FRET between CdSe Quantum Dots in Lipid Vesicles and Water- and Lipid-soluble Dyes

This review focuses on the application of nanomaterials for neural interfacing. The junction between nanotechnology and neural tissues can be particularly worthy of scientific attention for several reasons: (i) Neural cells are electroactive, and the electronic properties of nanostructures can be tailored to match the charge transport requirements of electrical cellular interfacing. (ii) The unique mechanical and chemical properties of nanomaterials are critical for integration with neural tissue as long‐term implants. (iii) Solutions to many critical problems in neural biology/medicine are limited by the availability of specialized materials. (iv) Neuronal stimulation is needed for a variety of common and severe health problems. This confluence of need, accumulated expertise, and potential impact on the well‐being of people suggests the potential of nanomaterials to revolutionize the field of neural interfacing. In this review, we begin with foundational topics, such as the current status of neural electrode (NE) technology, the key challenges facing the practical utilization of NEs, and the potential advantages of nanostructures as components of chronic implants. After that the detailed account of toxicology and biocompatibility of nanomaterials in respect to neural tissues is given. Next, we cover a variety of specific applications of nanoengineered devices, including drug delivery, imaging, topographic patterning, electrode design, nanoscale transistors for high‐resolution neural interfacing, and photoactivated interfaces. We also critically evaluate the specific properties of particular nanomaterials—including nanoparticles, nanowires, and carbon nanotubes—that can be taken advantage of in neuroprosthetic devices. The most promising future areas of research and practical device engineering are discussed as a conclusion to the review.

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“…Semiconductor and magnetic NPs are being investigated for these purposes. [130][131][132][133][134][135][136] …”

Section: Poor Understanding Of the Action Mechanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanomaterials for Neural Interfaces

et al. 2009

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“…[1][2][3] Liposomes found large applicability because of their biocompatibility, flexibility in composition and size, 4 as well as ability to encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules into the aqueous pool 5,6 or within the lipid bilayer, 7,8 respectively. One of the key features of a drug carrier is the release of the encapsulated drug selectively at the target site with an efficient rate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetic field responsive drug release from magnetoliposomes in biological fluids

et al. 2016

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The final fate of nano-scaled drug delivery systems into the body is highly affected by their interaction with proteins in biological fluids (serum, plasma, etc.). Nanocarriers dispersed in biological fluids bear a protein ''corona'' that covers their surface. Thus, it is extremely important to evaluate the drug release efficiency also in the biological environment where protein-nanocarrier complexes are formed. The purpose of this work is to determine how drug release from lipid vesicle carriers is influenced by the interaction with serum proteins, highlighting the importance to test the effectiveness of such systems in the biological milieu. In particular, this paper describes the magnetically triggered release behaviour of magnetoliposomes (MLs) dispersed both in aqueous physiological buffer and in bovine serum at two different concentrations (10% and 55% v/v) upon exposure to a low-frequency alternating magnetic field (LF-AMF). We studied the release from MLs loaded with two types of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs): citrate coated Fe 3 O 4 and oleic acid coated g-Fe 2 O 3 . The permeability in the above-mentioned fluids was evaluated in terms of the fluorescence self-quenching of carboxyfluorescein (CF) entrapped inside the liposome aqueous pool. The results showed a strong reduction of the release in biological fluids, in particular at high serum concentration. We related this decrease to the formation of protein-liposome complexes that, under LF-AMF exposure, are subjected to destabilization and tend to form aggregates.Our results clearly highlight the importance of testing the release efficiency of self-assembled drug delivery systems in biological fluids, in order to understand their behaviour in the presence of proteins and biomolecules.

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“…The electron-hole recombination in the QDs may either lead to thermal relaxation of the excited species, or give rise to light emission from the particle. Therefore, biomolecule modified QDs were broadly used as luminescent probes for imaging of biorecognition events [12,14,23,24] and also as optical activating units for fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to dye units, which were applied to develop sensing routes of higher complexity like DNA detection [25][26][27][28][29][30][31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%