Biomaterials最新文献

Selenium (Se) is incorporated into selenoproteins in the form of selenocysteine, which has biological functions associated with neural development. Unfortunately, the specific roles and mechanisms of selenoproteins at different stages of neuronal development are still unclear. Therefore, in this study, we successfully established a neuronal model derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-iNeuron) and used Se nanoparticles (SeNPs@LNT) with high bioavailability to intervene at different stages of neural development in iPSC-iNeuron model. Interestingly, our results showed that SeNPs@LNT could not only accelerate the proliferation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) by upregulating glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) during the NPC stage, but also can promote neuronal differentiation by increasing selenoprotein P (SEPP1) during the neuronal stage, resulting in efficient and rapid neural development. In addition, further mechanistic studies showed that SeNPs@LNT can regulate selenoproteins by activating the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway, thereby affecting neuronal development. Notably, Further analysis of ASD patients in National Center for Biotechnology Information single-cell RNA-seq datasets also revealed significantly lower GPX4 expression within NRGN-expressing neurons in ASD patients, and GO enrichment analysis of genes in NRGN-expressing neurons from ASD patients showed that the downregulation of selenoproteins due to aberrant selenoprotein synthesis may be closely associated with decreased ATP synthesis resulting from abnormal mitochondrial and respiratory chain signaling pathways. Taken together, this study provides evidence that SeNPs@LNT exerts a beneficial effect on early neural development through the regulation of selenoproteins.

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) represents a substantial global health challenge, primarily driven by oxidative stress-induced damage within the auditory system. Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role in this pathological process, leading to cellular damage and apoptosis of cochlear hair cells, culminating in irreversible hearing impairment. Recent advancements have introduced ROS-scavenging biomaterials as innovative, multifunctional platforms capable of mitigating oxidative stress. This comprehensive review systematically explores the mechanisms of ROS-mediated oxidative stress in SNHL, emphasizing etiological factors such as aging, acoustic trauma, and ototoxic medication exposure. Furthermore, it examines the therapeutic potential of ROS-scavenging biomaterials, positioning them as promising nanomedicines for targeted antioxidant intervention. By critically assessing recent advances in biomaterial design and functionality, this review thoroughly evaluates their translational potential for clinical applications. It also addresses the challenges and limitations of ROS-neutralizing strategies, while highlighting the transformative potential of these biomaterials in developing novel SNHL treatment modalities. This review advocates for continued research and development to integrate ROS-scavenging biomaterials into future clinical practice, aiming to address the unmet needs in SNHL management and potentially revolutionize the treatment landscape for this pervasive health issue.

Gynecological inflammations have a significant impact on the daily lives of women. Meanwhile, cancers such as ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers pose severe threats to their physical and mental well-being. While current options such as conventional pharmacotherapy, surgical interventions, and recent advancements in immunotherapy and targeted therapy provide viable solutions, they possess limitations in effectively addressing the intricacies associated with gynecological diseases. These complexities include post-surgical complications, early cancer detection, and drug resistance. The management of these challenges, however, requires the implementation of innovative treatment modalities. Phototheranostics has emerged as a promising approach to effectively address these challenges. It not only treats inflammation and tumors efficiently but also aids in disease imaging and diagnosis. The distinguishing features of phototheranostics lie in their non-invasive nature, minimal risk of drug resistance, and precise targeting capabilities through the use of photosensitizers or photothermal agents. These distinctive features underscore its potential to revolutionize early diagnosis and treatment of gynecological conditions. This review aims to summarize the application of phototheranostics in managing gynecological inflammation and tumors while highlighting its significant potential for early disease detection and treatment.

Microfluidic devices are used for various applications in biology and medicine. From on-chip modelling of human organs for drug screening and fast and straightforward point-of-care (POC) detection of diseases to sensitive biochemical analysis, these devices can be custom-engineered using low-cost techniques. The microchannel interface is essential for these applications, as it is the interface of immobilised biomolecules that promote cell capture, attachment and proliferation, sense analytes and metabolites or provide enzymatic reaction readouts. However, common microfluidic materials do not facilitate the stable immobilisation of biomolecules required for relevant applications, making interfacial engineering necessary to attach biomolecules to the microfluidic surfaces. Interfacial engineering is performed through various immobilisation mechanisms and surface treatment techniques, which suitably modify the surface properties like chemistry and energy to obtain robust biomolecule immobilisation and long-term storage stability suitable for the final application. In this review, we provide an overview of the status of interfacial engineering in microfluidic devices, covering applications, the role of biomolecules, their immobilisation pathways and the influence of microfluidic materials. We then propose treatment techniques to optimise performance for various biological and medical applications and highlight future areas of development.

