Biocompatible NaLn(WO) core-shell nanoplatelets for multimodal MRI contrast, NIR imaging, and high sensitivity infrared luminescent ratiometric thermometry.

Multifunctional nanoprobes combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast as well as near infrared (NIR) imaging and thermometry are demonstrated by using quasi-bidimensional core-multishell nanostructures based on the scheelite-like NaLn(WO) host (Ln = trivalent lanthanide). These nanostructures are composed of a NaHo(WO) core, plus a first shell of Tm,Yb:NaGd(WO), and a second shell of Nd,Yb:NaGd(WO). Proton nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion studies and MRI of water dispersions of nanoprobes, whose quasi-bidimensional geometries promote the interaction of Gd with water protons, reveal behaviors evolving from a -weighted MR contrast agent (CA) at 1.

Pt(IV)-functionalised polyacrylic acid-coated iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles as redox-responsive cancer theranostics.

Iron oxide nanoparticles represent a class of nanomaterials with unique physicochemical properties and high potential for theranostic applications. Herein, we functionalised polyacrylic acid (PAA)-coated iron oxide nanoparticles with a chemotherapeutic Pt(IV) prodrug, to prepare FeO@PAA-Pt(IV) nanostructures that act as MR theranostics with redox- (and thus TME-) responsive therapeutic properties. The synthesis of FeO@PAA-Pt(IV) nanoparticles was optimised to yield nanoparticles with appropriate hydrodynamic diameter and Pt/Fe ratio.

Dual intelligent multiplexing sensor for accurate disease management with portable NMR.

Emerging infectious diseases demand comprehensive containment strategies, encompassing early detection and patient monitoring. Conventional diagnostic tests often suffer from low sensitivity, reliance on specialized equipment, and binary (positive/negative) outputs that provide limited clinical insight. To address these limitations, we introduce a novel approach integrating time-domain micro-nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-μNMR) with a dual intelligent relaxometric sensing (DIS) system, combining FeO and MnO nanoparticles with machine learning algorithms.

One-dimensional CrI encapsulated within multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

The production of single-walled inorganic nanotubes is challenging due to the energetic favorability of multi-walled structures during synthesis. CrI, a layered ferromagnetic insulator, has gained significant attention as the first stand-alone monolayer ferromagnet, sparking interest in two-dimensional magnetic materials. Here, we report the synthesis of high-quality, monolayer CrI nanotubes encapsulated within multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), ranging from 2 to 10 nm with an average diameter of 5.

Developing Heterogeneous Porous 3D-Printed SiO-Pd-KSiO Monolithic Catalyst via Surface MOF Growth and Pyrolysis for the Synthesis of Antitumoral Isatins.

: The isatin nucleus is a privileged scaffold in drug discovery, particularly due to its proven relevance in anticancer research. Developing reusable heterogeneous 3D catalysts for drug synthesis represents a critical challenge in both industrial and academic contexts. This multi and interdisciplinary work aimed to design and synthesize a novel 3D-printed silica-based porous catalyst functionalized with palladium, evaluate its catalytic performance in isatin drug synthesis, and assess the antiproliferative activity of the resulting compounds against tumor cell lines such as HeLa, MCF-7, and MDA-MB231.

Carbon Dots as a Fluorescent Nanosystem for Crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier with Plausible Application in Neurological Diseases.

: The development of effective therapies for brain disorders is highly correlated with the ability of drugs or nanosystems to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which has been limited. Recently, carbon dots (CDs) have been receiving attention to be used as BBB-crossing theranostic agents due to their inherent advantages, such as low size, excellent biocompatibility, high quantum yield (QY), tunable fluorescence, high drug loading, and relatively easy synthesis at low cost. The aim of this study was to design CDs with precisely controlled fluorescence properties for advanced bioimaging and an in-depth assessment of BBB permeability.

Multifunctional PLGA nanocomposites to improve beta cell replacement therapy in Type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes Mellitus is a rapidly growing global health problem, with its prevalence having risen sharply in recent years. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) treatment options are limited, with most of them significantly compromising the quality of life of these patients. This study presents the development and characterization of a multifunctional hybrid nanoformulation (mHNFs) designed to enhance the efficacy of beta cell replacement therapy in T1D.

Magnetic scaffolds for the mechanotransduction stimulation in tendon tissue regeneration.

Nowadays, tendon injuries represent a global health issue that annually affects millions of individuals. An innovative approach for their treatment is represented by the development of tissue engineered scaffolds able to support the host cells adhesion, differentiation, and proliferation. However, the scaffold alone could be insufficient to guarantee an improvement of healing control.

