Metal-Based Nanoparticles’ Biological Activity and Pharmaceutical Applications, 2nd Edition
A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 March 2026 | Viewed by 624
Special Issue Editors
Interests: biophysics; physiology; cell biology; disease; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species (ROS); antioxidants; antioxidant enzymes; pharmaceuticals; nanoparticles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: metals in medicine; vanadium; drugs and biologically active compounds; cancer; diabetes; tuberculosis; pharmaceutically active compounds; transition metals; platinum, ruthenium, copper, rhenium, lipid and lipid model interfaces; hydrophobic compounds; spectroscopy; reverse micelles; chemistry in confined spaces
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nanoparticles have been the subject of numerous studies because of their specific physicochemical characteristics, which make them suitable for introduction and application in living systems. The ability of metal nanoparticles to interact with cells, as well as their structures and cellular metabolites, is of particular importance in their applications as drug carriers, and in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. The properties of nanoparticles depend strongly on their shape, size and material. One of the challenges to their practical applications in living organisms is their toxicity.
Usually, two basic approaches are applied to evaluate the harmful effects of nanoparticles prepared from metals and other materials—the measurement of their cytotoxic and/or antibacterial effects.
Compounds with cytotoxic effects often damage the permeability and structure of the cell membrane and/or cell metabolism. Cytotoxicity can be measured using various methods and cell cultures, depending on the focus of the research. One quite informative approach is the registration of the kinetics of the cytotoxic response, instead of the snapshot used in the colorimetric standard endpoint assays.
The evaluation of antibacterial activity employs traditional microbiological assays to test the safety of metal nanoparticles against some of the most common Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These tests are very suitable for establishing a sensitivity scale, especially when testing newly synthesized nanomaterials.
Another set of very informative reactions describing the safety of metal nanomaterials is their redox activity, and especially metrics on oxidative stress. Free radical reactions and ROS generation are vital metabolic responses that ensure the body’s homeostasis, functional activity and adaptation. The speed of these reactions is maintained by a complex system of regulation, and their imbalance is a universal mechanism and cause of the development of acute and chronic diseases.
Let us dive into the metal nanoworld! I look forward to your valuable contributions to the biological activities and applications of metal nanoparticles, their combinations with natural or synthetic substances or their applications as drugs and diagnostic tools.
Dr. Elitsa L. Pavlova
Prof. Dr. Debbie C. Crans
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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. Pharmaceuticals 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 2900 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
- metal nanoparticles
- redox reactions
- biological activity
- pharmaceuticals
- cytotoxicity
- antibacterial effect
- oxidative stress
- disease
- safety
- in vivo applications
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
