1
|
Rahmani A, Tiihonen T, Haluska O, Tamarov K, Lehto VP, Riikonen J. A feasible approach to measure metal concentrations in drill hole waters on site for mineral exploration. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:171889. [PMID: 38522534 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
The new technologies used in the green transition towards carbon-free societies typically demand extensive use of metals. This leads to a heavily growing need for exploration and extraction of ore deposits. Exploration can be facilitated by measuring metal concentrations in ground and surface waters carrying trace concentrations of metals leached from nearby deposits. Currently, measuring metal concentrations in water is slow and expensive and it cannot be done on-site, which hinders the discovery of new ore deposits. To address this challenge, we have developed a method to collect and concentrate the dissolved metals in a solid filter and measure the metal concentrations directly from the filter with a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The permeable filter is made of mesoporous silicon modified with bisphosphonates. Two types of adsorbing materials for the filters were prepared based on scalable production methods: i) regenerative etching of metallurgical grade silicon powder, and ii) magnesiothermic reduction of silica from barley husks. Empirical calibrations were prepared in a concentration range of 10-200 μg/L for Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb using water samples prepared by spiking well water with standard metal solutions. Both filter types were tested for their ability to adsorb metals from the real water samples taken from drill holes. The developed system was able to detect metal concentrations down to 12 μg/L (ppb) showing its potential for on-site measurements of dissolved metals in water samples, which could be feasible in the discovery of new mineral deposits. This innovation enables smart sampling during exploration and provides real-time information on metal concentrations in water.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Rahmani
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - T Tiihonen
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - O Haluska
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - K Tamarov
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - V P Lehto
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - J Riikonen
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70210 Kuopio, Finland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wen H, Martínez MG, Happonen E, Qian J, Vallejo VG, Mendazona HJ, Jokivarsi K, Scaravilli M, Latonen L, Llop J, Lehto VP, Xu W. A PEG-assisted membrane coating to prepare biomimetic mesoporous silicon for PET/CT imaging of triple-negative breast cancer. Int J Pharm 2024; 652:123764. [PMID: 38176479 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) diagnosis remains challenging without expressing critical receptors. Cancer cell membrane (CCm) coating has been extensively studied for targeted cancer diagnostics due to attractive features such as good biocompatibility and homotypic tumor-targeting. However, the present study found that widely used CCm coating approaches, such as extrusion, were not applicable for functionalizing irregularly shaped nanoparticles (NPs), such as porous silicon (PSi). To tackle this challenge, we proposed a novel approach that employs polyethylene glycol (PEG)-assisted membrane coating, wherein PEG and CCm are respectively functionalized on PSi NPs through chemical conjugation and physical absorption. Meanwhile, the PSi NPs were grafted with the bisphosphonate (BP) molecules for radiolabeling. Thanks to the good chelating ability of BP and homotypic tumor targeting of cancer CCm coating, a novel PSi-based contrast agent (CCm-PEG-89Zr-BP-PSi) was developed for targeted positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging of TNBC. The novel imaging agent showed good radiochemical purity (∼99 %) and stability (∼95 % in PBS and ∼99 % in cell medium after 48 h). Furthermore, the CCm-PEG-89Zr-BP-PSi NPs had efficient homotypic targeting ability in vitro and in vivo for TNBC. These findings demonstrate a versatile biomimetic coating method to prepare novel NPs for tumor-targeted diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huang Wen
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - María Gómez Martínez
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramon 194, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Emilia Happonen
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jing Qian
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Vanessa Gómez Vallejo
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramon 194, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Helena Jorge Mendazona
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramon 194, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Kimmo Jokivarsi
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Neulaniementie 2, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mauro Scaravilli
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön Katu 34, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Leena Latonen
- School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jordi Llop
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramon 194, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Vesa-Pekka Lehto
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Wujun Xu
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wen H, Poutiainen P, Batnasan E, Latonen L, Lehto VP, Xu W. Biomimetic Inorganic Nanovectors as Tumor-Targeting Theranostic Platform against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2507. [PMID: 37896267 PMCID: PMC10610067 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15102507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesoporous silicon nanoparticles (PSi NPs) are promising platforms of nanomedicine because of their good compatibility, high payload capacities of anticancer drugs, and easy chemical modification. Here, PSi surfaces were functionalized with bisphosphonates (BP) for radiolabeling, loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) for chemotherapy, and the NPs were coated with cancer cell membrane (CCm) for homotypic cancer targeting. To enhance the CCm coating, the NP surfaces were covered with polyethylene glycol prior to the CCm coating. The effects of the BP amount and pH conditions on the radiolabeling efficacy were studied. The maximum BP was (2.27 wt%) on the PSi surfaces, and higher radiochemical yields were obtained for 99mTc (97% ± 2%) and 68Ga (94.6% ± 0.2%) under optimized pH conditions (pH = 5). The biomimetic NPs exhibited a good radiochemical and colloidal stability in phosphate-buffered saline and cell medium. In vitro studies demonstrated that the biomimetic NPs exhibited an enhanced cellular uptake and increased delivery of DOX to cancer cells, resulting in better chemotherapy than free DOX or pure NPs. Altogether, these findings indicate the potential of the developed platform for cancer treatment and diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huang Wen
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Pekka Poutiainen
- Kuopio University Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, Puijonlaaksontie 2, 70210 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Enkhzaya Batnasan
- School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (E.B.); (L.L.)
| | - Leena Latonen
- School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (E.B.); (L.L.)
