Evaluating the biological risk of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes and functionalized oxygen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes as possible toxic, carcinogenic, and embryotoxic agents

A Mini-Review on Nano Technology in the Tumour Targeting Strategies: Drug Delivery to Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND

Recently, the application of cancer nanotechnology-based drug delivery to cancer cells has arisen as an important method to resolve multiple molecular, biophysical, and biochemical obstacles, which the body is preparing to resist against the productive implementation of chemotherapeutic medications. Drug delivery technologies focused on nanoparticles, which have resolved some of the drawbacks of conventional chemotherapy as, decreased drug viscosity, chemo-resistance, precise malignity, limited medicative measures with low oral bioactivity. Due to their adjustable size and surface properties, the half-life period of a drug can be increased in the bloodstream.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the current study is to collect and document the data available on the drug delivery system for anticancer drugs. The present study includes some of the drug carriers like liposomes, carbon dots, micelles, carbon nanotubes, magnetic nanoparticles, etc. Methods: To write this review, an exhaustive literature survey was carried out using relevant work published in various SCI, Scopus, and non-SCI indexed journals. The different search engines used to download the research/ review papers are Google search, PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scientific Information Database and Research Gate, etc. Results: Nanotechnology offers better pharmacokinetics, reduces the systematic toxicities related to the chemotherapies and a better route of drug administration. In the analysis, we critically highlight recent studies on carcinoma-fighting nanotechnology.

CONCLUSION

In the present study, different kinds of nano-based drug delivery systems have been discussed along with their characteristic features, the encapsulation of anticancer agents into different types of nanometresized vehicles and their general mechanism.

Synergistic effect of adding bioglass and carbon nanotubes on poly (lactic acid) porous membranes for guided bone regeneration

Polymer membranes have been widely used in guided bone regeneration (GBR), especially when it comes to their use in dentistry. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) have good mechanical properties such as flexibility, which allows the material to be moldable and also has biocompatibility and biodegradation. Besides that, bioglass (BG) incorporated into the polymer matrix can promote osteoinduction properties and osteoconduction properties to the polymer-ceramic biocomposite. The membranes are also required to exhibit antimicrobial activity to prevent or control the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, and the addition of carbon nanotubes (CNT) can assist in this property. The porous membranes of PLA with the addition of different contents of BG and CNT were obtained by solvent casting in controlled humidity method, and the synergistic effect of the addition of both fillers were investigated. The membranes showed pores (3-11 μm) on their surface. The addition of 5 wt% BG causes an increase in the surface porosity and bioactivity properties of the PLA. The agar diffusion test showed antimicrobial activity in the membranes with addition of CNT. In vitro results showed that the porous membranes were not cytotoxic and allowed cell activity and differentiation. Thus, BG collaborated to increase biological activity while CNT contributed to microbial activity, creating a synergistic effect on PLA porous membranes, being this effect more evident for PLA/5BG/1.0CNT. These results indicated a promising use of this new biomaterial for the production of porous membranes for GBR.

Developmental toxicity of carbon nanoparticles during embryogenesis in chicken

Nanoparticles (NPs) are very small particles present in a wide range of materials. There is a dearth of knowledge regarding their potential secondary effects on the health of living organisms and the environment. Increasing research attention, however, has been directed toward determining the effects on humans exposed to NPs in the environment. Although the majority of studies focus on adult animals or populations, embryos of various species are considered more susceptible to environmental effects and pollutants. Hence, research studies dealing mainly with the impacts of NPs on embryogenesis have emerged recently, as this has become a major concern. Chicken embryos occupy a special place among animal models used in toxicity and developmental investigations and have also contributed significantly to the fields of genetics, virology, immunology, cell biology, and cancer. Their rapid development and easy accessibility for experimental observance and manipulation are just a few of the advantages that have made them the vertebrate model of choice for more than two millennia. The early stages of chicken embryogenesis, which are characterized by rapid embryonic growth, provide a sensitive model for studying the possible toxic effects on organ development, body weight, and oxidative stress. The objective of this review was to evaluate the toxicity of various types of carbon black nanomaterials administered at the beginning of embryogenesis in a chicken embryo model. In addition, the effects of diamond and graphene NPs and carbon nanotubes are reviewed.

Migration of mesenchymal stem cells tethered with carbon nanotubes under a chemotactic gradient

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been extensively studied for photothermal ablation of malignant cells due to their ability to absorb near-infrared (NIR) laser light and convert it to thermal energy for the lysis of tumor cells. Functionalizing CNTs with tumor-targeting moieties can facilitate the delivery to tumor sites. Instead of using targeting moieties, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been considered as vehicles to deliver therapeutic agents to cancer cells. In this study, the effects of attaching CNTs to MSCs on cell migration in response to a chemotactic gradient were investigated. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized with streptavidin–fluorescein isothiocyanate (SA–FITC). The surface of human MSCs was biotinylated by culturing MSCs with biotin–lipid containing medium. CNTs were then attached on the outer cell membrane of biotinylated MSCs through SA–biotin binding. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed CNTs were located on the surface of MSCs. Various amounts of CNTs anchored on the membrane of MSCs were used to examine the effects of CNTs on MSC proliferation and migration. Our transwell migration assay showed that 4.26 ng CNT per cell is the threshold value that would not affect the migration speed of CNT-tagged MSCs toward the established gradient of chemoattractant SDF-1α.

Chemotactic migration of biotinylated mesenchymal stem cells tethered with streptavidin-functionalized carbon nanotubes.