Electrospun nanofibers: building blocks for the repair of bone tissue

• Tuğrul Mert Serim,
• Gülin Amasya,
• Tuğba Eren-Böncü,
• Ceyda Tuba Şengel-Türk and
• Ayşe Nurten Özdemir

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 941–953, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.77

• bone [16]. The most dominant component of the organic matrix is collagen, which is synthesized by osteoblasts and performs many mechanical functions. Collagen is a protein found abundantly not only in bones but also in almost every tissue of mammals. One third of all body proteins are collagens [20

• ]. Type-I collagen constitutes approximately 90–95% of the organic matrix in bone tissue, and smaller amounts of other collagen types (i.e., III, V, X, and XII) are included in the bone composition [12][21]. It has been emphasized that type-I collagen is the most important protein structure that carries

• responsible for bone remodeling. Osteoblasts are tightly bound to each other and they cover the bone surface. They are also known as protein-synthesizing cells and responsible for bone formation because they secrete organic bone matrix. Following the formation of this unmineralized cell matrix called osteoid

Identification of structural features of surface modifiers in engineered nanostructured metal oxides regarding cell uptake through ML-based classification

• Indrasis Dasgupta,
• Totan Das,
• Biplab Das and
• Shovanlal Gayen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 909–924, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.75

• “protein corona”, which dictates the biological characteristics of the nanoparticles [10][11]. The composition of this corona is variable and relies on the concentrations and affinities of its different components to the nanoparticle surface. Cellular uptake of NPs happens through receptor-mediated active

The effect of age on the attachment ability of stick insects (Phasmatodea)

• Marie Grote,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Thies H. Büscher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 867–883, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.72

• . aeta. Some arthropod claws, such as those in ticks [69], have been shown to contain small amounts of resilin, an elastomeric protein providing flexibility in cuticle composites [70]. Voigt and Gorb [69] also suspect resilin to occur in other arthropod claws as well, but melanization impedes

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

• cells (bacteria) should not be confused. Eukaryotic flagella are essentially the same organelles as cilia, consisting of a well-organized microtubular backbone and orchestrated internal protein motors, whereas bacterial flagella are simply passive, stiff filaments. The passive nature of the hairs does

• still made of the protein complex keratin. Plants also make use of fibrillar structures to provide defense against predators. These structures are known as trichomes and vary in morphology and density. While trichomes may also secrete chemicals to warn predators, they can impale insects and their larvae

• generation. The flagella of archaea and bacteria are themselves passive hairs and are driven by protein motors at the base. Hair-like ultrastructures, or mastigonemes, on eukaryotic flagella/cilia comprise helical glycoproteins (≈10–20 nm thick) and lack a membrane [106]. They can be either stiff or flexible

Comparative analysis of the ultrastructure and adhesive secretion pathways of different smooth attachment pads of the stick insect Medauroidea extradentata (Phasmatodea)

• Julian Thomas,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Thies H. Büscher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 612–630, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.52

• both layers emit a blue signal, indicative of the presence of resin (rubber-like protein) with relatively soft properties (Figure 3C). The morphological details of these layers are also apparent in longitudinal microtome sections (Figure 3B) and SEM sections (Figure 3D). The primary rod layer is

On the additive artificial intelligence-based discovery of nanoparticle neurodegenerative disease drug delivery systems

• Shan He,
• Julen Segura Abarrategi,
• Harbil Bediaga,
• Sonia Arrasate and
• Humberto González-Díaz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 535–555, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.47

• , protein targeting, the prediction of coated-NP drug release systems [41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49], multitarget networks of neuroprotective compounds for a theoretical study of new asymmetric 1,2-rasagiline carbamates [50], a TOPS-MODE model of multiplexing neuroprotective effects of drugs, an

• biological activity parameter, cd1, the target protein involved in NDs, cd2, the cell line for NDD assays, and cd3, the model organism. Each one of these assays included one out of n(cd0) = 46 possible biological activity parameters (e.g., EC50 or Ki (nM)). They also involved some of the n(cd1) = 21 target

• included another set of discrete variables used to codify the nature/quality of data. These variables are cd4, the type of target, cd5, the type of assay, cd6, the data curation, cd7, the confidence score, and cd8, the target mapping. Specifically, the target types are n(cd4) = 6 (single protein, organism

Cholesterol nanoarchaeosomes for alendronate targeted delivery as an anti-endothelial dysfunction agent

