Vibrational spectroscopy and imaging for concurrent cellular trafficking of co-localized doxorubicin and deuterated phospholipid vesicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misra, S. K.; Mukherjee, P.; Ohoka, A.; Schwartz-Duval, A. S.; Tiwari, S.; Bhargava, R.; Pan, D.

2016-01-01

Simultaneous tracking of nanoparticles and encapsulated payload is of great importance and visualizing their activity is arduous. Here we use vibrational spectroscopy to study the in vitro tracking of co-localized lipid nanoparticles and encapsulated drug employing a model system derived from doxorubicin-encapsulated deuterated phospholipid (dodecyl phosphocholine-d38) single tailed phospholipid vesicles.Simultaneous tracking of nanoparticles and encapsulated payload is of great importance and visualizing their activity is arduous. Here we use vibrational spectroscopy to study the in vitro tracking of co-localized lipid nanoparticles and encapsulated drug employing a model system derived from doxorubicin-encapsulated deuterated phospholipid (dodecyl phosphocholine-d38) single tailed phospholipid vesicles. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Raman and confocal images of the Deuto-DOX-NPs in cells, materials and details of methods. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr07975f

Real-time particle tracking for studying intracellular trafficking of pharmaceutical nanocarriers.

PubMed

Huang, Feiran; Watson, Erin; Dempsey, Christopher; Suh, Junghae

2013-01-01

Real-time particle tracking is a technique that combines fluorescence microscopy with object tracking and computing and can be used to extract quantitative transport parameters for small particles inside cells. Since the success of a nanocarrier can often be determined by how effectively it delivers cargo to the target organelle, understanding the complex intracellular transport of pharmaceutical nanocarriers is critical. Real-time particle tracking provides insight into the dynamics of the intracellular behavior of nanoparticles, which may lead to significant improvements in the design and development of novel delivery systems. Unfortunately, this technique is not often fully understood, limiting its implementation by researchers in the field of nanomedicine. In this chapter, one of the most complicated aspects of particle tracking, the mean square displacement (MSD) calculation, is explained in a simple manner designed for the novice particle tracker. Pseudo code for performing the MSD calculation in MATLAB is also provided. This chapter contains clear and comprehensive instructions for a series of basic procedures in the technique of particle tracking. Instructions for performing confocal microscopy of nanoparticle samples are provided, and two methods of determining particle trajectories that do not require commercial particle-tracking software are provided. Trajectory analysis and determination of the tracking resolution are also explained. By providing comprehensive instructions needed to perform particle-tracking experiments, this chapter will enable researchers to gain new insight into the intracellular dynamics of nanocarriers, potentially leading to the development of more effective and intelligent therapeutic delivery vectors.

Innovative molecular-based fluorescent nanoparticles for multicolor single particle tracking in cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniel, Jonathan; Godin, Antoine G.; Palayret, Matthieu; Lounis, Brahim; Cognet, Laurent; Blanchard-Desce, Mireille

2016-03-01

Based on an original molecular-based design, we present bright and photostable fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) showing excellent colloidal stability in various aqueous environments. Complementary near-infrared emitting and green emitting FONs were prepared using a simple, fast and robust protocol. Both types of FONs could be simultaneously imaged at the single-particle level in solution as well as in biological environments using a monochromatic excitation and a dual-color fluorescence microscope. No evidence of acute cytotoxicity was found upon incubation of live cells with mixed solutions of FONs, and both types of nanoparticles were found internalized in the cells where their motion could be simultaneously tracked at video-rate up to minutes. These fluorescent organic nanoparticles open a novel non-toxic alternative to existing nanoparticles for imaging biological structures, compatible with live-cell experiments and specially fitted for multicolor single particle tracking.

Numerical simulation of magnetic nanoparticles targeting in a bifurcation vessel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larimi, M. M.; Ramiar, A.; Ranjbar, A. A.

2014-08-01

Guiding magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with the help of an external magnetic field to its target is the principle behind the development of super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) as novel drug delivery vehicles. The present paper is devoted to study on MDT (Magnetic Drug Targeting) technique by particle tracking in the presence of magnetic field in a bifurcation vessel. The blood flow in bifurcation is considered incompressible, unsteady and Newtonian. The flow analysis applies the time dependent, two dimensional, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for Newtonian fluids. The Lagrangian particle tracking is performed to estimate particle behavior under influence of imposed magnetic field gradients along the bifurcation. According to the results, the magnetic field increased the volume fraction of particle in target region, but in vessels with high Reynolds number, the efficiency of MDT technique is very low. Also the results showed that in the bifurcation vessels with lower angles, wall shear stress is higher and consequently the risk of the vessel wall rupture increases.

Confocal three dimensional tracking of a single nanoparticle with concurrent spectroscopic readouts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cang, Hu; Wong, Chung M.; Xu, C. Shan; Rizvi, Abbas H.; Yang, Haw

2006-05-01

We present an apparatus that noninvasively tracks a moving nanoparticle in three dimensions while providing concurrent sequential spectroscopic measurements. The design, based on confocal microscopy, uses a near-infrared laser and a dark-field condenser for illumination of a gold nanoparticle. By monitoring the scattered light from the nanoparticle and using a piezoelectric stage, the system was able to continuously bring the diffusive particle in a glycerol/water solution back to the focal volume with spatial resolution and response time of less than 210nm and a millisecond, respectively.

In Situ Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles in a Hydrogel of Carboxymethyl Cellulose with Phthalated-Cashew Gum as a Promising Antibacterial and Healing Agent.

PubMed

Lustosa, Ana Karina Marques Fortes; de Jesus Oliveira, Antônia Carla; Quelemes, Patrick Veras; Plácido, Alexandra; da Silva, Francilene Vieira; Oliveira, Irisdalva Sousa; de Almeida, Miguel Peixoto; Amorim, Adriany das Graças Nascimento; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; de Oliveira, Rita de Cássia Meneses; da Silva, Durcilene Alves; Eaton, Peter; de Almeida Leite, José Roberto de Souza

2017-11-12

Silver nanoparticles have been shown to possess considerable antibacterial activity, but in vivo applications have been limited due to the inherent, but low, toxicity of silver. On the other hand, silver nanoparticles could provide cutaneous protection against infection, due to their ability to liberate silver ions via a slow release mechanism, and their broad-spectrum antimicrobial action. Thus, in this work, we describe the development of a carboxymethyl cellulose-based hydrogel containing silver nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were prepared in the hydrogel in situ, utilizing two variants of cashew gum as a capping agent, and sodium borohydride as the reducing agent. This gum is non-toxic and comes from a renewable natural source. The particles and gel were thoroughly characterized through using rheological measurements, UV-vis spectroscopy, nanoparticles tracking analysis, and transmission electron microscopy analysis (TEM). Antibacterial tests were carried out, confirming antimicrobial action of the silver nanoparticle-loaded gels. Furthermore, rat wound-healing models were used and demonstrated that the gels exhibited improved wound healing when compared to the base hydrogel as a control. Thus, these gels are proposed as excellent candidates for use as wound-healing treatments.

In Situ Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles in a Hydrogel of Carboxymethyl Cellulose with Phthalated-Cashew Gum as a Promising Antibacterial and Healing Agent

PubMed Central

Lustosa, Ana Karina Marques Fortes; de Jesus Oliveira, Antônia Carla; Quelemes, Patrick Veras; Plácido, Alexandra; da Silva, Francilene Vieira; Oliveira, Irisdalva Sousa; de Almeida, Miguel Peixoto; Amorim, Adriany das Graças Nascimento; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; de Oliveira, Rita de Cássia Meneses; da Silva, Durcilene Alves

2017-01-01

Silver nanoparticles have been shown to possess considerable antibacterial activity, but in vivo applications have been limited due to the inherent, but low, toxicity of silver. On the other hand, silver nanoparticles could provide cutaneous protection against infection, due to their ability to liberate silver ions via a slow release mechanism, and their broad-spectrum antimicrobial action. Thus, in this work, we describe the development of a carboxymethyl cellulose-based hydrogel containing silver nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were prepared in the hydrogel in situ, utilizing two variants of cashew gum as a capping agent, and sodium borohydride as the reducing agent. This gum is non-toxic and comes from a renewable natural source. The particles and gel were thoroughly characterized through using rheological measurements, UV-vis spectroscopy, nanoparticles tracking analysis, and transmission electron microscopy analysis (TEM). Antibacterial tests were carried out, confirming antimicrobial action of the silver nanoparticle-loaded gels. Furthermore, rat wound-healing models were used and demonstrated that the gels exhibited improved wound healing when compared to the base hydrogel as a control. Thus, these gels are proposed as excellent candidates for use as wound-healing treatments. PMID:29137157

"Synthesis, characterization and studies on antioxidant activity of silver nanoparticles using Elephantopus scaber leaf extract".

PubMed

Kharat, Sopan N; Mendhulkar, Vijay D

2016-05-01

The simple, eco-friendly and cost effective method of green synthesis of silver nanoparticle in the leaf extract of medicinal plant Elephantopus scaber L. is illustrated in the present work. The synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were characterized with UV-Vis-spectroscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The UV-spectra show maximum absorbance at 435 nm, NTA analysis shows 78 nm average sizes of nanoparticles, TEM analysis indicates spherical shape of the nanoparticles with the average diameter of 50 nm. The XRD peaks at 2θ range of 30-80° correspond to (111), (200), (220), (311) reflection planes that indicate the structure of metallic silver. FTIR analysis reveals surface capping of phenolic groups. Existence of peaks in the range of 1611 to 1400 cm(-1) indicates the presence of aromatic rings in the leaf extract. The peak at 1109 cm(-1) is due to the presence of OH groups. The antioxidant activity of synthesized nanoparticles was evaluated performing DPPH assay and it is observed that the photosynthesized nanoparticle also possesses antioxidant potentials. Thus, it can be used as potential free radical scavenger. Silver particles have tremendous applications in the field of diagnostics and therapeutics. To this context, the surface coating of plant metabolite constituents has great potentials. Therefore, the present work has been undertaken to synthesize the AgNPs using leaf extract of medicinal plant, E. scaber, to characterize and access their antioxidant properties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical barcoding of PLGA for multispectral analysis of nanoparticle fate in vivo.

PubMed

Medina, David X; Householder, Kyle T; Ceton, Ricki; Kovalik, Tina; Heffernan, John M; Shankar, Rohini V; Bowser, Robert P; Wechsler-Reya, Robert J; Sirianni, Rachael W

2017-05-10

Understanding of the mechanisms by which systemically administered nanoparticles achieve delivery across biological barriers remains incomplete, due in part to the challenge of tracking nanoparticle fate in the body. Here, we develop a new approach for "barcoding" nanoparticles composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) with bright, spectrally defined quantum dots (QDs) to enable direct, fluorescent detection of nanoparticle fate with subcellular resolution. We show that QD labeling does not affect major biophysical properties of nanoparticles or their interaction with cells and tissues. Live cell imaging enabled simultaneous visualization of the interaction of control and targeted nanoparticles with bEnd.3 cells in a flow chamber, providing direct evidence that surface modification of nanoparticles with the cell-penetrating peptide TAT increases their biophysical association with cell surfaces over very short time periods under convective current. We next developed this technique for quantitative biodistribution analysis in vivo. These studies demonstrate that nanoparticle surface modification with the cell penetrating peptide TAT facilitates brain-specific delivery that is restricted to brain vasculature. Although nanoparticle entry into the healthy brain parenchyma is minimal, with no evidence for movement of nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), we observed that nanoparticles are able to enter to the central nervous system (CNS) through regions of altered BBB permeability - for example, into circumventricular organs in the brain or leaky vasculature of late-stage intracranial tumors. In sum, these data demonstrate a new, multispectral approach for barcoding PLGA, which enables simultaneous, quantitative analysis of the fate of multiple nanoparticle formulations in vivo. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Visualization of lipids and proteins at high spatial and temporal resolution via interferometric scattering (iSCAT) microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spindler, Susann; Ehrig, Jens; König, Katharina; Nowak, Tristan; Piliarik, Marek; Stein, Hannah E.; Taylor, Richard W.; Garanger, Elisabeth; Lecommandoux, Sébastien; Alves, Isabel D.; Sandoghdar, Vahid

2016-07-01

Microscopy based on the interferometric detection of light scattered from nanoparticles (iSCAT) was introduced in our laboratory more than a decade ago. In this work, we present various capabilities of iSCAT for biological studies by discussing a selection of our recent results. In particular, we show tracking of lipid molecules in supported lipid bilayers (SLBs), tracking of gold nanoparticles with diameters as small as 5 nm and at frame rates close to 1 MHz, 3D tracking of Tat peptide-coated nanoparticles on giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), imaging the formation of lipid bilayers, sensing single unlabelled proteins and tracking their motion under electric fields, as well as challenges of studying live cell membranes. These studies set the ground for future quantitative research on dynamic biophysical processes at the nanometer scale.

Selective counting and sizing of single virus particles using fluorescent aptamer-based nanoparticle tracking analysis.

PubMed

Szakács, Zoltán; Mészáros, Tamás; de Jonge, Marien I; Gyurcsányi, Róbert E

2018-05-30

Detection and counting of single virus particles in liquid samples are largely limited to narrow size distribution of viruses and purified formulations. To address these limitations, here we propose a calibration-free method that enables concurrently the selective recognition, counting and sizing of virus particles as demonstrated through the detection of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), an enveloped virus with a broad size distribution, in throat swab samples. RSV viruses were selectively labeled through their attachment glycoproteins (G) with fluorescent aptamers, which further enabled their identification, sizing and counting at the single particle level by fluorescent nanoparticle tracking analysis. The proposed approach seems to be generally applicable to virus detection and quantification. Moreover, it could be successfully applied to detect single RSV particles in swab samples of diagnostic relevance. Since the selective recognition is associated with the sizing of each detected particle, this method enables to discriminate viral elements linked to the virus as well as various virus forms and associations.

Modeling the atomistic growth behavior of gold nanoparticles in solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, C. Heath; Lei, Yu; Bao, Yuping

2016-04-01

The properties of gold nanoparticles strongly depend on their three-dimensional atomic structure, leading to an increased emphasis on controlling and predicting nanoparticle structural evolution during the synthesis process. In order to provide this atomistic-level insight and establish a link to the experimentally-observed growth behavior, a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation (KMC) approach is developed for capturing Au nanoparticle growth characteristics. The advantage of this approach is that, compared to traditional molecular dynamics simulations, the atomistic nanoparticle structural evolution can be tracked on time scales that approach the actual experiments. This has enabled several different comparisons against experimental benchmarks, and it has helped transition the KMC simulations from a hypothetical toy model into a more experimentally-relevant test-bed. The model is initially parameterized by performing a series of automated comparisons of Au nanoparticle growth curves versus the experimental observations, and then the refined model allows for detailed structural analysis of the nanoparticle growth behavior. Although the Au nanoparticles are roughly spherical, the maximum/minimum dimensions deviate from the average by approximately 12.5%, which is consistent with the corresponding experiments. Also, a surface texture analysis highlights the changes in the surface structure as a function of time. While the nanoparticles show similar surface structures throughout the growth process, there can be some significant differences during the initial growth at different synthesis conditions.

Calcium phosphate nanoparticles as versatile carrier for small and large molecules across cell membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokolova, Viktoriya; Rotan, Olga; Klesing, Jan; Nalbant, Perihan; Buer, Jan; Knuschke, Torben; Westendorf, Astrid M.; Epple, Matthias

2012-06-01

The successful transport of molecules across the cell membrane is a key point in biology and medicine. In most cases, molecules alone cannot penetrate the cell membrane, therefore an efficient carrier is needed. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles (diameter: 100-250 nm, depending on the functionalization) were loaded with fluorescent oligonucleotides, peptide, proteins, antibodies, polymers or porphyrins and characterized by dynamic light scattering, nanoparticle tracking analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Any excess of molecules was removed by ultracentrifugation, and the dissolved molecules at the same concentration were used as control. The uptake of such fluorescence-labeled nanoparticles into HeLa cells was monitored by fluorescence microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles were able to transport all molecules across the cell membrane, whereas the dissolved molecules alone were taken up only to a very small extent or even not at all.

Bioluminescent magnetic nanoparticles as potential imaging agents for mammalian spermatozoa.

PubMed

Vasquez, Erick S; Feugang, Jean M; Willard, Scott T; Ryan, Peter L; Walters, Keisha B

2016-03-17

Nanoparticles have emerged as key materials for developing applications in nanomedicine, nanobiotechnology, bioimaging and theranostics. Existing bioimaging technologies include bioluminescent resonance energy transfer-conjugated quantum dots (BRET-QDs). Despite the current use of BRET-QDs for bioimaging, there are strong concerns about QD nanocomposites containing cadmium which exhibits potential cellular toxicity. In this study, bioluminescent composites comprised of magnetic nanoparticles and firefly luciferase (Photinus pyralis) are examined as potential light-emitting agents for imaging, detection, and tracking mammalian spermatozoa. Characterization was carried out using infrared spectroscopy, TEM and cryo-TEM imaging, and ζ-potential measurements to demonstrate the successful preparation of these nanocomposites. Binding interactions between the synthesized nanoparticles and spermatozoon were characterized using confocal and atomic/magnetic force microscopy. Bioluminescence imaging and UV-visible-NIR microscopy results showed light emission from sperm samples incubated with the firefly luciferase-modified nanoparticles. Therefore, these newly synthesized luciferase-modified magnetic nanoparticles show promise as substitutes for QD labeling, and can potentially also be used for in vivo manipulation and tracking, as well as MRI techniques. These preliminary data indicate that luciferase-magnetic nanoparticle composites can potentially be used for spermatozoa detection and imaging. Their magnetic properties add additional functionality to allow for manipulation, sorting, or tracking of cells using magnetic techniques.

Design and Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticle Contrast Agents for Atherosclerosis Imaging with Computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chhour, Peter

Cell tracking offers the opportunity to study migration and localization of cells in vivo, allowing investigations of disease mechanisms and drug efficacy. Monocytes play a key role in the progression of atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries. While x-ray computed tomography (CT) is commonly used to clinically assess coronary plaque burden, cell tracking with CT is mostly unexplored. The establishment of monocyte cell tracking tools would allow for the direct investigation of gene and drug therapies aimed at monocyte recruitment in atherosclerosis. In this thesis, we present the design and optimization of gold nanoparticles as CT contrast agents for cell tracking of monocyte recruitment to atherosclerotic plaques. Gold nanoparticle polymer constructs with controlled localization are evaluated as potential monocyte labels. However, cytotoxic effects were observed at concentrations necessary for cell labeling. Therefore, variations in physical and chemical properties of gold nanoparticles were explored as cell labels for monocyte tracking. Each formulation was screened for effects on cell viability, cell function and uptake in monocytes. The uptake in monocytes revealed a complex relationship with nanoparticle size behavior dependent on the surface ligand used. This led to the selection of an optimal size and coating for monocyte labeling, 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid coated 15 nm gold nanoparticles. This formulation was further investigated for cell viability, function, and uptake with isolated primary monocytes. Moreover, primary monocytes labeled with this formulation were used to observe monocyte recruitment in atherosclerotic mice. Mice with early atherosclerotic plaques received intravenously injections of gold labeled monocytes and their recruitment to plaques were observed over 5 days with CT. Increases in CT attenuation in the plaque and transmission electron microscopy of plaque sections indicated the presence of gold labeled monocytes in the plaque. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using CT to track ex-vivo labeled cells non-invasively with CT and could further be used to investigate drugs aimed at modulating monocyte recruitment in the treatment of atherosclerosis. This work expands the applications of cell tracking and may lead to additional uses in other diseases.

Determining the size of nanoparticles in the example of magnetic iron oxide core-shell systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarzębski, Maciej; Kościński, Mikołaj; Białopiotrowicz, Tomasz

2017-08-01

The size of nanoparticles is one of the most important factors for their possible applications. Various techniques for the nanoparticle size characterization are available. In this paper selected techniques will be considered base on the prepared core-shell magnetite nanoparticles. Magnetite is one of the most investigated and developed magnetic material. It shows interesting magnetic properties which can be used for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, hypothermia and also as a contrast agent. To reduce the toxic effects of Fe3O4, magnetic core was covered by dextran and gelatin. Moreover, the shell was doped by fluorescent dye for confocal microscopy investigation. The main investigation focused on the methods for particles size determination of modified magnetite nanoparticles prepared with different techniques. The size distribution were obtained by nanoparticle tracking analysis, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, fluorescent correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and confocal microscopy were used to compare the results for particle size determination of core-shell systems.

Optical tracking of nanoscale particles in microscale environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathai, P. P.; Liddle, J. A.; Stavis, S. M.

2016-03-01

The trajectories of nanoscale particles through microscale environments record useful information about both the particles and the environments. Optical microscopes provide efficient access to this information through measurements of light in the far field from nanoparticles. Such measurements necessarily involve trade-offs in tracking capabilities. This article presents a measurement framework, based on information theory, that facilitates a more systematic understanding of such trade-offs to rationally design tracking systems for diverse applications. This framework includes the degrees of freedom of optical microscopes, which determine the limitations of tracking measurements in theory. In the laboratory, tracking systems are assemblies of sources and sensors, optics and stages, and nanoparticle emitters. The combined characteristics of such systems determine the limitations of tracking measurements in practice. This article reviews this tracking hardware with a focus on the essential functions of nanoparticles as optical emitters and microenvironmental probes. Within these theoretical and practical limitations, experimentalists have implemented a variety of tracking systems with different capabilities. This article reviews a selection of apparatuses and techniques for tracking multiple and single particles by tuning illumination and detection, and by using feedback and confinement to improve the measurements. Prior information is also useful in many tracking systems and measurements, which apply across a broad spectrum of science and technology. In the context of the framework and review of apparatuses and techniques, this article reviews a selection of applications, with particle diffusion serving as a prelude to tracking measurements in biological, fluid, and material systems, fabrication and assembly processes, and engineered devices. In so doing, this review identifies trends and gaps in particle tracking that might influence future research.

On the Role of Specific Interactions in the Diffusion of Nanoparticles in Aqueous Polymer Solutions

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Understanding nanoparticle diffusion within non-Newtonian biological and synthetic fluids is essential in designing novel formulations (e.g., nanomedicines for drug delivery, shampoos, lotions, coatings, paints, etc.), but is presently poorly defined. This study reports the diffusion of thiolated and PEGylated silica nanoparticles, characterized by small-angle neutron scattering, in solutions of various water-soluble polymers such as poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) probed using NanoSight nanoparticle tracking analysis. Results show that the diffusivity of nanoparticles is affected by their dimensions, medium viscosity, and, in particular, the specific interactions between nanoparticles and the macromolecules in solution; strong attractive interactions such as hydrogen bonding hamper diffusion. The water-soluble polymers retarded the diffusion of thiolated particles in the order PEO > PVP > PAA > HEC whereas for PEGylated silica particles retardation followed the order PAA > PVP = HEC > PEO. In the absence of specific interactions with the medium, PEGylated nanoparticles exhibit enhanced mobility compared to their thiolated counterparts despite some increase in their dimensions. PMID:24354390

On the role of specific interactions in the diffusion of nanoparticles in aqueous polymer solutions.

PubMed

Mun, Ellina A; Hannell, Claire; Rogers, Sarah E; Hole, Patrick; Williams, Adrian C; Khutoryanskiy, Vitaliy V

2014-01-14

Understanding nanoparticle diffusion within non-Newtonian biological and synthetic fluids is essential in designing novel formulations (e.g., nanomedicines for drug delivery, shampoos, lotions, coatings, paints, etc.), but is presently poorly defined. This study reports the diffusion of thiolated and PEGylated silica nanoparticles, characterized by small-angle neutron scattering, in solutions of various water-soluble polymers such as poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) probed using NanoSight nanoparticle tracking analysis. Results show that the diffusivity of nanoparticles is affected by their dimensions, medium viscosity, and, in particular, the specific interactions between nanoparticles and the macromolecules in solution; strong attractive interactions such as hydrogen bonding hamper diffusion. The water-soluble polymers retarded the diffusion of thiolated particles in the order PEO > PVP > PAA > HEC whereas for PEGylated silica particles retardation followed the order PAA > PVP = HEC > PEO. In the absence of specific interactions with the medium, PEGylated nanoparticles exhibit enhanced mobility compared to their thiolated counterparts despite some increase in their dimensions.

Vegetable Oil-Loaded Nanocapsules: Innovative Alternative for Incorporating Drugs for Parenteral Administration.

PubMed

Venturinil, C G; Bruinsmann, A; Oliveira, C P; Contri, R V; Pohlmann, A R; Guterres, S S

2016-02-01

An innovative nanocapsule formulation for parenteral administration using selected vegetable oils (mango, jojoba, pequi, oat, annatto, calendula, and chamomile) was developed that has the potential to encapsulate various drugs. The vegetable oil-loaded nanocapsules were prepared by interfacial deposition and compared with capric/caprylic triglyceride-loaded lipid core nanocapsules. The major objective was to investigate the effect of vegetable oils on particle size distribution and physical stability and to determine the hemolytic potential of the nanocapsules, considering their applicability for intravenous administration. Taking into account the importance of accurately determining particle size for the selected route of administration, different size characterization techniques were employed, such as Laser Diffraction, Dynamic Light Scattering, Multiple Light Scattering, Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, and Transmission Electronic Microscopy. Laser diffraction studies indicated that the mean particle size of all nanocapsules was below 300 nm. For smaller particles, the laser diffraction and multiple light scattering data were in agreement (D[3,2]-130 nm). Dynamic light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis, two powerful techniques that complement each other, exhibited size values between 180 and 259 nm for all nanoparticles. Stability studies demonstrated a tendency of particle creaming for jojoba-nanocapsules and sedimentation for the other nanoparticles; however, no size variation occurred over 30 days. The hemolysis test proved the hemocompatibility of all nanosystems, irrespective of the type of oil. Although all developed nanocapsules presented the potential for parenteral administration, jojoba oil-loaded nanocapsules were selected as the most promising nanoformulation due to their low average size and high particle size homogeneity.

Optical tracking of nanoscale particles in microscale environments

PubMed Central

Mathai, P. P.; Liddle, J. A.; Stavis, S. M.

2016-01-01

The trajectories of nanoscale particles through microscale environments record useful information about both the particles and the environments. Optical microscopes provide efficient access to this information through measurements of light in the far field from nanoparticles. Such measurements necessarily involve trade-offs in tracking capabilities. This article presents a measurement framework, based on information theory, that facilitates a more systematic understanding of such trade-offs to rationally design tracking systems for diverse applications. This framework includes the degrees of freedom of optical microscopes, which determine the limitations of tracking measurements in theory. In the laboratory, tracking systems are assemblies of sources and sensors, optics and stages, and nanoparticle emitters. The combined characteristics of such systems determine the limitations of tracking measurements in practice. This article reviews this tracking hardware with a focus on the essential functions of nanoparticles as optical emitters and microenvironmental probes. Within these theoretical and practical limitations, experimentalists have implemented a variety of tracking systems with different capabilities. This article reviews a selection of apparatuses and techniques for tracking multiple and single particles by tuning illumination and detection, and by using feedback and confinement to improve the measurements. Prior information is also useful in many tracking systems and measurements, which apply across a broad spectrum of science and technology. In the context of the framework and review of apparatuses and techniques, this article reviews a selection of applications, with particle diffusion serving as a prelude to tracking measurements in biological, fluid, and material systems, fabrication and assembly processes, and engineered devices. In so doing, this review identifies trends and gaps in particle tracking that might influence future research. PMID:27213022

Single nanoparticle tracking spectroscopic microscope

DOEpatents

Yang, Haw [Moraga, CA; Cang, Hu [Berkeley, CA; Xu, Cangshan [Berkeley, CA; Wong, Chung M [San Gabriel, CA

2011-07-19

A system that can maintain and track the position of a single nanoparticle in three dimensions for a prolonged period has been disclosed. The system allows for continuously imaging the particle to observe any interactions it may have. The system also enables the acquisition of real-time sequential spectroscopic information from the particle. The apparatus holds great promise in performing single molecule spectroscopy and imaging on a non-stationary target.

Micro-Computed Tomography Detection of Gold Nanoparticle-Labelled Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Rat Subretinal Layer.

PubMed

Mok, Pooi Ling; Leow, Sue Ngein; Koh, Avin Ee-Hwan; Mohd Nizam, Hairul Harun; Ding, Suet Lee Shirley; Luu, Chi; Ruhaslizan, Raduan; Wong, Hon Seng; Halim, Wan Haslina Wan Abdul; Ng, Min Hwei; Idrus, Ruszymah Binti Hj; Chowdhury, Shiplu Roy; Bastion, Catherine Mae-Lynn; Subbiah, Suresh Kumar; Higuchi, Akon; Alarfaj, Abdullah A; Then, Kong Yong

2017-02-08

Mesenchymal stem cells are widely used in many pre-clinical and clinical settings. Despite advances in molecular technology; the migration and homing activities of these cells in in vivo systems are not well understood. Labelling mesenchymal stem cells with gold nanoparticles has no cytotoxic effect and may offer suitable indications for stem cell tracking. Here, we report a simple protocol to label mesenchymal stem cells using 80 nm gold nanoparticles. Once the cells and particles were incubated together for 24 h, the labelled products were injected into the rat subretinal layer. Micro-computed tomography was then conducted on the 15th and 30th day post-injection to track the movement of these cells, as visualized by an area of hyperdensity from the coronal section images of the rat head. In addition, we confirmed the cellular uptake of the gold nanoparticles by the mesenchymal stem cells using transmission electron microscopy. As opposed to other methods, the current protocol provides a simple, less labour-intensive and more efficient labelling mechanism for real-time cell tracking. Finally, we discuss the potential manipulations of gold nanoparticles in stem cells for cell replacement and cancer therapy in ocular disorders or diseases.

Micro-Computed Tomography Detection of Gold Nanoparticle-Labelled Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Rat Subretinal Layer

PubMed Central

Mok, Pooi Ling; Leow, Sue Ngein; Koh, Avin Ee-Hwan; Mohd Nizam, Hairul Harun; Ding, Suet Lee Shirley; Luu, Chi; Ruhaslizan, Raduan; Wong, Hon Seng; Halim, Wan Haslina Wan Abdul; Ng, Min Hwei; Idrus, Ruszymah Binti Hj.; Chowdhury, Shiplu Roy; Bastion, Catherine Mae-Lynn; Subbiah, Suresh Kumar; Higuchi, Akon; Alarfaj, Abdullah A.; Then, Kong Yong

2017-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells are widely used in many pre-clinical and clinical settings. Despite advances in molecular technology; the migration and homing activities of these cells in in vivo systems are not well understood. Labelling mesenchymal stem cells with gold nanoparticles has no cytotoxic effect and may offer suitable indications for stem cell tracking. Here, we report a simple protocol to label mesenchymal stem cells using 80 nm gold nanoparticles. Once the cells and particles were incubated together for 24 h, the labelled products were injected into the rat subretinal layer. Micro-computed tomography was then conducted on the 15th and 30th day post-injection to track the movement of these cells, as visualized by an area of hyperdensity from the coronal section images of the rat head. In addition, we confirmed the cellular uptake of the gold nanoparticles by the mesenchymal stem cells using transmission electron microscopy. As opposed to other methods, the current protocol provides a simple, less labour-intensive and more efficient labelling mechanism for real-time cell tracking. Finally, we discuss the potential manipulations of gold nanoparticles in stem cells for cell replacement and cancer therapy in ocular disorders or diseases. PMID:28208719

Development of molecular indicators to track the effects of nanoparticle toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana

EPA Science Inventory

The emergence of nanotechnology and incorporation of nanoparticles in consumer products necessitates risk assessment from an environmental and health safety standpoint. To date, very few studies have examined nanoparticle effects on terrestrial species, especially plants. Pre...

Photosensitized synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Withania somnifera leaf powder and silver nitrate.

PubMed

Raut, Rajesh Warluji; Mendhulkar, Vijay Damodhar; Kashid, Sahebrao Balaso

2014-03-05

The metal nanoparticle synthesis is highly explored field of nanotechnology. The biological methods seem to be more effective; however, due to slow reduction rate and polydispersity of the resulting products, they are less preferred. In the present study, we report rapid and facile synthesis of silver nanoparticles at room temperature. The exposure of reaction mixtures containing silver nitrate and dried leaf powder of Withania somnifera Linn to direct sunlight resulted in reduction of metal ions within five minutes whereas, the dark exposure took almost 12h. Further studies using different light filters reveal the role of blue light in reduction of silver ions. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis, Infrared spectroscopy (IR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffraction studies (XRD), Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Cyclic Voltammetry (CV). The Antibacterial and antifungal studies showed significant activity as compared to their respective standards. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Towards a versatile technique for tracking nanoparticle-mucus interaction: a step on the road

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nafee, N.; Schneider, M.

2014-02-01

Respiratory mucus is one of the main barriers for nanoparticle-based pulmonary delivery systems. This holds true especially for lung diseases like cystic fibrosis, where a very tenacious thick mucus layer hinders particle diffusion to the lung epithelium or the target area. Typically, mean square displacement of particles is used for mobility evaluation. In contrast, our objective is to develop a feasible technique to track directed particle penetration as a prerequisite for efficient pulmonary nanotherapy. Therefore, particle diffusion in artificial mucus was monitored based on confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and particle-mucus interaction was observed. As pharmaceutical relevant and benign materials, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were prepared by hot-melt emulsification using glyceryl behenate and different stabilizing agents such as poloxamer-407, tween-80, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The diffusion of labeled SLNs in stained artificial sputum representing CF-patient sputum was verified by 3D time laps imaging. Thus, the effect of coating, particle size and mucus viscosity on nanoparticle diffusion was studied. Using image analysis software "Image J", the total fluorescent signal after 30 min in case of poloxamer-coated SLNs was 5 and 100 folds higher than tween- and PVA-coated SLNs, respectively. Nevertheless, increasing mucus viscosity reduced the diffusion of tweencoated SLNs by a factor of 10. Studying particle-mucus interaction by CLSM can be considered a promising and versatile technique.

Challenges in the size analysis of a silica nanoparticle mixture as candidate certified reference material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kestens, Vikram; Roebben, Gert; Herrmann, Jan; Jämting, Åsa; Coleman, Victoria; Minelli, Caterina; Clifford, Charles; De Temmerman, Pieter-Jan; Mast, Jan; Junjie, Liu; Babick, Frank; Cölfen, Helmut; Emons, Hendrik

2016-06-01

A new certified reference material for quality control of nanoparticle size analysis methods has been developed and produced by the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. The material, ERM-FD102, consists of an aqueous suspension of a mixture of silica nanoparticle populations of distinct particle size and origin. The characterisation relied on an interlaboratory comparison study in which 30 laboratories of demonstrated competence participated with a variety of techniques for particle size analysis. After scrutinising the received datasets, certified and indicative values for different method-defined equivalent diameters that are specific for dynamic light scattering (DLS), centrifugal liquid sedimentation (CLS), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), particle tracking analysis (PTA) and asymmetrical-flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) were assigned. The value assignment was a particular challenge because metrological concepts were not always interpreted uniformly across all participating laboratories. This paper presents the main elements and results of the ERM-FD102 characterisation study and discusses in particular the key issues of measurand definition and the estimation of measurement uncertainty.

Silver, gold, and alloyed silver-gold nanoparticles: characterization and comparative cell-biologic action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahl, Dirk; Diendorf, Jörg; Ristig, Simon; Greulich, Christina; Li, Zi-An; Farle, Michael; Köller, Manfred; Epple, Matthias

2012-10-01

Silver, gold, and silver-gold-alloy nanoparticles were prepared by citrate reduction modified by the addition of tannin during the synthesis, leading to a reduction in particle size by a factor of three. Nanoparticles can be prepared by this easy water-based synthesis and subsequently functionalized by the addition of either tris(3-sulfonatophenyl)phosphine or poly( N-vinylpyrrolidone). The resulting nanoparticles of silver (diameter 15-25 nm), gold (5-6 nm), and silver-gold (50:50; 10-12 nm) were easily dispersable in water and also in cell culture media (RPMI + 10 % fetal calf serum), as shown by nanoparticle tracking analysis and differential centrifugal sedimentation. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed a polycrystalline nature of all nanoparticles. EDX on single silver-gold nanoparticles indicated that the concentration of gold is higher inside a nanoparticle. The biologic action of the nanoparticles toward human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) was different: Silver nanoparticles showed a significant concentration-dependent influence on the viability of hMSC. Gold nanoparticles showed only a small effect on the viability of hMSC after 7 days. Surprisingly, silver-gold nanoparticles had no significant influence on the viability of hMSC despite the silver content. Silver nanoparticles and silver-gold nanoparticles in the concentration range of 5-20 μg mL-1 induced the activation of hMSC as indicated by the release of IL-8. In contrast, gold nanoparticles led to a reduction of the release of IL-6 and IL-8.

NIR-emitting molecular-based nanoparticles as new two-photon absorbing nanotools for single particle tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniel, J.; Godin, A. G.; Clermont, G.; Lounis, B.; Cognet, L.; Blanchard-Desce, M.

2015-07-01

In order to provide a green alternative to QDs for bioimaging purposes and aiming at designing bright nanoparticles combining both large one- and two-photon brightness, a bottom-up route based on the molecular engineering of dedicated red to NIR emitting dyes that spontaneously form fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) has been implemented. These fully organic nanoparticles built from original quadrupolar dyes are prepared using a simple, expeditious and green protocol that yield very small molecular-based nanoparticles (radius ~ 7 nm) suspension in water showing a nice NIR emission (λem=710 nm). These FONs typically have absorption coefficient more than two orders larger than popular NIR-emitting dyes (such as Alexa Fluor 700, Cy5.5 ….) and much larger Stokes shift values (i.e. up to over 5500 cm-1). They also show very large two-photon absorption response in the 800-1050 nm region (up to about 106 GM) of major promise for two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy. Thanks to their brightness and enhanced photostability, these FONs could be imaged as isolated nanoparticles and tracked using wide-field imaging. As such, thanks to their size and composition (absence of heavy metals), they represent highly promising alternatives to NIR-emitting QDs for use in bioimaging and single particle tracking applications. Moreover, efficient FONs coating was achieved by using a polymeric additive built from a long hydrophobic (PPO) and a short hydrophilic (PEO) segment and having a cationic head group able to interact with the highly negative surface of FONs. This electrostatically-driven interaction promotes both photoluminescence and two-photon absorption enhancement leading to an increase of two-photon brightness of about one order of magnitude. This opens the way to wide-field single particle tracking under two-photon excitation

Convection-enhanced delivery and in vivo imaging of polymeric nanoparticles for the treatment of malignant glioma.

PubMed

Bernal, Giovanna M; LaRiviere, Michael J; Mansour, Nassir; Pytel, Peter; Cahill, Kirk E; Voce, David J; Kang, Shijun; Spretz, Ruben; Welp, Ulrich; Noriega, Sandra E; Nunez, Luis; Larsen, Gustavo F; Weichselbaum, Ralph R; Yamini, Bakhtiar

2014-01-01

A major obstacle to the management of malignant glioma is the inability to effectively deliver therapeutic agent to the tumor. In this study, we describe a polymeric nanoparticle vector that not only delivers viable therapeutic, but can also be tracked in vivo using MRI. Nanoparticles, produced by a non-emulsion technique, were fabricated to carry iron oxide within the shell and the chemotherapeutic agent, temozolomide (TMZ), as the payload. Nanoparticle properties were characterized and subsequently their endocytosis-mediated uptake by glioma cells was demonstrated. Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) can disperse nanoparticles through the rodent brain and their distribution is accurately visualized by MRI. Infusion of nanoparticles does not result in observable animal toxicity relative to control. CED of TMZ-bearing nanoparticles prolongs the survival of animals with intracranial xenografts compared to control. In conclusion, the described nanoparticle vector represents a unique multifunctional platform that can be used for image-guided treatment of malignant glioma. GBM remains one of the most notoriously treatment-unresponsive cancer types. In this study, a multifunctional nanoparticle-based temozolomide delivery system was demonstrated to possess enhanced treatment efficacy in a rodent xenograft GBM model, with the added benefit of MRI-based tracking via the incorporation of iron oxide as a T2* contrast material in the nanoparticles. © 2014.

Classification of nanoparticle diffusion processes in vital cells by a multifeature random forests approach: application to simulated data, darkfield, and confocal laser scanning microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Thorsten; Kroll, Alexandra; Wiemann, Martin; Lipinski, Hans-Gerd

2016-04-01

Darkfield and confocal laser scanning microscopy both allow for a simultaneous observation of live cells and single nanoparticles. Accordingly, a characterization of nanoparticle uptake and intracellular mobility appears possible within living cells. Single particle tracking makes it possible to characterize the particle and the surrounding cell. In case of free diffusion, the mean squared displacement for each trajectory of a nanoparticle can be measured which allows computing the corresponding diffusion coefficient and, if desired, converting it into the hydrodynamic diameter using the Stokes-Einstein equation and the viscosity of the fluid. However, within the more complex system of a cell's cytoplasm unrestrained diffusion is scarce and several other types of movements may occur. Thus, confined or anomalous diffusion (e.g. diffusion in porous media), active transport, and combinations thereof were described by several authors. To distinguish between these types of particle movement we developed an appropriate classification method, and simulated three types of particle motion in a 2D plane using a Monte Carlo approach: (1) normal diffusion, using random direction and step-length, (2) subdiffusion, using confinements like a reflective boundary with defined radius or reflective objects in the closer vicinity, and (3) superdiffusion, using a directed flow added to the normal diffusion. To simulate subdiffusion we devised a new method based on tracks of different length combined with equally probable obstacle interaction. Next we estimated the fractal dimension, elongation and the ratio of long-time / short-time diffusion coefficients. These features were used to train a random forests classification algorithm. The accuracy for simulated trajectories with 180 steps was 97% (95%-CI: 0.9481-0.9884). The balanced accuracy was 94%, 99% and 98% for normal-, sub- and superdiffusion, respectively. Nanoparticle tracking analysis was used with 100 nm polystyrene particles to get trajectories for normal diffusion. As a next step we identified diffusion types of nanoparticles in vital cells and incubated V79 fibroblasts with 50 nm gold nanoparticles, which appeared as intensely bright objects due to their surface plasmon resonance. The movement of particles in both the extracellular and intracellular space was observed by dark field and confocal laser scanning microscopy. After reducing background noise from the video it became possible to identify individual particle spots by a maximum detection algorithm and trace them using the robust single-particle tracking algorithm proposed by Jaqaman, which is able to handle motion heterogeneity and particle disappearance. The particle trajectories inside cells indicated active transport (superdiffusion) as well as subdiffusion. Eventually, the random forest classification algorithm, after being trained by the above simulations, successfully classified the trajectories observed in live cells.

In situ intracellular spectroscopy with surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-enabled nanopipettes.

PubMed

Vitol, Elina A; Orynbayeva, Zulfiya; Bouchard, Michael J; Azizkhan-Clifford, Jane; Friedman, Gary; Gogotsi, Yury

2009-11-24

We report on a new analytical approach to intracellular chemical sensing that utilizes a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-enabled nanopipette. The probe is comprised of a glass capillary with a 100-500 nm tip coated with gold nanoparticles. The fixed geometry of the gold nanoparticles allows us to overcome the limitations of the traditional approach for intracellular SERS using metal colloids. We demonstrate that the SERS-enabled nanopipettes can be used for in situ analysis of living cell function in real time. In addition, SERS functionality of these probes allows tracking of their localization in a cell. The developed probes can also be applied for highly sensitive chemical analysis of nanoliter volumes of chemicals in a variety of environmental and analytical applications.

Continuous microfluidic assembly of biodegradable poly(beta-amino ester)/DNA nanoparticles for enhanced gene delivery.

PubMed

Wilson, David R; Mosenia, Arman; Suprenant, Mark P; Upadhya, Rahul; Routkevitch, Denis; Meyer, Randall A; Quinones-Hinojosa, Alfredo; Green, Jordan J

2017-06-01

Translation of biomaterial-based nanoparticle formulations to the clinic faces significant challenges including efficacy, safety, consistency and scale-up of manufacturing, and stability during long-term storage. Continuous microfluidic fabrication of polymeric nanoparticles has the potential to alleviate the challenges associated with manufacture, while offering a scalable solution for clinical level production. Poly(beta-amino esters) (PBAE)s are a class of biodegradable cationic polymers that self-assemble with anionic plasmid DNA to form polyplex nanoparticles that have been shown to be effective for transfecting cancer cells specifically in vitro and in vivo. Here, we demonstrate the use of a microfluidic device for the continuous and scalable production of PBAE/DNA nanoparticles followed by lyophilization and long term storage that results in improved in vitro efficacy in multiple cancer cell lines compared to nanoparticles produced by bulk mixing as well as in comparison to widely used commercially available transfection reagents polyethylenimine and Lipofectamine® 2000. We further characterized the nanoparticles using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) to show that microfluidic mixing resulted in fewer DNA-free polymeric nanoparticles compared to those produced by bulk mixing. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 1813-1825, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Measurement of nanoparticle size, suspension polydispersity, and stability using near-field optical trapping and light scattering (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schein, Perry; O'Dell, Dakota; Erickson, David

2017-02-01

Nanoparticles are becoming ubiquitous in applications including diagnostic assays, drug delivery and therapeutics. However, there remain challenges in the quality control of these products. Here we present methods for the orthogonal measurement of these parameters by tracking the motion of the nanoparticle in all three special dimensions as it interacts with an optical waveguide. These simultaneous measurements from a single particle basis address some of the gaps left by current measurement technologies such as nanoparticle tracking analysis, ζ-potential measurements, and absorption spectroscopy. As nanoparticles suspended in a microfluidic channel interact with the evanescent field of an optical waveguide, they experience forces and resulting motion in three dimensions: along the propagation axis of the waveguide (x-direction) they are propelled by the optical forces, parallel to the plane of the waveguide and perpendicular to the optical propagation axis (y-direction) they experience an optical gradient force generated from the waveguide mode profile which confines them in a harmonic potential well, and normal to the surface of the waveguide they experience an exponential downward optical force balanced by the surface interactions that confines the particle in an asymmetric well. Building on our Nanophotonic Force Microscopy technique, in this talk we will explain how to simultaneously use the motion in the y-direction to estimate the size of the particle, the comparative velocity in the x-direction to measure the polydispersity of a particle population, and the motion in the z-direction to measure the potential energy landscape of the interaction, providing insight into the colloidal stability.

Tracking of multimodal therapeutic nanocomplexes targeting breast cancer in vivo.

PubMed

Bardhan, Rizia; Chen, Wenxue; Bartels, Marc; Perez-Torres, Carlos; Botero, Maria F; McAninch, Robin Ward; Contreras, Alejandro; Schiff, Rachel; Pautler, Robia G; Halas, Naomi J; Joshi, Amit

2010-12-08

Nanoparticle-based therapeutics with local delivery and external electromagnetic field modulation holds extraordinary promise for soft-tissue cancers such as breast cancer; however, knowledge of the distribution and fate of nanoparticles in vivo is crucial for clinical translation. Here we demonstrate that multiple diagnostic capabilities can be introduced in photothermal therapeutic nanocomplexes by simultaneously enhancing both near-infrared fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We track nanocomplexes in vivo, examining the influence of HER2 antibody targeting on nanocomplex distribution over 72 h. This approach provides valuable, detailed information regarding the distribution and fate of complex nanoparticles designed for specific diagnostic and therapeutic functions.

Tracking of Multimodal Therapeutic Nanocomplexes Targeting Breast Cancer in Vivo

PubMed Central

Bardhan, Rizia; Chen, Wenxue; Bartels, Marc; Perez-Torres, Carlos; Botero, Maria F.; McAninch, Robin Ward; Contreras, Alejandro; Schiff, Rachel; Pautler, Robia G.; Halas, Naomi J.; Joshi, Amit

2014-01-01

Nanoparticle-based therapeutics with local delivery and external electromagnetic field modulation holds extraordinary promise for soft-tissue cancers such as breast cancer; however, knowledge of the distribution and fate of nanoparticles in vivo is crucial for clinical translation. Here we demonstrate that multiple diagnostic capabilities can be introduced in photothermal therapeutic nanocomplexes by simultaneously enhancing both near-infrared fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We track nanocomplexes in vivo, examining the influence of HER2 antibody targeting on nanocomplex distribution over 72 h. This approach provides valuable, detailed information regarding the distribution and fate of complex nanoparticles designed for specific diagnostic and therapeutic functions. PMID:21090693

In vivo stem cell tracking with imageable nanoparticles that bind bioorthogonal chemical receptors on the stem cell surface.

PubMed

Lee, Sangmin; Yoon, Hwa In; Na, Jin Hee; Jeon, Sangmin; Lim, Seungho; Koo, Heebeom; Han, Sang-Soo; Kang, Sun-Woong; Park, Soon-Jung; Moon, Sung-Hwan; Park, Jae Hyung; Cho, Yong Woo; Kim, Byung-Soo; Kim, Sang Kyoon; Lee, Taekwan; Kim, Dongkyu; Lee, Seulki; Pomper, Martin G; Kwon, Ick Chan; Kim, Kwangmeyung

2017-09-01

It is urgently necessary to develop reliable non-invasive stem cell imaging technology for tracking the in vivo fate of transplanted stem cells in living subjects. Herein, we developed a simple and well controlled stem cell imaging method through a combination of metabolic glycoengineering and bioorthogonal copper-free click chemistry. Firstly, the exogenous chemical receptors containing azide (-N 3 ) groups were generated on the surfaces of stem cells through metabolic glycoengineering using metabolic precursor, tetra-acetylated N-azidoacetyl-d-mannosamine(Ac 4 ManNAz). Next, bicyclo[6.1.0]nonyne-modified glycol chitosan nanoparticles (BCN-CNPs) were prepared as imageable nanoparticles to deliver different imaging agents. Cy5.5, iron oxide nanoparticles and gold nanoparticles were conjugated or encapsulated to BCN-CNPs for optical, MR and CT imaging, respectively. These imageable nanoparticles bound chemical receptors on the Ac 4 ManNAz-treated stem cell surface specifically via bioorthogonal copper-free click chemistry. Then they were rapidly taken up by the cell membrane turn-over mechanism resulting in higher endocytic capacity compared non-specific uptake of nanoparticles. During in vivo animal test, BCN-CNP-Cy5.5-labeled stem cells could be continuously tracked by non-invasive optical imaging over 15 days. Furthermore, BCN-CNP-IRON- and BCN-CNP-GOLD-labeled stem cells could be efficiently visualized using in vivo MR and CT imaging demonstrating utility of our stem cell labeling method using chemical receptors. These results conclude that our method based on metabolic glycoengineering and bioorthogonal copper-free click chemistry can stably label stem cells with diverse imageable nanoparticles representing great potential as new stem cell imaging technology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-circulating Janus nanoparticles made by electrohydrodynamic co-jetting for systemic drug delivery applications.

PubMed

Rahmani, Sahar; Villa, Carlos H; Dishman, Acacia F; Grabowski, Marika E; Pan, Daniel C; Durmaz, Hakan; Misra, Asish C; Colón-Meléndez, Laura; Solomon, Michael J; Muzykantov, Vladimir R; Lahann, Joerg

2015-01-01

Nanoparticles with controlled physical properties have been widely used for controlled release applications. In addition to shape, the anisotropic nature of the particles can be an important design criterion to ensure selective surface modification or independent release of combinations of drugs. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) co-jetting is used for the fabrication of uniform anisotropic nanoparticles with individual compartments and initial physicochemical and biological characterization is reported. EHD co-jetting is used to create nanoparticles, which are characterized at each stage with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), structured illumination microscopy (SIM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Surface immobilization techniques are used to incorporate polyethylene glycol (PEG) and I(125) radiolabels into the nanoparticles. Particles are injected in mice and the particle distribution after 1, 4 and 24 hours is assessed. Nanoparticles with an average diameter of 105.7 nm are prepared by EHD co-jetting. The particles contain functional chemical groups for further surface modification and radiolabeling. The density of PEG molecules attached to the surface of nanoparticles is determined to range between 0.02 and 6.04 ligands per square nanometer. A significant fraction of the nanoparticles (1.2% injected dose per mass of organ) circulates in the blood after 24 h. EHD co-jetting is a versatile method for the fabrication of nanoparticles for drug delivery. Circulation of the nanoparticles for 24 h is a pre-requisite for subsequent studies to explore defined targeting of the nanoparticles to a specific anatomic site.

Optical analysis and thermal management of 2-cell strings linear concentrating photovoltaic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, K. S.; Kamnapure, Nikhilesh R.

2015-09-01

This paper presents the optical and thermal analyses for a linear concentrating photovoltaic/thermal collector under different operating conditions. Linear concentrating photovoltaic system (CPV) consists of a highly reflective mirror, a receiver and semi-dual axis tracking mechanism. The CPV receiver embodies two strings of triple-junction cells (100 cells in each string) adhered to a mild steel circular tube mounted at the focal length of trough. This system provides 560 W of electricity and 1580 W of heat which needs to be dissipated by active cooling. The Al2O3/Water nanofluid is used as heat transfer fluid (HTF) flowing through circular receiver for CPV cells cooling. Optical analysis of linear CPV system with 3.35 m2 aperture and geometric concentration ratio (CR) of 35 is carried out using Advanced System Analysis Program (ASAP) an optical simulation tool. Non-uniform intensity distribution model of solar disk is used to model the sun in ASAP. The impact of random errors including slope error (σslope), tracking error (σtrack) and apparent change in sun's width (σsun) on optical performance of collector is shown. The result from the optical simulations shows the optical efficiency (ηo) of 88.32% for 2-cell string CPV concentrator. Thermal analysis of CPV receiver is carried out with conjugate heat transfer modeling in ANSYS FLUENT-14. Numerical simulations of Al2O3/Water nanofluid turbulent forced convection are performed for various parameters such as nanoparticle volume fraction (φ), Reynolds number (Re). The addition of the nanoparticle in water enhances the heat transfer in the ranges of 3.28% - 35.6% for φ = 1% - 6%. Numerical results are compared with literature data which shows the reasonable agreement.

Principles and biophysical applications of single particle super-localization and rotational tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Yan

While conventional Single Particle Tracking (SPT) techniques acquire 2D or 3D trajectories of particle probes, we have developed Single Particle Orientation and Rotational Tracking (SPORT) techniques to extract orientation and rotational information. Combined with DIC microscopy, the SPORT technique has been applied in biophysical studies, including membrane diffusion and intracellular transport. The rotational dynamics of nanoparticle vectors on live cell membranes was recorded and its influence on the fate of these nanoparticle vectors was elucidated. The rotational motions of gold nanorods with various surface modifiers were tracked continuously at a temporal resolution of 5 ms under a DIC microscope. We found that the rotational behaviors of gold nanorod vectors are strongly related to their surface charge, specific surface functional groups, and the availability of receptors on cell membranes. The study of rotational Brownian motion of nanoparticles on cell membranes will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of drug delivery and provide guidance in designing surface modification strategies for drug delivery vectors under various circumstances. To characterize the rotation mode of surface functionalized gold nanorods on cell membranes, the SPORT technique is combined with the correlation analysis of the bright and dark DIC intensities. The unique capabilities of visualizing and understanding rotational motions of functionalized nanoparticles on live cell membranes allow us to correlate rotational and translational dynamics in unprecedented detail and provide new insights for complex membrane processes, including electrostatic interactions, ligand-receptor binding, and lateral (confined and hopping) diffusion of membrane receptors. Surface-functionalized nanoparticles interact with the membrane in fundamentally different ways and exhibit distinct rotational modes. The early events of particle-membrane approach and attachment are directly visualized for the first time. The rotational dynamics of cargos in both active directional transport and pausing stages of axonal transport was also visualized using high-speed SPORT with a temporal resolution of 2 ms. Both long and short pauses are imaged, and the correlations between the pause duration, the rotational behaviour of the cargo at the pause, and the moving direction after the pause are established. Furthermore, the rotational dynamics leading to switching tracks are visualized in detail. These first-time observations of cargo's rotational dynamics provide new insights on how kinesin and dynein motors take the cargo through the alternating stages of active directional transport and pause. To improve the localization precision of the SPT technique with DIC microscopy, a precise three-dimensional (3D) localization method of spherical gold nanoparticle probes using model-based correlation coefficient mapping was introduced. To accomplish this, a stack of sample images at different z-positions are acquired, and a 3D intensity profile of the probe serving as the model is used to map out the positions of nanoparticles in the sample. By using this model-based correlation imaging method, precise localization can be achieved in imaging techniques with complicated point spread functions (PSF) such as differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. The 3D superlocalization method was applied to tracking gold nanospheres during live endocytosis events. Finally, a novel dual-modality imaging technique has been developed to super-localize a single gold nanorod while providing its orientation and rotational information. The super-localization of the gold nanorod can be accomplished by curve fitting the modified bright-field images generated by one of the two beams laterally shifted by the first Nomarski prism in a DIC microscope. The orientation and rotational information is derived from the DIC images of gold nanorods. The new imaging setup has been applied to study the steric hindrance induced by relatively large cargos in the microtubule gliding assay and to track nanocargos in the crowded cellular environment.

Principles and biophysical applications of single particle super-localization and rotational tracking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gu, Yan

While conventional Single Particle Tracking (SPT) techniques acquire 2D or 3D trajectories of particle probes, we have developed Single Particle Orientation and Rotational Tracking (SPORT) techniques to extract orientation and rotational information. Combined with DIC microscopy, the SPORT technique has been applied in biophysical studies, including membrane diffusion and intracellular transport. The rotational dynamics of nanoparticle vectors on live cell membranes was recorded and its influence on the fate of these nanoparticle vectors was elucidated. The rotational motions of gold nanorods with various surface modifiers were tracked continuously at a temporal resolution of 5 ms under a DIC microscope. Wemore » found that the rotational behaviors of gold nanorod vectors are strongly related to their surface charge, specific surface functional groups, and the availability of receptors on cell membranes. The study of rotational Brownian motion of nanoparticles on cell membranes will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of drug delivery and provide guidance in designing surface modification strategies for drug delivery vectors under various circumstances. To characterize the rotation mode of surface functionalized gold nanorods on cell membranes, the SPORT technique is combined with the correlation analysis of the bright and dark DIC intensities. The unique capabilities of visualizing and understanding rotational motions of functionalized nanoparticles on live cell membranes allow us to correlate rotational and translational dynamics in unprecedented detail and provide new insights for complex membrane processes, including electrostatic interactions, ligand-receptor binding, and lateral (confined and hopping) diffusion of membrane receptors. Surface-functionalized nanoparticles interact with the membrane in fundamentally different ways and exhibit distinct rotational modes. The early events of particle-membrane approach and attachment are directly visualized for the first time. The rotational dynamics of cargos in both active directional transport and pausing stages of axonal transport was also visualized using high-speed SPORT with a temporal resolution of 2 ms. Both long and short pauses are imaged, and the correlations between the pause duration, the rotational behaviour of the cargo at the pause, and the moving direction after the pause are established. Furthermore, the rotational dynamics leading to switching tracks are visualized in detail. These first-time observations of cargo's rotational dynamics provide new insights on how kinesin and dynein motors take the cargo through the alternating stages of active directional transport and pause. To improve the localization precision of the SPT technique with DIC microscopy, a precise three-dimensional (3D) localization method of spherical gold nanoparticle probes using model-based correlation coefficient mapping was introduced. To accomplish this, a stack of sample images at different z-positions are acquired, and a 3D intensity profile of the probe serving as the model is used to map out the positions of nanoparticles in the sample. By using this model-based correlation imaging method, precise localization can be achieved in imaging techniques with complicated point spread functions (PSF) such as differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. The 3D superlocalization method was applied to tracking gold nanospheres during live endocytosis events. Finally, a novel dual-modality imaging technique has been developed to super-localize a single gold nanorod while providing its orientation and rotational information. The super-localization of the gold nanorod can be accomplished by curve fitting the modified bright-field images generated by one of the two beams laterally shifted by the first Nomarski prism in a DIC microscope. The orientation and rotational information is derived from the DIC images of gold nanorods. The new imaging setup has been applied to study the steric hindrance induced by relatively large cargos in the microtubule gliding assay and to track nanocargos in the crowded cellular environment.« less

Application of nanoparticle tracking analysis for characterising the fate of engineered nanoparticles in sediment-water systems.

PubMed

Luo, Ping; Roca, Alejandro; Tiede, Karen; Privett, Katie; Jiang, Jiachao; Pinkstone, John; Ma, Guibin; Veinot, Jonathan; Boxall, Alisatair

2018-02-01

Novel applications of nanotechnology may lead to the release of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), which result in concerns over their potential environmental hazardous impact. It is essential for the research workers to be able to quantitatively characterise ENPs in the environment and subsequently to assist the risk assessment of the ENPs. This study hence explored the application of nanoparticle tracking system (NTA) to quantitatively describe the behaviour of the ENPs in natural sediment-water systems. The NTA allows the measurement of both particle number concentration (PNC) and particle size distribution (PSD) of the ENPs. The developed NTA method was applied to a range of gold and magnetite ENPs with a selection of surface properties. The results showed that the positively-charged ENPs interacted more strongly with the sediment than neutral and negatively-charged ENPs. It was also found that the citrate coated Au ENPs had a higher distribution percentage (53%) than 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid coated Au ENPs (20%) and citrate coated magnetite ENPs (21%). The principles of the electrostatic interactions between hard (and soft) acids and bases (HSAB) are used to explain such behaviours; the hard base coating (i.e. citrate ions) will interact more strongly with hard acid (i.e. magnetite) than soft acid (i.e. gold). The results indicate that NTA is a complementary method to existing approaches to characterise the fate and behaviour of ENPs in natural sediment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Improving proton therapy by metal-containing nanoparticles: nanoscale insights

PubMed Central

Schlathölter, Thomas; Eustache, Pierre; Porcel, Erika; Salado, Daniela; Stefancikova, Lenka; Tillement, Olivier; Lux, Francois; Mowat, Pierre; Biegun, Aleksandra K; van Goethem, Marc-Jan; Remita, Hynd; Lacombe, Sandrine

2016-01-01

The use of nanoparticles to enhance the effect of radiation-based cancer treatments is a growing field of study and recently, even nanoparticle-induced improvement of proton therapy performance has been investigated. Aiming at a clinical implementation of this approach, it is essential to characterize the mechanisms underlying the synergistic effects of nanoparticles combined with proton irradiation. In this study, we investigated the effect of platinum- and gadolinium-based nanoparticles on the nanoscale damage induced by a proton beam of therapeutically relevant energy (150 MeV) using plasmid DNA molecular probe. Two conditions of irradiation (0.44 and 3.6 keV/μm) were considered to mimic the beam properties at the entrance and at the end of the proton track. We demonstrate that the two metal-containing nanoparticles amplify, in particular, the induction of nanosize damages (>2 nm) which are most lethal for cells. More importantly, this effect is even more pronounced at the end of the proton track. This work gives a new insight into the underlying mechanisms on the nanoscale and indicates that the addition of metal-based nanoparticles is a promising strategy not only to increase the cell killing action of fast protons, but also to improve tumor targeting. PMID:27143877

High colloidal stability of gold nanorods coated with a peptide-ethylene glycol: Analysis by cyanide-mediated etching and nanoparticle tracking analysis.

PubMed

Free, Paul; Conger, Gao; Siji, Wu; Zhang, Jing Bo; Fernig, David G

2016-10-01

The stability of gold nanorods was assessed following coating with various charged or uncharged ligands, mostly peptides. Highly stable monodispersed gold nanorods were obtained by coating CTAB-stabilized gold nanorods with a pentapeptide with C-terminal ethylene glycol units (peptide-EG). UV-vis spectroscopy of these nanorods suspended in saline solutions indicated no signs of aggregation, and they were easily purified using size-exclusion chromatography. A more stringent measure of nanorod stability involved observing changes in the UV-vis absorbance of gold nanorods subjected to etching with cyanide. The λmax absorbance of peptide-EG coated nanorods red-shifted in etchant solution. The hypothesis that changes in the nanorod aspect ratio led to this red-shift was confirmed by TEM analysis, which showed pit formation along the transverse axis. The etching process was followed in solution using nanoparticle tracking analysis. The red-shift was shown to occur while the particles remained mono-dispersed, and so was not due to aggregation. Adding both etchant solution and peptide-EG to the nanorods was further shown to allow modulation of the Δλmax red-shift and increase the etchant resistance of peptide-EG nanorods. Thus, very stable gold nanorods can be produced using the peptide-EG coating approach and their optical properties modulated with etchant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hyaluronic Acid Molecular Weight-Dependent Modulation of Mucin Nanostructure for Potential Mucosal Therapeutic Applications.

PubMed

Hansen, Irene M; Ebbesen, Morten F; Kaspersen, Liselotte; Thomsen, Troels; Bienk, Konrad; Cai, Yunpeng; Malle, Birgitte Mølholm; Howard, Kenneth A

2017-07-03

This study investigates the effects of different molecular weight hyaluronic acids (HAs) on the mucosal nanostructure using a pig stomach mucin hydrogel as a mucosal barrier model. Microparticles (1.0 μm) and nanoparticles (200 nm) were used as probes, and their movement in mucin was studied by a three-dimensional confocal microscopy-based particle tracking technique and by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) after addition of high-molecular weight (900 kDa) and low-molecular weight (33 kDa) HA. This demonstrated a molecular weight-dependent HA modulation of the mucin nanostructure with a 2.5-fold decrease in the mobility of 200 nm nanoparticles. To further investigate these mechanisms and to verify that the natural viscoelastic properties of mucus are not undesirably altered, rheological measurements were performed on mucin hydrogels with or without HA. This suggested the observed particle mobility restriction was not attributed to alterations of the natural mucin cohesive and viscoelastic properties but, instead, indicates that the added high-molecular weight HA primarily modulates the mucin nanostructure and mesh size. This study, hereby, demonstrates how mucus nanostructure can be modulated by the addition of high-molecular weight HA that offers an opportunity to control mucosal pathogenesis and drug delivery.

Enhancing regenerative approaches with nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Habibovic, Pamela

2017-01-01

In this review, we discuss recent developments in the field of nanoparticles and their use in tissue regeneration approaches. Owing to their unique chemical properties and flexibility in design, nanoparticles can be used as drug delivery systems, to create novel features within materials or as bioimaging agents, or indeed these properties can be combined to create smart multifunctional structures. This review aims to provide an overview of this research field where the focus will be on nanoparticle-based strategies to stimulate bone regeneration; however, the same principles can be applied for other tissue and organ regeneration strategies. In the first section, nanoparticle-based methods for the delivery of drugs, growth factors and genetic material to promote tissue regeneration are discussed. The second section deals with the addition of nanoparticles to materials to create nanocomposites. Such materials can improve several material properties, including mechanical stability, biocompatibility and biological activity. The third section will deal with the emergence of a relatively new field of research using nanoparticles in advanced cell imaging and stem cell tracking approaches. As the development of nanoparticles continues, incorporation of this technology in the field of regenerative medicine will ultimately lead to new tools that can diagnose, track and stimulate the growth of new tissues and organs. PMID:28404870

Enhancing regenerative approaches with nanoparticles.

PubMed

van Rijt, Sabine; Habibovic, Pamela

2017-04-01

In this review, we discuss recent developments in the field of nanoparticles and their use in tissue regeneration approaches. Owing to their unique chemical properties and flexibility in design, nanoparticles can be used as drug delivery systems, to create novel features within materials or as bioimaging agents, or indeed these properties can be combined to create smart multifunctional structures. This review aims to provide an overview of this research field where the focus will be on nanoparticle-based strategies to stimulate bone regeneration; however, the same principles can be applied for other tissue and organ regeneration strategies. In the first section, nanoparticle-based methods for the delivery of drugs, growth factors and genetic material to promote tissue regeneration are discussed. The second section deals with the addition of nanoparticles to materials to create nanocomposites. Such materials can improve several material properties, including mechanical stability, biocompatibility and biological activity. The third section will deal with the emergence of a relatively new field of research using nanoparticles in advanced cell imaging and stem cell tracking approaches. As the development of nanoparticles continues, incorporation of this technology in the field of regenerative medicine will ultimately lead to new tools that can diagnose, track and stimulate the growth of new tissues and organs. © 2017 The Author(s).

Focused ultrasound delivery of Raman nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier: potential for targeting experimental brain tumors.

PubMed

Diaz, Roberto Jose; McVeigh, Patrick Z; O'Reilly, Meaghan A; Burrell, Kelly; Bebenek, Matthew; Smith, Christian; Etame, Arnold B; Zadeh, Gelareh; Hynynen, Kullervo; Wilson, Brian C; Rutka, James T

2014-07-01

Spectral mapping of nanoparticles with surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) capability in the near-infrared range is an emerging molecular imaging technique. We used magnetic resonance image-guided transcranial focused ultrasound (TcMRgFUS) to reversibly disrupt the blood-brain barrier (BBB) adjacent to brain tumor margins in rats. Glioma cells were found to internalize SERS capable nanoparticles of 50nm or 120nm physical diameter. Surface coating with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody or non-specific human immunoglobulin G, resulted in enhanced cell uptake of nanoparticles in-vitro compared to nanoparticles with methyl terminated 12-unit polyethylene glycol surface. BBB disruption permitted the delivery of SERS capable spherical 50 or 120nm gold nanoparticles to the tumor margins. Thus, nanoparticles with SERS imaging capability can be delivered across the BBB non-invasively using TcMRgFUS and have the potential to be used as optical tracking agents at the invasive front of malignant brain tumors. This study demonstrates the use of magnetic resonance image-guided transcranial focused ultrasound to open the BBB and enable spectral mapping of nanoparticles with surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based molecular imaging for experimental tumor tracking. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding nanoparticle-mediated nucleation pathways of anisotropic nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laramy, Christine R.; Fong, Lam-Kiu; Jones, Matthew R.; O'Brien, Matthew N.; Schatz, George C.; Mirkin, Chad A.

2017-09-01

Several seed-mediated syntheses of low symmetry anisotropic nanoparticles yield broad product distributions with multiple defect structures. This observation challenges the role of the nanoparticle precursor as a seed for certain syntheses and suggests the possibility of alternate nucleation pathways. Herein, we report a method to probe the role of the nanoparticle precursor in anisotropic nanoparticle nucleation with compositional and structural 'labels' to track their fate. We use the synthesis of gold triangular nanoprisms (Au TPs) as a model system. We propose a mechanism in which, rather than acting as a template, the nanoparticle precursor catalyzes homogenous nucleation of Au TPs.

Cellular transfer of magnetic nanoparticles via cell microvesicles: impact on cell tracking by magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Silva, Amanda K Andriola; Wilhelm, Claire; Kolosnjaj-Tabi, Jelena; Luciani, Nathalie; Gazeau, Florence

2012-05-01

Cell labeling with magnetic nanoparticles can be used to monitor the fate of transplanted cells in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging. However, nanoparticles initially internalized in administered cells might end up in other cells of the host organism. We investigated a mechanism of intercellular cross-transfer of magnetic nanoparticles to different types of recipient cells via cell microvesicles released under cellular stress. Three cell types (mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial cells and macrophages) were labeled with 8-nm iron oxide nanoparticles. Then cells underwent starvation stress, during which they produced microvesicles that were subsequently transferred to unlabeled recipient cells. The analysis of the magnetophoretic mobility of donor cells indicated that magnetic load was partially lost under cell stress. Microvesicles shed by stressed cells participated in the release of magnetic label. Moreover, such microvesicles were uptaken by naïve cells, resulting in cellular redistribution of nanoparticles. Iron load of recipient cells allowed their detection by MRI. Cell microvesicles released under stress may be disseminated throughout the organism, where they can be uptaken by host cells. The transferred cargo may be sufficient to allow MRI detection of these secondarily labeled cells, leading to misinterpretations of the effectiveness of transplanted cells.

A Highly Specific Gold Nanoprobe for Live-Cell Single-Molecule Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leduc, Cécile; Si, Satyabrata; Gautier, Jérémie; Soto-Ribeiro, Martinho; Wehrle-Haller, Bernhard; Gautreau, Alexis; Giannone, Grégory; Cognet, Laurent; Lounis, Brahim

2013-04-01

Single molecule tracking in live cells is the ultimate tool to study subcellular protein dynamics, but it is often limited by the probe size and photostability. Due to these issues, long-term tracking of proteins in confined and crowded environments, such as intracellular spaces, remains challenging. We have developed a novel optical probe consisting of 5-nm gold nanoparticles functionalized with a small fragment of camelid antibodies that recognize widely used GFPs with a very high affinity, which we call GFP-nanobodies. These small gold nanoparticles can be detected and tracked using photothermal imaging for arbitrarily long periods of time. Surface and intracellular GFP-proteins were effectively labeled even in very crowded environments such as adhesion sites and cytoskeletal structures both in vitro and in live cell cultures. These nanobody-coated gold nanoparticles are probes with unparalleled capabilities; small size, perfect photostability, high specificity, and versatility afforded by combination with the vast existing library of GFP-tagged proteins.

Long-circulating Janus nanoparticles made by electrohydrodynamic co-jetting for systemic drug delivery applications

PubMed Central

Rahmani, Sahar; Villa, Carlos H.; Dishman, Acacia F.; Grabowski, Marika E.; Pan, Daniel C.; Durmaz, Hakan; Misra, Asish C; Colón-Meléndez, Laura; Solomon, Michael J.; Muzykantov, Vladimir R.; Lahann, Joerg

2016-01-01

Background Nanoparticles with controlled physical properties have been widely used for controlled release applications. In addition to shape, the anisotropic nature of the particles can be an important design criterion to ensure selective surface modification or independent release of combinations of drugs. Purpose Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) co-jetting is used for the fabrication of uniform anisotropic nanoparticles with individual compartments and initial physicochemical and biological characterization is reported. Methods EHD co-jetting is used to create nanoparticles, which are characterized at each stage with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), structured illumination microscopy (SIM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Surface immobilization techniques are used to incorporate polyethylene glycol (PEG) and I125 radiolabels into the nanoparticles. Particles are injected in mice and the particle distribution after 1, 4 and 24 hours is assessed. Results and discussion Nanoparticles with an average diameter of 105.7 nm are prepared by EHD co-jetting. The particles contain functional chemical groups for further surface modification and radiolabeling. The density of PEG molecules attached to the surface of nanoparticles is determined to range between 0.02 and 6.04 ligands per square nanometer. A significant fraction of the nanoparticles (1.2% injected dose per mass of organ) circulates in the blood after 24 h. Conclusion EHD co-jetting is a versatile method for the fabrication of nanoparticles for drug delivery. Circulation of the nanoparticles for 24 h is a pre-requisite for subsequent studies to explore defined targeting of the nanoparticles to a specific anatomic site. PMID:26453170

Effect of silica nanoparticles with variable size and surface functionalization on human endothelial cell viability and angiogenic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guarnieri, Daniela; Malvindi, Maria Ada; Belli, Valentina; Pompa, Pier Paolo; Netti, Paolo

2014-02-01

Silica nanoparticles could be promising delivery vehicles for drug targeting or gene therapy. However, few studies have been undertaken to determine the biological behavior effects of silica nanoparticles on primary endothelial cells. Here we investigated uptake, cytotoxicity and angiogenic properties of silica nanoparticle with positive and negative surface charge and sizes ranging from 25 to 115 nm in primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Dynamic light scattering measurements and nanoparticle tracking analysis were used to estimate the dispersion status of nanoparticles in cell culture media, which was a key aspect to understand the results of the in vitro cellular uptake experiments. Nanoparticles were taken up by primary endothelial cells in a size-dependent manner according to their degree of agglomeration occurring after transfer in cell culture media. Functionalization of the particle surface with positively charged groups enhanced the in vitro cellular uptake, compared to negatively charged nanoparticles. However, this effect was contrasted by the tendency of particles to form agglomerates, leading to lower internalization efficiency. Silica nanoparticle uptake did not affect cell viability and cell membrane integrity. More interestingly, positively and negatively charged 25 nm nanoparticles did not influence capillary-like tube formation and angiogenic sprouting, compared to controls. Considering the increasing interest in nanomaterials for several biomedical applications, a careful study of nanoparticle-endothelial cells interactions is of high relevance to assess possible risks associated to silica nanoparticle exposure and their possible applications in nanomedicine as safe and effective nanocarriers for vascular transport of therapeutic agents.

Gold and Iron-Gold Nanoparticles for Intracellular Tracking and in Vivo Medical Applicatons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Wei

2005-03-01

We have fabricated Au and Fe-Au nanoparticles for potential use in ex vivo experiments such as intracellular tracking, as well as a variety of in vivo medical applications. In order to improve their targeting potential, circulation time and flexibility, gold NPs were surface modified using a hetero-bifunctional poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, MW 1,500) spacers. A coumarin-PEG-gold NP complex was formed and cell viability studies and optical fluorescence experiments were carried out demonstrating the use of these surface-modified gold NPs for drug delivery, gene therapy and cell trafficking experiments. Fe-Au nanoparticles were also fabricated and show significant contrast enhancement in MRI studies through a substantial reduction of the T2 relaxation time.

Characterization of engineered nanoparticles in commercially available spray disinfectant products advertised to contain colloidal silver.

PubMed

Rogers, Kim R; Navratilova, Jana; Stefaniak, Aleksandr; Bowers, Lauren; Knepp, Alycia K; Al-Abed, Souhail R; Potter, Phillip; Gitipour, Alireza; Radwan, Islam; Nelson, Clay; Bradham, Karen D

2018-04-01

Given the potential for human exposure to silver nanoparticles from spray disinfectants and dietary supplements, we characterized the silver-containing nanoparticles in 22 commercial products that advertised the use of silver or colloidal silver as the active ingredient. Characterization parameters included: total silver, fractionated silver (particulate and dissolved), primary particle size distribution, hydrodynamic diameter, particle number, and plasmon resonance absorbance. A high degree of variability between claimed and measured values for total silver was observed. Only 7 of the products showed total silver concentrations within 20% of their nominally reported values. In addition, significant variations in the relative percentages of particulate vs. soluble silver were also measured in many of these products reporting to be colloidal. Primary silver particle size distributions by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed two populations of particles - smaller particles (<5nm) and larger particles between 20 and 40nm. Hydrodynamic diameter measurements using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) correlated well with TEM analysis for the larger particles. Z-average (Z-Avg) values measured using dynamic light scattering (DLS); however, were typically larger than both NTA or TEM particle diameters. Plasmon resonance absorbance signatures (peak absorbance at around 400nm indicative of metallic silver nanoparticles) were only noted in 4 of the 9 yellow-brown colored suspensions. Although the total silver concentrations were variable among products, ranging from 0.54mg/L to 960mg/L, silver containing nanoparticles were identified in all of the product suspensions by TEM. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Side chain variations radically alter the diffusion of poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline) functionalised nanoparticles through a mucosal barrier.

PubMed

Mansfield, Edward D H; de la Rosa, Victor R; Kowalczyk, Radoslaw M; Grillo, Isabelle; Hoogenboom, Richard; Sillence, Katy; Hole, Patrick; Williams, Adrian C; Khutoryanskiy, Vitaliy V

2016-08-16

Functionalised nanomaterials are gaining popularity for use as drug delivery vehicles and, in particular, mucus penetrating nanoparticles may improve drug bioavailability via the oral route. To date, few polymers have been investigated for their muco-penetration, and the effects of systematic structural changes to polymer architectures on the penetration and diffusion of functionalised nanomaterials through mucosal tissue have not been reported. We investigated the influence of poly(2-oxazoline) alkyl side chain length on nanoparticle diffusion; poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline), poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), and poly(2-n-propyl-2-oxazoline) were grafted onto the surface of thiolated silica nanoparticles and characterised by FT-IR, Raman and NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and small angle neutron scattering. Diffusion coefficients were determined in water and in a mucin dispersion (using Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis), and penetration through a mucosal barrier was assessed using an ex vivo fluorescence technique. The addition of a single methylene group in the side chain significantly altered the penetration and diffusion of the materials in both mucin dispersions and mucosal tissue. Nanoparticles functionalised with poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) were significantly more diffusive than particles with poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) while particles with poly(2-n-propyl-2-oxazoline) showed no significant increase compared to the unfunctionalised particles. These data show that variations in the polymer structure can radically alter their diffusive properties with clear implications for the future design of mucus penetrating systems.

Surface functionalization of gold nanoparticles using hetero-bifunctional poly(ethylene glycol) spacer for intracellular tracking and delivery

PubMed Central

Shenoy, Dinesh; Fu, Wei; Li, Jane; Crasto, Curtis; Jones, Graham; DiMarzio, Charles; Sridhar, Srinivas; Amiji, Mansoor

2006-01-01

For the development of surface-functionalized gold nanoparticles as cellular probes and delivery agents, we have synthesized hetero-bifunctional poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, MW 1500) having a thiol group on one terminus and a reactive functional group on the other for use as a flexible spacer. Coumarin, a model fluorescent dye, was conjugated to one end of the PEG spacer and gold nanoparticles were modified with coumarin-PEG-thiol. Surface attachment of coumarin through the PEG spacer decreased the fluorescence quenching effect of gold nanoparticles. The results of cellular cytotoxicity and fluorescence confocal analyses showed that the PEG spacer-modified nanoparticles were essentially non-toxic and could be efficiently internalized in the cells within 1 hour of incubation. Intracellular particle tracking using a Keck 3-D Fusion Microscope System showed that the functionalized gold nanoparticles were rapidly internalized in the cells and localized in the peri-nuclear region. Using the PEG spacer, the gold nano-platform can be conjugated with a variety of biologically relevant ligands such as fluorescent dyes, antibodies, etc in order to target, probe, and induce a stimulus at the target site. PMID:16467923

Fluorescence imaging of reactive oxygen species by confocal laser scanning microscopy for track analysis of synchrotron X-ray photoelectric nanoradiator dose: X-ray pump-optical probe.

