Ellagic Acid Promotes Lipid Reduction in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice by Remodeling the Gut Microbiota and Activating PPAR Pathways and Retinol Metabolism in Adipose Tissue.

Ellagic acid (EA), a bioactive polyphenol abundant in pomegranate and berries, exhibits potential in metabolic regulation. This study investigates EA's anti-obesity mechanisms, focusing on its effects on gut microbiota and transcriptional regulation in adipose tissue. After a 9-week high-fat diet feeding, mice were divided into groups and treated with low-dose EA (10 mg/kg/day), high-dose EA (30 mg/kg/day), or urolithin A (20 mg/kg/day) for 7 weeks, with healthy and obese controls included.

Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization, and Expression Analysis of Gene Family in .

Nitrogen (N) is crucial for plant growth and stress resistance and is primarily absorbed and transported by nitrate transporters (NRT). , known for its strong salt-alkali stress resistance, and genes have rarely been reported. This study aims to identify and analyze the gene family to understand its composition, evolutionary patterns, and roles in salt stress responses.

Nanogel-Engineered Drug Delivery Systems for Enhanced Ocular Therapeutics.

Despite the growing global burden of ocular disorders, conventional ophthalmic formulations remain limited by inadequate bioavailability, rapid clearance, and poor corneal penetration, necessitating frequent dosing and compromising efficacy. This review highlights the revolutionary potential of nanogels, which integrate the advantages of nanoparticles and hydrogels, as advanced ocular drug delivery systems. Through structural engineering and advanced preparation techniques, nanogels achieve enhanced corneal retention, superior mucoadhesion, and controlled drug release.

Pulsatile sequential drug release system for cascade tumor deep penetration and differentiation therapy to enhance chemoimmunotherapy.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) contribute to chemoresistance and immunosuppression, constraining chemoimmunotherapy outcomes. Differentiation therapy, aiming to mature CSCs and MDSCs, shows great promise. However, its efficacy is hindered by limited accessibility in hypoxic deep tumor regions.

SP3 and DEP1 Orchestrate Panicle Architecture by Jointly Regulating APO2 Expression in Rice.

Panicle architecture is largely determined by meristem activity. This previous study shows that DNA binding with one finger (Dof) transcription factor Short Panicle 3 (SP3) regulates panicle architecture. However, the molecular mechanisms of SP3 controlling panicle architecture remain largely unknown.

[Role of traditional Chinese medicine concepts in the prevention of childhood caries].

The high prevalence of childhood caries poses a considerable threat to children's overall health. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) concepts offers a distinctive and valuable perspective on caries prevention. This study explores TCM's conceptualization of dental caries in relation to the physiological characteristics of children and proposes targeted preventive strategies, including holistic care, dietary regulation, and lifestyle modification.

[Early clinical observation of the efficacy of a three-stage traditional Chinese medicine external treatment plan for talus Bone bruises caused by acute ankle sprain].

Objective: To explore the early clinical efficacy of a three-stage external treatment with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of talar bone contusion caused by acute ankle sprain.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 360 patients with primary lateral ankle sprain admitted from September 2021 to July 2024. Patients with talar bone contusion were selected based on MRI examination, and 73 cases were finally included.

Site-specific engineering of S-Te-S bridged nano-prodrug: A dual equilibrium strategy for enhanced antitumor efficacy and safety of paclitaxel.

Homodimeric prodrug nanoassemblies (HPNs) have emerged as an effective strategy to enhance the therapeutic efficacy and safety of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, achieving both stable assembly and rapid drug release in tumor remains a critical challenge. Herein, we designed S-Te-S linkages with varying linkage lengths (α-, β-, and γ-) to develop three paclitaxel (PTX) homodimeric prodrug nanoassemblies (PHPNs).

Customization of protein corona to reprogram cancer nanomedicines: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications.

As revolutionary delivery platforms and cutting-edge therapeutic agents, nanomedicines have emerged as a pivotal frontier in cancer therapeutics. Nevertheless, the clinical translation of nanomedicines confronts a critical biological barrier: the spontaneous formation of a protein corona through dynamic nanoparticle-protein interactions in physiological microenvironments. This acquired biomolecular layer fundamentally reshapes the physicochemical identity and biological trajectory of nanoparticles, compromising targeting precision and therapeutic efficacy.

