Microneedle-based ocular drug delivery systems – recent advances and challenges

• Piotr Gadziński,
• Anna Froelich,
• Monika Wojtyłko,
• Antoni Białek,
• Julia Krysztofiak and
• Tomasz Osmałek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1167–1184, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.98

• achieve systemic action, for example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) [107], antihypertensives [108], and lipid-lowering drugs [109]. Moreover, microneedles (MNs) are broadly investigated as very promising platforms for the delivery of large molecules such as insulin [110] or nucleic acids

Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles toward highly efficient photocatalysis and antibacterial application

• Vo Thi Thu Nhu,
• Nguyen Duy Dat,
• Le-Minh Tam and
• Nguyen Hoang Phuong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1108–1119, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.94

• , •O2−, O2 formed on the surface of ZnO NPs, will break bacterial cell membranes and enter the cells destroying organelles and ultimately inhibiting and shutting off bacteria metabolism [37][38]. The •OH radical is the most active oxidant which rapidly reacts with bacterial nucleic acids, lipids

Design and selection of peptides to block the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain by molecular docking

• Kendra Ramirez-Acosta,
• Ivan A. Rosales-Fuerte,
• J. Eduardo Perez-Sanchez,
• Alfredo Nuñez-Rivera,
• Josue Juarez and
• Ruben D. Cadena-Nava

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 699–711, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.62

• , nucleic acids, and even drugs) do not reach their target since they are eliminated by cells of the immune system, which limits their activity. Therefore, proposed peptides with antiviral activity must be evaluated from the immunological point of view. In this context, an immunogenicity prediction of the

Alcohol-perturbed self-assembly of the tobacco mosaic virus coat protein

• Ismael Abu-Baker and
• Amy Szuchmacher Blum

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 355–362, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.30

• ; Introduction Bottom-up fabrication of nanomaterials with precise control over the spatial arrangement of components is of great interest in nanotechnology [1][2]. A promising approach to this issue is the use of templates based on self-assembling biological materials, such as nucleic acids and proteins [3][4

Coordination-assembled myricetin nanoarchitectonics for sustainably scavenging free radicals

• Xiaoyan Ma,
• Haoning Gong,
• Kenji Ogino,
• Xuehai Yan and
• Ruirui Xing

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 284–291, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.23

• between antioxidative and oxidative systems, leads to permanent and irreversible damage of cellular components, such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids [1]. Furthermore, oxidative stress leads to diseases including Alzheimer’s disease [2], cardiac disease [3], atherosclerosis [4], kidney disease [5

Modification of a SERS-active Ag surface to promote adsorption of charged analytes: effect of Cu²⁺ ions

• Bahdan V. Ranishenka,
• Andrei Yu. Panarin,
• Irina A. Chelnokova,
• Sergei N. Terekhov,
• Peter Mojzes and
• Vadim V. Shmanai

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 902–912, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.67

• nucleic acids are of great interest for practical SERS applications. Oligonucleotides are the most suitable biomolecules for electrostatic interaction studies because of their strong negative charge. Recently, we showed the crucial role of electrostatic interactions of oligonucleotides with NP surfaces

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

• Sepand Tehrani Fateh,
• Lida Moradi,
• Elmira Kohan,
• Michael R. Hamblin and
• Amin Shiralizadeh Dezfuli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 808–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.64

• weight molecules, such as nucleic acids, proteins, peptides, calcein, dextran [66][67][68][69][70], or gene complexes [67] via a process known as “sonoporation” or “transient cavitation”. Cavitation events are sometimes triggered by the effects of US on MBs. Microbubbles are micrometer-sized (1–10 µm

Recent progress in magnetic applications for micro- and nanorobots

• Ke Xu,
• Shuang Xu and
• Fanan Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 744–755, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.58

• field of medicine. Zhang et al. [32] used polymer-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles as a MNR to effectively carry nucleic acids in vitro. Their team developed a polyethylenimine-conjugated magnetic nanomaterial. While exhibiting long-term stability, this material can realize redox-activated and magnet

• -assisted gene transfection. Magnetic MNRs containing nucleic acids were delivered to target cells by magnetic fields. This method could change gene function or protein expression, which is of great significance for future research on gene transfer and gene therapy. Table 1 summarizes the relevant

The impact of molecular tumor profiling on the design strategies for targeting myeloid leukemia and EGFR/CD44-positive solid tumors

• Nikola Geskovski,
• Nadica Matevska-Geshkovska,
• Simona Dimchevska Sazdovska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Kristina Mladenovska and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 375–401, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.31

• synthesis of nucleic acids required for DNA replication, while taxanes and vinca alkaloids interfere with the polymerization/depolymerization of the microtubules thus inhibiting mitosis [8]. However, in addition to cancer cells, all of these drugs also affect the normal/healthy tissues with cells that

• targeting myeloid leukemia Nanomedicine offers new perspectives and promising approaches in the therapy of myeloid leukemia. With the advances in the selective delivery of a variety of therapeutic molecules, from conventional drugs to proteins and nucleic acids, some of which were not available in the

