Stimuli-responsive electrospun fibers and their applications

Stimuli-responsive electrospun nanofibers are gaining considerable attention as highly versatile tools which offer great potential in the biomedical field. In this critical review, an overview is given on recent advances made in the development and application of stimuli-responsive fibers. The specific features of these electrospun fibers are highlighted and discussed in view of the properties required for the diverse applications. Furthermore, several novel biomedical applications are discussed and the respective advantages and shortcomings inherent to stimuli-responsive electrospun fibers are addressed (136 references)

The impact of species and cell type on the nanosafety profile of iron oxide nanoparticles in neural cells

Background: While nanotechnology is advancing rapidly, nanosafety tends to lag behind since general mechanistic insights into cell-nanoparticle (NP) interactions remain rare. To tackle this issue, standardization of nanosafety assessment is imperative. In this regard, we believe that the cell type selection should not be overlooked since the applicability of cell lines could be questioned given their altered phenotype. Hence, we evaluated the impact of the cell type on in vitro nanosafety evaluations in a human and murine neuroblastoma cell line, neural progenitor cell line and in neural stem cells. Acute toxicity was evaluated for gold, silver and iron oxide (IO) NPs, and the latter were additionally subjected to a multiparametric analysis to assess sublethal effects. Results: The stem cells and murine neuroblastoma cell line respectively showed most and least acute cytotoxicity. Using high content imaging, we observed cell type-and species-specific responses to the IONPs on the level of reactive oxygen species production, calcium homeostasis, mitochondrial integrity and cell morphology, indicating that cellular homeostasis is impaired in distinct ways. Conclusions: Our data reveal cell type-specific toxicity profiles and demonstrate that a single cell line or toxicity end point will not provide sufficient information on in vitro nanosafety. We propose to identify a set of standard cell lines for screening purposes and to select cell types for detailed nanosafety studies based on the intended application and/or expected exposure

The role of lateral magnetic reconnection in solar eruptive events

Abstract. On 10–11 December 2005 a slow CME occurred in between two coronal streamers in the Western Hemisphere. SOHO/MDI magnetograms show a multipolar magnetic configuration at the photosphere consisting of a complex of active regions located at the CME source and two bipoles at the base of the lateral coronal streamers. White light observations reveal that the expanding CME affects both of the lateral streamers and induces the release of plasma within or close to them. These transient phenomena are possibly due to magnetic reconnections induced by the CME expansion that occurs either inside the streamer current sheet or between the CME flanks and the streamer. Our observations show that CMEs can be associated to not only a single reconnection process at a single location in the corona, but also to many reconnection processes occurring at different times and locations around the flux rope. Numerical simulations are used to demonstrate that the observed lateral reconnections can be reproduced. The observed secondary reconnections associated to CMEs may facilitate the CME release by globally decreasing the magnetic tension of the corona. Future CME models should therefore take into account the lateral reconnection effect

Bright and stable CdSe/CdS@SiO2 nanoparticles suitable for long term cell labeling

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) constitute very promising candidates as light emitters for numerous applications in the field of biotechnology, including cell labeling, in vivo imaging and diagnostics.[1] For such applications, semiconductor QDs represent an attractive alternative to classic organic fluorophores as they exhibit a higher brightness thanks to their large absorption cross-sections and high photoluminescence quantum yields. Nevertheless, QDs usually suffer from higly oxidative environments, such as water, which can cause a dramatic decrease of their photoluminescent quantum yield but also can result in the realease of toxic elements. In this contribution we present a new generation of QD@SiO2 nanoparticles based on newly developped core-shell QDs that mostly overcome these limitations, resulting in efficient nanoprobes for long term cell labeling. Among the numerous QDs being reported, core-shell heterostructures such as CdSe/CdS QDs with relatively thick CdS shells, are of particular interest as they offer several properties essential to biolabeling, including high photoluminescence quantum yields, low blinking behavior and robustness towards aggressive environments. We recently developed a new, fast and very efficient method for the synthesis of such QDs, denoted as ‘flash’ CdSe/CdS, which can feature up to 20 CdS monolayers after only 3 minutes of reaction.[2] They show state-of-the-art optical properties (sharp emission spectra, high photoluminescence quantum yields, low blinking behavior), and the CdS shell thickness can be easily controlled thanks to the full chemical yield of the reaction. These ‘flash’ CdSe/CdS QDs were encapsulated in silica nanoparticles through a water-in-oil microemulsion process, which allows a high control on the morphology of the resulting QD@SiO2 nanoparticles. All the nanoparticles contain one single QD located in its center (Fig. 1) and the thickness of the silica shell can be varied from only a few nanometers up to several tens of nanometers. The silica matrix provides the QDs with enhanced colloidal stability in polar solvents, but also with enhanced photo-physical and photo-chemical stability under continuous irradiation. More importantly, the QD@SiO2 nanoparticles based on ‘flash’ CdSe/CdS QDs fully retain their photoluminescence quantum yield even after a year of storage in water (Fig. 1), whereas QD@SiO2 nanoparticles based on ‘classical’ SILAR grown core-shell QDs typically lose their luminescence after a few weeks or even days. Thereafter, these ‘flash’ CdSe/CdS@SiO2 nanoparticles have proven to be very promising nanoprobes for bioimaging techniques. Indeed, the rapid uptake of high levels of these nanoparticles by live cells was evidenced by confocal fluorescence microscopy (Fig. 1). Furthermore, thanks to the high stability of their optical properties but also to their low toxicity after silica encapsulation, these nanoparticles are particularly appropriate for long term cell labeling, with up to 9 cell divisions being tracked. Thus, in this contribution we will report from the synthesis and characterization of these ‘flash’ CdSe/CdS@SiO2, all the way to the study of their toxicity and their application to cell labeling

Assessing nanoparticle toxicity in cell-based assays : influence of cell culture parameters and optimized models for bridging the in vitro-in vivo gap

The number of newly engineered nanomaterials is vastly increasing along with their applications. Despite the fact that there is a lot of interest and effort is being put into the development of nano-based biomedical applications, the level of translational clinical output remains limited due to uncertainty in the toxicological profiles of the nanoparticles (NPs). As NPs used in biomedicines are likely to directly interact with cells and biomolecules, it is imperative to rule out any adverse effect before they can be safely applied. The initial screening for nanotoxicity is preferably performed in vitro, but extrapolation to the in vivo outcome remains very challenging. In addition, generated in vitro and in vivo data are often conflicting, which consolidates the in vitro-in vivo gap and impedes the formulation of unambiguous conclusions on NP toxicity. Consequently, more consistent and relevant in vitro and in vivo data need to be acquired in order to bridge this gap. This is in turn in conflict with the efforts to reduce the number of animals used for in vivo toxicity testing. Therefore the need for more reliable in vitro models with a higher predictive power, mimicking the in vivo environment more closely, becomes more prominent. In this review we will discuss the current paradigm and routine methods for nanotoxicity evaluation, and give an overview of adjustments that can be made to the cultivation systems in order to optimise current in vitro models. We will also describe various novel model systems and highlight future prospects

Mark Sandman vs. Triumph Group and Liberty Mutal Insurance Company: Reply Brief

Petition for Review from the Board of Review of the Industrial Commission of Utah Benjamin A. Sims Administrative Law Judg

The cellular interactions of PEGylated gold nanoparticles : effect of PEGylation on cellular uptake and cytotoxicity

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is frequently used to coat various medical nanoparticles (NPs). As PEG is known to minimize NP interactions with biological specimens, the question remains whether PEGylated NPs are intrinsically less toxic or whether this is caused by reduced NP uptake. In the present work, the effect of gold NP PEGylation on uptake by three cell types is compared and evaluated the effect on cell viability, oxidative stress, cell morphology, and functionality using a multiparametric methodology. The data reveal that PEGylation affects cellular NP uptake in a cell-type-dependent manner and influences toxicity by different mechanisms. At similar intracellular NP numbers, PEGylated NPs are found to yield higher levels of cell death, mostly by induction of oxidative stress. These findings reveal that PEGylation significantly reduces NP uptake, but that at similar functional (= cell-associated) NP levels, non-PEGylated NPs are better tolerated by the cells