Graphene nanomesh promises extremely efficient in vivo photothermal therapy

Strategy for Avoiding Protein Corona Inhibition of Targeted Drug Delivery by Linking Recombinant Affibody Scaffold to Magnetosomes

PURPOSE

Nanoparticles (NPs) decorated with functional ligands are promising candidates for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, numerous studies have shown that chemically coupled targeting moieties on NPs lose their targeting capability in the biological milieu because they are shielded or covered by a "protein corona". Herein, we construct a functional magnetosome that recognizes and targets cancer cells even in the presence of protein corona.

METHODS

Magnetosomes (BMPs) were extracted from magnetotactic bacteria, M. gryphiswaldense (MSR-1), and decorated with trastuzumab (TZ) via affibody (RA) and glutaraldehyde (GA). The engineered BMPs are referred to as BMP-RA-TZ and BMP-GA-TZ. Their capacities to combine HER2 were detected by ELISA, the quantity of plasma corona proteins was analyzed using LC-MS. The efficiencies of targeting SK-BR-3 were demonstrated by confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Both engineered BMPs contain up to ~0.2 mg TZ per mg of BMP, while the quantity of HER2 binding to BMP-RA-TZ is three times higher than that binding to BMP-GA-TZ. After incubation with normal human plasma or IgG-supplemented plasma, GA-TZ-containing BMPs have larger hydrated radii and more surface proteins in comparison with RA-TZ-containing BMPs. The TZ-containing BMPs all can be targeted to and internalized in the HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cell line SK-BR-3; however, their targeting efficiencies vary considerably: 50-75% for RA-TZ-containing BMPs and 9-19% for GA-TZ-containing BMPs. BMPs were incubated with plasma (100%) and cancer cells to simulate human in vivo environment. In this milieu, BMP-RA-TZ uptake efficiency of SK-BR-3 reaches nearly 80% (slightly lower than for direct interaction with BMP-RA-TZ), whereas the BMP-GA-TZ uptake efficiency is <17%.

CONCLUSION

Application of the RA scaffold promotes and orients the arrangement of targeting ligands and reduces the shielding effect of corona proteins. This strategy improves the targeting capability and drug delivery of NP in a simulated in vivo milieu.

Green porous benzamide-like nanomembranes for hazardous cations detection, separation, and concentration adjustment

Green biomaterials play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases as well as health-related problem-solving. Typically, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical strength are requirements centered on biomaterial engineering. However, in-hospital therapeutics require an elaborated synthesis of hybrid and complex nanomaterials capable of mimicking cellular behavior. Accumulation of hazardous cations like K+ in the inner and middle ear may permanently damage the ear system. We synthesized nanoplatforms based on Allium noeanum to take the first steps in developing biological porous nanomembranes for hazardous cation detection in biological media. The 1,1,1-tris[[(2'-benzyl-amino-formyl)phenoxy]methyl]ethane (A), 4-amino-benzo-hydrazide (B), and 4-(2-(4-(3-carboxy-propan-amido)benzoyl)hydrazineyl)-4-oxobutanoic acid (B1) were synthesized to obtain green ligands based on 4-X-N-(…(Y(hydrazine-1-carbonyl)phenyl)benzamide, with X denoting fluoro (B2), methoxy (B3), nitro (B4), and phenyl-sulfonyl (B5) substitutes. The chemical structure of ligand-decorated adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules (S-ATP) was characterized by FTIR, XRD, AFM, FESEM, and TEM techniques. The cytotoxicity of the porous membrane was patterned by applying different cell lines, including HEK-293, PC12, MCF-7, HeLa, HepG2, and HT-29, to disclose their biological behavior. The morphology of cultured cells was monitored by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The sensitivity of S-ATP to different cations of Na+, Mg2+, K+, Ba2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ was evaluated by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) in terms of extraction efficiency (η). For pH of 5.5, the η of A-based S-ATP followed the order Na+ (63.3%) > Mg2+ (62.1%) > Ba2+ (7.6%) > Ca2+ (5.5%); while for pH of 7.4, Na+ (37.0%) > Ca2+ (33.1%) > K+ (25.7%). The heat map of MTT and dose-dependent evaluations unveiled acceptable cell viability of more than 90%. The proposed green porous nanomembranes would pave the way to use multifunctional green porous nanomembranes in biological membranes.

Lanthanide-based metal-organic frameworks solidified by gelatin-methacryloyl hydrogels for improving the accuracy of localization and excision of small pulmonary nodules

The localization of invisible and impalpable small pulmonary nodules has become an important concern during surgery, since current widely used techniques for localization have a number of limitations, such as invasive features of hookwires and microcoils, and rapid diffusion after injection of indocyanine green (ICG). Lanthanide-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been proven as potential fluorescent agents because of their prominent luminescent characteristics, including large Stokes shifts, high quantum yields, long decay lifetimes, and undisturbed emissive energies. In addition, lanthanides, such as Eu, can efficiently absorb X-rays for CT imaging. In this study, we synthesized Eu-UiO-67-bpy (UiO = University of Oslo, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl) as a fluorescent dye with a gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel as a liquid carrier. The prepared complex exhibits constant fluorescence emission owing to the luminescent characteristics of Eu and the stable structure of UiO-67-bpy with restricted fluorescence diffusion attributed to the photocured GelMA. Furthermore, the hydrogel provides stiffness to make the injection site tactile and improve the accuracy of localization and excision. Finally, our complex enables fluorescence-CT dual-modal imaging of the localization site.

The Role of Graphene Oxide Nanocarriers in Treating Gliomas

Gliomas are the most common primary malignant tumors of the central nervous system, and their conventional treatment involves maximal safe surgical resection combined with radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy; however, this treatment does not meet the requirements of patients in terms of survival and quality of life. Graphene oxide (GO) has excellent physical and chemical properties and plays an important role in the treatment of gliomas mainly through four applications, viz. direct killing, drug delivery, immunotherapy, and phototherapy. This article reviews research on GO nanocarriers in the treatment of gliomas in recent years and also highlights new ideas for the treatment of these tumors.

