NANOCI-Nanotechnology Based Cochlear Implant With Gapless Interface to Auditory Neurons.

: Cochlear implants (CI) restore functional hearing in the majority of deaf patients. Despite the tremendous success of these devices, some limitations remain. The bottleneck for optimal electrical stimulation with CI is caused by the anatomical gap between the electrode array and the auditory neurons in the inner ear.

Efficient penetration of ceric ammonium nitrate oxidant-stabilized gamma-maghemite nanoparticles through the oval and round windows into the rat inner ear as demonstrated by MRI.

We aimed to evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast effect and delivery efficiency through the middle ear into the inner ear using novel super-paramagnetic maghemite (γ-Fe O ) nanoparticles (NPs) generated using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN)-mediated oxidation of Fe O NPs (CAN-γ-Fe O NPs). The CAN-γ-Fe2O3 NPs, having hydrodynamic diameters of 50-60 nm and potentials of +55.2 mV, displayed super-paramagnetic behavior characterized by a saturation magnetization Ms of 75.

Development of Multifunctional Magnetic Nanoparticles for Genetic Engineering and Tracking of Neural Stem Cells.

Genetic modification of cell transplant populations and cell tracking ability are key underpinnings for effective cell therapies. Current strategies to achieve these goals utilize methods which are unsuitable for clinical translation because of related safety issues, and multiple protocol steps adding to cost and complexity. Multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) offering dual mode gene delivery and imaging contrast capacity offer a valuable tool in this context.

Acute in vivo toxicity mitigation of PEI-coated maghemite nanoparticles using controlled oxidation and surface modifications toward siRNA delivery.

A ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN)-based doping step was used for the fabrication of core maghemite nanoparticles (NPs) that enabled the obtainment of colloid particles with a view to a high-level nanoparticle (NP) surface doping by Ce(III/IV). Such doping of Ce(III/IV) cations enables one to exploit their quite rich coordination chemistry for ligand coordinative binding. In fact, they were shown to act as powerful Lewis acid centers for attaching any organic (Lewis base) ligand such as a 25 kDa branched PEI polymer.