Biomaterials for Interfacing Cell Imaging and Drug Delivery: An Overview

Abstract

This feature article provides an overview of different kinds of futuristic biomaterials which have the potential to be used for fluorescent imaging and drug delivery, often simultaneously. The synthesis route or preparation process, fluorescence property, release profile, biocompatibility, bioimaging, and mechanistic approaches are vividly discussed. These include bioimaging with fluorescently doped quantum dots, mesoporous silica, noble metals, metal clusters, hydrophilic/hydrophobic polymers, semiconducting polymer dots, carbon/graphene dots, dendrimers, fluorescent proteins, and other nanobiomaterials. Another section discusses the controlled and targeted drug, gene, or biologically active material delivery using various vehicles such as micelles, 2D nanomaterials, organic nanoparticles, polymeric nanohybrids, and chemically modified polymers. In the last section, we discuss biomaterials, which can deliver biologically active molecules, and imaging the cell/tissue.

Effect of Electrolytic Medium on the Electrochemical Reduction of Graphene Oxide on Si(111) as Probed by XPS

“…In fact, GO has been applied in electronic gate dielectric materials, such as thin film transistors and resistive random-access memory, solar cells and biosensors. It was also reported to be a promising material in dentistry and tissue regeneration, as a biomaterial for interfacing cell imaging and drug delivery, and as an efficient cargo platform for cancer theranostics, phototherapy and bioimaging [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. On the one hand, GO tackles some of the inherent disadvantages of pristine graphene (i.e., its high hydrophobicity, chemical inertness and lack of dispersibility in water), and on the other hand it exhibits some drawbacks (i.e., a low conductivity and amorphous structure) that hinder its broader applications.…”

Ligusticum Striatum-Derived Carbon Dots as Nanocarriers to Deliver Methotrexate for Effective Therapy of Cancer Cells

“…To overcome this significant issue, drug delivery systems are developed to demonstrate their superior efficiency toward the loading and release of drugs and targeting cancer cells. , Modification of the ligand on the carrier is usually used to move the drug toward cancer cells. The ligand can effectively bind with a specific receptor on the cancer cell membrane to accumulate drug carrier surrounding the cell followed by effective drug release to achieve the selectivity on cancer cells. , …”

“…The ligand can effectively bind with a specific receptor on the cancer cell membrane to accumulate drug carrier surrounding the cell followed by effective drug release to achieve the selectivity on cancer cells. 4,6 Carbon dots (C-dots) are manifesting its proficiency as a promising nanomaterial in diverse research fields especially in the biological field. 7−13 C-dots are suitable for a wide range of raw materials modification through facile preparation processes to own many unique chemical and biological properties.…”

Aptamer-functionalized nanomaterials for biological applications

“…Nanomaterials, involving quantum dots, nanoclusters (NCs), nanowires, nanosheets and nanotubes, are characterized by at least one dimension in the nanometer range. 25,26 (i) Quantum dots have the advantages of traditional organic fluorophores, including light stability, chemical stability, narrower emission spectra and wider excitation spectra. In addition, their surface can be easily modified by chemicals or biopolymers.…”