PEGylated lipids in lipid nanoparticle delivery dynamics and therapeutic innovation

• Peiyang Gao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1914–1930, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.133

• moieties that might be adversely affected by harsh reaction conditions [36][37]. A selection of functionalized PEG lipids for ligand conjugation is shown in Figure 4. A study of engineered peptide-functionalized LNPs (pLNPs) used DSPE-PEG-maleimide as a linker to conjugate brain-targeting peptides

• were subsequently conjugated to the maleimide groups under mild aqueous reaction. These pLNPs demonstrated substantial enhancements in mRNA transfection in vitro. RVG29 and mApoE pLNPs with 10% DSPE-PEG-maleimide substitution achieved up to 60-fold and 20-fold higher luciferase expression in brain

• . Intravenous injection at 0.3 mg·kg−1 further validated the efficacy of these functionalized pLNPs. RVG29 and AP2 pLNPs achieved nearly 70-fold increases in brain transfection, while mApoE pLNPs demonstrated significant tropism shift from liver to spleen. A liver luminescence reduction from over 90% to 25% was

Programmable soliton dynamics in all-Josephson-junction logic cells and networks

• Vsevolod I. Ruzhickiy,
• Anastasia A. Maksimovskaya,
• Sergey V. Bakurskiy,
• Andrey E. Schegolev,
• Maxim V. Tereshonok,
• Mikhail Yu. Kupriyanov,
• Nikolay V. Klenov and
• Igor I. Soloviev

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1883–1893, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.131

• neurons, implement synaptic pruning, and even “kill” parts of the artificial brain. Human or animal brains contain a huge number of synapses, many times greater than the number of neurons (e.g., the Norwegian rat brain contains about 200 million neurons, each of which roughly has an average of about 1000

Nanotechnology-based approaches for the removal of microplastics from wastewater: a comprehensive review

• Nayanathara O Sanjeev,
• Manjunath Singanodi Vallabha and
• Rebekah Rubidha Lisha Rabi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1607–1632, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.114

• their small size allows them to penetrate various biological barriers. MPs smaller than 5 μm can reach the alveoli, enter the circulatory system, and accumulate in the organs such as the brain, lungs, liver, spleen and digestive system. Those around 10 μm can breach cell membranes and the placental

Transient electronics for sustainability: Emerging technologies and future directions

• Jae-Young Bae,
• Myung-Kyun Choi and
• Seung-Kyun Kang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1545–1556, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.109

• have already been demonstrated, including transient pressure and temperature sensors designed for short-term intracranial monitoring after traumatic brain injury. These devices capture delayed-onset symptoms and naturally degrade without requiring surgical retrieval [6] (Figure 1a). Examples are a

• unfolds on the brain cortex to enable neural signal monitoring following syringe-based implantation [27] (Figure 1d). The exploration of new materials and fabrication techniques has also enabled the realization of large-area transient devices. In particular, the large-area fabrication of 2D materials and

• transient technologies across biomedical, environmental, and security applications. Transient electronics for implantable biomedical applications. (a) A biodegradable silicon pressure sensor (left) and its application to intracranial pressure monitoring in the brain (right). Figure 1a was adapted from [6

Nanomaterials for biomedical applications

• Iqra Zainab,
• Zohra Naseem,
• Syeda Rubab Batool,
• Filippo Pierini,
• Seda Kizilel and
• Muhammad Anwaar Nazeer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1499–1503, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.105

• effectively treat brain cancer cells. These nanocarriers helped drugs stay longer in the body, get to the brain tumor by crossing protective barriers, and directly target cancer cells [13]. However, carbon nanotubes require further investigation before being implanted into the human body due to their toxicity

Better together: biomimetic nanomedicines for high performance tumor therapy

• Imran Shair Mohammad,
• Gizem Kursunluoglu,
• Anup Kumar Patel,
• Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq,
• Cansu Umran Tunc,
• Dilek Kanarya,
• Mubashar Rehman,
• Omer Aydin and
• Yin Lifang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1246–1276, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.92

• as brain, liver, spleen, lungs, arterial walls for both immediate and sustained release. Their degradation and release kinetics can be controlled or manipulated by different methods and incorporation or conjugation of specific materials. Importantly, they mainly focus on different biomaterials, drug

• among the white blood cells [35]. Neutrophils are the first to appear at the site of inflammation and easily cross different biological barriers such as blood–tissue barrier, blood–brain barrier (BBB) or blood–tumor barrier (BTB). Therefore, neutrophil membrane-coated nanoparticles have been

