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Effects of Nanoparticles on Living Organisms, 3rd Edition

A special issue of Current Issues in Molecular Biology (ISSN 1467-3045). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 922

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
Interests: cell therapy; regenerative therapy; cell biotechnology; 3D culture; nanoparticles; bioimaging; biobank; cryopreservation; stem cell; health technology assessment; bioactive gels
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to examine the effects of nanoparticles on living organisms (human or animal, organs, tissues, and cells). Nanoparticles are used in food, agriculture, drug discovery, and medicine (prevention and diagnosis). For example, in the medical field, they are used as a contrast agent in MRI and PET to reveal the internal structure of blood vessels, organs, and tissues. In the drug discovery field, drugs must be safe and effective and must be able to be delivered to the target site. Therefore, we need to understand the properties and behavior of nanoparticles. Otherwise, they can cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as immunological, inflammatory, and allergic diseases.

Nanoparticles that have adsorbed or absorbed toxic substances, particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5), and inorganic dust in the environment significantly impact living organisms in terms of health effects, exposure, toxicity, and body dynamics and deposition. In the current social discourse, particulate matter is cited as key to the risk of viral infections (SARS-Cov-2 virus: COVID-19) and serious illnesses.

Here, we call for reports on the effects of nanoparticles on living organisms (nanoparticle functionalization, in vitro/in vivo evaluation, 3D models, ADME, toxicity, biomedical applications, etc.) at the molecular level. Therefore, this Special Issue seeks to publish high-quality articles, including original research, reviews, short communications, and clinical trials.

Dr. Yoshitaka Miyamoto
Guest Editor

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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. Current Issues in Molecular Biology 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 2200 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

  • nanoparticles
  • particulate matter
  • medicine
  • prevention
  • diagnosis
  • drug delivery
  • environment
  • nanoparticles functionalization
  • in vitro/in vivo evaluation
  • 3D model
  • ADME
  • toxicity
  • biomedical applications
  • respiratory and cardiovascular diseases
  • immunological, inflammatory, and allergic diseases

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

48 pages, 8758 KiB  
Review
Targeting Cancer Cell Fate: Apoptosis, Autophagy, and Gold Nanoparticles in Treatment Strategies
by Maria Anthi Kouri, Alexandra Tsaroucha, Theano-Marina Axakali, Panagiotis Varelas, Vassilis Kouloulias, Kalliopi Platoni and Efstathios P. Efstathopoulos
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2025, 47(6), 460; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47060460 - 14 Jun 2025
Viewed by 537
Abstract
At the intersection of nanotechnology and cancer biology, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have emerged as more than passive carriers—they are active agents capable of reshaping cellular fate. Among their most promising attributes is the potential to modulate apoptosis and autophagy, two intricately linked pathways [...] Read more.
At the intersection of nanotechnology and cancer biology, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have emerged as more than passive carriers—they are active agents capable of reshaping cellular fate. Among their most promising attributes is the potential to modulate apoptosis and autophagy, two intricately linked pathways that determine tumor response to stress, damage, and treatment. Apoptosis serves as the principal mechanism of programmed cell death, while autophagy offers a dualistic role—preserving survival under transient stress or contributing to cell death under sustained insult. Thus, understanding how these mechanisms interact—and how AuNPs influence this crosstalk—may be key to unlocking more effective oncologic therapies. This review explores the molecular interplay between apoptosis and autophagy in cancer and evaluates how AuNPs impact these pathways. By enhancing radiosensitization in radiation therapy and improving drug delivery and chemotherapeutic precision, AuNPs offer a unique strategy to circumvent resistance in aggressive or refractory tumors towards shaping their biological behavior and cellular pathways and, therefore, forming a patient-centered personalized therapeutic potential. Yet, clinical translation remains challenging. The dynamic physicochemical nature of AuNPs makes their biological behavior highly context-dependent. Combined with the complexity of apoptotic and autophagic signaling and tumor heterogeneity, this creates a triad of profound intricacy. However, within this complexity lies therapeutic opportunity. Framing AuNPs, apoptosis, and autophagy as a synergistic axis may enable mechanism-informed, adaptable, and patient-specific cancer therapies. This paradigm shift invites a more strategic integration of nanotechnology with molecular oncology, advancing the frontier of precision medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Nanoparticles on Living Organisms, 3rd Edition)
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