MOHAMMADJAVAD HAJIPOUR

All Publications

• Identification of the Proteins Determining the Blood Circulation Time of Nanoparticles. ACS nano Marques, C., Hajipour, M. J., Marets, C., Oudot, A., Safavi-Sohi, R., Guillemin, M., Borchard, G., Jordan, O., Saviot, L., Maurizi, L. 2023

  Abstract

  The therapeutic efficacy and adverse impacts of nanoparticles (NPs) are strongly dependent on their systemic circulation time. The corona proteins adsorbed on the NPs determine their plasma half-lives, and hence, it is crucial to identify the proteins shortening or extending their circulation time. In this work, the in vivo circulation time and corona composition of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) with different surface charges/chemistries were analyzed over time. SPIONs with neutral and positive charges showed the longest and shortest circulation times, respectively. The most striking observation was that corona-coated NPs with similar opsonin/dysopsonin content showed different circulation times, implying these biomolecules are not the only contributing factors. Long-circulating NPs adsorb higher concentrations of osteopontin, lipoprotein lipase, coagulation factor VII, matrix Gla protein, secreted phosphoprotein 24, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, and apolipoprotein C-I, while short-circulating NPs adsorb higher amounts of hemoglobin. Therefore, these proteins may be considered to be determining factors governing the NP systemic circulation time.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsnano.3c02041

  View details for PubMedID 37379064

• An Overview of Nanoparticle Protein Corona Literature. Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Hajipour, M. J., Safavi-Sohi, R., Sharifi, S., Mahmoud, N., Ashkarran, A. A., Voke, E., Serpooshan, V., Ramezankhani, M., Milani, A. S., Landry, M. P., Mahmoudi, M. 2023: e2301838

  Abstract

  The protein corona forms spontaneously on nanoparticle surfaces when nanomaterials are introduced into any biological system/fluid. Reliable characterization of the protein corona is, therefore, a vital step in the development of safe and efficient diagnostic and therapeutic nanomedicine products. 2134 published manuscripts on the protein corona are reviewed and a down-selection of 470 papers spanning 2000-2021, comprising 1702 nanoparticle (NP) systems is analyzed. This analysis reveals: i) most corona studies have been conducted on metal and metal oxide nanoparticles; ii) despite their overwhelming presence in clinical practice, lipid-based NPs are underrepresented in protein corona research, iii) studies use new methods to improve reliability and reproducibility in protein corona research; iv) studies use more specific protein sources toward personalized medicine; and v) careful characterization of nanoparticles after corona formation is imperative to minimize the role of aggregation and protein contamination on corona outcomes. As nanoparticles used in biomedicine become increasingly prevalent and biochemically complex, the field of protein corona research will need to focus on developing analytical approaches and characterization techniques appropriate for each unique nanoparticle formulation. Achieving such characterization of the nano-bio interface of nanobiotechnologies will enable more seamless development and safe implementation of nanoparticles in medicine.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/smll.202301838

  View details for PubMedID 37119440

• Ferroptosis: Environmental causes, biological redox signaling responses, cancer and other health consequences COORDINATION CHEMISTRY REVIEWS Sepand, M., Bigdelou, B., Maghsoudi, A., Sanadgol, N., Ho, J. Q., Chauhan, P., Raoufi, M., Kermanian, A., Esfandyarpour, R., Hajipour, M., Zanganeh, S. 2023; 480

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.ccr.2023.215024

  View details for Web of Science ID 000931547800001

• MegaPro, a clinically translatable nanoparticle for in vivo tracking of stem cell implants in pig cartilage defects. Theranostics Suryadevara, V., Hajipour, M. J., Adams, L. C., Aissaoui, N. M., Rashidi, A., Kiru, L., Theruvath, A. J., Huang, C., Maruyama, M., Tsubosaka, M., Lyons, J. K., Wu, W. E., Roudi, R., Goodman, S. B., Daldrup-Link, H. E. 2023; 13 (8): 2710-2720

  Abstract

  Rationale: Efficient labeling methods for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are crucial for tracking and understanding their behavior in regenerative medicine applications, particularly in cartilage defects. MegaPro nanoparticles have emerged as a potential alternative to ferumoxytol nanoparticles for this purpose. Methods: In this study, we employed mechanoporation to develop an efficient labeling method for MSCs using MegaPro nanoparticles and compared their effectiveness with ferumoxytol nanoparticles in tracking MSCs and chondrogenic pellets. Pig MSCs were labeled with both nanoparticles using a custom-made microfluidic device, and their characteristics were analyzed using various imaging and spectroscopy techniques. The viability and differentiation capacity of labeled MSCs were also assessed. Labeled MSCs and chondrogenic pellets were implanted into pig knee joints and monitored using MRI and histological analysis. Results: MegaPro-labeled MSCs demonstrated shorter T2 relaxation times, higher iron content, and greater nanoparticle uptake compared to ferumoxytol-labeled MSCs, without significantly affecting their viability and differentiation capacity. Post-implantation, MegaPro-labeled MSCs and chondrogenic pellets displayed a strong hypointense signal on MRI with considerably shorter T2* relaxation times compared to adjacent cartilage. The hypointense signal of both MegaPro- and ferumoxytol-labeled chondrogenic pellets decreased over time. Histological evaluations showed regenerated defect areas and proteoglycan formation with no significant differences between the labeled groups. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that mechanoporation with MegaPro nanoparticles enables efficient MSC labeling without affecting viability or differentiation. MegaPro-labeled cells show enhanced MRI tracking compared to ferumoxytol-labeled cells, emphasizing their potential in clinical stem cell therapies for cartilage defects.

