Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Functionalized with Amino Groups for Biomedical Applications

The synthesis and characterization of amino-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles are presented following two different synthetic methods: co-condensation and post-synthesis grafting of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The amino groups’ distribution on the mesoporous silica nanoparticles was evaluated considering the aggregation state of a grafted photosensitizer (Verteporfin) by using spectroscopic techniques. The homogeneous distribution of amino groups within the silica network is a key factor to avoid aggregation during further organic functionalization and to optimize the performance of functionalized silica nanoparticles in biomedical applications. In addition, the formation of a protein corona on the external surface of both bare and amino-functionalized mesoporous silica was also investigated by adsorbing Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as a model protein. The adsorption of BSA was found to be favorable, reducing the aggregation phenomena for both bare and amino-modified nanoparticles. Nevertheless, the dispersant effect of BSA was much more evident in the case of amino-modified nanoparticles, which reached monodispersion after adsorption of the protein, thus suggesting that amino-modified nanoparticles can benefit from protein corona formation for preventing severe aggregation in biological media.     

Patterning of Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

Surface‐patterned 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate hydrogels were produced by using a method similar to the silicon‐rubber stamp fabrication for microcontact printing. Polymerization and network formation were carried out in contact with a micromachined silicon wafer. The polymeric patterns retained their shape during isotropic swelling/deswelling cycles. The use of microstructured hydrogels in tissue engineering can be envisaged.     

生物医用类环糊精/聚合物(准)聚轮烷

环糊精及其衍生物具有“内疏水、外亲水”的特殊分子结构,可与许多客体分子包结形成包合物。利用环糊精与聚合物的包结作用构建稳定、结构可控并具有广泛应用前景的生物医用材料是材料及医学界研究的焦点之一。本文介绍了环糊精基(准)聚轮烷的概念及其组装驱动力,同时围绕由环糊精和聚合物组装形成的(准)聚轮烷在生物医用方面的研究包括药物载体(如超分子凝胶、超分子胶束、超分子纳米囊泡、药物键合(准)聚轮烷、刺激响应型(准)聚轮烷等)、基因载体、多重识别与靶向、形状记忆材料及其它相关领域工作进展作一概述。     

医用高分子水凝胶的设计与合成

作为一类重要的医用功能材料,高分子水凝胶可望在药物控释、软骨支架构建、活性细胞封装等方面获得广泛应用。综述了基于化学交联和物理交联的有关水凝胶的设计与合成方法,重点介绍了通过自由基共聚反应、结构互补基团间化学反应形成的化学交联水凝胶以及通过荷电相反离子问相互作用、两亲性嵌段或接枝共聚物疏水缔合、结晶与氢键相互作用形成的物理交联水凝胶。     

Advances in Polymeric Systems for Tissue Engineering and Biomedical Applications

The characteristics of tissue engineered scaffolds are major concerns in the quest to fabricate ideal scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. The polymer scaffolds employed for tissue engineering applications should possess multifunctional properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability and favorable mechanical properties as it comes in direct contact with the body fluids in vivo. Additionally, the polymer system should also possess biomimetic architecture and should support stem cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. As the progress in polymer technology continues, polymeric biomaterials have taken characteristics more closely related to that desired for tissue engineering and clinical needs. Stimuli responsive polymers also termed as smart biomaterials respond to stimuli such as pH, temperature, enzyme, antigen, glucose and electrical stimuli that are inherently present in living systems. This review highlights the exciting advancements in these polymeric systems that relate to biological and tissue engineering applications. Additionally, several aspects of technology namely scaffold fabrication methods and surface modifications to confer biological functionality to the polymers have also been discussed. The ultimate objective is to emphasize on these underutilized adaptive behaviors of the polymers so that novel applications and new generations of smart polymeric materials can be realized for biomedical and tissue engineering applications.

