In vivo delivery, pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and toxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have been extensively used during the last two decades, either as effective bio-imaging contrast agents or as carriers of biomolecules such as drugs, nucleic acids and peptides for controlled delivery to specific organs and tissues. Most of these novel applications require elaborate tuning of the physiochemical and surface properties of the IONPs. As new IONPs designs are envisioned, synergistic consideration of the body's innate biological barriers against the administered nanoparticles and the short and long-term side effects of the IONPs become even more essential. There are several important criteria (e.g. size and size-distribution, charge, coating molecules, and plasma protein adsorption) that can be effectively tuned to control the in vivo pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of the IONPs. This paper reviews these crucial parameters, in light of biological barriers in the body, and the latest IONPs design strategies used to overcome them. A careful review of the long-term biodistribution and side effects of the IONPs in relation to nanoparticle design is also given. While the discussions presented in this review are specific to IONPs, some of the information can be readily applied to other nanoparticle systems, such as gold, silver, silica, calcium phosphates and various polymers.

An Overview of Various Carriers for siRNA Delivery

“…The focus of current research on SPIONs includes their biodistribution and pharmacokinetics in order to better understand how they function as a carrier as well as to minimize any negative side effects such as toxicity. [48] The magnetic properties of SPIONs are size-dependent. The surface chemistry of SPIONs is another influential factor on their properties such as the extent of immune response they induce.…”

“…The surface chemistry of SPIONs is another influential factor on their properties such as the extent of immune response they induce. [48][49][50] Therefore, research on different coatings for SPIONs has been conducted since a typical SPION has a hydrophobic surface and tend to agglomerate. Chitosan and PEG are two organic polymers that are used to help modify the surface chemistry of SPIONs.…”

Research on Nanotoxicity of an Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Potential Application

“…Hamed Arami et al reported that the effects of size, various additional molecular parameters on the surface of the iron oxide nanoparticles, molecular structure of the coating molecules, administered dose on their degradation rates, and transformation to plasma ferritin still require to be studied systematically in more accurate ways through developed characterization tools with higher mass sensitivities [26]. Our lab continuously and systematically studied the nanotoxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles coated with dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), which possessed a mean particle size of 11 nm through TEM observation.…”

Monitoring the penetration and accumulation of gold nanoparticles in rat skin ex vivo using surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy

“…1 Recently, with the development of nanotechnology, nanomaterials are widely investigated and applied in many¯elds, such as biomedicine, cosmetics, catalysis, food, textiles, semiconductors, and biomedicines. [2][3][4][5] In addition to occupational exposure, direct human bodies exposures through commercial applications and ambient air pollution were a major concern.…”