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Biomedicines
Special Issues
Nano-Based Drug Delivery and Drug Discovery
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Nano-Based Drug Delivery and Drug Discovery

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanobiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 3982

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Xiangli Shao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
Interests: biosensors; functional nucleic acids; nanomaterials; functional DNA nanotechnology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanotechnology involves the manipulation and utilization of materials, devices, and systems at the nanometer scale. This rapidly evolving field presents numerous opportunities and a wide array of applications across engineering, medicine, and life sciences. Drug delivery encompasses the various methods by which a drug or active agent is transported to target cells to address health issues or diseases. Nanotechnology shows promise as the preferred platform for drug delivery when addressing the challenges of conventional medications used in the treatment and management of various diseases and developing innovative treatment and diagnostic approaches. By using nanoparticles, drug bioavailability can be enhanced, targeted drug accumulation can be increased, and drug-related side effects can be minimized, ultimately resulting in improved therapeutic outcomes and enhanced patient adherence to treatment protocols.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Drug targeting and release (nanoparticles functionalization and optimization, and stimuli-responsive targeting and releasing).
  • Multiple drug administration (multifunctional nanoparticles, combination nanomedicines, personalized nanomedicine, theragnostic nanoparticles, and sequential drug release).
  • Nanocarriers in drug delivery (design and optimization of nanocarriers, and the role of nanocarriers in drug delivery).
  • Smart drug delivery system and its clinical potential.
  • Applications of nano-based systems for drug delivery.

Dr. Xiangli Shao
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanotechnology
  • drug discovery
  • drug delivery
  • nanocarriers
  • nanomaterials
  • drug targeting
  • drug release
  • drug therapeutic

