Shining light on chiral inorganic nanomaterials for biological issues.

The rapid development of chiral inorganic nanostructures has greatly expanded from intrinsically chiral nanoparticles to more sophisticated assemblies made by organics, metals, semiconductors, and their hybrids. Among them, lots of studies concerning on hybrid complex of chiral molecules with achiral nanoparticles (NPs) and superstructures with chiral configurations were accordingly conducted due to the great advances such as highly enhanced biocompatibility with low cytotoxicity and enhanced penetration and retention capability, programmable surface functionality with engineerable building blocks, and more importantly tunable chirality in a controlled manner, leading to revolutionary designs of new biomaterials for synergistic cancer therapy, control of enantiomeric enzymatic reactions, integration of metabolism and pathology via bio-to nano or structural chirality. Herein, in this review our objective is to emphasize current research state and clinical applications of chiral nanomaterials in biological systems with special attentions to chiral metal- or semiconductor-based nanostructures in terms of the basic synthesis, related circular dichroism effects at optical frequencies, mechanisms of induced optical chirality and their performances in biomedical applications such as phototherapy, bio-imaging, neurodegenerative diseases, gene editing, cellular activity and sensing of biomarkers so as to provide insights into this fascinating field for peer researchers.

Issues affecting nanomedicines on the way from the bench to the market.

The development of innovative nanomedicine has raised the standards over the last few decades. The establishment of research institutes with robust budgets dedicated to nanomedicine has created promise for the development of products based on biomedical applications of nanotechnology. Currently, this development meets obstacles because some of the scientific community has raised concerns regarding the launch of nanomedicine in the market. In this review highlight, we aimed to discuss some of these concerns and contribute to this discussion. For this purpose, we enumerated three issues that should be deeply discussed by the nanotech community to improve the translation of innovation from the laboratory to the market: (1) set-up more effective scaled-up industrial processes; (2) correlate data from preclinical and clinical studies with nanomedical developments; (3) optimize the incorporation of nanoparticles in a compatible final pharmaceutical form. Other issues are also important for this discussion, but we believe that these three are fundamental aspects to bridge the gap between basic nanoscience knowledge to market nanomedical innovations.

A systematic review on nanoencapsulation of food bioactive ingredients and nutraceuticals by various nanocarriers.

Today, there is an ever-growing interest on natural food ingredients both by consumers and producers in the food industry. In fact, people are looking for those products in the market which are free from artificial and synthetic additives and can promote their health. These food bioactive ingredients should be formulated in such a way that protects them against harsh process and environmental conditions and safely could be delivered to the target organs and cells. Nanoencapsulation is a perfect strategy for this situation and there have been many studies in recent years for nanoencapsulation of food components and nutraceuticals by different technologies. In this review paper, our main goal is firstly to have an overview of nanoencapsulation techniques applicable to food ingredients in a systematic classification, i.e., lipid-based nanocarriers, nature-inspired nanocarriers, special-equipment-based nanocarriers, biopolymer nanocarriers, and other miscellaneous nanocarriers. Then, application of these cutting-edge nanocarriers for different nutraceuticals including phenolic compounds and antioxidants, natural food colorants, antimicrobial agents and essential oils, vitamins, minerals, flavors, fish oils and essential fatty acids will be discussed along with presenting some examples in each field.

Developments of Cyanobacteria for Nano-Marine Drugs: Relevance of Nanoformulations in Cancer Therapies.

Current trends in the application of nanomaterials are emerging in the nano-biotechnological sector for development of medicines. Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are photosynthetic prokaryotes that have applications to human health and numerous biological activities as dietary supplements. Cyanobacteria produce biologically active and chemically diverse compounds such as cyclic peptides, lipopeptides, fatty acid amides, alkaloids, and saccharides. More than 50% of marine cyanobacteria are potentially exploitable for the extraction of bioactive substances, which are effective in killing cancer cells by inducing apoptotic death. The current review emphasizes that not even 10% of microalgal bioactive components have reached commercialized platforms due to difficulties related to solubility. Considering these factors, they should be considered as a potential source of natural products for drug discovery and drug delivery approaches. Nanoformulations employing a wide variety of nanoparticles and their polymerized forms could be an emerging approach to the development of new cancer drugs. This review highlights recent research on microalgae-based medicines or compounds as well as their biomedical applications. This review further discusses the facts, limitations, and commercial market trends related to the use of microalgae for industrial and medicinal purposes.

