Article
Immunology
Li-Juan Lv, Sheng-Hui Li, Ji-Ying Wen, Guang-Yang Wang, Hui Li, Tian-Wen He, Qing-Bo Lv, Man-Chun Xiao, Hong-Li Duan, Min-Chai Chen, Zhou-Ting Yi, Qiu-Long Yan, Ai-Hua Yin
Summary: This study compared the gut microbiome of patients with preeclampsia (PE) and healthy pregnant women. The results showed that the gut microbiota of PE patients had certain enriched species and microbial functions, while the gut microbiome of healthy pregnant women had different enriched species and functions. The diagnostic potential of gut microbial biomarkers for PE was also developed.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Li Jiao, Themistoklis Kourkoumpetis, Diane Hutchinson, Nadim J. Ajami, Kristi Hoffman, Donna L. White, David Y. Graham, Clark Hair, Rajesh Shah, Fasiha Kanwal, Maria Jarbrink-Sehgal, Nisreen Husain, Ruben Hernaez, Jason Hou, Rhonda Cole, Maria Velez, Gyanprakash Ketwaroo, Jennifer Kramer, Hashem B. El-Serag, Joseph F. Petrosino
Summary: Limited data exists on the spatial distribution of colonic bacteria in humans. This study investigated the bacterial composition in different segments of the colon in healthy adults, finding unique bacterial communities in each individual with no significant differences across colon segments except for distinct differences between rectal and fecal bacteria.
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Nidhi Singh, Veer Singh, Sachchida Nand Rai, Vishal Mishra, Emanuel Vamanu, Mohan P. Singh
Summary: The central nervous system plays an essential role in regulating the physiological condition of the human body. Gut microbes can affect brain function by releasing neuroactive metabolites, and they also play a role in neurological diseases. The microbiota-gut-brain axis serves as a communication pathway between the gut and brain.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jagdish Parihar, Suraj P. Parihar, Prashanth Suravajhala, Ashima Bagaria
Summary: This study presents a systematic investigation of microbial communities in arid and semi-arid regions of Thar Desert in India. The study evaluates their response to multiple environmental stresses and assesses their biotechnological potential. The results provide a detailed understanding of the abundance of microbial communities in these regions, associated with stress-related biogeochemical and biotechnological processes. This work is important for the development of effective strategies for the use of extremophiles in complex environments.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Long H. Nguyen, Daniel Okin, David A. Drew, Vincent M. Battista, Sirus J. Jesudasen, Thomas M. Kuntz, Amrisha Bhosle, Kelsey N. Thompson, Trenton Reinicke, Chun-Han Lo, Jacqueline E. Woo, Alexander Caraballo, Lorenzo Berra, Jacob Vieira, Ching-Ying Huang, Upasana Das Adhikari, Minsik Kim, Hui-Yu Sui, Marina Magicheva-Gupta, Lauren McIver, Marcia B. Goldberg, Douglas S. Kwon, Curtis Huttenhower, Andrew T. Chan, Peggy S. Lai
Summary: The gut microbiome is linked to the severity of COVID-19, with specific microbial taxa and metabolites associated with severe disease. These findings suggest the potential of using the gut microbiome as a biomarker for disease severity and as a target for therapeutic intervention in COVID-19.
Article
Microbiology
Eun Seob Lim, Jin Ju Kim, Woo Jun Sul, Joo-Sung Kim, Bomin Kim, Hun Kim, Ok Kyung Koo
Summary: The study identified dominant bacterial genera on kitchen surfaces, observed seasonal changes in bacterial ratios, identified the fan as a main source of outdoor air contamination, and noted microbial flow associated with food spoilage during food preparation.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Clare M. M. Robinson, Nina E. E. Short, David T. T. Riglar
Summary: The mammalian gut and its microbiome form a complex and dynamic environment, and engineered bacteria with synthetic genetic circuits can provide spatially precise diagnostics and therapeutics for specific biomarkers.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Shaopu Wang, Shuqin Zeng, Muireann Egan, Paul Cherry, Conall Strain, Emilene Morais, Patrick Boyaval, C. Anthony Ryan, Eugene M. Dempsey, R. Paul Ross, Catherine Stanton
Summary: The study analyzed 376 mother-infant dyads and found that maternal gut microbiota has higher diversity at species and strain levels, with many shared species showing more metabolic functions in mother-sourced species. Predictive models showed moderate performance accuracy for shared species and strains occurrences in infants.
Article
Microbiology
Liansha Huang, Xiaoling Wu, Shumin Guo, Ying Lv, Peng Zhou, Guangrong Huang, Zuzhen Duan, Wen Sun
Summary: This study found specific alterations in viral diversity and taxonomic and functional compositions of the gut virome in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The study also demonstrated that the gut virome can be used to predict the occurrence of PCOS. These findings provide new insights for further research on the etiology of PCOS and the gut viral community.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Weirong Liu, Taku A. Tokuyasu, Xiongfei Fu, Chenli Liu
Summary: Microbes in nature often form diverse spatial structures, and microbial range expansion is a universal ecological process that can be driven by both passive and active processes. Researchers are focusing on addressing basic questions in spatial ecology during range expansion, with a particular emphasis on the role of motility in shaping community structures.
CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Jen Nguyen, Deanna M. Pepin, Carolina Tropini
Summary: The review discusses the differences in microbial organization in the human gut between health and disease states, and how changes in spatial organization can impact gut homeostasis. It concludes by looking towards future research to uncover causality.
