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Celiac disease (CD) is triggered by ingestion of gluten-containing cereals such as wheat, barley, rye and in some cases oat. The only way for affected individuals to avoid symptoms of this condition is to adopt a gluten-free diet. Thus, gluten-free foodstuffs need to be monitored in order to ensure their innocuity. For this purpose, commercial immunoassays based on recognition of defined linear gluten sequences are currently used. These immunoassays are designed to detect or quantify total gluten regardless of the cereal, and often result in over or underestimation of the exact gluten content. In addition, Canadian regulations require a declaration of the source of gluten on the label of prepackaged foods, which cannot be done due to the limitations of existing methods. In this study, the development of new antibodies targeting discrimination of gluten sources was conducted using synthetic peptides as immunization strategy. Fourteen synthetic peptides selected from unique linear amino acid sequences of gluten were bioconjugated to Concholepas concholepas hemocyanin (CCH) as protein carrier, to elicit antibodies in rabbit. The resulting polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) successfully discriminated wheat, barley and oat prolamins during indirect ELISA assessments. pAbs raised against rye synthetic peptides cross-reacted evenly with wheat and rye prolamins but could still be useful to successfully discriminate gluten sources in combination with the other pAbs. Discrimination of gluten sources can be further refined and enhanced by raising monoclonal antibodies using a similar immunization strategy. A methodology capable of discriminating gluten sources, such as the one proposed in this study, could facilitate compliance with Canadian regulations on this matter. This type of discrimination could also complement current immunoassays by settling the issue of over and underestimation of gluten content, thus improving the safety of food intended to CD and wheat-allergic patients., Competing Interests: Samuel Benrejeb Godefroy’s research activities are funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Government of Quebec, Canada; the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Government of Quebec; Canada’s Innovation Foundation; the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service; r‐Biopharm GmbH; and r-Biopharm Canada Inc. Samuel Benrejeb Godefroy acts as an expert advisor for members of the food and beverage industry, international organizations (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the World Bank), and international food regulators such as the China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment and consumer organizations such as Food Allergy Canada. The other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

The control of antibody specificity plays pivotal roles in key technological fields such as diagnostics and therapeutics. During the development of immunoassays (IAs) for the biosensing of pathogens in food matrices, we have found a way to rationalize and control the specificity of polyclonal antibodies (sera) for a complex analytical target (the Salmonella genus), in terms of number of analytes (Salmonella species) and potential cross-reactivity with similar analytes (other bacteria strains). Indeed, the biosensing of Salmonella required the development of sera and serum mixtures displaying homogeneous specificity for a large set of strains showing broad biochemical variety (54 Salmonella serovars tested in this study), which partially overlaps with the molecular features of other class of bacteria (like specific serogroups of E. coli). To achieve a trade-off between specificity harmonisation and maximization, we have developed a strategy based on the conversion of the specificity profiles of individual sera in to numerical descriptors, which allow predicting the capacity of serum mixtures to detect multiple bacteria strains. This approach does not imply laborious purification steps and results advantageous for process scaling-up, and may help in the customization of the specificity profiles of antibodies needed for diagnostic and therapeutic applications such as multi-analyte detection and recombinant antibody engineering, respectively.

Background: Celiac disease, a complex, long-term autoimmune disorder and gluten intolerance, is estimated to affect from 1 to 5% of the world's population. Objective: As a consequence, to protect gluten-sensitive consumers, the development of reliable analytical methods allowing the detection of gluten in various food products is needed. Methods: Currently, ELISA is probably the most widespread used methodology. The method based on the R5 antibody has received type I status in Codex Alimentarius. However, the ELISA method suffers from some limitations, especially concerning quantification of nonwheat gluten. As a consequence, the development of another complementary methodology such as LC-tandem MS (MS/MS) is considered to be essential. Furthermore, this method could also be used for the simultaneous detection of gluten with other allergens, which will constitute a great additional benefit for producers of "free-from" food products and/or having a management policy integrated for several allergies and/or intolerances. Results: A multi-allergen and grain-specific ultra-HPLC coupled to MS/MS method allowing the identification and the discrimination of gluten from seven cereals, simultaneously with the detection and identification of 10 allergens in only one analysis, is thus described here. Conclusions: This method can be used for the analysis of a broad range of foodstuff matrices containing wheat and/or its derivatives, including cereals, flours, heat-treated and foodstuffs, but also more complex samples having undergone fermentation processes (such as beers).

