Frontiers in pharmaceutical nanotechnology

• Matthias G. Wacker

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2538–2540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.244

• science. They have fundamentally changed our understanding of the way dosage forms can facilitate drug therapy. Prof. Jörg Kreuter has been a pioneer in this research area and dedicated his life’s work to nanoparticle research and the blood–brain barrier [2]. One of his most outstanding discoveries, the

Microbubbles decorated with dendronized magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical imaging: effective stabilization via fluorous interactions

• Da Shi,
• Justine Wallyn,
• Dinh-Vu Nguyen,
• Francis Perton,
• Delphine Felder-Flesch,
• Sylvie Bégin-Colin,
• Mounir Maaloum and
• Marie Pierre Krafft

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2103–2115, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.205

• MBs that incorporate IONPs are often made of polymers. For example, ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were embedded in the wall of poly(butyl cyanoacrylate)-based MBs, allowing the blood‒brain barrier penetration to be monitored [23]. Soft-shell colloids called lipospheres have

Engineered superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) for dual-modality imaging of intracranial glioblastoma via EGFRvIII targeting

• Xianping Liu,
• Chengjuan Du,
• Haichun Li,
• Ting Jiang,
• Zimiao Luo,
• Zhiqing Pang,
• Daoying Geng and
• Jun Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1860–1872, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.181

• construct the nanoprobe. Both in vitro and in vivo MR and optical imaging demonstrated that the as-constructed nanoprobe was effective and sensitive for tumor targeting with desirable biosafety. Given its desirable properties such as a 100 nm diameter (capable of penetration of the blood–brain barrier) and

Enhanced inhibition of influenza virus infection by peptide–noble-metal nanoparticle conjugates

• Zaid K. Alghrair,
• David G. Fernig and
• Bahram Ebrahimi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1038–1047, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.104

• the blood–brain barrier. Incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with citrate and mixed-matrix gold nanoparticles demonstrates that the mixed-matrix ligand shell markedly reduces the reaction of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells to the nanoparticles [48]. Therefore, whilst it remains to

Serum type and concentration both affect the protein-corona composition of PLGA nanoparticles

• Katrin Partikel,
• Robin Korte,
• Dennis Mulac,
• Hans-Ulrich Humpf and
• Klaus Langer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1002–1015, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.101

• attracted to NPs composed of hydrophobic core materials [30][31] resulting in a prolonged circulation time in blood [18]. Moreover, covalent attachment of apolipoprotein A–I and apolipoprotein E to the NP surface enables drug transport across the blood–brain barrier [32]. Here, both proteins were identified

Effects of gold and PCL- or PLLA-coated silica nanoparticles on brain endothelial cells and the blood–brain barrier

• Aniela Bittner,
• Angélique D. Ducray,
• Hans Rudolf Widmer,
• Michael H. Stoffel and
• Meike Mevissen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 941–954, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.95

• , differentiation, nor did it induce inflammation. rBCEC4 cells showed blood–brain barrier characteristics including tight junctions. None of the nanoparticles altered the expression of tight junctions or impaired the blood–brain barrier permeability. The findings suggest that effects of these nanoparticles on the

• metabolic state of cells have to be further characterized before use for medical purposes. Keywords: blood–brain barrier; laser tissue soldering; nanomedicine; nanoparticle uptake; rBCEC4 cells; Introduction Nanotechnology is commonly used in various fields, such as agriculture and pharmaceutical industry

• and specialized structures such as the blood–brain barrier (BBB). To be able to safely employ LTS in nanomedicine, such unwanted effects need to be studied. Previously, we investigated effects of silica (Si-), namely silica-ICG/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and silica-ICG/poly(ε-caprolactone-poly(L

Targeting strategies for improving the efficacy of nanomedicine in oncology

• Gonzalo Villaverde and
• Alejandro Baeza

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 168–181, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.16

• drug-loaded liposomes for glioblastoma treatment. Glioblastoma, localized in the brain, represents one of the major challenges in drug delivery due to the necessity to pass the blood brain barrier (BBB). BBB inhibits the passage of 98% of the medicines administered through the systemic route and

Bioinspired self-healing materials: lessons from nature

• Joseph C. Cremaldi and
• Bharat Bhushan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 907–935, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.85

