Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jose Garces-Garces, Miguel Sanchez-Martos, Gema Martinez-Navarrete, Eduardo Fernandez-Jover, Mirela Encheva, Martin Leon, Javier Ortiz, Angela Sastre-Santos, Fernando Fernandez-Lazaro
Summary: The synthesis and characterization of two new water soluble perylenediimides, PDI-1 and PDI-2, with potential applications in anticancer activities were described. These compounds demonstrated high fluorescence quantum yield in water and showed selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cells when exposed to specific light wavelength. The findings provide a strong foundation for the future exploration of PDI-1 and PDI-2 as effective photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Hao Yu, Binjie Chen, Huiming Huang, Zhentao He, Jiangman Sun, Guan Wang, Xinggui Gu, Ben Zhong Tang
Summary: Photodynamic therapy is a non-invasive approach for tumor elimination that is gaining increasing attention. The development of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active photosensitizers has opened up new possibilities for overcoming the limitations of traditional photodynamic therapy.
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Dnyaneshwar Kalyane, Devendra Choudhary, Suryanarayana Polaka, Hanmant Goykar, Tukaram Karanwad, Kuldeep Rajpoot, Rakesh Kumar Tekade
Summary: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a dual role in tumor cell growth, depending on their concentration. Fine-tuning ROS levels in tumor cells can promote ROS-induced apoptotic signaling. This review also discusses the mechanisms of ROS generation by nanogenerators and methods to achieve higher anticancer activity in tumor tissue.
PROGRESS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tao Jia, Jiarui Du, Jiani Yang, Feng Li, Xikui Fang, Guanying Chen
Summary: Upconversion photodynamic therapy (PDT) using upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) has shown promise for treating deep-seated tumors. However, the lack of oxygen in solid tumors and the inability to visualize reactive oxygen species (ROS) for precise treatment have been major limitations. In this study, a new multifunctional upconversion photosensitizer was developed to efficiently generate hydroxyl radicals (•OH) to induce cell apoptosis in hypoxic tumors and to dynamically visualize the accumulation of •OH in the tumor. The photosensitizer consisted of UCNPs as the core and mesoporous silica as the shell, loaded with heterojunction Ag0-Ag2S quantum dots and IR 820 molecular probe on the surface. This novel photosensitizer demonstrated significant tumor volume reduction and showed the accumulated production of •OH in hypoxic tumors.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thais P. Pivetta, Tania Vieira, Jorge C. Silva, Paulo A. Ribeiro, Maria Raposo
Summary: Photodynamic therapy is a minimally invasive treatment method that utilizes photosensitizer molecules to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induce cell death upon exposure to light. This study investigated the phototoxic potential of various photosensitizers, including dyes, natural products, and chelating compounds, in different cell lines. The results showed that the effectiveness of the photosensitizers varied depending on the cell line and the concentration of the chemical. Acridine orange demonstrated significant photosensitizing activity at low concentrations and moderate light doses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jinhao Yan, Guangwei Yang, Benshun Zhu, Ruifu Zheng, Sheng Cheng, Kewu He, Jun Yin
Summary: Multimodal collaborative therapy is an effective approach in biomedical research to eliminate tumors. By preparing a multifunctional integrated polyprodrug, precise treatment and drug release can be achieved, resulting in fatal damage to cancer cells.
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Marketa Kolarikova, Barbora Hosikova, Hanna Dilenko, Katerina Barton-Tomankova, Lucie Valkova, Robert Bajgar, Lukas Malina, Hana Kolarova
Summary: Photodynamic therapy is an alternative treatment for cancer and bacterial infections that was discovered in 1900 by Oscar Raab and Professor Hermann von Tappeiner. It involves the administration of a photosensitizer followed by light irradiation to induce reactive oxygen species and cell death. While this treatment is not new, there are ongoing modifications and improvements in terms of the photosensitizer's selectivity and efficiency, as well as the types of light sources used.
MEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Tianwei Li, Zhe Xu, Hong Chen, Shijie Zhen, Hua Gu, Zujin Zhao, Ben Zhong Tang
Summary: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has many advantages including precise control, noninvasiveness, high efficiency, and spatiotemporal selectivity. However, most currently used photosensitizers have drawbacks of weak light absorption and low reactive oxygen species generation ability. By introducing highly electronegative nitrogen atom, two photostable photosensitizers are designed to have high absorption coefficient and efficient ROS generation ability.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cheng-Chung Chang, Chia-Feng Hsieh, Hsing-Ju Wu, Mohamed Ameen, Tun-Pin Hung
Summary: Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) offers a noninvasive approach for tumor treatment by using ultrasound to activate a sonosensitizer. Two synthesized phenothiazine derivatives showed potential as photosensitizers and sonosensitizers. Among them, compound MB6C exhibited superior therapeutic effects and could be a potential candidate for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and SDT.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Giulia Greco, Luca Ulfo, Eleonora Turrini, Alessia Marconi, Paolo Emidio Costantini, Tainah Dorina Marforio, Edoardo Jun Mattioli, Matteo Di Giosia, Alberto Danielli, Carmela Fimognari, Matteo Calvaresi
Summary: Combining photodynamic therapy with chemotherapy can enhance the anticancer effects of the drug and reduce its dose-related adverse effects. Doxorubicin, a successful chemotherapy drug, has intrinsic photosensitizing properties that can be exploited to enhance its anticancer activity.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Weinire Abuduwaili, Xiang Wang, An-Tian Huang, Jia-Lei Sun, Ru-Chen Xu, Guang-Cong Zhang, Zhi-Yong Liu, Fu Wang, Chang-Feng Zhu, Tao-Tao Liu, Ling Dong, Ji-Min Zhu, Shu-Qiang Weng, Yuhao Li, Xi-Zhong Shen
Summary: The study fabricated a nano-chemo-phototherapy drug by combining an iridium-based photosensitizer with sorafenib (IPS) via a self-assembly process. The IPS exhibited significantly improved therapeutic efficacy against tumor cells by inducing apoptosis and necrosis, inhibiting HCC cell proliferation, and promoting cell apoptosis.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoen Shi, Haizhen Guo, Xinlu Zhang, Xu Zhang, Chen Cao, Huan Li, Shutong Chen, Lei Han, Sheng Wang
Summary: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is limited by tumor oxygen heterogeneity, but a novel oxygen level-responsive nanomedicine is reported here. This nanomedicine consists of a hypoxia-responsive molecule (Cy-NO2), a radical generator (ADVN), and a pH-responsive polymer. Under normoxic conditions, Cy-NO2 acts as a photosensitizer for effective PDT, while under hypoxic conditions, it transforms into a photothermal agent to generate toxic free radicals for thermodynamic therapy. This study offers a promising strategy for smart cancer therapy by overcoming oxygen heterogeneity.
ACS MATERIALS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yanpeng Dai, Xinxin Zhao, Hefang Ji, Dongdong Zhang, Pan Zhang, Ke Xue, Saima Misal, Huaiyuan Zhu, Zhengjian Qi
Summary: The study introduced a NIR AIE luminogens (AIEgens, TTI) designed for high-fidelity dynamic tracking of intracellular lipid droplets (LDs) and efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The self-assembled nanoparticles showed high singlet oxygen (O-1(2)) quantum yield and excellent photostability and biocompatibility. TTI as a photosensitizer demonstrated good phototoxicity towards HepG2 cells, leading to cell apoptosis and proliferation inhibition.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Huanhuan Wang, Xiaohong Pan, Yaqi Wang, Wenzhen Liu, Tao Dai, Binbin Yuan, Xueyuan Chen, Zhuo Chen
Summary: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has gained increasing attention in the antibacterial field. Traditional photosensitizers (PSs) often aggregate in aqueous media, leading to reduced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast, aggregation-induced emission PSs (AIE-PSs) utilize aggregation to enhance ROS generation and fluorescence intensity. The newly developed antibacterial AIE-PSs based on nitrobenzoic acid structure show promising selective antibacterial activity, with TTVBP2 and TTVBP3 being particularly effective against various bacteria strains.
SCIENCE CHINA-MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jenny Flores, Alberto Blazquez-Moraleja, Mariles Bonet-Aracil, Pilar Moya, Francisco Bosca, Luisa Marin
Summary: Heterogeneous photocatalysts based on fabric materials have great relevance for water disinfection. This study focuses on determining the best percentage of a photosensitizer on fabric for efficient bacterial inactivation. Polyamide fabrics dyed at different Rose Bengal percentages were tested, and the results showed that fabrics with 1% Rose Bengal showed 100% inactivation efficiency against Enterococcus faecalis in just 15 minutes. Optimizing the percentage of dye is crucial to avoid aggregation of photosensitizers and achieve an adequate net negative charge distribution for antimicrobial fabrics.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Kerstin Petroll, Andrew Care, Peter L. Bergquist, Anwar Sunna
METABOLIC ENGINEERING
(2020)
Review
Medical Laboratory Technology
Vinoth Kumar Rajendran, Padmavathy Bakthavathsalam, Peter L. Bergquist, Anwar Sunna
Summary: Reliable detection of nucleic acids at low concentrations in clinical samples and food can be achieved by nucleic acid amplification methods. The use of smartphones for nucleic acid testing has shown promising progress in endpoint and real-time analysis of various disease conditions.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Michael Clark, Kate Tepper, Kerstin Petroll, Sheemal Kumar, Anwar Sunna, Maciej Maselko
