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Nanomedicine 2021 Apr 16:102392. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USA. Electronic address:

This paper reports a smart intracellular nanocarrier for sustainable and controlled drug release in non-invasive neuroregeneration. The nanocarrier is composed by superparamagnetic iron oxide-gold (SPIO-Au) core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) conjugated with porous coordination cages (PCCs) through the thiol-containing molecules as bridges. The negatively charged PCC-2 and positively charged PCC-3 are compared for intracellular targeting. Read More

Mol Neurobiol 2021 Apr 15. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

ENT and Head and Neck Research Center and Department, Hazrat Rasoul Akram Hospital, The Five Senses Health Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Among the various therapeutic procedures used for improving PD, stem cell-based therapy has been shown to be a promising method. Olfactory ectomesenchymal stem cells (OE-MSCs) are a great source of stem cells for PD. Also, the intranasal administration (INA) of stem cells to the neural lesion has several advantages over the other approaches to cellular injections. Read More

Nanomedicine (Lond) 2021 Apr 15. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Department of Clinical & Toxicological Analysis, Laboratory of Experimental Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 580, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil.

The low solubility and consequent poor bioavailability of ibuprofen (IBU) is a major drawback that can be overcome by anchoring IBU on ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USPIONs) as effective multifunctional carriers for drug delivery. USPIONs were conjugated with glycerol phosphate (USPION-GP) and also co-conjugated with IBU (USPION-GP/IBU), and their toxicity and anti-inflammatory effects investigated. Phosphate buffer saline (Control), IBU, USPION-GP and USPION-GP/IBU were intravenously administered 15 min before lipopolysaccharide-induced peritonitis in male Balb/c mice. Read More

Nanotheranostics 2021 24;5(3):348-361. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPION) tracers possessing long blood circulation time and tailored for magnetic particle imaging (MPI) performance are crucial for the development of this emerging molecular imaging modality. Here, single-core SPION MPI tracers coated with covalently bonded polyethyelene glycol (PEG) brushes were obtained using a semi-batch thermal decomposition synthesis with controlled addition of molecular oxygen, followed by an optimized PEG-silane ligand exchange procedure. The physical and magnetic properties, MPI performance, and blood circulation time of these newly synthesized tracers were compared to those of two commercially available SPIONs that were not tailored for MPI but are used for MPI: ferucarbotran and PEG-coated Synomag-D. Read More

NMR Biomed 2021 Apr 8:e4518. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Physics and Biology in Medicine Graduate Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Myocardial T1 reactivity, defined as the relative change in T1 between rest and vasodilator-induced stress, has been proposed as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarker of tissue perfusion. We hypothesize that the superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticle, ferumoxytol, sensitizes T1 to changes in the intramyocardial vascular compartment and improves the sensitivity and specificity of T1 reactivity as an imaging biomarker of tissue perfusion. We aim to assess the diagnostic performance of ferumoxytol-enhanced (FE) myocardial T1 reactivity in swine models of myocardial hypoperfusion. Read More

Curr Cardiovasc Imaging Rep 2021 Feb 26;14(2). Epub 2021 Feb 26.

Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

Purpose Of Review: We aim to discuss the diagnostic use of ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIOs) including ferumoxytol in targeted cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Recent Findings: Ferumoxytol is the only USPIO clinically available in the U.S. Read More

Neural Regen Res 2021 Nov;16(11):2324-2329

Department of Pediatrics, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China.

Stem cell transplantation may represent a feasible therapeutic option for the recovery of neurological function in children with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury; however, the therapeutic efficacy of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells largely depends on the number of cells that are successfully transferred to the target. Magnet-targeted drug delivery systems can use a specific magnetic field to attract the drug to the target site, increasing the drug concentration. In this study, we found that the double-labeling using superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle and poly-L-lysine (SPIO-PLL) of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells had no effect on cell survival but decreased cell proliferation 48 hours after labeling. Read More

Acta Biomater 2021 Apr 2. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nano biomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China. Electronic address:

The development of an effective delivery system for peptides targeting the tumor microenvironment has always been a hot topic of research in the field of cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this study, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO NPs) were encapsulated with H460 lung cancer cell membranes (SPIO NP@M), and two peptides, namely PD-L1 inhibitory peptide (TPP1) and MMP2 substrate peptide (PLGLLG), were conjugated to the H460 membrane (SPIO NP@M-P). Homologous targeting, cytotoxicity, and pharmacokinetics of SPIO NP@M-P were evaluated. Read More

Pharmaceutics 2021 Mar 16;13(3). Epub 2021 Mar 16.

