This review offers a comprehensive exploration of optimized drug delivery systems tailored for controlled release and their crucial role in addressing cerebrovascular diseases. Through an in-depth analysis, various controlled release methods, including nanoparticles, liposomes, hydrogels, and other emerging technologies are examined. Highlighting the importance of precise drug targeting, it is delved into the underlying mechanisms of these delivery systems and their potential to improve therapeutic outcomes while minimizing adverse effects. Additionally, the specific applications of these optimized drug delivery systems in treating cerebrovascular disorders such as ischemic stroke, cerebral aneurysms, and intracranial hemorrhage are discussed. By shedding light on the advancements in drug delivery techniques and their implications in cerebrovascular medicine, this review offers valuable insights into the future of therapeutic interventions in neurology.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. Despite recent advances in the treatment of this pathology, which include a personalized approach using radio- and chemotherapies in combination with advanced surgical techniques, it is imperative to enhance the performance of these treatments and decrease their detrimental side effects on patients' health. Nanomedicine is likely the pathway towards solving this challenge by enhancing both the therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities. In particular, plasmonic nanoparticles show remarkable potential due to their dual therapeutic functionalities as photothermal therapy agents and as radiosensitizers in radiotherapy. Their dual functionality, high biocompatibility, easy functionalization, and targeting capabilities make them potential agents for inducing efficient cancer cell death with minimal side effects. This review aims to identify the main challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. The heterogeneous nature of this cancer is also discussed from a single-cell point of view. The most relevant works in photo- and radiotherapy using nanotechnology-based therapies for colorectal cancer are addressed, ranging from in vitro studies (2D and 3D cell cultures) to in vivo studies and clinical trials. Although the results using nanoparticles as a photo- and radiosensitizers in photo- and radiotherapy are promising, preliminary studies showed that the possibility of combining both therapies must be explored to improve the treatment efficiency.

Magnetic one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures have piqued the interest of researchers in a variety of fields in recent years due to their unique properties and morphology. Because they enable the development of detectors with increased sensitivity, this type of nanomaterial can lead to significant advances in medical sensing. This chapter focuses on magnetic devices for medical applications based on 1D nanostructures. We focus on the most common fabrication techniques as well as the magnetic properties of these nanomaterials. The working principles of magnetic nanostructure-based sensing devices are discussed, as well as a variety of potential medical sensing applications, including magnetic sensors based on 1D nanostructures.

Multi-segmented cylindrical nanowires (NWs) are the most promising systems for 3D racetrack memory devices, where information is stored as in-line magnetic domains. However, reading and writing information is still a challenge, as external reading/writing heads have to be implemented near the tracks. The writing component should be made of a bilayered soft/hard coupled magnetic system, so that information could be easily written by external magnetic fields. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of using a Ni90Cu10/Fe20Co80 segmented NW as the writing element, in which magnetic information is written by applying external magnetic fields. Using low-cost template-assisted electrodeposition methods, single, bi- and multi-segmented NW hexagonal arrays of NiCu and FeCo/Au were fabricated. A throughout magnetic characterization using magnetic hysteresis loops, ferromagnetic resonance and first-order reversal curves (FORCs) revealed that the soft segment (NiCu) induced the reversal of the hard segment (FeCo) in a two-step process, reducing its coercive and effective anisotropy fields when coupled. Finally, micromagnetic simulations certified the experimental observations of a multi-step reversal process. This work demonstrates the important role of interface interactions for the future implementation of an in-line writing component in a 3D racetrack memory device, enhancing their potential applicability.

Multi-segmented bilayered Fe/Cu nanowires have been fabricated through the electrodeposition in porous anodic alumina membranes. We have assessed, with the support of micromagnetic simulations, the dependence of fabricated nanostructures' magnetic properties either on the number of Fe/Cu bilayers or on the length of the magnetic layers, by fixing both the nonmagnetic segment length and the wire diameter. The magnetic reversal, in the segmented Fe nanowires (NWs) with a 300 nm length, occurs through the nucleation and propagation of a vortex domain wall (V-DW) from the extremities of each segment. By increasing the number of bilayers, the coercive field progressively increases due to the small magnetostatic coupling between Fe segments, but the coercivity found in an Fe continuous nanowire is not reached, since the interactions between layers is limited by the Cu separation. On the other hand, Fe segments 30 nm in length have exhibited a vortex configuration, with around 60% of the magnetization pointing parallel to the wires' long axis, which is equivalent to an isolated Fe nanodisc. By increasing the Fe segment length, a magnetic reversal occurred through the nucleation and propagation of a V-DW from the extremities of each segment, similar to what happens in a long cylindrical Fe nanowire. The particular case of the Fe/Cu bilayered nanowires with Fe segments 20 nm in length revealed a magnetization oriented in opposite directions, forming a synthetic antiferromagnetic system with coercivity and remanence values close to zero.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a powerful, noninvasive and nondestructive technique, capable of providing three-dimensional (3D) images of living organisms. The use of magnetic contrast agents has allowed clinical researchers and analysts to significantly increase the sensitivity and specificity of MRI, since these agents change the intrinsic properties of the tissues within a living organism, increasing the information present in the images. Advances in nanotechnology and materials science, as well as the research of new magnetic effects, have been the driving forces that are propelling forward the use of magnetic nanostructures as promising alternatives to commercial contrast agents used in MRI. This review discusses the principles associated with the use of contrast agents in MRI, as well as the most recent reports focused on nanostructured contrast agents. The potential applications of gadolinium- (Gd) and manganese- (Mn) based nanomaterials and iron oxide nanoparticles in this imaging technique are discussed as well, from their magnetic behavior to the commonly used materials and nanoarchitectures. Additionally, recent efforts to develop new types of contrast agents based on synthetic antiferromagnetic and high aspect ratio nanostructures are also addressed. Furthermore, the application of these materials in theragnosis, either as contrast agents and controlled drug release systems, contrast agents and thermal therapy materials or contrast agents and radiosensitizers, is also presented.