{"title":"A NIR light activated self-reporting carbon dots assembly as phototheranostics for tumor photodynamic therapy.","authors":"Ziyu Zhao, Tiejin Chen, Jian Li, Xiaokuang Xue, Jiechao Ge, Pengfei Wang","doi":"10.1002/smo.20240049","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smo.20240049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising protocol for cancer therapy. However, real-time monitoring of PDT progress and accurate determination of the optimal treatment timing remain challenges. In this work, we selected carbon dots (CDs) and new indocyanine green (IR820) as building units to fabricate a smart nanotheranostics (CDs-IR820 assembly) with the characteristics of controlled release and real-time imaging to solve the time gap between diagnosis and treatment. The fabricated CDs-IR820 assembly locked the photosensitivity of the CDs and could degrade under 750 nm laser irradiation to achieve controlled release of the CDs, thus used for cell imaging and producing single oxygen under the white light. Besides, the released CDs could migrate from the mitochondria to the nucleus during the PDT process, indicating the cell activity, which facilitated the regulation of treatment parameters to achieve the precise PDT for cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":520929,"journal":{"name":"Smart molecules : open access","volume":"3 2","pages":"e20240049"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12262009/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144652016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xuan He, Jiaqi Li, Wenye He, Jia Zhai, Yu Wei, Xin Zhang, Baoxing Shen, He Huang
{"title":"Exploring the interplay between zinc-induced protein dyshomeostasis and mitochondrial dysfunction using viscosity-sensitive sensor.","authors":"Xuan He, Jiaqi Li, Wenye He, Jia Zhai, Yu Wei, Xin Zhang, Baoxing Shen, He Huang","doi":"10.1002/smo.20240047","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smo.20240047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mitochondria are crucial sites for protein quality control within cells. When mitochondrial stress is triggered by protein misfolding, it can accelerate abnormal protein aggregation, potentially inducing various diseases. This study developed a cascade-responsive sensor, named AggHX, to monitor the microenvironment of protein aggregation induced by zinc (II) ions and the accompanying mitochondrial dysfunction. The AggHX consists of two key components: (1) A Zn<sup>2+</sup> recognition group for triggering a fluorescent enhance response, and (2) a near-infrared BODIPY scaffold that detects viscosity changes in cell aggregation via HaloTag. This sensor's mechanism of action is elucidated through photochemical and biochemical characterizations. To further investigate the relationship between protein aggregation and mitochondrial homeostasis, we employ fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy to assess viscosity changes in protein aggregates under intracellular Zn<sup>2+</sup> stress. This research provides insights into the dynamic behavior and spatial distribution of protein aggregates and mitochondria, contributing to a deeper understanding of their physiological roles in cellular processes and potential implications in disease pathology.</p>","PeriodicalId":520929,"journal":{"name":"Smart molecules : open access","volume":"2 4","pages":"e20240047"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12118262/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144586226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A review on renewable energy: Conversion and utilization of biomass.","authors":"Xinping Yang, Yongjia Zhang, Peiliang Sun, Chong Peng","doi":"10.1002/smo.20240019","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smo.20240019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The significant increase in demand for fuels and chemicals driven by global economic expansion has exacerbated concerns over fossil fuel consumption and environmental pollution. To achieve sustainable production of fuels and chemicals, biomass resources provide a rich repository for carbon-neutral, green renewable energy, and organic carbon. This paper reviews the transformation and utilization of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives, emphasizing their valorization into high-quality chemicals and biofuels. The advantages and disadvantages of various pretreatment methods are discussed based on the composition of lignocellulose. Furthermore, the methods and pathways for the valorization and conversion of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are detailed according to the unique functional groups of different lignocellulosic platform molecules. However, the complex and resilient structure of biomass presents challenges for the disassembly and utilization of single components, and achieving high yields and selectivity for target products remains difficult. In conclusion, this paper comprehensively reviews the various types and pretreatment technologies of lignocellulose, focusing on the methods and pathways for the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives, thereby providing clear guidance and insights for optimizing lignocellulose utilization in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":520929,"journal":{"name":"Smart molecules : open access","volume":"2 4","pages":"e20240019"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12118195/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144586224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nile red-based AIEgen for highly fluorescent polymer particles and its application in light-scattering fluorescent films.","authors":"Hongkun Jiang, Shengjie Chen, Weizhipeng Wu, Guan Wang, Xinggui Gu","doi":"10.1002/smo.20240032","DOIUrl":"10.1002/smo.20240032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Organic luminophores with superior solid-state luminescence are urgently required in various fields, such as lighting, display, sensing, and solar energy conversion. However, to achieve their highly efficient luminescence still remains a challenge. Herein, a newly designed Nile red derivative, Nile-DPA-VB, is successfully obtained to exhibit aggregation-induced emission characteristics with the photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY) of 11.45%. Such PLQY could be further promoted to 53.45% when Nile-DPA-VB is polymerized undergoing precipitation polymerization process, where the confined aggregation microenvironment severely restricts the intramolecular motions of Nile-DPA-VB. Remarkably, Nile-DPA-VB is ultrasensitive to the polarity and steric effect, enabling the real-time monitoring of aggregation microenvironment evolution for precipitation polymerization. The microphase separation and dynamic hardening for the nucleation and growth processes are visually demonstrated, which contribute dominantly to the high-efficiency luminescence. Finally, by doping the as-prepared fluorescent polymeric particles into polymethyl methacrylate, functional films with high luminescence and high haze are achieved to show the potential in lighting. These findings clearly demonstrate the significant role of polymerization in constructing high-efficiency solid-state luminescent materials for practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":520929,"journal":{"name":"Smart molecules : open access","volume":"3 1","pages":"e20240032"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12117904/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144586238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}