Graphene-based Nanomaterials in Fighting the Most Challenging Viruses and Immunogenic Disorders

Viral diseases have long been among the biggest challenges for healthcare systems around the world. The recent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an example of how complicated the situation can get if we are not prepared to combat a viral outbreak in time, which brings up the need for quick and affordable biosensing platforms and vast knowledge of potential antiviral effects and drug/gene delivery opportunities. The same challenges have also existed for nonviral immunogenic disorders. Nanomedicine is considered a novel candidate for effectively overcoming these worldwide challenges. Among the versatile nanomaterials commonly used in biomedical applications, graphene has recently earned much attention thanks to its special and inspiring physicochemical properties, such as its large surface area, efficient thermal/electrical properties, carbon-based chemical purity with controllable biocompatibility, easy functionalization, capability of single-molecule detection, anticancer characteristics, 3D template feature in tissue engineering, and, in particular, antibacterial/antiviral activities. In this Review, the most important and challenging viruses of our era, such as human immunodeficiency virus, Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, norovirus, and hepatitis virus, and immunogenic disorders, such as asthma, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, in which graphene-based nanomaterials can effectively take part in the prevention, detection, treatment, medication, and health effect issues, have been covered and discussed.

Cancer cell membrane-coated nanoparticles for bimodal imaging-guided photothermal therapy and docetaxel-enhanced immunotherapy against cancer

BACKGROUND

Mono-therapeutic modality has limitations in combating metastatic lesions with complications. Although emerging immunotherapy exhibits preliminary success, solid tumors are usually immunosuppressive, leading to ineffective antitumor immune responses and immunotherapeutic resistance. The rational combination of several therapeutic modalities may potentially become a new therapeutic strategy to effectively combat cancer.

RESULTS

Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA, 50 mg) nanospheres were constructed with photothermal transduction agents (PTAs)-Prussian blue (PB, 2.98 mg) encapsulated in the core and chemotherapeutic docetaxel (DTX, 4.18 mg)/ immune adjuvant-imiquimod (R837, 1.57 mg) loaded in the shell. Tumor cell membranes were further coated outside PLGA nanospheres (designated "M@P-PDR"), which acted as "Nano-targeted cells" to actively accumulate in tumor sites, and were guided/monitored by photoacoustic (PA)/ magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Upon laser irradiation, photothermal effects were triggered. Combined with DTX, PTT induced in situ tumor eradication. Assisted by the immune adjuvant R837, the maturation rate of DCs increased by 4.34-fold compared with that of the control. In addition, DTX polarized M2-phenotype tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to M1-phenotype, relieving the immunosuppressive TME. The proportion of M2-TAMs decreased from 68.57% to 32.80%, and the proportion of M1-TAMs increased from 37.02% to 70.81%. Integrating the above processes, the infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) increased from 17.33% (control) to 35.5%. Primary tumors and metastasis were significantly inhibited when treated with "Nano-targeted cells"-based cocktail therapy.

CONCLUSION

"Nano-targeted cells"-based therapeutic cocktail therapy is a promising approach to promote tumor regression and counter metastasis/recurrence.

Enhanced Photothermal and Photoacoustic Performance of Graphene Oxide in NIR-II Biowindow by Chemical Reduction

We report on a novel strategy for constructing graphene oxide nanomaterials with strongly enhanced photothermal (PT) and photoacoustic (PA) performance in the near-infrared (NIR)-II biowindow by chemical reduction. Optical spectra clearly reveal that obvious enhancement of optical absorption is observed in the whole NIR wideband from the NIR-I to NIR-II region for chemically reduced graphene oxide (CR-G) nanomaterials, which is mainly arising from the restoration of the electronic conjugation within the graphene oxide sheets and therefore inducing a black-body re-introduction effect of typical graphite-like materials. We experimentally synthesized CR-G samples with different degrees of reduction to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed strategy. Experimental results show that the PT performance of the CR-G samples is greatly improved owing to the absorption enhancement by chemical reduction in the NIR-II biowindow. Furthermore, both in vitro and in vivo PA imaging of the CR-G samples with different degrees of reduction are performed to demonstrate their enhanced NIR-II PA performances. This work provides a feasible guidance for the rational design of graphene oxide nanomaterials with great potential for PT and PA applications in the NIR-II biowindow by chemical reduction.

Emerging Phospholipid Nanobiomaterials for Biomedical Applications to Lab-on-a-Chip, Drug Delivery, and Cellular Engineering

The design of advanced nanobiomaterials to improve analytical accuracy and therapeutic efficacy has become an important prerequisite for the development of innovative nanomedicines. Recently, phospholipid nanobiomaterials including 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) have attracted great attention with remarkable characteristics such as resistance to nonspecific protein adsorption and cell adhesion for various biomedical applications. Despite many recent reports, there is a lack of comprehensive review on the phospholipid nanobiomaterials from synthesis to diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Here, we review the synthesis and characterization of phospholipid nanobiomaterials focusing on MPC polymers and highlight their attractive potentials for applications in micro/nanofabricated fluidic devices, biosensors, lab-on-a-chip, drug delivery systems (DDSs), COVID-19 potential usages for early diagnosis and even treatment, and artificial extracellular matrix scaffolds for cellular engineering.

Review of Oxygenation with Nanobubbles: Possible Treatment for Hypoxic COVID-19 Patients

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has spread around the world, caused the death of many affected patients, partly because of the lack of oxygen arising from impaired respiration or blood circulation. Thus, maintaining an appropriate level of oxygen in the patients' blood by devising alternatives to ventilator systems is a top priority goal for clinicians. The present review highlights the ever-increasing application of nanobubbles (NBs), miniature gaseous vesicles, for the oxygenation of hypoxic patients. Oxygen-containing NBs can exert a range of beneficial physiologic and pharmacologic effects that include tissue oxygenation, as well as tissue repair mechanisms, antiinflammatory properties, and antibacterial activity. In this review, we provide a comprehensive survey of the application of oxygen-containing NBs, with a primary focus on the development of intravenous platforms. The multimodal functions of oxygen-carrying NBs, including antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, drug carrying, and the promotion of wound healing are discussed, including the benefits and challenges of using NBs as a treatment for patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, particularly due to COVID-19.

Macrophage membrane camouflaged reactive oxygen species responsive nanomedicine for efficiently inhibiting the vascular intimal hyperplasia

BACKGROUND

Intimal hyperplasia caused by vascular injury is an important pathological process of many vascular diseases, especially occlusive vascular disease. In recent years, Nano-drug delivery system has attracted a wide attention as a novel treatment strategy, but there are still some challenges such as high clearance rate and insufficient targeting.

