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Advanced Nanotherapeutics: Design, Synthesis and Applications

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 22631

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sandra Pinto

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Guest Editor

IBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: nanomaterials; antimicrobial polymers; antimicrobial peptides; anticancer polymers; bacterial biofilms; biophysics; confocal and two-photon microscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Vasco D. B. Bonifácio

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Guest Editor

IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: polyurea dendrimers; synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides; nanotherapeutics; cancer theranostics; cancer radiotheranostics; regenerative nanomedicine; green chemistry; mechanochemistry; sonochemistry; non-traditional intrinsic luminescence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last years nanotechnology had a tremendous impact in the development of novel therapeutic strategies. In this context, nanomedicine is now a exponentially growing research field. Emerging in the borderline between medicine and nanotechnology, nanomedicine aims at the comprehensive monitoring, control, construction, repair, defence and improvement of all human biological systems, using engineered nanodevices and new nanomaterials. An important feature shared among nanoparticles is their large high surface-to-volume ratio, making them suitable drug nanocarriers. Moreover, the effectiveness of a therapy relies in targeted release of the therapeutic agent at the injury site, with greater precision and minimized possible side effects. In this context nanoparticles (NPs) play a key role in the combat against cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. Also, nanodelivery systems offer many advantages due to their features: i) can overcome drugs poor solubility and chemical stability; ii) may avoid biodegradation in the human body; and iii) might decrease the resistance of anti-cancer drugs and antibiotics.

Currently NPs are mostly used as nanocarriers, nevertheless, this paradigm is shifting since some were found to display also an intrinsic therapeutic action. Additionally, upon adequate targeting, NPs are a suitable platform for diagnostic, thus allowing imaging at the nano level.

This Special Issue deals with strategies where nanotechnology plays a central role on medical care advance. The issue welcomes different submission types, such as original research papers, short communications, reviews, case reports, and perspectives.

Dr. Sandra Pinto
Dr. Vasco D.B. Bonifácio
Guest Editors

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. Molecules 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 2700 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

Nanomedicine
Nanodelivery systems
Polymer therapeutics
Polymer nanoparticles
Anticancer nanomaterials
Antimicrobial nanoparticles
Theranostics

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4810 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Synthesised TiO₂ Nanoparticles-Mediated Terenna asiatica: Evaluation of Their Role in Reducing Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Human Breast Cancer Proliferation

by Manjula M. Venkatappa, Chikkappa Udagani, Sujatha M. Hanume Gowda, Shivakumar Venkataramaiah, Ryan Casini, Ihab Mohamed Moussa, Rajeshwara Achur, Devaraja Sannaningaiah and Hosam O. Elansary

Molecules 2023, 28(13), 5126; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28135126 - 29 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1611

Abstract

Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation interplay with the pathogenesis of cancer. Breast cancer in women is the burning issue of this century, despite chemotherapy and magnetic therapy. The management of secondary complications triggered by post-chemotherapy poses a great challenge. Thus, identifying target-specific drugs with anticancer potential without secondary complications is a challenging task for the scientific community. It is possible that green technology has been employed in a greater way in order to fabricate nanoparticles by amalgamating plants with medicinal potential with metal oxide nanoparticles that impart high therapeutic properties with the least toxicity. Thus, the present study describes the synthesis of Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) using aqueous Terenna asiatica fruit extract, with its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. The characterisation of TiO₂ NPs was carried out using a powdered X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDX), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta-potential. TiO₂ NPs showed their antioxidant property by scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals in a dose-dependent manner with an IC₅₀ value of 80.21 µg/µL. To ascertain the observed antioxidant potential of TiO₂ NPs, red blood cells (RBC) were used as an in vitro model system. Interestingly, TiO₂ NPs significantly ameliorated all the stress parameters, such as lipid peroxidation (LPO), protein carbonyl content (PCC), total thiol (TT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) in sodium nitrite (NaNO₂)-induced oxidative stress, in RBC. Furthermore, TiO₂ NPs inhibited RBC membrane lysis and the denaturation of both egg and bovine serum albumin, significantly in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting its anti-inflammatory property. Interestingly, TiO₂ NPs were found to kill the MCF-7 cells as a significant decrease in cell viability of the MCF-7 cell lines was observed. The percentage of growth inhibition of the MCF-7 cells was compared to that of untreated cells at various doses (12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 µg/mL). The IC₅₀ value of TiO₂ NPs was found to be (120 µg/mL). Furthermore, the Annexin V/PI staining test was carried out to confirm apoptosis. The assay indicated apoptosis in cancer cells after 24 h of exposure to TiO₂ NPs (120 µg/mL). The untreated cells showed no significant apoptosis in comparison with the standard drug doxorubicin. In conclusion, TiO₂ NPs potentially ameliorate NaNO₂-induced oxidative stress in RBC, inflammation and MCF-7 cells proliferation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanotherapeutics: Design, Synthesis and Applications)

