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Metal-organic frameworks – The year in review

Looking back at 2019, we would like to highlight some of the great research that has been published in RSC Advances over the year. We are proud to present a selection of the most popular 2019 articles published on metal-organic frameworks so far.

We hope you enjoy reading these articles – free to read and accessible to everyone.

Happy New Year from the RSC Advances team!

Layered metal-organic framework based on tetracyanonickelate as a cathode material for in situ Li-ion storage
Kaiqiang Zhang, Tae Hyung Lee, Bailey Bubach, Mehdi Ostadhassan, Ho Won Jang, Ji-Won Choi and Mohammadreza Shokouhimehr
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 21363-21370. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra03975a

Facile synthesis of polyoxometalates tethered to post Fe-BTC frameworks for esterification of free fatty acids to biodiesel
Qiuyun Zhang, Xiaofang Liu, Tingting Yang, Caiyan Yue, Quanlin Pu and Yutao Zhang
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 8113-8120. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra10574j

Enhanced luminescence and tunable magnetic properties of lanthanide coordination polymers based on fluorine substitution and phenanthroline ligand
Xun Feng, Yapei Shang, Heng Zhang, Rongfang Li, Weizhou Wang, Daoming Zhang, Liya Wang and Zhongjun Li
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 16328-16338. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra01574d

Heterogeneous ZIF-L membranes with improved hydrophilicity and anti-bacterial adhesion for potential application in water treatment
Qilin Gu, Tze Chiang Albert Ng, Qiaomei Sun, Abdelnaby Mohamed Kotb Elshahawy, Zhiyang Lyu, Zeming He, Lei Zhang, How Yong Ng, Kaiyang Zeng and John Wang
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 1591-1601. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra08758j

A water-stable luminescent metal-organic framework for effective detection of aflatoxin B1 in walnut and almond beverages
Zhishang Li, Xiahong Xu, Yingchun Fu, Yuna Guo, Qi Zhang, Qiaoyan Zhang, Hua Yang and Yanbin Li
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 620-625. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra07804a

MOF-5 derived carbon as material for CO2 absorption
Wojciech Kukulka, Krzysztof Cendrowski, Beata Michalkiewicz and Ewa Mijowska
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 18527-18537. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra01786k

Temperature-induced structural diversity of metal-organic frameworks and their applications in selective sensing of nitrobenzene and electrocatalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction
Defang Han, Kun Huang, Xianglin Li, Mengni Peng, Linhai Jing, Baoyi Yu, Zeqin Chen and Dabin Qin
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 33890-33897. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra07031a

TiO2 nanocrystals with the {001} and {101} facets co-exposed with MIL-100(Fe): an egg-like composite nanomaterial for efficient visible light-driven photocatalysis
Wan Wu, Jie Zhu, Yue Hong Deng, Ye Xiang, Ya Wen Tan, Hai Qin Tang, Hao Zou, Yi Feng Xu and Yi Zhou
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 31728-31734. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra06359e

Rod-like anhydrous V2O5 assembled by tiny nanosheets as a high-performance cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries
Weijun Zhou, Jizhang Chen, Minfeng Chen, Xinwu Xu, Qinghua Tian, Junling Xu and Ching-Ping Wong
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 30556-30564. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra06143f

Ultrathin nickel-metal-organic framework nanobelt based electrochemical sensor for the determination of urea in human body fluids
Cancan Bao, Qiangqiang Niu, Zi-Ang Chen, Xiaowei Cao, Hui Wang and Wenbo Lu
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 29474-29481. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra05716a

A restricted access molecularly imprinted polymer coating on metal-organic frameworks for solid-phase extraction of ofloxacin and enrofloxacin from bovine serum
Zhian Sun, Huachun Liu, Yanqiang Zhou, Shanwen Zhao, Jianmin Li, Xiaoxiao Wang and Bolin Gong
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 27953-27960. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra04143e

Nanoporous MIL-101(Cr) as a sensing layer coated on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) nanosensor to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Elahe Haghighi and Sedigheh Zeinali
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 24460-24470. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra04152d

Introducing hydrophilic ultra-thin ZIF-L into mixed matrix membranes for CO2/CH4 separation
Weifang Zhu, Xueqin Li, Yanyong Sun, Ruili Guo and Siyuan Ding
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 23390-23399. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra04147h

 

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

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Gold nanostructures – The year in review

Looking back at 2019, we would like to highlight some of the great research that has been published in RSC Advances over the year. We are proud to present a selection of the most popular 2019 articles published on gold nanostructures so far.

We hope you enjoy reading these articles – free to read and accessible to everyone.

Happy New Year from the RSC Advances team!

A review on the biosynthesis of metal and metal salt nanoparticles by microbes
Geeta Gahlawat and Anirban Roy Choudhury
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 12944-12967. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra10483b
Review

Metal nanoparticles fabricated by green chemistry using natural extracts: biosynthesis, mechanisms, and applications
Hesham R. El-Seedi, Rehan M. El-Shabasy, Shaden A. M. Khalifa, Aamer Saeed, Afzal Shah, Raza Shah, Faiza Jan Iftikhar, Mohamed M. Abdel-Daim, Abdelfatteh Omri, Nahid H. Hajrahand, Jamal S. M. Sabir, Xiaobo Zou, Mohammed F. Halabi, Wessam Sarhan and Weisheng Guo
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 24539-24559. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra02225b
Review

Cholesterol-coated gold nanorods as an efficient nano-carrier for chemotherapeutic delivery and potential treatment of breast cancer: in vitro studies using the MCF-7 cell line
Nouf N. Mahmoud, Dima A. Sabbah, Rana Abu-Dahab, Duaa Abuarqoub, Maha Abdallah, Ameerah (Hasan Ibrahim) and Enam A. Khalil
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 12718-12731. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra01041f

Superficial fabrication of gold nanoparticles modified CuO nanowires electrode for non-enzymatic glucose detection
Ashwini Kumar Mishra, Bratindranath Mukherjee, Amit Kumar, Deepak Kumar Jarwal, Smrity Ratan, Chandan Kumar and Satyabrata Jit
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 1772-1781. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra07516f

Synthesis of graphene quantum dot-stabilized gold nanoparticles and their application
Weifeng Chen, Jialu Shen, Shaona Chen, Jiaying Yan, Nuonuo Zhang, Kaibo Zheng and Xiang Liu
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 21215-21219. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra02758k

Gold nanoparticle coatings as efficient adenovirus carriers to non-infectable stem cells
Yulan Hernandez, Rebeca González-Pastor, Carolina Belmar-Lopez, Gracia Mendoza, Jesus M. de la Fuente and Pilar Martin-Duque
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 1327-1334. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra09088b

One-pot synthesis of hollow hydrangea Au nanoparticles as a dual catalyst with SERS activity for in situ monitoring of a reduction reaction
Yazhou Qin, Yuxiang Lu, Wufan Pan, Dongdong Yu and Jianguang Zhou
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 10314-10319. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra00733d

Mussel-inspired immobilization of Au on bare and graphene-wrapped Ni nanoparticles toward highly efficient and easily recyclable catalysts
Fatima Mahnaz, Mohammad Mostafa-Al-Momin, Md. Rubel, Md. Ferdous and Md. Shafiul Azam
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 30358-30369. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra05736f

Self-assembled microrings of Au nanoparticle and Au nanorod clusters formed at the equators of Janus particles
Yutaro Hirai and Hiroshi Yabu
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 17183-17186. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra02767j

Enhanced control of plasmonic properties of silver-gold hollow nanoparticles via a reduction-assisted galvanic replacement approach
Josée R. Daniel, Lauren A. McCarthy, Emilie Ringe and Denis Boudreau
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 389-396. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra09364d

Sensitive detection of methylated DNA and methyltransferase activity based on the lighting up of FAM-labeled DNA quenched fluorescence by gold nanoparticles
Mohammad Ali Karimi, Mehdi Dadmehr, Morteza Hosseini, Behnaz Korouzhdehi and Fatemeh Oroojalian
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 12063-12069. 10.1039/c9ra01564g

Tuning the surface plasmon resonance in gold nanocrystals with single layer carbon nitride
O. Stroyuk, A. Raevskaya, G. Grodzyuk, N. Andriushina, M. Skoryk, V. Yefanov, S. Schulze and D. R. T. Zahn
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 444-449. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra09454c

Green synthesis and in situ immobilization of gold nanoparticles and their application for the reduction of p-nitrophenol in continuous-flow mode
Rózsa Szűcs, Diána Balogh-Weiser, Evelin Sánta-Bell, Eszter Tóth-Szeles, Tamás Varga, Zoltán Kónya, László Poppe and István Lagzi
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 9193-9197. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra10373a

Ultrathin 2D metal-organic framework nanosheets prepared via sonication exfoliation of membranes from interfacial growth and exhibition of enhanced catalytic activity by their gold nanocomposites
Songting Wu, Lu Qin, Ke Zhang, Zhong Xin and Shicheng Zhao
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 9386-9391. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra00662a

Au-based bimetallic catalysts: how the synergy between two metals affects their catalytic activity
Jin Sha, Sébastien Paul, Franck Dumeignil and Robert Wojcieszak
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 29888-29901. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra06001d

Understanding metal-enhanced fluorescence and structural properties in Au@Ag core-shell nanocubes
Dae-Woong Jung, Jun Min Kim, Hyung Joong Yun, Gi-Ra Yi, Jung Young Cho, Haeun Jung, Gaehang Lee, Weon-Sik Chae and Ki Min Nam
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 29232-29237. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra05103a

Ultrasound assisted one-step synthesis of Au@Pt dendritic nanoparticles with enhanced NIR absorption for photothermal cancer therapy
Yue Yang, Mei Chen, Yajiao Wu, Peng Wang, Yan Zhao, Wenxiang Zhu, Zhiling Song and Xiao-Bing Zhang
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 28541-28547. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra04286e

A simple one-step procedure to synthesise gold nanostars in concentrated aqueous surfactant solutions
Ferenc Liebig, Ricky Henning, Radwan M. Sarhan, Claudia Prietzel, Clemens N. Z. Schmitt, Matias Bargheer and Joachim Koetz
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 23633-23641. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra02384d

 

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

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SERS – The year in review

Looking back at 2019, we would like to highlight some of the great research that has been published in RSC Advances over the year. We are proud to present a selection of the most popular 2019 articles published on surface-enhanced Raman scattering so far.

We hope you enjoy reading these articles – free to read and accessible to everyone.

Happy New Year from the RSC Advances team!

Explosives sensing using Ag-Cu alloy nanoparticles synthesized by femtosecond laser ablation and irradiation
Moram Sree Satya Bharati, Byram Chandu and S. Venugopal Rao
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 1517-1525. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra08462a

Synthesis and evaluation of the SERS effect of Fe3O4-Ag Janus composite materials for separable, highly sensitive substrates
Yanlin Li, Sen Yang, Xuegang Lu, Wenyuan Duan and Toshihiro Moriga
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 2877-2884. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra09569h

In situ synthesis of low-cost and large-scale flexible metal nanoparticle-polymer composite films as highly sensitive SERS substrates for surface trace analysis
Chenghua Zong, Mengyi Ge, Hong Pan, Jing Wang, Xinming Nie, Qingquan Zhang, Wenfeng Zhao, Xiaojun Liu and Yang Yu
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 2857-2864. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra08818g

A SERS aptasensor for sensitive and selective detection of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate
Dandan Tu, Javier T. Garza and Gerard L. Coté
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 2618-2625. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra09230c

Machine learning algorithms enhance the specificity of cancer biomarker detection using SERS-based immunoassays in microfluidic chips
Nariman Banaei, Javad Moshfegh, Arman Mohseni-Kabir, Jean Marie Houghton, Yubing Sun and Byung Kim
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 1859-1868. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra08930b

One-pot synthesis of hollow hydrangea Au nanoparticles as a dual catalyst with SERS activity for in situ monitoring of a reduction reaction
Yazhou Qin, Yuxiang Lu, Wufan Pan, Dongdong Yu and Jianguang Zhou
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 10314-10319. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra00733d

Application of surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERS) to the study of organic functional materials: electronic structure and charge transfer properties of 9,10-bis((E)-2-(pyridin-4-yl)vinyl)anthracene
Juan Soto, Elizabeth Imbarack, Isabel López-Tocón, Santiago Sánchez-Cortés, Juan C. Otero and Patricio Leyton
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 14511-14519. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra01269a

Plasmonic nanomaterial structuring for SERS enhancement
Agnes Purwidyantri, Chih-Hsien Hsu, Chia-Ming Yang, Briliant Adhi Prabowo, Ya-Chung Tian and Chao-Sung Lai
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 4982-4992. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra10656h

Photovoltaic cells as a highly efficient system for biomedical and electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy analysis
K. Niciński, E. Witkowska, D. Korsak, K. Noworyta, J. Trzcińska-Danielewicz, A. Girstun and A. Kamińska
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 576-591. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra08319c

