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There is a growing body of evidence indicating the importance of physical stimuli for neuronal growth and development. Specifically, results from published experimental studies indicate that forces, when carefully controlled, can modulate neuronal regeneration. Here, we validate a non-invasive approach for physical guidance of nerve regeneration based on the synergic use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and magnetic fields (Ms). The concept is that the application of a tensile force to a neuronal cell can stimulate neurite initiation or axon elongation in the desired direction, the MNPs being used to generate this tensile force under the effect of a static external magnetic field providing the required directional orientation. In a neuron-like cell line, we have confirmed that MNPs direct the neurite outgrowth preferentially along the direction imposed by an external magnetic field, by inducing a net angle displacement (about 30°) of neurite direction. From the clinical editor: This study validates that non-invasive approaches for physical guidance of nerve regeneration based on the synergic use of magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic fields are possible. The hypothesis was confirmed by observing preferential neurite outgrowth in a cell culture system along the direction imposed by an external magnetic field., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nanoparticles (NPs) show new characteristics compared to the corresponding bulk material. These nanoscale properties make them interesting for various applications in biomedicine and life sciences. One field of application is the use of magnetic NPs to support regeneration in the nervous system. Drug delivery requires a functionalization of NPs with bio-functional molecules. In our study, we functionalized self-made PEI-coated iron oxide NPs with nerve growth factor (NGF) and glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). Next, we tested the bio-functionality of NGF in a rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12) and the bio-functionality of GDNF in an organotypic spinal cord culture. Covalent binding of NGF to PEI-NPs impaired bio-functionality of NGF, but non-covalent approach differentiated PC12 cells reliably. Non-covalent binding of GDNF showed a satisfying bio-functionality of GDNF:PEI-NPs, but turned out to be unstable in conjugation to the PEI-NPs. Taken together, our study showed the importance of assessing bio-functionality and binding stability of functionalized growth factors using proper biological models. It also shows that successful functionalization of magnetic NPs with growth factors is dependent on the used binding chemistry and that it is hardly predictable. For use as therapeutics, functionalization strategies have to be reproducible and future studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-oncology, the application of Nanomedicine to cancer diagnosis and treatment, has the potential to transform clinical oncology by enhancing the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy for a wide spectrum of invasive cancers. It achieves this by enabling novel drug delivery systems which target the tumour site with several functional molecules, including tumour-specific ligands, antibodies, cytotoxic agents, and imaging probes simultaneously thereby improving tumour response rates in addition to significant reduction of the systemic toxicity associated with current chemotherapy regimens. For this reason, nano-oncology is attracting considerable scientific interest and a growing investment by the global pharmaceutical industry. Several therapeutic nano-carriers have been approved for clinical use and others are undergoing phase II and III clinical trials. This paper describes the current approved formulations, such as liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles, and discusses the overall present status of nano-oncology as an emerging branch of nanomedicine and its future perspectives in cancer and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The use of polymeric carriers containing dispersed magnetic nanocrystalline particles has attracted considerable interest in the medical field. In this paper, we propose an innovative nanotechnological platform for cancer therapy, based on highly magnetized, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles. Alginate magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by our group by an efficient emulsion/reticulation technique and tested as drug delivery system. Here, we present a potential application that combines, in a single nanovector, efficient targeting, overcoming of bio-barriers, drug delivery, and physical disruption of tumor tissues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]