Robust antitumor treatment driven by lock-and-key biorecognition of dynamic cyclic diselenide-guided chiral prodrug self-assembly.

Designing highly selective nanomedicines with precise recognition of biological interfaces for efficient cancer therapy represents a tremendous challenge. Inspired by the inherent chirality and enantioselectivity of organisms, we constructed dynamic chiral cyclic diselenide-conjugated paclitaxel prodrug nanoassemblies (CSEPNs) to simulate the chiral recognition process. The optimal chiral configuration with potent antitumor effects was screened by deconstructing the lock-and-key biorecognition of CSEPNs.

Probiotic-Drug Conjugates Achieve Synchronized Site-Specific Probiotic Colonization and On-Demand Drug Release against Ulcerative Colitis and Its Complication.

The oral surface-modified probiotic therapy, capable of maintaining activity and adhesion of probiotics under harsh gastrointestinal conditions, is effective in treating ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the currently reported surface-modified probiotics suffer from poor selective colonization at a lesion site and limited codelivery capability with other treatment modalities due to different physicochemical properties. Herein, we develop triggerable probiotic-drug conjugates that enable synchronous site-specific probiotic colonization and on-demand drug release for the treatment of UC and its complication.

Nanozyme-enabled cancer theranostics: bridging enzyme mimicry and material intelligence.

Nanozymes, an innovative class of biocatalytic nanomaterials, have emerged as promising tools in cancer theranostics. By combining the advantages of nanotechnology and enzymes, nanozymes not only mimic the functions of natural enzymes but also specifically target tumor sites, significantly enhancing the efficiency of biological reactions and overcoming the limitations of natural enzymes. In this review, we first introduce the catalytic activities and physicochemical properties of nanozymes.

Chimeric exosomes-derived immunomodulator restoring lymph nodes microenvironment for sensitizing TNBC immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy is a breakthrough in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), although it is only effective in a portion of patients. Our clinical studies find that pathological elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid homeostasis imbalance are closely associated with dysfunction of dendritic cells (DCs) in the immunosuppressive lymph nodes (LNs) microenvironment of TNBC patients following immunotherapy, which greatly affect the immunotherapeutic efficacy. Building on this, we introduce a chimeric exosomes-derived immunomodulator involving the polysulfide bond-bridged mesoporous silica as both the ROS scavenger and responsive carrier nucleus, loading with the lipid modulator toyocamycin and being coated with chimeric exosomes comprising DCs-derived exosomes and Salmonella outer membrane vesicles.

Leech Extract Enhances the Pro-Angiogenic Effects of Endothelial Cell-Derived Exosomes in a Mouse Model of Ischemic Stroke.

Background: Intercellular communication, facilitated by exosomes (Exos) derived from endothelial cells (ECs), significantly influences the regulation of angiogenesis. Leech extract significantly reduces ischemia-reperfusion injury, promotes angiogenesis, and improves neurological function in mice with stroke. However, further investigation is required to determine whether leech promotes angiogenesis through EC-Exo.

Engineered platelet-derived exosomal spheres for enhanced tumor penetration and extended circulation in melanoma immunotherapy.

Cells and exosomes derived from them are extensively used as biological carrier systems. Cells demonstrate superior targeting specificity and prolonged circulation facilitated by their rich array of surface proteins, while exosomes, due to their small size, cross barriers and penetrate tumors efficiently. However, challenges remain, cells' large size restricts tissue penetration, and exosomes have limited targeting accuracy and short circulation times.

Overcoming Fluorescence Interference: "Planar Hotspot" Substrates for Vitamin B Detection with SERS.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has demonstrated remarkable potential for molecular detection due to its specificity. However, detecting fluorescent vitamin B molecules remains challenging due to fluorescence interference and weak Raman cross-sections. To address this, we developed an innovative large-area silver nanodisk substrate with "planar hotspots" featuring an extensive effective hotspot surface area.

