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Preparation and antitumor application of nanogels are presented. This study provides a promising strategy to improve the synergistic antitumor effect of drugs.

Collagen (Col) films were reinforced by celluloses in different geometries: microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), cellulosic fines (CF), cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). The reinforcement mechanisms were investigated by the elastoplasticity and fracture appearance. Compared with the fracture stress of collagen film (67.5 MPa), the Col-CNF films effectively borne the stress (95.8 MPa) by intercrystalline fracture, ascribing the abundant hydrogen bonding and mechanical locking between cellulose and collagen. The toughness of Col-CF films was increased by the interfibrillar slippage of CF and pull-off of CF within the matrix, improving the strain-to-break from 8.37% to 12.13%. The films added with MCC and CNC weaken the mechanical behavior, due to the defects and lack of mechanical locking. Besides, the effects of celluloses' geometries on the thickness, density, water-tightness, thermal stability, crystallinity and FTIR of films were also investigated. These provide the evidence that the geometries of fillers diversely improve the behaviors of collagen film offering strategies for the film with adjustable mechanical properties.

Moderate stimuli in mitochondria improve wide-ranging stress adaptability in animals, but whether mitochondria play similar roles in plants is largely unknown. Here, we report the enhanced stress adaptability of S-type cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS-S) maize and its association with mild expression of sterilizing gene ORF355. A CMS-S maize line exhibited superior growth potential and higher yield than those of the near-isogenic N-type line in saline fields. Moderate expression of ORF355 induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species and activated the cellular antioxidative defense system. This adaptive response was mediated by elevation of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide concentration and associated metabolic homeostasis. Metabolome analysis revealed broad metabolic changes in CMS-S lines, even in the absence of salinity stress. Metabolic products associated with amino acid metabolism and galactose metabolism were substantially changed, which underpinned the alteration of the antioxidative defense system in CMS-S plants. The results reveal the ORF355-mediated superior stress adaptability in CMS-S maize and might provide an important route to developing salt-tolerant maize varieties. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

SummarySoil salinity is a major environmental constraint severely reducing plant growth and crop productivity worldwide. Knowledge of salt tolerance-related genes can facilitate improving crop salt tolerance and alleviating the threat of increasing saline area to world food security. Here, we identified a major locus SALT TOLERANCE 1 (qST1) conferring maize salt tolerance via bulked segregant RNA-Seq (BSR-Seq). qST1 encodes a plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger ZmSOS1 which is the ortholog of Arabidopsis thaliana SOS1 gene. In salt-sensitive variety D9H, the natural variation of 4-bp deletion in the coding sequence of ZmSOS1 gene was the causal allele for salt sensitivity. We identified two ethyl methanesulfonate-induced mutants, zmsos1-1 and zmsos1-2, which were sensitive to salt stress and can’t complement salt-sensitive variety under salt stress within an allelism test. Overexpression of ZmSOS1 enhanced maize seedling salt tolerance. ZmSOS1 can increase the salt tolerance of Arabidopsis sos1-1 mutant and can be activated by AtSOS2 and AtSOS3 in yeast cells, suggesting that ZmSOS1 confers salt tolerance through the conserved SOS signaling pathway in maize. The detrimental allele harboring the 4-bp deletion was rarely found in the natural population but appeared in an important heterotic group composed of x1132x-derived inbred lines which have been used widely for breeding dozens of hybrid varieties in China. The 4-bp deletion-based molecular marker has been successfully used to improve salt-sensitive varieties in a backcross and marker-assisted breeding program by screening and purging this deleterious allele.

Understanding yield potential, yield gap and the priority of management factors for reducing the yield gap in current intensive maize production is essential for meeting future food demand with the limited resources. In this study, we conducted field experiments using different planting modes, which were basic productivity (CK), farmer practice (FP), high yield and high efficiency (HH), and super high yield (SH), to estimate the yield gap. Different factorial experiments (fertilizer, planting density, hybrids, and irrigation) were also conducted to evaluate the priority of individual management factors for reducing the yield gap between the different planting modes. We found significant differences between the maize yields of different planting modes. The treatments of CK, FP, HH, and SH achieved 54.26, 58.76, 65.77, and 71.99% of the yield potential, respectively. The yield gaps between three pairs: CK and FP, FP and HH, and HH and SH, were 0.76, 1.23 and 0.85 t ha–1, respectively. By further analyzing the priority of management factors for reducing the yield gap between FP and HH, as well as HH and SH, we found that the priorities of the management factors (contribution rates) were plant density (13.29%)>fertilizer (11.95%)>hybrids (8.19%)>irrigation (4%) for FP to HH, and hybrids (8.94%)>plant density (4.84%)>fertilizer (1.91%) for HH to SH. Therefore, increasing the planting density of FP was the key factor for decreasing the yield gap between FP and HH, while choosing hybrids with density and lodging tolerance was the key factor for decreasing the yield gap between HH and SH.