Summary: Inadequate management of household and industrial wastes poses challenges to human and environmental health. Advances in synthetic biology have the potential to address these challenges by engineering organisms to perform new functions, such as bioremediation of pollutants. Specifically, engineering the model insect Drosophila melanogaster to express functional enzymes has shown promising results in reducing environmental contaminants.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Angela Sun, Jo-Ann L. Stanton, Peter L. Bergquist, Anwar Sunna
Summary: A universal workflow using filtration and enzyme-based methods has been established to accurately quantify leading pathogens in tap water samples, with the potential to scale up. This method allows for rapid and sensitive quantification with qPCR, bypassing traditional culture-based methods. The workflow shows high quantification efficiencies and offers a rapid, portable, and cost-effective solution for water monitoring.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
India Boyton, Sophia C. Goodchild, Dennis Diaz, Aaron Elbourne, Lyndsey E. Collins-Praino, Andrew Care
Summary: Encapsulins, self-assembling icosahedral protein nanocages derived from prokaryotes, show varying sensitivities to denaturant, extreme pH, and elevated temperature, and exhibit different reassembly capabilities after disassembly. While all three encapsulins were able to reassemble following GuHCl-induced disassembly, only the smallest T = 1 nanocage could reassemble after disassembly in basic pH. Atomic force microscopy revealed a significant loss of structural integrity in all encapsulins after sequential disassembly/reassembly steps. These findings provide insights into the dynamics of encapsulins' disassembly/reassembly, informing their future design, modification, and application.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
T. Luo, L. Lindner, J. Langer, V Cimalla, X. Vidal, F. Hahl, C. Schreyvogel, S. Onoda, S. Ishii, T. Ohshima, D. Wang, D. A. Simpson, B. C. Johnson, M. Capelli, R. Blinder, J. Jeske
Summary: This study systematically investigates the formation and properties of NV centers in chemical vapor deposition diamonds, optimizing NV concentration and charge states through adjustments of nitrogen flow and electron irradiation. It provides a pathway for improving the sensitivity of NV-doped CVD diamonds.
NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Felix A. Hahl, Lukas Lindner, Xavier Vidal, Tingpeng Luo, Takeshi Ohshima, Shinobu Onoda, Shuya Ishii, Alexander M. Zaitsev, Marco Capelli, Brant C. Gibson, Andrew D. Greentree, Jan Jeske
Summary: This article introduces the use of laser threshold magnetometry to improve the sensitivity of magnetic field quantum sensors based on negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. The experimental results demonstrate that by using a highly NV-doped and low absorbing diamond gain medium in a high-finesse laser cavity, the signal strength and magnetic field contrast can be enhanced, resulting in magnetic field-dependent amplification of NV center ensembles.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Laura M. Rey Gomez, Rena Hirani, Andrew Care, David W. Inglis, Yuling Wang
Summary: Blood testing is crucial for diagnosis and monitoring of various conditions, and microfluidic devices offer a simpler and more affordable solution for blood sample preparation. However, currently there are limited microfluidic devices designed for undiluted whole blood, which can eliminate the need for blood dilution and minimize sample preparation.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Claire Rennie, Caitlin Sives, India Boyton, Dennis Diaz, Catherine Gorrie, Orazio Vittorio, Lyndsey Collins-Praino, Andrew Care
Summary: Encapsulins, self-assembling protein nanocages derived from prokaryotes, show promise as nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. However, their in vivo behavior and fate remain poorly understood. This study investigates the interactions between encapsulins and key biological barriers encountered in drug delivery, revealing their safety, immunogenicity, protein corona, biodistribution, and clearance profiles. These findings provide critical insights into the behavior of encapsulins in vivo, informing their design and application in targeted drug delivery.
ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Angela Sun, Paul M. Mirzayans, Andrew M. Piggott, Jo-Ann L. Stanton, Anwar Sunna
Summary: This work builds on a previously developed workflow for rapid and sensitive pathogen detection. It establishes a sample treatment strategy that consistently produces quantification efficiencies (QEs) for Campylobacter jejuni against a complex and highly variable sample matrix from a suburban river. The most effective treatments at minimizing the inhibitory effects of the sample matrix were pH buffering with HEPES and addition of the surfactant Tween 20. The workflow's consistency and scalability make it a suitable alternative to culture-based ISO methods for detecting Campylobacter spp. in environmental water.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
India Boyton, Stella M. Valenzuela, Lyndsey E. Collins-Praino, Andrew Care
Summary: Neuronanomedicine is a multidisciplinary field that aims to develop innovative nanotechnologies for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Nanoparticles are an important component of neuronanomedicine, as they can improve drug properties and enhance safety and delivery across the blood-brain barrier. However, a major challenge for neuronanomedicine translation is the poor understanding of bio-nano interactions, partly due to inconsistent reporting in published works. This review provides specific recommendations to guide researchers in harnessing the unique properties of nanoparticles for breakthrough treatments of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2024)
Proceedings Paper
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xavier Zambrana-Puyalto, Xavier Vidal, Gabriel Molina-Terriza
Summary: The experiment utilizes circularly polarized vortex beams to probe the backscattering spectra of single 4μm TiO2 particles, finding that vortex beams can tune backscattering and increase the conservation of helicity. The backscattering control method can be experimentally implemented in most microscopy setups and can also be used to excite single multipolar modes.
NANOPHOTONICS VIII
(2021)
