Melanin and Melanin-Functionalized Nanoparticles as Promising Tools in Cancer Research—A Review

Marcovici, Iasmina; Coricovac, Dorina; Pînzaru, Iulia; Macaşoi, Ioana; Popescu, Roxana; Chioibaş, Raul; Zupkó, István; Dehelean, Cristina

doi:10.3390/cancers14071838

Cited by 35 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 181 publications

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“…To analyze the enzyme activity over time, the same assay was conducted after 35 min of contact from MNPs GPTMS or MNPs GPTMS LDHA at 100 μg/mL and the reaction buffer. It is known that melanin has a broadband light absorption across the visible, ultraviolet, and near-infrared spectra, so it was expected to have some absorbance at 450 nm, the same wavelength from the LDH reaction assay. , As observed by the enzyme activity (Figure (c)), while the absorbance of MNPs GPTMS remained practically unaltered, the absorbance of MNPs GPTMS LDHA increased over time. Nonetheless, we also wanted to test the stability of MNPs GPTMS LDHA.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silane Grafted Biosourced Melanin: A Sustainable Approach for Nanobiosensing Applications

Caldas,

Neves,

Franco

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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Nanotechnology has revolutionized areas of biotechnology owing to its multidiversified applications, improved sensitivity, surface size, and cost. In the past years, some issues have arisen regarding the impact of nanomaterials on the environment and human health. In this regard, there is a growing interest in identifying natural and sustainable nanostructured biomaterials as an alternative to toxic petrochemical derived materials. The most commonly used materials in nanobiotechnology applications possess inherent limitations regarding biocompatibility, which leads to foreign-body response at the implantation site, causing a rejection of the implant. In parallel, the recovery of byproducts from other industries and their transformation into valuable resources have been key factors in the circular economy. Given that, there is urgency to move toward sustainable research and green nanotechnologies with an undeniable biocompatibility. Herein, we propose a design based on natural melanin nanoparticles (MNPs) obtained from the ink sacs of Sepia off icinalis, a waste product from the food industry, grafted with silane (MNPs GPTMS) for biomedical applications. The design, characterization of both physical and chemical properties, and biological properties of the MNPs GPTMS are reported. The silane, (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane, allows facile functionalization of different bioreceptors onto the surface of MNPs GPTMS, herein demonstrated with antibodies and an enzyme. Cellular viability studies confirmed the cytocompatibility of MNPs GPTMS and hemocompatibility of 50 μg/mL. The engineered MNPs GPTMS provide a powerful, sustainable, and biocompatible biomaterial-based tool for specific bioreceptor targeting molecules that can be used in diverse biomedical field applications such as nanobiosensing.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silane Grafted Biosourced Melanin: A Sustainable Approach for Nanobiosensing Applications

Caldas,

Neves,

Franco

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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“…The applications of natural melanin and melanin-like NPs in cancer therapy include chemotherapy, phototherapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy [ 128 , 129 , 130 , 131 ]. Nevertheless, the role of melanin in cancer is still widely debated.…”

Section: Melanin and Cancermentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Applications of Melanin-like Nanoparticles as Antioxidant Agents

et al. 2023

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Nanosized antioxidants are highly advantageous in terms of versatility and pharmacokinetics, with respect to conventional molecular ones. Melanin-like materials, artificial species inspired by natural melanin, combine recognized antioxidant (AOX) activity with a unique versatility of preparation and modification. Due to this versatility and documented biocompatibility, artificial melanin has been incorporated into a variety of nanoparticles (NP) in order to give new platforms for nanomedicine with enhanced AOX activity. In this review article, we first discuss the chemical mechanisms behind the AOX activity of materials in the context of the inhibition of the radical chain reaction responsible for the peroxidation of biomolecules. We also focus briefly on the AOX properties of melanin-like NP, considering the effect of parameters such as size, preparation methods and surface functionalization on them. Then, we consider the most recent and relevant applications of AOX melanin-like NPs that are able to counteract ferroptosis and be involved in the treatment of important diseases that affect, e.g., the cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as the kidneys, liver and articulations. A specific section will be dedicated to cancer treatment, since the role of melanin in this context is still very debated. Finally, we propose future strategies in AOX development for a better chemical understanding of melanin-like materials. In particular, the composition and structure of these materials are still debated, and they present a high level of variability. Thus, a better understanding of the mechanism behind the interaction of melanin-like nanostructures with different radicals and highly reactive species would be highly advantageous for the design of more effective and specific AOX nano-agents.

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“…In 2022, Lasmina et al . briefly summarized the applications of functionalized pigment-like nanoparticles in medical oncology, but their list of applications is not exhaustive and comprehensive [ 36 ]. Nonetheless, there are a significant number of literature reviews on surface modification based on PDA that are manifestly not representative of melanin.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Melanin-like nanoparticles: advances in surface modification and tumour photothermal therapy

Tian

et al. 2022

J Nanobiotechnol

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Currently, tumor treatments are characterized by intelligence, diversity and personalization, but the therapeutic reagents used are often limited in clinical efficacy due to problems with water solubility, targeting, stability and multidrug resistance. To remedy these shortcomings, the application of multifunctional nanotechnology in the biomedical field has been widely studied. Synthetic melanin nanoparticles (MNPs) surfaces which contain highly reactive chemical groups such as carboxyl, hydroxyl and amine groups, can be used as a reaction platform on which to graft different functional components. In addition, MNPs easily adhere to substrate surface, and serve as a secondary reaction platform to modify it. The multifunctionality and intrinsic biocompatibility make melanin-like nanoparticles promising as a multifunctional and powerful nanoplatform for oncological applications. This paper first reviews the preparation methods, polymerization mechanisms and physicochemical properties of melanin including natural melanin and chemically synthesized melanin to guide scholars in MNP-based design. Then, recent advances in MNPs especially synthetic polydopamine (PDA) melanin for various medical oncological applications are systematically and thoroughly described, mainly focusing on bioimaging, photothermal therapy (PTT), and drug delivery for tumor therapy. Finally, based on the investigated literature, the current challenges and future directions for clinical translation are reasonably discussed, focusing on the innovative design of MNPs and further elucidation of pharmacokinetics. This paper is a timely and comprehensive and detailed study of the progress of MNPs in tumor therapy, especially PTT, and provides ideas for the design of personalized and customizable oncology nanomedicines to address the heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment. Graphical Abstract

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Melanin and Melanin-Functionalized Nanoparticles as Promising Tools in Cancer Research—A Review

Cited by 35 publications

References 181 publications

Silane Grafted Biosourced Melanin: A Sustainable Approach for Nanobiosensing Applications

Silane Grafted Biosourced Melanin: A Sustainable Approach for Nanobiosensing Applications

Recent Applications of Melanin-like Nanoparticles as Antioxidant Agents

Melanin-like nanoparticles: advances in surface modification and tumour photothermal therapy

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