Nanogels have been widely prepared and characterized in recent years due to their unique advantages. Here, an effective, original, and facile method of emulsion-free photopolymerization at 532 nm without surfactant was developed to prepare nanogels based on poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA). The 532 nm continuous laser with symmetrical energy distribution like a three-dimensional shape of a straw hat was used to control the reaction region. The self-emulsification of PEGDA in water was studied and PEGDA micelles were directly cross-linked by controlling the laser energy. The number of micelles participating in the microreaction region and the double bond crosslinking between micellar aggregates and inside micelles were reasonably regulated. The size of the nanogels could be effectively modulated by controlling reaction parameters including laser power, monomer concentration, initiator concentration, and reaction time. Finally, ultrasmall nanogels with around 30 nm in size were prepared by balancing double bond crosslinking between micellar aggregates and inside micelles.

Drug-loaded nanogels for cancer treatment can limit the free diffusion and distribution of drug molecules in the whole body to reduce undesirable side effects and improve the drug absorption efficiency of the tumor. In this study, curcumin as a model drug was encapsulated into nanogels

Tumor microenvironment-responsive nanogels loading antitumor drugs can improve the chemotherapy efficiency due to their suitable size, great hydrophilicity, excellent biocompatibility, and sensitivity to specific stimulation. Herein, a simple and effective strategy of one-pot laser-induced emulsion polymerization at 532 nm was developed to prepare carmofur-loaded nanogels based on biocompatible and temperature/pH-sensitive monomers including polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), N-vinylcaprolactam (NVCL), and 2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA). The nanogels loading carmofur with dual-stimuli responsive drug release properties were rapidly obtained under laser irradiation (beam diameter 2.5 mm, laser power 60 mW) for only 100 s. These nanogels exhibited an average hydrodynamic diameter of 195.9 nm and a low polydispersity index of 0.115. The effect of monomer ratio on the size, morphology, double-bond conversion, and thermo/pH-sensitivity of nanogels was investigated. The cumulative carmofur release from nanogels at pH 5.0 within 48 h was nearly three times that at pH 7.4, while the release amount at 42 °C was twice that at 25 °C, showing the controlled and sustainable release with the change of pH and temperature. The in vitro release kinetics of carmofur was in accord with first-order release model.

Fluorescent probes have been widely used in bioimaging as an efficient and convenient analytical tool. From the initial inorganic nanoparticles and small organic molecules to polymeric nanoparticles, scientific researchers have been trying to develop a probe with strong fluorescence and excellent biocompatibility. In this study, a tetraphenylethylene derivative with AIE properties and hyaluronic acid modified by methacrylic anhydride were combined to prepare a novel nanoparticle (HA-Ac-Pha-C) as a fluorescent probe by a photochemical cross-linking reaction. The fluorescence intensity and size of the nanoparticles were characterized by different techniques. It was confirmed that cross-linked nanoparticles not only showed stronger fluorescence, but also had better photostability while still maintaining 85.9% of the initial intensity after seven days. Moreover, cells and zebrafish imaging experiments also demonstrated that nanoparticles show specific fluorescence labeling for cancer cells and excellent biocompatibility in living organisms.

