Composite Nanoparticles Research Articles

Prolamin and prolamin-polysaccharide composite nanoparticles for oral drug and nutrient delivery systems: A review.

Prolamin-based nanoparticles, particularly those composed of prolamin-polysaccharide composites, have garnered significant interest as oral delivery systems in recent research. This review provides a thorough analysis of the current advancements in these composite nanoparticles with prolamins derived from various cereals, including maize, wheat, sorghum, and millet, with a focus on their applications in oral drug delivery. It discusses the mechanisms by which these composites enhance nanoparticle performance, especially in terms of stability. The review also explores the differences among various prolamins and clarifies the reasons for their performance characteristics as encapsulants for nanoparticles. Additionally, it offers an in-depth examination of various preparation methods for these composite nanoparticles, such as the traditional anti-solvent method, pH-driven method, and several innovative techniques. The study highlights the physicochemical and encapsulation properties of these composite nanoparticles and underscores their novel applications, which hold promise for future use in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. The findings aim to support the integration of prolamin-polysaccharide composites into these industries, ultimately accelerating the development of new applications for these nanoparticles.

Self-supply of hydrogen peroxide by a bimetal-based nanocatalytic platform to enhance chemodynamic therapy for tumor treatment

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by low pH, hypoxia, and overexpression of glutathione (GSH). Owing to the complexity of tumor pathogenesis and the heterogeneity of the TME, achieving satisfactory efficacy with a single treatment method is difficult, which significantly impedes tumor treatment. In this study, composite nanoparticles of calcium-copper/alginate-hyaluronic acid (HA) (CaO2-CuO2@SA/HA NC) with pH and GSH responsiveness were prepared for the first time through a one-step synthesis using HA as a targeting ligand. Nanoparticles loaded with H2O2can enhance the chemodynamic therapy effects. Simultaneously, Cu2+can generate oxygen in the TME and alleviate hypoxia in tumor tissue. Cu2+and H2O2undergo the Fenton reaction to produce cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals and Ca2+ions, which enhance the localization and clearance of nanoparticles in tumor cells. Additionally, HA and sodium alginate (SA) were utilized to improve the targeting and biocompatibility of the nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared, x-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, SEM, transmission electron microscope, and other analytical methods were used to investigate their physical and chemical properties. The results indicate that the CaO2-CuO2@SA/HA NC prepared using a one-step method had a particle size of 220 nm, a narrow particle size distribution, and a uniform morphology. The hydrogen peroxide self-supplied nanodrug delivery system exhibited excellent pH-responsive release performance and glutathione-responsive •OH release ability while also reducing the level of reactive oxide species quenching.In vitrocell experiments, no obvious side effects on normal tissues were observed; however, the inhibition rate of malignant tumors HepG2 and DU145 exceeded 50%. The preparation of CaO2-CuO2@SA/HA NC nanoparticles, which can achieve both chemokinetic therapy and ion interference therapy, has demonstrated significant potential for clinical applications in cancer therapy.

MRNA delivery enabled by metal–organic nanoparticles

mRNA therapeutics are set to revolutionize disease prevention and treatment, inspiring the development of platforms for safe and effective mRNA delivery. However, current mRNA delivery platforms face some challenges, including limited organ tropism for nonvaccine applications and inflammation induced by cationic nanoparticle components. Herein, we address these challenges through a versatile, noncationic nanoparticle platform whereby mRNA is assembled into a poly(ethylene glycol)-polyphenol network stabilized by metal ions. Screening a range of components and relative compositional ratios affords a library of stable, noncationic, and highly biocompatible metal–organic nanoparticles with robust mRNA transfection in vitro and in mice. Intravenous administration of the lead mRNA-containing metal–organic nanoparticles enables predominant protein expression and gene editing in the brain, liver, and kidney, while organ tropism is tuned by varying nanoparticle composition. This study opens an avenue for realizing metal–organic nanoparticle-enabled mRNA delivery, offering a modular approach to assembling mRNA therapeutics for health applications.

A Mucous Permeable Local Delivery Strategy Based on Manganese-Enhanced Bacterial Cuproptosis-like Death for Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment.

