Nano Today最新文献

{"title":"Molecular architectonics of semiconducting polymer dots for next-generation NIR-II fluorescence bioimaging","authors":"Nabil Omri,&nbsp;Vignesh Kumaravel","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Next-generation semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) engineered through molecular architectonics are redefining NIR-II fluorescence bioimaging and precision theranostics. By integrating donor-acceptor engineering, π-conjugated backbone rigidification, and side-chain modulation, molecular architectonics enables precise bandgap tuning, exciton delocalization, and enhanced photochemical stability. Architectonic control across molecular, supramolecular, and interfacial levels yields Pdots with superior quantum yields, ultradeep tissue penetration, and negligible autofluorescence. This review elucidates the structure-function paradigms governing NIR-II emission and examines frontier strategies for photostability enhancement, including nanoscale confinement within hybrid matrices, intersystem energy dissipation modulation, and conformational locking. At the biointerface, rational surface architectonics, via dynamic ligand exchange, stealth polymer cloaking, and adaptive functionalization, prolongs circulation, minimizes opsonization, and facilitates targeted delivery. Integrating NIR-II fluorescence with photothermal, photodynamic, and image-guided drug delivery modalities, Pdots emerge as molecularly architected cores for multimodal theranostic systems synergized with photoacoustic and magnetic resonance imaging. Despite rapid progress, biodegradability, long-term biosafety, and regulatory compatibility remain major challenges. Emerging architectonic solutions, bioresponsive degradation and hybridization with clinically approved carriers, are bridging molecular design and clinical translation, positioning NIR-II Pdots as key enablers of next-generation intelligent nanomedicine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103016"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385845","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":"Ultrasound-activated pyroptosis using silk microneedle patch for cancer immunotherapy","authors":"Ming Zhang ,&nbsp;Yifan Li ,&nbsp;Hongyu Tang ,&nbsp;Mingxuan Li ,&nbsp;Meifang Shen ,&nbsp;Tiejun Bing ,&nbsp;Yingjie Yu ,&nbsp;Yushu Wang ,&nbsp;Wenhao Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cancer immunotherapy is limited by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which restricts immune activation and limits therapeutic efficacy. Pyroptosis, a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death mediated by Caspase-dependent gasdermin cleavage, has emerged as an effective strategy for remodeling the tumor microenvironment and promoting antitumor immunity. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can activate the Caspase-3/GSDME pathway to induce pyroptosis, offering spatiotemporal control over immune activation. Among ROS-based approaches, sonodynamic therapy (SDT) provides key advantages, including deep tissue penetration, noninvasive ultrasound (US) activation, and efficient ROS generation. In this study, an ultrathin 2D Cu-TCPP nanosheet (CuT) is developed as a high-performance sonosensitizer, with enhanced oxygen interaction and electron transfer for amplified ROS generation under US irradiation. To improve intratumoral delivery and retention, CuT is further integrated into silk fibroin-based microneedles (CuT-MN) for localized, minimally invasive administration. This platform enables precise tumor targeting, sustained sonosensitizer enrichment, and on-demand pyroptosis induction, while minimizing off-target toxicity. Overall, the CuT-MN platform effectively and enhances antitumor immune responses, representing a promising approach for precision sonodynamic immunotherapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103010"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385850","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":"Unveiling the size and surface effects of spinel Co3O4 on the activity of oxygen evolution","authors":"Ce Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhou Jiang ,&nbsp;Bing Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhangqiang Li ,&nbsp;Xuanping Zhou ,&nbsp;Liuyang Xiao ,&nbsp;Wei Zhang ,&nbsp;Yong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Size control is a facile and effective strategy to design high-performance electrocatalysts of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) but remains challenging, due to the insufficient understanding of size-dependent catalytic activity of electrocatalysts like spinel cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄). Here, we report a top-down method to produce Co₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) and quantum dots (QDs) with sizes ranging from 27.5 nm to 2.8 nm, enabling a precise investigation of the size effect on OER activity. Our results show that while the OER performance increases with smaller size due to enhanced surface area, only the smallest Co₃O₄ QDs exhibit a significant improvement in intrinsic activity. Such QDs display notable size-reduction-induced lattice expansion along with increased Co−O bonding length, which can facilitate intermediate adsorption and contribute to their superior catalytic performance. Building on this enhanced intrinsic activity, we demonstrate that surface hydroxylation