Paramagnetic Nanoparticles Research Articles

The PEGylated and non-PEGylated interaction of the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil with paramagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles as drug carrier

• The chemotherapy drug, 5-fluorouracil, is adsorbed to Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles that act as a nanocarrier during targeted drug delivery. • Binding energy as a function of nanoparticle size is investigated. • Chemisorption, physisorption and hydrogen bonding is reported on. • Drug release, delivery and potential modifications at elevated temperatures are reported on. • The drug’s HOMO-LUMO and electrostatic potential are reported on. A simulation study is done on the anticancer drug, 5-fluorouracil, on PEGylated and non-PEGylated Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) to be employed as drug delivery vehicles. This is done for NP sizes varying from 1 to 6.9 nm and within a molecular dynamics (MD) study with a Monte Carlo simulated annealing scheme. Bonding modes are investigated with reference to chemisorption, physisorption and hydrogen bonding in the context of bond strength (binding energy) as a function of the 5-fluorouracil molecule’s loading on different sized NPs. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations are also performed to investigate the frontier molecular orbitals and molecular electrostatic potentials. This is done in the context of the interaction of the anticancer drug with DNA to explore if the use of this drug carrier may have the potential to alter the drug’s chemistry before delivery to the target site and therefore reduce its efficacy. Interactions with water molecules are also studied.

Investigation of Structural, Morphological and Magnetic Properties of MFe2O4 (M = Co, Ni, Zn, Cu, Mn) Obtained by Thermal Decomposition.

The structural, morphological and magnetic properties of MFe2O4 (M = Co, Ni, Zn, Cu, Mn) type ferrites produced by thermal decomposition at 700 and 1000 °C were studied. The thermal analysis revealed that the ferrites are formed at up to 350 °C. After heat treatment at 1000 °C, single-phase ferrite nanoparticles were attained, while after heat treatment at 700 °C, the CoFe2O4 was accompanied by Co3O4 and the MnFe2O4 by α-Fe2O3. The particle size of the spherical shape in the nanoscale region was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The specific surface area below 0.5 m2/g suggested a non–porous structure with particle agglomeration that limits nitrogen absorption. By heat treatment at 1000 °C, superparamagnetic CoFe2O4 nanoparticles and paramagnetic NiFe2O4, MnFe2O4, CuFe2O4 and ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles were obtained.

A cell penetrating peptide-modified magnetic/fluorescent probe for in vivo tracking of mesenchymal stem cells.

Difficulty in precise tracking of the in vivo distribution and migration of transplanted stem cells in a noninvasive way is a great hurdle in regenerative medicine research. Paramagnetic element-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) emerge as a kind of promising dual-modal imaging agents owing to the possibility in combining strong contrast of MR imaging and high efficiency of fluorescence imaging. Herein a kind of Mn-doped NaYF4-based UCNPs (NaYF4: 20%Yb, 2%Er, 30%Mn) was developed and then hydrophilized by various coatings, including cell penetrating peptide, DNA, and SiO2 . The UCNPs were denoted as Pep/UCNPs, DNA/UCNPs, and SiO2 /UCNPs, respectively. Their potential in cell labeling and in vivo tracking applications was comprehensively explored. The results show that the Mn-doped UCNPs possess high biocompatibility, high cell labeling efficiency, high MR resolution, and importantly a single emission at 660 nm, within optical window for in vivo imaging of biological targets. Particularly, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) pre-labeled by cell penetrating peptide-modified UCNPs (Pep/UCNPs) can be precisely monitored in terms of their distribution in mice over a long period of time by simultaneous MR and fluorescent imaging, which provided a noninvasive and double-checking tool for investigating the destination of stem cells in tissue regeneration.

