Assessment of Systemic Toxicity, Genotoxicity, and Early Phase Hepatocarcinogenicity of Iron (III)-Tannic Acid Nanoparticles in Rats

Recent developments in cancer diagnosis and treatment using nanotechnology

The article provides an insightful overview of the pivotal role of nanotechnology in revolutionizing cancer diagnosis and treatment. It discusses the critical importance of nanoparticles in enhancing the accuracy of cancer detection through improved imaging contrast agents and the synthesis of various nanomaterials designed for oncology applications. The review broadly classifies nanoparticles used in therapeutics, including metallic, magnetic, polymeric, and many other types, with an emphasis on their functions in drug delivery systems for targeted cancer therapy. It details targeting mechanisms, including passive and intentional targeting, to maximize treatment efficacy while minimizing side effects. Furthermore, the article addresses the clinical applications of nanomaterials in cancer treatment, highlights prospects, and addresses the challenges of integrating nanotechnology into cancer treatment.

Enhanced axon guidance and synaptic markers in rat brains using ferric-tannic nanoparticles

Ferric-tannic nanoparticles (FTs) are now considered to be new pharmaceuticals appropriate for the prevention of brain aging and related diseases. We have previously shown that FTs could activate axon guidance pathways and cellular clearance functioning in neuronal cell lines. Herein, we further investigated whether FTs could activate the two coordinated neuronal functions of axon guidance and synaptic function in rat brains and neuronal cell lines. A single intravenous injection of a safe dose of FTs has been shown to activate a protein expression of axon attractant Netrin-1 and neurotransmitter receptor GABRA4 in the cerebral cortexes of male Wistar rats. According to RNA-seq with targeted analysis, axon guidance and synapses have been enriched and Ephrin membered genes have been identified as coordinating a network of genes for such processes. In vitro, as expected, FTs are also found to activate axon guidance markers and promote neuronal tubes in neuronal cell lines. At the same time, pre-synaptic markers (synaptophysin), post-synaptic markers (synapsin), and GABRA4 neurotransmitter receptors have been found to be activated by FTs. Interestingly, synaptophysin has been found to localize along the promoted neuronal tubes, suggesting that enhanced axon guidance is associated with the formation and transportation of pre-synaptic vesicles. Preliminarily, repeated injection of FTs into adult rats every 3 days for 10 times could enhance an expression of synaptophysin in the cerebral cortex, as compared to control rats. This work demonstrates that FTs can be used for activating brain function associated with axon guidance and synaptic function.

Nanotechnology in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Traditional cancer diagnosis has been aided by the application of nanoparticles (NPs), which have made the process easier and faster. NPs possess exceptional properties such as a larger surface area, higher volume proportion, and better targeting capabilities. Additionally, their low toxic effect on healthy cells enhances their bioavailability and t-half by allowing them to functionally penetrate the fenestration of epithelium and tissues. These particles have attracted attention in multidisciplinary areas, making them the most promising materials in many biomedical applications, especially in the treatment and diagnosis of various diseases. Today, many drugs are presented or coated with nanoparticles for the direct targeting of tumors or diseased organs without harming normal tissues/cells. Many types of nanoparticles, such as metallic, magnetic, polymeric, metal oxide, quantum dots, graphene, fullerene, liposomes, carbon nanotubes, and dendrimers, have potential applications in cancer treatment and diagnosis. In many studies, nanoparticles have been reported to show intrinsic anticancer activity due to their antioxidant action and cause an inhibitory effect on the growth of tumors. Moreover, nanoparticles can facilitate the controlled release of drugs and increase drug release efficiency with fewer side effects. Nanomaterials such as microbubbles are used as molecular imaging agents for ultrasound imaging. This review discusses the various types of nanoparticles that are commonly used in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Iron(III)-Quercetin Complexes' Safety for MRI Cell Tracking in Cell Therapy Applications: Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Assessment

The theranostic agent iron-quercetin complex (IronQ) provides a T1-positive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. The magnetically IronQ-labeled cells can be used for cell tracking and have active biological applications in promoting cell and tissue regeneration. However, a detailed investigation of IronQ's cytotoxicity and genotoxicity is necessary. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the possibility of IronQ inducing cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We evaluated the vitality of cells, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the level of antioxidant enzymes, and the stability of the genetic material in PBMCs treated with IronQ. The results show that IronQ had a negligible impact on toxicological parameters such as ROS production and lipid peroxidation, indicating that it is not harmful. IronQ-labeled PMBCs experienced an insignificant depletion of antioxidant enzyme levels at the highest concentration of IronQ. There is no evident genotoxicity in the magnetically IronQ-labeled PBMCs. The results show that IronQ does not potentiate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity effects of the labeled PMBCs and might be safe for therapeutic and cell tracking purposes. These results could provide a reference guideline for the toxicological analysis of IronQ in in vivo studies.