Maternal age is related to offspring DNA methylation: A meta-analysis of results from the PACE consortium.

Worldwide trends to delay childbearing have increased parental ages at birth. Older parental age may harm offspring health, but mechanisms remain unclear. Alterations in offspring DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns could play a role as aging has been associated with methylation changes in gametes of older individuals.

Customizing biomimetic surface attributes of dendritic lipopeptide nanoplatforms for extended circulation.

The pressing demand for innovative approaches to create delivery systems with heightened drug loading and prolonged circulation has spurred numerous efforts, yielding some successes but accompanied by constraints. Our study proposes employing dendritic lipopeptide with precisely balanced opposing charges to extend blood residency for biomimetic nanoplatforms. Neutrally mixed-charged zwitterionic nanoparticles (NNPs) achieved a notable 19 % simvastatin loading content and kept stable even after one-month storage at 4 °C.

Nature-Inspired Scarless Healing: Guiding Biomaterials Design for Advanced Therapies.

The use of biomaterials in the treatment of skin wounds has been steadily increasing over the last two decades. The key to the successful application of biomaterials in scar reduction is the up-to-date knowledge of the actors involved in accelerated healing and the cellular factors that can be implemented in bioinspired materials. Natural models of scarless healing such as oral mucosa, fetal skin and the skin of amphibians, fish, and reptiles are a great source of information.

A bidirectional Mendelian randomisation study to evaluate the relationship between body constitution and hearing loss.

Hearing loss and hearing disorders represent possible mediating pathways in the associations between noise exposures and non-auditory health outcomes. In this context, we assessed whether the noise-obesity associations should consider hearing functions as possible mediators and applied Mendelian randomisation (MR) to investigate causal relationships between body constitution and hearing impairments. We obtained genetic associations from publicly available summary statistics from genome-wide association studies in European ancestry adult populations (N= from 210,088 to 360,564) for (i) body constitution: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and body fat percentage (BFP), and (ii) hearing loss: sensorineural hearing loss, noise-induced hearing loss, and age-related hearing impairment (ARHI).

Engineered Hierarchical Microdevices Enable Pre-Programmed Controlled Release for Postsurgical and Unresectable Cancer Treatment.

Drug treatment is required for both resectable and unresectable cancers to strive for any meaningful improvement in patient outcomes. However, the clinical benefit of receiving conventional systemic administrations is often less than satisfactory. Drug delivery systems are preferable substitutes but still fail to meet diverse clinical demands due to the difficulty in programming drug release profiles.

A facile bioorthogonal chemistry-based reversible to irreversible strategy to surmount the dilemma between injectability and stability of hyaluronic acid hydrogels.

Injectable and stable hydrogels have great promise for clinical applications. Fine-tuning the injectability and the stability of the hydrogels at different stages has been challenging due to the limited number of coupling reactions. A distinct "reversible to irreversible" concept using a thiazolidine-based bioorthogonal reaction between 1,2-aminothiols and aldehydes in physiological conditions to surmount the dilemma between injectability and stability is presented for the first time.

Stepwise Multi-Cross-Linking Bioink for 3D Embedded Bioprinting to Promote Full-Thickness Wound Healing.

The emergence and innovation of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting provide new development opportunities for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, how to obtain bioinks with both biomimicry and manufacturability remains a great issue in 3D bioprinting. Developing intelligent responsive biomaterials is conducive to break through the current dilemma.

Improved intracellular delivery of exosomes by surface modification with fluorinated peptide dendrimers for promoting angiogenesis and migration of HUVECs.

Exosomes exhibit great potential as novel therapeutics for tissue regeneration, including cell migration and angiogenesis. However, the limited intracellular delivery efficiency of exosomes might reduce their biological effects. Here, exosomes secreted by adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were recombined with fluorinated peptide dendrimers (FPG3) to form the fluorine-engineered exosomes (exo@FPG3), which was intended to promote the cytosolic release and the biological function of exosomes.

Post-synthetic modification (PSM) of MOFs with an ionic polymer for efficient adsorptive removal of methylene blue from water.

