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The story of human dreams about curing all diseases, disorders and lesions is as old as human history. In the frontier of medical science, nanomedicine is trying to solve the problem. In this study, inspired by nanotechnology and using "grafting from" approach, a novel lignin-based nanogel was synthesized using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and N,N-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate (DMAEMA) comonomers were graft copolymerized from fully brominated lignin as ATRP macroinitiator to synthesize lignin-g-P(NIPAM-co-DMAEMA) nanogel (LNDNG). By controlling the initial comonomer compositions and ATRP conditions, four LNDNG systems with different lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs) of 32, 34, 37 and 42 °C were prepared. The LNDNGs were evaluated by GPC, FT-IR, 1 H NMR, UV-Vis, DLS, SEM and TEM analyses. The prepared nanogels exhibited an average diameter of 150 nm with dual temperature and pH responsiveness. Curcumin (CUR) loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency of the LNDNGs were 49.69% and 92.62% on average, respectively. The cumulative release amount of loaded CUR was observed to be 65.36% after 72 h. The new lignin-based NGs proposed in the present work seems to be a promising, safe and comparable system in a near future.

Background: Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electron microscopy (EM) are the most practical techniques for nanoparticles (NPs) characterization. However, the impediments which involved the sample preparation method lead to failure in provided results of mentioned device analysis. These problems will be intensifying, if the examined samples are the soft nanocarriers such as organic ones or biological samples., Objectives: In order to achieve the appropriate results from DLS and EM analysis, an optimized protocol was introduced by this research which would prepare samples with high degree of quality and accuracy., Materials and Methods: Morphological analysis of prepared polymeric nanocarriers (micelles, nanogels) by this protocol were done. Filtration, dilution and sonication as three crucial and effectiveness steps of sample preparation were assessed through DLS data and EM images., Results: This research has tried to introduce a facile method with novelty of simplicity and rapidity. These triple steps could improve the quality of morphological data. The obtained results indicated that sample preparation methods have the most effective factors on sample size distribution and homogeneity of desired samples., Conclusion: The suggested optimized preparation method will be helpful for all soft nanomaterial's samples., (Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s); Published by Iranian Journal of Biotechnology.)

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a disease associated with increased oxidative stress which results from mitochondrial dysfunction. Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ 10 ) is an essential antioxidant for energy production in mitochondria. The purpose of this randomized double-blind clinical trial study was to evaluate the effects of CoQ 10 supplementation on serum values of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), pseudocholinesterase (PchE), bilirubin, ferritin, and high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and metabolic syndrome biomarkers in women with T2DM., Material & Methods: Eighty women with T2DM enrolled in this study. Thirty six of them were randomized in the drug group (receiving 100 mg/day of CoQ 10 ) and 44 women were randomized in placebo group. Intervention was continued for 12 weeks. In both groups 35 subjects finished the study and were included in the analysis. Serum levels of the variables were measured before and after supplementation., Results: Serum values of FBS (P=0.039), HOMA-IR (P=0.01), ferritin (P<0.001), total cholesterol (TC) (P=0.006), LDL-C (P=0.007) decreased and HDL-C (P=0.02) increased significantly in the drug group after intervention. Serum levels of triglyceride (P=0.09) decreased marginally in CoQ 10 group., Conclusions: The results of the current study had shown that after supplementation with 100 mg/day of CoQ 10 for 12 weeks, serum values of FBS, HOMA-IR, TC, LDL-C and ferritin were decreased and values of HDL-C were increased in women with T2DM., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background: Increased levels of reactive oxygen species is a key factor involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ 10 ) is a nonenzymatic antioxidant that restores other antioxidants., Materials and Methods: This randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial study has been designed to evaluate the effects of CoQ 10 supplementation on serum values of amylase, adenosine deaminase, catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) in women with T2DM. Serum levels of CoQ 10 were measured too. Sixty-eight women with T2DM were enrolled in this study and randomly divided into two groups. One group received 100 mg/day of CoQ 10 supplement for 12 weeks ( n = 34), and the other group was given placebo for the same time duration and dosage ( n = 34)., Results: After the intervention, serum CAT activity ( P < 0.001), TAC ( P = 0.006), CoQ 10 ( P = 0.001), and QUICKI ( P = 0.005) increased and fasting blood sugar (FBS) ( P = 0.05) decreased significantly in CoQ 10 group., Conclusion: This study showed that daily supplementation with 100 mg of CoQ 10 could increase TAC and CAT activity as, CoQ 10 and QUICKI and could reduce oxidative stress and FBS in women with T2DM., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

mPEG-PLA and PLA-PEG-PLA copolymeric nanoparticles with three different PLA to PEG ratios are synthesized and used for encapsulation of recombinant human Growth hormone (rhGH). The structure and composition of the synthesized copolymers were analyzed by 1 H NMR and GPC techniques. Moreover, morphology, encapsulation efficiency (EE), cytotoxicity, release profile and stability of the encapsulated rhGH were measured. Structural analysis of the prepared copolymers showed that they were successfully synthesized with approximately expected molecular weight and relatively low size distribution. It was also revealed that by increasing amounts of PLA/PEG ratio, EE content and size of nanoparticles were increased. Release profile evaluation of rhGH from both formulations indicated that copolymeric nanoparticles of Di-B2 and Tri-B2 exhibited the best results among the synthesized nanospheres, by having initial burst release of 17.5% and 28% and then slow and constant release of rhGH up to 65% and 77% of the encapsulated drug, respectively. Furthermore, results of HPLC, SDS-PAGE and CD analyses showed stability of rhGH during encapsulation and release from nanoparticles. Finally, the results showed that these two formulations provided safe and efficient sustained release of rhGH for more than a month and they have the potential to do further studies under in vivo conditions.

Engineering molecules at nano-scale is a promising approach in targeting and curing diseases. In this research, fabricated new hybrid system called nano-polyplex represents an example of the molecular engineering at nano-scale. Polymer of PDMAEAs with four different molecular weights were synthesized using the RAFT method, attached onto the gold nano-rod surface, which modified and produced a safe novel system with an average size less than 100 nm. The hybrid system was characterized by ultra violet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis), dynamic light scattering (DLS), 1 H NMR, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Zeta potential analyzer and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Features of higher transfection and lower toxicity compared to the previously reported polyplex of PDMAEA, as well as the gold standard PEI, have been shown in all molecular weights and defined N/P ratios (10-200). The ideal physicochemical properties for escaping from the cell barriers, covering the large volume of genetic material (pDNA) and high efficiency of loading polyplexes on GNRs' surface make it an ideal carrier. The results of this effort pave way in designing a new generation of nanoparticle-based delivery systems for nucleic acid therapy and gene editing.