Publications by authors named "Changfeng Zhu"

The sensitive detection of inflammatory biomarkers in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) is highly desirable for the evaluation of periodontal disease. Luminol-based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensors offer a promising approach for the fast and convenient detection of biomarkers. However, luminol's low ECL efficiency under neutral conditions remains a challenge.

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DNA hydrogels are a focus of current research in the realm of cutting-edge functional biomaterials. Rolling circle amplification (RCA) technology has surfaced as a flexible approach for producing functional DNA hydrogels in a one-pot manner, owing to its effectiveness and ease of use. This study introduces a simple dual RCA approach for producing DNA hydrogels.

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Early diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer (GC) play a vital role in improving efficacy, reducing mortality and prolonging patients' lives. Given the importance of early detection of gastric cancer, an electrochemical biosensor was developed for the ultrasensitive detection of miR-19b-3p by integrating MoS-based nanozymes, hybridization chain reaction (HCR) with enzyme catalyzed reaction. The as-prepared MoS-based nanocomposites were used as substrate materials to construct nanoprobes, which can simultaneously load probe DNA and HCR initiator for signal amplification.

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Current in vitro models struggle to balance the complexity of human diseases with suitability for large-scale drug tests. While 3D cultures simulate human tissues, they lack cellular intricacy, and integrating these models with high-throughput drug screening remains a challenge. Here, we introduce a method that uses self-assembling nucleic acid nanostructures decorated living cells, termed NACs, to create spheroids with a customizable 3D layout.

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Emerging point-of-care testing methods are extremely beneficial for personalized assessments of trace element metabolism including selenium (Se). Given the lack of timely evaluation methods for well-received Se fortification, an electrochemical solution was developed based on the recently identified urinary selenosugar (Sel) as a marker. The Se content of crude urine was rapidly determined (∼5 min), and the square-wave voltammetric responses of a Se-selective probe (SeSE) composed of liquid metal amalgam demonstrated comparable performance (e.

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Pancreatic cancer, predominantly pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), remains a highly lethal malignancy with limited therapeutic options and a dismal prognosis. By targeting the underlying molecular abnormalities responsible for PDAC development and progression, gene therapy offers a promising strategy to overcome the challenges posed by conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This study sought to explore the therapeutic potential of small activating RNAs (saRNAs) specifically targeting the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (CEBPA) gene in PDAC.

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Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major global health concern, necessitating the development of sensitive and reliable diagnostic methods. In this study, we propose a novel approach to enhance the sensitivity of HBV DNA detection by leveraging a concentration imbalance-driven DNA circuit (CIDDC) as an operational amplifier, coupled with a hybridization-responsive DNA-templated silver nanocluster (DNA-AgNCs) nanoprobe named Q·C6-AgNCs. The CIDDC system effectively converts and amplifies the input HBV DNA into an enriched generic single-stranded DNA output, which subsequently triggers the fluorescence of the DNA-AgNCs reporter upon hybridization, generating a measurable signal for detection.

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Article Synopsis
  • Adequate iodine nutrition is essential for the thyroid function and brain development of infants, particularly during their transition from milk to solid foods.* -
  • A study conducted in Shanghai analyzed the urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in 2282 mother-child pairs, revealing that infants generally had higher UIC than their mothers and that lower formula consumption was linked to lower UIC in children.* -
  • While the overall iodine status for both infants and mothers was deemed sufficient, a notable minority of them may still be at risk for iodine deficiency, with no strong associations found between children's UIC and their feeding behaviors.*
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Diabetic wounds impose significant burdens on patients' quality of life and healthcare resources due to impaired healing potential. Factors like hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, impaired angiogenesis and excessive inflammation contribute to the delayed healing trajectory. Mounting evidence indicates a close association between impaired mitochondrial function and diabetic complications, including chronic wounds.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study highlights the development of a unique DNA-based structure, called ZnPDF, which integrates specific sequences to increase signal output and streamline the testing process, eliminating the need for traditional ECL components.
  • * By optimizing bioprocessing, the ZnPDF sensor achieved a detection limit significantly lower than standard methods, promising a more accurate and effective diagnostic tool for IBD in clinical applications.
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Given the lack of timely evaluation of the well-received selenium fortification, a neat lateral-flow chromatographic solution was constructed here by using the recently identified urinary selenosugar (Sel) as a strongly indicative marker. As there are no ready-made receptors for this synthetic standard, phenylboronic acid (PBA) esterification and agglutinin (DBA) affinity joined up to pinch and pin down the analyte into a sandwich-type glycol complex. Pilot lectin screening on homemade glycan microarrays verified such a new pairing between dual recognizers as PBA-Sel-DBA with a firm monosaccharide-binding constant.

