A Multi-Functional Cascade Nanoreactor for Remodeling Tumor Microenvironment to Realize Mitochondria Dysfunction via ROS/Zn Ions Overload.

Combining chemo/photodynamic therapy (CDT/PDT) to generate highly harmful reactive oxygen species and cause mitochondria dysfunction is considered a potential strategy to improve the efficiency of anticancer treatment. However, within tumor, the relatively deficient concentration of HO, hypoxic microenvironment, and overexpressed reduced glutathione (GSH) seriously suppress the efficacy of dynamic therapy. Herein, a multi-functional cascade nanoreactor, bovine serum albumin modified ZnO@CeO-ICG, is reported for remodeling tumor microenvironment (TME) to boost dynamic therapy and realize mitochondria dysfunction via reactive oxygen species (ROS) storm/Zn ions overload.

Colorectal cancer therapy mediated by nanomedicines.

Colorectal cancer is the third most malignant gastrointestinal tumor. Although traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been widely used for treating colorectal cancer, the treatment effect is still unsatisfactory, resulting in a high mortality rate and a low 5-year survival rate. In recent years, with the development of molecular biology of colorectal cancer, many promising therapeutic strategies based on nanomaterials have been developed for colorectal cancer.

A multiphoton transition activated iron based metal organic framework for synergistic therapy of photodynamic therapy/chemodynamic therapy/chemotherapy for orthotopic gliomas.

Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) has exhibited good potential in therapy of gliomas, the limited penetration depth of light and the obstacle of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) lead to unsatisfactory treatment effects. Herein, a multifunctional nanodrug (UMD) was constructed with up-conversion nanoparticles (NaGdF:Yb,Tm@NaYF:Yb,Nd@NaYF, UCNPs) as the core, the photosensitizer NH-MIL-53 (Fe) as the shell and a carrier for loading chemotherapy drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox) for synergistic therapy of gliomas. Lactoferrin (LF) was finally modified on the surface of the UMD to endow it with the ability to traverse the BBB and target cells (UMDL).

A Novel Biodegradable Nanoplatform for Tumor Microenvironments Responsive Bimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Sonodynamic/Ion Interference Cascade Therapy.

The unsatisfactory therapeutic effect and long-term adverse effect markedly prevent inorganic nanomaterials from clinical transformation. In light of this, we developed a novel biodegradable theranostic agent (MnCO:Ho@DOX/Ca(PO)@BSA, HMCDB) based on the sonosensitizer manganese carbonate (MnCO) coating with calcium phosphate (Ca(PO)) and simultaneously loaded it with the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX). Due to the mild acidity of the tumor microenvironment (TME), the Ca(PO) shell degraded first, releasing substantial quantities of calcium ions (Ca) and DOX.

Blood-brain Barrier Permeable and Multi-stimuli Responsive Nanoplatform for Orthotopic Glioma Inhibition by Synergistic Enhanced Chemo-/Chemodynamic/Photothermal/Starvation Therapy.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a common malignant tumor in brain, and the treatment is still a challenge owing to the high invasiveness and the existence of blood-brain barrier (BBB). Although temozolomide (TMZ) is the first line medication, its efficacy is not ideal, which is related to the defect of dose distribution and drug resistance. It is urgent to develop a novel BBB-permeable nanoagent with multiple therapeutic modalities for improving the treatment effect of GBM.

Hierarchically Porous Films Architectured by Self-Assembly of Prolamins at the Air-Liquid Interface.

Artificial recapitulation of hierarchically porous films gained great interest due to their versatile functionalities and applications. However, the development of novel eco-friendly and nontoxic biopolymer-based porous films is still limited by the time-consuming fabrication processes and toxic organic reagents involved. Here, we reported a novel approach to rapidly (within 5 s) fabricate biopolymer-based hierarchically porous films via inducing the laterally occurring interfacial self-assembly of prolamins at the air-liquid interface during an antisolvent dripping procedure.

A Cu-based nanoplatform for near-infrared light amplified multi-mode prostate cancer specific therapy.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT), as a new method for oncotherapy, can convert less reactive hydrogen peroxide (HO) into highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) to kill tumor cells and inhibit tumor growth. However, the TME usually presents a low content of endogenous HO and weak acidity, which weakens the therapeutic effect of CDT to a certain extent. Here, we developed a multifunctional nanoplatform based on Cu-doped mesoporous carbon nanospheres loaded with free radical generator 2'-azobis[2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)propane]-dihydrochloride (AIPH) and polyacrylic acid (Cu-MNCS-AIPH@PAA).

