Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots-chlorin e6 shows potential as a treatment for chondrosarcoma: an in vitro study.

Chondrosarcoma is the second-most malignant cancer of the bone and routine treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have not responded to the treatment of this cancer. Due to the resistance of chondrosarcoma to radiotherapy, the combination of therapeutic methods has been considered in recent years. In this study, a novel combination approach is used that allows photodynamic therapy to be activated by X-rays.

New cyclodextrin-based nanocarriers for drug delivery and phototherapy using an irinotecan metabolite.

SN38 is an active metabolite of irinotecan, which was approved for clinical use in metastatic colorectal cancers. However, poor aqueous solubility and inactivation at pH below 6 are the main limitations of its use. In the current study, we separately conjugated α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins to graphene oxide sheets to produce stable, biocompatible nanocarriers for SN38 delivery.

Acute toxicity of functionalized single wall carbon nanotubes: A biochemical, histopathologic and proteomics approach.

Recently carbon nanotubes (CNTs) showed promising potentials in different biomedical applications but their safe use in humans and probable toxicities are still challenging. The aim of this study was to determine the acute toxicity of functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). In this project, PEGylated and Tween functionalized SWCNTs were prepared.

Efficient megalin targeted delivery to renal proximal tubular cells mediated by modified-polymyxin B-polyethylenimine based nano-gene-carriers.

Non-viral vectors have attracted great interest, as they are simple to prepare, easy to modify and relatively safe, compared to viral vectors. Kidney-targeted gene delivery systems depict a promising technology to improve drug efficacy in renal diseases treatments. In order to develop a novel kidney-targeted gene delivery system, we synthesized polyamine-PEI conjugates using polymyxin B as ligand and investigated their potential targeting efficiency.

The intracellular delivery of plasmid DNA using cationic reducible carbon nanotube - Disulfide conjugates of polyethylenimine.

A series of polyethylenimine conjugates of single-walled carbon nanotube (PEI-SWNT) containing bioreducible disulfide bonds was synthesized and evaluated for their transfection efficiency. Different molecular weights of polyethylenimine (PEI) were thiolated with different mole ratio of 2-iminothiolane (2-IT). Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) was first carboxylated and then three different cysteine-functionalized SWNT formulations were synthesized via introduced linkers: a) carbonyl group b) spermidine c) 1,8-diamino 3,6-dioxo octane.

Evaluation of chemical modification effects on DNA plasmid transfection efficiency of single-walled carbon nanotube-succinate- polyethylenimine conjugates as non-viral gene carriers.

Polyethylenimine (PEI) is a widely used non-viral vector for DNA delivery. One major obstacle of higher molecular weight PEIs is the increased cytotoxicity despite the improved transfection efficiency and numerous chemical modifications that have been reported to overcome this problem. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are carbon nanomaterials capable of penetrating into cell membranes with no cytotoxic effects.

Polyethylenimine-functionalized carbon nanotubes tagged with AS1411 aptamer for combination gene and drug delivery into human gastric cancer cells.

In this project, synergistic cancer cell death was achieved by a targeted delivery system comprising Bcl-xL-specific shRNA and a very low DOX content, which simultaneously activated an intrinsic apoptotic pathway. A modified branched polyethylenimine (PEI 10kDa) was grafted through polyethylene glycol (PEG) linker to carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) to serve as a vehicle for shRNA delivery. The SWNT-PEG-PEI conjugate was covalently attached to AS1411 aptamer as the nucleolin ligand to target the co-delivery system to the tumor cells overexpressing nucleolin receptors on their surface.

Graphene oxide-cationic polymer conjugates: Synthesis and application as gene delivery vectors.

Nanomedicine as the interface between nanotechnology and medical sciences is a new area that has attracted the attention of vast groups of researchers. Carbon nanomaterials are common platform for synthesis of nanoparticles for biomedical applications due to their low cytotoxicity and feasible internalization into mammalian cell lines (Yang et al., 2007; Arora et al.

A facile Friedel-Crafts acylation for the synthesis of polyethylenimine-grafted multi-walled carbon nanotubes as efficient gene delivery vectors.

Low chemical reactivity of carbon nanotubes is one of the major obstacles in their functionalization via chemical reactions. As a non-destructive method, Friedel-Crafts acylation was suggested among the explored reactions for which only a few methods have been reported under harsh reaction conditions, e.g.

Preparation and evaluation of polyethylenimine-functionalized carbon nanotubes tagged with 5TR1 aptamer for targeted delivery of Bcl-xL shRNA into breast cancer cells.

In this study, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were covalently attached to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and polyethylenimine (PEI) 10 kDa, or its derivatives, to fabricate efficient carriers for gene delivery. PEI 10 kDa was modified by alkylcarboxylation of its primary amines with a series of ω-bromo-alkylcarboxylic acids to provide a range of vectors with increased lipophilicity. PEI 10 kDa or its alkylcarboxylate derivatives were conjugated to SWCNT-PEG to develop vectors possessing effective DNA condensation ability which can interact with cell membrane via both nano-needle mechanism and electrostatic interactions produced by SWCNT and PEI, respectively.

Non-covalent functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes with modified polyethyleneimines for efficient gene delivery.

Functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been recently emerged as important class of vectors for delivery of DNA and other biomolecules into various cells. In this study, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were functionalized by non-covalent binding of hydrophobic moieties, which were covalently linked to polyethyleneimines (PEIs). PEIs of three molecular weights (25, 10 and 1.