Advancing Tumor Microenvironment Analysis: A Fluorescence Nanosystem for Caspase-1 Monitoring and Synergistic Therapy.

The lack of precise, real-time analytical tools for monitoring tumor microenvironment changes during treatment hinders advancements in integrated diagnostic and therapeutic platforms. Traditional caspase-3 monitoring strategies are limited by their inability to address drug resistance and newly discovered apoptotic pathways, leading to reduced accuracy and practicality. To overcome these limitations, we developed a fluorescence-based "Trojan horse" nanosystem, PFpR@CM, featuring high-sensitivity Caspase-1 detection, tumor-targeted delivery, and photothermal therapy.

Vanin-1-Activated Fluorescent Probe for Real-Time Imaging of Inflammatory Responses Across Multiple Tissue Types.

Vanin-1 is a pantetheine hydrolase that plays a key role in inflammatory diseases. Effective tools for noninvasive, real-time monitoring of Vanin-1 are lacking, largely due to background fluorescence interference in existing probes. To address this issue, we developed a dual-modal fluorescent and colorimetric probe, MB-Van1, to detect Vanin-1 with high sensitivity and selectivity.

Near-infrared fluorescence imaging tool with large Stokes shift for sensitively detecting carboxylesterase 2 and monitoring its expression in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) now affects more than one quarter of the global population and becomes a heavy public health burden. However, the underlying mechanism for the pathogenesis of NAFLD is still not clear. Carboxylesterase 2 (CES2), highly abundant in the liver and intestine, plays an important role in endogenous lipid metabolism and lipolysis.

Near-infrared fluorescent probe for ultrasensitive detection of organophosphorus pesticides and visualization of their interaction with butyrylcholinesterase in living cells.

The toxicity of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) can catastrophically cause liver cell damage and inhibit the catalytic activity of cholinesterase. We designed and synthesized a near-infrared fluorescent probe HP-LZB with large Stokes shift which can specifically identify and detect butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and visually explore the interaction between OPs and endogenous BChE in living cells. Fluorescence was turned on when HP-LZB was hydrolyzed into HP-LZ in the presence of BChE, and OPs could inhibit BChE's activity resulting in a decrease of fluorescence.

A novel low-background nitroreductase fluorescent probe for real-time fluorescence imaging and surgical guidance of thyroid cancer resection.

Thyroid cancer always appears insidiously with few noticeable clinical symptoms. Due to its limitations, conventional ultrasound imaging can lead to missed or misdiagnosed cases. Surgery is still the primary treatment method of thyroid cancer, but removal of surrounding healthy tissues to minimize recurrence leads to overtreatment and added patient suffering.

A dual-response ratiometric fluorescent sensor for oxytetracycline determination in milk and mutton samples.

Owing to the adverse effects of oxytetracycline (OTC) residues on human health, it is of great importance to construct a rapid and effective strategy for OTC detection. Herein, we developed a dual-response fluorescence sensing platform based on molybdenum sulfide quantum dots (MoS QDs) and europium ions (Eu) for ratiometric detection of OTC. The MoS QDs, synthesized through an uncomplicated one-step hydrothermal approach, upon OTC integration into the MoS QDs/Eu sensing system, exhibit a significant quenching of blue fluorescence due to the inner filter effect (IFE), simultaneously enhancing the distinct red emission of Eu at 624 nm, a phenomenon attributed to the antenna effect (AE).

A novel NIR fluorescent probe for enhanced β-galactosidase detection and tumor imaging in ovarian cancer models.

The advancement of biological imaging techniques critically depends on the development of novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes. In this study, we introduce a designed NIR fluorescent probe, NRO-βgal, which exhibits a unique off-on response mechanism to β-galactosidase (β-gal). Emitting a fluorescence peak at a wavelength of 670 nm, NRO-βgal showcases a significant Stokes shift of 85 nm, which is indicative of its efficient energy transfer and minimized background interference.

A Dual-Mode Fluorescent Nanoprobe for the Detection and Visual Screening of Pathogenic Bacterial Spores.

Bacterial vegetative cells turn into metabolically dormant spores in certain environmental situations. Once suitable conditions trigger the germination of spores belonging to the pathogenic bacterial category, public safety and environmental hygiene will be threatened, and lives will even be endangered when encountering fatal ones. Instant identification of pathogenic bacterial spores remains a challenging task, since most current approaches belonging to complicated biological methods unsuitable for onsite sensing or emerging alternative chemical techniques are still inseparable from professional instruments.

A Pyroglutamate Aminopeptidase 1 Responsive Fluorescence Imaging Probe for Real-Time Rapid Differentiation between Thyroiditis and Thyroid Cancer.

Current diagnostic methods for thyroid diseases, including blood tests, ultrasound, and biopsy, always have difficulty diagnosing thyroiditis accurately, occasionally mistaking it for thyroid cancer. To address this clinical challenge, we developed Ox-PGP1, a novel fluorescent probe realizing rapid, noninvasive, and real-time diagnostic techniques. This is the first imaging tool capable of noninvasively distinguishing between thyroiditis and thyroid cancer.

Electrochemiluminescence biosensor for specific detection of pancreatic ductal carcinoma through dual targeting of MUC1 and miRNA-196a.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) poses significant diagnostic challenges due to its asymptomatic nature in its early stages, low specificity of conventional in vitro assays, and limited efficacy of surgical interventions. However, clinical specificity of the current serum biomarkers is suboptimal, leading to diagnostic inaccuracies and oversights. Therefore, this study introduced a novel dual-target electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor to address these critical issues.