  View details for DOI 10.7150/thno.82620

  View details for PubMedID 37215574

• Tumor acidic environment directs nanoparticle impacts on cancer cells JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE Ghaemi, B., Hajipour, M. 2023; 634: 684-692

  Abstract

  Despite impressive progress in nanotechnology-based cancer therapy being made by in vitro research, few nanoparticles (NPs) have been translated into clinical trials. The wide gap between in vitro results and nanomedicine's clinical translation might be partly due to acidic microenvironment of cancer cells being ignored in in vitro studies. To check this hypothesis, we studied the biological impacts of two different structures of NPs on cancer cells (MDA-MB 231) at acidic (pH: 6.5) low (pH: 7) and physiological pH (pH: 7.4). We uncovered that a slight change in the pH of the cancer cell microenvironment affects the cellular uptake efficacy and toxicity mechanism of nanographene sheets and SPION@silica nanospheres. Both nanostructures exerted more substantial toxic impacts (e. g. apoptosis, necrosis, membrane disruption, and oxidative stress induction) against cancer cells at physiological pH compared to acidic niche. They also differently slowed or arrested phases of the cell cycle at different pH (S and G2/M at normal pH while G0/G1 at acidic/low pH). More specifically, cancer cells expressed higher levels of interleukins involved in cancer cell resistance at acidic pH than those incubated at physiological pH. This study revealed that a slight change in extracellular pH of cancer cells could strongly affect the therapeutic/toxic impact of nanomaterials and therefore, it should be considered in the future cancer nanomedicine research.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.019

  View details for Web of Science ID 000918475500001

  View details for PubMedID 36563425

• Sex as an important factor in nanomedicine NATURE COMMUNICATIONS Hajipour, M., Aghaverdi, H., Serpooshan, V., Vali, H., Sheibani, S., Mahmoudi, M. 2021; 12 (1): 2984

  Abstract

  Nanomedicine has demonstrated substantial potential to improve the quality and efficacy of healthcare systems. Although the promise of nanomedicine to transform conventional medicine is evident, significant numbers of therapeutic nanomedicine products have failed in clinical trials. Most studies in nanomedicine have overlooked several important factors, including the significance of sex differences at various physiological levels. This report attempts to highlight the importance of sex in nanomedicine at cellular and molecular level. A more thorough consideration of sex physiology, among other critical variations (e.g., health status of individuals), would enable researchers to design and develop safer and more-efficient sex-specific diagnostic and therapeutic nanomedicine products.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-23230-9

  View details for Web of Science ID 000658761600002

  View details for PubMedID 34017011

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8170671

• Amyloid fibril inhibition, acceleration, or fragmentation; Are nano-based approaches advance in the right direction? NANO TODAY Hajipour, M., Mohammad-Beigi, H., Nabipour, I., Mahmoudi, N., Azhdarzadeh, M., Derakhshankhah, H., El Dawud, D., Mohammadinejad, R., Otzen, D. E. 2020; 35

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.nantod.2020.100983

  View details for Web of Science ID 000600849700049

• Supramolecular Insights into Domino Effects of Ag@ZnO-Induced Oxidative Stress in Melanoma Cancer Cells ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES Ghaemi, B., Moshiri, A., Herrmann, I. K., Hajipour, M., Wick, P., Amani, A., Kharrazi, S. 2019; 11 (50): 46408-46418

  Abstract

  Recent studies suggest that cancer cell death accompanied by organelle dysfunction might be a promising approach for cancer therapy. The Golgi apparatus has a key role in cell function and may initiate signaling pathways to mitigate stress and, if irreparable, start apoptosis. It has been shown that Golgi disassembly and fragmentation under oxidative stress act as indicators for stress-mediated cell death pathways through cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. The present study shows that UV-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by Ag@ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) transform the Golgi structures from compressed perinuclear ribbons into detached vesicle-like structures distributed in the entire cytoplasm of melanoma cells. This study also demonstrates that Ag@ZnO NP-induced Golgi fragmentation cooccurs with G2 block of cell cycle progression, preventing cells from entering the mitosis phase. Additionally, the increased intracellular ROS production triggered by Ag@ZnO NPs upon UV exposure promoted autophagy. Taken together, Ag@ZnO NPs induce stress-related Golgi fragmentation and autophagy, finally leading to melanoma cell apoptosis. Intracellular oxidative stress generated by Ag@ZnO NPs upon UV irradiation may thus represent a targeted approach to induce cancer cell death through organelle destruction in melanoma cells, while fibroblast cells remained largely unaffected.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsami.9b13420

