High-performance SOD mimetic enzyme Au@Ce for arresting cell cycle and proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia

NIR triggered polydopamine coated cerium dioxide nanozyme for ameliorating acute lung injury via enhanced ROS scavenging

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a life threatening disease in critically ill patients, and characterized by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory factors levels in the lung. Multiple evidences suggest that nanozyme with diversified catalytic capabilities plays a vital role in this fatal lung injury. At present, we developed a novel class of polydopamine (PDA) coated cerium dioxide (CeO2) nanozyme (Ce@P) that acts as the potent ROS scavenger for scavenging intracellular ROS and suppressing inflammatory responses against ALI. Herein, we aimed to identify that Ce@P combining with NIR irradiation could further strengthen its ROS scavenging capacity. Specifically, NIR triggered Ce@P exhibited the most potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory behaviors in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced macrophages through decreasing the intracellular ROS levels, down-regulating the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, up-regulating the level of antioxidant cytokine (SOD-2), inducing M2 directional polarization (CD206 up-regulation), and increasing the expression level of HSP70. Besides, we performed intravenous (IV) injection of Ce@P in LPS induced ALI rat model, and found that it significantly accumulated in the lung tissue for 6 h after injection. It was also observed that Ce@P + NIR presented the superior behaviors of decreasing lung inflammation, alleviating diffuse alveolar damage, as well as promoting lung tissue repair. All in all, it has developed the strategy of using Ce@P combining with NIR irradiation for the synergistic enhanced treatment of ALI, which can serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for the clinical treatment of ROS derived diseases as well.

Injectable hydrogel with doxorubicin-loaded ZIF-8 nanoparticles for tumor postoperative treatments and wound repair

The need for tumor postoperative treatments aimed at recurrence prevention and tissue regeneration have raised wide considerations in the context of the design and functionalization of implants. Herein, an injectable hydrogel system encapsulated with anti-tumor, anti-oxidant dual functional nanoparticles has been developed in order to prevent tumor relapse after surgery and promote wound repair. The utilization of biocompatible gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) was geared towards localized therapeutic intervention. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8@ceric oxide (ZIF-8@CeO2, ZC) nanoparticles (NPs) were purposefully devised for their proficiency as reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers. Furthermore, injectable GelMA hydrogels loaded with ZC NPs carrying doxorubicin (ZC-DOX@GEL) were tailored as multifunctional postoperative implants, ensuring the efficacious eradication of residual tumor cells and alleviation of oxidative stress. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to substantiate the efficacy in cancer cell elimination and the prevention of tumor recurrence through the synergistic chemotherapy approach employed with ZC-DOX@GEL. The acceleration of tissue regeneration and in vitro ROS scavenging attributes of ZC@GEL were corroborated using rat models of wound healing. The results underscore the potential of the multifaceted hydrogels presented herein for their promising application in tumor postoperative treatments.

Recent Advances in Material Technology for Leukemia Treatments

Leukemia is a widespread hematological malignancy characterized by an elevated white blood cell count in both the blood and the bone marrow. Despite notable advancements in leukemia intervention in the clinic, a large proportion of patients, especially acute leukemia patients, fail to achieve long-term remission or complete remission following treatment. Therefore, leukemia therapy necessitates optimization to meet the treatment requirements. In recent years, a multitude of materials have undergone rigorous study to serve as delivery vectors or direct intervention agents to bolster the effectiveness of leukemia therapy. These materials include liposomes, protein-based materials, polymeric materials, cell-derived materials, and inorganic materials. They possess unique characteristics and are applied in a broad array of therapeutic modalities, including chemotherapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and other evolving treatments. Here, an overview of these materials is presented, describing their physicochemical properties, their role in leukemia treatment, and the challenges they face in the context of clinical translation. This review inspires researchers to further develop various materials that can be used to augment the efficacy of multiple therapeutic modalities for novel applications in leukemia treatment.

