Acid-Degradable Hydrogen-Generating Metal-Organic Framework for Overcoming Cancer Resistance/Metastasis and Off-Target Side Effects

Metal-Organic Frameworks for Sustainable Crop Disease Management: Current Applications, Mechanistic Insights, and Future Challenges

Efficient management of crop diseases and yield enhancement are essential for addressing the increasing food demands due to global population growth. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which have rapidly evolved throughout the 21st century, are notable for their vast surface area, porosity, and adaptability, establishing them as highly effective vehicles for controlled drug delivery. This review methodically categorizes common MOFs employed in crop disease management and details their effectiveness against various pathogens. Additionally, by critically evaluating existing research, it outlines strategic approaches for the design of drug-delivery MOFs and explains the mechanisms through which MOFs enhance disease resistance. Finally, this paper identifies the current challenges in MOF research for crop disease management and suggests directions for future research. Through this in-depth review, the paper seeks to enrich the understanding of MOFs applications in crop disease management and offers valuable insights for researchers and practitioners.

A copper missile-triggered power coalescence and death vortex within tumor cell mitochondria for synergistic cuproptosis/phototherapy/chemotherapy

The importance of copper homeostasis in mitochondria and copper-triggered modality of mitochondrial cell death have been confirmed. However, the existing copper-based nanoplatforms are focused on synergistic therapies while the intracellular therapeutic targets are relatively scattered. Effective integration of all targets within mitochondria to generate power coalescence remains a challenge. Herein, we developed a novel copper-based delivery system to trigger power coalescence and death vortex within tumor cell mitochondria. Specifically, a mitochondrial targeting "copper missile" loaded with curcumin (termed as Cur@CuS-TPP-HA, CCTH) was designed for cuproptosis/phototherapy/chemotherapy synergistic anti-tumor therapy. Once the CCTH NPs are shuttled to the mitochondria, near-infrared (NIR) irradiation initiates the release of copper ions and curcumin for in situ drug accumulation in cancer cell mitochondria. An excess of copper ions and curcumin can activate cuproptosis and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways, respectively. When combined, they can cause an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), damage to mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA), and a decrease in energy supply, thereby leading to a "vicious circle" of mitochondrial damage that further enhances the tumor-killing efficacy. As a consequence, this "copper missile" exhibits advanced anti-tumor effects as verified through in vitro assessments and in vivo evaluations using the 4T1 breast tumor model, providing a promising approach for cuproptosis-based synergistic anti-tumor therapy.

Hydrogen regulated pyroptosis through NLRP3-GSDMD pathway to improve airway mucosal oxidative stress injury induced by endotracheal tube cuff compression

The cuff of endotracheal tube (ETT) is an indispensable device for establishing an artificial airway, yet cuff-induced compression often causes damage to the airway mucosa. The mechanism of this damage involves mucosal compression ischemia and the oxidative stress injury following reperfusion. Currently, there is a lack of effective strategies to protect the mucosa. Hydrogen, as a natural antioxidant, has demonstrated significant potential in the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress injuries. This study aimed to determine the protective effects of hydrogen on compressed airway mucosa. We found that the damage to the airway mucosa caused by ETT cuff compression was associated with oxidative stress-induced pyroptosis of airway epithelial cells. Inhalation of hydrogen effectively reduced the levels of reactive oxygen species, significantly ameliorating changes in epithelial cell pyroptosis, and this protective effect is linked to the inhibition of the NLRP3-GSDMD pathway. Further cellular studies, involving knockdown and overexpression of NLRP3, clarified that hydrogen exerts its protective effects on the airway mucosa by inhibiting epithelial cell pyroptosis. Additionally, we observed that using hydrogen-rich saline to inflate the ETT cuff in patients under general anesthesia significantly reduced postoperative sore throat. This study confirms that hydrogen effectively enhances tolerance of airway mucosa to oxidative stress injuries, offering a potential preventive and therapeutic strategy for protecting the airway mucosa in patients undergoing endotracheal intubation.

Hydrogen therapy: recent advances and emerging materials

Hydrogen therapy, leveraging its selective attenuation of hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) and ONOO-, has emerged as a pivotal pathophysiological modulator with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic attributes. Hydrogen therapy has been extensively studied both preclinically and clinically, especially in diseases with an inflammatory nature. Despite the substantial progress, challenges persist in achieving high hydrogen concentrations in target lesions, especially in cancer treatment. A notable breakthrough lies in water/acid reactive materials, offering enhanced hydrogen generation and sustained release potential. However, limitations include hydrogen termination upon material depletion and reduced bioavailability at targeted lesions. To overcome these challenges, catalytic materials like photocatalytic and sonocatalytic materials have surfaced as promising solutions. With enhanced permeability and retention effects, these materials exhibit targeted delivery and sustained stimuli-reactive hydrogen release. The future of hydrogen therapy hinges on continuous exploration and modification of catalytic materials. Researchers are urged to prioritize improved catalytic efficiency, enhanced lesion targeting effects, and heightened biosafety and biocompatibility in future development.