  View details for Web of Science ID 000503918300002

  View details for PubMedID 31729218

• Nanoscale Technologies for Prevention and Treatment of Heart Failure: Challenges and Opportunities CHEMICAL REVIEWS Hajipour, M., Mehrani, M., Abbasi, S., Amin, A., Kassaian, S., Garbern, J. C., Caracciolo, G., Zanganeh, S., Chitsazan, M., Aghaverdi, H., Shahri, S., Ashkarran, A., Raoufi, M., Bauser-Heaton, H., Zhang, J., Muehlschlegel, J. D., Moore, A., Lee, R. T., Wu, J. C., Serpooshan, V., Mahmoudi, M. 2019; 119 (21): 11352–90

  Abstract

  The adult myocardium has a limited regenerative capacity following heart injury, and the lost cells are primarily replaced by fibrotic scar tissue. Suboptimal efficiency of current clinical therapies to resurrect the infarcted heart results in injured heart enlargement and remodeling to maintain its physiological functions. These remodeling processes ultimately leads to ischemic cardiomyopathy and heart failure (HF). Recent therapeutic approaches (e.g., regenerative and nanomedicine) have shown promise to prevent HF postmyocardial infarction in animal models. However, these preclinical, clinical, and technological advancements have yet to yield substantial enhancements in the survival rate and quality of life of patients with severe ischemic injuries. This could be attributed largely to the considerable gap in knowledge between clinicians and nanobioengineers. Development of highly effective cardiac regenerative therapies requires connecting and coordinating multiple fields, including cardiology, cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry and chemistry, and mechanical and materials sciences, among others. This review is particularly intended to bridge the knowledge gap between cardiologists and regenerative nanomedicine experts. Establishing this multidisciplinary knowledge base may help pave the way for developing novel, safer, and more effective approaches that will enable the medical community to reduce morbidity and mortality in HF patients.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00323

  View details for Web of Science ID 000498283300002

  View details for PubMedID 31490059

• Disease-specific protein corona sensor arrays may have disease detection capacity NANOSCALE HORIZONS Caracciolo, G., Safavi-Sohi, R., Malekzadeh, R., Poustchi, H., Vasighi, M., Chiozzi, R., Capriotti, A., Lagana, A., Hajipour, M., Di Domenico, M., Di Carlo, A., Caputo, D., Aghaverdi, H., Papi, M., Palmieri, V., Santoni, A., Palchetti, S., Digiacomo, L., Pozzi, D., Suslick, K. S., Mahmoudi, M. 2019; 4 (5): 1063-1076

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c9nh00097f

  View details for Web of Science ID 000481910600025

• Impact of Gold Nanoparticles on Amyloid beta-Induced Alzheimer's Disease in a Rat Animal Model: Involvement of STIM Proteins ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE Sanati, M., Khodagholi, F., Aminyavari, S., Ghasemi, F., Gholami, M., Kebriaeezadeh, A., Sabzevari, O., Hajipour, M., Imani, M., Mahmoudi, M., Sharifzadeh, M. 2019; 10 (5): 2299-2309

  Abstract

  Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of neurodegenerative amyloid disorder causing progressive cognitive decline and memory loss. A considerable number of therapies for AD rely on inhibition/delay/dissociation of amyloid beta (Aβ) oligomers and fibrils. In this case, nanoparticles (NPs) demonstrated substantial effects on the Aβ fibrillation process; however, their effects on progressive cognitive decline and memory have been poorly investigated in vivo. In this study, acquisition and retention of spatial learning and memory are studied in a rat animal model of AD after intrahippocampal (IH) and intraperitoneal (IP) injections of a model NP, i.e., gold NPs (AuNPs). The outcomes revealed that the AuNPs could improve the acquisition and retention of spatial learning and memory in Aβ treated rats as indicated by decreased time (Aβ: 39.60 ± 3.23 s vs Aβ+AuNPs: 25.78 ± 2.80 s) and distance (Aβ: 917.98 ± 50.81 cm vs Aβ+AuNPs: 589.09 ± 65.96 cm) of finding the hidden platform during training days and by increased time spent in the target quadrant (Aβ: 19.40 ± 0.98 s vs Aβ+AuNPs: 29.36 ± 1.14 s) in the probe test in Morris water maze (MWM). Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF, cAMP response element binding protein, CREB, and stromal interaction molecules, e.g., STIM1 and STIM2 was also increased, supporting improved neural survival. Our outcomes may pave a way for mechanistic insights toward the role of NPs on retrieval of the deteriorated behavioral functions in brain tissue after AD outbreak.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00622

  View details for Web of Science ID 000468369500022

  View details for PubMedID 30933476

• Mechanistic Understanding of the Interactions between Nano-Objects with Different Surface Properties and alpha-Synuclein ACS NANO Mohammad-Beigi, H., Hosseini, A., Adeli, M., Ejtehadi, M., Christiansen, G., Sahin, C., Tu, Z., Tavakol, M., Dilmaghani-Marand, A., Nabipour, I., Farzadfar, F., Otzen, D., Mahmoudi, M., Hajipour, M. 2019; 13 (3): 3243-3256