Dynamic Ionic Transport Actuated by Nanospinbar‐Dispersed Colloidal Electrolytes Toward Dendrite‐Free Electrodeposition

AbstractInhibiting uneven dendritic Li electroplating is crucial for the safe and stable cycling of Li metal batteries (LMBs). Homogeneous and fast Li+ transport towards the Li surface is required for uniform and dendrite‐free deposition. However, the traditional ionic transport of static liquid electrolytes involving electromigration and molecular diffusion can trigger a greater disparity in the Li concentration over the Li surface, leading to irregular dendrite growth. Here, a convective Li+ transfer for suppressing dendrite growth through magnetic nanospinbar (NSB)‐dispersed colloidal electrolytes is presented. An ultrahigh‐aspect‐ratio NSB consisting of a paramagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticle array and silica outer coating is synthesized. Manipulating the external electromagnetic force can remotely control the rotation of individual NSBs without dispersion failure, thereby generating mesoscale turbulence inside the cells. Regardless of the electrolyte composition, rotating the NSB can reduce the Li+ diffusion layer thickness from the bulk and evenly redistribute the Li+ flux over the Li surface, thereby suppressing Li dendrite growth. The NSB‐dispersed electrolyte with advanced salt/solvent compositions demonstrates stable cycling of LMBs over 600 cycles with 70% capacity retention, thereby outperforming the NSB‐free cell.

Adaptive Pattern and Motion Control of Magnetic Microrobotic Swarms

Reconfigurable microrobotic swarms and controllable active matter systems have drawn extensive attention recently. Developing effective actuation strategies and control schemes that enable embodied intelligence of microscopic swarms are both major challenges. In this work, we realize the generation of an elliptical paramagnetic nanoparticle swarm (EPNS) with enhanced dexterity for adaptive locomotion, and subsequently a fuzzy control strategy is developed for automatically tuning pattern deformation, orientation, and position of the swarm. By adjusting the input field, the aspect ratio of the EPNS will change accordingly, and we demonstrate its adaptive navigation through curved and narrowed channel by performing pattern reconfigurations. Moreover, using the proposed control strategy, precise matches can be reached between the controlled swarms and the desired patterns. Finally, to show the high compatibility of the control strategy, we employ ribbon-like colloidal swarms driven by oscillating magnetic field, and the results also validate the effectiveness of the strategy.

Fabrication of anisotropic collagen-based substrates for potential use in tissue engineering

Stimuli-responsive nanomaterials have the prospective to enable the fabrication of new extracellular matrix-like substrates with unique structures and cell-instructive capabilities. The development of biocompatible collagen substrates with on-demand ordered architectures is an open challenge since it is well-known that the directionality of the collagen fibres affects important cell behaviour, such as proliferation, differentiation, and ultimately, tissue regeneration. Here, an easy and cheap approach to fabricate anisotropic collagen-based substrates exhibiting cells-instructing ability was proposed. Paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IOPs) coated with polyethylene glycol were synthetized by a coprecipitation and solvothermic method and mixed with a collagen precursors solution. The suspension was then immersed within a static and low-intensity magnetic field to trigger the IOPs self-assembly. Guided by the external stimulus, IOPs assembled along the magnetic field lines into long filamentous structures within the collagen matrix. The solidification of the pre-cursors solution in the presence of filamentous IOPs’ structures promotes the collagen organization into ordered fashions. The obtained collagen substrate demonstrated good cytocompatibility and cells’ instructive properties.

Covalent functionalization of Ti3C2T MXene flakes with Gd-DTPA complex for stable and biocompatible MRI contrast agent

MXenes are an excellent candidate for medical applications, including diagnostic approaches such as positron emission tomography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the utilization of MXenes for bioimaging is restricted by their commonly diamagnetic nature. MXenes can be functionalized using ferromagnetic or paramagnetic compounds and nanoparticles to develop efficient bioimaging tools. In contrast to previously published approaches based on electrostatic interactions, covalent approaches could enhance MXene stability and prevent self-aggregation with degradation. This work proposes covalent functionalization of Ti3C2T flakes with a chelating agent diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and further complexing with Gd3+ ions. The developed functionalization procedure provides a paramagnetic response to the intrinsically diamagnetic Ti3C2T flakes for T1-MR imaging. Moreover, we observed the apparent dependency of magnetic relaxation time on the flake concentration, which enabled us to estimate the spatially resolved flake distribution. The covalent decoration strategy for MXene led to surface protection against oxidation in phosphate buffer saline and blood serum, accompanied by increased cytocompatibility. Moreover, chelation of Gd3+ ions prevented leaking compared with electrostatic chemisorption. We demonstrated a high degree of photothermal conversion efficiency of MXene-Gd, anticipating future application in photothermal therapy. This work broadens the bioapplication of MXenes, not only by introducing an MRI contrast but also by developing covalent functionalization strategies for MXenes.

