Persistent luminescence-polypyrrole nanocomposite for dual-modal imaging and photothermal therapy of mammary cancer.

Multifunctional nanocomposites that possess imaging and high-performance therapeutic features are experiencing a surge in interest in the precision clinical anticancer treatment. In this work, we reported the fabrication and bio-application of a novel persistent luminescence-polypyrrole nanocomposite (LPLNP@SPP) for photoacoustic/persistent luminescence (PA/PL) dual-modal imaging guided photothermal therapy (PTT). The construction of LPLNP@SPP avoids the PL quenching of LPLNP-OH by the polypyrrole-coating, and thus enables the combination of PL and PTT. The LPLNP@SPP shows excellent biocompatibility, long lasting near-infrared (NIR) PL emitting without in situ excitation and high-contrast PA signals. Meanwhile, this nanocomposite exhibits strong NIR absorbance and exceptional photothermal conversion capability, which provides notable potential for imaging-guided antitumor therapy. Thus, our work highlights the dual-functional core-shell LPLNP@SPP as a feasible theranostic nanoplatform for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Recent Advances of Persistent Luminescence Nanoparticles in Bioapplications.

Persistent luminescence phosphors are a novel group of promising luminescent materials with afterglow properties after the stoppage of excitation. In the past decade, persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) with intriguing optical properties have attracted a wide range of attention in various areas. Especially in recent years, the development and applications in biomedical fields have been widely explored. Owing to the efficient elimination of the autofluorescence interferences from biotissues and the ultra-long near-infrared afterglow emission, many researches have focused on the manipulation of PLNPs in biosensing, cell tracking, bioimaging and cancer therapy. These achievements stimulated the growing interest in designing new types of PLNPs with desired superior characteristics and multiple functions. In this review, we summarize the works on synthesis methods, bioapplications, biomembrane modification and biosafety of PLNPs and highlight the recent advances in biosensing, imaging and imaging-guided therapy. We further discuss the new types of PLNPs as a newly emerged class of functional biomaterials for multiple applications. Finally, the remaining problems and challenges are discussed with suggestions and prospects for potential future directions in the biomedical applications.

Progress of Antimicrobial Discovery Against the Major Cariogenic Pathogen Streptococcus mutans.

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay, or cavities, remains a global public health issue. Streptococcus mutans is considered the most significant contributor to dental caries. Its cariogenicity typically depends on its unique metabolic activity and lifestyle, including acid production, acid tolerance and biofilm formation. Currently used anti-caries therapies, such as fluoride and chlorhexidine, are characterized by side-effects and drug resistance. Therefore, the development of alternative inhibitors against S. mutans growth is urgently needed. In the last decade, a larger number of natural products and their derivatives from plants, marine organisms and microorganisms were studied to evaluate their antibacterial activity against S. mutans. In addition, drug-repositioning base screening and target based high-throughput screening were employed, resulting in inspiring progresses in recent years. In this review, we summarized the available evidences regarding the inhibition of S. mutans growth. We focus on the sources, structures and potential mechanism of action of these inhibitors. Beside small molecular compounds, we also considered antibacterial peptides and protein inhibitors developed in this field.