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Given that the transition from ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive breast cancer (BC) is crucial during the BC progression, the mechanism involved in the invasion transition behind triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) subtype has remained elusive. This article detected distinct invasion patterns of BC cells between the ER-positive and TNBC using intraductal murine models with intraductal administration of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs). First, the feasibility of the utility of CNPs as a tracer was proved. The area ratio of CNPs and tumor cells invading the stroma at the late stage was found significantly higher than that in the early stage in MNU-induced ER-positive BC. However, opposite results were obtained in the triple-negative model. Consequently, we proposed that the ER-positive phenotype cells behave differently between different stages during tumor progression while there is no such difference in the invasion process of TNBC cells. The analysis regarding the duct integrity along with immunohistochemical characteristics further explained the distinct invasion features between the ER-positive and triple-negative subtypes. Last, the relationship between the duct thickness and the duct integrity suggested that ER-positive tumors gradually increased in size within the lumen before the invasion. Overall, this study suggested the different invasion characteristics of ER-positive BC and TNBC in vivo., (© 2023 UICC.)

With its insidious onset and atypical early symptoms, hepatic carcinoma is one of the most common and malignant tumors in the world. Therefore, it is necessary to actively pursue efficient diagnostic and treatment modalities for this malignancy. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a non-invasive treatment technique that can generate high temperatures locally to induce tumor cell death, but its effectiveness is limited by the tissue-penetration depth of infrared light. Enzyme-catalyzed therapy promotes the production of toxic hydroxyl groups (˙OH) from hydrogen peroxide in tumor cells in situ , but its efficacy is also affected by the catalytic efficiency of ˙OH. Thus, given the complexity of tumors, multimodal therapy is critical for cancer treatment. Herein, we report a novel biomimetic nanoparticle (NP) platform (ZnMnFe 2 O 4 -PEG-FA) that enables combined PTT and nanozyme-catalyzed therapy. Due to the excellent photothermal effect of ZnMnFe 2 O 4 -PEG-FA, these NPs can reach an ideal temperature and damage tumor cells under lower near-infrared laser power irradiation, while exhibiting enhanced catalytic ability, largely alleviating the limitations of conventional PTT and catalytic therapy. Hence, the combination of these two treatments can provide significantly greater cytotoxicity. Additionally, ZnMnFe 2 O 4 -PEG-FA NPs have excellent photoacoustic imaging and magnetic resonance imaging capabilities, which enable monitoring and can guide cancer treatment. Therefore, ZnMnFe 2 O 4 -PEG-FA NPs integrate the diagnosis and treatment of tumors. Hence, this study provides a potential model of combined cancer diagnosis and treatment, which could be applied as a multimodal antitumor strategy in clinical settings in the future.

The estrone ligand is used for modifying nanoparticle surfaces to improve their targeting effect on cancer cell lines. However, to date, there is no common agreement on the ideal linker length to be used for the optimum targeting performance. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of poly(poly ethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate) (PPEGMEMA) linker length on the cellular uptake behavior of polymer-coated upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs). Different tri block terpolymers, poly(poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)- block -polymethacrylic acid- block -polyethylene glycol methacrylate phosphate (PPEGMEMA x - b -PMAA y - b -PEGMP 3 : x = 7, 15, 33, and 80; y = 16, 20, 18, and 18), were synthesized with different polymer linker chain lengths between the surface and the targeting ligand by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The estrone ligand was attached to the polymer via specific terminal conjugation. The cellular association of polymer-coated UCNPs with linker chain lengths was evaluated in MCF-7 cells by flow cytometry. Our results showed that the bioactivity of ligand modification is dependent on the length of the polymer linker. The shortest polymer PPEGMEMA 7 - b -PMAA 16 - b -PEGMP 3 with estrone at the end of the polymer chain was found to have the best cellular association behavior in the estrogen receptor (ER)α-positive expression cell line MCF-7. Additionally, the anticancer drug doxorubicin•HCl was encapsulated in the nanocarrier to evaluate the 2D and 3D cytotoxicity. The results showed that estrone modification could efficiently improve the cellular uptake in ERα-positive expression cell lines and in 3D spheroid models.

