Effect of magnetite on anaerobic digestion of distillers grains and beet pulp: Operation of reactors and microbial community dynamics.

It has been previously shown that magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles stimulate the anaerobic digestion process in several anaerobic reactors. Here we evaluate the effect of magnetite nanoparticles on the efficiency of anaerobic digestion of distillers grains with solubles and sugar beet pulp in mesophilic batch experiments. The addition of magnetite nanopowder had a positive effect on the anaerobic digestion process. CH4 was produced faster in the presence of 50 mg of Fe3O4 per 1 g of added total solids than from treatments without addition of Fe3O4. These results demonstrate that the addition of magnetite enhances the methanogenic decomposition of organic acids. Microbial community structure and dynamics were investigated based on bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes, as well as mcrA genes encoding the methyl-CoM reductase. Depending on the reactor, Bacteroides, midas_1138, Petrimonas, unclassified Rikenellaceae (class Bacteroidia), Ruminiclostridium, Proteiniclasticum, Herbinix, and Intestinibacter (class Clostridia) were the main representatives of the bacterial communities. The archaeal communities in well-performed anaerobic reactors were mainly represented by representatives of the genera Methanosarcina and Methanobacterium. Based on our findings, Fe3O4 nanoparticles, when used properly, will improve biomethane production.

DOX@Ferumoxytol-Medical Chitosan as magnetic hydrogel therapeutic system for effective magnetic hyperthermia and chemotherapy in vitro.

Magnetic fluid hyperthermia has been one clinical treatment method in malignancy on account of the sufficient heat generation, which originates from hysteresis loss of magnetic nanomedicine in alternating magnetic field. Magnetic nanomedicine can also be employed as drug carrier for chemotherapy. Nevertheless few magnetic nanocarries has been approved in clinic, owing to the high pharmaceutical demand. For broadening the clinical application of current magnetic nanomedicine, novel magnetic hydrogel complex (DOX@FMT-MC) constituted by Doxorubicin, Ferumoxytol and Medical Chitosan was produced for hyperthermia and chemo synergistic therapy. The three materials were approved in clinic. Heat induction in vitro and rheology mesurements suggested this complex succeed in transforming into physical hydrogel when reaching hyperthermia temperature in alternating magnetic field. Drug release experiment implied the complex has the temperature-dependent slow drug release behaviour. Cell apoptosis assay presented that DOX@FMT-MC complex gave enhanced synergistic efficacy with 32.4 % on colon carcinoma cell treatment in vitro, compared to other therapeutic groups. Heat induction in mice subcutaneous xenografted tumour demonstrated the better heating performance of the complex than that of DOX@FMT. The novel hydrogel complex incorporated with three clinical available drugs promises the great potential in tumour synergistic treatment, motivating the clinical indication development of magnetic nanomedicine.

Engineering H2O2 Self-Supplying Nanotheranostic Platform for Targeted and Imaging-Guided Chemodynamic Therapy.

Developing highly efficient chemodynamic therapy (CDT)-based theranostic technology for cancer treatment is highly desired but still challenging. A novel nanotheranostic platform is constructed for enhanced CDT by engineering hybrid CaO2 and Fe3O4 nanoparticles with a hyaluronate acid (HA) stabilizer and NIR fluorophore label. This design not only enables the nanotheranostic agent to afford highly efficient CDT against tumor cells but also confers NIR fluorescence (NIRF) and magnetic resonance (MR) bimodal imaging for in vivo visualization of CDT. Moreover, the use of the HA stabilizer allows for the facile synthesis of the nanotheranostic agent with excellent biocompatibility and active targetability. The nanotheranaostic agent possesses a high capacity of self-supplying H2O2 and producing •OH in acidic conditions, while retaining the desired stability under physiological conditions. It also demonstrates high selectivity to tumor cells via CDT with minimized toxicity to normal cells. In vivo studies reveal that our nanotheranaostic agent exhibits efficacious tumor growth inhibition via a CDT mechanism with favorable biosafety. Moreover, in vivo visualization of the CDT progress via NIRF and MR bimodal imaging demonstrates specific targeting and treatment of tumors. The developed H2O2 self-supplying, active targeting, and bimodal imaging nanotheranostic platform holds the potential as a highly efficient strategy for CDT of cancer.

