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Nanocomposites Synthesis, Functionalization and Applications for Medical Purposes

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 6097

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Prof. Dr. Yanyan Jiang

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Guest Editor

Key Laboratory for Liquid-Solid Structural Evolution & Processing of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
Interests: nanocomposites; functionalization; medical purposes; tumor therapy; nanocrystals; nanofiber; nanoparticles

Prof. Dr. Xijian Liu

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Guest Editor

Chemical Engineering Department, Frontier Medical Technologies Institute, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China
Interests: nanocomposites; functionalization; medical purposes; tumor therapy; nanocrystals; nanofiber; nanoparticles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Quite a few scientific areas have significantly benefited from the introduction of nanotechnology, and it is especially noteworthy in the development of new drug substances and products. Over the last few years, the application of nanotechnology for medical purposes has attracted great attention in the use of nanomaterials for the diagnosis, monitoring, control, prevention, and treatment of diseases. Nanocomposites are at the leading edge of the rapidly developing field of nanomaterials. Their unique size-dependent properties make these materials superior and indispensable in addressing the growing demands of enhanced human life expectancy and quality of life. In addition, the combination of several components can not only coat the surface of nanoparticles in order to enhance their biocompatibility and stability but may also provide the substrate for functional nanoparticles growing on their surface to reach multifunction. This research topic intends to invite researchers to contribute studies on recent advances in nanocomposites for drug delivery, diagnosis, and the like, which enables a better understanding of the role of nanocomposites as a theranostic agent.

Prof. Dr. Yanyan Jiang
Prof. Dr. Xijian Liu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

nanocomposites
functionalization
medical purposes
nanofiber
nanoparticles
tumor therapy
nanocrystals
nanofiber

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 3659 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication, Characterization and Biomedical Evaluation of a Statistically Optimized Gelatin Scaffold Enriched with Co-Drugs Loaded into Controlled-Release Silica Nanoparticles

by Hina Younis, Hafeez Ullah Khan, Safirah Maheen, Malik Saadullah, Shahid Shah, Nabeel Ahmad, Sameer Alshehri, Mohammed Ali A. Majrashi, Abdullah Alsalhi, Rida Siddique, Mehwish Andleeb, Saleha Shabbir and Ghulam Abbas

Molecules 2023, 28(13), 5233; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28135233 - 05 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1351

Abstract

The current study focused on the fabrication of a well-designed, biocompatible, physically stable, non-irritating and highly porous gelatin scaffold loaded with controlled-release triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and econazole nitrate (EN) co-loaded into mesoporous silica nanoparticles (EN-TA-loaded MSNs) to provide a better long-lasting antifungal therapeutic effect with minimal unfavorable effects. Optimization of the MSNs-loaded scaffold was performed using central composite rotatable design (CCRD), where the effect of gelatin concentration (X1), plasticizer (X2) and freezing time (X3) on the entrapment of EN (Y1) and TA (Y2) and on the release of EN (Y3) and TA (Y4) from the scaffold were studied. The significant compatibility of all formulation ingredients with both drugs was established from XRD, DSC and FT-IR spectra analyses while SEM and zeta studies represented a very precise unvarying distribution of the loaded MSNs in the porous structure of the scaffold. The stability of the optimized scaffold was confirmed from zeta potential analysis (−16.20 mV), and it exhibited higher entrapment efficiency (94%) and the slower (34%) release of both drugs. During in vitro and in vivo antifungal studies against Candida albicans, the MSNs-loaded scaffold was comparatively superior in the eradication of fungal infections as a greater zone of inhibition was observed for the optimized scaffold (16.91 mm) as compared to the pure drugs suspension (14.10 mm). Similarly, the MSNs-loaded scaffold showed a decreased cytotoxicity because the cell survival rate in the scaffold presence was 89% while the cell survival rate was 85% in the case of the pure drugs, and the MSNs-loaded scaffold did not indicate any grade of erythema on the skin in comparison to the pure medicinal agents. Conclusively, the scaffold-loaded nanoparticles containing the combined therapy appear to possess a strong prospective for enhancing patients’ adherence and therapy tolerance by yielding improved synergistic antifungal efficacy at a low dose with abridged toxicity and augmented wound-healing impact. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposites Synthesis, Functionalization and Applications for Medical Purposes)

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15 pages, 5978 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue and Anticancer Response of In₂O₃/RGO Nanocomposites Prepared by a Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis Process

by ZabnAllah M. Alaizeri, Hisham A. Alhadlaq, Saad Aldawood, Mohd Javed Akhtar, Aziz A. Aziz and Maqusood Ahamed

Molecules 2023, 28(13), 5153; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28135153 - 30 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1462

