Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sonja Dragojevic, Lindsay Turner, Drazen Raucher
Summary: In this study, a macromolecular drug delivery system was examined for its ability to specifically deliver doxorubicin to cancer cells. The cytotoxicity and mechanism of action of two doxorubicin derivatives were compared in dox-responsive and dox-resistant cell lines.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Zhuang Hu, Gongshu Wang, Rui Zhang, Yingyu Yang, Jiwei Wang, Jianshe Hu, Aikebaier Reheman
Summary: By constructing a drug-loaded triblock copolymer nano-delivery system, targeted drug aggregation can be achieved in the tumor microenvironment, thereby improving the efficacy of tumor therapy.
DRUG DELIVERY AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sonja Dragojevic, Lindsay Turner, Pallabi Pal, Amol Janorkar, Drazen Raucher
Summary: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a primary brain tumor with poor prognosis. Tumor recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy are the main challenges. This study evaluated the potential of using elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) hydrogels as a local drug delivery system for GBM treatment. Results showed that ELP hydrogels can be engineered to release anti-cancer drugs over time, significantly reducing GBM cell survival and proliferation in vitro. These findings highlight the potential of ELP hydrogels for improving prognosis in GBM patients after tumor resection.
Article
Materials Science, Composites
ChunLei Wang, Lei Chen, He Meng, YanDong Wang, WenYan Ye, BingXuan Hu, ZeYu Gao, CaiQi Wang
Summary: This study reports a multifunctional MXene/polyionic liquid-based flexible membrane with self-healing capability for smart sensing. The material exhibits self-healing ability, high tensile properties, and a unique Janus structure, and can produce significant signal changes in response to small deformations as well as detect finger bending motion.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sonja Dragojevic, Jung Su Ryu, Michael E. Hall, Drazen Raucher
Summary: Doxorubicin is a widely used anticancer drug, but its adverse effects on healthy tissues limit its clinical application. To address this issue, researchers have developed a thermally responsive biopolymer carrier for doxorubicin that can be targeted to tumor tissue by applying heat.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shulun Ai, Peisen Zhao, Kaixuan Fang, Hemei Cheng, Sixue Cheng, Zhihong Liu, Caixia Wang
Summary: This study proposes a novel nanosystem that achieves controlled release of Cytc in the tumor microenvironment through coating tumor cell membrane, and enhances photodynamic therapy through synergistic action with a photosensitizer. The nanosystem can accurately target tumor cells and reduce damage to normal tissues.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tae Yeon Kim, Jee Won Mok, Sang Hoon Hong, Sang Hoon Jeong, Hyunsik Choi, Sangbaie Shin, Choun-Ki Joo, Sei Kwang Hahn
Summary: In this study, a precisely integrated theranostic smart contact lens was developed for monitoring and controlling intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients, offering potential personalized healthcare for glaucoma and other ocular diseases.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dan Li, Xin Li, Jie Bai, Ying Liu, Renko de Vries, Yuan Li
Summary: Rod-shaped nanoparticles made of C-S-B triblock polypeptides show efficient delivery of siRNA into cells, leading to gene knockdown and apoptosis. However, their lower effectiveness in inducing cell death compared to cationic lipid-based formulations is attributed to high lysosome co-localization, which requires future optimization. Overall, non-toxic C-S-B nanoparticles warrant further development as a new siRNA delivery system for cancer therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kingshuk Dutta, Ritam Das, Jewel Medeiros, Pintu Kanjilal, S. Thayumanavan
Summary: Nucleic acids have potential applications in gene therapy and vaccine development, but their effective clinical translation faces significant challenges, with traditional design concepts of nucleic acid drug carriers being a major issue due to potential cytotoxicity. Innovative carrier designs using charge-conversion approaches have been proposed to overcome critical barriers in therapeutic delivery, such as serum deactivation and endosomal escape.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jung Su Ryu, Felix Kratz, Drazen Raucher
Summary: Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) can be used as a thermosensitive vector for targeting hyperthermic tumors, and can also be modified with an enzyme-cleavable linker for drug release within tumors, leading to better treatment outcomes for cancer.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Sergey Khatuntsev, Anastasiia Fanova, Petr Fetin, Leonid I. Kaberov, Nina Girbasova, Alexey A. Lezov, Ivan Zorin, Alexander Bilibin
Summary: In this study, dumbbell-like linear-dendritic copolymers based on polyethylene glycols with aspartic dendrons were synthesized. The ionic complexes of these oppositely charged copolymers exhibited self-assembly in water and methanol and formed gels in low polar solvents. Various characterization techniques indicated a lamellar structure of the PEG-copolymer complexes, with the thickness, degree of order, and crystallinity of the PEG microphase determined by the structure of the branched block.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sonali Mohanty, Simona Premcheska, Joost Verduijn, Hannes Rijckaert, Andre G. G. Skirtach, Kristof Van Hecke, Anna M. M. Kaczmarek
Summary: This work demonstrates the potential of using hollow spheres as novel vehicles for dual-mode thermometry and pH-dependent drug release in the biomedical field. By exploiting the upconversion luminescence properties of hollow Y2O3 and Y2O2SO4 materials, optical temperature sensors were successfully developed and utilized for monitoring the drug release of doxorubicin. These findings highlight the feasibility of using this type of vehicle for simultaneous thermometry and drug delivery applications.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Sunfan Li, Fangzhou Li, Dong Wan, Zuqin Chen, Jie Pan, Xing-Jie Liang
Summary: Chemotherapy is the main treatment for cancer, but its side effects limit its use. This study developed a micelle-based system for targeted delivery of DOX using bioactive peptides. The system showed efficient tumor targeting and reduced toxicity, providing a promising approach for DOX delivery.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shengcai Yang, Jiayu Leong, Yanming Wang, Rachel Sim, Ko Hui Tan, Yau Hong Chua, Nathanael Tan, Ashlynn L. Z. Lee, Joyce Tay, Yi Yan Yang
Summary: By neutralizing the positive charges of cationic anticancer polymers/peptides and self-assembling into nanoparticles, we have successfully developed a nanoparticulate delivery system with improved stability and reduced toxicity. The system exhibits excellent anticancer activity, can enter cancer cells, and bypass drug resistance mechanisms. In vivo experiments demonstrate that the system effectively inhibits tumor growth with minimal side effects.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gui-Qing Xu, Xue-Ning Ma, Xian-Bin Jia, Ya-Hao Dong, Yu-Qin Jiang, Xin-Juan Li
Summary: It is of significant importance to efficiently synthesize pharmacologically active compounds through CO2 conversion. In this study, polyionic liquids (PILs) with adjustable structures and multiple active sites were synthesized. By using epoxy nucleoside as a solid substrate, cycloaddition and carbonate hydrolysis reactions were carried out under the catalysis of polyionic liquid, CO2, and water. The amphiphilicity of P1, the adjustability of alkalinity, and the regulation of the phase state in the presence of water played crucial roles in achieving high selectivity and yield of the reactions. Moreover, the catalyst could be recycled for 6 times while maintaining high catalytic activity and selectivity. This work provides a solvent-free, metal-free, and recyclable green synthetic pathway for chiral drugs, which will further promote the efficient conversion and utilization of CO2.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Dong-Mei Xie, Qingguo Zhong, Xiaochun Xu, Yuanlong Li, Simin Chen, Mingqiang Li, Chaoquan Peng
Summary: This study developed a new strategy using PLGA copolymers as carriers to achieve controlled release of LA, which effectively reduced ROS damage and restored heart function after myocardial damage in AMI disease. The results demonstrated the great potential of LA drugs in treating AMI.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Shuai Deng, Xiaoyu Zhao, Yanlun Zhu, Ning Tang, Rongliang Wang, Xuerao Zhang, Fuyang Qu, Yi-Ping Ho, Wayne Yuk-Wai Lee, Jiansu Chen, Mingqiang Li, Yu Tao, Hon Fai Chan
Summary: Liver tissue engineering is advanced through the fabrication of collagen type I microspheres, enabling efficient hepatic differentiation of stem cells and assembly of prevascularized liver tissue. The microspheres exhibit high uniformity and can self-assemble with endothelial cells to form high cell-packing density liver tissue. This technology has potential applications in regenerative medicine, drug screening, and in vitro liver modeling.
