Nitrogen-doped carbon dots derived from ellagic acid and L-tyrosine for photothermal anticancer and anti-inflammation.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumor would ineluctably cause oxidative stress and related inflammation in adjacent normal tissues, leading to a discounted therapeutic outcome. To address this issue, herein an innovative therapeutic strategy that integrates photothermal anticancer and normal cell protection is developed. A new type of nitrogen-doped carbon dot (ET-CD) has been synthesized in one step by hydrothermal method using ellagic acid and L-tyrosine as reaction precursors. The as-prepared ET-CD exhibits high photothermal conversion efficiency and good photothermal stability. After intravenous injection, ET-CD can accumulate at the tumor site and the hyperthermia generated under near infrared laser irradiation effectively ablates tumor tissues, thereby significantly inhibiting tumor growth. Importantly, owing to the inherited antioxidant activity from ellagic acid, ET-CD can remove reactive oxygen and nitrogen species produced in the body and reduce the levels of inflammatory factors induced by oxidative stress, so as to alleviate the damage caused by heat-induced inflammation to normal cells and tissues while photothermal anticancer. These attractive features of ET-CD may open the exploration of innovative therapeutic strategies to promote the clinical application of PTT.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Cerogria popularis Borchmann, 1936 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Cerogria popularis Borchmann, 1936 based on the Illumina platform. The circular DNA molecule is 16,175 bp in size, including the 37 typical animal mitochondrial genes and a non-coding control region. All 37 genes are arranged in the same order as the previously reported most mitogenomes of Tenebrionidae. All PCGs initiate with standard start codon ATN (ATA/T/G/C) except cox1 with the special start codon AAT. Most PCGs terminate with TAA/G, whereas cox1, atp6, nad5, and nad4 end with its incomplete form T-. All the 22 tRNAs have the typical clover-leaf structure except for trnS1. The rrnL and rrnS genes are 1,250 and 737 bp in length, with an AT content of 82.6 and 84.5%, respectively. The phylogenetic tree supports the monophyly of the included tenebrionid subfamilies represented by more than one species. Furthermore, the sister relationship between Lagriinae and other tenebrionid subfamilies is recovered.