  Abstract

  Aggregation of the natively unfolded protein α-synuclein (α-syn) is key to the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Some nanoparticles (NPs) can inhibit this process and in turn be used for treatment of PD. Using simulation strategies, we show here that α-syn self-assembly is electrostatically driven. Dimerization by head-to-head monomer contact is triggered by dipole-dipole interactions and subsequently stabilized by van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonds. Therefore, we hypothesized that charged nano-objects could interfere with this process and thus prevent α-syn fibrillation. In our simulations, positively and negatively charged graphene sheets or superparamagnetic iron oxide NPs first interacted with α-syn's N/C terminally charged residues and then with hydrophobic residues in the non-amyloid-β component (61-95) region. In the experimental setup, we demonstrated that the charged nano-objects have the capacity not only to strongly inhibit α-syn fibrillation (both nucleation and elongation) but also to disaggregate the mature fibrils. Through the α-syn fibrillation process, the charged nano-objects induced the formation of off-pathway oligomers.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsnano.8b08983

  View details for Web of Science ID 000462950500052

  View details for PubMedID 30810027

• cis pT231-Tau Drives Neurodegeneration in Bipolar Disorder ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE Naserkhaki, R., Zamanzadeh, S., Baharvand, H., Nabavi, S., Pakdaman, H., Shahbazi, S., Vosough, M., Ghaedi, G., Barzegar, A., Mirtorabi, D., Hedayatshodeh, M., Ehsani, E., Falahati, M., Hajipour, M., Shahpasand, K. 2019; 10 (3): 1214-1221

  Abstract

  Bipolar disorder is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder, characterized by intermittent episodes of mania and depression. Recent studies have indicated argyrophilic grains, composed of hyperphosphorylated tau, are observable in postmortem brains of bipolar patients. It remains uncertain how tau hyperphosphorylation results in neurodegeneration upon the disease. Recent studies have demonstrated that phosphorylated tau at Thr231 exists in two distinct cis and trans conformations, in which cis pT231-tau is highly neurotoxic and acts as an early driver of tauopathy in several neurodegenerative diseases. We herein employed an in vitro model, which resembles some aspects of bipolar disorder, to study the cis p-tau mediatory role. We established GSK3β overexpressing SH-SY5Y cells and examined cell viability, cis p-tau formation, and lithium effects by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. We found an increase in cis p-tau levels as well as viability decrease in the cell model. Furthermore, we discovered that lithium treatment inhibits cis p-tau formation, resulting in diminished cell death. We also examined BD and healthy human brain samples and detected cis p-tau in the patients' brains. Our results show that tauopathy, observed in bipolar disorder, is being mediated through cis p-tau and that a conformer could be the cause of neurodegeneration upon the disease. Our findings would suggest novel therapeutic target to fight the devastating disorder.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00629

  View details for Web of Science ID 000462259900027

  View details for PubMedID 30644730

• Nanoparticles affect bacterial colonies' optical diffraction patterns NANOSCALE Sasanpour, P., Dilmaghani-Marand, A., Montazeri, H., Ivani, S., Hajipour, M., Mahmoudi, M. 2019; 11 (6): 2594-2601

  Abstract

  It is increasingly being accepted that bacteria are able to alter their shape/colony pattern in response to adverse environmental conditions. Morphological adaptation of bacteria is known as one of their defence mechanisms against environmental stress/variations. As nanoparticles (NPs) have a unique capacity to induce a wide range of stresses to bacteria, we hypothesized that such NPs can affect the bacterial colony pattern. To test this hypothesis, we incubated a series of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) with different physicochemical properties with bacterial colonies and probed the colonies' diffraction patterns by laser. The diffraction patterns of Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Staphylococcus aureus colonies were recorded using a laser. Our results revealed the formation of distinct bacterial diffraction patterns in response to SPIONs with various concentrations and surface chemistries. Our results may pave the way toward the development of new optical approaches for the high-throughput screening of bacterial-NPs/drugs interactions.

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c8nr09332f

  View details for Web of Science ID 000459579400003

  View details for PubMedID 30693921

• Molecular interaction of fibrinogen with zeolite nanoparticles SCIENTIFIC REPORTS Derakhshankhah, H., Hosseini, A., Taghavi, F., Jafari, S., Lotfabadi, A., Ejtehadi, M., Shahbazi, S., Fattahi, A., Ghasemi, A., Barzegari, E., Evini, M., Saboury, A., Shahri, S., Ghaemi, B., Ng, E., Awala, H., Omrani, F., Nabipour, I., Raoufi, M., Dinarvand, R., Shahpasand, K., Mintova, S., Hajipour, M., Mahmoudi, M. 2019; 9: 1558

  Abstract

  Fibrinogen is one of the key proteins that participate in the protein corona composition of many types of nanoparticles (NPs), and its conformational changes are crucial for activation of immune systems. Recently, we demonstrated that the fibrinogen highly contributed in the protein corona composition at the surface of zeolite nanoparticles. Therefore, understanding the interaction of fibrinogen with zeolite nanoparticles in more details could shed light of their safe applications in medicine. Thus, we probed the molecular interactions between fibrinogen and zeolite nanoparticles using both experimental and simulation approaches. The results indicated that fibrinogen has a strong and thermodynamically favorable interaction with zeolite nanoparticles in a non-cooperative manner. Additionally, fibrinogen experienced a substantial conformational change in the presence of zeolite nanoparticles through a concentration-dependent manner. Simulation results showed that both E- and D-domain of fibrinogen are bound to the EMT zeolite NPs via strong electrostatic interactions, and undergo structural changes leading to exposing normally buried sequences. D-domain has more contribution in this interaction and the C-terminus of γ chain (γ377-394), located in D-domain, showed the highest level of exposure compared to other sequences/residues.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41598-018-37621-4

