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    Targeted T1 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Enhancement with Extraordinarily Small CoFe2O4 Nanoparticles
    (Washington, DC : American Chemical Society, 2019) Piché, Dominique; Tavernaro, Isabella; Fleddermann, Jana; Lozano, Juan G.; Varambhia, Aakash; Maguire, Mahon L.; Koch, Marcus; Ukai, Tomofumi; Hernández Rodríguez, Armando J.; Jones, Lewys; Dillon, Frank; Reyes Molina, Israel; Mitzutani, Mai; González Dalmau, Evelio R.; Maekawa, Toru; Nellist, Peter D.; Kraegeloh, Annette; Grobert, Nicole
    Extraordinarily small (2.4 nm) cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (ESCIoNs) were synthesized by a one-pot thermal decomposition approach to study their potential as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. Fine size control was achieved using oleylamine alone, and annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy revealed highly crystalline cubic spinel particles with atomic resolution. Ligand exchange with dimercaptosuccinic acid rendered the particles stable in physiological conditions with a hydrodynamic diameter of 12 nm. The particles displayed superparamagnetic properties and a low r2/r1 ratio suitable for a T1 contrast agent. The particles were functionalized with bile acid, which improved biocompatibility by significant reduction of reactive oxygen species generation and is a first step toward liver-targeted T1 MRI. Our study demonstrates the potential of ESCIoNs as T1 MRI contrast agents.
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    Silica nanoparticles for intracellular protein delivery: A novel synthesis approach using green fluorescent protein
    (London : BioMed Central, 2017) Schmidt, Sarah; Tavernaro, Isabella; Cavelius, Christian; Weber, Eva; Kümper, Alexander; Schmitz, Carmen; Fleddermann, Jana; Kraegeloh, Annette
    In this study, a novel approach for preparation of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-doped silica nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution is presented. GFP was chosen as a model protein due to its autofluorescence. Protein-doped nanoparticles have a high application potential in the field of intracellular protein delivery. In addition, fluorescently labelled particles can be used for bioimaging. The size of these protein-doped nanoparticles was adjusted from 15 to 35 nm using a multistep synthesis process, comprising the particle core synthesis followed by shell regrowth steps. GFP was selectively incorporated into the silica matrix of either the core or the shell or both by a one-pot reaction. The obtained nanoparticles were characterised by determination of particle size, hydrodynamic diameter, ζ-potential, fluorescence and quantum yield. The measurements showed that the fluorescence of GFP was maintained during particle synthesis. Cellular uptake experiments demonstrated that the GFP-doped nanoparticles can be used as stable and effective fluorescent probes. The study reveals the potential of the chosen approach for incorporation of functional biological macromolecules into silica nanoparticles, which opens novel application fields like intracellular protein delivery.
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    Distribution of SiO2 nanoparticles in 3D liver microtissues
    (Macclesfield : Dove Medical Press, 2019) Fleddermann, Jana; Susewind, Julia; Peuschel, Henrike; Koch, Marcus; Tavernaro, Isabella; Kraegeloh, Annette
    Introduction: Nanoparticles (NPs) are used in numerous products in technical fields and biomedicine; their potential adverse effects have to be considered in order to achieve safe applications. Besides their distribution in tissues, organs, and cellular localization, their impact and penetration during the process of tissue formation occurring in vivo during liver regeneration are critical steps for establishment of safe nanomaterials. Materials and methods: In this study, 3D cell culture of human hepatocarcinoma cells (HepG2) was used to generate cellular spheroids, serving as in vitro liver microtissues. In order to determine their differential distribution and penetration depth in HepG2 spheroids, SiO2 NPs were applied either during or after spheroid formation. The NP penetration was comprehensively studied using confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Results: Spheroids were exposed to 100 µg mL-1 SiO2 NPs either at the beginning of spheroid formation, or during or after formation of spheroids. Microscopy analyses revealed that NP penetration into the spheroid is limited. During and after spheroid formation, SiO2 NPs penetrated about 20 µm into the spheroids, corresponding to about three cell layers. In contrast, because of the addition of SiO2 NPs simultaneously to cell seeding, NP agglomerates were located also in the spheroid center. Application of SiO2 NPs during the process of spheroid formation had no impact on final spheroid size. Conclusion: Understanding the distribution of NPs in tissues is essential for biomedical applications. The obtained results indicate that NPs show only limited penetration into already formed tissue, which is probably caused by the alteration of the tissue structure and cell packing density during the process of spheroid formation.