Nanotechnology in Plants.

The integration of nanotechnology in medicine has had a tremendous impact in the past few decades. The discovery of synthesis of nanomaterials (NMs) and their functions as versatile tools promoted various applications in nano-biotechnology and nanomedicine. Although the physical and chemical methods are still considered as commonly used methods, they introduce several drawbacks such as the use of toxic chemicals (solvent, reducing, and capping agents) and poor control of size, size distribution, and morphology, respectively. Additionally, the NMs synthesized in organic solvents and hydrophobic surfactants rapidly aggregate in aqueous solutions or under physiologic conditions, limiting their applications in medicine. Many of the phase-transfer strategies were developed and applied for the transfer of NMs into aqueous solutions. Although great efforts have been put into phase transfers, they mostly include expensive, time-consuming, intensive labor work, multi steps, and complicated procedures.Use of plant extracts in the biological synthesis method offers stark advantages over other biomolecules (protein, enzyme, peptide, and DNA). Plant extracts have been commonly used for food, medicine, NM synthesis, and biosensing. There are many viable techniques developed for the production of plant extracts with various contents based on their simplicity, cost, and the type of extract content. In this chapter, we conduct a comparative study for extract preparation techniques, the use of extracts for metallic single and hybrid nanoparticle (NP) synthesis, and their antimicrobial properties against pathogenic and plant-based bacteria. Graphical Abstract.

Visión holística de nuevos desafíos: paradigmas tecnológicos y fundamentos bioéticos en la Medicina futurista / Holistic view of new challenges: technological paradigms and bioethical basis of Futuristic Medicine

Introducción.La medicina del siglo XXI será un punto de fusión de numerosas nuevas tecnologías. Surgirán transformaciones en los paradigmas de la atención médica. Objetivo: Ofrecer una visión de lo que podría ser la atención médica futura. Material y Métodos: Se revisa en la literatura médica las ultimas y nuevas herramientas tecnológicas al servicio de la Medicina, sus posibles transformaciones y aplicación futura a través de la exploración en las principales bases de datos indexadas en los últimos 7 años, que originarán un cambio en el pensamiento científico y una visión predictiva en la atención médica a nivel mundial que realizaran reflexiones sobre enfoques médicos que origina la medicina traslacional. Se analiza el papel de la nanotecnología en la farmacología futurista, así como la genética y robótica, y se establecen comparaciones entre la cantidad de investigaciones por países y el estado actual en la América Latina y cómo influirán los nuevos adelantos científicos en la bioética lo que pudiera dar origen al transhumanismo. Resultados: El influjo de las nuevas tecnologías está ligado con el desarrollo económico y social, por lo que su aplicación no será equitativa, existiendo una diferencia importante en la formulación de patentes, investigaciones indexadas y citaciones entre países desarrollados y subdesarrollados, donde ningún país latinoamericano se encuentra entre los primeros 10 lugares del ranking mundial. Conclusiones: La tecnología actual le da solución a algunos problemas, pero no ha sido capaz de dominar muchas enfermedades. La utilización de la nanotecnología, la genética y la robótica provocarán cambios en los paradigmas de enfrentamiento a las enfermedades. Pudieran ocasionar deshumanización y problemas bioéticos(AU)

Introduction: Medicine in the 21st century will be a fusion point of numerous new technologies. Changes in the paradigms of medical attention will emerge. Objective:To present a view of what future medical attention could be. Material and methods:A review of the last and new technological tools at the service of Medicine is made, and their possible transformations and future implementation are studied through the search of the main databases of the data indexed during the last seven years, which will make a change in the scientific thought and a predictive view of the medical attention worldwide, and make reflections on the medical approaches that arise from translational medicine. The role of nanotechnology in the futuristic pharmacology is analyzed, as well as genetics and robotics; and comparisons are made regarding the amount of research by countries and the current condition in Latin America, and the way the new scientific innovations will influence in the Bioethics, which could give rise to transhumanism. Results:The influence of the new technologies is linked to the economic and social development. Therefore, its implementation will not be equitable, existing an important difference in establishment of patents, indexed research, and quotations between developed and underdeveloped countries, where no Latin American country is among the 10 first places in the world ranking. Conclusions:Current technology gives solution to some problems, but it has not been able to be acquainted with many diseases. The use of nanotechnology, genetics, and robotics will provoke changes in the confrontation paradigms of diseases, which could cause dehumanization and bioethical issues(AU)

Nanoliposome encapsulated anesthetics for local anesthesia application.

The systemic administration of opioids leads to potentially severe and undesirable and side effects like sedation and drowsiness, vomiting and nausea, allergies, respiratory depression, and neutrophil dysfunction. The application of nanotechnology in medical field has drawn a great attention in recent times. Several treatments available are tedious and expensive. Application of nanotechnology brings about faster cure and cost effectiveness. Nanoliposomes are one of the widely used names for nanoparticles used in medicine. Recently, nanoliposomes are used as a crucial novel drug delivery systems. The use of nanoliposomal formulation brings about a good results to pain control, rapid patient recovery, increased patient comfort, treatment costs reduction, and shortens length of hospitalization. This review presents a brief description about the achievements in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology related to the application of nanoliposomes in anesthesia.

Estado actual del láser en odontología conservadora: Indicaciones, ventajas y posibles riesgos. Revisión bibliográfica / Actually in conservative dentistry laser: Indications, advantages and possible risks. Literature review

En la actualidad, el término odontología mínimamente invasiva es un concepto muy utilizado pero, a veces, de forma errónea. Se define como una filosofía de prevención a la hora de realizar cualquier tratamiento en boca, evaluación de riesgos individualizados, detección precisa y precoz de las lesiones, así como los esfuerzos para remineralizar las lesiones no cavitadas, para su cuidado preventivo y mineralizar las lesiones ya existentes. Esta especie de «disciplina» o procedimiento, se puede desarrollar a partir de varias técnicas y/o instrumentos, como el ultrasonido, air brasion, micro CT o el láser y sus diferentes tipos y aplicaciones. Por ello creemos importante establecer unos principios, bases o protocolo sobre qué es el láser en nuestra profesión y dentro de ella en el campo de nuestra subespecialidad, la odontología Conservadora y que abanico de opciones nos podemos encontrar y como se puede orientar hacia unas indicaciones específicas con las ventajas o desventajas que esto nos pueda acarrear (AU)

Today the term minimally invasive dentistry is a concept widely used, but sometimes incorrectly. It is defined as a philosophy of prevention when making any treatment in the mouth, assessment of individual risks, accurate and early detection of lesions, as well as efforts to remineralize lesions cavitated for preventive care and mineralize injuries already existing. This kind of «discipline» or procedure can be developed from various techniques and/or instruments, such as ultrasound, air brasion, or laser micro CT and its different types and applications. Therefore we believe important to establish principles, bases or protocol on what the laser in our profession and within the field of our subspecialty, conservative dentistry and range of options can find us and how can be directed to specific indications with the advantages or disadvantages that this may bring us (AU)

Progress in nanotechnology-based drug carrier in designing of curcumin nanomedicines for cancer therapy: current state-of-the-art.

Comprehensive pharmacological screening of curcumin (CUR) has given the evidence that it is an excellent naturally occurring therapeutic moiety for cancer. It is very well tolerated with insignificant toxicity even after high doses of oral administration. Irrespective of its better quality as an anticancer agent, therapeutic application of CUR is hampered by its extremely low-aqueous solubility and poor bioavailability, rapid clearance and low-cellular uptake. A simple means of breaking up the restrictive factor of CUR is to perk-up its aqueous solubility, improve its bioavailability, protect it from degradation, and metabolism and potentiate its targeting capacity towards the cancer cell. The development in the field of nanomedicine has made excellent progresses toward enhancing the bioavailability of lipophilic drugs like CUR. Nanoparticles (NPs) are capable to deliver the CUR at specific area and thereby prevent it from physiological degradation and systemic clearance. In recent year, an assortment of nanomedicine-based novel drug delivery system has been designed to potentiate the bioavailability of CUR towards anticancer therapy. In this review, we discuss the recent development in the field of nanoCUR (NanoCur), including polymeric micelles, liposome, polymeric NPs, nanoemulsion, nanosuspension, solid lipid NPs (SLNPs), polymer conjugates, nanogel, etc. in anticancer application.

Therapeutic Applications of Curcumin Nanoformulations.

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a bioactive and major phenolic component of turmeric derived from the rhizomes of curcuma longa linn. For centuries, curcumin has exhibited excellent therapeutic benefits in various diseases. Owing to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin plays a significant beneficial and pleiotropic regulatory role in various pathological conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, inflammatory disorders, neurological disorders, and so on. Despite such phenomenal advances in medicinal applications, the clinical implication of native curcumin is hindered due to low solubility, physico-chemical instability, poor bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and poor pharmacokinetics. However, these issues can be overcome by utilizing an efficient delivery system. Active scientific research was initiated in 2005 to improve curcumin's pharmacokinetics, systemic bioavailability, and biological activity by encapsulating or by loading curcumin into nanoform(s) (nanoformulations). A significant number of nanoformulations exist that can be translated toward medicinal use upon successful completion of pre-clinical and human clinical trials. Considering this perspective, current review provides an overview of an efficient curcumin nanoformulation for a targeted therapeutic option for various human diseases. In this review article, we discuss the clinical evidence, current status, and future opportunities of curcumin nanoformulation(s) in the field of medicine. In addition, this review presents a concise summary of the actions required to develop curcumin nanoformulations as pharmaceutical or nutraceutical candidates.

Plant nanobionic materials with a giant temperature response mediated by pectin-Ca2+.

Conventional approaches to create biomaterials rely on reverse engineering of biological structures, on biomimicking, and on bioinspiration. Plant nanobionics is a recent approach to engineer new materials combining plant organelles with synthetic nanoparticles to enhance, for example, photosynthesis. Biological structures often outperform man-made materials. For example, higher plants sense temperature changes with high responsivity. However, these properties do not persist after cell death. Here, we permanently stabilize the temperature response of isolated plant cells adding carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Interconnecting cells, we create materials with an effective temperature coefficient of electrical resistance (TCR) of -1,730% K(-1), ∼2 orders of magnitude higher than the best available sensors. This extreme temperature response is due to metal ions contained in the egg-box structure of the pectin backbone, lodged between cellulose microfibrils. The presence of a network of CNTs stabilizes the response of cells at high temperatures without decreasing the activation energy of the material. CNTs also increase the background conductivity, making these materials suitable elements for thermal and distance sensors.

Development of food-grade nanoemulsions and emulsions for delivery of omega-3 fatty acids: opportunities and obstacles in the food industry.

Consumption of biologically active amounts of omega-3 fatty acids is linked to improved human health, which has partly been attributed to their important role in brain development and cardiovascular health. Western diets are relatively low in omega-3 fatty acids and many consumers turn to supplements or functional foods to increase their intake of these healthy lipids. Fish oil is one of the most widely used sources of omega-3 fatty acid for supplementation and has greater health benefits than plant sources because of its higher concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The incorporation of omega-3 fatty acids into foods and beverages is often challenging due to their low water-solubility, poor oxidative stability, and variable bioavailability. Nanoemulsions offer a promising way to incorporate omega-3 fatty acids into liquid food systems like beverages, dressing, sauces, and dips. Nanoemulsions are colloidal dispersions that contain small oil droplets (r<100 nm) that may be able to overcome many of the challenges of fortifying foods and beverages with omega-3 fatty acids. The composition and fabrication of nanoemulsions can be optimized to increase the chemical and physical stability of oil droplets, as well as to increase the bioavailability of omega-3 fatty acids.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles for revolutionizing agriculture: synthesis and applications.

