The ability of proteins and glycoproteins loading was compared for submicron vaterite particles obtained in an ethylene glycol-containing medium and micron vaterite particles prepared in a Tris buffer medium. Various proteins were encapsulated into submicron vaterite particles by coprecipitation and adsorption, and the protein content and enzyme activity preservation were assessed. The behavior of submicron vaterite particles with adsorbed catalase was investigated under conditions simulating passage through the human gastrointestinal tract, including the presence of proteolytic enzymes.

Respiratory pulmonary infections are a serious threat to human health. Their therapy is primarily based on the use of antibiotics. However, non-specific accumulation and low concentration in the target tissue reduce therapeutic effectiveness, cause side effects, and promote the development of antibiotic resistance. In this study, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with MIL-101 (Cr) structure were used for delivery of rifampicin to the lungs. The nanoparticles (NPs) showed high antibiotic loading by mass, namely (127 ± 8)% for MIL-101 (Cr) and (82 ± 7)% for amino-modified NH2-MIL-101 (Cr). The kinetics of drug release had rapid and prolonged phases with up to 40% of the loaded drug released in 7 h. It induces a significant inhibition of bacterial viability at a concentration of NPs as low as 1 mg l-1. After intravenous administration, the particles showed high tropism for lung accumulation reaching concentration of almost 300%/g of tissue, more than 10 times higher than concentrations in other tissues. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of using MIL-101 (Cr) MOFs for pulmonary drug delivery and holds significant promise for developing antibacterial therapies.

The development of advanced methods for the synthesis of nano- and microparticles for biomedical applications is of considerable interest. A method for synthesizing submicron silver-shelled calcium carbonate particles using a microfluidic chip designed to control the particle formation is proposed. Precise control of reaction parameters enables controlled formation of silver shell and calcium carbonate particles. The distribution of pores in the hybrid particles was analyzed using small-angle X-ray scattering, which gained insight into the complex structure of the pores. The results provide information on the particle morphology and may facilitate the development of new calcium carbonate-based materials for various applications.

The development of advanced methods for the synthesis of nano- and microparticles for biomedical applications is of considerable interest. A method for the synthesis of submicron silver-shelled calcium carbonate particles using a microfluidic chip designed to provide control over particle formation is proposed. Precise control of reaction parameters enables the formation of silver shell and calcium carbonate particles in a controlled manner. The distribution of pores in the hybrid particles was analyzed using small-angle X-ray scattering, which provided insight into the complex structure of the pores. The results provide information on particle morphology and may facilitate the development of new calcium carbonate-based materials for various applications.

Nuclear medicine presents one of the most promising modalities for efficient non-invasive treatment of a variety of cancers, but the application of radionuclides in cancer therapy and diagnostics is severely limited by their nonspecific tissue accumulation and poor biocompatibility. Here, we explore the use of nanosized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as carriers of radionuclides to order to improve their delivery to tumour. To demonstrate the concept, we prepared polymer-coated MIL-101(Cr)-NH2MOFs and conjugated them with clinically utilized radionuclide188Re. The nanoparticles demonstrated high loading efficacy of radionuclide reaching specific activity of 49 MBq mg-1. Pharmacokinetics of loaded MOFs was investigated in mice bearing colon adenocarcinoma. The biological half-life of the radionuclide in blood was (20.9 ± 1.3) h, and nanoparticles enabled it to passively accumulate and retain in the tumour. The radionuclide delivery with MOFs led to a significant decrease of radioactivity uptake by the thyroid gland and stomach as compared with perrhenate salt injection, which is beneficial for reducing the side toxicity of nuclear therapy. The reported data on the functionalization and pharmacokinetics of MIL-101(Cr)-NH2for radionuclide delivery unveils the promising potential of these MOFs for nuclear medicine.

The development of advanced methods for the synthesis of nano- and microparticles in the field of biomedicine is of high interest due to a range of reasons. The current synthesis methods may have limitations in terms of efficiency, scalability, and uniformity of the particles. Here, we investigate the synthesis of submicron calcium carbonate using a microfluidic chip with a T-shaped oil supply for droplet-based synthesis to facilitate control over the formation of submicron calcium carbonate particles. The design of the chip allowed for the precise manipulation of reaction parameters, resulting in improved porosity while maintaining an efficient synthesis rate. The pore size distribution within calcium carbonate particles was estimated via small-angle X-ray scattering. This study showed that the high porosity and reduced size of the particles facilitated the higher loading of a model peptide: 16 vs. 9 mass.% for the particles synthesized in a microfluidic device and in bulk, correspondingly. The biosafety of the developed particles in the concentration range of 0.08–0.8 mg per plate was established by the results of the cytotoxicity study using mouse fibroblasts. This innovative approach of microfluidically assisted synthesis provides a promising avenue for future research in the field of particle synthesis and drug delivery systems.

Tracing individual cell pathways among the whole population is crucial for understanding their behavior, cell communication, migration dynamics, and fate. Optical labeling is one approach for tracing individual cells, but it typically requires genetic modification to induce the generation of photoconvertible proteins. Nevertheless, this approach has limitations and is not applicable to certain cell types. For instance, genetic modification often leads to the death of macrophages. This study aims to develop an alternative method for labeling macrophages by utilizing photoconvertible micron-sized capsules capable of easy internalization and prolonged retention within cells. Thermal treatment in a polyvinyl alcohol gel medium is employed for the scalable synthesis of capsules with a wide range of fluorescent dyes, including rhodamine 6G, pyronin B, fluorescein, acridine yellow, acridine orange, thiazine red, and previously reported rhodamine B. The fluorescence brightness, photostability, and photoconversion ability of the capsules are evaluated using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Viability, uptake, mobility, and photoconversion studies are conducted on RAW 264.7 and bone marrow-derived macrophages, serving as model cell lines. The production yield of the capsules is increased due to the use of polyvinyl alcohol gel, eliminating the need for conventional filtration steps. Capsules entrapping rhodamine B and rhodamine 6G meet all requirements for intracellular use in individual cell tracking. Mass spectrometry analysis reveals a sequence of deethylation steps that result in blue shifts in the dye spectra upon irradiation. Cellular studies on macrophages demonstrate robust uptake of the capsules. The capsules exhibit minimal cytotoxicity and have a negligible impact on cell motility. The successful photoconversion of RhB-containing capsules within cells highlights their potential as alternatives to photoconvertible proteins for individual cell labeling, with promising applications in personalized medicine.

Nanostructured submicron calcium carbonate particles with sizes of 500 ± 90 and 172 ± 75 nm have been synthesized by mass crystallization in aqueous solutions with addition of glycerol, as well as a mixture of polyethylene glycol, polysorbate, and a cellular medium. CaCO 3 :Si:Fe nanoparticles 65 ± 15 nm in size have been obtained by template synthesis in pores of silica particles. The crystal structure and polymorphism of these particles are studied, and the influence of the size and structure of particles on the efficiency of their loading with a chemotherapy agent, as well as its release under model conditions at different рН, is determined.

