Fullerene C60 containing porphyrin-like metal center as drug delivery system for ibuprofen drug

Nanosystems for targeted drug Delivery: Innovations and challenges in overcoming the Blood-Brain barrier for neurodegenerative disease and cancer therapy

The evolution of sophisticated nanosystems has revolutionized biomedicine, notably in treating neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. These systems show potential in delivering medication precisely to affected tissues, improving treatment effectiveness while minimizing side effects. Nevertheless, a major hurdle in targeted drug delivery is breaching the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a selective shield separating the bloodstream from the brain and spinal cord. The tight junctions between endothelial cells in brain capillaries create a formidable physical barrier, alongside efflux transporters that expel harmful molecules. This presents a notable challenge for brain drug delivery. Nanosystems present distinct advantages in overcoming BBB challenges, offering enhanced drug efficacy, reduced side effects, improved stability, and controlled release. Despite their promise, challenges persist, such as the BBB's regional variability hindering uniform drug distribution. Efflux transporters can also limit therapeutic agent efficacy, while nanosystem toxicity necessitates rigorous safety evaluations. Understanding the long-term impact of nanomaterials on the brain remains crucial. Additionally, addressing nanosystem scalability, cost-effectiveness, and safety profiles is vital for widespread clinical implementation. This review delves into the advancements and obstacles of advanced nanosystems in targeted drug delivery for neurodegenerative diseases and cancer therapy, with a focus on overcoming the BBB.

Mechanical quantum analysis on the role of transition metals on the delivery of metformin anticancer drug by the boron phosphide nanotube

We scrutinized the impact of doping of X atoms (X = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) on the metformin (MF) drug delivery performance of a BP nanotube (BPNT) using density functional B3LYP calculations. The pristine BPNT was not ideal for the drug delivery of MF because of a weak interaction between the drug and nanotube. Doping of the Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, and Fe into the BPNT surface raised the adsorption energy of MF from -5.3 to -29.1, -28.7, -29.8, -32.1, and -26.9 kcal/mol, respectively, demonstrating that the sensitiveness of the metal-doped BPNT increased after increasing the radius atomic of metals. Ultimately, there was an increase in the adhesion performance and capacity of the MF after X (especially Co atom) doping, making the nanotube suitable for MF drug delivery. The mechanism of MF reaction with the BPNT changed from covalent bonding in the natural environment to hydrogen bonding in the cancerous cells with high acidity.

Carbon Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications: Progress and Outlook

Recent developments in nanoscale materials have found extensive use in various fields, especially in the biomedical industry. Several substantial obstacles must be overcome, particularly those related to nanostructured materials in biomedicine, before they can be used in therapeutic applications. Significant concerns in biomedicine include biological processes, adaptability, toxic effects, and nano-biointerfacial properties. Biomedical researchers have difficulty choosing suitable materials for drug carriers, cancer treatment, and antiviral uses. Carbon nanomaterials are among the various nanoparticle forms that are continually receiving interest for biomedical applications. They are suitable materials owing to their distinctive physical and chemical properties, such as electrical, high-temperature, mechanical, and optical diversification. An individualized, controlled, dependable, low-carcinogenic, target-specific drug delivery system can diagnose and treat infections in biomedical applications. The variety of carbon materials at the nanoscale is remarkable. Allotropes and other forms of the same element, carbon, are represented in nanoscale dimensions. These show promise for a wide range of applications. Carbon nanostructured materials with exceptional mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties include graphene and carbon nanotubes. They can potentially revolutionize industries, including electronics, energy, and medicine. Ongoing investigation and expansion efforts continue to unlock possibilities for these materials, making them a key player in shaping the future of advanced technology. Carbon nanostructured materials explore the potential positive effects of reducing the greenhouse effect. The current state of nanostructured materials in the biomedical sector is covered in this review, along with their synthesis techniques and potential uses.

