Elasticity, an often-overseen parameter in the development of nanoscale drug delivery systems

• Agnes-Valencia Weiss and
• Marc Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1149–1156, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.95

• uptake for softer particles [30]. Cell uptake is often the first biological evaluation during the development phase besides toxicity and biocompatibility. However, after application, particles first need to reach the cells and overcome several other biological barriers. During uptake, other biological

Curcumin-loaded albumin submicron particles with potential as a cancer therapy: an in vitro study

• Nittiya Suwannasom,
• Netsai Sriaksorn,
• Chutamas Thepmalee,
• Krissana Khoothiam,
• Ausanai Prapan,
• Hans Bäumler and
• Chonthida Thephinlap

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1127–1140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.93

• /mL) had toxic effects toward fibroblasts, whereas CUR-HSA-MPs significantly reduced the toxicity of the free drug (Figure 7A,B). However, when the CUR concentration in CUR-HSA-MPs was increased to 50 μg/mL, a significant loss of viability was observed in fibroblasts. Moreover, CUR-HSA-MPs showed a

• proliferating cells. This effect is more pronounced in cancer cells than in healthy ones. As a result, CUR-HSA-MPs have higher specificity and less toxicity against normal cells than cancer cells [48]. Furthermore, the number of albumin receptors on cancer cells is greater than on normal cells, leading to

Sulfur nanocomposites with insecticidal effect for the control of Bactericera cockerelli

• Lany S. Araujo-Yépez,
• Juan O. Tigrero-Salas,
• Vicente A. Delgado-Rodríguez,
• Vladimir A. Aguirre-Yela and
• Josué N. Villota-Méndez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1106–1115, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.91

• , carbamates, and pyrethroids, that are used to combat this pest [9]. The insect pest has developed resistance through high fecundity and short doubling time [10]. Also, persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity, misuse, and overuse of synthetic insecticides have led to deterioration of soil, air pollution

A visible-light photodetector based on heterojunctions between CuO nanoparticles and ZnO nanorods

• Doan Nhat Giang,
• Nhat Minh Nguyen,
• Duc Anh Ngo,
• Thanh Trang Tran,
• Le Thai Duy,
• Cong Khanh Tran,
• Thi Thanh Van Tran,
• Phan Phuong Ha La and
• Vinh Quang Dang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1018–1027, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.84

• because of its large exciton binding energy of 60 meV at room temperature [20], excellent chemical and thermal stability, high electron mobility, non-toxicity, low cost, and simple synthesis [21][22]. Various shapes of ZnO nanomaterials can be easily obtained by controlling synthesis conditions (e.g

Nanoarchitectonics of photothermal materials to enhance the sensitivity of lateral flow assays

• Elangovan Sarathkumar,
• Rajasekharan S. Anjana and
• Ramapurath S. Jayasree

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 988–1003, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.82

• ]. Transition metal chalcogenides are another class of photothermal nanomaterials that exhibit strong NIR absorption, good photostability, and low toxicity. The architectonics of these nanomaterials also plays an important role regarding the PCE. Among the different types of transition metal oxide nanoparticles

• , iron oxide nanoparticles are the most prominent ones because of their biocompatibility, low toxicity, ease of synthesis, and high photothermal conversion efficiency. The influence of a magnetic field can also increase temperature generation by such nanoparticles, which is called magnetic hyperthermia

Fragmentation of metal(II) bis(acetylacetonate) complexes induced by slow electrons

• Janina Kopyra and
• Hassan Abdoul-Carime

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 980–987, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.81

• nanocrystals [13][14]. The popularity of these compounds is related to their volatile nature, ease of preparation, and often lower air sensitivity and toxicity in comparison to organometallic compounds containing carbon–metal bonds (e.g., metallocenes). In the context of a potential use of these organometallic

Prediction of cytotoxicity of heavy metals adsorbed on nano-TiO₂ with periodic table descriptors using machine learning approaches

• Joyita Roy,
• Souvik Pore and
• Kunal Roy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 939–950, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.77

• properties [3]. It absorbs UV radiation and shows self-cleaning ability. Nanoparticles have a susceptibility to adsorb other substances to form a mixture leading to a shift of toxicity to living organisms [4]. Hence, many studies have reported cytotoxic characteristics of TiO2 [5][6]. Some NPs are fatal to

• have become an important factor limiting crop yields and, thus, threatening food security. Therefore, to improve crop yields, heavy metals need to be removed. The toxicity of single-substance NPs has been tested extensively; however, the combination of single-substance NPs with other NPs or metals may

