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Recently, bacterial cellulose-based wound dressings have gained lots of attention, and many studies have tried to improve the efficacy of these membranes with incorporation of different natural materials to fabricate an all-natural wound dressing with significant antibacterial and wound healing properties. In the present study, bacterial cellulose (BC) is produced from Gluconacetobacter xylinus to fabricate BC-based membranes. Then, chitosan (CS) and cinnamon extract (CE) are incorporated into the BC membranes to prepare an all-natural wound dressing. The obtained composite membrane (BC/CS/CE) is characterized according to chemical properties, surface morphology, mechanical properties, water absorptivity, water retention, CE release, antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, in vivo wound healing activity, and compared with BC and BC/CS membranes. The BC/CS/CE membrane is able to maintain appropriate moisture content for an acceptable period of time. Although the tensile strength and elongation at break values of the BC/CS/CE are slightly lower than the BC membrane, they are still in ideal ranges. The BC/CS/CE membrane exhibits significantly more antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in comparison with the BC and BC/CS which can be related to the sustained released profile of CE. In addition, BC/CS/CE is more biocompatible with L929 normal skin fibroblast cells in comparison with the BC and BC/CS membranes. Also, the BC/CS/CE membrane can meaningfully promote the wound healing progress compared with other membranes at the Wistar rats full-thickness skin wound model. The BC/CS/CE membrane-treated wounds have more developed dermis layer in comparison with other groups according to histopathological analyses. Taking together, the CS and CE enriched BC membranes can be a promising wound dressing with desirable properties.

Herein, we report the novel metal organic frameworks (MOFs)-based polypyrrole (TiO2/Cu-MOF/PPy) composite via facile hydrothermal technique. The prepared composites are characterized by X-ray diffractometer; microstructural characterization is done with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM); and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy, UV–Vis absorbance spectra, and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra analysis are obtained. The catalytic behavior is examined through the decomposition of methylene blue, rhodamine B, and methyl orange, as a standard dyes under visible light irradiation. Enhanced photocatalytic activities for the novel TiO2/Cu-MOF/PPy composite under visible light are attributed to the high charge separation, absorption, and carrier mobility of MOFs-based polypyrrole composite. Our result shows a great potential of MOFs-based polymer materials as catalyst under visible light radiation for the decomposition of industrial organic dyes.

In this research, the Polycaprolactone/Gelatin/Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (PGH) scaffold was successfully fabricated through electrospinning technique and the physical, chemical, and biological p...

The aqueous synthesis of pure bismuth nanoparticles (Bi NPs) is still challenging due to oxidative decomposition and hydrolytic instability, especially in aqueous media. This study reports the fabr...

Background: Mebendazole (MBZ) is a well-known anti-parasite drug with significant anti-cancer properties. However, MBZ exhibits low solubility, limited absorption efficacy, extensive first-pass effect, and low bioavailability. Therefore, multiple oral administration of high dose MBZ is required daily for achieving the therapeutic serum level which can cause severe side effects and patients’ non-compliance. Method: In the present study, MBZ-loaded/folic acid-targeted chitosan nanoparticles (CS-FA-MBZ) were synthesized, characterized, and used to form cylindrical subcutaneous implants for 4T1 triple-negative breast tumor (TNBC) treatment in BALB/c mice. The therapeutic efficacy of the CS-FA-MBZ implants was investigated after subcutaneous implantation in comparison with Control (no-treatment), MBZ (40 mg/kg, oral administration, twice a week for 2 weeks), and CS-FA implants, according to 4T1 tumors’ growth progression, metastasis, and tumor-bearing mice survival time. Also, their biocompatibility was evaluated by blood biochemical analyzes and histopathological investigation of vital organs. Results: The CS-FA-MBZ implants were completely degraded 15 days after implantation and caused about 73.3%, 46.5%, 37.3% decrease in the mean tumors’ volume in comparison with the Control (1050.5±120.7 mm3), MBZ (561.7±70.3 mm3), and CS-FA (658.3±88.1 mm3) groups, respectively. Average liver metastatic colonies’ number per microscope field at the CS-FA-MBZ (8.6±1.9) group was significantly (P

Drug-loaded implants have exhibited many advantages over intravenous or oral drug administration, especially for cancer treatment. Therefore, biodegradable implants have received lots of attention for controlled release and delivery of anti-cancer drugs. In the present study, doxorubicin-loaded chitosan (CS-DOX) nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized. Subsequently, polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) was used as a maintainer to form a biodegradable implant containing CS-DOX nanoparticles for subcutaneous implantation (PLGA/CS-DOX). The therapeutic efficacy of these implants was investigated in different groups of 4T1 breast tumor-bearing BALB/c mice including no-treatment, PLGA, PLGA/CS, PLGA/CS-DOX, and doxorubicin (5 mg/kg/day). The most therapeutic efficacy was observed at PLGA/CS-DOX implants which significantly (P 0.05) inhibited breast tumors' growth and metastasis. The PLGA/CS-DOX implant was completely biodegradable and caused 71% and 62% decrease in the tumors' volume and lung metastatic nodules in comparison with no-treatment, respectively. In addition, 41 days increase in the tumor-bearing mice survival of the PLGA/CS-DOX group was observed in comparison with the no-treatment group. Therefore, the subcutaneous implantation of PLGA/CS-DOX can be an appropriate choice for replacement of multiple-doses injections of doxorubicin for breast cancer treatment.

