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Over the last few years, progress has been made across the nanomedicine landscape, in particular, the invention of contemporary nanostructures for cancer diagnosis and overcoming complexities in the clinical treatment of cancerous tissues. Thanks to their small diameter and large surface-to-volume proportions, nanomaterials have special physicochemical properties that empower them to bind, absorb and transport high-efficiency substances, such as small molecular drugs, DNA, proteins, RNAs, and probes. They also have excellent durability, high carrier potential, the ability to integrate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds, and compatibility with various transport routes, making them especially appealing over a wide range of oncology fields. This is also due to their configurable scale, structure, and surface properties. This review paper discusses how nanostructures can function as therapeutic vectors to enhance the therapeutic value of molecules; how nanomaterials can be used as medicinal products in gene therapy, photodynamics, and thermal treatment; and finally, the application of nanomaterials in the form of molecular imaging agents to diagnose and map tumor growth.

The green synthetic method has remarkably been used to synthesize many types of nanostructures, such as nanoparticles and nanocomposites, due to simple, inexpensive, and eco-friendly ways. In the present study, silver nanoparticles and Ag/AgFeO2 core–shell nanocomposites were synthesized, using Teucrium polium extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. Synthesized nanoparticles and nanocomposites were characterized using several physical techniques, including dynamic light scattering method, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy. The mean size of the synthesized nanocomposites was 90.80 nm with a nearly spherical shape, successfully silver coating by AgFeO2 shell. Density functional theory simulations were used to evaluate nanoparticles’ and nanocomposites’ absorption band mechanisms. The antimicrobial properties of both Ag NPs and Ag/AgFeO2 against different types of fungi and bacteria were studied. The Ag/AgFeO2 NCs revealed superior antifungal and antibacterial efficacy even in lower concentrations compared to Ag NPs that could be applied for biomedical applications in the future.

Testosterone is an essential hormone to maintain bone integrity; however, the effect of aromatase enzyme in androgen-induced bone maintenance remains somewhat unclear. The present study evaluated the effect of testosterone itself and combined with letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, on bone mineral density of male rats. Total of 48 male rats were divided into 4 equal groups (n = 12/group); sham group, O: orchiectomy, O + T: orchiectomized rats treated with testosterone, O + T + L: orchiectomized rats treated with combination of testosterone and letrozole. Bone density (BMD), bone markers, and vitamin D metabolism parameters were checked in all groups before and after the study. There was no significant difference in baseline values of these parameters, but at the end of the study there was a significant decrease in delta BMD at both lumbar and femor in orchiectomized rats in comparison with the sham group (p

Estrogen and prolactin affect vitamin D metabolism. In conditions such as pregnancy and lactation, their interaction in regulating vitamin D metabolism and circulating FGF23 is not clearly defined. The aim of this study is to investigate this interaction in female rats. This study was performed on 50 female adult rats, which were divided into five groups of Sham, ovariectomized rats (O), and three groups of ovariectomized rats were indicated with prolactin alone (OP), estradiol alone (OE), and a combination of estradiol and prolactin (OEP). Serum levels of 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)2D3, FGF23, PTH, vitamin D-binding protein, calcium, and phosphorous were evaluated. Serum 1,25(OH)2D3 and PTH in OE were higher than the O group (P

Renal excretion mechanisms, such as glomerular and tubular excretion processes, are an important part of renal function and provide general information about effective excretion of substances. Nanotechnology has significant applications in many biological and medical fields. In medical applications, especially tumor diagnosis and treatment, the significant point is that nanoparticle drugs should be nontoxic with excellent biodegradability and less physiologically interfere. Nanomaterial with rapid and complete renal clearance is substantially biocompatible and nontoxic. Glomerulus can filter NP with a hydrodynamic diameter of less than 6 nm. In contrast, nanoparticles with HDs greater than 8 nm cannot mainly pass through the kidney. By decreasing the nanomaterials' diameter under the limit value for kidney filtering (6 nm) and increasing their biological durability, approximately all nanostructures can be engineered to be applicable and nontoxic. Also, by adjusting the scale, charge, and structure of NPs, their transfer activities and reactions can be modified through the kidneys. In this article, the related mechanisms of kidney clearance, the effective factors to generate nontoxic and renal clearable nanoparticles, and their applications in biomedical imaging, tumor diagnosis and treatment are discussed.

Testosterone deficiency might be associated with vitamin D levels in hypogonadal men, but it is not clear whether testosterone can affect vitamin D and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23), either directly or indirectly via aromatization to estradiol. We aimed to investigate the role of testosterone on vitamin D metabolism and serum FGF23 in male rats. A total of 48 male rats were divided into 4 equal groups: sham; O, orchiectomy; O + T, orchiectomized rats treated with testosterone; and O + T + L, orchiectomized rats treated with combination of testosterone and letrozole. We compare the vitamin D metabolism biochemical parameters in these four groups, before and after the study. We detected a significant reduction in 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), vitamin D binding protein (DBP), FGF23, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) serum level in O group compared to sham group (p = 0.004, p = 0.009, p