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Glioblastoma, WHO grade IV astrocytoma, is the most aggressive type of brain tumors. These cancerous cells have a rapid growth rate, tendency to penetrate vital brain structures, molecular heterogeneity, etc. and this cancer is associated with a poor prognosis and low survival rate. Due to the resistance of glioblastoma cells to conventional therapeutic modalities (such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy) as well as the adverse effects of these modalities, the researchers have attempted to discover an appropriate alternative or adjuvant treatment for glioblastoma. Resveratrol, as an herbal and natural polyphenolic compound, has anti-tumoral property and has shown to be effective in GBM treatment. Resveratrol exerts its anti-tumoral effect through various mechanisms such as regulation of cell cycle progression and cell proliferation, autophagy, oxidant system, apoptosis pathways, and so on. Resveratrol in combination with radiation therapy and chemotherapy has also been used. In the present study, we summarized the current findings on therapeutic potentials of resveratrol in glioblastoma radiotherapy and chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrast agents (CAs) play a critical role in high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications to enhance the low intrinsic sensitivity of MRI. Manganese oxide nanoparticles (MnO) have gotten developing consideration as substitute spin-lattice (T1) MRI CAs as a result of the Gd-based CAs which are related with renal fibrosis as well as the inherent dark imaging characteristics of superparamagnetic iron oxide NPs. In this review, previous developments in the usage of MnO nanoparticles as MRI CAs for cancer theranostic applications such as developments in toxicological properties, distribution and tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive biomaterials were reviewed. A literature search was accomplished to discover distributed research that elaborates the use of MnO in multimodal imaging and therapy. In the current study, the electronic search including PubMed/Medline, Embase, ProQuest, Scopus, Cochrane and Google Scholar was performed dependent on Mesh key words. CAs can significantly improve the imaging contrast among the lesions and normal tissues. In this study we generally concentrate on typical advancements of MnO nanoparticles about properties, bimodal or multimodal imaging, and therapy. Numerous researches have demonstrated MnO-based nanostructure produce considerable biocompatibility with the lack of cytotoxicity. Therefore, remarkable features improved photothermal therapy, chemotherapy and Chemodynamic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging non-invasive method used in cancer treatment. In PTT, near-infrared laser light is absorbed by a chromophore and converted into heat within the tumor tissue. PTT for cancer usually combines a variety of interactive plasmonic nanomaterials with laser irradiation. PTT enjoys PT agents with high conversion efficiency to convert light into heat to destroy malignant tissue. In this review, published studies concerned with the use of nanoparticles (NPs) in PTT were collected by a systematic and comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Scopus databases. Gold, silver and iron NPs were the most frequent choice in PTT. The use of surface modified NPs allowed selective delivery and led to a precise controlled increase in the local temperature. The presence of NPs during PTT can increase the reactive generation of oxygen species, damage the DNA and mitochondria, leading to cancer cell death mainly via apoptosis. Many studies recently used core-shell metal NPs, and the effects of the polymer coating or ligands targeted to specific cellular receptors in order to increase PTT efficiency were often reported. The effective parameters (NP type, size, concentration, coated polymers or attached ligands, exposure conditions, cell line or type, and cell death mechanisms) were investigated individually. With the advances in chemical synthesis technology, NPs with different shapes, sizes, and coatings can be prepared with desirable properties, to achieve multimodal cancer treatment with precision and specificity. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Cyclodextrine-based polyester was coated on the surface of gadolinium oxide nanoparticles (NPs) and then functionalised with folic acid to produce an efficient pH-sensitive targeted theranostic system (Gd2O3@PCD-FA) for doxorubicin delivery and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Gd2O3@PCD-FA was fully characterised by FTIR, vibrating sample magnetometer, TGA, XRD, SEM and TEM analyses. The dissolution profile of DOX showed a pH sensitive release. No significant toxicity was observed for the targeted NPs (Gd2O3@PCD-FA) and DOX-loaded NPs inhibiting M109 cells viability more efficiently than free DOX. Moreover, the negligible hemolytic activity of the targeted NPs showed their appropriate hemocompatibility. The preferential uptake was observed for the developed Gd2O3@PCD-FA-DOX NPs in comparison with Dotarem using T1- and T2-weighted MRI in the presence of folate receptor-positive and folate receptor-negative cancer cells (M109 and 4T1, respectively). Furthermore, in vivo studies revealed that Gd2O3@PCD-FA-DOX not only exhibited considerably relaxivity performance as a contrast agent for MRI, but also improved in vivo anti-tumour efficacy of the system. The results suggest that Gd2O3@PCD-FA-DOX improves its therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of solid tumours and also reduces the adverse effects, so it could be proposed as a promising drug delivery system for chemotherapy and molecular imaging diagnosis in MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic drug delivery system is one of the most important strategies for cancer diagnosis and treatment. In this study, a novel theranostic system was fabricated based on cyclodextrin nanosponge (CDNS) polymer anchored on the surface of Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 /CDNS NPs) which was then decorated with folic acid (FA) as a targeting agent (Fe 3 O 4 /CDNS-FA). Curcumin (CUR), a hydrophobic model drug, was next loaded into the cyclodextrin cavity and polymeric matrix of CDNS (Fe 3 O 4 /CDNS-FA@CUR). The system was fully characterized. The in vitro release study revealed pH-sensitive behavior. Cytotoxicity assays indicated a negligible toxicity for CUR free Fe 3 O 4 /CDNS-FA NPs against both of M109 cancerous cells and MCF 10A normal cells. CUR-loaded Fe 3 O 4 /CDNS-FA NPs exhibited higher toxicity against M109 cancerous cells than MCF 10A normal cells (p < 0.05). Fe 3 O 4 /CDNS-FA@CUR NPs resulted in much more cell viability on normal cells than pure CUR (p < 0.05). Moreover, blood compatibility study showed minor hemolytic activity. In vitro MRI studies illustrated negative signal increase in cells affirming acceptable diagnostic ability of the nanocarrier. The T 2 MR signal intensity for Fe 3 O 4 /CDNS-FA@CUR NPs in M109 cells was around 2-fold higher than that of MCF 10A cells. This implies two times higher selective cellular uptake of the Fe 3 O 4 /CDNS-FA@CUR NPs into M109 cell compared to MCF 10A. The multifunctional nanocarrier could be considered as promising candidate for cancer theranostics because of the smart drug release, selective cytotoxicity, suitable hemocompatibility, and proper T 2 MRI contrast efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • βCD-based nanosponges (CDNSs) were prepared for curcumin (CUR) encapsulation. • The molar ratio of EPI to βCD strongly affected the CDNSs characteristics. • Free CDNSs showed no toxicity confirming their cytocompatibilty. • CUR encapsulation in CDNSs enhanced the selective toxicity against cancerous cells. • The best CUR loading and toxicity was obtained for CDNS8 having highest EPI ratio. Abstract A novel β-cyclodextrin-based nanosponge (CDNS) was proposed as curcumin (CUR) delivery system improving pharmacokinetics and anticancer activity of CUR. The effect of molar ratio of Epiclon (EPI) as cross-linker and β-cyclodextrin (βCD) on the porosity, surface area, swelling ratio, CUR solubility and loading capacity, rate of drug release and selective toxicity of the CDNSs was fully investigated. The high degree of cross-linking led to the formation of mesoporous CDNS having high specific surface area and high loading capacity. All CUR-free CDNSs showed no toxicity against MCF 10A and 4T1 cells as normal and cancerous cells, respectively. While CDNSs-CUR exhibited selective toxicity against cancerous cells. In sum, high CUR aqueous solubility, significant loading and controllable release of the CUR, outstanding and selective toxicity against cancerous cells make CDNS8-CUR (EPI/βCD = 8) as promising candidate for further study in the cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Date palm seed extract (DPSE) has various compounds revealing antioxidant features. This study aimed to evaluate the radioprotective effect of DPSE in total body gamma irradiation.Materials and Methods: At first, chemical characteristics of DPSE were analyzed by ultraviolet, visible and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Then, the toxicity of DPSE was assessed. For this purpose, 60 mice were divided into five groups, and each of the groups were injected by the doses of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/kg, respectively. At the termination of the experiment, mortality rate and weight loss of all mice were evaluated over a period of 30 days. Finally, the radioprotective effect of DPSE was evaluated by dividing 36 mice into three groups: control, test, and placebo and then were irradiated by Cobalt-60.Results: According to the findings, there was no mortality due to DPSE. Furthermore, for the maximum dose of 500 mg/kg, the number of mice surviving at the termination of the experiment with and without injection of DPSE was reported as 83% and 41%, respectively. In addition, a significant difference was obtained between radiated mice with and without DPSE injection (P = 0.035).Conclusion: The findings showed that DPSE injected into mice before irradiation has no toxicity and could protect mice from lethal effects of total body irradiation. The use of DPSE as a new radioprotector agent in the human needs further studies, particularly clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a simple method for preparing a new generation of MnO2 nanomaterials (MNMs) using tannic acid as a template. Two shapes of MnO2 NMs, flower-like M1-MnO2 and near-spherical M2-MnO2, were prepared and compared as dual-active nanozymes and contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Various parameters, including the crystallinity, morphology, magnetic saturation (Ms), surface functionality, surface area, and porosity of the MNMs were investigated. Flower-like M1-MnO2 NMs were biocompatible and exhibited pH-sensitive oxidase and peroxidase mimetic activity, more potent than near-spherical M2-MnO2. Furthermore, the signal intensity and r1 relaxivity strongly depended on the crystallinity, morphology, pore size, and specific surface area of the synthesized MNMs. Our findings suggest that flower-like M1-MnO2 NM with acceptable dual-enzyme mimetic (oxidase-like and peroxidase-like) and T1 MRI contrast activities could be employed as a promising theranostic system for future purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a simple method for preparing a new generation of MnO2 nanomaterials (MNMs) using tannic acid as a template. Two shapes of MnO2 NMs, flower-like M1-MnO2 and near-spherical M2-MnO2, were prepared and compared as dual-active nanozymes and contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Various parameters, including the crystallinity, morphology, magnetic saturation (Ms), surface functionality, surface area, and porosity of the MNMs were investigated. Flower-like M1-MnO2 NMs were biocompatible and exhibited pH-sensitive oxidase and peroxidase mimetic activity, more potent than near-spherical M2-MnO2. Furthermore, the signal intensity and r1 relaxivity strongly depended on the crystallinity, morphology, pore size, and specific surface area of the synthesized MNMs. Our findings suggest that flower-like M1-MnO2 NM with acceptable dual-enzyme mimetic (oxidase-like and peroxidase-like) and T1 MRI contrast activities could be employed as a promising theranostic system for future purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a simple method for preparing a new generation of MnO2 nanomaterials (MNMs) using tannic acid as a template. Two shapes of MnO2 NMs, flower-like M1-MnO2 and near-spherical M2-MnO2, were prepared and compared as dual-active nanozymes and contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Various parameters, including the crystallinity, morphology, magnetic saturation (Ms), surface functionality, surface area, and porosity of the MNMs were investigated. Flower-like M1-MnO2 NMs were biocompatible and exhibited pH-sensitive oxidase and peroxidase mimetic activity, more potent than near-spherical M2-MnO2. Furthermore, the signal intensity and r1 relaxivity strongly depended on the crystallinity, morphology, pore size, and specific surface area of the synthesized MNMs. Our findings