In practical clinical scenarios, improved diagnostic methods have been developed for the precise visualization of molecular targets using molecular imaging in brain diseases. Recently, the introduction of innovative molecular imaging modalities across both macroscopic and mesoscopic dimensions, with remarkable specificity and spatial resolution, has expanded the scope of applications beyond diagnostic testing, with the potential to guide therapeutic interventions, offering real-time feedback in the context of brain therapy. The molecular imaging-guided integration of diagnosis and treatment holds the potential to revolutionize disease management by enabling the real-time monitoring of treatment responses and therapy adjustments. Given the vibrant and ever-evolving nature of this field, this review provides an integrated picture on molecular image-guided diagnosis and treatment integration for brain diseases involving the basic concepts, significant breakthroughs, and recent trends. In addition, based on the current achievements, some critical challenges are also discussed.

Radiotherapy, employing high-energy rays to precisely target and eradicate tumor cells, plays a pivotal role in the treatment of various malignancies. Despite its therapeutic potential, the effectiveness of radiotherapy is hindered by the tumor's inherent low radiosensitivity and the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here we present an innovative approach that integrates peroxynitrite (ONOO^-)-mediated radiosensitization with the tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) polarization for the reversal of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), greatly amplifying the potency of radiotherapy. Our design employs X-ray-activated lanthanide-doped scintillators (LNS) in tandem with photosensitive NO precursor to achieve in-situ ONOO^- generation. Concurrently, the co-loaded TGF-β inhibitor SB525334, released from the LNS-RS nanoplatform in response to the overexpressed GSH in tumor site, promotes the reprogramming of TANs from N2 phenotype toward N1 phenotype, effectively transforming the tumor-promoting microenvironment into a tumor-inhibiting state. This 'one-two punch' therapy efficiently trigger a robust anti-tumor immune response and exert potent therapeutic effects in orthotopic colorectal cancer and melanoma mouse model. Meanwhile, it also significantly prevents liver metastasis and recurrence in metastatic colorectal cancer. The development of X-ray-controlled platforms capable of activating multiple therapeutic modalities may accelerate the clinical application of radiotherapy-based collaborative therapy.

In spite of the hypoxia tumor microenvironment, an efficacious treatment with minimal invasiveness is highly desirable. Among common cellular organelles, mitochondria is a common target for inductive cellular apoptosis and tumor proliferation inhibition. Nevertheless, tumor hypoxic circumstances always give rise to poor therapeutic efficiency and instead lead to lesion recurrence and unsatisfactory prognosis. Herein, a home-tailored pyroelectric nanocomposites of BTO@PDA-FA-DOX-EGCG have been developed via a layer-by-layer synthesis to serve a cutting-edge tumor treatment with specific mitochondria-targeting, hypoxia-relieving, chemo-photodynamic performance and high anti-tumor efficacy. In particular, this therapeutic modality is featured as drug-device-field integration (DDFI) by combining chemo-drugs of DOX and EGCG, a commercially available medical laser and physical pyroelectric fields, which synergistically contributed to continuing ROS production and consequently cell apoptosis and tumor growth inhibition. Meanwhile, an anti-tumor mechanism of immune actuation and mitochondria dysfunction was elucidated by analyzing specific biomarkers of mitochondria complexes and MMPs, and therefore this research opened up a potential pathway for advanced tumor treatment by incorporating nanocomposites, medical devices and physical fields in a DDFI manner.

Reprogramming imbalanced synovial macrophages and shaping an immune microenvironment conducive to bone and cartilage growth is crucial for efficient tackling of osteoarthritis (OA). Herein, we present a co-delivery nanosystem based on generation 2 (G2) hydroxyl-terminated bioactive phosphorus dendrimers (G2-OH₂₄) that were loaded with both catalase (CAT) and quercetin (Que). The created G2-OH₂₄/CAT@Que complexes exhibit a uniformly distributed spherical morphology with a size of 138.8 nm, possess robust stability, and induce macrophage reprogramming toward anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype polarization and antioxidation through cooperative CAT-catalyzed oxygen generation, Que-mediated mitochondrial homeostasis restoration, and inherent immunomodulatory activity of dendrimer. Such macrophage reprogramming leads to chondrocyte apoptosis inhibition and osteogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells. Administration of G2-OH₂₄/CAT@Que to an OA mouse model results in attenuation of pathological features such as cartilage degeneration, bone erosion, and synovitis through oxidative stress alleviation and inflammatory factor downregulation in inflamed joints. Excitingly, the G2-OH₂₄/CAT@Que also polarized macrophages in adherent effusion monocytes (AEMs) extracted from joint cavity effusions of OA patients to M2 phenotype and downregulated reactive oxygen species levels in AEMs. This study suggests a promising nanomedicine formulation of phosphorus dendrimer-based co-delivery system to effectively tackle OA through the benefits of full-active ingredients of dendrimer, drug, and protein.