Sandwiching analytes with structurally diverse plasmonic nanoparticles on paper substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Jemima A. Lartey, John P. Harms, Richard Frimpong, Christopher C. Mulligan, Jeremy D. Driskell and Jun-Hyun Kim
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 32535-32543. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra05399a

Assembly of gold nanoparticles using turnip yellow mosaic virus as an in-solution SERS sensor
Ha Anh Nguyen, Isabelle Jupin, Philippe Decorse, Stephanie Lau-Truong, Souad Ammar and Nguyet-Thanh Ha-Duong
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 32296-32307. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra08015e

A simple one-step procedure to synthesise gold nanostars in concentrated aqueous surfactant solutions
Ferenc Liebig, Ricky Henning, Radwan M. Sarhan, Claudia Prietzel, Clemens N. Z. Schmitt, Matias Bargheer and Joachim Koetz
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 23633-23641. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra02384d

 

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

Submit to RSC Advances today! Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

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Photocatalysis – The year in review

Looking back at 2019, we would like to highlight some of the great research that has been published in RSC Advances over the year. We are proud to present a selection of the most popular 2019 articles published on photocatalysis so far.

We hope you enjoy reading these articles – free to read and accessible to everyone.

Happy New Year from the RSC Advances team!

Strain-enhanced properties of van der Waals heterostructure based on blue phosphorus and g-GaN as a visible-light-driven photocatalyst for water splitting
Kai Ren, Sake Wang, Yi Luo, Yujing Xu, Minglei Sun, Jin Yu and Wencheng Tang
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 4816-4823. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra09378d

Photocatalytic dye degradation and biological activities of the Fe2O3/Cu2O nanocomposite
Mavinakere Ramesh Abhilash, Gangadhar Akshatha and Shivanna Srikantaswamy
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 8557-8568. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra09929d

Isolated/interacting Au islands on TiO2 NTs for the switching photocatalytic/photoelectrocatalytic degradation of refractory organic pollutants in wastewater
Dan Zhang, Baohui Wang, Jiaqi Wang, Hongming Wang, Shixu Zhang and Di Gu
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 2784-2791. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra09160a

ZnO decorated Sn3O4 nanosheet nano-heterostructure: a stable photocatalyst for water splitting and dye degradation under natural sunlight
Sagar D. Balgude, Yogesh A. Sethi, Bharat B. Kale, Dinesh P. Amalnerkar and Parag V. Adhyapak
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 10289-10296. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra00788a

Fabrication of interlayer beta-CD/g-C3N4@MoS2 for highly enhanced photodegradation of glyphosate under simulated sunlight irradiation
Xiufang He, Zhansheng Wu, Yongtao Xue, Zhenzhen Gao and Xia Yang
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 4635-4643. DOI: 10.1039/c8ra10190f

Multi-shelled ZnO decorated with nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon quantum dots: synthesis and enhanced photodegradation activity of methylene blue in aqueous solutions
Shaojia Song, Kun Wu, Huadong Wu, Jia Guo and Linfeng Zhang
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 7362-7374. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra00168a

A Bi2WO6/Ag2S/ZnS Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst with enhanced visible-light photoactivity towards the degradation of multiple dye pollutants
Soleiman Mosleh, Kheibar Dashtian, Mehrorang Ghaedi and Maryam Amiri
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 30100-30111. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra05372g

Visible-light photocatalytic performance, recovery and degradation mechanism of ternary magnetic Fe3O4/BiOBr/BiOI composite
Jianhui Li, Fan Yang, Quan Zhou, Lijie Wu, Wenying Li, Ruipeng Ren and Yongkang Lv
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 23545-23553. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra04412d

Engineering a CsPbBr3-based nanocomposite for efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction: improved charge separation concomitant with increased activity sites
Xiao-Xuan Guo, Shang-Feng Tang, Yan-Fei Mu, Li-Yuan Wu, Guang-Xing Dong and Min Zhang
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 34342-34348. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra07236e

TiO2 nanocrystals with the {001} and {101} facets co-exposed with MIL-100(Fe): an egg-like composite nanomaterial for efficient visible light-driven photocatalysis
Wan Wu, Jie Zhu, Yue Hong Deng, Ye Xiang, Ya Wen Tan, Hai Qin Tang, Hao Zou, Yi Feng Xu and Yi Zhou
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 31728-31734. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra06359e