PubMed

Jeon, Jae Kun; Han, Sung Mi; Kim, Jong Ki

2016-09-01

Bursts of emissions of low-energy electrons, including interatomic Coulomb decay electrons and Auger electrons (0-1000 eV), as well as X-ray fluorescence produced by irradiation of large-Z element nanoparticles by either X-ray photons or high-energy ion beams, is referred to as the nanoradiator effect. In therapeutic applications, this effect can damage pathological tissues that selectively take up the nanoparticles. Herein, a new nanoradiator dosimetry method is presented that uses probes for reactive oxygen species (ROS) incorporated into three-dimensional gels, on which macrophages containing iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) are attached. This method, together with site-specific irradiation of the intracellular nanoparticles from a microbeam of polychromatic synchrotron X-rays (5-14 keV), measures the range and distribution of OH radicals produced by X-ray emission or superoxide anions ({\\rm{O}}_2^-) produced by low-energy electrons. The measurements are based on confocal laser scanning of the fluorescence of the hydroxyl radical probe 2-[6-(4'-amino)phenoxy-3H-xanthen-3-on-9-yl] benzoic acid (APF) or the superoxide probe hydroethidine-dihydroethidium (DHE) that was oxidized by each ROS, enabling tracking of the radiation dose emitted by the nanoradiator. In the range 70 µm below the irradiated cell, ^\\bullet{\\rm{OH}} radicals derived mostly from either incident X-ray or X-ray fluorescence of ION nanoradiators are distributed along the line of depth direction in ROS gel. In contrast, {\\rm{O}}_2^- derived from secondary electron or low-energy electron emission by ION nanoradiators are scattered over the ROS gel. ROS fluorescence due to the ION nanoradiators was observed continuously to a depth of 1.5 mm for both oxidized APF and oxidized DHE with relatively large intensity compared with the fluorescence caused by the ROS produced solely by incident primary X-rays, which was limited to a depth of 600 µm, suggesting dose enhancement as well as more penetration by nanoradiators. In conclusion, the combined use of a synchrotron X-ray microbeam-irradiated three-dimensional ROS gel and confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy provides a simple dosimetry method for track analysis of X-ray photoelectric nanoradiator radiation, suggesting extensive cellular damage with dose-enhancement beyond a single cell containing IONs.

Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using plant extracts as reducing agents

PubMed Central

Elia, Paz; Zach, Raya; Hazan, Sharon; Kolusheva, Sofiya; Porat, Ze’ev; Zeiri, Yehuda

2014-01-01

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were prepared using four different plant extracts as reducing and stabilizing agents. The extracts were obtained from the following plants: Salvia officinalis, Lippia citriodora, Pelargonium graveolens and Punica granatum. The size distributions of the GNPs were measured using three different methods: dynamic light scattering, nanoparticle-tracking analysis and analysis of scanning electron microscopy images. The three methods yielded similar size distributions. Biocompatibility was examined by correlation of L-cell growth in the presence of different amounts of GNPs. All GNPs showed good biocompatibility and good stability for over 3 weeks. Therefore, they can be used for imaging and drug-delivery applications in the human body. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy was used to view the shapes of the larger GNPs, while infrared spectroscopy was employed to characterize the various functional groups in the organic layer that stabilize the particles. Finally, active ingredients in the plant extract that might be involved in the formation of GNPs are proposed, based on experiments with pure antioxidants that are known to exist in that plant. PMID:25187704

Characterization of exosomes derived from ovarian cancer cells and normal ovarian epithelial cells by nanoparticle tracking analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Wei; Peng, Peng; Kuang, Yun; Yang, Jiaxin; Cao, Dongyan; You, Yan; Shen, Keng

2016-03-01

Cellular exosomes are involved in many disease processes and have the potential to be used for diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we compared the characteristics of exosomes derived from human ovarian epithelial cells (HOSEPiC) and three epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR3, IGROV1, and ES-2) to investigate the differences between exosomes originating from normal and malignant cells. Two established colloid-chemical methodologies, electron microscopy (EM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), and a relatively new method, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), were used to measure the size and size distribution of exosomes. The concentration and epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression of exosomes were measured by NTA. Quantum dots were conjugated with anti-EpCAM to label exosomes, and the labeled exosomes were detected by NTA in fluorescent mode. The normal-cell-derived exosomes were significantly larger than those derived from malignant cells, and exosomes were successfully labeled using anti-EpCAM-conjugated quantum dots. Exosomes from different cell lines may vary in size, and exosomes might be considered as potential diagnosis biomarkers. NTA can be considered a useful, efficient, and objective method for the study of different exosomes and their unique properties in ovarian cancer.

Bioluminescent luciferase-modified magnetic nanoparticles as potential imaging agents for mammalian spermatozoa detection and tracking

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Nanoparticles have emerged as key materials for developing applications in nanomedicine, nanobiotechnology, bioimaging and theranostics. Existing bioimaging technologies include bioluminescent resonance energy transfer-conjugated quantum dots (BRET-QDs). Despite the current use of BRET-Q...

Green synthesis of copper nanoparticles by Citrus medica Linn. (Idilimbu) juice and its antimicrobial activity.

PubMed

Shende, Sudhir; Ingle, Avinash P; Gade, Aniket; Rai, Mahendra

2015-06-01

We report an eco-friendly method for the synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) using Citron juice (Citrus medica Linn.), which is nontoxic and cheap. The biogenic copper nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectrophotometer showing a typical resonance (SPR) at about 631 nm which is specific for CuNPs. Nanoparticles tracking analysis by NanoSight-LM20 showed the particles in the range of 10-60 nm with the concentration of 2.18 × 10(8) particles per ml. X-ray diffraction revealed the FCC nature of nanoparticles with an average size of 20 nm. The antimicrobial activity of CuNPs was determined by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method against some selected species of bacteria and plant pathogenic fungi. It was reported that the synthesized CuNPs demonstrated a significant inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Propionibacterium acnes and Salmonella typhi. Among the plant pathogenic fungi tested, Fusarium culmorum was found to be most sensitive followed by F. oxysporum and F. graminearum. The novelty of this work is that for the first time citron juice was used for the synthesis of CuNPs.

Gold nanoparticles: novel catalyst for the preparation of direct methanol fuel cell.

PubMed

Kuralkar, Mayuri; Ingle, Avinash; Gaikwad, Swapnil; Gade, Aniket; Rai, Mahendra

2015-04-01

The authors report the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) using plant pathogenic Phoma glomerata (MTCC 2210). The synthesis of nanoparticles was characterised by visual observation followed UV-visible spectrophotometric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Later, direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was constructed using two chambers (anodic chamber and cathodic chamber). These Au-NPs as catalysts have various advantages over the other catalysts that are used in the DMFC. Most importantly, it is cheaper as compared with other catalysts like platinum, and showed higher catalytic activity because of its effective surface structure. Being nano in size, it provides more surface area for the attachment of reactant molecules (methanol molecules). The DMFC catalysed by Au-NPs are found to be suitable to replace lithium ion battery technology in consumer electronics like cell phones, laptops and so on due to the fact that they can produce a high amount of energy in a small space. As long as fuel and air are supplied to the DMFC, it will continue to produce power, so it does not need to be recharged. The use of Au-NPs as catalyst in DMFC has not been reported in the past; it is reported here the first time.

A detailed study of gold-nanoparticle loaded cells using X-ray based techniques for cell-tracking applications with single-cell sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astolfo, Alberto; Arfelli, Fulvia; Schültke, Elisabeth; James, Simon; Mancini, Lucia; Menk, Ralf-Hendrik

2013-03-01

In the present study complementary high-resolution imaging techniques on different length scales are applied to elucidate a cellular loading protocol of gold nanoparticles and subsequently its impact on long term and high-resolution cell-tracking utilizing X-ray technology. Although demonstrated for malignant cell lines the results can be applied to non-malignant cell lines as well. In particular the accumulation of the gold marker per cell has been assessed quantitatively by virtue of electron microscopy, two-dimensional X-ray fluorescence imaging techniques and X-ray CT with micrometric and sub-micrometric resolution. Moreover, utilizing these techniques the three dimensional distribution of the incorporated nanoparticles, which are sequestered in lysosomes as a permanent marker, could be determined. The latter allowed elucidation of the gold partition during mitosis and the cell size, which subsequently enabled us to define the optimal instrument settings of a compact microCT system to visualize gold loaded cells. The results obtained demonstrate the feasibility of cell-tracking using X-ray CT with compact sources.

Lawsonia inermis-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles: activity against human pathogenic fungi and bacteria with special reference to formulation of an antimicrobial nanogel.

PubMed

Gupta, Arpita; Bonde, Shital R; Gaikwad, Swapnil; Ingle, Avinash; Gade, Aniket K; Rai, Mahendra

2014-09-01

Lawsonia inermis mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and its efficacy against Candida albicans, Microsporum canis, Propioniabacterium acne and Trichophyton mentagrophytes is reported. A two-step mechanism has been proposed for bioreduction and formation of an intermediate complex leading to the synthesis of capped nanoparticles was developed. In addition, antimicrobial gel for M. canis and T. mentagrophytes was also formulated. Ag-NPs were synthesized by challenging the leaft extract of L. inermis with 1 mM AgNO₃. The Ag-NPs were characterized by Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle tracking and analysis sytem (NTA) and zeta potential was measured to detect the size of Ag-NPs. The antimicrobial activity of Ag-NPs was evaluated by disc diffusion method against the test organisms. Thus these Ag-NPs may prove as a better candidate drug due to their biogenic nature. Moreover, Ag-NPs may be an answer to the drug-resistant microorganisms.

Nano-scale measurement of biomolecules by optical microscopy and semiconductor nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Ichimura, Taro; Jin, Takashi; Fujita, Hideaki; Higuchi, Hideo; Watanabe, Tomonobu M.

2014-01-01

Over the past decade, great developments in optical microscopy have made this technology increasingly compatible with biological studies. Fluorescence microscopy has especially contributed to investigating the dynamic behaviors of live specimens and can now resolve objects with nanometer precision and resolution due to super-resolution imaging. Additionally, single particle tracking provides information on the dynamics of individual proteins at the nanometer scale both in vitro and in cells. Complementing advances in microscopy technologies has been the development of fluorescent probes. The quantum dot, a semi-conductor fluorescent nanoparticle, is particularly suitable for single particle tracking and super-resolution imaging. This article overviews the principles of single particle tracking and super resolution along with describing their application to the nanometer measurement/observation of biological systems when combined with quantum dot technologies. PMID:25120488

High-throughput nanoparticle sizing using lensfree holographic microscopy and liquid nanolenses (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLeod, Euan

2016-03-01

The sizing of individual nanoparticles and the recovery of the distributions of sizes from populations of nanoparticles provide valuable information in virology, exosome analysis, air and water quality monitoring, and nanomaterials synthesis. Conventional approaches for nanoparticle sizing include those based on costly or low-throughput laboratory-scale equipment such as transmission electron microscopy or nanoparticle tracking analysis, as well as those approaches that only provide population-averaged quantities, such as dynamic light scattering. Some of these limitations can be overcome using a new family of alternative approaches based on quantitative phase imaging that combines lensfree holographic on-chip microscopy with self-assembled liquid nanolenses. In these approaches, the particles of interest are deposited onto a glass coverslip and the sample is coated with either pure liquid polyethylene glycol (PEG) or aqueous solutions of PEG. Due to surface tension, the PEG self-assembles into nano-scale lenses around the particles of interest. These nanolenses enhance the scattering signatures of the embedded particles such that individual nanoparticles as small as 40 nm are clearly visible in phase images reconstructed from captured holograms. The magnitude of the phase quantitatively corresponds to particle size with an accuracy of +/-11 nm. This family of approaches can individually size more than 10^5 particles in parallel, can handle a large dynamic range of particle sizes (40 nm - 100s of microns), and can accurately size multi-modal distributions of particles. Furthermore, the entire approach has been implemented in a compact and cost-effective device suitable for use in the field or in low-resource settings.

Antibacterial activity of silver and zinc nanoparticles against Vibrio cholerae and enterotoxic Escherichia coli

PubMed Central

Salem, Wesam; Leitner, Deborah R.; Zingl, Franz G.; Schratter, Gebhart; Prassl, Ruth; Goessler, Walter; Reidl, Joachim; Schild, Stefan

2015-01-01

Vibrio cholerae and enterotoxic Escherichia coli (ETEC) remain two dominant bacterial causes of severe secretory diarrhea and still a significant cause of death, especially in developing countries. In order to investigate new effective and inexpensive therapeutic approaches, we analyzed nanoparticles synthesized by a green approach using corresponding salt (silver or zinc nitrate) with aqueous extract of Caltropis procera fruit or leaves. We characterized the quantity and quality of nanoparticles by UV–visible wavelength scans and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Nanoparticles could be synthesized in reproducible yields of approximately 108 particles/ml with mode particles sizes of approx. 90–100 nm. Antibacterial activity against two pathogens was assessed by minimal inhibitory concentration assays and survival curves. Both pathogens exhibited similar resistance profiles with minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging between 5 × 105 and 107 particles/ml. Interestingly, zinc nanoparticles showed a slightly higher efficacy, but sublethal concentrations caused adverse effects and resulted in increased biofilm formation of V. cholerae. Using the expression levels of the outer membrane porin OmpT as an indicator for cAMP levels, our results suggest that zinc nanoparticles inhibit adenylyl cyclase activity. This consequently deceases the levels of this second messenger, which is a known inhibitor of biofilm formation. Finally, we demonstrated that a single oral administration of silver nanoparticles to infant mice colonized with V. cholerae or ETEC significantly reduces the colonization rates of the pathogens by 75- or 100-fold, respectively. PMID:25466205

Concise review: Nanoparticles and cellular carriers-allies in cancer imaging and cellular gene therapy?

PubMed Central

Tang, Catherine; Russell, Pamela J; Martiniello-Wilks, Rosetta; J Rasko, John E; Khatri, Aparajita

2010-01-01

Ineffective treatment and poor patient management continue to plague the arena of clinical oncology. The crucial issues include inadequate treatment efficacy due to ineffective targeting of cancer deposits, systemic toxicities, suboptimal cancer detection and disease monitoring. This has led to the quest for clinically relevant, innovative multifaceted solutions such as development of targeted and traceable therapies. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the intrinsic ability to “home” to growing tumors and are hypoimmunogenic. Therefore, these can be used as (a) “Trojan Horses” to deliver gene therapy directly into the tumors and (b) carriers of nanoparticles to allow cell tracking and simultaneous cancer detection. The camouflage of MSC carriers can potentially tackle the issues of safety, vector, and/or transgene immunogenicity as well as nanoparticle clearance and toxicity. The versatility of the nanotechnology platform could allow cellular tracking using single or multimodal imaging modalities. Toward that end, noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is fast becoming a clinical favorite, though there is scope for improvement in its accuracy and sensitivity. In that, use of superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPION) as MRI contrast enhancers may be the best option for tracking therapeutic MSC. The prospects and consequences of synergistic approaches using MSC carriers, gene therapy, and SPION in developing cancer diagnostics and therapeutics are discussed. STEM CELLS 2010; 28:1686–1702. PMID:20629172

Magneto-optical nanoparticles for cyclic magnetomotive photoacoustic imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnal, Bastien; Yoon, Soon Joon; Li, Junwei; Gao, Xiaohu; O'Donnell, Matthew

2018-05-01

Photoacoustic imaging is a highly promising tool to visualize molecular events with deep tissue penetration. Like most other modalities, however, image contrast under in vivo conditions is far from optimal due to background signals from tissue. Using iron oxide-gold core-shell nanoparticles, we previously demonstrated that magnetomotive photoacoustic (mmPA) imaging can dramatically reduce the influence of background signals and produce high-contrast molecular images. Here we report two significant advances toward clinical translation of this technology. First, we introduce a new class of compact, uniform, magneto-optically coupled core-shell nanoparticle, prepared through localized copolymerization of polypyrrole (PPy) on an iron oxide nanoparticle surface. The resulting iron oxide-PPy nanoparticles solve the photo-instability and small-scale synthesis problems previously encountered by the gold coating approach, and extend the large optical absorption coefficient of the particles beyond 1000 nm in wavelength. In parallel, we have developed a new generation of mmPA imaging featuring cyclic magnetic motion and ultrasound speckle tracking, with an image capture frame rate several hundred times faster than the photoacoustic speckle tracking method demonstrated previously. These advances enable robust artifact elimination caused by physiologic motion and first application of the mmPA technology in vivo for sensitive tumor imaging.

Tracking of adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells using two magnetic nanoparticle types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasten, Annika; Siegmund, Birte J.; Grüttner, Cordula; Kühn, Jens-Peter; Frerich, Bernhard

2015-04-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is to be considered as an emerging detection technique for cell tracking experiments to evaluate the fate of transplanted progenitor cells and develop successful cell therapies for tissue engineering. Adipose tissue engineering using adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells has been advocated for the cure of soft tissue defects or for persistent soft tissue augmentation. Adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells were differentiated into the adipogenic lineage and labeled with two different types of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in varying concentrations which resulted in a concentration-dependent reduction of gene expression of adipogenic differentiation markers, adiponectin and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), whereas the metabolic activity was not altered. As a result, only low nanoparticle concentrations for labeling were used for in vivo experiments. Cells were seeded onto collagen scaffolds and subcutaneously implanted into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. At 24 h as well as 28 days after implantation, MRI analyses were performed visualizing nanoparticle-labeled cells using T2-weighted sequences. The quantification of absolute volume of the scaffolds revealed a decrease of volume over time in all experimental groups. The distribution of nanoparticle-labeled cells within the scaffolds varied likewise over time.

Design principles for noninvasive, longitudinal and quantitative cell tracking with nanoparticle-based CT imaging.

PubMed

Meir, Rinat; Betzer, Oshra; Motiei, Menachem; Kronfeld, Noam; Brodie, Chaya; Popovtzer, Rachela

2017-02-01

Contradictory results in clinical trials are preventing the advancement and implementation of cell-based therapy. To explain such results, there is a need to uncover the mystery regarding the fate of the transplanted cells. To answer this need, we developed a technique for noninvasive in vivo cell tracking, which uses gold nanoparticles as contrast agents for CT imaging. Herein, we investigate the design principles of this technique for intramuscular transplantation of therapeutic cells. Longitudinal studies were performed, displaying the ability to track cells over long periods of time. As few as 500 cells could be detected and a way to quantify the number of cells visualized by CT was demonstrated. Moreover, monitoring of cell functionality was demonstrated on a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This cell-tracking technology has the potential to become an essential tool in pre-clinical as well as clinical trials and to advance the future of cell therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gold nanoparticles for non-invasive cell tracking with CT imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meir, Rinat; Betzer, Oshra; Barnoy, Eran; Motiei, Menachem; Popovtzer, Rachela

2018-02-01

Cell-based therapies use living cells with therapeutic traits to treat various diseases. This is a beneficial alternative for diseases that existing medicine cannot cure efficiently. However, inconsistent results in clinical trials are preventing the advancement and implementation of cell-based therapy. In order to explain such results, there is a need to discover the fate of the transplanted cells. To answer this need, we developed a technique for noninvasive in vivo cell tracking, which uses gold nanoparticles as contrast agents for CT imaging. Herein, we investigate the design principles of this technique for intramuscular transplantation of therapeutic cells. Longitudinal studies were performed, demonstrating the ability to track cells over long periods of time. As few as 500 cells could be detected and a way to quantify the number of cells visualized by CT was demonstrated. This cell-tracking technology has the potential to become an essential tool in pre-clinical studies as well as in clinical trials and advance cell therapy.

Labeling Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Gold Nanocages for in vitro and in vivo Tracking by Two-Photon Microscopy and Photoacoustic Microscopy

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yu Shrike; Wang, Yu; Wang, Lidai; Wang, Yucai; Cai, Xin; Zhang, Chi; Wang, Lihong V.; Xia, Younan

2013-01-01

Stem cell tracking is a highly important subject. Current techniques based on nanoparticle-labeling, such as magnetic resonance imaging, fluorescence microscopy, and micro-computed tomography, are plagued by limitations including relatively low sensitivity or penetration depth, involvement of ionizing irradiation, and potential cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles. Here we introduce a new class of contrast agents based on gold nanocages (AuNCs) with hollow interiors and porous walls to label human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) for both in vitro and in vivo tracking using two-photon microscopy and photoacoustic microscopy. As demonstrated by the viability assay, the AuNCs showed negligible cytotoxicity under a reasonable dose, and did not alter the differentiation potential of the hMSCs into desired lineages. We were able to image the cells labeled with AuNCs in vitro for at least 28 days in culture, as well as to track the cells that homed to the tumor region in nude mice in vivo. PMID:23946820

Single particle tracking of internalized metallic nanoparticles reveals heterogeneous directed motion after clathrin dependent endocytosis in mouse chromaffin cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabriel, Manuela; Moya-Díaz, José; Gallo, Luciana I.; Marengo, Fernando D.; Estrada, Laura C.

2018-01-01

Most accepted single particle tracking methods are able to obtain high-resolution trajectories for relatively short periods of time. In this work we apply a straightforward combination of single-particle tracking microscopy and metallic nanoparticles internalization on mouse chromaffin cells to unveil the intracellular trafficking mechanism of metallic-nanoparticle-loaded vesicles (MNP-V) complexes after clathrin dependent endocytosis. We found that directed transport is the major route of MNP-Vs intracellular trafficking after stimulation (92.6% of the trajectories measured). We then studied the MNP-V speed at each point along the trajectory, and found that the application of a second depolarization stimulus during the tracking provokes an increase in the percentage of low-speed trajectory points in parallel with a decrease in the number of high-speed trajectory points. This result suggests that stimulation may facilitate the compartmentalization of internalized MNPs in a more restricted location such as was already demonstrated in neuronal and neuroendocrine cells (Bronfman et al 2003 J. Neurosci. 23 3209-20). Although further experiments will be required to address the mechanisms underlying this transport dynamics, our studies provide quantitative evidence of the heterogeneous behavior of vesicles mobility after endocytosis in chromaffin cells highlighting the potential of MNPs as alternative labels in optical microscopy to provide new insights into the vesicles dynamics in a wide variety of cellular environments.

Single particle tracking through highly scattering media with multiplexed two-photon excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perillo, Evan; Liu, Yen-Liang; Liu, Cong; Yeh, Hsin-Chih; Dunn, Andrew K.

2015-03-01

3D single-particle tracking (SPT) has been a pivotal tool to furthering our understanding of dynamic cellular processes in complex biological systems, with a molecular localization accuracy (10-100 nm) often better than the diffraction limit of light. However, current SPT techniques utilize either CCDs or a confocal detection scheme which not only suffer from poor temporal resolution but also limit tracking to a depth less than one scattering mean free path in the sample (typically <15μm). In this report we highlight our novel design for a spatiotemporally multiplexed two-photon microscope which is able to reach sub-diffraction-limit tracking accuracy and sub-millisecond temporal resolution, but with a dramatically extended SPT range of up to 200 μm through dense cell samples. We have validated our microscope by tracking (1) fluorescent nanoparticles in a prescribed motion inside gelatin gel (with 1% intralipid) and (2) labeled single EGFR complexes inside skin cancer spheroids (at least 8 layers of cells thick) for ~10 minutes. Furthermore we discuss future capabilities of our multiplexed two-photon microscope design, specifically to the extension of (1) simultaneous multicolor tracking (i.e. spatiotemporal co-localization analysis) and (2) FRET studies (i.e. lifetime analysis). The high resolution, high depth penetration, and multicolor features of this microscope make it well poised to study a variety of molecular scale dynamics in the cell, especially related to cellular trafficking studies with in vitro tumor models and in vivo.

Nano titania aided clustering and adhesion of beneficial bacteria to plant roots to enhance crop growth and stress management.

PubMed

Palmqvist, N G M; Bejai, S; Meijer, J; Seisenbaeva, G A; Kessler, V G

2015-05-13

A novel use of Titania nanoparticles as agents in the nano interface interaction between a beneficial plant growth promoting bacterium (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens UCMB5113) and oilseed rape plants (Brassica napus) for protection against the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicae is presented. Two different TiO2 nanoparticle material were produced by the Sol-Gel approach, one using the patented Captigel method and the other one applying TiBALDH precursor. The particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering and nano particle tracking analysis. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the bacterium was living in clusters on the roots and the combined energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed that titanium was present in these cluster formations. Confocal laser scanning microscopy further demonstrated an increased bacterial colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana roots and a semi-quantitative microscopic assay confirmed an increased bacterial adhesion to the roots. An increased amount of adhered bacteria was further confirmed by quantitative fluorescence measurements. The degree of infection by the fungus was measured and quantified by real-time-qPCR. Results showed that Titania nanoparticles increased adhesion of beneficial bacteria on to the roots of oilseed rape and protected the plants against infection.

Nano titania aided clustering and adhesion of beneficial bacteria to plant roots to enhance crop growth and stress management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmqvist, N. G. M.; Bejai, S.; Meijer, J.; Seisenbaeva, G. A.; Kessler, V. G.

2015-05-01

A novel use of Titania nanoparticles as agents in the nano interface interaction between a beneficial plant growth promoting bacterium (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens UCMB5113) and oilseed rape plants (Brassica napus) for protection against the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicae is presented. Two different TiO2 nanoparticle material were produced by the Sol-Gel approach, one using the patented Captigel method and the other one applying TiBALDH precursor. The particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering and nano particle tracking analysis. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the bacterium was living in clusters on the roots and the combined energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed that titanium was present in these cluster formations. Confocal laser scanning microscopy further demonstrated an increased bacterial colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana roots and a semi-quantitative microscopic assay confirmed an increased bacterial adhesion to the roots. An increased amount of adhered bacteria was further confirmed by quantitative fluorescence measurements. The degree of infection by the fungus was measured and quantified by real-time-qPCR. Results showed that Titania nanoparticles increased adhesion of beneficial bacteria on to the roots of oilseed rape and protected the plants against infection.

Nano titania aided clustering and adhesion of beneficial bacteria to plant roots to enhance crop growth and stress management

PubMed Central

Palmqvist, N. G. M.; Bejai, S.; Meijer, J.; Seisenbaeva, G. A.; Kessler, V. G.

2015-01-01

A novel use of Titania nanoparticles as agents in the nano interface interaction between a beneficial plant growth promoting bacterium (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens UCMB5113) and oilseed rape plants (Brassica napus) for protection against the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicae is presented. Two different TiO2 nanoparticle material were produced by the Sol-Gel approach, one using the patented Captigel method and the other one applying TiBALDH precursor. The particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering and nano particle tracking analysis. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the bacterium was living in clusters on the roots and the combined energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed that titanium was present in these cluster formations. Confocal laser scanning microscopy further demonstrated an increased bacterial colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana roots and a semi-quantitative microscopic assay confirmed an increased bacterial adhesion to the roots. An increased amount of adhered bacteria was further confirmed by quantitative fluorescence measurements. The degree of infection by the fungus was measured and quantified by real-time-qPCR. Results showed that Titania nanoparticles increased adhesion of beneficial bacteria on to the roots of oilseed rape and protected the plants against infection. PMID:25970693

Evaluation of cytotoxicity, immune compatibility and antibacterial activity of biogenic silver nanoparticles.

PubMed

Składanowski, M; Golinska, P; Rudnicka, K; Dahm, H; Rai, M

2016-12-01

The study was focused on assessment of antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity and immune compatibility of biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized from Streptomyces sp. NH28 strain. Nanoparticles were biosynthesized and characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis system and zeta potential. Antibacterial activity was tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; minimal inhibitory concentration was recorded. Cytotoxicity was estimated using L929 mouse fibroblasts via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test. Biocompatibility of AgNPs was performed using THP1-XBlue™ cells. Biogenic AgNPs presented high antibacterial activity against all tested bacteria. Minimum inhibitory concentration of AgNPs against bacterial cells was found to be in range of 1.25-10 μg/mL. Silver nanoparticles did not show any harmful interaction to mouse fibroblast cell line, and no activation of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B (NF-κB) cells was observed at concentration below 10 µg/mL. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) value was established at 64.5 μg/mL. Biological synthesis of silver can be used as an effective system for formation of metal nanoparticles. Biosynthesized AgNPs can be used as an antibacterial agent, which can be safe for eukaryotic cells.

Virus templated metallic nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aljabali, Alaa A. A.; Barclay, J. Elaine; Lomonossoff, George P.; Evans, David J.

2010-12-01

Plant viruses are considered as nanobuilding blocks that can be used as synthons or templates for novel materials. Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) particles have been shown to template the fabrication of metallic nanoparticles by an electroless deposition metallization process. Palladium ions were electrostatically bound to the virus capsid and, when reduced, acted as nucleation sites for the subsequent metal deposition from solution. The method, although simple, produced highly monodisperse metallic nanoparticles with a diameter of ca. <=35 nm. CPMV-templated particles were prepared with cobalt, nickel, iron, platinum, cobalt-platinum and nickel-iron.Plant viruses are considered as nanobuilding blocks that can be used as synthons or templates for novel materials. Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) particles have been shown to template the fabrication of metallic nanoparticles by an electroless deposition metallization process. Palladium ions were electrostatically bound to the virus capsid and, when reduced, acted as nucleation sites for the subsequent metal deposition from solution. The method, although simple, produced highly monodisperse metallic nanoparticles with a diameter of ca. <=35 nm. CPMV-templated particles were prepared with cobalt, nickel, iron, platinum, cobalt-platinum and nickel-iron. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Additional experimental detail, agarose gel electrophoresis results, energy dispersive X-ray spectra, ζ-potential measurements, dynamic light scattering data, nanoparticle tracking analysis and an atomic force microscopy image of Ni-CPMV. See DOI: 10.1039/c0nr00525h

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles from two acidophilic strains of Pilimelia columellifera subsp. pallida and their antibacterial activities.

PubMed

Golińska, Patrycja; Wypij, Magdalena; Rathod, Dnyaneshwar; Tikar, Sagar; Dahm, Hanna; Rai, Mahendra

2016-05-01

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is an eco-friendly approach by using different biological sources; for example, plants and microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and actinobacteria. In this report, we present the biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by acidophilic actinomycetes SL19 and SL24 strains isolated from pine forest soil (pH < 4.0). The isolates based on 16S rRNA gene sequence were identified as Pilimelia columellifera subsp. pallida. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by visual observations of colour change from light-yellow to dark-brown. The UV-vis spectra of AgNPs were recorded at 425 and 430 nm. The AgNPs were further characterized by Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), Zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). FTIR analysis revealed the presence of proteins as a capping agent. TEM analysis confirmed the formation of spherical and polydispersed NPs of 12.7 and 15.9 nm sizes. The in vitro antibacterial activity of AgNPs alone and in combination with antibiotics was evaluated against clinical bacteria viz., Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and uropathogens such as Enterobacter, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and E. coli. The lowest MIC (40 μg ml(-1) ) was demonstrated by AgNPs synthesized from SL24 against E. coli. However, the AgNPs of SL19 showed lowest MIC (70 μg ml(-1) ) against S. aureus. The activity of antibiotic was enhanced, when tested in combination with silver nanoparticles synthesized from both actinobacterial strains. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Interferometric Scattering Microscopy for the Study of Molecular Motors

PubMed Central

Andrecka, J.; Takagi, Y.; Mickolajczyk, K.J.; Lippert, L.G.; Sellers, J.R.; Hancock, W.O.; Goldman, Y.E.; Kukura, P.

2016-01-01

Our understanding of molecular motor function has been greatly improved by the development of imaging modalities, which enable real-time observation of their motion at the single-molecule level. Here, we describe the use of a new method, interferometric scattering microscopy, for the investigation of motor protein dynamics by attaching and tracking the motion of metallic nanoparticle labels as small as 20 nm diameter. Using myosin-5, kinesin-1, and dynein as examples, we describe the basic assays, labeling strategies, and principles of data analysis. Our approach is relevant not only for motor protein dynamics but also provides a general tool for single-particle tracking with high spatiotemporal precision, which overcomes the limitations of single-molecule fluorescence methods. PMID:27793291

Supervised Machine-Learning-Based Determination of Three-Dimensional Structure of Metallic Nanoparticles

DOE PAGES

Timoshenko, Janis; Lu, Deyu; Lin, Yuewei; ...

2017-09-29

Tracking the structure of heterogeneous catalysts under operando conditions remains a challenge due to the paucity of experimental techniques that can provide atomic-level information for catalytic metal species. Here we report on the use of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy and supervised machine learning (SML) for refining the three-dimensional geometry of metal catalysts. SML is used to unravel the hidden relationship between the XANES features and catalyst geometry. To train our SML method, we rely on ab-initio XANES simulations. Our approach allows one to solve the structure of a metal catalyst from its experimental XANES, as demonstrated heremore » by reconstructing the average size, shape and morphology of well-defined platinum nanoparticles. This method is applicable to the determination of the nanoparticle structure in operando studies and can be generalized to other nanoscale systems. In conclusion, it also allows on-the-fly XANES analysis, and is a promising approach for high-throughput and time-dependent studies.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Powell, Joshua D.; Chen, Qiang; Mason, Hugh S.

Abstract Key message nta-miR-398 is significantly up-regulated while nta-miR-428d is significantly down-regulated in tobacco after agroinfiltration AbstractMicroRNAs are a class of non-coding regulatory RNAs that can modulate development as well as alter innate antiviral defenses in plants. In this study we explored host changes at the microRNA level within tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) after expression of a recombinant anti-Ebola GP1 antibody through Agrobacterium tumefaciens agroinfiltration delivery. A multiplex nanoparticle-based cytometry assay tracked the host expression changes of 53 tobacco microRNAs. Our results revealed that the most abundant microRNAs in actively growing leaves corresponded to nanoparticle probes specific to nta-mir-6149 and nta-miR-168b.more » After agroinfiltration, probes targeting nta-mir-398 and nta-mir-482d were significantly altered in their respective expression levels and were further verified through RT-qPCR analysis. To our knowledge this study is the first to profile microRNA expression in tobacco after agroinfiltration using a multiplex nanoparticle approach.« less

Supervised Machine-Learning-Based Determination of Three-Dimensional Structure of Metallic Nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Timoshenko, Janis; Lu, Deyu; Lin, Yuewei

Tracking the structure of heterogeneous catalysts under operando conditions remains a challenge due to the paucity of experimental techniques that can provide atomic-level information for catalytic metal species. Here we report on the use of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy and supervised machine learning (SML) for refining the three-dimensional geometry of metal catalysts. SML is used to unravel the hidden relationship between the XANES features and catalyst geometry. To train our SML method, we rely on ab-initio XANES simulations. Our approach allows one to solve the structure of a metal catalyst from its experimental XANES, as demonstrated heremore » by reconstructing the average size, shape and morphology of well-defined platinum nanoparticles. This method is applicable to the determination of the nanoparticle structure in operando studies and can be generalized to other nanoscale systems. In conclusion, it also allows on-the-fly XANES analysis, and is a promising approach for high-throughput and time-dependent studies.« less

BaTiO3-core Au-shell nanoparticles for photothermal therapy and bimodal imaging.

PubMed

Wang, Yanfei; Barhoumi, Aoune; Tong, Rong; Wang, Weiping; Ji, Tianjiao; Deng, Xiaoran; Li, Lele; Lyon, Sophie A; Reznor, Gally; Zurakowski, David; Kohane, Daniel S

2018-05-01

We report sub-100 nm metal-shell (Au) dielectric-core (BaTiO 3 ) nanoparticles with bimodal imaging abilities and enhanced photothermal effects. The nanoparticles efficiently absorb light in the near infrared range of the spectrum and convert it to heat to ablate tumors. Their BaTiO 3 core, a highly ordered non-centrosymmetric material, can be imaged by second harmonic generation, and their Au shell generates two-photon luminescence. The intrinsic dual imaging capability allows investigating the distribution of the nanoparticles in relation to the tumor vasculature morphology during photothermal ablation. Our design enabled in vivo real-time tracking of the BT-Au-NPs and observation of their thermally-induced effect on tumor vessels. Photothermal therapy induced by plasmonic nanoparticles has emerged as a promising approach to treating cancer. However, the study of the role of intratumoral nanoparticle distribution in mediating tumoricidal activity has been hampered by the lack of suitable imaging techniques. This work describes metal-shell (Au) dielectric-core (BaTiO 3 ) nanoparticles (abbreviated as BT-Au-NP) for photothermal therapy and bimodal imaging. We demonstrated that sub-100 nm BT-Au-NP can efficiently absorb near infrared light and convert it to heat to ablate tumors. The intrinsic dual imaging capability allowed us to investigate the distribution of the nanoparticles in relation to the tumor vasculature morphology during photothermal ablation, enabling in vivo real-time tracking of the BT-Au-NPs and observation of their thermally-induced effect on tumor vessels. Copyright © 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Redox-Active Carbohydrate-Coated Nanoparticles: Self-Assembly of a Cyclodextrin-Polystyrene Glycopolymer with Tetrazine-Naphthalimide.

PubMed

Gross, Andrew J; Haddad, Raoudha; Travelet, Christophe; Reynaud, Eric; Audebert, Pierre; Borsali, Redouane; Cosnier, Serge

2016-11-15

The controlled self-assembly of precise and well-defined photochemically and electrochemically active carbohydrate-coated nanoparticles offers the exciting prospect of biocompatible catalysts for energy storage/conversion and biolabeling applications. Here an aqueous nanoparticle system has been developed with a versatile outer layer for host-guest molecule encapsulation via β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. A β-cyclodextrin-modified polystyrene polymer was first obtained by copper nanopowder click chemistry. The glycopolymer enables self-assembly and controlled encapsulation of tetrazine-naphthalimide, as a model redox-active agent, into nanoparticles via nanoprecipitation. Cyclodextrin host-guest interactions permit encapsulation and internanoparticle cross-linking for the formation of fluorescent compound and clustered self-assemblies with chemically reversible electroactivity in aqueous solution. Light scattering experiments revealed stable particles with hydrodynamic diameters of 138 and 654 nm for nanoparticles prepared with tetrazine, of which 95% of the nanoparticles represent the smaller objects by number. Dynamic light scattering revealed differences as a function of preparation method in terms of size, 3-month stability, polydispersity, radius of gyration, and shape factor. Individual self-assemblies were visualized by atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy and monitored in real-time by nanoparticle tracking analysis. UV-vis and fluorescence spectra provided insight into the optical properties and critical evidence for host-guest encapsulation as evidenced by solvachromatism and enhanced tetrazine uptake. Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the electrochemical properties and provided further support for encapsulation and an estimate of the tetrazine loading capacity in tandem with light scattering data.

Tracking targeted bimodal nanovaccines: immune responses and routing in cells, tissue, and whole organism.

PubMed

Cruz, Luis J; Tacken, Paul J; Zeelenberg, Ingrid S; Srinivas, Mangala; Bonetto, Fernando; Weigelin, Bettina; Eich, Christina; de Vries, I Jolanda; Figdor, Carl G

2014-12-01

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells (APCs), involved in the induction of immunity and currently exploited for antitumor immunotherapies. An optimized noninvasive imaging modality capable of determining and quantifying DC-targeted nanoparticle (NP) trajectories could provide valuable information regarding therapeutic vaccine outcome. Here, targeted poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) recognizing DC receptors were equipped with superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIO) or gold nanoparticles with fluorescently labeled antigen. The fluorescent label allowed for rapid analysis and quantification of DC-specific uptake of targeted PLGA NPs in comparison to uptake by other cells. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that a fraction of the encapsulated antigen reached the lysosomal compartment of DCs, where SPIO and gold were already partially released. However, part of the PLGA NPs localized within the cytoplasm, as confirmed by confocal microscopy. DCs targeted with NPs carrying SPIO or fluorescent antigen were detected within lymph nodes as early as 1 h after injection by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Despite the fact that targeting did not markedly affect PLGA NP biodistribution on organism and tissue level, it increased delivery of NPs to DCs residing in peripheral lymph nodes and resulted in enhanced T cell proliferation. In conclusion, two imaging agents within a single carrier allows tracking of targeted PLGA NPs at the subcellular, cellular, and organismal levels, thereby facilitating the rational design of in vivo targeted vaccination strategies.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle-labeled cells as an effective vehicle for tracking the GFP gene marker using magnetic resonance imaging

PubMed Central

Zhang, Z; Mascheri, N; Dharmakumar, R; Fan, Z; Paunesku, T; Woloschak, G; Li, D

2010-01-01

Background Detection of a gene using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is hindered by the magnetic resonance (MR) targeting gene technique. Therefore it may be advantageous to image gene-expressing cells labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles by MRI. Methods The GFP-R3230Ac (GFP) cell line was incubated for 24 h using SPIO nanoparticles at a concentration of 20 μg Fe/mL. Cell samples were prepared for iron content analysis and cell function evaluation. The labeled cells were imaged using fluorescent microscopy and MRI. Results SPIO was used to label GFP cells effectively, with no effects on cell function and GFP expression. Iron-loaded GFP cells were successfully imaged with both fluorescent microscopy and T2*-weighted MRI. Prussian blue staining showed intracellular iron accumulation in the cells. All cells were labeled (100% labeling efficiency). The average iron content per cell was 4.75±0.11 pg Fe/cell (P<0.05 versus control). Discussion This study demonstrates that the GFP expression of cells is not altered by the SPIO labeling process. SPIO-labeled GFP cells can be visualized by MRI; therefore, GFP, a gene marker, was tracked indirectly with the SPIO-loaded cells using MRI. The technique holds promise for monitoring the temporal and spatial migration of cells with a gene marker and enhancing the understanding of cell- and gene-based therapeutic strategies. PMID:18956269

Labeling mesenchymal cells with DMSA-coated gold and iron oxide nanoparticles: assessment of biocompatibility and potential applications.

PubMed

Silva, Luisa H A; da Silva, Jaqueline R; Ferreira, Guilherme A; Silva, Renata C; Lima, Emilia C D; Azevedo, Ricardo B; Oliveira, Daniela M

2016-07-18

Nanoparticles' unique features have been highly explored in cellular therapies. However, nanoparticles can be cytotoxic. The cytotoxicity can be overcome by coating the nanoparticles with an appropriated surface modification. Nanoparticle coating influences biocompatibility between nanoparticles and cells and may affect some cell properties. Here, we evaluated the biocompatibility of gold and maghemite nanoparticles functionalized with 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), Au-DMSA and γ-Fe2O3-DMSA respectively, with human mesenchymal stem cells. Also, we tested these nanoparticles as tracers for mesenchymal stem cells in vivo tracking by computed tomography and as agents for mesenchymal stem cells magnetic targeting. Significant cell death was not observed in MTT, Trypan Blue and light microscopy analyses. However, ultra-structural alterations as swollen and degenerated mitochondria, high amounts of myelin figures and structures similar to apoptotic bodies were detected in some mesenchymal stem cells. Au-DMSA and γ-Fe2O3-DMSA labeling did not affect mesenchymal stem cells adipogenesis and osteogenesis differentiation, proliferation rates or lymphocyte suppression capability. The uptake measurements indicated that both inorganic nanoparticles were well uptaken by mesenchymal stem cells. However, Au-DMSA could not be detected in microtomograph after being incorporated by mesenchymal stem cells. γ-Fe2O3-DMSA labeled cells were magnetically responsive in vitro and after infused in vivo in an experimental model of lung silicosis. In terms of biocompatibility, the use of γ-Fe2O3-DMSA and Au-DMSA as tracers for mesenchymal stem cells was assured. However, Au-DMSA shown to be not suitable for visualization and tracking of these cells in vivo by standard computed microtomography. Otherwise, γ-Fe2O3-DMSA shows to be a promising agent for mesenchymal stem cells magnetic targeting.

Real-time monitoring and visualization of the multi-dimensional motion of an anisotropic nanoparticle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Go, Gi-Hyun; Heo, Seungjin; Cho, Jong-Hoi; Yoo, Yang-Seok; Kim, Minkwan; Park, Chung-Hyun; Cho, Yong-Hoon

2017-03-01

As interest in anisotropic particles has increased in various research fields, methods of tracking such particles have become increasingly desirable. Here, we present a new and intuitive method to monitor the Brownian motion of a nanowire, which can construct and visualize multi-dimensional motion of a nanowire confined in an optical trap, using a dual particle tracking system. We measured the isolated angular fluctuations and translational motion of the nanowire in the optical trap, and determined its physical properties, such as stiffness and torque constants, depending on laser power and polarization direction. This has wide implications in nanoscience and nanotechnology with levitated anisotropic nanoparticles.

Tracking stem cells in tissue-engineered organs using magnetic nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hachani, Roxanne; Lowdell, Mark; Birchall, Martin; Thanh, NguyêN. Thi Kim

2013-11-01

The use of human stem cells (SCs) in tissue engineering holds promise in revolutionising the treatment of numerous diseases. There is a pressing need to comprehend the distribution, movement and role of SCs once implanted onto scaffolds. Nanotechnology has provided a platform to investigate this through the development of inorganic magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). MNPs can be used to label and track SCs by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) since this clinically available imaging modality has high spatial resolution. In this review, we highlight recent applications of iron oxide and gadolinium based MNPs in SC labelling and MRI; and offer novel considerations for their future development.

Hyperspectral Imaging, Flow cytometry and Microscopic Morphology of Silver Nanoparticle within Cells

EPA Science Inventory

The ability to detect and track silver nanoparticles (AgNP) that enter cells is important to understand the potential biological and toxicological actions of AgNP. The uptake and fate in cells of four different types of AgNP was studied in a retinal pigment epithelial cell line ...

Three-dimensional automated nanoparticle tracking using Mie scattering in an optical microscope.

PubMed

Gineste, J-M; Macko, P; Patterson, E A; Whelan, M P

2011-08-01

The forward scattering of light in a conventional inverted optical microscope by nanoparticles ranging in diameter from 10 to 50nm has been used to automatically and quantitatively identify and track their location in three-dimensions with a temporal resolution of 200ms. The standard deviation of the location of nominally stationary 50-nm-diameter nanoparticles was found to be about 50nm along the light path and about 5nm in the plane perpendicular to the light path. The method is based on oscillating the microscope objective along the light path using a piezo actuator and acquiring images with the condenser aperture closed to a minimum to enhance the effects of diffraction. Data processing in the time and spatial domains allowed the location of particles to be obtained automatically so that the technique has potential applications both in the processing of nanoparticles and in their use in a variety of fields including nanobiotechnology, pharmaceuticals and food processing where a simple optical microscope maybe preferred for a variety of reasons. © 2011 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2011 Royal Microscopical Society.

Antibacterial activity of silver and zinc nanoparticles against Vibrio cholerae and enterotoxic Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Salem, Wesam; Leitner, Deborah R; Zingl, Franz G; Schratter, Gebhart; Prassl, Ruth; Goessler, Walter; Reidl, Joachim; Schild, Stefan

2015-01-01

Vibrio cholerae and enterotoxic Escherichia coli (ETEC) remain two dominant bacterial causes of severe secretory diarrhea and still a significant cause of death, especially in developing countries. In order to investigate new effective and inexpensive therapeutic approaches, we analyzed nanoparticles synthesized by a green approach using corresponding salt (silver or zinc nitrate) with aqueous extract of Caltropis procera fruit or leaves. We characterized the quantity and quality of nanoparticles by UV-visible wavelength scans and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Nanoparticles could be synthesized in reproducible yields of approximately 10(8) particles/ml with mode particles sizes of approx. 90-100 nm. Antibacterial activity against two pathogens was assessed by minimal inhibitory concentration assays and survival curves. Both pathogens exhibited similar resistance profiles with minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging between 5×10(5) and 10(7) particles/ml. Interestingly, zinc nanoparticles showed a slightly higher efficacy, but sublethal concentrations caused adverse effects and resulted in increased biofilm formation of V. cholerae. Using the expression levels of the outer membrane porin OmpT as an indicator for cAMP levels, our results suggest that zinc nanoparticles inhibit adenylyl cyclase activity. This consequently deceases the levels of this second messenger, which is a known inhibitor of biofilm formation. Finally, we demonstrated that a single oral administration of silver nanoparticles to infant mice colonized with V. cholerae or ETEC significantly reduces the colonization rates of the pathogens by 75- or 100-fold, respectively. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

Covering the optical spectrum through collective rare-earth doping of NaGdF4 nanoparticles: 806 and 980 nm excitation routes.

PubMed

Skripka, A; Marin, R; Benayas, A; Canton, P; Hemmer, E; Vetrone, F

2017-05-17

Today, at the frontier of biomedical research, the need has been clearly established for integrating disease detection and therapeutic function in one single theranostic system. Light-emitting nanoparticles are being intensively investigated to fulfil this demand, by continuously developing nanoparticle systems simultaneously emitting in both the UV/visible (light-triggered release and activation of drugs) and the near-infrared (imaging and tracking) spectral regions. In this work, rare-earth (RE) doped nanoparticles (RENPs) were synthesized via a thermal decomposition process and spectroscopically investigated as potential candidates as all-in-one optical imaging, diagnostic and therapeutic agents. These core/shell/shell nanoparticles (NaGdF 4 :Er 3+ ,Ho 3+ ,Yb 3+ /NaGdF 4 :Nd 3+ ,Yb 3+ /NaGdF 4 ) are optically excited by heating-free 806 nm light that, aside from minimizing the local thermal load, also allows to obtain a deeper sub-tissue penetration with respect to the still widely used 980 nm light. Moreover, these water-dispersed nanoplatforms offer interesting assets as triggers/probes for biomedical applications, by virtue of a plethora of emission bands (spanning the 380-1600 nm range). Our results pave the way to use these RENPs for UV/visible-triggered photodynamic therapy/drug release, while simultaneously tracking the nanoparticle biodistribution and monitoring their therapeutic action through the near-infrared signal that overlaps with biological transparency windows.

Three-dimensional single-particle tracking in live cells: news from the third dimension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupont, A.; Gorelashvili, M.; Schüller, V.; Wehnekamp, F.; Arcizet, D.; Katayama, Y.; Lamb, D. C.; Heinrich, D.

2013-07-01

Single-particle tracking (SPT) is of growing importance in the biophysical community. It is used to investigate processes such as drug and gene delivery, viral uptake, intracellular trafficking or membrane-bound protein mobility. Traditionally, SPT is performed in two dimensions (2D) because of its technical simplicity. However, life occurs in three dimensions (3D) and many methods have been recently developed to track particles in 3D. Now, is the third dimension worth the effort? Here we investigate the differences between the 2D and 3D analyses of intracellular transport with the 3D development of a time-resolved mean square displacement (MSD) analysis introduced previously. The 3D trajectories, and the 2D projections, of fluorescent nanoparticles were obtained with an orbital tracking microscope in two different cell types: in Dictyostelium discoideum ameba and in adherent, more flattened HuH-7 human cells. As expected from the different 3D organization of both cells’ cytoskeletons, a third of the active transport was lost upon projection in the ameba whereas the identification of the active phases was barely affected in the HuH-7 cells. In both cell types, we found intracellular diffusion to be anisotropic and the diffusion coefficient values derived from the 2D analysis were therefore biased.

Growth and assembly of cobalt oxide nanoparticle rings at liquid nanodroplets with solid junction.

PubMed

Zhou, Yilong; Powers, Alexander S; Zhang, Xiaowei; Xu, Tao; Bustillo, Karen; Sun, Litao; Zheng, Haimei

2017-09-28

Using liquid cell TEM, we imaged the formation of CoO nanoparticle rings. Nanoparticles nucleated and grew tracing the perimeter of droplets sitting on the SiN x solid substrate, and finally formed necklace-like rings. By tracking single nanoparticle trajectories during the ring formation and an estimation of the forces between droplets and nanoparticles using a simplified model, we found the junction of liquid nanodroplets with a solid substrate is the attractive site for CoO nanoparticles. Coalescing droplets were capable of pushing nanoparticles to the perimeter of the new droplet and nanoparticles on top of the droplets rolled off toward the perimeter. We propose that the curved surface morphology of the droplets created a force gradient that contributed to the assembly of nanoparticles at the droplet perimeter. Revealing the dynamics of nanoparticle movements and the interactions of nanoparticles with the liquid nanodroplet provides insights on developing novel self-assembly strategies for building precisely defined nanostructures on solid substrates.

Shape Effects in Nanoparticle-Based Imaging Agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Culver, Kayla Shani Brook

At the nanoscale, material properties become highly size and shape dependent. These properties can be manipulated and exploited for a variety of biomedical applications, including sensing, drug delivery, diagnostics, and imaging. In particular, nanoparticles of different materials, sizes and shapes have been developed as high-performance contrast agents for optical, electron, and medical imaging. In this thesis, I focus on gold nanoparticles because they are widely used as contrast agents in multiple types of imaging modalities. Additionally, the surface of gold can be readily functionalized with ligands and the structure of the particles can be manipulated to modulate their performance as imaging agents. The properties of nanoparticles can generate contrast directly. For example, the light scattering properties of gold particles can be visualized in optical microscopy, the high electron density of gold produces contrast in electron microscopy, and the x-ray absorption properties of gold can be detected in medical x-ray and computed tomography imaging. Alternatively, the properties of the nanomaterial can be exploited to modulate the signal produced by other molecules that are bound to the particle surface. The light emission of molecular fluorophores can be quenched or dramatically increased by coupling to the optical field enhancements of gold nanoparticles, and the performance of gadolinium (Gd(III))-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents can be increased by coupling to the rotational motion of nanoparticles. In this dissertation, I focus specifically on how the structure of star-shaped gold particles (nanostars) can be exploited as single-particle optical probes and to dramatically enhance the relaxivity of Gd(III) bound to the surface. Differential interference contrast (DIC) is a type of wide-field diffraction-limited optical microscopy that is commonly used by biologists to image cells without labels. Here, I demonstrate the DIC can be used to characterize complex nanoscale structural features and spectral properties of gold nanostars. Specifically, by evaluating the DIC contrast and image patterns of single nanostars, I distinguished between flat and 3D geometries, identified nanostars with 4-fold symmetry, and determined nanostar orientation. Additionally, in multi-wavelength DIC imaging, an inversion in the contrast could be used to indicate the localized surface plasmon resonance of nanostars with 1 and 2 branches. Next, I used DIC to track the rotational and translational dynamics of functionalized nanostars interacting with live cell membranes. The DNA aptamer ligand on the nanostars specifically targets the transmembrane receptor HER2. I tracked single nanoconstructs over long time scales (˜ 20 minutes per particle, > 80 minutes total) with high temporal resolution (4 fps) and found that analysis of the DIC contrast fluctuations could be used to identify multiple modes of rotational behavior on the cell membrane. I developed MATLAB programs to track the moving nanoconstructs in a dynamic background environment and set up a customized live-cell perfusion chamber that is compatible with the bulky high numerical aperture optics. The combination of the environmental control in the chamber and the low light levels required to visualize single nanostars make this technique optimal for long-term tracking of single nanoconstructs in viable cells. Although nanoparticle size is well-known to influence the relaxivity of Gd(III)-based MRI contrast agents that are attached to the surface, the role of nanoparticle shape was previously unknown. Recently, we discovered that the relaxivity of Gd(III)-conjugated DNA bound to nanostars was three-fold higher than that of analogous spherical nanoconstructs. The relaxivities reached enhancements that were beyond limits that could be explained theoretically by size effects alone. We found that the extremely large enhancements could be explained by elongated water residence times in the second coordination sphere. Here, we investigated in detail how the complex structure of the nanostars mediates these effects. By sorting the nanostars by shape, we found that relaxivity increases with increasing branch number. Thus, we hypothesize that the confinement of the Gd(III)-DNA in the regions of negative surface curvature between branches creates a dense hydrophilic environment that promotes relaxation of second-sphere water molecules. These results demonstrate that shape is a new parameter that can be tuned in the optimization of nanoparticle-based T1 MRI contrast agents. It is important to characterize the potential toxicity of nanomaterials that are intended for use in biomedical applications. Thus, I evaluated the in vivo biodistribution and acute toxicity in rats of gold nanostars functionalized with DNA. As expected for nanoparticles of this size (˜50 nm) and surface charge (negative), the primary clearance mechanism was through the liver and spleen. Importantly, even at the highest dose, no signs of acute toxicity were observed based on hematology, clinical chemistry, and histology, indicating that DNA-coated gold nanostars are highly biocompatible. Additionally, I exploited the high contrast of gold in electron microscopy to track the fate of the nanoconstructs within organs ex vivo. In the liver, the nanoconstructs were sequestered in lysosomes of Kupffer cells. The electron microscopy analysis also indicated that the branched structure of the nanostars was intact even after 2 weeks in the liver, which is important for shape-dependent applications.

Novel magnetic graphene quantum dot as dual modality fluorescence/MMOCT contrast agent for tracking epithelial cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wei; Matcher, Stephen J.

2017-02-01

A novel nanoparticle, magnetic graphene quantum dot (MGQD), was synthesized by hydrothermally cutting graphene oxide-iron oxide sheet for contrast agent in magnetomotive optical coherence tomography (MMOCT) and confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM). The MGQD has superparamagnetism, which allows the MGQD to be tracked and imaged using MMOCT. The MMOCT can display paramagnetic nanoparticle in vivo and provide an anatomical information with micron scale resolution and long imaging depth in clinic application. Moreover, the MGQD has excitation-depend fluorescence and emits visible fluorescence under the excitation of 360nm light, which allows the MGQD to be used as tracer in CFM. CFM can offer intracellular details due to higher resolution, while CFM is unsuitable for imaging anatomical structure because of the limited view of field. The use of MGQD for cell or tissue tracking realizes the combination of MMOCT and CFM, and gives a more comprehensive diagnosis.

Targeting neurotransmitter receptors with nanoparticles in vivo allows single-molecule tracking in acute brain slices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varela, Juan A.; Dupuis, Julien P.; Etchepare, Laetitia; Espana, Agnès; Cognet, Laurent; Groc, Laurent

2016-03-01

Single-molecule imaging has changed the way we understand many biological mechanisms, particularly in neurobiology, by shedding light on intricate molecular events down to the nanoscale. However, current single-molecule studies in neuroscience have been limited to cultured neurons or organotypic slices, leaving as an open question the existence of fast receptor diffusion in intact brain tissue. Here, for the first time, we targeted dopamine receptors in vivo with functionalized quantum dots and were able to perform single-molecule tracking in acute rat brain slices. We propose a novel delocalized and non-inflammatory way of delivering nanoparticles (NPs) in vivo to the brain, which allowed us to label and track genetically engineered surface dopamine receptors in neocortical neurons, revealing inherent behaviour and receptor activity regulations. We thus propose a NP-based platform for single-molecule studies in the living brain, opening new avenues of research in physiological and pathological animal models.

Nanoparticle Contrast Agents for Computed Tomography: A Focus on Micelles

PubMed Central

Cormode, David P.; Naha, Pratap C.; Fayad, Zahi A.

2014-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) is an X-ray based whole body imaging technique that is widely used in medicine. Clinically approved contrast agents for CT are iodinated small molecules or barium suspensions. Over the past seven years there has been a great increase in the development of nanoparticles as CT contrast agents. Nanoparticles have several advantages over small molecule CT contrast agents, such as long blood-pool residence times, and the potential for cell tracking and targeted imaging applications. Furthermore, there is a need for novel CT contrast agents, due to the growing population of renally impaired patients and patients hypersensitive to iodinated contrast. Micelles and lipoproteins, a micelle-related class of nanoparticle, have notably been adapted as CT contrast agents. In this review we discuss the principles of CT image formation and the generation of CT contrast. We discuss the progress in developing non-targeted, targeted and cell tracking nanoparticle CT contrast agents. We feature agents based on micelles and used in conjunction with spectral CT. The large contrast agent doses needed will necessitate careful toxicology studies prior to clinical translation. However, the field has seen tremendous advances in the past decade and we expect many more advances to come in the next decade. PMID:24470293

Towards magnetic-enhanced cellular uptake, MRI and chemotherapeutics delivery by magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

PubMed

Liu, Qian; Zhang, Jixi; Xia, Weiliang; Gu, Hongchen

2012-10-01

A type of nanoparticle with three functional modalities was prepared with the aim of providing a multifunctional drug delivery system. The nanoparticle was 50 nm in size, with 2.7 nm mesopores and a magnetic nanocrystal core, which was further doped with FITC to enable the tracking of cellular uptake. We demonstrated that the internalization of the nanoparticles in tumor cells could be enhanced by applying an external magnetic field and furthermore, this kind of nanoparticle could be used in magnetic targeted drug delivery. With high transverse relaxivity, the magnetic nanoparticles shortened proton relaxation time and induced high magnetic resonance imaging contrast in tumor cells. Studies on anticancer drug loading and delivery capacity of anticancer drugs also showed that this type of nanoparticles could load water-soluble doxorubicin, and produce a prominent inhibitive effect against tumor cells. Taken together, the presented nanoparticles could become a promising agent in cancer theranostics.

Quantitative 3D evolution of colloidal nanoparticle oxidation in solution

DOE PAGES

Sun, Yugang; Zuo, Xiaobing; Sankaranarayanan, Subramanian K. R. S.; ...

2017-04-21

Real-time tracking three-dimensional (3D) evolution of colloidal nanoparticles in solution is essential for understanding complex mechanisms involved in nanoparticle growth and transformation. We simultaneously use time-resolved small-angle and wide-angle x-ray scattering to monitor oxidation of highly uniform colloidal iron nanoparticles, enabling the reconstruction of intermediate 3D morphologies of the nanoparticles with a spatial resolution of ~5 Å. The in-situ probing combined with large-scale reactive molecular dynamics simulations reveals the transformational details from the solid metal nanoparticles to hollow metal oxide nanoshells via nanoscale Kirkendall process, for example, coalescence of voids upon their growth, reversing of mass diffusion direction depending onmore » crystallinity, and so forth. In conclusion, our results highlight the complex interplay between defect chemistry and defect dynamics in determining nanoparticle transformation and formation.« less

Quantitative 3D evolution of colloidal nanoparticle oxidation in solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Yugang; Zuo, Xiaobing; Sankaranarayanan, Subramanian K. R. S.

Real-time tracking three-dimensional (3D) evolution of colloidal nanoparticles in solution is essential for understanding complex mechanisms involved in nanoparticle growth and transformation. We simultaneously use time-resolved small-angle and wide-angle x-ray scattering to monitor oxidation of highly uniform colloidal iron nanoparticles, enabling the reconstruction of intermediate 3D morphologies of the nanoparticles with a spatial resolution of ~5 Å. The in-situ probing combined with large-scale reactive molecular dynamics simulations reveals the transformational details from the solid metal nanoparticles to hollow metal oxide nanoshells via nanoscale Kirkendall process, for example, coalescence of voids upon their growth, reversing of mass diffusion direction depending onmore » crystallinity, and so forth. In conclusion, our results highlight the complex interplay between defect chemistry and defect dynamics in determining nanoparticle transformation and formation.« less

A new report of Nocardiopsis valliformis strain OT1 from alkaline Lonar crater of India and its use in synthesis of silver nanoparticles with special reference to evaluation of antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity.

PubMed

Rathod, Dnyaneshwar; Golinska, Patrycja; Wypij, Magdalena; Dahm, Hanna; Rai, Mahendra

2016-10-01

The authors report the biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by alkaliphilic actinobacterium Nocardiopsis valliformis OT1 strain isolated for the first time from Lonar crater, India. The primary detection of silver NPs formation was made by colour change from colourless to dark brown and confirmed by UV-Vis spectrum of AgNPs at 423 nm, specific for AgNPs. Further, AgNPs were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis, Zeta sizer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. FTIR analysis showed the presence of proteins as capping agent. TEM analysis revealed the formation of spherical and polydispersed AgNPs within the size range of 5-50 nm. The antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis was evaluated. The AgNPs showed the maximum antibacterial activity against B. subtilis (Gram positive) and the minimum against E. coli (Gram negative). The minimal inhibitory concentration values of AgNPs for the tested bacteria were found to be in the range of 30-80 µg/mL. The AgNPs demonstrated higher antibacterial activity against all the bacteria tested as compared with the commercially available antibiotics. The cytotoxicity of biosynthesized AgNPs against in vitro human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) demonstrated a dose-response activity. The IC50 value was found to be 100 µg/mL of AgNPs against cancer HeLa cell line.

The effect of magnetic nanoparticles on neuronal differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural precursors

PubMed Central

Jiráková, Klára; Šeneklová, Monika; Jirák, Daniel; Turnovcová, Karolína; Vosmanská, Magda; Babič, Michal; Horák, Daniel; Veverka, Pavel; Jendelová, Pavla

2016-01-01

Introduction Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is suitable for noninvasive long-term tracking. We labeled human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural precursors (iPSC-NPs) with two types of iron-based nanoparticles, silica-coated cobalt zinc ferrite nanoparticles (CZF) and poly-l-lysine-coated iron oxide superparamagnetic nanoparticles (PLL-coated γ-Fe2O3) and studied their effect on proliferation and neuronal differentiation. Materials and methods We investigated the effect of these two contrast agents on neural precursor cell proliferation and differentiation capability. We further defined the intracellular localization and labeling efficiency and analyzed labeled cells by MR. Results Cell proliferation was not affected by PLL-coated γ-Fe2O3 but was slowed down in cells labeled with CZF. Labeling efficiency, iron content and relaxation rates measured by MR were lower in cells labeled with CZF when compared to PLL-coated γ-Fe2O3. Cytoplasmic localization of both types of nanoparticles was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemical analysis of specific markers expressed during neuronal differentiation did not show any significant differences between unlabeled cells or cells labeled with both magnetic nanoparticles. Conclusion Our results show that cells labeled with PLL-coated γ-Fe2O3 are suitable for MR detection, did not affect the differentiation potential of iPSC-NPs and are suitable for in vivo cell therapies in experimental models of central nervous system disorders. PMID:27920532

Co-localization of fluorescent labeled lipid nanoparticles with specifically tagged subcellular compartments by single particle tracking at low nanoparticle to cell ratios.

PubMed

Tiffany, Matthew; Szoka, Francis C

2016-11-01

We utilized quantitative high-resolution single particle tracking to study the internalization and endosomal sorting of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) by HeLa cells in vitro to gain a better understanding of how cells process LNPs that are used for siRNA delivery. We compared the trafficking of three formulations that have been demonstrated to deliver siRNA into cells. They were composed of either a tritratable anionic lipid, formulation of cholesterol hemisuccinate (CHEMS), or a titratatable cationic lipid formulation of 1,2-dilinoleyloxy-3-dimethylaminopropane (DLinDMA) or a non-titratable cationic formulation lipid formulation of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP). They also contained either a substantial percentage of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) or cholesterol and 5 mole percent 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycerol-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)-2000 (PEG-DMG). We optically measured the endosomal pH experienced by individual LNPs, observed the internalization pathways used and tracked the particles as they co-localized with fluorescent protein tags on compartment-specific proteins, during endosomal sorting to the lysosome. The data revealed significant differences in the accumulation in subcellular compartments among the three formulations, which help to explain the observed effects LNP composition exerts on in vitro delivery efficiency.

Three-dimensional tracking of small aquatic organisms using fluorescent nanoparticles.

PubMed

Ekvall, Mikael T; Bianco, Giuseppe; Linse, Sara; Linke, Heiner; Bäckman, Johan; Hansson, Lars-Anders

2013-01-01

Tracking techniques are vital for the understanding of the biology and ecology of organisms. While such techniques have provided important information on the movement and migration of large animals, such as mammals and birds, scientific advances in understanding the individual behaviour and interactions of small (mm-scale) organisms have been hampered by constraints, such as the sizes of existing tracking devices, in existing tracking methods. By combining biology, chemistry and physics we here present a method that allows three-dimensional (3D) tracking of individual mm-sized aquatic organisms. The method is based on in-vivo labelling of the organisms with fluorescent nanoparticles, so-called quantum dots, and tracking of the organisms in 3D via the quantum-dot fluorescence using a synchronized multiple camera system. It allows for the efficient and simultaneous study of the behaviour of one as well as multiple individuals in large volumes of observation, thus enabling the study of behavioural interactions at the community scale. The method is non-perturbing - we demonstrate that the labelling is not affecting the behavioural response of the organisms - and is applicable over a wide range of taxa, including cladocerans as well as insects, suggesting that our methodological concept opens up for new research fields on individual behaviour of small animals. Hence, this offers opportunities to focus on important biological, ecological and behavioural questions never before possible to address.

Detection of single photoluminescent diamond nanoparticles in cells and study of the internalization pathway.

PubMed

Faklaris, Orestis; Garrot, Damien; Joshi, Vandana; Druon, Frédéric; Boudou, Jean-Paul; Sauvage, Thierry; Georges, Patrick; Curmi, Patrick A; Treussart, François

2008-12-01

Diamond nanoparticles are promising photoluminescent probes for tracking intracellular processes, due to embedded, perfectly photostable color centers. In this work, the spontaneous internalization of such nanoparticles (diameter 25 nm) in HeLa cancer cells is investigated by confocal microscopy and time-resolved techniques. Nanoparticles are observed inside the cell cytoplasm at the single-particle and single-color-center level, assessed by time-correlation intensity measurements. Improvement of the nanoparticle signal-to-noise ratio inside the cell is achieved using a pulsed-excitation laser and time-resolved detection taking advantage of the long radiative lifetime of the color-center excited state as compared to cell autofluorescence. The internalization pathways are also investigated, with endosomal marking and colocalization analyses. The low colocalization ratio observed proves that nanodiamonds are not trapped in endosomes, a promising result in prospect of drug delivery by these nanoparticles. Low cytotoxicity of these nanoparticles in this cell line is also shown.

Imaging modalities for the in vivo surveillance of mesenchymal stromal cells.

PubMed

Hossain, Mohammad Ayaz; Chowdhury, Tina; Bagul, Atul

2015-11-01

Bone marrow stromal cells exist as mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and have the capacity to differentiate into multiple tissue types when subjected to appropriate culture conditions. This property of MSCs creates therapeutic opportunities in regenerative medicine for the treatment of damage to neural, cardiac and musculoskeletal tissues or acute kidney injury. The prerequisite for successful cell therapy is delivery of cells to the target tissue. Assessment of therapeutic outcomes utilize traditional methods to examine cell function of MSC populations involving routine biochemical or histological analysis for cell proliferation, protein synthesis and gene expression. However, these methods do not provide sufficient spatial and temporal information. In vivo surveillance of MSC migration to the site of interest can be performed through a variety of imaging modalities such as the use of radiolabelling, fluc protein expression bioluminescence imaging and paramagnetic nanoparticle magnetic resonance imaging. This review will outline the current methods of in vivo surveillance of exogenously administered MSCs in regenerative medicine while addressing potential technological developments. Furthermore, nanoparticles and microparticles for cellular labelling have shown that migration of MSCs can be spatially and temporally monitored. In vivo surveillance therefore permits time-stratified assessment in animal models without disruption of the target organ. In vivo tracking of MSCs is non-invasive, repeatable and non-toxic. Despite the excitement that nanoparticles for tracking MSCs offer, delivery methods are difficult because of the challenges with imaging three-dimensional systems. The current advances and growth in MSC research, is likely to provide a wealth of evidence overcoming these issues. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Magnetomotive imaging of iron oxide nanoparticles as cellular contrast agents for optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cimalla, Peter; Werner, Theresa; Gaertner, Maria; Mueller, Claudia; Walther, Julia; Wittig, Dierk; Ader, Marius; Karl, Mike; Koch, Edmund

2013-06-01

Recent studies in animal models provided proof-of-principle evidence for cell transplantation as a potential future therapeutic approach for retinal pathologies in humans such as Retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration. In this case, donor cells are injected into the eye in order to protect or replace degenerating photoreceptors or retinal pigment epithelium. However, currently there is no three-dimensional imaging technique available that allows tracking of cell migration and integration into the host tissue under in vivo conditions. Therefore, we investigate about magnetomotive optical coherence tomography (OCT) of substances labeled with iron oxide nanoparticles as a potential method for noninvasive, three-dimensional cell tracking in the retina. We use a self-developed spectral domain OCT system for high-resolution imaging in the 800 nm-wavelength region. A suitable AC magnetic field for magnetomotive imaging was generated using two different setups, which consist of an electrically driven solenoid in combination with a permanent magnet, and a mechanically driven all-permanent magnet configuration. In the sample region the maximum magnetic flux density was 100 mT for both setups, with a field gradient of 9 T/m and 13 T/m for the solenoid and the allpermanent magnet setup, respectively. Magnetomotive OCT imaging was performed in elastic tissue phantoms and single cells labeled with iron oxide nanoparticles. Particle-induced sub-resolution movement of the elastic samples and the single cells could successfully be detected and visualized by means of phase-resolved Doppler OCT analysis. Therefore, this method is a potential technique to enhance image contrast of specific cells in OCT.

Preparation and antibacterial activities of Ag/Ag+/Ag3+ nanoparticle composites made by pomegranate (Punica granatum) rind extract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hui; Ren, Yan-yu; Wang, Tao; Wang, Chuang

Nano-silver and its composite materials are widely used in medicine, food and other industries due to their strong conductivity, size effect and other special performances. So far, more microbial researches have been applied, but a plant method is rarely reported. In order to open up a new way to prepare AgNP composites, pomegranate peel extract was used in this work to reduce Ag+ to prepare Ag/Ag+/Ag3+ nanoparticle composites. UV-Vis was employed to detect and track the reduction of Ag+ and the forming process of AgNPs. The composition, structure and size of the crystal were analyzed by XRD and TEM. Results showed that, under mild conditions, pomegranate peel extract reacted with dilute AgNO3 solution to produce Ag/Ag+/Ag3+ nanoparticle composites. At pH = 8 and 10 mmol/L of AgNO3 concentration, the size of the achieved composites ranged between 15 and 35 nm with spherical shapes and good crystallinity. The bactericidal experiment indicated that the prepared Ag/Ag+/Ag3+ nanoparticles had strong antibacterial activity against gram positive bacteria and gram negative bacteria. FTIR analysis revealed that biological macromolecules with groups of sbnd NH2, sbnd OH, and others were distributed on the surface of the newly synthesized Ag/Ag+/Ag3+ nanoparticles. This provided a useful clue to further study the AgNP biosynthesis mechanism.

The Role of Nanobubbles in the Precipitation and Recovery of Organic-Phosphine-Containing Beneficiation Wastewater.

PubMed

Xiao, Wei; Ke, Shuo; Quan, Nannan; Zhou, Limin; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Lijuan; Dong, Yaming; Qin, Wenqing; Qiu, Guanzhou; Hu, Jun

2018-05-29

Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is broadly applied in wastewater treatment, especially for the recovery of organic pollution with low concentration. However, the mechanism of interaction between nanoscale gas bubbles and nanoparticles in the process of DAF remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of nanobubbles in the precipitation of styryl phosphoric acid (SPA)-Pb particles and recovering organic phosphine containined in beneficiation wastewater by UV-vis (ultraviolet-visible) spectra, microflotation tests, nanoparticle tracking analysis, dynamic light scattering, and atomic force microscopy measurements. As suggested from the results, nanobubbles can inhibit the crystallization of SPA-Pb precipitation, which makes the sediment flotation recovery below 20%. After the precipitation crystallization is completed, nanobubbles can flocculate precipitated particles, which can promote the flotation recovery of precipitated particles to 90%. On the basis of the results, we proposed a model to explain the different roles of nanobubbles in the process of precipitation and flotation of SPA-Pb particles. This study will be helpful to understand the interaction between nanobubbles and nanoparticles in the application of flotation.

Nanohybrids with Magnetic and Persistent Luminescence Properties for Cell Labeling, Tracking, In Vivo Real-Time Imaging, and Magnetic Vectorization.

PubMed

Teston, Eliott; Maldiney, Thomas; Marangon, Iris; Volatron, Jeanne; Lalatonne, Yoann; Motte, Laurence; Boisson-Vidal, Catherine; Autret, Gwennhael; Clément, Olivier; Scherman, Daniel; Gazeau, Florence; Richard, Cyrille

2018-04-01

Once injected into a living organism, cells diffuse or migrate around the initial injection point and become impossible to be visualized and tracked in vivo. The present work concerns the development of a new technique for therapeutic cell labeling and subsequent in vivo visualization and magnetic retention. It is hypothesized and subsequently demonstrated that nanohybrids made of persistent luminescence nanoparticles and ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles incorporated into a silica matrix can be used as an effective nanoplatform to label therapeutic cells in a nontoxic way in order to dynamically track them in real-time in vitro and in living mice. As a proof-of-concept, it is shown that once injected, these labeled cells can be visualized and attracted in vivo using a magnet. This first step suggests that these nanohybrids represent efficient multifunctional nanoprobes for further imaging guided cell therapies development. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Two-dimensional flow nanometry of biological nanoparticles for accurate determination of their size and emission intensity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Block, Stephan; Fast, Björn Johansson; Lundgren, Anders; Zhdanov, Vladimir P.; Höök, Fredrik

2016-09-01

Biological nanoparticles (BNPs) are of high interest due to their key role in various biological processes and use as biomarkers. BNP size and composition are decisive for their functions, but simultaneous determination of both properties with high accuracy remains challenging. Optical microscopy allows precise determination of fluorescence/scattering intensity, but not the size of individual BNPs. The latter is better determined by tracking their random motion in bulk, but the limited illumination volume for tracking this motion impedes reliable intensity determination. Here, we show that by attaching BNPs to a supported lipid bilayer, subjecting them to hydrodynamic flows and tracking their motion via surface-sensitive optical imaging enable determination of their diffusion coefficients and flow-induced drifts, from which accurate quantification of both BNP size and emission intensity can be made. For vesicles, the accuracy of this approach is demonstrated by resolving the expected radius-squared dependence of their fluorescence intensity for radii down to 15 nm.

Measurement of the average mass of proteins adsorbed to a nanoparticle by using a suspended microchannel resonator.

PubMed

Nejadnik, M Reza; Jiskoot, Wim

2015-02-01

We assessed the potential of a suspended microchannel resonator (SMR) to measure the adsorption of proteins to nanoparticles. Standard polystyrene beads suspended in buffer were weighed by a SMR system. Particle suspensions were mixed with solutions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) or monoclonal human antibody (IgG), incubated at room temperature for 3 h and weighed again with SMR. The difference in buoyant mass of the bare and protein-coated polystyrene beads was calculated into real mass of adsorbed proteins. The average surface area occupied per protein molecule was calculated, assuming a monolayer of adsorbed protein. In parallel, dynamic light scattering (DLS), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and zeta potential measurements were performed. SMR revealed a statistically significant increase in the mass of beads because of adsorption of proteins (for BSA and IgG), whereas DLS and NTA did not show a difference between the size of bare and protein-coated beads. The change in the zeta potential of the beads was also measurable. The surface area occupied per protein molecule was in line with their known size. Presented results show that SMR can be used to measure the mass of adsorbed protein to nanoparticles with a high precision in the presence of free protein. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Watching Nanoscale Self-Assembly Kinetics of Gold Prisms in Liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Juyeong; Ou, Zihao; Jones, Matthew R.; Chen, Qian

We use liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy to watch self-assembly of gold triangular prisms into polymer-like structures. The in situ dynamics monitoring enabled by liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, single nanoparticle tracking, and the marked conceptual similarity between molecular reactions and nanoparticle self-assembly combined elucidate the following mechanistic understanding: a step-growth polymerization based assembly statistics, kinetic pathways sampling particle curvature dependent energy minima and their interconversions, and directed assembly into polymorphs (linear or cyclic chains) through in situ modulation of the prism bonding geometry. Our study bridges the constituent kinetics on the molecular and nanoparticle length scales, which enriches the design rules in directed self-assembly of anisotropic nanoparticles.

Modular Carbon and Gold Nanoparticles for High Field MR Imaging and Theranostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rammohan, Nikhil

The ability to track labeled cancer cells in vivo would allow researchers to study their distribution, growth and metastatic potential within the intact organism. Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging is invaluable for tracking cancer cells in vivo as it benefits from high spatial resolution and absence of ionizing radiation. However, many MR contrast agents (CAs) required to label cells either do not significantly accumulate in cells or are not biologically compatible for translational studies. Accordingly, we have developed carbon- and gold-nanoparticles coupled to gadolinium(III) [Gd(III)] chelates for T1-weighted MR imaging that demonstrated remarkable properties for cell tracking in vitro and in vivo.. We created nanodiamond-Gd(III) aggregates (NDG) by peptide coupling Gd(III) chelates to aminated nanodiamonds. NDG had high relaxivity independent of field strength (unprecedented for Gd(III)-nanoparticle conjugates), and demonstrated a 300-fold increase in cellular delivery of Gd(III) compared to clinical Gd(III) chelates. Further, we were able to monitor the tumor growth of NDG-labeled flank tumors by T1-weighted MRI for 26 days in vivo, longer than reported for other MR CAs or nuclear agents. Further, theranostic nanodiamond-gadolinium(III)-doxorubicin (ND-Gd-Dox) aggregates were generated by conjugating doxorubicin (ND-Gd-Dox), which enabled efficient cancer chemotherapy in breast cancer cells. Further, we synthesized Gd(III)-gold nanoconjugates (Gd AuNPs) with varied chelate structure and nanoparticle-chelate linker length. Significantly enhanced cell labeling was demonstrated compared to previous gadolinium-gold-DNA nanoconstructs. Differences in Gd(III) loading, surface packing and cell uptake were observed between four different Gd AuNP formulations suggesting that linker length and surface charge play an important role in cell labeling. The best performing Gd AuNPs afforded 23.6 +/- 3.6 fmol of Gd(III) per cell at an incubation concentration of 27.5 microM. This efficiency of Gd(III) payload delivery (Gd(III)/cell normalized to dose) exceeds that of previously Gd(III)-Au conjugates and most other Gd(III)-nanoparticle formulations. Finally, Gd AuNPs were the first MR CAs of any type to effectively image the pancreas in vivo. . In summary, both Gd AuNPs and NDG support future MR-mediated cell tracking and theranostic applications in whole-animal models.