Dual-Site Biomimetic Cu/Zn-MOF for Atopic Dermatitis Catalytic Therapy via Suppressing FcγR-Mediated Phagocytosis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease that carries a significant global economic burden. Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been recognized as contributing to AD exacerbation, making them a potential therapeutic target for AD treatment. Here, we introduce a dual-site biomimetic copper/zinc metal-organic framework (Cu/Zn-MOF) featuring four types of enzyme-like activities for AD treatment via suppressing the Fcγ receptor (FcγR)-mediated phagocytosis signal by mimicking the bimetallic sites of natural copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD). Interestingly, the neighboring Cu and Zn sites in both Cu/Zn-MOF and CuZn-SOD are at similar distances of ∼5.98 and ∼6.3 Å from each other, respectively, and additionally, both Cu and Zn sites are coordinated to nitrogen atoms in both structures, and the coordinating ligands to Cu and Zn are both imidazole rings. Cu/Zn-MOF exhibits remarkable SOD-like activity as well as its glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-, thiol peroxidase (TPx)-, and ascorbate peroxidase (APx)-like activities to continuously consume ROS and mitigate oxidative stress in keratinocytes. Animal experiments show that Cu/Zn-MOF outperforms halcinonide solution (a potent steroid medication) in terms of preventing mechanical injuries, reducing cutaneous water loss, and inhibiting inflammatory responses while presenting favorable biosafety. Mechanistically, Cu/Zn-MOF functions through an FcγR-mediated phagocytosis signal pathway, decreasing the continuous accumulation of ROS in AD and ultimately suppressing disease progression. These findings will provide an effective paradigm for AD therapy and contribute to the development of two-site bionics (TSB).

Advantages of nanomedicine over the conventional treatment in Acute myeloid leukemia

Leukemia is a cancer of blood cells that mainly affects the white blood cells. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML) sudden growth of cancerous cells occurs in blood and bone marrow, and it disrupts normal blood cell production. Most patients are asymptomatic, but it spreads rapidly and can become fatal if left untreated. AML is the prevalent form of leukemia in children. Risk factors of AML include chemical exposure, radiation, genetics, etc. Conventional diagnostic methods of AML are complete blood count tests and bone marrow aspiration, while conventional treatment methods involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and bone marrow transplant. There is a risk of cancer cells spreading progressively to the other organs if left untreated, and hence, early diagnosis is required. The conventional diagnostic methods are time- consuming and have drawbacks like harmful side effects and recurrence of the disease. To overcome these difficulties, nanoparticles are employed in treating and diagnosing AML. These nanoparticles can be surface- modified and can be used against cancer cells. Due to their enhanced permeability effect and high surface-to-volume ratio they will be able to reach the tumour site which cannot be reached by traditional drugs. This review article talks about how nanotechnology is more advantageous over the traditional methods in the treatment and diagnosis of AML.

NOS-like activity of CeO2 nanozymes contributes to diminishing the vascular plaques

Ceria nanoparticles (CeO2NPs) exhibit great potential in cardiovascular disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease due to its excellent antioxidant capacity. However, the profitable effect of CeO2NPs on many diseases is almost all attributed to the regulation of ROS. Apart from the general antioxidant function, there seems to be no more distinct mechanism to reflect its unique multi-disease improvement effect. Here, we for the first time reveal a new discovery of CeO2NPs in mimicking nitric oxide synthase (NOS) by catalyzing L-arginine (L-Arg) to produce nitric oxide (NO) or the derivatives. NOS-like activity of CeO2NPs is original and associated with multiple factors like substrate concentration, pH, temperature and time, etc. where oxygen vacancy ratio plays a more critical role. Meanwhile, NOS-like activity of CeO2NPs successfully elevates NO secretion in endothelial cells and macrophages without expanding eNOS/iNOS expression. Importantly, NOS-like activity of CeO2NPs and the responsive endogenous NO promote the re-distribution of blood lipids and stabilize eNOS expression but suppress iNOS, thus collectively alleviate the accumulation of vascular plaque. Altogether, we provide a new angle of view to survey the outstanding potential of CeO2NPs, apart from the inevitable antioxidant capacity, the covert but possible and more critical NOS-like enzymatic activity is more noteworthy.

Ceria-Based Nanozymes in Point-of-Care Diagnosis: An Emerging Futuristic Approach for Biosensing

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in interest surrounding nanozymes due to their ability to imitate the functions and address the limitations of natural enzymes. The scientific community has been greatly intrigued by the study of nanoceria, primarily because of their distinctive physicochemical characteristics, which include a variety of enzyme-like activities, affordability, exceptional stability, and the ability to easily modify their surfaces. Consequently, nanoceria have found extensive use in various biosensing applications. However, the impact of its redox activity on the enzymatic catalytic mechanism remains a subject of debate, as conflicting findings in the literature have presented both pro-oxidant and antioxidant effects. Herein, we creatively propose a seesaw model to clarify the regulatory mechanism on redox balance and survey possible mechanisms of multienzyme mimetic properties of nanoceria. In addition, this review aims to showcase the latest advancements in this field by systematically discussing over 180 research articles elucidating the significance of ceria-based nanozymes in enhancing, downsizing, and enhancing the efficacy of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. These advancements align with the ASSURED criteria established by the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, this review also examines potential constraints in order to offer readers a concise overview of the emerging role of nanoceria in the advancement of POC diagnostic systems for future biosensing applications.

