In: Interface Focus, 2019, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 20180044
The metallic colouration of insects often originates from diverse nanostructures ranging from simple thin films to complex three-dimensional photonic crystals. In Lepidoptera, structural colouration is widely present and seems to be abundant in extant species. However, even some basal moths exhibit metallic colouration. Here, we have investigated the origin of the vivid metallic colours of...
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In: ACS Nano, 2019, vol. 13, no. 7, p. 7759–7770
The long-term fate of biomedically relevant nanoparticles (NPs) at the single cell level after uptake is not fully understood yet. We report that lysosomal exocytosis of NPs is not a mechanism to reduce the particle load. Biopersistent NPs such as nonporous silica and gold remain in cells for a prolonged time. The only reduction of the intracellular NP number is observed via cell division,...
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In: ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2019, vol. 2, no. 7, p. 4462–4470
Magnetic hyperthermia has the potential to play an important role in cancer therapy and its efficacy relies on the nanomaterials selected. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are excellent candidates due to the ability of producing enough heat to kill tumor cells by thermal ablation. However, their heating properties depend strongly on crystalline structure and size, which may...
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In: ACS Nano, 2019, vol. 13, no. 6, p. 6790–6800
Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are intended for use within a variety of biomedical applications due to their physicochemical properties. Although, in general, biocompatibility of GNPs with immune cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells is well established, the impact of GNPs on B lymphocyte immune function remains to be determined. Since B lymphocytes play an important role in health and...
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In: Particle & Particle Systems Characterization, 2019, p. 1900224
The physicochemical properties of nanoparticles (NPs) strongly rely on their colloidal stability, and any given dispersion can display remarkably different features, depending on whether it contains single particles or clusters. Thus, developing efficient experimental methods that are able to provide accurate and reproducible measures of the NP properties is a considerable challenge for both...
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In: European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2019, vol. 139, p. 253–261
Resiquimod (R848), a member of the imidazoquinoline family, is a Toll-like receptor 7/8 agonist with high potency for cancer immunotherapy. However, tolerance induction and adverse effects limit its development as a drug. Encapsulation in a polymer matrix can circumvent these limitations, as shown in our formerly published approach where R848 was loaded into polylactic acid (PLA)-based...
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In: Scientific Reports, 2019, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 7938
As the commercial use of synthetic amorphous silica nanomaterials (SiO2-NPs) increases, their effects on the environment and human health have still not been explored in detail. An often-insurmountable obstacle for SiO2-NP fate and hazard research is the challenging analytics of solid particulate silica species, which involves toxic and corrosive hydrofluoric acid (HF). We therefore developed...
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In: CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry, 2019, vol. 73, no. 1, p. 86–89
Besides conducting excellent fundamental research in domains of strategic importance, the National Centers of Competence in Research (NCCRs) also aim to become centers of reference for education, equal opportunities, and knowledge and technology transfer. These activities are supported by a communication strategy focused on specific target groups. This article describes some of the main...
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In: CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry, 2019, vol. 73, no. 1, p. 51–54
Understanding the interaction between cells and their environment is fundamental for mechanobiology. To mimic the behavior of cells in physiological and pathological conditions, synthetic substrates must have topographical and/or mechanical properties that evolve in time. Dynamic substrates mainly rely on stimuli-responsive materials where an external stimulus induces controlled variations in...
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In: CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry, 2019, vol. 73, no. 1, p. 63–68
The main cause of cancer-related death is due to cancer cell spreading and formation of secondary tumors in distant organs, the so-called metastases. Metastatic cancer cells are detectable in the blood of cancer patients as circulating tumor cells (CTC) and may be exploited for prognostic and monitoring purposes, including in breast cancer. Due to their very low frequency, however, their...
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