Fluorescent probes and bioimaging: alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and pH

A Mini Review on pH-Sensitive Photoluminescence in Carbon Nanodots

Carbon nanodots (C-dots) with sp2/sp3 framework and diameter of <10 nm contain abundant functional groups or polymers on their surface. C-dots have attracted immense attention because of their unique optical properties, excellent biocompatibility, facile preparation, and low cost. With these merits, C-dots have been used in a wide range of applications including sensing, bioimaging, catalysis, and light-emitting devices. C-dots exhibit good optical properties, such as tunable emission wavelength, good photostability, nonblinking, up-conversion emission, etc. Of note, C-dots show intrinsic pH-sensitive photoluminescence (PL), indicating their great potential for pH sensing, especially in biotic pH sensing. In this review, we systematically summarize the pH-sensitive PL properties and the pH-sensitive PL mechanism, as well as recent research progress of C-dots in pH sensing. The current challenges of pH-sensitive C-dots and their future research focus are also proposed here. We anticipate this review might be of great significance for understanding the characteristics of pH-sensitive C-dots and the development of photoluminescent nanomaterials with pH-sensitive properties.

Pyrene based materials as fluorescent probes in chemical and biological fields

Molecules that experience a change in their fluorescence emission due to the effect of fluorescence enhancement upon binding events, like chemical reactions or a change in their immediate environment, are regarded as fluorescent probes.

Fluorimetric Detection of Zn2+, Mg2+, and Fe2+ with 3-Hydroxy-4-Pyridylisoquinoline as Fluorescent Probe

The suitability of 3-hydroxy-4-pyridylisoquinoline to operate as fluorescent chemosensor for the detection of metal ions was investigated. For that purpose, the interactions of the title compound with selected metal ions were investigated by absorption and emission spectroscopy. The complexation of Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Mg²⁺ with 1:1 and 2:1 stoichiometry leads to characteristic optical responses that depend significantly on the employed solvents, thus allowing for the fluorimetric identification and detection of particular metal cations in a matrix-based pattern analysis or by fluorimetric titrations.

A novel near-infrared fluorescent probe with large stokes shifts for sensing extreme acidity and its application in bioimaging

In this work, we reported a novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe RQNN with large Stokes shift (98 nm) for monitoring pH under extremely acidic conditions. For the preparation of this probe, a 1,4-diethylpiperazine moiety was introduced in rhodamine scaffold to tune the electron-donating character, and an o-phenylenediamine was introduced in spironolactone to provide larger steric hindrance. The deprotonated-protonated equilibrium between RQNN, RQNN-H⁺ and RQNN-H⁺⁺ were evaluated in different pH by absorption and emission spectra. As expected, RQNN exhibited lower pk_a values (pk_a1 = 4.83, pk_a2 = 2.99), indicating that the probe can be used in extremely acidic pH. Moreover, RQNN possessed highly selective response to H⁺ over essential metal ions and biologically related redox molecules, high photo-stability, rapid response time, and excellent reversibility. Importantly, the probe had excellent cell membrane permeability and was further applied successfully to monitor pH fluctuations in live cells.

Applications of ion level nanosensors for neuroscience research

Ion activities are tightly associated with brain physiology, such as intracranial cell membrane potential, neural activity and neuropathology. Thus, monitoring the ion levels in the brain is of great significance in neuroscience research. Recently, nanosensors have emerged as powerful tools for monitoring brain ion levels and dynamics. With controllable structures and functions, nanosensors have been intensively used for monitoring neural activity and cell function and can be used in disease diagnosis. Here, we summarize the recent advances in the design and application of ion level nanosensors at different physiological levels, aiming to draw a connection of the interrelated intracranial ion activities. Furthermore, perspectives on the rationally designed ion level nanosensors in understanding the brain functions are highlighted.

Resorufin-based responsive probes for fluorescence and colorimetric analysis

The fluorescence imaging technique has attracted increasing attention in the detection of various biological molecules in situ and in real-time owing to its inherent advantages including high selectivity and sensitivity, outstanding spatiotemporal resolution and fast feedback. In the past few decades, a number of fluorescent probes have been developed for bioassays and imaging by exploiting different fluorophores. Among various fluorophores, resorufin exhibits a high fluorescence quantum yield, long excitation/emission wavelength and pronounced ability in both fluorescence and colorimetric analysis. This fluorophore has been widely utilized in the design of responsive probes specific for various bioactive species. In this review, we summarize the advances in the development of resorufin-based fluorescent probes for detecting various analytes, such as cations, anions, reactive (redox-active) sulfur species, small molecules and biological macromolecules. The chemical structures of probes, response mechanisms, detection limits and practical applications are investigated, which is followed by the discussion of recent challenges and future research perspectives. This review article is expected to promote the further development of resorufin-based responsive fluorescent probes and their biological applications.

