Anal Bioanal Chem (2009) 393:1087–1088 DOI 10.1007/s00216-008-2542-6

BOOKS AND SOFTWARE IN REVIEW

Warren C. W. Chan (Ed.): Bio-applications of nanoparticles Alexander Le Blanc

Published online: 18 December 2008 # Springer-Verlag 2008

Bibliography Bio-applications of nanoparticles Warren C. W. Chan (Ed.) Series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Vol. 620 Springer ISBN: 978-0-387-76712-3 Hardcover, 226 pages, November 2007, 133,70 €

Book’s topic The state of the art in nanoparticle engineering has reached a level that enables scientists from other disciplines to profit from the efficient design of materials with new properties. Bio-Applications of Nanoparticles is a collection of reviews that aims to provide an overview of applications of nanoparticles in the biomedical sciences. Detailed coverage of this wide scientific area in one book is impossible, so the authors provide several examples rather than claiming completeness.

A. Le Blanc (*) Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry (IPTC), Eberhard-Karls-University of Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany e-mail: [email protected]

Contents The book is divided into three sections, each containing several chapters in the style of review articles. All chapters can be read without the need to read the preceding ones. The first section contains one chapter about nanoparticle synthesis and one about protein engineering. The first illustrates how to control the sizes and shapes of nanocrystals, how to produce hybrid or core–shell nanoparticles, and how these particles assemble into larger oligomers. The second covers topics such as random and site-directed mutagenesis, DNA recombination and fusion proteins. In the second section, nine chapters review the use of nanoparticles for biomedical applications. Chapters 3 and 4 deal with gold nanoparticles, their synthesis, their physicochemical properties and applications of them in drug delivery. Chapter 5 highlights recent advances in the use of quantum dots for in vitro diagnostics and in vivo imaging, which is followed by two chapters on the use of carbon nanostructures and magnetic particles as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. The ability to arrange metallic nanoparticles in highly defined, selforganizing DNA scaffolds is depicted in Chapter 8, while the use of liposomes as vehicles for drug and nucleotide delivery is described in Chapter 9. Chapter 10 shows how dye-doped silica nanoparticles are versatile tools for detecting DNA and bacteria, before this section closes with a general overview of dendrimers. Several authors in the second section point out the need for toxicological studies of the systems described in this section. Consequently, the third section covers several aspects of nanoparticle toxicity in its three chapters. Chapters 12 to 14 link surface properties of various fluorescent nanoparticles and carbon nanostructures to their

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cellular uptake and distribution as well as their toxic effects. Current knowledge gaps and the need for further studies are highlighted. Comparison with existing literature Several books about nanobiotechnology (or bionanotechnology) and nanomedicine have recently been published, most of them with a stronger focus on one of the aspects presented in this book. Alternatives covering a broad spectrum include The Handbook of Nanomedicine by Kewal K. Jain (2008, ISBN: 978–1603273183), which offers a more complete overview. Each chapter covers a certain application rather than one type of particle. Another one is Nanobiotechnology: Concepts, Applications and Perspectives (2004, ISBN: 978–3527306589), edited by Christof M. Niemeyer and Chad A. Mirkin, which covers interphase systems, proteinbased nanostructures, DNA-based nanostructures and nanoanalytics, and was updated in a second volume (Nanobiotechnology II: More Concepts and Applications, 2007, ISBN: 978-3527316731). Critical assessment All chapters have a clear structure, are easy to read and provide a good panel of citations. Many informative figures are presented throughout the book; all of them in black and white. Whenever color is important (e.g., for fluorescence staining using different dyes), a link to a webpage with the original image is provided. The editor of the book tried to cover many aspects of nanobiotechnology in only about 200 pages. Therefore, the first section does not cover all of the important aspects, and a solid background in (for example) cell biology and animal physiology is required in order to understand topics

A. Le Blanc

such as cytotoxicity and in vivo imaging in the following chapters. Although the examples of applications included in the second section are very interesting, there are a vast number of possible examples in this field, and so the book presents an incomplete range of applications; the editor has chosen mainly medical examples. Each chapter covers a certain type of nanoparticle rather than an application. This makes it easier to read for scientists searching for an application of a given particle, but more difficult to use for anyone searching for the right type of nanostructure for a particular application. The important field of nanotoxicology is considered in several chapters, and the third section deals exclusively with this issue. Again, several important examples are given rather than a complete overview. Readership recommendation The book can be recommended to scientists from the fields of biology or nanotechnology who need a basic introduction to possible applications of nanoparticles in diagnostics, therapy and bioanalytics. Toxicologists aiming to expand their research to particle toxicology will find useful hints about highly relevant systems to study. Summary Bio-Applications of Nanoparticles provides a basic overview of the use of nanoparticles in the life sciences and highlights different approaches to modifying particle properties for biomedical applications. Since many fields of nanobiotechnology are covered in about 200 pages, basic concepts are provided rather than detailed discussions. The rather new field of particle toxicology is adequately presented by the book.