Zinc Doping Engineering in ZnxFe3-xO4 Heterostructures for Enhancing Photodynamic Therapy in the Near-Infrared-II Region

Currently, photodynamic therapy (PDT) is restricted by the laser penetration depth. Except for PDT at 1064 nm wavelength excitation, the development of other NIR-II-activated nanomaterials with a higher response depth is still hindered and rarely reported in the literature. To overcome these problems, we fabricated a nanoplatform with heterostructures that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ferrite nanoparticles under a high concentration of zinc doping (ZnxFe3-xO4 NPs), which can achieve oxidative damage of tumor cells under near-infrared (NIR) illumination. The recombination of photoelectrons and holes has been markedly inhibited due to the formation of heterostructures in the interfaces, thus greatly enhancing the capability for ROS and oxygen production by modulating the single-component doping content. The efficiency of PDT was verified by in vivo and in vitro assays under NIR light. Our results revealed that NIR-II (1208 nm) light irradiation of ZnxFe3-xO4 NPs exerted a remarkable antitumor activity, superior to NIR-I light (808 nm). More importantly, the reported ZnxFe3-xO4 NPs strategy provides an opportunity for the success of comparison with light in the first and second near-infrared regions.

Optical Fiber-Enabled In Situ Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation for Infiltrating Tumor Therapy in Brain

In addition to repressing proliferation, inhibiting the infiltration of tumor cells is an important strategy to improve the treatment of malignant tumors. Herein, a photocatalyst (pCNMC@Pt) is designed by sequentially assembling manganese dioxide, chlorin e6, and platinum (Pt) nanoparticles onto protonated graphitic carbon nitride. With the help of a Z-scheme structure and near-infrared (NIR) photosensitizer, pCNMC@Pt is capable of responding to NIR light to generate large amounts of hydrogen (H2). Taking lactic acid in the tumor microenvironment as a sacrificial reagent, H2 therapy initiated by the NIR photocatalyst remarkably impedes the growth of glioblastoma (GBM). More importantly, it is found that H2 can suppress the stemness of glioma stem cells, curbing both proliferation and infiltration of GBM. Furthermore, since pCNMC@Pt and light source are precisely co-localized through a self-built loading and illumination system, GBM in mouse brains can be efficiently treated, providing an alternative gas therapy approach to cure infiltrating tumors.

Metal-organic frameworks as candidates for tumor sonodynamic therapy: Designable structures for targeted multifunctional transformation

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT), utilizing ultrasound (US) as the trigger, has gained popularity recently as a therapeutic approach with significant potential for treating various diseases. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), characterized by structural flexibility, are prominently emerging in the SDT realm as an innovative type of sonosensitizer, offering functional tunability and biocompatibility. However, due to the inherent limitations of MOFs, such as low reactivity to reactive oxygen species and challenges posed by the complex tumor microenvironment, MOF-based sonosensitizers with singular functions are unable to demonstrate the desired therapeutic efficacy and may pose risks of toxicity, limiting their biological applications to superficial tissues. MOFs generally possess distinctive crystalline structures and properties, and their controlled coordination environments provide a flexible platform for exploring structure-effect relationships and guiding the design and development of MOF-based nanomaterials to unlock their broader potential in biological fields. The primary focus of this paper is to summarize cases involving the modification of different MOF materials and the innovative strategies developed for various complex conditions. The paper outlines the diverse application areas of functionalized MOF-based sonosensitizers in tumor synergistic therapies, highlighting the extensive prospects of SDT. Additionally, challenges confronting SDT are briefly summarized to stimulate increased scientific interest in the practical application of MOFs and the successful clinical translation of SDT. Through these discussions, we strive to foster advancements that lead to early-stage clinical benefits for patients. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: 1. An overview for the progresses in SDT explored from a novel and fundamental perspective. 2. Different modification strategies to improve the MOFs-mediated SDT efficacy are provided. 3. Guidelines for the design of multifunctional MOFs-based sonosensitizers are offered. 4. Powerful tumor ablation potential is reflected in SDT-led synergistic therapies. 5. Future challenges in the field of MOFs-based SDT in clinical translation are suggested.

