The synthesis, photophysical and biological properties of 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-substituted phenyl)tetrabenzoporphyrin derivatives

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) had garnered considerable focus owing to its high photoactivation efficacy and low systemic toxicity. The performance of PDT heavily relied on the behavior of photosensitizers. In this study, a series of new 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-substituted phenyl)tetrabenzoporphyrin derivatives were prepared and their antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo were evaluated. These new compounds presented an absorption peak at ∼700 nm within the phototherapeutic window (600-760 nm). Their effective ROS generation capacities were predominantly verified via the type II mechanism during the irradiation process. In vitro experiments displayed that all compounds exhibited notable phototoxicity with low dark toxicity (IC50 > 76 μM) toward Eca-109 cells. Among them, VI showed obvious photoactivation with a cell survival rate reduction to 7 % at a concentration of 10 μM after exposure to 650 nm laser light (12 J/cm2). In vivo studies revealed that VI had significant antitumor effects with inhibition rate up to 94 %. Subcellular experiments demonstrated that VI distributed mainly in mitochondria, lysosomes and partially in endoplasmic reticulum. Thus, compound VI, which possessed long-wavelength and multi-wavelength absorption capabilities, high photocytotoxicity and low dark toxicity to tumor, would emerge as a promising photosensitizer for individual photo-diagnosis and photodynamic therapy.

A novel easily available near-infrared fluorescent probe for rapid and specific detection of Au(Ⅲ) ion in environmental water samples and its biological imaging applications in living cells and zebrafish

The in-situ tracking of Au3+ contaminant in the environment andorganisms has aroused considerable research interest. Herein, a simple colorimetric and near-infrared probe DPHB (2-3-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)allylidene)-6-hydroxybenzofuran-3(2H)-one) was strategically designed and readily synthesized for Au3+ monitoring. DPHB presented a conspicuous fluorescence quenching response toward Au3+ in nearly 100 % aqueous solution. DPHB was extremely sensitive and specific for Au3+ among different metal ions in the complex medium. This probe also possessed the the merits of large Stokes shift (180 nm), long emission wavelength (680 nm), low detection limit (85.23 nM), rapid response time (<4 s), favourable photostability, strong anti-interference ability, and good linear relationships of absorption intensity (R2 = 0.9902) and fluorescence intensity (R2 = 0.9952) versus Au3+ concentrations (0-5 μM). DPHB was successfully utilized for the accurate and precise determination of trace Au3+ within diverse environmental water samples. Furthermore, DPHB was is proved to be low-toxicity and could serve as an excellent fluorescence imaging marker for labeling the distribution of Au3+ levels in living HeLa cell and zebrafish.

Enabling electrochemical, decarboxylative C(sp2)-C(sp3) cross-coupling for parallel medicinal chemistry

Herein we report the development of an automated protocol for coupling aliphatic carboxylic acids and aryl halides under mild, electrochemical conditions. Carboxylic acids are one of the largest pools of commercially available building blocks utilized in parallel medicinal chemistry to expand structure-activity relationships. However, their usage in decarboxylative cross-coupling reactions to forge C(sp2)-C(sp3) bonds is low due to challenges associated with direct decarboxylation. Redox-active esters (RAE) are commonly employed to increase the reactivity of carboxylic acids for decarboxylative cross-coupling reactions. Previously, coupling reagent byproducts from in situ generated RAEs proved detrimental to transition metal catalysis. We have developed a purification-free protocol for activating carboxylic acids as N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) esters, which are employed in electrochemical decarboxylative cross-coupling in a high-throughput, automated fashion. This automated workflow enables the preparation of compound libraries including PROTACs. By enabling the pool of commercial aliphatic carboxylic acids to be rapidly incorporated into drug-like molecules, this protocol can potentially impact how C(sp2)-C(sp3) cross-coupling reactions are performed in drug discovery campaigns.

Receptor modulated assembly and drug induced disassembly of amyloid beta aggregates at asymmetric neuronal model biomembranes

Amyloid peptide non-fibrillar oligomers cause neurotoxicity and may contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Mounting evidence indicates that Aβ1-42 oligomers disrupt and remodel neuronal membrane, causing neuronal cell death. The involvement of individual neuronal membrane constituents in real-time Aβ1-42 aggregate assembly is unclear due to complexity of neuronal cell membrane. We used non-Faradaic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to track monomeric Aβ1-42 peptide binding and aggregation pathways in real-time in asymmetric micropore suspended lipid bilayer membranes with anionic phospholipids and glycosphingolipids. Anionic DOPC:PIP2 pore suspended membrane showed pore-formation within 2 h of incubation, but peptide insertion occurred over 6 h, with an onset time of ∼6-8 h for peptide aggregation at the membrane surface. Among different gangliosides, peptide binding to GM1- and GM3-containing membranes did not result pore development, but receptor mediated peptide aggregation formation caused membrane admittance to decrease within 2 h. In contrast, partial peptide insertion in the membrane surface increases membrane admittance at GD1a and mixed GSL membranes, arresting aggregation. Time-lapsed AFM imaging at asymmetric solid supported lipid bilayers (aSLBs) corroborated EIS findings, capturing pore-formation and receptor mediated peptide assembly routes. Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) imaging and spatial resolved single-point fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) at aSLBs revealed membrane-peptide interaction, assembly, and peptide induced membrane reorganization. Treatment with antidepressants fluoxetine and imipramine therapeutics, in synergy, which are cost-effective and capable of crossing the central nervous system (CNS+), resulted in the disassembly of membrane mediated Aβ1-42 aggregates, but not fibrils. Overall, the data suggests that membrane-mediated aggregate disassembly at the correct timing of AD progression may halt or reverse amyloid assembly through the use of repurposed drugs.

Targeted delivery systems of siRNA based on ionizable lipid nanoparticles and cationic polymer vectors

As an emerging therapeutic tool, small interfering RNA (siRNA) had the capability to down-regulate nearly all human mRNAs via sequence-specific gene silencing. Numerous studies have demonstrated the substantial potential of siRNA in the treatment of broad classes of diseases. With the discovery and development of various delivery systems and chemical modifications, six siRNA-based drugs have been approved by 2024. The utilization of siRNA-based therapeutics has significantly propelled efforts to combat a wide array of previously incurable diseases and advanced at a rapid pace, particularly with the help of potent targeted delivery systems. Despite encountering several extracellular and intracellular challenges, the efficiency of siRNA delivery has been gradually enhanced. Currently, targeted strategies aimed at improving potency and reducing toxicity played a crucial role in the druggability of siRNA. This review focused on recent advancements on ionizable lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and cationic polymer (CP) vectors applied for targeted siRNA delivery. Based on various types of targeted modifications, we primarily described delivery systems modified with receptor ligands, peptides, antibodies, aptamers and amino acids. Finally, we discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with siRNA delivery systems based on ionizable LNPs and CPs vectors.

Electronic analysis of 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium halide adsorption on AlN nanoflakes

This study explores the interaction of AlN nanoflakes with ionic liquids (ILs) consisting of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cations and halide anions (fluoride, chloride, bromide), aiming to enhance AlN nanoflake performance in energy applications. ILs adsorb onto the nanoflake surface, with halide ions attaching to aluminum atoms, indicating strong interactions that improve the material's electronic properties. Adsorption energy is the highest for fluoride and lowest for chloride, reflecting the strength and proximity of interaction. Thermodynamic analysis shows the adsorption is exothermic, with fluoride exhibiting the most substantial interaction due to its small size and high electronegativity. This significantly alters the electronic properties of the nanoflake, increasing dipole moment, redistributing charge, and reducing the HOMO-LUMO gap. Additionally, the enhanced nonlinear optical (NLO) properties make these IL-modified AlN nanoflakes promising candidates for energy storage and optical applications. These changes suggest improved conductivity and potential for enhanced supercapacitor performance, offering valuable insights for optimizing AlN nanoflakes in energy storage.

