Frontiers in pharmaceutical nanotechnology

• Matthias G. Wacker

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2538–2540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.244

• announced the approval of a first-of-its-kind RNA interference (RNAi)-based drug, Onpattro™, which uses solid lipid nanoparticles to protect the sensitive compound from early degradation. Again, lipid materials rather than synthetic polymers have been used for drug delivery applications. In pharmaceutical

Microbubbles decorated with dendronized magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical imaging: effective stabilization via fluorous interactions

• Da Shi,
• Justine Wallyn,
• Dinh-Vu Nguyen,
• Francis Perton,
• Delphine Felder-Flesch,
• Sylvie Bégin-Colin,
• Mounir Maaloum and
• Marie Pierre Krafft

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2103–2115, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.205

• phospholipids allowed for the preparation of MBs that enabled transfection of neuroblastoma cells with a generic, fluorescent, small, interfering RNA under magnetic and ultrasound fields [26]. In the present work, we incorporated IONPs coated by dendritic phosphonates bearing oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) chains

Review of advanced sensor devices employing nanoarchitectonics concepts

• Katsuhiko Ariga,
• Tatsuyuki Makita,
• Masato Ito,
• Taizo Mori,
• Shun Watanabe and
• Jun Takeya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2014–2030, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.198

• optimize the discrimination between uracil and thymine derivatives [178][179] that cannot be discriminated by naturally occurring DNA and RNA. Although the structural difference between uracil and thymine is only one methyl group, the difference in the binding constant between them is more than 60 times. A

Enhanced inhibition of influenza virus infection by peptide–noble-metal nanoparticle conjugates

• Zaid K. Alghrair,
• David G. Fernig and
• Bahram Ebrahimi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1038–1047, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.104

• pandemics, e.g., the 2009 H1N1 subtype swine influenza, which resulted in more than 18000 deaths worldwide [1]. The treatment of influenza infections is difficult, because the virus has a segmented RNA genome that has a high potential to recombine and create new strains through a mechanism termed re

Biocompatible organic–inorganic hybrid materials based on nucleobases and titanium developed by molecular layer deposition

• Leva Momtazi,
• Henrik H. Sønsteby and
• Ola Nilsen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 399–411, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.39

• and therapy, and probes for biosensing [1]. Nucleobases are constituents of DNA and RNA and can interact with different metals to form several molecular assemblies [2][3]. In the 1960s, a powerful antitumor agent named cisplatin (cis-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2]) was discovered by Rosenberg [4]. Later it was

Targeting strategies for improving the efficacy of nanomedicine in oncology

• Gonzalo Villaverde and
• Alejandro Baeza

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 168–181, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.16

• transport drugs that exhibit very different nature such as lipophilic or hydrophilic drugs and big macromolecules as proteins or RNA. Moreover, the external surface of these carriers can be decorated with different moieties with high affinity for specific membrane receptors of the tumoral cells to direct

• external membrane of the cells but recognize internal organelles. This approach is known as tertiary targeting and it has been widely exploited for the transportation of potent cytotoxic compounds or genetic materials (i.e., silencing RNA) that present an improved effect when they are released close to

• subcellular localizations [42][82]. There are many cytotoxic drugs, such as doxorubicin, that induce cell apoptosis through intercalation with nuclear DNA. Further, gene silencing therapies based on an effective delivery of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) bearing genes for small interfering RNA (siRNA) need nuclear

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

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

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

• influenza A virus (IAV) replication in the cell culture. The concentration of Si–NH2 and Si–NH2·ODN resulting in 50% MDCK cell death (TC50) was found to be 10–20 mM (for Si). The nontoxic concentration of the samples (0.014 mM for silicon) was used to study their ability to interact with the RNA target in

• cells with an example using the inhibition of influenza A virus (IAV) reproduction. The Si–NH2·ODN nanocomplex containing ODN(4) targeted to the 3’-noncoding regions of viral (−)RNA of IAV segment 5 and the control ODN(5) with a random sequence were assayed for the antiviral activity against avian