RESULTS

In this study, we report a biomimetic ROS-responsive MM@PCM/RAP nanoparticle coated with macrophage membrane. The macrophage membrane with the innate "homing" capacity can superiorly regulate the recruitment of MM@PCM/RAP to inflammatory lesion to enhance target efficacy, and can also disguise MM@PCM/RAP nanoparticle as the autologous cell to avoid clearance by the immune system. In addition, MM@PCM/RAP can effectively improve the solubility of rapamycin and respond to the high concentration level of ROS accumulated in pathological lesion for controlling local cargo release, thereby increasing drug availability and reducing toxic side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings validate that the rational design, biomimetic nanoparticles MM@PCM/RAP, can effectively inhibit the pathological process of intimal injury with excellent biocompatibility.

Bio-Templating: An Emerging Synthetic Technique for Catalysts. A Review

In the last few years, researchers have focused their attention on the synthesis of new catalyst structures based on or inspired by nature. Biotemplating involves the transfer of biological structures to inorganic materials through artificial mineralization processes. This approach offers the main advantage of allowing morphological control of the product, as a template with the desired morphology can be pre-determined, as long as it is found in nature. This way, natural evolution through millions of years can provide us with new synthetic pathways to develop some novel functional materials with advantageous properties, such as sophistication, miniaturization, hybridization, hierarchical organization, resistance, and adaptability to the required need. The field of application of these materials is very wide, covering nanomedicine, energy capture and storage, sensors, biocompatible materials, adsorbents, and catalysis. In the latter case, bio-inspired materials can be applied as catalysts requiring different types of active sites (i.e., redox, acidic, basic sites, or a combination of them) to a wide range of processes, including conventional thermal catalysis, photocatalysis, or electrocatalysis, among others. This review aims to cover current experimental studies in the field of biotemplating materials synthesis and their characterization, focusing on their application in heterogeneous catalysis.

Enhancement of Cancer Chemotherapeutic Efficacy via Bone-Targeted Drug Delivery Carrier in Bone Metastases

Purpose

Bone metastases are common in malignant tumors, especially for the advanced cancers. Chemotherapy is an important treatment in clinic, but the application is limited due to the severe adverse reactions. We try to design bone-targeted drug delivery systems (DDS) for the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs in bone metastatic carcinoma.

Material and Methods

We added alendronate (Aln) to metal organic framework (MOF) to synthesize a new bone-targeted DDS named Aln-MOF. Doxorubicin (DOX) as a classic anti-cancer drug was encapsulated. The material characterization, drug release and bone affinity were detected. In vitro experiment, the cell toxicity was detected by cck-8 test and cellular uptake were detected by laser scanning confocal microscope and flow cytometry. In vivo experiment, the pharmacokinetics of DDS in the blood was analyzed by fluorescence spectrophotometer and the biodistribution was detected by a multi-mode optical in vivo imaging system. The anti-tumor effects of MOF_DOX and Aln-MOF_DOX were evaluated by monitoring the tumor volume and weight during the animal experiment. In addition, the toxicity of DDS to different organs was determined by HE staining.

Results

Aln-MOF showed good stability, no cytotoxicity and better bone affinity than MOF. Both MOF_DOX and Aln-MOF_DOX could release DOX, and the release rate at pH = 5.5 was faster than the rate at pH = 7.4. The cellular uptake of Aln-MOF and MOF showed no difference. Aln-MOF had a long retention time in blood, which is beneficial for the enrichment of Aln-MOF in tumor sites. Aln-MOF mainly concentrated at bone metastases in mice. MOF_DOX and Aln-MOF_DOX could effectively delay tumor progression, and the effect of Aln-MOFDOX was more obvious (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our study confirmed that Aln-MOF has good stability, bone targeting and biosafety. Aln-MOF_DOX could release DOX and effectively kill tumor cells of bone metastases. Aln-MOF_DOX has a promising prospect in the treatment of bone metastasis.

Novel Synthesized N-Ethyl-Piperazinyl-Amides of C2-Substituted Oleanonic and Ursonic Acids Exhibit Cytotoxic Effects through Apoptotic Cell Death Regulation

A series of novel hybrid chalcone N-ethyl-piperazinyl amide derivatives of oleanonic and ursonic acids were synthesized, and their cytotoxic potential was evaluated in vitro against the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel. Compounds 4 and 6 exhibited the highest overall anticancer activity, with GI₅₀ values in some cases reaching nanomolar values. Thus, the two compounds were further assessed in detail in order to identify a possible apoptosis- and antiangiogenic-based mechanism of action induced by the assessed compounds. DAPI staining revealed that both compounds induced nuclei condensation and overall cell morphological changes consistent with apoptotic cell death. rtPCR analysis showed that up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bak gene combined with the down-regulation of the pro-survival Bcl-XL and Bcl-2 genes caused altered ratios between the pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins’ levels, leading to overall induced apoptosis. Molecular docking analysis revealed that both compounds exhibited high scores for Bcl-XL inhibition, suggesting that compounds may induce apoptotic cell death through targeted anti-apoptotic protein inhibition, as well. Ex vivo determinations showed that both compounds did not significantly alter the angiogenesis process on the tested cell lines.

Image-guided selection of Gd@C-dots as sensitizers to improve radiotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Recently, gadolinium-intercalated carbon dots (Gd@C-dots) have demonstrated potential advantages over traditional high-Z nanoparticles (HZNPs) as radiosensitizers due to their high stability, minimal metal leakage, and remarkable efficacy.

RESULTS

In this work, two Gd@C-dots formulations were fabricated which bore carboxylic acid (CA-Gd@C-dots) or amino group (pPD-Gd@C-dots), respectively, on the carbon shell. While it is critical to develop innovative nanomateirals for cancer therapy, determining their tumor accumulation and retention is equally important. Therefore, in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) was performed, which found that 64Cu-labeled pPD-Gd@C-dots demonstrated significantly improved tumor retention (up to 48 h post injection) compared with CA-Gd@C-dots. Indeed, cell uptake of 64Cu-pPD-Gd@C-dots reached close to 60% of total dose compared with ~ 5% of 64Cu-CA-Gd@C-dots. pPD-Gd@C-dots was therefore further evaluated as a new radiosensitizer for non-small cell lung cancer treatment. While single dose radiation plus intratumorally injected pPD-Gd@C-dots did lead to improved tumor suppression, the inhibition effect was further improved with two doses of radiation. The persistent retention of pPD-Gd@C-dots in tumor region eliminates the need of reinjecting radiosensitizer for the second radiation.

CONCLUSIONS

PET offers a simple and straightforward way to study nanoparticle retention in vivo, and the selected pPD-Gd@C-dots hold great potential as an effective radiosensitizer.

