All-in-One Alkaline Phosphatase-Response Aggregation-Induced Emission Probe for Cancer Discriminative Imaging and Combinational Chemodynamic-Photodynamic Therapy.

Currently, specific cancer-responsive fluorogenic probes with activatable imaging and therapeutic functionalities are in great demand in the accurate diagnostics and efficient therapy of malignancies. Herein, an all-in-one strategy is presented to realize fluorescence (FL) imaging-guided and synergetic chemodynamic-photodynamic cancer therapy by using a multifunctional alkaline phosphatase (ALP)-response aggregation-induced emission (AIE) probe, TPE-APP. By responding to the abnormal expression levels of an ALP biomarker in cancer cells, the phosphate groups on the AIE probe are selectively hydrolyzed, accompanied by in situ formation of strong emissive AIE aggregates for discriminative cancer cell imaging over normal cells and highly active quinone methide species with robust chemodynamic-photodynamic activities.

Synchronously Sensitive Immunoassay and Efficient Inactivation of Living Zika Virus via DNAzyme Catalytic Amplification and In Situ Aggregation-Induced Emission Photosensitizer Generation.

Sensitive identification and effective inactivation of the virus are paramount for the early diagnosis and treatment of viral infections to prevent the risk of secondary transmission of viruses in the environment. Herein, we developed a novel two-step fluorescence immunoassay using antibody/streptavidin dual-labeled polystyrene nanobeads and biotin-labeled G-quadruplex/hemin DNAzymes with peroxidase-mimicking activity for sensitive quantitation and efficient inactivation of living Zika virus (ZIKV). The dual-labeled nanobeads can specifically bind ZIKV through E protein targeting and simultaneously accumulate DNAzymes, leading to the catalytic oxidation of Amplex Red indicators and generation of intensified aggregation-induced emission fluorescence signals, with a detection limit down to 66.

A biocompatible dual-AIEgen system without spectral overlap for quantitation of microbial viability and monitoring of biofilm formation.

The lack of rapid and reliable microbial detection and sensing platforms and insufficient understanding of microbial behavior may delay precautions that could be made, which is a great threat to human life and increases the heavy financial burden on society. In this contribution, a dual-aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) system is successfully developed for microbial imaging and metabolic status sensing. This system consists of two AIEgens (DCQA and TPE-2BA) that bear positively charged groups or boronic acid groups, providing universal microbial staining ability and specific affinity for dead microbes, respectively.

Ultrasensitive Visualization of Virus via Explosive Catalysis of an Enzyme Muster Triggering Gold Nano-aggregate Disassembly.

Sensitive and accurate diagnosis of viral infection is important for human health and social safety. Herein, by means of explosive catalysis from an enzyme muster, a powerful naked-eye readout platform has been successfully constructed for ultrasensitive immunoassay of viral entities. Liposomes were used to encapsulate multiple enzymes into an active unit.

Less is more: Silver-AIE core@shell nanoparticles for multimodality cancer imaging and synergistic therapy.

Nanomaterials with integrated multiple imaging and therapeutic modalities possess great potentials in accurate cancer diagnostics and enhanced therapeutic efficacy. Traditional strategies for achieving multimodality nanoplatform through one by one combination of different modalities are challenged by the complicated structural design and fabrication as well as inherent incompatibility between different modalities. Herein, a novel strategy is presented to realize multimodal imaging and synergistic therapy using a class of simple silver core/AIE (aggregation-induced emission) shell nanoparticles.

Three-Component Regio- and Stereoselective Polymerizations toward Functional Chalcogen-Rich Polymers with AIE-Activities.

Polymers containing rich chalcogen elements are rarely reported due to the lack of facile synthesis methods. Herein, a novel multicomponent polymerization route toward chalcogen-rich polymers was introduced. A series of poly(vinyl sulfones) (PVSs) were synthesized at room temperature using readily prepared monomers.

Multifunctional Cellular Beacons with in Situ Synthesized Quantum Dots Make Pathogen Detectable with the Naked Eye.

The rapid and sensitive detection of pathogens is extremely crucial for timely clinical diagnosis and diseases control. Here, by employing cellular beacons with in situ synthesized QDs created from Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus), we efficiently fabricated an antibody (Ab) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-functionalized nanobioprobe, i.

AIE Featured Inorganic-Organic Core@Shell Nanoparticles for High-Efficiency siRNA Delivery and Real-Time Monitoring.

RNA interference (RNAi) is demonstrated as one of the most powerful technologies for sequence-specific suppression of genes in disease therapeutics. Exploration of novel vehicles for small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery with high efficiency, low cytotoxicity, and self-monitoring functionality is persistently pursued. Herein, by taking advantage of aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen), we developed a novel class of Ag@AIE core@shell nanocarriers with regulable and uniform morphology.

