Journal of materials chemistry. B最新文献

Wound healing is a complex and dynamic biological process that requires meticulous management to ensure optimal outcomes. Traditional wound dressings, such as gauze and bandages, although commonly used, often fall short in their frequent need for replacement, lack of real-time monitoring and absence of anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which can lead to increased risk of infection and delayed healing. Here, we address these limitations by introducing an innovative hydrogel dressing, named PHDNN6, to combine wireless Bluetooth temperature monitoring and light-triggered nitric oxide (NO) release to enhance wound healing and management. The PHDNN6 hydrogel is based on a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) matrix, integrated with methacrylated and dopamine-grafted hyaluronic acid (HA-MA-DA), which allows the dressing to be highly responsive to changes in wound temperature, enabling continuous and real-time monitoring of the wound microenvironment wirelessly. Besides, PHDNN6 is embedded with photothermal polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs) that are loaded with a NO donor, N,N'-di-sec-butyl-N,N'-dinitroso-1,4-phenylenediamine (BNN6). When exposed to near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, these PDA@BNN6 nanoparticles release NO to provide potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. The integration of continuous wireless temperature monitoring with NO release within a single hydrogel dressing represents a significant advancement in clinical wound care. This dual-functional platform not only provides real-time diagnostic capabilities but also offers therapeutic interventions to manage wound infections and promote tissue regeneration. Our research highlights the potential of PHDNN6 to revolutionize wound management by offering a comprehensive solution that addresses both the diagnostic and therapeutic needs in wound healing.

Microneedles have provided promising platforms in various fields thanks to their safety, painlessness, minimal invasiveness and ease of operation. The excellent adhesion of microneedles is the key characteristic to achieve long-term and comfortable treatment. However, a complex environment, such as the roughness of skin, various bodily fluids in vivo, and the movement of the body, presents great challenges to the adhesion characteristics of microneedles. This review mainly reports the remarkable adhesion properties of microneedles based on interlocking by shape effects, chemical bonds, and suction forces. Firstly, the main mechanisms of adhesion and various types of microneedles are introduced, with an emphasis on the progress in adhesive microneedles. Combined with the preparation and application of microneedles, the challenges and future trends of adhesive microneedles are discussed.

The development of pH-directed nanoparticles for tumor targeting represents a significant advancement in cancer biology and therapeutic strategies. These innovative materials have the ability to interact with the unique acidic microenvironment of tumors. They enhance drug delivery, increase therapeutic efficacy, and reduce systemic toxicity. The acidic conditions within tumors trigger the release of drugs from pH-responsive nanoparticles, ensuring targeted and controlled delivery directly to cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. This review comprehensively explores the design, synthesis, and application of pH-stabilized nanoparticles in cancer therapy. It delves into the mechanisms of pH-responsive behavior, such as the use of pH-sensitive polymers and cleavable linkages that respond to the acidic tumor environment. Current strategies for nanoparticle stabilization, including surface coating, core-shell nanostructures, and hybrid nanoparticles, are discussed in detail, highlighting how these approaches enhance the stability and functionality of the nanoparticles in biological systems. Recent advancements in nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems are examined, showcasing multi-functional nanoparticles that combine therapeutic and diagnostic functions, as well as those designed for combination therapy to overcome drug resistance. This review identifies future directions in the field, such as the need for improved stability and biocompatibility, controlled and predictable drug release, and overcoming regulatory and manufacturing hurdles. Herein, we have highlighted the transformative potential of pH-stabilized nanoparticles in cancer therapy, offering a pathway towards more effective and targeted cancer treatments.