Kinetics and pathogenesis of intracellular magnetic nanoparticle cytotoxicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giustini, Andrew J.; Gottesman, Rachel E.; Petryk, A. A.; Rauwerdink, A. M.; Hoopes, P. Jack

2011-03-01

Magnetic nanoparticles excited by alternating magnetic fields (AMF) have demonstrated effective tumor-specific hyperthermia. This treatment is effective as a monotherapy as well as a therapeutic adjuvant to chemotherapy and radiation. Iron oxide nanoparticles have been shown, so far, to be non-toxic, as are the exciting AMF fields when used at moderate levels. Although higher levels of AMF can be more effective, depending on the type of iron oxide nanoparticles use, these higher field strengths and/or frequencies can induce normal tissue heating and toxicity. Thus, the use of nanoparticles exhibiting significant heating at low AMF strengths and frequencies is desirable. Our preliminary experiments have shown that the aggregation of magnetic nanoparticles within tumor cells improves their heating effect and cytotoxicity per nanoparticle. We have used transmission electron microscopy to track the endocytosis of nanoparticles into tumor cells (both breast adenocarcinoma (MTG-B) and acute monocytic leukemia (THP-1) cells). Our preliminary results suggest that nanoparticles internalized into tumor cells demonstrate greater cytotoxicity when excited with AMF than an equivalent heat dose from excited external nanoparticles or cells exposed to a hot water bath. We have also demonstrated that this increase in SAR caused by aggregation improves the cytotoxicity of nanoparticle hyperthermia therapy in vitro.

Counterion-enhanced cyanine dye loading into lipid nano-droplets for single-particle tracking in zebrafish.

PubMed

Kilin, Vasyl N; Anton, Halina; Anton, Nicolas; Steed, Emily; Vermot, Julien; Vandamme, Thierry F; Mely, Yves; Klymchenko, Andrey S

2014-06-01

Superior brightness of fluorescent nanoparticles places them far ahead of the classical fluorescent dyes in the field of biological imaging. However, for in vivo applications, inorganic nanoparticles, such as quantum dots, are limited due to the lack of biodegradability. Nano-emulsions encapsulating high concentrations of organic dyes are an attractive alternative, but classical fluorescent dyes are inconvenient due to their poor solubility in the oil and their tendency to form non-fluorescent aggregates. This problem was solved here for a cationic cyanine dye (DiI) by substituting its perchlorate counterion for a bulky and hydrophobic tetraphenylborate. This new dye salt, due to its exceptional oil solubility, could be loaded at 8 wt% concentration into nano-droplets of controlled size in the range 30-90 nm. Our 90 nm droplets, which contained >10,000 cyanine molecules, were >100-fold brighter than quantum dots. This extreme brightness allowed, for the first time, single-particle tracking in the blood flow of live zebrafish embryo, revealing both the slow and fast phases of the cardiac cycle. These nano-droplets showed minimal cytotoxicity in cell culture and in the zebrafish embryo. The concept of counterion-based dye loading provides a new effective route to ultra-bright lipid nanoparticles, which enables tracking single particles in live animals, a new dimension of in vivo imaging. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multivalent Porous Silicon Nanoparticles Enhance the Immune Activation Potency of Agonistic CD40 Antibody

PubMed Central

Gu, Luo; Ruff, Laura E.; Qin, Zhengtao; Corr, Maripat P.; Hedrick, Stephen M.; Sailor, Michael J.

2012-01-01

One of the fundamental paradigms in the use of nanoparticles to treat disease is to evade or suppress the immune system in order to minimize systemic side effects and deliver sufficient nanoparticle quantities to the intended tissues. However, the immune system is the body's most important and effective defense against diseases. It protects the host by identifying and eliminating foreign pathogens as well as selfmalignancies. Here we report a nanoparticle engineered to work with the immune system, enhancing the intended activation of antigen presenting cells (APCs). We show that luminescent porous silicon nanoparticles (LPSiNPs), each containing multiple copies of an agonistic antibody (FGK45) to the APC receptor CD40, greatly enhance activation of B cells. The cellular response to the nanoparticle-based stimulators is equivalent to a 30–40 fold larger concentration of free FGK45. The intrinsic near-infrared photoluminescence of LPSiNPs is used to monitor degradation and track the nanoparticles inside APCs. PMID:22689074

Focused ultrasound delivery of Raman nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier: Potential for targeting experimental brain tumors

PubMed Central

Diaz, Roberto Jose; McVeigh, Patrick Z.; O’Reilly, Meaghan A.; Burrell, Kelly; Bebenek, Matthew; Smith, Christian; Etame, Arnold; Zadeh, Gelareh; Hynynen, Kullervo; Wilson, Brian C.; Rutka, James T.

2014-01-01

Spectral mapping of nanoparticles with surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) capability in the near-infrared range is an emerging molecular imaging technique. We used magnetic resonance image-guided transcranial focused ultrasound (TcMRgFUS) to reversibly disrupt the blood-brain barrier (BBB) adjacent to brain tumor margins in rats. Glioma cells were found to internalize SERS capable nanoparticles of 50 nm or 120 nm physical diameter. Surface coating with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody or non-specific human immunoglobulin G, resulted in enhanced cell uptake of nanoparticles in-vitro compared to nanoparticles with methyl terminated 12-unit polyethylene glycol surface. BBB disruption permitted the delivery of SERS capable spherical 50 or 120 nm gold nanoparticles to the tumor margins. Thus, nanoparticles with SERS imaging capability can be delivered across the BBB non-invasively using TcMRgFUS and have the potential to be used as optical tracking agents at the invasive front of malignant brain tumors. PMID:24374363

In Situ Assembly of Well-Dispersed Ag Nanoparticles throughout Electrospun Alginate Nanofibers for Monitoring Human Breath-Smart Fabrics.

PubMed

Zhang, Jun; Wang, Xiao-Xiong; Zhang, Bin; Ramakrishna, Seeram; Yu, Miao; Ma, Jian-Wei; Long, Yun-Ze

2018-05-31

Alginate nanofibers assembled with silver nanoparticles throughout the whole nanofiber were fabricated by three steps including electrospinning of Na-alginate nanofibers, ion exchange between the sodium and silver ions, and in situ reduction of silver nanoparticles. The content, distribution, and size of the nanoparticles are controllable by tuning reaction conditions. Ag/alginate nanofibers exhibit good humidity sensitivity in a wide humidity range from 20% ambient relative humidity (RH) to 85% RH. Interestingly, these humidity sensors can be attached to a 3M-9001V mask for monitoring human breath during exercise and emotion changes, and this smart mask exhibits accurate and continuous human breath tracking, no matter how fast or slow as well as how deep or shallow is the human breathing. The obtained frequencies of respiration during normal, running, delight, and sadness conditions were 16, 13, 14, and 8 times per minute, respectively. Moreover, the signal waveform obtained under emotion changes is distinguishable, implying its potential applications in lie detection and interrogation. Thanks to this smart mask, it could accurately capture the rate and depth of respiration, providing an effective, low-cost, and convenient approach for tracking respiration, and it was utilized as smart fabrics in avoiding sleep apnea.

Dual-color multiple-particle tracking at 50-nm localization and over 100-µm range in 3D with temporal focusing two-photon microscopy

PubMed Central

Ding, Yu; Li, Chunqiang

2016-01-01

Nanoscale particle tracking in three dimensions is crucial to directly observe dynamics of molecules and nanoparticles in living cells. Here we present a three-dimensional particle tracking method based on temporally focused two-photon excitation. Multiple particles are imaged at 30 frames/s in volume up to 180 × 180 × 100 µm3. The spatial localization precision can reach 50 nm. We demonstrate its capability of tracking fast swimming microbes at speed of ~200 µm/s. Two-photon dual-color tracking is achieved by simultaneously exciting two kinds of fluorescent beads at 800 nm to demonstrate its potential in molecular interaction studies. Our method provides a simple wide-field fluorescence imaging approach for deep multiple-particle tracking. PMID:27867724

Magnetic particle imaging for radiation-free, sensitive and high-contrast vascular imaging and cell tracking.

PubMed

Zhou, Xinyi Y; Tay, Zhi Wei; Chandrasekharan, Prashant; Yu, Elaine Y; Hensley, Daniel W; Orendorff, Ryan; Jeffris, Kenneth E; Mai, David; Zheng, Bo; Goodwill, Patrick W; Conolly, Steven M

2018-05-10

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is an emerging ionizing radiation-free biomedical tracer imaging technique that directly images the intense magnetization of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs). MPI offers ideal image contrast because MPI shows zero signal from background tissues. Moreover, there is zero attenuation of the signal with depth in tissue, allowing for imaging deep inside the body quantitatively at any location. Recent work has demonstrated the potential of MPI for robust, sensitive vascular imaging and cell tracking with high contrast and dose-limited sensitivity comparable to nuclear medicine. To foster future applications in MPI, this new biomedical imaging field is welcoming researchers with expertise in imaging physics, magnetic nanoparticle synthesis and functionalization, nanoscale physics, and small animal imaging applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of gold nanoparticle size and coating on labeling monocytes for CT tracking

PubMed Central

Chhour, Peter; Kim, Johoon; Benardo, Barbara; Tovar, Alfredo; Mian, Shaameen; Litt, Harold I.; Ferrari, Victor A.; Cormode, David P.

2017-01-01

With advances in cell therapies, interest in cell tracking techniques to monitor the migration, localization and viability of these cells continues to grow. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a cornerstone of medical imaging but has been limited in cell tracking applications due to its low sensitivity towards contrast media. In this study, we investigate the role of size and surface functionality of gold nanoparticles for monocyte uptake to optimize the labeling of these cells for tracking in CT. We synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNP) that range from 15 to 150 nm in diameter and examined several capping ligands, generating 44 distinct AuNP formulations. In vitro cytotoxicity and uptake experiments were performed with the RAW 264.7 monocyte cell line. The majority of formulations at each size were found to be biocompatible, with only certain 150 nm PEG functionalized particles reducing viability at high concentrations. High uptake of AuNP was found using small capping ligands with distal carboxylic acids (11-MUA and 16-MHA). Similar uptake values were found with intermediate sizes (50 and 75 nm) of AuNP when coated with 2000 MW poly(ethylene-glycol) carboxylic acid ligands (PCOOH). Low uptake values were observed with 15, 25, 100, and 150 nm PCOOH AuNP, revealing interplay between size and surface functionality. TEM and CT performed on cells revealed similar patterns of high gold uptake for 50 nm PCOOH and 75 nm PCOOH AuNP. These results demonstrate that highly negatively charged carboxylic acid coatings for AuNP provide the greatest internalization of AuNP in monocytes, with a complex dependency on size. PMID:28095688

Direct visualization of nanoparticle dynamics at liquid interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yige; Kim, Paul; Hoagland, David; Russell, Tom

Ionic liquids, because of their negligible vapor pressures and moderate viscosities, are suitable media to investigate the dynamics of different types of dispersed nanoparticles by scanning electron microscopy. No liquid cell is necessary. Here, Brownian motions of nanoparticles partially wetted at the vacuum-liquid interface are visualized by low voltage SEM under conditions that allow single particle tracking for tens-of-minutes or longer. Conductive, nonconductive, semiconductive, and core-shell conductive-nonconductive nanoparticles have all been studied, and their interactions with each other in one- and two-component layers, as manifested in particle trajectories, differ significantly. For example, Au-coated silica nanoparticles aggregate above a threshold current, whereas aggregated silica-coated Au nanoparticles disaggregate at the same conditions. The impacts of surface concentration of nanoparticle dynamics were observed for one-component and two-component layers, with both global and localized motions visualized for single particles even in dense environments. As the surface concentration increases, the diffusion coefficient drops, and when the concentration reaches a critical threshold, the nanoparticles are essentially frozen. Financial support from NSF DMR-1619651 is acknowledged.

A Partnership Training Program: Studying Targeted Drug Delivery Using Nanoparticles in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

labeling and tracking of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs are a heterogeneous group of pluripotent stromal cells that can be isolated from... mesenchymal stem cell labelling by using polyhedral superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Chemistry 2009;15:12417-25. Wang and Shan. MRI cell ...and Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Carboxylated Carbon Nanotubes. ACS Nano 2010, 4, 2185–2195. 15. Bertoncini, P.; Chauvet, O

Influence of natural organic matter (NOM) coatings on nanoparticle adsorption onto supported lipid bilayers.

PubMed

Bo, Zhang; Avsar, Saziye Yorulmaz; Corliss, Michael K; Chung, Minsub; Cho, Nam-Joon

2017-10-05

As the worldwide usage of nanoparticles in commercial products continues to increase, there is growing concern about the environmental risks that nanoparticles pose to biological systems, including potential damage to cellular membranes. A detailed understanding of how different types of nanoparticles behave in environmentally relevant conditions is imperative for predicting and mitigating potential membrane-associated toxicities. Herein, we investigated the adsorption of two popular nanoparticles (silver and buckminsterfullerene) onto biomimetic supported lipid bilayers of varying membrane charge (positive and negative). The quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation (QCM-D) measurement technique was employed to track the adsorption kinetics. Particular attention was focused on understanding how natural organic matter (NOM) coatings affect nanoparticle-bilayer interactions. Both types of nanoparticles preferentially adsorbed onto the positively charged bilayers, although NOM coatings on the nanoparticle and lipid bilayer surfaces could either inhibit or promote adsorption in certain electrolyte conditions. While past findings showed that NOM coatings inhibit membrane adhesion, our findings demonstrate that the effects of NOM coatings are more nuanced depending on the type of nanoparticle and electrolyte condition. Taken together, the results demonstrate that NOM coatings can modulate the lipid membrane interactions of various nanoparticles, suggesting a possible way to improve the environmental safety of nanoparticles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PEGylated Silk Nanoparticles for Anticancer Drug Delivery.

PubMed

Wongpinyochit, Thidarat; Uhlmann, Petra; Urquhart, Andrew J; Seib, F Philipp

2015-11-09

Silk has a robust clinical track record and is emerging as a promising biopolymer for drug delivery, including its use as nanomedicine. However, silk-based nanomedicines still require further refinements for full exploitation of their potential; the application of "stealth" design principals is especially necessary to support their evolution. The aim of this study was to develop and examine the potential of PEGylated silk nanoparticles as an anticancer drug delivery system. We first generated B. mori derived silk nanoparticles by driving β-sheet assembly (size 104 ± 1.7 nm, zeta potential -56 ± 5.6 mV) using nanoprecipitation. We then surface grafted polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the fabricated silk nanoparticles and verified the aqueous stability and morphology of the resulting PEGylated silk nanoparticles. We assessed the drug loading and release behavior of these nanoparticles using clinically established and emerging anticancer drugs. Overall, PEGylated silk nanoparticles showed high encapsulation efficiency (>93%) and a pH-dependent release over 14 days. Finally, we demonstrated significant cytotoxicity of drug loaded silk nanoparticles applied as single and combination nanomedicines to human breast cancer cells. In conclusion, these results, taken together with prior silk nanoparticle data, support a viable future for silk-based nanomedicines.

Characterization of Nanoparticle Aggregation in Biologically Relevant Fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEnnis, Kathleen; Lahann, Joerg

Nanoparticles (NPs) are often studied as drug delivery vehicles, but little is known about their behavior in blood once injected into animal models. If the NPs aggregate in blood, they will be shunted to the liver or spleen instead of reaching the intended target. The use of animals for these experiments is costly and raises ethical questions. Typically dynamic light scattering (DLS) is used to analyze aggregation behavior, but DLS cannot be used because the components of blood also scatter light. As an alternative, a method of analyzing NPs in biologically relevant fluids such as blood plasma has been developed using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) with fluorescent filters. In this work, NTA was used to analyze the aggregation behavior of fluorescent polystyrene NPs with different surface modifications in blood plasma. It was expected that different surface chemistries on the particles will change the aggregation behavior. The effect of the surface modifications was investigated by quantifying the percentage of NPs in aggregates after addition to blood plasma. The use of this characterization method will allow for better understanding of particle behavior in the body, and potential problems, specifically aggregation, can be addressed before investing in in vivo studies.

Intracellular localization of gold nanoparticles with targeted delivery in MT-4 lymphocytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Lavanya; Parboosing, Raveen; Kruger, Hendrik G.; Maguire, Glenn E. M.; Govender, Thavendran

2016-12-01

The clinical utility of important therapeutic agents is often limited by the poor permeability of biological membranes. Cell penetrating peptides are usually employed to circumvent this challenge. This approach, coupled with gold nanoparticles, are a promising vehicle for drug delivery due to its good biocompatibility profile, negligable toxicity and possibility for multi-functionalization. Here we report the functionalization and intracellular tracking of gold nanoparticles decorated with a TAT cell penetrating peptide and a fluorescein tag in a simple, two step process. Fluorescence microscopy has confirmed the localization of the functionalized nanoparticles to be inside the cells, specifically within, or in close proximity to the nuclei of MT-4 lymphocytes; a HIV-relevant cell line in which this has not been previously demonstrated. The results of this study demonstrate that TAT has been efficiently conjugated to gold nanoparticles to facilitate both cellular and targeted nuclear entry.

Cell type-specific delivery of short interfering RNAs by dye-functionalised theranostic nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Press, Adrian T.; Traeger, Anja; Pietsch, Christian; Mosig, Alexander; Wagner, Michael; Clemens, Mark G.; Jbeily, Nayla; Koch, Nicole; Gottschaldt, Michael; Bézière, Nicolas; Ermolayev, Volodymyr; Ntziachristos, Vasilis; Popp, Jürgen; Kessels, Michael M.; Qualmann, Britta; Schubert, Ulrich S.; Bauer, Michael

2014-12-01

Efficient delivery of short interfering RNAs reflects a prerequisite for the development of RNA interference therapeutics. Here, we describe highly specific nanoparticles, based on near infrared fluorescent polymethine dye-derived targeting moieties coupled to biodegradable polymers. The fluorescent dye, even when coupled to a nanoparticle, mimics a ligand for hepatic parenchymal uptake transporters resulting in hepatobiliary clearance of approximately 95% of the dye within 45 min. Body distribution, hepatocyte uptake and excretion into bile of the dye itself, or dye-coupled nanoparticles can be tracked by intravital microscopy or even non-invasively by multispectral optoacoustic tomography. Efficacy of delivery is demonstrated in vivo using 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase siRNA as an active payload resulting in a reduction of plasma cholesterol levels if siRNA was formulated into dye-functionalised nanoparticles. This suggests that organ-selective uptake of a near infrared dye can be efficiently transferred to theranostic nanoparticles allowing novel possibilities for personalised silencing of disease-associated genes.

Nanoparticle-Cell Interaction: A Cell Mechanics Perspective.

PubMed

Septiadi, Dedy; Crippa, Federica; Moore, Thomas Lee; Rothen-Rutishauser, Barbara; Petri-Fink, Alke

2018-05-01

Progress in the field of nanoparticles has enabled the rapid development of multiple products and technologies; however, some nanoparticles can pose both a threat to the environment and human health. To enable their safe implementation, a comprehensive knowledge of nanoparticles and their biological interactions is needed. In vitro and in vivo toxicity tests have been considered the gold standard to evaluate nanoparticle safety, but it is becoming necessary to understand the impact of nanosystems on cell mechanics. Here, the interaction between particles and cells, from the point of view of cell mechanics (i.e., bionanomechanics), is highlighted and put in perspective. Specifically, the ability of intracellular and extracellular nanoparticles to impair cell adhesion, cytoskeletal organization, stiffness, and migration are discussed. Furthermore, the development of cutting-edge, nanotechnology-driven tools based on the use of particles allowing the determination of cell mechanics is emphasized. These include traction force microscopy, colloidal probe atomic force microscopy, optical tweezers, magnetic manipulation, and particle tracking microrheology. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Facile synthesis of hollow dendritic Ag/Pt alloy nanoparticles for enhanced methanol oxidation efficiency.

PubMed

Sui, Ning; Wang, Ke; Shan, Xinyao; Bai, Qiang; Wang, Lina; Xiao, Hailian; Liu, Manhong; Colvin, Vicki L; Yu, William W

2017-11-14

Hollow dendritic Ag/Pt alloy nanoparticles were synthesized by a double template method: Ag nanoparticles as the hard template to obtain hollow spheres by a galvanic replacement reaction between PtCl 6 2- and metallic Ag and surfactant micelles (Brij58) as the soft template to generate porous dendrites. The formation of a Ag/Pt alloy phase was confirmed by XRD and HRTEM. Elemental mapping and line scanning revealed the formation of the hollow architecture. We studied the effects of the Ag/Pt ratio, surfactant and reaction temperature on the morphology. In addition, we explored the formation process of hollow dendritic Ag/Pt nanoparticles by tracking the morphologies of the nanostructures formed at different stages. In order to improve the electrocatalytic property, we controlled the size of the nanoparticles and the thickness of the shell by adjusting the amount of the precursor. We found that these Ag/Pt alloy nanoparticles exhibited high activity (440 mA mg -1 ) and stability as an electrocatalyst for catalyzing methanol oxidation.

Radiation-driven rotational motion of nanoparticles

DOE PAGES

Liang, Mengning; Harder, Ross; Robinson, Ian

2018-04-25

Focused synchrotron beams can influence a studied sample via heating, or radiation pressure effects due to intensity gradients. The high angular sensitivity of rotational X-ray tracking (RXT) of crystalline particles via their Bragg reflections can detect extremely small forces such as those caused by field gradients. By tracking the rotational motion of single crystal nanoparticles embedded in a viscous or viscoelastic medium, we observed the effects of heating in a uniform gradient beam and radiation pressure in a Gaussian profile beam. Heating of a few degrees Celsius was measured for 42μm crystals in glycerol and angular velocities of 10 -6rad/smore » due to torques of 10 - 24N∙m were measured for 340nm crystals in a colloidal gel matrix. These results show the ability to quantify small forces using rotation motion of tracer particles.« less

Radiation-driven rotational motion of nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liang, Mengning; Harder, Ross; Robinson, Ian

Focused synchrotron beams can influence a studied sample via heating, or radiation pressure effects due to intensity gradients. The high angular sensitivity of rotational X-ray tracking (RXT) of crystalline particles via their Bragg reflections can detect extremely small forces such as those caused by field gradients. By tracking the rotational motion of single crystal nanoparticles embedded in a viscous or viscoelastic medium, we observed the effects of heating in a uniform gradient beam and radiation pressure in a Gaussian profile beam. Heating of a few degrees Celsius was measured for 42μm crystals in glycerol and angular velocities of 10 -6rad/smore » due to torques of 10 - 24N∙m were measured for 340nm crystals in a colloidal gel matrix. These results show the ability to quantify small forces using rotation motion of tracer particles.« less

Synthetic and biogenic magnetite nanoparticles for tracking of stem cells and dendritic cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarz, Sebastian; Fernandes, Fabiana; Sanroman, Laura; Hodenius, Michael; Lang, Claus; Himmelreich, Uwe; Schmitz-Rode, Thomas; Schueler, Dirk; Hoehn, Mathias; Zenke, Martin; Hieronymus, Thomas

2009-05-01

Accurate delivery of cells to target organs is critical for success of cell-based therapies with stem cells or immune cells such as antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DC). Labeling with contrast agents before implantation provides a powerful means for monitoring cellular migration using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, we investigated the uptake of fully synthesized or bacterial magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into hematopoietic Flt3 + stem cells and DC from mouse bone marrow. We show that (i) uptake of both synthetic and biogenic nanoparticles into cells endow magnetic activity and (ii) low numbers of MNP-loaded cells are readily detected by MRI.

Combined Inkjet Printing and Infrared Sintering of Silver Nanoparticles using a Swathe-by-Swathe and Layer-by-Layer Approach for 3-Dimensional Structures.

PubMed

Vaithilingam, Jayasheelan; Simonelli, Marco; Saleh, Ehab; Senin, Nicola; Wildman, Ricky D; Hague, Richard J M; Leach, Richard K; Tuck, Christopher J

2017-02-22

Despite the advancement of additive manufacturing (AM)/3-dimensional (3D) printing, single-step fabrication of multifunctional parts using AM is limited. With the view of enabling multifunctional AM (MFAM), in this study, sintering of metal nanoparticles was performed to obtain conductivity for continuous line inkjet printing of electronics. This was achieved using a bespoke three-dimensional (3D) inkjet-printing machine, JETx, capable of printing a range of materials and utilizing different post processing procedures to print multilayered 3D structures in a single manufacturing step. Multiple layers of silver were printed from an ink containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and infrared sintered using a swathe-by-swathe (SS) and layer-by-layer sintering (LS) regime. The differences in the heat profile for the SS and LS was observed to influence the coalescence of the AgNPs. Void percentage of both SS and LS samples was higher toward the top layer than the bottom layer due to relatively less IR exposure in the top than the bottom. The results depicted a homogeneous microstructure for LS of AgNPs and showed less deformation compared to the SS. Electrical resistivity of the LS tracks (13.6 ± 1 μΩ cm) was lower than the SS tracks (22.5 ± 1 μΩ cm). This study recommends the use of LS method to sinter the AgNPs to obtain a conductive track in 25% less time than SS method for MFAM.

Flow-Mediated Stem Cell Labeling with Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Clusters

PubMed Central

Shkumatov, Artem; Lai, Mei-Hsiu; Smith, Cartney E.; Rich, Max; Kong, Hyunjoon

2013-01-01

This study presents a strategy to enhance the uptake of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPIO) clusters by manipulating the cellular mechanical environment. Specifically, stem cells exposed to an orbital flow ingested almost two-fold greater amount of SPIO clusters than those cultured statically. Improvements in MR contrast were subsequently achieved for labeled cells in collagen gels and a mouse model. Overall, this strategy will serve to improve the efficiency of cell tracking and therapies. PMID:24033276

The Application of Nanomaterials in Stem Cell Therapy for Some Neurological Diseases.

PubMed

Zhang, Guilong; Khan, Ahsan Ali; Wu, Hao; Chen, Lukui; Gu, Yuchun; Gu, Ning

2018-02-08

Stem cell therapy provides great promising therapeutic benefits for various neurological disorders. Cell transplantation has emerged as cell replacement application for nerve damage. Recently, nanomaterials obtain wide development in various industrial and medical fields, and nanoparticles have been applied in the neurological field for tracking and treating nervous system diseases. Combining stem cells with nanotechnology has raised more and more attentions; and it has demonstrated that the combination has huge effects on clinical diagnosis and therapeutics in multiple central nervous system diseases, meanwhile, improves prognosis. The aim of this review was to give a brief overview of the application of nanomaterials in stem cell therapy for neurological diseases. Nanoparticles not only promote stem cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro or in vivo, but also play dominant roles on stem cell imaging and tracking. Furthermore, via delivering genes or drugs, nanoparticles can participate in stem cell therapeutic applications for various neurological diseases, such as ischemic stroke, spinal cord injury (SCI), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and gliomas. However, nanoparticles have potential cytotoxic effects on nerve cells, which are related to their physicochemical properties. Nano-stem cell-based therapy as a promising strategy has the ability to affect neuronal repair and regeneration in the central nervous system. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Enhanced drug transport through alginate biofilms using magnetic nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGill, Shayna L.; Cuylear, Carla; Adolphi, Natalie L.; Osinski, Marek; Smyth, Hugh

2009-02-01

The development of microbiological biofilms greatly reduces the efficacy of antibiotic therapies and is a serious problem in chronic infection and for implantable medical devices. We investigated the potential of superparamagnetic nanoparticles to increase transport through in vitro models of alginate biofilms. An in vitro alginate biofilm model was developed to mimic the composition of in vivo samples of P. aeruginosa infections. Transport through this model biofilm was performed using both bulk diffusion methods and single particle tracking techniques in the presence and absence of an external magnetic field. Bulk diffusion of nanoparticles through the biofilm was significantly enhanced in the presence of a magnetic field, both visually and quantitatively. Nanoparticle trajectories also showed transport increases were significantly higher when magnetic fields were applied. We also showed that surface chemistry (cationic, anioni, or neutral) of the nanoparticles significantly influenced transport rates. Finally, nanoparticle size also influenced the transport rates and variability of transport rates through the biofilm. In these first studies using magnetic nanoparticles in bacterial biofilms, we demonstrate that transport enhancement can be achieved and further studies are warranted.

Labeling monocytes with gold nanoparticles to track their recruitment in atherosclerosis with computed tomography

PubMed Central

Chhour, Peter; Naha, Pratap C.; O’Neill, Sean M.; Litt, Harold I.; Reilly, Muredach P.; Ferrari, Victor A.; Cormode, David P.

2016-01-01

Monocytes are actively recruited from the circulation into developing atherosclerotic plaques. In the plaque, monocytes differentiate into macrophages and eventually form foam cells. Continued accumulation of foam cells can lead to plaque rupture and subsequent myocardial infarction. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is the best modality to image the coronary arteries non-invasively, therefore we have sought to track the accumulation of monocytes into atherosclerotic plaques using CT. Gold nanoparticles were synthesized and stabilized with a variety of ligands. Select formulations were incubated with an immortalized monocyte cell line in vitro and evaluated for cytotoxicity, effects on cytokine release, and cell uptake. These data identified a lead formulation, 11-MUDA capped gold nanoparticles, to test for labeling primary monocytes. The formulation did not the affect the viability or cytokine release of primary monocytes and was highly taken up by these cells. Gold labeled primary monocytes were injected into apolipoprotein E deficient mice kept on Western diet for 10 weeks. Imaging was done with a microCT scanner. A significant increase in attenuation was measured in the aorta of mice receiving the gold labeled cells as compared to control animals. Following the experiment, the biodistribution of gold was evaluated in major organs. Additionally, plaques were sectioned and examined with electron microscopy. The results showed that gold nanoparticles were present inside monocytes located within plaques. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using gold nanoparticles as effective cell labeling contrast agents for non-invasive imaging of monocyte accumulation within plaques with CT. PMID:26914700

Real-time electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide secretion in live cells by Pt nanoparticles decorated graphene-carbon nanotube hybrid paper electrode.

PubMed

Sun, Yimin; He, Kui; Zhang, Zefen; Zhou, Aijun; Duan, Hongwei

2015-06-15

In this work, we develop a new type of flexible and lightweight electrode based on highly dense Pt nanoparticles decorated free-standing graphene-carbon nanotube (CNT) hybrid paper (Pt/graphene-CNT paper), and explore its practical application as flexible electrochemical biosensor for the real-time tracking hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) secretion by live cells. For the fabrication of flexible nanohybrid electrode, the incorporation of CNT in graphene paper not only improves the electrical conductivity and the mechanical strength of graphene paper, but also increases its surface roughness and provides more nucleation sites for metal nanoparticles. Ultrafine Pt nanoparticles are further decorated on graphene-CNT paper by well controlled sputter deposition method, which offers several advantages such as defined particle size and dispersion, high loading density and strong adhesion between the nanoparticles and the substrate. Consequently, the resultant flexible Pt/graphene-CNT paper electrode demonstrates a variety of desirable electrochemical properties including large electrochemical active surface area, excellent electrocatalytic activity, high stability and exceptional flexibility. When used for nonenzymatic detection of H2O2, Pt/graphene-CNT paper exhibits outstanding sensing performance such as high sensitivity, selectivity, stability and reproducibility. The sensitivity is 1.41 µA µM(-1) cm(-2) with a linear range up to 25 µM and a low detection limit of 10 nM (S/N=3), which enables the resultant biosensor for the real-time tracking H2O2 secretion by live cells macrophages. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Labeling monocytes with gold nanoparticles to track their recruitment in atherosclerosis with computed tomography.

PubMed

Chhour, Peter; Naha, Pratap C; O'Neill, Sean M; Litt, Harold I; Reilly, Muredach P; Ferrari, Victor A; Cormode, David P

2016-05-01

Monocytes are actively recruited from the circulation into developing atherosclerotic plaques. In the plaque, monocytes differentiate into macrophages and eventually form foam cells. Continued accumulation of foam cells can lead to plaque rupture and subsequent myocardial infarction. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is the best modality to image the coronary arteries non-invasively, therefore we have sought to track the accumulation of monocytes into atherosclerotic plaques using CT. Gold nanoparticles were synthesized and stabilized with a variety of ligands. Select formulations were incubated with an immortalized monocyte cell line in vitro and evaluated for cytotoxicity, effects on cytokine release, and cell uptake. These data identified a lead formulation, 11-MUDA capped gold nanoparticles, to test for labeling primary monocytes. The formulation did not the affect the viability or cytokine release of primary monocytes and was highly taken up by these cells. Gold labeled primary monocytes were injected into apolipoprotein E deficient mice kept on Western diet for 10 weeks. Imaging was done with a microCT scanner. A significant increase in attenuation was measured in the aorta of mice receiving the gold labeled cells as compared to control animals. Following the experiment, the biodistribution of gold was evaluated in major organs. Additionally, plaques were sectioned and examined with electron microscopy. The results showed that gold nanoparticles were present inside monocytes located within plaques. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using gold nanoparticles as effective cell labeling contrast agents for non-invasive imaging of monocyte accumulation within plaques with CT. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanoparticles of alkylglyceryl-dextran-graft-poly(lactic acid) for drug delivery to the brain: Preparation and in vitro investigation.

PubMed

Toman, Petr; Lien, Chun-Fu; Ahmad, Zeeshan; Dietrich, Susanne; Smith, James R; An, Qian; Molnár, Éva; Pilkington, Geoffrey J; Górecki, Darek C; Tsibouklis, John; Barbu, Eugen

2015-09-01

Poly(lactic acid), which has an inherent tendency to form colloidal systems of low polydispersity, and alkylglyceryl-modified dextran - a material designed to combine the non-immunogenic and stabilising properties of dextran with the demonstrated permeation enhancing ability of alkylglycerols - have been combined for the development of nanoparticulate, blood-brain barrier-permeating, non-viral vectors. To this end, dextran, that had been functionalised via treatment with epoxide precursors of alkylglycerol, was covalently linked to poly(lactic acid) using a carbodiimide cross-linker to form alkylglyceryl-modified dextran-graft-poly(lactic acid). Solvent displacement and electrospray methods allowed the formulation of these materials into nanoparticles having a unimodal size distribution profile of about 100-200nm and good stability at physiologically relevant pH (7.4). The nanoparticles were characterised in terms of hydrodynamic size (by Dynamic Light Scattering and Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis), morphology (by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy) and zeta potential, and their toxicity was evaluated using MTT and PrestoBlue assays. Cellular uptake was evidenced by confocal microscopy employing nanoparticles that had been loaded with the easy-to-detect Rhodamine B fluorescent marker. Transwell-model experiments employing mouse (bEnd3) and human (hCMEC/D3) brain endothelial cells revealed enhanced permeation (statistically significant for hCMEC/D3) of the fluorescent markers in the presence of the nanoparticles. Results of studies using Electric Cell Substrate Impedance Sensing suggested a transient decrease of the barrier function in an in vitro blood-brain barrier model following incubation with these nanoformulations. An in ovo study using 3-day chicken embryos indicated the absence of whole-organism acute toxicity effects. The collective in vitro data suggest that these alkylglyceryl-modified dextran-graft-poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles are promising candidates for in vivo evaluations that would test their capability to transport therapeutic actives to the brain. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Structural Defects on Biomineralized ZnS Nanoparticle Dissolution: An In-Situ Electron Microscopy Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eskelsen, Jeremy R.; Xu, Jie; Chiu, Michelle Y.

The dissolution of metal sulfides, such as ZnS, plays an important role in the fate of metal contaminants in the environment. Here we have examined the dissolution behavior of ZnS nanoparticles synthesized via several abiotic and biological pathways. Specifically, the biogenic ZnS nanoparticles were produced by an anaerobic, metal-reducing bacterium Thermoanaerobacter sp. X513 in a Zn-amended, thiosulfate-containing growth medium, whereas the abiogenic ZnS nanoparticles were produced by mixing an aqueous Zn solution with either H 2S-rich gas or Na 2S solution. For biogenic synthesis, we prepared two types of samples, in the presence or absence of trace silver (Ag). Themore » size distribution, crystal structure, aggregation behavior, and internal defects of the synthesized ZnS nanoparticles were primarily examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. The characterization results show that both the biogenic and abiogenic samples were dominantly composed of sphalerite. In the absence of Ag, the biogenic ZnS nanoparticles were significantly larger (i.e., ~10 nm) than the abiogenic ones (i.e., ~3–5 nm) and contained structural defects (e.g., twins and stacking faults). The presence of trace Ag showed a restraining effect on the particle size of the biogenic ZnS, resulting in quantum-dot-sized nanoparticles (i.e., ~3 nm). In situ dissolution experiments for the synthesized ZnS were conducted with a liquid-cell coupled to a transmission electron microscope (LCTEM), and the primary factors (i.e., the presence or absence structural defects) were evaluated for their effects on the dissolution behavior using the biogenic and abiogenic ZnS nanoparticle samples with the largest average particle size. Analysis of the dissolution results (i.e., change in particle radius with time) using the Kelvin equation shows that the defect-bearing biogenic ZnS nanoparticles (γ = 0.799 J/m 2) have a significantly higher surface energy than the abiogenic ZnS nanoparticles (γ = 0.277 J/m 2), suggesting that larger defect-bearing ZnS nanoparticles may be more reactive than the smaller quantum-dot-sized ZnS nanoparticles. These findings provide new insight into the factors that govern the dissolution of metal sulfide nanoparticles in relevant natural and engineered scenarios, and have implication for tracking the fate of zinc at contaminated sites. Moreover, our study exemplified the use of an in situ method (i.e., LCTEM) to investigate nanoparticle behavior (e.g., dissolution) in aqueous solutions.« less

Biodistribution of arctigenin-loaded nanoparticles designed for multimodal imaging.

PubMed

Cui, Qingxin; Hou, Yuanyuan; Wang, Yanan; Li, Xu; Liu, Yang; Ma, Xiaoyao; Wang, Zengyong; Wang, Weiya; Tao, Jin; Wang, Qian; Jiang, Min; Chen, Dongyan; Feng, Xizeng; Bai, Gang

2017-04-07

Tracking targets of natural products is one of the most challenging issues in fields ranging from pharmacognosy to biomedicine. It is widely recognized that the biocompatible nanoparticle (NP) could function as a "key" that opens the target "lock". We report a functionalized poly-lysine NP technique that can monitor the target protein of arctigenin (ATG) in vivo non-invasively. The NPs were synthesized, and their morphologies and surface chemical properties were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), laser particle size analysis and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, we studied the localization of ATG at the level of the cell and the whole animal (zebrafish and mice). We demonstrated that fluorescent NPs could be ideal carriers in the development of a feasible method for target identification. The distributions of the target proteins were found to be consistent with the pharmacological action of ATG at the cellular and whole-organism levels. The results indicated that functionalized poly-lysine NPs could be valuable in the multimodal imaging of arctigenin.

Real-Time Light Scattering Tracking of Gold Nanoparticles- bioconjugated Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infecting HEp-2 Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Xiao-Yan; Zheng, Lin-Ling; Gao, Peng-Fei; Yang, Xiao-Xi; Li, Chun-Mei; Li, Yuan Fang; Huang, Cheng Zhi

2014-03-01

Real-time tracking of virus invasion is crucial for understanding viral infection mechanism, which, however, needs simple and efficient labeling chemistry with improved signal-to-noise ratio. For that purpose, herein we investigated the invasion dynamics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) through dark-field microscopic imaging (iDFM) technique by using Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) as light scattering labels. RSV, a ubiquitous, non-segmented, pleiomorphic and negative-sense RNA virus, is an important human pathogen in infants, the elderly, and the immunocompromised. In order to label the enveloped virus of paramyxoviridae family, an efficient streptavidin (SA)-biotin binding chemistry was employed, wherein AuNPs and RSV particles modified with SA and biotin, respectively, allowing the AuNP-modified RSVs to maintain their virulence without affecting the native activities of RSV, making the long dynamic visualization successful for the RSV infections into human epidermis larynx carcinoma cells.

Single exosome detection in serum using microtoroid optical resonators (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Judith

2016-03-01

Recently exosomes have attracted interest due to their potential as cancer biomarkers. We report the real time, label-free sensing of single exosomes in serum using microtoroid optical resonators. We use this approach to assay the progression of tumors implanted in mice by specifically detecting low concentrations of tumor-derived exosomes. Our approach measures the adsorption of individual exosomes onto a functionalized silica microtoroid by tracking changes in the optical resonant frequency of the microtoroid. When exosomes land on the microtoroid, they perturb its refractive index in the evanescent field and thus shift its resonance frequency. Through digital frequency locking, we are able to rapidly track these shifts with accuracies of better than 10 attometers (one part in 10^11). Samples taken from tumor-implanted mice from later weeks generated larger frequency shifts than those from earlier weeks. Control samples taken from a mouse with no tumor generated no such increase in signal between subsequent weeks. Analysis of shifts from tumor-implanted mouse samples show a distribution of unitary steps, with the maximum step having a height of ~1.2 fm, corresponding to an exosome size of 44 ± 4.8 nm. This size range corresponds to that found by performing nanoparticle tracking analysis on the same samples. Our results demonstrate development towards a minimally-invasive tumor "biopsy" that eliminates the need to find and access a tumor.

Fluorescent diamond nanoparticle as a probe of intracellular traffic in primary neurons in culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Xuan Loc; Lepagnol-Bestel, Aude-Marie; Adam, Marie-Pierre; Thomas, Alice; Dantelle, Géraldine; Chang, Cheng-Chun; Mohan, Nitin; Chang, Huan-Cheng; Treussart, François; Simonneau, Michel

2012-03-01

Neurons display dendritic spines plasticity and morphology anomalies in numerous psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. These changes are associated to abnormal dendritic traffic that can be evidenced by fluorescence microscopy. As a fluorescent probe we propose to use fluorescent diamond nanoparticles with size of < 50 nm. Color centers embedded inside the diamond nanoparticles are perfectly photostable emitters allowing for long-term tracking. Nanodiamond carbon surface is also well suited for biomolecule functionalization to target specific cellular compartments. We show that fluorescent nanodiamonds can be spontaneously internalized in neurons in culture and imaged by confocal and Total Internal Reflection (TIRF) microscopy with a high signal over background ratio.

Synthesis, Characterization and Comparative Luminescence Studies of Rare-Earth-Doped Gd2O3 Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pyngrope, D.; Singh, L. R.; Prasad, A. I.; Bora, A.

2018-04-01

A facile direct precipitation method was used for the synthesis of luminescence nanomaterial. Gd2O3 doped with rare earth element Eu3+ is synthesized by polyol route. The synthesized nanoparticles show their characteristic red emission. The nanoparticles are characterized by x-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL) study. The synthesized nanoparticles are spherical particles with 30 nm size. The photoluminescence studies show the characteristic Eu3+ red emission. The PL study shows the intensity of the magnetic dipole transition ( 5 D0 \\to 7 F1 ) at 592 nm compared to that of the electronic dipole transition ( 5 D0 \\to 7 F2 ) at 615 nm. The nanomaterials can show significant application in various display devices and biomedical applications for tracking.

Optical and Magnetic Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles Doped with Co, Ni and Mn and Synthesized at Low Temperature.

PubMed

Hancock, Jared M; Rankin, William M; Hammad, Talaat M; Salem, Jamil S; Chesnel, Karine; Harrison, Roger G

2015-05-01

Zinc oxide nanomaterials were synthesized with small amounts of magnetic ions to create dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS), by using a low temperature sol-gel method. Conditions were controlled such that a range of amounts of Co, Ni and Mn were incorporated. The incorporation could be tracked by color changes in the powders to blue for Co, green for Ni and yellow for Mn. XRD measurements showed the ZnO has the wurtzite structure with crystallites 8-12 nm in diameter. Nanoparticles were observed by SEM and TEM and TEM showed that the lattice fringes of different nanoparticles align. Nanoparticle alignment was disrupted when high concentrations of metal dopants were incorporated. Magnetic measurements showed a change in behavior from diamagnetic to paramagnetic with increasing concentration of metal dopants.

Direct evidence of atomic-scale structural fluctuations in catalyst nanoparticles.

PubMed

Lin, Pin Ann; Gomez-Ballesteros, Jose L; Burgos, Juan C; Balbuena, Perla B; Natarajan, Bharath; Sharma, Renu

2017-05-01

Rational catalyst design requires an atomic scale mechanistic understanding of the chemical pathways involved in the catalytic process. A heterogeneous catalyst typically works by adsorbing reactants onto its surface, where the energies for specific bonds to dissociate and/or combine with other species (to form desired intermediate or final products) are lower. Here, using the catalytic growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as a prototype reaction, we show that the chemical pathway may in-fact involve the entire catalyst particle, and can proceed via the fluctuations in the formation and decomposition of metastable phases in the particle interior. We record in situ and at atomic resolution, the dynamic phase transformations occurring in a Cobalt catalyst nanoparticle during SWCNT growth, using a state-of-the-art environmental transmission electron microscope (ETEM). The fluctuations in catalyst carbon content are quantified by the automated, atomic-scale structural analysis of the time-resolved ETEM images and correlated with the SWCNT growth rate. We find the fluctuations in the carbon concentration in the catalyst nanoparticle and the fluctuations in nanotube growth rates to be of complementary character. These findings are successfully explained by reactive molecular dynamics (RMD) simulations that track the spatial and temporal evolution of the distribution of carbon atoms within and on the surface of the catalyst particle. We anticipate that our approach combining real-time, atomic-resolution image analysis and molecular dynamics simulations will facilitate catalyst design, improving reaction efficiencies and selectivity towards the growth of desired structure.

Optical tracking of organically modified silica nanoparticles as DNA carriers: A nonviral, nanomedicine approach for gene delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Indrajit; Ohulchanskyy, Tymish Y.; Bharali, Dhruba J.; Pudavar, Haridas E.; Mistretta, Ruth A.; Kaur, Navjot; Prasad, Paras N.

2005-01-01

This article reports a multidisciplinary approach to produce fluorescently labeled organically modified silica nanoparticles as a nonviral vector for gene delivery and biophotonics methods to optically monitor intracellular trafficking and gene transfection. Highly monodispersed, stable aqueous suspensions of organically modified silica nanoparticles, encapsulating fluorescent dyes and surface functionalized by cationic-amino groups, are produced by micellar nanochemistry. Gel-electrophoresis studies reveal that the particles efficiently complex with DNA and protect it from enzymatic digestion of DNase 1. The electrostatic binding of DNA onto the surface of the nanoparticles, due to positively charged amino groups, is also shown by intercalating an appropriate dye into the DNA and observing the Förster (fluorescence) resonance energy transfer between the dye (energy donor) intercalated in DNA on the surface of nanoparticles and a second dye (energy acceptor) inside the nanoparticles. Imaging by fluorescence confocal microscopy shows that cells efficiently take up the nanoparticles in vitro in the cytoplasm, and the nanoparticles deliver DNA to the nucleus. The use of plasmid encoding enhanced GFP allowed us to demonstrate the process of gene transfection in cultured cells. Our work shows that the nanomedicine approach, with nanoparticles acting as a drug-delivery platform combining multiple optical and other types of probes, provides a promising direction for targeted therapy with enhanced efficacy as well as for real-time monitoring of drug action. nonviral vector | ORMOSIL nanoparticles | confocal microscopy

Positron emission tomography: a novel technique for investigating the biodistribution and transport of nanoparticles.

PubMed

Palko, Heather A; Fung, Jennifer Y; Louie, Angelique Y

2010-07-01

Particulate matter (PM) has been associated with serious health effects within but also outside of the pulmonary system. Therefore, there is great interest in studying the biodistribution of PM after delivery to the lung to correlate sites of extrapulmonary particle accumulation and abnormal conditions known to be associated with PM exposure. Traditional PM tracking studies have introduced nanoparticles to animal models or humans and have determined the biodistribution with gamma counting, gamma camera, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The authors here demonstrate that positron emission tomography (PET) is a powerful tool that can be employed to visualize the deposition and track the fate of nanoparticles in the mouse model. In these studies, approximately 100-nm polystyrene nanoparticles were labeled with the positron emitter 64Cu bound by the chelator (S)-2-(4-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-tetraacetic acid (p-SCN-Bn-DOTA). The labeled nanoparticles were instilled intratracheally into C57BL/6 mice; the initial deposition and biodistribution through 48 h was determined by PET imaging. In addition to static imaging, dynamic imaging was performed in the Sprague-Dawley rat model to demonstrate that PET can capture particle movement in pseudo-time-lapse videos. Particle deposition and clearance was clearly identified by PET, and the same animals could be imaged repeatedly without any adverse effects from anesthesia. PET has the potential to require many fewer animals than traditional methods while still providing quantitative results. In addition, the initial deposition pattern in each animal can be accurately determined and the same animal monitored over time so that data interpretation is not clouded by variations in initial deposition profiles.

Uptake of bright fluorophore core-silica shell nanoparticles by biological systems

PubMed Central

Zane, Andrew; McCracken, Christie; Knight, Deborah A; Young, Tanya; Lutton, Anthony D; Olesik, John W; Waldman, W James; Dutta, Prabir K

2015-01-01

Nanoparticles are used in a variety of consumer applications. Silica nanoparticles in particular are common, including as a component of foods. There are concerns that ingested nano-silica particles can cross the intestinal epithelium, enter the circulation, and accumulate in tissues and organs. Thus, tracking these particles is of interest, and fluorescence spectroscopic methods are well-suited for this purpose. However, nanosilica is not fluorescent. In this article, we focus on core-silica shell nanoparticles, using fluorescent Rhodamine 6G, Rhodamine 800, or CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots as the core. These stable fluorophore/silica nanoparticles had surface characteristics similar to those of commercial silica particles. Thus, they were used as model particles to examine internalization by cultured cells, including an epithelial cell line relevant to the gastrointestinal tract. Finally, these particles were administered to mice by gavage, and their presence in various organs, including stomach, small intestine, cecum, colon, kidney, lung, brain, and spleen, was examined. By combining confocal fluorescence microscopy with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the presence of nanoparticles, rather than their dissolved form, was established in liver tissues. PMID:25759579

Reactor for tracking catalyst nanoparticles in liquid at high temperature under a high-pressure gas phase with X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

PubMed

Nguyen, Luan; Tao, Franklin Feng

2018-02-01

Structure of catalyst nanoparticles dispersed in liquid phase at high temperature under gas phase of reactant(s) at higher pressure (≥5 bars) is important for fundamental understanding of catalytic reactions performed on these catalyst nanoparticles. Most structural characterizations of a catalyst performing catalysis in liquid at high temperature under gas phase at high pressure were performed in an ex situ condition in terms of characterizations before or after catalysis since, from technical point of view, access to the catalyst nanoparticles during catalysis in liquid phase at high temperature under high pressure reactant gas is challenging. Here we designed a reactor which allows us to perform structural characterization using X-ray absorption spectroscopy including X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy to study catalyst nanoparticles under harsh catalysis conditions in terms of liquid up to 350 °C under gas phase with a pressure up to 50 bars. This reactor remains nanoparticles of a catalyst homogeneously dispersed in liquid during catalysis and X-ray absorption spectroscopy characterization.

Asymmetric resonance response analysis of a thermally excited silicon microcantilever for mass-sensitive nanoparticle detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertke, Maik; Hamdana, Gerry; Wu, Wenze; Wasisto, Hutomo Suryo; Peiner, Erwin

2017-06-01

The asymmetric resonance responses of a thermally actuated silicon microcantilever of a portable, cantilever-based nanoparticle detector (Cantor) is analysed. For airborne nanoparticle concentration measurements, the cantilever is excited in its first in-plane bending mode by an integrated p-type heating actuator. The mass-sensitive nanoparticle (NP) detection is based on the resonance frequency (f0) shifting due to the deposition of NPs. A homemade phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit is developed for tracking of f0. For deflection sensing the cantilever contains an integrated piezo-resistive Wheatstone bridge (WB). A new fitting function based on the Fano resonance is proposed for analysing the asymmetric resonance curves including a method for calculating the quality factor Q from the fitting parameters. To obtain a better understanding, we introduce an electrical equivalent circuit diagram (ECD) comprising a series resonant circuit (SRC) for the cantilever resonator and voltage sources for the parasitics, which enables us to simulate the asymmetric resonance response and discuss the possible causes. Furthermore, we compare the frequency response of the on-chip thermal excitation with an external excitation using an in-plane piezo actuator revealing parasitic heating of the WB as the origin of the asymmetry. Moreover, we are able to model the phase component of the sensor output using the ECD. Knowing and understanding the phase response is crucial to the design of the PLL and thus the next generation of Cantor.

Surface faceting and elemental diffusion behaviour at atomic scale for alloy nanoparticles during in situ annealing

PubMed Central

Chi, Miaofang; Wang, Chao; Lei, Yinkai; Wang, Guofeng; Li, Dongguo; More, Karren L.; Lupini, Andrew; Allard, Lawrence F.; Markovic, Nenad M.; Stamenkovic, Vojislav R.

2015-01-01

The catalytic performance of nanoparticles is primarily determined by the precise nature of the surface and near-surface atomic configurations, which can be tailored by post-synthesis annealing effectively and straightforwardly. Understanding the complete dynamic response of surface structure and chemistry to thermal treatments at the atomic scale is imperative for the rational design of catalyst nanoparticles. Here, by tracking the same individual Pt3Co nanoparticles during in situ annealing in a scanning transmission electron microscope, we directly discern five distinct stages of surface elemental rearrangements in Pt3Co nanoparticles at the atomic scale: initial random (alloy) elemental distribution; surface platinum-skin-layer formation; nucleation of structurally ordered domains; ordered framework development and, finally, initiation of amorphization. Furthermore, a comprehensive interplay among phase evolution, surface faceting and elemental inter-diffusion is revealed, and supported by atomistic simulations. This work may pave the way towards designing catalysts through post-synthesis annealing for optimized catalytic performance. PMID:26576477

Surface faceting and elemental diffusion behaviour at atomic scale for alloy nanoparticles during in situ annealing

DOE PAGES

Chi, Miaofang; Wang, Chao; Lei, Yinkai; ...

2015-11-18

The catalytic performance of nanoparticles is primarily determined by the precise nature of the surface and near-surface atomic configurations, which can be tailored by post-synthesis annealing effectively and straightforwardly. Understanding the complete dynamic response of surface structure and chemistry to thermal treatments at the atomic scale is imperative for the rational design of catalyst nanoparticles. Here, by tracking the same individual Pt 3Co nanoparticles during in situ annealing in a scanning transmission electron microscope, we directly discern five distinct stages of surface elemental rearrangements in Pt 3Co nanoparticles at the atomic scale: initial random (alloy) elemental distribution; surface platinum-skin-layer formation;more » nucleation of structurally ordered domains; ordered framework development and, finally, initiation of amorphization. Furthermore, a comprehensive interplay among phase evolution, surface faceting and elemental inter-diffusion is revealed, and supported by atomistic simulations. In conlcusion, this work may pave the way towards designing catalysts through post-synthesis annealing for optimized catalytic performance.« less

PLGA nanoparticles containing various anticancer agents and tumour delivery by EPR effect.

PubMed

Acharya, Sarbari; Sahoo, Sanjeeb K

2011-03-18

As mortality due to cancer continues to rise, advances in nanotechnology have significantly become an effective approach for achieving efficient drug targeting to tumour tissues by circumventing all the shortcomings of conventional chemotherapy. During the past decade, the importance of polymeric drug-delivery systems in oncology has grown exponentially. In this context, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is a widely used polymer for fabricating 'nanoparticles' because of biocompatibility, long-standing track record in biomedical applications and well-documented utility for sustained drug release, and hence has been the centre of focus for developing drug-loaded nanoparticles for cancer therapy. Such PLGA nanoparticles have also been used to develop proteins and peptides for nanomedicine, and nanovaccines, as well as a nanoparticle-based drug- and gene-delivery system for cancer therapy, and nanoantigens and growth factors. These drug-loaded nanoparticles extravasate through the tumour vasculature, delivering their payload into the cells by the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, thereby increasing their therapeutic effect. Ongoing research about drug-loaded nanoparticles and their delivery by the EPR effect to the tumour tissues has been elucidated in this review with clarity. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mathematical analysis of the 1D model and reconstruction schemes for magnetic particle imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erb, W.; Weinmann, A.; Ahlborg, M.; Brandt, C.; Bringout, G.; Buzug, T. M.; Frikel, J.; Kaethner, C.; Knopp, T.; März, T.; Möddel, M.; Storath, M.; Weber, A.

2018-05-01

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a promising new in vivo medical imaging modality in which distributions of super-paramagnetic nanoparticles are tracked based on their response in an applied magnetic field. In this paper we provide a mathematical analysis of the modeled MPI operator in the univariate situation. We provide a Hilbert space setup, in which the MPI operator is decomposed into simple building blocks and in which these building blocks are analyzed with respect to their mathematical properties. In turn, we obtain an analysis of the MPI forward operator and, in particular, of its ill-posedness properties. We further get that the singular values of the MPI core operator decrease exponentially. We complement our analytic results by some numerical studies which, in particular, suggest a rapid decay of the singular values of the MPI operator.

Copper Nanoparticle Induced Cytotoxicity to Nitrifying Bacteria ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

With the inclusion of engineered nanomaterials in industrial processes and consumer products, wastewater treatments plants (WWTPs) will serve as a major sink for these emerging contaminants. Previous research has demonstrated that nanomaterials are potentially toxic to microbial communities utilized in biological wastewater treatment (BWT). Copper-based nanoparticles (CuNPs) are of particular interest based on their increasing use in wood treatment, paints, household products, coatings, and byproducts of semiconductor manufacturing. A critical step in BWT is nutrient removal via denitrification. This study examined the potential toxicity of bare and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated CuO, and Cu2O nanoparticles, as well as Cu ions to microbial communities responsible for nitrogen removal in BWT. Inhibition was inferred from changes to the specific oxygen uptake rate (sOUR) in the absence and presence of Cu ions and CuNPs. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, with Linear Combination Fitting (LCF), was utilized to track changes to Cu speciation throughout exposure. Results indicate that the dissolution of Cu ions from CuNPs drive microbial inhibition. The presence of a PVP coating on CuNPs has little effect on inhibition. LCF fitting of the biomass combined with metal partitioning analysis supports the current hypothesis that Cu-induced cytotoxicity is primarily caused by reactive oxygen species formed from ionic Cu in solution via catalytic reaction inter

Colloidal stability of carbonate-coated silver nanoparticles in synthetic and natural freshwater.

PubMed

Piccapietra, Flavio; Sigg, Laura; Behra, Renata

2012-01-17

To gain important information on fate, mobility, and bioavailability of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) in aquatic systems, the influence of pH, ionic strength, and humic substances on the stability of carbonate-coated AgNP (average diameter 29 nm) was systematically investigated in 10 mM carbonate and 10 mM MOPS buffer, and in filtered natural freshwater. Changes in the physicochemical properties of AgNP were measured using nanoparticle tracking analysis, dynamic light scattering, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. According to the pH-dependent carbonate speciation, below pH 4 the negatively charged surface of AgNP became positive and increased agglomeration was observed. Electrolyte concentrations above 2 mM Ca(2+) and 100 mM Na(+) enhanced AgNP agglomeration in the synthetic media. In the considered concentration range of humic substances, no relevant changes in the AgNP agglomeration state were measured. Agglomeration of AgNP exposed in filtered natural freshwater was observed to be primarily controlled by the electrolyte type and concentration. Moreover, agglomerated AgNP were still detected after 7 days of exposure. Consequently, slow sedimentation and high mobility of agglomerated AgNP could be expected under the considered natural conditions. A critical evaluation of the different methods used is presented as well.

Nanoparticles: Nanoscale Systems for Medical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadkins, David Allen

The goal of this project was to develop a series of nano platforms for single cell analysis and drug delivery. Nanoparticles are a promising option to improve our medical therapies by controlling biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of therapeutics. Nanosystems also offer significant opportunity to improve current imaging modalities. The systems developed during this thesis work can be foundations for developing advanced therapies for obesity and improving our fundamental understandings of single cell behavior. The first of the two systems we attempt to create was a drug delivery system that could selectively target adipose tissue to deliver uncoupling agents and drive browning of adipose tissue and associated weight loss. Protonophores have a history of significant toxic side effects in cardiac and neuronal tissues a recently discovered protonophore, but BAM-15, has been shown to have reduced cytotoxicity. We hypothesized that the altered biodistribution of BAM-15 encapsulated in a nanoparticle could provide systemic weight loss with minimized side effects. The second system developed utilized quantum dots to create a fluorescent barcode that could be repeatedly identified using quantitative fluorescent emission readings. This platform would allow for the tracking of individual cells, allowing repeat interrogation across time and space in complex multicellular environments. Ultimately this work demonstrates the process and complexity involved in developing nanoparticulate systems meant to interact with incredibly complex intracellular environments.

Mecanismes de deformation de nanoparticules d'Au par irradiation ionique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harkati Kerbouah, Chahineze

2011-12-01

In the present thesis, we study the anisotropic deformation of gold nanoparticles embedded in amorphous silica or crystalline aluminum arsenide, under ion bombardment. We try to comprehend the mechanism responsible for this deformation and to remove any ambiguity related to the explanation of this phenomenon. A hybrid process combining sputtering and plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition was used to fabricate Au/SiO2 layers on fused silica substrates. Structures with single and multilayer were obtained. Heating during or after deposition activates the Au atom agglomeration and favours the growth of the nanoparticles. Also, a Au/AlAs nanocomposite was obtained by ion implantation of AlAs films, followed by rapid thermal annealing. The samples of the two nanocomposites, cooled with liquid nitrogen, were irradiated with 2 to 40 MeV Cu, Si, Au or In ion beams, at fluences ranging from 1x10 13 to 4x1015 ions/cm2, using a Tandem or Tandetron accelerator. The structural and morphological properties of the Au/SiO2 nanocomposite were extracted by optical means; the frequency and the width of surface plasmon resonance band depend on the nanoparticle shape and size, their concentration, the inter-particle distance and the dielectric properties of material in which the particles are embedded. The aluminum arsenide crystallinity was studied by two techniques: Raman spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in channelling configuration (RBS/ channelling). The Au concentration in the nanocomposite layers was deducted from RBS results. The size distribution and metallic nanoparticles shape transformation in both nanocomposites were observed by electronic transmission microscopy. The results obtained within the framework of this work are the subject of three journal papers. The first publication shows the possibility of manipulating the width and spectral position of the gold nanoparticle absorption band in Au/SiO2 nanocomposites by modifying their structure (form, size and inter-particle distance). The obtained Au nanoparticles are nearly spherical. The surface plasmon (PS) absorption band corresponding to the distant particles is located at 520 nm. After ion irradiation, the spherical nanoparticles transform into ellipsoids aligned along the ion beam. The absorption band splits into two bands: transversal and longitudinal. The band corresponding to the ellipsoids small axis (transversal) is blue-shifted and that corresponding to the long axis (longitudinal) is red-shifted indicating the elongation of particles in the beam direction. The second paper is consecrated to the crucial role of the plastic deformation of the matrix and to the importance of the metal atomic mobility in the anisotropic nanoparticles deformation in Au/SiO 2 nanocomposites. Our measurements show that a threshold value of 2 keV/nm (electronic stopping power) is necessary for the deformation of Au nanoparticles. This value is close to that required for silica deformation. Mobility of the Au atoms at the time of the ion passage is confirmed by temperature calculation within the ionic track. The third paper treats the attempt of formation and deformation of Au nanoparticles in crystalline aluminum arsenide matrix known by its high resistance to amorphisation and deformation under ionic bombardment. The principal result of the last article confirms the essential role of the matrix. It proves that the anisotropic deformation of surrounding material is indispensable for gold nanoparticles deformation. The experimental results mentioned above and temperature calculations within ionic tracks allowed us to propose the following anisotropic deformation scenario of Au nanoparticles embedded in Au/SiO2 nanocomposite: (1) Each ion crossing the silica melts (very briefly) a narrow cylinder around its trajectory forming thus a latent track. This is consistent with the observed threshold value in the electronic stopping power. (2) The cumulative effect of many separate ion impacts leads to the anisotropic growth of the silica matrix which contracts in the direction of the beam and elongates in the perpendicular direction. The overlap model of the ionic tracks was used to validate this phenomenon. (3) The deformation of silica generates strains which act on the nanoparticles in the plane perpendicular to the ion trajectory. In order to accommodate these strains, the Au nanoparticles deform in the beam direction. (4) The deformation of nanoparticles occurs each time an ion traverses the gold particle and melts a cylinder around its trajectory. The mobility of the gold atoms was confirmed by a calculation of the equivalent temperature from the deposited energy in the material by incident ions. The scenario above is compatible with our experimental data obtained in the case of the Au/SiO2 nanocomposite. It is further supported by the fact that the Au nanoparticules do not deform when they are integrated in AlAs which is resistant to the deformation. Keywords: ion irradiation, nanoparticles, Au, electronic stopping power, surface plasmon resonance, elongation, silica, aluminum arsenide.

Magnetic resonance imaging with superparamagnetic iron oxide fails to track the long-term fate of mesenchymal stem cells transplanted into heart.

PubMed

Ma, Ning; Cheng, Huaibing; Lu, Minjie; Liu, Qiong; Chen, Xiuyu; Yin, Gang; Zhu, Hao; Zhang, Lianfeng; Meng, Xianmin; Tang, Yue; Zhao, Shihua

2015-03-12

MRI for in vivo stem cell tracking remains controversial. Here we tested the hypothesis that MRI can track the long-term fate of the superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles labelled mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) following intramyocardially injection in AMI rats. MSCs (1 × 10(6)) from male rats doubly labeled with SPIO and DAPI were injected 2 weeks after myocardial infarction. The control group received cell-free media injection. In vivo serial MRI was performed at 24 hours before cell delivery (baseline), 3 days, 1, 2, and 4 weeks after cell delivery, respectively. Serial follow-up MRI demonstrated large persistent intramyocardial signal-voids representing SPIO during the follow-up of 4 weeks, and MSCs did not moderate the left ventricular dysfunction. The TUNEL analysis confirmed that MSCs engrafted underwent apoptosis. The histopathological studies revealed that the site of cell injection was infiltrated by inflammatory cells progressively and the iron-positive cells were macrophages identified by CD68 staining, but very few or no DAPI-positive stem cells at 4 weeks after cells transplantation. The presence of engrafted cells was confirmed by real-time PCR, which showed that the amount of Y-chromosome-specific SRY gene was consistent with the results. MRI may not reliably track the long-term fate of SPIO-labeled MSCs engraftment in heart.

Monitoring the Stimulated Uncapping Process of Gold-Capped Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

DOE PAGES

Augspurger, Ashley E.; Sun, Xiaoxing; Trewyn, Brian G.; ...

2018-02-05

To establish a new method for tracking the interaction of nanoparticles with chemical cleaving agents, we exploited the optical effects caused by attaching 5-10 nm gold nanoparticles with molecular linkers to large mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN). At low levels of gold loading onto MSN, the optical spectra resemble colloidal suspensions of gold. As the gold is removed, by cleaving agents, the MSN revert to the optical spectra typical of bare silica. Time-lapse images of gold-capped MSN stationed in microchannels reveal that the rate of gold release is dependent on the concentration of the cleaving agent. Finally, the uncapping process wasmore » also monitored successfully for MSN endocytosed by A549 cancer cells, which produce the cleaving agent glutathione. These experiments demonstrate that the optical properties of MSN can be used to directly monitor cleaving kinetics, even in complex cellular settings.« less

Monitoring the Stimulated Uncapping Process of Gold-Capped Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Augspurger, Ashley E; Sun, Xiaoxing; Trewyn, Brian G; Fang, Ning; Stender, Anthony S

2018-03-06

To establish a new method for tracking the interaction of nanoparticles with chemical cleaving agents, we exploited the optical effects caused by attaching 5-10 nm gold nanoparticles with molecular linkers to large mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN). At low levels of gold loading onto MSN, the optical spectra resemble colloidal suspensions of gold. As the gold is removed, by cleaving agents, the MSN revert to the optical spectra typical of bare silica. Time-lapse images of gold-capped MSN stationed in microchannels reveal that the rate of gold release is dependent on the concentration of the cleaving agent. The uncapping process was also monitored successfully for MSN endocytosed by A549 cancer cells, which produce the cleaving agent glutathione. These experiments demonstrate that the optical properties of MSN can be used to directly monitor cleaving kinetics, even in complex cellular settings.

Engineered core-shell magnetic nanoparticle for MR dual-modal tracking and safe magnetic manipulation of ependymal cells in live rodents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Yung-Kang; Lui, Cathy N. P.; Chen, Yu-Wei; Chou, Shang-Wei; Chou, Pi-Tai; Yung, Ken K. L.; Edman Tsang, S. C.

2018-01-01

Tagging recognition group(s) on superparamagnetic iron oxide is known to aid localisation (imaging), stimulation and separation of biological entities using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic agitation/separation (MAS) techniques. Despite the wide applicability of iron oxide nanoparticles in T 2-weighted MRI and MAS, the quality of the images and safe manipulation of the exceptionally delicate neural cells in a live brain are currently the key challenges. Here, we demonstrate the engineered manganese oxide clusters-iron oxide core-shell nanoparticle as an MR dual-modal contrast agent for neural stem cells (NSCs) imaging and magnetic manipulation in live rodents. As a result, using this engineered nanoparticle and associated technologies, identification, stimulation and transportation of labelled potentially multipotent NSCs from a specific location of a live brain to another by magnetic means for self-healing therapy can therefore be made possible.

In Situ Observations of Electric-Field Induced Nanoparticle Aggregation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woehl, T. J.; Browning, N. D.; Ristenpart, W. D.

2010-11-01

Nanoparticles have been widely observed to aggregate laterally on electrodes in response to applied electric fields. The mechanism driving this behavior, however, is unclear. Several groups have interpreted the aggregation in terms of electrohydrodynamic or electroosmotic fluid motion, but little corroborating evidence has been presented. Notably, work to date has relied on post situ observations using electron microscopy. Here we present a fluorescence microscopy technique to track the dynamics of nanoparticle aggregation in situ. Fluorescent 20-nm polystyrene nanoparticles are observed to form optically visible aggregates in response to an applied AC field. Although single particle resolution is lost, the existence of aggregates on the electrode surface is marked by growing clusters of increasingly bright intensity. We present a systematic investigation of the effects of applied potential and frequency on the aggregation rate, and we interpret the behavior in terms of a mechanism based on electrically induced convective flow.

Monitoring the Stimulated Uncapping Process of Gold-Capped Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Augspurger, Ashley E.; Sun, Xiaoxing; Trewyn, Brian G.

To establish a new method for tracking the interaction of nanoparticles with chemical cleaving agents, we exploited the optical effects caused by attaching 5-10 nm gold nanoparticles with molecular linkers to large mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN). At low levels of gold loading onto MSN, the optical spectra resemble colloidal suspensions of gold. As the gold is removed, by cleaving agents, the MSN revert to the optical spectra typical of bare silica. Time-lapse images of gold-capped MSN stationed in microchannels reveal that the rate of gold release is dependent on the concentration of the cleaving agent. Finally, the uncapping process wasmore » also monitored successfully for MSN endocytosed by A549 cancer cells, which produce the cleaving agent glutathione. These experiments demonstrate that the optical properties of MSN can be used to directly monitor cleaving kinetics, even in complex cellular settings.« less

Influence of Structural Defects on Biomineralized ZnS Nanoparticle Dissolution: An in-Situ Electron Microscopy Study.

PubMed

Eskelsen, Jeremy R; Xu, Jie; Chiu, Michelle; Moon, Ji-Won; Wilkins, Branford; Graham, David E; Gu, Baohua; Pierce, Eric M

2018-02-06

The dissolution of metal sulfides, such as ZnS, is an important biogeochemical process affecting fate and transport of trace metals in the environment. However, current studies of in situ dissolution of metal sulfides and the effects of structural defects on dissolution are lacking. Here we have examined the dissolution behavior of ZnS nanoparticles synthesized via several abiotic and biological pathways. Specifically, we have examined biogenic ZnS nanoparticles produced by an anaerobic, metal-reducing bacterium Thermoanaerobacter sp. X513 in a Zn-amended, thiosulfate-containing growth medium in the presence or absence of silver (Ag), and abiogenic ZnS nanoparticles were produced by mixing an aqueous Zn solution with either H 2 S-rich gas or Na 2 S solution. The size distribution, crystal structure, aggregation behavior, and internal defects of the synthesized ZnS nanoparticles were examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. The characterization results show that both the biogenic and abiogenic samples were dominantly composed of sphalerite. In the absence of Ag, the biogenic ZnS nanoparticles were significantly larger (i.e., ∼10 nm) than the abiogenic ones (i.e., ∼3-5 nm) and contained structural defects (e.g., twins and stacking faults). The presence of trace Ag showed a restraining effect on the particle size of the biogenic ZnS, resulting in quantum-dot-sized nanoparticles (i.e., ∼3 nm). In situ dissolution experiments for the synthesized ZnS were conducted with a liquid-cell TEM (LCTEM), and the primary factors (i.e., the presence or absence structural defects) were evaluated for their effects on the dissolution behavior using the biogenic and abiogenic ZnS nanoparticle samples with the largest average particle size. Analysis of the dissolution results (i.e., change in particle radius with time) using the Kelvin equation shows that the defect-bearing biogenic ZnS nanoparticles (γ = 0.799 J/m 2 ) have a significantly higher surface energy than the abiogenic ZnS nanoparticles (γ = 0.277 J/m 2 ). Larger defect-bearing biogenic ZnS nanoparticles were thus more reactive than the smaller quantum-dot-sized ZnS nanoparticles. These findings provide new insight into the factors that affect the dissolution of metal sulfide nanoparticles in relevant natural and engineered scenarios, and have important implications for tracking the fate and transport of sulfide nanoparticles and associated metal ions in the environment. Moreover, our study exemplified the use of an in situ method (i.e., LCTEM) to investigate nanoparticle behavior (e.g., dissolution) in aqueous solutions.

Magnetically responsive nanoparticles for drug delivery applications using low magnetic field strengths.

PubMed

McGill, Shayna L; Cuylear, Carla L; Adolphi, Natalie L; Osiński, Marek; Smyth, Hugh D C

2009-03-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential of magnetic nanoparticles for enhancing drug delivery using a low oscillating magnetic field (OMF) strength. We investigated the ability of magnetic nanoparticles to cause disruption of a viscous biopolymer barrier to drug delivery and the potential to induce triggered release of drug conjugated to the surfaces of these particles. Various magnetic nanoparticles were screened for thermal response under a 295-kHz OMF with an amplitude of 3.1 kA/m. Based on thermal activity of particles screened, we selected the nanoparticles that displayed desired characteristics for evaluation in a simplified model of an extracellular barrier to drug delivery, using lambda DNA/HindIII. Results indicate that nanoparticles could be used to induce DNA breakage to enhance local diffusion of drugs, despite low temperatures of heating. Additional studies showed increased diffusion of quantum dots in this model by single-particle tracking methods. Bimane was conjugated to the surface of magnetic nanoparticles. Fluorescence and transmission electron microscope images of the conjugated nanoparticles indicated little change in the overall appearance of the nanoparticles. A release study showed greater drug release using OMF, while maintaining low bulk heating of the samples (T = 30 degrees C). This study indicates that lower magnetic field strengths may be successfully utilized for drug delivery applications as a method for drug delivery transport enhancement and drug release switches.

Pt L3,2-edge whiteline anomaly and its implications for the chemical behaviour of Pt 5d5/2 and 5d3/2 electronic states - a study of Pt-Au nanowires and nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sham, T. K.; Ward, M. J.; Murphy, M. W.; Liu, L. J.; Han, W. Q.

2013-04-01

We report the L3,2-edge whiteline anomaly observed in PtAu nanowire, PtAu and Pt nanoparticles deposited on Si nanowire, and their comparison with that of Pt metal. It is found that charge redistribution upon the formation of these materials can indeed be tracked with the L3,2 whiteline intensity. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Material-specific detection and classification of single nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Person, Steven; Deutsch, Bradley; Mitra, Anirban; Novotny, Lukas

2010-01-01

Detection and classification of nanoparticles is important for environmental monitoring, contamination mitigation, biological label tracking, and bio-defense. Detection techniques involve a trade-off between sensitivity, discrimination, and speed. This paper presents a material-specific dual-color common-path interferometric detection system. Two wavelengths are simultaneously used to discriminate between 60 nm silver and 80 nm diameter gold particles in solution with a detection time of τ ≈ 1 ms. The detection technique is applicable to situations where both particle size and material are of interest. PMID:21142033

Paramagnetic nanoparticles to track and quantify in vivo immune human therapeutic cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aspord, Caroline; Laurin, David; Janier, Marc F.; Mandon, Céline A.; Thivolet, Charles; Villiers, Christian; Mowat, Pierre; Madec, Anne-Marie; Tillement, Olivier; Perriat, Pascal; Louis, Cédric; Bérard, Frédéric; Marche, Patrice N.; Plumas, Joël; Billotey, Claire

2013-11-01

This study aims to investigate gadolinium-based nanoparticles (Gd-HNP) for in vitro labeling of human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (HuPDC) to allow for in vivo tracking and HuPDC quantifying using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following parenteral injection. Human plasmacytoid DC were labeled (LabHuPDC) with fluorescent Gd-HNP (Gd-FITC-HNP) and injected via intraperitoneal and intravenous routes in 4-5 NOD-SCID β2m-/-mice (treated mice = TM). Control mice (CM) were similarly injected with unlabeled HuPDC. In vivo 7 T MRI was performed 24 h later and all spleens were removed in order to measure Gd and fluorescence contents and identify HuPDC. Gd-FITC-HNP efficiently labeled HuPDC (0.05 to 0.1 pg per cell), without altering viability and activation properties. The magnetic resonance (MR) signal was exclusively due to HuPDC. The normalized MR splenic intensity for TM was significantly higher than for CM (p < 0.024), and highly correlated with the spleen Gd content (r = 0.97), and the number of HuPDC found in the spleen (r = 0.94). Gd-FITC-HNP allowed for in vivo tracking and HuPDC quantifying by means of MRI following parenteral injection, with very high sensitivity (<3000 cells per mm3). The safety of these new nanoparticle types must be confirmed via extensive toxicology tests including in vivo stability and biodistribution studies.This study aims to investigate gadolinium-based nanoparticles (Gd-HNP) for in vitro labeling of human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (HuPDC) to allow for in vivo tracking and HuPDC quantifying using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following parenteral injection. Human plasmacytoid DC were labeled (LabHuPDC) with fluorescent Gd-HNP (Gd-FITC-HNP) and injected via intraperitoneal and intravenous routes in 4-5 NOD-SCID β2m-/-mice (treated mice = TM). Control mice (CM) were similarly injected with unlabeled HuPDC. In vivo 7 T MRI was performed 24 h later and all spleens were removed in order to measure Gd and fluorescence contents and identify HuPDC. Gd-FITC-HNP efficiently labeled HuPDC (0.05 to 0.1 pg per cell), without altering viability and activation properties. The magnetic resonance (MR) signal was exclusively due to HuPDC. The normalized MR splenic intensity for TM was significantly higher than for CM (p < 0.024), and highly correlated with the spleen Gd content (r = 0.97), and the number of HuPDC found in the spleen (r = 0.94). Gd-FITC-HNP allowed for in vivo tracking and HuPDC quantifying by means of MRI following parenteral injection, with very high sensitivity (<3000 cells per mm3). The safety of these new nanoparticle types must be confirmed via extensive toxicology tests including in vivo stability and biodistribution studies. Corresponding address: Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Hôpital, Nord - CHU Saint-Etienne, Avenue Albert Raimond, 42270 Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, France. E-mail: claire.billotey@chu-st-etienne.fr

Oxygen Sensing with Perfluorocarbon-Loaded Ultraporous Mesostructured Silica Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Lee, Amani L; Gee, Clifford T; Weegman, Bradley P; Einstein, Samuel A; Juelfs, Adam R; Ring, Hattie L; Hurley, Katie R; Egger, Sam M; Swindlehurst, Garrett; Garwood, Michael; Pomerantz, William C K; Haynes, Christy L

2017-06-27

Oxygen homeostasis is important in the regulation of biological function. Disease progression can be monitored by measuring oxygen levels, thus producing information for the design of therapeutic treatments. Noninvasive measurements of tissue oxygenation require the development of tools with minimal adverse effects and facile detection of features of interest. Fluorine magnetic resonance imaging ( 19 F MRI) exploits the intrinsic properties of perfluorocarbon (PFC) liquids for anatomical imaging, cell tracking, and oxygen sensing. However, the highly hydrophobic and lipophobic properties of perfluorocarbons require the formation of emulsions for biological studies, though stabilizing these emulsions has been challenging. To enhance the stability and biological loading of perfluorocarbons, one option is to incorporate perfluorocarbon liquids into the internal space of biocompatible mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Here, we developed perfluorocarbon-loaded ultraporous mesostructured silica nanoparticles (PERFUMNs) as 19 F MRI detectable oxygen-sensing probes. Ultraporous mesostructured silica nanoparticles (UMNs) have large internal cavities (average = 1.8 cm 3 g -1 ), facilitating an average 17% loading efficiency of PFCs, meeting the threshold fluorine concentrations needed for imaging studies. Perfluoro-15-crown-5-ether PERFUMNs have the highest equivalent nuclei per PFC molecule and a spin-lattice (T 1 ) relaxation-based oxygen sensitivity of 0.0032 mmHg -1 s -1 at 16.4 T. The option of loading PFCs after synthesizing UMNs, rather than traditional in situ core-shell syntheses, allows for use of a broad range of PFC liquids from a single material. The biocompatible and tunable chemistry of UMNs combined with the intrinsic properties of PFCs makes PERFUMNs a MRI sensor with potential for anatomical imaging, cell tracking, and metabolic spectroscopy with improved stability.

