Acid-triggered aggregation of Janus nanoparticles for enhanced imaging-guided photothermal therapy.

Poor tumor delivery efficiency remains a significant challenge for the integrated nanoplatform for diagnosis and treatment. Nanotherapeutics capable of aggregation in response to the tumor microenvironment has received considerable attention because of its ability to enhance tumor delivery efficiency and accumulation. We prepared smart Au-FeO Janus nanoparticles (GIJ NPs) modified with mixed-charged ligands (3,4-dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid [DHCA] and trimethylammonium dopamine [TMAD]).

F Barcoding Enables Multiplex Detection of Biomarkers Associated with Organ Injury and Cancer.

Simultaneous detection of multiple biomarkers in complex environments is critical for the in-depth exploration of different biological processes, which is challenging for many current analytical methods due to various limitations. Herein, we report a strategy of F barcoding which takes the advantages of F's high magnetic resonance (MR) sensitivity, prompt signal response to environmental changes, negligible biological background, quantitative signal output, and multiplex capacity. A set of F-barcoded sensors responding to different biomarkers involved in organ injury and cancer are designed, synthesized, and characterized.

An Activatable F MRI Molecular Probe for Sensing and Imaging of Norepinephrine.

Norepinephrine (NE), acting as both a neurotransmitter and hormone, plays a significant role in regulating the action of the brain and body. Many studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between mental disorders and aberrant NE levels. Therefore, it is of urgent demand to develop in vivo analytical methods of NE for diagnostic assessment and mechanistic investigations of mental diseases.

Photoinduced Superhydrophilicity of Gd-Doped TiO Ellipsoidal Nanoparticles Boosts Contrast Enhancement for Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

The unsatisfactory performance of current gadolinium chelate based contrast agents (CAs) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) stimulates the search for better alternatives. Herein, we report a new strategy to substantially improve the capacity of nanoparticle-based CAs by exploiting the photoinduced superhydrophilic assistance (PISA) effect. As a proof of concept, we synthesized citrate-coated Gd-doped TiO ellipsoidal nanoparticles (GdTi-SC NPs), whose increases significantly upon UV irradiation.

Redox-Activated Contrast-Enhanced -Weighted Imaging Visualizes Glutathione-Mediated Biotransformation Dynamics in the Liver.

GSH-mediated liver biotransformation is a crucial physiological process demanding efficient research tools. Here, we report a type of amorphous FeMnO nanoparticles (AFMO-ZDS NPs) as redox-activated probes for visualization of the dynamics of GSH-mediated biotransformation in liver with -weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This imaging technique reveals the periodic variations in GSH concentration during the degradation of AFMO-ZDS NPs due to the limited transportation capacity of GSH carriers in the course of GSH efflux from hepatocytes to perisinusoidal space, providing direct imaging evidence for this important carrier-mediated process during GSH-mediated biotransformation.