Photoimmunotherapy using indocyanine green-loaded Codium fragile polysaccharide and chitosan nanoparticles suppresses tumor growth and metastasis.

Metastasis and recurrence are the main challenges in cancer treatment. Among various therapeutic approaches, immunotherapy holds promise for preventing metastasis and recurrence. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of treating primary cancer and blocking metastasis and recurrence with photo-immunotherapeutic nanoparticles, which were synthesized using two types of charged polysaccharides.

Fucoidan from Durvillaea Antarctica enhances the anti-cancer effect of anti-PD-L1 antibody by activating dendritic cells and T cells.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are showing groundbreaking results in tumor immunotherapy. However, there are cases where treatment efficiency is insufficient due to limitations in immune activity, and various trials to overcome this are being studied. In this study, we investigated the immune activation ability of fucoidan extracted from Durvillaea antarctica (FDA) and whether it can enhance the anti-cancer effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Introgression of DNA fragments carrying resistance to fusarium head blight into cultivar Chinese Spring is associated with alteration of gene expression.

The tall wheatgrass species carries on the long arm of chromosome 7E, a locus that contributes strongly to resistance to fusarium head blight (FHB), a devastating fungal disease affecting wheat crops in all temperate areas of the world. Introgression of 7E chromatin into chromosome 7D of wheat was induced by the mutant of CS. Recombinants between chromosome 7E and wheat chromosome 7D, induced by the mutation, were monitored by a combination of molecular markers and phenotyping for FHB resistance.

The negative impact of long working hours on mental health in young Korean workers.

Long working hours are known to have a negative effect on health. However, there is no clear evidence for a direct link between mental health and long working hours in the young adult populations. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether long working hours are associated with mental health in young adult workers.

Synergistically enhanced selective intracellular uptake of anticancer drug carrier comprising folic acid-conjugated hydrogels containing magnetite nanoparticles.

Targeted drug delivery has long been extensively researched since drug delivery and release at the diseased site with minimum dosage realizes the effective therapy without adverse side effects. In this work, to achieve enhanced intracellular uptake of anticancer drug carriers for efficient chemo-therapy, we have designed targeted multifunctional anticancer drug carrier hydrogels. Temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) hydrogel core containing superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles (MNP) were prepared using precipitation polymerization, and further polymerized with amine-functionalized copolymer shell to facilitate the conjugation of targeting ligand.

Multi stimuli-responsive hydrogel microfibers containing magnetite nanoparticles prepared using microcapillary devices.

Extensive research efforts have been devoted to the development of hydrogel microfibers for tissue engineering, because the vascular structure is related to the transport of nutrients and oxygen as well as the control of metabolic and mechanical functions in the human body. Even though stimuli-responsive properties would enhance the potential applicability of hydrogel microfibers for artificial tissue architectures, previous studies of their fabrication have not considered changes in the microfibers in response to external stimuli. In this work, we prepared temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) microfibers with controlled shapes and sizes by the in situ photo-polymerization of aqueous monomers loaded in calcium alginate templates generated from microcapillary devices.