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Molecular Research on Nanotoxicology
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Molecular Research on Nanotoxicology

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Nanoscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2025) | Viewed by 4116

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Oleg Lunov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 182 00 Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: nanotoxicology; cell biophysics; cell mechanics; molecular biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Despite decades of extensive research, the development of novel nanomaterials is still in progress, opening new avenues for biomedical applications. The potential adverse reactions and toxicity of the growing number of novel nanomaterials applied in various biomedical fields introduce concerns. In order to ameliorate the potential adverse reactions of nanomaterials and increase their successful translation to real-world applications, it is crucial to understand the basic molecular mechanisms that drive toxic and adverse reactions.

Therefore, this Special Issue is dedicated to papers from all over the world that deal with nanotoxicology and/or the adverse reactions of nanomaterials utilized in healthcare.

Dr. Oleg Lunov
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • nanotoxicology
  • nanodrugs
  • nanoparticles
  • adverse drug reactions
  • cytotoxicity

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 6808 KiB  
Article
Characterization and Hemocompatibility of α, β, and γ Cyclodextrin-Modified Magnetic Nano-Adsorbents
by Mehdi Ghaffari Sharaf, Shuhui Li, Elyn M. Rowe, Dana V. Devine and Larry D. Unsworth
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(19), 10710; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251910710 - 4 Oct 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1598
Abstract
Kidney dysfunction leads to the retention of metabolites within the blood that are not effectively cleared with conventional hemodialysis. Magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-based absorbents have inherent properties that make them amenable to capturing toxins in the blood, notably a large surface area that can [...] Read more.
Kidney dysfunction leads to the retention of metabolites within the blood that are not effectively cleared with conventional hemodialysis. Magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-based absorbents have inherent properties that make them amenable to capturing toxins in the blood, notably a large surface area that can be chemically modified to enhance toxin capture and the ability to be easily collected from the blood using an external magnetic field. Cyclodextrins (CDs) present a chemical structure that facilitates the binding of small molecules. However, the hemocompatibility of MNPs modified with films composed of different native types of CDs (α, β, or γ) has not yet been investigated, which is information crucial to the potential clinical application of MNPs to supplement hemodialysis. To this end, films of α-, β-, or γ-CDs were formed on MNPs and characterized. The impact of these films on the adsorbed protein structure, composition of key adsorbed proteins, and clotting kinetics were evaluated. It was found that modified MNPs did not significantly affect the secondary structure of some proteins (albumin, lysozyme, α-lactalbumin). The adsorbed proteome from platelet-poor human plasma was evaluated as a function of film properties. Compared to non-modified nanoparticles, CD-modified MNPs exhibited a significant decrease in the adsorbed protein per surface area of MNPs. The immunoblot results showed variations in the adsorption levels of C3, fibrinogen, antithrombin, Factor XI, and plasminogen across CD-modified MNPs. The hemocompatibility experiments showed that CD-modified MNPs are compatible with human whole blood, with no significant impact on platelet activation, hemolysis, or hemostasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Nanotoxicology)
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17 pages, 3627 KiB  
Article
Encapsulation of Nanoparticles with Statistical Copolymers with Different Surface Charges and Analysis of Their Interactions with Proteins and Cells
by Saad Megahed, Nicole Wutke, Yang Liu, Markus Klapper, Florian Schulz, Neus Feliu and Wolfgang J. Parak
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(10), 5539; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25105539 - 19 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1858
Abstract
Encapsulation with polymers is a well-known strategy to stabilize and functionalize nanomaterials and tune their physicochemical properties. Amphiphilic copolymers are promising in this context, but their structural diversity and complexity also make understanding and predicting their behavior challenging. This is particularly the case [...] Read more.
Encapsulation with polymers is a well-known strategy to stabilize and functionalize nanomaterials and tune their physicochemical properties. Amphiphilic copolymers are promising in this context, but their structural diversity and complexity also make understanding and predicting their behavior challenging. This is particularly the case in complex media which are relevant for intended applications in medicine and nanobiotechnology. Here, we studied the encapsulation of gold nanoparticles and quantum dots with amphiphilic copolymers differing in their charge and molecular structure. Protein adsorption to the nanoconjugates was studied with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and their surface activity was studied with dynamic interfacial tensiometry. Encapsulation of the nanoparticles without affecting their characteristic properties was possible with all tested polymers and provided good stabilization. However, the interaction with proteins and cells significantly depended on structural details. We identified statistical copolymers providing strongly reduced protein adsorption and low unspecific cellular uptake. Interestingly, different zwitterionic amphiphilic copolymers showed substantial differences in their resulting bio-repulsive properties. Among the polymers tested herein, statistical copolymers with sulfobetaine and phosphatidylcholine sidechains performed better than copolymers with carboxylic acid- and dimethylamino-terminated sidechains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Nanotoxicology)
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Review

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41 pages, 3033 KiB  
Review
Analyzing Molecular Determinants of Nanodrugs’ Cytotoxic Effects
by Alicia Calé, Petra Elblová, Hana Andělová, Mariia Lunova and Oleg Lunov
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(14), 6687; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26146687 - 11 Jul 2025
Viewed by 29
Abstract
Nanodrugs hold great promise for targeted therapies, but their potential for cytotoxicity remains a major area of concern, threatening both patient safety and clinical translation. In this systematic review, we conducted a systematic investigation of nanotoxicity studies—identified through an AI-assisted screening procedure using [...] Read more.
Nanodrugs hold great promise for targeted therapies, but their potential for cytotoxicity remains a major area of concern, threatening both patient safety and clinical translation. In this systematic review, we conducted a systematic investigation of nanotoxicity studies—identified through an AI-assisted screening procedure using Scopus, PubMed, and Elicit AI—to establish the molecular determinants of nanodrug-induced cytotoxicity. Our findings reveal three dominant and linked mechanisms that consistently act in a range of nanomaterials: oxidative stress, inflammatory signaling, and lysosomal disruption. Key nanomaterial properties like chemical structure, size, shape, surface charge, tendency to aggregate, and biocorona formation control these pathways, modulating cellular uptake, reactive oxygen species generation, cytokine release, and subcellular injury. Notably, the most frequent mechanism was oxidative stress, which often initiated downstream inflammatory and apoptotic signaling. By linking these toxicity pathways with particular nanoparticle characteristics, our review presents necessary guidelines for safer, more biocompatible nanodrug formulation design. This extensive framework acknowledges the imperative necessity for mechanistic toxicity assessment in nanopharmaceutical design and underscores the strength of AI tools in driving systematic toxicology studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Nanotoxicology)
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