The Accurate Synthesis of a Multiscale Metallic Interface on Graphdiyne

The accurate construction of composite material systems containing graphdiyne (GDY) and other metallic materials has promoted the formation of innovative structures and practical applications in the fields of energy, catalysis, optoelectronics, and biomedicine. To fulfill the practical requirements, the precise formation of multiscale interfaces over a wide range, from single atoms to nanostructures, plays an important role in the optimization of the structural design and properties. The intrinsic correlations between the structure, synthesis process, characteristic properties, and device performance are systematically investigated. This review outlines the current research achievements regarding the controlled formation of multiscale metallic interfaces on GDY. Synthetic strategies for interface regulation, as well as the correlation between the structure and performance, are presented. Furthermore, innovative research ideas for the design and synthesis of functional metal-based materials loaded onto GDY-based substances are also provided, demonstrating the promising application potential of GDY-based materials.

Microfluidic Synthesis of CuH Nanoparticles for Antitumor Therapy through Hydrogen-Enhanced Apoptosis and Cuproptosis

Cuproptosis has drawn enormous attention in antitumor material fields; however, the responsive activation of cuproptosis against tumors using nanomaterials with high atom utilization is still challenging. Herein, a copper-based nanoplatform consisting of acid-degradable copper hydride (CuH) nanoparticles was developed via a microfluidic synthesis. After coating with tumor-targeting hyaluronic acid (HA), the nanoplatform denoted as HA-CuH-PVP (HCP) shows conspicuous damage toward tumor cells by generating Cu+ and hydrogen (H2) simultaneously. Cu+ can induce apoptosis by relying on Fenton-like reactions and lead to cuproptosis by causing mitochondrial protein aggregation. Besides, the existence of H2 can enhance both cell death types by causing mitochondrial dysfunction and intracellular redox homeostatic disorders. In vivo experimental results further exhibit the desirable potential of HCP for killing tumor cells and inhibiting lung metastases, which will broaden the horizons of designing copper-based materials triggering apoptosis and cuproptosis for better antitumor efficacy.

Zn-Fe primary battery-enabled controlled hydrogen release in stomach for improving insulin resistance in obesity-associated type 2 diabetes

Chronic systemic inflammation in obesity-associated type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a key inducing factor of insulin resistance (IR). Hydrogen molecule (H2) has been proved to be a safe and effective anti-inflammatory agent, but conventional H2 administration methods cannot provide a high dosage and a long duration of H2 treatment in IR-related tissues and thus lead to limited therapeutic efficacies. We here propose a new strategy of controlled H2 release to match the time window of gastric emptying for maximizing the bioavailability and therapeutic outcome of H2. This work enhances the hydrolysis rate of Zn by constructing a Zn-Fe primary-battery micro-/nano-structure, and the H2-releasing rate is adjusted by tuning the ratio of Zn to Fe. The Zn-Fe micro-/nano-structure is orally administrated once daily to alleviate obesity-associated T2D in a leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mouse model. The H2 generation time of the Zn-Fe primary-battery micro-/nano-structure with the Fe/Zn ratio of 1:100 in gastric acid is about 3 h, just matching with the time window of gastric emptying in mice. In vivo monitoring results show that H2 generated by Zn-Fe micro-/nano-structure in stomach can effectively accumulate in major IR-sited tissues including liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle at a high dose for a relatively long time compared to H2-rich water drinking. Oral administration of Zn-Fe micro-/nano-structure at 200 mg/kg body weight has realized an efficient IR improvement and remarkably ameliorated systemic inflammation in ob/ob mice. In addition, a high-dose administration of Zn-Fe shows no visible toxicity in mice. This work provides a new strategy to maximize the outcome of hydrogen therapy.

A Paramagnetic Metal-Organic Framework Enhances Mild Magnetic Hyperthermia Therapy by Downregulating Heat Shock Proteins and Promoting Ferroptosis via Aggravation of Two-Way Regulated Redox Dyshomeostasis

Mild magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MMHT) holds great potential in treating deep-seated tumors, but its efficacy is impaired by the upregulation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) during the treatment process. Herein, Lac-FcMOF, a lactose derivative (Lac-NH2 ) modified paramagnetic metal-organic framework (FcMOF) with magnetic hyperthermia property and thermal stability, has been developed to enhance MMHT therapeutic efficacy. In vitro studies showed that Lac-FcMOF aggravates two-way regulated redox dyshomeostasis (RDH) via magnetothermal-accelerated ferricenium ions-mediated consumption of glutathione and ferrocene-catalyzed generation of ∙OH to induce oxidative damage and inhibit heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) synthesis, thus significantly enhancing the anti-cancer efficacy of MMHT. Aggravated RDH promotes glutathione peroxidase 4 inactivation and lipid peroxidation to promote ferroptosis, which further synergizes with MMHT. H22-tumor-bearing mice treated with Lac-FcMOF under alternating magnetic field (AMF) demonstrated a 90.4% inhibition of tumor growth. This work therefore provides a new strategy for the simple construction of a magnetic hyperthermia agent that enables efficient MMHT by downregulating HSPs and promoting ferroptosis through the aggravation of two-way regulated RDH.

