Nanoengineered Light-Activatable Polybubbles for On-Demand Therapeutic Delivery

Current research trends of nanomedicines

Owing to the inherent shortcomings of traditional therapeutic drugs in terms of inadequate therapeutic efficacy and toxicity in clinical treatment, nanomedicine designs have received widespread attention with significantly improved efficacy and reduced non-target side effects. Nanomedicines hold tremendous theranostic potential for treating, monitoring, diagnosing, and controlling various diseases and are attracting an unfathomable amount of input of research resources. Against the backdrop of an exponentially growing number of publications, it is imperative to help the audience get a panorama image of the research activities in the field of nanomedicines. Herein, this review elaborates on the development trends of nanomedicines, emerging nanocarriers, in vivo fate and safety of nanomedicines, and their extensive applications. Moreover, the potential challenges and the obstacles hindering the clinical translation of nanomedicines are also discussed. The elaboration on various aspects of the research trends of nanomedicines may help enlighten the readers and set the route for future endeavors.

Electrocatalytic Porphyrin/Phthalocyanine-Based Organic Frameworks: Building Blocks, Coordination Microenvironments, Structure-Performance Relationships

Metal-porphyrins or metal-phthalocyanines-based organic frameworks (POFs), an emerging family of metal-N-C materials, have attracted widespread interest for application in electrocatalysis due to their unique metal-N4 coordination structure, high conjugated π-electron system, tunable components, and chemical stability. The key challenges of POFs as high-performance electrocatalysts are the need for rational design for porphyrins/phthalocyanines building blocks and an in-depth understanding of structure-activity relationships. Herein, the synthesis methods, the catalytic activity modulation principles, and the electrocatalytic behaviors of 2D/3D POFs are summarized. Notably, detailed pathways are given for modulating the intrinsic activity of the M-N4 site by the microenvironments, including central metal ions, substituent groups, and heteroatom dopants. Meanwhile, the topology tuning and hybrid system, which affect the conjugation network or conductivity of POFs, are also considered. Furthermore, the representative electrocatalytic applications of structured POFs in efficient and environmental-friendly energy conversion areas, such as carbon dioxide reduction reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, and water splitting are briefly discussed. Overall, this comprehensive review focusing on the frontier will provide multidisciplinary and multi-perspective guidance for the subsequent experimental and theoretical progress of POFs and reveal their key challenges and application prospects in future electrocatalytic energy conversion systems.

Contact-Free Remote Manipulation of Hydrogel Properties Using Light-Triggerable Nanoparticles: A Materials Science Perspective for Biomedical Applications

Considerable progress has been made in synthesizing "intelligent", biodegradable hydrogels that undergo rapid changes in physicochemical properties once exposed to external stimuli. These advantageous properties of stimulus-triggered materials make them highly appealing to diverse biomedical applications. Of late, research on the incorporation of light-triggered nanoparticles (NPs) into polymeric hydrogel networks has gained momentum due to their ability to remotely tune hydrogel properties using facile, contact-free approaches, such as adjustment of wavelength and intensity of light source. These multi-functional NPs, in combination with tissue-mimicking hydrogels, are increasingly being used for on-demand drug release, preparing diagnostic kits, and fabricating smart scaffolds. Here, the authors discuss the atomic behavior of different NPs in the presence of light, and critically review the mechanisms by which NPs convert light stimuli into heat energy. Then, they explain how these NPs impact the mechanical properties and rheological behavior of NPs-impregnated hydrogels. Understanding the rheological behavior of nanocomposite hydrogels using different sophisticated strategies, including computer-assisted machine learning, is critical for designing the next generation of drug delivery systems. Next, they highlight the salient strategies that have been used to apply light-induced nanocomposites for diverse biomedical applications and provide an outlook for the further improvement of these NPs-driven light-responsive hydrogels.

Characteristic Synthesis of a Covalent Organic Framework and Its Application in Multifunctional Tumor Therapy

For decades, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have attracted wide biomedical interest due to their unique properties including ease of synthesis, porosity, and adjustable biocompatibility. Versatile COFs can easily encapsulate various therapeutic drugs due to their extremely high payload and porosity. COFs with abundant functional groups can be surface-modified to achieve active targeting and enhance biocompatibility. In this paper, the latest developments of COFs in the biomedical field are summarized. First, the classification and synthesis of COFs are discussed. Cancer diagnosis and treatment based on COFs are studied, and the advantages and limitations of each method are discussed. Second, the specific preparation methods to obtain specific therapeutic properties are summarized. Finally, based on the combination and modification of COFs with various components, this review system summarizes different combination therapies. In addition, the main challenges faced in COF research and prospects for applying COFs to cancer diagnosis and treatment are evaluated. This review provides enlightening insights into the interdisciplinary research on COFs and applications in biomedicine, which highlight the great expectations for their further clinical transformation.

Emerging 2D Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials are an emerging class of biomaterials with remarkable potential for biomedical applications. The planar topography of these nanomaterials confers unique physical, chemical, electronic and optical properties, making them attractive candidates for therapeutic delivery, biosensing, bioimaging, regenerative medicine, and additive manufacturing strategies. The high surface-to-volume ratio of 2D nanomaterials promotes enhanced interactions with biomolecules and cells. A range of 2D nanomaterials, including transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), layered double hydroxides (LDHs), layered silicates (nanoclays), 2D metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes), metal-organic framework (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and polymer nanosheets have been investigated for their potential in biomedical applications. Here, we will critically evaluate recent advances of 2D nanomaterial strategies in biomedical engineering and discuss emerging approaches and current limitations associated with these nanomaterials. Due to their unique physical, chemical, and biological properties, this new class of nanomaterials has the potential to become a platform technology in regenerative medicine and other biomedical applications.

Nanomaterial-based delivery vehicles for therapeutic cancer vaccine development

Nanomaterial-based delivery vehicles such as lipid-based, polymer-based, inorganics-based, and bio-inspired vehicles often carry distinct and attractive advantages in the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines. Based on various delivery vehicles, specifically designed nanomaterials-based vaccines are highly advantageous in boosting therapeutic and prophylactic antitumor immunities. Specifically, therapeutic vaccines featuring unique properties have made major contributions to the enhancement of antigen immunogenicity, encapsulation efficiency, biocompatibility, and stability, as well as promoting antigen cross-presentation and specific CD8+ T cell responses. However, for clinical applications, tumor-associated antigen-derived vaccines could be an obstacle, involving immune tolerance and deficiency of tumor specificities, in achieving maximum therapeutic indices. However, when using bioinformatics predictions with emerging innovations of in silico tools, neoantigen-based therapeutic vaccines might become potent personalized vaccines for tumor treatments. In this review, we summarize the development of preclinical therapeutic cancer vaccines and the advancements of nanomaterial-based delivery vehicles for cancer immunotherapies, which provide the basis for a personalized vaccine delivery platform. Moreover, we review the existing challenges and future perspectives of nanomaterial-based personalized vaccines for novel tumor immunotherapies.