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

• nanomaterials has proved to be useful for applications in a variety of disciplines, including chemical or biological sensing, bioimaging, drug delivery, photodynamic therapy, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis, with advantages over commonly used semiconductor dots or conventional fluorescent probes such as

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

• biocompatibility, large specific surface area, and remarkable photoelectric properties [1][2][3]. Among them, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been frequently employed for drug delivery, sensing, imaging, and photodynamic therapy owing to their high extinction coefficient, distinct optical properties, excellent

Ciprofloxacin-loaded dissolving polymeric microneedles as a potential therapeutic for the treatment of S. aureus skin infections

• Sharif Abdelghany,
• Walhan Alshaer,
• Yazan Al Thaher,
• Maram Al Fawares,
• Amal G. Al-Bakri,
• Saja Zuriekat and
• Randa SH. Mansour

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 517–527, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.43

• Sharif Abdelghany Walhan Alshaer Yazan Al Thaher Maram Al Fawares Amal G. Al-Bakri Saja Zuriekat Randa SH. Mansour School of Pharmacy, University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan Cell Therapy Center, University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan Faculty of Pharmacy, Philadelphia University, Amman

Design and characterization of polymeric microneedles containing extracts of Brazilian green propolis

• Camila Felix Vecchi,
• Rafaela Said dos Santos,
• Jéssica Bassi da Silva and
• Marcos Luciano Bruschi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 503–516, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.42

• permeation mechanism [6][9][10]. Nanocarriers can be used together with polymeric MNs in a synergistic therapy. The nanocarriers can immediately come into contact with the stratum corneum with the help of polymeric MNs, enhancing the transdermal drug delivery of the drugs. Furthermore, these polymeric MNs

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

• used for effectively scavenging multiple ROS. Metal-based nanomaterials, such as CeO2 and Fe3O4, have been widely applied for antioxidant therapy [10]. In addition, bioactive small-molecule compounds, such as bilirubin and curcumin, and antioxidant peptides such as glutathione (GSH) and casein

Systematic studies into uniform synthetic protein nanoparticles

• Nahal Habibi,
• Ava Mauser,
• Jeffery E. Raymond and
• Joerg Lahann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 274–283, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.22

• , particularly as a combination therapy [10]. To leverage the endogenous properties of albumin, nab technology uses a high-pressure manufacturing process to force hydrophobic drugs into the internal hydrophobic pockets of human serum albumin (HSA) [11]. This leads to the formation of albumin-bound, paclitaxel

Photothermal ablation of murine melanomas by Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle clusters

• Xue Wang,
• Lili Xuan and
• Ying Pan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 255–264, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.20

• development of resistance. Here, we fabricated Fe3O4 nanoparticle clusters (NPCs), which have drawn widespread attention, and investigated their role in the treatment of melanoma by photothermal therapy (PTT). Scanning electron microscopy imaging shows that our synthesized NPCs are spherical with an average

• the promise of Fe3O4 NPCs as a new PTT option to treat melanoma. Keywords: Fe3O4 nanoparticle clusters; heat shock protein 70; melanoma; near infrared; photothermal therapy; Introduction The global incidence of melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of cancer, has kept increasing annually over the

• past decades at an accelerating rate [1]. Depending on the features of melanomas, therapeutic options include surgical resection, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy and several others. Although these treatments could initially meet therapeutic needs, their efficacies commonly drop

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

• conversion efficiency and by an accumulation of photosensitizers in tumor sites. ROS-related cancer therapeutics such as photodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy, and chemical dynamic therapy showed great potential to significantly enhance the precision and efficacy of cancer therapeutics [14]. Neoplastic

• cells containing TiO2 nps undergo oxidative degeneration upon light irradiation under the influence of generated ROS and, therefore, these nps are considered as a potent photosensitizer in anticancer photodynamic therapy and the photodynamic inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria [15]. TiO2

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

• selective uptake and hence the targeting ability of Erb-tagged nanoparticles. Altogether, this study proves luminescent, cationic, and small SPION@bPEI nanoparticles as strong candidates for imaging and gene therapy. Keywords: Erbitux; photoluminescence; polyethyleneimine; polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid

• and a positive surface charge. The former is very important for the pharmacokinetics of nanoparticles and needed for long blood circulation time, especially when a molecular targeting is aimed [36][37][38]. The latter is essential for the highly popular gene therapy, especially in the treatment of

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

• spheroid diameter and up to 74 ± 8.9% of cell death after two weeks. In addition, they also inhibited multidrug resistance (MDR) pump activity in both cell lines suggesting effectivity in MDR cancers. Among the tested MFe2O4 NPs, CFO nanocarriers were the most favorable for targeted cancer therapy due to