GSH/pH dual responsive chitosan nanoparticles for reprogramming M2 macrophages and overcoming cancer chemoresistance

The combination of two or more drugs with different mechanisms of action is a promising strategy for circumventing multidrug resistance (MDR). However, the antitumor effect of nanosystems is usually limited due to the simultaneous release of different payloads at a single location rather than at their respective sites of action. Herein, we report a GSH and pH dual responsive nanoplatform encapsulated with doxorubicin (DOX) and resiquimod (R848) (GPNP) for combinatorial chemotherapy against cancer cells with drug resistance. GPNP possesses a core-shell structure wherein the polymer shell detaches in the acidic and sialic acid (SA)-rich environment. This leads to the release of R848 into the tumor microenvironment (TME), thereby reprogramming M2 macrophages into M1 macrophages and exposing the core CS(DOX)-PBA to kill MCF-7/ADR cells. Additionally, the nitric oxide (NO) generated by M1 macrophages can suppress the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression to reduce the efflux of chemotherapy drugs, thus playing a combined role in overcoming MDR. In vitro studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of GPNP in reprogramming M2 macrophages and inducing apoptosis in MCF-7/ADR cells, resulting in enhanced antitumor efficacy. This work proposed an effective combination strategy to combat chemoresistance, providing new insights into the development of innovative combinatorial therapies against MDR tumors.

Nanodelivery Systems as a Novel Strategy to Overcome Treatment Failure of Cancer

Despite the tremendous progress in cancer treatment in recent decades, cancers often become resistant due to multiple mechanisms, such as intrinsic or acquired multidrug resistance, which leads to unsatisfactory treatment effects or accompanying metastasis and recurrence, ultimately to treatment failure. With a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of tumors, researchers have realized that treatment designs targeting tumor resistance mechanisms would be a promising strategy to break the therapeutic deadlock. Nanodelivery systems have excellent physicochemical properties, including highly efficient tissue-specific delivery, substantial specific surface area, and controllable surface chemistry, which endow nanodelivery systems with capabilities such as precise targeting, deep penetration, responsive drug release, multidrug codelivery, and multimodal synergy, which are currently widely used in biomedical researches and bring a new dawn for overcoming cancer resistance. Based on the mechanisms of tumor therapeutic resistance, this review summarizes the research progress of nanodelivery systems for overcoming tumor resistance to improve therapeutic efficacy in recent years and offers prospects and challenges of the application of nanodelivery systems for overcoming cancer resistance.

Controlled Release of Hydrogen-Carrying Perfluorocarbons for Ischemia Myocardium-Targeting 19 F MRI-Guided Reperfusion Injury Therapy

Hydrogen gas is recently proven to have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammation effects on ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, the efficacy of hydrogen therapy is limited by the efficiency of hydrogen storage, targeted delivery, and controlled release. In this study, H2 -PFOB nanoemulsions (NEs) is developed with high hydrogen loading capacity for targeted ischemic myocardium precision therapy. The hydrogen-carrying capacity of H2 -PFOB NEs is determined by gas chromatography and microelectrode methods. Positive uptake of H2 -PFOB NEs in ischemia-reperfusion myocardium and the influence of hydrogen on 19 F-MR signal are quantitatively visualized using a 9.4T MR imaging system. The biological therapeutic effects of H2 -PFOB NEs are examined on a myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury mouse model. The results illustrated that the developed H2 -PFOB NEs can efficaciously achieve specific infiltration into ischemic myocardium and exhibit excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, which can be dynamically visualized by 19 F-MR imaging system. Moreover, hydrogen burst release induced by low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) irradiation further promotes the therapeutic effect of H2 -PFOB NEs with a favorable biosafety profile. In this study, the potential therapeutic effects of H2 -PFOB NEs is fully unfolded, which may hold great potential for future hydrogen-based precision therapeutic applications tailored to ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Photoactivated DNA Nanodrugs Damage Mitochondria to Improve Gene Therapy for Reversing Chemoresistance

