Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is a central technique in investigating drug - membrane interactions, a critical component of pharmaceutical research. DSC measures the heat difference between a sample of interest and a reference as a function of temperature or time, contributing essential knowledge on the thermally induced phase changes in lipid membranes and how these changes are affected by incorporating pharmacological substances. The manuscript discusses the use of phospholipid bilayers, which can form structures like unilamellar and multilamellar vesicles, providing a simplified yet representative membrane model to investigate the complex dynamics of how drugs interact with and penetrate cellular barriers. The manuscript consolidates data from various studies, providing a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying drug - membrane interactions, the determinants that influence these interactions, and the crucial role of DSC in elucidating these components. It further explores the interactions of specific classes of drugs with phospholipid membranes, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anticancer agents, natural products with antioxidant properties, and Alzheimer's disease therapeutics. The manuscript underscores the critical importance of DSC in this field and the need for continued research to improve our understanding of these interactions, acting as a valuable resource for researchers.

Designing an effective targeted anticancer drug delivery method is still a big challenge, since chemotherapeutics often cause a variety of undesirable side effects affecting normal tissues. This work presents the research on a novel system consisting of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT), dispersed with Congo Red (CR), a compound that forms self-assembled ribbon-like structures (SRLS) and anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). SWNT provide a large surface for binding of planar aromatic compounds, including drugs, while CR supramolecular ribbon-like assemblies can be intercalated by drugs, like anthracycline rings containing DOX. The mechanism of interactions in SWNT–CR–DOX triple system was proposed based on electrophoretic, spectral, Dynamic Light Scattering and scanning electron microscopy analyzes. The profile of drug release from the investigated system was evaluated using dialysis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry. The results indicate that ribbon-like supramolecular structures of CR bind to SWNT surface forming SWNT–CR complexes which finally bind DOX. The high amount of nanotube-bound CR greatly increases the capacity of the carrier for the drug. The high capacity for drug binding and possible control of its release (through pH changes) in the analyzed system may result in prolonged and localized drug action. The proposed SWNT–CR–DOX triple system meets the basic criteria that justifies its further research as a potential drug carrier.

Cage forming proteins have numerous potential applications in biomedicine and biotechnology, where the iron storage ferritin is a widely used example. However, controlling ferritin cage assembly/disassembly remains challenging, typically requiring extreme conditions incompatible with many desirable cargoes, particularly for more fragile biopharmaceuticals. Recently, a ferritin from the hyperthermophile bacterium Thermotoga maritima (TmFtn) has been shown to have reversible assembly under mild conditions, offering greater potential biocompatibility in terms of cargo access and encapsulation. Like Archeoglobus fulgidus ferritin (AfFtn), TmFtn forms 24mer cages mediated by metal ions (Mg²⁺). We have solved the crystal structure of the wild type TmFtn and several mutants displaying different assembly/disassembly properties. These data combined with other biophysical studies allow us to suggest candidate interfacial amino acids crucial in controlling assembly. This work deepens our understanding of how these ferritin complexes assemble and is a useful step towards production of triggerable ferritins in which these properties can be finely designed and controlled.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a pathogenic gram-positive bacterium that normally resides in the skin and nose of the human body. It is subject to fluctuations in environmental conditions that may affect the integrity of the membrane. S. aureus produces carotenoids, which act as antioxidants. However, these carotenoids have also been implicated in modulating the biophysical properties of the membrane. Here, we investigate how carotenoids modulate the thermotropic phase behavior of model systems that mimic the phospholipid composition of S. aureus. We found that carotenoids depress the main phase transition of DMPG and CL, indicating that they strongly affect cooperativity of membrane lipids in their gel phase. In addition, carotenoids modulate the phase behavior of mixtures of DMPG and CL, indicating that they may play a role in modulation of lipid domain formation in S. aureus membranes.