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Updated: May 24, 2026
08:32
Application of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Nitric Oxide (NO•) Probes, the geNOps, for Real-time Imaging of NO• Signals in Single Cells
Published on: March 16, 2017
Nitric oxide release: part I. Macromolecular scaffolds.
Daniel A Riccio1, Mark H Schoenfisch
1Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Chemical Society Reviews
|February 25, 2012
Summary
Nitric oxide (NO) shows therapeutic promise but faces delivery challenges. Macromolecular scaffolds offer improved NO storage and controlled release for biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Nitric oxide (NO) plays crucial roles in both normal physiological functions and disease states (pathophysiology).
- The therapeutic potential of NO is currently limited by issues such as small payload capacity, rapid release kinetics, and lack of targeted delivery systems.
- Existing NO gas and small molecule donors have not fully translated into clinical success due to these limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advanced nitric oxide (NO)-releasing macromolecular scaffolds.
- To highlight systems with enhanced NO storage and tunable release properties.
- To discuss the therapeutic potential of these novel NO delivery platforms.
Main Methods:
- Overview of various NO-releasing macromolecular scaffolds.
- Categorization of scaffolds into protein, organic, inorganic, and hybrid organic-inorganic systems.
- Selection of promising vehicles based on NO storage, release characteristics, and therapeutic potential.
Main Results:
- Macromolecular scaffolds demonstrate improved NO payloads and controlled release kinetics compared to traditional NO sources.
- Diverse materials, including proteins, organic polymers, inorganic nanoparticles, and hybrid systems, are being engineered as NO donors.
- These advanced scaffolds offer tunable NO release profiles, enabling targeted therapeutic interventions.
Conclusions:
- Macromolecular scaffolds represent a significant advancement in overcoming the limitations of NO-based therapeutics.
- Engineered NO release systems hold considerable promise for future clinical applications in various biomedical fields.
- Further development of these scaffolds could unlock the full therapeutic potential of nitric oxide.
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