MiR-455-3p mediates PPARα through UBN2 to promote apoptosis and autophagy in acute myeloid leukemia cells

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the deadliest hematologic malignancies, and its targeted therapy has developed slowly. The molecular mechanism of the pathophysiology of the disease remains to be clarified. The aim of our study was to probe the specific regulatory mechanism of miR-455-3p in AML. This study measured the levels of miR-455-3p and ubinuclein-2 (UBN2) in AML cell lines, evaluated cell viability with CCK-8, used flow cytometry to estimate the cell cycle and apoptosis, detected cell apoptosis and autophagy-related protein levels by Western blotting, and added 50 μM chloroquine (CQ) to evaluate the relationship between autophagy and AML. In animal experiments, HL-60 cells were injected into male non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency disease (NOD/SCID) mice through the tail vein to determine survival time and observe the degree of liver and spleen damage in the mice. miR-455-3p was prominently reduced in the peripheral blood and AML cell lines, and UBN2 showed high expression. The transfected miR-455-3p mimic effectively restrained the activity of AML cells, whereas overexpression of UBN2 or the addition of the autophagy inhibitor CQ reversed the effect of miR-455-3p. The interaction between UBN2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation, and overexpression of PPARα reversed the promoting effect of UBN2 knockdown on apoptosis and autophagy in AML cells. In conclusion, miR-455-3p mediates PPARα protein expression through UBN2, exacerbating AML cell apoptosis and autophagy. This study found that miR-455-3p plays an important role in AML cell apoptosis and autophagy, which may provide novel insights for the treatment of AML diseases.

Single-atom catalysts-based catalytic ROS clearance for efficient psoriasis treatment and relapse prevention via restoring ESR1

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory disease of especially high recurrence rate (90%) which is suffered by approximately 3% of the world population. The overexpression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a critical role in psoriasis progress. Here we show that biomimetic iron single-atom catalysts (FeN4O2-SACs) with broad-spectrum ROS scavenging capability can be used for psoriasis treatment and relapse prevention via related gene restoration. FeN4O2-SACs demonstrate attractive multiple enzyme-mimicking activities based on atomically dispersed Fe active structures, which are analogous to those of natural antioxidant enzymes, iron superoxide dismutase, human erythrocyte catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase. Further, in vitro and in vivo experiments show that FeN4O2-SACs can effectively ameliorate psoriasis-like symptoms and prevent the relapse with augmented efficacy compared with the clinical drug calcipotriol. Mechanistically, estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) is identified as the core protein upregulated in psoriasis treatment through RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Together, this study provides a proof of concept of psoriasis catalytic therapy (PCT) and multienzyme-inspired bionics (MIB).

Oxidative Stress-mediated Sprouty-related Protein with an EVH1 Domain 1 Down-regulation Contributes to Resisting Oxidative Injury in Microglia

Microglia play an ambiguous role in injury or repair after ischemia-reperfusion, and the induced oxidative stress serves as an important signal, mediates direct toxicity to nerve cells, and eventually simulates complex physiological processes such as activation of microglia to repair the damaged area. Herein, we show that sprouty-related protein with an EVH1 domain 1 (SPRED1) may act as a regulatory node in this phenomenon. The ischemic brain of an ischemia-reperfusion rat model constructed by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) showed an increase in oxidative stress and downregulation of SPRED1 expression. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-simulated oxidative damage exerted a fluctuating regulatory effect on SPRED1 level in BV2 microglia, which is highly consistent with its regulatory effect on nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) transcription factor p65. Interestingly, SPRED1 overexpressed in BV2 cells did not exert any regulatory effect on p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), NF-κB p65, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, treatment of BV2 cells overexpressing SPRED1 with H2O2 led to significant changes in the above phenomena as well as their viability and apoptosis. In the absence of H2O2 induction, SPRED overexpression alone did not mediate such an effect. These findings indicate that SPRED1 tends to maintain intracellular homeostasis of signals, but the oxidative stress derived from ischemia-reperfusion can easily degrade SPRED1 and consequently re-activate these restricted signals and alter the behavior of microglia. Thus, our study reveals a novel role of SPRED1 in microglia in response to cerebral ischemia-induced oxidative stress.

