Silver Nanoparticles Derived by Artemisia arborescens Reveal Anticancer and Apoptosis-Inducing Effects.

The fight against cancer is one of the main challenges for medical research. Recently, nanotechnology has made significant progress, providing possibilities for developing innovative nanomaterials to overcome the common limitations of current therapies. In this context, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) represent a promising nano-tool able to offer interesting applications for cancer research. Following this path, we combined the silver proprieties with Artemisia arborescens characteristics, producing novel nanoparticles called Artemisia-AgNPs. A "green" synthesis method was performed to produce Artemisia-AgNPs, using Artemisia arborescens extracts. This kind of photosynthesis is an eco-friendly, inexpensive, and fast approach. Moreover, the bioorganic molecules of plant extracts improved the biocompatibility and efficacy of Artemisia-AgNPs. The Artemisia-AgNPs were fully characterized and tested to compare their effects on various cancer cell lines, in particular HeLa and MCF-7. Artemisia-AgNPs treatment showed dose-dependent growth inhibition of cancer cells. Moreover, we evaluated their impact on the cell cycle, observing a G1 arrest mediated by Artemisia-AgNPs treatment. Using a clonogenic assay after treatment, we observed a complete lack of cell colonies, which demonstrated cell reproducibility death. To have a broader overview on gene expression impact, we performed RNA-sequencing, which demonstrated the potential of Artemisia-AgNPs as a suitable candidate tool in cancer research.

Nanocytometer for smart analysis of peripheral blood and acute myeloid leukemia: a pilot study.

We realize an ultracompact nanocytometer for real-time impedimetric detection and classification of subpopulations of living cells. Nanoscopic nanowires in a microfluidic channel act as nanocapacitors and measure in real time the change of the amplitude and phase of the output voltage and, thus, the electrical properties of living cells. We perform the cell classification in the human peripheral blood (PBMC) and demonstrate for the first time the possibility to discriminate monocytes and subpopulations of lymphocytes in a label-free format. Further, we demonstrate that the PBMC of acute myeloid leukemia and healthy samples grant the label free identification of the disease. Using the algorithm based on machine learning, we generated specific data patterns to discriminate healthy donors and leukemia patients. Such a solution has the potential to improve the traditional diagnostics approaches with respect to the overall cost and time effort, in a label-free format, and restrictions of the complex data analysis.

How can nanotechnology help the fight against breast cancer?

In this review we provide a broad overview on the use of nanotechnology for the fight against breast cancer (BC). Nowadays, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention may be possible thanks to the application of nanotechnology to clinical practice. Taking into consideration the different forms of BC and the disease status, nanomaterials can be designed to meet the most forefront objectives of modern therapy and diagnosis. We have analyzed in detail three main groups of nanomaterial applications for BC treatment and diagnosis. We have identified several types of drugs successfully conjugated with nanomaterials. We have analyzed the main important imaging techniques and all nanomaterials used to help the non-invasive, early detection of the lesions. Moreover, we have examined theranostic nanomaterials as unique tools, combining imaging, detection, and therapy for BC. This state of the art review provides a useful guide depicting how nanotechnology can be used to overcome the current barriers in BC clinical practice, and how it will shape the future scenario of treatments, prevention, and diagnosis, revolutionizing the current approaches, e.g., reducing the suffering related to chemotherapy.