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1425 KB  
Article
Raloxifene-Loaded Lipid Nanovesicles: A Journey to Select the Optimal Nanocarrier Formulation Through Characterization and Cytotoxic Analysis
by Jana K ALwattar, Mohammad Ahmad Assi, Sahar Nasser, Mohamad Rahal and Mohammed M. Mehanna
Biomedicines 2025, 13(9), 2056; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13092056 - 23 Aug 2025
Viewed by 632
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Cancer ranks as the second most prevalent cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Approximately one in six global deaths is attributed to cancer. Among females, breast cancer stands out as the most frequent type of tumor. Raloxifene [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Cancer ranks as the second most prevalent cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Approximately one in six global deaths is attributed to cancer. Among females, breast cancer stands out as the most frequent type of tumor. Raloxifene (RLX), recognized as a selective estrogen receptor modulator, has been employed as a therapeutic option in treating breast cancer among postmenopausal women. The objective of this study was to investigate the anticancer potential of raloxifene-loaded hexosomes, nanoliposomes, and nanoniosomes to identify the most effective formulation. Methods: The particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and structural elucidation of the various nanovesicle formulations was validated; Results: Each nanocarrier exhibited a negative surface charge, nanometric size, and a reasonable encapsulation efficiency. Cytotoxicity of the different raloxifene-loaded nanovesicles on MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines and MCF10 non tumorigenic cells revealed the substantial cytotoxic activity of the hexosomal nanocarrier compared to the other nanovesicles, exhibiting the lowest IC50 = 45.3 ± 1.10 µM. Conclusions: The RLX-loaded hexosomal formulation showed superior cytotoxic activity, indicating its potential as a highly effective therapeutic agent. To fully understand its capabilities and mechanisms, further in vitro characterization studies are necessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Based Drug Delivery and Drug Discovery)
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21 pages, 5723 KB  
Article
Magnetoelectric Extracellular Vesicle Latency-Targeting (MELT) Nanotherapeutic for the Block-Lock-and-Kill HIV Eradication Strategy
by Mickensone Andre, Nagesh Kolishetti, Adriana Yndart, Arti Vashist, Madhavan Nair and Andrea D. Raymond
Biomedicines 2025, 13(1), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13010147 - 9 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1360
Abstract
Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) establishes latent infections in cellular reservoirs, including microglia. HC69 cells, a microglial model of HIV latency, contain an HIV promoter long terminal repeat (LTR)-GFP reporter and were used for testing the efficacy of a two-step magnetoelectric nanoparticle (MENP) [...] Read more.
Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) establishes latent infections in cellular reservoirs, including microglia. HC69 cells, a microglial model of HIV latency, contain an HIV promoter long terminal repeat (LTR)-GFP reporter and were used for testing the efficacy of a two-step magnetoelectric nanoparticle (MENP) and extracellular vesicle (xEV) latency-targeting (MELT) nanotherapeutic. GFP expression in HC69 at rest is low (GFPLo), and upon exposure to LTR, transcription-activating agents (i.e., TNF-α) are induced to be high expressing (GFPHi). Methods: The first step of MELT utilized ZL0580, an HIV Tat inhibitor loaded into EVs (80%) via incubation. ZL0580-EVs were taken up by GFPLo and blocked LTR transcriptional reactivation by 50% and were 90% less toxic than ZL0580 alone. The second step in MELT involved conjugation of monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) to MENPs. HPLC measurements showed 80% MMAE attachment to MENPs. Flow cytometry-based measurements of the membrane potential indicated that the membranes of GFPHi HC69 were 60% more polarized than GFPLo HC69 cells. More MMAE–MENPs were internalized by GFPLo HC69. Results: Using a mixed-cell blood–brain barrier (BBB) Transwell model, we demonstrated that 20% of MELT crossed the BBB, was taken up by HC69 cells, and reduced LTR reactivation by 10%. Conclusions: Overall, this study demonstrated that MELT can potentially be utilized as a nanotherapeutic to target HIV latency in microglia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Based Drug Delivery and Drug Discovery)
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19 pages, 4683 KB  
Article
Multifractal Analysis and Experimental Evaluation of MCM-48 Mesoporous Silica as a Drug Delivery System for Metformin Hydrochloride
by Mousa Sha’at, Maria Ignat, Liviu Sacarescu, Adrian Florin Spac, Alexandra Barsan (Bujor), Vlad Ghizdovat, Emanuel Nazaretian, Catalin Dumitras, Maricel Agop, Cristina Marcela Rusu and Lacramioara Ochiuz
Biomedicines 2024, 12(12), 2838; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12122838 - 13 Dec 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1248
Abstract
Background: This study explored the potential of MCM-48 mesoporous silica matrices as a drug delivery system for metformin hydrochloride, aimed at improving the therapeutic management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The objectives included the synthesis and characterization of MCM-48, assessment of its [...] Read more.
Background: This study explored the potential of MCM-48 mesoporous silica matrices as a drug delivery system for metformin hydrochloride, aimed at improving the therapeutic management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The objectives included the synthesis and characterization of MCM-48, assessment of its drug loading capacity, analysis of drug release profiles under simulated physiological conditions, and the development of a multifractal dynamics-based theoretical framework to model and interpret the release kinetics. Methods: MCM-48 was synthesized using a sol–gel method and characterized by SEM-EDX, TEM, and nitrogen adsorption techniques. Drug loading was performed via adsorption at pH 12 using metformin hydrochloride solutions of 1 mg/mL (P-1) and 3 mg/mL (P-2). In vitro dissolution studies were conducted to evaluate the release profiles in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. A multifractal dynamics model was developed to interpret the release kinetics. Results: SEM-EDX confirmed the uniform distribution of silicon and oxygen, while TEM images revealed a highly ordered cubic mesoporous structure. Nitrogen adsorption analyses showed a high specific surface area of 1325.96 m²/g for unloaded MCM-48, which decreased with drug loading, confirming efficient incorporation of metformin hydrochloride. The loading capacities were 59.788 mg/g (P-1) and 160.978 mg/g (P-2), with efficiencies of 99.65% and 89.43%, respectively. In vitro dissolution studies showed a biphasic release profile: an initial rapid release in gastric conditions followed by sustained release in intestinal fluids, achieving cumulative releases of 92.63% (P-1) and 82.64% (P-2) after 14 hours. The multifractal dynamics-based theoretical release curves closely matched the experimental data. Conclusions: MCM-48 mesoporous silica effectively enhanced metformin delivery, offering a controlled release profile well-suited for type 2 diabetes management. The multifractal theoretical framework provided valuable insights into drug release dynamics, contributing to the advancement of innovative drug delivery systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Based Drug Delivery and Drug Discovery)
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