Biomaterials Science最新文献

The complex microenvironment of diabetic wounds, which is characterized by persistent hyperglycemia, excessive inflammatory responses, and hypoxic conditions, significantly impedes the efficacy of traditional hydrogels. Nanocomposite hydrogels, which combine the high-water content and biocompatibility of hydrogels with the unique functionalities of nanomaterials, offer a promising solution. These hydrogels exhibit enhanced antibacterial, antioxidant, and drug-release properties. Incorporating nanomaterials increases the mechanical strength and bioactivity of hydrogels, allowing for dynamic regulation of the wound microenvironment and promoting cell migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis, thereby accelerating wound healing. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in nanocomposite hydrogels for diabetic wound treatment and discusses their advantages and molecular mechanisms at various healing stages. The study aims to provide a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for future research and clinical applications. Furthermore, it highlights the challenges related to the mechanical durability, antimicrobial performance, resistance issues, and interactions with the cellular environments of these hydrogels. Future directions include optimizing smart drug delivery systems and personalized medical approaches to enhance the clinical applicability of nanocomposite hydrogels.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as transformative tools in modern drug delivery, offering unparalleled potential in enhancing the efficacy and safety of various therapeutics. In the context of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a disabling autoimmune disorder characterized by chronic inflammation, joint damage, and limited patient mobility, LNPs hold significant promise for revolutionizing treatment strategies. LNPs offer several advantages over traditional drug delivery systems, including improved pharmacokinetics, enhanced tissue penetration, and reduced systemic toxicity. This article concisely summarizes the pathogenesis of RA, its associated risk factors, and therapeutic techniques and their challenges. Additionally, it highlights the noteworthy advancements made in managing RA through LNPs, including liposomes, niosomes, bilosomes, cubosomes, spanlastics, ethosomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, lipid micelles, lipid nanocapsules, nanostructured lipid carriers, etc. It also delves into the specific functional attributes of these nanocarrier systems, focusing on their role in treating and monitoring RA.

Nanotechnology has shown great promise for researchers to develop efficient nanocarriers for better therapy, imaging, and sustained release of drugs. The existing treatments are accompanied by serious toxicity limitations, leading to severe side effects, multiple drug resistance, and off-target activity. In this regard, nanogels have garnered significant attention for their multi-functional role combining advanced therapeutics with imaging in a single platform. Nanogels can be functionalized to target specific tissues which can improve the efficiency of drug delivery and other challenges associated with the existing nanocarriers. Translation of nanogel technology requires more exploration towards stability and enhanced efficiency. In this review, we present the advances and challenges related to nanogels for cancer therapy, ophthalmology, neurological disorders, tuberculosis, wound healing, and anti-viral applications. A perspective on recent research trends of nanogels for translation to clinics is also discussed.

Liver fibrosis, a critical consequence of chronic liver diseases, is characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition driven by inflammation. This process involves complex interactions among hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and Kupffer cells, the liver's resident macrophages. Kupffer cells are essential in initiating fibrosis through the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that activate HSCs. Although various in vitro liver fibrosis models have been developed, there is a lack of models that include the immune environment of the liver to clarify the influence of immune cells on the progression of liver fibrosis. We developed an in vitro liver fibrosis model by co-culturing hepatocytes (HepaRG), a hepatic stellate cell line (LX-2), and macrophages (differentiated THP-1). The effects of liver fibrosis inducers, transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) and methotrexate (MTX), on the inflammatory response and stellate cell activation were evaluated in this triple co-culture model. A triple co-culture condition was developed as a 3D in vitro model using gelatin methacrylate (GelMA), offering a more biomimetic environment and achieving liver fibrosis via immune cell activation associated ECM deposition. In this study, the developed triple co-culture model has the potential to elucidate cell progression roles in liver fibrosis and can be applied in drug screening and toxicity assessments targeting liver fibrosis.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are widely recognized as crucial carriers of mRNA in therapeutic and vaccine development. The typical lipid composition of mRNA-LNP systems includes an ionizable lipid, a helper lipid, a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-lipid, and cholesterol. Concerns arise regarding cholesterol's susceptibility to oxidation, potentially leading to undesired immunological responses and toxicity. In this study, we formulated novel LNPs by replacing cholesterol with phytochemical-derived compounds, specifically ginsenoside Rg2 and its derivative phytosterol protopanaxadiol (PPD), and validated their efficacy as mRNA delivery systems. The mRNA-LNP complexes were manually prepared through a simple mixing process. The biocompatibility of these Rg2-based LNPs (Rg2-LNP) and PPD-based LNPs (PPD-LNP) was assessed through cell viability assays, while the protective function of LNPs for mRNA was demonstrated by RNase treatment. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) mRNA delivery and expression in A549 and HeLa cells were analyzed using optical microscopy and flow cytometry. The expression efficiency of Rg2-LNP and PPD-LNP was compared with that of commercially available LNPs, with both novel formulations demonstrating superior transfection and EGFP expression. Furthermore, in vivo tests following intramuscular (I.M.) injection in hairless mice demonstrated efficient luciferase (Luc) mRNA delivery and effective Luc expression using Rg2-LNP and PPD-LNP compared to commercial LNPs. Results indicated that the efficiency of EGFP and Luc expression in Rg2-LNP and PPD-LNP surpassed that of the cholesterol-based LNP formulation. These findings suggest that Rg2-LNP and PPD-LNP are promising candidates for future drug and gene delivery systems.

