Abstract

Biomaterials 2019: Hybrid smart nanocrystals and the shielding effect of phospholipid bilayer for biomedical application

Author(s): Valentina Cauda

The Statement of the Problem: Zinc oxide nanocrystals (ZnO NCs), thanks to their unique properties, are receiving much attention for their use in nanomedicine, in particular for therapy against cancer. To be efficiently employed as diagnostic and therapeutic (yet theranostic) tools, highly dispersed, stable and non-toxic nanoparticles are required. In the case of ZnO NCs, there is still a lack of knowledge about cytotoxicity mechanisms and stability in the biological context, as well as immunological response and hemocompatible features. We thus propose a novel approach to render stable, immune and hemocompatible ZnO NCs in various biological media using artificial and natural phospholipidic bilayers.