Engineered nanoparticles show enhanced intrinsic luminescence for biomedical imaging and cancer treatment
The Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology Group (GNano) at the University of São Paulo's São Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC-USP) in Brazil has discovered a way to transform hydroxyapatite, a bioceramic material, into a nanoparticle with enhanced intrinsic luminescence. This paves the way for the use of biocompatible, low-cost nanomaterials in biomedical imaging techniques. "We've demonstrated that the incorporation of carbonate groups into the hydroxyapatite structure increases the concentration of crystal defects, which are responsible for enhancing the intrinsic luminescence of the material. After functionalization with citrate, which improves colloidal stability in aqueous media, these calcium phosphate nanoparticles can be used as luminescent agents for cellular bioimaging," Thales Rafael Machado, first author of both studies, explained to Agência FAPESP.
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