[Annual progress of immunotherapy for tuberculosis in 2023]

As a chronic infectious disease, tuberculosis (TB) is closely related to immune regulation and immune effect. Immunotherapy which can improve the curative effect of tuberculosis and control the spread of tuberculosis, is one of the important means for the comprehensive treatment of tuberculosis. From October 2022 to September 2023, research on the immunotherapy of tuberculosis at home and abroad continues to increase, providing new opportunities for the treatment of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. Host-targeted therapy and therapeutic vaccines are new directions for research into TB adjuvant therapy.

A Bioorthogonal Decaging Chemistry of N-Oxide and Silylborane for Prodrug Activation both In Vitro and In Vivo

Bioorthogonal decaging chemistry with both fast kinetics and high efficiency is highly demanded for in vivo applications but remains very sporadic. Herein, we describe a new bioorthogonal decaging chemistry between N-oxide and silylborane. A simple replacement of "C" in boronic acid with "Si" was able to substantially accelerate the N-oxide decaging kinetics by 106 fold (k2: up to 103 M-1 s-1). Moreover, a new N-oxide-masked self-immolative spacer was developed for the traceless release of various payloads upon clicking with silylborane with fast kinetics and high efficiency (>90%). Impressively, one such N-oxide-based self-assembled bioorthogonal nano-prodrug in combination with silylborane led to significantly enhanced tumor suppression effects as compared to the parent drug in a 4T1 mouse breast tumor model. In aggregate, this new bioorthogonal click-and-release chemistry is featured with fast kinetics and high efficiency and is perceived to find widespread applications in chemical biology and drug delivery.

Nanoparticle-mediated TRPV1 channel blockade amplifies cancer thermo-immunotherapy via heat shock factor 1 modulation

The survival of malignant tumors is highly dependent on their intrinsic self-defense pathways such as heat shock protein (HSP) during cancer therapy. However, precisely dismantling self-defenses to amplify antitumor potency remains unexplored. Herein, we demonstrate that nanoparticle-mediated transient receptor potential vanilloid member 1 (TRPV1) channel blockade potentiates thermo-immunotherapy via suppressing heat shock factor 1 (HSF1)-mediated dual self-defense pathways. TRPV1 blockade inhibits hyperthermia-induced calcium influx and subsequent nuclear translocation of HSF1, which selectively suppresses stressfully overexpressed HSP70 for enhancing thermotherapeutic efficacy against a variety of primary, metastatic and recurrent tumor models. Particularly, the suppression of HSF1 translocation further restrains the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) pathway to degrade the tumor stroma, which improves the infiltration of antitumor therapeutics (e.g. anti-PD-L1 antibody) and immune cells into highly fibrotic and immunosuppressive pancreatic cancers. As a result, TRPV1 blockade retrieves thermo-immunotherapy with tumor-eradicable and immune memory effects. The nanoparticle-mediated TRPV1 blockade represents as an effective approach to dismantle self-defenses for potent cancer therapy.

A pH-Activatable Copper-Biomineralized Proenzyme for Synergistic Chemodynamic/Chemo-Immunotherapy against Aggressive Cancers

Artificial enzymes have demonstrated therapeutic benefits against diverse malignant tumors, yet their antitumor potencies are still severely compromised by non-selective catalysis, low atomic-utilization efficiency, and undesired off-target toxicity. Herein, it is reported that peroxidase-like biomineralized copper (II) carbonate hydroxide nanocrystals inside single albumin nanocages (CuCH-NCs) act as a pH-activatable proenzyme to achieve tumor-selective and synergistic chemodynamic/chemo-immunotherapy against aggressive triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs). These CuCH-NCs show pH-sensitive Cu²⁺ release, which spontaneously undergoes glutathione (GSH)-mediated reduction into Cu⁺ species for catalyzing the evolution of H₂ O₂ into hydroxyl radicals (·OH) in a single-atom-like manner to cause chemodynamic cell injury, and simultaneously activates non-toxic disulfiram to cytotoxic complex for yielding selective chemotherapeutic damage via blocking cell proliferation and amplifying cell apoptosis. CuCH-NCs exhibit considerable tumor-targeting capacity with deep penetration depth, thus affording preferable efficacy against orthotopic breast tumors through synergistic chemodynamic/chemotherapy, together with good in vivo safety. Moreover, CuCH-NCs arouse distinct immunogenic cell death effect and upregulate PD-L1 expression upon disulfiram combination, and thus synergize with anti-PD-L1 antibody to activate adaptive and innate immunities, together with relieving immunosuppression, finally yielding potent antitumor efficacy against both primary and metastatic TNBCs. These results provide insights into smart and high-performance proenzymes for synergistic therapy against aggressive cancers.

Holographically Activatable Nanoprobe via Glutathione/Albumin-Mediated Exponential Signal Amplification for High-Contrast Tumor Imaging

Glutathione (GSH)-activatable probes hold great promise for in vivo cancer imaging, but are restricted by their dependence on non-selective intracellular GSH enrichment and uncontrollable background noise. Here, a holographically activatable nanoprobe caging manganese tetraoxide is shown for tumor-selective contrast enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) through cooperative GSH/albumin-mediated cascade signal amplification in tumors and rapid elimination in normal tissues. Once targeting tumors, the endocytosed nanoprobe effectively senses the lysosomal microenvironment to undergo instantaneous decomposition into Mn²⁺ with threshold GSH concentration of ≈ 0.12 mm for brightening MRI signals, thus achieving high contrast tumor imaging and flexible monitoring of GSH-relevant cisplatin resistance during chemotherapy. Upon efficient up-regulation of extracellular GSH in tumor via exogenous injection, the relaxivity-silent interstitial nanoprobe remarkably evolves into Mn²⁺ that are further captured/retained and re-activated into ultrahigh-relaxivity-capable complex by stromal albumin in the tumor, and simultaneously allows the renal clearance of off-targeted nanoprobe in the form of Mn²⁺ via lymphatic vessels for suppressing background noise to distinguish tiny liver metastasis. These findings demonstrate the concept of holographic tumor activation via both tumor GSH/albumin-mediated cascade signal amplification and simultaneous background suppression for precise tumor malignancy detection, surveillance, and surgical guidance.