Antheraea pernyi silk nanofibrils with inherent RGD motifs accelerate diabetic wound healing: A novel drug-free strategy to promote hemostasis, regulate immunity and improve re-epithelization

The chronic inflammation and matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-induced tissue degradation significantly disrupt re-epithelization and delay the healing process of diabetic wounds. To address these issues, we produced nanofibrils from Antheraea pernyi (Ap) silk fibers via a facile and green treatment of swelling and shearing. The integrin receptors on the cytomembrane could specifically bind to the Ap nanofibrils (ApNFs) due to their inherent Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motifs, which activated platelets to accelerate coagulation and promoted fibroblast migration, adhesion and spreading. These degradable nanofibrils served as effective competitive substrates to reduce MMP-induced tissue degradation. ApNFs and their enzymatic hydrolysates could modulate macrophage polarization due to their RGD motifs. RNA sequencing further revealed that ApNFs treatment activated the JAK2-STAT5b and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways while suppressed the NF-κB, IL-17 and TNF signaling pathways in macrophages. The full-thickness skin wound experiments confirmed that ApNFs significantly accelerated wound healing in both diabetic and non-diabetic rats. Notably, in diabetic wound, ApNFs and their enzymatic hydrolysates polarized the accumulated M1-type macrophages into M2-type, which promoted the wound to get rid of the inflammatory stage and transition to the following proliferative stage, improving the wound healing percentage on day 14 from 74.9 % to 93.2 % by facilitating collagen deposition, angiogenesis and re-epithelization. These results demonstrate that ApNFs are promising drug-free diabetic wound dressings with favorable inherent immunoregulatory properties for biomedical translation.

Cuproptosis nanoprodrug-initiated self-promoted cascade reactions for postoperative tumor therapy

Cancer metastasis and recurrence remain a regular cause of postoperative death in patients, implying that extra consolidation treatment strategies are needed. Here, a cuproptosis nanoprodrug, termed as Lipo@CP@DQ NPs, is developed to initiate self-promoted cascade reactions to achieve the combinational effect of cuproptosis, in situ chemotherapy, and oxidative stress amplification for effectively suppressing tumor recurrence and metastasis after postoperative treatment. Lipo@CP@DQ NPs are fabricated by loading copper peroxides (Cu2O2, CP) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-repsonsive prodrug DQ into liposomal nanoparticles. Lipo@CP@DQ NPs rapidly dissociate in the acidic tumor microenvironment to release copper ions, H2O2, and prodrug DQ. Subsequently, the excessive accumulation of Cu ions induces cuproptosis and produces highly cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Meanwhile, the self-supplied H2O2 catalyzes the decomposition of DQ to diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC), which is chelated with self-supplied Cu ions to form the anticancer compound, Cu(DTC)2. The another decomposition product, quinone methide (QM), acts as a glutathione (GSH) scavenger for oxidative stress amplification. The synergistic effect of Lipo@CP@DQ NPs-mediated cuproptosis, in situ chemotherapy, and oxidative stress amplification effectively inhibits the growth and postoperative recurrence of triple-negative breast cancer. This work furnishes a strategy for developing cuproptosis-based nanomedicines for effective antitumor treatment after surgery.

Photodynamically activated chlorogenic acid-based antimicrobial packaging films for cherry preservation

Natural photosensitizers offer promising and sustainable solutions to the challenges of food preservation. This study investigates the potential of chlorogenic acid (CA), a naturally occurring phenolic compound with dual photoactive and antimicrobial properties. Under Xenon lamp irradiation (100 mW/cm2), CA at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL demonstrated significant antimicrobial efficacy against both Staphylococcus aureus (106 CFU/mL) and Escherichia coli (105 CFU/mL). To enhance the practical applicability of CA for cherry preservation, CA was incorporated into agar (AG) films, which exhibited superior physicochemical and mechanical properties, including increased tensile strength and improved gas permeability. Implementation of CA-AG films prolonged the storage duration of cherries by 9 days through effective quality retention and suppression of microbial contamination. This research highlights the potential of CA as an environmentally friendly and functional solution for advanced food preservation technologies.

Biosensor-based methods for exosome detection with applications to disease diagnosis

Exosomes are nanoscale extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by most eukaryotic cells and can be found in nearly all human body fluids. Increasing evidence has revealed their pivotal roles in intercellular communication, and their active participation in myriad physiological and pathological activities. Exosomes' functions rely on their contents that are closely correlated with the biological characteristics of parental cells, which may provide a rich resource of molecular information for accurate and detailed diagnosis of a diverse array of diseases, such as differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, early detection and subtyping of various tumors. As a category of sensitive detection devices, biosensors can fully reveal the molecular information and convert them into actionable clinical information. In this review, recent advances in biosensor-based methods for the detection of exosomes are summarized. We have described the fabrication of various biosensors based on the analysis of exosomal proteins, RNAs or glycans for accurate diagnosis, with respect to their elaborate recognition designs, signal amplification strategies, sensing properties, as well as their application potential. The challenges along with corresponding technologies in the future development and clinical translation of these biosensors are also discussed.

Comparative study of peroxymonosulfate activation with H2O2 activation by Cu-N doped biochar derived from peach gum network for rapid antibiotic removal

The design and development of efficient biochar catalysts is an urgent need for the removal of toxic contaminants from water bodies. Peach gum (PG) is a natural colloid featuring a heteropolysaccharide macromolecule structure. Herein, Cu2+ was anchored to the macromolecule of peach gum with dicyandiamide serving as the auxiliary ligand. Then, copper-nitrogen codoped peach gum biochar (Cu-N-PGC) was successfully prepared by the pyrolysis of the Cu2+/dicyandiamide modified peach gum precursor. Structural characterization demonstrated that CuO nanoparticles, pyridinic-N, and pyrrolic-N structures have been successfully constructed and uniformly doped into the graphitic structure of peach gum biochar. The mesoporous structure was fabricated in Cu-N-PGC composites by using NH4HCO3 as pore-making agent, and the adsorption of tetracycline (TC) on Cu-N-PGC-350 could be described by Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Cu-N-PGC biochar exhibited outstanding activation performance for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the removal of TC. Cu-N-PGC-350 showed the highest catalytic activity by activating PMS in the darkness, achieving a removal efficiency of 99.8 % for TC within 15 min. The rate constant obtained by PMS activation (0.38 min-1) was 4.47 times higher than that by H2O2 activation (0.085 min-1), suggesting Cu-N-PGC-350/PMS system was more efficient than the Cu-N-PGC-350/H2O2 system. The catalytic mechanism was studied through trapping experiments, EPR tests, and molecular electrostatic potential calculation, which reveals that 1O2 and SO4·- are the primary reactive species in the Cu-N-PGC-350/PMS system, while •OH is the main reactive radical generated in the Cu-N-PGC-350/H2O2 system. The degradation pathways of TC were proposed through the analysis of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and the ecotoxicology of TC before and after degradation was evaluated by the TEST toxicity assessment and the rice seeds germination tests. This work presents an effective approach for the preparation of functional biochar with tree gum, thereby technically addressing the issue of uneven doping of metal-N active sites in biochar.

Hollow layered double hydroxide nanoreactor activated peroxymonosulfate to efficiently degrade dye wastewater

The conventional preparation of layered double hydroxide (LDH) often limits its catalytic effectiveness in advanced oxidation processes due to agglomeration and inadequate exposure of active sites. In this work, we present a simplified synthesis approach that utilizes zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF)-67 (Co) as a sacrificial template to in situ fabricate hollow polyhedral CoFe-LDH (HP-LDH), aimed at enhancing the degradation of dye contaminants in aqueous systems. The unique porous and polyhedral structure of HP-LDH, derived from the template, facilitates contact efficiency between the substrate and active metal sites, acting as an effective nanoreactor. The comparative degradation experiments of Acid Red 27 (AR27) in peroxymonosulfate (PMS) revealed that the degradation efficiency of HP-LDH was nearly twice that of conventional flake LDH (F-LDH). Under optimal conditions, the HP-LDH/PMS system attained a removal rate of 95% in just 15 min. The degradation of the dye relies on the action of both radical and non-radical species, particularly 1O2. Furthermore, the robust adaptability and versatility of HP-LDH/PMS to real water bodies, with a wide range of pH levels and coexisting inorganic anions, demonstrates its potential as a superior catalyst in wastewater treatment, offering a novel pathway for structural innovation of LDH materials in environmental applications.

Efficient electrolytic hydrogen evolution from cobalt porphyrin covalently functionalized with chain-like phosphazene on double-walled carbon nanotubes

The development of efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for advancing electrochemical water splitting technology. Herein, we report a novel hybrid electrocatalyst, CoTHPP-PDCP@DWCNTs, synthesized through a covalent functionalization of cobalt-porphyrin (CoTHPP) with chain-like polydichlorophosphazenes (PDCP) and subsequent incorporation onto double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs). The successful synthesis was confirmed by various spectroscopic techniques, which collectively revealed strong electronic interactions between components, improved charge transfer, and enhanced electrochemical stability. Notably, CoTHPP-PDCP@DWCNTs exhibited excellent HER activity, achieving low overpotentials of 159 mV in 1.0 M KOH and 102 mV in 0.5 M H2SO4 at a current density of 10 mA cm-2, outperforming its precursors and many previously reported non-noble metal electrocatalysts. The enhanced HER performance can be attributed to the synergistic interactions between CoTHPP, PDCP, and DWCNTs, which increased the density of active sites, improved conductivity, and efficient charge transfer. This study highlights the importance of covalent linkage and structural engineering in optimizing HER electrocatalysts, providing insights for designing next-generation high-performance and durable non-noble metal-based electrocatalytic systems.

