Biomimetic nanoparticles in cancer photodynamic therapy: a review of targeted delivery systems and therapeutic outcomes

• Valentina I. Gorbacheva,
• Alexey S. Grabovoy,
• Polina S. Marukhina,
• Anastasiia O. Syrocheva and
• Ekaterina P. Kolesova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 396–422, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.27

• theranostic applications [39] by facilitating tumor visualization through various imaging techniques [40], including fluorescence imaging [41], computed tomography [42], and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [43]. The development of nanobiotechnology in PDT opens new horizons for creating more effective and

Eco-efficient materials for agricultural crops based on a mineral rich in MOR- and HEU-type zeolites

• Esperanza Yamile de la Nuez-Pantoja,
• Inocente Rodríguez-Iznaga,
• Gerardo Rodríguez-Fuentes,
• Vitalii Petranovskii,
• Ariel Martínez García,
• José Juan Calvino Gámez and
• Daniel Goma Jiménez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 381–395, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.26

• movement. The treatments were applied following a procedure similar to that described in [13][14]. Characterization The elemental composition of CLIM and modified materials resulting from the applied treatments was determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), with the exception of nitrogen, which was

Polycatecholamine nanocoatings on stainless steel: the effect on attachment of human fibroblasts and platelets

• Paulina Trzaskowska,
• Ewa Rybak,
• Maciej Trzaskowski,
• Kamil Kopeć,
• Jakub Krzemiński,
• Rafał Podgórski,
• Hatice Genc,
• Mehtap Civelek and
• Iwona Cicha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 365–380, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.25

• 0.2% Triton X-100 (Sigma-Aldrich, Germany) for 5 min. Nuclei were stained using Hoechst 33342 at 5 μg/mL final concentration, and F-actin filaments were stained with Alexa 488-phalloidin (Invitrogen, Thermo Fisher, USA). Samples were visualized using a fluorescence microscope Zeiss Axio Observer Z1

• was applied overnight. Following the washing process, Alexa Fluor 647-conjugated goat anti-rabbit secondary antibody (dilution 1:250, Invitrogen, ThermoFisher, USA) was applied for 1 h. Nuclei and F-actin staining were performed as described above. Samples were visualized using a fluorescence

Beam shaping techniques for pulsed laser ablation in liquids: Unlocking tunable control of nanoparticle synthesis in liquids

• Sergio Molina-Prados,
• Nadezhda M. Bulgakova,
• Alexander V. Bulgakov,
• Jesus Lancis,
• Gladys Mínguez Vega and
• Carlos Doñate-Buendia

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 309–342, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.22

• neutron capture therapy [62][63], viral [64][65] and microbial growth inhibition [42][66], antibacterial agents [67][68], anticancer treatments [67][69], magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent [70], photothermal therapy [71][72], cell imaging [73], proton therapy enhancement [74][75], fluorescence [76

Structure-dependent thermochromism of PAZO thin films: theory and experiment

• Georgi Mateev,
• Dean Dimov,
• Nataliya Berberova-Buhova,
• Nikoleta Kircheva,
• Todor Dudev,
• Ludmila Nikolova,
• Elena Stoykova,
• Keehoon Hong,
• Dimana Nazarova,
• Silvia Angelova and
• Lian Nedelchev

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 186–199, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.12

• other was thermally treated in an oven to reach 200 °C (blue curves in Figure 3A). Spectrofluorimetry is a sensitive analytical technique that leverages fluorescence, where molecules absorb light and re-emit it at a longer wavelength. The process involves exciting a sample with a specific wavelength and

• measuring the intensity of the emitted fluorescence light at another wavelength. Treating PAZO at 230 °C induced an increase in fluorescence intensity (≈400%) and a redshift (20 nm). Red shift can be induced by various factors, such as changes in the polymer structure, aggregation, or interactions with

• fluorescence. Moreover, the reorientation of the aggregates themselves appears to demand an even greater energy threshold. The enhancement of absorption around 444 nm is of limited practical utility, as the absorption becomes excessively strong, restricting effective energy delivery to the surface layers of

Influence of surface characteristics on the in vitro stability and cell uptake of nanoliposomes for brain delivery

