A Molecular Logic Gate Enables Unconventional Super-resolution Same-Day Imaging of Lysosome Membrane in Live Cells.

Lysosomes are acidic membrane-bound organelles that aid digestion, excretion, and cell renewal. The lysosomal membranes are essential for maintaining lysosomal functions and cellular homeostasis. In this work, we developed a molecular "NOR" logic gate, , by introducing malachite green into the spirocyclic rhodamine.

Programmable ultrasound-mediated swarms manipulation of bacteria-red blood cell microrobots for tumor-specific thrombosis and robust photothermal therapy.

Despite the excellent advantages of biomicrorobots, such as autonomous navigation and targeting actuation, effective penetration and retention to deep lesion sites for effective therapy remains a longstanding challenge. Here, we present dual-engine cell microrobots, which we refer to as PR-robots, created by conjugating photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) with red blood cells (RBCs). The robots penetrate the tumor interior in swarms through combined hypoxic traction and ultrasound actuation (UA).

Intracellular mechanistic insights into cRGD-modified BiSe nanofoams for enhanced photothermal therapy via exocytosis inhibition.

The cRGD peptide surface coating strategy for photothermal therapy nanoplatforms shows great promise in developing safe and effective cancer therapies. However, the precise intracellular mechanisms of these platforms remain unclear due to the complexity of intracellular trafficking and nano-bio interactions. This study investigates the nano-bio interactions of BiSe nanofoams, a representative photothermal therapy nanoplatform, coated with cRGD peptide in cancer cells, focusing on endocytosis, exocytosis, and cellular trafficking.

Human platelet lysate enhances small lipid droplet accumulation of human MSCs through MAPK phosphorylation.

Background: Human platelet lysate (hPL) has emerged as a promising serum substitute to enhance the self-renewal and multipotency of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Despite its potential, the specific biological mechanisms by which hPL influences MSC phenotypes remain inadequately understood.

Methods: We investigated the biological signaling activated by hPL in two common types of human MSCs: bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMSCs) and adipose-derived MSCs (ASCs).

Two-stage continuous cultivation of microalgae overexpressing cytochrome P450 improves nitrogen and antibiotics removal from livestock and poultry wastewater.

Improper treatment of livestock and poultry wastewater (LPWW) rich in ammonium nitrogen (NH-N) and antibiotics leads to eutrophication, and contributes to the risk of creating drug-resistant pathogens. The design-build-test-learn strategy was used to engineer a continuous process using Chlorella vulgaris to remove NH-N and antibiotics. The optimized system removed NH-N at a rate of 306 mg/L/d, degraded 99 % of lincomycin, and reduced the hydraulic retention time to 4 days.

Non-image-forming photoreceptors improve visual orientation selectivity and image perception.

It has long been a decades-old dogma that image perception is mediated solely by rods and cones, while intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are responsible only for non-image-forming vision, such as circadian photoentrainment and pupillary light reflexes. Surprisingly, we discovered that ipRGC activation enhances the orientation selectivity of layer 2/3 neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) of mice by both increasing preferred-orientation responses and narrowing tuning bandwidth. Mechanistically, we found that the tuning properties of V1 excitatory and inhibitory neurons are differentially influenced by ipRGC activation, leading to a reshaping of the excitatory/inhibitory balance that enhances visual cortical orientation selectivity.

Subanesthetic propofol alleviates chronic stress-induced anxiety by enhancing VTADA neurons' activity.

Anxiety, a common mental disorder, imposes significant clinical and economic burdens. Previous studies indicate that propofol has anxiolytic effects at anesthetic doses. However, the risks associated with general anesthesia limit its application in anxiety treatment.

Neural functional rehabilitation: exploring neuromuscular reconstruction technology advancements and challenges.

Neural machine interface technology is a pioneering approach that aims to address the complex challenges of neurological dysfunctions and disabilities resulting from conditions such as congenital disorders, traumatic injuries, and neurological diseases. Neural machine interface technology establishes direct connections with the brain or peripheral nervous system to restore impaired motor, sensory, and cognitive functions, significantly improving patients' quality of life. This review analyzes the chronological development and integration of various neural machine interface technologies, including regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces, targeted muscle and sensory reinnervation, agonist-antagonist myoneural interfaces, and brain-machine interfaces.

The neural ensembles activated by propofol and isoflurane anesthesia across the whole mouse brain.

General anesthesia has been widely used in surgical procedures. Propofol and isoflurane are the most commonly used injectable and inhaled anesthetics, respectively. The various adverse effects induced by propofol and isoflurane are highly associated with the anesthetic-dependent change of brain activities.

Multiplexing of temporal and spatial information in the lateral entorhinal cortex.

Episodic memory involves the processing of spatial and temporal aspects of personal experiences. The lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) plays an essential role in subserving memory. However, the mechanisms by which LEC integrates spatial and temporal information remain elusive.

Campylobacter jejuni-derived cytolethal distending toxin promotes colorectal cancer metastasis.

