Research最新文献

The tumor microenvironment is a central determinant of cancer progression, metastatic spread, and therapeutic resistance. Once considered passive scaffolds, stromal cells are now recognized as heterogeneous, active regulators of tumor behavior. Recent single-cell and spatial multiomics studies have resolved functionally distinct stromal subtypes, each defined by characteristic molecular programs and spatial niches, with specialized roles in extracellular matrix remodeling, immune evasion, and angiogenesis. This review synthesizes evidence for bidirectional stromal-tumor cross-talk in which cytokine networks (e.g., transforming growth factor-beta, interleukin-6, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12/C-X-C chemokine receptor 4) coordinate epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness, chemotaxis, and vascular remodeling. Building on these insights, this review also argues for subtype-specific biomarkers and multimodal therapeutic strategies to overcome stromal-mediated resistance. Integrating stromal heterogeneity into precision-oncology workflows through standardized, lineage-resolved profiling and real-time biomarker guidance will be essential for diagnostic refinement and personalized treatment.

Aqueous ammonium-ion (NH₄ ⁺) batteries/capacitors, recognized for inherent high safety and fast diffusion kinetics, are a promising alternative for sustainable energy storage. However, the development of ammonium-ion energy storage devices has been hindered by the poor compatibility between the distinctive solvation structure of NH₄ ⁺ ions and conventional organic electrode materials, especially under low-temperature conditions. Here, a redox-active conjugated polymer with self-selective coordination mechanism is designed for achieving high-rate and low-temperature performance. The electron delocalization induced by the conjugated backbone facilitates rapid electronic transport in electrodes, delivering an ultrahigh-rate capacity of 107 mAh g^-1 at 20 A g^-1 under 25 °C and stable cycling performance with 99% capacity retention under -50 °C. Theoretical calculations and experimental investigations reveal that the inherent structural self-selectivity renders symmetrically arranged carbonyl groups as active binding sites for NH₄ ⁺ storage, leading to a reversible 4-electron coordination process. Hence, the assembled all-organic hybrid ammonium-ion capacitor enables a long cycle life for over 3,000 cycles at -50 °C, which surpasses the lowest operating temperature reported for ammonium-ion devices, thus propelling the advancement of ammonium-ion energy storage technologies at low temperatures.

Soft robots and stretchable electronics, typically composed of stretchable elastomers and embedded conductive coils, have been widely investigated for applications in actuation, sensing, and communication. However, their fabrication still relies heavily on multistep and labor-intensive conventional methods. Here, we present a multimaterial 3-dimensional (3D) printing strategy based on direct ink writing technology, which enables the one-step fabrication of stretchable elastomers embedded with high-conductivity multilayer coils. This is achieved by alternately printing elastomer and nickel-particle-modified liquid metal (NLM) coil layers in a program-controlled sequence, with vertically printed NLM cones connecting adjacent NLM layers. With this strategy, we achieved one-step fabrication of a 4-layer-coil soft electromagnetic actuator (SEMA) and a self-sensing SEMA integrating sensing and driving modules, without the need for manual bonding or post-processing. We further built 3 functional devices to show the potential applications of this integrated 3D printing strategy: a sensor-integrated soft gripper capable of perceiving its own grasping state, a bio-inspired manta-like soft electromagnetic robot that achieves a swimming speed of 29 mm/s, and a SEMA integrated with a Hall sensor and a red light-emitting diode, which exhibits strong mechanical robustness. Overall, the integrated 3D printing strategy not only simplifies the fabrication but also enables the multifunctional and miniaturized design of soft robots and electronics.

Electroactive microbes are uniquely capable of aggressively corroding metals like stainless steel that were once thought immune to microbial attack. This activity has been attributed to microbial destruction of the protective chromium oxide passive film on the stainless steel surface that protects the underlying Fe⁰ from corrosive agents, allowing the microbes to establish direct electrical contact with the Fe⁰ and extract electrons to support anaerobic respiration. We show here that the electroactive microbe Geobacter sulfurreducens, despite its high corrosive activity, is unable to physically breach the passive film. Instead, it enables biologically mediated electron transfer across an intact chromium oxide-rich layer that remains sufficiently insulating to block abiotic proton reduction. These findings challenge the prevailing assumption that electroactive microbes must directly contact Fe⁰ for corrosion and provide new guidance for the design of corrosion-resistant metals.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a lethal urologic malignancy with limited biomarkers for prognosis and therapeutic stratification. Interferon-induced protein 44 (IFI44) has been implicated in immune regulation, but its role in ccRCC is unclear. To address this gap, we comprehensively investigated the clinical significance, biological roles, and molecular mechanisms of IFI44 in ccRCC pathogenesis. Using integrative transcriptomic analysis of the Gene Expression Omnibus and the Cancer Genome Atlas-Kidney Clear Cell Carcinoma cohorts, we first identified IFI44 as a key candidate gene. Bioinformatic enrichment analyses and immune infiltration profiling were conducted to investigate potential mechanisms. In parallel, we established ccRCC cell lines with stable IFI44 knockdown and evaluated phenotypic changes using Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell assays, wound-healing assays, and flow cytometry, thereby examining cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. We observed that IFI44 was markedly elevated in ccRCC tissues, and its increased level was closely associated with advanced tumor stage and poorer patient survival. Enrichment analyses indicated that IFI44 participates in pathways related to viral response, RNA splicing, and mRNA processing. Moreover, elevated IFI44 expression may be associated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, as suggested by increased infiltration of effector T cells and M1 macrophages, along with decreased infiltration of activated dendritic cells. In mechanistic studies, IFI44 knockdown markedly suppressed cell proliferation, triggered apoptosis, and reduced both migratory and invasive capacities, whereas PRDX1 overexpression rescued these phenotypes and PRDX1 was shown to interact with IFI44. In summary, the data show that IFI44 acts as an oncogene in ccRCC, promoting tumor progression through its interaction with PRDX1 while also shaping an immunosuppressive microenvironment, and suggest that IFI44 is a promising biomarker of prognosis and candidate therapeutic target for ccRCC.

