The development of antibiotic resistance of bacteria is one of the most pressing problems in world health care. One of the promising ways to overcome microbial resistance to antibiotics is the use of metal nanoparticles and their oxides. In particular, numerous studies have shown the high antibacterial potential of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) in relation to gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. This mini-review includes an analysis of the results of studies in recent years aimed at studying the antibacterial activity of nanoparticles based on zinc oxide. The dependence of the antibacterial effect on the size of the applied nanoparticles in relation to E. coli and S. aureus is given. The influence of various ways of synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles and the main types of modifications of NP-ZnO to increase the antibacterial efficiency are also considered.

The use of metal oxide nanoparticles is one of the promising ways for overcoming antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have found wide applications in different fields of biomedicine. Several studies have suggested using the antimicrobial potential of IONPs. Iron is one of the key microelements and plays an important role in the function of living systems of different hierarchies. Iron abundance and its physiological functions bring into question the ability of iron compounds at the same concentrations, on the one hand, to inhibit the microbial growth and, on the other hand, to positively affect mammalian cells. At present, multiple studies have been published that show the antimicrobial effect of IONPs against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. Several studies have established that IONPs have a low toxicity to eukaryotic cells. It gives hope that IONPs can be considered potential antimicrobial agents of the new generation that combine antimicrobial action and high biocompatibility with the human body. This review is intended to inform readers about the available data on the antimicrobial properties of IONPs, a range of susceptible bacteria, mechanisms of the antibacterial action, dependence of the antibacterial action of IONPs on the method for synthesis, and the biocompatibility of IONPs with eukaryotic cells and tissues.

Targeted radionuclide therapy is one of the most intensively developing directions of nuclear medicine. Unlike conventional external beam therapy, the targeted radionuclide therapy causes less collateral damage to normal tissues and allows targeted drug delivery to a clinically diagnosed neoplastic malformations, as well as metastasized cells and cellular clusters, thus providing systemic therapy of cancer. The methods of targeted radionuclide therapy are based on the use of molecular carriers of radionuclides with high affinity to antigens on the surface of tumor cells. The potential of targeted radionuclide therapy has markedly grown nowadays due to the expanded knowledge base in cancer biology, bioengineering, and radiochemistry. In this review, progress in the radionuclide therapy of hematological malignancies and approaches for treatment of solid tumors is addressed.

There is a growing interest in the utilization of metal oxide nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents. This review will focus on titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs), which have been demonstrated to exhibit high antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi, chemical stability, low toxicity to eukaryotic cells, and therefore high biocompatibility. Despite the extensive research conducted in this field, there is currently no consensus on how to enhance the antimicrobial efficacy of TiO₂ NPs. The aim of this review is to evaluate the influence of various factors, including particle size, shape, composition, and synthesis parameters, as well as microbial type, on the antibacterial activity of TiO₂ NPs against bacteria and fungi. Furthermore, the review offers a comprehensive overview of the methodologies employed in the synthesis and characterization of TiO₂ NPs. The antimicrobial activity of TiO₂ exhibits a weak dependence on the microorganism species. A tendency towards increased antibacterial activity is observed with decreasing TiO₂ NP size. The dependence on the shape and composition is more pronounced. The most pronounced antimicrobial potential is exhibited by amorphous NPs and NPs doped with inorganic compounds. This review may be of interest to specialists in biology, medicine, chemistry, and other related fields.

The use of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles is frequently regarded as a potential solution to the issue of bacterial antibiotic resistance. Among the proposed range of nanoparticles with antibacterial properties, copper oxide nanoparticles are of particular interest. Although the antibacterial properties of copper have been known for a considerable period of time, studies on the effects of copper oxide nanomaterials with respect to biological systems have attracted considerable attention in recent years. This review presents a summary of the antibacterial properties of copper oxide nanoparticles, the mechanisms by which the antibacterial effect is realized, and the key reported methods of modifying these nanoparticles to improve their antibacterial activity. A comparative analysis of the effectiveness of these nanoparticles is presented depending on the type of microorganism, the shape of the nanoparticles, and the Gram classification of bacteria based on data from published sources. In addition, the review addresses the biological activities of copper oxide nanoparticles, including their antifungal and cytotoxic properties, as well as their “antioxidant” activity. According to the conducted analysis of the literature data, it can be concluded that copper oxide nanoparticles have a significant bacteriostatic potential with respect to a wide range of microorganisms and, in some cases, contribute to the inhibition of fungal growth. At the same time, the sensitivity of Gram-positive bacteria to the effect of copper oxide nanoparticles was often higher than that of Gram-negative bacteria.