Bioorthogonal Regulated Metabolic Balance for Promotion of Ferroptosis and Mild Photothermal Therapy.

The nanozyme with NADPH oxidase (NOX)-like activity can promote the consumption of NADPH and the generation of free radicals. In consideration of that the upregulation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) would accelerate the compensation production of NADPH, for inhibition of G6PD activity, our designed bioorthogonal nanozyme can in situ catalyze pro-DHEA to produce G6PD inhibitor and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) drugs to inhibit G6PD activity. Therefore, the well-defined platform can disrupt NADPH homeostasis, leading to the collapse of the antioxidant defense system in the tumor cells.

Psychedelics and Consciousness: Expanding the Horizons of Mind and Therapy.

Psychedelics have long been recognized not only for their profound impact on human consciousness but also for their potential therapeutic applications. This perspective explores the multifaceted relationship between psychedelics and consciousness, emphasizing their capacity to alter sensory perceptions, disrupt self-referential thought processes, and catalyze profound spiritual and existential experiences. As research advances, psychedelics are being integrated into therapeutic settings, challenging existing psychiatric models and offering new insights into the complex nature of consciousness and mental health.

Endo-Encapsulated Multi-Resonance Dendrimers with Through-Space Interactions for Efficient Narrowband Blue-Emitting Solution-Processed OLEDs.

Different from conventional luminescent dendrimers with fluorophore tethered outside to dendron, here we first developed endo-encapsulated luminescent dendrimers with multi-resonance (MR) fluorophore embedded inside of carbazole dendrons by growing dendrons through 1,8-positions of central carbazole moiety to create a cavity for accommodating the fluorophore. This endo-encapsulated structure not only shields the fluorophore to fully resist aggregation-caused spectral broadening, but also induce through-space interactions between dendron and fluorophore via intramolecular π-stacking, giving lowered singlet state energy and reduced singlet-triplet energy splitting to accelerate reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) from triplet to singlet states. The resultant dendrimer containing 1,8-linked second-generation carbazole dendrons and boron, sulfur-doped polycyclic MR fluorophore exhibits narrowband blue emission at 471 nm with FWHM kept at 34 nm even in neat film, together with ~4 times enhancement of RISC rate constant compared to its exo-tethered counterpart.

Synergistic enhancement of poly(lactide) melt strength via copolymerization and multi-arm branching strategy.

The lower melt strength of poly(lactide) (PLA) limits its broader applications. Here, a strategy combining copolymerization with multi-arm branching was propose to enhance the melt strength of PLA. Initially, stereoisomeric cyclic ester monomers (CEM) synthesized via zeolite catalysis were copolymerized into PLA chains.

Real-time analysis of the biomolecular interaction between gelsolin and Aβ monomer and its implication for Alzheimer's disease.

Biomolecular interaction acts a pivotal part in understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Herein, we built a biosensing platform to explore the interaction between gelsolin (GSN) and different β-amyloid protein 1-42 (Aβ) species, including Aβ monomer (m-Aβ), Aβ oligomers with both low and high levels of aggregation (LLo-Aβ and HLo-Aβ) via dual polarization interferometry (DPI). Real-time molecular interaction process and kinetic analysis showed that m-Aβ had the strongest affinity and specificity with GSN compared with LLo-Aβ and HLo-Aβ.

An Injectable Photothermal-Fusing Hydrogel: Achieving Temperature-Controllable Mild Photothermal Therapy to Reverse Chemotherapy-Induced Immune Tolerance.

Mild photothermal therapy (M-PTT) can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) to reverse the immune tolerance caused by low-dose chemotherapy. However, it still needs convenient strategies to control temperature during M-PTT. In this work, the phase change material lauric acid (LA, melting point 43 °C) was introduced to construct nanoparticles loaded with deferoxamine mesylate (DFO) and cisplatin (CDDP), which were mixed into a supramolecular hydrogel formed by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/tannic acid (TA)/Fe to obtain FeTP@DLD/DLC.

Repurposing Valrubicin as a Potent Inhibitor of Ovarian Cancer Cell Growth.