The critical need for rapid cancer diagnosis and related illnesses is growing alongside the current healthcare challenges, unfavorable prognosis, and constraints in diagnostic timing. As a result, emphasis on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) diagnostic methods, including both label-free and labelled approaches, holds significant promise in fields such as analytical chemistry, biomedical science, and physics, due to the user-friendly nature of SERS. Over time, the SERS detection sensitivity and specificity with nanostructured materials for SERS applications (NMs-SERS) in different media have been remarkable. An investigation into electronic dynamics and interactions has revealed a seemingly fair result regarding the complementary effects of electromagnetic (EM) and chemical enhancements (CM), underscoring the operational principles of SERS. Nevertheless, the focus on translational SERS applications, especially beyond preliminary proof-of-concept research, remains limited. This review focuses on the advancements made in clinical SERS diagnostics and the essential role of NMs-SERS, ranging from plasmonic to non-plasmonic materials and other related advancements. Furthermore, it outlines the significant achievements of biomedical SERS in tumor diagnosis, particularly in identifying circulating tumor cells (CTCs), alongside a clear focus on NMs-SERS characteristics such as surface charge, shape, size, detection sensitivity, specificity, signal reproducibility, and recyclability. Finally, it underscores the use of microfluidic chips within the labelled SERS strategy for isolating CTCs, the concept of Ramanomics, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen SERS data analysis. We hope that this review will help guide and expedite the potential for precise SERS diagnosis of key chronic diseases.

Mechanofluorochromic (MFC) materials are emerging as a versatile candidate for optoelectronic and biomedical applications. In the present work, we designed and synthesized four MFC materials, namely BT-PTZ-1, BT-PTZ-2, BT-PTZO-1, and BT-PTZO-2, using Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. These materials possess benzothiazole (BT) as an acceptor moiety and different donors, including phenothiazine (PTZ) and triphenylamine (TPA), with variations in their spacer units. The photophysical properties of these derivatives have been explored, revealing solvatochromism, aggregation-induced emission (AIE), acid sensing, and mechanochromic behaviour. Single crystal X-ray analysis of BT-PTZO-2 provides crucial structural insights, revealing the twisted conformation of the TPA donor and the bent structure of the PTZ oxide spacer. The biological studies of these BT derivatives reveal the therapeutic potential against benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)-induced carcinogenesis in A549 (lung) and HEK293 (kidney) cells. Treatment with BT-PTZ-2 reflects anti-cancerous properties, with significant up-regulation of p53 and down-regulation of β-catenin and pNF-κB. Additionally, downregulation of mitochondrial fission protein (DRP1) and oxidative stress through DCFDA staining in lung cells are observed with BT-PTZ-2 treatment. These findings strongly suggest that BT-PTZ-2 can inhibit lung cancer cell proliferation and survival, suggesting it to be a promising anti-cancer agent. This comprehensive study of these MFC materials provides insights into their design, synthesis, and properties, in addition to their potential applications in various optoelectronic and biomedical fields.

Bone defects are a prevalent issue resulting from various factors, such as trauma, degenerative diseases, congenital disabilities, and the surgical removal of tumors. Current methods for bone regeneration have limitations. In this context, the fusion of tissue engineering and microfluidics has emerged as a promising strategy in the field of bone regeneration. This study describes the classification of microfluidic devices based on the nature of flow and channel type, as well as the materials and techniques required. An overview of microfluidic methods used to prepare hydrogels and the advantages of using these hydrogels in bone tissue engineering (BTE) combining several basic elements of BTE to highlight its advantages is provided. Furthermore, this work emphasizes the benefits of using hydrogels prepared via microfluidics over conventional hydrogels in BTE because of their controlled release of cargo, they can be used for in situ injection, simplify the steps of single-cell encapsulation and have the advantages of high-throughput and precise preparation. Additionally, organ-on-a-chip models fabricated via microfluidics offer a platform for studying cell and tissue behaviors in an authentic and dynamic environment. Moreover, microfluidic devices can be utilized for noninvasive diagnosis and therapy. Finally, this paper summarizes the preclinical and clinical applications of hydrogels prepared via microfluidics for bone regeneration by focusing on their current developmental status, limitations associated with their application, and future challenges, which underscore their potential impacts on advancing regenerative medicine practices.

