Article
Biology
Ravi Chakra Turaga, Ganesh Satyanarayana, Malvika Sharma, Jenny J. Yang, Shiyuan Wang, Chunfeng Liu, Sun Li, Hua Yang, Hans Grossniklaus, Alton Brad Farris, Jordi Gracia-Sancho, Zhi-Ren Liu
Summary: Turaga et al. present a strategy for treatment of chronic liver disease using their rationally designed protein (ProAgio) which targets integrin alpha(v)beta(3). They find that ProAgio-mediated apoptosis of these disease-associated cells reverses liver fibrosis and ameliorates intrahepatic vascular resistance in a mouse model. This study demonstrates an effective approach for CLD treatment.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maria V. Babak, Kai Ren Chong, Peter Rapta, Markella Zannikou, Hui Min Tang, Lisa Reichert, Meng Rui Chang, Vladimir Kushnarev, Petra Heffeter, Samuel M. Meier-Menches, Zhi Chiaw Lim, Jian Yu Yap, Angela Casini, Irina V. Balyasnikova, Wee Han Ang
Summary: The study developed a novel drug complex 3met which can induce deadly metabolic catastrophe in triple-negative breast cancer, reducing tumor burden and significantly improving treatment outcomes.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Zhen Wang, Kailiang Zhang, Hengti Wang, Xinyu Wu, Hanyu Wang, Chenglong Weng, Yongjin Li, Shanqiu Liu, Jintao Yang
Summary: Foams made of immiscible polymer blends have attracted great interest due to the integration of desirable properties of different polymers. However, the poor interfacial strength within the blends hampers the foamability and end-use properties. This study successfully enhanced the interfacial strength and foamability of the blends by designing and synthesizing reactive interfacial compatibilizers. These findings offer new possibilities for controlling cell morphologies and designing unique cell structures for polymer foams.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Lei Zheng, Zhifeng Zhao, Jiayun Lin, Hongjie Li, Guangbo Wu, Xiaoliang Qi, Xiaolou Lou, Yongyang Bao, Haizhong Huo, Meng Luo
Summary: Telmisartan ameliorates cirrhosis-induced portal hypertension by reducing liver fibrosis, inflammation responses, angiogenesis, and vascular remodeling. KLF-4 and eNOS may be potential molecular targets for the management of cirrhosis-associated portal hypertension.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Wenjie Liang, Gang Nie, Jinjin Che, Zhengjiang Zhang, Dugang Chen, Wenbo Wu
Summary: There is a lack of effective and friendly diagnostic technique for alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Fluorescence imaging, which has been widely applied in disease diagnostic ascribed to the merits of high sensitivity, excellent temporal resolution and minimal invasiveness, is probably a good candidate for ALD studying.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Ender, Maja Etzel, Stefan Hammer, Sven Findeiss, Peter Stadler, Mario Moerl
Summary: The study describes a synthetic riboswitch element that regulates tRNA maturation by either sequestering or exposing the 5'-leader region of tRNA precursor in response to a ligand. It provides evidence for the importance of the leader region structure in tRNA maturation and demonstrates the potential of ligand-dependent structural rearrangements in addressing individual maturation steps of stable non-coding RNAs as promising targets for regulatory devices in synthetic biology.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Martin Panigaj, Elizabeth Skelly, Damian Beasock, Ian Marriott, M. Brittany Johnson, Jacqueline Salotti, Kirill A. Afonin
Summary: The immune system defends the body against external threats and other diseases by distinguishing self from non-self. However, altered cells and invading pathogens can manipulate the immune system, so new therapeutic interventions that enhance protective immune responses are desirable. Nucleic acid technologies offer exciting possibilities for biomedicine, with nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) providing new options for therapy. These NANPs can deliver multiple therapeutic nucleic acids with defined properties and functions, and this review highlights recent advances and future directions in this field.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tingyu Yan, Xinyi Li, Zhenxing Li, Jingxiang Zhao
