Nano TodayPub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102900
Yongchuang Li , Haiyue Liu , Yuru Liu , Shaowei Wang , Caixia Yin , Fangjun Huo
{"title":"Electronic cloud-regulation strategy enabling rapid and sensitive near-infrared detection of ONOO⁻ for dynamic monitoring of ferroptosis-mediated drug-induced liver injury","authors":"Yongchuang Li , Haiyue Liu , Yuru Liu , Shaowei Wang , Caixia Yin , Fangjun Huo","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102900","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102900","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is caused by hepatotoxic effects resulting from drug metabolism. Extensive studies have demonstrated a close association between DILI progression and ferroptosis, a process characterized by redox imbalance triggered by lipid peroxidation. As a key product of redox imbalance and a critical biomarker of DILI, peroxynitrite (ONOO<sup>-</sup>) plays a pivotal regulatory role in ferroptosis. To elucidate the precise mechanism of ONOO<sup>-</sup> in ferroptosis-mediated DILI, there is an urgent need for ONOO<sup>-</sup> fluorescent probes with high specificity, sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio. This study innovatively modified the traditional pyridine hemicyanine fluorophore into a quinoline hemicyanine structure, achieving a red-shifted fluorescence emission wavelength through extended conjugation and enhanced electron delocalization. Systematic site screening identified diphenyl phosphate ester as the optimal reaction site, demonstrating exceptional specificity, sensitivity and 75 s response characteristics. By conjugating the optimized fluorophore with the reaction site via nucleophilic substitution, we successfully developed a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe, <strong>zt-4</strong>. Given the remarkable similarities in pathological mechanisms (including signaling pathways, regulatory nodes, and biomarkers) between osteoarthritis (OA) and DILI, we first validated the imaging performance of <strong>zt-4</strong> in a complex inflammatory OA Model. Subsequently, we applied probe <strong>zt-4</strong> to analyze ferroptosis-mediated DILI model at both cellular and murine levels. For the first time, our study revealed that the ferroptosis pathway dynamically regulates ONOO<sup>-</sup> levels in DILI, elucidating its molecular mechanism. These findings provide new theoretical foundations and intervention strategies for DILI treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 102900"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano TodayPub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102899
Mengxia Duan , Man Ding , Kuaile Wu , Zhouping Wang , Shijia Wu , Nuo Duan
{"title":"Spatially confined multivalent aptamers in the cavity of a DNA nanocage against bacterial superantigens infection","authors":"Mengxia Duan , Man Ding , Kuaile Wu , Zhouping Wang , Shijia Wu , Nuo Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102899","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102899","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aptamers as single-strand oligonucleotides obtained through <em>in vitro</em> screening techniques exhibit significant application potential due to their high target specificity, strong binding affinity, and inherent inhibitory capabilities. However, the easy entanglement among single-strand aptamers and excessive flexibility remains a huge challenge for keep high binding capabilities and dispersed spatial positioning in practical applications. Herein, we rationally designed a DNA nanocage structure loaded with multiple neutralizing aptamers (DNC-Apt). The programmability and the spatial confinement effect of DNC enable multiple single-strand aptamers to be reasonably fixed in the ideal spatial positions and achieve enhanced structural stability. Taking the enterotoxin A and B (SEs) secreted by <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> as model target, both molecular docking and the ELONA experiment confirmed that the neutralizing aptamers integrated by this strategy achieved binding to different antigenic epitopes on SEs rely on spatially dispersed positioning, and exhibited enhanced binding ability (∼ 6 fold). The PBMC cell proliferation experiment demonstrated that this strategy could mediate the binding of SEs to receptors, thereby reducing the proliferation of T cells and the release of pro-inflammatory factors. Furthermore, the application of DNC-Apt in mice significantly reduced the inflammatory response and tissue damage caused by SEs. In conclusion, our research provided a reference for enhancing the application ability of aptamers and offered new strategies for alleviating the toxicity of bacterial toxins.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 102899"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano TodayPub Date : 2025-09-11DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102896
