Facile preparation of Au- and BODIPY-grafted lipid nanoparticles for synergized photothermal therapy

• Yuran Wang,
• Xudong Li,
• Haijun Chen and
• Yu Gao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1432–1444, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.118

• could be associated stably to Au-LNPs, and the release of BODIPY from AB-LNPs could be accelerated by laser irradiation. AB-LNPs are scalable and showed excellent photothermal effects. AB-LNPs showed enhanced cellular uptake efficiency compared to free BODIPY in 4T1 breast cancer cells. Under laser

• synergistic PTT in the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Keywords: BODIPY; gold nanoparticles; lipid nanoparticles; photothermal therapy; synergism; Introduction Photothermal therapy (PTT) relies on photothermal agents (PTAs) to convert light into heat energy to burn cancer cells. Due to its spatial

• drugs inside the cancer cells. The internalization of BDP or AB-LNPs in 4T1 cells was also observed by CLSM. The intracellular fluorescence signals of 4T1 cells treated with AB-LNPs were brighter than that of free BDP, indicating the enhanced internalization of BDP through entrapping in lipid

Orally administered docetaxel-loaded chitosan-decorated cationic PLGA nanoparticles for intestinal tumors: formulation, comprehensive in vitro characterization, and release kinetics

• Sedat Ünal,
• Osman Doğan and
• Yeşim Aktaş

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1393–1407, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.115

• -synthetically from 10-deacetyl-baccatin isolated from the Taxus family (T. baccata and T. brevifolia). It is a potent and long-known anticancer agent that acts in the metaphase-anaphase process of cancer cells, exerts a cytotoxic effect on microtubules that are vital for mitotic cellular activity, and prevents

• the proliferation of cancer cells [32][33][34]. Its potent activity against a wide spectrum of cancers such as colon cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, recurrent ovarian cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer has been elucidated by in vitro and in vivo studies [35]. Its poor water solubility

• considering the doubling time and the in vitro release profiles of the NPs [10]. PLGA NP formulations loaded with DCX have been found to show considerable toxicity on HT-29 colon cancer cells. As illustrated in Figure 6, the HT-29 cell line treated with DCX-PLGA NPs and CS/DCX-PLGA NP formulations show 71.1

Recent advances in green carbon dots (2015–2022): synthesis, metal ion sensing, and biological applications

• Aisha Kanwal,
• Naheed Bibi,
• Sajjad Hyder,
• Arif Muhammad,
• Hao Ren,
• Jiangtao Liu and
• Zhongli Lei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1068–1107, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.93

• to target folate-receptor cancer cells [114]. Pork-based CDs without any surface-passivating agent were synthesized. Pork meat, itself, is composed of many organic molecules that can provide multiple heteroatoms in the CDs. The resulting CDs have excellent advantages such as a high QY of 17.3% and

• described the reaction mechanism, which involves hydrolyzation of starch to form glucose, and then glucose is condensed to form CDs by ring-closure condensation. These CDs have been effectively used in bioimaging of cervical cancer cells as a suitable PL probe [124]. Wen et al. have created an incredibly

Biomimetic chitosan with biocomposite nanomaterials for bone tissue repair and regeneration

• Se-Kwon Kim,
• Sesha Subramanian Murugan,
• Pandurang Appana Dalavi,
• Sebanti Gupta,
• Sukumaran Anil,
• Gi Hun Seong and
• Jayachandran Venkatesan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1051–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.92

• osteoblasts and inhibition of the development of osteosarcoma cancer cells in the work by Sumathra et al. (2018). The in vitro experiment was carried out by using the osteosarcoma MG-63 cell line. The MTT assay for the composites showed cell expansion and growth. The anticancer activity of cisplatin-loaded

Effects of substrate stiffness on the viscoelasticity and migration of prostate cancer cells examined by atomic force microscopy

• Xiaoqiong Tang,
• Yan Zhang,
• Jiangbing Mao,
• Yuhua Wang,
• Zhenghong Zhang,
• Zhengchao Wang and
• Hongqin Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 560–569, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.47

• substrate stiffness and the mechanical properties of cells in prostate tumour metastasis, providing a basis for understanding the changes in the biomechanical properties at a single-cell level. Keywords: actin cytoskeleton; atomic force microscopy; migration; prostate cancer cells; substrate stiffness

