Udo Bakowsky

• PhD (Dr. rer. nat.)
• Head of Department at Philipps University of Marburg

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has evolved as a reliable therapeutic modality for cancer. However, the broad application of the technique is still limited because of poor bioavailability and the non-selective distribution of photosensitizers within host tissues. Herein, zein, a natural corn protein, was functionalized with glycyrrhetinic ac...

The pursuit of effective drug delivery systems is critical in advancing cancer therapies, particularly in the realms of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. This review focuses on plant-based extracellular vesicles (PBEs) as innovative nanoplatforms for encapsulating and delivering genetic materials, including microRNAs (miRNAs), small int...

Oral administration remains the most accessible and patient-friendly route for drug delivery. Paclitaxel, a potent anticancer agent sourced from natural origins, presents a highly lipophilic profile, and demonstrates substantial antineoplastic efficacy across various malignancies. However, its clinical application is limited by intrinsic hurdles, i...

In this study, we prepared an inclusion complex of picoplatin (Pc) with 2-hydroxy propyl β cyclodextrin (HPCD) to improve its hydrophilicity, yielding Pc-HPCD. The Pc-HPCD complex was encapsulated into PEG-PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) using the emulsion–solvent evaporation method, yielding Pc-HPCD@PEG-PLGA core–shell NPs. The inclusion complex was asse...

Chemoresistance encountered using conventional chemotherapy demands novel treatment approaches. Asplatin (Asp), a novel platinum (IV) prodrug designed to release cisplatin and aspirin in a reductive environment, has demonstrated high cytotoxicity at reduced drug resistance. Herein, we investigated the ability of green-synthesized nanocarriers to en...

Protein formulations may form proteinaceous particles that vary in size from nanometers to millimeters. Monitoring the kinetics of protein particle formation, e.g., through accelerated degradation studies, is an attempt to understand and assess the rate and progression of particle populations. Little is known about whether the initial level of high...

Carboplatin (Cp) is a potent chemotherapeutic agent, but its effectiveness is constrained by its associated side effects. Frankincense, an oleo-gum resin from the Boswellia sacra tree, has demonstrated cytotoxic activity against cancer cells. This study explored the synergistic potential of nanoparticles formulated from Boswellia sacra methanolic e...

Since the available treatments are not highly effective to combat cancer, therefore, the alternative strategies are unavoidable. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is one of the emerging approaches which is target specific and minimally invasive. This study explores the successful development of Poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) coated mesoporous sili...

The interest in photodynamic therapy (PDT) has increased remarkably over the past years, with over 75% of all related articles published after 2010 (Figure 1) [...]

The lipopolyplex, a multicomponent nonviral gene carrier, generally demonstrates superior colloidal stability, reduced cytotoxicity, and high transfection efficiency. In this study, a new concept, photochemical reaction-induced transfection, using photosensitizer (PS)-loaded lipopolyplexes was applied, which led to enhanced transfection and cytotox...

Silicone oil droplets in biopharmaceutical products can originate from sources such as siliconized surfaces of primary packaging materials, potentially triggering the formation of protein–silicone oil particles. To better understand this phenomenon, there is a need for particle detection devices that cannot only distinguish between protein particle...

Cancer is a global health burden and is one of the leading causes of death. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is considered an alternative approach to conventional cancer treatment. PDT utilizes a light-sensitive compound, photosensitizers (PSs), light irradiation, and molecular oxygen (O2). This generates cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), which ca...

(1) Background: DA-Gelucire® 50/13-based solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) administering the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) and the antioxidant grape-seed-derived proanthocyanidins (grape seed extract, GSE) have been prepared by us in view of a possible application for Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatment. To develop powders constituted by such SLNs f...

This paper report of the behavior Langmuir monolayer of chemically modified asymmetric tetraether lipids GDNT and chemically modified symmetric tetraether lipids caldarchaeol-PO4 at the air-water interface (temperatures 19°C ±1°C). This study was investigated that the stability of the mean ratio of Langmuir films to variance in dispersion times pri...

Citation: Roschenko, V.; Ayoub, A.M.; Engelhardt, K.; Schäfer, J.; Amin, M.U.; Preis, E.; Mandic, R.; Bakowsky, U. Lipid-Coated Abstract: Next to alcohol and tobacco abuse, infection with human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is a major risk factor for developing head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), leading to 350,000 casualties worldwide each...

The cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV)-associated VX2 carcinoma of the New Zealand White rabbit serves as a model system for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the tumor-inhibiting effect of RNAi-mediated knockdown of the CRPV oncogenes, E6 and E7, using...

The application of photodynamic therapy has become more and more important in combating cancer. However, the high lipophilic nature of most photosensitizers limits their parenteral administration and leads to aggregation in the biological environment. To resolve this problem and deliver a photoactive form, the natural photosensitizer parietin (PTN)...

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) type 2 is an autosomal dominant disease in which one allele of the ACVRL1 gene is mutated. Patients exhibit disturbances in TGF-beta/BMP-dependent angiogenesis and, clinically, often present with severe nosebleeds as well as a reduced quality of life. The aim of our study was to use CRISPR/Cas9 to knockou...

The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of fertilized hen's eggs represents a unique and alternative model for cancer research. The CAM model provides an optimal platform for xenografting cancer cell lines and studying essential key factors. Tumor size and growth as well as angiogenesis can be investigated to evaluate the response of therapies and strat...

Smart pH-responsive niosomes loaded with either Oxaliplatin (Ox), Ylang ylang essential oil (Y-oil), or co-loaded with both compounds (Ox-Y) (Ox@NSs, Y@NSs, and Ox-Y@NSs, respectively) were formulated utilizing the thin film method. The developed nanocontainers had a spherical morphology with mean particle sizes lower than 170 nm and showed negativ...

This study analyzed the behaviour of organization molecular chemically modified tetraether lipids caldarchaeol-PO4 on the modification of the solid surface- supported wafer silicon to amino-silanised using Langmuir-Blodgett films, Self Assembling Monolayers (SAMs), ellipsometry, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). On the silicon wafer with an amino-...

Liposome-mediated anticancer drug deliveryDrug delivery has the advantage of limiting the massive cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. DoxorubicinDoxorubicin (DOX) PEGPolyethylene glycol (PEG)–liposomal does however have a slow-release rate that hinders its therapeutic efficacy. In this study, an integrated therapeutic system based on magneticM...

Atomic force microscopyAtomic force microscopy is a high-resolution and nonoptical technique used to visualize and characterize biological samples and surfaces. In pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) and quality control (QC), drug deliveryDrug delivery systems, like liposomesLiposomes with sizes in a nanometer range, are preferred samples...

Chronic wound infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a significant problem for modern healthcare systems since they are often associated with high costs and require profound topical wound management. Successful wound healing is achieved by reducing the bacterial load of the wound and providing an environment that enhances cell gr...

Thermosensitive liposomes (TSL) have been used for localized temperature-responsive release of chemotherapeutics into solid cancers, with a minimum of one invention currently in clinical trials (phase III). In this study, TSL was designed using a lipid blend comprising 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-...

Conventional liposomes often lack stability, limiting their applicability and usage apart from intravenous routes. Nevertheless, their advantages in drug encapsulation and physicochemi-cal properties might be helpful in oral and pulmonary drug delivery. This study investigated the feasibility and stability of liposomes containing tetraether lipids...

Background: Guttiferone E is a naturally occurring polyisoprenylated benzophenone exhibiting a wide range of remarkable biological activities. But its therapeutic application is still limited due to its poor water solubility. This study is aimed at preparing guttiferone E-loaded liposomes and assessing their in vitro cytotoxicity and anti-inflamma...

Thousands of years ago, phototherapy or heliotherapy was performed by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans [...]

Hypoxia, an oxygen-deprived condition of the tumor, is one of the major reasons for resistance to chemotherapy. Carbonic anhydrases are generally involved in pH homeostasis in normal conditions, but in solid tumors having a strong relation with hypoxia, the carbonic anhydrase IX (CA-IX) enzyme is overexpressed and results in an extracellular acidic...

Antimicrobial strategies with high efficacy against bacterial infections are urgently needed. The development of effective therapies to control bacterial infections is still a challenge. Herein, near-infrared (NIR)-activated thermosensitive liposomes (TSL) were loaded with the NIR-dye 1,1-dioctadecyl-3,3,3,3-tetramethylindotricarbocyanine iodide (D...

Formulations based on ionizable amino‐lipids have been put into focus as nucleic acid delivery systems. Recently, the in vitro efficacy of the lipid formulation OH4:DOPE has been explored. However, in vitro performance of nanomedicines cannot correctly predict in vivo efficacy, thereby considerably limiting pre‐clinical translation. This is further...