• Dushko Shalabalija,
• Ljubica Mihailova,
• Nikola Geskovski,
• Andreas Zimmer,
• Otmar Geiss,
• Sabrina Gioria,
• Diletta Scaccabarozzi and
• Marija Glavas Dodov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 139–158, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.9

• neurons (ranging from 25.17% to 27.54%). Fluorescence and confocal microscopy micrographs revealed that, once internalized, NLs were concentrated in the perinuclear cell regions. Keywords: blood–brain barrier; cell co-culture; cell uptake; internalization; nanoliposomes; stability; surface

• qualitatively confirmed by spectrophotometry (e.g., by the absence of fluorescence in the supernatant obtained in the last washing cycle), ensuring that the fluorescence signal in subsequent experiments originates exclusively from liposome-associated dye. Particle size, particle size distribution and z

• concentrations of 5, 10 or 100 μg/mL). Incubation was performed for 1, 2, and 4 h (37 °C, 5% CO2), followed by a washing step with PBS and lysis with 2% Triton X-100 (2 h, 37 °C, 5% CO2). The resulting fluorescence was measured on a plate reader at an excitation wavelength of 535 nm and an emission wavelength of

Development and in vitro evaluation of liposomes and immunoliposomes containing 5-fluorouracil and R-phycoerythrin as a potential phototheranostic system for colorectal cancer

• Raissa Rodrigues Camelo,
• Vivianne Cortez Sombra Vandesmet,
• Octavio Vital Baccallini,
• José de Brito Vieira Neto,
• Thais da Silva Moreira,
• Luzia Kalyne Almeida Moreira Leal,
• Claudia Pessoa,
• Daniel Giuliano Cerri,
• Maria Vitória Lopes Badra Bentley,
• Josimar O. Eloy,
• Ivanildo José da Silva Júnior and
• Raquel Petrilli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 97–121, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.7

• therapy. Another characteristic of this molecule is its fluorescence activity, which is important for use as a diagnosis tool [14]. Recently, our research group has demonstrated the potential of using the fluorescent properties of R-PE in 4T1 (triple-negative breast murine cancer) and PC3 (human prostate

• gel column. As the sample was eluting, a 1 mL aliquot was collected, and 1 mL of PBS pH 7.4 buffer eluent was added. Finally, a total of twenty fractions were obtained. With the free/purified fraction (eluted fractions), quantification was done by fluorescence (excitation at 495 nm, emission range

• μM) for viable cell selection. Flow cytometry analyses were conducted on a CytoFLEX (Beckman Coulter) using 405 nm and 488 nm lasers to detect DAPI and Alexa Fluor™ 488 signals, respectively. Competitive binding to EGFR was quantified by measuring the cellular fluorescence intensity of Alexa Fluor

Internal 3D temperature mapping in biological systems using ratiometric light-sheet imaging and lipid-coated upconversion nanothermometers

• Dannareli Barron-Ortiz,
• Enric Pérez-Parets,
• Rubén D. Cadena-Nava,
• Emilio J. Gualda,
• Jacob Licea-Rodríguez,
• Juan Hernández-Cordero,
• Pablo Loza-Álvarez and
• Israel Rocha-Mendoza

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2306–2316, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.159

• estimate temperature through ratiometric imaging of two thermally coupled fluorescence bands. This work demonstrates the feasibility of volumetric temperature mapping in internal biological systems using light-sheet fluorescence microscopy and lipid-coated UCNPs as nanothermometry markers. This approach

• (UC) fluorescence, enabling the conversion of low-energy excitation (longer wavelengths) into high-energy emission (shorter wavelengths). This is particularly advantageous for biomedical applications, as it eliminates the need for ultraviolet or visible excitation, which can cause photobleaching and

• , as depicted in Figure 1. When UCNPs of this composite are irradiated with 980 nm NIR light, they emit two thermally coupled green fluorescence bands at 525 and 550 nm. These bands arise from the 2H11/2→4I15/2 (blue) and 4S3/2→4I15/2 (purple) transitions of Er3+ ions, respectively [39][40][41

Visualizing nanostructures in supramolecular hydrogels: a correlative study using confocal and cryogenic scanning electron microscopy

