Purpose: The retinal microvascular network plays a crucial role in inflammatory injury in paediatric optic neuritis (PON) with serum MOG antibody positivity (MOG + PON). This study compared retinal microvascular densities and structural alterations in MOG + PON eyes with paediatric isolated optic neuritis (PION) eyes and followed up with the final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after 6 months.
Methods: A total of 29 children (52 eyes) with PON, including 15 MOG + PON cases (28 eyes), 6 PION cases (10 eyes), 2 neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders associated PON(NMOSD-PON) cases (4 eyes), 6 MOG-associated disease (MOGAD) patients without ON-affected eyes (MOG + NPON) cases (10 eyes) and age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent superficial/deep retinal angiography density (SAD/DAD) by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).
The process of oxygenic photosynthesis is primarily driven by two multiprotein complexes known as photosystem II (PSII) and photosystem I (PSI). PSII facilitates the light-induced reactions of water-splitting and plastoquinone reduction, while PSI functions as the light-driven plastocyanin-ferredoxin oxidoreductase. In contrast to the highly conserved structure of PSII among all oxygen-evolving photosynthetic organisms, the structures of PSI exhibit remarkable variations, especially for photosynthetic organisms that grow in special environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeveloping simple, rapid and specific mRNA imaging strategy plays an important role in the early diagnosis of cancer and the new drugs development. Herein, we have established a novel binary system based DNA tetrahedron and fluorogenic RNA aptamers for highly specific and label-free mRNA imaging in living cells. This developed system consisted of tetrahedron probe A (TPA) and tetrahedron probe B (TPB).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeasonal influenza still greatly threatens public health worldwide, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Antiviral medications for influenza treatment are limited and accompanied by increased drug resistance. In severe influenza virus infection, hyperinflammation and hypoxia may be the significant threats associated with mortality, so the development of effective therapeutic methods to alleviate excessive inflammation while reducing viral damage is highly pursued.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe low X-ray attenuation coefficient of tumor soft tissue and the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME) during radiation therapy (RT) of breast cancer result in RT resistance and thus reduced therapeutic efficacy. In addition, immunosuppression induced by the TME severely limits the antitumor immunity of radiation therapy. In this paper, we propose a PCN-224@IrNCs/D-Arg nanoplatform for the synergistic radiosensitization, photodynamic, and NO therapy of breast cancer that also boosts antitumor immunity (PCN = porous coordination network, IrNCs = iridium nanocrystals, D-Arg = D-arginine).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo improve the efficiency of radiation therapy (RT) for breast cancer, a designable multifunctional core-shell nanocomposite of FeP@Pt is constructed using Fe(III)-polydopamine (denoted as FeP) as the core and platinum particles (Pt) as the shell. The hybrid structure is further covered with hyaluronic acid (HA) to give the final nanoplatform of FeP@Pt@HA (denoted as ). exhibits good biological stability, prolongs blood circulation time, and is simultaneously endowed with tumor-targeting ability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmune checkpoint blockade (ICB) utilizing programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) antibody is a promising treatment strategy in solid tumors. However, in fact, more than half of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients are unresponsive to PD-L1-based ICB treatment due to multiple immune evasion mechanisms such as the hyperactivation of inflammation pathway, excessive tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) infiltration, and insufficient infiltration of T cells. Herein, an inflammation-regulated nanodrug was designed to codeliver NF-κB inhibitor curcumin and PD-L1 antibody to reprogram the tumor microenvironment (TME) and activate antitumor immunity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe designed and synthesized three new berberine-based compounds, namely, pyridine-2,6-dimethyl-/2,2'-bipyridine-3,3'-dimethyl-tethered berberine dimers BD1 and BD2, and a tetrakis(4-benzyl)ethylene linked berberine tetramer BD4. We identified that the dimer BD2 and tetramer BD4, as well as 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dimethyl-linked berberine dimer BD3 previously reported by us, showed remarkable aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties which endowed them with higher singlet oxygen (O) production ability than berberine. Of the four compounds, BD3 exhibits the lowest Δ energy with the highest O generation ability and thus was selected for further construction of AuNSs-BD3@HA (denoted as ABH, AuNSs = gold nanostars; HA = hyaluronic acid).