Journal of materials chemistry. B最新文献

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) possess the ability to self-renew and exhibit high differentiation potential, and they have been proven to be responsible for the maintenance, growth, and metastasis of tumors. As such, accurate identification and targeted therapy for CSCs are of great importance in clinical treatment. Here, a dual-targeted and light-responsive nanoprobe is presented, utilizing the reconstructed mesoporous SiO₂ of a binary fatty acid eutectic mixture and a gold porous shell. The gold shell in the nanoprobe sustains a large absorption cross-section, providing a robust photothermal treatment effect against CSCs upon NIR irradiation. The photothermal effect simultaneously melts the eutectic mixture, which acted as the gating material, triggering the release of nuclear-targeted photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Additionally, to improve the hypoxic environment during PDT, hemoglobin (Hb) is conjugated to the nanoprobe using disulfide as a cross-linker, which can consume cellular glutathione while releasing Hb to deliver oxygen for PDT. Under the synergistic effect of photothermal therapy (PTT) and PDT, cytoplasmic organelles and intranuclear genetic materials are hierarchically damaged, initiating a cascade of reactions, including evident endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation. These responses, in turn, promote stem cell death and inhibit tumorigenicity. Furthermore, machine learning models, including random forest (FR), CatBoost, XGBoost, and LightGBM, were employed to optimize the reaction conditions for maximizing the synergistic effect, with CatBoost achieving the best performance. Additionally, antibody-conjugated nanoprobes effectively targeted colon cancer stem cells, demonstrating enhanced phototoxicity and the potential to suppress tumorsphere formation. Therefore, this dual-targeting nanoprobe demonstrates outstanding therapeutic integration performance and shows promise as a platform for synergistic PTT/PDT therapy of CSCs.

The plant cell membrane serves as a barrier, isolating the cell's interior from its external environment. Unlike animal cells, where the cytoplasmic membrane can be easily fluorescently labeled through genetic engineering, plant cells often rely more heavily on small molecule fluorescent probes to address the problem of probe internalization. Meanwhile, due to cellular internalization, current plasma fluorescent probes struggle to stain cell membranes for long periods of time. In addition, these probes tend to accumulate in the cell wall, making it impossible to achieve specific, high-noise-to-noise staining of cell membranes. In response to these challenges, we propose a novel "deposition-embedding" strategy for developing a plant cell membrane probe. The compound PTBT-O-NPh2, with its low solubility and high hydrophobicity, is designed to limit membrane penetration. Instead, it rapidly deposits on the membrane surface and embeds itself into the lipid environment via strong hydrogen bonding with phospholipid molecules. Additionally, its exceptional resistance to photobleaching and long-term retention capability allow it to measure membrane-spacing over a period of 120 hours. These findings suggest that the "deposition-embedding" strategy could be instrumental in developing a new generation of fluorescent dyes for studying plant mechanobiology.

Dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA) is a severe complication in patients undergoing long-term dialysis, primarily driven by the deposition of β2-microglobulin (β2m) amyloid fibrils. The effective sequestration and removal of β2m from the bloodstream represent key therapeutic strategies for managing DRA. In this study, we developed a β2m-binding peptide (KDWSFYILAHTEF, denoted as CF)-functionalized nanocomposite (NC-CF), consisting of a protein nanocapsule surface modified with CF peptides to enable specific β2m binding. NC-CF effectively modulates β2m aggregation, transforming slender fibrils into larger clumps while providing steric hindrance to prevent further aggregation. With a high adsorption capacity, 1 μg of NC-CF can adsorb approximately 1 μg of β2m during dialysis, highlighting its potential as an efficient adsorbent for in vitro β2m removal. Furthermore, NC-CF exhibits excellent biocompatibility and significantly mitigates β2m aggregate-induced cytotoxicity, achieving a cell protection rate exceeding 70%. These findings suggest that NC-CF holds great promise as a cytoprotective agent and a nanoinhibitor of β2m aggregation in vivo. Overall, NC-CF offers a novel and effective approach for alleviating DRA by simultaneously removing β2m and safeguarding cells against amyloid-induced toxicity.