Tripeptides Featuring Dehydrophenylalanine and Homophenylalanine: Homo- Versus Hetero-Chirality and Sequence Effects on Self-Assembly and Gelation.

Over the years, our research group developed dehydrodipeptides -capped with aromatic moieties as protease-resistant efficacious hydrogelators, affording self-assembled hydrogels at low (critical) concentrations. Dehydrotripeptides, with different dipeptide sequences and (,) stereochemistry, open a wider chemical space for the development of self-assembled soft nanomaterials. In this work, a small library of -succinylated dehydrotripeptides containing a -terminal dehydrophenylalanine (∆Phe) residue and a scrambled dipeptide sequence with phenylalanine (Phe) and homophenylalanine (Hph) (-Phe-,-Hph and ,-Hph--Phe) was synthesized and characterized as a potential hydrogelator.

Stabilization of metal-doped magnesium oxide nanoparticles with PAMAM dendrimers to improve alpha-amylase enzyme inhibition.

The present study aimed to synthesize metal-doped magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles to drastically reduce polydispersity and stabilize them with generation 5 of poly(amidoamine) (G5 PAMAM) dendrimers to assess their antidiabetic properties via controlled release. Zinc and silver metals were selected as dopants due to their ionic radius (0.74 Å and 1.

Brain-on-a-chip: an emerging platform for studying the nanotechnology-biology interface for neurodegenerative disorders.

Neurological disorders have for a long time been a global challenge dismissed by drug companies, especially due to the low efficiency of most therapeutic compounds to cross the brain capillary wall, that forms the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and reach the brain. This has boosted an incessant search for novel carriers and methodologies to drive these compounds throughout the BBB. However, it remains a challenge to artificially mimic the physiology and function of the human BBB, allowing a reliable, reproducible and throughput screening of these rapidly growing technologies and nanoformulations (NFs).

Novel Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy for Cancer Treatment Based on 2'-Deoxyribosyltransferase-Conjugated Magnetic Nanoparticles.

Directed enzyme prodrug therapy (DEPT) strategies show promise in mitigating chemotherapy side effects during cancer treatment. Among these, the use of immobilized enzymes on solid matrices as prodrug activating agents (IDEPT) presents a compelling delivery strategy, offering enhanced tumor targeting and reduced toxicity. Herein, we report a novel IDEPT strategy by employing a His-tagged type I 2'-deoxyribosyltransferase (His-PDT) covalently attached to glutaraldehyde-activated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONPs).

Machine Learning-Assisted Optimization of Drug Combinations in Zeolite-Based Delivery Systems for Melanoma Therapy.

Two independent artificial neural network (ANN) models were used to determine the optimal drug combination of zeolite-based delivery systems (ZDS) for cancer therapy. The systems were based on the NaY zeolite using silver (Ag) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as antimicrobial and antineoplastic agents. Different ZDS samples were prepared, and their characterization indicates the successful incorporation of both pharmacologically active species without any relevant changes to the zeolite structure.

Optimization of iron-ZIF-8 catalysts for degradation of tartrazine in water by Fenton-like reaction.

Optimization of iron zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (FeZIF-8) nanoparticles, as heterogeneous catalysts, were synthesized and evaluated by the Fenton-like reaction for to degrade tartrazine (Tar) in aqueous environment. To achieve this, ZIF-8 nanoparticles were modified with different iron species (Fe or FeO), and subsequently assessed through the Fenton-like oxidation. The effect of different parameters such as the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, the mass of catalyst and the contact time of reaction on the degradation of Tar by Fenton-like oxidation was studied by using the Box-Behnken design (BBD).

Enhanced alpha-amylase inhibition activity of amine-terminated PAMAM dendrimer stabilized pure copper-doped magnesium oxide nanoparticles.

The present work aims to prepare copper-doped MgO nanoparticles via a sol-gel approach and study their antidiabetic alpha-amylase inhibition activity with undoped MgO nanoparticles. The ability of G5 amine-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer for the controlled release of copper-doped MgO nanoparticles to exhibit alpha-amylase inhibition activity was also evaluated. The synthesis of MgO nanoparticles via sol-gel approach and optimization of calcination temperature and time has led to the formation of nanoparticles with different shapes (spherical, hexagonal, and rod-shaped) and a polydispersity in size ranging from 10 to 100 nm with periclase crystalline phase.