Light-controlled two-dimensional TiO2 plate micromotors
Ying Wang, Zhen Li, Alexander A. Solovev, Gaoshan Huang and Yongfeng Mei
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 29433-29439. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra06426e

Facile synthesis of few-layer MoS2 in MgAl-LDH layers for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity
Guoyuan Zheng, Caihong Wu, Jilin Wang, Shuyi Mo, Yanwu Wang, Zhengguang Zou, Bing Zhou and Fei Long
RSC Adv., 2019,9, 24280-24290. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra03858b

 

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

Submit to RSC Advances today! Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

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Chemical Biology & Physiology Conference 2019

The organizing committee proudly announces Chemical Biology & Physiology 2019 to be held in Portland, Oregon on December 12-15, 2019. This conference series is a biennial international conference focused on the growing intersection of Chemical Biology and Physiology. The interaction of Chemical Biology and Physiology provides innovative opportunities for drug target discovery and novel therapeutic concepts.

The conference brings together leading scientists from around the world to promote the inspiration and collaboration to stimulate cutting edge research in this exciting research nexus. We are flattered to host some of the leading scientists in the field including Laura Kiessling, Tom Muir, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Ben Cravatt, and many others.

RSC Advances along with Chemical Science and Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry are pleased to be sponsoring the meeting.

Visit the conference website at www.ohsu.edu/chembiophys2019 for more information.

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Overwhelmed to death: an anti-cancer gene therapy approach paired with an immune-activating distress signal

Frontline therapies for treating colorectal cancer have shortcomings. These include their inability to impede local tumor recurrence and metastatic spread to distant sites such as the abdomen.  

Researchers have now utilized a gene therapy approach that simultaneously compromises cancer cell survival while activating immune system cells with cancer-killing abilities.

Gene therapy – an advanced technique developed to insert or inject therapeutic genes into human cells – has shown some success in treating the disease. In a previous study, Xiao and co-investigators at State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, and the Department of Thoracic Oncology Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, had used a gene therapy approach to induce cancer cell death. Their study found that Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Matrix Protein (VSVMP), when inserted into a cancer cell,  compromises the cellular skeletal framework, which is made up of structural proteins. Cell death ensued as a consequence.

In the current study, the research team further armed with VSVMP gene delivery vessel with Interleukin-12 (IL-12) – a protein known to recruit and switch on the cancer-killing functions of immune cells.

The novel drug particles are based on Heparin-polyethyleneimine (HPEI) nanoparticles. To overcome the high toxicity and non-biocompatible nature of PEI, the team used a method to covalently conjugate this substance with heparin.

Their results, based on lab-grown cancer cells and animal studies, suggest that this novel complexed drug molecule (particle size: 53nm) increases tumor cell death, reduces division frequency, and stimulates the recruitment and activation of two types of cancer-killing cells: T cells and NK cells.

Specifically, the drug inhibited the growth of C-26 colon cancer cells. Animal studies showed that the drug reduced tumor weight. Metastatic spread of tumor cells to the abdomen was also reduced. The team proposes that the drug-derived IL-12 induces a secondary cascade of chemical mediators, which in turn recruit and activate cancer-killing immune cells. Their data supports this proposal. Interestingly, their study also found that the complexed drug molecule did not show adverse side effects within the major organs.

Read the full article here:

Nanoparticles co-delivering pVSVMP and pIL12 for synergistic gene therapy of colon cancer

Yuanyuan Xiao, Yuping Yang, Yujiao Wu, Chunmei Wang, Hao Cheng, Wei Zhao, Yang Li, Beibei Liu, Jianlin Long, Wenhao Guo, Guangping Gaoa and Maling Gou

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A closer look at clean dishes: detection of domestic detergent residues with LIBS technology

Dish detergents help keep our dishes clean; however, the long term health effects of detergent residues on tableware and cookware is yet to be discussed publicly. Studies suggest that certain household detergents may be linked with disturbances in hormone regulation in humans.

As a first step in uncovering the role of domestic dish detergent in affecting health, a research team comprising scientists from China Agricultural University, China Research Center of Intelligent Equipment for Agriculture, and Beijing Academy  of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, have developed a method to detect detergent residue rapidly and in real-time, i.e., the process does not involve dissolving, preparing, or conditioning the residue prior to detection.

