Theranostic potential of self-luminescent branched polyethyleneimine-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

• Rouhollah Khodadust,
• Ozlem Unal and
• Havva Yagci Acar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 82–95, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.6

• partial PEI oxidation during the synthesis. Here, we demonstrate in vitro dye-free optical imaging and successful gene transfection with luminescent SPION@bPEI, which was further modified for receptor-mediated delivery of the cargo selectively to cancer cell lines overexpressing the epidermal growth

• delivery of an anionic cargo. Besides, a strong intracellular optical signal supports the optically traceable nature of these nanoparticles. SPION@bPEI nanoparticles were further conjugated with Erbitux (Erb), which is an anti-EGFR antibody for targeting EGFR-overexpressing cancer cell lines. SPION@bPEI

• cancer [39][40]. Besides, SPIONs are already in the clinic as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents and SPION@bPEI nanoparticles have a strong T2 signal (the signal that reflects the length of time it takes for the MR signal to decay in the transverse plane) [35]. In recent years, there has been a

Heating ability of elongated magnetic nanoparticles

• Elizaveta M. Gubanova,
• Nikolai A. Usov and
• Vladimir A. Oleinikov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1404–1412, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.104

• use in biomedicine, in particular, in magnetic hyperthermia [1][2][3][4], a new promising approach for cancer treatment. In this method, magnetic nanoparticles introduced into a tumor and excited by an alternating (ac) low-frequency magnetic field are able to warm up malignant tissues locally. In most

Alteration of nanomechanical properties of pancreatic cancer cells through anticancer drug treatment revealed by atomic force microscopy

• Xiaoteng Liang,
• Shuai Liu,
• Xiuchao Wang,
• Dan Xia and
• Qiang Li

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1372–1379, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.101

• Chemistry of Ministry of Education, And School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, Shandong, China Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China 10.3762/bjnano.12.101 Abstract The mechanical properties of cells are key to the

• regulation of cell activity, and hence to the health level of organisms. Here, the morphology and mechanical properties of normal pancreatic cells (HDPE6-C7) and pancreatic cancer cells (AsPC-1, MIA PaCa-2, BxPC-3) were studied by atomic force microscopy. In addition, the mechanical properties of MIA PaCa-2

• after treatment with different concentrations of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) were also investigated. The results show the Young's modulus of normal cells is greater than that of three kinds of cancer cells. The Young's modulus of more aggressive cancer cell AsPC-1 is smaller than that of less

Biocompatibility and cytotoxicity in vitro of surface-functionalized drug-loaded spinel ferrite nanoparticles

• Sadaf Mushtaq,
• Khuram Shahzad,
• Tariq Saeed,
• Anwar Ul-Hamid,
• Bilal Haider Abbasi,
• Nafees Ahmad,
• Waqas Khalid,
• Muhammad Atif,
• Zulqurnain Ali and
• Rashda Abbasi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1339–1364, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.99

• vitro compared to free drug controls. The IC50 values ranged from 0.81 to 3.97 μg/mL for HepG2 and HT144 cells, whereas IC50 values for normal lymphocytes were 10 to 35 times higher (18.35–43.04 µg/mL). Cobalt ferrite (CFO) and zinc ferrite (ZFO) NPs were highly genotoxic (p < 0.05) in cancer cell lines

• spheroid diameter and up to 74 ± 8.9% of cell death after two weeks. In addition, they also inhibited multidrug resistance (MDR) pump activity in both cell lines suggesting effectivity in MDR cancers. Among the tested MFe2O4 NPs, CFO nanocarriers were the most favorable for targeted cancer therapy due to

• studies; magnetic spinel ferrite nanoparticles; methotrexate; poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride); Introduction Cancer is the second leading cause of death and, as such, it is a global health concern [1]. It is caused by uncontrolled cell proliferation, reduced cell death rate, or both [2

Self-assembly of amino acids toward functional biomaterials

• Huan Ren,
• Lifang Wu,
• Lina Tan,
• Yanni Bao,
• Yuchen Ma,
• Yong Jin and
• Qianli Zou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1140–1150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.85

• cancer cells [50]. Furthermore, naphthalimide (NI) derivatives can also be used as end-capping materials for amino acids. Naphthalimide has unique photophysical properties and photostability as a luminescent material for aggregation-induced emission (AIE), which can display high emission properties in