Combination of cell-penetrating peptides with nanomaterials for the potential therapeutics of central nervous system disorders: a review

Although nanomedicine have greatly developed and human life span has been extended, we have witnessed the soared incidence of central nervous system (CNS) diseases including neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease), ischemic stroke, and brain tumors, which have severely damaged the quality of life and greatly increased the economic and social burdens. Moreover, partial small molecule drugs and almost all large molecule drugs (such as recombinant protein, therapeutic antibody, and nucleic acid) cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. Therefore, it is especially important to develop a drug delivery system that can effectively deliver therapeutic drugs to the central nervous system for the treatment of central nervous system diseases. Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) provide a potential strategy for the transport of macromolecules through the blood-brain barrier. This study analyzed and summarized the progress of CPPs in CNS diseases from three aspects: CPPs, the conjugates of CPPs and drug, and CPPs modified nanoparticles to provide scientific basis for the application of CPPs for CNS diseases.

A POSS-assisted fluorescent probe for the rapid detection of HClO in mitochondria with a large emission wavelength in dual channels

Hypochlorous acid (HClO) is closely related to many diseases and is an inevitable part of the physiological processes. It is significant to detect HClO in mitochondria for getting meaningful physiological and pathological information. However, adequate tools to detect HClO with emissions in two channels are rarely reported. To achieve this target, in this work, a "turn-off" visual and near infrared (NIR) fluorescent dual emission probe D6 based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) was successfully designed and synthesized. D6 showed high selectivity and sensitivity to HClO. Notably, the emission wavelength of D6 reached 820 nm due to the assistance of the POSS cage. In addition, bioimaging experiments clearly showed that probe D6 promoted the visualization of exogenous and endogenous HClO in living HepG2 cells and zebrafish models.

Synthesis of holey graphene for advanced nanotechnological applications

Holey or porous graphene, a structural derivative of graphene, has attracted immense attention due to its unique properties and potential applications in different branches of science and technology. In this review, the synthesis methods of holey or porous graphene/graphene oxide are systematically summarized and their potential applications in different areas are discussed. The process-structure-applications are explained, which helps relate the synthesis approaches to their corresponding key applications. The review paper is anticipated to benefit the readers in understanding the different synthesis methods of holey graphene, their key parameters to control the pore size distribution, advantages and limitations, and their potential applications in various fields.

Amplified antitumor efficacy by a targeted drug retention and chemosensitization strategy-based "combo" nanoagent together with PD-L1 blockade in reversing multidrug resistance

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have demonstrated that multidrug resistance (MDR) is a critical factor in the low efficacy of cancer chemotherapy. The main mechanism of MDR arises from the overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which actively enhances drug efflux and limits the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents.

RESULTS

In this study, we fabricated a "combo" nanoagent equipping with triple synergistic strategies for enhancing antitumor efficacy against MDR cells. Tumor homing-penetrating peptide endows the nanosystem with targeting and penetrating capabilities in the first stage of tumor internalization. The abundant amine groups of polyethylenimine (PEI)-modified nanoparticles then trigger a proton sponge effect to promote endo/lysosomal escape, which enhances the intracellular accumulation and retention of anticancer drugs. Furthermore, copper tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (CuTCPP) encapsulated in the nanosystem, effectively scavenges endogenous glutathione (GSH) to reduce the detoxification mediated by GSH and sensitize the cancer cells to drugs, while simultaneously serving as a photoacoustic imaging (PAI) contrast agent for image visualization. Moreover, we also verify that these versatile nanoparticles in combination with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy can not only activate immunological responses but also inhibit P-gp expression to obliterate primary and metastatic tumors.

CONCLUSION

This work shows a significant enhancement in therapeutic efficacy against MDR cells and syngeneic tumors by using multiple MDR reversing strategies compared to an equivalent dose of free paclitaxel.

Overcoming chemotherapy resistance using pH-sensitive hollow MnO2 nanoshells that target the hypoxic tumor microenvironment of metastasized oral squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Smart nanoscale drug delivery systems that target acidic tumor microenvironments (TME) could offer controlled release of drugs and modulate the hypoxic TME to enhance cancer therapy. The majority of previously reported MnO₂ nanostructures are nanoparticles, nanosheets, or nanocomposites incorporated with other types of nanoparticles, which may not offer the most effective method for drug loading or for the controlled release of therapeutic payloads. Previous studies have designed MnO₂ nanoshells that achieve tumor-specific and enhanced combination therapy for localized advanced cancer. However, the therapeutic effect of MnO₂ nanoshells on metastatic cancer is still uncertain.

RESULT

Here, intelligent "theranostic" platforms were synthesized based on hollow mesoporous MnO₂ (H-MnO₂) nanoshells that were loaded with chemotherapy agents docetaxel and cisplatin (TP) to form H-MnO₂-PEG/TP nanoshells, which were designed to alleviate tumor hypoxia, attenuate angiogenesis, trigger the dissolution of Mn²⁺, and synergize the efficacy of first-class anticancer chemotherapy. The obtained H-MnO₂-PEG/TP nanoshells decomposed in the acidic TME, releasing the loaded drugs (TP) and simultaneously attenuated tumor hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression by inducing endogenous tumor hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) decomposition. In vitro experiments showed that compared with the control group, the proliferation, colony formation and migration ability of CAL27 and SCC7 cells were significantly reduced in H-MnO₂-PEG/TP group, while cell apoptosis was enhanced, and the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α) was down-regulated. In vivo experiments showed that tumor to normal organ uptake ratio (T/N ratio) of mice in H-MnO₂-PEG/TP group was significantly higher than that in TP group alone (without the nanoparticle), and tumor growth was partially delayed. In the H-MnO₂-PEG/TP treatment group, HE staining showed that most of the tumor cells were severely damaged, and TUNEL assay showed cell apoptosis was up-regulated. He staining of renal and liver sections showed no obvious fibrosis, necrosis or hypertrophy, indicating good biosafety. Fluorescence staining showed that HIF-1α expression was decreased, suggesting that the accumulation of MnO₂ in the tumor caused the decomposition of H₂O₂ into O₂ and alleviated the hypoxia of the tumor.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, a remarkable in vivo and in vitro synergistic therapeutic effect is achieved through the combination of TP chemotherapy, which simultaneously triggered a series of antiangiogenic and oxidative antitumor reactions.