Background and Objectives: Bladder cancer is one of the ten most common cancers causing a high mortality rate. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is one of the promising ways to treat this disease. To increase the effectiveness of PDT it is necessary to ensure selective delivery of photosensitizer to the tumor. Selective delivery systems such as nano- and microparticles of calcium carbonate in the polymorphic modification of vaterite are of great interest to solve this problem. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate submicron particles of vaterite as agents for selective delivery of photosensitizer PzBn on human bladder T24 cell culture. Materials and Methods: Calcium carbonate particles were obtained by mixing equimolar solutions of CaCl2 and Na2CO3 salts in the presence of glycerol. PzBn was immobilized by adsorbing the substance on preliminarily synthesized vaterite particles. The loading efficiency was evaluated using the spectrophotometric method. The experiments were carried out on the T24 human bladder carcinoma cell line. Intracellular localization was assessed using fluorescent laser confocal scanning microscopy. The study of the dynamics of PzBnVp accumulation by cells was carried out by spectrophotometry. Dark toxicity and photodynamic activity were analyzed using the MTT test. Results: The efficiency of loading porphyrazine into vaterite particles is over 9%. It has been shown that PzBnVp is characterized by rather rapid accumulation by T24 cells: the maximum accumulation is recorded already 30 minutes after its addition, after which the intensity of the fluorescence signal remains at a constant level for 5 hours of observation. It has been demonstrated that PzBnVp is characterized by low dark toxicity with high photodynamic activity. Conclusion: The possibility of loading vaterite particles with the photodynamic dye porphyrazine has been demonstrated. A high rate of entry of vaterite particles into the cell and the release of the loaded photosensitizer from particles and its subsequent redistribution over subcellular structures have been shown. The preservation of the photodynamic activity of porphyrazine in the composition of vaterite particles and the absence of dark toxicity in the studied concentration range have been demonstrated. Vaterite particles can be considered as promising agents for the selective delivery of porphyrazine to the tumor in order to increase the efficiency of photodynamic therapy.

Proteolytic activity is pivotal in maintaining cell homeostasis and function. In pathological conditions such as cancer, it covers a key role in tumor cell viability, spreading to distant organs, and response to the treatment. Endosomes represent one of the major sites of cellular proteolytic activity and very often represent the final destination of internalized nanoformulations. However, little information about nanoparticle impact on the biology of these organelles is available even though they represent the major location of drug release. In this work, we generated albumin nanoparticles with a different resistance to proteolysis by finely tuning the amount of cross-linker used to stabilize the carriers. After careful characterization of the particles and measurement of their degradation in proteolytic conditions, we determined a relationship between their sensitivity to proteases and their drug delivery properties. These phenomena were characterized by an overall increase in the expression of cathepsin proteases regardless of the different sensitivity of the particles to proteolytic degradation.

Tissue engineering has emerged as an indispensable tool for the reconstruction of organ-specific environments. Organ-derived extracellular matrices (ECM) and, especially, decellularized tissues (DCL) are recognized as the most successful biomaterials in regenerative medicine, as DCL preserves the most essential organ-specific ECM properties such as composition alongside biomechanics characterized by stiffness and porosity. Expansion of the DCL technology to cancer biology research, drug development, and nanomedicine is pending refinement of the existing DCL protocols whose reproducibility remains sub-optimal varying from organ to organ. We introduce a facile decellularization protocol universally applicable to murine organs, including liver, lungs, spleen, kidneys, and ovaries, with demonstrated robustness, reproducibility, high purification from cell debris, and architecture preservation, as confirmed by the histological and SEM analysis. The biomechanical properties of as-produced DCL organs expressed in terms of the local and total stiffness were measured using our facile methodology and were found well preserved in comparison with the intact organs. To demonstrate the utility of the developed DCL model to cancer research, we engineered three-dimensional tissue constructs by recellularization representative decellularized organs and collagenous hydrogel with human breast cancer cells of pronounced mesenchymal (MDA-MB-231) or epithelial (SKBR-3) phenotypes. The biomechanical properties of the DCL organs were found pivotal to determining the cancer cell fate and progression. Our histological and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study revealed that the larger the ECM mean pore size and the smaller the total stiffness (as in lung and ovary), the more proliferative and invasive the mesenchymal cells became. At the same time, the low local stiffness ECMs (ranged 2.8-3.6 kPa) did support the epithelial-like SKBR-3 cells' viability (as in lung and spleen), while stiff ECMs did not. The total and local stiffness of the collagenous hydrogel was measured too low to sustain the proliferative potential of both cell lines. The observed cell proliferation patterns were easily interpretable in terms of the ECM biomechanical properties, such as binding sites, embedment facilities, and migration space. As such, our three-dimensional tissue engineering model is scalable and adaptable for pharmacological testing and cancer biology research of metastatic and primary tumors, including early metastatic colonization in native organ-specific ECM.

