Supramolecular cage-mediated cargo transport.

A steady stream of material transport based on carriers and channels in living systems plays an extremely important role in normal life activities. Inspired by nature, researchers have extensively applied supramolecular cages in cargo transport because of their unique three-dimensional structures and excellent physicochemical properties. In this review, we will focus on the development of supramolecular cages as carriers and channels for cargo transport in abiotic and biological systems over the past fifteen years.

Metal-organic cages for gas adsorption and separation.

The unique high surface area and tunable cavity size endow metal-organic cages (MOCs) with superior performance and broad application in gas adsorption and separation. Over the past three decades, for instance, numerous MOCs have been widely explored in adsorbing diverse types of gas including energy gases, greenhouse gases, toxic gases, noble gases, To gain a better understanding of the structure-performance relationships, great endeavors have been devoted to ligand design, metal node regulation, active metal site construction, cavity size adjustment, and function-oriented ligand modification, thus opening up routes toward rationally designed MOCs with enhanced capabilities. Focusing on the unveiled structure-performance relationships of MOCs towards target gas molecules, this review consists of two parts, gas adsorption and gas separation, which are discussed separately.

Targeted Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging of Liver Cancer using Dual-Peptide-Functionalized Albumin Particles.

Fluorescence imaging is an emerging strategy for preoperative diagnosis and intraoperative resection. In particular, owing to their outstanding spatial resolution and deep-tissue penetration, imaging agents in the near-infrared (NIR)-II window (1000-1700 nm) have received intensive interest for biomedical applications. However, NIR II-based imaging agents for targeted visualization of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have barely been barely developed.

Cage-based sensors for circular dichroism analysis.

Quantitative chiral sensing relying on circular dichroism (CD) is very important for determining the enantiomeric excess or concentration of small molecules without strong chromophores, because they form chiral complexes with sensors, yielding strong CD signals. Three-dimensional cages are promising platforms for chiral CD due to their stereochemical flexibility and their variety of cavity and external binding sites that can be used as chiral CD sensors. In this minireview, we discuss recent advances, future challenges, and opportunities in the quantitative sensing of small molecules in host-guest and peripheral complexes with cage sensors by chiral CD.

Orthogonally Engineered Albumin with Attenuated Macrophage Phagocytosis for the Targeted Visualization and Phototherapy of Liver Cancer.

The five-year survival rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unsatisfactory. This reflects, in part, the paucity of effective methods that allow the target-specific diagnosis and therapy of HCC. Here, we report a strategy based on engineered human serum albumin (HSA) that permits the HCC-targeted delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents.

Fluorescent probes for the detection of disease-associated biomarkers.

Fluorescent probes have emerged as indispensable chemical tools to the field of chemical biology and medicine. The ability to detect intracellular species and monitor physiological processes has not only advanced our knowledge in biology but has provided new approaches towards disease diagnosis. In this review, we detail the design criteria and strategies for some recently reported fluorescent probes that can detect a wide range of biologically important species in cells and in vivo.

Fluorescence Analysis of Circulating Exosomes for Breast Cancer Diagnosis Using a Sensor Array and Deep Learning.

Emerging liquid biopsy methods for investigating biomarkers in bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, or urine can be used to perform noninvasive cancer detection. However, the complexity and heterogeneity of exosomes require improved methods to achieve the desired sensitivity and accuracy. Herein, we report our study on developing a breast cancer liquid biopsy system, including a fluorescence sensor array and deep learning (DL) tool AggMapNet.

Fluorescence evidence of annexin A6 translocation across membrane in model matrix vesicles during apatite formation.

Matrix vesicles (MVs) are 100-300 nm spherical structures released by mineralization competent cells to initiate formation of apatite, the mineral component in bones. Among proteins present in MVs, annexin A6 (AnxA6) is thought to be ubiquitously distributed in the MVs' lumen, on the surface of the internal and external leaflets of the membrane and also inserted in the lipid bilayer. To determine the molecular mechanism(s) that lead to the different locations of AnxA6, we hypothesized the occurrence of a pH drop during the mineralization.

Ferrocene-Labelled Electroactive Aptamer-Based Sensors (Aptasensors) for Glycated Haemoglobin.

Glycated haemoglobin (HbA) is a diagnostic biomarker for type 2 diabetes. Traditional analytical methods for haemoglobin (Hb) detection rely on chromatography, which requires significant instrumentation and is labour-intensive; consequently, miniaturized devices that can rapidly sense HbA are urgently required. With this research, we report on an aptamer-based sensor (aptasensor) for the rapid and selective electrochemical detection of HbA.

Graphene nanoribbon-based supramolecular ensembles with dual-receptor targeting function for targeted photothermal tumor therapy.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most malignant subtypes of breast cancer. Here, we report the construction of graphene nanoribbon (GNR)-based supramolecular ensembles with dual-receptor (mannose and αβ integrin receptors) targeting function, denoted as , for targeted photothermal treatment (PTT) of TNBC. The ensembles were constructed through the solution-based self-assembly of mannose-grafted GNRs () with a pyrene-tagged αβ integrin ligand ().

Supramolecular fluorogenic peptide sensor array based on graphene oxide for the differential sensing of ebola virus.