MICROBES AND INFECTION
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Qingzhen Wei, Zhiming Li, Zhenglong Gu, Xiao Liu, Jean Krutmann, Jiucun Wang, Jingjing Xia
Summary: In this study, the fine-scale changes in the skin microbiome associated with different facial sites were explored. The results showed that the microbial features of the forehead and cheek were more similar, while they varied from the back of the nose in terms of taxonomy and functionality. These variations may be due to neutral drift and niche selection from the host. Additionally, the abundance of porphyrin-producing species and their correlation with bacteriophages varied between different facial sites and populations.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Natalie J. Wu-Woods, Jacob T. Barlow, Florian Trigodet, Dustin G. Shaw, Anna E. Romano, Bana Jabri, A. Murat Eren, Rustem F. Ismagilov
Summary: This study introduces a microbial-enrichment method (MEM) that enables the removal of host DNA in human intestinal biopsies and allows for the characterization of low-abundance microbial taxa. The method provides deeper insights into the high-throughput characterization of the gut microbiome and demonstrates the construction of metagenome-assembled genomes from human intestinal biopsies.
Article
Microbiology
Florencia Velez-Cortes, Harris Wang
Summary: Bacterially secreted proteins are crucial for the functioning of bacterial cells and communities. In this study, a computational pipeline was used to predict and analyze the bacterial metasecretome of the human gut, revealing the presence of diverse families of secreted carbohydrate-active enzymes and their distribution across taxonomic groups. By mapping secreted proteins to metagenomic data from endoscopic sampling of the human gastrointestinal tract, specific regions were identified where resident microbes secrete glycosidases. The comprehensive analysis of the metasecretome provides valuable insights for microbiome research and understanding the impact of gut bacteria on human health.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jin-Dong Zhao, Min Sun, Yan Li, Chan-Juan Yu, Ruo-Dong Cheng, Si-Hai Wang, Xue Du, Zhao-Hui Fang
Summary: Recent studies have shown that type 2 diabetes is associated with the composition of gut microbiota and metabolites. In this study, GK rats were used as a model to evaluate the alterations in gut microbes and metabolites. Metagenomics and untargeted metabolomics were employed to analyze the faecal samples of GK rats, and it was found that the model group displayed significant differences in several glucose-related indexes and a shift in the gut microbiota structure compared to the control group.
WORLD JOURNAL OF DIABETES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yawen Ma, Huimin Lin, Peng Wang, Haocheng Yang, Jie Yu, Hao Tian, Tianyu Li, Shengfang Ge, Yilong Wang, Renbing Jia, Kam W. Leong, Jing Ruan
Summary: MicroRNA-based gene therapy using biocompatible nanocarriers shows promise in treating ocular melanoma by up-regulating tumor suppressor miR-30a-5p and inhibiting malignant phenotypes. The nanocarrier with high miRNA loading and redox-responsive release capabilities enhances the therapeutic effect. Furthermore, it promotes M1 macrophage polarization and activates Fenton reaction, synergistically enhancing anti-tumor immunity. The study demonstrates the potential of this nanocarrier for targeted gene therapy in melanoma and other cancers.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiaqi Xu, Junchao Xu, Tongfei Shi, Yinlong Zhang, Fangman Chen, Chao Yang, Xinjing Guo, Guangna Liu, Dan Shao, Kam W. Leong, Guangjun Nie
Summary: Microbiota-based therapeutics offer innovative strategies to treat inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), but the clinical outcome and bacterial approach need improvement. Inspired by the benefits of probiotics, bioartificial probiotics are designed to restore intestinal microenvironment and shift the gut microbiome to an anti-inflammatory state. The bioartificial probiotic consists of E. coli Nissle 1917-derived membrane (EM) as the surface and biodegradable diselenide-bridged mesoporous silica nanoparticles (SeM) as the core. This work suggests a safe and effective nanomedicine for IBDs therapy.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhipeng Zeng, Wangmeng Hou, Zhitao Hu, Lixin Liu, Zhijia Liu, Yi Shi, Mingqiang Li, Yongming Chen
Summary: By synthesizing the insulin-zwitterionic polymer conjugate (INS-PMPC), the stability and pharmacokinetics of insulin are improved, leading to effective glycemic control and a decreased incidence of hypoglycemia.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
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
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
Yeh-Hsing Lao, Robin Ji, Joyce K. Zhou, Kathy J. Snow, Nancy Kwon, Ethan Saville, Siyu He, Shradha Chauhan, Chun-Wei Chi, Malika S. Datta, Hairong Zhang, Chai Hoon Quek, S. Sarah Cai, Mingqiang Li, Yaned Gaitan, Lawrence Bechtel, Shih-Ying Wu, Cathleen M. Lutz, Raju Tomer, Stephen A. Murray, Alejandro Chavez, Elisa E. Konofagou, Kam W. Leong
Summary: This study demonstrates a safe and effective gene editing technique by using focused ultrasound to transiently open the blood-brain barrier for the transport of CRISPR/Cas9 machinery to the brain.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(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
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
Yongqiang Xiao, He Fang, Yuefei Zhu, Jie Zhou, Zhanzhan Dai, Hongxia Wang, Zhaofan Xia, Zhaoxu Tu, Kam W. Leong
Summary: This study investigates the effectiveness of cationic hyperbranched polyaminoglycosides derived from tobramycin (HPT) and disulfide-included HPT (ss-HPT) in scavenging cell-free nucleic acids (cfNAs) to mitigate posttrauma inflammation and hypercoagulation. Both polymers demonstrate the ability to suppress inflammation and hypercoagulation by efficiently scavenging cfNAs, and exhibit potent antibacterial effects. Additionally, these polymers exhibit favorable modulatory effects on inflammation and therapeutic outcomes in a mouse model. Notably, ss-HPT shows high accumulation and retention in injured organs of traumatized mice, with a higher biodegradation rate in healthy mice compared to HPT.
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.