Novel Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Induce Ferroptosis in a Panel of Cancer Cell Lines.

The use of nanomaterials rationally engineered to treat cancer is a burgeoning field that has reported great medical achievements. Iron-based polymeric nano-formulations with precisely tuned physicochemical properties are an expanding and versatile therapeutic strategy for tumor treatment. Recently, a peculiar type of regulated necrosis named ferroptosis has gained increased attention as a target for cancer therapy. Here, we show for the first time that novel iron oxide nanoparticles coated with gallic acid and polyacrylic acid (IONP-GA/PAA) possess intrinsic cytotoxic activity on various cancer cell lines. Indeed, IONP-GA/PAA treatment efficiently induces ferroptosis in glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, and fibrosarcoma cells. IONP-GA/PAA-induced ferroptosis was blocked by the canonical ferroptosis inhibitors, including deferoxamine and ciclopirox olamine (iron chelators), and ferrostatin-1, the lipophilic radical trap. These ferroptosis inhibitors also prevented the lipid hydroperoxide generation promoted by the nanoparticles. Altogether, we report on novel ferroptosis-inducing iron encapsulated nanoparticles with potent anti-cancer properties, which has promising potential for further in vivo validation.

DNA-Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Conjugates: Functional Magnetic Nanoplatforms in Biomedical Applications.

The use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), such as iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), in biomedicine is considered to be a valuable alternative to the more traditional materials due to their chemical stability, cost-effectiveness, surface functionalization, and the possibility to selectively attach and transport targeted species to the desired location under a magnetic field. One of the many main applications of MNPs is DNA separation, which enables genetic material manipulation; consequently, MNPs are used in numerous biotechnological methods, such as gene transfection and molecular recognition systems. In addition, the interaction between the surfaces of MNPs and DNA molecules and the magnetic nature of the resulting composite have facilitated the development of safe and effective gene delivery vectors to treat significant diseases, such as cancer and neurological disorders. Furthermore, the special recognition properties of nucleic acids based on the binding capacity of DNA and the magnetic behavior of the nanoparticles allowing magnetic separation and concentration of analytes have led to the development of biosensors and diagnostic assays; however, both of these applications face important challenges in terms of the improvement of selective nanocarriers and biosensing capacity. In this review, we discuss some aspects of the properties and surface functionalization of MNPs, the interactions between DNA and IONPs, the preparation of DNA nanoplatforms and their biotechnological applications, such as the magnetic separation of DNA, magnetofection, preparation of DNA vaccines, and molecular recognition tools.

Ecotoxicidad de nanopartículas metálicas y superparamagnéticas de óxido de hierro en dos especies / Ecotoxicity of metalic and superparamagnetics iron oxide nanoparticles in two species

Introducción: la nanotecnología y el empleo de materiales a nano escala son un área relativamente nueva de la ciencia y la tecnología con un gran crecimiento en el mercado global. Muchos de los productos no cuentan con estudios que garanticen su uso seguro, tanto para el hombre como para los ecosistemas. Los estudios ecotoxicológicos permiten evaluar los efectos de un determinado xenobiótico sobre especies representativas de los diferentes compartimentos ambientales. Objetivo: evaluar los efectos tóxicos de nanopartículas de Ag, Au, Ag/Ag y superparamagnéticas de óxido de hierro, en dos especies bioindicadoras de los ecosistemas terrestre y acuático. Métodos: como parte de los estudios de seguridad se realizaron ensayos de toxicidad aguda por contacto en lombriz de tierra de la especie Eisenia andrei, con una duración de 96 horas y estudios en anfibios de la especie Osteopillus septentrionales en diferentes etapas del desarrollo (embrionario y larval). Se evaluó la ocurrencia de mortalidad y de efectos tóxicos, en el caso del ensayo en lombriz de tierra; se determinó además la viabilidad celular. Resultados: los efectos tóxicos más significativos en el caso de la lombriz de tierra fueron, la ocurrencia de alteraciones fisiológicas y conductuales al ser expuesta a NPs de Ag de 3 nm y superparamagnéticas de óxido de hierro, estas últimas provocaron citotoxicidad a la concentración 1,38 mg/mL. En el caso de los anfibios se evidenció toxicidad en NPs de Ag 3 nm y superparamagnéticas de óxido de hierro. Conclusiones: todas las nanopartículas mostraron efectos tóxicos en las especies bioindicadoras evaluadas(AU)

Introduction: Nanotechnology and the use of nanoscale materials are a relatively new area of science and technology with big growth in the global market. Many of these products don't have studies that guarantee their safe use, both for man and for ecosystems. Ecotoxicological studies allow the evaluation of the effects of a particular xenobiotic on representative species of the different environmental compartments. Objective: To evaluate the toxic effects of nanoparticles of Ag, Au, Ag / Ag and super paramagnetic iron oxide in two bioindicators of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Methods: Acute contact toxicity tests were carried out on ground worm of the Eisenia andrei species, with a duration of 96 hours and studies on amphibians of the species Osteopillus septentrionales at different stages of development (embryonic and larval). The occurrence of mortality and toxic effects was evaluated in the case of earthworm test; cell viability was also determined. Results: The most significant toxic effects in the case of earthworms were the occurrence of physiological and behavioral alterations when exposed to 3 nm Ag of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, where the latter caused cytotoxicity at concentration of 1.38 mg / mL. In the case of amphibians, toxicity was evidenced in Ag 3 nm nanoparticles and superparamagnetic iron oxide. Conclusions: All nanoparticles showed toxic effects in the evaluated bioindicator species(AU)

Influence of the chelator structures on the stability of Re and Tc tricarbonyl complexes with iminodiacetic acid tridentate ligands: a computational study.

The development of novel radiopharmaceuticals for nuclear medicine based on M(CO)3 (M = Tc, Re) complexes has attracted great attention. The versatility of this core and the easy production of the fac-[M(CO)3(H2O)3](+) precursor could explain this interest. The main characteristics of these tricarbonyl complexes are the high substitution stability of the three CO ligands and the corresponding lability of the coordinated water molecules, yielding, via easy exchange of a variety of bi- and tridentate ligands, complexes xof very high kinetic stability. Here, a computational study of different tricarbonyl complexes of Re(I) and Tc(I) was performed using density functional theory. The solvent effect was simulated using the polarizable continuum model. These structures were used as a starting point to investigate the relative stabilities of tricarbonyl complexes with various tridentate ligands. These complexes included an iminodiacetic acid unit for tridentate coordination to the fac-[M(CO)3](+) moiety (M = Re, Tc), an aromatic ring system bearing a functional group (-NO2, -NH2, and -Cl) as a linking site model, and a tethering moiety (a methylene, ethylene, propylene butylene, or pentylene bridge) between the linking and coordinating sites. The optimized complexes showed geometries comparable to those inferred from X-ray data. In general, the Re complexes were more stable than the corresponding Tc complexes. Furthermore, using NH2 as the functional group, a medium length carbon chain, and ortho substitution increased complex stability. All of the bonds involving the metal center presented a closed shell interaction with dative or covalent character, and the strength of these bonds decreased in the sequence Tc-CO > Tc-O > Tc-N.

Comportamiento del consumo de drogas en adolescentes de noveno grado / Drug Use Behavior among Adolescents in Ninth School Year

Introducción: a nivel mundial, el consumo de alcohol y tabaco comienza desde edades muy tempranas. Cuba no queda aislada de este fenómeno. Objetivo: caracterizar el consumo de drogas en adolescentes de noveno grado de la Secundaria Básica “28 de septiembre”, de la Comunidad de Párraga. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo, de corte transversal. La muestra estuvo constituida por 116 adolescentes de dicha secundaria.Resultados: de los adolescentes encuestados, 45 consumían alcohol. De ellos, siete también eran consumidores de tabaco. Se detectó que la edad de inicio de consumo tanto de tabaco como de alcohol, era de 14 años. El consumo de alcohol lo realizaban fundamentalmente en actividades recreativas. Se observó que el 71,5 por ciento de los adolescentes reconoce al alcohol y al tabaco como droga. Conclusiones: la edad de inicio de consumo tanto de tabaco como de alcohol resultó ser de 14 años, con mayor tendencia al consumo en las adolescentes del sexo femenino(AU)

Introduction: in many countries, the consumption of alcohol and tobacco starts from early age. Cuba is not isolated from this phenomenon. Objective: tocharacterize the consumption of drugs in the “28 de Septiembre“ school of Arroyo Naranjo Municipality in Havana City.Methods: a transversal descriptive study in the 9th of “28 de Septiembre“ school of Arroyo Naranjo Municipality in Havana City was made. 116 adolescents (58.6 %) were surveyed in order to know their behavior in relation with drugs dependence. Results: 45 adolescents declared to drink alcohol and seven of them also smoke. All adolescents that consume alcohol and tobacco had begun at 14 years old. Parties were the principal place in which they drank alcohol and smoke cigarettes. On the other hand, only 71.5 percent of them recognize the alcohol and tobacco as drugs. Conclusions: the beginning of consumption of tobacco and alcohol were 14 years old. The feminine adolescent has more tendencies to consume in this age

Gold nanoparticles enhancing dismutation of superoxide radical by its bis(dithiocarbamato)copper(II) shell.

In the past few years three topics in nanoscience have received great attention: catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), their electron transfer properties, and magnetism. Although these properties could have much in common no report on their synergism has been published. Here we present 10-nm gold nanoparticles conveniently capped with a mixed self-assembled monolayer containing bis(dithiocarbamato)copper(II) complexes, which dismutate superoxide radical with extremely high efficiency (IC(50) = 0.074 µM). This behavior is interpreted as the result of an electron transfer (ET) process between AuNP core and the analyte when associated to copper(II). The ET process involving a charged AuNP core was detected by EPR and UV-vis spectroscopy.

Interaction of nitric oxide with gold nanoparticles capped with a ruthenium(II) complex.

Gold nanoparticles capped with a cis-(4-aminothiophenol)bis(bipyridyl)(chloro)ruthenium(II) complex that are able to coordinate nitric oxide, become fluorescent and then liberate it by photolabilization when irradiated at 430 nm is reported.

Estudio de un posible mecanismo de acción antitumoral de tiosemicarbazonas / Study of a possible echanisms of antitumorous action of thiosemicarbazones

Se estudiaron por espectroscopía UV la tiosemicarbazida (TSC), el 2-amino 5-metil 1,3,4 tiadiazol (MTDZ), la tiosemicarbazona del acetaldehido (AITSC), la tiosemicarbazona del ácido fórmico (FTSC) y los siguientes sistemas: K3 (Fe (CN)6)-AITSC, K3 (Fe (CN)6)-FTSC, Na3 (Co (NO2)6)-AITSC, Na3- (Co(NO2)6)-FTSC, CuCL2 AITSC, CuCL2-FTSC. Estos sistemas tambièn fueron estudiados or cromatografía de capa delgada; se comprobó que la AITSC se exida al MTDZ y se propuso que un posible mecanismo de acción antitumoral sea a través de procesos redox, donde las tiosemicarbazonas se oxiden bajo la acciòn de biometales presentes en el organismo. En el caso de la FTSC no se pudo comprobar la oxidación a su correspondiente tiadiazol, pudiendo explicarse esto a través de que son necesarias condiciones más enérgicas para que ocurra la oxidación

Estudio de un posible mecanismo de acción antitumoral de tiosemicarbazonas / Study of a possible mechanisms of antitumorous action of thiosemicarbazones

Se estudiaron por espectroscopía UV la tiosemicarbazida (TSC), el 2-amino 5-metil 1,3,4 tiadiazol (MTDZ), la tiosemicarbazona del acetaldehido (AITSC), la tiosemicarbazona del ácido fórmico (FTSC) y los siguientes sistemas: K3 (Fe (CN)6)-AITSC, K3 (Fe (CN)6)-FTSC, Na3 (Co (NO2)6)-AITSC, Na3- (Co(NO2)6)-FTSC, CuCL2 AITSC, CuCL2-FTSC. Estos sistemas tambièn fueron estudiados or cromatografía de capa delgada; se comprobó que la AITSC se exida al MTDZ y se propuso que un posible mecanismo de acción antitumoral sea a través de procesos redox, donde las tiosemicarbazonas se oxiden bajo la acciòn de biometales presentes en el organismo. En el caso de la FTSC no se pudo comprobar la oxidación a su correspondiente tiadiazol, pudiendo explicarse esto a través de que son necesarias condiciones más enérgicas para que ocurra la oxidación

Sobre los compuestos de coordinación como agentes antitumorales. III: efectos electrónico-estructurales / On coordination copounds as antitumorigenic agents: III: electronic and structural effects

Se reportan los valores de toxicidad in vitro, en la linea celular Kb, de 28 tiosemicarbazonas y sus correspondientes compuestos de coordinación con cobalto, níquel, cobre y cinc. A partir de estos valores se hacen consideraciones sobre qué influencia pueden tener sobre esta propiedad los efectos electrónicos y estructurales, y se concluye que los primeros resultan ser los determinantes

Sobre los compuestos de coordinación como agentes antitumorales: III: efectos electrónico-estructurales / On coordination compounds as antitumorigenic agents: III: electronic and structural effects

Se reportan los valores de toxicidad in vitro, en la linea celular Kb, de 28 tiosemicarbazonas y sus correspondientes compuestos de coordinación con cobalto, níquel, cobre y cinc. A partir de estos valores se hacen consideraciones sobre qué influencia pueden tener sobre esta propiedad los efectos electrónicos y estructurales, y se concluye que los primeros resultan ser los determinantes