Vector-Controlled Wheel-Like Magnetic Swarms With Multimodal Locomotion and Reconfigurable Capabilities.

Inspired by the biological collective behaviors of nature, artificial microrobotic swarms have exhibited environmental adaptability and tasking capabilities for biomedicine and micromanipulation. Complex environments are extremely relevant to the applications of microswarms, which are expected to travel in blood vessels, reproductive and digestive tracts, and microfluidic chips. Here we present a strategy that reconfigures paramagnetic nanoparticles into a vector-controlled microswarm with 3D collective motions by programming sawtooth magnetic fields. Horizontal swarms can be manipulated to stand vertically and swim like a wheel by adjusting the direction of magnetic-field plane. Compared with horizontal swarms, vertical wheel-like swarms were evaluated to be of approximately 15-fold speed increase and enhanced maneuverability, which was exhibited by striding across complex 3D confinements. Based on analysis of collective behavior of magnetic particles in flow field using molecular dynamics methods, a rotary stepping mechanism was proposed to address the formation and locomotion mechanisms of wheel-like swarm. we present a strategy that actuates swarms to stand and hover in situ under a programming swing magnetic fields, which provides suitable solutions to travel across confined space with unexpected changes, such as stepped pipes. By biomimetic design from fin motion of fish, wheel-like swarms were endowed with multi-modal locomotion and load-carrying capabilities. This design of intelligent microswarms that adapt to complicated biological environments can promote the applications ranging from the construction of smart and multifunctional materials to biomedical engineering.

Simulation and fabrication of an integrating well-aligned silicon nanowires substrate for trapping circulating tumor cells labeled with Fe3O4 nanoparticles in a microfluidic device.

Introduction: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are the transformed tumor cells that can penetrate into the bloodstream and are available at concentrations as low as 1-100 cells per milliliter. To trap CTCs in the blood, one valid and mature technique that has been developed is the magnetophoresis-based separation in a microfluidic channel. Recently, nanostructured platforms have also been developed to trap specific targeted and marker cells in the blood. We aimed to integrate both in one platform to improve trapping. Methods: Here, we developed a numerical scheme and an integrated device that considered the interaction between drag and magnetic forces on paramagnetic labeled cells in the fluid as well as interaction of these two forces with the adhesive force and the surface friction of the nanowires substrate. We aimed on developing a more advanced technique that integrated the magnetophoretic property of some Fe3O4 paramagnetic nanoparticles (PMNPs) with a silicon nanowires (SiNWs) substrate in a microfluidic device to trap MDA-MB231 cell lines as CTCs in the blood. Results: Simulation indicated assuming that the nanoparticles adhere perfectly to the white blood cells (WBCs) and the CTCs, the magnetic moment of the CTCs was almost one order of magnitude larger than that of the WBCs, so its attraction by the magnetic field was much higher. In general with significant statistics, the integrated device can trap almost all of the CTCs on the SiNWs substrate. In the experimental section, we took advantage of the integrated trapping techniques, including micropost barriers, magnetophoresis, and nanowires-based substrate to more effectively isolate the CTCs. Conclusion: The simulation indicated that the proposed device could almost trap all of the CTCs onto the SiNWs substrate, whereas trapping in flat substrates with magnetophoretic force was very low. As a result of the magnetic field gradient, magnetophoretic force was applied to the cells through the nanoparticles, which would efficiently drive down the nanoparticle-tagged cells. For the experimental validation, anti-EpCAM antibodies for specific binding to tumor cells were used. Using this specific targeting method and by statistically counting, it was shown that the proposed technique has excellent performance and results in the trapping efficiency of above 90%.

Development of magnetic nanoparticle assisted aptamer-quantum dot based biosensor for the detection of Escherichia coli in water samples

The contamination of food and potable water with microorganisms may cause food-borne and water-borne diseases. The common contaminants include Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella sp. etc. The conventional methods for monitoring the water quality for the presence of bacterial contaminants are time-consuming, expensive, and not suitable for rapid on-spot detection in field conditions. In the current study, super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were synthesized and conjugated with E. coli specific Aptamer I to detect E. coli cells qualitatively as well as quantitatively. The sludge consisting of E. coli- SPION complex was separated via magnetic separation. The presence of E. coli cells was confirmed with the help of standard techniques and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) employing Aptamer II conjugated CdTe-MPA quantum dots (QDs). Finally, an ATmega 328P prototype biosensor based on Aptamer II conjugated CdTe MPA QDs exhibited quantitative and qualitative abilities to detect E.coli. This prototype biosensor can even detect low bacterial counts (up to 1 × 102 cfu) with the help of a photodiode and plano-convex lens. Further, the prototype biosensor made up of ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED), liquid crystal display (LCD) and ATmega328Pmicrocontroller offers on-spot detection of E.coli in water samples with high resolution and sensitivity. Similarly, this in-house developed prototype biosensor can also be utilized to detect bacterial contamination in food samples.

