Multifunctional nanoparticles as theranostic tools hold great potential for its unique and efficient way to visualize the process of disease treatment. However, the toxicity of conventional fluorescent labels and difficulty of functionalization limit their widespread use. Recently, a number of amino-rich polymers have demonstrated high luminescent fluorescence but rarely showed potential for in...

nature nanotechnology | VOL 3 | JANUARY 2008 | www.nature.com/naturenanotechnology 13 that accumulation in each of the organs is determined by size. Although the results show that size matters in biodistribution, it is still unclear why it can markedly affect the way the particles are distributed in vivo. Finally, none of the nanoparticles used in the study appeared to readily cross the blood–b...

A new biometallization route for detecting low levels of organophosphorus nerve agents based on organophosphorus-hydrolase (OPH)-stimulated formation of cupric-ferrocyanide (CuFeCN) nanoparticles is described. The growth and accumulation of these nanoparticles onto the surface of carbon paste electrodes, coupled with their favorable redox activity, allow the amplified electrochemical detection ...

According to the increased probability of the presence of nanomaterials in the aquatic ecosystems, the present study examined the toxicity of three engineered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as well as silver ions in the Pontogammarus maeoticus, a brackish water benthic organism living in the littoral zone of the Caspian Sea. The animals were acutely exposed to different concentrations of two comm...

To date, the effects of nanoparticles on woody plants remain unaddressed. This study reveals some of the physiological and biochemical effects of SiO2 nanoparticles on wild pear seedlings. The seedlings were irrigated with different concentrations of nano silica (0, 10, 100, 500 and 1000 mg/l) for 14 days. Nanoparticle adsorption and absorption, biomass allocation, gas exchange, relative water ...

There are many obstacles to effective cancer chemotherapy, including drug penetration and accumulation in tumors and drug systemic toxicity. The penetration of therapies into tumors is limited by the dense tumor matrix and by compression of the tumor vasculature. We have developed spiropyran-based nanoparticles that shrink from 103 to 49 nm upon irradiation at 365 nm. That shrinkage enhanced ti...

The unique chemical and functional properties of nanoparticles can be harnessed for the delivery of large quantities of various therapeutic biomolecules. Active targeting of nanoparticles by conjugating ligands that bind to target cells strongly facilitates accumulation, internalization into target cells and longer retention at the target site, with consequent enhanced therapeutic effects. Reco...

Synthetic nanoparticles have already been detected in the aquatic environment. Therefore, knowledge on their biodegradability is of utmost importance for risk assessment but such information is currently not available. Therefore, the biodegradability of fullerenes, single, double, multi-walled as well as COOH functionalized carbon nanotubes and cellulose and starch nanocrystals in aqueous envir...

An increasing need of nanotechnology in various industries may cause a huge environment dispersion of nanoparticles in coming years. A concern about nanoparticles interaction with flora and fauna is raised due to a growing load of it in the environment. In recent years, several investigators have shown impact of nanoparticles on plant growth and their accumulation in food source. This review ex...