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Cancer immunotherapy and vaccine development have significantly improved the fight against cancers. Despite these advancements, challenges remain, particularly in the clinical delivery of immunomodulatory compounds. The tumor microenvironment (TME), comprising macrophages, fibroblasts, and immune cells, plays a crucial role in immune response modulation. Nanoparticles, engineered to reshape the TME, have shown promising results in enhancing immunotherapy by facilitating targeted delivery and immune modulation. These nanoparticles can suppress fibroblast activation, promote M1 macrophage polarization, aid dendritic cell maturation, and encourage T cell infiltration. Biomimetic nanoparticles further enhance immunotherapy by increasing the internalization of immunomodulatory agents in immune cells such as dendritic cells. Moreover, exosomes, whether naturally secreted by cells in the body or bioengineered, have been explored to regulate the TME and immune-related cells to affect cancer immunotherapy. Stimuli-responsive nanocarriers, activated by pH, redox, and light conditions, exhibit the potential to accelerate immunotherapy. The co-application of nanoparticles with immune checkpoint inhibitors is an emerging strategy to boost anti-tumor immunity. With their ability to induce long-term immunity, nanoarchitectures are promising structures in vaccine development. This review underscores the critical role of nanoparticles in overcoming current challenges and driving the advancement of cancer immunotherapy and TME modification., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer, and has become one of the most lethal malignancies in the world. Although chemotherapy remains a cornerstone of cancer therapy, the number of chemotherapeutic drugs approved for HCC is low, and emerging therapeutics are needed. Melarsoprol (MEL) is an arsenic-containing drug, and has been applied in the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis at the late stage. In this study, the potential of MEL for HCC therapy was investigated for the first time using in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches. A folate-targeted polyethylene glycol-modified amphiphilic cyclodextrin nanoparticle was developed for safe, efficient and specific delivery of MEL. Consequently, the targeted nanoformulation achieved cell-specific uptake, cytotoxicity, apoptosis and migration inhibition in HCC cells. Furthermore, the targeted nanoformulation significantly prolonged the survival of mice with orthotopic tumor, without causing toxic signs. This study indicates the potential of the targeted nanoformulation as an emerging chemotherapy option for treating HCC., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is resistant to current immunotherapy. This poor outcome mainly results from the immunosuppressive characteristics of tumor microenvironment (TME). Accumulating evidence indicates that some chemotherapy agents trigger immunogenic cell death (ICD), providing a promising strategy to remodel the immunosuppressive TME. The role of Plumbagin (PLB, a naphthoquinone compound from Plumbago zeylanica L.) as the ICD inducer for HCC cells was confirmed in this study. Dihydrotanshinone I (DIH, a phenanthraquinone compound of Salvia miltiorrhiza) functioned as the ICD enhancer by generating the reactive oxygen species (ROS). A poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based nanoparticle (NP) was used to co-encapsulate PLB, DIH and NH 4 HCO 3 (a pH sensitive adjuvant). This NP was further coated with the mannose-inserted erythrocyte membrane to produce a nanoformulation. This nanoformulation significantly increased the half-life and tumor targeting of two drugs in orthotopic HCC mice, generating chemo-immunotherapeutic effects for reversal of immunosuppressive TME. Consequently, the biomimetic nanoformulation loaded with low doses of PLB and DIH achieved significantly longer survival of HCC mice, without causing toxic signs. Our study demonstrates a promising strategy for remodeling the immunosuppressive TME of liver cancer., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The long-dreamed-of capability of monitoring the molecular machinery in living systems has not been realized yet, mainly due to the technical limitations of current sensing technologies. However, recently emerging quantum sensors are showing great promise for molecular detection and imaging. One of such sensing qubits is the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, a photoluminescent impurity in a diamond lattice with unique room-temperature optical and spin properties. This atomic-sized quantum emitter has the ability to quantitatively measure nanoscale electromagnetic fields via optical means at ambient conditions. Moreover, the unlimited photostability of NV centers, combined with the excellent diamond biocompatibility and the possibility of diamond nanoparticles internalization into the living cells, makes NV-based sensors one of the most promising and versatile platforms for various life-science applications. In this review, we will summarize the latest developments of NV-based quantum sensing with a focus on biomedical applications, including measurements of magnetic biomaterials, intracellular temperature, localized physiological species, action potentials, and electronic and nuclear spins. We will also outline the main unresolved challenges and provide future perspectives of many promising aspects of NV-based bio-sensing.