Background/aim: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women, and there remains a significant unmet need for new therapeutic agents to improve patient outcomes. This study aimed to explore drug repositioning by screening a library of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds to identify those with therapeutic potential against OC. We also aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of action of such compounds to better understand how they inhibit cancer cell proliferation.

Asymmetric imidazole-4,5-dicarboxamide derivatives as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors: design, synthesis and biological evaluation.

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease, a vital enzyme for virus replication, is a potential target for developing drugs in COVID-19 treatment. Until now, three SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors have been approved for COVID-19 treatment. This study explored the inhibitory potency of asymmetric imidazole-4,5-dicarboxamide derivatives against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease.

Facile Synthesis of Fe-Based Metal-Quinone Networks for Mutually Enhanced Mild Photothermal Therapy and Ferroptosis.

Mild photothermal therapy (MPTT) has emerged as a promising therapeutic modality for attenuating thermal damage to the normal tissues surrounding tumors, while the heat-induced upregulation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) greatly compromises the curative efficacy of MPTT by increasing cellular thermo-tolerance. Ferroptosis has been identified to suppress the overexpression of HSPs by the accumulation of lipid peroxides and reactive oxygen species (ROS), but is greatly restricted by overexpressed glutathione (GSH) in tumor microenvironment and undesirable ROS generation efficiency. Herein, a synergistic strategy based on the mutual enhancement of MPTT and ferroptosis is proposed for cleaving HSPs to recover tumor cell sensitivity.

Hydrogel formulations for orthotopic treatment of myocardial infarction.

Introduction: Myocardial infarction (MI) causes extensive structural and functional damage to the cardiac tissue due to the significant loss of cardiomyocytes. Early reperfusion is the standard treatment strategy for acute MI, but it is associated with adverse effects. Additionally, current therapies to alleviate pathological changes post-MI are not effective.

Paclitaxel Prodrug Enables Glutathione Depletion to Boost Cancer Treatment.

Herein, we constructed a paclitaxel (PTX) prodrug (PA) by conjugating PTX with acrylic acid as a cysteine-depleting agent. The as-synthesized PA can assemble with diacylphosphatidylethanolamine-PEG to form stable nanoparticles (PA NPs). After endocytosis into cells, PA NPs can specifically react with cysteine and trigger release of PTX for chemotherapy.

Fluorescent Iron-Doped Polymer Dot Nanozyme-Based Cascade System for Dual-Mode Detection of Acetylcholinesterase Activity and Its Inhibitors.

The advancement of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and its inhibitor assays is crucial for clinical diagnosis, drug screening, and environmental monitoring. A nanozyme-mediated cascade reaction system could offer promising prospects for a wide range of applications in such biosensing; however, the creation of nanozyme catalysts with diverse functionalities remains a significant challenge. Herein, we have proposed a multifunctional iron-doped polymer dots (Fe-PDs) nanozyme possessing excellent fluorescence and peroxidase (POD)-mimicking activity.

Electrolyte Engineering with TFA Anion-Rich Solvation Structure to Construct Highly Stable Zn/Na Dual-Salt Batteries.

Electrolyte engineering is recognized as an effective technique for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion rechargeable batteries, addressing difficulties such as free water decomposition, zinc anode corrosion, and zinc dendrite growth. Different from traditional strategies in aqueous electrolyte systems, this work focuses on organic electrolytes involving zinc trifluoroacetate hydrate (Zn(TFA)·xHO), sodium trifluoroacetate (NaTFA) dual-salt and acetonitrile (AN) solvent, in which trifluoroacetate anions (TFA anions) have strong affinity toward zinc ions to form anion-rich solvates, thus inducing an inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) to protect Zn from dendrite growth and side reactions. The Zn anode manifests long-term cycling over 2400 h at a current density of 0.

Revealing the heterogeneous catalytic kinetics of PtRu nanocatalysts at the single particle level.

Comparison of the structural features and catalytic performance of bimetallic nanocatalysts will help to develop a unified understanding of structure-reaction relationships. The single-molecule fluorescence technique was utilized to reveal the differences in catalytic kinetics among PtRu bimetallic nanocatalysts and Pt and Ru monometallic nanocatalysts at the single particle level. The results show that bimetallic nanocatalysts have higher apparent rate constants and desorption rate constants relative to monometallic nanocatalysts, which leads to their higher catalytic activity.

