Microwave assisted synthesis of Fe3O4 stabilized ZrO2 nanoparticles - Free radical scavenging, radiolabeling and biodistribution in rabbits

Biomedical Applications of Zirconia-Based Nanomaterials: Challenges and Future Perspectives

ZrO₂ nanoparticles have received substantially increased attention in every field of life owing to their wide range of applications. Zirconium oxide is a commercially economical, non-hazardous, and sustainable metal oxide having diversified potential applications. ZrO₂ NPs play a vast role in the domain of medicine and pharmacy such as anticancer, antibacterial, and antioxidant agents and tissue engineering owing to their reliable curative biomedical applications. In this review article, we address all of the medical and biomedical applications of ZrO₂ NPs prepared through various approaches in a critical way. ZrO₂ is a bio-ceramic substance that has received increased attention in biomimetic scaffolds owing to its high mechanical strength, excellent biocompatibility, and high chemical stability. ZrO₂ NPs have demonstrated potential anticancer activity against various cancer cells. ZrO₂-based nanomaterials have exhibited potential antibacterial activity against various bacterial strains and have also demonstrated excellent antioxidant activity. The ZrO₂ nanocomposite also exhibits highly sensitive biosensing activity toward the sensing of glucose and other biological species.

Improved osteointegration response using high strength perovskite BaTiO3 coatings prepared by chemical bath deposition

A wide range of bioactive materials have been investigated for tissue engineering and regeneration. Barium titanate is a promising smart material to be used as scaffold for bone tissue engineering. Barium titanate coatings are prepared in the present study using chemical bath deposition technique. Coatings are prepared at room temperature with the variation in solution molarity from 0.1 to 1.2 M. Perovskite tetragonal phase is observed after annealing the samples at 300 °C using 1.0-1.2 M solutions. Normal-anomalous dielectric response is observed for annealed coatings. Maximum transmission of ∼55% and ∼82% is observed under as-prepared and annealed coatings, respectivly. Variation in direct band gap, i.e. 3.45-3.64 eV, is observed with varying molarity. High hardness of the coatings (∼1180 HV) is observed at 1.2M with fracture toughness of ∼22 MPam^-1/2. Biodegradation studies show smaller values of weight loss even after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) after 26 weeks. Barium titanate coatings also show high antioxidant activity. BaTiO₃'s antibacterial reaction is evaluated against microorganisms such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus. Antibacterial activity shows highest zone of inhibition (∼31 mm) against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Quantitative real-time PCR is used to assess the gene expression profile in cultivated cells. Thus, coatings produced without the use of hazardous solvents/reagents utilizing CBD technique are a potential material for biomedical applications.

Methods for Radiolabelling Nanoparticles: SPECT Use (Part 1)

The use of nanoparticles (NPs) is rapidly increasing in nuclear medicine (NM) for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Their wide use is due to their chemical–physical characteristics and possibility to deliver several molecules. NPs can be synthetised by organic and/or inorganic materials and they can have different size, shape, chemical composition, and charge. These factors influence their biodistribution, clearance, and targeting ability in vivo. NPs can be designed to encapsulate inside the core or bind to the surface several molecules, including radionuclides, for different clinical applications. Either diagnostic or therapeutic radioactive NPs can be synthetised, making a so-called theragnostic tool. To date, there are several methods for radiolabelling NPs that vary depending on both the physical and chemical properties of the NPs and on the isotope used. In this review, we analysed and compared different methods for radiolabelling NPs for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) use.