suggest that flower-like M1-MnO2 NM with acceptable dual-enzyme mimetic (oxidase-like and peroxidase-like) and T1 MRI contrast activities could be employed as a promising theranostic system for future purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the chemotherapeutic drug, doxorubicin, is commonly used to treat various malignant tumors, its clinical use is restricted because of its toxicity especially cardiotoxicity. The use of curcumin may alleviate some of the doxorubicin‐induced cardiotoxic effects. Especially, using the nano‐formulation of curcumin can overcome the poor bioavailability of curcumin and enhance its physicochemical properties regarding its efficacy. In this study, we systematically reviewed the potential cardioprotective effects of nano‐curcumin against the doxorubicin‐induced cardiotoxicity. A systematic search was accomplished based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines for the identification of all relevant articles on "the role of nano‐curcumin on doxorubicin‐induced cardiotoxicity" in the electronic databases of Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science up to July 2021. One hundred and sixty‐nine articles were screened following a predefined set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Ten eligible scientific papers were finally included in the present systematic review. The administration of doxorubicin reduced the body and heart weights of mice/rats compared to the control groups. In contrast, the combined treatment of doxorubicin and nano‐curcumin increased the body and heart weights of animals compared with the doxorubicin‐treated groups alone. Furthermore, doxorubicin could significantly induce the biochemical and histological changes in the cardiac tissue; however, coadministration of nano‐curcumin formulation demonstrated a pattern opposite to the doxorubicin‐induced changes. The coadministration of nano‐curcumin alleviates the doxorubicin‐induced cardiotoxicity through various mechanisms including antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects. Also, the cardioprotective effect of nano‐curcumin formulation against doxorubicin‐induced cardiotoxicity was higher than free curcumin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super Paramagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles have attracted much attention in drug delivery systems because of their considerable surface-to-volume ratio and content as well. In this regard, in this study, four different formulations of magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized via various polymeric coating layer (beta-cyclodextrin, Chitosan, Gum Arabic, and Alginate) in order to find an appropriate polymer in terms of higher drug loading efficiency and capacity. Molecular dynamics simulation and Quantum mechanics were manipulated to examine the interaction mechanism between the polysaccharide polymers and Doxorubicin. Based on the calculated results, As the best candidate, bCD was chosen for DOX loading. DOX, a hydrophilic drug, was loaded into each of the four formulations. The optimum formulation, Fe3O4-ßCD, possessed loading efficiency and capacity, with 97% and 13%, respectively. The selected nanocarrier was fully characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared, VSM, TGA, XRD, SEM, UV-Vis, DLS, and TEM. TEM result exhibited the prepared Fe3O4-ßCD-DOX nanoparticles had a spherical shape (core and shell) and the size of around 15 nm. In vitro release investigation was conducted using HPLC analysis in the phosphate-buffered saline in acidic (pH=5.4) and neutral (pH=7.4) medium. The obtained results demonstrated that a sustain release performance for more than 72 h with the amount of 50% DOX release in pH=5.4. Cytotoxicity assay showed the toxicity of bare Fe3O4 and Fe3O4-ßCDNPsagainst MDA-MB468 cancerous cell and MCF10A normal cell was negligible and DOX-loaded NPs (Fe3O4-ßCD-DOX) illustrated a higher toxicity in MDA-MB468 cancerous cells than MCF 10A normal cells. The results showed that Fe3O4-ßCD-DOXNPs could improve the therapeutic efficacy and also reduce the adversarial effects; accordingly, the prepared system could be served as a promising drug delivery system in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of imaging contrast media and treatment strategies in one nanosystem has received great attention for cancer detection and treatment. This study aimed to develop Au@MnO/PEG/5FU (AMP/5FU) nanoparticles (NPs) for dual-modal CT/MRI and 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) anticancer drug delivery. The NPs showed a high 5FU loading capacity (90%), pH-responsive release profile, considerable X-ray attenuation, and MRI r1 relaxivity of 4.36 mM−1s−1. They had a significant toxic impact against A549 cancer cells that was greater than that of free 5FU. AMP/5FU NPs can be considered as a high potential multifunctional nanosystem for dual-modal CT/MRI and pH-responsive 5FU delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel targeted tumor contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was synthesized based on Fe3O4@Au nanoparticle coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and decorated with trastuzumab (TZ). The prepared system was fully characterized, and relaxivity, cytotoxicity, colloidal stability, blood compatibility, in vitro cell targeting ability, cytotoxicity, and in vivo MR contrast enhancement were evaluated. The developed system with a size of about 30 nm exhibited excellent stability, blood compatibility, proper relaxivity, negligible in vitro cytotoxicity, and suitable in vivo negative contrast enhancement. Appropriate negative signal enhancement in MRI confirmed the efficiency of the system to be suggested as an encouraging candidate for accurate cancer diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A dual cellular and metabolic T 1 and T 2 * contrast agent was formulated. • CS-modified Gd 2 O 3 NPs were applied for 5-ALA delivery. • CS-coated Gd 2 O 3 NPs improved significantly transverse and longitudinal relaxivities. • 5-ALA combined with FAC improved remarkably the transverse relaxation rate of C 6 cells treated with the NPs. Diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) with high sensitivity and specificity requires cellular and metabolic imaging. In this study, we aimed to endow gadolinium oxide nanoparticles (Gd 2 O 3 NPs) as an interesting T 1 contrast agent with T 2 * contrast ability through intracellular iron assistance induced by 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) with ferric ammonium citrate (FAC). Chitosan (CS)-loaded Gd 2 O 3 NPs were loaded with 5-aminolevulinic acid (Gd 2 O 3 /CS-TPP@5-ALA NPs), and then evaluated as a pH-responsive dual cellular and metabolic T 1 and T 2 * contrast agent for GBM diagnosis. The target NPs with an average size of 138 nm revealed concentration-dependent toxicity against glioblastoma C 6 cells. The relaxation rate (R 1) of the C 6 cells treated with Gd 2 O 3 /CS-TPP@5-ALA NPs plus FAC was remarkably higher than the controls including Gd 2 O 3 /CS-TPP NPs, Gd 2 O 3 /CS-TPP@5-ALA NPs, and FAC (17.2 ± 2.4 vs. 8 ± 1.5, 8.4 ± 1.2, and 2.3 ± 0.5, respectively). Interestingly, the transverse relaxation rate (R 2 *) of the C 6 cells treated with Gd 2 O 3 /CS-TPP@5-ALA NPs + FAC was significantly higher than the controls including Gd 2 O 3 /CS-TPP NPs, Gd 2 O 3 /CS-TPP@5-ALA NPs, and FAC (96 ± 8 vs. 25 ± 4, 27 ± 5, and 19 ± 2.6, respectively). We believe that Gd 2 O 3 /CS-TPP@5-ALA NPs + FAC could be introduced as promising dual cellular and metabolic T 1 -T 2 * contrast agents for GBM diagnosis in MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to investigate the potential of methotrexate (MTX) functionalized, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-modified, chitosan-coated manganese dioxide (MnO 2 /CS) nanoparticles (NPs) as a targeted radiosensitizer for cancer therapy. The novelty of the current study lies in the development of the MnO 2 /CS@5-ALA-MTX NPs as a novel formulation with high encapsulation capacity, site specificity, and biosafety for targeted drug delivery. The study also emphasizes comprehensive in-vitro tests to understand the cell death mechanisms after radiosensitization. The effects of MnO 2 /CS@5-ALA-MTX NPs on U87MG cell lines treated with radiation were examined in-vitro and in-vivo. Mitochondrial function and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were evaluated under normoxia and hypoxia conditions. The combination of MTX and 5-ALA provided tumor-targeting ability, while the CS coating prolonged the circulation time of the nano-system. The synthesized MnO 2 /CS@5-ALA-MTX NPs had an average size of 70 ± 9 nm, a Zeta potential of −6 ± 2 mV, and a polydispersity of 0.240. The loading efficiency and release profile of the drug delivery system were assessed and demonstrated its capacity for