Depressive disorder is one of the most common mental health conditions with significant repercussions on both the physical and psychological health of affected individuals. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have been undertaken to evaluate nanomaterials for the diagnosis and treatment of depression. This study aims to objectively and comprehensively summarize the research advances and future perspectives of nanomaterials for depression therapy via scientometric analysis. Literature related to nanomaterials for depression therapy was retrieved from Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and PubMed databases. Scientometric analysis and visualization were primarily performed using Bibliometrix and included publications, research topics, countries, institutions, journals, high-frequency keyword analysis, and keyword cluster analysis. Based on the results of this scientometric analysis, the article presents a detailed discussion and summary of the potential of nanomaterials for the diagnosis and treatment of depression. A total of 343 articles related to the applications of nanomaterials in the treatment of depression were included, with an increasing number of publications noted each year. These studies focused primarily on three areas: materials science, nanotechnology, and pharmacy/chemistry. China, India, and Iran are the top three countries in this field. The most influential institutions are the Egyptian Knowledge Bank, Cairo University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The top three journals are Microchimica Acta, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, and Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. The results of keyword analysis revealed that the main areas of interest are diagnosis, nanomaterials with antidepressant activity, nano-drug delivery systems, and nanotoxicity. Based on the results of the scientometric analysis, this study discusses the diagnosis, treatment, and current limitations of nanomaterials for depression therapy. This review will inspire novel ideas for the development of nanomaterials with applications in depression therapy.
Helicobacter pylori is a widespread bacterium that infects the stomach, causing gastric disorders associated with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current methods for identifying and quantifying this pathogen rely on invasive and non-invasive tests. Although combining these methods allows accurate diagnosis, they have multiple drawbacks, and there is no single reliable gold standard test. New, more sensitive strategies involving molecular techniques, such as digital PCR, have been developed but require complex and expensive instruments. Herein, we implement and validat a nanophotonic bimodal waveguide (BiMW) biosensor for the sensitive and accurate detection of H. pylori in gastric biopsies and stool. This biosensor offers real-time, label-free detection, high sensitivity, and the capability to be integrated into compact devices. By employing monoclonal antibodies targeting specific membrane proteins found in H. pylori, the biosensor enables unique recognition of the bacterium, demonstrating its potential as an alternative diagnostic tool. The BiMW biosensor provides highly accurate H. pylori quantification in under 20 min, with limits of detection (LOD) of 89 ± 35 CFU/mL for antrum gastric biopsies and 82 ± 9 CFU/mL for stool samples. Clinical validation with 40 samples (20 gastric biopsies and 20 stool samples) showed sensitivity and specificity of 90 % for gastric biopsies and 95 % for stool samples, offering diagnostic reliability equivalent to semiquantitative ELISA tests and enabling more efficient and timely detection of H. pylori infections. This test can significantly improve the speed of diagnosis and contribute to the development of more effective strategies for H. pylori eradication.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) emerged as promising immunotherapies for cancer treatment, harnessing the patient's immune system to fight and eliminate tumor cells. However, despite their potential and proven efficacies, checkpoint inhibitors still face important challenges such as the tumor heterogeneity and resistance mechanisms, and the complex in vitro testing, which limits their widespread applicability and implementation to treat cancer. To address these challenges, we propose a novel analytical technique utilizing biomimetic label-free nanoplasmonic biosensors for rapid and reliable screening and evaluation of checkpoint inhibitors. We have designed and fabricated a low-density nanostructured plasmonic sensor based on gold nanodisks that enables the direct formation of a functional supported lipid bilayer, which acts as an artificial cell membrane for tumor ligand immobilization. With this biomimetic scaffold, our biosensing approach provides real-time, highly sensitive analysis of immune checkpoint pathways and direct assessment of the blocking effects of monoclonal antibodies in less than 20 min/test. We demonstrate the accuracy of our biomimetic sensor for the study of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) checkpoint pathway, achieving a limit of detection of 6.7 ng/mL for direct PD1/PD-L1 interaction monitoring. Besides, we have performed dose-response inhibition curves for an anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody, obtaining a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.43 nM, within the same range than those obtained with conventional techniques. Our biomimetic sensor platform combines the potential of plasmonic technologies for rapid label-free analysis with the reliability of cell-based assay in terms of ligand mobility. The biosensor is integrated in a compact user-friendly device for the straightforward implementation in biomedical and pharmaceutical laboratories.