Intracellular Sodium Changes in Cancer Cells Using a Microcavity Array-Based Bioreactor System and Sodium Triple-Quantum MR Signal

The sodium triple-quantum (TQ) magnetic resonance (MR) signal created by interactions of sodium ions with macromolecules has been demonstrated to be a valuable biomarker for cell viability. The aim of this study was to monitor a cellular response using the sodium TQ signal during inhibition of Na/K-ATPase in living cancer cells (HepG2). The cells were dynamically investigated after exposure to 1 mM ouabain or K+-free medium for 60 min using an MR-compatible bioreactor system. An improved TQ time proportional phase incrementation (TQTPPI) pulse sequence with almost four times TQ signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain allowed for conducting experiments with 12–14 × 106 cells using a 9.4 T MR scanner. During cell intervention experiments, the sodium TQ signal increased to 138.9 ± 4.1% and 183.4 ± 8.9% for 1 mM ouabain (n = 3) and K+-free medium (n = 3), respectively. During reperfusion with normal medium, the sodium TQ signal further increased to 169.2 ± 5.3% for the ouabain experiment, while it recovered to 128.5 ± 6.8% for the K+-free experiment. These sodium TQ signal increases agree with an influx of sodium ions during Na/K-ATPase inhibition and hence a reduced cell viability. The improved TQ signal detection combined with this MR-compatible bioreactor system provides a capability to investigate the cellular response of a variety of cells using the sodium TQ MR signal.

Quantifiable Polymeric Fluorescent Ratiometric γ-ray Chemosensor

Detection of γ-rays is of vital significance in various areas such as high-energy physics, nuclear medicine, national security, and space exploration. However, many current spectrometry methods are based on ionization effects, which are limited to electron counting and related techniques such as ionization-induced luminescence. Herein, we report an alternative, quantifiable γ-ray chemosensor based on a secondary effect from this ionizing radiation, that is, it was discovered that poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are more sensitive to a γ-ray-induced acid generation process by surveying a series of commercially available polymers. Accordingly, a pH-sensitive fluorescent quinoline derivative is designed and embedded in PMMA or PVC films, which exhibits dramatic emission shift from blue (λ_em = 460-480 nm) to red (λ_em = 570-620 nm) upon exposure to γ-irradiation. A linear response of ratiometric fluorescence intensity (I_red/I_blue) to γ-ray dosage in a wide range (80-4060 Gy) was established, which can be used as a practical visual dosimeter complementary to current techniques.

Recent advances in fluorescent probes for extracellular pH detection and imaging

Extracellular pH plays vital roles in physiological and pathological processes including tumor metastasis and chemotherapy resistance. Abnormal extracellular pH is known to be associated with various pathological states, such as those in tumors, ischemic stroke, infection, and inflammation. Specifically, dysregulated pH is regarded as a hallmark of cancer because enhanced glycolysis and poor perfusion in most solid malignant tumors create an acidic extracellular environment, which enhances tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. Close connection between the cell functions with extracellular pH means that precise and real-time measurement of the dynamic change of extracellular pH can provide critical information for not only studying physiological and pathological processes but also diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. This review highlights the recent development of based fluorescent probes for extracellular pH measurement, including design strategies, reaction mechanism and applications for the detection and imaging of extracellular pH.

Close Temporal Relationship between Oscillating Cytosolic K+ and Growth in Root Hairs of Arabidopsis

Root hair elongation relies on polarized cell expansion at the growing tip. As a major osmotically active ion, potassium is expected to be continuously assimilated to maintain cell turgor during hair tip growth. However, due to the lack of practicable detection methods, the dynamics and physiological role of K⁺ in hair growth are still unclear. In this report, we apply the small-molecule fluorescent K⁺ sensor NK3 in Arabidopsis root hairs for the first time. By employing NK3, oscillating cytoplasmic K⁺ dynamics can be resolved at the tip of growing root hairs, similar to the growth oscillation pattern. Cross-correlation analysis indicates that K⁺ oscillation leads the growth oscillations by approximately 1.5 s. Artificially increasing cytoplasmic K⁺ level showed no significant influence on hair growth rate, but led to the formation of swelling structures at the tip, an increase of cytosolic Ca²⁺ level and microfilament depolymerization, implying the involvement of antagonistic regulatory factors (e.g., Ca²⁺ signaling) in the causality between cytoplasmic K⁺ and hair growth. These results suggest that, in each round of oscillating root hair elongation, the oscillatory cell expansion accelerates on the heels of cytosolic K⁺ increment, and decelerates with the activation of antagonistic regulators, thus forming a negative feedback loop which ensures the normal growth of root hairs.