• were used for the selective sensing of Fe3+ within cancer cells and imaging of Fe3+ [54]. Amino-acid-coordinated self-assembly. Coordination-driven self-assembly is a supramolecular self-assembly method based on metal-coordination bond formation, which has the advantages of fewer steps, fast final

• coordination of Mn2+, Fmoc-ʟ-L, and Ce6, a yield of 36 wt % can be obtained. After the uptake of FMC NPs by cancer cells, Mn2+ and Ce6 can be released in response to intracellular high levels of glutathione (GSH). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results showed an almost complete elimination of the tumor three

pH-driven enhancement of anti-tubercular drug loading on iron oxide nanoparticles for drug delivery in macrophages

• Karishma Berta Cotta,
• Sarika Mehra and
• Rajdip Bandyopadhyaya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1127–1139, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.84

• biocompatibility and magnetic properties, have found applications in drug delivery, magnetic resonance imaging and treatment of iron deficiencies [3][4][5][6]. The property of hyperthermia has been found to be beneficial in localized drug release, particularly in cancer therapy [7]. In anti-cancer therapy, IONPs

Use of nanosystems to improve the anticancer effects of curcumin

• Andrea M. Araya-Sibaja,
• Norma J. Salazar-López,
• Krissia Wilhelm Romero,
• José R. Vega-Baudrit,
• J. Abraham Domínguez-Avila,
• Carlos A. Velázquez Contreras,
• Ramón E. Robles-Zepeda,
• Mirtha Navarro-Hoyos and
• Gustavo A. González-Aguilar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1047–1062, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.78

• compounds; Introduction According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, approximately 9.5 million people worldwide die annually from malignant neoplasms [1]. Deaths are primarily due to cancer of the respiratory system (17%), liver (10%), colon and rectum (8%), breast (8%), and stomach (8

• , since it avoids bioavailability issues. However, this results in increased toxicity and side effects [3]. Therefore, one of the goals of new and/or improved cancer therapies is for the drug to only target malignant cells in sufficient concentrations and with minimal distribution to other tissues to

• avoid adverse effects as much as possible. Nanomedicine has recently emerged as an option for cancer treatments and the rationale for its use is based on various improvements seen when a nanosized material and/or drug is administered. It has been successfully used during diagnosis when controlled drug

An overview of microneedle applications, materials, and fabrication methods

• Zahra Faraji Rad,
• Philip D. Prewett and
• Graham J. Davies

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1034–1046, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.77

• from cancer research (25% enhanced absorption of the protein cancer drug AvastinTM compared with conventional hypodermic delivery) [14]. Incorporation of drug-loaded nanoparticles in dissolving microneedles also shows promise for dose concentration, for example using the antimicrobial carvacrol (CAR

• skin diseases including cancer, via electrical impedance measurements [52]. Microneedle structure design Several factors should be considered when designing microneedles for skin penetration: (1) geometric features, such as length, diameter, tip size, and shape, (2) physical form: solid, hollow, side

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

• Sepand Tehrani Fateh,
• Lida Moradi,
• Elmira Kohan,
• Michael R. Hamblin and
• Amin Shiralizadeh Dezfuli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 808–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.64

• . reported that when the distance between the cell and the MB was increased to 5.5 µm, the exerted shear stress on the cell membrane suddenly decreased [78]. Schlicher et al. exposed prostate cancer cells (DU145) to 24 kHz US irradiation to investigate the cavitation events and the changes in the cell

• isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled bovine serum albumin (BSA), FITC-labeled 150, 500, and 2000 kDa dextrans into DU145 prostate cancer cells. They blocked the endocytosis mechanism to assess whether the endocytic pathway was upregulated during US exposure. They showed that all of these fluorescent molecules were

• findings suggested that cavitation is strongly dependent on the expansion, concentration, and size of the ADV-generated MBs close to the cellular membrane and also the cell–MB distance [119]. Acoustic droplet vaporization shows promise for spatial control and acceleration of the thermal ablation of cancer

Recent progress in actuation technologies of micro/nanorobots

• Ke Xu and
• Bing Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 756–765, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.59

