Photoacoustic materials emit acoustic waves into the
surrounding
by absorbing photon energy. In an aqueous environment, light-induced
acoustic waves form cavitation bubbles by altering the localized pressure
to trigger the phase transition of liquid water into vapor. In this
study, we report photoacoustic dissociation of beta-amyloid (Aβ)
aggregates, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, by metal–organic
framework-derived carbon (MOFC). MOFC exhibits a near-infrared (NIR)
light-responsive photoacoustic characteristic that possesses defect-rich
and entangled graphitic layers that generate intense cavitation bubbles
by absorbing tissue-penetrable NIR light. According to our video analysis,
the photoacoustic cavitation by MOFC occurs within milliseconds in
the water, which was controllable by NIR light dose. The photoacoustic
cavitation successfully transforms robust, β-sheet-dominant
neurotoxic Aβ aggregates into nontoxic debris by changing the
asymmetric distribution of water molecules around the Aβ’s
amino acid residues. This work unveils the therapeutic potential of
NIR-triggered photoacoustic cavitation as a modulator of the Aβ
aggregate structure.
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