Featured
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Article
| Open Access
In vivo real-time positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) and single particle PET
In vivo positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) remains a challenge due to the lack of single-particle tracers. Here a sub-micrometre silica particle has been radiolabelled and isolated with high specific activity, allowing the dynamic tracing of a single particle in vivo using PEPT in mice.
- Juan Pellico
- , Laurence Vass
- & Rafael T. M. de Rosales
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Article |
Associating growth factor secretions and transcriptomes of single cells in nanovials using SEC-seq
Using hydrogel nanovials to capture single mesenchymal stromal cells and their growth factor secretions, the authors link cell secretion to the transcriptome for thousands of cells, SEC-seq, enabling the study of secretion-associated cell states and mechanisms in therapeutic cell types.
- Shreya Udani
- , Justin Langerman
- & Dino Di Carlo
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Article |
Combinatorial development of nebulized mRNA delivery formulations for the lungs
Nebulized mRNA delivery has broad therapeutic potential but has proven challenging. Here, the authors report on a modified lipid nanoparticle with improved conditions to allow nebulization and demonstrate its application for delivering mRNA to the lungs.
- Allen Y. Jiang
- , Jacob Witten
- & Daniel G. Anderson
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A wearable aptamer nanobiosensor for non-invasive female hormone monitoring
A reagentless, wireless, wearable aptamer nanobiosensor interfaced with a gold nanoparticle-MXene-based electrode enables the selective, automatic and non-invasive analysis of the female hormone oestradiol in sweat during menstrual cycles with subpicomolar sensitivity.
- Cui Ye
- , Minqiang Wang
- & Wei Gao
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Article |
Oxyhaemoglobin saturation NIR-IIb imaging for assessing cancer metabolism and predicting the response to immunotherapy
Non-invasive monitoring of oxygen levels has implications in a wide range of applications. Here, the authors report that biological imaging beyond 1,500 nm enables in vivo quantitative assessment of oxyhaemoglobin saturation at vascular resolution with high sensitivity.
- Zhiguo Fang
- , Chenlei Wang
- & Yeteng Zhong
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Article |
Development of epistatic YES and AND protein logic gates and their assembly into signalling cascades
Protein-based nanobiosensors with two epistatically interacting synthetic allosteric regulatory systems result in YES gate protein switches with large dynamic ranges and fast response times. These biosensors enable construction of rapid diagnostic tests compatible with clinical chemistry analysers.
- Zhong Guo
- , Oleh Smutok
- & Kirill Alexandrov
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Article
| Open Access
DNA storage in thermoresponsive microcapsules for repeated random multiplexed data access
Microcompartments with a temperature-responsive membrane are used to stably localize DNA-encoded files, which enables parallel, repeated polymerase-chain-reaction-based random access and DNA file sorting using fluorescent barcodes.
- Bas W. A. Bögels
- , Bichlien H. Nguyen
- & Tom F. A. de Greef
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Article
| Open Access
CRISPR-Cas-amplified urinary biomarkers for multiplexed and portable cancer diagnostics
Protease profiling of the tumour microenvironment using DNA-barcoded nanosensors and CRISPR amplification enables portable cancer diagnosis in preclinical models.
- Liangliang Hao
- , Renee T. Zhao
- & Sangeeta N. Bhatia
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Comment |
mRNA therapy at the convergence of genetics and nanomedicine
Since the early 1990s, the intersection of genetics and nanomedicine has found a home in the clinic as one of the game changers of the past decade, holding great promise in fighting diseases by rapidly developing much-needed therapeutic platforms, from cancer to infectious or genetic diseases. And this revolution was just triggered by the amazing evolving world of messenger RNA and its ‘cues’.
- João Conde
- , Robert Langer
- & José Rueff
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Article |
A nanoadjuvant that dynamically coordinates innate immune stimuli activation enhances cancer immunotherapy and reduces immune cell exhaustion
Although conventional innate immune stimuli contribute to immune activation, they induce exhausted immune cells, resulting in suboptimal cancer immunotherapy. Now, a kinetically activating nanoadjuvant can dynamically integrate two waves of innate immune stimuli, in terms of the order, duration and time window, which results in effective antitumour immunity without immune cell exhaustion.
- Seung Mo Jin
- , Yeon Jeong Yoo
- & Yong Taik Lim
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Immunological conversion of solid tumours using a bispecific nanobioconjugate for cancer immunotherapy
Solid tumours are less responsive to immunotherapies than haematological tumours due to specific biological differences. In this paper the authors propose a strategy to decorate the cell membrane of solid tumours with a protein typically present on haematological tumour cells that promotes phagocytosis of cancer cells, and show that this results in an increased immunotherapy efficacy in animal models of solid tumours.