• Horacio Emanuel Jerez,
• Yamila Roxana Simioni,
• Kajal Ghosal,
• Maria Jose Morilla and
• Eder Lilia Romero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 517–534, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.46

• have lately been described [30][31][32]. Endothelial cells express a diversity of innate immune receptors including Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and NOD-like receptors (NLRs), which activate intracellular inflammatory pathways mediated by nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) and the mitogen-activated protein

• -fraction V were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (MO, USA). Lissamine™ rhodamine B 1,2-dihexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine triethylammonium salt (RhPE), Hoechst 33342, Pierce™ BCA Protein Assay Kit, and CM-H2DCFDA (general oxidative stress indicator) were purchased from Thermo Fisher Scientific (MA

Classification and application of metal-based nanoantioxidants in medicine and healthcare

• Nguyen Nhat Nam,
• Nguyen Khoi Song Tran,
• Tan Tai Nguyen,
• Nguyen Ngoc Trai,
• Nguyen Phuong Thuy,
• Hoang Dang Khoa Do,
• Nhu Hoa Thi Tran and
• Kieu The Loan Trinh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 396–415, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.36

• than copper content and size. The enzyme activity of natural CAT highly depends on the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the protein. A significant decrease or even loss of CAT activity can be caused already by small changes in the protein conformation and structure. As a matter of fact, cellular

• is caused by protein denaturation at high temperatures. Impressively, Co3O4 nanomaterials with different morphologies (nanoplates, nanorods, and nanocubes) exhibited the highest relative activity at very high pH (pH 9) and temperature (90 °C) [39]. Similar results were also reported for platinum

• lipoprotein receptor-related protein overexpressed on cells that comprise the BBB. Figure 3 illustrates the biodistribution and ROS scavenging activity of edaravone-encapsulated nanospherical albumin (EeNA) [91]. Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological disease that slowly destroys thinking skills and memory

Nanomedicines against Chagas disease: a critical review

• Maria Jose Morilla,
• Kajal Ghosal and
• Eder Lilia Romero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 333–349, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.30

• , resulting in its fast killing. Lately, it was suggested that the major metabolic impact of BNZ is on the glutathione (and trypanothione) pathway so that covalent binding of BNZ with low-molecular-weight thiols and with protein thiols is the drug’s primary mode of action against T. cruzi [15]. In mammalian

• Loncastuximab tesirine, launched in 2021 to treat B-cell lymphoma [84]. Nearly 10% are polymer–drug/protein conjugates such as polyethylene glycol-ʟ-asparaginase (Calaspargase pegol, Asparlas), launched in 2019 in the USA to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia [85]. Another 10% are protein-based nanoparticles

• including Abraxane, the first formulation based on protein nanotechnology launched in 2005 [86]. Nearly 10% are inorganic nanoparticles such as the radiosensitizer Hensify, which in 2019 obtained CE Mark approval in the European Union for the treatment of locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma. This category

Exploring the relationships between physiochemical properties of nanoparticles and cell damage to combat cancer growth using simple periodic table-based descriptors

• Joyita Roy and
• Kunal Roy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 297–309, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.27

• protein corona. The formation of a protein corona on the surface of NPs, which influences the interaction with cell membranes or proteins, is also associated with zeta potential and surface charge. Very limited studies have reported the influence of zeta potential, surface charge, hydrophobicity, and

• hydroxyl radicals, resulting in oxidative damage to proteins. Moreover, they can bind non-specifically to amino acid residues and replace existing metal ions at active sites of enzymes, leading to abnormal protein folding. Protein aggregation diseases are a type of neurodegenerative diseases that occur

Multiscale modelling of biomolecular corona formation on metallic surfaces

• Parinaz Mosaddeghi Amini,
• Ian Rouse,
• Julia Subbotina and
• Vladimir Lobaskin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 215–229, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.21

• modelling of the interaction between various surfaces, that is (100), (110), and (111), of fcc aluminum with the most abundant milk proteins and lactose. Our approach combines atomistic molecular dynamics, a coarse-grained model of protein adsorption, and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to predict the

• protein corona composition in the deposited milk layer on aluminum surfaces. We consider a simplified model of milk, which is composed of the six most abundant milk proteins found in natural cow milk and lactose, which is the most abundant sugar found in dairy. Through our study, we ranked selected

• provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of lactose and protein deposition on aluminum surfaces, which can aid in the general understanding of protein corona formation. Keywords: all atomistic; aluminum; bionano interface; coarse grained model; lactose; milk protein; multiscale modelling; protein

Nanocarrier systems loaded with IR780, iron oxide nanoparticles and chlorambucil for cancer theragnostics

• Phuong-Thao Dang-Luong,
• Hong-Phuc Nguyen,
• Loc Le-Tuan,
• Xuan-Thang Cao,
• Vy Tran-Anh and
• Hieu Vu Quang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 180–189, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.17

• and target efficacy. To increase the blood half-life, stealth materials have been attached to the nanoparticle surface to prevent protein adsorption and immune cell phagocytosis [4]. Most sheath materials are hydrophilic polymers such as poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(ethylene glycol), and poly(ethylene

• cytoskeleton and chlorambucil (CHL) inhibits DNA synthesis. These drugs can be encapsulated inside nanoparticles for administration to increase the stability of the medication in circulation and therapeutic efficacy. For example, doxorubicin can be inserted into liposomes and paclitaxel attaches to the protein

• NPs also helps to maintain its stability. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on the surface of NPs would serve as a brush to inhibit serum protein adsorption [4]. The PEO block of F127 shares the same core structure as PEG; hence, the emergence of a form of PEG would likewise improve the pharmacokinetics of

Assessing phytotoxicity and tolerance levels of ZnO nanoparticles on Raphanus sativus: implications for widespread adoptions

• Pathirannahalage Sahan Samuditha,
• Nadeesh Madusanka Adassooriya and
• Nazeera Salim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 115–125, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.11

• light scattering (DLS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of ZnO NPs (70 nm) on R. sativus grown in coir was evaluated. The application of 1,000 mg/L of ZnO NPs resulted in a significant increase (p < 0.05) in soluble protein content, carbohydrates, chlorophyll a (Chl-a), chlorophyll b

• (p < 0.05) in soluble protein content by 23.1%, accompanied by a notable increase in IAA by 31.1%, indicating potential toxicity. The use of atomic absorption spectroscopy confirmed the internalization of zinc in seedlings, with a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05). In control plants

• at higher doses was investigated against R. sativus to determine its tolerance. Further, this study also attempted to assess the accumulation of Zn in R. sativus seedlings by determining the effect of ZnO NPs on the soluble protein content, indole acetic acid (IAA) content, total carbohydrate content

Study of the reusability and stability of nylon nanofibres as an antibody immobilisation surface

• Inés Peraile,
• Matilde Gil-García,
• Laura González-López,
• Nushin A. Dabbagh-Escalante,
• Juan C. Cabria-Ramos and
• Paloma Lorenzo-Lozano

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 83–94, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.8

• nanofibres with well-oriented antibodies anchored by protein A/G. Our study shows that stripping with glycine buffer pH 2.5 allows the nanofibres to be reused as long as protein A/G has been previously anchored, leaving both nanofibre and protein A/G unchanged. On the other hand, we investigated the

• stability of the nylon nanofibres. To achieve this, we analysed any loss of immunocapture ability of well-oriented antibodies anchored both to the nylon nanofibres and to a specialised surface with high protein binding capacity. The nanofibre immunocapture system maintained an unchanged immunocapture

• reusability study”. Ricin has been chosen as a representative biotoxin because it has been used in biological warfare attacks because of its high toxicity, stability, and availability. It belongs to the ribosome-inactivating protein family and causes cell death by disrupting protein synthesis [20]. Results

Nanotechnological approaches in the treatment of schistosomiasis: an overview

• Lucas Carvalho,
• Michelle Sarcinelli and
• Beatriz Patrício

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 13–25, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.2

• , Adekiya et al. [40] produced PZQ encapsulated in nanoliposomes whose surface was modified with an antibody against calpain, a protein found in the tegument of the parasite and is upregulated in the regions where host–parasite interaction occurs [41]. The modified nanoparticles orally administered two or

Fluorescent bioinspired albumin/polydopamine nanoparticles and their interactions with Escherichia coli cells

• Eloïse Equy,
• Jordana Hirtzel,
• Sophie Hellé,
• Béatrice Heurtault,
• Eric Mathieu,
• Morgane Rabineau,
• Vincent Ball and
• Lydie Ploux

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1208–1224, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.100

