Modeling, applications and challenges of inner ear organoid.

More than 6% of the world's population is suffering from hearing loss and balance disorders. The inner ear is the organ that senses sound and balance. Although inner ear disorders are common, there are limited ways to intervene and restore its sensory and balance functions.

A mixture of extracts from natural ingredients reduces the neurotoxic polarization of microglia via modulating NF-κB/NF-E2-related factor 2 activation.

Neurotoxic microglia-provoked neuroinflammation is implicated in cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Supplementation with , phosphatidylserine, , and propolis is reported to improve the cognitive functions of elderly people; however, the underlying mechanisms of this combination of natural ingredients are unknown. We investigated the effects of a mixture of extracts from propolis, , , phosphatidylserine, , and (mixture) on microglia polarization after exposure to amyloid β (Aβ, 1 μM) and lipopolysaccharide from (PgLPS, 1 μg/mL), using MG6 and BV2 microglial cells.

Oxygen binding and nitric oxide dioxygenase activity of cytoglobin are altered to different extents by cysteine modification.

Cytoglobin (Cygb), like other members of the globin family, is a nitric oxide (NO) dioxygenase, metabolizing NO in an oxygen (O)-dependent manner. We examined the effect of modification of cysteine sulfhydryl groups of Cygb on its O binding and NO dioxygenase activity. The two cysteine sulfhydryls of Cygb were modified to form either an intramolecular disulfide bond (Cygb_SS), thioether bonds to -ethylmaleimide (NEM; Cygb_SC), or were maintained as free SH groups (Cygb_SH).

Ru(ii) polypyridyl complex-incorporated and folate-conjugated vehicle for cancer cell imaging and photoinduced inactivation.

Ru(ii) polypyridyl complexes have been expected as promising therapeutic agents against cancer owing to its DNA photocleavage activity. However, the lack of cell selectivity poses a significant obstacle to their practical application. Herein, the strategy combining cell-specific imaging with photoinduced cell death based on [Ru(phen)2(dppz)](2+) has been developed by incorporating [Ru(phen)2(dppz)](2+) into folate-conjugated liposomes.