Nanotheranostics

The focus of this research is to design a bioengineered drug delivery vehicle that is efficient in anti-cancer drug delivery in a controlled manner. The experimental work focuses on constructing a methotrexate-loaded nano lipid polymer system (MTX-NLPHS) that can transport methotrexate (MTX) in MCF-7 cell lines in a controlled manner through endocytosis via phosphatidylcholine. In this experiment, MTX is embedded with polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) in phosphatidylcholine, which acts as a liposomal framework for regulated drug delivery...

Background: The objective of this study was to demonstrate that synchrotron K-edge subtraction tomography (SKES-CT) can simultaneously track therapeutic cells and their encapsulating carrier, in vivo, in a rat model of focal brain injury using a dual-contrast agent approach. The second objective was to determine if SKES-CT could be used as a reference method for spectral photon counting tomography (SPCCT). Methods: Phantoms containing different concentrations of gold and iodine nanoparticles (AuNPS/INPs) were imaged with SKES-CT and SPCCT to assess their performances...

The most significant feature of translational point-of-care technology "Personalized biosensors" is that it can be done quickly and by clinical staff who are not trained in clinical laboratory sciences. Rapid test results can quickly give a doctor or other medical worker answers that can help them decide what to do or how to treat a patient. This is helpful almost everywhere, from the emergency room to a patient getting care at home. When a doctor meets a patient for the first time, during a flare-up of a known problem or when a new symptom shows up in a patient who is already being treated, having faster access to test results gives the doctor answers when they are with the patient or are about to see the patient which indicate the importance of point-of-care technologies and their future scope...

Fluorescent Carbon dots (CDs) derived from biologically active sources have shown enhanced activities compared to their precursors. With their prominent potentiality, these small-sized (<10nm) nanomaterials could be easily synthesized from organic sources either by bottom-up or green approach. Their sources could influence the functional groups present on the CDs surfaces. A crude source of organic molecules has been used to develop fluorescent CDs. In addition, pure organic molecules were also valuable in developing practical CDs...

Dendrigraft Poly-L-Lysine (d-PLL) coated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized by reducing Tetrachloroauric acid with ascorbic acid in the presence of d-PLL. AuNPs-d-PLL formed a stable colloidal solution that absorbs light at a maximum wavelength (λmax ) centered at 570 nm as demonstrated by UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. From Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis, AuNPs-d-PLL were spherical in shape with a mean diameter of 128 ± 47 nm. Dynamic Light scattering (DLS) analysis of the colloidal solution exhibited one size distribution with a hydrodynamic diameter of about 131 nm (size distribution by intensity)...

Delivering therapies to deeply seated brain tumours (BT) is a major clinical challenge. Magnetic drug targeting (MDT) could overcome this by rapidly transporting magnetised drugs directly into BT. We have developed a magnetic device for application in murine BT models using an array of neodymium magnets with a combined strength of 0.7T. In a closed fluidic system, the magnetic device trapped magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) up to distances of 0.8cm. In mice, the magnetic device guided intravenously administered MNP (<50nm) from the circulation into the brain where they localised within mouse BT...

Recent advances in drug delivery technologies utilizing a variety of carriers have resulted in a paradigm shift in the current approach to diagnosis and therapy. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were developed in response to the need for materials with high thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties. The synthesis, ease of surface functionalization, tunable pore size, large surface area, and biocompatibility of MSNs make them useful in a variety of biomedical applications such as drug delivery, theranostics, and stem cell research...

Articular cartilage has a low self-repair capacity due to the lack of vessels and nerves. In recent times, nanofiber scaffolds have been widely used for this purpose. The optimum nanofiber scaffold should stimulate new tissue's growth and mimic the articular cartilage nature. Furthermore, the characteristics of the scaffold should match those of the cellular matrix components of the native tissue to best merge with the target tissue. Therefore, selective modification of prefabricated scaffolds based on the structure of the repaired tissues is commonly conducted to promote restoring the tissue...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7150/ntno.54879.].

Theranostic nanoparticles (TNPs) is an efficient avenue that culminates both diagnosis and therapy into cancer treatment. Herein, we have formulated a theranostic nanocomposite (NC) with CuS being the ultra-small core component. To ensure stability to the NC, PEI was added which is a vital anchoring group polymer, especially on sulfide surfaces, and adds quality by being a better stabilizer and reducing agent. Additionally, to add stability, specificity, and added photothermal efficiency to the fabricated NC...

Targeting cancer cell exosome release and biogenesis represents a potentially efficient means to treat tumors and prevent cancer recurrence/metastasis; however, the complexity and time-consuming nature of currently employed methods to purify and characterize exosomes represent obstacles to progression. Herein, we describe a rapid, convergent, and cost-efficient strategy to analyze candidate U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs that inhibit exosome release and/or biogenesis using breast cancer cell line models in the hope of repurposing them for the clinical treatment of metastatic tumors...