Salivary cortisol is an important biomarker for the assessment of stress-related disorders and endocrine function. Due to the noninvasive and convenient nature of saliva sampling, it has considerable potential for clinical application. However, the low concentration of cortisol in saliva, typically at the nanograms-per-milliliter level, together with the complexity of the salivary matrix, poses substantial challenges to analytical sensitivity and selectivity. In this study, an analytical method for salivary cortisol determination was developed based on immunomagnetic bead enrichment and purification coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Cortisol monoclonal antibodies were conjugated to carboxyl-modified nanomagnetic beads, and the target analyte was extracted and purified through immunoaffinity adsorption followed by ethanol elution. The method exhibited good linearity over the ranges of 0.10-1.00 ng/mL and 1.00-20.00 ng/mL, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.04 ng/mL and a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.10 ng/mL. The method also showed satisfactory accuracy, with spiked recoveries ranging from 80% to 110%. In addition, salivary cortisol concentrations showed a strong positive correlation with serum cortisol concentrations (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.91636). These results indicate that the proposed method provides a sensitive, selective, and reliable approach for salivary cortisol analysis and shows promise for clinical application.
Restricted reservation and environmental impact of conventional fossil fuel forced researchers to explore substitute fuel which addresses the concern of cost, security and global warming. Consequently the aptness of various aspirants for biofuel and bioenergy is being continuously quested by the scientist and ecologist in terms of economic viability, reliability and future sustainability. Adapting blending capability with gasoline without much alteration make fuel from plant origin (biofuel) ideal candidate for alternative of petroleum based products. Nano technology via nano additatives viz. metal oxide, nanofibers, nanosheets and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a carrier or nanocatalyst in biofuel conversion practices further enhances biofuel production and efficiency many fold. Therefore, the present review critically discusses the conversion technologies for bioenergy and biofuel production, application of nanotechnology in their enhancement, safety challenges and future perspective.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic recently demonstrated the devastating impact on public health, economy, and social development of zoonotic infectious diseases, whereby viruses jump from animals to infect humans. Due to this potential of viruses to cross the species barrier, the surveillance of infectious pathogens circulation in domestic and close-to-human animals is indispensable, as they could be potential reservoirs. Optical biosensors, mainly those based on Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), have widely demonstrated its ability for providing direct, label-free, and quantitative bioanalysis with excellent sensitivity and reliability. This biosensor technology can provide a powerful tool to the veterinary field, potentially being helpful for the monitoring of the infection spread. We have implemented a multi-target COVID-19 serology plasmonic biosensor for the rapid testing and screening of common European domestic animals. The multi-target serological biosensor assay enables the detection of total SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgG + IgM) generated towards both S and N viral antigens. The analysis is performed in less than 15 min with a low-volume serum sample (<20 μL, 1:10 dilution), reaching a limit of detection of 49.6 ng mL-1. A complete validation has been carried out with hamster, dog, and cat sera samples (N = 75, including 37 COVID-19-positive and 38 negative samples). The biosensor exhibits an excellent diagnostic sensitivity (100 %) and good specificity (71.4 %) for future application in veterinary settings. Furthermore, the biosensor technology is integrated into a compact, portable, and user-friendly device, well-suited for point-of-care testing. This study positions our plasmonic biosensor as an alternative and reliable diagnostic tool for COVID-19 serology in animal samples, expanding the applicability of plasmonic technologies for decentralized analysis in veterinary healthcare and animal research.