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major cause of chemotherapy failure in oncology, and gene therapy is an excellent measure to reverse MDR. However, conventional gene therapy only modulates the expression of MDR-associated proteins but hardly affects their existing function, thus limiting the efficiency of tumor treatment. Herein, we designed a photoactivated DNA nanodrug (MCD@TMPyP4@DOX) to improve tumor chemosensitivity through the downregulation of MDR-related genes and mitochondria-targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT). The self-assembled DNA nanodrug encodes the mucin 1 (MUC1) aptamer and the cytochrome C (CytC) aptamer to facilitate its selective targeting to the mitochondria in tumor cells; the encoded P-gp DNAzyme can specifically cleave the substrate and silence MDR1 mRNA with the help of Mg2+ cofactors. Under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation, PDT generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that precisely damage the mitochondria of tumor cells and break single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) to activate MCD@TMPyP4@DOX self-disassembly for release of DOX and DNAzyme. We have demonstrated that this multifunctional DNA nanodrug has high drug delivery capacity and biosafety. It enables downregulation of P-gp expression while reducing the ATP on which P-gp pumps out drugs, improving the latency of gene therapy and synergistically reducing DOX efflux to sensitize tumor chemotherapy. We envision that this gene-modulating DNA nanodrug based on damaging mitochondria is expected to provide an important perspective for sensitizing tumor chemotherapy.

Application and Development Prospect of Nanoscale Iron Based Metal-Organic Frameworks in Biomedicine

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are coordination polymers that comprise metal ions/clusters and organic ligands. MOFs have been extensively employed in different fields (eg, gas adsorption, energy storage, chemical separation, catalysis, and sensing) for their versatility, high porosity, and adjustable geometry. To be specific, Fe2+/Fe3+ exhibits unique redox chemistry, photochemical and electrical properties, as well as catalytic activity. Fe-based MOFs have been widely investigated in numerous biomedical fields over the past few years. In this study, the key index requirements of Fe-MOF materials in the biomedical field are summarized, and a conclusion is drawn in terms of the latest application progress, development prospects, and future challenges of Fe-based MOFs as drug delivery systems, antibacterial therapeutics, biocatalysts, imaging agents, and biosensors in the biomedical field.

Insights into the toxicological effects of nanomaterials on atherosclerosis: mechanisms involved and influence factors

Atherosclerosis is one of the most common types of cardiovascular disease and is driven by lipid accumulation and chronic inflammation in the arteries, which leads to stenosis and thrombosis. Researchers have been working to design multifunctional nanomedicines with the ability to target, diagnose, and treat atherosclerosis, but recent studies have also identified that nanomaterials can cause atherosclerosis. Therefore, this review aims to outline the molecular mechanisms and physicochemical properties of nanomaterials that promote atherosclerosis. By analyzing the toxicological effects of nanomaterials on cells involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis such as vascular endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells and immune cells, we aim to provide new perspectives for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, and raise awareness of nanotoxicology to advance the clinical translation and sustainable development of nanomaterials.

A strategy of local hydrogen capture and catalytic hydrogenation for enhanced therapy of chronic liver diseases

Background: Chronic liver diseases (CLD) frequently derive from hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis, and become a leading inducement of cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is an emerging wide-spectrum anti-inflammatory molecule which is able to improve hepatic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction, and holds obvious advantages in biosafety over traditional anti-CLD drugs, but existing H₂ administration routes cannot realize the liver-targeted high-dose delivery of H₂, severely limiting its anti-CLD efficacy. Method: In this work, a concept of local hydrogen capture and catalytic hydroxyl radical (·OH) hydrogenation is proposed for CLD treatment. The mild and moderate non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) model mice were intravenously injected with PdH nanoparticles firstly, and then daily inhaled 4% hydrogen gas for 3 h throughout the whole treatment period. After the end of treatment, glutathione (GSH) was intramuscularly injected every day to assist the Pd excretion. Results: In vitro and in vivo proof-of-concept experiments have confirmed that Pd nanoparticles can accumulate in liver in a targeted manner post intravenous injection, and play a dual role of hydrogen captor and ·OH filter to locally capture/store the liver-passing H₂ during daily hydrogen gas inhalation and rapidly catalyze the ·OH hydrogenation into H₂O. The proposed therapy significantly improves the outcomes of hydrogen therapy in the prevention and treatment of NASH by exhibiting a wide range of bioactivity including the regulation of lipid metabolism and anti-inflammation. Pd can be mostly eliminated after the end of treatment under the assistance of GSH. Conclusion: Our study verified a catalytic strategy of combining PdH nanoparticles and hydrogen inhalation, which exhibited enhanced anti-inflammatory effect for CLD treatment. The proposed catalytic strategy will open a new window to realize safe and efficient CLD treatment.

Renal Clearable Catalytic 2D Au-Porphyrin Coordination Polymer Augmented Photothermal-Gas Synergistic Cancer Therapy

As a gasotransmitter, carbon monoxide (CO) possesses antitumor activity by reversing the Warburg effect at higher concentrations. The targeted delivery of carbon monoxide-releasing molecules (CORMs) using nanomaterials is an appealing option for CO administration, but how to maintain CO above the threshold concentration in tumor tissue remains a challenge. Herein, a nanozyme-catalyzed cascade reaction is proposed to promote CO release for high-efficacy photothermal therapy (PTT)-combined CO therapy of cancer. A gold-based porphyrinic coordination polymer nanosheet (Au⁰ -Por) is synthesized to serve as a carrier for CORM. It also possesses excellent glucose oxygenase-like activity owing to ultrasmall zero-valent gold atoms on the nanosheet. The catalytically generated H₂ O₂ can efficiently catalyze CORM decomposition, which enables in situ generation of sufficient CO for gas therapy. In vivo, the Au⁰ -Por nanosheets-enhanced photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and fluorescence imaging collectively demonstrate high tumor-targeting efficiency and nanomaterial retention. Proven to have augmented therapeutic efficacy, the nanoplatform can also be easily degraded and excreted through the kidney, indicating good biocompatibility. Thus, the application of rational designed Au⁰ -Por nanosheet with facile approach and biodegradable property to PAI-guided synergistic gas therapy can provide a strategy for the development of biocompatible and highly effective gaseous nanomedicine.

Bioactive inorganic nanomaterials for cancer theranostics

Bioactive materials are a special class of biomaterials that can react in vivo to induce a biological response or regulate biological functions, thus achieving a better curative effect than traditional inert biomaterials. For cancer theranostics, compared with organic or polymer nanomaterials, inorganic nanomaterials possess unique physical and chemical properties, have stronger mechanical stability on the basis of maintaining certain bioactivity, and are easy to be compounded with various carriers (polymer carriers, biological carriers, etc.), so as to achieve specific antitumor efficacy. After entering the nanoscale, due to the nano-size effect, high specific surface area and special nanostructures, inorganic nanomaterials exhibit unique biological effects, which significantly influence the interaction with biological organisms. Therefore, the research and applications of bioactive inorganic nanomaterials in cancer theranostics have attracted wide attention. In this review, we mainly summarize the recent progress of bioactive inorganic nanomaterials in cancer theranostics, and also introduce the definition, synthesis and modification strategies of bioactive inorganic nanomaterials. Thereafter, the applications of bioactive inorganic nanomaterials in tumor imaging and antitumor therapy, including tumor microenvironment (TME) regulation, catalytic therapy, gas therapy, regulatory cell death and immunotherapy, are discussed. Finally, the biosafety and challenges of bioactive inorganic nanomaterials are also mentioned, and their future development opportunities are prospected. This review highlights the bioapplication of bioactive inorganic nanomaterials.

Prevention and Repair of Ultraviolet B-Induced Skin Damage in Hairless Mice via Transdermal Delivery of Growth Factors Immobilized in a Gel-in-Oil Nanoemulsion

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or artificial sources is one of the primary causes of skin damage, including sunburns, tanning, erythema, and skin cancer. Among the three different types of UV rays, UVB rays have a medium wavelength that can penetrate the epidermal layer of the skin, resulting in sunburn, suntan, blistering, and melanoma in case of chronic exposure. This study aimed to evaluate the preventive and therapeutic effects of a gel-in-oil nanogel dispersion (G/O-NGD) as a transdermal delivery biomolecular carrier for skin damage caused by UVB light. The efficacy of this carrier against UVB-induced skin damage was investigated in vivo by delivering different growth factors (GFs) encapsulated in a G/O-NGD. Artificial UVB light was used to induce skin damage in nude mice, followed by the transdermal application of five GF [vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor (TGF)-1, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-α]-immobilized G/O-NGD. Among these GFs, VEGF and bFGF promoted angiogenesis, while EGF, TGF-1, and IGF-α promoted the repair and regeneration of damaged cells. The results showed that G/O-NGD was superior to heparin-immobilized G/O-NGD in reducing UVB-induced skin damage, such as erythema, epidermal water reduction, inflammation, and dermis thickening. In addition, G/O-NGD could prevent and treat abnormal follicle proliferation caused by UVB rays and exhibited potential to repair lipid glands. Overall, our results demonstrate the potential of G/O-NGDs for the treatment of UVB-induced skin damage.

Mesocrystalline ZnS nanoparticles-augmented sonocatalytic full water splitting into H2/O2 for immunoactivating deep tumor

Therapeutic gas molecules have high tissue penetrability, but their sustainable supply and controlled release in deep tumor is a huge challenge. In this work, a concept of sonocatalytic full water splitting for hydrogen/oxygen immunotherapy of deep tumor is proposed, and a new kind of ZnS nanoparticles with a mesocrystalline structure (mZnS) is developed to achieve highly efficient sonocatalytic full water splitting for sustainable supply of H₂ and O₂ in tumor, achieving a high efficacy of deep tumor therapy. Mechanistically, locally generated hydrogen and oxygen molecules exhibit a tumoricidal effect as well as the co-immunoactivation of deep tumors through inducing the M2-to-M1 repolarization of intratumoral macrophages and the tumor hypoxia relief-mediated activation of CD8⁺ T cells, respectively. The proposed sonocatalytic immunoactivation strategy will open a new window to realize safe and efficient treatment of deep tumors.

