Neoantigen-Displaying Protein Nanoparticles as a Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine Against Melanoma.

Although interest in peptide-based cancer vaccines has surged in the era of personalized immunotherapy enabled by the discovery of neoantigens, the effective generation of neoantigen-specific T cell responses has been limited. Here, a Brucella BP26 protein-based nanoparticle displaying the MHC class II-restricted melanoma neoantigen, M30, is reported for use as a therapeutic cancer vaccine. Genetic engineering of 10 tandem repeats of the M30 neoepitope to a BP26 monomer results in the self-assembled, neoantigen-displaying protein nanoparticles (BP26-M30 NPs).

Glycocalyx-Mimicking Nanoparticles with Differential Organ Selectivity for Drug Delivery and Therapy.

Organ-selective drug delivery is expected to maximize the efficacy of various therapeutic modalities while minimizing their systemic toxicity. Lipid nanoparticles and polymersomes can direct the organ-selective delivery of mRNAs or gene editing machineries, but their delivery is limited to mostly liver, spleen, and lung. A platform that enables delivery to these and other target organs is urgently needed.

Longitudinal Magnetic Resonance Imaging with ROS-Responsive Bilirubin Nanoparticles Enables Monitoring of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Progression to Cirrhosis.

Despite the vital importance of monitoring the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its progressive form, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an efficient imaging modality that is readily available at hospitals is currently lacking. Here, a new magnetic-resonance-imaging (MRI)-based imaging modality is presented that allows for efficient and longitudinal monitoring of NAFLD and NASH progression. The imaging modality uses manganese-ion (Mn)-chelated bilirubin nanoparticles (Mn@BRNPs) as a reactive-oxygen-species (ROS)-responsive MRI imaging probe.

Liposomal Delivery of an Immunostimulatory CpG Induces Robust Antitumor Immunity and Long-Term Immune Memory by Reprogramming Tumor-Associated Macrophages.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs)-representative immune-suppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME)-are known to promote tumor progression and metastasis, and thus are considered an attractive target for cancer therapy. However, current TAM-targeting strategies are insufficient to result in robust antitumor efficacy. Here, a small lipid nanoparticle encapsulating immunostimulatory CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (SLNP@CpG) is reported as a new immunotherapeutic modality that can reprogram TAMs and further bridge innate-to-adaptive immunity.

Anti-inflammatory Glycocalyx-Mimicking Nanoparticles for Colitis Treatment: Construction and In Vivo Evaluation.

Common medications for treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have limited therapeutic efficacy and severe adverse effects. This underscores the urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches that can effectively target inflamed sites in the gastrointestinal tract upon oral administration, exerting potent therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic effects. Here, we report the construction and in vivo therapeutic evaluation of a library of anti-inflammatory glycocalyx-mimicking nanoparticles (designated GlyNPs) in a mouse model of IBD.

Impeding the Medical Protective Clothing Contamination by a Spray Coating of Trifunctional Polymers.

The risk of fomite-mediated transmission in the clinic is substantially increasing amid the recent COVID-19 pandemic as personal protective equipment (PPE) of hospital workers is easily contaminated by direct contact with infected patients. In this context, it is crucial to devise a means to reduce such transmission. Herein, we report an antimicrobial, antiviral, and antibiofouling trifunctional polymer that can be easily coated onto the surface of medical protective clothing to effectively prevent pathogen contamination on the PPE.

Altered resting-state functional connectivity in women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The biological underpinnings of the psychological factors characterizing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have not been extensively studied. Our aim was to evaluate alterations of resting-state functional connectivity in CFS patients. Participants comprised 18 women with CFS and 18 age-matched female healthy controls who were recruited from the local community.

Compromised Prefrontal Cognitive Control Over Emotional Interference in Adolescents with Internet Gaming Disorder.

Increased reports of impulsivity and aggression in male adolescents with Internet gaming might reflect their dysfunction in emotion regulation, particularly in suppression of negative emotions, which should affect the various stages of Internet gaming disorder. This study tested the hypothesis that adolescents with Internet gaming disorder would be more disturbed by the emotional interference and demonstrate compromised dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) activation during a Stroop Match-to-Sample task. In addition, functional connectivity analysis was conducted to examine the interplays between neural correlates involved in emotional processing and how they were altered in adolescents with Internet gaming disorder.

Disruption of orbitofronto-striatal functional connectivity underlies maladaptive persistent behaviors in alcohol-dependent patients.

Objective: Alcohol dependence is characterized by persistent alcohol-seeking despite negative consequences. Previous studies suggest that maladaptive persistent behaviors reflect alcohol-induced brain changes that cause alterations in the cortico-striatal-limbic circuit.

Methods: Twenty one alcohol dependent patients and 24 age-matched healthy controls performed a decision-making task during functional MRI.

Resting-state synchrony between anterior cingulate cortex and precuneus relates to body shape concern in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Cortical areas supporting cognitive control and salience demonstrate different neural responses to visual food cues in patients with eating disorders. This top-down cognitive control, which interacts with bottom-up appetitive responses, is tightly integrated not only in task conditions but also in the resting-state. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) is a key node of a large-scale network that is involved in self-referential processing and cognitive control.