• ]. Conventional treatment strategies for cancer, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, lack the ability to selectively target neoplastic tissue, which results in systemic toxicity [3]. For these reasons, the focus of the field was transferred to nanomedicine which enables targeted therapy and reduces

• stability, magnetic properties (coercivity = 883 and saturation magnetization = 56 emu/g), and specificity towards cancer cells support CFO nanocarriers as promising candidates for targeted cancer therapy domains. However, further investigations regarding pathway analysis, in vivo cytotoxicity, and magnetic

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

• been shown that a novel protein-based nanoparticle with enhanced photothermal effect has been obtained for antitumor therapy using metal ions, proteins, and photosensitizers as building blocks [69]. The integration of metal ions significantly improved the structural stability and photothermal

• properties of the nanoparticles [69]. The use of amino acids coordinated with metal ions and the encapsulation of guest molecule photosensitizers have also achieved encouraging results. Zhang et al. [70] developed an antitumor photodynamic therapy (PDT) nanoparticle based on the coordination of modified

• , facilitating tumor therapy. Selective tumor accumulation was still observed up to 12 h in mice injected with fluorescently labeled (FL-labeled) B-Cur NPs or S-Cur NPs, while mice injected with FL-labeled curcumin showed no significant tumor accumulation after 4 h. In addition, antitumor activity experiments

pH-driven enhancement of anti-tubercular drug loading on iron oxide nanoparticles for drug delivery in macrophages

• Karishma Berta Cotta,
• Sarika Mehra and
• Rajdip Bandyopadhyaya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1127–1139, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.84

• biocompatibility and magnetic properties, have found applications in drug delivery, magnetic resonance imaging and treatment of iron deficiencies [3][4][5][6]. The property of hyperthermia has been found to be beneficial in localized drug release, particularly in cancer therapy [7]. In anti-cancer therapy, IONPs

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

• that respond to external stimuli (i.e., magnetic nanoparticles and photodynamic therapy). Previous studies showed that the effects of CUR were improved when loaded into nanosystems as compared to the free compound, as well as synergist effects when it is co-administrated alongside with other molecules

• solubility, lack of specificity, high toxicity, poor therapy index, and multidrug resistance are other related drawbacks [6][7]. Orally administered chemotherapy is currently unsuitable due to the low bioavailability of chemotherapeutic agents [8], making intravenous the only viable route of administration

• anticancer activity, including liposomes, nanoemulsions, nanocrystals, nanosuspensions, and polymeric nanoparticles, as well as dual effect nanosystems which respond to external stimuli (mainly magnetic nanoparticles and photodynamic therapy), in addition to internal ones. Furthermore, key design factors

An overview of microneedle applications, materials, and fabrication methods

• Zahra Faraji Rad,
• Philip D. Prewett and
• Graham J. Davies

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1034–1046, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.77

• is not limited to biological fluid extraction or vaccine and drug delivery. For example, silicon microneedles with heights of 320 and 400 µm were fabricated for in vivo human gene therapy [35]. Microneedles have also been used for treatment of hypertension in hemodynamic and cardiovascular disorders

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

• therapy; sonoporation; theranostics; ultrasound; ultrasound responsive nanomaterials; Review Introduction Smart drug delivery vehicles It is well known that the administration of most anticancer drugs can produce considerable systemic toxicity, which in some cases can be dose-limiting. Whether oral

• any leakage before ultrasonication. They should then release the cargo after US stimulation and also, in some cases, have the ability to be monitored via imaging modalities. Many US-responsive NPs have been reported as part of theranostic systems, which can be used for both therapy and imaging at the

• cancer therapy [123]. Furthermore, ADV-generated MBs can provide contrast-enhanced imaging and increase the temperature during HIFU therapy due to the cavitation produced when using ultrasound contrast agents [115]. ADV-generated MBs with the proper density can facilitate uniform HIFU ablative treatment

Silver nanoparticles induce the cardiomyogenic differentiation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells via telomere length extension

• Khosro Adibkia,
• Ali Ehsani,
• Asma Jodaei,
• Ezzatollah Fathi,
• Raheleh Farahzadi and
• Mohammad Barzegar-Jalali

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 786–797, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.62

• recently gained much attention in cell therapy regarding the repair of damaged heart tissue [3]. In regenerative medicine, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and cardiac progenitor cells play a remarkable role in the regeneration of the myocardium [4]. Experimental studies related to the role of

• expediting stem cell therapy [7], scientists are trying hard to facilitate the differentiation of MSCs into other types of cardiac cells, including endothelial or smooth muscle cells, in vitro. Meanwhile, the use of 3-dimensional (3D) culture and nanomaterials for cell survival and preservation has attracted