  View details for Web of Science ID 000458017800026

  View details for PubMedID 30733474

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6367512

• Detection and Discrimination of Bacterial Colonies with Mueller Matrix Imaging SCIENTIFIC REPORTS Badieyan, S., Dilmaghani-Marand, A., Hajipour, M., Ameri, A., Razzaghi, M., Rafii-Tabar, H., Mahmoudi, M., Sasanpour, P. 2018; 8: 10815

  Abstract

  The polarization imaging technique is a powerful approach to probe microstructural and optical information of biological structures (e.g., tissue samples). Here, we have studied the polarization properties of different bacterial colonies in order to evaluate the possibility of bacterial detection and discrimination. In this regard, we have taken the backscattering Mueller matrix images of four different bacteria colonies (i.e., Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Rhodococcus erythropolis, and Staphylococcus aureus). Although the images have the potential to distinguish qualitatively different bacterial colonies, we explored more accurate and quantitative parameters criteria for discrimination of bacterial samples; more specifically, we have exploited the Mueller matrix polar decomposition (MMPD),frequency distribution histogram (FDH), and central moment analysis method. The outcomes demonstrated a superior capacity of Mueller matrix imaging, MMPD, and FDH in bacterial colonies identification and discrimination. This approach might pave the way for a reliable, efficient, and cheap way of identification of infectious diseases.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41598-018-29059-5

  View details for Web of Science ID 000438850900025

  View details for PubMedID 30018335

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6050273

• Biomolecular Corona Dictates A beta Fibrillation Process ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE Lotfabadi, A., Hajipour, M., Derakhshankhah, H., Peirovi, A., Saffar, S., Shams, E., Fatemi, E., Barzegari, E., Sarvari, S., Moakedi, F., Ferdousi, M., Atyabi, F., Saboury, A., Dinarvand, R. 2018; 9 (7): 1725-1734

  Abstract

  Amyloid beta (Aβ), which forms toxic oligomers and fibrils in brain tissues of patients with Alzheimer's disease, is broadly used as a model protein to probe the effect of nanoparticles (NPs) on oligomerization and fibrillation processes. However, the majority of the reports in the field have ignored the effect of the biomolecular corona on the fibrillogenesis of the Aβ proteins. The biomolecular corona, which is a layer composed of various types of biomolecules that covers the surface of NPs upon their interaction with biological fluids, determines the biological fates of NPs. Therefore, during in vivo interaction of NPs with Aβ protein, what the Aβ actually "sees" is the human plasma and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomolecular-coated NPs rather than the pristine surface of NPs. Here, to mimic the in vivo effects of therapeutic NPs as antifibrillation agents, we probed the effects of a biomolecular corona derived from human CSF and/or plasma on Aβ fibrillation. The results demonstrated that the type of biomolecular corona can dictate the inhibitory or acceleratory effect of NPs on Aβ1-42 and Aβ25-35 fibrillation processes. More specifically, we found that the plasma biomolecular-corona-coated gold NPs, with sphere and rod shapes, has less inhibitory effect on Aβ1-42 fibrillation kinetics compared with CSF biomolecular-corona-coated and pristine NPs. Opposite results were obtained for Aβ25-35 peptide, where the pristine NPs accelerated the Aβ25-35 fibrillation process, whereas corona-coated ones demonstrated an inhibitory effect. In addition, the CSF biomolecular corona had less inhibitory effect than those obtained from plasma.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00076

  View details for Web of Science ID 000439531400021

  View details for PubMedID 29676567

• Disease-related metabolites affect protein-nanoparticle interactions NANOSCALE Tavakol, M., Montazeri, A., Naghdabadi, R., Hajipour, M. J., Zanganeh, S., Caracciolo, G., Mahmoudi, M. 2018; 10 (15): 7108-7115

  Abstract

  Once in biological fluids, the surface of nanoparticles (NPs) is rapidly covered with a layer of biomolecules (i.e., the "protein corona") whose composition strongly determines their biological identity, regulates interactions with biological entities including cells and the immune system, and consequently directs the biological fate and pharmacokinetics of nanoparticles. We recently introduced the concept of a "personalized protein corona" which refers to the formation of different biological identities of the exact same type of NP after being exposed to extract plasmas from individuals who have various types of diseases. As different diseases have distinct metabolomic profiles and metabolites can interact with proteins, it is legitimate to hypothesize that metabolomic profiles in plasma may have the capacity to, at least partially, drive the formation of a personalized protein corona. To test this hypothesis, we employed a multi-scale approach composed of coarse-grained (CG) and all atom (AA) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to probe the role of glucose and cholesterol (model metabolites in diabetes and hypercholesterolemia patients) in the interaction of fibrinogen protein and polystyrene NPs. Our results revealed that glucose and cholesterol had the capacity to induce substantial changes in the binding site of fibrinogen to the surface of NPs. More specifically, the simulation results demonstrated that increasing the metabolite amount could change the profiles of fibrinogen adsorption and replacement, what is known as the Vroman effect, on the NP surface. In addition, we also found out that metabolites can substantially determine the immune triggering potency of the fibrinogen-NP complex. Our proof-of-concept outcomes further emphasize the need for the development of patient-specific NPs in a disease type-specific manner for high yielding and safe clinical applications.