Laser-induced PdCu alloy catalysts for highly efficient and stable electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia

The electrochemical reduction reaction of nitrate (NO3RR) to ammonia is an environmentally friendly approach that can treat wastewater as well as find an alternative to the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. The use of adhesives partially to adhere to the NO3RR electrocatalysts, leading to sluggish kinetics, poor stability and poor scalability. Herein, we report the synthesis of PdCu alloy catalysts via a direct laser writing method, demonstrating their exceptional performance in the electrochemical reduction of nitrate. The Pd0.55Cu0.45 alloy exhibited a remarkable ammonia production rate of 30.55 mg h-1 cm-2 under neutral electrolyte conditions and maintained stable operation for over 1500 h. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental analyses revealed that the PdCu alloy's enhanced activity stems from its lower energy barrier for the rate-determining step (*NO → *NOH) and improved mass transfer capabilities. The alloy's electronic properties and geometric configuration, fine-tuned by the laser-induced synthesis method, facilitate the conversion of NO2- and suppress the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), thereby significantly enhancing the selectivity and activity of the NO3RR process. This study provides a sustainable and efficient pathway for ammonia synthesis and offers insights into the design of advanced catalysts for environmental and energy applications.

Intrinsically photoluminescent hydrogels to measure peptides‑copper binding affinities

NH2 decorated intrinsically photoluminescent hydrogels (IPH-NH2) were functionalized with the addition of various peptides via EDC/NHS coupling method. These peptidic devices bind copper with binding affinities depending on surface functionalization. Particularly, fluorescence analysis of copper titrations, alongside the determination of quenching efficiency and lifetime measurements, allowed to assess binding constants and to elucidate the underlying binding mechanism. Various peptides, having the same copper binding amino acidic residues (GHK) but different chain lengths, were tested and it was found that increasing the distance of the GHK sequence from the IPH-NH2 surface resulted in a decrease in the binding constant, as well as a reduction in quenching efficiency, whereas the binding mechanism remained unchanged as indicated by lifetime measurements. This method not only provides binding constants for peptides immobilized on biosensor surfaces or pre-fabricated devices without altering their structure, but also contributes to the optimization of biosensor design, tailoring it to its intended application.

Cyclodextrin-based self-assembling hydrogel for Photothermal-controlled nitric oxide release in stage-specific treatment of MRSA-induced arthritis

MRSA-induced arthritis is a prevalent and highly debilitating orthopedic condition. The inflammatory response induced by bacterial infection hinders tissue repair and exacerbates bone loss. Traditional antibiotic therapies are limited by low bioavailability, substantial side effects, and narrow efficacy, rendering them inadequate for comprehensive treatment of arthritis. Nitric oxide (NO) has demonstrated considerable potential in overcoming bacterial resistance, modulating immune responses, and facilitating tissue repair. Therefore, a stage-specific NO release strategy, tailored to the distinct phases of bacterial arthritis, is essential for effective treatment. In this study, mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles were utilized as NO donors (mPDA/NONOate) and encapsulated within a supramolecular hydrogel formed via the host-guest interaction between α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) and Pluronic F127. The injectable nature of the resulting NO/PDA-Gel hydrogel ensured uniform distribution within irregular bone joint infection sites, minimizing NO donor loss and enhancing local bioavailability. Notably, upon near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the hydrogel induces a rapid increase in local temperature, facilitating rapid NO release. At the same time, the synergistic photothermal effect effectively kills bacteria and rapidly controls the infection. Without light irradiation, NO is sustainably and stably released from the NO/PDA-Gel, modulating the bone immune microenvironment, alleviating inflammation, promoting chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation, and accelerating bone tissue repair, thus significantly shortening the healing time of MRSA-induced arthritis. In conclusion, the injectable self-assembled NO/PDA-Gel offers a precise, stage-matched therapeutic approach for MRSA-induced arthritis and holds promise for the treatment of deep-seated infections caused by other multidrug-resistant pathogens.

Autoencoder-based drug-virus association prediction with reliable negative sample selection: A case study with COVID-19

Emergence of viruses cause unprecedented challenges and thus leading to wide-ranging consequences today. The world has faced massive disruptions like COVID-19 and continues to suffer in terms of public health and world economy. Fighting with this emergence of viruses and its reemergence plays a critical role in the health care industry. Identification of novel virus-drug associations is a vital step in drug discovery. Prediction and prioritization of novel virus-drug associations through computational approaches is an alternative and best choice considering the cost and risk of biological experiments. This study proposes a method, KR-AEVDA that relies on k-nearest neighbor based reliable negative sample selection and autoencoder based feature extraction to explore promising virus-drug associations for further experimental validation. The method analyzes complex relationships among drugs and viruses by investigating similarity and association data between drugs and viruses. It generates feature vectors from the similarity data, and reliable negative samples are extracted through an effective distance-based algorithm from the unlabeled samples in the dataset. Then high level features are extracted via an autoencoder and is fed to an ensemble classifier for inferring novel associations. Experimental results on three different datasets showed that KR-AEVDA reliably attained better performance than other state-of-the-art methods. Molecular docking is carried out between the top-predicted drugs and the crystal structure of the SARS-CoV-2's main protease to further validate the predictions. Case studies for SARS-CoV-2 illustrate the effectiveness of KR-AEVDA in identifying potential virus-drug associations.

Expanding the cryoprotectant toolbox in biomedicine by multifunctional antifreeze peptides

The global cryopreservation market size rises exponentially due to increased demand for cell therapy-based products, assisted reproductive technology, and organ transplantation. Cryoprotectants (CPAs) are required to reduce ice-related damage, osmotic cell injury, and protein denaturation. Antioxidants are needed to hamper membrane lipid peroxidation under freezing stress, and antibiotics are added to the cryo-solutions to prevent contamination. The vitrification process for sized organs requires a high concentration of CPA, which is hardly achievable using conventional penetrating toxic CPAs like DMSO. Antifreeze peptides (AFpeps) are biocompatible CPAs leveraging inspiration from nature, such as freeze-tolerant and freeze-avoidant organisms, to circumvent logistic limitations in cryogenic conditions. This study aims to introduce the advances of AFpeps with cell-penetrating, antioxidant, and antimicrobial characteristics. We herein revisit the placement of AFpeps in the biobanking of cancer cells, immune cells, stem cells, blood cells, germ cells (sperms and oocytes), and probiotics. Implementing low-immunogenic AFpeps for allograft cryopreservation minimizes HLA mismatching risk after organ transplantation. Applying AFpeps to formulate bioinks with optimal rheology in extrusion-based 3D cryobiopriners expedites the bench-to-beside transition of bioprinted scaffolds. This study advocates that the fine-tuned synthetic or insect-derived AFpeps, forming round blunt-shape crystals, are biomedically broad-spectrum, and cell-permeable AFpeps from marine and plant sources, which result in sharp ice crystals, are appropriate for cryosurgery. Perspectives of the available room for developing peptide mimetics in favor of higher activity and stability and peptide-functionalized nanoparticles for enhanced delivery are delineated. Finally, antitumor immune activation by cryoimmunotherapy as an autologous in-vivo tumor lysate vaccine has been illustrated.

A novel modified peptide derived from tilapia piscidin 4 with improved cytotoxicity, stability and antibacterial activity against fish pathogens and its underlying antibacterial mechanism

Tilapia piscidin 4 (TP4) is an amphiphilic cationic antimicrobial peptide derived from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), known for its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, potent anti-tumor effects, and immunomodulatory property. However, its significant toxicity and poor stability pose major challenges for practical applications. In this study, the TP4 sequence was modified by deleting nine amino acids from the N-terminal region and substituting glycine at the 13th position with cysteine, resulting in a modified peptide designated TP4-16G4C (FSACKAIHRLIRRRRR). The dimer of TP4-16G4C (bis-TP4-16G4C) was obtained by facilitating the formation of disulfide bonds through the oxidation of cysteine. Subsequently, their antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity, stability, and underlying mechanisms were investigated. TP4-16G4C and its dimer exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against a range of fish pathogens, particularly the dimer in vivo. Further study indicated that bis-TP4-16G4C exhibited significantly reduced toxicity toward fish red blood cells and other cell lines, alongside improved stability against proteases and serum, compared to the parental peptide TP4. Mechanistically, bis-TP4-16G4C disrupted the integrity of the bacterial membrane, leading to the leakage of cellular contents; additionally, it interacted with lipopolysaccharides, bound to bacterial genomic DNA, and effectively inhibited bacterial biofilm formation, similar to the action of TP4. In summary, the modified and dimerized antimicrobial peptide bis-TP4-16G4C exhibits reduced toxicity, enhanced stability, and superior antimicrobial activity in vivo, suggesting its greater suitability for practical applications in aquaculture and other fields compared to its parental peptide.