Injectable and Quadruple-Functional Hydrogel as an Alternative to Intravenous Delivery for Enhanced Tumor Targeting.

Intravenous (IV) route is the most commonly used drug-delivery approach. However, the targeting efficiency to tumor through IV delivery is usually less than 10%. To address this limitation, we report a new systemic delivery method utilizing injectable and quadruple-functional hydrogels to improve targeting efficiency through passive, active, and magnetic targeting, and hydrogel-controlled sustained release. The hydrogels consist of a folate/polyethylenimine-conjugated poly(organophosphazene) polymer, which encapsulates small interfering RNA (siRNA) and Au-Fe3O4 nanoparticles to form a nanocapsule (NC) structure by a simple mixing. The hydrogels are localized as a long-term "drug-release depot" after a single subcutaneous injection and sol-gel phase transition. NCs released from the hydrogels enter the circulatory systems and then target the tumor through enhanced permeability and retention/folate/magnetism triple-targeting, over the course of circulation, itself prolonged by the controlled release. In vivo experiments show that 12% of NCs are successfully delivered to the tumor, which is a considerable improvement compared to most results through IV delivery. The sustained targeting of gold to tumor enables two cycles of photothermal therapy, resulting in an enhanced silencing effect of siRNA and considerable reduction of tumor volume, which we are unable to achieve via simple intravenous injection.

Green fabrication of biologically active magnetic core-shell Fe3O4/Au nanoparticles and their potential anticancer effect.

Core-shell Fe3O4/Au nanostructures were constructed using an advanced method of two-step synthesis from Juglans regia (walnut) green husk extract. Several complementary methods were applied to investigate structural and magnetic properties of the samples. X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), electron diffraction, optical, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) were used for nanoparticle characterizations. As shown by HR-TEM, the mean diameter of core-shell Fe3O4/Au nanoparticles synthesized using co-precipitation method was 6.08 ±â€¯1.06 nm. This study shows that the physical and structural properties of core-shell Fe3O4/Au nanoparticles possess intrinsic properties of gold and magnetite. VSM revealed that the core-shell Fe3O4/Au have high saturation magnetization and low coercivity due to the magnetic properties. The core-shell nanoparticles show the inhibitory concentration (IC)50 of 235 µg/ml against a colorectal cancer cell line, HT-29. When tested against non-cancer cells, IC50 was not achieved even up to 500 µg/ml. This study highlights the magnetic properties and anticancer action of core-shell Fe3O4/Au nanoparticles. This compound can be ideal candidate for cancer treatment and other biomedical applications.

Biocompatible graphene-based nanoagent with NIR and magnetism dual-responses for effective bacterial killing and removal.

Antibiotics have been widely used in clinical applications to treat pathogenic infections at present, but the problem of drug-resistance associated with the abuse of antibiotics has become a large threat to human beings. Herein, we developed an antibacterial nanoagent by coating quaternized chitosan (QCS) on the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles-anchored graphene oxide (GO), which enabled QCS and GO to achieve synergistic effects on killing the drug-resistant bacteria. Systematical antibacterial experiments showed that the prepared nanoagent had antibacterial ability, which was significantly enhanced after the introduction of near-infrared (NIR). Importantly, the nanoagent could be easily recycled and reused without the reduction of the antibacterial ability. During the test time, this nanoagent exhibited no obviously toxic side effect to cells. Given the above advantages, we anticipate that the nanoagent has a promising future in various applications such as wound disinfection, water purification, and surface sterilization of medical devices.

Macrophages hold the key to cancer's inner sanctum.