Aim: This study aimed at developing antibody-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to selectively target cancer cells and probing their potential radiosensitizing effects under proton irradiation., Materials & Methods: AuNPs were conjugated with cetuximab (Ctxb-AuNPs). Ctxb-AuNP uptake was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Radioenhancing effect was assessed using conventional clonogenic assay., Results & Conclusion: Ctxb-AuNPs specifically bound to and accumulated in EGFR-overexpressing A431 cells, compared with EGFR-negative MDA-MB-453 cells. Ctxb-AuNPs enhanced the effect of proton irradiation in A431 cells but not in MDA-MB-453 cells. These data indicate, for the first time, that combining enhanced uptake by specific targeting and radioenhancing effect, using conjugated AuNPs, is a promising strategy to increase cell killing by protontherapy.

Extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking surfaces are pivotal tools in understanding adherent cell physiopathology. In this sense, we have recently reported on a discrete set of ECM-mimicking SAMs, among which only those exposing IGDQ peptide-alkanethiols sustain the adhesion of MDA-MB-231 cells by triggering FAK phosphorylation and peculiarly induce the migration of individual cancer cells on the subcentimeter scale. Starting from the experimentally observed relationship among the SAM composition, organization, and biological response, a systematic computational characterization aided in pinpointing the atomistic details through which specific composition and organization achieve the desired biological responsiveness. Specifically, the solvent, number and type of peptides, and presence or absence of surface fillers were accurately considered, creating representative model SAMs simulated by means of classical molecular dynamics (MD) with a view toward unravelling the experimental evidence, revealing how the conformational and structural features of these substrates dictate the specific motogenic responses. Through complementary experimental and computational investigations, it clearly emerges that there exists a distinct and precise mutual interaction among IGDQ-peptides, the surface fillers, and Au, which controls the structural properties of the ECM-mimicking SAMs and thus their motogenic potential.

The development of new modalities and protocols is of major interest to improve the outcome of cancer treatment. Given the appealing physical properties of protons and the emerging evidence of biological relevance of the use of gold nanoparticles (GNPs), the radiosensitization effects of GNPs (5 or 10 nm) have been investigated in vitro in combination with a proton beam of different linear energy transfer (LET). After the incubation with GNPs for 24 h, nanoparticles were observed in the cytoplasm of A431 cells exposed to 10 nm GNPs, and in the cytoplasm as well as the nucleus of cells exposed to 5 nm GNPs. Cell uptake of 0.05 mg ml -1 of GNPs led to 0.78 pg Au/cell and 0.30 pg Au/cell after 24 h incubation for 10 and 5 nm GNPs respectively. A marked radiosensitization effect of GNPs was observed with 25 keV μm -1 protons, but not with 10 keV μm -1 protons. This effect was more pronounced for 10 nm GNPs than for 5 nm GNPs. By using a radical scavenger, a major role of reactive oxygen species in the amplification of the death of irradiated cell was identified. All together, these results open up novel perspectives for using high-Z metallic NPs in protontherapy.