• most widely used. Therefore, the joint organismal toxicity should be assessed. Recently, nanoscale quantitative structure–activity relationship (nano-QSAR) models have been successfully applied to investigate the toxicity of NPs. QSAR models for predicting the biological activity of 48 fullerene

Antibody-conjugated nanoparticles for target-specific drug delivery of chemotherapeutics

• Mamta Kumari,
• Amitabha Acharya and
• Praveen Thaggikuppe Krishnamurthy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 912–926, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.75

• -directed enzyme prodrug therapy, small molecule drug conjugates, and others are being investigated [2][3]. Targeted delivery with nanoparticles (NPs) has received a lot of attention because it reduces toxicity while also providing good drug compatibility and loadability. Furthermore, NPs increase drug

• drug delivery because of their high specificity, recognition ability, and intracellular stability [9][10]. The mAb-mediated targeted drug delivery specifically eradicates tumor cells without causing systemic toxicity associated with conventional chemotherapeutic agents [11]. Complete mAbs or just the

• NPs specifically bind to the cell surface proteins and deliver the drug cargo to tumor sites via passive or active targeting. As a result, the therapeutic ratio is improved. At the same time, the systemic toxicity is reduced and the therapeutic efficacy is increased [13]. Antibody-conjugated NPs

Green SPIONs as a novel highly selective treatment for leishmaniasis: an in vitro study against Leishmania amazonensis intracellular amastigotes

• Brunno R. F. Verçoza,
• Robson R. Bernardo,
• Luiz Augusto S. de Oliveira and
• Juliany C. F. Rodrigues

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 893–903, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.73

• effort on the search for new treatments for different diseases. Its main objective is to develop therapies with higher specificity, effectiveness, and safety, as well as less toxicity [6]. One interesting class of nanomaterials in medicine are superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). SPIONs

Nanostructured lipid carriers containing benznidazole: physicochemical, biopharmaceutical and cellular in vitro studies

• Giuliana Muraca,
• María Esperanza Ruiz,
• Rocío C. Gambaro,
• Sebastián Scioli-Montoto,
• María Laura Sbaraglini,
• Gisel Padula,
• José Sebastián Cisneros,
• Cecilia Yamil Chain,
• Vera A. Álvarez,
• Cristián Huck-Iriart,
• Guillermo R. Castro,
• María Belén Piñero,
• Matias Ildebrando Marchetto,
• Catalina Alba Soto,
• Germán A. Islan and
• Alan Talevi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 804–818, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.66

• proposed as a strategy to reduce toxicity and improve efficacy [13]. Incorporation of drugs into nanoscale vehicles could result in changes in its absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, which in turn could translate into improved efficacy and diminished BNZ toxicity. For example, BNZ-loaded

• -dependent manner (Figure 10). Interestingly, the cell viability for NLC-VEHICLE or NLC-BNZ at the same tested concentrations of free BNZ resulted in values above 80% in all cases, suggesting a decreased cytotoxic effect. That decrease in toxicity generated by NLC-BNZ, in comparison with free BNZ, could be

• the Vero cell line by flow cytometry, where the percentage of dead cells labeled with propidium iodide (PI, Supporting Information File 1, Figure S2) was measured. Neither the drug-loaded or unloaded NLCs elicited significant toxicity in Vero cells. As it is common to parenterally administer

Carboxylic acids and light interact to affect nanoceria stability and dissolution in acidic aqueous environments

• Matthew L. Hancock,
• Eric A. Grulke and
• Robert A. Yokel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 762–780, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.63

• organic matter content of the soil also played a critical role in nanoceria uptake [20]. Cerium was detected in plant tissues, indicating nanoceria translocation within tomato plants [21]. The uptake and toxicity of nanoceria within radish seedlings were significantly reduced upon addition of a citric

• , distribution, and toxicity of nanoceria within biological systems. Cellular uptake studies of nanoceria in lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells favored particles with a negative zeta potential. However, positively charged particles resulted in greater bovine serum albumin adsorption. This suggests that surface

• structures. The authors thank Marsha Ensor for her contribution. This report is based on the following: Hancock, M. L. The Fabrication and Characterization of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Employed in Environmental Toxicity and Polymeric Nanocomposite Applications. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Kentucky

Metal-organic framework-based nanomaterials as opto-electrochemical sensors for the detection of antibiotics and hormones: A review

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo,
• Saba Derakhshan Oskouei and
• Mustafa Gazi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 631–673, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.52

• developing luminescent sensors include their toxicity, ease of aggregation, photobleachability, and low capacity for adsorption of the target analyte. Numerous luminescent materials, including semiconductors, metal complexes, metal-based fluorescent nanoparticles, MOFs, and inorganic phosphors doped with

