Naked Selenium Nanoparticles for Antibacterial and Anticancer Treatments
Authors: Junjiang Chen
Luke D Geoffrion
Patrick Taylor
Alessandro Ajo
Ada Vernet-Crua
David Medina-Cruz
Thomas J Webster
Matthew Kusper
Grégory Guisbiers
Tina Hesabizadeh
Journal: ACS Omega (2020)
Discipline: CHEMISTRY
Keywords: antibiotic resistance; cancer; nanotechnology; selenium nanoparticles; pulsed laser ablation in liquids
Affiliations: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas 72204-1000, United States., Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, 313 Snell Engineering Center, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.

Abstract:  Currently, antibiotic resistance and cancer are two of the most important public health problems killing more than ∼1.5 million people annually, showing that antibiotics and current chemotherapeutics are not as effective as they were in the past. Nanotechnology is presented here as a potential solution. However, current protocols for the traditional physicochemical synthesis of nanomaterials are not free of environmental and social drawbacks, often involving the use of toxic catalysts. This article shows the production of pure naked selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) by a novel green process called pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLAL). After the first set of irradiations, another set was performed to reduce the size below 100 nm, which resulted in a colloidal solution of spherical SeNPs with two main populations having sizes around ∼80 and ∼10 nm. The particles after the second set of irradiations also showed higher colloidal stability. SeNPs showed a dose-dependent antibacterial effect toward both standard and antibiotic-resistant phenotypes of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria at a range of concentrations between 0.05 and 25 ppm. Besides, the SeNPs showed a low cytotoxic effect when cultured with human dermal fibroblasts cells at a range of concentrations up to 1 ppm while showing an anticancer effect toward human melanoma and glioblastoma cells at the same concentration range. This article therefore introduces the possibility of using totally naked SeNPs synthesized by a new PLAL protocol as a novel and efficient nanoparticle fabrication process for biomedical applications. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Figure 5A appears to show some repetitive features. Here is Figure 5A, unmarked. ![file] Here is the AFM image inset, with boxes of the same color showing areas that look similar to each other. I am aware that technical artifacts (e.g., dust) can make AFM images look repetitive. Could the authors please clarify what could be the cause of these apparent repetitive features? ![file] , 
 Would the authors be so kind to share the raw AFM images ( .mdt for example) files, please? That might take away any concerns we might have. , 
 #1 The repetitive features are selenium nanoparticles as mentioned in the article. The image has been analyzed again by the ACS Omega Editorial board and here is their answer (Email correspondence from November 2020 between Dr. Gregory Guisbiers and Dr. Deqing Zhang Editor in Chief of ACS Omega):  Dear Dr. Gregory Guisbiers, Thank you very much for the message. I asked my colleague who knows the AFM characterization technique very well to examine the inset of Figure 5a and he told me the your description and explanation of AFM images are acceptable. With best regards, Deqing Zhang ! ,