Themed collection Journal of Materials Chemistry B Lunar New Year

This review highlights recent advances in fluorescent isoquinolinium salts, focusing on their applications in bioimaging, DNA binding, theranostics, and sensing.

MXenes, a novel class of two-dimensional materials, have recently emerged as promising candidates for biomedical applications due to their specific structural features and exceptional physicochemical and biological properties.

MXenes are a class of 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides (M_n+1X_nT) that have attracted significant interest owing to their remarkable potential in various fields.

Ultrasmall metal nanoclusters (NCs, <2 nm) have emerged as a novel class of photoluminescent bioimaging probes. This review article examines how a metal NC-based probe is designed with desired functionalities for bioimaging applications.

A CVD-grown 3D MXene–CNT nanocomposite enables a robust, antifouling electrochemical interface for covalent antibody binding and label-free, ultra-sensitive TSH detection in artificial serum.

This study presents the development of PEGylated solid lipid nanoparticles with an optimally balanced ionizable/cationic lipid content as an efficient and nontoxic delivery vehicle for diverse nucleic acid cargoes.

AldeCou-1 enables aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)-mediated PET turn-off fluorescence for live imaging of ALDH overexpressed cancer cells.

In this study, we developed galactosylated Ag@PGlyco-PSMA NPs, a novel biocompatible SERS platform for nanomolar-level molecule sensing and robust SERS enhancement, enabling for tumor-specific in vitro imaging and ex vivo tumor progression tracking.

MCQ-1 is a dual-functional type I photosensitizer, capable of targeting both mitochondria and lysosomes in cancer cells, while also exhibiting selective antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including MRSA.

Thermo-responsive TSP–TP hydrogel rapidly gels at body temperature for local drug delivery. Functional groups in the TSP hydrogel stably encapsulate TA and PDGF, preventing burst release and allowing sustained delivery for diabetic wound healing.

Development of an injectable polysaccharide-based hydrogel system with antibacterial and angiogenic properties for pulpitis treatment.

Penicillin-like mimotopes were screened from an Fv-antibody library and their β-lactamase inhibition activity was evaluated using colorimetric assay.

A structure–performance–function-integrated concept to prepare implantable xZrO₂/Ti–3Cu composites using laser metal deposition, giving Ti-based materials improved wear-resistance, antibacterial properties and biological functionality.

Curcumin-derived carbon quantum dots (Cur-CQDs) synthesized via mild pyrolysis protect against retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury by reducing inflammation, and oxidative stress, attributed to surface moieties like cinnamic acid, and guaiacol.

This study introduces a simple, safe antibacterial strategy using polydopamine-coated Zn-MOF nanoparticles (ZIF-8@PDA NPs) to eradicate oral biofilms via synergistic photothermal and metal ion therapy.

In recent years, naturally occurring materials have gained tremendous attention for their potential in the fabrication of advanced wearable electronic devices.

We report a simple method to adjust peptide/mRNA co-assemblies into micron-sized particles that can successfully deliver mRNA into the cytosol with ∼90% transfection of cells and doubled protein expression levels compared to LipoMMAX™.

[⁸⁹Zr]DTPA-sorbitol studies were conducted to visualize acute inflammation, offering insights into the evaluation of anti-inflammatory drug efficacy.

Next-generation 2D materials, such as transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes), have received increasing attention owing to their physicochemical properties.

γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) regulates glutathione (GSH), essential for cell functions and linked to cancer.