Electrochemical Quantification of miRNA Based on Strain-Promoted Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition Ligated Tetrahedral DNA Nanotags.

Highly sensitive and accurate detection of disease biomarkers is of great importance for diagnosis, staging, and treatment of certain diseases. Herein, we report a novel electrochemical method for the quantification of miRNA biomarkers with DNA tetrahedrons as the signal reporters. Upon the initiation of DNA hairpin opening by miRNA at the electrode interface, the hidden click reaction group is exposed for the bioconjugation with a tetrahedral DNA nanostructure, which carries multiple electrochemical species.

Water-soluble near-infrared AgInS quantum dots for Ca detection and bioimaging.

Calcium ions (Ca) are key players in intracellular signaling as second messengers and play a pivotal role in various physiological processes. In this study, near-infrared water-soluble AgInS quantum dots (AIS QDs) for Ca detection were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. The fluorescence quantum yield (PL QY) of the quantum dots was as high as 23.

Nitrogen-doped orange emitting carbon dots for β-carotene detection and lysosomal imaging.

β-Carotene is a natural antioxidant that has an indispensable effect on the growth and immunity of the human body. For intracellular and detection of β-carotene, N-doped carbon quantum dots (O-CDs) were prepared by co-heating carbonization of 1,5-naphthalenediamine and nitric acid in ethanol solvent for 2 h at 200 °C. O-CDs have longer wavelength orange light emission, with an optimal excitation peak of 470 nm and an optimal emission peak of 590 nm.

Preparation and application of high-brightness red carbon quantum dots for pH and oxidized L-glutathione dual response.

Carbon dots (CDs) with red fluorescence emission are highly desirable for use in bioimaging and trace- substance detection, with potential applications in biotherapy, photothermal therapy, and tumor visualization. Most CDs emit green or blue fluorescence, thus limiting their applicability. We report a novel fluorescent detection platform based on high-brightness red fluorescence emission carbon dots (R-CDs) co-doped with nitrogen and bromine, which exhibit pH and oxidized L-glutathione (GSSG) dual-responsive characteristics.

Injectable Carbon Dots-Based Hydrogel for Combined Photothermal Therapy and Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer.

Hydrogel has been widely used in modern biotherapeutics due to its excellent biocompatibility, degradability, and high drug loading capacity. Among them, the construction of a phototherapy system including photosensitizer and hydrogel has aroused great interest in tumor therapy. Unfortunately, complex modifications are necessary to integrate different photosensitizers into the hydrogel.

Roll-to-Roll DNA Nanomachine for Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Determination of miRNA.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of endogenous noncoding RNAs with the functions of gene regulation, which serve as promising markers for a range of diseases such as diabetic foot ulcers, cancers, etc. In this work, we engineered a roll-to-roll DNA nanomachine for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of miRNA. A dumbbell-structured DNA probe could be transitioned to be wheel-structured conformation upon target recognition, which rolls around track strands on the surface of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the presence of nicking endonuclease.

Establishment of a Monoclonal Antibody-Based Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay to Measure Soluble B7-H5 in Patients with Cancer.

B7-H5, an immune checkpoint molecule, is markedly upregulated in multiple cancers and plays an important role in tumor progression and immune escape. However, the expression and significance of soluble B7-H5 (sB7-H5) in cancer remain unclear. Herein, we generated two novel mouse anti-human B7-H5 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) 2E5 and 7B10, which had different epitopes.

Non-doped and non-modified carbon dots with high quantum yield for the chemosensing of uric acid and living cell imaging.

Carbon dots without heteroatoms-doping and surface modifications were designed to be a novel chemosensing strategy on the quantitative detection of uric acid (UA) with the aid of uricase-induced enzymatic reaction and Fenton reaction. In this work, ascorbic acid (AA)-derived carbon dots (A-CDs) were prepared in the mixture of ethanol and water via one-step hydrothermal synthesis at a relatively low temperature (120 °C) for 10 h. The resultant A-CDs were proved to be excitation-independent.

Starch-Based Carbon Dots for Nitrite and Sulfite Detection.

Nitrite and sulfite play important roles in human health and environmental science, so it is desired to develop a facile and efficient method to evaluate NO and SO concentrations. In this article, the use of green alternatives with the potential of multi-functionality has been synthesized to detect nitrite and sulfite based on fluorescent probe. The carbon dots (CDs) with starch as only raw materials show fluorescence turn "on-off-on" response towards NO and SO with the limits of detection of 0.

Red-emissive carbon nanodots for highly sensitive ferric(III) ion sensing and intracellular imaging.

Ferric(III) ions (Fe) are one of the most abundant metal ions in environmental and biological systems. The determination of Fe has attracted great attention for healthcare concerns. In this work, we have developed a novel fluorescence method for the sensing and intracellular imaging of Fe based on the prepared red-emissive carbon nanodots.