Genipin, an aglycone derived from the iridoid glycoside, geniposide, is isolated and characterized from the extract of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruit (family Rubiaceae). It has long been used in traditional oriental medicine for the prevention and treatment of several inflammation driven diseases, including cancer. Genipin has been shown to have hepatoprotective activity acting as a potent antioxidant and inhibitor of mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), and also reported to exert significant anticancer effects. It is an excellent crosslinking agent that helps to make novel sustained or delayed release nanoparticle formulations. In this review, we present the latest developments of genipin as an anticancer agent and briefly describe its diverse mechanism(s) of action. Several lines of evidence suggest that genipin is a potent inhibitor of UCP2, which functions as a tumor promoter in a variety of cancers, attenuates generation of reactive oxygen species and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2, as well as induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in vitro and in in vivo models. These finding suggests that genipin can serve as both a prominent anticancer agent as well as a potent crosslinking drug that may find useful application in several novel pharmaceutical formulations., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Monodisperse and nanometer-sized periodic mesoporous organosilicas co-doped with fluorescence resonance energy transfer cascades composed of triple fluorophores at various ratios were prepared. These nanoparticles exhibit multifluorescent emissions by a single-wavelength excitation and were designed for the application as multichannelly traceable drug carriers. Different from the hydrophilic framework of inorganic mesoporous silica and hydrophobic framework of mesoporous carbon, these multifluorescent nanoparticles have intrinsically different and finely tunable pore surface polarities governed by the type and amount of fluorophore inside the framework. When applied as drug carriers, they can achieve synchronous or asynchronous release of different drugs by simply choosing different colored nanoparticles. These colorful mesoporous composites with finely tunable color-related drug release performance provide a strong barcoding system for the potential applications of fluorescent nanoparticles in effective screening of drugs and therapeutic protocols for diseases.

Bright and colourful nanocomposites are easily fabricated by doping and fixing one or two kinds of oligosilicate fluorescent dots encapsulated with dye molecules into the pore channels of mesoporous silica nanoparticles, which can engender abundant fluorescent signals with a single excitation wavelength.

Simple Summary: Glioblastoma (GBM), a serious brain cancer, has poor treatment outcomes despite surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) makes GBM-targeted drug delivery difficult. Recent studies have shown that nanomedicine delivery systems (NDDSs) can target GBM safely and effectively. In this review, we look at ways to overcome the BBB with NDDSs in preclinical studies, summarize the clinical progress, and discuss strategies to improve NDDSs and speed up their use in GBM treatment through clinical trials. Glioblastoma (GBM) is a prevalent type of malignancy within the central nervous system (CNS) that is associated with a poor prognosis. The standard treatment for GBM includes the surgical resection of the tumor, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy; yet, despite these interventions, overall treatment outcomes remain suboptimal. The blood–brain barrier (BBB), which plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of brain tissue under normal physiological conditions of the CNS, also poses a significant obstacle to the effective delivery of therapeutic agents to GBMs. Recent preclinical studies have demonstrated that nanomedicine delivery systems (NDDSs) offer promising results, demonstrating both effective GBM targeting and safety, thereby presenting a potential solution for targeted drug delivery. In this review, we first explore the various strategies employed in preclinical studies to overcome the BBB for drug delivery. Subsequently, the results of the clinical translation of NDDSs are summarized, highlighting the progress made. Finally, we discuss potential strategies for advancing the development of NDDSs and accelerating their translational research through well-designed clinical trials in GBM therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous MoO3−x nanosheets were fabricated by the room‐temperature oxidation of molybdenum powder with H2O2, followed by light‐irradiation reduction in methanol. When applied as a substrate for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), these nanosheets exhibit higher sensitivity than the crystalline counterpart for a wide range of analytes. Moreover, the SERS activity remains stable on repeated oxygen insertion/extraction. In contrast, the performance of crystalline MoO3−x continuously deteriorates on successive redox treatments. This unique SERS activity allows the recycling of the substrate through