Gold nanorods for target selective SPECT/CT imaging and photothermal therapy in vivo.

The development of theranostic agents with high detection sensitivity and antitumor efficacy at low concentration is a challenging task for target selective imaging and therapy of cancers. In this study, folate-conjugated and radioactive-iodine-labeled gold nanorods (GNRs) were designed and synthesized for target selective SPECT/CT imaging and subsequent thermal ablation of folate-receptor-overexpressing cancers. Both (ortho-pyridyl) disulfide-poly(ethylene glycol)-folate and a short peptide, H(2)N-Tyr-Asn-Asn-Leu-Ala-Cys-OH, were conjugated on the surface of the GNRs through thiol chemistry.

Photosensitizer-conjugated gold nanorods for enzyme-activatable fluorescence imaging and photodynamic therapy.

We report on the development of photosensitizer-conjugated gold nanorods (MMP2P-GNR) in which photosensitizers were conjugated onto the surface of gold nanorods (GNR) via a protease-cleavable peptide linker. We hypothesized that fluorescence and phototoxicity of the conjugated photosensitizers would be suppressed in their native state, becoming activated only after cleavage by the target protease matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP2). Quantitative analysis of the fluorescence and singlet oxygen generation (SOG) demonstrated that the MMP2P-GNR conjugate emitted fluorescence intensity corresponding to 0.

Gold nanorod-photosensitizer complex for near-infrared fluorescence imaging and photodynamic/photothermal therapy in vivo.

A gold nanorod (GNR)-photosensitizer complex was developed for noninvasive near-infrared fluorescence imaging and cancer therapy. We showed that (a) fluorescence emission and singlet oxygen generation by AlPcS(4) were quenched after complex formation with GNRs; (b) 4-fold greater intracellular uptake and better in vitro phototoxicity were observed in GNR-AlPcS(4)-treated cells than in free AlPcS(4)-treated cells; and (c) after intravenous injection of the GNR-AlPcS(4) complex, tumor sites were clearly identified on near-infrared fluorescence images as early as 1 h after injection. The tumor-to-background ratio increased over time and was 3.

Effects of gold nanorod concentration on the depth-related temperature increase during hyperthermic ablation.

The photothermal properties of gold nanorods (GNRs) provide an opportunity for the clinical application of highly efficient and tumor-specific photothermal therapy. For the effective hyperthermic ablation of tumor tissue using GNRs, it is essential to maintain a homogeneous therapeutic temperature in the target tissue during treatment. This study investigates whether the concentration of GNRs affects the distribution of the temperature increase during hyperthermal therapy.

Functional characterization of a glycine-rich RNA-binding protein 2 in Arabidopsis thaliana under abiotic stress conditions.

Although glycine-rich RNA-binding protein 2 (GRP2) has been implicated in plant responses to environmental stresses, the function and importance of GRP2 in stress responses are largely unknown. Here, we examined the functional roles of GRP2 in Arabidopsis thaliana under high-salinity, cold or osmotic stress. GRP2 affects seed germination of Arabidopsis plants under salt stress, but does not influence seed germination and seedling growth of Arabidopsis plants under osmotic stress.

Cold shock domain proteins and glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana can promote the cold adaptation process in Escherichia coli.

Despite the fact that cold shock domain proteins (CSDPs) and glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins (GRPs) have been implicated to play a role during the cold adaptation process, their importance and function in eukaryotes, including plants, are largely unknown. To understand the functional role of plant CSDPs and GRPs in the cold response, two CSDPs (CSDP1 and CSDP2) and three GRPs (GRP2, GRP4 and GRP7) from Arabidopsis thaliana were investigated. Heterologous expression of CSDP1 or GRP7 complemented the cold sensitivity of BX04 mutant Escherichia coli that lack four cold shock proteins (CSPs) and is highly sensitive to cold stress, and resulted in better survival rate than control cells during incubation at low temperature.