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Cellular senescence is a stable cell cycle arrest in response to stress or other damage stimuli to maintain tissue homeostasis. However, the accumulation of senescent cells can lead to the progression of various senescence-related disorders. In this paper, we describe the development of a β-galactosidase-activatable near-infrared (NIR) senoprobe

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a critical inflammatory syndrome, characterized by increased diffuse inflammation and severe lung damage, which represents a clinical concern due to the high morbidity and mortality in critical patients. In last years, there has been a need to develop more effective treatments for ALI, and targeted drug delivery to inflamed lungs has become an attractive research field. Here, we present a nanodevice based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with dexamethasone (a glucocorticoid extensively used for ALI treatment) and capped with a peptide that targets the TNFR1 receptor expressed in pro-inflammatory macrophages (TNFR-Dex-MSNs) and avoids cargo leakage. TNFR-Dex-MSNs nanoparticles are preferentially internalized by pro-inflammatory macrophages, which overexpressed the TNFR1 receptor, with the subsequent cargo release upon the enzymatic hydrolysis of the capping peptide in lysosomes. Moreover, TNFR-Dex-MSNs are able to reduce the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β cytokines in activated pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages. The anti-inflammatory effect of TNFR-Dex-MSNs is also tested in an in vivo ALI mice model. The administered nanodevice (intravenously by tail vein injection) accumulated in the injured lungs and the controlled dexamethasone release reduces markedly the inflammatory response (TNF-α IL-6 and IL-1β levels). The attenuation in lung damage, after treatment with TNFR-Dex-MSNs, is also confirmed by histopathological studies. Besides, the targeted-lung dexamethasone delivery results in a decrease of dexamethasone derived side-effects, suggesting that targeted nanoparticles can be used for therapy in ALI and could help to overcome the clinical limitations of current treatments.

[EN] The characteristics and electromechanical properties of conductive polymers together to their biocompatibility have boosted their application as a suitable tool in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. However, conducting polymers as drug release materials are far from being ideal. A possibility to overcome this drawback is to combine conducting polymers with on-command delivery particles with inherent high-loading capacity. In this scenario, we report here the preparation of conduction polymers containing gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) loaded with a cargo that is delivered on command by electro-chemical stimuli increasing the potential use of conducting polymers as controlled delivery systems. MSNs are loaded with Rhodamine B (Rh B), anchored to the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with poly[(4-styrenesulfonic acid)-co-(maleic acid)], functionalized with a bipyridinium derivative and pores are capped with heparin (P3) by electrostatic interactions. P3 releases the entrapped cargo after the application of ¿640 mV voltage versus the saturated calomel electrode (SCE). Pore opening in the nanoparticles and dye delivery is ascribed to both (i) the reduction of the grafted bipyridinium derivative and (ii) the polarization of the conducting polymer electrode to negative potentials that induce detachment of positively charged heparin from the surface of the nanoparticles. Biocompatibility and cargo release studies were carried out in HeLa cells cultures., Alba Garcia-Fernandez, Beatriz Lozano-Torres contributed equally to this work. A. Garcia-Fernandez and B. Lozano-Torres are grateful to the "Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad" of the Spanish Government for her PhD fellowships. J. F. Blandez thanks the "Universitat Politecnica de Valencia" for his postdoctoral fellowship (PAID-10-17). The authors thank to the Spanish Government (Projects RTI2018-100910-B-C41 and RTI2018-101599-B-C22 (MCUI/AEI/FEDER, EU)) and the Generalitat Valencia (Project PROMETEO2018-024) for support.

The incorporation by ionic assembly of the hexanuclear molybdenum cluster (Bu

[EN] Introduction: Breast cancer has the highest mortality rate among cancers in women. Patients suffering from certain breast cancers, such as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), lack effective treatments. This represents a clinical concern due to the associated poor prognosis and high mortality. As an approach to succeed over conventional therapy limitations, we present herein the design and evaluation of a novel nanodevice based on enzyme-functionalized gold nanoparticles to efficiently perform enzyme prodrug therapy (EPT) in breast cancer cells. Results: In particular, the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) which oxidizes the prodrug indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) to release toxic oxidative species is incorporated on gold nanoconjugates (HRP-AuNCs), obtaining an efficient nanoplatform for EPT. The nanodevice is biocompatible and effectively internalized by breast cancer cell lines. Remarkably, co-treatment with HRP-AuNCs and IAA (HRP-AuNCs/IAA) reduces the viability of breast cancer cells below 5%. Interestingly, 3D tumor models (multicellular tumor spheroid-like cultures) co-treated with HRP-AuNCs/IAA exhibit a 74% reduction of cell viability, whereas the free formulated components (HRP, IAA) have no effect. Conclusion: Altogether, our results demonstrate that the designed HRP-AuNCs nanoformulation shows a remarkable therapeutic performance. These findings might help to bypass the clinical limitations of current tumor enzyme therapies and advance towards the use of nanoformulations for EPT in breast cancer., Gema Vivo-Llorca thanks the Generalitat Valenciana for her fellowship ACIF/2017/072. Paula Díez thanks the Generalitat Valenciana for her contract APOSTD/2020/153 and to the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and the European Social Fund for the financial support "Sara Borrell", CD20/00120. Antoni Llopis-Lorente thanks funding from the European Union¿s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 847675. Images were prepared using Servier Medical Art (https://smart.servier.com/). We thank the Spanish Government (project RTI2018-100910-B-C41 (MCUI/AEI/FEDER, UE); SAF2017-84689-R-B (MCUI/ AEI/FEDER, UE)) and the Generalitat Valenciana (project PROMETEO/2018/024 and PROMETEO/2019/065) for support. A pre-print version of this work was published as a chapter of the PhD thesis of the first author Gema VivoLlorca