an H2O2‐based Fenton‐like reaction. More importantly, the non‐invasive SERS was unprecedentedly used for the self‐diagnosis of amorphous MoO3−x as a more selective photocatalyst than its crystalline counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A composite catalyst combining CoP with g-C3N4 was explored for the photocatalytic production of H2O2 under visible-light irradiation. The composite catalyst was fabricated by growth of CoP nanoparticles on the surface of g-C3N4. The CoP nanoparticles were well dispersed on the surface of g-C3N4 and could interact with g-C3N4 to improve charge separation and electron transfer. The composite catalyst showed superior catalytic activity compared with pure CoP or g-C3N4 under visible-light irradiation. The optimal catalyst with 1.76 wt.-% CoP loading exhibited the best photocatalytic efficiency with an H2O2 production of 140 µm in 2 h, which is about 4.6 and 23.3 times those of pure g-C3N4 and pure CoP, respectively. A possible mechanism for the visible-light-driven photocatalytic production of H2O2 is proposed. The composite catalyst exhibited stable performance without obvious loss of catalytic activity after seven successive runs, and thus has good application prospects in sustainable H2O2 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a highly efficient heterogeneous photo-Fenton system (Fe2O3/g-C3N4/H2O2/visible light) has been developed. The heterogeneous catalyst Fe2O3/g-C3N4 in this system was successfully prepared by growing Fe2O3 nanoparticles on the surface of g-C3N4. The Fe2O3 nanoparticles could achieve high dispersion on the surface of g-C3N4 and form a heterojunction with g-C3N4 to improve the charge separation. In addition, the combination of the Fenton's reagent Fe2O3/H2O2 and the photocatalyst g-C3N4 greatly enhances the rate of the Fenton's reaction with the assistance of the photocatalytic process. The results showed that the Fe2O3/g-C3N4 catalyst had a superior catalytic activity as compared with the single component of Fe2O3 or g-C3N4 and the mechanical mixture of Fe2O3 and g-C3N4. The catalyst prepared with 3 mL of FeCl3 aqueous solution shows the best photo-Fenton photocatalytic efficiency with a reaction rate constant of 0.02461 mg L-1 min-1, which is about 45.4, 8.4 and 7.2 times larger than that of pure Fe2O3 (0.0005418 mg L-1 min-1), pure g-C3N4 (0.00294 mg L-1 min-1) and the mechanically mixed Fe2O3/g-C3N4 (0.0034 mg L-1 min-1), respectively. A possible mechanism for the visible-light-irradiated photo-Fenton photocatalysis is proposed, and the Fe2O3/g-C3N4 catalyst exhibited stable performance without obvious loss of catalytic activity after four successive runs, showing a good application prospect for the photo-oxidative degradation of organic contaminants in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A core-shell-structured magnetic Fe3O4@C composite has been prepared from Fe3O4@RF (RF = resorcinol-formaldehyde) through pyrolysis at 600 °C under a N2 atmosphere. The resultant products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray powder diffraction (PXRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The Fe3O4@C composite has excellent particle monodispersity, a uniform particle diameter of ca. 200 nm, a magnetic saturation of 41.2 emu g-1, and a high specific surface area of 247.3 m2 g-1 owing to the existence of a bimodal micro-macroporous system. Moreover, the carbon shell is graphitized but has good hydrophilicity, which is attributed to the existence of remnant oxygen-containing groups. When applied as an adsorbent for the removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol from water, Fe3O4@C shows a good dispersivity (0.2 g L-1) and an average maximum adsorption capacity of 131.83 mg g-1 with a fluctuation of less than 17 % over a wide pH range from 1 to 11 and can be quickly recovered within 30 s by the application of an external magnetic field (800 G). The adsorption performance of Fe3O4@C is revealed to be attributed to π-π electron donor-acceptor interactions between the electron-rich conjugated aromatic groups of Fe3O4@C and electron-deficient 2,4-dichlorophenol. The high adsorption capacity and facile magnetic separation performance make our hydrophilic Fe3O4@C an ideal adsorbent for the removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous silica synthesized from the cocondensation of tetraethoxysilane and silylated carbon dots containing an amide group has been adopted as the carrier for the in situ growth of TiO2 through an impregnation-hydrothermal crystallization process. Benefitting from initial complexation between the titania precursor and carbon dot, highly dispersed anatase TiO2 nanoparticles can be formed inside the mesoporous channel. The hybrid material possesses an ordered hexagonal mesostructure with p6 mm symmetry, a high specific surface area (446.27 m2 g−1), large pore volume (0.57 cm3 g−1), uniform pore size (5.11 nm), and a wide absorption band between λ=300 and 550 nm. TiO2 nanocrystals are anchored to the carbon dot through TiON and TiOC bonds, as revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Moreover, the nitrogen doping of TiO2 is also verified by the formation of the TiN bond. This composite