Aspect ratio dependent cytotoxicity and antimicrobial properties of nanoclay

A multi-modal embolic gel system for long-term fluorescence imaging and photothermal therapy

Gel embolic agents are increasingly recognized for their versatility in minimally invasive vascular interventions. However, their application in real-time imaging, post-operative monitoring, and thermal treatment remains underexplored. In this study, we present a novel transcatheter injectable nanoclay-alginate (NCA) gel embolic agent integrated with indocyanine green (ICG) for dual fluorescence imaging and thermal ablation. The NCA/ICG embolic gel exhibits excellent shear-thinning properties, transcatheter injectability, and mechanical stability. Furthermore, the mechanism to enhance fluorescence for real-time imaging enhancement and extended post-operative monitoring was discussed. A 28-day fluorescence persistence shows the NCA/ICG gel's long-lasting fluorescent signal, which was significantly stronger and longer compared to current clinically used ICG aqueous solution. Furthermore, the gel can effectively convert near-infrared (NIR) laser energy into heat for potential photothermal therapy. The biocompatibility and enhanced antibacterial properties further highlight the potential clinical benefits of this embolic agent as a multifunctional agent for vascular embolization.

Novel Honeycomb Nanoclay Frameworks With Hemostatic and Antibacterial Properties

Our laboratory recently developed a new class of high surface area, honeycomb Nanoclay Microsphere Framework absorbents (NMFs) that prompt rapid hemostasis. In the present work, we propose a novel approach to develop antibacterial Topical Hemostatic Agents (THAs) by anchoring silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto NMFs. This combination was obtained by a chemical co-reduction approach, followed by freeze-processing, and was shown to ensure stability and on-site delivery of AgNPs, without altering the hemostatic properties of NMFs. Silver-loaded NMFs showed no change in their unique architecture and led to a 55% increase in clot strength, compared to standard control plasma or commercially available THA, and a significant decrease in mean fibrin fiber diameter. Silver nanoparticles were successfully released when solubilized and prevented the growth of both Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus at concentrations of 22 and 30 ppm of silver released, respectively. Overall, cell mortality was between 9.1 ± 5.1% and 6.3 ± 3.2%, depending on AgNP concentration, confirming a low cytotoxicity. Silver-loaded nanoclay microsphere frameworks appear to constitute promising candidates as topical hemostatic agents for secondary management of hemostasis when infection control is needed.

Nanoparticles in Bone Regeneration: A Narrative Review of Current Advances and Future Directions in Tissue Engineering

The rising demand for effective bone regeneration has underscored the limitations of traditional methods like autografts and allografts, including donor site morbidity and insufficient biological signaling. This review examines nanoparticles (NPs) in tissue engineering (TE) to address these challenges, evaluating polymers, metals, ceramics, and composites for their potential to enhance osteogenesis and angiogenesis by mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) nanostructure. The methods involved synthesizing and characterizing nanoparticle-based scaffoldsand integrating hydroxyapatite (HAp) with polymers to enhance mechanical properties and osteogenic potential. The results showed that these NPs significantly promote cell growth, differentiation, and bone formation, with carbon-based NPs like graphene and carbon nanotubes showing promise. NPs offer versatile, biocompatible, and customizable scaffolds that enhance drug delivery and support bone repair. Despite promising results, challenges with cytotoxicity, biodistribution, and immune responses remain. Addressing these issues through surface modifications and biocompatible molecules can improve the biocompatibility and efficacy of nanomaterials. Future research should focus on long-term in vivo studies to assess the safety and efficacy of NP-based scaffolds and explore synergistic effects with other bioactive molecules or growth factors. This review underscores the transformative potential of NPs in advancing BTE and calls for further research to optimize these technologies for clinical applications.

Nanoclay-Modified Hyaluronic Acid Microspheres for Bone Induction by Sustained rhBMP-2 Delivery

Microspheres (MSs) are ideal candidates as biological scaffolds loading with growth factors or cells for bone tissue engineering to repair irregular alveolar bone defects by minimally invasive injection. However, the high initial burst release of growth factor and low cell attachment limit the application of microspheres. The modification of microspheres often needs expensive experiments facility or complex chemical reactions, which is difficult to achieve and may bring other problems. In this study, a sol-grade nanoclay, laponite XLS is used to modify the surface of MSs to enhance its affinity to either positively or negatively charged proteins and cells without changing the interior structure of the MSs. Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) is used as a representation of growth factor to check the osteoinduction ability of laponite XLS-modified MSs. By modification, the protein sustained release, cell loading, and osteoinduction ability of MSs are improved. Modified by 1% laponite XLS, the MSs can not only promote osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells by themselves, but also enhance the effect of the rhBMP-2 below the effective dose. Collectively, the study provides an easy and viable method to modify the biological behavior of microspheres for bone tissue regeneration.