The cell labeling efficacy, cytotoxicity and relaxivity of copper-activated MRI/PET imaging contrast agents.

PubMed

Patel, Daksha; Kell, Arnold; Simard, Benoit; Xiang, Bo; Lin, Hung Yu; Tian, Ganghong

2011-02-01

A new class of nanoparticle-based dual-modality positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) contrast agents has been developed. The probe consists of a superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) or manganese oxide core coated with 3,4-dihydroxy-D,L-phenylalanine (DL-DOPA). The chelator 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) was conjugated to DOPA termini. The DOTA modified nanoparticles allow chelation of copper for PET imaging. These surface functionalized nanoparticle-based probes have been characterized by various analytical techniques. The cell-labeling efficacy, cytotoxicity and relaxivity of these nanoparticles have been evaluated and compared with the same properties of one of the most commonly utilized MRI contrast agents, Feridex(®). Evidently, this new nanoparticle has a great potential for use in cell tracking with MRI and PET in the absence of transfecting agent. It is noteworthy that there is a sharp increase in r(2) relaxivity of these nanoparticles on coordination with Cu(2+) ions. Thus these iron oxide nanoparticles can also be explored as the smart magnetic resonance (MR) sensor for the detection of micromolar changes in copper concentration for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Menkes and Wilson's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and prion diseases. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Particle Geometry on Gastrointestinal Transit and Absorption following Oral Administration.

PubMed

Li, Dong; Zhuang, Jie; He, Haisheng; Jiang, Sifan; Banerjee, Amrita; Lu, Yi; Wu, Wei; Mitragotri, Samir; Gan, Li; Qi, Jianping

2017-12-13

Geometry has been considered as one of the important parameters in nanoparticle design because it affects cellular uptake, transport across the physiological barriers, and in vivo distribution. However, only a few studies have been conducted to elucidate the influence of nanoparticle geometry in their in vivo fate after oral administration. This article discloses the effect of nanoparticle shape on transport and absorption in gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Nanorods and nanospheres were prepared and labeled using fluorescence resonance energy transfer molecules to track the in vivo fate of intact nanoparticles accurately. Results demonstrated that nanorods had significantly longer retention time in GI tract compared with nanospheres. Furthermore, nanorods exhibited stronger ability of penetration into space of villi than nanospheres, which is the main reason of longer retention time. In addition, mesenteric lymph transported 1.75% nanorods within 10 h, which was more than that with nanospheres (0.98%). Fluorescent signals arising from nanoparticles were found in the kidney but not in the liver, lung, spleen, or blood, which could be ascribed to low absorption of intact nanoparticles. In conclusion, nanoparticle geometry influences in vivo fate after oral delivery and nanorods should be further investigated for designing oral delivery systems for therapeutic drugs, vaccines, or diagnostic materials.

"Clickable", trifunctional magnetite nanoparticles and their chemoselective biofunctionalization.

PubMed

Das, Manasmita; Bandyopadhyay, Debarati; Mishra, Debasish; Datir, Satyajit; Dhak, Prasanta; Jain, Sanyog; Maiti, Tapas Kumar; Basak, Amit; Pramanik, Panchanan

2011-06-15

A multifunctional iron oxide based nanoformulation for combined cancer-targeted therapy and multimodal imaging has been meticulously designed and synthesized using a chemoselective ligation approach. Novel superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles simultaneously functionalized with amine, carboxyl, and azide groups were fabricated through a sequence of stoichiometrically controllable partial succinylation and Cu (II) catalyzed diazo transfer on the reactive amine termini of 2-aminoethylphosphonate grafted magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs). Functional moieties associated with MNP surface were chemoselectively conjugated with rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RITC), propargyl folate (FA), and paclitaxel (PTX) via tandem nucleophic addition of amine to isothithiocyanates, Cu (I) catalyzed azide--alkyne click chemistry and carbodiimide-promoted esterification. An extensive in vitro study established that the bioactives chemoselectively appended to the magnetite core bequeathed multifunctionality to the nanoparticles without any loss of activity of the functional molecules. Multifunctional nanoparticles, developed in the course of the study, could selectively target and induce apoptosis to folate-receptor (FR) overexpressing cancer cells with enhanced efficacy as compared to the free drug. In addition, the dual optical and magnetic properties of the synthesized nanoparticles aided in the real-time tracking of their intracellular pathways also as apoptotic events through dual fluorescence and MR-based imaging.

Sub-diffraction-limit localization imaging of a plasmonic nanoparticle pair with wavelength-resolved dark-field microscopy.

PubMed

Wei, Lin; Ma, Yanhong; Zhu, Xupeng; Xu, Jianghong; Wang, Yaxin; Duan, Huigao; Xiao, Lehui

2017-06-29

In this work, with wavelength-resolved dark-field microscopy, the center-of-mass localization information from nanoparticle pairs (i.e., spherical (45 nm in diameter) and rod (45 × 70 nm) shaped gold nanoparticle pairs with different gap distances and orientations) was explored and compared with the results determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. When the gap distance was less than 20 nm, the scattering spectrum of the nanoparticle pair was seriously modulated by the plasmonic coupling effect. The measured coordinate information determined by the optical method (Gaussian fitting) was not consistent with the true results determined by SEM measurement. A good correlation between the optical and SEM measurements was achieved when the gap distance was further increased (e.g., 20, 40 and 60 nm). Under these conditions, well-defined scattering peaks assigned to the corresponding individual nanoparticles could be distinguished from the obtained scattering spectrum. These results would afford valuable information for the studies on single plasmonic nanoparticle imaging applications with the optical microscopy method such as super-localization imaging, high precision single particle tracking in a crowding environment and so on.

Longitudinal Tracking of Human Fetal Cells Labeled with Super Paramagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in the Brain of Mice with Motor Neuron Disease

PubMed Central

Bigini, Paolo; Diana, Valentina; Barbera, Sara; Fumagalli, Elena; Micotti, Edoardo; Sitia, Leopoldo; Paladini, Alessandra; Bisighini, Cinzia; De Grada, Laura; Coloca, Laura; Colombo, Laura; Manca, Pina; Bossolasco, Patrizia; Malvestiti, Francesca; Fiordaliso, Fabio; Forloni, Gianluigi; Morbidelli, Massimo; Salmona, Mario; Giardino, Daniela; Mennini, Tiziana; Moscatelli, Davide; Silani, Vincenzo; Cova, Lidia

2012-01-01

Stem Cell (SC) therapy is one of the most promising approaches for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Here we employed Super Paramagnetic Iron Oxide nanoparticles (SPIOn) and Hoechst 33258 to track human Amniotic Fluid Cells (hAFCs) after transplantation in the lateral ventricles of wobbler (a murine model of ALS) and healthy mice. By in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo approaches we found that: 1) the main physical parameters of SPIOn were maintained over time; 2) hAFCs efficiently internalized SPIOn into the cytoplasm while Hoechst 33258 labeled nuclei; 3) SPIOn internalization did not alter survival, cell cycle, proliferation, metabolism and phenotype of hAFCs; 4) after transplantation hAFCs rapidly spread to the whole ventricular system, but did not migrate into the brain parenchyma; 5) hAFCs survived for a long time in the ventricles of both wobbler and healthy mice; 6) the transplantation of double-labeled hAFCs did not influence mice survival. PMID:22384217

Development of Multifunctional Magnetic Nanoparticles for Genetic Engineering and Tracking of Neural Stem Cells.

PubMed

Adams, Christopher; Israel, Liron Limor; Ostrovsky, Stella; Taylor, Arthur; Poptani, Harish; Lellouche, Jean-Paul; Chari, Divya

2016-04-06

Genetic modification of cell transplant populations and cell tracking ability are key underpinnings for effective cell therapies. Current strategies to achieve these goals utilize methods which are unsuitable for clinical translation because of related safety issues, and multiple protocol steps adding to cost and complexity. Multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) offering dual mode gene delivery and imaging contrast capacity offer a valuable tool in this context. Despite their key benefits, there is a critical lack of neurocompatible and multifunctional particles described for use with transplant populations for neurological applications. Here, a systematic screen of MNPs (using a core shown to cause contrast in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) bearing various surface chemistries (polyethylenimine (PEI) and oxidized PEI and hybrids of oxidized PEI/alginic acid, PEI/chitosan and PEI/polyamidoamine) is performed to test their ability to genetically engineer neural stem cells (NSCs; a cell population of high clinical relevance for central nervous system disorders). It is demonstrated that gene delivery to NSCs can be safely achieved using two of the developed formulations (PEI and oxPEI/alginic acid) when used in conjunction with oscillating magnetofection technology. After transfection, intracellular particles can be detected by histological procedures with labeled cells displaying contrast in MRI (for real time cell tracking). © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High MRI performance fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles for tracking neural progenitor cells in an ischemic mouse model.

PubMed

Zhang, Lu; Wang, Yao; Tang, Yaohui; Jiao, Zheng; Xie, Chengying; Zhang, Haijiao; Gu, Ping; Wei, Xunbin; Yang, Guo-Yuan; Gu, Hongchen; Zhang, Chunfu

2013-05-21

Multifunctional probes with high MRI sensitivity and high efficiency for cell labeling are desirable for MR cell imaging. Herein, we have fabricated fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (fmSiO4@SPIONs) for neural progenitor cell (C17.2) MR imaging. FmSiO4@SPIONs were discrete and uniform in size, and had a clear core-shell structure. The magnetic core size was about 10 nm and the fluorescent mesoporous silica coating layer was around 20 nm. Compared with fluorescent dense silica-coated SPIONs (fdSiO4@SPIONs) with a similar size, fmSiO4@SPIONs demonstrated higher MR sensitivity and cell labeling efficiency. When implanted into the right hemisphere of stroke mice, contralateral to the ischemic territory, a small amount of labeled cells were able to be tracked migrating to the lesion sites using a clinical MRI scanner (3 T). More impressively, even when administered intravenously, the labeled cells could also be monitored homing to the ischemic area. MRI observations were corroborated by histological studies of the brain tissues. Our study demonstrated that fmSiO4@SPIONs are highly effective for cell imaging and hold great promise for MRI cell tracking in future.

Exosome-like vesicles in uterine aspirates: a comparison of ultracentrifugation-based isolation protocols.

PubMed

Campoy, Irene; Lanau, Lucia; Altadill, Tatiana; Sequeiros, Tamara; Cabrera, Silvia; Cubo-Abert, Montserrat; Pérez-Benavente, Assumpción; Garcia, Angel; Borrós, Salvador; Santamaria, Anna; Ponce, Jordi; Matias-Guiu, Xavier; Reventós, Jaume; Gil-Moreno, Antonio; Rigau, Marina; Colas, Eva

2016-06-18

Uterine aspirates are used in the diagnostic process of endometrial disorders, yet further applications could emerge if its complex milieu was simplified. Exosome-like vesicles isolated from uterine aspirates could become an attractive source of biomarkers, but there is a need to standardize isolation protocols. The objective of the study was to determine whether exosome-like vesicles exist in the fluid fraction of uterine aspirates and to compare protocols for their isolation, characterization, and analysis. We collected uterine aspirates from 39 pre-menopausal women suffering from benign gynecological diseases. The fluid fraction of 27 of those aspirates were pooled and split into equal volumes to evaluate three differential centrifugation-based procedures: (1) a standard protocol, (2) a filtration protocol, and (3) a sucrose cushion protocol. Characterization of isolated vesicles was assessed by electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and immunoblot. Specifically for RNA material, we evaluate the effect of sonication and RNase A treatment at different steps of the protocol. We finally confirmed the efficiency of the selected methods in non-pooled samples. All protocols were useful to isolate exosome-like vesicles. However, the Standard procedure was the best performing protocol to isolate exosome-like vesicles from uterine aspirates: nanoparticle tracking analysis revealed a higher concentration of vesicles with a mode of 135 ± 5 nm, and immunoblot showed a higher expression of exosome-related markers (CD9, CD63, and CD81) thus verifying an enrichment in this type of vesicles. RNA contained in exosome-like vesicles was successfully extracted with no sonication treatment and exogenous nucleic acids digestion with RNaseA, allowing the analysis of the specific inner cargo by Real-Time qPCR. We confirmed the existence of exosome-like vesicles in the fluid fraction of uterine aspirates. They were successfully isolated by differential centrifugation giving sufficient proteomic and transcriptomic material for further analyses. The Standard protocol was the best performing procedure since the other two tested protocols did not ameliorate neither yield nor purity of exosome-like vesicles. This study contributes to establishing the basis for future comparative studies to foster the field of biomarker research in gynecology.

Multifunctional Nanoparticles for Brain Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy

PubMed Central

Cheng, Yu; Morshed, Ramin; Auffinger, Brenda; Tobias, Alex L.; Lesniak, Maciej S.

2013-01-01

Brain tumors are a diverse group of neoplasms that often carry a poor prognosis for patients. Despite tremendous efforts to develop diagnostic tools and therapeutic avenues, the treatment of brain tumors remains a formidable challenge in the field of neuro-oncology. Physiological barriers including the blood-brain barrier result in insufficient accumulation of therapeutic agents at the site of a tumor, preventing adequate destruction of malignant cells. Furthermore, there is a need for improvements in brain tumor imaging to allow for better characterization and delineation of tumors, visualization of malignant tissue during surgery, and tracking of response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Multifunctional nanoparticles offer the potential to improve upon many of these issues and may lead to breakthroughs in brain tumor management. In this review, we discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of nanoparticles for brain tumors with an emphasis on innovative approaches in tumor targeting, tumor imaging, and therapeutic agent delivery. Clinically feasible nanoparticle administration strategies for brain tumor patients are also examined. Furthermore, we address the barriers towards clinical implementation of multifunctional nanoparticles in the context of brain tumor management. PMID:24060923

Membrane-targeting liquid crystal nanoparticles (LCNPs) for drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nag, Okhil K.; Naciri, Jawad; Spillmann, Christopher M.; Delehanty, James B.

2016-03-01

In addition to maintaining the structural integrity of the cell, the plasma membrane regulates multiple important cellular processes, such as endocytosis and trafficking, apoptotic pathways and drug transport. The modulation or tracking of such cellular processes by means of controlled delivery of drugs or imaging agents via nanoscale delivery systems is very attractive. Nanoparticle-mediated delivery systems that mediate long-term residence (e.g., days) and controlled release of the cargoes in the plasma membrane while simultaneously not interfering with regular cellular physiology would be ideal for this purpose. Our laboratory has developed a plasma membrane-targeted liquid crystal nanoparticle (LCNP) formulation that can be loaded with dyes or drugs which can be slowly released from the particle over time. Here we highlight the utility of these nanopreparations for membrane delivery and imaging.

Colorimetric detection of ammonia using smartphones based on localized surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles.

PubMed

Amirjani, Amirmostafa; Fatmehsari, Davoud Haghshenas

2018-01-01

In this work, a rapid and straightforward method was developed for colorimetric determination of ammonia using smartphones. The mechanisms is based on the manipulation of the surface plasmon band of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) via the formation of Ag (NH 3 ) 2 + complex. This complex decreases the amount of AgNPs in the solution and consequently, the color intensity of the colloidal system decreases. Not only the variation in color intensity of the solution can be tracked by a UV-vis spectrophotometer, but also a smartphone can be employed to monitor the color intensity variation by RGB analysis. Ammonia, in the concentration range of 10-1000mgL -1 , was successfully measured spectrophotometrically (UV-vis spectrophotometer) and colorimetrically (RGB measurement) with the detection limit of 180 and 200mgL -1 , respectively. Linear relationships were also developed for both methods. Also, the response time of the developed colorimetric sensor was around 20s. Both of the colorimetric and spectrophotometric methods showed a reliable performance for determination of ammonia in the real samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prolonged Dye Release from Mesoporous Silica-Based Imaging Probes Facilitates Long-Term Optical Tracking of Cell Populations In Vivo.

PubMed

Rosenholm, Jessica M; Gulin-Sarfraz, Tina; Mamaeva, Veronika; Niemi, Rasmus; Özliseli, Ezgi; Desai, Diti; Antfolk, Daniel; von Haartman, Eva; Lindberg, Desiré; Prabhakar, Neeraj; Näreoja, Tuomas; Sahlgren, Cecilia

2016-03-23

Nanomedicine is gaining ground worldwide in therapy and diagnostics. Novel nanoscopic imaging probes serve as imaging tools for studying dynamic biological processes in vitro and in vivo. To allow detectability in the physiological environment, the nanostructure-based probes need to be either inherently detectable by biomedical imaging techniques, or serve as carriers for existing imaging agents. In this study, the potential of mesoporous silica nanoparticles carrying commercially available fluorochromes as self-regenerating cell labels for long-term cellular tracking is investigated. The particle surface is organically modified for enhanced cellular uptake, the fluorescence intensity of labeled cells is followed over time both in vitro and in vivo. The particles are not exocytosed and particles which escaped cells due to cell injury or death are degraded and no labeling of nontargeted cell populations are observed. The labeling efficiency is significantly improved as compared to that of quantum dots of similar emission wavelength. Labeled human breast cancer cells are xenotransplanted in nude mice, and the fluorescent cells can be detected in vivo for a period of 1 month. Moreover, ex vivo analysis reveals fluorescently labeled metastatic colonies in lymph node and rib, highlighting the capability of the developed probes for tracking of metastasis. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Functionalized Nanostructures with Application in Regenerative Medicine

PubMed Central

Perán, Macarena; García, María A.; López-Ruiz, Elena; Bustamante, Milán; Jiménez, Gema; Madeddu, Roberto; Marchal, Juan A.

2012-01-01

In the last decade, both regenerative medicine and nanotechnology have been broadly developed leading important advances in biomedical research as well as in clinical practice. The manipulation on the molecular level and the use of several functionalized nanoscaled materials has application in various fields of regenerative medicine including tissue engineering, cell therapy, diagnosis and drug and gene delivery. The themes covered in this review include nanoparticle systems for tracking transplanted stem cells, self-assembling peptides, nanoparticles for gene delivery into stem cells and biomimetic scaffolds useful for 2D and 3D tissue cell cultures, transplantation and clinical application. PMID:22489186

Nanoparticles target early-stage breast cancer metastasis in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldman, Evgeniya; Zinger, Assaf; da Silva, Dana; Yaari, Zvi; Kajal, Ashima; Vardi-Oknin, Dikla; Goldfeder, Mor; Schroeder, Josh E.; Shainsky-Roitman, Janna; Hershkovitz, Dov; Schroeder, Avi

2017-10-01

Despite advances in cancer therapy, treating cancer after it has metastasized remains an unmet clinical challenge. In this study we demonstrate that 100 nm liposomes target triple-negative murine breast-cancer metastases post intravenous administration. Metastatic breast cancer was induced in BALB/c mice either experimentally, by a tail vein injection of 4T1 cells, or spontaneously, after implanting a primary tumor xenograft. To track their biodistribution in vivo the liposomes were labeled with multi-modal diagnostic agents, including indocyanine green and rhodamine for whole-animal fluorescent imaging, gadolinium for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and europium for a quantitative biodistribution analysis. The accumulation of liposomes in the metastases peaked at 24 h post the intravenous administration, similar to the time they peaked in the primary tumor. The efficiency of liposomal targeting to the metastatic tissue exceeded that of a non-liposomal agent by 4.5-fold. Liposomes were detected at very early stages in the metastatic progression, including metastatic lesions smaller than 2 mm in diameter. Surprisingly, while nanoparticles target breast cancer metastasis, they may also be found in elevated levels in the pre-metastatic niche, several days before metastases are visualized by MRI or histologically in the tissue. This study highlights the promise of diagnostic and therapeutic nanoparticles for treating metastatic cancer, possibly even for preventing the onset of the metastatic dissemination by targeting the pre-metastatic niche.

Statistical inference in single molecule measurements of protein adsorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, Megan J.; Tsitkov, Stanislav; Hess, Henry

2018-02-01

Significant effort has been invested into understanding the dynamics of protein adsorption on surfaces, in particular to predict protein behavior at the specialized surfaces of biomedical technologies like hydrogels, nanoparticles, and biosensors. Recently, the application of fluorescent single molecule imaging to this field has permitted the tracking of individual proteins and their stochastic contribution to the aggregate dynamics of adsorption. However, the interpretation of these results is complicated by (1) the finite time available to observe effectively infinite adsorption timescales and (2) the contribution of photobleaching kinetics to adsorption kinetics. Here, we perform a protein adsorption simulation to introduce specific survival analysis methods that overcome the first complication. Additionally, we collect single molecule residence time data from the adsorption of fibrinogen to glass and use survival analysis to distinguish photobleaching kinetics from protein adsorption kinetics.

The Protein Corona around Nanoparticles Facilitates Stem Cell Labeling for Clinical MR Imaging.

PubMed

Nejadnik, Hossein; Taghavi-Garmestani, Seyed-Meghdad; Madsen, Steven J; Li, Kai; Zanganeh, Saeid; Yang, Phillip; Mahmoudi, Morteza; Daldrup-Link, Heike E

2018-03-01

Purpose To evaluate if the formation of a protein corona around ferumoxytol nanoparticles can facilitate stem cell labeling for in vivo tracking with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Materials and Methods Ferumoxytol was incubated in media containing human serum (group 1), fetal bovine serum (group 2), StemPro medium (group 3), protamine (group 4), and protamine plus heparin (group 5). Formation of a protein corona was characterized by means of dynamic light scattering, ζ potential, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Iron uptake was evaluated with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine-Prussian blue staining, lysosomal staining, and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry. To evaluate the effect of a protein corona on stem cell labeling, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were labeled with the above formulations, implanted into pig knee specimens, and investigated with T2-weighted fast spin-echo and multiecho spin-echo sequences on a 3.0-T MR imaging unit. Data in different groups were compared by using a Kruskal-Wallis test. Results Compared with bare nanoparticles, all experimental groups showed significantly increased negative ζ values (from -37 to less than -10; P = .008). Nanoparticles in groups 1-3 showed an increased size because of the formation of a protein corona. hMSCs labeled with group 1-5 media showed significantly shortened T2 relaxation times compared with unlabeled control cells (P = .0012). hMSCs labeled with group 3 and 5 media had the highest iron uptake after cells labeled with group 1 medium. After implantation into pig knees, hMSCs labeled with group 1 medium showed significantly shorter T2 relaxation times than hMSCs labeled with group 2-5 media (P = .0022). Conclusion The protein corona around ferumoxytol nanoparticles can facilitate stem cell labeling for clinical cell tracking with MR imaging. © RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Activity and in vivo tracking of Amphotericin B loaded PLGA nanoparticles.

PubMed

Souza, A C O; Nascimento, A L; de Vasconcelos, N M; Jerônimo, M S; Siqueira, I M; R-Santos, L; Cintra, D O S; Fuscaldi, L L; Pires Júnior, O R; Titze-de-Almeida, R; Borin, M F; Báo, S N; Martins, O P; Cardoso, V N; Fernandes, S O; Mortari, M R; Tedesco, A C; Amaral, A C; Felipe, M S S; Bocca, A L

2015-05-05

The development of biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles has become an important strategy for optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of many classical drugs, as it may expand their activities, reduce their toxicity, increase their bioactivity and improve biodistribution. In this study, nanoparticles of Amphotericin B entrapped within poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid and incorporated with dimercaptosuccinic acid (NANO-D-AMB) as a target molecule were evaluated for their physic-chemical characteristics, pharmacokinetics, biocompatibility and antifungal activity. We found high plasma concentrations of Amphotericin B upon treatment with NANO-D-AMB and a high uptake of nanoparticles in the lungs, liver and spleen. NANO-D-AMB exhibited antifungal efficacy against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and induced much lower cytotoxicity levels compared to D-AMB formulation in vivo and in vitro. Together, these results confirm that NANO-D-AMB improves Amphotericin B delivery and suggest this delivery system as a potential alternative to the use of Amphotericin B sodium deoxycholate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Photoluminescent diamond nanoparticles for cell labeling: study of the uptake mechanism in mammalian cells.

PubMed

Faklaris, Orestis; Joshi, Vandana; Irinopoulou, Theano; Tauc, Patrick; Sennour, Mohamed; Girard, Hugues; Gesset, Céline; Arnault, Jean-Charles; Thorel, Alain; Boudou, Jean-Paul; Curmi, Patrick A; Treussart, François

2009-12-22

Diamond nanoparticles (nanodiamonds) have been recently proposed as new labels for cellular imaging. For small nanodiamonds (size <40 nm), resonant laser scattering and Raman scattering cross sections are too small to allow single nanoparticle observation. Nanodiamonds can, however, be rendered photoluminescent with a perfect photostability at room temperature. Such a remarkable property allows easier single-particle tracking over long time scales. In this work, we use photoluminescent nanodiamonds of size <50 nm for intracellular labeling and investigate the mechanism of their uptake by living cells. By blocking selectively different uptake processes, we show that nanodiamonds enter cells mainly by endocytosis, and converging data indicate that it is clathrin-mediated. We also examine nanodiamond intracellular localization in endocytic vesicles using immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. We find a high degree of colocalization between vesicles and the biggest nanoparticles or aggregates, while the smallest particles appear free in the cytosol. Our results pave the way for the use of photoluminescent nanodiamonds in targeted intracellular labeling or biomolecule delivery.

Magnetic hybrid magnetite/metal organic framework nanoparticles: facile preparation, post-synthetic biofunctionalization and tracking in vivo with magnetic methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tregubov, A. A.; Sokolov, I. L.; Babenyshev, A. V.; Nikitin, P. I.; Cherkasov, V. R.; Nikitin, M. P.

2018-03-01

Multifunctional hybrid nanocomposites remain to be of great interest in biomedicine as a universal tool in a number of applications. As a promising example, the nanoparticles with magnetic core and porous shell have a potential as theranostic agents combining both the diagnostics probe and drug delivery vehicle properties. However, reported methods of the nanostructure preparation are complex and include tedious time-consuming growth of porous shell by means of layer by layer assembly technique. In this study, we develop new way of fabrication of the superparamagnetic magnetite core @ porous metal organic framework shell nanoparticles and demonstrate their application both as a multimodal (MRI contrasting, magnetometric and optical labeling) and multifunctional (in vivo bioimaging, biotargeting by coupled receptors, lateral flow assay) agents. The easiness of fabrication, controllable bioconjugation properties and low level of non-specific binding indicate high potential of the nanoparticles to be employed as multifunctional agents in theranostics, advanced biosensing and bioimaging.

In vivo nanoparticle imaging of innate immune cells can serve as a marker of disease severity in a model of multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Kirschbaum, Klara; Sonner, Jana K; Zeller, Matthias W; Deumelandt, Katrin; Bode, Julia; Sharma, Rakesh; Krüwel, Thomas; Fischer, Manuel; Hoffmann, Angelika; Costa da Silva, Milene; Muckenthaler, Martina U; Wick, Wolfgang; Tews, Björn; Chen, John W; Heiland, Sabine; Bendszus, Martin; Platten, Michael; Breckwoldt, Michael O

2016-11-15

Innate immune cells play a key role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Current clinical imaging is restricted to visualizing secondary effects of inflammation, such as gliosis and blood-brain barrier disruption. Advanced molecular imaging, such as iron oxide nanoparticle imaging, can allow direct imaging of cellular and molecular activity, but the exact cell types that phagocytose nanoparticles in vivo and how phagocytic activity relates to disease severity is not well understood. In this study we used MRI to map inflammatory infiltrates using high-field MRI and fluorescently labeled cross-linked iron oxide nanoparticles for cell tracking. We confirmed nanoparticle uptake and MR detectability ex vivo. Using in vivo MRI, we identified extensive nanoparticle signal in the cerebellar white matter and circumscribed cortical gray matter lesions that developed during the disease course (4.6-fold increase of nanoparticle accumulation in EAE compared with healthy controls, P < 0.001). Nanoparticles showed good cellular specificity for innate immune cells in vivo, labeling activated microglia, infiltrating macrophages, and neutrophils, whereas there was only sparse uptake by adaptive immune cells. Importantly, nanoparticle signal correlated better with clinical disease than conventional gadolinium (Gd) imaging (r, 0.83 for nanoparticles vs. 0.71 for Gd-imaging, P < 0.001). We validated our approach using the Food and Drug Administration-approved iron oxide nanoparticle ferumoxytol. Our results show that noninvasive molecular imaging of innate immune responses can serve as an imaging biomarker of disease activity in autoimmune-mediated neuroinflammation with potential clinical applications in a wide range of inflammatory diseases.

Development and characterization of multifunctional nanoparticles for drug delivery to cancer cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nahire, Rahul Rajaram

Lipid and polymeric nanoparticles, although proven to be effective drug delivery systems compared to free drugs, have shown considerable limitations pertaining to their uptake and release at tumor sites. Spatial and temporal control over the delivery of anticancer drugs has always been challenge to drug delivery scientists. Here, we have developed and characterized multifunctional nanoparticles (liposomes and polymersomes) which are targeted specifically to cancer cells, and release their contents with tumor specific internal triggers. To enable these nanoparticles to be tracked in blood circulation, we have imparted them with echogenic characteristic. Echogenicity of nanoparticles is evaluated using ultrasound scattering and imaging experiments. Nanoparticles demonstrated effective release with internal triggers such as elevated levels of MMP-9 enzyme found in the extracellular matrix of tumor cells, decreased pH of lysosome, and differential concentration of reducing agents in cytosol of cancer cells. We have also successfully demonstrated the sensitivity of these particles towards ultrasound to further enhance the release with internal triggers. To ensure the selective uptake by folate receptor- overexpressing cancer cells, we decorated these nanoparticles with folic acid on their surface. Fluorescence microscopic images showed significantly higher uptake of folate-targeted nanoparticles by MCF-7 (breast cancer) and PANC-1 (pancreatic cancer) cells compared to particles without any targeting ligand on their surface. To demonstrate the effectiveness of these nanoparticles to carry the drugs inside and kill cancer cells, we encapsulated doxorubicin and/or gemcitabine employing the pH gradient method. Drug loaded nanoparticles showed significantly higher killing of the cancer cells compared to their non-targeted counterparts and free drugs. With further development, these nanoparticles certainly have potential to be used as a multifunctional nanocarriers for image guided, targeted delivery of anticancer drugs.

In Vivo Tracking of Mesechymal Stem Cells Using Fluorescent Nanoparticles in an Osteochondral Repair Model

PubMed Central

Lee, Jong Min; Kim, Byung-Soo; Lee, Haeshin; Im, Gun-Il

2012-01-01

We devised and tested an in vivo system to monitor the migration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) within the marrow cavity. In vitro studies confirmed that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA had the most potent chemotactic effect of the tested factors, and possessed the greatest number of receptors in MSCs. MSCs were labeled with fluorescent nanoparticles and injected into the marrow cavity of nude rats through osteochondral defects created in the distal femur. The defects were sealed with HCF (heparin-conjugated fibrin) or PDGF-AA-loaded HCF. In the HCF-only group, the nanoparticle-labeled MSCs dispersed outside the marrow cavity within 3 days after injection. In the PDGF-AA-loaded HCF group, the labeled cells moved time-dependently for 14 days toward the osteochondral defect. HCF-PDGF in low dose (LD; 8.5 ng/µl) was more effective than HCF-PDGF in high dose (HD; 17 ng/µl) in recruiting the MSCs to the osteochondral defect. After 21 days, the defects treated with PDGF and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-loaded HCF showed excellent cartilage repair compared with other groups. Further studies confirmed that this in vivo osteochondral MSCs tracking system (IOMTS) worked for other chemoattractants (chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) and PDGF-BB). IOMTS can provide a useful tool to examine the effect of growth factors or chemokines on endogenous cartilage repair. PMID:22491215

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Ferumoxytol-Labeled Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Mouse Brain.

PubMed

Lee, Na Kyung; Kim, Hyeong Seop; Yoo, Dongkyeom; Hwang, Jung Won; Choi, Soo Jin; Oh, Wonil; Chang, Jong Wook; Na, Duk L

2017-02-01

The success of stem cell therapy is highly dependent on accurate delivery of stem cells to the target site of interest. Possible ways to track the distribution of MSCs in vivo include the use of reporter genes or nanoparticles. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ferumoxytol (Feraheme® [USA], Rienso® [UK]) as a treatment for iron deficiency anemia. Ferumoxytol is an ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (USPIO) that has recently been used to track the fate of transplanted cells using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The major objectives of this study were to demonstrate the feasibility of labeling hUCB-MSCs with ferumoxytol and to observe, through MRI, the engraftment of ferumoxytol-labeled human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) delivered via stereotactic injection into the hippocampi of a transgenic mouse model of familial Alzheimer's disease (5XFAD). Ferumoxytol had no toxic effects on the viability or stemness of hUCB-MSCs when assessed in vitro. Through MRI, hypointense signals were discernible at the site where ferumoxytol-labeled human MSCs were injected. Iron-positive areas were also observed in the engrafted hippocampi. The results from this study support the use of nanoparticle labeling to monitor transplanted MSCs in real time as a follow-up for AD stem cell therapy in the clinical field.

Magnetic poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and cellulose particles for MRI-based cell tracking

PubMed Central

Nkansah, Michael K.; Thakral, Durga; Shapiro, Erik M.

2010-01-01

Biodegradable, superparamagnetic micro- and nanoparticles of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and cellulose were designed, fabricated and characterized for magnetic cell labeling. Monodisperse nanocrystals of magnetite were incorporated into micro- and nanoparticles of PLGA and cellulose with high efficiency using an oil-in-water single emulsion technique. Superparamagnetic cores had high magnetization (72.1 emu/g). The resulting polymeric particles had smooth surface morphology and high magnetite content (43.3 wt% for PLGA and 69.6 wt% for cellulose). While PLGA and cellulose nanoparticles displayed highest r2* values per millimole of iron (399 s-1mM-1 for cellulose and 505 s-1mM-1 for PLGA), micron-sized PLGA particles had a much higher r2* per particle than either. After incubation for a month in citrate buffer (pH 5.5), magnetic PLGA particles lost close to 50% of their initial r2* molar relaxivity, while magnetic cellulose particles remained intact, preserving over 85% of their initial r2* molar relaxivity. Lastly, mesenchymal stem cells and human breast adenocarcinoma cells were magnetically labeled using these particles with no detectable cytotoxicity. These particles are ideally suited for non-invasive cell tracking in vivo via MRI and due to their vastly different degradation properties, offer unique potential for dedicated use for either short (PLGA-based particles) or long term (cellulose-based particles) experiments. PMID:21404328

Controllable synthesis of a novel magnetic core-shell nanoparticle for dual-modal imaging and pH-responsive drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Chen; Zhang, Cheng; Wang, Yingxi; Li, Liu; Li, Ling; Whittaker, Andrew K.

2017-12-01

In this study, novel magnetic core-shell nanoparticles Fe3O4@La-BTC/GO have been synthesized by the layer-by-layer self-assembly (LBL) method and further modified by attachment of amino-modified PEG chains. The nanoparticles were thoroughly characterized by x-ray diffraction, FTIR, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The core-shell structure was shown to be controlled by the LBL method. The drug loading of doxorubicin (DOX) within the Fe3O4@La-BTC/GO-PEG nanoparticles with different numbers of deposited layers was investigated. It was found that DOX loading increased with increasing number of metal organic framework coating layers, indicating that the drug loading can be controlled through the controllable LBL method. Cytotoxicity assays indicated that the Fe3O4@La-BTC/GO-PEG nanoparticles were biocompatible. The DOX was released rapidly at pH 3.8 and pH 5.8, but at pH 7.4 the rate and extent of release was greatly attenuated. The nanoparticles therefore demonstrate an excellent pH-triggered drug release. In addition, the particles could be tracked by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescence optical imaging (FOI). A clear dose-dependent contrast enhancement in T 2-weighted MR images and fluorescence images indicate the potential of these nanoparticles as dual-mode MRI/FOI contrast agents.

A theranostic nanoplatform: magneto-gold@fluorescence polymer nanoparticles for tumor targeting T1&T2-MRI/CT/NIR fluorescence imaging and induction of genuine autophagy mediated chemotherapy.

PubMed

Wang, Guannan; Qian, Kun; Mei, Xifan

2018-06-14

Multifunctional nanoparticles, bearing low toxicity and tumor-targeting properties, coupled with multifunctional diagnostic imaging and enhanced treatment efficacy, have drawn tremendous attention due to their enormous potential for medical applications. Herein, we report a new kind of biocompatible and tumor-targeting magneto-gold@fluorescent polymer nanoparticle (MGFs-LyP-1), which is based on ultra-small magneto-gold (Fe 3 O 4 -Au) nanoparticles and NIR emissive fluorescent polymers by a solvent-mediated method. This kind of nanoparticle could be taken up efficiently and simultaneously serve for in vivo tumor targeting T 1 &T 2 -MRI/CT/near infrared (NIR) fluorescence bioimaging. Furthermore, the nanoparticles exhibit small size, higher tumor targeting accumulation, excellent cytocompatibility for long-term tracking, and no disturbing cell proliferation and differentiation. Moreover, clear and convincing evidence proves that as-synthesized MGFs-LyP-1 could elicit genuine autophagy via inducing autophagosome formation, which offers a definite synergistic effect to enhance cancer therapy with doxorubicin (DOX) at a nontoxic concentration through enhancement of the autophagy flux. Meanwhile, the as-prepared nanoparticles could be rapidly cleared from mice without any obvious organ impairment. The results indeed reveal a promising prospect of an MGFs-LyP-1 contrast agent with low toxicity and high efficiency for promising application in biomedicine.

Synthesis and biological studies of highly concentrated lisinopril-capped gold nanoparticles for CT tracking of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghann, William E.; Aras, Omer; Fleiter, Thorsten; Daniel, Marie-Christine

2011-05-01

For patients with a history of heart attack or stroke, the prevention of another cardiovascular or cerebrovascular event is crucial. The development of cardiac and pulmonary fibrosis has been associated with overexpression of tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Recently, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have shown great potential as X-ray computed tomography (CT) contrast agents. Since lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor, it has been used as coating on GNPs for targeted imaging of tissue ACE in prevention of fibrosis. Herein, lisinopril-capped gold nanoparticles (LIS-GNPs) were synthesized up to a concentration of 55 mgAu/mL. Their contrast was measured using CT and the results were compared to Omnipaque, a commonly used iodine-based contrast agent. The targeting ability of these LIS-GNPs was also assessed.

Role of Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery and Regenerative Therapy for Bone Diseases.

PubMed

Gera, Sonia; Sampathi, Sunitha; Dodoala, Sujatha

2017-01-01

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by progressive bone loss due to aging and menopause in women leading to bone fragility with increased susceptibility towards fractures. The silent disease weakens the bone by altering its microstructure and mass. Therapy is based on either promoting strength (via osteoblast action) or preventing disease (via osteoclast action). Current therapy with different drugs belonging to antiresorptive, anabolic and hormonal classification suffers from poor pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile. Nanoparticles provide breakthrough as an alternative therapeutic carrier and biomedical imaging tool in bone diseases. The current review highlights bone physiology and pathology along with potential applications of nanoparticles in osteoporosis through use of organic and inorganic particles for drug delivery, biomedical imaging as well as bone tissue regeneration therapy. Inorganic nanoparticles of gold, cerium, platinum and silica have effects on osteoblastic and osteoclastic lineage. Labelling and tracking of bone cells by quantum dots and gold nanoparticles are advanced and non-invasive techniques. Incorporation of nanoparticles into the scaffolds is a more recent technique for improving mechanical strength as well as regeneration during bone grafting. Promising results by in vitro and in vivo studies depicts effects of nanoparticles on biochemical markers and biomechanical parameters during osteoporosis suggesting the bright future of nanoparticles in bone applications. Any therapy which improves the drug profile and delivery to bone tissue will be promising approach. Superparamagnetic, gold, mesoporous silica nanoparticles and quantum dots provide golden opportunities for biomedical imaging by replacing the traditional invasive radionuclide techniques. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Safety of real-time convection-enhanced delivery of liposomes to primate brain: a long-term retrospective.

PubMed

Krauze, Michal T; Vandenberg, Scott R; Yamashita, Yoji; Saito, Ryuta; Forsayeth, John; Noble, Charles; Park, John; Bankiewicz, Krystof S

2008-04-01

Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is gaining popularity in direct brain infusions. Our group has pioneered the use of liposomes loaded with the MRI contrast reagent as a means to track and quantitate CED in the primate brain through real-time MRI. When co-infused with therapeutic nanoparticles, these tracking liposomes provide us with unprecedented precision in the management of infusions into discrete brain regions. In order to translate real-time CED into clinical application, several important parameters must be defined. In this study, we have analyzed all our cumulative animal data to answer a number of questions as to whether real-time CED in primates depends on concentration of infusate, is reproducible, allows prediction of distribution in a given anatomic structure, and whether it has long term pathological consequences. Our retrospective analysis indicates that real-time CED is highly predictable; repeated procedures yielded identical results, and no long-term brain pathologies were found. We conclude that introduction of our technique to clinical application would enhance accuracy and patient safety when compared to current non-monitored delivery trials.

Determination of size and mass-and number-based concentration of biogenic SeNPs synthesized by lactic acid bacteria by using a multimethod approach.

PubMed

Moreno-Martin, Gustavo; Pescuma, Micaela; Pérez-Corona, Teresa; Mozzi, Fernanda; Madrid, Yolanda

2017-11-01

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were synthesized by a green technology using lactic acid bacteria (LAB, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and L. reuteri). The exposure of aqueous sodium selenite to LAB led to the synthesis of SeNPs. Characterization of SeNPs by transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDXS) analysis revealed the presence of stable, predominantly monodispersed and spherical SeNPs of an average size of 146 ± 71 nm. Additionally, SeNPs hydrodynamic size was determined by dispersive light scattering (DLS) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). For this purpose, a methodology based on the use of surfactants in basic medium was developed for isolating SeNPs from the bacterial pellet. The hydrodynamic size values provided by DLS and NTA were 258 ± 4 and 187 ± 56 nm, respectively. NTA measurements of number-based concentration reported values of (4.67±0.30)x10 9 SeNPs mL -1 with a relative standard deviation lower than 5% (n = 3). The quantitative results obtained by NTA were supported by theoretical calculations. Asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation (AF 4 ) on line coupled to the inductively couple plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and off-line coupled to DLS was further employed to characterize biogenic SeNPs. The distribution of the particle size for the Se-containing peak provide an average size of (247 ± 14) nm. The data obtained by independent techniques were in good agreement and the developed methodology could be implemented for characterizing NPs in complex matrices such as biogenic nanoparticles embedded inside microbial material. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

1,3-Bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea-loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles with dual magnetic resonance-fluorescence imaging for tracking of chemotherapeutic agents.

PubMed

Wei, Kuo-Chen; Lin, Feng-Wei; Huang, Chiung-Yin; Ma, Chen-Chi M; Chen, Ju-Yu; Feng, Li-Ying; Yang, Hung-Wei

To date, knowing how to identify the location of chemotherapeutic agents in the human body after injection is still a challenge. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a drug delivery system with molecular imaging tracking ability to accurately understand the distribution, location, and concentration of a drug in living organisms. In this study, we developed bovine serum albumin (BSA)-based nanoparticles (NPs) with dual magnetic resonance (MR) and fluorescence imaging modalities (fluorescein isothiocyanate [FITC]-BSA-Gd/1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea [BCNU] NPs) to deliver BCNU for inhibition of brain tumor cells (MBR 261-2). These BSA-based NPs are water dispersible, stable, and biocompatible as confirmed by XTT cell viability assay. In vitro phantoms and in vivo MR and fluorescence imaging experiments show that the developed FITC-BSA-Gd/BCNU NPs enable dual MR and fluorescence imaging for monitoring cellular uptake and distribution in tumors. The T1 relaxivity (R1) of FITC-BSA-Gd/BCNU NPs was 3.25 mM(-1) s(-1), which was similar to that of the commercial T1 contrast agent (R1 =3.36 mM(-1) s(-1)). The results indicate that this multifunctional drug delivery system has potential bioimaging tracking of chemotherapeutic agents ability in vitro and in vivo for cancer therapy.

Convection-enhanced delivery of M13 bacteriophage to the brain

PubMed Central

Ksendzovsky, Alexander; Walbridge, Stuart; Saunders, Richard C.; Asthagiri, Ashok R.; Heiss, John D.; Lonser, Russell R.

2013-01-01

Object Recent studies indicate that M13 bacteriophage, a very large nanoparticle, binds to β-amyloid and α-synuclein proteins, leading to plaque disaggregation in models of Alzheimer and Parkinson disease. To determine the feasibility, safety, and characteristics of convection-enhanced delivery (CED) of M13 bacteriophage to the brain, the authors perfused primate brains with bacteriophage. Methods Four nonhuman primates underwent CED of M13 bacteriophage (900 nm) to thalamic gray matter (4 infusions) and frontal white matter (3 infusions). Bacteriophage was coinfused with Gd-DTPA (1 mM), and serial MRI studies were performed during infusion. Animals were monitored for neurological deficits and were killed 3 days after infusion. Tissues were analyzed for bacteriophage distribution. Results Real-time T1-weighted MRI studies of coinfused Gd-DTPA during infusion demonstrated a discrete region of perfusion in both thalamic gray and frontal white matter. An MRI-volumetric analysis revealed that the mean volume of distribution (Vd) to volume of infusion (Vi) ratio of M13 bacteriophage was 2.3 ± 0.2 in gray matter and 1.9 ± 0.3 in white matter. The mean values are expressed ± SD. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated mean Vd:Vi ratios of 2.9 ± 0.2 in gray matter and 2.1 ± 0.3 in white matter. The Gd-DTPA accurately tracked M13 bacteriophage distribution (the mean difference between imaging and actual bacteriophage Vd was insignificant [p > 0.05], and was −2.2% ± 9.9% in thalamic gray matter and 9.1% ± 9.5% in frontal white matter). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed evidence of additional spread from the initial delivery site in white matter (mean Vd:Vi, 16.1 ± 9.1). All animals remained neurologically intact after infusion during the observation period, and histological studies revealed no evidence of toxicity. Conclusions The CED method can be used successfully and safely to distribute M13 bacteriophage in the brain. Furthermore, additional white matter spread after infusion cessation enhances distribution of this large nanoparticle. Real-time MRI studies of coinfused Gd-DTPA (1 mM) can be used for accurate tracking of distribution during infusion of M13 bacteriophage. PMID:22606981

Convection-enhanced delivery of M13 bacteriophage to the brain.

PubMed

Ksendzovsky, Alexander; Walbridge, Stuart; Saunders, Richard C; Asthagiri, Ashok R; Heiss, John D; Lonser, Russell R

2012-08-01

Recent studies indicate that M13 bacteriophage, a very large nanoparticle, binds to β-amyloid and α-synuclein proteins, leading to plaque disaggregation in models of Alzheimer and Parkinson disease. To determine the feasibility, safety, and characteristics of convection-enhanced delivery (CED) of M13 bacteriophage to the brain, the authors perfused primate brains with bacteriophage. Four nonhuman primates underwent CED of M13 bacteriophage (900 nm) to thalamic gray matter (4 infusions) and frontal white matter (3 infusions). Bacteriophage was coinfused with Gd-DTPA (1 mM), and serial MRI studies were performed during infusion. Animals were monitored for neurological deficits and were killed 3 days after infusion. Tissues were analyzed for bacteriophage distribution. Real-time T1-weighted MRI studies of coinfused Gd-DTPA during infusion demonstrated a discrete region of perfusion in both thalamic gray and frontal white matter. An MRI-volumetric analysis revealed that the mean volume of distribution (Vd) to volume of infusion (Vi) ratio of M13 bacteriophage was 2.3 ± 0.2 in gray matter and 1.9 ± 0.3 in white matter. The mean values are expressed ± SD. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated mean Vd:Vi ratios of 2.9 ± 0.2 in gray matter and 2.1 ± 0.3 in white matter. The Gd-DTPA accurately tracked M13 bacteriophage distribution (the mean difference between imaging and actual bacteriophage Vd was insignificant [p > 0.05], and was -2.2% ± 9.9% in thalamic gray matter and 9.1% ± 9.5% in frontal white matter). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed evidence of additional spread from the initial delivery site in white matter (mean Vd:Vi, 16.1 ± 9.1). All animals remained neurologically intact after infusion during the observation period, and histological studies revealed no evidence of toxicity. The CED method can be used successfully and safely to distribute M13 bacteriophage in the brain. Furthermore, additional white matter spread after infusion cessation enhances distribution of this large nanoparticle. Real-time MRI studies of coinfused Gd-DTPA (1 mM) can be used for accurate tracking of distribution during infusion of M13 bacteriophage.

In situ measurement and simulation of nano-magnetite mobility in porous media subject to transient salinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Matthew D.; Wang, Yonggang; L. Paulsen, Jeffrey; Song, Yi-Qiao; Abriola, Linda M.; Pennell, Kurt D.

2014-12-01

Nanotechnologies have been proposed for a variety of environmental applications, including subsurface characterization, enhanced oil recovery, and in situ contaminant remediation. For such applications, quantitative predictive models will be of great utility for system design and implementation. Electrolyte chemistry, which can vary substantially within subsurface pore waters, has been shown to strongly influence nanoparticle aggregation and deposition in porous media. Thus, it is essential that mathematical models be capable of tracking changes in electrolyte chemistry and predicting its influence on nanoparticle mobility. In this work, a modified version of a multi-dimensional multispecies transport simulator (SEAWAT) was employed to model nanoparticle transport under transient electrolyte conditions. The modeling effort was supported by experimental measurements of paramagnetic magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticle, coated with polyacrylamide-methylpropane sulfonic acid - lauryl acrylate (nMag-PAMPS), mobility in columns packed with 40-50 mesh Ottawa sand. Column effluent analyses and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to quantify nanoparticle breakthrough and in situ aqueous phase concentrations, respectively. Experimental observations revealed that introduction of de-ionized water into the brine saturated column (80 g L-1 NaCl + 20 g L-1 CaCl2) promoted release and remobilization of deposited nanoparticles along a diagonal front, coincident with the variable density flow field. This behavior was accurately captured by the simulation results, which indicated that a two-site deposition-release model provided the best fit to experimental observations, suggesting that heterogeneous nanoparticle-surface interactions governed nanoparticle attachment. These findings illustrate the importance of accounting for both physical and chemical processes associated with changes in electrolyte chemistry when predicting nanoparticle transport behavior in subsurface formations.Nanotechnologies have been proposed for a variety of environmental applications, including subsurface characterization, enhanced oil recovery, and in situ contaminant remediation. For such applications, quantitative predictive models will be of great utility for system design and implementation. Electrolyte chemistry, which can vary substantially within subsurface pore waters, has been shown to strongly influence nanoparticle aggregation and deposition in porous media. Thus, it is essential that mathematical models be capable of tracking changes in electrolyte chemistry and predicting its influence on nanoparticle mobility. In this work, a modified version of a multi-dimensional multispecies transport simulator (SEAWAT) was employed to model nanoparticle transport under transient electrolyte conditions. The modeling effort was supported by experimental measurements of paramagnetic magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticle, coated with polyacrylamide-methylpropane sulfonic acid - lauryl acrylate (nMag-PAMPS), mobility in columns packed with 40-50 mesh Ottawa sand. Column effluent analyses and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to quantify nanoparticle breakthrough and in situ aqueous phase concentrations, respectively. Experimental observations revealed that introduction of de-ionized water into the brine saturated column (80 g L-1 NaCl + 20 g L-1 CaCl2) promoted release and remobilization of deposited nanoparticles along a diagonal front, coincident with the variable density flow field. This behavior was accurately captured by the simulation results, which indicated that a two-site deposition-release model provided the best fit to experimental observations, suggesting that heterogeneous nanoparticle-surface interactions governed nanoparticle attachment. These findings illustrate the importance of accounting for both physical and chemical processes associated with changes in electrolyte chemistry when predicting nanoparticle transport behavior in subsurface formations. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: A schematic diagram of the nMag-MRI experimental systems, description of the mathematical modeling domain, further information regarding calibration of R2 to nMag concentration in sand, comparison of one- and two-site simulations of phases 1 and 2, DLVO interaction energy profiles for the system, and a time lapse movie of the best fit two-site model simulation of the nMag experimental data. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr05088f

Nanoparticle-Based Electrochemical Immunosensor for the Detection of Phosphorylated Acetylcholinesterase: An Exposure Biomarker of Organophosphate Pesticides and Nerve AgentsOrganophosphate Pesticides and Nerve Agents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Guodong; Wang, Jun; Barry, Richard C.

A nanoparticle-based electrochemical immunosensor has been developed for the detection of phosphorylated acetylcholinesterase (AChE) adducts, which is a potential exposure biomarker for organophosphate pesticides (OP) and chemical warfare nerve agent exposures. Zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) were used as selective sorbents to capture the phosphorylated AChE adduct, and quantum dots (ZnS@CdS, QDs) were used as tags to label monoclonal anti-AChE antibody to track the immunorecognition events. The sandwich-like immunoreactions were performed among the ZrO2 NPs, which were pre-coated on a screen printed electrode (SPE) by electrodeposition, phosphorylated AChE and QD-anti-AChE. The captured QD tags were determined on the SPE by electrochemicalmore » stripping analysis of its metallic component (cadmium) after an acid-dissolution step. Paraoxon was used as a model OP insecticide to prepare the phosphorylated AChE adduct to demonstrate the proof of principle for this sensor technology. The paraoxon-AChE adduct was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum, and the binding affinity of anti-AChE to the paraoxon-AChE was validated with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The parameters (e.g., amount of ZrO2 NP, QD-anti-AChE concentration,) that govern the electrochemical response of immunosensors were optimized. The voltammetric response of the immunosensor is highly linear over the range of 10 pM to 4 nM paraoxon-AChE, and the limit of detection is estimated to be 8 pM. This new nanoparticle-based electrochemical immunosensor thus provides a sensitive and quantitative tool for biomonitoring exposure to OP pesticides and nerve agents.« less

Dynamics of different-sized solid-state nanocrystals as tracers for a drug-delivery system in the interstitium of a human tumor xenograft

PubMed Central

Kawai, Masaaki; Higuchi, Hideo; Takeda, Motohiro; Kobayashi, Yoshio; Ohuchi, Noriaki

2009-01-01

Introduction Recent anticancer drugs have been made larger to pass selectively through tumor vessels and stay in the interstitium. Understanding drug movement in association with its size at the single-molecule level and estimating the time needed to reach the targeted organ is indispensable for optimizing drug delivery because single cell-targeted therapy is the ongoing paradigm. This report describes the tracking of single solid nanoparticles in tumor xenografts and the estimation of arrival time. Methods Different-sized nanoparticles measuring 20, 40, and 100 nm were injected into the tail vein of the female Balb/c nu/nu mice bearing human breast cancer on their backs. The movements of the nanoparticles were visualized through the dorsal skin-fold chamber with the high-speed confocal microscopy that we manufactured. Results An analysis of the particle trajectories revealed diffusion to be inversely related to the particle size and position in the tumor, whereas the velocity of the directed movement was related to the position. The difference in the velocity was the greatest for 40-nm particles in the perivascular to the intercellular region: difference = 5.8 nm/s. The arrival time of individual nanoparticles at tumor cells was simulated. The estimated times for the 20-, 40-, and 100-nm particles to reach the tumor cells were 158.0, 218.5, and 389.4 minutes, respectively, after extravasation. Conclusions This result suggests that the particle size can be individually designed for each goal. These data and methods are also important for understanding drug pharmacokinetics. Although this method may be subject to interference by surface molecules attached on the particles, it has the potential to elucidate the pharmacokinetics involved in constructing novel drug-delivery systems involving cell-targeted therapy. PMID:19575785

Direct Deposition of Gas Phase Generated Aerosol Gold Nanoparticles into Biological Fluids - Corona Formation and Particle Size Shifts

PubMed Central

Svensson, Christian R.; Messing, Maria E.; Lundqvist, Martin; Schollin, Alexander; Deppert, Knut; Pagels, Joakim H.; Rissler, Jenny; Cedervall, Tommy

2013-01-01

An ongoing discussion whether traditional toxicological methods are sufficient to evaluate the risks associated with nanoparticle inhalation has led to the emergence of Air-Liquid interface toxicology. As a step in this process, this study explores the evolution of particle characteristics as they move from the airborne state into physiological solution. Airborne gold nanoparticles (AuNP) are generated using an evaporation-condensation technique. Spherical and agglomerate AuNPs are deposited into physiological solutions of increasing biological complexity. The AuNP size is characterized in air as mobility diameter and in liquid as hydrodynamic diameter. AuNP:Protein aggregation in physiological solutions is determined using dynamic light scattering, particle tracking analysis, and UV absorption spectroscopy. AuNPs deposited into homocysteine buffer form large gold-aggregates. Spherical AuNPs deposited in solutions of albumin were trapped at the Air-Liquid interface but was readily suspended in the solutions with a size close to that of the airborne particles, indicating that AuNP:Protein complex formation is promoted. Deposition into serum and lung fluid resulted in larger complexes, reflecting the formation of a more complex protein corona. UV absorption spectroscopy indicated no further aggregation of the AuNPs after deposition in solution. The corona of the deposited AuNPs shows differences compared to AuNPs generated in suspension. Deposition of AuNPs from the aerosol phase into biological fluids offers a method to study the protein corona formed, upon inhalation and deposition in the lungs in a more realistic way compared to particle liquid suspensions. This is important since the protein corona together with key particle properties (e.g. size, shape and surface reactivity) to a large extent may determine the nanoparticle effects and possible translocation to other organs. PMID:24086363

Berkeley Lab - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

nanoparticles that could make solar panels more efficient by converting light usually missed by solar cells into of Methane's Increasing Greenhouse Effect A Berkeley Lab research team tracked a rise in the warming effect of methane - one of the most important greenhouse gases for the Earth's atmosphere - over a 10

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells labeled with multimodal iron oxide nanoparticles with fluorescent and magnetic properties: application for in vivo cell tracking

PubMed Central

Sibov, Tatiana T; Pavon, Lorena F; Miyaki, Liza A; Mamani, Javier B; Nucci, Leopoldo P; Alvarim, Larissa T; Silveira, Paulo H; Marti, Luciana C; Gamarra, LF

2014-01-01

Here we describe multimodal iron oxide nanoparticles conjugated to Rhodamine-B (MION-Rh), their stability in culture medium, and subsequent validation of an in vitro protocol to label mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord blood (UC-MSC) with MION-Rh. These cells showed robust labeling in vitro without impairment of their functional properties, the viability of which were evaluated by proliferation kinetic and ultrastructural analyzes. Thus, labeled cells were infused into striatum of adult male rats of animal model that mimic late onset of Parkinson’s disease and, after 15 days, it was observed that cells migrated along the medial forebrain bundle to the substantia nigra as hypointense spots in T2 magnetic resonance imaging. These data were supported by short-term magnetic resonance imaging. Studies were performed in vivo, which showed that about 5 × 105 cells could be efficiently detected in the short term following infusion. Our results indicate that these labeled cells can be efficiently tracked in a neurodegenerative disease model. PMID:24531365

High resolution imaging of the dynamics of nanoparticles in/on liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Paul; Ribbe, Alexander; Russell, Thomas; Hoagland, David

Electron microscopy for the study of nanoscale structure and dynamics in solvated soft materials has only recently been proposed, and since this technique requires high vacuum, significant challenges must be confronted. Specimens can be encapsulated in vacuum-sealed devices for TEM but this approach is not without difficulties, including beam damage, cumbersome specimen handling, and propensity for wall artifacts. Here, we report an alternative SEM approach, obviating need for a liquid cell by exploiting the nonvolatility of ionic liquids, which is illustrated by visualizations of nanoscale dynamics for two solvated systems, dispersed nanospheres and nanorods in/on thin, free-standing IL films. The translational and rotational Brownian of these nanoparticles were quantitatively tracked. In ultra-thin films, a striking and unanticipated dynamical pairing of the nanospheres was observed, manifesting a balance of capillary and hydrodynamic interactions. Concentrated nanorods were seen to assemble into finite stacks that could be tracked over their entire lifetimes. Broadly applicable to solvated soft nanoscopic materials, the new imaging protocol offers a breakthrough in the study of their structure and dynamics.

Biomimetic High Density Lipoprotein Nanoparticles For Nucleic Acid Delivery

PubMed Central

McMahon, Kaylin M.; Mutharasan, R. Kannan; Tripathy, Sushant; Veliceasa, Dorina; Bobeica, Mariana; Shumaker, Dale K.; Luthi, Andrea J.; Helfand, Brian T.; Ardehali, Hossein; Mirkin, Chad A.; Volpert, Olga; Thaxton, C. Shad

2014-01-01

We report a gold nanoparticle-templated high density lipoprotein (HDL AuNP) platform for gene therapy which combines lipid-based nucleic acid transfection strategies with HDL biomimicry. For proof-of-concept, HDL AuNPs are shown to adsorb antisense cholesterylated DNA. The conjugates are internalized by human cells, can be tracked within cells using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and regulate target gene expression. Overall, the ability to directly image the AuNP core within cells, the chemical tailorability of the HDL AuNP platform, and the potential for cell-specific targeting afforded by HDL biomimicry make this platform appealing for nucleic acid delivery. PMID:21319839

Versatile aptasensor for electrochemical quantification of cell surface glycan and naked-eye tracking glycolytic inhibition in living cells.

PubMed

Zhang, Jing-Jing; Cheng, Fang-Fang; Zheng, Ting-Ting; Zhu, Jun-Jie

2017-03-15

Quantifying the glycan expression status on cell surfaces is of vital importance for insight into the glycan function in biological processes and related diseases. Here we developed a versatile aptasensor for electrochemical quantification of cell surface glycan by taking advantage of the cell-specific aptamer, and the lectin-functionalized gold nanoparticles acting as both a glycan recognition unit and a signal amplification probe. To construct the aptasensor, amine-functionalized mucin 1 protein (MUC1) aptamer was first covalently conjugated to carboxylated-magnetic beads (MBs) using the succinimide coupling (EDC-NHS) method. On the basis of the specific recognition between aptamer and MUC1 protein that overexpressed on the surface of MCF-7 cells, the aptamer conjugated MBs showed a predominant capability for cell capture with high selectivity. Moreover, a lectin-based nanoprobe was designed by noncovalent assembly of concanavalin A (ConA) on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). This nanoprobe incorporated the abilities of both the specific carbohydrate recognition and the signal amplification based on the gold-promoted reduction of silver ions. By coupling with electrochemical stripping analysis, the proposed sandwich-type cytosensor showed an excellent analytical performance for the ultrasensitive detection of MCF-7 cells and quantification of cell surface glycan. More importantly, taking advantage of Con A-gold nanoprobe catalyzed silver enhancement, the proposed method was further used for naked-eye tracking glycolytic inhibition in living cells. This aptasensor holds great promise as a new point-of-care diagnostic tool for analyzing glycan expression on living cells and further helps cancer diagnosis and treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of asymmetric resonance response of thermally excited silicon micro-cantilevers for mass-sensitive nanoparticle detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertke, Maik; Hamdana, Gerry; Wu, Wenze; Suryo Wasisto, Hutomo; Uhde, Erik; Peiner, Erwin

2017-06-01

In this paper, the asymmetric resonance frequency (f 0) responses of thermally in-plane excited silicon cantilevers for a pocket-sized, cantilever-based airborne nanoparticle detector (Cantor) are analysed. By measuring the shift of f 0 caused by the deposition of nanoparticles (NPs), the cantilevers are used as a microbalance. The cantilever sensors are low cost manufactured from silicon by bulk-micromachining techniques and contain an integrated p-type heating actuator and a sensing piezoresistive Wheatstone bridge. f 0 is tracked by a homemade phase-locked loop (PPL) for real-time measurements. To optimize the sensor performance, a new cantilever geometry was designed, fabricated and characterized by its frequency responses. The most significant characterisation parameters of our application are f 0 and the quality factor (Q), which have high influences on sensitivity and efficiency of the NP detector. Regarding the asymmetric resonance signal, a novel fitting function based on the Fano resonance replacing the conventionally used function of the simple harmonic oscillator and a method to calculate Q by its fitting parameters were developed for a quantitative evaluation. To obtain a better understanding of the resonance behaviours, we analysed the origin of the asymmetric line shapes. Therefore, we compared the frequency response of the on-chip thermal excitation with an external excitation using an in-plane piezo actuator. In correspondence to the Fano effect, we could reconstruct the measured resonance curves by coupling two signals with constant amplitude and the expected signal of the cantilever, respectively. Moreover, the phase of the measurement signal can be analysed by this method, which is important to understand the locking process of the PLL circuit. Besides the frequency analysis, experimental results and calibration measurements with different particle types are presented. Using the described analysis method, decent results to optimize a next generation of Cantor are expected.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Tracking of Ferumoxytol-Labeled Human Neural Stem Cells: Studies Leading to Clinical Use

PubMed Central

Gutova, Margarita; Frank, Joseph A.; D'Apuzzo, Massimo; Khankaldyyan, Vazgen; Gilchrist, Megan M.; Annala, Alexander J.; Metz, Marianne Z.; Abramyants, Yelena; Herrmann, Kelsey A.; Ghoda, Lucy Y.; Najbauer, Joseph; Brown, Christine E.; Blanchard, M. Suzette; Lesniak, Maciej S.; Kim, Seung U.; Barish, Michael E.

2013-01-01

Numerous stem cell-based therapies are currently under clinical investigation, including the use of neural stem cells (NSCs) as delivery vehicles to target therapeutic agents to invasive brain tumors. The ability to monitor the time course, migration, and distribution of stem cells following transplantation into patients would provide critical information for optimizing treatment regimens. No effective cell-tracking methodology has yet garnered clinical acceptance. A highly promising noninvasive method for monitoring NSCs and potentially other cell types in vivo involves preloading them with ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USPIOs) to enable cell tracking using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We report here the preclinical studies that led to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for first-in-human investigational use of ferumoxytol to label NSCs prior to transplantation into brain tumor patients, followed by surveillance serial MRI. A combination of heparin, protamine sulfate, and ferumoxytol (HPF) was used to label the NSCs. HPF labeling did not affect cell viability, growth kinetics, or tumor tropism in vitro, and it enabled MRI visualization of NSC distribution within orthotopic glioma xenografts. MRI revealed dynamic in vivo NSC distribution at multiple time points following intracerebral or intravenous injection into glioma-bearing mice that correlated with histological analysis. Preclinical safety/toxicity studies of intracerebrally administered HPF-labeled NSCs in mice were also performed, and they showed no significant clinical or behavioral changes, no neuronal or systemic toxicities, and no abnormal accumulation of iron in the liver or spleen. These studies support the clinical use of ferumoxytol labeling of cells for post-transplant MRI visualization and tracking. PMID:24014682

Dispersion and shape engineered plasmonic nanosensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Hyeon-Ho; Mark, Andrew G.; Alarcón-Correa, Mariana; Kim, Insook; Oswald, Peter; Lee, Tung-Chun; Fischer, Peer

2016-04-01

Biosensors based on the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of individual metallic nanoparticles promise to deliver modular, low-cost sensing with high-detection thresholds. However, they continue to suffer from relatively low sensitivity and figures of merit (FOMs). Herein we introduce the idea of sensitivity enhancement of LSPR sensors through engineering of the material dispersion function. Employing dispersion and shape engineering of chiral nanoparticles leads to remarkable refractive index sensitivities (1,091 nm RIU-1 at λ=921 nm) and FOMs (>2,800 RIU-1). A key feature is that the polarization-dependent extinction of the nanoparticles is now characterized by rich spectral features, including bipolar peaks and nulls, suitable for tracking refractive index changes. This sensing modality offers strong optical contrast even in the presence of highly absorbing media, an important consideration for use in complex biological media with limited transmission. The technique is sensitive to surface-specific binding events which we demonstrate through biotin-avidin surface coupling.

The in vivo activation of persistent nanophosphors for optical imaging of vascularization, tumours and grafted cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maldiney, Thomas; Bessière, Aurélie; Seguin, Johanne; Teston, Eliott; Sharma, Suchinder K.; Viana, Bruno; Bos, Adrie J. J.; Dorenbos, Pieter; Bessodes, Michel; Gourier, Didier; Scherman, Daniel; Richard, Cyrille

2014-04-01

Optical imaging for biological applications requires more sensitive tools. Near-infrared persistent luminescence nanoparticles enable highly sensitive in vivo optical detection and complete avoidance of tissue autofluorescence. However, the actual generation of persistent luminescence nanoparticles necessitates ex vivo activation before systemic administration, which prevents long-term imaging in living animals. Here, we introduce a new generation of optical nanoprobes, based on chromium-doped zinc gallate, whose persistent luminescence can be activated in vivo through living tissues using highly penetrating low-energy red photons. Surface functionalization of this photonic probe can be adjusted to favour multiple biomedical applications such as tumour targeting. Notably, we show that cells can endocytose these nanoparticles in vitro and that, after intravenous injection, we can track labelled cells in vivo and follow their biodistribution by a simple whole animal optical detection, opening new perspectives for cell therapy research and for a variety of diagnosis applications.

Ultralow-power near-infrared excited neodymium-doped nanoparticles for long-term in vivo bioimaging.

PubMed

Qin, Qing-Song; Zhang, Pei-Zhi; Sun, Ling-Dong; Shi, Shuo; Chen, Nai-Xiu; Dong, Hao; Zheng, Xiao-Yu; Li, Le-Min; Yan, Chun-Hua

2017-04-06

Lanthanide-doped luminescent nanoparticles with both emission and excitation in the near-infrared (NIR-to-NIR) region hold great promise for bioimaging. Herein, core@shell structured LiLuF 4 :Nd@LiLuF 4 (named as Nd@Lu) nanoparticles (NPs) with highly efficient NIR emission were developed for high-performance in vivo bioimaging. Strikingly, the absolute quantum yield of Nd@Lu NPs reached as high as 32%. After coating with polyethylene glycol (PEG), the water-dispersible Nd@Lu NPs showed good bio-compatibility and low toxicity. With efficient NIR emission, the Nd@Lu NPs were clearly detectable in tissues at depths of up to 20 mm. In addition, long-term in vivo biodistribution with a high signal-to-noise ratio of 25.1 was distinctly tracked upon an ultralow-power-density excitation (10 mW cm -2 ) of 732 nm for the first time.

Decontamination of chemical warfare sulfur mustard agent simulant by ZnO nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeghi, Meysam; Yekta, Sina; Ghaedi, Hamed

2016-07-01

In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have been surveyed to decontaminate the chloroethyl phenyl sulfide as a sulfur mustard agent simulant. Prior to the reaction, ZnO NPs were successfully prepared through sol-gel method in the absence and presence of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). PVA was utilized as a capping agent to control the agglomeration of the nanoparticles. The formation, morphology, elemental component, and crystalline size of nanoscale ZnO were certified and characterized by SEM/EDX, XRD, and FT-IR techniques. The decontamination (adsorption and destruction) was tracked by the GC-FID analysis, in which the effects of polarity of the media, such as isopropanol, acetone and n-hexane, reaction time intervals from 1 up to 18 h, and different temperatures, including 25, 35, 45, and 55 °C, on the catalytic/decontaminative capability of the surface of ZnO NPs/PVA were investigated and discussed, respectively. Results demonstrated that maximum decontamination (100 %) occurred in n-hexane solvent at 55 °C after 1 h. On the other hand, the obtained results for the acetone and isopropanol solvents were lower than expected. GC-MS chromatograms confirmed the formation of hydroxyl ethyl phenyl sulfide and phenyl vinyl sulfide as the destruction reaction products. Furthermore, these chromatograms proved the role of hydrolysis and elimination mechanisms on the catalyst considering its surface Bronsted and Lewis acid sites. A non-polar solvent aids material transfer to the reactive surface acid sites without blocking these sites.

Mobility of nanosized cerium dioxide and polymeric capsules in quartz and loamy sands saturated with model and natural groundwaters.

PubMed

Petosa, Adamo Riccardo; Ohl, Carolin; Rajput, Faraz; Tufenkji, Nathalie

2013-10-01

The environmental and health risks posed by emerging engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) released into aquatic environments are largely dependent on their aggregation, transport, and deposition behavior. Herein, laboratory-scale columns were used to examine the mobility of polyacrylic acid (PAA)-coated cerium dioxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) and an analogous nanosized polymeric capsule (nCAP) in water saturated quartz sand or loamy sand. The influence of solution ionic strength (IS) and cation type (Na(+), Ca(2+), or Mg(2+)) on the transport potential of these ENPs was examined in both granular matrices and results were also compared to measurements obtained using a natural groundwater. ENP suspensions were characterized using dynamic light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis to establish aggregate size, and laser Doppler electrophoresis to determine ENP electrophoretic mobility. Regardless of IS, virtually all nCeO2 particles suspended in NaNO3 eluted from the quartz sand-packed columns. In contrast, heightened nCeO2 and nCAP particle retention and dynamic (time-dependent) transport behavior was observed with increasing concentrations of the divalent salts and in the presence of natural groundwater. Enhanced particle retention was also observed in loamy sand in comparison to the quartz sand, emphasizing the need to consider the nature of the aqueous matrix and granular medium in evaluating contamination risks associated with the release of ENPs in natural and engineered aquatic environments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Photostability effect of silica nanoparticles encapsulated fluorescence dye

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Atiqah; Zakaria, Nor Dyana; Razak, Khairunisak Abdul

2017-12-01

Fluorescence dyes are based on small organic molecules have become of interest in chemical biology and widely used for cell and intracellular imaging. However, fluorescence dyes have limitations such as photo bleaching, poor photochemical stability and has a short Stokes shift. It is less valuable for long-term cell tracking strategies and has very short lifetime. In order to overcome the problems, dye-incorporated nanomaterials become of interest. Nanomaterials encapsulation provides a protection layer around the fluorescence dye which improves the stability of fluorescence dye. In this study, silica nanoparticles encapsulated with 1,1%-dioctadecyl-3,3,3%,3%-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (Dil) was successfully synthesised by using micelle entrapment method to investigate the effect of encapsulation of nanoparticles towards the properties of fluorescent dye. The synthesised nanoparticles (SiDil) was characterised by particle size analyser, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectrometer and Fluorescent spectrometer. Observation using TEM showed spherical shape of nanoparticles with 53 nm diameter. Monodispersed and well nanoparticles distribution was confirmed by low polydispersity index of 0.063 obtained by particle size analyser. Furthermore, the photoluminescence properties of the SiDil were evaluated and compared with bare Dil dye. Both SiDil and bare Dil was radiated under 200 W of Halogen lamp for 60 minutes and the absorbance intensity was measured using UV-Vis spectrometer. The result showed more stable absorbance intensity for SiDil compared to bare Dil dye, which indicated that Si nanoparticles encapsulation improved the photostability property.

Nickel nanoparticles-chitosan composite coated cellulose filter paper: An efficient and easily recoverable dip-catalyst for pollutants degradation.

PubMed

Kamal, Tahseen; Khan, Sher Bahadar; Asiri, Abdullah M

2016-11-01

In this report, we used cellulose filter paper (FP) as high surface area catalyst supporting green substrate for the synthesis of nickel (Ni) nanoparticles in thin chitosan (CS) coating layer and their easy separation was demonstrated for next use. In this work, FP was coated with a 1 wt% CS solution onto cellulose FP to prepare CS-FP as an economical and environment friendly host material. CS-FP was put into 0.2 M NiCl 2 aqueous solution for the adsorption of Ni 2+ ions by CS coating layer. The Ni 2+ adsorbed CS-FP was treated with 0.1 M NaBH 4 aqueous solution to convert the ions into nanoparticles. Thus, we achieved Ni nanoparticles-CS composite through water based in-situ preparation process. Successful Ni nanoparticles formations was assessed by FESEM and EDX analyses. FTIR used to track the interactions between nanoparticles and host material. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the nanocomposite displays an excellent catalytic activity and reusability in three reduction reactions of toxic compounds i.e. conversion of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, 2-nitrophenol to 2-aminophenol, and methyl orange dye reduction by NaBH 4 . Such a fabrication process of Ni/CS-FP may be applicable for the immobilization of other metal nanoparticles onto FP for various applications in catalysis, sensing, and environmental sciences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A synthetic DNA motor that transports nanoparticles along carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cha, Tae-Gon; Pan, Jing; Chen, Haorong; Salgado, Janette; Li, Xiang; Mao, Chengde; Choi, Jong Hyun

2014-01-01

Intracellular protein motors have evolved to perform specific tasks critical to the function of cells such as intracellular trafficking and cell division. Kinesin and dynein motors, for example, transport cargoes in living cells by walking along microtubules powered by adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis. These motors can make discrete 8 nm centre-of-mass steps and can travel over 1 µm by changing their conformations during the course of adenosine triphosphate binding, hydrolysis and product release. Inspired by such biological machines, synthetic analogues have been developed including self-assembled DNA walkers that can make stepwise movements on RNA/DNA substrates or can function as programmable assembly lines. Here, we show that motors based on RNA-cleaving DNA enzymes can transport nanoparticle cargoes--CdS nanocrystals in this case--along single-walled carbon nanotubes. Our motors extract chemical energy from RNA molecules decorated on the nanotubes and use that energy to fuel autonomous, processive walking through a series of conformational changes along the one-dimensional track. The walking is controllable and adapts to changes in the local environment, which allows us to remotely direct `go' and `stop' actions. The translocation of individual motors can be visualized in real time using the visible fluorescence of the cargo nanoparticle and the near-infared emission of the carbon-nanotube track. We observed unidirectional movements of the molecular motors over 3 µm with a translocation velocity on the order of 1 nm min-1 under our experimental conditions.

In Vivo Fluorescence Imaging and Tracking of Circulating Cells and Therapeutic Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markovic, Stacey

Noninvasive enumeration of rare circulating cells in small animals is of great importance in many areas of biomedical research, but most existing enumeration techniques involve drawing and enriching blood which is known to be problematic. Recently, small animal "in vivo flow cytometry" (IVFC) techniques have been developed, where cells flowing through small arterioles are counted continuously and noninvasively in vivo. However, higher sensitivity IVFC techniques are needed for studying low-abundance (<100/mL) circulating cells. To this end, we developed a macroscopic fluorescence imaging system and automated computer vision algorithm that allows in vivo detection, enumeration and tracking of circulating fluorescently labeled cells from multiple large blood vessels in the ear of a mouse. This technique ---"computer vision IVFC" (CV-IVFC) --- allows cell detection and enumeration at concentrations of 20 cells/mL. Performance of CV-IVFC was also characterized for low-contrast imaging scenarios, representing conditions of weak cell fluorescent labeling or high background tissue autofluorescence, and showed efficient tracking and enumeration of circulating cells with 50% sensitivity in contrast conditions degraded 2 orders of magnitude compared to in vivo testing supporting the potential utility of CV-IVFC in a range of biological models. Refinement of prior work in our lab of a separate rare-cell detection platform - "diffuse fluorescence flow cytometry" (DFFC) --- implemented a "frequency encoding" scheme by modulating two excitation lasers. Fluorescent light from both lasers can be simultaneously detected and split by frequency allowing for better discrimination of noise, sensitivity, and cell localization. The system design is described in detail and preliminary data is shown. Last, we developed a broad-field transmission fluorescence imaging system to observe nanoparticle (NP) diffusion in bulk biological tissue. Novel, implantable NP spacers allow controlled, long-term release of drugs. However, kinetics of NP (drug) diffusion over time is still poorly understood. Our imaging system allowed us to quantify diffusion of free dye and NPs of different sizes in vitro and in vivo. Subsequent analysis verified that there was continuous diffusion which could be controlled based on particle size. Continued use of this imaging system will aid optimization of NP spacers.

Contribution of macrophages in the contrast loss in iron oxide-based MRI cancer cell tracking studies

PubMed Central

Danhier, Pierre; Deumer, Gladys; Joudiou, Nicolas; Bouzin, Caroline; Levêque, Philippe; Haufroid, Vincent; Jordan, Bénédicte F.; Feron, Olivier; Sonveaux, Pierre; Gallez, Bernard

2017-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cell tracking of cancer cells labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxides (SPIO) allows visualizing metastatic cells in preclinical models. However, previous works showed that the signal void induced by SPIO on T2(*)-weighted images decreased over time. Here, we aim at characterizing the fate of iron oxide nanoparticles used in cell tracking studies and the role of macrophages in SPIO metabolism. In vivo MRI cell tracking of SPIO positive 4T1 breast cancer cells revealed a quick loss of T2* contrast after injection. We next took advantage of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) for characterizing the evolution of superparamagnetic and non-superparamagnetic iron pools in 4T1 breast cancer cells and J774 macrophages after SPIO labeling. These in vitro experiments and histology studies performed on 4T1 tumors highlighted the quick degradation of iron oxides by macrophages in SPIO-based cell tracking experiments. In conclusion, the release of SPIO by dying cancer cells and the subsequent uptake of iron oxides by tumor macrophages are limiting factors in MRI cell tracking experiments that plead for the use of (MR) reporter-gene based imaging methods for the long-term tracking of metastatic cells. PMID:28467814

Labeling transplanted mice islet with polyvinylpyrrolidone coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for in vivo detection by magnetic resonance imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hai; Xie, Qiuping; Kang, Muxing; Zhang, Bo; Zhang, Hui; Chen, Jin; Zhai, Chuanxin; Yang, Deren; Jiang, Biao; Wu, Yulian

2009-09-01

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO) are emerging as a novel probe for noninvasive cell tracking with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and have potential wide usage in medical research. In this study, we have developed a method using high-temperature hydrolysis of chelate metal alkoxide complexes to synthesize polyvinylpyrrolidone coated iron oxide nanoparticles (PVP-SPIO), as a biocompatible magnetic agent that can efficiently label mice islet β-cells. The size, crystal structure and magnetic properties of the as-synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized. The newly synthesized PVP-SPIO with high stability, crystallinity and saturation magnetization can be efficiently internalized into β-cells, without affecting viability and function. The imaging of 100 PVP-SPIO-labeled mice islets in the syngeneic renal subcapsular model of transplantation under a clinical 3.0 T MR imager showed high spatial resolution in vivo. These results indicated the great potential application of the PVP-SPIO as an MRI contrast agent for monitoring transplanted islet grafts in the clinical management of diabetes in the near future.