• -modified nanosystem showed increased drug accumulation and enhanced therapeutic activity both in subcutaneous and orthotopic tumor models [125][126]. Another study regarding targeted therapy and improved drug delivery to the brain used the dual modification of RBC-coated lipid nanoparticles with T7 peptide

Serum heat inactivation diminishes ApoE-mediated uptake of D-Lin-MC3-DMA lipid nanoparticles

• Demian van Straten,
• Luuk van de Schepop,
• Rowan Frunt,
• Pieter Vader and
• Raymond M. Schiffelers

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 740–748, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.57

• Integrated DNA Technologies and were annealed in-house for 5 min at 97 °C. siRNA sequence: Sense: ‘5-GGA CGA GGU GCC UAA AGG AdCdG-3’ Antisense: ‘5-UCC UUU AGG CAC CUC GUC CdCdG-3’. FCS was obtained from Gibco, Biowest and Lonza. Cell culture Brain cancer cell line U87-MG (ATCC) and breast cancer cell line

Aprepitant-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles: a novel approach to enhance oral bioavailability

• Mazhar Hussain,
• Muhammad Farooq,
• Muhammad Asad Saeed,
• Muhammad Ijaz,
• Sherjeel Adnan,
• Zeeshan Masood,
• Muhammad Waqas,
• Wafa Ishaq and
• Nabeela Ameer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 652–663, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.50

• solitary tract in the brain. APT is equally effective in the prevention of pre/postoperative nausea and as rescue antiemetic, offering better control of vomiting after 24 and 48 h compared with conventional therapies [6]. APT has an oral bioavailability of 60–65%. The maximum concentration of drug in

• blood–brain barrier [8]. Its mean volume of distribution is approximately 70 L. In the range of pH 2–10, APT has very low solubility (0.37 µg/mL) [9]. Because of the low water-solubility, the low permeability, and the rate-limiting step of poor gastrointestinal absorption, APT is categorized as a BCS

Polyurethane/silk fibroin-based electrospun membranes for wound healing and skin substitute applications

• Iqra Zainab,
• Zohra Naseem,
• Syeda Rubab Batool,
• Muhammad Waqas,
• Ahsan Nazir and
• Muhammad Anwaar Nazeer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 591–612, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.46

• factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor and NGF. These growth factors increased the alignment and myelination of Schwann cells, which are critical for nerve regeneration and repair. The study also showed that the AuPBs were cell-compatible, which meant they were non-toxic and supported cell

Nanomaterials in targeting amyloid-β oligomers: current advances and future directions for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and therapy

• Shiwani Randhawa,
• Trilok Chand Saini,
• Manik Bathla,
• Rahul Bhardwaj,
• Rubina Dhiman and
• Amitabha Acharya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 561–580, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.44

• ) influence of the APOE4 allele, that is, positive clinical trial outcomes tend to have a higher concentration of AβOs in the brain of individuals carrying the E4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE4). The origins of AβOs in AD patients remain a subject of debate and require further extensive research for a

• ]. Comparisons between AD patients who carry the APOE4 allele and those who do not reveal that the former group has about three times the concentration of AβOs in the brain. This suggests that the APOE4 genotype plays a significant role in the progression of AD by facilitating the accumulation of these toxic

• yielded limited clinical success, primarily because of the tendency to treat patients at later stages, when extensive brain damage has already occurred. However, monoclonal antibodies targeting AβOs such as aducanumab, have demonstrated promising efficacy, leading to its FDA approval [12]. Early diagnosis

Synthetic-polymer-assisted antisense oligonucleotide delivery: targeted approaches for precision disease treatment

• Ana Cubillo Alvarez,
• Dylan Maguire and
• Ruairí P. Brannigan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 435–463, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.34

• oligonucleotide drugs, their poor biodistribution and intracellular delivery have limited their use as therapeutic agents. In fact, efficient delivery to most tissues other than liver, kidneys, lungs, retina, brain, and spinal cord poses major challenges because of the broad systemic distribution, the extensive

• study, Min et al. investigated the use of PLL to develop glucose-coated polymeric nanocarriers for the systemic delivery of ASOs across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) [71]. The authors utilised a polyion complex micelle (PIC/M) platform based on poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ʟ-lysine) (PEG–PLL, DPPLL = 42

• stability in the bloodstream and enabled the controlled release of MALAT1 ASO in the brain’s reductive environment. As a result, significant knockdown of targeted long non-coding RNA was observed in key brain regions, including the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, after a single intravenous administration

Quantification of lead through rod-shaped silver-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles using an electrochemical approach

