A combined theoretical and experimental study to improve the thermal stability of recombinant D‐lactate dehydrogenase immobilized on a novel superparamagnetic Fe3O4NPs@metal–organic framework

In silico approaches to investigate enzyme immobilization: a comprehensive systematic review

Enzymes are popular catalysts with many applications, especially in industry. Biocatalyst usage on a large scale is facing some limitations, such as low operational stability, low recyclability, and high enzyme cost. Enzyme immobilization is a beneficial strategy to solve these problems. Bioinformatics tools can often correctly predict immobilization outcomes, resulting in a cost-effective experimental phase with the least time consumed. This study provides an overview of in silico methods predicting immobilization processes via a comprehensive systematic review of published articles till 11 December 2022. It also mentions the strengths and weaknesses of the processes and explains the computational analyses in each method that are required for immobilization assessment. In this regard, Web of Science and Scopus databases were screened to gain relevant publications. After screening the gathered documents (n = 3873), 60 articles were selected for the review. The selected papers have applied in silico procedures including only molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (n = 20), parallel tempering Monte Carlo (PTMC) and MD simulations (n = 3), MD and docking (n = 1), density functional theory (DFT) and MD (n = 1), only docking (n = 11), metal ion binding site prediction (MIB) server and docking (n = 2), docking and DFT (n = 1), docking and analysis of enzyme surfaces (n = 1), only DFT (n = 1), only MIB server (n = 2), analysis of an enzyme structure and surface (n = 12), rational design of immobilized derivatives (RDID) software (n = 3), and dissipative particle dynamics (DPD; n = 2). In most included studies (n = 51), enzyme immobilization was investigated experimentally in addition to in silico evaluation.

Exploring the impact of taurine on the biochemical properties of urate oxidase: response surface methodology and molecular dynamics simulation

This paper investigates the impact of taurine as an additive on the structural and functional stability of urate oxidase. First, the effect of the processing parameters for the stabilization of Urate Oxidase (UOX) using taurine was examined using the response surface methodology (RSM) and the central composite design (CCD) model. Also, the study examines thermodynamic and kinetic parameters as well as structural changes of urate oxidase with and without taurine. Fluorescence intensity changes indicated static quenching during taurine binding. The obtained result indicates that taurine has the ability to preserve the native structural conformation of UOX. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation is conducted in order to get insights into the alterations in the structure of urate oxidase in the absence and presence of taurine under optimal conditions. The molecular dynamics simulation section investigated the formation of hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) between different components as well as analysis of root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuations (RMSF) and secondary structure. Lower Cα-RMSD and RMSF values indicate greater stabilization of the taurine-treated UOX structure compared to the free enzyme. The results of molecular docking indicate that the binding of taurine to the UOX enzyme through hydrophobic interactions is associated with a negative value for the Gibbs free energy.

Comprehensive evaluation of recombinant lactate dehydrogenase production from inclusion bodies

A broad application spectrum ranging from clinical diagnostics to biosensors in a variety of sectors, makes the enzyme Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) highly interesting for recombinant protein production. Expression of recombinant LDH is currently mainly carried out in uncontrolled shake-flask cultivations leading to protein that is mostly produced in its soluble form, however in rather low yields. Inclusion body (IB) processes have gathered a lot of attention due to several benefits like increased space-time yields and high purity of the target product. Thus, to investigate the suitability of this processing strategy for ldhL1 production, a fed-batch fermentation steering the production of IBs rather than soluble product formation was developed. It was shown that the space-time-yield of the fermentation could be increased almost 3-fold by increasing qs to 0.25 g g-1 h-1 which corresponds to 21% of qs,max, and keeping the temperature at 37°C after induction. Solubilization and refolding unit operations were developed to regain full bioactivity of the ldhL1. The systematic approach in screening for solubilization and refolding conditions revealed buffer compositions and processing strategies that ultimately resulted in 50% product recovery in the refolding step, revealing major optimization potential in the downstream processing chain. The recovered ldhL1 showed an optimal activity at pH 5.5 and 30∘C with a high catalytic activity and KM values of 0.46 mM and 0.18 mM for pyruvate and NADH, respectively. These features, show that the here produced LDH is a valuable source for various commercial applications, especially considering low pH-environments.

