Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia which is caused by accumulation in the brain of plaques made up of amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta). Research on nanosized systems indicated that nanoparticles (NPs) could pass across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and improve the visibility of internal body structures in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which made it possible to aid the early diagnosis of AD. In this research study we synthesized magnetite nanoparticles by high-temperature solution-phase reaction, transferred into water based on a ligand exchange process and coated with meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic (DMSA). Subsequently, the anti-amyloid Abeta immunomagnetic nanoparticles (IMNPs) were prepared by grafting anti-amyloid antibodies on the surface of the DMSA-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was introduced to evaluate the IMNPs activity and conjugation amount of antibodies. The biocompatibility of the IMNPs was tested by colony-forming assay. The results showed that the anti-amyloid Abeta IMNPs were biocompatible and biologically active, as well as effective in enhancing MRI solution, indicating that the IMNPs could be used as potential MRI contrast agents and targeted carriers for AD early diagnosis and therapy.
This paper presents a fundamental study of processing, morphologies, properties, and applications of a novel non-woven nanopaper based on carbon nanofibers (CNFs). Unique material formulations were developed to tailor the non-woven nanopaper to specific engineering applications. The non-woven nanopaper was made from a variety of nanomaterials (e.g. carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene, nanoclay, nickel nanostrands, POSS, etc.) with tailored nanostructures by precisely controlling composition, dispersion, functionalization, orientation, porosity, and thickness during the vacuum infiltration, pressure infiltration, or spray/infiltration process. The polymer matrix was impregnated into the stacked nanopapers to form multi-layered laminated composites. Such non-woven nanopaper based composites were designed and fabricated to achieve high energy dissipation capability for vibrational damping, high thermal conductivity and thermal stability for fire retardancy, ultra-high electrical conductivity and current-carrying capacity for lightning strike protection, and electro-actuation of shape memory polymer composites.
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