Degraders in epigenetic therapy: PROTACs and beyond.

Epigenetics refers to the reversible process through which changes in gene expression occur without changing the nucleotide sequence of DNA. The process is currently gaining prominence as a pivotal objective in the treatment of cancers and other ailments. Numerous drugs that target epigenetic mechanisms have obtained approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the therapeutic intervention of diverse diseases; many have drawbacks, such as limited applicability, toxicity, and resistance.

Boron and nitrogen codoped carbon dots as fluorescence sensor for Fe with improved selectivity.

Carbon dots (CDs) are popular as fluorescence sensors, and metal ions are typical analytes. However, CDs used as fluorescent sensors for Fe have some interferences coming from co-existed ions. In this study, we suspect that sp boron atom in phenylboronic acid group will be more compatible with Fe to form coordination bonds, thereby increasing the selectivity to Fe.

Red emissive boron and nitrogen co-doped "on-off-on" carbon dots for detecting and imaging of mercury(II) and biothiols.

Red emissive B,N co-doped carbon dots (BN-CDs) were hydrothermally synthesized from cresyl violet and boric acid. The BN-CDs exhibited excellent photostability, low cytotoxicity, excitation/emission maxima at 520/616 nm, and a relatively high quantum yield of 18%. The BN-CDs can binded to mercury(II), and this results in quenching of the red-colored fluorescence.