Antimicrobial metal-based nanoparticles: a review on their synthesis, types and antimicrobial action

• Matías Guerrero Correa,
• Fernanda B. Martínez,
• Cristian Patiño Vidal,
• Camilo Streitt,
• Juan Escrig and
• Carol Lopez de Dicastillo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1450–1469, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.129

• interact with the functional groups of proteins and nucleic acids, such as thiol (–SH), amino (–NH), and carboxyl (–COOH) groups, and therefore, might affect the enzymatic activities and several protein structures. Although the metal ions released are not the main source of damage caused by NPs, it is

Transient coating of γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles with glutamate for its delivery to and removal from brain nerve terminals

• Konstantin Paliienko,
• Artem Pastukhov,
• Michal Babič,
• Daniel Horák,
• Olga Vasylchenko and
• Tatiana Borisova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1381–1393, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.122

• ]. It is well-known that upon entrance into biological systems nanoparticles interact with macromolecules of physiological fluids and tissues forming a biocorona at the surface. Macromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, become associated with different types of nanoparticles. The

Key for crossing the BBB with nanoparticles: the rational design

• Sonia M. Lombardo,
• Marc Schneider,
• Akif E. Türeli and
• Nazende Günday Türeli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 866–883, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.72

• interesting properties. They can be easily synthetized and coated or conjugated to carry various cargos, from small molecules to proteins and nucleic acids [174]. Furthermore, AuNPs show low immunogenicity and toxicity due to their inert core [78]. Finally, AuNPs could be used as X-ray contrast agent if their

Multilayer capsules made of weak polyelectrolytes: a review on the preparation, functionalization and applications in drug delivery

• Varsha Sharma and
• Anandhakumar Sundaramurthy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 508–532, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.41

• NPs, magnetic NPs, click moieties, smart polymers and biomolecules such as proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, and enzymes. Nanoparticle incorporation When NPs are embedded into the multilayer shell, the translocation, guiding and release of encapsulated cargo from the capsule is enabled by selectively

Brome mosaic virus-like particles as siRNA nanocarriers for biomedical purposes

• Alfredo Nuñez-Rivera,
• Pierrick G. J. Fournier,
• Danna L. Arellano,
• Ana G. Rodriguez-Hernandez,
• Rafael Vazquez-Duhalt and
• Ruben D. Cadena-Nava

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 372–382, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.28

• the native virus (T = 3), as corroborated by TEM (Figure 4A and Figure S2a, Supporting Information File 1). Importantly, this is the first report of the encapsidation of nucleic acids in VLPs from BMV without the need for an RNA packaging signal. Previous reports showed that a tRNA-like structure is

Using gold nanoparticles to detect single-nucleotide polymorphisms: toward liquid biopsy

• María Sanromán Iglesias and
• Marek Grzelczak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 263–284, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.20

• -nucleotide polymorphism The list of biomarkers that are present in blood and that exhibit potential for cancer diagnosis experiences continuously grows. These biomarkers include circulating tumor cells (CTCs) [30], circulating membranous structures [31], circulating cell-free nucleic acids (cfDNA) [4

• sensitivity of 500 zM, which translates to about ten copies in 30 μL of the sample. To improve the sensitivity of the colorimetric sensors, several groups have proposed to use modified nucleic acids. The most common modified nucleic acids are peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and locked nucleic acids (LNAs), which

Rational design of block copolymer self-assemblies in photodynamic therapy

• Maxime Demazeau,
• Laure Gibot,
• Anne-Françoise Mingotaud,
• Patricia Vicendo,
• Clément Roux and
• Barbara Lonetti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 180–212, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.15

Molecular architectonics of DNA for functional nanoarchitectures

• Debasis Ghosh,
• Lakshmi P. Datta and
• Thimmaiah Govindaraju

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 124–140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.11

• ; functional DNA nanoarchitectonics; functional small molecules; molecular architectonics; nucleic acids; templated coassembly; Review Introduction The development of functional molecular systems and materials on a nanoscale through custom design and engineering of molecular organization is a highly

Internalization mechanisms of cell-penetrating peptides

• Ivana Ruseska and
• Andreas Zimmer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 101–123, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.10

• Ivana Ruseska Andreas Zimmer Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria 10.3762/bjnano.11.10 Abstract In today’s modern era of medicine, macromolecular compounds such as proteins, peptides and nucleic acids

• “canonical” rules defining what a drug molecule should be like, has been accelerated these days. One part of this new group are proteins, peptides and nucleic acids, all developed with one thing in mind – bypassing the limitations of conventional therapeutics [3]. The novelty of these macromolecular

• compounds lies in their ability to target specific molecules and biological pathways, and thus, modulate molecular activities in a positive or negative manner [4]. The outstanding possibilities offered by the use of such molecules (proteins, peptides and nucleic acids) in the diagnostics and treatment of a

