Nanoparticles have been extensively used for inflammation imaging and photodynamic therapy of cancer. However, the major translational barriers to most nanoparticle-based imaging and therapy applications are the limited depth of tissue penetration, inevitable requirement of external irradiation, and poor biocompatibility of the nanoparticles. To overcome these critical limitations, we synthesized a sensitive, specific, biodegradable luminescent nanoparticle that is self-assembled from an amphiphilic polymeric conjugate with a luminescent donor (luminol) and a fluorescent acceptor [chlorin e6 (Ce6)] for in vivo luminescence imaging and photodynamic therapy in deep tissues. Mechanistically, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and myeloperoxidase generated in inflammatory sites or the tumor microenvironment trigger bioluminescence resonance energy transfer and the production of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) from the nanoparticle, enabling in vivo imaging and cancer therapy, respectively. This self-illuminating nanoparticle shows an excellent in vivo imaging capability with suitable tissue penetration and resolution in diverse animal models of inflammation. It is also proven to be a selective, potent, and safe antitumor nanomedicine that specifically kills cancer cells via in situ ¹O₂ produced in the tumor microenvironment, which contains a high level of ROS.

The RNA-binding protein QKI belongs to the hnRNP K-homology domain protein family, a well-known regulator of pre-mRNA alternative splicing and is associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders.Qkiis found highly expressed in developing and adult hearts. By employing the human embryonic stem cell (hESC) to cardiomyocyte differentiation system and generating QKI-deficient hESCs (hESCs-QKI^del) using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology, we analyze the physiological role of QKI in cardiomyocyte differentiation, maturation, and contractile function. hESCs-QKI^dellargely maintain normal pluripotency and normal differentiation potential for the generation of early cardiogenic progenitors, but they fail to transition into functional cardiomyocytes. In this work, by using a series of transcriptomic, cell and biochemical analyses, and the Qki-deficient mouse model, we demonstrate that QKI is indispensable to cardiac sarcomerogenesis and cardiac function through its regulation of alternative splicing in genes involved in Z-disc formation and contractile physiology, suggesting thatQKIis associated with the pathogenesis of certain forms of cardiomyopathies.

The metabolic checkpoint kinase mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates natural killer (NK) cell development and function, but the exact underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show, via conditional deletion of Raptor (mTORC1) or Rictor (mTORC2), that mTORC1 and mTORC2 promote NK cell maturation in a cooperative and non-redundant manner, mainly by controlling the expression of Tbx21 and Eomes. Intriguingly, mTORC1 and mTORC2 regulate cytolytic function in an opposing way, exhibiting promoting and inhibitory effects on the anti-tumor ability and metabolism, respectively. mTORC1 sustains mTORC2 activity by maintaining CD122-mediated IL-15 signaling, whereas mTORC2 represses mTORC1-modulated NK cell effector functions by restraining STAT5-mediated SLC7A5 expression. These positive and negative crosstalks between mTORC1 and mTORC2 signaling thus variegate the magnitudes and kinetics of NK cell activation, and help define a paradigm for the modulation of NK maturation and effector functions.