Stress can be defined by two parameters, first the psychological sensing of pressure and second is the body's response. However, the exposure time to stress depicts the biological response produced against it. The effect of acute and chronic restraint stress on anxiety and the production of systemic metabolites were investigated in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Behavioural test was performed on elevated plus maze (EPM) in conjunction with the statistical analysis that exhibited the habituation during long term exposure to stress when compared with the short-term stress...

Over the last decades, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have proven to be remarkable tools for drug delivery and theranostic applications in cancer treatment. On the other hand, Pt(IV) prodrugs have been employed as an interesting alternative to the more common Pt(II) complexes, such as cisplatin, for cancer chemotherapy. Searching to design an image-guided nanocarrier to deliver selectively Pt(IV) prodrugs to tumors expressing the gastrin releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), we have synthesized small core AuNPs carrying a thiolated DOTA derivative, a GRPR-targeting bombesin analog (BBN[7-14]) and a Pt(IV) prodrug attached to the AuNPs without ( AuNP-BBN-Pt1 ) or with a PEGylated linker ( AuNP-BBN-Pt2 and AuNP-BBN-Pt3 )...

Background: Irbesartan (IR) is used in the treatment of hypertension, heart failure, and nephropathy in Type II diabetes. IR bioavailability is limited by poor solubility and presystemic metabolism. In our previous investigations, cyclodextrin (HPβCD) complexed solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) of IR were prepared, optimized, and characterized. The current study aimed to confirm the reproducibility of the previous methodology and to evaluate the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) performance of the selected lead formulations in an experimental animal model...

Background: We have previously shown that alendronate, an amino-bisphosphonate, when reformulated in liposomes, can significantly enhance the efficacy of cytotoxic chemotherapies and help remodel the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment towards an immune-permissive milieu resulting in increased anticancer efficacy. In addition, we have previously shown that the strong metal-chelating properties of alendronate can be exploited for nuclear imaging of liposomal biodistribution. To further improve anticancer efficacy, a pegylated liposome formulation co-encapsulating alendronate and doxorubicin (PLAD) has been developed...

Triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most lethal cancers. Chemotherapeutics for targeting CDK4 and CDK6 like Palbociclib (PAB) in triple-negative breast cancer was widely explored. However, poor bioavailability and severe side effects profile limiting its clinical usage in the field of cancer chemotherapy. Herein, we set out to develop the stealth liposomes (LPS) of PAB by rotary thin film evaporation with a vesicle size of less than 100 nm. In vitro, drug release studies were performed and fitted into different release kinetic models...

Viral infection is a globally leading health issue. Annually, new lethal RNA viruses unexpectedly emerged and mutated threatening health and safety. Meanwhile, it is urgent to explore novel antiviral agents, which, however, takes years to be clinically available. Nonetheless, the development of carbon dots (CDs) in the past 20 years has exhibited their vast application potentials and revealed their promising capacity as future antiviral agents considering their versatile properties and significant antiviral responses...

Over the last few years, progress has been made across the nanomedicine landscape, in particular, the invention of contemporary nanostructures for cancer diagnosis and overcoming complexities in the clinical treatment of cancerous tissues. Thanks to their small diameter and large surface-to-volume proportions, nanomaterials have special physicochemical properties that empower them to bind, absorb and transport high-efficiency substances, such as small molecular drugs, DNA, proteins, RNAs, and probes. They also have excellent durability, high carrier potential, the ability to integrate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds, and compatibility with various transport routes, making them especially appealing over a wide range of oncology fields...

Astatine-211 (211 At) is one of the most promising α-emitters for targeted alpha therapy, especially of cancer metastases. However, the lack of a stable isotope, frequent in vivo deastatination, and limited radiochemical knowledge makes it challenging to apply. Here, we report a new strategy for radiolabeling the lipophilic core of polymeric micelles (PMs) with covalently bound 211 At. The PMs were radiolabeled via either an indirect synthon-based method or directly on the amphipathic block copolymer. The radiochemistry was optimized with iodine-125 (125 I) and then adapted for 211 At, enabling the use of both elements as a potential theranostic pair...

In sonodynamic therapy, cellular toxicity from sonosensitizer drugs, such as 5-aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride (5-ALA), may be triggered with focused ultrasound through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here we show that by increasing local oxygen during treatment, using oxygen-loaded perfluorocarbon nanodroplets (250 +/- 8 nm), we can increase the damage induced by 5-ALA, and monitor the severity by recording acoustic emissions in the brain. To achieve this, we sonicated the right striatum of 16 healthy rats after an intravenous dose of 5-ALA (200 mg/kg), followed by saline, nanodroplets, or oxygen-loaded nanodroplets...