Adult hippocampal neurogenesis: New avenues for treatment of brain disorders.

Neurogenesis, the biological process of forming new neurons, was traditionally believed to occur only during embryonic stages in the mammalian central nervous system for a long time. Over the past few decades, due to the development of new techniques and the accumulation of supportive evidence, adult neurogenesis is now accepted as the one of the most robust forms of plasticity in the adult brain, which contributes to physiological function as well as a range of neurological or psychiatric disorders. In this review, we mainly concentrate on adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus, the most likely neurogenic niche with significant roles in various brain functions.

Lipidic Prodrug Co-Crystals: A Platform for Combination Therapy Targeting Fungal Biofilms.

Fungal infections are often complicated by biofilm formation and concurrent inflammation, limiting the efficacy of conventional antifungal therapies. To address these challenges, we developed a novel hybrid drug delivery platform-lipidic prodrug co-crystals (LPCCs)-that combines the benefits of lipidic self-assembly and pharmaceutical co-crystallization. In this study, a lipidic prodrug is synthesized by linking catechol-containing α-aminophosphonate with phenylboronic acid-modified bifonazole (Bfz), an antifungal agent, via boronate bonding.

Design and Application of Antibacterial Bioactive Films for Food Preservation: A Review.

With the increasing demand for safer and healthier foods, there is an urgent need for more effective food packaging solutions in the food supply chain. Antimicrobial bioactive films have emerged as a promising approach to mitigate microbial contamination risks for foods during storage and transportation. This review systematically analyzes the latest research advances in antimicrobial bioactive films for food preservation.

Engineering small extracellular vesicles: Unlocking the brain's secret passage for central nervous system therapies.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), naturally occurring extracellular vesicles, play a pivotal role in intercellular communication and have gained significant attention for their potential in treating central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Due to their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and deliver therapeutic cargo, sEVs are considered a promising vehicle for targeted drug delivery in CNS disorders. Recent advancements in sEVs engineering-such as surface modifications, genetic alterations, and cargo optimization-have substantially enhanced their specificity and therapeutic efficacy.

Changing genes, cells and networks to reprogram the brain after stroke.

Important advances have been made in reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke. However, a majority of patients are either ineligible for or do not respond to treatments and continue to have considerable functional deficits. Stroke results in a pathological disruption of the neurovascular unit (NVU) that involves blood-brain barrier leakage, glial activation, neuronal damage and chronic inflammation, all of which create a microenvironment that hinders recovery.

Divergent Driving Mechanisms Shape the Temporal Dynamics of Benthic Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Microbial Communities in Coastal Subtidal Zones.

Benthic microbial communities are a vital component of coastal subtidal zones, playing an essential role in nutrient cycling and energy flow, and are fundamental to maintaining the stability and functioning of marine ecosystems. However, the response of benthic prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities to environmental changes remains poorly understood. Herein, we conducted a nearly semimonthly annual sampling survey to investigate the temporal patterns and underlying mechanisms of benthic prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities in the subtidal sediments of Sanshan Island, situated in the eastern Laizhou Bay of the Bohai Sea, China.

Red blood cell membrane-derived phototherapeutic nanodiscs: A new platform for enhanced phototherapy.

Phototherapy holds great potential for treating cancer and infections but faces limitations related to photosensitizer accumulation, tissue penetration, and diminished photo-conversion efficiency, particularly in deep-seated tumors and infections. Here, a biomimetic phototherapeutic nanodisc platform consisting of erythrocyte membranes and the photosensitizer IR780 is developed. With the advantages of the ultra-small size and exceptional biosafety of cell membrane-derived nanodiscs, this platform facilitates efficient accumulation and deep tissue penetration at disease sites.

Proteome trade-off between primary and secondary metabolism shapes acid stress induced bacterial exopolysaccharide production.

Bacterial exopolysaccharide (EPS), as a high-value probiotic product, is known to be biosynthesized by a secondary metabolic pathway to mediate acid stress in lactic acid bacteria. However, a quantitative understanding of cellular resource coordination underlying acid stress-induced EPS production remains lacking. Systematically investigating Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HMX2, a well acknowledged EPS-producer, this study measured growth phenotypes, metabolomics, and proteomics of the target strain cultured at different pH values.

Xerostomia correlates with pain sensitivity in burning mouth syndrome patients.

Patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) often exhibit abnormal somatosensory function, and xerostomia is a common accompanying symptom. This study aimed to explore whether xerostomia is associated with pain sensitivity in patients with BMS. A total of 82 female patients with BMS were enrolled, including 55 with xerostomia.

Huperzine A attenuates epileptic seizures via enhancing dCA1-projecting septal cholinergic transmission.

Cholinergic transmission, independent of classical glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling, critically plays a crucial role in epilepsy. Huperzine A (Hup A), an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, exerts potent anticonvulsant activity, but its mechanism of action within cholinergic circuits remains unclear. Here, we show that Hup A mitigates epileptic seizures by enhancing hippocampal dorsal CA1 (dCA1)-projecting cholinergic transmission.

Microplastics in marine systems: A review of sources and sinks, typical environmental behaviors, and biological effects.