UiO-66-NH was functionalized with an ionic polymer poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) (PAMPS) through a post-synthetic modification (PSM) strategy. Due to the excellent dispersibility in water and the existence of abundant active binding sites, the obtained UiO-66-PAMPS shows significantly improved adsorption capability toward methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution.

Effects of Chemical Composition on the Shape Memory Property of Poly(dl-lactide--trimethylene carbonate) as Self-Morphing Small-Diameter Vascular Scaffolds.

Smart materials have great potential in many biomedical applications, in which biodegradable shape memory polymers (SMPs) can be used as surgical sutures, implants, and stents. Poly(dl-lactide--trimethylene carbonate) (PDLLTC) represents one of the promising SMPs and is widely used in biomedical applications. However, the relationship between its shape memory property and chemical structure has not been fully studied and needs further elaboration.

Single-component hyaluronic acid hydrogel adhesive based on phenylboronic ester bonds for hemostasis and wound closure.

Hydrogel tissue adhesives that currently available are often fabricated by mixing two or more polymeric components. Single-component hydrogels afford injectability, strong and reversible adhesion remain a formidable challenge. This research describes the creation of the first single-component hyaluronic acid hydrogel adhesive-based on phenylboronic acid-diol ester linkages.

A Dual-Bioinspired Tissue Adhesive Based on Peptide Dendrimer with Fast and Strong Wet Adhesion.

Although tissue adhesives have potential advantages over traditional sutures, existing ones suffer from several limitations: slow adhesion kinetic, low mechanical strength, and poor interfacial bonding with wet biological tissues. Herein, a cooperative mussel/slug double-bioinspired hydrogel adhesive (DBHA) composed of a robust adhesive interface and a stretchable dissipative matrix is developed. The DBHA is formed by a cationic polysaccharide (chitosan), an anionic polysaccharide (carboxymethyl cellulose), and a barbell-like dendritic lysine grafted with catechol groups (G3KPCA).

Biodegradable gemcitabine-loaded microdevice with sustained local drug delivery and improved tumor recurrence inhibition abilities for postoperative pancreatic tumor treatment.

At present, the 10-year survival rate of patients with pancreatic cancer is still less than 4%, mainly due to the high cancer recurrence rate caused by incomplete surgery and lack of effective postoperative adjuvant treatment. Systemic chemotherapy remains the only choice for patients after surgery; however, it is accompanied by off-target effects and server systemic toxicity. Herein, we proposed a biodegradable microdevice for local sustained drug delivery and postoperative pancreatic cancer treatment as an alternative and safe option.

Gallium(III)-Mediated Dual-Cross-Linked Alginate Hydrogels with Antibacterial Properties for Promoting Infected Wound Healing.

The metal gallium has enormous promise in fighting infections by disrupting bacterial iron metabolism a "Trojan horse" trick. It is well worth trying to study the potential of gallium-mediated hydrogel for treating infected wounds. Herein, on the basis of a conventional gelation strategy of sodium alginate combined with metal ions, Ga has been innovatively given a dual role in a dual-cross-linked hydrogel.

Bioactive hydrogels based on polysaccharides and peptides for soft tissue wound management.

Due to their inherent and tunable biomechanical and biochemical performances, bioactive hydrogels based on polysaccharides and peptides have shown attractive potential for wound management. In this review, the recent progress of bioactive hydrogels prepared by polysaccharides and peptides for soft tissue wound management is overviewed. Meanwhile, we focus on the elaboration of the relationship between chemical structures and inherent bioactive functions of polysaccharides and peptides, as well as the strategies that are taken for achieving multiple wound repairing effects including hemostasis, adhesion, wound contraction and closure, anti-bacteria, anti-oxidation, immunomodulation, molecule delivery, Some innovative and important works are well introduced as well.

Lipid traits and type 2 diabetes risk in African ancestry individuals: A Mendelian Randomization study.

Background: Dyslipidaemia is highly prevalent in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Numerous studies have sought to disentangle the causal relationship between dyslipidaemia and T2DM liability. However, conventional observational studies are vulnerable to confounding.

Bioinspired design of mannose-decorated globular lysine dendrimers promotes diabetic wound healing by orchestrating appropriate macrophage polarization.