• Shaun M. Smith,
• Ferdinando Malagreca,
• Jacqueline Hicks,
• Giuseppe Mantovani,
• David B. Amabilino,
• Christopher Parmenter and
• Lluïsa Pérez-García

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2274–2284, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.156

• ) fluorophores were imaged using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) of fully solvated gels and cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) was used to observe the corresponding xerogels. The DPP@Gel systems exhibit strong fluorescence and are effectively imaged using CLSM, with fibre morphologies

• visualization of the native fibrous network. These results demonstrate the complementary nature of CLSM and cryo-SEM and highlight the value of cryo-SEM as a very useful tool for imaging soft nanomaterials with low fluorescence or limited optical contrast. Keywords: anion binding; colloid; fluorophore

• -limited, preventing direct visualization of nanoscale features [6][8]. Confocal fluorescence microscopy addresses some of these limitations by allowing hydrogels to be imaged in situ, fully hydrated, and often in real time when a fluorophore is incorporated into the colloidal network [2][9]. Through

Optical bio/chemical sensors for vitamin B₁₂ analysis in food and pharmaceuticals: state of the art, challenges, and future outlooks

• Seyed Mohammad Taghi Gharibzahedi and
• Zeynep Altintas

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2207–2244, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.153

• biosensing platforms in detecting Co2+ ions and VB12 using RNA aptamer–gold nanoparticles colorimetric sensors, surface plasmon resonance sensors, chemiluminescence and electrochemiluminescence biosensors, and fluorescence biosensors (i.e., chemosensors, nanoclusters/nanoparticles-based sensors, and carbon

• biosensors into cellular bioimaging and the potential for non-invasive in vitro and in vivo analysis demonstrate their versatility and applicability across a broad spectrum of biomedical research, diagnostics, and nutrient analysis. Keywords: carbon dots; cobalamin; energy transfer; fluorescence sensor

• output, utilizing the optical properties of the signal such as fluorescence, absorbance, refractive index, and Raman scattering for quantification and evaluation. The most prevalent types of optical sensing include colorimetric, plasmonic, fluorescence, and spectrophotometric methods due to their ease of

Beyond the shell: exploring polymer–lipid interfaces in core–shell nanofibers to carry hyaluronic acid and β-caryophyllene

• Aline Tavares da Silva Barreto,
• Francisco Alexandrino-Júnior,
• Bráulio Soares Arcanjo,
• Paulo Henrique de Souza Picciani and
• Kattya Gyselle de Holanda e Silva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2015–2033, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.139

• confirmed by its fluorescence emission under incident light, indicating that the electrospun fibers predominantly displayed continuous cores. This suggests that the established coaxial electrospinning parameters successfully supported the formation of nanofibers with HA+NE cores. The limited discontinuities

• distribution of the core within nanofibers produced via coaxial electrospinning. A disk scanning unit confocal microscope (Olympus, Japan) was utilized for this analysis. Fluorescein was added to the core solution (1% HA + 2% NE) to enable fluorescence imaging during microscopic observation. Thermogravimetric

PEGylated lipids in lipid nanoparticle delivery dynamics and therapeutic innovation

• Peiyang Gao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1914–1930, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.133

• characterization and biological performance of LNPs were evaluated. These LNPs were able to maintain comparable sizes in the range of 46 to 58 nm. To further assess the impact of increased PEG density on protein adsorption, ApoE association to LNPs was quantified in vitro using fluorescence-labeled ApoE and size

• , respectively, 18.9-fold and 17.3-fold higher luciferase expression compared to 5 mol % PEG LNPs. Fundus imaging and immunohistochemistry confirmed robust tdTomato fluorescence in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), with a twofold to 3.4-fold increase in signal, showing the 0.5% PEG LNPs consistently

• observed in negative control versus mApoE pLNPs, with a nearly 160-fold increased spleen-to-liver signal [40]. Fluorescence microscopy further demonstrated that RVG29 pLNPs exhibited enhanced cellular uptake and efficient endosomal escape. These findings support that functionalized PEG lipids containing

Self-assembly and adhesive properties of Pollicipes pollicipes barnacle cement protein cp19k: influence of pH and ionic strength

• Shrutika Sawant,
• Anne Marie Power and
• J. Gerard Wall

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1863–1872, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.129

