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The survival of Staphylococcus aureus inside phagocytes is considered to be the sticking point of long-term chronic inflammation. Here, we fabricate peptide-chlorophyll-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) agents with "sandwich" dimeric structure to enhance the PDT effect and active targeting property to eliminate intracellular infections, which could be seen as prospective antibacterial agents for inflammation.

In recent years, extensive endeavors have been paid to construct functional self-assembled nanomaterials for various applications such as catalysis, separation, energy and biomedicines. To date, different strategies have been developed for preparing nanomaterials with diversified structures and functionalities via fine tuning of self-assembled building blocks. In terms of biomedical applications, bioimaging technologies are urgently calling for high-efficient probes/contrast agents for high-performance bioimaging. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging whole-body imaging modality offering high spatial resolution, deep penetration and high contrast in vivo. The self-assembled nanomaterials show high stability in vivo, specific tolerance to sterilization and prolonged half-life stability and desirable targeting properties, which is a kind of promising PA contrast agents for biomedical imaging. Herein, we focus on summarizing recent advances in smart self-assembled nanomaterials with NIR absorption as PA contrast agents for biomedical imaging. According to the preparation strategy of the contrast agents, the self-assembled nanomaterials are categorized into two groups, i.e., the ex situ and in situ self-assembled nanomaterials. The driving forces, assembly modes and regulation of PA properties of self-assembled nanomaterials and their applications for long-term imaging, enzyme activity detection and aggregation-induced retention (AIR) effect for diagnosis and therapy are emphasized. Finally, we conclude with an outlook towards future developments of self-assembled nanomaterials for PA imaging.

While glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) was reported to have a positive impact on Parkinson disease, it is extremely short half‐life greatly hindered its clinical use. In this study, the mouse strain MG1363‐pMG36e‐GLP‐1 was engineered to continuously express GLP‐1 to treat Parkinson disease in a 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1, 2, 3, 6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)‐treated Parkinson disease model. In our study, oral supplementation with MG1363‐pMG36e‐GLP‐1 significantly (p < 0.05) reduced MPTP‐induced locomotor impairments, increased tyrosine hydroxylase‐positive neurons, suppressed microglia and astrocyte activation, and down‐regulated expression of several inflammation‐related molecules. In addition, MG1363‐pMG36e‐GLP‐1 significantly (p < 0.01) reduced intestinal pathogen Enterobacteriaceae and markedly enhanced the number of probiotic Lactobacillus and Akkermansia. These data suggest that MG1363‐pMG36e‐GLP‐1 could be a novel therapeutic means for Parkinson disease.

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.