Novel YOF-Based Theranostic Agents with a Cascade Effect for NIR-II Fluorescence Imaging and Synergistic Starvation/Photodynamic Therapy of Orthotopic Gliomas.

Accurate diagnosis and highly effective treatment of glioblastoma are still challenges in clinic. Near-infrared (NIR) light triggered fluorescence imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT) showed the potential for theranostics of glioblastoma, but the presence of blood-brain barrier (BBB) and hypoxia limited treatment effect. Herein, the novel theranostic nanoagents with YOF:Nd as core, MnO as shell, and further loading photosensitizer (indocyanine green, ICG) and glucose oxidase (GOx) were successfully constructed, and further modified with lactoferrin to endow them with BBB penetration and target abilities (YOF:Nd@MnO-ICG-GOx-LF, YMIGL).

An Fe-based single-atom nanozyme with multi-enzyme activity for parallel catalytic therapy a cascade reaction.

Here, we report Fe-based single-atom nanozymes, which were fabricated by embedding Fe atoms into N-doped hollow carbon spheres. The nanozymes (FeSA-HNCSB) exhibit the efficient catalytic generation of ROS in the tumor microenvironment (TME). They possess multiple enzyme-mimicking activities, including catalase-like, oxidase-like, and peroxidase-like activities.

A nanotheranostic agent based on Nd-doped YVO with blood-brain-barrier permeability for NIR-II fluorescence imaging/magnetic resonance imaging and boosted sonodynamic therapy of orthotopic glioma.

The specific diagnosis and treatment of gliomas is a primary challenge in clinic due to their high invasiveness and blood-brain barrier (BBB) obstruction. It is highly desirable to find a multifunctional agent with good BBB penetration for precise theranostics. Herein, we design and construct a core-shell structured nanotheranostic agent (YVO:Nd-HMME@MnO-LF, marked as YHM) with YVO:Nd particles as the core and MnO nanosheets as the shell.

An antioxidant nanodrug protects against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury by attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation.

Liver transplantation is currently recognized as the only effective therapeutic option for end-stage liver disease. Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) remains a major cause of graft damage or dysfunction, and is mediated by the abundant production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a complex cascade of inflammation during the reperfusion period. However, no universal antioxidant has been applied in clinical practice due to its low bioavailability and non-specific targeting.

as an model system for the phenotypic drug discovery for treating paraquat poisoning.

Background: Paraquat (PQ) is an effective and widely used herbicide and causes numerous fatalities by accidental or voluntary ingestion. However, neither the final cytotoxic mechanism nor effective treatments for PQ poisoning have been discovered. Phenotypic drug discovery (PDD), which does not rely on the molecular mechanism of the diseases, is having a renaissance in recent years owing to its potential to address the incompletely understood complexity of diseases.

Correction: Rapidly clearable MnCoO@PAA as novel nanotheranostic agents for T/T bimodal MRI imaging-guided photothermal therapy.

Correction for 'Rapidly clearable MnCoO@PAA as novel nanotheranostic agents for T/T bimodal MRI imaging-guided photothermal therapy' by Ying Zhao , , 2021, , 16251-16257, DOI: 10.1039/D1NR04067G.

A Tumor Microenvironment-Responsive Theranostic Agent for Synergetic Therapy of Disulfiram-Based Chemotherapy and Chemodynamic Therapy.

Despite the fact that chemotherapy has been widely used in the clinical treatment of breast cancer, the toxicity of chemotherapeutics to normal tissues cannot be ignored due to the low specificity. Therefore, due to the non-negligible toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents to normal tissues, tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive cancer therapy has attracted a great deal of attention. Here, we report a TME-responsive theranostic nanoagent MnOx@PAA@HKUST-1-DSF@BSA fabricated via a layer-by-layer synthesis method.

Rapidly clearable MnCoO@PAA as novel nanotheranostic agents for T/T bimodal MRI imaging-guided photothermal therapy.

Integrating multi-modal imaging and therapy functions into a nanoplatform has been recognized as a promising strategy for cancer theranostics with high accuracy and efficiency. However, there are still some challenges, such as the complicated synthesis process and instability. Herein, we successfully prepared clearable MnCoO nanodots modified with polyacrylic acid (MnCoO@PAA) as nanoagents for T/T bimodal MRI imaging-guided PTT.

Boosting Chemodynamic Therapy by the Synergistic Effect of Co-Catalyze and Photothermal Effect Triggered by the Second Near-Infrared Light.

In spite of the tumor microenvironments responsive cancer therapy based on Fenton reaction (i.e., chemodynamic therapy, CDT) has been attracted more attentions in recent years, the limited Fenton reaction efficiency is the important obstacle to further application in clinic.