A Mesoporous Magnetic Fe3O4/BioMOF-13 with a Core/Shell Nanostructure for Targeted Delivery of Doxorubicin to Breast Cancer Cells

In the current project, magnetic Bio-MOF-13 was used as an efficient carrier for the targeted delivery and controlled release of doxorubicin (DOX) to MDA-MB-231 cells. Magnetic Bio-MOF-13 was prepared by two strategies and compared to determine the optimal state of the structure. In the first path, Bio-MOF-13 was grown in situ on the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (core/shell structure), while in the second method, the two presynthesized materials were mixed together (surface composite). Core/shell structure, among prepared nanocomposites, was chosen for biological evaluation due to its favorable structural features like a high accessible surface area and pore volume. Also, it is highly advantageous for drug release due to its ability to selectively release DOX in the acidic pH of breast cancer cells, while preventing any premature release in the neutral pH of the blood. Drug release from the carrier structure is precisely controlled not only by pH but also by an external magnetic field, guaranteeing accurate drug delivery at the intended location. Confocal microscopy and flow cytometry assay clearly confirms the increase in drug concentration in the MDA-MB-231 cell line after external magnet applying. This point, along with the low toxicity of the carrier components, makes it a suitable candidate for injectable medicine. According to MTT results, the percentage of viable MDA-MB-231 cells after treatment with 10 μL of DOX@Fe3O4/Bio-MOF-13 core/shell composite in different concentrations, in the presence and absence of magnetic field is 0.87 ± 0.25 and 2.07 ± 0.15, respectively. As a result, the DOX@Fe3O4/Bio-MOF-13 core/shell composite was performed and approved for targeted drug delivery and magnetic field-assisted controlled release of DOX to the MDA-MB-231 cell line.

One-pot encapsulation of lactate dehydrogenase and Fe3O4 nanoparticles into a metal-organic framework: A novel magnetic recyclable biocatalyst for the synthesis of D-phenyllactic acid

The main challenges in bio-catalysis of d-phenyllactic acid (D-PLA) are poor tolerance of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to harsh environmental conditions and inability to recycle the catalyst. A novel magnetic framework composite was prepared as solid support for the immobilization of enzymes via one-pot encapsulation in this study. LDH/MNPs@MAF-7 was synthesized by the one-pot encapsulation of both LDH and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in MAF-7. The LDH/MNPs@MAF-7 showed stable biological activity for the efficient biosynthesis of D-PLA. The structure and morphology of LDH/MNPs@MAF-7 were systematically characterized by SEM, FT-IR, XRD, VSM, XPS, TGA and N₂ sorption. These indicated that LDH/MNPs@MAF-7 was successfully synthesized, exhibiting enhanced resistance to acid and alkali, temperature and organic solvents. Furthermore, the bio-catalyst could be separated easily using a magnet, and the reusability was once considerably expanded with 80% of enzyme activity last after eight rounds of recycling. Therefore, LDH/MNPs@MAF-7 could be used as a potential biocatalyst for the biosynthesis of D-PLA due to its good stability and recovery properties.

Drug delivery and anticancer activity of biosynthesised mesoporous Fe2 O3 nanoparticles

Mesoporous magnetic nanoparticles of haematite were synthesised using plant extracts according to bioethics principles. The structural, physical and chemical properties of mesoporous Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles synthesised with the green chemistry approach were evaluated by XRD, SEM, EDAX, BET, VSM and HRTEM analysis. Then, their toxicity against normal HUVECs and MCF7 cancer cells was evaluated by MTT assay for 48 h. These biogenic mesoporous magnetic nanoparticles have over 71% of doxorubicin loading efficiency, resulting in a 50% reduction of cancer cells at a 0.5 μg.ml⁻¹ concentration. Therefore, it is suggested that mesoporous magnetic nanoparticles be used as a multifunctional agent in medicine (therapeutic‐diagnostic). The produced mesoporous magnetic nanoparticles with its inherent structural properties such as polygonal structure (increasing surface area to particle volume) and porosity with large pore volume became a suitable substrate for loading the anti‐cancer drug doxorubicin.