Chromium-functionalized metal-organic frameworks as highly sensitive, dual-mode sensors for real time and rapid detection of dopamine

Dopamine (DA): the brain's "feel-good" chemical that keeps us motivated, happy, and ready to take on the world. This essential neurotransmitter is involved in various physiological processes such as motor control, reward, and mood regulation. Dysregulation of DA levels is linked to several neurodegenerative diseases, emphasizing the need for sensitive and accurate detection methods for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Fluorometric sensing presents an appealing, cost-effective approach to detect DA, especially in complex biological fluids. In this study, we report the synthesis and application of chromium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), Cr-IA and Cr-BTC (IA: itaconic acid and BTC: benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid), as highly sensitive fluorometric sensors for DA detection in bio-fluids. Cr-IA and Cr-BTC MOFs were synthesized using a solvothermal method with their respective ligands and chromium salts, utilizing a mixed solvent system comprising water, ethanol, and dimethylformamide (DMF). Both MOFs were characterized using a variety of techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), zeta potential measurements, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) that provided essential information on the structural integrity, surface morphology, crystallinity, thermal stability, and surface charge properties of the MOFs, confirming the successful synthesis and characterization of both materials. The synthesized MOFs exhibited remarkable fluorometric sensing capabilities for dopamine detection in HEPES buffer, aqueous solution, and human serum, showcasing strong fluorescence response with high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability across a wide pH range. Cr-IA MOF demonstrated a 3.4-fold fluorescence intensity increase in HEPES buffer, while Cr-BTC MOF achieved a 5-fold enhancement. Both MOFs showed low limits of detection, with Cr-IA and Cr-BTC achieving 21 nM and 41 nM in HEPES buffer, and 26 nM and 20 nM in water, respectively. Fluorescence quenching and visible color changes upon dopamine addition enabled real-time and visual detection, while their dose-response behavior in human serum further validated their reliability for bioanalytical applications. Cytotoxicity studies confirmed their biocompatibility, ensuring their safe use in biological systems. These findings establish Cr-IA and Cr-BTC as highly promising materials for diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring, offering potential for clinical diagnostics and broader biomedical applications.

Self-driven charge transfer mechanism of Bi NPs/PCN-224 for enhanced photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy effect

Semiconductor nanomaterials with photocatalytic activity have been identified as a promising class of antimicrobial agents to combat bacterial infections. In this study, a photocatalytic antibacterial and anticancer agent, Bi NPs/PCN-224, was synthesized by doping Bi NPs in PCN-224, obtained through hydrothermal process of porphyrin, using benzoic acid as a morphology modifier. The resulting Bi NPs/PCN-224 exhibited impressive photocatalytic activity with a great potential for therapeutic treatment of bacterial infections. An in-situ reductive growth method was adopted to form interfaces between the Bi NPs and the Schottky groups of PCN-224, which was believed to play key role to sustain the photo-induced electron-hole separation. The underlying mechanism is then revealed, where Bi NPs initiate a self-driven charge transfer to PCN-224 MOF through the Schottky interface, exerting large quantities of free electrons to surrounding oxygen species, thereby generating radical oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, when exposed to the physiological environment of bacteria, the redox potential of Bi NPs/PCN-224 enable the electron to transfer to the interior of bacterial cells through electron pathways located on cell membrane, which interferes with the respiratory process and subsequent metabolism of the bacteria. In a similar mechanism, Bi NPs/PCN-224 demonstrated inhibition of the growth of HepG2 cells. The combination of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations and experimental characterization indicated that Bi clusters are bound to the MOFs via the N site on the TCPP ligand.

High-performance soft-packaged supercapacitors with high energy density enabled by advanced boron-modified single-walled carbon nanotubes-enhanced nickel oxide

Soft-packaged supercapacitors (SCs) provide notable advantages, including high power density, high safety, and long lifespan, yet their application is still relatively limited due to the low energy density and insufficient cycle stability. To assess their practicality, we employed a simple in-situ nucleation assembly and high-temperature calcination strategy tofabricate boron-modified single-walled carbon nanotubes-enhanced nickel oxide (B-(NiO@SWNT10)) electrodes, characterised by rich oxygen vacancies (OV) and high specific surface area. The results demonstrated that the B-(NiO@SWNT10) electrode provided a formidable specific capacitance of 1257.7F g-1 at 1 A g-1, with excellent cycling stability (98.3 % retention over 10,000 cycles). Additionally, the B-(NiO@SWNT10)//nitrogen-doped graphene (GN) device had an outstanding energy density (53.0 Wh kg-1 at 900 W kg-1), surpassing many SCs reported to date. A soft-packaged SCs also showed robust electrochemical performance and was effective in powering electronic devices like smartphones and wearable technology, etc. This work offers a new perspective on the practical application of soft-packaged SCs in portable electronic products.

Facile fabrication of morphology-adjustable viologen-based ionic polymers for carbon dioxide immobilization and iodine vapor adsorption

Viologens, also referred as 1,1'-disubstituted-4,4'-bipyridinium salts, exhibit exceptional redox properties, identifying them as building blocks for functional organic polymer materials with a wide range of potential applications, including carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion and iodine capture. Herein, a series of viologen-derived ionic porous organic polymers (VIPOP-n), assembled from viologen derivatives, were designed and synthesized using a straightforward one-step strategy. The constructed polymer materials were subsequently characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, among other techniques. Notably, the variation of synthetic solvents significantly influences the construction of polymer materials, resulting in observable changes in morphology and structure, which in turn affect their potential applications in CO2 cycloaddition reaction and iodine adsorption. The polymer VIPOP-3 exhibits superior catalytic performance under conditions of 80 °C and 1 atm CO2, producing valuable cyclic carbonates with yields reaching 94%. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations indicate that inert-hydrogen bonding can effectively activate both the epoxide and CO2, lowering the activation energy (Ea) of the cycloaddition reaction to 87.5 kJ mol-1, as corroborated by kinetic evaluations. Additionally, all polymers exhibited effective iodine vapor adsorption capacities, with VIPOP-7 emerging as the most efficient material, displaying an adsorption capacity of 2.96 g g-1. The adsorption process was investigated through various kinetic models, revealing that both physical and chemical adsorption were involved, with physical adsorption being the predominant process.

Synergistic effects of paclitaxel and platelet-superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for targeted chemo-hyperthermia therapy against breast cancer

Due to the limited therapeutic efficacy and side effects associated with conventional chemotherapy, researchers have turned their attention to developing targeted drug delivery systems using advanced nanotechnology. Coating nanoparticles (NPs) with cell membranes is a promising strategy because it extends their circulation times and allows them to selectively adhere to damaged vessel sites through the platelet membrane surface, thereby enhancing tumor uptake. Herein, we have developed a biomimetic drug delivery system consisting of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) coated by platelet membranes (PM) for carrying Paclitaxel (PTX) to exploit the synergism effect of chemotherapy and magnetic hyperthermia. Controlled-release PTX nanoparticles exhibited consistent behavior over time, indicating no significant difference in release between SPION/PTX and SPION/PTX/PM at pH 7.4. However, at pH 5.5, improved release was observed, specifically a 1.4-fold increase for SPION/PTX/PM. The confocal and flow cytometry results showed an enhancement in the cellular uptake of SPION/PTX/PM nanoparticles, with an average fluorescence intensity of 142 ± 12.5. MTT results showed superior cytotoxic effects for SPION/PTX/PM compared to SPION/PTX and free PTX, showing an IC50 value of 5 μg/mL after 48 h of treatment. Furthermore, the IC50 decreased to 1 μg/mL when an alternating magnetic field was applied. Hence, the in vivo results and histopathological staining showed that the SPION/PTX/PM-AMF treatment group exhibited the highest rate of tumor growth inhibition, reaching nearly 92.14 %. These findings highlight the potential of using platelet membrane-coated nanoparticles for targeted delivery, combining magnetic hyperthermia and chemotherapy to minimize chemotherapy's undesirable effects while maximizing therapeutic outcomes.

