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The therapeutic application of nanomaterials requires that they are biocompatible and can reach the desired target. The innate immune system is likely to be the first defence machinery that would recognise the nanomaterials as 'non-self'. A number of studies have addressed the issue of how carbon nanotubes (CNTs) interact with phagocytic cells and their surface receptors that can impact on their intracellular processing and subsequent immune response. In addition, soluble innate immune factors also get involved in the recognition and clearance of CNTs. The interaction of CNTs with the complement system, the most potent and versatile innate immune mechanism, has shed interesting light on how complement activation on the surface of CNTs can modulate their phagocytosis and effector cytokine response. The charge or altered molecular pattern on the surface of CNTs due to functionalization and derivatization can also dictate the level of complement activation and subsequent inflammatory response. It is becoming evident that complement deposition may facilitate phagocytic uptake of CNTs through receptor routes that leads to dampening of pro-inflammatory response by complement-receptor bearing macrophages and B cells. Thus, recombinant complement regulators decorated on the CNT surface can constructively influence the therapeutic strategies involving CNTs and other nanoparticles.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have promised a range of applications in biomedicine. Although influenced by the dispersants used, CNTs are recognized by the innate immune system, predominantly by the classical pathway of the complement system. Here, we confirm that complement activation by the CNT used here continues up to C3 and C5, indicating that the entire complement system is activated including the formation of membrane-attack complexes. Using recombinant forms of the globular regions of human C1q (gC1q) as inhibitors of CNT-mediated classical pathway activation, we show that C1q, the first recognition subcomponent of the classical pathway, binds CNTs via the gC1q domain. Complement opsonisation of CNTs significantly enhances their uptake by U937 cells, with concomitant downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and up-regulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines in both U937 cells and human monocytes. We propose that CNT-mediated complement activation may cause recruitment of cellular infiltration, followed by phagocytosis without inducing a pro-inflammatory immune response. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are recognized by the innate immune system, especially by the classical pathway of the complement system. Complement activation is usually associated with a pro-inflammatory response. Here, we show that complement deposition on CMC- and RNA-CNTs can enhance their uptake by phagocytes, which in turn, leads to dampening of pro-inflammatory cytokine production. It appears that CNT-mediated complement activation may cause recruitment of cellular infiltration, followed by enhanced phagocytosis and suppression of cytokine storm.

Due to their shape anisotropy, high aspect ratio magnetic nanoparticles offer many advantages in biomedical applications. For biocompatibility, it is essential to have full control over the dimensions and surface chemistry of the particles. The aim of this study was to synthesize biocompatible nanowires with tuneable dimensions. This was achieved by electrodeposition of Ni in polycarbonate membranes. To ensure biocompatibility, a continuous gold coating was deposited onto the Ni wires by a newly developed electroless deposition method. The coating was analysed using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Magnetic properties, anisotropy and Au film thickness were studied using vibrating sample magnetometry. After biofunctionalization, no significant cytotoxic effects were found in studies involving a diverse range of primary and tumour cells exposed to increasing concentrations of nanowires for up to 7 days. These nanowires may thus be used for in vivo applications such as magnetic drug delivery.

Magnetic drug delivery is a promising method to target a drug to a diseased area while reducing negative side effects caused by systemic administration of drugs. In magnetic drug delivery a therapeutic agent is coupled to a magnetic nanoparticle. The particles are injected and at the target location withdrawn from blood flow by a magnetic field. In this study a FePd nanowire is developed with optimised properties for magnetic targeting. The nanowires have a high magnetic moment to reduce the field gradient needed to capture them with a magnet. The dimensions and the materials of the nanowire and coating are such that they are dispersable in aqueous media, non-cytotoxic, easily phagocytosed and not complement activating. This is established in several in-vitro tests with macrophage and endothelial cell lines.Along with the nanowires a magnet is designed, optimised for capture of the nanowires from the blood flow in the hind leg of a rat. The system is used in a pilot scale . in-vivo experiment. No negative side effects from injection of the nanowires were found within the limited time span of the experiment. In this first pilot experiment no nanowires were found to be targeted by the magnet, or in the liver, kidneys or spleen, most likely the particles were removed during the fixation procedure.

Organizing magnetic nanoparticles into long-range and dynamic assemblies would not only provide new insights into physical phenomena but also open opportunities for a wide spectrum of applications. In particular, a major challenge consists of the development of nanoparticle-based materials for which the remnant magnetization and coercive field can be controlled at room temperature. Our approach consists of promoting the self-organization of magnetic nanoparticles in liquid crystals (LCs). Using liquid crystals as organizing templates allows us to envision the design of tunable self-assemblies of magnetic nanoparticles, because liquid crystals are known to reorganize under a variety of external stimuli. Herein, we show that twisted liquid crystals can be used as efficient anisotropic templates for superparamagnetic nanoparticles and demonstrate the formation of hybrid soft magnets at room temperature.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) reveal promising opportunities for biomedical applications, potentially allowing minimally invasive diagnosis and therapeutic usage at several levels of human body organization (cells, tissue and organs). An increasingly broad collection of MNPs has been recently developed not only at the research level but also in some specific cases for medical applications. Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles are commonly used in clinical practice as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of liver and angiography. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are another type of nanomaterials with great potential for biomedical applications. Filled with ferromagnetic materials, an ensemble of aligned CNTs displays a highly non-linear, anisotropic and hysteretic magnetization behaviour due to their extremely high aspect ratio (length/diameter >100). The intrinsic properties of such ferromagnetic nanoparticles can potentially improve diagnosis and therapy of numerous diseases. Combining tailored biocompatible ferromagnetic nanomaterials with dedicated detection technology can provide a new approach leading to the exciting perspective of accurate medical imaging and medical therapy (magnetic hyperthermia, targeted drug delivery, etc.) at the cellular level. Elongated Fe-filled CNTs (Fe-CNTs) are foreseen as potential nanotools leading to minimally invasive, highly sensitive, and cost effective novel investigation routes for complete human body systems.