A chemotherapy nano-booster unlocks wider therapeutic window for prostate cancer treatment.

Clinical chemotherapy for prostate cancer is still compromised by high treatment thresholds and severe off-target toxicity of drugs. Given the limited progress in improving therapeutic outcomes and reducing toxicity with the existing toolbox, efforts to broaden the chemotherapeutic window are highly desired. Here, we discover that gossypol (GSP, a natural compound) dramatically enhances the chemosensitivity of cabazitaxel (CTX), even at previously ineffective concentrations.

Self-degradable "gemini-like" ionizable lipid-mediated delivery of siRNA for subcellular-specific gene therapy of hepatic diseases.

Tailored lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)-mediated small interfering RNA (siRNA) nanomedicines show promise in treating liver disease, such as acute liver injury (ALI) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, constructing LNPs that address biosafety concerns, ensure efficient delivery, and target specific hepatic subcellular fractions has been challenging. To evade above obstacles, we develop three novel self-degradable "gemini-like" ionizable lipids (SS-MA, SS-DC, SS-MH) by incorporating disulfide bonds and modifying the length of ester bond and tertiary amino head.

Epigenetic regulation modulates seasonal temperature-dependent growth of soybean in southern China.

Epigenetic variations, including DNA methylation and small RNAs, are crucial for plant stress adaptation. However, their association with soybean adaptation to natural environments remains unclear. Through multi-omics analyses, we investigate soybeans from distinct geographical regions (Northern China: HH43, Southern China: HX3, and Wm82) and grown under contrasting South Winter (SW) and South Summer (SS) conditions in China.

Targeting Intratumoral Bacteria for Cancer Treatment.

Intratumoral bacteria have emerged as critical modulators of cancer biology and therapeutic outcomes. Substantial evidence has demonstrated that tumors harbor diverse bacterial communities capable of interacting with both cancer cells and host immunity to influence tumor progression and treatment responses. These bacteria adapt to the immunosuppressive, hypoxic, and acidic tumor microenvironment, leveraging these conditions to thrive.

Bioinspired Twisted Artificial Muscles with Enhanced Performance for Underwater Applications.

Twisted artificial muscles (TAMs) demonstrate great promise in robotic applications involving locomotion and manipulation. However, their functionality in underwater environments remains challenging due to limitations in deformation, output force, and heat dissipation especially for thermally driven TAMs. To address these challenges, a novel TAM configuration inspired by the twining structures of climbing plants that consists of braided and pre-twisted fiber bundles is proposed.

NASP implication in the androgen receptor associated with castration resistance in prostate cancer.

Uncovering the mechanisms underlying tumor malignancy is extremely important for cancer treatment and management. In this study, using a pairwise cell model, LNCaP and its castration-resistant derivative C42B, we analyze the function of enhanced NASP protein in castration resistance. The data show that the expression of androgen receptor-targeted genes was obviously affected by NASP knockdown in C42B cells, and nearly 20% of the differential genes were AR dependent.

A "Glue" Strategy to Engineer Cancer Cell Membrane-Camouflaged Prodrug Nanoassemblies for Efficient Targeted Chemotherapy.

Homodimeric prodrug nanoassemblies (HDPNs) offer a unique approach to improving the selectivity of chemo-drugs but demonstrate suboptimal tumor targeting efficiency. Cell membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles, particularly those using homologous cancer cell membranes (CM), can achieve excellent tumor accumulation. However, it is challenging to prepare CM-camouflaged HDPNs due to the poor affinity between hydrophobic HDPNs and hydrophilic CM.

Galangin Nano-Cocktail Balances Prodrug Activation and Antitumor Response for Enhanced Cancer Treatment.

Despite potent antitumor activity, the clinical application of SN38 is constrained by undesirable physicochemical properties and a narrow therapeutic window. Prodrug design offers a promising solution, but drug activation delay in tumor cells contributes to unsatisfactory therapeutic outcomes. Herein, it is found that galangin (GA), a natural compound derived from Chinese herbal medicine, evidently enhances the chemosensitivity of SN38 and its prodrug, retaining antitumor activity even at previously ineffective concentrations.