The safe, targeted and effective delivery of gene therapeutics remains a significant barrier to their broad clinical application. Here we develop a magnetic nucleic acid delivery system composed of iron oxide nanoparticles and cationic lipid-like materials termed lipidoids. Coated nanoparticles are capable of delivering DNA and siRNA to cells in culture. The mean hydrodynamic size of these nano...

Well-defined diblock copolymers of bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid oxiranylmethyl ester, having both anchoring and steric stabilizing blocks in a 1:1 ratio, have been prepared by ringopening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). The epoxy-containing block copolymer stabilized in situ generated iron oxide (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles. The epoxy ester group provided strong chelation between the...

It is known that the nanoparticle-cell interaction strongly depends on the physicochemical properties of the investigated particles. In addition, medium density and viscosity influence the colloidal behaviour of nanoparticles. Here, we show how nanoparticle-protein interactions are related to the particular physicochemical characteristics of the particles, such as their colloidal stability, and...

Ultrafine individualised mono crystalline Ca(10-x)(PO4)(6-x)(HPO4)x(OH)(2-x) deficient calcium hydroxyapatite nanocrystals displaying fluorescence under visible excitation are proposed for utilisation as biocompatible biological probes.

This work presents the molecular dynamics approach toward mechanical deformation and phase transformation mechanisms of monocrystalline Si(100) subjected to nanoindentation. We demonstrate phase distributions during loading and unloading stages of both spherical and Berkovich nanoindentations. By searching the presence of the fifth neighboring atom within a nonbonding length, Si-III and Si-XII ...

Gold-coated iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were synthesized for use as a T2 contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The coated nanoparticles were spherical in shape with an average diameter of 20 nm. The gold shell was about 2 nm thick. The bonding status of the gold on the nanoparticle surfaces was checked using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The FTIR spectra c...

Various types, shapes and sizes of iron oxide nanoparticles were obtained depending on the nature of the precursor, preparation method and reaction conditions. The mixed valence trinuclear iron acetate, [Fe2IIIFeIIO(CH3COO)6(H2O)3]·2H2O (FeAc1), μ3-oxo trinuclear iron(III) acetate, [Fe3O(CH3COO)6(H2O)3]NO3∙4H2O (FeAc2), iron furoate, [Fe3O(C4H3OCOO)6(CH3OH)3]NO3∙2CH3OH (FeF), iron chromium furo...

A strong focus on Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIOs) has been appreciated recently especially for their use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). However, some questions are being raised over these particles due to their long-term toxicity related to the production of toxic free iron during their biodegradation. Here we show by Electron Microscopy how SPIOs (P904) (Guerbet, Paris...

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BACKGROUND In recent years the increasing use of nanoparticles has led researchers to study their effects on biological systems. The most important effects of nanoparticles on cells are their ability to induce or suppress production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Changes in reactive oxygen species play an important role in various developmental processes, including proliferation and differen...