A biocompatible photosensitizer with a high intersystem crossing efficiency for precise two-photon photodynamic therapy

A biocompatible organic room-temperature phosphorescence photosensitizer that can be excited using two-photon near-infrared light is developed for photodynamic therapy to achieve improved oxygen species generation and tissue penetration.

BIX-01294 enhances the effect of chemotherapy on colorectal cancer by inhibiting the expression of stemness genes

A mitochondrion-targeting two-photon photosensitizer with aggregation-induced emission characteristics for hypoxia-tolerant photodynamic therapy

A biocompatible ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe for intracellular hydrogen sulfide accurate detection based on rare earth nanoparticle

Self-powered triboelectric nanogenerator driven nanowires electrode array system for the urine sterilization

Deep-Brain Three-Photon Imaging Enabled by Aggregation-Induced Emission Luminogens with Near-Infrared-III Excitation

Synthetic Conjugated Oligoelectrolytes Are Effective siRNA Transfection Carriers: Relevance to Pancreatic Cancer Gene Therapy

Fabry-Perot Interferometer Based on a Fiber-Tip Fixed-Supported Bridge for Fast Glucose Concentration Measurement

Blood glucose concentration is important for metabolic homeostasis in humans and animals. Many diabetic patients need to detect blood glucose daily which burdens community hospitals and family healthcare. Optical fiber sensors are widely used in biomedical detection because of their compact structure, fast response, high sensitivity, low cost, and ease of operation. In this work, we constructed a Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity biosensor for the fast detection of glucose concentration in serum. The femtosecond laser micromachining was applied to fabricate the FP cavity by printing the fiber-tip fixed-supported bridge at the end face of the optical fiber. An additional hemisphere was printed at the center of the outer surface of the bridge to avoid multi-beam interference. The results demonstrated that the proposed biosensor had high refractive index (RI) detection sensitivity, roughly 1039 nm/RIU at a wavelength of 1590 nm, and the detection sensitivity for glucose was around 0.185 nm/ (mg/mL) at a wavelength of 1590 nm. Due to its high sensitivity, compact structure, and fast response, the FP cavity biosensor has great potential to be applied in family healthcare for glucose concentration detection of diabetic patients.

CuS@BSA-NB2 Nanoparticles for HER2-Targeted Photothermal Therapy

Breast cancer is characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of breast epithelial cells under the action of a variety of carcinogens. Although HER2-inhibitors were currently applied for HER2-positive breast cancer patients, they didn’t work for patients with resistance to HER2-targeted anti-cancer drugs. In this work, we prepared novel CuS@BSA-NB2 nanoparticles (NPs) for breast cancer photothermal therapy (PTT). The NPs had good biocompatibility due to the Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) encapsulating and excellent targeting to HER2 because of nanobody 2 (NB2). Under 808 nm laser irradiation, CuS@BSA-NB2 NPs had high photothermal conversion efficiency and photothermal stability. Meanwhile, we constructed a stable cell line of MDA-MB-231/HER2 with a high expression of HER2 protein. Immunofluorescence and ICP-MS assays showed that CuS@BSA-NB2 NPs can be specifically enriched and be ingested in MDA-MB-231/HER2 cells. Furthermore, CuS@BSA-NB2 NPs had shown a more significant photothermal treatment effect than CuS@BSA under certain treatment conditions for MDA-MB-231/HER2. In addition, the cytotoxicity assay demonstrated that CuS@BSA-NB2 NPs had a low toxicity for MDA-MB-231/HER2 cells. The above results suggested that CuS@BSA-NB2 NPs were great photothermal therapeutic agents to reduce the malignant proliferation of breast epithelial cells and have potential for breast cancer therapy.

NIR-II-activated biocompatible hollow nanocarbons for cancer photothermal therapy

AbstractPhotothermal therapy has attracted extensive attentions in cancer treatment due to its precise spatial-temporal controllability, minimal invasiveness, and negligible side effects. However, two major deficiencies, unsatisfactory heat conversion efficiency and limited tissue penetration depth, hugely impeded its clinical application. In this work, hollow carbon nanosphere modified with polyethylene glycol-graft-polyethylenimine (HPP) was elaborately synthesized. The synthesized HPP owns outstanding physical properties as a photothermal agent, such as uniform core-shell structure, good biocompatibility and excellent heat conversion efficiency. Upon NIR-II laser irradiation, the intracellular HPP shows excellent photothermal activity towards cancer cell killing. In addition, depending on the large internal cavity of HPP, the extended biomedical application as drug carrier was also demonstrated. In general, the synthesized HPP holds a great potential in NIR-II laser-activated cancer photothermal therapy.