Bacterial pneumonia is one of the most challenging global infectious diseases with high morbidity and mortality. Considering the antibiotic abuse and resistance of bacterial biofilms, a variety of metal-based materials have been developed. However, due to the high oxygen environment of the lungs, some aerobic infection bacteria have high tolerance to oxygen and ROS, and most of the metal-based materials based on ROS may not achieve good therapeutic effects. Inspired by the sensitivity of cuproptosis to aerobic respiratory cells, we designed a copper composite antibacterial nanoparticle and found that it can effectively induce cuproptosis-like death in the aerobic bacteria of the lungs. To address the challenge of in vivo application of cuproptosis, manganese dioxide was first incorporated to deplete protective glutathione, which can interact with copper and thus hinder the interaction of copper with proteins and assist in antibacterial action through immune enhancement. Cuproptosis-like death also requires a large number of copper ions. To meet this demand, we deliver positively hydrophilic modified composite nanoparticles that effectively penetrate the lung mucus layer directly to the lungs through local administration, and the copper ions are further released rapidly by the acidic environment at the infected site, which can further destroy bacterial biofilms in synergy with manganese. This drug-delivery system can effectively treat pneumonia caused by aerobic bacteria and avoid systemic toxicity that can be caused by large doses of copper.

Effects of spherical, disk-like and lamellar nanocomposite particles on cold flow behaviors of waxy crude oil

Wax precipitation and deposition are challenging hurdles in pipeline transportation of waxy crude oil. This study focuses on transforming SiO2, Laponite, and montmorillonite particles into hydrophobic particles through polymer grafting. Chemical structure analysis and grafting ratio calculation were performed. Through thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) test, Laponite showed the highest grafting ratio. The effects of adding nanocomposites, TDA-2024-22, and commercial pour point depressants on the rheological behavior and wax crystallization behavior of African crude oil were compared. Addition of the nanocomposite PDA-22@SiO2 to crude oil, reduced the viscosity by 85.6% at 20 °C and the thixotropy by 60.2%. Wax crystal size decreased in the order of PDA-22@SiO2, PDA-22@Laponite, KS-10, TDA2024-22, and PDA-22@MMT. The pour point decreased by 6 °C with PDA-22@ SiO2 particles but only 3 °C with Laponite and montmorillonite composites. Spherical nanocomposites are promising flow improvers for waxy crude oil.

Green chemistry approach to synthesize titanium dioxide nanoparticles using Fagonia Cretica extract, novel strategy for developing antimicrobial and antidiabetic therapies

Abstract This groundbreaking study explores the eco-friendly production of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) to investigate their impact on health. TiO2 NPs were synthesized utilizing a plant extract from Fagonia cretica, acting as both stabilizers and reducers. Various techniques, including energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-Vis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), were employed to analyze the synthesized TiO2 NPs. FT-IR revealed functional groups crucial for nanoparticle (NP) formation. SEM confirmed the particle size of synthesized TiO2 NPs, ranging from 20 to 80 nm. XRD analysis highlighted the rutile phase crystalline structure, and EDX determined the elemental composition of TiO2 NPs. These NPs displayed potent antimicrobial properties, proving toxic to bacterial and the fungal strains at 50 µg·mL−1 concentration. Impressively, TiO2 NPs showcased significant antidiabetic effects in adult male albino mice, effectively reducing Streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia by the improvement in behavior via random blood glucose, triglyceride, low density lipoproteins, high density lipoprteins, very low density lipoproteins, and GTT pathway at 100 and 200 µL. Furthermore, they exhibited a remarkable impact on human liver cancer cell lines, with a 43.2% reduction in cell viability at 100 µg·mL−1 concentration. In essence, the study highlights TiO2 NPs as a safe, natural therapeutic agent with immense potential in diabetes treatment. The MTT assay was utilized to assess their cytotoxicity and biocompatibility, affirming their promising role in healthcare.

Investigation on the interfacial and emulsion stabilized behavior of dextran/ferritin/resveratrol composite nanoparticles

Glycation of ferritin provides a viable approach to enhance its physicochemical and functional properties. However, there is limited research on the interfacial adsorption properties of glycated ferritin-based colloidal particles. Therefore, this study selected recombinant human H-chain ferritin (rHuHF), rHuHF encapsulated with resveratrol (rHuHF–Res), and rHuHF–dextran glycoconjugates loaded with resveratrol (Dex–rHuHF–Res) as emulsifiers to investigate their interfacial adsorption properties. The results revealed that Dex–rHuHF–Res exhibited superior emulsifying properties and rheological behavior. It also increased the hydrophobicity of the microenvironment around Tyr and Trp residues, while hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic force, and salt bridge were identified as the most important intermolecular interactions. Dex–rHuHF–Res exhibited the biggest contact angle and lowest interface tension, which further reduced the diffusion (Kdiff) from the aqueous phase to the interface but promoted the penetration (Kp) and rearrangement (Kr) rates at the interface. Meanwhile, the emulsion stabilized by Dex–rHuHF–Res displayed excellent freeze-thaw stability, and Dex–rHuHF–Res can be more densely accumulated at the O/W interface to form an interface layer. These findings highlight the promising application of glycated ferritin in stabilizing Pickering emulsions, and deepen our understanding of the interplay among particle interaction, interface adsorption properties, and emulsion stability.