Yang Chen , Wangxi Hai , Xiao Bao , Chuyi Liu , Yang Yang , Yuetan Chen , Kang Sun , Yunxuan Zhang , Ningshuang Ye , Sanyuan Shi , Samuel Kesse , Biao Li , Yuhong Xu , Jinliang Peng
{"title":"18F-labeled ultrasmall nanoparticle probe for long-term PET tracking and real-time quantitative analysis of transplanted T lymphocytes in situ based on bioorthogonal reaction","authors":"Yang Chen , Wangxi Hai , Xiao Bao , Chuyi Liu , Yang Yang , Yuetan Chen , Kang Sun , Yunxuan Zhang , Ningshuang Ye , Sanyuan Shi , Samuel Kesse , Biao Li , Yuhong Xu , Jinliang Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102896","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102896","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The real-time, accurate understanding of the biodistribution of transplanted therapeutic cells is critical for their development and application. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has the potential to realize the noninvasive and quantitative evaluation of the spatial-temporal distribution of transplanted cells due to its unlimited tissue-penetration depth and quantitative capabilities, but its utility is limited by various shortcomings of existing imaging strategies or probes, such as the short half-life of the commonly used radioisotope fluorine-18 (<sup>18</sup>F) and the interference of high nonspecific background signals to the exact localization and quantification of target cells. Here, we describe a new strategy for the long-term PET tracking and real-time quantitative analysis of transplanted cells based on a tetrazine-bearing, <sup>18</sup>F-labeled ultrasmall rare-earth nanoparticle probe (Tz-[<sup>18</sup>F]NaGdF<sub>4</sub>) capable of labeling trans-cyclooctene (TCO) pretagged T lymphocytes <em>via</em> a bioorthogonal reaction at any point after their transplantation. The ultrasmall Tz-[<sup>18</sup>F]NaGdF<sub>4</sub> is readily prepared and characterized by rapid renal clearance and low nonspecific accumulation in major organs. The specific reaction between the Tz-[<sup>18</sup>F]NaGdF<sub>4</sub> probe and pretagged cells under physiological conditions enabled the specific PET imaging of target cells with low background <em>in situ</em>, and the measured PET image-derived standardized uptake value linearly and positively correlated with the number of pretagged T lymphocytes retained in tissues, ensuring their accurate quantification based on real-time PET signals. Therefore, the bioorthogonal reaction-based Tz-[<sup>18</sup>F]NaGdF<sub>4</sub>-PET represents a useful tool for the long-term tracking and real-time quantification of transplanted cells <em>in vivo</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 102896"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano TodayPub Date : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102897
Kexuan Zou , Yan Liu , Linlin Tang , Yuqi Wang , Jianming Wang , Jie Song
{"title":"Nucleic acid nanomaterials: Mechanisms and strategies for regulating innate immune activation","authors":"Kexuan Zou , Yan Liu , Linlin Tang , Yuqi Wang , Jianming Wang , Jie Song","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102897","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102897","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nucleic acid nanomaterials (NA-NMat) are rapidly emerging as pivotal tools in precision medicine and therapeutic interventions, with their immunomodulatory roles attracting frontier research focuses. As key triggers of innate immunity, nucleic acids orchestrate complex immune regulations through their distinct structural motifs and sequence-dependent molecular recognition. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which nucleic acids activate the innate immune system not only helps to reveal their central roles in immune regulation, but also lays the theoretical foundation for developing innovative nucleic acid-based therapeutic strategies. In this review, we systematically summarize current knowledge regarding the activation pathways, sequence specificity, and conformational effects of nucleic acids including the primary, secondary, tertiary, and artificially designed structures of DNA and RNA in innate immunity. We further review recent advancements in utilizing NA-NMat integrated with oligonucleotides, proteins, and small molecules to co-regulate innate immunity. To conclude, we critically evaluate current challenges in the field and propose future directions for the development of nucleic acid nanotechnology (NA-NTech) in immunotherapy, offering insights and references for designing next-generation immune-regulatory nanoplatforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 102897"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biodegradable multimodal biomaterials with