Recent Progress in Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles(SPIONs)have immeasurable potentials in many fields such as nanobiotechnology and biomedical engineering because of their superparamagnetic properties and small particle size.This review introduces the methods for SPIONs synthesis,including co-precipitation,thermal decomposition,microemulsion and hydrothermal reaction,and surface modification of SPIONs with organometallic and inorganic metals,surface modification for targeted drug delivery,and the use of SPIONs as a contrast agent.In addition,this article also provides an overview of recent progress in SPIONs for the treatment of glioma,lung cancer and breast cancer.

Magnetic labeling of primary murine monocytes using very small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Due to their very small size,nanoparticles can interact with all cells in the central nervous system.One of the most promising nanoparticle subgroups are very small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles(VSOP)that are citrate coated for electrostatic stabilization.To determine their influence on murine blood-derived monocytes,which easily enter the injured central nervous system,we applied VSOP and carboxydextran-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles(Resovist).We assessed their impact on the viability,cytokine,and chemokine secretion,as well as iron uptake of murine blood-derived monocytes.We found that(1)the monocytes accumulated VSOP and Resovist,(2)this uptake seemed to be nanoparticle-and time-dependent,(3)the decrease of monocytes viability was treatment-related,(4)VSOP and Resovist incubation did not alter cytokine homeostasis,and(5)overall a 6-hour treatment with 0.75 mM VSOP-R1 was probably sufficient to effectively label monocytes for future experiments.Since homeostasis is not altered,it is safe to label blood-derived monocles with VSOP.VSOP labeled monocytes can be used to study injured central nervous system sites further,for example with drug-carrying VSOP.

Highly Efficient Labeling of Human Lung Cancer Cells Using Cationic Poly-L-lysine-Assisted Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Cell labeling with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles(IONPs)is increasingly a routine approach in the cellbased cancer treatment.However,cell labeling with magnetic IONPs and their leading effects on the biological properties of human lung carcinoma cells remain scarcely reported.Therefore,in the present study the magnetic c-Fe2O3nanoparticles(MNPs)were firstly synthesized and surface-modified with cationic poly-L-lysine(PLL)to construct the PLL-MNPs,which were then used to magnetically label human A549 lung cancer cells.Cell viability and proliferation were evaluated with propidium iodide/fluorescein diacetate double staining and standard 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-diphenyl-tetrazolium)bromide assay,and the cytoskeleton was immunocytochemically stained.The cell cycle of the PLL-MNPlabeled A549 lung cancer cells was analyzed using flow cytometry.Apoptotic cells were fluorescently analyzed with nuclear-specific staining after the PLL-MNP labeling.The results showed that the constructed PLL-MNPs efficiently magnetically labeled A549 lung cancer cells and that,at low concentrations,labeling did not affect cellular viability,proliferation capability,cell cycle,and apoptosis.Furthermore,the cytoskeleton in the treated cells was detected intact in comparison with the untreated counterparts.However,the results also showed that at high concentration(400 lg m L-1),the PLL-MNPs would slightly impair cell viability,proliferation,cell cycle,and apoptosis and disrupt the cytoskeleton in the treated A549 lung cancer cells.Therefore,the present results indicated that the PLL-MNPs at adequate concentrations can be efficiently used for labeling A549 lung cancer cells and could be considered as a feasible approach for magnetic targeted anti-cancer drug/gene delivery,targeted diagnosis,and therapy in lung cancer treatment.

Use of PEI-coated Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Gene Vectors

Summary: To evaluate the feasibility of using polyethyleneimine (PEI) coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (polyMAG-1000) as gene vectors. The surface characteristics of the nanoparticles were observed with scanning electron microscopy. The ability of the nanoparticles to combine with and protect DNA was investigated at different PH values after polyMAG-1000 and DNA were combined in different ratios. The nanoparticles were tested as gene vectors with in vitro transfection models. Under the scanning electron microscope the nanoparticles were about 100 nm in diameter. The nanoparticles could bind and condense DNA under acid, neutral and alkaline conditions, and they could transfer genes into cells and express green fluorescent proteins (GFP). The transfection efficiency was highest (51 %) when the ratio of nanoparticles to DNA was 1:1 (v:w). In that ratio, the difference in transfection efficiency was marked depending on whether a magnetic field was present or not: about 10 % when it was absent but 51 % when it was present. The magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with PEI may potentially be used as gene vectors.