Ratiometric Fluorescent Microgels for Sensing Extracellular Microenvironment pH during Biomaterial Degradation

Bone regeneration has attracted extensive attention in the field of regenerative medicine. The influence of biomaterial on the extracellular environment is important for regulating the biological functions of cells for tissue regeneration. Among the various influencing factors, we had previously demonstrated that the extracellular pH value in the local microenvironment during biomaterial degradation affected the balance of bone formation and resorption. However, there is a lack of techniques for conveniently detecting the pH of the extracellular environment. In light of the development of fluorescent pH-sensing probes, herein, we fabricated a novel ratiometric fluorescent microgel (F-MG) for real-time and spatiotemporal monitoring of microenvironment pH. F-MGs were prepared from polyurethane with a size of around 75 μm by loading with pH-sensitive bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BNPs) and pH-insensitive Nile red as a reference. The pH probes exhibited reversible fluorescence response to pH change and worked in a linear range of 6-10. F-MGs were biocompatible and could be used for long-term pH detection. It could be used to map interfacial pH on biomaterials during their degradation through pseudocolored images formed by the fluorescence intensity ratio between the green fluorescence of BNPs and the red fluorescence of Nile red. This study provided a useful tool for studying the influence of biomaterial microenvironment on biological functions of surrounding cells.

Alkaline earth metal ion coordination increases the radical scavenging efficiency of kaempferol

Flavonoids are used as natural additives and antioxidants in foods, and after coordination to metal ions, as drug candidates, depending on the flavonoid structure. The rate of radical scavenging of the ubiquitous plant flavonoid kaempferol (3,5,7,4'-tetrahydroxyflavone, Kaem) was found to be significantly enhanced by coordination of Mg(ii), Ca(ii), Sr(ii), and Ba(ii) ions, whereas the radical scavenging rate of apigenin (5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone, Api) was almost unaffected by alkaline earth metal (AEM) ions, as studied for short-lived β-carotene radical cations (β-Car˙⁺) formed by laser flash photolysis in chloroform/ethanol (7 : 3) and for the semi-stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, DPPH˙, in ethanol at 25 °C. A 1 : 1 Mg(ii)-Kaem complex was found to be in equilibrium with a 1 : 2 Mg(ii)-Kaem₂ complex, while for Ca(ii), Sr(ii) and Ba(ii), only 1 : 2 AEM(ii)-Kaem complexes were detected, where all complexes showed 3-hydroxyl and 4-carbonyl coordination and stability constants of higher than 10⁹ L² mol^-2. The 1 : 2 Ca(ii)-Kaem₂ complex had the highest second order rate constant for both β-Car˙⁺ (5 × 10⁸ L mol^-1 s^-1) and DPPH˙ radical (3 × 10⁵ L mol^-1 s^-1) scavenging, which can be attributed to the optimal combination of the stronger electron withdrawing capability of the (n - 1)d orbital in the heavier AEM ions and their spatially asymmetrical structures in 1 : 2 AEM-Kaem complexes with metal ion coordination of the least steric hindrance of two perpendicular flavone backbones as ligands in the Ca(ii) complex, as shown by density functional theory calculations.

Development of a molecular K+ probe for colorimetric/fluorescent/photoacoustic detection of K. Anal Bioanal Chem 2020;412:6947-6957. [PMID: 32712812 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-020-02826-y]

