Université de Fribourg

Cellular uptake and cell-to-cell transfer of polyelectrolyte microcapsules within a triple co-culture system representing parts of the respiratory tract

Kuhn, Dagmar A. ; Hartmann, Raimo ; Fytianos, Kleanthis ; Petri-Fink, Alke ; Rothen-Rutishauser, Barbara ; Parak, Wolfgang J.

In: Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, 2015, vol. 16, no. 3, p. 034608

Polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules around 3.4 micrometers in diameter were added to epithelial cells, monocyte-derived macrophages, and dendritic cells in vitro and their uptake kinetics were quantified. All three cell types were combined in a triple co-culture model, mimicking the human epithelial alveolar barrier. Hereby, macrophages were separated in a three-dimensional model from...

Université de Fribourg

Modeling nanoparticle–alveolar epithelial cell interactions under breathing conditions using captive bubble surfactometry

Schürch, David ; Vanhecke, Dimitri ; Clift, Martin J. D. ; Raemy, David ; Aberasturi, Dorleta Jimenez de ; Parak, Wolfgang J. ; Gehr, Peter ; Petri-Fink, Alke ; Rothen-Rutishauser, Barbara

In: Langmuir, 2014, vol. 30, no. 17, p. 4924–4932

Many advances have been made in recent years in cell culture models of the epithelial barrier of the lung from simple monolayers to complex 3-D systems employing different cell types. However, the vast majority of these models still present a static air–liquid interface which is unrealistic given the dynamic nature of breathing. We present here a method where epithelial lung cells are...

Université de Fribourg

Can the Ames test provide an insight into nano-object mutagenicity? Investigating the interaction between nano-objects and bacteria

Clift, Martin J. D. ; Raemy, David O. ; Endes, Carola ; Ali, Zulqurnain ; Lehmann, Andrea D. ; Brandenberger, Christina ; Petri-Fink, Alke ; Wick, Peter ; Parak, Wolfgang J. ; Gehr, Peter ; Schins, Roel P. F. ; Rothen-Rutishauser, Barbara

In: Nanotoxicology, 2013, vol. 7, no. 8, p. 1373–1385

The aim of this study was to assess the interaction of a series of well characterised nano-objects with the Gram negative bacterium Salmonella typhimurium, and how such an interaction may relate to the potential mutagenicity of nano-objects. Transmission electron microscopy showed that nano-objects (Au-PMA-ATTO NPs, CeO₂ NPs, SWCNTs and MWCNTs), as well as CAFs entered S....

Université de Fribourg

Antibacterial properties of nanoparticles

Hajipour, Mohammad J. ; Fromm, Katharina M. ; Ashkarran, Ali Akbar ; Aberasturi, Dorleta Jimenez de ; Larramendi, Idoia Ruiz de ; Rojo, Teofilo ; Serpooshan, Vahid ; Parak, Wolfgang J. ; Mahmoudi, Morteza

In: Trends in Biotechnology, 2012, p. -

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...