drug delivery. The MTT assay on U87MG cells revealed that MnO 2 /CS@5-ALA-MTX NPs reduced cell viability compared to MTX alone. Both in-vitro and in-vivo studies demonstrated tumor-enhanced radiosensitization using MTX functionalized MnO 2 /CS NPs. The mice receiving MnO 2 /CS@5-ALA-MTX NPs and subsequent radiation exposure exhibited significant tumor inhibition and increased survival ratios. Notably, tumor-bearing mice treated with MnO 2 /CS@5-ALA-MTX NPs and X-ray irradiation demonstrated more effective tumor rejection compared to the groups treated with X-ray alone or NPs alone. In conclusion, the results highlight the potential of MnO 2 /CS@5-ALA-MTX NPs as a targeted radiosensitizer for cancer therapy. The NPs exhibited promising tumor-inhibiting effects and enhanced radiosensitization both in-vitro and in-vivo , suggesting their potential as a valuable approach for cancer treatment in the future. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Nanotechnology-based diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches revolutionized the field of cancer detection, and treatment, offering tremendous potential for cost-effective interventions in the early stages of disease. This research synthesized bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 3) nanoparticles (NPs) that were modified with polycyclodextrin (PCD), and functionalized with glucose (Glu) to load curcumin (CUR) for CT imaging and chemo-radiotherapy applications in Breast Cancer. The prepared Bi 2 O 3 @PCD-CUR-Glu NPs underwent comprehensive characterization, encompassing various aspects, including cell migration, cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, blood compatibility, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation ability, real-time PCR analysis, in-vivo safety assessment, in-vivo anti-tumor efficacy, as well as in-vitro CT contrast and X-ray RT enhancement evaluation. CT scan was conducted before and after (1 and 3 h) intravenous injection of Bi 2 O 3 @PCD-CUR-Glu NPs. Through the use of coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis, the final prepared nanoparticle distribution in the Bab/c mice was assessed. The spherical NPs that were ultimately synthesized and had a diameter of around 80 nm demonstrated exceptional toxicity towards the SKBr-3 breast cancer cell line. The cell viability was at its lowest level after 48 h of exposure to a radiation dose of 2 Gy at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. The combined treatment involving using Bi 2 O 3 @PCD-CUR-Glu NPs along with X-ray radiation showed a substantial increase in the generation of ROS, specifically a remarkable 420 % growth. Gene expression analysis indicated that the expression levels of P53, and BAX pro-apoptotic genes were significantly increased. The in-vitro CT imaging analysis conducted unequivocally demonstrated the notable superiority of NPs over Omnipaque in terms of X-ray absorption capacity, a staggering 1.52-fold increase at 80 kVp. The results demonstrated that the targeted Bi 2 O 3 @PCD-CUR-Glu NPs could enhance the visibility of a small mice tumor that is detectable by computed tomography and made visible through X-ray attenuation. Results suggested that Bi 2 O 3 @PCD-CUR-Glu NPs, integrated with CT imaging and chemo-radiotherapy, have great potential as a versatile theranostic system for clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nowadays, there has been a growing demand for low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) protocols. CT has a critical role in the management of the diagnosis chain of pulmonary disease, especially in lung cancer screening. There have been introduced several dose reduction methods, however, most of them are time-consuming, intricate, and vendor-based strategies that are hardly used in clinics routinely. This study aims to evaluate the image quality and pulmonary nodule detectability of LDCT protocols that are feasible and easy implemented. Image quality was analyzed in a general quality control phantom (Gammex) and then in a manmade lung phantom with nodules-equivalent objects. Methods: This study was designed in a two steps, in the first step, a feasible low-dose lung CT protocol was selected with quality assessment of accreditation phantom image. In the second step, the selected low-dose protocol with an appropriate image quality was performed on a manmade lung phantom in which there were objects equivalent to the pulmonary