Institute for Particle Technology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany.

Even though the administration of chemotherapeutic agents such as erlotinib is clinically established for the treatment of breast cancer, its efficiency and the therapy outcome can be greatly improved using RNA interference (RNAi) mechanisms for a combinational therapy. However, the cellular uptake of bare small interfering RNA (siRNA) is insufficient and its fast degradation in the bloodstream leads to a lacking delivery and no suitable accumulation of siRNA inside the target tissues. To address these problems, non-ionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) were used as a nanocarrier platform to encapsulate Lifeguard (LFG)-specific siRNA inside the hydrophilic core. Read More

Polymers (Basel) 2021 Mar 30;13(7). Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.

Current strategies for regeneration of large bone fractures yield limited clinical success mainly due to poor integration and healing. Multidisciplinary approaches in design and development of functional tissue engineered scaffolds are required to overcome these translational challenges. Here, a new generation of hyperelastic bone (HB) implants, loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), are 3D bioprinted and their regenerative effect on large non-healing bone fractures is studied. Read More

Nanomaterials (Basel) 2021 Mar 13;11(3). Epub 2021 Mar 13.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Section of Experimental Oncology and Nanomedicine (SEON), Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung Professorship, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) feature distinct magnetic properties that make them useful and effective tools for various diagnostic, therapeutic and theranostic applications. In particular, their use in magnetic drug targeting (MDT) promises to be an effective approach for the treatment of various diseases such as cancer. At the cellular level, SPION uptake, along with SPION-mediated toxicity, represents the most important prerequisite for successful application. Read More

Polymers (Basel) 2021 Mar 13;13(6). Epub 2021 Mar 13.

Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan.

Recently, we demonstrated the feasibility of subcutaneous transplantation of MIN6 cells embedded in a scaffold with poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether (mPEG)-poly(Ala) hydrogels. In this study, we further tracked these grafts using magnetic resonance (MR) and bioluminescence imaging. After being incubated overnight with chitosan-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide (CSPIO) nanoparticles and then mixed with mPEG-poly(Ala) hydrogels, MIN6 cells appeared as dark spots on MR scans. Read More

Bioengineering (Basel) 2021 Mar 15;8(3). Epub 2021 Mar 15.

Surface Engineering and Precision Institute, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire MK430AL, UK.

Despite the lifesaving medical discoveries of the last century, there is still an urgent need to improve the curative rate and reduce mortality in many fatal diseases such as cancer. One of the main requirements is to find new ways to deliver therapeutics/drugs more efficiently and only to affected tissues/organs. An exciting new technology is nanomaterials which are being widely investigated as potential nanocarriers to achieve localized drug delivery that would improve therapy and reduce adverse drug side effects. Read More

Nanomaterials (Basel) 2021 Mar 3;11(3). Epub 2021 Mar 3.

Department of Applied Physics, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.

The use of magnetic nanoparticles in hyperthermia, that is, heating induced by alternating magnetic fields, is gaining interest as a non-invasive, free of side effects technique that can be considered as a co-adjuvant of other cancer treatments. Having sufficient control on the field characteristics, within admissible limits, the focus is presently on the magnetic material. In the present contribution, no attempt has been made of using other composition than superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION), or of applying surface functionalization, which opens a wider range of choices. Read More

Brain Sci 2021 Mar 11;11(3). Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Dijon University Hospital, 21000 Dijon, France.

Drug delivery and distribution in the central nervous system (CNS) and the inner ear represent a challenge for the medical and scientific world, especially because of the blood-brain and the blood-perilymph barriers. Solutions are being studied to circumvent or to facilitate drug diffusion across these structures. Using superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), which can be coated to change their properties and ensure biocompatibility, represents a promising tool as a drug carrier. Read More

Nano Lett 2021 Apr 2;21(7):2730-2737. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, International Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials Technology and Application, CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.

