The treatment of skin wounds is a key research domain owing to the important functional and aesthetic role of this tissue. When the skin is impaired, bacteria can soon infiltrate into underlying tissues which can lead to life-threatening infections. Consequently, effective treatments are necessary to deal with such pathological conditions. Recently, wound dressings loaded with antimicrobial agents have emerged as viable options to reduce wound bacterial colonization and infection, in order to improve the healing process. In this paper, we present an overview of the most prominent antibiotic-embedded wound dressings, as well as the limitations of their use. A promising, but still an underrated group of potential antibacterial agents that can be integrated into wound dressings are natural products, especially essential oils. Some of the most commonly used essential oils against multidrug-resistant microorganisms, such as tea tree, St. John’s Wort, lavender and oregano, together with their incorporation into wound dressings are presented. In addition, another natural product that exhibits encouraging antibacterial activity is honey. We highlight recent results of several studies carried out by researchers from different regions of the world on wound dressings impregnated with honey, with a special emphasis on Manuka honey. Finally, we highlight recent advances in using nanoparticles as platforms to increase the effect of pharmaceutical formulations aimed at wound healing. Silver, gold, and zinc nanoparticles alone or functionalized with diverse antimicrobial compounds have been integrated into wound dressings and demonstrated therapeutic effects on wounds.

/pdf/treatment-strategies-for-infected-wounds-3anlmw5692.pdf

Treatment Strategies for Infected Wounds.

Last year, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, and it has rapidly spread to many other countries and regions. COVID-19 exhibits a strong human-to-human transmission infectivity and could cause acute respiratory diseases. Asymptomatic carriers are able to infect other healthy persons, and this poses a challenge for public health; the World Health Organization (WHO) has already announced COVID-19 as a global pandemic. Nucleic acid testing, considered as the current primary method for diagnosing COVID-19, might lead to false negatives and is difficult to be applied for every suspected patient because of the existence of asymptomatic carriers. Meanwhile, detecting specific antibodies in blood, such as the IgM antibody, against the SARS-CoV-2 virus is another choice for COVID-19 diagnosis, as it is widely accepted that IgM is an important indicator in the acute infection period. In this study, a colloidal gold nanoparticle-based lateral-flow (AuNP-LF) assay was developed to achieve rapid diagnosis and on-site detection of the IgM antibody against the SARS-CoV-2 virus through the indirect immunochromatography method. For preparing AuNP-LF strips, the SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein (SARS-CoV-2 NP) was coated on an analytical membrane for sample capture, and antihuman IgM was conjugated with AuNPs to form the detecting reporter. Optimization of AuNP-LF assay was carried out by altering the pH value and the amount of antihuman IgM. The performance of AuNP-LF assay was evaluated by testing serum samples of COVID-19 patients and normal humans. The results were compared with the real-time polymerase chain reaction. The sensitivity and specificity of AuNP-LF assay were determined to be 100 and 93.3%, respectively, and an almost perfect agreement was exhibited by Kappa statistics (κ coefficient = 0.872). AuNP-LF assay showed outstanding selectivity in the detection of IgM against the SARS-CoV-2 virus with no interference from other viruses such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) and dengue virus (DFV). AuNP-LF assay was able to achieve results within 15 min and needed only 10-20 μL serum for each test. As a whole, in the light of its advantages such as excellent specificity and stability, easy operation, low cost, and being less time-consuming, AuNP-LF assay is a feasible method for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in primary hospitals and laboratories, especially in emergency situations in which numerous samples need to be tested on time.

Rapid Detection of IgM Antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Virus via Colloidal Gold Nanoparticle-Based Lateral-Flow Assay

Exosomes, nanovesicles that are secreted by different cell types, enable intercellular communication at local or distant sites. Alhough they have been found to cross the blood brain barrier, their migration and homing abilities within the brain remain unstudied. We have recently developed a method for longitudinal and quantitative in vivo neuroimaging of exosomes based on the superior visualization abilities of classical X-ray computed tomography (CT), combined with gold nanoparticles as labeling agents. Here, we used this technique to track the migration and homing patterns of intranasally administrated exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-exo) in different brain pathologies, including stroke, autism, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. We found that MSC-exo specifically targeted and accumulated in pathologically relevant murine models brains regions up to 96 h post administration, while in healthy controls they showed a diffuse migration pattern and clearance by 24 h. ...

