The abnormal tumor vascular networks fuel the tumor growth and aggravate the tumor hypoxia. Although vascular normalization therapy (VNT) was clinically effective, the long period before vascular normalization window (VNW) initiation presents significant prognostic challenges. Here, we developed a platelet-mimetic nano-system, IA@PM, which was self-assembled by apatinib (APA) and indocyanine green and further coated with platelet membrane (PM). IA@PM accelerates the pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors balance to significantly expedite the VNW initiation of APA from the 4th day to the 2nd day post-treatment through rationally utilizing photodynamic therapy (PDT). Benefiting from this VNW initiation acceleration, the timelier and facilitated tumor drug delivery was achieved. This process further constructs a self-amplified therapeutic cycle between VNT and PDT, contributing to the excellent antitumor effects. Collectively, IA@PM breaks key limiting factors in current VNT efficacy by accelerating VNW initiation and also significantly promotes PDT antitumor efficacy with lower doses of ICG, bringing revolutionary new strategies in VNT.

Autophagy is a process of engulfing cytoplasmic proteins or organelles, thereby fulfilling cells’ metabolic needs and the renewal of specific organelles. Given its key roles in tumor progression, autophagy has attracted tremendous attention in cancer therapies. Notably, there is a megatrend to integrating autophagy regulation into mainstream treatments. This review focuses on autophagy-targeting nanomedicine (ApT-NM) to modulate autophagy in tumor therapy, including the unmodified and functionalized nanoparticles that target tumors by carrying autophagy modulators. On the one hand, it can reverse treatment resistance by inhibiting protective autophagy, and on the other hand, it can promote the death of cancer cells through type II apoptosis by inducing autophagy. Moreover, advanced nanoplatforms combining various treatments (such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, photothermal therapy, and photodynamic therapy, etc.) have also been summarized. Last, the future perspectives and directions for ApT-NM research are provided, hoping to emphasize this rising filed and promote the development of ApT-NM.

Magnetothermal neuromodulation is a minimally-invasive, deep-brain accessible and tether-free technique. The precisely timed activation of thermosensitive ion channels, such as TRPV1, with local heat generated using magnetic nanoparticles is crucial for efficient neuromodulation. Nevertheless, this technique is greatly hindered by its long stimulus-response time and high safety risks due to the poor heat-generating performance of the nanomediators. Herein, we report the establishment of a ferrimagnetic vortex iron oxide nanoring (FVIO)-mediated magnetothermal neurostimulation technique that is efficient and safe. Compared with widely used superparamagnetic iron oxide nanomediators (SPIOs), the FVIOs triggered Ca2+ influx into HEK293T cells and cortical neurons at an Fe concentration of 54 μg/mL, which is 20.27-fold lower than that needed for SPIOs. In vivo magnetothermal stimulation in the central nucleus of the amygdala of mice further demonstrated that FVIOs with the optimal dose of 0.05 μg evoked fear behaviors with an average latency of 2.51 s, which was 2.3-fold faster than that in the SPIO (0.8 μg)-treated group. More importantly, FVIOs-mediated stimulation not only exhibited negligible histopathological alterations and proinflammatory cytokine expression, but also successfully elicited fear behaviors in transgene-free mice. The FVIO-mediated efficient and safe neuromodulation has the potential for future neuroscience exploitation and neurological disease treatment.

Photoelectrochemical conversion of glycerol into high-value dihydroxyacetone offers a sustainable approach via BiVO4, which manifests highly photoactive properties, but poor charge transport ability. Herein, we fabricated N2-annealed BiVO¬4 through a simple spin-coating method and N2 annealing process. The effect of N2 treatment did not significantly impact the surficial catalytic efficiency, while the bulk efficiency was increased, resulting from changes in oxygen vacancy concentration and carrier density. Owing to simultaneous improvement in bulk electron-hole separation efficiency, N2-annealed BiVO4 at 150 ℃ exhibited an enhanced photoelectrochemical dihydroxyacetone production rate of 160 mmol m-2 h-1 at 1.0 V vs. RHE, which was about more than 2 times higher than pristine BiVO4. This work not only makes biodiesel production more profitable and sustainable but also achieves advanced production of dihydroxyacetone.

Peptide RL-QN15 derived from skin secretions of Rana limnocharis has a pronounced pro-healing effect on acute and chronic wounds, but its precise mechanism is remains to be elucidated. Epidermal stem cells are of utmost importance in wound healing and thus constitute a primary focus of wound repair research. Here, we explored the mechanism of RL-QN15 promoting wound healing by regulating epidermal stem cells. Our results showed that RL-QN15 activated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by binding to the FZD8. This interaction resulted in the up-regulation of target genes MYC and CCND1, thereby facilitating the proliferation of epidermal stem cells. MMP3 can degrade E-cadherin and activate Wnt/β-catenin pathway further. This enhanced pathway activity induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and N-cadherin expression, further encouraging cell proliferation and migration. RL-QN15 can also effect the stemness of epidermal stem cells. In summary, as an excellent candidate for novel pro-healing agent, RL-QN15 can promote the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway through binding with membrane receptor FZD8, thus regulating epidermal stem cell functions and promoting wound healing. This study elucidated a novel mechanism by which amphibian-derived peptides promote skin wound healing, focusing on the regulatory role of epidermal stem cells and providing a new target for skin regeneration research.