As one of primary biomarkers of ovarian cancer in early stages, β-galactosidase (β-Gal) is significant in the discovery and diagnosis of the disease. In this work, we constructed a multi-signal sensing platform based on silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) for β-Gal activity determination. When β-Gal was introduced to the sensing system, 2-Nitrophenyl β-D-galactopyranoside (ONPG) could be converted to o-Nitrophenol (o-NP), which had a characteristic absorption peak at 416 nm and the colorless solution turned yellow. The fluorescence emission of Si NPs at 450 nm can be greatly quenched by o-NP as a consequence of inner filter effect (IFE). This dual-signal fluorometric and colorimetric determination approach could be utilized to detect β-Gal in the range of 2-120 U/L and 6-120 U/L. The limits of detection were 1.36 U/L and 1.07 U/L, respectively. This sensing platform could be successfully utilized to detect β-Gal in real samples. Additionally, a visual detection method was designed to achieve quantitative analysis of β-Gal with the assistance of the smartphone., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cryopreservation of tissue cells is an important method to maintain cell viability and cellular function. However, cell viability and function are less than ideal by conventional cell cryopreservation methods, which may result in apoptosis and necrosis of cells in cryopreservation. Trehalose plays a role in maintaining cell structure and protecting cells from stress. However, owing to the difficulty in transport of trehalose across the cell membrane, its antifreeze effect is limited. A large amount of trehalose (up to 237 ± 8.5 mM) can be delivered to smooth muscle cells incubated in a medium containing trehalose and apatite nanomaterials at 37 °C for 6 h. Our data showed that trehalose was efficiently delivered intracellularly with the aid of nanoparticles (NP), with a loading efficiency up to 137.3 ± 34.5%, thus allowing for cryopreservation of LMC with nontoxic sugar as the sole cryoprotectant. Colloidal bioelastic apatite NP were used as bioactive promoters for the cryopreservation of tissue cells with trehalose. The addition of apatite NP in the medium substantially increased aortic smooth muscle cell cryosurvival, up to 83.6% (30% improvement over control without NP), a level comparable to that associated with the traditional Me 2 SO cryoprotective regimen. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of nanocapsules in the intracellular delivery of trehalose was negligible. This method provides a new option to enhance the activity of valvular cells for cryopreservation., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, multimodal imaging nanoprobes with high resolution and high sensitivity capabilities have attracted considerable interest because they could offer complementary diagnostic information that would lead to a more precise diagnosis. Herein, the facile fabrication of Gd-doping magnetic nanoparticles conjugated with the PEGylated fluorescence probe Cy5.5 and the tumor-penetrating peptide RGERPPR (R) has been demonstrated for tri-modality targeted T 1 and T₂-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) and the near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging of hepatocarcinoma-bearing mice. The obtained R-GdMFs nanoparticles with a rational design are water-dispersible, have long-term stability, and have controllable magnetic delivery and excellent biocompatibility with no impact on the cell and major organ functions, as was confirmed by MTT and LDH assay, ROS measurements and H&E staining. Relaxivity measurements show a better T 1 relaxivity ( r 1 ) of 16.49 mM -1 s -1 and a T₂ relaxivity ( r ₂) of 141.98 mM -1 s -1 by mutual enhancement, which realized enhanced T 1 and T₂-weighted in vitro MR imaging, which accumulated in the tumor region due to the mediation of the tumor-penetrating peptide. Meanwhile, the in vivo NIR fluorescence imaging results also revealed that the R-GdMFs could be significantly targeting the tumor tissue with bright NIR fluorescence imaging, which would lead to a more precise diagnosis. These findings indicated that as-synthesized R-GdMFs nanoparticles could be used as a platform for synergistically enhanced T in vivo MR imaging, which accumulated in the tumor region due to the mediation of the tumor-penetrating peptide. Meanwhile, the in vivo NIR fluorescence imaging results also revealed that the R-GdMFs could be significantly targeting the tumor tissue with bright NIR fluorescence imaging, which would lead to a more precise diagnosis. These findings indicated that as-synthesized R-GdMFs nanoparticles could be used as a platform for synergistically enhanced T 1 and T₂-weighted MR/NIR fluorescence multimodality imaging in various biomedical systems.

A new detection format for multiplexed analysis based on fluorescent encoded magnetic composite nanoparticles is presented. Two kinds of virus were analyzed by this new method: equine influenza virus (EIV) and equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). Firstly, EIV antigen and EIAV antigen were conjugated to two kinds of fluorescent encoded magnetic composite nanoparticles, while the green-emitting CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were attached to the antibody of EIV and EIAV. Then both green-emitting CdTe QD-labeled antibodies and antigens labeled with fluorescent encoded magnetic composite nanoparticles were used to form an immunoassay system for the detection of EIV and EIAV antigens. The method is time-saving and has higher sensitivity (1.3 ng mL(-1) for EIV antigens and 1.2 ng mL(-1) for EIAV antigens) than the conventional methods. A competitive immunoassay method based on this analysis system was used to detect EIV and EIAV antigens in spiked serum samples with satisfactory results.

