Image source: Adobe Stock/peterschreiber.media

News • Contraception, wound healing, arthritis treatment

Three promising medical applications of nanoparticles

Nanoparticles have become an essential part of medicine, from aiding in diagnostic tests to serving as immunotherapy agents and more. Thanks to their ultrasmall size — around the thickness of a strand of DNA — these particles are adept at getting inside tissues and targeting precise areas.

Here are three recent papers published in ACS journals that could expand the beneficial uses for nanoparticles, based on results in rats. The technology could be used to improve contraceptive methods, burn creams and arthritis treatments.

1. Nanoparticles for female contraception

Contraceptive measures are widely used in family planning, but some methods can cause unwanted side effects for the user. These researchers aimed to create a safer emergency contraceptive by targeting early embryonic trophoblast cells rather than the ovaries or uterus. They loaded copper oxide nanoparticles into a hydrogel delivery system, which they then injected into rats’ uteruses. There, the particles prevented embryonic implantation, and therefore prevented pregnancy, without major side effects. This strategy could be viable for up to eight days after an egg’s fertilization, while other emergency contraceptives must be taken within two days to be effective.

The paper “Nanostrategy of Targeting at Embryonic Trophoblast Cells Using CuO Nanoparticles for Female Contraception” was published in ACS nano.

2. Nanoparticles for burn wound healing

marigold flower (calendula)

Image source: Adobe Stock/Pixelmixel

These researchers created a better burn cream using zinc oxide nanoparticles and Calendula officinalis (marigold) extract. While both ingredients have demonstrated antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, neither substance can easily enter the body, even at the site of a wound. By loading zinc oxide nanoparticles with marigold extract, the team created a cream that healed rats’ skin burns and prevented tissue infections. In tests on cells taken from the damaged tissues, the researchers found that the nanoparticle-containing cream increased the proliferation of fibroblast cells, which help repair skin. 

The paper “Study the Effect of Calendula officinalis Extract Loaded on Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Cream in Burn Wound Healing” was published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

3. Nanoparticles for suppressing arthritis flares

Even in patients who respond well to treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, flare-ups can happen. These episodes cause pain and discomfort in addition to further joint damage. Here, researchers aimed to suppress arthritic flare-ups using specialized nanoparticles bound to peptide antigens loaded with calcitriol, a form of vitamin D3. When injected intramuscularly into two different rat models with rheumatoid arthritis, the nanoparticles accumulated in lymph nodes adjacent to joints, where they worked to prevent bone erosion and preserve cartilage.

The paper "Immunomodulatory Nanoparticles for Modulating Arthritis Flares" was published in ACS nano


Source: American Chemical Society

07.01.2024

Related articles

Photo

News • Smart wound sealing

Soldering wounds with light and nano thermometers

A new soldering technique developed by Empa researchers is expected to prevent wound healing disorders and life-threatening complications from leaking sutures.

Photo

News • Advanced care

This 'smart' wound dressing monitors the healing process with built-in sensors

Researchers at RMIT University in Australia have developed smart wound dressings with built-in nanosensors that glow to alert patients when a wound is not healing properly. The multifunctional,…

Photo

News • Nozzle-free electrospinning

Synthetic skin could aid wound healing

Engineers at the University of Edinburgh have devised a fabric dressing whose thickness and elasticity can be custom-matched to specific areas of the body. The material is able to be absorbed by the…

Related products

Subscribe to Newsletter