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Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (9 April 2018) | Viewed by 74285

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Anne Marie Healy

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Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Interests: pharmaceutical material science; preformulation and formulation of pharmaceuticals; amorphous solids; co-crystals; formulating poorly soluble drugs; pharmaceutical processing; pulmonary drug delivery and formulation stability
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Dr. Tanya Levingstone

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School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland
Interests: cartilage; tissue engineering; scaffolds; bone repair; biomaterials; bioprinting
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Prof. Dr. Helen McCarthy

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School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Rd., Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
Interests: nanomedicine; gene therapy; nucleic acids; oncology; wound healing and mRNA and DNA vaccination
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Dr. Eduardo Ruiz-Hernandez

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School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Interests: porous nanoparticles; hydrogels; triggered drug release; nanotheranostics
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Prof. Dr. Juan Luis Vivero-Escoto

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Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
Interests: nanochemistry; materials chemistry; photochemistry
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanomaterials have recently become one of the most active research fields in the areas of engineering, chemistry, solid state physics, biotechnology and biomedicine. One reason for this interest is that nanomaterials display novel and often enhanced properties compared to traditional materials, which opens up the potential for new technological applications. The use of nanomaterials in the biomedical field presents many revolutionary opportunities in the fight against all kinds of cancer, cardiac and neurodegenerative disorders, infection and other diseases. The nanoparticle platforms that have been extensively explored for biomedical applications are predominantly either purely inorganic or organic materials. For example organic nanomaterials such as nanocrystals, liposomes, dendrimers, hyper-branched organic polymers, micelles and polymeric hydrogel nanoparticles have been widely used as imaging and therapeutic agents. Recently, inorganic nanomaterials such as quantum dots, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, metallic nanoparticles and metal oxides have also attracted great attention for biomedical applications.

In another relevant example, hybrid nanoparticles are composed of both inorganic and organic components that can not only retain the beneficial features of both inorganic and organic nanomaterials, but also possess unique advantages over the other two types. For instance, the ability to combine a multitude of organic and inorganic components in a modular fashion allows for systematic tuning of the properties for biomedical applications. Hybrid nanoparticles have been proposed for the targeted release of diagnostic agents and drugs, and even as stimuli responsive nanocarriers to enhance therapy selectivity. The combination of these materials with current efforts to identify genes, proteins and metabolites implicated in human disease and use system biology approaches to develop new prognostic tools and more targeted therapies for patients, will dramatically impact healthcare in the coming years.

This Special Issue focuses on the use of organic/inorganic or hybrid nanomaterials for biomedical applications. We invite full papers, communications and reviews covering one or several of the topics included in (or related to) the keywords below.

Prof. Dr. Anne Marie Healy
Asstis. Prof. Eduardo Ruiz-Hernandez
Asstit. Prof. Juan Luis Vivero-Escoto
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. Materials 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 2600 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

drug delivery
biosensing
biomedical imaging
diagnostics
tissue regeneration
cancer
infection
cardiovascular diseases
pulmonary diseases
protein delivery
gene delivery
photodynamic therapy
photothermal therapy
theranostics
magnetic hyperthermia
nanoparticle manufacture and processing

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 20357 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Mucin in the Toxicological Impact of Polystyrene Nanoparticles

by Iwona Inkielewicz-Stepniak, Lidia Tajber, Gavin Behan, Hongzhou Zhang, Marek W. Radomski, Carlos Medina and Maria J. Santos-Martinez

Materials 2018, 11(5), 724; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11050724 - 03 May 2018

Cited by 72 | Viewed by 5464

Abstract

The development of novel oral drug delivery systems is an expanding area of research and both new approaches for improving their efficacy and the investigation of their potential toxicological effect are crucial and should be performed in parallel. Polystyrene nanoparticles (NPs) have been used for the production of diagnostic and therapeutic nanosystems, are widely used in food packaging, and have also served as models for investigating NPs interactions with biological systems. The mucous gel layer that covers the epithelium of the gastrointestinal system is a complex barrier-exchange system that it is mainly constituted by mucin and it constitutes the first physical barrier encountered after ingestion. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of polystyrene NPs on mucin and its potential role during NP–cell interactions. For this purpose, we evaluated the interaction of polystyrene NPs with mucin in dispersion by dynamic light scattering and with a deposited layer of mucin using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation technology. Next, we measured cell viability and the apoptotic state of three enterocyte-like cell lines that differ in their ability to produce mucin, after their exposure to the NPs. Positive charged NPs showed the ability to strongly interact and aggregate mucin in our model. Positive NPs affected cell viability and induced apoptosis in all cell lines independently of their ability of produce mucin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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17 pages, 3361 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Properties of Basil and Lavender Essential Oils Adsorbed on the Surface of Hydroxyapatite

by Daniela Predoi, Andreea Groza, Simona Liliana Iconaru, Gabriel Predoi, Florica Barbuceanu, Regis Guegan, Mikael Stefan Motelica-Heino and Carmen Cimpeanu

