Advanced metal and carbon nanostructures for medical, drug delivery and bio-imaging applications

Berberine and berberine nanoformulations in cancer therapy: Focusing on lung cancer

Lung cancer is the second most prevalent cancer and ranks first in cancer-related death worldwide. Due to the resistance development to conventional cancer therapy strategies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, various natural products and their extracts have been revealed as alternatives. Berberine (BBR), which is present in the stem, root, and bark of various trees, could exert anticancer activities by regulating tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, metastasis, angiogenesis, and immune responses via modulating several signaling pathways within the tumor microenvironment. Due to its poor water solubility, poor pharmacokinetics/bioavailability profile, and extensive p-glycoprotein-dependent efflux, BBR application in (pre) clinical studies is restricted. To overcome these limitations, BBR can be encapsulated in nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery systems, as monotherapy or combinational therapy, and improve BBR therapeutic efficacy. Nanoformulations also facilitate the selective delivery of BBR into lung cancer cells. In addition to the anticancer activities of BBR, especially in lung cancer, here we reviewed the BBR nanoformulations, including polymeric NPs, metal-based NPs, carbon nanostructures, and others, in the treatment of lung cancer.

Nanomaterials Based Multifunctional Bioactivities of V2O5 and Mesoporous Carbon@V2O5 Composite: Preparation and Characterization

Nanocarriers have attracted considerable interest due to their prospective applications in the delivery of anticancer medications and their distinct bioactivities. Biogenic nanostructures can be effective nanocarriers for delivering drugs as a consequence of sustainable and biodegradable biomass-derived nanostructures that perform specific functions. In this case, a vanadium oxide (V2O5) and mesoporous carbon@V2O5 (C@V) composite was developed as a possible drug delivery system, and its bioactivities, including antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer, were investigated. Doxorubicin (DOX), an anticancer drug, was introduced to the nanoparticles, and the loading and release investigation was conducted. Strong interfacial interactions between mesoporous carbon (MC) and V2O5 nanostructures have been found to improve performance in drug loading and release studies and bioactivities. After incubation, the potent anticancer effectiveness was seen based on C@V nanocomposite. This sample was also utilized to research potential biomedical uses as an antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer. The most effective antioxidant, the C@V sample (61.2%), exhibited a higher antioxidant activity than the V-2 sample (44.61%). The C@V sample ultimately attained a high DOX loading efficacy of 88%, in comparison to a pure V2O5 sample (V-2) loading efficacy of 80%. Due to the combination of mesoporous carbon and V2O5, which increases specific surface area and surface sites of action as well as the morphology, it proved that the mesoporous carbon@V2O5 composite (C@V) sample demonstrated greater efficacy.

In situ peptide assemblies for bacterial infection imaging and treatment

Bacterial infections, especially antibiotic-resistant ones, remain a major threat to human health. Advances in nanotechnology have led to the development of numerous antimicrobial nanomaterials. Among them, in situ peptide assemblies, formed by biomarker-triggered self-assembly of peptide-based building blocks, have received increasing attention due to their unique merits of good spatiotemporal controllability and excellent disease accumulation and retention. In recent years, a variety of "turn on" imaging probes and activatable antibacterial agents based on in situ peptide assemblies have been developed, providing promising alternatives for the treatment and diagnosis of bacterial infections. In this review, we introduce representative design strategies for in situ peptide assemblies and highlight the bacterial infection imaging and treatment applications of these supramolecular materials. Besides, current challenges in this field are proposed.

Package delivered: folate receptor-mediated transporters in cancer therapy and diagnosis

Neoplasias pose a significant threat to aging society, underscoring the urgent need to overcome the limitations of traditional chemotherapy through pioneering strategies. Targeted drug delivery is an evolving frontier in cancer therapy, aiming to enhance treatment efficacy while mitigating undesirable side effects. One promising avenue utilizes cell membrane receptors like the folate receptor to guide drug transporters precisely to malignant cells. Based on the cellular folate receptor as a cancer cell hallmark, targeted nanocarriers and small molecule-drug conjugates have been developed that comprise different (bio) chemistries and/or mechanical properties with individual advantages and challenges. Such modern folic acid-conjugated stimuli-responsive drug transporters provide systemic drug delivery and controlled release, enabling reduced dosages, circumvention of drug resistance, and diminished adverse effects. Since the drug transporters' structure-based de novo design is increasingly relevant for precision cancer remediation and diagnosis, this review seeks to collect and debate the recent approaches to deliver therapeutics or diagnostics based on folic acid conjugated Trojan Horses and to facilitate the understanding of the relevant chemistry and biochemical pathways. Focusing exemplarily on brain and breast cancer, recent advances spanning 2017 to 2023 in conjugated nanocarriers and small molecule drug conjugates were considered, evaluating the chemical and biological aspects in order to improve accessibility to the field and to bridge chemical and biomedical points of view ultimately guiding future research in FR-targeted cancer therapy and diagnosis.