This paper reports the recent findings related to the stability properties of tetraether lipid layers. Organizations moleculars of chemical structure modified of Langmuir-Blodgett layers of archael tetraether lipids from the archebacterium Sulfolobus acidocaldarius on the wafer silicon substrates are investigated stable and organized. The behavior...

(1) Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are considered to be efficient nanocarriers for improved drug delivery and can be derived from mammalian or plant cells. Cucumber-derived EVs are not yet described in the literature. Therefore, the aim of this study was to produce and characterize cucumber-derived EVs and to investigate their suitability...

This study aims to design a pH-responsive dual-loaded nanosystem based on PEGylated chitosan nanoparticles loaded with ascorbic acid (AA) and oxaliplatin (OX) for the effective treatment of breast cancer. In this regard, non-PEGylated and PEGylated chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) loaded with either ascorbic acid (AA), oxaliplatin (OX), or dual-load...

Multidrug resistance in pathogenic bacteria has become a significant public health concern. As an alternative therapeutic option, antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) can successfully eradicate antibiotic-resistant bacteria with a lower probability of developing resistance or systemic toxicity commonly associated with the standard antibiotic t...

The innate immune system senses viral and bacterial ribonucleic acid (RNA) via pattern recognition receptors (PRR) leading to subsequent activation of the immune system. One group of RNA sensors is formed by endosomal/lysosomal Toll-like receptors (TLR) such as TLR7 and TLR8. During viral or bacterial infection, immunostimulatory RNA is part of the...

Recent advances in molecular biology have discovered the mysterious role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as potential biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and targets for advanced cancer therapy. Studies have shown that lncRNAs take part in the incidence and development of cancers in humans. However, previously they were considered as mere RNA noise o...

Solid tumors and metastasis rely on angiogenesis for sufficient supply as they grow, making antiangiogenic treatment a promising option in the combat of cancer. Testing of inhalants on the chorio-allantoic membrane offers a simple but precise method to assess the impact on angiogenesis. The in ovo testing method can be used to directly determine th...

Parietin (PTN) is an anthraquinone with promising efficacy in the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. Due to its hydrophobicity, PTN is sparingly soluble under physiological conditions and has a low bioavailability. Hence, we presented PTN in liposomes to overcome these drawbacks. The prepared liposomes were characterized and...

The potent photodynamic properties of Hypericin (Hyp) elicit a range of light-dose dependant anti-tumor activities. However, it is hampered by its low water solubility. Therefore, the administration of Hyp into biological systems requires drug carriers that would enable sufficient bioavailability. Stimuli-triggered nanocarriers, which are sensitive...

Wound healing is a major healthcare concern, and complicated wounds may lead to severe outcomes such as septicemia and amputations. To date, management choices are limited, which warrants the search for new potent wound healing agents. Natural products loaded in poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) coated with chitosan (CS) constitute a promising...

The immediate release of chemotherapeutics at the target site, along with no premature release in circulation is always challenging. The purpose of this study was to develop a stimuli responsive drug delivery system, composed of lipid supported mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) for triggered drug release at the target site and simultaneously...

Zein is an FDA-approved maize protein featured by its manipulative surface and the possibility of fabrication into nanomaterials. Although extensive research has been carried out in zein-based technology, limited work is available for the application of zein in the field of cancer photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this work, we report zein as a carrie...

Plant-derived proteins have emerged as leading candidates in several drug and food delivery applications in diverse pharmaceutical designs. Zein is considered one of the primary plant proteins obtained from maize, and is well known for its biocompatibility and safety in biomedical fields. The ability of zein to carry various pharmaceutically active...

Lung cancer is one of the most common causes for a high number of cancer related mortalities worldwide. Therefore, it is important to improve the therapy by finding new targets and developing convenient therapies. One of these novel non-invasive strategies is the combination of pulmonary delivered tetraether liposomes and photodynamic therapy. In t...

The exposure of cancer cells to subtherapeutic drug concentrations result in multi drug resistance (MDR). The uniqueness of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) with larger surface area for higher drug loading can solve the issue by delivering higher amounts of chemotherapeutics to the cancer cells. However premature drug release and lower bioco...

In 2010, the European Parliament and the European Union adopted a directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. The directive aims to protect animals in scientific research, with the final goal of complete replacement of procedures on live animals for scientific and educational purposes as soon as it is scientifically viable....