pH-responsive cisplatin-loaded niosomes: synthesis, characterization, cytotoxicity study and interaction analyses by simulation methodology

Cisplatin (Cis) is an effective cytotoxic agent, but its administration has been challenged by kidney problems, reduced immunity system, chronic neurotoxicity, and hemorrhage. To address these issues, pH-responsive non-ionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) by Span 60 and Tween 60 derivatized by cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHEMS), a pH-responsive agent, and Ergosterol (helper lipid), were developed for the first time to deliver Cis. The drug was encapsulated in the niosomes with a high encapsulation efficiency of 89%. This system provided a responsive release of Cis in pH 5.4 and 7.4, thereby improving its targeted anticancer drug delivery. The noisome bilayer model was studied by molecular dynamic simulation containing Tween 60, Span 60, Ergosterol, and Cis molecules to understand the interactions between the loaded drug and noisome constituents. We found that the platinum and chlorine atoms in Cis are critical factors in distributing the drug between water and bilayer surface. Finally, the lethal effect of niosomal Cis was investigated on the MCF7 breast cancer cell line using 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results from morphology monitoring and cytotoxic assessments suggested a better cell-killing effect for niosomal Cis than standard Cis. Together, the synthesis of stimuli-responsive niosomes could represent a promising delivery strategy for anticancer drugs.

Facile Photolithographic Fabrication of Zwitterionic Polymer Microneedles with Protein Aggregation Inhibition for Transdermal Drug Delivery

Microneedle technology has received considerable attention in transdermal drug delivery system research owing to its minimally invasive and convenient self-administration with enhanced transdermal transport. The pre-drug loading microneedle method has been developed for several protein and chemical medicines. However, the protein activity and efficacy are severely affected owing to protein aggregation. Herein, we aim to develop non-degradable hydrogel photocross-linkable microneedles for suppressing protein aggregation. Four-point star-shaped microneedles are fabricated via a photolithography process, and sulfobetaine (SPB) monomer is combined with dextran-glycidyl methacrylate/acrylic acid to form the hydrogel network. Incorporating zwitterionic poly-sulfobetaine (poly-SPB) in the microneedles enables the protection of proteins from denaturation even under external stress, releases the proteins in their native state (without activity loss), and exhibits sufficient mechanical strength to penetrate porcine skin. The microneedles exhibit a high drug loading capacity along with an efficient drug release rate. The rhodamine B drug loading and release model shows that the microneedles can load 8 μg of drugs on one microneedle patch of 41 needles and release nearly 80% of its load within 1 h. We anticipate that this pre-drug loading platform and the advanced features of the microneedles can provide an effective option for administering therapeutic drugs.

Green synthesis of bimetallic ZnO-CuO nanoparticles and their cytotoxicity properties

In this study, a simple and green strategy was reported to prepare bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) by the combination of zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper oxide (CuO) using Sambucus nigra L. extract. The physicochemical properties of these NPs such as crystal structure, size, and morphology were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results suggested that these NPs contained polygonal ZnO NPs with hexagonal phase and spherical CuO NPs with monoclinic phase. The anticancer activity of the prepared bimetallic NPs was evaluated against lung and human melanoma cell lines based on MTT assay. As a result, the bimetallic ZnO/CuO NPs exhibited high toxicity on melanoma cancer cells while their toxicity on lung cancer cells was low.

Enhancing stability and by-product tolerance of β-glucuronidase based on magnetic cross-linked enzyme aggregates

β-glucuronidase is an important catalyst which is highly specific for β-glucuronides. Here, we constructed magnetic cross-linking β-glucuronidase aggregates (MCLEAs) to for the production of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA). Before crosslinking via glutaraldehyde, we used carbodiimide to enhance the interaction between enzymes and carboxyl-functionalized Fe₃O₄, efficiently improving the activity recovery. Compared to free enzymes, both k_cat and k_cat/K_m enhanced, indicating that crosslinking and aggregation brought higher catalytic efficiency to enzymes. MCLEAs enhanced pH and thermal stabilities and retained 63.3% of catalytic activity after 6 cycles. More importantly, it was first found that the glucuronic acid tolerance of β-glucuronidase after the formation of MCLEAs enhanced 221.5% in 10 mM of glucuronic acid. According to the Raman spectroscopy, the ordered structure of β-glucuronidase increased from 43.9% to 50.6% after immobilization, which explained the increased stability and tolerance. To sum up, MCLEAs provided an efficient strategy for immobilization of enzymes, which enhanced stability and glucuronic acid tolerance of enzymes. It might be an effective solution to the serious inhibition caused by by-products during the preparation of aglycone from natural glycosides, having a significant applied prospect in industry.

