EGCG and DOX dual-drug-loaded enzyme-responsive nanovesicles boost mitochondrial-mediated ICD for improved immunotherapy.

Enhancing cancer immunotherapy using methods that induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) can significantly improve its effectiveness and profoundly influence its role as a highly efficient cancer treatment strategy. However, the limited penetration of cytotoxic T cells into tumors, owing to dense tumor fibrosis, remains a significant barrier to immunotherapy. A tumor microenvironment-sensitive intelligent dual-drug delivery system was developed to simultaneously deliver epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and doxorubicin (DOX) to mitochondria.

Comprehensive comparison of potential flavor-active peptides, amino acids and pigments accumulation in different altitudes cultivated albino teas.

Albino tea was known for umami and exhibited varying flavors responding to cultivation and processing, necessitating further exploration. In this study, peptidomics and targeted metabolomics unraveled crucial taste related compounds in low-altitude (L) and high-altitude (H) samples. >300 peptides were newly identified via de novo sequencing, with 24 umami and 19 bitter peptides predicted with potential active cores.

Ce-UiO-66 Loaded Composite Membrane for Enhanced Proton Conductivity and Performance in Electrochemical Hydrogen Pumps via Recasting Method.

Electrochemical hydrogen pump (EHP) holds significant promise for industrial byproduct hydrogen purification, where efficient proton conduction is critical. In this study, a cerium-based metal-organic framework-doped composite membrane is successfully prepared via a recasting method. Compared to the Nafion membrane, the composite membrane exhibits a slight decrease in ion-exchange capacity but a significant improvement in water uptake, leading to enhanced membrane hydration.

Recent Advances in N-Ethyl-2-Pyrrolidinone-Substituted Flavanols (EPSFs), Novel Bioactive Components in Tea: Chemical Structure, Formation Mechanism, and Potential Health Benefits.

N-Ethyl-2-pyrrolidinone-substituted flavanols (EPSFs) are a newly discovered class of flavanol derivatives in tea and have emerged as a focal point in tea studies in recent years. Over 50 EPSFs and their analogs have been identified in fresh tea leaves and various tea products. These compounds are characterized by N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinone substitution at either the C-8 or C-6 position of flavanols, and they exist as chiral enantiomers (R- or S-configuration).

Methyl jasmonate-loaded chitosan nanoparticles improve tea drought resistance on drought-sensitive cultivar 'Zhongcha 108'.

DS severely impacts tea plant growth and yield. Foliar application of Methyl jasmonate (MJ) -loaded Chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) (MJ-CNPs) significantly boost tea DS resistance, necessitating further mechanism exploration. This study comprehensively investigated alterations at the phenotypic, biochemical, and genetic levels.

Elevated waist-to-hip ratio, as an abdominal obesity index, predicts the risk of diabetic kidney injury.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is associated with a high incidence of type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) in Asia. Central obesity is an important risk factor for DN, represented by a series of indices, including waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), hip circumference, and visceral to subcutaneous fat area ratio (VSR). However, limited research has focused on the association between these indices and DN.

Integrative approaches unravelling tea drought alleviation mechanisms primed by carbonyl volatiles and signal peptide.

Drought stress (DS) significantly hampers the growth and productivity of tea plants, necessitating effective strategies to enhance their resilience. This study comprehensively investigated the mechanisms of carbonyl volatiles-methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and cis-3-hexenyl acetate (cis-3-HAC) and signal peptide CLAVATA3/EMBRYO-SURROUNDING REGION-RELATED 25 (CLE25) promotion DS resistance using integrative metabolomics and proteomics strategy. Total pigment content decreased, while soluble sugar and proteins increased significantly under DS and further increased after foliar inducement of CLE25, MeJA, and cis-3-HAC.

Passivated hydrogel interface: Armor against foreign body response and inflammation in small-diameter vascular grafts.

The development of small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVGs) still faces significant challenges, particularly in overcoming blockages within vessels. A key issue is the foreign-body response (FBR) triggered by the implants, which impairs the integration between grafts and native vessels. In this study, we applied an interfacial infiltration strategy to create a stable, hydrophilic, and passivated hydrogel coating on SDVGs.

α-Ketoglutaric Acid Reprograms Macrophages by Altering Energy Metabolism to Promote the Regeneration of Small-Diameter Vascular Grafts.

Small-diameter vascular grafts still cannot clinically replace autologous blood vessels due to high restenosis rates caused by long-term inflammatory infiltration. Foreign body reactions to vascular grafts induce macrophages to adopt the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype, releasing inflammatory factors such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). This induces a phenotypic switch in smooth muscle cells, eventually leading to intimal hyperplasia.

EGCG-enabled Deep Tumor Penetration of Phosphatase and Acidity Dual-responsive Nanotherapeutics for Combinatory Therapy of Breast Cancer.

The presence of dense collagen fibers is a typical characteristic of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Although these fibers hinder drug penetration and reduce treatment efficacy, the depletion of the collagen matrix is associated with tumor metastasis. To address this issue, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is first exploited for disrupting the dense collagenous stroma and alleviate fibrosis by specifically blocking the TGF-β/Smad pathway in fibroblasts and tumor cells when intraperitoneally administrated in TNBC tumor-bearing mice.

Hypothyroidism correlates with osteoporosis: potential involvement of lipid mediators.

Background: Observational studies have demonstrated a correlation between thyroid dysfunction and osteoporosis (OP); however, the underlying causality has yet to be fully elucidated.

Methods: The necessary dataset was sourced from public databases. Initially, instrumental variables (IVs) were selected based on three primary hypotheses.

Erythropoietin regulates osteoclast formation via up-regulating PPARγ expression.

Erythropoietin (EPO), expressed in red blood progenitor cells, primarily regulates erythropoiesis by binding to its receptor. Besides anemia, recent studies have identified new therapeutic indications for EPO that are not connected to red blood cell formation. Elevated EPO levels harm bone homeostasis in adult organisms and are associated with increased osteoclast; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear.

Polyphenolic Nanomedicine Regulating Mitochondria REDOX for Innovative Cancer Treatment.

Cancer remains a highly lethal disease globally. The approach centered on REDOX-targeted mitochondrial therapy for cancer has displayed notable benefits. Plant polyphenols exhibit strong REDOX and anticancer properties, particularly by affecting mitochondrial function, yet their structural instability and low bioavailability hinder their utility.

Tailored endothelialization enabled by engineered endothelial cell vesicles accelerates remodeling of small-diameter vascular grafts.

Current gold standard for the replacement of small-diameter blood vessel (ID < 4 mm) is still to utilize the autologous vessels of patients due to the limitations of small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVG) on weak endothelialization, intimal hyperplasia and low patency. Herein, we create the SDVG with the tailored endothelialization by applying the engineered endothelial cell vesicles to camouflaging vascular grafts for the enhancement of vascular remodeling. The engineered endothelial cell vesicles were modified with azide groups (ECVs-N) through metabolic glycoengineering to precisely link the vascular graft made of PCL-DBCO via click chemistry, and thus fabricating ECVG (ECVs-N modified SDVG), which assists inhibition of platelet adhesion and activation, promotion of ECs adhesion and enhancement of anti-inflammation.

IL-17A-induced cancer-associated fibroblasts releases CXCL12 to promote lung adenocarcinoma progression via Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway.

Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and their secretion, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12), play an important role in the development of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Interleukin 17A (IL-17A) is also crucial in regulating tumor progression. Herein, we explored the specific relationships between these two factors and their mechanisms in the progression of LUAD.

Boosting chemotherapy of bladder cancer cells by ferroptosis using intelligent magnetic targeting nanoparticles.

A versatile nano-delivery platform was reported to enhance the tumor suppression effect of chemotherapy by augmenting tumor cells' ferroptosis. The platform consists of pomegranate-like magnetic nanoparticles (rPAE@SPIONs) fabricated by encapsulating superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) within a reduced poly(β-amino ester)s-PEG amphiphilic copolymer (rPAE). The resulting platform exhibits several functionalities.

Efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: an overview of overlapping systematic reviews.

Evidence from overlapping systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) has yielded conflicting results on the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). To thoroughly gather, assess, and synthesize evidence on FMT for IBS, we carried out the present study. A comprehensive search was conducted in Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase from inception to May 2023.

Nanovesicles loaded with a TGF-β receptor 1 inhibitor overcome immune resistance to potentiate cancer immunotherapy.

The immune-excluded tumors (IETs) show limited response to current immunotherapy due to intrinsic and adaptive immune resistance. In this study, it is identified that inhibition of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) receptor 1 can relieve tumor fibrosis, thus facilitating the recruitment of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes. Subsequently, a nanovesicle is constructed for tumor-specific co-delivery of a TGF-β inhibitor (LY2157299, LY) and the photosensitizer pyropheophorbide a (PPa).

High-throughput screening and investigation of the inhibitory mechanism of α-glucosidase inhibitors in teas using an affinity selection-mass spectrometry method.

An affinity selection-mass spectrometry method was applied for high-throughput screening of α-glucosidase (AGH) inhibitors from teas. Fourteen out of nineteen screened AGH inhibitor candidates were clustered as galloylated polyphenols (GPs). "AGH-GPs" interaction studies, including enzyme kinetics, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and molecular docking, jointly suggested that GPs noncompetitively inhibit AGH activity by interacting with amino acid residues near the active site of AGH and inducing changes in AGH secondary structure.

Special tea products featuring functional components: Health benefits and processing strategies.

The functional components in tea confer various potential health benefits to humans. To date, several special tea products featuring functional components (STPFCs) have been successfully developed, such as O-methylated catechin-rich tea, γ-aminobutyric acid-rich tea, low-caffeine tea, and selenium-rich tea products. STPFCs have some unique and enhanced health benefits when compared with conventional tea products, which can meet the specific needs and preferences of different groups and have huge market potential.

The Effect of a Three-Level Remote Alliance on Critical Care in Grassroot Areas: A Multi-Center, Retrospective Study.

Purpose: To explore an effective model to promote the homogeneous development of intensive care units (ICUs) in grassroot, impoverished and remote areas.

Methods: A three-level remote alliance model (in-place and online assistance) was adopted to guide the cross-talk of ICUs between counties and cities. The observed indicators included the mortality of ICU patients and those with APACHE II scores ≥15 points, deep vein thrombosis, ventilator-associated pneumonia, the completion rate of septic shock goals in 3-hour and 6-hour bundles, and the rates of patient transfers.

Molecular characterization of the genome-wide transporter family and their responses to boron conditions in common wheat ( L.).

Boron (B) deficiency is an agricultural problem that causes significant yield losses in many countries. B transporters (s) are responsible for B uptake and distribution and play important roles in yield formation. A comprehensive analysis of the family members in common wheat is still lacking.

Loss of OTUD6B Stimulates Angiogenesis and Promotes Diabetic Atherosclerosis.

Purpose: Angiogenesis is an essential promoter of atherosclerotic plaque rupture. However, the mechanism of its regulation is not understood. OTUD6B regulates cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis.