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Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews (v.62, #3)
Design and fabrication of magnetic nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery and imaging by Omid Veiseh; Jonathan W. Gunn; Miqin Zhang (pp. 284-304).
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) represent a class of non-invasive imaging agents that have been developed for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. These MNPs have traditionally been used for disease imaging via passive targeting, but recent advances have opened the door to cellular-specific targeting, drug delivery, and multi-modal imaging by these nanoparticles. As more elaborate MNPs are envisioned, adherence to proper design criteria (e.g. size, coating, molecular functionalization) becomes even more essential. This review summarizes the design parameters that affect MNP performance in vivo, including the physicochemical properties and nanoparticle surface modifications, such as MNP coating and targeting ligand functionalizations that can enhance MNP management of biological barriers. A careful review of the chemistries used to modify the surfaces of MNPs is also given, with attention paid to optimizing the activity of bound ligands while maintaining favorable physicochemical properties.
Keywords: Magnetic nanoparticle; Molecular targeting; MRI; Contrast agents; Gene therapy; Drug release; Bioconjugation; Biological barriers; Blood Brain Barrier; Surface modification; Physicochemical properties
Nanoporous inorganic membranes or coatings for sustained drug delivery in implantable devices by Evin Gultepe; Dattatri Nagesha; Srinivas Sridhar; Mansoor Amiji (pp. 305-315).
The characteristics of nanoporous inorganic coatings on implants or on implantable devices are reviewed. The commonly used nanoporous materials, such as aluminum oxide (Al2O3), titanium oxide (TiO2) and porous silicon are highlighted with illustrative examples. The critical issues for sustained release systems are examined and the elution profiles of nanoporous coatings are discussed. The available data shows that these systems can be used effectively for sustained release applications. They satisfy the basic biocompatibility tests, meet the requirements of drug loading and sustained release profiles extending to several weeks and also are compatible with current implant technologies. Nanoporous inorganic coatings are well suited to provide improved efficacy and integration of implants in a variety of therapeutic situations.
Keywords: Drug release; Alumina; Titania; Porous silicon; Biocompatibility; Implant coatings
Nanoparticles for detection and diagnosis by Sarit S. Agasti; Subinoy Rana; Myoung-Hwan Park; Chae Kyu Kim; Chang-Cheng You; Vincent M. Rotello (pp. 316-328).
Nanoparticle based platforms for identification of chemical and biological agents offer substantial benefits to biomedical and environmental science. These platforms benefit from the availability of a wide variety of core materials as well as the unique physical and chemical properties of these nanoscale materials. This review surveys some of the emerging approaches in the field of nanoparticle based detection systems, highlighting the nanoparticle based screening methods for metal ions, proteins, nucleic acids, and biologically relevant small molecules.
Keywords: Nanoparticles; Assembly; Absorbance; Surface plasmon band; Fluorescence; Protein; DNA; Bacteria
Modified natural nanoparticles as contrast agents for medical imaging by David P. Cormode; Peter A. Jarzyna; Willem J.M. Mulder; Zahi A. Fayad (pp. 329-338).
The development of novel and effective contrast agents is one of the drivers of the ongoing improvement in medical imaging. Many of the new agents reported are nanoparticle-based. There are a variety of natural nanoparticles known, e.g. lipoproteins, viruses or ferritin. Natural nanoparticles have advantages as delivery platforms such as biodegradability. In addition, our understanding of natural nanoparticles is quite advanced, allowing their adaptation as contrast agents. They can be labeled with small molecules or ions such as Gd3+ to act as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging,18F to act as positron emission tomography contrast agents or fluorophores to act as contrast agents for fluorescence techniques. Additionally, inorganic nanoparticles such as iron oxide, gold nanoparticles or quantum dots can be incorporated to add further contrast functionality. Furthermore, these natural nanoparticle contrast agents can be re-routed from their natural targets via the attachment of targeting molecules. In this review, we discuss the various modified natural nanoparticles that have been exploited as contrast agents.
Keywords: Nanoparticles; Contrast agents; Medical imaging; Lipoproteins; Viruses; MRI
Targeted hyperthermia using metal nanoparticles by Paul Cherukuri; Evan S. Glazer; Steven A. Curley (pp. 339-345).
Despite the use of hyperthermia to treat cancer for thousands of years, the challenge of only heating malignant cells remains daunting. In pre-clinical and early clinical trials, metal nanoparticles induce hyperthermic cytotoxicity when exposed to near-infrared radiation or radiofrequency fields. We discuss the emerging roles of nanoparticles, especially gold, in the hyperthermic treatment of cancer. In addition, we discuss the similarities of radiofrequency ablation and nanoparticle mediated cytotoxicity.
Keywords: Radiofrequency; Thermal therapy; Inorganic nanoparticles
Fabrication of gold nanoparticles for targeted therapy in pancreatic cancer by Chitta Ranjan Patra; Resham Bhattacharya; Debabrata Mukhopadhyay; Priyabrata Mukherjee (pp. 346-361).
The targeted delivery of a drug should result in enhanced therapeutic efficacy with low to minimal side effects. This is a widely accepted concept, but limited in application due to lack of available technologies and process of validation. Biomedical nanotechnology can play an important role in this respect. Biomedical nanotechnology is a burgeoning field with myriads of opportunities and possibilities for advancing medical science and disease treatment. Cancer nanotechnology (1–100nm size range) is expected to change the very foundations of cancer treatment, diagnosis and detection. Nanomaterials, especially gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have unique physico-chemical properties, such as ultra small size, large surface area to mass ratio, and high surface reactivity, presence of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands, biocompatibility and ease of surface functionalization. In this review, we will discuss how the unique physico-chemical properties of gold nanoparticles may be utilized for targeted drug delivery in pancreatic cancer leading to increased efficacy of traditional chemotherapeutics.
Keywords: Gold nanoparticles; Drug delivery; EGFR; Tyrosine kinase; Anti-cancer drugs; Pancreatic cancer; Colloidal gold nanoparticles; AuNPs; Fabrication; Targeted therapy
Better safe than sorry: Understanding the toxicological properties of inorganic nanoparticles manufactured for biomedical applications by Bengt Fadeel; Alfonso E. Garcia-Bennett (pp. 362-374).
The development of nanoparticles for biomedical applications including medical imaging and drug delivery is currently undergoing a dramatic expansion. However, as the range of nanoparticle types and applications increases, it is also clear that the potential toxicities of these novel materials and the properties driving such toxic responses must also be understood. Indeed, a detailed assessment of the factors that influence the biocompatibility and/or toxicity of nanoparticles is crucial for the safe and sustainable development of the emerging nanotechnologies. This review summarizes some of the recent developments in the field of nanomedicine with particular emphasis on inorganic nanoparticles for drug delivery. The synthesis routes, physico-chemical characteristics, and cytotoxic properties of inorganic nanoparticles are thus explored and lessons learned from the toxicological investigation of three common types of engineered nanomaterials of titania, gold, and mesoporous silica are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the recognition versus non-recognition of engineered nanomaterials by the immune system, the primary surveillance system against microorganisms and particles, which, in turn, is intimately linked to the issue of targeted drug delivery using such nanomaterials as carrier systems.
Keywords: Titania; Gold; Mesoporous silica; Nanoparticles; Biocompatibility; Drug delivery; Nanotoxicology