Multiepitope cancer vaccines are announcing themselves as the future of melanoma treatment. Herein, high immunogenic regions of transmembrane protein 31 (TMEM31) antigen were selected according to cytotoxic T lymphocytes' (CTL) epitopes and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) binding affinity through in silico analyses. The 32-62, 77-105, and 125-165 residues of the TMEM31 were selected as the immunodominant fragments. They were linked together by RVRR and HEYGAEALERAG motifs to improve epitopes separation and presentation. In addition, to activate helper T lymphocytes (HTL), Pan HLA DR-binding epitope (PADRE) peptide sequence and tetanus toxin fragment C (TTFrC) were incorporated into the final construct. Also, the Beta-defensin conserved domain was utilized in the final construct as a novel adjuvant for Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor (TLR4-MD) activation. The CTL epitopes, cleavage sites, post-translational modifications, TAP transport efficiency, and B cells epitopes were predicted for the peptide vaccine. The final construct contained multiple CTL and B cell epitopes. In addition, it showed 93.55% and 99.13% population coverage in the world for HLA I and HLA II, respectively. According to these preliminary results, the multiepitope cancer vaccine can be an appropriate choice for further experimental investigations.

The unique physicochemical and functional characteristics of starch-based biomaterials and wound dressings have been proposed for several biomedical applications. Film dressings of cornstarch/hyaluronic acid/ ethanolic extract of propolis (CS/HA/EEP) were prepared by solvent-casting and characterized by attenuated total reflectance/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, light transmission, opacity measurements, EEP release, equilibrium swelling, and in vitro and in vivo evaluations. The CS/HA/0.5%EEP film dressing exhibited higher antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (2.08 ± 0.14 mm), Escherichia coli (2.64 ± 0.18 mm), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (1.02 ± 0.15 mm) in comparison with the CS, CS/HA, and CS/HA/0.25%EEP films. Also, it showed no cytotoxicity for the L929 fibroblast cells. This wound dressing could effectively accelerate the wound healing process at Wistar rats' skin excisions. These results indicate that enrichment of cornstarch wound dressings with HA and EEP can significantly enhance their potential efficacy as wound dressing material.

Wound dressings with antimicrobial and wound healing accelerating properties are emerging as valuable options to prevent wound infection and improve the wound healing process. In this study, high porous polyurethane (PU) foams were successfully prepared using salt leaching/solvent casting method and were coated with propolis as a well-known anti-bacterial agent. The wound dressings were subjected to detail analyzes using electron microscopy, reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, mechanical properties, contact angle measurement, ratio swelling, porosity measurement, and in vitro and in vivo evaluations. The prepared wound dressings had high porosity (more than 80%) with homogeneous pore structure and sufficient interconnectivity. The increase of propolis concentration (10%–30%) caused tensile strength decrease (5.26 ± 0.40–2.99 ± 0.11 MPa), elongation at break increase (372 ± 12–434 ± 22%), contact angle decrease (114.52 ± 2.31° to 35.53 ± 1.65°), water absorption decreased (243 ± 15–207 ± 14%) and enhancement of the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The propolis coated wound dressing exhibited significant enhancement of in vitro cellular compatibility and in vivo wound healing which had direct relative with coated propolis concentration. Therefore, propolis-coated polyurethane wound dressing can be an appropriate candidate for more pre-clinical investigations.

In this study, mesoporous CdO–graphene and mesoporous TiO2 were successfully synthesized using a facile method. The results indicated that photocatalytic activity can be enhanced with the combinati...

The aim of the present study is to investigate folic acid and BSA decorated gold nanoclusters (FA-AuNCs) effect on the enhancement of intracranial C6 glioma tumors radiation therapy (RT) efficacy. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) measurements exhibited about 2.5 times more FA-AuNCs uptake by C6 cancer cells (32.8 ng/106 cells) than the normal cells. FA-AuNCs had significantly higher concentration in the brain tumors (8.1 μg/mg) in comparison with surrounding normal brain tissue (4.3 μg/mg). Moreover, FA-AuNCs exhibited dose enhancement factor (DEF) of 1.6. The glioma-bearing rats' survival times were almost doubled at radiation therapy + FA-AuNCs (25.0 ± 1.5 days) in comparison with no-treatment group (12.8 ± 0.7 days). The Ki-67 labeling index was 48.89% ± 9.93 for control, 29.98% ± 8.32 for RT, and 11.53% ± 7.65 for RT + FA-AuNCs. Therefore, FA-AuNCs can be effective radiosensitizers for intracranial glioma tumors RT.