The different ways to chitosan/hyaluronic acid nanoparticles: templated vs direct complexation. Influence of particle preparation on morphology, cell uptake and silencing efficiency

• Arianna Gennari,
• Julio M. Rios de la Rosa,
• Erwin Hohn,
• Maria Pelliccia,
• Enrique Lallana,
• Roberto Donno,
• Annalisa Tirella and
• Nicola Tirelli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2594–2608, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.250

• ; the former can address a nanoparticle to cell surface receptors such as CD44, the second allows both for entrapment of nucleic acids and for an endosomolytic activity that facilitates their liberation in the cytoplasm. Here, we have systematically compared nanoparticles prepared either A) through a

• together a particle, but also to encapsulate and retain payloads such as nucleic acids (either in combination with other anionic components [9], or as the only negatively charged molecule [10]). Ionotropic gelation and polyelectrolyte complexation use anionic components of different size, In the former

• nanoparticles were prepared under sterile conditions (Cat. II cabinet) with surfaces previously treated with RNaseZap® solution (Thermo Scientific, UK) for the handling of nucleic acids. All the steps were performed under vigorous magnetic stirring (1,000 rpm) and at 25 °C in 2 mL round bottom Eppendorf tubes

Long-term stability and scale-up of noncovalently bound gold nanoparticle-siRNA suspensions

• Anna V. Epanchintseva,
• Julia E. Poletaeva,
• Dmitrii V. Pyshnyi,
• Elena I. Ryabchikova and
• Inna A. Pyshnaya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2568–2578, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.248

• nanoparticles (AuNPs) are a platform for the creation of nanoconstructions that can have a variety of functions, including the delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids. We previously designed a AuNP/small interfering RNA (siRNA) nanoconstruction consisting of siRNA noncovalently bound on the AuNP surface and

• of physicochemical characteristics and siRNA surface density for a long period. Keywords: colloidal stability; gold nanoparticles; scale-up; siRNA delivery; siRNA duplex stability; therapeutic nucleic acids; Introduction Drug delivery to cells is only one application of nanoparticles in biomedicine

• ; however, it occupies an important place in scientific research. The delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids (TNAs) is of particular importance due to their operation at the genomic level, and various nanoparticles (NPs) have been studied as carriers of TNAs (i.e., metallic, lipid, polymer, and peptide NPs

Coating of upconversion nanoparticles with silica nanoshells of 5–250 nm thickness

• Cynthia Kembuan,
• Maysoon Saleh,
• Bastian Rühle,
• Ute Resch-Genger and
• Christina Graf

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2410–2421, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.231

• such as peptides, antibodies or nucleic acids for bioimaging applications or fluorescence assays. The growth of a mesoporous silica shell on a microporous silica shell can also be applied for the subsequent use of these nanomaterials for drug loading and delivery [69]. Experimental All syntheses were

Scavenging of reactive oxygen species by phenolic compound-modified maghemite nanoparticles

• Małgorzata Świętek,
• Yi-Chin Lu,
• Rafał Konefał,
• Liliana P. Ferreira,
• M. Margarida Cruz,
• Yunn-Hwa Ma and
• Daniel Horák

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1073–1088, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.108

• reactions that induce irreversible fatal damage (methylation) of cellular nucleic acids and the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids of cell membranes. Living organisms have evolved with several strategies, such as repair mechanisms and physical, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses, to control

Mechanical and thermodynamic properties of Aβ₄₂, Aβ₄₀, and α-synuclein fibrils: a coarse-grained method to complement experimental studies

• Adolfo B. Poma,
• Horacio V. Guzman,
• Mai Suan Li and
• Panagiotis E. Theodorakis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 500–513, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.51

• ., proteins [1], nucleic acids [2] and lipids [3]). Lipid membranes, viral capsids, and biological fibrils are common examples of large complexes that pose significant challenges for all-atom simulations. For example, the time scales of various biological processes are in the range from 10−6 to 10−3 s, and

Non-agglomerated silicon–organic nanoparticles and their nanocomplexes with oligonucleotides: synthesis and properties

• Asya S. Levina,
• Marina N. Repkova,
• Nadezhda V. Shikina,
• Zinfer R. Ismagilov,
• Svetlana A. Yashnik,
• Dmitrii V. Semenov,
• Yulia I. Savinovskaya,
• Natalia A. Mazurkova,
• Inna A. Pyshnaya and
• Valentina F. Zarytova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2516–2525, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.234

• work was supported by the grant no. 16-15-10073 from the Russian Scientific Foundation. The study of the antiviral activity of the proposed nanocomplexes was supported partially under State funded budget project (VI.62.1.3, 0309-2016-0005) “Therapeutic nucleic acids”.

Review on nanoparticles and nanostructured materials: history, sources, toxicity and regulations

• Jaison Jeevanandam,
• Ahmed Barhoum,
• Yen S. Chan,
• Alain Dufresne and
• Michael K. Danquah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1050–1074, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.98