Core-Hole Excitation Spectra of the Oxides and Hydrates of Fullerene C60 and Azafullerene C59N

The interaction of fullerenes and their derivatives with environmental molecules such as oxygen or water was crucial for the rational design of low-dimensional materials and devices. In this paper, the near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shake-up satellites were employed to distinguish the oxides and hydrates of the fullerene C60 and azafullerene C59N families. The study includes various isomers, such as the open [5,6] and closed [6,6] isomers of C60O, C60H(OH), C60-O-C60, C60H-O-C60H, C59N(OH) and C59N-O-C59N, based on density functional theory. These soft X-ray spectra offered comprehensive insights into the molecular orbitals of these azafullerene molecular groups. The oxygen K-edge NEXAFS, carbon and oxygen K-edge XPS shake-up satellite spectra provided valuable tools for distinguishing oxides or hydrates of fullerene C60 and azafullerene C59N. Our findings could significantly benefit the development of fullerene functional molecular materials and expand the application scope of soft X-ray spectroscopy as a molecular fingerprinting tool for the fullerene family.

Ibuprofen adsorption and detection of pristine, Fe-, Ni-, and Pt-doped boron nitride nanotubes: A DFT investigation

The main challenge has been focused on ibuprofen drug detection and adsorption of boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) doping with transition metal (TM = Fe, Ni, and Pt) atoms using the density functional theory calculation in gas and water phases. The geometrical structures, adsorption energies, solvation energies, and electronic properties were examined. The optimized geometries show that the ibuprofen molecule oriented itself at different bond distances and angles with respect to BNNT surface. The calculated results display exothermic adsorption processes for all ibuprofen/BNNT and ibuprofen/TM-doped BNNT complexes. Ibuprofen molecule can absorb on the Fe-, Ni-, and Pt-doped BNNTs via a stronger interaction than those of pristine BNNT in both gas and water phases in which the Fe doping on N site of BNNT shows the strongest interaction with ibuprofen molecule. The H (head) site of ibuprofen molecule to BNNT surface shows stronger interaction than M (middle) and T (tail) sites. The short of adsorption distance and the large of charge transfer correspond to the high adsorption strength of TM-doped BNNTs toward ibuprofen molecule. Charge analysis confirms the partial charge transfer occurring from the ibuprofen molecule to the BNNTs. The solvation energies in water solution reveal that the ibuprofen molecule adsorbed on TM-doped BNNTs is more soluble than pristine BNNT. The work functions of BNNTs are reduced by ibuprofen adsorption. A short recovery times and suitable desorption temperatures are observed for the ibuprofen desorption on pristine BNNT and TM-doped BNNT surfaces. After ibuprofen adsorption, the energy levels and energy gaps of Fe-, Ni-, and Pt-doped BNNTs are changed in which Ni doping on B atom of BNNT displays the largest change. The quantum molecular characteristics of BNNT will be changed after ibuprofen adsorption. The orbital distributions are occurred around the ibuprofen molecule and doping site. The alteration in the density of states for TM-doped BNNT is considerably more pronounced compared to the pristine BNNT. Drawing from the achieved outcomes, it can be inferred that when employed for the delivery of ibuprofen in biological media, Fe-, Ni-, and Pt-doped BNNTs exhibits the greater suitability for the adsorption and detection of the ibuprofen molecule compared to pristine BNNT.

Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy by Improved Light Energy Capture Efficiency of Porphyrin Photosensitizers

OPINION STATEMENT

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has garnered increasing attention in cancer treatment because of its advantages such as minimal invasiveness and selective destruction. With the development of PDT, impressive progress has been made in the preparation of photosensitizers, particularly porphyrin photosensitizers. However, the limited tissue penetration of the activating light wavelengths and relatively low light energy capture efficiency of porphyrin photosensitizers are two major disadvantages in conventional photosensitizers. Therefore, tissue penetration needs to be enhanced and the light energy capture efficiency of porphyrin photosensitizers improved through structural modifications. The indirect excitation of porphyrin photosensitizers using fluorescent donors (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) has been successfully used to address these issues. In this review, the enhancement of the light energy capture efficiency of porphyrins is discussed.

Efficient delivery of anticancer 5-fluorouracil drug by alkaline earth metal functionalized porphyrin-like porous fullerenes: A DFT study

Finding and developing effective targeted drug delivery systems has emerged as an attractive approach for treating a wide range of diseases. In the present study, the potential of alkaline earth metal functionalized porphyrin-like porous C₂₄N₂₄ fullerenes for delivering 5-fluorouracil (5FU) anticancer drug is assessed using density functional theory calculations. The goal is to evaluate how the addition of alkaline earth metals to C₂₄N₂₄ enhances the adsorption capabilities of this system towards 5FU drug. The adsorption energies and charge transfers are determined in order to evaluate the strength of the interaction between the 5FU and fullerene surfaces. According to the results, adding alkaline earth metals increases the drug's adsorption energy on the C₂₄N₂₄ fullerene. In all cases, the drug molecule interacts with the metal atom through its CO group. Furthermore, the adsorption strength of the 5FU increases with metal atom size (Ca > Mg > Be), which is connected to the polarizability of these atoms. The adsorption energies of 5FU are shown to be highly sensitive on solvent effects and the acidity of the environment. The adsorption strength of 5FU decreases within the solvent (water), allowing it to be released more easily. The moderate adsorption energies and short desorption times of 5FU imply that it is reversibly adsorbed on the functionalized fullerenes.

Insight into the adsorptive removal of ibuprofen using porous carbonaceous materials: A review

Over the last decade, the removal of pharmaceuticals from aquatic bodies has garnered substantial attention from the scientific community. Ibuprofen (IBP), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is released into the environment in pharmaceutical waste as well as medical, hospital, and household effluents. Adsorption technology is a highly efficient approach to reduce the IBP in the aquatic environment, particularly at low IBP concentrations. Due to the exceptional surface properties of carbonaceous materials, they are considered ideal adsorbents for the IBP removal of, with high binding capacity. Given the importance of the topic, the adsorptive removal of IBP from effluent using various carbonaceous adsorbents, including activated carbon, biochar, graphene-based materials, and carbon nanostructures, has been compiled and critically reviewed. Furthermore, the adsorption behavior, binding mechanisms, the most effective parameters, thermodynamics, and regeneration methods as well as the cost analysis were comprehensively reviewed for modified and unmodified carbonaceous adsorbents. The compiled studies on the IBP adsorption shows that the IBP uptake of some carbon-based adsorbents is significantly than that of commercial activated carbons. In the future, much attention is needed for practical utilization and upscaling of the research findings to aid the management and sustainability of water resource.

Multifunctional Carbon-Based Nanoparticles: Theranostic Applications in Cancer Therapy and Diagnosis

Cancer diagnosis and treatment are the most critical challenges in modern medicine. Conventional cancer treatments no longer meet the needs of the health field due to the high rate of mutations and epigenetic factors that have caused drug resistance in tumor cells. Hence, the search for unique methods and factors is quickly expanding. The development of nanotechnology in medicine and the search for a system to integrate treatment and diagnosis to achieve an effective approach to overcome the known limitations of conventional treatment methods have led to the emergence of theranostic nanoparticles and nanosystems based on these nanoparticles. An influential group of these nanoparticles is carbon-based theranostic nanoparticles. These nanoparticles have received significant attention due to their unique properties, such as electrical conductivity, high strength, excellent surface chemistry, and wide range of structural diversity (graphene, nanodiamond, carbon quantum dots, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanohorns). These nanoparticles were widely used in various fields, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, imaging, and biosensors. In this review, we discuss in detail the recent features and advances in carbon-based theranostic nanoparticles and the advanced and diverse strategies used to treat diseases with these nanoparticles.