Design and green synthesis of carbon Dots/Gold nanoparticles Composites and their applications for neurotransmitters sensing based on emission Spectroscopy

Changes in the neurotransmitters are indications for several diseases. Several sensors were reported for monitoring dopamine (DA), but the simple and accurate DA detection in biological samples still faces many challenges. The research proposal aims to develop an optical sensor for detecting neurotransmitters based on luminescence emission spectra in different biological samples. Carbon dots (CDs) were fabricated based on a green synthesis route. Then the prepared CDs were decorated with varying concentrations of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The synthesis process was optimized, and the obtained CDs/Au NPs nanocomposites were applied as neurotransmitters’ optical nanosensors. The optical nanosensor approach provides easy and sensitive multiplex analysis. A wide range of neurotransmitters was monitored. The developed sensor’s sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility were investigated. Au NPs act as CDs’ stabilizers, enhancing the emission effect, and scaffolds for binding DA with CDs’ surface. DA moieties bind to CDs through the interaction between the DA-NH2 groups and Au NPS. Due to electron transfer, the bonding of DA molecules leads to fluorescence quenching of AuNPs/CDs. The Au-CDs-based DA fluorescence showed high sensitivity with adetection limit, and limit quantification of 2.04 nM and 6.18 nM, respectively. Furthermore, the selectivity of the sensor was investigated in the presence of glucose, uric acid (UA), and ascorbic acid (AA), which showed no interference effect at 10 times higher concentrations. Moreover, the proposed sensor has been successfully utilized for DA detection in human serum samples with a high recovery efficiency between 98.83 % and 103.5 %.

Bio-Synthesized Fe(0)/Fe2O3 Composite Nanoparticles as a Catalyst towards the Preparation of Dihydropyridine Derivatives under Solvent-Free Condition at Room Temperature

A sustainable and innovative approach has been developed for synthesizing of Fe(0)/Fe2O3 composite nanoparticles (Fe(0)/Fe2O3NPs), utilizing the bark extract of the arjun tree (Terminalia arjuna) as a reducing and capping agent. This environmentally friendly Fe(0)/Fe2O3NPs was thoroughly characterized using various analytical techniques, including UV-Visible spectroscopy, FT-IR, PXRD, HR-TEM, SEM, and XPS. The nanoparticles were then evaluated as catalysts for facilitating the three-component Hantzsch reaction with acetylacetone, ammonium acetate, and substituted aldehydes, producing bioactive dihydropyridine derivatives. The catalyst exhibited high performance over approximately five cycles, with negligible loss in yield and catalytic efficiency. Additionally, a mechanistic pathway was proposed and elucidated through intermediate mass analysis, supported by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations.

Fabrication and characterization of curcumin-encapsulated composite nanoparticles based on soybean protein isolate hydrolysate/soybean polysaccharides: Interaction mechanism, stability and controlled release properties

This study developed a stable nanoparticle (CUR-SPIH/SSPS) using soybean protein isolate hydrolysate (SPIH) and soybean polysaccharides (SPSS) to protect curcumin (CUR) from degradation during storage and exposure to light and heat conditions, achieving controlled release. The SPIH to SPSS mass ratio of 5:1 gave the CUR-SPIH/SPSS nanoparticles with the highest CUR encapsulation efficiency (95.60 ± 3.00 %) and the strongest antioxidant capacity (90.26 ± 2.42 % and 66.78 ± 1.89 % for ABTS•+ and DPPH radical scavenging ability, respectively), and CUR was successfully encapsulated within the CUR-SPIH/SPSS as evidenced by X-ray diffraction. FTIR and fluorescence spectroscopy analysis confirmed that the interactions in CUR-SPIH/SPSS are primarily driven by electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, the CUR-SPIH/SPSS nanoparticles significantly enhanced CUR's thermal and UV light stability. The UV degradation kinetics showed that the half-life of CUR-SPIH/SPSS (247.55 min) was 1.61 times longer than that of free CUR (154.03 min). The release rate of CUR incorporated into CUR-SPIH/SPSS was significantly delayed during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. This study introduces an innovative nanoparticle strategy for the stable delivery of lipophilic compounds.

Antioxidant and antidiabetic potential of Cystoseira myrica-mediated green metallic zinc nanoparticles using the algal extract: synthesis and characterization

Abstract Cystoseira myrica marine macroalgae (CSR) were used to produce metallic zinc nanoparticle composites by utilizing the phytochemicals naturally found in the algae. This involves homogenizing the residuals of CSR (10 g), zinc nitrate solution (5 M; 100 ml), and methanol liquid extract (100 ml) at 30 °C for 24 h of sonication and stirring, followed by filtration and drying. This resulted in a hybrid bio-composite (Zn/CSR), which demonstrated strong antioxidant and antidiabetic properties when compared to zinc oxide (ZnO) and CSR used separately. The Zn/CSR hybrid showed excellent antioxidant activity against common radicals such as DPPH (91.5 ± 1.66%), nitric oxide (90.4 ± 1.2%), ABTS (92.2 ± 1.9%), and O2 ·− (27.8 ± 1.12%) (p < 0.05), performing better than the standard antioxidant, ascorbic acid. Regarding its antidiabetic properties, the Zn/CSR composite significantly inhibited key enzymes involved in diabetes, including both commercial enzyme forms (α-amylase (80.3 ± 1.65%), α-glucosidase (96.6 ± 1.11%), amyloglucosidase (95.8 ± 1.3%)) and their crude intestinal forms (α-amylase (72.3 ± 1.5%), α-glucosidase (94.2 ± 1.7%)) (p < 0.05). This improvement increases the impact of the green CSR extract in reducing the agglomeration behaviors of the loaded metal and the formation of a capping layer from the phytochemicals on its surface, in addition to the beneficial effects of the CSR as substrate, which enhances the biological functions of the loaded metal and its interaction interfaces. The Zn/CSR composite also outperformed commercial miglitol drugs and slightly surpassed acarbose in effectiveness. Given the high cost and potential side effects of current medications, the Zn/CSR composite could be a cost-effective alternative for antioxidant and antidiabetic treatments. These findings also emphasize the role of CSR-derived phytochemicals and algae residues in enhancing the biological activity of the metal nanoparticles.

Synthesis of Composition-Tunable Ag-Cu Bimetallic Nanoparticles Through Plasma-Driven Solution Electrolysis.

Bimetallic nanomaterials have shown great potential across various fields of application. However, the synthesis of many bimetallic particles can be challenging due to the immiscibility of their constituent metals. In this study, we present a synthetic strategy to produce compositionally tunable silver-copper (Ag-Cu) bimetallic nanoparticles using plasma-driven liquid surface chemistry. By using a low-pressure nonthermal radiofrequency (RF) plasma that interacts with an Ag-Cu precursor solution at varying electrode distances, we identified that the reduction of Ag and Cu salts is governed by two "orthogonal" parameters. The reduction of Cu2+ is primarily influenced by plasma electrons, whereas UV photons play a key role in the reduction of Ag+. Consequently, by adjusting the electrode distance and the precursor ratios in the plasma-liquid system, we could control the composition of Ag-Cu bimetallic nanoparticles over a wide range.

A Review on Recently Developed Antibacterial Composites of Inorganic Nanoparticles and Non-Hydrogel Polymers for Biomedical Applications.

Development of new antibacterial materials for solving biomedical problems is an extremely important and very urgent task. This review aims to summarize recent articles (from the last five and mostly the last three years) on the nanoparticle/polymer composites for biomedical applications. Articles on polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) and hydrogel-based systems were not reviewed, since we focused our attention mostly on the composites of polymeric matrix with at least one inorganic filler in the form of NPs. The fields of application of newly developed antibacterial NPs/polymer composites are described, along with their composition and synthetic approaches that allow researchers to succeed in preparing effective composite materials for medical and healthcare purposes.

Optimization and Multimachine Learning Algorithms to Predict Nanometal Surface Area Transfer Parameters for Gold and Silver Nanoparticles.