- Yifei Lu
- , Kristin Huntoon
- & Wen Jiang
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News & Views |
Wireless nanomedicine for brain tumors
Delivering light therapy using a remotely controlled bioelectronic device implanted above the brain might complement current glioblastoma therapies, reducing cancer recurrence and improving survival.
- John S. Ho
- & Yong Zhang
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Article |
Multiplexed reverse-transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction using plasmonic nanoparticles for point-of-care COVID-19 diagnosis
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction allows the real-time detection of nucleic acids in human samples, representing a gold standard for infection detection, but it cannot be easily converted into a point-of-care approach. Here a strategy is proposed to leverage plasmonic polymerase chain reaction to achieve multiplexed, fluorescence detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from human saliva and nasal specimen, showing promise as a point-of-care approach.
- Nicole R. Blumenfeld
- , Michael Anne E. Bolene
- & Samuel K. Sia
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Continuous cuffless monitoring of arterial blood pressure via graphene bioimpedance tattoos
Self-adhesive bioimpedance graphene electronic tattoos enable accurate continuous blood pressure monitoring.
- Dmitry Kireev
- , Kaan Sel
- & Deji Akinwande
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Article |
Enhancing CRISPR/Cas gene editing through modulating cellular mechanical properties for cancer therapy
In vivo delivery of the CRISPR/Cas system is a promising cancer therapy approach, but its efficacy is hampered by low penetrability of nanoparticles in the stiff tumour tissue. Here the authors use dendrimer lipid nanoparticles to couple PD-L1 gene editing with knockdown of FAK, a protein involved in cell adhesion, showing that modulation of the mechanical properties of tumour cells leads to enhanced gene editing and tumour growth inhibition in four different animal models.
- Di Zhang
- , Guoxun Wang
- & Daniel J. Siegwart
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Species-dependent in vivo mRNA delivery and cellular responses to nanoparticles
The extent to which mRNA delivery, as well as the cellular response to mRNA drug delivery vehicles, is conserved across species in vivo is unknown. Using species-independent DNA barcoding, the authors measure delivery in humanized, primatized and normal mice, and identify a potential mechanism driving species-dependent lipid nanoparticle delivery.
- Marine Z. C. Hatit
- , Melissa P. Lokugamage
- & James E. Dahlman
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Article |
Three-dimensional transistor arrays for intra- and inter-cellular recording
A three-dimensional field-effect transistor array produced via compressive buckling enables accurate and minimally invasive intra- and intercellular recordings in cells and cellular networks.
- Yue Gu
- , Chunfeng Wang
- & Sheng Xu
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Article |
Supramolecular arrangement of protein in nanoparticle structures predicts nanoparticle tropism for neutrophils in acute lung inflammation
Neutrophils are the first responders in acute inflammatory events such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and tend to home to lung capillaries during acute inflammation, where they can cause tissue damage by diapedesis and secretion of specific molecules. Here the authors show that nanoparticles coated with agglutinated proteins selectively target activated neutrophils in inflamed lungs and can be used for imaging and therapeutic purposes.
- Jacob W. Myerson
- , Priyal N. Patel
- & Jacob S. Brenner
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Photothermal nanofibres enable safe engineering of therapeutic cells
Nanoparticle-mediated photoporation is used to temporarily permeabilize cell membranes for intracellular delivery of macromolecules, but cell exposure to nanoparticles might cause cellular damage and hamper application of the technique to therapeutic cell engineering. Here the authors show that, under photothermal heating, nanofibre-embedded iron oxide nanoparticles can be used to deliver effector macromolecules to different types of cells, in a contactless manner, with no cellular toxicity or diminished therapeutic potency.
- Ranhua Xiong
- , Dawei Hua
- & Kevin Braeckmans
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Article |
Acoustically triggered mechanotherapy using genetically encoded gas vesicles
Gas vesicles are air-filled protein nanostructures naturally expressed by certain bacteria and archaea to achieve cellular buoyancy. Here the authors show that, under the stimulation of pulsed ultrasound, targeted gas vesicles and gas vesicles expressed in genetically modified bacteria and mammalian cells release nanobubbles that, collapsing, lead to controlled mechanical damage of the surrounding biological milieu, demonstrating that, under focused ultrasound actuation, gas vesicles have potential applications as therapeutic agents.
- Avinoam Bar-Zion
- , Atousa Nourmahnad
- & Mikhail G. Shapiro
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Surface-fill hydrogel attenuates the oncogenic signature of complex anatomical surface cancer in a single application
Tumours that grow on organ surfaces are difficult to eradicate as the complex topology of underlying tissues might hamper accessibility to tumour foci even after surgery. In this paper the authors engineer a peptide-based hydrogel that can be applied on surface tumours before or after resection, conform to the tissue underneath and release therapeutics.