[EN] A new method for senescent cell detection is described, which is based on lipofuscin labeling with a fluorescent reporter through a biorthogonal strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition. The sensing protocol involves a first step where the interaction of lipofuscin with a Sudan Black B derivative containing an azide moiety (SBB-N3 ) is carried out. In the final step, the azide moiety reacts with a fluorophore containing a cyclooctene ring (BODIPY). The efficacy of this two-step protocol is assessed in senescent melanoma SK-MEL-103 cells, senescent triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and senescent WI-38 fibroblasts. In all cases, a clear fluorescence pattern was observed in senescent cells, compared to proliferative cells, only when the SBB-N3 -BODIPY probe was formed. Our results provide an alternative tool for the detection of senescent cells, based on an in situ bio-orthogonal reaction for lipofuscin labeling, RM laboratory members are grateful for financial support from the FEDER foundation of European Union (IDIFEDER/2021/044), the Spanish Government (projects RTI2018-100910-B-C41 and RTI2018-101599-B-C22) and the Generalitat Valenciana (project PROMETEO 2018/024). BL-T and AG-F acknowledge their current Margarita Salas postdoctoral fellowship from UPV-MIU and 'Next Generation EU' program. JF-B is grateful for his Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship (CD19/00038).

6 pags., 4 figs., We have established an easy synthetic protocol for selectively developing all-orthogonal BODIPY trimers with unprecedented geometries on the basis of selecting methyl oxidation versus electrophilic formylation of key dimeric precursors. Photophysical characterization together with biological assays unraveled the most suitable BODIPY-BODIPY geometrical arrangements within the trimer, forcing them to serve as molecular platforms for the development of new, advanced heavy-atom-free photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy and phototheragnosis., The authors acknowledge Spanish MICINN (PID2020-11455GB-C31, -C32, and -C33 and RTI2018-100910-BC41), Spanish Instituto de Salud Carlos III (IFI19/00026), Gobierno Vasco (IT1639-22), and Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO 2018/024) for financial support. A.P.-C. thanks Comunidad de Madrid for a research contract. C.D.-N. thanks MICINN for a FPI contract. B.E.-N. thanks the IFI19/00026 project, which is co-funded by the European Union, for a research contract.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a very aggressive subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis and limited effective therapeutic options. Induction of senescence, arrest of cell proliferation, has been explored as an effective method to limit tumor progression in metastatic breast cancer. However, relapses occur in some patients, possibly as a result of the accumulation of senescent tumor cells in the body after treatment, which promote metastasis. In this study, we explored the combination of senescence induction and the subsequent removal of senescent cells (senolysis) as an alternative approach to improve outcomes in TNBC patients. We demonstrate that a combination treatment, using the senescence-inducer palbociclib and the senolytic agent navitoclax, delays tumor growth and reduces metastases in a mouse xenograft model of aggressive human TNBC (hTNBC). Furthermore, considering the off-target effects and toxicity derived from the use of navitoclax, we propose a strategy aimed at minimizing the associated side effects. We use a galacto-conjugated navitoclax (nav-Gal) as a senolytic prodrug that can preferentially be activated by β-galactosidase overexpressed in senescent cells. Concomitant treatment with palbociclib and nav-Gal in vivo results in the eradication of senescent hTNBC cells with consequent reduction of tumor growth, while reducing the cytotoxicity of navitoclax. Taken together, our results support the efficacy of combination therapy of senescence-induction with senolysis for hTNBC, as well as the development of a targeted approach as an effective and safer therapeutic opportunity.