• glial cells (e.g., astrocytes and oligodendrocytes) exist to protect neurons and maintain homeostasis by removing material and minimizing damage to the body. However, this “protection” of the blood–brain barrier through glial scarring also creates barriers in the exact area where axons need to regrow

Cationic PEGylated polycaprolactone nanoparticles carrying post-operation docetaxel for glioma treatment

• Cem Varan and
• Erem Bilensoy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1446–1456, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.144

• , intravenous or orally administered chemotherapy drugs have very low efficacy due to challenges in reaching the brain and tumor area. The blood brain barrier (BBB) is the essential protection of the brain and only 1% of chemotherapeutic agents can pass this barrier without losing their pharmacological activity

Low uptake of silica nanoparticles in Caco-2 intestinal epithelial barriers

• Dong Ye,
• Mattia Bramini,
• Delyan R. Hristov,
• Sha Wan,
• Anna Salvati,
• Christoffer Åberg and
• Kenneth A. Dawson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1396–1406, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.141

• exposure routes, cellular barriers, such as the skin, the lung epithelium, the intestinal epithelium or the endothelium (including the blood-brain barrier), constitute one of the first sites of interactions of nanoparticles, whether intended as nanomedicines or not, with organisms. Thus in addressing the

• type of barrier, namely an in vitro model of the human endothelial blood brain barrier [14][15][51][52]. Thus, the low degree of uptake observed in the Caco-2 barrier may be a characteristic of this type of barrier and could be related to the more complex polarised nature of thicker epithelial layers

Multiwalled carbon nanotube hybrids as MRI contrast agents

• Nikodem Kuźnik and
• Mateusz M. Tomczyk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1086–1103, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.102

• their potential as CAs exclusively in one of the MRI modes (T1 or T2). Further requirements consisted in better biocompatibility with the targeting of tumor cells, coupling with stem cells as well as crossing the cell membrane and blood–brain barrier. Finally, involving CNT activity in other diagnostic

• to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, particularly as a function of their diameter [68]. Magnetic resonance imaging The visual effect of the MRI CA candidate constitutes final verification which is most important for this technique. The quantitative results are provided in Table 3. The MWCNT hybrids

Tight junction between endothelial cells: the interaction between nanoparticles and blood vessels

• Yue Zhang and
• Wan-Xi Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 675–684, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.60

• , such as hormones. Blood is extensively circulated through those vessels and NPs in the blood may reside on the surface of vessels or go through some barriers, e.g., the blood–brain barrier [15], blood–gas barrier [16] and blood–testis barrier [17], and reach important organs which then may get

• ., blood–brain barrier, blood–gas barrier and blood–testis barrier). Plain nanoconjugates and nanosized vehicles are widely utilized as drug delivery tools to cross the blood–brain barrier [43]. Moreover, the translocation of gold nanoparticles through the air–blood barrier was found after a treatment with

• porcine blood–brain-barrier, both of which could contribute to the promotion of the TJ function [58]. Claudin-4 requires phosphorylation under certain concentrations of Mg2+ to proper localize to the tight junction [59] and it can be phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) at Thr189 and Ser194, which

Unraveling the neurotoxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles: focusing on molecular mechanisms

• Bin Song,
• Yanli Zhang,
• Jia Liu,
• Xiaoli Feng,
• Ting Zhou and
• Longquan Shao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 645–654, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.57

• mice were exposed to TiO2 NPs via several administration routes (e.g., nasal instillation, subcutaneous injection and oral exposure), NPs can be absorbed and translocated into the brain mainly through the blood–brain barrier (BBB) or the nose-to-brain pathway, which bypasses the BBB. Given that TiO2

• , and IL-10 in the brain. Herein, an impairment of the the blood–brain barrier and damage of astrocytes was observed [32]. Apoptosis dysfunction Apoptosis, also called programmed cell death, is defined as the genetically determined elimination of cells. The activation of caspase plays a pivotal role in

Silica micro/nanospheres for theranostics: from bimodal MRI and fluorescent imaging probes to cancer therapy

• Shanka Walia and
• Amitabha Acharya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 546–558, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.57

• nanocomposites could not get through the blood brain barrier. The TEM and histopathological analysis of the liver tissues suggested these nanocomposites were mainly expelled out from the mice body possibly by liver secretion. In a similar way, Guo et al. [47] reported the synthesis of hybrid nanostructures of