Nanotechnology is the most innovative field of 21st century. Extensive research is going on for commercializing nanoproducts throughout the world. Due to their unique properties, nanoparticles have gained considerable importance compared to bulk counterparts. Among other metal nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles are very much important due to their utilization in gas sensors, biosensors, cosmetics, drug-delivery systems, and so forth. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) also have remarkable optical, physical, and antimicrobial properties and therefore have great potential to enhance agriculture. As far as method of formation is concerned, ZnO NPs can be synthesized by several chemical methods such as precipitation method, vapor transport method, and hydrothermal process. The biogenic synthesis of ZnO NPs by using different plant extracts is also common nowadays. This green synthesis is quite safe and ecofriendly compared to chemical synthesis. This paper elaborates the synthesis, properties, and applications of zinc oxide nanoparticles.

Overview of current and upcoming strategies implied for the therapy of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Population explosion, urbanization, changes in lifestyle management, improper food habits and various other factors play focal contributors in the massive prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the developing countries. Although insulin is the cornerstone in the management of type 1 diabetes; insulin, anti-hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic agents are proved to be effective in type 2 diabetes, although their efficacy decreases with the progress of the disease. Moreover a significant number of side effects, mostly hypoglycemia and weight gain have put a bar in using these drugs confidently. Many novel therapeutic strategies with convincing efficacy and less adverse effects are currently emerging for providing efficient means of treatment of this disorder. This article mainly focuses on newer and unconventional pharmaceutical or biotechnical strategies that may or may not have been implied for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus on a widescale basis so far. These strategies are supposed to be efficient in controlling glycemic levels and possess a significant potential to reduce the co-morbidities associated with this disease.

Transformation of curcumin from food additive to multifunctional medicine: nanotechnology bridging the gap.

Curcumin (CUR) is a yellow-coloured polyphenolic compound obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa. In-depth pharmacological screening of curcumin has given the evidence that CUR persuades shielding and curative effects against various cancers, cardiovascular, wound healing effect and neuro disorders etc owning to anti-oxidant, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and antimicrobial activities. However, miserable bioavailability due to poor aqueous solubility limits the application of CUR in various ailments. Different methodologies including the nanoparticle technology have been reported for the bioavailability enhancement of CUR. Nanoparticles exhibit not only the improvement in the solubility of CUR and alike lipophilic molecules (resulted in improved bioavailability) but also giving the opportunity for the disease specific cellular and organ targeting. Improved bioavailability and disease based site specific delivery of CUR is more likely to bring it as a safe multifunctional medicine.

Near-infrared fluorescent probes in cancer imaging and therapy: an emerging field.

Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging is an attractive modality for early cancer detection with high sensitivity and multi-detection capability. Due to convenient modification by conjugating with moieties of interests, NIRF probes are ideal candidates for cancer targeted imaging. Additionally, the combinatory application of NIRF imaging and other imaging modalities that can delineate anatomical structures extends fluorometric determination of biomedical information. Moreover, nanoparticles loaded with NIRF dyes and anticancer agents contribute to the synergistic management of cancer, which integrates the advantage of imaging and therapeutic functions to achieve the ultimate goal of simultaneous diagnosis and treatment. Appropriate probe design with targeting moieties can retain the original properties of NIRF and pharmacokinetics. In recent years, great efforts have been made to develop new NIRF probes with better photostability and strong fluorescence emission, leading to the discovery of numerous novel NIRF probes with fine photophysical properties. Some of these probes exhibit tumoricidal activities upon light radiation, which holds great promise in photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and photoimmunotherapy. This review aims to provide a timely and concise update on emerging NIRF dyes and multifunctional agents. Their potential uses as agents for cancer specific imaging, lymph node mapping, and therapeutics are included. Recent advances of NIRF dyes in clinical use are also summarized.