Journal of Materials Chemistry B最新文献

The effectiveness of surface coatings for blood-contacting medical devices is often limited by poor stability, increasing the risk of thrombosis and infection. We developed a heparin/zwitterion coating comprising an amine-rich dopamine/polyethyleneimine adhesive layer and a composite top layer of sulfobetaine methacrylate/glyceryl methacrylate copolymer with surface-immobilized heparin. The top layer's carboxyl and epoxy groups reacted with the adhesive layer's amino groups, forming interfacial multipoint amide crosslinking and enhancing stability. This crosslinked coating showed excellent mechanical durability from 25 °C to 100 °C and maintained stability on PVC substrates for 14 days in phosphate-buffered saline after soaking and shearing. Heparin integration endowed natural anticoagulant properties, while zwitterionic components provided strong antimicrobial effects through charge-balanced hydration layers, resolving the electrostatic conflict between anticoagulation and antibacterial needs. In vitro tests showed excellent antibacterial efficacy (93.46% against E. coli, 98.48% against P. aeruginosa, 99.62% against S. aureus, and 99.09% against MRSA) and anticoagulant performance, with a 98.72% reduction in thrombus weight compared to bare PVC after 6 hours of blood exposure. This study presents a solid platform for creating stable, multifunctional coatings with great potential to improve the hemocompatibility and infection resistance of blood-contacting medical devices.

This work presents the rational design and successful synthesis of three ionic tetraphenylbuta-1,3-diene (TPB) derivatives (TPB-Py-butyl, TPB-Py-SO₃, and TPB-Py-NMe₃) with short alkyl chains, containing different terminal groups. While the aromatic core remains unchanged, the overall charge of the moiety is modulated by altering the terminal ionic group attached to the alkyl chains. These derivatives exhibit excellent water solubility, allowing us to investigate the detailed photophysical studies in aqueous environments. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) studies indicate that these moieties display highly reversible emission in water with good linearity and fatigue resistance. Additionally, their ionic natures are leveraged to evaluate their interactions with and stabilization of DNA G-quadruplex structures, including c-myc, c-kit, bcl2, KRAS, and VGEF. Among the three ionic TPBs, the tetra-cationic TPB-Py-NMe₃ derivative has revealed the highest stabilization efficiency, particularly towards c-myc. Cytotoxicity assessments using the MTT assay have confirmed that these TPBs exhibit low cytotoxicity while displaying anticancer activity. The combination of their reversible optical properties, DNA binding capabilities, and biocompatibility highlights their potential applications in biosensing, bioimaging, and cancer therapeutics.

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) require targeted therapies to address the limitations of conventional immunosuppressive treatments. This review highlights recent advances in drug delivery systems (DDS), with particular focus on nanomedicine applications for ADs treatment, primarily rheumatoid arthritis. Nanocarriers, including liposomes, polymer micelles, and biomimetic nanoparticles, facilitate both passive and active targeting to inflamed tissues and immune cells. Stimuli-responsive designs further improve drug release precision within pathological microenvironments. Key biological barriers, such as the blood–brain barrier and gastrointestinal tract, can be overcome through ligand modification and microneedle technologies. Promising cell-specific strategies include macrophage polarization, neutrophil modulation, and synovial cell targeting, all demonstrating efficacy in preclinical studies. Subcellular targeting approaches offer additional mechanistic precision. While significant progress has been made, challenges remain in scalability, safety, and regulatory approval. Future research directions should focus on AI-driven material design, personalized medicine via single-cell profiling, and enhanced cross-disciplinary collaboration. DDS represent a transformative approach to ADs therapy, combining precision targeting with therapeutic efficacy to address critical unmet clinical needs.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death of women globally due to its genomic diversity and rapid metastasis. Because of their invasiveness, limited resolution, and patient variability, traditional diagnostic procedures like biopsies and mammography underscore the need for non-invasive, real-time imaging methods. Advancements in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral range (650–1700 nm) have greatly improved early detection, image-guided surgery, and targeted treatment for breast cancer. This is particularly true for fluorescent probes that can be activated by tumor-specific biomarkers such as esterase, cathepsins, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). This article summarizes the design and biomedical applications of organic small-molecule near-infrared fluorophores, including BODIPY, cyanine, squaraine, rhodamine, phenyl, xanthene, and phenothiazine/phenoxazine derivatives. Highly photostable, molecularly tunable, and biomarker specific, these probes “turn on” their fluorescence only in response to signals indicative of disease. In order to more accurately target malignant breast tissue and not benign cells, scientists have created dual-activated probes that react to oxidative stress and enzymatic activity. Furthermore, xanthene, phenyl, rhodamine, and phenoxazine scaffolds are being used more frequently in photodynamic therapy (PDT) and multimodal imaging systems because of their tunable optical properties. The combined efforts of these innovations to overcome challenges, such as tissue autofluorescence and shallow imaging, have improved tumor localization accuracy and treatment success. The study concludes by exploring possible future methods to enhance probes via structural alteration, dual-modal design, and receptor-mediated targeting, before diving into the remaining obstacles including phototoxicity, off-target activation, and fast systemic clearance.

Photoresponsive antimicrobial materials have emerged as critical biomaterials, celebrated for their remarkable efficacy in combating bacterial infections. Hydrogels, which consist of three-dimensional polymeric networks formed through physical interactions or covalent bonds, serve as an ideal platform for such applications. Recently, hydrogels with photoresponsive antimicrobial properties have garnered substantial attention in the field of infection control. These advanced hydrogels exhibit diverse and advantageous features, including exceptional water swelling capacity, superior oxygen permeability, high biocompatibility, facile drug loading and release capabilities, and structural versatility. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of the structures, properties, mechanisms of action, and drug delivery profiles of photoresponsive antimicrobial hydrogels. Furthermore, we discuss their potential biomedical and clinical applications and offer perspectives on future research directions in this rapidly evolving domain.

Uncontrolled hemorrhage is a major cause of mortality in traumatic injuries, necessitating the development of efficient and biocompatible hemostatic materials suitable for clinical and emergency applications. Herein, we report a phytic acid (PA)-coordinated, dual-network injectable hydrogel composed of magnesium polyacrylate (PAMg), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), and PA. The hydrogel is formed through both chemical and physical crosslinking, including covalent bonding, ionic interactions, and metal–ligand coordination, resulting in enhanced mechanical integrity, injectability, and biological performance. Structural and compositional characterization via FTIR and SEM revealed robust network formation and tunable porosity. The optimized hydrogel formulation exhibited high swelling capacity (up to 1076%) and maintained stable adhesion strength (>130 kPa) after prolonged PBS immersion. Hemostatic evaluation in rat liver injury models demonstrated a significant reduction in blood loss compared with control groups, while in vitro tests confirmed low hemolysis rates (<5%) and favorable cytocompatibility with L929 fibroblasts. This work presents a promising multifunctional hydrogel with mechanical strength, tissue adaptability, and biosafety for rapid hemostasis in moist internal environments.

Medication-induced ototoxicity (MIO) results from treatment regimens such as aminoglycosides and platinum-based drugs, leading to sensory hair cell damage in the inner ear, which is responsible for converting mechanical sound vibrations to the electrical signals for hearing. Our study aims to develop biomaterial-based localized drug delivery systems of therapeutics for the protection of cochlear hair cells. In this study, we developed sodium-thiosulfate (STS)-loaded solid–lipid-nanoparticles (SLNs) and tested them against cisplatin (CisPt)-induced ototoxicity. STS-SLNs were synthesized by the double emulsion evaporation technique followed by characterization using dynamic light scattering (DLS), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The optimized nanoparticles exhibited optimal physicochemical properties, and stability, including particle size (∼92.3 ± 0.8 nm), polydispersity index (<0.3), zeta potential (−13.23 ± 2.07 mV), and encapsulation efficiency (45.48 ± 5.87). TEM analysis confirmed the STS-SLNs spherical morphology. The STS-SLNs showed sustained release of STS from SLNs with an n value of 0.09 (Fickian diffusion) determined using the Korsmeyer–Peppas model. Cellular uptake studies with House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti (HEI-OC1) cells using Coumarin-6-tagged STS-SLNs showed a maximum uptake at 1 hour via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. The STS-SLNs displayed antioxidant potential in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging assays, and enhanced cell viability in live/dead assays compared to CisPt treatment alone. The molecular signaling pathways were investigated by assessing the expression of STAT3 and Nrf2 pathways in HEI-OC1 cells. STS-SLNs significantly reduced STAT3 and P-STAT3 expression compared to the CisPt-treated group, suggesting a protective effect against CisPt-induced oxidative stress via the STAT3 pathway. STS-SLNs effectively mitigated medication-induced (CisPt) cell damage in auditory cells, highlighting their therapeutic potential for local delivery to the inner ear.