     

Organic Room Temperature Phosphorescence Materials for Biomedical Applications

Organic room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials have drawn increasing attention due to their unique features, especially the long emission lifetime for applications in biomedicine. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent developments of organic RTP materials applied in the biomedicine field. First, we introduce the basic mechanism of phosphorescence and subsequently we present various strategies of modulating the lifetime and efficiency of room temperature organic phosphorescence. Next, we summarize the progress of organic RTP materials in biological applications, including bioimaging, anti‐cancer and antibacterial therapies. Finally, we provide an outlook with regard to the challenges and future perspectives in the field.     

Graphene Oxide-Based Stimuli-Responsive Platforms for Biomedical Applications

Graphene is a two-dimensional sp² hybridized carbon material that has attracted tremendous attention for its stimuli-responsive applications, owing to its high surface area and excellent electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The physicochemical properties of graphene can be tuned by surface functionalization. The biomedical field pays special attention to stimuli-responsive materials due to their responsive abilities under different conditions. Stimuli-responsive materials exhibit great potential in changing their behavior upon exposure to external or internal factors, such as pH, light, electric field, magnetic field, and temperature. Graphene-based materials, particularly graphene oxide (GO), have been widely used in stimuli-responsive applications due to their superior biocompatibility compared to other forms of graphene. GO has been commonly utilized in tissue engineering, bioimaging, biosensing, cancer therapy, and drug delivery. GO-based stimuli-responsive platforms for wound healing applications have not yet been fully explored. This review describes the effects of different stimuli-responsive factors, such as pH, light, temperature, and magnetic and electric fields on GO-based materials and their applications. The wound healing applications of GO-based materials is extensively discussed with cancer therapy and drug delivery.     

Polymeric Micelles in Cancer Immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapies have generated some miracles in the clinic by orchestrating our immune system to combat cancer cells. However, the safety and efficacy concerns of the systemic delivery of these immunostimulatory agents has limited their application. Nanomedicine-based delivery strategies (e.g., liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, silico, etc.) play an essential role in improving cancer immunotherapies, either by enhancing the anti-tumor immune response, or reducing their systemic adverse effects. The versatility of working with biocompatible polymers helps these polymeric nanoparticles stand out as a key carrier to improve bioavailability and achieve specific delivery at the site of action. This review provides a summary of the latest advancements in the use of polymeric micelles for cancer immunotherapy, including their application in delivering immunological checkpoint inhibitors, immunostimulatory molecules, engineered T cells, and cancer vaccines.     

Interactions with Charged Cyclodextrins and Chiral Recognition

Anionic N-acetylated -aminoacids (AcTrp^-, AcPhe^-, AcLeu^- and AcVal^-) are bound to protonatedheptakis(6-amino-6-deoxy)--cyclodextrin(per-NH₃ ⁺--CD) by a cooperative work of inclusion and Coulomb interactions.Such complexation occurs enantioselectively ((S)-selective)and is accompanied bypositive entropy changes. Similar (S)-selectivecomplexation occurs in the oppositelycharged system. Namely, cationic -aminoacid methyl esters are enantioselectivelybound to dissociatedheptakis(6-carboxymethylthio-6-deoxy)--cyclodextrin(per-COO^---CD). In order to obtain thegeneral mechanism for complexationof a charged host with an oppositely charged guest,we examined the ¹H NMR spectra oncomplexation of simple carboxylate anions suchas p-methylbenzoate anion andalkanoate anions with per-NH₃ ⁺--CD.Both Coulomb interactions andinclusion are essential to form stable complexesof these carboxylate anions. In allcases, positive entropy changes promote thecomplexation between the carboxylateanions and per-NH₃ ⁺--CD. Dehydrationfrom both charged host and guestis the origin of entropic gains. The mechanism forcomplexation of a charged host withan oppositely charged guest involving the cooperativework of inclusion and Coulombinteractions and positive entropy change due todehydration upon complexation isgenerally applied for related systems such asenantioselective complexation ofRu(phen)₃ ²⁺ with per-COO^---CDand of Ru(phen)₃ ²⁺with DNA.     

Bulky Barbiturates as Non-Toxic Ionic Dye Insulators for Enhanced Emission in Polymeric Nanoparticles

Bulky hydrophobic counterions (weakly coordinating anions) can insulate ionic dyes against aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) and enable preparation of highly fluorescent dye-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) for bioimaging, biosensing and light harvesting. Here, we introduce a family of hydrophobic anions based on fluorinated C-acyl barbiturates with delocalized negative charge and bulky non-polar groups. Similarly to fluorinated tetraphenylborates, these barbiturates prevent ACQ of cationic dye alkyl rhodamine B inside polymer NPs made of biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). Their efficiency to prevent ACQ increases for analogues with higher acidity and bulkiness. Their structure controls dye-dye communication, yielding bright NPs with on/off switching or stable emission. They enhance dye encapsulation inside NPs, allowing intracellular imaging without dye leakage. Compared to fluorinated tetraphenylborates known as cytotoxic transmembrane ion transporters, the barbiturates display a significantly lower cytotoxicity. These chemically available and versatile barbiturate derivatives are promising counterion scaffolds for preparation of bright non-toxic fluorescent nanomaterials.     

Exploring the Research Progress about the Applications of Cyclodextrins and Nanomaterials in Electroanalysis

Cyclodextrins and nanomaterials are widely used in the achievement of powerful platforms in supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology. The relatively hydrophobic internal cavity of the CDs selectively retains molecules having the proper geometry, while the hydrophilic exterior allows CDs to improve the dispersibility and molecular recognition. The nanomaterials provide higher surface area, good conductivity, and electrocatalytic effect. The use of nanomaterials and CDs in electrochemical sensors’ design allows the development of a large variety of devices, explaining the increasing number of papers in the last years that are discussed in this review.     

二维过渡金属硫族化合物在生物医学中的应用

二维过渡金属硫族化合物(TMDs)是继石墨烯纳米材料发展之后一类新型的二维纳米材料. 由于其特殊的物理化学性质, TMDs二维纳米材料在能源、光电器件、催化反应等多个领域引起了人们广泛的研究兴趣. 近年来这类材料在纳米生物医学方面也得到人们广泛的关注. 这篇综述简单介绍TMDs二维层状纳米材料的制备、表面修饰、生物成像、肿瘤治疗和毒理学研究, 并对二维TMDs纳米材料未来在生物医学领域的发展做出展望.     

Harvesting Light To Produce Heat: Photothermal Nanoparticles for Technological Applications and Biomedical Devices

The photothermal properties of nanoparticles (NPs), that is, their ability to convert absorbed light into heat, have been studied since the end of the last century, mainly on gold NPs. In the new millennium, these studies have developed into a burst of research dedicated to the photothermal ablation of tumors. However, beside this strictly medical theme, research has also flourished in the connected areas of photothermal antibacterial surface coatings, gels and polymers, of photothermal surfaces for cell stimulation, as well as in purely technological areas that do not involve medical biotechnology. These include the direct conversion of solar light into heat, a more efficient sun-powered generation of steam and the use of inkjet-printed patterns of photothermal NPs for anticounterfeit printing based on temperature reading, to cite but a few. After an analysis of the photothermal effect (PTE) and its mechanism, this minireview briefly considers the antitumor-therapy theme and takes an in-depth look at all the other technological and biomedical applications of the PTE, paying particular attention to photothermal materials whose NPs have joined those based on Au.     

