Nanodiagnostics: Small 22/2009

The frontispiece shows magnetofluorescent nanoparticles penetrating the external wall of a MCF-7 adenocarcinoma cell in an orderly way. The background is derived from a TEM image of an ultrathin section of fixed cells after treatment with nanoparticles. The nanoparticles consist of a small cluster of iron oxide nanocrystals encapsulated in a thick silica shell containing organic dye molecules. Several properties of the newly synthesized bifunctional nanoparticles including size, surface charge, presence or absence of oligoethylene glycol coating, and intensity of fluorescent and magnetic signals are evaluated according to their in vitro toxicity, capability of internalizing within the cell cytoplasm, and intracellular fate. For more information, please read the Full Paper “Towards Ideal Magnetofluorescent Nanoparticles for Bimodal Detection of Breast Cancer Cells” by E. Clementi, D. Prosperi, et al., beginning on page 2555.