Decomposable black phosphorus nano-assembly for controlled delivery of cisplatin and inhibition of breast cancer metastasis

Novel platforms for cisplatin delivery with a controllable manner and combinable with other treatment modality to achieve synergistic antitumor effect and inhibition metastasis for treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) are highly desirable. Herein, we report a black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets-based nano-assembly which consists of cisplatin, BP, polydopamine (PDA) and hyaluronic acid (HA), cisplatin/BP/PDA-HA (CBPH), for controlled delivery of cisplatin and inhibition tumor growth as well as lung metastasis of TNBC. For constructing CBPH, the surface of BP was dual modified by PDA and HA, resulting in enhanced stability, tumor target ability and photothermal efficiency of BP. Cisplatin was released in response both to internal and external stimuli existed in tumor microenvironment, including low pH, hydrogen peroxide and NIR light, as accompanied by decomposition of BP. In vitro experiments demonstrated CBPH-treated 4 T1 cells showed elevated intracellular content of Pt and Pt-DNA adduct, which was further improved when exposure to NIR light, leading to potent antitumor effect in a synergistic pattern. Anti-metastasis studies in 2D monolayers and 3D organoids revealed that CBPH plus NIR light treatment exhibited significantly decreased migration, invasion and regrowth ability of 4 T1 cells. Furthermore, TNBC-bearing mice with systemic administrate of CBPH showed enhanced tumor accumulation of cisplatin and light-triggered inhibition of tumor growth at primary site and lung metastasis, with alleviated toxicity. But CBPH is yet to be optimized for realizing smart cisplatin delivery in response to acidic and redox stimuli in vivo. Collectively, our study demonstrates that this novel BP-based nano-assembly with controllable tumor delivery of cisplatin and metastasis inhibition of breast cancer expand the use of BP in biomedicine field and hold great promise for further development.

Development of a multi-functional preclinical device for the treatment of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most common and aggressive malignant primary brain tumors in adults. The treatment of GBM is limited by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which limits the diffusion of appropriate concentrations of therapeutic agents at the tumor site. Among experimental therapies, photo-thermal therapy (PTT) mediated by nanoparticles is a promising strategy. To propose a preclinical versatile research instrument for the development of new PTT for GBM, a multipurpose integrated preclinical device was developed. The setup is able to perform: i) BBB permeabilization by focused ultrasound sonication (FUS); ii) PTT with continuous wave laser; iii) in situ temperature monitoring with photo-acoustic (PA) measurements. In vivo preliminary subcutaneous and transcranial experiments were conducted on healthy or tumor-bearing mice. Transcranial FUS-induced BBB permeabilization was validated using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. PTT capacities were monitored by PA thermometry, and are illustrated through subcutaneous and transcranial in vivo experiments. The results show the therapeutic possibilities and ergonomy of such integrated device as a tool for the validation of future treatments.

Sulfobetaine methacrylate-albumin-coated graphene oxide incorporating IR780 for enhanced breast cancer phototherapy

Aim: Enhance the colloidal stability and photothermal capacity of graphene oxide (GO) by functionalizing it with sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA)-grafted bovine serum albumin (BSA; i.e., SBMA-g-BSA) and by loading IR780, respectively. Materials & methods: SBMA-g-BSA coating and IR780 loading into GO was achieved through a simple sonication process. Results: SBMA-g-BSA-functionalized GO (SBMA-BSA/GO) presented an adequate size distribution and cytocompatibility. When in contact with biologically relevant media, the size of the SBMA-BSA/GO only increased by 8%. By loading IR780 into SBMA-BSA/GO, its photothermal capacity increased by twofold. The combination of near infrared light with SBMA-BSA/GO did not induce photocytotoxicity on breast cancer cells. In contrast, the interaction of IR780-loaded SBMA-BSA/GO with near infrared light caused the ablation of cancer cells. Conclusion: IR780-loaded SBMA-BSA/GO displayed an improved colloidal stability and phototherapeutic capacity.

A flexible and salt-rejecting electrospun film-based solar evaporator for economic, stable and efficient solar desalination and wastewater treatment

Recently, interfacial solar evaporation has been developed for water treatment. However, the high cost and low stability of solar evaporators significantly hinder their practical applications. In this study, layered graphene and polymethylmethacrylate were used to fabricate a composited film (GF) by electrospinning, which acted as a solar absorber. Together with a water transporter (polyurethane sponge) and a thermal insulator (polystyrene foam), the GF-based evaporator was constructed for solar distillation. Taking advantage of the porous three-dimensional structure of GF, the light path could be extended, rendering an efficient broadband solar absorption (92%). More importantly, although the content of layered graphene in the GF-based evaporator (1.75 g m^-2) was only 5.8-17.5% of that in the current reported graphene-based evaporators (10-30 g m^-2), a comparable water evaporation efficiency was acquired, which was induced by the much higher utilization efficiency of photothermal nanomaterials in the GF-based evaporator than that in the reported devices, ensuring its economic feasibility. Meanwhile, more than 99.9% heavy metal ions and 99.8% organic dye could be removed by the GF-based evaporator. Combining the merits of long-term and stable evaporation, salt rejection, and resistance to harsh environment, the GF-based evaporator was promising for freshwater recycling from both seawater and wastewater.

Polydopamine-carbon dots functionalized hollow carbon nanoplatform for fluorescence-imaging and photothermal-enhanced thermochemotherapy

The low power photothermal therapy can reduce the tissue damage caused by laser irradiation, thus the near-infrared (NIR) absorbing vehicles with high photothermal conversion efficiency are demanded in the low power treatment. Herein, the NIR-absorbing agent polydopamine (PDA) and carbon dots (CDs) were gated on the openings of hollow mesoporous carbon (HMC) to construct a photothermal enhanced multi-functional system (HMC-SS-PDA@CDs). Interestingly, the fluorescence emission wavelength of HMC-SS-PDA@CDs was red-shifted by FRET effect between PDA and CDs, which solved the dilemma of fluorescence quenching of carbon-based materials and was more conducive to cell imaging. The modification of PDA@CDs not only acts as the gatekeepers to realize multi-responsive release of pH, GSH and NIR, but also endows the HMC vehicle with excellent photothermal generation capacity, the possibility for bio-imaging as well as the enhanced stability. Naturally, both the cytological level and the multicellular tumor sphere level demonstrate that the delivery system has good low-power synergistic therapeutic with combination index (CI) of 0.348 and imaging effects. Meanwhile, the combined treatment group showed the highest tumor inhibition rate of 92.6% at 0.75 W/cm². Therefore, DOX/HMC-SS-PDA@CDs nano-platform had broad application prospects in low power therapy and convenient imaging of carbon-based materials.