Efficient Nanozyme-Triggered Pressure Sensor for Point-of-Care Immunoassay: Visual Sensing and Time Readout Device

Point-of-care testing (POCT), with its portability and high sensitivity, is an analytical device for rapid on-site sensing and detection. In this study, a POCT device was designed for the portable detection of illegal additives by integrating a coil device that can visually sense color distance and a two-electrode electrochemical system. Real-time monitoring of pressure changes was achieved by driving CeO₂@Pt/Au nanoparticle (NP)-labeled antibodies into a competitive immunoreaction, in which CeO₂ and Pt/Au synergistically catalyzed the production of large amounts of O₂ from H₂O₂, leading to a significant increase in gas within the closed chamber. Attractively, the coil device converted the pressure stimulus into visually readable change in distance for semi-quantitative detection of the target substance, while the electrical signal output caused by the changes of the solution around the electrodes achieved accurate and reliable quantification of the target. In addition, the proposed dual-mode pressure immunoassay device has acceptable selectivity, stability, and reproducibility. Herein, this portable device, which enables target concentration readings by converting pressure into multiple signals, provides an effective way to visualize POCT assays in resource-limited areas.

Emerging drugs targeting cellular redox homeostasis to eliminate acute myeloid leukemia stem cells

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a very heterogeneous group of disorders with large differences in the percentage of immature blasts that presently are classified according to the specific mutations that trigger malignant proliferation among thousands of mutations reported thus far. It is an aggressive disease for which few targeted therapies are available and still has a high recurrence rate and low overall survival. The main reason for AML relapse is believed to be due to leukemic stem cells (LSCs) that have unlimited self-renewal capacity and long residence in a quiescent state, which promote greater resistance to traditional therapies for this cancer. AML LSCs have low oxidative stress levels, which appear to be caused by a combination of low mitochondrial activity and high activity of ROS-removing pathways. In this sense, oxidative stress has been thought to be an important new potential target for the treatment of AML patients, targeting the eradication of AML LSCs. The aim of this review is to discuss some drugs that induce oxidative stress to direct new goals for future research focusing on redox imbalance as an effective strategy to eliminate AML LSCs.

Effects of Au States in Thiol-Organosilica Nanoparticles on Enzyme-like Activity for X-ray Sensitizer Application: Focus on Reactive Oxygen Species Generation in Radiotherapy

In radiotherapy, the use of Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) has been proposed to enhance cell damage by X-ray irradiation. Although the role of Au in radiotherapy is not fully understood, the catalytic activity of Au has been actively studied in the industrial field. Moreover, owing to their enzyme-like activity and high biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo, Au NPs present significant potential for biological applications. In this study, we incorporated different Au states both on the surface and embedded in thiol-organosilica (thiol-OS/Au series) to investigate the efficiency of anticancer cell activity of Au in radiotherapy. The thiol-OS/Au series comprised different Au(I)/Au(0) ratios and Au NPs, and different sizes of Au NPs were embedded in thiol-OS/Au. These thiol-OS/Au series samples were evaluated for enzyme-like activities in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by X-ray irradiation. Thiol-OS/Au embedded with small Au NPs (AC600/thiol-OS/Au) exhibited peroxidase (POD)-like activity under acidic conditions. This POD-like activity improved ROS generation and cytotoxicity under X-ray irradiation. Furthermore, AC600/thiol-OS/Au exhibited catalase (CAT)-like activity under basic conditions and showed no cytotoxicity toward nonirradiated cells. These results revealed the efficiency of functionalizing with small Au NPs that possess pH-controlled POD- and CAT-like activity as a radiosensitizer. We compared the suitability of using Au with different states to obtain the thiol-OS/Au series samples for application as radiosensitizers. The findings of this study will aid the design of efficacious strategies for the Au nanostructure-based radiotherapy of cancer cells.

Mucin 1 downregulation decreases the anti-tumor effects of melanoma vaccine

Background

Immunotherapy-based approaches are important breakthroughs with potential treatment benefits for melanoma patients. Mucin 1 (MUC1) is significantly upregulated in melanoma relative to normal cells. It has been reported that MUC1 influences cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis.The study aimed to explore the effect of MUC1 knockdown on the biological characteristics of the melanoma cell line B16F10 and evaluate whether MUC1 is an effective candidate target antigen for melanoma vaccine development.

Methods

First, lentiviral vector-mediated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was used to knockdown MUC1 in B16F10 cells (shMUC1-B16F10 cells). Next, we examined epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, proliferative capacity, clone formation, and distribution of cell cycle in shMUC1-B16F10 cells. Finally, the vaccine was prepared by repeated freeze-thawing of the shMUC1-B16F10 cells and used to subcutaneously immunize C57BL/6 mice, which were then challenged using B16F10 cells 10 days after the final vaccination.

