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

• and 15 μg/mL of bPEI (corresponding to nanoparticle concentration values of 10 and 20 μg/mL, respectively). A significant toxicity was observed at a dose of 22 μg/mL of free bPEI, which is equivalent to a 30 μg/mL SPION@bPEI dose. This is a significant enhancement in cytocompatibility of SPION@bPEI

• no PEG on these nanoparticles to reduce the toxicity of bPEI, which is the commonly accepted method to render such toxic materials more biocompatible. The delivery of PIC to HeLa cells with this highly cytocompatible delivery vehicle resulted in a dose-dependent viability, indicating an effective

• delivery of PIC into the cells at an N/P ratio of 30. The cell viability decreased by 20–40–70% with 0.9, 1.8 and 2.7 µg of PIC, respectively, delivered to the cells with an increasing dose of the SPION@bPEI/PIC. Especially at 10 and 20 µg of nanoparticles/mL dose, all the toxicity is originated from the

Heating ability of elongated magnetic nanoparticles

• Elizaveta M. Gubanova,
• Nikolai A. Usov and
• Vladimir A. Oleinikov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1404–1412, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.104

• cases this stops the tumor growth and results in its decay. However, it are magnetic nanoparticles with low toxicity and a high specific absorption rate (SAR) of the energy of the ac magnetic field that are needed in magnetic hyperthermia. The use of optimized assemblies of magnetic nanoparticles can

• magnetic hyperthermia. Basically, iron oxide nanoparticles were studied [5][6][7][8][9][10] because of their low toxicity and high saturation magnetization, although nanoparticles of other chemical compositions, such as metallic iron nanoparticles [11][12][13], and various ferrites [14][15][16][17] were

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

• ]. 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

• programmed cell death [39]. However, the chemical composition of NPs plays an important role in determining cytotoxic behavior. For example, NPs with cores made up with toxic metals (e.g., Cd and Ag) cause cytotoxicity. Conversely, metals such as Fe and Zn are biocompatible and cause toxicity at higher doses

Identifying diverse metal oxide nanomaterials with lethal effects on embryonic zebrafish using machine learning

• Richard Liam Marchese Robinson,
• Haralambos Sarimveis,
• Philip Doganis,
• Xiaodong Jia,
• Marianna Kotzabasaki,
• Christiana Gousiadou,
• Stacey Lynn Harper and
• Terry Wilkins

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1297–1325, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.97

• Knowledgebase by Karcher and co-workers [31]. In contrast to most previously published modelling studies of the NBI Knowledgebase (discussed above), we developed toxicity models using a variety of particle characteristics and variables calculated based upon the chemical composition of the core and organic

• assumption that a small perturbation in structure, corresponding to a small perturbation in descriptors, will lead to a small change in biological activity [36]. In the current context, it is assumed that the toxicity classes would be unchanged for these small perturbations. Descriptors corresponding to

• dispersed in fish water medium and dermal penetration is typically observed as the main route of systemic exposure up to 120 hpf, the appearance of swallowing around 72 hpf allows for toxicity via an oral exposure route to manifest prior to 120 hpf but not at 24 hpf [31]. However, it is also possible that

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

• and composition of nanostructures, the assembling behavior and stability in aqueous solution, the loading/encapsulation ratio of drugs, and the toxicity of nanostructures to living organisms still need to be overcome by researchers. Moreover, little research has been done on the biocompatibility of

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

• imparts multiple benefits – improved IONP stability, enhanced drug coating, higher drug uptake in macrophages at reduced toxicity and slower drug release. Keywords: drug-nanoparticle interactions; drug uptake; intra-macrophage; iron oxide nanoparticles; norfloxacin; Introduction Nanoparticles have taken

• permeabilization [10], in turn improving the bactericidal activity of the drug, too. For biological applications, it is essential for IONPs to be stabilized with the help of stabilizing agents [11][12]. This helps to reduce the nanoparticle toxicity and facilitates the synthesis of stable nanoparticle dispersions

• concentrations due to toxicity concerns. Thus, we hypothesized that the overall zwitterionic and chelating properties could enable a pH dependent enhanced loading of NOR on to IONPs, independent of any additional stabilizing agent in the formulation, which would in turn permit their application. In the present