A large number of cytokines or growth factors have been used in the treatment of inflammation. However, they are highly dependent on an optimal delivery system with sufficient loading efficiency and protection of growth factors from proteolytic degradation. To develop the immunotherapy capacity of peptide dendrimers themselves, inspired by the structure and immunoregulatory functions of mannose-capped lipoarabinomannan (ManLAM), we thus propose a hypothesis that mannose-decorated globular lysine dendrimers (MGLDs) with precise molecular design can elicit anti-inflammatory activity through targeting and reprogramming macrophages to M2 phenotype.

Injectable Hydrogel Based on Modified Gelatin and Sodium Alginate for Soft-Tissue Adhesive.

To assist or replace the traditional suture techniques for wound closure, soft-tissue adhesives with excellent adhesion strength and favorable biocompatibility are of great significance in biomedical applications. In this study, an injectable hydrogel tissue adhesive containing adipic acid dihydrazide-modified gelatin (Gel-ADH) and oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) was developed. It was found that this tissue adhesive possessed a uniform structure, appropriate swelling ratio, good injectability, and excellent hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility.

Bacterium-mimicking sequentially targeted therapeutic nanocomplexes based on O-carboxymethyl chitosan and their cooperative therapy by dual-modality light manipulation.

An integrated gene nanovector capable of overcoming complicated physiological barriers in one vector is desirable to circumvent the challenges imposed by the intricate tumor microenvironment. Herein, a nuclear localization signals (NLS)-decorated element and an iRGD-functionalized element based on O-carboxymethyl chitosan were synthesized, mixed, and coated onto PEI/DNA to fabricate bacterium-mimicking sequentially targeted therapeutic nanocomplexes (STNPs) which were internalized through receptor-mediated endocytosis and other pathways and achieved nuclear translocation of DNA. The endo/lysosomal membrane disruption triggered by reactive oxygen species (ROS) after short-time illumination, together with the DNA nuclear translocation, evoked an enhanced gene expression.

A double-network polysaccharide-based composite hydrogel for skin wound healing.

Effective wound dressings are of great significance in preventing infections and promoting wound healing. However, most existing hydrogel dressings have an inadequacy in either mechanical performance, biological activities, or versatilities. Here we presented a double-network cross-linked polysaccharide-based hydrogel composed of collagen peptide-functionalized carboxymethyl chitosan (CS) and oxidized methacrylate sodium alginate (SA).

Injectable Adhesive Self-Healing Multicross-Linked Double-Network Hydrogel Facilitates Full-Thickness Skin Wound Healing.

The development of natural polymer-based hydrogels, combining outstanding injectability, self-healing, and tissue adhesion, with mechanical performance, able to facilitate full-thickness skin wound healing, remains challenging. We have developed an injectable micellar hydrogel (AF127/HA-ADH/OHA-Dop) with outstanding adhesive and self-healing properties able to accelerate full-thickness skin wound healing. Dopamine-functionalized oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA-Dop), adipic acid dihydrazide-modified HA (HA-ADH), and aldehyde-terminated Pluronic F127 (AF127) were employed as polymer backbones.

Chemically Grafting Carbon Nanotubes onto Carbon Fibers for Enhancing Interfacial Properties of Fiber Metal Laminate.

This paper primarily investigates the effects of chemically grafted modified carbon fibers on the bonding properties of fiber metal laminates (FMLs). Relative elemental content on the carbon fibers' surface was performed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to observe the material microstructure.

Virus-Inspired Mimics: Dual-pH-Responsive Modular Nanoplatforms for Programmable Gene Delivery without DNA Damage with the Assistance of Light.

Although tremendous efforts have been made to construct gene vectors incorporating multiple functionalities and moieties, designing gene vectors integrating innovative features to successfully negotiate biological impediments, which hamper efficacious responses in gene-based therapy, is still very urgent. Herein, a light-induced virus-inspired mimic, in which a modular envelope was utilized to mask polyethylenimine/DNA (PD) polyplexes, was developed based on two pH-responsive polymers. The virus-inspired envelope, which was capable of achieving multitargeting and dual-pH-responsiveness in endo/lysosomal compartments, was composed of an internalizing arginylglycylaspartic acid-modified module and a citraconic anhydride-modified nuclear localized signal-functionalized module.