Treatment of bladder cancer remains a critical unmet need and requires advanced approaches, particularly the development of local drug delivery systems. The physiology of the urinary bladder causes the main difficulties in the local treatment of bladder cancer: regular voiding prevents the maintenance of optimal concentration of the instilled drugs, while poor permeability of the urothelium limits the penetration of the drugs into the bladder wall. Therefore, great research efforts have been spent to overcome these hurdles, thereby improving the efficacy of available therapies. The explosive development of nanotechnology, polymer science, and related fields has contributed to the emergence of a number of nanostructured vehicles (nano- and micro-scale) applicable for intravesical drug delivery. Moreover, the engineering approach has facilitated the design of several macro-sized depot systems (centimeter scale) capable of remaining in the bladder for weeks and months. In this article, the main rationales and strategies for improved intravesical delivery are reviewed. Here, we focused on analysis of colloidal nano- and micro-sized drug carriers and indwelling macro-scale devices, which were evaluated for applicability in local therapy for bladder cancer in vivo.

Recently, biodegradable polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules (PMC) have been proposed for anticancer drug delivery. In many cases, microencapsulation allows to concentrate the substance locally and prolong its flow to the cells. To reduce systemic toxicity when delivering highly toxic drugs, such as doxorubicin (DOX), the development of a combined delivery system is of paramount importance. Many efforts have been made to exploit the DR5-dependent apoptosis induction for cancer treatment. However, despite having a high antitumor efficacy of the targeted tumor-specific DR5-B ligand, a DR5-specific TRAIL variant, its fast elimination from a body limits its potential use in a clinic. A combination of an antitumor effect of the DR5-B protein with DOX loaded in the capsules could allow to design a novel targeted drug delivery system. The aim of the study was to fabricate PMC loaded with a subtoxic concentration of DOX and functionalized with the DR5-B ligand and to evaluate a combined antitumor effect of this targeted drug delivery system in vitro. In this study, the effects of PMC surface modification with the DR5-B ligand on cell uptake both in 2D (monolayer culture) and 3D (tumor spheroids) were studied by confocal microscopy, flow cytometry and fluorimetry. Cytotoxicity of the capsules was evaluated using an MTT test. The capsules loaded with DOX and modified with DR5-B demonstrated synergistically enhanced cytotoxicity in both in vitro models. Thus, the use of the DR5-B-modified capsules loaded with DOX at a subtoxic concentration could provide both targeted drug delivery and a synergistic antitumor effect.

The calcium-carbonate-induced mineralization of multilayer shells of emulsion capsules, formed using layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes, has been investigated. Optimal conditions for forming microcapsules with a core from shea butter and an organic–inorganic shell from synthetic polyelectrolytes and calcium carbonate are found. The shell morphology and stability of capsules in an aqueous suspension upon heating are investigated, and their cytotoxicity for human fibroblast cells is estimated. It is shown that mineralization of emulsion polyelectrolyte capsules by calcium carbonate in the form of vaterite strengthens the capsule walls and increases their biocompatibility.

The hybrid core-shell system was fabricated based on pre-synthesized vaterite microparticles and iron oxide nanoparticles applying two technical approaches: physical adsorption of the nanoparticles from a suspension at room temperature and a newly developed method of freezing-induced loading. A combination of transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction paired with precision nanomanipulation allows us to analyze the inner structure of the hybrid system, indicating that both vaterite and calcite phases were covered by Fe3O4 shells. The freezing-induced loading was found to be more preferable due to the formation of the core-shell nanoparticles in a more stable polymorphic composition of calcium carbonate when compared to physical adsorption.