Recent advances of luminogens with aggregation-induced emission in multi-photon theranostics

Bioengineering applications of black phosphorus and their toxicity assessment

An overall structure of this review.

Carbon Dioxide-Derived Biodegradable and Cationic Polycarbonates as a New siRNA Carrier for Gene Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy associated with poor prognosis and a high tendency in developing infiltration and metastasis. K-ras mutation is a major genetic disorder in pancreatic cancer patient. RNAi-based therapies can be employed for combating pancreatic cancer by silencing K-ras gene expression. However, the clinical application of RNAi technology is appreciably limited by the lack of a proper siRNA delivery system. To tackle this hurdle, cationic poly (cyclohexene carbonate) s (CPCHCs) using widely sourced CO2 as the monomer are subtly synthesized via ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP) and thiol-ene functionalization. The developed CPCHCs could effectively encapsulate therapeutic siRNA to form CPCHC/siRNA nanoplexes (NPs). Serving as a siRNA carrier, CPCHC possesses biodegradability, negligible cytotoxicity, and high transfection efficiency. In vitro study shows that CPCHCs are capable of effectively protecting siRNA from being degraded by RNase and promoting a sustained endosomal escape of siRNA. After treatment with CPCHC/siRNA NPs, the K-ras gene expression in both pancreatic cancer cell line (PANC-1 and MiaPaCa-2) are significantly down-regulated. Subsequently, the cell growth and migration are considerably inhibited, and the treated cells are induced into cell apoptotic program. These results demonstrate the promising potential of CPCHC-mediated siRNA therapies in pancreatic cancer treatment.

High-Spatial-Resolution High-Temperature Sensor Based on Ultra-Short Fiber Bragg Gratings with Dual-Wavelength Differential Detection

Dual-Polarization Distributed Feedback Fiber Laser Sensor Based on Femtosecond Laser-Inscribed In-Fiber Stressors for Simultaneous Strain and Temperature Measurements

Gold Nanorod Assisted Enhanced Plasmonic Detection Scheme of COVID‐19 SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike Protein

Binary Organic Nanoparticles with Bright Aggregation-Induced Emission for Three-Photon Brain Vascular Imaging

Recent advances in solar-driven evaporation systems

Solar-driven evaporation as a promising and sustainable approach to convert solar energy into freshwater resource is attracting huge interest in the research community. This review aims to summarize the recent advances in system designs of solar-driven evaporation devices.

<p>In vivo Comparison of the Biodistribution and Toxicity of InP/ZnS Quantum Dots with Different Surface Modifications</p>

Systematic evaluation of CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots toxicity on the reproduction and offspring health in male BALB/c mice

Abstract Background: Increased applications of quantum dots (QDs) in biomedical field have aroused attention for their potential toxicological effects. Although many studies have been carried out on the toxicity of QDs, their effects on reproductive and development are still unclear. In this study, we systematically evaluated the male reproductive toxicity and developmental toxicity of CdSe/ZnS QDs in BALB/c mice.Results: The male mice were injected intravenously with CdSe/ZnS QDs at the dosage of 2.5 mg/kg BW or 25 mg/kg BW, respectively, and the survival status, biodistribution of QDs in testes, serum sex hormone levels, histopathology, sperm motility and acrosome integrity was measured on Day 1, 7, 14, 28 and 42 after injection. On Day 35 after treatment, male mice were housed with non-exposed female mice, and then offspring number, body weight, organ index and histopathology of major organs, blood routine and biochemical tests of offspring were measured to evaluate the fertility and offspring health. The results showed that CdSe/ZnS QDs could rapidly distribute in the testis, and the fluorescence of QDs could still be detected on Day 42 post-injection. QDs had no adverse effect on the structure of testis and epididymis, but high-dose QDs could induce apoptosis of Leydig cells in testis at an early stage. No significant differences in survival of state, body weight organ index of testis and epididymis, sex hormones levels, sperm quality, sperm acrosome integrity and fertility of male mice were observed in QDs exposed groups. However, the development of offspring was obviously influenced, which was mainly manifested in the slow growth of offspring, changes of organ index of main organs, and the abnormality of liver and kidney function parameters.Conclusion: Our findings revealed that CdSe/ZnS QDs were able to cross the blood-testis barrier (BTB), produce no discernible toxic effects on the male reproductive system, but could affect the healthy growth of future generations to some extent. In view of the broad application prospect of QDs in biomedical fields, our findings might provide insight into the biological safety evaluation of the reproductive health of QDs.