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

• normal and abnormal cells [4], which leads to systemic toxicity that triggers hair loss, loss of appetite, immunosuppression, and inflammation [3]. These side effects can be severe enough to significantly impact the efficacy of a given treatment, while also causing high patient discomfort [5]. Low drug

• 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

• , since it avoids bioavailability issues. However, this results in increased toxicity and side effects [3]. Therefore, one of the goals of new and/or improved cancer therapies is for the drug to only target malignant cells in sufficient concentrations and with minimal distribution to other tissues to

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

• particles [39][40][41][92]. Administration of a drug by porous silicon near the targeted organ makes it possible to achieve a therapeutic concentration in the affected area with considerably reduced collateral drug toxicity in other tissues and organs [40][93]. A drug can be loaded into the porous silicon

• manufacturing compared to silicon, notwithstanding some issues of toxicity. Photochemical etching, electroplating, and laser cutting are common techniques in the fabrication of solid and hollow metallic microneedles. Studies have demonstrated the fabrication of hollow nickel microneedles by electroplating, with

• concerns with current metal microneedles may result in them having to be made from different metals. For example, the toxicity of electroplated nickel microneedles has not been adequately addressed so far in the literature. Metals are generally stronger and cheaper than polymers and silicon, but immune and

Progress and innovation of nanostructured sulfur cathodes and metal-free anodes for room-temperature Na–S batteries

• Marina Tabuyo-Martínez,
• Bernd Wicklein and
• Pilar Aranda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 995–1020, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.75

• to the high theoretical capacities of both elements (1166 mAh·g−1 and 1675 mAh·g−1, respectively), which lead to devices with high energy density [4][10]. Additionally, sulfur cathodes exhibit other advantages such as low operating voltages (1.81 V vs Na/Na+) and improved safety and low toxicity

The role of deep eutectic solvents and carrageenan in synthesizing biocompatible anisotropic metal nanoparticles

• Nabojit Das,
• Akash Kumar and
• Raja Gopal Rayavarapu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 924–938, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.69

• made owing to their cytotoxicity. The toxicity concern is primarily due to the conventional synthesis route that involves surfactants as a structure-directing agent and as a capping agent for nanoparticles. Wet chemical methods employ toxic auxiliary chemicals. However, the approach yields

• ability of NIR/IR rays to deeply penetrate tissues, enabling nanoparticle-mediated photothermal or contrast effects. However, the final purpose of these nanomaterials for biological applications is determined after successful toxicity assessment and stability evaluation in biological media [8

• review is a crisp overview of determining the anisotropy–cytotoxicity relationship due to structure-directing agents and the role of DESs and carrageenan in alleviating toxicity of the synthesized nanomaterials. We conclude with an outlook towards the possible amalgamation of DESs and carrageenan

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

• , minimizing toxicity, ensuring biodegradability, biosafety, and efficacy, and guarding against long-term carcinogenesis [2]. Although animal models cannot accurately simulate every single aspect of human disease, in vivo therapeutic evaluation of these smart nanostructures for drug delivery is important

• components in water-based media, which plays a role in both therapeutic and diagnostic applications [148][149]. Due to the toxicity of free radicals, some chemical compounds called sonosensitizers have been used as sonodynamic therapy agents which produce synergistic effects with US irradiation by generating

The preparation temperature influences the physicochemical nature and activity of nanoceria

• Robert A. Yokel,
• Wendel Wohlleben,
• Johannes Georg Keller,
• Matthew L. Hancock,
• Jason M. Unrine,
• D. Allan Butterfield and
• Eric A. Grulke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 525–540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.43

• -body combined chronic toxicity/carcinogenicity inhalation study in female rats exposed to 0, 0.1, 0.3, 1, or 3 mg/m3 NM-212, six hours daily on five consecutive working days per week (EU FP7 project ‘NANoREG’, Grant Agreement number 310584). Lung cerium burden after three, twelve, and 24 months of

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

• various bacteria and viruses including the SARS-CoV-2 was analyzed in order to understand its effectiveness as an antimicrobial agent with therapeutic efficacy and low toxicity. Further, there is the need to characterize AgNPs and quantify the content of free Ag+ for the implementation of new systematic