Summary: The development of highly-efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts is crucial for the commercialization of energy conversion and storage technologies. In this study, the catalytic activities of different metal-N-C/MoS2 heterostructures towards oxygen reduction/evolution reactions were investigated through first-principle computations. A specific sample, Ir-N-C, was identified as the best bifunctional electrocatalyst with the lowest overpotentials, providing a new strategy for the exploration of heterostructures-based materials in electrochemical processes.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qiuyan Wang, Kui Chen, Shuhui Wang, Yuanjin Li, Linghui Zeng, Changqiu Ma, Daheng Jiang, Lixin Zhu, Xiaoliang Xu
Summary: This study introduces a plasmonic hybrid coupling-enhanced photocatalyst of Ag/rGO-ZnO, which shows superior catalytic activity and stability, with selective conversion of CO2 into cleaner fuel CH4.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Li Hu, Chanjuan Dong, Zhe Wang, Shengyuan He, Yiwen Yang, Meiting Zi, Huiqin Li, Yanghuan Zhang, Chuanjie Chen, Runzi Zheng, Shuting Jia, Jing Liu, Xuan Zhang, Yonghan He
Summary: We developed a near-infrared fluorescent probe, XZ1208, that can be cleaved rapidly by beta-galactosidase and generates a strong fluorescence signal in senescent cells. XZ1208 showed high specificity and sensitivity in labeling senescent cells in various models. It achieved long-term duration in labeling senescence without causing significant toxicities.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Siming Ren, Mingjun Cui, Ashlie Martini, Yanbin Shi, Haixin Wang, Jibin Pu, Qunyang Li, Qunji Xue, Liping Wang
Summary: By designing superlattice films with alternating MoS2 and tungsten carbide layers, long-term macroscale superlubricity in mild vacuum with robust environmental adaptability is achieved. The ceramic phase with precisely controlled thickness is critical for superlubricity by stiffening the film, facilitating the growth of crystalline MoS2, and producing lubricous nanoparticles. The superlattice architecture offers a general route for designing MoS2-based materials toward long-lifetime, self-rejuvenating macroscale superlubricity.
CELL REPORTS PHYSICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jingyi Zhou, Tian Ke, Yifei Song, Hongyi Cai, Zhuo'an Wang, Luyao Chen, Qianqian Xu, Zhiguo Zhang, Zongbi Bao, Qilong Ren, Qiwei Yang
Summary: This article introduces a strategy for precise discrimination of C8 aromatics by constructing a nonaromatic confined pore environment. The resulting metal-organic framework exhibits outstanding separation performance for C8 aromatics and sets a benchmark for their dynamic separation performance.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Fang Pan, Yueping Li, Yujie Ding, Songwei Lv, Rongrong You, Roja Hadianamrei, Mhd Anas Tomeh, Xiubo Zhao
Summary: This study systematically designed a series of new alpha-helical short peptides with different anticancer activities and demonstrated their interaction mechanism with cancer cells. The peptides exhibited high selectivity towards cancer cells due to their balanced amphiphilicity and cationic nature, while showing low toxicity to normal cells. Furthermore, the peptides not only damaged the mitochondria and induced apoptosis in cancer cells, but also activated the Caspase enzyme-linked reaction. The results suggest the potential of these peptides for clinical applications and provide guidance for the development of highly selective anticancer medications.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shaoyong Lu, Yingyi Chen, Jiacheng Wei, Mingzhu Zhao, Duan Ni, Xinheng He, Jian Zhang
Summary: The discovery of activator compounds binding to an allosteric site on SIRT6 has potential implications for aging-related and cancer diseases. The mechanism of allosteric activation by MDL-801 involves conformational rotation of the substituent on the R-ring, leading to increased deacetylation activity. The presence of the 5-Br atom in MDL-801 may serve as an allosteric driver controlling the ligand's effectiveness.