• influenza A virus H5N1. MDCK cells were infected at a multicipity of infection (MOI) of 0.1 TCID50/cell. The nanocomplex containing oligonucleotide ODN(4) complementary to viral RNA inhibited the virus reproduction by about three orders of magnitude (Figure 6), whereas Si–NH2 nanoparticles, unbound ODN(4

Enhanced antineoplastic/therapeutic efficacy using 5-fluorouracil-loaded calcium phosphate nanoparticles

• Shanid Mohiyuddin,
• Saba Naqvi and
• Gopinath Packirisamy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2499–2515, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.233

• structure, 5-FU enables the misincorporation of the fluoro-nucleotides into RNA and DNA and effectively inhibits synthetic enzyme (i.e., thymidylate) synthase, which further results in the arrest of cellular growth and proliferation. However, due to the increased rate of metabolism in the blood, 5-FU has a

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

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

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

• highly beneficial for the proper function of humans are found to be in nanometer size range. It can be also noted that the genetic material (DNA or RNA), which is important for the cell formation and function of all living cells, are nanostructures. This clearly shows that nanostructures are the basic

• ]. Viral NPs, as shown in Figure 4A, can be prepared from viruses by removing their genetic material and making them “nano-cargoes” for targeted drug delivery. Saunders et al. [128] described the development of viral NPs using RNA-removed cowpea mosaic virus through a proteolytic process. The nanocages or

Cationic PEGylated polycaprolactone nanoparticles carrying post-operation docetaxel for glioma treatment

• Cem Varan and
• Erem Bilensoy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1446–1456, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.144

• particles (which have neutral or near-neutral surface charge) are more prone to escape from the MPS. Cationic nanoparticles can also condense nucleic acid (DNA, RNA) or proteins to form polyplexes for intracellular gene/drug delivery. In this context, chitosan (CS) is used as a positively charged coating

A novel electrochemical nanobiosensor for the ultrasensitive and specific detection of femtomolar-level gastric cancer biomarker miRNA-106a

• Maryam Daneshpour,
• Kobra Omidfar and
• Hossein Ghanbarian

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 2023–2036, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.193

• serum samples of GC patients, which was anticipated according to the literature [2][3]. As references, the expression level of the serum miR-106a was simultaneously quantified by qRT-PCR after an extra RNA extraction step. Comparing the results obtained from both methods shows such a good and acceptable

• previously reported miRNA-(nano)biosensors, the presented nanobiosensor provides a simpler more time- and cost-effective methodology with a wide linear range and low limit of detection (Table 3). According to the remarkable performance in real biological environments (human serum sample) and no need for RNA

• -106a detection. The same volume of serum samples was simultaneously analyzed via miRNA-nanobiosensor with no pretreatment, amplification, or RNA isolation. Schematic of the principal mechanism for miR-106a detection by the nanobiosensor. (1) Preparation the nanoprobe; (2) modification of the electrode

Controlled supramolecular structure of guanosine monophosphate in the interlayer space of layered double hydroxide

• Gyeong-Hyeon Gwak,
• Istvan Kocsis,
• Yves-Marie Legrand,
• Mihail Barboiu and
• Jae-Min Oh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1928–1935, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.184

• condensation of amino acids was determined to favor heteropeptide rather than homopeptide. Besides polymerization of amino acids, it was reported that abiotic oligomerization of RNA nucleotides was catalyzed by montmorillonite clay [7]. In the presence of clay, the length of polymerized RNA oligonucleotides

False positives and false negatives measure less than 0.001% in labeling ssDNA with osmium tetroxide 2,2’-bipyridine

• Anastassia Kanavarioti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1434–1446, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.135