• applications, especially because of their biocompatibility. We synthesized and characterized fluorescent PDA NPs of 10–25 nm diameter based on a protein containing a lysine–glutamate diad (bovine serum albumin, BSA) and determined whether they can penetrate and accumulate in bacterial cells to serve as a

• additive plays a crucial role in the control of the NP size. Specifically, Bergtold et al. demonstrated that a protein (e.g. chromofungin) containing a diad of lysine (K) and glutamate (E) (Figure 1a,b) in its sequence allows for the control of the formation of PDA NPs, in contrast to an additive without a

• aromatic ring of dopamine (Figure 1c). For this, K and E residues must be next to each other. Even a single glycine residue (G) located between K and E can destabilize the aggregates [13]. Among such possible additives, the albumin protein is an interesting candidate since it contains one KE diad and is

Hierarchically patterned polyurethane microgrooves featuring nanopillars or nanoholes for neurite elongation and alignment

• Lester Uy Vinzons,
• Guo-Chung Dong and
• Shu-Ping Lin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1157–1168, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.96

• had a rounded bottom. The space between the pillars and holes were around 860 nm and 330 nm, respectively. The wettability of a surface is a good predictor of protein adsorption and bioactivity [20]. For the extracellular matrix protein laminin, good adsorption and cell growth have been found on

Curcumin-loaded albumin submicron particles with potential as a cancer therapy: an in vitro study

• Nittiya Suwannasom,
• Netsai Sriaksorn,
• Chutamas Thepmalee,
• Krissana Khoothiam,
• Ausanai Prapan,
• Hans Bäumler and
• Chonthida Thephinlap

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1127–1140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.93

• stability and solubility [9]. The complexation occurs mainly through hydrophobic interactions in protein cavities [10][11]. In a recent study, zein nanoparticles loaded with CUR have been studied for their potential in treating brain tumors, and the results have demonstrated a reduction in the proliferation

• 1644 and 1546 cm−1 indicated the vibration adsorption of amide I (C=O stretching) and amide II (C–N stretching and N–H bending vibrations), respectively. These are the main vibrational bands in the albumin backbone that formed the secondary structure of the protein. It is also seen that the absorption

• peaks of HSA-MPs (orange line spectrum) have almost the same characteristic peaks of HSA, including amide I and amide II. Interestingly, the similarity between the absorption peaks of HSA-MPs and CUR-HSA-MPs (red line spectrum) suggests that CUR encapsulation does not significantly alter the protein

Recognition mechanisms of hemoglobin particles by monocytes – CD163 may just be one

• Jonathan-Gabriel Nimz,
• Pichayut Rerkshanandana,
• Chiraphat Kloypan,
• Ulrich Kalus,
• Saranya Chaiwaree,
• Axel Pruß,
• Radostina Georgieva,
• Yu Xiong and
• Hans Bäumler

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1028–1040, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.85

• occur in the liver [24][25][26]. The question of the mechanisms by which HBOCs are sequestered remains partly unclear though. Possible degradation pathways include haptoglobin (Hp), which, depending on the size and surface properties of HBOCs, could bind its physiological target protein hemoglobin [16

• site within the Hb α chain is freely accessible (exclusively β-crosslinked Hb vs α-crosslinked Hb) [27]. Intermolecular modifications changing the molecular or polymer size of HBOCs [16][19][30] are relevant for protein binding as well. Hemoglobin sub-micron particles (HbMPs) obtained via

• since both proteins are specific for monocytes. CD163 was tested because of its direct affinity to Hb. Also, we tested the effect of blocking CD204 (scavenger receptor A/SR-A). SR-A is a membrane protein occurring in the monocyte/macrophage lineage. Playing an important role in host defense, it exhibits

Nanoarchitectonics of photothermal materials to enhance the sensitivity of lateral flow assays

• Elangovan Sarathkumar,
• Rajasekharan S. Anjana and
• Ramapurath S. Jayasree

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 988–1003, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.82

• 2017 to determine the impact of GNP size on LFA performance [25]. They compared three different sizes of GNPs (30, 60, and 100 nm) in order to determine both the colorimetric and photothermal effect on the LFA membrane (Figure 7A). The group considered C-reactive protein as a model antigen, and the

Antibody-conjugated nanoparticles for target-specific drug delivery of chemotherapeutics

• Mamta Kumari,
• Amitabha Acharya and
• Praveen Thaggikuppe Krishnamurthy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 912–926, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.75