Background: Previous studies show that aberrant synthesis of Hyaluronan accelerates tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. The fibroblasts are probably responsible for most of the hyaluronic acid (HA) accumulation in tumor microenvironment after radiotherapy. Our goal is to investigate and compare radiation and lactate effects on HA levels in supernatant and exosome isolated from supernatant of primary mouse fibroblast cell culture. Methods: Fibroblast cells were prepared from skin of C57BL6 mouse. These cells were divided into three groups (no treatment, cells treated with 10 mM ammonium lactate, and irradiated cells). Then supernatant was harvested from FBS-free culture media after 48 h. Exosomes were purified by differential centrifugation (300 × g for 10 min, 2000 × g for 30 min, 16500 g for 30 min) and were pelleted by ultracentrifugation (150,000 × g for 180 min). Size of exosomes was determined using a Zetasizer. HA concentration measured using a HA ELISA Kit. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Results: There was a significant increase in HA-coated exosomes isolated from supernatants of irradiated cells compared to untreated cell and cells treated with 10 mM ammonium lactate (P < 0.001). As well, there was a significant increase in the HA concentration in the supernatants of cells treated with 10 mM ammonium lactate relative to untreated cells and irradiated cells (P < 0.05). Conclusions: It seems that routine radiation therapy leads to massive shedding of HA-coated exosomes by normal fibroblast cells and thus exosomes-HA may contribute to tumor promotion and induce of the premetastatic niche.

Multiepitope cancer vaccines have gained lots of attention for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes in cancer patients. In our previous study, multiepitope DNA and peptide cancer vaccines consisted of the most immunodominant epitopes of ACRBP and SYCP1 antigens were designed by bioinformatic tools. In this study, the effect of prophylactic co-immunization with these DNA and peptide cancer vaccines in the 4T1 breast cancer animal model was assessed. Serum levels of the peptide-specific IgG total, IgG2a and IgG1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Also, the efficacy of the immunized mice splenocytes’ for producing interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) was evaluated. The co-immunization caused a significant (P

Two-dimensional (2D) graphene and its outstanding properties such as, enormous conductivities, mechanical strength, optical and electrical properties brought it one of the most studied materials for the production of energy using renewable resources. The composites of graphene with the same morphological materials such as layered transition metal oxides will be the most aspiring combination to boost their conducting, optoelectronic and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the transition metal chalcogenides materials attracted significant attention due to their atomically thin layers and enormous optical, conducting and electrical properties. The layered materials offer mostly atomically thin 2D plane to the charge carrier with superior conducting properties. The thickness at atomic level, band gap, spin orbit coupling electronic and optoelectronics properties of transition metal dichalcogenides makes them one of the promising entities in energy harvesting technologies. The review suggests some strategies to improve the transition metals-composites stability conducting properties to be tailored in various applications.

One-layer wound dressings cannot meet all the clinical needs due to their individual characteristics and shortcomings. Therefore, bilayer wound dressings which are composed of two layers with different properties have gained lots of attention. In the present study, polycaprolactone/gelatin (PCL/Gel) scaffold was electrospun on a dense membrane composed of polyurethane and ethanolic extract of propolis (PU/EEP). The PU/EEP membrane was used as the top layer to protect the wound area from external contamination and dehydration, while the PCL/Gel scaffold was used as the sublayer to facilitate cells’ adhesion and proliferation. The bilayer wound dressing was investigated regarding its microstructure, mechanical properties, surface wettability, anti-bacterial activity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and its efficacy in the animal wound model and histopathological analyzes. Scanning electron micrographs exhibited uniform morphology and bead-free structure of the PCL/Gel scaffold with average fibers’ diameter of 237.3 ± 65.1 nm. Significant anti-bacterial activity was observed against Staphylococcal aureus (5.4 ± 0.3 mm), Escherichia coli (1.9 ± 0.4 mm) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (1.0 ± 0.2 mm) according to inhibition zone test. The bilayer wound dressing exhibited high hydrophilicity (51.1 ± 4.9°), biodegradability, and biocompatibility. The bilayer wound dressing could significantly accelerate the wound closure and collagen deposition in the Wistar rats’ skin wound model. Taking together, the PU/EEP-PCL/Gel bilayer wound dressing can be a potential candidate for biomedical applications due to remarkable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, antibacterial features, and wound healing activities.