ZnO-decorated SiC@C hybrids with strong electromagnetic absorption

• Liqun Duan,
• Zhiqian Yang,
• Yilu Xia,
• Xiaoqing Dai,
• Jian’an Wu and
• Minqian Sun

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 565–573, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.47

• materials due to their high content of surface functional groups. Among dielectric materials, zinc oxide possesses the outstanding characteristics of low cost, non-toxicity, excellent thermodynamic stability and photostability, and unique semiconducting properties. Hence, it is widely used in the fields of

Nanoarchitectonics to entrap living cells in silica-based systems: encapsulations with yolk–shell and sepiolite nanomaterials

• Celia Martín-Morales,
• Jorge Fernández-Méndez,
• Pilar Aranda and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 522–534, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.43

• it very attractive for various applications [34][36][37] including its controlled modification by assembling diverse components from biological origin [27][28][38][39][40]. According to the World Health Organization, this natural silicate is classified with “inadequate evidence” of toxicity and

Quercetin- and caffeic acid-functionalized chitosan-capped colloidal silver nanoparticles: one-pot synthesis, characterization, and anticancer and antibacterial activities

• Akif Hakan Kurt,
• Elif Berna Olutas,
• Fatma Avcioglu,
• Hamza Karakuş,
• Mehmet Ali Sungur,
• Cansu Kara Oztabag and
• Muhammet Yıldırım

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 362–376, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.31

• proven to be effective against bacteria and viruses [6][35]. Toxicologists extensively studied silver nanoparticles. Despite studies suggesting a toxicity of silver nanoparticles, this issue is still unresolved [36]. However, silver nanoparticles have become more popular in recent years due to their

• Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria. More specifically, Ch/Q- and Ch/CA-Ag NPs exhibited a bit higher inhibitions against P. aeruginosa. Consequently, such combinations may provide several advantages in targeted drug delivery systems, such as minimal toxicity to normal cells and enhanced

The steep road to nonviral nanomedicines: Frequent challenges and culprits in designing nanoparticles for gene therapy

• Yao Yao,
• Yeongun Ko,
• Grant Grasman,
• Jeffery E. Raymond and
• Joerg Lahann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 351–361, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.30

• . Transferrin [1] can be used as a maker for clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), bodipy-lactosylceramide (LacCer) can be used for caveolae-mediated endocytosis, and dextran with large molecular masses can be used for macropinocytosis [36]. Moreover, concentration should be optimized (Table 2) and toxicity

Polymer nanoparticles from low-energy nanoemulsions for biomedical applications

• Santiago Grijalvo and
• Carlos Rodriguez-Abreu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 339–350, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.29

• the solvent can also be removed by selective diffusion [22]. The emulsion solvent evaporation method enables the use of biocompatible polymers, thermolabile compounds, and low-toxicity surfactants. The nanoparticle size can be tuned by formulation parameters and since the nanoparticles are directly

• (higher toxicity) as a result of higher monomer concentration. No hemolytic effect was observed. Summary and Outlook Tailored nanoemulsions with controlled size and colloidal stability can be produced by low-energy methods after careful selection of formulation parameters such as type and concentration of

Overview of mechanism and consequences of endothelial leakiness caused by metal and polymeric nanoparticles

• Magdalena Lasak and
• Karol Ciepluch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 329–338, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.28

• therapeutic targets and strategies to improve drug delivery through controlling and regulating NanoEL. Nevertheless, the NanoEL mechanism also carries some limitations that result from an incomplete understanding of NP metabolism and toxicity, and the possibility of their participation in the unintended

• understanding of NP metabolism, NP toxicity, or their possible participation in unintended bidirectional vascular permeability, which may contribute to the formation of cancer metastases. For this reason, NPs with different physicochemical properties, which can cross the endothelial barrier in a controlled

• nutrient molecules to NPs could change the toxicity of NPs (NP protein corona), and the physiological conditions, such as blood flow and physiological stretch, will also play a role [37][38][39]. NanoEL mechanism Adherens junctions between endothelial cells are maintained by a complex set of proteins

Bismuth-based nanostructured photocatalysts for the remediation of antibiotics and organic dyes

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo and
• Faisal Suleiman Mustafa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 291–321, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.26

• photocatalytic activity [101][102][103][104]. Bi2WO6 has an orthorhombic structure, a high Curie temperature of about 900 °C, and a narrow bandgap of 2.6–2.8 eV [103]. Other desirable physical and chemical characteristics of Bi2WO6 include comparatively low toxicity, piezoelectricity, non-linear dielectric

