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RETRACTED: Nanoscale bioconjugates: A review of the structural attributes of drug-loaded nanocarrier conjugates for selective cancer therapy
Open accessAbstract
Nanobioconjugates are nanoscale drug delivery vehicles that have been conjugated to or decorated with biologically active targeting ligands. These targeting ligands can be antibodies, peptides, aptamers, or small molecules such as vitamins or hormones. Most research studies in this field have been devoted to targeting cancer. Moreover, the nanostructures can be designed with an additional level of targeting by being designed to be stimulus-responsive or "smart" by a judicious choice of materials to be incorporated into the hybrid nanostructures. This stimulus could be an acidic pH, raised temperature, enzyme, ultrasound, redox potential, an externally applied magnetic field, or laser irradiation. In this case, the smart capability can increase the accumulation at the tumor site or the on-demand drug release, while the ligand ensures selective binding to the tumor cells. The present review highlights some interesting studies classified according to the nanostructure material. These materials include natural substances (polysaccharides), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (and halloysite nanotubes), metal-organic frameworks and covalent-organic frameworks, metal nanoparticles (gold and silver), and polymeric micelles.
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![Figure 1 a) H2O2-triggered release procedure of HNTs@PVA@PA. Figure a was adapted by permission from: Chemical Engineering Journal, 2020, 380, 122474 [94]. b) The illustration of the ultrasound-responsive drug release using a vibration enhancer. (i) Hydrogel microbeads contained vibration enhancers and drug models. (ii) Vibration enhancers in the hydrogel microbeads under the applied ultrasound irradiation. (iii) Drug models were released from hydrogel microbeads by the vibration of hydrogel microbeads and vibration enhancers. Figure c was adapted by permission from: Materials & Design, 2021, 203, 109580 [99].](/paper-figures/b5d4e9266ec44dd192a55fdbecc6d74c/retracted-nanoscale-bioconjugates-a-review-of-the-structural-attributes-of-drug-figure-1.jpg)

![Figure 3 The chemical structures of a) carrageenan. Figure a was adapted by permission from: Marine Drugs, 2020, 18, 658 [137], b) dextran, c) chitosan, d) hyaluronic acid. Figures b–d was adapted by permission from: International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020, 21, 9159 [138].](/paper-figures/786efc607218428ab590a79315e5c76f/retracted-nanoscale-bioconjugates-a-review-of-the-structural-attributes-of-drug-figure-3.jpg)
![Figure 4 a) The schematic illustration of the receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME) for drug conjugate, drug release process, and drug attachment to the target protein. Figure a was adapted by permission from: Bioconjugate chemistry, 2010, 21, 979–987 [148]. b) The schematic illustration of the suggested hypothesis of utilizing AS1411 derivatives for carrying C8 ligand into nucleolin-overexpressed cancer cells. Figure b was adapted by permission from: Scientific reports, 2019, 9, 1–12 [154]. c) The schematic illustration of the internalization of GEM-conjugated polyamino acid-based micelles and their reduction-responsive drug release. Figure c was adapted by permission from: Polymer Chemistry, 2017, 8, 2490–2498 [157]. d) The schematic illustration of the structure and suggested mechanism for the targeted impact of CSKSSDYQC-dextran-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (CSK-DEX-PLGA-NPs = CDPs). Figure d was adapted by permission from: Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2019, 16, 518–532 [158].](/paper-figures/1f2ca06a00db450a81ab26f971a21d5e/retracted-nanoscale-bioconjugates-a-review-of-the-structural-attributes-of-drug-figure-4.jpg)
![Figure 5 a) Preparation route of Pab-functionalized MWCNTs. (DSPE-PEG: Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphoethanolamine conjugated to polyethylene glycol5000 terminated with a methoxy group, Mal: maleimide, FITC: fluorescein isothiocyanate). This figure was adapted by permission from: ACS applied materials & interfaces, 2018, 10, 33464–33473 [172]. b) A schematic of the preparation strategy of cRGD-functionalized polylipopeptide micelles (cRGD-Lipep-Ms). (PEG-PAPA: poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(α-aminopalmitic acid), MMAE: Monomethyl auristatin E, cRGD: cyclic RGD (arginine–glycine–aspartic) peptides, cRGD-Lipep-Ms: cRGD-functionalized polylipopeptide micelles). This figure was adapted by permission from: Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2018, 15, 4854–4861 [173]. c) The illustration of MWCNT/γ-Fe2O3/PEI-PEG-FA/DOX synthesis. This figure was adapted by permission from: Journal of Biotechnology, 2021, 341, 51–62 [174].](/paper-figures/751abe761f224ed99055204d3dddbb16/retracted-nanoscale-bioconjugates-a-review-of-the-structural-attributes-of-drug-figure-5.jpg)
![Figure 6 (a) MTT test using a docetaxel-containing iron oxide/AuNPs nanocarrier on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line (C: MCF-7 control, DXL: individual docetaxel, P4: mercaptopropyl-modified Fe3O4/PVA particles, P6: Fe3O4/PVA-10%DXL, and P7: Au/Fe3O4/PVA-10%DXL), (b) the ex vivo fluorescence images after the major organs were excised and tetramethylindocarbocyanine iodide (DiR) fluorescence distribution was studied using a Maestro in vivo imaging system, and (c) a schematic presentation of the LSPR heating by AuNPs agglomerated in the magnetically delivered Au/Fe3O4/PVA-10%DXL nanomedicine composite. This figure was adapted by permission from: Small, 2020, 16, 2002733 [102].](/paper-figures/5b2957b2aa7c4e0fb86b95c011b7aad9/retracted-nanoscale-bioconjugates-a-review-of-the-structural-attributes-of-drug-figure-6.jpg)
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“Owing to their biocompatibility and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, AuNPs have become a leading candidate for multiple medical applications.”