CThis study reports a facile and eco-friendly method for the green synthesis of platinum and palladium nanoparticles (Pt NPs and Pd NPs) using Peganum harmala seed alkaloid fraction. The ζ-potential of the synthesized Pt NPs, Pd NPs and Pt–Pd NPs were −11.2 ± 0.5, −9.7 ±1.2, and −12.7 ± 2.1 mV; respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) r...

Purpose Lipoparticles are the core-shell type lipid-polymer hybrid systems comprising polymeric nanoparticle core enveloped by single or multiple pegylated lipid layers (shell), thereby melding the biomimetic properties of long-circulating vesicles as well as the mechanical advantages of the nanoparticles. The present study was aimed at the develop...

P-sulfonatocalix[n]arenes have demonstrated a great potential for encapsulation of therapeutic drugs via host-guest complexation to improve solubility, stability, and bioavailability of encapsulated drugs. In this work, guest-host complexes of a third-generation anticancer drug (oxaliplatin) and p-4-sulfocalix[n]arenes (n = 4 and 6; p-SC4 and p-SC6...

Abstract Clinical success of effective gene therapy is mainly hampered by the insufficiency of safe and efficient internalization of a transgene to the targeted cellular site. Therefore, the development of a safe and efficient nanocarrier system is one of the fundamental challenges to transfer the therapeutic genes to the diseased cells. Polyamidoa...

Metastatic breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death in women worldwide. The transmembrane metalloprotease-disintegrin (ADAM8) protein is highly overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and potentiates tumor cell invasion and extracellular matrix remodeling. Exploiting the high expression levels of AD...

This study investigated the stability behaviour of molecular monolayer symmetric chemically modified tetraether lipids caldarchaeol-PO4 on the amino-silanised silicon wafer using Langmuir-Blodgett films, Self Assembling Monolayers (SAMs), ellipsometry, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The monolayers of caldarchaeol-PO4 were stable on the solid su...

Detection and characterization of particles in the visible and subvisible size range is critical in many fields of industrial research. Commercial particle analysis systems have proliferated over the last decade. Despite that growth, most systems continue to be based on well-established principles, and only a handful of new approaches have emerged....

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive therapeutic approach used in the treatment of various medical conditions and cancerous diseases, involving light, a photosensitizing substance, and oxygen. Curcumin, a naturally occurring compound, carries antitumor activities and potentially could be exploited as a photosensitizer in PDT. Only lit...

In this study, the potential cytotoxicity of four plant extracts originated from Cameroon: Xylopia aethiopica (XA), Imperata cylindrica (IC), Echinops giganteus (EG) and Dorstenia psilurus (DP) were examined in vitro. We tested the anti-proliferative activity of the methanolic extracts of these compounds using MTT assay on seven different human can...

In this study, the potential cytotoxicity of four plant extracts originated from Cameroon: Xylopia aethiopica (XA), Imperata cylindrica (IC), Echinops giganteus (EG) and Dorstenia psilurus (DP) were examined in vitro. We tested the anti-proliferative activity of the methanolic extracts of these compounds using MTT assay on seven different human can...

Platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) have superior physicochemical properties and great potential in biomedical applications. Eco-friendly and economic approaches for the synthesis of PtNPs have been developed to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional physical and chemical methods. Various biogenic entities have been utilized in the green synthesis...

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) associated multidrug resistance (MDR) represents a major failure in cancer treatment. The overexpression of P-gp is responsible for ATP-dependent efflux of drugs that decrease their intracellular accumulation. An effective downregulation of MDR1 gene using small interfering RNA (siRNA) is one of the safe and effective tools to...

The spread of a primary malignant tumor is the major reason for most of the cancer-associated deaths. To this day, treatment regimen and available drugs are still insufficient to manage these conditions. In this work, a new therapeutic concept based on photodynamic therapy (PDT) of metastasis-initiating cells is introduced. To address this issue, a...

Background The histological differentiation of individual types of vascular anomalies (VA), such as lymphatic malformations (LM), hemangioma (Hem), paraganglioma (PG), venous malformations (VeM), arteriovenous malformations (AVM), pyogenic granulomas (GP), and (not otherwise classified) vascular malformations (VM n.o.c.) is frequently difficult due...

This work focuses on the development of ultrasound contrast vesicles for ultrasound-mediated enhanced transfection of nucleic acids in the cancer cells and projects its application as a tool for diagnostic imaging. The ultrasound contrast vesicles are stable, anionic, nanoscaled vesicles with ultrasound contrast equivalent to the commercially avail...

