The generation and fabrication of nanoscopic structures are of critical technological importance for future implementations in areas such as nanodevices and nanotechnology, biosensing, bioimaging, cancer targeting, and drug delivery. Applications of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in biological fields have been impeded by the incapability of their visualization using conventional methods. Therefore, fluorescence labeling of CNTs with various probes under physiological conditions has become a significant issue for their utilization in biological processes. Herein, we demonstrate a facile and additional fluorophore-free approach for cancer cell-imaging and diagnosis by combining multiwalled CNTs with a well-known conjugated polymer, namely, poly(p-phenylene) (PP). In this approach, PP decorated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was noncovalently (π-π stacking) linked to acid-treated CNTs. The obtained water self-dispersible, stable, and biocompatible f-CNT/PP-g-PEG conjugates were then bioconjugated to estrogen-specific antibody (anti-ER) via -COOH functionalities present on the side-walls of CNTs. The resulting conjugates were used as an efficient fluorescent probe for targeted imaging of estrogen receptor overexpressed cancer cells, such as MCF-7. In vitro studies and fluorescence microscopy data show that these conjugates can specifically bind to MCF-7 cells with high efficiency. The represented results imply that CNT-based materials could easily be fabricated by the described approach and used as an efficient "fluorescent probe" for targeting and imaging, thereby providing many new possibilities for various applications in biomedical sensing and diagnosis.

Theranostically engineered protoporphyrin IX/Gd3+encapsulated niosomes were prepared and used as multimodal theranostic agent.

Because of the great achievement and progress made for the generation of novel nanostructures, theranostic nanoplatforms have been the trending topic because of their intensive capability of therapy and diagnosis. Hence, theranostics have also recently been a generic strategy for personalized medicine. Moreover, traditional therapy modalities limit the use of chemotherapeutic agents for every patient, and this requires more effective drug-carrier systems by designing the formulation of drug in a specified way. Herein, we performed a generic theranostic platform in an "all-in-one" concept by the combination of two therapy modalities with an active targeting approach. To achieve this, 10 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) were encapsulated into folic acid (FA-)tagged niosome vesicles. The resulting AuNP−PpIX−FA niosomes were characterized, and their particle size was93 ± 17 nm with a high surface charge and encapsulation efficiency (around 85%). In the case of bioapplications for AuNP−PpIX−FA niosomes, folate-receptor-positive [FR(+)] human cervical cancer (HeLa) and FR-negative [FR(−)] human alveolar type II (A549)-like cell lines were examined with the relative control groups of theranostic vesicles. By testing the toxicity of vesicles, nontoxic concentrations were successfully introduced to the cell with the combined treatment of radiotherapy and photodynamic therapy. On the other hand, the cellular uptake of niosomes also showed great potential for FR(+) HeLa cells as the theranostic platform with an all-in-one approach.

CdSe/CdS quantum dots (QD) were synthesized and bioconjugated with Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA) lectin (Lec). Mannose triflate and cysteamine molecules (MTC) were also utilized to prepare MTC-QDs and MTCQDs-Lec probes as well as Lec bound QDs. Afterwards; potential use of these nanoparticles as radiolabeled fluorescence nano-probes for the cell imaging studies has been investigated. Biological activities of 125 I − , 125 I-MTCQDs, MTC-QDs-Lec-125 I, QDs-Lec-125 I and Lec-125 I were examined on various cancer cell lines such as Caco-2, MCF-7 and A-549 in terms of cell incorporation. QDs-Lec-125 I exhibited the highest cell incorporation on whole celllines. In addition, the QDs-Lec-131 I, was used for in vivo imaging. The whole body distribution of the radiolabeled QDs on New Zealand rabbits and Balb C mice were examined by taking dynamic and static images. Radioactivity cleared from the kidneys and the bladder, while significant amount radioactivity was retained in the heart and liver within 24 h.

The aim of our study was to use an in vivo radiopharmaceutical model to investigate the cytoprotective effect of amifostine against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6): 1) Saline (control); 2) Doxorubicin (DOX; 10 mg/ kg(-l) intraperitoneally); 3) Amifostine (AMI; 200 mg/kg(-1) intraperitoneally); 4) Doxorubicin plus amifostine (DOX + AMI). Amifostine was injected 30 minutes before doxorubicin in Group 4. 99mTc-MIBI, 20 MBq/0.2 ml(-1), was injected through the tail vein 72 hours after the drug administration. Rats were killed and samples of myocardium were removed by dissection 60 minutes after the injection of radiopharmaceutical. Radioactivity in each organ sample was counted using a Cd(Te) detector equipped with RAD 501 single-channel analyzer. The percent radioactivity was expressed as a percentage of the injected dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g(-1)). The %ID/g(-1) activity was calculated by dividing the activity in each sample by the total activity injected and mass of each organ. 99mTc-MIBI uptake as %ID/g(-1) was 1.194 +/- 0.502 and 0.980 +/- 0.199 in the control and AMI groups, respectively. Doxorubicin administration resulted in a significant increase in %ID/ g(-1) (3.285 +/- 0.839) (p < 0.05). Amifostine administration 30 minutes before doxorubicin injection resulted a significant decrease in %ID/g(-1) (2.160 +/- 0.791) (p < 0.05) compared with doxorubicin alone. The results showed that amifostine significantly attenuated doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

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Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the cytoprotective effect of L-carnitine against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and to compare its efficacy with that of amifostin by quantitative renal Tc 99m DMSA uptake. Material and Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups of six animals each. 1) Control (saline; 5 ml/kg intraperitoneally); 2) L-carnitine (CAR; 300 mg/kg intraperitoneally); 3) Amifostine (AMI; 200 mg /kg intraperitoneally); 4) Cisplatin (CIS;7 mg/kg intraperitoneally); 5) Cisplatin plus L-carnitine (CIS + CAR); 6) Cisplatin plus amifostine (CIS + AMI). L-carnitine and amifostine were injected 30 minutes before cisplatin in Group 5 and 6. Tc 99m DMSA, 7.4 MBq/0.2 ml, was injected through the tail vein 72 hours after the drug administration. Rats were killed and kidneys removed by dissection 2 hours after the injection of the radiopharmaceutical. The percentage of the injected dose per gram of kidney tissue (%ID/g) was calculated. Renal function was monitored by measuring BUN and plasma levels of creatinine. Lipid peroxidation and glutathione content were determined by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in kidney tissue homogenates. Results: Tc 99m DMSA uptake per gram tissue of the kidney as %ID/g was 29.54±4.72, 29.86 ± 7.47 and 26.37 ± 4.54 in the control, CAR and AMI groups respectively. %ID/g was the lowest of all the groups, 11.60±3.59 (p<0.01), in the cisplatin group. Carnitine or amifostine administration 30 minutes before cisplatin injection resulted a significant increase in %ID/g, 21.28±7.73 and 18.97±3.24 respectively, compared to those of cisplatin-treated rats (p<0.002). A marked increase in plasma BUN and creatinine indicating nephrotoxicity and acute renal failure was observed in the cisplatin-treated group. MDA and GSH levels were concordant with cisplatin-induced oxidative stress in the kidney tissue.Conclusion: The results showed that L-carnitine significantly attenuates the cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity as amifostin.Conflict of interest:None declared.