ABSTRACT
Long-lasting moisture retention is a huge challenge to humectants, and effective methods or additives for promote these functions are limited, especially nano-additives. Carbon dots (CDs) have attracted increasing research interest due to its ultra-small size, excellent optical properties and low toxicity, etc. However, most of researches have been focused on the photoexcited CDs and its subsequent photophysical and chemical processes, such as photoluminescence, photodynamic, photothermal and photocatalytic behavior. The intrinsic chemo-physical properties of the pristine CDs are not fully explored. Here, we report an excellent moisture retention capability of a new carmine cochineal-derived CDs (Car-CDs) for the first time. The relationship between the structure of Car-CDs and its moisture retention capability is revealed. More interestingly, the effective applications of Car-CDs in moisturizing lipstick are demonstrated. This work expands the research and application of CDs into a broad, new area, potentially in skin care.
Subject(s)
Carbon/chemistry , Cosmetics/chemistry , Dermatologic Agents , Quantum Dots , Water/chemistry , Female , Hand/physiology , Humans , Lip/metabolism , Male , Skin/metabolism , Waxes/chemistryABSTRACT
Cancer treatment has been recently energized by nanomaterials that simultaneously offer diagnostic and therapeutic effects. Among the imaging and treatment modalities in frontline research today, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and phototherapy have gained significant interest due to their noninvasiveness among other intriguing benefits. Herein, Fe(iii) was adsorbed on titanium dioxide to develop magnetic Fe-TiO2 nanocomposites (NCs) which leverage the Fe moiety in a double-edge-sword approach to: (i) achieve T1-weighted MRI contrast enhancement, and (ii) improve the well-established photodynamic therapeutic efficacy of TiO2 nanoparticles. Interestingly, the proposed NCs exhibit classic T1 MRI contrast agent properties (r1 = 1.16 mM-1 s-1) that are comparable to those of clinically available contrast agents. Moreover, the NCs induce negligible cytotoxicity in traditional methods and show remarkable support to the proliferation of intestine organoids, an advanced toxicity evaluation system based on three-dimensional organoids, which could benefit their potential safe application for in vivo cancer theranostics. Aided by the Fenton reaction contribution of the Fe component of the Fe-TiO2 NCs, considerable photo-killing of cancer cells is achieved upon UV irradiation at very low (2.5 mW cm-2) intensity in typical cancer PDT. It is therefore expected that this study will guide the engineering of other biocompatible magnetic titania-based nanosystems with multi-faceted properties for biomedical applications.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Biocompatible Materials/pharmacology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Photosensitizing Agents/pharmacology , Phototherapy , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Biocompatible Materials/chemical synthesis , Biocompatible Materials/chemistry , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Cell Survival/drug effects , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , Female , Magnetic Phenomena , Magnetite Nanoparticles/chemistry , Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/drug therapy , Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology , Materials Testing , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Nanotubes/chemistry , Particle Size , Photosensitizing Agents/chemical synthesis , Photosensitizing Agents/chemistry , Titanium/chemistry , Titanium/pharmacology , Ultraviolet RaysABSTRACT
The desire for all-organic-composed nanoparticles (NPs) of considerable biocompatibility to simultaneously diagnose and treat cancer is undeniably interminable. Heretofore, metal-based agents dominate the landscape of available magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents and photothermal therapeutic agents, but with associated metal-specific downsides. Here, an all-organic metal-free nanoprobe, whose appreciable biocompatibility is synergistically contributed by its tetra-organo-components, is developed as a viable alternative to metal-based probes for MRI-guided tumor-targeted photothermal therapy (PTT). This rationally entails a glycol chitosan (GC)-linked polypyrrole (PP) nanoscaffold that provides abundant primary and secondary amino groups for amidation with the carboxyl groups in a nitroxide radical (TEMPO) and folic acid (FA), to obtain GC-PP@TEMPO-FA NPs. Advantageously, the appreciably benign GC-PP@TEMPO-FA features high nitroxide loading (r1 = 1.58 mM-1 s-1) and in vivo nitroxide-reduction resistance, prolonged nitroxide-systemic circulation times, appreciable water dispersibility, potential photodynamic therapeutic and electron paramagnetic resonance imaging capabilities, considerable biocompatibility, and ultimately achieves a 17 h commensurate MRI contrast enhancement. Moreover, its GC component conveys a plethora of PP to tumor sites, where FA-mediated tumor targeting enables substantial NP accumulation with consequential near-complete tumor regression within 16 days in an MRI-guided PTT. The present work therefore promotes the engineering of organic-based metal-free biocompatible NPs in synergism, in furtherance of tumor-targeted image-guided therapy.
