Themed collection Functional Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

Editorial for the themed issue “Functional nanoparticles for biomedical applications”.

We review the use of magnetic nanoparticles for stem cell tracking by MRI and propose a novel strategy with active targeting of nanoparticles towards specific cell populations.

The high potential of up-converting and near-infrared emitting lanthanide (Ln³⁺)-based nanomaterials such as Y₂O₃:Ln³⁺ or Gd₂O₃:Ln³⁺ for bioimaging is demonstrated.

Display of a biorecognition signal may be controlled by addition of DNA in a sequence specific manner.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are labeled with manganese to provide high relaxivities and strong positive MRI contrast enhancement in cell tracking studies.

Silica nanoparticles with covalently coupled antibody M75 specifically bind to the PG domain of carbonic anhydrase IX under a variety of flow conditions.

This work describes the design and optimization of multimodal MRI and fluorescent nanoplatforms targeting integrins overexpressed by tumor cells.

25 nm Brownian iron oxide nanoparticles were PEGylated and labeled with Herceptin via mild conjugation chemistry.

Original core/corona nanoparticles were assessed as drug delivery systems sensitive to pH, ionic strength and/or temperature variations.

Tetraphosphonate cavitand and PEG were anchored onto magnetic nanoparticles using phosphonic linkers. Obtained multifunctional nanoparticles combined biocompatibility with good magnetic and complexation properties.

Cisplatin was intercalated into zirconium phosphate nanoparticles and tested in vitro for cytotoxicity in human breast cancer cells showing anti-cancer activity.

Cell responses to maghemite nanoparticles significantly vary depending on the physicochemical properties resulting from their coating and the cell type.

ZnO (−) NPs are better absorbed by the systemic circulation in both particulate and zinc ionic forms, localize in tissue primarily as Zn²⁺ ions, and then are eliminated from the body in the same manner as zinc ions, regardless of particle size or gender.

Photoexcitation DNA targeted Fe₃O₄@TiO₂ nanocomposites using hnRNPK protein as a targeting moiety resulted in production of ROS close to the DNA which initiated significant DNA cleavage and apoptosis.

Hybrid multimodal core–shell FITC–gadolinium oxide nanoparticles to sensitively detect and quantify in vivo immune human therapeutic cells with MRI via bright spots.

Micromixer technology enables continuous manufacturing of multifunctional magnetic and drug-loaded polymersomes for cancer theranostics.

Magnetic and non-magnetic methods for determination of the metabolic routes for iron oxide nanoparticles chemically modified with DMSA and PEG in rats.

Cell-released vesicles are engineered to camouflage iron oxide nanoparticles, nanocubes, quantum dots, gold-based nanoparticles and gold-iron oxide nanodimers, either single or multiple components. These hybrid vesicles can be monitored by MRI and/or fluorescence imaging methods, while acting as efficient nano-heaters.