Standardization of a Non-Invasive MRI Assessment of Liver Iron Overload Using a Phantom Containing Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Background: Liver iron overload is a common diagnosis in patients with frequent blood transfusions. MRI is a promising non-invasive method for assessing liver iron concentration. We have created an MR-compatible phantom to develop a method for the standardization of T2* mapping and following conversion of T2* values (ms) into iron concentration (mg/mL) for an assessment of overload grade. Methods and Results: The standardization process involved the development of an MR-compatible phantom with solutions of paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles of various concentrations mimicking various degrees of liver iron overload. Using this phantom, we assessed the repeatability of T2* values obtained on reference MRI scanners (3T and 1.5T) at the D. Rogachev NMRCPHOI on 6 MRI acquisitions with one-week intervals. To assess the reproducibility of the results obtained on other MRI scanners, we compared these measurements with the reference values. Conclusion: The method for the standardization of T2* mapping on various 1.5T and 3T MRI scanners was tested. This method is based on the use of our phantom to validate or calibrate (if necessary) the MRI study protocol. The standardization protocol provided an opportunity to use the empirical formula (revealed in our institute as well as in other studies) for converting T2* values from any MRI scanner into LIC (mg/mL).

Preparation of holmium doped paramagnetic photoluminescence composite colloidal polymer particles through coordination induced self-assembly

Although composite magnetic materials based on iron oxide or ferric oxide have attracted much attention in both basic research and practical applications, the strong visible light absorption always limited their applications as optical or luminescent materials. Here we prepared paramagnetic photoluminescence composite colloidal polymer nanoparticles of P(PEGA)-b-P(AA-co-TPEE) by introducing holmium (Ho) to the assembly. The high magnetic moment of Ho endow paramagnetic behavior to the P(PEGA)-b-P(AA-co-TPEE)/Ho composite particles, and the saturation magnetization value of the P(PEGA)-b-P(AA-co-TPEE)/Ho increased with the increase content of Ho. Owing to the low chroma, Ho has little effect on the light absorption of polymer matrix and would not affect the photoluminescence (PL) behavior of TPEE block in the polymer chains. The coordination of Ho3+ and carboxyl groups decreased the hydrophilicity of PAA blocks, and induced the formation of composite colloidal nanoparticles with different morphologies. Therefore, the relationship between the PL intensity, Ho3+ concentration and saturation magnetization value of the composites could be built. In addition to be paramagnetic photoluminescence composite material, the P(PEGA)-b-P(AA-co-TPEE)/Ho composite particle can be used as a multifunctional carrier for fixed-point release under magnetic field, and can also be used for fluorescence imaging.

Simulating the Efficiency of Electromagnetic Pigging in Pipelines and Production Tubing Aided by Nanopaint

SummaryWax and hydrates deposition is a major concern for hydrocarbon transport in pipelines, production tubing, and other pipes in cold environments. Traditionally, chemical, mechanical, and thermal methods are used to mitigate the deposition at the expense of production interruption, complex maintenance, costs, and environmental hazards, and many of these methods are not feasible in deep water environments.This paper studies the potential of nanopaint-aided electromagnetic pigging. This process has potentially low production impact, simple maintenance, low energy cost, and no chemical expense or hazards. The electromagnetic pig contains an induction coil that emits an alternating magnetic field. The alternating magnetic field induces heat in the nanopaint coating (i.e., coating with embedded paramagnetic nanoparticles) on the pipeline’s inner wall and in the pipeline wall itself. The heat then melts and peels off the wax and hydrates adhering to the pipeline, allowing the hydrocarbon to carry them away. Without loss of generality, we focus on wax remediation in this paper.We analyze the heating effectiveness and efficiency of electromagnetic pigging. The heating effectiveness is measured by the maximum pigging speed that allows deposit removal. The heating efficiency is measured by the ratio of the heat received by the wax over the total emitted electromagnetic energy, which we define as the pig induction factor (PIF).An axisymmetric transient model is built to study the heat transfer without considering phase change. Based on our numerical model, we compare the PIF for different coil designs, different hydrocarbon flow rates, and different pig traveling speeds. We reevaluate the maximum pig speed defined by the static pig model from our previous work and found the electromagnetic pigging system is much more effective than previously estimated, while we confirm that a solenoid with larger radius allows higher pig speed. We find that faster pig speed generally improves the efficiency but decreases effectiveness and that shorter solenoids with larger radius have higher efficiency. The hydrocarbon flow rate does not impact the heating process if the wax is thicker than the threshold wax thickness. Based on the simulation results, the field application is discussed.