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  • Radiation dermatitis (RD) is a skin condition caused by ionizing radiation, and nanomedicine offers a promising treatment option.
  • Researchers synthesized fullerenols, which are capable of scavenging free radicals, and tested their effectiveness on cells exposed to X-ray radiation, finding that they significantly protected skin cells from damage.
  • In animal studies, fullerenols were applied after radiation exposure, resulting in reduced RD scores and improved skin health compared to a traditional treatment, demonstrating their potential as a superior option for managing RD.
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Polynucleotide kinase (PNK) is a key enzyme that is necessary for ligation-based DNA repair. The activity assay and inhibitor screening for PNK may contribute to the prediction and improvement of tumor treatment sensitivity, respectively. Herein, we developed a simple, low-background, and label-free method for both T4 PNK activity detection and inhibitor screening by combining a designed ligation-triggered T7 transcriptional amplification system and a crafty light-up malachite green aptamer.

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  • Liver fibrosis is closely linked to increased mortality in NASH, and the study investigates the role of the TrkB receptor in liver fibrosis progression.
  • TrkB levels were found to decrease in mouse models of liver fibrosis, and its overexpression inhibited liver cell activation and reduced fibrosis through interference with the TGF-β signaling pathway.
  • The findings suggest that targeting TrkB could be a promising therapeutic approach to treat hepatic fibrosis.
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C is the second most abundant fullerene next to C. In this work, the exploration of C based electrides is proposed by theoretical encapsulation of group I/II trimetallic clusters into the C cage. Herein, we provide computational evidence that endohedral metallofullerenes M@C (M = Li, Na, K, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) can exist stably by calculating encapsulation energies and analyzing atom centered density matrix propagation molecular dynamics simulations.

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With the increasing demand for high-quality pork, more nutritional substances have been studied for the regulation of meat quality. Zero-dimensional fullerenes (C60) can modulate the biological behavior of a variety of cell lines and animals. In this study, we report the biological effects of C60 on finishing pigs at different concentrations.

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Although sorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor, has provided noteworthy benefits in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the inevitable side effects, narrow therapeutic window, and low bioavailability seriously affect its clinical application. To be clinically distinctive, innovative drugs must meet the needs of reaching tumor tissues and cause limited side effects to normal organs and tissues. Recently, photodynamic therapy, utilizing a combination of a photosensitizer and light irradiation, was selectively accumulated at the tumor site and taken up effectively via inducing apoptosis or necrosis of cancer cells.

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Bulk chemicals such as ethylene glycol (EG) can be industrially synthesized from either ethylene or syngas, but the latter undergoes a bottleneck reaction and requires high hydrogen pressures. We show that fullerene (exemplified by C) can act as an electron buffer for a copper-silica catalyst (Cu/SiO). Hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate over a C-Cu/SiO catalyst at ambient pressure and temperatures of 180° to 190°C had an EG yield of up to 98 ± 1%.

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Background: Calcium ions (Ca) participates in various intracellular signal cascades and especially plays a key role in pathways relevant to cancer cells. Mitochondrial metabolism stimulated by calcium overload can trigger the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), which leads to cancer cell death.

Methods: Herein, a mitochondrial pathway for tumour growth inhibition was built via the double-activation of MPTP channel.

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Copper is vital for various life processes, whereas severely toxic at excess level. Intracellular copper homeostasis is strictly controlled by a set of transporters and chaperones encoded by the copper homeostasis genes. Increasing evidence has shown that copper is usually overloaded in multiple malignancies, including pancreatic cancer, which has an extremely poor prognosis.

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Pattern recognition, also called "array sensing," is a recognition strategy with a wide and expandable analysis range, based on high-throughput analysis data. In this work, we constructed a sensor array for the identification of targets including bacterial pathogens and proteins by using FAM-labeled DNA probes and 2D nanosheet materials. We designed an ordered and extendible DNA library for the collection of recognition probes.

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DNA self-assembled nanostructures have been considered as effective vehicles for biomolecule delivery because of their excellent biocompatibility, cellular permeability, noncytotoxicity, and small size. Here, we report an efficient antiviral strategy with self-assembled tetrahedral framework nucleic acids (tFNAs) delivering small interfering RNA (t-siRNA) to silence classical swine fever virus (CSFV) gene in porcine host cells. In this study, two previously reported siRNAs, C3 and C6, specifically targeting the CSFV genome were selected and modified on tFNAs, respectively, and termed t-C3 and t-C6.

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Oxidative stress is involved in a wide variety of pathologies, and fullerene has been shown to have an antioxidant ability. Mycotoxins exert toxic effects through induction of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we evaluated water-soluble fullerene C60 for its anti-mycotoxin and antioxidant effects in vitro and in vivo.

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Since H5N1 virus is a highly infectious pathogen that causes outbreaks of avian influenza, developing a sensitive and rapid diagnostic platform to sense it becomes significant. Here, a novel label-free fluorescence sensing platform based on DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-Ag NCs) is developed to detect the H5N1 gene sequence representing H5N1 virus. The three-segment-branched DNA structure with closed cytosine-rich loop is designed as an effective template to produce fluorescent Ag NCs, which is different with the previous design of cytosine-rich loop formed by hairpin-like single-stranded DNA or double-stranded DNA.

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