• contrast, micro/nanorobots can operate non-invasively in small, inaccessible spaces and play an important role in biomedicine and other fields, such as targeted drug delivery to treat cancer [1][2][3][4][5][6], nanosurgery [7][8], and environmental treatment [9][10][11]. In 1959, Feynman [12] first

• swing and spiral motion. At the same time, by applying a suitable magnetic field, the nanoeel can be accurately guided to a target location for drug release. Under a magnetic field of 10 mT and 7 Hz, drug delivery to cancer cells could be achieved. The efficiency of killing cancer cells is 35% in the

• cancer, Wang et al. [22] developed a new type of micro/nanorobot, which can observe the state of cancer. This robot uses multi-stage magnetic tweezers for manipulation, which can precisely move in living cells. The multi-stage magnetic tweezers are composed of six magnetic poles and six coils, installed

Recent progress in magnetic applications for micro- and nanorobots

• Ke Xu,
• Shuang Xu and
• Fanan Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 744–755, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.58

• structure had a higher motion speed and could effectively suppress lateral drifting motion. In addition, MNRs with a hollow tubular structure [29], which could facilitate drug delivery and realize effective treatment of cancer by loading and releasing anticancer drugs, were proposed and fabricated. At the

• , with which cancer cells and non-cancerous cells can be distinguished. Furthermore, a cell sensor that uses MaBiDz for rapid detection and imaging of target mRNA biomarkers of metastatic breast cancer has been realized. Its function shows that it is likely to be used as a biomimetic organelle MNR in the

Fate and transformation of silver nanoparticles in different biological conditions

• Barbara Pem,
• Marija Ćurlin,
• Darija Domazet Jurašin,
• Valerije Vrček,
• Rinea Barbir,
• Vedran Micek,
• Raluca M. Fratila,
• Jesus M. de la Fuente and
• Ivana Vinković Vrček

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 665–679, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.53

• , which listed more than 100 AgNP-containing food products [4]. The biomedical use of AgNPs represents the largest proportion of the market share [1] encompassing antimicrobial coatings on medical devices (catheters, stents, implants), wound dressings, targeted drug delivery, cancer therapy and

• diluted in different biological media. Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge the Advanced Microscopy Laboratory (INMA-Universidad de Zaragoza) for the access to their instrumentation and expertise. Funding This study was based upon a collaborative work from COST Action CA 17140 "Cancer

The preparation temperature influences the physicochemical nature and activity of nanoceria

• Robert A. Yokel,
• Wendel Wohlleben,
• Johannes Georg Keller,
• Matthew L. Hancock,
• Jason M. Unrine,
• D. Allan Butterfield and
• Eric A. Grulke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 525–540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.43

• component, including cancer, radiation damage, bacterial infection, sepsis, wounds, stroke-induced ischemia, retinal degeneration, and neurodegenerative diseases [10]. Other reviews provide more information on nanoceria synthesis methods and the resulting physicochemical properties of the products as well

A review on nanostructured silver as a basic ingredient in medicine: physicochemical parameters and characterization

• Gabriel M. Misirli,
• Kishore Sridharan and
• Shirley M. P. Abrantes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 440–461, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.36

• against a wide range of bacteria (i.e., Gram-negative [67], Gram-positive [31], and multiresistant bacteria (MR) [27][68][69][70][71]), fungi [69][72][73][74], and viruses [8][75][76][77] in addition to anti-inflammatory [78][79][80], anti-cancer [27][81], and anti-angiogenic properties [33][47][82

• ]. Silver has been widely used to heal ulcerative wounds and to treat burns. Due to the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of AgNPs, these particles can prevent bacterial infection at the wound area and accelerate healing [27][83]. AgNPs have been shown to improve the efficacy of cancer

The impact of molecular tumor profiling on the design strategies for targeting myeloid leukemia and EGFR/CD44-positive solid tumors

• Nikola Geskovski,
• Nadica Matevska-Geshkovska,
• Simona Dimchevska Sazdovska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Kristina Mladenovska and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 375–401, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.31

• , Doha, Qatar 10.3762/bjnano.12.31 Abstract Nanomedicine has emerged as a novel cancer treatment and diagnostic modality, whose design constantly evolves towards increasing the safety and efficacy of the chemotherapeutic and diagnostic protocols. Molecular diagnostics, which create a great amount of