Integrating gold nanoclusters, folic acid and reduced graphene oxide for nanosensing of glutathione based on "turn-off" fluorescence

Glutathione (GSH) is a useful biomarker in the development, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, most of the reported GSH biosensors are expensive, time-consuming and often require complex sample treatment, which limit its biological applications. Herein, a nanobiosensor for the detection of GSH using folic acid-functionalized reduced graphene oxide-modified BSA gold nanoclusters (FA-rGO-BSA/AuNCs) based on the fluorescence quenching interactions is presented. Firstly, a facile and optimized protocol for the fabrication of BSA/AuNCs is developed. Functionalization of rGO with folic acid is performed using EDC/NHS cross-linking reagents, and their interaction after loading with BSA/AuNCs is demonstrated. The formation of FA-rGO, BSA/AuNCs and FA-rGO-BSA/AuNCs are confirmed by the state-of-art characterization techniques. Finally, a fluorescence turn-off sensing strategy is developed using the as-synthesized FA-rGO-BSA/AuNCs for the detection of GSH. The nanobiosensor revealed an excellent sensing performance for the detection of GSH with high sensitivity and desirable selectivity over other potential interfering species. The fluorescence quenching is linearly proportional to the concentration of GSH between 0 and 1.75 µM, with a limit of detection of 0.1 µM under the physiological pH conditions (pH 7.4). Such a sensitive nanobiosensor paves the way to fabricate a "turn-on" or "turn-off" fluorescent sensor for important biomarkers in cancer cells, presenting potential nanotheranostic applications in biological detection and clinical diagnosis.

Photothermal Therapy for the Treatment of Glioblastoma: Potential and Preclinical Challenges

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a very aggressive primary malignant brain tumor and finding effective therapies is a pharmaceutical challenge and an unmet medical need. Photothermal therapy may be a promising strategy for the treatment of GBM, as it allows the destruction of the tumor using heat as a non-chemical treatment for disease bypassing the GBM heterogeneity limitations, conventional drug resistance mechanisms and side effects on peripheral healthy tissues. However, its development is hampered by the distinctive features of this tumor. Photoabsorbing agents such as nanoparticles need to reach the tumor site at therapeutic concentrations, crossing the blood-brain barrier upon systemic administration. Subsequently, a near infrared light irradiating the head must cross multiple barriers to reach the tumor site without causing any local damage. Its power intensity needs to be within the safety limit and its penetration depth should be sufficient to induce deep and localized hyperthermia and achieve tumor destruction. To properly monitor the therapy, imaging techniques that can accurately measure the increase in temperature within the brain must be used. In this review, we report and discuss recent advances in nanoparticle-mediated plasmonic photothermal therapy for GBM treatment and discuss the preclinical challenges commonly faced by researchers to develop and test such systems.

Nanomaterials for oncotherapies targeting the hallmarks of cancer

An increasing amount of evidence has demonstrated the diverse functionalities of nanomaterials in oncotherapies such as drug delivery, imaging, and killing cancer cells. This review aims to offer an authoritative guide for the development of nanomaterial-based oncotherapies and shed light on emerging yet understudied hallmarks of cancer where nanoparticles can help improve cancer control. With this aim, three nanomaterials, i.e. those based on gold, graphene, and liposome, were selected to represent and encompass metal inorganic, nonmetal inorganic, and organic nanomaterials, and four oncotherapies, i.e. phototherapies, immunotherapies, cancer stem cell therapies, and metabolic therapies, were characterized based on the differential hallmarks of cancer that they target. We also view physical plasma as a cocktail of reactive species and carrier of nanomaterials and focus on its roles in targeting the hallmarks of cancer provided with its unique traits and ability to selectively induce epigenetic and genetic modulations in cancer cells that halt tumor initiation and progression. This review provides a clear understanding of how the physico-chemical features of particles at the nanoscale contribute alone or create synergistic effects with current treatment modalities in combating each of the hallmarks of cancer that ultimately leads to desired therapeutic outcomes and shapes the toolbox for cancer control.

Graphene/CuO2 Nanoshuttles with Controllable Release of Oxygen Nanobubbles Promoting Interruption of Bacterial Respiration

An oxygen nanoshuttle based on a reduced graphene oxide/copper peroxide (rGO/CuO₂) nanocomposite has been presented to deliver in situ oxygen nanobubbles (O₂ NBs) for combating bacterial infections. In the presence of rGO, the solid source of oxygen (i.e., CuO₂) was decomposed (in response to environmental conditions such as pH and temperature) into O₂ NBs in a more controllable and long-lasting trend (from 60 to 144 h). In a neutral buffer, the O₂ NBs experienced growth and collapse evolutions, creating a dynamic micro-nanoenvironment around the nanocomposite. In addition to effective battling against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, the O₂ NBs demonstrated superior antibacterial properties on Gram-positive S. aureus to those on Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria, especially in the presence of rGO. In fact, the rGO contents could provide synergistic effects through harvesting some respiratory electrons (leading to striking interruption of the bacterial respiratory pathway) in one side and transferring them into the O₂ NBs, resulting in nanoscale reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in another side. Moreover, near-infrared laser irradiation induced more damage to the cell membrane due to the synergistic effects of local heat elevation and catalyzing the release/collapse of NBs imposing mechanical disruptions. Our results show that the O₂-containing nanoshuttles can effectively be used as intelligent and controllable anti-infection nanorobots in upcoming graphene-based nanobiomedical applications.

Graphene-Based Thermoacoustic Sound Source

Thermoacoustic (TA) effect has been discovered for more than 130 years. However, limited by the material characteristics, the performance of a TA sound source could not be compared with magnetoelectric and piezoelectric loudspeakers. Recently, graphene, a two-dimensional material with the lowest heat capacity per unit area, was discovered to have a good TA performance. Compared with a traditional sound source, graphene TA sound sources (GTASSs) have many advantages, such as small volume, no diaphragm vibration, wide frequency range, high transparency, good flexibility, and high sound pressure level (SPL). Therefore, graphene has a great potential as a next-generation sound source. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging can also be applied to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases using the photothermo-acoustic (PTA) effect. Therefore, in this review, we will introduce the history of TA devices. Then, the theory and simulation model of TA will be analyzed in detail. After that, we will talk about the graphene synthesis method. To improve the performance of GTASSs, many strategies such as lowering the thickness and using porous or suspended structures will be introduced. With a good PTA effect and large specific area, graphene PA imaging and drug delivery is a promising prospect in cancer treatment. Finally, the challenges and prospects of GTASSs will be discussed.

