Ultrafast self-gelling, superabsorbent, and adhesive chitosan-based hemostatic powders for rapid hemostasis and wound healing.

Hemostatic powders are widely used for managing bleeding from wounds with various irregular shapes. However, their limited liquid absorption capacity and difficulty in removal after application remain significant clinical challenges. Herein, we introduce a multifunctional hemostatic powder composed of dually crosslinked poly([2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride-co-acrylic acid) (pMATC-co-AA) and N-[(2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammonium)propyl] chitosan chloride (HTCC), which are integrated via electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding.

SERS/Fluorescence Dual-Modal Imaging Bioprobe for Accurate Diagnosis of Breast Cancer.

Early diagnosis and precise identification of breast cancer subtypes are vital. However, current detection methods are often hindered by high costs and complexity. This study aims to develop an efficient and noninvasive method to realize efficient breast cancer detection.

Precision Self-assembly of 3D DNA Crystals Using Microfluidics.

Controlling the uniformity in size and quantity of macroscopic three-dimensional (3D) DNA crystals is essential for their integration into complex systems and broader applications. However, achieving such control remains a major challenge in DNA nanotechnology. Here, we present a novel strategy for synthesizing monodisperse 3D DNA single crystals using microfluidic double-emulsion droplets as nanoliter-scale microreactors.

Ultra-sensitive detection of microRNAs using an electrochemical biosensor based on a PNA-DNA three-way junction nanostructure and dual cascade isothermal amplification.

Background: MiRNA expression profiles may serve as valuable biomarkers for early cancer diagnosis. However, the detection of miRNA remains greatly challenging due to its shorter length and lower abundance in cells. Electrochemical biosensors based on DNA nanostructures have attracted significant attention due to their improved capture efficiency, high sensitivity, and ease of miniaturization, but the complex construction process, non-specific interactions among DNA probes, and their low stability continue to severely restrict their widespread application in clinical diagnostics.

A rapid and efficient zirconia bead-mediated ultrasonic strategy for DNA fragmentation up to 10 kbp.

Single-molecule sequencing (SMS), a long-read DNA sequencing technology, plays a crucial role in genomics research. However, traditional ultrasonic shearing techniques struggle to efficiently produce DNA fragments ≥10 kbp, limiting the efficiency of SMS library preparation. Here, we developed a zirconia bead-mediated ultrasonic shearing method that enables precise DNA fragmentation through zirconia bead mechanical agitation induced by sonication cavitation.

Unlocking the Potential of Antimicrobial Peptides: Cutting-Edge Advances and Therapeutic Potential in Combating Bacterial Keratitis.

Bacterial keratitis is a prevalent, and severe corneal illness resulting from bacterial pathogens. Failure to administer a timely and suitable therapy may lead to corneal opacity, ulceration, significant vision impairment, or potential blindness. Current clinical interventions for bacterial keratitis involve the administration of topical antimicrobial agents and systemic antibiotics.

HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS profiling of antibacterial bioactive solvent fractions of Senna alata (L.) roxb (Fabaceae) leaves, and in silico prediction of pharmacokinetic, drug-likeness, and toxicity of major phyto-components.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Medicinal plants are a rich source of new antibacterial leads. One such plant is Senna alata (L.) Roxb (Fabaceae), a valuable medicinal tree known in folk medicine for its effectiveness in treating various ailments such as ringworms, wounds, diabetes, skin diseases, hypertension, malaria, mycosis, and bacterial diseases.

Pilot Study of Nectin-4-Targeted PET Imaging Agent Ga-FZ-NR-1 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer from Bench to First-in-Human.

Nectin cell adhesion molecule 4 (Nectin-4) is an emerging biomarker for cancer diagnosis and therapy. We developed a Nectin-4-targeted Ga-DOTA-Sar10-Nectin-4 (Ga-FZ-NR-1) PET/CT radiotracer for detecting Nectin-4 expression in a tumor model and in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. A series of Nectin-4-targeted radiotracers-Ga-FZ-NR-1, Ga-DOTA-polyethylene glycol 5-Nectin-4 (Ga-FZ-NR-2), and Ga-DOTA-polyethylene glycol 10-Nectin-4 (Ga-FZ-NR-3)-were synthesized, and their targeting ability and specificity were evaluated in vitro and in vivo.

A fluorescent hyaluronic acid-gelatin hydrogel for traceable articular cartilage regeneration.

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis remains a significant clinical challenge, with limited effective treatment options. Conventional hydrogels for articular cartilage repair primarily focus on the bioactivity of the materials but often overlook the importance of monitoring the hydrogel's behavior in situ. This study presents the development of a novel injectable, traceable fluorescent hydrogel designed to prevent cartilage degradation and promote cartilage regeneration.

Peroxidase-like copper-doped carbon-dots embedded in hydrogels for stimuli-responsive bacterial biofilm elimination and wound healing.

Bacterial biofilms and their microenvironment are significant challenges that must be faced in the design of antibacterial drugs. Microenvironment-responsive mimetic peroxidases (POD) have been demonstrated to be an efficient solution to eliminating bacterial biofilms. However, they inevitably require additional HO and/or acid due to the poor permeabilities towards biofilms.

Tetrahedral DNA framework-directed hybridization chain reaction controlled self-assembly.

Nonenzymatic isothermal nucleic acid self-assembly techniques (, the hybridization chain reaction, HCR) hold potential in building materials and biological sensing. However, a traditional HCR is triggered by the random diffusion and disordered conformations of ssDNA initiators, resulting in asynchronous initiation and inherently highly heterogeneous products that do not meet the standards of well-defined nanomaterials. Herein, we developed a nanomechanical restricted strategy directed by tetrahedral DNA frameworks (TDFs) to control HCR self-assembly.

Advances in SERS detection method combined with microfluidic technology for bio-analytical applications.

With the advancement of research on life systems and disease mechanisms, the precision of analysis tends to be at a single molecule or single gene level. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method is highly anticipated because of its sensitive detection ability down to a single molecule level. The SERS-based microfluidic platforms retain both advantages of SERS and microfluidics, working in a complementary way.

pH-Sensitive oligopeptide magnetic mesoporous silica beads for deoxyribonucleic acid extraction.

Exploring novel synthesis strategies for magnetic beads to extract nucleic acids is of great significance in the field of diagnostics. In the present research, monodisperse magnetic mesoporous silica beads were synthesized the thermolysis reaction of Fe(acac) by using large-pore dendritic silica colloids as templates, and were further functionalized with a highly pH-sensitive histidine-glutamate co-oligopeptide for deoxyribonucleic acid extraction. The large-pore dendritic silica colloid scaffolds were utilized for high-density incorporation of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles within the vertical channels.

Photothermal-enhanced silver nanocluster bioactive glass hydrogels for synergistic antimicrobial and promote wound healing.

Antibacterial hydrogels are promising for combating infections and promoting wound healing. Nevertheless, excessive antibiotics induce resistance, and high metal ion levels cause cytotoxicity, complicating healing. Here, we introduce a hydrogel incorporating polydopamine-coated bioactive glass (BGs@PDA) on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with photothermal therapy (PTT) and silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) for synergistic antibacterial treatment.

Developing Soluplus®-Based Microparticle Amorphous Solid Dispersions with High Drug Loading for Enhanced Celecoxib Dissolution via Electrospraying.

Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) is one of the most studied strategies for improving the dissolution performance of poorly water-soluble drugs, but ASDs often have low drug loadings, thereby necessitating larger dosage sizes. This study intended to create Soluplus® (SOL)-based microparticle ASDs with high drug loading (up to 60 w/w%) and long-term stability (at least 16 months) using electrospraying to enhance the dissolution of poorly water-soluble celecoxib (CEL). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses showed that the electrosprayed SOL-CEL microparticles were amorphous, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) data indicated the presence of hydrogen bonding between SOL and CEL in the microparticles, which helped stabilize the ASDs.

Nanomaterials and clinical SERS technology: broad applications in disease diagnosis.

The critical need for rapid cancer diagnosis and related illnesses is growing alongside the current healthcare challenges, unfavorable prognosis, and constraints in diagnostic timing. As a result, emphasis on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) diagnostic methods, including both label-free and labelled approaches, holds significant promise in fields such as analytical chemistry, biomedical science, and physics, due to the user-friendly nature of SERS. Over time, the SERS detection sensitivity and specificity with nanostructured materials for SERS applications (NMs-SERS) in different media have been remarkable.

A shear-responsive and lubricating hyaluronic acid-chondroitin sulfate-decellularized matrix hydrogel for articular cartilage regeneration.

The high-dynamic, high-loading environment in the joint cavity puts urgent demands on the cartilage regenerative materials with shear responsiveness and lubrication. Here, a new type of injectable hydrogel composed of oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA), adipic dihydrazide-grafted hyaluronic acid (HA-ADH), oxidized chondroitin sulfate (OChs), and decellularized extracellular matrix methacrylate (dECMMA) was fabricated. The aldehyde groups in OHA and OChs reacted with the amino groups in HA-ADH to form a dynamic hydrogel, which was then covalently crosslinked with dECMMA to create a dual-crosslinked hydrogel with sufficient mechanical strength.

Phytic Acid-Induced Gradient Hydrogels for Highly Sensitive and Broad Range Pressure Sensing.

Ionic conductive hydrogels have emerged as an excellent option for constructing dielectric layers of interfacial iontronic sensors. Among these, gradient ionic hydrogels, due to the intrinsic gradient elastic modulus, can achieve a wide range of pressure responses. However, the fabrication of gradient hydrogels with optimal mechanical and sensing properties remains a challenge.

Iron-Based Nanomaterials for Modulating Tumor Microenvironment.

Iron-based nanomaterials (IBNMs) have been widely applied in biomedicine applications including magnetic resonance imaging, targeted drug delivery, tumor therapy, and so forth, due to their unique magnetism, excellent biocompatibility, and diverse modalities. Further research on its enormous biomedical potential is still ongoing, and its new features are constantly being tapped and demonstrated. Among them, various types of IBNMs have demonstrated significant cancer therapy capabilities by regulating the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Effects of intermittent visual feedback on EEG characteristics during motor preparation and execution in a goal-directed task.

Introduction: Visual feedback plays a crucial role in goal-directed tasks, facilitating movement preparation and execution by allowing individuals to adjust and optimize their movements. Enhanced movement preparation and execution help to increase neural activity in the brain. However, our understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying different types of visual feedback during task preparation and execution remains limited.

Ytterbium Doping-Retooled Prussian Blue for Tumor Metabolism Interference Therapy.

Drug repurposing refers to excavating clinically approved drugs for new clinical indications, effectively shortening the cost and time of clinical evaluation due to the established molecular structure, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. In this sense, clinically approved Prussian blue (PB) has received considerable attention, by virtue of its unique optical, magnetic, and enzymatic performance. Nevertheless, the clinical transformation of PB-based nanodrugs remains restricted owing to their complex synthetic formulation and constrained therapeutic performance.

Artificial Nanovesicles Derived from Cells: A Promising Alternative to Extracellular Vesicles.

As naturally secreted vesicles by cells, extracellular vesicles (EVs) play essential roles in modulating cell-cell communication and have significant potential in tissue regeneration, immune regulation, and drug delivery. However, the low yield and uncontrollable heterogeneity of EVs have been obstacles to their widespread translation into clinical practice. Recently, it has been discovered that artificial nanovesicles (NVs) produced by cell processing can inherit the components and functions of the parent cells and possess similar structures and functions to EVs, with significantly higher yields and more flexible functionalization, making them a powerful complement to natural EVs.

DNA nanotechnology-based strategies for minimising hybridisation-dependent off-target effects in oligonucleotide therapies.

Targeted therapy has emerged as a transformative breakthrough in modern medicine. Oligonucleotide drugs, such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), have made significant advancements in targeted therapy. Other oligonucleotide-based therapeutics like clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) systems are also leading a revolution in targeted gene therapy.

Tough and self-adhesive zwitterionic hydrogels with mechano-responsive release of bFGF for tympanic membrane repair.

The tympanic membrane (TM) is constantly in a state of vibrating. However, there is currently a lack of drug-delivery scaffolds suitable for the dynamic environment of TM perforation. In this study, a mechano-responsive tough hydrogel was developed.

Innovative Applications and Perspectives of Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Technology in Biomedicine.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has become a revolutionary technique in the biomedical field, providing unparalleled sensitivity for the detection and characterization of biological samples. In this review, recent SERS innovations are comprehensively discussed, including advanced substrate materials, different SERS detection strategies, and multimodal approaches that combine SERS with other biotechnologies. Among them, the role of SERS in the accurate diagnosis of tumors is highlighted, which has promoted accurate molecular analysis and real-time monitoring of treatment effects.