Self-assembled transdermal nanogels control scar formation by inhibiting fibroblast proliferation and fibrosis with glycolysis regulation via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Hypertrophic scar (HS) is one of the most common challenges in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. HS formation is associated with the abnormal activation of fibroblasts. These fibroblasts exhibit excessive proliferative and fibrotic behavior, which can be induced by glycolysis dysregulation.

Research trends of piezoelectric materials in neurodegenerative disease applications.

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and huntington's disease, pose significant threats to human health, with current treatment options remaining limited. Piezoelectric materials, known for their ability to convert mechanical energy into electrical signals at the nanoscale, hold great promise in the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases due to their excellent electromechanical properties, environmental stability, and sensitivity. This review systematically outlines the working principles and classifications of piezoelectric materials.

Ultrasound-Mediated Piezoelectric Microneedles Regulating Macrophage Polarization and Remodeling Pathological Microenvironment for Lymphedema Improvement.

Lymphedema, a severe and complex inflammatory disease caused by lymphatic system insufficiency and impeded lymphatic drainage that causes an enormous physical and psychological burden on patients and may even lead to death, has long been a challenging issue in the medical field. Clinically, conventional approaches including surgical treatment and conservative treatment have been employed for lymphedema therapy, but their curative effect is still unsatisfactory because of high operational difficulty, high cost, and long-term reliance. In this study, a novel kind of piezoelectric microneedle driven by ultrasound (US) is proposed to regulate macrophage polarization and remodel the pathological inflammatory microenvironment in a noninvasive manner, thereby promoting lymphatic regeneration and improving lymphedema.

Chiral Supramolecular Hydrogel Enhanced Transdermal Delivery of Sodium Aescinate to Modulate M1 Macrophage Polarization Against Lymphedema.

Sodium aescinate (SA) shows great potential for treating lymphedema since it can regulate the expression of cytokines in M1 macrophages, however, it is commonly administered intravenously in clinical practice and often accompanied by severe toxic side effects and short metabolic cycles. Herein, SA-loaded chiral supramolecular hydrogels are prepared to prove the curative effects of SA on lymphedema and enhance its safety and transdermal transmission efficiency. In vitro studies demonstrate that SA- loaded chiral supramolecular hydrogels can modulate local immune responses by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization.

Improvement of surgical scars by early intervention with 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy: A case report.

Surgical scar formation afflicts patients and current treatments are limited by inconsistent efficacy, long-term and painful treatment processes. In this report, a patient received 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy (5-ALA PDT) on the first postoperative day, once a week for 5 sessions. At two-year follow-up, the intervention of 5-ALA PDT at early stage decreased the vascular density and improved extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition.

NIR-II live imaging study on the degradation pattern of collagen in the mouse model.

The degradation of collagen in different body parts is a critical point for designing collagen-based biomedical products. Here, three kinds of collagens labeled by second near-infrared (NIR-II) quantum dots (QDs), including collagen with low crosslinking degree (LC), middle crosslinking degree (MC) and high crosslinking degree (HC), were injected into the subcutaneous tissue, muscle and joints of the mouse model, respectively, in order to investigate the degradation pattern of collagen by NIR-II live imaging. The results of NIR-II imaging indicated that all tested collagens could be fully degraded after 35 days in the subcutaneous tissue, muscle and joints of the mouse model.

In Vivo Precision Evaluation of Lymphatic Function by SWIR Luminescence Imaging with PbS Quantum Dots.

Advancements in lymphography technology are essential for comprehensive investigation of the lymphatic system and its function. Here, a shortwave infrared (SWIR) luminescence imaging of lymphatic vessels is proposed in both normal and lymphatic dysfunction in rat models with PbS quantum dots (PbS Qdots). The lymphography with PbS Qdots can clearly and rapidly demonstrate the normal lymphatic morphology in both the tail and hind limb.

Control of fibrosis and hypertrophic scar formation via glycolysis regulation with IR780.

Background: Hypertrophic scars (HS) represent one of the most common clinical challenges due to unsatisfactory therapeutic results. HS formation is associated with the abnormal activation of fibroblasts and their excessive fibrotic behavior. Glycolysis dysregulation has been shown to participate in the incidence and progression of various fibrotic diseases and shows potential as a means of controlling HS formation.

Layer-by-Layer Pirfenidone/Cerium Oxide Nanocapsule Dressing Promotes Wound Repair and Prevents Scar Formation.

An increase in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and high expression levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in wound tissue are two major problems for wound repair and scar inhibition. Modulation of the wound microenvironment is considered to be able to overcome these issues. Two possible solutions include the use of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO) as an enzyme-like ROS scavenger and pirfenidone (PFD) as an anti-fibrotic drug to inhibit the expression of TGF-β.

IR-808 loaded nanoethosomes for aggregation-enhanced synergistic transdermal photodynamic/photothermal treatment of hypertrophic scars.

Synergistic transdermal photodynamic therapy (PDT)/photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as a novel strategy for improving hypertrophic scar (HS) therapeutic outcomes. Herein, a near-infrared heptamethine cyanine dye, named IR-808, has been selected as the desirable photosensitizer owing to its PDT and PTT properties. Benefitting from the transdermal delivery ability of ethosomes (ESs), IR-808 loaded nanoethosomes (IR-808-ES) have been prepared as a novel nanophotosensitizer for the transdermal PDT/PTT of HSs.

Recent Progress in Transdermal Nanocarriers and Their Surface Modifications.

Transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) is an attractive method for drug delivery with convenient application, less first-pass effect, and fewer systemic side effects. Among all generations of TDDS, transdermal nanocarriers show the greatest clinical potential because of their non-invasive properties and high drug delivery efficiency. However, it is still difficult to design optimal transdermal nanocarriers to overcome the skin barrier, control drug release, and achieve targeting.

Non-invasive optical methods for melanoma diagnosis.

Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most common malignancies with increased incidence in the past few decades, making it a significant public health problem. The early diagnosis of melanoma is a major factor in improving patient's survival. The traditional pathway to melanoma diagnosis starts with a visual diagnosis, followed by subsequent biopsy and histopathologic evaluation.

Functional Transdermal Nanoethosomes Enhance Photodynamic Therapy of Hypertrophic Scars Self-Generating Oxygen.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new therapeutic strategy for hypertrophic scars (HSs), and nanoethosomes (ES) have attracted considerable attention as an efficient transdermal delivery system for PDT of HSs (HS-PDT). However, the delivery of photosensitizers and the hypoxic microenvironment of HSs limit HS-PDT efficacy. Consequently, functional transdermal ES (A/A-ES) that are loaded with the photosensitizer, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), and immobilized nanoenzyme Au nanoclusters (ANCs) within the ES surface have been developed that exhibit superior co-delivery characteristics and produce catalase that enhances HS-PDT efficacy.