Redox double-switch cancer theranostics through Pt(IV) functionalised manganese dioxide nanostructures.

Manganese dioxide (MnO)-based nanostructures have emerged as promising tumour microenvironment (TME) responsive platforms. Herein, we used a one-pot reaction to prepare MnO nanostructures with Pt(IV) prodrugs as redox- (and thus TME-) responsive theranostics for cancer therapy, in which the Pt(IV) complexes act as prodrugs of cisplatin (Pt(II)), a clinical chemotherapeutic drug. The cytotoxicity of these MnO-Pt(IV) probes was evaluated in two and three dimensional (2D and 3D) A549 cell models and found to be as effective as active drug cisplatin in 3D models.

Bone Regeneration Guided by a Magnetized Scaffold in an Ovine Defect Model.

The reconstruction of large segmental defects still represents a critical issue in the orthopedic field. The use of functionalized scaffolds able to create a magnetic environment is a fascinating option to guide the onset of regenerative processes. In the present study, a porous hydroxyapatite scaffold, incorporating superparamagnetic FeO nanoparticles (MNPs), was implanted in a critical bone defect realized in sheep metatarsus.

Targeted treatment of triple-negative-breast cancer through pH-triggered tumour associated macrophages using smart theranostic nanoformulations.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents 15-25 % of the new breast cancer cases diagnosed worldwide every year. TNBC is among the most aggressive and worst prognosis breast cancer, mainly because targeted therapies are not available. Herein, we developed a magnetic theranostic hybrid nanovehicle for targeted treatment of TNBC through pH-triggered tumour associated macrophages (TAMs) targeting.

Insights into the Effect of Magnetic Confinement on the Performance of Magnetic Nanocomposites in Magnetic Hyperthermia and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

The combination of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and lipid matrices enables the integration of imaging, drug delivery, and therapy functionalities into smart theranostic nanocomposites. SPION confinement creates new interactions primarily among the embedded SPIONs and then between the nanocomposites and the surroundings. Understanding the parameters that rule these interactions in real interacting (nano)systems still represents a challenge, making it difficult to predict or even explain the final (magnetic) behavior of such systems.

A Review of the Advances and Challenges in Measuring the Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids.

Fluids containing colloidal suspensions of nanometer-sized particles (nanofluids) have been extensively investigated in recent decades with promising results. Driven by the increase in the thermal conductivity of these new thermofluids, this topic has been growing in order to improve the thermal capacity of a series of applications in the thermal area. However, when it comes to measure nanofluids (NFs) thermal conductivity, experimental results need to be carefully analyzed.

Antibiofilm Efficacy of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pbunavirus vB_PaeM-SMS29 Loaded onto Dissolving Polyvinyl Alcohol Microneedles.

Resistant bacteria prevail in most chronic skin wounds and other biofilm-related topical skin infections. Bacteriophages (phages) have proven their antimicrobial effectiveness for treating different antibiotic-resistant and multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, but not all phages are effective against biofilms. Phages possessing depolymerases can reach different biofilm layers; however, those that do not have depolymerase activity struggle to penetrate and navigate in the intricate 3D biofilm structure and mainly infect bacteria lodged in the outer biofilm layers.

Doxorubicin delivery performance of superparamagnetic carbon multi-core shell nanoparticles: pH dependence, stability and kinetic insight.

In the past decade, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been among the most attractive nanomaterials used in different fields, such as environmental and biomedical applications. The possibility of designing nanoparticles with different functionalities allows for advancing the biomedical applications of these materials. Additionally, the magnetic characteristics of the nanoparticles enable the use of magnetic fields to drive the nanoparticles to the desired sites of delivery.

Magnetic Solid Nanoparticles and Their Counterparts: Recent Advances towards Cancer Theranostics.

Cancer is currently a leading cause of death worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates an increase of 60% in the global cancer incidence in the next two decades. The inefficiency of the currently available therapies has prompted an urgent effort to develop new strategies that enable early diagnosis and improve response to treatment.

PLGA-Based Composites for Various Biomedical Applications.

Polymeric materials have been extensively explored in the field of nanomedicine; within them, poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) holds a prominent position in micro- and nanotechnology due to its biocompatibility and controllable biodegradability. In this review we focus on the combination of PLGA with different inorganic nanomaterials in the form of nanocomposites to overcome the polymer's limitations and extend its field of applications. We discuss their physicochemical properties and a variety of well-established synthesis methods for the preparation of different PLGA-based materials.