Advanced Nanomaterials for Multimodal Molecular Imaging

The development of multimodal molecular imaging contrast agents based on versatile nanomaterials has recently attracted much attention in disease diagnosis and therapeutic delivery. Contrast agents made from nanoparticles and used for multimodal imaging in vivo provide a multidimensional pathophysiological overview of diseases. This review summarizes recently developed advanced nanomaterials for multimodal molecular imaging. We comprehensively discuss these nanoparticle contrast agents in terms of their targeting modalities, limitations in clinical translation and future directions.     

单颗粒光散射显微成像技术在生化医药分析中的应用

等离子体纳米颗粒(PNPs)具有体积小、易表面修饰、生物相容性好、毒性低等优点,在生物传感、生物成像、疾病诊断、肿瘤治疗、材料科学等领域得到了广泛的应用。PNPs的光散射光学性质可以通过调节其大小、组成、形貌和微环境来控制,可用于生化和药物分析。此外,由于单粒子散射显微技术具有高空间分辨率和高灵敏度,借助PNPs具有的独特局域表面等离子体共振(LSPR)特性,可在单颗粒水平进行实时成像。根据PNPs的大小、组成、形态、微环境或耦合变化引起的信号变化,研究人员发展了多种显微成像分析方法,主要分为4种,包括散射光谱的波长位移、单粒子散射强度的变化、高通量RGB分析和计数方法。基于纳米颗粒LSPR散射光谱位移变化的方法准确、灵敏,但需要昂贵的单颗粒散射光谱仪和复杂的操作。基于纳米颗粒散射强度变化的方法简单可行,但易受纳米颗粒粒径和曝光时间等因素的影响。高通量RGB分析方法灵敏度高、成本低,但不适用于颜色变化不明显的单颗粒分析,且重复性差。单粒子计数法灵敏度高,但有时粒子分布不均匀,背景杂质的干扰限制了方法的准确度。因此,这4种定量方法各有优缺点。此外,近年来逐渐发展了一些新的定量方法。例如,研究人员开发了新的时间分辨分析定量方法,并将暗场显微镜与偏振器、滤光片等光学器件相结合以消除背景干扰,以及与电化学、拉曼等仪器相结合以扩大应用范围。此外,为提高分析方法的准确度和灵敏度,暗场显微镜与深度学习、云计算、人工智能等现代计算机科学技术的结合,越来越受到人们的欢迎。基于以上原因,该文重点介绍了单粒子光散射显微镜在生化和药物分析领域的应用,总结了近年来的最新研究进展,讨论了单粒子光散射显微镜在定量分析中的几种主要定量方法,提出了未来的发展趋势,以期为相关研究领域的新人提供一定的学术参考。     

Donor-Acceptor Typed AIE Luminogens with Near-infrared Emission for Super-resolution Imaging

Aggregation-induced emission(AIE)luminogens(AIEgens)with high brightness in aggregates exhibit great potentials in biological imaging,but these AIEgens are seldom applied in super-resolution biological imaging,especially in the imaging by using the structural illumination microscope(SIM).Based on this consideration,we synthesized the donor-acceptor typed AIEgen of DTPA-BTN,which not only owns high brightness in the near-infrared(NIR)emission region from 600 nm to 1000 nm(photoluminescence quantum yield,PLQYs=11.35%),but also displays excellent photo-stability.In addition,AIE nanoparticles based on 4,7-ditriphenylamine-[1,2,5]-thiadiazolo[3,4-c]pyridine(DTPA-BTN)were also prepared with highly emissive features and excellent biocompatibility.Finally,the developed DTPA-BTN-based AIE nanoparticles were applied in the super-resolution cellular imaging via SIM,where much smaller full width at half-maximum values and high signal to noise ratios were obtained,indicating the superior imaging resolution.The results here imply that highly emissive AIEgens or AIE nanoparticles can be promising imaging agents for super-resolution imaging via SIM.     

