Au nanoparticles have been used in biomedical applications since ancient times. However, the rapid development of nanotechnology over the past century has led to recognition of the great potential of Au nanoparticles in a wide range of applications. Advanced fabrication techniques allow us to synthesize a variety of Au nanostructures possessing physiochemical properties that can be exploited for different purposes. Functionalization of the surface of Au nanoparticles further eases their application in various roles. These advantages of Au nanoparticles make them particularly suited for cancer treatment and diagnosis. The small size of Au particles enables them to preferentially accumulate at tumor sites to achieve in vivo targeting after systemic administration. Efficient light absorption followed by rapid heat conversion makes them very promising in photothermal therapy. The facile surface chemistry of Au nanoparticles eases delivery of drugs, ligands or imaging contrast agents in vivo. In this review, we summarize recent development of Au nanoparticles in cancer theranostics including imaging-based detection, photothermal therapy, chemical therapy and drug delivery. The multifunctional nature of Au nanoparticles means they hold great promise as novel anti-cancer therapeutics.
The activation and deactivation of Ca^(2+)- and calmodulindependent neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the central nervous system must be tightly controlled to prevent excessive nitric oxide (NO) generation. Considering plasma membrane calcium ATPase (PMCA) is a key deactivator of nNOS, the present investigation aims to determine the key events involved in nNOS deactivation of by PMCA in living cells to maintain its cellular context. Using time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), we determined the occurrence of Ca^(2+)-induced protein-protein interactions between plasma membrane calcium ATPase 4b (PMCA4b) and nNOS in living cells. PMCA activation significantly decreased the intracellular Ca 2+ concentrations ([Ca^(2+)]_(i)), which deactivates nNOS and slowdowns NO synthesis. Under the basal [Ca^(2+)]_(i) caused by PMCA activation, no protein-protein interactions were observed between PMCA4b and nNOS. Furthermore, both the PDZ domain of nNOS and the PDZ-binding motif of PMCA4b were essential for the protein-protein interaction. The involvement of lipid raft microdomains on the activity of PMCA4b and nNOS was also investigated. Unlike other PMCA isoforms, PMCA4 was relatively more concentrated in the raft fractions. Disruption of lipid rafts altered the intracellular localization of PMCA4b and affected the interaction between PMCA4b and nNOS, which suggest that the unique lipid raft distribution of PMCA4 may be responsible for its regulation of nNOS activity. In summary, lipid rafts may act as platforms for the PMCA4b regulation of nNOS activity and the transient tethering of nNOS to PMCA4b is responsible for rapid nNOS deactivation.
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells(MDSCs)are well known for their capacity to suppress antitumor T-cell responses,but their effects on B-cell function and antibody production remain unclear.Here,we found that MDSCs that accumulated around the germinal center in the spleen of tumor-bearing mice co-located with B cells.In the presence of MDSCs,the antibody reaction to a surrogate antigen was significantly enhanced in mice,especially the immunoglobulin(Ig)A subtype.Co-culture with MDSCs promoted both proliferation and differentiation of B cells into IgA-producing plasma cells in vitro.Interestingly,the cross talk between MDSCs and B cells required cell-cell contact.MDSCs from tumor necrosis factor receptor(TNFR)2^(−/−)mice,but not from TNFR1^(−/−)mice,failed to promote B-cell responses.Further investigation suggested that interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-β1 were crucial for the MDSC-mediated promotion of IgA responses.These results demonstrate a novel mechanism of MDSC-mediated immune regulation during tumor growth.
