Innovative Gold/Cobalt Ferrite Nanocomposite: Physicochemical and Cytotoxicity Properties

The combination of plasmonic material and magnetic metal oxide nanoparticles is widely used in multifunctional nanosystems. Here we propose a method for the fabrication of a gold/cobalt ferrite nanocomposite for biomedical applications. The composite includes gold cores of ~10 nm in diameter coated with arginine, which are surrounded by small cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with diameters of ~5 nm covered with dihydrocaffeic acid. The structure and elemental composition, morphology and dimensions, magnetic and optical properties, and biocompatibility of new nanocomposite were studied. The magnetic properties of the composite are mostly determined by the superparamagnetic state of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles, and optical properties are influenced by the localized plasmon resonance in gold nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity of gold/cobalt ferrite nanocomposite was tested using T-lymphoblastic leukemia and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Studied composite has selective citotoxic effect on cancerous cells while it has no cytotoxic effect on healtly cells. The results suggest that this material can be explored in the future for combined photothermal treatment and magnetic theranostic.

Controlled Release of Doxorubicin for Targeted Chemo-Photothermal Therapy in Breast Cancer HS578T Cells Using Albumin Modified Hybrid Nanocarriers

Hybrid nanomaterials have attracted research interest owing to their intriguing properties, which may offer new diagnostic options with triggering features, able to realize a new kind of tunable nanotherapeutics. Hybrid silica/melanin nanoparticles (NPs) containing silver seeds (Me-laSil_Ag-HSA NPs) disclosed relevant photoacoustic contrast for molecular imaging. In this study we explored therapeutic function in the same nanoplatform. For this purpose, MelaSil_Ag-HSA were loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) (MelaSil_Ag-HSA@DOX) and tested to assess the efficiency of drug delivery combined with concurrent photothermal treatment. The excellent photothermal properties allowed enhanced cytotoxic activity at significantly lower doses than neat chemotherapeutic treatment. The results revealed that MelaSil_Ag-HSA@DOX is a promising platform for an integrated photothermal (PT) chemotherapy approach, reducing the efficacy concentration of the DOX and, thus, potentially limiting the several adverse side effects of the drug in in vivo treatments.

Label-free photothermal disruption of cytotoxic aggregates rescues pathology in a C. elegans model of Huntington’s disease

Aggregation of proteins is a prominent hallmark of virtually all neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Little progress has been made in their treatment to slow or prevent the formation of aggregates by post-translational modification and regulation of cellular responses to misfolded proteins. Here, we introduce a label-free, laser-based photothermal treatment of polyglutamine (polyQ) aggregates in a C. elegans nematode model of huntingtin-like polyQ aggregation. As a proof of principle, we demonstrated that nanosecond laser pulse-induced local photothermal heating can directly disrupt the aggregates so as to delay their accumulation, maintain motility, and extend the lifespan of treated nematodes. These beneficial effects were validated by confocal photothermal, fluorescence, and video imaging. The results obtained demonstrate that our theranostics platform, integrating photothermal therapy without drugs or other chemicals, combined with advanced imaging to monitor photothermal ablation of aggregates, initiates systemic recovery and thus validates the concept of aggregate-disruption treatments for neurodegenerative diseases in humans.

Polydopamine may be easily functionalized with a range of nanomaterials for synergistic cancer therapy, in addition to its exceptional photothermal effects

This review carefully reviewed recent polydopamine (PDA) research, including targeted therapy and cancer synergistic medications. Recent breakthroughs in photothermal treatment coupled with complex therapies such as gene therapy, radiation, and especially immunotherapy were highlighted. Due to their exceptional biocompatibility, degradability, low toxicity and high photothermal conversion efficiency, facile oxidative self-polymerization of dopamine can create PDA and serve as an excellent nanocarrier or photothermal cancer treatment agent. Due to its high adhesive capacity, PDA may be easily functionalized with a range of nanomaterials for synergistic cancer therapy, in addition to its exceptional photothermal effects. Although PDA-based multifunctional nanoplatforms have gained interest for synergistic cancer therapy, such as chemo-photothermal treatment and photodynamic-photothermal treatment, discovering novel uses for PDA remains tough. First, despite its easy and mild process of synthesis, large-scale synthesis with uniform size and thickness is challenging owing to the absence of consistent quality control standards. Second, due to the strong adhesive properties of PDA, multifunctional nanoplatforms are prone to aggregating in a solution. Third, to improve PDA's clinical application, its safety should be fully researched. Before being deployed in clinical settings, PDA-based multifunctional systems need additional research. A PDA-based multifunctional platform for better synergistic cancer treatment is a forward-looking strategy. In particular, PDA-based immunotherapy systems will remain a research center.Besides immunotherapy, in recent years, the integration of cancer diagnosis and treatment has gained a lot of publicity. Polyphenols have been proven to suppress tumor development and interact with metals such as Fe3+, Pt4+, Cu2+, etc (MPNs). MPNs are biocompatible, functional, pH-responsive and can escape endosomes. PDA has the potential to develop MPNs with contrasting magnetic resonance agents like gadolinium due to the enormous quantity of catechol groups on its surface, allowing magnetic resonance imaging. Polyphenols also have tumor-inhibiting effects, and PDA's photothermal activity can ablate tumors. Consequently, PDA-based MPNs might be a promising way to integrate diagnosis and treatment. Moreover, polydopamine can crosslink acrylamide and other polymers to form anticancer and antibacterial hydrogels. Increasing the stickiness of polydopamine hydrogels is now underway, paving the path for self-adhesive bioelectronics hydrogels. Bioelectron self-adhesion and other capabilities such as self-healing, transparency, and bacterio-toxicity may be supplied to polydopamine hydrogels by altering phenolquinone's redox process. A prospective future trend is using self-adhesive polydopamine hydrogels with current bioelectronic materials. We think that polydopamine hydrogels will eventually advance from skin patches to implantable integrated bioelectronics.