Dendritic Platinum Nanoparticles Shielded by Pt-S PEGylation as Intracellular Reactors for Bioorthogonal Uncaging Chemistry.

Beyond their classical role as cytotoxics, Platinum (Pt) coordination complexes recently joined the selected group of transition metals capable of performing bioorthogonal reactions in living environments. To minimize their reactivity towards nucleophiles, which limit their catalytic performance, we investigated the use of Pt(0) with different forms, sizes and surface functionalization. We report herein the development of PEGylated Pt nanodendrites with the capacity to activate prodyes and prodrugs in cell culture and in vivo.

Nanomedicine Targeting Cuproplasia in Cancer: Labile Copper Sequestration Using Polydopamine Particles Blocks Tumor Growth through Altering Metabolism and Redox Homeostasis.

Copper plays critical roles as a metal active site cofactor and metalloallosteric signal for enzymes involved in cell proliferation and metabolism, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs), classically applied for metal removal from water, as a therapeutic strategy for depleting intracellular labile copper pools in triple-negative breast cancer models through the metal-chelating groups present on the PDA surface. By using the activity-based sensing probe FCP-1, we could track the PDA-induced labile copper depletion while leaving total copper levels unchanged and link it to the selective MDA-MB-231 cell death.

Nanoparticle-Catalyzed Transamination under Tumor Microenvironment Conditions: A Novel Tool to Disrupt the Pool of Amino Acids and GSSG in Cancer Cells.

Catalytic cancer therapy targets cancer cells by exploiting the specific characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME). TME-based catalytic strategies rely on the use of molecules already present in the TME. Amino groups seem to be a suitable target, given the abundance of proteins and peptides in biological environments.

Small Warriors of Nature: Novel Red Emissive Chlorophyllin Carbon Dots Harnessing Fenton-Fueled Ferroptosis for In Vitro and In Vivo Cancer Treatment.

The appeal of carbon dots (CDs) has grown recently, due to their established biocompatibility, adjustable photoluminescence properties, and excellent water solubility. For the first time in the literature, copper chlorophyllin-based carbon dots (Chl-D CDs) are successfully synthesized. Chl-D CDs exhibit unique spectroscopic traits and are found to induce a Fenton-like reaction, augmenting photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacies via ferroptotic and apoptotic pathways.

Platinum-based nanodendrites as glucose oxidase-mimicking surrogates.

Catalytic conversion of glucose represents an interesting field of research with multiple applications. From the biotechnology point of view, glucose conversion leads to the fabrication of different added-value by-products. In the field of nanocatalytic medicine, the reduction of glucose levels within the tumor microenvironment (TME) represents an appealing approach based on the starvation of cancer cells.

Heterogeneous-Driven Glutathione Oxidation: Defining the Catalytic Role of Chalcopyrite Nanoparticles.

Transition-metal nanocatalysis represents a novel alternative currently experiencing flourishing progress to tackle the tumor microenvironment (TME) in cancer therapy. These nanomaterials aim at attacking tumor cells using the intrinsic selectivity of inorganic catalysts. In addition, special attention to tune and control the release of these transition metals is also required.

Optical Binding-Driven Micropatterning and Photosculpting with Silver Nanorods.

Controlling the nano- and micropatterning of metal structures is an important requirement for various technological applications in photonics and biosensing. This work presents a method for controllably creating silver micropatterns by laser-induced photosculpting. Photosculpting is driven by plasmonic interactions between pulsed laser radiation and silver nanorods (AgNRs) in aqueous suspension; this process leads to optical binding forces transporting the AgNRs in the surroundings, while electronic thermalization results in photooxidation, melting, and ripening of the AgNRs into well-defined 3D structures.

Plant Growth, Yield, and Fruit Size Improvements in 'Alicia' Papaya Multiplied by Grafting.

Papaya ( L.) is one of the few fruit crops still propagated by seeds. However, its trioecious condition and the heterozygosity of the seedlings make urgent the development of reliable vegetative propagation procedures.

Bioorthogonal Catalysis by Encapsulated Nanoalloys: Overcoming Intracellular Deactivation.