Biodistribution and acute toxicity of cadmium-free quantum dots with different surface functional groups in mice following intratracheal inhalation

Nephrotoxicity Evaluation of Indium Phosphide Quantum Dots with Different Surface Modifications in BALB/c Mice

InP QDs have shown a great potential as cadmium-free QDs alternatives in biomedical applications. It is essential to understand the biological fate and toxicity of InP QDs. In this study, we investigated the in vivo renal toxicity of InP/ZnS QDs terminated with different functional groups—hydroxyl (hQDs), amino (aQDs) and carboxyl (cQDs). After a single intravenous injection into BALB/c mice, blood biochemistry, QDs distribution, histopathology, inflammatory response, oxidative stress and apoptosis genes were evaluated at different predetermined times. The results showed fluorescent signals from QDs could be detected in kidneys during the observation period. No obvious changes were observed in histopathological detection or biochemistry parameters. Inflammatory response and oxidative stress were found in the renal tissues of mice exposed to the three kinds of QDs. A significant increase of KIM-1 expression was observed in hQDs and aQDs groups, suggesting hQDs and aQDs could cause renal involvement. Apoptosis-related genes (Bax, Caspase 3, 7 and 9) were up-regulated in hQDs and aQDs groups. The above results suggested InP/ZnS QDs with different surface chemical properties would cause different biological behaviors and molecular actions in vivo. The surface chemical properties of QDs should be fully considered in the design of InP/ZnS QDs for biomedical applications.

Simultaneous Measurement of Strain and Temperature by a Sawtooth Stressor-Assisted Highly Birefringent Fiber Bragg Grating

Rotating magnetic field delays human umbilical vein endothelial cell aging and prolongs the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans

Recent advances in copper sulphide-based nanoheterostructures

This tutorial summarizes and integrates recent advances in design and synthesis of copper sulfide-based nanoheterostructures and their applications in energy and healthcare.

The Ultrasmall Biocompatible CuS@BSA Nanoparticle and Its Photothermal Effects

Evaluation for adverse effects of InP/ZnS quantum dots on the in vitro cultured oocytes of mice

Prognostic Significance of FOXC1 in Various Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Symmetric Step-Apodized Distributed Feedback Fiber Laser With Improved Efficiency

The Codelivery of siRNA and QDs by pH-Responsive Micelle for Hepatoma Cancer Cells

Nanowire-array-based gene electro-transfection system driven by human-motion operated triboelectric nanogenerator

Biomimetic Self-Renewal Polymer Brushes with Protein Resistance Inspired by Fish Skin

In vivo comparison of the biodistribution and toxicity of InP/ZnS quantum dots with different surface functional groups

Abstract Background: Indium phosphide (InP) quantum dots (QDs) have shown a broad application prospect in the fields of biophotonics and nanomedicine. However, the potential toxicity of InP QDs has not been systematically evaluated. In particular, the effects of different surface modifications on the biodistribution and toxicity of InP QDs is still unknown, which hinders their further developments. The present study aims to investigate the biodistribution and in vivo toxicity of three types of InP/ZnS QDs with different surface modifications, hQDs (QDs-OH), aQDs (QDs-NH2), and cQDs (QDs-COOH) respectively. These InP/ZnS QDs with 2.5 mg/kg BW or 25 mg/kg BW were intravenously injected into BALB/c mice. Biodistribution of three QDs was determined through cryosection fluorescence microscopy and ICP-MS analysis. The subsequent effects of InP/ZnS QDs on histopathology, hematology and blood biochemistry were evaluated at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days post-injection.Results: The results showed these types of InP/ZnS QDs QDs were rapidly distributed in the major organs of mice, mainly in the liver and spleen, and lasted for 28 days. No abnormal behavior, weight change or organ index were observed during the whole observation period, except that 2 mice died on Day 1 after 25 mg/kg BW hQDs treatment. The results of H&E staining showed that no obvious histopathological abnormalities were observed in the main organs (including heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, and brain ) of all mice injected with different surface functionalized QDs. Low concentration exposure of three QDs hardly caused obvious toxicity, while high concentration exposure of the three QDs could cause some changes in hematological parameters or biochemical parameters related to liver function or cardiac function. More attention need to be paid on cQDs as high dose exposure of cQDs induced death, acute inflammatory reaction and slight changes in liver function in mice.Conclusions: Generally speaking, the surface modification and exposure dose can influence the biological behavior and in vivo toxicity of QDs. The surface chemistry should be fully considered in the design of InP-based QDs for their biomedical applications. Keywords: InP/ZnS quantum dots, surface chemistry, in vivo, biodistribution, nanotoxicology

