Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
has binding patterns highly similar to those of viruses, especially avian viruses. A
minimum set of five oligosaccharides can be used to differentiate various HA sub-
types (i.e., H1, H3, H5, H7, and H9). The Yao group, on the other hand, constructed a
peptide aldehyde array to study the substrate specificity against various cysteine pro-
teases [73]. Distinct substrate fingerprinting profiles were observed with four cysteine
proteases: caspase-3, caspase-7, cruzain, and rhodesain. The peptide array was shown
capable of differentiating the various stages of red blood cells after parasitic infection.
In a recent experiment, a total of 10,800 small molecules have been immobilized
covalently onto an array byChen et al. to identify compounds that bind to fluorescently
labeled A
peptide [74]. The hits identified from SMM were then subject to a
secondary assay, an A
-induced toxicity assay, with PC12 cells. One compound
was found to reduce the cytotoxicity of A
42 in a dose-dependent manner. It could
provide a feasible approach to exploring A
aggregation pathways and contribute
to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Lately, Luo et al. has developed a unique
quantitative electroactive microarray to study stem cell differentiation [75]. In this
approach, the hydroquinone molecule serves as a quantitative marker for surface
intensity. After oxidation, it is converted to a quinone, which can be used to anchor
small molecules with various functional groups. A variety of small-molecule ligands
with precisely controlled ligand density were immobilized on the transparent surface
to study human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) differentiation. Both the composition
and the density of the ligands were found to have a direct influence on the rate of
adepogenic differentiation.
13.5 SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK
In the past decade we have witnessed many innovative and exciting developments
in SMM technology. Numerous library synthetic strategies have been designed to
create large libraries of small molecules to probe biological functions. Among these
evolutionary strategies, DOS has unequivocally underscored its potential as a robust
tool for generating compound collections that resemble the properties of natural
products. With advancements in organic chemistry, in particular with the development
of novel stereoselective reactions and synthetic planning strategies, we can expect
DOS to undergo further development and unfold more possibilities. The horizon of
SMM research will undoubtedly be broadened henceforth.
In the past decade we have also seen various exciting surface chemistry techniques
with excellent efficiency developed for microarray immobilization. SMM has already
matured into a remarkably competent and expedient technology. Through SMM, not
only purified proteins, but also crude cellular lysates, can be used to discover novel
ligands. An entire cell and even an entire organism can be used in a microarray. The
future of SMM research holds great promise by moving toward clinical applications.
Through synergy between research and clinical institutes, SMM will unleash its
potential as a powerful platform for disease diagnosis in the years to come. With
continued research and development, it can be envisaged that additional innovations
and creative transformations will take root in this field.