Bioorthogonal metallocatalysis has opened up a xenobiotic route to perform nonenzymatic catalytic transformations in living settings. Despite their promising features, most metals are deactivated inside cells by a myriad of reactive biomolecules, including biogenic thiols, thereby limiting the catalytic functioning of these abiotic reagents. Here we report the development of cytocompatible alloyed nanoparticles with the capacity to elicit bioorthogonal depropargylations with high efficiency in biological media.

Platinum nanoplatforms: classic catalysts claiming a prominent role in cancer therapy.

Platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) have a well-established role as a classic heterogeneous catalyst. Also, Pt has traditionally been employed as a component of organometallic drug formulations for chemotherapy. However, a new role in cancer therapy is emerging thanks to its outstanding catalytic properties, enabling novel approaches that are surveyed in this review.

Unveiling the interplay between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic mechanisms in copper-iron nanoparticles working under chemically relevant tumour conditions.

The present work sheds light on a generally overlooked issue in the emerging field of bio-orthogonal catalysis within tumour microenvironments (TMEs): the interplay between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic processes. In most cases, previous works dealing with nanoparticle-based catalysis in the TME focus on the effects obtained ( tumour cell death) and attribute the results to heterogeneous processes alone. The specific mechanisms are rarely substantiated and, furthermore, the possibility of a significant contribution of homogeneous processes by leached species - and the complexes that they may form with biomolecules - is neither contemplated nor pursued.

Unravelling the key factors in the chlorine-promoted epoxidation of ethylene over a silver-copper oxide nanocatalyst.

Ethylene oxide is one of the most important raw materials in the chemical industry, with an annual production close to 35 million metric tons. Despite its importance, to date, no metal has been found that can compete with the original silver bulk material catalyst discovered in 1931. Recently, a few copper and copper-silver based nanostructures have demonstrated remarkable selectivity and activity, especially when coupled with an industrial chlorine promoter.

Glutathione-Triggered catalytic response of Copper-Iron mixed oxide Nanoparticles. Leveraging tumor microenvironment conditions for chemodynamic therapy.

Heterogeneous catalysis has emerged as a promising alternative for the development of new cancer therapies. In addition, regarding the tumor microenvironment as a reactor with very specific chemical features has provided a new perspective in the search for catalytic nanoarchitectures with specific action against chemical species playing a key role in tumor metabolism. One of these species is glutathione (GSH), whose depletion is the cornerstone of emerging strategies in oncology, since this metabolite plays a pivotal regulatory role as antioxidant agent, dampening the harmful effects of intracellular reactive oxidative species (ROS).

Gold-Platinum Nanoparticles with Core-Shell Configuration as Efficient Oxidase-like Nanosensors for Glutathione Detection.

Nanozymes, defined as nanomaterials that can mimic the catalytic activity of natural enzymes, have been widely used to develop analytical tools for biosensing. In this regard, the monitoring of glutathione (GSH), a key antioxidant biomolecule intervening in the regulation of the oxidative stress level of cells or related with Parkinson's or mitochondrial diseases can be of great interest from the biomedical point of view. In this work, we have synthetized a gold-platinum Au@Pt nanoparticle with core-shell configuration exhibiting a remarkable oxidase-like mimicking activity towards the substrates 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and -phenylenediamine (OPD).

Heat Unit Requirements of "Flame Seedless" Table Grape: A Tool to Predict Its Harvest Period in Protected Cultivation.

Greenhouse cultivation of table grapes is a challenge due to difficulties imposed by their perennial habit and chilling requirements. Despite difficulties, greenhouse cultivation allows ripening long before that in the open field. Nonetheless, for harvesting "Flame Seedless" in the most profitable periods, a cultural practices timetable has to be established.

LED-driven controlled deposition of Ni onto TiO for visible-light expanded conversion of carbon dioxide into C-C alkanes.

Photocatalytic gas-phase hydrogenation of CO into alkanes was achieved over TiO-supported Ni nanoparticles under LED irradiation at 365 nm, 460 nm and white light. The photocatalysts were prepared using photo-assisted deposition of Ni salts under LED irradiation at 365 nm onto TiO P25 nanoparticles in methanol as a hole scavenger. This procedure yielded 2 nm Ni particles decorating the surface of TiO with a nickel mass content of about 2%.

Postveraison Deficit Irrigation Effects on Fruit Quality and Yield of "Flame Seedless" Table Grape Cultivated under Greenhouse and Net.