Nanoscale-based tools for immunomodulation are expected to offer more targeted and safer approaches to achieve clinically effective manipulation of the local and systemic immune environment. In this study, we aimed to design nanoscale constructs based on graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets as two-dimensional (2D) platform carriers for the TLR7/8 agonist Resiquimod (R848). The physicochemical properties, molecular quantification, as well as proof-of-concept biological activity of the complex were systematically investigated. We hypothesized the formation of the GO:Resiquimod nano-constructs due to the strong π–π interactions between the R848 molecules and the GO surface, and identified that R848 loading efficiency ranged around 75%, quantified by HPLC and UV-vis. The 2D morphology of the thin nanosheets was retained after complexation, determined by various (AFM and SEM) microscopic techniques. Based on the surface physicochemical characterization of the complexes by Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, XPS, and XRD, the formation of non-covalent interactions among the GO surface and the R848 molecules was confirmed. Most importantly, GO:R848 complexes did not compromise the biological activity of R848, and effectively activated macrophages in vitro. Collectively, thin GO sheets can act as platforms for the non-covalent association with small TLR7/8 agonist molecules, forming stable and highly reproducible complexes, that could be exploited as effective immunomodulatory agents.

Thrombosis and inflammation represent major challenges limiting the functionality of asymmetric poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) (PMP) hollow fiber membranes in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) systems. Moreover, the interplay between these two pathological processes can further exacerbate both coagulation and inflammatory responses. In this study, a dual-functional surface modification strategy was developed by first pre-functionalizing PMP hollow fiber membranes with selenocystamine, followed by grafting a phosphorylcholine copolymer MA(PCLA) to form a coating with combined anti-thrombotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Selenocystamine mimics endothelial nitric oxide release to suppress inflammatory responses, while MA(PCLA) mimics the structure of cell membranes to reduce protein adsorption and cellular adhesion. This approach is designed to provide a safer and more effective strategy for mitigating thrombotic and inflammatory complications. In vitro blood circulation assays demonstrated that the modified membranes exhibited significantly reduced protein adsorption, platelet adhesion, and thrombosis compared to both unmodified and commercially modified PMP membranes. Furthermore, both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that the coating effectively modulates inflammatory cell differentiation and attenuates inflammatory responses. The dual-functional coating, exhibiting synergistic anti-thrombotic and anti-inflammatory effects, holds considerable promise for application in blood-contacting medical devices, particularly ECMO systems.

Cell sheet technology (CST) represents a pivotal tool in regenerative medicine, enabling the fabrication of cell layers that retain an intact extracellular matrix (ECM) and intercellular connections. These cell layers can substitute damaged or missing tissues to restore their structural and functional integrity. However, two major challenges restrict the broader applicability of CST: the intrinsic limitations of cell sheet performance and insufficient adaptability within complex regenerative environments. Currently, intervention strategies predominantly concentrate on the harvesting and application phases, such as developing environmentally responsive hydrogels to optimize harvesting efficiency or simply integrating scaffolds to improve adaptability in complex regenerative contexts. Nevertheless, these strategies frequently exhibit inherent shortcomings of being retrospective and non-integrative. Recent studies indicate that proactive intervention during the cell sheet cultivation phase, a stage characterized by high plasticity, may be pivotal for overcoming these limitations. This review systematically evaluates two classes of cultivation-phase intervention strategies: firstly, endogenous reinforcement achieved by incorporating bioactive molecules or micro/nanomaterials that can be internalized by the cell sheets; secondly, co-cultivation of cell sheets with exogenous minerals or polymer scaffolds to form functionally integrated composite systems that address limitations posed by complex regenerative scenarios. We critically assess the design principles, implementation approaches, and both in vitro and in vivo outcomes of each strategy, discussing persistent challenges and possible improvements. By clarifying the physiological characteristics of cell sheets during cultivation and exploring effective intervention methodologies, this review seeks to resolve the two principal challenges facing CST and pave the way for fully realizing its regenerative potential. The insights presented here will support the development of more effective strategies to facilitate the widespread adoption of CST in regenerative medicine.