Toward clinical translation of carbon nanomaterials in anticancer drug delivery: the need for standardisation

• Michał Bartkowski,
• Francesco Calzaferri and
• Silvia Giordani

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2092–2104, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.144

• -consuming production, and a lack of standardised methods for their characterisation. Nevertheless, growing research into CNM-based nanoformulations continues to address key challenges, underscoring their promise in enhancing therapeutic delivery; particularly in cancer treatment, where the global burden

• gemcitabine ideal for standardised evaluation of novel DDSs, enabling direct comparison with conventional formulations. Evaluation of CNMs for nanoformulations Different classes of CNMs can exhibit markedly distinct biological behaviours despite their shared carbon framework. Variations in dimensionality

Targeting the vector of arboviruses Aedes aegypti with nanoemulsions based on essential oils: a review with focus on larvicidal and repellent properties

• Laryssa Ferreira do Nascimento Silva,
• Douglas Dourado,
• Thayse Silva Medeiros,
• Mariana Alice Gonzaga Gabú,
• Maria Cecilia Queiroga dos Santos,
• Daiane Rodrigues dos Santos,
• Mylena Lemos dos Santos,
• Gabriel Bezerra Faierstein,
• Rosângela Maria Rodrigues Barbosa and
• Fabio Rocha Formiga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1894–1913, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.132

• ] (Figure 4). Despite the increased efficacy and potential of nanoemulsions containing essential oils against this vector, only three studies have evaluated the repellent efficacy of these nanoformulations in the last 10 years, the data for which are compiled in Table 2 and detailed below. In addition to

Exploring the potential of polymers: advancements in oral nanocarrier technology

• Rousilândia de Araujo Silva,
• Igor Eduardo Silva Arruda,
• Luise Lopes Chaves,
• Mônica Felts de La Roca Soares and
• Jose Lamartine Soares Sobrinho

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1751–1793, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.122

Multifunctional anionic nanoemulsion with linseed oil and lecithin: a preliminary approach for dry eye disease

• Niédja Fittipaldi Vasconcelos,
• Almerinda Agrelli,
• Rayane Cristine Santos da Silva,
• Carina Lucena Mendes-Marques,
• Isabel Renata de Souza Arruda,
• Priscilla Stela Santana de Oliveira,
• Mércia Liane de Oliveira and
• Giovanna Machado

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1711–1733, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.120

• 60 days, the formulation remained physically quite stable without phase separation. Both nanoformulations contained 2.6% (w/v) linseed oil, providing a bioactive concentration compatible with ocular administration volumes (~50 µL). At a final concentration of 1.30 mg·mL−1, OphtNE-3.66%(K1%) showed

• nanoformulations of eye drops for treating DED [12][20][21][24][25][26][27]. These include mineral oil (found in Systane® Complete eye drops) [28], castor oil, phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine and/or hydrogenated phospholipids), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PFAs), and medium-chain triglycerides. Among these

• factors are crucial for organizing amphiphilic molecules and influencing the uniformity of micellar dispersions in ophthalmic nanoformulations. Lecithin is a mixture of phospholipids and consists mainly of phosphatidylcholine, which typically forms liposomes (concentric lipid bilayers) rather than

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

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

• . Finally, the antibacterial activities of both nanoformulations were higher compared to those of morin-Cu(II) complex, especially in the case of Mor-Cu-PLGA-NPs. More recently, the antibacterial Cu(I) acylthiourea complex 14 (Figure 4) was incorporated into polycaprolactone/lignin (PCL/Lig) electrospun

Chitosan nanocomposite containing rotenoids: an alternative bioinsecticidal approach for the management of Aedes aegypti

• Maria A. A. Bertonceli,
• Vitor D. C. Cristo,
• Ivo J. Vieira,
• Francisco J. A. Lemos,
• Arnoldo R. Façanha,
• Raimundo Braz-Filho,
• Gustavo V. T. Batista,
• Luis G. M. Basso,
• Sérgio H. Seabra,
• Thalya S. R. Nogueira,
• Felipe F. Moreira,
• Arícia L. E. M. Assis,
• Antônia E. A. Oliveira and
• Kátia V. S. Fernandes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1197–1208, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.88

• important parameter for assessing nanoparticle stability and biodistribution. Typically, particles acquire an electric charge at the shear plane when dispersed in a liquid, which is reflected by their zeta potential, that is key to understanding dispersion and aggregation processes in nanoformulations. Zeta