ROS generation and p-38 activation contribute to montmorillonite-induced corneal toxicity in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND

Montmorillonite (Mt) and its derivatives are now widely used in industrial and biomedical fields. Therefore, safety assessments of these materials are critical to protect human health after exposure; however, studies on the ocular toxicity of Mt are lacking. In particular, varying physicochemical characteristics of Mt may greatly alter their toxicological potential. To explore the effects of such characteristics on the eyes, five types of Mt were investigated in vitro and in vivo for the first time, and their underlying mechanisms studied.

RESULTS

The different types of Mt caused cytotoxicity in human HCEC-B4G12 corneal cells based on analyses of ATP content, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, cell morphology, and the distribution of Mt in cells. Among the five Mt types, Na-Mt exhibited the highest cytotoxicity. Notably, Na-Mt and chitosan-modified acidic Na-Mt (C-H-Na-Mt) induced ocular toxicity in vivo, as demonstrated by increases corneal injury area and the number of apoptotic cells. Na-Mt and C-H-Na-Mt also induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in vitro and in vivo, as indicated by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate and dihydroethidium staining. In addition, Na-Mt activated the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. The pretreatment of HCEC-B4G12 cells with N-acetylcysteine, an ROS scavenger, attenuated the Na-Mt-induced cytotoxicity and suppressed p38 activation, while inhibiting p38 activation with a p38-specific inhibitor decreased Na-Mt-induced cytotoxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that Mt induces corneal toxicity in vitro and in vivo. The physicochemical properties of Mt greatly affect its toxicological potential. Furthermore, ROS generation and p38 activation contribute at least in part to Na-Mt-induced toxicity.

Converging 2D Nanomaterials and 3D Bioprinting Technology: State-of-the-Art, Challenges, and Potential Outlook in Biomedical Applications

The development of next-generation of bioinks aims to fabricate anatomical size 3D scaffold with high printability and biocompatibility. Along with the progress in 3D bioprinting, 2D nanomaterials (2D NMs) prove to be emerging frontiers in the development of advanced materials owing to their extraordinary properties. Harnessing the properties of 2D NMs in 3D bioprinting technologies can revolutionize the development of bioinks by endowing new functionalities to the current bioinks. First the main contributions of 2D NMS in 3D bioprinting technologies are categorized here into six main classes: 1) reinforcement effect, 2) delivery of bioactive molecules, 3) improved electrical conductivity, 4) enhanced tissue formation, 5) photothermal effect, 6) and stronger antibacterial properties. Next, the recent advances in the use of each certain 2D NMs (1) graphene, 2) nanosilicate, 3) black phosphorus, 4) MXene, 5) transition metal dichalcogenides, 6) hexagonal boron nitride, and 7) metal-organic frameworks) in 3D bioprinting technology are critically summarized and evaluated thoroughly. Third, the role of physicochemical properties of 2D NMSs on their cytotoxicity is uncovered, with several representative examples of each studied 2D NMs. Finally, current challenges, opportunities, and outlook for the development of nanocomposite bioinks are discussed thoroughly.

Halloysite nanotubes - the nano-bio interface

The numerous biological applications of nanoparticles in general and nano-clays in particular are rooted in understanding and harnessing their dynamic nano-bio interface. Among clays, the intrinsically-mesoporous halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) have emerged in recent years as promising nanomaterials. The diverse interactions of these nanotubes with living cells, encompassing electrostatic, van der Waals, and ion exchange, along with cellular response, are crucial in determining the behaviour of HNTs in biological systems. Thus, rational engineering of the nanotube properties allows for vast applications ranging from bacteria encapsulation for bioremediation, through algae flocculation for aquaculture, to intracellular drug delivery. This review summarizes the many aspects of the nano-bio interface of HNTs with different cell types (bacteria, algae and fungi, and mammalian cells), highlighting biocompatibility/bio-adverse properties, interaction mechanisms, and the latest cutting-edge technologies.