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Review

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42 pages, 3677 KiB

Open AccessReview

Selenium Nanoparticles: Green Synthesis and Biomedical Application

by Ekaterina O. Mikhailova

Molecules 2023, 28(24), 8125; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28248125 - 15 Dec 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1987

Abstract

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are extremely popular objects in nanotechnology. “Green” synthesis has special advantages due to the growing necessity for environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and low-cost methods. This review considers the biosynthesis mechanism of bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants, including the role of various biological substances in the processes of reducing selenium compounds to SeNPs and their further packaging. Modern information and approaches to the possible biomedical use of selenium nanoparticles are presented: antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other properties, as well as the mechanisms of these processes, that have important potential therapeutic value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanotherapeutics: Design, Synthesis and Applications)

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18 pages, 1257 KiB

Open AccessReview

Structural Insights into the Design of Synthetic Nanobody Libraries

by Mario S. Valdés-Tresanco, Andrea Molina-Zapata, Alaín González Pose and Ernesto Moreno

Molecules 2022, 27(7), 2198; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27072198 - 28 Mar 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5867

Abstract

Single domain antibodies from camelids, or nanobodies, are a unique class of antibody fragments with several advantageous characteristics: small monomeric size, high stability and solubility and easy tailoring for multiple applications. Nanobodies are gaining increasing acceptance as diagnostic tools and promising therapeutic agents in cancer and other diseases. While most nanobodies are obtained from immunized animals of the camelid family, a few synthetic nanobody libraries constructed in recent years have shown the capability of generating high quality nanobodies in terms of affinity and stability. Since this synthetic approach has important advantages over the use of animals, the recent advances are indeed encouraging. Here we review over a dozen synthetic nanobody libraries reported so far and discuss the different approaches followed in their construction and validation, with an emphasis on framework and hypervariable loop design as critical issues defining their potential as high-class nanobody sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanotherapeutics: Design, Synthesis and Applications)

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13 pages, 18751 KiB

Open AccessReview

Lipid Droplets in Cancer: From Composition and Role to Imaging and Therapeutics

by Patrícia Antunes, Adriana Cruz, José Barbosa, Vasco D. B. Bonifácio and Sandra N. Pinto

Molecules 2022, 27(3), 991; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27030991 - 01 Feb 2022

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4955

Abstract

Cancer is the second most common cause of death worldwide, having its origin in the abnormal growth of cells. Available chemotherapeutics still present major drawbacks, usually associated with high toxicity and poor distribution, with only a small fraction of drugs reaching the tumour sites. Thus, it is urgent to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Cancer cells can reprogram their lipid metabolism to sustain uncontrolled proliferation, and, therefore, accumulate a higher amount of lipid droplets (LDs). LDs are cytoplasmic organelles that store neutral lipids and are hypothesized to sequester anti-cancer drugs, leading to reduced efficacy. Thus, the increased biogenesis of LDs in neoplastic conditions makes them suitable targets for anticancer therapy and for the development of new dyes for cancer cells imaging. In recent years, cancer nanotherapeutics offered some exciting possibilities, including improvement tumour detection and eradication. In this review we summarize LDs biogenesis, structure and composition, and highlight their role in cancer theranostics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanotherapeutics: Design, Synthesis and Applications)

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25 pages, 2375 KiB

Open AccessReview

Liposomes as Antibiotic Delivery Systems: A Promising Nanotechnological Strategy against Antimicrobial Resistance

by Magda Ferreira, Maria Ogren, Joana N. R. Dias, Marta Silva, Solange Gil, Luís Tavares, Frederico Aires-da-Silva, Maria Manuela Gaspar and Sandra Isabel Aguiar

Molecules 2021, 26(7), 2047; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26072047 - 02 Apr 2021

Cited by 77 | Viewed by 7043

Abstract

Antimicrobial drugs are key tools to prevent and treat bacterial infections. Despite the early success of antibiotics, the current treatment of bacterial infections faces serious challenges due to the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria. Moreover, the decline of research and private investment in new antibiotics further aggravates this antibiotic crisis era. Overcoming the complexity of antimicrobial resistance must go beyond the search of new classes of antibiotics and include the development of alternative solutions. The evolution of nanomedicine has allowed the design of new drug delivery systems with improved therapeutic index for the incorporated compounds. One of the most promising strategies is their association to lipid-based delivery (nano)systems. A drug’s encapsulation in liposomes has been demonstrated to increase its accumulation at the infection site, minimizing drug toxicity and protecting the antibiotic from peripheral degradation. In addition, liposomes may be designed to fuse with bacterial cells, holding the potential to overcome antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation and constituting a promising solution for the treatment of potential fatal multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In this review, we aim to address the applicability of antibiotic encapsulated liposomes as an effective therapeutic strategy for bacterial infections. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanotherapeutics: Design, Synthesis and Applications)

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