Ferroptosis induction by engineered liposomes for enhanced tumor therapy

• Alireza Ghasempour,
• Mohammad Amin Tokallou,
• Mohammad Reza Naderi Allaf,
• Mohsen Moradi,
• Hamideh Dehghan,
• Mahsa Sedighi,
• Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi and
• Fahimeh Lavi Arab

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1325–1349, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.97

• , pyroptosis, and autophagy. Like apoptosis, ferroptosis is a mitochondrial-related process in which the mitochondrial membrane is wrinkled and condensed, and its protrusions disappear [25]. In addition to mitochondria, membrane-bound organelles are also involved in ferroptosis. Ferroptosis is triggered by

• FSP1-CoQ is an antioxidant system that acts only on GPX4-depleted cells [76][77][78]. It is also important to note that its functionality is restricted to the cell membrane [76]. Despite the role of mitochondria in oxidative metabolism and as a site of glutaminolysis, their role in ferroptosis is

• unclear and controversial. Also, peroxidation of their membrane phospholipid, cardiolipin, has not been observed in ferroptosis. Nevertheless, it may theoretically play a unique role as it contributes to metabolic functions such as the ETC carbon transfer chain. Also, mitochondria can support the process

Soft materials nanoarchitectonics: liquid crystals, polymers, gels, biomaterials, and others

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1025–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.77

Shape, membrane morphology, and morphodynamic response of metabolically active human mitochondria revealed by scanning ion conductance microscopy

• Eric Lieberwirth,
• Anja Schaeper,
• Regina Lange,
• Ingo Barke,
• Simone Baltrusch and
• Sylvia Speller

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 951–967, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.73

• , Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.16.73 Abstract Mitochondrial network dynamics play a key role in enabling cells to adapt to environmental changes. Fusion and fission of mitochondria, as well as their contact with other organelles, are central processes

• . Consequently, the outer membrane, which separates the mitochondrion from the cytoplasm, has become a focus of investigation. We analysed metabolically active mitochondria from HeLa cells using scanning ion conductance microscopy to generate nanoscopically resolved, three-dimensional topographies. Our

• measurements reveal the diversity of mitochondrial shapes. Moreover, a morphodynamic effect was identified, the magnitude of which depends on mitochondrial viability. This method, applied for the first time to mitochondria, shows potential for visualising the morphodynamic responses of mitochondria to their

Nanomaterials in targeting amyloid-β oligomers: current advances and future directions for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and therapy

• Shiwani Randhawa,
• Trilok Chand Saini,
• Manik Bathla,
• Rahul Bhardwaj,
• Rubina Dhiman and
• Amitabha Acharya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 561–580, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.44

• Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD). This process, coupled with oxidative stress pathways originating from mitochondrial dysfunction, facilitates the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria. This release is a key event that promotes caspase activation, initiating pro-apoptotic signaling that

Radiosensitizing properties of dual-functionalized carbon nanostructures loaded with temozolomide

• Radmila Milenkovska,
• Nikola Geskovski,
• Dushko Shalabalija,
• Ljubica Mihailova,
• Petre Makreski,
• Dushko Lukarski,
• Igor Stojkovski,
• Maja Simonoska Crcarevska and
• Kristina Mladenovska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 229–251, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.18

• , mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum), that NDs and CNTs aggregate in big clusters into the cells, and that some of these aggregates are wrapped by extended cell synapses. Although NDs and CNTs were taken up by the cells to a greater extent, the cell membranes remained intact in contrast to the ruptured

Clays enhanced with niobium: potential in wastewater treatment and reuse as pigment with antibacterial activity

• Silvia Jaerger,
• Patricia Appelt,
• Mario Antônio Alves da Cunha,
• Fabián Ccahuana Ayma,
• Ricardo Schneider,
• Carla Bittencourt and
• Fauze Jacó Anaissi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 141–154, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.13

• dye with the enzyme succinate dehydrogenase (present in the mitochondria), leading to the formation of a salt called Formazan with a pink-reddish color. Characterization X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements of the powder were conducted using a Rigaku BEartLab SE 3 kW diffractometer equipped with Cu Kα

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

• ADP/ATP translocase in the mitochondria, ultimately leading to KCs apoptosis. When encapsulated in liposome in combination with nintedanib, a triple tyrosine kinase inhibitor, there is also a reduction in the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, which enhances the antifibrotic effects. This has been

Biomimetic nanocarriers: integrating natural functions for advanced therapeutic applications

• Hugo Felix Perini,
• Beatriz Sodré Matos,
• Carlo José Freire de Oliveira and
• Marcos Vinicius da Silva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1619–1626, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.127