• functions have not been well appreciated [16]. In recent years, alterations in the physical properties of cells have been considered as a marker of malignant transformation of cancer cells [17][18][19]. Based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements, our group found that the progression of prostate

• metastasis and possible regulatory mechanisms, which can further guide the study and treatment of cancer metastasis. Results and Discussion Effect of substrate stiffness on the migration of prostate cancer cells In order to investigate the mechanical properties and metastatic ability of human prostate cancer

Detection and imaging of Hg(II) in vivo using glutathione-functionalized gold nanoparticles

• Gufeng Li,
• Shaoqing Li,
• Rui Wang,
• Min Yang,
• Lizhu Zhang,
• Yanli Zhang,
• Wenrong Yang and
• Hongbin Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 549–559, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.46

• cancer cells. In another work, Basu et al. designed a novel sensing system using DNA-functionalized GNPs. GNPs have a strong binding affinity to phosphate and sugar groups in DNA [20]. The combined GNPs-DNA has unique physicochemical properties and was used to detect Mg2+. Furthermore, Liu et al

Ethosomal (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate as a novel approach to enhance antioxidant, anti-collagenase and anti-elastase effects

• Çiğdem Yücel,
• Gökçe Şeker Karatoprak,
• Sena Yalçıntaş and
• Tuğba Eren Böncü

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 491–502, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.41

• human cancer cells without causing toxicity problems in normal cells. In general, it has been confirmed that they are relatively nontoxic in healthy L929 cells but toxic in cancer cell lines [29]. Preparation and characterization of formulations Like many phenolic compounds, EGCG is not sufficiently

Engineered titania nanomaterials in advanced clinical applications

• Padmavati Sahare,
• Paulina Govea Alvarez,
• Juan Manual Sanchez Yanez,
• Gabriel Luna-Bárcenas,
• Samik Chakraborty,
• Sujay Paul and
• Miriam Estevez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 201–218, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.15

• reported by Rehman [8], who used the photodynamic properties of TiO2 for killing HeLa cancer cells. The hydrophobic nature of photosensitizers commonly used in photodynamic therapy led to selectivity and aggregation issues that jeopardize their effectiveness. Therefore, TiO2 nanoparticles (nps), which

• hyperthermic physiological responses. Titania is capable of producing a number of cytotoxic ROS in the presence of sunlight/UV light (e.g., •OH, •O2−, H2O2), as illustrated in Figure 6, which may contribute to the death of cancer cells, and has been deemed a suitable candidate for PDT [110]. The principal

• the effective treatment of cancer cells. Although conventional ultrasound treatment penetrates deeper in biological tissue and is non-radiative, it has a low tissue attenuation coefficient. Hence, an alternative therapy was developed combining both sonosensitizers and ultrasound techniques. You et al

Theranostic potential of self-luminescent branched polyethyleneimine-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

• Rouhollah Khodadust,
• Ozlem Unal and
• Havva Yagci Acar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 82–95, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.6

• = 365 nm, λem = 482 nm for SPION@bPEI). The fluorescence microscopy images were obtained by using an Olympus-excellence RT Life Science microscope (λexc = 488 nm, λem = 510 nm for GFP). Results and Discussion Delivery of therapeutic PIC to cancer cells with SPION@bPEI and in vitro optical imaging Highly

Alteration of nanomechanical properties of pancreatic cancer cells through anticancer drug treatment revealed by atomic force microscopy

• Xiaoteng Liang,
• Shuai Liu,
• Xiuchao Wang,
• Dan Xia and
• Qiang Li

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1372–1379, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.101

• regulation of cell activity, and hence to the health level of organisms. Here, the morphology and mechanical properties of normal pancreatic cells (HDPE6-C7) and pancreatic cancer cells (AsPC-1, MIA PaCa-2, BxPC-3) were studied by atomic force microscopy. In addition, the mechanical properties of MIA PaCa-2

• after treatment with different concentrations of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) were also investigated. The results show the Young's modulus of normal cells is greater than that of three kinds of cancer cells. The Young's modulus of more aggressive cancer cell AsPC-1 is smaller than that of less

