Utilization of chitosan nanocomposites loaded with quantum dots enables efficient and traceable DNA delivery.

Chitosan is widely employed in gene carriers due to its excellent gene loading capacity, ease of modification, and exceptional biodegradability. However, low gene delivery efficiency, high cytotoxicity, and lack of tracer biomimetic properties limit its clinical use. To address these issues, a novel biomimetic tracking gene delivery carrier, RBCm-C50kQT, was constructed by using the design scheme of cell membrane coated carbon quantum dots/chitosan.

Construction of intelligent response gene vector based on MOF/FeO/AuNRs for tumor-targeted gene delivery.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have the potential to efficiently carry cargo due to their excellent porosity and high surface area. Nevertheless, conventional MOFs and their derivatives exhibit low efficiency in transporting nucleic acids and other small molecules, as well as having poor colloidal stability. In this study, a ZIF-90 loaded with iron oxide nanoparticles and Au nanorods was prepared, and then surface-functionalized with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to create a multifunctional nanocomposite (AFZP25k) with pH, photothermal, and magnetic responsiveness.

Rheumatoid arthritis characteristics and classification of heat and cold patterns-an observational study.

Introduction: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been proven to be an effective complementary therapy in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The cold pattern and the heat pattern were the two main TCM patterns for RA, which is crucial for TCM treatment. The cold pattern is characterized by fear of cold and wind, joint pain with a thin white tongue coating which can be relieved by hot herbs.

Efficacy and safety of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) antibodies in COVID-19 patients: a meta-analysis.

Objective: This study aims to determine the efficacy and safety of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) antibodies in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: We searched Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases until July 27, 2022.

Serum HDAC4 level in rheumatoid arthritis: Longitudinal change during treatment and correlation with clinical outcomes.

Objective: Histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) modulates immunity, inflammation, and osteoblast differentiation to engage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) etiology. This study aimed to evaluate the HDAC4 longitudinal change and its relationship with clinical features and outcomes in RA patients.

Methods: Eighty-three RA patients were enrolled.

A meta-analysis of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) antibody treatment for COVID-19 patients.

Objective: This meta-analysis aims to assess the efficacy and safety of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) antibodies on COVID-19.

Methods: Relevant literatures about GM-CSF antibody treatment in COVID-19 patients were searched from the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Google scholar, and Baiduscholar databases from the COVID-19 outbreak in December 2019 until 1 January 2021. The primary outcomes included the death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission risk, ventilation requirement, and secondary infection.

Development of a novel DNA delivery system based on rice bran polysaccharide-Fe(III) complexes.

Metal complexes, as a type of potential non-virus gene carriers, have gained much attention due to their properties of high charge density and unique three-dimensional structure. This study investigated the potential of polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified rice bran polysaccharide-Fe(III) complex (PEI-PI) as a safe gene delivery system and explored the effect of Fe(III) on the efficiency of gene transfection mediated by PEI modified rice bran polysaccharide (PEI-P) and PEI-PI. Gel retardation assay was used to study the DNA binding and protection capability, MTT assay was performed to evaluate the biocompatibility, and PEI-PI complex-mediated EGFP gene transfection was studied in vitro.

Development of a safe and efficient gene delivery system based on a biodegradable tannic acid backbone.

Finding a safe and efficient gene delivery vector is a major international challenge facing the development of gene therapy. Tannic acid (TA) is a natural cross-linker owing to its hydroxyl and carboxyl groups that can interact with biopolymers for different biomaterial design. In this work, three polyethyleneimine-modified TA polymers were prepared, and the polymers were characterized by FTIR, UV-vis, elemental analysis and H NMR.

Safe and efficient gene delivery based on rice bran polysaccharide.

Polysaccharides are capable of being modified by polycations to adjust their physical and chemical properties, which accordingly are considered as potential candidate materials for safe and efficient gene delivery. Here, we extracted and purified polysaccharides from rice bran, and their physicochemical properties were determined by various methods. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified rice bran polysaccharide (PRBP) was prepared by grafting RBP with low molecular weight PEI and the preparation was determined by FTIR.

Rice bran polysaccharide-metal complexes showed safe antioxidant activity in vitro.

The effect on the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and the antioxidant and cytotoxicity properties of rice bran polysaccharides (RBP) and RBP-metal complexes RBP-Fe(III), RBP-Cu, RBP-Zn and RBP-Ca, were evaluated using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), scavenging activity assays, cell viability assay and fluorescence microscopy. The RBP-metal complexes were prepared using the hydrothermal method. The RBP-Fe(III) complexes were found to be potent scavengers for superoxide (O) free radicals.

Chromatographic separation of phenyllactic acid from crude broth using cryogels with dual functional groups.

Phenyllactic acid (PLA) is an important organic acid with wide antimicrobial activities against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and some fungi. This interesting compound can be synthesized by the microbial fermentation or the bioconversion using phenylpyruvic acid (PPA) as the key substrate and microorganisms as the whole-cell biocatalysts. However, the isolation of high-purity PLA with a high recovery from the crude fermentation or conversion broth is a challenging task.

Identification of Novel Vacuolin-1 Analogues as Autophagy Inhibitors by Virtual Drug Screening and Chemical Synthesis.

Autophagy is a fundamental cellular degradation process which is essential for cell homeostasis, and dysfunctional autophagy has been associated with a variety of human diseases, such as cancer. Several autophagy chemical modulators have been applied in a number of preclinical or clinical trials against these autophagy related diseases, especially cancer. Small molecule vacuolin-1 potently and reversibly inhibits both endosomal-lysosomal trafficking and autophagosome-lysosome fusion, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying vacuolin-1 mediated autophagy inhibition remain unknown.

Direct detection of two different tumor-derived extracellular vesicles by SAM-AuNIs LSPR biosensor.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are abundant in various biological fluids including blood, saliva, urine, as well as extracellular milieu. Accumulating evidence has indicated that EVs, which contain functional proteins and small RNAs, facilitate intercellular communication between neighbouring cells, and are critical to maintain various physiological processes. In contrast, EV-derived toxic signals can spread out over the tissues adjacent to the injured area in certain diseases, including brain tumors and neurodegenerative disorders.

1-Ethyl-3-(2,4,6-trimethyl-phen-yl)imidazolium tetra-fluoro-borate.

The title compound, C(14)H(19)N(2) (+)·BF(4) (-), was obtained by reaction of 1-ethyl-3-(2,4,6-trimethyl-phen-yl)imidazolium tetra-fluoro-borate with sodium tetra-fluoro-borate. The imidazole ring makes a dihedral angle of 78.92 (13)° with the benzene ring.

[1,1'-Bis(diphenyl-phosphino)cobalto-cenium-κP,P']dichloridoplatinum(II) hexa-fluorido-phosphate.

The title bimetallic compound, [PtCl(2){Co(C(17)H(14)P)(2)}]PF(6), was obtained by reaction of 1,1'-bis-(diphenyl-phosphino)cobalto-cenium hexa-fluorido-phosphate with bis-(acetonitrile)di-chloridoplatinum. The Pt(II) ion is four-coordinated in a slightly distorted square-planar environment by two P atoms of the 1,1'-bis-(diphenyl-phosphino)cobaltocenium moiety and two Cl atoms. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules are linked by weak C-H⋯F and C-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds.