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In this study, we prepared antibacterial hydrogels through the self-assembly of naphthyl anthranilamide (NaA) capped amino acid based cationic peptide mimics. These ultra-short cationic peptide mimics were rationally designed with NaA as a capping group, L-phenylalanine, a short aliphatic linker, and a cationic group. The synthesized peptide mimics efficiently formed hydrogels with minimum gel concentrations between 0.1 and 0.3%w/v. The resulting hydrogels exhibited desirable viscoelastic properties which can be tuned by varying the cationic group, electronegative substituent, or counter anion. Importantly, nanofibers from the NaA-capped cationic hydrogels were found to be the source of hydrogels' potent bacteriacidal actvity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria while remaining non-cytotoxic. These intrinsically antibacterial hydrogels are ideal candidates for further development in applications where bacterial contamination is problematic.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26426-1 | DOI Listing |
ACS Biomater Sci Eng
September 2025
Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.
Uterine fibroids are the most common gynecological tumors, characterized by excessive production of extracellular matrix. Despite their prevalence, the cellular mechanisms governing fibroid growth remain poorly understood. Current in vitro models for fibroids do not replicate the complex 3D tissue mechanics, structure, and extracellular matrix components of fibroids, which may limit our understanding of fibroid pathogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Biol Rep
September 2025
Department of Biochemistry, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The tumor microenvironment (TME), particularly the interactions between endothelial cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), plays a pivotal role in promoting tumor growth, angiogenesis, oxidative stress, and therapy resistance. The HUVEC-fibroblast co-culture model closely mimics stromal-endothelial interactions observed in CRC, enabling mechanistic insights not achievable in monocultures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Nano
September 2025
Department of Chemistry, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom.
Nanoscale organization of integrin-mediated receptor crosstalk is crucial for controlling cellular signaling in cancer biology. Previously, interactions between integrin αvβ6 and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) have been implicated in cancer progression, but the spatial regulatory mechanisms remain undefined. Here, we developed a programmable DNA origami-based platform for nanoscale control of heteroligand multivalency and spacing, enabling systematic investigation of αvβ6-RTK interactions in cancer biology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Microbiol
September 2025
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Viral infections are implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, including Sjögren's disease (SjD), but the mechanisms linking viral antigens to disease development remain poorly understood. To address this, we conducted shotgun metagenomic sequencing of saliva samples from 35 patients with SjD and 25 healthy controls. The salivary virome of the patients with SjD, particularly those with high disease activity, had an expansion of Siphoviridae bacteriophages and increased eukaryotic viral sequences, including Vientovirus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
September 2025
Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America.
Anti-Aβ antibodies are important tools for identifying structural features of aggregates of the Aβ peptide and are used in many aspects of Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. Our laboratory recently reported the generation of a polyclonal antibody, pAb2AT-L, that is moderately selective for oligomeric Aβ over monomeric and fibrillar Aβ and recognizes the diffuse peripheries of Aβ plaques in AD brain tissue but does not recognize the dense fibrillar plaque cores. This antibody was generated against 2AT-L, a structurally defined Aβ oligomer mimic composed of three Aβ-derived β-hairpins arranged in a triangular fashion and covalently stabilized with three disulfide bonds.
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