3D-bioprinting of MXenes: Developments, medical applications, challenges, and future roadmap

MXenes is a member of 2D transition metals carbides and nitrides with promising application prospects in energy storage, sensing, nanomedicine, tissue engineering, catalysis, and electronics. In the current era, MXenes have been widely applied in biomedical applications due to their unique rheological and electrochemical attributes. They have a larger surface area with more active sites, higher conductivity, lower cytotoxicity, and greater biocompatibility, making them highly suitable candidates for in-vivo biomedical applications. Due to recent advancemnets in MXenes 3D bioprinting, they are widely applied in regenerative medicine to combat challenges in suitable transplantation of tissues and organs. However, 3D bioprinting of MXenes has several complexities based on cell type, cytotoxicity, cell viability, and differentiation. To address these intricacies, surface modifications of MXene materials are done, which makes them highly fascinating for the 3D printing of tissues and organs. In the current review, we summarized recent progress in 3D bioprinting of MXene materials to construct scaffolds with desired rheological and biological properties, focusing on their potential applications in cancer phototherapy, tissue engineering, bone regeneration, and biosensing. We also discussed parameters affecting their biomedical applications and possible solutions by applying surface modifications. In addition, we addressed current challenges and future roadmaps for 3D bioprinting of MXene materials, such as generating high throughput 3D printed tissue constructs, drug delivery, drug discovery, and toxicology.

A review of point-of-care (POC) and lab-on-chip (LOC) approaches in molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensors for biomedical applications

BACKGROUND

In terms of analytical applications, researchers aim to design and develop sensitive, selective, and effective sensors that can be used for diagnostic purposes and disease monitoring. Point-of-care (POC) and lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems stand out as transformative systems that meet expectations and achieve goals from both perspectives. POC devices produce reliable results quickly, facilitating patient-friendly diagnostics. LOC technology, a combination of biosensors, electronics, optics, and microfluidics, directly reflects the progress in downsizing analytical techniques.

RESULTS

Electrochemical sensors have a lot of potential for use in POC and LOC systems because of their high sensitivity, accuracy, specificity, low detection limits, downsizing possibilities, affordability, and ease of use. Because of their enhanced chemical and physical stability and their chemically modifiable micro- and nanoscale characteristics, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are particularly interesting for use as recognition components in POC and LOC applications. MIP-based sensors have great promise in being integrated with POC and LOC devices for application in biomedical analysis.

SIGNIFICANCE

This review study discusses thoroughly how MIP-based electrochemical sensors can support the expanding field of POC/LOC diagnostics through these cutting-edge technologies. The novelty of this review study is that it specifically addresses the integration of electrochemical MIP sensors into both POC and LOC systems in terms of biomedical applications. It focuses only on the potential of MIP-based electrochemical sensors and brings together studies integrated into POC and LOC platforms.

Multiplexed engineering of cytochrome P450 enzymes for promoting terpenoid synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell factories: A review

Terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, represent the largest and most structurally diverse family of natural products, and their biosynthesis is closely related to cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s). Given the limitations of direct extraction from natural resources, such as low productivity and environmental concerns, heterologous expression of P450s in microbial cell factories has emerged as a promising, efficient, and sustainable strategy for terpenoid production. The yeast expression system is a preferred selection for terpenoid synthesis because of its inner membrane system, which is required for eukaryotic P450 expression, and the inherent mevalonate pathway providing precursors for terpenoid synthesis. In this review, we discuss the advanced strategies used to enhance the local enzyme concentration and catalytic properties of P450s in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with a focus on recent developments in metabolic and protein engineering. Expression enhancement and subcellular compartmentalization are specifically employed to increase the local enzyme concentration, whereas cofactor, redox partner, and enzyme engineering are utilized to improve the catalytic efficiency and substrate specificity of P450s. Subsequently, we discuss the application of P450s for the pathway engineering of terpenoid synthesis and whole-cell biotransformation, which are profitable for the industrial application of P450s in S. cerevisiae chassis. Finally, we explore the potential of using computational and artificial intelligence technologies to rationally design and construct high-performance cell factories, which offer promising pathways for future terpenoid biosynthesis.

Niosomes as a targeted drug delivery system in the treatment of breast cancer: preparation, classification and mechanisms of cellular uptake

Breast cancer (BC) remains one of the significant health issues across the globe, being diagnosed in millions of women worldwide annually. Conventional therapeutic options have substantial adverse effects due to their non-specificity and limited drug bioavailability. Niosomes, being novel drug delivery systems formed from non-ionic surfactants, with or without cholesterol and charge-inducing agents, are used as therapeutic options in treating BC. Their formulation by various methods enhances the therapeutic efficacy and bioavailability and minimises side effects. Niosomal formulation of tamoxifen exhibits target drug delivery with enhanced stability, whereas docetaxel and methotrexate show sustained and controlled drug release, respectively. 5-Fluorouracil, doxorubicin, paclitaxel, cyclophosphamide and epirubicin show improved cytotoxic effects against BC when combined with other agents. Furthermore, repurposed niosomal formulations of anti-cancer drugs show improved penetration, reduced tumour volume and significantly enhanced anti-tumour effect. This review article focuses on the composition of niosomes and their application in BC treatment and then examines how niosomes could contribute to BC research.

A sequential drug delivery system based on silk fibroin scaffold for effective cartilage repair

Endogenous repair of cartilage defects is a preferential strategy for cartilage repair, but always hindered by insufficient early-stage cells and incomplete cell differentiation at later stages. For in-situ cartilage regeneration, it is crucial to develop a sequential drug release system capable of recruiting endogenous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and promoting their chondrogenic differentiation. Herein, based on our long-term and fruitful research on silk fibroin (SF) porous scaffolds, a cell-free sequential drug delivery SF scaffold was developed. BMSCs affinity peptide PFSSTKT (PFS) was coated on the surface of SF scaffold, in which chondrogenic inducer kartogenin (KGN) and anti-inflammatory factor dexamethasone (DEX) were loaded. PFS was rapidly released within the first 10 days while KGN and DEX could be released over 28 days. The scaffold promoted BMSCs migration and chondrogenic differentiation through the release of PFS and KGN in vitro. Finally, the sequential drug released by the implanted SF scaffolds in rats indeed recruited endogenous BMSCs and significantly promoted the in-situ regeneration of their knee cartilage defects. In summary, this study not only introduces a green and environmentally friendly all silk-based sequential drug delivery system, but also provides an effective tissue engineering functional scaffold for in-situ cartilage regeneration.

Donor-acceptor mixed-ligand MOF with energy transfer-mediated high-efficiency singlet oxygen generation for boosted organic photosynthesis

Integrating energy donor and acceptor chromophores as ligands within one MOF for advanced artificial photosynthesis is of great interest but appears to be a major challenge. Herein, via a simple one-pot synthetic strategy, an energy acceptor porphyrin ligand 5,15-di(p-benzoato)porphyrin (H2DPBP) was successfully integrated into an energy donor 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (H2NDC)-based MOF (UiO-66-NDC) to construct a mixed-ligand MOF, donated as UiO-66-NDC-H2DPBP. Benefiting from the ample overlap between the emission spectrum of H2NDC and the absorption spectrum of H2DPBP, an efficient energy transfer (EnT) process from the donor H2NDC to the acceptor H2DPBP within UiO-66-NDC-H2DPBP can occur and be captured by time-resolved spectroscopy. Furthermore, the singlet oxygen (1O2) generation efficiency of UiO-66-NDC-H2DPBP mediated by this EnT process as well as the EnT process from the triplet state (T1) of the photosensitizer H2DPBP ligand to the ground state of molecular oxygen (3O2) upon light irradiation can be maximized via simply regulating the loading amount of H2DPBP, leading to boosted photocatalytic activities toward important aerobic oxidation reactions of amines and sulfides, even under sunlight and ambient air. This work explores an avenue to construct high-efficiency energy donor and acceptor-based light-harvesting systems by utilizing mixed-ligand MOFs as platforms to advanced artificial photosynthesis.

Role of carbon materials on the aging-resistance of zero-valent aluminum for pollutant removal

In recent years, zero-valent aluminum (ZVAl) has attracted significant attention as a novel material in the field of water treatment. However, its high reactivity leads to rapid aging when exposed to air, limiting its preservation and practical utilization. To address this issue, carbon materials modified ZVAl (C@ZVAl) were prepared by mechanical ball-milling to improve the aging resistance of ZVAl. These carbon materials used as a grinding aid included activated carbon (AC), biochar (EBC), graphene (GE), hydrophobic graphite (Gr) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It was investigated how carbon materials affected ZVAl's aging tendency in air for the first time. The results showed that carbon can effectively prevent ZVAl from aging in the air, and even more intriguing is that AC and CNTs can maintain the activity of ZVAl for up to 3 months. Different species of carbon affect ZVAl's anti-aging capability in disparate ways. Among these, AC works by shielding, and CNTs modulate the surface functional groups. Although high ambient humidity impairs the aging resistance of ZVAl, calcination could enhance the aging resistance of ZVAl to some extent at higher humidity levels (40 %). Furthermore, compared with organic pollutants, all five 15d-aged C@ZVAl showed excellent removal properties with hardly any residue for inorganic pollutants. In conclusion, carbon modification can provide a solution for ZVAl to resist aging and preservation, and promote its wide application in the environmental field.