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c7nr09502c

  View details for Web of Science ID 000430537200039

  View details for PubMedID 29616243

• Probing fibronectin conformation on a protein corona layer around nanoparticles NANOSCALE Raoufi, M., Hajipour, M., Shahri, S., Schoen, I., Linn, U., Mahmoudi, M. 2018; 10 (3): 1228-1233

  Abstract

  Protein unfolding induced by nanoparticles (NPs) can lead to exposure of cryptic epitopes that might dictate biological identity and affect NP biological fate (e.g., blood circulation time, biodistribution, and tumor accumulation). Here, we monitor the conformation of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-labelled fibronectin (FN) on corona-coated gold NPs. We found that the labelled FN proteins, which directly accessed the gold NP surface, underwent more pronounced conformational changes than those associated with the protein corona via protein-protein interactions. FRET and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses demonstrated that NP size/concentration, pH change, and the level of surface coverage by the corona can tune the accessibility of labelled FN to the gold NP surface. Although some subsequently adsorbing proteins accessed the NP surface thanks to incomplete surface coverage and protein exchange (the Vroman effect), most outer-layer proteins could not directly bind to the NP surface, blocked by pre-adsorbed corona layers. This finding was also partially confirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) analysis. These results suggest the proof-of-concept that outermost-layer proteins with modestly changed conformation rather than unfolded proteins at the gold NP surface effectively create the NPs' biological identity, which might have important implications on biological fates of gold NPs.

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c7nr06970g

  View details for Web of Science ID 000423259000038

  View details for PubMedID 29292453

• Advances in Alzheimer's Diagnosis and Therapy: The Implications of Nanotechnology TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY Hajipour, M., Santoso, M. R., Rezaee, F., Aghaverdi, H., Mahmoudi, M., Perry, G. 2017; 35 (10): 937-953

  Abstract

  Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a type of dementia that causes major issues for patients' memory, thinking, and behavior. Despite efforts to advance AD diagnostic and therapeutic tools, AD remains incurable due to its complex and multifactorial nature and lack of effective diagnostics/therapeutics. Nanoparticles (NPs) have demonstrated the potential to overcome the challenges and limitations associated with traditional diagnostics/therapeutics. Nanotechnology is now offering new tools and insights to advance our understanding of AD and eventually may offer new hope to AD patients. Here, we review the key roles of nanotechnologies in the recent literature, in both diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of AD, and discuss how these achievements may improve patient prognosis and quality of life.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.06.002

  View details for Web of Science ID 000411214700007

  View details for PubMedID 28666544

• Sensing of Alzheimer's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis Using Nano-Bio Interfaces JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE Hajipour, M., Ghasemi, F., Aghaverdi, H., Raoufi, M., Linne, U., Atyabi, F., Nabipour, I., Azhdarzadeh, M., Derakhshankhah, H., Lotfabadi, A., Bargahi, A., Alekhamis, Z., Aghaie, A., Hashemi, E., Tafakhori, A., Aghamollaii, V., Mashhadi, M., Sheibani, S., Vali, H., Mahmoudi, M. 2017; 59 (4): 1187-1202

  Abstract

  It is well understood that patients with different diseases may have a variety of specific proteins (e.g., type, amount, and configuration) in their plasmas. When nanoparticles (NPs) are exposed to these plasmas, the resulting coronas may incorporate some of the disease-specific proteins. Using gold (Au) NPs with different surface properties and corona composition, we have developed a technology for the discrimination and detection of two neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Applying a variety of techniques, including UV-visible spectra, colorimetric response analyses and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we found the corona-NP complexes, obtained from different human serums, had distinct protein composition, including some specific proteins that are known as AD and MS biomarkers. The colorimetric responses, analyzed by chemometrics and statistical methods, demonstrate promising capabilities of the technology to unambiguously identify and discriminate AD and MS. The developed colorimetric technology might enable a simple, inexpensive and rapid detection/discrimination of neurodegenerative diseases.

  View details for DOI 10.3233/JAD-160206

  View details for Web of Science ID 000407749900004

  View details for PubMedID 28759965

• Zeolite Nanoparticles Inhibit A beta-Fibrinogen Interaction and Formation of a Consequent Abnormal Structural Clot ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES Derakhshankhah, H., Hajipour, M., Barzegari, E., Lotfabadi, A., Ferdousi, M., Saboury, A., Ng, E., Raoufi, M., Awala, H., Mintova, S., Dinarvand, R., Mahmoudi, M. 2016; 8 (45): 30768-30779

