PLGA-Gold Nanocomposite: Preparation and Biomedical Applications

A composite system consisting of both organic and inorganic nanoparticles is an approach to prepare a new material exhibiting “the best of both worlds”. In this review, we highlight the recent advances in the preparation and applications of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-gold nanoparticles (PLGA-GNP). With its current clinically use, PLGA-based nanocarriers have promising pharmaceutical applications and can “extract and utilize” the fascinating optical and photothermal properties of encapsulated GNP. The resulting “golden polymeric nanocarrier” can be tracked, analyzed, and visualized using the encapsulated gold nanoprobes which facilitate a better understanding of the hosting nanocarrier’s pharmacokinetics and biological fate. In addition, the “golden polymeric nanocarrier” can reveal superior nanotherapeutics that combine both the photothermal effect of the encapsulated gold nanoparticles and co-loaded chemotherapeutics. To help stimulate more research on the development of nanomaterials with hybrid and exceptional properties, functionalities, and applications, this review provides recent examples with a focus on the available chemistries and the rationale behind encapsulating GNP into PLGA nanocarriers that has the potential to be translated into innovative, clinically applicable nanomedicine.A.M.A. acknowledge funding support from the University of Jordan. The APC was funded by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Synergistic antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles and hydrogen peroxide.

The increasing challenge of antibiotic resistance requires not only the discovery of new antibiotics, but also the development of new alternative approaches. Herein, the synergistic antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles and hydrogen peroxide combination is reported. Unlike the bacteriostatic or slightly bactericidal activity achieved by using each agent alone, using these two agents in combination, even at relatively low concentrations, resulted in complete eradication of both the Gram negative Escherichia coli and the Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus in short treatment times indicating a clear synergistic effect between them. Modifying the surface chemistry of silver nanoparticles and the accompanied change in their surface charge enabled a further enhancement of such synergistic effect implying the importance of this aspect. Mechanistically, a Fenton-like reaction between silver nanoparticles and hydrogen peroxide is discussed and hypothesized to be the basis of the observed synergy. Achieving such a significant antibacterial activity at low concentrations reduces the potential toxicity of these agents and hence enables their utilization as an alternative antibacterial approach in wider range of applications

Therapeutic outcomes and biodistribution of gold nanoparticles in collagen-induced arthritis animal model

The role of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the treatment of autoimmune diseases remains mysterious. Therefore, we investigated the effect of AuNPs on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and the impact of particle size on the tissue distribution of AuNPs. CIA model was set up in Wistar rats using bovine collagen type ІІ. CIA rats were then divided into five groups: CIA model (positive control), AuNPs treated- (sphere shape with size: 5, 25, and 75 nm), and methotrexate (MTX)-treated-rats. Untreated rats were run in parallel as normal control. At the end of the experiment, the radiographic assessment was done. Histopathological changes in the joints and vital organs were investigated. Liver- [aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT)] and kidney- (creatinine) functions were measured. The gold bio-accumulation was measured quantitatively with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Histopathological results revealed that AuNPs reduced the severity of arthritic symptoms in CIA rats. No histological changes were detected in vital organs. Importantly, AuNPs were deposited in all the examined organs, and the accumulation was size-dependent, with 75 nm demonstrated the least distributed one. Our results revealed that AuNPs decreased both liver and kidney functions as compared to normal controls. In conclusion, our data shed light on the therapeutic efficacy of AuNPs in experimental rheumatoid arthritis compared with a choice size (25 nm). Further investigations to investigate the immunological changes associated with AuNPs are in process.This work was funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF), Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), Egypt (Grant No. 22996), and the Jordan Scientific Research Support Fund (SRSF), Jordan (Grant no. Egy-Jor/March 1, 2015)