• Ravinder Lamba,
• Gaurav Bhanjana,
• Neeraj Dilbaghi,
• Vivek Gupta and
• Sandeep Kumar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 422–434, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.33

• health, determining the presence of trace heavy metals is crucial. Lead is a highly toxic element that affects human soft tissues and organs, acting in concert with other carcinogens to cause cancer in the kidneys, lungs, or brain. Lead paint, lead-containing petrol, mining, and smelting are some of the

Radiosensitizing properties of dual-functionalized carbon nanostructures loaded with temozolomide

• Radmila Milenkovska,
• Nikola Geskovski,
• Dushko Shalabalija,
• Ljubica Mihailova,
• Petre Makreski,
• Dushko Lukarski,
• Igor Stojkovski,
• Maja Simonoska Crcarevska and
• Kristina Mladenovska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 229–251, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.18

• aim to prepare nanocarriers with the potential to prolong the drug circulation time, cross the blood–brain–tumor barrier (BBTB), and provide targeted and controlled drug release in the brain tumor cells. Cytotoxicity and effects on cell membrane integrity of the blank and TMZ-loaded dual

• suitable for crossing the BBTB and targeting brain cancer cells. A biphasic drug release profile was observed for all functionalized TMZ-loaded formulations in simulated in vivo conditions, with a sustained release pointing to the potential for controlled release of TMZ in brain tumor cells. The

• for active agent loading and functionalization with (intra)cellular component targeting ligands, and extremely small size for crossing the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and targeted delivery to the brain. The hydrophobic nature of the CNs offers good membrane permeability. Through chemical modifications

Recent advances in photothermal nanomaterials for ophthalmic applications

• Jiayuan Zhuang,
• Linhui Jia,
• Chenghao Li,
• Rui Yang,
• Jiapeng Wang,
• Wen-an Wang,
• Heng Zhou and
• Xiangxia Luo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 195–215, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.16

• adjacent healthy cells [109]. After eliminating tumor cells, small gold nanorods can penetrate the blood–brain barrier and be effectively excreted from the body through renal excretion, thereby avoiding the production of VNBs near non-cancerous cells. 3.2 Posterior capsule opacity after cataract surgery

• , representing a significant stride forward in enhancing human environmental perception capabilities. 3.7 Facilitating drug delivery to the retina The retina is the crucial visual tissue that converts light signals into nerve signals and transmits them to the brain. Functional damage of the retina often leads to

Clays enhanced with niobium: potential in wastewater treatment and reuse as pigment with antibacterial activity

• Silvia Jaerger,
• Patricia Appelt,
• Mario Antônio Alves da Cunha,
• Fabián Ccahuana Ayma,
• Ricardo Schneider,
• Carla Bittencourt and
• Fauze Jacó Anaissi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 141–154, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.13

• concentrations ranging from 1.25 to 0.09 mg/mL. The bacterial stock cultures were activated by culturing in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth at 37 °C for 24 h. Then, the cellular concentrations were standardized according to the McFarland 0.5 scale (≈1.5 × 108 CFU/mL) using a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of

Nanocarriers and macrophage interaction: from a potential hurdle to an alternative therapeutic strategy

• Naths Grazia Sukubo,
• Paolo Bigini and
• Annalisa Morelli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 97–118, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.10

• . Intranasal delivery has emerged as a promising strategy for targeting the central nervous system by bypassing the blood–brain barrier (BBB). This approach was demonstrated by the nose-to-brain administration of D6-cholestrol-loaded liposomes, which led to an accumulation of D6-cholesterol in the brain in

Modeling and simulation of carbon-nanocomposite-based gas sensors

• Roopa Hegde,
• Punya Prabha V,
• Shipra Upadhyay and
• Krishna S B

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 90–96, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.9

• range from mild headaches and light headedness to sudden death or permanent brain damage. In houses as well as workplaces, it is important to ensure the constant monitoring of enclosed areas for carbon monoxide presence because of the severe risks to human health. Traditional CO sensors, although

Biomimetic nanocarriers: integrating natural functions for advanced therapeutic applications

• Hugo Felix Perini,
• Beatriz Sodré Matos,
• Carlo José Freire de Oliveira and
• Marcos Vinicius da Silva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1619–1626, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.127

• employed in treating other diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Current medications for Alzheimer's face the challenge of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which includes the blood–brain, cerebrospinal fluid–brain, and blood–cerebrospinal fluid barriers. These barriers exhibit high selectivity in drug