The challenge of continuous CaCO3 particle synthesis is addressed using microfluidic technology. A custom microfluidic chip was used to synthesize CaCO3 nanoparticles in vaterite form. Our focus revolved around exploring one-phase and two-phase synthesis methods tailored for the crystallization of these nanoparticles. The combination of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, and small-angle scattering allowed for an evaluation of the synthesis efficiency, including the particle size distribution, morphology, and polymorph composition. The results demonstrated the superior performance of the two-phase system when precipitation occurred inside emulsion microreactors, providing improved size control compared with the one-phase approach. We also discussed insights into particle size changes during the transition from one-phase to two-phase synthesis. The ability to obtain CaCO3 nanoparticles in the desired polymorph form (∼50 nm in size, 86–99% vaterite phase) with the possibility of scaling up the synthesis will open up opportunities for various industrial applications of the developed two-phase microfluidic method.

This study is devoted to the problem of controlling the removal of carbon nanocomplexes from the body via neural networks. We model the renal excretion of nanocomplexes based on carbon dots (CD) that deliver anticancer drug—doxorubicin (Dox). Optical absorption and fluorescence spectra of nanocomposites containing CD and Dox in urine were used to model the process of elimination of nanocomposites components from the body. These spectral data were decoded with multilayer perceptrons to determine CD and Dox concentrations in the studied samples. To increase the accuracy of monitoring the excretion of CD and Dox with urine, principal component analysis was additionally used. Our sensing technique allows controlling the excretion of CD and Dox with 43.8 and 20.9 µg/L mean absolute errors, which are comparable to similar values of analogues. However, the proposed method can be used for simultaneous rapid monitoring of numerous substances, while most CD-based sensors in literature are calibrated to measure only one or two parameters. The obtained results have great value for the analysis of the parameters of nanostructured objects in microvolumes, particularly for monitoring in microfluidic devices. Combination of microfluidics and the use of machine learning methods shows a future innovative approach for conduction massive biological material study and implement smart decision making systems in support of clinical diagnostics.

Applications of nanoparticles (NPs) in the life sciences require control over their properties in protein-rich biological fluids, as an NP quickly acquires a layer of proteins on the surface, forming the so-called “protein corona” (PC). Understanding the composition and kinetics of the PC at the molecular level is of considerable importance for controlling NP interaction with cells. Here, we present a systematic study of hard PC formation on the surface of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) coated with positively-charged polyethyleneimine (PEI) and negatively-charged poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) polymers in serum-supplemented cell culture medium. The rationale behind the choice of UCNP is two-fold: UCNP represents a convenient model of NP with a size ranging from 5 nm to >200 nm, while the unique photoluminescent properties of UCNP enable direct observation of the PC formation, which may provide new insight into this complex process. The non-linear optical properties of UCNP were utilised for direct observation of PC formation by means of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Our findings indicated that the charge of the surface polymer coating was the key factor for the formation of PC on UCNPs, with an ensuing effect on the NP–cell interactions.

Nanosystems for targeted delivery and remote-controlled release of therapeutic agents has become a top priority in pharmaceutical science and drug development in recent decades. Application of a low frequency magnetic field (LFMF) as an external stimulus opens up opportunities to trigger release of the encapsulated bioactive substances with high locality and penetration ability without heating of biological tissue in vivo. Therefore, the development of novel microencapsulated drug formulations sensitive to LFMF is of paramount importance. Here, we report the result of LFMF-triggered release of the fluorescently labeled dextran from polyelectrolyte microcapsules modified with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Polyelectrolyte microcapsules were obtained by a method of sequential deposition of oppositely charged poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) on the surface of colloidal vaterite particles. The synthesized single domain maghemite nanoparticles integrated into the polymer multilayers serve as magneto-mechanical actuators. We report the first systematic study of the effect of magnetic field with different frequencies on the permeability of the microcapsules. The in situ measurements of the optical density curves upon the 100 mT LFMF treatment were carried out for a range of frequencies from 30 to 150 Hz. Such fields do not cause any considerable heating of the magnetic nanoparticles but promote their rotating-oscillating mechanical motion that produces mechanical forces and deformations of the adjacent materials. We observed the changes in release of the encapsulated TRITC-dextran molecules from the PAH/PSS microcapsules upon application of the 50 Hz alternating magnetic field. The obtained results open new horizons for the design of polymer systems for triggered drug release without dangerous heating and overheating of tissues.