ACTA PHARMACEUTICA SINICA B
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Feixia Liu, Jie Ren, Lu Guo, Yang Liu, De-Feng Li, Bo Yu
Summary: This study successfully achieved the enantioselective synthesis of S-PGB by engineering d-hydantoinase, avoiding the generation of pollutants in the process. The best variant demonstrated a high conversion rate and chiral selectivity in kilogram scale synthesis, offering a novel green and efficient route for S-PGB production.
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Laura K. G. Ackerman-Biegasiewicz, Daniela M. Arias-Rotondo, Kyle F. Biegasiewicz, Elizabeth Elacqua, Matthew R. Golder, Laure V. Kayser, Jessica R. Lamb, Christine M. Le, Nathan A. Romero, Sidney M. Wilkerson-Hill, Dwight A. Williams
ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Teng-Wei Wang, Pin-Ruei Huang, Jayme L. Chow, Werner Kaminsky, Matthew R. Golder
Summary: The study introduces a novel ring-expansion metathesis polymerization initiator CB6, which improves the synthesis kinetics and initiator stability of cyclic macromolecules through careful design features and ligand modifications, serving as an adaptable platform for the research and application of cyclic macromolecules.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Farrukh Vohidov, Jannik N. Andersen, Kyriakos D. Economides, Michail Shipitsin, Olga Burenkova, James C. Ackley, Bhavatarini Vangamudi, Hung V-T Nguyen, Nolan M. Gallagher, Peyton Shieh, Matthew R. Golder, Jenny Liu, William K. Dahlberg, Deborah J. C. Ehrlich, Julie Kim, Samantha L. Kristufek, Sung Jin Huh, Allison M. Neenan, Joelle Baddour, Sattanathan Paramasivan, Elisa de Stanchina, Gaurab Kc, David J. Turnquist, Jennifer K. Saucier-Sawyer, Paul W. Kopesky, Samantha W. Brady, Michael J. Jessel, Lawrence A. Reiter, Donald E. Chickering, Jeremiah A. Johnson, Peter Blume-Jensen
Summary: The study introduces a macromolecular prodrug platform for BET protein inhibitors, which demonstrates a correlation between in vitro prodrug activation kinetics and in vivo tumor pharmacokinetics. This platform allows for the predictive design of novel BET protein inhibitors with enhanced anticancer efficacies and reduced dose-limiting toxicities, potentially overcoming hurdles in drug development.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ruth L. Maust, Penghao Li, Baihao Shao, Sarah M. Zeitler, Peiguan B. Sun, Harrison W. Reid, Lev N. Zakharov, Matthew R. Golder, Ramesh Jasti
Summary: This study demonstrates the design and synthesis of controllable carbon nanohoop polymers with tunable fluorescence emission and supramolecular responses, achieved through a combination of organic synthesis and polymer synthesis methods.
ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hung V. -T. Nguyen, Yivan Jiang, Somesh Mohapatra, Wencong Wang, Jonathan C. Barnes, Nathan J. Oldenhuis, Kathleen K. Chen, Simon Axelrod, Zhihao Huang, Qixian Chen, Matthew R. Golder, Katherine Young, Dylan Suvlu, Yizhi Shen, Adam P. Willard, Michael J. A. Hore, Rafael Gomez-Bombarelli, Jeremiah A. Johnson
Summary: This study synthesized water-soluble chiral bottlebrush polymers using macromonomers of different rigidity, and discovered that polymers with conformationally flexible mirror image side chains exhibited significant differences in properties compared to those with comparably rigid mirror image side chains. The observations were rationalized by correlating greater conformational freedom with enhanced chiral recognition, providing insights for the design of future biomaterials.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Christine M. Morrison, Matthew R. Golder
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wencong Wang, Yivan Jiang, Zhihao Huang, Hung V. -T. Nguyen, Bin Liu, Manuel Hartweg, Masamichi Shirakura, K. Peter Qin, Jeremiah A. Johnson
Summary: This study introduces a strategy for the synthesis of polymer-protein conjugates based on discrete, chiral polymers. These conjugates eliminate manufacturing variables and poorly controlled absolute configuration, and offer tunable molecular features that can impact protein function.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Progyateg Chakma, Sarah M. M. Zeitler, Fabio Baum, Jiatong Yu, Waseem Shindy, Lilo D. D. Pozzo, Matthew R. R. Golder