• efficacy of the cancer treatment. This article will focus on novel design strategies for nanoscale drug delivery systems, based on the unique molecular signatures of myeloid leukemia and EGFR/CD44-positive solid tumors, and the impact of novel discoveries in molecular tumor profiles on future

• , which usually results in therapy failure and noticeable side effects. Nanomedicine has emerged as a novel cancer treatment and diagnostic modality, whose design constantly evolves towards increasing the safety and efficacy of the chemotherapeutic and diagnostic protocols. Recently, a novel generation of

Doxorubicin-loaded gold nanorods: a multifunctional chemo-photothermal nanoplatform for cancer management

• Uzma Azeem Awan,
• Abida Raza,
• Shaukat Ali,
• Rida Fatima Saeed and
• Nosheen Akhtar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 295–303, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.24

• Medical Toxicology Lab, Department of Zoology, Government College University Lahore, Lahore-54000, Pakistan 10.3762/bjnano.12.24 Abstract Two of the limitations associated with cancer treatment are the low efficacy and the high dose-related side effects of anticancer drugs. The purpose of the current

• based on chemotherapy and photothermal strategies appears to be a promising platform in cancer management. Keywords: chemotherapy; doxorubicin; gold nanorods; NIR laser; photothermal therapy; Introduction Despite the enormous advances in medical research, cancer is still the second most common cause

• of death worldwide from which 9.6 million people died in 2018 [1]. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major types of liver cancer with high incidence of mortality [2]. Currently, there are a number of treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, irradiation

Differences in surface chemistry of iron oxide nanoparticles result in different routes of internalization

• Barbora Svitkova,
• Vlasta Zavisova,
• Veronika Nemethova,
• Martina Koneracka,
• Miroslava Kretova,
• Filip Razga,
• Monika Ursinyova and
• Alena Gabelova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 270–281, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.22

• Barbora Svitkova Vlasta Zavisova Veronika Nemethova Martina Koneracka Miroslava Kretova Filip Razga Monika Ursinyova Alena Gabelova Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia Institute of Experimental

• eligible for the targeted delivery of the drug-loaded particles to the tumor mass via an external magnetic field [2]. Furthermore, MNPs are promising biosensors [3] and antimicrobial tools [4], and they play an important role in the development of multifunctional theranostics to combat cancer [5]. MNPs are

• valuable in vitro model of human alveolar epithelial type-2 cells [21], which are considered as drivers of lung fibrosis [22] and lung tumor development [23]. Inhalation therapy represents a prospective non-invasive curative modality for lung cancer and a therapy for other lung illnesses [24]. Drug

The nanomorphology of cell surfaces of adhered osteoblasts

• Christian Voelkner,
• Mirco Wendt,
• Regina Lange,
• Max Ulbrich,
• Martina Gruening,
• Susanne Staehlke,
• Barbara Nebe,
• Ingo Barke and
• Sylvia Speller

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 242–256, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.20

• breast cancer cells [30], and on keratinocytes [35]. In general, these features are associated with migration, receptor internalization, and micropinocytosis [30][36][37]. Membrane ruffling is regulated by a distinct signaling pathway [38] and the supporting actin is denser and more cross-linked [35

• ] compared to flat membrane regions. Three types of ruffles can be discriminated, namely (linear) dorsal, peripheral, and circular dorsal ruffles [36]. Colocalization with hyaluronan synthase has been found in a breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) [30]. Usually the error current, that is, the deviation between

A review on the biological effects of nanomaterials on silkworm (Bombyx mori)

• Sandra Senyo Fometu,
• Guohua Wu,
• Lin Ma and
• Joan Shine Davids

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 190–202, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.15

• development, organogenesis, neuronal development, aging, inheritance, and cancer [84][85]. Aside from its rapid lifecycle, it is reported that the fruit fly produces genetically identical offspring when compared to mammalian models, which produce a smaller number of offspring at a time [86][87]. Also, the

Imaging of SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 cells by helium ion microscopy

• Natalie Frese,
• Patrick Schmerer,
• Martin Wortmann,
• Matthias Schürmann,
• Matthias König,
• Michael Westphal,
• Friedemann Weber,
• Holger Sudhoff and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 172–179, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.13