Magnetic laccase nanoflowers (MNFs-Lac) were successfully prepared through encapsulating Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles into the interior of laccase nanoflowers by grafting N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetic acid (PMIDA) as an interconnecting bridge between the magnetic nanoparticles and copper ions. The characterizations by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy showed that MNFs-Lac were spherical, porous and flower-like crystals with diameters of ∼10 μm, and Fe3O4 nanoparticles were encapsulated in the interior of MNFs-Lac evenly. The enzymatic activity and reusability of MNFs-Lac were evaluated based on the degradation efficiency for malachite green (MG). The degradation parameters, concerning initial MG concentration, dosage of MNFs-Lac, reaction temperature, pH value and reaction time, were optimized through single-factor experiments. Under the optimal conditions, 25 mg·L−1 MG can be degraded almost completely by 1.5 g·L−1 MNFs-Lac within 15 min. When the MNFs-Lac were reused for 18 times, the degradation efficiency of MG was still as high as 90%. These results suggested that the modified preparation method improved greatly the reusability of MNFs-Lac, which made them more suitable to degrade MG in a water environment.

Nanoprobes with biocompatibility and strong fluorescence have unique advantages in tumor detection and diagnosis. A nanoparticle with dual fluorescent signals for detecting and imaging of tumor cells was prepared, in which the outer layer of the particle is a hyaluronic acid-modified molecule with aggregation-induced emission properties, and the inner content is the boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivative. This nanoparticle has low critical micelle concentration, small size, and high fluorescence intensity. Cell imaging experiments showed that it is capable of stable cell imaging with a red and blue fluorescence conversion in response to cancer cells. Furthermore, the zebrafish experiment confirmed that it can be used for biological imaging. Nanoparticles with dual fluorescence response properties of the coated structure provide an effective way for detecting cancer cells.

Procedures for chitin nanofibers extraction from mushroom significantly modify their structure and physicochemical properties, through disintegration and surface oxidation of glucan residue, as well as surface deacetylation of chitin. Here, four kinds of chitin-glucan nanofibers (CGNF) were isolated form Shiitake stipes via different alkali treatment conditions, wherein glucan content ranged from 6.4 % to 46.8 %. Observations with transmission electron microscopy showed that CGNFs possessed average widths with 5.1 ± 1.2 to 7.1 ± 1.5 nm. The glucan showed a negative effect on the crystal index and thermal stability of CGNFs. A strong positive correlation was observed between glucan residues and zeta potential value. The phenomenon about the increase of viscosity, yield stress and elastic modulus upon glucan decrease was discussed. Overall, the residual glucan offers fungi-derived chitin nanomaterials a diversity of material properties and tuning its content is a feasible approach for customize nano chitin fibers used in nutraceutical and food industry.

In recent years, the exploration of tumor microenvironment has provided a new approach for tumor treatment. More and more researches are devoted to designing tumor microenvironment-responsive nanogels loaded with therapeutic drugs. Compared with other drug carriers, nanogel has shown great potential in improving the effect of chemotherapy, which is attributed to its stable size, superior hydrophilicity, excellent biocompatibility, and responsiveness to specific environment. This review primarily summarizes the common preparation techniques of nanogels (such as free radical polymerization, covalent cross-linking, and physical self-assembly) and loading ways of drug in nanogels (including physical encapsulation and chemical coupling) as well as the controlled drug release behaviors. Furthermore, the difficulties and prospects of nanogels as drug carriers are also briefly described.

Nanogel is an important kind of biomaterials applied for wound dressings, drug delivery, medical diagnostics and biosensors. The properties of nanogels closely depend on the density of the crosslinking network. In this study, the role of triethanolamine (TEOA) in the effect on the crosslinking degree of nanogels based on poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) was investigated and illustrated. The effect of TEOA on the process of photopolymerization at 532 nm and properties of the nanogels was systematically investigated by using UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, 1 H NMR, DLS, SEM, AFM and DSC. In brief, the double-bond conversion of photopolymerization and the crosslinking degree of nanogels can be effectively regulated by TEOA.

The maize stalk is an important mechanical supporting tissue. The stalk fracture resistance is closely related to lodging resistance, and thus the yield. In this study, we showed that the basal zone (BZ) was more fragile than the middle zone (MZ) of the stalk internode before tasseling. In order to clarify the relationship between the different zones and fragile resistance between the internodes, we systematically analyzed the phenotypic, metabolomic and transcriptomic differences. The results indicated that the BZ zone had lower stalk strength, which corresponded to the results of less lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose than that of the MZ. The 27 highly enriched metabolites and 4430 highly expressed genes in the BZ mainly participated in pentose phosphate, and in ribosome and sterol synthesis pathways, respectively. In addition, the BZ had higher vascular bundles density but smaller size compared with the MZ. By contrast, the 28 highly enriched known metabolites and 4438 highly expressed genes in the MZ were mainly involved in lignin synthesis, and secondary metabolites synthesis, respectively, especially the phenylpropanoid synthesis. The results provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between development and fracture differences in stalk, and may facilitate the improvement of field management practice to reduce lodging.

