Surface Bio-engineered Polymeric Nanoparticles

Preparation of Nanoparticle-Immobilized Gold Surfaces for the Reversible Conjugation of Neurotensin Peptide

Polymer coatings as thin films stand out as a commonly used strategy to modify biosensor surfaces for improving detection performance; however, nonspecific biomolecule interactions and the limited degree of ligand conjugation on the surface have necessitated the development of innovative methods for surface modification. To this end, methacrylated tethered telechelic polyethylene glycol (PEG-diMA) chains of three different molecular weights (2, 6, and 10 kDa) were synthesized herein and used for obtaining thiolated nanoparticles (NPs) upon adding excess amounts of a tetra-thiol crosslinker. Characterized according to their size, surface charge, morphology, and thiol amounts, these nanoparticles were immobilized on gold surfaces that mimicked gold-coated mass sensor platforms. The PEG-based nanoparticles, prepared especially by PEG6K-diMA polymers, were shown to result in the preparation of a monolayer and smooth coating of 80-120 nm thickness. Cysteine-modified NTS(8-13) peptide (RRPYIL) was conjugated to thiolated NP with reversible disulfide bonds and it was demonstrated that its cleavage with a reducing agent such as dithiothreitol (DTT) restores the NP-immobilized gold surface for at least two cycles. Together with its binding studies to NTSR2 antibodies, it was revealed that the peptide-conjugated NP-modified gold surface could be employed as a model for a reusable sensor surface for the detection of biomarkers of same or different types.

Polymeric nanoparticle synthesis for biomedical applications: advancing from wet chemistry methods to dry plasma technologies

Nanotechnology has introduced a transformative leap in healthcare over recent decades, particularly through nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. Among these, polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) have gained significant attention due to their tuneable physicochemical properties for overcoming biological barriers. Their surfaces can be engineered with chemical functional groups and biomolecules for a wide range of biomedical applications, ranging from drug delivery to diagnostics. However, despite these advancements, the clinical translation and large-scale commercialization of polymeric NPs face significant challenges. This review uncovers these challenges by examining the interplay between structural design and payload interaction mode. It provides a critical evaluation of the current synthesis methods, beginning with conventional wet chemical techniques, and progressing to emerging dry plasma technologies, such as plasma polymerization. Special attention is given to plasma polymerized nanoparticles (PPNs), highlighting their potential as paradigm-shifting platforms for biomedical applications while identifying key areas for improvement. The review concludes with a forward-looking discussion on strategies to address key challenges, such as achieving regulatory approval and advancing clinical translation of polymeric NP-based therapies, offering unprecedented opportunities for next-generation nanomedicine.

Nanovehicles for delivery of antigens and adjuvants as cancer nanovaccines

Cancer vaccines offer a promising strategy for immunotherapy by stimulating the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. Antigens and adjuvants have been recognized as important components for the preparation of cancer vaccines, with antigens as the keys for immune cells to recognize cancer cells and adjuvants stimulating potent immune effects. Nanovehicles offer great potential advantages for construction of cancer vaccines, including enhanced antigen loading, co-assembly of antigens and adjuvants, targeted delivery, and antigen and adjuvant effects. By leveraging diverse nanovehicles, along with tumor antigens and/or adjuvants, various cancer nanovaccines have been developed, resulting in enhanced immune responses and facilitating the creation of personalized vaccines. This review presents the progress of cancer nanovaccines in clinical trials, systematically summarizing the physicochemical properties and roles of nanovehicles in the delivery of antigens and adjuvants as cancer nanovaccines, including inorganic nanoparticles, polymeric nanovehicles, nanoengineered coordination polymers, lipid nanovehicles, biomimetic nanovehicles, virus-like particles, and self-assembled peptide vehicles. We further discuss challenges in clinical translation and provide insights into future advancements in cancer nanovaccines.

Advancements in Using Polymeric Nanoparticles for Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration in Neurological Disorders

Neurological disorders and glioblastoma represent a significant global health burden, affecting billions of individuals and contributing to high rates of morbidity and mortality. A primary obstacle in treating these conditions is the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a protective barrier that restricts the entry of most therapeutic agents into the brain. Despite this challenge, advancements in nanotechnology, specifically the development of polymeric nanoparticles, offer promising solutions for overcoming the BBB. Key strategies include surface modifications like PEGylation to enhance circulation time, receptor-mediated targeting for specific brain cells, and stimuli-responsive nanoparticles that release drugs in response to pH or reactive oxygen species. Ultrasound-guided delivery, intranasal administration, and magnetic nanoparticle guidance further enhance targeted delivery, while multifunctional nanoparticles enable combination therapies. These nanoparticles, with their customizable properties, allow for targeted and sustained delivery of drugs to the central nervous system, providing new hope in the treatment of both neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancers. In this review, we explore recent strategies that exploit polymeric nanoparticles to improve drug delivery across the BBB, highlighting their potential in revolutionizing therapeutic approaches for neurological disorders.

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems: opportunities and challenges in the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive malignancy characterized by limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance cancer therapy efficacy by improving drug targeting, reducing toxicity, and enabling multifunctional applications. This review highlights some key types of nanoparticles, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, metallic nanoparticles, dendrimers, and quantum dots, which could effectively improve the delivery of various drugs used in chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, offering more precise and effective treatment options. With the ability to improve drug stability and overcome biological barriers, nanoparticle-based systems represent a transformative strategy for ESCC treatment. Despite some challenges, such as biocompatibility and scalability, the future of nanoparticle-based drug delivery holds great promise, particularly in the development of personalized nanomedicine and novel therapeutic approaches targeting the tumor microenvironment. With ongoing advancements, nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems hold immense potential to revolutionize ESCC treatment and improve patient outcomes.

Direct covalent attachment of fluorescent molecules on plasma polymerized nanoparticles: a simplified approach for biomedical applications

Polymeric nanoparticles surface functionalised with fluorescent molecules hold significant potential for advancing diagnostics and therapeutic delivery. Despite their promise, challenges persist in achieving robust attachment of fluorescent molecules for real-time tracking. Weak physical adsorption, pH-dependent electrostatic capture, and hydrophobic interactions often fail to achieve stable attachment of fluorescent markers. While covalent attachment offers stability, it often entails laborious multi-step wet-chemistry processes. This work demonstrates that plasma polymerised nanoparticles (PPNs) can directly and covalently attach fluorescent molecules with no need for additional interim treatment processes. For the first time, we provide evidence indicating the formation of covalent bonds between the fluorescent molecules and PPN surfaces. Two model fluorescent molecules, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and Nile blue (NB), were attached to PPNs in a one-step process. The attached molecules remained on nanoparticle surfaces even after detergent washing, as confirmed by a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), fluorescence spectroscopy, flow cytometry, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) data. The robust attachment of fluorescent molecules on PPNs ensures their stability and functionality, enhancing the potential of these fluorescently labelled nanoparticles for diagnostic, therapeutic, and imaging applications.

Rapid synthesis of manganese dioxide nanoparticles for enhanced biocompatibility and theranostic applications

Manganese dioxide (MnO2), lauded for its biocompatibility and distinctive optical and physical characteristics, has become an indispensable material in the biomedical field, showing immense potential in disease detection, treatment, and prevention. Particularly, the ability of MnO2 nanoparticles to oxidize glutathione (GSH) to its oxidized form has positioned them as pivotal players in GSH sensing. However, conventional preparation methods, whether top-down or bottom-up, often result in nanoparticles that require multi-step processing and modification to achieve good dispersion in physiological conditions, which is both time-consuming and complex. To address this, a rapid and efficient method was developed for producing well-dispersed and stable MnO2 nanoparticles using tannic acid to reduce potassium permanganate. The polyphenolic structure of tannic acid not only facilitates the reduction process but also enhances the dispersibility of the nanoparticles in biological environments. In addition, PEG could improve the stability of MnO2 nanoparticles and also reduce their size. Moreover, we demonstrate the application of these nanoparticles in a colorimetric assay for GSH detection, leveraging their ability to react with GSH to produce Mn2+. Furthermore, these nanoparticles were utilized in a colorimetric assay for GSH detection, harnessing their reactivity with GSH to generate Mn2+. Beyond this, the MnO2 nanoparticles exhibit potential for the loading of a spectrum of molecules, including small molecules, peptides, DNA, RNA, and proteins, through electrostatic interactions, π-π stacking, and the inherent reactivity of polyphenols. This groundbreaking strategy heralds a new era for MnO2 in the realm of theranostic agent delivery, offering a promising avenue for enhancing diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic efficacy in biomedical applications.

