Nanocarriers and macrophage interaction: from a potential hurdle to an alternative therapeutic strategy

• Naths Grazia Sukubo,
• Paolo Bigini and
• Annalisa Morelli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 97–118, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.10

• production, effectively reducing collagen type I deposition and mitigating fibrosis. Additional nanomaterials such as superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and chitosan-based NPs are engineered with liver-cell-specific ligands like lactose or galactose, enhancing their specificity for treating

When nanomedicines meet tropical diseases

• Eder Lilia Romero,
• Katrien Van Bocxlaer and
• Fabio Rocha Formiga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 830–832, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.69

• oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) for treating cutaneous lesions caused by Leishmania amazonensis. The selectivity index for intracellular amastigotes was more than 240 times higher compared to that of current prescribed drugs to treat the disease, making SPIONs strong candidates for a new therapeutic

Nanocarrier systems loaded with IR780, iron oxide nanoparticles and chlorambucil for cancer theragnostics

• Phuong-Thao Dang-Luong,
• Hong-Phuc Nguyen,
• Loc Le-Tuan,
• Xuan-Thang Cao,
• Vy Tran-Anh and
• Hieu Vu Quang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 180–189, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.17

• . Clinical use of superparamagnetic oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) has been authorized [9]. SPIONs have been utilized in magnetic particle imaging (MPI), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), and additional imaging models [9][10][11]. SPIONs have been modified to be applicable to a

• variety of fields. However, SPIONs typically serve as the core of nanoparticles, while the outer shell is composed of stabilization coating materials such as chitosan, mannan, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), Pluronic™ F-127, or PLGA [7][12][13]. SPIONs stabilized with PLGA have attracted interest due to

• urinary obstruction [14]. In another study, PLGA SPIONs could transport chemotherapeutic agents for cancer treatment and diagnosis [15]. Therefore, the combination of PLGA and SPIONs promises a useful theragnostic system in our study. In addition to the encapsulation of SPIONs in PLGA employed for

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

• photothermal properties are superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), which are commonly used as a magnetic hyperthermia agent. Because of the excellent absorption in the NIR region, they have been investigated also as photothermal agents [68]. Iron oxide nanoparticles have better stability and

• photothermal conversion efficiency than gold nanorods. However, only a limited number of studies have investigated the influence of size, shape, and coating material on the photothermal properties of SPIONs. Chu et al. investigated the PCE of three distinctly shaped (spheres, hexagons, and wires) iron oxide

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

• The main goal of this work was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of green superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) produced with coconut water for treating cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania amazonensis. Optical and electron microscopy techniques were used to evaluate the

• effects on cell proliferation, infectivity percentage, and ultrastructure. SPIONs were internalized by both parasite stages, randomly distributed in the cytosol and located mainly in membrane-bound compartments. The selectivity index for intracellular amastigotes was more than 240 times higher compared to

• current drugs used to treat the disease. The synthesized SPIONs showed promising activity against Leishmania and can be considered a strong candidate for a new therapeutic approach for treating leishmaniases. Keywords: coconut water; Leishmaniasis; Leishmania amazonensis; nanomedicine; SPIONs

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

• oxidation, improve biocompatibility, enhance colloidal stability, and enhance targeting), enabling the ablation of tumor tissues by thermal energy [79]. MDA-MB-231 cell membrane-coated NPs loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and PTX were designed for the combination treatment of

• 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

• -coated NPs carrying SPIONs have been engineered for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer and enabled MRI imaging of tumor tissue in mouse lung cancer tumor models. Moreover, this nanodelivery system also yielded controlled release in the TME and exerted a tumor-inhibitory effect through the

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

• theranostic nanomaterials, PAMAM and PEI were frequently coupled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) for drug/gene delivery combined with magnetic resonance imaging [31][32]. Usually, these systems were conjugated with other fluorescent tags for optical detection of nanoparticles in cells

• when attached to the iron oxide surface since SPIONs have strong absorption in the UV and visible range of the spectrum [33]. Alternatively, PEI-bound luminescent nanoparticles, such as quantum dots or graphene nanoparticles, are also being studied to combine optical imaging and gene transfection

• 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

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

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

Antimicrobial metal-based nanoparticles: a review on their synthesis, types and antimicrobial action

• Matías Guerrero Correa,
• Fernanda B. Martínez,
• Cristian Patiño Vidal,
• Camilo Streitt,
• Juan Escrig and
• Carol Lopez de Dicastillo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1450–1469, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.129

• modification, intrinsic properties and the type of targeted microorganism [18]. A special category of metallic NPs is superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) (e.g., magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) NPs) whose antimicrobial activity increases upon the application of an external magnetic

