Constructing the cGAMP-Aluminum Nanoparticles as a Vaccine Adjuvant-Delivery System (VADS) for Developing the Efficient Pulmonary COVID-19 Subunit Vaccines.

The cGAMP-aluminum nanoparticles (CAN) are engineered as a vaccine adjuvant-delivery system to carry mixed RBD (receptor-binding domain) of the original severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its new variant for developing bivalent pulmonary coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines (biRBD-CAN). High phosphophilicity/adsorptivity made intrapulmonary CAN instantly form the pulmonary ingredient-coated CAN (piCAN) to possess biomimetic features enhancing biocompatibility. In vitro biRBD-CAN sparked APCs (antigen-presenting cells) to mature and make extra reactive oxygen species, engendered lysosome escape effects and enhanced proteasome activities.

Acid-sensing ion channel 1a modulation of apoptosis in acidosis-related diseases: implications for therapeutic intervention.

Acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a), a prominent member of the acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) superfamily activated by extracellular protons, is ubiquitously expressed throughout the human body, including the nervous system and peripheral tissues. Excessive accumulation of Ca ions via ASIC1a activation may occur in the acidified microenvironment of blood or local tissues. ASIC1a-mediated Ca‑induced apoptosis has been implicated in numerous pathologies, including neurological disorders, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Loading drugs into liposomes by temperature up-down cycle procedure with controllable results fitting prediction by mathematical and thermodynamic process.

Liposomes are a useful carrier for delivering drugs but rarely make a poorly water-soluble drug (PWSD) realize its therapeutic potential. A key barrier lies in that, by conventional methods, PWSD is mainly loaded just in liposome bilayer membranes, which rarely provide sufficient room to accommodate drugs satisfying clinical therapy. In this investigation, a novel procedure of temperature up-down cycle (TUDC) was developed for loading PWSDs into the liposome interiors instead of bilayer membranes to hold enough agents.

Preparation of Nested g-C₃N₄ Fiber Surrounding Graphene Oxide and Its Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B.

g-C₃N₄ and graphene oxide (GO) are simultaneously introduced into electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers to form a nested structure. By Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), g-C₃N₄ has been perfectly introduced into the PAN@GO nanofiber membrane and affects the porosity of the fiber itself. Comparison of nested electrospinning PAN/PAN@GO and different proportions of PAN@g-C₃N₄/PAN@GO nanofibers has a different effect on reducing the concentration and absorption of rhodamine B (RhB) dye in the visible region.

Covering Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles with Biocompatible Materials to Efficiently Deliver Subunit Vaccines.

Subunit vaccines have advantages of good safety, minimal reactogenicity, and high specificity. However, subunit vaccines also show a crucial disadvantage of poor immunogenicity and, therefore, are often formulated with an adjuvant carrier to form a vaccine adjuvant-delivery system (VADS) to enhance their efficacies. Alums, the coarse aggregates of the insoluble aluminum salts, are the conventional adjuvants and have been widely used in clinical vaccines for a long time.

Deciphering the Adsorption Behavior of Volatile Organic Compounds with Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile/Molecular Sieve Nanocomposites.

In this study, a new type of molecular sieve/polyacrylonitrile fiber (M-PAN) was prepared by electrospinning to adsorb atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The suitable content of molecular sieve in nanocomposites was also determined for achieving maximum VOCs adsorption capacity. SEM, TEM and N₂ adsorption/desorption analyzer were performed for characterization of the surface morphology, structural properties, surface area and pore size.

Liposomes used as a vaccine adjuvant-delivery system: From basics to clinical immunization.

Liposomes are widely utilized as a carrier to improve therapeutic efficacy of agents thanks to their merits of high loading capacity, targeting delivery, reliable protection of agents, good biocompatibility, versatile structure modification and adjustable characteristics, such as size, surface charge, membrane flexibility and the agent loading mode. In particular, in recent years, through modification with immunopotentiators and targeting molecules, and in combination with innovative immunization devices, liposomes are rapidly developed as a multifunctional vaccine adjuvant-delivery system (VADS) that has a high capability in inducing desired immunoresponses, as they can target immune cells and even cellular organelles, engender lysosome escape, and promote Ag cross-presentation, thus enormously enhancing vaccination efficacy. Moreover, after decades of development, several products developed on liposome VADS have already been authorized for clinical immunization and are showing great advantages over conventional vaccines.

Improved immunogenicity of a self tumor antigen by covalent linkage to CD40 ligand.

The interaction between the CD40 ligand (CD40L) and CD40 on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is critical in promoting humoral and cellular immune responses. Agonistic anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody and soluble CD40L can act as powerful adjuvants to promote vaccination, but usually require repeated high-dose treatment. In this study, we demonstrate that the adjuvant effect of CD40L can be greatly improved by directly linking the antigen to CD40L.