Organic Nanocrystals Based on a Solid-emission-tunable AIEgen for Cell Imaging

The development of fluorescent nanocrystals based on organic small molecules is of great importance in bioimaging due to the merits of easy modification,high brightness and excellent photostability,however suffering from the emission-detrimental aggregation-caused quenching(ACQ)effect.Herein,we successfully designed and synthesized an AIE-active di(N,N-dimethylaniline)-dibenzofulvene(named as NFTPE),which exhibits the crystallization-induced emission enhancement(CIEE)effect.Interestingly,two types of yellow-and orange-emissive crystals for NFTPE were obtained,exhibiting aggregation microenvironment-dependent emission tuning in the solid state.Single-crystal analysis and density functional theory(DFT)calculations reveal that different aggregation microenvironments result in the distinct molecular conformation for various emission.Excitingly,the crystallization of NFTPE in an aqueous solution under the assistance of amphiphilic PEG polymer matrices could be monitored in situ by the fluorescence changes,facilitating the preparation of NFTPE nanocrystals(NFTPE-NCs)by adjusting the aggregation microenvironment.The obtained NFTPE-NCs exhibit the superior performance in cell imaging in respect to high brightness,photostability,and biocompatibility,thus demonstrating the potential in bioimaging applications.     

Accessing the spatiotemporal heterogeneities of single nanocatalysts by optically imaging gas nanobubbles

Catalysts that catalyze the generation of products in the gas phase, especially those involved in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), hold great promise for ecofriendly and sustainable energy development. In general, gas chromatography is widely used to measure catalytic activity. Unfortunately, it gives an averaged output that washes out the heterogeneities among individuals. To assess the unique catalytic properties at the single nanoparticle level, various methods based on single particle catalysis have been proposed. Over the past fifteen years, tremendous breakthroughs have been achieved, which uncovered hidden spatial and temporal heterogeneities. Although powerful, effectively quantifying the activities of single HER nanocatalysts remains challenging because of the fast diffusion of hydrogen (H₂). In 2017, a novel approach based on a nanobubble indicator was proposed to correlate the kinetics of gas bubble evolution with the catalytic activities of individual nanoentities during the HER process. Since then, a plethora of optical microscopy techniques have been utilized to monitor dynamically evolved nanobubbles and to measure the catalytic activities of single HER catalysts. In this minireview, we summarized state-of-the-art optical microscopy for in operando imaging of dynamic nanobubbles involved in gas-generating reactions while highlighting some important discoveries, including the blinking photocatalytic activity and heterogeneous distribution of active sites. Finally, challenges and future perspectives in this promising field were identified.     

Applications of Vibrational Spectroscopy for Analysis of Connective Tissues

Advances in vibrational spectroscopy have propelled new insights into the molecular composition and structure of biological tissues. In this review, we discuss common modalities and techniques of vibrational spectroscopy, and present key examples to illustrate how they have been applied to enrich the assessment of connective tissues. In particular, we focus on applications of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), near infrared (NIR) and Raman spectroscopy to assess cartilage and bone properties. We present strengths and limitations of each approach and discuss how the combination of spectrometers with microscopes (hyperspectral imaging) and fiber optic probes have greatly advanced their biomedical applications. We show how these modalities may be used to evaluate virtually any type of sample (ex vivo, in situ or in vivo) and how “spectral fingerprints” can be interpreted to quantify outcomes related to tissue composition and quality. We highlight the unparalleled advantage of vibrational spectroscopy as a label-free and often nondestructive approach to assess properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) associated with normal, developing, aging, pathological and treated tissues. We believe this review will assist readers not only in better understanding applications of FTIR, NIR and Raman spectroscopy, but also in implementing these approaches for their own research projects.     

PET Diagnostic Molecules Utilizing Multimeric Cyclic RGD Peptide Analogs for Imaging Integrin αvβ3 Receptors

Multimeric ligands consisting of multiple pharmacophores connected to a single backbone have been widely investigated for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In this review, we summarize recent developments regarding multimeric radioligands targeting integrin α_vβ₃ receptors on cancer cells for molecular imaging and diagnostic applications using positron emission tomography (PET). Integrin α_vβ₃ receptors are glycoproteins expressed on the cell surface, which have a significant role in tumor angiogenesis. They act as receptors for several extracellular matrix proteins exposing the tripeptide sequence arginine-glycine-aspartic (RGD). Cyclic RDG peptidic ligands c(RGD) have been developed for integrin α_vβ₃ tumor-targeting positron emission tomography (PET) diagnosis. Several c(RGD) pharmacophores, connected with the linker and conjugated to a chelator or precursor for radiolabeling with different PET radionuclides (¹⁸F, ⁶⁴Cu, and ⁶⁸Ga), have resulted in multimeric ligands superior to c(RGD) monomers. The binding avidity, pharmacodynamic, and PET imaging properties of these multimeric c(RGD) radioligands, in relation to their structural characteristics are analyzed and discussed. Furthermore, specific examples from preclinical studies and clinical investigations are included.     

