Dynamic Diselenide Hydrogels for Controlled Tumor Organoid Culture and Dendritic Cell Vaccination.

Dynamic hydrogels are emerging as advanced materials for engineering tissue-like environments that mimic cellular microenvironments. We introduce a diselenide-cross-linked hydrogel system with light-responsive properties, designed for precise control of tumor organoid growth and light-initiated radical inactivation, particularly for dendritic cell (DC) vaccines. Diselenide exchange enables stress relaxation and hydrogel remodeling, while recombination and quenching of seleno radicals (Se) reduce cross-linking density, leading to controlled degradation.

Purification, characterization, and hypoglycemic activity of exopolysaccharides from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MY04.

As natural polymers, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum exopolysaccharides (EPS) possess a wide range of bioactivities but suffer from low yields and unclear relationships between functional activity and structure. To this end, the chemical structure and bioactive properties of EPS from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MY04 were investigated. As a result, three polysaccharide fractions (EPS-1, EPS-2, EPS-3) were separated and purified, of which EPS-2 had better antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory ability.

Mediation Mendelian randomisation study on the effects of shift work on coronary heart disease and traditional risk factors via gut microbiota.

Background: Epidemiological evidence suggests that there is an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) related to jobs involving shift work (JSW), but the causality of and mechanism underlying such a relationship remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to explore the relationship between JSW and CHD, investigating both causality and potential mediating factors.

Methods: We performed univariate, multivariate, and mediation Mendelian randomisation (MR) analyses using data from large genome-wide association studies focussed on JSW and CHD, as well as data on some CHD risk factors (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and lipids measurement) and 196 gut microbiota taxa.

Dynamic Covalent Hydrogels: Strong yet Dynamic.

Hydrogels are crosslinked polymer networks with time-dependent mechanical response. The overall mechanical properties are correlated with the dynamics of the crosslinks. Generally, hydrogels crosslinked by permanent chemical crosslinks are strong but static, while hydrogels crosslinked by physical interactions are weak but dynamic.

Engineering hydrogels with homogeneous mechanical properties for controlling stem cell lineage specification.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is mechanically inhomogeneous due to the presence of a wide spectrum of biomacromolecules and hierarchically assembled structures at the nanoscale. Mechanical inhomogeneity can be even more pronounced under pathological conditions due to injury, fibrogenesis, or tumorigenesis. Although considerable progress has been devoted to engineering synthetic hydrogels to mimic the ECM, the effect of the mechanical inhomogeneity of hydrogels has been widely overlooked.

Correction: Using single molecule force spectroscopy to facilitate a rational design of Ca-responsive β-roll peptide-based hydrogels.

Correction for 'Using single molecule force spectroscopy to facilitate a rational design of Ca2+-responsive β-roll peptide-based hydrogels' by Lichao Liu et al., J. Mater.

Design of Self-Healing and Electrically Conductive Silk Fibroin-Based Hydrogels.

Self-healing and electrically conductive silk fibroin (SF)-based hydrogels were developed based on the dynamic assembly/disassembly nature of supramolecular complexes and the conductive nature of polypyrrole (PPy). The self-healing properties of the hydrogels were achieved through host-guest interactions between β-cyclodextrin and amino acid side chains (tyrosine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, and histidine) on SF. PPy deposition was achieved via in situ polymerization of pyrrole using ammonium persulfate as an oxidant and laccase as a catalyst.

Synthesis of chemically crosslinked pullulan/gelatin-based extracellular matrix-mimetic gels.

In order to develop pullulan/gelatin-based gels as potential extracellular matrix-mimetic scaffolds, a "one-step" synthesis method using 1,1'‑carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) as activator in DMSO under mild conditions was reported for the first time. Particularly, in contrast to conventional critical requirement of absolute dryness for CDI, it was interesting to find that the formation of gels could be accomplished in the presence of aqueous solvent within a much shorter time, while obtaining improved mechanical properties as demonstrated by compressive tests. UV-Visible spectroscopy, NMR spectrum, TEM and SEM analysis have been employed to evaluate the underlying reaction mechanisms.

Using single molecule force spectroscopy to facilitate a rational design of Ca-responsive β-roll peptide-based hydrogels.

This study demonstrated that incorporation of Ca-responsive β-roll peptides arising from repeat-in-toxin (RTX) into elastomeric proteins provided an approach to construct hydrogels that exhibit Ca-responsive mechanical properties through a force analysis-based approach. Use of circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed that there was a Ca-induced conformational change of RTX-based recombinant polyproteins. The polyproteins could be crosslinked into solid hydrogels.