| | - Vesa-Pekka Lehto
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Wujun Xu
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland;
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang W, Zhu D, Tong Z, Peng B, Cheng X, Esser L, Voelcker NH. Influence of Surface Ligand Density and Particle Size on the Penetration of the Blood-Brain Barrier by Porous Silicon Nanoparticles. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2271. [PMID: 37765240 PMCID: PMC10534822 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15092271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Overcoming the blood-brain barrier (BBB) remains a significant challenge with regard to drug delivery to the brain. By incorporating targeting ligands, and by carefully adjusting particle sizes, nanocarriers can be customized to improve drug delivery. Among these targeting ligands, transferrin stands out due to the high expression level of its receptor (i.e., transferrin receptor) on the BBB. Porous silicon nanoparticles (pSiNPs) are a promising drug nanocarrier to the brain due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and exceptional drug-loading capacity. However, an in-depth understanding of the optimal nanoparticle size and transferrin surface density, in order to maximize BBB penetration, is still lacking. To address this gap, a diverse library of pSiNPs was synthesized using bifunctional poly(ethylene glycol) linkers with methoxy or/and carboxyl terminal groups. These variations allowed us to explore different transferrin surface densities in addition to particle sizes. The effects of these parameters on the cellular association, uptake, and transcytosis in immortalized human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3) were investigated using multiple in vitro systems of increasing degrees of complexity. These systems included the following: a 2D cell culture, a static Transwell model, and a dynamic BBB-on-a-chip model. Our results revealed the significant impact of both the ligand surface density and size of pSiNPs on their ability to penetrate the BBB, wherein intermediate-level transferrin densities and smaller pSiNPs exhibited the highest BBB transportation efficiency in vitro. Moreover, notable discrepancies emerged between the tested in vitro assays, further emphasizing the necessity of using more physiologically relevant assays, such as a microfluidic BBB-on-a-chip model, for nanocarrier testing and evaluation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weisen Zhang
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia (Z.T.)
| | - Douer Zhu
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia (Z.T.)
| | - Ziqiu Tong
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia (Z.T.)
| | - Bo Peng
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia (Z.T.)
- Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics, Xi’an Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE), Xi’an Institute of Biomedical Materials & Engineering (IBME), Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Xuan Cheng
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia;
| | - Lars Esser
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia (Z.T.)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia;
| | - Nicolas H. Voelcker
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia (Z.T.)
- Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, Victorian Node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Tiihonen TE, Nissinen TJ, Turhanen PA, Vepsäläinen JJ, Riikonen J, Lehto VP. Real-Time On-Site Multielement Analysis of Environmental Waters with a Portable X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF) System. Anal Chem 2022; 94:11739-11744. [PMID: 35972396 PMCID: PMC9434549 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c01490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Strict regulations are in place to control the effluents
of mining
sites and other industries. Heavy metal contamination of aquatic systems
caused by leakages is difficult to mitigate as it takes time to detect
and localize the leak. Dynamic sampling would drastically reduce the
time to locate leakages and allow faster actions to reduce the impact
on the environment. The present study introduces a novel portable
multielement water analysis system to simultaneously measure Mn, Ni,
Cu, Zn, Pb, and U in water samples from natural sources within 15
min from the sampling. The metals are preconcentrated from a 10 mL
water sample into a nanoporous filter based on bisphosphonate-modified
thermally carbonized porous silicon. The metals can be conveniently
analyzed from the filter with a portable XRF analyzer in field conditions.
The system was empirically calibrated for a lake water matrix with
neutral pH and low alkaline metal concentration. A strong correlation
between the XRF intensities and the ICP-MS results was obtained in
a concentration range from 50 to 10 000 μg/L. With a
DPO-2000C XRF analyzer, the detection limits were 103, 86, 92, 35,
44, and 43 μg/L for Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, and U, respectively.
The corresponding values with X-MET8000 Expert Geo were 137, 46, 62,
38, 29, and 54. The system was successfully validated with simulated
multielement lake water samples and piloted in field conditions. The
system provides an efficient way to monitor metals in environmental
waters in cases where quick on-site results are needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tommi E Tiihonen
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Petri A Turhanen
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jouko J Vepsäläinen
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Joakim Riikonen
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Vesa-Pekka Lehto
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wen H, Närvänen A, Jokivarsi K, Poutiainen P, Xu W, Lehto VP. A robust approach to make inorganic nanovectors biotraceable. Int J Pharm 2022; 624:122040. [PMID: 35902052 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.122040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Nuclear medicine imaging plays an important role in nanomedicine. However, it is still challenging to develop a versatile platform to make the nonviral nanovectors used in cancer therapy biotraceable. In the present study, a robust approach to radiolabel inorganic nanovectors for SPECT and PET imaging was developed. The approach was based on the bisphosphonates (BP) conjugated on the nanovector, mesoporous silicon (PSi) nanoparticles. BP served as an efficient chelator for various radionuclides. For both of the 99mTc and 68Ga radionuclides utilized, the radiochemical purity and radiochemical yield were ∼99% and ∼90%, respectively. Because of the short decay time of the radionuclides, an easy, fast and effective PEGylation method was developed to improve the residence time in systemic circulation. Both PEG-99mTc-BP-PSi and PEG-68Ga-BP-PSi NPs, where PEGylation was performed after the labeling, had excellent colloidal and radiochemical stability in vitro. The plain particles without PEGylation accumulated fast in the reticuloendothelial system organs upon intravenous administration, while PEGylation prolonged the residence time of the particles in systemic circulation. Overall, the developed approach proved to be applicable for labeling nonviral nanovectors with various radionuclides easily and robustly. Considering the nature of mesoporous nanoparticles, the approach does not hamper the addition of other functionalities on the vector, nor its capability to carry high payloads.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huang Wen
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ale Närvänen
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1B, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kimmo Jokivarsi
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Neulaniementie 2, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Pekka Poutiainen
- Kuopio University Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, Puijonlaaksontie 2, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Wujun Xu
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Vesa-Pekka Lehto
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1F, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
|