• properties; pancreatic cancer cells; Introduction Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant tumor [1] with the highest mortality rate (ca. 100%) and the lowest 5-year survival rate (≤5%) when all stages are combined [2][3]. Since no significant symptoms appear until the late stage of pancreatic cancer, the

Biocompatibility and cytotoxicity in vitro of surface-functionalized drug-loaded spinel ferrite nanoparticles

• Sadaf Mushtaq,
• Khuram Shahzad,
• Tariq Saeed,
• Anwar Ul-Hamid,
• Bilal Haider Abbasi,
• Nafees Ahmad,
• Waqas Khalid,
• Muhammad Atif,
• Zulqurnain Ali and
• Rashda Abbasi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1339–1364, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.99

• controls. The efficient retention of polymer-functionalized NPs in cancer cells, with the help of the EPR effect and a leaky vasculature system (pore diameter = 100 nm–2 µm) [7], reduces their nonspecific biological interactions with plasma proteins, contributing to a higher bioavailability [37]. SRB

• showed viability up to 80%, indicating excellent biocompatibility of amphiphilic polymers at a lower dose in vitro. IC50 concentrations of functionalized MFe2O4 NPs in cancer cells To determine IC50 concentrations of drug-loaded NPs and their effect on the metabolic activity of HepG2 and HT144 cells, MTT

• in each replicate and compared to NTC (Figure 5b). Spinel ferrite NPs have been reported to cause cytotoxicity in cancer cells, mediated via ROS production, increased transcription of p53 and apoptotic genes (caspase 3 and 9, Bax), and downregulation of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 gene, leading to

Self-assembly of amino acids toward functional biomaterials

• Huan Ren,
• Lifang Wu,
• Lina Tan,
• Yanni Bao,
• Yuchen Ma,
• Yong Jin and
• Qianli Zou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1140–1150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.85

• cancer cells [50]. Furthermore, naphthalimide (NI) derivatives can also be used as end-capping materials for amino acids. Naphthalimide has unique photophysical properties and photostability as a luminescent material for aggregation-induced emission (AIE), which can display high emission properties in

• were used for the selective sensing of Fe3+ within cancer cells and imaging of Fe3+ [54]. Amino-acid-coordinated self-assembly. Coordination-driven self-assembly is a supramolecular self-assembly method based on metal-coordination bond formation, which has the advantages of fewer steps, fast final

• coordination of Mn2+, Fmoc-ʟ-L, and Ce6, a yield of 36 wt % can be obtained. After the uptake of FMC NPs by cancer cells, Mn2+ and Ce6 can be released in response to intracellular high levels of glutathione (GSH). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results showed an almost complete elimination of the tumor three

Use of nanosystems to improve the anticancer effects of curcumin

• Andrea M. Araya-Sibaja,
• Norma J. Salazar-López,
• Krissia Wilhelm Romero,
• José R. Vega-Baudrit,
• J. Abraham Domínguez-Avila,
• Carlos A. Velázquez Contreras,
• Ramón E. Robles-Zepeda,
• Mirtha Navarro-Hoyos and
• Gustavo A. González-Aguilar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1047–1062, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.78

• cancer cells (HCT116) by promoting cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase [49]. A CUR nanocrystal has been successfully prepared using melt sonocrystallization, in which its therapeutic potential was evidenced according to in vitro cytotoxicity studies against a human oral cancer cell line (KB). The results

• propose that their CUR nanoemulsion can inhibit tumor growth and metastasis, with a particular focus on patients who have undergone surgery to have them excised. Inostroza et al. [112] report significant effectiveness of a CUR oil-in-water nanoemulsion against gastric cancer cells (AGS). CUR-based

• against cancer cells [126]. Curcumin-loaded MNP (94.2 µg/mg of nanoparticles) were assayed against MDA-MB-231 cells. They contained iron oxide and β-cyclodextrin and were coated with Pluronic F68 polymer (polyethylene oxide-co-polypropylene oxide-co-polyethylene oxide) with an average size of 9 nm

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

• . reported that when the distance between the cell and the MB was increased to 5.5 µm, the exerted shear stress on the cell membrane suddenly decreased [78]. Schlicher et al. exposed prostate cancer cells (DU145) to 24 kHz US irradiation to investigate the cavitation events and the changes in the cell

• isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled bovine serum albumin (BSA), FITC-labeled 150, 500, and 2000 kDa dextrans into DU145 prostate cancer cells. They blocked the endocytosis mechanism to assess whether the endocytic pathway was upregulated during US exposure. They showed that all of these fluorescent molecules were

• -frequency ultrasound is mostly associated with mechanical effects [143]. During hyperthermia, the target tumor tissue is exposed to a high temperature above 47 °C, and thermal ablation occurs by direct destruction of the cancer cells. After sub-ablative local hyperthermia involving a slight increase in the

Recent progress in actuation technologies of micro/nanorobots

• Ke Xu and
• Bing Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 756–765, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.59

• swing and spiral motion. At the same time, by applying a suitable magnetic field, the nanoeel can be accurately guided to a target location for drug release. Under a magnetic field of 10 mT and 7 Hz, drug delivery to cancer cells could be achieved. The efficiency of killing cancer cells is 35% in the

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

• , with which cancer cells and non-cancerous cells can be distinguished. Furthermore, a cell sensor that uses MaBiDz for rapid detection and imaging of target mRNA biomarkers of metastatic breast cancer has been realized. Its function shows that it is likely to be used as a biomimetic organelle MNR in the

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

• delivery of a wide variety of therapeutic molecules to cancer cells. This allows the molecules to reach critical tissue compartments, such as the BM and lymph nodes, which are otherwise inaccessible to the drugs. Targeting specific surface-exposed moieties of the cancer cell subpopulations is considered as

• cells, which could be used as potential targets for a NDDS-based therapeutic approach (Table 1). The folate receptor is usually overexpressed in all cancer cells and the high frequency (ca. 70%) of folate receptor (FR) β expression in CML and AML relative to normal hematopoietic cells suggests the

Doxorubicin-loaded gold nanorods: a multifunctional chemo-photothermal nanoplatform for cancer management

• Uzma Azeem Awan,
• Abida Raza,
• Shaukat Ali,
• Rida Fatima Saeed and
• Nosheen Akhtar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 295–303, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.24

• urgently needed to kill cancerous cells without damaging normal cells or tissues. One approach is to selectively remove cancer cells using the advanced drug delivery systems. These carrier systems hold sufficient amounts of the drug with prolonged circulation time and sustained drug release at the tumor

• external stimulus [13]. Additionally, the NIR light-induced heat can improve the sensitivity of cancer cells towards chemotherapeutic agents by increasing blood vessel dilation and membrane permeability. These findings provide an incentive to combine photothermal therapy and chemotherapy for cancer

• -conjugated gold nanorods are highly biocompatible vehicles for sustained drug delivery, reduce cardiotoxicity in vivo, and have high photothermal efficacy [34]. A previous report showed that DOX-loaded tiopronin-coated gold nanoparticles (Au-TIOP-DOX) had a better efficacy in killing cancer cells than free

Differences in surface chemistry of iron oxide nanoparticles result in different routes of internalization

• Barbora Svitkova,
• Vlasta Zavisova,
• Veronika Nemethova,
• Martina Koneracka,
• Miroslava Kretova,
• Filip Razga,
• Monika Ursinyova and
• Alena Gabelova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 270–281, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.22

• the protein corona in terms of the amount and specificity of proteins adsorbed from the serum, overall affecting the final size of the nanoparticles in the biological fluid [46]. Because the cellular entry mechanism of identical nanoparticles can differ between cancer cells and non-malignant cells [47

The nanomorphology of cell surfaces of adhered osteoblasts

• Christian Voelkner,
• Mirco Wendt,
• Regina Lange,
• Max Ulbrich,
• Martina Gruening,
• Susanne Staehlke,
• Barbara Nebe,
• Ingo Barke and
• Sylvia Speller

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 242–256, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.20

• breast cancer cells [30], and on keratinocytes [35]. In general, these features are associated with migration, receptor internalization, and micropinocytosis [30][36][37]. Membrane ruffling is regulated by a distinct signaling pathway [38] and the supporting actin is denser and more cross-linked [35

Bio-imaging with the helium-ion microscope: A review

• Matthias Schmidt,
• James M. Byrne and
• Ilari J. Maasilta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1–23, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.1