Marine microplastics (MPs), whether originating from household and industrial production or stemming from the degradation of larger plastic fragments, have currently attracted significant global attention among the scientific community. The transport and deposition of MPs, characterized by their small size and large quantity, under oceanic hydrodynamics result in the contamination of a wide range of areas. Furthermore, MPs are capable of carrying metals and organic pollutants that constitute composite pollutants.

Fat substitute in salad dressing: The role of soybean oil body self-aggregates in enhancing texture and rheological property.

Salad dressing have become a popular condiment in many countries. However, their high fat content may contribute to obesity and related health issues. In this study, mild and extensive purification were used to extract soybean oil body (SOB) with different protein compositions, and further modulated the interfacial charge interactions, thereby producing SOB self-aggregates for fat substitute in salad dressing.

Targeted therapeutic strategy for oral squamous carcinoma using celecoxib-loaded GABA/wheat gluten-alginate nanocarrier hydrogel with glutathione down-regulation and enhanced CCND2-mediated apoptosis.

The intricate architecture of the oral cavity results in insufficient surgical excision of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) potentially increasing the risk of metastasis and recurrence during treatment. In situ generating injectable hydrogels, characterized by minimally invasive methods, encapsulating stability, and pH-responsive breakdown have emerged as viable delivery systems. Herein, we aim to explore a particular therapeutic modality involving the use of celecoxib-loaded GABA/wheat gluten‑sodium alginate (SA/WG-GABA+COX(40)) nanocarriers in enhancing apoptosis of OSCC (HSC-3 & SCC-25).

Neuroprotective role of Da Qin Jiu decoction in ischemic stroke: Mitochondrial rescue through PI3K/Akt-mediated UPR activation.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ischemic stroke (IS) is a highly debilitating neurological condition with limited treatment options and suboptimal outcomes. The traditional Chinese medicine formula Da Qin Jiu Decoction (DQJD) has been widely used for its neuroprotective effects. However, its potential mechanisms of action in IS remain unclear.

Effects of aging on diurnal transcriptome change in the mouse corpus callosum.

The corpus callosum, a major white matter region central to cognitive function, is vulnerable to aging. Using zeitgeber time (ZT) aligned with environmental light/dark cycles, we investigated temporal gene expression patterns in the corpus callosum of young (5-month-old) and aged (24-month-old) mice using RNA-seq. Comparative analysis revealed more differentially expressed genes across ZT pairs in young mice than aged mice.

Integration of volatilomics and microbiome diversity reveals key flavor-related metabolic pathways in semi-dried large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea).

A complex microbial community is critical for developing unique flavors in semi-dried large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea). Volatilomics analysis identified hexanal, heptanal, nonanal, phenylacetaldehyde, 1-octen-3-ol, and butanoic acid were identified as the key flavor compounds in the fish. Clostridium sensu stricto was the dominant genus, with a relative abundance of 79.

PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade in breast cancer: research insights and sensitization strategies.

Immunotherapy targeting programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and PD-L1 immune checkpoints has reshaped treatment paradigms across several cancers, including breast cancer. Combining PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) with chemotherapy has shown promising efficacy in both early and metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, although only a subset of patients experiences durable responses. Identifying responders and optimizing immune drug selection are therefore critical.

High expression of malic enzyme 1 predicts adverse prognosis in patients with cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukaemia and promotes leukaemogenesis through the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathways.

Background: Progress in improving risk stratification methods for patients with cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukaemia (CN-AML) remains limited. This study investigates the prognostic significance and potential functional mechanism of malic enzyme 1 (ME1) in CN-AML.

Methods: Gene expression and clinical data of patients with CN-AML were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets, which were subjected to analysis.

Structural and functional optimization of glycoprotein-enzymes for targeted biocatalysis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The efficacy of optimized glycoproteinenzymes as a novel therapeutic approach for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was tested in this study. The stability and viability of SCC-25 and HN4 operating-system cell lines were characterized. Both lines were confirmed to have a spindle-like morphology for SCC-25, while HN4 cells exhibited cobblestone-like clusters.

Coupling Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production with Key Oxidation Reactions.

Hydrogen represents a clean and sustainable energy source with wide applications in fuel cells and hydrogen energy storage systems. Photocatalytic strategies emerge as a green and promising solution for hydrogen production, which still reveals several critical challenges in enhancing the efficiency and stability and improving the whole value. This review systematically elaborates on various coupling approaches for photocatalytic hydrogen production, aiming to improve both efficiency and value through different oxidation half-reactions.

Construction of CXCR4 Receptor-Targeted CuFeSe Nano Theranostic Platform and Its Application in MR/CT Dual Model Imaging and Photothermal Therapy.

Introduction: Targeting, imaging, and treating tumors represent major clinical challenges. Developing effective theranostic agents to address these issues is an urgent need.

Methods: We introduce an "all-in-one" tumor-targeted theranostic platform using CuFeSe-based composite nanoparticles (CuFeSe@PA) for magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) dual model imaging-guided hyperthermia tumor ablation.

ATF5-Mediated Mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) Protects Neurons Against Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation and Cerebral Ischemia.

Background: The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR) is an evolutionarily conserved mitochondrial response that is critical for maintaining mitochondrial and energetic homeostasis under cellular stress after tissue injury and disease. Here, we ask whether UPR may be a potential therapeutic target for ischemic stroke.

Methods: We performed the middle cerebral artery occlusion and oxygen-glucose deprivation models to mimic ischemic stroke in vivo and in vitro, respectively.