Enhanced strength, toughness and heat resistance of poly (lactic acid) with good transparency and biodegradability by uniaxial pre-stretching.

Sustainable poly (lactic acid) (PLA) with excellent strength, toughness, heat resistance, transparency, and biodegradability was achieved by uniaxial pre-stretching at 70 °C. The effect of pre-stretched ratio (PSR) on the microstructure and properties of the PLA was investigated. The undrawn PLA was brittle.

Recent advances in portable devices for environmental monitoring applications.

Environmental pollution remains a major societal problem, leading to serious impacts on living organisms including humans. Human activities such as civilization, urbanization, and industrialization are major causes of pollution. Imposing stricter rules helps control environmental pollutant levels, creating a need for reliable pollutant monitoring in air, water, and soil.

Persistent Luminescence-Based Nanoreservoir for Benign Photothermal-Reinforced Nanozymatic Therapy.

Adjusting the catalytic activity of nanozymes for enhanced oncotherapy has attracted significant interest. However, it remains challenging to engineer regulatory tactics with a minimal impact on normal tissues. By exploiting the advantages of energy storage, photostimulated, and long afterglow luminescence of persistent nanoparticles (PLNPs), a persistent luminescence-based nanoreservoir was produced to improve its catalytic activity for benign oncotherapy.

DFT and comparative adsorption study of NiO, MnO, and MnNiO nanomaterials for the removal of amaranth dye from synthetic water.

In the current study, NiO nanoparticles, MnO nanoparticles, and MnNiO nanocomposites (Ni-NPs, Mn-NPs and MN-NCs, respectively) were synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method, and their performance in the removal of amaranth (AM) dye from synthetic wastewater was compared. XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, BET analysis, and TGA were performed to characterize the produced catalysts. The effect of pertinent parameters, including pH, dosage of catalysts, temperature, and shaking speed on the uptake of AM was investigated through batch experiments.

C Fullerene-Induced Reduction of Metal Ions: Synthesis of C-Metal Cluster Heterostructures with High Electrocatalytic Hydrogen-Evolution Performance.

Metal clusters, due to their small dimensions, contain a high proportion of surface atoms, thus possessing a significantly improved catalytic activity compared with their bulk counterparts and nanoparticles. Defective and modified carbon supports are effective in stabilizing metal clusters, however, the synthesis of isolated metal clusters still requires multiple steps and harsh conditions. Herein, we develop a C fullerene-driven spontaneous metal deposition process, where C serves as both a reductant and an anchor, to achieve uniform metal (Rh, Ir, Pt, Pd, Au and Ru) clusters without the need for any defects or functional groups on C.

Signal-On Detection of Dopamine and Tyrosinase Using Tris(hydroxypropyl)phosphine as a New Lucigenin Chemiluminescence Coreactant.

Dopamine (DA) is a very imperative neurotransmitter in our body, since it contributes to several physiological processes in our body, for example, memory, feeling, cognition, cardiovascular diseases, and hormone secretion. Meanwhile, tyrosinase is a critical biomarker for several dangerous skin diseases, including vitiligo and melanoma cancer. Most of the reported chemiluminescent (CL) methods for monitoring DA and tyrosinase are signal-off biosensors.

Highly precise strategy of polygalacturonic acid microcarriers functionalized with zwitterions and specific peptides for MSC screening.

Microcarriers for large-scale cell culture have a broader prospect in cell screening compared with the traditional high cost, low efficiency, and cell damaging methods. However, the equal biological affinity to cells has hindered its application. Therefore, based on the antifouling strategy of zwitterionic polymer, we developed a cell-specific microcarrier (CSMC) for shielding non-target cells and capturing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which has characteristics of high biocompatibility, low background noise and high precision.

Accelerating the Discovery of Efficient High-Entropy Alloy Electrocatalysts: High-Throughput Experimentation and Data-Driven Strategies.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) present both significant potential and challenges for developing efficient electrocatalysts due to their diverse combinations and compositions. Here, we propose a procedural approach that combines high-throughput experimentation with data-driven strategies to accelerate the discovery of efficient HEA electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This enables the rapid preparation of HEA arrays with various element combinations and composition ratios within a model system.