• most known and studied SPIONs. Magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) are two crystalline phases of iron oxide that present superparamagnetic properties at the nanoscale (<20 nm). This superparamagnetism is generated due to the reduced size of these nanoparticles which allow for a higher surface-to

• -volume ratio, increasing the surface of the atoms [19]. In addition, when a magnetic field is applied the magnetic moments of these ferromagnetic FeO NPs become aligned. The surface of the SPIONs can be modified to specifically improve their functionality as antimicrobial compounds by increasing their

Applications of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in drug and therapeutic delivery, and biotechnological advancements

• Maria Suciu,
• Corina M. Ionescu,
• Alexandra Ciorita,
• Septimiu C. Tripon,
• Dragos Nica,
• Hani Al-Salami and
• Lucian Barbu-Tudoran

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1092–1109, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.94

• .11.94 Abstract Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have unique properties with regard to biological and medical applications. SPIONs have been used in clinical settings although their safety of use remains unclear due to the great differences in their structure and in intra- and inter

• -patient absorption and response. This review addresses potential applications of SPIONs in vitro (formulations), ex vivo (in biological cells and tissues) and in vivo (preclinical animal models), as well as potential biomedical applications in the context of drug targeting, disease treatment and

• therapeutic efficacy, and safety studies. Keywords: drug delivery; drug targeting; endocytosis; medical; nanoparticles; superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs); toxicity; Introduction Nanoencapsulation technologies have been researched over the past several decades and have been widely

Key for crossing the BBB with nanoparticles: the rational design

• Sonia M. Lombardo,
• Marc Schneider,
• Akif E. Türeli and
• Nazende Günday Türeli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 866–883, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.72

• nanoparticles (AuNPs); blood–brain barrier (BBB); drug delivery; liposomes; nanomedicine; polymeric nanoparticles; solid lipid nanoparticles; superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs); Introduction Neurological disorders and brain diseases are real burdens for modern societies and healthcare systems

• in non-neurogenic regions. Disruption of the BBB by NIR light irradiation of AuNRs increased the AuNRs ability to accumulate in the SVZ, making this formulation interesting for targeting neural stem cells. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs

• ) are based on magnetite (Fe3O4) or maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) molecules encapsulated in polysaccharides, synthetic polymers or monomer coatings and have a size range from 1 to 100 nm [21][182]. SPIONs possess interesting magnetic properties and some formulations have already been approved as MRI contrast

Targeted therapeutic effect against the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 with a CuFe₂O₄/silica/cisplatin nanocomposite formulation

• B. Rabindran Jermy,
• Vijaya Ravinayagam,
• Widyan A. Alamoudi,
• Dana Almohazey,
• Hatim Dafalla,
• Lina Hussain Allehaibi,
• Abdulhadi Baykal,
• Muhammet S. Toprak and
• Thirunavukkarasu Somanathan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2217–2228, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.214

• (magnetic resonance imaging), tissue repair, and thermal ablation have been gaining considerable attention in recent years. In particular, the use of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) is now advantageous as they are FDA-approved for clinical use [2]. Magnetic Fe3O4-based mesoporous silica

• materials have been reported to be effective for cancer therapeutics [3][4]. However, due to the poor crystallinity of SPIONs on silica supports, a low saturation value of magnetization occurs in the silica bound nanocomposites. For instance, the magnetometer (superconducting quantum interference device

• magnetization can be increased with a high loading of SPIONs, the formation of a mixture of iron oxide species (α-Fe2O4, Fe3O4 and γ-Fe2O4) becomes inevitable. However, the surface of iron oxide can be modified with various transition heteroatoms including Ni, Mn, Co, and Cu, leading to family of spinel

Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond for nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging applications

• Alberto Boretti,
• Lorenzo Rosa,
• Jonathan Blackledge and
• Stefania Castelletto

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2128–2151, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.207

• monitoring intracellular processes relevant in biological and medical applications. In this context, hybrid systems using NV sensors with other MRI contrast agents or sensors have been proposed such as iron oxide nanoparticles and paramagnetic gadolinium complexes. SPIONs are single-domain magnetic systems

• relaxation time (T1) and spin dephasing time (T2) Hahn-echo measurements. The formation of hybrid systems between NDs and SPIONs is of growing interest to enhance NV magnetometry in the local nanoenvironment. A single NV center was functionalized with a SPION by an AFM pick-and-place approach in [66]. It is

• center Larmor frequency. The work shows the effect of coupling single NV to single SPION systems for magnetic sensing. However, its applicability to biological samples is difficult in practice due to the need for multiple NDs coupled to SPIONs