• study published in the same year, Bazou et al. employed HIM to image human colon cancer cells (Caco2) [9]. The glutaraldehyde-fixed and freeze-dried cells were imaged by both HIM and SEM to enable the direct comparison between the two instruments. HIM analysis of gold-coated and uncoated samples showed

• , HIM provided high-resolution insight into the complex network of interactions of platelets with cancer cells [10]. In 2012, Berg-Foels et al. used transmission electron microscopy, SEM, and HIM to image rabbit cartilage samples [70]. The long depth of field provided by HIM renders the technique

• study regarding biological HIM imaging of a whole variety of biological samples, including plants, bacteria, cancer cells, and a nematode worm, Pristionchus pacificus. The imaging of that worm will be discussed later in the section “Nanofabrication” regarding its innovative use of the combination of

PEG/PEI-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes as delivery carriers for doxorubicin: synthesis, characterization, and in vitro evaluation

• Shuoye Yang,
• Zhenwei Wang,
• Yahong Ping,
• Yuying Miao,
• Yongmei Xiao,
• Lingbo Qu,
• Lu Zhang,
• Yuansen Hu and
• Jinshui Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1728–1741, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.155

• chemotherapeutic agents to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells due to nonspecific distribution and lack of selectivity results in severe toxic side effects for health [1][2]. Therefore, a variety of nanoscale delivery systems have been designed for the controlled release of chemotherapy drugs to decrease

• can induce cell apoptosis with ratios of 9.2% and 11.3% at 50 and 100 μg·mL−1, respectively. The apoptosis ratios of carboxylated or functionalized SWCNTs are lower (Figure 10E,F). It can be concluded that drug-loaded CNT carriers can cause the death of cancer cells through apoptosis after delivering

Influence of the magnetic nanoparticle coating on the magnetic relaxation time

• Mihaela Osaci and
• Matteo Cacciola

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1207–1216, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.105

• . Upon reaching the tumour, the magnetic nanoparticles are locally subjected to an alternating magnetic field, generating heat that kills the cancer cells [1]. The heat is generated due to two phenomena: Néel relaxation (an internal phenomenon driven by the rotation of the particle magnetic moment inside

Applications of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in drug and therapeutic delivery, and biotechnological advancements

• Maria Suciu,
• Corina M. Ionescu,
• Alexandra Ciorita,
• Septimiu C. Tripon,
• Dragos Nica,
• Hani Al-Salami and
• Lucian Barbu-Tudoran

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1092–1109, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.94

• occurred [84]. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated SPIONs showed an unexpected effect on human breast cancer cells (BT-474) in vitro. At concentrations between 10 and 100 µg/mL, for up to three days, nanoparticles doubled the metabolic activity and the population number of cancer cells. Only at

• very important for medical applications. These properties depend on the methods used, targeted organs/tissues, image resolution, administration way and dosage, and toxicity [116]. Fakhar-e-Alam and collaborators [117] observed that above a certain dose cancer cells develop a resistance to ligand

• of 48 °C (after 1 h treatment at 15 mT and 150 kHz) and effectively killing breast cancer cells [145]. A high surface absorption rate can be obtained by increasing the frequency of the magnetic field, but that can only be done in a biologically safe limit, determined by Brezovich and Atkinson [146

Examination of the relationship between viscoelastic properties and the invasion of ovarian cancer cells by atomic force microscopy

• Mengdan Chen,
• Jinshu Zeng,
• Weiwei Ruan,
• Zhenghong Zhang,
• Yuhua Wang,
• Shusen Xie,
• Zhengchao Wang and
• Hongqin Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 568–582, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.45

• The mechanical properties of cells could serve as an indicator for disease progression and early cancer diagnosis. This study utilized atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure the viscoelastic properties of ovarian cancer cells and then examined the association with the invasion of ovarian cancer at

• the level of living single cells. Elasticity and viscosity of the ovarian cancer cells OVCAR-3 and HO-8910 are significantly lower than those of the human ovarian surface epithelial cell (HOSEpiC) control. Further examination found a dramatic increase of migration/invasion and an obvious decease of

• significantly related with the elasticity of the cells. An increase of elasticity and a decrease of invasion were found in OVCAR-3 and HO-8910 cells after Ech treatment. Together, this study clearly demonstrated the association of viscoelastic properties with the invasion of ovarian cancer cells and shed a