A novel surface-enhanced Raman based molecular identification platform for multiplexed and highly accurate clinical diagnosis of viral diseases.

During the infection process, the interactions among respiratory viruses impact the dynamics of transmission and clinical outcomes. Therefore, efficient molecular detection methods provide a basis for rational drug use and effective health management. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is an ultra-sensitive spectroscopic technique capable of generating extremely narrow spectra (∼1-2 cm-1), enabling simultaneous detection of multiple targets. By judiciously designing plasmonic nanostructures as SERS substrates, Raman signals can be amplified by several orders of magnitude (∼105-1015), facilitating the detection of trace biomolecules. In this highlight, we highlight the work about a novel SERS platform for the high-precision multi-virus molecular identification. This may offer a highly sensitive, specific, and accurate method for the detection of multiple viruses.

De Novo Designed Ru(II) Metallacycle as a Microenvironment-Adaptive Sonosensitizer and Sonocatalyst for Multidrug-Resistant Biofilms Eradication.

Albeit sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has achieved encouraging progress in microbial sterilization, the scarcity of guidelines for designing highly effective sonosensitizers and the intricate biofilm microenvironment (BME), substantially hamper the therapeutic efficacy against biofilm infections. To address the bottlenecks, we innovatively design a Ru(II) metallacycle-based sonosensitizer/sonocatalyst (named Ru-A3-TTD) to enhance the potency of sonotherapy by employing molecular engineering strategies tailored to BME. Our approach involves augmenting Ru-A3-TTD's production of ultrasonic-triggered reactive oxygen species (ROS), surpassing the performance of commercial sonosensitizers, through a straightforward but potent π-expansion approach. Within the BME, Ru-A3-TTD synergistically amplifies sonotherapeutic efficacy via triple-modulated approaches: (i) effective alleviation of hypoxia, leading to increased ROS generation, (ii) disruption of the antioxidant defense system, which shields ROS from glutathione consumption, and (iii) enhanced biofilm penetration, enabling ROS production in deep sites. Notably, Ru-A3-TTD sono-catalytically oxidizes NADPH, a critical coenzyme involved in antioxidant defenses. Consequently, Ru-A3-TTD demonstrates superior biofilm eradication potency against multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli compared to conventional clinical antibiotics, both in vitro and in vivo. To our knowledge, this study represents the pioneering instance of a supramolecular sonosensitizer/sonocatalyst. It provides valuable insights into the structure-activity relationship of sonosensitizers and paves a promising pathway for the treatment of biofilm infections.

Correction: Near-infrared metal agents assisting precision medicine: from strategic design to bioimaging and therapeutic applications.

Correction for 'Near-infrared metal agents assisting precision medicine: from strategic design to bioimaging and therapeutic applications' by Chonglu Li et al., Chem. Soc. Rev., 2023, 52, 4392-4442, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CS00227F.

Near-infrared metal agents assisting precision medicine: from strategic design to bioimaging and therapeutic applications.

Metal agents have made incredible strides in preclinical research and clinical applications in recent years, but their short emission/absorption wavelengths continue to be a barrier to their distribution, therapeutic action, visual tracking, and efficacy evaluation. Nowadays, the near-infrared window (NIR, 650-1700 nm) provides a more accurate imaging and treatment option. Thus, there has been ongoing research focusing on developing multifunctional NIR metal agents for imaging and therapy that have deeper tissue penetration. The design, characteristics, bioimaging, and therapy of NIR metal agents are covered in this overview of papers and reports published to date. To start with, we focus on describing the structure, design strategies, and photophysical properties of metal agents from the NIR-I (650-1000 nm) to NIR-II (1000-1700 nm) region, in order of molecular metal complexes (MMCs), metal-organic complexes (MOCs), and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Next, the biomedical applications brought by these superior photophysical and chemical properties for more accurate imaging and therapy are discussed. Finally, we explore the challenges and prospects of each type of NIR metal agent for future biomedical research and clinical translation.

Recent advances in luminescent metallacycles/metallacages for biomedical imaging and cancer therapy.

Small molecule metal-based drugs have shown great achievements in preclinical and clinical applications. In particular, platinum based antitumor drugs are well established in current cancer chemotherapy. However, they face problems such as poor selectivity, severe toxicity and side effects, strong drug resistance, poor uptake/retention in vivo, and difficulty in monitoring the therapeutic effect in real time, which largely limit their widespread use in clinical applications. The metallacycles/metallacages formed by the coordination-driven self-assembly of highly emitting ligands can solve the above problems. Importantly, acceptors with chemotherapeutic properties in the metallacycles/metallacages can be combined with luminescent ligands to achieve a combination of chemotherapy, imaging contrast agents and multifunctional therapeutic platforms. Here, this review provides an insight into the paradigm of self-assembled metallacycles/metallacages in biological applications, from mono-chemotherapeutic drugs to excellent fluorescent imaging contrast agents and multifunctional therapeutic platforms.