Targeted drug delivery systems have been designed to improve the efficiency of therapeutic and diagnostic agents. This strategy can also reduce the toxicity associated with these agents. Herein, a targeted imaging and therapeutic nanocomposite system, consisting of AuNPs double coated by MnCO3/Mn3O4 and polyacrylic acid, as CT-scan and MRI contrast agent, conjugated with folic acid, and loaded with doxorubicin and propidium iodide, as targeting, therapeutic and fluorescence agents, AuNPs@MnCO3/Mn3O4@PAA-FOA (Dox&PI)load, is reported. The performance of the system is supported by the following findings: (i) The MRI efficiency and pH sensitivity of the MnCO3/Mn3O4 nanocomposite supported by the MRI relaxation rates, 12.62 and 1.32 mM−1 s−1, obtained respectively at pHs of 5.5 and 7.4. (ii) The efficiency as well as the synergistic effect between the PI and AuNPs for enhancing the contrast of CT images revealed by the slopes of Hounsfield unit vs. system concentration, 23.22 and 32.63 HU L/g, obtained respectively for AuNPs@MnCO3/Mn3O4@PAA-FOA and AuNPs@MnCO3/Mn3O4@PAA-FOA (PI)load. (iii) The intracellular delivery shown by the cytometry and fluorescence results. (iv) The anticancer activity supported by effect of Doxloaded-system on the growth of tumors. (v) The biodistribution in the 4T1 breast tumor-bearing BALB/c mice supported by the elemental analysis of the organs by ICP-OES. (vi) The biocompatibility supported by blood biochemistry and histopathological examinations. The experimental results are presented and discussed to approve the above mentioned supports.

Multiepitope cancer vaccines are manifesting as the future of breast cancer immunotherapy. In the present study, high immunogenic fragments of synaptonemal complex protein 1 (SYCP1) and acrosin binding protein (ACRBP) antigens were selected according to MHCs binding affinity and CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes’ (CTL) epitopes by various immunoinformatic servers. (RCQHKIAEMVALMEKHKHQYDKI) residue from p702–724 SYCP1 and the (YIQYPNYCSFKSQQCL) residue from p481–496 ACRBP were selected as the immunodominant fragments. Then, the selected fragments were fused together with a furin-sensitive linker to form the final peptide vaccine construct. The cleavage sites, TAP transport efficiency, CTL epitopes, post-translational modifications, and B cells epitopes were predicted for the final construct. The final construct contained appropriate CTLs epitopes and also, several linear and conformational B cell epitopes. Also, it exhibited 90.37% HLA population coverage in the world. Therefore, these preliminary results require validation by in vitro and in vivo experiments.

In the present study, alive attenuated Salmonella typhi Ty21a was introduced as a vehicle for smart delivery of gold nanoparticles to the tumours' hypoxic regions. At the first step, the uptakes of gold nanoparticles with seven different decorations by S. typhi Ty21a was investigated using flow cytometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The analyses demonstrated that folic acid functionalised gold nanoparticles (FA-GNPs) are the best candidates for producing the Golden Bacteria (GB). Subsequently, the GB and FA-GNPs efficacies for tumour targeting were investigated after intravenous injection to CT-26 tumour-bearing mice. The GB exhibited more GNPs delivery to the tumour in comparison with FA-GNPs. Moreover, GB injection causes more delivery of GNPs to the tumours' central regions in comparison with tumours' periphery. This trend is completely in reverse for FA-GNPs injected group. The ratios of peripheral to central regions' gold concentration of the tumours were 1.95 ± 0.13 and 0.61 ± 0.10 for FA-GNPs and GB groups, respectively. This observation demonstrates higher accumulation of gold nanoparticles in the centre of the tumour due to their active delivery by the S. typhi Ty21a to the deeps of tumours.

Construction of hybrid systems that combine the cancer treatment and diagnosis agents on a single platform, known as theranostic systems, have received great attentions in the field of nanobiomedicine. Here, construction and characterization of a new multifunctional hybrid theranostic system based on RGO, PDA, BSA, DTPA-Mn(II), and MTX constituents, is presented. Accordingly, GO is partially reduced and simultaneously functionalized by dopamine, leading to reduced graphene oxide/polydopamine, RGO-PDA system; and then, the bovine serum albumin protein (BSA) is grafted onto this system. The obtained system, RGO-PDA-BSA, is further decorated with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-Mn(II) as diagnostic system and methotrexate as anticancer drug. Physicochemical characteristics of the RGO-PDA-BSA-DTPA-Mn(II)/MTX system are studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and electrochemical methods. The capturing ability of the prepared system for the cancer cells is evaluated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and by using the 4T1 cancer cells in comparison with L929 normal cells. The EIS results indicate that a degree of selectivity as 6.23 for GC-RGO-PDA-BSA-DTPA-Mn(II)/MTX electrode system toward 4T1 cells, which is larger than that obtained for this system toward the L929 cells. Similar analysis performed using the GC-RGO-PDA-DTPA-Mn(II)/MTX system (having no BSA) indicate that the selectivity degree of the system is increased only by a factor of 1.6, implying that presence of BSA has increased the selectivity of the system for 4T1 cells by a factor of four. This behavior supports the crucial role of BSA in this process for 4T1 cells. Finally, the drug release study of RGO-PDA-BSA-DTPA-Mn(II)/MTX system is performed successfully at pH 7.4.

