Tungsten disulfide-based nanocomposites for photothermal therapy

• Tzuriel Levin,
• Hagit Sade,
• Rina Ben-Shabbat Binyamini,
• Maayan Pour,
• Iftach Nachman and
• Jean-Paul Lellouche

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 811–822, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.81

• , thereby offering the possibility of bonding of additional biologically active agents. The properties of the CAN-mag also enabled magnetism-based targeting. In order to maximize the benefit from TMDC nanostructures in different applications, their surface functionalization is important. The relative

• values of reduced aggregation, which leads to better targeting, and the possibility for attachments of additional cancer therapy agents. Experimental A schematic description of the experimental pathway leading to CAN-mag functionalized WS2 nanotubes is given in Figure 1, followed by fully detailed

• , namely increased cancerous-cell death and better targeting. Figure 7 shows zeta potential averages and distribution curves for WS2-NTs, CAN-mag, and their composites. The values for WS2-NT and CAN-mag are consistent with previous works [52][65][66]. For each composite, the zeta values reflect the

Polydopamine-coated Au nanorods for targeted fluorescent cell imaging and photothermal therapy

• Boris N. Khlebtsov,
• Andrey M. Burov,
• Timofey E. Pylaev and
• Nikolai G. Khlebtsov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 794–803, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.79

• -PDA based nanocomposites that combine fluorescent imaging modality with folate targeting and PPT ability have not been reported in the literature. Herein, we present PDA-coated NIR-absorbing AuNRs and used the potential of the PDA layer for folate surface functionalization and rhodamine 123 (R123

• ) loading, resulting in the formation of AuNR-PDA-R123-folate nanocomposites (Scheme 1). This platform demonstrates three distinct features: (1) targeting of nanocomposites with folic acid leads to enhanced cellular uptake by folate-positive cancer cells compared with PEG-coated nanorods; (2) the high

• were functionalized with folates and rhodamine 123. Folate receptors are commonly overexpressed in cancer cells, e.g., in HeLa cells, enabling an easy targeting with folic acid [44]. Rhodamine 123 was used as a fluorescent dye to control the nanocomposite interaction with cells using fluorescent

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

• their action specifically to the malignant cells. The selectivity improvement yielded by these nanocarriers provided a significative enhancement in the efficacy of the transported drug, while the apparition of side effects in the host was reduced. Additionally, it is possible to incorporate targeting

• moieties selective for organelles of the cell, which improves even more the effect of the transported agents. In the last years, more sophisticated strategies such as the use of switchable, hierarchical or double targeting strategies have been proposed for overcoming some of the limitations of conventional

• targeting strategies. In this review, recent advances in the development of targeted nanoparticles will be described with the aim to present the current state of the art of this technology and its huge potential in the oncological field. Keywords: antitumoral therapy; nanomedicine; smart nanocarriers

Bidirectional biomimetic flow sensing with antiparallel and curved artificial hair sensors

• Claudio Abels,
• Antonio Qualtieri,
• Toni Lober,
• Alessandro Mariotti,
• Lily D. Chambers,
• Massimo De Vittorio,
• William M. Megill and
• Francesco Rizzi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 32–46, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.4

• bidirectional sensitivity to flow sensing with curved artificial hair sensors. In the short term, the presented sensor platform will be investigated in liquids as well, once the sensors are embedded in a waterproof MEMS package. For future applications, we are targeting automotive, robotics, automation and air

Surface plasmon resonance enhancement of photoluminescence intensity and bioimaging application of gold nanorod@CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

• Siyi Hu,
• Yu Ren,
• Yue Wang,
• Jinhua Li,
• Junle Qu,
• Liwei Liu,
• Hanbin Ma and
• Yuguo Tang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 22–31, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.3

• distance using the combined strong electrostatic adsorption. Secondly, FA was conjugated with this composite nanoparticle for biological applications, where the FA renders the nanoparticle useful for the specific targeting of cancer cells [28][29]. According to current knowledge, when bulk semiconductor

• @CdSe/ZnS can be used in cell imaging studies, after conjugation with FA, we performed a MCF-7 breast cancer cell targeting imaging study, and the results as shown in Figure 8. Robust cellular uptake could be obtained from the CdSe/ZnS@FA and GNR@CdSe/ZnS@FA treated samples. The obvious luminescence and

Size-selected Fe₃O₄–Au hybrid nanoparticles for improved magnetism-based theranostics