Albumin-templated platinum (II) sulfide nanodots for size-dependent cancer theranostics

Transition-metal chalcogenides, such as noble metal chalcogenides, hold tremendous potential as efficient agents for photo-induced cancer theranostics due to their unique physicochemical properties. However, a critical bottleneck still lies in exploring simple and controllable methods to synthesize noble metal chalcogenides especially PtS for in vivo photo-induced cancer imaging and simultaneous therapy. Herein, we proposed the albumin-templated synthesis of size-controllable platinum (II) sulfide nanodots (PtS-NDs) for multimodal cancer imaging and potent photothermal therapy. PtS-NDs were precisely synthesized with a tunable size ranging from 2.1 nm to 4.5 nm through a thermodynamically controlled growth inside albumin nanocages. PtS-NDs yielded significant near-infrared (NIR) absorbance and outstanding photothermal conversion under NIR laser irradiation, as well as effective resistance to photobleaching, thereby generating remarkable in vivo photoacoustic signals and distinct hyperthermia at tumor site. Moreover, these nanodots possessed efficient cellular uptake and tumor targeting capabilities in a size-dependent manner, thus leading to controllable diagnostic and thermo-therapeutic efficacy. Specifically, PtS-NDs with core diameter of 4.5 nm displayed preferable in vivo photoacoustic and CT imaging with high sensitivity, spatially and anatomically enhanced imaging contrast, together with hyperthermia mediated tumor ablation. Thus, the albumin-templated biomimetic synthesis provided an insightful strategy on fabricating theranostic PtS-NDs for potential clinical applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Noble metal chalcogenides especially PtS are of particular importance in the field of precise nanomedicine to improve both accuracy of cancer diagnosis and efficiency of tumor treatment. However, the intensively preclinical investigation of PtS was limited due to the lack of simple and controllable synthetic methods. Here, we report an albumin-templated biomineralization synthesis of platinum (II) sulfide nanodots (PtS-NDs). Specifically, albumin-templated biomineralization of PtS-NDs was induced by the electrostatic interactions between albumin and Pt²⁺, followed by the nucleation and growth inside the albumin nanocages. The resulting PtS-NDs showed good dispersibility and biosafety, as well as size-dependent photophysical properties and biological behaviors. Therefore, albumin-based biomineralization is a promising and safe strategy to facilely fabricate Pt-based chalcogenide for tumor theranostics.

Chemiexcitation-Triggered Prodrug Activation for Targeted Carbon Monoxide Delivery

Photolysis-based prodrug strategy can address some critical drug delivery issues, which otherwise are very challenging to tackle with traditional prodrug strategy. However, the need for external light irradiation significantly hampers its in vivo application due to the poor light accessibility of deep tissue. Herein, we propose a new strategy of chemiexcitation-triggered prodrug activation, wherein a photoresponsive prodrug is excited for drug payload release by chemiexcitation instead of photoirradiation. As such, the bond-cleavage power of photolysis can be employed to address some critical drug delivery issues while obviating the need for external light irradiation. We have established the proof of concept by the successful development of a chemiexcitation responsive carbon monoxide delivery platform, which exhibited specific CO release at the tumor site and pronounced tumor suppression effects. We anticipate that such a concept of chemiexcitation-triggered prodrug activation can be leveraged for the targeted delivery of other small molecule-based drug payloads.

Biochemical-thermal-hydro-mechanical coupling model for aerobic degradation of landfilled municipal solid waste

Ventilating solid waste landfills with an oxygen supply can effectively accelerate the degradation of waste, achieve rapid stabilization, and realize the sustainable utilization of landfills. Aiming to understand and verify the aerobic degradation process in landfills, this paper proposed a biochemical-thermal-hydro-mechanical coupling model. The model considers aerobic biochemical reactions, dissolved solute migration, heat transport, two-phase flow, and skeleton deformation. The model was verified by comparison with an in-situ experiment at Jinkou landfill. The results showed the model could accurately represent the observed degradation phenomena during the experiment. The modelling results indicated that the rate of temperature increase and peak temperature of the upper layer, which were lower than those of the middle layer, were affected by heat exchange at the landfill surface. The lowest temperatures occurred near the bottom because of high water content and low oxygen concentrations. The high temperature zone migrated out from the injection well during degradation, reflecting the degradation of degradable organic matter associated with oxygen diffusion rates and aerobic degradation reactions. The initial accumulated settlement value was fast, but slowed and finally stabilized. The surface subsidence also developed from the center around the injection well to the surrounding area, and 70% of the total subsidence occurred within 150 days. This newly developed model provides a theoretical framework for analyzing the multi-field coupling of aerobic degradation of landfilled municipal solid waste (MSW).

Liposomal cyanine dyes with enhanced nonradiative transition for synergistic phototherapy of tumor

Organic photosensitizers are of great interest in cancer diagnose and treatment such as fluorescence imaging, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and photothermal therapy (PTT). However, their poor aqueous solubility, inadequate photostability and...

Biomineralized iron oxide-polydopamine hybrid nanodots for contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and photothermal tumor ablation

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IO NPs) have become the focus of molecular imaging probes for contrast enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging due to their intrinsic magnetic and biodegradable properties, as well as long blood half-lives and low toxicity. Massive efforts have been made to explore the IO NPs as T2-weighted MR contrast agents, which have high susceptibility to induce a long-range magnetic field that interferes with diagnosis. Thus, the development of IO NPs with potent T1 relaxivity might help in providing an alternative for clinically applied gadolinium chelates. Herein, biomineralized iron oxide-polydopamine hybrid nanodots (IO/PDA-NDs) have been constructed using albumin as the nanoreactors to induce nanoprecipitation and polymerization simultaneously, facilitating T1-weighted contrast-enhancement as well as photothermal therapeutic capability. The IO nanoclusters in IO/PDA-NDs have an r1 relaxivity of 5.79 mM-1 s-1 with a relatively low r2/r1 ratio of 1.71, demonstrating the preferable iron oxide based T1 contrast agents. The high photothermal conversion coefficient and tumor targeting effect of the hybrid nanodots could result in complete tumor ablation efficacy. The biomineralization method provides a promising approach for the integration of tumor diagnosis and treatment to achieve efficient cancer theranostics.

Heavy-Atom-Modulated Supramolecular Assembly Increases Antitumor Potency against Malignant Breast Tumors via Tunable Cooperativity

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains with highest incidence and mortality rates among females, and a critical bottleneck lies in rationally establishing potent therapeutics against TNBC. Here, the self-assembled micellar nanoarchitecture of heavy-atom-modulated supramolecules with efficient cytoplasmic translocation and tunable photoconversion is shown, for potent suppression against primary, metastatic, and recurrent TNBC. Multi-iodinated boron dipyrromethene micelles yield tunable photoconversion into singlet oxygen and a thermal effect, together with deep penetration and subsequent cytoplasmic translocation at the tumor. Tetra-iodinated boron dipyrromethene micelles (4-IBMs) particularly show a distinctly enhanced cooperativity of antitumor efficiency through considerable expressions of apoptotic proteins, potently suppressing subcutaneous, and orthotopic TNBC models, together with reduced oxygen dependence. Furthermore, 4-IBMs yield preferable anti-metastatic and anti-recurrent efficacies through the inhibition of metastasis-relevant proteins, distinct immunogenic cell death, and re-education of M2 macrophages into tumoricidal M1 phenotype as compared to chemotherapy and surgical resection. These results offer insights into the cooperativity of supramolecular nanoarchitectures for potent phototherapy against TNBC.

Serum protein-based nanoparticles for cancer diagnosis and treatment

Serum protein as naturally essential biomacromolecules has recently emerged as a versatile carrier for diagnostic and therapeutic drug delivery for cancer nanomedicine with superior biocompatibility, improved pharmacokinetics and enhanced targeting capacity. A variety of serum proteins have been utilized for drug delivery, mainly including albumin, ferritin/apoferritin, transferrin, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein and hemoglobin. As evidenced by the success of paclitaxel-bound albumin nanoparticles (Abraxane^TM), serum protein-based nanoparticles have gained attractive attentions for precise biological design and potential clinical application. In this review, we summarize the general design strategies, targeting mechanisms and recent development of serum protein-based nanoparticles in the field of cancer nanomedicine. Moreover, we also concisely specify the current challenges to be addressed for a bright future of serum protein-based nanomedicines.

On the Elevated Temperature Thermal Stability of Nanoscale Mn-Ni-Si Precipitates Formed at Lower Temperature in Highly Irradiated Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels

Atom probe tomography (APT) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) techniques were used to probe the long-time thermal stability of nm-scale Mn-Ni-Si precipitates (MNSPs) formed in intermediate and high Ni reactor pressure vessel steels under high fluence neutron irradiation at ≈320 °C. Post irradiation annealing (PIA) at 425 °C for up to 57 weeks was used to determine if the MNSPs are: (a) non-equilibrium solute clusters formed and sustained by radiation induced segregation (RIS); or, (b) equilibrium G or Γ₂ phases, that precipitate at accelerated rates due to radiation enhanced diffusion (RED). Note the latter is consistent with both thermodynamic models and x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Both the experimental and an independently calibrated cluster dynamics (CD) model results show that the stability of the MNSPs is very sensitive to the alloy Ni and, to a lesser extent, Mn content. Thus, a small fraction of the largest MNSPs in the high Ni steel persist, and begin to coarsen at long times. These results suggest that the MNSPs remain a stable phase, even at 105 °C higher than they formed at, thus are most certainly equilibrium phases at much lower service relevant temperatures of ≈290 °C.

Rationally Designed Monodisperse Gd2 O3 /Bi2 S3 Hybrid Nanodots for Efficient Cancer Theranostics

Multifunctional nanotheranostic agents are of particular importance in the field of precise nanomedicine. However, a critical challenge remains in the rational fabrication of monodisperse multicomponent nanoparticles with enhanced multifunctional characteristics for efficient cancer theranostics. Here, a rational and facile synthesis of monodisperse Gd₂ O₃ /Bi₂ S₃ hybrid nanodots (Gd/Bi-NDs) is demonstrated as a multifunctional nanotheranostic agent using a albumin nanoreactor for computed tomography (CT)/photoacoustics (PA)/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and simultaneous photothermal tumor ablation. Two nanoprecipitation reactions in one albumin nanoreactor are simultaneously conducted to generate ultrasmall Gd/Bi-NDs with both orthorhombic Bi₂ S₃ and cubic Gd₂ O₃ nanostructures. Their hybrid nanostructure generates distinctly enhanced longitudinal relaxivity in the spatially confined albumin nanocage as compared to monocomponent Gd₂ O₃ nanodots. Moreover, such hybrid nanodots possess multiple desirable characteristics including superior photobleaching resistance, efficient cellular uptake, preferable tumor accumulation, good in vivo clearance, and negligible acute toxicity, thereby leading to complementary PA/CT/MR imaging with spatial and anatomic characteristics, as well as effective photothermal tumor ablation without regrowth. These results represent a promising approach to fabricate monodisperse multicomponent nanotheranostic agents for efficient cancer theranostics.

Validation of a revised Mandarin Chinese language version of the Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale

The aim of the study was to validate a revised Mandarin version of the Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale (PostopQRS) and to apply the revised version in a Chinese population. In a prospective design, bilingual volunteers completed the scale at baseline, day one, day seven, and day 14 in both languages, with the order of language and parallel forms randomised. In addition, lung cancer patients undergoing open or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) completed the Mandarin version prior to surgery, day one, day three, day seven, day 14, one month, and three months postoperatively. Sixty-eight volunteers participated in the validation part of the study and in the clinical application, 93 lung cancer patients were included. The scores in the Mandarin version were equal to the English version in all domains at all timepoints including the word generation task, when the Mandarin morpheme was included in any part of the Mandarin word. However, Mandarin scores were lower in the word generation task if the morpheme was only included in the first part of the word. In addition, the Mandarin version was able to identify lower rates of overall recovery (<i>P</i> <0.01), nociceptive (<i>P</i> <0.01), emotive (<i>P</i> <0.01), and activities of daily living recovery (<i>P</i>=0.02) after open surgery compared to after VATS. The revised Mandarin version is equivalent to the English version for the cognitive domain, if morpheme substitution for the word generation task is allowed as any part of the word, and it is able to discriminate quality of recovery in Chinese patients.

Rational Design of Conjugated Photosensitizers with Controllable Photoconversion for Dually Cooperative Phototherapy

High-performance photosensitizers are highly desired for achieving selective tumor photoablation in the field of precise cancer therapy. However, photosensitizers frequently suffer from limited tumor suppression or unavoidable tumor regrowth due to the presence of residual tumor cells surviving in phototherapy. A major challenge still remains in exploring an efficient approach to promote dramatic photoconversions of photosensitizers for maximizing the anticancer efficiency. Here, a rational design of boron dipyrromethene (BDP)-based conjugated photosensitizers (CPs) that can induce dually cooperative phototherapy upon light exposure is demonstrated. The conjugated coupling of BDP monomers into dimeric BDP (di-BDP) or trimeric BDP (tri-BDP) induces photoconversions from fluorescence to singlet-to-triplet or nonradiative transitions, together with distinctly redshifted absorption into the near-infrared region. In particular, tri-BDP within nanoparticles shows preferable conversions into both primary thermal effect and minor singlet oxygen upon near-infrared light exposure, dramatically achieving tumor photoablation without any regrowth through their cooperative anticancer efficiency caused by their dominant late apoptosis and moderate early apoptosis. This rational design of CPs can serve as a valuable paradigm for cooperative cancer phototherapy in precision medicine.

Sclerostin and DKK1 Inhibition Preserves and Augments Alveolar Bone Volume and Architecture in Rats with Alveolar Bone Loss

Alveolar bone is a mechanosensitive tissue that provides structural support for teeth. Alveolar bone loss is common with aging, menopause, tooth loss, and periodontitis and can lead to additional tooth loss, reduced denture fixation, and challenges in placing dental implants. The current studies suggest that sclerostin and DKK1, which are established osteocyte-derived inhibitors of bone formation, contribute to alveolar bone loss associated with estrogen ablation and edentulism in rats. Estrogen-deficient ovariectomized rats showed significant mandibular bone loss that was reversed by systemic administration of sclerostin antibody (SAB) alone and in combination with DKK1 antibody (DAB). Osteocytes in the dentate and edentulous rat maxilla expressed Sost (sclerostin) and Dkk1 (DKK1) mRNA, and molar extraction appeared to acutely increase DKK1 expression. In a chronic rat maxillary molar extraction model, systemic SAB administration augmented the volume and height of atrophic alveolar ridges, effects that were enhanced by coadministering DAB. SAB and SAB+DAB also fully reversed bone loss that developed in the opposing mandible as a result of hypo-occlusion. In both treatment studies, alveolar bone augmentation with SAB or SAB+DAB was accompanied by increased bone mass in the postcranial skeleton. Jaw bone biomechanics showed that intact sclerostin-deficient mice exhibited stronger and denser mandibles as compared with wild-type controls. These studies show that sclerostin inhibition, with and without DKK1 coinhibition, augmented alveolar bone volume and architecture in rats with alveolar bone loss. These noninvasive approaches may have utility for the conservative augmentation of alveolar bone.

Light-Responsive Nanoparticles for Highly Efficient Cytoplasmic Delivery of Anticancer Agents

Stimuli-responsive nanostructures have shown great promise for intracellular delivery of anticancer compounds. A critical challenge remains in the exploration of stimuli-responsive nanoparticles for fast cytoplasmic delivery. Herein, near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive nanoparticles were rationally designed to generate highly efficient cytoplasmic delivery of anticancer agents for synergistic thermo-chemotherapy. The drug-loaded polymeric nanoparticles of selenium-inserted copolymer (I/D-Se-NPs) were rapidly dissociated in several minutes through reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated selenium oxidation upon NIR light exposure, and this irreversible dissociation of I/D-Se-NPs upon such a short irradiation promoted continuous drug release. Moreover, I/D-Se-NPs facilitated cytoplasmic drug translocation through ROS-triggered lysosomal disruption and thus resulted in highly preferable distribution to the nucleus even in 5 min postirradiation, which was further integrated with light-triggered hyperthermia for achieving synergistic tumor ablation without tumor regrowth.