• ). Discussion MSCs, as multipotent cells, have unique features, such as self-renewal and multilineage differentiation potential, which can be utilized for cell-based therapy [21][22]; however, these features are relatively weak when compared to other stem cells, that is, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs

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

• biomedical fields, such as medical diagnosis, nanoscale surgery, and targeted therapy. In this article, recent progress on micro/nanorobots is reviewed regarding actuation technologies. First, the different actuation mechanisms are divided into two types, external field actuation and self-actuation. Then, a

• targeted therapy. This research result indicated that the use of magnetotactic bacteria is an effective method to treat cancer, and its application urgently needs more scholars to explore. Xing et al. [48] used marine-derived magnetotactic bacteria (AMB-1) as a template to build an intelligent micro

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

• -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

Fate and transformation of silver nanoparticles in different biological conditions

• Barbara Pem,
• Marija Ćurlin,
• Darija Domazet Jurašin,
• Valerije Vrček,
• Rinea Barbir,
• Vedran Micek,
• Raluca M. Fratila,
• Jesus M. de la Fuente and
• Ivana Vinković Vrček

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 665–679, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.53

• , which listed more than 100 AgNP-containing food products [4]. The biomedical use of AgNPs represents the largest proportion of the market share [1] encompassing antimicrobial coatings on medical devices (catheters, stents, implants), wound dressings, targeted drug delivery, cancer therapy and

Rapid controlled synthesis of gold–platinum nanorods with excellent photothermal properties under 808 nm excitation

• Jialin Wang,
• Qianqian Duan,
• Min Yang,
• Boye Zhang,
• Li Guo,
• Pengcui Li,
• Wendong Zhang and
• Shengbo Sang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 462–472, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.37

• photothermal stability. Our work has paved the way for the controllable synthesis of Au@Pt NRs with specific optical properties and stable photothermal performance. The Au@Pt NRs are capable of acting as a novel PTAs and show good application prospects in the photothermal therapy of tumors. Experimental

A review on nanostructured silver as a basic ingredient in medicine: physicochemical parameters and characterization

• Gabriel M. Misirli,
• Kishore Sridharan and
• Shirley M. P. Abrantes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 440–461, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.36

• -income regions. Little is invested in the research and development of new drugs by the pharmaceutical industry to treat these neglected diseases as it is not commercially interesting [84][85]. AgNPs have appeared as a possible alternative in the therapy against many of these diseases as they present low

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

• , which usually results in therapy failure and noticeable side effects. Nanomedicine has emerged as a novel cancer treatment and diagnostic modality, whose design constantly evolves towards increasing the safety and efficacy of the chemotherapeutic and diagnostic protocols. Recently, a novel generation of

• of individualized tumor signatures for a personalized therapy against cancers. The greatest interest regarding the development of targeted nanoscale drug delivery systems is related to solid tumors. However, liquid tumor targeting can greatly benefit from the application of nanomedicines during

• therapy. Unlike solid tumors, which necessitate nanoscale drug delivery system (NDDSs) to reach a specific site of action, liquid tumors are mainly spread throughout the blood circulation. In fact, the barriers that apply to the NDDSs for solid tumor targeting usually do not exist in the case of liquid

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

• study was to fabricate biocompatible multifunctional drug-loaded nanoscale moieties for co-therapy (chemo-photothermal therapy) with maximum efficacy and minimum side effects. Herein, we report in vitro anticancerous effects of doxorubicin (DOX) loaded on gold nanorods coated with the polyelectrolyte

• based on chemotherapy and photothermal strategies appears to be a promising platform in cancer management. Keywords: chemotherapy; doxorubicin; gold nanorods; NIR laser; photothermal therapy; Introduction Despite the enormous advances in medical research, cancer is still the second most common cause

• of death worldwide from which 9.6 million people died in 2018 [1]. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major types of liver cancer with high incidence of mortality [2]. Currently, there are a number of treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, irradiation

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

• valuable in vitro model of human alveolar epithelial type-2 cells [21], which are considered as drivers of lung fibrosis [22] and lung tumor development [23]. Inhalation therapy represents a prospective non-invasive curative modality for lung cancer and a therapy for other lung illnesses [24]. Drug

Effect of different silica coatings on the toxicity of upconversion nanoparticles on RAW 264.7 macrophage cells

• Cynthia Kembuan,
• Helena Oliveira and
• Christina Graf

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 35–48, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.3

• chemical inertness and relatively low toxicity are also claimed advantages [7][10][11]. Due to these unique features, UCNPs have already been used in medical and biological applications, such as multimodal bioimaging, drug delivery, photodynamic therapy, and biosensing [9][12][13][14][15][16][17]. However