Highly sensitive fluorescent detection of p53 protein based on DNA functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles.

The accurate quantification of p53 protein expression level is of great importance for cancer diagnosis. Here, a highly sensitive fluorescent sensor based on DNA functionalized magnetic nanoparticles was developed for the detection of p53 protein expression. Instead of a monoclonal antibody, a consensus DNA was employed to capture p53 protein. Meanwhile the fluorescent dye tethered DNA was used as the signal output instead of enzyme tagged nanoparticle or antibody. Consequently, our developed method is cost-effective for both the p53 capture and detection by compared with the conventional immunoassay. The biosensor developed by the above strategy was used to quantitatively detect p53, which yields a detection limit of 8 p.M. with the linear range of 50 p.M. to 2 nM. The sensitive for specific p53 detection was achieved due to the facile magnetic separation from the complex condition, and the reduced non-specific absorption effect by dextran. Moreover, the method is able to measure p53 from real cell lysate without extensive sample pretreatment/separation. The developed p53 biosensor has high sensitivity, good selectivity and reliable accuracy. It demonstrates great potential in clinical cancer diagnosis and early detection of cancer.

A black phosphorus based synergistic antibacterial platform against drug resistant bacteria.

In the fight against pathogenic bacteria, traditional antibiotic therapy is challenged by low efficiency and drug resistance. These drawbacks motivate the development of synergistic antibacterial therapy, but there is a lack of efficient synergistic platforms. Herein, with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as a pathogenic bacterial model, we explored the potential of black phosphorus (BP) as a synergistic therapeutic platform for drug resistant bacterial infection. Acting as a substrate, reductant and stabilizer, BP nanosheets were decorated with Ag nanoparticles (NP) through an in situ growth strategy. The photothermal effect of the BP nanosheets allows Ag@BP nanohybrids to rapidly disrupt a bacterial membrane under near infrared (NIR) light irradiation. Moreover, the slowly released Ag+ elevates oxidative stress and sustainably suppresses bacterial proliferation for a long time. The combination of these two aspects endows the Ag@BP nanohybrids with synergistically enhanced antibacterial performance. Different from traditional antibiotics, the antibacterial effects of the Ag@BP nanohybrids are independent of the bacterial structure, which bypasses the issue of drug resistance. The in vivo studies show that the Ag@BP nanohybrids efficiently decrease the MRSA bacterial burden in mice and minimize infection associated tissue lesions. Besides, the excellent biocompatibility of the Ag@BP nanohybrids guarantees their biosafety for future clinical applications. Accordingly, this work demonstrates the potential of the BP nanosheets in the synergistic antibacterial therapy against drug resistant bacteria, and paves the way for developing 2D semiconductor based synergistic antibacterial nanodrugs.

Bright and photostable fluorescent probe with aggregation-induced emission characteristics for specific lysosome imaging and tracking.

We develop a new lysosome-targeting AIE fluorescent probe tetraphenylethene-morpholine (TPE-MPL), by incorporating a typical lysosome-targeting moiety of morpholine into a stable tetraphenylethene skeleton. Due to both the AIE and antenna effects, TPE-MPL possesses superior photostability, appreciable tolerance to microenvironment change and high lysosome targeting ability. Our findings confirm that TPE-MPL is a well-suited imaging agent for targeting lysosome and tracking dynamic movement of lysosome. Moreover, due to its synthetic accessibility, TPE-MPL could be further modified as a dual-functional probe for lysosome, thereby gain further insight into the role of lysosome in biomedical applications.