Blood-Derived Biomaterial for Catheter-Directed Arterial Embolization

Vascular embolization is a life-saving minimally invasive catheter-based procedure performed to treat bleeding vessels. Through these catheters, numerous metallic coils are often pushed into the bleeding artery to stop the blood flow. While there are numerous drawbacks to coil embolization, physician expertise, availability of these coils, and their costs further limit their use. Here, a novel blood-derived embolic material (BEM) with regenerative properties, that can achieve instant and durable intra-arterial hemostasis regardless of coagulopathy, is developed. In a large animal model of vascular embolization, it is shown that the BEM can be prepared at the point-of-care within 26 min using fresh blood, it can be easily delivered using clinical catheters to embolize renal and iliac arteries, and it can achieve rapid hemostasis in acutely injured vessels. In swine arteries, the BEM increases cellular proliferation, angiogenesis, and connective tissue deposition, suggesting vessel healing and durable vessel occlusion. The BEM has significant advantages over embolic materials used today, making it a promising new tool for embolization.

Bioactive-Tissue-Derived Nanocomposite Hydrogel for Permanent Arterial Embolization and Enhanced Vascular Healing

Transcatheter embolization is a minimally invasive procedure that uses embolic agents to intentionally block diseased or injured blood vessels for therapeutic purposes. Embolic agents in clinical practice are limited by recanalization, risk of non-target embolization, failure in coagulopathic patients, high cost, and toxicity. Here, a decellularized cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM)-based nanocomposite hydrogel is developed to provide superior mechanical stability, catheter injectability, retrievability, antibacterial properties, and biological activity to prevent recanalization. The embolic efficacy of the shear-thinning ECM-based hydrogel is shown in a porcine survival model of embolization in the iliac artery and the renal artery. The ECM-based hydrogel promotes arterial vessel wall remodeling and a fibroinflammatory response while undergoing significant biodegradation such that only 25% of the embolic material remains at 14 days. With its unprecedented proregenerative, antibacterial properties coupled with favorable mechanical properties, and its superior performance in anticoagulated blood, the ECM-based hydrogel has the potential to be a next-generation biofunctional embolic agent that can successfully treat a wide range of vascular diseases.

Anisotropic active ligandations in siRNA-Loaded hybrid nanodiscs lead to distinct carcinostatic outcomes by regulating nano-bio interactions

Active targeting modification is one of the foremost nanomedicine strategies for the efficacy improvement. Compared to the homogeneous ligandation on spherical nanocarriers, non-spherical nanomedicines usually make the ligand modification more complicated. The modified ligands always exhibit anisotropy and heterogeneity. However, there is very little systematic study on these diversified anisotropic modifications. The efficacy difference and underlying mechanism were still unclear. Here, we separately fabricated hybrid nanodiscs (NDs) conjugated with cRGD on the edge and plane surfaces to engineer two anisotropic targeting nanocarriers (E-cRGD-NDs and P-cRGD-NDs, respectively) for gene delivery. The ligand anisotropy endowed NDs with diversified cellular interactions, and caused different efficacies between E-cRGD-NDs and P-cRGD-NDs. Of note, E-cRGD-NDs showed significant superiority in siRNA loading, cellular uptake, silence efficiency, protein expression and even in vivo efficacy. The mechanism investigation revealed the functional anisotropy specifically for E-cRGD-NDs. The edge modification of cRGD efficiently separated the targeting and siRNA loading domains, maximizing their respective functions. These findings reflected the unique effect of ligand anisotropy, also provided a new strategy for the targeting screening of extensive nanomedicines.

Delivery of Conjugated Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles Show Strong Anti-Proliferative Activities

Conjugation of different molecules is a promising approach to enhance the drug delivery and treatment. In the present study, here, we have synthesized silica oxide (SiO₂) nanoparticles conjugated with (3-Glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (3GPS) and further reacted with 1,2,4-triazole (Tri), 3-aminotriazole (ATri), 5-aminetetrazole (Atet), imidazole (Imi). The structure, size, and morphology of nanocomposite materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. These nanocomposite materials were tested on human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) to examine their anti-cancer capabilities by using MTT assay and morphometric analysis. Our results revealed that nanocomposite materials decreased cancer cell viability and cell proliferation and caused cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. Our findings demonstrate that SiO₂-conjugated nanocomposite materials possess strong anti-cancer capabilities and hold a great potential for the colon cancer treatments.

