Abstract
The formation and physico-chemical properties of biomaterial, based on double-stranded (ds) DNA molecules and bearing high concentration of gadolinium, is described. This “rigid” biomaterial demonstrate a few unique properties: (i) the ds DNA molecules forming complexes with gadolinium are fixed in the spatial structure of “rigid” particles, (ii) an abnormal negative band in the circular dichroism spectrum permits to follow the formation of this biomaterial; (iii) local concentration gadolinium in the content of biomaterial can reach 40%. These properties show that we are dealing with a novel type of biomaterial strongly enriched by gadolinium. This opens a gateway for practical application of this biomaterial for neutron-capture reactions. A first attempt to apply this material for neutron-capture reaction in combination with neutron generator of thermal neutron flux was performed. Positive result obtained at destruction of CHO cells allows one to state that the advantages of this biomaterial are a simple manipulation with it, a possibility to adjust its gadolinium content, long-term stability of its physico-chemical properties, as well as a reduced cost of neutron-capture experiment.
Highlights
Biological molecules, in particular nucleic acid molecules, are becoming increasingly popular as polyfunctional object for nanobiotechnology [1].Deliberate and controlled variation in the properties of these molecules provides possibilities for formation of various types of nanoconstructions allowing their wide application in biotechnology and medicine
One can remind that every particle of cholesteric liquid-crystalline dispersions (CLCDs) contains about 104 ds DNA molecules fixed on distances within 2.5 - 5.0 nm
The intense band in the CD spectrum (Figure 2, curve 1) located in the absorption region of the nitrogen bases of the DNA molecule, in our case negative, is the direct evidence for the formation of the CLCD characterized by helically twisted spatial structure [16,17,18], or a so-called cholesteric structure of particles of LCD and the term CLCD was used to signify these particles
Summary
Deliberate and controlled variation in the properties of these molecules provides possibilities for formation of various types of nanoconstructions (nanostructures, nanobiomaterials, etc.) allowing their wide application in biotechnology and medicine. Nanoconstructions, formed by double-stranded (ds) DNA molecules fixed in structure of cholesteric liquid-crystalline dispersions (CLCDs) and cross-linked by nanobridges, were used as biosensing units for biosensor devices [1]. DNA nanoconstructions may be used as “carriers” for genetic material or as a “reservoir” for various biologically active compounds embedded in the composition of these structures. “rigid” nanoconstruction (“rigid” DNA particles) are of special practical importance and interest due to their unique physicochemical properties [2]. Possibilities of application of the “rigid” particles of (ds DNA-Gd) complexes for neutron-capture therapy (NCT) were hypotesized [3]. Neutron capture therapy (NCT) is a cancer cells treatment that utilizes nuclear neutron capture reaction (NCR) of radiation producing elements administrated in vivo by thermal neutron flux generated, as a rule, by nuclear reactor [4]
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