Hybrid nano-sized motors with navigation and self-actuation capabilities have emerged as promising nanocarriers for a wide range of delivery, sensing, and diagnostic applications due to their unique ability to achieve controllable locomotion within a complex biological environment such as tissue. However, most current nanomotors typically operate using a single driving mode, whereas propulsion induced by both external and local stimuli could be more beneficial to achieve efficient motility in a biomedical setting. In this work, we present a hybrid nanomotor by functionalizing biodegradable stomatocytes with platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs). These Pt NPs enable two distinct propulsion mechanisms. First, near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation causes plasmonic heating, which, due to the asymmetric shape of the stomatocytes, creates a temperature gradient around the nanomotors. Second, the catalytic properties of the Pt NPs allow them to convert hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, generating a chemical gradient that serves as an additional driving force. Hydrogen peroxide is thereby locally produced from endogenous glucose by a co-encapsulated enzyme, glucose oxidase. The motile features are employed to achieve enhanced accumulation within tumor cells. This nanomotor design offers a versatile approach for developing dual stimuli-responsive nanomotors that operate more effectively in complex environments.

Drug delivery for epilepsy treatment faces enormous challenges, where the sole focus on enhancing the ability of drugs to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) through ligand modification is insufficient because of the absence of seizure-specific drug accumulation. In this study, an amphipathic drug carrier with a glucose transporter (GLUT)-targeting capability was synthesised by conjugating 2-deoxy-2-amino-D-glucose (2-DG) to the model carrier DSPE-PEG_2k. A 2-DG-modified nano drug delivery system (NDDS) possessing robust stability and favourable biocompatibility was then fabricated using the nanoprecipitation method. The results showed that the 2-DG-modified NDDS exhibited enhanced cellular uptake by brain capillary endothelial cells and neuronal cells. Most importantly, the 2-DG-modified NDDS exhibited enhanced BBB penetration and brain accumulation, especially in the epileptic brain, thus achieving seizure-based on-demand drug delivery. Our study provides a simple and smart strategy for the delivery of anti-seizure medicines.

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has offered a great treasure and source of inspiration for developing innovative medicinal materials and therapy. In this work, inspired by the macroscopic compatibility of Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Gypsum Ustum in CHM, the puerarin (PUE) and CaSO₄ (Ca) as the main constituents, respectively, from the two herbs are co-assembled into two-component molecular hydrogels. Such two-component gels exhibited enhanced mechanical properties compared with the single-component PUE gel due to the introduction of crosslinking hydrogen bonds between PUE and Ca. Importantly, the two-component gels show good biocompatibility and antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Moreover, in vivo wound healing experiments on an E. coli-infected mouse model together with the histological and immunological analyses were conducted, revealing that the two-component gels possessed good wound-healing-promoting functions. Our research shows how the medication practice of CHM can contribute to the development of novel bio-soft materials. It is anticipated that more herbal medicine-inspired medicinal materials will be built and tailored for specific bio-applications.

The reason why certain bacteria, e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), produce acetylated alginate (Alg) in their biofilms remains one of the most intriguing facts in microbiology. Being the main structural component of the secreted biofilm, like the one formed in the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, Alg plays a crucial role in protecting the bacteria from environmental stress and potential threats. Nonetheless, to investigate the PA biofilm environment and its lack of susceptibility to antibiotic treatment, the currently developed in vitro biofilm models use native seaweed Alg, which is a non-acetylated Alg. The role of the acetyl side group on the backbone of bacterial Alg has never been elucidated, and the transposition of experimental results obtained from such systems to clinical conditions (e.g., to treat CF-infection) may be hazardous. We systematically investigated the influence of acetylation on the physico-chemical and mechanical properties of Alg in solution and Ca²⁺-crosslinked hydrogels. Furthermore, we assessed how the acetylation influenced the interaction of Alg with tobramycin, a common aminoglycoside antibiotic for PA. Our study revealed that the degree of acetylation directly impacts the viscosity and Young's Modulus of Alg in a pH-dependent manner. Acetylation increased the mesh size in biofilm-like Alg hydrogels, directly influencing antibiotic penetration. Our results provide essential insights to create more clinically relevant in vitro infection models to test the efficacy of new drugs or to better understand the 3D microenvironment of PA biofilms.