Albumin-based nanoparticles as contrast medium for MRI: vascular imaging, tissue and cell interactions, and pharmacokinetics of second-generation nanoparticles

Biomedical Application Prospects of Gadolinium Oxide Nanoparticles for Regenerative Medicine

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

The aim was to study the possibilities of biomedical application of gadolinium oxide nanoparticles (Gd2O3 NPs) synthesized under industrial conditions, and evaluate their physicochemical properties, redox activity, biological activity, and safety using different human cell lines.

METHODS

The powder of Gd2O3 NPs was obtained by a process of thermal decomposition of gadolinium carbonate precipitated from nitrate solution, and was studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX). The redox activity of different concentrations of Gd2O3 NPs was studied by the optical spectroscopy (OS) method in the photochemical degradation process of methylene blue dye upon irradiation with an optical source. Biological activity was studied on different human cell lines (keratinocytes, fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)) with evaluation of the effect of a wide range of Gd2O3 NP concentrations on metabolic and proliferative cellular activity (MTT test, direct cell counting, dead cell assessment, and visual assessment of cytoarchitectonics). The test of migration activity assessment on a model wound was performed on MSC culture.

RESULTS

According to TEM data, the size of the NPs was in the range of 2-43 nm, with an average of 20 nm. XRD analysis revealed that the f Gd2O3 nanoparticles had a cubic structure (C-form) of Gd2O3 (Ia3)¯ with lattice parameter a = 10.79(9) Å. Raman spectroscopy showed that the f Gd2O3 nanoparticles had a high degree of crystallinity. By investigating the photooxidative degradation of methylene blue dye in the presence of f Gd2O3 NPs under red light irradiation, it was found that f Gd2O3 nanoparticles showed weak antioxidant activity, which depended on the particle content in the solution. At a concentration of 10-3 M, the highest antioxidant activity of f Gd2O3 nanoparticles was observed when the reaction rate constant of dye photodegradation decreased by 5.5% to 9.4 × 10-3 min-1. When the concentration of f Gd2O3 NPs in solution was increased to 10-2 M upon irradiation with a red light source, their antioxidant activity changed to pro-oxidant activity, accompanied by a 15% increase in the reaction rate of methylene blue degradation. Studies on cell lines showed a high level of safety and regenerative potential of Gd2O3 NPs, which stimulated fibroblast metabolism at a concentration of 10-3 M (27% enhancement), stimulated keratinocyte metabolism at concentrations of 10-3 M-10-5 M, and enhanced keratinocyte proliferation by an average of 35% at concentrations of 10-4 M. Furthermore, it accelerated the migration of MSCs, enhancing their proliferation, and promoting the healing of the model wound.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the study demonstrated the safety and regenerative potential of redox-active Gd2O3 NPs towards different cell lines. This may be the basis for further research to develop nanomaterials based on Gd2O3 NPs for skin wound healing and in regenerative medicine generally.

Harnessing the Potential of Graphene Quantum Dots for Multifunctional Biomedical Applications

The existing and emerging demand for materials for life and health has contributed to the cultivation and development of respective markets. Nevertheless, the current generation of biomedical materials has yet to fully satisfy the clinical requirements of the market, which is still in its relative infancy. Research and development in this area must be prioritized in light of the pivotal role of new life and health materials in the biological field. Among many life and health materials, GQDs, an emerging nanomaterial, exhibit considerable promise in the biomedical field, primarily due to their exceptional properties. Furthermore, the direct preparation and functionalization of GQDs have facilitated the development of specific functional composites based on GQDs. The biological applications of GQDs are undergoing rapid growth, which makes it necessary to publish a review article presenting the latest advances in this field. This review provides an overview of the significant advances in synthesizing GQDs, the techniques employed for structural characterizations, and the properties that have been elucidated. Furthermore, it presents recent findings on applying GQDs in antimicrobial, anticancer, biosensing, drug delivery, and bioimaging applications. Finally, it explores the potential of GQDs in biomedicine and biotechnology, highlighting the current challenges that remain to be addressed.

Multifunctional and stimuli-responsive liposomes in hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis and therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent type of liver cancer, mainly occurring in Asian countries with an increased incidence rate globally. Currently, several kinds of therapies have been deployed for HCC therapy including surgical resection, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. However, this tumor is still incurable, requiring novel strategies for its treatment. The nanomedicine has provided the new insights regarding the treatment of cancer that liposomes as lipid-based nanoparticles, have been widely applied in cancer therapy due to their biocompaitiblity, high drug loading and ease of synthesis and modification. The current review evaluates the application of liposomes for the HCC therapy. The drugs and genes lack targeting ability into tumor tissues and cells. Therefore, loading drugs or genes on liposomes can increase their accumulation in tumor site for HCC suppression. Moreover, the stimuli-responsive liposomes including pH-, redox- and light-sensitive liposomes are able to deliver drug into tumor microenvironment to improve therapeutic index. Since a number of receptors upregulate on HCC cells, the functionalization of liposomes with lactoferrin and peptides can promote the targeting ability towards HCC cells. Moreover, phototherapy can be induced by liposomes through loading phtoosensitizers to stimulate photothermal- and photodynamic-driven ablation of HCC cells. Overall, the findings are in line with the fact that liposomes are promising nanocarriers for the treatment of HCC.

Advances in Nanoliposomes for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Liver Cancer

The mortality rate of liver cancer is gradually increasing worldwide due to the increasing risk factors such as fatty liver, diabetes, and alcoholic cirrhosis. The diagnostic methods of liver cancer include ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), among others. The treatment of liver cancer includes surgical resection, transplantation, ablation, and chemoembolization; however, treatment still faces multiple challenges due to its insidious development, high rate of recurrence after surgical resection, and high failure rate of transplantation. The emergence of liposomes has provided new insights into the treatment of liver cancer. Due to their excellent carrier properties and maneuverability, liposomes can be used to perform a variety of functions such as aiding in imaging diagnoses, combinatorial therapies, and integrating disease diagnosis and treatment. In this paper, we further discuss such advantages.