Rhodium-Rhenium Alloy Nanozymes for Non-inflammatory Photothermal Therapy

Analogous to thermal ablation techniques in clinical settings, cell necrosis induced during tumor photothermal therapy (PTT) can provoke an inflammatory response that is detrimental to the treatment of tumors. In this study, we employed a straightforward one-step liquid-phase reduction process to synthesize uniform RhRe nanozymes with an average hydrodynamic size of 41.7 nm for non-inflammatory photothermal therapy. The obtained RhRe nanozymes showed efficient near-infrared (NIR) light absorption for effective PTT, coupled with a remarkable capability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) for anti-inflammatory treatment. After laser irradiation, the 4T1 tumors were effectively ablated without obvious tumor recurrence within 14 days, along with no obvious increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. Notably, these RhRe nanozymes demonstrated high biocompatibility with normal cells and tissues, both in vitro and in vivo, as evidenced by the lack of significant toxicity in female BALB/c mice treated with 10 mg/kg of RhRe nanozymes over a 14 day period. This research highlights RhRe alloy nanoparticles as bioactive nanozymes for non-inflammatory PTT in tumor therapy.

Soliton Based Dynamic Nuclear Polarization: An Overhauser Effect in Cyclic Polyacetylene at High Field and Room Temperature

Polyacetylene, a versatile material with an electrical conductivity that can span 7 orders of magnitude, is the prototypical conductive polymer. In this letter, we report the observation of a significant Overhauser effect at the high magnetic field of 14.1 T that operates at 100 K and room temperature in both linear and cyclic polyacetylene. Significant NMR signal enhancements ranging from 24 to 45 are obtained. The increased sensitivity enabled the characterization of the polymer chain defects at natural abundance. The absence of end methyl group carbon-13 signals provides proof of the closed-loop molecular structure of cyclic polyacetylene. The remarkable efficiency of the soliton based Overhauser effect DNP mechanism at high temperature and high field holds promise for applications and extension to other conductive polymer systems.

2D is Better: Engineering Polydopamine into Cationic Nanosheets to Enhance Anti-inflammatory Capability

Polydopamine nanomaterials have emerged as one of the most popular organic materials for management of oxidative stress-mediated inflammatory diseases. However, their current anti-inflammatory ability is still unsatisfied because of limited phenolic hydroxyl groups and oxidation reaction-medicated reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) scavenging. Herein, via fusing dimension engineering and surface charge engineering, we reported two-dimension (2D) cationic polydopamine nanosheets (PDA NSs) capable of scavenging multiple danger signals to enhance anti-inflammatory capability. Compared with conventional spherical polydopamine nanoparticles, 2D PDA NSs exhibited 3∼4-fold enhancement in RONS scavenging capability, which should be attributed to high specific surface area and abundant phenol groups of 2D ultrathin structure. To further enhance the anti-inflammatory ability, polylysine molecules were absorbed on the surface of PDA NSs to endow the scavenging capability of cell-free DNA (cfDNA), another typical inflammatory factor to exacerbate the pathogenesis of inflammation. Molecular mechanisms revealed that cationic PDA NSs could concurrently activate Keap1-Nrf2 and block TLR9 signaling pathway, achieving synergistical inflammation inhibition. As a proof of concept, cationic PDA NSs with RONS and cfDNA dual-scavenging capability effectively alleviated the inflammatory bowel disease in both delayed and prophylactic models, much better than the clinical drug 5-aminosalicylic acid. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

2D Nanozymes Modulate Gut Microbiota and T-Cell Differentiation for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Management

Intestinal commensal microbiota dysbiosis and immune dysfunction are significant exacerbating factors in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). To address these problems, Pluronic F-127-coated tungsten diselenide (WSe2 @F127) nanozymes are developed by simple liquid-phase exfoliation. The abundant valence transitions of elemental selenium (Se2- /Se4+ ) and tungsten (W4+ /W6+ ) enable the obtained WSe2 @F127 nanozymes to eliminate reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. In addition, the released tungsten ions are capable of inhibiting the proliferation of Escherichia coli. In a model of dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis, WSe2 @F127 nanozymes modulate the gut microbiota by increasing the abundance of bacteria S24-7 and significantly reducing the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae. Moreover, WSe2 @F127 nanozymes inhibit T-cell differentiation and improve intestinal immune barrier function in a model of Crohn's disease. The WSe2 @F127 nanozymes effectively alleviate IBD by reducing oxidative stress damage, modulating intestinal microbial populations, and remodeling the immune barrier.