• ), and the Ph29 connector channel have been investigated as single-molecule sensing devices for ssDNA, RNA, dsDNA, and proteins [11][12][13]. The concept of nanopore-based sequencing, patented in 1998 [14], is based on applying a potential across an open pore embedded within an insulating membrane that

• circular ssDNA, concluded that this DNA osmylates just like any oligo and led to the conjecture that other ssDNAs may follow suit. Figure 2 illustrates the reactivity of M13mp18, and directly compares it with that of a 20 nucleotide long deoxyoligo, the PCR Primer “16S RNA for” (see Table 1). This oligo

• between C(OsBp) and T(OsBp). Still the conversion is undesirable in the context of nanopore-based sequencing of osmylated RNA, where riboC and riboU are the most abundant pyrimidines, especially if the ion-channel recordings of the osmylated riboC and riboU mimic the trends observed with their deoxy

High antiviral effect of TiO₂·PL–DNA nanocomposites targeted to conservative regions of (−)RNA and (+)RNA of influenza A virus in cell culture

• Asya S. Levina,
• Marina N. Repkova,
• Elena V. Bessudnova,
• Ekaterina I. Filippova,
• Natalia A. Mazurkova and
• Valentina F. Zarytova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1166–1173, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.108

• TiO2·PL–DNA nanocomposite consisting of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and polylysine (PL)-containing oligonucleotides. Results: The TiO2·PL–DNA nanocomposites bearing the DNA fragments targeted to different conservative regions of (−)RNA and (+)RNA of segment 5 of influenza A virus (IAV) were studied

• for their antiviral activity in MDCK cells infected with the H1N1, H5N1, and H3N2 virus subtypes. Within the negative strand of each of the studied strains, the efficiency of DNA fragments increased in the direction of its 3’-end. Thus, the DNA fragment aimed at the 3’-noncoding region of (−)RNA was

• the most efficient and inhibited the reproduction of different IAV subtypes by 3–4 orders of magnitude. Although to a lesser extent, the DNA fragments targeted at the AUG region of (+)RNA and the corresponding region of (−)RNA were also active. For all studied viral subtypes, the nanocomposites

Unraveling the neurotoxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles: focusing on molecular mechanisms

• Bin Song,
• Yanli Zhang,
• Jia Liu,
• Xiaoli Feng,
• Ting Zhou and
• Longquan Shao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 645–654, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.57

• development and adult life [76]. In most situations, epigenetic modifications modulate DNA transcription through mechanisms such as DNA methylation [77], histone modifications [78], and non-coding RNA (ncRNA) regulation [79]. Among them, DNA methylation is the most extensively studied epigenetic mechanism

Novel roles for well-known players: from tobacco mosaic virus pests to enzymatically active assemblies

• Claudia Koch,
• Fabian J. Eber,
• Carlos Azucena,
• Alexander Förste,
• Stefan Walheim,
• Thomas Schimmel,
• Alexander M. Bittner,
• Holger Jeske,
• Hartmut Gliemann,
• Sabine Eiben,
• Fania C. Geiger and
• Christina Wege

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 613–629, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.54

• such as electron microscopy and ultracentrifugation. Since the 1950s, the robust, helically arranged nucleoprotein complexes consisting of a single RNA and more than 2100 identical coat protein subunits have enabled molecular studies which have pioneered the understanding of viral replication and self

• viruses consist of genetic DNA or RNA material surrounded by a protein coat (capsid), and optionally a lipid envelope. Since virus genomes do not encode all biochemical mechanisms necessary for their own replication and spread, they exploit the genetic repertoire of the infected host cells, which are re

• diffraction studies along with intense scientific interactions of James Watson, Rosalind Franklin and Donald Caspar revealed the first major clues of the helical organization of the TMV nucleoprotein particles (for a thorough historic overview see [28]). They localized the viral genomic RNA strand wrapped in

Comparison of the interactions of daunorubicin in a free form and attached to single-walled carbon nanotubes with model lipid membranes

• Dorota Matyszewska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 524–532, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.46