• agents responsible for the toxicity of silver and argyria in our body. When Ag+ enters the bloodstream, it is transported bound to albumin and thiol groups. When it reaches a region close to the skin, in areas affected by light, it can easily be photoreduced to AgNPs, which are then immobilized in the

• toxicity and improved efficacy [86]. In vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated the efficacy of AgNPs in treating neglected diseases, such as dengue [87][88], leishmaniasis [89][90][91][92], malaria [93][94][95], schistosomiasis [96][97], and trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) [98][99]. Mechanism of

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

• toxicity and lack of efficacy (resistance). Nevertheless, the application of cytotoxic chemotherapeutics (e.g., daunorubicin and cytarabine), with or without HSCT, still remains the backbone of treatment for AML [6][7]. All chemotherapy agents interfere somehow with the DNA replication process or with cell

• can lead to side effects, mainly diarrhea and skin toxicity [15]. Also, all TKIs have short half-lives (in the case of imatinib and its main metabolite 18 and 40 h, respectively) and require daily dosing. More importantly, similar to the traditional cytotoxic agents, resistance to TKIs and early

• localization of the functionalized nanoparticles relative to the non-functionalized nanoparticles. Additionally, the loaded PLGA–PEG–alendronate nanoparticles demonstrated satisfactory results in myeloma growth inhibition and overall survival of the murine models. Considering the toxicity of bortezomib

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

• control is triggered under local hyperthermic conditions induced by NIR laser irradiation. Heat from the GNR surface not only promotes drug delivery into the tumor, but also increases the drug toxicity to tumor cells by the hyperthermic effect. A significantly higher cell death rate was achieved in the

• DOX [35]. Similarly, a study showed an improved toxicity of DOX-loaded DNA-wrapped gold nanoparticles in drug-resistant cancer cells [36]. Our results are opposite to this study, it might be due to the higher sensitivity of HepG2 cells to DOX, which could induce more toxicity of free drug compared to

Characterization, bio-uptake and toxicity of polymer-coated silver nanoparticles and their interaction with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

• Sahar Pourhoseini,
• Reilly T. Enos,
• Angela E. Murphy,
• Bo Cai and
• Jamie R. Lead

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 282–294, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.23

• , Columbia, SC, 29208, United States 10.3762/bjnano.12.23 Abstract Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in medical applications due to their antibacterial and antiviral properties. Despite the extensive study of AgNPs, their toxicity and their effect on human health is poorly understood, as a result

• of issues such as poor control of NP properties and lack of proper characterization. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined characterization, bio-uptake, and toxicity of well-characterized polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated AgNPs in exposure media during exposure time using primary

• . Cytotoxicity, using LDH and MTS assays and based on exposure concentrations was not significantly different when comparing NPs and Ag ions. Based on differential uptake, AgNPs were more toxic after normalizing toxicity to the amount of cellular Ag uptake. Our data highlights the importance of correct synthesis

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

• , determines the toxicity of NPs, and affects geometry and size of NPs, which play a crucial role in cellular uptake [38][39]. Despite nearly identical magnetite core size, hydrodynamic size, and zeta potential of the MNPs in the stock solution, the hydrodynamic size of PEG-SO-MNPs in culture medium was almost

A review on the biological effects of nanomaterials on silkworm (Bombyx mori)

• Sandra Senyo Fometu,
• Guohua Wu,
• Lin Ma and
• Joan Shine Davids

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 190–202, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.15

• , there are a few concerns regarding the safety of their application to the environment, in humans, and in experimental models. Some studies have shown that some nanomaterials exhibit toxicity to tissues and organs of the silkworm, while other nanomaterials exhibit therapeutic properties. This review

• zebrafish hatching enzyme 1 (ZHE1), which caused a delay in the hatching of zebrafish embryos by 50% following its exposure to copper oxide (CuO). The group of d’Amora [51] compared the toxicity of oxidized carbon nano-onions, oxidized carbon nano-horns, and graphene oxide on the development of zebrafish

• studying cellular toxicity, response to new drugs [78] and environmental pollution. Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is an invertebrate insect widely used as a model organism in life sciences [79] since it has diverse mutant strains, a complete genome sequenced, and a protein database available [80][81]. There are

