Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jialin Chen, Wujun Wang, Yue Wang, Xiushuang Yuan, Chengzhi He, Pengfei Pei, Shengdi Su, Weihong Zhao, Shi-Zhong Luo, Long Chen
Summary: Water insolubility is a significant challenge for many small molecule drugs in clinical applications. Two branched amphiphilic peptides (BAPs) were designed using computer-aided methods for drug-loading through peptide self-assembly. The BAPs could self-assemble into nano-fibrils or bilayer delimited nano-vesicles, and showed high drug-loading efficiency and entrapment efficiency. The carriers could prolong drug release and exhibit pH-triggered release. Moreover, they demonstrated increased cytotoxicity against cancer cells, possibly due to their targeting ability towards cancer overexpressed integrins. The designed BAP carriers represent a promising approach for targeted drug delivery and can improve the clinical use of small molecule drugs with poor water solubility.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS AND BIOPHARMACEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuyu Jin, Hue Thi Vu, Kou Hioki, Naotaka Noda, Hiroki Yoshida, Toru Shimane, Shigenari Ishizuka, Ippei Takashima, Yoshiyuki Mizuhata, Kathleen Beverly Pe, Tetsuya Ogawa, Naoya Nishimura, Daniel Packwood, Norihiro Tokitoh, Hiroki Kurata, Sho Yamasaki, Ken J. Ishii, Motonari Uesugi
Summary: A novel vaccine adjuvant utilizing a self-assembling small-molecule library was developed in this study, which strongly induced innate immune responses in macrophages and dendritic cells through activation of Toll-like receptor 7. Functional analyses showed that the adjuvant was as potent as the clinically used adjuvant Alum in mice as an influenza vaccine.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Federica Novelli, Marcos Vilela, Antia Pazo, Manuel Amorin, Juan R. Granja
Summary: A new method utilizing light-induced [4+4] photocycloaddition was described to form bent tubular structures using cyclic peptide nanotubes. The designed nanotubes are composed of beta- and alpha-amino acids, with the structural changes induced by interdigitated arrangement and homogeneous distribution of anthracene pendants resulting in geometrical modifications in the nanotubes packing.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haofei Ji, Qubo Zhu
Summary: Smart nanomaterials, constructed through DNA self-assembly, exhibit precise structures and diverse functions. They can be classified into static structures and dynamic reactions, serving as the basis for building smart nanomaterials. These materials, with good biocompatibility and stability, have wide applications in drug delivery.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Ji-eun Kim, Jeon Hyeong Kang, Woo Hyun Kwon, Inseo Lee, Sang Jun Park, Chun-Ho Kim, Woo-jin Jeong, Jun Shik Choi, Kyobum Kim
Summary: Molecular self-assembly is a widely studied method in the biomedical field for developing biomolecular nanostructures. These self-assembled nanostructures exhibit high binding affinity and selectivity by displaying multiple ligands/receptors on their surface. Various self-assembled nanostructure-based biosensors have been developed using different biomolecules and their combinations with non-biological substances, with the aim of detecting specific targets.
BIOMATERIALS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Huimin Chen, Xixi Cai, Jing Cheng, Shaoyun Wang
Summary: This review provides a prospective analysis of the application of peptide self-assembly in the food industry. The design of peptide sequences is closely related to the control of self-assembly morphology, which relies on a deep understanding of peptide structure and environmental factors. Peptide self-assembly has great potential in the field of food due to its excellent structural characteristics and biocompatibility.
TRENDS IN FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xin Chen, Cai Xia, Pan Guo, Chenru Wang, Xiaobing Zuo, Yun-Bao Jiang, Tao Jiang
Summary: This study presents a facile strategy to preserve structurally labile peptide assemblies after molecular modification. By using sheet-forming peptides with a staggered alignment, attached molecules can be separated from each other and from the underlying assembly motifs, allowing for the fabrication of densely modified assemblies with a variety of molecules. This strategy also enables extended tunability of the amount/density of surface molecules, making it possible to screen ligand-appended assemblies for cell targeting.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chung-Kwei Lin, Yuh-Jing Chiou, Sheng-Jung Tsou, Chih-Yi Chung, Chen-Chun Chao, Ruey-Bing Yang
Summary: The one-pot process combining the polymerization of PANI with the reduction of Fe NW under a magnetic field was used to produce Fe@PANI core-shell nanowires. The synthesized nanowires with PANI additions showed smaller grain sizes and larger specific surface areas as the PANI content increased. The nanowire-added composites exhibited superior microwave absorption performance, with Fe@PANI-90/10 showing the best overall performance.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hayase Hakariya, Ippei Takashima, Misao Takemoto, Naotaka Noda, Shin-ichi Sato, Motonari Uesugi
Summary: This report discusses the development of a non-genetic cell-surface modification method involving the combination of self-assembling small molecules with Halo-tag proteins. Functionalizing the cell surface with cancer-linked extracellular proteins enhanced cell motility, angiogenesis, and immune shielding, creating potential translational opportunities for cell therapy.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hirotaka Nakatsuji, Yudai Shioji, Noboru Hiraoka, Yuta Okada, Natsuko Kato, Sayaka Shibata, Ichio Aoki, Michiya Matsusaki
Summary: The study demonstrates a drug-free cancer therapy using molecular blocks for efficient accumulation in tumor and penetration through stromal tissues, which avoids multiple intracellular transportation processes and induces cell membrane disruption through self-assembly of the molecular blocks. This therapy presents a new strategy for addressing the current challenges of drug delivery systems.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hyun Lee, Dongwhan Lee
Summary: This Concept article discusses the precise spatial control over assembly patterns using molecular clips, which enable the construction of multi-layer pi-stacks and long-range spatial ordering through various design strategies and the choice of spine units.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jing Liu, Fei Peng, Yi Kang, Deying Gong, Jing Fan, Wensheng Zhang, Feng Qiu
Summary: A peptide GQY was designed as an alternative to typical hydrophobic amino acids for self-assembling peptides, showing higher efficiency in encapsulating hydrophobic drugs. Stable nanoparticles with plenty of hydrophobic cavities could be formed by GQY, encapsulating hydrophobic drugs at high concentration. GQY exhibited biocompatibility and reduced pain-on-injection as a carrier for hydrophobic drugs, presenting a promising option for drug delivery systems.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NANOMEDICINE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Oncology
Gennaro Ciliberto, Marco Canfora, Irene Terrenato, Chiara Agnoletto, Francesco Agustoni, Loredana Amoroso, Gustavo Baldassarre, Giuseppe Curigliano, Angelo Delmonte, Antonella De Luca, Michelangelo Fiorentino, Vanesa Gregorc, Toni Ibrahim, Chiara Lazzari, Angela Mastronuzzi, Paolo Pronzato, Armando Santoro, Giovanni Scambia, Stefania Tommasi, Andrea Vingiani, Patrizio Giacomini, Ruggero De Maria
Summary: Most MTBs are supported through local grants and mostly meet regularly. They adopt virtual or mixed meeting models. The ACC MTB initiative is shaping a virtual MTB network, resembling cost-effective health-care organization models. The overall public awareness of MTB opportunities remains insufficient.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Christina Efthymiou, L. Magnus Bergstrom, Jannik Nedergaard Pedersen, Jan Skov Pedersen, Per Hansson
Summary: Through experiments, it was found that common amphiphilic drug molecules form small micelles during self-assembly, with micelle size reaching a maximum at a certain concentration and slightly decreasing at higher concentrations. An increase in drug concentration and decrease in pH lead to an increase in micelle charge, and the aggregation behavior of all studied drugs resembles that of conventional surfactants.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
A. Tryfon, P. Siafarika, C. Kouderis, A. G. Kalampounias
Summary: Detailed measurements of ultrasonically induced birefringence, molecular docking, and DFT techniques were used to study the formation of glutathione self-aggregates in aqueous solutions. The behavior of birefringence measurements with concentration allowed for the evaluation of relaxation times and hydrodynamic volumes. The self-association scheme was established by combining spectroscopic data with supplementary measurements of physical properties.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Fenglin Miao, Huirong Lin, Tianhong Yao, Ruyi Zhang, Xinfei Sun, Hongwei Cheng, Lingwei Gu, Xiaogang Xia, Ting Wu, Wengang Li, Gang Liu
Summary: A vesicle derived from gene-engineering cell membrane was developed to control intraoperative hemorrhage in patients with chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia. The vesicle exhibited a double clotting-triggering strategy that resulted in quick and stable clot formation, surpassing the effectiveness of commonly used thrombin and gelatin coagulants. This innovative approach has the potential to improve surgical outcomes for patients with myelosuppression.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Jiaxuan Xie, Xuan Liu, Gang Liu
Summary: The emergence and re-emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially superbugs, are leading to complicated infections that are increasingly difficult to treat. Therefore, novel alternative antimicrobial therapies are urgently needed to reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by antibiotic resistance.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dong Li, Jie Pan, Shuyu Xu, Bingwei Cheng, Shuaiying Wu, Qixuan Dai, Mei-Rong Ke, Bi-Yuan Zheng, Chengchao Chu, Chao Liu, Yang Zhang, Xiao Xu, Jian-Dong Huang, Gang Liu
Summary: In this study, a novel nanoreactor FeS2@PcD, programmatically regulated by the bivariate factors of H+ and H2O2 in the tumor microenvironment (TME), was designed for specific fluorescence and MR dual-modality imaging-guided sono/chemodynamic therapies, representing a promising precision medicine approach.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daiyun Xu, Xu Chen, Yongxiao Li, Zhidong Chen, Wanting Xu, Xinpei Wang, Yonghui Lv, Zhe Wang, Meiying Wu, Gang Liu, Junqing Wang
Summary: Nanodiscs (NDs) formed by apoA-I peptides can be designed with different diameters through varying factors such as the number of tandem repeats, sequence composition, and lipid-to-APA ratio. Proline is dispensable for APA-ND formation, but its substitution can induce smaller NDs and larger NDs depending on the lipid ratio. Proline-tryptophan residues play a dominant role in forming larger NDs. Molecular simulation analysis shows that enriched basic and acidic residues in APAs enhance the structural stability of APA-NDs through hydrogen-bond and salt bridge networks.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jianzhong Zhang, Xue Liu, Yutian Xia, Shuyu Xu, Xuan Liu, Haiqing Xiao, Xiaoyong Wang, Chao Liu, Gang Liu
Summary: A novel genetically engineered vesicular antibody-melittin (VAM) drug delivery platform was developed for targeted cancer combination therapy. The VAM could release nanomelittin at tumor sites in a controlled manner, reducing off-target toxicity and allowing co-delivery of small-molecule drugs or nanoparticles. This strategy achieved enhanced therapeutic effects through the synergistic action of nanomelittin and anticancer agents.
BIOENGINEERING & TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jianzhong Zhang, Yutian Xia, Xuan Liu, Gang Liu
Summary: Vaccination is the most cost-effective means in the fight against infectious diseases. Safe and efficient vaccines are the key elements to stop the pandemic from attacking the world now. This review summarizes state-of-the-art vaccine strategies for controlling the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, as well as discusses challenges and future directions for rational vaccine design.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Peng Lv, Hu Chen, Hongwei Cheng, Xuan Liu, Chao Liu, Yun Zeng, Lai Jiang, Xiaoyong Wang, Jingsong Mao, Gang Liu
Summary: The use of OA@Alg beads in TAVE can enhance and prolong the antitumor efficacy of OA in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. These beads can sustain the release of OA, prevent shedding from the tumor site, and preserve OA's ability to induce an antitumor immune response, resulting in higher intratumoral infiltration by CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells.
ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dazhuang Xu, Jianlin Ge, Yibo An, Shuang Bai, Ziying Wang, Shuaiying Wu, Qixuan Dai, Zhixiang Lu, Gang Liu
Summary: Given the complexity and heterogeneity of tumors, efficient combination therapy is an ideal strategy for treating primary and distant tumors. A novel phototherapeutic agent called T-TBBTD, with a donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) structure and enhanced NIR-II emission, has been developed. Its precise molecular structure and versatility make it promising for anti-tumor molecular therapy. Additionally, the fluorescence imaging in the NIR-II window offers advantages for enhanced imaging resolution and penetration depth. Overall, this method provides a new strategy for tumor therapy.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gan Lin, Jiajing Zhou, Hongwei Cheng, Gang Liu
Summary: The development of smart nanosystems has attracted significant attention in improving the efficacy of traditional nanomedicines. However, the diversity and scattered knowledge of these nanosystems pose challenges for their rational design. This review provides a summary of biological barriers and the strategies employed by smart nanosystems to overcome them, offering guidelines for the development of new-generation nanomedicines.
Review
Virology
Shuo Li, Xue Liu, Gang Liu, Chao Liu
Summary: Over 600 million people worldwide have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. New waves of COVID-19 caused by emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants pose new health risks. Nanotechnology offers effective solutions, such as ACE2-based nanodecoys, nanobodies, nanovaccines, and drug nanocarriers. Lessons and strategies from battling SARS-CoV-2 variants may inspire nanotechnology-based strategies for future global infectious diseases and their variants.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Dong Li, Shundong Cai, Peiyu Wang, Hongwei Cheng, Bingwei Cheng, Yang Zhang, Gang Liu
Summary: Due to their long absorption wavelengths, high molar absorptivity, and tunable photosensitivity, phthalocyanines have been widely used in photodynamic therapy. However, they still suffer from poor targeting, always-on photosensitizing properties, and unsatisfactory therapeutic efficiency, hindering their broad applications in biomedicine. Therefore, new design strategies such as modification of targeting molecules, formation of nanoparticles, and activation of photosensitizers have been developed to overcome these limitations. Recent studies have also demonstrated the diverse applications of novel phthalocyanines in fluorescence imaging, photoacoustic imaging, photothermal imaging, sonodynamic therapy, and photothermal therapy. This review focuses on the design strategies, biomedical applications, and clinical development of phthalocyanines, offering insights and references for their future translation into clinical practice.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoxiao Shi, Dazhuang Xu, Hongwei Cheng, Chengchao Chu, Gang Liu
Summary: Interventional fluorescence imaging is a promising strategy for disease diagnosis in clinic, facilitating targeted treatment. However, there are crucial issues such as fast probe clearance, light instability, and residual lesions. The development of SHIFT technology addresses these clinical problems and enables stable and long-lasting imaging, as well as precise visualization of microsatellite lesions.
ACCOUNTS OF MATERIALS RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Yibo An, Dazhuang Xu, Xiaofei Wen, Chuan Chen, Gang Liu, Zhixiang Lu
Summary: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a noninvasive cancer treatment with high selectivity and minimal adverse effects. Self-exciting PDT, also known as APDT, uses internal light sources to treat deep-seated malignancies.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bingwei Cheng, Dong Li, Changhong Li, Ziqi Zhuang, Peiyu Wang, Gang Liu
Summary: Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is an innovative cancer treatment approach that utilizes nanocatalytic medicines to release metal ions within tumor cells, inducing apoptosis specifically within the tumor microenvironment. However, the limited endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), overexpressed reducing substances, and weak acidity of solid tumors hinder the effectiveness of CDT in vivo. Various nanozymes and remodeling strategies have been developed to enhance CDT, such as increasing H2O2 levels, depleting reductive substances, and lowering the pH value of the tumor microenvironment. This review provides an overview of the design and development of nanocatalysts and strategies for enhancing catalytic drug targeting, as well as discusses the future prospects and challenges of CDT.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Pengfei Zhang, Lei Zhao, Heng Liu, Hu Chen, Yaming Wu, Xiaoyong Wang, Gang Liu, Yun Zeng
Summary: A new class of targeted membrane-camouflaged nanosystem has been successfully constructed, which achieves targeted gene delivery to specific cell populations and shows remarkable therapeutic efficacy in inflammatory models.
ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