Injectable spontaneous hydrogen-releasing hydrogel for long-lasting alleviation of osteoarthritis

Excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) amplifies pro-inflammatory pathways and exacerbates immune responses, and is a key factor in the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Therapeutic hydrogen gas (H₂) with antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, has a potential for OA alleviation, but the targeted delivery and sustained release of H₂ are still challenging. Herein, we develop an injectable calcium boride nanosheets (CBN) loaded hydrogel platform (CBN@GelDA hydrogel) as a high-payload and sustainable H₂ precursor for OA treatment. The CBN@GelDA hydrogel could maintain constant physiological pH conditions which further promotes more H₂ release than the CBN alone and lasts more than one week. The biocompatibility of this hydrogel with macrophages and chondrocytes is effectively enhanced. The experiments show that the CBN@GelDA hydrogel holds the ROS scavenging ability, reducing the expression of related inflammatory cytokines, lessening M1 macrophages but stimulating M2 phenotype, and thereby decreasing chondrocyte apoptosis, which facilitates to breaking of the vicious circle of OA progression. Furthermore, a single-time injection of the CBN@GelDA hydrogel markedly reduces joint destruction in OA rats. From what has been discussed above, this injectable spontaneous H₂-releasing hydrogel is promising for OA treatment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Oxidative stress and inflammation play the key role in the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis (OA). The system of a hydrogel loaded with H₂ precursor calcium boride nanosheet (CBN), which is the first to use as an H₂ precursor, integrates superior injectable and biocompatible of hydrogel and the selection of antioxidant properties of H₂. This system can improve H₂ release behavior and achieve a single injection into the articular cavity to alleviate the progression of OA in rats. This study of the combination of a convenient long-acting injectable hydrogel and a safe therapeutic gas is of great value for improving the quality of life of clinical patients.

Reversible covalent nanoassemblies for augmented nuclear drug translocation in drug resistance tumor

The drug efflux by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is the primary contributor of multidrug resistance (MDR), which eventually generates insufficient nuclear drug accumulation and chemotherapy failure. In this paper, reversible covalent nanoassemblies on the basis of catechol-functionalized methoxy poly (ethylene glycol) (mPEG-dop) and phenylboronic acid-modified cholesterol (Chol-PBA) are successfully synthesized for delivery of both doxorubicin (DOX, anti-cancer drug) and tariquidar (TQR, P-glycoprotein inhibitor), which shows efficient nuclear DOX accumulation for overcoming tumor MDR. Through naturally forming phenylboronate linkage in physiological circumstances, Chol-PBA is able to bond with mPEG-dop. The resulting conjugates (PC) could self-assemble into reversible covalent nanoassemblies by dialysis method, and transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals the PC distributes in nano-scaled spherical particles before and after drug encapsulation. Under the assistance of Chol, PC can enter into lysosome of tumor cells via low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-mediated endocytosis. Then the loaded TQR and DOX are released in acidic lysosomal compartments, which inhibit P-gp mediated efflux and elevate nuclear accumulation of DOX, respectively. At last, this drug loaded PC nanoassemblies show significant tumor suppression efficacy in multidrug-resistant tumor models, which suggests great potential for addressing MDR in cancer therapy.

Fe/MOF based platform for NIR laser induced efficient PDT/PTT of cancer

Introduction: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) are widely used in the treatment of tumors. However, their application in the treatment of clinical tumors is limited by the complexity and irreversible hypoxia environment generated by tumor tissues. To overcome this limitation, a nanoparticle composed of indocyanine green (ICG) and Fe-MOF-5 was developed. Methods: We prepared F-I@FM5 and measured its morphology, particle size, and stability. Its enzyme like ability and optical effect was verified. Then we used MTT, staining and flow cytometry to evaluated the anti-tumor effect on EMT-6 cells in vitro. Finally, the anti-tumor effect in vivo has been studied on EMT-6 tumor bearing mice. Results: For the composite nanoparticle, we confirmed that Fe-MOF-5 has the best nanozyme activity. In addition, it has excellent photothermal conversion efficiency and generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) under near-infrared light irradiation (808 nm). The composite nanoparticle showed good tumor inhibition effect in vitro and in vivo, which was superior to the free ICG or Fe-MOF-5 alone. Besides, there was no obvious cytotoxicity in major organs within the effective therapeutic concentration. Discussion: Fe-MOF-5 has the function of simulating catalase, which can promote the decomposition of excessive H₂O₂ in the tumor microenvironment and produce oxygen to improve the hypoxic environment. The improvement of tumor hypoxia can enhance the efficacy of PDT and PTT. This research not only provides an efficient and stable anti-tumor nano platform, but also has broad application prospects in the field of tumor therapy, and provides a new idea for the application of MOF as an important carrier material in the field of photodynamic therapy.