Balanites aegyptiaca Oil Synthesized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Characterization and Antibacterial Activity

Antibacterial activity of iron oxide nanoparticles, an employing B. aegyptiaca oil (L.) Del., was used as natural stabilizer by modifying a co-precipitation method. In this work, we chose B. aegyptiaca oil as the new surfactant coating agent, and synthesized B. aegyptiaca oil coating with iron oxide nanoparticles which were characterized with a variety of methods, including Gas Chromatography (GC) to determine the fatty acids composition of the seeds oil, Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) equipped with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Powder Diffractometer (XRD) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). In antibacterial studies, disk diffusion susceptibility test was used to measure efficacy of iron oxide nanoparticles against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) in terms of zone inhibition. The B. aegyptiaca coated on the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles;its particle size was found to be nanoscale below 50 nm, and the magnetization (δs) was 16.975 emu g-1. Antibacterial activity was measured. Efficacy of iron oxide nanoparticles against bacterial strains was found in Escherichia coli (E. coli). All these findings suggest that the nanoparticles synthesized from B. aegyptiaca oil may be a promising reagent for a wide variety of applications in biological fields as well as in nanomedicine.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: promote neuronal regenerative capacity?

Currently,we know that neuronal outgrowth during development and regeneration requires a complex interaction of intra-and extracellular molecules such as growth factors,neurotransmitters and extracellular matrix proteins（O’Donnell et al.,2009）.Furthermore,the discovery of a broad spectrum of growth-promoting cues has led to novel concepts for thera-peutic strategies.

Fluorescence detection of Europiumdoped very small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in murine hippocampal slice cultures

In the late 1980s,superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles（SPIO）moved into focus as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging（MRI）,due to their strong relaxivity and resulting higher resolution of images.At the time,no one anticipated their high potential in basic research or for medical diagnostic andtreatment. Since then, SPIO have been evaluated notonly as spe- cific markers for MRI, but also for cell labeling and tracking （Li et al., 2013）.

Preparation of Superparamagnetic Dextran-coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles used as a Novel Gene Carrier into Human Bladder Cancer Cells'

Objective: Application of magnetic nanoparticles as gene carrier in gene therapy has developed quickly. This study was designed to investigate the preparation of superparamagnetic dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (SDION) and the feasibility of SDION used as a novel gene carrier for plasmid DNA in vitro. Methods: SDION were prepared by chemical coprecipitation and separated by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300HR, characterized by TEM, laser scattering system and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer Signal Processor. The green fluorescent protein (pGFP-C2) plasmid DNA was used as target gene. SDION-pGFP-C2 conjugate compounds were produced by means of oxidoreduction reaction. The connection ratio of SDION and pGFP-C2 DNA was analyzed and evaluated by agarose electrophoresis and the concentration of pGFP-C2 in supernatant was measured. Using liposome as control, the transfection efficiency of SDION and liposome was respectively evaluated under fluorescence microscope in vitro. Results: The diameter of SDION ranges from 3 nm to 8 nm, the effective diameter was 59.2 nm and the saturation magnetization was 0.23 emu/g. After SDION were reasonably oxidized, SDION could connect with pGFP-C2 to a high degree. The transfection efficiency of SDION as gene carrier was higher than that of liposome. Conclusion: The successes in connecting SDION with pGFP-C2 plasmid by means of oxidoreduction reaction and in transferring pGFP-C2 gene into human bladder cancer BIU-87 cells in vitro provided the experimental evidence for the feasibility of SDION used as a novel gene carrier.

Toxicity of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: Research strategies and implications for nanomedicine

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles （SPIONs） are one of the most versatile and safe nanoparticles in a wide variety of biomedical applications. In the past decades, considerable efforts have been made to investigate the potential adverse biological effects and safety issues associated with SPIONs, which is essential for the development of next-generation SPIONs and for continued progress in translational research. In this mini review, we summarize recent developments in toxicity studies on SPIONs, focusing on the relationship between the physicochemical properties of SPIONs and their induced toxic biological responses for a better toxicological understanding of SPIONs.

Water oxidation electrocatalysis with iron oxide nanoparticles prepared via laser ablation

Iron oxide nanoparticles（FeOx NPs, 5–30 nm size） prepared via laser ablation in liquid were supported onto Indium Tin Oxide conductive glass slides by magnetophoretic deposition（MD） technique. The resulting Fe O x@ITO electrodes are characterized by a low amount of iron coverage of 16–50 nmol/cm^2,and show electrocatalytic activity towards water oxidation in neutral phosphate buffer pH 7 with 0.58 V overpotential and quantitative Faradaic efficiency towards oxygen production. XPS analysis on the oxygen region of the FeOx films reveals a substantial hydration of the surface after catalysis, recognized as a crucial step to access reactivity.

