Nonlinear optical nanocrystals have been recently introduced as a promising alternative to fluorescent probes for multiphoton microscopy. We present for the first time a complete survey of the properties of five nanomaterials (KNbO(3), LiNbO(3), BaTiO(3), KTP, and ZnO), describing their preparation and stabilization and providing quantitative estimations of their nonlinear optical response. In the light of their prospective use as biological and clinical markers, we assess their biocompatibility on human healthy and cancerous cell lines. Finally, we demonstrate the great potential for cell imaging of these inherently nonlinear probes in terms of optical contrast, wavelength flexibility, and signal photostability.

By combining quercetin with doxorubicin, an increase in doxorubicin effects was obtained specifically in the highly invasive breast cancer cells, while in non-tumoral cells quercetin reduced doxorubicin cytotoxic side effects. Thus, quercetin associated with doxorubicin demonstrated very promising properties for developing chemotherapeutics combinations for the therapy of breast cancer.

Enhanced magnetic behavior, exchange bias effect, and dielectric property of BiFeO3 incorporated in (BiFeO3)0.50 (Co0.4Zn0.4Cu0.2 Fe2O4)0.5 nanocomposite AIP Advances 4, 037112 (2014) Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) from BiFeO 3 nanocrystals is investigated for the first time to determine their potential as biomarkers for multiphoton imaging. Nanocrystals are produced by an auto-combustion method with 2-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-propane-1,3-diol as a fuel. Stable colloidal suspensions with mean particle diameters in the range 100-120 nm are then obtained after wet-milling and sonication steps. SHG properties are determined using two complementary experimental techniques, Hyper Rayleigh Scattering and nonlinear polarization microscopy. BiFeO 3 shows a very high second harmonic efficiency with an averaged hdi coefficient of 79 6 12 pm/V. From the nonlinear polarization response of individual nanocrystals, relative values of the independent d ij coefficients are also determined and compared with recent theoretical and experimental studies. Additionally, the particles show a moderate magnetic response, which is attributed to c-Fe 2 O 3 impurities. A combination of high nonlinear optical efficiency and magnetic response within the same particle is of great interest for future bio-imaging and diagnostic applications. V C 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.[http://dx

Nature's beauty: The first total synthesis of the alkaloid natural product jerantinine E is based on a selective cyclization of an aminocyclopropane. Preliminary investigations show that it inhibits the polymerization of tubulin, displaying significant cytotoxicity and antimigratory activity against both breast and lung cancer cell lines.

We investigate the use of bismuth ferrite (BFO) nanoparticles for tumor tissue labeling in combination with infrared multiphoton excitation at 1250 nm. We report the efficient and simultaneous generation of second- and third-harmonic signals by the nanoparticles. On this basis, we set up a novel imaging protocol based on the co-localization of the two harmonic signals and demonstrate its benefits in terms of increased selectivity against endogenous background sources in tissue samples. Finally, we discuss the use of BFO nanoparticles as mapping reference structures for correlative light–electron microscopy

Bismuth Ferrite (BFO) nanoparticles (BFO-NP) display interesting optical (nonlinear response) and magnetic properties which make them amenable for bio-oriented diagnostic applications as intra-and extra membrane contrast agents. Due to the relatively recent availability of this material in well dispersed nanometric form, its biocompatibility was not known to date. In this study, we present a thorough assessment of the effects of in vitro exposure of human adenocarcinoma (A549), lung squamous carcinoma (NCI-H520), and acute monocytic leukemia (THP-1) cell lines to uncoated and poly(ethylene glycol)-coated BFO-NP in the form of cytotoxicity, haemolytic response and biocompatibility. Our results support the attractiveness of the functional-BFO towards biomedical applications focused on advanced diagnostic imaging.

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Ten oxidosqualene cyclase inhibitors with high efficacy as cholesterol-lowering agents and of different chemical structure classes were evaluated as potential anticancer agents against human cancer cells from various tissue origins and nontumoral human-brain-derived endothelial cells. Inhibition of cancer cell growth was demonstrated at micromolar concentrations, comparable to the concentrations of statins necessary for antitumor effect. Human glioblastoma cells were among the most sensitive cells. These compounds were also able to decrease the proliferation of angiogenic brain-derived endothelial cells, as a model of tumor-induced neovasculation. Additive effects in human glioblastoma cells were also demonstrated for oxidosqualene cyclase inhibitors in combination with atorvastatin while maintaining selectivity against endothelial cells. Thus, not only statins targeting the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase but also inhibitors of oxidosqualene cyclase decrease tumor growth, suggesting new therapeutic opportunities of combined anti-cholesterol agents for dual treatment of glioblastoma.