The substitution of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) by a small number of transition-metal ions with magnetic properties gives rise to magnetic-doped semiconductors. With a balance of optical and magnetic properties, these magnetic semiconductors are widely used in spintronics, bioimaging and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications. To facilitate their usage in bio-applications, it is critical to synthesize water-soluble magnetic QDs with a stabilized structure while maintaining their optical and magnetic properties. Here in our work, we have developed a facile substituted synthetic route to achieve Cr-doped CdSe (Cr-CdSe) via hydrothermal method. The effects of doping on the structural, optical, and magnetic properties of Cr-CdSe were studied using X-ray diffraction, UV-visible spectroscopy, and photoluminescence lifetime. We then explored their chemical nature and change in morphology with an increase in doping concentration via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Water-soluble QDs have been used as bioimaging probes for the past few decades due to their strong fluorescence, photostability and improved tissue or cellular penetration. However, incorporating magnetic material into a fluorescent entity harnesses the ability to control the strengths of both modalities, which enhances diagnostic accuracy and facilitates its application in bio-systems, especially in early accurate diagnosis. Finally, we demonstrate the competency of Cr-CdSe as a dual-imaging probe with fluorescent cellular imaging and MRI applications.

Correction for ‘Tobramycin-mediated self-assembly of DNA nanostructures for targeted treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected lung inflammation’ by Yuhang Xu et al., Biomater. Sci., 2024, 12, 2331–2340, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3BM02121A.

Correction for ‘The improved targeting of an aspirin prodrug albumin-based nanosystem for visualizing and inhibiting lung metastasis of breast cancer’ by Wancun Zhang et al., Biomater. Sci., 2020, 8, 5941–5954, https://doi.org/10.1039/D0BM01035A.

The cosmetics industry is increasingly focusing on developing sustainable and environmentally friendly products while maintaining high performance. In color cosmetics, achieving long-lasting durability of water-soluble dyes remains a challenge. This study presents a sustainable approach to enhance the durability of water-soluble dyes in cosmetics using biopolymer-based films. The casein films were fabricated through riboflavin phosphate (RFP)-mediated photo-crosslinking, with tannic acid (TA) incorporated to improve mechanical properties. The fabrication process, characterization, and performance evaluation of the biopolymer-based films were investigated. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses confirmed the successful crosslinking and formation of a porous network structure. Rheological measurements revealed that the incorporation of TA significantly enhanced the mechanical strength of the films. Cytocompatibility assessment using NIH/3T3 fibroblasts demonstrated the films’ excellent biocompatibility. The durability and color retention of a water-soluble red dye in the biopolymer-based films were evaluated on human skin. The films formed under blue light irradiation exhibited superior dye retention compared to non-irradiated films, with TA addition providing a minor improvement in durability. This study bridges the gap between cosmetic science and biomaterials research, providing a foundation for future investigations into bio-interactive materials for dermal applications. These findings highlight the potential of RFP-mediated photo-crosslinked casein films as a sustainable and effective solution for enhancing the durability of water-soluble dyes in color cosmetics.

In this paper, biodegradable red fluorescent protein (RFP) chromophore analogue DPFP-SS-FA nanoparticles were synthesized for hypoxic two-photon photodynamic therapy. The maximum emission wavelength of DPFP-SS-FA is in the red-to-near-infrared region at 674 nm. Interestingly, these DPFP-SS-FA nanoparticles remain stable under physiological conditions, but deplete glutathione and disintegrate into the RFP chromophore analogue monomer in the tumor microenvironment. Meanwhile, electron paramagnetic resonance data have shown that DPFP-SS-FA produced enhanced ¹O₂/O₂˙⁻ signals after glutathione depletion causing an enhanced PDT effect. DPFP-SS-FA has negligible cell dark toxicity and high phototoxicity in hypoxic environments, indicating the outstanding hypoxia-overcoming ability of DPFP-SS-FA. In addition, due to its folic acid receptor and lysosome dual-targeting ability, DPFP-SS-FA is highly enriched in A-549 tumor cells. In particular, the hypoxic two-photon photodynamic therapy mediated by DPFP-SS-FA nanoparticles was validated in a zebrafish tumor model. Under 800 nm two-photon excitation, DPFP-SS-FA enabled bright two-photon fluorescence imaging and significantly inhibited the growth of tumor cells in zebrafish. The biodegradable DPFP-SS-FA nanoparticles reasonably constructed in this study can serve as excellent candidates for efficient hypoxic two-photon photosensitizers to treat deep tumor tissues.