This piece of research explores porous nanocomposite polyurethane (PU) foam synthesis, containing nanolignin (NL), coated with natural antimicrobial propolis for wound dressing. PU foam was synthesized using polyethylene glycol, glycerol, NL, and 1, 6-diisocyanato-hexane (NCO/OH ratio: 1.2) and water as blowing agent. The resultant foam was immersed in ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP). PU, NL-PU, and PU-NL/EEP foams were characterized from mechanical, morphological, and chemical perspectives. NL Incorporation into PU increased mechanical strength, while EEP coating showed lower strength than PU-NL/EEP. Morphological investigations confirmed an open-celled structure with a pore diameter of 150–200 μm, a density of nearly 0.2 g/cm3,, and porosity greater than 85%, which led to significantly high water absorption (267% for PU-NL/EEP). The hydrophilic nature of foams, measured by the contact angle, proved to be increased by NL addition and EEP coating. PU and PU-NL did not show important antibacterial features, while EEP coating resulted in a significant antibacterial efficiency. All foams revealed high biocompatibility toward L929 fibroblasts, with the highest cell viability and cell attachment for PU-NL/EEP. In vivo wound healing using Wistar rats’ full-thickness skin wound model confirmed that PU-NL/EEP exhibited an essentially higher wound healing efficacy compared with other foams. Hence, PU-NL/EEP foam could be a promising wound dressing candidate.

A biocompatible and antibacterial scaffold with efficient wound healing activity can be an appropriate option for wound dressing application. In this study, polyurethane-hyaluronic acid (PU-HA) nanofibrous wound dressing was fabricated and then enriched with three different concentrations of ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP). The obtained samples were characterized by attenuated total reflectance/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, mechanical investigations, antibacterial tests, water uptake exam, and in vitro and in vivo evaluations. The PU-HA/1% EEP and PU-HA/2% EEP samples exhibited higher antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (2.36 ± 0.33 and 5.63 ± 0.87 mm), Escherichia coli (1.94 ± 0.12 and 3.18 ± 0.63 mm) in comparison with other samples. However, the PU-HA/1% EEP sample exhibited significantly higher biocompatibility for L929 fibroblast cells in comparison with PU-HA/2% EEP. Also, the PU-HA/1% EEP sample could significantly accelerate the wound healing progression and wound closure at the animal model. At the histopathological analyses, improved dermis development and collagen deposition at the healed wound area of the PU-HA/1% EEP sample in comparison with other groups was observed. These results indicate that 1 wt% EEP enriched PU-HA nanofibrous scaffold can be a promising candidate with considerable biocompatibility, wound healing, and antibacterial activities for further biomedical applications.

Melanoma cells are significantly resistance to the current treatments. Therefore, the best option for high-risk populations is prevention. Recently, many preventive cancer vaccines have been developed. In our previous study, several bioinformatic tools were employed for selection of the most immunodominant epitopes of acrosin binding protein (ACRBP) and synaptonemal complex protein 1 (SYCP1) antigens to design multiepitope DNA and peptide cancer vaccines. In the current study, the final construct of the multiepitope DNA vaccine was placed into a pcDNA3.1 vector and then, subcloned into a pET-28a (+) expression vector for transfecting BL21 E. coli strain. The recombinant multiepitope peptide vaccine, weighing 6.35 kDa, was purified by Fast protein liquid chromatography technique (FPLC) and detected by western blotting. Subsequently, C57BL/6 mice were immunized by a mixture of the peptide vaccine and incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) (four vaccinations with one-week intervals). Two weeks after the last vaccination, the serum levels of the peptide-specific IgG total, IgG2a, and IgG1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Also, the immunized mice splenocytes efficacy for producing interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) after stimulation with the peptide vaccine was evaluated. At last, the prophylactic effect of the peptide vaccine immunization was evaluated in B16-F10 murine melanoma model. The peptide vaccine immunization caused a significant increase in the serum levels of IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2a. Also, the immunized mice splenocytes exhibited significantly higher ability to produce IL-4 (10-fold) and IFN-γ (16-fold) after stimulation with the peptide vaccine, in comparison with the PBS and IFA groups. The peptide immunized mice exhibited 50.2% and 43% decrease in the mean tumors' volume in comparison with PBS and IFA groups. Also, the mean survival time for the peptide immunized mice was 33 ± 1.3 days which was 5 and 6 days more than the PBS and IFA groups, respectively. The obtained results exhibit high efficacy of the designed multiepitope peptide vaccine for the immune system activation and anti-tumor prophylactic effects in the murine melanoma model.