• Maria V. Efremova,
• Yulia A. Nalench,
• Eirini Myrovali,
• Anastasiia S. Garanina,
• Ivan S. Grebennikov,
• Polina K. Gifer,
• Maxim A. Abakumov,
• Marina Spasova,
• Makis Angelakeris,
• Alexander G. Savchenko,
• Michael Farle,
• Natalia L. Klyachko,
• Alexander G. Majouga and
• Ulf Wiedwald

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2684–2699, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.251

• ]. For advanced functionality under real operational conditions, various approaches have been attempted, e.g., optimization of the NP surface using targeting molecules or specific polymers [13][14][15]. From the physics point of view, the strategically tailored design of structural and magnetic

Pattern generation for direct-write three-dimensional nanoscale structures via focused electron beam induced deposition

• Lukas Keller and
• Michael Huth

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2581–2598, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.240

• therefore hope that our contribution may prove to be useful for a growing community of FEBID users targeting 3D nanoarchitectures for various application fields. 2 Algorithms The algorithms require the geometry definition of the target 3D structure as input, which we consider as a wireframe. The geometry is

Cytotoxicity of doxorubicin-conjugated poly[N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide]-modified γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles towards human tumor cells

• Zdeněk Plichta,
• Yulia Kozak,
• Rostyslav Panchuk,
• Viktoria Sokolova,
• Matthias Epple,
• Lesya Kobylinska,
• Pavla Jendelová and
• Daniel Horák

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2533–2545, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.236

• therapeutic performance of the anticancer agents and reduced non-specific toxicity to normal cells. Moreover, the strong magnetic susceptibility of the nanoparticles enables magnetic targeting, and the accumulation of these particles can be monitored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Magnetic targeting is

Enhanced antineoplastic/therapeutic efficacy using 5-fluorouracil-loaded calcium phosphate nanoparticles

• Shanid Mohiyuddin,
• Saba Naqvi and
• Gopinath Packirisamy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2499–2515, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.233

• , retention, and low toxicity, as well as surface engineering with targeting moieties, can be used as a tool in enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of current approaches. Inorganic calcium phosphate nanoparticles have the potential to increase the therapeutic potential of antiproliferative drugs due to their

• for hepatoma targeted delivery of docetaxel with lactose as the targeting molecule [7]. Curcumin-loaded organically modified silica nanoparticles (ORMOSIL) were studied to check the potential anticancer property of ORMOSIL nanocarriers [8]. However, in some instances, after nanoparticle formation, the

Droplet-based synthesis of homogeneous magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

• Christian D. Ahrberg,
• Ji Wook Choi and
• Bong Geun Chung

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2413–2420, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.226

• properties. In medical applications, for example, magnetic nanoparticles can be used for targeting, imaging, magnetically induced thermotherapy, or for any combination of the three. However, it is still a challenge to obtain narrowly dispersed, reproducible particles through a typical lab-scale synthesis

• healthcare significantly [5]. For example, a composite nanomaterial has been developed as a photosensitizer in photothermal therapy (PTT), while also acting as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [6]. Magnetic materials are of particular interest here, as they can be used for targeting [7

Induced smectic phase in binary mixtures of twist-bend nematogens

• Anamarija Knežević,
• Irena Dokli,
• Marin Sapunar,
• Suzana Šegota,
• Ute Baumeister and
• Andreja Lesac

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1297–1307, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.122

• intercalated smectic phase was unravelled by combined spectroscopic and computational methods and can be traced to conformational disorder of the terminal chains. These results show the importance of understanding the phase behaviour of binary mixtures, not only in targeting a wide temperature range but also

• compound has the desired properties for a particular application. Since the discovery that mixtures of nematic compounds could yield room-temperature nematic liquid crystals [1], the mixing of LC compounds became a very useful technique. Thus, investigation of LC mixtures is of great interest in targeting

• nematogens not only results in the extended temperature range of the NTB phase but also a phase sequence can be changed. Thus, targeting a wide operating temperature range or controlling the self-organizing processes makes understanding the phase behaviour of binary mixtures very important. Molecular

Enzymatically promoted release of organic molecules linked to magnetic nanoparticles

• Chiara Lambruschini,
• Silvia Villa,
• Luca Banfi,
• Fabio Canepa,
• Fabio Morana,
• Annalisa Relini,
• Paola Riani,
• Renata Riva and
• Fulvio Silvetti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 986–999, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.92