[EN] Here we describe the construction of an integrated and pH-sensitive nanomachine with layer-by-layer supramolecular design and enzymatic control for on-command delivery. The nanodevice comprises a first layer of ß-cyclodextrin-coated gold nanoparticles as capping element of benzimidazole functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles, and a second control layer based on an adatamantane-modified glucose oxidase derivative. The nanomachine was selectively fuelled by glucose and successfully employed for the autonomous release of doxorubicin in HeLa cancer cells., Financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (projects CTQ2014-58989-P, CTQ2015-71936-REDT, CTQ2017-87954-P, and MAT2015-64139-C4-1-R) and generalitat Valenciana (project PROMETEO/2018/024) is gratefully acknowledged.

There is a growing need for non-invasive, cheap, and versatile diagnostic methods and the development of low-cost point-of-care assays constitutes a potential solution. Here, we describe the design of a renal clearable fluorogenic probe (Cy7Gal) which produces a fluorogenic signal readable in the urine. The Cy7Gal probe is applied to the detection of the burden of senescence in several in vivo models. The probe is composed of a dye (Cy7) conjugated with a galactose derivative. Upon administration of the probe in vivo, the up-regulated β-galactosidase enzyme in senescent cells cleaves the O-glycosidic bond in Cy7Gal, releasing the highly emissive Cy7 dye that is renally cleared and measured in unmodified urine by an IVIS imaging system or by a fluorimeter. A good correlation between the burden of senescence and emission in urine is observed. Cy7Gal probe is the first example for the fluorogenic in vivo detection of senescence in urine and may serve as a basis for the development of generalized fluorogenic diagnostic platforms for the easy diagnosis in the urine of different diseases as well as for monitoring therapeutic treatments without the use of expensive equipment or trained personnel.

We report herein a L-glutamate (L-Glu)-responsive delivery system. It consists of Janus Au–mesoporous silica (MS) nanoparticles functionalized with L-glutamate oxidase on the Au face and with self-immolative arylboronate derivatives as caps on the MS face. The MS face is additionally loaded with a cargo. The delivery paradigm is based on the recognition of L-Glu by the enzyme and the subsequent formation of H2O2, which induces the cleavage of the self-immolative gate and the uncapping of the pores. Given the importance of L-Glu as a key neurotransmitter, we hope that these findings will help in designing new therapeutic strategies for nervous system diseases.

We report herein the assembly of an integrated nanodevice with bi-enzymatic cascade control for on-command cargo release. This nanocarrier is based on Au-mesoporous silica Janus nanoparticles capped at the mesoporous face with benzimidazole/beta-cyclodextrin-glucose oxidase pH-sensitive gate-like ensembles and functionalized with invertase on the gold face. The rationale for this delivery mechanism is based on the invertase-mediated hydrolysis of sucrose yielding glucose, which is further transformed into gluconic acid by glucose oxidase causing the disruption of the pH-sensitive supramolecular gates at the Janus nanoparticles. This enzyme-powered device was successfully employed in the autonomous and on-demand delivery of doxorubicin in HeLa cancer cells.

[EN] Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype. In the last years, navitoclax has emerged as a possible treatment for TNBC. Nevertheless, rapid navitoclax resistance onset has been observed thorough Mcl-1 overexpression. As a strategy to overcome Mcl-1-mediated resistance, herein we present a controlled drug co-delivery system based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) targeted to TNBC cells. The nanocarrier is loaded with navitoclax and the Mcl-1 inhibitor S63845 and capped with a MUC1-targeting aptamer (apMUC1-MSNs(Nav/S63845)). The apMUC1-capped nanoparticles effectively target TNBC cell lines and successfully induce apoptosis, overcoming navitoclax resistance. Moreover, navitoclax encapsulation protects platelets against apoptosis. These results point apMUC1-gated MSNs as suitable BH3 mimetics nanocarriers in the targeted treatment of MUC1-expressing TNBC., Gema Vivo-Llorca thanks the Generalitat Valenciana for her fellowship ACIF/2017/072. Vicente Candela-Noguera thanks the Spanish Government for his fellowship FPU15/02753. We would like to thank Servier for the workart used in the figures of this manuscript (Servier Medical Art ). We thank the Spanish Government (project RTI2018-100910-B-C41 (MCUI/AEI/FEDER, UE); SAF2017-84689-R-B (MCUI/AEI/FEDER, UE)) and the Generalitat Valenciana (project PROMETEO/2018/024 and PROMETEO/2019/065) for support.