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles carrying PTEN gene to reverse cisplatin-resistance of A549/CDDP cell lines

To evaluate the feasibility of using magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle as wild PTEN gene carrier for transfection in vitro to reverse cisplatin-resistance of A549/CDDP cells, A549/CDDP cells were transfected with the wild PTEN gene expression plasmid (pGFP-PTEN) by magnetic iron nanoparticle and lipo2000. The transfection efficiency was detected by fluorescence microscope and flow cytometer. The expression levels of PTEN mRNA and protein were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunocytochemistry analysis. The effect of PTEN transfection on cell cycle enhances the sensitivity of A549/CDDP to cisplatin and nanoparticle-mediated transfection has a higher efficiency than that of the liposome-mediated group. The apoptosis level was up-regulated in PTEN transfection group. The magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle could be used as one of the ideal gene carriers for PTEN gene delivery in vitro. PTEN can be an effective target for reversing cisplatin-resistance in lung cancer.

Efficiency and Effectiveness Method versus ε-NTU Method with Application in Finned Flat Tube Compact Heat Exchanger with Water-Ethylene Glycol as Nanofluid Base of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

This work aims to establish comparisons between two models used for the performance of heat exchangers. The chosen system, in this case, consists of a heat exchanger used in automotive radiators flat finned tube type. Water and ethylene glycol compound as base fluid and volume fractions of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4) are used as a refrigerant. The quantities determined in this work are the nanofluid exit temperature, the air exit temperature, the absolute error between the models for heat transfer rate, and Effectiveness. The quantities that constitute parameters, independent variables, are the airflow, represented by the Reynolds number, and the iron oxide volume fraction. Ethylene Glycol 50% compound has slightly better thermal performance than pure water and reduces the reactive effect of water on the environment, increasing the average life of the equipment. The absolute relative error between the models is less than 20% and presents maximum values with the increase of the nanoparticle volume fraction and growth in the Reynolds number for the air.

Doping engineering of iron oxide nanoparticles towards high performance and biocompatible T_(1)-weighted MRI contrast agents

Extremely small-sized iron oxide nanoparticles(IONPs) are of great interest in magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) due to their biosafety as an alternative to clinical gadolinium(Ⅲ) complexes-based contrast agents.Especially when the particle size is less than 10 nm,it has strong diffusion ability and deep penetration distance in tumor tissue.Substitution doping can significantly enhance the T_(1)contrast effect of nanoparticles by regulating the surface exposed atoms.However,the nucleation and growth processes of multi-component synthesis systems are complex and difficult to be accurately controlled,leading to great challenges in the synthesis of ultra-small-sized nanoparticles with different components and sizes.Here,extremely smallsized superparamagnetic gadolinium-doped iron oxide nanoparticles(GdIONPs,Gd_(x)Fe_(3-x)O_(4) NPs) with adjustable doping amount and controllable size in the range of 3.5-7.5 nm were synthesized by thermal decomposition.Then,as-synthesized GdIONPs were surface modified with a highly water-soluble and biocompatible carboxyl-polyethylene glycol-phosphoric acid ligand with high binding affinity.Gd_(0.65)Fe_(2.35)O_(4) NPs exhibited very high r_(1) relaxivity of 10.6 mmol^(-1)·L·s^(-1) in terms of all metal concentrations and 49.0 mmol^(-1)·L·s^(-1) in terms of gadolinium alone,respectively,3 and 14 times higher than clinical T_(1) contrast agents(Gd-DTPA).GdIONPs can continuously obtain high resolution images of blood vessels,and can be used as an efficient and multifunctional contrast agent for MR T_(1)imaging.This stable and efficient doping strategy provides an easy and effective method to individually optimize the magnetic properties of complex oxides and their relaxation effects for a variety of biomedical applications.