Preparation of Montmorillonite Nanosheets through Freezing/Thawing and Ultrasonic Exfoliation

The exfoliation of layered montmorillonite (MMT) into mono- or few-layer sheets is of significance for both fundamental studies and potential applications. In this report, exfoliated MMT nanosheets with different aspect ratios have been prepared via a new freezing/thawing-ultrasonic exfoliation method. Freezing/thawing processing can exfoliate MMT tactoids with low efficiency while virtually retaining the original lateral size. The ultrasonic method has better exfoliation efficiency but tends to damage the nanosheets. By combining them and reasonably controlling the cycle index of freezing/thawing and ultrasonic power, the MMT nanosheets with different aspect ratios have been prepared efficiently. Such a unique exfoliation method has broad applicability for layered materials to produce monolayer nanosheets on a large scale.

3D printing of hydrogel composite systems: Recent advances in technology for tissue engineering

Three-dimensional (3D) printing of hydrogels is now an attractive area of research due to its capability to fabricate intricate, complex and highly customizable scaffold structures that can support cell adhesion and promote cell infiltration for tissue engineering. However, pure hydrogels alone lack the necessary mechanical stability and are too easily degraded to be used as printing ink. To overcome this problem, significant progress has been made in the 3D printing of hydrogel composites with improved mechanical performance and biofunctionality. Herein, we provide a brief overview of existing hydrogel composite 3D printing techniques including laser based-3D printing, nozzle based-3D printing, and inkjet printer based-3D printing systems. Based on the type of additives, we will discuss four main hydrogel composite systems in this review: polymer- or hydrogel-hydrogel composites, particle-reinforced hydrogel composites, fiber-reinforced hydrogel composites, and anisotropic filler-reinforced hydrogel composites. Additionally, several emerging potential applications of hydrogel composites in the field of tissue engineering and their accompanying challenges are discussed in parallel.

Hydrogel Nanocomposites with Independently Tunable Rheology and Mechanics

Hydrogels are an attractive class of biomaterials for minimally invasive local drug delivery given their injectability, tunability, high water content, and biocompatibility. Broad applicability though is challenged: relatively modest mechanical properties restrict use to soft tissues, while flow properties necessary for injectability limit implantation to dried, enclosed tissues to minimize material migration during gelation. To address these dual concerns, we designed an injectable nanocomposite hydrogel based on dextran aldehyde and a poly(amido amine) dendrimer doped with phyllosilicate nanoplatelet fillers. Balance of components allows for exfoliation of nanoplatelets, significantly changing macromer solution flow, facilitating injection and manipulation in a wide variety of implantation contexts while enhancing compressive modulus of hydrogels at low loading. Importantly, rheological and mechanical effects were dependent on aspect ratio, with high aspect ratio nanoplatelets having much stronger effects on mechanics and low aspect ratio nanoplatelets having stronger effects on rheology, enabling nearly independent control of rheological and mechanical properties. Nanoplatelets enhanced hydrogel properties at a filler loading substantially lower than that of comparably sized nanoparticles. We present a model to explain the role that aspect ratio plays in control of rheology and mechanics in nanoplatelet-containing hydrogels, with lessons for further nanocomposite hydrogel development. This low-cost biocompatible material may be useful as a drug delivery platform in challenging implantation environments.

Surface patch binding induced interaction of anisotropic nanoclays with globular plasma proteins

Morphology dependent interaction of model anisotropic nanoparticles with globular plasma proteins.

Comparison of the toxicity of aluminum oxide nanorods with different aspect ratio

Aluminum oxide nanoparticles are listed among 14 high-priority nanomaterials published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, but limited information is available on their potential hazards. In this study, we compared the toxicity of two different aluminum oxide nanorods (AlNRs) commercially available in vivo and in vitro. Considering aspect ratio, one was 6.2 ± 0.6 (long-AlNRs) and the other was 2.1 ± 0.4 (short-AlNRs). In mice, long-AlNRs induced longer and stronger inflammatory responses than short-AlNRs, and the degree reached the maximum on day 7 for both types and decreased with time. In addition, in vitro tests were performed on six cell lines derived from potential target organs for AlNPs, HEK-293 (kidney), HACAT (skin), Chang (liver), BEAS-2B (lung), T98G (brain), and H9C2 (heart), using MTT assay, ATP assay, LDH release, and xCELLigence system. Long-AlNRs generally produced stronger toxicity than short-AlNRs, and HEK-293 cells were the most sensitive for both AlNRs, followed by BEAS-2B cells, although results from 4 kinds of toxicity tests conflicted among the cell lines. Based on these results, we suggest that toxicity of AlNRs may be related to aspect ratio (and resultant surface area). Furthermore, novel in vitro toxicity testing methods are needed to resolve questionable results caused by the unique properties of nanoparticles.