of Co₃O₄-OH QDs further enables an impressive overpotential of 293 mV at 10 mA cm_geo⁻² and remarkable stability over 240 h. Theoretical calculations reveal that size reduction and surface hydroxylation synergistically optimize the electronic structure, lowering the energy barrier for OER process. This work provides a practical strategy in designing efficient non-noble catalysts beyond conventional size limitations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103004"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171233","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":"ZnO nanoparticle-educated exosomes inhibit osteosarcoma metastasis through HIF-1α/miR-1287–5p/Snail axis","authors":"Guangping He ,&nbsp;Zhengyuan Huang ,&nbsp;Yuru Zong ,&nbsp;Yong Hai ,&nbsp;Jiayu Zhang ,&nbsp;Jun Chen ,&nbsp;Hanqing Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Osteosarcoma (OS) remains the most common primary bone malignancy in children and adolescents. Despite advances in neoadjuvant chemotherapy, metastasis and recurrence constitute major clinical challenges. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) possess promising anticancer activity, yet their anti‑metastatic mechanisms in OS remain unclear. Here, we reported a novel bio-inspired strategy using exosomes derived from ZnO NP‑treated OS cells (ZnO‑Exos), that significantly suppressed cell viability, migration, and invasion in OS cells. Mechanistically, ZnO-Exos-derived Zn^2 + ions activated and stabilized hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), which transcriptionally upregulated the expression of exosomal miR-1287–5p, and then in turn directly targeted and downregulated the mRNA of Snail, a master transcriptional repressor driving epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In an orthotopic OS mouse model, intratumoral injection of ZnO-Exos significantly inhibited primary tumor growth and spontaneous lung metastasis, extended survival, and exhibited excellent biocompatibility. Collectively, this study elucidated a novel ZnO NP-educated exosomes that exert anti‑metastatic effects, offering a targeted, low‑toxicity strategy for OS therapy and metastasis inhibition through Zn²⁺/HIF-1α/miR-1287–5p/Snail axis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103008"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385846","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":"Peptide-specific nanoprobes for matrix-free mass spectrometric imaging of multiplexed proteins and their distributions on cells or tissues","authors":"Jiahui Sun,&nbsp;Nan Feng,&nbsp;Si Zhang,&nbsp;Mengchen Wang,&nbsp;Huangxian Ju","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>In situ</em> detection of multiplexed proteins is greatly constrained by targeted recognition and operational process. Here we design a one-pot method to synthesize several peptide-specific nanoprobes (NPs) for quickly recognizing the targeted protein molecules, and present a matrix-free laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric imaging (LDI-MSI) strategy for simple <em>in situ</em> imaging of multiplexed proteins on cells or tissues with amplified signals. Unlike conventional citrate-synthesized and post-modified gold nanoparticles, the resulting NPs demonstrate their simple preparation, high resolution and low background with controllable matrix-free and ion-friendly properties. These NPs have been used to conveniently and sensitively detect the relative expression of three specific proteins on four cancer cell lines and efficiently evaluate the suppression of different drugs on these proteins. The proposed MSI method possesses powerful ability to distinctly distinguish different pathological regions of tumor tissues by the change of multiplexed protein distributions, indicating its excellent promise in clinical disease diagnosis and precision medicine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103013"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385848","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":"Molecularly imprinted nanoreactors: Bridging enzyme mimicry and synthetic catalysis","authors":"Ya Liu ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Cheng ,&nbsp;Yi Hao ,&nbsp;Xuemeng Tian ,&nbsp;Yue Wang ,&nbsp;Xueyi Liu ,&nbsp;Ruixia Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Molecularly imprinted nanoreactors (MIRs) represent a pivotal advance in biomimetic catalysis, offering robust and tunable alternatives to natural enzymes, yet their rational design remains a central challenge due to persistent issues such as binding-site heterogeneity, mass-transfer constraints, and limited catalytic scope. We systematically elucidate the synergistic design principle that integrates precise active-site engineering—via coordination-driven anchoring, post-imprinting modification, and spatial encapsulation—with deliberate catalytic microenvironment programming, encompassing cofactor regulation, tandem catalysis, nanoconfinement, and electronic effects. This combined approach is essential for emulating enzymatic efficiency and selectivity. Furthermore, we contrast key synthetic strategies from a “nanoreactor engineering” perspective, critically analyzing the merits and constraints of spatial encapsulation and compartmentalized designs in mimicking enzymatic cascades. Beyond model reactions, the review provides a critical assessment of MIR performance in advanced applications, including