microenvironmental adaptability and orderly delivery of H2S and bFGF for the treatment of spinal cord injury","authors":"Junqing Huang , Jiamen Shen , Yu Huang , Yanfang Zhao , Yibo Ying , Yanran Bi , Liuxi Chu , Xinwang Ying , Qian Xu , Junpeng Xu , Ping Wu , Jiansong Ji , Zhouguang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102890","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102890","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex and interactive process involving multiple pathological stages. Single-type biomaterials often struggle to rapidly adapt to the imbalanced regenerative microenvironment and orderly resolve the symptoms of different stages, resulting in slow neural regeneration and limited functional recovery. Herein, we developed a microenvironment- adaptive and time-adaptive multimodal biomaterial (custom-designed with silk fibroin hydrogel-SF and endogenous stimulus responsive nanomedicine-G@Mn, SF-G@Mn) for the treatment of SCI. Based on pathological signals after SCI, the SF-G@Mn achieves the precise release of drugs that inhibit microenvironment regulation (H<sub>2</sub>S and Mn<sup>2 +</sup>) and nerve regeneration drugs (basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)) under different needs in the early and late stages of secondary SCI through asynchronous release kinetics. In the early stages of inflammation, oxidative stress and hypoxia, Mn<sup>2+</sup> can continuously decompose H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> to generate oxygen, and synergistic effects with H<sub>2</sub>S can jointly relieve oxidative stress, improve hypoxia and inhibit inflammation, thus comprehensively adjusting the microenvironment that is not conducive to tissue repair. As the injury progresses to a later stage dominated by nerve regeneration, bFGF is slowly released to support axon growth and myelin regeneration, helping to restore the function of the damaged nerve. After this multi-dimensional, orderly and multi-stage treatment, the motor function of the SCI mice was significantly restored. In general, this work provides a pathological signal response, on-demand, orderly release of multi-modal biomaterials of drugs at different pathological stages, to achieve spatio-temporal selectivity and adaptive treatment, and provides a valuable example for the development of personalized medicine in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 102890"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Seeing the invisible: Nanoscopy with acoustic AFM","authors":"Ye Tian , Biao-Feng Zeng , Jian Chen , Longhua Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102895","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102895","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Acoustic atomic force microscopy (AFM) addresses the limitations of traditional imaging for seeing the invisible subsurface nanofeatures with the advantages of both the noninvasive penetration of ultrasound and the nanoscale resolution of AFM. This review emphasizes key achievements and recent advancements of the acoustic AFM, focusing on improvements in multi-modal excitation, multi-scheme operation, multi-component applications, and multi-parameter imaging. Theoretical algorithms and limitations including amplitude attenuation, frequency shift, phase transition, and energy consumption are analyzed, and discrepancies among models, simulations, and experiments are discussed. The review also examines the applications of acoustic AFM in advanced semiconductor nanodevices, the characterization of functional material properties, and the monitoring of living systems. Results emphasize the potential of integrating ultrasonic AFM with quantum sensing and artificial intelligence to develop refined nanoscale fluctuation models, innovate multi-modal probes, and create high-throughput data processing algorithms. These advancements aim to achieve wide-field, high-throughput, ultra-high spatial-temporal resolution, and real-time dynamic nondestructive monitoring of samples with complex structures and environments, paving the way for the next generation of ultrasonic AFM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 102895"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano TodayPub Date : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102893
Li Xu , Jiaqian Miao , Danni Xu , Xuan Mo , Junjie Wang , Sisi Chen , Bing Liu , Guangbo Ge , Xinyuan Zhu , Hongping Deng
