The aim of our work was the synthesis of ZnO nano- and microparticles and to study the effect of shapes and sizes on cytotoxicity towards normal and cancer cells and antibacterial activity toward two kinds of bacteria. We fabricated ZnO nano- and microparticles through facile chemical and physical routes. The crystal structure, morphology, textural properties, and photoluminescent properties were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, electron microscopies, nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The obtained ZnO structures were highly crystalline and monodispersed with intensive green emission. ZnO NPs and NRs showed the strongest antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus compared to microparticles due to their high specific surface area. However, the ZnO HSs at higher concentrations also strongly inhibited bacterial growth. S. aureus strain was more sensitive to ZnO particles than the E. coli. ZnO NPs and NRs were more harmful to cancer cell lines than to normal ones at the same concentration.

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Introduction: AT101, the R-(-)-enantiomer of the cottonseed-derived polyphenol gossypol, is a promising drug in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) therapy due to its ability to trigger autophagic cell death but also to facilitate apoptosis in tumor cells. It does have some limitations such as poor solubility in water-based media and consequent low bioavailability, which affect its response rate during treatment. To overcome this drawback and to improve the anti-cancer potential of AT101, the use of cubosome-based formulation for AT101 drug delivery has been proposed. This is the first report on the use of cubosomes as AT101 drug carriers in GBM cells. Materials and Methods: Cubosomes loaded with AT101 were prepared from glyceryl monooleate (GMO) and the surfactant Pluronic F-127 using the top-down approach. The drug was introduced into the lipid prior to dispersion. Prepared formulations were then subjected to complex physicochemical and biological characterization. Results: Formulations of AT101-loaded cubosomes were highly stable colloids with a high drug entrapment efficiency (97.7%) and a continuous, sustained drug release approaching 35% over 72 h. Using selective and sensitive NMR diffusometry, the drug was shown to be efficiently bound to the lipid-based cubosomes. In vitro imaging studies showed the high efficiency of cubosomal nanoparticles uptake into GBM cells, as well as their marked ability to penetrate into tumor spheroids. Treatment of GBM cells with the AT101-loaded cubosomes, but not with the free drug, induced cytoskeletal rearrangement and shortening of actin fibers. The prepared nanoparticles revealed stronger in vitro cytotoxic effects against GBM cells (A172 and LN229 cell lines), than against normal brain cells (SVGA and HMC3 cell lines). Conclusion: The results indicate that GMO-AT101 cubosome formulations are a promising basic tool for alternative approaches to GBM treatment.

The growing incidence of cancer is a problem for modern medicine, since the therapeutic efficacy of applied modalities is still not satisfactory in terms of patients’ survival rates, especially in the case of patients with brain tumors. The destructive influence of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on healthy cells reduces the chances of full recovery. With the development of nanotechnology, new ideas on cancer therapy, including brain tumors, have emerged. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is one of these. It utilizes nanoparticles (NPs) that can convert the light, preferably in the near-infrared (NIR) region, into heat. In this paper, we report the use of nanodiamonds (NDs) conjugated with biomimetic polydopamine (PDA) and indocyanine green (ICG) for glioblastoma cancer PTT therapy. The obtained materials were thoroughly analyzed in terms of their PTT effectiveness, as well as their physicochemical properties. The performed research demonstrated that NDs@PDA@ICG can be successfully applied in the photothermal therapy of glioblastoma for PTT and exhibited high photothermal conversion efficiency η above 40%, which is almost 10 times higher than in case of bare NDs. In regard to our results, our material was found to lead to a better therapeutic outcome and higher eradication of glioblastoma cells, as demonstrated in vitro.