The effect of spin exchange interaction on protein structural stability.

Partially charged chiral molecules act as spin filters, with preference for electron transport toward one type of spin ("up" or "down"), depending on their handedness. This effect is named the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. A consequence of this phenomenon is spin polarization concomitant with electric polarization in chiral molecules. These findings were shown by adsorbing chiral molecules on magnetic surfaces and investigating the spin-exchange interaction between the surface and the chiral molecule. This field of study was developed using artificial chiral molecules. Here we used such magnetic surfaces to explore the importance of the intrinsic chiral properties of proteins in determining their stability. First, proteins were adsorbed on paramagnetic and ferromagnetic nanoparticles in a solution, and subsequently urea was gradually added to induce unfolding. The structural stability of proteins was assessed using two methods: bioluminescence measurements used to monitor the activity of the Luciferase enzyme, and fast spectroscopy detecting the distance between two chromophores implanted at the termini of a Barnase core. We found that interactions with magnetic materials altered the structural and functional resilience of the natively folded proteins, affecting their behavior under varying mild denaturing conditions. Minor structural disturbances at low urea concentrations were impeded in association with paramagnetic nanoparticles, whereas at higher urea concentrations, major structural deformation was hindered in association with ferromagnetic nanoparticles. These effects were attributed to spin exchange interactions due to differences in the magnetic imprinting properties of each type of nanoparticle. Additional measurements of proteins on macroscopic magnetic surfaces support this conclusion. The results imply a link between internal spin exchange interactions in a folded protein and its structural and functional integrity on magnetic surfaces. Together with the accumulating knowledge on CISS, our findings suggest that chirality and spin exchange interactions should be considered as additional factors governing protein structures.

Fluorescently-tagged magnetic protein nanoparticles for high-resolution optical and ultra-high field magnetic resonance dual-modal cerebral angiography.

Extremely small paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (FeMNPs) (<5 nm) can enhance positive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast by shortening the longitudinal relaxation time of water (T1), but these nanoparticles experience rapid renal clearance. Here, magnetic protein nanoparticles (MPNPs) are synthesized from protein-conjugated citric acid coated FeMNPs (c-FeMNPs) without loss of the T1 MRI properties and tagged with fluorescent dye (f-MPNPs) for optical cerebrovascular imaging. The c-FeMNPs shows average size 3.8 ± 0.7 nm with T1 relaxivity (r1) of 1.86 mM-1 s-1 and transverse/longitudinal relaxivity ratio (r2/r1) of 2.53 at 11.7 T. The f-MPNPs show a higher r1 value of 2.18 mM-1 s-1 and r2/r1 ratio of 2.88 at 11.7 T, which generates excellent positive MRI contrast. In vivo cerebral angiography with f-MPNPs enables detailed microvascular contrast enhancement for differentiation of major blood vessels of murine brain, which corresponds well with whole brain three-dimensional time-of-flight MRI angiograms (17 min imaging time with 60 ms repetition time and 40 μm isotropic voxels). The real-time fluorescence angiography enables unambiguous detection of brain capillaries with diameter < 40 μm. Biodistribution examination revealed that f-MPNPs were safely cleared by the organs like the liver, spleen, and kidneys within a day after injection. Blood biochemical assays demonstrated no risk of iron overload in both rats and mice. With hybrid neuroimaging technologies (e.g., MRI-optical) on the rise, f-MPNPs built on this platform can generate exciting neuroscience applications.