Black phosphorus nanosheets for rapid microRNA detection

Herein, for the first time, a sensitive sensing platform for rapid detection of microRNA was developed by employing black phosphorus nanosheets as the fluorescence quenching material.

Beat frequency tuning in dual-polarization distributed feedback fiber laser using side polishing technique

Cytotoxicity of InP/ZnS Quantum Dots With Different Surface Functional Groups Toward Two Lung-Derived Cell Lines

Biodegradable nanoparticles as siRNA carriers for in vivo gene silencing and pancreatic cancer therapy

Biodegradable charged polyester-based vectors (BCPVs) were utilized for efficiently delivering mutatedK-Ras-targeting siRNA and successfully inhibiting tumor growth in a pancreatic xenograft modelin vivo.

Quantum Dots-siRNA Nanoplexes for Gene Silencing in Central Nervous System Tumor Cells

The biocompatibility studies of polymer dots on pregnant mice and fetuses

Precise Two‐Photon Photodynamic Therapy using an Efficient Photosensitizer with Aggregation‐Induced Emission Characteristics

Sensitivity Enhancement of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides/Silicon Nanostructure-based Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor

Small Photoblinking Semiconductor Polymer Dots for Fluorescence Nanoscopy

Disposable poly (o-aminophenol)-carbon nanotubes modified screen print electrode-based enzyme sensor for electrochemical detection of marine toxin okadaic acid

The Reproductive Toxicity of CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots on the in vivo Ovarian Function and in vitro Fertilization

New Generation Cadmium-Free Quantum Dots for Biophotonics and Nanomedicine

A conjugate of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 and toll-like receptor 7 agonist prevents the growth and metastasis of testis embryonic carcinoma

In vivo toxicity assessment of non-cadmium quantum dots in BALB/c mice

Three dimensional multi-molecule tracking in thick samples with extended depth-of-field

Folic acid-conjugated organically modified silica nanoparticles for enhanced targeted delivery in cancer cells and tumor in vivo

Folic acid-conjugated fluorescent silica nanoparticles with biocompatibility and high-selectivity show great potential forin vivotumor imaging.

Analysis of Pirlimycin Residues in Beef Muscle, Milk, and Honey by a Biotin–Streptavidin-Amplified Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

The application of quantum dots for the melanoma tumor in vivo imaging

The effect of polymer dots on bioactivity of mouse sperm in vitro

The toxicity and invasive effects of QDs on mung bean development

Cytotoxicity and immune response of CdSe/ZnS Quantum dots towards a murine macrophage cell line

Theranostic quantum dots for crossing blood–brain barrier in vitro and providing therapy of HIV-associated encephalopathy

Biodegradable Nanocapsules as siRNA Carriers for Mutant K-Ras Gene Silencing of Human Pancreatic Carcinoma Cells

Approach to multiparticle parallel tracking in thick samples with three-dimensional nanoresolution

Early Growth Response Protein-1 Promoter-Mediated Synergistic Antitumor Effect of hTERTC27 Gene Therapy and 5-Flurorouracil on Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

WITHDRAWN: Synthesis and Characterization of Anticancer Drug and Antibody conjugated Quantum Dots as A Novel Theranostic Probe for Pancreatic Cancer Detection and Therapy

Engineering arginine cross-linked mercaptoundecanoic acid CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots for two-photon imaging of live cancer cells

FGF2-Labeled Semiconductor Nanocrystals as Luminescent Biolabels for Imaging Neuroblastoma Cells

Enhancing the Delivery of Anti Retroviral Drug “Saquinavir” Across the Blood Brain Barrier Using Nanoparticles