A novel, highly sensitive technology for the detection, enrichment, and separation of trace amounts of target DNA was developed on the basis of amino-modified fluorescent magnetic composite nanoparticles (AFMN). In this study, the positively charged amino-modified composite nanoparticles conjugate with the negatively charged capture DNA through electrostatic binding. The optimal combination of AFMN and capture DNA was measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The highly sensitive detection of trace amounts of target DNA was achieved through enrichment by means of AFMN. The detection limit for target DNA is 0.4 pM, which could be further improved by using a more powerful magnet. Because of their different melting temperatures, single-base mismatched target DNA could be separated from perfectly complementary target DNA. In addition, the photoluminescence (PL) signals of perfectly complementary target DNA and single-base mismatched DNA as well as the hybridization kinetics of different concentrations of target DNA at different reaction times have also been studied. Most importantly, the detection, enrichment, and separation ability of AFMN was further verified with milk. Simple and satisfactory results were obtained, which show the great potential in the fields of mutation identification and clinical diagnosis.

Materials with tunable emission colors has attracted increasing interest in both fundamental research and applications. As a key member of light‐emitting materials family, lanthanide doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have been intensively demonstrated to emit light in any color upon near‐infrared excitation. However, realizing the trichromatic emission in UCNPs with a fixed composition remains a great challenge. Here, without excitation pulsed modulation and three different near‐infrared pumping, we report an experimental design to fine‐control emission in the full color gamut from core–shell‐structured UCNPs by manipulating the energy migration through dual‐channel pump scheme. We also demonstrate their potential application in full‐color display. These findings may benefit the future development of convenient and versatile optical methos for multicolor tuning and open up the possibility of constructing full‐color volumetric display systems with high spatiotemporal resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, contrast agents have been widely used in imaging technology to improve quality. Nanoparticles have better in vivo detection capability than conventional molecular scale contrast agents. In this study, a new type of Au nanocages@PEG nanoparticles (AuNC@PEGs) with a strong X-ray absorption coefficient was synthesized as a contrast agent for computed tomography (CT) scan imaging. Results showed that AuNC@PEGs had good aqueous dispensation, low cytotoxicity, and strong X-ray absorption ability. Furthermore, in vivo studies have shown that the synthesized AuNC@PEGs have an evident contrast enhancement, long circulation time in the blood, and negligible toxicity in vivo. Therefore, the synthesized functionalized AuNC@PEGs in this study have great potential for clinical application in CT scan imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel magnetic fluorescent encoded nanoimmunoassay system for multicomponent detection and separation of the subtrace pathogenic DNA (hepatitis B virus surface gene, HBV; hepatitis A virus poly the protein gene, HAV) was established based on new type of magnetic fluorescent encoded nanoparticles and sandwich immunoassay principle. This method combines multifunctional nanoparticles, immunoassay technique, fluorescence labeling, and magnetic separation of multicomponent technology. It has many advantages such as high sensitivity, low detection limit, easy operation, and great potential for development. The results of this work show that, based on nanoimmunoassay system, it could quantitatively detect the multicomponent trace pathogenic HAV and HBV DNA, as well as detection limit up to 0.1 pM and 0.12 pM. Furthermore, with the improvement of the performances of magnetic fluorescent encoded nanoparticles, the sensitivity will be further improved. In this experiment, a new nanoimmunoassay system based on magnetic fluorescent encoded nanoparticles was established, which will provide a new way for the immunoassay and separation of multicomponent biomolecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel multielement Au/La-SrTiO3 microspheres were synthesized by a solvothermal method using monodisperse gold and La-SrTiO3 nanocrystals as building blocks. The porous Au/La-SrTiO3 microspheres had a large surface area of 94.6 m2 g−1. The stable confined Au nanoparticles demonstrated strong surface plasmon resonance effect, leading to enhanced absorption in a broad UV/Vis/NIR range. Doping of rare-earth metal La also broadened the absorption band to the visible region. Both the conduction and valence bands of Au/La-SrTiO3 microspheres thus show favorable potential for proton reduction under visible light. The superimposed effect of Au nanoparticles and La doping in Au/La-SrTiO3 microspheres led to high photocurrent density in photoelectrochemical water splitting and good photocatalytic activity in photodegradation of rhodamine B. The photocatalytic activities are in the order of the following: Au/La-SrTiO3 microspheres>Au/SrTiO3 microspheres>La-SrTiO3 microspheres>SrTiO3 microspheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Water-soluble mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA)-capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) of two sizes and superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles have been synthesized and used to investigate the effect of the mechanism of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the fluorescence intensity of QDs. In the presence of a low concentration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, the CdTe QDs with smaller particle size exhibit fluorescence quenching while