Recently, magnetic particle imaging (MPI) has shown diverse biomedical applications such as cell tracking, lung perfusion, image-guided hyperthermia, and so forth. However, the currently reported MPI agents cannot achieve the possible theoretical detection limit of MPI (20 nM). A previous theoretical study has shown that the MPI performance of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) can be enhanced by carbon supporting and metal doping. Read More

Nanotechnology 2021 Mar 31. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Łukasiewicz Research Network - PORT Polish Center for Technology Development, Wroclaw, Dolnośląskie, POLAND.

We present the studies of structural and magnetic properties of graphene composites prepared with several quantities of a-Fe2O3 dopant of 5, 25 and 50% made with either ethanol or acetone. Our studies showed the presence of a weak magnetic order up to room temperature and saturation magnetization of about 0.2 emu/g in pure commercial graphene. Read More

Invest Radiol 2021 Mar 19. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

From the Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health Berlin Institute of Health Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany Department of Radiology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, United Kingdom, St Thomas' Hospital British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, London, United Kingdom Department of Radiology, TU München, München, Germany.

Objectives: Macrophages accumulating in the periablational rim play a pivotal role in initiating and sustaining the perifocal inflammatory reaction, which has been shown to be at least 1 of the mechanisms responsible for the systemic pro-oncogenic effects of focal hepatic radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Herein, we tested the hypothesis to use superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPION)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for noninvasive quantification of iron-loaded macrophages in the periablational rim of VX2 tumor-bearing rabbits.

Materials And Methods: Twelve VX2 tumor-bearing rabbits underwent MRI immediately after and up to 3 weeks after focal hepatic RFA. Read More

J Pharm Sci 2021 Mar 27. Epub 2021 Mar 27.

Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China; Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Center, Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510315, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

Glioma-targeted drug delivery is a hugely challenging task because of the multibarrier in the brain. In this study, we report a magnetic T7 peptide&AS1411 aptamer-modified microemulsion for triple glioma-targeted delivery of shikonin and docetaxel (FeO@T7/AS1411/DTX&SKN-M). Such a system comprises two tumor-targeted ligands (T7 peptide and AS1411 aptamer), ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (FeO), and shikonin&docetaxel-coloaded microemulsion (SKN&DTX-M). Read More

J Biomed Nanotechnol 2021 Feb;17(2):205-215

Medical Imaging Research Institute, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong 264003, P. R. China.

Imaging-guided cancer theranostic is a promising strategy for cancer diagnostic and therapeutic. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), as an approved treatment modality, is limited by the poor solubility and dispersion of photosensitizers (PS) in biological fluids. Herein, it is demonstrated that superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-based nanoparticles (SCFs), prepared by conjugated with Chlorin e6 (Ce6) and modified with folic acid (FA) on the surface, can be used as versatile drug delivery vehicles for effective PDT. Read More

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021 Apr 29;13(14):16784-16800. Epub 2021 Mar 29.

Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, UMR 7504, Strasbourg F-67000, France.

Nanoparticles that combine several magnetic phases offer wide perspectives for cutting edge applications because of the high modularity of their magnetic properties. Besides the addition of the magnetic characteristics intrinsic to each phase, the interface that results from core-shell and, further, from onion structures leads to synergistic properties such as magnetic exchange coupling. Such a phenomenon is of high interest to overcome the superparamagnetic limit of iron oxide nanoparticles which hampers potential applications such as data storage or sensors. Read More

ACS Omega 2021 Mar 10;6(11):7598-7604. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Howell Science Complex, Greenville, North Carolina 27858, United States.

We investigated the magnetic control of the Mn photoluminescence (PL) in iron oxide/l-cysteine-capped zinc sulfide (FeO/l-cys ZnS:Mn) nanocomposites via temperature- and field-dependent PL intensity studies. FeO/l-cys ZnS:Mn was synthesized following a wet chemical deposition route and then its physicochemical, morphological, and magnetic properties were characterized. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the formation of a semiconducting composite material with coexisting phases with high crystalline quality and purity. Read More

Int J Nanomedicine 2021 19;16:2283-2295. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541004, People's Republic of China.