Nanotechnology in Bladder Cancer: Diagnosis and Treatment

Bladder cancer (BC) is the second most common cancer of the urinary tract in men and the fourth most common cancer in women, and its incidence rises with age. There are many conventional methods for diagnosis and treatment of BC. There are some current biomarkers and clinical tests for the diagnosis and treatment of BC. For example, radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy and surgical, but residual tumor cells mostly cause tumor recurrence. In addition, chemotherapy after transurethral resection causes high side effects, and lack of selectivity, and low sensitivity in sensing. Therefore, it is essential to improve new procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of BC. Nanotechnology has recently sparked an interest in a variety of areas, including medicine, chemistry, physics, and biology. Nanoparticles (NP) have been used in tumor therapies as appropriate tools for enhancing drug delivery efficacy and enabling therapeutic performance. It is noteworthy, nanomaterial could be reduced the limitation of conventional cancer diagnosis and treatments. Since, the major disadvantages of therapeutic drugs are their insolubility in an aqueous solvent, for instance, paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the important therapeutic agents utilized to treating BC, due to its ability to prevent cancer cell growth. However, its major problem is the poor solubility, which has confirmed to be a challenge when improving stable formulations for BC treatment. In order to reduce this challenge, anti-cancer drugs can be loaded into NPs that can improve water solubility. In our review, we state several nanosystem, which can effective and useful for the diagnosis, treatment of BC. We investigate the function of metal NPs, polymeric NPs, liposomes, and exosomes accompanied therapeutic agents for BC Therapy, and then focused on the potential of nanotechnology to improve conventional approaches in sensing.

Nanodiagnosis and Nanotreatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: An Overview

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the world’s leading cause of mortality and represent a large contributor to the costs of medical care. Although tremendous progress has been made for the diagnosis of CVDs, there is an important need for more effective early diagnosis and the design of novel diagnostic methods. The diagnosis of CVDs generally relies on signs and symptoms depending on molecular imaging (MI) or on CVD-associated biomarkers. For early-stage CVDs, however, the reliability, specificity, and accuracy of the analysis is still problematic. Because of their unique chemical and physical properties, nanomaterial systems have been recognized as potential candidates to enhance the functional use of diagnostic instruments. Nanomaterials such as gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, lipids, and polymeric nanoparticles represent novel sources to target CVDs. The special properties of nanomaterials including surface energy and topographies actively enhance the cellular response within CVDs. The availability of newly advanced techniques in nanomaterial science opens new avenues for the targeting of CVDs. The successful application of nanomaterials for CVDs needs a detailed understanding of both the disease and targeting moieties.

Multi-Functionalized Nanomaterials and Nanoparticles for Diagnosis and Treatment of Retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is a rare type of cancer, and its treatment, as well as diagnosis, is challenging, owing to mutations in the tumor-suppressor genes and lack of targeted, efficient, cost-effective therapy, exhibiting a significant need for novel approaches to address these concerns. For this purpose, nanotechnology has revolutionized the field of medicine with versatile potential capabilities for both the diagnosis, as well as the treatment, of retinoblastoma via the targeted and controlled delivery of anticancer drugs via binding to the overexpressed retinoblastoma gene. Nanotechnology has also generated massive advancements in the treatment of retinoblastoma based on the use of surface-tailored multi-functionalized nanocarriers; overexpressed receptor-based nanocarriers ligands (folate, galactose, and hyaluronic acid); lipid-based nanocarriers; and metallic nanocarriers. These nanocarriers seem to benchmark in mitigating a plethora of malignant retinoblastoma via targeted delivery at a specified site, resulting in programmed apoptosis in cancer cells. The effectiveness of these nanoplatforms in diagnosing and treating intraocular cancers such as retinoblastoma has not been properly discussed, despite the increasing significance of nanomedicine in cancer management. This article reviewed the recent milestones and future development areas in the field of intraocular drug delivery and diagnostic platforms focused on nanotechnology.