• plasminogen activator (u-PA), a protein associated with tumour invasion and metastasis [27][28]. This enzyme has been often used in TAP strategies [6][29][30][31], and the efficacy of this strategy in selective targeting of tumour cells has been demonstrated [32][33]. In this preliminary exploratory work we

Nanoparticle delivery to metastatic breast cancer cells by nanoengineered mesenchymal stem cells

• Liga Saulite,
• Karlis Pleiko,
• Ineta Popena,
• Dominyka Dapkute,
• Ricardas Rotomskis and
• Una Riekstina

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 321–332, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.32

• almost twice as much QDs compared with MCF7 cells (Figure 6F–H). Thus, we demonstrated that nanoengineered MSCs could be a tool for targeting metastatic breast cancer cells. It has been reported that metastatic breast cancer cells demonstrate higher nanocarrier uptake efficiency than MCF7 due to the

Wafer-scale bioactive substrate patterning by chemical lift-off lithography

• Chong-You Chen,
• Chang-Ming Wang,
• Hsiang-Hua Li,
• Hong-Hseng Chan and
• Wei-Ssu Liao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 311–320, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.31

• bioactive probes (targeting Hg2+, adenosine, and cocaine) are accordingly injected into these channels for a 60 min of probe insertion duration. Finally, the PDMS device is separated from the Au surface and a multiplexed bioactive-probe-anchored substrate is created. For demonstration, this spatially

Patterning of supported gold monolayers via chemical lift-off lithography

• Liane S. Slaughter,
• Kevin M. Cheung,
• Sami Kaappa,
• Huan H. Cao,
• Qing Yang,
• Thomas D. Young,
• Andrew C. Serino,
• Sami Malola,
• Jana M. Olson,
• Stephan Link,
• Hannu Häkkinen,
• Anne M. Andrews and
• Paul S. Weiss

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2648–2661, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.265

• grid basis (with a grid spacing of 0.2 Å) and a linear combination of atomic orbitals basis with double-zeta polarized functions. The thermal movement of atoms was simulated using the Langevin thermostat targeting room temperature, implemented in the atomic simulation environment [88]. The thermostat

Strategy to discover full-length amyloid-beta peptide ligands using high-efficiency microarray technology

• Clelia Galati,
• Natalia Spinella,
• Lucio Renna,
• Danilo Milardi,
• Francesco Attanasio,
• Michele Francesco Maria Sciacca and
• Corrado Bongiorno

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2446–2453, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.243

• believed to be a promising therapeutic approach to AD. Unfortunately, the short-lived intermediate structures that occur in a solution along the Aβ aggregation pathway escape conventional experimental investigations and there is urgent need of new tools aimed at the discovery of agents targeting monomeric

Optical techniques for cervical neoplasia detection

• Tatiana Novikova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1844–1862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.186

• a size of less than 100 nm (i.e., which are much smaller than normal human cells) with biomolecules such as receptors, enzymes, and antibodies on the cell surface and inside the cell [87]. By surface coating, functionalization, and integration with different bioconjugated targeting agents those

• unique molecular tumor marker [88]. The contrast agents consisting of a targeting agent conjugated with optically active labels (metal nanoparticles, quantum dots) can be used for in vivo imaging of this biomarker. Sokolov et al [89] reported the use of gold nanoparticles for the molecular targeted

Synthesis and functionalization of NaGdF₄:Yb,Er@NaGdF₄ core–shell nanoparticles for possible application as multimodal contrast agents

• Dovile Baziulyte-Paulaviciene,
• Vitalijus Karabanovas,
• Marius Stasys,
• Greta Jarockyte,
• Vilius Poderys,
• Simas Sakirzanovas and
• Ricardas Rotomskis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1815–1824, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.183

• amphiphilic polymer coating [18] have been developed in order to transfer nanoparticles with hydrophobic surfaces into aqueous media. Furthermore, the multimodal UCNP surface modification field still lacks reference materials and established protocols for functionalization and targeting. Some studies showed

Methionine-mediated synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles and functionalization with gold quantum dots for theranostic applications

• Arūnas Jagminas,
• Agnė Mikalauskaitė,
• Vitalijus Karabanovas and
• Jūrate Vaičiūnienė

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1734–1741, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.174

• conjugated with targeting and chemotherapy agents, such as cancer stem cell-related antibodies and the anticancer drug doxorubicin, for early detection and improved treatment. In order to verify our findings, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), FTIR