A comprehensive review of cancer therapies mediated by conjugated gold nanoparticles with nucleic acid

Nucleic acids provide a promising therapeutic platform by targeting various cell signaling pathways involved in cancer and genetic disorders. However, maintaining optimal stability during delivery limits their utility. Nucleic acid delivery vehicles are generally categorized into biological and synthetic carriers. Regardless of the efficiency of biological vectors, such as viral vectors, issues related to their immunogenicity and carcinogenesis are very important and vital for clinical applications. On the other hand, synthetic vectors such as lipids or polymers, have been widely used for nucleic acid delivery. Despite their transfection efficiency, low storage stability, targeting inefficiency, and tracking limitations are among the limitations of the clinical application of these vectors. In the past decades, gold nanoparticles with unique properties have been shown to be highly efficient mineral vectors for overcoming these obstacles. In this review, we focus on gold nanoparticle-nucleic acid combinations and highlight their use in the treatment of various types of cancers. Furthermore, by stating the biological applications of these structures, we will discuss their clinical applications.

Graphene Oxide Nanostructures as Nanoplatforms for Delivering Natural Therapeutic Agents: Applications in Cancer Treatment, Bacterial Infections, and Bone Regeneration Medicine

Graphene, fullerenes, diamond, carbon nanotubes, and carbon dots are just a few of the carbon-based nanomaterials that have gained enormous popularity in a variety of scientific disciplines and industrial uses. As a two-dimensional material in the creation of therapeutic delivery systems for many illnesses, nanosized graphene oxide (NGO) is now garnering a large amount of attention among these materials. In addition to other benefits, NGO functions as a drug nanocarrier with remarkable biocompatibility, high pharmaceutical loading capacity, controlled drug release capability, biological imaging efficiency, multifunctional nanoplatform properties, and the power to increase the therapeutic efficacy of loaded agents. Thus, NGO is a perfect nanoplatform for the development of drug delivery systems (DDSs) to both detect and treat a variety of ailments. This review article's main focus is on investigating surface functionality, drug-loading methods, and drug release patterns designed particularly for smart delivery systems. The paper also examines the relevance of using NGOs to build DDSs and considers prospective uses in the treatment of diseases including cancer, infection by bacteria, and bone regeneration medicine. These factors cover the use of naturally occurring medicinal substances produced from plant-based sources.

Research Progress of Nanomaterials in Chemotherapy of Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common malignant bone tumor that occurs mostly in children and adolescents. At present, surgery after chemotherapy or postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is the main treatment plan. However, the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs is limited by the occurrence of chemotherapeutic resistance, toxicity to normal cells, poor pharmacokinetic performance, and drug delivery failure. The delivery of chemotherapy drugs to the bone to treat OS may fail for a variety of reasons, such as a lack of selectivity for OS cells, initial sudden release, short-term release, and the presence of biological barriers (such as the blood-bone marrow barrier). Nanomaterials are new materials with at least one dimension on the nanometer scale (1-100 nm) in three-dimensional space. These materials have the ability to penetrate biological barriers and can accumulate preferentially in tumor cells. Studies have shown that the effective combination of nanomaterials and traditional chemotherapy can significantly improve the therapeutic effect. Therefore, this article reviews the latest research progress on the use of nanomaterials in OS chemotherapy.