fluorescence enhancement of CdTe QDs with larger particle size was observed, and the fluorescence intensity changes with the excitation wavelength and the concentration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The mechanism study shows that there is a double-effect between the Fe3O4 and CdTe QDs: one is the fluorescence quenching effect due to Fe3O4 strong absorption of excitation and emission light, the other is the fluorescence enhancement effect resulting from a localized electromagnetic field caused by the absorption of exciting light. The fluorescence of CdTe QDs with lower concentration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles was determined via the synergy of the double-effect. To our best knowledge, this is the first systematic study on the interaction between Fe3O4 nanoparticles and CdTe QDs, which finds the fluorescence enhancement effect in the presence of low concentration of Fe3O4. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we utilized the instinct peroxidase-like property of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to establish a new fluorometric method for determination of hydrogen peroxide and glucose. In the presence of Fe3O4 MNPs as peroxidase mimetic catalyst, H2O2 was decomposed into radical that could quench the fluorescence of CdTe QDs more efficiently and rapidly. Then the oxidization of glucose by glucose oxidase was coupled with the fluorescence quenching of CdTe QDs by H2O2 producer with Fe3O4 MNPs catalyst, which can be used to detect glucose. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a linear correlation was established between fluorescence intensity ratio I 0/I and concentration of H2O2 from 1.8×10−7 to 9×10−4 mol/L with a detection limit of 1.8×10−8 mol/L. And a linear correlation was established between fluorescence intensity ratio I 0/I and concentration of glucose from 1.6×10−6 to 1.6×10−4 mol/L with a detection limit of 1.0×10−6 mol/L. The proposed method was applied to the determination of glucose in human serum samples with satisfactory results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Novel composite photocatalysts comprising ZnIn 2 S 4 and graphitic carbon nitride (ZnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4) in various ratios were prepared by solvothermal method controlled growth. The resulted composite photocatalysts of ZnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 were carefully identified, with their photocatalytic behavior analyzed through probing with colorless antibiotic metronidazole. The ZnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 photocatalysts show greater photocatalytic performance obviously under exposure to the radiation of visible light. Upon combination with g-C 3 N 4 , the photostability of ZnIn 2 S 4 nanoparticles are substantially enhanced even in a non-sacrificial system. The as-prepared ZnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 composites exhibit excellent behavior photocatalytically and the interactivity between ZnIn 2 S 4 and g-C 3 N 4 is to credit for the improvement of the separating photogenerated holes and electrons. Unlabelled Image • The "Cookie-like" ZnIn 2 S 4 nanosheets which cover on the g-C 3 N 4 are fabricated first time. • Metronidazole in solution are photodegraded completely under visible light in a short time. • An effective interfacial charge transfer in the ZnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 photocatalyst is observed. • The mechanism explains the high photocatalytic activity of ZnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4. • The ZnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 shows excellent photocatalytic activity under light and it exhibits superior photocatalytic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review highlights the recent progress of bulk and nanoscale coordination polymer (CP) materials for energy transfer. Artificial light-harvesting materials with efficient energy transfer are practically useful for a variety of applications including photovoltaic, white emitting devices, and sensors. In the past decades CP (aka Metal-organic framework, MOF) has experienced rapid development due to a multitude of applications, including catalyst, gas storage and separations, non-linear optics, luminescence, and so on. Recent research has shown that CP is a very promising light-harvesting platform because the energy transfers can occur between different ligands, from ligand to metal centers, or from MOF skeleton to guest species. This review comprehensively surveyed synthetic approaches to light-harvesting CPs, and post functionalization. Sensing applications and achievements in energy-transfer CP nanoparticles and thin films were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents the synthesis of aqueous CdTe QDs embedded silica nanoparticles by reverse microemulsion method and their applications as fluorescence probes in bioassay and cell imaging. With the aim of embedding more CdTe QDs in silica spheres, we use poly(dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride) to balance the electrostatic repulsion between CdTe QDs and silica intermediates. By modifying the surface of CdTe/SiO2 composite nanoparticles with amino and methylphosphonate groups, biologically functionalized and monodisperse CdTe/SiO2 composite nanoparticles can be obtained. In this work, CdTe/SiO2 composite nanoparticles are conjugated with biotin-labeled mouse IgG via covalent binding. The biotin-labeled mouse IgG on the CdTe/SiO2 composite nanoparticles surface can recognize FITC-labeled avidin and avidin on the surface of polystyrene microspheres by protein–protein binding. Finally, the CdTe/SiO2 composite nanoparticles with secondary antibody are used to label the MG63 osteosarcoma cell with primary antibody successfully, which demonstrates that the application of CdTe/SiO2 composite nanoparticles as fluorescent probes in bioassay and fluorescence imaging is feasible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]