Abstract

The incorporation of graphene with metal oxide has been widely explored in various fields, including energy storage devices, optical applications, biomedical applications, and water remediation. This research aimed to assess the impact of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) doping on the photocatalytic and anticancer properties of In₂O₃ nanoparticles. Pure and In₂O₃/RGO nanocomposites were effectively synthesized using the single-step microwave hydrothermal process. XRD, TEM, SEM, EDX, XPS, Raman, UV–Vis, and PL spectroscopy were carefully utilized to characterize the prepared samples. XRD data showed that synthesized In₂O₃ nanoparticles had high crystallinity with a decreased crystal size after RGO doping. TEM and SEM images revealed that the In₂O₃ NPs were spherical and uniformly embedded onto the surface of RGO sheets. Elemental analysis of In₂O₃/RGO NC confirmed the presence of In, O, and C without impurities. Raman analysis indicated the successful fabrication of In₂O₃ onto the RGO surface. Uv–Vis analysis showed that the band gap energy was changed with RGO addition. Raman spectra confirmed that In₂O₃ nanoparticles were successfully anchored onto the RGO sheet. PL results indicated that the prepared In₂O₃/RGO NCs can be applied to enhance photocatalytic activity and biomedical applications. In the degradation experiment, In₂O₃/RGO NCs exhibited superior photocatalytic activity compared to that of pure In₂O₃. The degradation efficiency of In₂O₃/RGO NCs for MB dye was up to 90%. Biological data revealed that the cytotoxicity effect of In₂O₃/RGO NCs was higher than In₂O₃ NPs in human colorectal (HCT116) and liver (HepG2) cancer cells. Importantly, the In₂O₃/RGO NCs exhibited better biocompatibility against human normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). All the results suggest that RGO addition improves the photocatalytic and anticancer activity of In₂O₃ NPs. This study highlights the potential of In₂O₃/RGO NCs as an efficient photocatalyst and therapeutic material for water remediation and biomedicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposites Synthesis, Functionalization and Applications for Medical Purposes)

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18 pages, 5299 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Cell-Penetrating Peptide Modified Cu_2−xSe/Au Nanohybrid with Enhanced Efficacy for Combined Radio-Photothermal Therapy

by Ruixue Ran, Sinan Guo, Xiaoyu Jiang, Zhanyin Qian, Zhaoyang Guo, Yinsong Wang, Mingxin Cao and Xiaoying Yang

Molecules 2023, 28(1), 423; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010423 - 03 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1635

Abstract

Radiotherapy (RT) is one of the main clinical therapeutic strategies against cancer. Currently, multiple radiosensitizers aimed at enhancing X-ray absorption in cancer tissues have been developed, while limitations still exist for their further applications, such as poor cellular uptake, hypoxia-induced radioresistance, and unavoidable damage to adjacent normal body tissues. In order to address these problems, a cell-penetrating TAT peptide (YGRKKRRQRRRC)-modified nanohybrid was constructed by doping high-Z element Au in hollow semiconductor Cu_2−xSe nanoparticles for combined RT and photothermal therapy (PTT) against breast cancer. The obtained Cu_2−xSe nanoparticles possessed excellent radiosensitizing properties based on their particular band structures, and high photothermal conversion efficiency beneficial for tumor ablation and promoting RT efficacy. Further doping high-Z element Au deposited more high-energy radiation for better radiosensitizing performance. Conjugation of TAT peptides outside the constructed Cu_2−xSe/Au nanoparticles facilitated their cellular uptake, thus reducing overdosage-induced side effects. This prepared multifunctional nanohybrid showed powerful suppression effects towards breast cancer, both in vitro and in vivo via integrating enhanced cell penetration and uptake, and combined RT/PTT strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposites Synthesis, Functionalization and Applications for Medical Purposes)

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12 pages, 2625 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Self-Assembled CuCo₂S₄ Nanoparticles for Efficient Chemo-Photothermal Therapy of Arterial Inflammation

by Ran Lu, Wei Wang, Bo Dong, Chao Xu, Bo Li, Yong Sun, Junchao Liu and Biao Hong

Molecules 2022, 27(23), 8134; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27238134 - 22 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1158

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis (AS) seriously affects human health. Photothermal therapy (PTT) brings hope to the diagnosis and treatment of AS, with the development of nanotechnology. To improve treatment efficiency, self-assembled CuCo₂S₄ nanocrystals (NCs) were developed as a drug-delivery nanocarrier, triggered by near-infrared (NIR) light for efficient chemophotothermal therapy of arterial inflammation. The as-prepared self-assembled CuCo₂S₄ NCs exhibited excellent biocompatibility and a very high chloroquine (CL)-loading content. In addition, the self-assembled CuCo₂S₄ NCs/CL nanocomposites showed good photothermal performance, due to strong absorption in the NIR region, and the release of CL from the NCs/CL nanocomposites was driven by NIR light. When illuminated by NIR light, both PTT from the NCs and chemotherapy from the CL were simultaneously triggered, resulting in killing macrophages with a synergistic effect. Moreover, chemo-photothermal therapy with CuCo₂S₄ NCs/CL nanocomposites showed an effective therapeutic effect for arterial inflammation, in vivo. Our work demonstrated that chemo-photothermal therapy could be a promising strategy for the treatment of arterial inflammation against atherosclerosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposites Synthesis, Functionalization and Applications for Medical Purposes)

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