• have a dramatic effect on the formation of the surface protein corona in the bloodstream that affects CoFe2O4@Met–Au NPs passive targeting and uptake into tumor cells. The elaborated functionalization of magnetic NPs with gold QDs represents a promising multi-task platform for linking magnetic NPs with

• specific targeting ligands, such as aptamers and antibodies. This synthesis way may also be explored in future to design superparamagnetic, methionine-stabilized plasmonic magnetite NPs decorated with Au0/Au+1 QDs. Experimental Chemicals: All chemicals, including Co(II) and Fe(III) chlorides, and HAuCl4

Development of an advanced diagnostic concept for intestinal inflammation: molecular visualisation of nitric oxide in macrophages by functional poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres

• Kathleen Lange,
• Christian Lautenschläger,
• Maria Wallert,
• Stefan Lorkowski,
• Andreas Stallmach and
• Alexander Schiller

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1637–1641, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.163

• inflammatory and immunological processes. Furthermore, our results on particle-based NO sensing and previous studies in targeting intestinal inflammation via (PLGA)-based microspheres demonstrate that an advanced concept for visualizing intestinal inflammation is tangible. Keywords: functional imaging

• microscopy. A next step will be to adopt our approach for the use with fluorescence-based endoscopy and for the visualisation of NO release in mucosal biopsies obtained from patients with chronic intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, our results on particle-based NO-sensing and previous works in targeting

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

• –shell PCL nanoparticles to tumor targeting with docetaxel on a glioma model is very rare. Recently, active-targeted docetaxel-loaded PEG/PCL nanoparticles were prepared successfully for glioblastoma therapy by Gao et al. Cellular uptake and tumor spheroid uptake studies on U87 human glioma cells show

• that active targeted PEG/PCL nanoparticles enhanced tumor penetration [22]. Besides that, Ungaro et al. obtained docetaxel-loaded core–shell PEO/PCL nanoassemblies for passive targeting of the anticancer drug to cancer cells. Their results showed that docetaxel-loaded PEO/PCL nanoparticles were more

• studied for targeting and delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs for glioma treatment. Fang et al. prepared core–shell nanocapsules for co-delivery of the hydrophilic drug doxorubicin, and the hydrophobic drug curcumin. Their results showed that the synergistic cytotoxic effect on RG2 glioma cells was

Carbon nanomaterials sensitize prostate cancer cells to docetaxel and mitomycin C via induction of apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation

• Kati Erdmann,
• Jessica Ringel,
• Silke Hampel,
• Manfred P. Wirth and
• Susanne Fuessel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1307–1317, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.132

• various therapeutic drugs and to be internalized by cells. Furthermore, the functionalization with targeting ligands against cancer cell-specific molecules such as antibodies, peptides or aptamers represents another advantage of carbon nanomaterials [9][10][11][12]. We and others have previously shown

• complex drug delivery systems at the tumor site would minimize systemic resorption and deleterious effects to healthy tissues. Carbon nanomaterials such as CNFs and CNTs represent a much investigated option for such biomedical applications. In addition to facilitate a passive targeting, various studies

Bright fluorescent silica-nanoparticle probes for high-resolution STED and confocal microscopy

• Isabella Tavernaro,
• Christian Cavelius,
• Henrike Peuschel and
• Annette Kraegeloh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1283–1296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.130

• components and structures are not only important in the nanomedical field but also in nanotoxicology. Due to the fact that more and more nano-based materials come to market and are developed for everyday use, the latter discipline is targeting the effects of engineered nanomaterials on living organisms [15

Evaluation of quantum dot conjugated antibodies for immunofluorescent labelling of cellular targets

• Jennifer E. Francis,
• David Mason and
• Raphaël Lévy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1238–1249, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.125

• bright fluorescent Qdot signal in the cytosol. Assessing nuclear accessibility of Qdots: Fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) is another application where specific intracellular targeting is required. Like many applications, FISH benefits from bright photostable probes, and indeed several studies

Nano-engineered skin mesenchymal stem cells: potential vehicles for tumour-targeted quantum-dot delivery

• Liga Saulite,
• Dominyka Dapkute,
• Karlis Pleiko,
• Ineta Popena,
• Simona Steponkiene,
• Ricardas Rotomskis and
• Una Riekstina

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1218–1230, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.123

• MSCs to assess their potential use as vectors for the targeting of SC or other tumours. Results Optimal QD labelling conditions for MSCs The concentration-dependent cytotoxicity of QDs was analysed in MSC cultures after 24 and 48 h using a colorimetric CCK-8 assay, which measures intracellular