Innovative nanocarriers: Synthetic and biomimetic strategies for enhanced drug delivery.

Effective drug delivery plays a vital role in the treatment of various biomedical conditions. Application of innovative nanocarriers could address issues faced in drug delivery such as poor drug distribution, inefficient penetration across biological barriers, targeting and security. With the development of nanotechnology, the preparation approaches, structures and properties of nanocarriers are continuously improving, while the comparison of detailed construction strategies and corresponding innovative application of different nanocarriers for enhanced drug delivery are few.

Sequential construction of vascularized and mineralized bone organoids using engineered ECM-DNA-CPO-based bionic matrix for efficient bone regeneration.

Given the limitations of allogeneic and artificial bone grafts, bone organoids have attracted extensive attention for their physiological properties that closely resemble natural bone, offering great potential to bone reconstruction for critical-sized bone defects. Although early-stage bone organoids such as osteo-callus organoids and woven bone organoids have been reported, functional bone organoids with vascularization and mineralization are currently unavailable due to the lack of bone-mimicking matrix and dynamic culture systems suitable for the long-term cultivation of mature bone organoids. Herein, a novel engineered bionic matrix hydrogels with multifunctional components and double network structure are developed by incorporating calcium phosphate oligomers (CPO) into a combination of bone-derived decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) and salmon-derived deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) via photo-crosslinking and dynamic self-assembly strategies.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals decreased expression of detoxification genes in Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to mepanipyrim and cyprodinil: Implications for multigenerational exposure effects.

The broad-spectrum fungicides mepanipyrim (Mep) and cyprodinil (Cyp) have been reported to be used worldwide to control gray mold of fruit crops. Consequently, they are often detected in the water and food items. However, the impacts and potential mechanisms of these two pesticides on environmental organisms remain unclear.

L-Theanine Prolongs the Lifespan by Activating Multiple Molecular Pathways in Ultraviolet C-Exposed .

L-theanine, a unique non-protein amino acid, is an important bioactive component of green tea. Previous studies have shown that L-theanine has many potent health benefits, such as anti-anxiety effects, regulation of the immune response, relaxing neural tension, and reducing oxidative damage. However, little is known concerning whether L-theanine can improve the clearance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in organisms.

Smart responsive hydrogel systems applied in bone tissue engineering.

The repair of irregular bone tissue suffers severe clinical problems due to the scarcity of an appropriate therapeutic carrier that can match dynamic and complex bone damage. Fortunately, stimuli-responsive hydrogel systems that are triggered by a special microenvironment could be an ideal method of regenerating bone tissue because of the injectability, gelatin, and spatiotemporally tunable drug release. Herein, we introduce the two main stimulus-response approaches, exogenous and endogenous, to forming hydrogels in bone tissue engineering.

Hourglass-like constriction of the anterior interosseous nerve in the left forearm: A case report.

Background: Hourglass-like constriction neuropathy is a rare neurological disorder. The main clinical manifestation is peripheral nerve injury with no apparent cause, and the pathomorphological change is an unexplained narrowing of the diseased nerve. The diagnosis and treatment of the disease are challenging and there is no accepted diagnostic or therapeutic approach.

Neurotoxicity of bisphenol A exposure on Caenorhabditis elegans induced by disturbance of neurotransmitter and oxidative damage.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is putatively regarded as an environmental neurotoxicant found in everyday plastic products and materials, however, the possible neurobehavioral adverse consequences and molecular mechanisms in animals have not been clearly characterized. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become a promising animal model for neurotoxicological researches. To investigate the dose-effect relationships of BPA-induced neurotoxicity effects, the locomotion behavior and developmental parameters of the nematode were determined after BPA exposure.

Myeloid sarcoma with ulnar nerve entrapment: A case report.

Background: Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is relatively rare, occurring mainly in the skin and lymph nodes, and MS invasion of the ulnar nerve is particularly unusual. The main aim of this article is to present a case of MS invading the brachial plexus, causing ulnar nerve entrapment syndrome, and to further clinical understanding of the possibility of MS invasion of peripheral nerves.

Case Summary: We present the case of a 46-year-old man with a 13-year history of well-treated acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia who was admitted to the hospital after presenting with numbness and pain in his left little finger.

High-resolution silkworm pan-genome provides genetic insights into artificial selection and ecological adaptation.

The silkworm Bombyx mori is an important economic insect for producing silk, the "queen of fabrics". The currently available genomes limit the understanding of its genetic diversity and the discovery of valuable alleles for breeding. Here, we deeply re-sequence 1,078 silkworms and assemble long-read genomes for 545 representatives.

Mutation of a lepidopteran-specific PMP-like protein, BmLSPMP-like, induces a stick body shape in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Background: Lepidoptera is one of the largest orders of insects, some of which are major pests of crops and forests. The cuticles of lepidopteran pests play important roles in defense against insecticides and pathogens, and are indispensable for constructing and maintaining extracellular structures and locomotion during their life cycle. Lepidopteran-specific cuticular proteins could be potential targets for lepidopteran pest control.

Co-biomembrane-coated FeO/MnO multifunctional nanoparticles for targeted delivery and enhanced chemodynamic/photothermal/chemo therapy.

Here, the co-membrane system of MCF-7 breast cancer cell membrane (MM) and Escherichia coli membrane (EM)-coated Fe3O4/MnO2 multifunctional composite nanoparticles loaded with DOX (Fe3O4/MnO2/MM/EM/D) was used for targeted drug delivery and biological imaging.

Sob gene is critical to wing development in Bombyx mori and Tribolium castaneum.

The development of insect appendages requires the expression of multiple genes in a strict spatial and temporal order. The odd-skipped family genes are vital transcriptional factors involved in embryonic development. The development and morphogenesis of the insect wing requires multiple transcription factors to regulate the expression of wing patterning genes at the transcriptional level.

DIA-based proteome reveals the involvement of cuticular proteins and lipids in the wing structure construction in the silkworm.

Wing discs of Bombyx mori (B. mori) are transformed into wings during metamorphosis via dramatic morphological and structural changes. Mutations in genes related to the wings cause the adults to have altered wing shapes or abnormal wing colour.

Cocoonase is indispensable for Lepidoptera insects breaking the sealed cocoon.

Many insects spin cocoons to protect the pupae from unfavorable environments and predators. After emerging from the pupa, the moths must escape from the sealed cocoons. Previous works identified cocoonase as the active enzyme loosening the cocoon to form an escape-hatch.

Molecular basis of the silkworm mutant re causing red egg color and embryonic death.

The coloration and hatchability of insect eggs can affect individual and population survival. However, few genetic loci have been documented to affect both traits, and the genes involved in regulating these two traits are unclear. The silkworm recessive mutant re shows both red egg color and embryo mortality.

The beta-1, 4-N-acetylglucosaminidase 1 gene, selected by domestication and breeding, is involved in cocoon construction of Bombyx mori.

Holometabolous insects have distinct larval, pupal, and adult stages. The pupal stage is typically immobile and can be subject to predation, but cocoon offers pupal protection for many insect species. The cocoon provides a space in which the pupa to adult metamorphosis occurs.

Ara-c induces cell cycle G1/S arrest by inducing upregulation of the INK4 family gene or directly inhibiting the formation of the cell cycle-dependent complex CDK4/cyclin D1.

Cytosine arabinoside (Ara-c) is a pyrimidine anti-metabolite that is capable of interfering with cellular proliferation by inhibiting DNA synthesis. Each inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (INK4) family member has the ability to bind to cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and inhibit the formation of the cell cycle-dependent CDK4/cyclin D1 complex, subsequently leading to cell cycle arrest in the G1/S phase. In this study, the expression of INK4 family genes in kidney cancer and the impact of these genes on patient prognosis were examined.

QTL analysis of cocoon shell weight identifies BmRPL18 associated with silk protein synthesis in silkworm by pooling sequencing.

Mechanisms that regulate silk protein synthesis provide the basis for silkworm variety breeding and silk gland bioreactor optimization. Here, using the pooling sequencing-based methodology, we deciphered the genetic basis for the varied silk production in different silkworm strains. We identified 8 SNPs, with 6 on chromosome 11 and 1 each on chromosomes 22 and 23, that were linked with silk production.

Body Shape and Coloration of Silkworm Larvae Are Influenced by a Novel Cuticular Protein.

The genetic basis of body shape and coloration patterns on caterpillars is often assumed to be regulated separately, but it is possible that common molecules affect both types of trait simultaneously. Here we examine the genetic basis of a spontaneous cuticle defect in silkworm, where larvae exhibit a bamboo-like body shape and decreased pigmentation. We performed linkage mapping and mutation screening to determine the gene product that affects body shape and coloration simultaneously.

Molecular mapping and characterization of the silkworm apodal mutant.

The morphological diversity of insects is important for their survival; in essence, it results from the differential expression of genes during development of the insect body. The silkworm apodal (ap) mutant has degraded thoracic legs making crawling and eating difficult and the female is sterile, which is an ideal subject for studying the molecular mechanisms of morphogenesis. Here, we confirmed that the infertility of ap female moths is a result of the degradation of the bursa copulatrix.

Mutation of a cuticular protein, BmorCPR2, alters larval body shape and adaptability in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Cuticular proteins (CPs) are crucial components of the insect cuticle. Although numerous genes encoding cuticular proteins have been identified in known insect genomes to date, their functions in maintaining insect body shape and adaptability remain largely unknown. In the current study, positional cloning led to the identification of a gene encoding an RR1-type cuticular protein, BmorCPR2, highly expressed in larval chitin-rich tissues and at the mulberry leaf-eating stages, which is responsible for the silkworm stony mutant.