Sharif Digital Repository

Designing drug delivery systems for therapeutic compounds whose receptors are located in the cytosol of cells is challenging as a bilayer cell membrane is negatively charged. The newly designed drug delivery systems should assist the mentioned drugs in passing the membrane barriers and achieving their targets. This study concentrated on developing novel ionic liquids (ILs) that interact effectively with cell membranes. These ILs are based on glucose-containing choline and are expected to be non-toxic. The binding energies of the known pharmaceutically active ionic liquids were calculated at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level in the gas phase and compared with those of our newly designed... 

New achievements in the realm of nanoscience and innovative techniques of nanomedicine have moved micro/nanoparticles (MNPs) to the point of becoming actually useful for practical applications in the near future. Various differences between the extracellular and intracellular environments of cancerous and normal cells and the particular characteristics of tumors such as physicochemical properties, neovasculature, elasticity, surface electrical charge, and pH have motivated the design and fabrication of inventive "smart" MNPs for stimulus-responsive controlled drug release. These novel MNPs can be tailored to be responsive to pH variations, redox potential, enzymatic activation, thermal... 

Lysozyme loaded niosomes containing various molar ratios of two kinds of surfactants were prepared and the properties of these niosomal formulations were studied. The results revealed that the size of niosomes varied between 240.06 ± 32.41 and 895.2 ± 20.84 nm. Formulations with the lowest size and no precipitation had entrapment efficiencies ranging from 60.644 ± 3.310 to 66.333 ± 1.98%. Their controlled release profiles after 48 h were 15.67, 20.67 and 31.50%. After 2 months, the most stable formulation in terms of size, PDI, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency was used to study the secondary structures of lysozyme in niosomal and free forms. Lysozyme loaded niosome and lysozyme... 

Application of materials capable of energy harvesting to increase the efficiency and environmental adaptability is sometimes reflected in the ability of discovery of some traces in an environment―either experimentally or computationally―to enlarge practical application window. The emergence of computational methods, particularly computer-aided drug discovery (CADD), provides ample opportunities for the rapid discovery and development of unprecedented drugs. The expensive and time-consuming process of traditional drug discovery is no longer feasible, for nowadays the identification of potential drug candidates is much easier for therapeutic targets through elaborate in silico approaches,... 

The synthesis of a series of benzoxazocines has been achieved in good yields by tandem C-alkylation and intramolecular O-alkylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with quinolinium salts. This is a novel example of the synthesis of eight-membered rings via a tandem process, which provides a method for the synthesis of medium-ring heterocycles  

In order to extend our previous theoretical calculations that dealt with the thermochemistry of doping the single walled boron nitride nanotubes, BNNTs, and carbon nanotubes, CNTs, with alminium atoms [1], we have used the AM1, PM3, and PM6 semiempirical methods to investigate the interaction of the tacrine molecule (a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease) with the side-walls of aluminum doped boron nitride and carbon nanotubes in thermodynamic views. At first, the frequency calculations were carried out to confirm the stability of the involved structures. In addition, the theoretical thermodynamic study of tacrine adsorption onto the considered nanotubes was performed and the... 

Diabetes can result when the accurate control of insulin levels fails in the body. As a result, insulin has been conventionally administered for the treatment of diabetes mainly through subcutaneous injection. There have been several attempts to administer insulin orally. However, the oral bioavailability of insulin is strictly limited, mainly by low permeability across biological membranes. Advances in biotechnology and nanotechnology have recently led to the discovery of several new approaches for the delivery of drugs. In this concept, nanobiomaterials have been shown to be promising candidates for oral insulin delivery. This chapter describes the recent advances and future prospects of... 

Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were hybridized with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) to form magnetic GO (MGO) and were further labeled by [68Ga]GaCl3 as a potential drug delivery system. Paper chromatography, Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopy, low-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), CHN and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were utilized to characterize the trinary composite ([68Ga]@MGO). Biological evaluations of the prepared nanocomposite were performed in normal Sprague Dawley rats and it was found to be a possible host for theranostic radiopharmaceuticals. The results showed that the grafting of Fe3O4 NPs on nanocomposite reduced the unwanted liver and spleen uptakes and increased the... 

Targeted delivery by either passive or active targeting of therapeutics to the bone is an attractive treatment for various bone related diseases such as osteoporosis, osteosarcoma, multiple myeloma, and metastatic bone tumors. Engineering novel drug delivery carriers can increase therapeutic efficacy and minimize the risk of side effects. Developmnet of nanocarrier delivery systems is an interesting field of ongoing studies with opportunities to provide more effective therapies. In addition, preclinical nanomedicine research can open new opportunities for preclinical bone-targeted drug delivery; nevertheless, further research is needed to progress these therapies towards clinical... 

In this work, a green synthesis method was designed and practiced to develop bioactive and biocompatible carbon-based nanocomposites biomaterials. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized in assistance of leaf extracts and added to a composite nanostructure composed of the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). The resulting green nanocomposite revealed ability to make π-π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals interactions with the doxorubicin (DOX). Then, the surface morphology of the synthesized nanocomposite was investigated, and the interrelationship between the surface morphology, relative cell viability, and drug uptake and release behavior were... 

Aims: Synthesis of nanocarrier Fe3O4/silica-starch/PNVCL for drug delivery and Fe3O4/GO-starch for antibiotic removal applications Background: In the first part, the new magnetic nanocomposite including Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with silica, anchored starch nanoparticles, and poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) and then, loaded by acetazolamide. In the second part, magnetic starch nanocomposites were synthesized and modified with graphene oxide. Methods: The drug loading, release and intrinsic cytotoxicity were measured. Also, the potential of Fe3O4/GO-starch as an adsorbent to remove cephalexin antibiotics from aqueous solutions was evaluated. Result: In the first part, the maximum drug adsorption... 

Background & Objective: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. One of the most effective treatments for breast cancer is chemotherapy, in which specific drugs destroy the mass and its proliferation is inhibited. Chemotherapy is the most effective adjunctive therapy when multiple medications are used concurrently. Also, combining the drugs with nanocarrier has become an important strategy in targeted therapy. This study is designed to assess the apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, and anti-cancer potential of Tamoxifen-Curcumin-loaded niosomes against MCF-7 Cancer Cells. Methods: A novel niosomal formulation of tamoxifen-curcumin with Span 80 and lipid to drug ratio of 20... 

Nanogels are three-dimensional nanoscale networks formed by physically or chemically cross-linking polymers. Nanogels have been explored as drug delivery systems due to their advantageous properties, such as biocompatibility, high stability, tunable particle size, drug loading capacity, and possible modification of the surface for active targeting by attaching ligands that recognize cognate receptors on the target cells or tissues. Nanogels can be designed to be stimulus responsive, and react to internal or external stimuli such as pH, temperature, light and redox, thus resulting in the controlled release of loaded drugs. This “smart” targeting ability prevents drug accumulation in... 

Systematic delivery of therapeutic agents to specific sites, with a stimulus-responsive drug release profile is currently a rapidly growing area. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are the useful platforms as drug/gene delivery systems due to their unique properties including the ability to control the pore size, high porosity, and morphology, which can directly affect the mechanism and profile of drug release. The appropriate fabrication strategy can tailor the particle shape and size, leading to enhanced delivery and release mechanisms. The MSN surface can be modified by using either organic or inorganic molecules to induce smart and site-specific drug delivery and release.... 

In the present study, first, Fe3O4nanoparticles were functionalized using glutaric acid and then composited with CQDs. Doxorubicin (DOX) drug was loaded to evaluate the performance of the nanocomposite for targeted drug delivery applications. The XRD pattern confirmed the presence of characteristic peaks of CQDs and Fe3O4. In the FTIR spectrum, the presence of carboxyl functional groups on Fe3O4/CQDs was observed; DOX (positive charge) is loaded onto Fe3O4/CQDs (negative charge) by electrostatic absorption. FESEM and AFM images showed that the particle sizes of Fe3O4and CQDs were 23-75 and 1-3 nm, respectively. The hysteresis curves showed superparamagnetic properties for Fe3O4and Fe3O4/CQDs... 

A supramolecular linear-dendritic copolymer consisting of a polystyrene backbone and hanging hyperbranched polyglycerols was prepared and characterized. Host-guest interactions between β-cyclodextrin incorporated in the core of polyglycerol as a host and aromatic rings of polystyrene as guests lead to the formation of a supramolecular linear-dendritic copolymer. Supramolecules formed micelles in aqueous solutions which were able to encapsulate and transfer paclitaxel with a high loading capacity  

A total of 6289 drug-like anticancer molecules were collected from Binding database and were analyzed by using the classification techniques. The collected molecules were encoded to a diverse set of descriptors, spanning different physical and chemical properties of the molecules. A combination of genetic algorithms and counterpropagation artificial neural networks was used for navigating the generated drug-like chemical space and selecting the most relevant molecular descriptors. The proposed method was used for the classification of the molecules according to their therapeutic targets and activities. The selected molecular descriptors in this work define discrete areas in chemical space,... 

Arrayed Ti6Al4V nanotubes (TNT) coated with hydroxyapatite (HA) were synthesized via electrochemical anodization method. Paracetamol was loaded onto TNT-HA electrode. Effects of anodization, nanotube formation and hydroxyapatite deposition on sorption and release of the drug were investigated. Saturation time of paracetamol on the anodized samples was 30% shorter than the hydroxyapatite-coated samples. Release behavior of the loaded drug was studied by (a) plunging the probe into phosphate buffered saline (PBS), (b) sampling the drug-loaded PBS at different times and (c) analyzing the solution via ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. Results showed that HA electrodes hold higher... 

Oral administration is a pillar of the pharmaceutical industry and yet it remains challenging to administer hydrophilic therapeutics by the oral route. Smart and controlled oral drug delivery could bypass the physiological barriers that limit the oral delivery of these therapeutics. Micro- and nanoscale technologies, with an unprecedented ability to create, control, and measure micro- or nanoenvironments, have found tremendous applications in biology and medicine. In particular, significant advances have been made in using these technologies for oral drug delivery. In this review, we briefly describe biological barriers to oral drug delivery and micro and nanoscale fabrication technologies.... 

Introduction: The application of doxorubicin (DOX) in cancer therapy has been limited due to its drug resistance and poor internalization. Graphene oxide (GO) nanostructures have the capacity for DOX delivery while promoting its cytotoxicity in cancer. Areas covered: The favorable characteristics of GO nanocomposites, preparation method, and application in cancer therapy are described. Then, DOX resistance in cancer, GO-mediated photothermal therapy, and DOX delivery for cancer suppression are described. Preparation of stimuli-responsive GO nanocomposites, surface functionalization, hybrid nanoparticles, and theranostic applications are emphasized in DOX chemotherapy. Expert opinion: GO...