Al-N co-doped to reduce Ti3+ concentration to suppress charge recombination of polyhedral SrTiO3 for efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction

The presence of the carrier recombination center Ti3+ and the wider bandgap in SrTiO3(STO) make it less efficient for photogenerated carriers and sunlight, which slows down its photocatalytic CO2 reduction rate severely. Based on this, the molten salt method was employed to prepare Al3+ and N3- co-doped polyhedral STO. A series of photoelectrochemical performance tests showed that the photogenerated carriers separation and transport efficiencies of the Al3+ and N3- co-doped polyhedral STO were significantly improved, and the doping of Al3+ and N3- also enhanced the light absorption capacity of the polyhedral STO. The rate of CO2 reduction to CO in the Al3+ and N3- co-doped polyhedral STO is more than twice that of the original polyhedral STO, reaching 3.82 μmol·g-1·h-1, and significantly higher than the polyhedral STO doped with Al3+ or N3-. The photodeposition experiments demonstrated that the elementally doped polyhedral STO maintained an anisotropic carrier transport mode. The introduction of Al3+ ions diminishes the recombination center of Ti3+. Additionally, N3- doping introduces impurity energy levels within the energy band of polyhedral STO, which enhances its light-absorbing capacity. This synergistic effect of ionic doping and crystal facet engineering allows the polyhedral STO to possess an efficient carrier-directed transport mode and expand its light absorption range, significantly improving its photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity.

Dynamic switching circuit modulated by intramolecular conformation transition of DNA translator for versatile fluorescence biosensors

It might be intriguing and desirable to explore the stimuli-responsive modulation of dynamic switching circuit (DSC) for constructing versatile fluorescence biosensors via two-step sequential independent displacement reactions. Here, a switchable DNA translator (DT) encoding three functional modules is proposed to implement DSC for interpreting specific Key triggers (i.e. DNA segment, miRNA or small molecule) by activating intramolecular conformation transition. Upon presenting Key to regulate strand displacement, the Lock-blocked DT is liberated and self-folded into "active" on-state hairpin structure, so that two ended toeholds are oriented closely to execute proximal hybridization cooperatively for Key-responsive signal readout. Benefited from fast kinetics, efficient transduction, simplified operation and flexible programming, the Key-actuated DSC strategy achieved label-free assay of various target species by employing tunable Ag nanocluster as fluorescent reporter adjacent to or away from hemin/G-quadruplex complexes, which would be more potential and applicable in versatile fluorescence biosensors, identifiable cell imaging or customized tasks than typical strand displacements.

High-efficiency detection of APE1 using a defective PAM-driven CRISPR-Cas12a self-catalytic biosensor

The trans-cleavage activity of the CRISPR-Cas system offers tremendous potential for developing highly sensitive and selective molecular diagnostic tools. However, conventional methods often face challenges such as limited catalytic efficiency of single Cas proteins and the necessity of complex multi-enzyme preamplification steps. To address these limitations, we present a novel defective PAM-mediated CRISPR-Cas12a self-catalytic signal amplification strategy, termed DEP-Cas-APE, for the rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) activity. This approach integrates defective PAM-modified DNA probes to synergize Cas12a trans-cleavage with self-catalytic circuit, achieving efficient signal transformation and amplification under isothermal, one-step conditions. We systematically investigated the influence of defective PAM sequences containing apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites on Cas12a activation and validated the feasibility of the DEP-Cas-APE strategy in detecting APE1. Under optimized conditions, DEP-Cas-APE achieved a detection limit as low as 7.66 × 10-8 U μL-1 within 30 min using a simple isothermal reaction. Additionally, we developed a point-of-care testing (POCT) platform by integrating DEP-Cas-APE with a colorimetric assay based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), enabling portable, equipment-free detection. This sensitive and selective strategy successfully detected APE1 in complex biological samples, including serum from lung cancer patients, and demonstrated the ability to distinguish cancerous from normal samples. DEP-Cas-APE represents a robust and versatile platform for advancing CRISPR-Cas12a biosensing technologies, offering new opportunities for molecular diagnostics and clinical research.

Exploring the synergy between bioluminescence and nanomaterials: Innovations in analytical and therapeutic applications

The application of bioluminescent luciferin-luciferase systems for visualizing and stimulating various processes in living systems is of great interest due to its specific nature and high signal-to-noise ratio. Nanomaterials can finely manipulate multiple parameters of the bioluminescent systems, including the enzyme stability, intensity, and duration of the irradiation. Also, bioluminescence can affect the properties of a nanomaterial, namely, to carry out BRET, to trigger cascades of various photochemical transformations. Here we summarize cases of the interplay between nanomaterials and various bioluminescent systems to improve various biosensors, biovisualization in cellulo, in vivo, and for therapy over the past twenty years. We reviewed interactions between a wide range of nanomaterials and bioluminescent systems, including bacterial and genetically encoded luciferases. This review aims to serve as a comprehensive guide for developing bioluminescent multimodal nanoplatforms for analytic applications and therapy.

Truncated pyridinylbenzylamines: Potent, selective, and highly membrane permeable inhibitors of human neuronal nitric oxide synthase

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is a promising target for addressing various neurological disorders and melanoma. Our discovery of a series of truncated pyridinylbenzylamines has yielded potent, selective, and membrane permeable inhibitors of human neuronal nitric oxide synthase. By implementing an efficient synthetic procedure using the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction, we were able to rapidly identify a potent inhibitor. This new inhibitor (18, 6-(2,3-difluoro-5-((methylamino)methyl)phenyl)-4-methylpyridin-2-amine dihydrochloride) exhibits excellent potency, with Ki values of 30 nM for human nNOS and 40 nM for rat nNOS. It also demonstrates high isoform selectivity, showing an 821-fold preference for human nNOS over human endothelial NOS (eNOS) and a 75-fold selectivity over human inducible NOS (iNOS). Additionally, inhibitor 18 displays high permeability (Pe = 10.7 × 10-6 cm s-1) in an artificial membrane permeability assay. The crystal structures of several NOS-inhibitor complexes provide valuable structural insights into the potency and selectivity of this series of novel inhibitors. A particularly notable finding is the unexpected role of a Cl- anion bound to heNOS, which contributes to the high isoform selectivity of these inhibitors and explains why heNOS binds Cl-, while hnNOS does not. This unique Cl- binding site could be important in future inhibitor design, opening new avenues for the development of more selective NOS inhibitors. Additionally, the presented crystal structures reveal the key factors required to maintain both high potency and selectivity in the simplified inhibitors discussed in this study. Abbreviations: NO, nitric oxide; nNOS, neuronal nitric oxide synthase; iNOS, inducible nitric oxide synthase; eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase; rnNOS, rat neuronal nitric oxide synthase; hnNOS, human neuronal nitric oxide synthase; hiNOS, human inducible nitric oxide synthase; heNOS, human endothelial nitric oxide synthase; l-Arg, l-arginine; NADPH, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate; CaM, calmodulin; H4B, (6R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin; FAD, flavin adenine dinucleotide; FMN, Flavin mononucleotide, BBB, blood-brain barrier; CNS, central nervous system; PAMPA, parallel artificial membrane permeability assay; P-gp, P-glycoprotein; ER, efflux ratio; Pe, effective permeability; Papp, apparent permeability; Caco-2, cancer coli-2; TLC, thin layer chromatography; TBAF, tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride; TFA, trifluoroacetic acid.

Bioinformatics assisted construction of the link between biosynthetic gene clusters and secondary metabolites in fungi

Fungal secondary metabolites are considered as important resources for drug discovery. Despite various methods being employed to facilitate the discovery of new fungal secondary metabolites, the trend of identifying novel secondary metabolites from fungi is inevitably slowing down. Under laboratory conditions, the majority of biosynthetic gene clusters, which store information for secondary metabolites, remain inactive. Therefore, establishing the link between biosynthetic gene clusters and secondary metabolites would contribute to understanding the genetic logic underlying secondary metabolite biosynthesis and alleviating the current challenges in discovering novel natural products. Bioinformatics methods have garnered significant attention due to their powerful capabilities in data mining and analysis, playing a crucial role in various aspects. Thus, we have summarized successful cases since 2016 in which bioinformatics methods were utilized to establish the link between fungal biosynthetic gene clusters and secondary metabolites, focusing on their biosynthetic gene clusters and associated secondary metabolites, with the goal of aiding the field of natural product discovery.