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA majority of cancers fail to respond to immunotherapy due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), and metabolic regulation of the TME has been a promising strategy to improve immunotherapy. Lactate is a key metabolic player in tumor immune response since its excess secretion aggravates tumor immune escape by favoring the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to an immunosuppressive phenotype meanwhile impeding the tumor infiltration of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte. Here, we proposed a metabolic reprogramming mechanism to ameliorate tumor immunosuppression by using lonidamine and syrosingopine incorporated liposomes (L@S/L) to regulate lactate production and efflux.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA multifunctional nanoplatform with core-shell structure was constructed in one-pot for the synergistic photothermal, photodynamic, and chemotherapy against breast cancer. In the presence of gambogic acid (GA) as the heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor and the gold nanostars (AuNS) as the photothermal reagent, the assembly of Zr with tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP) gave rise to the nanocomposite AuNS@ZrTCPP-GA (AZG), which in turn, further coated with PEGylated liposome (LP) to enhance the stability and biocompatibility, and consequently the antitumor effect of the particle. Upon cellular uptake, the nanoscale metal - organic framework (NMOF) of ZrTCPP in the resulted AuNS@ZrTCPP-GA@LP (AZGL) could be slowly degraded in the weak acidic tumor microenvironment to release AuNS, Zr, TCPP, and GA to exert the synergistic treatment of tumors via the combination of AuNS-mediated mild photothermal therapy (PTT) and TCPP-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc
February 2021
Herein, a luminescent water-stable terbium-based metal-organic framework (MOF) {[Tb(Cmdcp)(HO)](NO)·5HO} (1, HCmdcpBr = N-carboxymethyl-(3,5-dicarboxyl)pyridinium bromide) has been synthesized and used for the recyclable sensing of PO and Al in tandem. MOF 1 acts as a fluorescent sensor for PO by the luminescence "turn-off" mechanism with high selectivity over other anions, such as F, Cl, Br, I, NO, HPO, HSO, HCO, HSO, SO, CO and HPO. The formed PO@1 complex further acts as the Al sensor with the luminescence "turn-on" mechanism, also with high selectivity over diverse inorganic cations of Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Hg, Na, K, Li, Ag, Mg, Ca, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHerein, we present a facile strategy for dopamine (DA) sensing by a water-stable MOF of {[Tb(Cmdcp)(HO)](NO)·5HO} (1, HCmdcpBr = N-carboxymethyl-(3,5-dicarboxyl)pyridinium bromide). Without any post-modification, MOF 1 functions as an effective fluorescent sensor for the label-free detection of DA with the detection limit of 0.41 μM (S/N = 3).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA water stable one-dimensional (1D) ladder-shaped coordination polymer (CP) has been synthesized and exhibits a strong affinity to two fluorescein-tagged single-stranded probe DNAs (P-DNAs), giving a sensing platform of P-DNAs@1. Such a hybrid sensing platform is capable of simultaneous detection of breast cancer related microRNA-221 (miRNA-221) and miRNA-222 in a specific and synchronous manner, without observable cross-reactions, as supported by experimental evidences. The interaction mode and the electronic energy between CP 1 with nucleic acid were confirmed by molecular simulation and the universal force field (UFF).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZwitterionic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) of {[Cu(Cbdcp)(Dps)(HO)]·6HO} (MOF 1) and [Cu(Dcbb)(Dps)(HO)] (MOF 2) (HCbdcpBr = N-(4-carboxybenzyl)-(3,5-dicarboxyl)pyridinium bromide; HDcbbBr = 1-(3,5-dicarboxybenzyl)-4,4'-bipyridinium bromide; Dps = 4,4'-dipyridyl sulfide) quench the fluorescence of cytosine-rich DNA tagged with 5-carboxytetramethylrhodamine (TAMRA, emission at 582 nm, denoted as C-rich P-DNA-1) and yield the corresponding P-DNA-1@MOF hybrids. Exposure of these hybrids to Ag results in the release of the P-DNA-1 strands from the MOF surfaces as double-stranded, hairpin-like C-Ag-C (ds-DNA-1@Ag) with the restoration of TAMRA fluorescence. The ds-DNA-1@Ag formed on the surface of 1 can subsequently sense biothiols cysteine (Cys), glutathione (GSH), and homocysteine (Hcy) due to the stronger affinity of mercapto