Lack of color in the skin of red table grape varieties is a serious problem in areas of warm climate. This problem is often addressed by the application of ethylene release products such as ethephon. Strict regulation in the use of this product in EU forces European grape producers to look for suitable alternatives.

Silver-Copper Oxide Heteronanostructures for the Plasmonic-Enhanced Photocatalytic Oxidation of N-Hexane in the Visible-NIR Range.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are recognized as hazardous contributors to air pollution, precursors of multiple secondary byproducts, troposphere aerosols, and recognized contributors to respiratory and cancer-related issues in highly populated areas. Moreover, VOCs present in indoor environments represent a challenging issue that need to be addressed due to its increasing presence in nowadays society. Catalytic oxidation by noble metals represents the most effective but costly solution.

Escaping undesired gas-phase chemistry: Microwave-driven selectivity enhancement in heterogeneous catalytic reactors.

Research in solid-gas heterogeneous catalytic processes is typically aimed toward optimization of catalyst composition to achieve a higher conversion and, especially, a higher selectivity. However, even with the most selective catalysts, an upper limit is found: Above a certain temperature, gas-phase reactions become important and their effects cannot be neglected. Here, we apply a microwave field to a catalyst-support ensemble capable of direct microwave heating (MWH).

Upconverting Carbon Nanodots from Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA) as Near-Infrared Activated Phototheranostic Agents.

This work describes the synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon nanodots (CNDs) synthesized from ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a precursor and their application as luminescent agents with a dual-mode theranostic role as near-infrared (NIR) triggered imaging and photodynamic therapy agents. Interestingly, these fluorescent CNDs are more rapidly and selectively internalized by tumor cells and exhibit very limited cytotoxicity until remotely activated with a NIR illumination source. These CNDs are excellent candidates for phototheranostic purposes, for example, simultaneous imaging and therapy can be carried out on cancer cells by using their luminescent properties and the in situ generation of reactive oxidative species (ROS) upon excitation in the NIR range.

A Ciliary Motility Index for Activity Measurement in Cell Cultures With Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Background: The respiratory epithelium is frequently infected by the respiratory syncytial virus, resulting in inflammation, a reduction in cilia activity and an increase in the production of mucus.

Methods: In this study, an automatic method has been proposed to characterize the ciliary motility from cell cultures by means of a motility index using a dense optical flow algorithm. This method allows us to determine the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) together with a ciliary motility index of the cells in the cultures.

Luminescent mesoporous nanorods as photocatalytic enzyme-like peroxidase surrogates.

Herein we report on a novel inorganic peroxidase-mimicking nanocatalyst activated under blue LED photoirradiation. A novel flash-pyrolysis method has been developed for the generation of strong blue photoluminescence (PL) centers attributed to silicon and carbon-based sites within a mesoporous SBA-15 silica nanorod platform. The type of centers and their PL response can be controlled by varying the flash thermal treatment conditions.

Laser-Assisted Production of Carbon-Encapsulated Pt-Co Alloy Nanoparticles for Preferential Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide.

C-encapsulated highly pure PtCo alloy nanoparticles have been synthesized by an innovative one-step laser pyrolysis. The obtained X-ray diffraction pattern and transmission electron microscopy images correspond to PtCo alloy nanoparticles with average diameters of 2.4 nm and well-established crystalline structure.

Brentuximab vedotin in Hodgkin lymphoma and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma: an evidence-based review.

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) account for ~10% and 2%-3% of all cases of lymphoid neoplasms, respectively. Up to 30% of patients with HL are refractory or relapse after first-line therapy, and elderly patients with HL represent a subgroup of patients with suboptimal responses to the currently available treatments. Five-year overall survival for ALCL patients is 50%-80% with conventional chemotherapy.

Pumping Metallic Nanoparticles with Spatial Precision within Magnetic Mesoporous Platforms: 3D Characterization and Catalytic Application.

The present work shows an efficient strategy to assemble two types of functional nanoparticles onto mesoporous MCM-41 silica nanospheres with a high degree of spatial precision. In a first stage, magnetite nanoparticles are synthesized with a size larger than the support pores and grafted covalently through a peptide-like bonding onto their external surface. This endowed the silica nanoparticles with a strong superparamagnetic response, while preserving the highly ordered interior space for the encapsulation of other functional guest species.