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

• Education, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China 10.3762/bjnano.10.181 Abstract In this work, a peptide-modified, biodegradable, nontoxic, brain-tumor-targeting nanoprobe based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) (which have been commonly used as T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR

• ) contrast agents) was successfully synthesized and applied for accurate molecular MR imaging and sensitive optical imaging. PEPHC1, a short peptide which can specifically bind to epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) that is overexpressed in glioblastoma, was conjugated with SPIONs to

• imaging (MRI); molecular imaging; superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs); nanomedicine; tumor resection; Introduction Tumor resection is one of the most promising clinical treatments of glioblastoma, which is commonly associated with high mortality and inevitable tumor recurrence. To achieve

Influence of dielectric layer thickness and roughness on topographic effects in magnetic force microscopy

• Alexander Krivcov,
• Jasmin Ehrler,
• Marc Fuhrmann,
• Tanja Junkers and
• Hildegard Möbius

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1056–1064, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.106

• nanoparticles (SPIONs) are used as a model system, because their magnetic signal is contrariwise to the signal due to capacitive coupling so that it is possible to distinguish between magnetic and electric force contributions. Introducing a dielectric layer between substrate and nanoparticle the capacitive

• measurements above SPIONs and measurements above the substrate. The combination of KPFM and MFM can only eliminate the electrostatic contributions for structures larger than the tip size [13]. Measuring structures with dimensions similar or smaller than the tip size KPFM does not reduce the capacitive coupling

• small SPIONs aggregates by capacitive coupling effects. In order to distinguish electrostatic and magnetic forces Angeloni et al. [18] employed a controlled change of the tip magnetization. They demonstrated this new method by measuring superparamagnetic nanoparticles but also discussed current

Surface coating affects behavior of metallic nanoparticles in a biological environment

• Darija Domazet Jurašin,
• Marija Ćurlin,
• Ivona Capjak,
• Tea Crnković,
• Marija Lovrić,
• Michal Babič,
• Daniel Horák,
• Ivana Vinković Vrček and
• Srećko Gajović

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 246–262, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.23

• Republic, Heyrovský Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia 10.3762/bjnano.7.23 Abstract Silver (AgNPs) and maghemite, i.e., superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are promising candidates for new

• medical applications, which implies the need for strict information regarding their physicochemical characteristics and behavior in a biological environment. The currently developed AgNPs and SPIONs encompass a myriad of sizes and surface coatings, which affect NPs properties and may improve their

• biocompatibility. This study is aimed to evaluate the effects of surface coating on colloidal stability and behavior of AgNPs and SPIONs in modelled biological environments using dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering techniques, as well as transmission electron microscopy to visualize the behavior of the NP

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

• process was done at about 42 °C temperature under an applied AC magnetic field (250 kHz, 376 Oe). The results suggested that tumour cell death was low for DOX-loaded YVO4-MSN as compare to superparamagnetic ion oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs)-loaded DOX@YVO4-MSN in an oscillating AC magnetic field. 2.2

Hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells: polymeric nanoparticle uptake and lineage differentiation

• Ivonne Brüstle,
• Thomas Simmet,
• Gerd Ulrich Nienhaus,
• Katharina Landfester and
• Volker Mailänder

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 383–395, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.38

• cells, including stem cells, in order to study homing and engraftment [1][2] or to deliver drugs. Labeling with iron-containing particles provides the possibility to track the cell fate in vivo by using noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Superparamagentic iron oxide particles (SPIONs) are

Caveolin-1 and CDC42 mediated endocytosis of silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles in HeLa cells

• Nils Bohmer and
• Andreas Jordan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 167–176, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.16

• line. Cells were transfected with specific siRNAs against Caveolin-1, Dynamin 2, Flotillin-1, Clathrin, PIP5Kα and CDC42. Knockdown of Caveolin-1 reduces endocytosis of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (SCIONs) between 23 and 41%, depending

• on the surface characteristics of the nanoparticles and the experimental design. Knockdown of CDC42 showed a 46% decrease of the internalization of PEGylated SPIONs within 24 h incubation time. Knockdown of Dynamin 2, Flotillin-1, Clathrin and PIP5Kα caused no or only minor effects. Hence endocytosis

• nanoparticle species, which are taken up specifically by target cells and exploit their maximum potential. In this study differently modified silica coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and silica coated iron oxide nanoparticles (SCIONs), which were all comparable in their primary size

Effect of spherical Au nanoparticles on nanofriction and wear reduction in dry and liquid environments

• Dave Maharaj and
• Bharat Bhushan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 759–772, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.85

• release of this agent on contact with hydrocarbons is used as an indication of the presence of oil on recovery of the nanoparticles [10]. In contaminant removal, nanocomposites composed of collagen and superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have been investigated. The collagen selectively