• neuronal mitochondria, as evidenced by fluorescence intensities identified in brain homogenates, and reduced Aβ1 deposition, demonstrating the ability of the nanocomposite to cross the BBB [71]. Inorganic nanoparticles exhibit unique optical, magnetic, and chemical properties and stability. Gold

Liver-targeting iron oxide nanoparticles and their complexes with plant extracts for biocompatibility

• Shushanik A. Kazaryan,
• Seda A. Oganian,
• Gayane S. Vardanyan,
• Anatolie S. Sidorenko and
• Ashkhen A. Hovhannisyan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1593–1602, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.125

• hepatotoxicity and cause inflammatory reactions [31][40][41][42][43]. Askri et al. demonstrated the weakness of the antioxidant barrier against these iron nanoparticles [31]. When Fe3O4 NPs accumulate in lysosomes and release iron ions from their structure, this leads to the dysfunction of mitochondria

• Fe3O4 NPs on liver tissue revealed practically no direct hepatotoxic properties. Increases in ALT and AST activities in some groups (Figure 1 and Figure 2) may be associated with effects of these agents also on the mitochondria of other cell types. Toxicity in cells leads to weakened mitochondrial

Cholesterol nanoarchaeosomes for alendronate targeted delivery as an anti-endothelial dysfunction agent

• Horacio Emanuel Jerez,
• Yamila Roxana Simioni,
• Kajal Ghosal,
• Maria Jose Morilla and
• Eder Lilia Romero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 517–534, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.46

• presence of ALN did not affect its organization (Figure 7A). (ii) Different from HUVECs, the formulations did not cause mitochondria membrane potential hyperpolarization; only nanoARC(ALN) caused a slight but significant hypopolarization (Figure 7B). (iii) The ATP levels were sensitive to the formulations

• metalloproteases substrate (FS-6), Sephadex G-50, lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli 0111:B4 (LPS), Mitochondria Staining Kit (JC-1 dye), valinomycin, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), dexamethasone (DEX), ammonium persulfate, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), gelatin from bovine skin type B, and BSA

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

• -organic NPs with ultrasound-responsive properties to target mitochondria [81]. Through the camouflage of the cancer cell membrane, the NPs can avoid clearance and target homologous mitochondria [81]. Tumor cells can be killed by the multiple effects of SDT, and the subsequently released tumor-associated

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

• effect, and further accumulation within mitochondria [95]. Barthel et al. developed mixed-layer ABC triblock terpolymer mixed PEO shell nanomicelles of a size below 30 nm, based on poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(allyl glycidyl ether)-b-poly(tert-butyl glycidyl ether) (PEO-b-PAGE-b-PtBGE). The PAGE segment

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

• temperature elevation by the photothermal effect induces gel–sol transition of the nanomedicine, which the release of encapsulated cisplatin from the hydrogel. Mitochondria-targeting photothermal therapy was accomplished by two-dimensional nanoassemblies, prepared from β-CyD-grafted graphene oxide and

Engineered titania nanomaterials in advanced clinical applications

• Padmavati Sahare,
• Paulina Govea Alvarez,
• Juan Manual Sanchez Yanez,
• Gabriel Luna-Bárcenas,
• Samik Chakraborty,
• Sujay Paul and
• Miriam Estevez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 201–218, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.15

• tumor removal with no evident recurrence, along with relatively high therapeutic biosafety extending their future biomedical application [115]. Recently, PTT and PDT methods that target mitochondria have been developed as new treatment techniques for enhancing therapeutic efficacy. Since mitochondria

• are the cell key energy centers and are extremely sensitive to heat shock, they contribute to apoptotic cell death by generating ROS. As a result, by lowering the intensity of laser power and dosage, mitochondria-targeted PDT and PTT would provide better results. In the study of Mou and co-workers, a

• unique type of self-doped green TiO2 (G-TiO2−x) was irreversibly produced from black titania (B-TiO2−x) applying intense ultrasonication, as shown schematically in Figure 8A. The G-TiO2−x has been conjugated to triphenylphosphonium (TPP), a lipophilic cation that binds to the mitochondria through

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

• anticancer photodynamic therapy [140][141], in which this combined approach induces mitochondria-dependent apoptosis (70% of cell viability inhibition) in a human head and neck cancer cell line (AMC-HN3), as compared to individually using F-CUR (10% inhibition) or phototherapy (50% inhibition). The apoptosis

The role of convolutional neural networks in scanning probe microscopy: a review

• Ido Azuri,
• Irit Rosenhek-Goldian,
• Neta Regev-Rudzki,
• Georg Fantner and
• Sidney R. Cohen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 878–901, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.66