Background: Paclitaxel (PTX) has interesting anticancer activity. However, it is insoluble in water, which seriously hinders its use in clinical. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are used as an ideal drug delivery system. Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Mar 26;11(1):6999. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

National University of Science and Technology (MISiS), 119049, Moscow, Russia.

Detailed calculations of the specific absorption rate (SAR) of a dilute assembly of iron oxide nanoparticles with effective uniaxial anisotropy dispersed in a liquid are performed depending on the particle diameters, the alternating (ac) magnetic field amplitude H and the liquid viscosity. For small and moderate H values with respect to particle anisotropy field H the SAR of the assembly as a function of the particle diameter passes through a characteristic maximum and then reaches a plateau, whereas for sufficiently large amplitudes, H ~ H, the SAR increases monotonically as a function of diameter. The realization of viscous and magnetic oscillation modes for particle unit magnetization vector and director for moderate and sufficiently large H values, respectively, explains this behavior. Read More

Phys Med Biol 2021 Mar 25. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Section for Biomedical Imaging, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Hamburg, GERMANY.

Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is a tomographic imaging technique for determining the spatial distribution of superparamagnetic nanoparticles. Current MPI systems are capable of imaging iron masses over a wide dynamic range of more than four orders of magnitude. In theory, this range could be further increased using adaptive amplifiers, which prevent signal clipping. Read More

ACS Appl Nano Mater 2021 Jan 21;4(1):167-181. Epub 2020 Dec 21.

Regenerative Medicine & Cellular Therapies Division, The University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute (BDI), School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.

Non-viral delivery systems are generally of low efficiency, which limits their use in gene therapy and editing applications. We previously developed a technology termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-binding enhanced transduction (GET) to efficiently deliver a variety of cargos intracellularly; our system employs GAG-binding peptides, which promote cell targeting, and cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), which enhance endocytotic cell internalization. Herein, we describe a further modification by combining gene delivery and magnetic targeting with the GET technology. Read More

Biomed Eng Lett 2021 Feb 8;11(1):39-53. Epub 2021 Jan 8.

Research Institute of Hearing Enhancement, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, 26426 South Korea.

Recently, application of stem cell therapy in regenerative medicine has become an active field of study. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to have a strong ability for homing. MSCs labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) exhibit enhanced homing due to magnetic attraction. Read More

Mol Imaging 2021 15;2021:6677847. Epub 2021 Jan 15.

3dmi Research Group, Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece.

Molecular imaging holds great promise in the noninvasive monitoring of several diseases with nanoparticles (NPs) being considered an efficient imaging tool for cancer, central nervous system, and heart- or bone-related diseases and for disorders of the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS). In the present study, we used an iron-based nanoformulation, already established as an MRI/SPECT probe, as well as to load different biomolecules, to investigate its potential for nuclear planar and tomographic imaging of several target tissues following its distribution via different administration routes. Iron-doped hydroxyapatite NPs (FeHA) were radiolabeled with the single photon -emitting imaging agent [Tc]TcMDP. Read More

Huan Jing Ke Xue 2021 Mar;42(3):1523-1534

College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.

Using FeO and hydroxyapatite as raw materials, superparamagnetic nanometer-sized FeO-phosphate functionalized materials (MFH) were prepared. Soil was subsequently magnetically repaired by adding MFH to cadmium-contaminated paddy field soil. Two kinds of rice with high (Yuzhenxiang) and low (Xiangwanxian-13) cadmium enrichment were selected for conduct pot experiments to study the effect of MFH magnetic separation on soil microorganisms and enzymes, and explore the possibility of application in the remediation of cadmium-polluted farmland. Read More

Small 2021 Apr 18;17(14):e2005241. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

UCL Cancer Institute, University College London (UCL), Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.

Magnetic hyperthermia (MH) harnesses the heat-releasing properties of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and has potential to stimulate immune activation in the tumor microenvironment whilst sparing surrounding normal tissues. To assess feasibility of localized MH in vivo, SPIONs are injected intratumorally and their fate tracked by Zirconium-89-positron emission tomography, histological analysis, and electron microscopy. Experiments show that an average of 49% (21-87%, n = 9) of SPIONs are retained within the tumor or immediately surrounding tissue. Read More