• (Figure 1c), apparent morphological differences were evident between fibrils formed at pH 4.0 (needle-like and extended) and those formed at pH 8.0 (more coiled and entangled) (Figure 2). Thioflavin (ThT) binding assay The ThT assay showed the greatest increase in fluorescence intensity over 21 days in

• concentration environment exhibited the highest fluorescence, though more detailed investigation using methods such as attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy or circular dichroism (CD) will be necessary to confirm an elevated β-sheet content in these fibrils. A similar

• curled-fibril morphology has been reported for cp19k homologues from other barnacle species, but at the low pH/low salt concentration conditions noted above, and these fibrils did not exhibit fluorescence in ThT assays and were instead proposed to be largely non-amyloid and α-helical in content [29

Electrical, photocatalytic, and sensory properties of graphene oxide and polyimide implanted with low- and medium-energy silver ions

• Josef Novák,
• Eva Štěpanovská,
• Petr Malinský,
• Vlastimil Mazánek,
• Jan Luxa,
• Ulrich Kentsch and
• Zdeněk Sofer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1794–1811, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.123

• that the implantation causes a rearrangement of the carbon atoms into a structure with lower defect density. Since the Raman spectra of PI polymers exhibit a high fluorescence background due to strong optical absorption and excitation of π-electrons in phenyl rings, the structural changes in PI were

Advances of aptamers in esophageal cancer diagnosis, treatment and drug delivery

• Yang Fei,
• Hui Xu,
• Chunwei Zhang,
• Jingjing Wang and
• Yong Jin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1734–1750, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.121

• obtain nucleic acid aptamer S3-2-3 with binding specificity to ESCC cells. After labeled with Cy5 dye, it can yield highly specific fluorescence imaging for ESCC tissues, providing accurate display tools for clinical diagnosis. The remarkably short 18-nucleotide length of aptamer S3-2-3 enables its

• single-stranded DNA aptamer Te4, which specifically binds to TE-1 cells, through Cell-SELEX and further formed aptamer–DOX complexes to deliver DOX directly to cancer cells. In vivo imaging showed that the fluorescence signal of the complex weakened after 150 min, and the circulation time was short

• the same antitumor activity as free Dox in vivo. In order to further enhance the antitumor effect, the use of nanotechnology to improve the stability of SYL-6 is key. It is worth noting that the SYL-6 aptamer also yields strong fluorescence signals on colon cancer and other tissues, indicating that

Prospects of nanotechnology and natural products for cancer and immunotherapy

• Jan Filipe Andrade Santos,
• Marcela Bernardes Brasileiro,
• Pamela Danielle Cavalcante Barreto,
• Ligiane Aranha Rocha and
• José Adão Carvalho Nascimento Júnior

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1644–1667, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.116

• evaluate the nanoparticles’ antitumor activity included fluorescence intensity and combination index to determine drug synergy. The results indicate the nanoparticles exhibit a synergistic effect, effectively target HepG2 cells as observed by fluorescence, and show a higher inhibition of cell proliferation

Nanotechnology-based approaches for the removal of microplastics from wastewater: a comprehensive review

• Nayanathara O Sanjeev,
• Manjunath Singanodi Vallabha and
• Rebekah Rubidha Lisha Rabi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1607–1632, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.114

• -noise ratio and is affected by surface fluorescence from the samples, making careful sample preparation essential before analysis [134]. In recent years, advancements in MPs research have led to the development of innovative analytical tools for their detection, such as digital holography, scanning

Nanomaterials for biomedical applications

• Iqra Zainab,
• Zohra Naseem,
• Syeda Rubab Batool,
• Filippo Pierini,
• Seda Kizilel and
• Muhammad Anwaar Nazeer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1499–1503, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.105

• conditions such as cancer, neurological disorders, and infections. Quantum dots are a widely studied type of nanomaterial used in biomedical diagnostics. When these semiconductor particles are exposed to light, they strongly and stably emit fluorescence. Unlike regular dyes, quantum dots do not quickly fade

Laser processing in liquids: insights into nanocolloid generation and thin film integration for energy, photonic, and sensing applications