groups for Ag that serves to unfold the ds-DNA-1@Ag duplex, reforming P-DNA-1, which is re-adsorbed by MOF 1 accompanied by quenching of TAMRA emission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA zwitterionic three-dimensional (3D) metal-organic framework (MOF) of {[Cu(Cdcbp)(bipy)]·4HO} (1) has been synthesized and characterized (HCdcbpBr = 3-carboxyl-(3,5-dicarboxybenzyl)-pyridinium bromide; bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine). MOF 1 exhibits a variety of structural traits, such as ligand conjugated, positively charged pyridinium center, and Cu(II) cations that collectively enable its efficient hybridization with the flexible, negatively charged, single-stranded, and thymine-rich (T-rich) DNA. The T-rich DNA is labeled with carboxyfluorescein (FAM) fluorescent probe (characterized as P-DNA), but the resultant MOF 1 - P-DNA hybrid (characterized as P-DNA@1) is non-emissive (off-state) because of the fluorescent quenching by MOF 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInspired by our previous study on Ru(II)-based compounds for the construction of a sensing platform toward detection of microRNA-185 (miR-185), we herein report new analytical platforms based on two additional Ru(II) compounds, and , with larger aromatic ring structures and richer hydrogen bond donor/acceptor sites in comparison to the previously reported , as simultaneous detection agents for miR-221/222, which work together to promote the occurrence and development of breast cancer. Molecular simulation docking was first used to predict the nucleic acid sequence binding affinity toward Ru(II) compounds to guide the experiment. The experimental results reveal that and can form a P-DNA@ sensing platform with the introduction of carboxyfluorescein (FAM)/5-carboxy-X-rhodamine (ROX) tagged single-chained probe DNA (P-DNA), to realize the discernment of the complementary P-DNA sequence of miR-221/222, giving the limit of detection (LOD) at the nanomolar level with a specific and speedy response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe herein report an efficient Ag and S dual sensing scenario by a three-dimensional (3D) Cu-based metal-organic framework [Cu(Cdcbp)(bpea)] (MOF 1, HCdcbpBr = 3-carboxyl-(3,5-dicarboxybenzyl)-pyridinium bromide, bpea = 1,2-di(4-pyridinyl)ethane) shielded with a 5-carboxytetramethylrhodamine (TAMRA)-labeled C-rich single-stranded DNA (ss-probe DNA, P-DNA) as a fluorescent probe. The formed MOF-DNA probe, denoted as P-DNA@1, is able to sequentially detect Ag and S in one pot, with detection limits of 3.8 nM (for Ag) and 5.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA one-dimensional (1D) metal-organic framework (MOF) of [Cu(Cdcbp)(HO)·2HO] (1, HCdcbpBr = 3-carboxyl-(3,5-dicarboxybenzyl)-pyridinium bromide) has been synthesized and characterized. MOF 1 features a cationic Cu center, conjugated tricarboxylate ligand bearing positively charged pyridinium and uncoordinated carboxylate groups within its skeleton. These features enable MOF 1 to tightly adsorb thymine rich (T-rich) single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) probe labeled with carboxyfluorescein (FAM) (denote as P-DNA) through π-stacking, electrostatic interactions and/or hydrogen bonding to give a hybrid complex (denote as P-DNA@1), and quenches its fluorescence via a photo-induced electron transfer (PET) process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA phenanthroline (phen) tethered berberine dimer 1 is synthesized and further conjugated with carboxyfluorescein (FAM)-labeled single-stranded probe DNA (P-DNA) to give P-DNA@1. The mutual interaction of these two components triggers the fluorescence quenching of FAM, and the non-emissive P-DNA@1, in turn, functions as a sensor to detect cancer-associated microRNA-185 (miRNA-185), characterized by the FAM fluorescence recovery. The results show that P-DNA@1 is capable of detecting miRNA-185 in 2 min with the detection limit of 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInspired by the enormous importance attributed to the biological function of miRNA, we pour our attention into the design and synthesis of four ruthenium(II) complexes and evaluate their applications as miR-185 detection agents by spectroscopic measurements. It was found that all complexes can form sensing platform for the detection of the complementary target miR-185 through the introduction of carboxyfluorescein (FAM) labeled single stranded DNA (P-DNA), giving the detection limits of 0.42nM for Ru 1, 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApomixis is a means of asexual reproduction by which plants produce embryos without fertilization and meiosis, therefore the embryo is of clonal and maternal origin. Interspecific hybrids between diploid B. vulgaris (2n=2x=18) and tetraploid B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF