Chemiluminescence sensing of adenosine using DNA cross-linked hydrogel-capped magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Aptamer responsive DNA Functionalized hydrogels electrochemiluminescence biosensor for the detection of adenosine triphosphate

DNA hydrogel represents a noteworthy biomaterial. The preparation of biosensors by combining DNA hydrogel with electrochemiluminescence can simplify the modification process and raise the experimental efficiency. In this study, an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor based on DNA hydrogel was fabricated to detect adenosine triphosphate (ATP) simply and quickly. CdTe-Ru@SiO2 nanospheres capable of ECL resonance energy transfer (RET) were synthesized and encapsulated CdTe-Ru@SiO2 in the DNA hydrogel to provide strong and stable ECL signals. DNA hydrogel avoided the labeling of ECL signal molecules. The aptamer of ATP as the linker of the hydrogel for the specificity of ATP detection. The cross-linked structure of the aptamer and the polymer chains was opened by ATP, and then the decomposition of the DNA hydrogel initiated the escape of CdTe-Ru@SiO2 to generate an ECL signal. The designed biosensor detected ATP without too much modification and complex experimental steps on the electrode surface, with good specificity and stability, and a wide linear range. The detection range was 10-5000 nM, and the detection limit was 6.68 nM (S/N = 3). The combination of DNA hydrogel and ECL biosensor provided a new way for clinical detection of ATP and other biomolecule.

Responsive DNA hydrogels: design strategies and prospects for biosensing

Hydrogels, water-filled networks that can adapt to external stimuli by altering their volume, are known for their high flexibility and biocompatibility. DNA, a critical biomolecule renowned for its exceptional characteristics including information transmission, molecular recognition, and editability, has found widespread applications in the biosensing field as well. The integration of these two biomaterials offers promising opportunities for the development of novel biosensors with enhanced sensitivity, specificity, and adaptability. Therefore, by virtue of the collective features, researchers have recently focused on the construction of responsive DNA hydrogel systems. This feature article describes recent developments in fabricating DNA hydrogels and their applications in the biosensing area. Initially, it focuses on the design strategies employed in preparing DNA hydrogels, encompassing both pure DNA hydrogels and hybridized DNA hydrogels. Subsequently, it summarizes the use of DNA hydrogels in biosensing applications, highlighting their applications in visual detection, electrochemical sensing, and optical biosensing analyses. Furthermore, the underlying responsive mechanisms within these biosensing systems are also described. Lastly, this article presents a comprehensive discussion on the existing challenges and prospects of responsive DNA hydrogels, offering insights into their potential to revolutionize the field of biosensing.

A strong, silk protein-inspired tissue adhesive with an enhanced drug release mechanism for transdermal drug delivery

In transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) patches, achieving prolonged adhesion, high drug loading, and rapid drug release simultaneously presented a significant challenge. In this study, a PHT-SP-Cu2+ adhesive was synthesized using polyethylene glycol (PEG), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), trimethylolpropane (TMP), and silk protein (SP) as functional monomers which were combined with Cu2+ to improve the adhesion, drug loading, and drug release of the patch. The structure of the adhesion chains and the formation of Cu2+-p-π conjugated network in PHT-SP-Cu2+ were characterized and elucidated using different characterization methods including FT-IR, 13C NMR, XPS, SEM imaging and thermodynamic evaluation. The formulation of pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) was optimized through comprehensive research on adhesion, mechanics, rheology, and surface energy. The formulation of 3 wt.% SP and 3 wt.% Cu2+ provided superior adhesion properties compared to commercial standards. Subsequently, the peel strength of PHT-SP-Cu2+ was 7.6 times higher than that of the commercially available adhesive DURO-TAK® 87-4098 in the porcine skin peel test. The adhesion test on human skin confirmed that PHT-SP-Cu2+ could adhere to the human body for more than six days. Moreover, the drug loading, in vitro release test and skin permeation test were investigated using ketoprofen as a model drug, and the results showed that PHT-SP-Cu2+ had the efficacy of improving drug compatibility, promoting drug release and enhancing skin permeation as a TDDS. Among them, the drug loading of PHT-SP-Cu2+ was increased by 6.25-fold compared with PHT, and in the in vivo pharmacokinetic analysis, the AUC was similarly increased by 19.22-fold. The mechanism of α-helix facilitated drug release was demonstrated by Flori-Hawkins interaction parameters, molecular dynamics simulations and FT-IR. Biosafety evaluations highlighted the superior skin cytocompatibility and safety of PHT-SP-Cu2+ for transdermal applications. These results would contribute to the development of TDDS patch adhesives with outstanding adhesion, drug loading and release efficiency. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: A new adhesive, PHT-SP-Cu2+, was created for transdermal drug delivery patches. Polyethylene glycol, hexamethylene diisocyanate, trimethylolpropane, silk protein, and Cu2+ were used in synthesis. Characterization techniques confirmed the structure and Cu2+-p-π conjugated networks. Optimal formulation included 3 wt.% SP and 3 wt.% Cu2+, exhibiting superior adhesion. PHT-SP-Cu2+ showed 7.6 times higher peel strength than DURO-TAK® 87-4098 on porcine skin and adhered to human skin for over six days. It demonstrated a 6.25-fold increase in drug loading compared to PHT, with 19.22-fold higher AUC in vivo studies. α-helix facilitated drug release, proven by various analyses. PHT-SP-Cu2+ showed excellent cytocompatibility and safety for transdermal applications. This study contributes to developing efficient TDDS patches.