Article
Polymer Science
Yajun Xu, Jianlin Lv, Chaoying Kong, Yanran Li, Kun Wang, Na Shen, Zhaohui Tang
Summary: In order to improve the therapeutic efficacy of Tirapazamine (TPZ) in cancer treatment, researchers synthesized a novel TPZ derivative and covalently conjugated it to poly (L-glutamic acid) to obtain TPZ nanoparticles (TPZH-NPs). TPZH-NPs showed advantages in prolonged blood circulation, enhanced tumor accumulation, and increased maximum tolerated dose compared to TPZH. Furthermore, TPZH-NPs exhibited significantly enhanced antitumor therapeutic efficiency against 4T1 breast tumors compared to free TPZH.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiali Sun, Zhilin Liu, Haochen Yao, Honglei Zhang, Mengfei Zheng, Na Shen, Jianjun Cheng, Zhaohui Tang, Xuesi Chen
Summary: A selective activatable prodrug R848-N-3 was developed, which reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines to 1/12 of R848 at the same dose by selectively activating in hypoxic tumors. By using CA4-NPs, the tumor selectivity of R848-N-3 was enhanced, resulting in a 21.45-fold increase in concentration of active R848 in the tumor compared to the heart. Therefore, the azide-masking strategy holds potential for developing tumor-selective prodrugs with reduced toxicity.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fuxin Xue, Haochen Yao, Linjie Cui, Yue Huang, Changlu Shao, Na Shen, Junli Hu, Zhaohui Tang, Xuesi Chen
Summary: Multispecific antibodies (MsAbs) have the potential to redirect T cells to tumors and maintain the specificity of versatile antibodies. However, the complex production process and limitations such as low yield, inconsistent quality, and impurities pose challenges to their development.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Madi Sun, Peiyu Chen, Kai Xiao, Xiang Zhu, Zhibin Zhao, Chenyang Guo, Xuan He, Tongfei Shi, Qingguo Zhong, Yong Jia, Yu Tao, Mingqiang Li, Kam W. Leong, Dan Shao
Summary: This study finds that the temporal pattern of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is strongly associated with damage and inflammation parameters in APAP-induced liver injury (AILI). CfDNA is comparable to ALT in predicting mortality and outperforms ALT when combined with ALT in AILI. Depleting cfDNA or neutrophils alleviates liver damage, while adding cfDNA or adoptive transfer of neutrophils exacerbates the damage. The combination of DNase I and N-acetylcysteine significantly attenuates AILI. This study establishes that cfDNA is a mechanistic biomarker to predict mortality in AILI mice. The combination of scavenging cfDNA and reducing oxidative damage provides a promising treatment for AILI.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yanlun Zhu, Yiwei Wang, Guanggai Xia, Xuerao Zhang, Shuai Deng, Xiaoyu Zhao, Yanteng Xu, Guozhu Chang, Yu Tao, Mingqiang Li, Haiyan Li, Xinyu Huang, Hon Fai Chan
Summary: Resolving inflammation and promoting intestinal tissue regeneration are critical for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment. Bioactive glass (BG), a clinically approved bone graft material, attenuates pro-inflammatory response and reduces inflammatory damage to intestinal organoids in vitro. Zein/sodium alginate-based core-shell microspheres (Zein/SA/BG) are developed for oral delivery of BG to prevent its premature dissolution in the stomach.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Youqiang Fang, Xing Luo, Yanteng Xu, Zheng Liu, Rachel L. Mintz, Haiyang Yu, Xuan Yu, Kai Li, Enguo Ju, Haixia Wang, Zhaohui Tang, Yu Tao, Mingqiang Li
Summary: An implantable sandwich-structured dual-drug depot is developed to sequentially trigger a self-intensified starvation therapy and hypoxia-induced chemotherapy. The outer layers are 3D-printed with a calcium-crosslinked mixture ink, while the inner layer is a patch of electrospun fibers loaded with TPZ. The released drugs destroy blood vessels, inhibit angiogenesis, and induce cytotoxicity, effectively inhibiting tumor recurrence and metastasis.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ke Yi, Huimin Kong, Yeh-Hsing Lao, Di Li, Rachel L. Mintz, Tianxu Fang, Guojun Chen, Yu Tao, Mingqiang Li, Jianxun Ding