On the possibility of using the Ti@Si16 superatom as a novel drug delivery carrier for different drugs: A DFT study

The potential application of an experimentally synthesized superatom Ti@Si₁₆ as a novel drug carrier for cisplatin (DDP), isoniazid (INH), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu), and favipiravir (FPV) has been explored by density functional theory. It is observed that the Pt atom of DDP can be effectively absorbed on Ti@Si₁₆ via a "donation-back donation" electron transfer mechanism, resulting in a moderate adsorption energy of -19.95 kcal/mol for DDP@[Ti@Si₁₆]. As for INH, it prefers to combine with Ti@Si₁₆ via the N atom of pyridine ring by forming a strongly polar N-Si bond. Differently, the interaction between Ti@Si₁₆ and the ASA, 5-Fu, and FPV drugs is dominated by the Van der Waals interaction. Our results reveal that DDP@[Ti@Si₁₆] possesses a moderate recovery time under body temperature, which benefits the desorption of DDP from Ti@Si₁₆. More importantly, the release of DDP drug from the Ti@Si₁₆ surface can be effectively controlled by exerting small orientation external electric fields on the DDP@[Ti@Si₁₆] complex. Therefore, this study demonstrates that Ti@Si₁₆ can serve as a promising drug carrier for DDP, and thus will further expand its practical applications in the biomedical field.

Recent Development of Nano-Carbon Material in Pharmaceutical Application: A Review

Carbon nanomaterials have attracted researchers in pharmaceutical applications due to their outstanding properties and flexible dimensional structures. Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have electrical properties, high thermal surface area, and high cellular internalization, making them suitable for drug and gene delivery, antioxidants, bioimaging, biosensing, and tissue engineering applications. There are various types of carbon nanomaterials including graphene, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, nanodiamond, quantum dots and many more that have interesting applications in the future. The functionalization of the carbon nanomaterial surface could modify its chemical and physical properties, as well as improve drug loading capacity, biocompatibility, suppress immune response and have the ability to direct drug delivery to the targeted site. Carbon nanomaterials could also be fabricated into composites with proteins and drugs to reduce toxicity and increase effectiveness in the pharmaceutical field. Thus, carbon nanomaterials are very effective for applications in pharmaceutical or biomedical systems. This review will demonstrate the extraordinary properties of nanocarbon materials that can be used in pharmaceutical applications.

Fullerene Derivatives for Drug Delivery against COVID-19: A Molecular Dynamics Investigation of Dendro[60]fullerene as Nanocarrier of Molnupiravir

In this paper, a theoretical investigation is made regarding the possibility of using a water-soluble derivative of C₆₀ as a drug delivery agent for treating Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Molnupiravir is chosen as the transporting pharmaceutical compound since it has already proved to be very helpful in saving lives in case of hospitalization. According to the proposed formulation, a carboxyfullerene known as dendro[60]fullerene is externally connected with two molnupiravir molecules. Two properly formed nitrogen single bonds (N-N) are used as linkers between the dendro[60]fullerene and the two molnupiravir molecules to create the final form of the C₆₀ derivate/molnupiravir conjugate. The energetics of the developed molecular system and its interaction with water and n-octanol are extensively studied via classical molecular dynamics (MD) using the COMPASS II force field. To study the interactions with water and n-octanol, an appropriate periodic amorphous unit cell is created that contains a single C₆₀ derivative/molnupiravir system surrounded by numerous solvent molecules and simulated via MD in room conditions. In addition, the corresponding solvation-free energies of the investigated drug delivery system are computed and set in contrast with the corresponding properties of the water-soluble dendro[60]fullerene, to test its solubility capabilities.

