Metal Oxide Nanoparticles as Biomedical Materials

Abstract

The development of new nanomaterials with high biomedical performance and low toxicity is essential to obtain more efficient therapy and precise diagnostic tools and devices. Recently, scientists often face issues of balancing between positive therapeutic effects of metal oxide nanoparticles and their toxic side effects. In this review, considering metal oxide nanoparticles as important technological and biomedical materials, the authors provide a comprehensive review of researches on metal oxide nanoparticles, their nanoscale physicochemical properties, defining specific applications in the various fields of nanomedicine. Authors discuss the recent development of metal oxide nanoparticles that were employed as biomedical materials in tissue therapy, immunotherapy, diagnosis, dentistry, regenerative medicine, wound healing and biosensing platforms. Besides, their antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral properties along with biotoxicology were debated in detail. The significant breakthroughs in the field of nanobiomedicine have emerged in areas and numbers predicting tremendous application potential and enormous market value for metal oxide nanoparticles.

Keywords: ROS; magnetic nanoparticles; metal oxides; nanotoxicity; oxidative stress.

Figure 1

Scheme of zero-, one-, two- and three-dimensional nanostructured materials with different morphologies. 0-D, 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D indicate zero-, one-, two- and three-dimensional NPs, respectively.

Figure 2

Mechanisms of metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) delivery pathway and cell damage in eukaryotic cells: (1) interaction with ions in circulation; (2) ingestion by phagocytic cells; (3) opsonization or enzymic degradation; (4) internalization via endocytosis after extravasation to the extracellular space or (5) membrane perforating and damage of its components and their function; (6) chromosomal aberrations and changes in cell replication rate; (7) lysosome rupture; (8) mitochondria damage; (9) lower growth rate, structural changes and shorten lifetimes of microtubules of the cytoskeleton; (10) generation of ROS, oxidative stress and subsequent processes.

Figure 3

Scheme of possible modifications of MONPs for biomedical applications.

Figure 4

General representation of a model structure of a dendrimer and possible dendrimer-molecular cargo interactions.

Figure 5

A strategy to improve osteointegration by applying inorganic nanostructured TiN/TiO₂ coatings with enhanced surface characteristics as opposed to bare Ti6Al4V alloy.

Figure 6

The illustration represents different mechanisms of biosensor activity; these bioreactions are carried out in a controlled environment on the immobilization platform. Depending on the generated signal, different transducing platforms are utilized to convert it into an electrical signal.

Figure 7

Mechanisms of bacteria cell damage by MONPs, illustrating the possible MONP interactions with the bacterial cell wall, membrane components, DNA, enzymes and other proteins and the influence of external ROS on membrane integrity, protein synthesis and functioning. Different MONPs may cause toxicity via one or more of the described mechanisms.