Recent Advances in Metal-Organic-Framework-Based Nanocarriers for Controllable Drug Delivery and Release

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have a good designability, a well-defined pore, stimulus responsiveness, a high surface area, and a controllable morphology. Up to now, various MOFs have been widely used as nanocarriers and have attracted lots of attention in the field of drug delivery and release because of their good biocompatibility and high-drug-loading capacity. Herein, we provide a comprehensive summary of MOF-based nanocarriers for drug delivery and release over the last five years. Meanwhile, some representative examples are highlighted in detail according to four categories, including the University of Oslo MOFs, Fe-MOFs, cyclodextrin MOFs, and other MOFs. Moreover, the opportunities and challenges of MOF-based smart delivery vehicles are discussed. We hope that this review will be helpful for researchers to understand the recent developments and challenges of MOF-based drug-delivery systems.

An injectable vitreous substitute with sustained release of metformin for enhanced uveal melanoma immunotherapy

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most prevalent primary intraocular malignant tumor in adults with a high rate of metastasis. Conventional treatments have limited effects on metastasis and cause permanent ocular tissue defects. Here, a novel strategy based on an injectable vitreous substitute with sustained metformin release ability (IVS-Met) was reported for efficient UM therapy as well as for repairing vitreous deficiency and preserving visual function. IVS-Met showed an excellent long-term anti-tumor effect by direct tumor attack and modulation of the tumor microenvironment (TME). IVS-Met reduced the proportion of pro-tumor M2 tumor-associated macrophages and induced the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype, thus reversing the immunosuppressive TME and eliciting robust anti-tumor immune responses. Notably, IVS-Met demonstrated high performance in the inhibition of UM metastasis and significantly extended the survival time of mice. In addition, the vitreous substitute achieved facile administration via direct injection and exhibited excellent rheological and optical properties with the key parameters very close to those of the vitreous body to repair vitreous deficiency and preserve visual function. In summary, this strategy has realized effective UM treatment while retaining eyeballs and vision for the first time, revealing great potential for translation to clinical practice.

Metal-organic frameworks for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy and mechanism

In recent years, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted increasing attention in cancer therapy, because they can enhance the anticancer efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), photoacoustic imaging, and drug delivery. Owing to stable chemical adjustability, MOFs can be used as carriers to provide excellent loading sites and protection for small-molecule drugs. In addition, MOFs can be used to combine with a variety of therapeutic drugs, including chemotherapeutics drugs, photosensitizers, and radiosensitizers, to efficiently deliver drugs to tumor tissue and achieve desired treatment. There is hardly any review regarding the application of MOFs in hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, the design, structure, and potential applications of MOFs as nanoparticulate systems in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma are presented.

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The Advancement of Gas-Generating Nanoplatforms in Biomedical Fields: Current Frontiers and Future Perspectives

Diverse gases (NO, CO, H₂ S, H₂ , etc.) have been widely applied in the medical intervention of various diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, ischemia-reperfusion injury, bacterial infection, etc., attributing to their inherent biomedical activities. Although many gases have many biomedical activities, their clinical use is still limited due to the rapid and free diffusion behavior of these gases molecules, which may cause potential side effects and/or ineffective treatment. Gas-generating nanoplatforms (GGNs) are effective strategies to address the aforementioned challenges of gas therapy by preventing gas production or release at nonspecific sites, enhancing GGNs accumulation at targeted sites, and controlling gas release in response to exogenous (UV, NIR, US, etc.) or endogenous (H₂ O₂ , GSH, pH, etc.) stimuli at the lesion site, further maintaining gas concentration within the effective range and achieving the purpose of disease treatment. This review comprehensively summarizes the advancements of "state-of-the-art" GGNs in the recent three years, with emphasis on the composition, structure, preparation process, and gas release mechanism of the nanocarriers. Furthermore, the therapeutic effects and limitations of GGNs in preclinical studies using cell/animal models are discussed. Overall, this review enlightens the further development of this field and promotes the clinical transformation of gas therapy.

The Impact of MOF in pH-dependent Drug Delivery System: Progress in Last Decade

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystalline materials of one-, two-, or three-dimensional networks manufactured from metal ions/clusters and multidentate organic linkers through coordination bonding. MOFs are one of the most...