nodule. Finally, image quality parameters of the phantom at the appropriate scan protocol were compared with the standard protocol. Results: A reduction of about 17% of kVp and 46% in tube current leads to dose reduction by about 70%. The contrast-to-noise ratio in the low-dose protocol remained almost unchanged. The signal-to-noise ratio in the low-dose protocol decreased by approximately 32%, and the noise level has increased by about 1.5 times. However, this reduction method hardly affected the detectability of nodules in man-made pulmonary phantom. Conclusions: Here, we demonstrated that the LDCT scan has an insignificant effect on the perception of lung nodules. In this study, patient dose in lung CT was reduced by modifying of kVp and mAs about approximately 70%. Hence, to step in toward low-dose strategies in medical imaging clinics, using easy-implemented and feasible low-dose strategies may be helpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel theranostic nano-system was designed based on Magnetite decorated with Gd3+ ions. • Novel polycyclodextrin was prepared for Gd3+ ions chelation and curcumin delivery. • The target system showed more toxicity against 4T1 than MCF 10A cells. • In vivo anti-tumor study confirmed capability of the system in tumor shrinking without body weight changes. • In vitro and in vivo analysis showed efficacy of the system for T 1 -T 2 dual modality MR imaging. A novel theranostic nanoplatform was prepared based on Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) coated with gadolinium ions decorated-polycyclodextrin (PCD) layer (Fe 3 O 4 @PCD-Gd) and employed for Curcumin (CUR) loading. The dissolution profile of CUR indicated a pH sensitive release manner. Fe 3 O 4 @PCD-Gd NPs exhibited no significant toxicity against both normal and cancerous cell lines (MCF 10A and 4T1, respectively); while the CUR-free NPs showed more toxicity against 4T1 than MCF 10A cells. In vivo anticancer study revealed appropriate capability of the system in tumor shrinking with no tissue toxicity and adverse effect on body weight. In vivo MR imaging of BALB/c mouse showed both T 1 and T 2 contrast enhancement on the tumor cells. Fe 3 O 4 @PCD-Gd/CUR NPs showed significant features as a promising multifunctional system having appropriate T 1 -T 2 dual contrast enhancement and therapeutic efficacy in cancer theranostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Iran, a developing country in southwest Asia, an epidemiologic transition is underway from communicable to noncommunicable diseases. In Iran, cancer is the second largest group of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the third most common cause of death following heart disease, accidents and other natural phenomena. There are some studies reporting an increasing trend in the incidence and mortality rate of a variety of cancers in Iran. Therefore, controlling and preventive interventions pertaining to cancers must be a main priority for health policy and it is recommended that the high-risk population receive earlier screening. In this review, incidence and mortality of colorectal, lung, liver, thyroid, and bladder cancers in Iran are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the study: Our objective was to quantify the accuracy of dose calculation in the build-up region of the tangential field of the breast for a Ti- GRT treatment planning system (TPS). Material and methods: Thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips were arranged in a RANDO phantom for the dose measurement. TiGRT TPS was also used for the dose calculation. Finally, confidence limit values were obtained to quantify the accuracy of the dose calculation of the TPS at the build-up region. Results: In the open field, for gantry angles of 15°, 30°, and 60°, the confidence limit values were 17.68, 19.97, and 34.62 at a depth of 5 mm, and 24.01, 19.07, and 15.74 at a depth of 15 mm, respectively. In the wedge field, for gantry angles of 15°, 30°, and 60°, the confidence limit values were 21.64, 26.80, and 34.87 at a depth of 5 mm, and 27.92, 22.04, and 20.03 at a depth of 15 mm, respectively. Additionally, the findings showed that at a depth of 5 mm, the confidence limit values increased with increasing gantry angle while at a depth of 15 mm, the confidence limit values decreased with increasing gantry angle. Conclusions: Overall, TiGRT TPS overestimated doses compared to TLD measurements, and the