Amyloidogenesis has been implicated in a broad spectrum of diseases in which amyloid protein is invariably misfolded and deposited in cells and organs. Alzheimer's disease is one of the most devastating ailments among amyloidogenesis induced dementia. The amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide derived from amyloid precursor protein (APP) is misfolded and deposited as plaques in the brain, which are said to be the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. In normal brains physiological concentration of the Aβ peptide has been indicated to be involved in modulating neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity. However, excess Aβ production, its aggregation and deposition deleteriously affect a large number of biologically important pathways leading to neuronal cell death. Targeting Aβ production, Aβ aggregation or its clearance from the brain has been an active area of research for preventing or curing AD. Our Feature Article intends to detail the aggregation mechanism, the physiological role of the Aβ peptide, elaborate its toxic effects, and outline the different classes of molecules designed in the last two years to inhibit amyloidogenic APP processing, Aβ oligomerization or fibrillogenesis and to modulate different pathways for active clearance of Aβ from the brain.

Accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide and its aggregates in the human brain is considered as one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The polymorphic oligomers and fully grown fibrillar aggregates of Aβ exhibit different levels of neuronal toxicity. Moreover, aggregation of Aβ in the presence of redox-active metal ions like Cu(2+) is responsible for the additional trait of cellular toxicity induced by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Herein, a multifunctional peptidomimetic inhibitor (P6) has been presented, based on a naturally occurring metal chelating tripeptide (GHK) and the inhibitor of Aβ aggregation. It was shown by employing various biophysical studies that P6 interact with Aβ and prevent the formation of toxic Aβ forms like oligomeric species and fibrillar aggregates. Further, P6 successfully sequestered Cu(2+) from the Aβ-Cu(2+) complex and maintained it in a redox-dormant state to prevent the generation of ROS. P6 inhibited membrane disruption by Aβ oligomers and efficiently prevented DNA damage caused by the Aβ-Cu(2+) complex. PC12 cells were rescued from multifaceted Aβ toxicity when treated with P6, and the amount of ROS generated in cells was reduced. These attributes make P6 a potential therapeutic candidate to ameliorate the multifaceted Aβ toxicity in AD.

The structural diversity and functional relevance of nucleic acids (NAs), mainly deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), are indispensable for almost all living organisms, with minute aberrations in their structure and function becoming causative factors in numerous human diseases. The standard structures of NAs, termed canonical structures, are supported by Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding. Under special physiological conditions, NAs adopt distinct spatial organisations, giving rise to non-canonical conformations supported by hydrogen bonding other than the Watson-Crick type; such non-canonical structures have a definite function in controlling gene expression and are considered as novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Development of molecular probes for these canonical and non-canonical DNA/RNA structures has been an active field of research. Among the numerous probes studied, probes with turn-on fluorescence in the far-red (600-750 nm) region are highly sought-after due to minimal autofluorescence and cellular damage. Far-red fluorescent probes are vital for real-time imaging of NAs in live cells as they provide good resolution and minimal perturbation of the cell under investigation. In this review, we present recent advances in the area of far-red fluorescent probes of DNA/RNA and non-canonical G-quadruplex structures. For the sake of continuity and completeness, we provide a brief overview of visible fluorescent probes. Utmost importance is given to design criteria, characteristic properties and biological applications, including in cellulo imaging, apart from critical discussion on limitations of the far-red fluorescent probes. Finally, we offer current and future prospects in targeting canonical and non-canonical NAs specific to cellular organelles, through sequence- and conformation-specific far-red fluorescent probes. We also cover their implications in chemical and molecular biology, with particular focus on decoding various disease mechanisms involving NAs.

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A novel quinoline-coumarin (QC) fluoroionophore conjugated by means of a triazolyl-pyrrolidinyl linker exhibits differential dual selectivity for Zn(2+) and Al(3+) in mixed media. QC acts as a turn on fluorescence sensor for Zn(2+) while exhibiting overall ratiometric selectivity for Al(3+) in aqueous media. Moreover, QC exhibited preferential second mode of selectivity for Al(3+) as it ratiometrically displaces Zn(2+) from the [QC + Zn(2+)] complex.

The diverse pathological mechanisms and their implications for the development of effective diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in Alzheimer's disease are presented with current progress, challenges and future prospects.

A pyrrolidine constrained bipyridyl-dansyl (ionophore-fluorophore) conjugate with triazole linker was synthesised through click chemistry. The fluoroionophore serves as a selective ratiometric and colorimetric chemosensor for Al(3+) based on internal charge transfer (ICT).

Cyclic dipeptides (CDPs) are heterocyclic 2,5‐diketopiperazines with exceptional structural rigidity, enzymatic stability, and biological activity, exhibiting a substantial tendency to take part in intermolecular interactions. Strong intermolecular interactions driven by unique hydrogen bonding patterns render CDPs with a high propensity to undergo molecular self‐assembly. In this Review, the aim is to provide a comprehensive summary of design strategies used to engineer the molecular self‐assembly of CDPs into functional nano‐ and micro‐architectures and molecular gels with potential applications in biomedical and materials engineering fields.