Plant-derived nanovesicles: Further exploration of biomedical function and application potential

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are phospholipid bilayer vesicles actively secreted by cells, that contain a variety of functional nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids, and are important mediums of intercellular communication. Based on their natural properties, EVs can not only retain the pharmacological effects of their source cells but also serve as natural delivery carriers. Among them, plant-derived nanovesicles (PNVs) are characterized as natural disease therapeutics with many advantages such as simplicity, safety, eco-friendliness, low cost, and low toxicity due to their abundant resources, large yield, and low risk of immunogenicity in vivo. This review systematically introduces the biogenesis, isolation methods, physical characterization, and components of PNVs, and describes their administration and cellular uptake as therapeutic agents. We highlight the therapeutic potential of PNVs as therapeutic agents and drug delivery carriers, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, wound healing, regeneration, and antiaging properties as well as their potential use in the treatment of liver disease and COVID-19. Finally, the toxicity and immunogenicity, the current clinical application, and the possible challenges in the future development of PNVs were analyzed. We expect the functions of PNVs to be further explored to promote clinical translation, thereby facilitating the development of a new framework for the treatment of human diseases.

Synergistic Effects of AgNPs and Biochar: A Potential Combination for Combating Lung Cancer and Pathogenic Bacteria

The synthesis of reliable biological nanomaterials is a crucial area of study in nanotechnology. In this study, Emericella dentata was employed for the biosynthesis of AgNPs, which were then combined with synthesized biochar, a porous structure created through biomass pyrolysis. The synergistic effects of AgNPs and biochar were evaluated through the assessment of pro-inflammatory cytokines, anti-apoptotic gene expression, and antibacterial activity. Solid biosynthesized AgNPs were evaluated by XRD and SEM, with SEM images revealing that most of the AgNPs ranged from 10 to 80 nm, with over 70% being less than 40 nm. FTIR analysis indicated the presence of stabilizing and reducing functional groups in the AgNPs. The nanoemulsion's zeta potential, hydrodynamic diameter, and particle distribution index were found to be -19.6 mV, 37.62 nm, and 0.231, respectively. Biochar, on the other hand, did not have any antibacterial effects on the tested bacterial species. However, when combined with AgNPs, its antibacterial efficacy against all bacterial species was significantly enhanced. Furthermore, the combined material significantly reduced the expression of anti-apoptotic genes and pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to individual treatments. This study suggests that low-dose AgNPs coupled with biochar could be a more effective method to combat lung cancer epithelial cells and pathogenic bacteria compared to either substance alone.

In Vivo Fluorescence Molecular Imaging Using Covalent Organic Nanosheets Without Labeling

Organic nanomaterials, as nanocarrier platforms, have tremendous potential for biomedical applications. The authors successfully prepared novel two-dimensional covalent organic nanosheets (CONs) that can be used as efficient in vivo bioimaging probes by condensing 1,3,5-triformylglucinol (Tp) and 2,7-diaminopyrene (Py) to produce TpPy covalent organic frameworks (COFs). TpPy COFs are then subjected to a liquid exfoliation process to obtain TpPy CONs (< 200 nm in size and < 1.7 nm in thickness). TpPy CONs disperse well in water to provide a stable, homogeneous colloidal suspension, which shows favorable photoluminescence properties. Cell viability tests using MDA-MB-231 and RAW 264.7 cells reveal that TpPy CONs are low in cytotoxicity. Confocal microscopy reveals clear fluorescent cell images after incubation with TpPy CONs for 24 h, without reduction in cell activity or cytosolic aggregation. To investigate the biological behavior of the TpPy CONs, the authors perform an in vivo fluorescence imaging study using MDA-MB-231 tumor-bearing mice. After intravenous injection of TpPy CONs disperse in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), persistent and strong fluorescence signals are observed in the tumor region, with low background signals from normal tissues at 1, 3, 12, and 24 h after injection. Furthermore, these in vivo imaging results concurred with ex vivo biodistribution and histological results.

Dual role of pulmonary surfactant corona in modulating carbon nanotube toxicity and benzo[a]pyrene bioaccessibility

Inhaled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can deposit in the deep lung, where they interact with pulmonary surfactant (PS) to form coronas, potentially altering the fate and toxicity profile of CNTs. However, the presence of other contaminants in combination with CNTs may affect these interactions. Here, we used passive dosing and fluorescence-based techniques confirm the partial solubilization of BaPs adsorbed on CNTs by PS in simulated alveolar fluid. MD simulations were performed to elucidate the competition of interactions between BaPs, CNTs, and PS. We found that PS play two opposing roles in altering the toxicity profile of the CNTs. First, the formation of PS coronas reduce CNTs' toxicity by decreasing the hydrophobicity of the CNTs and decreasing their aspect ratio. Second, the interaction with PS increases the bioaccessibility of BaP through interactions with PS, which may exacerbate the inhalation toxicity of CNTs. These findings suggest that the inhalation toxicity of PS-modified CNTs should consider the bioaccessibility of coexisting contaminants, with the CNT size and aggregation state playing an important role.