  Abstract

  EMT-type zeolite nanoparticles (EMT NPs) with particle size of 10-20 nm and external surface area of 200 m2/g have shown high selective affinity toward plasma protein (fibrinogen). Besides, the EMT NPs have demonstrated no adverse effect on blood coagulation hemostasis. Therefore, it was envisioned that the EMT NPs could inhibit possible β-amyloid (Aβ)-fibrinogen interactions that result in the formation of structurally abnormal clots, which are resistant to lysis, in cerebral vessels of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). To evaluate this hypothesis, the clot formation and degradation of Aβ-fibrinogen in the presence and absence of the EMT zeolite NPs were assessed. The results clearly showed that the delay in clot dissolution was significantly reduced in the presence of zeolite NPs. By formation of protein corona, the EMT NPs showed a negligible reduction in their inhibitory strength. Docking of small molecules (Aβ-fibrinogen) introduced a novel potential inhibitory candidate. The zeolite NPs showed similar inhibitory effects on binding of fibrinogen to both Aβ(25-35) and/or Aβ(1-42). This indicates that the inhibitory strength of these NPs is independent of Aβ sequence, and it is suggested that the zeolite NPs adsorb fibrinogen and specifically obstruct their Aβ binding sites. Therefore, the zeolite NPs can be the safe and effective inhibitors in preventing Aβ-fibrinogen interaction and consequent cognitive damage.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsami.6b10941

  View details for Web of Science ID 000388429600014

  View details for PubMedID 27766857

• Bypassing Protein Corona Issue on Active Targeting: Zwitterionic Coatings Dictate Specific Interactions of Targeting Moieties and Cell Receptors ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES Safavi-Sohi, R., Maghari, S., Raoufi, M., Jalali, S., Hajipour, M. J., Ghassempour, A., Mahmoudi, M. 2016; 8 (35): 22808-22818

  Abstract

  Surface functionalization strategies for targeting nanoparticles (NP) to specific organs, cells, or organelles, is the foundation for new applications of nanomedicine to drug delivery and biomedical imaging. Interaction of NPs with biological media leads to the formation of a biomolecular layer at the surface of NPs so-called as "protein corona". This corona layer can shield active molecules at the surface of NPs and cause mistargeting or unintended scavenging by the liver, kidney, or spleen. To overcome this corona issue, we have designed biotin-cysteine conjugated silica NPs (biotin was employed as a targeting molecule and cysteine was used as a zwitterionic ligand) to inhibit corona-induced mistargeting and thus significantly enhance the active targeting capability of NPs in complex biological media. To probe the targeting yield of our engineered NPs, we employed both modified silicon wafer substrates with streptavidin (i.e., biotin receptor) to simulate a target and a cell-based model platform using tumor cell lines that overexpress biotin receptors. In both cases, after incubation with human plasma (thus forming a protein corona), cellular uptake/substrate attachment of the targeted NPs with zwitterionic coatings were significantly higher than the same NPs without zwitterionic coating. Our results demonstrated that NPs with a zwitterionic surface can considerably facilitate targeting yield of NPs and provide a promising new type of nanocarriers in biological applications.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsami.6b05099

  View details for Web of Science ID 000382902800010

  View details for PubMedID 27526263

• External magnetic fields affect the biological impacts of superparamagnetic iron nanoparticles COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES Shanehsazzadeh, S., Lahooti, A., Hajipour, M., Ghavami, M., Azhdarzadeh, M. 2015; 136: 1107-1112

  Abstract

  Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are recognized as one of the promising nanomaterials for applications in various field of nanomedicine such as targeted imaging/drug delivery, tissue engineering, hyperthermia, and gene therapy. Besides their suitable biocompatibility, SPIONs' unique magnetic properties make them an outstanding candidate for theranostic nanomedicine. Very recent progress in the field revealed that the presence of external magnetic fields may cause considerable amount of SPIONs' agglomeration in their colloidal suspension. As variation of physicochemical properties of colloidal nanoparticles has strong effect on their biological outcomes, one can expect that the SPIONs' agglomeration in the presence of external magnetic fields could change their well-recognized biological impacts. In this case, here, we probed the cellular uptake and toxicity of the SPIONs before and after exposure to external magnetic fields. We found that the external magnetic fields can affect the biological outcome of magnetic nanoparticles.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2015.11.028

  View details for Web of Science ID 000367408100135

  View details for PubMedID 26613856

• Personalized disease-specific protein corona influences the therapeutic impact of graphene oxide NANOSCALE Hajipour, M. J., Raheb, J., Akhavan, O., Arjmand, S., Mashinchian, O., Rahman, M., Abdolahad, M., Serpooshan, V., Laurent, S., Mahmoudi, M. 2015; 7 (19): 8978-8994

  Abstract

  The hard corona, the protein shell that is strongly attached to the surface of nano-objects in biological fluids, is recognized as the first layer that interacts with biological objects (e.g., cells and tissues). The decoration of the hard corona (i.e., the type, amount, and conformation of the attached proteins) can define the biological fate of the nanomaterial. Recent developments have revealed that corona decoration strongly depends on the type of disease in human patients from which the plasma is obtained as a protein source for corona formation (referred to as the 'personalized protein corona'). In this study, we demonstrate that graphene oxide (GO) sheets can trigger different biological responses in the presence of coronas obtained from various types of diseases. GO sheets were incubated with plasma from human subjects with different diseases/conditions, including hypofibrinogenemia, blood cancer, thalassemia major, thalassemia minor, rheumatism, fauvism, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and pregnancy. Identical sheets coated with varying protein corona decorations exhibited significantly different cellular toxicity, apoptosis, and uptake, reactive oxygen species production, lipid peroxidation and nitrogen oxide levels. The results of this report will help researchers design efficient and safe, patient-specific nano biomaterials in a disease type-specific manner for clinical and biological applications.