All malignancies contain tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) that facilitate cancer growth by secreting chemicals to elicit angiogenesis and shield the cancer from the immune system. The abundance of TAMs is a reflection of invasiveness and metastatic potential. TAMs will actively ingest ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles following intravenous administration and will store them as large lysosomal aggregates which can be imaged with MRI and ultrasound and visualized or quantitated in tissue biopsies. Since the USPIO also enhances regional lymph nodes, it is possible to include this information for more accurate cancer staging. The USPIO aggregates surprisingly also serve as heat sinks and can enhance hyperthermic regimens with focal laser, focused microwaves, or high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). The hyperthermic intervention can be chosen based upon accessibility for the selected energy source. By sustaining an intratumoral elevation of temperature for an effective period of time, ablation of a small or large fraction of the TAMs and cancer cells can be achieved. Thus, for aggressive cancer, USPIO is a theragnostic agent. Following USPIO-enhanced hyperthermia, the resulting debris will slowly reach the regional lymphatics and immune recognition may result. An effective vaccine or adjuvant could be injected peritumorally to improve immunorecognition of that patient's cancer. The field of immunotherapy is being intensely explored at present. Using the theragnostic properties of USPIOs that are accumulated in the TAMs may prove useful in further attempts to make immunotherapy successful. This intervention could be utilized at any stage of cancer therapy. Should immunological recognition occur, an abscopal response may be achieved for that patient and for his/her cancer. This would truly be personalized cancer therapy.

LyP-1-conjugated Fe3O4 nanoparticles suppress tumor growth by magnetic induction hyperthermia.

To find a promising drug carrier to suppress tumor using magnetic induction hyperthermia (MIH) and targeted therapy, two superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and LyP-1, respectively, were prepared and compared. The particle size ranges of PEG-SPIONs and LyP-1-SPIONs were 10-15 nm, and 15-20 nm, respectively. In FTIR spectra, PEG-SPIONs and LyP-1-SPIONs had strong peaks between 575 and 1630 cm-1. Specifically, the PEG-SPIONs mainly has peaks in 581 and 1630 cm-1. The LyP-1-SPIONs mainly had peaks in 575, 1050 and 1625 cm-1. The contents of Fe3O4 in the PEG-SPIONs and LyP-1-SPIONs were about 94.24 and 89.26%, respectively. The iron contents in the MCF-7 and CT-26 cells were 33.1 ± 1.8 and 27.9 ± 0.95 pg, respectively, after co-incubation with LyP-1-SPIONs for 8 h. The LyP-1-SPIONs accumulated in the nucleus of MCF-7 cells while PEG-SPIONs in cytoplasma. In vitro, after 30 days we can found the tumor almost stopped to grow in Group LyP-1-SPIONs. LyP-1-SPIONs are promising in treating cancer as they accumulated in the nucleus of MCF-7 cells which expressed p32 and almost stopped tumor growth by combined MIH and targeted therapy.

The combined effect of thermal and chemotherapy on HeLa cells using magnetically actuated smart textured fibrous system.

Thermal therapy combined with chemotherapy is one of the advanced and efficient methods to eradicate cancer. In this work, we fabricated magnetically actuated smart textured (MAST) fibrous systems and studied their candidacy for cancer treatment. The polycaprolactone-Fe3 O4 based MAST fibers were fabricated using electrospinning technique. These MAST fibrous systems contained carbogenic quantum dots as a tracking agent and doxorubicin hydrochloride anticancer drug. Additionally, as fabricated MAST fibrous systems were able to deliver anticancer drug and heat energy simultaneously to kill HeLa cells in a 10 min period in vitro. After treatment, the metabolic activity and morphology of HeLa cells were analyzed. In addition, the mechanism of cell death was studied using flow cytometry. Interestingly, the navigation of these systems in the fluid can be controlled with the application of gradient magnetic field. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 40-51, 2018.