NiFe phosphides coupled on Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets for high-efficiency oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline medium

The development of stable, efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts is crucial for overcoming the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in electrochemical splitting water. Ni-Fe layered bimetallic phosphides (NiFe-P) exhibit considerable promise as electrocatalysts for OER. However, their limited conductivity and low inherent activity present significant challenges. Herein, we design a novel NiFe-P/Ti3C2Tx composite, synthesized by hydrothermally coupling NiFe-LDH nanosheets with few-layer Ti3C2Tx MXene, followed by high-temperature phosphating. By optimizing the Ni/Fe ratio and controlling the phosphidation process, the Ni2.5Fe2.5-P/Ti3C2Tx catalyst demonstrates enhanced activity and stability for OER in alkaline media, achieving a low overpotential of 290 mV and a Tafel slope of 72.3 mV/dec at a current density of 10 mA cm-2. Theoretical calculations reveal that synergistic effect of the Ni-Fe bimetallic system optimizes the local electronic environment of the phosphides, while defect sites provide additional active centers, boosting intrinsic activity. Furthermore, the high conductivity of Ti3C2Tx and the three-dimensional interconnected porous network accelerate charge transfer kinetics. This work underscores the substantial development potential of MXene-based electrocatalysts in advancing novel and efficient materials for OER.

Ru/Co-N,Zn-doped carbon nanocubes with multiple enzyme-like activities for high-efficiency glucose detection and self-supplying cascaded nanodrug in synergistic cancer therapy

Nanozyme technology is increasingly utilized in biosensing and biomedicine fields. To advancing this technology, it is pivotal for constructing high-quality nanozymes and expanding their multifunctional applications. Herein, Co nanoparticles embedded within N,Zn-doped carbon nanocubes (Co-N,Zn-CNCs) were facilely prepared by pyrolysis, followed by surface modification with Ru nanoparticles (termed Ru/Co-N,Zn-CNCs). The resultant material exhibited peroxidase (POD)-, catalase (CAT)- and glutathione oxidase (GSHOx)-mimic activities. After attachment of glucose oxidase (GOx), a bifunctional self-supply cascaded nanodrug system (Ru/Co-N,Zn-CNCs-GOx) was established. Specifically, the nanozyme based colorimetric sensor was constructed for visually glucose detection, showing a good linear relationship in a range of 10 to 2000 μM and a low detection limit of 0.61 μM. Further, the cascaded nanodrug exhibited high-efficiency for eradicating cancer cells by reactive oxygen species mediated chemodynamic therapy, hypoxia alleviation, and starvation therapy, coupled by realizing ferroptosis of the cancer cells. The versatile cascaded nanozyme shows potential applications in biosensing, cancer therapy, and beyond.

Nanomedicine-enabled concurrent regulations of ROS generation and copper metabolism for sonodynamic-amplified tumor therapy

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) shows substantial potentials in cancer treatment thanks to the deep tissue penetration of ultrasound. However, its clinical translation suffers from the potential damages to healthy tissues and the resistance of tumors, particularly from cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), to the ultrasound. To address these challenges, we designed a novel glutathione (GSH)-activated nanomedicine to simultaneously enhance the safety and efficacy of SDT by in situ regulating the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and copper metabolism. This nanomedicine, Es@CuTCPP, was created by loading elesclomol (Es) onto CuTCPP nanosheets. By accumulating this nanomedicine in tumors, the Cu(II)-TCPP is reduced to the highly sonosensitive Cu(I)-TCPP by the intra-tumoral-overexpressed GSH, leading to the production of abundant ROS upon ultrasound exposure, which effectively kills large amounts of tumor cells. Concurrently, the released copper ions react with co-released Es to form a CuEs complex, which induces cuproptosis of CSCs surviving the ROS attack by disrupting cellular copper metabolism, evidently amplifying the effectiveness of SDT. This work presents the first paradigm of a GSH-activated and cuproptosis-enhanced SDT approach, offering a promising novel strategy for cancer therapy.

Advances in antimicrobial peptides: From mechanistic insights to chemical modifications

This review provides a comprehensive analysis of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), exploring their diverse sources, secondary structures, and unique characteristics. The review explores into the mechanisms underlying the antibacterial, immunomodulatory effects, antiviral, antiparasitic and antitumour of AMPs. Furthermore, it discusses the three principal synthesis pathways for AMPs and assesses their current clinical applications and preclinical research status. The paper also addresses the limitations of AMPs, including issues related to stability, resistance, and toxicity, while offering insights into strategies for their enhancement. Recent advancements in AMP research, such as chemical modifications (including amino acid sequence optimisation, terminal and side-chain modifications, PEGylation, conjugation with small molecules, conjugation with photosensitisers, metal ligands, polymerisation, cyclisation and specifically targeted antimicrobial peptides) are highlighted. The goal is to provide a foundation for the future design and optimisation of AMPs.

Facile fabrication of electrospun hybrid nanofibers integrated cellulose, chitosan with ZIF-8 for efficient remediation of copper ions

To removal copper ions (Cu2+) from wastewater, structurally stable microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)/chitosan (CS)/zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) hybrid nanofibers were fabricated by mixing electrospinning (MCC/CS/ZIF-8) and in-situ grown of ZIF-8 on electrospun nanofibers (I-MCC/CS/ZIF-8). The microstructure, porosity, thermal stability, crystal structure, surface wettability, chemical groups of hybrid nanofibers as well as their adsorption performance, isotherms, and kinetics were characterized and analyzed. The rhombohedral ZIF-8 at the optimum synthesis ratio was evenly bounded to nanofibers, corresponding to an average diameter of 775.81 nm. The introduction of ZIF-8 effectively improved the thermal stability of biomass polysaccharide nanofibers, maintained beneficial hydrophilicity (25.08°), increased their specific surface area by 16.51 times, and provided abundant potential active sites for Cu2+ adsorption. The adsorption performance of I-MCC/CS/ZIF-8 was superior to that of MCC/CS/ZIF-8, achieving the maximum Cu2+ adsorption capacity of 204.08 mg g-1 at pH = 5, which conformed to both the Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The enhanced mechanism for Cu2+ adsorption can be attributed to the sufficient channels of porous network and the strong hydrogen bonding facilitating physical adsorption, as well as the effective chemical adsorption resulting from the rapid growth of ultrathin lamellar copper oxide‑zinc oxide heterojunctions with nanoflower-like shapes.

Ion-mediated etching of Au-Ag core-shell nanorods for LSPR-based discrimination of hazardous ions

BACKGROUND

The detection of metal ions represents a critical analytical challenge due to their persistent environmental accumulation and severe toxic effects on ecosystems and human health. Even at trace concentrations, toxic metal ions can cause irreversible biological damage, necessitating the development of sensitive, selective, and rapid monitoring platforms. Advanced detection systems are urgently needed for environmental surveillance, industrial effluent control, and food/water safety applications where regulatory compliance and early warning capabilities are paramount.

RESULTS

This work presents an etching-based sensor array to identify and discriminate Pb2+, Hg2+, Cu2+, NO2-, Cr6+, and As3+ as hazardous ions. Au@Ag core@shell nanorods were utilized as sensing elements in different pH values in the presence of thiosulfate and thiourea as key elements in the oxidation of nanoparticles. Analytes' response patterns in the range of 1.0-30 μM were analyzed via various methods, including heatmap, bar plot, and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), showing perfect discrimination. To ensure the sensor's applicability in real samples, we conducted meticulous testing on different sources, including tap water, well water, tilapia pond water, tomato soil extract, and urine samples.

SIGNIFICANCE

The sensor demonstrated excellent performance in classifying mixture samples and providing precise and accurate detection in real samples. This innovation offers a promising future for etching-based sensor arrays by utilizing core-shell nanoparticles as sensitive sensing elements and a significant contribution to global efforts in safeguarding public health and the environment from the threat of pollutants.