confidence limit values were greater for the wedge field than for the open fields. Our findings suggest that the assessment of dose distributions in largedose gradient regions (i.e. build-up region) should not entirely rely on TPS calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to find new potent cytotoxic compounds, several mono- and bis-pyrazolophthalazines 4a-m and 6a-h were synthesized through an efficient, one-pot, three- and pseudo five-component synthetic approach. All derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic activities against four human cancer cell lines of A549, HepG2, MCF-7, and HT29. Compound 4e showed low toxicity against normal cell lines (MRC-5 and MCF 10A, IC 50 > 200 µM) and excellent cytotoxic activity against A549 cell line with IC 50 value of 1.25 ± 0.19 µM, which was 1.8 times more potent than doxorubicin (IC 50 = 2.31 ± 0.13 µM). In addition, compound 6c exhibited remarkable cytotoxic activity against A549 and MCF-7 cell lines (IC 50 = 1.35 ± 0.12 and 0.49 ± 0.01 µM, respectively), more than two-fold higher than that of doxorubicin. The binding properties of the best active mono- and bis-pyrazolophthalazine (4e and 6c) with HSA and DNA were fully evaluated by various techniques including UV–Vis absorption, circular dichroism (CD), Zeta potential and dynamic light scattering analyses indicating interaction of the compounds with the secondary structure of HSA and significant change of DNA conformation, presumably via a groove binding mechanism. Additionally, molecular docking and site-selective binding studies confirmed the fundamental interaction of compounds 4e and 6c with base pairs of DNA. Compounds 4e and 6c showed promising features to be considered as potential lead structures for further studies in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown a great potential as a novel contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) due to their unique properties including versatile structures, composition, and surface chemistry. Fe-MIL-88B-NH2 (MILs) was synthesized using Fe+3 ions and 2-aminoterephthalic acids (NH2-BDC) in the presence of acetic acid and Pluronic F127 under a hydrothermal process. Three MILs in different sizes were synthesized by using variant CH3COOH/Fe+3 molar ratios and denoted as MIL-S, MIL-M, and MIL-L having average sizes of 60, 350, and 730 nm, respectively. The effect of aspect ratio and particle size of MILs was investigated on proton relaxivity and contrast enhancement in aqueous, in vitro, and in vivo MR images. MRI study indicated that by increasing the MILs size, the incremental transverse relaxivity was achieved from 13.53 to 50.80 for r2 and from 38.75 to 60.25 for r2*, while the difference between r2 and r2* was decreased obviously. The r2/r1 ratios were found to be 5.80, 42.27, and 127.00 for MIL-S, MIL-M, and MIL-L, respectively. All MILs demonstrated T2-weighted MR imaging performance. Furthermore, no susceptibility artifacts were observed on T2-weighted images of MILs. By decreasing the size of MILs, r2/r1 ratio was reduced sharply and T1 contrast was also observed for MIL-S. MIL-S was used for in vitro and in vivo study due to its capability in simultaneous T1 and T2 contrast enhancements. MTT and hemolysis assays showed no significant cytotoxicity and hemolysis for MIL-S against normal human breast cell line (MCF-10A) and red blood cells, respectively, at concentrations of Fe+3 up to 300 μg/mL (p < 0.05). T1-weighted images acquired from in vitro study interestingly showed that the signal intensity of MIL-S is more than Dotarem. The in vivo experiment revealed that the signal intensity of mice liver decreased sharply after injection resulting in increase of negative contrast enhancement. The negative contrast enhancement decreased gradually by the time under T2-weighted imaging mode confirming application of MIL-S as a T2 contrast agent in biomedical applications (up to 12 h post-injection). Although a decrease of the size resulted in bright contrast in aqueous solution for MIL-S, it did not show proper efficiency for in vivo positive contrast enhancement. The advantages, including simple preparation and accessibility, acceptable potency and selectivity, blood compatibility, and suitable cytocompatibility as well as enough circulation time, make MIL-S as a dual MRI contrast agent to differentiate between low-contrast tissues for in vivo experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]