This method is based on a process called Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Detergent residues are first vaporized by a high-power laser, leading to the generation of vaporized plasma. At the end of the laser pulse, these atoms and ions spontaneously return from a higher energy state to a lower energy state. This energy decay is associated with the emission of optical radiation of specific wavelengths. The emitted radiation is collected and channeled toward a spectrometer, which converts wavelength information into readable numbers that scientists can record and analyze.

Although the LIBS technology has existed for several years, and is used routinely by researchers in the field, this study let by Zhao an colleagues is the first to use this method to measure household detergents.

Graphical abstract for C7RA04304J

Analogous to how a sensor at a grocery store is programmed to recognize barcodes printed on different items, the scientists used the numbers generated by the spectrometer to generate ‘signatures’ to help them recognize the different detergents used in the study. Using this method, the team found that detergent detection in real-time can be more flexible, used with tableware of different shapes, used to measure trace amounts of detergent, compatible with dry and wet dishes, and safe on tableware.

To demonstrate the utility of the method to real world applications, the team conducted a series of timed dish washes and residue analyses. Their results suggest that a 16-minute rinse removes detergent residues. They also suggest that this information will be useful in designing and programming commercial dishwashers.

This study may someday inspire public health advocates to take a closer look at the prevalence of dish residues in public and household settings. When this day arrives, LIBS technology for residue detection may be pivotal in conducting  studies to better understand the relationship between dish residues and overall wellbeing.

Read the full article here:

Detection of domestic detergent residues on porcelain tableware using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy
Xiande Zhao, Daming Dong, Yang Lic and Chunjiang Zhao
RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 28689-28695 (Open Access)

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Can this quantum sized double-edged sword help diagnose and treat breast cancer?

In a study led by Ko and colleagues at the Department of Dental Materials, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Korea, researchers armed graphene QDs with two therapeutic moieties: a HER-targeting antibody meant to help the therapeutic QDs find HER2-expressing breast cancer cells; and doxorubicin (DOX) – a chemotherapeutic drug used widely in treating breast cancer.

Consistent with previously established criteria (size, shape etc.) for drug carriers, the current study found that the estimated size of 222 nm makes the nanocarriers good candidates for further development toward diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Further, the nanocarriers had excitation and emission wavelengths of 370 nm and 450 nm respectively, making them glow in the ultraviolet range and as a result, optimal for medical imaging applications. The research team showed through chemical binding analysis that anti-HER antibodies were firmly bound to the QDs, and that the QDs were hydrophilic. The team conducted thermal stability studies and showed that the nanocarriers were stable at temperature ranges  much greater than the physiological body temperature range.

 

The study also analyzed whether the therapeutic nanocarriers were able to specifically target and enter breast cancer cells, release the DOX payload under specific pH and temperature conditions, and subsequently induce breast cancer cell death. Using a HER2-expressing breast cancer cell line, the team showed that the nanocarriers could kill cells in a dose dependent manner. A temperature of 37oC and pH of 5.5 were optimal for DOX release. Results in fluorescent microscopy studies suggested that DOX was released immediately after the nanocarriers entered HER2-expressing cells.

 

This study proposes that graphene-based QDs, when armed with anti-HER antibodies and DOX, have great potential for translation. In addition, with biomarker-based treatment decisions entering clinical practice in oncology settings, QD-based therapeutic nanocarriers are likely to have a notable impact on cancer therapy.
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Graphene quantum dot-based theranostic agents for active targeting of breast cancer
N. R. Ko, M. Nafiujjaman, J. S. Lee, H.-N. Lim,a Y.-k. Lee and I. K. Kwon

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Killing cancer cells with a DNA-based molecular bridge

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are antibodies made by clones of immune cells derived from a common parent cell. These synthesized molecules have achieved widespread clinical utility in the treatment of cancer owing to their high degree of specificity to proteins present on the surface of cancer cells, lower toxicity compared to other classes of targeted therapies, and improved treatment outcomes among patients with advanced stage cancer.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is a type of cancer where a subtype of immune cells called B-cells exhibit unrestrained cell division. The abnormal B-cell, now called a malignant B-cell, produces more abnormal cells like it. CD20 is a protein present on the surface of malignant B-cells. Rituximab (RTX) is used to treat patients with NHL because it can bind CD20 and consequently trigger cell death.

To address the growing need for CD20 targeted therapeutics, Cong and colleagues at the Department of Laboratory Diagnosis/Thoracic Surgery, Changhai Hospital Affiliated to The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China, developed molecules called aptamers that can bind to CD20 with greater specificity and strength compared to RTX.

