Effects of gut microbiota and metabolites on the host defense peptide expression.

The widespread use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, which pose significant threats to animal health and food safety. Host defense peptides (HDPs) have emerged as promising alternatives because of their unique antimicrobial properties and minimal resistance induction. However, the high costs associated with HDP production and incorporation into animal management practices hinder their widespread application.

Enhanced detection of Cystatin C for predicting adverse outcomes in gestational diabetes mellitus using a point-of-care immunosensor.

Cystatin C (Cys-C) is emerging as a critical biomarker for assess gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a condition that significantly impacts maternal and fetal health. In this study, we developed a novel label-free electrochemical immunosensor designed for point-of-care applications, offering lower reagent consumption and rapid detection of Cys-C in pregnant women with GDM. Compared to traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), the sensor demonstrates enhanced sensitivity, reduced reagent usage, and faster detection.

Tumor microenvironment-responsive multinucleated nanocomplexes loaded with carbon dots for combined photothermal/chemodynamic therapy of breast cancer.

Low cure rate and high death rate of cancers have seriously threatened human health. The combining multiple therapies is a promising strategy for cancer treatment. In this study, we construct a novel multinucleated nanocomplex loaded with carbon dots (CDs-SA@TAMn) that responds to tumor microenvironment for combined photothermal/chemodynamic cancer therapy.

Enhancing Cardiomyocyte Purity through Lactate-Based Metabolic Selection.

Background: Direct reprogramming of fibroblasts into chemically induced cardiomyocyte-like cells (CiCMs) through small molecules presents a promising cell source for cardiac regeneration and therapeutic development. However, the contaminating non-cardiomyocytes, primarily unconverted fibroblasts, reduce the effectiveness of CiCMs in various applications. This study investigated a metabolic selection approach using lactate to enrich CiCMs by exploiting the unique metabolic capability of cardiomyocytes to utilize lactate as an alternative energy source.

Correction: Diversity of lithophytic moss species in karst regions in response to elevation gradients.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.