Theranostic applications of multifunctional carbon nanomaterials

Nanobiotechnology is one of the leading research areas in biomedical science, developing rapidly worldwide. Among various types of nanoparticles, carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have attracted a great deal of attention from the scientific community, especially with respect to their prospective application in the field of disease diagnosis and therapy. The unique features of these nanomaterials, including favorable size, high surface area, and electrical, structural, optical, and chemical properties, have provided an excellent opportunity for their utilization in theranostic systems. Carbon nanotubes, carbon quantum dots, graphene, and fullerene are the most employed CNMs in biomedical fields. They have been considered safe and efficient for non-invasive diagnostic techniques such as fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, and biosensors. Various functionalized CNMs exhibit a great capacity to improve cell targeting of anti-cancer drugs. Due to their thermal properties, they have been extensively used in cancer photothermal and photodynamic therapy assisted by laser irradiation and CNMs. CNMs also can cross the blood-brain barrier and have the potential to treat various brain disorders, for instance, neurodegenerative diseases, by removing amyloid fibrils. This review has summarized and emphasized on biomedical application of CNMs and their recent advances in diagnosis and therapy.

Nanoparticles-mediated ion channels manipulation: From their membrane interactions to bioapplications

Ion channels are transmembrane proteins ubiquitously expressed in all cells that control various ions (e.g. Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Cl^- etc) crossing cellular plasma membrane, which play critical roles in physiological processes including regulating signal transduction, cell proliferation as well as excitatory cell excitation and conduction. Abnormal ion channel function is usually associated with dysfunctions and many diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders, ophthalmic diseases, pulmonary diseases and even cancers. The precise regulation of ion channels not only helps to decipher physiological and pathological processes, but also is expected to become cutting-edge means for disease treatment. Recently, nanoparticles-mediated ion channel manipulation emerges as a highly promising way to meet the increasing requirements with respect to their simple, efficient, precise, spatiotemporally controllable and non-invasive regulation in biomedicine and other research frontiers. Thanks the advantages of their unique properties, nanoparticles can not only directly block the pore sites or kinetics of ion channels through their tiny size effect, and perturb active voltage-gated ion channel by their charged surface, but they can also act as antennas to conduct or enhance external physical stimuli to achieve spatiotemporal, precise and efficient regulation of various ion channel activities (e.g. light-, mechanical-, and temperature-gated ion channels etc). So far, nanoparticles-mediated ion channel regulation has shown potential prospects in many biomedical fields at the interfaces of neuro- and cardiovascular modulation, physiological function regeneration and tumor therapy et al. Towards such important fields, in this typical review, we specifically outline the latest studies of different types of ion channels and their activities relevant to the diseases. In addition, the different types of stimulation responsive nanoparticles, their interaction modes and targeting strategies towards the plasma membrane ion channels will be systematically summarized. More importantly, the ion channel regulatory methods mediated by functional nanoparticles and their bioapplications associated with physiological modulation and therapeutic development will be discussed. Last but not least, current challenges and future perspectives in this field will be covered as well.

Hydrogels from a Self-Assembling Tripeptide and Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs): Comparison between Single-Walled and Double-Walled CNTs

Supramolecular hydrogels obtained from the self-organization of simple peptides, such as tripeptides, are attractive soft materials. Their viscoelastic properties can be enhanced through the inclusion of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), although their presence can also hinder self-assembly, thus requiring investigation of the compatibility of CNMs with peptide supramolecular organization. In this work, we compared single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) as nanostructured additives for a tripeptide hydrogel, revealing superior performance by the latter. Several spectroscopic techniques, as well as thermogravimetric analyses, microscopy, and rheology data, provide details to elucidate the structure and behavior of nanocomposite hydrogels of this kind.