多种超分辨荧光成像技术比较和进展评述

所见即所得是生命科学研究的中心哲学,贯穿在不断认识单个分子、分子复合体、分子动态行为和整个分子网络的历程中。活的动态的分子才是有功能的,这决定了荧光显微成像在生命科学研究中成为不可替代的工具。但是当荧光成像聚焦到分子水平的时候,所见并不能给出想要得到的。这个障碍是由于受光学衍射极限的限制,荧光显微镜无法在衍射受限的空间内分辨出目标物。超分辨荧光成像技术突破衍射极限的限制,在纳米尺度至单分子水平可视化生物分子,以前所未有的时空分辨率研究活细胞结构和动态过程,已成为生命科学研究的有力工具,并逐渐应用到材料科学、催化反应过程和光刻等领域。超分辨成像技术原理不同,其具有的技术性能各异,限制了各自特定的技术特色和应用范围。目前主流的超分辨成像技术包括3种:结构光照明显微镜技术(structured illumination microscopy, SIM)、受激发射损耗显微技术(stimulated emission depletion, STED)和单分子定位成像技术(single molecule localization microscopy, SMLM)。这些显微镜采用不同的复杂技术,但是策略却是相同和简单的,即通过牺牲时间分辨率来提升衍射受限的空间内相邻两个发光点的空间分辨。该文通过对这3种技术的原理比较和在生物研究中的应用进展介绍,明确了不同超分辨成像技术的技术优势和适用的应用方向,以方便研究者在未来研究中做合理的选择。     

一锅法可控合成金属有机框架材料Mn-荧光素用于核磁共振/荧光成像

通过一锅法,首次将核磁共振成像试剂Mn²⁺和荧光成像试剂荧光素（FSD）自组装于一个简单的金属有机框架材料（Mn-FSD）上。实验结果表明,Mn-FSD的粒径可被控制在微纳米水平内并进行生物成像。体外和体内实验结果证实,Mn-FSD可在细胞和裸鼠中显示强绿色荧光。同时,Mn-FSD表现出较高的弛豫值（r₁=4.95 L·mmol^-1·s^-1）。     

一种基于萘酰亚胺的检测细胞内pH值的荧光探针及其生物成像应用

细胞内溶酶体的pH值对细胞自噬、吞噬、酶加工等各项生命活动有着重要影响. 细胞核是真核细胞中最大的细胞器, 控制着生物体内的遗传和代谢过程, 参与代谢过程的酶对pH值的变化很敏感. 因此, 研究细胞体内的pH值变化至关重要. 我们设计并以简单的两步反应合成了一种新型荧光探针 NpH-1. 该探针以萘酰亚胺作为荧光团, 以吗啉基团作为对pH值响应的位点, 通过光诱导电子转移(PET)机制调控荧光, 能够对pH值变化响应. 我们在缓冲范围为1.81到11.92的Britton-Robison缓冲液中测定了 NpH-1对pH值变化响应的光谱性质. 在pH值3.0道10.0的范围内, NpH-1能够对pH值的变化产生快速可逆的响应, 其p Ka值为5.41. 探针具有很高的光稳定性. NpH-1具有很低的细胞毒性, 能够用于活细胞成像. 我们用氯喹刺激HeLa细胞, 使细胞的pH值发生变化, 并用探针 NpH-1监测了这一过程中的pH值变化. 另外, 还对 NpH-1进行了溶酶体、线粒体、高尔基体、内质网和细胞核的共定位实验, 结果表明, 探针主要分布在溶酶体和细胞核中, 这意味着 NpH-1可以用于检测复杂细胞环境中的pH值变化.