• Akshana Parameswaran Sreekala,
• Pooja Raveendran Nair,
• Jithin Kundalam Kadavath,
• Bindu Krishnan,
• David Avellaneda Avellaneda,
• M. R. Anantharaman and
• Sadasivan Shaji

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1428–1498, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.104

• mechanism of NPs in PLAL has been investigated extensively, primarily through the use of laser-induced fluorescence analysis and shadowgraph analysis [17][18][19][20][21]. Use of small-angle X-ray scattering, wide-angle X-ray scattering, and X-ray imaging techniques has enabled a more comprehensive

Enhancing the therapeutical potential of metalloantibiotics using nano-based delivery systems

• Alejandro Llamedo,
• Marina Cano,
• Raquel G. Soengas and
• Francisco J. García-Alonso

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1350–1366, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.98

• -dependent fluorescence due to quantum confinement effects, enabling precise tuning of emission wavelengths [94]. These properties make QDs ideal candidates for both imaging and drug delivery. Unlike other nanoparticles, QDs do not encapsulate drugs internally; instead, they function as drug delivery systems

Ferroptosis induction by engineered liposomes for enhanced tumor therapy

• Alireza Ghasempour,
• Mohammad Amin Tokallou,
• Mohammad Reza Naderi Allaf,
• Mohsen Moradi,
• Hamideh Dehghan,
• Mahsa Sedighi,
• Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi and
• Fahimeh Lavi Arab

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1325–1349, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.97

• . Other characterization techniques include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study membrane fluidity and phase transitions, fluorescence spectroscopy for investigating drug–liposome interactions, and capillary electrophoresis to analyze liposome–drug interactions and drug release [110][121

Better together: biomimetic nanomedicines for high performance tumor therapy

• Imran Shair Mohammad,
• Gizem Kursunluoglu,
• Anup Kumar Patel,
• Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq,
• Cansu Umran Tunc,
• Dilek Kanarya,
• Mubashar Rehman,
• Omer Aydin and
• Yin Lifang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1246–1276, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.92

• membrane, the IR780 (NIR) fluorescence dye was loaded as a photosensitizer for PTT to generate biomimetic “IR780-rRBC” NPs. The antitumor effect of IR780-rRBC was also evaluated. After laser treatment, the tumor temperatures in mice treated with IR780-rRBC and IR780-rRBC NPs increased up to 60 and 70 °C

• nm) fluorescence and PTT, consisting of tumor cell-derived exosomes (EXO) and TT3-oCB nanoparticles. The TT3-oCB NP-EXOs showed promising and stable photothermal conversion capacity under 808 nm irradiation to be used as biomimetic NPs for NIR-II fluorescence imaging-guided PTT of tumors. The TT3-oCB

Mechanical stability of individual bacterial cells under different osmotic pressure conditions: a nanoindentation study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

• Lizeth García-Torres,
• Idania De Alba Montero,
• Eleazar Samuel Kolosovas-Machuca,
• Facundo Ruiz,
• Sumati Bhatia,
• Jose Luis Cuellar Camacho and
• Jaime Ruiz-García

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1171–1183, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.86

• consistent with values similar or slightly above to those obtained in PBS. Meanwhile, in the hypertonic solution, the curvature at the beginning of the curve is lower, and further deformation is required to attain the linear behavior. Based on our force spectroscopy results and reported fluorescence

Crystalline and amorphous structure selectivity of ignoble high-entropy alloy nanoparticles during laser ablation in organic liquids is set by pulse duration

• Robert Stuckert,
• Felix Pohl,
• Oleg Prymak,
• Ulrich Schürmann,
• Christoph Rehbock,
• Lorenz Kienle and
• Stephan Barcikowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1141–1159, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.84

Piezoelectricity of hexagonal boron nitrides improves bone tissue generation as tested on osteoblasts

• Sevin Adiguzel,
• Nilay Cicek,
• Zehra Cobandede,
• Feray B. Misirlioglu,
• Hulya Yilmaz and
• Mustafa Culha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1068–1081, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.78

• 45 min. Afterward, fluorescence and absorbance were measured at the 485/535 nm range by a microplate reader (Tecan, Switzerland). Cellular uptake assay According to the logic of the NMs uptake procedure by flow cytometry, an increasing percentage of side scatter (SSC%) shift indicates growth in