Enhancing osteogenic bioactivities of coaxial electrospinning nanoscaffolds through incorporating iron oxide nanoparticles and icaritin for bone regeneration

Bone tissue engineering provides a promising strategy for the treatment of bone defects.Nonetheless,the clinical utilization of biomaterial-based scaffolds is constrained by their inadequate mechanical strength and absence of osteo-inductive properties.Here,we proposed to endow nano-scaffold(NS)constructed by coaxial electrospinning technique with enhanced osteogenic bioactivities and mechanical properties by incorporating biocompatible magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles(IONPs)and icaritin(ICA).Four types of nano-scaffolds(NS,ICA@NS,NS-IONPs and ICA@NS-IONPs)were prepared.The incorporation of ICA and IONPs minimally impact their surface morphological and chemical properties.IONPs enhanced the mechanical properties of NS scaffolds,including hardness,tensile strength,and elastic modulus.In vitro assessments demonstrated that ICA@NS-IONPs exhibited enhanced osteogenic bioactivities towards mouse calvarial pre-osteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1 as evidenced by detecting the alkaline phosphatase(ALP)activity level,expressions of osteogenesis-related genes and proteins as well as mineralized nodule formation.Mechanistic investigations revealed that MEK/ERK(MAP kinase-ERK kinase(MEK)/extracellularsignal-regulated kinase(ERK))signaling pathway could offer a plausible explanation for the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells induced by ICA@NS-IONPs.Furthermore,the implantation of nano-scaffolds in rat skull defects exhibited a substantial improvement in in vivo bone regeneration.Therefore,IONPs and ICA incorporated coaxial electrospinning nano-scaffolds present a novel strategy for the optimization of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

Iron oxide nanoparticles:A promising approach for diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases

Despite advances in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for cardiovascular diseases(CVDs),it remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide.This underscores the urgency for innovative approaches aiming at early and precise detection and treatment of CVDs to reduce the disease burden.Iron oxide nanoparticles(IONPs),with their unique magnetism and bioproperties,have shown great potential in this regard.In this review,we will begin with a brief overview of the synthesis and properties of IONPs.We will then focus on the latest applications of IONPs in CVDs,including diagnosis and treatment.The use of IONPs in the integration of diagnosis and treatment for CVDs is a promising field,and will be addressed in a separate section.The translational potential and challenges of IONPs will also be discussed.In conclusion,ongoing research and development of IONP-based strategies are highly likely to address current challenges effectively,and offer more personalized and efficient options for the diagnosis and treatment of CVDs.

Spy chemistry enables stable protein immobilization on iron oxide nanoparticles with enhanced magnetic properties

Iron oxide nanoparticles(IONPs)modified with functional proteins hold great promise in the biomedical field.However,conventional protein modification strategies,such as adsorption and covalent coupling,are either unstable or nonspecific,or may result in the changes of protein structure and ultimately the loss of protein activity.Modification of active proteins on small-sized IONPs with a particle size of less than 30 nm is especially difficult due to their high surface energy.Herein,we developed a universal modifica-tion method based on Spy chemistry for rapid and stable protein immobilization on small-sized IONPs,which only requires the presence of active groups on the surface of nanoparticles that can couple with SpyCatcher.In short,the SpyCatcher peptides were first coated on the surface of IONPs by cross-linking with activated groups,and then the SpyTag peptide fused with a model protein(enhanced green fluo-rescent protein,EGFP)was engineered(SpyTag-EGFP)and directly coupled to SpyCatcher-modified IONPs by self-assembly,which is spontaneous and robust while avoiding the effect of chemical reactions on functional protein activity.The obtained EGFP-functionalized IONPs exhibited enhanced and stable green fluorescence and improved magnetic properties.In addition,the cell internalization efficiency of EGFP-functionalized IONPs was significantly increased as compared to unmodified IONPs,providing an ideal solution for efficient cell labeling and tracking.In conclusion,here we report a rapid and easy strategy for EGFP immobilization on IONPs based on Spy chemistry,which could be further adapted to other functional proteins in the future.SpyCatcher-modified IONPs and SpyTag-X(arbitrary functional fusion proteins)hold great potential to be applied as a versatile platform for protein immobilization on IONPs and enable its multifunctional application in the future.

The internalization pathway,metabolic fate and biological effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in the macrophage-like RAW264.7 cell

The potential applications of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles （SPIONs） in several nanomedical fields have attract- ed intense interest based on the cell-nano interaction. However, the mechanisms underlying cell uptake, the intracellular trail, final fate and the biological effects of SPIONs have not yet been clearly elucidated. Here, we showed that multiple endocytic pathways were involved in the internalization process of SPIONs in the RAW264.7 macrophage. The internalized SPIONs were biocompatible and used three different metabolic pathways： The SPIONs were distributed to daughter cells during mito- sis; they were degraded in the lysosome and free iron was released into the intracellular iron metabolic pool; and, the intact SPIONs were potentially exocytosed out of the cells. The internalized SPIONs did not induce cell damage hut affected iron metabolism, inducing the upregulation of ferritin light chain at both the mRNA and protein levels and ferroportin 1 at the mRNA level. These results may contribute to the development of nanobiology and to the safe use of SPIONs in medicine when administered as a contrast medium or a drug delivery tool.