• -stranded DNA or RNA sequences showing high specificity and affinity to their targets, which were employed as molecular targeting agents for targeted drug transport. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are among the promising drug delivery systems. They attract scientists’ attention due to their properties such as

Early breast cancer screening using iron/iron oxide-based nanoplatforms with sub-femtomolar limits of detection

• Dinusha N. Udukala,
• Hongwang Wang,
• Sebastian O. Wendel,
• Aruni P. Malalasekera,
• Thilani N. Samarakoon,
• Asanka S. Yapa,
• Gayani Abayaweera,
• Matthew T. Basel,
• Pamela Maynez,
• Raquel Ortega,
• Yubisela Toledo,
• Leonie Bossmann,
• Colette Robinson,
• Katharine E. Janik,
• Olga B. Koper,
• Ping Li,
• Massoud Motamedi,
• Daniel A. Higgins,
• Gary Gadbury,
• Gaohong Zhu,
• Deryl L. Troyer and
• Stefan H. Bossmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 364–373, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.33

• immunobeads [17] have similar LOD’s. Recently, Sardar, Korc et al. have reported the sensing of short noncoding RNA following a nanoplasmonic approach, which is of similar sensitivity and range as the approach reported here [18]. We have developed nanoplatforms for protease detection [19][20] that are capable

Mismatch detection in DNA monolayers by atomic force microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

• Maryse D. Nkoua Ngavouka,
• Pietro Capaldo,
• Elena Ambrosetti,
• Giacinto Scoles,
• Loredana Casalis and
• Pietro Parisse

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 220–227, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.20

• bottlenecks limiting the selectivity and the sensitivity of devices that are based on the hybridization of DNA [4]. One example is the detection of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) [5]. Single-base variations in a DNA/RNA sequence afflict 1 out of 1000 base pairs in the genome causing small differences in

• SNP, confirming the relevance of immobilized DNA on solid supports in life science studies, including single cell RNA characterization, gene expression profile and genetic variability. Moreover, the complementarity of the two techniques (one more sensitive to the morphological and mechanical changes

Single pyrimidine discrimination during voltage-driven translocation of osmylated oligodeoxynucleotides via the α-hemolysin nanopore

• Yun Ding and
• Anastassia Kanavarioti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 91–101, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.11

• such as the α-HL, a modified version of the Mycobacterium smegmatis porin A (MspA), and the Ph29 connector channel have been investigated as single molecule sensing devices for ssDNA, RNA, dsDNA, and proteins [12][13][14]. The advantage of the natural pores is that they are well defined and highly

• pore [15][16][17]. Such measurements revealed that current obstruction upon passing of a telomere DNA via the pore yields folding information [18]. The observation that α-HL can distinguish between RNA and DNA homopolymers [19][20][21] led to a large effort in government, academia, and industry to

Electrochemical coating of dental implants with anodic porous titania for enhanced osteointegration

• Amirreza Shayganpour,
• Alberto Rebaudi,
• Pierpaolo Cortella,
• Alberto Diaspro and
• Marco Salerno

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2183–2192, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.224

• is essential to all living cells for its interaction with polyphosphate compounds such as ATP, DNA and RNA, required by many enzymes for their functioning, and present in many pharmaceutical products. In the research literature, Mg has also been added to hydroxylapatite to support to bone formation

Peptide-equipped tobacco mosaic virus templates for selective and controllable biomineral deposition

• Klara Altintoprak,
• Axel Seidenstücker,
• Alexander Welle,
• Sabine Eiben,
• Petia Atanasova,
• Nina Stitz,
• Alfred Plettl,
• Joachim Bill,
• Hartmut Gliemann,
• Holger Jeske,
• Dirk Rothenstein,
• Fania Geiger and
• Christina Wege

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1399–1412, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.145

• helical RNA and ≈2130 identical coat protein (CP) subunits arranged around the RNA molecule, which is completely buried inside the protein shell [41][42][43][44][45][46]. The viral particle has an average length of 300 nm and an outer and inner (channel) diameter of 18 nm and 4 nm, respectively. TMV has

• -derived particles can be altered by means of engineered, non-natural RNA molecules, supporting the assembly of artificial, non-infectious, TMV-like nucleoprotein tube systems. This technology was even refined to allow the production of kinked boomerang, branched tetrapod and multiarmed nanostar structures

• , respectively. Serial in vitro assembly of different genetically engineered CP types on RNA scaffolds can even generate nanorod subdomains, offering unique coupling functionality [76]. Addressing such sites for a selective conjugation of mineralization-guiding peptides such as KD10 might pave future routes

Natural and artificial binders of polyriboadenylic acid and their effect on RNA structure

• Giovanni N. Roviello,
• Domenica Musumeci,
• Valentina Roviello,
• Marina Pirtskhalava,
• Alexander Egoyan and
• Merab Mirtskhulava

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1338–1347, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.138

• single-stranded or structured forms. Due to the fundamental role played by the poly(rA) tail in the maturation and stability of mRNA, as well as in the initiation of the translation process, compounds able to bind this RNA tract, influencing the mRNA fate, are of special interest for developing

• innovative biomedical strategies mainly in the field of anticancer therapy. Keywords: nucleopeptides; poly(rA) binders; RNA; self-structures; Review Polyadenylation in RNA processing Polyadenylation is part of the RNA processing pathway that leads to the production of mature mRNA molecules (Figure 1) [1

• ]. The poly(rA) tail is a long chain of adenine nucleotides that is added to the 3'-end of the primary RNA transcript (pre-mRNA) during the transcription of a specific gene in eukaryotic cells. The pre-mRNA molecule undergoes three main processes (5'-capping, 3'-polyadenylation and RNA splicing

Hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells: polymeric nanoparticle uptake and lineage differentiation

• Ivonne Brüstle,
• Thomas Simmet,
• Gerd Ulrich Nienhaus,
• Katharina Landfester and
• Volker Mailänder

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 383–395, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.38

• of marker genes during the differentiation, qPCR analysis on cDNA from RNA extracted from differentiated and non-differentiated samples was performed. The non-functionalized PS particle significantly decreased the expression of the adipogenic markers FABP4 and TIMP in the non-differentiated samples

• , which indicated a correct lineage differentiation. qPCR analysis of the expression of the different lineage markers for hHSCs When analyzing at the RNA level for differentiation markers for hHSCs, several changes in the expression level were observed. In all three differentiation lineages, the

• with lineage-specific cytokines and growth factors (see Supporting Information File 1, Table S1, all from R&D, USA). After 11 days, 1 × 106 cells were used for RNA extraction, and 0.5 × 106 cells were used for CD marker staining and flow cytometry analysis. CD marker staining for hHSCs To determine the

Anticancer efficacy of a supramolecular complex of a 2-diethylaminoethyl–dextran–MMA graft copolymer and paclitaxel used as an artificial enzyme

• Yasuhiko Onishi,
• Yuki Eshita,
• Rui-Cheng Ji,
• Masayasu Onishi,
• Takashi Kobayashi,
• Masaaki Mizuno,
• Jun Yoshida and
• Naoji Kubota

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2293–2307, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.238

• levels and the decrease of eNOS in individual mice was checked using phoresis and the RT-PCR findings of the mouse in the DDMC/PTX group. The down-regulation of eNOS (an angiogenesis regulator) protein should be predominantly carried out by using RNA interference induced by miR-222 following “Argonaute

• angiogenesis or lymphangiogenesis of malignant cancer cells. Shime et al. [50] reported that malignant cancer cells act on the adjuvants of natural immunity depending on the presence of double-stranded RNA, and M2 macrophages change into type M1 macrophages during cancer to attack malignant cells. Horlad et al