Search

Despite the great success achieved by recently developed neural interfaces, multi‐site monitoring and regulating neural activities with high spatial and temporal selectivity remain a challenge. Here, an implantable, remotely controllable, fiber‐based ferromagnetic system permitting 3D navigation, omnidirectional steering, multiplexing neural recording, and modulation is presented. A family of fibers is fabricated that allows for the heterogeneous integration of ferromagnetic, optical, microfluidic, electrical, and electrochemical components into the proposed multifunctional neural interface. Coupling with magnetic actuation, it is demonstrated that this system can enable optical and chemical modulation of local neural activities across multiple distant regions in rodent brains, while simultaneously allowing the real‐time monitoring of neural electrophysiological and chemical activities. Furthermore, to systematically identify altered patterns of behaviors, brain activities and dopamine release during optogenetic modulation of specific nuclei in Parkinsonian animals this platform is employed. This proposed system with high spatial selectivity, multiplexing sensing and multimodal manipulating capabilities offers a versatile platform to advance both fundamental neuroscience studies and translational applications in neurologic disease treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tagging, tracking, or validation of products are often facilitated by inkjet‐printed optical information labels. However, this requires thorough substrate pretreatment, ink optimization, and often lacks in printing precision/resolution. Herein, a printing method based on laser‐driven deposition of solid polymer ink that allows for printing on various substrates without pretreatment is demonstrated. Since the deposition process has a precision of <1 µm, it can introduce the concept of sub‐positions with overlapping spots. This enables high‐resolution fluorescent labels with comparable spot‐to‐spot distance of down to 15 µm (444,444 spots cm−2) and rapid machine learning‐supported readout based on low‐resolution fluorescence imaging. Furthermore, the defined thickness of the printed polymer ink spots can be used to fabricate multi‐channel information labels. Additional information can be stored in different fluorescence channels or in a hidden topography channel of the label that is independent of the fluorescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal nanoclusters (NCs) have recently attracted great interest in biomedical applications due to their ultrasmall size, good biocompatibility, and unique molecule‐like physical and chemical properties. Metal NCs can be rationally designed and integrated with various targeting moieties to achieve unique physicochemical properties and functions. For therapeutic applications, these multifunctional surface‐modified NCs can provide distinctive advantages over native metal NCs, such as improved therapeutic effects and reduced side effects. In this review, the design principles of targeting strategies for metal NCs and their composites, including passive and active targeting, and physical and chemical targeting are first discussed. The authors then focus on the recent achievements in the application of metal NCs in targeted therapeutics, including chemotherapy, phototherapy, and radiotherapy. Finally, the authors' perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of developing metal NCs in targeted therapeutics, further paving their way for potential clinical applications are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphdiyne (GDY) is an emerging 2D carbon material that exhibits unusual structures and properties. Therefore, growing heterogeneous materials on the surface of GDY is very attractive to achieve efficient energy utilization. Here, a simple method for the controllable synthesis of ultrathin charge‐transfer complexes (CTs) of nickel with terephthalic acid nanosheets on GDY is reported. This catalyst shows record‐high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity with an overpotential of only 155 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in an alkaline electrolyte. Density functional theory calculations reveals that a strong p–d coupling effect in the GDY–CT interface region enhances the overall electronic activity, resulting in fast reversible redox‐switching with a low electron‐transfer barrier. Experimental characterization confirms that GDY plays a key role in modulating the morphological and electronic structures to accelerate the OER rate. These findings are expected to contribute to the design of more efficient catalysts for the realization of efficient hydrogen energy technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanoparticle emitting short‐wave infrared (SWIR) light has received increased attention in the molecular imaging field due to its deeper tissue penetration, fast imaging, high sensitivity, and resolution. The simultaneously activated SWIR excited directly by an 808 nm laser and T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal are found in one single‐shell nanoparticle NaErF4@NaGdF4 (Er@Gd), which is used as a dual‐modality imaging contrast agent in vivo to accurately determine the position of tumors. The conjugated cypate is then aggregated on the surface of Er@Gd@SiO2‐Cy/bovine serum albumin. With the guidance of dual modality imaging, photothermal therapy is effectively used to ablate tumors in a mouse model. The design of single‐shell nanomaterial activation of SWIR imaging and MRI signals is expected to provide a new strategy for high penetration and spatial resolution cancer theranostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imaging-guided photothermal therapy based on functional nanomaterials has recently received significant attention and the selection of functional materials with optimal imaging and therapy effect is extremely important. In this work, NaDyF4-based nanoparticles with varying size are synthesized by doping with different amounts of lutetium ions. To obtain an optimized material, the influence factor of magnetic resonance, X-ray attenuation, and photothermal properties are discussed in detail. Then, NaDyF4:50%Lu@Prussian blue (PB) nanocomposite is selected as the optimal functional material for T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray computed tomography, and photothermal imaging-guided photothermal therapy of tumor on a small animal model, and the treatment is applied with good results. Studies also suggest that the NaDyF4:50%Lu@PB nanocomposites are biocompatibile. The selection of an optimal material from a multi-perspective study has provided an incentive for the development of an assortment of novel multifunctional materials for early cancer multifunctional diagnosis and imaging-guided photothermal therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal therapy (PTT), a new, noninvasive treatment measure, has recently drawn much attention. However, due to the limited penetration depth of near-infrared (NIR) light, PTT is focused on treating superficial tumors. Improving the depth of the therapeutic effect is a bottleneck for successful PTT. To solve this problem, a new kind of nanoplatform (Nanogel+phenylethynesulfonamide (PES)) is fabricated by using a thermo-responsive polymer shell (poly( N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) to encapsulate 2-PES, an effective heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) inhibitor, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), a widely used photothermal coupling agent. Upon NIR irradiation, PES can be released from the Nanogel+PES when a thermo-responsive phase transition occurs, which could restrain the function of HSP70 and reduces the cells' endurance to heat. In this way, a better therapeutic effect on deeper tissues is achieved with a relatively small rise in temperature. Therefore, with the advantages of the thermo-responsive photothermal effect, coupled with the inhibition of HSP70, and minimal cytotoxicity, the Nanogel+PES appears to be a promising photothermal agent that can improve the depth of the PTT effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synergistic therapy is an accepted method of enhancing the efficacy of cancer therapies. In this study, cypate-conjugated porous NaLuF4 doped with Yb3+, Er3+, and Gd3+ is synthesized and its potential for upconversion luminescence/magnetic resonance dual-modality molecular imaging for guiding oncotherapy is tested. Loading cypate-conjugated upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP-cy) with small interfering RNA gene against heat shock protein 70 (UCNP-cy-siRNA) enhances the cell damage. UCNP-cy-siRNA exhibits remarkable antitumor efficacy in vivo as a result of the synergistic effects of gene silencing and photothermal therapy, with low drug dose and minimal side effects. This result thus provides an explicit strategy for developing next-generation multifunctional nanoplatforms for multimodal imaging-guided synergistic oncotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]