One major disadvantage of nucleic acid delivery systems is the low transfection or transduction efficiency of large-sized plasmids into cells. In this communication, we demonstrate the efficient transfection of a 15.5 kb green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused HIV-1 molecular clone with a nucleic acid delivery system prepared from the highly potent p...

Palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) showed great potential in biomedical applications because of their unique physicochemical properties. Various conventional physical and chemical methods have been used for the synthesis of Pd NPs. However, these methods include the use of hazardous reagents and reaction conditions, which may be toxic to health and t...

Chronic wounds and their associated bacterial infections are major issues in modern health care systems. Therefore, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), treatment costs, and number of disability-adjusted life-years have gained more interest. Recently, photodynamic therapy emerged as an effective approach against resistant and naïve bacterial strains wit...

Archaeal single-cell microorganisms are characterized by particularly strong resistance to harsh environments at extreme temperature ranges, pH values, high pressure and salinity. The recognition of molecules rendering microorganisms’ membranes stable in such conditions represents an important step towards understanding of the molecular mechanisms...

To limit the massive cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents, it is desirable to establish an appropriate subtle blend of formulation design based on a dual-responsive strategy. In this study, a combined therapeutic platform based on magnetic thermosensitive liposomes (LipTS-GD) was developed. The incorporation of chelated-gadolinium imparted magne...

5,10,15,20–Tetrakis(3–hydroxyphenyl)chlorin (mTHPC; temoporfin) is one of the most potent second-generation photosensitizers available today for the treatment of a variety of clinical disorders and has a unique capability of being activated at different wavelengths. However, due to its highly lipophilic nature, poor solubility in the aqueous media...

Biomaterials, which release active compounds after implantation, are an essential tool for targeted regenerative medicine. In this study, thin multilayer films loaded with lipid/DNA complexes (lipoplexes) were designed as surface coatings for in situ transfection applicable in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The film production and em...

Surface modification of nanoparticles with aptamer is gaining popularity lately due to its selective targeting and low immunogenicity. In this study, sorafenib tosylate (SFB) was loaded in biodegradable PLGA nanoparticles prepared by solvent evaporation method. The surfaces of drug deprived and drug-loaded particles (PN and PNS, respectively) were...

Upon inhalation, nanoparticles enter the lungs where the pulmonary surfactant forms the first point of contact and plays a pivotal role for the subsequent absorption into the body. This can lead to interactions that alter the biophysical function of the surfactant monolayer. Therefore, a reliable prediction of the interaction is desired. In this st...

Non-viral gene delivery in its current form is largely dependent upon the ability of delivery vehicle to protect its cargo in the extracellular environment and release it efficiently inside the target cell. Also a simple delivery system is required to simplify a GMP conform production if a marketing authorization is striven. This work addresses the...

For the development of gene therapeutics for systemic administration several hurdles have to be overcome. In this article we screen the branched fatty acid lysine conjugate T14diLys, a newly designed cationic lipid for lipofection, regarding this problem. The structure and particle size of lipoplexes, prepared with lipid formulations which are base...

Macromolecules including macrocyclic species have been reported to have the potential to encapsulate biologically active compounds such as drugs through host-guest complexation to increase their solubility, stability and bioavailability. Here we investigate the complexation between nedaplatin, a second generation antineoplastic drug, and p-4-sulfoc...

The delivery of aptamer modified therapeutic moieties to specific tissue sites has become one of the major therapeutic choices to reduce the toxicity of inhibitory drugs. Bearing this in mind, the current study was designed using sorafenib (SFB) encapsulated microparticles (MP) prepared with biodegradable poly (D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)...

The naturally occurring anthraquinone derivative hypericin is a highly potent photosensitiser. Several in vitro studies show high phototoxicity of the pigment towards gram-positive bacteria. Nevertheless, the highly lipophilic nature and poor bioavailability prevent its application in daily clinical practice thus leading to a limited therapeutic va...

The alarming growth of multi-drug resistant bacteria has led to a quest for alternative antibacterial therapeutics. One strategy to circumvent the already existing resistance is the use of photodynamic therapy. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) involves the use of non-toxic photosensitizers in combination with light and in situ oxygen to ge...

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most serious problems that researchers of multiple disciplines are working on. The number of new antibiotics and their targeted structures have continuously decreased emphasizing the demand of alternative therapy for bacterial infections. Photodynamic therapy is such a promising strategy that has been proven t...