Ligands as "Matchmakers": Alloying from a Physical Mixture of Metal Nanoparticle Dispersions by Digestive Ripening

Digestive ripening (DR) of a physical mixture of different metal nanoparticles (NPs) in the presence of a suitable ligand is demonstrated to be a convenient way to obtain alloy NPs. The results show that the right choice of metal-ligand combination is extremely important for efficient alloying. The results are rationalized on the basis of hard soft acid base principles, and it is concluded that better alloying ensues if DR is carried out with soft ligands when soft metals are being used and hard ligands facilitate alloying between hard metals. On the other hand, when a physical mixture of hard-soft metals is taken, ligands with intermediate character work better. The results presented here could prove to be extremely valuable and open new avenues of making interesting alloy/intermetallic systems.

Design of double functionalized carbon nanotube for amphotericin B and genetic material delivery

In the present work, single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) were successively functionalized with phospholipid DSPE-PEG carboxylic acid, and then, with ethylenediamine (EDA), to obtain double functionalized single wall carbon nanotube (DFSWCNT). Then, DFSWCNT was applied as a carrier for delivering amphotericin B (Amb) and EGFP plasmid. FSWCNT's concentration obtained via UV-visible analysis was 0.99 mg/mL. The TGA analysis results provided the lost weights of DSPE-PEG-COOH, EDA, Amb and SWCNT impurities. XPS results showed that carbon atoms' percentage decreased during the functionalization processes from 97.2% (SWCNT) to 76.4% (FSWCNT) and 69.9% (DFSWNCT). Additionally, the oxygen atoms' percentage increased from 2.3% (SWCNT) to 21% and 22.5% for FSWCNT and DFSWCNT, respectively. New bonds such as C-N and N-C=O appeared in the synthesized nanocarrier. The I_G/I_D ratio in Raman analysis decreased from 7.15 (SWCNT) to 4.08 (FSWCNT). The amount of Amb released to phosphate buffer saline medium was about 33% at pH = 5.5 and 75% at pH = 7.4 after 48 h. CCK8 results confirmed that the toxicity of functionalized SWCNT had decreased. In a 2:1 ratio of DFSWCNT/EGFP plasmid, the cell viability (87%) and live transfected cells (56%) were at their maximum values. The results indicate that carbon nanotubes have the potential to be applied as drug/gene delivery systems with outstanding properties such as high loading capacity and easy penetration to cell membrane.

Application of Nano-Inspired Scaffolds-Based Biopolymer Hydrogel for Bone and Periodontal Tissue Regeneration

This review's objectives are to provide an overview of the various kinds of biopolymer hydrogels that are currently used for bone tissue and periodontal tissue regeneration, to list the advantages and disadvantages of using them, to assess how well they might be used for nanoscale fabrication and biofunctionalization, and to describe their production processes and processes for functionalization with active biomolecules. They are applied in conjunction with other materials (such as microparticles (MPs) and nanoparticles (NPs)) and other novel techniques to replicate physiological bone generation more faithfully. Enhancing the biocompatibility of hydrogels created from blends of natural and synthetic biopolymers can result in the creation of the best scaffold match to the extracellular matrix (ECM) for bone and periodontal tissue regeneration. Additionally, adding various nanoparticles can increase the scaffold hydrogel stability and provide a number of biological effects. In this review, the research study of polysaccharide hydrogel as a scaffold will be critical in creating valuable materials for effective bone tissue regeneration, with a future impact predicted in repairing bone defects.

Shape-controlled silver nanoplates colored fabric with tunable colors, photothermal antibacterial and colorimetric detection of hydrogen sulfide

Anisotropic silver nanoplates are widely anticipated in multifunctional textiles, but their large-scale promotion is limited by the shortcomings of long reaction time, uncontrollable shape and low yield in the preparation process. In this study, a microwave-assisted strategy is provided to prepare shape-controllable silver nanoplates for coloration of non-woven fabric. Anisotropic Ag nanoplates are efficiently coated on the surface of chitosan-pretreated fabric by a simple solution impregnation method, which generates the fabric with tunable color and multiple functions. The Ag nanoplates loaded fabric exhibits excellent photothermal properties at 808 nm laser irradiation due to its unique plasmonic absorption features. Colored fabric shows a strong synergistic antibacterial effect, including silver ion release and hyperthermia caused by the photothermal effect under near-infrared (NIR) light. Additionally, colored fabrics can be used as colorimetric sensors for selective detection of H₂S. The colorimetric values of visible color signal of fabric-based H₂S gas sensor can be real-time precisely detected using a smartphone, enlightening its high potential as a wearable toxic gas alarm device for the simple and rapid detection of hazardous gases.