Advances in nanotechnology-based approaches for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), one of the most common types of cancers occurring in the head and neck region, is often associated with high mortality rates due to its invasiveness and morbidity. The mainstream treatment methods in clinical settings, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, may cause poor overall survival rate and prognosis, with issues such as drug resistance, damage to adjacent healthy tissues, and potential recurrences. Other treatment approaches such as immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and photothermal therapy (PPT) also suffer from inefficient tumor targeting and suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. Early detection is vital for HNSCC patients, but it is always limited by insensitivity and confusing clinical manifestations. Hence, it is highly desirable to develop optimized therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. With the boom in nanomaterials, nanotechnology-conducted HNSCC therapy has attracted widespread attention. Nanoparticles (NPs) are distinguished by their unique morphology and superior physicochemical property, and some can exhibit direct antitumor activity, while others serve as promising candidates for drug delivery. In addition, NPs offer the potential for structural modification for drug delivery and tumor targeting, enabling specific delivery to tumor cells through conjugation with biomarker ligands and improving cargo biocompatibility. This work reviews current therapies and diagnosis methods for HNSCC, highlights the characteristics of the major NPs, surveys their uses and advantages in the treatment of HNSCC, and discusses the obstacles and prospects in clinical applications, aiming to enlighten future research directions for nanotechnology-based therapy for HNSCC.

Advances in nano-preparations for improving tetrandrine solubility and bioavailability

Tetrandrine (TET) is a natural bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Stephania species with a wide range of biological and pharmacologic activities; it mainly serves as an anti-inflammatory agent or antitumor adjuvant in clinical applications. However, limitations such as prominent hydrophobicity, severe off-target toxicity, and low absorption result in suboptimal therapeutic outcomes preventing its widespread adoption. Nanoparticles have proven to be efficient devices for targeted drug delivery since drug-carrying nanoparticles can be passively transported to the tumor site by the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effects, thus securing a niche in cancer therapies. Great progress has been made in nanocarrier construction for TET delivery due to their outstanding advantages such as increased water-solubility, improved biodistribution and blood circulation, reduced off-target irritation, and combinational therapy. Herein, we systematically reviewed the latest advancements in TET-loaded nanoparticles and their respective features with the expectation of providing perspective and guidelines for future research and potential applications of TET.

Enhancing X-Ray Sensitization with Multifunctional Nanoparticles

In the progression of X-ray-based radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer, the incorporation of nanoparticles (NPs) has a transformative impact. This study investigates the potential of NPs, particularly those comprised of high atomic number elements, as radiosensitizers. This aims to optimize localized radiation doses within tumors, thereby maximizing therapeutic efficacy while preserving surrounding tissues. The multifaceted applications of NPs in radiotherapy encompass collaborative interactions with chemotherapeutic, immunotherapeutic, and targeted pharmaceuticals, along with contributions to photodynamic/photothermal therapy, imaging enhancement, and the integration of artificial intelligence technology. Despite promising preclinical outcomes, the paper acknowledges challenges in the clinical translation of these findings. The conclusion maintains an optimistic stance, emphasizing ongoing trials and technological advancements that bolster personalized treatment approaches. The paper advocates for continuous research and clinical validation, envisioning the integration of NPs as a revolutionary paradigm in cancer therapy, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes.