The mechano-chemical circuit in fibroblasts and dendritic cells drives basal cell proliferation in psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an intractable immune-mediated disorder that disrupts the skin barrier. While studies have dissected the mechanism by which immune cells directly regulate epidermal cell proliferation, the involvement of dermal fibroblasts in the progression of psoriasis remains unclear. Here, we identified that signals from dendritic cells (DCs) that migrate to the dermal-epidermal junction region enhance dermal stiffness by increasing extracellular matrix (ECM) expression, which further promotes basal epidermal cell hyperproliferation.

The mechano-chemical circuit drives skin organoid self-organization.

Stem cells in organoids self-organize into tissue patterns with unknown mechanisms. Here, we use skin organoids to analyze this process. Cell behavior videos show that the morphological transformation from multiple spheroidal units with morphogenesis competence (CMU) to planar skin is characterized by two abrupt cell motility-increasing events before calming down.

A Skin-Inspired Multifunctional Conductive Hydrogel with High Stretchable, Adhesive, Healable, and Decomposable Properties for Highly Sensitive Dual-Sensing of Temperature and Strain.

Developing smart hydrogels with excellent physicochemical properties and multi-sensing capabilities for various simulation of human skin's functions still remains a great challenge. Here, based on simple and convenient one-step covalent cross-linking method enhanced by dynamic RS-Ag interactions, a skin-inspired multifunctional conductive hydrogel with desirable physicochemical properties (including high stretchability, self-adhesion, self-healing, decomposition and removability) is developed for highly sensitive dual-sensing of temperature and strain. Benefiting from the synergistic action of multiple hydrogen bonds, RS-Ag bonds and S-S bonds, the gel exhibited a novel thermosensitive mechanism.

Super-Long SERS Active Single Silver Nanowires for Molecular Imaging in 2D and 3D Cell Culture Models.

Establishing a systematic molecular information analysis strategy for cell culture models is of great significance for drug development and tissue engineering technologies. Here, we fabricated single silver nanowires with high surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity to extract SERS spectra in situ from two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models. The silver nanowires were super long, flexible and thin enough to penetrate through multiple cells.

Blu-Ray Discs as Universal Biochip Substrates: Lithography-Free Surface Activation and Assay Patterning.

Blu-ray discs (BDs) are advantageous in comparison with other optical discs (compact discs and digital versatile discs) in terms of not only their storage capacity but also the high-quality materials fabricated from. We have recently discovered that the "Hard Coat" film of Verbatim BDs is in fact a unique type of polymeric substrates that can be readily activated and adapted for biochip fabrications. Particularly, the Hard Coat film peeled from BDs is optically transparent without any fluorescence background, which can be activated by treating with a common base (1.

Multifunctional Wearable Sensing Devices Based on Functionalized Graphene Films for Simultaneous Monitoring of Physiological Signals and Volatile Organic Compound Biomarkers.

In this study, a multifunctional wearable sensing device based on two different graphene films is fabricated and can achieve the simultaneous detection of physiological signals and volatile organic compound (VOC) biomarkers without mutual signal interference. The wearable device was designed with two sensing components: on the upper layer of the device, four kinds of porphyrin-modified reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films were prepared and used for a sensor array that could sufficiently react with VOC vapors to achieve highly sensitive detection. A porous rGO film was designed on the underlayer of the device and used as a strain-sensing matrix, which could be closely attached to the skin to achieve a highly sensitive detection of the physiological signal.

A multifunctional wearable sensor based on a graphene/inverse opal cellulose film for simultaneous, in situ monitoring of human motion and sweat.

A multifunctional, wearable sensor based on a reduced oxide graphene (rGO) film onto a porous inverse opal acetylcellulose (IOAC) film has been developed and can perform simultaneous, in situ monitoring of various human motions and ion concentrations in sweat. The rGO film is used as a strain-sensing layer for monitoring human motion via its resistance change, whereas the porous IOAC film is used as a flexible microstructured substrate not only for high sensitive motion sensing, but also for collection and analysis of ion concentrations in sweat by its simple colorimetric changes or reflection-peak shifts. Studies on humans demonstrated that the devices have excellent capability for monitoring various human motions, such as finger bending motion, wrist bending motion, head rotation motion and various small-scale motions of the throat.

Mechanical tension applied to substrate films specifies location of neuritogenesis and promotes major neurite growth at the expense of minor neurite development.

One obstacle in neural repair is facilitating axon growth long enough to reach denervated targets. Recent studies show that axonal growth is accelerated by applying tension to bundles of neurites, and additional studies show that mechanical tension is critical to all neurite growth. However, no studies yet describe how individual neurons respond to tensile forces applied to cell bodies and neurites simultaneously; neither do any test motor neurons, a phenotype critical to neural repair.

No transmission of porcine endogenous retrovirus in an acute liver failure model treated by a novel hybrid bioartificial liver containing porcine hepatocytes.

Background: A novel hybrid bioartificial liver (HBAL) was constructed using an anionic resin adsorption column and a multi-layer flat-plate bioreactor containing porcine hepatocytes co-cultured with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological safety of the HBAL by detecting the transmission of porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) into canines with acute liver failure (ALF) undergoing HBAL.

Methods: Eight dogs with ALF received a 6-hour HBAL treatment on the first day after the modeling by D-galactosamine administration.

New strategy for surface functionalization of periodic mesoporous silica based on meso-HSiO1.5.

Organic functionalization of periodic mesoporous silicas (PMSs) offers a way to improve their excellent properties and wide applications owing to their structural superiority. In this study, a new strategy for organic functionalization of PMSs is demonstrated by hydrosilylation of the recently discovered "impossible" periodic mesoporous hydridosilica, meso-HSiO1.5.

An optical nose chip based on mesoporous colloidal photonic crystal beads.

An optical nose chip is developed using surface functionalized mesoporous colloidal photonic crystal beads as elements. The prepared optical nose chip displays excellent discrimination among a very wide range of compounds, not only the simplex organic vapors from the different or same chemical family, but also the complex expiratory air from different people.

Spherical porphyrin sensor array based on encoded colloidal crystal beads for VOC vapor detection.

A spherical porphyrin sensor array using colloidal crystal beads (CCBs) as the encoding microcarriers has been developed for VOC vapor detection. Six different porphyrins were coated onto the CCBs with distinctive encoded reflection peaks via physical adsorption and the sensor array was fabricated by placing the prepared porphyrin-modified CCBs together. The change in fluorescence color of the porphyrin-modified CCBs array serves as the detection signal for discriminating between different VOC vapors and the reflection peak of the CCBs serves as the encoding signal to distinguish between different sensors.

Colorimetric photonic hydrogel aptasensor for the screening of heavy metal ions.

We have developed a robust method for the visual detection of heavy metal ions (such as Hg(2+) and Pb(2+)) by using aptamer-functionalized colloidal photonic crystal hydrogel (CPCH) films. The CPCHs were derived from a colloidal crystal array of monodisperse silica nanoparticles, which were polymerized within the polyacrylamide hydrogel. The heavy metal ion-responsive aptamers were then cross-linked in the hydrogel network.

Evaluation of a novel hybrid bioartificial liver based on a multi-layer flat-plate bioreactor.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a hybrid bioartificial liver (HBAL) system in the treatment of acute liver failure.

Methods: Canine models with acute liver failure were introduced with intravenous administration of D-galactosamine. The animals were divided into: the HBAL treatment group (n = 8), in which the canines received a 3-h treatment of HBAL; the bioartificial liver (BAL) treatment group (n = 8), in which the canines received a 3-h treatment of BAL; the non-bioartificial liver (NBAL) treatment group (n = 8), in which the canines received a 3-h treatment of NBAL; the control group (n = 8), in which the canines received no additional treatment.

A thermally tunable inverse opal photonic crystal for monitoring glass transition.

An optical method was developed to monitor the glass transition of the polymer by taking advantage of reflection spectrum change of the thermally tunable inverse opal photonic crystal. The thermally tunable photonic bands of the polymer inverse opal photonic crystal were traceable to the segmental motion of macromolecules, and the segmental motion was temperature dependent. By observing the reflection spectrum change of the polystyrene inverse opal photonic crystal during thermal treatment, the glass transition temperature of polystyrene was gotten.

Microbiological safety of a novel bio-artificial liver support system based on porcine hepatocytes: a experimental study.

Background: Our institute has developed a novel bio-artificial liver (BAL) support system, based on a multi-layer radial-flow bioreactor carrying porcine hepatocytes and mesenchymal stem cells. It has been shown that porcine hepatocytes are capable of carrying infectious porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) into human cells, thus the microbiological safety of any such system must be confirmed before clinical trials can be performed. In this study, we focused on assessing the status of PERV infection in beagles treated with the novel BAL.

Factors influencing the transfer of porcine endogenous retroviruses across the membrane in bioartificial livers.

Objectives: to investigate the factors influencing the transfer of porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) across the membrane in a new bioartificial liver (BAL).

Methods: A new BAL containing 2 circuits was constructed using plasma component separators with membrane pore sizes of 10 nm, 20 nm, 30 nm, and 35 nm, or a plasma filter with a membrane pore size of 500 nm. Cocultured cells of porcine hepatocytes and mesenchymal stem cells or single porcine hepatocytes were incubated in the bioreactors, and the BAL worked for 72 hours, with supernatant samples in internal and external circuits collected every 12 hours.

The study of adsorption characteristics of electrospun polymer nanofibers for benzenes in water.

The adsorption properties of benzene, p-dichlorobenzene and nitrobenzene on polymer nanofibers were studied. Compared with polyacrylonitrile nanofiber, polystyrene (PS) nanofiber presented better adsorption performance. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were used for the mathematical description of adsorption equilibria, and Freundlich isotherms fitted better.

No enhanced expression and infectivity of porcine endogenous retrovirus in primary porcine hepatocytes with chitosan nanofiber scaffold.

Our previous report suggested that chitosan nanofiber scaffold may find application in bioartificial livers for it could enhance the function of hepatocytes. This study was focused on its microbiological safety, that is, its influence on the expression and infectivity of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) in primary porcine hepatocytes. Freshly isolated porcine hepatocytes were cultured with or without chitosan nanofiber scaffold (defined as Exp group and Ctr group) and porcine kidney 15 (PK15) cells were cultured as positive control (defined as PK15 group).

Influence of chitosan nanofiber scaffold on porcine endogenous retroviral expression and infectivity in pig hepatocytes.

Aim: To investigate the influence of chitosan nanofiber scaffold on the production and infectivity of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) expressed by porcine hepatocytes.

Methods: Freshly isolated porcine hepatocytes were cultured with or without chitosan nanofiber scaffold (defined as Nano group and Hep group) for 7 d. The daily collection of culture medium was used to detect reverse transcriptase (RT) activity with RT activity assay kits and PERV RNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real time PCR with the PERV specific primers.

Periodic mesoporous hydridosilica--synthesis of an "impossible" material and its thermal transformation into brightly photoluminescent periodic mesoporous nanocrystal silicon-silica composite.

There has always been a fascination with "impossible" compounds, ones that do not break any rules of chemical bonding or valence but whose structures are unstable and do not exist. This instability can usually be rationalized in terms of chemical or physical restrictions associated with valence electron shells, multiple bonding, oxidation states, catenation, and the inert pair effect. In the pursuit of these "impossible" materials, appropriate conditions have sometimes been found to overcome these instabilities and synthesize missing compounds, yet for others these tricks have yet to be uncovered and the materials remain elusive.

Electrospun chitosan nanofibers for hepatocyte culture.

In this study, we developed a method to obtain high surface area nanofiber meshes composed of chitosan of a number of molecular weights. This method required decreasing the viscosity and surface tension of the chitosan solution as well as optimization of the electrospinning parameters such as applied voltage and environmental humidity. These chitosan nanofiber meshes were developed as a culture substrate for hepatocytes.