Ferumoxytol-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging assessing inflammation after myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: Macrophages play a central role in the cellular inflammatory response to myocardial infarction (MI) and predict subsequent clinical outcomes. We aimed to assess temporal changes in cellular inflammation and tissue oedema in patients with acute MI using ultrasmallsuperparamagnetic particles of iron oxide (USPIO)-enhanced MRI. METHODS: Thirty-one patients were recruited following acute MI and followed up for 3 months with repeated T2 and USPIO-enhanced T2*-mapping MRI. Regions of interest were categorised into infarct, peri-infarct and remote myocardial zones, and compared with control tissues. RESULTS: Following a single dose, USPIO enhancement was detected in the myocardium until 24 hours (p<0.0001). Histology confirmed colocalisation of iron and macrophages within the infarcted, but not the non-infarcted, myocardium. Following repeated doses, USPIO uptake in the infarct zone peaked at days 2-3, and greater USPIO uptake was detected in the infarct zone compared with remote myocardium until days 10-16 (p<0.05). In contrast, T2-defined myocardial oedema peaked at days 3-9 and remained increased in the infarct zone throughout the 3-month follow-up period (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Myocardial macrophage activity can be detected using USPIO-enhanced MRI in the first 2 weeks following acute MI. This observed pattern of cellular inflammation is distinct, and provides complementary information to the more prolonged myocardial oedema detectable using T2 mapping. This imaging technique holds promise as a non-invasive method of assessing and monitoring myocardial cellular inflammation with potential application to diagnosis, risk stratification and assessment of novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Trial registration number: 14663. Registered on UK Clinical Research Network (http://public.ukcrn.org.uk) and also ClinicalTrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02319278?term=DECIFER&rank=2).

Fabrication of new magnetite-graphene nanocomposite and comparison of its laser-hyperthermia properties with conventionally prepared magnetite-graphene hybrid.

A single step supercritical method was introduced for synthesis of "magnetite - reduced graphene oxide (M-rGO)" composite in supercritical methanol. Modified surface, smaller size, lesser cytotoxicity, and homogenous dispersion of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the graphene surface were advantages of this new M-rGO composite in comparison to the materials synthesized by conventional wet chemical method (M-GO). Nanocomposites were injected in tissue equivalent phantoms of agarose gel in 10mg/g dosage, and were irradiated by a 1600mW laser beam at wavelength of 800-810nm. The M-rGO and M-GO were found to be the most and the least efficient samples for increasing the temperature of the phantom. As for mathematical analysis of the heating process, a heat transfer model was developed and solved by the COMSOL Multiphysics software. Results showed an appreciable agreement with the experiments and revealed enhancement in thermal conductivity and light absorption coefficient of tissue by injecting of M-rGO sample. Our findings showed that M-rGO is a promising material for laser hyperthermia, which can deposit adequate heat dose with desirable effect in the tumorous cells in a short period.

Overendocytosis of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles increases apoptosis and triggers autophagic cell death in human osteosarcoma cell under a spinning magnetic field.

The toxicity of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) is still a vital topic of debate and the mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, overdose SPIONs could induce osteosarcoma cell death and the effects were exaggerated when combined with spinning magnetic field (SMF). In the combination group, mitochondrial transmembrane potential decrease more obviously and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was found to generate much higher in line with that of the apoptosis ratio. Meantime, amount of autophagy was induced. Inhibiting the autophagy generation by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) increase cell viability but decrease the caspase 3/7 and caspase 8 activities in combination groups, and inhibiting apoptosis took the same effect. In the end, the SPIONs effects on xenograft mice was examed by intratumoral injection. The result showed that the combination group could greatly decrease the tumor volume and prolong the lifespan of mice. In sum, the result indicated that overdose SPIONs induced ROS generation, and excessive ROS induced by combination of SPIONs and SMF contribute to autophagy formation, which play a apoptosis-promoting role that formed as a platform to recruits initiate the caspase activities.

Iron oxide nanoparticles inhibit tumour growth by inducing pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization in tumour tissues.