Nanocarriers and macrophage interaction: from a potential hurdle to an alternative therapeutic strategy

• Naths Grazia Sukubo,
• Paolo Bigini and
• Annalisa Morelli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 97–118, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.10

Mechanistic insights into endosomal escape by sodium oleate-modified liposomes

• Ebrahim Sadaqa,
• Satrialdi,
• Fransiska Kurniawan and
• Diky Mudhakir

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1667–1685, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.131

• -Lipo), a slight increase in mean particle size to 109.6 ± 7.65 nm was observed, which remained well within the preferred size range for nanoformulations. The PDI, averaging to 0.233 ± 0.032, was similar to that of the Unmodified-Lipo, suggesting that the incorporation of SO did not disrupt vesicle

• nanoformulations. Interestingly, the zeta potential of AUR-Lipo remained virtually unchanged at −2.42 ± 2.41 mV, indicating that the neutral charge of the AUR peptide effectively preserved the nanoparticle’s surface charge. When exposed to pH 5 for 1 h, Unmodified-Lipo maintained its size and charge, demonstrating

• order to assess the intracellular transport of various nanoformulations, subcellular colocalization was carried out following the methodology proposed by Torres-Vanegas et al. with adaptations [37]. Specifically, Unmodified-Lipo, SO-Lipo, and AUR-Lipo were utilized, incorporating the fluorescent

Recent updates in applications of nanomedicine for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis

• Damai Ria Setyawati,
• Fransiska Christydira Sekaringtyas,
• Riyona Desvy Pratiwi,
• A’liyatur Rosyidah,
• Rohimmahtunnissa Azhar,
• Nunik Gustini,
• Gita Syahputra,
• Idah Rosidah,
• Etik Mardliyati,
• Tarwadi and
• Sjaikhurrizal El Muttaqien

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1105–1116, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.89

• accumulation selectively through specific binding to receptors overexpressed by cancer cells (left panel of Figure 1), resulting in enhanced therapeutic activity and reduced systemic toxicity. Globally, there are around 15 approved cancer drug nanoformulations for clinical use, and 80 candidates for novel

• the FDA up to 2019 [46]. They consist of PLGA microparticles, solid implants, and in situ gels; none of them is a PLGA NP formulation. This fact indicates that there are some challenges, including poor drug entrapment efficiency and drug release kinetics from PLGA nanoformulations [47]. Regarding

• as an absorption enhancer [51]. The therapeutic potential of curcumin using nanoformulations was reviewed by several researchers, summarizing recent curcumin encapsulation works on various NP platforms (liposomes, solid lipid NPs, micelles, and polymeric NPs) [52][53]. For example, polymeric

Berberine-loaded polylactic acid nanofiber scaffold as a drug delivery system: The relationship between chemical characteristics, drug-release behavior, and antibacterial efficiency

• Le Thi Le,
• Hue Thi Nguyen,
• Liem Thanh Nguyen,
• Huy Quang Tran and
• Thuy Thi Thu Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 71–82, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.7

• been employed to produce nanoformulations of drugs for endowing a better therapeutic effect. The nanoformulations for drug delivery can be designed using nanocarrier systems, including organic materials (liposomes, nanoemulsions, nanomicelles, and nanofibers) and inorganic nanoparticles (gold, silver

Curcumin-loaded nanostructured systems for treatment of leishmaniasis: a review

• Douglas Dourado,
• Thayse Silva Medeiros,
• Éverton do Nascimento Alencar,
• Edijane Matos Sales and
• Fábio Rocha Formiga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 37–50, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.4

• higher. In vivo studies demonstrated that the nanoformulations were more effective in reducing parasitemia in the spleen, with results equivalent to the group treated with amphotericin B. Das and collaborators, on the other hand, addressed the development of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) with

• administration in cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis [81]. The systems were produced by homogenization using a vortex mixer. The authors obtained two nanoformulations, which showed droplet size between 26–29 nm, polydispersity index (PdI) lower than 0.2, and zeta potential between −3.6 and −4.4 mV. The

• curc-SNEDDSs (1% of curc) promoted an increase in antileishmanial (in vitro) activity (IC50: 0.13–0.18 µg/mL and 0.25–0.27 µg/mL) when compared to curc in its free form (IC50: 22.50–24.60 µg/mL) against promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania tropica, respectively. The nanoformulations were

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

• identified works presented results in the clinical phase. Finally, based on our findings, the outlook appears favorable, as there is a significant diversity of new substances with schistosomicidal potential. However, financial efforts are required to advance these nanoformulations. Keywords: delivery system

