Self-Assembly of an Antitumor Dipeptide Induced Near-Infrared Fluorescence and Improved Stability for Theranostic Applications

Novel self-assembled fluorescent tripeptide nanoparticle for sensitive detection of sulfadiazine

Fluorescent tripeptide nanoparticles (PNPs) emitting cyan fluorescence were first synthesized using a Trp-Phe-Phe/Zn(II)-based self-assemble method. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations were employed to elucidated the self-assembly process of PNPs, the underlying driving forces, and their influence on the fluorescence properties of PNPs. The resultant PNPs were functionalized with an aptamer specific to sulfadiazine (SDZ), thereby creating a highly sensitive fluorescent probe. This probe demonstrated exceptional sensitivity and selectivity for SDZ detection, leveraging the inner filter effect to induce significant fluorescence quenching. The method demonstrated a wide linear range (0-200 ng/mL) and a low detection limit (0.4 ng/mL). Validation in spiked real samples (tap water, beef, chicken, and fish muscle) yielded recoveries of 83.20-114.08 % with relative standard deviations of <7 %, confirming its accuracy and reliability. This study provides insights into the assembly mechanism of tripeptide nanoparticles and offers a practical tool for food safety monitoring.

Advances of nanoparticle derived from food in the control of α-dicarbonyl compounds-A review

α-Dicarbonyl compounds (α-DCs) are predominantly generated through the thermal processing of carbohydrate and protein-rich food. They are pivotal precursors to hazard formation, such as advanced glycation end products (AGEs), acrylamide, and furan. Their accumulation within the body will be genotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Recently, significant advancements have been made in nanotechnology, leading to the widespread utilization of nanomaterials as functional components in addressing the detrimental impact of α-DCs. This review focuses on the control of α-DCs through the utilization of nanoparticle-based functional factors, which were prepared by using edible components as resources. Four emerging nanoparticles are introduced including phenolic compounds-derived nanoparticle, plant-derived nanoparticle, active peptides-derived nanoparticle, and functional minerals-derived nanoparticle. The general control mechanisms as well as the recent evidence pertaining to the aforementioned aspects were also discussed, hoping to valuable helpful references for the development of innovative α-DCs scavengers and identifying the further scope of research.

Smart nanoparticles for cancer therapy

Smart nanoparticles, which can respond to biological cues or be guided by them, are emerging as a promising drug delivery platform for precise cancer treatment. The field of oncology, nanotechnology, and biomedicine has witnessed rapid progress, leading to innovative developments in smart nanoparticles for safer and more effective cancer therapy. In this review, we will highlight recent advancements in smart nanoparticles, including polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, micelles, liposomes, protein nanoparticles, cell membrane nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, iron oxide nanoparticles, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, black phosphorus, MOF nanoparticles, and others. We will focus on their classification, structures, synthesis, and intelligent features. These smart nanoparticles possess the ability to respond to various external and internal stimuli, such as enzymes, pH, temperature, optics, and magnetism, making them intelligent systems. Additionally, this review will explore the latest studies on tumor targeting by functionalizing the surfaces of smart nanoparticles with tumor-specific ligands like antibodies, peptides, transferrin, and folic acid. We will also summarize different types of drug delivery options, including small molecules, peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, and even living cells, for their potential use in cancer therapy. While the potential of smart nanoparticles is promising, we will also acknowledge the challenges and clinical prospects associated with their use. Finally, we will propose a blueprint that involves the use of artificial intelligence-powered nanoparticles in cancer treatment applications. By harnessing the potential of smart nanoparticles, this review aims to usher in a new era of precise and personalized cancer therapy, providing patients with individualized treatment options.

Magnetically driven nanorobots based on peptides nanodots with tunable photoluminescence for rapid scavenging reactive α-dicarbonyl species and effective blocking of advanced glycation end products

The present work constructed magnetically driven nanorobots by conjugating the photoluminescent β-alanine-histidine (β-AH) nanodots to superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPNPs) for simultaneously sensitive determination and fast trapping RDS in food processing, achieving efficient regulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) risk. Bio-derivative β-AH nanodots with orderly self-assembly nanostructure and tunable photoluminescent properties served as both biorecognition elements to effectively bind and scavenge the reactive α-dicarbonyl species (RDS), as well as the indicator with sensitive fluorescence response in the food matrix. The magnetically driven nanorobots with excellent biosafety of endogenous dipeptides displayed a high binding capacity of 80.12 mg g^-1 with ultrafast equilibrium time. Furthermore, the magnetically driven nanorobots achieved rapid removal of the RDS with the manipulation of the external magnetic field, which enabled intercepting AGEs generation without byproducts residual as well as ease-of-operation. This work provided a promising strategy with biosafety and versatility for both accurate determination and efficient removal of hazards.

Magnetically Controlled Nanorobots Based on Red Emissive Peptide Dots and Artificial Antibodies for Specific Recognition and Smart Scavenging of Nε-(Carboxymethyl)lysine in Dairy Products

Food-borne advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are highly related to various irreversible diseases, and N^ε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) is the typical hazardous AGE. The development of feasible strategies to monitor and reduce CML exposure has become desirable to address the problems. In this work, we proposed magnetically controlled nanorobots by integrating an optosensing platform with specific recognition and binding capability, realizing specific anchoring and accurate determination as well as efficient scavenging of CML in dairy products. The artificial antibodies offered CML imprinted cavities for highly selective absorption, and the optosensing strategy was designed based on electron transfer from red emissive self-assembling peptide dots (r-SAPDs) to CML, which was responsible for the identity, response, and loading process. The r-SAPDs overcame the interference from autofluorescence, and the limit of detection was 0.29 μg L^-1, which bestowed accuracy and reliability for in situ monitoring. The selective binding process was accomplished within 20 min with an adsorption capacity of 23.2 mg g^-1. Through an external magnetic field, CML-loaded nanorobots were oriented, moved, and separated from the matrix, which enabled their scavenging effects and reusability. The fast stimuli-responsive performance and recyclability of the nanorobots provided a versatility strategy for effective detection and control of hazards in food.

Dipeptide nanostructures: Synthesis, interactions, advantages and biomedical applications

Short peptides are important in the design of self-assembled materials due to their versatility and flexibility. Self-assembled dipeptides, a group of peptide nanostructures, have highly attractive uses in the field of biomedicine. Recently these materials have proved to be important nanostructures because of their biocompatibility, low-cost and simplicity of synthesis, functionality/easy tunability and nano dimensions. Although there are different studies on peptide and protein-based nanostructures, more information about self-assembled nanostructures for dipeptides is still required to discover the advantages, challenges, importance, synthesis, interactions, and applications. This review describes and discusses the self-assembled dipeptide nanostructures especially for biomedical applications.