Fluorescent Nanocrystals Reveal Regulated Portals of Entry into and Between the Cells of Hydra

PubMed Central

Tortiglione, Claudia; Quarta, Alessandra; Malvindi, Maria Ada; Tino, Angela; Pellegrino, Teresa

2009-01-01

Initially viewed as innovative carriers for biomedical applications, with unique photophysical properties and great versatility to be decorated at their surface with suitable molecules, nanoparticles can also play active roles in mediating biological effects, suggesting the need to deeply investigate the mechanisms underlying cell-nanoparticle interaction and to identify the molecular players. Here we show that the cell uptake of fluorescent CdSe/CdS quantum rods (QRs) by Hydra vulgaris, a simple model organism at the base of metazoan evolution, can be tuned by modifying nanoparticle surface charge. At acidic pH, amino-PEG coated QRs, showing positive surface charge, are actively internalized by tentacle and body ectodermal cells, while negatively charged nanoparticles are not uptaken. In order to identify the molecular factors underlying QR uptake at acidic pH, we provide functional evidence of annexins involvement and explain the QR uptake as the combined result of QR positive charge and annexin membrane insertion. Moreover, tracking QR labelled cells during development and regeneration allowed us to uncover novel intercellular trafficking and cell dynamics underlying the remarkable plasticity of this ancient organism. PMID:19888325

Multifunctional carboxymethyl cellulose-based magnetic nanovector as a theragnostic system for folate receptor targeted chemotherapy, imaging, and hyperthermia against cancer.

PubMed

Sivakumar, Balasubramanian; Aswathy, Ravindran Girija; Nagaoka, Yutaka; Suzuki, Masashi; Fukuda, Takahiro; Yoshida, Yasuhiko; Maekawa, Toru; Sakthikumar, Dasappan Nair

2013-03-12

A multifunctional biocompatible nanovector based on magnetic nanoparticle and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was developed. The nanoparticles have been characterized using TEM, SEM, DLS, FT-IR spectra, VSM, and TGA studies. We found that the synthesized carboxymethyl cellulose magnetic nanoparticles (CMC MNPs) were spherical in shape with an average size of 150 nm having low aggregation and superparamagnetic properties. We found that the folate-tagged CMC MNPs were delivered to cancer cells by a folate-receptor-mediated endocytosis mechanism. 5-FU was encapsulated as a model drug for delivering cytotoxicity, and we could demonstrate the sustained release of 5-FU. It was also observed that the FITC-labeled CMC MNPs could effectively enter cells, and the fate of nanoparticles was tracked with Lysotracker. The CMC MNPs could induce significant cell death when an alternating magnetic field was applied. These results indicate that the multifunctional CMC MNPs possess a high drug loading efficiency and high biocompatibility and with low cell cytotoxicity and can be considered to be promising candidates for CMC-based targeted drug delivery, cellular imaging, and magnetic hyperthermia (MHT).

Gated Luminescence Imaging of Silicon Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Joo, Jinmyoung; Liu, Xiangyou; Kotamraju, Venkata Ramana; Ruoslahti, Erkki; Nam, Yoonkey; Sailor, Michael J.

2016-01-01

The luminescence lifetime of nanocrystalline silicon is typically on the order of microseconds, significantly longer than the nanosecond lifetimes exhibited by fluorescent molecules naturally present in cells and tissues. Time-gated imaging, where the image is acquired at a time after termination of an excitation pulse, allows discrimination of a silicon nanoparticle probe from these endogenous signals. Because of the microsecond time scale for silicon emission, time-gated imaging is relatively simple to implement for this biocompatible and nontoxic probe. Here a time-gated system with ~10 ns resolution is described, using an intensified CCD camera and pulsed LED or laser excitation sources. The method is demonstrated by tracking the fate of mesoporous silicon nanoparticles containing the tumor-targeting peptide iRGD, administered by retro-orbital injection into live mice. Imaging of such systemically administered nanoparticles in vivo is particularly challenging because of the low concentration of probe in the targeted tissues and relatively high background signals from tissue autofluorescence. Contrast improvements of >100-fold (relative to steady-state imaging) is demonstrated in the targeted tissues. PMID:26034817

Metal oxide nanoparticle mediated enhanced Raman scattering and its use in direct monitoring of interfacial chemical reactions.

PubMed

Li, Li; Hutter, Tanya; Finnemore, Alexander S; Huang, Fu Min; Baumberg, Jeremy J; Elliott, Stephen R; Steiner, Ullrich; Mahajan, Sumeet

2012-08-08

Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) have widespread usage across many disciplines, but monitoring molecular processes at their surfaces in situ has not been possible. Here we demonstrate that MONPs give highly enhanced (×10(4)) Raman scattering signals from molecules at the interface permitting direct monitoring of their reactions, when placed on top of flat metallic surfaces. Experiments with different metal oxide materials and molecules indicate that the enhancement is generic and operates at the single nanoparticle level. Simulations confirm that the amplification is principally electromagnetic and is a result of optical modulation of the underlying plasmonic metallic surface by MONPs, which act as scattering antennae and couple light into the confined region sandwiched by the underlying surface. Because of additional functionalities of metal oxides as magnetic, photoelectrochemical and catalytic materials, enhanced Raman scattering mediated by MONPs opens up significant opportunities in fundamental science, allowing direct tracking and understanding of application-specific transformations at such interfaces. We show a first example by monitoring the MONP-assisted photocatalytic decomposition reaction of an organic dye by individual nanoparticles.

Incorporation of ophiobolin a into novel chemoembolization particles for cancer cell treatment.

PubMed

Morrison, Rachel; Gardiner, Chris; Evidente, Antonio; Kiss, Robert; Townley, Helen

2014-10-01

To design and synthesize chemoembolization particles for the delivery of Ophiobolin A (OphA), a promising fungal-derived chemotherapeutic, directly at the tumour location. To investigate cell death mechanism of OphA on a Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer (RD) cell line. Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children; with a 5-year survival rate of between 30 and 65%. Multimodal chemoembolization particles were prepared by sintering mesoporous silica nanoparticles, prepared by the sol-gel method, onto the surface of polystyrene microspheres, prepared by suspension copolymerisation. The chemoembolization particles were subsequently loaded with OphA. The effects of OphA in vitro were characterised by flow cytometry and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NanoSight). High loading of OphA onto the chemoembolization particles was achieved. The subsequent release of OphA onto RD cells in culture showed a 70% reduction in cell viability. OphA caused RD cells to round up and their membrane to bleb and caused cell death via apoptosis. OphA caused both an increase in the number of microvesicles produced and an increase in DNA content within these microvesicles. The prepared chemoembolization particles showed good efficacy against RD cells in culture.

Photothermal confocal multicolor microscopy of nanoparticles and nanodrugs in live cells

PubMed Central

Nedosekin, Dmitry A.; Foster, Stephen; Nima, Zeid A.; Biris, Alexandru S.; Galanzha, Ekaterina I.; Zharov, Vladimir P.

2018-01-01

Growing biomedical applications of non-fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) for molecular imaging, disease diagnosis, drug delivery, and theranostics require new tools for real-time detection of nanomaterials, drug nano-carriers and NP-drug conjugates (nanodrugs) in complex biological environments without additional labeling. Photothermal (PT) microscopy (PTM) has an enormous potential for absorption-based identification and quantification of non-fluorescent molecules and NPs at a single molecule and 1.4 nm gold NP level. Recently, we have developed confocal PTM providing three-dimensional (3-D) mapping and spectral identification of multiple chromophores and fluorophores in live cells. Here, we summarize recent advances in the application of confocal multicolor PTM for 3-D visualization of single and clustered NPs, alone and in individual cells. In particular, we demonstrate identification of functionalized magnetic and gold-silver NPs, as well as graphene and carbon nanotubes in cancer cells and among blood cells. The potentials to use PTM for super-resolution imaging (down to 50nm), real-time NP tracking, guidance of PT nanotherapy and multiplex cancer markers targeting, as well as analysis of nonlinear PT phenomena and amplification of nanodrug efficacy through NP clustering and nanobubble formation are also discussed. PMID:26133539

Human exposure assessment of silver and copper migrating from an antimicrobial nanocoated packaging material into an acidic food simulant.

PubMed

Hannon, Joseph Christopher; Kerry, Joseph P; Cruz-Romero, Malco; Azlin-Hasim, Shafrina; Morris, Michael; Cummins, Enda

2016-09-01

To examine the human exposure to a novel silver and copper nanoparticle (AgNP and CuNP)/polystyrene-polyethylene oxide block copolymer (PS-b-PEO) food packaging coating, the migration of Ag and Cu into 3% acetic acid (3% HAc) food simulant was assessed at 60 °C for 10 days. Significantly lower migration was observed for Ag (0.46 mg/kg food) compared to Cu (0.82 mg/kg food) measured by inductively coupled plasma - atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). In addition, no distinct population of AgNPs or CuNPs were observed in 3% HAc by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The predicted human exposure to Ag and Cu was used to calculate a margin of exposure (MOE) for ionic species of Ag and Cu, which indicated the safe use of the food packaging in a hypothetical scenario (e.g. as fruit juice packaging). While migration exceeded regulatory limits, the calculated MOE suggests current migration limits may be conservative for specific nano-packaging applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Embryonic Stem Cell-Based Cardiopatches Improve Cardiac Function in Infarcted Rats

PubMed Central

Vallée, Jean-Paul; Hauwel, Mathieu; Lepetit-Coiffé, Matthieu; Bei, Wang; Montet-Abou, Karin; Meda, Paolo; Gardier, Stephany; Zammaretti, Prisca; Kraehenbuehl, Thomas P.; Herrmann, Francois; Hubbell, Jeffrey A.

2012-01-01

Pluripotent stem cell-seeded cardiopatches hold promise for in situ regeneration of infarcted hearts. Here, we describe a novel cardiopatch based on bone morphogenetic protein 2-primed cardiac-committed mouse embryonic stem cells, embedded into biodegradable fibrin matrices and engrafted onto infarcted rat hearts. For in vivo tracking of the engrafted cardiac-committed cells, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were magnetofected into the cells, thus enabling detection and functional evaluation by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. Six weeks after transplantation into infarcted rat hearts, both local (p < .04) and global (p < .015) heart function, as well as the left ventricular dilation (p < .0011), were significantly improved (p < .001) as compared with hearts receiving cardiopatches loaded with iron nanoparticles alone. Histological analysis revealed that the fibrin scaffolds had degraded over time and clusters of myocyte enhancer factor 2-positive cardiac-committed cells had colonized most of the infarcted myocardium, including the fibrotic area. De novo CD31-positive blood vessels were formed in the vicinity of the transplanted cardiopatch. Altogether, our data provide evidence that stem cell-based cardiopatches represent a promising therapeutic strategy to achieve efficient cell implantation and improved global and regional cardiac function after myocardial infarction. PMID:23197784

Delivery of the autofluorescent protein R-phycoerythrin by calcium phosphate nanoparticles into four different eukaryotic cell lines (HeLa, HEK293T, MG-63, MC3T3): Highly efficient, but leading to endolysosomal proteolysis in HeLa and MC3T3 cells.

PubMed

Kopp, Mathis; Rotan, Olga; Papadopoulos, Chrisovalantis; Schulze, Nina; Meyer, Hemmo; Epple, Matthias

2017-01-01

Nanoparticles can be used as carriers to transport biomolecules like proteins and synthetic molecules across the cell membrane because many molecules are not able to cross the cell membrane on their own. The uptake of nanoparticles together with their cargo typically occurs via endocytosis, raising concerns about the possible degradation of the cargo in the endolysosomal system. As the tracking of a dye-labelled protein during cellular uptake and processing is not indicative of the presence of the protein itself but only for the fluorescent label, a label-free tracking was performed with the red-fluorescing model protein R-phycoerythrin (R-PE). Four different eukaryotic cell lines were investigated: HeLa, HEK293T, MG-63, and MC3T3. Alone, the protein was not taken up by any cell line; only with the help of calcium phosphate nanoparticles, an efficient uptake occurred. After the uptake into HeLa cells, the protein was found in early endosomes (shown by the marker EEA1) and lysosomes (shown by the marker Lamp1). There, it was still intact and functional (i.e. properly folded) as its red fluorescence was detected. However, a few hours after the uptake, proteolysis started as indicated by the decreasing red fluorescence intensity in the case of HeLa and MC3T3 cells. 12 h after the uptake, the protein was almost completely degraded in HeLa cells and MC3T3 cells. In HEK293T cells and MG-63 cells, no degradation of the protein was observed. In the presence of Bafilomycin A1, an inhibitor of acidification and protein degradation in lysosomes, the fluorescence of R-PE remained intact over the whole observation period in the four cell lines. These results indicate that despite an efficient nanoparticle-mediated uptake of proteins by cells, a rapid endolysosomal degradation may prevent the desired (e.g. therapeutic) effect of a protein inside a cell.

Magnetic resonance cell-tracking studies: spectrophotometry-based method for the quantification of cellular iron content after loading with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles.

PubMed

Böhm, Ingrid

2011-08-01

The purpose of this article is to present a user-friendly tool for quantifying the iron content of superparamagnetic labeled cells before cell tracking by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Iron quantification was evaluated by using Prussian blue staining and spectrophotometry. White blood cells were labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles. Labeling was confirmed by light microscopy. Subsequently, the cells were embedded in a phantom and scanned on a 3 T magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) whole-body system. Mean peak wavelengths λ(peak) was determined at A(720 nm) (range 719-722 nm). Linearity was proven for the measuring range 0.5 to 10 μg Fe/mL (r  =  .9958; p  =  2.2 × 10(-12)). The limit of detection was 0.01 μg Fe/mL (0.1785 mM), and the limit of quantification was 0.04 μg Fe/mL (0.714 mM). Accuracy was demonstrated by comparison with atomic absorption spectrometry. Precision and robustness were also proven. On T(2)-weighted images, signal intensity varied according to the iron concentration of SPIO-labeled cells. Absorption spectrophotometry is both a highly sensitive and user-friendly technique that is feasible for quantifying the iron content of magnetically labeled cells. The presented data suggest that spectrophotometry is a promising tool for promoting the implementation of magnetic resonance-based cell tracking in routine clinical applications (from bench to bedside).

Protein-Based Multifunctional Nanocarriers for Imaging, Photothermal Therapy, and Anticancer Drug Delivery.

PubMed

Pan, Uday Narayan; Khandelia, Rumi; Sanpui, Pallab; Das, Subhojit; Paul, Anumita; Chattopadhyay, Arun

2017-06-14

We report a simple approach for fabricating plasmonic and magneto-luminescent multifunctional nanocarriers (MFNCs) by assembling gold nanorods, iron oxide nanoparticles, and gold nanoclusters within BSA nanoparticles. The MFNCs showed self-tracking capability through single- and two-photon imaging, and the potential for magnetic targeting in vitro. Appreciable T 2 -relaxivity exhibited by the MFNCs indicated favorable conditions for magnetic resonance imaging. In addition to successful plasmonic-photothermal therapy of cancer cells (HeLa) in vitro, the MFNCs demonstrated efficient loading and delivery of doxorubicin to HeLa cells leading to significant cell death. The present MFNCs with their multimodal imaging and therapeutic capabilities could be eminent candidates for cancer theranostics.

Transport of Brownian spheroidal nanoparticles in near-wall vascular flows for cancer therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Tiras Y.; Shah, Preyas N.; Smith, Bryan R.; Shaqfeh, Eric S. G.

2016-11-01

The microenvironment local to a tumor is characterized by a leaky vasculature induced by angiogenesis from tumor growth. Small pores form in the blood vessel walls, and these pores provide a pathway for cancer-ameliorating nanoparticle drug carriers. Using both simulations and microfluidics experiments, we investigate the extravasation of nanoparticles through pores. Using Brownian dynamics simulations, we evolve the stochastic equations for both point particles and finite-size spheroids of varying aspect ratio. We investigate the effect of wall shear flow and pore suction flow (Sampson flow) on the extravasation process. We consider pores of two types: physiologically relevant short pores with a length equal to the particle size and long pores which are relevant to diffusion through membranes. Additionally, we perform microfluidics experiments in which the extravasation rates of various nanoparticles tagged with fluorescent dye through pores are measured. In particular, using fluorometry we measure the flux of nanoparticles across a track-etched membrane, which separates two chambers. Our preliminary results indicate that the flux measured from experiment agrees reasonably with the simulations done with long pores, and we discuss the effect of pore length on extravasation. T.Y.L. is supported by the Department of Defense (DoD) through the National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG) Program.

Magnetic resonance and photoacoustic imaging of brain tumor mediated by mesenchymal stem cell labeled with multifunctional nanoparticle introduced via carotid artery injection.

PubMed

Qiao, Yang; Gumin, Joy; MacLellan, Christopher J; Gao, Feng; Bouchard, Richard; Lang, Frederick F; Stafford, R Jason; Melancon, Marites P

2018-04-20

To evaluate the feasibility of visualizing bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) labeled with a gold-coated magnetic resonance (MR)-active multifunctional nanoparticle and injected via the carotid artery for assessing the extent of MSC homing in glioma-bearing mice. Nanoparticles containing superparamagnetic iron oxide coated with gold (SPIO@Au) with a diameter of ∼82 nm and maximum absorbance in the near infrared region were synthesized. Bone marrow-derived MSCs conjugated with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were successfully labeled with SPIO@Au at 4 μg ml -1 and injected via the internal carotid artery in six mice bearing orthotopic U87 tumors. Unlabeled MSCs were used as a control. The ability of SPIO@Au-loaded MSCs to be imaged using MR and photoacoustic (PA) imaging at t = 0 h, 2 h, 24 h, and 72 h was assessed using a 7 T Bruker Biospec experimental MR scanner and a Vevo LAZR PA imaging system with a 5 ns laser as the excitation source. Histological analysis of the brain tissue was performed 72 h after MSC injection using GFP fluorescence, Prussian blue staining, and hematoxylin-and-eosin staining. MSCs labeled with SPIO@Au at 4 μg ml -1 did not exhibit cell death or any adverse effects on differentiation or migration. The PA signal in tumors injected with SPIO@Au-loaded MSCs was clearly more enhanced post-injection, as compared with the tumors injected with unlabeled MSCs at t = 72 h. Using the same mice, T2-weighted MR imaging results taken before injection and at t = 2 h, 24 h, and 72 h were consistent with the PA imaging results, showing significant hypointensity of the tumor in the presence of SPIO@Au-loaded MSCs. Histological analysis also showed co-localization of GFP fluorescence and iron, thereby confirming that SPIO@Au-labeled MSCs continue to carry their nanoparticle payloads even at 72 h after injection. Our results demonstrated the feasibility of tracking carotid artery-injected SPIO@Au-labeled MSCs in vivo via MR and PA imaging.

Magnetic resonance and photoacoustic imaging of brain tumor mediated by mesenchymal stem cell labeled with multifunctional nanoparticle introduced via carotid artery injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Yang; Gumin, Joy; MacLellan, Christopher J.; Gao, Feng; Bouchard, Richard; Lang, Frederick F.; Stafford, R. Jason; Melancon, Marites P.

2018-04-01

Objective. To evaluate the feasibility of visualizing bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) labeled with a gold-coated magnetic resonance (MR)-active multifunctional nanoparticle and injected via the carotid artery for assessing the extent of MSC homing in glioma-bearing mice. Materials and methods. Nanoparticles containing superparamagnetic iron oxide coated with gold (SPIO@Au) with a diameter of ˜82 nm and maximum absorbance in the near infrared region were synthesized. Bone marrow-derived MSCs conjugated with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were successfully labeled with SPIO@Au at 4 μg ml-1 and injected via the internal carotid artery in six mice bearing orthotopic U87 tumors. Unlabeled MSCs were used as a control. The ability of SPIO@Au-loaded MSCs to be imaged using MR and photoacoustic (PA) imaging at t = 0 h, 2 h, 24 h, and 72 h was assessed using a 7 T Bruker Biospec experimental MR scanner and a Vevo LAZR PA imaging system with a 5 ns laser as the excitation source. Histological analysis of the brain tissue was performed 72 h after MSC injection using GFP fluorescence, Prussian blue staining, and hematoxylin-and-eosin staining. Results. MSCs labeled with SPIO@Au at 4 μg ml-1 did not exhibit cell death or any adverse effects on differentiation or migration. The PA signal in tumors injected with SPIO@Au-loaded MSCs was clearly more enhanced post-injection, as compared with the tumors injected with unlabeled MSCs at t = 72 h. Using the same mice, T2-weighted MR imaging results taken before injection and at t = 2 h, 24 h, and 72 h were consistent with the PA imaging results, showing significant hypointensity of the tumor in the presence of SPIO@Au-loaded MSCs. Histological analysis also showed co-localization of GFP fluorescence and iron, thereby confirming that SPIO@Au-labeled MSCs continue to carry their nanoparticle payloads even at 72 h after injection. Conclusions. Our results demonstrated the feasibility of tracking carotid artery-injected SPIO@Au-labeled MSCs in vivo via MR and PA imaging.

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles by a Bacillus sp. of marine origin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janardhanan, A.; Roshmi, T.; Varghese, Rintu T.; Soniya, E. V.; Mathew, Jyothis; Radhakrishnan, E. K.

2013-04-01

This study was aimed to explore the nanoparticle synthesizing properties of a silver resistant Bacillus sp. isolated from a marine water sample. The 16SrDNA sequence analysis of the isolate proved it as a Bacillus strain. Very interestingly, the isolate was found to have the ability to form intracellular silver nanoparticles at room temperature within 24 hours. This was confirmed by the UV-Vis absorption analysis which showed a peak at 430 nm corresponding to the plasmon absorbance of silver nanoparticles. Further characterization of the nanoparticles was carried out by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The presence of silver nanoparticles with the size less than 100 nm was confirmed. These particles were found to be extremely stable as confirmed by the TEM analysis after three months of purification. So, the current study is the demonstration of an efficient synthesis of stable silver nanoparticles by a marine Bacillus strain.

Dynamics of Nanoparticles in Entangled Polymer Solutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nath, Pooja; Mangal, Rahul; Kohle, Ferdinand

The mean square displacement < r 2 > of nanoparticle probes dispersed in simple isotropic liquids and in polymer solutions is interrogated using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and single-particle tracking (SPT) experiments. Probe dynamics in different regimes of particle diameter (d), relative to characteristic polymer length scales, including the correlation length (ξ), the entanglement mesh size (a), and the radius of gyration (R g), are investigated. In simple fluids and for polymer solutions in which d >> R g, long-time particle dynamics obey random-walk statistics < r 2 >:t, with the bulk zero-shear viscosity of the polymer solution determining the frictionalmore » resistance to particle motion. In contrast, in polymer solutions with d < R g, polymer molecules in solution exert noncontinuum resistances to particle motion and nanoparticle probes appear to interact hydrodynamically only with a local fluid medium with effective drag comparable to that of a solution of polymer chain segments with sizes similar to those of the nanoparticle probes. Under these conditions, the nanoparticles exhibit orders of magnitude faster dynamics than those expected from continuum predictions based on the Stokes–Einstein relation. SPT measurements further show that when d > a, nanoparticle dynamics transition from diffusive to subdiffusive on long timescales, reminiscent of particle transport in a field with obstructions. This last finding is in stark contrast to the nanoparticle dynamics observed in entangled polymer melts, where X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy measurements reveal faster but hyperdiffusive dynamics. As a result, we analyze these results with the help of the hopping model for particle dynamics in polymers proposed by Cai et al. and, on that basis, discuss the physical origins of the local drag experienced by the nanoparticles in entangled polymer solutions.« less

Timescale of silver nanoparticle transformation in neural cell cultures impacts measured cell response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hume, Stephanie L.; Chiaramonti, Ann N.; Rice, Katherine P.; Schwindt, Rani K.; MacCuspie, Robert I.; Jeerage, Kavita M.

2015-07-01

Both serum protein concentration and ionic strength are important factors in nanoparticle transformation within cell culture environments. However, silver nanoparticles are not routinely tracked at their working concentration in the specific medium used for in vitro toxicology studies. Here we evaluated the transformation of electrostatically stabilized citrate nanoparticles (C-AgNPs) and sterically stabilized polyvinylpyrrolidone nanoparticles (PVP-AgNPs) in a low-serum ( 0.2 mg/mL bovine serum albumin) culture medium, while measuring the response of rat cortex neural progenitor cells, which differentiate in this culture environment. After 24 h, silver nanoparticles at concentrations up to 10 µg/mL did not affect adenosine triphosphate levels, whereas silver ions decreased adenosine triphosphate levels at concentrations of 1.1 µg/mL or higher. After 240 h, both silver nanoparticles, as well as silver ion, unambiguously decreased adenosine triphosphate levels at concentrations of 1 and 1.1 µg/mL, respectively, suggesting particle dissolution. Particle transformation was investigated in 1:10 diluted, 1:2 diluted, or undiluted differentiation medium, all having an identical protein concentration, to separate the effect of serum protein stabilization from ionic strength destabilization. Transmission electron microscopy images indicated that particles in 1:10 medium were not surrounded by proteins, whereas particles became clustered within a non-crystalline protein matrix after 24 h in 1:2 medium and at 0 h in undiluted medium. Despite evidence for a protein corona, particles were rapidly destabilized by high ionic strength media. Polyvinylpyrrolidone increased the stability of singly dispersed particles compared to citrate ligands; however, differences were negligible after 4 h in 1:2 medium or after 1 h in undiluted medium. Thus low-serum culture environments do not provide sufficient colloidal stability for long-term toxicology studies with citrate- or polyvinylpyrrolidone-stabilized silver nanoparticles.

Dynamics of Nanoparticles in Entangled Polymer Solutions

DOE PAGES

Nath, Pooja; Mangal, Rahul; Kohle, Ferdinand; ...

2017-12-01

The mean square displacement < r 2 > of nanoparticle probes dispersed in simple isotropic liquids and in polymer solutions is interrogated using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and single-particle tracking (SPT) experiments. Probe dynamics in different regimes of particle diameter (d), relative to characteristic polymer length scales, including the correlation length (ξ), the entanglement mesh size (a), and the radius of gyration (R g), are investigated. In simple fluids and for polymer solutions in which d >> R g, long-time particle dynamics obey random-walk statistics < r 2 >:t, with the bulk zero-shear viscosity of the polymer solution determining the frictionalmore » resistance to particle motion. In contrast, in polymer solutions with d < R g, polymer molecules in solution exert noncontinuum resistances to particle motion and nanoparticle probes appear to interact hydrodynamically only with a local fluid medium with effective drag comparable to that of a solution of polymer chain segments with sizes similar to those of the nanoparticle probes. Under these conditions, the nanoparticles exhibit orders of magnitude faster dynamics than those expected from continuum predictions based on the Stokes–Einstein relation. SPT measurements further show that when d > a, nanoparticle dynamics transition from diffusive to subdiffusive on long timescales, reminiscent of particle transport in a field with obstructions. This last finding is in stark contrast to the nanoparticle dynamics observed in entangled polymer melts, where X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy measurements reveal faster but hyperdiffusive dynamics. As a result, we analyze these results with the help of the hopping model for particle dynamics in polymers proposed by Cai et al. and, on that basis, discuss the physical origins of the local drag experienced by the nanoparticles in entangled polymer solutions.« less

Manganese-impregnated mesoporous silica nanoparticles for signal enhancement in MRI cell labelling studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guillet-Nicolas, Rémy; Laprise-Pelletier, Myriam; Nair, Mahesh M.; Chevallier, Pascale; Lagueux, Jean; Gossuin, Yves; Laurent, Sophie; Kleitz, Freddy; Fortin, Marc-André

2013-11-01

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are used in drug delivery and cell tracking applications. As Mn2+ is already implemented as a ``positive'' cell contrast agent in preclinical imaging procedures (in the form of MnCl2 for neurological studies), the introduction of Mn in the porous network of MSNs would allow labelling cells and tracking them using MRI. These particles are in general internalized in endosomes, an acidic environment with high saline concentration. In addition, the available MSN porosity could also serve as a carrier to deliver medical/therapeutic substances through the labelled cells. In the present study, manganese oxide was introduced in the porous network of MCM-48 silica nanoparticles (Mn-M48SNs). The particles exhibit a narrow size distribution (~140 nm diam.) and high porosity (~60% vol.), which was validated after insertion of Mn. The resulting Mn-M48SNs were characterized by TEM, N2 physisorption, and XRD. Evidence was found with H2-TPR, and XPS characterization, that Mn(ii) is the main oxidation state of the paramagnetic species after suspension in water, most probably in the form of Mn-OOH. The colloidal stability as a function of time was confirmed by DLS in water, acetate buffer and cell culture medium. In NMR data, no significant evidence of Mn2+ leaching was found in Mn-M48SNs in acidic water (pH 6), up to 96 hours after suspension. High longitudinal relaxivity values of r1 = 8.4 mM-1 s-1 were measured at 60 MHz and 37 °C, with the lowest relaxometric ratios (r2/r1 = 2) reported to date for a Mn-MSN system. Leukaemia cells (P388) were labelled with Mn-M48SNs and nanoparticle cell internalization was confirmed by TEM. Finally, MRI contrast enhancement provided by cell labelling with escalated incubation concentrations of Mn-M48SNs was quantified at 1 T. This study confirmed the possibility of efficiently confining Mn into M48SNs using incipient wetness, while maintaining an open porosity and relatively high pore volume. Because these Mn-labelled M48SNs express strong ``positive'' contrast media properties at low concentrations, they are potentially applicable for cell tracking and drug delivery methodologies.Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are used in drug delivery and cell tracking applications. As Mn2+ is already implemented as a ``positive'' cell contrast agent in preclinical imaging procedures (in the form of MnCl2 for neurological studies), the introduction of Mn in the porous network of MSNs would allow labelling cells and tracking them using MRI. These particles are in general internalized in endosomes, an acidic environment with high saline concentration. In addition, the available MSN porosity could also serve as a carrier to deliver medical/therapeutic substances through the labelled cells. In the present study, manganese oxide was introduced in the porous network of MCM-48 silica nanoparticles (Mn-M48SNs). The particles exhibit a narrow size distribution (~140 nm diam.) and high porosity (~60% vol.), which was validated after insertion of Mn. The resulting Mn-M48SNs were characterized by TEM, N2 physisorption, and XRD. Evidence was found with H2-TPR, and XPS characterization, that Mn(ii) is the main oxidation state of the paramagnetic species after suspension in water, most probably in the form of Mn-OOH. The colloidal stability as a function of time was confirmed by DLS in water, acetate buffer and cell culture medium. In NMR data, no significant evidence of Mn2+ leaching was found in Mn-M48SNs in acidic water (pH 6), up to 96 hours after suspension. High longitudinal relaxivity values of r1 = 8.4 mM-1 s-1 were measured at 60 MHz and 37 °C, with the lowest relaxometric ratios (r2/r1 = 2) reported to date for a Mn-MSN system. Leukaemia cells (P388) were labelled with Mn-M48SNs and nanoparticle cell internalization was confirmed by TEM. Finally, MRI contrast enhancement provided by cell labelling with escalated incubation concentrations of Mn-M48SNs was quantified at 1 T. This study confirmed the possibility of efficiently confining Mn into M48SNs using incipient wetness, while maintaining an open porosity and relatively high pore volume. Because these Mn-labelled M48SNs express strong ``positive'' contrast media properties at low concentrations, they are potentially applicable for cell tracking and drug delivery methodologies. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: TEM images, particle size distributions, XRD, TPR, magnetometric profiles, T1 and T2 measurements at 60 MHz over time, NMRD profiles of materials, P388 cell proliferation assay after 4 h and T1-w. MR images of P388 cells incubated with a solution of M48SNs. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr02969g

Visualizing the Cu/Cu2(O) Interface Transition in Nanoparticles with Environmental Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy.

PubMed

LaGrow, Alec P; Ward, Michael R; Lloyd, David C; Gai, Pratibha L; Boyes, Edward D

2017-01-11

Understanding the oxidation and reduction mechanisms of catalytically active transition metal nanoparticles is important to improve their application in a variety of chemical processes. In nanocatalysis the nanoparticles can undergo oxidation or reduction in situ, and thus the redox species are not what are observed before and after reactions. We have used the novel environmental scanning transmission electron microscope (ESTEM) with 0.1 nm resolution in systematic studies of complex dynamic oxidation and reduction mechanisms of copper nanoparticles. The oxidation of copper has previously been reported to be dependent on its crystallography and its interaction with the substrate. By following the dynamic oxidation process in situ in real time with high-angle annular dark-field imaging in the ESTEM, we use conditions ideal to track the oxidation front as it progresses across a copper nanoparticle by following the changes in the atomic number (Z) contrast with time. The oxidation occurs via the nucleation of the oxide phase (Cu 2 O) from one area of the nanoparticle which then progresses unidirectionally across the particle, with the Cu-to-Cu 2 O interface having a relationship of Cu{111}//Cu 2 O{111}. The oxidation kinetics are related to the temperature and oxygen pressure. When the process is reversed in hydrogen, the reduction process is observed to be similar to the oxidation, with the same crystallographic relationship between the two phases. The dynamic observations provide unique insights into redox mechanisms which are important to understanding and controlling the oxidation and reduction of copper-based nanoparticles.

Interference from Proteins and Surfactants on Particle Size Distributions Measured by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA).

PubMed

Bai, Kelvin; Barnett, Gregory V; Kar, Sambit R; Das, Tapan K

2017-04-01

Characterization of submicron protein particles continues to be challenging despite active developments in the field. NTA is a submicron particle enumeration technique, which optically tracks the light scattering signal from suspended particles undergoing Brownian motion. The submicron particle size range NTA can monitor in common protein formulations is not well established. We conducted a comprehensive investigation with several protein formulations along with corresponding placebos using NTA to determine submicron particle size distributions and shed light on potential non-particle origin of size distribution in the range of approximately 50-300 nm. NTA and DLS are performed on polystyrene size standards as well as protein and placebo formulations. Protein formulations filtered through a 20 nm filter, with and without polysorbate-80, show NTA particle counts. As such, particle counts above 20 nm are not expected in these solutions. Several other systems including positive and negative controls were studied using NTA and DLS. These apparent particles measured by NTA are not observed in DLS measurements and may not correspond to real particles. The intent of this article is to raise awareness about the need to interpret particle counts and size distribution from NTA with caution.

Labeling and tracking exosomes within the brain using gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betzer, Oshra; Perets, Nisim; Barnoy, Eran; Offen, Daniel; Popovtzer, Rachela

2018-02-01

Cell-to-cell communication system involves Exosomes, small, membrane-enveloped nanovesicles. Exosomes are evolving as effective therapeutic tools for different pathologies. These extracellular vesicles can bypass biological barriers such as the blood-brain barrier, and can function as powerful nanocarriers for drugs, proteins and gene therapeutics. However, to promote exosomes' therapy development, especially for brain pathologies, a better understanding of their mechanism of action, trafficking, pharmacokinetics and bio-distribution is needed. In this research, we established a new method for non-invasive in-vivo neuroimaging of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes, based on computed tomography (CT) imaging with glucose-coated gold nanoparticle (GNP) labeling. We demonstrated that the exosomes were efficiently and directly labeled with GNPs, via an energy-dependent mechanism. Additionally, we found the optimal parameters for exosome labeling and neuroimaging, wherein 5 nm GNPs enhanced labeling, and intranasal administration produced superior brain accumulation. We applied our technique in a mouse model of focal ischemia. Imaging and tracking of intranasally-administered GNP-labeled exosomes revealed specific accumulation and prolonged presence at the lesion area, up to 24 hrs. We propose that this novel exosome labeling and in-vivo neuroimaging technique can serve as a general platform for brain theranostics.

A new approach for bioassays based on frequency- and time-domain measurements of magnetic nanoparticles.

PubMed

Oisjöen, Fredrik; Schneiderman, Justin F; Astalan, Andrea Prieto; Kalabukhov, Alexey; Johansson, Christer; Winkler, Dag

2010-01-15

We demonstrate a one-step wash-free bioassay measurement system capable of tracking biochemical binding events. Our approach combines the high resolution of frequency- and high speed of time-domain measurements in a single device in combination with a fast one-step bioassay. The one-step nature of our magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) based assay reduces the time between sample extraction and quantitative results while mitigating the risks of contamination related to washing steps. Our method also enables tracking of binding events, providing the possibility of, for example, investigation of how chemical/biological environments affect the rate of a binding process or study of the action of certain drugs. We detect specific biological binding events occurring on the surfaces of fluid-suspended MNPs that modify their magnetic relaxation behavior. Herein, we extrapolate a modest sensitivity to analyte of 100 ng/ml with the present setup using our rapid one-step bioassay. More importantly, we determine the size-distributions of the MNP systems with theoretical fits to our data obtained from the two complementary measurement modalities and demonstrate quantitative agreement between them. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanoparticles and clinically applicable cell tracking

PubMed Central

Guenoun, Jamal; van Tiel, Sandra T; Krestin, Gabriel P

2015-01-01

In vivo cell tracking has emerged as a much sought after tool for design and monitoring of cell-based treatment strategies. Various techniques are available for pre-clinical animal studies, from which much has been learned and still can be learned. However, there is also a need for clinically translatable techniques. Central to in vivo cell imaging is labelling of cells with agents that can give rise to signals in vivo, that can be detected and measured non-invasively. The current imaging technology of choice for clinical translation is MRI in combination with labelling of cells with magnetic agents. The main challenge encountered during the cell labelling procedure is to efficiently incorporate the label into the cell, such that the labelled cells can be imaged at high sensitivity for prolonged periods of time, without the labelling process affecting the functionality of the cells. In this respect, nanoparticles offer attractive features since their structure and chemical properties can be modified to facilitate cellular incorporation and because they can carry a high payload of the relevant label into cells. While these technologies have already been applied in clinical trials and have increased the understanding of cell-based therapy mechanism, many challenges are still faced. PMID:26248872

Design and synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles with gold shells for single particle optical tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Jitkang

The design, synthesis, and characterization of iron oxide core, gold shell nanoparticles are studied in this thesis. Firstly, nanoparticles with 18 +/- 1.7 nm diameter iron oxide cores with ˜5 nm thick gold shells were synthesized via a new seed-mediated electroless deposition method. The nanoparticles were superparamagnetic at room temperature and could be reversibly collected by a permanent magnet. These nanoparticles displayed a sharp localized surface plasmon resonance peak at 605 nm, as predicted by scattering theory, and their large scattering cross-section allowed them to be individually resolved in darkfield optical microscopy while undergoing Brownian motion in aqueous suspension. Later, commercially available 38 +/- 3.8 nm diameter spherical iron oxide nanoparticles (from Ocean Nanotech, Inc) were employed to make core-shell particles. These particles were decorated with cationic poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) which further promotes the attachment of small gold clusters. After gold seeding, the average hydrodynamic diameter of the core-shell particles is 172 +/- 65.9 nm. The magnetophoretic motion of these particles was guided by a piece of magnetized mu-metal. Individual particle trajectories were observed by darkfield optical microscopy. The typical magnetophoretic velocity achieved was within the range of 1--10 mum/sec. Random walk analysis performed on these particles while undergoing Brownian motion confirmed that individual particles were indeed being imaged. The particle size variation within the observed sample obtained through random walk analysis was within the size distribution obtained by dynamic light scattering. When the current to the solenoid used to magnetize the mu-metal was turned off, all the collected core-shell particles were readily redispersed by diffusion back into the surrounding environment. A Peclet number analysis was performed to probe the convective motion of nanospheres and nanorods under the influence of magnetophoresis and diffusion. Under most circumstances, magnetophoretic behavior dominates diffusion for nanorods, as the magnetic field lines tend to align the magnetic moment along the rod axis. The synthesis and dispersion of fluorophore-tagged nanorods are described. Fluorescence microscopy was employed to image the nanorod motion in a magnetic field gradient. The preliminary experimental data are consistent with the Peclet number analysis. Lastly, the colloidal stability of iron oxide core, gold shell nanoparticles in high ionic strength media was investigated. Such particles are sufficiently charged to be stable against flocculation without modification in low ionic strength media, but they require surface modification to be stably dispersed in elevated ionic strength media that are appropriate for biotechnological applications. Dynamic light scattering and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry were used to monitor the colloidal stability of core-shell particles in pH 7.4, 150 mM ionic strength phosphate buffered saline (PBS). While uncoated particles flocculated immediately upon being introduced into PBS, core-shell particles with adsorbed layers of bovine serum albumin or the amphiphilic triblock copolymers Pluronic F127 and Pluronic F68 resist flocculation after more than five days in PBS. Adsorbed dextran allowed flocculation that was limited to the formation of small clusters, while poly(ethylene glycol) homopolymers ranging in molecular weight from 6,000 to 100,000 were ineffective steric stabilizers. The effectiveness of adsorbed Pluronic copolymers as steric stabilizers was interpreted in terms of the measured adsorbed layer thickness and extended DLVO theory predictions of the interparticle interactions.

Self-assembled gold coating enhances X-ray imaging of alginate microcapsules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qie, Fengxiang; Astolfo, Alberto; Wickramaratna, Malsha; Behe, Martin; Evans, Margaret D. M.; Hughes, Timothy C.; Hao, Xiaojuan; Tan, Tianwei

2015-01-01

Therapeutic biomolecules produced from cells encapsulated within alginate microcapsules (MCs) offer a potential treatment for a number of diseases. However the fate of such MCs once implanted into the body is difficult to establish. Labelling the MCs with medical imaging contrast agents may aid their detection and give researchers the ability to track them over time thus aiding the development of such cellular therapies. Here we report the preparation of MCs with a self-assembled gold nanoparticle (AuNPs) coating which results in distinctive contrast and enables them to be readily identified using a conventional small animal X-ray micro-CT scanner. Cationic Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) homopolymer modified AuNPs (PAuNPs) were coated onto the surface of negatively charged alginate MCs resulting in hybrids which possessed low cytotoxicity and high mechanical stability in vitro. As a result of their high localized Au concentration, the hybrid MCs exhibited a distinctive bright circular ring even with a low X-ray dose and rapid scanning in post-mortem imaging experiments facilitating their positive identification and potentially enabling them to be used for in vivo tracking experiments over multiple time-points.Therapeutic biomolecules produced from cells encapsulated within alginate microcapsules (MCs) offer a potential treatment for a number of diseases. However the fate of such MCs once implanted into the body is difficult to establish. Labelling the MCs with medical imaging contrast agents may aid their detection and give researchers the ability to track them over time thus aiding the development of such cellular therapies. Here we report the preparation of MCs with a self-assembled gold nanoparticle (AuNPs) coating which results in distinctive contrast and enables them to be readily identified using a conventional small animal X-ray micro-CT scanner. Cationic Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) homopolymer modified AuNPs (PAuNPs) were coated onto the surface of negatively charged alginate MCs resulting in hybrids which possessed low cytotoxicity and high mechanical stability in vitro. As a result of their high localized Au concentration, the hybrid MCs exhibited a distinctive bright circular ring even with a low X-ray dose and rapid scanning in post-mortem imaging experiments facilitating their positive identification and potentially enabling them to be used for in vivo tracking experiments over multiple time-points. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Including NMR spectra and TGA chromatogram of polymers, SEM imaging, EDS analysis, UV-Visible spectra of MCs and CT images of unlabeled MCs. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr06692h

High MRI performance fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles for tracking neural progenitor cells in an ischemic mouse model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lu; Wang, Yao; Tang, Yaohui; Jiao, Zheng; Xie, Chengying; Zhang, Haijiao; Gu, Ping; Wei, Xunbin; Yang, Guo-Yuan; Gu, Hongchen; Zhang, Chunfu

2013-05-01

Multifunctional probes with high MRI sensitivity and high efficiency for cell labeling are desirable for MR cell imaging. Herein, we have fabricated fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (fmSiO4@SPIONs) for neural progenitor cell (C17.2) MR imaging. FmSiO4@SPIONs were discrete and uniform in size, and had a clear core-shell structure. The magnetic core size was about 10 nm and the fluorescent mesoporous silica coating layer was around 20 nm. Compared with fluorescent dense silica-coated SPIONs (fdSiO4@SPIONs) with a similar size, fmSiO4@SPIONs demonstrated higher MR sensitivity and cell labeling efficiency. When implanted into the right hemisphere of stroke mice, contralateral to the ischemic territory, a small amount of labeled cells were able to be tracked migrating to the lesion sites using a clinical MRI scanner (3 T). More impressively, even when administered intravenously, the labeled cells could also be monitored homing to the ischemic area. MRI observations were corroborated by histological studies of the brain tissues. Our study demonstrated that fmSiO4@SPIONs are highly effective for cell imaging and hold great promise for MRI cell tracking in future.Multifunctional probes with high MRI sensitivity and high efficiency for cell labeling are desirable for MR cell imaging. Herein, we have fabricated fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (fmSiO4@SPIONs) for neural progenitor cell (C17.2) MR imaging. FmSiO4@SPIONs were discrete and uniform in size, and had a clear core-shell structure. The magnetic core size was about 10 nm and the fluorescent mesoporous silica coating layer was around 20 nm. Compared with fluorescent dense silica-coated SPIONs (fdSiO4@SPIONs) with a similar size, fmSiO4@SPIONs demonstrated higher MR sensitivity and cell labeling efficiency. When implanted into the right hemisphere of stroke mice, contralateral to the ischemic territory, a small amount of labeled cells were able to be tracked migrating to the lesion sites using a clinical MRI scanner (3 T). More impressively, even when administered intravenously, the labeled cells could also be monitored homing to the ischemic area. MRI observations were corroborated by histological studies of the brain tissues. Our study demonstrated that fmSiO4@SPIONs are highly effective for cell imaging and hold great promise for MRI cell tracking in future. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Details of cell internalization of fmSiO4@SPIONs compared with SHU555A, immunofluorescence image of the immature phenotype of labeled C17.2. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00119a

Tracking liquid in drying colloidal fluids with polarized light microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Kun; Park, Jung Soo; Kim, Joon Heon; Weon, Byung Mook

2014-11-01

When colloidal fluids dry, tracking liquid surfaces around colloids is difficult with conventional imaging techniques. Here we show that polarized light microscopy (PM) is very useful in tracking liquid surfaces during drying processes of colloidal fluids. In particular, the PM mode is not a new or difficult way but is able to visualize liquid films above colloids in real time. We demonstrate that when liquid films above colloidal particles are broken, the PM patterns appear clearly: this feature is useful to identify the moment of liquid film rupture above colloids in drying colloidal fluids. This result is helpful to improve relevant processes such as inkjet printing, painting, and nanoparticle patterning (K.C. and J.S.P. equally contributed). This work (NRF-2013R1A22A04008115) was supported by Mid-career Researcher Program through NRF grant funded by the MEST.

Oxygen Nanobubble Tracking by Light Scattering in Single Cells and Tissues.

PubMed

Bhandari, Pushpak; Wang, Xiaolei; Irudayaraj, Joseph

2017-03-28

Oxygen nanobubbles (ONBs) have significant potential in targeted imaging and treatment in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Precise localization and tracking of single ONBs is demonstrated based on hyperspectral dark-field microscope (HSDFM) to image and track single oxygen nanobubbles in single cells. ONBs were proposed as promising contrast-generating imaging agents due to their strong light scattering generated from nonuniformity of refractive index at the interface. With this powerful platform, we have revealed the trajectories and quantities of ONBs in cells, and demonstrated the relation between the size and diffusion coefficient. We have also evaluated the presence of ONBs in the nucleus with respect to an increase in incubation time and have quantified the uptake in single cells in ex vivo tumor tissues. Our results demonstrate that HSDFM can be a versatile platform to detect and measure cellulosic nanoparticles at the single-cell level and to assess the dynamics and trajectories of this delivery system.

Multifunctional nanoparticles for real-time evaluation of toxicity during fetal development

PubMed Central

Adamcakova-Dodd, Andrea; Thorne, Peter S.; Assouline, Jose G.

2018-01-01

Increasing production of nanomaterials in industrial quantities has led to public health concerns regarding exposure, particularly among pregnant women and developing fetuses. Information regarding the barrier capacity of the placenta for various nanomaterials is limited due to challenges working with ex vivo human placentas or in vivo animal models. To facilitate real-time in vivo imaging of placental transport, we have developed a novel, multifunctional nanoparticle, based on a core of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), and functionalized for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and fluorescent microscopy. Our MSN particles were tested as a tracking method for harmful and toxic nanomaterials. In gravid mice, intravenous injections of MSN were administered in the maternal circulation in early gestation (day 9) and late gestation (day 14). MRI and ultrasound were used to track the MSN following the injections. Changes in contrast relative to control mice indicated that MSN were observed in the embryos of mice following early gestation injections, while MSN were excluded from the embryo by the placenta following late gestation injections. The timing of transplacental barrier porosity is consistent with the notion that in mice there is a progressive increasing segregation by the placenta in later gestation. In addition, built-in physico-chemical properties of our MSN may present options for the therapeutic treatment of embryonic exposure. For example, if preventive measures such as detoxification of harmful compounds are implemented, the particle size and exposure timing can be tailored to selectively distribute to the maternal side of the trophoblast or delivered to the fetus. PMID:29420606

Multifunctional nanoparticles for real-time evaluation of toxicity during fetal development.

PubMed

Sweeney, Sean; Adamcakova-Dodd, Andrea; Thorne, Peter S; Assouline, Jose G

2018-01-01

Increasing production of nanomaterials in industrial quantities has led to public health concerns regarding exposure, particularly among pregnant women and developing fetuses. Information regarding the barrier capacity of the placenta for various nanomaterials is limited due to challenges working with ex vivo human placentas or in vivo animal models. To facilitate real-time in vivo imaging of placental transport, we have developed a novel, multifunctional nanoparticle, based on a core of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), and functionalized for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and fluorescent microscopy. Our MSN particles were tested as a tracking method for harmful and toxic nanomaterials. In gravid mice, intravenous injections of MSN were administered in the maternal circulation in early gestation (day 9) and late gestation (day 14). MRI and ultrasound were used to track the MSN following the injections. Changes in contrast relative to control mice indicated that MSN were observed in the embryos of mice following early gestation injections, while MSN were excluded from the embryo by the placenta following late gestation injections. The timing of transplacental barrier porosity is consistent with the notion that in mice there is a progressive increasing segregation by the placenta in later gestation. In addition, built-in physico-chemical properties of our MSN may present options for the therapeutic treatment of embryonic exposure. For example, if preventive measures such as detoxification of harmful compounds are implemented, the particle size and exposure timing can be tailored to selectively distribute to the maternal side of the trophoblast or delivered to the fetus.

Gelatin-encapsulated iron oxide nanoparticles for platinum (IV) prodrug delivery, enzyme-stimulated release and MRI.

PubMed

Cheng, Ziyong; Dai, Yunlu; Kang, Xiaojiao; Li, Chunxia; Huang, Shanshan; Lian, Hongzhou; Hou, Zhiyao; Ma, Pingan; Lin, Jun

2014-08-01

A facile method for transferring hydrophobic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) from chloroform to aqueous solution via encapsulation of FITC-modified gelatin based on the hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction is described in this report. Due to the existence of large amount of active groups such as amine groups in gelatin, the fluorescent labeling molecules of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and platinum (IV) prodrug functionalized with carboxylic groups can be conveniently conjugated on the IONPs. The nanoparticles carrying Pt(IV) prodrug exhibit good anticancer activities when the Pt(IV) complexes are reduced to Pt(II) in the intracellular environment, while the pure Pt(IV) prodrug only presents lower cytotoxicity on cancer cells. Meanwhile, fluorescence of FITC on the surface of nanoparticles was completely quenched due to the possible Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) mechanism and showed a fluorescence recovery after gelatin release and detachment from IONPs. Therefore FITC as a fluorescence probe can be used for identification, tracking and monitoring the drug release. In addition, adding pancreatic enzyme can effectively promote the gelatin release from IONPs owing to the degradation of gelatin. Noticeable darkening in magnetic resonance image (MRI) was observed at the tumor site after in situ injection of nanoparticles, indicating the IONPs-enhanced T2-weighted imaging. Our results suggest that the gelatin encapsulated Fe3O4 nanoparticles have potential applications in multi-functional drug delivery system for disease therapy, MR imaging and fluorescence sensor. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Probing nanoparticles and nanoparticle-conjugated biomolecules using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Kim, Young-Pil; Shon, Hyun Kyong; Shin, Seung Koo; Lee, Tae Geol

2015-01-01

Bio-conjugated nanoparticles have emerged as novel molecular probes in nano-biotechnology and nanomedicine and chemical analyses of their surfaces have become challenges. The time-of-flight (TOF) secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has been one of the most powerful surface characterization techniques for both nanoparticles and biomolecules. When combined with various nanoparticle-based signal enhancing strategies, TOF-SIMS can probe the functionalization of nanoparticles as well as their locations and interactions in biological systems. Especially, nanoparticle-based SIMS is an attractive approach for label-free drug screening because signal-enhancing nanoparticles can be designed to directly measure the enzyme activity. The chemical-specific imaging analysis using SIMS is also well suited to screen nanoparticles and nanoparticle-biomolecule conjugates in complex environments. This review presents some recent applications of nanoparticle-based TOF-SIMS to the chemical analysis of complex biological systems. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Piper nigrum leaf and stem assisted green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and evaluation of its antibacterial activity against agricultural plant pathogens.

PubMed

Paulkumar, Kanniah; Gnanajobitha, Gnanadhas; Vanaja, Mahendran; Rajeshkumar, Shanmugam; Malarkodi, Chelladurai; Pandian, Kannaiyan; Annadurai, Gurusamy

2014-01-01

Utilization of biological materials in synthesis of nanoparticles is one of the hottest topics in modern nanoscience and nanotechnology. In the present investigation, the silver nanoparticles were synthesized by using the leaf and stem extract of Piper nigrum. The synthesized nanoparticle was characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The observation of the peak at 460 nm in the UV-vis spectra for leaf- and stem-synthesized silver nanoparticles reveals the reduction of silver metal ions into silver nanoparticles. Further, XRD analysis has been carried out to confirm the crystalline nature of the synthesized silver nanoparticles. The TEM images show that the leaf- and stem-synthesized silver nanoparticles were within the size of about 7-50 nm and 9-30 nm, respectively. The FTIR analysis was performed to identify the possible functional groups involved in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Further, the antibacterial activity of the green-synthesized silver nanoparticles was examined against agricultural plant pathogens. The antibacterial property of silver nanoparticles is a beneficial application in the field of agricultural nanotechnology.

Developing new optical imaging techniques for single particle and molecule tracking in live cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Wei

Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy is a far-field as well as wide-field optical imaging technique. Since it is non-invasive and requires no sample staining, DIC microscopy is suitable for tracking the motion of target molecules in live cells without interfering their functions. In addition, high numerical aperture objectives and condensers can be used in DIC microscopy. The depth of focus of DIC is shallow, which gives DIC much better optical sectioning ability than those of phase contrast and dark field microscopies. In this work, DIC was utilized to study dynamic biological processes including endocytosis and intracellular transport in live cells.more » The suitability of DIC microscopy for single particle tracking in live cells was first demonstrated by using DIC to monitor the entire endocytosis process of one mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) into a live mammalian cell. By taking advantage of the optical sectioning ability of DIC, we recorded the depth profile of the MSN during the endocytosis process. The shape change around the nanoparticle due to the formation of a vesicle was also captured. DIC microscopy was further modified that the sample can be illuminated and imaged at two wavelengths simultaneously. By using the new technique, noble metal nanoparticles with different shapes and sizes were selectively imaged. Among all the examined metal nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles in rod shapes were found to be especially useful. Due to their anisotropic optical properties, gold nanorods showed as diffraction-limited spots with disproportionate bright and dark parts that are strongly dependent on their orientation in the 3D space. Gold nanorods were developed as orientation nanoprobes and were successfully used to report the self-rotation of gliding microtubules on kinesin coated substrates. Gold nanorods were further used to study the rotational motions of cargoes during the endocytosis and intracellular transport processes in live mammalian cells. New rotational information was obtained: (1) during endocytosis, cargoes lost their rotation freedom at the late stage of internalization; (2) cargoes performed train-like motion when they were transported along the microtubule network by motor proteins inside live cells; (3) During the pause stage of fast axonal transport, cargoes were still bound to the microtubule tracks by motor proteins. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) is another non-invasive and far-field optical imaging technique. Because of its near-field illumination mechanism, TIRFM has better axial resolution than epi-fluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy. In this work, an auto-calibrated, prism type, angle-scanning TIRFM instrument was built. The incident angle can range from subcritical angles to nearly 90°, with an angle interval less than 0.2°. The angle precision of the new instrument was demonstrated through the finding of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) angle of metal film coated glass slide. The new instrument improved significantly the precision in determining the axial position. As a result, the best obtained axial resolution was ~ 8 nm, which is better than current existing instruments similar in function. The instrument was further modified to function as a pseudo TIRF microscope. The illumination depth can be controlled by changing the incident angle of the excitation laser beam or adjusting the horizontal position of the illumination laser spot on the prism top surface. With the new technique, i.e., variable-illumination-depth pseudo TIRF microscopy, the whole cell body from bottom to top was scanned.« less

Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Microbial Source-A Green Synthesis Approach, and Evaluation of its Antimicrobial Activity against Escherichia coli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behera, S. S.; Jha, S.; Arakha, M.; Panigrahi, T. K.

2012-03-01

TRACT Nanoparticles synthesis by biological methods using various microorganisms, plants, and plant extracts and enzymes have attracted a great attention as these are cost effective, nontoxic, eco-friendly and an alternative to physical and chemical methods. In this research, Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were synthesized from AgNO3 solution by green synthesis process with the assistance of microbial source only. The detailed characterization of the Ag NPs were carried out using UV-visible spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis, and their antimicrobial evaluation was done against Escherichia coli. The UV-visible spectroscopy analysis showed the surface plasmon resonance property of nanoparticles. The DLS analysis showed the particle distribution of synthesized silver nanoparticles in solution, and SEM analysis showed the morphology of nanoparticles. The elemental composition of synthesized sample was confirmed by EDS analysis. Antibacterial assay of synthesized Ag NP was carried out in solid (Nutrient Agar) growth medium against E.coli. The presence of zone of inhibition clearly indicated the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles.

Xylem Surfactants Introduce a New Element to the Cohesion-Tension Theory1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Espino, Susana; Nima, Neda; Do, Aissa Y.T.; Michaud, Joseph M.; Papahadjopoulos-Sternberg, Brigitte; Yang, Jinlong; Steppe, Kathy

2017-01-01

Vascular plants transport water under negative pressure without constantly creating gas bubbles that would disable their hydraulic systems. Attempts to replicate this feat in artificial systems almost invariably result in bubble formation, except under highly controlled conditions with pure water and only hydrophilic surfaces present. In theory, conditions in the xylem should favor bubble nucleation even more: there are millions of conduits with at least some hydrophobic surfaces, and xylem sap is saturated or sometimes supersaturated with atmospheric gas and may contain surface-active molecules that can lower surface tension. So how do plants transport water under negative pressure? Here, we show that angiosperm xylem contains abundant hydrophobic surfaces as well as insoluble lipid surfactants, including phospholipids, and proteins, a composition similar to pulmonary surfactants. Lipid surfactants were found in xylem sap and as nanoparticles under transmission electron microscopy in pores of intervessel pit membranes and deposited on vessel wall surfaces. Nanoparticles observed in xylem sap via nanoparticle-tracking analysis included surfactant-coated nanobubbles when examined by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Based on their fracture behavior, this technique is able to distinguish between dense-core particles, liquid-filled, bilayer-coated vesicles/liposomes, and gas-filled bubbles. Xylem surfactants showed strong surface activity that reduces surface tension to low values when concentrated as they are in pit membrane pores. We hypothesize that xylem surfactants support water transport under negative pressure as explained by the cohesion-tension theory by coating hydrophobic surfaces and nanobubbles, thereby keeping the latter below the critical size at which bubbles would expand to form embolisms. PMID:27927981

Morphological and molecular features of oral fluid-derived exosomes: oral cancer patients versus healthy individuals.

PubMed

Zlotogorski-Hurvitz, Ayelet; Dayan, Dan; Chaushu, Gavriel; Salo, Tuula; Vered, Marilena

2016-01-01

Oral cancer (OC) patients are at high risk to develop recurrent disease or secondary primary cancers with no available biomarkers to detect these events until a visible lesion is readily present and diagnosed by biopsy. Exosomes secreted by cancer cells are involved in tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. We aimed to determine morphological and molecular differences between oral fluid (OF)-derived exosomes of OC patients and those isolated from healthy individuals (HI). OF from OC patients (n = 36) and HI (n = 25) was initially assessed by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Following ultracentrifugation, exosomal pellets of OC patients and HI were morphologically examined by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blotting (WB) were used to analyze the expression of exosomal markers--CD9, CD81 and CD63. NTA showed that OC samples of OF had a significantly higher concentration of nanoparticles/ml (p = 0.01) and modal nanoparticle size (p = 0.002) compared to HI. The difference in size was structurally highlighted by AFM three-dimensional images applied on exosomal pellets. ELISA and WB showed differential expression of exosomal markers in OC exosomes compared to HI: lower expression of CD81 and CD9 in contrast to a higher expression of CD63 (~53 kDa). OF-derived exosomes from OC patients differ both morphologically and molecularly from exosomes present in HI. This study is a baseline that provides a starting point for finding exosomal biomarkers for early detection of malignant changes in high-risk patients without overt clinical signs/lesions.

Xylem Surfactants Introduce a New Element to the Cohesion-Tension Theory.

PubMed

Schenk, H Jochen; Espino, Susana; Romo, David M; Nima, Neda; Do, Aissa Y T; Michaud, Joseph M; Papahadjopoulos-Sternberg, Brigitte; Yang, Jinlong; Zuo, Yi Y; Steppe, Kathy; Jansen, Steven

2017-02-01

Vascular plants transport water under negative pressure without constantly creating gas bubbles that would disable their hydraulic systems. Attempts to replicate this feat in artificial systems almost invariably result in bubble formation, except under highly controlled conditions with pure water and only hydrophilic surfaces present. In theory, conditions in the xylem should favor bubble nucleation even more: there are millions of conduits with at least some hydrophobic surfaces, and xylem sap is saturated or sometimes supersaturated with atmospheric gas and may contain surface-active molecules that can lower surface tension. So how do plants transport water under negative pressure? Here, we show that angiosperm xylem contains abundant hydrophobic surfaces as well as insoluble lipid surfactants, including phospholipids, and proteins, a composition similar to pulmonary surfactants. Lipid surfactants were found in xylem sap and as nanoparticles under transmission electron microscopy in pores of intervessel pit membranes and deposited on vessel wall surfaces. Nanoparticles observed in xylem sap via nanoparticle-tracking analysis included surfactant-coated nanobubbles when examined by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Based on their fracture behavior, this technique is able to distinguish between dense-core particles, liquid-filled, bilayer-coated vesicles/liposomes, and gas-filled bubbles. Xylem surfactants showed strong surface activity that reduces surface tension to low values when concentrated as they are in pit membrane pores. We hypothesize that xylem surfactants support water transport under negative pressure as explained by the cohesion-tension theory by coating hydrophobic surfaces and nanobubbles, thereby keeping the latter below the critical size at which bubbles would expand to form embolisms. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Control of Gallium Oxide Growth on Liquid Metal Eutectic Gallium/Indium Nanoparticles via Thiolation.

PubMed

Farrell, Zachary J; Tabor, Christopher

2018-01-09

Eutectic gallium-indium alloy (EGaIn, a room-temperature liquid metal) nanoparticles are of interest for their unique potential uses in self-healing and flexible electronic devices. One reason for their interest is due to a passivating oxide skin that develops spontaneously on exposure to ambient atmosphere which resists deformation and rupture of the resultant liquid particles. It is then of interest to develop methods for control of this oxide growth process. It is hypothesized here that functionalization of EGaIn nanoparticles with thiolated molecules could moderate oxide growth based on insights from the Cabrera-Mott oxidation model. To test this, the oxidation dynamics of several thiolated nanoparticle systems were tracked over time with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These results demonstrate the ability to suppress gallium oxide growth by up to 30%. The oxide progressively matures over a 28 day period, terminating in different final thicknesses as a function of thiol selection. These results indicate not only that thiols moderate gallium oxide growth via competition with oxygen for surface sites but also that different thiols alter the thermodynamics of oxide growth through modification of the EGaIn work function.

Relaxation-based viscosity mapping for magnetic particle imaging.

PubMed

Utkur, M; Muslu, Y; Saritas, E U

2017-05-07

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) has been shown to provide remarkable contrast for imaging applications such as angiography, stem cell tracking, and cancer imaging. Recently, there is growing interest in the functional imaging capabilities of MPI, where 'color MPI' techniques have explored separating different nanoparticles, which could potentially be used to distinguish nanoparticles in different states or environments. Viscosity mapping is a promising functional imaging application for MPI, as increased viscosity levels in vivo have been associated with numerous diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cancer. In this work, we propose a viscosity mapping technique for MPI through the estimation of the relaxation time constant of the nanoparticles. Importantly, the proposed time constant estimation scheme does not require any prior information regarding the nanoparticles. We validate this method with extensive experiments in an in-house magnetic particle spectroscopy (MPS) setup at four different frequencies (between 250 Hz and 10.8 kHz) and at three different field strengths (between 5 mT and 15 mT) for viscosities ranging between 0.89 mPa · s-15.33 mPa · s. Our results demonstrate the viscosity mapping ability of MPI in the biologically relevant viscosity range.

Magnetic Enrichment of Dendritic Cell Vaccine in Lymph Node with Fluorescent-Magnetic Nanoparticles Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy

PubMed Central

Jin, Honglin; Qian, Yuan; Dai, Yanfeng; Qiao, Sha; Huang, Chuan; Lu, Lisen; Luo, Qingming; Chen, Jing; Zhang, Zhihong

2016-01-01

Dendritic cell (DC) migration to the lymph node is a key component of DC-based immunotherapy. However, the DC homing rate to the lymphoid tissues is poor, thus hindering the DC-mediated activation of antigen-specific T cells. Here, we developed a system using fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles (α-AP-fmNPs; loaded with antigen peptide, iron oxide nanoparticles, and indocyanine green) in combination with magnetic pull force (MPF) to successfully manipulate DC migration in vitro and in vivo. α-AP-fmNPs endowed DCs with MPF-responsiveness, antigen presentation, and simultaneous optical and magnetic resonance imaging detectability. We showed for the first time that α-AP-fmNP-loaded DCs were sensitive to MPF, and their migration efficiency could be dramatically improved both in vitro and in vivo through MPF treatment. Due to the enhanced migration of DCs, MPF treatment significantly augmented antitumor efficacy of the nanoparticle-loaded DCs. Therefore, we have developed a biocompatible approach with which to improve the homing efficiency of DCs and subsequent anti-tumor efficacy, and track their migration by multi-modality imaging, with great potential applications for DC-based cancer immunotherapy. PMID:27698936

Relaxation-based viscosity mapping for magnetic particle imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utkur, M.; Muslu, Y.; Saritas, E. U.

2017-05-01

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) has been shown to provide remarkable contrast for imaging applications such as angiography, stem cell tracking, and cancer imaging. Recently, there is growing interest in the functional imaging capabilities of MPI, where ‘color MPI’ techniques have explored separating different nanoparticles, which could potentially be used to distinguish nanoparticles in different states or environments. Viscosity mapping is a promising functional imaging application for MPI, as increased viscosity levels in vivo have been associated with numerous diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cancer. In this work, we propose a viscosity mapping technique for MPI through the estimation of the relaxation time constant of the nanoparticles. Importantly, the proposed time constant estimation scheme does not require any prior information regarding the nanoparticles. We validate this method with extensive experiments in an in-house magnetic particle spectroscopy (MPS) setup at four different frequencies (between 250 Hz and 10.8 kHz) and at three different field strengths (between 5 mT and 15 mT) for viscosities ranging between 0.89 mPa · s-15.33 mPa · s. Our results demonstrate the viscosity mapping ability of MPI in the biologically relevant viscosity range.

Novel magnetic multicore nanoparticles designed for MPI and other biomedical applications: From synthesis to first in vivo studies

PubMed Central

Taupitz, Matthias; Ariza de Schellenberger, Angela; Kosch, Olaf; Eberbeck, Dietmar; Wagner, Susanne; Trahms, Lutz; Hamm, Bernd; Schnorr, Jörg

2018-01-01

Synthesis of novel magnetic multicore particles (MCP) in the nano range, involves alkaline precipitation of iron(II) chloride in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. This step yields green rust, which is oxidized to obtain magnetic nanoparticles, which probably consist of a magnetite/maghemite mixed-phase. Final growth and annealing at 90°C in the presence of a large excess of carboxymethyl dextran gives MCP very promising magnetic properties for magnetic particle imaging (MPI), an emerging medical imaging modality, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The magnetic nanoparticles are biocompatible and thus potential candidates for future biomedical applications such as cardiovascular imaging, sentinel lymph node mapping in cancer patients, and stem cell tracking. The new MCP that we introduce here have three times higher magnetic particle spectroscopy performance at lower and middle harmonics and five times higher MPS signal strength at higher harmonics compared with Resovist®. In addition, the new MCP have also an improved in vivo MPI performance compared to Resovist®, and we here report the first in vivo MPI investigation of this new generation of magnetic nanoparticles. PMID:29300729

Nanocrystal powered nanomotor

DOEpatents

Regan, Brian C [Los Angeles, CA; Zettl, Alexander K [Kensington, CA; Aloni, Shaul [Albany, CA

2011-01-04

A nanoscale nanocrystal which may be used as a reciprocating motor is provided, comprising a substrate having an energy differential across it, e.g. an electrical connection to a voltage source at a proximal end; an atom reservoir on the substrate distal to the electrical connection; a nanoparticle ram on the substrate distal to the atom reservoir; a nanolever contacting the nanoparticle ram and having an electrical connection to a voltage source, whereby a voltage applied between the electrical connections on the substrate and the nanolever causes movement of atoms between the reservoir and the ram. Movement of the ram causes movement of the nanolever relative to the substrate. The substrate and nanolever preferably comprise multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and the atom reservoir and nanoparticle ram are preferably metal (e.g. indium) deposited as small particles on the MWNTs. The substrate may comprise a silicon chip that has been fabricated to provide the necessary electrodes and other electromechanical structures, and further supports an atomic track, which may comprise an MWNT.

Gene Silencing of Human Neuronal Cells for Drug Addiction Therapy using Anisotropic Nanocrystals

PubMed Central

Law, Wing-Cheung; Mahajan, Supriya D.; Kopwitthaya, Atcha; Reynolds, Jessica L.; Liu, Maixian; Liu, Xin; Chen, Guanying; Erogbogbo, Folarin; Vathy, Lisa; Aalinkeel, Ravikumar; Schwartz, Stanley A.; Yong, Ken-Tye; Prasad, Paras N.

2012-01-01

Theranostic platform integrating diagnostic imaging and therapeutic function into a single system has become a new direction of nanoparticle research. In the process of treatment, therapeutic efficacy is monitored. The use of theranostic nanoparticle can add an additional "layer" to keep track on the therapeutic agent such as the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. In this report, we have developed quantum rod (QR) based formulations for the delivery of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to human neuronal cells. PEGlyated QRs with different surface functional groups (amine and maleimide) were designed for selectively down-regulating the dopaminergic signaling pathway which is associated with the drug abuse behavior. We have demonstrated that the DARPP-32 siRNAs were successfully delivered to dopaminergic neuronal (DAN) cells which led to drastic knockdown of specific gene expression by both the electrostatic and covalent bond conjugation regimes. The PEGlyated surface offered high biocompatibilities and negligible cytotoxicities to the QR formulations that may facilitate the in vivo applications of these nanoparticles. PMID:22896771

Three-dimensional nanometre localization of nanoparticles to enhance super-resolution microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bon, Pierre; Bourg, Nicolas; Lécart, Sandrine; Monneret, Serge; Fort, Emmanuel; Wenger, Jérôme; Lévêque-Fort, Sandrine

2015-07-01

Meeting the nanometre resolution promised by super-resolution microscopy techniques (pointillist: PALM, STORM, scanning: STED) requires stabilizing the sample drifts in real time during the whole acquisition process. Metal nanoparticles are excellent probes to track the lateral drifts as they provide crisp and photostable information. However, achieving nanometre axial super-localization is still a major challenge, as diffraction imposes large depths-of-fields. Here we demonstrate fast full three-dimensional nanometre super-localization of gold nanoparticles through simultaneous intensity and phase imaging with a wavefront-sensing camera based on quadriwave lateral shearing interferometry. We show how to combine the intensity and phase information to provide the key to the third axial dimension. Presently, we demonstrate even in the occurrence of large three-dimensional fluctuations of several microns, unprecedented sub-nanometre localization accuracies down to 0.7 nm in lateral and 2.7 nm in axial directions at 50 frames per second. We demonstrate that nanoscale stabilization greatly enhances the image quality and resolution in direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy imaging.

Nanoparticle Brownian motion and hydrodynamic interactions in the presence of flow fields

PubMed Central

Uma, B.; Swaminathan, T. N.; Radhakrishnan, R.; Eckmann, D. M.; Ayyaswamy, P. S.

2011-01-01

We consider the Brownian motion of a nanoparticle in an incompressible Newtonian fluid medium (quiescent or fully developed Poiseuille flow) with the fluctuating hydrodynamics approach. The formalism considers situations where both the Brownian motion and the hydrodynamic interactions are important. The flow results have been modified to account for compressibility effects. Different nanoparticle sizes and nearly neutrally buoyant particle densities are also considered. Tracked particles are initially located at various distances from the bounding wall to delineate wall effects. The results for thermal equilibrium are validated by comparing the predictions for the temperatures of the particle with those obtained from the equipartition theorem. The nature of the hydrodynamic interactions is verified by comparing the velocity autocorrelation functions and mean square displacements with analytical and experimental results where available. The equipartition theorem for a Brownian particle in Poiseuille flow is verified for a range of low Reynolds numbers. Numerical predictions of wall interactions with the particle in terms of particle diffusivities are consistent with results, where available. PMID:21918592

Ag-graphene hybrid conductive ink for writing electronics.

PubMed

Xu, L Y; Yang, G Y; Jing, H Y; Wei, J; Han, Y D

2014-02-07

With the aim of preparing a method for the writing of electronics on paper by the use of common commercial rollerball pens loaded with conductive ink, hybrid conductive ink composed of Ag nanoparticles (15 wt%) and graphene-Ag composite nanosheets (0.15 wt%) formed by depositing Ag nanoparticles (∼10 nm) onto graphene sheets was prepared for the first time. Owing to the electrical pathway effect of graphene and the decreased contact resistance of graphene junctions by depositing Ag nanoparticles (NPs) onto graphene sheets, the concentration of Ag NPs was significantly reduced while maintaining high conductivity at a curing temperature of 100 ° C. A typical resistivity value measured was 1.9 × 10(-7) Ω m, which is 12 times the value for bulk silver. Even over thousands of bending cycles or rolling, the resistance values of writing tracks only increase slightly. The stability and flexibility of the writing circuits are good, demonstrating the promising future of this hybrid ink and direct writing method.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using tannins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raja, Pandian Bothi; Rahim, Afidah Abdul; Qureshi, Ahmad Kaleem; Awang, Khalijah

2014-09-01

Colloidal silver nanoparticles were prepared by rapid green synthesis using different tannin sources as reducing agent viz. chestnut (CN), mangrove (MG) and quebracho (QB). The aqueous silver ions when exposed to CN, MG and QB tannins were reduced which resulted in formation of silver nanoparticles. The resultant silver nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Visible, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Furthermore, the possible mechanism of nanoparticles synthesis was also derived using FT-IR analysis. Spectroscopy analysis revealed that the synthesized nanoparticles were within 30 to 75 nm in size, while XRD results showed that nanoparticles formed were crystalline with face centered cubic geometry.

Effect of solvent on the synthesis of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, Virender; Singh, Karamjit; Singh, Kulwinder

Tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) nanoparticles have been synthesized by co-precipitation method. The synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS). XRD analysis confirmed the formation of single phase of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles. It has been found that solvents played important role in controlling the crystallite size of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles. The XRD analysis showed well crystallized tetragonal SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles. The crystallite size of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles varies with the solvent. Tauc plot showed that optical band gap was also tailored by controlling the solvent during synthesis.

Application of iron oxide nanoparticles in glioma imaging and therapy: from bench to bedside

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Heng; Zhang, Jun; Chen, Xiao; Du, Xue-Song; Zhang, Jin-Long; Liu, Gang; Zhang, Wei-Guo

2016-04-01

Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors and have a very dismal prognosis. However, recent advancements in nanomedicine and nanotechnology provide opportunities for personalized treatment regimens to improve the poor prognosis of patients suffering from glioma. This comprehensive review starts with an outline of the current status facing glioma. It then provides an overview of the state-of-the-art applications of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) to glioma diagnostics and therapeutics, including MR contrast enhancement, drug delivery, cell labeling and tracking, magnetic hyperthermia treatment and magnetic particle imaging. It also addresses current challenges associated with the biological barriers and IONP design with an emphasis on recent advances and innovative approaches for glioma targeting strategies. Opportunities for future development are highlighted.

Application of iron oxide nanoparticles in glioma imaging and therapy: from bench to bedside.

PubMed

Liu, Heng; Zhang, Jun; Chen, Xiao; Du, Xue-Song; Zhang, Jin-Long; Liu, Gang; Zhang, Wei-Guo

2016-04-21

Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors and have a very dismal prognosis. However, recent advancements in nanomedicine and nanotechnology provide opportunities for personalized treatment regimens to improve the poor prognosis of patients suffering from glioma. This comprehensive review starts with an outline of the current status facing glioma. It then provides an overview of the state-of-the-art applications of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) to glioma diagnostics and therapeutics, including MR contrast enhancement, drug delivery, cell labeling and tracking, magnetic hyperthermia treatment and magnetic particle imaging. It also addresses current challenges associated with the biological barriers and IONP design with an emphasis on recent advances and innovative approaches for glioma targeting strategies. Opportunities for future development are highlighted.

X-ray peak profile analysis of zinc oxide nanoparticles formed by simple precipitation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelicano, Christian Mark; Rapadas, Nick Joaquin; Magdaluyo, Eduardo

2017-12-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by a simple precipitation method using zinc acetate and tetramethylammonium hydroxide. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray Diffraction analysis (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The XRD result revealed a hexagonal wurtzite structure for the ZnO nanoparticles. The TEM image showed spherical nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of 6.70 nm. For x-ray peak analysis, Williamson-Hall (W-H) and Size-Strain Plot (SSP) methods were applied to examine the effects of crystallite size and lattice strain on the peak broadening of the ZnO nanoparticles. Based on the calculations, the estimated crystallite sizes and lattice strains obtained are in good agreement with each other.

Memecylon edule leaf extract mediated green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Elavazhagan, Tamizhamudu; Arunachalam, Kantha D

2011-01-01

We used an aqueous leaf extract of Memecylon edule (Melastomataceae) to synthesize silver and gold nanoparticles. To our knowledge, this is the first report where M. edule leaf broth was found to be a suitable plant source for the green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles. On treatment of aqueous solutions of silver nitrate and chloroauric acid with M. edule leaf extract, stable silver and gold nanoparticles were rapidly formed. The gold nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). The kinetics of reduction of aqueous silver and gold ions during reaction with the M. edule leaf broth were easily analyzed by UV-visible spectroscopy. SEM analysis showed that aqueous gold ions, when exposed to M. edule leaf broth, were reduced and resulted in the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles in the size range 20–50 nm. TEM analysis of gold nanoparticles showed formation of triangular, circular, and hexagonal shapes in the size range 10–45 nm. The resulting silver nanoparticles were predominantly square with uniform size range 50–90 nm. EDAX results confirmed the presence of triangular nanoparticles in the adsorption peak of 2.30 keV. Further FTIR analysis was also done to identify the functional groups in silver and gold nanoparticles. The characterized nanoparticles of M. edule have potential for various medical and industrial applications. Saponin presence in aqueous extract of M. edule is responsible for the mass production of silver and gold nanoparticles. PMID:21753878

Memecylon edule leaf extract mediated green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Elavazhagan, Tamizhamudu; Arunachalam, Kantha D

2011-01-01

We used an aqueous leaf extract of Memecylon edule (Melastomataceae) to synthesize silver and gold nanoparticles. To our knowledge, this is the first report where M. edule leaf broth was found to be a suitable plant source for the green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles. On treatment of aqueous solutions of silver nitrate and chloroauric acid with M. edule leaf extract, stable silver and gold nanoparticles were rapidly formed. The gold nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). The kinetics of reduction of aqueous silver and gold ions during reaction with the M. edule leaf broth were easily analyzed by UV-visible spectroscopy. SEM analysis showed that aqueous gold ions, when exposed to M. edule leaf broth, were reduced and resulted in the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles in the size range 20-50 nm. TEM analysis of gold nanoparticles showed formation of triangular, circular, and hexagonal shapes in the size range 10-45 nm. The resulting silver nanoparticles were predominantly square with uniform size range 50-90 nm. EDAX results confirmed the presence of triangular nanoparticles in the adsorption peak of 2.30 keV. Further FTIR analysis was also done to identify the functional groups in silver and gold nanoparticles. The characterized nanoparticles of M. edule have potential for various medical and industrial applications. Saponin presence in aqueous extract of M. edule is responsible for the mass production of silver and gold nanoparticles.