Summary: This study presents an energy-conscious controlled radical polymerization method by combining mechanochemistry and electron-transfer processes. A mechanoredox reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization process using piezoelectric barium titanate and a diaryliodonium initiator with minimal solvent usage is demonstrated. It offers exquisite control over the dispersity and chain length of poly(meth)acrylate, presenting an alternative approach to the synthesis of semifluorinated polymers without exotic solvents and reagents. This chemistry holds great importance for the sustainable development of materials in energy, biomedical, and engineering fields.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mercie N. Hodges, Matthew J. Elardo, Jinyoung Seo, Alexander F. Dohoda, Forrest E. Michael, Matthew R. Golder
Summary: The accumulation of end-of-life plastics poses ongoing environmental concerns. In this study, a method is proposed to upcycle polybutadiene, a commonly used commercial rubber, through a mild, metal-free allylic amination reaction. The resulting materials exhibit tunable thermal and surface wetting properties. Importantly, this approach maintains the original alkene microstructure without any evidence of olefin reduction, olefin transposition, and/or chain scission. The findings suggest potential applications in the remediation of complex elastomers and vulcanized rubbers.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Adelaide M. Levenson, Christine M. Morrison, Pin-Ruei Huang, Teng-Wei Wang, Zak Carter-Schwendler, Matthew R. Golder
Summary: The synthesis of well-defined cyclic polymers is crucial for various applications. This study demonstrates a method to synthesize controlled and low-dispersity cyclic poly(norbornene) by adding pyridine to the tethered ruthenium-benzylidene REMP initiator.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sarah M. Zeitler, Progyateg Chakma, Matthew R. Golder
Summary: Mechanically-induced redox processes offer a promising alternative to conventional thermal and photochemical synthetic methods and provide exquisite control over the synthesis of high molecular weight polymers.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Manuel Hartweg, Yivan Jiang, Gokhan Yilmaz, Cassie M. Jarvis, Hung V-T Nguyen, Gaston A. Primo, Alessandra Monaco, Valentin P. Beyer, Kathleen K. Chen, Somesh Mohapatra, Simon Axelrod, Rafael Gomez-Bombarelli, Laura L. Kiessling, C. Remzi Becer, Jeremiah A. Johnson
Summary: Carbohydrate-binding proteins known as lectins play key roles in cell recognition and signaling, particularly in immune responses. By using a synthetic strategy called iterative exponential growth (IEG), researchers have been able to create synthetic glycomacromolecules with precise sizes, compositions, and configurations, which can selectively target immune lectins and potentially advance immunology and drug discovery.
Review
Polymer Science
Teng-Wei Wang, Matthew R. Golder
Summary: The exploration of macromolecular topology provides common ground amongst chemists, material scientists, mathematicians, and artists. Different polymer architectures have unique physical properties and their topological-dependent properties are a fusion of symmetry and polymer physics. Specifically, cyclic macromolecules have distinct characteristics compared to their linear counterparts due to the lack of chain ends.
Article
Polymer Science
Hung V-T Nguyen, Alexandre Detappe, Peter Harvey, Nolan Gallagher, Clelia Mathieu, Michael P. Agius, Oksana Zavidij, Wencong Wang, Yivan Jiang, Andrzej Rajca, Alan Jasanoff, Irene M. Ghobrial, P. Peter Ghoroghchian, Jeremiah A. Johnson
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Farrukh Vohidov, Lauren E. Milling, Qixian Chen, Wenxu Zhang, Sachin Bhagchandani, Hung V-T Nguyen, Darrell J. Irvine, Jeremiah A. Johnson