Compartmentalization is one of the main strategies by which nature allows for control over many biological processes. For the proper functioning of living cells, organelles, small compartments within the cell, are essential. Researchers are working on ways to make artificial organelles that add new functionalities to cells or correct dysfunctional processes in cells, for example as a therapy for metabolic diseases. This can be achieved by using synthetic components to produce artificial organelles outside the cell or by using components made in the cell. And it’s the latter approach that Suzanne Timmermans explored for her Ph.D. research through the use of protein nanoparticles.
For her Ph.D. research, Suzanne Timmermans used protein nanoparticle to develop artificial organelles that could do new jobs in the cell. These microscopic particles are composed of viral capsids (the protein shells of viruses) to which a stabilizing protein domain was added.
Timmermans demonstrated that the nanoparticles are stable over prolonged times under conditions that are comparable to those inside cells. This is crucial for the correct functioning of an artificial organelle, as it would be very destructive if it were to disintegrate and lose its function inside the cell. In addition, the stabilizing domains enable the nanoparticles to react to their environment by changing their size. The natural processes in the cell often demonstrate such responsive behavior, so it is very important to mimic this.
Active component
To have a particular function in the cell, an artificial organelle must contain an active component. Enzymes are excellent candidates, as these protein catalysts can be produced by cells, they are naturally active inside cells, and many enzymes with all kinds of functionalities are known.
The protein nanoparticles used by Timmermans consist of an empty core. She demonstrated that it is feasible to encapsulate enzymes in that core. This was achieved both outside of cells and within living cells. Specifically, the latter finding is very promising for the development of an artificial organelle.
Beneficial effect on and inside cells
Finally, Timmermans evaluated whether the artificial organelles have a beneficial effect on and inside cells. First, she employed the activity of the encapsulated enzymes for the production of a compound that could be used by the cell to produce a certain protein. Next, she evaluated whether encapsulation inside the artificial organelle could protect the enzyme from rapid degradation by so-called proteases. This aspect of the project proved very challenging to prove, and this project is still in development.
Altogether, Timmermans’s research has advanced knowledge on the development of artificial organelles that are produced inside cells. Important challenges that still have to be overcome are the realization of the activity of the artificial organelles inside cells, the regulation of this activity by specific signals, and the detection of the organelles inside cells. By collaborating with different scientific disciplines and by employing the developments that have been made with other protein nanoparticles, Timmermans hopes that these hurdles can be overcome in the future.
News
What is ‘American Covid’ and how bad is it?
Cases of so-called ‘American Covid’ are on the rise in the UK. The strain is officially called XFG, or ‘Stratus’, and is the most common variant in North America, hence the name. It might soon [...]
Researcher at Russian plague laboratory dies of ‘unknown’ infection
Russian authorities have imposed "anti-epidemic measures" after a laboratory worker at an institute in Siberia dedicated to studying the plague and other infectious diseases died of a mysterious illness. The researcher, a 28-year-old female [...]
GHCE Concept
From the preface of the book Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artificial Intelligence, Edited by Frank Boehm: Since the publication of my first book (Nanomedical Device and Systems [...]
A Surprising Brain Signal Could Explain Why Eating Less Protein Extends Lifespan
A new paper suggests that limiting protein intake triggers a coordinated response throughout the body that may help explain how protein restriction affects healthy aging. Animals respond to protein restriction, or reduced protein in [...]
Back and shoulder surgery is often worse than useless
Millions of operations should be scrapped SIX IN TEN Britons have surgery at some point. So do lots of Americans, at a cost of perhaps $500bn a year, a third of all spending on [...]
Cocaine plays with mind, hijacks brain circuit, drives increasingly rigid and repetitive behavior
Researchers have found that cocaine hijacks brain circuit, which to drive increasingly rigid and repetitive behavior. The brain circuit that normally participates in selecting natural mouth and face movements, but which becomes disproportionately engaged [...]
Injectable nanodevices could provide effective treatment for drug-resistant glioblastoma
The brain cancer glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers known to medicine, carrying a median survival of just 12-15 months, even with the best available care. Now, researchers at the [...]
New Treatment Cuts “Bad” Cholesterol in Half for a Full Year
A single infusion of an experimental CRISPR-Cas9 therapy was reported to safely lower LDL cholesterol by 52.5% and triglycerides by 47.8%, as measured 12 months after treatment. What if one infusion could keep cholesterol [...]
Too Much RNA Can Drain a Cell’s Energy, Scientists Discover
A virus may cripple a cell’s power supply simply by producing too much of a molecule the cell needs to survive. New research from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences [...]
West African scientists warn of weakening health systems and urge stronger outbreak detection
LOME, Togo (AP) — West African laboratory scientists called on governments Friday to strengthen capacity to detect disease outbreaks to avoid another major outbreak, saying health systems across the region are becoming weaker. Participants [...]
A Little-Known Protein Could Point to a New Way To Treat Alzheimer’s
A study suggests that increasing SORLA protein levels could help treat Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders involving tau protein. Increasing SORLA, a protein with a protective role in the brain, helped mice withstand damage [...]
Cancer’s Hidden Antioxidant Shield Helps It Escape the Immune System
Blocking an antioxidant protein that tumors use to suppress immune attacks improved cancer immunotherapy responses in mice. Cancer cells can release antioxidants that interfere with the immune cells trying to kill them. Researchers have [...]
Scientists Find a Berry Compound That Helps Muscle Cells Burn Fat
Pterostilbene, a compound found naturally in some foods, affects how skeletal muscles process fats by stabilizing a protein called PPARδ and increasing its signaling activity. Pterostilbene, a natural compound found in blueberries, grapes, and [...]
Two Hidden Forces Help Build the Human Brain Before Birth
Scientists have uncovered two surprising forces that help guide how the human brain forms before birth. Before birth, the human brain is shaped in large part by an unusual class of stem cells known [...]
Researchers Uncover a Hidden Trigger Behind Chronic Inflammation
The findings offer new insights that could help guide the development of future therapies. A protein called human resistin may help flip on one of the immune system’s most powerful inflammatory switches. Researchers at [...]
Scientists Have Uncovered Previously Hidden Microbial Activity on Human Skin
The most abundant microbes on your skin may not be the ones doing most of the work. Human skin supports vast communities of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that can influence its protective barrier, immune [...]