Allisartan Isoproxil Promotes Uric Acid Excretion by Interacting with Intestinal Urate Transporters in Hyperuricemic Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

To evaluate the urate-lowering effect and potential drug targets of antihypertensive agent allisartan isoproxil (ALI) and its bioactive metabolite EXP3174, we developed an acute hyperuricemic zebrafish model using potassium oxonate and xanthine sodium salt. Losartan potassium served as the positive control (reference drug). In this model, ALI and losartan potassium exerted a greater urate-lowering effect than EXP3174 indicating that the latter is not the critical substance for elimination of uric acid. The quantitative real-time PCR showed that ALI upregulates the expression of intestinal urate transporters genes ABCG2, PDZK1, and SLC2A9 (p<0.01). Thus, we can suggest that this substance promotes uric acid excretion mainly by interacting with intestinal urate transporters.

Chiral Sulfur Nanosheets for Dual-Selective Inhibition of Gram-Positive Bacteria

Elemental sulfur is the oldest known antimicrobial agent. However, conventional sulfur in the clinic suffers from poor aqueous solubility and limited antibacterial activity, greatly hindering its practical use. Herein, we report a reform strategy coupling dimension engineering with chirality transfer to convert conventional 3D sulfur particles into chiral 2D sulfur nanosheets (S-NSs), which exhibit 50-fold improvement of antibacterial capability and dual-selective inhibition against Gram-positive bacteria. Benefiting from the inherent selectivity of S-NSs and chirality selectivity from decorated d-histidine, the obtained chiral S-NSs are proven to precisely kill Gram-positive drug-resistant bacteria, while no obvious bacterial inhibition is observed for Gram-negative bacteria. Mechanism studies reveal that S-NSs produce numerous reactive oxygen specipoes and hydrogen sulfide after incubation with bacteria, thus causing bacterial membrane destruction, respiratory chain damage, and ATP production inhibition. Upon spraying chiral S-NSs dispersions onto MRSA-infected wounds, the skin healing process was greatly accelerated in 8 days due to metabolism inhibition and oxidative damage of bacteria, indicating the excellent treatment efficiency of MRSA-infected wounds. This work converts the traditional well-known sulfur into modern antibacterial agents with a superior Gram-selectivity bactericidal capability.

Anti-Her2 affibody-decorated arsenene nanosheets induce ferroptosis through depleting intracellular GSH to overcome cisplatin resistance

Ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death induced by excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation, has recently attracted extensive attention due to its ability to effectively suppress tumors and overcome drug resistance. Unlike previously reported metal nanomaterials that induce ferroptosis via the Fenton reaction, arsenene nanosheets can effectively deplete intracellular glutathione and then induce ferroptosis by inhibiting glutathione peroxidase 4. In this study, we designed target-modified arsenene nanosheets loaded with cisplatin (Her2-ANs@CDDP), which are capable of selective uptake by tumor cells. Her2-ANs@CDDP promotes both apoptosis and ferroptosis through a reciprocal cascade reaction between cisplatin and the carrier, respectively, and we demonstrate that it can significantly inhibit the activity of drug-resistant cells. Arsenene nanosheets kill drug-resistant tumor cells by inducing ferroptosis and restoring the sensitivity of drug-resistant cells to cisplatin. Cisplatin-loaded arsenene nanosheets can be prepared simply, and exert synergistic effects that overcome drug resistance. They show great potential for applications in the clinical treatment of chemotherapy-insensitive osteosarcoma, expanding the uses of arsenic in the treatment of solid tumors.

