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IJMS
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External Stimuli-Responsive Nanomaterials for Diagnosis and Treatment
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External Stimuli-Responsive Nanomaterials for Diagnosis and Treatment

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 April 2025) | Viewed by 8671

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Loredana Ricciardi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, 87036 Rende, CS, Italy
Interests: nanoscale materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last few decades, nanotechnology has made significant advances in the prevention and treatment of human diseases, providing innovative tools for precision medicine by exploiting size, shape, and composition-related properties of nanoscale materials.

In particular, in the field of minimally invasive strategies, nanomaterials triggered by external stimuli (such as light, ultrasound, X-rays and magnetic fields) have shown great potential for improving diagnosis and treatment of numerous diseases - including tumors, cardiovascular, neurological and infectious diseases - addressing the challenges of overcoming the current limits of the standards of care and detection.

In this Special Issue for IJMS, we will focus on the latest advances in the field of external stimuli-mediated nanoteranostics. Research papers and up-to-date review articles—which generally refers to the applications of nanotechnology in photo-/ultrasound-/radiation-/magnetism-mediated therapy, early-stage detection and imaging—are welcome.

Dr. Loredana Ricciardi
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

  • nanotechnology
  • external stimuli-responsive nanomaterials
  • nanotheranostic systems
  • biodetection
  • bioimaging
  • plasmonics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4492 KiB  
Article
Conjugated Human Serum Albumin/Gold-Silica Nanoparticles as Multifunctional Carrier of a Chemotherapeutic Drug
by Elena Morrone, Lucie Sancey, Fabien Dalonneau, Loredana Ricciardi and Massimo La Deda
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(24), 13701; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252413701 - 21 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1148
Abstract
We report the design and development of a novel multifunctional nanostructure, RB-AuSiO2_HSA-DOX, where tri-modal cancer treatment strategies—photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), chemotherapy—luminescent properties and targeting are integrated into the same scaffold. It consists of a gold core with optical and [...] Read more.
We report the design and development of a novel multifunctional nanostructure, RB-AuSiO2_HSA-DOX, where tri-modal cancer treatment strategies—photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), chemotherapy—luminescent properties and targeting are integrated into the same scaffold. It consists of a gold core with optical and thermo-plasmonic properties and is covered by a silica shell entrapping a well-known photosensitizer and luminophore, Rose Bengal (RB). The nanoparticle surface was decorated with Human Serum Albumin (HSA) through a covalent conjugation to confer its targeting abilities and as a carrier of Doxorubicin (DOX), one of the most effective anticancer drugs in clinical chemotherapy. The obtained nanostructure was fully characterized through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV-visible spectroscopy, with a homogeneous and spherical shape, an average diameter of about 60 nm and negative ζ-potential value Singlet oxygen generation and photothermal properties were explored under green light irradiation. The interaction between DOX-HSA anchored on the nanoplatform was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and compared to that of DOX-HSA, pointing out different accessibility of the drug molecules to the HSA binding sites, whether the protein is free or bound to the nanoparticle surface. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies comparing a drug–HSA interaction with that of the same protein anchored to nanoparticles. Furthermore, the uptake of RB-AuSiO2_HSA-DOX into MDA-MB-231 mammary cells was assessed by confocal imaging, highlighting—at early time of incubation and as demonstrated by the increased DOX luminescence displayed within cells—a better internalization of the carried anticancer drug compared to the free one, making the obtained nanostructure a suitable and promising platform for an anticancer multimodal approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue External Stimuli-Responsive Nanomaterials for Diagnosis and Treatment)
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23 pages, 4706 KiB  
Article
Development of New Targeted Nanotherapy Combined with Magneto-Fluorescent Nanoparticles against Colorectal Cancer
by Gonçalo A. Marcelo, David Montpeyó, Joana Galhano, Ramón Martínez-Máñez, José Luis Capelo-Martínez, Julia Lorenzo, Carlos Lodeiro and Elisabete Oliveira
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(7), 6612; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076612 - 1 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3589
Abstract
The need for non-invasive therapies capable of conserving drug efficiency and stability while having specific targetability against colorectal cancer (CRC), has made nanoparticles preferable vehicles and principal building blocks for the development of complex and multi-action anti-tumoral approaches. For that purpose, we herein [...] Read more.
The need for non-invasive therapies capable of conserving drug efficiency and stability while having specific targetability against colorectal cancer (CRC), has made nanoparticles preferable vehicles and principal building blocks for the development of complex and multi-action anti-tumoral approaches. For that purpose, we herein report the production of a combinatory anti-tumoral nanotherapy using the production of a new targeting towards CRC lines. To do so, Magneto-fluorescent NANO3 nanoparticles were used as nanocarriers for a combination of the drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and ofloxacin (OFLO). NANO3 nanoparticles’ surface was modified with two different targeting agents, a newly synthesized (anti-CA IX acetazolamide derivative (AZM-SH)) and a commercially available (anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Cetuximab). The cytotoxicity revealed that only DOX-containing nanosystems showed significant and even competitive cytotoxicity when compared to that of free DOX. Interestingly, surface modification with AZM-SH promoted an increased cellular uptake in the HCT116 cell line, surpassing even those functionalized with Cetuximab. The results show that the new target has high potential to be used as a nanotherapy agent for CRC cells, surpassing commercial targets. As a proof-of-concept, an oral administration form of NANO3 systems was successfully combined with Eudragit® enteric coating and studied under extreme conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue External Stimuli-Responsive Nanomaterials for Diagnosis and Treatment)
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Review

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27 pages, 4437 KiB  
Review
Responsive Supramolecular Polymers for Diagnosis and Treatment
by Mónica Martínez-Orts and Silvia Pujals
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(7), 4077; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25074077 - 6 Apr 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2747
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive supramolecular polymers are ordered nanosized materials that are held together by non-covalent interactions (hydrogen-bonding, metal-ligand coordination, π-stacking and, host–guest interactions) and can reversibly undergo self-assembly. Their non-covalent nature endows supramolecular polymers with the ability to respond to external stimuli (temperature, light, ultrasound, [...] Read more.
Stimuli-responsive supramolecular polymers are ordered nanosized materials that are held together by non-covalent interactions (hydrogen-bonding, metal-ligand coordination, π-stacking and, host–guest interactions) and can reversibly undergo self-assembly. Their non-covalent nature endows supramolecular polymers with the ability to respond to external stimuli (temperature, light, ultrasound, electric/magnetic field) or environmental changes (temperature, pH, redox potential, enzyme activity), making them attractive candidates for a variety of biomedical applications. To date, supramolecular research has largely evolved in the development of smart water-soluble self-assemblies with the aim of mimicking the biological function of natural supramolecular systems. Indeed, there is a wide variety of synthetic biomaterials formulated with responsiveness to control and trigger, or not to trigger, aqueous self-assembly. The design of responsive supramolecular polymers ranges from the use of hydrophobic cores (i.e., benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide) to the introduction of macrocyclic hosts (i.e., cyclodextrins). In this review, we summarize the most relevant advances achieved in the design of stimuli-responsive supramolecular systems used to control transport and release of both diagnosis agents and therapeutic drugs in order to prevent, diagnose, and treat human diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue External Stimuli-Responsive Nanomaterials for Diagnosis and Treatment)
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