Understanding the targeted cellular uptake of nanomaterials is an essential step to engineer and program functional and effective biomedical devices. In this respect, the targeting and ultrafast uptake of zeolite nanocrystals functionalized with Cetuximab antibodies (Ctxb) by cells overexpressing the epidermal growth factor receptor are described here. Biochemical assays show that the cellular uptake of the bioconjugate in the targeted cancer cells already begins 15 min after incubation, at a rate around tenfold faster than that observed in the negative control cells. These findings further show the role of Ctxb exposed at the surfaces of the zeolite nanocrystals in mediating the targeted and rapid cellular uptake. By using temperature and pharmacological inhibitors as modulators of the internalization pathways, the results univocally suggest a dissipative uptake mechanism of these nanomaterials, which seems to occur using different internalization pathways, according to the targeting properties of these nanocrystals. Owing to the ultrafast uptake process, harmless for the cell viability, these results further pave the way for the design of novel theranostic tools based on nanozeolites., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: The asbestos-like toxicity of some engineered carbon nanotubes (CNT), notably their capacity to induce mesothelioma, is a serious cause of concern for public health. Here we show that carcinogenic CNT induce an early and sustained immunosuppressive response characterized by the accumulation of monocytic Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells (M-MDSC) that counteract effective immune surveillance of tumor cells., Methods: Wistar rats and C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with carcinogenic multi-walled Mitsui-7 CNT (CNT-7) or crocidolite asbestos. Peritoneal mesothelioma development and immune cell accumulation were assessed until 12 months. Leukocyte sub-populations were identified by recording expression of CD11b/c and His48 by flow cytometry. The immunosuppressive activity on T lymphocytes of purified peritoneal leukocytes was assessed in a co-culture assay with activated spleen cells., Results: We demonstrate that long and short mesotheliomagenic CNT-7 injected in the peritoneal cavity of rats induced, like asbestos, an early and selective accumulation of monocytic cells (CD11b/c(int) and His48(hi)) which possess the ability to suppress polyclonal activation of T lymphocytes and correspond to M-MDSC. Peritoneal M-MDSC persisted during the development of peritoneal mesothelioma in CNT-7-treated rats but were only transiently recruited after non-carcinogenic CNT (CNT-M, CNT-T) injection. Peritoneal M-MDSC did not accumulate in mice which are resistant to mesothelioma development., Conclusions: Our data provide new insights into the initial pathogenic events induced by CNT, adding a new component to the adverse outcome pathway leading to mesothelioma development. The specificity of the M-MDSC response after carcinogenic CNT exposure highlights the interest of this response for detecting the ability of new nanomaterials to cause cancer.

Thiolated peptides bearing the Ile-Gly-Asp (IGD) motif, a highly conserved sequence of fibronectin, are used for the preparation of anisotropic self-assembled monolayers (SAM gradients) to study the whole-population migratory behavior of metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 cells). Ile-Gly-Asp-Gln-(IGDQ)-exposing SAMs sustain the adhesion of MDA-MB-231 cells by triggering focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation, similarly to the analogous Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-(GRGD)-terminating surfaces. However, the biological responses of different cell lines interfaced with the SAM gradients show that only those exposing the IGDQ sequence induce significant migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. In particular, the observed migratory behavior suggests the presence of cell subpopulations associated with a "stationary" or a "migratory" phenotype, the latter determining a considerable cell migration at the sub-cm length scale. These findings are of great importance as they suggest for the first time an active role of biological surfaces exposing the IGD motif in the multicomponent orchestration of cellular signaling involved in the metastatic progression., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Fe-filled carbon nanotubes (Fe@CNTs) recently emerged as an effective class of hybrid nanoparticles for biotechnological applications, such as magnetic cell sorting and magnetic fluid hyperthermia. Aiming at studying the effects of both the Fe loading and the magnetocrystalline characteristics in these applications, we describe herein the preparation of Fe@CNTs containing different Fe phases that, upon functionalization with the antibody Cetuximab (Ctxb), allow the targeting of cancer cells. Our experimental findings reveal that an optimal Ctxb/Fe weight ratio of 1.2 is needed for efficient magnetic cell shepherding, whereas enhanced MFH-induced mortality (70 vs. 15%) can be reached with hybrids enriched in the coercive Fe(3)C phase. These results suggest that a synergistic effect between the Ab loading and the Fe distribution in each nanotube exists, for which the maximum shepherding and hyperthermia effects are observed when higher densities of Fe@CNTs featuring the more coercive phase are interfaced with the cells.