Emerging metallenes: synthesis strategies, biological effects and biomedical applications

Metallenes, atomically thin-layered materials composed of coordination-deficient metal atoms, have emerged as a new category of two-dimensional materials. Metallenes exhibit exciting properties with a fusion of atom economy, ultrathin structure, photonic properties, and catalytic activity, which make them intriguing for a wide range of applications in biomedicine. The development of biomedical applications of metallenes is in its infancy yet fast-growing. In this review, after a brief introduction of the definition, structures, properties, and classification of metallenes, we outline two common synthesis strategies and identify their shortcomings. Then, we comprehensively discuss the biological effects of metallenes, such as nano-biointeractions and signaling pathway regulation. We also highlight their recent advances in biomedical applications, including antitumor, biosensing, bioimaging, antibacterial, and anti-inflammation. Finally, we provide personal perspectives on remaining challenges and future opportunities for the biomedical applications of metallenes.

AIPH-Encapsulated Thermo-Sensitive Liposomes for Synergistic Microwave Ablation and Oxygen-Independent Dynamic Therapy

Microwave ablation (MWA) is a novel treatment modality that can lead to the death of tumor cells by heating the ions and polar molecules in the tissue through high-speed vibration and friction. However, the single hyperthermia is not sufficient to completely inhibit tumor growth. Herein, a thermodynamic cancer-therapeutic modality has been fabricated which could be able to overcome hypoxia's limitations in the tumor microenvironment. Using thermo-sensitive liposomes (TSLs) and oxygen-independent radical generators (2,2'-azobis[2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)propane]dihydrochloride [AIPH]), a nano-drug delivery system denoted as ATSL is developed for efficient sequential cancer treatment. Under the microwave field, the temperature rise of local tissue could not only lead to the damage of tumor cells but also induce the release of AIPH encapsulated in ATSL to produce free radicals, eliciting tumor cell death. In addition, the ATSL developed here would avoid the side effects caused by the uncontrolled diffusion of AIPH to normal tissues. The ATSLs have shown excellent therapeutic effects both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting its highly promising potential for clinic.

Zero-Valence Selenium-Enriched Prussian Blue Nanozymes Reconstruct Intestinal Barrier against Inflammatory Bowel Disease via Inhibiting Ferroptosis and T Cells Differentiation

The structural disruption of mechanical barrier and dysfunction of immune barrier in intestinal, are important factors, that aggravate inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). To tackle this challenge, a multifunctional nanozyme capable of scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibiting ferroptosis or T cells differentiation for IBD therapy is here reported. In this work, zero-valence selenium-enriched Prussian blue nanozymes (Se-HMPB nanozymes) are prepared via the hard template method. PB nanozymes with multi-enzyme activities can effectively scavenge various ROS in inflammatory tissues. Meanwhile, the presence of selenium element endows the glutathione peroxidase activity of Se-HMPB nanozymes, which can inhibit ferroptosis and reverse the lipid peroxidation of intestinal epithelial cells to protect the intestinal mechanical barrier in ulcerative colitis (UC) model. In addition, selenium supplementation can realize efficient inhibition on the differentiation of T cells in Crohn's disease (CD) model, regulating the intestinal immune barrier. Thus, the Se-HMPB nanozymes reconstructed intestinal barrier via inhibiting ferroptosis and T cells differentiation in UC and CD models, depicting great potential to alleviate IBD.