Recent progress in cancer cell membrane-based nanoparticles for biomedical applications

• Qixiong Lin,
• Yueyou Peng,
• Yanyan Wen,
• Xiaoqiong Li,
• Donglian Du,
• Weibin Dai,
• Wei Tian and
• Yanfeng Meng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 262–279, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.24

• Application of cancer cell membrane-encapsulated NPs Regarding current therapies, patients respond differently to the same treatment because of different degrees of disease progression and individual differences and inevitably suffer from a certain degree of toxicity and side effects. Therefore, it is

• therapeutic benefits and lower normal tissue toxicity. Different types of applications related to cancer cell membranes are summarized in Table 2 and detailed in the following sections. 4.1 Traditional oncology treatment Although various treatments for cancer have emerged, surgical resection, radiotherapy

• by enhancing proton relaxation in tissues [120]. Among them, superparamagnetic iron oxides (SPIONs) are widely used with numerous advantages, such as small size, colloidal stability, low toxicity, magnetic heating properties, and enhanced molecular MRI [121]. However, SPIONs cannot be effectively

Nanotechnology – a robust tool for fighting the challenges of drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer

• Filip Gorachinov,
• Fatima Mraiche,
• Diala Alhaj Moustafa,
• Ola Hishari,
• Yomna Ismail,
• Jensa Joseph,
• Maja Simonoska Crcarevska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Nikola Geskovski and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 240–261, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.23

• underlined the importance of an improved classification of lung cancer into specific subtypes that qualify for specialized therapeutic strategies. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have demonstrated enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity in EGFR-sensitive patients compared to classical chemotherapy

• environments either for higher uptake or reduced toxicity. In brief, the ABC triblock terpolymers comprised identical A and C segments. Yet, different functionalities in the middle PAGE block (B) are directly correlated to the combination and the number of functionalities and, therefore, easily adjusted to

• Pang and co-workers. Clinical studies point to the serious toxicity of conventional application, which might be mitigated with nanotools for co-delivery of therapy for the dual inhibition of VEGF and EGFR pathways. The designed nanocarrier was composed of a polycaprolactone core with bevacizumab and

Cyclodextrins as eminent constituents in nanoarchitectonics for drug delivery systems

• Makoto Komiyama

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 218–232, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.21

• , respectively. The inside of the cavity is apolar in nature, and thus apolar guests of suitable size are preferentially accommodated to form inclusion complexes. The CyD/guest ratio in inclusion complexes is usually 1:1. Very importantly for practical applications in DDSs, CyDs show no toxicity to the human

• ) light is more advantageous than UV and visible light, since it penetrates more efficiently into tissues, and the toxicity is marginal. However, most photoisomerizable dyes (azobenzenes and arylazopyrazoles) require UV or visible light and are incompatible with NIR. The most straightforward strategy is

Batch preparation of nanofibers containing nanoparticles by an electrospinning device with multiple air inlets

• Dong Wei,
• Chengwei Ye,
• Adnan Ahmed and
• Lan Xu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 141–150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.15

• easily sink down, resulting in an uneven distribution of nanoparticles in the obtained fibers [17]. Due to their stable physical and chemical properties, good biocompatibility, excellent photoelectric properties, non-toxicity, strong antibacterial activity and low price, ZnO nanoparticles can be used in

Two-step single-reactor synthesis of oleic acid- or undecylenic acid-stabilized magnetic nanoparticles by thermal decomposition

• Mykhailo Nahorniak,
• Pamela Pasetto,
• Jean-Marc Greneche,
• Volodymyr Samaryk,
• Sandy Auguste,
• Anthony Rousseau,
• Nataliya Nosova and
• Serhii Varvarenko

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 11–22, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.2

• chemical and physical properties. One such area is biomedicine [1]. Especially iron oxide-based nanoparticles, due to their biodegradation, low toxicity, and enhanced oxidative resistance compared to metallic nanoparticles, show high potential in biomedical applications [2][3][4]. Up to now, iron oxide

Photoelectrochemical water oxidation over TiO₂ nanotubes modified with MoS₂ and g-C₃N₄

• Phuong Hoang Nguyen,
• Thi Minh Cao,
• Tho Truong Nguyen,
• Hien Duy Tong and
• Viet Van Pham

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1541–1550, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.127

• semiconductors, TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) of 2–100 nm in diameter and 1–2 μm in length, are often used for efficient PEC applications exploiting advantages such as chemical stability, less toxicity and suitable cost [18][19][20][21]. However, there are two disadvantages affecting directly their photocatalytic