{"title":"Macrophage-targeted polysaccharide nano-immunomodulators with spatial- and time-programmed drug release for cancer therapy","authors":"Li Xu , Jiaqian Miao , Danni Xu , Xuan Mo , Junjie Wang , Sisi Chen , Bing Liu , Guangbo Ge , Xinyuan Zhu , Hongping Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102893","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102893","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reprogramming tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) represents a promising strategy to reverse tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment (TIME) for cancer immunotherapy. However, the deficiency of macrophage cells in solid tumors requires targeted drug delivery to accomplish efficient immune activation while reducing the adverse side-effects. Meanwhile, the negative feedback of TAM activation compromises immunotherapy efficacy by inducing T cell exhaustion. In this work, we report a type of macrophage-targeted polysaccharide nano-immunomodulators (Dex-RN) with spatial- and time-programmed drug release for cancer therapy by activating the TLR7/8 pathways and inhibiting the negative IDO pathway. Dex-RN exhibited high TAM targeting capability <em>in vivo</em> with 40.8 % for D10-RN and 44.3 % for D70-RN as compared with the control (19.0 %), and possessed fast TLR7/8 agonist but slow IDO inhibitor release kinetics to address the impact of the negative feedback of TLR7/8 pathway activation. Consequently, Dex-RN generated significantly enhanced macrophage M1 polarization efficiency with superior expression levels of cell surface markers and cytokines. In a 4T1 murine tumor model, Dex-RN showed enhanced tumor growth inhibition (66 %) compared with free drug mixture (43 %), and potentiated cancer immunotherapy by inducing macrophage M1 polarization, activating CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells and inhibiting Treg cells. Thus, this work highlights the conception of a spatial- and time-programmed polysaccharide nano-immunomodulator for TAM-mediated cancer immunotherapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 102893"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145027657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano TodayPub Date : 2025-09-04DOI: 10.1016/S1748-0132(25)00258-0
{"title":"Inside Back Cover - Graphical abstract TOC/TOC in double column continued from OBC if required, otherwise blank page","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S1748-0132(25)00258-0","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S1748-0132(25)00258-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"65 ","pages":"Article 102886"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano TodayPub Date : 2025-09-04DOI: 10.1016/S1748-0132(25)00259-2
{"title":"Outside Back Cover - Graphical abstract TOC/TOC in double column/Cover image legend if applicable, Bar code, Abstracting and Indexing information","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S1748-0132(25)00259-2","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S1748-0132(25)00259-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"65 ","pages":"Article 102887"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano TodayPub Date : 2025-08-29DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102880
Ruoxi Zhao , Yanlin Zhu , Zhongmin Tang , Han Lin , Jianlin Shi
{"title":"Modulation of electron transfer properties in two-dimensional nanomaterials for enhanced therapeutic efficacy","authors":"Ruoxi Zhao , Yanlin Zhu , Zhongmin Tang , Han Lin , Jianlin Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102880","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102880","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electron transfer is the foundation of redox reactions and has a significant impact on the physical and chemical properties of materials, including electrical conductivity, magnetism, and catalytic activity. The ultrathin nature of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials enables the precise regulation of electron transfer, which brings significant advantages to multiple fields. However, the existing literature lacks a comprehensive overview of electron transfer in 2D nanomaterials. This article attempts to fill this gap by analyzing the regulatory effects of electron transfer on two-dimensional materials and their potential applications in biomedicine. We summarize advanced strategies for modulating the electron transfer properties of two-dimensional nanomaterials, including adjustments to structural composition, optimization of surface chemical properties, and incorporation of other materials. In addition, we review specific examples demonstrating improved therapeutic efficacy through the regulation of electron transfer in 2D nanomaterials and discuss the underlying mechanisms. Finally, we highlight current challenges and outline future research directions in the field of electron transfer to provide valuable insights for researchers in materials science and engineering and to promote the sustainable development of biomedical therapies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"65 ","pages":"Article 102880"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144913529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}