High sensitivity detection of nanoparticles permeation through polymer membranes: A physico-chemical and nuclear imaging measurement approach.

Diffusion cells are devices made of donor and acceptor compartments (DC and AC), separated by a membrane. They are widely used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, toxicology, and protective equipment tests (e.g.

High-Sensitivity Permeation Analysis of Ultrasmall Nanoparticles Across the Skin by Positron Emission Tomography.

Ultrasmall nanoparticles (US-NPs; <20 nm in hydrodynamic size) are now included in a variety of pharmacological and cosmetic products, and new technologies are needed to detect at high sensitivity the passage of small doses of these products across biological barriers such as the skin. In this work, a diffusion cell adapted to positron emission tomography (PET), a highly sensitive imaging technology, was developed to measure the passage of gold NPs (AuNPs) in skin samples in continuous mode. US-AuNPs (3.

Gold Nanoparticles in Radiotherapy and Recent Progress in Nanobrachytherapy.

Over the last few decades, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have emerged as "radiosensitizers" in oncology. Radiosensitizers are additives that can enhance the effects of radiation on biological tissues treated with radiotherapy. The interaction of photons with GNPs leads to the emission of low-energy and short-range secondary electrons, which in turn increase the dose deposited in tissues.

Intratumoral Injection of Low-Energy Photon-Emitting Gold Nanoparticles: A Microdosimetric Monte Carlo-Based Model.

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) distributed in the vicinity of low-dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy seeds could multiply their efficacy thanks to the secondary emissions induced by the photoelectric effect. Injections of radioactive LDR gold nanoparticles (LDR Au NPs), instead of conventional millimeter-size radioactive seeds surrounded by Au NPs, could further enhance the dose by distributing the radioactivity more precisely and homogeneously in tumors. However, the potential of LDR Au NPs as an emerging strategy to treat cancer is strongly dependent on the macroscopic diffusion of the NPs in tumors, as well as on their microscopic internalization within the cells.

Automated and reconfigurable platform for niosome generation based on a microfluidic architecture.

Drug delivery at the nano-scale is becoming an important topic in nano and regenerative medicine as it can offer a very localized therapy. Therefore, niosomes are one of the most important vehicles to release drug at the nanoscale. In this paper, we present a new automated microsystem for niosome generation on-demand.

Low-Dose Prostate Cancer Brachytherapy with Radioactive Palladium-Gold Nanoparticles.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of death among men. Low-dose brachytherapy is an increasingly used treatment for PCa, which requires the implantation of tens of radioactive seeds. This treatment causes discomfort; these implants cannot be removed, and they generate image artifacts.

Towards a Multifunctional Electrochemical Sensing and Niosome Generation Lab-on-Chip Platform Based on a Plug-and-Play Concept.

In this paper, we present a new modular lab on a chip design for multimodal neurotransmitter (NT) sensing and niosome generation based on a plug-and-play concept. This architecture is a first step toward an automated platform for an automated modulation of neurotransmitter concentration to understand and/or treat neurodegenerative diseases. A modular approach has been adopted in order to handle measurement or drug delivery or both measurement and drug delivery simultaneously.

Rapid Nucleation of Iron Oxide Nanoclusters in Aqueous Solution by Plasma Electrochemistry.

Progresses in cold atmospheric plasma technologies have made possible the synthesis of nanoparticles in aqueous solutions using plasma electrochemistry principles. In this contribution, a reactor based on microhollow cathodes and operating at atmospheric pressure was developed to synthesize iron-based nanoclusters (nanoparticles). Argon plasma discharges are generated at the tip of the microhollow cathodes, which are placed near the surface of an aqueous solution containing iron salts (FeCl2 and FeCl3) and surfactants (biocompatible dextran).

Rapid, one-pot procedure to synthesise Pd:Pd@Au nanoparticles en route for radiosensitisation and radiotherapeutic applications.

The radioisotope palladium (Pd), encapsulated in millimetre-size seed implants, is widely used in prostate cancer brachytherapy. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) distributed in the vicinity of Pd radioactive implants, strongly enhance the therapeutic dose of radioactive implants (radiosensitisation effect). A new strategy under development to replace millimetre-size implants, consist in injecting radioactive NPs in the affected tissues.

Metal chelate grafting at the surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs): physico-chemical and biomedical imaging assessment.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are being developed as drug delivery vectors. Biomedical imaging (MRI and PET) enables their tracking in vivo, provided their surface is adequately grafted with imaging probes (metal chelates). However, MSNs are characterized by huge specific surfaces, and high-quality metal chelate anchoring procedures must be developed and validated, to demonstrate that their detection in vivo is associated to the presence of nanoparticles and not to detached metal chelates.

Multidentate block-copolymer-stabilized ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with enhanced colloidal stability for magnetic resonance imaging.

Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USPIOs) with diameters <5 nm hold great promise as T1-positive contrast agents for in vivo magnetic resonance imaging. However, control of the surface chemistry of USPIOs to ensure individual colloidal USPIOs with a ligand monolayer and to impart biocompatibility and enhanced colloidal stability is essential for successful clinical applications. Herein, an effective and versatile strategy enabling the development of aqueous colloidal USPIOs stabilized with well-defined multidentate block copolymers (MDBCs) is reported.

Manganese-impregnated mesoporous silica nanoparticles for signal enhancement in MRI cell labelling studies.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are used in drug delivery and cell tracking applications. As Mn(2+) is already implemented as a "positive" cell contrast agent in preclinical imaging procedures (in the form of MnCl2 for neurological studies), the introduction of Mn in the porous network of MSNs would allow labelling cells and tracking them using MRI. These particles are in general internalized in endosomes, an acidic environment with high saline concentration.