[EN] In vivo detection of cellular senescence is accomplished by using mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with the NIR-FDA approved Nile blue (NB) dye and capped with a galactohexasaccharide (S3). NB emission at 672 nm is highly quenched inside S3, yet a remarkable emission enhancement is observed upon cap hydrolysis in the presence of beta-galactosidase and dye release. The efficacy of the probe to detect cellular senescence is tested in vitro in melanoma SK-Mel-103 and breast cancer 4T1 cells and in vivo in palbociclib-treated BALB/cByJ mice bearing breast cancer tumor., R.M. thanks financial support from the Spanish Government (RTI2018-100910-B-C41 and RTI2018-101599-B-C22 (MCUI/AEI/FEDER, UE)) and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO 2018/024). M.O. thanks the financial support from SAF2017-84689-R project and MINECO/AEI/FEDER, UE and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2019/065). B.L.-T. is grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Economy for her PhD grant. I.G. thanks her contract from IDM. J.F.-B. and M.A. thank the UPV for their postdoctoral fellowship.

[EN] One appealing concept in the field of hybrid materials is related to the design of gated materials. These materials are prepared in such a way that the release of chemical or biochemical species from voids of porous supports to a solution is triggered upon the application of external stimuli. Such gated materials are mainly composed of two subunits: i) a porous inorganic scaffold in which a cargo is stored, and ii) certain molecular or supramolecular entities, grafted onto the external surface, that can control mass transport from the interior of the pores. On the basis of this concept, a large number of examples are developed in the past ten years. A comprehensive overview of gated materials used in drug delivery applications in in vivo models from 2016 to date is thus given here., The authors thank Spanish Government (Project No. RTI2018-100910-B-C41 (MCUI/AEI/FEDER, UE)) and Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO2018/024) for their support.

[EN] A biocomputing strategy implemented in hybrid nanocarriers for controlled cargo delivery is described. The nanodevice consists of enzyme-functionalized Janus Au-mesoporous silica nanoparticles, which behave as an electronic demultiplexer (DEMUX). The nanocarrier is capable of reading molecular information from the environment (lactose) and selecting one of two possible outputs (galactose production or 4-methylumbellilferone release and activation) depending on the presence of an addressing input NAD(+)., The authors wish to thank the Spanish Government (projects RTI2018-100910-B-C41 (MCUI/AEI/FEDER, UE), CTQ2017-87954-P), the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO 2018/024), the Comunidad de Madrid (IND2017/BMD-7642) and CIBER-BBN (NANOCOMMUNITY project) for support.

[EN] Mesoporous silica nanoparticles capped with acetylcholinesterase, through boronic ester linkages, selectively release an entrapped cargo in the presence of acetylcholine., The authors acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Government (MAT2015-64139-C4-1-R, MAT2015-64139-C4-4-R and AGL2015-70235-C2-2-R) and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO2018/024). T. Godoy-Reyes is grateful to Generalitat Valenciana for her Santiago Grisollía fellowship. A. García-Fernández is grateful to the Spanish Government for her FPU fellowship

The introduction of stimuli-responsive cargo release capabilities on self-propelled micro- and nano- motors holds enormous potential in a number of applications in the biomedical field. Herein, we report the preparation of mesoporous silica nano-particles gated with pH-responsive supramolecular nanovalves and equipped with urease enzymes which act as chemical engines to power the nanomotors. The nanoparticles are loaded with different cargo molecules ([Ru(bpy)(3)]Cl-2 (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) or doxorubicin), grafted with benzimidazole groups on the outer surface, and capped by the formation of inclusion complexes between benzimidazole and cyclodextrin-modified urease. The nanomotor exhibits enhanced Brownian motion in the presence of urea. Moreover, no cargo is released at neutral pH, even in the presence of the biofuel urea, due to the blockage of the pores by the bulky benzimidazole:cyclodextrin-urease caps. Cargo delivery is only triggered on-command at acidic pH due to the protonation of benzimidazole groups, the dethreading of the supramolecular nanovalves, and the subsequent uncapping of the nanoparticles. Studies with HeLa cells indicate that the presence of biofuel urea enhances nanoparticle internalization and both [Ru(bpy)(3)]Cl-2 or doxorubicin intracellular release due to the acidity of lysosomal compartments. Gated enzyme-powered nanomotors shown here display some of the requirements for ideal drug delivery carriers such as the capacity to self-propel and the ability to "sense" the environment and deliver the payload on demand in response to predefined stimuli.

