Metal Nanoparticles’ Biological Activity and Pharmaceutical Applications
A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2024 | Viewed by 21197
Special Issue Editors
Interests: biophysics; physiology; cell biology; disease; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species (ROS); antioxidants; antioxidant enzymes; pharmaceuticals; nanoparticles
Interests: biological, bioinorganic, bioorganic and bioanalytical chemistries; drugs for diseases such as tuberculosis, Alzheimer’s diabetes and cancer; organic drugs and transition metal-based drugs; menaquinone, pyrazinamide, metformin, platinum and vanadium derivatives; lipid systems and micro-emulsion environments
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nanoparticles have been the subject of numerous studies because of their specific physicochemical characteristics, which make them suitable for introduction and application in living systems. The ability of metal nanoparticles to interact with cells, as well as their structures and cellular metabolites, is of particular importance in their applications as drug carriers, and in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. The properties of the nanoparticles depend strongly on their shape, size and material. One of the problems with their practical applications in living organisms is their toxicity.
Usually, two basic approaches are applied in the evaluation of the harmful effects of the nanoparticles prepared from metals and other materials—the measurement of their cytotoxic and/or antibacterial effects.
Compounds with cytotoxic effects often damage the permeability and structure of the cell membrane and/or cell metabolism. Cytotoxicity can be measured using various methods and cell cultures, depending on the focus of the research. One quite informative approach is the registration of the kinetics of the cytotoxic response, instead of the snapshot used in the colorimetric standard endpoint assays.
The evaluation of the antibacterial activity applies traditional microbiological assays to test the safety of the metal nanoparticles against some of the most common Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These tests are very suitable for establishing a sensitivity scale, especially when testing newly synthesized nanomaterials.
Another set of very informative reactions describing the safety of metal nanomaterials is their redox activity, and especially effects on oxidative stress. Free radical reactions and generation of ROS are vital metabolic responses that ensure the body’s homeostasis, functional activity and adaptation. The speed of these reactions is maintained by a complex system of regulation, and its imbalance is a universal mechanism and cause for the development of acute and chronic diseases.
Let’s dive into the metal nanoworld! I look forward to your valuable contribution with the description of the biological activities and applications of metal nanoparticles, their combinations with natural or synthetic substances or their applications as drug and diagnostic tools!
Dr. Elitsa L. Pavlova
Prof. Dr. Debbie C. Crans
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- metal nanoparticles
- redox reactions
- biological activity
- pharmaceuticals
- cytotoxicity
- antibacterial effect
- oxidative stress
- disease
- safety
- in vivo applications
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