Hexagonal boron nitrides reduce the oxidative stress on cells.

The molecular stress caused by a drug administered to treat a disorder on healthy cells appears as a side effect. In this study, we aim to understand the potential of hexagonal boron nitrides (hBNs) as a therapeutic agent to relieve the cellular stress exerted by drugs. First, the cytotoxicity of hBNs and their possible degradation product, boric acid (BA), on the embryonic mouse hippocampal cell line mHippo E-14 was assessed in a wide concentration range (4.4-440 µg ml-1) of boron including hBNs and BA for 24 and 72 h exposure. Then, cell cycle, reactive oxygen species generation, cell death mechanism and apoptotic body formation in nuclei with hBN and BA exposure were evaluated at increased concentrations and incubation times. Finally, the cells, exposed to doxorubicin (DOX), an anti-cancer chemotherapy drug, to exert oxidative stress, were treated with hBNs and BA. The results indicate that hBNs decrease the oxidative stress at the concentrations that are nontoxic to cells. The study suggests that hBNs can open new venues for their investigation to reduce or eliminate the adverse effects of toxic drugs used in the treatment of several fatal diseases including neurological disorders and cancer with their slow degradation feature.

Pharmaceutical applications of a nanospectroscopic technique: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a very sensitive technique offering unique opportunities for detection and identification of molecules and molecular structures at extremely low concentrations even in complex sample matrixes. Since a nanostructured noble metal surface is required for the enhancement of Raman scattering, the acquired spectral information naturally originates from nanometer size domains making it a nanospectroscopic technique by breaking the diffraction limit of light. In this review, first Raman spectroscopy, its comparison to other related techniques, its modes and instrumentation are briefly introduced. Then, the SERS mechanism, substrates and the parameters influencing a SERS experiment are discussed. Finally, its applications in pharmaceuticals including drug discovery, drug metabolism, multifunctional chemo-photothermal-therapy-delivery-release-imaging, drug stability and drug/metabolite detection in complex biological samples are summarized and elaborated.

Synthesis, Functionalization, and Bioapplications of Two-Dimensional Boron Nitride Nanomaterials.

Two-dimensional boron nitride nanostructures (2D-BNNs) have been increasingly investigated for their applications in several scientific and technological areas. This considerable interest is due to their unique physicochemical properties, which include high hydrophobicity, heat and electrical insulation, resistance to oxidation, antioxidation capacity, thermal conductivity, high chemical stability, mechanical strength, and hydrogen storage capacity. They are also used as fillers, antibacterial agents, protective coating agents, lubricants, boron neutron capture therapy agents, nanocarriers for drug delivery, and for the receptor phase in chemosensors. The investigations for their use in medicine and biomedicine are very promising, including cancer therapy and wound healing. In this review, 2D-BNNs synthesis and their surface modification strategies, biocompatibility, and bioapplication studies are discussed. Finally, a perspective for the future use of these novel nanomaterials in the biomedical field is provided.