[ES] La presente tesis doctoral titulada "Nanomateriales con puertas moleculares como plataforma de liberación controlada de fármacos para el tratamiento de desórdenes inflamatorios" se centra la preparación y evaluación de nanomateriales híbridos orgánico-inorgánicos, basados en nanopartículas mesoporosas de sílice, para la liberación controlada de fármacos en aplicaciones biomédicas, en concreto en el campo de la inflamación. En primer lugar se describe un nanomaterial para la liberación controlada del inhibidor de caspasa-1, VX-765, aprovechando la acumulación preferencial de las nanopartículas en las zonas inflamadas. En concreto, se han preparado nanopartículas mesoporosas de sílice, cargadas con el fármaco VX-765 y funcionalizadas covalentemente con ¿-poli-L-lisina que actúa como puerta molecular. La actividad anti-inflamatoria del material se ha comprobado tanto in vitro, en el modelo celular de monocitos THP-1, como in vivo en ratones en un modelo de inflamación de bolsa de aire. Los resultados muestran la acumulación preferente de las nanopartículas en las zonas inflamadas así como un aumento del efecto terapéutico del fármaco que se atribuye a las ventajas que ofrece la encapsulación. Se concluye que las nanopartículas mesoporosos de sílice con puertas moleculares podrían ser una herramienta importante para el desarrollo de nuevas estrategias terapéuticas en el campo de la inflamación. Basándonos en los resultados obtenidos, en el capítulo cuatro se describe un sistema de liberación controlada para el tratamiento de la inflamación pulmonar aguda como terapia alternativa que permita la administración directa de fármacos a los pulmones. Se ha preparado un nanosistema basado en nanopartículas mesoporosas de sílice cargadas con el glucocorticoide dexametasona y funcionalizadas covalentemente con una puerta molecular peptídica que reconoce el receptor del factor de necrosis tumoral 1 (TNFR1), que a su vez actúa como agente diana para la acumulación preferente en macrófagos pro-inflamatorios. La actividad terapéutica del sistema se ha corroborado en ensayos in vitro en macrófagos pro-inflamatorios, e in vivo en un modelo de ratón de inflamación pulmonar aguda. Se ha comprobado la acumulación preferente de las nanopartículas en los pulmones inflamados, así como la mejora del efecto terapéutico de la dexametasona en la reducción del daño pulmonar, minimizando los efectos adversos asociados a la administración del fármaco libre. Con todo ello se concluye que las nanopartículas mesoporosas de sílice pueden ser utilizadas para el tratamiento de la inflamación pulmonar aguda pudiendo ser una herramienta útil para superar las limitaciones de los tratamientos actuales. Finalmente, se describe otro sistema de liberación controlada de fármacos para inflamación pulmonar aguda. En este caso, se aborda el uso de un nuevo inhibidor del inflamasoma, QM-378, como terapia farmacológica alternativa. Con el objetivo de potenciar la administración directa en los pulmones inflamados, el QM-378 se encapsula en nanopartículas mesoporosas de sílice funcionalizadas con la puerta molecular peptídica que reconoce TNFR1. La acumulación preferente de las nanopartículas en los pulmones inflamados queda demostrada a través de los ensayos de biodistribución, así como la mejora del efecto terapéutico del QM-378 en la reducción del daño pulmonar, debido a las ventajas de la encapsulación en un nanosistema dirigido. Con todo ello se concluye que el QM-378 es un buen candidato para el tratamiento de la inflamación pulmonar aguda, y que su encapsulación en las nanopartículas ofrece una administración pulmonar directa y controlada, consiguiéndose así una mejora en el perfil terapéutico del fármaco. La conclusión principal de la presente tesis doctoral es que el desarrollo de nanomateriales mesoporosos de sílice para la liberación controlada de fármacos se presenta como un, [CA] La present tesi doctoral titulada "Nanomaterials amb portes moleculars com a plataforma d'alliberament controlat de fàrmacs per al tractament de desordres inflamatoris" se centra en la preparació i avaluació de nanomaterials híbrids orgànic-inorgànics, basats en nanopartícules mesoporoses de sílice, per a l'alliberament controlat de fàrmacs en aplicacions biomèdiques, en concret en el camp de la inflamació. En primer lloc, es presenta un nanomaterial per a l'alliberament controlat de l'inhibidor de caspasa-1, VX-765, aprofitant que les nanopartícules s'acumulen preferencialment en les zones inflamades. S'han preparat nanopartícules mesoporoses de sílice, carregades amb VX-765 i funcionalitzades covalentment amb ¿-poli-L-lisina com a porta molecular. L'activitat anti-inflamatòria del material s'ha comprovat tant in vitro, en el model cel·lular de THP-1, com in vivo en ratolins en un model d'inflamació de bossa d'aire. Els resultats mostren la acumulació preferent de les nanopartícules en les zones inflamades així com un augment de l'efecte terapèutic del fàrmac, atribuÏt als avantatges que ofereix l'encapsulació. Es conclou que les nanopartícules mesoporoses de sílice amb porta molecular podrien ser una eina important per al desenvolupament de noves estratègies terapèutiques en el camp de la inflamació. Basant-nos en els resultats obtinguts, en el capítol quatre es presenta un sistema d'alliberament controlat per al tractament de la inflamació pulmonar aguda com a teràpia alternativa que permet l'administració directa de fàrmacs als pulmons. S'ha preparat un nanosistema basat en nanopartícules mesoporoses de sílice carregades amb el glucocorticoide dexametasona i funcionalitzades amb la unió covalent de una porta molecular peptídica que reconeix el receptor del factor de necrosi tumoral 1 (TNFR1), que al seu torn actua com a agent diana per a la acumulació preferent en macròfags pro-inflamatoris. L'activitat terapèutica del sistema dissenyat s'ha corroborat en assajos in vitro en macròfags pro-inflamatoris, i in vivo en un model de ratolí d'inflamació pulmonar aguda. S'ha comprovat la acumulació preferent de les nanopartícules en els pulmons inflamats a través d'assajos de biodistribució, així com la millora de l'efecte terapèutic de la dexametasona en la reducció de la lesió pulmonar minimitzant els efectes adversos associats a l'administració del fàrmac lliure. Amb tot això es conclou que les nanopartícules mesoporoses de sílice poden ser utilitzades per al tractament de la inflamació pulmonar aguda ja que poden ajudar a superar les limitacions dels tractaments actuals. Finalment es mostra també un sistema d'alliberament controlat de fàrmacs per a inflamació pulmonar aguda. En aquest cas, es descriu l'ús d'un nou inhibidor de l'inflamasoma, QM-378, com a teràpia farmacològica alternativa al tractament de la inflamació descontrolada en la inflamació pulmonar aguda. Amb l'objectiu de potenciar l'administració directa en els pulmons inflamats, el QM-378 s'encapsula en les nanopartícules mesoporoses de sílice funcionalitzades amb la porta molecular péptidica que reconeix TNFR1. La acumulació preferent de les nanopartícules en els pulmons inflamats queda demostrada a través dels assajos de biodistribució, així com la millora de l'efecte terapèutic del QM-378 en la reducció de la inflamació pulmonar, atribuït als avantatges de l'encapsulació en un nanosistema dirigit. Amb tot això es conclou que el QM-378 és un bon candidat per al tractament de la inflamació pulmonar aguda, i que la seua encapsulació en les nanopartícules ofereix una administració pulmonar directa i controlada aconseguint-se així una millora en el perfil terapèutic del fàrmac. La conclusió principal és que el desenvolupament de nanomaterials mesoporosos de sílice per a l'alliberament controlat de fàrmacs es presenta com una estratègia amb molt potencial en el camp de les, [EN] This PhD thesis entitled "Gated nanomaterials as delivery platform to manage inflammatory disorders" is focused on the design, synthesis and evaluation of hybrid organic-inorganic nanomaterials using mesoporous silica nanoparticles, for controlled drug release in biomedical applications, specifically in the field of inflammation. In a fist step, we present a new nanodevice for the controlled delivery of VX-765, a caspase 1 inhibitor, which takes advantage of the intrinsic passive targeting effect of the nanoparticles to inflamed tissues. In particular, mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with the drug VX-765 and functionalized with ¿-poly-L-lysine (acting as gatekeeper) have been prepared. The anti-inflammatory activity of the prepared nanodevice has been evaluated both in vitro, in the cellular model of monocytes THP-1, and in vivo using air pouch mouse as model of inflammation. The results showed the preferential accumulation of the nanoparticles in the inflamed tissue, as well as an increase in the therapeutic effect of the entrapped drug. As conclusion, gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles constitute an important tool for the development of new therapeutic strategies in the inflammatory field. Based on the previous results presented, a drug delivery system for the treatment of acute lung injury is described in chapter four as alternative therapy that allow the direct delivery of drugs into the lungs. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles has been prepared, loaded with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone and capped with a peptide gatekeeper that recognizes the receptor of tumour necrosis factor 1 (TNFR1), which also targets the pro-inflammatory macrophages. The therapeutic activity of the designed nanoparticles has been studied in vitro in pro-inflammatory macrophages, and in vivo in an acute lung injury mouse model. The preferential accumulation of the nanoparticles in the inflamed lungs has been corroborated through biodistribution assays, as well as the ability to enhance the dexamethasone therapeutic effect by the reduction of lung injury and minimizing the undesired side effects associated of the free drug administration. As conclusion, gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles can be used for the treatment of acute lung injury and represent a potential tool to overcome the limitations of current treatments. Finally, a drug delivery system for acute lung injury is also presented. In this case, we use the novel inflammasome inhibitor QM-378 as pharmacological alternative therapy to the treatment of uncontrolled inflammation in acute lung injury. With the aim of enhancing the direct drug delivery in lungs, QM-378 is encapsulated in mesoporous silica nanoparticles capped with a peptidic gate that recognizes TNFR1. The preferential accumulation of nanoparticles to inflamed lungs has been also corroborated through biodistribution assays. An enhancement of the therapeutic effect of QM-378 by reducing lung inflammation is demonstrated, due to the advantages of drug encapsulation in a targeted-lung nanosystem. As conclusion, the QM-378 is a suitable candidate for acute lung injury treatment, and its encapsulation in mesoporous silica nanoparticles offers a direct lung drug delivery thus improving the therapeutic profile of the drug. The principal conclusion from this PhD thesis is that the preparation of mesoporous silica nanoaprticles for drug delivery is presented as potential strategy in the field of inflammatory disorders.