The potassium ion (K⁺) plays significant roles in many biological processes. To date, great efforts have been devoted to the development of K⁺ sensors for colorimetric, fluorescent, and photoacoustic detection of K⁺ separately. However, the development of molecular K⁺ probes for colorimetric detection of urinary K⁺, monitoring K⁺ fluxes in living cells by fluorescence imaging, and photoacoustic imaging of K⁺ dynamics in deep tissues still remains an open challenge. Herein, we report the first molecular K⁺ probe (NK2) for colorimetric, fluorescent, and photoacoustic detection of K⁺. NK2 is composed of 2-dicyanomethylene-3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran (TCF) as the chromophore and phenylazacrown-6-lariat ether (ACLE) as the K⁺ recognition unit. Predominate features of NK2 include a short synthetic procedure, high K⁺ selectivity, large detection range (5-200 mM), and triple-channel detection manner. NK2 shows good response to K⁺ with obvious color changes, fluorescence enhancements (about threefold), and photoacoustic intensity changes. The existence of other metal ions (including Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Fe²⁺) and pH changes (6.5-9.0) have no obvious influence on K⁺ sensing of NK2. Portable test strips stained by NK2 can be used to qualitatively detect urinary K⁺ by color changes for self-diagnosis of diseases induced by high levels of K⁺. NK2 can be utilized to monitor K⁺ fluxes in living cells by fluorescent imaging. We also find its excellent performance in photoacoustic imaging of different K⁺ concentrations in the mouse ear. NK2 is the first molecular K⁺ probe for colorimetric, fluorescent, and photoacoustic detection of K⁺ in urine, in living cells, and in the mouse ear. The development of NK2 will broaden K⁺ probes' design and extend their applications to different fields. Graphical abstract.

Reversible Ratiometric Probe Combined with the Time-Gated Method for Accurate In Vivo Gastrointestinal pH Sensing

Fluorescence sensing has the advantages of being real time, noninvasive, and convenient and having a low impact on the original environment for in vivo detection. Here, a reversible time-gated ratiometric in vivo detection method that could eliminate the interferences from probe amount, photon scattering, and absorption is proposed. Correspondingly, the composite probe must be able to reversibly respond to changes in the microenvironment and emit two luminescence signals at the same working wavelength but different lifetimes. Benefitting from the reversible detection mechanism, the probes could be used to monitor a dynamic biological process and the ratio signal value could be determined only by the concentration of analytes, independent of the probe concentration. Furthermore, benefitting from the same working wavelength, the read-out errors from photon absorption and scattering could be minimized. This method is very suitable for in vivo detection in which the probe distribution and depth are unknown and variable. As a typical model, different pH values in the gastrointestinal area and pH changes caused by drugs and fasting are successfully monitored.

Luminescent Sm(III) complex bearing dynamic imine bonds as a multi-responsive fluorescent sensor for F- and PO43- anions together with Zn2+ cation in water samples

We have designed and synthesized a new luminescent mononuclear samarium (III) complex Sm-2_h based on the [1 + 1] Schiff-base macrocycle H₂L2_h, derived from the cyclocondensation reaction between dialdehyde and diamine precursors, and its exact architecture is determined to be [Sm(HL2_h) (NO₃)₂]. The sensing ability of complex Sm-2_h is carefully evaluated for various common inorganic ions in solution. It is shown that complex Sm-2_h is a multi-responsive fluorimetric sensor with high selectivity for F^- and PO₄^3- anions together with Zn²⁺ cation. The sensing process is rapid within 60 s for F^- and PO₄^3- ions and 300 s for Zn²⁺ ion. Further detailed responsive investigations suggest that its sensing behavior has excellent linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity (or absorption value) and ion concentration. The limit of detection (LOD) for sensing F^-, PO₄^3- and Zn²⁺ ions are as low as 2.61 μM (2.94 μM), 1.92 μM (1.64 μM) and 5.67 μM (3.53 μM), respectively, verified by fluorimetric (or colorimetric) titration experiments. ESI mass spectra prove that these efficient detections originate from the structure collapse of sensor Sm-2_h because of the ion-induced imine bond breakage. Moreover, sensor Sm-2_h shows excellent sensing performances for F^-, PO₄^3- and Zn²⁺ ions in real water samples, and we also have developed a convenient method to detect these three ions by use of the sensor impregnated test paper strips, providing rapid and distinguishable fluorimetric color changes. Therefore, the macrocyclic Sm(III) complex Sm-2_h could be regarded as a valuable candidate for monitoring F^-, PO₄^3- and Zn²⁺ ions in practical applications.