Graphene and other 2D materials: a multidisciplinary analysis to uncover the hidden potential as cancer theranostics

Cancer represents one of the main causes of death in the world; hence the development of more specific approaches for its diagnosis and treatment is urgently needed in clinical practice. Here we aim at providing a comprehensive review on the use of 2-dimensional materials (2DMs) in cancer theranostics. In particular, we focus on graphene-related materials (GRMs), graphene hybrids, and graphdiyne (GDY), as well as other emerging 2DMs, such as MXene, tungsten disulfide (WS2), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), black phosphorus (BP), silicene, antimonene (AM), germanene, biotite (black mica), metal organic frameworks (MOFs), and others. The results reported in the scientific literature in the last ten years (>200 papers) are dissected here with respect to the wide variety of combinations of imaging methodologies and therapeutic approaches, including drug/gene delivery, photothermal/photodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy. We provide a unique multidisciplinary approach in discussing the literature, which also includes a detailed section on the characterization methods used to analyze the material properties, highlighting the merits and limitations of the different approaches. The aim of this review is to show the strong potential of 2DMs for use as cancer theranostics, as well as to highlight issues that prevent the clinical translation of these materials. Overall, we hope to shed light on the hidden potential of the vast panorama of new and emerging 2DMs as clinical cancer theranostics.

Noble Metals Based Bimetallic and Trimetallic Nanoparticles: Controlled Synthesis, Antimicrobial and Anticancer Applications

Noble bimetallic and trimetallic nanoparticles (NBT-NPs) have superior biomedical applications as compared to their monometallic counterparts. The performance of these nanomaterials depends on their composition, shape and size. Hence, the controlled-synthesis of these nanomaterials is a hot area of research. Till date, no review article in the literature accounts regarding the controlled-synthesis and biomedical applications related to morphology, optimum composition, biocompatibility and versatile chemistry of NBT-NPs. Taking this into contemplation, an effort was made to provide a clear insight into the morphology-controlled synthesis and size/shape-dependent anticancer and bactericidal applications of NBT-NPs. Chemical reduction method for the controlled-synthesis of NBT-NPs is reviewed critically. Furthermore, the potential role of various reaction parameters such as time, reducing agents, stabilizing/capping agents, nature/concentration of precursors, temperature and pH in the shape/size-controlled synthesis of these nanomaterials are discussed. In the second part of this article, anticancer and bactericidal applications of the NBT-NPs are reviewed and the influences of optimum composition, size, surface structure, versatile chemistry and synergism are studied. Finally, the current challenges in the controlled-synthesis and biomedical applications of these nanomaterials, and prospects to resolve related issues are discussed. HighlightsChemical reduction method for the synthesis of NBT-NPs is reviewed.The influences of parameters on the control synthesis of NBT-NPs are discussed.Antibacterial and anticancer applications and cytotoxicity of NBT-NPs are reviewed.Possible solutions for the key challenges are discussed.Outlooks about the synthesis and biomedical applications of NBT-NPs are discussed.

Graphene family nanomaterials for application in cancer combination photothermal therapy

Combining hyperthermia with other therapies holds a great potential for improving cancer treatment. In this approach, the increase in the body temperature can exert a therapeutic effect on cells and/or enhance the effectiveness of anticancer agents. However, the conventional methodologies available to induce hyperthermia cannot confine a high temperature increase to the tumor-site while maintaining healthy tissues unexposed and ensuring minimal invasiveness. To overcome these limitations, combination photothermal therapy (PTT) mediated by graphene family nanomaterials (GFN) has been showing promising results. Such is owed to the ability of GFN to accumulate at the tumor site and convert near infrared light into heat, enabling a hyperthermia with a high spatial-temporal resolution. Furthermore, GFN can also incorporate different therapeutic agents on their structure for delivery purposes to cancer cells. In this way, the combination PTT mediated by GFN can result in an improved therapeutic effect. In this review, the combination of GFN mediated PTT with chemo-, photodynamic-, gene-, radio-, and immuno-therapies is examined. Furthermore, the main parameters that influence these types of combination approaches are also analyzed, with emphasis on the photothermal potential of GFN and on the vascular and cellular effects produced by the temperature increase mediated by GFN.

Graphene Oxide Causes Disordered Zonation Due to Differential Intralobular Localization in the Liver

The liver is the primary organ to sequester nanodrugs, representing a substantial hurdle for drug delivery and raising toxicity concerns. However, the mechanistic details underlying the liver sequestration and effects on the liver are still elusive. The difficulty in studying the liver lies in its complexity, which is structured with stringently organized anatomical units called lobules. Graphene oxide (GO) has attracted attention for its applications in biomedicine, especially as a nanocarrier; however, its sequestration and effects in the liver, the major enrichment and metabolic organ, are less understood. Herein, we unveiled the differential distribution of GO in lobules in the liver, with a higher amount surrounding portal triad zones than the central vein zones. Strikingly, liver zonation patterns also changed, as reflected by changes in vital zonated genes involved in hepatocyte integrity and metabolism, leading to compromised hepatic functions. RNA-Seq and DNA methylation sequencing analyses unraveled that GO-induced changes in liver functional zonation could be ascribed to dysregulation of key signaling pathways governing liver zonation at not only mRNA transcriptions but also DNA methylation imprinting patterns, partially through TET-dependent signaling. Together, this study reveals the differential GO distribution pattern in liver lobules and pinpoints the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in GO-induced liver zonation alterations.

Facile phase transfer of hydrophobic Fe3O4@Cu2-xS nanoparticles by red blood cell membrane for MRI and phototherapy in the second near-infrared window

The development of nanotheranostic agents integrating diagnosis and therapy has gained tremendous attention in the past few decades, but many of them are inherently hydrophobic and need complicated phase-transfer and tedious surface modifications. This work proposed a facile method of transferring hydrophobic Fe₃O₄@Cu_2-xS nanoparticles from oil to water by using red blood cell membrane to create theranostic nanobeads for T₂-weighted MRI and second near-infrared photothermal ablation. The obtained nanoplatform, namely SCS@RBCM, showed a core-shell structure with the inner core densely packed with Fe₃O₄@Cu_2-xS nanoclusters and the surface coated with a layer of RBCM. SCS@RBCM displayed a stable nanostructure, high NIR II light absorption and photothermal conversion ability, T₂-weighted MR imaging and magnetic field targeting ability. Meanwhile, the RBCM cloaking endowed SCS with reduced elimination by macrophages. With the navigation of an external magnetic field (MF), the tumor accumulation of SCS@RBCM was dramatically increased, thus achieving good performance of MR imaging and antitumor efficacy through the PTT effect under NIR II irradiation. Therefore, our strategy presents a new and desirable paradigm in the phase-transfer of hydrophobic nanotheranostics for optimizing their biomedical performance.