Proton exchange-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a clean and efficient type of energy storage device. However, the sluggish reaction rate of the cathode oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been a significant problem in its development. This review reports the recent progress of advanced electrocatalysts focusing on the interface/surface electronic structure and exploring the synergistic relationship of precious-based and non-precious metal-based catalysts and support materials. The support materials contain non-metal (C/N/Si, etc.) and metal-based structures, which have demonstrated a crucial role in the synergistic enhancement of electrocatalytic properties, especially for high-temperature fuel cell systems. To improve the strong interaction, some exciting synergistic strategies by doping and coating heterogeneous elements or connecting polymeric ligands containing carbon and nitrogen were also shown herein. Besides the typical role of the crystal surface, phase structure and lattice strain, etc, the evolution of structure-performance relations was also highlighted in real-time tests. The advanced in-situ characterization techniques were also reviewed to emphasize the accurate structure-performance relations. Finally, the challenge and prospect for developing the ORR electrocatalysts were concluded for commercial applications in low- and high-temperature fuel cell systems.

Scaffold-based tissue engineering provides an efficient approach for repairing uterine tissue defects and restoring fertility. In the current study, a novel trilayer tissue engineering scaffold with high similarity to the uterine tissue in structure was designed and fabricated via 4D printing, electrospinning and 3D bioprinting for uterine regeneration. Highly stretchable poly(L-lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate) (PLLA-co-TMC, “PTMC” in short)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) polymer blend scaffolds were firstly made via 4D printing. To improve the biocompatibility, porous poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) fibers incorporated with polydopamine (PDA) particles were produced on PTMC/TPU scaffolds via electrospinning. Importantly, estradiol (E2) was encapsulated in PDA particles. The bilayer scaffolds thus produced could provide controlled and sustained release of E2. Subsequently, bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were mixed with gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)-based inks and the formulated bioinks were used to fabricate a cell-laden hydrogel layer on the bilayer scaffolds via 3D bioprinting, forming ultimately biomimicking trilayer scaffolds for uterine tissue regeneration. The trilayer tissue engineering scaffolds thus formed exhibited a shape morphing ability by transforming from the planar shape to tubular structures when immersed in the culture medium at 37 ℃. The developed trilayer tissue engineering scaffolds would provide a new insight for uterine tissue regeneration.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes loss of neural connections in the cells, and brain tissue volume. The disease first affects the hippocampus and entorhinal complex, which produce memories, then the cerebral cortex, which controls language, logic, and social conduct. Genetic mutations and environmental factors may cause AD, but the exact reason is unknown. AD is diagnosed using CT scans, MRIs, PET scans, and lumbar punctures to detect brain abnormalities, aberrant protein deposits, and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. Beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tau tangles impede neuronal transmission and function in AD. AD also causes chronic inflammation, blood-brain barrier impairment, brain atrophy, and neuronal death. AD has no cure, and current medications mainly manage symptoms and halt cognitive loss. Genetic, cellular, and molecular pathways are being studied to develop targeted medicines to stop disease progression. Extensive studies have shown that tau tangle accumulation and pathogenic changes to tau protein mechanics are correlated with AD pathogenesis. Thus, investigating the potential for therapies focused on restoring normal tau pathways and preventing tau accumulation is critical. Nanoparticulate drug delivery technologies may improve investigational medicines and lead to AD therapy breakthroughs.

In recent decades, the demand for clean and renewable energy has grown increasingly urgent due to the irreversible alteration of the global climate. As a result, efficient organic solar cells (OSCs) have gradually gained attention as a study hotspot. To break up this dilemma, this paper reviews the molecular design strategies of benzodithiophen (BDT)-based polymer and small molecule donor materials since their birth, focusing on the development of main-chain engineering, side-chain engineering and other unique molecular design paths. Up to now, the state-of-the-art power conversion efficiency (PCE) of binary OSCs prepared by BDT-based donor materials has approached 20%. Our work detailly discusses the potential relationship between the molecular changes of donor materials and photoelectric performance in corresponding OSC devices, thereby presenting a rational molecular design guidance for stable and efficient donor materials in future.

Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the most prevalent molecular detection technology for sewage analysis but is plagued with numerous disadvantages, such as time consumption, stringent equipment requirements, and susceptibility to false negatives. In this study, we construct an automated robot-driven photoelectrochemical biosensing platform that utilizes the CRISPR/Cas12a system, to achieve fast, ultrasensitive, high specificity detection of biological loads in sewage. The Shennong-1 robot integrates several functional modules, involving sewage sampling and pretreatment to streamline the sewage monitoring. A screen-printed electrode is employed with a vertical graphene-based working electrode and enhanced with surface-deposited Au nanoparticles (NPs). CdTe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are further fabricated through the double-stranded DNA anchored on Au nanoparticles. Using cDNA template of Omicron BA.5 spike gene as a model, the photoelectrochemical biosensor demonstrates excellent analytical performance, with a lower detection limit of 2.93×102 zM and an outstanding selectivity at the level of single-base mutation recognition. Furthermore, the rapid, accurate detection of BA.5 in sewage demonstrates the feasibility of the photoelectrochemical platform for sewage monitoring. In conclusion, this platform allows early detection and tracking of infectious disease outbreaks, providing timely data support for public health institutions to take appropriate prevention and control measures.