A sensitive and specific nanosensor for monitoring extracellular potassium levels in the brain

Extracellular potassium concentration affects the membrane potential of neurons, and, thus, neuronal activity. Indeed, alterations of potassium levels can be related to neurological disorders, such as epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease, and, therefore, selectively detecting extracellular potassium would allow the monitoring of disease. However, currently available optical reporters are not capable of detecting small changes in potassium, in particular, in freely moving animals. Furthermore, they are susceptible to interference from sodium ions. Here, we report a highly sensitive and specific potassium nanosensor that can monitor potassium changes in the brain of freely moving mice undergoing epileptic seizures. An optical potassium indicator is embedded in mesoporous silica nanoparticles, which are shielded by an ultrathin layer of a potassium-permeable membrane, which prevents diffusion of other cations and allows the specific capturing of potassium ions. The shielded nanosensor enables the spatial mapping of potassium ion release in the hippocampus of freely moving mice.

From reactive carbenes to chiral polyether macrocycles in two steps - synthesis and applications made easy?

Chiral polyether macrocycles are versatile molecules. For their preparation, original two-step procedures were recently developed and present the advantages of high concentration conditions and simple starting reagents (stable diazo reagents, small cyclic ethers, aliphatic or aromatic amines). Enantiopure materials are readily afforded by CSP-HPLC on a semi-preparative scale. Flexibility and adaptability in the macrocyclic design are provided by a large selection of amines to choose from while the ring size and chemical nature are controlled by the choice of 5 to 7-membered cyclic ether precursors. Such macrocycles have already been used as asymmetric catalysts, mono and ditopic receptors, fluorescent sensors and probes, and chiroptical reversible switches.

Conjugating a groove binder analogue to a styryl-quinolinium scaffold for the light-up detection of duplex and G-Quadruplex DNA with different binding modes

The rational design of novel small molecules, which can target specific DNA sequences or secondary structural DNAs, is one of the most important goals in medicinal chemistry. Also the studies of DNA binding potency which can give fundamental insight into binding mechanisms and specificity are essential. In this paper, a N-methylated quinolinium probe NSQ functionalized with a G-Quadruplex DNA groove binder analogue was designed and synthesized. NSQ was found to express selective and sensitive for "light-up" detection of both G-Quadruplex and duplex DNAs over RNA and other biomolecules. The characteristics of NSQ and its interactions with DNAs were comprehensively evaluated by means of fluorescence, UV-Vis, circular dichroism, FID assay, DFT calculation and molecular docking. NSQ exhibited higher binding affinity to G-Quadruplex than to duplex DNA. Binding mechanism analysis indicated NSQ interacted with G-Quadruplex DNA mainly through end-stacking mode, while bound with duplex DNA into the minor groove of AT-rich regions. Further, NSQ exhibited potent in vitro anti-tumor activity, and to elucidate the cellular applications, confocal cell imaging was carried out and validated its mainly nuclear localization.

A highly selective colorimetric and fluorescent probe for quantitative detection of Cu2+/Co2+: The unique ON-OFF-ON fluorimetric detection strategy and applications in living cells/zebrafish

Identifying and detecting similar target cations through combining "turn on" and "turn off" fluorescence mechanism is effective and challenging. Now a new colorimetric and ON-OFF-ON fluorescent probe N'-((7-(diethylamino)-2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)methylene)-3-hydroxy-2-naphthohydrazide (L) was reported, which could detect Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺ in phosphate buffered CH₃CH₂OH-H₂O solvent system. With the assistance of glutathione and pH adjustment, a unique ON-OFF-ON fluorescence detection strategy could be achieved for distinguishing Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺. The emission of probe could recover from the L-Cu²⁺ and L-Co²⁺ system by addition of GSH or adjusting pH value to 4, respectively, which is due to the abolishment of paramagnetic Cu²⁺/Co²⁺. Based on fluorescence titration experiments, the limit of detection was determined as 3.84 × 10^-9 M and 4.55 × 10^-9 M for Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺, respectively. Meanwhile, the detection limit reached 6.21 × 10^-8 M for Cu²⁺ and 6.96 × 10^-8 M for Co²⁺ according to absorbance signal output. Fast recognition of Cu²⁺/Co²⁺ can be achieved by obvious color changes from green to colorless under UV light, as well as from yellow to orange-red in room light. The binding mode of L toward Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺ have been systematically studied by Job's plot analysis, ESI-MS, IR and density functional theory calculations. Most strikingly, further practical applications of the probe L in fluorescence imaging were investigated in MCF-7 cells and zebrafish due to its low cytotoxicity and good optical properties, suggesting that L could serve as a fluorescent sensor for tracking Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺in vivo.

