Development of Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Medicines".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 6010

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Interests: pathogenic virulence factors; nanomedicine; antibody engineering; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The number of applications of nanomaterials in a variety of fields is growing at a fast pace. An emergent application of nanomaterials is in the field of medicine. Much effort has been pursued to develop different types of nanomaterials to combat pathogens, drug delivery, imaging, etc.

In this Special Issue, studies related to the following topics will be considered for publication:

  • Development of nanoparticles using pure or combined elements (e.g., doped) that showed strong antibacterial activity. It is recommended that the study will show other bioactivities, such as cytotoxic effects or potential damage to tissues or membranes.
  • Mechanisms of activity of the nanomaterials, either the mechanism of pathogen killing or cellular internalization (prokaryote or eukaryote cells). This topic also includes studies about oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, nucleic acid, and organelle damage, such as mitochondria or peroxisomes.
  • New development in drug delivery using nanomaterials. This topic includes the use of nanovesicles, such as liposomes with precise delivery to the target cells. The cargo of the nanovesicles may include drugs, RNA, DNA, or nanoparticles with a biomedical application.
  • Nanomaterial applications in imaging or theranostics combined or not with nanovesicles.

Please contact the Guest Editor to consult alternative topics.

Dr. Horacio Bach
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanoparticles
  • imaging
  • oxidative stress
  • internalization
  • nanocomposites
  • liposomes
  • drug encapsulation
  • precise targeting