Polyamines are ancient metabolites that serve critical functions in maintaining epithelial integrity, regulating immune response, and supporting healthy aging. The gut microbiota actively synthesizes and converts polyamines, while host factors such as inflammation, barrier function, and nutritional status dynamically modulate this metabolic network. Disruption of this host-microbiota axis reduces polyamine availability, impairs barrier function, and exacerbates inflammation. In contrast, polyamines exert protective effects by promoting epithelial repair, modulating macrophage and T-cell responses, and enhancing autophagy-mediated tissue renewal and longevity. Recent advances in engineered probiotics, microbial small RNAs, and postbiotics further highlight the therapeutic potential of precisely modulating polyamine metabolism in clinical contexts such as inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic syndrome, and neurodegenerative conditions associated with aging.

The modulation of thermal radiation is essential for advanced photonic applications, offering a novel perspective for information carriers. However, current carriers are limited to a few discrete radiation states at isolated time points and cannot capture the entire dynamic process along the full temporal axis, resulting in substantial information loss. Here, we propose and experimentally validate a novel spatiotemporal modulation strategy that dynamically tailors emissivity across the entire temporal domain, where gentle and uniform modulation of atomic configurations enables the creation of entirely novel permittivity libraries. To realize flexible thermal radiation tailoring, we utilize an Ag-In₃SbTe₂ (IST) interface atomic rearrangement metamaterial (ARM). As a dynamic optical control platform, ARM exhibits continuous spectral modulation with remarkably high amplitudes (64.74% in the 3- to 5-μm band and 73.94% in the 8- to 14-μm band), together with rich variations across the temporal domain to realize tailored infrared emissivity and infrared information encryption. This work establishes a unified framework for continuous, atomic-scale spatiotemporal control of thermal radiation, opening new pathways for spectral modulation and photonic information regulation in the time domain.

Photoresponsive materials offer unique opportunities for advanced technologies by enabling their precise, noncontact remote control and converting light energy into well-defined changes in structure and function. Among them, multigated photochromic systems have emerged as a transformative frontier, overcoming constraints of conventional single-stimulus systems. Here, "gated" refers to the deliberate use of an additional external input (e.g., pH, voltage, mechanical force, or temperature) to regulate or modulate the photoisomerization process. Such multi-input control enables sophisticated, programmable behaviors, including Boolean logic operations, environmental adaptation, and high-security information encryption, thereby marked expanding their application potential. In this review, we present a comprehensive and systematic analysis of multigated photochromic materials. We first introduce a unified design strategy and classification framework based on gating mechanisms. The core sections critically evaluate recent advances in proton-, electro-, mechano-, thermal-, and wavelength-gated systems, with particular emphasis on the underlying principles that connect molecular design to tailored performance. Furthermore, we discuss emerging and unconventional gating modes, including ion-, liquid-, gas-, and intensity-gated photochromism. Finally, we present a comparative analysis of all gating modalities, identify persistent conceptual and practical challenges, and outline future directions toward intelligent, adaptive material platforms. This review aims to establish a foundational framework that guides the rational design of next-generation multigated photochromic materials for applications in sensing, anticounterfeiting, information technology, and adaptive devices.

Enhancing the efficiency of photocatalytic H₂ evolution and H₂O₂ production through heterojunction engineering is crucial for addressing energy sustainability and environmental challenges. In this context, constructing S-scheme heterojunctions has emerged as a promising strategy. Here, we report an inorganic/organic S-scheme Bi₂WO₆/zinc(II) tetrakis(4-carboxy-phenyl)porphyrin (BWO/ZTP) heterojunction with a strong built-in electric field, constructed via an interface induction strategy. The optimal BWO/ZTP-1 achieves exceptional H₂ evolution and H₂O₂ production activity, achieving 2,343.3 and 236.1 μmol·g^-1·h^-1. These represent remarkable enhancements of 14.9 and 3.44 times for H₂ and 2.33 and 2.27 times for H₂O₂ over pristine BWO and Zn-TCPP. By using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory, we demonstrate that built-in electric field is pivotal for the exceptional performance, which leads to the proposal of a photocatalytic mechanism. This work provided feasible insights and references for the design of novel and superior inorganic/organic S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts with tight contact and synergistic interaction for photocatalytic applications.

Rapid infrastructure expansion in emerging economies is increasing construction-related carbon emissions. Using a probabilistic assessment of 52 planned bridges on Pakistan's M-13 Motorway, the average carbon emission intensity (CEI) is 1,430 kg CO₂eq per square meter, 1.15 to 1.50 times higher per m² of deck area than international benchmarks. The raw material (extraction and production) phase dominates the footprint (94.4%), with reinforcement (48.9%) and concrete (39.4%) as the principal material contributors; both display high variability (coefficients of variation 67% to 130%), signaling substantial uncertainty. Evidence points to systemic inefficiencies, including conservative overdesign, reliance on foreign codes, and the absence of standardized local emission data. Targeted measures, structural optimization using digital tools, wider adoption of recycling and low-carbon mixes, and development of context-specific emission factor databases offer a scalable pathway to lower-carbon bridge infrastructure in Pakistan and comparable settings.