Materials 2018, 11(5), 652; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11050652 - 24 Apr 2018

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 6019

Abstract

The research conducted in this study presented for the first time results of physico-chemical properties and in vitro antimicrobial activity of hydroxyapatite plant essential oil against Gram-positive bacteria (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and S. aureus 0364) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922). The samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to determine the morphology and structure of the nanocomposites of hydroxyapatite coated with basil (HAp-B) and lavender (HAp-L) essential oils (EOs). The values of the BET specific surface area (S_BET), total pore volume (V_P) and pore size (D_P) were determined. The results for the physico-chemical properties of HAp-L and HAp-B revealed that lavender EOs were well adsorbed on the surface of hydroxyapatite, whereas basil EOs showed a poor adsorption on the surface of hydroxyapatite. We found that the lavender EOs hydroxyapatite (HAp-L) exhibited a very good inhibitory growth activity. The value of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) related to growth bacteria was 0.039 mg/mL for MRSA, 0.02 mg/mL for S. aureus and 0.039 mg/mL E. coli ATCC 25922. The basil EO hydroxyapatite (HAp-B) showed poor inhibition of bacterial cell growth. The MIC value was 0.625 mg/mL for the HAp-B sample in the presence of the MRSA bacteria, 0.313 mg/mL in the presence of S. aureus and 0.078 mg/mL for E. coli ATCC 25922. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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20 pages, 4806 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Anticancer Applications of Nanostructured Silica-Based Materials Functionalized with Titanocene Derivatives: Induction of Cell Death Mechanism through TNFR1 Modulation

by Santiago Gómez-Ruiz, Alberto García-Peñas, Sanjiv Prashar, Antonio Rodríguez-Diéguez and Eva Fischer-Fodor

Materials 2018, 11(2), 224; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11020224 - 31 Jan 2018

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4032

Abstract

A series of cytotoxic titanocene derivatives have been immobilized onto nanostructured silica-based materials using two different synthetic routes, namely, (i) a simple grafting protocol via protonolysis of the Ti–Cl bond; and (ii) a tethering method by elimination of ethanol using triethoxysilyl moieties of thiolato ligands attached to titanium. The resulting nanostructured systems have been characterized by different techniques such as XRD, XRF, DR-UV, BET, SEM, and TEM, observing the incorporation of the titanocene derivatives onto the nanostructured silica and slight changes in the textural features of the materials after functionalization with the metallodrugs. A complete biological study has been carried out using the synthesized materials exhibiting moderate cytotoxicity in vitro against three human hepatic carcinoma (HepG2, SK-Hep-1, Hep3B) and three human colon carcinomas (DLD-1, HT-29, COLO320) and very low cytotoxicity against normal cell lines. In addition, the cells’ metabolic activity was modified by a 24-h exposure in a dose-dependent manner. Despite not having a significant effect on TNFα or the proinflammatory interleukin 1α secretion, the materials strongly modulated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling, even at sub-cytotoxic concentrations. This is achieved mainly by upregulation of the TNFR1 receptor production, something which has not previously been observed for these systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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15 pages, 3564 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Biopolymer-Based Nanoparticles for Cystic Fibrosis Lung Gene Therapy Studies

by Elena Fernández Fernández, Beatriz Santos-Carballal, Chiara De Santi, Joanne M. Ramsey, Ronan MacLoughlin, Sally-Ann Cryan and Catherine M. Greene

Materials 2018, 11(1), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11010122 - 13 Jan 2018

Cited by 41 | Viewed by 6725

Abstract

Lung gene therapy for cystic fibrosis disease has not been successful due to several challenges such as the absence of an appropriate vector. Therefore, optimal delivery of emerging therapeutics to airway epithelial cells demands suitable non-viral systems. In this work, we describe the formulation and the physicochemical investigation of biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), including PLGA and chitosan (animal and non-animal), as novel methods for the safe and efficient delivery of CFTR-specific locked nucleic acids (LNAs). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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9 pages, 6017 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nitrogen-Doped Diamond Film for Optical Investigation of Hemoglobin Concentration

by Daria Majchrowicz, Monika Kosowska, Kamatchi J. Sankaran, Przemysław Struk, Michał Wąsowicz, Michał Sobaszek, Ken Haenen and Małgorzata Jędrzejewska-Szczerska

