DOX-loaded magnetic alginate–chitosan microspheres were developed to evaluate alternating magnetic field-responsive, synergistic chemo-thermal cancer therapy.

Carbon quantum dots (CDs) are a novel class of fluorescent carbon nanoparticles and nanomaterials with fascinating properties, which have attracted worldwide attention and have been applied in different fields during the last decade.

IntroductionIn vivo distribution of polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated functional nanoparticles is vital for determining their imaging function and therapeutic efficacy in nanomedicine. However, contradictory results have been reported regarding the effect of core size and PEG surface of the nanoparticles on biodistribution.MethodsTo clarify this ambiguous understanding, using iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) as a model system, we investigated the effect of core size and PEG molecule weights on in vivo distribution in mice. Three PEGylated IONPs, including 14 nm IONP@PEG2,000, 14 nm IONP@PEG5,000, and 22 nm IONP@PEG5,000, were prepared with a hydrodynamic size of 26, 34, and 81 nm, respectively. The blood pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution were investigated in detail.ResultsThe results indicated that the PEG layer, rather than core size, played a dominant role in determining the half-life time of IONPs. Specifically, increased molecular weight of the PEG layer led to a longer half-life time. These PEGylated IONPs were mainly excreted by liver clearance. While the PEG molecular layer constituted the key factor to determine the clearance ratio, core size affected the clearance rate.ConclusionComplete blood count analysis and histopathology suggested excellent biocompatibility of PEGylated IONPs for future clinical trials.

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