Protein crystals have advantageous properties as framework materials, such as porosity and organized, high-density functional groups with the potential for guest specificity. Thus, protein crystal materials open up vast opportunities for fluorescent species doping and drug sensing. In this work, we explore this frontier by combining two lanthanide complexes with hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) and directly obtaining co deposited structures in one step using an anti-solvent method different from the previous two-step method. Cross-linking of the protein was achieved using glutaraldehyde, ensuring the stability of the assembly in diverse solvent environments. The use of glutaraldehyde achieved protein cross-linking, ensuring the stability of the components in various solvent environments, including no leakage of fluorescent substances in ultrapure water and anhydrous ethanol. Differential fluorescence quenching effects of amino acids on the two doped luminescent complexes were observed. Introduction of amino acids, varying in concentration and type, resulted in distinct fluorescence enhancement or quenching effects on the protein assembly loaded with the complexes, and the detection results are reflected through different fitting equations and parameters. By exploring the application of this hybrid material for amino acid detection, this work lays the groundwork for broader applications.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic interstitial disorder of the respiratory system that can be debilitating as it progresses and has experienced a slow rise in incidence in past years. Treatment is complicated by the complex aetiology of the disease and the off-target effects of the two FDA-approved therapeutics available on the market: pirfenidone and nintedanib. In this work, we propose a multipurpose nanoparticle system consisting of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid polymer (PLGA) and a coating of citrus pectin (CP) for galectin-3 targeting and anti-fibrotic therapy. Pectin from citrus peels has been observed to have anti-fibrotic activity in a range of fibrotic tissues, causing a decrease in the expression and activity of galectin-3: a key, upregulated marker of fibrosis. We show that the CP-PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) have an average diameter of 340.5 ± 10.6 nm, compatible with inhalation and retention in the deep lung, and that CP constitutes, on average, 40.3% of the final CP-PLGA formulation. The NPs are well-tolerated by MRC-5 lung fibroblasts up to 2 mg mL^-1. We demonstrate the NPs' ability to target transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)-treated fibrotic MRC-5 cells in a specific, dose-dependent manner, saturating at approx. 250 μg mL^-1in vitro, and that our NPs have potent anti-fibrotic activity in vivo in particular, reversing bleomycin-induced fibrosis in mouse lungs, accompanied by marked reduction in profibrotic markers including collagen 1, fibronectin, α-smooth muscle actin, β-catenin and galectin-3. In all, we present an inherently therapeutic inhalable nanocarrier for galectin-3 targeting and anti-fibrotic therapy. We envision this carrier to be doubly effective against fibrotic lung tissue when combined with an encapsulated anti-fibrotic drug, improving overall/total therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance via the reduction of off-target effects and additive therapeutic effects.

Correction for 'Development of a tannic acid- and silicate ion-functionalized PVA-starch composite hydrogel for in situ skeletal muscle repairing' by Longkang Li et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024, 12, 3917-3926, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3TB03006G.

Correction for 'Core-shell structured microneedles with programmed drug release functions for prolonged hyperuricemia management' by Rui Wang et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024, 12, 1064-1076, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3TB02607H.

Retraction of 'Growth factors regional patterned and photoimmobilized scaffold applied to bone tissue regeneration' by Ling-Kun Zhang et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2020, 8, 10990-11000, https://doi.org/10.1039/D0TB02317E.

Water-stable macroporous hydrogels, inspired by the structural and chemical characteristics of plant stems, are expected to open a wide range of possibilities in soft materials for passive liquid transport. However, obtaining efficient materials for these applications still poses a major challenge due to the complexity of shaping hydrogels at the relevant scale-length. Here, water-stable macroporous hydrogels were fabricated using alginate and TEMPO-oxidized cellulose via a new approach involving ice templating and topotactic ion-crosslinking with Ca²⁺. This approach fully avoids the energy-intensive lyophilization process and results in composite hydrogels with pore sizes akin to those found in celery xylem, a model we chose for plant stems. Importantly, the pore size could be tailored by adjusting both the ice-growth velocities and the ratios of alginate to oxidized cellulose. The resulting hydrogels displayed remarkable water stability along with viscoelastic properties and wettability that depend on the alginate and oxidized cellulose ratios. Mechanical properties, such as compression stress and toughness, consistently increased with higher alginate contents. In addition, liquid transport measurements on crosslinked hydrogels with varying compositions and ice growth velocities revealed rising speeds comparable to those observed in celery, confirming the ability of polysaccharide-based hydrogels obtained by ice templating and topotactic crosslinking as relevant materials to mimic the function of plant stems. Due to their intrinsic biocompatibility, the materials presented here offer significant potential for developing soft liquid transport systems suited for biological settings, with promising applications in both environmental and bioengineering fields.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss, characterized by the progressive degeneration of retinal cells, particularly retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Conventional treatments primarily focus on slowing disease progression without providing a cure. Recent advances in tissue engineering and cell-based therapies offer promising avenues for regenerating retinal tissue and restoring vision. In this study, we developed ultrathin, nanoporous membrane scaffolds designed to mimic Bruch's membrane (BrM) for RPE cell transplantation using vapor-induced phase separation. These scaffolds, fabricated from a blend of poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), exhibited favorable topography, biocompatibility, and shape-memory properties. In vitro experiments confirmed that the nanoporous topography effectively supports the formation of RPE monolayers with intact tight junctions. Additionally, the shape-memory characteristic enables the membrane to self-expand at body temperature (37 °C), facilitating minimally invasive delivery via injection. ARPE-19 cell-attached nanothin membranes successfully demonstrated shape-recovery properties and were deliverable through a catheter in an ex vivo model. Our findings suggest that the developed scaffolds provide a promising approach for retinal tissue engineering and could significantly contribute to advanced treatments for AMD and other retinal degenerative diseases.