Bifunctional Tellurium Nanodots for Photo-Induced Synergistic Cancer Therapy

Elemental tellurium (Te) nanoparticles are increasingly important in a variety of applications such as thermoelectricity, photoconductivity, and piezoelectricity. However, they have been explored with limited success in their biomedical use, and thus a tremendous challenge still exists in the exploration of Te nanoparticles that can treat tumors as an effective anticancer agent. Here, we introduce bifunctional Te nanodots with well-defined nanostructure as an effective anticancer agent for photo-induced synergistic cancer therapy with tumor ablation, which is accomplished using hollow albumin nanocages as a nanoreactor. Under near-infrared light irradiation, Te nanodots can produce effective photothermal conversion, as well as highly reactive oxygen species such as •O₂^- and dismutated •OH via a type-I mechanism through direct electron transfer, thereby triggering the potent in vivo hyperthermia and simultaneous intracellular reactive oxygen species at tumors. Moreover, Te nanodots possess perfect resistance to photobleaching, effective cytoplasmic translocation, preferable tumor accumulation, as well as in vivo renal elimination, promoting severe photo-induced cell damage and subsequent synergy between photothermal and photodynamic treatments for tumor ablation. These findings provide the insight of elemental Te nanodots for biomedical research.

Ultrastable Near-Infrared Conjugated-Polymer Nanoparticles for Dually Photoactive Tumor Inhibition

It is highly desired that satisfactory photoactive agents with ideal photophysical characteristics are explored for potent cancer phototherapeutics. Herein, bifunctional nanoparticles of low-bandgap donor-acceptor (D-A)-type conjugated-polymer nanoparticles (CP-NPs) are developed to afford a highly efficient singlet-to-triplet transition and photothermal conversion for near-infrared (NIR) light-induced photodynamic (PDT)/photothermal (PTT) treatment. CP-NPs display remarkable NIR absorption with the peak at 782 nm, and perfect resistance to photobleaching. Photoexcited CP-NPs undergo singlet-to-triplet intersystem crossing through charge transfer in the excited D-A system and simultaneous nonradiative decay from the electron-deficient electron acceptor isoindigo derivative under single-wavelength NIR light irradiation, leading to distinct singlet oxygen quantum yield and high photothermal conversion efficiency. Moreover, the CP-NPs display effective cellular uptake and cytoplasmic translocation from lysosomes, as well as effective tumor accumulation, thus promoting severe light-triggered damage caused by favorable reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and potent hyperthermia. Thus, CP-NPs achieve photoactive cell damage through their photoconversion ability for synergistic PDT/PTT treatment with tumor ablation. The proof-of-concept design of D-A-type conjugated-polymer nanoparticles with ideal photophysical characteristics provides a general approach to afford potent photoactive cancer therapy.

Photoconversion-Tunable Fluorophore Vesicles for Wavelength-Dependent Photoinduced Cancer Therapy

Photoconversion tunability of fluorophore dye is of great interest in cancer nanomedicine such as fluorescence imaging, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and photothermal therapy (PTT). Herein, this paper reports wavelength-dependent photoconversional polymeric vesicles of boron dipyrromethene (Bodipy) fluorophore for either PDT under 660 nm irradiation or PTT under 785 nm irradiation. After being assembled within polymeric vesicles at a high drug loading, Bodipy molecules aggregate in the conformations of both J-type and H-type, thereby causing red-shifted absorption into near-infrared region, ultralow radiative transition, and ideal resistance to photobleaching. Such vesicles further possess enhanced blood circulation, preferable tumor accumulation, as well as superior cell uptake as compared to free Bodipy. In particular, the vesicles mainly generate abundant intracellular singlet oxygen for PDT treatment under 660 nm irradiation, while they primarily produce a potent hyperthermia for PTT with tumor ablation through singlet oxygen-synergized photothermal necrosis under 785 nm irradiation. This approach provides a facile and general strategy to tune photoconversion characteristics of fluorophore dyes for wavelength-dependent photoinduced cancer therapy.

MnO2-Based Nanoplatform Serves as Drug Vehicle and MRI Contrast Agent for Cancer Theranostics

Multidrug resistance (MDR) greatly impedes the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents. Overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, such as P-gp, on the surface of tumor cells is a major mechanism in MDR. In this study, we fabricated manganese dioxide (MnO₂)/doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded albumin nanoparticles (BMDN) for magnetic resonance imaging and reversing MDR in resistant tumor. BMDN facilitated the delivery of DOX into MDR tumor cells through their MDR reversal effects including enhanced cellular uptake, reduced drug efflux, and decreased hypoxic tumor microenvironment. BMDN also acted as an effective MRI contrast agent, thereby causing good in vitro and in vivo T₁-weighted imaging.

Size-Dependent Ag2S Nanodots for Second Near-Infrared Fluorescence/Photoacoustics Imaging and Simultaneous Photothermal Therapy

Ag₂S nanoparticles are increasingly important in biomedicine, such as in cancer imaging. However, there has been only limited success in the exploration of theranostic Ag₂S nanoparticles for photoinduced cancer imaging and simultaneous therapy. Here we report size-dependent Ag₂S nanodots (NDs) with well-defined nanostructure as a theranostic agent for multimodal imaging and simultaneous photothermal therapy. The NDs are precisely synthesized through carefully controlled growth of Ag₂S in hollow human serum albumin nanocages. These NDs produce effective fluorescence in second near-infrared (NIR-II) region, distinct photoacoustic intensity, and good photothermal conversion in a size-dependent manner under light irradiation, thereby generating sufficient in vivo fluorescence and photoacoustic signals as well as potent hyperthermia at tumors. Moreover, Ag₂S NDs possess ideal resistance to photobleaching, effective cellular uptake, preferable tumor accumulation, and in vivo elimination, thus facilitating NIR-II fluorescence/photoacoustics imaging with both ultrasensitivity and microscopic spatial resolution and simultaneous photothermal tumor ablation. These findings provide insight into the clinical potential of Ag₂S nanodots for cancer theranostics.

Cyanine-Anchored Silica Nanochannels for Light-Driven Synergistic Thermo-Chemotherapy

Smart nanoparticles are increasingly important in a variety of applications such as cancer therapy. However, it is still a major challenge to develop light-responsive nanoparticles that can maximize the potency of synergistic thermo-chemotherapy under light irradiation. Here, spatially confined cyanine-anchored silica nanochannels loaded with chemotherapeutic doxorubicin (CS-DOX-NCs) for light-driven synergistic cancer therapy are introduced. CS-DOX-NCs possess a J-type aggregation conformation of cyanine dye within the nanochannels and encapsulate doxorubicin through the π-π interaction with cyanine dye. Under near-infrared light irradiation, CS-DOX-NCs produce the enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency through the maximized nonradiative transition of J-type Cypate aggregates, trigger the light-driven drug release through the destabilization of temperature-sensitive π-π interaction, and generate the effective intracellular translocation of doxorubicin from the lysosomes to cytoplasma through reactive oxygen species-mediated lysosomal disruption, thereby causing the potent in vivo hyperthermia and intracellular trafficking of drug into cytoplasma at tumors. Moreover, CS-DOX-NCs possess good resistance to photobleaching and preferable tumor accumulation, facilitating severe photoinduced cell damage, and subsequent synergy between photothermal and chemotherapeutic therapy with tumor ablation. These findings provide new insights of light-driven nanoparticles for synergistic cancer therapy.

Size-Tunable Gd2O3@Albumin Nanoparticles Conjugating Chlorin e6 for Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Photo-Induced Therapy

Protein nanoparticles as nanocarriers are of particular interest in the field of cancer therapy. Nevertheless, so far a facile fabrication of theranostic protein nanoparticles have been explored with limited success for cancer imaging and therapy. In this work, we demonstrate the controllable synthesis of size-tunable Gd₂O₃@albumin conjugating photosensitizer (PS) (GA-NPs) using hollow albumin as the nanoreactor for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided photo-induced therapy. The growth of Gd₂O₃ nanocrystals within the hollow nanoreactors is well regulated through reaction time, and a typical PS (e.g. chlorin e6) is further conjugated with the protein corona of the nanoreactor through facile chemical coupling, followed by the formation of theranostic GA-NPs. GA-NPs exhibit good longitudinal relaxivity, ideal photostability, enhanced cellular uptakes, and preferable size-dependent tumor accumulation. Moreover, GA-NPs effectively generate remarkable photothermal effect, intracellular reactive oxygen species from Ce6, and subsequent cytoplasmic drug translocation, thereby leading to severe synergistic photothermal and photodynamic cell damages. Consequently, GA-NPs exhibit an in vivo size-dependent MRI capacity with enhanced imaging contrast for effective tumor localization, and also generate a potent synergistic photodynamic therapy/photothermal therapy efficacy under irradiation owing to their enhanced tumor accumulation and strong photo-induced cytotoxicity. These results suggest that GA-NPs can act as a promising theranostic protein nanoplatform for cancer imaging and photo-induced therapy.

Bifunctional Platinated Nanoparticles for Photoinduced Tumor Ablation

Bifunctional self-assembled nanoparticles with a platinated fluorophore core with ultra-low radiative transition are developed, which can generate both singlet oxygen and the photothermal effect for synergistic photodynamic and photothermal therapy with tumor ablation.

Protein-Nanoreactor-Assisted Synthesis of Semiconductor Nanocrystals for Efficient Cancer Theranostics

Transition metal sulfide nanocrystals are developed as a theranostic platform through the protein-nanoreactor approach with facile functionalization for multimodal NIRF/PA/SPECT/CT imaging and photothermal tumor ablation.

Rational Design of Multi-Stimuli-Responsive Nanoparticles for Precise Cancer Therapy

Stimuli-responsive nanoparticles with target capacity are of great interest in drug delivery for cancer therapy. However, the challenge is to achieve highly smart release with precise spatiotemporal control for cancer therapy. Herein, we report the preparation and properties of multi-stimuli-responsive nanoparticles through the co-assembly of a 3-arm star quaterpolymer with a near-infrared (NIR) photothermal agent and chemotherapeutic compound. The nanoparticles can exhibit NIR light/pH/reduction-responsive drug release and intracellular drug translocation in cancer cells, which further integrate photoinduced hyperthermia for synergistic anticancer efficiency, thereby leading to tumor ablation without tumor regrowth. Thus, this rational design of nanoparticles with multiple responsiveness represents a versatile strategy to provide smart drug delivery paradigms for cancer therapy.