Golden Exosomes Selectively Target Brain Pathologies in Neurodegenerative and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

The effect of nanoparticle size on the ability to cross the blood–brain barrier: an in vivo study

Pathogenic bacteria infection is a major public health problem due to the high morbidity and mortality rates, as well as the increased expenditure on patient management. Although there are several options for antimicrobial therapy, their efficacy is limited because of the occurrence of drug-resistant bacteria. Many conventional antibiotics have failed to show significant amelioration in overall survival of infectious patients. Nanomedicine for delivering antibiotics provides an opportunity to improve the efficiency of the antibacterial regimen. Nanosystems used for antibiotic delivery and targeting to infection sites render some benefits over conventional formulations, including increased solubility, enhanced stability, improved epithelium permeability and bioavailability, prolonged antibiotic half-life, tissue targeting, and minimal adverse effects. The nanocarriers' sophisticated material engineering tailors the controllable physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles for bacterial targeting through passive or active targeting. In this review, we highlight the recent progress on the development of antibacterial nanoparticles loaded with antibiotics. We systematically introduce the concepts and amelioration mechanisms of the nanomedical techniques for bacterial eradication. Passive targeting by modulating the nanoparticle structure and the physicochemical properties is an option for efficient drug delivery to the bacteria. In addition, active targeting, such as magnetic hyperthermia induced by iron oxide nanoparticles, is another efficient way to deliver the drugs to the targeted site. The nanoparticles are also designed to respond to the change in environment pH or enzymes to trigger the release of the antibiotics. This article offers an overview of the benefits of antibacterial nanosystems for treating infectious diseases.

/pdf/nano-based-drug-delivery-or-targeting-to-eradicate-bacteria-53sp1kv8jh.pdf

Nano-Based Drug Delivery or Targeting to Eradicate Bacteria for Infection Mitigation: A Review of Recent Advances.

Gold nanoparticles may be used in different domains, one of most important being the biomedical field. They have suitable properties for controlled drug delivery, cancer treatment, biomedical imaging, diagnosis and many others, due to their excellent compatibility with the human organism, low toxicity and tunable stability, small dimensions, and possibility to interact with a variety of substances. They also have optical properties, being able to absorb infrared light. Moreover, due to their large surface and the ability of being coated with a variety of therapeutic agents, gold nanoparticles have been showed a great potential to be used as drug delivery systems. Gold nanoparticles are intensively studied in biomedicine, and recent studies revealed the fact that they can cross the blood-brain barrier, may interact with the DNA and produce genotoxic effects. Because of their ability of producing heat, they can target and kill the tumors, being used very often in photodynamic therapy. Gold nanoparticles can be synthesized in many ways, but the most common are the biological and chemical methods, however the chemical method offers the advantage of better controlling the size and shape of the nanoparticles. In this review, we present the principal applications of gold nanoparticles in the biomedical field, like cancer treatment, amyloid-like fibrillogenesis inhibitors, transplacental treatment, the development of specific scaffolds and drug delivery systems.

Biomedical applications of gold nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) represent one of the most explored categories of nanomaterials for new and improved biomaterials and biotechnologies, with impressive use in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry, anti-infective therapy and wound care, food and the textile industry. Their extensive and versatile applicability relies on the genuine and easy-tunable properties of nanosilver, including remarkable physicochemical behavior, exceptional antimicrobial efficiency, anti-inflammatory action and antitumor activity. Besides commercially available and clinically safe AgNPs-based products, a substantial number of recent studies assessed the applicability of nanosilver as therapeutic agents in augmented and alternative strategies for cancer therapy, sensing and diagnosis platforms, restorative and regenerative biomaterials. Given the beneficial interactions of AgNPs with living structures and their nontoxic effects on healthy human cells, they represent an accurate candidate for various biomedical products. In the present review, the most important and recent applications of AgNPs in biomedical products and biomedicine are considered.