Summary: CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology has great potential in cancer treatment, but limitations of viral delivery have led to the development of non-viral nanomaterials. Optimizing the packaging capacity, pharmacokinetics, and targetability of non-viral CRISPR/Cas9 nanoformulations can enhance the safety and efficacy of cancer therapy.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chunxiong Zheng, Qingguo Zhong, Ke Yi, Huimin Kong, Fangfang Cao, Chenya Zhuo, Yanteng Xu, Run Shi, Enguo Ju, Wantong Song, Yu Tao, Xiaoyuan Chen, Mingqiang Li
Summary: Equipping multiple functionalities on adoptive effector cells is essential for superior antitumor efficacy in solid tumors. However, current cell engineering technologies cannot achieve this in a single step due to differences in the spatial distributions of targets within a cell. In this study, a core-shell anti-phagocytosis-blocking repolarization-resistant membrane-fusogenic liposome (ARMFUL) is proposed to achieve one-step multiplexing cell engineering. This allows for the customization of multimodal cellular functions, enhancing adoptive cell therapy.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yuanyuan Jin, Jiabin Zhang, Yanteng Xu, Ke Yi, Fenfang Li, Huicong Zhou, Haixia Wang, Hon Fai Chan, Yeh-Hsing Lao, Shixian Lv, Yu Tao, Mingqiang Li
Summary: We developed a platform consisting of versatile biomimetic copper oxide nanozymes-loaded PLGA nanofibers and decellularized extracellular matrix hydrogels for delivery of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells-derived hepatocyte-like cells. This strategy showed excellent synergistic therapeutic efficacy on acute liver failure and has great potential for clinical translation.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Tianying Zhai, Pingping Ai, Zhaohui Tang, Chaoliang He, Xuesi Chen, Shiming Yang, Nan Wu
Summary: This article introduces the key techniques and latest progress in thermo-sensitive hydrogel nanodrug delivery system for safe and efficient drug administration in the inner ear.
JOURNAL OF OTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Enguo Ju, Mengran Peng, Yanteng Xu, Yuqin Wang, Feng Zhou, Haixia Wang, Mingqiang Li, Yue Zheng, Yu Tao
Summary: In this study, a microneedle patch loaded with MnO2/Cu2O nanosheets and combretastatin A4 was designed for the enhanced therapy of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). The patch effectively delivered drugs locally to the tumor sites and the MnO2/Cu2O exhibited both photothermal conversion and glucose oxidase (GOx)-mimicking activity. This work opens up new avenues for constructing multimodal treatment for efficient therapy of skin cancers.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Qingguo Zhong, Chunxiong Zheng, Ke Yi, Rachel L. L. Mintz, Shixian Lv, Yu Tao, Mingqiang Li
Summary: Lipid-based nanoparticles serve as effective delivery systems in clinical disease treatment due to their biocompatibility, stability, and high loading ability. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have played a crucial role in vaccine development. This article reviews the development of lipid-based nanoparticles, from simple liposomes to multifunctional nanoparticles, and summarizes strategies to enhance their tissue distribution, cell internalization, and drug release through structural and componential design. Further research is needed to advance lipid-based nanotechnology.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huimin Kong, Chenya Zhuo, Ke Yi, Chunxiong Zheng, Rachel L. Mintz, Yeh-Hsing Lao, Qingguo Zhong, Enguo Ju, Haixia Wang, Dan Shao, Haihua Xiao, Yu Tao, Mingqiang Li
Summary: This article introduces a hepatocyte-confined CRISPR/Cas9-based nanocleaver for precise and efficient cleavage of hepatitis B virus DNA in hepatocytes. The nanocleaver specifically accumulates in the liver and enters hepatocytes through membrane fusion, avoiding degradation and allowing for superior delivery efficiency. The use of a hepatocyte-specific CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid ensures precise cleavage in HBV-infected cells.
