Pegylated-polycaprolactone nano-sized drug delivery platforms loaded with biocompatible silver(i) complexes for anticancer therapeutics

Differential Cytotoxicity of Surface-Functionalized Silver Nanoparticles in Colorectal Cancer and Ex-Vivo Healthy Colonocyte Models

Background/Objectives: Engineered nanomaterials, particularly silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), have emerged as promising tools in oncology due to their ability to enhance tumor targeting and minimize off-target effects. This study investigates the cytotoxic effects of two different types of AgNPs-citrate-coated (AgNPs-cit) and EG6OH-coated (AgNPs-EG6OH)-on colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines and healthy colonocytes, aiming to assess their potential as selective therapeutic agents. Methods: AgNPs-cit and AgNPs-EG6OH were synthesized and characterized for size and surface properties. LoVo (microsatellite instability-high) and HT-29 (microsatellite stable) CRC cell lines, along with primary colonocyte cultures from healthy mucosal tissues, were exposed to these nanoparticles. Cytotoxicity was assessed through MTT assays, while morphological changes were observed using fluorescence microscopy. Internalization of the nanoparticles was evaluated by confocal microscopy. Results: AgNPs-cit exhibited significant cytotoxicity in LoVo cells, reducing viability and inducing morphological changes indicative of programmed cell death, especially after 48 h of exposure. In contrast, AgNPs-EG6OH showed minimal effects on LoVo cells and no significant toxicity on HT-29 cells or primary colonocytes. Confocal microscopy confirmed nanoparticle internalization, with surface functionalization influencing the distribution patterns within cells. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that surface functionalization significantly influences the cytotoxicity of AgNPs, with citrate-coated nanoparticles showing selective effects on microsatellite instability-high CRC cells. These findings underscore the potential of surface-modified nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy and highlight the importance of tailoring nanoparticle design to optimize therapeutic efficacy while minimizing off-target effects.

Transforming Medicine with Nanobiotechnology: Nanocarriers and Their Biomedical Applications

Nanobiotechnology, at the intersection of nanotechnology and biology, represents a burgeoning field poised to revolutionize medicine through the use of advanced nanocarriers. These nanocarriers, endowed with distinctive physiobiological attributes, are instrumental in diverse therapeutic domains including drug delivery for microbial infections, cancer treatment, tissue engineering, immunotherapy, and gene therapy. Despite the transformative potential, several challenges hinder their efficacy, such as limited drug capacity, suboptimal targeting, and poor solubility. This review delves into the latest advancements in nanocarrier technologies, examining their properties, associated limitations, and the innovative solutions developed to address these issues. It highlights promising nanocarrier systems like nanocomposites, micelles, hydrogels, microneedles, and artificial cells that employ advanced conjugation techniques, sustained and stimulus-responsive release mechanisms, and enhanced solubility. By exploring these novel structures and their contributions to overcoming existing barriers, the article emphasizes the vital role of interdisciplinary research in advancing nanobiotechnology. This field offers unparalleled opportunities for precise and effective therapeutic delivery, underscoring its potential to reshape healthcare through personalized, targeted treatments and improved drug performance.

Functionalized nanoparticles: Tailoring properties through surface energetics and coordination chemistry for advanced biomedical applications

Significant advances in nanoparticle-related research have been made in the past decade, and amelioration of properties is considered of utmost importance for improving nanoparticle bioavailability, specificity, and catalytic performance. Nanoparticle properties can be tuned through in-synthesis and post-synthesis functionalization operations, with thermodynamic and kinetic parameters playing a crucial role. In spite of robust functionalization techniques based on surface chemistry, scalable technologies have not been explored well. The coordination enhancement via surface functionalization through organic/inorganic/biomolecules material has attracted much attention with morphology modification and shape tuning, which are indispensable aspects in the colloidal phase during biomedical applications. It is envisioned that surface amelioration influences the anchoring properties of nano interfaces for the immobilization of functional groups and biomolecules. In this work, various nanostructure and anchoring methodologies have been discussed, aiming to exploit their full potential in precision engineering applications. Simultaneous discussions on emerging characterization strategies for functionalized assemblies have been made to gain insights into functionalization chemistry. An overview of current advances and prospects of functionalized nanoparticles has been presented, with an emphasis on controllable attributes such as size, shape, morphology, functionality, surface features, Debye and Casimir interactions.