Graphical Abstract

Graphical Abstract

Aptamers are molecules made up of  single stranded DNA that form complex 3D structures and can bind to target proteins, analogous to mAbs. The team used a method called cell-SELEX to retrieve an enriched pool of highly specific CD20-binding aptamers starting with their initial aptamer library. The aptamers used in the study were obtained after 15 rounds of selective refinement.

 

The study finds that Anti-CD20 DNA Aptamer (ACDA) can bind surface CD20 in NHL cells with greater strength compared to RTX. In the past, experiments have shown that cross-linking surface CD20 with mAbs (i.e. extracellular cross-linking) is a potent method of inducing cell death. A major limitation is that extracellular cross-linking cannot be realized in vivo. Cong et al. develop a method to link two ACDA molecules with polyethyleneimine (PEI) linker’, forming a molecular bridge  – the P-ACDA – capable of spanning the distance between and cross-linking two CD20 molecules. The study finds that P-ACDA led to substantially more cell death compared to ACDA.

Aptamers as a novel class of targeted therapies are expected to outperform mAbs because they do not evoke the body’s endogenous immune response (i.e. less immunogenic) and therefore in good compliance with current FDA recommendations. They are also easier to store since they are stable across a broad temperature range ,less expensive to manufacture, show consistency between production batches and can bind to both protein as well as non-protein targets. For these reasons, the clinical relevance of aptamers in treating HNL and potentially other cancers must be watched closely in the years to come.

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Cong Wu, Wei Wan, Ji Zhua, Hai Jina, Tiejun Zhao and Huafei Li

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Serving up anti-cancer cocktails: design, synthesis and evaluation of hybrid inhibitors

Scientists in the area of cancer drug development constantly find ways to target cancer’s Achilles heel. Bcr-Abl is a protein expressed in 95% of all Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (a type of blood cancer) cases. It remains activated (i.e. switched ON) and instructs cancer cells to divide indefinitely. Bcr-Abl has remained an attractive target for therapy. Yet another attractive therapeutic target is Histone Deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) – a protein known to control cell survival via its ability to influence the turning on and turning off of certain genes.

Previous studies show that the drugs Dasatinib and MS-275 efficiently inhibit the cancer promoting activities of Bcr-Abl and HDAC1 respectively.  Clinical trials also suggest that these drugs, when used independently in separate studies, can be used to treat a variety of solid as well as blood-borne cancers. Bcr-Abl and HDAC1 are components of distinct cellular wiring systems, referred to as signalling pathways, which sustain cell survival and division. Single agent drugs, or drugs that stifle a single cancer-promoting pathway, weed out most cancer cells but also set the stage for drug-resistant cells. Reports suggest that both Dasatinib and MS-275 are associated with cancer drug resistance.

Multi-target inhibitors are a new and evolving class of cancer drugs that can simultaneously inhibit at least two signalling pathways. These compounds  have emerged as a potential solution in circumventing cancer drug resistance. Chen and colleagues at the Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, China, designed and produced a series of hybrid drug molecules which combine the attributes of the HDAC inhibitor MS-275 with the Bcr-Abl inhibitor Dasatinib.

To determine the effect of the hybrid drugs on cancer cell survival, the research team tested the drug’s ability to halt the growth of three cell types exhibiting features of leukemia, kidney cancer and prostate cancer respectively. They found that all drugs in the series were toxic to cancer cells, with leukemia and kidney cancer cells showing the greatest degree of sensitivity to the hybrid drugs.

To better understand how the hybrid drugs interacted with the Bcr-Abl and HDAC1 active sites (i.e. the ON switch), the team relied on computer-generated three-dimensional models of the hybrid drugs, Bcr-Abl and HDAC1 proteins. Using a method similar to finding the right key for a lock, a computer program found that a hybrid compound termed 6a, which happened to be the most potent compound in the series, fit most snugly into both Bcr-Abl  and HDAC1 active sites. In theory, 6a would prevent both Bcr-Abl and HDAC1 from becoming activated (i.e they remain switched OFF).

On the basis of these observations, this study strengthens the paradigm that chemically melding two cancer drugs to form a novel single molecule may prove to be an effective clinical strategy for anticancer treatment. On a broader scale, this is one among many studies advocating for the use of multi-target agents in cancer treatment, highlighting an imminent upsurge in single molecule combination therapies.

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