Materials 2018, 11(1), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11010109 - 11 Jan 2018

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5133

Abstract

In this work we present the fabrication and characterization of a diamond film which can be utilized in the construction of optical sensors for the investigation of biological samples. We produced a nitrogen-doped diamond (NDD) film using a microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MWPECVD) system. The NDD film was investigated with the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy. The NDD film was used in the construction of the fiber optic sensor. This sensor is based on the Fabry–Pérot interferometer working in a reflective mode and the NDD film is utilized as a reflective layer of this interferometer. Application of the NDD film allowed us to obtain the sensor of hemoglobin concentration with linear work characteristics with a correlation coefficient (R²) equal to 0.988. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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3409 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Direct Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube Field Emitters on Metal Substrate for Open-Type X-ray Source in Medical Imaging

by Amar Prasad Gupta, Sangjun Park, Seung Jun Yeo, Jaeik Jung, Chonggil Cho, Sang Hyun Paik, Hunkuk Park, Young Chul Cho, Seung Hoon Kim, Ji Hoon Shin, Jeung Sun Ahn and Jehwang Ryu

Materials 2017, 10(8), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10080878 - 29 Jul 2017

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 7995

Abstract

We report the design, fabrication and characterization of a carbon nanotube enabled open-type X-ray system for medical imaging. We directly grew the carbon nanotubes used as electron emitter for electron gun on a non-polished raw metallic rectangular-rounded substrate with an area of 0.1377 cm² through a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. The stable field emission properties with triode electrodes after electrical aging treatment showed an anode emission current of 0.63 mA at a gate field of 7.51 V/μm. The 4.5-inch cubic shape open type X-ray system was developed consisting of an X-ray aperture, a vacuum part, an anode high voltage part, and a field emission electron gun including three electrodes with focusing, gate and cathode electrodes. Using this system, we obtained high-resolution X-ray images accelerated at 42–70 kV voltage by digital switching control between emitter and ground electrode. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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Review

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29 pages, 3934 KiB

Open AccessReview

Drug Delivery Nanosystems for the Localized Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme

by L. Nam, C. Coll, L. C. S. Erthal, C. De la Torre, D. Serrano, R. Martínez-Máñez, M. J. Santos-Martínez and E. Ruiz-Hernández

Materials 2018, 11(5), 779; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11050779 - 11 May 2018

Cited by 70 | Viewed by 6443

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most prevalent and malignant forms of central nervous system tumors. The treatment of glioblastoma remains a great challenge due to its location in the intracranial space and the presence of the blood–brain tumor barrier. There is an urgent need to develop novel therapy approaches for this tumor, to improve the clinical outcomes, and to reduce the rate of recurrence and adverse effects associated with present options. The formulation of therapeutic agents in nanostructures is one of the most promising approaches to treat glioblastoma due to the increased availability at the target site, and the possibility to co-deliver a range of drugs and diagnostic agents. Moreover, the local administration of nanostructures presents significant additional advantages, since it overcomes blood–brain barrier penetration issues to reach higher concentrations of therapeutic agents in the tumor area with minimal side effects. In this paper, we aim to review the attempts to develop nanostructures as local drug delivery systems able to deliver multiple agents for both therapeutic and diagnostic functions for the management of glioblastoma. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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24 pages, 25508 KiB

Open AccessReview

Generation of Well-Defined Micro/Nanoparticles via Advanced Manufacturing Techniques for Therapeutic Delivery

by Peipei Zhang, Junfei Xia and Sida Luo

Materials 2018, 11(4), 623; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11040623 - 18 Apr 2018

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 6002

Abstract

Micro/nanoparticles have great potentials in biomedical applications, especially for drug delivery. Existing studies identified that major micro/nanoparticle features including size, shape, surface property and component materials play vital roles in their in vitro and in vivo applications. However, a demanding challenge is that most conventional particle synthesis techniques such as emulsion can only generate micro/nanoparticles with a very limited number of shapes (i.e., spherical or rod shapes) and have very loose control in terms of particle sizes. We reviewed the advanced manufacturing techniques for producing micro/nanoparticles with precisely defined characteristics, emphasizing the use of these well-controlled micro/nanoparticles for drug delivery applications. Additionally, to illustrate the vital roles of particle features in therapeutic delivery, we also discussed how the above-mentioned micro/nanoparticle features impact in vitro and in vivo applications. Through this review, we highlighted the unique opportunities in generating controllable particles via advanced manufacturing techniques and the great potential of using these micro/nanoparticles for therapeutic delivery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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21 pages, 1699 KiB