Design and construction of a nanocomposite system, containing targeted imaging and therapeutic agents is reported here. The nanoplatform, including AuNPs double coated by MnCO3/Mn3O4 and polyacrylic acid, AuNPs@MnCO3/Mn3O4@PAA (as computerized tomography -scan and magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent), is constructed first. Then, the immobilized polyacrylic acid is conjugated with folic acid, and loaded with doxorubicin and propidium iodide (as targeting, therapeutic, and fluorescence agents), leading to construction of the AuNPs@MnCO3/Mn3O4@PAA-FOA(Dox&PI)load system. Construction and physicochemical behavior of the system are followed by voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and several surface and solution methods, from which the system is quantitatively characterized. The system performance is supported by the following findings: (i) Amount of loaded drug and loading efficiency, 56.33 and 84.50%, respectively, indicating high capability of the system for doxorubicin delivery. This is one of the important aspects of the current work, which in turn is understood to be related to the large amount of polyacrylic acid as the drug carrier immobilized onto the MnCO3/Mn3O4 nanoparticles. (ii) High ability of the system for capturing of the folate receptor overexpressed 4T1 breast cancer cells, in comparison with L929 normal cells, studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in the presence of [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− redox probe. The large variations of charge transfer resistance against redox reaction of the probe at the GC-Au@MnCO3/Mn3O4@PAA-FOA(Dox)load electrode, after incubation with the 4T1 cells (ΔRct = 217 kΩ, which is ~6 larger than that observed for L929 cells), supports ability of the Au@MnCO3/Mn3O4@PAA-FOA(Dox)load system for effective capturing of 4T1 cells.

An integrated nanocomposite system comprising of manganese oxide (Mn3O4) nanoparticles, functioning as a tumor diagnostic agent, in conjunction with polyacrylic acid (PAA) and ZIF-8, as pH-sensitive drug delivery agents, and methotrexate (MTX), operating as a tumor biomarker and a therapeutic agent (dual mechanism of action), is applied for both diagnostic intentions and controlled delivery of the drug. Physicochemical characteristics of the constructed system, Mn3O4@PAA@ZIF-8/MTX, are investigated by several methods, including X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical techniques. The in-vitro magnetic resonance imaging measurements was performed to show the efficiency of Mn3O4@PAA@ZIF-8 nanocomposite as a contrast agent where a relaxivity (r1) of 3.3 mM-1 s-1 is found. The loading ratio was found as 161 % which is four times larger than the value obtained for Mn3O4@PAA system in the same conditions, indicating high capability of the system for MTX delivery. The application of the nanocomposite as a dual pH-sensitive nanocarrier for MTX is studied through in-vitro drug release experiments at pHs of 5.4, 6.8 and 7.4. Interestingly, the results show that a large amount of loaded MTX drug (53 %) is released from the system during incubation and dialysis at pH 5.4, compared with that (20 % and 15 %), respectively, released at pHs 6.8 and 7.4 at the same conditions. The affinity of Mn3O4@PAA@ZIF-8/MTX nanocomposite for capturing of BT-474 and MCF-7 cancer cells was evaluated via impedance spectroscopy measurements. The results show that GC-Mn3O4@PAA@ZIF-8/MTX electrode captures the BT-474 and MCF-7 cancer cells, respectively, by factors of ∼2 and 196 compared with L929 normal cells. This affinity also shows the high selectivity of the system for MCF-7 cancer cells compared with BT-474.

Aim: Herein, the AS1411 aptamer-targeted ultrasmall gold nanoclusters (GNCs) were assessed at different aspects as a radiosensitizer. Materials & methods: AS1411 aptamer-conjugated gold nanoclusters (Apt–GNCs) efficacy was evaluated at cancer cells targeting, radiosensitizing effect, tumor targeting, and biocompatibility in breast tumor-bearing mice. Results: Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy exhibited more cellular uptake for Apt–GNCs in comparison with GNCs. In addition, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry results demonstrated its effective tumor targeting as the tumors’ gold content for GNCs and Apt–GNCs were 8.53 and 15.33 μg/g, respectively. Apt–GNCs significantly enhanced radiotherapy efficacy as mean tumors’ volume decreased about 39% and 9 days increase in the mice survival was observed. Both GNCs and Apt–GNCs were biocompatible. Conclusion: The Apt–GNCs is a novel and efficient radiosensitizer.