• field of cell biology for imaging various human and animal cells. These include cartilage [2], cancer [3], liver [4], kidney [5] and stem cells [6], as well as fibrin fibers [7]. To visualize viruses and their host organisms, HIM has so far been applied to image T4 phage-infected E. coli bacteria [8

Bio-imaging with the helium-ion microscope: A review

• Matthias Schmidt,
• James M. Byrne and
• Ilari J. Maasilta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1–23, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.1

• study published in the same year, Bazou et al. employed HIM to image human colon cancer cells (Caco2) [9]. The glutaraldehyde-fixed and freeze-dried cells were imaged by both HIM and SEM to enable the direct comparison between the two instruments. HIM analysis of gold-coated and uncoated samples showed

• , HIM provided high-resolution insight into the complex network of interactions of platelets with cancer cells [10]. In 2012, Berg-Foels et al. used transmission electron microscopy, SEM, and HIM to image rabbit cartilage samples [70]. The long depth of field provided by HIM renders the technique

• study regarding biological HIM imaging of a whole variety of biological samples, including plants, bacteria, cancer cells, and a nematode worm, Pristionchus pacificus. The imaging of that worm will be discussed later in the section “Nanofabrication” regarding its innovative use of the combination of

PEG/PEI-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes as delivery carriers for doxorubicin: synthesis, characterization, and in vitro evaluation

• Shuoye Yang,
• Zhenwei Wang,
• Yahong Ping,
• Yuying Miao,
• Yongmei Xiao,
• Lingbo Qu,
• Lu Zhang,
• Yuansen Hu and
• Jinshui Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1728–1741, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.155

• drugs. Keywords: antitumor activity; cellular uptake; PEG functionalization; PEI functionalization; poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG); polyethylenimine (PEI); single-walled carbon nanotubes; Introduction To date, chemotherapy is the most common therapy for cancer treatment. However, the inability of

• chemotherapeutic agents to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells due to nonspecific distribution and lack of selectivity results in severe toxic side effects for health [1][2]. Therefore, a variety of nanoscale delivery systems have been designed for the controlled release of chemotherapy drugs to decrease

• the distribution in normal tissues, and to improve the biological half-lives [3][4][5][6]. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted great interest for biomedical applications, including the delivery of bioactive molecules such as drugs, the targeted cancer therapy, and biological imaging, because of

Cardiomyocyte uptake mechanism of a hydroxyapatite nanoparticle mediated gene delivery system

• Hiroaki Komuro,
• Masahiro Yamazoe,
• Kosuke Nozaki,
• Akiko Nagai and
• Tetsuo Sasano

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1685–1692, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.150

• acquisition at inflammation sites. Further studies regarding the role of CaSR and its downstream signaling pathways in HL-1 cells are required. Although the HAp-based vector used here has a low transfection efficiency, it has already been used as a gene delivery system in in vivo cancer research experiments

Fabrication of nano/microstructures for SERS substrates using an electrochemical method

• Jingran Zhang,
• Tianqi Jia,
• Xiaoping Li,
• Junjie Yang,
• Zhengkai Li,
• Guangfeng Shi,
• Xinming Zhang and
• Zuobin Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1568–1576, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.139

• activation of the innate immune system [51]. However, excess lysozyme activity can increase the incidence of some diseases. In certain kinds of cancer, such as leukemia [52], excessive production of lysozyme is toxic and can induce organ disorder. Figure 7 shows the SERS spectra of lysozyme (10−6 mol·L−1 and

Electrokinetic characterization of synthetic protein nanoparticles

• Daniel F. Quevedo,
• Cody J. Lentz,
• Adriana Coll de Peña,
• Yazmin Hernandez,
• Nahal Habibi,
• Rikako Miki,
• Joerg Lahann and
• Blanca H. Lapizco-Encinas

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1556–1567, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.138

• vaccines [5][6]. Significant advances in self-assembled PNPs via protein engineering techniques have also been observed [7][8]. PNPs have successfully reached the clinic with nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane®), a PNP made of human serum albumin, which is being used for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer

• , non-small cell lung cancer, and pancreatic adenocarcinomas [9]. Current technologies allow for the synthesis of smart PNPs that release their active enzymatic load into oxidative environments [6]. A next step to further advance smart protein nanoparticle technologies is to develop a scalable method