Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chenfei Wang, Litao Sun, Qiuxia Li, Zhili Li, Chengyuan Xu, Xinyue Zhang, Jianjun Shi, Hao Zhou, Wenxin Wang, Dezhong Zhou
Summary: By using a stepwise precipitation strategy, highly branched poly(beta-amino ester)s (HPAEs) were fractionated, and it was found that the molecular weight (MW) significantly affects the transfection activity and cytotoxicity of HPAEs. Intermediate MW of HPAEs shows higher transfection efficiency and cell viability. Mechanistic studies reveal that the intermediate MW of HPAEs has stronger DNA binding affinity, leading to the formation of smaller polyplexes with more positive zeta potential. This study provides a simple strategy to fractionate HPAEs and offers new insights into the structure-property relationship for potential clinical translation in gene therapy.
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yu Shen, Lingfeng Yuan, Guanfu Wu, Wenbo Yuan, Zhengxiang Cheng, Jing Yan, Jing Zhang, Youtian Tao, Ziyi Yu
Summary: This research proposes a method for incorporating thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) dyes with low-cost, heavy metal-free, and long-lived luminescence properties into polymer matrices using a microfluidic droplet-facilitated assembly technique. The resulting composite encoded microparticles (EMPs) are highly monodispersed and efficiently shield TADF dyes from singlet oxygen, preserving TADF emission and increasing the delayed fluorescence lifetime. Additionally, phase separation of polymer blends in the drying droplets allows for spatial separation of TADF dyes with distinct colors, eliminating optical signal interference and generating multiple fluorescence colors. Furthermore, the resulting EMPs show good biocompatibility and allow cells to adhere and grow on the surface, making them promising for biolabeling applications.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Delu Che, Chenfei Wang, Zhili Li, Kaixuan Wang, Shuaiwei Sun, Xinyue Zhang, Yi Li, Zhengju Chen, Lei Guo, Yajing Hou, Dezhong Zhou, Songmei Geng
Summary: Suspension cells play a crucial role in many biological processes. However, introducing exogenous genes into suspension cells for gene regulation is challenging. By designing and synthesizing highly branched poly(ss-amino ester) (HPAE), we enhance the interactions of polyplexes with cellular membranes, resulting in improved gene transfection efficiency in mast cells (MCs) without cytotoxicity. This study establishes a reliable non-viral platform for efficient gene transfection of suspension cells.
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Qikai Tian, Jing Zhang, Jing Yan, Shaobin Zhang, Ziyi Yu
Summary: Pickering interfacial biocatalysis has gained significant attention due to the need for cleaner and more efficient chemical industry. The crucial step in this process is the preparation of enzyme-loaded particles, which often involves complex modification and functionalization processes. This study presents a one-step method to generate polymer nanoparticles with innate carboxyl functional groups, offering adjustable wettability and excellent reusability and storage stability for the immobilized enzymes.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Xiaoyu Wang, Yuyang Zhou, Melissa Johnson, Cameron Milne, A. Sigen, Yening Li, Wenxin Wang, Nan Zhang, Qian Xu
Summary: In this study, aldehyde chitosan (CTS-CHO) was prepared through an oxidation reaction using chitosan and sodium periodate, and a chitosan-based hydrophilic and antibacterial coating was developed on the surface of poly(lactic acid) film. The results showed that the ultrasonic atomization-assisted LbL assembly CTS-CHO coating had great potential in improving the hydrophilicity and antibacterial activity of the PLA film, and it could also react with amino groups to release drugs, making it a promising alternative for biomedical applications.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL BIOMATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jing Zhang, Zhonglei He, Yinghao Li, Yu Shen, Guanfu Wu, Laura Power, Rijian Song, Ming Zeng, Xianqing Wang, Irene Lara Saez, A. Sigen, Qian Xu, James F. Curtin, Ziyi Yu, Wenxin Wang
Summary: Despite the great achievements of gene therapy in research and clinical translation, challenges such as limited control of drug pharmacokinetics and acute toxicity still persist. In this study, a gene therapy gel was formulated using polyplex nanoparticles and granular hydrogels, which showed controlled drug release, reduced toxicity, and improved transfection efficacy. The gel provides great convenience for storage, dosing, and administration, and represents a major advance in gene therapy formulations.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiaoyu Wang, Rijian Song, Melissa Johnson, A. Sigen, Pingping Shen, Nan Zhang, Irene Lara-Saez, Qian Xu, Wenxin Wang
Summary: Wound infections can lead to complications and slow down healing. Traditional antibiotic methods have resulted in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Hydrogels with antimicrobial properties provide an alternative for reducing bacterial colonization and accelerating healing. Chitosan-based hydrogels have been extensively studied for infected wound treatment. This review summarizes their research progress, including fabrication methods, antibacterial mechanisms, performance, and wound healing efficacy, as well as current limitations and future trends.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Zishan Li, Jing Lyu, Yinghao Li, Bei Qiu, Melissa Johnson, Hongyun Tai, Wenxin Wang
Summary: Well-defined polyacrylamide (PAM) was successfully synthesized via a one-pot and one-step aqueous Cu(0)-mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP). Strong deactivation control is the key to the controllability of acrylamide (AM) RDRPs, which depends on the equilibria of polymerization and mutual conversion of different copper species. Using this kinetically controlled strategy, PAMs with narrow molecular weight distributions (MWDs) and varied molecular weights (M(w)s) were achieved.
