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Advanced Nanotherapeutics: Design, Synthesis and Applications—2nd Edition
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Advanced Nanotherapeutics: Design, Synthesis and Applications—2nd Edition

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2025 | Viewed by 2209

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sandra Pinto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: drug resistance; antimicrobial agent development; drug delivery; antimicrobial peptides and polymers; liposomes; extracellular vesicles; biofilms; biophysics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Vasco D. B. Bonifácio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: polyurea dendrimers; synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides; nanotherapeutics; cancer theranostics; cancer radiotheranostics; regenerative nanomedicine; green chemistry; mechanochemistry; sonochemistry; non-traditional intrinsic luminescence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, nanotechnology has had a tremendous impact in the development of novel therapeutic strategies. In this context, nanomedicine is now an exponentially growing research field. Emerging at the nexus between medicine and nanotechnology, nanomedicine aims at the comprehensive monitoring, control, construction, repair, defence, and improvement of all human biological systems, using engineered nanodevices and new nanomaterials. An important feature shared among nanoparticles is their high surface-to-volume ratio, making them suitable drug nanocarriers. Moreover, the effectiveness of a therapy relies in the targeted release of the therapeutic agent at the injury site, with greater precision and minimized possible side effects. In this context, nanoparticles (NPs) play a key role in the fight against cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. Also, nanodelivery systems offer many advantages due to their features: (i) overcoming poor drug solubility and chemical stability; (ii) evading biodegradation in the human body; and (iii) decreasing the resistance of anticancer drugs and antibiotics.

Currently NPs are mostly used as nanocarriers; nevertheless, this paradigm is shifting as some NPs were found to also display intrinsic therapeutic action. Additionally, upon adequate targeting, NPs are a suitable platform for diagnostic work, allowing imaging at the nano level.

This Special Issue explores strategies in which nanotechnology plays a central role in medical care advances. Different submission types are welcome, such as original research papers, short communications, reviews, case reports, and perspectives.

Dr. Sandra Pinto
Prof. Dr. Vasco D. B. Bonifácio
Guest Editors

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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • nanomedicine
  • nanodelivery systems
  • polymer therapeutics
  • polymer nanoparticles
  • anticancer nanomaterials
  • antimicrobial nanoparticles
  • theranostics

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1749 KB  
Article
A Pre-Formulation Study for Delivering Nucleic Acids as a Possible Gene Therapy Approach for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Disorders
by Francesca Ferrara, Alfredo Sepe, Maddalena Sguizzato, Peggy Marconi and Rita Cortesi
Molecules 2025, 30(17), 3585; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30173585 - 2 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1152
Abstract
Liposomes are lipid bilayer vesicles that are highly biocompatible, able to interact with the cell membrane, and able to release their cargo easily. The improvement of the physicochemical properties of liposomes, such as surface charge, lipid composition, and functionalization, makes these vesicles eligible [...] Read more.
Liposomes are lipid bilayer vesicles that are highly biocompatible, able to interact with the cell membrane, and able to release their cargo easily. The improvement of the physicochemical properties of liposomes, such as surface charge, lipid composition, and functionalization, makes these vesicles eligible delivery nanosystems for the gene therapy of many pathological conditions. In the present study, pre-formulation analysis was conducted to develop liposomes that facilitate the delivery of nucleic acids to neuronal cells, with the aim of future delivery of a CRISPR/Cas9 system designed to silence genes responsible for autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorders. To this aim, different nucleic acid cargo models, including λ phage DNA, plasmid DNA, and mRNA encoding GFP, were considered. Liposomes with varying lipid compositions were produced using the ethanol injection method and analyzed for their dimensional stability and ability to interact with DNA. The selected formulations were tested in vitro using a neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) to evaluate their potential toxicity and the ability to transfect cells with a DNA encoding the green fluorescent protein (pCMV-GFP). Among all formulations, the one containing phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, pegylated 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphethanolamine, cholesterol, and dioctadecyl-dimethyl ammonium chloride (in the molar ratio 1:2:4:2:2) demonstrated the highest efficiency in mRNA delivery. Although this study was designed with the goal of ultimately enabling the delivery of a CRISPR/Cas9 system for treating autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorders such as polyglutamine spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs), CRISPR/Cas9 components were not delivered in the present work, and their application remains the objective of future investigations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanotherapeutics: Design, Synthesis and Applications—2nd Edition)
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28 pages, 3665 KB  
Article
Evaluation of the Cytotoxic Activity of Nanostructured Lipid Carrier Systems for Fatty Acid Amides and Silk Fibroins in Breast Cancer Cell Lines
by Sandro da Silva Borges, Sued Eustáquio Mendes Miranda, Victor Hugo de Souza Marinho, André Luís Branco de Barros, Sergio Yoshioka, Lorane Izabel da Silva Hage-Melim, Ana Carolina de Jesus Silva, Irlon Maciel Ferreira and Anna Eliza Maciel de Faria Mota Oliveira
Molecules 2025, 30(16), 3337; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30163337 - 11 Aug 2025
Viewed by 910
Abstract
Breast cancer, a highly prevalent malignancy among women, continues to pose a significant global health challenge, as conventional therapies are often limited by adverse effects. This study developed and evaluated nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) encapsulating fatty acid amides (FAAs) semi-synthesized from andiroba oil [...] Read more.
Breast cancer, a highly prevalent malignancy among women, continues to pose a significant global health challenge, as conventional therapies are often limited by adverse effects. This study developed and evaluated nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) encapsulating fatty acid amides (FAAs) semi-synthesized from andiroba oil and combined with silk fibroin (SF) as a novel therapeutic strategy. Methods: FAAs were synthesized via direct amidation and characterized by GC-MS, FT-IR, and 13C NMR. These fatty acid amides were then incorporated into NLCs containing SF. The formulation was evaluated for its physicochemical stability, cell selectivity, and cytotoxicity against 4T1 murine breast cancer cells and healthy human fibroblasts. Results: The NLC-FAA/SF formulation exhibited physicochemical stability (average particle size: 136.9 ± 23.6 nm; zeta potential: −8.3 ± 12.0 mV; polydispersity index: 0.19 ± 0.04), indicating a monodisperse and stable system. In vitro cytotoxicity assays demonstrated high selective activity against 4T1 murine breast cancer cells (IC50 = 0.18 ± 0.06 μg/mL) and negligible toxicity to healthy human fibroblasts. Molecular docking studies revealed favorable interactions between the FAAs and cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, with unsaturated FAAs showing higher binding scores and stability, suggesting their potential as cannabinoid receptor ligands. These findings highlight NLC-FAA/SF as a promising, selective, and effective nanoplatform for breast cancer treatment, warranting further investigation into its mechanism of action and in vivo efficacy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanotherapeutics: Design, Synthesis and Applications—2nd Edition)
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