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4102 KiB  
Article
Oxidized-Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as Non-Toxic Nanocarriers for Hydroxytyrosol Delivery in Cells
by Panagiota Zygouri, Antrea M. Athinodorou, Konstantinos Spyrou, Yannis V. Simos, Mohammed Subrati, Georgios Asimakopoulos, Konstantinos C. Vasilopoulos, Patra Vezyraki, Dimitrios Peschos, Konstantinos Tsamis and Dimitrios P. Gournis
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(4), 714; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13040714 - 13 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1679
Abstract
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess excellent physicochemical and structural properties alongside their nano dimensions, constituting a medical platform for the delivery of different therapeutic molecules and drug systems. Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is a molecule with potent antioxidant properties that, however, is rapidly metabolized in the [...] Read more.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess excellent physicochemical and structural properties alongside their nano dimensions, constituting a medical platform for the delivery of different therapeutic molecules and drug systems. Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is a molecule with potent antioxidant properties that, however, is rapidly metabolized in the organism. HT immobilized on functionalized CNTs could improve its oral absorption and protect it against rapid degradation and elimination. This study investigated the effects of cellular oxidized multiwall carbon nanotubes (oxMWCNTs) as biocompatible carriers of HT. The oxidation of MWCNTs via H2SO4 and HNO3 has a double effect since it leads to increased hydrophilicity, while the introduced oxygen functionalities can contribute to the delivery of the drug. The in vitro effects of HT, oxMWCNTS, and oxMWCNTS functionalized with HT (oxMWCNTS_HT) were studied against two different cell lines (NIH/3T3 and Tg/Tg). We evaluated the toxicity (MTT and clonogenic assay), cell cycle arrest, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Both cell lines coped with oxMWCNTs even at high doses. oxMWCNTS_HT acted as pro-oxidants in Tg/Tg cells and as antioxidants in NIH/3T3 cells. These findings suggest that oxMWCNTs could evolve into a promising nanocarrier suitable for targeted drug delivery in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)
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18 pages, 3359 KiB  
Article
Osteoregeneration of Critical-Size Defects Using Hydroxyapatite–Chitosan and Silver–Chitosan Nanocomposites
by Miguel A. Casillas-Santana, Yael N. Slavin, Peng Zhang, Nereyda Niño-Martínez, Horacio Bach and Gabriel A. Martínez-Castañón
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(2), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13020321 - 12 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1468
Abstract
Bone is a natural nanocomposite composed of proteins and minerals that can regenerate itself. However, there are conditions in which this process is impaired, such as extensive bone defects and infections of the bone or surrounding tissue. This study evaluates the osteoregenerative capacity [...] Read more.
Bone is a natural nanocomposite composed of proteins and minerals that can regenerate itself. However, there are conditions in which this process is impaired, such as extensive bone defects and infections of the bone or surrounding tissue. This study evaluates the osteoregenerative capacity of bone grafting materials in animals with induced bone defects. Colloidal chitosan dispersion nanocomposites, nanohydroxyapatite–chitosan (NHAP-Q) and nanosilver–chitosan (AgNP-Q), were synthesized and characterized. Non-critical-size defects in Wistar rats were used to evaluate the material’s biocompatibility, and critical-size defects in the calvarias of guinea pigs were used to evaluate the regenerative capacity of the bones. Moreover, the toxicity of the nanocomposites was evaluated in the heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and skin. Histological, radiographic, and electron microscopy tests were also performed. The results showed that neither material produced pathological changes. Radiographic examination showed a significant reduction in defects (75.1% for NHAP-Q and 79.3% for AgNP-Q), angiogenesis, and trabecular formation. A toxicological assessment of all the organs did not show changes in the ultrastructure of tissues, and the distribution of silver was different for different organs (spleen > skin > heart > kidney > liver). The results suggest that both materials are highly biocompatible, and AgNP-Q achieved similar bone regeneration to that reported with autologous bone. The main research outcome of the present study was the combination of two types of NPs to enhance antimicrobial and osteoregeneration activities. These colloidal chitosan dispersions show promise as future biomaterials in the medical field for applications in fast-healing fractures, including broken bones in the oral cavity and hip replacement infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)
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21 pages, 4007 KiB  
Article
Formation of Aggregate-Free Gold Nanoparticles in the Cyclodextrin-Tetrachloroaurate System Follows Finke–Watzky Kinetics
by Yuri Sergeyevich Pestovsky and Teerapol Srichana
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(4), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12040583 - 09 Feb 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1831
Abstract
Cyclodextrin-capped gold nanoparticles are promising drug-delivery vehicles, but the technique of their preparation without trace amounts of aggregates is still lacking, and the size-manipulation possibility is very limited. In the present study, gold nanoparticles were synthesized by means of 0.1% (w/ [...] Read more.
Cyclodextrin-capped gold nanoparticles are promising drug-delivery vehicles, but the technique of their preparation without trace amounts of aggregates is still lacking, and the size-manipulation possibility is very limited. In the present study, gold nanoparticles were synthesized by means of 0.1% (w/w) tetrachloroauric acid reduction with cyclodextrins at room temperature, at cyclodextrin concentrations of 0.001 M, 0.002 M and 0.004 M, and pH values of 11, 11.5 and 12. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering in both back-scattering and forward-scattering modes, spectrophotometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. These techniques revealed 14.9% Au1+ on their surfaces. The Finke–Watzky kinetics of the reaction was demonstrated, but the actual growth mechanism turned out to be multistage. The synthesis kinetics and the resulting particle-size distribution were pH-dependent. The reaction and centrifugation conditions for the recovery of aggregate-free nanoparticles with different size distributions were determined. The absorbances of the best preparations were 7.6 for α-cyclodextrin, 8.9 for β-cyclodextrin and 7.5 for γ-cyclodextrin. Particle-size distribution by intensity was indicative of the complete absence of aggregates. The resulting preparations were ready to use without the need for concentration, filtration, or further purification. The synthesis meets the requirements of green chemistry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)
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Review

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35 pages, 2188 KiB  
Review
Mechanisms of Antifungal Properties of Metal Nanoparticles
by Yael N. Slavin and Horacio Bach
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(24), 4470; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12244470 - 16 Dec 2022
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4244
Abstract
The appearance of resistant species of fungi to the existent antimycotics is challenging for the scientific community. One emergent technology is the application of nanotechnology to develop novel antifungal agents. Metal nanoparticles (NPs) have shown promising results as an alternative to classical antimycotics. [...] Read more.
The appearance of resistant species of fungi to the existent antimycotics is challenging for the scientific community. One emergent technology is the application of nanotechnology to develop novel antifungal agents. Metal nanoparticles (NPs) have shown promising results as an alternative to classical antimycotics. This review summarizes and discusses the antifungal mechanisms of metal NPs, including combinations with other antimycotics, covering the period from 2005 to 2022. These mechanisms include but are not limited to the generation of toxic oxygen species and their cellular target, the effect of the cell wall damage and the hyphae and spores, and the mechanisms of defense implied by the fungal cell. Lastly, a description of the impact of NPs on the transcriptomic and proteomic profiles is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)
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