Article
Polymer Science
Yinghao Li, Zhonglei He, Xianqing Wang, Zishan Li, Melissa Johnson, Ruth Foley, A. Sigen, Jing Lyu, Wenxin Wang
Summary: Poly(& beta;-amino ester)(PAE) has been developed as a key nonviralgene therapy vector, but its DNA delivery efficiency still lags behind viral vectors. In this work, highly branched PAEs (HPAEs) were investigated and it was found that the distribution of branch units (BUD) is a crucial factor for the transfection capability of HPAE. By optimizing BUD, a high-efficiency HPAE that surpasses commercial reagents can be generated.
Article
Polymer Science
Yinghao Li, Xianqing Wang, Zhonglei He, Zishan Li, Melissa Johnson, Bei Qiu, Rijian Song, A. Sigen, Irene Lara-Saez, Jing Lyu, Wenxin Wang
Summary: In this study, the effect of molecular weight components on gene delivery efficiency of highly branched poly(beta-amino ester) (HPAE) was investigated. It was found that removing small molecular weight portions from HPAE significantly enhanced its transfection performance. By applying a structural optimization strategy, a highly efficient HPAE gene delivery vector was developed, which opens up new opportunities for gene therapy applications.
Article
Microbiology
Nahed M. Hawsawi, Arshad M. Hamad, Sahar N. Rashid, Fatma Alshehri, Mohamed Sharaf, Shadi A. Zakai, Sulaiman A. Al Yousef, Ahmed Mohamed Ali, Amira Abou-Elnour, Abdulsalam Alkhudhayri, Nadia Gouda Elrefaei, Amr Elkelish
Summary: Recent investigations have shown that secondary bacterial infections are closely related to the mortality rate of COVID-19 patients. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria play a significant role in the bacterial infections accompanying COVID-19. This study aimed to examine the inhibitory effects of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from strawberry leaf extract on Gram-negative P. aeruginosa and Gram-positive Staph aureus isolated from COVID-19 patient's sputum. Various measurements were conducted on the synthesized AgNPs, confirming their stability and antimicrobial activity against the pathogenic strains.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yinghao Li, Zhonglei He, A. Sigen, Xianqing Wang, Zishan Li, Melissa Johnson, Ruth Foley, Irene Lara Saez, Jing Lyu, Wenxin Wang
Summary: Gene therapy is a significant advancement in medicine, but the development of effective gene delivery vectors, especially polymer vectors, remains challenging. Limited understanding of polymer vector's internal structure hinders efforts to enhance efficiency. This study investigates the impact of polymer structure on gene delivery using poly(beta-amino ester) (PAE), and reveals the distinct characteristics and synergistic effects of individual polymer components. Artificial intelligence analysis is employed to decipher the relationship between polymer component distribution (PCD) and gene transfection performance, leading to the development of highly efficient polymer vectors that outperform current commercial reagents.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoyu Wang, Melissa Johnson, Nan Zhang, Pingping Shen, Lizhu Yang, Cameron Milne, Irene Lara-Saez, Rijian Song, A. Sigen, Wenxin Wang
Summary: Compared with traditional drug delivery systems, stimuli-responsive injectable hydrogels that undergo sol-gel transition in response to external stimuli demonstrate significant advantages in on-demand drug release. In this study, a simplified one-step method was developed to prepare a stimuli-responsive chitosan-based injectable hydrogel using dynamic Schiff's base reaction. The hydrogel exhibited excellent stimuli-responsive properties and showed potential for on-demand drug release in response to pH stimuli.
MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Zhaowei Yin, Chaoren Qin, Shaowei Pan, Chen Shi, Guanfu Wu, Yan Feng, Jing Zhang, Ziyi Yu, Bin Liang, Jianchao Gui
Summary: This study compared the therapeutic effects of exosomes derived from different sources of stem cells in osteoarthritis (OA) treatment. The results showed that exosomes derived from infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) stem cells had a significantly stronger inhibitory effect on the degradation of cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) compared to those derived from subcutaneous adipose tissue (ScAT) stem cells. Furthermore, microRNA sequencing revealed differences in microRNA expression between the two types of exosomes, and overexpression of a specific microRNA in ScAT-derived exosomes demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting the expression of ADAMTS4, promoting ECM repair in OA. Additionally, a hyaluronan-based hydrogel microparticles (HMPs) encapsulating exosomes were fabricated using microfluidic technology, and their injectability, sustained release, and long-term therapeutic effects on OA were validated.
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2023)