Endohedral and exohedral assembly of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) recently gave birth to a large body of new hybrid nanomaterials (MNPs-CNTs) featuring properties that are otherwise not in reach with only the graphitic or metallic cores themselves. These materials feature enhanced magnetically guided motions (rotation and translation), magnetic saturation and coercivity, large surface area, and thermal stability. By guiding the reader through the most significant examples in this Concept paper, we describe how researchers in the field engineered and exploited the synergistic combination of these two types of nanoparticles in a large variety of current and potential applications, such as magnetic fluid hyperthermia therapeutics and in magnetic resonance imaging to name a few., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

We describe herein the hierarchical self-assembly of discrete supramolecular metallacycles into ordered fibers or spherical particles through multiple noncovalent interactions. A new series of well-defined metallacycles decorated with long alkyl chains were obtained through metal-ligand interactions, which were capable of aggregating into ordered fibroid or spherical nanostructures on the surface, mostly driven by hydrophobic interactions. In-depth studies indicated that the morphology diversity was originated from the structural information encoded in the metallacycles, including the number of alkyl chains and their spatial orientation. Interestingly, the morphology of the metallacycle aggregates could be tuned by changing the solvent polarity. These findings are of special significance since they provide a simple yet highly controllable approach to prepare ordered and tunable nanostructures from small building blocks by means of hierarchical self-assembly., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Aims: Antibody-labeled gold nanoparticles represent an attractive tool for cancer imaging and therapy. In this study, the anti-CD105 antibody was conjugated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the first time. The antibody biodistribution in mice before and after conjugation to AuNPs was studied, with a focus on tumor targeting., Materials & Methods: Antibodies were radiolabeled with 89Zr before conjugation to AuNPs (5 nm). Immunonanoconjugates were characterized in vitro in terms of size, stability in plasma and binding to the target. Quantitative PET imaging and ICP-MS analysis assessed in vivo distribution and specific tumor targeting of tracers., Results: The tumor uptake of immunoconjugates was preserved up to 24 h after injection, with high tumor contrast and selective tumor targeting. No major tracer accumulation was observed over time in nonspecific organs. ICP-MS analysis confirmed the antibody specificity after nanoparticle conjugation., Conclusion: The anti-CD105 antibody conjugation to AuNPs did not greatly affect CD105-dependent tumor uptake and the efficacy of tumor targeting for cancer detection.

Herein, we report the first example of a supramolecular carbon nanotube (CNT)-based magnetic depolluting agent for divalent metal ion (M(2+)) removal from aqueous solutions. In particular, magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (m-MWCNTs) coated with poly(vinylpyridine) (PVPy) self-aggregate in aqueous solutions that contain divalent metal ions (such as Zn(2+), Cu(2+) and Pb(2+)) to form tight insoluble bundles in which the M(2+) ions remain trapped through pyridyl-M(2+)-pyridyl interactions. Magnetic filtration ultimately affords the efficient separation of the depolluted solution from the precipitated M(2+)-CNT agglomerates. Upon acid treatment, the supramolecular threads could be disassembled to afford the free CNT-polymer hybrid, thus allowing recycling of the depolluting agent. All materials and complexation/decomplexation steps were thoroughly characterised by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM, respectively). The quantification of the M(2+) residual concentrations in water was evaluated by using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), which showed that, depending on the metal cation, this material can remove up to 99% of the contaminant., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

In a set of unprecedented experiments combining "bottom-up" and "top-down" approaches, we report the engineering of patterned surfaces in which functionalized MWCNTs have been selectively adsorbed on polymeric matrices as obtained by microlithographic photo-cross-linking of polystyrene polymers bearing 2,6-di(acetylamino)-4-pyridyl moieties (PS1) deposited on glass or Si. All patterned surfaces have been characterized by optical, fluorescence, and SEM imaging techniques, showing the local confinement of the CNTs materials on the polymeric microgrids. These results open new possibilities toward the controlled manipulation of CNTs on surfaces, using H-bonding self-assembly as the main driving force., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)