Results

It was revealed that shMUC1 suppressed B16F10 proliferative and colony formation capacity, induced the arrest of cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase, and adjusted the expression of EMT-associated factors. MUC1 downregulation markedly suppressed the effect of B16F10 vaccine against melanoma in a mouse model. As compared with B16F10-vaccinated mice, B16F10-vaccinated mice in which MUC1 was silenced had reduced natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity, lower production of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), anti-MUC1 antibodies, perforin, granzyme B, and elevated tumor growth factor-β (TGF-β) level.

Conclusions

MUC1 has strong melanoma vaccine immunogenicity, and induces the host's anti-tumor reaction. MUC1 knockdown inhibits the immune activity of B16F10 cell vaccine and anti-melanoma effect, suggesting the MUC1 is an important candidate target antigen of the melanoma vaccine.

Therapeutic application of hydrogels for bone-related diseases

Bone-related diseases caused by trauma, infection, and aging affect people’s health and quality of life. The prevalence of bone-related diseases has been increasing yearly in recent years. Mild bone diseases can still be treated with conservative drugs and can be cured confidently. However, serious bone injuries caused by large-scale trauma, fractures, bone tumors, and other diseases are challenging to heal on their own. Open surgery must be used for intervention. The treatment method also faces the problems of a long cycle, high cost, and serious side effects. Studies have found that hydrogels have attracted much attention due to their good biocompatibility and biodegradability and show great potential in treating bone-related diseases. This paper mainly introduces the properties and preparation methods of hydrogels, reviews the application of hydrogels in bone-related diseases (including bone defects, bone fracture, cartilage injuries, and osteosarcoma) in recent years. We also put forward suggestions according to the current development status, pointing out a new direction for developing high-performance hydrogels more suitable for bone-related diseases.

Some Preliminary Results to Eradicate Leukemic Cells in Extracorporeal Circulation by Actuating Doxorubicin-Loaded Nanochains of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

Leukemia is a non-solid cancer which features the malignant proliferation of leukocytes. Excessive leukocytes of lesions in peripheral blood will infiltrate organs, resulting in intumescence and weakening treatment efficiency. In this study, we proposed a novel approach for targeted clearance of the leukocytes in the peripheral blood ex vivo, which employed magnetic nanochains to selectively destroy the leukocytes of the lesions. The nanochains were doxorubicin-loaded nanochains of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles which were fabricated by the solvent exchange method combined with magnetic field-directed self-assembly. Firstly, the nanochains were added into the peripheral blood during extracorporeal circulation and subjected to a rotational magnetic field for actuation. The leukocytes of the lesion were then conjugated by the nanochains via folic acid (FA) targeting. Finally, the rotational magnetic field actuated the nanochains to release the drugs and effectively damage the cytomembrane of the leukocytes. This strategy was conceptually shown in vitro (K562 cell line) and the method’s safety was evaluated in a rat model. The preliminary results demonstrate that the nanochains are biocompatible and suitable as drug carriers, showing direct lethal action to the leukemic cells combined with a rotational magnetic field. More importantly to note is that the nanochains can be effectively kept from entry into the body. We believe this extracorporeal circulation-based strategy by activating nanochains magnetically could serve as a potential method for leukemia treatment in the future.

Cur@SF NPs alleviate Friedreich's ataxia in a mouse model through synergistic iron chelation and antioxidation

Abnormal iron metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction and the derived oxidative damage are the main pathogeneses of Friedrich's ataxia (FRDA), a single-gene inherited recessive neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cerebellar and sensory ataxia. This disease is caused by frataxin (FXN) mutation, which reduces FXN expression and impairs iron sulfur cluster biogenesis. To date, there is no effective therapy to treat this condition. Curcumin is proposed harboring excellent ability to resist oxidative stress through Nrf2 activation and its newly found ability to chelate iron. However, its limitation is its poor water solubility and permeability. Here, we synthesized slow-release nanoparticles (NPs) by loading curcumin (Cur) into silk fibroin (SF) to form NPs with an average size of 150 nm (Cur@SF NPs), which exhibited satisfactory therapeutic effects on the improvement of FRDA manifestation in lymphoblasts (1 μM) derived from FRDA patients and in YG8R mice (150 mg/kg/5 days). Cur@SF NPs not only removed iron from the heart and diminished oxidative stress in general but also potentiate iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis, which compensates FXN deficiency to improve the morphology and function of mitochondria. Cur@SF NPs showed a significant advantage in neuron and myocardial function, thereby improving FRDA mouse behavior scores. These data encourage us to propose that Cur@SF NPs are a promising therapeutic compound in the application of FRDA disease.