Biocompatibility of Bare Nanoparticles Based on Silicon and Gold for Nervous Cells

This work aimed to investigate the biocompatibility of bare (ligand-free) lasersynthesized nanoparticles (NPs) based on silicon (Si) and gold (Au) with primary hippocampal cultures. 1%, 5% and 7% of culture medium were replaced by 0.1 mg/mL NP solution on day 14 of culture development in vitro. Our studies revealed that the NPs caused a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect, which was manifested by an increase the number of dead cells and a decrease of the spontaneous functional calcium activity of neural networks. Au NPs revealed less pronounced cytotoxic effect than Si ones and it can be explained by larger size and better solubility of Si NPs. Keywords: bare nanoparticles, primary hippocampal cultures, neurotoxicit

Phase separation effects and the nematic-isotropic transition in polymer and low molecular weight liquid crystals doped with nanoparticles

Properties of the nematic–isotropic phase transition in polymer and low molecular weight liquid crystals doped with nanoparticles have been studied both experimentally and theoretically in terms of molecular mean-field theory. The variation of the transition temperature and the transition heat with the increasing volume fraction of CdSe quantum dot nanoparticles in copolymer and low molecular weight nematics has been investigated experimentally and the data are interpreted using the results of the molecular theory which accounts for a possibility of phase separation when the system undergoes the nematic–isotropic transition. The theory predicts that the nematic and isotropic phases with different concentrations of nanoparticles may coexist over a broad temperature range, but only if the nanoparticle volume fraction exceeds a certain threshold value which depends on the material parameters. Such unusual phase separation effects are determined by the strong interaction between nanoparticles and mesogenic groups and between nanoparticles themselves

Opportunities of video assisted minimally invasive operations in the lung and pleura surgery

Наведено аналіз застосування відеоасистованих торакоскопічних (ВАТС) операцій у 203 хворих із різною хірургічною патологією легень та плеври. У результаті проведених за допомогою ВАТС операційних втручань 200 хворих було виписано із стаціонару. Летальний результат відзначено у 3 (1,5 %) пацієнтів, хворих на рак легені IV стадії. Ускладнення після проведення ВАТС операцій відзначено в 17 (8,4 %) хворих. ВАТС операції дозволяють успішно поєднувати можливості закритих і відкритих операційних втручань у хірургії легень та плеври, а виконання міні-торакотомії істотно не ускладнює перебіг післяопераційного періоду і не впливає на терміни перебування хворих у стаціонарі. Також необхідно відзначити, що ВАТС хірургічні технології дозволяють істотно зменшити травматичність хірургічних втручань при гострій емпіємі плеври та знизити кількість хворих із переходом у хронічну форму.An analysis of the video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) operations in 203 patients with various surgical pathology of lungs and pleura is presented. As a result of using VATS surgical interventions 200 patients were discharged from hospital. The lethal outcome occurred in 3 (1.5 %) patients with IV stage lung cancer. Complications after VATS operations noted in 17 (8.4 %) patients. VATS operations can successfully combine the possibilities of closed and open surgical interventions in surgery of the lungs and pleura, and execution mini thoracotomy not significantly complicate the postoperative period and does not affect the length of stay of patients in hospital. Also it should be noted that the VATS surgical techniques can significantly reduce the invasiveness of surgical interventions in acute pleural empyema and reduce the number of patients with the transition to the chronic form

Nuclear nanomedicine using Si nanoparticles as safe and effective carriers of 188Re radionuclide for cancer therapy

International audienceNuclear nanomedicine, with its targeting ability and heavily loading capacity, along with its enhanced retention to avoid rapid clearance as faced with molecular radiopharmaceuticals, provides unique opportunities to treat tumors and metastasis. Despite these promises, this field has seen limited activities, primarily because of a lack of suitable nanocarriers, which are safe, excretable and have favorable pharmacokinetics to efficiently deliver and retain radionuclides in a tumor. Here, we introduce biodegradable laser-synthesized Si nanoparticles having round shape, controllable low-dispersion size, and being free of any toxic impurities, as highly suitable carriers of therapeutic 188 Re radionuclide. the conjugation of the polyethylene glycol-coated Si nanoparticles with radioactive 188 Re takes merely 1 hour, compared to its half-life of 17 hours. When intravenously administered in a Wistar rat model, the conjugates demonstrate free circulation in the blood stream to reach all organs and target tumors, which is radically in contrast with that of the 188 Re salt that mostly accumulates in the thyroid gland. We also show that the nanoparticles ensure excellent retention of 188 Re in tumor, not possible with the salt, which enables one to maximize the therapeutic effect, as well as exhibit a complete time-delayed conjugate bioelimination. Finally, our tests on rat survival demonstrate excellent therapeutic effect (72% survival compared to 0% of the control group). Combined with a series of imaging and therapeutic functionalities based on unique intrinsic properties of Si nanoparticles, the proposed biodegradable complex promises a major advancement in nuclear nanomedicine