Dual Modality FeS Nanoparticles with Reactive Oxygen Species-Induced and Photothermal Toxicity toward Pathogenic Bacteria

Bacterial infections pose a major threat to human health, primarily because of the evolution of mutated strains that are resistant to antibiotic treatment. As a viable alternative, several nanoparticles have emerged as attractive antibacterial agents. Herein, we report the development of iron sulfide (FeS) nanoparticles that show dual-modality therapy: namely reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced toxicity and red-laser induced photothermal therapy. The aqueous synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized based on their size, shape, crystallinity, and magnetic and optical properties. These nanoparticles showed sustained release of Fe²⁺ ions in an aqueous dispersion. They also have a high absorption cross-section in the visible and near infra-red regions and could be excited by a continuous wave diode laser of wavelength 635 nm leading to significant hyperthermia. Nanoparticle treatment, followed by light irradiation, led to significant cell death in two ghastly pathogenic bacterial strains. Stepwise enhancement of intrabacterial ROS levels, as a result of nanoparticle treatment followed by light activation, has been identified as the primary antibacterial mechanism.

Nanomaterials in electrochemical cytosensors

Nano-electrochemical cytosensors have attracted intensive attention and achieved huge progress in the biomedical field owing to their stability, rapidity, accuracy, and low-cost properties.

Recent advancements in polyethyleneimine-based materials and their biomedical, biotechnology, and biomaterial applications

Precise-synthesis strategies and integration approaches of bioinspired PEI-based systems, and their biomedical, biotechnology and biomaterial applications.

Graphene aerogel nanoparticles for in-situ loading/pH sensitive releasing anticancer drugs

Free polymer graphene aerogel nanoparticles (GA NPs) were synthesized by using reduction/aggregation of graphene oxide (GO) sheets in the presence of vitamin C (as a biocompatible reductant agent) at a low temperature (40 °C), followed by an effective sonication. Synthesis of GA NPs in doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX)-containing solution results in the simultaneous synthesis and drug loading with higher performance (than that of the separately synthesized and loaded samples). To investigate the mechanism of loading and the capability of GA NPs in the loading of other drug structures, two groups of ionized (DOX, Amikacin sulfate and, d-glucosamine hydrochloride) and non-ionized (Paclitaxel (PTX)) drugs were examined. Furthermore, the relationship between the bipolar level of DOX solution (contributing to H-bonding of DOX and GO) and the amount of DOX loading was investigated. The DOX showed higher loading (>3 times) than PTX, as anticancer drugs. Since both DOX and PTX possess aromatic structures, the higher loading of DOX was assigned to its positive partial charge and ionized nature. Accordingly, other drugs (having positive partial charge and ionized nature, but no aromatic structure) such as Amikacin sulfate and d-glucosamine hydrochloride presented higher loading than PTX. These results indicated that although the π-π interactions induced by aromatic structures are important in drug loading, the electrostatic interaction of ionized drugs with GO (especially through H-bonding) is the dominant mechanism. DOX-loaded GANPs showed high pH-sensitive release (equivalent to the carrier weight) after 5 days, which can indicate benefits in tumor cell acidic microenvironments in-vivo.

Potential clinical applications of the personalized, disease-specific protein corona on nanoparticles

Nanoscale objects lose their original identity once in contact with biological fluids and get a new biological identity, referred to as a protein corona (PC). The PC modifies many of the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles (NPs), including surface charge, size, and aggregation state. These changes, in turn, affect the biological fate of NPs, including their biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, and therapeutic efficacy. It is well known that even small differences in the composition of a protein source (e.g., plasma and serum) can considerably change the composition of the corona formed on the surface of the same NPs. Recently, it has been shown that the PC is intensely affected by the patient's specific disease. Consequently, the same nanomaterial incubated with proteins of biological fluids belonging to patients with different pathologies adsorbs protein coronas with different compositions, giving rise to the concept of the personalized protein corona (PPC). Herein, we review recent advances on the topic of PPC, with a particular focus on their clinical significance.

Ultrahigh Permeable C2N-Inspired Graphene Nanomesh Membranes versus Highly Strained C2N for Reverse Osmosis Desalination

The reverse osmosis (RO) desalination capability of hydrogenated and hydroxylated graphene nanomesh membranes (GNMs) inspired by the morphology of carbon nitride (C₂N) has been studied by using molecular dynamics simulation. As an advantage, water permeance of the GNMs is found to be several orders of magnitude higher than that of the available RO filters and comparable with highly strained C₂N (S-C₂N) as follows: 6,6-H,OH > 12-H > S-C₂N > 5,5-H,OH > 10-H. The reverse order is found for salt rejection, regardless of S-C₂N. The hydrophilic character of the incorporated -OH functional group is believed to be responsible for linking the water molecules in feed and permeate sides via the formation of strong hydrogen bonds. This leads to a remarkable reduction in resistance of water molecules during penetration across GNMs. In fact, water permeance and salt rejection of the GNMs are controllable by adjusting the effective size and chemistry of their nanopores, while these kinds of adjustments are principally impossible for C₂N, resulting in limiting the water permeance. More importantly, the C₂N nanofilter works efficiently only under high tensile strain, which is not so straightforward in practice. These observations are also verified by computing electrostatic potential map interaction and barrier energies for transportation of water molecules/ions through GNMs based on quantum chemistry aspects.

Regulation of Neural Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation by Graphene-Based Biomaterials

The transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) has become an emerging treatment for neural degeneration. A key factor in such treatments is to manipulate NSC behaviors such as proliferation and differentiation, resulting in the eventual regulation of NSC fate. Novel bionanomaterials have shown usefulness in guiding the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs due to the materials' unique morphological and topological properties. Among the nanomaterials, graphene has drawn increasing attention for neural regeneration applications based on the material's excellent physicochemical properties, surface modifications, and biocompatibility. In this review, we summarize recent works on the use of graphene-based biomaterials for regulating NSC behaviors and the potential use of these materials in clinical treatment. We also discuss the limitations of graphene-based nanomaterials for use in clinical practice. Finally, we provide some future prospects for graphene-based biomaterial applications in neural regeneration.