Until now, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved iron supplement ferumoxytol and other iron oxide nanoparticles have been used for treating iron deficiency, as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging and as drug carriers. Here, we show an intrinsic therapeutic effect of ferumoxytol on the growth of early mammary cancers, and lung cancer metastases in liver and lungs. In vitro, adenocarcinoma cells co-incubated with ferumoxytol and macrophages showed increased caspase-3 activity. Macrophages exposed to ferumoxytol displayed increased mRNA associated with pro-inflammatory Th1-type responses. In vivo, ferumoxytol significantly inhibited growth of subcutaneous adenocarcinomas in mice. In addition, intravenous ferumoxytol treatment before intravenous tumour cell challenge prevented development of liver metastasis. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and histopathology studies showed that the observed tumour growth inhibition was accompanied by increased presence of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages in the tumour tissues. Our results suggest that ferumoxytol could be applied 'off label' to protect the liver from metastatic seeds and potentiate macrophage-modulating cancer immunotherapies.

Potential use of SERS-assisted theranostic strategy based on Fe3O4/Au cluster/shell nanocomposites for bio-detection, MRI, and magnetic hyperthermia.

A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-assisted theranostic strategy was designed based on a synthesized multifunctional Fe3O4/Au cluster/shell nanocomposite. This theranostic strategy was used for free prostate specific antigen (free-PSA) detection, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and magnetic hyperthermia. The lowest protein concentration detected was 1ngmL(-1), and the limit of detection (LOD) of the calculated PSA was 0.75ngmL(-1). Then, MRI was carried out to visualize the tumor cell. Lastly, magnetic hyperthermia was employed and revealed a favorable killing effect for the tumor cells. Thus, this SERS-assisted strategy based on a Fe3O4/Au cluster/shell nanocomposite showed great advantages in theranostic treatment.

Multifunctional superparamagnetic nanoshells: combining two-photon luminescence imaging, surface-enhanced Raman scattering and magnetic separation.

With the increasing need for multi-purpose analysis in the biomedical field, traditional single diagnosis methods cannot meet the requirements. Therefore new multifunctional technologies and materials for the integration of sample collection, sensing and imaging are in great demand. Core-shell nanoparticles offer a unique platform to combine multifunctions in a single particle. In this work, we have constructed a novel type of core-shell superparamagnetic nanoshell (Fe3O4@SiO2@Au), composed of a Fe3O4 cluster core, a thin Au shell and a SiO2 layer in between. The obtained multifunctional nanoparticles combine the magnetic properties and plasmonic optical properties effectively, which were well investigated by a number of experimental characterization methods and theoretical simulations. We have demonstrated that Fe3O4@SiO2@Au nanoparticles can be utilized for two-photon luminescence (TPL) imaging, near-infrared surface-enhanced Raman scattering (NIR SERS) and cell collection by magnetic separation. The TPL intensity could be further greatly enhanced through the plasmon coupling effect in the self-assembled nanoparticle chains, which were triggered by an external magnetic field. In addition, Fe3O4@SiO2@Au nanoparticles may have great potential applications such as enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photo-thermotherapy. Successful combination of multifunctions including magnetic response, biosensing and bioimaging in single nanoparticles allows further manipulation, real-time tracking, and intracellular molecule analysis of live cells at a single-cell level.

Magnetite particles triggering a faster and more robust syntrophic pathway of methanogenic propionate degradation.

Interspecies electron transfer mechanisms between Bacteria and Archaea play a pivotal role during methanogenic degradation of organic matter in natural and engineered anaerobic ecosystems. Growing evidence suggests that in syntrophic communities electron transfer does not rely exclusively on the exchange of diffusible molecules and energy carriers such as hydrogen or formate, rather microorganisms have the capability to exchange metabolic electrons in a more direct manner. Here, we show that supplementation of micrometer-size magnetite (Fe3O4) particles to a methanogenic sludge enhanced (up to 33%) the methane production rate from propionate, a key intermediate in the anaerobic digestion of organic matter and a model substrate to study energy-limited syntrophic communities. The stimulatory effect most probably resulted from the establishment of a direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET), based on magnetite particles serving as electron conduits between propionate-oxidizing acetogens and carbon dioxide-reducing methanogens. Theoretical calculations revealed that DIET allows electrons to be transferred among syntrophic partners at rates which are substantially higher than those attainable via interspecies H2 transfer. Besides the remarkable potential for improving anaerobic digestion, which is a proven biological strategy for renewable energy production, the herein described conduction-based DIET could also have a role in natural methane emissions from magnetite-rich soils and sediments.