Shellac-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for removal of cadmium(Ⅱ) ions from aqueous solution

This study describes a new effective adsorbent for cadmium removal from aqueous solution synthesized by coating a shellac layer, a natural biodegradable and renewable resin with abundant hydroxyl and carboxylic groups, on the surface of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles. Transmission Electron Microscopy （TEM） imaging showed shellac-coated magnetic nanoparticle （SCMN） adsorbents had a core-shell structure with a core of 20 nm and shell of 5 nm. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic analysis suggested the occurrence of reaction between carboxyl groups on the SCMN adsorbent surface and cadmium ions in aqueous solution. Kinetic data were well described by pseudo second-order model and adsorption isotherms were fitted with both Langmuir and Freundlich models with maximum adsorption capacity of 18.80 mg]g. SCMN adsorbents provided a favorable adsorption capacity under high salinity conditions, and cadmium could easily be desorbed using mild organic acid solutions at low concentration.

Effects of surface modifications on the physicochemical properties of iron oxide nanoparticles and their performance as anticancer drug carriers

The feature of the surface coating can affect important properties of iron oxide nanoparticles(IONPs), it is therefore critical for further understanding how these materials react to physiological conditions, which is still needed to fully exploit the potential of IONPs for their theranostic applications. In this work, we prepared IONPs which surface were modified with citric acid(CA), chitosan(CS) and folic acid conjugated chitosan(FA-g-CS). respectively. Their physicochemical properties were investigated using FT-IR, TEM,powder XRD, VSM, TGA, DLS and zeta potential. We found that CA-IONP dispersion was composed of monocrystalline particles while CS-IONP and FA-g-CS-IONP were composed of polycrystalline aggregates. All IONPs retained the crystalline structure of magnetite and exhibited the superparamagnetic behavior. Their saturation magnetization decreased with the increase in the amount of their organic coatings. Their drug loading capacities, drug release patterns and in vitro anticancer efficiencies were studied by using doxorubicin(DOX) as a model drug. DOX@CS-IONP and DOX@FA-g-CSIONP exhibited lower drug loading while showing higher water dispersity when compared with DOX@CA-IONP. All IONPs were surface charged and they tended to agglomerate in medium with high pH value and ionic strength. In the presence of chitosan or FA-g-CS coatings, their DOX release rate was slowed down compared with that of DOX@CA-IONP. Unloaded IONPs exhibited nearly no cytotoxicity on both cancer cells and normal cells in the presence of chitosan and FA-g-CS when compared with CA-IONP which presented high cytotoxicity. However, DOX@FA-g-CS-IONP showed significantly cytotoxicity on folate receptors(FRs) positive breast cancer cells while exhibiting nearly no cytotoxicity on FRs negative normal cells. Results presented in this study were valuable to the design and fabrication of IONPs-based system for better theranostic applications.

Deciphering active biocompatibility of iron oxide nanoparticles from their intrinsic antagonism

Magnetite nanoparticles （Fe3O4 NPs） are a well proven biocompatible nanomaterial, which hold great promise in various biomedical applications. Interestingly, unlike conventional biocompatible materials （e.g., polyethylene glycol （PEG）） that are chemically and biologically inert in nature, Fe3O4 NPs are known to be catalytically active and exhibit prominent physiological effects. Herein, we report an ＂active＂, dynamic equilibrium mechanism for maintaining the cellular amenity of Fe3O4 NPs. We examined the effects of two types of iron oxide （magnetite and hematite） NPs in rat pheochromocytoma （PC12） cells and found that both induced stress responses. However, only Fe2O3 NPs caused significant programmed cell death; whereas Fe3O4 NPs are amenable to cells. We found that intrinsic catalase-like activity of Fe3O4 NPs antagonized the accumulation of toxic reactive oxygen species （ROS） induced by themselves, and thereby modulated the extent of cellular oxidative stress, autophagic activity, and programmed cell death. In line with this observation, we effectively reversed severe autophagy and cell death caused by Fe2O3 NPs via co-treatment with natural catalase. This study not only deciphers the distinct intrinsic antagonism of Fe3O4 NPs, but opens new routes to designing biocompatible theranostic nanoparticles with novel mechanisms.