Magnetic nanoparticle-based cancer nanodiagnostics

Diagnosis facilitates the discovery of an impending disease. A complete and accurate treatment of cancer depends heavily on its early medical diagnosis. Cancer, one of the most fatal diseases world-wide, consistently affects a larger number of patients each year. Magnetism, a physical property arising from the motion of electrical charges, which causes attraction and repulsion between objects and does not involve radiation, has been under intense investigation for several years. Magnetic materials show great promise in the application of image contrast enhancement to accurately image and diagnose cancer. Chelating gadolinium (Gd Ⅲ) and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have the prospect to pave the way for diagnosis, operative management, and adjuvant therapy of different kinds of cancers. The potential of MNP-based magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents (CAs) now makes it possible to image portions of a tumor in parts of the body that would be unclear with the conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multiple functionalities like variety of targeting ligands and image contrast enhancement have recently been added to the MNPs. Keeping aside the additional complexities in synthetic steps, costs, more convoluted behavior, and effects in-vivo, multifunctional MNPs still face great regulatory hurdles before clinical availability for cancer patients. The trade-off between additional functionality and complexity is a subject of ongoing debate. The recent progress regarding the types, design, synthesis, morphology, characterization, modification, and the in-vivo and in-vitro uses of different MRI contrast agents, including MNPs, to diagnose cancer will be the focus of this review. As our knowledge of MNPs' characteristics and applications expands, their role in the future management of cancer patients will become very important. Current hurdles are also discussed, along with future prospects of MNPs as the savior of cancer victims.     

Magnetic nanoparticle-based cancer therapy

Nanoparticles(NPs) with easily modified surfaces have been playing an important role in biomedicine.As cancer is one of the major causes of death,tremendous efforts have been devoted to advance the methods of cancer diagnosis and therapy.Recently,magnetic nanoparticles(MNPs) that are responsive to a magnetic field have shown great promise in cancer therapy.Compared with traditional cancer therapy,magnetic field triggered therapeutic approaches can treat cancer in an unconventional but more effective and safer way.In this review,we will discuss the recent progress in cancer therapies based on MNPs,mainly including magnetic hyperthermia,magnetic specific targeting,magnetically controlled drug delivery,magnetofection,and magnetic switches for controlling cell fate.Some recently developed strategies such as magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) monitoring cancer therapy and magnetic tissue engineering are also addressed.     

Low content Ni and Cr co-doped LiMn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> with enhanced capacity retention

Nanoparticles of the pure and Ni–Cr co-doped lithium manganese oxides Li[Ni_xCr_yMn_2-x-y]O₄ (x = y = 0.01–0.05) have been synthesized by sol–gel method using citric acid as a chelating agent. The effect of low-content doping was noted reflecting the faster ionic movement in the cathode material. The phase structure and morphology of the materials are characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM and TEM. Electrochemical and impedance measurements established that low-content Ni–Cr substitution substantially improves the structural stability and high rate cycling performance of LiMn₂O₄. Among all the investigated compositions, LiNi_0.01Cr_0.01Mn_1.98O₄ demonstrated the best electrochemical performance. At a substantially high current rate of 5 C, 82% of the initial discharge capacity at 0.1 C is retained. Remarkably, after deep cycling at high rates, a discharge capacity of 104 mAhg^?1 is resumed upon reducing the current rate to 0.1 C which is 91% of the specific capacity in the first cycle.     

Dynamic interfaces between cells and surfaces: electroactive substrates that sequentially release and attach cells

An electroactive substrate that combines dual dynamic properties is demonstrated. A monolayer is patterned to first release an immobilized ligand, and therefore adherent cells, on application of an electrical potential. Subsequently, electrical oxidation of the substrate results in immobilization of ligands, and migration of adherent cells.     

Two New Flavonoids from Retama raetam

Two new furanoflavonoids, retamasins A and B ( 1 and 2 , resp.), along with five known flavonoids, 3 – 7 , were isolated from the aerial parts of Retama raetam. Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic (IR, MS, and 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR) analyses and by comparison with the literature data. This is the first report of the isolation of new furanoflavonoids 1 and 2 from Retama genus, while compounds 3, 5 , and 6 were found for the first time from R. raetam. Antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities of the isolated compounds were also evaluated. Compounds 2, 3 , and 5 – 7 exhibited potent inhibitions of iNOS activity with IC₅₀ values of 2.9, 5.0, 3.1, 1.2, and 4.8 μg/ml, respectively. All compounds inhibited NF‐κB except 1 and 5 . Compound 6 was most active in inhibiting iNOS and NF‐κB activity, as well as in decreasing oxidative stress.     

Synthetic strategies toward the synthesis of polyphenolic natural products: Pauciflorol F and isopaucifloral F: A review

Pauciflorol F and isopaucifloral F are very important polyphenolic natural products and exhibit a variety of biological activities such as antibiotic, anticancer, anti-HIV, antioxidant, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activities. These important molecules have gained significant attraction of medicinal chemists and several new strategies have been developed toward the synthesis of pauciflorol F and isopaucifloral F. This review article summarizes the major synthetic approaches adopted for the synthesis of these two indanone-based compounds.     

Synthetic strategies toward the synthesis of enoxacin-, levofloxacin-, and gatifloxacin-based compounds: A review

Enoxacin, levofloxacin, and gatifloxacin represent one of the most important prerogative scaffolds in drug development. They possess broad spectrum antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. They inhibit bacterial growth by blocking their topoisomerase enzyme which is necessary for the proper functioning of bacterial DNA. In this article, we have reviewed the synthetic approaches involved in the synthesis of derivatives of enoxacin, levofloxacin, and gatifloxacin.