Nanomaterials for light-mediated therapeutics in deep tissue

Light-mediated therapeutics, including photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy and light-triggered drug delivery, have been widely studied due to their high specificity and effective therapy. However, conventional light-mediated therapies usually depend on the activation of light-sensitive molecules with UV or visible light, which have poor penetration in biological tissues. Over the past decade, efforts have been made to engineer nanosystems that can generate luminescence through excitation with near-infrared (NIR) light, ultrasound or X-ray. Certain nanosystems can even carry out light-mediated therapy through chemiluminescence, eliminating the need for external activation. Compared to UV or visible light, these 4 excitation modes penetrate more deeply into biological tissues, triggering light-mediated therapy in deeper tissues. In this review, we systematically report the design and mechanisms of different luminescent nanosystems excited by the 4 excitation sources, methods to enhance the generated luminescence, and recent applications of such nanosystems in deep tissue light-mediated therapeutics.

DNA hydrogels and nanogels for diagnostics, therapeutics, and theragnostics of various cancers

As an efficient class of hydrogel-based therapeutic drug delivery systems, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hydrogels (particularly DNA nanogels) have attracted massive attention in the last five years. The main contributor to this is the programmability of these 3-dimensional (3D) scaffolds that creates fundamental effects, especially in treating cancer diseases. Like other active biological ingredients (ABIs), DNA hydrogels can be functionalized with other active agents that play a role in targeting drug delivery and modifying the half-life of the therapeutic cargoes in the body's internal environment. Considering the brilliant advantages of DNA hydrogels, in this survey, we intend to submit an informative collection of feasible methods for the design and preparation of DNA hydrogels and nanogels, and the responsivity of the immune system to these therapeutic cargoes. Moreover, the interactions of DNA hydrogels with cancer biomarkers are discussed in this account. Theragnostic DNA nanogels as an advanced species for both detection and therapeutic purposes are also briefly reviewed.

Mesoporous Materials Make Hydrogels More Powerful in Biomedicine

Scientists have been attempting to improve the properties of mesoporous materials and expand their application since the 1990s, and the combination with hydrogels, macromolecular biological materials, is one of the research focuses currently. Uniform mesoporous structure, high specific surface area, good biocompatibility, and biodegradability make the combined use of mesoporous materials more suitable for the sustained release of loaded drugs than single hydrogels. As a joint result, they can achieve tumor targeting, tumor environment stimulation responsiveness, and multiple therapeutic platforms such as photothermal therapy and photodynamic therapy. Due to the photothermal conversion ability, mesoporous materials can significantly improve the antibacterial ability of hydrogels and offer a novel photocatalytic antibacterial mode. In bone repair systems, mesoporous materials remarkably strengthen the mineralization and mechanical properties of hydrogels, aside from being used as drug carriers to load and release various bioactivators to promote osteogenesis. In hemostasis, mesoporous materials greatly elevate the water absorption rate of hydrogels, enhance the mechanical strength of the blood clot, and dramatically shorten the bleeding time. As for wound healing and tissue regeneration, incorporating mesoporous materials can be promising for enhancing vessel formation and cell proliferation of hydrogels. In this paper, we introduce the classification and preparation methods of mesoporous material-loaded composite hydrogels and highlight the applications of composite hydrogels in drug delivery, tumor therapy, antibacterial treatment, osteogenesis, hemostasis, and wound healing. We also summarize the latest research progress and point out future research directions. After searching, no research reporting these contents was found.

Bibliometrics Analysis of Research Progress of Electrochemical Detection of Tetracycline Antibiotics

Tetracycline is a broad-spectrum class of antibiotics. The use of excessive doses of tetracycline antibiotics can result in their residues in food, posing varying degrees of risk to human health. Therefore, the establishment of a rapid and sensitive field detection method for tetracycline residues is of great practical importance to improve the safety of food-derived animal foods. Electrochemical analysis techniques are widely used in the field of pollutant detection because of the simple detection principle, easy operation of the instrument, and low cost of analysis. In this review, we summarize the electrochemical detection of tetracycline antibiotics by bibliometrics. Unlike the previously published reviews, this article reviews and analyzes the development of this topic. The contributions of different countries and different institutions were analyzed. Keyword analysis was used to explain the development of different research directions. The results of the analysis revealed that developments and innovations in materials science can enhance the performance of electrochemical detection of tetracycline antibiotics. Among them, gold nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes are the most used nanomaterials. Aptamer sensing strategies are the most favored methodologies in electrochemical detection of tetracycline antibiotics.

Cytidine-rich hydrogel as an electrochemical signal amplification strategy for microRNA detection

Signal amplification strategies increase the complexities of biosensors while improving the response signals. Herein, a novel electrochemical biosensor was developed based on a DNA hydrogel for sensitive analysis using microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) as a detection model. Poly C sequences combined with C-Ag(I)-C hydrogel formed a DNA hydrogel by the unique interaction between the cytosines and silver ions. Thus, with a three-way conjunction structure of DNA, this C-Ag(I)-C hydrogel was constructed as a novel biosensor for the detection of miRNAs. With the assistance of this hydrogel, numerous silver ions gathered around DNA strands, which would amplify the signal. Under these conditions, the silver ions produced distinct square wave voltammetry oxidation peak currents. This electrochemical biosensor we designed exhibited a great linear relationship for the logarithm of the concentration of miRNA-21 from 1 fM to 100 pM with a detection limit of 0.117 fM. Furthermore, our sensors were able to differentiate miRNA-21 from its homologous family with satisfactory responsiveness in the dilute bovine serum system.