Biochemical, Ameliorative and Cytotoxic Effects of Newly Synthesized Curcumin Microemulsions: Evidence from In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Curcumin is known to exhibit antioxidant and tissue-healing properties and has recently attracted the attention of the biomedical community for potential use in advanced therapies. This work reports the formulation and characterization of oil-in-water F127 microemulsions to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin Microemulsions showed a high encapsulation efficiency and prolonged release. To investigate the interactions of curcumin with one unit of the polymeric chain of surfactant F127, ethyl butyrate, and sodium octanoate, as well as the interaction between ethyl butyrate and one unit of the F127 polymer chain, the Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations at the M06-2X level of theory, were performed in water solution. The MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity of free and encapsulated curcumin on non-malignant and malignant cell lines. Combination effects were calculated according to Chou-Talalay's principles. Results of in vitro studies indicated that MCF7 and HepG2 cells were more sensitive to curcumin microemulsions. Moreover, a synergistic relationship was observed between curcumin microemulsions and cisplatin in all affected fractions of MCF7 and HepG2 cells (CI < 0.9). For in vivo investigation, thioacetamide-intoxicated rats received thioacetamide (100 mg/kg Sc) followed by curcumin microemulsions (30 mg/kg Ip). Thioacetamide-intoxicated rats showed elevated serum liver enzymes, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine levels, and a significant reduction in liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities (p < 0.05). Curcumin microemulsions reduced liver enzymes and serum creatinine and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes in thioacetamide-treated rats in comparison to the untreated thioacetamide-intoxicated group. Histopathological investigations confirmed the biochemical findings. Overall, the current results showed the desirable hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and anti-cancer effects of curcumin microemulsions.

Plant-Based Gums and Mucilages Applications in Pharmacology and Nanomedicine: A Review

Gums are carbohydrate biomolecules that have the potential to bind water and form gels. Gums are regularly linked with proteins and minerals in their construction. Gums have several forms, such as mucilage gums, seed gums, exudate gums, etc. Plant gums are one of the most important gums because of their bioavailability. Plant-derived gums have been used by humans since ancient times for numerous applications. The main features that make them appropriate for use in different applications are high stabilization, viscosity, adhesive property, emulsification action, and surface-active activity. In many pharmaceutical formulations, plant-based gums and mucilages are the key ingredients due to their bioavailability, widespread accessibility, non-toxicity, and reasonable prices. These compete with many polymeric materials for use as different pharmaceuticals in today's time and have created a significant achievement from being an excipient to innovative drug carriers. In particular, scientists and pharmacy industries around the world have been drawn to uncover the secret potential of plant-based gums and mucilages through a deeper understanding of their physicochemical characteristics and the development of safety profile information. This innovative unique class of drug products, useful in advanced drug delivery applications, gene therapy, and biosynthesis, has been developed by modification of plant-based gums and mucilages. In this review, both fundamental and novel medicinal aspects of plant-based gums and mucilages, along with their capacity for pharmacology and nanomedicine, were demonstrated.

Nanomaterials for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Inflammatory Arthritis

Nanomaterials have received increasing attention due to their unique chemical and physical properties for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common complex multifactorial joint-associated autoimmune inflammatory disorder. RA is characterized by an inflammation of the synovium with increased production of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10) and by the destruction of the articular cartilage and bone, and it is associated with the development of cardiovascular disorders such as heart attack and stroke. While a number of imaging tools allow for the monitoring and diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis, and despite ongoing work to enhance their sensitivity and precision, the proper assessment of RA remains difficult particularly in the early stages of the disease. Our goal here is to describe the benefits of applying various nanomaterials as next-generation RA imaging and detection tools using contrast agents and nanosensors and as improved drug delivery systems for the effective treatment of the disease.