A review on the green and sustainable synthesis of silver nanoparticles and one-dimensional silver nanostructures

• Sina Kaabipour and
• Shohreh Hemmati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 102–136, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.9

• physicochemical characteristics of AgNPs can be tuned in a way to avoid cellular toxicity [71][74][75], which facilitates their biomedical applications. The small size of AgNPs (<100 nm) allows them to accumulate on the extracellular membrane of the bacteria and penetrate inside, which alters the membrane

• distribution and can synthesize particles with small size, there are some major disadvantages regarding these methods. Additionally, toxicity and hazards can result from using these chemical substances. For instance, hydrazine and its derivative compounds (e.g. hydrazine hydrate) serve as a strong reductant in

• nanoparticles. The main purpose of such methodologies is to minimize environmental toxicity and health-related hazards [104][214][251][252][253]. In most green silver nanostructure synthesis processes, the reduction of Ag+ to Ag0 is performed either by biological species or by bio-based compounds derived from a

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

• that even a thin silica coating shell of <2 nm or of 5 nm can already reduce the luminescence quenching of UCNPs in an aqueous dispersion [19]. Besides, several studies revealed that silica-coated UCNPs have a low toxicity in vitro and in vivo compared with other nanoparticles [7][11][39]. Amorphous

• nanoparticles in polymer shells decreases with incubation time due to the occurrence of proliferation and exocytosis [65]. Such effects can be related to the functionalization and size of the nanoparticles as well as to ion release, and modulate the toxicity of lanthanide-containing particles as a function of

Unravelling the interfacial interaction in mesoporous SiO₂@nickel phyllosilicate/TiO₂ core–shell nanostructures for photocatalytic activity

• Bridget K. Mutuma,
• Xiluva Mathebula,
• Isaac Nongwe,
• Bonakele P. Mtolo,
• Boitumelo J. Matsoso,
• Rudolph Erasmus,
• Zikhona Tetana and
• Neil J. Coville

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1834–1846, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.165

• inertness, low cost, and non-toxicity, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been widely used as a photocatalyst in the degradation of dyes in textile industries as well as in water-treatment systems [5][6]. There are three different phases of TiO2, namely anatase, rutile, and brookite. Compared to the rutile and

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

• groups on their surface, which leads to higher toxicity [6]. The IC50 values of the different carriers also suggest that the carboxylated and functionalized CNTs are more biocompatible. This result indicates that acidification treatment and the resulting enhancement of water dispersion yields more

High-responsivity hybrid α-Ag₂S/Si photodetector prepared by pulsed laser ablation in liquid

• Raid A. Ismail,
• Hanan A. Rawdhan and
• Duha S. Ahmed

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1596–1607, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.142

• narrow direct optical energy gap, which ranges from 0.96 to 1.1 eV at room temperature. Ag2S has good chemical stability, low toxicity, and high optical absorption [4]. According to the growth temperature, Ag2S has three phases: monoclinic α-Ag2S (acanthite), β-Ag2S (argentite), and the stable γ-Ag2S [5

Magnetic-field-assisted synthesis of anisotropic iron oxide particles: Effect of pH

• Andrey V. Shibaev,
• Petr V. Shvets,
• Darya E. Kessel,
• Roman A. Kamyshinsky,
• Anton S. Orekhov,
• Sergey S. Abramchuk,
• Alexei R. Khokhlov and
• Olga E. Philippova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1230–1241, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.107

• synthesis and investigation of anisotropic magnetic nanomaterials has received much attention in the last years [1][2][3]. Among different magnetic nanomaterials, iron oxides and hydroxides are of particular interest because of their high magnetization capability, availability, low toxicity and

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

• synthesized in small dimensions, which ensures low toxicity and the possibility for easy surface functionalization. A common method for synthesising iron-oxide nanoparticles includes chemical co-precipitation, which involves the simultaneous precipitation of magnetic nanoparticles and a solid matrix through a

• other hand, organic coating (particularly polymers) has a number of advantages over inorganic coating, such as better particle dispersion, good colloidal stability, biocompatibility, good nanoparticle circulation in the blood, reduced toxicity and low risk of blood capillary obstruction. In the last