Floral Biosynthesis of Mn3O4 and Fe2O3 Nanoparticles Using Chaenomeles sp. Flower Extracts for Efficient Medicinal Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karunakaran, Gopalu; Jagathambal, Matheswaran; Kolesnikov, Evgeny; Dmitry, Arkhipov; Ishteev, Artur; Gusev, Alexander; Kuznetsov, Denis

2017-08-01

Manganese oxide (Mn3O4) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized with the flower extracts of Chaenomeles sp. This is the first ever approach to synthesize nanoparticles from Chaenomeles sp. flower extracts. The organic molecules present in the flower extracts actively converted the nitrate precursor into its corresponding nanoparticles. The organic molecules that are involved in the synthesis of nanoparticles are identified using different phytochemical and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. The identified components are glycosides, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, quinines, and steroids. The structural and chemical compositions of the synthesized powder were also analyzed. The x-ray powder diffraction analysis revealed that the particles show tetragonal and rhombohedral crystalline phases. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed the functional groups that are involved in the reduction of nitrates into the corresponding nanoparticles. Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of the elements in the synthesized nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy images showed the formation of spherical nanoparticles with an average size of 30-100 nm. Antioxidant analysis showed that the synthesized nanoparticles had excellent antioxidant potential. The antibacterial study showed that they inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pyogenes. Thus, this study proposes a new eco-friendly and nontoxic method to synthesize nanoparticles for medicinal applications.

Cellular Delivery of Nanoparticles Revealed with Combined Optical and Isotopic Nanoscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Proetto, Maria T.; Anderton, Christopher R.; Hu, Dehong

Synthetic drug-carrying nanomaterials offer great potential as targeted cellular delivery vehicles. Typically, their size, morphology, surface chemistry and stability are optimized in order to control their effect on drug release kinetics, cellular uptake pathways, efficiency and site of action. However, methods to track the carriers and their cargo independently at the micro- and nanoscale have been severely underutilized preventing the correlation between structure and function. Here we show that by using combined optical and isotopic nanoscopy we can track the uptake in cancer cells and subsequent drug release of a Pt(II)-loaded anticancer nanoparticle (NP) system. We found that by directlymore » polymerizing an oxaliplatin analogue containing a norbornyl moiety amenable to polymerization via ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) we could generate amphiphiles in one pot. Spontaneous self-assembly of the drug-containing polymers in aqueous solution led to well-defined NPs in a reproducible manner. Our results demonstrate that the covalently loaded NPs are equipotent with free oxaliplatin and are taken up intact via endocytic pathways before release of the cytotoxic cargo. This was confirmed by super resolution fluorescence structured illumination microscopy (SIM) and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS). We anticipate that this type of multimodal cellular tracking of NP and drug will bridge the knowledge gap between particle structure and performance for the vast array of currently generalizable systems in the literature. Furthermore, the use of covalently loaded NP drug systems should allow development of more stable, reproducible and site specific nanodelivery agents.« less

Survival of Verwey transition in gadolinium-doped ultrasmall magnetite nanoparticles.

PubMed

Yeo, Sunmog; Choi, Hyunkyung; Kim, Chul Sung; Lee, Gyeong Tae; Seo, Jeong Hyun; Cha, Hyung Joon; Park, Jeong Chan

2017-09-28

We have demonstrated that the Verwey transition, which is highly sensitive to impurities, survives in anisotropic Gd-doped magnetite nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy analysis shows that the nanoparticles are uniformly distributed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and EDS mapping analysis confirm Gd-doping on the nanoparticles. The Verwey transition of the Gd-doped magnetite nanoparticles is robust and the temperature dependence of the magnetic moment (zero field cooling and field cooling) shows the same behaviour as that of the Verwey transition in bulk magnetite, at a lower transition temperature (∼110 K). In addition, irregularly shaped nanoparticles do not show the Verwey transition whereas square-shaped nanoparticles show the transition. Mössbauer spectral analysis shows that the slope of the magnetic hyperfine field and the electric quadrupole splitting change at the same temperature, meaning that the Verwey transition occurs at ∼110 K. These results would provide new insights into understanding the Verwey transition in nano-sized materials.

Piper nigrum Leaf and Stem Assisted Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Evaluation of Its Antibacterial Activity Against Agricultural Plant Pathogens

PubMed Central

Paulkumar, Kanniah; Gnanajobitha, Gnanadhas; Vanaja, Mahendran; Rajeshkumar, Shanmugam; Malarkodi, Chelladurai; Pandian, Kannaiyan; Annadurai, Gurusamy

2014-01-01

Utilization of biological materials in synthesis of nanoparticles is one of the hottest topics in modern nanoscience and nanotechnology. In the present investigation, the silver nanoparticles were synthesized by using the leaf and stem extract of Piper nigrum. The synthesized nanoparticle was characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The observation of the peak at 460 nm in the UV-vis spectra for leaf- and stem-synthesized silver nanoparticles reveals the reduction of silver metal ions into silver nanoparticles. Further, XRD analysis has been carried out to confirm the crystalline nature of the synthesized silver nanoparticles. The TEM images show that the leaf- and stem-synthesized silver nanoparticles were within the size of about 7–50 nm and 9–30 nm, respectively. The FTIR analysis was performed to identify the possible functional groups involved in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Further, the antibacterial activity of the green-synthesized silver nanoparticles was examined against agricultural plant pathogens. The antibacterial property of silver nanoparticles is a beneficial application in the field of agricultural nanotechnology. PMID:24558336

Visualization and characterization of engineered nanoparticles in complex environmental and food matrices using atmospheric scanning electron microscopy.

PubMed

Luo, P; Morrison, I; Dudkiewicz, A; Tiede, K; Boyes, E; O'Toole, P; Park, S; Boxall, A B

2013-04-01

Imaging and characterization of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in water, soils, sediment and food matrices is very important for research into the risks of ENPs to consumers and the environment. However, these analyses pose a significant challenge as most existing techniques require some form of sample manipulation prior to imaging and characterization, which can result in changes in the ENPs in a sample and in the introduction of analytical artefacts. This study therefore explored the application of a newly designed instrument, the atmospheric scanning electron microscope (ASEM), which allows the direct characterization of ENPs in liquid matrices and which therefore overcomes some of the limitations associated with existing imaging methods. ASEM was used to characterize the size distribution of a range of ENPs in a selection of environmental and food matrices, including supernatant of natural sediment, test medium used in ecotoxicology studies, bovine serum albumin and tomato soup under atmospheric conditions. The obtained imaging results were compared to results obtained using conventional imaging by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and SEM as well as to size distribution data derived from nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). ASEM analysis was found to be a complementary technique to existing methods that is able to visualize ENPs in complex liquid matrices and to provide ENP size information without extensive sample preparation. ASEM images can detect ENPs in liquids down to 30 nm and to a level of 1 mg L(-1) (9×10(8) particles mL(-1) , 50 nm Au ENPs). The results indicate ASEM is a highly complementary method to existing approaches for analyzing ENPs in complex media and that its use will allow those studying to study ENP behavior in situ, something that is currently extremely challenging to do. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2013 Royal Microscopical Society.

The effect of post-synthesis aging on the ligand exchange activity of iron oxide nanoparticles.

PubMed

Davis, Kathleen; Vidmar, Michael; Khasanov, Airat; Cole, Brian; Ghelardini, Melanie; Mayer, Justin; Kitchens, Christopher; Nath, Amar; Powell, Brian A; Mefford, O Thompson

2018-02-01

Ligand exchange is a widely-used method of controlling the surface chemistry of nanomaterials. Exchange is dependent on many factors including the age of the core particle being modified. Aging of the particles can impact surface structure and composition, which in turn can affect ligand binding. To quantify the effects of aging on ligand exchange, we employed a technique to track the exchange of radiolabeled 14 C-oleic acid with unlabeled, oleic acid bound to iron oxide nanoparticles. Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) was used to determine the amount of 14 C-oleic acid adsorbing to the particles throughout the duration of the exchange for particles aged for 2days, 7days, and 30days. Results revealed an increase in the total amount of ligands exchanged with aging up to 30days. Kinetic analysis of these results revealed a significant decrease in the overall rate of ligand exchange between 2 and 30days. The change in extent of adsorption with age could suggest increased availability of free binding sites. A follow-up study comparing exchange with oxidized and unoxidized particles suggested this increase in ligand adsorption may be due to changes in the Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ ratio on the surface as the particles aged. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A nonenzymatic DNA nanomachine for biomolecular detection by target recycling of hairpin DNA cascade amplification.

PubMed

Zheng, Jiao; Li, Ningxing; Li, Chunrong; Wang, Xinxin; Liu, Yucheng; Mao, Guobin; Ji, Xinghu; He, Zhike

2018-06-01

Synthetic enzyme-free DNA nanomachine performs quasi-mechanical movements in response to external intervention, suggesting the promise of constructing sensitive and specific biosensors. Herein, a smart DNA nanomachine biosensor for biomolecule (such as nucleic acid, thrombin and adenosine) detection is developed by target-assisted enzyme-free hairpin DNA cascade amplifier. The whole DNA nanomachine system is constructed on gold nanoparticle which decorated with hundreds of locked hairpin substrate strands serving as DNA tracks, and the DNA nanomachine could be activated by target molecule toehold-mediated exchange on gold nanoparticle surface, resulted in the fluorescence recovery of fluorophore. The process is repeated so that each copy of the target can open multiplex fluorophore-labeled hairpin substrate strands, resulted in amplification of the fluorescence signal. Compared with the conventional biosensors of catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) without substrate in solution, the DNA nanomachine could generate 2-3 orders of magnitude higher fluorescence signal. Furthermore, the DNA nanomachine could be used for nucleic acid, thrombin and adenosine highly sensitive specific detection based on isothermal, and homogeneous hairpin DNA cascade signal amplification in both buffer and a complicated biomatrix, and this kind of DNA nanomachine could be efficiently applied in the field of biomedical analysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amphiphilic copolymers based on polyoxazoline and grape seed vegetable oil derivatives: self-assemblies and dynamic light scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Travelet, Christophe; Stemmelen, Mylène; Lapinte, Vincent; Dubreuil, Frédéric; Robin, Jean-Jacques; Borsali, Redouane

2013-06-01

The self-assembly in solution of original structures of amphiphilic partially natural copolymers based on polyoxazoline [more precisely poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (POx)] and grape seed vegetable oil derivatives (linear, T-, and trident-structure) is investigated. The results show that such systems are found, using dynamic light scattering (DLS), to spontaneously self-organize into monomodal, narrow-size, and stable nanoparticles in aqueous medium. The obtained hydrodynamic diameters ( D h) range from 8.6 to 32.5 nm. Specifically, such size increases strongly with increasing natural block (i.e., lipophilic species) length due to higher hydrophobic interactions (from 10.1 nm for C19 to 19.2 nm for C57). Furthermore, increasing the polyoxazoline (i.e., hydrophilic block) length leads to a moderate linear increase of the D h-values. Therefore, the first-order size effect comes from the natural lipophilic block, whereas the characteristic size can be tuned more finely (i.e., in a second-order) by choosing appropriately the polyoxazoline length. The DLS results in terms of characteristic size are corroborated using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and also by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging where well-defined spherical and individual nanoparticles exhibit a very good mechanical resistance upon drying. Moreover, changing the lipophilic block architecture from linear to T-shape, while keeping the same molar mass, generates a branching and thus a shrinking by a factor of 2 of the nanoparticle volume, as observed by DLS. In this paper, it is clearly shown that the self-assemblies of amphiphilic block copolymer obtained from grape seed vegetable oil derivatives (sustainable renewable resources) as well as their tunability are of great interest for biomass valorization at the nanoscale level [continuation of the article by Stemmelen et al. (Polym Chem 4:1445-1458, 2013)].

Quantitation of Surface Coating on Nanoparticles Using Thermogravimetric Analysis.

PubMed

Dongargaonkar, Alpana A; Clogston, Jeffrey D

2018-01-01

Nanoparticles are critical components in nanomedicine and nanotherapeutic applications. Some nanoparticles, such as metallic nanoparticles, consist of a surface coating or surface modification to aid in its dispersion and stability. This surface coating may affect the behavior of nanoparticles in a biological environment, thus it is important to measure. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) can be used to determine the amount of coating on the surface of the nanoparticle. TGA experiments run under inert atmosphere can also be used to determine residual metal content present in the sample. In this chapter, the TGA technique and experimental method are described.

Subvisible Particle Content, Formulation, and Dose of an Erythropoietin Peptide Mimetic Product Are Associated With Severe Adverse Postmarketing Events.

PubMed

Kotarek, Joseph; Stuart, Christine; De Paoli, Silvia H; Simak, Jan; Lin, Tsai-Lien; Gao, Yamei; Ovanesov, Mikhail; Liang, Yideng; Scott, Dorothy; Brown, Janice; Bai, Yun; Metcalfe, Dean D; Marszal, Ewa; Ragheb, Jack A

2016-03-01

Peginesatide (Omontys(®); Affymax, Inc., Cupertino, CA) was voluntarily withdrawn from the market less than a year after the product launch. Although clinical trials had demonstrated the drug to be safe and efficacious, 49 cases of anaphylaxis, including 7 fatalities, were reported not long after market introduction. Commercialization was initiated with a multiuse vial presentation, which differs in formulation from the single-use vial presentation used in phase 3 studies. Standard physical and chemical testing did not indicate any deviation from product specifications in either formulation. However, an analysis of subvisible particulates using nanoparticle tracking analysis and flow imaging revealed a significantly higher concentration of subvisible particles in the multiuse vial presentation linked to the hypersensitivity cases. Although it is unknown whether the elevated particulate content is causally related to these serious adverse events, this report illustrates the utility of characterizing subvisible particulates not captured by conventional light obscuration. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

SIRB, sans iron oxide rhodamine B, a novel cross-linked dextran nanoparticle, labels human neuroprogenitor and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and serves as a USPIO cell labeling control.

PubMed

Shen, Wei-Bin; Vaccaro, Dennis E; Fishman, Paul S; Groman, Ernest V; Yarowsky, Paul

2016-05-01

This is the first report of the synthesis of a new nanoparticle, sans iron oxide rhodamine B (SIRB), an example of a new class of nanoparticles. SIRB is designed to provide all of the cell labeling properties of the ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticle Molday ION Rhodamine B (MIRB) without containing the iron oxide core. MIRB was developed to label cells and allow them to be tracked by MRI or to be manipulated by magnetic gradients. SIRB possesses a similar size, charge and cross-linked dextran coating as MIRB. Of great interest is understanding the biological and physiological changes in cells after they are labeled with a USPIO. Whether these effects are due to the iron oxide buried within the nanoparticle or to the surface coating surrounding the iron oxide core has not been considered previously. MIRB and SIRB represent an ideal pairing of nanoparticles to identify nanoparticle anatomy responsible for post-labeling cytotoxicity. Here we report the effects of SIRB labeling on the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line and primary human neuroprogenitor cells (hNPCs). These effects are contrasted with the effects of labeling SH-SY5Y cells and hNPCs with MIRB. We find that SIRB labeling, like MIRB labeling, (i) occurs without the use of transfection reagents, (ii) is packaged within lysosomes distributed within cell cytoplasm, (iii) is retained within cells with no loss of label after cell storage, and (iv) does not alter cellular viability or proliferation, and (v) SIRB labeled hNPCs differentiate normally into neurons or astrocytes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) and functionalized polyaniline (F-PANI) nanoparticles with controlled size by solvent displacement method. Application in fluorescence detection and bacteria killing by photothermal effect.

PubMed

Abel, Silvestre Bongiovanni; Yslas, Edith I; Rivarola, Claudia R; Barbero, Cesar A

2018-03-23

Polyaniline nanoparticles (PANI-NPs) were easily obtained applying the solvent displacement method by using N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) as good solvent and water as poor solvent. Different polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), chondroitin sulfate (ChS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyacrylic acid (PAA) were used as stabilizers. Dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy corroborated the size and morphology of the formed NPs. It was demonstrated that the size of nanoparticles could be controlled by setting the concentration of PANI in NMP, the NMP to water ratio, and the stabilizer's nature. The functionalization and fluorescence of NPs were checked by spectroscopic techniques. Since polyaniline show only weak intrinsic luminescence, fluorescent groups were linked to the polyaniline chains prior to the nanoparticle formation using a linker. Polyaniline chains were functionalized by nucleophilic addition of cysteamine trough the thiol group thereby incorporating pendant primary aliphatic amine groups to the polyaniline backbone. Then, dansyl chloride (DNS-Cl), which could act as an extrinsic chromophore, was conjugated to the amine pendant groups. Later, the functionalized polyaniline was used to produce nanoparticles by solvent displacement. The optical and functional properties of fluorescent nanoparticles (F-PANI-NPs) were determined. F-PANI-NPs in the conductive state (pH < 4) are able to absorb near infrared radiation (NIR) creating a photothermal effect in an aqueous medium. Thus, multifunctional nanoparticles are obtained. The application of NIR on a F-PANI-NPs dispersion in contact with Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes bacterial death. Therefore, the F-PANI-NPs could be tracked and applied to inhibit different diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms and resistant to antibiotics as well as a new disinfection method to surgical materials.

Synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) and functionalized polyaniline (F-PANI) nanoparticles with controlled size by solvent displacement method. Application in fluorescence detection and bacteria killing by photothermal effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bongiovanni Abel, Silvestre; Yslas, Edith I.; Rivarola, Claudia R.; Barbero, Cesar A.

2018-03-01

Polyaniline nanoparticles (PANI-NPs) were easily obtained applying the solvent displacement method by using N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) as good solvent and water as poor solvent. Different polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), chondroitin sulfate (ChS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyacrylic acid (PAA) were used as stabilizers. Dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy corroborated the size and morphology of the formed NPs. It was demonstrated that the size of nanoparticles could be controlled by setting the concentration of PANI in NMP, the NMP to water ratio, and the stabilizer’s nature. The functionalization and fluorescence of NPs were checked by spectroscopic techniques. Since polyaniline show only weak intrinsic luminescence, fluorescent groups were linked to the polyaniline chains prior to the nanoparticle formation using a linker. Polyaniline chains were functionalized by nucleophilic addition of cysteamine trough the thiol group thereby incorporating pendant primary aliphatic amine groups to the polyaniline backbone. Then, dansyl chloride (DNS-Cl), which could act as an extrinsic chromophore, was conjugated to the amine pendant groups. Later, the functionalized polyaniline was used to produce nanoparticles by solvent displacement. The optical and functional properties of fluorescent nanoparticles (F-PANI-NPs) were determined. F-PANI-NPs in the conductive state (pH < 4) are able to absorb near infrared radiation (NIR) creating a photothermal effect in an aqueous medium. Thus, multifunctional nanoparticles are obtained. The application of NIR on a F-PANI-NPs dispersion in contact with Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes bacterial death. Therefore, the F-PANI-NPs could be tracked and applied to inhibit different diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms and resistant to antibiotics as well as a new disinfection method to surgical materials.

Electrical imaging of subsurface nanoparticle propagation for in-situ groundwater remediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores Orozco, Adrián; Gallistl, Jakob; Schmid, Doris; Micic Batka, Vesna; Bücker, Matthias; Hofmann, Thilo

2017-04-01

Application of nanoparticles has emerged as a promising in situ remediation technology for the remediation of contaminated groundwater, particularly for areas difficult to access by other remediation techniques. The performance of nanoparticle injections, as a foremost step within this technology, is usually assessed through the geochemical analysis of soil and groundwater samples. This approach is not well suited for a real-time monitoring, and often suffers from a poor spatio-temporal resolution and only provides information from areas close to the sampling points. To overcome these limitations we propose the application of non-invasive Induced Polarization (IP) imaging, a geophysical method that provides information on the electrical properties of the subsurface. The analysis of temporal changes in the electrical images allows tracking the propagation of the injected nanoparticle suspension and detection of the induced bio-geochemical changes in the subsurface. Here, we present IP monitoring results for data collected during the injection of Nano-Goethite particles (NGP) used for simulation of biodegradation of a BTEX plume (i.e., benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) at the Spolchemie II site, CZ. Frequency-domain IP measurements were collected parallel to the groundwater flow direction and centred on the NGP injection point. Pre-injection imaging results revealed high electrical conductivities (> 10 S/m) and negligible polarization effects in the BTEX-contaminated part of the saturated zone (below 5 m depth). The apparently contradictory observation - BTEX compounds are poor electrical conductors - can be explained by the release of carbonic acids (a metabolic by-product of the biodegradation of hydrocarbons), which leads to an increase of the electrical conductivity. Post-injection images revealed a significant decrease (> 50%) of the electrical conductivity, with even larger changes in the proximity of the injection points, most likely due to the relatively high resistivity of the NGP suspension. This is in line with geochemical data from both the injected NGP suspension and the groundwater samples. Furthermore, temporal changes in the IP images are consistent with variations in total iron concentration in groundwater (a proxy for the NGP concentration) as well as in situ groundwater parameters, such as pH and oxidation-reduction potential. Our results demonstrate the applicability of IP imaging for the real-time monitoring of nanoparticle injection, as well as of the accompanying geochemical changes. Part of this research is funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 309517.

Toxicity of food-relevant nanoparticles in intestinal epithelial models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCracken, Christie

Nanoparticles are increasingly being incorporated into common consumer products, including in foods and food packaging, for their unique properties at the nanoscale. Food-grade silica and titania are used as anti-caking and whitening agents, respectively, and these particle size distributions are composed of approximately one-third nanoparticles. Zinc oxide and silver nanoparticles can be used for their antimicrobial properties. However, little is known about the interactions of nanoparticles in the body upon ingestion. This study was performed to investigate the role of nanoparticle characteristics including surface chemistry, dissolution, and material type on toxicity to the intestinal epithelium. Only mild acute toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles was observed after 24-hour treatment of intestinal epithelial C2BBe1 cells based on the results of toxicity assays measuring necrosis, apoptosis, membrane damage, and mitochondrial activity. Silica and titanium dioxide nanoparticles were not observed to be toxic although all nanoparticles were internalized by cells. In vitro digestion of nanoparticles in solutions representing the stomach and intestines prior to treatment of cells did not alter nanoparticle toxicity. Long-term repeated treatment of cells weekly for 24 hours with nanoparticles did not change nanoparticle cytotoxicity or the growth rate of the treated cell populations. Thus, silica, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide nanoparticles were found to induce little toxicity in intestinal epithelial cells. Fluorescent silica nanoparticles were synthesized as a model for silica used in foods that could be tracked in vitro and in vivo. To maintain an exterior of pure silica, a silica shell was hydrolyzed around a core particle of quantum dots or a fluorescent dye electrostatically associated with a commercial silica particle. The quantum dots used were optimized from a previously reported microwave quantum dot synthesis to a quantum yield of 40%. Characterization of the silica particles showed that the surface properties resembled pure silica. These particles were able to be detected in vitro as well as in vivo after oral administration of nanoparticles to mice by gavage. After four daily administrations, nanoparticles were detected by fluorescence confocal microscopy in intestines as well as liver, kidney, spleen, lung, and brain. Thus, silica nanoparticles were able to traverse the intestinal epithelium. Further investigation is needed to determine nanoparticle accumulation and potential functional consequences throughout the body. Silver nanoparticles were particularly toxic to proliferating (subconfluent) C2BBe1 cells plated at low density, inducing 15% necrosis and a 76% decrease in mitochondrial activity. Silver nanoparticle treatment induced oxidative stress in cells based on increased GSH/GSSG ratios. In addition, silver nanoparticles induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and inhibited cell proliferation at doses forty times lower than those at which silica, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide nanoparticles had inhibitory effects. Silver nanoparticles subjected to in vitro digestion before cell exposure required higher doses to induce toxicity, likely due to slower dissolution because of greater surface species adsorption. Silver nanoparticles did not cause toxicity or oxidative stress in confluent (stationary) cells. Thus, upon ingestion, silver nanoparticles may be especially toxic to proliferating stem cells in intestinal crypts, particularly in disease states with a compromised epithelium.

Rhodamine bound maghemite as a long-term dual imaging nanoprobe of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells.

PubMed

Cmiel, Vratislav; Skopalik, Josef; Polakova, Katerina; Solar, Jan; Havrdova, Marketa; Milde, David; Justan, Ivan; Magro, Massimiliano; Starcuk, Zenon; Provaznik, Ivo

2017-07-01

In the last few years, magnetically labeled cells have been intensively explored, and non-invasive cell tracking and magnetic manipulation methods have been tested in preclinical studies focused on cell transplantation. For clinical applications, it is desirable to know the intracellular pathway of nanoparticles, which can predict their biocompatibility with cells and the long-term imaging properties of labeled cells. Here, we quantified labeling efficiency, localization, and fluorescence properties of Rhodamine derivatized superparamagnetic maghemite nanoparticles (SAMN-R) in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC). We investigated the stability of SAMN-R in the intracellular space during a long culture (20 days). Analyses were based on advanced confocal microscopy accompanied by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and magnetic resonance imaging. SAMN-R displayed excellent cellular uptake (24 h of labeling), and no toxicity of SAMN-R labeling was found. 83% of SAMN-R nanoparticles were localized in lysosomes, only 4.8% were found in mitochondria, and no particles were localized in the nucleus. On the basis of the MSC fluorescence measurement every 6 days, we also quantified the continual decrease of SAMN-R fluorescence in the average single MSC during 18 days. An additional set of analyses showed that the intracellular SAMN-R signal decrease was minimally caused by fluorophore degradation or nanoparticles extraction from the cells, main reason is a cell division. The fluorescence of SAMN-R nanoparticles within the cells was detectable minimally for 20 days. These observations indicate that SAMN-R nanoparticles have a potential for application in transplantation medicine.

Photoactivatable fluorescent probes reveal heterogeneous nanoparticle permeation through biological gels at multiple scales

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schuster, Benjamin S.; Allan, Daniel B.; Kays, Joshua C.

Diffusion through biological gels is crucial for effective drug delivery using nanoparticles. Here, we demonstrate a new method to measure diffusivity over a large range of length scales – from tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers – using photoactivatable fluorescent nanoparticle probes. We have applied this method to investigate the length-scale dependent mobility of nanoparticles in fibrin gels and in sputum from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Nanoparticles composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), with polyethylene glycol coatings to resist bioadhesion, were internally labeled with caged rhodamine to make the particles photoactivatable. We activated particles within a region of sample usingmore » brief, targeted exposure to UV light, uncaging the rhodamine and causing the particles in that region to become fluorescent. We imaged the subsequent spatiotemporal evolution in fluorescence intensity and observed the collective particle diffusion over tens of minutes and tens of micrometers. We also performed complementary multiple particle tracking experiments on the same particles, extending significantly the range over which particle motion and its heterogeneity can be observed. In fibrin gels, both methods showed an immobile fraction of particles and a mobile fraction that diffused over all measured length scales. In the CF sputum, particle diffusion was spatially heterogeneous and locally anisotropic but nevertheless typically led to unbounded transport extending tens of micrometers within tens of minutes. Lastly, these findings provide insight into the mesoscale architecture of these gels and its role in setting their permeability on physiologically relevant length scales, pointing toward strategies for improving nanoparticle drug delivery.« less

Bacterial exopolysaccharide based magnetic nanoparticles: a versatile nanotool for cancer cell imaging, targeted drug delivery and synergistic effect of drug and hyperthermia mediated cancer therapy.

PubMed

Sivakumar, Balasubramanian; Aswathy, Ravindran Girija; Sreejith, Raveendran; Nagaoka, Yutaka; Iwai, Seiki; Suzuki, Masashi; Fukuda, Takahiro; Hasumura, Takashi; Yoshida, Yasuhiko; Maekawa, Toru; Sakthikumar, Dasappan Nair

2014-06-01

Microbial exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are highly heterogeneous polymers produced by fungi and bacteria that have garnered considerable attention and have remarkable potential in various fields, including biomedical research. The necessity of biocompatible materials to coat and stabilize nanoparticles is highly recommended for successful application of the same in biomedical regime. In our study we have coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with two bacterial EPS-mauran (MR) and gellan gum (GG). The biocompatibility of EPS coated MNPs was enhanced and we have made it multifunctional by attaching targeting moiety, folate and with encapsulation of a potent anticancerous drug, 5FU. We have conjugated an imaging moiety along with nanocomposite to study the effective uptake of nanoparticles. It was also observed that the dye labeled folate targeted nanoparticles could effectively enter into cancer cells and the fate of nanoparticles was tracked with Lysotracker. The biocompatibility of EPS coated MNPs and synergistic effect of magnetic hyperthermia and drug for enhanced antiproliferation of cancer cells was also evaluated. More than 80% of cancer cells was killed within a period of 60 min when magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) was applied along with drug loaded EPS coated MNPs, thus signifying the combined effect of drug loaded MNPs and MHT. Our results suggests that MR and GG coated MNPs exhibited excellent biocompatibility with low cell cytotoxicity, high therapeutic potential, and superparamagnetic behavior that can be employed as prospective candidates for bacterial EPS based targeted drug delivery, cancer cell imaging and for MHT for killing cancer cells within short period of time.

Photoactivatable fluorescent probes reveal heterogeneous nanoparticle permeation through biological gels at multiple scales

DOE PAGES

Schuster, Benjamin S.; Allan, Daniel B.; Kays, Joshua C.; ...

2017-05-31

Diffusion through biological gels is crucial for effective drug delivery using nanoparticles. Here, we demonstrate a new method to measure diffusivity over a large range of length scales – from tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers – using photoactivatable fluorescent nanoparticle probes. We have applied this method to investigate the length-scale dependent mobility of nanoparticles in fibrin gels and in sputum from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Nanoparticles composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), with polyethylene glycol coatings to resist bioadhesion, were internally labeled with caged rhodamine to make the particles photoactivatable. We activated particles within a region of sample usingmore » brief, targeted exposure to UV light, uncaging the rhodamine and causing the particles in that region to become fluorescent. We imaged the subsequent spatiotemporal evolution in fluorescence intensity and observed the collective particle diffusion over tens of minutes and tens of micrometers. We also performed complementary multiple particle tracking experiments on the same particles, extending significantly the range over which particle motion and its heterogeneity can be observed. In fibrin gels, both methods showed an immobile fraction of particles and a mobile fraction that diffused over all measured length scales. In the CF sputum, particle diffusion was spatially heterogeneous and locally anisotropic but nevertheless typically led to unbounded transport extending tens of micrometers within tens of minutes. Lastly, these findings provide insight into the mesoscale architecture of these gels and its role in setting their permeability on physiologically relevant length scales, pointing toward strategies for improving nanoparticle drug delivery.« less

Hydrothermally derived nanoporous titanium dioxide nanorods/nanoparticles and their influence in dye-sensitized solar cell as a photoanode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajamanickam, Govindaraj; Narendhiran, Santhosh; Muthu, Senthil Pandian; Mukhopadhyay, Sumita; Perumalsamy, Ramasamy

2017-12-01

Titanium dioxide is a promising wide band gap semiconducting material for dye-sensitized solar cell. The poor electron transport properties still remain a challenge with conventional nanoparticles. Here, we synthesized TiO2 nanorods/nanoparticles by hydrothermal method to improve the charge transport properties. The structural and morphological information of the prepared nanorods/nanoparticles was analysed with X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy analysis, respectively. A high power conversion efficiency of 7.7% is achieved with nanorods/nanoparticles employed device under 100 mW/cm2. From the electrochemical impedance analysis, superior electron transport properties have been found for synthesized TiO2 nanorods/nanoparticles employed device than commercial P25 nanoparticles based device.

Merely Measuring the UV-Visible Spectrum of Gold Nanoparticles Can Change Their Charge State.

PubMed

Navarrete, Jose; Siefe, Chris; Alcantar, Samuel; Belt, Michael; Stucky, Galen D; Moskovits, Martin

2018-02-14

Metallic nanostructures exhibit a strong plasmon resonance at a wavelength whose value is sensitive to the charge density in the nanostructure, its size, shape, interparticle coupling, and the dielectric properties of its surrounding medium. Here we use UV-visible transmission and reflectance spectroscopy to track the shifts of the plasmon resonance in an array of gold nanoparticles buried under metal-oxide layers of varying thickness produced using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and then coated with bulk layers of one of three metals: aluminum, silver, or gold. A significant shift in the plasmon resonance was observed and a precise value of ω p , the plasmon frequency of the gold comprising the nanoparticles, was determined by modeling the composite of gold nanoparticles and metal-oxide layer as an optically homogeneous film of core-shell particles bounded by two substrates: one of quartz and the other being one of the aforementioned metals, then using a Maxwell-Garnett effective medium expression to extract ω p for the gold nanoparticles before and after coating with the bulk metals. Under illumination, the change in the charge density of the gold nanoparticles per particle determined from the change in the values of ω p is found to be some 50-fold greater than what traditional electrostatic contact electrification models compute based on the work function difference of the two conductive materials. Moreover, when using bulk gold as the capping layer, which should have resulted in a negligible charge exchange between the gold nanoparticles and the bulk gold, a significant charge transfer from the bulk gold layer to the nanoparticles was observed as with the other metals. We explain these observations in terms of the "plasmoelectric effect", recently described by Atwater and co-workers, in which the gold nanoparticles modify their charge density to allow their resonant wavelength to match that of the incident light, thereby achieving, a lower value of the chemical potential due to the entropy increase resulting from the conversion of the plasmon's energy to heat. We conclude that even the act of registering the spectrum of nanoparticles is at times sufficient to alter their charge densities and hence their UV-visible spectra.

Characterization of endogenous nanoparticles from roasted chicken breasts.

PubMed

Song, Xunyu; Cao, Lin; Cong, Shuang; Song, Yukun; Tan, Mingqian

2018-06-22

Emergence of endogenous nanoparticles in thermally processed food has aroused much attention due to their unique properties and potential biological impact. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of fluorescence nanoparticles in roasted chicken breasts, elemental composition, physico-chemical properties and their molecular interaction with human serum albumin (HSA). Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that the foodborne nanoparticles from roasted chicken were nearly spherical with an average particle size of 1.7 ± 0.4 nm. The elemental analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed the composition of nanoparticles as 47.4% C, 25.8% O and 26.1% N. The fluorescence of HSA was quenched by the nanoparticles following a static mode, and the molecular interaction of nanoparticles with HSA was spontaneous (ΔG°＜0), where hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces played an important role during HSA-nanoparticles complex stabilization through thermodynamic analysis by isothermal titration calorimetry. The principal location of the nanoparticles binding site on HSA was primarily in site I as determined by site-specific marker competition. The conformational of HSA was also changed and ɑ-helical structure decreased in the presence of nanoparticles. Our studies revealed that fluorescent nanoparticles were produced after roasting of chicken breast at 230 °C for 30 min for the first time. The obtained nanoparticles can interact with HSA in a spontaneous manner, thus providing valuable insight into foodborne NPs as well as their effects to human albumin protein.

Safer Nanomaterials and Nanomanufacturing

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-01

groups focused on the tracking and effects of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) within biological systems. Most of the research was conducted in Drosophila ...results, and we decided to shift our focus away from in vitro assays, towards studying the effect of AuNPs on adult Drosophila in vivo. In vivo...investigations of AuNP effects on adult Drosophila melanogaster In vivo effects of AuNPs on adult flies were tested for two routes of exposure

Gold Nanoparticle Contrast Agents in Mammography: A Feasibility Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-01

grid and allowed to dry for 6 hours prior to imaging. The grid was then imaged using a high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and the...9. Lasfargues EY , Coutinho WG, Redfield ES. Isolation of two human tumor epithelial cell lines from solid breast carcinomas. Journal of National...tissue [14]. These probes have also been used to track immune-stimulating cells implanted into cancer patients for treatment purposes. Targeted contrast

Advanced cell therapies: targeting, tracking and actuation of cells with magnetic particles.

PubMed

Connell, John J; Patrick, P Stephen; Yu, Yichao; Lythgoe, Mark F; Kalber, Tammy L

2015-01-01

Regenerative medicine would greatly benefit from a new platform technology that enabled measurable, controllable and targeting of stem cells to a site of disease or injury in the body. Superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles offer attractive possibilities in biomedicine and can be incorporated into cells, affording a safe and reliable means of tagging. This review describes three current and emerging methods to enhance regenerative medicine using magnetic particles to guide therapeutic cells to a target organ; track the cells using MRI and assess their spatial localization with high precision and influence the behavior of the cell using magnetic actuation. This approach is complementary to the systemic injection of cell therapies, thus expanding the horizon of stem cell therapeutics.

Labeling adipose derived stem cell sheet by ultrasmall super-paramagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles and magnetic resonance tracking in vivo.

PubMed

Zhou, Shukui; Yin, Ting; Zou, Qingsong; Zhang, Kaile; Gao, Guo; Shapter, Joseph G; Huang, Peng; Fu, Qiang

2017-02-21

Cell sheet therapy has emerged as a potential therapeutic option for reparation and reconstruction of damaged tissues and organs. However, an effective means to assess the fate and distribution of transplanted cell sheets in a serial and noninvasive manner is still lacking. To investigate the feasibility of tracking Adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) sheet in vivo using ultrasmall super-paramagnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (USPIO), canine ADSCs were cultured and incubated with USPIO and 0.75 μg/ml Poly-L-Lysine (PLL) for 12 h. Labeling efficiency, cell viability, apoptotic cell rate were assessed to screen the optimum concentrations of USPIO for best labeling ADSCs. The results showed ADSCs were labeled by USPIO at an iron dose of 50 μg/ml for a 12 h incubation time, which can most efficiently mark cells and did not impair the cell survival, self-renewal, and proliferation capacity. USPIO-labeled ADSCs sheets can be easily and clearly detected in vivo and have persisted for at least 12 weeks. Our experiment confirmed USPIO was feasible for in vivo labeling of the ADSCs sheets with the optimal concentration of 50 μg Fe/ml and the tracing time is no less than 12 weeks.

Visualization of Macrophage Recruitment to Inflammation Lesions using Highly Sensitive and Stable Radionuclide-Embedded Gold Nanoparticles as a Nuclear Bio-Imaging Platform

PubMed Central

Lee, Sang Bong; Lee, Ho Won; Singh, Thoudam Debraj; Li, Yinghua; Kim, Sang Kyoon; Cho, Sung Jin; Lee, Sang-Woo; Jeong, Shin Young; Ahn, Byeong-Cheol; Choi, Sangil; Lee, In-Kyu; Lim, Dong-Kwon; Lee, Jaetae; Jeon, Yong Hyun

2017-01-01

Reliable and sensitive imaging tools are required to track macrophage migration and provide a better understating of their biological roles in various diseases. Here, we demonstrate the possibility of radioactive iodide-embedded gold nanoparticles (RIe-AuNPs) as a cell tracker for nuclear medicine imaging. To demonstrate this utility, we monitored macrophage migration to carrageenan-induced sites of acute inflammation in living subjects and visualized the effects of anti-inflammatory agents on this process. Macrophage labeling with RIe-AuNPs did not alter their biological functions such as cell proliferation, phenotype marker expression, or phagocytic activity. In vivo imaging with positron-emission tomography revealed the migration of labeled macrophages to carrageenan-induced inflammation lesions 3 h after transfer, with highest recruitment at 6 h and a slight decline of radioactive signal at 24 h; these findings were highly consistent with the data of a bio-distribution study. Treatment with dexamethasone (an anti-inflammation drug) or GSK5182 (an ERRγ inverse agonist) hindered macrophage recruitment to the inflamed sites. Our findings suggest that a cell tracking strategy utilizing RIe-AuNPs will likely be highly useful in research related to macrophage-related disease and cell-based therapies. PMID:28382164

Design of quantum dot-conjugated lipids for long-term, high-speed tracking experiments on cell surfaces.

PubMed

Murcia, Michael J; Minner, Daniel E; Mustata, Gina-Mirela; Ritchie, Kenneth; Naumann, Christoph A

2008-11-12

The current study reports the facile design of quantum dot (QD)-conjugated lipids and their application to high-speed tracking experiments on cell surfaces. CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs with two types of hydrophilic coatings, 2-(2-aminoethoxy)ethanol (AEE) and a 60:40 molar mixture of 1,2-dipalmitoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1,2-dipalmitoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine- N-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol-2000], are conjugated to sulfhydryl lipids via maleimide reactive groups on the QD surface. Prior to lipid conjugation, the colloidal stability of both types of coated QDs in aqueous solution is confirmed using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. A sensitive assay based on single lipid tracking experiments on a planar solid-supported phospholipid bilayer is presented that establishes conditions of monovalent conjugation of QDs to lipids. The QD-lipids are then employed as single-molecule tracking probes in plasma membranes of several cell types. Initial tracking experiments at a frame rate of 30 frames/s corroborate that QD-lipids diffuse like dye-labeled lipids in the plasma membrane of COS-7, HEK-293, 3T3, and NRK cells, thus confirming monovalent labeling. Finally, QD-lipids are applied for the first time to high-speed single-molecule imaging by tracking their lateral mobility in the plasma membrane of NRK fibroblasts with up to 1000 frames/s. Our high-speed tracking data, which are in excellent agreement with previous tracking experiments that used larger (40 nm) Au labels, not only push the time resolution in long-time, continuous fluorescence-based single-molecule tracking but also show that highly photostable, photoluminescent nanoprobes of 10 nm size can be employed (AEE-coated QDs). These probes are also attractive because, unlike Au nanoparticles, they facilitate complex multicolor experiments.

Optimisation of Substrate Angles for Multi-material and Multi-functional Inkjet Printing.

PubMed

Vaithilingam, Jayasheelan; Saleh, Ehab; Wildman, Ricky D; Hague, Richard J M; Tuck, Christopher J

2018-06-13

Three dimensional inkjet printing of multiple materials for electronics applications are challenging due to the limited material availability, inconsistencies in layer thickness between dissimilar materials and the need to expose the printed tracks of metal nanoparticles to temperature above 100 °C for sintering. It is envisaged that instead of printing a dielectric and a conductive material on the same plane, by printing conductive tracks on an angled dielectric surface, the required number of silver layers and consequently, the exposure of the polymer to high temperature and the build time of the component can be significantly reduced. Conductive tracks printed with a fixed print height (FH) showed significantly better resolution for all angles than the fixed slope (FS) sample where the print height varied to maintain the slope length. The electrical resistance of the tracks remained under 10Ω up to 60° for FH; whereas for the FS samples, the resistance remained under 10Ω for samples up to 45°. Thus by fixing the print height to 4 mm, precise tracks with low resistance can be printed at substrate angles up to 60°. By adopting this approach, the build height "Z" can be quickly attained with less exposure of the polymer to high temperature.

Isolation and chemical analysis of nanoparticles from English ivy (Hedera helix L.)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lenaghan, Scott C; Burris, Jason N; Chourey, Karuna

It was discovered that adventitious roots of English ivy secreted a high strength adhesive containing uniform nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were hypothesized to be organic in nature. Subsequent studies have revealed several applications for these nanoparticles, but their chemical composition remained unknown. Here, we describe an isolation procedure to obtain gram quantities of ivy nanoparticles from adventitious roots. In addition, ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), elemental analysis, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and gel electrophoresis were conducted to identify the chemical nature of the ivy nanoparticles. Based on this comprehensive analysis, we conclude that the ivy nanoparticlesmore » are proteinaceous consisting of 51.77% carbon, 4.72% nitrogen, and 0.32% sulfur, without the presence of metals. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) based protein profiling revealed the presence of at least 6 proteins, including heat shock proteins and other large molecular weight proteins. Identification of these protein candidates will facilitate gene discovery and bioproduction of ivy nanoparticles.« less

Fast and background-free three-dimensional (3D) live-cell imaging with lanthanide-doped upconverting nanoparticles.

PubMed

Jo, Hong Li; Song, Yo Han; Park, Jinho; Jo, Eun-Jung; Goh, Yeongchang; Shin, Kyujin; Kim, Min-Gon; Lee, Kang Taek

2015-12-14

We report on the development of a three-dimensional (3D) live-cell imaging technique with high spatiotemporal resolution using lanthanide-doped upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs). It employs the sectioning capability of confocal microscopy except that the two-dimensional (2D) section images are acquired by wide-field epi-fluorescence microscopy. Although epi-fluorescence images are contaminated with the out-of-focus background in general, the near-infrared (NIR) excitation used for the excitation of UCNPs does not generate any autofluorescence, which helps to lower the background. Moreover, the image blurring due to defocusing was naturally eliminated in the image reconstruction process. The 3D images were used to investigate the cellular dynamics such as nuclear uptake and single-particle tracking that require 3D description.

Short-term exposure to gold nanoparticle suspension impairs swimming behavior in a widespread calanoid copepod.

PubMed

Michalec, François-Gaël; Holzner, Markus; Barras, Alexandre; Lacoste, Anne-Sophie; Brunet, Loïc; Lee, Jae-Seong; Slomianny, Christian; Boukherroub, Rabah; Souissi, Sami

2017-09-01

Calanoid copepods play an important role in the functioning of marine and brackish ecosystems. Information is scarce on the behavioral toxicity of engineered nanoparticles to these abundant planktonic organisms. We assessed the effects of short-term exposure to nonfunctionalized gold nanoparticles on the swimming behavior of the widespread estuarine copepod Eurytemora affinis. By means of three-dimensional particle tracking velocimetry, we reconstructed the trajectories of males, ovigerous and non-ovigerous females. We quantified changes in their swimming activity and in the kinematics and geometrical properties of their motion, three important descriptors of the motility patterns of zooplankters. In females, exposure to gold nanoparticles in suspension (11.4 μg L -1 ) for 30 min caused depressed activity and lower velocity and acceleration, whereas the same exposure caused minimal effects in males. This response differs clearly from the hyperactive behavior that is commonly observed in zooplankters exposed to pollutants, and from the generally lower sensitivity of female copepods to toxicants. Accumulation of gold nanoparticles on the external appendages was not observed, precluding mechanical effects. Only very few nanoparticles appeared sporadically in the inner part of the gut in some samples, either as aggregates or as isolated nanoparticles, which does not suggest systemic toxicity resulting from pronounced ingestion. Hence, the precise mechanisms underlying the behavioral toxicity observed here remain to be elucidated. These results demonstrate that gold nanoparticles can induce marked behavioral alterations at very low concentration and short exposure duration. They illustrate the applicability of swimming behavior as a suitable and sensitive endpoint for investigating the toxicity of nanomaterials present in estuarine and marine environments. Changes in swimming behavior may impair the ability of planktonic copepods to interact with their environment and with other organisms, with possible impacts on population dynamics and community structure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Researches on Tie Rod Ends Lubricated by Grease with TiO2 and ZrO2 Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wozniak, Marek; Siczek, Krzysztof; Kubiak, Przemysław; Jozwiak, Piotr; Siczek, Krystian

2018-05-01

The nanoparticles of some materials can be used successfully to improve tribological properties through decreasing both wear and friction borne out of contact between the contact surfaces of elements in different devices, particularly vehicles. Nanoparticles of TiO2 and ZrO2 were chosen as additives to the lithium grease lubricating the contact surfaces in tie rod ends. The object of study was the steel ball – the component of the tie rod end – mating with the polymer insert and lubricated with the pure lithium grease or containing the addition of pure TiO2, pure ZrO2 nanoparticles, with a 1%wt. Studies on friction were carried out using the tester allowing cyclical rotational motion and different loading of contact. Wear was investigated by driving a car, whose tie rod ends were analysed, on a fixed ‘eight’-shape track and with a fixed velocity pattern. The aim of the study was to obtain the values and waveforms of friction moment and wear versus cycles, loading and composition of lubricating grease. The waveforms of friction coefficient were obtained using the FEM model of the analysed contact zone. Based on the obtained waveforms, recommendations for the composition of additives for lithium grease were made.

Nanoparticle engineered TRAIL-overexpressing adipose-derived stem cells target and eradicate glioblastoma via intracranial delivery

PubMed Central

Jiang, Xinyi; Fitch, Sergio; Wang, Christine; Wilson, Christy; Li, Jianfeng; Grant, Gerald A.; Yang, Fan

2016-01-01

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most intractable of human cancers, principally because of the highly infiltrative nature of these neoplasms. Tracking and eradicating infiltrating GBM cells and tumor microsatellites is of utmost importance for the treatment of this devastating disease, yet effective strategies remain elusive. Here we report polymeric nanoparticle-engineered human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) overexpressing tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) as drug-delivery vehicles for targeting and eradicating GBM cells in vivo. Our results showed that polymeric nanoparticle-mediated transfection led to robust up-regulation of TRAIL in hADSCs, and that TRAIL-expressing hADSCs induced tumor-specific apoptosis. When transplanted in a mouse intracranial xenograft model of patient-derived glioblastoma cells, hADSCs exhibited long-range directional migration and infiltration toward GBM tumor. Importantly, TRAIL-overexpressing hADSCs inhibited GBM growth, extended survival, and reduced the occurrence of microsatellites. Repetitive injection of TRAIL-overexpressing hADSCs significantly prolonged animal survival compared with single injection of these cells. Taken together, our data suggest that nanoparticle-engineered TRAIL-expressing hADSCs exhibit the therapeutically relevant behavior of “seek-and-destroy” tumortropic migration and could be a promising therapeutic approach to improve the treatment outcomes of patients with malignant brain tumors. PMID:27849590

Dynamic imaging of a single gold nanoparticle in liquid irradiated by off-resonance femtosecond laser.

PubMed

Boutopoulos, Christos; Hatef, Ali; Fortin-Deschênes, Matthieu; Meunier, Michel

2015-07-21

Plasmonic nanoparticles can lead to extreme confinement of the light in the near field. This unique ability of plasmonic nanoparticles can be used to generate nanobubbles in liquid. In this work, we demonstrate with single-particle monitoring that 100 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) irradiated by off-resonance femtosecond (fs) laser in the tissue therapeutic optical window (λ = 800 nm), can act as a durable nanolenses in liquid and provoke nanocavitation while remaining intact. We have employed combined ultrafast shadowgraphic imaging, in situ dark field imaging and dynamic tracking of AuNP Brownian motion to ensure the study of individual AuNPs/nanolenses under multiple fs laser pulses. We demonstrate that 100 nm AuNPs can generate multiple, highly confined (radius down to 550 nm) and transient (life time < 50 ns) nanobubbles. The latter is of significant importance for future development of in vivo AuNP-assisted laser nanosurgery and theranostic applications, where AuNP fragmentation should be avoided to prevent side effects, such as cytotoxicity and immune system's response. The experimental results have been correlated with theoretical modeling to provide an insight to the AuNP-safe cavitation mechanism as well as to investigate the deformation mechanism of the AuNPs at high laser fluences.

Preparation, characterization and dynamical mechanical properties of dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (DIONPs).

PubMed

Can, Hatice Kaplan; Kavlak, Serap; ParviziKhosroshahi, Shahed; Güner, Ali

2018-03-01

Dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (DIONPs) with appropriate surface chemistry exhibit many interesting properties that can be exploited in a variety of biomedical applications such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast enhancement, tissue repair, hyperthermia, drug delivery and in cell separation. This paper reports the experimental detail for preparation, characterization and investigation of thermal and dynamical mechanical characteristics of the dextran-coated Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles. In our work, DIONPs were prepared in a 1:2 ratio of Fe(II) and Fe(III) salt in the HCl solution with NaOH at given temperature. The obtained dextran-coated iron-oxide nanoparticles structure-property correlation was characterized by spectroscopic methods; attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and XRD. Coating dextran on the iron-oxide proof of important peaks can be seen from the ATR-FTIR. Dramatic crystallinity increment can be observed from the XRD pattern of the iron-oxide dextran nanoparticles. The thermal analysis was examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Dynamical mechanical properties of dextran nanoparticles were analysed by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Thermal stability of the iron oxide dextran nanoparticles is higher than that of the dextran.

Nanoparticle exposure in animals can be visualized in the skin and analysed via skin biopsy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sykes, Edward A.; Dai, Qin; Tsoi, Kim M.; Hwang, David M.; Chan, Warren C. W.

2014-05-01

The increasing use of nanomaterials raises concerns about the long-term effects of chronic nanoparticle exposure on human health. However, nanoparticle exposure is difficult to evaluate non-invasively using current measurement techniques. Here we show that the skin is an important site of nanoparticle accumulation following systemic administration. Mice injected with high doses of gold nanoparticles have visibly blue skin while quantum dot-treated animals fluoresce under ultraviolet excitation. More importantly, elemental analysis of excised skin correlates with the injected dose and nanoparticle accumulation in the liver and spleen. We propose that skin analysis may be a simple strategy to quantify systemic nanoparticle exposure and predict nanoparticle fate in vivo. Our results suggest that in the future, dermal accumulation may also be exploited to trigger the release of ultraviolet and visible light-sensitive therapeutics that are currently impractical in vivo due to limits in optical penetration of tissues at these wavelengths.

Mechanistic approach to study conjugation of nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Uddin, Imran

2018-05-16

Interaction of nanoparticles with biological systems turns out to be vibrant for their efficient application in biomedical field. Here, we have shown antibiotic amakicin loaded nanoparticles are responsible for the dual role as reducing and stabilizing the silver nanoparticles without the use of any undesired chemicals. Synthesized nanoparticles are well-dispersed having quasi spherical morphology with an average particle size around 10-11 nm. Crystallinity of nanoparticles was measured using selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and powder XRD analysis which show that particles are perfectly crystalline with cubic phase of geometry. UV-Vis, FTIR and circular dichroism (CD) analysis explained the presence and interaction of antibiotic on the nanoparticle's surface. Amakicin functionalized Ag nanoparticles used in this study have shown enhanced antibacterial activity against E. coli. These studies will help in designing an in-depth understanding that how nanostructures can possibly interact with biological systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metagenomic analysis of microbial communities yields insight into impacts of nanoparticle design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metch, Jacob W.; Burrows, Nathan D.; Murphy, Catherine J.; Pruden, Amy; Vikesland, Peter J.

2018-01-01

Next-generation DNA sequencing and metagenomic analysis provide powerful tools for the environmentally friendly design of nanoparticles. Herein we demonstrate this approach using a model community of environmental microbes (that is, wastewater-activated sludge) dosed with gold nanoparticles of varying surface coatings and morphologies. Metagenomic analysis was highly sensitive in detecting the microbial community response to gold nanospheres and nanorods with either cetyltrimethylammonium bromide or polyacrylic acid surface coatings. We observed that the gold-nanoparticle morphology imposes a stronger force in shaping the microbial community structure than does the surface coating. Trends were consistent in terms of the compositions of both taxonomic and functional genes, which include antibiotic resistance genes, metal resistance genes and gene-transfer elements associated with cell stress that are relevant to public health. Given that nanoparticle morphology remained constant, the potential influence of gold dissolution was minimal. Surface coating governed the nanoparticle partitioning between the bioparticulate and aqueous phases.

Personalized nanomedicine advancements for stem cell tracking☆

PubMed Central

Janowski, Mirek; Bulte, Jeff W.M.; Walczak, Piotr

2012-01-01

Recent technological developments in biomedicine have facilitated the generation of data on the anatomical, physiological and molecular level for individual patients and thus introduces opportunity for therapy to be personalized in an unprecedented fashion. Generation of patient-specific stem cells exemplifies the efforts toward this new approach. Cell-based therapy is a highly promising treatment paradigm; however, due to the lack of consistent and unbiased data about the fate of stem cells in vivo, interpretation of therapeutic remains challenging hampering the progress in this field. The advent of nanotechnology with a wide palette of inorganic and organic nanostructures has expanded the arsenal of methods for tracking transplanted stem cells. The diversity of nanomaterials has revolutionized personalized nanomedicine and enables individualized tailoring of stem cell labeling materials for the specific needs of each patient. The successful implementation of stem cell tracking will likely be a significant driving force that will contribute to the further development of nanotheranostics. The purpose of this review is to emphasize the role of cell tracking using currently available nanoparticles. PMID:22820528

Simple SPION Incubation as an Efficient Intracellular Labeling Method for Tracking Neural Progenitor Cells Using MRI

PubMed Central

D. M., Jayaseema; Lai, Jiann-Shiun; Hueng, Dueng-Yuan; Chang, Chen

2013-01-01

Cellular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been well-established for tracking neural progenitor cells (NPC). Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) approved for clinical application are the most common agents used for labeling. Conventionally, transfection agents (TAs) were added with SPIONs to facilitate cell labeling because SPIONs in the native unmodified form were deemed inefficient for intracellular labeling. However, compelling evidence also shows that simple SPION incubation is not invariably ineffective. The labeling efficiency can be improved by prolonged incubation and elevated iron doses. The goal of the present study was to establish simple SPION incubation as an efficient intracellular labeling method. To this end, NPCs derived from the neonatal subventricular zone were incubated with SPIONs (Feridex®) and then evaluated in vitro with regard to the labeling efficiency and biological functions. The results showed that, following 48 hours of incubation at 75 µg/ml, nearly all NPCs exhibited visible SPION intake. Evidence from light microscopy, electron microscopy, chemical analysis, and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the effectiveness of the labeling. Additionally, biological assays showed that the labeled NPCs exhibited unaffected viability, oxidative stress, apoptosis and differentiation. In the demonstrated in vivo cellular MRI experiment, the hypointensities representing the SPION labeled NPCs remained observable throughout the entire tracking period. The findings indicate that simple SPION incubation without the addition of TAs is an efficient intracellular magnetic labeling method. This simple approach may be considered as an alternative approach to the mainstream labeling method that involves the use of TAs. PMID:23468856

A closed-loop system for frequency tracking of piezoresistive cantilever sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasisto, Hutomo Suryo; Zhang, Qing; Merzsch, Stephan; Waag, Andreas; Peiner, Erwin

2013-05-01

A closed loop circuit capable of tracking resonant frequencies for MEMS-based piezoresistive cantilever resonators is developed in this work. The proposed closed-loop system is mainly based on a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit. In order to lock onto the resonant frequency of the resonator, an actuation signal generated from a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is locked to the phase of the input reference signal of the cantilever sensor. In addition to the PLL component, an instrumentation amplifier and an active low pass filter (LPF) are connected to the system for gaining the amplitude and reducing the noise of the cantilever output signals. The LPF can transform a rectangular signal into a sinusoidal signal with voltage amplitudes ranging from 5 to 10 V which are sufficient for a piezoactuator input (i.e., maintaining a large output signal of the cantilever sensor). To demonstrate the functionality of the system, a self-sensing silicon cantilever resonator with a built-in piezoresistive Wheatstone bridge is fabricated and integrated with the circuit. A piezoactuator is utilized for actuating the cantilever into resonance. Implementation of this closed loop system is used to track the resonant frequency of a silicon cantilever-based sensor resonating at 9.4 kHz under a cross-sensitivity test of ambient temperature. The changes of the resonant frequency are interpreted using a frequency counter connected to the system. From the experimental results, the temperature sensitivity and coefficient of the employed sensor are 0.3 Hz/°C and 32.8 ppm/°C, respectively. The frequency stability of the system can reach up to 0.08 Hz. The development of this system will enable real-time nanoparticle monitoring systems and provide a miniaturization of the instrumentation modules for cantilever-based nanoparticle detectors.

Engineering nanoparticles to overcome barriers to immunotherapy

PubMed Central

Toy, Randall

2016-01-01

Abstract Advances in immunotherapy have led to the development of a variety of promising therapeutics, including small molecules, proteins and peptides, monoclonal antibodies, and cellular therapies. Despite this wealth of new therapeutics, the efficacy of immunotherapy has been limited by challenges in targeted delivery and controlled release, that is, spatial and temporal control on delivery. Particulate carriers, especially nanoparticles have been widely studied in drug delivery and vaccine research and are being increasingly investigated as vehicles to deliver immunotherapies. Nanoparticle‐mediated drug delivery could provide several benefits, including control of biodistribution and transport kinetics, the potential for site‐specific targeting, immunogenicity, tracking capability using medical imaging, and multitherapeutic loading. There are also a unique set of challenges, which include nonspecific uptake by phagocytic cells, off‐target biodistribution, permeation through tissue (transport limitation), nonspecific immune‐activation, and poor control over intracellular localization. This review highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between a nanoparticle's size, shape, charge, ligand density and elasticity to its vascular transport, biodistribution, cellular internalization, and immunogenicity. For the design of an effective immunotherapy, we highlight the importance of selecting a nanoparticle's physical characteristics (e.g., size, shape, elasticity) and its surface functionalization (e.g., chemical or polymer modifications, targeting or tissue‐penetrating peptides) with consideration of its reactivity to the targeted microenvironment (e.g., targeted cell types, use of stimuli‐sensitive biomaterials, immunogenicity). Applications of this rational nanoparticle design process in vaccine development and cancer immunotherapy are discussed. PMID:29313006

Development of an optofluidic SERS-based biomedical sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walton, Brian; Huang, Po-Jung; Kameoka, Jun; Deutz, Nicolaas; Coté, Gerard L.

2016-03-01

Rapid assessment of radiation exposure to sensitive organs like the gut is extremely important for large populations exposed to ionized radiation, for instance during warfare. Recent results have shown that plasma citrulline levels appear to track gut function after irradiation levels in mice and humans. The current ways to monitor blood citrulline levels are bulky, laborious, time-consuming and expensive methods. Therefore, an optofludic point-of-care (POC) system using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy to measure plasma citrulline as a marker for radiation exposure that overcomes the above issues is being developed. As a first step toward development of this system four colloidal nanoparticles, spherical gold, silver cubes, silica-gold nanoshells, and silver-gold nanocages have been analyzed for use in the POC system. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images have been taken of each nanoparticle to visualize the morphology of the nanoparticles, which is vital for SERS. Ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy was also collected to verify the extinction spectra for each nanoparticle was in resonance with the excitation wavelength. The nanoparticles were functionalized with mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA), a Raman reporter molecule, and SERS spectra were collected to determine which has better utility in a novel micro-to-nanochannel. The data showed that the silver nanocubes have a larger enhancement factor than the gold nanospheres, nanoshells, or nanocages. Currently, these nanocubes are being functionalized with the citulline for assessing the concentration sensitivity and dynamic range for ultimate use as a marker for radiation.

Whole body tracking of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle-labelled cells – a rheumatoid arthritis mouse model

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction The application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been made possible by the immunosuppressive and differentiation abilities of these cells. A non-invasive means of assessing cell integration and bio-distribution is fundamental in evaluating the risks and success of this therapy, thereby enabling clinical translation. This paper defines the use of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to image and track MSCs in vivo within a murine model of RA. Methods Murine MSCs (mMSCs) were isolated, expanded and labelled with SiMAG, a commercially available particle. In vitro MRI visibility thresholds were investigated by labelling mMSCs with SiMAG with concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 μg/ml and resuspending varying cell doses (103 to 5 × 105 cells) in 2 mg/ml collagen prior to MR-imaging. Similarly, in vivo detection thresholds were identified by implanting 3 × 105 mMSCs labelled with 0 to 10 μg/ml SiMAG within the synovial cavity of a mouse and MR-imaging. Upon RA induction, 300,000 mMSCs labelled with SiMAG (10 μg/ml) were implanted via intra-articular injection and joint swelling monitored as an indication of RA development over seven days. Furthermore, the effect of SiMAG on cell viability, proliferation and differentiation was investigated. Results A minimum particle concentration of 1 μg/ml (300,000 cells) and cell dose of 100,000 cells (5 and 10 μg/ml) were identified as the in vitro MRI detection threshold. Cell viability, proliferation and differentiation capabilities were not affected, with labelled populations undergoing successful differentiation down osteogenic and adipogenic lineages. A significant decrease (P < 0.01) in joint swelling was measured in groups containing SiMAG-labelled and unlabelled mMSCs implying that the presence of SPIONs does not affect the immunomodulating properties of the cells. In vivo MRI scans demonstrated good contrast and the identification of SiMAG-labelled populations within the synovial joint up to 7 days post implantation. This was further confirmed using histological analysis. Conclusions We have been able to monitor and track the migration of stem cell populations within the rheumatic joint in a non-invasive manner. This manuscript goes further to highlight the key characteristics (biocompatible and the ability to create significant contrast at realistic doses within a clinical relevant system) demonstrated by SiMAG that should be incorporated into the design of a new clinically approved tracking agent. PMID:24406201

In situ preparation of high relaxivity iron oxide nanoparticles by coating with chitosan: A potential MRI contrast agent useful for cell tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Zei-Tsan; Wang, Jen-Fei; Kuo, Hsiao-Yun; Shen, Chia-Rui; Wang, Jiun-Jie; Yen, Tzu-Chen

2010-01-01

Iron oxide nanocrystals are of considerable interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology because of their nanoscale dimensions, nontoxic nature, and superior magnetic properties. Colloidal solutions of magnetic nanoparticles (ferrofluids) with a high magnetite content are highly desirable for most molecular imaging applications. In this paper, we present a method for in situ coating of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) with chitosan in order to increase the content of magnetite. Iron chloride salts (Fe 3+ and Fe 2+) were directly coprecipitated inside a porous matrix of chitosan by Co-60 γ-ray irradiation in an aqueous solution of acetic acid. Following sonication, iron oxide nanoparticles were formed inside the chitosan matrix at a pH value of 9.5 and a temperature of 50 °C. The [Fe 3+]:[Fe 2+]:[NH 4OH] molar ratio was 1.6:1:15.8. The final ferrofluid was formed with a pH adjustment to approximately 2.0/3.0, alongside with the addition of mannitol and lactic acid. We subsequently characterized the particle size, the zeta potential, the iron concentration, the magnetic contrast, and the cellular uptake of our ferrofluid. Results showed a z-average diameter of 87.2 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.251, a zeta potential of 47.9 mV, and an iron concentration of 10.4 mg Fe/mL. The MRI parameters included an R1 value of 22.0 mM -1 s -1, an R2 value of 202.6 mM -1 s -1, and a R2/R1 ratio of 9.2. An uptake of the ferrofluid by mouse macrophages was observed. Altogether, our data show that Co-60 γ-ray radiation on solid chitosan may improve chitosan coating of iron oxide nanoparticles and tackle its aqueous solubility at pH 7. Additionally, our methodology allowed to obtain a ferrofluid with a higher content of magnetite and a fairly unimodal distribution of monodisperse clusters. Finally, MRI and cell experiments demonstrated the potential usefulness of this product as a potential MRI contrast agent that might be used for cell tracking.

Size distribution of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles using Warren-Averbach XRD analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahadevan, S.; Behera, S. P.; Gnanaprakash, G.; Jayakumar, T.; Philip, J.; Rao, B. P. C.

2012-07-01

We use the Fourier transform based Warren-Averbach (WA) analysis to separate the contributions of X-ray diffraction (XRD) profile broadening due to crystallite size and microstrain for magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The profile shape of the column length distribution, obtained from WA analysis, is used to analyze the shape of the magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. From the column length distribution, the crystallite size and its distribution are estimated for these nanoparticles which are compared with size distribution obtained from dynamic light scattering measurements. The crystallite size and size distribution of crystallites obtained from WA analysis are explained based on the experimental parameters employed in preparation of these magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The variation of volume weighted diameter (Dv, from WA analysis) with saturation magnetization (Ms) fits well to a core shell model wherein it is known that Ms=Mbulk(1-6g/Dv) with Mbulk as bulk magnetization of iron oxide and g as magnetic shell disorder thickness.

Nanotechnology: Threats and Deterrent Opportunities by 2035

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-17

engineering fields funded by governments and industries that have recognized its vast commercial potential. 15 “ What is interesting about nanotechnology is...sensors will give us and our enemies the ability to track people and their associates. This enables surveying what is known in the military as the Human...you to know what you’ve detected. Any one of these advances in nanoparticles and sensors,89 A nation, group or individual could use nanotaggants

Urine Exosome Isolation and Characterization.

PubMed

Street, Jonathan M; Koritzinsky, Erik H; Glispie, Deonna M; Yuen, Peter S T

2017-01-01

Exosomes are nanometer-scale, membrane-enclosed vesicles that can potentially be used to detect nephrotoxicity, and reveal the subsequent response of the kidney. Epithelial cells of every nephron segment can contribute to the urinary exosome population, which is rich in potential biomarkers, including membrane proteins such as transporters and receptors, transcription factors, and microRNAs. These exosomal biomarkers may be up- or downregulated upon nephrotoxicant exposure. Exosome isolation is an area of ongoing research. Although faster and simpler methods have been developed, ultracentrifugation remains a mainstay for purification. A single ultracentrifugation step provides an enriched preparation suitable for biomarker discovery, and a second ultracentrifugation on a sucrose/D 2 O cushion provides the purest exosome preparation currently available and may be preferred for bioactivity assays. The concentration of exosomes can be determined using Nanosight Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis and their contents studied with a variety of approaches including western blots for proteins and RT-qPCR for microRNAs.

Design of smart GE11-PLGA/PEG-PLGA blend nanoparticulate platforms for parenteral administration of hydrophilic macromolecular drugs: synthesis, preparation and in vitro/ex vivo characterization.

PubMed

Colzani, Barbara; Speranza, Giovanna; Dorati, Rossella; Conti, Bice; Modena, Tiziana; Bruni, Giovanna; Zagato, Elisa; Vermeulen, Lotte; Dakwar, George R; Braeckmans, Kevin; Genta, Ida

2016-09-25

Active drug targeting and controlled release of hydrophilic macromolecular drugs represent crucial points in designing efficient polymeric drug delivery nanoplatforms. In the present work EGFR-targeted polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) nanoparticles were made by a blend of two different PLGA-based polymers. The first, GE11-PLGA, in which PLGA was functionalized with GE11, a small peptide and EGFR allosteric ligand, able to give nanoparticles selective targeting features. The second polymer was a PEGylated PLGA (PEG-PLGA) aimed at improving nanoparticles hydrophilicity and stealth features. GE11 and GE11-PLGA were custom synthetized through a simple and inexpensive method. The nanoprecipitation technique was exploited for the preparation of polymeric nanoparticles composed by a 1:1weight ratio between GE11-PLGA and PEG-PLGA, obtaining smart nanoplatforms with proper size for parenteral administration (143.9±5.0nm). In vitro cellular uptake in EGFR-overexpressing cell line (A549) demonstrated an active internalization of GE11-functionalized nanoparticles. GE11-PLGA/PEG-PLGA blend nanoparticles were loaded with Myoglobin, a model hydrophilic macromolecule, reaching a good loading (2.42% respect to the theoretical 4.00% w/w) and a prolonged release over 60days. GE11-PLGA/PEG-PLGA blend nanoparticles showed good in vitro stability for 30days in physiological saline solution at 4°C and for 24h in pH 7.4 or pH 5.0 buffer at 37°C respectively, giving indications about potential storage and administration conditions. Furthermore ex vivo stability study in human plasma using fluorescence Single Particle Tracking (fSPT) assessed good GE11-PLGA/PEG-PLGA nanoparticles dimensional stability after 1 and 4h. Thanks to the versatility in polymeric composition and relative tunable nanoparticles features in terms of drug incorporation and release, GE11-PLGA/PEG-PLGA blend NPs can be considered highly promising as smart nanoparticulate platforms for the treatment of diseases characterized by EGFR overexpression by parenteral administration . Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of Capping Ligand and Synthesis Method on Structure and Morphology of Aqueous Phase Synthesized CuInSe2 Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ram Kumar, J.; Ananthakumar, S.; Moorthy Babu, S.

2017-01-01

A facile route to synthesize copper indium diselenide (CuInSe2) nanoparticles in aqueous medium was developed using mercaptoacetic acid (MAA) as capping agent. Two different mole ratios (5 and 10) of MAA were used to synthesize CuInSe2 nanoparticles at room temperature, as well as hydrothermal (high temperature) method. Powder x-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the nanoparticles exhibit chalcopyrite phase and the crystallinity increases with increasing the capping ratio. Raman analysis shows a strong band at 233 cm-1 due to the combination of B2 (E) modes. Broad absorption spectra were observed for the synthesized CuInSe2 nanoparticles. The effective surface capping by MAA on the nanoparticles surface was confirmed through attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis. The thermal stability of the synthesized samples was analyzed through thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry. The change in morphology of the synthesized samples was analyzed through scanning electron microscope and it shows that the samples prepared at room temperature are spherical in shape, whereas hydrothermally synthesized samples were found to have nanorod- and nanoflake-like structures. Transmission electron microscope analysis further indicates larger grains for the hydrothermally prepared samples with 10 mol ratio of MAA. Comparative analyses were made for synthesizing CuInSe2 nanoparticles by two different methods to explore the role of ligand and influence of temperature.

Industrial applications of nanoparticles.

PubMed

Stark, W J; Stoessel, P R; Wohlleben, W; Hafner, A

2015-08-21

Research efforts in the past two decades have resulted in thousands of potential application areas for nanoparticles - which materials have become industrially relevant? Where are sustainable applications of nanoparticles replacing traditional processing and materials? This tutorial review starts with a brief analysis on what makes nanoparticles attractive to chemical product design. The article highlights established industrial applications of nanoparticles and then moves to rapidly emerging applications in the chemical industry and discusses future research directions. Contributions from large companies, academia and high-tech start-ups are used to elucidate where academic nanoparticle research has revolutionized industry practice. A nanomaterial-focused analysis discusses new trends, such as particles with an identity, and the influence of modern instrument advances in the development of novel industrial products.

Gated Mesoporous Silica Nanocarriers for a "Two-Step" Targeted System to Colonic Tissue.

PubMed

González-Alvarez, Marta; Coll, Carmen; Gonzalez-Alvarez, Isabel; Giménez, Cristina; Aznar, Elena; Martínez-Bisbal, M Carmen; Lozoya-Agulló, Isabel; Bermejo, Marival; Martínez-Máñez, Ramón; Sancenón, Félix

2017-12-04

Colon targeted drug delivery is highly relevant not only to treat colonic local diseases but also for systemic therapies. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been demonstrated as useful systems for controlled drug release given their biocompatibility and the possibility of designing gated systems able to release cargo only upon the presence of certain stimuli. We report herein the preparation of three gated MSNs able to deliver their cargo triggered by different stimuli (redox ambient (S1), enzymatic hydrolysis (S2), and a surfactant or being in contact with cell membrane (S3)) and their performance in solution and in vitro with Caco-2 cells. Safranin O dye was used as a model drug to track cargo fate. Studies of cargo permeability in Caco-2 monolayers demonstrated that intracellular safranin O levels were significantly higher in Caco-2 monolayers when using MSNs compared to those of free dye. Internalization assays indicated that S2 nanoparticles were taken up by cells via endocytosis. S2 nanoparticles were selected for in vivo tests in rats. For in vivo assays, capsules were filled with S2 nanoparticles and coated with Eudragit FS 30 D to target colon. The enteric coated capsule containing the MSNs was able to deliver S2 nanoparticles in colon tissue (first step), and then nanoparticles were able to deliver safranin O inside the colonic cells after the enzymatic stimuli (second step). This resulted in high levels of safranin O in colonic tissue combined with low dye levels in plasma and body tissues. The results suggested that this combination of enzyme-responsive gated MSNs and enteric coated capsules may improve the absorption of drugs in colon to treat local diseases with a reduction of systemic effects.

Nanoparticles for antimicrobial purposes in Endodontics: A systematic review of in vitro studies.

PubMed

Samiei, Mohammad; Farjami, Afsaneh; Dizaj, Solmaz Maleki; Lotfipour, Farzaneh

2016-01-01

Antimicrobial nanoparticles with enhanced physiochemical properties have attracted attention as modern antimicrobials, especially in the complicated oral cavity environment. The goal of the present article is to review the current state of nanoparticles used for antimicrobial purposes in root canal infections. A review was conducted in electronic databases using MeSH keywords to identify relevant published literature in English. The analysis and eligibility criteria were documented according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis (PRISMA-guidelines). No restrictions on publication date were imposed. Data regarding root canal disinfections, general antimicrobial mechanisms of nanoparticles, type of nanoparticles as antimicrobial agent and antimicrobial effect of nanoparticles in endodontics were collected and subjected to descriptive data analysis. The literature search in electronic databases according to the inclusion criteria provided 83 titles and abstracts. Among them 15 papers were related to antimicrobial effect of nanoparticles in Endodontics. Silver nanoparticles with sustainable activity were the most studied agent for its antimicrobial behavior in root canal infection. Aided polymeric nanoparticles with photo or ultrasound, glass bioactive nanoparticles as well as Calcium derivative based nanoparticles, with improved activity in comparison with the non-nano counterparts, are of importance in infection control of dental root canal. Bioactive Non-organic nanoparticles with structural capabilities present enhanced antimicrobial activity in root canal infections. All included studies showed an enhanced or at least equal effect of nanoparticulate systems to combat dental root canal infections compared to conventional antimicrobial procedures. However, it is crucial to understand their shortcomings and their probable cellular effects and toxicity as well as environmental effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micro-Mirrors for Nanoscale Three-Dimensional Microscopy

PubMed Central

Seale, Kevin; Janetopoulos, Chris; Wikswo, John

2013-01-01

A research-grade optical microscope is capable of resolving fine structures in two-dimensional images. However, three-dimensional resolution, or the ability of the microscope to distinguish between objects lying above or below the focal plane from in-focus objects, is not nearly as good as in-plane resolution. In this issue of ACS Nano, McMahon et al. report the use of mirrored pyramidal wells with a conventional microscope for rapid, 3D localization and tracking of nanoparticles. Mirrors have been used in microscopy before, but recent work with MPWs is unique because it enables the rapid determination of the x-, y-, and z-position of freely diffusing nanoparticles and cellular nanostructures with unprecedented speed and spatial accuracy. As inexpensive tools for 3D visualization, mirrored pyramidal wells may prove to be invaluable aids in nanotechnology and engineering of nanomaterials. PMID:19309167

Biodegradable Photonic Melanoidin for Theranostic Applications.

PubMed

Lee, Min-Young; Lee, Changho; Jung, Ho Sang; Jeon, Mansik; Kim, Ki Su; Yun, Seok Hyun; Kim, Chulhong; Hahn, Sei Kwang

2016-01-26

Light-absorbing nanoparticles for localized heat generation in tissues have various biomedical applications in diagnostic imaging, surgery, and therapies. Although numerous plasmonic and carbon-based nanoparticles with strong optical absorption have been developed, their clearance, potential cytotoxicity, and long-term safety issues remain unresolved. Here, we show that "generally regarded as safe (GRAS)" melanoidins prepared from glucose and amino acid offer a high light-to-heat conversion efficiency, biocompatibility, biodegradability, nonmutagenicity, and efficient renal clearance, as well as a low cost for synthesis. We exhibit a wide range of biomedical photonic applications of melanoidins, including in vivo photoacoustic mapping of sentinel lymph nodes, photoacoustic tracking of gastrointestinal tracts, photothermal cancer therapy, and photothermal lipolysis. The biodegradation rate and renal clearance of melanoidins are controllable by design. Our results confirm the feasibility of biodegradable melanoidins for various photonic applications to theranostic nanomedicines.

Green synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticle using insulin plant (Costus pictus D. Don) and investigation of its antimicrobial as well as anticancer activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suresh, Joghee; Pradheesh, Ganeshan; Alexramani, Vincent; Sundrarajan, Mahalingam; Hong, Sun Ig

2018-03-01

In this work we aim to synthesize biocompatible ZnO nanoparticles from the zinc nitrate via green process using leaf extracts of the Costus pictus D. Don medicinal plant. FTIR studies confirm the presence of biomolecules and metal oxides. X-ray diffraction (XRD) structural analysis reveals the formation of pure hexagonal phase structures of ZnO nanoparticles. The surface morphologies of ZnO nanoparticles observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) suggest that most ZnO crystallites are hexagonal. EDX analysis confirms the presence of primarily zinc and oxygen. TEM images show that biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles are hexagonal and spherical. The plausible formation mechanisms of zinc oxide nanoparticles are also predicted. The biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles exhibit strong antimicrobial behavior against bacterial and fungal species when employing the agar diffusion method. Synthesized ZnO nanoparticles exhibit anticancer activity against Daltons lymphoma ascites (DLA) cells as well as antimicrobial activity against some bacterial and fungal strains.

Biogenic copper oxide nanoparticles synthesis using Tabernaemontana divaricate leaf extract and its antibacterial activity against urinary tract pathogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivaraj, Rajeshwari; Rahman, Pattanathu K. S. M.; Rajiv, P.; Salam, Hasna Abdul; Venckatesh, R.

2014-12-01

This investigation explains the biosynthesis and characterization of copper oxide nanoparticles from an Indian medicinal plant by an eco-friendly method. The main objective of this study is to synthesize copper oxide nanoparticles from Tabernaemontana divaricate leaves through a green chemistry approach. Highly stable, spherical copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by using 50% concentration of Tabernaemontana leaf extract. Formation of copper oxide nanoparticles have been characterized by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. All the analyses revealed that copper oxide nanoparticles were 48 ± 4 nm in size. Functional groups and chemical composition of copper oxide were also confirmed. Antimicrobial activity of biogenic copper oxide nanoparticles were investigated and maximum zone of inhibition was found in 50 μg/ml copper oxide nanoparticles against urinary tract pathogen (Escherichia coli).

Biosynthesis of cobalt oxide nanoparticles using endophytic fungus Aspergillus nidulans.