Ultrasensitive Virion Immunoassay Platform with Dual-Modality Based on a Multifunctional Aggregation-Induced Emission Luminogen.

Sensitive and accurate detection of highly contagious virus is urgently demanded for disease diagnosis and treatment. Herein, based on a multifunctional aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen), a dual-modality readout immunoassay platform for ultrasensitive detection of viruses has been successfully demonstrated. The platform is relied on virions immuno-bridged enzymatic hydrolysis of AIEgen, accompanying with the in situ formation of highly emissive AIE aggregates and shelling of silver on gold nanoparticles.

Redox-Active AIEgen-Derived Plasmonic and Fluorescent Core@Shell Nanoparticles for Multimodality Bioimaging.

Multimodality imaging is highly desirable for accurate diagnosis by achieving high sensitivity, spatial-temporal resolution, and penetration depth with a single structural unit. However, it is still challenging to integrate fluorescent and plasmonic modalities into a single structure, as they are naturally incompatible because of significant fluorescence quenching by plasmonic noble-metal nanoparticles. Herein, we report a new type of silver@AIEgen (aggregation-induced emission luminogen) core-shell nanoparticle (AACSN) with both strong aggregated-state fluorescence of the AIEgen and distinctive plasmonic scattering of silver nanoparticles for multimodality imaging in living cells and small animals.

Highly Sensitive Naked-Eye Assay for Enterovirus 71 Detection Based on Catalytic Nanoparticle Aggregation and Immunomagnetic Amplification.

Development of sensitive, convenient, and cost-effective virus detection product is of great significance to meet the growing demand of clinical diagnosis at the early stage of virus infection. Herein, a naked-eye readout of immunoassay by means of virion bridged catalase-mediated in situ reduction of gold ions and growth of nanoparticles, has been successfully proposed for rapid visual detection of Enterovirus 71 (EV71). Through tailoring the morphologies of the produced gold nanoparticles (GNPs) varying between dispersion and aggregation, a distinguishing color changing was ready for observation.

Full-Genome Sequences of Seven Fatal Enterovirus 71 Strains Isolated in Shenzhen, China, in 2014.

The whole-genome sequences of seven fatal enterovirus 71 (EV71) strains, isolated in southern China, in 2014, were determined. The complete genome sequences of these strains displayed close relationships to native EV71 strains and showed 94.2% to 99.

Fluorescence-Converging Carbon Nanodots-Hybridized Silica Nanosphere.

Ultrabright carbon nanodots-hybridized silica nanospheres (CSNs) are synthesized through the Stöber process of silane functionalized C-dots. The fluorescence of carbon nanodots is converged intensely. A CSN is about 3800 times brighter than a single-carbon nanodot.

Visual and efficient immunosensor technique for advancing biomedical applications of quantum dots on Salmonella detection and isolation.

It is a great challenge in nanotechnology for fluorescent nanobioprobes to be applied to visually detect and directly isolate pathogens in situ. A novel and visual immunosensor technique for efficient detection and isolation of Salmonella was established here by applying fluorescent nanobioprobes on a specially-designed cellulose-based swab (a solid-phase enrichment system). The selective and chromogenic medium used on this swab can achieve the ultrasensitive amplification of target bacteria and form chromogenic colonies in situ based on a simple biochemical reaction.

Harnessing Intracellular Biochemical Pathways for In Vitro Synthesis of Designer Tellurium Nanorods.

Synthesizing nanomaterials of desired properties is a big challenge, which requires extremely harsh conditions and/or use of toxic materials. More recently developed in vivo methods have brought a different set of problems such as separation and purification of nanomaterials made in vivo. Here, a novel approach that harnesses cellular pathways for in vitro synthesis of high-quality tellurium nanorods with tunable lengths and optical properties is reported.

Uniform fluorescent nanobioprobes for pathogen detection.

Manipulating biochemical reactions in living cells to synthesize nanomaterials is an attractive strategy to realize their synthesis that cannot take place in nature. Yeast cells have been skillfully utilized to produce desired nanoparticles through spatiotemporal coupling of intracellular nonrelated biochemical reaction pathways for formation of fluorescent CdSe quantum dots. Here, we have successfully transformed Staphylococcus aureus cells into cellular beacons (fluorescing cells), all of which are highly fluorescent and photostable with perfect uniformity.

Nanomechanical analysis of yeast cells in CdSe quantum dot biosynthesis.

QD biosynthesis affects the mechanical strength of yeast cells. The intracellular synthesis of CdSe QD in yeast cells incubated with Na2 SeO3 and subsequently with CdCl2 increases the glucan content of their cell walls, resulting in their enhanced mechanical strength.

An ultra-high sensitive platform for fluorescence detection of micrococcal nuclease based on graphene oxide.

Micrococcal nuclease (MNase) is the extracellular nuclease of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). It preferentially digests single-stranded nucleic acids.