Fabrication of a Multimodal Microbubble Platform for Magnetic Resonance, Ultrasound and Fluorescence Imaging Application

Magnetic resonance (MR), ultrasound (US) and fluorescence imaging are the widely used diagnostic modalities for various experimental and clinical applications. A multimodal poly(lactic acid) microbubble (MB) integrated with the three imaging modalities was fabricated by adsorbing CdTe quantum dots (QDs) onto the surface and encapsulating superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles into the core. The strong fluorescence of the multimodal MBs confirmed that QDs were successfully deposited onto the surface. The in vitro MRI contrasting capability of the multimodal MBs at various concentrations was evaluated by T2-weighted imaging. Furthermore, the in vitro and in vivo ultrasonography indicated that CdTe and SPIO-inclusive MBs maintained excellent ultrasound contrast property. These results implied that the nano-in-micro hybrid materials have the potential as a nanomedical platform for multimodal bioimaging.

Graphene Oxide and Gadolinium-Chelate Functionalized Poly(lactic acid) Nanocapsules Encapsulating Perfluorooctylbromide for Ultrasound/Magnetic Resonance Bimodal Imaging Guided Photothermal Ablation of Cancer

This paper successfully fabricated a novel multifunctional theranostic agent (PFOB@PLA/GO/Gd-DTPA NCs) by loading perfluorooctylbromide (PFOB) into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanocapsules (NCs) followed by surface functionalization with graphene oxide (GO) and gadolinium-chelate (Gd-DTPA). It was found that the resulting nanoagent could serve as a contrast agent simultaneously to enhance ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Benefiting from the strong absorption in the near infrared (NIR) region, the nanocapsules could efficiently kill cancer cells under NIR laser irradiation. Thus, such a single theranostic agent with the combination of realtime US imaging and high-resolution MR imaging could achieve great therapeutic effectiveness without systemic damage to the body. In addition, the cytotoxicity assay on HUVEC cells revealed a good biocompatibility of PFOB@PLA/GO/Gd-DTPA NCs, showing that the versatile nanocapsule system may hold great potential as an effective nanoplatform for contrast enhanced imaging guided photothermal therapy.

Sclerostin-antibody treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis maintained bone mass and strength

This study was to determine if antibody against sclerostin (Scl-Ab) could prevent glucocorticoid (GC)-induced osteoporosis in mice. We found that Scl-Ab prevented GC-induced reduction in bone mass and bone strength and that the anabolic effects of Scl-Ab might be partially achieved through the preservation of osteoblast activity through autophagy.

INTRODUCTION

Glucocorticoids (GCs) inhibit bone formation by altering osteoblast and osteocyte cell activity and lifespan. A monoclonal antibody against sclerostin, Scl-Ab, increased bone mass in both preclinical animal and clinical studies in subjects with low bone mass. The objectives of this study were to determine if treatment with the Scl-Ab could prevent loss of bone mass and strength in a mouse model of GC excess and to elucidate if Scl-Ab modulated bone cell activity through autophagy.

METHODS

We generated reporter mice that globally expressed dsRed fused to LC3, a protein marker for autophagosomes, and evaluated the dose-dependent effects of GCs (0, 0.8, 2.8, and 4 mg/kg/day) and Scl-Ab on autophagic osteoblasts, bone mass, and bone strength.

RESULTS

GC treatment at 2.8 and 4 mg/kg/day of methylprednisolone significantly lowered trabecular bone volume (Tb-BV/TV) at the lumbar vertebrae and distal femurs, cortical bone mass at the mid-shaft femur (FS), and cortical bone strength compared to placebo (PL). In mice treated with GC and Scl-Ab, Tb-BV/TV increased by 60-125 %, apparent bone strength of the lumbar vertebrae by 30-70 %, FS-BV by 10-18 %, and FS-apparent strength by 13-15 %, as compared to GC vehicle-treated mice. GC treatment at 4 mg/kg/day reduced the number of autophagic osteoblasts by 70 % on the vertebral trabecular bone surface compared to the placebo group (PL, GC 0 mg), and GC + Scl-Ab treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with Scl-Ab prevented GC-induced reduction in both trabecular and cortical bone mass and strength and appeared to maintain osteoblast activity through autophagy.

Multipronged Design of Light-Triggered Nanoparticles To Overcome Cisplatin Resistance for Efficient Ablation of Resistant Tumor

Chemotherapeutic drugs frequently encounter multiple drug resistance in the field of cancer therapy. The strategy has been explored with limited success for the ablation of drug-resistant tumor via intravenous administration. In this work, the rationally designed light-triggered nanoparticles with multipronged physicochemical and biological features are developed to overcome cisplatin resistance via the assembly of Pt(IV) prodrug and cyanine dye (Cypate) within the copolymer for efficient ablation of cisplatin-resistant tumor. The micelles exhibit good photostability, sustained release, preferable tumor accumulation, and enhanced cellular uptake with reduced efflux on both A549 cells and resistant A549R cells. Moreover, near-infrared light not only triggers the photothermal effect of the micelles for remarkable photothermal cytotoxicity, but also leads to the intracellular translocation of the micelles and reduction-activable Pt(IV) prodrug into cytoplasm through the lysosomal disruption, as well as the remarkable inhibition on the expression of a drug-efflux transporter, multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) for further reversal of drug resistance of A549R cells. Consequently, the multipronged effects of light-triggered micelles cause synergistic cytotoxicity against both A549 cells and A549R cells, and thus efficient ablation of cisplatin-resistant tumor without regrowth. The multipronged features of light-triggered micelles represent a versatile synergistic approach for the ablation of resistant tumor in the field of cancer therapy.

Nanoscale theranostics for physical stimulus-responsive cancer therapies

Physical stimulus-responsive therapies often employing multifunctional theranostic agents responsive to external physical stimuli such as light, magnetic field, ultra-sound, radiofrequency, X-ray, etc., have been widely explored as novel cancer therapy strategies, showing encouraging results in many pre-clinical animal experiments. Unlike conventional cancer chemotherapy which often accompanies with severe toxic side effects, physical stimulus-responsive agents usually are non-toxic by themselves and would destruct cancer cells only under specific external stimuli, and thus could offer greatly reduced toxicity and enhanced treatment specificity. In addition, physical stimulus-responsive therapies can also be combined with other traditional therapeutics to achieve synergistic anti-tumor effects via a variety of mechanisms. In this review, we will summarize the latest progress in the development of physical stimulus-responsive therapies, and discuss the important roles of nanoscale theranostic agents involved in those non-conventional therapeutic strategies.

Dually pH/Reduction-Responsive Vesicles for Ultrahigh-Contrast Fluorescence Imaging and Thermo-Chemotherapy-Synergized Tumor Ablation

Smart nanocarriers are of particular interest as nanoscale vehicles of imaging and therapeutic agents in the field of theranostics. Herein, we report dually pH/reduction-responsive terpolymeric vesicles with monodispersive size distribution, which are constructed by assembling acetal- and disulfide-functionalized star terpolymer with near-infrared cyanine dye and anticancer drug. The vesicular nanostructure exhibits multiple theranostic features including on-demand drug releases responding to pH/reduction stimuli, enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency of cyanine dye, and efficient drug translocation from lysosomes to cytoplasma, as well as preferable cellular uptakes and biodistribution. These multiple theranostic features result in ultrahigh-contrast fluorescence imaging and thermo-chemotherapy-synergized tumor ablation. The dually stimuli-responsive vesicles represent a versatile theranostic approach for enhanced cancer imaging and therapy.

Smart Albumin-Biomineralized Nanocomposites for Multimodal Imaging and Photothermal Tumor Ablation

Smart cyanine-grafted gadolinium oxide nanocrystals (Cy-GdNCs) obtained by albumin-based biomineralization are shown to be theranostic nanocomposites, with promising properties for trimodal near-infrared fluorescence/photoacoustics/magnetic-resonance imaging-guided photothermal tumor ablation.

Detection and Pathologic Evaluation of Sentinel Lymph Nodes in the VX2 Tumor Model Using a Novel Ultrasound/Near-Infrared Dual-Modality Contrast Agent

This study was conducted with the aim of developing a microbubble agent for near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence and ultrasound dual-modality contrast microbubbles applicable to imaging of sentinel lymph nodes in the VX2 rabbit tumor model. Specific ligands of phosphatidylserine (PS) and Cy7 NIR fluorescent dyes with long emission wavelengths (750-900 nm) were conjugated to the surface of ultrasound contrast microbubbles (MBs), termed Cy7 PS MBs. Ultrasound lymphography and NIR fluorescence imaging were performed using subcutaneous injection of Cy7 PS MBs to visualize the sentinel lymph node. Sentinel lymph node detection rates using the patent blue method, ultrasound lymphography and NIR fluorescence imaging were 95%, 79% and 95%, respectively, and sensitivity was 87%, 74% and 92%, respectively. With 2-D ultrasound, the diagnostic sensitivity for detection of sentinel lymph node metastases was 60% and the specificity was 74%, whereas Cy7 PS MB-enhanced ultrasound had a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 87%. The results indicate that dual-modality Cy7 PS MBs combined with ultrasound lymphography and NIR fluorescence may be useful in the detection of normal and metastasized sentinel lymph nodes.

Analysing codon usage bias of cyprinid herpesvirus 3 and adaptation of this virus to the hosts

The codon usage patterns of open reading frames (ORFs) in cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) have been investigated in this study. The high correlation between GC12 % and GC3 % suggests that mutational pressure rather than natural selection is the main factor that determines the codon usage and base component in the CyHV-3, while mutational pressure effect results from the high correlation between GC3 % and the first principal axis of principle component analysis (Axis 1) on the relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) value of the viral functional genes. However, the interaction between the absolute codon usage bias and GC3 % suggests that other selections take part in the formation of codon usage, except for the mutational pressure. It is noted that the similarity degree of codon usage between the CyHV-3 and goldfish, Carassius auratus (L.), is higher than that between the virus and common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., suggesting that the goldfish plays a more important role than the common carp in codon usage pattern of the CyHV-3. The study of codon usage in CyHV-3 can provide some evidence about the molecular evolution of the virus. It can also enrich our understanding about the relationship between the CyHV-3 and its hosts by analysing their codon usage patterns.

Gold nanoshelled liquid perfluorocarbon nanocapsules for combined dual modal ultrasound/CT imaging and photothermal therapy of cancer

The integration of multimodal contrast-enhanced diagnostic imaging and therapeutic capabilities could utilize imaging guided therapy to plan the treatment strategy based on the diagnostic results and to guide/monitor the therapeutic procedures. Herein, gold nanoshelled perfluorooctylbromide (PFOB) nanocapsules with PEGylation (PGsP NCs) are constructed by oil-in-water emulsion method to form polymeric PFOB nanocapsules, followed by the formation of PEGylated gold nanoshell on the surface. PGsP NCs could not only provide excellent contrast enhancement for dual modal ultrasound and CT imaging in vitro and in vivo, but also serve as efficient photoabsorbers for photothermal ablation of tumors on xenografted nude mouse model. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of gold nanoshell serving as both CT contrast agents and photoabsorbers for photothermal therapy. The novel multifunctional nanomedicine would be of great value to offer more comprehensive diagnostic information to guide more accurate and effective cancer therapy.