[EN] Here, we present the design of smart nano-devices capable of reading molecular information from the environment and acting accordingly by processing Boolean logic tasks. As proof of concept, we prepared Au-mesoporous silica (MS) nanoparticles functionalized with the enzyme glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) on the Au surface and with supramolecular nanovalves as caps on the MS surface, which is loaded with a cargo (dye or drug). The nanodevice acts as an AND logic gate and reads information from the solution (presence of glucose and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADI), which results in cargo release. We show the possibility of coimmobilizing GDH and the enzyme urease on nanoparticles to mimic an INHIBIT logic gate, in which the AND gate is switched off by the presence of urea. We also show that such nanodevices can deliver cytotoxic drugs in cancer cells by recognizing intracellular NAD(+) and the presence of glucose., A.L.-L. is grateful to "La Caixa" Banking Foundation for his Ph.D. grant. A.G.-F. and B.de L. thank the Spanish government for FPU fellowships. The authors are grateful to the Spanish Government (MINECO Projects MAT2015-64139-C4-1, CTQ2014-58989-P, and CTQ2015-71936-REDT) and the Generalitat Valencia (Project PROMETEOII/2014/047 and PROMETEOII/2014/061) for support. The Comunidad de Madrid (S2013/MIT-3029, Programme NANOAVANSENS) is also gratefully acknowledged.

[EN] Biocompatible ZnS-based nanocrystals capped with 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (ZnS@B) have been size-designed as excellent pH responsive gatekeepers on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), which encapsulate fluorophore safranin O (S2-Sap or anticancer drug epirubicin hydrochloride (S2-Epi) for delivery applications in cancer cells. In this novel hybrid system, the gate mechanism consists of reversible pH-sensitive boronate ester moieties linking the nanocrystals directly to the alcohol groups from silica surface scaffold, avoiding tedious intermediate functionalization steps. The similar to 3 nm size of the ZnS@B nanocrystals was tailored to allow efficient sealing of the pore voids and achieve a "zero premature cargo release" at neutral pH (7.4). The system selectively released the cargo in acidic conditions (pH 5.4 and 3.0) because of the hydrolysis of the boronate esters, which unblocked the pore voids. Delivery of the cargo by off-on cycles was demonstrated by changes in pH from 7.4 to 3.0, showing its potential pH-switching behavior. Cellular uptake of these nanocarriers within human cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells was achieved and the controlled release of the chemotherapeutic drug epirubicin was shown to occur within the endogenous endosomal/lysosomal acidified cancer cell microenvironment and further diffused into the cytosol. Cytotoxicity tests done on the mesoporous support without cargo and covalently linked with ZnS@B nanocrystals as caps were negative, suggesting that the proposed system is biocompatible and can be considered as a very promising drug nanocarrier., The authors acknowledge P. Oberhumer from Centre for Nano- and Surface Analytics (ZONA) for the SEM and TEM measurements; Prof. A. Rastelli from Semiconductor Physics Division, Institute of Semiconductor and Solid State Physics, for helping in the Bohr radius calculations for excitons in ZnS; and the Prof. G. Knor from Institut fur Anorganische Chemie, for the access to the fluorescence spectrometer, all located at Johannes Kepler University Linz. M. Kleindienst is acknowledged for her drawing contribution (Scheme 1,,). R.M.-M. and F.S. express their gratitude to the Spanish government (MAT2015-64139-C4-1-R (MINECO/FEDER)) and the Generalitat Valencia (PROMETEOII/2014/047) for support. A.G-F. is grateful to the Spanish government for an FPU grant.

[EN] An increase of bone diseases incidence has boosted the study of ceramic biomaterials as potential osteo-inductive scaffolds. In particular, mesoporous bioactive glasses have demonstrated to possess a broad application in the bone regeneration field, due their osteo-regenerative capability and their ability to release drugs from the mesoporous structure. These special features have been studied as an option to fight against bone infection, which is one of the most common problems regarding bone regeneration therapies. In this work, a mesoporous bioglass functionalized with polyamines and capped with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as the molecular gate was developed for the controlled release of the antibiotic levofloxacin. Phosphate bonds of ATP were hydrolyzed in the presence of acid phosphatase (APase), the concentration of which is significantly increased in bone infection due to the activation of bone resorption processes. The solid was characterized and tested successfully against bacteria. The final gated solid induced bacterial death only in the presence of acid phosphatase. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the solid is not toxic against human cells. The double function of the prepared material as a drug delivery system and bone regeneration enhancer confirms the possible development of a new approach in the tissue engineering field, in which controlled release of therapeutic agents can be finely tuned and, at the same time, osteoinduction is favored., The authors thank the Spanish Government for projects MAT2015-64139-C04-01-R, MAT2015-64831-R and MAT2016-75611-R (AEI/FEDER, UE). Generalitat Valenciana (project PROMETEOII/2014/047) and CIBER-BBN (project SPRING) are also acknowledged for their support. M.V.R. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (Advanced Grant VERDI; ERC-2015-AdG Proposal 694160). L.P. thanks Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for her FPI grant. N.G.C. and A.G. thank to Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte for their predoctoral fellowships. The authors also thank the Electron Microscopy Service at the UPV for their support.