Open AccessReview

Electromagnetic Nanoparticles for Sensing and Medical Diagnostic Applications

by Luigi La Spada and Lucio Vegni

Materials 2018, 11(4), 603; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11040603 - 13 Apr 2018

Cited by 97 | Viewed by 6493

Abstract

A modeling and design approach is proposed for nanoparticle-based electromagnetic devices. First, the structure properties were analytically studied using Maxwell’s equations. The method provides us a robust link between nanoparticles electromagnetic response (amplitude and phase) and their geometrical characteristics (shape, geometry, and dimensions). Secondly, new designs based on “metamaterial” concept are proposed, demonstrating great performances in terms of wide-angle range functionality and multi/wide behavior, compared to conventional devices working at the same frequencies. The approach offers potential applications to build-up new advanced platforms for sensing and medical diagnostics. Therefore, in the final part of the article, some practical examples are reported such as cancer detection, water content measurements, chemical analysis, glucose concentration measurements and blood diseases monitoring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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33 pages, 3013 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Emerging Nanomedicine Therapies to Counter the Rise of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

by Alan Hibbitts and Cian O’Leary

Materials 2018, 11(2), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11020321 - 23 Feb 2018

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 6907

Abstract

In a recent report, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest threats to global health, food security, and development. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains at the core of this threat, with persistent and resilient strains detectable in up to 90% of S. aureus infections. Unfortunately, there is a lack of novel antibiotics reaching the clinic to address the significant morbidity and mortality that MRSA is responsible for. Recently, nanomedicine strategies have emerged as a promising therapy to combat the rise of MRSA. However, these approaches have been wide-ranging in design, with few attempts to compare studies across scientific and clinical disciplines. This review seeks to reconcile this discrepancy in the literature, with specific focus on the mechanisms of MRSA infection and how they can be exploited by bioactive molecules that are delivered by nanomedicines, in addition to utilisation of the nanomaterials themselves as antibacterial agents. Finally, we discuss targeting MRSA biofilms using nano-patterning technologies and comment on future opportunities and challenges for MRSA treatment using nanomedicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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15 pages, 2315 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Nanogels for Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Applications and Their Fabrication Using 3D Printing Technologies

by Hyunah Cho, Udayabhanu Jammalamadaka and Karthik Tappa

Materials 2018, 11(2), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11020302 - 16 Feb 2018

Cited by 47 | Viewed by 6947

Abstract

Nanogels are hydrogels formed by connecting nanoscopic micelles dispersed in an aqueous medium, which give an opportunity for incorporating hydrophilic payloads to the exterior of the micellar networks and hydrophobic payloads in the core of the micelles. Biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of nanogels have been explored for tissue regeneration, wound healing, surgical device, implantation, and peroral, rectal, vaginal, ocular, and transdermal drug delivery. Although it is still in the early stages of development, due to the increasing demands of precise nanogel production to be utilized for personalized medicine, biomedical applications, and specialized drug delivery, 3D printing has been explored in the past few years and is believed to be one of the most precise, efficient, inexpensive, customizable, and convenient manufacturing techniques for nanogel production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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14 pages, 520 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nanoparticle-Based Strategies to Treat Neuro-Inflammation

by Rémy Poupot, Dylan Bergozza and Séverine Fruchon

Materials 2018, 11(2), 270; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11020270 - 09 Feb 2018

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 4661

Abstract

Neuro-inflammation is a pivotal physio-pathological feature of brain disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases. As such, it is a relevant therapeutic target against which drugs have to be proposed. Targeting neuro-inflammation implies crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) to reach the Central Nervous System (CNS). Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are promising candidates to carry and deliver drugs to the CNS by crossing the BBB. There are several strategies to design ENPs intended for crossing through the BBB. Herein, we first put nanotechnologies back in their historical context and introduce neuro-inflammation and its consequences in terms of public health. In a second part, we explain how ENPs can get access to the brain and review this area by highlighting recent papers in the field. Finally, after pointing out potential guidelines for preclinical studies involving ENPs, we conclude by opening the debate on the questions of nanosafety and toxicity of these ENPs and in particular on ecotoxicity related to regulatory issues and public concerns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications)

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