Carboxyl decorated Fe3O4 nanoparticles for MRI diagnosis and localized hyperthermia.

We report the development of carboxyl decorated iron oxide nanoparticles (CIONs) by a facile soft-chemical approach for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and hyperthermia applications. These superparamagnetic CIONs (~10 nm) are resistant to protein adsorption under physiological medium and exhibit good colloidal stability, magnetization and cytocompatibility with cell lines. Analysis of the T2-weighted MRI scans of CIONs in water yields a transverse relaxivity (r2) value of 215 mM(-1) s(-1). The good colloidal stability and high r2 value make these CIONs as promising candidates for high-efficiency T2 contrast agent in MRI. Further, these biocompatible nanoparticles show excellent self-heating efficacy under external AC magnetic field (AMF). The infrared thermal imaging confirmed the localized heating of CIONs under AMF. Thus, these carboxyl decorated Fe3O4 nanoparticles can be used as a contrast agent in MRI as well as localized heat activated killing of cancer cells. Furthermore, the active functional groups (COOH) present on the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles can be accessible for routine conjugation of biomolecules/drugs through well-developed bioconjugation chemistry.

Water treatment using activated carbon supporting silver and magnetite.

Recent efforts in water purification have led to the development of novel materials whose unique properties can offer effective biocidal capabilities with greater ease of use and at lower cost. In this study, we introduce a novel procedure for the preparation of activated carbon (charcoal) composite in which magnetite and silver are incorporated (MCAG); we also describe the use of this material for the disinfection of surface water. The formation process of magnetic MCAG composite was studied using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The results demonstrated the high sorption efficiency of AgNO3 to magnetic activated carbon. The antimicrobial capabilities of the prepared MCAG were examined and the results clearly demonstrate their inhibitory effect on total river water bacteria and on Pseudomonas koreensis and Bacillus mycoides cultures isolated from river water. The bacterial counts in river water samples were reduced by five orders of magnitude following 30 min of treatment using 1 g l⁻¹ of MCAG at room temperature. The removal of all bacteria from the surface water samples implies that the MCAG material would be a suitable disinfectant for such waters. In combination with its magnetic character, MCAG would be an excellent candidate for the simple ambulatory disinfection of surface water.

Implications of SPION and NBT nanoparticles upon in-vitro and in-situ biodegradation of LDPE film.

Comparative influence of two nanoparticles viz. superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) and nanobarium titanate (NBT) was studied upon the in-vitro and in-situ low-density polyethylene (LDPE) biodegradation efficiency of a potential polymer-degrading microbial consortium. Supplementation of 0.01% concentration (w/v) of the nanoparticles in minimal broth significantly increased the bacterial growth, along with early onset of the exponential phase. Under in-vitro conditions, lambda-max shifts were quicker with nanoparticles and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) illustrated significant changes in CH/CH2 vibrations, along with introduction of hydroxyl residues in the polymer backbone. Further, simultaneous thermogravimetric-differential thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTG-DTA) reported multiple-step decomposition of LDPE degraded in the presence of nanoparticles. These findings were supported by scanning electron micrographs (SEM) which revealed greater dissolution of film surface in the presence of nanoparticles. Furthermore, progressive degradation of the film was greatly enhanced when it was incubated under soil conditions for 3 months with the nanoparticles. The study highlights the significance of bacteria-nanoparticle interactions which can dramatically influence key metabolic processes like biodegradation. The authors also propose the exploration of nanoparticles to influence various other microbial processes for commercial viabilities.