Paramagnetic ultrasmall Ho2O3 and Tm2O3 nanoparticles: characterization of r2 values and in vivo T2 MR images at a 3.0 T MR field

Paramagnetic ultrasmall Ho2O3 and Tm2O3 nanoparticles grafted with various hydrophilic and biocompatible ligands as a new class of efficient T2 MRI contrast agents were investigated in this study.

Magnetization dynamics of iron oxide super paramagnetic nanoparticles above blocking temperature

Magnetic characterizations of synthesized superparamagnetic Iron-Oxide nanoparticles have been carried out at various constant temperatures. As magnetization versus magnetic field (M−H) curve verifies the superparamagnetic nature of nanoparticles, M−H curve has been analysed to verify the superparamagnetic behavior of synthesized nanoparticles. Structure and morphology has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).The XRD confirms the cubic spinel structure of prepared nanoparticles. Cubical shaped morphology is observed from the TEM image. The reaction temperature is observed to critically affect the particle size and modification of magnetic properties. Further, the M−H curve has been analysed to fit the Langevin function and size distribution of nanoparticles has also been studied. The experimentally measured magnetization curve found to fit the theoretically calculated Langevin function satisfactorily. The typical intrinsic magnetization of prepared nanoparticles show superparamagnetism and observed to follow the sigmoid function with negligible remanence and coercivity value. The particles are found to be agglomerated with a size distribution of 10 - 30 nm.

Reconfigurable Disk-like Microswarm under a Sawtooth Magnetic Field.

Swarming robotic systems, which stem from insect swarms in nature, exhibit a high level of environmental adaptability and enhanced tasking capabilities for targeted delivery and micromanipulation. Here, we present a strategy that reconfigures paramagnetic nanoparticles into microswarms energized by a sawtooth magnetic field. A rotary-stepping magnetic-chain mechanism is proposed to address the forming principle of disk-like swarms. Based on programming the sawtooth field, the microswarm can perform reversible transformations between a disk, an ellipse and a ribbon, as well as splitting and merging. In addition, the swarms can be steered in any direction with excellent maneuverability and a high level of pattern stability. Under accurate manipulation of a magnetic microswarm, multiple microparts with complicated shapes were successfully combined into a complete assembly. This reconfigurable swarming microrobot may shed light on the understanding of complex morphological transformations in living systems and provide future practical applications of microfabrication and micromanipulation.

Utilization of Carica papaya latex on coating of SPIONs for dye removal and drug delivery

Latex, a milky substance found in a variety of plants which is a natural source of biologically active compounds. In this study, Latex was collected from raw Carica papaya and was characterized using UV–Vis, FTIR and GC–MS analyses. Super Paramagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) were synthesized, coated with C. papaya latex (PL-Sp) and characterized using UV–Vis, FT-IR, SEM–EDX, XRD, VSM and Zeta potential analyses. SPIONs and latex coated SPIONs (PL-Sp) were used in batch adsorption study for effective removal of Methylene blue (MB) dye, where (PL-Sp) removed MB dye effectively. Further the PL-Sp was used to produce a nanoconjugate loaded with curcumin and it was characterized using UV–Vis spectrophotometer, FT-IR, SEM–EDX, XRD, VSM and Zeta potential. It showed a sustained drug release pattern and also found to have good antibacterial and anticancer activity.

A preliminary study on the application of paramagnetic composite nanoparticles in the navigation of hepatectomy

As the preferred treatment strategy for primary liver cancer, hepatic resection surgery can effectively improve the survival of liver cancer patients without relying on other treatments. However, traditional hepatic resection surgery cannot achieve precise localization of the cancer foci boundary. Therefore, improving hepatectomy targeting and reducing the metabolic rate of contrast agents in vivo has become an urgent challenge. This study constructed a novel indocyanine green nanocomposite fluorescent contrast agent, known as indocyanine green-carboxymethyl chitosan/superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (ICG-CMCS/SIO NP), based on a superparamagnetic iron oxide. The carboxymethyl chitosan and indocyanine green (ICG)’s graft copolymer served as a nanomaterial shell. This shell enhanced ICG targeting’s control ability and stability while effectively retaining its core magnetic properties. Thus, ICG-CMCS/SIO NPs should provide a novel idea for the study of clinical hepatocellular carcinoma resection surgery navigation.