Water stable, red emitting, carbon nanoparticles stimulate 3D cell invasion clathrin-mediated endocytic uptake.

Bright fluorescent nanoparticles with excitation and emission towards the red end of the spectrum are highly desirable in the field of bioimaging. We present here a new class of organic carbon-based nanoparticles (CNPs) with a robust quantum yield and fluorescence towards the red region of the spectrum. Using organic substrates such as -phenylenediamine (PPDA) dispersed in diphenyl ether under reflux conditions, we achieved scalable amounts of CNPs with an average size of 27 nm.

Aptamer-Programmed DNA Nanodevices for Advanced, Targeted Cancer Theranostics.

DNA has been demonstrated to be a versatile material for construction at the nanoscale. DNA nanodevices are highly programmable and allow functionalization with multiple entities such as imaging modalities (fluorophores), targeting entities (aptamers), drug conjugation (chemical linkers), and triggered release (photoresponsive molecules). These features enhance the use of DNA nanodevices in biological applications, catalyzing the rapid growth of this domain of research.

Designer DNA Hydrogels Stimulate 3D Cell Invasion by Enhanced Receptor Expression and Membrane Endocytosis.

DNA has emerged as one of the smartest biopolymers to bridge the gap between chemical science and biology to design scaffolds like hydrogels by physical entanglement or chemical bonding with remarkable properties. We present here a completely new application of DNA-based hydrogels in terms of their capacity to stimulate membrane endocytosis, leading to enhanced cell spreading and invasion for cells in ex vivo 3D spheroids models. Multiscale simulation studies along with DLS data showed that the hydrogel formation was enhanced at lower temperature and it converts to liquid with increase in temperature.

Unusual Aggregates Formed by the Self-Assembly of Proline, Hydroxyproline, and Lysine.

There is a plethora of significant research that illustrates toxic self-assemblies formed by the aggregation of single amino acids, such as phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, cysteine, and methionine, and their implication on the etiology of inborn errors of metabolisms (IEMs), such as phenylketonuria, tyrosinemia, hypertryptophanemia, cystinuria, and hypermethioninemia, respectively. Hence, studying the aggregation behavior of single amino acids is very crucial from the chemical neuroscience perspective to understanding the common etiology between single amino acid metabolite disorders and amyloid diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Herein we report the aggregation properties of nonaromatic single amino acids l-proline (Pro), l-hydroxyproline (Hyp), and l-lysine hydrochloride (Lys).

Functional DNA Based Hydrogels: Development, Properties and Biological Applications.

DNA-based nanostructures have emerged as a versatile component for nanoscale construction of soft materials. Multiple structural, functional properties and versatility in conjugation with other biomolecules made DNA the material of choice to use in various biomedical applications. DNA-based hydrogels significantly attracted attention in recent years owing to their properties and applications in biosensing, bioimaging, and therapeutics.

Molecular recognition based rapid diagnosis of immunoglobulins via proteomic profiling of protein-nanoparticle complexes.

Protein-nanoparticle (NP) interaction, which inevitably form protein corona (PC), has been the subject of much debate about its role in modern biomedical research. In this regard, PC associated with two different NPs viz., magneto-fluorescent (MF) and chitosan coated MF (CMF) NPs were thoroughly investigated, to analyze the effect of polymer coating on protein adsorption.

Engineered Bright Blue- and Red-Emitting Carbon Dots Facilitate Synchronous Imaging and Inhibition of Bacterial and Cancer Cell Progression via O-Mediated DNA Damage under Photoirradiation.

The development of biocompatible, widely applicable fluorescent imaging probe, with emission beyond the cellular and tissue autofluorescence interference, is a challenging task. In this regard, a series of 28 different fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized using carbohydrates as carbon and cysteine (Cys) and -phenylenediamine (OPD) as nitrogen source. The screened CDs showed photostability with bright blue (∼505-520 nm) and red (∼588-596 nm) emission and high fluorescence quantum yield (QY = 72.

A bimodal molecular imaging probe based on chitosan encapsulated magneto-fluorescent nanocomposite offers biocompatibility, visualization of specific cancer cells in vitro and lung tissues in vivo.

Multifunctional hybrid nanocomposite material, consists of chitosan encapsulated iron oxide (as MRI contrasting agent), CdS (as fluorescent probe) nanoparticles and podophyllotoxin (as anticancer drug) was synthesized and characterized. The TEM studies suggested the size of the NPs to be in the range of 80-100 nm. These nanocomposites were treated with different cancer cell lines viz.

Silica micro/nanospheres for theranostics: from bimodal MRI and fluorescent imaging probes to cancer therapy.

Nano-theranostics offer remarkable potential for future biomedical technology with simultaneous applications for diagnosis and therapy of disease sites. Through smart and careful chemical modifications of the nanoparticle surface, these can be converted to multifunctional tiny objects which in turn can be used as vehicle for delivering multimodal imaging agents and therapeutic material to specific target sites in vivo. In this sense, bimodal imaging probes that simultaneously enable magnetic resonance imaging and fluorescence imaging have gained tremendous attention because disease sites can be characterized quick and precisely through synergistic multimodal imaging.