Nanoplatforms for highly sensitive fluorescence detection of cancer-related proteases.

Numerous proteases are known to be necessary for cancer development and progression including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue serine proteases, and cathepsins. The goal of this research is to develop an Fe/Fe3O4 nanoparticle-based system for clinical diagnostics, which has the potential to measure the activity of cancer-associated proteases in biospecimens. Nanoparticle-based "light switches" for measuring protease activity consist of fluorescent cyanine dyes and porphyrins that are attached to Fe/Fe3O4 nanoparticles via consensus sequences. These consensus sequences can be cleaved in the presence of the correct protease, thus releasing a fluorescent dye from the Fe/Fe3O4 nanoparticle, resulting in highly sensitive (down to 1 × 10(-16) mol l(-1) for 12 proteases), selective, and fast nanoplatforms (required time: 60 min).

Clean photodecomposition of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1H-tetrazole-5(4H)-thiones to carbodiimides proceeds via a biradical.

The photochemistry of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1H-tetrazole-5(4H)-thione (1a) and 1-(3-methoxyphenyl)-4-methyl-1H-tetrazole-5(4H)-thione (1b) was studied in acetonitrile at 254 and 300 nm, which involves expulsion of dinitrogen and sulfur to form the respective carbodiimides 5a,b as sole photoproducts. Photolysis of the title compounds in the presence of 1,4-cyclohexadiene trap led to the formation of respective thioureas, providing strong evidence for the intermediacy of a 1,3-biradical formed by the loss of dinitrogen. In contrast, a trapping experiment with cyclohexene provided no evidence to support an alternative pathway of photodecomposition involving initial desulfurization followed by loss of dinitrogen via the intermediacy of a carbene. Triplet sensitization and triplet quenching studies argue against the involvement of a triplet excited state. While the quantum yields for the formation of the carbodiimides 5a,b were modest and showed little change on going from a C(6)H(5) (1a) to mOMeC(6)H(4) (1b) substituent on the tetrazolethione ring, the highly clean photodecomposition of these compounds to a photostable end product makes them promising lead structures for industrial, agricultural, and medicinal applications.

Early breast cancer screening using iron/iron oxide-based nanoplatforms with sub-femtomolar limits of detection.

Proteases, including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue serine proteases, and cathepsins (CTS) exhibit numerous functions in tumor biology. Solid tumors are characterized by changes in protease expression levels by tumor and surrounding tissue. Therefore, monitoring protease levels in tissue samples and liquid biopsies is a vital strategy for early cancer detection. Water-dispersable Fe/Fe3O4-core/shell based nanoplatforms for protease detection are capable of detecting protease activity down to sub-femtomolar limits of detection. They feature one dye (tetrakis(carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP)) that is tethered to the central nanoparticle by means of a protease-cleavable consensus sequence and a second dye (Cy 5.5) that is directly linked. Based on the protease activities of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), MMPs 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, and 13, as well as CTS B and L, human breast cancer can be detected at stage I by means of a simple serum test. By monitoring CTS B and L stage 0 detection may be achieved. This initial study, comprised of 46 breast cancer patients and 20 apparently healthy human subjects, demonstrates the feasibility of protease-activity-based liquid biopsies for early cancer diagnosis.