Self-assembled nanomaterials show potential high efficiency as theranostic agents for high-performance imaging and therapy. However, superstructures and properties of preassembled nanomaterials are somewhat compromised under complicated physiological conditions. Given the advantages of the dynamic nature and adaptive behavior of self-assembly systems, we propose an "in vivo self-assembly" strategy for in situ construction of nanomaterials in living objects. For the proof-of-concept study of in vivo self-assembly, we developed a bispyrene (BP) molecule as a multifunctional building block. BP molecules show nonfluorescence in the monomeric state. Quantum-chemical calculations indicate that BP forms twisted intramolecular charge transfer states, which are separated into two orthogonal units, preventing the fluorescence emission. Interestingly, the typical excimeric emission of BP is observed with the formation of J-type aggregates, as confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Packing of the BP molecules generates parallel pyrene units that interact with adjacent ones in a slipped face-to-face fashion through intermolecular π−π interactions. BP and/or its amphiphilic derivatives are capable of selfaggregating into nanoparticles (NPs) in aqueous solution because of the hydrophobic and π−π interactions of BP. Upon specific biological stimuli, BP NPs can be transformed into variable self-assembled superstructures. Importantly, the selfassembled BP NPs exhibit turn-on fluorescence signals that can be used to monitor the self-assembly/disassembly process in vitro and in vivo. On the basis of the photophysical properties of BP and its aggregates, we synthesized a series of designed BP derivatives as building blocks for in situ construction of functional nanomaterials for bioimaging and/or therapeutics. We observed several new biomedical effects, e.g., (i) the assembly/aggregation-induced retention (AIR) effect, which shows improved accumulation and retention of bioactive nanomaterials in the regions of interests; (ii) the transformation-induced surface adhesion (TISA) effect, which means the BP NPs transform into nanofibers (NFs) on cell surfaces upon binding with specific receptors, which leads to less uptake of BP NPs by cells via traditional endocytosis pathway; and (iii) transformation of the BP NPs into NFs in the tumor microenvironment, showing high accumulation and long-term retention, revealing the transformation-enhanced accumulation and retention (TEAR) effect. In this Account, we summarize the fluorescence property and emission mechanism of BP building blocks upon aggregation in the biological environment. Moreover, BP-derived compounds used for in vivo self-assembly and transformation are introduced involving modulation strategies. Subsequently, unexpected biomedical effects and applications for theranostics of BP based nanomaterials are discussed. We finally conclude with an outlook toward future developments of BP-based self-assembled nanomaterials.

Using broad-spectrum antibiotics for microbial infection may cause flora disequilibrium, drug-resistance, etc., seriously threatening human health. Here, we design a human defensin-6 mimic peptide (HDMP) that inhibits bacterial invasion in vivo through mimicking the mechanisms of human defensin-6 with high efficiency and precision. The HDMP with ligand and self-assembling peptide sequence recognizes bacteria through ligand-receptor interactions and subsequently traps bacteria by an in situ adaptive self-assembly process and resulting nanofibrous networks; these trapped bacteria are unable to invade host cells. In four animal infection models, the infection rate was markedly decreased. Notably, administration of HDMP (5 mg/kg) nanoparticles increased the survival rate of mice with methicillin-resistant S. aureus bacteremia by as much as 100%, even more than that of vancomycin treatment (5 mg/kg, 83.3%)–treated group, the golden standard of antibiotics. This biomimetic peptide shows great potential as a precise and highly efficient antimicrobial agent.

We report an assembly and transformation process of a supramolecular module, BP-KLVFF-RGD (BKR) in solution and on specific living cell surfaces for imaging and treatment. The BKR self-assembled into nanoparticles, which further transformed into nanofibers in situ induced by coordination with Ca(2+) ions.

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For the first time, high-percentage molybdosilicic acid fiber mats (20 -80% H 4 SiMo 12 O 40 ) were prepared using the electrospinning technique. The fiber mats were characterized by IR, XRD, and DSC. The results indicated that poly(vinyl alcohol) was changed from a semicrystalline to an amorphous state with an increasing molybdosilicic acid content. The results from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the average diameter of the fibers was about 285-600 nm. The effects of the viscosity and conductivity of the H 4 SiMo 12 O 40 /poly(vinyl alcohol) solution on the morphologies of the fiber mats were investigated. The swelling properties of the fiber mats in water were also studied.

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A soluble aromatic polyimide was chloromethylated via a reaction with chloromethyl methyl ether in the presence of tin(IV) chloride to produce a new starting material for the modification of aromatic polyimides. The chemical structure of the resulting polymer was confirmed by 1 H NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The maximum number of chloromethyl groups per repeat unit was 1.81. The chloromethylated polyimide was stable up to 250°C and soluble in both chloroform and tetrahydrofuran. So that its utilization for further modification could be demonstrated, cinnamic acid was reacted with the formed polyimide, and it produced a new photosensitive polyimide with a cinnamoyl side chain. The photosensitivity of the resulting polyimide was investigated with ultraviolet spectroscopic methods.

The induction of apoptosis and antiproliferation effect of cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK cells) on MGC- 803 cells and its mechanisms were studied by using a tetrazolium dye-based (MTT) assay. Morphological changes were observed by using inverted microscope, haematoxylin/eosin (HE) staining, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope. The TdT-mediated dUTP nick and labeling (TUNEL) method was used to detect the apoptosis-induced by CIK cells. The expression rate of p53, p16, C-myc, Bcl-2, and Bax proteins were studied by using immunohistochemical staining. There were significant differences according to varied effector-target ratios at the same working time (p < 0.01) and the same effector-target ratios at different working times (p < 0.01). Inverted microscope and HE staining observation showed that CIK cells were closer to the target cells and formed a typical "rose" shape. The scanning electron microscope showed that most target cells had undergone apoptosis and many "apoptotic bodies," and that transmission electron microscopy showed condensed chromatin, disintegration of the nucleolus, vacuoles in the cytoplasm, and apoptotic bodies appearing in most target cells. TUNEL analysis showed that apoptotic cells contract and turn navy blue in nuclei or perinuclei in the experimental group. The apoptotic rate was upmodulated between 5 and 14 hours and downregulated between 14 and 24 hours in the "CIK" experimental group. The expression of p53, p16, C-myc, and Bcl-2 were significantly downregulated (p < 0.01), and the expression of Bax was upregulated over the time of coculture in the "CIK" experimental group, compared to the control group. Our studies suggested that CIK cells induce apoptosis and have an antiproliferative effect on human MGC-803 gastric cancer cells. The CIK cells kill MGC-803 gastric cancer cells by inducing apoptosis in the early stage and by inducing necrosis in the late stage through the downregulating expression of p53, C-myc, and Bcl-2 and the upregulating expression of Bax.