• also brings disadvantages, such as occurrence of resistant strains, low bioavailability [47], and organoleptic characteristics such as bitter taste [29][48]. In the literature, it is described that nanoformulations approaches can overcome these drawbacks. Most publications used nanotechnology to alter

• pharmacokinetics parameters. The nanoformulations were evaluated through efficacy criteria (e.g., parasite burden, egg counts, and granuloma diameter) or using traditional pharmacokinetics parameters (e.g., absorption rate or bioavailability). For example, Labib El Gendy et al. [49] showed that PZQ encapsulated in

Sulfur nanocomposites with insecticidal effect for the control of Bactericera cockerelli

• Lany S. Araujo-Yépez,
• Juan O. Tigrero-Salas,
• Vicente A. Delgado-Rodríguez,
• Vladimir A. Aguirre-Yela and
• Josué N. Villota-Méndez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1106–1115, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.91

• ]. Furthermore, different kinds of polysaccharides (e.g., chitosan, alginates, and polyethylene glycol) have been used for the synthesis of nanoinsecticides [15]. While other forms of polymer and non-polymer nanoformulations, such as nanofibers, nanocapsules, nanogels, nanomicelles, and nanospheres, have been

• potential botanical sources for developing new insecticides [25]. Their active components act against pest species through toxicant and repellent effects, developmental and behavioral alterations, and induction of sterility or infertility of insects [26]. Technologies such as nanoformulations or

• lipophilic and, thus, can enter the insect and cause biochemical dysfunction and mortality [50]. Rosemary essential oil-laden nanoformulations have shown significant insecticidal activity for the effective management of the red beetle Tribolium castaneum [51]. Another study claimed that eucalyptus essential

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

• required to test this hypothesis. Conclusion Among the spectra of nanoformulations encapsulating BNZ that exist to date, the nanoparticles presented in this work might be considered a novelty in terms of the lipid and manufacturing technique of choice. We achieve physical stability for at least six months

Recent progress in cancer cell membrane-based nanoparticles for biomedical applications

• Qixiong Lin,
• Yueyou Peng,
• Yanyan Wen,
• Xiaoqiong Li,
• Donglian Du,
• Weibin Dai,
• Wei Tian and
• Yanfeng Meng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 262–279, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.24

• various medical fields, such as cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, malignant neoplasm, orthopedic diseases, and immune system diseases, providing a new approach to various treatment problems [3]. These nanoformulations provide advantages over conventional pharmaceutical formulations in terms

• of safety and efficiency. However, there are still many inadequacies that limit the application of nanoformulations in biomedicine, including limited tumor penetration and insufficient specificity. Furthermore, nanoformulations are often recognized as foreign materials by the reticuloendothelial

• interact with other cells. The biological effects of nanoformulations can be enhanced through the effective utilization of specific protein groups. A schematic diagram of surface proteins and functions of the cancer cell membrane is shown in Figure 2. 2.1 Homologous targeting Cancer cells usually exhibit

Orally administered docetaxel-loaded chitosan-decorated cationic PLGA nanoparticles for intestinal tumors: formulation, comprehensive in vitro characterization, and release kinetics

• Sedat Ünal,
• Osman Doğan and
• Yeşim Aktaş

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1393–1407, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.115

• obstacles for successful treatment [15]. The low permeability of nanoformulations through the mucus layer prevents sufficient absorption of the drug and causes clearance of molecules which do not reach adequate retention time in the GIT [53]. Thus, increasing the retention time of the NPs on the mucus layer

Antibacterial activity of a berberine nanoformulation

• Hue Thi Nguyen,
• Tuyet Nhung Pham,
• Anh-Tuan Le,
• Nguyen Thanh Thuy,
• Tran Quang Huy and
• Thuy Thi Thu Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 641–652, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.56

• types of nanoformulations, such as polymer-, lipid-, dendrimer-, graphene-, gold-, or silver-based nanoparticles, have been used for the delivery of BBR [29][30][31]. Yu et al. [29] prepared poly(ethylene glycol)–lipid–poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles loaded with BBR to improve the oral

• delivery efficiency of BBR. This nanoformulation increased the oral relative bioavailability to approximately 343% compared to that of the original BBR. Although nanoformulations have emerged as an effective approach to improve the bioavailability of BBR, several drawbacks should be addressed as follows

• : (1) Almost all drug-carrying nanomaterials have high cost, (2) the drug concentration of the encapsulated form is usually low, and (3) the toxicity risk of nanomaterials must be strictly controlled [32][33][34]. Most nanoformulations have relatively low drug loading (typically a few weight percent

Ethosomal (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate as a novel approach to enhance antioxidant, anti-collagenase and anti-elastase effects

• Çiğdem Yücel,
• Gökçe Şeker Karatoprak,
• Sena Yalçıntaş and
• Tuğba Eren Böncü

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 491–502, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.41

• the solution form of EGCG was found to be significantly lower with nanoformulations. It is thought that this low inhibition failed to maintain the efficacy of the solution form throughout the experiment, whereas sustained release formulations provided higher inhibition. Previous studies have proven

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

• materials for nanomedical applications. Imaging-guided drug delivery of CUR-based nanosystems may also directly target specific cells, thereby increasing the therapeutic and chemopreventive efficacy of this versatile compound. Keywords: nanocarrier; nanoformulations; nanosized delivery systems; phenolic

• internalization, as compared to conventional therapies, potentially increasing therapeutic efficacy and minimizing side effects [4]. Nanosystems can be referred to as nanocarriers, nanoformulations, nanosized-delivery systems, and other similar terms. They have been utilized in the design of cellular and

Identification of physicochemical properties that modulate nanoparticle aggregation in blood

• Ludovica Soddu,
• Duong N. Trinh,
• Eimear Dunne,
• Dermot Kenny,
• Giorgia Bernardini,
• Ida Kokalari,
• Arianna Marucco,
• Marco P. Monopoli and
• Ivana Fenoglio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 550–567, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.44

• the bloodstream is particularly relevant not only for nanoformulations administered by intravenous injection, but also for any material that is introduced into the body by other routes as they have the potential to cross biological barriers and subsequently enter into the bloodstream. Previous studies

Targeted therapeutic effect against the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 with a CuFe₂O₄/silica/cisplatin nanocomposite formulation

• B. Rabindran Jermy,
• Vijaya Ravinayagam,
• Widyan A. Alamoudi,
• Dana Almohazey,
• Hatim Dafalla,
• Lina Hussain Allehaibi,
• Abdulhadi Baykal,
• Muhammet S. Toprak and
• Thirunavukkarasu Somanathan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2217–2228, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.214

• . Copper ferrite and cisplatin functional groups were identified using FTIR using ATR technology (Perkin Elmer, USA). The morphological features of the nanoformulations were identified by SEM and TEM. The elemental distribution in the samples was investigated using SEM-EDS. SEM was performed using a JSM

• /HYPS, CuFe2O4/AlMSU-F and CuFe2O4/silicalite nanoformulations. The cellulose membrane dialysis tubing was activated, and drug delivery was performed by immersing the bag containing 30 mg of drug formulations in 50 mL of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at pH 5.6. The release was performed under constant

• particular, CuFe2O4/HYPS showed a high adsorption of about 88.6%. On the other hand, CuFe2O4/Al-MSU-F and CuFe2O4/silicalite showed an adsorption of up to 87.2% and 85.3%, respectively. Among the different nanoformulations, the order of cisplatin drug release was as follows: CuFe2O4/HYPS > CuFe2O4/Al-MSU-F

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

• solutions, a real alternative? Active targeting is already one of the most used strategies for bringing nanoformulations into tumoral cells. Although usually great results were achieved in vitro, the in vivo assays have shown smaller effects regarding cell internalization. There has been no real enhancement

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

• immediately on improving the efficacy. This need could possibly be met by a nanoscale-carrier-facilitated drug delivery system. This rapidly growing field of research has gained interest all over the world with its effective and targeted drug delivery application [3]. Polymer-based nanoformulations have

• nanomaterial was found to be toxic in some metal-based NPs (e.g., gold, silver, iron, and copper), while the bulk counterparts showed less toxicity [9]. The metal ions present at the surface of the particles were found to interact with biomolecules at a comparatively higher rate in nanoformulations compared to

Near-infrared dye loaded polymeric nanoparticles for cancer imaging and therapy and cellular response after laser-induced heating

• Tingjun Lei,
• Alicia Fernandez-Fernandez,
• Romila Manchanda,
• Yen-Chih Huang and
• Anthony J. McGoron

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 313–322, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.35

• NPs do not have any cytotoxicity effect at this concentration. Optical imaging of cancer cells and mice showed that the use of the NP formulation resulted in a stronger fluorescence signal 24 h after injection. This is consistent with the literature reporting that nanoformulations can result in