• widely applicable for different image segmentation tasks encompassing both 2D and 3D image types. The authors demonstrated segmentation of membranes, mitochondria, and nuclei for images of a mouse brain slice using different microscopic techniques such as CT X-ray microscopy, electron tomography

• , fluorescence microscopy, and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBEM) micrographs [108]. Deep learning techniques have been developed for segmentation and tracing of neurons in volume electron microscopy for synaptic connectivity reconstruction. Mitochondria, synapses, axons, dendrites, spines

• localization microscopy and wide-field images. High-quality, super-resolution images of microtubules, nuclear pores, and mitochondria can be reconstructed from low-resolution images with two orders of magnitude fewer frames than usual. This shortens acquisition time and reduces sample irradiation [119]. Deep

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

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

• clusters in microbes [47] or mitochondria [48] by HIM-SIMS. Nevertheless, the current mass resolution of the spectrometers allows for several interesting applications in biology, which comprise biomineralisation, microbial corrosion, and interactions between nanoparticles and cells or tissues. Alternative

Rational design of block copolymer self-assemblies in photodynamic therapy

• Maxime Demazeau,
• Laure Gibot,
• Anne-Françoise Mingotaud,
• Patricia Vicendo,
• Clément Roux and
• Barbara Lonetti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 180–212, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.15

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

• shown) and various cell organelles (Figure 3A–D). PCL- and PLLA-NPs were observed inside the cells but not in co-localization with mitochondria, the Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum or lysosomes. Both NP types were found predominantly close to the nucleus. PCL- and PLLA-NP uptake was also assessed

• the cells (arrows) (C; scale bar: 2 µm) and co-localized with heterolysosomes (arrows) (F; scale bar: 1 µm). Nuc = nucleus, HL = heterolysosomes, Rib = free ribosomes; Mi = mitochondria; Go = Golgi apparatus; ER = endoplasmic reticulum. Concentrations were [24.9 µg/mL] PLLA- or PCL-NPs and [160.3 µg

• /mL] Au-NPs. Representative microscopic images of rBCEC4 cells stained for various cell organelles (green) exposed to PCL- (A, B) or PLLA-NPs (C, D) for 24 h. No NPs (red) were found in mitochondria (ATPB-positive organelles) (A), Golgi apparatus (giantin-positive organelles) (B), lysosomes (LAMP1

The systemic effect of PEG-nGO-induced oxidative stress in vivo in a rodent model

• Qura Tul Ain,
• Samina Hyder Haq,
• Abeer Alshammari,
• Moudhi Abdullah Al-Mutlaq and
• Muhammad Naeem Anjum

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 901–911, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.91

• kinds of SOD exist in all organs of mammals. SOD1, SOD2, and SOD3 are present in the cytoplasm, mitochondria, and extracellular, respectively. SOD converts the superoxide (O2−) produced due to the xenobiotic into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. The amount of SOD present in the brain, heart, liver, and

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

• specific organelles such as mitochondria or the nucleus. In this review, some of the recent advances of the different targeting approaches investigated in the last years will be presented. Additionally, the development of sophisticated strategies that allow for the sequential targeting of cells and

• organelles, such as nucleus or mitochondria [41][42]. This enables the precise delivery of therapeutics to key organelles of the cells, which could significantly increase their cytotoxic effect. Mitochondria are the energetic plants of the cells. In addition, they carry out other important functions such as

• external surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with rhodamine-110 to localize them close to the mitochondria membrane [43]. The positive charge provided by rhodamine-110 provokes the electrostatic binding with the highly negative mitochondria membrane (−180 mV to −160 mV). These MWCNTs were

Characterization and influence of hydroxyapatite nanopowders on living cells

• Przemyslaw Oberbek,
• Tomasz Bolek,
• Adrian Chlanda,
• Seishiro Hirano,
• Sylwia Kusnieruk,
• Julia Rogowska-Tylman,
• Ganna Nechyporenko,
• Viktor Zinchenko,
• Wojciech Swieszkowski and
• Tomasz Puzyn

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3079–3094, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.286

• interaction of HAp nanoobjects with cells when they are in the interior of the cells instead of being outside in close proximity. The growth stimulation in cells is probably related to a boost of PO43− that are a product of HAp dissolution. Phosphate groups can be used for ATP synthesis in mitochondria [63

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

• apoptotic induction upon CaP@5-FU NP incubation occurred inside the cells. The 5-FU-mediated inhibition of the thymidylate synthase causes the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria through the mitochondrial membrane channel by the interaction of BAX and BAK proteins. Located on the outer mitochondrial