shows excellent adsorption capabilities for 2,4-dichlorophenol and acid orange 7, with an electron-deficient aromatic ring, through electron donor-acceptor interactions between the carbon dot and organic compounds instead of the hydrophobic effect, as analyzed by the contact angle analysis. The composite can be photocatalytically recycled through visible-light irradiation after adsorption. The narrowed band gap, as a result of nitrogen doping, and the photosensitization effect of carbon dots are revealed to be coresponsible for the visible-light activity of TiO2. The adsorption capacity does not suffer any clear losses after being recycled three times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanocomposite consists of N-doped carbon nanofibers and Co-containing MOFs (ZIF-67) derived ultrasmall Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NCNF/Z-Co 3 O 4 NPs) is prepared via introducing electrospun and coordination-assisted assembly strategies. In this design, Co2+ in the electrospun PAN-Co(Ac) 2 nanofibers coordinate with 2-Methylimidazole (2-MeIM) to form ZIF-67 nanocrystals and further convert into ultrasmall Co 3 O 4 NPs dispersed in the carbon fibers matrix. The carbon nanofibers serve as a highly conductive framework interconnect and confine the Co 3 O 4 NPs, thereby improving the electrical conductivity and buffering the volume expansion of Co 3 O 4. In addition, both N-doping originated from ZIF-67 and PAN, as well as the ultrasmall particle size of Co 3 O 4 emerge the surface or near-surface redox reactions, enhancing pseudocapacitive contributions and rendering fast kinetics. Due to these advantages, NCNF/Z-Co 3 O 4 NPs anode shows enhanced lithium storage properties (1189 mAh g−1at 0.1 A g−1, 407 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 850 cycles and 329 mAh g−1 at 8 A g−1). Image 1 • Electrospun and coordination-assisted assembly strategies is proposed for 1-D nanocomposites. • The hybrids is constructed by ZIF-67 derived ultrasmall Co 3 O 4 NPs and N-doped carbon fibers. • Carbon nanofibers as a highly conductive framework interconnected and confined the Co 3 O 4 NPs. • N-doping and the ultrasmall Co 3 O 4 enhanced pseudocapacitive, kinetics and Li storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporation of a dual-FRET dye pair into mesoporous silica nanoparticles yields sensitive and sensing-range tunable nanosensors with good reversibility that can be used for ratiometric pH measurements under a single-wavelength excitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlled hydrolysis of titanium n-butoxide is achieved using water molecules stepwise released from the pyrolysis of ammonium acetate and esterification of pyrolyzed acetic acid, allowing the formation of hollow TiO 2 microspheres with high intactness during the subsequent Ostawald ripening process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-dispersed Fe 3 O 4 @Ag@mSiO 2 nanoparticle was fabricated by encapsulating Ag into yolk-shell structured Fe 3 O 4 @mSiO 2 composed of superparamagnetic Fe 3 O 4 core and mesoporous SiO 2 shell with bi-solvent nanocasting technique using AgNO 3 as the precursor. Ag can dwell in both the cavity between Fe 3 O 4 and mesoporous SiO 2 as an asymmetric shell and the mesoporous channel, or exclusively fill the cavity through increasing the reduction temperature of AgNO 3 from 350 to 550 °C. The asymmetric Ag shell proves to be high SERS-sensitive for the detection of methyl blue dispersed in ethanol solution as assisted by magnetically separation, with an enhanced factor of 5.02 × 10 4 . The SERS self-monitoring NaBH 4 reduction of p-nitrothiophenol catalyzed by Ag nanoclusters in the pore channel was further in situ and real-time achieved with an excellent recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique yolk-shell structure with the hollow cavity helps to improve the adsorption property of the magnetic nanomaterials, facilitating the enrichment of the detection molecules. Besides, the special yolk-shell structure permits the Raman laser to perform multiple scattering in the cavity, further improving the SERS activity. • Yolk-shell Fe 3 O 4 @void@CeO 2 was employed as SERS substrate with an EF of 1.1 × 104. • The unique structure allows laser to perform multiple scattering inside the cavity. • The cavity can enrich the detected molecules, further improving the SERS activity. • The SERS substrate can be recovered due to the photocatalytic degradation of CeO 2. Yolk-shell (YS) Fe 3 O 4 @void@CeO 2 was alkaline-etched from Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @CeO 2 and applied as a magnetically recyclable SERS substrate. Using methylene blue (MB) as the analyte model, high SERS sensitivity was revealed with an enhanced factor of 1.1 × 104. The enhanced light-scattering ability of the YS structure plays a vital role in the high SERS activity. Moreover, the improved molecule adsorption benefitting from the more exposed surface partly contributes to the improved Raman signal. The composite can be conveniently recycled through magnetic separation and light irradiation due to the photocatalytic degradation of MB molecules by CeO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]