Injectable hydrogels with self-healing and pH-responsive property are appealing for biomedical applications. Herein, we developed a facile and green method to prepare a multifunctional polysaccharide-based hydrogel as a new carrier of drug. The hydrogels were prepared by forming reversible chemical bond between carboxyethyl-modified chitosan (CEC) and aldehyde modified hyaluronic acid (A-HA). The morphology and rheological property of the hydrogels with different solid content were systematically characterized. Owing to the dynamic equilibrium of the Schiff base bonds between amine groups on CEC and aldehyde groups on A-HA, the rapid self-healing performance of hydrogels was confirmed through qualitative and quantitative methods without any external stimulus. The pH-responsive behaviour was demonstrated by equilibrium swelling and in vitro Doxorubicin (Dox) release in PBS medium with various pH. In acidic condition, Dox can be release more rapidly compared with weak alkaline medium. Furthermore, the kill effect of Dox released from hydrogels for cancer cells was investigated. In vitro degradation and cytotoxicity examinations showed that the hydrogel is biodegradable and biocompatible. Therefore, such polysaccharide-based injectable self-healing and pH-responsive hydrogel is a promising candidate as drug delivery carrier.

Two-photon polymerization (TPP) microfabrication technology can freely prepare micro/nano structures with different morphologies and high accuracy for micro/nanophotonics, micro-electromechanical systems, microfluidics, tissue engineering and drug delivery. With the broad application of 3D microstructures in the biomedical field, people have paid more attention to the physicochemical properties of the corresponding materials such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, stimuli responsiveness and immunogenicity. Therefore, microstructures composed of biocompatible synthetic polymers, polysaccharides, proteins and their complexes have been widely studied. In this review, we briefly summarize the TPP mechanism, the photoinitiators for TPP microfabrication, photoresist based on biomaterials, their corresponding microstructures and subsequently their biomedical applications. We will point out the issues in previous research and provide a useful perspective on the future development of TPP microfabrication technology.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different cooking time (2, 4, and 6 h) and temperature (50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 °C) on physical, textual, and structural properties of longissimus lumborum muscle of yak, and to explore the thermal denaturation process of intramuscular collagen by using a new tool (collagen hybridizing peptide staining, CHP staining). The results showed that tenderness was affected by the interaction of cooking time and temperature and the changes in moisture and collagen composition. In comparison with cooking time, temperature had more obvious effects on cooking loss, moisture content and redness. Scanning electron microscopy showed that as the temperature increased, intramuscular connective tissue gradually degraded, and muscle fibers became more compact. CHP staining showed that the collagen in the perimysium first denatured at 50 °C, and more and more collagen denatured and degraded as the temperature increased.

Southern corn rust (SCR) caused by Puccinia polysora Underw. is a major disease causing severe yield losses during maize production. Here, we identified and mapped the SCR resistance gene RppM from the near-isogenic line Kangxiujing2416 (Jing2416K), which harbors RppM in the genetic background of the susceptible inbred line Jing2416. In this study, the inheritance of SCR resistance was investigated in F2 and F3 populations derived from a cross between Jing2416K and Jing2416. The observed 3:1 segregation ratio of resistant to susceptible plants indicated that the SCR resistance is controlled by a single dominant gene. Using an F2 population, we performed bulked segregant analysis (BSA) sequencing and mapped RppM to a 3.69-Mb region on chromosome arm 10S. To further narrow down the region harboring RppM, we developed 13 insertion/deletion (InDel) markers based on the sequencing data. Finally, RppM was mapped to a region spanning 110-kb using susceptible individuals from a large F2 population. Two genes (Zm00001d023265 and Zm00001d023267) encoding putative CC-NBS-LRR (coiled-coiled, nucleotide-binding site, and leucine-rich repeat) proteins, a common characteristic of R genes, were located in this region (B73 RefGen_v4 reference genome). Sequencing and comparison of the two genes cloned from Jing2416K and Jing2416 revealed sequence variations in their coding regions. The relative expression levels of these two genes in Jing2416K were found to be significantly higher than those in Jing2416. Zm00001d023265 and Zm00001d023267 are thus potential RppM candidates.

The charge-reversal strategy is usually employed in gene delivery to facilitate the endosomal escape of gene carriers and the release of the payload into cytoplasm. However, most of the charge-reversal materials are far from perfect biocompatible materials due to the cytotoxicity of themselves or their hydrolyzed products. In this study, an excellent charge-reversal material named modified bovine serum albumin (mBSA) was prepared. The charge reversal of biocompatible mBSA is a physical process and can instantly occur, which was confirmed by zeta potential, size detection and morphological studies. The introduction of mBSA can not only reduce the zeta potential of binary complexes (pDNA–PEI) but also increase the nuclease resistance ability of the pDNA–PEI binary complexes. In addition, cell viabilities tested by MTT assay and gene transfection assay demonstrated that mBSA can reduce the cytotoxicity of pDNA–PEI polyplexes and improve their gene transfection efficiency (serum free and 10% FBS medium) both in 293T and HepG2 cells at the same time. The experimental results of cell internalization and intracellular distribution of pDNA–PEI–mBSA ternary complexes confirmed that the improvement of transfection efficiency originated from the enhancement of endosomal escape of polyplexes. Therefore, mBSA has been proven to be a perfect charge-reversal platform to simultaneously improve the transfection efficiency and biocompatibility of polyplexes.

The low transfection efficiency of polycations is still a major problem for successful gene therapy. To address this issue, in this study, hydrophilic poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-graft-poly[2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PVP-g-PDMAEMA) and amphiphilic poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-graft-poly[2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate]-block-poly(methylmethacrylate) (PVP-g-PDMAEMA-b-PMMA) were synthesized via the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method, and their properties as gene vectors were investigated subsequently. PVP-g-PDMAEMA formed random coils in water and PVP-g-PDMAEMA-b-PMMA self-assembled into spherical core–shell micelles with a very low critical micelle concentration of only 6.3 × 10−3 mg mL−1. PVP-g-PDMAEMA-b-PMMA/pDNA polyplexes demonstrated an excellent gene transfection efficiency, which showed not only much higher gene transfection efficiency than PVP-g-PDMAEMA/pDNA polyplexes, but obviously surpassed 25k PEI at low N/P ratio around 3 on 293T cell lines. Hence, the results suggested that PVP-g-PDMAEMA-b-PMMA could be a highly efficient gene vector.

Cationic polymers (polycations) are promising gene vectors that are conveniently synthesized and easily modified. In order to study the relationship between structures and properties of the polycations in gene delivery, a graft copolymer called poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)-g-poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PVP-g-PDMAEMA, i.e. PgP) and a block copolymer called PVP-b-PDMAEMA (PbP) with equal molecular weight of PDMAEMA and PVP were prepared by two advanced living radical polymerization reactions including atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) techniques. Compared with PbP, PgP could condense pDNA more effectively into polyplexes with smaller size, higher zeta potential and better stability. The transfection efficiency of PgP at a low N/P ratio of 4 : 1 was not only higher than that of PbP, but also much higher than that of the commercially available PEI as the gold standard of polycations and lipofectamine. In addition, both PgP and PbP had less BSA absorption compared with PEI, indicating that PVP could resist BSA absorption. In order to understand the mechanism behind the high transfection efficiency of PgP, cellular uptake and endosomal escape of PgP/pDNA and PbP/pDNA polyplexes were investigated. The results demonstrated that the improvement of the transfection efficiency of PgP originated from the promotion of the cellular uptake and endosome/lysosome escape. This study will provide useful information on designing effective non-viral vectors for gene delivery.

Hydrogels with a precise 3D configuration (3D hydrogels) are required for a number of biomedical applications such as tissue engineering and drug delivery. Two-photon polymerization (TPP) is an advanced method to fabricate 3D hydrogels. However, TPP of 3D hydrogels has been challenged by the lack of TPP initiators with high efficiency in aqueous medium. In this study, a water soluble TPP initiator (WI) with high fabrication efficiency was prepared by combining hydrophobic 2,7-bis(2-(4-pentaneoxy-phenyl)-vinyl)anthraquinone (N) with a C2v symmetrical structure and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrins through host–guest chemical interaction. Both one and two-photon optical properties of WI have been investigated. In aqueous medium, WI showed a two-photon absorption cross-section of around 200 GM at the wavelength of 780 nm which was much higher compared with those of commercial initiators. The threshold energy of TPP for the resin with WI as a photoinitiator (the molar ratio of N in resin is 0.03%) was 8.6 mW. 3D hydrogels with a woodpile microstructure were further fabricated by using an average power of 9.7 mW and a scanning speed of 30 μm s−1.

Cull cow meat myofibrillar protein (CCMP) filled with carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibrils (cCNF) was initially characterized to study the effect of cCNF on the gelation properties of CCMP. Before heating, with the increased degree of substitution (DS) of cCNF, the ζ-potential and hydrophobicity of CCMP-cCNF solution increased at the same filler mass fractions (ϕm). During heating, the process of gelation was shortened after adding cCNF, especially samples filled with cCNF of high DS. After heating, the cCNF with lower DS led to the lower liquid loss of gels, and the effect was amplified with increased ϕm of cCNF. Similarly, the network structure of CCMP-cCNF with low DS was more compact and the ability to anti-deform was stronger according to scanning electron microscopy and texture analysis. Also, an Interpenetrating Polymer Network was formed. Overall, ϕm of cCNF had a positive effect on the gelation properties of CCMP by water channel blocking and physical entanglement, while cCNF with higher DS weakened this effect due to electrostatic repulsion. This study may provide a theoretical foundation about the development of restructured meat products.

Ethidium bromide (EtBr) is widely used as DNA-staining dyes for the detection of nucleic acids in laboratories and known to be powerful mutagens and carcinogens. In the present paper, the removal of EtBr from aqueous solutions in a batch system using DNA-loaded Fe3O4 nanoparticles as a simple and efficient method was investigated. DNA was covalently loaded on the surface of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles, which was confirmed by FT-IR analysis and zeta potential measurements. The morphology and crystal structure were characterized by SEM, TEM, and XRD. The influence factors on the removal efficiency such as initial EtBr concentration, contact time, adsorbent dose, pH, and temperature were also studied. The removal process of EtBr can be completed quickly within 1 min. The removal efficiency was more than 99% while the EtBr concentration was routinely used (0.5 mg L−1) in biology laboratories and the dosages of nanoparticles were 1 g L−1. For the different EtBr concentrations from 0.5 to 10 mg L−1 in aqueous solution, the goal of optimized removal was achieved by adjusting the dosage of DNA-loaded Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The optimum pH was around 7 and the operational temperature from 4 to 35 °C was appropriate. Kinetic studies confirmed that the adsorption followed second-order reaction kinetics. Thermodynamic data revealed that the process was spontaneous and exothermic. The adsorption of EtBr on DNA-loaded Fe3O4 nanoparticles fitted well with the Freundlich isotherm model. These results indicated that DNA-loaded Fe3O4 nanoparticles are a promising adsorbent for highly efficient removal of EtBr from aqueous solution in practice.

Nile red has been an alternative reagent for detecting latent fingerprints on wetted substrates. However, the presence of methanol in nile red solution could make injury to handlers and destroy the traces on surfaces, such as texts on thermal papers. A novel small particle reagent formulation constituting of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) based on nile red was prepared to overcome the problem. Compared with the conventional reagents Oil Red O or nile red solution, the nile red-loaded MSNs are highly selective to lipid residues of fingerprints and showed a greater ability to develop clear, sharp, and detailed fingerprints on thermal papers after these were immersed in water. In addition, it can retain texts on the thermal papers well and use only water as a solvent. These suggested that nile red-loaded MSNs are a safe, efficient, and convenient method to develop latent fingerprints on wide range of substrates of forensic importance.

Nanotechnology has been considered as a promising strategy for diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. However, the stability and circulation times of the conventional nano-carriers, such as liposomes and micelles, are still unsatisfied. Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are biologic inert synthetic materials, which are highly hydrophobic and have a tendency to self-aggregation. Additionally, PFCs themselves can act as 19F magnetic resonance imaging agents and oxygen carriers. Thus, the construction of the fluorinated carriers will not only improve the stability of the carriers, but also endow them with additional functions. Here we review the recent advances of PFC-based nanosystems for diagnosis and treatment of diseases.