- Poulami Majumder
- , Anand Singh
- & Joel P. Schneider
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Conformation-sensitive targeting of lipid nanoparticles for RNA therapeutics
While targeted lipid nanoparticles might allow partial delivery of genetic materials to non-hepatic cells, the selectivity of this approach is still unsatisfying. Here the authors functionalize their lipid nanoparticles with a targeting moiety that recognizes a protein conformation specific to gut-homing leukocytes, inducing gene silencing exclusively in this cellular subset and providing a potential therapeutic strategy for inflammatory bowel disease.
- Niels Dammes
- , Meir Goldsmith
- & Dan Peer
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Extracellular vesicle drug occupancy enables real-time monitoring of targeted cancer therapy
In this work, the authors develop a platform that leverages extracellular vesicles to measure drug–target engagement and apply it to monitor the outcomes of targeted treatments in lung cancer patients.
- Sijun Pan
- , Yan Zhang
- & Huilin Shao
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Immunostimulant hydrogel for the inhibition of malignant glioma relapse post-resection
Tumour relapse after resection undermines the efficacy of surgical treatment for glioblastoma multiforme. Here the authors present a hydrogel that can be injected in the tumour cavity after resection and that promotes antitumour immunity, reducing postoperative cancer growth in animal models.
- Jing Zhang
- , Chen Chen
- & Xinyi Jiang
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A nanotherapeutic strategy to overcome chemotherapeutic resistance of cancer stem-like cells
Chemoresistant cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) can be selectively killed by a nanoparticle, which releases an agent under hypoxic conditions that induces CSC differentiation, and a chemotherapeutic drug in response to reactive oxygen species in differentiating CSCs.
- Shiyang Shen
- , Xiao Xu
- & Ran Mo
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Article |
Micelle-enabled self-assembly of porous and monolithic carbon membranes for bioelectronic interfaces
A highly porous carbon-based electrode with optimal mechanical and electrochemical properties is implemented in a bioelectronics device for the modulation of cardiomyocyte contraction in vitro, the excitation of heart and retina ex vivo and the stimulation of sciatic nerve in vivo.
- Yin Fang
- , Aleksander Prominski
- & Bozhi Tian
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Article |
Proton-driven transformable nanovaccine for cancer immunotherapy
A shape-changing pH-responsive cancer vaccine delivers antigenic peptides directly to the cytoplasm and boosts the cellular immune response upon activation of the inflammasome pathway, efficiently inhibiting tumour growth and extending survival in animal tumour models.
- Ningqiang Gong
- , Yuxuan Zhang
- & Xing-Jie Liang
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Review Article |
A framework for designing delivery systems
This Review proposes a framework for designing delivery systems to target diseased tissues based on the biology of the target, the journey and computational algorithms.
- Wilson Poon
- , Benjamin R. Kingston
- & Warren C. W. Chan
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Article |
In situ electrochemical generation of nitric oxide for neuronal modulation
Iron sulfide nanoclusters enable on-demand and local generation of nitric oxide, an important lipophilic messenger in the brain, allowing the modulation and investigation of nitric oxide-triggered neural signalling events.
- Jimin Park
- , Kyoungsuk Jin
- & Polina Anikeeva
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Probing myeloid cell dynamics in ischaemic heart disease by nanotracer hot-spot imaging
A multimodal imaging approach using a high-density lipoprotein-derived nanotracer with a perfluoro-crown ether payload enables myeloid cell dynamics to be studied in vivo in mouse models of atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.
- Max L. Senders
- , Anu E. Meerwaldt
- & Willem J. M. Mulder
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Three-dimensional localization microscopy in live flowing cells
A high-throughput nanoscale 3D microscopy technique, combining imaging flow cytometry with a point-spread function, allows 3D localization measurements in live flowing cells.
- Lucien E. Weiss
- , Yael Shalev Ezra
- & Yoav Shechtman
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Selective organ targeting (SORT) nanoparticles for tissue-specific mRNA delivery and CRISPR–Cas gene editing
The addition of selective organ targeting molecules to nanoparticles allows the specific targeting of extrahepatic tissues, enabling gene editing of distinct cell populations outside the liver.
- Qiang Cheng
- , Tuo Wei
- & Daniel J. Siegwart
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News & Views |
Killing cancer cells by rupturing their lysosomes
Nanoparticles covered with a mix of positively and negatively charged ligands aggregate into supraparticles in the lysosomes of cancer cells, disrupting the integrity of the lysosomal membrane and killing the cells without involving any anticancer drugs.
