Applications of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in drug and therapeutic delivery, and biotechnological advancements

Maria Suciu; Corina M Ionescu; Alexandra Ciorita; Septimiu C Tripon; Dragos Nica; Hani Al-Salami; Lucian Barbu-Tudoran

doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.94

Applications of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in drug and therapeutic delivery, and biotechnological advancements

Beilstein J Nanotechnol. 2020 Jul 27:11:1092-1109. doi: 10.3762/bjnano.11.94. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Maria Suciu^{1

2}, Corina M Ionescu¹, Alexandra Ciorita^{1

2}, Septimiu C Tripon^{1

2}, Dragos Nica³, Hani Al-Salami⁴, Lucian Barbu-Tudoran^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Biology and Geology Faculty, Babes-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor Str., Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, 400006, Romania.
² Electron Microscopy Integrated Laboratory, National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donath Str., Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, 400293, Romania.
³ Functional Sciences Department, Medical Faculty, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babes", 2 Eftimie Murgu, Timisoara, Timis County, 300041, Romania.
⁴ Biotechnology and Drug Development Research Laboratory, the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth Western Australia 6845, Australia.

Abstract

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have unique properties with regard to biological and medical applications. SPIONs have been used in clinical settings although their safety of use remains unclear due to the great differences in their structure and in intra- and inter-patient absorption and response. This review addresses potential applications of SPIONs in vitro (formulations), ex vivo (in biological cells and tissues) and in vivo (preclinical animal models), as well as potential biomedical applications in the context of drug targeting, disease treatment and therapeutic efficacy, and safety studies.

Keywords: drug delivery; drug targeting; endocytosis; medical; nanoparticles; superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs); toxicity.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovations, CNCS-UEFISCDI, project number PN2-RU-TE-2014-4-0608 awarded to LBT and CRESC-ITIM PNCDI-III 32PFE/2018. Al-Salami’s work is partially supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 SALSETH research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 872370.