical applications, such as imaging, controlled drug release, bioengineering and bioelectronics, antioxidant applications and theranostics. In this review, the melanin source and structure, its physicochemical properties, melanin-like polymers as well as the differences among those will be elucidated. The focus will be the discussion of the current approaches that apply melanin nanoparticles (MNPs) and melanin-like nanoparticles (MLNPs) in the biomedical field, to which promising capabilities have been attributed, regarding optoelectronic, photoconductivity and photoacoustic. The use of these nanoparticles, in the last 10 years, in topics as drug delivery or theranostics will be detailed and the major achievements will be discussed. Overall, we anticipate that melanin can drive us toward a new paradigm in medical diagnostics and treatments, since applying melanin features possibly its use as a theranostics nanocarrier agent, not only for diagnostics, but also for photothermal therapy and controlled drug release through chemotherapy. Statement of significance We present here a timely and opportune review article focusing the significant potential of melanin nanoparticles in biomedical applications, which will be discussed thoroughly. This biomaterial presents multiple capabilities that may be taken into consideration towards cancer theranostics, expecting a high future impact in the nanosized-platforms design and performance.

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Section: Natural Versus Synthetic Melaninmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Source and Structurementioning

confidence: 73%

Melanin nanoparticles as a promising tool for biomedical applications – a review

et al. 2020

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“…The results demonstrate the existence of relatively monodisperse melanin granules ranging from 40 to 200 nm in diameter, depending on the approach, that manifested a monotonic broadband absorption curve and stable EPR signal consistent with melanin. These particles are in turn composed of melanosomes, substructural nanospheres serving as the building unit of the fungal cell wall, functionally comparable to those described in mammalian melanization systems (66).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

The structural unit of melanin in the cell wall of the fungal pathogenCryptococcus neoformans

Camacho

Vij

Chrissian

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Melanins are synthesized macromolecules that are found in all biological kingdoms. These pigments have a myriad of roles that range from microbial virulence to key components of the innate immune response in invertebrates. Melanins also exhibit unique properties with potential applications in physics and material sciences, ranging from electrical batteries to novel therapeutics. In the fungi, melanins such as eumelanins, are components of the cell wall that provide protection against biotic and abiotic elements. Elucidation of the smallest fungal cell wall-asociated melanin unit that serves as a building block is critical to understand the architecture of these polymers, its interaction with surrounding components, and their functional versatility. In this study, we used isopycnic gradient sedimentation, NMR, EPR, high-resolution microscopy, and proteomics to analyze the melanin in the cell wall of the human pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. We observed that melanin is assembled into the cryptococcal cell wall in spherical structures of ~200 nm in diameter, termed melanin granules, which are in turn composed of nanospheres of ~30 nm in diameter, the fungal melanosomes. We noted that melanin granules are closely associated with proteins that may play critical roles in the fungal melanogenesis and the supramolecular structure of this polymer. Using this structural information, we propose a model for C. neoformans melanization that is similar to the process used in animal melanization and is consistent with the phylogenetic relatedness of the fungal and animal kingdoms.

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“…The increased accumulation of the oligomers forms protoparticles in the size range of 10 -9 m to 10 -8 m, which will densify to form larger particles reaching the final form of a spherical shape particle with 10 -7 m. It is this last form that can be found in natural sources and extracted for nanotechnology usage, which will be used in this study. [24] The particle size was, thus, analyzed by DLS and SEM, two different techniques,…”

Section: Preparation and Functionalization Of Melanin Nanoparticlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electro-responsive controlled drug delivery from melanin nanoparticles

Caldas

Santos

Rebelo

et al. 2020

International Journal of Pharmaceutics

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A n a Cl á u d i a S a n t o s , a p r e s e n t a d o s à F a c u l d a d e d e F a r má c i a d a Un i v e r s i d a d e d e Co i mb r a , p a r a a p r e c i a ç ã o n a p r e s t a ç ã o d e p r o v a s p ú b l i c a s d e Me s t r a d o I n t e g r a d o e m Ci ê n c i a s F a r ma c ê u t i c a s. s e t e mb r o 2 0 1 8 Eu, Mariana Elisabete Rodrigues Caldas, estudante do Mestrado Integrado em Ciências Farmacêuticas, com o nº 2012133041, declaro assumir toda a responsabilidade pelo conteúdo do Documento Relatório de Estágio e Monografia intitulada "Electro-responsive controlled drug delivery from melanin nanoparticles" apresentados à Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Coimbra, no âmbito da unidade curricular de Estágio Curricular. Mais declaro que este Documento é um trabalho original e que toda e qualquer afirmação ou expressão, por mim utilizada, está referenciada na Bibliografia, segundo os critérios bibliográficos legalmente estabelecidos, salvaguardando sempre os Direitos de Autor, à exceção das minhas opiniões pessoais. Coimbra, 07 de setembro de 2018 (Mariana Elisabete Rodrigues Caldas) Palavras-chave: melanina; biopolímeros; material natural; nanopartícula; libertação de fármaco; libertação de fármaco sensível a estímulos elétricos.

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The Supramolecular Buildup of Eumelanin: Structures, Mechanisms, Controllability

Cited by 49 publications

References 55 publications

Melanin nanoparticles as a promising tool for biomedical applications – a review

Melanin nanoparticles as a promising tool for biomedical applications – a review

The structural unit of melanin in the cell wall of the fungal pathogenCryptococcus neoformans

Electro-responsive controlled drug delivery from melanin nanoparticles

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