多功能磁性纳米粒的合成、修饰及生物医学应用

多功能磁性纳米粒由于其独特的性质而受到广泛的关注。磁性纳米粒可以与荧光探针、生物靶向分子或抗肿瘤药物等相结合实现磁性纳米粒的多功能化,因此在多模式成像、癌症的靶向诊断与治疗中有较好的应用前景。本文介绍了磁性纳米粒的合成以及多功能磁性纳米粒的构建方法,重点介绍了核壳型、哑铃型和组合杂化型三种不同类型多功能磁性纳米粒的合成方法。多功能磁性纳米粒通常具有粒径小、超顺磁性以及荧光等独特性质,在此基础上对纳米粒表面进行稳定化和靶向性修饰后即可在多模式成像、特异性靶向药物输送、基因转染等生物医学领域得到应用。最后指出了当前研究中需要解决的问题。     

Reflux Precipitation Polymerization: A New Platform for the Preparation of Uniform Polymeric Nanogels for Biomedical Applications

Reflux precipitation polymerization (RPP) represents an effective approach that enables to prepare various types of polymeric nanogels with precise control over the morphology and structure. Owing to facile loading or modification by a variety of functional moieties, rationally designed nanogels pose the possibility to attain a platform for tailoring functional properties that could be widely used for various biomedical applications, such as multifunctional drug delivery, enrichment of functional peptides, separation of specific proteins, as well as detection of circulating tumor cells. This feature article highlights RPP as a promising polymerization strategy that provides access to facile generation of modular nanostructures or multifunctional properties in a diverse range of biomedical applications, proving that RPP has great potential to become one of the most attractive polymerization techniques in polymer chemistry.     

Cyclodextrin Polymers as Delivery Systems for Targeted Anti-Cancer Chemotherapy

In the few last years, nanosystems have emerged as a potential therapeutic approach to improve the efficacy and selectivity of many drugs. Cyclodextrins (CyDs) and their nanoparticles have been widely investigated as drug delivery systems. The covalent functionalization of CyD polymer nanoparticles with targeting molecules can improve the therapeutic potential of this family of nanosystems. In this study, we investigated cross-linked γ- and β-cyclodextrin polymers as carriers for doxorubicin (ox) and oxaliplatin (Oxa). We also functionalized γ-CyD polymer bearing COOH functionalities with arginine-glycine-aspartic or arginine moieties for targeting the integrin receptors of cancer cells. We tested the Dox and Oxa anti-proliferative activity in the presence of the precursor polymer with COOH functionalities and its derivatives in A549 (lung, carcinoma) and HepG2 (liver, carcinoma) cell lines. We found that CyD polymers can significantly improve the antiproliferative activity of Dox in HepG2 cell lines only, whereas the cytotoxic activity of Oxa resulted as enhanced in both cell lines. The peptide or amino acid functionalized CyD polymers, loaded with Dox, did not show any additional effect compared to the precursor polymer. Finally, studies of Dox uptake showed that the higher antiproliferative activity of complexes correlates with the higher accumulation of Dox inside the cells. The results show that CyD polymers could be used as carriers for repositioning classical anticancer drugs such as Dox or Oxa to increase their antitumor activity.     

Multifunctional Eco-Friendly Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles in Biomedical Applications

This work describes an environmental-friendly preparation of ZnO nanoparticles using aqueous oat extract. The advanced electrochemical and optical features of green synthesized ZnONPs displayed excellent antibacterial activity and exhibited an important role in pharmaceutical determinations. The formation of nanoscale ZnO was confirmed using various spectroscopic and microscopic investigations. The formed nanoparticles were found to be around 100 nm. The as-prepared ZnONPs were monitored for their antibacterial potential against different bacterial strains. The inhibition zones for ZnONPs were found as Escherichia coli (16 mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (12 mm) and Bacillus subtilis (11 mm) using a 30-µg mL⁻¹ sample concentration. In addition, ZnONPs exhibited significant antioxidant effects, from 58 to 67%, with an average IC₅₀ value of 0.88 ± 0.03 scavenging activity and from 53 to 71% (IC₅₀ value of 0.73 ± 0.05) versus the scavenging free radicals DPPH and ABTS, respectively. The photocatalytic potential of ZnONPs for Rhodamine B dye degradation under UV irradiation was calculated. The photodegradation process was carried out as a function of time-dependent and complete degradation (nearly 98%), with color removal after 120 min. Conclusively, the synthesized ZnONPs using oat biomass might provide a great promise in the future for biomedical applications.