Imaging techniques and agents

Monitoring the status of blood-brain barrier (BBB) and inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative damage are key issues in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Here, the authors design a near-infrared-IIb emitting Mn single-atom catalyst for imaging-guided therapy to alleviate ROS mediated neuroinflammation in the brain and simultaneously obtain timely feedback of therapeutic effect, promoting the reconstruction of BBB and recovery of neurological function after TBI in mice.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-established non-invasive medical imaging technology. Here, to improve the performance of the technique, the authors describe the design of a pH-responsive T1-T2 dual-modal MRI contrast agent, showing enhanced imaging sensitivity in preclinical cancer models.

Measuring the in situ activation status of T cells is important to gauge the efficacy of immunotherapy approaches. In this Article the authors design a chemical probe that binds to the T cell membrane and scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS), preventing ROS-driven T cell exhaustion while serving as a magnetic resonance imaging probe to quantify T cell activity in tumours and predict radiotherapy outcomes.

Sensitive, biocompatible and stable contrast agents for MRI are in demand. Here, the authors combine gadolinium ions with amorphous calcium carbonate to make stable paramagnetic amorphous carbonate nanoclusters with high MRI contrast and significantly improved biocompatibility over commercial gadolinium-based agents.

Metal organic frameworks (MOF) coated with mammalian cell membranes have good biocompatibility. Here, the authors develop a cobalt based hydrogen sulphide producing MOF cloaked with a macrophage membrane and show that the subsequent system can reduce tumour growth in mice.

The first step during skin colonization by is its adhesion to corneocytes. Da Costa et al. show that the cell wall-anchored fibronectin binding protein B (FnBPB) of S. aureus binds to loricrin. Applying single cell force spectroscopy, they demonstrate that this interaction promotes adhesion of S. aureus to human corneocytes.