- Jichuan Qiu
- & Younan Xia
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Letter |
Vitamin lipid nanoparticles enable adoptive macrophage transfer for the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial sepsis
Adoptive transfer of macrophages, transfected with vitamin C lipid nanoparticles that deliver an antimicrobial peptide and cathepsin B mRNA, can be applied for the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacteria-induced sepsis in mice.
- Xucheng Hou
- , Xinfu Zhang
- & Yizhou Dong
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Review Article |
Nanotechnology intervention of the microbiome for cancer therapy
This review highlights key opportunistic areas for applying nanotechnologies towards the manipulation of the microbiome for the treatment of cancer, gives an overview of seminal work and discusses future challenges and our perspective on this emerging area.
- Wantong Song
- , Aaron C. Anselmo
- & Leaf Huang
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Letter |
A biodegradable nanocapsule delivers a Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complex for in vivo genome editing
Polymer nanocapsules, assembled around a ribonucleoprotein complex of Cas9 nuclease and a single-guide RNA, enable safe and efficient gene editing in vitro and in vivo.
- Guojun Chen
- , Amr A. Abdeen
- & Shaoqin Gong
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Article |
Enzyme-activatable polymer–drug conjugate augments tumour penetration and treatment efficacy
A zwitterionic camptothecin–polymer conjugate that is enzymatically transformed in a cationic molecule at the tumour periphery penetrates deep into tumours via caveolae-mediated endocytosis and transcytosis, resulting in high anticancer efficiency in vivo.
- Quan Zhou
- , Shiqun Shao
- & Youqing Shen
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Miniature gold nanorods for photoacoustic molecular imaging in the second near-infrared optical window
Miniaturized gold nanorods are reliable NIR-II photoacoustic agents, showing higher photothermal stability, enhanced photoacoustic signal and more efficient agent-to-tumour delivery compared with their larger counterparts.
- Yun-Sheng Chen
- , Yang Zhao
- & Stanislav Emelianov
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Carbon-dot-supported atomically dispersed gold as a mitochondrial oxidative stress amplifier for cancer treatment
Atomically dispersed gold supported by carbon dots amplifies mitochondrial oxidative stress, and leads to irreversible cell damage, inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma in animal models.
- Ningqiang Gong
- , Xiaowei Ma
- & Xing-Jie Liang
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Endosomolytic polymersomes increase the activity of cyclic dinucleotide STING agonists to enhance cancer immunotherapy
Rationally designed polymer vesicles increase cytosolic delivery of cGAMP, activating the STING pathway and increasing the immunogenicity of the tumour microenvironment in in vivo murine models of melanoma and in human metastatic melanoma tissues.
- Daniel Shae
- , Kyle W. Becker
- & John T. Wilson
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Highly conductive, stretchable and biocompatible Ag–Au core–sheath nanowire composite for wearable and implantable bioelectronics
A highly conductive, biocompatible and stretchable nanocomposite based on ultralong gold-coated silver nanowires allows for the realization of wearable and implantable bioelectronics.
- Suji Choi
- , Sang Ihn Han
- & Dae-Hyeong Kim
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News & Views |
Time to multiplex
Quantitative near-infrared bioimaging gets a boost from time-domain multiplexing.
- Jean-Claude G. Bünzli
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Article |
Non-invasive, transdermal, path-selective and specific glucose monitoring via a graphene-based platform
A non-invasive, transdermal monitor extracts and detects glucose from the interstitial fluid through individual, privileged, follicular pathways in the skin accessible via a miniaturized, graphene-supported pixel array.
- Luca Lipani
- , Bertrand G. R. Dupont
- & Adelina Ilie
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Article |
Photoelectrochemical modulation of neuronal activity with free-standing coaxial silicon nanowires
The wireless and photoelectrochemical stimulation of primary rat dorsal root ganglion neurons is demonstrated by shining laser light onto coaxially doped silicon nanowires deposited on the neuronal membrane.
- Ramya Parameswaran
- , João L. Carvalho-de-Souza
- & Bozhi Tian
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Article |
Nanofluidic device for continuous multiparameter quality assurance of biologics
A nanofluidic device can enable on-site monitoring and real-time quality assurance of biologics throughout bio-manufacturing processes.
- Sung Hee Ko
- , Divya Chandra
- & Jongyoon Han
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Article |
A graphene-based electrochemical device with thermoresponsive microneedles for diabetes monitoring and therapy
Gold-doped graphene combined with a serpentine-shaped bilayer of gold mesh and polymeric microneedles form a wearable patch for sweat-based diabetes monitoring and feedback therapy.
- Hyunjae Lee
- , Tae Kyu Choi
- & Dae-Hyeong Kim
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Research Highlights |
Our choice from the recent literature
A non-FRET DNA reporter that changes fluorescence colour upon nuclease digestion