PubMed

Vijayanandan, Ajuy Sundar; Balakrishnan, Raj Mohan

2018-07-15

Metallic oxide nanoparticles have profound applications in electrochemical devices, supercapacitors, biosensors and batteries. Though four fungi were isolated from Nothapodytes foetida, Aspergillus nidulans was found to be suitable for synthesis of cobalt oxide nanoparticles, as it has proficient tolerance towards metal under study. The broth containing precursor solution and organism Aspergillus nidulans had changed from pink to orange indicating the formation of nanoparticles. Characterization by x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) confirmed the formation of spinel cobalt oxide nanoparticles at an average size of 20.29 nm in spherical shape with sulfur-bearing proteins acting as a capping agent for the synthesized nanoparticles. The nanoparticles could be applied in energy storage, as a specific capacitance of 389 F/g showed competence. The study was a greener attempt to synthesize cobalt oxide nanoparticles using endophytic fungus. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanoscale Zinc Oxide Particles for Improving the Physiological and Sanitary Quality of a Mexican Landrace of Red Maize

PubMed Central

Estrada-Urbina, Juan; Cruz-Alonso, Alejandro; Santander-González, Martha; Vázquez-Durán, Alma

2018-01-01

In this research, quasi-spherical-shaped zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized by a simple cost-competitive aqueous precipitation method. The engineered NPs were characterized using several validation methodologies: UV–Vis spectroscopy, diffuse reflection UV–Vis, spectrofluorometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection (ATR). A procedure was established to coat a landrace of red maize using gelatinized maize starch. Each maize seed was treated with 0.16 mg ZnO NPs (~7.7 × 109 particles). The standard germination (SG) and accelerated aging (AA) tests indicated that ZnO NP-treated maize seeds presented better physiological quality (higher percentage of normal seedlings) and sanitary quality (lower percentage of seeds contaminated by microorganisms) as compared to controls. The application of ZnO NPs also improved seedling vigor, correlated to shoot length, shoot diameter, root length, and number of secondary roots. Furthermore, shoots and roots of the ZnO NP-treated maize seeds showed a marked increment in the main active FTIR band areas, most notably for the vibrations associated with peptide-protein, lipid, lignin, polysaccharide, hemicellulose, cellulose, and carbohydrate. From these results, it is concluded that ZnO NPs have potential for applications in peasant agriculture to improve the quality of small-scale farmers’ seeds and, as a result, preserve germplasm resources. PMID:29673162

Integration of Nanoparticle-Based Paper Sensors into the Classroom: An Example of Application for Rapid Colorimetric Analysis of Antioxidants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharpe, Erica; Andreescu, Silvana

2015-01-01

We describe a laboratory experiment that employs the Nanoceria Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (or NanoCerac) Assay to introduce students to portable nanoparticle-based paper sensors for rapid analysis and field detection of polyphenol antioxidants. The experiment gives students a hands-on opportunity to utilize nanoparticle chemistry to develop…

Fabrication of Ni@Ti core-shell nanoparticles by modified gas aggregation source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanuš, J.; Vaidulych, M.; Kylián, O.; Choukourov, A.; Kousal, J.; Khalakhan, I.; Cieslar, M.; Solař, P.; Biederman, H.

2017-11-01

Ni@Ti core-shell nanoparticles were prepared by a vacuum based method using the gas aggregation source (GAS) of nanoparticles. Ni nanoparticles fabricated in the GAS were afterwards coated by a Ti shell. The Ti shell was deposited by means of magnetron sputtering. The Ni nanoparticles were decelerated in the vicinity of the magnetron to the Ar drift velocity in the second deposition chamber. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis of the nanoparticles showed the core-shell structure. It was shown that the thickness of the shell can be easily tuned by the process parameters with a maximum achieved thickness of the Ti shell ~2.5 nm. The core-shell structure was confirmed by the STEM analysis of the particles.

The effects of fuel type in synthesis of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles by microwave assisted combustion method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karcıoğlu Karakaş, Zeynep; Boncukçuoğlu, Recep; Karakaş, İbrahim H.

2016-04-01

In this study, it was investigated the effects of the used fuels on structural, morphological and magnetic properties of nanoparticles in nanoparticle synthesis with microwave assisted combustion method with an important method in quick, simple and low cost at synthesis of the nanoparticles. In this aim, glycine, urea and citric acid were used as fuel, respectively. The synthesised nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller surface area (BET), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) techniques. We observed that fuel type is quite effective on magnetic properties and surface properties of the nanoparticles. X-ray difractograms of the obtained nanoparticles were compared with standard powder diffraction cards of NiFe2O4 (JCPDS Card Number 54-0964). The results demonstrated that difractograms are fully compatible with standard reflection peaks. According to the results of the XRD analysis, the highest crystallinity was observed at nanoparticles synthesized with glycine. The results demonstrated that the nanoparticles prepared with urea has the highest surface area. The micrographs of SEM showed that all of the nanoparticles have nano-crystalline behaviour and particles indication cubic shape. VSM analysis demonstrated that the type of fuel used for synthesis is highly effective a parameter on magnetic properties of nanoparticles.

Formation of aggregated nanoparticle spheres through femtosecond laser surface processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsubaki, Alfred T.; Koten, Mark A.; Lucis, Michael J.; Zuhlke, Craig; Ianno, Natale; Shield, Jeffrey E.; Alexander, Dennis R.

2017-10-01

A detailed structural and chemical analysis of a class of self-organized surface structures, termed aggregated nanoparticle spheres (AN-spheres), created using femtosecond laser surface processing (FLSP) on silicon, silicon carbide, and aluminum is reported in this paper. AN-spheres are spherical microstructures that are 20-100 μm in diameter and are composed entirely of nanoparticles produced during femtosecond laser ablation of material. AN-spheres have an onion-like layered morphology resulting from the build-up of nanoparticle layers over multiple passes of the laser beam. The material properties and chemical composition of the AN-spheres are presented in this paper based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam (FIB) milling, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. There is a distinct difference in the density of nanoparticles between concentric rings of the onion-like morphology of the AN-sphere. Layers of high-density form when the laser sinters nanoparticles together and low-density layers form when nanoparticles redeposit while the laser ablates areas surrounding the AN-sphere. The dynamic nature of femtosecond laser ablation creates a variety of nanoparticles that make-up the AN-spheres including Si/C core-shell, nanoparticles that directly fragmented from the base material, nanoparticles with carbon shells that retarded oxidation, and amorphous, fully oxidized nanoparticles.

Spectral dependence of fluorescence near plasmon resonant metal nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yeechi

The optical properties of fluorophores are significantly modified when placed within the near field (0--100 nm) of plasmon resonant metal nanostructures, due to the competition between increased decay rates and "hotspots" of concentrated electric fields. The decay rates and effective electric field intensities are highly dependent on the relative position of dye and metal and the overlap between plasmon resonance and dye absorption and emission. Understanding these dependencies can greatly improve the performance of biosensing and nanophotonic devices. In this dissertation, the fluorescence intensity of organic dyes and CdSe quantum dots near single metal nanoparticles is studied as a function of the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the nanoparticle. Single metal nanoparticles have narrow, well-defined, intense local surface plasmon resonances that are tunable across the visible spectrum by changes in size and shape. First, we show that organic dyes can be self-assembled on single silver nanoprisms into known configurations by the hybridization of thiolated DNA oligomers. We correlate the fluorescence intensity of the dyes to the LSPR of the individual nanoprism to which they are attached. For each of three different organic dyes, we observe a strong correlation between the fluorescence intensity of the dye and the degree of spectral overlap with the plasmon resonance of the nanoparticle. On average, we observe the brightest fluorescence from dyes attached to metal nanoparticles that have a LSPR scattering peak 40--120 meV higher in energy than the emission peak of the fluorophore. Second, the plasmon-enhanced fluorescence from CdSe/CdS/CdZnS/ZnS core/shell quantum dots is studied near a variety of silver and gold nanoparticles. With single-particle scattering spectroscopy, the localized surface plasmon resonance spectra of single metal nanoparticles is correlated with the photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of the nearby quantum dots. The PLE spectra closely track the scattering spectra of the metal nanoparticles. By taking advantage of the ability to excite quantum dots across a wide range of wavelengths while detecting a single emission wavelength, we measure an excitation enhancement factor for single metal nanoparticles. The data also provide a calculation of a lower-bound of experimentally attainable enhancement factors solely due to increased near-field excitation. This factor was found to range from ˜3 to 10 for Au spheres, Ag cubes and Ag nanoprisms.

Gold nanoparticle-cell labeling methodology for tracking stem cells within the brain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betzer, Oshra; Meir, Rinat; Motiei, Menachem; Yadid, Gal; Popovtzer, Rachela

2017-02-01

Cell therapy provides a promising approach for diseases and injuries that conventional therapies cannot cure effectively. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be used as effective targeted therapy, as they exhibit homing capabilities to sites of injury and inflammation, exert anti-inflammatory effects, and can differentiate in order to regenerate damaged tissue. Despite the potential efficacy of cell therapy, applying cell-based therapy in clinical practice is very challenging; there is a need to uncover the mystery regarding the fate of the transplanted cells. Therefore, in this study, we developed a method for longitudinal and quantitative in vivo cell tracking, based on the superior visualization abilities of classical X-ray computed tomography (CT), and combined with gold nanoparticles as labeling agents. We applied this technique for non-invasive imaging of MSCs transplanted in a rat model for depression, a highly prevalent and disabling neuropsychiatric disorder lacking effective treatment. Our results, which demonstrate that cell migration could be detected as early as 24 hours and up to one month post-transplantation, revealed that MSCs specifically navigated and homed to distinct depression related brain regions. This research further reveals that cell therapy is a beneficial approach for treating neuropsychiatric disorders; Behavioral manifestations of core symptoms of depressive behavior, were significantly attenuated following treatment. We expect This CT-based technique to lead to a significant enhancement in cellular therapy both for basic research and clinical applications of brain pathologies.

Intracellular dynamics and fate of polystyrene nanoparticles in A549 Lung epithelial cells monitored by image (cross-) correlation spectroscopy and single particle tracking.

PubMed

Deville, Sarah; Penjweini, Rozhin; Smisdom, Nick; Notelaers, Kristof; Nelissen, Inge; Hooyberghs, Jef; Ameloot, Marcel

2015-10-01

Novel insights in nanoparticle (NP) uptake routes of cells, their intracellular trafficking and subcellular targeting can be obtained through the investigation of their temporal and spatial behavior. In this work, we present the application of image (cross-) correlation spectroscopy (IC(C)S) and single particle tracking (SPT) to monitor the intracellular dynamics of polystyrene (PS) NPs in the human lung carcinoma A549 cell line. The ensemble kinetic behavior of NPs inside the cell was characterized by temporal and spatiotemporal image correlation spectroscopy (TICS and STICS). Moreover, a more direct interpretation of the diffusion and flow detected in the NP motion was obtained by SPT by monitoring individual NPs. Both techniques demonstrate that the PS NP transport in A549 cells is mainly dependent on microtubule-assisted transport. By applying spatiotemporal image cross-correlation spectroscopy (STICCS), the correlated motions of NPs with the early endosomes, late endosomes and lysosomes are identified. PS NPs were equally distributed among the endolysosomal compartment during the time interval of the experiments. The cotransport of the NPs with the lysosomes is significantly larger compared to the other cell organelles. In the present study we show that the complementarity of ICS-based techniques and SPT enables a consistent elaborate model of the complex behavior of NPs inside biological systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biosynthesis of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles using Pichia fermentans JA2 and their antimicrobial property

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauhan, Ritika; Reddy, Arpita; Abraham, Jayanthi

2015-01-01

The development of eco-friendly alternative to chemical synthesis of metal nanoparticles is of great challenge among researchers. The present study aimed to investigate the biological synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial study and synergistic effect of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles against clinical pathogens using Pichia fermentans JA2. The extracellular biosynthesis of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles was investigated using Pichia fermentans JA2 isolated from spoiled fruit pulp bought in Vellore local market. The crystalline and stable metallic nanoparticles were characterized evolving several analytical techniques including UV-visible spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction pattern analysis and FE-scanning electron microscope with EDX-analysis. The biosynthesized metallic nanoparticles were tested for their antimicrobial property against medically important Gram positive, Gram negative and fungal pathogenic microorganisms. Furthermore, the biosynthesized nanoparticles were also evaluated for their increased antimicrobial activities with various commercially available antibiotics against clinical pathogens. The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles inhibited most of the Gram negative clinical pathogens, whereas zinc oxide nanoparticles were able to inhibit only Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The combined effect of standard antibiotic disc and biosynthesized metallic nanoparticles enhanced the inhibitory effect against clinical pathogens. The biological synthesis of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles is a novel and cost-effective approach over harmful chemical synthesis techniques. The metallic nanoparticles synthesized using Pichia fermentans JA2 possess potent inhibitory effect that offers valuable contribution to pharmaceutical associations.

Application of Magnetic Nanoparticles in Pretreatment Device for POPs Analysis in Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Dongzhi; Kong, Xiangfeng; Wu, Bingwei; Fan, Pingping; Cao, Xuan; Zhang, Ting

2018-01-01

In order to reduce process time and labour force of POPs pretreatment, and solve the problem that extraction column was easily clogged, the paper proposed a new technology of extraction and enrichment which used magnetic nanoparticles. Automatic pretreatment system had automatic sampling unit, extraction enrichment unit and elution enrichment unit. The paper briefly introduced the preparation technology of magnetic nanoparticles, and detailly introduced the structure and control system of automatic pretreatment system. The result of magnetic nanoparticles mass recovery experiments showed that the system had POPs analysis preprocessing capability, and the recovery rate of magnetic nanoparticles were over 70%. In conclusion, the author proposed three points optimization recommendation.

Cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activities of green synthesized silver nanoparticles.

PubMed

Lokina, S; Stephen, A; Kaviyarasan, V; Arulvasu, C; Narayanan, V

2014-04-09

Bio-inspired silver nanoparticles are synthesized using Malus domestica (apple) extract. Polyphenols present in the apple extract act as a reducing and capping agent to produce the silver nanoparticles. UV-Visible analysis shows the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption at 420 nm. The FTIR analysis was used to identify the functional groups responsible for the bio-reduction of silver ion. The XRD and HRTEM images confirm the formation of silver nanoparticles. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of silver nanoparticles was recorded against most of the bacteria and fungus. Further, MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma cancer cell line was employed to observe the efficacy of cancer cell killing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Tracking single membrane targets of human autoantibodies using single nanoparticle imaging.

PubMed

Jézéquel, Julie; Dupuis, Julien P; Maingret, François; Groc, Laurent

2018-04-21

Over the past decade, an increasing number of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases have been associated with the expression of autoantibodies directed against neuronal targets, including neurotransmitter receptors. Although cell-based assays are routinely used in clinics to detect the presence of immunoglobulins, such tests often provide heterogeneous outcomes due to their limited sensitivity, especially at low titers. Thus, there is an urging need for new methods allowing the detection of autoantibodies in seropositive patients that cannot always be clinically distinguished from seronegative ones. Here we make a case for single nanoparticle imaging approaches as a highly sensitive antibody detection assay. Through high-affinity interactions between functionalized nanoparticles and autoantibodies that recognize extracellular domains of membrane neuronal targets, single nanoparticle imaging allows a live surface staining of transmembrane proteins and gives access to their surface dynamics. We show here that this method is well-suited to detect low titers of purified immunoglobulin G (IgG) from first-episode psychotic patients and demonstrate that these IgG target glutamatergic N-Methyl-d-Aspartate receptors (NMDAR) in live hippocampal neurons. The molecular behaviors of targeted membrane receptors were indistinguishable from those of endogenous GluN1 NMDAR subunit and were virtually independent of the IgG concentration present in the sample contrary to classical cell-based assays. Single nanoparticle imaging emerges as a real-time sensitive method to detect IgG directed against neuronal surface proteins, which could be used as an additional step to rule out ambiguous seropositivity diagnoses. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A fiery birth of aluminosilica analogs of refractory dust in the upper stratosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rietmeijer, F. J. M.; Ferrari, M.; Della Corte, V.; Rotundi, A.; Palumbo, P.; De Angelis, S.; Galluzzi, V.

2017-11-01

Following a successful dust collection flight in the upper stratosphere our DUSTER (Dust in the Upper Stratosphere Tracking Experiment and Retrieval) made a safe remote landing at its assigned location on Baffin Island during early June 2009. When the balloon payload that included DUSTER was retrieved it was found part of the payload had experienced a lithium-sparked fire while the payload was being dragged across the landing site. In this process the housing of DUSTER had developed a pin-sized hole that allowed smoke of the fire to enter the collector. Numerous smoke particles were found covering both the DUSTER collection and blank collector surfaces an indication that our experiment to collect upper stratospheric dust had failed! Both collector surfaces were covered by numerous carbon smoke and amorphous, aluminosilica nanoparticles. The compositions of vast majority of these aluminosilica nanoparticles, Al2O3 = 49 wt% and SiO2 = 51 wt%, was both surprising and unique because it was an exact match of the Deep Metastable Eutectic (DME) nanoparticles found in vapor phase condensation experiments. These vapor phase condensation experiments were conducted to explore the formation of extraterrestrial dust particles. We are not claiming an extraterrestrial origin for these particles from this DUSTER experiment. We submit that given the appropriate conditions of high temperature alumina and silica vapors and rapid quenching in a contained natural environment, DME aluminosilica nanoparticles will likely condense. This serendipitous result can be used to explore nanoparticle formation inside incandescent clouds associated with bolides and fireballs.

TrackMate: An open and extensible platform for single-particle tracking.

PubMed

Tinevez, Jean-Yves; Perry, Nick; Schindelin, Johannes; Hoopes, Genevieve M; Reynolds, Gregory D; Laplantine, Emmanuel; Bednarek, Sebastian Y; Shorte, Spencer L; Eliceiri, Kevin W

2017-02-15

We present TrackMate, an open source Fiji plugin for the automated, semi-automated, and manual tracking of single-particles. It offers a versatile and modular solution that works out of the box for end users, through a simple and intuitive user interface. It is also easily scriptable and adaptable, operating equally well on 1D over time, 2D over time, 3D over time, or other single and multi-channel image variants. TrackMate provides several visualization and analysis tools that aid in assessing the relevance of results. The utility of TrackMate is further enhanced through its ability to be readily customized to meet specific tracking problems. TrackMate is an extensible platform where developers can easily write their own detection, particle linking, visualization or analysis algorithms within the TrackMate environment. This evolving framework provides researchers with the opportunity to quickly develop and optimize new algorithms based on existing TrackMate modules without the need of having to write de novo user interfaces, including visualization, analysis and exporting tools. The current capabilities of TrackMate are presented in the context of three different biological problems. First, we perform Caenorhabditis-elegans lineage analysis to assess how light-induced damage during imaging impairs its early development. Our TrackMate-based lineage analysis indicates the lack of a cell-specific light-sensitive mechanism. Second, we investigate the recruitment of NEMO (NF-κB essential modulator) clusters in fibroblasts after stimulation by the cytokine IL-1 and show that photodamage can generate artifacts in the shape of TrackMate characterized movements that confuse motility analysis. Finally, we validate the use of TrackMate for quantitative lifetime analysis of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in plant cells. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chrysopogon zizanioides aqueous extract mediated synthesis, characterization of crystalline silver and gold nanoparticles for biomedical applications

PubMed Central

Arunachalam, Kantha D; Annamalai, Sathesh Kumar

2013-01-01

The exploitation of various plant materials for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles is considered a green technology as it does not involve any harmful chemicals. The aim of this study was to develop a simple biological method for the synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles using Chrysopogon zizanioides. To exploit various plant materials for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles was considered a green technology. An aqueous leaf extract of C. zizanioides was used to synthesize silver and gold nanoparticles by the bioreduction of silver nitrate (AgNO3) and chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) respectively. Water-soluble organics present in the plant materials were mainly responsible for reducing silver or gold ions to nanosized Ag or Au particles. The synthesized silver and gold nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The kinetics decline reactions of aqueous silver/gold ion with the C. zizanioides crude extract were determined by UV-visible spectroscopy. SEM analysis showed that aqueous gold ions, when exposed to the extract were reduced and resulted in the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles in the size range 20–50 nm. This eco-friendly approach for the synthesis of nanoparticles is simple, can be scaled up for large-scale production with powerful bioactivity as demonstrated by the synthesized silver nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles can have clinical use as antibacterial, antioxidant, as well as cytotoxic agents and can be used for biomedical applications. PMID:23861583

Biodegradable Magnetic Particles for Cellular MRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nkansah, Michael Kwasi

Cell transplantation has the potential to treat numerous diseases and injuries. While magnetic particle-enabled, MRI-based cell tracking has proven useful for visualizing the location of cell transplants in vivo, current formulations of particles are either too weak to enable single cell detection or have non-degradable polymer matrices that preclude clinical translation. Furthermore, the off-label use of commercial agents like Feridex®, Bangs beads and ferumoxytol for cell tracking significantly stunts progress in the field, rendering it needlessly susceptible to market externalities. The recent phasing out of Feridex from the market, for example, heightens the need for a dedicated agent specifically designed for MRI-based cell tracking. To this end, we engineered clinically viable, biodegradable particles of iron oxide made using poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and demonstrated their utility in two MRI-based cell tracking paradigms in vivo. Both micro- and nanoparticles (2.1±1.1 μm and 105±37 nm in size) were highly magnetic (56.7-83.7 wt% magnetite), and possessed excellent relaxometry (r2* relaxivities as high as 614.1 s-1mM-1 and 659.1 s -1mM-1 at 4.7 T respectively). Magnetic PLGA micropartides enabled the in vivo monitoring of neural progenitor cell migration to the olfactory bulb in rat brains over 2 weeks at 11.7 T with ˜2-fold greater contrast-to-noise ratio and ˜4-fold better sensitivity at detecting migrated cells in the olfactory bulb than Bangs beads. Highly magnetic PLGA nanoparticles enabled MRI detection (at 11.7 T) of up to 10 rat mesenchymal cells transplanted into rat brain at 100-μm resolution. Highly magnetic PLGA particles were also shown to degrade by 80% in mice liver over 12 weeks in vivo. Moreover, no adverse effects were observed on cellular viability and function in vitro after labeling a wide range of cells. Magnetically labeled rat mesenchymal and neural stem cells retained their ability to differentiate into multiple lineages. Particle-labeled bone marrow-derived mouse macrophages exhibited little to no immune response to particles and were still capable of normal TNF-α and IL-6 release upon stimulation by lipopolysaccharide. Minimal generation of reactive oxygen species was observed in mouse macrophages and embryonic fibroblasts labeled with particles. In addition, magnetic particles of cellulose and chitin (69.6 wt% and 52 wt% magnetite) were fabricated as more bioresponsive agents that could potentially relay richer information on cellular fate in vivo and enable sophisticated immunocellular investigations via MRI. Magnetic cellulose particles showed a 63% increase in r2 relaxivity and 15% increase in r2* relaxivity upon degradation by cellulase in vitro, consistent with theoretical predictions of relaxometry in the static dephasing regime for a particle of reduced size. Magnetofluorescent chitin nanoparticles efficiently labeled rat peripheral blood monocytes in vitro (72% labeling efficiency) with little adverse effect on viability (92% viability). This thesis describes the first clinically translatable agent specifically designed for MRI-based cell tracking with immediate implications for preclinical investigations in (stem) cell therapy.

A high-throughput label-free nanoparticle analyser.

PubMed

Fraikin, Jean-Luc; Teesalu, Tambet; McKenney, Christopher M; Ruoslahti, Erkki; Cleland, Andrew N

2011-05-01

Synthetic nanoparticles and genetically modified viruses are used in a range of applications, but high-throughput analytical tools for the physical characterization of these objects are needed. Here we present a microfluidic analyser that detects individual nanoparticles and characterizes complex, unlabelled nanoparticle suspensions. We demonstrate the detection, concentration analysis and sizing of individual synthetic nanoparticles in a multicomponent mixture with sufficient throughput to analyse 500,000 particles per second. We also report the rapid size and titre analysis of unlabelled bacteriophage T7 in both salt solution and mouse blood plasma, using just ~1 × 10⁻⁶ l of analyte. Unexpectedly, in the native blood plasma we discover a large background of naturally occurring nanoparticles with a power-law size distribution. The high-throughput detection capability, scalable fabrication and simple electronics of this instrument make it well suited for diverse applications.

Green Chemistry Approach for the Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using the Fungus Alternaria sp.

PubMed

Dhanasekar, Naresh Niranjan; Rahul, Ganga Ravindran; Narayanan, Kannan Badri; Raman, Gurusamy; Sakthivel, Natarajan

2015-07-01

The synthesis of gold nanoparticles has gained tremendous attention owing to their immense applications in the field of biomedical sciences. Although several chemical procedures are used for the synthesis of nanoparticles, the release of toxic and hazardous by-products restricts their use in biomedical applications. In the present investigation, gold nanoparticles were synthesized biologically using the culture filtrate of the filamentous fungus Alternaria sp. The culture filtrate of the fungus was exposed to three different concentrations of chloroaurate ions. In all cases, the gold ions were reduced to Au(0), leading to the formation of stable gold nanoparticles of variable sizes and shapes. UV-Vis spectroscopy analysis confirmed the formation of nanoparticles by reduction of Au(3+) to Au(0). TEM analysis revealed the presence of spherical, rod, square, pentagonal, and hexagonal morphologies for 1 mM chloroaurate solution. However, quasi-spherical and spherical nanoparticles/heart-like morphologies with size range of about 7-13 and 15-18 nm were observed for lower molar concentrations of 0.3 and 0.5 mM gold chloride solution, respectively. The XRD spectrum revealed the face-centered cubic crystals of synthesized gold nanoparticles. FT-IR spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of aromatic primary amines, and the additional SPR bands at 290 and 230 nm further suggested that the presence of amino acids such as tryptophan/tyrosine or phenylalanine acts as the capping agent on the synthesized mycogenic gold nanoparticles.

Not all that glitters is gold-Electron microscopy study on uptake of gold nanoparticles in Daphnia magna and related artifacts.

PubMed

Jensen, Louise Helene Søgaard; Skjolding, Lars Michael; Thit, Amalie; Sørensen, Sara Nørgaard; Købler, Carsten; Mølhave, Kristian; Baun, Anders

2017-06-01

Increasing use of engineered nanoparticles has led to extensive research into their potential hazards to the environment and human health. Cellular uptake from the gut is sparsely investigated, and microscopy techniques applied for uptake studies can result in misinterpretations. Various microscopy techniques were used to investigate internalization of 10-nm gold nanoparticles in Daphnia magna gut lumen and gut epithelial cells following 24-h exposure and outline potential artifacts (i.e., high-contrast precipitates from sample preparation related to these techniques). Light sheet microscopy confirmed accumulation of gold nanoparticles in the gut lumen. Scanning transmission electron microscopy and elemental analysis revealed gold nanoparticles attached to the microvilli of gut cells. Interestingly, the peritrophic membrane appeared to act as a semipermeable barrier between the lumen and the gut epithelium, permitting only single particles through. Structures resembling nanoparticles were also observed inside gut cells. Elemental analysis could not verify these to be gold, and they were likely artifacts from the preparation, such as osmium and iron. Importantly, gold nanoparticles were found inside holocrine cells with disrupted membranes. Thus, false-positive observations of nanoparticle internalization may result from either preparation artifacts or mistaking disrupted cells for intact cells. These findings emphasize the importance of cell integrity and combining elemental analysis with the localization of internalized nanoparticles using transmission electron microscopy. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1503-1509. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Antimicrobial Activities of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized by Using Water Extract of Arnicae anthodium.

PubMed

Dobrucka, Renata; Długaszewska, Jolanta

2015-06-01

Green synthesis of nanoparticles has gained significant importance in recent years and has become the one of the most preferred methods. Also, green synthesis of nanoparticles is valuable branch of nanotechnology. Plant extracts are eco-friendly and can be an economic option for synthesis of nanoparticles. This study presents method the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using water extract of Arnicae anthodium. Formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by UV-visble spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis. The morphology of the synthesized silver nanoparticles was verified by SEM-EDS. The obtained silver nanoparticles were used to study their antimicrobial activity.

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles by endosymbiont Pseudomonas fluorescens CA 417 and their bactericidal activity.

PubMed

Syed, Baker; M N, Nagendra Prasad; B L, Dhananjaya; K, Mohan Kumar; S, Yallappa; S, Satish

2016-12-01

The present study emphasizes on biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their bactericidal activity against human and phytopathogens. Nanoparticle synthesis was performed using endosymbiont Pseudomonas fluorescens CA 417 inhabiting Coffea arabica L. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using hyphenated spectroscopic techniques such as UV-vis spectroscopy which revealed maximum absorption 425nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed the possible functional groups mediating and stabilizing silver nanoparticles with predominant peaks occurring at 3346 corresponding to hydroxyl group, 1635 corresponding carbonyl group and 680 to aromatic group. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the Bragg's diffraction pattern with distinct peaks at 38° 44°, 64° and 78° revealing the face-centered cubic (fcc) metallic crystal corresponding to the (111), (200), (220) and (311) facets of the crystal planes at 2θ angle. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed presence of high intense absorption peak at 3keV is a typical characteristic of nano-crystalline silver which confirmed the presence of elemental silver. TEM analysis revealed the size of the nanoparticles to be in the range 5-50nm with polydisperse nature of synthesized nanoparticles bearing myriad shapes. The particle size determined by Dynamic light scattering (DLS) method revealed average size to be 20.66nm. The synthesized silver nanoparticles exhibited significant antibacterial activity against panel of test pathogens. The results showed Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 7407) and Xanthomonas campestris to be more sensitive among the test human pathogen and phyto-pathogen respectively. The study also reports synergistic effect of silver nanoparticles in combination with kanamycin which displayed increased fold activity up to 58.3% against Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 7407). The results of the present investigation are promising enough and attribute towards growing scientific knowledge on development of new antimicrobial agents to combat drug resistant microorganisms. The study provides insight on emerging role of endophytes towards reduction of metal salts to synthesize nanoparticles. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of Railroad Design Methods, Track Response Models, and Evaluation Methods for Military Railroads.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-03-01

economically justified. For main lines, access tracks, heavy traffic tracks, and tracks where the de- sign train speed is greater than 40 mph, TM 5... analysis 35. The beam-on-elastic-foundation model is the key to the AREA design procedure. Kerr in "Problems and Needs in Track Structure Design and... Analysis " (Kerr 1977) presents an outline of the development of this model for analysis of track structures. The fundamental differential equation which

Magnetic Particle / Magnetic Resonance Imaging: In-Vitro MPI-Guided Real Time Catheter Tracking and 4D Angioplasty Using a Road Map and Blood Pool Tracer Approach.

PubMed

Salamon, Johannes; Hofmann, Martin; Jung, Caroline; Kaul, Michael Gerhard; Werner, Franziska; Them, Kolja; Reimer, Rudolph; Nielsen, Peter; Vom Scheidt, Annika; Adam, Gerhard; Knopp, Tobias; Ittrich, Harald

2016-01-01

In-vitro evaluation of the feasibility of 4D real time tracking of endovascular devices and stenosis treatment with a magnetic particle imaging (MPI) / magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) road map approach and an MPI-guided approach using a blood pool tracer. A guide wire and angioplasty-catheter were labeled with a thin layer of magnetic lacquer. For real time MPI a custom made software framework was developed. A stenotic vessel phantom filled with saline or superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MM4) was equipped with bimodal fiducial markers for co-registration in preclinical 7T MRI and MPI. In-vitro angioplasty was performed inflating the balloon with saline or MM4. MPI data were acquired using a field of view of 37.3×37.3×18.6 mm3 and a frame rate of 46 volumes/sec. Analysis of the magnetic lacquer-marks on the devices were performed with electron microscopy, atomic absorption spectrometry and micro-computed tomography. Magnetic marks allowed for MPI/MRI guidance of interventional devices. Bimodal fiducial markers enable MPI/MRI image fusion for MRI based roadmapping. MRI roadmapping and the blood pool tracer approach facilitate MPI real time monitoring of in-vitro angioplasty. Successful angioplasty was verified with MPI and MRI. Magnetic marks consist of micrometer sized ferromagnetic plates mainly composed of iron and iron oxide. 4D real time MP imaging, tracking and guiding of endovascular instruments and in-vitro angioplasty is feasible. In addition to an approach that requires a blood pool tracer, MRI based roadmapping might emerge as a promising tool for radiation free 4D MPI-guided interventions.

Isolation and chemical analysis of nanoparticles from English ivy (Hedera helix L.)

PubMed Central

Lenaghan, Scott C.; Burris, Jason N.; Chourey, Karuna; Huang, Yujian; Xia, Lijin; Lady, Belinda; Sharma, Ritin; Pan, Chongle; LeJeune, Zorabel; Foister, Shane; Hettich, Robert L.; Stewart, C. Neal; Zhang, Mingjun

2013-01-01

Bio-inspiration for novel adhesive development has drawn increasing interest in recent years with the discovery of the nanoscale morphology of the gecko footpad and mussel adhesive proteins. Similar to these animal systems, it was discovered that English ivy (Hedera helix L.) secretes a high strength adhesive containing uniform nanoparticles. Recent studies have demonstrated that the ivy nanoparticles not only contribute to the high strength of this adhesive, but also have ultraviolet (UV) protective abilities, making them ideal for sunscreen and cosmetic fillers, and may be used as nanocarriers for drug delivery. To make these applications a reality, the chemical nature of the ivy nanoparticles must be elucidated. In the current work, a method was developed to harvest bulk ivy nanoparticles from an adventitious root culture system, and the chemical composition of the nanoparticles was analysed. UV/visible spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and electrophoresis were used in this study to identify the chemical nature of the ivy nanoparticles. Based on this analysis, we conclude that the ivy nanoparticles are proteinaceous. PMID:23883948

Real-time cellular and molecular dynamics of bi-metallic self-therapeutic nanoparticle in cancer cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vishwakarma, Sandeep Kumar; Bardia, Avinash; Lakkireddy, Chandrakala; Paspala, Syed Ameer Basha; Habeeb, Md. Aejaz; Khan, Aleem Ahmed

2018-02-01

Since last decades various kinds of nanoparticles have been functionalized to improve their biomedical applications. However, the biological effect of un-modified/non-functionalized bi-metallic magnetic nanoparticles remains under investigated. Herein we demonstrate a multifaceted non-functionalized bi-metallic inorganic Gd-SPIO nanoparticle which passes dual high MRI contrast and can kill the cancer cells through several mechanisms. The results of the present study demonstrate that Gd-SPIO nanoparticles have potential to induce cancer cell death by production of reactive oxygen species and apoptotic events. Furthermore, Gd-SPIO nanoparticles also enhance the expression levels of miRNA-199a and miRNA-181a-7p which results in decreased levels of cancer markers such as C-met, TGF-β and hURP. One very interesting finding of this study reveals side scatter-based real-time analysis of nanoparticle uptake in cancer cells using flow cytometry analysis. In conclusion, this study paves a way for future investigation of un-modified inorganic nanoparticles to purport enhanced therapeutic effect in combination with potential anti-tumor drugs/molecules in cancer cells.

Inhibition effects of protein-conjugated amorphous zinc sulfide nanoparticles on tumor cells growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Ying; Wang, Hua-Jie; Cao, Cui; Sun, Yuan-Yuan; Yang, Lin; Wang, Bao-Qing; Zhou, Jian-Guo

2011-07-01

In this article, a facile and environmentally friendly method was applied to fabricate BSA-conjugated amorphous zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the matrix. Transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated that the stable and well-dispersed nanoparticles with the diameter of 15.9 ± 2.1 nm were successfully prepared. The energy dispersive X-ray, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrograph, high resolution transmission electron microscope, and selected area electron diffraction measurements showed that the obtained nanoparticles had the amorphous structure and the coordination occurred between zinc sulfide surfaces and BSA in the nanoparticles. In addition, the inhibition effects of BSA-conjugated amorphous zinc sulfide nanoparticles on tumor cells growth were described in detail by cell viability analysis, optical and electron microscopy methods. The results showed that BSA-conjugated amorphous zinc sulfide nanoparticles could inhibit the metabolism and proliferation of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and the inhibition was dose dependent. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 0.36 mg/mL. Overall, this study suggested that BSA-conjugated amorphous zinc sulfide nanoparticles had the application potential as cytostatic agents and BSA in the nanoparticles could provide the modifiable site for the nanoparticles to improve their bioactivity or to endow them with the target function.

Computer-aided target tracking in motion analysis studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdick, Dominic C.; Marcuse, M. L.; Mislan, J. D.

1990-08-01

Motion analysis studies require the precise tracking of reference objects in sequential scenes. In a typical situation, events of interest are captured at high frame rates using special cameras, and selected objects or targets are tracked on a frame by frame basis to provide necessary data for motion reconstruction. Tracking is usually done using manual methods which are slow and prone to error. A computer based image analysis system has been developed that performs tracking automatically. The objective of this work was to eliminate the bottleneck due to manual methods in high volume tracking applications such as the analysis of crash test films for the automotive industry. The system has proven to be successful in tracking standard fiducial targets and other objects in crash test scenes. Over 95 percent of target positions which could be located using manual methods can be tracked by the system, with a significant improvement in throughput over manual methods. Future work will focus on the tracking of clusters of targets and on tracking deformable objects such as airbags.

Inverse supercritical fluid extraction as a sample preparation method for the analysis of the nanoparticle content in sunscreen agents.

PubMed

Müller, David; Cattaneo, Stefano; Meier, Florian; Welz, Roland; de Vries, Tjerk; Portugal-Cohen, Meital; Antonio, Diana C; Cascio, Claudia; Calzolai, Luigi; Gilliland, Douglas; de Mello, Andrew

2016-04-01

We demonstrate the use of inverse supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction as a novel method of sample preparation for the analysis of complex nanoparticle-containing samples, in our case a model sunscreen agent with titanium dioxide nanoparticles. The sample was prepared for analysis in a simplified process using a lab scale supercritical fluid extraction system. The residual material was easily dispersed in an aqueous solution and analyzed by Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AF4) hyphenated with UV- and Multi-Angle Light Scattering detection. The obtained results allowed an unambiguous determination of the presence of nanoparticles within the sample, with almost no background from the matrix itself, and showed that the size distribution of the nanoparticles is essentially maintained. These results are especially relevant in view of recently introduced regulatory requirements concerning the labeling of nanoparticle-containing products. The novel sample preparation method is potentially applicable to commercial sunscreens or other emulsion-based cosmetic products and has important ecological advantages over currently used sample preparation techniques involving organic solvents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of drying conditions on crystallinity of amylose nanoparticles prepared by nanoprecipitation.

PubMed

Yan, Xiaoxia; Chang, Yanjiao; Wang, Qian; Fu, Youjia; Zhou, Jiang

2017-04-01

In this study, amylose nanoparticles prepared by nanoprecipitation were dried at different conditions. The crystalline structure, crystallinity, re-dispersibility and morphological characteristic of the amylose nanoparticles after drying were investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the V-type crystalline structure of the amylose nanoparticles formed in the drying process instead of the precipitation process, and drying condition significantly affects the crystallinity. The temperature cycles drying at 4°C and 40°C considerably increased crystallinity of the amylose nanoparticles, 24h (4/40°C, 12h/12h) drying under 11% relative humidity could give rise to a crystallinity up to 50.05%. The applied drying procedures had no obvious effect on the appearance of the amylose nanoparticles. The Z average-size (d. nm) and polydispersity index (PDI) obtained from dynamic light scattering analysis suggested that the drying processes caused some aggregates, but the dried amylose nanoparticles could be well dispersed in water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Highly Sensitive NiO Nanoparticle based Chlorine Gas Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arif, Mohd.; Sanger, Amit; Singh, Arun

2018-03-01

We have synthesized a chemiresistive sensor for chlorine (Cl2) gas in the range of 2-200 ppm based on nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles obtained by wet chemical synthesis. The nanoparticles were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. XRD spectra of the sensing layer revealed the cubic phase of NiO nanoparticles. The NiO nanoparticle size was calculated to be ˜ 21 nm using a Williamson-Hall plot. The bandgap of the NiO nanoparticles was found to be 3.13 eV using Tauc plots of the absorbance curve. Fast response time (12 s) and optimum recovery time (˜ 27 s) were observed for 10 ppm Cl2 gas at moderate temperature of 200°C. These results demonstrate the potential application of NiO nanoparticles for fabrication of highly sensitive and selective sensors for Cl2 gas.

Extracellular vesicles mediate signaling between the aqueous humor producing and draining cells in the ocular system

PubMed Central

Lerner, Natalie; Avissar, Sofia

2017-01-01

Purpose Canonical Wnt signaling is associated with glaucoma pathogenesis and intraocular pressure (IOP) regulation. Our goal was to gain insight into the influence of non-pigmented ciliary epithelium (NPCE)-derived exosomes on Wnt signaling by trabecular meshwork (TM) cells. The potential impact of exosomes on Wnt signaling in the ocular drainage system remains poorly understood. Methods Exosomes isolated from media collected from cultured NPCE cells by differential ultracentrifugation were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS), and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), sucrose density gradient migration and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The cellular target specificity of the NPCE-derived exosomes was investigated by confocal microscopy-based monitoring of the uptake of DiD-labeled exosomes over time, as compared to uptake by various cell lines. Changes in Wnt protein levels in TM cells induced by NPCE exosomes were evaluated by Western blot. Results Exosomes derived from NPCE cells were purified and detected as small rounded 50–140 nm membrane vesicles, as defined by DLS, NTA, TRPS and TEM. Western blot analysis indicated that the nanovesicles were positive for classic exosome markers, including Tsg101 and Alix. Isolated nanoparticles were found in sucrose density fractions typical of exosomes (1.118–1.188 g/mL sucrose). Using confocal microscopy, we demonstrated time-dependent specific accumulation of the NPCE-derived exosomes in NTM cells. Other cell lines investigated hardly revealed any exosome uptake. We further showed that exosomes induced changes in Wnt signaling protein expression in the TM cells. Western blot analysis further revealed decreased phosphorylation of GKS3β and reduced β-catenin levels. Finally, we found that treatment of NTM cells with exosomes resulted in a greater than 2-fold decrease in the level of β-catenin in the cytosolic fraction. In contrast, no remarkable difference in the amount of β-catenin in the nuclear fraction was noted, relative to the control. Conclusions The data suggest that NPCE cells release exosome-like vesicles and that these nanoparticles affect canonical Wnt signaling in TM cells. These findings may have therapeutic relevance since canonical Wnt pathway is involved in intra-ocular pressure regulation. Further understanding of NPCE-derived exosome-responsive signaling pathways may reveal new targets for pharmacological intervention within the drainage system as a target for glaucoma therapy. PMID:28241021

Extracellular vesicles mediate signaling between the aqueous humor producing and draining cells in the ocular system.

PubMed

Lerner, Natalie; Avissar, Sofia; Beit-Yannai, Elie

2017-01-01

Canonical Wnt signaling is associated with glaucoma pathogenesis and intraocular pressure (IOP) regulation. Our goal was to gain insight into the influence of non-pigmented ciliary epithelium (NPCE)-derived exosomes on Wnt signaling by trabecular meshwork (TM) cells. The potential impact of exosomes on Wnt signaling in the ocular drainage system remains poorly understood. Exosomes isolated from media collected from cultured NPCE cells by differential ultracentrifugation were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS), and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), sucrose density gradient migration and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The cellular target specificity of the NPCE-derived exosomes was investigated by confocal microscopy-based monitoring of the uptake of DiD-labeled exosomes over time, as compared to uptake by various cell lines. Changes in Wnt protein levels in TM cells induced by NPCE exosomes were evaluated by Western blot. Exosomes derived from NPCE cells were purified and detected as small rounded 50-140 nm membrane vesicles, as defined by DLS, NTA, TRPS and TEM. Western blot analysis indicated that the nanovesicles were positive for classic exosome markers, including Tsg101 and Alix. Isolated nanoparticles were found in sucrose density fractions typical of exosomes (1.118-1.188 g/mL sucrose). Using confocal microscopy, we demonstrated time-dependent specific accumulation of the NPCE-derived exosomes in NTM cells. Other cell lines investigated hardly revealed any exosome uptake. We further showed that exosomes induced changes in Wnt signaling protein expression in the TM cells. Western blot analysis further revealed decreased phosphorylation of GKS3β and reduced β-catenin levels. Finally, we found that treatment of NTM cells with exosomes resulted in a greater than 2-fold decrease in the level of β-catenin in the cytosolic fraction. In contrast, no remarkable difference in the amount of β-catenin in the nuclear fraction was noted, relative to the control. The data suggest that NPCE cells release exosome-like vesicles and that these nanoparticles affect canonical Wnt signaling in TM cells. These findings may have therapeutic relevance since canonical Wnt pathway is involved in intra-ocular pressure regulation. Further understanding of NPCE-derived exosome-responsive signaling pathways may reveal new targets for pharmacological intervention within the drainage system as a target for glaucoma therapy.

Thiolated chitosan nanoparticles for enhancing oral absorption of docetaxel: preparation, in vitro and ex vivo evaluation.

PubMed

Saremi, Shahrooz; Atyabi, Fatemeh; Akhlaghi, Seyedeh Parinaz; Ostad, Seyed Nasser; Dinarvand, Rassoul

2011-01-12

The aim of this study was to prepare and evaluate mucoadhesive core-shell nanoparticles based on copolymerization of thiolated chitosan coated on poly methyl methacrylate cores as a carrier for oral delivery of docetaxel. Docetaxel-loaded nanoparticles with various concentrations were prepared via a radical emulsion polymerization method using cerium ammonium nitrate as an initiator. The physicochemical properties of the obtained nanoparticles were characterized by: dynamic light-scattering analysis for their mean size, size distribution, and zeta potential; scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy for surface morphology; and differential scanning calorimetry analysis for confirmation of molecular dispersity of docetaxel in the nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were spherical with mean diameter below 200 nm, polydispersity of below 0.15, and positive zeta potential values. The entrapment efficiency of the nanoparticles was approximately 90%. In vitro release studies showed a sustained release characteristic for 10 days after a burst release at the beginning. Ex vivo studies showed a significant increase in the transportation of docetaxel from intestinal membrane of rat when formulated as nanoparticles. Cellular uptake of nanoparticles was investigated using fluoresceinamine-loaded nanoparticles. Docetaxel nanoparticles showed a high cytotoxicity effect in the Caco-2 and MCF-7 cell lines after 72 hours. It can be concluded that by combining the advantages of both thiolated polymers and colloidal particles, these nanoparticles can be proposed as a drug carrier system for mucosal delivery of hydrophobic drugs.

Thiolated chitosan nanoparticles for enhancing oral absorption of docetaxel: preparation, in vitro and ex vivo evaluation

PubMed Central

Saremi, Shahrooz; Atyabi, Fatemeh; Akhlaghi, Seyedeh Parinaz; Ostad, Seyed Nasser; Dinarvand, Rassoul

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to prepare and evaluate mucoadhesive core-shell nanoparticles based on copolymerization of thiolated chitosan coated on poly methyl methacrylate cores as a carrier for oral delivery of docetaxel. Docetaxel-loaded nanoparticles with various concentrations were prepared via a radical emulsion polymerization method using cerium ammonium nitrate as an initiator. The physicochemical properties of the obtained nanoparticles were characterized by: dynamic light-scattering analysis for their mean size, size distribution, and zeta potential; scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy for surface morphology; and differential scanning calorimetry analysis for confirmation of molecular dispersity of docetaxel in the nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were spherical with mean diameter below 200 nm, polydispersity of below 0.15, and positive zeta potential values. The entrapment efficiency of the nanoparticles was approximately 90%. In vitro release studies showed a sustained release characteristic for 10 days after a burst release at the beginning. Ex vivo studies showed a significant increase in the transportation of docetaxel from intestinal membrane of rat when formulated as nanoparticles. Cellular uptake of nanoparticles was investigated using fluoresceinamine-loaded nanoparticles. Docetaxel nanoparticles showed a high cytotoxicity effect in the Caco-2 and MCF-7 cell lines after 72 hours. It can be concluded that by combining the advantages of both thiolated polymers and colloidal particles, these nanoparticles can be proposed as a drug carrier system for mucosal delivery of hydrophobic drugs. PMID:21289989

Biocompatible polyurethane/thiacalix[4]arenes functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposites: Synthesis and properties.

PubMed

Mohammadi, Abbas; Barikani, Mehdi; Lakouraj, Moslem Mansour

2016-09-01

In this study, a series of magnetic polyurethane/Fe3O4 elastomer nanocomposites were prepared by covalently embedding novel thiacalix[4]arenes (TC4As) functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles (TC4As-Fe3O4) which contain macrocycles with reactive hydroxyl groups. Surface functionalization of Fe3O4 nanoparticles with TC4As macrocycles as unique reactive surface modifier not only gives specific characteristics to Fe3O4 nanoparticles but also improves the interphase interaction between nanoparticles and the polyurethane matrices through covalent attachment of polymer chains to nanoparticle surfaces. The novel synthesized TC4As-Fe3O4 nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR, XRD, TGA, VSM and SEM analysis. Furthermore, the effect of functionalization of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the various properties of resulting nanocomposites was studied by XRD, TGA, DMTA, SEM, and a universal tensile tester. It was found that the functionalization of nanoparticles with TC4As affords better mechanical and thermal properties to polyurethane nanocomposites in comparison with unmodified nanoparticles. The SEM analysis showed finer dispersion of TC4As-Fe3O4 nanoparticles than unmodified Fe3O4 nanoparticles within the polyurethane matrices, which arising from formation of covalent bonding between TC4As functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles and polyurethane matrices. Moreover, the investigation of in vitro biocompatibility of novel nanocomposites showed that these samples are excellent candidate for biomedical use. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetic field enhanced cell uptake efficiency of magnetic silica mesoporous nanoparticles.

PubMed

Liu, Qian; Zhang, Jixi; Xia, Weiliang; Gu, Hongchen

2012-06-07

The advantages of using magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (M-MSNs) in biomedical applications have been widely recognized. However, poor uptake efficiency may hinder the potential of M-MSNs in many applications, such as cell tracking, drug delivery, fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging. An external magnetic field may improve the cellular uptake efficiency. In this paper, we evaluated the effect of a magnetic field on the uptake of M-MSNs. We found that the internalization of M-MSNs by A549 cancer cells could be accelerated and enhanced by a magnetic field. An endocytosis study indicated that M-MSNs were internalized by A549 cells mainly through an energy-dependent pathway, namely clathrin-induced endocytosis. Transmission electron microscopy showed that M-MSNs were trafficked into lysosomes. With the help of a magnetic field, anticancer drug-loaded M-MSNs induced elevated cancer cell growth inhibition.

Tracking of Short Distance Transport Pathways in Biological Tissues by Ultra-Small Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segmehl, Jana S.; Lauria, Alessandro; Keplinger, Tobias; Berg, John K.; Burgert, Ingo

2018-03-01

In this work, ultra-small europium-doped HfO2 nanoparticles were infiltrated into native wood and used as trackers for studying penetrability and diffusion pathways in the hierarchical wood structure. The high electron density, laser induced luminescence, and crystallinity of these particles allowed for a complementary detection of the particles in the cellular tissue. Confocal Raman microscopy and high-resolution synchrotron scanning wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) measurements were used to detect the infiltrated particles in the native wood cell walls. This approach allows for simultaneously obtaining chemical information of the probed biological tissue and the spatial distribution of the integrated particles. The in-depth information about particle distribution in the complex wood structure can be used for revealing transport pathways in plant tissues, but also for gaining better understanding of modification treatments of plant scaffolds aiming at novel functionalized materials.

Self-Assembled Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoclusters for Universal Cell Labeling and MRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shuzhen; Zhang, Jun; Jiang, Shengwei; Lin, Gan; Luo, Bing; Yao, Huan; Lin, Yuchun; He, Chengyong; Liu, Gang; Lin, Zhongning

2016-05-01

Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles have been widely used in a variety of biomedical applications, especially as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cell labeling. In this study, SPIO nanoparticles were stabilized with amphiphilic low molecular weight polyethylenimine (PEI) in an aqueous phase to form monodispersed nanocomposites with a controlled clustering structure. The iron-based nanoclusters with a size of 115.3 ± 40.23 nm showed excellent performance on cellular uptake and cell labeling in different types of cells, moreover, which could be tracked by MRI with high sensitivity. The SPIO nanoclusters presented negligible cytotoxicity in various types of cells as detected using MTS, LDH, and flow cytometry assays. Significantly, we found that ferritin protein played an essential role in protecting stress from SPIO nanoclusters. Taken together, the self-assembly of SPIO nanoclusters with good magnetic properties provides a safe and efficient method for universal cell labeling with noninvasive MRI monitoring capability.

Functionalized PEI Nanoparticles For Delivery Of IGF-1R-Targeted siRNA's to UPAR-Expressing Tumors In Vitro And In Vivo

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Giblin, Michael F

2012-12-14

This proposal addressed the use of imaging technologies to develop therapeutic nanoparticle constructs which could reduce expression of molecules within the cancer cell important in tumor progression. The proposal described new labeling techniques that would result in therapeutic constructs which could be tracked both within targeted cells individually as well as within the individuals being treated. Representing a new generation of dual-labeled in vivo imaging agent, the constructs envisioned here would allow microPET imaging of targeted receptor expression as well as fluorescent imaging of silencing complexes targeting IGF-1R mRNA's. As such, this proposal was highly relevant to the Office ofmore » Biological and Environmental Research (BER) goals of facilitating improvements in radiotracer design in order to solve critical problems in biology and nuclear medicine.« less

Magnetic vesicles as MRI-trackable biogenic nanovectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andriola Silva, Amanda K.; Luciani, Nathalie; Gazeau, Florence; Wilhelm, Claire

2012-03-01

Magnetic labeling renders cells MRI-detectable which provides attractive solutions for tracking the fate of a transplanted cell population. Understanding the interplay of magnetic nanoparticles and cells is then an important point that should not be neglected. Here we show that in the condition of food starvation, macrophage cells emit vesicles containing nanoparticles. First, we inferred the intracellular iron oxide load from the magnetophoretic velocity of cells at a calibrated magnetic field gradient. After magnetic labeling and culture in stress conditions, the intracellular iron oxide load was once more determined and a detectable difference was observed before and after stress. Moreover, we identified in the stress conditioned medium membrane vesicle structures carrying magnetic particles. Besides pointing out the role of cell-derived vesicles in the sequestration of the intracellular magnetic label, experiments also demonstrated that vesicles were able to chaperone the magnetic cargo into naïve cells.

Polysaccharide-based Noncovalent Assembly for Targeted Delivery of Taxol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yang; Zhang, Ying-Ming; Chen, Yong; Chen, Jia-Tong; Liu, Yu

2016-01-01

The construction of synthetic straightforward, biocompatible and biodegradable targeted drug delivery system with fluorescent tracking abilities, high anticancer activities and low side effects is still a challenge in the field of biochemistry and material chemistry. In this work, we constructed targeted paclitaxel (Taxol) delivery nanoparticles composed of permethyl-β-cyclodextrin modified hyaluronic acid (HApCD) and porphyrin modified paclitaxel prodrug (PorTaxol), through host-guest and amphiphilic interactions. The obtained nanoparticles (HATXP) were biocompatible and enzymatic biodegradable due to their hydrophilic hyaluronic acid (HA) shell and hydrophobic Taxol core, and exhibited specific targeting internalization into cancer cells via HA receptor mediated endocytosis effects. The cytotoxicity experiments showed that the HATXP exhibited similar anticancer activities to, but much lower side effects than commercial anticancer drug Taxol. The present work would provide a platform for targeted paclitaxel drug delivery and a general protocol for the design of advanced multifunctional nanoscale biomaterials for targeted drug/gene delivery.

Group 12 dithiocarbamate complexes: Synthesis, spectral studies and their use as precursors for metal sulfides nanoparticles and nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajibade, Peter A.; Ejelonu, Benjamin C.

2013-09-01

Zn(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) dithiocarbamate complexes have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, UV-Vis, FTIR, 1H- and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The complexes were thermolysed at 180 °C and used as single molecule precursors for the synthesis of HDA capped ZnS, CdS and HgS nanoparticles and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) nanocomposites. The optical and structural properties of the nanoparticles and nanocomposites were studied by UV-Vis, PL, XRD and SEM. The crystallites sizes of the nanoparticles varied between 3.03 and 23.45 nm. SEM and EDX analyses of the nanocomposites confirmed the presence of the nanoparticles in the polymer matrix.

Poly (dopamine) coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocluster for noninvasive labeling, tracking, and targeted delivery of adipose tissue-derived stem cells.

PubMed

Liao, Naishun; Wu, Ming; Pan, Fan; Lin, Jiumao; Li, Zuanfang; Zhang, Da; Wang, Yingchao; Zheng, Youshi; Peng, Jun; Liu, Xiaolong; Liu, Jingfeng

2016-01-05

Tracking and monitoring of cells in vivo after transplantation can provide crucial information for stem cell therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with contrast agents is believed to be an effective and non-invasive technique for cell tracking in living bodies. However, commercial superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) applied to label cells suffer from shortages such as potential toxicity, low labeling efficiency, and low contrast enhancing. Herein, the adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were efficiently labeled with SPIONs coated with poly (dopamine) (SPIONs cluster@PDA), without affecting their viability, proliferation, apoptosis, surface marker expression, as well as their self-renew ability and multi-differentiation potential. The labeled cells transplanted into the mice through tail intravenous injection exhibited a negative enhancement of the MRI signal in the damaged liver-induced by carbon tetrachloride, and subsequently these homed ADSCs with SPIONs cluster@PDA labeling exhibited excellent repair effects to the damaged liver. Moreover, the enhanced target-homing to tissue of interest and repair effects of SPIONs cluster@PDA-labeled ADSCs could be achieved by use of external magnetic field in the excisional skin wound mice model. Therefore, we provide a facile, safe, noninvasive and sensitive method for external magnetic field targeted delivery and MRI based tracking of transplanted cells in vivo.

Accumulative Difference Image Protocol for Particle Tracking in Fluorescence Microscopy Tested in Mouse Lymphonodes

PubMed Central

Villa, Carlo E.; Caccia, Michele; Sironi, Laura; D'Alfonso, Laura; Collini, Maddalena; Rivolta, Ilaria; Miserocchi, Giuseppe; Gorletta, Tatiana; Zanoni, Ivan; Granucci, Francesca; Chirico, Giuseppe

2010-01-01

The basic research in cell biology and in medical sciences makes large use of imaging tools mainly based on confocal fluorescence and, more recently, on non-linear excitation microscopy. Substantially the aim is the recognition of selected targets in the image and their tracking in time. We have developed a particle tracking algorithm optimized for low signal/noise images with a minimum set of requirements on the target size and with no a priori knowledge of the type of motion. The image segmentation, based on a combination of size sensitive filters, does not rely on edge detection and is tailored for targets acquired at low resolution as in most of the in-vivo studies. The particle tracking is performed by building, from a stack of Accumulative Difference Images, a single 2D image in which the motion of the whole set of the particles is coded in time by a color level. This algorithm, tested here on solid-lipid nanoparticles diffusing within cells and on lymphocytes diffusing in lymphonodes, appears to be particularly useful for the cellular and the in-vivo microscopy image processing in which few a priori assumption on the type, the extent and the variability of particle motions, can be done. PMID:20808918

Accumulative difference image protocol for particle tracking in fluorescence microscopy tested in mouse lymphonodes.

PubMed

Villa, Carlo E; Caccia, Michele; Sironi, Laura; D'Alfonso, Laura; Collini, Maddalena; Rivolta, Ilaria; Miserocchi, Giuseppe; Gorletta, Tatiana; Zanoni, Ivan; Granucci, Francesca; Chirico, Giuseppe

2010-08-17

The basic research in cell biology and in medical sciences makes large use of imaging tools mainly based on confocal fluorescence and, more recently, on non-linear excitation microscopy. Substantially the aim is the recognition of selected targets in the image and their tracking in time. We have developed a particle tracking algorithm optimized for low signal/noise images with a minimum set of requirements on the target size and with no a priori knowledge of the type of motion. The image segmentation, based on a combination of size sensitive filters, does not rely on edge detection and is tailored for targets acquired at low resolution as in most of the in-vivo studies. The particle tracking is performed by building, from a stack of Accumulative Difference Images, a single 2D image in which the motion of the whole set of the particles is coded in time by a color level. This algorithm, tested here on solid-lipid nanoparticles diffusing within cells and on lymphocytes diffusing in lymphonodes, appears to be particularly useful for the cellular and the in-vivo microscopy image processing in which few a priori assumption on the type, the extent and the variability of particle motions, can be done.

Poly (dopamine) coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocluster for noninvasive labeling, tracking, and targeted delivery of adipose tissue-derived stem cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Naishun; Wu, Ming; Pan, Fan; Lin, Jiumao; Li, Zuanfang; Zhang, Da; Wang, Yingchao; Zheng, Youshi; Peng, Jun; Liu, Xiaolong; Liu, Jingfeng

2016-01-01

Tracking and monitoring of cells in vivo after transplantation can provide crucial information for stem cell therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with contrast agents is believed to be an effective and non-invasive technique for cell tracking in living bodies. However, commercial superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) applied to label cells suffer from shortages such as potential toxicity, low labeling efficiency, and low contrast enhancing. Herein, the adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were efficiently labeled with SPIONs coated with poly (dopamine) (SPIONs cluster@PDA), without affecting their viability, proliferation, apoptosis, surface marker expression, as well as their self-renew ability and multi-differentiation potential. The labeled cells transplanted into the mice through tail intravenous injection exhibited a negative enhancement of the MRI signal in the damaged liver-induced by carbon tetrachloride, and subsequently these homed ADSCs with SPIONs cluster@PDA labeling exhibited excellent repair effects to the damaged liver. Moreover, the enhanced target-homing to tissue of interest and repair effects of SPIONs cluster@PDA-labeled ADSCs could be achieved by use of external magnetic field in the excisional skin wound mice model. Therefore, we provide a facile, safe, noninvasive and sensitive method for external magnetic field targeted delivery and MRI based tracking of transplanted cells in vivo.

Dynamic imaging of a single gold nanoparticle in liquid irradiated by off-resonance femtosecond laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boutopoulos, Christos; Hatef, Ali; Fortin-Deschênes, Matthieu; Meunier, Michel

2015-07-01

Plasmonic nanoparticles can lead to extreme confinement of the light in the near field. This unique ability of plasmonic nanoparticles can be used to generate nanobubbles in liquid. In this work, we demonstrate with single-particle monitoring that 100 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) irradiated by off-resonance femtosecond (fs) laser in the tissue therapeutic optical window (λ = 800 nm), can act as a durable nanolenses in liquid and provoke nanocavitation while remaining intact. We have employed combined ultrafast shadowgraphic imaging, in situ dark field imaging and dynamic tracking of AuNP Brownian motion to ensure the study of individual AuNPs/nanolenses under multiple fs laser pulses. We demonstrate that 100 nm AuNPs can generate multiple, highly confined (radius down to 550 nm) and transient (life time < 50 ns) nanobubbles. The latter is of significant importance for future development of in vivo AuNP-assisted laser nanosurgery and theranostic applications, where AuNP fragmentation should be avoided to prevent side effects, such as cytotoxicity and immune system's response. The experimental results have been correlated with theoretical modeling to provide an insight to the AuNP-safe cavitation mechanism as well as to investigate the deformation mechanism of the AuNPs at high laser fluences.Plasmonic nanoparticles can lead to extreme confinement of the light in the near field. This unique ability of plasmonic nanoparticles can be used to generate nanobubbles in liquid. In this work, we demonstrate with single-particle monitoring that 100 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) irradiated by off-resonance femtosecond (fs) laser in the tissue therapeutic optical window (λ = 800 nm), can act as a durable nanolenses in liquid and provoke nanocavitation while remaining intact. We have employed combined ultrafast shadowgraphic imaging, in situ dark field imaging and dynamic tracking of AuNP Brownian motion to ensure the study of individual AuNPs/nanolenses under multiple fs laser pulses. We demonstrate that 100 nm AuNPs can generate multiple, highly confined (radius down to 550 nm) and transient (life time < 50 ns) nanobubbles. The latter is of significant importance for future development of in vivo AuNP-assisted laser nanosurgery and theranostic applications, where AuNP fragmentation should be avoided to prevent side effects, such as cytotoxicity and immune system's response. The experimental results have been correlated with theoretical modeling to provide an insight to the AuNP-safe cavitation mechanism as well as to investigate the deformation mechanism of the AuNPs at high laser fluences. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: The ESI video 1 shows successive transient bubbles generated by fs laser excitation of a dynamic pair of AuNP at Fpeak = 200 mJ cm-2. Both the camera frame rate and the fs laser repetition rate where synchronized at 10 Hz. The pump-prop delay was set to 10 ns. The ESI video 2 shows the complete dynamic evolution of a transient nanobubble generated around a single AuNP/nanolens, following fs laser excitation at Fpeak = 200 mJ cm-2. See DOI: 10.1039/C5NR02721G

Label-Free Biosensor Imaging on Photonic Crystal Surfaces.

PubMed

Zhuo, Yue; Cunningham, Brian T

2015-08-28

We review the development and application of nanostructured photonic crystal surfaces and a hyperspectral reflectance imaging detection instrument which, when used together, represent a new form of optical microscopy that enables label-free, quantitative, and kinetic monitoring of biomaterial interaction with substrate surfaces. Photonic Crystal Enhanced Microscopy (PCEM) has been used to detect broad classes of materials which include dielectric nanoparticles, metal plasmonic nanoparticles, biomolecular layers, and live cells. Because PCEM does not require cytotoxic stains or photobleachable fluorescent dyes, it is especially useful for monitoring the long-term interactions of cells with extracellular matrix surfaces. PCEM is only sensitive to the attachment of cell components within ~200 nm of the photonic crystal surface, which may correspond to the region of most interest for adhesion processes that involve stem cell differentiation, chemotaxis, and metastasis. PCEM has also demonstrated sufficient sensitivity for sensing nanoparticle contrast agents that are roughly the same size as protein molecules, which may enable applications in "digital" diagnostics with single molecule sensing resolution. We will review PCEM's development history, operating principles, nanostructure design, and imaging modalities that enable tracking of optical scatterers, emitters, absorbers, and centers of dielectric permittivity.

Kinetic Transition of Crystal Morphology from Nanoparticles to Dendrites during Electron Beam Induced Deposition of Gold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jeung Hun; Schneider, Nicholas; Bau, Haim; Kodambaka, Suneel; Ross, Frances

2015-03-01

We studied the kinetic transition from compact nanoparticle to dendritic morphology during electron beam-induced Au deposition using in situ liquid cell-based transmission electron microcopy. Radiolysis of water by electrons generates radicals and molecular species. Hydrated electrons and hydrogen and hydroxide radicals can act as reducing agents and initiate the reduction of the water-soluble precursor, HAuCl4, resulting in the precipitation of Au as nanostructures. We tracked nucleation, growth, and morphological transition of Au from movies recorded in situ, as a function of irradiated dose and liquid thickness. We identified several distinct regimes that depend on the irradiation time: (1) nucleation; (2) linear volumetric growth; (3) formation of dendritic structures; (4) coalescence and dissolution. A diffusion and reaction model for the radiolytic species and metal ions in the confined geometry of the irradiated volume is used to understand the nucleation sites and morphological transitions. We finally describe how nanoparticles can be made to grow in a stepwise manner by switching the supply of Au ions on and off electrochemically, and discuss possibilities for creating more complex nanostructures. This research was partially funded by the National Science Foundation (DMR-1310639, CMMI-1129722, and CBET-1066573).

Label-Free Biosensor Imaging on Photonic Crystal Surfaces

PubMed Central

Zhuo, Yue; Cunningham, Brian T.

2015-01-01

We review the development and application of nanostructured photonic crystal surfaces and a hyperspectral reflectance imaging detection instrument which, when used together, represent a new form of optical microscopy that enables label-free, quantitative, and kinetic monitoring of biomaterial interaction with substrate surfaces. Photonic Crystal Enhanced Microscopy (PCEM) has been used to detect broad classes of materials which include dielectric nanoparticles, metal plasmonic nanoparticles, biomolecular layers, and live cells. Because PCEM does not require cytotoxic stains or photobleachable fluorescent dyes, it is especially useful for monitoring the long-term interactions of cells with extracellular matrix surfaces. PCEM is only sensitive to the attachment of cell components within ~200 nm of the photonic crystal surface, which may correspond to the region of most interest for adhesion processes that involve stem cell differentiation, chemotaxis, and metastasis. PCEM has also demonstrated sufficient sensitivity for sensing nanoparticle contrast agents that are roughly the same size as protein molecules, which may enable applications in “digital” diagnostics with single molecule sensing resolution. We will review PCEM’s development history, operating principles, nanostructure design, and imaging modalities that enable tracking of optical scatterers, emitters, absorbers, and centers of dielectric permittivity. PMID:26343684

Chiral DNA origami nanotubes with well-defined and addressable inside and outside surfaces.

PubMed

Benn, Florence; Haley, Natalie E C; Lucas, Alexandra E; Silvester, Emma; Helmi, Seham; Schreiber, Robert; Bath, Jonathan; Turberfield, Andrew J

2018-04-18

We report the design and assembly of chiral DNA nanotubes with well-defined and addressable inside and outside surfaces. We demonstrate that the outside surface can be functionalised with a chiral arrangement of gold nanoparticles to create a plasmonic device and that the inside surface can be functionalised with a track for a molecular motor allowing transport of a cargo within the central cavity. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Enhanced effect of dimension of receptor-ligand complex and depletion effect on receptor-mediated endocytosis of nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ye; Gao, Qingqing; Liu, Yijun; Zhao, Chuang; Mao, Zongliang; Hu, Lin; Liu, Yanhui

2017-12-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11047022, 11204045, and 11464004), the Tracking Key Program of Social Development of Guizhou Province, China (Grant Nos. SY20123089 and SZ20113069), the General Financial Grant from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2014M562341), the Research Foundation for Young University Teachers from Guizhou University (Grant No. 201311), and the College Innovation Talent Team of Guizhou Province, China (Grant No. (2014)32).

Diatomite silica nanoparticles for drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruggiero, Immacolata; Terracciano, Monica; Martucci, Nicola M.; De Stefano, Luca; Migliaccio, Nunzia; Tatè, Rosarita; Rendina, Ivo; Arcari, Paolo; Lamberti, Annalisa; Rea, Ilaria

2014-07-01

Diatomite is a natural fossil material of sedimentary origin, constituted by fragments of diatom siliceous skeletons. In this preliminary work, the properties of diatomite nanoparticles as potential system for the delivery of drugs in cancer cells were exploited. A purification procedure, based on thermal treatments in strong acid solutions, was used to remove inorganic and organic impurities from diatomite and to make them a safe material for medical applications. The micrometric diatomite powder was reduced in nanoparticles by mechanical crushing, sonication, and filtering. Morphological analysis performed by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy reveals a particles size included between 100 and 300 nm. Diatomite nanoparticles were functionalized by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and labeled by tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate. Different concentrations of chemically modified nanoparticles were incubated with cancer cells and confocal microscopy was performed. Imaging analysis showed an efficient cellular uptake and homogeneous distribution of nanoparticles in cytoplasm and nucleus, thus suggesting their potentiality as nanocarriers for drug delivery.

Electrosprayed Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azar, Pedram Bagherzadeh; Tavanai, Hossein; Allafchian, Ali Reza

2018-04-01

Cerium oxide nanoparticles were fabricated via the calcination of electrosprayed polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/cerium nitrate nanoparticles. The effect of material variables of PVA/cerium nitrate electrospraying solution, i.e. viscosity, surface tension and electrical conductivity, as well as important process variables like voltage, nozzle-collector distance and feed rate on cerium oxide nanoparticle size, are investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis have also been carried out. The results showed that electrospraying of PVA/cerium nitrate (25% w/v) was only possible with PVA concentrations in the range of 5-8% w/v. With other conditions constant, decreasing PVA concentration, decreasing feed rate, increasing nozzle-collector distance and increasing voltage decreased the size of the final cerium oxide nanoparticles. The gross average size of all cerium oxide nanoparticles obtained in this work was about 80 nm. FTIR analysis proved the formation of cerium oxide after the calcination process.

Synthesis and structural characterization of CdS nanoparticles using nitrogen adducts of mixed diisopropylthiourea and dithiolate derivatives of Cd(II) complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osuntokun, Jejenija; Ajibade, Peter A.

2015-07-01

[Cd(diptu)2(ced)], [Cd(diptu)2(ced)(bpy)], [Cd(diptu)2(ced)(phen)], (where diptu = diisopropyl thiourea; ced = 1-cyano-1-carboethoxylethylene-2,2‧-dithiolate; bpy = 2,2‧-bipyridine and phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) have been prepared and used as single source precursors for the preparation of hexadecylamine capped CdS nanoparticles. The precursor complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR and TGA. The structural properties of the nanoparticles were investigated using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy techniques (SEM). The optical properties of the nanoparticles were studied using UV-Visible and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The XRD analysis showed that the nanoparticles were indexed to the hexagonal phase of CdS and the TEM results showed CdS nanoparticles with average crystallite sizes of 4.00-8.80 nm.

Flexible non-diffractive vortex microscope for three-dimensional depth-enhanced super-localization of dielectric, metal and fluorescent nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchal, Petr; Bouchal, Zdeněk

2017-10-01

In the past decade, probe-based super-resolution using temporally resolved localization of emitters became a groundbreaking imaging strategy in fluorescence microscopy. Here we demonstrate a non-diffractive vortex microscope (NVM), enabling three-dimensional super-resolution fluorescence imaging and localization and tracking of metal and dielectric nanoparticles. The NVM benefits from vortex non-diffractive beams (NBs) creating a double-helix point spread function that rotates under defocusing while maintaining its size and shape unchanged. Using intrinsic properties of the NBs, the dark-field localization of weakly scattering objects is achieved in a large axial range exceeding the depth of field of the microscope objective up to 23 times. The NVM was developed using an upright microscope Nikon Eclipse E600 operating with a spiral lithographic mask optimized using Fisher information and built into an add-on imaging module or microscope objective. In evaluation of the axial localization accuracy the root mean square error below 18 nm and 280 nm was verified over depth ranges of 3.5 μm and 13.6 μm, respectively. Subwavelength gold and polystyrene beads were localized with isotropic precision below 10 nm in the axial range of 3.5 μm and the axial precision reduced to 30 nm in the extended range of 13.6 μm. In the fluorescence imaging, the localization with isotropic precision below 15 nm was demonstrated in the range of 2.5 μm, whereas in the range of 8.3 μm, the precision of 15 nm laterally and 30-50 nm axially was achieved. The tracking of nanoparticles undergoing Brownian motion was demonstrated in the volume of 14 × 10 × 16 μm3. Applicability of the NVM was tested by fluorescence imaging of LW13K2 cells and localization of cellular proteins.

Design and Development of Novel Hierarchically Ordered Block Copolymer-Magnetoelectric Particle Nanocomposites

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-08

microscopy (JEOL 1200EX STEM). The volume fraction of BaTiO3 nanoparticles in the PS-BTO nanocomposites was determined by thermogravimetric analysis ...encapsulated in the 9.8±0.4-nm NP was approximately only 13.8% based on the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurement (Supporting Material Section...the properties of the constituents and their spatial arrangement. Nanocomposites of polymer/ nanoparticle , formed by incorporating nanoparticles into

Bio-synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Potentilla fulgens Wall. ex Hook. and its therapeutic evaluation as anticancer and antimicrobial agent.

PubMed

Mittal, Amit Kumar; Tripathy, Debabrata; Choudhary, Alka; Aili, Pavan Kumar; Chatterjee, Anupam; Singh, Inder Pal; Banerjee, Uttam Chand

2015-08-01

The present study aims to develop an easy and eco-friendly method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using extracts from the medicinal plant, Potentilla fulgens and evaluation of its anticancer and antimicrobial properties. The various parts of P. fulgens were screened and the root extract was found to have the highest potential for the synthesis of nanoparticles. The root extracts were able to quickly reduce Ag(+) to Ag(0) and stabilized the nanoparticles. The synthesis of nanoparticles was confirmed by UV-Visible spectrophotometry and further characterized using Zeta sizer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Electron microscopic study showed that the size of the nanoparticle was in the range of 10 to 15 nm and spherical in shape. The studies of phytochemical analysis of nanoparticles indicated that the adsorbed components on the surface of nanoparticles were mainly flavonoid in nature. Furthermore, nanoparticles were evaluated as cytotoxic against various cancer cell lines and 0.2 to 12 μg/mL nanoparticles showed good toxicity. The IC50 value of nanoparticles was found to be 4.91 and 8.23 μg/mL against MCF-7 and U-87 cell lines, respectively. Additionally, the apoptotic effect of synthesized nanoparticles on normal and cancer cells was studied using trypan blue assay and flow-cytometric analysis. The results indicate the synthesized nanoparticle ability to kill cancer cells compared to normal cells. The nanoparticles also exhibited comparable antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Green synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles from Cannabis sativa (industrial hemp) and their capacity for biofilm inhibition

PubMed Central

Singh, Priyanka; Pandit, Santosh; Garnæs, Jørgen; Tunjic, Sanja; Mokkapati, Venkata RSS; Sultan, Abida; Thygesen, Anders; Mackevica, Aiga; Mateiu, Ramona Valentina; Daugaard, Anders Egede; Baun, Anders; Mijakovic, Ivan

2018-01-01

Background Cannabis sativa (hemp) is a source of various biologically active compounds, for instance, cannabinoids, terpenes and phenolic compounds, which exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. With the purpose of expanding the auxiliary application of C. sativa in the field of bio-nanotechnology, we explored the plant for green and efficient synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Methods and results The nanoparticles were synthesized by utilizing an aqueous extract of C. sativa stem separated into two different fractions (cortex and core [xylem part]) without any additional reducing, stabilizing and capping agents. In the synthesis of AuNPs using the cortex enriched in bast fibers, fiber-AuNPs (F-AuNPs) were achieved. When using the core part of the stem, which is enriched with phenolic compounds such as alkaloids and cannabinoids, core-AuNPs (C-AuNPs) and core-AgNPs (C-AgNPs) were formed. Synthesized nanoparticles were character-ized by UV–visible analysis, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight. In addition, the stable nature of nanoparticles has been shown by thermogravimetric analysis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Finally, the AgNPs were explored for the inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli biofilms. Conclusion The synthesized nanoparticles were crystalline with an average diameter between 12 and 18 nm for F-AuNPs and C-AuNPs and in the range of 20–40 nm for C-AgNPs. ICP-MS analysis revealed concentrations of synthesized nanoparticles as 0.7, 4.5 and 3.6 mg/mL for F-AuNPs, C-AuNPs and C-AgNPs, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the presence of flavonoids, cannabinoids, terpenes and phenols on the nanoparticle surface, which could be responsible for reducing the salts to nanoparticles and further stabilizing them. In addition, the stable nature of synthesized nanoparticles has been shown by thermogravimetric analysis and ICP-MS. Finally, the AgNPs were explored for the inhibition of P. aeruginosa and E. coli biofilms. The nanoparticles exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration values of 6.25 and 5 µg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration values of 12.5 and 25 µg/mL against P. aeruginosa and E. coli, respectively.

Extracellular Vesicles in Bile as Markers of Malignant Biliary Stenoses.