the degradation of micropollutants in environmental matrices, precision biosensing in complex media, and chiral synthesis under sustainable conditions, while honestly addressing the translation gaps between idealized systems and real-world operational demands. Finally, we propose that the convergence of MIRs with single-atom catalysts, <em>in situ</em>/<em>operando</em> spectroscopy, and synthetic biology interfaces constitutes an emerging paradigm. This integration is poised to unlock unprecedented catalytic precision, stability, and programmability, steering MIRs from laboratory toward practical deployment in green chemistry, environmental technology, and programmable biomedicine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103002"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171171","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":"From single-target to multi-target drugs: The significance of formula-derived nanoparticle drug discovery (FDD) as a novel paradigm for complex disease therapy","authors":"Junning Zhao ,&nbsp;Chunying Chen ,&nbsp;Hua Hua ,&nbsp;Shuangfei Cai ,&nbsp;Quanmei Sun ,&nbsp;Qiang Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiandong Jiang ,&nbsp;Mingjing Cao ,&nbsp;Yanling Ai ,&nbsp;Jin Zeng ,&nbsp;Dongying Li","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103007","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Currently, global innovative drug research and development (R&amp;D) aims to integrate phenotypic drug discovery (PDD) and target-based drug discovery (TDD) to accelerate innovation, with increasing focus on multi-target drug design (MTDD) and its critical role in regulating dynamic disease network systems. However, the high investment and high failure rates in new drug development, as encapsulated by “Eroom’s law”, revealed a significant translational research gap in the existing drug R&amp;D process: from simplifying complex human systems into investigable models (the reductionist approach) to ultimately validating efficacy in the context of complex human systems (the systems approach). Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulas, as a personalized form of combination therapy used clinically for over 3000 years, fulfill the need for systemic disease regulation through multi-herb combinations, multi-component actions, multi-target engagement, and network-based modulation mechanisms. Their demonstrated clinical value in treating complex diseases, chronic conditions, and emerging infectious diseases has garnered significant attention. Formula-derived nanoparticles of TCM (FDN), from TCM prescriptions or their component drugs, include carrier-free self-assembled nano-aggregates such as TCM exosomes (TCM-Exo), TCM decoctosomes (TCM-Deco), TCM pillosome (TCM-Pillo), TCM carbon quantum dots (TCM-CDs), and TCM bencaosomes (TCM-Benc). At the nanoscale, these aggregates acquire novel physical, chemical, and biological properties, making them an ideal modality or carrier for delivering the complex bioactive components of TCM. They enhance bioavailability, improve drug targeting, reduce toxicity, and thereby enable the delivery and cross-boundary regulation of the full or multiple bioactive components of TCM formulas. The unique synergistic effect of FDN, characterized by the multi-scale hierarchical association of “complex component combination-micro/nanostructure-multi-target functional regulation”, constitutes a systematic response mechanism featuring “multi-layer regulation-therapeutic efficacy integration-moderate modulation” in the interaction between drugs and disease network. This mechanism enables multi-level, three-dimensional targeting modulation of the dynamic networks underlying complex diseases—from low-order to high-order levels—spanning “points (key targets), lines (signaling pathways), planes (hub nodes), to volume (disease network)”, thereby exerting synergistic therapeutic effects through multi-component and multi-target actions. The formula-derived nanoparticles drug discovery (FDD) paradigm proposed in this paper represents a novel drug discovery approach tailored for complex diseases. It integrates the wisdom of TCM formula composition based on the “Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi” principle, the discovery of carrier-free self-assembled formula nanoparticles, and innovative strategies for developing advanced multi-target therapeutics. By c","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103007"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385843","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":"Pre-ionic shielding constructed super-swelling stabilized hydrogels for atmospheric water harvesting and sustainable water management in agriculture","authors":"Changhui Fu ,&nbsp;Guangyi Tian ,&nbsp;Shaojun He ,&nbsp;Yuxuan He ,&nbsp;Huayang Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhiguang Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) has become one of the promising methods to extract water from the air in arid regions because of its high efficiency and low energy consumption. Among them hygroscopic salt-based hydrogels are attractive materials for SAWH due to their relatively high water uptake and structural adjustability. However, their mass transfer properties limit water vapor transport resulting in slow sorption kinetics. How to maximize the water uptake of materials has recently become one of the main goals shared by