Toxic Effect of Fullerene and Its Derivatives upon the Transmembrane β2-Adrenergic Receptors

Numerous experiments have revealed that fullerene (C₆₀) and its derivatives can bind to proteins and affect their biological functions. In this study, we explored the interaction between fullerine and the β₂-adrenergic receptor (β₂AR). The MD simulation results show that fullerene binds with the extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) and intracellular loop 2 (ICL2) of β₂AR through hydrophobic interactions and π–π stacking interactions. In the C₆₀_in1 trajectory, due to the π–π stacking interactions of fullerene molecules with PHE and PRO residues on ICL2, ICL2 completely flipped towards the fullerene direction and the fullerene moved slowly into the lipid membrane. When five fullerene molecules were placed on the extracellular side, they preferred to stack into a stable fullerene cluster (a deformed tetrahedral aggregate), and had almost no effect on the structure of β₂AR. The hydroxyl groups of fullerene derivatives (C₆₀(OH)_X, X represents the number of hydroxyl groups, X = 4, 8) can form strong hydrogen bonds with the ECL2, helix6, and helix7 of β₂AR. The hydroxyl groups firmly grasp the β₂AR receptor like several claws, blocking the binding entry of ligands. The simulation results show that fullerene and fullerene derivatives may have a significant effect on the local structure of β₂AR, especially the distortion of helix4, but bring about no great changes within the overall structure. It was found that C₆₀ did not compete with ligands for binding sites, but blocked the ligands’ entry into the pocket channel. All the above observations suggest that fullerene and its derivatives exhibit certain cytotoxicity.

Fabrication and Molecular Modeling of Navette-Shaped Fullerene Nanorods Using Tobacco Mosaic Virus as a Nanotemplate

To date, metallization studies have been performed with the nanometer-scale template, Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV). Here we show that fullerenes as well can be deposited on TMV coat protein in a controlled manner. Two methods were followed for the coating process. First, underivatized fullerene was dispersed in different solvents to bring the underivatized fullerene and wild-type TMV together. Improved depositions were obtained with the fullerene dicarboxylic derivative synthesized via the Bingel method. The form of the coating was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Our results demonstrate that the coating efficiency with the carboxy derivative was much better compared to the underivatized fullerene. The goal of coupling a carbon nanoparticle to a biological molecule, the viral coat of TMV, was achieved with the carboxy derivative of fullerene, resulting in the production of navette-shaped nanorods. The interactions between carboxyfullerenes and TMV were investigated through modeling with computational simulations and Gaussian-based density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the Gaussian09 program package. The theoretical calculations supported the experimental findings. This inexpensive and untroublesome method promises new fullerene hybrid nanomaterials in particular shapes and structures.

Alkali metal decorated C60 fullerenes as promising materials for delivery of the 5-fluorouracil anticancer drug: a DFT approach

The development of effective drug delivery vehicles is essential for the targeted administration and/or controlled release of drugs. Using first-principles calculations, the potential of alkali metal (AM = Li, Na, and K) decorated C60 fullerenes for delivery of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) is explored. The adsorption energies of the 5FU on a single AM atom decorated C60 are -19.33, -16.58, and -14.07 kcal mol-1 for AM = Li, Na, and K, respectively. The results, on the other hand, show that up to 12 Li and 6 Na or K atoms can be anchored on the exterior surface of the C60 fullerene simultaneously, each of which can interact with a 5FU molecule. Because of the moderate adsorption energies and charge-transfer values, the 5FU can be simply separated from the fullerene at ambient temperature. Furthermore, the results show that the 5FU may be easily protonated in the target cancerous tissues, which facilitates the release of the drug from the fullerene. The inclusion of solvent effects tends to decrease the 5FU adsorption energies in all 5FU-fullerene complexes. This is the first report on the high capability of AM decorated fullerenes for delivery of multiple 5FU molecules utilizing a C60 host molecule.

Drug Delivery With Carbon-Based Nanomaterials as Versatile Nanocarriers: Progress and Prospects

With growing interest, a large number of researches have been conducted on carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs). However, their uses are limited due to comprehensive potential environmental and human health effects. It is often confusing for researchers to make an informed choice regarding the versatile carbon-based nanocarrier system and its potential applications. This review has highlighted emerging applications and cutting-edge progress of CBNs in drug delivery. Some critical factors like enzymatic degradation, surface modification, biological interactions, and bio-corona have been discussed here. These factors will help to fabricate CBNs for effective drug delivery. This review also addresses recent advancements in carbon-based target specific and release controlled drug delivery to improve disease treatment. The scientific community has turned their research efforts into the development of novel production methods of CBNs to make their production more attractive to the industrial sector. Due to the nanosize and diversified physical properties, these CBNs have demonstrated distinct biological interaction. Thus long-term preclinical toxicity study is recommended before finally translating to clinical application.