We report ternary AgI–FG–TiO 2 nanocomposites prepared through fast microwave technique. In this study we introduced a novel chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach to functionalize powder graphene oxide (GO). The functionalize graphene (FG) sheets were then used for the attachment of AgI and TiO 2 nanoparticles to form a ternary composites. The prepared composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopic analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis absorbance spectra and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution was greatly affected by the introduction of FG and ternary component in the system.

In this study, a novel visible-light-responsive PbSe–TiO 2 nanocomposite photocatalysts were successfully synthesized through a facile sonochemical-assisted method, and characterized by XRD, SEM–EDX, TEM, and DRS to confirm its structure, morphology, composition, and optical property. In decolorization of rhodamine B, a significant enhancement in the reaction rate was observed with PbSe–TiO 2 composite, compared to the pure TiO 2 . The generation of reactive oxygen species was detected through the oxidation reaction from 1,5-diphenyl carbazide (DPCI) to 1,5-diphenyl carbazone (DPCO). The high photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the synergetic effect of PbSe nanoparticles and TiO 2 by extending the spectral response of TiO 2 to visible region and also help to reduce the charge recombination. Finally, the possible mechanism for generation of reactive oxygen species under visible light irradiation was proposed as well.

The as-synthesized graphene–MxSy (Sb2S3, MnS2, SnS) composites via a facile hydrothermal method efficiently catalyzed the photodegradation of methylene orange (MO) with high concentration in aqueous solutions under visible light irradiation. The generation of reactive oxygen species were detected through the oxidation reaction from 1,5-diphenyl carbazide (DPCI) to 1,5-diphenyl carbazone (DPCO). Based on the high photocatalytic activity, the graphene-SnS composite can be expected to be a practical visible light photocatalyst.

A visible-light photocatalyst containing Ag2Se and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was synthesized by a facile sonochemical-assisted hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy results indicated that the RGO-Ag2Se nanocomposite contained small crystalline Ag2Se nanoparticles dispersed over graphene nanosheets and absorbed visible light. The high crystallinity of the nanoparticles increased photocatalytic activity by facilitating charge transport. N2 adsorption-desorption measurements revealed that the RGO-Ag2Se nanocomposite contained numerous pores with an average diameter of 9 nm, which should allow reactant molecules to readily access the Ag2Se nanoparticles. The RGO-Ag2Se nanocomposite exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than bulk Ag2Se nanoparticles to degrade organic pollutant rhodamine B and industrial dye Texbrite BA-L under visible-light irradiation (γ > 420 nm). The generation of reactive oxygen species in RGO-Ag2Se was evaluated through its ability to oxidize 1,5-diphenylcarbazide to 1,5-diphenylcarbazone. The small size of the Ag2Se nanoparticles in RGO-Ag2Se was related to the use of ultrasonication during their formation, revealing that this approach is attractive to form porous RGO-Ag2Se materials with high photocatalytic activity under visible light.

CoS2, CoS2–graphene and CoS2–graphene/TiO2 composite was synthesized by a facile sonochemical and hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, FT-IR, UV–vis and BET surface area was calculated by nitrogen adsorption were used. The FT-IR results illuminated that CoS2 and TiO2 band transfers electrons to graphene with functional groups attached. UV–vis patterns indicated that CoS2–graphene/TiO2 have good photoinduction effects in visible light region. The photocatalytic activity of sample was evaluated by measuring the degradation of organic pollutants such as methylene blue (MB), and industrial dyes such as Texbrite BA-L (TBA) under visible light.

Here we report a new composite material consisting of TiO2 nanoparticles grown in the presence of a layered PtSe2/graphene hybrid as a high-performance photocatalytic material. The heterogeneous PtSe2–graphene/TiO2 nanocomposites were successfully synthesized through a facile and fast microwave-assisted method. The prepared composites were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopic analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis absorbance spectra and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) analyses were obtained. The catalytic behavior was investigated through the decomposition of rhodamine B (Rh. B) as a standard dye and Texbrite MST-L as an industrial dye. This extraordinary photocatalytic activity arises from the positive synergetic effect between the PtSe2 and graphene components in this heterogeneous photocatalyst. In this study the graphene behaves as an electron transfer agent, collector, contributor and a source of active adsorption sites. The optical properties were also observed to be affected by the different weight% of graphene in the composites by observing their respective band gaps from DRS spectra.

Nanostructured ZnSe-graphene/TiO 2 was synthesized by a hydrothermal-assisted approach. ZnSe-graphene/TiO 2 exhibited favorable adsorption of rhodamine B, a wide wavelength absorption range, and efficient charge separation. Reactive oxygen species were generated by the oxidation of 1,5-diphenyl carbazide to 1,5-diphenyl carbazone. The sonocatalytic reaction mechanism was proposed. These findings potentially broaden the applications of sonocatalytic technologies.

The authors report novel material PbSe/graphene nanocomposite synthesis via facile ultrasonic assisted method. The structural and physicochemical properties of PbSe/graphene composite are further characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with an energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy analysis. The photocatalytic activities were investigated by the degradation of methylene blue and rhodamine B as a standard dye. This study suggests that the as-prepared PbSe/graphene nanocomposite can be utilized as an efficient photocatalyst material.

Cadmium selenide (CdSe)-graphene composite materials were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method and the intriguing catalytic activity of the composites was investigated using organic dyes in complete absence of irradiation source (UV or visible light). The catalytic activity of CdSe-graphene composites was measured using methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine B (Rh.B) dye solutions. The characterizations of composites were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The catalytic degradation was measured by analyzing the decrease in absorbance spectra in UV-Vis spectroscopy. The degradation of the organic dyes in absence of any irradiation was illustrated by the degradation property of CdSe and charge mobility. The catalytic activity after repeated use of the composites was also tested in order to investigate the stability of CdSe-graphene composites.

We report a simple and effective route to synthesize graphene based platinium selenide nanocomposites by facile and fast microwave assisted techniques. The “as-prepared” composites are further characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopic analysis, UV–vis absorbance spectra analysis and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The photocatalytic activities were investigated by the degradation of methylene blue and rhudamine B as standard dye. This result gives a promising development towards graphene based efficient photocatalyst that employed visible light as an energy source.

A novel composite, CdSe-graphene, was synthesized using facile hydrothermal method. The structural characteristics studies of the synthesized composites were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Brunauer, Emmett, Teller specific surface area (BET) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activity was investigated by the degradation of methylene blue as standard dye. The degradation of MB was calculated based on the decrease in concentration of the dye with respect to regular time intervals. The reusability tests were done to investigate the stability of the used catalysts. Additionally the antibacterial activity of CdSe-graphene was also investigated using bacterium Streptococcus aureus ( S. aureus ).

Activated carbon fiber (ACF) was modified with MnS nanoparticles to prepare MnS-ACF, and it was employed for preparation of MnS-ACF/TiO₂ composites with titanium (IV) n-butoxide (TNB). The properties of MnS-ACF/TiO₂ composites were characterized by XRD, SEM, and EDX. EDX results showed the presence of C, O, and Ti as major elements and traces of the metal elements Mn and S. The photocatlytic activity was evaluated by degradation of methyl blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dye. The results demonstrated that as-prepared samples could effectively photodegrade MB and MO under UV irradiation. Subsequently, the decomposition of MB solution showed the combined effects of adsorptions by ACF and enhanced photocatalytic effect by TiO₂. Finally, the photocatalytic effect increased due to photo-induced-electron absorption effect by ACF and electron trap effect by comodified MnS nanoparticles.

This work reports the deposition of platinum (Pt) nanoparticles on the surface of graphene nanosheet by a simple approach, using a microwave-assisted method. The photocatalytic activity has been investigated for hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen evolutions were attributed to graphene, due to its high photoelectron transport properties, and the Pt nanoparticles attached on the surface of graphene sheet, which act as reaction centers for H2 evolution. The “as-prepared” composites were characterized by Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) surface area measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). This work highlights the potential application of graphene-based materials in the field of energy conversion.

We report fast and facile synthesis of Pt/graphene nanocomposite via microwave assisted techniques. The “as-prepared” composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis absorbance spectra analysis, diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) analysis and Raman spectroscopic analysis. The visible light photo catalytic activities of Pt/graphene nanocomposite were tested by rhodamine B (Rh.B) and methylene blue (MB) as a standard model dyes. These analysis provide a promising development toward graphene based high efficient photocatalyst under visible light as an energy source.

Here we report improved photo-catalytic effect of Ag₂S under visible light using carbon nano-tubes (CNT) modified with Ag2S nanoparticles. The optical properties, structural properties and compositional analysis, as well as the photo-electrochemical properties of the prepared composites were investigated. It was found that the photocurrent density, and the photo-catalytic effect, was increased by modification of CNT in this way. Compared with the separate effects of Ag2S and CNT nanoparticles, the photocatalytic effect of CNT-modified-with-Ag2S composites, increased significantly due to a synergistic effect between the CNT and the Ag2S nanoparticles.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be produced by interactions between sunlight and light-absorbing substance in natural water environment and can completely destroy various organic pollutants in wastewaters. In this study, CoS2 and CoS2–fullerene were irradiated by visible light respectively. The generation of reactive oxygen species were detected through the oxidation reaction from 1,5-diphenyl carbazide (DPCI) to 1,5-diphenyl carbazone (DPCO). In comparison with the separate effects of CoS2 and fullerene nanoparticles, the photochemically effect of the fullerene photosensitized CoS2 composites is increased significantly due to the synergetic effect between the fullerene and the CoS2 nanoparticles.