We report on a supramolecular sensor array using fluorogenic peptide probes and graphene oxide that can target glycoproteins on a viral caspid, facilitating the differentiation of ebola virus from marburg virus and receptor-extensive vesicular stomatitis virus using principal component analysis.

Self-assembled sialyllactosyl probes with aggregation-enhanced properties for ratiometric detection and blocking of influenza viruses.

Infection and dissemination of influenza viruses (IVs) causes serious health concerns worldwide. However, effective tools for the accurate detection and blocking of IVs remain elusive. Here, we develop a new sialyllactosyl probe with self-assembled core-shell structure for the ratiometric detection and blocking of IVs.

Correction: Fluorescence imaging of a potential diagnostic biomarker for breast cancer cells using a peptide-functionalized fluorogenic 2D material.

Correction for 'Fluorescence imaging of a potential diagnostic biomarker for breast cancer cells using a peptide-functionalized fluorogenic 2D material' by Wei-Tao Dou et al., Chem. Commun.

Fluorescence imaging of a potential diagnostic biomarker for breast cancer cells using a peptide-functionalized fluorogenic 2D material.

Protein C receptor (PROCR) is a recently discovered transmembrane biomarker for several tissue stem cells and is highly expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patient-derived xenografts. Herein, to enrich the toolbox for the biochemical evaluation of PROCR, we have developed a peptide-functionalized fluorogenic 2D material based on the self-assembly between a fluorescent peptide probe and thin-layer molybdenum disulfide. The material developed was suitable for the sensitive detection of PROCR recombinant protein in buffer solution and the fluorescence imaging of TNBC cells that express high levels of PROCR.

Fluorescence Imaging of Alzheimer's Disease with a Flat Ensemble Formed between a Quinoline-Malononitrile AIEgen and Thin-Layer Molybdenum Disulfide.

The sensitive imaging of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides is important for the timely detection of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although clinically the diagnosis of AD relies on the use of radiolabeled imaging reagents, herein we report the simple construction of a "flat ensemble" formed between a quinoline-malononitrile AIEgen (EDS) and thin-layer molybdenum disulfide (2D MoS ) for the sensitive detection of Aβ by means of fluorescence-based techniques. Self-assembly between EDS and 2D MoS in aqueous buffer solution produces the flat ensemble, and the subsequent interaction of the material ensemble with oligomeric and aggregated Aβ peptides leads to up to 19-fold enhanced fluorescence of EDS.

An ESIPT Probe for the Ratiometric Imaging of Peroxynitrite Facilitated by Binding to Aβ-Aggregates.

A series of 3-hydroxyflavone (3-HF) ESIPT (excited-state intramolecular proton transfer) boronate-based fluorescent probes have been developed for the detection of peroxynitrite (ONOO). The dyes are environmentally sensitive, and each probe exhibited a ratiometric response toward ONOO in a micellar environment. The probes were used to image different aggregation states of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the presence of ONOO.

Supramolecular Nanostructures of Structurally Defined Graphene Nanoribbons in the Aqueous Phase.

Structurally well-defined graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have attracted great interest because of their unique optical, electronic, and magnetic properties. However, strong π-π interactions within GNRs result in poor liquid-phase dispersibility, which impedes further investigation of these materials in numerous research areas, including supramolecular self-assembly. Structurally defined GNRs were synthesized by a bottom-up strategy, involving grafting of hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains of different lengths (GNR-PEO).

Conjugated polyelectrolytes with galactose-containing side chains for targeted hepatoma cell imaging.

Three cationic conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) with a common poly(p-phenylene ethynylene) backbone and different galactose-containing side chains were designed and synthesized. These CPEs were characterized and their application in targeted hepatoma cell imaging was demonstrated.

GPCR Activation and Endocytosis Induced by a 2D Material Agonist.

Agonist-induced activation and endocytosis of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are crucial for a number of physiological and pathological processes. However, tools that are available for probing GPCR endocytosis have been insufficient. Here, we developed a two-dimensional (2D) material agonist by supramolecular self-assembly between an endogenous agonist of κ-opioid receptor (KOR) and 2D molybdenum disulfide.

Vibration-Induced-Emission (VIE) for imaging amyloid β fibrils.

This paper discusses the use of N,N'-disubstituted-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazines with typical Vibration-Induced-Emission (VIE) properties for imaging amyloid β (Aβ) fibrils, which are a signature of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. A water-soluble VIEgen with a red fluorescence emission shows a pronounced, blue-shifted emission with Aβ peptide monomers and fibrils. The enhancement in blue fluorescence can be ascribed to the restriction of the molecular vibration by selectively binding to Aβ.

Fluorogenic 2D Peptidosheet Unravels CD47 as a Potential Biomarker for Profiling Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Cholangiocarcinoma Tissues.

A 2D peptidosheet unravels CD47 as a potential biomarker to image hepatocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma cells and tissues. Supramolecular assembly between water-soluble 2D MoS and a peptide probe produces the 2D peptidosheet suited for the profiling of hepatocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma tissues over healthy tissues on clinical specimens.

Irreversible destruction of amyloid fibril plaques by conjugated polymer based fluorogenic nanogrenades.

Supramolecular assembly between conjugated polymers and fluorescent dyes produces a unique class of fluorogenic "nanogrenades". These nanomaterials have shown the ability to image as well as irreversibly destruct amyloid β fibril plaques by simple light irradiation.