Experimental and Theoretical Studies on a Simple S-S-Bridged Dimeric Schiff Base: Selective Chromo-Fluorogenic Chemosensor for Nanomolar Detection of Fe2+ & Al3+ Ions and Its Varied Applications

A simple S-S (disulfide)-bridged dimeric Schiff base probe, L, has been designed, synthesized, and successfully characterized for the specific recognition of Al3+ and Fe2+ ions as fluorometric and colorimetric "turn-on" responses in a dimethylformamide (DMF)-H2O solvent mixture, respectively. The probe L and each metal ion bind through a 1:1 complex stoichiometry, and the plausible sensing mechanism is proposed based on the inhibition of the photoinduced electron transfer process (PET). The reversible chemosensor L showed high sensitivity toward Al3+ and Fe2+ ions, which was analyzed by fluorescence and UV-vis spectroscopy techniques up to nanomolar detection limits, 38.26 × 10-9 and 17.54 × 10-9 M, respectively. These experimental details were advocated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The practical utility of the chemosensor L was further demonstrated in electrochemical sensing, in vitro antimicrobial activity, molecular logic gate function, and quantification of the trace amount of Al3+ and Fe2+ ions in real water samples.

One-step synthesis of yellow-emissive carbon dots with a large Stokes shift and their application in fluorimetric imaging of intracellular pH

A new nanoprobe based on yellow-emissive carbon dots (Y-CDs) was developed for sensing full-range intracellular pH values. By using o-phenylenediamine as the raw material, Y-CDs with a quantum yield of 31% were prepared through a one-pot solvothermal carbonization method. The Y-CDs exhibited a distinctive fluorescence emission peak at 570 nm with excitation at 450 nm, showing a very large Stokes shift (120 nm). Notably, the nanoprobe revealed a linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and pH value within the range of pH 4.0 to 8.2, exhibiting the ability of this probe to monitor full-range intracellular pH variations. In addition, the nanosensor possessed excellent photostability and fluorescence reversibility in pH measurements and showed excellent selective detection of the influences of other biological species. The CD-based nanoprobe was successfully used to perform quantitative fluorescence imaging of intracellular pH variation, demonstrating its promise for application in cellular systems.

Short Duplex Module Coupled to G-Quadruplexes Increases Fluorescence of Synthetic GFP Chromophore Analogues

Aptasensors became popular instruments in bioanalytical chemistry and molecular biology. To increase specificity, perspective signaling elements in aptasensors can be separated into a G-quadruplex (G4) part and a free fluorescent dye that lights up upon binding to the G4 part. However, current systems are limited by relatively low enhancement of fluorescence upon dye binding. Here, we added duplex modules to G4 structures, which supposedly cause the formation of a dye-binding cavity between two modules. Screening of multiple synthetic GFP chromophore analogues and variation of the duplex module resulted in the selection of dyes that light up after complex formation with two-module structures and their RNA analogues by up to 20 times compared to parent G4s. We demonstrated that the short duplex part in TBA25 is preferable for fluorescence light up in comparison to parent TBA15 molecule as well as TBA31 and TBA63 stabilized by longer duplexes. Duplex part of TBA25 may be partially unfolded and has reduced rigidity, which might facilitate optimal dye positioning in the joint between G4 and the duplex. We demonstrated dye enhancement after binding to modified TBA, LTR-III, and Tel23a G4 structures and propose that such architecture of short duplex-G4 signaling elements will enforce the development of improved aptasensors.

Inorganic Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicine leverages the innate potential of the human body to efficiently repair and regenerate damaged tissues using engineered biomaterials. By designing responsive biomaterials with the appropriate biophysical and biochemical characteristics, cellular response can be modulated to direct tissue healing. Recently, inorganic biomaterials have been shown to regulate cellular responses including cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Moreover, ions released from these mineral-based biomaterials play a vital role in defining cell identity, as well as driving tissue-specific functions. The intrinsic properties of inorganic biomaterials, such as the release of bioactive ions (e.g., Ca, Mg, Sr, Si, B, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, Co, Mo, Mn, Au, Ag, V, Eu, and La), can be leveraged to induce phenotypic changes in cells or modulate the immune microenvironment to direct tissue healing and regeneration. Biophysical characteristics of biomaterials, such as topography, charge, size, electrostatic interactions, and stiffness can be modulated by addition of inorganic micro- and nanoparticles to polymeric networks have also been shown to play an important role in their biological response. In this Review, we discuss the recent emergence of inorganic biomaterials to harness the innate regenerative potential of the body. Specifically, we will discuss various biophysical or biochemical effects of inorganic-based materials in directing cellular response for regenerative medicine applications.