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c5nr00520e

  View details for Web of Science ID 000354204400038

  View details for PubMedID 25920546

• Protein corona composition of gold nanoparticles/nanorods affects amyloid beta fibrillation process NANOSCALE Mirsadeghi, S., Dinarvand, R., Ghahremani, M. H., Hormozi-Nezhad, M. R., Mahmoudi, Z., Hajipour, M. J., Atyabi, F., Ghavami, M., Mahmoudi, M. 2015; 7 (11): 5004-5013

  Abstract

  Protein fibrillation process (e.g., from amyloid beta (Aβ) and α-synuclein) is the main cause of several catastrophic neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson diseases. During the past few decades, nanoparticles (NPs) were recognized as one of the most promising tools for inhibiting the progress of the disease by controlling the fibrillation kinetic process; for instance, gold NPs have a strong capability to inhibit Aβ fibrillations. It is now well understood that a layer of biomolecules would cover the surface of NPs (so called "protein corona") upon the interaction of NPs with protein sources. Due to the fact that the biological species (e.g., cells and amyloidal proteins) "see" the protein corona coated NPs rather than the pristine coated particles, one should monitor the fibrillation process of amyloidal proteins in the presence of corona coated NPs (and not pristine coated ones). Therefore, the previously obtained data on NPs effects on the fibrillation process should be modified to achieve a more reliable and predictable in vivo results. Herein, we probed the effects of various gold NPs (with different sizes and shapes) on the fibrillation process of Aβ in the presence and absence of protein sources (i.e., serum and plasma). We found that the protein corona formed a shell at the surface of gold NPs, regardless of their size and shape, reducing the access of Aβ to the gold inhibitory surface and, therefore, affecting the rate of Aβ fibril formation. More specifically, the anti-fibrillation potencies of various corona coated gold NPs were strongly dependent on the protein source and their concentrations (10% serum/plasma (simulation of an in vitro milieu) and 100% serum/plasma (simulation of an in vivo milieu)).

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c4nr06009a

  View details for Web of Science ID 000351061700023

  View details for PubMedID 25695421

• Hyperthermia-induced protein corona improves the therapeutic effects of zinc ferrite spinel-graphene sheets against cancer RSC ADVANCES Hajipour, M. J., Akhavan, O., Meidanchi, A., Laurent, S., Mahmoudi, M. 2014; 4 (107): 62557-62565

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c4ra10862k

  View details for Web of Science ID 000345660300069

• Personalized protein coronas: a "key" factor at the nanobiointerface BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE Hajipour, M. J., Laurent, S., Aghaie, A., Rezaee, F., Mahmoudi, M. 2014; 2 (9): 1210-1221

  Abstract

  It is now well known that the primary interactions of biological entities (e.g., tissues and cells) with nanoparticles (NPs) are strongly influenced by the protein composition of the "corona" (i.e., the NP surface attached proteins). The composition of the corona strongly depends on the protein source (e.g., human plasma). Because the protein source determines the NP corona, it is reasonable to hypothesize that humans with specific disease(s) may have specific NP coronas. To test this hypothesis, we incubated two different hydrophobic/hydrophilic types of NPs (polystyrene and silica) with plasma from human subjects with different diseases and medical conditions (e.g., breast cancer, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, rheumatism, fauvism, smoking, hemodialysis, thalassemia, hemophilia A and B, pregnancy, common cold and hypofibrinogenemia). Our results demonstrate that the type of disease has a crucial role in the protein composition of the NP corona. Based on these results, we introduce the concept of the "personalized protein corona" (PPC) as a determinant factor in nano-biomedical science. This study will help researchers rationally design experiments based on the "personalized protein corona" for clinical and biological applications.

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c4bm00131a

  View details for Web of Science ID 000341519500007

• Therapeutic Benefits from Nanoparticles: The Potential Significance of Nanoscience in Diseases with Compromise to the Blood Brain Barrier CHEMICAL REVIEWS Krol, S., Macrez, R., Docagne, F., Defer, G., Laurent, S., Rahman, M., Hajipour, M. J., Kehoe, P. G., Mahmoudi, M. 2013; 113 (3): 1877-1903

  View details for DOI 10.1021/cr200472g

  View details for Web of Science ID 000316243600014

  View details for PubMedID 23157552

• Antibacterial properties of nanoparticles TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY Hajipour, M. J., Fromm, K. M., Ashkarran, A. A., Jimenez de Aberasturi, D., Ruiz de Larramendi, I., Rojo, T., Serpooshan, V., Parak, W. J., Mahmoudi, M. 2012; 30 (10): 499-511

  Abstract

  Antibacterial agents are very important in the textile industry, water disinfection, medicine, and food packaging. Organic compounds used for disinfection have some disadvantages, including toxicity to the human body, therefore, the interest in inorganic disinfectants such as metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) is increasing. This review focuses on the properties and applications of inorganic nanostructured materials and their surface modifications, with good antimicrobial activity. Such improved antibacterial agents locally destroy bacteria, without being toxic to the surrounding tissue. We also provide an overview of opportunities and risks of using NPs as antibacterial agents. In particular, we discuss the role of different NP materials.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.tibtech.2012.06.004

  View details for Web of Science ID 000309946600002