Wide range of nanomaterial applications is helpful to promote sustainable agriculture to the point of nanolevel. With regard to this, biocompatible silica nanoparticles have been used as a nanopriming agent for enhancing seed germination in rabi crops like wheat, pea and mustard. The current study was carried out in a completely randomized block design with four replications. One part of nanosilica (8 g/L) and three parts of Gibberellic acid (GA₃) loaded nano-silica (100 ppm, 125 ppm and 150 ppm) were used for the experimental purpose. The result showed positive significant effect of nanopriming with nano-silica and GA3 loaded nano-silica on seed germination percentage, shoot and root length, seedling length, fresh weight, dry weight and vigour index-I and II at P ≤ 0.05. A comparative study on germination percentage for three of the cereal crops was done and calculated further. It was found to be higher as 91% in wheat, 91% in pea and 75% in mustard. This effect of nanopriming directly help in elevating the activity of α-amylase enzyme, resulting in higher concentration of soluble sugar content needed for supporting seed germination and growth of seedling. In this paper, the nanopriming-induced seed germination is proposed, including the creation of nanopores for enhanced water uptake, rebooting ROS/antioxidant systems in seeds, generation of hydroxyl radicals for cell wall loosening, and nano-catalyst to fasten starch hydrolysis.
We present in this work a quantum-dot (QDs)-based delivery strategy for siRNA which shows pronounced improvements of stability against enzymatic degradation by ribonucleases, cellular uptake due to positively charge, and release from endosomes. The introduction of RNA-binding peptide to the QDs surface enables the dual delivery of the siRNA-peptide assembly. Briefly, EZH2-targeting peptide (EIP103) was first introduced to QDs surface via biotin-streptavidin interaction (PQDs), followed by incubation of siRNA that silences EZH2 (siEZH2). The self-assembly of EIP103 and siEZH2 on the QDs surface (RPQDs) was achieved via electrostatic attraction between the cationic EIP103 and the negatively charged siEZH2. The results revealed that the obtained RPQDs not only protect both EIP103 peptides and siEZH2 from enzymatic hydrolysis but also promote their endocytosis and endosome escape. This study demonstrates the feasibility of dual delivery and targeting of peptides and siRNA, offering a novel strategy for the synergistic cancer therapy.
High demand of food for rapidly increasing population requires novel but ecofriendly fertilizers. Green reducing and capping agents are being explored to minimize production cost and toxicity of chemicals in synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) which could be used to increase the production of crops and plants. In present research, Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are produced by employing an eco-friendly, simple and efficient green route using peel extract of Citrus reticulate. The optical properties of green synthesized ZnO NPs are explored by UV-Visible and Photoluminance spectroscopies where NPs presented 3.21 to 3.13 eV band gap. The morphology and purity of the ZnO NPs are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction technique (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), respectively. The spherical like ZnO NPs having 23-90 nm size exhibited hexagonal structure with 8.89 to 8.62 nm crystallite size. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) explores the existence of specific functional groups which are responsible for stabilization, capping and reduction during synthesis of nanoparticles. The green synthesized ZnO NPs are tested for seed germination of Brassica nigra (black mustard) seeds at standard temperature and pressure. The activity shows that germination percentage of the Brassica nigra seeds is enhanced 100% and seedling vigor index 16.45 after treatment with ZnO NPs and can be controlled by the concentration of NPs. Therefore, it can be expected that ZnO NPs can serve as the cost effective and ecofriendly nano-fertilizers in agriculture.
Emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR), extensively drug resistance (XDR) and pandrug resistance (PDR) strains of bacteria in communicable diseases of zoonotic and reverse zoonotic importance is the major hurdle of one health concept. Increasing level of resistance against antibiotics among bacterial population throughout the world, slow pace of new antibacterial drug discovery and enhanced pace of resistance development by pathogenic bacteria possess major challenges for human and animal health as well as life in future. Alternative management strategy in terms of improved prophylactic vaccine; early, easy and effective diagnostics and therapeutic drugs against those resistant bacteria is the need of the hour. In this context nanomedicine can fit into the multifaceted demands as an effective prophylactic and theranostic alternative to control the communicable diseases in a cost effective manner in the era of microbial resistance. The current review is focused towards delineating the application of nanomaterials as vaccine or drug delivery system, diagnostics and directly acting antimicrobial therapeutic agents in combating the important zoonotic and reverse zoonotic bacterial diseases in recent scenario along with their potential benefits, limitations and future prospects to formulate successful eradication strategies.
Relatively a new branch of technology, Nanotechnology has been found effective and applicable in various scientific disciplines. Its effectiveness has attracted many researchers to use it for solving various issues related to the natural resource management. Lots of studies have been carried out so far and published related to the applications of nanotechnology in climate science, forestry, agro-ecosystem, medical science and industrial sectors. Solving climate change issues in forestry sector, development of new nanomaterials for the management of forests from risks like drought, flood, salinity, fire, invasion, pathogen etc., water resource management in forest system, increasing energy efficiency of forests, improved forest produce, applications in forest based paper industries and other potential domains and its application has been reviewed in this paper along with some of frequently used nanomaterials, generally used or have potential to be used. Some industries currently using this technology are also enlisted. It was concluded that the nanotechnology has significant scope in the field of forestry as an enabling technology yet the future directions and requirements of applying nanotechnology in forestry sector are still in budding stage especially in India and may be applied at large scale by facilitating technical and legal institutions, large R&D grants and research collaborations.
Rapid and dense DNA functionalization of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) remains a critical bottleneck, as conventional covalent and electrostatic methods suffer from low labeling efficiency and time-consuming processing. We report a microwave-assisted rapid dehydration method for efficient DNA immobilization on UCNPs within 3 min, drastically outperforming conventional strategies. This rapid dehydration method demonstrates broad applicability across diverse UCNP compositions, morphologies, and different DNA chain lengths. Molecular dynamics simulations confirm the underlying mechanism: strong noncovalent interactions between DNA phosphate groups/bases and lanthanide ions. Utilizing this approach, we constructed a FRET biosensor by integrating the DNA-functionalized UCNPs with Nb2CTx MXene nanosheets. This platform achieved an ultralow limit of detection of 8.5 pM for SARS-CoV-2 oligonucleotides, representing a 107.5-fold improvement. Importantly, the biosensor was successfully validated using real COVID-19 clinical samples, effectively distinguishing between negative and positive results. The presented DNA functionalization strategy holds immense potential for advancing the design and synthesis of diverse nucleic acid-functionalized nanomaterials for advanced therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
Extracellular vesicle miRNAs (EV-miRNAs) are strongly linked to cancer progression, metastasis, and drug resistance, making them promising biomarkers for precision diagnosis. However, the clinical potential of EV-miRNA-based liquid biopsies is hindered by the low abundance of EV-miRNAs and the tedious detection procedure including EV separation, purification and miRNA quantification. Here, we develop a novel one-step catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA)-based fluorescent assay for sensitive detection of EV-miRNAs assisted with DNA-mediated membrane fusion (DMF) and DNA tetrahedron (DT) (DMF-DT-CHA). This DMF-DT-CHA assay facilitates the membrane fusion between liposome and EV through interactions between DNAs for DT-CHA probe delivery into EVs, and followed by DT-CHA, which recognizes target miRNAs to initiate non-enzymatic signal amplification via CHA-based fluorescence emission. We analyzed EVs from three breast cancer cell sources using DMF-DT-CHA and the results were consistent with qPCR and the platform achieved the limit of detection (LoD) of 0.24 fM for EV-miRNAs. We performed a clinical evaluation of the DMF-DT-CHA assay platform. Recipient operating characteristic curves (ROCs) showed that the DMF-DT-CHA platform was an excellent classifier for distinguishing breast cancer (BC) patients from healthy donors and breast cancer patients from benign breast nodule patients, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.850 and 0.835, respectively, as well as an accuracy of 81.1 % in response to treatment for triple-negative breast cancer. DMF-CT-CHA assay platform has clinical potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
As health care systems worldwide seek to decentralize diagnostics and expand precision medicine, silicon photonic biosensors have become a compelling solution. Their development over the past decade, especially in the last 5 years, marks a significant convergence of photonics, nanotechnology, and biomedical engineering that aims to reshape the diagnostic landscape. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of advances in silicon photonic biosensors, focusing on key configurations including microring resonators, photonic crystals, interferometers, and other emerging transduction mechanisms. We discuss the integration of advanced surface functionalization strategies for efficient and robust bioreceptor immobilization, which is critical for reliable biomedical applications. We emphasize the translation of these devices into clinical settings, primarily in infectious diseases and cancer diagnostics. Finally, we address current limitations, such as fabrication complexity, microfluidic integration, and data interpretation, and outline future directions to enhance scalability and clinical adoption in personalized medicine and decentralized health care.
The realm of agriculture has to confront an expansive gamut of challenges including climatic change, stagnant crop yield and the increasing resistance against pesticides. The explicit usage of agrochemicals along with the introduction of high yielding varieties and genetically modified seeds has already directed the agricultural systems towards a state of saturation in production. Therefore, the increasing need of sustainability demands the involvement of advanced nanotechnological approaches for enhancing crop productivity. Enhanced solubility, absorption and target specificity of nannofertilizers prepared using materials like silver, copper, gold and oxides of zinc and iron could address some of nutritional challenges. Nanopesticides such as chitosan loaded with spino sad, silica encapsulating fipronil and sodium alginate enclosing imidacloprid find applications in pest control while fluorescence nanosensor, carbon and graphene nanodots are exploited in herbicide and heavy metal detection. Nanofilteration involving grapheme, cellulose and cyclodextrin for removal of salt, heavy metals and organic pollutants, respectively, could significantly improve quality of hard and waste water making it suitable for irrigation.
Mercury pollution in waters attracts lots of attention due to its serious toxicity and high bioenrichment and many efforts have been devoted in the development of adsorbents for mercury detection and removal. Herein, a cellulose-based adsorbent Cell-TriA-HQ is functionalized with quinoline fluorophore by covalent immobilization through "Click reaction" with high yield. In addition to the admirable adsorptive performance, the prepared adsorbent exhibits excellent selectivity and sensitivity towards Hg (II) in water that the detection limit for Hg (II) is determined to be as low as 1.92 × 10-7 M. The sensitive fluorescence enhancement response is considered to be resulted from the inhibition of photo-induced electron transfer between triazole and quinoline groups and the reinforcement of structural rigidity. The easy manipulation along with excellent performance of adsorption capacity, detective ability and reusability for the multifunctional adsorbent makes it potential in mercury monitoring and removal from aqueous solutions in the field of water treatment.
Currently, DNA is primarily detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) kits. However, their widespread clinical application is hindered by their high cost and the need for sophisticated instrumentation. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop simpler DNA screening methods that are both cost-effective and compatible with resource-limited settings, thereby eliminating the need for complex equipment. Taking advantage of the DNA-controlled property as well as the ultrahigh peroxidase-like catalytic activity of the Au@Pt nanozymes, we developed a simple and sensitive platform for the colorimetric detection of DNA sequence of varicella-zoster virus. Visual inspection of chromogenic reactions clearly demonstrated that the target DNA effectively inhibited the peroxidase-like activity of Au@Pt nanozymes. The response ranging from 1 to 1000 ng/mL, combined with a detection limit of 1ng/mL confirms the remarkable sensitivity of DNA-mediated regulation of Au@Pt nanozyme activity. Specificity assessment against other common infectious viruses revealed exceptional selectivity of the Au@Pt nanozyme system for varicella-zoster viruses. Moreover, the robust stability (retaining functionality for four weeks) of Au@Pt nanozymes further enhanced their practical utility. This novel technology demonstrates high specificity for target DNA and achieved perfect agreement with RT-PCR in clinical validation. Its combination of operational simplicity, requiring no instrumentation, and remarkable stability positions it as a highly promising tool for diagnosing infectious diseases.
The pelvic floor forms the primary bottom tissue of the pelvic cavity. It comprises muscles that play a fundamental role in bowel and bladder emptying. Alterations of pelvic floor muscles will result in dysfunctions such as urinary incontinence (UI). Given the high prevalence of UI and its impact on the quality of life (QoL) in patients with pelvic floor muscle dysfunctions, it is necessary to implement public, community, and generalized programs focused on treating these dysfunctions. To determine the effect of a community rehabilitation program on QoL, UI severity, and pelvic floor muscle strength in patients with UI. A descriptive prospective cohort study. Twenty subjects between 44 and 75 years old with a diagnosis of UI, participants of a community kinesic rehabilitation program on the pelvic floor in Maipú, Santiago, Chile, were evaluated. These volunteers were intervened for six months, and QoL was measured with the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short-Form (ICIQ-SF) scales, UI severity with the Sandvick test, and pelvic floor muscle strength with the Oxford scale. Patients were followed up three months post-intervention. Significant improvements were observed in all scales after applying for the community kinesic rehabilitation program, and the changes were maintained at a 3-month follow-up. Since the improvement in QoL, UI severity, and pelvic floor muscle strength after the intervention, it is relevant to consider the implementation of community programs aimed at education, screening, and early rehabilitation of these patients.
Lung cancer is the most common cancer in China and second worldwide, of which the incidence of lung adenocarcinoma is rising. As an independent factor, air pollution has drawn the attention of the public. An increasing body of studies has focused on the effect of PM2.5 on lung adenocarcinoma; however, the mechanism remains unclear. We collected the PM2.5 in two megacities, Beijing (BPM) and Shijiazhuang (SPM), located in the capital of China, and compared the different components and sources of PM2.5 in the two cities. Vehicle emissions are the primary sources of BPM, whereas SPM is industrial emissions. We found that chronic exposure to PM2.5 promotes the tumorigenesis and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, as well as the migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. SPM has more severe effects in vivo and in vitro. The underlying mechanisms are related to the stem cell properties of cancer cells, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, and the corresponding miRNAs. It is hopeful to provide a theoretical basis for improving air pollution in China, especially in the capital area, and is of the significance of long-term survival of lung cancer patients.
Bluetongue (BT) disease is a noncontagious disease of domestic and wild ruminants (mainly sheep, cattle, deer) caused by the bluetongue virus (BTV) which is an orbivirus of the Reoviridae family and transmitted by vector Culicoides biting midges. It is a reportable disease of considerable socioeconomic concern and of major importance for the international trade of animals and animal products. Conventional diagnostic methods, such as virus propagation and isolation, immunoassays and also various molecular methods have been developed for the detection of the BTV. Here, we present a novel, rapid and pen-side test for the detection of BTV using multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) based immunosensor. Though it is not reported yet. The MWCNTs were prepared, characterized and functionalized with carboxyl group. Viral antibodies were conjugated successfully with functionalized MWCNTs and coated on screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE). These SPCE were evaluated by using electrochemical sensor with an antigen specific to BTV antibodies, resulted in the self-assembled layer of antigen-antibody on the surface of SPCE. The approach described in the present study is a prototype for the development of simple and economic diagnostic tool which will provide the routine screening of BT disease at the door of farmers, thereby increasing the income of farmers by decreasing the cost of diagnosis.