Various forms of solid tumors harbor intracellular bacteria, but the physiological consequences of these microorganisms are poorly understood. We show that Campylobacter is significantly enriched in primary colorectal cancer (CRC) lesions from patients with metastasis. Campylobacter jejuni-derived cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) promotes CRC metastasis through JAK2-STAT3-MMP9 signaling in liver or pulmonary metastatic mice models, as confirmed in C.

Dual-emission Si dots-based sensing array for identification of metal ions.

Achieving rapid recognition and sensitive detection of multiple heavy metal ions simultaneously is of great significance for the monitoring of public health and environment. Herein, a fluorescence sensing array was constructed using Si dots with two emission centers for efficient discrimination of seven metal ions. Each metal ion had different binding capacities with -OH/-NH groups present on the surface of Si dots and thereby resulting in different changes in fluorescence intensity of the two emission peaks.

Bioorthogonal oncolytic-virus nanovesicles combined bio-immunotherapy with CAR-T cells for solid tumors.

Various oncolytic viruses (OVs) have been adopted as therapeutic tools to increase the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells against solid tumors. However, the therapeutic effect of OVs has been limited by pre-existing neutralizing antibodies and poor targeting delivery for systemic administration. Herein, we propose using bioorthogonal OV nanovesicles to boost the antitumor effects of CAR-T cells in solid tumors by reshaping the tumor microenvironment.

Sox6 and ALDH1A1 Truncation by Asparagine Endopeptidase Defines Selective Neuronal Vulnerability in Parkinson's Disease.

Dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) demonstrate regionally selective susceptibility in Parkinson's disease (PD) compared to those in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). However, the molecular mechanism for this distinct vulnerability remains unclear. Here, it is shown that Legumain, also known as asparagine endopeptidase (AEP), is activated in a subgroup of SRY-box transcription factor 6 /Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A1, (Sox6/ALDH1A1) neurons in the ventral tier of the SNpc and cleaves Sox6 and ALDH1A1, leading to repression of Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 (Satb1) that is a dimeric/tetrameric transcription factor specifically binding to AT-rich DNA sequences, and toxic dopamine metabolite accumulation.

Early and late place cells during postnatal development of the hippocampus.

A proportion of hippocampal CA1 neurons function as place cells from the onset of navigation, which are referred to as early place cells. It is not clear whether this subset of neurons is predisposed to become place cells during early stages, or if all neurons have this potential. Here, we longitudinally imaged the activity of CA1 neurons in developing male rats during navigation with both one-photon and two-photon microscopy.

Charge-based immunoreceptor signalling in health and disease.

Immunoreceptors have crucial roles in sensing environmental signals and initiating immune responses to protect the host. Dysregulation of immunoreceptor signalling can therefore lead to a range of diseases, making immunoreceptor-based therapies a promising frontier in biomedicine. A common feature of various immunoreceptors is the basic-residue-rich sequence (BRS), which is a largely unexplored aspect of immunoreceptor signalling.

Safety of Zein Nanoparticles on Human Innate Immunity and Inflammation.

In recent years, natural polymers have attracted great interest for the development of release systems for vaccine formulations and drug delivery. Zein, a hydrophobic proline-rich protein mixture obtained from maize, is one of the most widely used polymers, very promising for applications in tissue engineering and the parenteral delivery of bioactive agents. Still, we have a limited understanding of the interaction between zein particles and the human immune system, in particular innate immunity/inflammation, which is the first line of defense of our body.

Breakthrough in cancer therapy: lutetium texaphyrin-celecoxib conjugate for immune and photodynamic treatment.

Immuno-photodynamic therapy (IPDT) has become a promising approach for cancer treatment. Innovative photosensitizers are essential to fully realize the potential of IPDT, specifically the complete elimination of tumors without recurrence. In this context, Jong Seung Kim introduce a small molecule photosensitizer conjugate, LuCXB.

Analyte-induced hindrance in the RCA-assisted CRISPR/Cas12a system for homogeneous protein assays.

Heterogeneous assays, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, have become indispensable for in vitro diagnostics. However, the simple, sensitive, and accurate detection is limited by their multiple washing and incubation steps, and limited amplification methods. In this study, we design a novel approach utilizing analyte-induced hindrance within the rolling circle amplification (RCA)-assisted CRISPR/Cas12a system for simple and highly sensitive homogenous protein detection.

Methylene Blue: An FDA-Approved NIR-II Fluorogenic Probe with Extremely Low pH Responsibility for Hyperchlorhydria Imaging.

Methylene blue (MB) is an FDA (Food and Drug Administration)-approved contrast agent with donor-acceptor (D-A) structure integrated with carbonyl-containing nitrogen-heterocycles. MB can be converted into MBH (protonated MB) by protonation, which not only induces the fluorescence emission red-shifted from the first near-infrared window (NIR-I, 650-950 nm) to the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) but also achieves ACQ-to-AIE conversion. MB has been successfully demonstrated in hyperacidemia imaging with an extremely low pH value (<1).