Interactions between gold metallic nanoparticles and molecular dyes have been well described by the nanometal surface energy transfer (NSET) mechanism. However, the expansion and testing of this model for nanoparticles of different metal composition is needed to develop a greater variety of nanosensors for medical and commercial applications. In this study, the NSET formula was slightly modified in the size-dependent dampening constant and skin depth terms to allow for modeling of different metals as well as testing the quenching effects created by variously sized gold, silver, copper, and platinum nanoparticles. Overall, the metal nanoparticles followed more closely the NSET prediction than for Förster resonance energy transfer, though scattering effects began to occur at 20 nm in the nanoparticle diameter. To further improve the NSET theoretical equation, an attempt was made to set a best-fit line of the NSET theoretical equation curve onto the Au and Ag data points. An exhaustive grid search optimizer was applied in the ranges for two variables, 0.1≤C≤2.0 and 0≤α≤4, representing the metal dampening constant and the orientation of donor to the metal surface, respectively. Three different grid searches, starting from coarse (entire range) to finer (narrower range), resulted in more than one million total calculations with values C=2.0 and α=0.0736. The results improved the calculation, but further analysis needed to be conducted in order to find any additional missing physics. With that motivation, two artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) algorithms, multilayer perception and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, gave a correlation coefficient, R2, greater than 0.97, indicating that the small dataset was not overfitting and was method-independent. This analysis indicates that an investigation is warranted to focus on deeper physics informed machine learning for the NSET equations.

Inside Ceramics and Between MgO Grains: Solid-State Synthesis of Intergranular Semiconducting or Magnetic Spinels.

Configurations of composite metal oxide nanoparticles are typically far off their thermodynamic equilibrium state. As such they represent a versatile but so far overlooked source material for the intergranular solid-state chemistry inside ceramics. Here, it is demonstrated how the admixture of Fe3+ and In3+ ions to MgO nanoparticles, as achieved by flame spray pyrolysis, can be used to engage ion exsolution, phase separation, and subsequent spinel formation inside the network of diamagnetic and insulating MgO grains. Extremely high uniformity in the distribution of intergranular ferrimagnetic MgFe2O4 films and grains with resulting magnetic coercivity values that depend on the nanoparticles' initial Fe3+ concentration is achieved. Moreover, percolating networks of semiconducting MgIn2O4 are derived from MgO nanoparticles with admixtures of 20 at% In3+ that gives rise to an enhancement of dc conductivity values by more than five orders of magnitude in comparison to the insulating MgO host. The here presented approach is general and applicable to the synthesis of a variety of functional spinel nanostructures embedded inside ceramic matrices. Nanoparticle loading with aliovalent impurity ions, the level of nanoparticle powder density after compaction, and sintering temperature are key parameters for this novel type of solid-state chemistry in between the host grains.

Green-synthesis of silver nanoparticles AgNPs from Podocarpus macrophyllus for targeting GBM and LGG brain cancers via NOTCH2 gene interactions

Brain tumors, particularly Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and Low-Grade Gliomas (LGG), present significant clinical challenges due to their aggressive nature and resistance to conventional treatments. Traditional therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are often limited in efficacy, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies. Nanotechnology, particularly the use of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), offers a targeted and potentially more effective approach. This study focuses on the green synthesis of Ag NPs using Podocarpus macrophyllus leaf extract as a reducing agent. The synthesized Ag NPs were characterized for their physicochemical properties, demonstrating a controlled particle size of 13 nm as determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of functional groups, and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy revealed that silver constituted approximately 90% of the nanoparticle composition. The Ag NPs exhibited promising biological activity, including 90% free radical scavenging (antioxidant) activity, 99.15% inhibition of protein denaturation (anti-inflammatory activity), and 90.56% inhibition of alpha-amylase (anti-diabetic activity). Additionally, the nanoparticles displayed significant anti-hemolytic (89.9% inhibition) and antimicrobial activities, with a 20 mm inhibition zone against Staphylococcus species. Computational analyses further indicated that the NOTCH2 gene, which is upregulated in LGG and GBM, may interact with Ag NPs, suggesting their potential in brain cancer therapy. The green synthesis approach offers a sustainable and bioactive method for producing Ag NPs, underscoring their therapeutic promise for treating GBM and LGG.