Recent advances in carbon nanomaterials for biomedical applications: A review

With the emergence of new pathogens like coronavirus disease 2019 and the prevalence of cancer as one of the leading causes of mortality globally, the effort to develop appropriate materials to address these challenges is a critical research area. Researchers around the world are investigating new types of materials and biological systems to fight against various diseases that affect humans and animals. Carbon nanostructures with their properties of straightforward functionalization, capability for drug loading, biocompatibility, and antiviral properties have become a major focus of biomedical researchers. However, reducing toxicity, enhancing biocompatibility, improving dispersibility, and enhancing water solubility have been challenging for carbon-based biomedical systems. The goal of this article is to provide a review on the latest progress involving the use of carbon nanostructures, namely fullerenes, graphene, and carbon nanotubes, for drug delivery, cancer therapy, and antiviral applications.

DFT calculations towards the geometry optimization, electronic structure, infrared spectroscopy and UV-vis analyses of Favipiravir adsorption on the first-row transition metals doped fullerenes; a new strategy for COVID-19 therapy

With the global epidemic of the COVID-19 virus, extensive and rapid research on drug therapy is underway around the world. In this regard, one of the most widely studied drugs is Favipiravir. Our aim in this paper is to conduct comprehensive research based on the Density Functional Theory (DFT) on the potential of metallofullerenes as suitable drug carriers. The surface interaction of Favipiravir with organometallic compound resulted by doping of the five transition metals of the first row of the periodic table (Ti, Cr, Cr, Fe, Ni, and Zn) was examined in depth to select the most suitable metallofullerenes. First, the adsorption geometries of Favipiravir drug onto each metallofullerene were deeply investigated. It was found that Cr-, Fe-, and Ni-doped fullerenes provide the excellent adsorbent property with adsorption energies of -148.2, -149.6, and -146.6 kJ/mol, respectively. The Infrared spectroscopy (IR) study was conducted to survey the stretching vibration of bonds involving in the systems, specialty the CO in the drug, CM in the metallofullerene, and MO in the metallofullerene-drug complex. Finally, the UV-vis analysis showed that the absorption spectra for the studied systems may be attributed to the transition from π-π* and/or n-π*.

The recent advancement of low-dimensional nanostructured materials for drug delivery and drug sensing application: A brief review

In this review article, we have presented a detailed analysis of the recent advancement of quantum mechanical calculations in the applications of the low-dimensional nanomaterials (LDNs) into biomedical fields like biosensors and drug delivery systems development. Biosensors play an essential role for many communities, e.g. law enforcing agencies to sense illicit drugs, medical communities to remove overdosed medications from the human and animal body etc. Besides, drug delivery systems are theoretically being proposed for many years and experimentally found to deliver the drug to the targeted sites by reducing the harmful side effects significantly. In current COVID-19 pandemic, biosensors can play significant roles, e.g. to remove experimental drugs during the human trials if they show any unwanted adverse effect etc. where the drug delivery systems can be potentially applied to reduce the side effects. But before proceeding to these noble and expensive translational research works, advanced theoretical calculations can provide the possible outcomes with considerable accuracy. Hence in this review article, we have analyzed how theoretical calculations can be used to investigate LDNs as potential biosensor devices or drug delivery systems. We have also made a very brief discussion on the properties of biosensors or drug delivery systems which should be investigated for the biomedical applications and how to calculate them theoretically. Finally, we have made a detailed analysis of a large number of recently published research works where theoretical calculations were used to propose different LDNs for bio-sensing and drug delivery applications.