Carambola-like BiTe superstructures with enhanced photoabsorption for highly efficient photothermal therapy in the second near-infrared biowindow.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) stimulated by light in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) biowindow shows great superiorities in the penetration ability of tissue and maximum permissible exposure (MPE). Exploring new photothermal agents with good optical absorbance in the NIR-II region is highly desirable for efficient cancer therapy. Herein, we successfully prepare carambola-like bismuth telluride (BiTe) superstructures modified with PEGylated phospholipid (BiTe@PEG) for CT imaging-guided PTT in the NIR-II biowindow.

A Tumor Microenvironment Responsive Nanotheranostics Agent for Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Synergistic Photodynamic Therapy/Photothermal Therapy of Liver Cancer.

Surgery is the main treatment for liver cancer in clinic owing to its low sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but this results in high mortality, recurrence, and metastasis rates. It is a feasible strategy to construct tumor microenvironments activated by nanotheranostics agents for the diagnosis and therapy of liver cancer. This study reports on a nanotheranostic agent (MONs@PDA-ICG) with manganese oxide nanoflowers (MONs) as core and polydopamine (PDA) as shell loading, with ICG as a photosensitizer and photothermal agent.

High Melting Point of Linear, Spiral Polyethylene Nanofibers and Polyethylene Microspheres Obtained Through Confined Polymerization by a PPM-Supported Ziegler-Natta Catalyst.

In this work, different types of polyethylene (linear, spiral nanofibers and microspheres) were obtained via confined polymerization by a PPM-supported Ziegler-Natta catalyst. Firstly, the Ziegler-Natta catalyst was chemical bonded inside the porous polymer microspheres (PPMs) supports with different pore diameter and supports size through chemical reaction. Then slightly and highly confined polymerization occurred in the PPM-supported Ziegler-Natta catalysts.

Hierarchically micro-mesoporous β-cyclodextrin polymers used for ultrafast removal of micropollutants from water.

Persistent organic pollutants, including plasticizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupters, have posed a serious threat to water safety and human health. Addressing this problem calls out new materials of purifying water with high efficiency. Here, a series of cross-linked β-cyclodextrin polymers (β-CDPs) with hierarchically micro-mesoporous structure and high surface area were first synthesized by introducing polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) and used for adsorptive removal of organic micropollutants from water.

Anomalous Dynamics of Water in Polyamide Matrix.

Water in polymer matrixes is likely to show anomalous dynamics, a problem that has not been well understood yet. Here, we performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to study the water dynamics in a polyamide (PA) matrix, the bulk phase of well-known reverse osmosis membranes. For time-dependent ensemble average, water molecules experienced ballistic diffusion at a shorter time scale, followed by a crossover from subdiffusion to Brownian diffusion at a time scale ∼10 ns, and non-Gaussian diffusion, an indication of anomalous dynamics, sticks on even in the Brownian diffusion region.

Vertical Step-Growth Polymerization Driven by Electrochemical Stimuli from an Electrode.

We present herein the vertical step-growth polymerization of a monomer A-B through individual A-A or B-B coupling driven by electrochemical switching of positive and negative bias on a self-assembled A or B electrode. The monomer Ru (bda)AB (bda=2,2'-bipyridine-6,6'-dicarboxylate), in which A and B are pyridine moieties with pendant carbazolyl and vinyl groups, could be dimerized at oxidative (ca. 1.

Predictive models for tyrosinase inhibitors: Challenges from heterogeneous activity data determined by different experimental protocols.

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) models of tyrosinase inhibitors were built using Random Forest (RF) algorithm and evaluated by the out-of-bag estimation (R) and 10-fold cross validation (Q). We found that the performances of QSAR models were closely correlated with the systematic errors of inhibitory activities of tyrosinase inhibitors arising from the different measuring protocols. By defining ERR, outliers with larger errors can be efficiently identified and removed from heterogeneous activity data.

Understanding the inhibitory mechanism of tea polyphenols against tyrosinase using fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, oximetry, and molecular simulations.

Inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase is a very effective and safe way to prevent enzymatic browning in food and to resist pests in agriculture. Tea polyphenols (TPs), regarded as safe and non-toxic food additives, have been reported due to their potential inhibitory capability against tyrosinase, but their ambiguous inhibitory mechanisms have severely limited their application. In the present work, fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV), oximetry and molecular simulation approaches were employed to shed light on the underlying inhibitory mechanisms of TPs with different structures including (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) against tyrosinase.