High-efficiency oxygen evolution on γ-Fe2O3 catalysts with BiVO4 photoabsorbers and TpAQ hole transport layers for photoelectrochemical water splitting

The interfacial energy levels between oxygen-excavating co-catalysts (OECs) and BiVO4 often lead to carrier recombination. Modulating the interface using a hole transport layer (HTL) can effectively inhibit interfacial recombination, realizing efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, we design BiVO4@γ-Fe2O3/TpAQ photoanodes by one-step solvothermal insertion of TpAQ COF between BiVO4 and γ-Fe2O3 co-catalysts as HTL layer. The positive transient surface photovoltage signals indicate that the introduction of TpAQ COF provides an additional driving force for photogenerated hole transfer, which effectively improves the carrier transfer efficiency of BiVO4. Meanwhile, the fastest transfer rate of BiVO4@γ-Fe2O3/TpAQ in the intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS) test confirms the excellent charge transfer kinetics of TpAQ COF HTL. In addition, a combination of photoluminescence and energy band calculations showed that a type II heterojunction was constructed between the TpAQ COF and BiVO4, thus avoiding photogenerated electron-hole pair recombination. BiVO4@γ-Fe2O3/TpAQ exhibited the highest PEC water oxidation capability, achieving a photocurrent density of 6.3 mA cm-2 at 1.23 VRHE under the optimized photoanode. Attributed to the TpAQ COF HTL, the BiVO4@γ-Fe2O3/TpAQ photoanode exhibits excellent incident monochromatic photon-electron conversion efficiencies (up to 95.23% at 420 nm) and charge injection efficiencies (up to 94.6% at 1.23 VRHE).

Coiled coils as ligands for inclusion in the inorganic chemist's toolbox - For advances in MRI contrast agent design

Ligands are essential tools in synthetic inorganic chemistry, enabling the fine-tuning of metal ion properties to optimize performance. Spanning from small molecules to macromolecular proteins, ligands vary widely in structure and function. De novo designed coiled coils serve as a unique bridge between these extremes, offering precise control over metal coordination. Here, we explore the application of coiled coil ligands in MRI contrast agent design, leveraging their versatility to systematically modulate the coordination chemistry and hydration state of gadolinium - the metal used in most clinical MRI contrast agents. This novel class of gadolinium-based agents demonstrates superior performance compared to existing clinical agents, highlighting the potential of coiled coil ligands. Furthermore, when coordinated to copper, these ligands form complexes that challenge the conventional notion that copper is unsuitable for MRI contrast agents. These findings establish coiled coil ligands as a powerful platform for advancing contrast agent design.

Enzyme mimics based on self-assembled peptide functionalized with graphene oxide for polyethylene terephthalate degradation

The degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has garnered notable attention owing to its widespread accumulation and the challenges associated with its breakdown. Herein, the enzyme mimics with PET-hydrolytic activity were developed by combining peptide nanofibers with graphene oxide (GO). Inspired by native enzymes, we designed self-assembled peptides that included active amino acids (serine, histidine, aspartate and tryptophan) and different hydrophobic amino acids, with a 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl group at the N-terminus. Our comparison of hydrophobic amino acids revealed that their content not only influenced the higher-order assembly of peptide but also affected molecular conformation and PET degradation ability. By co-assembling two peptides with catalytic and binding sites in a 1:1 ratio, a more effective active enzyme mimic was constructed which was owning to the cooperative interactions among the active amino acids; in addition, hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking interactions were the main forces in enhancing catalytic effects. To further improve PET-hydrolytic ability, the co-assembled enzyme mimic was functionalised with GO through π-π stacking. This GO-peptide nanofiber hybrid exhibited increased PET-hydrolytic, as GO provided a hydrophobic microenvironment for substrate attraction and abundant carbon for facilitating proton transfer. The GO-peptide nanofiber hybrid as enzyme mimics will be a promising material for PET degradation.

Piezo-electronics: A paradigm for self-powered bioelectronics

Recent breakthroughs in electroactive piezo-biomaterials have driven significant progress towards the development of both, diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, enabling vital sign monitoring, such as heart rate, etc. while also supporting tissue regeneration. Bioelectronic medicine provides a promising method for controlling tissue and organ functions, with 'piezo-electronics' emphasizing the lasting role of electro-active piezo-biomaterials in self-powered devices. This article critically analyses a range of self-powered bioelectronic technologies, including wearable, implantable, regenerative, and cancer therapy applications. Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) are essential in wearable and implantable systems such as pressure and strain measurements, sensor for human-machine interface, self-powered pacemakers, deep brain stimulation, cochlear implant, tissue restoration and sustained drug delivery, controlled by electrical stimuli from PENGs etc. Regenerative bioelectronics play a key role in healing tissues, such as bone, neural, cardiac, tendon, ligament, skeletal muscle etc. using self-powered implants, which have ability to restore tissue functionality. Additionally, piezoelectric biomaterials are being utilized in cancer treatment, offering more targeted therapies with minimal side effects. Various cancerous tumors can be destroyed by reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated by piezo-biomaterials. Data science is also emerging as a crucial tool in optimizing self-powered bioelectronics, enhancing patient outcomes through data-driven strategies, and broadening the role of bioelectronic technologies in modern healthcare.

Recyclable methylcellulose-based reversibly cross-linked hydroplastics with excellent environmental stability for use in flexible printed circuit boards capable of safe disposal

Recyclable and degradable flexible bio-based plastics integrating high stability and efficient disintegration on demand are suitable for the fabrication of flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) capable of safe disposal. However, it is challenging to develop a facile and environmentally friendly method to fabricate such bio-based plastic substrates. Herein, recyclable and degradable reversibly cross-linked hydroplastics with high thermal stability and water stability used as the substrates of FPCBs are fabricated through the complexation of methylcellulose (MC) and tannic acid (TA) in pure water, followed by hot-pressing. Because of dynamic nanoconfinement phases, the bio-based hydroplastic (denoted as TA-MC) with a breaking strength of 109.6 MPa possesses a high storage modulus of 2.85 GPa at 180 °C. Even being immersed in water for 15 days, the hydroplastic still retains a high breaking strength of 40.4 MPa. Owing to the reversibility of hydrogen bonds, the hydroplastic can be recycled for several times. Moreover, FPCBs composed of flexible TA-MC substrates and 3D printed sensing components can be employed for reliable underwater detection. Electronic components can be easily separated from the FPCBs by dissolving TA-MC substrates in medical alcohol and residue polymer matrices, which degrade into non-toxic substances in soil, can be safely discarded without polluting the environment.

Dual oxygen supply system of carbon dot-loaded microbubbles with acoustic cavitation for enhanced sonodynamic therapy in diabetic wound healing

Diabetic wounds present significant treatment challenges due to their complex microenvironment, marked by persistent inflammation from bacterial infections, hypoxia caused by diabetic microangiopathy, and biofilm colonization. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) offers potential for treating such wounds by targeting deep tissues with antibacterial effects, but its efficacy is limited by hypoxic conditions and biofilm barriers. To overcome these obstacles, we developed a novel approach using oxygen-carrying microbubbles loaded with Mn2+-doped carbon dots (MnCDs@O2MBs) to enhance SDT and disrupt biofilms. Through precursor screening and design, MnCDs are engineered to exhibit tailored properties of sonodynamic activity and enzyme-like catalytic capabilities. This system provides a dual oxygen supply for amplifying the SDT effects: MnCDs, serving as a sonosensitizer, also chemically convert excess H2O2 at infection sites into oxygen, while the O2MBs physically release oxygen through ultrasound-induced cavitation. The cavitation effect also disrupts biofilms, improving the delivery of sonosensitizers and boosting SDT efficacy. In a diabetic wound model, this strategy downregulated TLR, NF-κB, and TNF inflammatory pathways, reduced pro-inflammatory factor secretion, promoted angiogenesis, and accelerated wound healing, thereby acting as a promising treatment approach for diabetic wound healing.

A DNA-based nanorobot for targeting, hitchhiking, and regulating neutrophils to enhance sepsis therapy

Targeted regulation of neutrophils is an effective approach for treating neutrophil-driven inflammatory diseases, but challenges remain in minimizing off-target effects and extending drug half-life. A DNA-based nanorobot was developed to target neutrophils by using an N-acetyl Pro-Gly-Pro (Ac-PGP) peptide to specifically bind to the C-X-C motif of chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) on neutrophil membranes. This robot (a tetrahedral framework nucleic acid modified with Ac-PGP, APT) identified and hitchhiked neutrophils to accumulate at inflammatory sites and prolong its half-lives, whilst also was internalized to influence the neutrophil cell cycle and maturation process to regulate oxidative stress, inflammation, migration, and recruitment in both in vivo and in vitro inflammation experiments. Consequently, the tissue damage caused by sepsis was greatly reduced. This novel neutrophil-based nanorobot highlights the high precision of targeting and regulating neutrophils, and presents a potential strategy for treating multiple neutrophil-driven diseases.