Browsing by Author "Huang, Yue"

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    Ferumoxytol Nanoparticles Target Biofilms Causing Tooth Decay in the Human Mouth
    (American Chemical Society, 2021) Liu, Yuan; Huang, Yue; Kim, Dongyeop; Ren, Zhi; Oh, Min Jun; Cormode, David P.; Hara, Anderson T.; Zero, Domenick T.; Koo, Hyun; Cariology, Operative Dentistry and Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry
    Severe tooth decay has been associated with iron deficiency anemia that disproportionally burdens susceptible populations. Current modalities are insufficient in severe cases where pathogenic dental biofilms rapidly accumulate, requiring new antibiofilm approaches. Here, we show that ferumoxytol, a Food and Drug Administration-approved nanoparticle formulation for treating iron deficiency, exerts an alternative therapeutic activity via the catalytic activation of hydrogen peroxide, which targets bacterial pathogens in biofilms and suppresses tooth enamel decay in an intraoral human disease model. Data reveal the potent antimicrobial specificity of ferumoxytol iron oxide nanoparticles (FerIONP) against biofilms harboring Streptococcus mutans via preferential binding that promotes bacterial killing through in situ free-radical generation. Further analysis indicates that the targeting mechanism involves interactions of FerIONP with pathogen-specific glucan-binding proteins, which have a minimal effect on commensal streptococci. In addition, we demonstrate that FerIONP can detect pathogenic biofilms on natural teeth via a facile colorimetric reaction. Our findings provide clinical evidence and the theranostic potential of catalytic nanoparticles as a targeted anti-infective nanomedicine.
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    Topical ferumoxytol nanoparticles disrupt biofilms and prevent tooth decay in vivo via intrinsic catalytic activity
    (Springer Nature, 2018-07-31) Liu, Yuan; Naha, Pratap C.; Hwang, Geelsu; Kim, Dongyeop; Huang, Yue; Simon-Soro, Aurea; Jung, Hoi-In; Ren, Zhi; Li, Yong; Gubara, Sarah; Alawi, Faizan; Zero, Domenick; Hara, Anderson T.; Cormode, David P.; Cariology, Operative Dentistry and Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry
    Ferumoxytol is a nanoparticle formulation approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for systemic use to treat iron deficiency. Here, we show that, in addition, ferumoxytol disrupts intractable oral biofilms and prevents tooth decay (dental caries) via intrinsic peroxidase-like activity. Ferumoxytol binds within the biofilm ultrastructure and generates free radicals from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), causing in situ bacterial death via cell membrane disruption and extracellular polymeric substances matrix degradation. In combination with low concentrations of H2O2, ferumoxytol inhibits biofilm accumulation on natural teeth in a human-derived ex vivo biofilm model, and prevents acid damage of the mineralized tissue. Topical oral treatment with ferumoxytol and H2O2 suppresses the development of dental caries in vivo, preventing the onset of severe tooth decay (cavities) in a rodent model of the disease. Microbiome and histological analyses show no adverse effects on oral microbiota diversity, and gingival and mucosal tissues. Our results reveal a new biomedical application for ferumoxytol as topical treatment of a prevalent and costly biofilm-induced oral disease.
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    β2-adrenoreceptor Signaling Increases Therapy Resistance in Prostate Cancer by Upregulating MCL1
    (American Association for Cancer Research, 2020-12) Hassan, Sazzad; Pullikuth, Ashok; Nelson, Kyle C.; Flores, Anabel; Karpova, Yelena; Baiz, Daniele; Zhu, Sinan; Sui, Guangchao; Huang, Yue; Choi, Young A.; D’Agostino, Ralph, Jr.; Hemal, Ashok; von Holzen, Urs; Debinski, Waldemar; Kulik, George; Medicine, School of Medicine
    There is accumulating evidence that continuous activation of the sympathetic nervous system due to psychosocial stress increases resistance to therapy and accelerates tumor growth via β2-adrenoreceptor signaling (ADRB2). However, the effector mechanisms appear to be specific to tumor type. Here we show that activation of ADRB2 by epinephrine, increased in response to immobilization stress, delays the loss of MCL1 apoptosis regulator (MCL1) protein expression induced by cytotoxic drugs in prostate cancer cells; and thus, increases resistance of prostate cancer xenografts to cytotoxic therapies. The effect of epinephrine on MCL1 protein depended on protein kinase A (PKA) activity, but was independent from androgen receptor expression. Furthermore, elevated blood epinephrine levels correlated positively with an increased MCL1 protein expression in human prostate biopsies. In summary, we demonstrate that stress triggers an androgen-independent antiapoptotic signaling via the ADRB2/PKA/MCL1 pathway in prostate cancer cells. IMPLICATIONS: Presented results justify clinical studies of ADRB2 blockers as therapeutics and of MCL1 protein expression as potential biomarker predicting efficacy of apoptosis-targeting drugs in prostate cancer.