PubMed

Severino, Valeria; Dumonceau, Jean-Marc; Delhaye, Myriam; Moll, Solange; Annessi-Ramseyer, Isabelle; Robin, Xavier; Frossard, Jean-Louis; Farina, Annarita

2017-08-01

Algorithms for diagnosis of malignant common bile duct (CBD) stenoses are complex and lack accuracy. Malignant tumors secrete large numbers of extracellular vesicles (EVs) into surrounding fluids; EVs might therefore serve as biomarkers for diagnosis. We investigated whether concentrations of EVs in bile could discriminate malignant from nonmalignant CBD stenoses. We collected bile and blood samples from 50 patients undergoing therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography at university hospitals in Europe for CBD stenosis of malignant (pancreatic cancer, n = 20 or cholangiocarcinoma, n = 5) or nonmalignant (chronic pancreatitis [CP], n = 15) origin. Ten patients with CBD obstruction due to biliary stones were included as controls. EV concentrations in samples were determined by nanoparticle tracking analyses. The discovery cohort comprised the first 10 patients with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, based on tissue analysis, and 10 consecutive controls. Using samples from these subjects, we identified a threshold concentration of bile EVs that could best discriminate between patients with pancreatic cancer from controls. We verified the diagnostic performance of bile EV concentration by analyzing samples from the 30 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of malignant (pancreatic cancer or cholangiocarcinoma, n = 15) or nonmalignant (CP, n = 15) CBD stenosis. Samples were compared using the Mann-Whitney test and nonparametric Spearman correlation analysis. Receiver operating characteristic area under the curve was used to determine diagnostic accuracy. In both cohorts, the median concentration of EVs was significantly higher in bile samples from patients with malignant CBD stenoses than controls or nonmalignant CBD stenoses (2.41 × 10 15 vs 1.60 × 10 14 nanoparticles/L in the discovery cohort; P < .0001 and 4.00 × 10 15 vs 1.26 × 10 14 nanoparticles/L in the verification cohort; P < .0001). A threshold of 9.46 × 10 14 nanoparticles/L in bile best distinguished patients with malignant CBD from controls in the discovery cohort. In the verification cohort, this threshold discriminated malignant from nonmalignant CBD stenoses with 100% accuracy. Serum concentration of EVs distinguished patients with malignant vs patients with nonmalignant CBD stenoses with 63.3% diagnostic accuracy. Concentration of EVs in bile samples discriminates between patients with malignant vs nonmalignant CBD stenosis with 100% accuracy. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings. Clinical Trial registration no: ISRCTN66835592. Copyright © 2017 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Redox-mediated dissolution of paramagnetic nanolids to achieve a smart theranostic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Aifei; Guo, Mingyi; Wang, Nan; Zhao, Jianyun; Qi, Wenxiu; Muhammad, Faheem; Chen, Liang; Guo, Yingjie; Nguyen, Nam-Trung; Zhu, Guangshan

2014-04-01

Manganese oxide (Mn3O4) nanoparticles have recently emerged as a promising T1 contrast agent. In this study, for the first time, we demonstrated an interaction of Mn3O4 with a biological system, and found redox sensitive behavior of these paramagnetic nanoparticles in intracellular reducing environment. Inspired by these findings, we for the first time used this interaction for some therapeutic advantages and designed a versatile mesoporous silica based nanotheranostic system to realize redox-activated enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and responsive anticancer drug delivery. Contrary to previous reports, we firstly prepared high quality amine terminated hydrophilic Mn3O4 nanolids, without using multistep ligand exchange strategies. The resulting water stable and small-sized Mn3O4 nanolids were subsequently used as nanolids to cap drug loaded nanochannels of a porous carrier. Exposure to highly prevalent intracellular reducing environment resulted in the steady-state dissolution of these nanolids and attained an intelligent drug release. Furthermore, the redox receptive dissolution of paramagnetic Mn3O4 nanolids into Mn2+ in turn increases the T1 signal to twofold, providing an added opportunity to even track the feedback of therapy. This study, in addition to simultaneously realizing drug delivery and imaging, also provides a new insight into the fate and interaction of manganese oxide nanoparticles with components of biological systems.Manganese oxide (Mn3O4) nanoparticles have recently emerged as a promising T1 contrast agent. In this study, for the first time, we demonstrated an interaction of Mn3O4 with a biological system, and found redox sensitive behavior of these paramagnetic nanoparticles in intracellular reducing environment. Inspired by these findings, we for the first time used this interaction for some therapeutic advantages and designed a versatile mesoporous silica based nanotheranostic system to realize redox-activated enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and responsive anticancer drug delivery. Contrary to previous reports, we firstly prepared high quality amine terminated hydrophilic Mn3O4 nanolids, without using multistep ligand exchange strategies. The resulting water stable and small-sized Mn3O4 nanolids were subsequently used as nanolids to cap drug loaded nanochannels of a porous carrier. Exposure to highly prevalent intracellular reducing environment resulted in the steady-state dissolution of these nanolids and attained an intelligent drug release. Furthermore, the redox receptive dissolution of paramagnetic Mn3O4 nanolids into Mn2+ in turn increases the T1 signal to twofold, providing an added opportunity to even track the feedback of therapy. This study, in addition to simultaneously realizing drug delivery and imaging, also provides a new insight into the fate and interaction of manganese oxide nanoparticles with components of biological systems. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr05687b

Fabrication Of Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles Using Agricultural Crop Plant Leaf Extracts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajani, P.; SriSindhura, K.; Prasad, T. N. V. K. V.; Hussain, O. M.; Sudhakar, P.; Latha, P.; Balakrishna, M.; Kambala, V.; Reddy, K. Raja

2010-10-01

Nanoparticles are being viewed as fundamental building blocks of nanotechnology. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles by plant extracts is currently under exploitation. Use of agricultural crop plant extracts for synthesis of metal nanoparticles would add a new dimension to the agricultural sector in the utilization of crop waste. Silver has long been recognized as having an inhibitory effect towards many bacterial strains and microorganisms commonly present in medical and industrial processes. Four pulse crop plants and three cereal crop plants (Vigna radiata, Arachis hypogaea, Cyamopsis tetragonolobus, Zea mays, Pennisetum glaucum, Sorghum vulgare) were used and compared for their extra cellular synthesis of metallic silver nanoparticles. Stable silver nanoparticles were formed by treating aqueous solution of AgNO3 with the plant leaf extracts as reducing agent at temperatures 50 °C-95 °C. UV-Visible spectroscopy was utilized to monitor the formation of silver nanoparticles. XRD analysis of formed silver nanoparticles revealed face centered cubic structure with (111), (200), (220) and (311) planes. SEM and EDAX analysis confirm the size of the formed silver nanoparticles to be in the range of 50-200 nm. Our proposed work offers a enviro-friendly method for biogenic silver nanoparticles production. This could provide a faster synthesis rate comparable to those of chemical methods and potentially be used in areas such as cosmetics, food and medical applications.

Uncaria gambir Roxb. mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using diethanolamine as capping agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labanni, A.; Zulhadjri; Handayani, D.; Arief, S.

2018-01-01

Studies of silver nanoparticles preparation has been developed increasingly due to the wide application in various areas and field, such as medicine, energy, catalysis, and electronic. An environmental-friendly method is needed to fabricate biocompatible silver nanoparticles without producing hazardous materials to the environment. In this study, we synthesized silver nanoparticles by green synthesis method, using leaf extract of gambir (Uncaria gambir Roxb.) as bioreducing agent and aqueous diethanolamine (DEA) solution as capping agents. The AgNO3/DEA molar ratio was varied to investigate the effect of DEA concentration to the properties of silver nanoparticles. The formation of silver nanoparticles was indicated by colour changes to yellowish brown and confirmed by result of UV-Vis spectrophotometer analysis which shown absorption band at 400 to 410 nm. The absorbance was increased to the reaction time of 24 hours, and was decrease by the increasing of DEA concentration in reaction. TEM analysis showed that prepared silver nanoparticles were spherical in shape with diameter of 3,5 - 45,5 nm. The diameter of DEA capped silver nanoparticles was 13 nm, smaller than uncapped silver nanoparticles which was 26 nm It exhibited good stability to time reaction of one month which was potential to be developed in some fields.

Effect of Surface-Modified TiO2 Nanoparticles on the Anti-Ultraviolet Aging Performance of Foamed Wheat Straw Fiber/Polypropylene Composites

PubMed Central

Xuan, Lihui; Han, Guangping; Wang, Dong; Cheng, Wanli; Gao, Xun; Chen, Feng; Li, Qingde

2017-01-01

Surface modification and characterization of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles and their roles in thermal, mechanical, and accelerated aging behavior of foamed wheat straw fiber/polypropylene (PP) composites are investigated. To improve the dispersion of nanoparticles and increase the possible interactions between wheat straw fiber and the PP matrix, the surface of the TiO2 nanoparticles was modified with ethenyltrimethoxy silane (A171), a silane coupling agent. The grafting of A171 on the TiO2 nanoparticles’ surface was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The wheat straw fibers treated with A171 and modified TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FTIR spectra confirmed that the organic functional groups of A171 were successfully grafted onto the TiO2 nanoparticles and wheat straw fibers, and the modified TiO2 nanoparticles were adsorbed onto the wheat straw fibers. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that a higher thermal stability of the wheat straw fiber was obtained with the modified TiO2 nanoparticles. The flexural, tensile, and impact properties were improved. A higher ultraviolet (UV) stability of the samples treated with modified TiO2 nanoparticles was exhibited by the study of the color change and loss in mechanical properties. PMID:28772816

Correlated microanalysis of cometary organic grains returned by Stardust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Gregorio, Bradley T.; Stroud, Rhonda M.; Cody, George D.; Nittler, Larry R.; David Kilcoyne, A. L.; Wirick, Sue

2011-09-01

Abstract- Carbonaceous matter in Stardust samples returned from comet 81P/Wild 2 is observed to contain a wide variety of organic functional chemistry. However, some of this chemical variety may be due to contamination or alteration during particle capture in aerogel. We investigated six carbonaceous Stardust samples that had been previously analyzed and six new samples from Stardust Track 80 using correlated transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (XANES), and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). TEM revealed that samples from Track 35 containing abundant aliphatic XANES signatures were predominantly composed of cometary organic matter infilling densified silica aerogel. Aliphatic organic matter from Track 16 was also observed to be soluble in the epoxy embedding medium. The nitrogen-rich samples in this study (from Track 22 and Track 80) both contained metal oxide nanoparticles, and are likely contaminants. Only two types of cometary organic matter appear to be relatively unaltered during particle capture. These are (1) polyaromatic carbonyl-containing organic matter, similar to that observed in insoluble organic matter (IOM) from primitive meteorites, interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), and in other carbonaceous Stardust samples, and (2) highly aromatic refractory organic matter, which primarily constitutes nanoglobule-like features. Anomalous isotopic compositions in some of these samples also confirm their cometary heritage. There also appears to be a significant labile aliphatic component of Wild 2 organic matter, but this material could not be clearly distinguished from carbonaceous contaminants known to be present in the Stardust aerogel collector.

Evaluation of the local dose enhancement in the combination of proton therapy and nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martínez-Rovira, I., E-mail: immamartinez@gmail.com; Prezado, Y.

Purpose: The outcome of radiotherapy can be further improved by combining irradiation with dose enhancers such as high-Z nanoparticles. Since 2004, spectacular results have been obtained when low-energy x-ray irradiations have been combined with nanoparticles. Recently, the same combination has been explored in hadron therapy. In vitro studies have shown a significant amplification of the biological damage in tumor cells charged with nanoparticles and irradiated with fast ions. This has been attributed to the increase in the ionizations and electron emissions induced by the incident ions or the electrons in the secondary tracks on the high-Z atoms, resulting in amore » local energy deposition enhancement. However, this subject is still a matter of controversy. Within this context, the main goal of the authors’ work was to provide new insights into the dose enhancement effects of nanoparticles in proton therapy. Methods: For this purpose, Monte Carlo calculations (GATE/GEANT4 code) were performed. In particular, the GEANT4-DNA toolkit, which allows the modeling of early biological damages induced by ionizing radiation at the DNA scale, was used. The nanometric radial energy distributions around the nanoparticle were studied, and the processes (such as Auger deexcitation or dissociative electron attachment) participating in the dose deposition of proton therapy treatments in the presence of nanoparticles were evaluated. It has been reported that the architecture of Monte Carlo calculations plays a crucial role in the assessment of nanoparticle dose enhancement and that it may introduce a bias in the results or amplify the possible final dose enhancement. Thus, a dosimetric study of different cases was performed, considering Au and Gd nanoparticles, several nanoparticle sizes (from 4 to 50 nm), and several beam configurations (source-nanoparticle distances and source sizes). Results: This Monte Carlo study shows the influence of the simulations’ parameters on the local dose enhancement and how more realistic configurations lead to a negligible increase of local energy deposition. The obtained dose enhancement factor was up to 1.7 when the source was located at the nanoparticle surface. This dose enhancement was reduced when the source was located at further distances (i.e., in more realistic situations). Additionally, no significant increase in the dissociative electron attachment processes was observed. Conclusions: The authors’ results indicate that physical effects play a minor role in the amplification of damage, as a very low dose enhancement or increase of dissociative electron attachment processes is observed when the authors get closer to more realistic simulations. Thus, other effects, such as biological or chemical processes, may be mainly responsible for the enhanced radiosensibilization observed in biological studies. However, more biological studies are needed to verify this hypothesis.« less

Biodirected synthesis of Miconazole-conjugated bacterial silver nanoparticles and their application as antifungal agents and drug delivery vehicles.

PubMed

Kumar, C Ganesh; Poornachandra, Y

2015-01-01

The recent strategy to improve the efficacy of drugs is to combine them with metal nanoparticles for the control of microbial infections. Considering this fact, we developed a low cost and eco-friendly method for silver nanoparticles synthesis using the cell free supernatant of Delftia sp. strain KCM-006 and their application as antifungal agents and as a drug carrier. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis revealed the formation of spherical and monodispersed silver nanoparticles with an average size of 9.8 nm. The synthesized nanoparticles were found to be photoluminescent, highly stable and crystalline in nature having a zeta potential of -31 mV. The silver nanoparticles exhibited very good antifungal activity against various pathogenic Candida strains. Furthermore, the efficacy of nanoparticles was increased by conjugating the antifungal drug Miconazole to silver nanoparticles which exhibited significant fungicidal activity, inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis and biofilm inhibition by increasing ROS levels. In addition, the cell viability and immunocytochemistry analysis against different normal cell lines including Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO), human lung cell line (MRC5) and human vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) demonstrated that these nanoparticles were non-toxic up to a concentration of 20 μM. In conclusion, these results suggest that the synthesized nanoparticles find application as both antifungal agents and drug delivery vehicles. This is a first report on the preparation of silver nanoparticles using culture supernatant from Delftia sp. and also on the conjugation of Miconazole, an antifungal drug, to the bacterial silver nanoparticles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fast removal of malachite green dye using novel superparamagnetic sodium alginate-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles.

PubMed

Mohammadi, Abbas; Daemi, Hamed; Barikani, Mehdi

2014-08-01

In this study, superparamagnetic sodium alginate-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Alg-Fe3O4) as a novel magnetic adsorbent were prepared by in situ coprecipitation method, in which Fe3O4 nanoparticles were precipitated from FeCl3 and FeCl2 under alkaline medium in the presence of sodium alginate. The Alg-Fe3O4 nanoparticles were used for removal of malachite green (MG) from aqueous solutions using batch adsorption technique. The characterization of synthesized nanoparticles was performed using XRD, FTIR, TEM, TGA and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. FTIR analysis of synthesized nanoparticles provided the evidence that sodium alginate was successfully coated on the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The FT-IR and TGA characterization showed that the Alg-Fe3O4 nanoparticles contained about 14% (w/w) of sodium alginate. Moreover, TEM analysis indicated that the average diameter of the Alg-Fe3O4 nanoparticles was about 12nm. The effects of adsorbent dosage, pH and temperature were investigated on the adsorption properties of MG onto Alg-Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The equilibrium adsorption data were modeled using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained from Langmuir isotherm equation was 47.84mg/g. The kinetics of adsorption of MG onto Alg-Fe3O4 nanoparticles were investigated using the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The results showed that the adsorption of MG onto nanoparticles followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Haemocompatibility of iron oxide nanoparticles synthesized for theranostic applications: a high-sensitivity microfluidic tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, Raquel O.; Bañobre-López, Manuel; Gallo, Juan; Tavares, Pedro B.; Silva, Adrián M. T.; Lima, Rui; Gomes, Helder T.

2016-07-01

The poor heating efficiency of the most reported magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), allied to the lack of comprehensive biocompatibility and haemodynamic studies, hampers the spread of multifunctional nanoparticles as the next generation of therapeutic bio-agents in medicine. The present work reports the synthesis and characterization, with special focus on biological/toxicological compatibility, of superparamagnetic nanoparticles with diameter around 18 nm, suitable for theranostic applications (i.e. simultaneous diagnosis and therapy of cancer). Envisioning more insights into the complex nanoparticle-red blood cells (RBCs) membrane interaction, the deformability of the human RBCs in contact with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was assessed for the first time with a microfluidic extensional approach, and used as an indicator of haematological disorders in comparison with a conventional haematological test, i.e. the haemolysis analysis. Microfluidic results highlight the potential of this microfluidic tool over traditional haemolysis analysis, by detecting small increments in the rigidity of the blood cells, when traditional haemotoxicology analysis showed no significant alteration (haemolysis rates lower than 2 %). The detected rigidity has been predicted to be due to the wrapping of small MNPs by the bilayer membrane of the RBCs, which is directly related to MNPs size, shape and composition. The proposed microfluidic tool adds a new dimension into the field of nanomedicine, allowing to be applied as a high-sensitivity technique capable of bringing a better understanding of the biological impact of nanoparticles developed for clinical applications.

One-pot synthesis of dextran decorated reduced graphene oxide nanoparticles for targeted photo-chemotherapy.

PubMed

Hu, Yanfang; He, Liang; Ding, Jianxun; Sun, Diankui; Chen, Li; Chen, Xuesi

2016-06-25

Graphene-based nanocarriers show great potential in photo-chemotherapy, however, to prepare desired reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanoparticles in a facile way is still a challenge. Herein, a novel strategy has been presented to prepare rGO nanoparticle using dextran (Dex) as a reducing agent. In this strategy, Dex was directly conjugated on rGO by hydrogen bond and then self-assemble to form rGO/Dex nanoparticles. After decorated by dextran, rGO-based nanoparticles not only show excellent biocompatibility but also can load anticancer drug for photo-chemotherapy. The data of fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis, Raman spectrum analysis, thermos-gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the transmission electron microscope (TEM) image and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements powerfully proved that the stable rGO-based nanoparticles with desired nanosize have been successfully prepared. To verify the photo-chemotherapy, anticancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX), has been loaded on rGO/Dex nanoparticles (rGO/DOX/Dex). And RGD, a kind of oligopeptide which can improve the intracellular uptake by αvβ3 recognition, also has been introduced (rGO/DOX/RDex). Compared with single chemotherapy, rGO/DOX/Dex and rGO/DOX/RDex combining the local specific chemotherapy and external near-infrared (NIR) photo-thermal therapy show higher therapeutic efficacy, endowing the desired rGO-based nanoparticle with great potential for cancer treatments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biopolymer protected silver nanoparticles on the support of carbon nanotube as interface for electrocatalytic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satyanarayana, M.; Kumar, V. Sunil; Gobi, K. Vengatajalabathy

2016-04-01

In this research, silver nanoparticles (SNPs) are prepared on the surface of carbon nanotubes via chitosan, a biopolymer linkage. Here chitosan act as stabilizing agent for nanoparticles and forms a network on the surface of carbon nanotubes. Synthesized silver nanoparticles-MWCNT hybrid composite is characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, XRD analysis, and FESEM with EDS to evaluate the structural and chemical properties of the nanocomposite. The electrocatalytic activity of the fabricated SNP-MWCNT hybrid modified glassy carbon electrode has been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance analysis. The silver nanoparticles are of size ˜35 nm and are well distributed on the surface of carbon nanotubes with chitosan linkage. The prepared nanocomposite shows efficient electrocatalytic properties with high active surface area and excellent electron transfer behaviour.

Impulsion of nanoparticles as a drug carrier for the theoretical investigation of stenosed arteries with induced magnetic effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadeem, S.; Ijaz, S.

2016-07-01

In this paper hemodynamics of stenosis are discussed to predict effect of atherosclerosis by means of mathematical models in the presence of uniform transverse magnetic field. The analysis is carried out using silver and copper nanoparticles as a drug carrier. Exact solution for the fluid temperature, velocity, axial induced magnetic field and current density distribution are obtained under mild stenosis approximation. The results indicate that with an increase in the concentration of nanoparticle hemodynamics effects of stenosis reduces throughout the inclined composite stenosed arteries. The considered analysis also summarizes that the drug silver nanoparticles is more efficient to reduce hemodynamics of stenosis when compare to the drug copper nanoparticle. In future this model could be helpful to predict important properties in some biomedical applications.

Group 12 dithiocarbamate complexes: synthesis, spectral studies and their use as precursors for metal sulfides nanoparticles and nanocomposites.

PubMed

Ajibade, Peter A; Ejelonu, Benjamin C

2013-09-01

Zn(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) dithiocarbamate complexes have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, UV-Vis, FTIR, (1)H- and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The complexes were thermolysed at 180 °C and used as single molecule precursors for the synthesis of HDA capped ZnS, CdS and HgS nanoparticles and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) nanocomposites. The optical and structural properties of the nanoparticles and nanocomposites were studied by UV-Vis, PL, XRD and SEM. The crystallites sizes of the nanoparticles varied between 3.03 and 23.45 nm. SEM and EDX analyses of the nanocomposites confirmed the presence of the nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multi-walled carbon/IF-WS2 nanoparticles with improved thermal properties.

PubMed

Xu, Fang; Almeida, Trevor P; Chang, Hong; Xia, Yongde; Wears, M Lesley; Zhu, Yanqiu

2013-11-07

A unique new class of core-shell structured composite nanoparticles, C-coated inorganic fullerene-like WS2 (IF-WS2) hollow nanoparticles, has been created for the first time in large quantities, by a continuous chemical vapour deposition method using a rotary furnace. Transmission electron microscopy and Raman characterisations of the resulting samples reveal that the composite nanoparticles exhibited a uniform shell of carbon coating, ranging from 2-5 nm on the IF-WS2 core, with little or no agglomeration. Importantly, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis confirm that their thermal stability against oxidation in air has been improved by about 70 °C, compared to the pristine IF-WS2, making these new C-coated IF-WS2 nanoparticles more attractive for critical engineering applications.

Time-resolved laser-induced incandescence characterization of metal nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sipkens, T. A.; Singh, N. R.; Daun, K. J.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a comparative analysis of time-resolved laser-induced incandescence measurements of iron, silver, and molybdenum aerosols. Both the variation of peak temperature with fluence and the temperature decay curves strongly depend on the melting point and latent heat of vaporization of the nanoparticles. Recovered nanoparticle sizes are consistent with ex situ analysis, while thermal accommodation coefficients follow expected trends with gas molecular mass and structure. Nevertheless, there remain several unanswered questions and unexplained behaviors: the radiative properties of laser-energized iron nanoparticles do not match those of bulk molten iron; the absorption cross sections of molten iron and silver at the excitation laser wavelength exceed theoretical predictions; and there is an unexplained feature in the temperature decay of laser-energized molybdenum nanoparticles immediately following the laser pulse.

Photoluminescence Analysis of White-Light-Emitting Si Nanoparticles Using Effective Mass Approximation Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Soojin; Cho, Woon Jo; Kim, Yang Do; Kim, Eun Kyu; Park, Jae Gwan

2005-07-01

White-light-emitting Si nanoparticles were prepared from the sodium silicide (NaSi) precursor. The photoluminescence of colloidal Si nanoparticles has been fitted by effective mass approximation (EMA). We analyzed the correlation between experimental photoluminescence and simulated fitting curves. Both the mean diameter and the size dispersion of the white-light-emitting Si nanoparticles were estimated.

Maghemite nanoparticles with enhanced magnetic properties: one-pot preparation and ultrastable dextran shell.

PubMed

Di Corato, Riccardo; Aloisi, Alessandra; Rella, Simona; Greneche, Jean-Marc; Pugliese, Giammarino; Pellegrino, Teresa; Malitesta, Cosimino; Rinaldi, Rosaria

2018-05-10

In the field on nanomedicine, superparamagnetic nanoparticles are one of the most studied nanomaterials for theranostics. In this paper, a one-pot synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles is presented, with elevated control on particles size from 10 to 40 nm. The monitoring of vacuum level is here introduced as a crucial parameter for achieving a fine particle morphology. Magnetic properties of these nanoparticles are highly affected by disorders or mismatches in crystal structure. A prolonged oxidation step is applied to the obtained nanoparticles to transform the magnetic phases into a pure maghemite one, confirmed by a high resolution XPS analysis, by Mössbauer spectrometry and, indirectly, by increased performances in magnetization curves and in relaxation times. Afterward, the attained nanoparticles are transferred in water by a non-derivatized dextran coating. The thermogravimetric analysis confirms that the polysaccharide molecules replace the oleic acid on the surface by stabilizing the particles in aqueous phase and culture media. Preliminary in vitro test reveals as the dextran coated nanoparticles are not passively internalized from the cells. As proof of concept, a secondary layer of chitosan assures a positive charge to the nanoparticle surface, thus enhancing the cellular internalization.

Characterization of physicochemical and colloidal properties of hydrogel chitosan-coated iron-oxide nanoparticles for cancer therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catalano, E.; Di Benedetto, A.

2017-05-01

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have recently been investigated for their potential to kill cancer cells with promising results, owing to their ability to be targeted and heated by magnetic fields. In this study, novel hydrogel, chitosan Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized to induce magnetic hyperthermia, and targeted delivering of chemotherapeutics in the cancer microenvironment. The characteristic properties of synthesized bare and CS-MNPs were analyzed by various analytical methods: X-ray diffraction, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy and Thermo-gravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis. Magnetic nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using the co-precipitation method. This synthesis technique resulted in nanoparticles with an average particle size of 16 nm. The pure obtained nanoparticles were then successfully encapsulated with 4-nm-thick chitosan coating. The formation of chitosan on the surface of nanoparticles was confirmed by physicochemical analyses. Heating experiments at safe magnetic field (f = 100 kHz, H =10-20 kA m-1) revealed that the maximum achieved temperature of water stable chitosan-coated nanoparticles (50 mg ml-1) is fully in agreement with cancer therapy and biomedical applications.

Quantitative Detection of Prostatic-Specific Antigens by Using Scanning Electron Microscopy for the Analysis of Protein Chips.

PubMed

Lee, Jisu; Jung, Moon Youn; Park, Hyung Ju

2017-04-01

We reported that quantitative detection of prostatic-specific antigen (PSA), which is the biomarker of prostate cancer, could be carried out by calculating the number density and the area ratio of gold nanoparticle probes on the surface of silicon oxide chips. When chips selectively activated with PSA were immersed in the gold nanoparticles conjugated with prostatic specific antigens-poly clonal antibodies (PSA-pAb), it was possible to observe changes in the number density and the area ratio of gold nanoparticles on the surface of the chips according to the concentration of PSA with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. As PSA concentration increased, the number density and the area ratio of gold nanoparticle probes on the surfaces of the chips increased accordingly. Conversely, with lower concentration, the number density and the area ratio of gold nanoparticle probes on the surfaces decreased at a certain ratio. We observed the correlations between PSA concentration and number density, area ratio of gold nanoparticle probes through the analysis of SEM images. In addition, it was confirmed that the sizes of the gold nanoparticles affected the detection limit of the number density and the area ratio of gold nanoparticle probes on the surface.

Pair distribution function analysis applied to decahedral gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakotte, H.; Silkwood, C.; Page, K.; Wang, H.-W.; Olds, D.; Kiefer, B.; Manna, S.; Karpov, D.; Fohtung, E.; Fullerton, E. E.

2017-11-01

The five-fold symmetry of face-centered cubic (fcc) derived nanoparticles is inconsistent with the translational symmetry of a Bravais lattice and generally explained by multiple twinning of a tetrahedral subunit about a (joint) symmetry axis, with or without structural modification to the fcc motif. Unlike in bulk materials, five-fold twinning in cubic nanoparticles is common and strongly affects their structural, chemical, and electronic properties. To test and verify theoretical approaches, it is therefore pertinent that the local structural features of such materials can be fully characterized. The small size of nanoparticles severely limits the application of traditional analysis techniques, such as Bragg diffraction. A complete description of the atomic arrangement in nanoparticles therefore requires a departure from the concept of translational symmetry, and prevents fully evaluating all the structural features experimentally. We describe how recent advances in instrumentation, together with the increasing power of computing, are shaping the development of alternative analysis methods of scattering data for nanostructures. We present the application of Debye scattering and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis towards modeling of the total scattering data for the example of decahedral gold nanoparticles. PDF measurements provide a statistical description of the pair correlations of atoms within a material, allowing one to evaluate the probability of finding two atoms within a given distance. We explored the sensitivity of existing synchrotron x-ray PDF instruments for distinguishing four different simple models for our gold nanoparticles: a multiply twinned fcc decahedron with either a single gap or multiple distributed gaps, a relaxed body-centered orthorhombic (bco) decahedron, and a hybrid decahedron. The data simulations of the models were then compared with experimental data from synchrotron x-ray total scattering. We present our experimentally derived atomistic models of the gold nanoparticles, with surprising results and a perspective on remaining challenges. Our findings provide evidence for the suitability of PDF analysis in the characterization of other nanosized particles that may have commercial applications.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Moringa oleifera leaf extracts and its antimicrobial potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moodley, Jerushka S.; Babu Naidu Krishna, Suresh; Pillay, Karen; Sershen; Govender, Patrick

2018-03-01

In this study we report on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from the leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera using sunlight irradiation as primary source of energy, and its antimicrobial potential. Silver nanoparticle formation was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance at 450 nm and 440 nm, respectively for both fresh and freeze-dried leaf samples. Crystanality of AgNPs was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis. FTIR spectroscopic analysis suggested that flavones, terpenoids and polysaccharides predominate and are primarily responsible for the reduction and subsequent capping of AgNPs. X-ray diffraction analysis also demonstrated that the size range of AgNPs from both samples exhibited average diameters of 9 and 11 nm, respectively. Silver nanoparticles showed antimicrobial activity on both bacterial and fungal strains. The biosynthesised nanoparticle preparations from M. oleifera leaf extracts exhibit potential for application as broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents.

Label-Free Raman Microspectral Analysis for Comparison of Cellular Uptake and Distribution between Non-Targeted and EGFR-Targeted Biodegradable Polymeric Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Chernenko, Tatyana; Buyukozturk, Fulden; Miljkovic, Milos; Carrier, Rebecca; Diem, Max; Amiji, Mansoor

2013-01-01

Active targeted delivery of nanoparticle-encapsulated agents to tumor cells in vivo is expected to enhance therapeutic effect with significantly less non-specific toxicity. Active targeting is based on surface modification of nanoparticles with ligands that bind with extracellular targets and enhance payload delivery in the cells. In this study, we have used label-free Raman micro-spectral analysis and kinetic modeling to study cellular interactions and intracellular delivery of C6-ceramide using a non-targeted and an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeted biodegradable polymeric nano-delivery systems, in EGFR-expressing human ovarian adenocarcinoma (SKOV3) cells. The results show that EGFR peptide-modified nanoparticles were rapidly internalized in SKOV3 cells leading to significant intracellular accumulation as compared to non-specific uptake by the non-targeted nanoparticles. Raman micro-spectral analysis enables visualization and quantification of the carrier system, drug-load, and responses of the biological systems interrogated, without exogenous staining and labeling procedures. PMID:24298430

Enrichment of peptides in serum by C(8)-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for direct matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis.

PubMed

Yao, Ning; Chen, Hemei; Lin, Huaqing; Deng, Chunhui; Zhang, Xiangmin

2008-03-21

Human serum contains a complex array of proteolytically derived peptides (serum peptidome), which contain biomarkers of preclinical screening and disease diagnosis. Recently, commercial C(8)-functionalized magnetic beads (1-10 microm) were widely applied to the separation and enrichment of peptides in human serum, prior to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis. In this work, laboratory-prepared C(8)-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (about 50 nm) were prepared and applied to the fast separation and the enrichment of peptides from serum. At first, the C(8)-magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by modifying amine-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles with chlorodimethyloctylsilane. These synthesized C(8)-amine-functionalized magnetic particles have excellent magnetic responsibility, high dispersibility and large surface area. Finally, the C(8)-magnetic nanoparticles were successfully applied to fast and efficient enrichment of low-abundance peptides from protein tryptic digestion and human serum followed by MALDI-TOF-MS analysis.

Screening Methods for Metal-Containing Nanoparticles in Water

EPA Science Inventory

Screening-level analysis of water for metal-containing nanoparticles is achieved with single particle-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICPMS). This method measures both the concentration of nanoparticles containing an analyte metal and the mass of the metal in eac...

Multi-walled carbon/IF-WS2 nanoparticles with improved thermal properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Fang; Almeida, Trevor P.; Chang, Hong; Xia, Yongde; Wears, M. Lesley; Zhu, Yanqiu

2013-10-01

A unique new class of core-shell structured composite nanoparticles, C-coated inorganic fullerene-like WS2 (IF-WS2) hollow nanoparticles, has been created for the first time in large quantities, by a continuous chemical vapour deposition method using a rotary furnace. Transmission electron microscopy and Raman characterisations of the resulting samples reveal that the composite nanoparticles exhibited a uniform shell of carbon coating, ranging from 2-5 nm on the IF-WS2 core, with little or no agglomeration. Importantly, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis confirm that their thermal stability against oxidation in air has been improved by about 70 °C, compared to the pristine IF-WS2, making these new C-coated IF-WS2 nanoparticles more attractive for critical engineering applications.A unique new class of core-shell structured composite nanoparticles, C-coated inorganic fullerene-like WS2 (IF-WS2) hollow nanoparticles, has been created for the first time in large quantities, by a continuous chemical vapour deposition method using a rotary furnace. Transmission electron microscopy and Raman characterisations of the resulting samples reveal that the composite nanoparticles exhibited a uniform shell of carbon coating, ranging from 2-5 nm on the IF-WS2 core, with little or no agglomeration. Importantly, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis confirm that their thermal stability against oxidation in air has been improved by about 70 °C, compared to the pristine IF-WS2, making these new C-coated IF-WS2 nanoparticles more attractive for critical engineering applications. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Sketch of the rotary furnace, XRD pattern comparison of IF-WS2 and 2H WS2, XRD patterns of C-coated IF-WS2 (41-50°), and TGA and MS curves for pristine IF-WS2. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr03844k

Acute and subchronic toxicity analysis of surface modified paclitaxel attached hydroxyapatite and titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

PubMed

Venkatasubbu, Gopinath Devanand; Ramasamy, S; Gaddam, Pramod Reddy; Kumar, J

2015-01-01

Nanoparticles are widely used for targeted drug delivery applications. Surface modification with appropriate polymer and ligands is carried out to target the drug to the affected area. Toxicity analysis is carried out to evaluate the safety of the surface modified nanoparticles. In this study, paclitaxel attached, folic acid functionalized, polyethylene glycol modified hydroxyapatite and titanium dioxide nanoparticles were used for targeted drug delivery system. The toxicological behavior of the system was studied in vivo in rats and mice. Acute and subchronic studies were carried out. Biochemical, hematological, and histopathological analysis was also done. There were no significant alterations in the biochemical parameters at a low dosage. There was a small change in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level at a high dosage. The results indicate a safe toxicological profile.

Analysis of Carbohydrate-Carbohydrate Interactions Using Sugar-Functionalized Silicon Nanoparticles for Cell Imaging.

PubMed

Lai, Chian-Hui; Hütter, Julia; Hsu, Chien-Wei; Tanaka, Hidenori; Varela-Aramburu, Silvia; De Cola, Luisa; Lepenies, Bernd; Seeberger, Peter H

2016-01-13

Protein-carbohydrate binding depends on multivalent ligand display that is even more important for low affinity carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions. Detection and analysis of these low affinity multivalent binding events are technically challenging. We describe the synthesis of dual-fluorescent sugar-capped silicon nanoparticles that proved to be an attractive tool for the analysis of low affinity interactions. These ultrasmall NPs with sizes of around 4 nm can be used for NMR quantification of coupled sugars. The silicon nanoparticles are employed to measure the interaction between the cancer-associated glycosphingolipids GM3 and Gg3 and the associated kD value by surface plasmon resonance experiments. Cell binding studies, to investigate the biological relevance of these carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions, also benefit from these fluorescent sugar-capped nanoparticles.

Synthesis and characterization of bactericidal silver nanoparticles using cultural filtrate of simulated microgravity grown Klebsiella pneumoniae.

PubMed

Kalpana, Duraisamy; Lee, Yang Soo

2013-03-05

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by biological method using cultural filtrate of Klebsiella pneumoniae cultured under simulated microgravity and silver nitrate solution as precursor. The nanoparticles exhibited typical plasmon absorption maximum of silver nanoparticles between 405 and 407 nm. Spherical silver nanoparticles were found to have size between 15 and 37 nm by TEM analysis. XRD pattern corresponding to planes (111), (200), (220) (311) revealed the crystalline nature of the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles. FTIR spectrum proposed stabilization of silver nanoparticles by the protein molecules present in the cultural filtrate. The silver nanoparticles exhibited high bactericidal activity against Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli and moderate bactericidal activity against Streptococcus pyogenes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparation, characterization, dielectric properties and diffusion studies of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR)/manganous tungstate (MnWO4) nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasna, V. C.; Ramesan, M. T.

2017-06-01

Nanocomposites based on SBR with different content of manganous tungstate nanoparticles were prepared and characterized by FTIR, UV-visible spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, TGA, DSC and impedance analysis. The interaction between nanoparticles and the elastomer was clear from the shift in peaks of UV and FTIR. XRD and SEM analysis showed the uniform arrangement of nanoparticles in SBR matrix. Glass transition temperature, thermal stability and dielectric properties of composites were enhanced by the addition of nanoparticles. Sorption studies of nanocomposites were done in aromatic solvents at different temperature. Sorption data obtained were used to estimate the thermodynamic properties.

Development of chitosan-nanoparticle film based materials for controlled quality of minced beef during refrigerated storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdawati

2010-10-01

Chitosan nanoparticles were prepared based on the ionic gelation of chitosan with tripolyphosphate anions. The physicochemical properties of the chitosan nanoparticles were determined by FTIR analysis, XRD pattern and TEM. The effects of chitosan nanoparticles treatment on the shelf-life extension of minced beef stored at 20±1° C were studied, including chemical and microbiological,. Results indicated that chitosan nanoparticle treatment reduced the total microbial load of fresh minced beef about 10-fold (from 3.2×104 CFU/g to 5.4×102 CFU/g) before storage and the microbial flora was different with that of raw samples. The wide-spectrum antibacterial property of chitosan against bacteria isolated from minced beef was confirmed, and chitosan concentration of 400 ppm was eventually determined for application in minced beef. Based on microbiological analysis, biochemical indices determination and sensory evaluation, shelf-lives of 2-3 days for control, 4-5 days for nanoparticle chitosan treatment samples, were observed, indicating that chitosan nanoparticle have a great potential for minced beef preservation.

Milling the Mistletoe: Nanotechnological Conversion of African Mistletoe (Loranthus micranthus) Intoantimicrobial Materials.

PubMed

Sarfraz, Muhammad; Griffin, Sharoon; Gabour Sad, Tamara; Alhasan, Rama; Nasim, Muhammad Jawad; Irfan Masood, Muhammad; Schäfer, Karl Herbert; Ejike, Chukwunonso E C C; Keck, Cornelia M; Jacob, Claus; Ebokaiwe, Azubuike P

2018-04-20

Nanosizing represents a straight forward technique to unlock the biological activity of complex plant materials. The aim of this study was to develop herbal nanoparticles with medicinal value from dried leaves and stems of Loranthus micranthus with the aid of ball-milling, high speed stirring, and high-pressure homogenization techniques. The milled nanoparticles were characterized using laser diffraction analysis, photon correlation spectroscopy analysis, and light microscopy. The average size of leaf nanoparticles was around 245 nm and that of stem nanoparticles was around 180 nm. The nanoparticles were tested for their antimicrobial and nematicidal properties against a Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli , a Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus carnosus , fungi Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae , and a nematode Steinernemafeltiae . The results show significant activities for both leaf and (particularly) stem nanoparticles of Loranthus micranthus on all organisms tested, even at a particle concentration as low as 0.01% ( w / w ). The results observed indicate that nanoparticles (especially of the stem) of Loranthus micranthus could serve as novel antimicrobial agents with wide-ranging biomedical applications.

A comparative ecotoxicity analysis of α- and γ-phase aluminium oxide nanoparticles towards a freshwater bacterial isolate Bacillus licheniformis.

PubMed

Pakrashi, Sunandan; Kumar, Deepak; Iswarya, V; Bhuvaneshwari, M; Chandrasekaran, N; Mukherjee, Amitava

2014-12-01

Crystalline structure of nanoparticles may influence their physicochemical behaviour as well as their toxicological impact on biota. The differences in orientation of the atoms result in the variations in chemical stability. Thus, toxicological impacts of different crystalline phases of aluminium oxide nanoparticles are expected to vary. The present study brings out a comparative toxicity analysis of γ-phase and α-phase aluminium oxide nanoparticles of comparable hydrodynamic size range towards a freshwater bacterial isolate Bacillus licheniformis at low exposure concentrations (5, 1, 0.5 and 0.05 µg/mL). Upon 2-h exposure, the α-aluminium oxide particles showed lower toxicity than the γ-phase aluminium oxide. The lower level of oxidative stress generation and cell membrane damage in case of the α-phase aluminium oxide nanoparticles substantiated the toxicity results. The involvement of protein, lipopolysaccharides in nanoparticle-cell surface interaction, was noted in both the cases. To conclude, the crystallinity of aluminium oxide nanoparticles played an important role in the interaction and the toxicity response.

Photopolymerization Synthesis of Magnetic Nanoparticle Embedded Nanogels for Targeted Biotherapeutic Delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denmark, Daniel J.

Conventional therapeutic techniques treat the patient by delivering a biotherapeutic to the entire body rather than the target tissue. In the case of chemotherapy, the biotherapeutic is a drug that kills healthy and diseased cells indiscriminately which can lead to undesirable side effects. With targeted delivery, biotherapeutics can be delivered directly to the diseased tissue significantly reducing exposure to otherwise healthy tissue. Typical composite delivery devices are minimally composed of a stimuli responsive polymer, such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), allowing for triggered release when heated beyond approximately 32 °C, and magnetic nanoparticles which enable targeting as well as provide a mechanism for stimulus upon alternating magnetic field heating. Although more traditional methods, such as emulsion polymerization, have been used to realize these composite devices, the synthesis is problematic. Poisonous surfactants that are necessary to prevent agglomeration must be removed from the finished polymer, increasing the time and cost of the process. This study seeks to further explore non-toxic, biocompatible, non-residual, photochemical methods of creating stimuli responsive nanogels to advance the targeted biotherapeutic delivery field. Ultraviolet photopolymerization promises to be more efficient, while ensuring safety by using only biocompatible substances. The reactants selected for nanogel fabrication were N -isopropylacrylamide as monomer, methylene bisacrylamide as cross-linker, and Irgacure 2959 as ultraviolet photo-initiator. The superparamagnetic nanoparticles for encapsulation were approximately 10 nm in diameter and composed of magnetite to enable remote delivery and enhanced triggered release properties. Early investigations into the interactions of the polymer and nanoparticles employ a pioneering experimental setup, which allows for coincident turbidimetry and alternating magnetic field heating of an aqueous solution containing both materials. Herein, a low-cost, scalable, and rapid, custom ultraviolet photo-reactor with in-situ, spectroscopic monitoring system is used to observe the synthesis as the sample undergoes photopolymerization. This method also allows in-situ encapsulation of the magnetic nanoparticles simplifying the process. Size characterization of the resulting nanogels was performed by Transmission Electron Microscopy revealing size-tunable nanogel spheres between 50 and 800 nm by varying the ratio and concentration of the reactants. Nano-Tracking Analysis indicates that the nanogels exhibit minimal agglomeration as well as provides a temperature-dependent particle size distribution. Optical characterization utilized Fourier Transform Infrared and Ultraviolet Spectroscopy to confirm successful polymerization. When samples of the nanogels encapsulating magnetic nanoparticles were subjected to an alternating magnetic field a temperature increase was observed indicating that triggered release is possible. Furthermore, a model, based on linear response theory that innovatively utilizes size distribution data, is presented to explain alternating magnetic field heating results. The results presented here will advance targeted biotherapeutic delivery and have a wide range of applications in medical sciences like oncology, gene delivery, cardiology and endocrinology.

PVP capped CdS nanoparticles for UV-LED applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sivaram, H.; Selvakumar, D.; Jayavel, R., E-mail: rjvel@annauniv.edu

Polyvinlypyrrolidone (PVP) capped cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles are synthesized by wet chemical method. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) result indicates that the nanoparticles are crystallized in cubic phase. The optical properties are characterized by UV-Vis absorption. The morphology of CdS nanoparticles are studied using Scanning electron microscope (SEM). The thermal behavior of the as prepared nanoparticles has been examined by Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The optical absorption study of pvp capped CdS reveal a red shift confirms the UV-LED applications.

Mimicking Retention and Transport of Rotavirus and Adenovirus in Sand Media Using DNA-labeled, Protein-coated Silica Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Liping; Farkas, Kata; Bennett, Grant; Varsani, Arvind; Easingwood, Richard; Tilley, Richard; Nowostawska, Urszula; Lin, Susan

2014-05-01

Rotavirus (RoV) and adenovirus (AdV) are important viral pathogens for the risk analysis of drinking water. Despite this, little is known about their retention and transport behaviors in porous media (e.g. sand filtered used for water treatment and groundwater aquifers due to a lack of representative surrogates. In this study, we developed RoV and AdV surrogates by covalently coating 70-nm sized silica nanoparticles with specific proteins and a DNA marker for sensitive detection. Filtration experiments using beach sand columns demonstrated the similarity of the surrogates' concentrations, attachment, and filtration efficiencies to the target viruses. The surrogates showed the same magnitude of concentration reduction as the viruses. Conversely, MS2 phage (a traditional virus model) over predicted concentrations of AdV and RoV by 1- and 2-orders of magnitude, respectively. The surrogates remained stable in size, surface charge and DNA concentration for at least one year. They can be easily and rapidly detected at concentrations down to one particle per PCR reaction and are readily detectable in natural waters and even in effluent. With up-scaling validation in pilot trials, the surrogates can be a useful cost-effective new tool for studying virus retention and transport in porous media, e.g. for assessing filter efficiency in water and wastewater treatment, tracking virus migration in groundwater after effluent land disposal, and establishing safe setback distances for groundwater protection.

Thin layer chitosan-coated cellulose filter paper as substrate for immobilization of catalytic cobalt nanoparticles.

PubMed

Kamal, Tahseen; Khan, Sher Bahadar; Haider, Sajjad; Alghamdi, Yousef Gamaan; Asiri, Abdullah M

2017-11-01

A facile approach utilizing synthesis of cobalt nanoparticles in green polymers of chitosan (CS) coating layer on high surface area cellulose microfibers of filter paper (CFP) is described for the catalytic reduction of nitrophenol and an organic dye using NaBH 4 . Simple steps of CFP coating with 1wt% CS aqueous solution followed by Co 2+ ions adsorption from 0.2M CoCl 2 aqueous solution were carried out to prepare pre-catalytic strips. The Co 2+ loaded pre-catalytic strips of CS-CFP were treated with 0.19M NaBH 4 aqueous solution to convert the ions into nanoparticles. Successful Co nanoparticles formation was assessed by various characterization techniques of FESEM, EDX and XRD analyzes. TGA analyses were carried out on CFP, CS-CFP, and Co-CS-CFP for the determination of the amount of Co particles formed on the CS-FP, and to track their thermal properties. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the Co-CS-CFP showed an excellent catalytic activity and reusability in the reduction reactions a nitroaromatic compound of 2,6-dintirophenol (2,6-DNP) and brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) dye by NaBH 4 . The Co-CS-CFP catalyzed the reduction reactions of 2,6-DNP and BCB by NaBH 4 with psuedo-first order rate constants of 0.0451 and 0.1987min -1 , respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In Situ Live-Cell Nucleus Fluorescence Labeling with Bioinspired Fluorescent Probes.

PubMed

Ding, Pan; Wang, Houyu; Song, Bin; Ji, Xiaoyuan; Su, Yuanyuan; He, Yao

2017-08-01

Fluorescent imaging techniques for visualization of nuclear structure and function in live cells are fundamentally important for exploring major cellular events. The ideal cellular labeling method is capable of realizing label-free, in situ, real-time, and long-term nucleus labeling in live cells, which can fully obtain the nucleus-relative information and effectively alleviate negative effects of alien probes on cellular metabolism. However, current established fluorescent probes-based strategies (e.g., fluorescent proteins-, organic dyes-, fluorescent organic/inorganic nanoparticles-based imaging techniques) are unable to simultaneously realize label-free, in situ, long-term, and real-time nucleus labeling, resulting in inevitable difficulties in fully visualizing nuclear structure and function in live cells. To this end, we present a type of bioinspired fluorescent probes, which are highly efficacious for in situ and label-free tracking of nucleus in long-term and real-time manners. Typically, the bioinspired polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles, served as fluorescent probes, can be readily synthesized in situ within live cell nucleus without any further modifications under physiological conditions (37 °C, pH ∼7.4). Compared with other conventional nuclear dyes (e.g., propidium iodide (PI), Hoechst), superior spectroscopic properties (e.g., quantum yield of ∼35.8% and high photostability) and low cytotoxicity of PDA-based probes enable long-term (e.g., 3 h) fluorescence tracking of nucleus. We also demonstrate the generality of this type of bioinspired fluorescent probes in different cell lines and complex biological samples.

Raman Spectrometer for the Characterization of Advanced Materials and Nanomaterials

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-18

Capannelli, F. Canepa, M. Napoletano, M.R. Cimberle, et al., Synthesis and magnetic characterization of Ni nanoparticles and Ni nanoparticles in...Hennig, R.D. Robinson, Unintended phosphorus doping of nickel nanoparticles during synthesis with TOP: a discovery through structural analysis...Davar, Z. Fereshteh, M. Salavati-Niasari, Nanoparticles Ni and NiO: Synthesis , characterization and magnetic properties, J. Alloys Compd. 476 (2009) 797–801.

ZnO nanoparticles via Moringa oleifera green synthesis: Physical properties & mechanism of formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matinise, N.; Fuku, X. G.; Kaviyarasu, K.; Mayedwa, N.; Maaza, M.

2017-06-01

The research work involves the development of better and reliable method for the bio-fabrication of Zinc oxide nanoparticles through green method using Moringa Oleifera extract as an effective chelating agent. The electrochemical activity, crystalline structure, morphology, isothermal behavior, chemical composition and optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles were studied using various characterization techniques i.e. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Selected area electron diffraction (SEAD), Differential scanning calorimetry/thermogravimetric analysis (DSC/TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared analysis (FTIR) and Ultraviolet spectroscopy studies (UV-vis). The electrochemical analysis proved that the ZnO nano has high electrochemical activity without any modifications and therefore are considered as a potential candidate in electrochemical applications. The XRD pattern confirmed the crystallinity and pure phase of the sample. DSC/TGA analysis of ZnO sample (before anneal) revealed three endothermic peaks around 140.8 °C, 223.7 °C and 389.5 °C. These endothermic peaks are attributed to the loss of volatile surfactant, conversion of zinc hydroxide to zinc oxide nanoparticles and transformation of zinc oxide into zinc nanoparticles. Mechanisms of formation of the ZnO nanoparticles via the chemical reaction of the Zinc nitrate precursor with the bioactive compounds of the Moringa oleifera are proposed for each of the major family compounds: Vitamins, Flavonoids, and Phenolic acids.

Extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticles using the leaf extract of Coleus amboinicus Lour

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Narayanan, Kannan Badri; Sakthivel, Natarajan, E-mail: puns2005@gmail.com

2011-10-15

Highlights: {yields} Synthesis of AgNPs using the leaf extract of Coleus amboinicus L. was described. {yields} UV-vis absorption spectra showed the formation of isotrophic AgNPs at 437 nm in 6 h. {yields} XRD analysis showed intense peaks corresponding to fcc structure of AgNPs. {yields} HR-TEM analysis revealed the formation of stable anisotrophic and isotrophic AgNPs. -- Abstract: In the present investigation, Coleus amboinicus Lour. leaf extract-mediated green chemistry approach for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles was described. The nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmissionmore » electron microscopy (TEM). The influence of leaf extract on the control of size and shape of silver nanoparticles is reported. Upon an increase in the concentration of leaf extract, there was a shift in the shape of nanoparticles from anisotrophic nanostructures like triangle, decahedral and hexagonal to isotrophic spherical nanoparticles. Crystalline nature of fcc structured nanoparticles was confirmed by XRD spectrum with peaks corresponding to (1 1 1), (2 0 0), (2 2 0) and (3 1 1) planes and bright circular spots in the selected-area electron diffraction (SAED). Such environment friendly and sustainable methods are non-toxic, cheap and alternative to hazardous chemical procedures.« less

Terminalia chebula mediated green and rapid synthesis of gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohan Kumar, Kesarla; Mandal, Badal Kumar; Sinha, Madhulika; Krishnakumar, Varadhan

2012-02-01

Biologically inspired experimental process in synthesising nanoparticles is of great interest in present scenario. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles is considered to be one of the best green techniques in synthesising metal nanoparticles. Here, an in situ green biogenic synthesis of gold nanoparticles using aqueous extracts of Terminalia chebula as reducing and stabilizing agent is reported. Gold nanoparticles were confirmed by surface plasmon resonance in the range of 535 nm using UV-visible spectrometry. TEM analysis revealed that the morphology of the particles thus formed contains anisotropic gold nanoparticles with size ranging from 6 to 60 nm. Hydrolysable tannins present in the extract of T. chebula are responsible for reductions and stabilization of gold nanoparticles. Antimicrobial activity of gold nanoparticles showed better activity towards gram positive S. aureus compared to gram negative E. coli using standard well diffusion method.

Efficient synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Prosopis juliflora leaf extract and its antimicrobial activity using sewage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raja, K.; Saravanakumar, A.; Vijayakumar, R.

2012-11-01

In this paper, aqueous extract of fresh leaves of Prosopis juliflora was used for the synthesis of silver (Ag) nanoparticles. UV-Vis spectroscopy studies were carried out to asses silver nanoparticles formation within 5 min, scanning electron microscopic was used to characterize shape of the Ag nanoparticles, X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the nanoparticles as crystalline silver and facecentered cubic type and Fourier transform infra-red assed that shows biomolecule compounds which are responsible for reduction and capping material of silver nanoparticles. The anti microbial activity of silver nanoparticle was performed using sewage. The approach of plant-mediated synthesis appears to be cost efficient, eco-friendly and easy methods.

Ultrasonic-electrodeposition of PtPd alloy nanoparticles on ionic liquid-functionalized graphene paper: towards a flexible and versatile nanohybrid electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yimin; Zheng, Huaming; Wang, Chenxu; Yang, Mengmeng; Zhou, Aijun; Duan, Hongwei

2016-01-01

Here we fabricate a new type of flexible and versatile nanohybrid paper electrode by ultrasonic-electrodeposition of PtPd alloy nanoparticles on freestanding ionic liquid (IL)-functionalized graphene paper, and explore its multifunctional applications in electrochemical catalysis and sensing systems. The graphene-based paper materials demonstrate intrinsic flexibility, exceptional mechanical strength and high electrical conductivity, and therefore can serve as an ideal freestanding flexible electrode for electrochemical devices. Furthermore, the functionalization of graphene with IL (i.e., 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) not only increases the electroactive surface area of a graphene-based nanohybrid paper electrode, but also improves the adhesion and dispersion of metal nanoparticles on the paper surface. These unique attributes, combined with the merits of an ultrasonic-electrodeposition method, lead to the formation of PtPd alloy nanoparticles on IL-graphene paper with high loading, uniform distribution, controlled morphology and favourable size. Consequently, the resultant nanohybrid paper electrode exhibits remarkable catalytic activity as well as excellent cycle stability and improved anti-poisoning ability towards electrooxidation of fuel molecules such as methanol and ethanol. Furthermore, for nonenzymatic electrochemical sensing of some specific biomarkers such as glucose and reactive oxygen species, the nanohybrid paper electrode shows high selectivity, sensitivity and biocompatibility in these bio-catalytic processes, and can be used for real-time tracking hydrogen peroxide secretion by living human cells. All these features demonstrate its promising application as a versatile nanohybrid electrode material in flexible and lightweight electrochemical energy conversion and biosensing systems such as bendable on-chip power sources, wearable/implantable detectors and in vivo micro-biosensors.Here we fabricate a new type of flexible and versatile nanohybrid paper electrode by ultrasonic-electrodeposition of PtPd alloy nanoparticles on freestanding ionic liquid (IL)-functionalized graphene paper, and explore its multifunctional applications in electrochemical catalysis and sensing systems. The graphene-based paper materials demonstrate intrinsic flexibility, exceptional mechanical strength and high electrical conductivity, and therefore can serve as an ideal freestanding flexible electrode for electrochemical devices. Furthermore, the functionalization of graphene with IL (i.e., 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) not only increases the electroactive surface area of a graphene-based nanohybrid paper electrode, but also improves the adhesion and dispersion of metal nanoparticles on the paper surface. These unique attributes, combined with the merits of an ultrasonic-electrodeposition method, lead to the formation of PtPd alloy nanoparticles on IL-graphene paper with high loading, uniform distribution, controlled morphology and favourable size. Consequently, the resultant nanohybrid paper electrode exhibits remarkable catalytic activity as well as excellent cycle stability and improved anti-poisoning ability towards electrooxidation of fuel molecules such as methanol and ethanol. Furthermore, for nonenzymatic electrochemical sensing of some specific biomarkers such as glucose and reactive oxygen species, the nanohybrid paper electrode shows high selectivity, sensitivity and biocompatibility in these bio-catalytic processes, and can be used for real-time tracking hydrogen peroxide secretion by living human cells. All these features demonstrate its promising application as a versatile nanohybrid electrode material in flexible and lightweight electrochemical energy conversion and biosensing systems such as bendable on-chip power sources, wearable/implantable detectors and in vivo micro-biosensors. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: The stress-strain curve of the IL-rGOP, EDX spectrum of PtPd/IL-rGOP, the particle size and size distribution of Pt, PtPd and Pd nanoparticles electrodeposited on IL-rGOP derived from SEM, and the structural parameters of Pt, PtPd and Pd nanoparticles electrodeposited on IL-rGOP derived from XRD, influence of the potential interfering species towards glucose detection. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr06912b

A simple backscattering microscope for fast tracking of biological molecules

PubMed Central

Sowa, Yoshiyuki; Steel, Bradley C.; Berry, Richard M.

2010-01-01

Recent developments in techniques for observing single molecules under light microscopes have helped reveal the mechanisms by which molecular machines work. A wide range of markers can be used to detect molecules, from single fluorophores to micron sized markers, depending on the research interest. Here, we present a new and simple objective-type backscattering microscope to track gold nanoparticles with nanometer and microsecond resolution. The total noise of our system in a 55 kHz bandwidth is ∼0.6 nm per axis, sufficient to measure molecular movement. We found our backscattering microscopy to be useful not only for in vitro but also for in vivo experiments because of lower background scattering from cells than in conventional dark-field microscopy. We demonstrate the application of this technique to measuring the motion of a biological rotary molecular motor, the bacterial flagellar motor, in live Escherichia coli cells. PMID:21133475

Gold Nanobeacons for Tracking Gene Silencing in Zebrafish

PubMed Central

Cordeiro, Milton; Carvalho, Lara; Silva, Joana; Saúde, Leonor; Fernandes, Alexandra R.; Baptista, Pedro V.

2017-01-01

The use of gold nanoparticles for effective gene silencing has demonstrated its potential as a tool for gene expression experiments and for the treatment of several diseases. Here, we used a gold nanobeacon designed to specifically silence the enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) mRNA in embryos of a fli-EGFP transgenic zebrafish line, while simultaneously allowing the tracking and localization of the silencing events via the beacon’s emission. Fluorescence imaging measurements demonstrated a decrease of the EGFP emission with a concomitant increase in the fluorescence of the Au-nanobeacon. Furthermore, microinjection of the Au-nanobeacon led to a negligible difference in mortality and malformations in comparison to the free oligonucleotide, indicating that this system is a biocompatible platform for the administration of gene silencing moieties. Together, these data illustrate the potential of Au-nanobeacons as tools for in vivo zebrafish gene modulation with low toxicity which may be used towards any gene of interest. PMID:28336844

New Generation Materials and Structures for Nanophotonics and Nanoelectronics

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-04-30

been investigated using thermogravimetric analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. The nanoparticles appear to have excess surfactants on their surface, but...processes. We continued analysis of the vibrational modes of the InP/II- VI core-shell nanoparticles determined by IR and Raman studies, and initiated...photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), BET surface area analysis , transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and SQUID magnetometry. In

Comparison study on biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using fresh and hot air oven dried IMPERATA CYLINDRICA leaf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najmi Bonnia, Noor; Fairuzi, Afiza Ahmad; Akhir, Rabiatuladawiyah Md.; Yahya, Sabrina M.; Rani, Mohd Azri Ab; Ratim, Suzana; Rahman, Norafifah A.; Akil, Hazizan Md

2018-01-01

The perennial rhizomatous grass; Imperata cylindrica (I. cylindrica) has been reported rich in various phytochemicals. In present study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized from aqueous leaf extract of I. cylindrica at two different leaf conditions; fresh leaves and hot-air oven dried leaves. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Maximum absorption was recorded between 400 nm to 500 nm. FESEM analysis revealed that the silver nanoparticles predominantly form spherical shapes. The particles sizes were ranging from 22-37 nm. The elemental composition of the synthesized silver nanoparticles was confirmed by using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the reducing and stabilizing actions came from biomolecules associated with I. cylindrica leaf extract. Thus in this investigation, an environmentally safe method to synthesized silver nanoparticles using local plant extract was successfully established.

Diatomite silica nanoparticles for drug delivery

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Diatomite is a natural fossil material of sedimentary origin, constituted by fragments of diatom siliceous skeletons. In this preliminary work, the properties of diatomite nanoparticles as potential system for the delivery of drugs in cancer cells were exploited. A purification procedure, based on thermal treatments in strong acid solutions, was used to remove inorganic and organic impurities from diatomite and to make them a safe material for medical applications. The micrometric diatomite powder was reduced in nanoparticles by mechanical crushing, sonication, and filtering. Morphological analysis performed by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy reveals a particles size included between 100 and 300 nm. Diatomite nanoparticles were functionalized by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and labeled by tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate. Different concentrations of chemically modified nanoparticles were incubated with cancer cells and confocal microscopy was performed. Imaging analysis showed an efficient cellular uptake and homogeneous distribution of nanoparticles in cytoplasm and nucleus, thus suggesting their potentiality as nanocarriers for drug delivery. PACS 87.85.J81.05.Rm; 61.46. + w PMID:25024689

Diatomite silica nanoparticles for drug delivery.

PubMed

Ruggiero, Immacolata; Terracciano, Monica; Martucci, Nicola M; De Stefano, Luca; Migliaccio, Nunzia; Tatè, Rosarita; Rendina, Ivo; Arcari, Paolo; Lamberti, Annalisa; Rea, Ilaria

2014-01-01

Diatomite is a natural fossil material of sedimentary origin, constituted by fragments of diatom siliceous skeletons. In this preliminary work, the properties of diatomite nanoparticles as potential system for the delivery of drugs in cancer cells were exploited. A purification procedure, based on thermal treatments in strong acid solutions, was used to remove inorganic and organic impurities from diatomite and to make them a safe material for medical applications. The micrometric diatomite powder was reduced in nanoparticles by mechanical crushing, sonication, and filtering. Morphological analysis performed by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy reveals a particles size included between 100 and 300 nm. Diatomite nanoparticles were functionalized by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and labeled by tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate. Different concentrations of chemically modified nanoparticles were incubated with cancer cells and confocal microscopy was performed. Imaging analysis showed an efficient cellular uptake and homogeneous distribution of nanoparticles in cytoplasm and nucleus, thus suggesting their potentiality as nanocarriers for drug delivery. 87.85.J81.05.Rm; 61.46. + w.

Electrochemical analysis of gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles for detecting immunological interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, Thao Thi-Hien; Sim, Sang Jun

2010-01-01

An electrochemical impedance immunosensor was developed for detecting the immunological interaction between human immunoglobulin (IgG) and protein A from Staphylococcus aureus based on the immobilization of human IgG on the surface of modified gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles. The nanoparticles with an Au shell and Fe oxide cores were functionalized by a self-assembled monolayer of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid. The electrochemical analysis was conducted on the modified magnetic carbon paste electrodes with the nanoparticles. The magnetic nanoparticles were attached to the surface of the magnetic carbon paste electrodes via magnetic force. The cyclic voltammetry technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements of the magnetic carbon paste electrodes coated with magnetic nanoparticles-human IgG complex showed changes in its alternating current (AC) response both after the modification of the surface of the electrode and the addition of protein A. The immunological interaction between human IgG on the surface of the modified magnetic carbon paste electrodes and protein A in the solution could be successfully monitored.

Electrochemical performance of a thermally rearranged polybenzoxazole nanocomposite membrane as a separator for lithium-ion batteries at elevated temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Moon Joo; Hwang, Jun-Ki; Kim, Ji Hoon; Lim, Hyung-Seok; Sun, Yang-Kook; Suh, Kyung-Do; Lee, Young Moo

2016-02-01

Shape-tunable hydroxyl copolyimide (HPI) nanoparticles are fabricated by a re-precipitation method and are coated onto electrospun HPI membranes, followed by heat treatment to prepare thermally rearranged polybenzoxazole (TR-PBO) composite membranes. The morphology of HPI nanoparticles consisted of sphere and sea-squirt structures, which is controlled by changing the concentration of the stabilizer. The morphological characteristics of TR-PBO nanoparticles convert from HPI nanoparticles by heat treatment and their composite membranes is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analysis, and contact angle measurements. TGA and DSC measurements confirm the excellent thermal stability compared to Celgard, a commercial PP separator for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Further, TR-PBO nano-composite membranes used in coin-cell type LIBs as a separator show excellent high power density performance as compared to Celgard. This is due to the fact that sea-squirt structured nanoparticles have better electrochemical properties than sphere structured nanoparticles at high temperature.

Green Synthesis and Characterization of SmVO4 Nanoparticles in the Presence of Carbohydrates As Capping Agents with Investigation of Visible-Light Photocatalytic Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eghbali-Arani, Mohammad; Sobhani-Nasab, Ali; Rahimi-Nasrabadi, Mehdi; Pourmasoud, Saeid

2018-03-01

SmVO4 nanoparticles were synthesized through a fast and simple procedure (green method). The effects of three parameters including temperature, type of capping agent, and concentration on the size and morphology behavior of SmVO4 nanoparticles were explored. The analysis of SmVO4 nanoparticles was performed through some techniques including, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometers. The study of photocatalytic behaviour of the SmVO4 nanoparticles in various conditions has been carried out. The impacts of different factors such as dosage, grain size, and kind of pollutant (methylene blue = MB and methyl orange = MO) on the photocatalytic property of SmVO4 nanoparticles were assessed. The photocatalytic activities of SmVO4 catalysts were studied for the degradation of dye under visible light (λ > 400 nm).

Analysis of nanoparticle delivery to tumours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilhelm, Stefan; Tavares, Anthony J.; Dai, Qin; Ohta, Seiichi; Audet, Julie; Dvorak, Harold F.; Chan, Warren C. W.

2016-05-01

Targeting nanoparticles to malignant tissues for improved diagnosis and therapy is a popular concept. However, after surveying the literature from the past 10 years, only 0.7% (median) of the administered nanoparticle dose is found to be delivered to a solid tumour. This has negative consequences on the translation of nanotechnology for human use with respect to manufacturing, cost, toxicity, and imaging and therapeutic efficacy. In this article, we conduct a multivariate analysis on the compiled data to reveal the contributions of nanoparticle physicochemical parameters, tumour models and cancer types on the low delivery efficiency. We explore the potential causes of the poor delivery efficiency from the perspectives of tumour biology (intercellular versus transcellular transport, enhanced permeability and retention effect, and physicochemical-dependent nanoparticle transport through the tumour stroma) as well as competing organs (mononuclear phagocytic and renal systems) and present a 30-year research strategy to overcome this fundamental limitation. Solving the nanoparticle delivery problem will accelerate the clinical translation of nanomedicine.

The combined use of order tracking techniques for enhanced Fourier analysis of order components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, K. S.; Heyns, P. S.

2011-04-01

Order tracking is one of the most important vibration analysis techniques for diagnosing faults in rotating machinery. It can be performed in many different ways, each of these with distinct advantages and disadvantages. However, in the end the analyst will often use Fourier analysis to transform the data from a time series to frequency or order spectra. It is therefore surprising that the study of the Fourier analysis of order-tracked systems seems to have been largely ignored in the literature. This paper considers the frequently used Vold-Kalman filter-based order tracking and computed order tracking techniques. The main pros and cons of each technique for Fourier analysis are discussed and the sequential use of Vold-Kalman filtering and computed order tracking is proposed as a novel idea to enhance the results of Fourier analysis for determining the order components. The advantages of the combined use of these order tracking techniques are demonstrated numerically on an SDOF rotor simulation model. Finally, the approach is also demonstrated on experimental data from a real rotating machine.

Nanoparticle imaging. 3D structure of individual nanocrystals in solution by electron microscopy.

PubMed

Park, Jungwon; Elmlund, Hans; Ercius, Peter; Yuk, Jong Min; Limmer, David T; Chen, Qian; Kim, Kwanpyo; Han, Sang Hoon; Weitz, David A; Zettl, A; Alivisatos, A Paul

2015-07-17

Knowledge about the synthesis, growth mechanisms, and physical properties of colloidal nanoparticles has been limited by technical impediments. We introduce a method for determining three-dimensional (3D) structures of individual nanoparticles in solution. We combine a graphene liquid cell, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, a direct electron detector, and an algorithm for single-particle 3D reconstruction originally developed for analysis of biological molecules. This method yielded two 3D structures of individual platinum nanocrystals at near-atomic resolution. Because our method derives the 3D structure from images of individual nanoparticles rotating freely in solution, it enables the analysis of heterogeneous populations of potentially unordered nanoparticles that are synthesized in solution, thereby providing a means to understand the structure and stability of defects at the nanoscale. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Biopolymer protected silver nanoparticles on the support of carbon nanotube as interface for electrocatalytic applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Satyanarayana, M.; Kumar, V. Sunil; Gobi, K. Vengatajalabathy, E-mail: drkvgobi@gmail.com, E-mail: satyam.nitw@gmail.com

In this research, silver nanoparticles (SNPs) are prepared on the surface of carbon nanotubes via chitosan, a biopolymer linkage. Here chitosan act as stabilizing agent for nanoparticles and forms a network on the surface of carbon nanotubes. Synthesized silver nanoparticles-MWCNT hybrid composite is characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, XRD analysis, and FESEM with EDS to evaluate the structural and chemical properties of the nanocomposite. The electrocatalytic activity of the fabricated SNP-MWCNT hybrid modified glassy carbon electrode has been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance analysis. The silver nanoparticles are of size ∼35 nm and are well distributed on the surface ofmore » carbon nanotubes with chitosan linkage. The prepared nanocomposite shows efficient electrocatalytic properties with high active surface area and excellent electron transfer behaviour.« less

Transition metal-substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Sanpo, Noppakun; Berndt, Christopher C; Wen, Cuie; Wang, James

2013-03-01

Transition metals of copper, zinc, chromium and nickel were substituted into cobalt ferrite nanoparticles via a sol-gel route using citric acid as a chelating agent. The microstructure and elemental composition were characterized using scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Phase analysis of transition metal-substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles was performed via X-ray diffraction. Surface wettability was measured using the water contact angle technique. The surface roughness of all nanoparticles was measured using profilometry. Moreover, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were performed to determine the temperature at which the decomposition and oxidation of the chelating agents took place. Results indicated that the substitution of transition metals influences strongly the microstructure, crystal structure and antibacterial property of the cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. Copyright © 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gold Nanoparticles: An Efficient Antimicrobial Agent against Enteric Bacterial Human Pathogen

PubMed Central

Shamaila, Shahzadi; Zafar, Noshin; Riaz, Saira; Sharif, Rehana; Nazir, Jawad; Naseem, Shahzad

2016-01-01

Enteric bacterial human pathogens, i.e., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae, are the major cause of diarrheal infections in children and adults. Their structure badly affects the human immune system. It is important to explore new antibacterial agents instead of antibiotics for treatment. This project is an attempt to explain how gold nanoparticles affect these bacteria. We investigated the important role of the mean particle size, and the inhibition of a bacterium is dose-dependent. Ultra Violet (UV)-visible spectroscopy revealed the size of chemically synthesized gold nanoparticle as 6–40 nm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis confirmed the size and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) analysis determined the polycrystalline nature of gold nanoparticles. The present findings explained how gold nanoparticles lyse Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. PMID:28335198

Interfacial surfactant competition and its impact on poly(ethylene oxide)/Au and poly(ethylene oxide)/Ag nanocomposite properties

PubMed Central

Seyhan, Merve; Kucharczyk, William; Yarar, U Ecem; Rickard, Katherine; Rende, Deniz; Baysal, Nihat; Bucak, Seyda; Ozisik, Rahmi

2017-01-01

The structure and properties of nanocomposites of poly(ethylene oxide), with Ag and Au nanoparticles, surface modified with a 1:1 (by volume) oleylamine/oleic acid mixture, were investigated via transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and static mechanical testing. Results indicated that there was more oleylamine on Ag nanoparticles but more oleic acid on Au nanoparticles. This difference in surfactant populations on each nanoparticle led to different interfacial interactions with poly(ethylene oxide) and drastically influenced the glass transition temperature of these two nanocomposite systems. Almost all other properties were found to correlate strongly with dispersion and distribution state of Au and Ag nanoparticles, such that the property in question changed direction at the onset of agglomeration. PMID:28461744

A New Enzyme-linked Sorbent Assay (ELSA) to Quantify Syncytiotrophoblast Extracellular Vesicles in Biological Fluids.

PubMed

Göhner, Claudia; Weber, Maja; Tannetta, Dionne S; Groten, Tanja; Plösch, Torsten; Faas, Marijke M; Scherjon, Sicco A; Schleußner, Ekkehard; Markert, Udo R; Fitzgerald, Justine S

2015-06-01

The pregnancy-associated disease preeclampsia is related to the release of syncytiotrophoblast extracellular vesicles (STBEV) by the placenta. To improve functional research on STBEV, reliable and specific methods are needed to quantify them. However, only a few quantification methods are available and accepted, though imperfect. For this purpose, we aimed to provide an enzyme-linked sorbent assay (ELSA) to quantify STBEV in fluid samples based on their microvesicle characteristics and placental origin. Ex vivo placenta perfusion provided standards and samples for the STBEV quantification. STBEV were captured by binding of extracellular phosphatidylserine to immobilized annexin V. The membranous human placental alkaline phosphatase on the STBEV surface catalyzed a colorimetric detection reaction. The described ELSA is a rapid and simple method to quantify STBEV in diverse liquid samples, such as blood or perfusion suspension. The reliability of the ELSA was proven by comparison with nanoparticle tracking analysis. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Materials modification using ions with energies below 1 MeV/u

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karlušić, M.; Jakšić, M.; Buljan, M.; Sancho-Parramon, J.; Bogdanović-Radović, I.; Radić, N.; Bernstorff, S.

2013-12-01

Materials modifications using swift heavy ion beams provided by large scale accelerators have been used for many years in a wide variety of ways, e.g. to produce ion tracks or to modify the shape of nanoparticles. In all those applications the most relevant parameter for the materials modification is the electronic stopping power and not the ion kinetic energy. For many materials, ions with energies below 1 MeV/u delivered from medium and small size accelerators have already sufficiently high electronic stopping power to modify materials in different ways. Also, in this energy range the nuclear stopping power can be large enough to provide additional opportunities for materials modifications. In the present paper, we review recent experimental activities of the Zagreb group where ion beams with energies below 1 MeV/u, obtained from a 6 MV EN Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator have been used. Additionally, we present several novel examples of materials modifications and their analysis with such ion beams.

Intraarterial route increases the risk of cerebral lesions after mesenchymal cell administration in animal model of ischemia

PubMed Central

Argibay, Bárbara; Trekker, Jesse; Himmelreich, Uwe; Beiras, Andrés; Topete, Antonio; Taboada, Pablo; Pérez-Mato, María; Vieites-Prado, Alba; Iglesias-Rey, Ramón; Rivas, José; Planas, Anna M.; Sobrino, Tomás; Castillo, José; Campos, Francisco

2017-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising clinical therapy for ischemic stroke. However, critical parameters, such as the most effective administration route, remain unclear. Intravenous (i.v.) and intraarterial (i.a.) delivery routes have yielded varied outcomes across studies, potentially due to the unknown MSCs distribution. We investigated whether MSCs reached the brain following i.a. or i.v. administration after transient cerebral ischemia in rats, and evaluated the therapeutic effects of both routes. MSCs were labeled with dextran-coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cell tracking, transmission electron microscopy and immunohistological analysis. MSCs were found in the brain following i.a. but not i.v. administration. However, the i.a. route increased the risk of cerebral lesions and did not improve functional recovery. The i.v. delivery is safe but MCS do not reach the brain tissue, implying that treatment benefits observed for this route are not attributable to brain MCS engrafting after stroke. PMID:28091591

Intraarterial route increases the risk of cerebral lesions after mesenchymal cell administration in animal model of ischemia.

PubMed

Argibay, Bárbara; Trekker, Jesse; Himmelreich, Uwe; Beiras, Andrés; Topete, Antonio; Taboada, Pablo; Pérez-Mato, María; Vieites-Prado, Alba; Iglesias-Rey, Ramón; Rivas, José; Planas, Anna M; Sobrino, Tomás; Castillo, José; Campos, Francisco

2017-01-16

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising clinical therapy for ischemic stroke. However, critical parameters, such as the most effective administration route, remain unclear. Intravenous (i.v.) and intraarterial (i.a.) delivery routes have yielded varied outcomes across studies, potentially due to the unknown MSCs distribution. We investigated whether MSCs reached the brain following i.a. or i.v. administration after transient cerebral ischemia in rats, and evaluated the therapeutic effects of both routes. MSCs were labeled with dextran-coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cell tracking, transmission electron microscopy and immunohistological analysis. MSCs were found in the brain following i.a. but not i.v. administration. However, the i.a. route increased the risk of cerebral lesions and did not improve functional recovery. The i.v. delivery is safe but MCS do not reach the brain tissue, implying that treatment benefits observed for this route are not attributable to brain MCS engrafting after stroke.

Particle Formation and Aggregation of a Therapeutic Protein in Nanobubble Suspensions

PubMed Central

Snell, Jared R.; Zhou, Chen; Carpenter, John F.; Randolph, Theodore W.

2016-01-01

The generation of nanobubbles following reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations has recently been reported.1 Here, we characterize particle formation and aggregation of recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (rhIL-1ra) in reconstituted formulations of lyophilized trehalose. Particle characterization methods including resonant mass measurement and nanoparticle tracking analysis were used to count and size particles generated upon reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations. In addition, accelerated degradation studies were conducted to monitor rhIL-1ra aggregation in solutions containing various concentrations of suspended nanobubbles. Reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations with solutions containing rhIL-1ra reduced nanobubble concentrations and generated negatively buoyant particles attributed to aggregated rhIL-1ra. Furthermore, levels of rhIL-1ra aggregation following incubation in aqueous solution correlated with concentrations of suspended nanobubbles. The results of this study suggest nanobubbles may be a contributor to protein aggregation and particle formation in reconstituted, lyophilized therapeutic protein formulations. PMID:27488901

Particle Formation and Aggregation of a Therapeutic Protein in Nanobubble Suspensions.

PubMed

Snell, Jared R; Zhou, Chen; Carpenter, John F; Randolph, Theodore W

2016-10-01

The generation of nanobubbles following reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations has recently been reported. Here, we characterize particle formation and aggregation of recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (rhIL-1ra) in reconstituted formulations of lyophilized trehalose. Particle characterization methods including resonant mass measurement and nanoparticle tracking analysis were used to count and size particles generated upon reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations. In addition, accelerated degradation studies were conducted to monitor rhIL-1ra aggregation in solutions containing various concentrations of suspended nanobubbles. Reconstitution of lyophilized trehalose formulations with solutions containing rhIL-1ra reduced nanobubble concentrations and generated negatively buoyant particles attributed to aggregated rhIL-1ra. Furthermore, levels of rhIL-1ra aggregation following incubation in aqueous solution correlated with concentrations of suspended nanobubbles. The results of this study suggest that nanobubbles may be a contributor to protein aggregation and particle formation in reconstituted, lyophilized therapeutic protein formulations. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intraarterial route increases the risk of cerebral lesions after mesenchymal cell administration in animal model of ischemia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argibay, Bárbara; Trekker, Jesse; Himmelreich, Uwe; Beiras, Andrés; Topete, Antonio; Taboada, Pablo; Pérez-Mato, María; Vieites-Prado, Alba; Iglesias-Rey, Ramón; Rivas, José; Planas, Anna M.; Sobrino, Tomás; Castillo, José; Campos, Francisco

2017-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising clinical therapy for ischemic stroke. However, critical parameters, such as the most effective administration route, remain unclear. Intravenous (i.v.) and intraarterial (i.a.) delivery routes have yielded varied outcomes across studies, potentially due to the unknown MSCs distribution. We investigated whether MSCs reached the brain following i.a. or i.v. administration after transient cerebral ischemia in rats, and evaluated the therapeutic effects of both routes. MSCs were labeled with dextran-coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cell tracking, transmission electron microscopy and immunohistological analysis. MSCs were found in the brain following i.a. but not i.v. administration. However, the i.a. route increased the risk of cerebral lesions and did not improve functional recovery. The i.v. delivery is safe but MCS do not reach the brain tissue, implying that treatment benefits observed for this route are not attributable to brain MCS engrafting after stroke.

Ultraviolet A irradiation increases the permeation of fullerenes into human and porcine skin from C₆₀-poly(vinylpyrrolidone) aggregate dispersions.

PubMed

Souto, Gabriele Dadalt; Pohlmann, Adriana Raffin; Guterres, Sílvia Stanisçuaski

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to characterise C₆₀-poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) dispersions, to analyse the cutaneous absorption of fullerenes as well as to evaluate whether UVA radiation (UVA-R) could modify its permeation profile. Dispersions were characterised according to their pH, particle size, zeta potential, and morphology. Skin absorption studies were performed using porcine or human skin under UVA or sham irradiation. The C₆₀ aggregate size was 129 ± 54 nm (as determined by nanoparticle tracking analysis) and the zeta potential was -4.93 ± 1.72 mV. The C₆₀ aggregates presented an irregular shape (as measured by transmission electron microscopy) and permeated through human and porcine skin. C₆₀-PVP aggregates were adequately characterised. Human skin was less permeable than porcine skin, and the presence of UVA-R increased the C₆₀ content up to the dermis. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Mycosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Lingzhi or Reishi medicinal mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (W. Curt.:Fr.) P. Karst. and their role as antimicrobials and antibiotic activity enhancers.

PubMed

Karwa, A; Gaikwad, Swapnil; Rai, Mahendra K

2011-01-01

Lingzhi or Reishi medicinal mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum, has been used over the ages as highly medicinal herb in the Orient. Many useful properties of this fungus are still being studied; we report here a new facet of this "elixir of life" as a mycosource for synthesis of metal nanoparticles. Treating the extracellular suspension filtrate of the mycelia of G. lucidum with silver nitrate reduces the metal ions to nanoparticles. Optical detection followed by confirmation through spectroscopic analysis suggests that this fungus can be used for the purpose of safe and sure synthesis of silver nanoparticles, demand for which is growing day by day in all fields of human life. LM-20 analysis of these G. lucidum-synthesised nanoparticles reveals the polydispersity and distribution of silver nanoparticles in the range of 10-70 nm with an average size of 45 nm and a concentration of 0.37 x 108 particles/mL. FT-IR spectrum confirms the stability of these nanoparticles due to presence of amide linkages and protein capping. These nanoparticles have shown strong bactericidal activity against test pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and also exhibited their efficiency in enhancing the activity of the synthetic antibiotic tetracycline. The method of synthesising silver nanoparticles and its bactericidal effect discussed here can be used for environment-friendly and economically feasible production for different applications where chemically synthesized nanoparticles cause undesirable effects.