Filling of carbon nanotubes and nanofibres

• Reece D. Gately and
• Marc in het Panhuis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 508–516, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.53

• , drug release, VGCNFs have not yet been evaluated. Whilst they have not demonstrated the same nanoscale interactions as CNTs (such as crossing the blood–brain barrier, which is still under investigation), they may have other applications on the larger scale and allow for higher drug storage capacity

Release behaviour and toxicity evaluation of levodopa from carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes

• Julia M. Tan,
• Jhi Biau Foo,
• Sharida Fakurazi and
• Mohd Zobir Hussein

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 243–253, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.23

• , due to its ability to cross the blood–brain barrier. However, responsive patients treated long term with LD therapy may experience a decrease in the duration of responsiveness to the treatment and side effects in motor fluctuation (dyskinesia) may result [13]. Moreover, once LD is administered orally

PVP-coated, negatively charged silver nanoparticles: A multi-center study of their physicochemical characteristics, cell culture and in vivo experiments

• Sebastian Ahlberg,
• Alexandra Antonopulos,
• Jörg Diendorf,
• Ralf Dringen,
• Matthias Epple,
• Rebekka Flöck,
• Wolfgang Goedecke,
• Christina Graf,
• Nadine Haberl,
• Jens Helmlinger,
• Fabian Herzog,
• Frederike Heuer,
• Stephanie Hirn,
• Christian Johannes,
• Stefanie Kittler,
• Manfred Köller,
• Katrin Korn,
• Wolfgang G. Kreyling,
• Fritz Krombach,
• Jürgen Lademann,
• Kateryna Loza,
• Eva M. Luther,
• Marcelina Malissek,
• Martina C. Meinke,
• Daniel Nordmeyer,
• Anne Pailliart,
• Jörg Raabe,
• Fiorenza Rancan,
• Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser,
• Eckart Rühl,
• Carsten Schleh,
• Andreas Seibel,
• Christina Sengstock,
• Lennart Treuel,
• Annika Vogt,
• Katrin Weber and
• Reinhard Zellner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1944–1965, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.205

• and/or intracellular dissolution of silver nanoparticles to silver ions. Silver nanoparticles and brain cells (astrocytes) Silver nanoparticles have been reported to damage the blood–brain barrier, to enter the brain and to cause neurotoxicity [96][97][98]. In addition, once nanoparticles have entered

• the brain, they are not efficiently cleared from the brain, in contrast to other organs, even during a long recovery period [99]. After crossing the blood–brain barrier into the brain, silver nanoparticles will immediately encounter astrocytes as these cells almost completely cover the brain

• toxicity of internalized silver nanoparticles suggest that astrocytes will also cope well in the brain with silver nanoparticles that have crossed the blood–brain barrier and further support the proposed function of astrocytes in protecting the brain against toxic metals. Genotoxicity of silver

Carbon-based smart nanomaterials in biomedicine and neuroengineering

• Antonina M. Monaco and
• Michele Giugliano

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1849–1863, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.196

• . Yang and colleagues [32], for example, exploited the ability of CNTs to cross the blood–brain barrier to deliver acetylcholine into the lysosomes of neurons in the experimental treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in mice. However, the biological applications of CNTs require their complete purification

Manipulation of isolated brain nerve terminals by an external magnetic field using D-mannose-coated γ-Fe₂O₃ nano-sized particles and assessment of their effects on glutamate transport

• Tatiana Borisova,
• Natalia Krisanova,
• Arsenii Borуsov,
• Roman Sivko,
• Ludmila Ostapchenko,
• Michal Babic and
• Daniel Horak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 778–788, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.90

• have a potential to cross the blood brain barrier that may open new ways for drug delivery into the brain [22]. Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles coated by silica, with a size of 50 nm, were found in the brain after being administered via an intravenous injection in mice [23]. After exposure of mice to TiO2

• -fifth of the nanoparticles deposited on the olfactory mucosa can move to the olfactory bulb of rat brain providing a portal for entry into the central nervous system circumventing the blood–brain barrier [25]. In an in vitro model, it was shown that the ability of superparamagnetic iron oxide

• nanoparticles to penetrate the blood–brain barrier increased significantly in the presence of an external magnetic force. Therefore, particles can be transported through the blood–brain barrier and taken up by astrocytes, while they do not affect the viability of the endothelial cells [26]. On the cellular