A series of isostructural Ln-MOFs, namely Eu(BPDC-xN)(x = 0, 1, 2), with different numbers of nitrogen atoms were designed and synthesized. Due to the strong affinity between the bare phosphate group of NADPH and nitrogen functional sites, the highly selective and sensitive detection of NADPH was realized. Furthermore, as the number of sites was increased, the sensitivity significantly increased, with a detection limit as low as 0.43 μM.Combination therapy has been proved to be an effective strategy to inhibit metastasis, however, its efficacy is always compromised by the poor delivery efficiency of drugs. In this study, multi pH-sensitive polymer-drug conjugate mixed micelles were fabricated by the self-assembly of PEOz-PLA-ace-Cur, a conjugate of curcumin (Cur) with poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-poly(d,l-lactide) (PEOz-PLA) through the linkage of the pH-cleavable acetal bond, and PEOz-PLA-imi-DOX, a conjugate of doxorubicin (DOX) with PEOz-PLA through the linkage of the pH-cleavable benzoic imine bond. The mixed conjugate micelles (PP-Cur/PP-DOX-Mix-PMs) with accurately and conveniently controlled mass ratio of the two drugs were demonstrated to have a small particle size (40-128 nm), high drug loading capacity and pH-dependent drug release behavior. Notably, PP-Cur5/PP-DOX1-Mix-PMs exhibited slower DOX release under physiological conditions compared with PEOz-PLA-imi-DOX micelles, resulting in deeply reduced side effects in vivo. Furthermore, the mixed conjugate micelles showed synergistically enhanced inhibition of MDA-MB-231 cell growth and metastasis evidenced by the results of in vitro anti-invasion, wound healing and anti-migration assessment, and in vivo bioluminescence imaging in nude mice, and significant reduction of the side effects of DOX compared with dual drug physically loaded polymeric micelles. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that the possible inhibitory mechanism of PP-Cur5/PP-DOX1-Mix-PMs on tumor metastasis could be assigned to their inhibition of the invasion, migration, intravasation and extravasation of tumor cells. In conclusion, the multi pH-sensitive polymer-drug conjugate mixed micelles with synergistically enhanced anti-tumor and anti-metastasis activity are potential candidates for safe and effective cancer combination therapy.A dynamical approach is proposed to discriminate between reactive (rES) and nonreactive (nES) enzyme-substrate complexes taking the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) as an important example. Molecular dynamics simulations with the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics potentials (QM(DFT)/MM-MD) followed by the electron density analysis are employed to evaluate geometry and electronic properties of the enzyme with different substrates along MD trajectories. We demonstrate that mapping the Laplacian of the electron density and the electron localization function provides easily visible images of the substrate activation that allow one to distinguish rES and nES. The computed fractions of reactive enzyme-substrate complexes along MD trajectories well correlate with the findings of recent experimental studies on the substrate specificity of Mpro. The results of our simulations demonstrate the role of the theory level used in QM subsystems for a proper description of the nucleophilic attack of the catalytic cysteine residue in Mpro. The activation of the carbonyl group of a substrate is correctly characterized with the hybrid DFT functional PBE0, whereas the use of a GGA-type PBE functional, that lacks the admixture of the Hartree-Fock exchange fails to describe activation.A probe has been developed for imaging alcoholic liver injury through detecting the overexpressed cytochrome P450 reductase in hypoxia in the hepatic region. Upon response to the enzyme, the activated probe displays turn-on fluorescence and near-infrared absorption and generates prominent optoacoustic signals.A series of Schiff-based ligands consisting of both tertiary amines and lipophilic groups were designed and synthesized. Using these ligands, a new chiral surfactant-type metallomicellar catalyst was developed in water, and this was identified by SEM/TEM analyses. These metallomicelles can be empolyed in asymmetric Michael addition reactions in water, delivering the corresponding adducts with excellent yields and enantioselectivities.We report the conjugation of a chromogenic cephalosporin β-lactamase (βL) substrate to polymers and integration into biomaterials for facile, visual βL detection. Identification of these bacterial enzymes, which are a leading cause of antibiotic resistance, is critical in the treatment of infectious diseases. The βL substrate polymer conjugate undergoes a clear to deep yellow color change upon incubation with common pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria species. We have demonstrated the feasibility of formulating hydrogels with the βL substrate covalently tethered to a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymer matrix, exhibiting a visible color change in the presence of βLs. This approach has the potential to be used in diagnostic biomaterials for point-of-care detection of βL-producing bacteria, helping combat the spread of drug resistant microbes.Phosphatase non-receptor type 12 (PTPN12 or PTP-PEST) is a critical regulator of cell migration, acting as a tumor suppressor in cancer. Decreases in PTP-PEST expression correlate with aggressive phenotypes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite the importance of PTP-PEST in cellular signaling, methods to directly monitor its enzymatic activity are lacking. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and optimization of a probe to directly monitor PTP-PEST enzymatic activity via a fluorescent readout. This activity sensor, termed pPEST1tide, is capable of detecting as little as 0.2 nM recombinant PTP-PEST. In addition, we demonstrate that this probe can selectively report on PTP-PEST activity using a panel of potential off-target enzymes. In the long-term, this activity probe could be utilized to identify small molecule modulators of PTP-PEST activity as well as provide a prognostic readout for HCC.Providing physicians with new imaging agents to help detect cancer with better sensitivity and specificity has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes. Development of new imaging agents could offer improved early cancer detection during routine screening or help surgeons identify tumor margins for surgical resection. In this study, we evaluate the optical properties of a colorful class of dyes and pigments that humans routinely encounter. The pigments are often used in tattoo inks and the dyes are FDA approved for the coloring of foods, drugs, and cosmetics. We characterized their absorption, fluorescence and Raman scattering properties in the hopes of identifying a new panel of dyes that offer exceptional imaging contrast. We found that some of these coloring agents, coined as "optical inks", exhibit a multitude of useful optical properties, outperforming some of the clinically approved imaging dyes on the market.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/dexketoprofen-trometamol.html  The best performing optical inks (Green 8 and Orange 16) were further incorporated into liposomal nanoparticles to assess their tumor targeting and optical imaging potential.