From Targeted Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery Across the Blood–Brain Barrier in Early and Late Stages of Alzheimer's Disease: A Review (2026) · cites this paper as [86]
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6 retracted
Zhang, W., Taheri‐Ledari, R., Hajizadeh, Z., Zolfaghari, E., Ahghari, M. R., Maleki, A. R., Hamblin, M. R., & Tian, Y. (2020) · Nanoscale · doi:10.1039/c9nr09687f · Cited by 112
Self-citationRetractedTaheri‐Ledari, R., Zhang, W., Radmanesh, M., Mirmohammadi, S. S., Maleki, A. R., Cathcart, N., & Kitaev, V. (2020) · Small · doi:10.1002/smll.202002733 · Cited by 107
Self-citationRetractedTaheri‐Ledari, R., Hashemi, S. M., & Maleki, A. R. (2019) · RSC Advances · doi:10.1039/c9ra08062g · Cited by 64
Self-citationRetractedSoltani, S. S., Taheri‐Ledari, R., Farnia, S. M. F., Maleki, A. R., & Foroumadi, A. (2020) · RSC Advances · doi:10.1039/d0ra04521g · Cited by 53
Self-citationRetractedGe, X., Fu, M., Niu, X., & Kong, X. (2020) · Ceramics International · doi:10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.07.123 · Cited by 19
Retracted- Retracted
Nanomaterials: a review of synthesis methods, properties, recent progress, and challenges
Baig, N., Kammakakam, I., & Falath, W. S. (2021) · Materials Advances · doi:10.1039/d0ma00807a · Cited by 3,482
Maeda, H., Nakamura, H., & Fang, J. (2013) · Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.addr.2012.10.002 · Cited by 2,376
Kam, N. W. S., O’Connell, M. J., Wisdom, J. A., & Dai, H. (2005) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0502680102 · Cited by 2,300
Albumin as a drug carrier: Design of prodrugs, drug conjugates and nanoparticles
Kratz, F. (2008) · Journal of Controlled Release · doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2008.05.010 · Cited by 2,151
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Zhang, W., Taheri‐Ledari, R., Ganjali, F., Mirmohammadi, S. S., Qazi, F. S., Saeidirad, M., Kashtiaray, A., Zarei-Shokat, S., Tian, Y., & Maleki, A. R. (2022) · RSC Advances · doi:10.1039/d2ra06888e · Cited by 220
Self-citationGrewal, A. K., & Salar, R. K. (2024) · Nano TransMed · doi:10.1016/j.ntm.2024.100040 · Cited by 164
Zhang, W., Taheri‐Ledari, R., Saeidirad, M., Qazi, F. S., Kashtiaray, A., Ganjali, F., Tian, Y., & Maleki, A. R. (2022) · Journal of environmental chemical engineering · doi:10.1016/j.jece.2022.108836 · Cited by 132
Self-citationGhareeb, A., Fouda, A., Kishk, R. M., & El-Kazzaz, W. M. (2024) · Microbial Cell Factories · doi:10.1186/s12934-024-02609-5 · Cited by 125
Beigi, P., Ganjali, F., Hassanzadeh‐Afruzi, F., Salehi, M. M., & Maleki, A. R. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-38005-z · Cited by 75
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Metadata
- Authors
- Zhang, W., Taheri-Ledari, R., Ganjali, F., Afruzi, F. H., Hajizadeh, Z., Saeidirad, M., Qazi, F. S., Kashtiaray, A., Sehat, S. S., Hamblin, M. R., & Maleki, A.
- Affiliations
- Sichuan University (CN)
- Iran University of Science and Technology (IR)
- University of Johannesburg (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Maleki, Ali
- ORCID
- Venue
- Heliyon
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2022-06
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- e09577
- ISSN
- 2405-8440 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC9189039
- OpenAlex
- W4281625127
- Cited by
- 79
- References
- 234
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 11
- FWCI
- 1.22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Status
- Retracted
- Update notices
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Heliyon (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Sichuan Province Science and Technology Support Program (2022YFH0047)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Biomaterials › Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Dendrimers and Hyperbranched Polymers
- Keywords
- nanobioconjugates, targeted drug delivery, cancer therapy, targeting ligands, tumor accumulation, on-demand drug release, polysaccharide nanoparticles, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, halloysite nanotubes, metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, gold nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, retracted article
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