Tiny 2D silicon quantum sheets:a brain photonic nanoagent for orthotopic glioma theranostics

We report that atomically thin two-dimensional silicon quantum sheets(2D Si QSs),prepared by a scalable approach coupling chemical delithiation and cryo-assisted exfoliation,can serve as a highperformance brain photonic nanoagent for orthotopic glioma theranostics.With the lateral size of approximately 14.0 nm and thickness of about 1.6 nm,tiny Si QSs possess high mass extinction coefficient of 27.5 Lg^(-1)cm^(-1)and photothermal conversion efficiency of 47.2%at 808 nm,respectively,concurrently contributing to the best photothermal performance among the reported 2 D mono-elemental materials(Xenes).More importantly,Si QSs with low toxicity maintain the trade-off between stability and degradability,paving the way for practical clinical translation in consideration of both storage and action of nanoagents.In vitro Transwell filter experiment reveals that Si QSs could effectively go across the b End.3 cells monolayer.Upon the intravenous injection of Si QSs,orthotopic brain tumors are effectively inhibited under the precise guidance of photoacoustic imaging,and the survival lifetime of brain tumor-bearing mice is increased by two fold.Atomically thin Si QSs with strong light-harvesting capability are expected to provide an effective and robust 2D photonic nanoplatform for the management of brain diseases.

A mitochondria-targeting lipid——small molecule hybrid nanoparticle for imaging and therapy in an orthotopic glioma model

Hybrid lipid-nanoparticle complexes have shown attractive characteristics as drug carriers due to their integrated advantages from liposomes and nanoparticles.Here we developed a kind of lipid-small molecule hybrid nanoparticles(LPHNPs) for imaging and treatment in an ortho topic glioma model.LPHNPs were prepared by engineering the co-assembly of lipids and an amphiphilic pheophorbide a-quinolinium conjugate(PQC),a mitochondria-targeting small molecule.Compared with the pure nanofiber self-assembled by PQC,LPHNPs not only preserve the comparable antiproliferative potency,but also possess a spherical nanostructure that allows the PQC molecules to be administrated through intravenous injection.Also,this co-assembly remarkably improved the drug-loading capacity and formulation stability against the physical encapsulation using conventional liposomes.By integrating the advantages from liposome and PQC molecule,LPHNPs have minimal system toxicity,enhanced potency of photodynamic therapy(PDT) and visualization capacities of drug biodistribution and tumor imaging.The hybrid nanoparticle demonstrates excellent curative effects to significantly prolong the survival of mice with the orthotopic glioma.The unique co-assembly of lipid and small molecule provides new potential for constructing new liposome-derived nanoformulations and improving cancer treatment.

Highly Sensitive MoS_2–Indocyanine Green Hybrid for Photoacoustic Imaging of Orthotopic Brain Glioma at Deep Site

Photoacoustic technology in combination with molecular imaging is a highly effective method for accurately diagnosing brain glioma. For glioma detection at a deeper site, contrast agents with higher photoacoustic imaging sensitivity are needed. Herein, we report a MoS_2–ICG hybrid with indocyanine green(ICG) conjugated to the surface of MoS_2 nanosheets. The hybrid significantly enhanced photoacoustic imaging sensitivity compared to MoS_2 nanosheets. This conjugation results in remarkably high optical absorbance across a broad near-infrared spectrum, redshifting of the ICG absorption peak and photothermal/photoacoustic conversion efficiency enhancement of ICG. A tumor mass of 3.5 mm beneath the mouse scalp was clearly visualized by using MoS_2–ICG as a contrast agent for the in vivo photoacoustic imaging of orthotopic glioma, which is nearly twofold deeper than the tumors imaged in our previous report using MoS_2 nanosheet. Thus, combined with its good stability and high biocompatibility, the MoS_2–ICG hybrid developed in this study has a great potential for high-efficiency tumor molecular imaging in translational medicine.