Enhancing the sustainability of KsdD as a biocatalyst for steroid transformation by immobilization on epoxy support

The Δ1-dehydrogenation of 3-ketosteroid substrates is a crucial reaction in the production of steroids. Although 3-ketosteroid Δ1-dehydrogenase (KsdD) catalyzes this reaction with high efficiency and selectivity, the low stability and high cost of the purified enzyme catalyst have limited its industrial application. In this study, an epoxy support was used to evaluate the covalent immobilization of KsdD from Pimelobacter simplex, and the best androsta-1,4-diene-317-dione (ADD) production was achieved after optimized immobilization of KsdD enzyme in 1.5 M NaH₂PO₄- Na₂HPO₄ buffer (pH 6.5) for 12 h at 25 °C. The immobilized KsdD exhibited higher tolerance toward 20 % methanol. The dehydrogenation reaction reached a conversion efficiency of up to 90.0 % in 2 h when using 0.6 mg/mL of 4-androstene-317-dione (AD). The W299A and W299 G mutants of KsdD were also immobilized, and both showed the better catalytic performance with higher k_cat/K_M values compared with the wild type (WT). The immobilized W299A, W299 G and WT KsdD respectively maintained 70.5, 65.7 and 38.7 % of their initial activity at the end of 15 reaction cycles. Furthermore, the W299A retained 66.3 % of the initial activity after 30 days of incubation at 4 °C, and was more stable than free KsdD, Thus, the immobilized W299A is a promising biocatalyst for steroid dehydrogenation. In this study, we investigated the application of immobilized enzymes for the dehydrogenation of steroids, which will be of great importance for improving the development of green technology and sustainable use of biocatalysts in the steroid manufacturing industry.

Nanomaterials for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections

The diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) remain challenging due to the lack of convenient assessment techniques and to the resistance to conventional antimicrobial therapy, showing the need for novel approaches to address such problems. In this regard, nanotechnology has a strong potential for both the diagnosis and therapy of UTIs via controlled delivery of antimicrobials upon stable, effective and sustained drug release. On one side, nanoscience allowed the production of various nanomaterial-based evaluation tools as precise, effective, and rapid procedures for the identification of UTIs. On the other side, nanotechnology brought tremendous breakthroughs for the treatment of UTIs based on the use of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) for instance, owing to the antimicrobial properties of metals, or of surface-tailored nanocarriers, allowing to overcome multidrug-resistance and prevent biofilm formation via targeted drug delivery to desired sites of action and preventing the development of cytotoxic processes in healthy cells. The goal of the current study is therefore to present the newest developments for the diagnosis and treatment of UTIs based on nanotechnology procedures in relation to the currently available techniques.

Recent Advances in Nanotechnology-Based Diagnosis and Treatments of Human Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is a type of bone cancer that begins in the cells that form bones.OSA is a rare mesenchymal bone neoplasm derived from mesenchymal stem cells. Genome disorganization, chromosomal modifications, deregulation of tumor suppressor genes, and DNA repair defects are the factors most responsible for OSA development. Despite significant advances in the diagnosing and treatment of OSA, patients' overall survival has not improved within the last twenty years. Lately, advances in modern nanotechnology have spurred development in OSA management and offered several advantages to overcome the drawbacks of conventional therapies. This technology has allowed the practical design of nanoscale devices combined with numerous functional molecules, including tumor-specific ligands, antibodies, anti-cancer drugs, and imaging probes. Thanks to their small sizes, desirable drug encapsulation efficiency, and good bioavailability, functionalized nanomaterials have found wide-spread applications for combating OSA progression. This review invokes the possible utility of engineered nanomaterials in OSA diagnosis and treatment, motivating the researchers to seek new strategies for tackling the challenges associated with it.

