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Special Issue "Nanoparticles in Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine"

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Nanoscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 February 2024 | Viewed by 2744

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Dr. Costica Caizer

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Department of Physics, Faculty of Physics, West University of Timisoara, Bv. V. Parvan no. 4, 300223 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: magnetism; nanomagnetism; superparamagnetism; magnetic relaxation; magnetic nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanocomposites, nanofluids, nanopowders); advanced magnetic nanostructures; biomagnetism; magnetic bio-nanomaterials; hybrid magnetic bio-nanomaterials in medicine; magnetic biofields of human body; magnetic hyperthermia in cancer therapy; electricity and magnetism; experimental physics
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Dear Colleagues,

In the present day, nanoparticles are of high theoretical and applicative interest; they have multiple applications in nanotechnology and nanomedicine due to their small size (nm to hundreds of nm), which gives them different properties to those of bulk materials. Modern nanobiotechnology enables the preparation and dispersion of nanoparticles in different environments, as well as their biofunctionalization, bioencapsulation, bioconjugation, biosurfactation, etc.; this renders them biocompatible with the biological environment in which they are applied, and enables their manipulation for application in the field of diagnostics, in therapy for various diseases and in nanotheranostics, as well as in alternative cancer therapies.

Thus, this Special Issue aims to highlight current research results in the form of articles, as well as the systematization of recent results in the field in the form of reviews.

Also of interest are topics regarding the preparation, characterization and properties of nanoparticles, as well as theoretical and computational studies.

Possible topics include the following:

Nanoparticles;
Properties of nanoparticles;
Methods of obtaining nanoparticles;
Characterization techniques;
Theoretical models;
Computational simulation;
Applications in nanomedicine;
Applications in nanobiotechnology.

Dr. Costica Caizer
Guest Editor

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Keywords

nanoparticles
properties of nanoparticles
methods of obtaining nanoparticles
characterization techniques
theoretical models
computational simulation
applications in nanomedicine
applications in nanobiotechnology

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 4455 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of the Protein Corona Formation on Antibody Functionalized Liquid Lipid Nanocarriers

Saúl A. Navarro-Marchal

Marina Martín-Contreras

David Castro-Santiago

Teresa del Castillo-Santaella

Pablo Graván

Ana Belén Jódar-Reyes

Juan Antonio Marchal

and

José Manuel Peula-García

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16759; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316759 - 25 Nov 2023

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Abstract

The main aim of this study is to report basic knowledge on how a protein corona (PC) could affect or modify the way in which multifunctionalized nanoparticles interact with cells. With this purpose, we have firstly optimized the development of a target-specific nanocarrier by coupling a specific fluorescent antibody on the surface of functionalized lipid liquid nanocapsules (LLNCs). Thus, an anti-HER2-FITC antibody (αHER2) has been used, HER2 being a surface receptor that is overexpressed in several tumor cells. Subsequently, the in vitro formation of a PC has been developed using fetal bovine serum supplemented with human fibrinogen. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), Laser Doppler Electrophoresis (LDE), and Gel Chromatography techniques have been used to assure a complete physico-chemical characterization of the nano-complexes with (LLNCs-αHER2-PC) and without (LLNCs-αHER2) the surrounding PC. In addition, cellular assays were performed to study the cellular uptake and the specific cellular-nanocarrier interactions using the SKBR3 (high expression of HER2) breast cancer cell line and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa) (healthy cell line without expression of HER2 receptors as control), showing that the SKBR3 cell line had a higher transport rate (50-fold) than HDFa at 60 min with LLNCs-αHER2. Moreover, the SKBR3 cell line incubated with LLNCs-αHER2-PC suffered a significant reduction (40%) in the uptake. These results suggest that the formation of a PC onto LLNCs does not prevent specific cell targeting, although it does have an important influence on cell uptake. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles in Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine)

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24 pages, 7844 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of the Synthesis Scheme of Nanocrystalline Cerium Oxide and Its Concentration on the Biological Activity of Cells Providing Wound Regeneration

and

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(19), 14501; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241914501 - 24 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 693

Abstract

In the ongoing search for practical uses of rare-earth metal nanoparticles, cerium dioxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) have received special attention. The purpose of this research was to study the biomedical effects of nanocrystalline forms of cerium oxide obtained by different synthesis schemes and to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of nanoceria (from 10⁻² to 10⁻⁶ M) on cells involved in the regeneration of skin cell structures such as fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells, and keratinocytes. Two different methods of nanoceria preparation were investigated: (1) CeO-NPs-1 by precipitation from aqueous solutions of cerium (III) nitrate hexahydrate and citric acid and (2) CeO-NPs-2 by hydrolysis of ammonium hexanitratocerate (IV) under conditions of thermal autoclaving. According to the X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering data, CeO₂-1 consists of individual particles of cerium dioxide (3–5 nm) and their aggregates with diameters of 60–130 nm. CeO₂-2 comprises small aggregates of 8–20 nm in diameter, which consist of particles of 2–3 nm in size. Cell cultures of human fibroblasts, human mesenchymal stem cells, and human keratinocytes were cocultured with different concentrations of nanoceria sols (10⁻², 10⁻³, 10⁻⁴, 10⁻⁵, and 10⁻⁶ mol/L). The metabolic activity of all cell types was investigated by MTT test after 48 and 72 h, whereas proliferative activity and cytotoxicity were determined by quantitative cell culture counting and live/dead test. A dependence of biological effects on the method of nanoceria preparation and concentration was revealed. Data were obtained with respect to the optimal concentration of sol to achieve the highest metabolic effect in the used cell cultures. Hypotheses about the mechanisms of the obtained effects and the structure of a fundamentally new medical device for accelerated healing of skin wounds were formulated. The method of nanoceria synthesis and concentration fundamentally and significantly change the biological activity of cell cultures of different types—from suppression to pronounced stimulation. The best biological activity of cell cultures was determined through cocultivation with sols of citrate nanoceria (CeO-NPs-1) at a concentration of 10⁻³–10⁻⁴ M. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles in Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine)

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15 pages, 2457 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CRIF1 siRNA-Encapsulated PLGA Nanoparticles Suppress Tumor Growth in MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells

and

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 7453; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087453 - 18 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1016

Abstract

Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system dysfunction in cancer cells has been exploited as a target for anti-cancer therapeutic intervention. The downregulation of CR6-interacting factor 1 (CRIF1), an essential mito-ribosomal factor, can impair mitochondrial function in various cell types. In this study, we investigated whether CRIF1 deficiency induced by siRNA and siRNA nanoparticles could suppress MCF-7 breast cancer growth and tumor development, respectively. Our results showed that CRIF1 silencing decreased the assembly of mitochondrial OXPHOS complexes I and II, which induced mitochondrial dysfunction, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, and excessive mitochondrial fission. CRIF1 inhibition reduced p53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) expression, as well as NADPH synthesis, leading to additional increases in ROS production. The downregulation of CRIF1 suppressed cell proliferation and inhibited cell migration through the induction of G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Similarly, the intratumoral injection of CRIF1 siRNA-encapsulated PLGA nanoparticles inhibited tumor growth, downregulated the assembly of mitochondrial OXPHOS complexes I and II, and induced the expression of cell cycle protein markers (p53, p21, and p16) in MCF-7 xenograft mice. Thus, the inhibition of mitochondrial OXPHOS protein synthesis through CRIF1 deletion destroyed mitochondrial function, leading to elevated ROS levels and inducing antitumor effects in MCF-7 cells. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles in Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine)

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