• enhance BBB penetration. Studies have shown that polymeric biomimetic nanoparticles carrying proteins can penetrate the brain parenchyma and release active agents, demonstrated by the increased accumulation of 3D6-Fab antibody fragments in the brains of mouse models, and reducing Aβ1-42 aggregation, which

• is linked to dementia and neuronal loss [70]. Focusing on BBB compatibility, lipid-based nanoparticles demonstrate high potential in facilitating drug delivery. Macrophage membrane-coated liposomes co-modified with the RVG29 peptide and triphenylphosphine cation have shown improved targeting of brain

Facile synthesis of size-tunable L-carnosine-capped silver nanoparticles and their role in metal ion sensing and catalytic degradation of p-nitrophenol

• Akash Kumar,
• Ridhima Chadha,
• Abhishek Das,
• Nandita Maiti and
• Rayavarapu Raja Gopal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1576–1592, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.124

• environmental applications. Current research has paved the way for developing ʟ-carnosine-capped AgNPs (ʟ-car-AgNPs) enabling environmental monitoring and remediation applications. In addition, ʟ-carnosine is a natural compound widely present in the human brain and meat products. Also, it was reported that

Polymer lipid hybrid nanoparticles for phytochemical delivery: challenges, progress, and future prospects

• Iqra Rahat,
• Pooja Yadav,
• Aditi Singhal,
• Mohammad Fareed,
• Jaganathan Raja Purushothaman,
• Mohammed Aslam,
• Raju Balaji,
• Sonali Patil-Shinde and
• Md. Rizwanullah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1473–1497, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.118

• therapeutic effects [30][31]. Poor permeability and penetration are additional obstacles. Phytochemicals may have difficulties crossing biological membranes, such as the intestinal epithelium or the blood–brain barrier, because of their molecular size, polarity, or lipophilicity. Poor permeability limits the

Nanotechnological approaches for efficient N2B delivery: from small-molecule drugs to biopharmaceuticals

• Selin Akpinar Adscheid,
• Akif E. Türeli,
• Nazende Günday-Türeli and
• Marc Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1400–1414, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.113

• /bjnano.15.113 Abstract Central nervous system diseases negatively affect patients and society. Providing successful noninvasive treatments for these diseases is challenging because of the presence of the blood–brain barrier. While protecting the brain’s homeostasis, the barrier limits the passage of

• almost all large-molecule drugs and most small-molecule drugs. A noninvasive method, nose-to-brain delivery (N2B delivery) has been proposed to overcome this challenge. By exploiting the direct anatomical interaction between the nose and the brain, the drugs can reach the target, the brain. Moreover, the

• drugs can be encapsulated into various drug delivery systems to enhance physicochemical characteristics and targeting success. Many preclinical data show that this strategy can effectively deliver biopharmaceuticals to the brain. Therefore, this review focuses on N2B delivery while giving examples of

Introducing third-generation periodic table descriptors for nano-qRASTR modeling of zebrafish toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles

• Supratik Kar and
• Siyun Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1142–1152, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.93

• , it was reported that MONPs have been found in human tissues such as brain, heart, and liver [11] and that occupational exposure to metal oxide nanomaterials increased oxidative stress biomarkers, suggesting potential DNA oxidative damage and lipid peroxidation [12]. Given the limited data available

Unveiling the potential of alginate-based nanomaterials in sensing technology and smart delivery applications

• Shakhzodjon Uzokboev,
• Khojimukhammad Akhmadbekov,
• Ra’no Nuritdinova,
• Salah M. Tawfik and
• Yong-Ill Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1077–1104, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.88

• delivery methods that can effectively cross the blood–brain barrier are essential for delivering therapeutic agents to the brain [40]. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising tool in smart delivery systems. Nanoparticles can be designed to pass through biological barriers and reach specific sites in the

Entry of nanoparticles into cells and tissues: status and challenges

• Kirsten Sandvig,
• Tore Geir Iversen and
• Tore Skotland

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1017–1029, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.83

• of cells with drugs may allow drug incorporation into vesicles released by the cells. Recent studies have even suggested that incorporation of drug-containing NPs in cellular membranes might increase the ability of these particles to cross the blood–brain barrier [6]. However, regulatory challenges

Functional fibrillar interfaces: Biological hair as inspiration across scales

• Guillermo J. Amador,
• Brett Klaassen van Oorschot,
• Caiying Liao,
• Jianing Wu and
• Da Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 664–677, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.55

• are then transmitted to the nervous system. The brain interprets these electrical signals as a specific scent or flavor after they are processed by the nervous system [143]. Arthropods, including spiders [144], ants [145], and bees [146], possess chemical receptors on their limbs and antennae that