Progress in the Application of Nanoparticles and Graphene as Drug Carriers and on the Diagnosis of Brain Infections

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is the protective sheath around the brain that protects the sensitive microenvironments of the brain. However, certain pathogens, viruses, and bacteria disrupt the endothelial barrier and cause infection and hence inflammation in meninges. Macromolecular therapeutics are unable to cross the tight junctions, thereby limiting their bioavailability in the brain. Recently, nanotechnology has brought a revolution in the field of drug delivery in brain infections. The nanostructures have high targeting accuracy and specificity to the receptors in the case of active targeting, which have made them the ideal cargoes to permeate across the BBB. In addition, nanomaterials with biomimetic functions have been introduced to efficiently cross the BBB to be engulfed by the pathogens. This review focuses on the nanotechnology-based drug delivery approaches for exploration in brain infections, including meningitis. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, or, rarely, protozoa or parasites may be the cause of brain infections. Moreover, inflammation of the meninges, called meningitis, is presently diagnosed using laboratory and imaging tests. Despite attempts to improve diagnostic instruments for brain infections and meningitis, due to its complicated and multidimensional nature and lack of successful diagnosis, meningitis appears almost untreatable. Potential for overcoming the difficulties and limitations related to conventional diagnostics has been shown by nanoparticles (NPs). Nanomedicine now offers new methods and perspectives to improve our knowledge of meningitis and can potentially give meningitis patients new hope. Here, we review traditional diagnosis tools and key nanoparticles (Au-NPs, graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), QDs, etc.) for early diagnosis of brain infections and meningitis.

Nanotechnology in ovarian cancer: Diagnosis and treatment

To overcome the drawbacks of conventional delivery, this review spotlights a number of nanoscale drug delivery systems, including nanoparticles, liposomes, nano micelles, branched dendrimers, nanocapsules, and nanostructured lipid formulations for the targeted therapy of ovarian cancer. These nanoformulations offer numerous advantages to promote therapeutic drug delivery such as nontoxicity, biocompatibility, good biodegradability, increased therapeutic impact than free drugs, and non-inflammatory effects. Importantly, the development of specific ligands functionalized nanoformulations enable preferential targeting of ovarian tumors and eventually amplify the therapeutic potential compared to nonfunctionalized counterparts. Ovarian cancer is typically identified by biomarker assessment such as CA125, HE4, Mucin 1, and prostatic. There is, nevertheless, a tremendous demand for less costly, faster, and compact medical tools, both for timely detection and ovarian cancer control. This paper explored multiple types of tumor marker-based on nanomaterial biosensors. Initially, we mention different forms of ovarian cancer biomarkers involving CA125, human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), mucin 1 (MUC1), and prostate. It is accompanied by a brief description of new nanotechnology methods for diagnosis. Nanobiosensors for evaluating ovarian cancer biomarkers can be categorized based on electrochemical, optical, paper-based, giant magnetoresistive, and lab-on-a-chip devices.

Nanomaterials for Diagnosis and Treatment of Brain Cancer: Recent Updates

Brain tumors, especially glioblastoma, remain the most aggressive form of all the cancers because of inefficient diagnosis and profiling. Nanostructures, such as metallic nanostructures, silica nano-vehicles, quantum dots, lipid nanoparticles (NPs) and polymeric NPs, with high specificity have made it possible to permeate the blood–brain barrier (BBB). NPs possess optical, magnetic and photodynamic properties that can be exploited by surface modification, bio composition, contrast agents’ encapsulation and coating by tumor-derived cells. Hence, nanotechnology has brought on a revolution in the field of diagnosis and imaging of brain tumors and cancers. Recently, nanomaterials with biomimetic functions have been introduced to efficiently cross the BBB to be engulfed by deep skin tumors and cancer malignancies for imaging. The review focuses on nanotechnology-based diagnostic and imaging approaches for exploration in brain tumors and cancers. Moreover, the review also summarizes a few strategies to image glioblastoma and cancers by multimodal functional nanocomposites for more precise and accurate clinical diagnosis. Their unique physicochemical attributes, including nanoscale sizes, larger surface area, explicit structural features and ability to encapsulate diverse molecules on their surface, render nanostructured materials as excellent nano-vehicles to cross the blood–brain barrier and convey drug molecules to their target region. This review sheds light on the current progress of various kinds of nanomaterials, such as liposomes, nano-micelles, dendrimers, carbon nanotubes, carbon dots and NPs (gold, silver and zinc oxide NPs), for efficient drug delivery in the treatment and diagnosis of brain cancer.