• chemotherapeutic agent in a controlled manner. Appropriately designed and synthesized ACNPs are essential to fully realize their therapeutic benefits. In blood stream, ACNPs instantly interact with biological molecules, and a protein corona is formed. Protein corona formation triggers an immune response and

• affects the targeting ability of the nanoformulation. In this review, we provide recent findings to highlight several antibody conjugation methods such as adsorption, covalent conjugation, and biotin–avidin interaction. This review also provides an overview of the many effects of the protein corona and

• fragment antigen-binding (Fab) region of mAbs are chemically conjugated to NP surfaces to recognize protein targets that are overexpressed on the surface of tumor cells. Conjugation of mAbs to NP surfaces improves targeting capacity, cellular uptake, and intracellular stability [12]. The mAb-functionalized

Biomimetics on the micro- and nanoscale – The 25th anniversary of the lotus effect

• Matthias Mail,
• Kerstin Koch,
• Thomas Speck,
• William M. Megill and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 850–856, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.69

• paper “Bioselectivity of silk protein-based materials and their bio-inspired applications” the importance of tailoring bioselective, biologically active, and multifunctional materials for biomedical applications in biomaterial research. The review was focused on two major topics, the first one being

• biological processes and surface interactions involved in the bioselective adhesion of mammalian cells. The second topic of the review was on repellence of microbes on protein-based material surfaces, highlighting the importance of materials made of recombinant spider silk proteins. Biomaterials that

• the same time selectively enhance regeneration in host tissues. The authors point out that in this context, protein-based materials and especially silk materials are interesting candidates due to their natural origin, biological activity, and structural properties. These exciting recombinant

Nanostructured lipid carriers containing benznidazole: physicochemical, biopharmaceutical and cellular in vitro studies

• Giuliana Muraca,
• María Esperanza Ruiz,
• Rocío C. Gambaro,
• Sebastián Scioli-Montoto,
• María Laura Sbaraglini,
• Gisel Padula,
• José Sebastián Cisneros,
• Cecilia Yamil Chain,
• Vera A. Álvarez,
• Cristián Huck-Iriart,
• Guillermo R. Castro,
• María Belén Piñero,
• Matias Ildebrando Marchetto,
• Catalina Alba Soto,
• Germán A. Islan and
• Alan Talevi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 804–818, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.66

• intrinsic toxicity of our nanoscale vehicle on T. cruzi may be linked to a modification of glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs). Glycosylphosphatidylinositols are the main anchor complexes used by protozoans to bind to cell surface proteins. It covalently attaches to the C terminus of a protein connecting

• it to the outer leaflet of the lipid bilayer [49]. Trypanosoma brucei predominant membrane protein variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), which is involved in parasite host immune system evasion, is anchored by a GPI that requires myristate for its synthesis. Analogs of myristate have shown toxicity

Suspension feeding in Copepoda (Crustacea) – a numerical model of setae acting in concert

• Alexander E. Filippov,
• Wencke Krings and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 603–615, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.50

• cuticle’s mechanical properties revealed that the setae on maxillae 1 (long setae) and 2 (short setae) possess very soft bases full of the elastic protein resilin [55][56][57]. Additionally, the tips of the short setae on maxilla 2 exhibited a blue autofluorescence signal, which strongly indicated that

The steep road to nonviral nanomedicines: Frequent challenges and culprits in designing nanoparticles for gene therapy

• Yao Yao,
• Yeongun Ko,
• Grant Grasman,
• Jeffery E. Raymond and
• Joerg Lahann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 351–361, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.30

• are assessed with the use of fluorescent-labeling carriers and the expression of fluorescent proteins (e.g., enhanced green fluorescent protein). Both of which are typically assessed by widefield fluorescent microscopy/confocal microscopy (referred to as “imaging”) and/or flow cytometry (Table 1

• pharmacological inhibitors. However, genetic alterations may also result in changes that share protein components or lead to compensatory mechanisms in the cell [37]. Despite their intrinsic specificity, validation still remains critical to avoid affecting multiple pathways. Hence, the inclusion of appropriate

• polymeric (e.g., core–shell micelles), oligomeric (e.g., lipid nanoparticles), or biomacromolecular (e.g., protein nanoparticles) components complicates matters only further by generating a higher-than-normal background through non-specific interactions with the assay media. In addition, a significant bias