Herein, we report the first example of supramolecular carbon nanotube (CNT)-based ion catchers as simple and effective tools for removing divalent metal ions from organic solvents. In particular, covalently functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) appended with pyridyl groups self-aggregate in solution into bundles in the presence of divalent metal ions (e.g., Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺). Such self-aggregation behavior leads to insoluble materials that, upon treatment with weak acids, can be regenerated and reused for further complexation. All materials and complexation/decomplexation steps were thoroughly characterized by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and different microscopy-based techniques, namely, transmission electron, scanning electron, and atomic force microscopy (TEM, SEM, and AFM). The supramolecular system engineered in this work is the first example of an easy and fully sustainable material with great potential applications for depolluting liquid waste from metal contamination., (Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Here we report on the surface immobilization of redox-active [60]fullerene derivatives and the consequent neuroprotective effects toward l-glutamate induced excitotoxicity in human derived undifferentiated neuroblastoma cells., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

Functionalized carbon nanotube (CNT) derivatives are currently under thorough investigation in different biomedical investigations. In this field of research, the composition of sample either in terms of covalently attached or physisorbed moieties can greatly affect the observed results and hamper the comparison between different studies. Therefore, the availability of a fast and reliable analytical technique to assess both the type of interaction (covalent vs noncovalent) and the composition of CNT conjugates is of great importance. Here we describe that the two-dimensional diffusion-ordered (DOSY) NMR spectroscopy is extremely useful to discriminate between conjugated and unconjugated polyethylene glycol groups in samples obtained by condensation with oxidized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). This fast and nondestructive technique allows us to follow the removal of unconjugated polyethylene glycol chains during the purification. In particular, DOSY analysis reveal that about 1/3 (wt %) of the polyethylene glycol used for the condensation remained physisorbed to functionalized SWNTs after dialysis. Complete elimination of physisorbed polyethylene glycol was achieved using diafiltration.

The emerging applications of functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in various research domains necessitate the use of many different analytical techniques to confirm their structural modifications in a fast and reliable manner. Thus far, NMR spectroscopy has not been among the main tools for characterization of organically modified carbon nanostructures. (1)H analysis is limited because the signals in these derivatives are typically weak and broad, resulting in uncertainties of a few parts per million, and because of the strong interference of residual solvent signals. To overcome these limitations, we investigated the applicability of proton NMR spectroscopy based on gradient-edited diffusion pulse sequences (1D diffusion-ordered spectroscopy, DOSY) in the characterization of CNT derivatives. In general, diffusion NMR experiments allow the separation of NMR signals of different species present in a mixture, according to their own diffusion coefficients, merging spectroscopy information with size analysis. In the present study, a selected set of CNT derivatives was synthesized and analyzed using 1D DOSY experiments by applying strong magnetic field gradients (up to 42.6 G cm(-1)). Colorimetric tests (i.e., Kaiser test) and TGA analysis support the NMR findings, which are related to isolated and/or bundled short SWNTs, on the basis of TEM and AFM characterization. The overall results show that the diffusion-based NMR spectroscopy is a fast and promising approach for the characterization of covalently modified CNT derivatives.

Carbon nanotubes are emerging as innovative tools in nanobiotechnology. However, their toxic effects on environment and health have become an issue of strong concern. In the present study, we address the impact of functionalized carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) on cells of the immune system. We have prepared two types of f-CNTs, following the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction (f-CNTs 1 and 2) and the oxidation/amidation treatment (f-CNTs 3 and 4), respectively. We have found that both types of f-CNTs are uptaken by B and T lymphocytes as well as macrophages in vitro, without affecting cell viability. Subsequently, the functionality of the different cells was analyzed carefully. We discovered that f-CNT 1, which is highly water soluble, did not influence the functional activity of immunoregulatory cells. f-CNT 3, which instead possesses reduced solubility and forms mainly stable water suspensions, preserved lymphocytes' functionality while provoking secretion of proinflammatory cytokines by macrophages.

Understanding and controlling the chemical reactivity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is a fundamental requisite to prepare novel nanoscopic structures with practical uses in materials applications. Here, we present a comprehensive microscopic and spectroscopic characterization of carbon nanotubes which have been chemically modified. Specifically, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) investigations of short-oxidized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) functionalized with aliphatic chains via amide reaction reveal the presence of bright lumps both on the sidewalls and at the tips. The functionalization pattern is consistent with the oxidation reaction which mainly occurs at the nanotube tips. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), steady-state electronic absorption (UV-vis-NIR), and Raman spectroscopic studies confirm the STM observations.