Dual-microRNA-Controlled Electrochemiluminescence Biosensor for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Supplemental Identification of Breast Cancer Metastasis.

Breast cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer globally, and the metastasis of this malignancy is the primary cause of mortality in breast cancer patients. Hence, prompt diagnosis and timely detection of metastatic breast cancer are critical for effective therapeutic intervention. Both progression and metastasis of this malignancy are closely associated with aberrant expression of specific microRNAs (miRNAs) and enzymes.

A novel turn-on near-infrared fluorescent probe for highly sensitive in vitro and in vivo detection of acetylcholinesterase activity.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a key enzyme in the cholinergic pathway of the nervous systems, with its aberrant expression linked to various diseases. In this study, we have developed a novel Turn-On near-infrared fluorescent probe, TQ-AChE, for the sensitive and selective detection of AChE activity. Characterized by its near-infrared emission at 740 nm, TQ-AChE effectively overcomes the limitations of traditional fluorescent probes, such as short excitation wavelengths and limited tissue penetration, crucial for both in vitro and in vivo applications.

Combining fluorescent quantum dots with transition metal oxide shell as core-shell nanocomposite for turn-on sensing of ascorbic acid.

Ascorbic acid (AA) is an essential vitamin in humans, and numerous AA detection studies have been conducted. Most quantum dots (QDs)-based approaches depend on redox reactions involving AA, and they require the introduction of an intermediate (e.g.

Synthesis of in-situ magnetized MOF-cellulose membranes for high-efficiency enrichment of diamide insecticides in vegetables and determination by LC-MS/MS.

This study presents a novel, eco-friendly composite adsorbent material designed for the magnetic solid-phase extraction of diamide insecticides from vegetable samples. The membrane, denoted as Fe-MMm, was incorporated with a cellulose framework embedded with Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) magnetized with FeO. This innovative material streamlined the conventional solid-phase extraction process, simplifying the sample pre-treatment.

Spindle Monitor: A Tool for Real-Time Assessment and Concurrent Treatment of Postoperative Tumor Prognosis.

Cancer surgery remains a mainstay in clinical treatment. However, the efficacy of subsequent therapies largely depends on the precise evaluation of postoperative prognoses, underscoring the critical need for a comprehensive and accurate assessment of surgical outcomes. Nanoprobes targeting tumors offer a promising solution for visual prognostic assessment.

Exploration of aminopeptidase N as new biomarker for early diagnosis of thyroid cancer.

False-positive diagnosis and overdiagnosis are ongoing issues in clinical diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Identifying new disease markers is crucial for early diagnosis and improved treatment. Aminopeptidase N (APN) is a promising biomarker for cancer diagnosis due to its critical roles in tumor invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and other processes.

Customized fluorescent probe for peering into the expression of butyrylcholinesterase in thyroid cancer.

Background: Thyroid cancer has been increasingly prevalent in recent years. The main diagnostic methods for thyroid are B-ultrasound scan, serum detection and puncture detection. However, these methods are invasive and complex.

Leucine Aminopeptidase-Mediated Multifunctional Molecular Imaging Tool for Diagnosis, Drug Evaluation, and Surgical Guidance of Liver-Related Diseases.

Traditional molecular imaging tools used for detecting liver diseases own several drawbacks, such as poor optical performance and limited applicability. Monitoring the concentration of leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), which is closely related to liver diseases such as liver cancer and liver injury, and analyzing it in diagnosis, drug evaluation, and surgical treatment is still a challenging task. Herein, we construct an intramolecular charge-transfer mechanism-based, ultrasensitive, near-infrared fluorescent probe (LAN-lap) for dynamic monitoring of LAP fluctuations in living systems.

Insights of Life Molecules' Dynamic Distribution in Live Cells via Sequence-Structure Bispecific Fluorescent RNA.

Life molecules' distributions in live systems construct the complex dynamic reaction networks, whereas it is still challenging to demonstrate the dynamic distributions of biomolecules in live systems. Herein, we proposed a dynamic analysis strategy sequence-structure bispecific RNA with state-adjustable molecules to monitor the dynamic concentration and spatiotemporal localization of these biomolecules in live cells based on the new insight of fluorescent RNA (FLRNA) interactions and their mechanism of fluorescence enhancement. Typically, computer-based nucleic acid-molecular docking simulation and molecular theoretical calculation have been proposed to provide a simple and straightforward method for guiding the custom-design of FLRNA.

Enzyme-trigger ratiometric fluorescent nanoplatform for diagnosis and imaging of oral diseases.

Oral health is an essential part of overall health. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is a potential biomarker for diseases. The ability to accurately detect MMP-2 in vivo and in vitro is of great importance for the early diagnosis and prognosis, as well as the treatment evaluation, of oral diseases.

AgInZnS quantum dots as anodic emitters with strong and stable electrochemiluminescence for biosensing application.

Quantum dots (QDs) have become promising electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitters with high quantum yield and size-tunable luminescence. However, most QDs generate strong ECL emission at the cathode, developing anodic ECL-emitting QDs with excellent performance is challenging. In this work, low-toxic quaternary AgInZnS QDs synthesized by a one-step aqueous phase method were used as novel anodic ECL emitters.