Robust PFAS‐Free Superhydrophobicity Exhibited in Hierarchically Nanostructured Coatings on Textiles

Long chain per‐ and polyfluorinated chemical compounds, commonly referred to as PFAS, historically offered superior breathable and flexible water‐repellent textile finishes on clothing. Now notoriously deemed “forever chemicals” for their environmental persistence and ability to bioaccumulate, they can cause a range of human health impacts including cancer and reproductive harm, which has highlighted the need for less harmful but equally superhydrophobic coatings. Inspired by the microscopically bumpy water‐repellent surfaces of lotus leaves, this work introduces a PFAS‐free hierarchical nanocoating on and within textile substrates using a multistep synthetic approach, involving fabric pretreatment to facilitate a robust particle‐to‐substrate attachment of subsequently infiltrated silica nanoparticles (NPs), followed by surface functionalization of textile‐infiltrated NPs with long‐alkyl‐chain silanes to impart PFAS‐free water repellency. The system is subjected to rigorous wash testing and found consistent superhydrophobic performance after 65 wash cycles. Furthermore, the system can be adapted as a flexible platform technology for a variety of design opportunities by changing the substrate, NP composition, and surface chemistry to suit a variety of applications. Herein, a robust, flexible, and breathable interface between fabric and water that offers a next‐generation PFAS‐free water‐repellent textile coating solution is developed.

An innovative strategy for Gefitinib quantification in pharmaceutical and plasma samples using a graphene quantum dots-combined gold nanoparticles composite electrochemical sensor.

Aninnovative methodology is proposedfor quantifying Gefitinib(GFT) using an electrochemical sensor constructed from a composite of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). GQDs were synthesized from graphite, preserving graphene's large surface area and excellent electron transfer capabilities while enhancing dispersibility. The combination of GQDs with AuNPs resulted in an AuNPs@GQDs composite, which was used to construct the sensor. The synthesized nanomaterials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the electrochemical performance of the sensor was evaluated via cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Under optimized conditions, the sensor displayed a linear calibration curve for GFT detection within the range 0.01 to 10.0 µM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.005 µM (S/N = 3). The sensor demonstrated excellent anti-interference properties and stability in tests using pharmaceutical formulations and plasma samples. Compared to chromatographic methods, the sensor exhibited similaraccuracy and recovery. Its easy fabrication and high sensitivity make it a promising tool for pharmaceutical analysis and clinical therapeutic drug monitoring.

Composition of lipid nanoparticles for targeted delivery: application to mRNA therapeutics.

Today, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are some of the main delivery systems for mRNA-based therapeutics. The scope of LNP applications in terms of RNA is not limited to antiviral vaccines but encompasses anticancer drugs and therapeutics for genetic (including rare) diseases. Such widespread use implies high customizability of targeted delivery of LNPs to specific organs and tissues. This review addresses vector-free options for targeted delivery of LNPs, namely the influence of lipid composition of these nanoparticles on their biodistribution. In the review, experimental studies are examined that are focused on the biodistribution of mRNA or of the encoded protein after mRNA administration via LNPs in mammals. We also performed a comprehensive analysis of individual lipids' functional groups that ensure biodistribution to desired organs. These data will allow us to outline prospects for further optimization of lipid compositions of nanoparticles for targeted delivery of mRNA therapeutics.

A triple-mode strategy combining low-temperature photothermal, photodynamic, and chemodynamic therapies for treating infectious skin wounds.

The skin is the first natural barrier of the human body. Bacterial infections severely hinder the healing process of skin wounds and pose a great threat to human health. Therefore, it is particularly urgent to develop new antimicrobial strategies for bacterial pathogen clearance and wound healing. In this study, a metal-organic framework (MOF), Fe-MIL88B-NH2, was incorporated with the photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) to construct composite nanoparticles (MOF@ICG NPs) with multiple antibacterial activities. Under mild near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the photosensitizer ICG in the MOF@ICG NPs undergoes photothermal conversion (∼45 °C) and photodynamic reactions to generate heat and singlet oxygen (1O2). In addition, the Fenton reaction of the NPs with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the bacterial infection microenvironment resulted in the generation of hydroxyl radicals (˙OH), thus achieving the three-mode combination of low-temperature photothermal therapy (PTT)/photodynamic therapy (PDT)/chemodynamic therapy (CDT). The in vitro experimental results showed that MOF@ICG MPs had excellent antibacterial properties and good cytocompatibility, with some ability to promote the migration of L-929 fibroblasts. Furthermore, under NIR irradiation, MOF@ICG NPs could significantly kill bacteria and promote skin wound healing according to the results of animal experiments. The wound healing rate reached 87.1% after 7 days of treatment. The research results break through the limitations of single-mode antibacterial technology and provide certain theoretical guidance and technical support for the research and development of new antibacterial materials.