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/11/2318/pdf

An Updated Review on Silver Nanoparticles in Biomedicine.

Globally, cancer is the second most common cause of death, and Europe accounts for almost 25% of the global cancer burden, although its people make up only 10% of the world's population. Conventional systemically administered anti-cancer drugs come with important drawbacks such as inefficiency due to poor bioavailability and improper biodistribution, severe side effects associated with low therapeutic indices, and the development of multidrug resistance. Therefore, smart nano-engineered targeted drug-delivery systems with tailored pharmacokinetics and biodistribution which can selectively deliver anti-cancer agents directly to the tumor site are the solution to most difficulties encountered with conventional therapeutic tools. Here, we report on the synthesis, physicochemical characterization, and in vitro evaluation of biocompatibility and anti-tumor activity of novel magnetically targetable SPIONs based on magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles' surface modified with β-cyclodextrin (CD) and paclitaxel (PTX)-guest-host inclusion complexes (Fe3O4@β-CD/PTX). Both pristine Fe3O4@β-CD nanopowders and PTX-loaded thin films fabricated by MAPLE technique were investigated. Pristine Fe3O4@β-CD and Fe3O4@β-CD/PTX thin films were physicochemically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The biocompatibility of bare magnetic nanocomposite thin films was evaluated by MTT cell viability assay on a normal 3T3 osteoblast cell line culture and by measuring the level of NO in the culture medium. No significant modifications, neither in cell viability nor in NO level, could be observed, thereby demonstrating the excellent biocompatibility of the SPIONs thin films. Inverted phase-contrast microscopy showed no evident adverse effect on the morphology of normal osteoblasts. On the other hand, Fe3O4@β-CD/PTX films decreased the cell viability of the MG-63 osteosarcoma cell line by 85%, demonstrating excellent anti-tumor activity. The obtained results recommend these magnetic hybrid films as promising candidates for future delivery, and hyperthermia applications in cancer treatment.

Anti-Cancer Nanopowders and MAPLE-Fabricated Thin Films Based on SPIONs Surface Modified with Paclitaxel Loaded β-Cyclodextrin.

Benign or pathogenic, microbial biofilms can be found on various viable and inert surfaces, due to the high number of species that are prone to form such multicellular consortia Biofilm formation can develop on virtually any medical device, representing thus an emerging problem in public health sector because of the increased tolerance to current antimicrobial therapy With the highest prevalence, bacterial biofilms are also the most intensely studied In humans, Gram-positive bacterial infections are more prevalent than Gram-negative ones, resulting in biofilm development on the surface of medical devices, facilitated by certain human blood components Surface of medical devices, regardless of their different synthetic composition could also be colonized by different fungal species, the most recognized fungal infections being those related to Candida species The rather undocumented or dismissed archaea and protozoan biofilm structures are also relevant for the comprehension of illness setup, and their study could lead to the boost of antibiofilm techniques Many approaches to obtain biofilm inhibition were developed, but their efficiency is limited by the complex properties of these microbial communities Hybrid approaches of both classical and modern treatments involving bioactive substances and nanotechnology, materials design, and engineering have been applied in prototype systems aiming to interfere with the virulence of microorganisms, to reduce the adhesion, initiation, and maturation of biofilms

Rebecca Alexandra Puiu

Papers

Biomedical applications of gold nanoparticles

An Updated Review on Silver Nanoparticles in Biomedicine.

Anti-Cancer Nanopowders and MAPLE-Fabricated Thin Films Based on SPIONs Surface Modified with Paclitaxel Loaded β-Cyclodextrin.

Properties of biofilms developed on medical devices

Nanostructurated Composites Based on Biodegradable Polymers and Silver Nanoparticles