[EN] Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a cell surface protein overexpressed in breast cancer. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) loaded with safranin O, functionalized with aminopropyl groups and gated with the negatively charged MUC1 aptamer have been prepared (S1-apMUC1) for specific targeting and cargo release in tumoral versus non-tumoral cells. Confocal microscopy studies showed that the S1-apMUC1 nanoparticles were internalized in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells that overexpress MUC1 receptor with subsequent pore opening and cargo release. Interestingly, the MCF-10-A non-tumorigenic breast epithelial cell line that do not overexpress MUC1, showed reduced (S1-apMUC1) internalization. Negligible internalization was also found for S1-ap nanoparticles that contained a scrambled DNA sequence as gatekeeper. S2-apMUC1 nanoparticles (similar to S1-apMUC1 but loaded with doxorubicin) internalized in MDA-MB-231 cells and induced a remarkable reduction in cell viability. Moreover, S1-apMUC1 nanoparticles radio-labeled with Tc-99m (S1-apMUC1-Tc) showed a remarkable tumor targeting in in vivo studies with MDA-MB-231 tumor-bearing Balb/c mice. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved., Financial support from the Spanish Government and FEDER funds (Project MAT2015-64139-C4-1) and the Generalitat Valenciana (Project PROMETEOII/2014/047) is gratefully acknowledged.

[EN] We report a delivery system based on Au-mesoporous silica (MS) nanoparticles functionalized with acetylcholinesterase on the Au face as a control unit and with disulfide-containing oligo(ethylene glycol) chains on the MS face as caps. The control unit handles the chemical information in the environment (the presence of acetyl-thiocholine or enzyme inhibitors) that results in a tuned cargo delivery from the nanocarrier. The nanodevice displayed an enhanced cargo delivery in cancer cells (safranin O and doxorubicin) in the presence of acetylthiocholine., A. Llopis-Lorente thanks "La Caixa" Banking Foundation for his PhD fellowship. A. Garcia-Fernandez is grateful to the Spanish government for an FPU grant. The authors are grateful to the Spanish Government (MINECO Projects MAT2015-64139-C4-1, CTQ2014-58989-P and CTQ2015-71936-REDT) and the Generalitat Valencia (Project PROMETEOII/2014/047) for support. The Comunidad de Madrid (S2013/MIT-3029, Programme NANOAVANSENS) is also gratefully acknowledged.

[EN] Excessive apoptotic cell death is at the origin of several pathologies, such as degenerative disorders, stroke or ischemia-reperfusion damage. In this context, strategies to improve inhibition of apoptosis and other types of cell death are of interest and may represent a pharmacological opportunity for the treatment of cell-death-related disorders. In this scenario new peptide-containing delivery systems (solids S1-P1and S1-P2) are described based on meso-porous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) loaded with a dye and capped with the KKGDEVDKKARDEVDK (P1) peptide that contains two repeats of the DEVD target sequence that are selectively hydrolyzed by caspase3 (C3). This enzyme plays a central role in the execution-phase of apoptosis. HeLa cells electroporated with S1 P1are able to deliver the cargo in the presence of staurosporin (STS), which induces apoptosis with the consequent activation of the cytoplasmic C3 enzyme. Moreover, the nanoparticles S1-P2,containing both a cell-penetrating TAT peptide and P1 also entered in HeLa cells and delivered the cargo preferentially in cells treated with the apoptosis inducer cisplatin., We thank the Spanish Government (Project MAT2012-38429-C04 and SAF2010-15512) and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEOII/2014/061) for support. C.T. is grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for her PhD fellowship. L.M. thanks the Generalitat Valenciana (VALI+D program), Nice city council ("Aides Individuelles aux Jeunes Chercheurs - 2011") and Fondation de la Recherche Medicale for her postdoctoral contracts. C.C. thanks the Generalitat Valenciana for their postdoctoral contract VALI+D. We thank the confocal microscopy service, Alberto Hernandez from CIPF confocal microscopy service for their technical support.