REVIEWS
Electrospun Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications
Jonathan B. Chiu, Yen Kim Luu, Dufei Fang, Benjamin S. Hsiao, Benjamin Chu, and Michael Hadjiargyrou
This review outlines the current state-of-the-art fabrication of nanofibrous scaffolds via electrospinning and electroblowing technologies, as well as describing recent advances made in the production, testing, and potential clinical applications of electrospun scaffolds in tissue engineering and drug/gene delivery.
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Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes: Towards the Delivery of Therapeutic Molecules
Giorgia Pastorin, Kostas Kostarelos, Maurizio Prato, and Alberto Bianco
This review is focused on the potential applications of functionalized carbon nanotubes as viable delivery devices. In particular, the recent integration of carbon nanotubes into biological systems has suggested their potential employment in the delivery of therapeutic molecules, such as drugs, antigens and genes.
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RESEARCH ARTICLES
Sol–Gel-Coated Poly(methyl methacrylate) as a Substrate for
Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensors
Shu-Fang Cheng, Lai-Kwan Chau, and Kuei-Chen Pao
Coating of an amine-functionalized sol–gel silica film on a chemically modified PMMA surface enables the formation of a self-assembled monolayer of gold nanoparticles for localized surface plasmon resonance biosensing.
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Chitosan-Alginate Porous Scaffolds Reinforced by Hydroxyapatite Nano- and
Micro-Particles—Structural, Mechanical, and Biological Properties
Hassna R. Ramay, Zhensheng Li, Enoch Shum, and Miqin Zhang
Chitosan-alginate scaffolds incorporated with hydroxyapatite micro- or nanoparticles (left) were developed that exhibited good mechanical and biological properties. Osteoblast cells attached and proliferated well on the chitosan-alginate scaffold (right).
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Arrays of Microfluidically-Addressable Nanoholes
T. Fettah Kosar, Chihchen Chen, Nicholas L. Stucky, and Albert Folch
We present a batch-fabricated, biocompatible and optically transparent lab-on-a-chip device that incorporates a planar array of nanoholes that can be used for electrical or pharmacological interrogation of large numbers of cells as well as for precise biochemical delivery to cells. The nanoholes are defined in a silicon nitride layer using electron beam lithography and chemical etching techniques. Each nanohole in the array is microfluidically accessible and individually addressable from both sides.
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Enhanced Intracellular Uptake of Indocyanine Green by
Polymeric Nanoparticulate Delivery Systems
Vishal Saxena, Mostafa Sadoqi, Jun Shao, and Sunil Kumar
The present study demonstrated that ICG-loaded PLGA nanoparticles enhanced (around 100 times) the intracellular uptake of ICG in comparison to ICG solution, especially at low ICG concentrations in B16-F10 and C-33A cancer cell lines.
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Folate-Linked Nanoparticles Formed with DNA Complexes in Sodium Chloride
Solution Enhance Transfection Efficiency
Yoshiyuki Hattori, Hajime Kubo, Kunio Higashiyama, and Yoshie Maitani
Folate-linked nanoparticles based on cholesteryl-3β-carboxyamidoethylene-N-hydroxylamine (OH-Chol) delivered DNA with high transfection efficiency and selectivity into nasopharyngeal KB cells by forming a nanoplex in NaCl solution, which influenced the size of the nanoplex and dissociation of DNA. Schematic structure of the folate-linked nanoparticles composed of folate-polyethyleneglycol-distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine (f-PEG2000-DSPE), OH-Chol and Tween 80.
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Wet-Chemical Patterned PZT Force Sensors for Minimally Invasive Surgical Tools
S. Ezhilvalavan and Victor D. Samper
This paper describes a new approach for patterning PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) films that could be used as micro force sensors for minimal invasive surgical tools. Surface morphologies of PZT film after wet chemical etching; (a) Optical profiler and (b) AFM. The microstructure consists of round and elongated grains with considerable volume fractions of nano-grains, and the grain sizes are in the range of 40 to 120 nm. The patterned PZT films exhibited good ferro-electric properties and reliable electrical characteristics.
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Micelles from Poly(ethylene glycol)–Phosphatidyl Ethanolamine Conjugates
(Peg-Pe) as Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers for Poorly Soluble Drug Camptothecin
Li Mu, Adrian Chrastina, Tatyana Levchenko, and Vladimir P. Torchilin
Polymeric micelles prepared from PEG-PE conjugates may serve as pharmaceutical nanocarriers for poorly water soluble drugs, which can be solubilized in the micelle hydrophobic core. Poorly soluble camptothecin (CPT) was solubilized in PEG-PE micelles with the formation of stable particles with the size of ca. 15 nm. The cytotoxicity of CPT-loaded PEG-PE micelles towards cancer cells in vitro was significantly higher compared to the free drug.
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Conjugation of Monodisperse Chitosan-Bound Magnetic Nanocarrier with
Epirubicin for Targeted Cancer Therapy
Yang-Chuang Chang, Dar-Bin Shieh, Chien-Huei Chang, and Dong-Hwang Chen
The monodisperse chitosan-bound magnetic nano-carrier was developed and conjugated with the anti-cancer drug epirubicin. In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation revealed that the novel product has a great potential in biomedical applications.
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Electrochemical DNA Biosensor Based on a
Thionine–Carbon Nanotube Modified Electrode
Ying Xu, Lin Yang, Pingang He, and Yuzhi Fang
An effective CNTs-based electrode is prepared using thionine-MWNTs modification. The amino groups assembled onto MWNTs sidewalls covalently link phosphate groups terminated DNA probes. The modification of thionine-MWNTs onto glassy carbon electrode improves the detection limit significantly when daunomycin is used as the intercalator to indicate the hybridization process.
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Electron Spin Resonance Study on the Dynamics of Polymeric Nanocapsules
Andrea Rübe and Karsten Mäder
This electron spin resonance study provides information about the nanoenvironment of the nanocapsules, the accessibility of the incorporated spin probes to the aqueous phase and the kinetics of distribution phenomena in a non-invasive manner in real time.
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Loading of 5-Fluorouracil to Poly(ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate) Nanoparticles
with a Magnetic Core
J. L. Arias, V. Gallardo, S. A. Gómez-Lopera, and A. V. Delgado
In this paper we describe a detailed investigation of the loading of the antitumour drug 5-fluorouracil on composite particles consisting of a magnetic core and a biodegradable polymer shell.
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COMMUNICATIONS
Gold Nanoparticles Bearing Functional Anti-Cancer Drug and
Anti-Angiogenic Agent: A “2 in 1” System with Potential Application
in Cancer Therapeutics
Priyabrata Mukherjee, Resham Bhattacharya, and Debabrata Mukhopadhyay
This paper reports a functional “2 in 1” system where activity of VEGF antibody and gemcitabine is retained after attachment to gold nanoparticles. The nanocomposite inhibits VEGF165 induced calcium release from HUVECs as well as inhibits the proliferation of 786-O renal cancer cells. This formulation represents a unique example of a nano-biocomposite with potential application of gold nanoparticles in cancer therapeutics.
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Targeting Breast Cancer Cells and Their Metastases
Through Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone (LHRH) Receptors
Using Magnetic Nanoparticles
Carola Leuschner, Challa S. S. R. Kumar, William Hansel, and Josef Hormes
Primary Tumors and metastases from human breast cancer xenografts are specifically targeted by ligand conjugated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, incorporated into the cells and accumulate at high concentrations in metastases of the lungs.
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