researchers. Here, we report a novel strategy for the preparation of super swelling macroporous topological network hydrogels (PCP/PAMPS-C-LiCl) by pre-ionic shielding (PIS), which combines the dual performance of improving the sorption kinetics and stability of conventional hydrogels. It has an excellent water uptake of 0.53 g g⁻¹ - 1.72 g g⁻¹ within 12 h in an arid environment with low relative humidity RH of 15 % −60 %, whereas a water uptake up to 4 g g⁻¹ can be rapidly obtained within 2 h at 90 % RH. In addition, we explored the adsorption, swelling and shrinkage kinetics in detail to illustrate the mechanism. We additionally integrated a hybrid photothermal and electrothermal desorption system using solar photovoltaic panels, which enables efficient desorption in all-weather without additional power input. Finally, the adsorbent was also shown to be useful for feeding plants in a semi-closed system. The water in the hydrogel is released under sunlight for plant growth for 19 days, enabling the recycling of atmospheric water. This strategy can be scaled up to a new generation of crop greenhouses or small-scale pot culture at home, providing new insights into the transformation of sustainable agriculture in arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103011"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385849","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":"Dual metabolic restructuring against tumor acidosis and adenosine potentiates radioimmunotherapy via reinvigoration of CD8+ T lymphocytes","authors":"Hao Jiang ,&nbsp;Xin Wang ,&nbsp;Xianzhou Cai ,&nbsp;Jinqiao Zhang ,&nbsp;Fangong Kong ,&nbsp;Qin Fan ,&nbsp;Ziliang Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.102997","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.102997","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tumor acidosis and adenosine (ADO) accumulation are key metabolic aberrations that drive T cell exhaustion, suppress cytotoxicity, and confer radioresistance, posing a major obstacle for solid tumor therapy. To address this, we designed pH-responsive layered double hydroxide nanosheets loaded with the CD73 inhibitor PSB-12379 (denoted as LDH@PSB) for concurrent acidosis neutralization and ADO blockade. The nanosheets rapidly degraded under mildly acidic conditions (pH ∼6.5), elevating extracellular pH and releasing PSB-12379 to inhibit radiation-induced CD73 upregulation and ADO production. This dual intervention restored T cell function by increasing cytotoxic mediator expression (e.g., IFN-γ, granzyme B) and reducing exhaustion markers (e.g., PD-1, TIGIT). Meanwhile, Mn²⁺ ions released from LDH@PSB activated the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway, synergizing with radiotherapy-induced immunogenic cell death to boost antitumor immunity. In murine B16F10 melanoma and CT26 colon carcinoma models, LDH@PSB with radiotherapy markedly inhibited tumor growth, prolonged survival, and increased tumor-infiltrating CD8⁺ T cells with enhanced cytotoxicity. Combination with anti-PD-1 therapy further induced systemic immunity to eradicate distant tumors. This strategy simultaneously alleviates tumor acidosis, disrupts ADO-mediated immunosuppression, and activates cGAS-STING signaling, offering a potent approach to enhance radioimmunotherapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102997"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076035","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":"Ultrasound-triggered transformable DNA nanomedicine improves cascade delivery for enhanced antitumor efficacy","authors":"Ling Du ,&nbsp;Duohuo Shu ,&nbsp;Jianggui Shan ,&nbsp;Guoqing Tang ,&nbsp;Yongming Han ,&nbsp;Xiaojing Chen ,&nbsp;Yuexia Xie ,&nbsp;Xue Zhao ,&nbsp;Hanbing Zou ,&nbsp;Peipei Zhao ,&nbsp;Bin Gu ,&nbsp;Qianyun Tang ,&nbsp;Peifeng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nantod.2026.103009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional nanocarriers with fixed physicochemical properties struggle to simultaneously address the conflicting demands of tumor tissue targeting, cellular uptake, and organelle-specific delivery. To overcome this limitation, we developed an intelligent nanomedicine, designated Ca-pHis-DNA, through coordination-driven self-assembly of polyhistidine (pHis)-modified DNA with calcium ions (Ca²⁺). Under ultrasound (US) irradiation, Ca-pHis-DNA undergoes a controllable morphological transition from spherical nanoparticles to elongated fibrous assemblies. Additionally, in the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME), protonation of the histidine residues induces a shift toward positive surface charge, further enhancing cellular internalization and endo/lysosomal escape. The synergistic effects of these stimuli prolong tumor retention, enhance cellular uptake, promote endosomal escape, and enable mitochondria targeting, thereby achieving cascade drug delivery. Furthermore, US stimulation induces calcium overload and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, synergistically enhancing therapeutic efficacy. This dual pH/US-responsive deformable nanomedicine provides a potent and safe strategy for solid tumor therapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":395,"journal":{"name":"Nano Today","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103009"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385847","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}