Biomolecular Corona Associated with Nanostructures: The Potentially Disruptive Role of Raman Microscopy

AbstractWhen nanostructures and other materials are exposed to biological fluids, they are immediately covered by a layer of biological molecules, which is typically referred to as a "biomolecular corona" (BC). This represents the first component of a material that interacts with biological systems, so characterizing the composition and the dynamic evolution of BC is essential for predicting the interactions of materials and living organisms. This review provides an analysis of current BC characterization techniques, with particular attention to nanostructures involved in biomedical applications. The influence on cell–nanostructure interactions is assessed and the advantages and limitations of each technique are discussed and compared. An in‐depth analysis of Raman microscopy, a relatively unexploited tool with great potential in the characterization of BC, is then conducted. Raman microscopy can be used to analyze a vast amount of specimens without the need for staining, and can provide analysis on a spatial scale of hundreds of nanometers: it may thus represent a potentially disruptive tool for the characterization of BC, as it overcomes many of the limitations posed by current techniques

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia: recent advancements, molecular effects, and future directions in the omics era.

Coating and targeting strategies improve superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles-induced hyperthermia, while omics can unveil molecular effects

Tannic Acid-Iron Complex-Based Nanoparticles as a Novel Tool against Oxidative Stress

: Accumulation of reactive oxygen species in cells leads to oxidative stress, with consequent damage for cellular components and activation of cell-death mechanisms. Oxidative stress is often associated with age-related conditions, as well as with several neurodegenerative diseases. For this reason, antioxidant molecules have attracted a lot of attention, especially those derived from natural sources─like polyphenols and tannins. The main issue related to the use of antioxidants is their inherent tendency to be oxidized, their quick enzymatic degradation in biological fluids, and their poor bioavailability. Nanomedicine, in this sense, has helped in finding new solutions to deliver and protect antioxidants; however, the concentration of the encapsulated molecule in conventional nanosystems could be very low and, therefore, less effective. We propose to exploit the properties of tannic acid, a known plant-derived antioxidant, to chelate iron ions, forming hydrophobic complexes that can be coated with a biocompatible and biodegradable phospholipid to improve stability in biological media. By combining nanoprecipitation and hot sonication procedures, we obtained three-dimensional networks composed of tannic acid-iron with a hydrodynamic diameter of ≈200 nm. These nanostructures show antioxidant properties and scavenging activity in cells after induction of an acute chemical pro-oxidant insult; moreover, they also demonstrated to counteract damage induced by oxidative stress both in vitro and on an in vivo model organism (planarians)

Evaluation of the therapeutic potential of resveratrol-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers on autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay patient-derived fibroblasts

Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is a neurological disease characterized by autosomal recessive mutations in the sacsin gene (SACS), that cause in patients progressive cerebellar atrophy, damage of the peripheral nerves, and cognitive impairment. No effective therapies have been proposed for ARSACS, even if some evidences suggest that powerful antioxidant agents can be considered as a therapeutic tool. Resveratrol (Res) is a natural polyphenol compound derived from vegetal sources, the application of which in biomedicine is increasing in the latest years owing to its significant therapeutic effects, in particular in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we provide evidences about its potential exploitation in the treatment of ARSACS. Because of the low solubility of Res in physiological media, a nanoplatform based on nanostructured lipid carriers is proposed for its encapsulation and delivery. Resveratrol-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (Res-NLCs) have been synthetized, characterized, and tested on healthy and ARSACS patient fibroblasts. Nanovectors displayed optimal stability and biocompatibility, and excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. A comprehensive investigation at gene (with real-time quantitative RT-PCR) and protein (with proteomics) level demonstrated the therapeutic potential of Res-NLCs, encouraging future investigations on pre-clinical models