Riboflavin-based carbon dots with high singlet oxygen generation for photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy, as an effective treatment for superficial tumors, has attracted more and more attention. The development of safe, biocompatible and photosensitive materials is helpful to promote photodynamic therapy. Here we report green fluorescent carbon quantum dots prepared from a natural vitamin, riboflavin (VB2), as a photosensitizer.

Superior reducing carbon dots from proanthocyanidin for free-radical scavenging and for cell imaging.

The presence of excessive ROS can cause much harm to the human body and can even cause diseases. Therefore, it is important to detect and remove ROS, but there is no ideal method available for this at present. In this research, using procyanidins, a type of plant extract with strong reducibility, as raw materials, fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) were prepared by a hydrothermal method.

Green Synthesis of Lutein-Based Carbon Dots Applied for Free-Radical Scavenging within Cells.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body play an important role in various processes. It is well known that harmful high levels of ROS can cause many problems in living organisms in a variety of ways. One effective way to remove intracellular ROS is to use reducing materials that can enter the cell.

Biomimetic immunomagnetic gold hybrid nanoparticles coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the detection of circulating tumor cells.

Immunomagnetic beads are important tools for the isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). However, the current immunomagnetic bead technique provides poor CTC separation purity due to nonspecific binding of background cells. Furthermore, immunomagnetic beads have not been appropriately functionalized for enabling CTC analysis and quantification.

Author Correction: The Transmembrane Serine Protease HAT-like 4 Is Important for Epidermal Barrier Function to Prevent Body Fluid Loss.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Duplex-specific nuclease assisted miRNA assay based on gold and silver nanoparticles co-decorated on electrode interface.

miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs for gene regulation, which serve as promising biomarkers for the diagnosis of certain diseases. In this contribution, we have proposed a convenient electrochemical biosensing strategy based on the interaction between DNA modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). In principle, citrate capped AuNPs and AgNPs can be co-decorated on the electrode successively.

Triple-Input Molecular AND Logic Gates for Sensitive Detection of Multiple miRNAs.

Abnormal miRNA expressions are closely related to the occurrence and development of cancers. It is of great significance to monitor miRNA expression levels for early diagnosis and therapy of the diseases. This study presents two independent colorimetric strategies for simultaneously monitoring multiple miRNAs based on cross-linking or non-cross-linking aggregations of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs).

Ectopic expression of human airway trypsin-like protease 4 in acute myeloid leukemia promotes cancer cell invasion and tumor growth.

Transmembrane serine proteases have been implicated in the development and progression of solid and hematological cancers. Human airway trypsin-like protease 4 (HAT-L4) is a transmembrane serine protease expressed in epithelial cells and exocrine glands. In the skin, HAT-L4 is important for normal epidermal barrier function.

Increased Neutrophil Activation and Plasma DNA Levels in Patients with Pre-Eclampsia.

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a chronic inflammatory disease in pregnancy, which is associated with enhanced blood coagulation and high thrombotic risk. To date, the mechanisms underlying such an association are not fully understood. Previous studies reported high levels of plasma deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in PE women, but the cellular source of the circulation DNA remains unknown.

A novel mode of DNA assembly at electrode and its application to protein quantification.

Sensitive and specific detection of protein is of great significance for early diagnosis and prognosis of many diseases. However, great challenges remain unsolved including relative low sensitivity, high cost, long testing time, complicated instrument and laborious operation. To improve the performance of protein detection methods, development of fine reaction interface for recognition and signal amplification is of great importance.

High-Mobility Group Box 1 From Hypoxic Trophoblasts Promotes Endothelial Microparticle Production and Thrombophilia in Preeclampsia.

Objective: Thrombophilia is a major complication in preeclampsia, a disease associated with placental hypoxia and trophoblast inflammation. Preeclampsia women are known to have increased circulating microparticles that are procoagulant, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we sought to understand the mechanism connecting placental hypoxia, circulating microparticles, and thrombophilia.

Stability enhanced, repeatability improved Parylene-C passivated on QCM sensor for aPTT measurement.

Determination of blood clotting time is essential in monitoring therapeutic anticoagulants. In this work, Parylene-C passivated on quartz crystal microbalance (P-QCM) was developed for the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) measurement. Compared with typical QCM, P-QCM possessed a hydrophobic surface and sensitive frequency response to viscoelastic variations on electrode surface.

The Transmembrane Serine Protease HAT-like 4 Is Important for Epidermal Barrier Function to Prevent Body Fluid Loss.

Membrane-bound proteases are essential for epidermal integrity. Human airway trypsin-like protease 4 (HAT-L4) is a type II transmembrane serine protease. Currently, its biochemical property, cellular distribution and physiological function remain unknown.