Pseudocatalytic Hydrogels with Intrinsic Antibacterial and Photothermal Activities for Local Treatment of Subcutaneous Abscesses and Breast Tumors

The intimate relationship between bacteria and tumors has triggered a lot of activities in the development and design of bioactive materials to concurrently respond to antitumor and antibacterial demands. Herein, a pseudocatalytic hydrogel (AM-I@Agar) with intrinsic antibacterial and photothermal activities, synthesized by incorporating prefabricated amylose-iodine nanoparticles into low-melting-point agarose hydrogel, is explored as a bioactive agent for local treatment of subcutaneous abscesses and breast tumors. The AM-I@Agar hydrogel depicts the ability of pseudocatalytic O₂ generation from H₂ O₂ to alleviate hypoxia. Meanwhile, the AM-I@Agar hydrogel exhibits temperature self-regulation features, beneficial for avoiding thermal injury during photothermal therapy owing to thermochromic properties. Upon local injection into a subcutaneous abscess, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is effectively eliminated by the AM-I@Agar hydrogel, and complete skin recovery is achieved in 8 d, demonstrating much better antibacterial effects compared with penicillin, a small-molecule antibiotic. AM-I/5-FU@Agar hydrogel, obtained after loading 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), significantly inhibits tumors in both normal 4T1 tumor-bearing mice and MRSA-infected 4T1 tumor-bearing mice models via a synergistic photothermal-chemo effect, and shows treatment efficiency superior to that achieved with photothermal therapy or 5-FU alone. This work provides a concept for the design and development of bioactive agents for potential management of bacteria-associated cancer.

Ultrathin Hafnium Disulfide Atomic Crystals with ROS-Scavenging and Colon-Targeting Capabilities for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment

The exciting success of NBTXR3 in the clinic has triggered a tumult of activities in the design and development of hafnium-based nanoparticles. However, due to the concerns of nondegradation and limited functions, the biomedical applications of Hf-based nanoparticles mainly focus on tumors. Herein, tannic acid capped hafnium disulfide (HfS₂@TA) nanosheets, a 2D atomic crystal of hafnium-based materials prepared by liquid-phase exfoliation, were explored as high-performance anti-inflammatory nanoagents for the targeted therapy of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Benefiting from the transformation of the S^2-/S⁶⁺ valence state and huge specific surface area, the obtained HfS₂@TA nanosheets were not only capable of effectively eliminating reactive oxygen species/reactive nitrogen species and downregulating pro-inflammatory factors but also could be excreted via kidney and hepatointestinal systems. Unexpectedly, HfS₂@TA maintained excellent targeting capability to an inflamed colon even in the harsh digestive tract environment, mainly attributed to the electrostatic interactions between negatively charged tannic acid and positively charged inflamed epithelium. Encouragingly, upon oral or intravenous administration, HfS₂@TA quickly inhibited inflammation and repaired the intestinal mucosa barrier in both dextran sodium sulfate and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid induced IBD models. This work demonstrated that ultrathin HfS₂@TA atomic crystals with enhanced colon accumulation were promising for the targeted therapy of IBD.

Three birds with one stone: co-encapsulation of diclofenac and DL-menthol for realizing enhanced energy deposition, glycolysis inhibition and anti-inflammation in HIFU surgery

Despite attracting increasing attention in clinic, non-invasive high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery still commonly suffers from tumor recurrence and even matastasis due to the generation of thermo-resistance in non-apoptotic tumor cells and adverse therapy-induced inflammation with enhanced secretion of growth factors in irradiated region. In this work, inspired by the intrinsic property that the expression of thermo-resistant heat shock proteins (HSPs) is highly dependent with adenosine triphosphate (ATP), dual-functionalized diclofenac (DC) with anti-inflammation and glycolysis-inhibition abilities was successfully co-encapsulated with phase-change dl-menthol (DLM) in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (DC/DLM@PLGA NPs) to realize improved HIFU surgery without causing adverse inflammation. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated the great potential of DC/DLM@PLGA NPs for serving as an efficient synergistic agent for HIFU surgery, which can not only amplify HIFU ablation efficacy through DLM vaporization-induced energy deposition but also simultaneously sensitize tumor cells to hyperthermia by glycolysis inhibition as well as diminished inflammation. Thus, our study provides an efficient strategy for simultaneously improving the curative efficiency and diminishing the harmful inflammatory responses of clinical HIFU surgery.

Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Chronic Carotid Artery Occlusion on High-Resolution MR Vessel Wall Imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Chronic carotid artery occlusion remains a poorly understood risk factor for subsequent stroke, and potential revascularization is dependent on understanding the anatomy and nature of the occlusion. Luminal imaging cannot assess the nature of an occlusion, so the internal structure of the occlusion must be inferred. The present study examines the signal characteristics of symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid occlusion that may point to management differentiation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We prospectively recruited patients who were diagnosed with chronic carotid artery occlusion defined as longer than 4 weeks and confirmed by DSA. All patients underwent high-resolution MR vessel wall imaging examinations after enrollment. Baseline characteristics, vessel wall imaging features, and DSA features were collected and evaluated. The vessel wall imaging features included segment involvement, signal intensity, contrast enhancement, and vessel wall thickness. The symptomatic and asymptomatic chronic carotid artery occlusions were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 44 patients with 48 lesions were included in this study from February 2020 to December 2020. Of the 48 lesions, 35 (72.9%) were symptomatic and 13 (27.1%) were asymptomatic. There was no difference in baseline and DSA features. On vessel wall imaging, C1 and C2 were the most commonly involved segments (91.7% and 68.8%, respectively). Compared with symptomatic lesions, asymptomatic lesions were more often isointense (69.2%) in the distal segment (P = .03). Both groups had diffuse wall thickening (80% and 100%).

CONCLUSIONS

Signal characteristics between those with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery occlusions differ in a statistically significant fashion, indicating a different structure of the occlusion.

PEGylated Indium Nanoparticles: A Metallic Contrast Agent for Multiwavelength Photoacoustic Imaging and Second Near-Infrared Photothermal Therapy

Indium, a low melting point metal, is well-known for constructing eutectic gallium-indium liquid metal. However, unlike liquid metal nanoparticles, the biomedical applications of metallic indium nanoparticles (In NPs) remain in their infancy. Herein, an ultrasound-assisted liquid-reduction synthesis strategy was developed to prepare PEGylated In NPs, which were then used as a high-performance contrast agent for enhancing multiwavelength photoacoustic imaging and second near-infrared (NIR-II) photothermal therapy of the 4T1 breast tumor. The obtained In NPs depicted remarkable optical absorption from the first near-infrared (NIR-I) to NIR-II region and a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 41.3% at 1064 nm, higher than the majority of conventional NIR-II photothermal agents. Upon injection into the tumor, the photoacoustic intensities of the tumor section post-injection were obviously increased by 2.59-, 2.62-, and 4.27-fold of those of pre-injection by using excitation wavelengths of 750, 808, and 970 nm, respectively, depicting an excellent multiwavelength contrast capability of photoacoustic imaging. In addition, efficient ablation of the 4T1 tumor was achieved through the photothermal performance of PEGylated In NPs under NIR-II laser irradiation. Importantly, as the widely used element in the clinic, In NPs were highly biocompatible in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, this work pioneered the biomedical applications of PEGylated In NPs for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Thermochromic Polyvinyl Alcohol-Iodine Hydrogels with Safe Threshold Temperature for Infectious Wound Healing

Iodophor (povidone-iodine) has been widely used for antibacterial applications in the clinic. Yet, limited progress in the field of iodine-based bactericides has been achieved since the invention of iodophor. Herein, a blue polyvinyl alcohol-iodine (PAI) complex-based antibacterial hydrogel is explored as a new generation of biocompatible iodine-based bactericides. The obtained PAI hydrogel maintains laser triggered liquefaction, thermochromic, and photothermal features for highly efficient elimination of bacteria. In vitro antibacterial test reveals that the relative bacteria viabilities of Escherichia coli (E.coli) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) incubated with PAI hydrogel are only 8% and 3.8%, respectively. Upon single injection of the PAI hydrogel, MRSA-infected open wounds can be efficiently healed in only 5 days, and the healing speed is further accelerated by laser irradiation due to the dynamic interaction between iodine and polyvinyl alcohol, causing up to ∼29% of wound area being closed on day 1. In addition, a safe threshold temperature of skin scald (∼45 °C) emerges for PAI hydrogels because of thermochromic properties, avoiding thermal injuries during irradiation. In addition, no observed toxicity or skin irritation is observed for the PAI hydrogel. This work expands the category of iodine-based bactericides for safe and controllable management of infected wounds.

PSMA-targeted arsenic nanosheets: a platform for prostate cancer therapy via ferroptosis and ATM deficiency-triggered chemosensitization

Ferroptosis, a newly recognized form of non-apoptotic cell death, has recently been introduced for effective cancer therapy. The reported ferroptosis-inducing nanomaterials mainly consisted of metal-based components. Herein, we designed an inorganic metal-free nanoplatform, PSMA-targeted arsenic nanosheets (PMANs), which simultaneously increased glutathione (GSH) consumption, suppressed solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) and glutathione-dependent peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression, and promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxides (LPO). In addition, owing to the large surface area, PMANs efficiently transported doxorubicin (DOX) to prostate cancer for synergistic therapy. Surprisingly, we found that PMANs could sensitize prostate cancer cells to DOX through downregulating the expression of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), which further augmented the GPX4 downregulation-mediated ferroptotic tumoricidal effect. Given that arsenic trioxide has been routinely and successfully used in the clinical treatment of leukemia for a long time, we anticipate that PMANs will offer a promising strategy for prostate cancer therapy.

Targeting STING attenuates ROS induced intervertebral disc degeneration

OBJECTIVE

DNA damage induced by ROS is considered one of the main causes of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells degeneration during the progression of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). cGAS-STING pathway acts as DNA-sensing mechanism for monitoring DNA damage. Recent studies have proved that cGAS-STING contributes to the development of various diseases by inducing inflammation, senescence, and apoptosis. This work explored the role of STING, the main effector of cGAS-STING signaling pathway, in NP degeneration.

METHOD

Immunohistochemistry was conducted to measure STING protein levels in the nucleus pulposus tissues from human and puncture-induced IVDD rat models. TBHP induces degeneration of nucleus pulposus cells in vitro. For in vivo experiments, lv-NC or lv-STING were injected into the central intervertebral disc space. The degeneration level of IVDD was assessed by MRI, X-ray, HE, and Safranin O staining.

RESULTS

We found that the expression of STING was upregulated in human and rat degenerated NP tissue as well as in TBHP-treated NP cells. Overexpression of STING promoted the degradation of extracellular matrix; it also promoted apoptosis and senescence of TBHP-treated and untreated NP cells. Knock-down of STING significantly reversed these effects. Mechanistically, STING activated IRF3, whereas blockage of IRF3 attenuated STING-induced apoptosis, senescence and ECM degradation. In vivo experiments revealed that STING knock-down alleviated puncture-induced IVDD development.

CONCLUSION

STING promotes IVDD progress via IRF3, while suppression of STING may be a promising treatment for IVDD.

Interfacially Engineered ZnxMn1-xS@Polydopamine Hollow Nanospheres for Glutathione Depleting Photothermally Enhanced Chemodynamic Therapy

Fenton-like reactions driven by manganese-based nanostructures have been widely applied in cancer treatment owing to the intrinsic physiochemical properties of these nanostructures and their improved sensitivity to the tumor microenvironment. In this work, Zn_xMn_1-xS@polydopamine composites incorporating alloyed Zn_xMn_1-xS and polydopamine (PDA) were constructed, in which the Fenton-like reactions driven by Mn ions can be tuned by a controllable release of Mn ions in vitro and in vivo. As a result, the Zn_xMn_1-xS@PDA exhibited good biocompatibility with normal cells but was specifically toxic to cancer cells. In addition, the shell thickness of PDA was carefully investigated to obtain excellent specific toxicity to cancer cells and promote synergistic chemodynamic and photothermal therapies. Overall, this work highlights an alternative strategy for fabricating high-performance, multifunctional composite nanostructures for a combined cancer treatment.

Ultrasound lighting up AIEgens for potential surgical navigation

Multifunctional contrast-enhanced agents suitable for application in surgical navigation by taking advantage of the merits of their diverse imaging modalities at different surgical stages are highly sought-after. Herein, an amphipathic polymer composed of aggregation-induced emission fluorogens (AIEgens) and Gd³⁺ chelates was successfully synthesized and assembled into ultrasound responsive microbubbles (AIE-Gd MBs) to realize potential tri-modal contrast-enhanced ultrasound (US) imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and AIEgen-based fluorescence imaging (FI) during the perioperative period. Through ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) and cavitation effect, the as-prepared AIE-Gd MBs went through a MBs-to-nanoparticles (NPs) conversion, which not only resulted in targeted accumulation in tumor tissues but also led to stronger fluorescence being exhibited due to the more aggregated AIE-Gd molecules in the NPs. As a proof-of-concept, our work proposes a strategy of US-lit-up AIEgens in tumors which could offer a simple and powerful tool for surgical navigation in the future.

Tiny 2D silicon quantum sheets: a brain photonic nanoagent for orthotopic glioma theranostics

We report that atomically thin two-dimensional silicon quantum sheets (2D Si QSs), prepared by a scalable approach coupling chemical delithiation and cryo-assisted exfoliation, can serve as a high-performance brain photonic nanoagent for orthotopic glioma theranostics. With the lateral size of approximately 14.0 nm and thickness of about 1.6 nm, tiny Si QSs possess high mass extinction coefficient of 27.5 L g^-1 cm^-1 and photothermal conversion efficiency of 47.2% at 808 nm, respectively, concurrently contributing to the best photothermal performance among the reported 2D mono-elemental materials (Xenes). More importantly, Si QSs with low toxicity maintain the trade-off between stability and degradability, paving the way for practical clinical translation in consideration of both storage and action of nanoagents. In vitro Transwell filter experiment reveals that Si QSs could effectively go across the bEnd.3 cells monolayer. Upon the intravenous injection of Si QSs, orthotopic brain tumors are effectively inhibited under the precise guidance of photoacoustic imaging, and the survival lifetime of brain tumor-bearing mice is increased by two fold. Atomically thin Si QSs with strong light-harvesting capability are expected to provide an effective and robust 2D photonic nanoplatform for the management of brain diseases.

[The relationship between HPV integration and prognosis of cervical cancer]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) integration and prognosis of cervical cancer patients. Methods: The data of 82 patients with cervical cancer treated in the Radiotherapy Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 2004 to June 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into poor prognosis group (recurrence or metastasis after surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy) and good prognosis group based on a propensity score matching strategy.The HPV integration of the two groups were detected by whole exome sequencing to determine whether the integration sites were located in the common fragile sites (CFSs). HPV integration and integration into CFSs were compared between the two groups. Results: Among the enrolled 82 patients, 37 were divided in poor survival group and 45 in good survival group. A total of 90 integration breakpoints were identified, 30 of them occurred in poor prognosis group and 60 occurred in good prognosis group. In the poor prognosis group, HPV integration occurred in 20 patients, 13 of them were inserted in CFSs of 11 patients, and the numbers in good prognosis group were 26, 17, 11, respectively. There were no significantly statistical differences in the number of HPV integration events (P=0.289), HPV integration patients (P=0.735), CFSs integration events (P=0.427), and CFSs integration patients (P=0.591) between the two groups. In poor prognosis group, more CFSs integration events occurred in patients with metastasis than those in patients with only local recurrence (9 vs 2, P=0.003). Conclusions: No significant differences are observed in HPV integration and HPV integration into CFSs between cervical cancer patients with different prognoses. HPV integration into CFSs may be associated with distant metastasis.

Contributions of Lactobacillus plantarum PC170 administration on the recovery of gut microbiota after short-term ceftriaxone exposure in mice

This study aimed to determine the impact of Lactobacillus plantarum PC170 concurrent with antibiotic treatment and/or during the recovery phase after antibiotic treatment on the body weight, faecal bacterial composition, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration, and splenic cytokine mRNA expression of mice. Orally administrated ceftriaxone quantitatively and significantly decreased body weight, faecal total bacteria, Akkermansia muciniphila, and Lactobacillus plantarum, and faecal SCFAs concentration. Ceftriaxone treatment also dramatically altered the faecal microbiota with an increased Chao1 index, decreased species diversities and Bacteroidetes, and more Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. After ceftriaxone intervention, these changes all gradually started to recover. However, faecal microbiota diversities were still totally different from control by significantly increased α- and β-diversities. Bacteroidetes all flourished and became dominant during the recovery process. However, mice treated with PC170 both in parallel with and after ceftriaxone treatment encouraged more Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Actinobacteria, and the diversity by which to make faecal microbiota was very much closer to control. Furthermore, the expression of splenic pro-inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor-α mRNA in mice supplemented with PC170 during the recovery phase was significantly lower than natural recovery. These results indicated that antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, even with short-term intervention, could dramatically damage the structure of gut microbiota and their abilities to produce SCFAs with loss of body weight. Although such damages could be partly recovered with the cessation of antibiotics, the implication of antibiotics to gut microbiota might remain even after antibiotic treatment. The selected strain PC170 might be a potential probiotic because of its contributions in helping the host animal to remodel or stabilise its gut microbiome and enhancing the anti-inflammatory response as protection from the side effects of antibiotic therapy when it was administered in parallel with and after antibiotic treatment.

Incidence and Risk Factors of In-Stent Restenosis for Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

In-stent restenosis affects long-term outcome in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis.

PURPOSE

The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of in-stent restenosis.

DATA SOURCES

All literature that reported in-stent restenosis was searched on PubMed, Ovid EMBASE and Ovid MEDLINE data bases.

STUDY SELECTION

Original articles about stents for symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis were selected.

DATA ANALYSIS

Meta-analysis was conducted to derive the pooled in-stent restenosis using a random-effects model. Meta-regression was performed to explore the risk factors predisposing to in-stent restenosis.

DATA SYNTHESIS

In total, 51 studies with 5043 patients were included. The pooled incidence rate of in-stent restenosis was 14.8% (95% CI, 11.9%-17.9%). Among the lesions with in-stent restenosis, 28.8% of them led to (95% CI, 22.0%-36.0%) related neurologic symptoms. The series in the United States had a higher in-stent restenosis rate (27.0%; 95% CI, 20.6%-33.9%) compared with those from Asia (13.6%; 95% CI, 10.3%-17.2%) and other regions as a whole (7.6%; 95% CI, 1.1%-18.1%) (P < .01). Multiregression analysis revealed that younger patient age was related to high in-stent restenosis rates (P = .019), and vertebrobasilar junction location (P = .010) and low residual stenosis (P = .018) were 2 independent risk factors for symptomatic in-stent restenosis rate.

LIMITATIONS

The heterogeneity of most outcomes was high.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed promising results of in-stent restenosis for symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis. Studies are needed to further expatiate on the mechanisms by which younger patient age, vertebrobasilar junction location, and low residual stenosis could increase in-stent restenosis and symptomatic in-stent restenosis, respectively.

Biodegradable Nickel Disulfide Nanozymes with GSH-Depleting Function for High-Efficiency Photothermal-Catalytic Antibacterial Therapy

Bacterial infections caused by pathogens have always been a thorny issue that threatens human health, and there is urgent need to develop a new generation of antimicrobial nano-agents and treatments. Herein, biodegradable nickel disulfide (ND) nanozymes as excellent antibacterial agents that integrate excellent photothermal performance, nano-catalysis property, and glutathione (GSH)-depleting function have been successfully constructed. The ND nanozymes can effectively catalyze the decomposition of H₂O₂ to produce ⋅OH, and the hyperthermia of ND nanozymes generated by photothermal therapy (PTT) can further increase its catalytic activity, which provides rapid and effective bacterial killing effect compared with nano-catalytic treatment or PTT alone. Surprisingly, the ND nanozymes have the ability of GSH consumption, thus enhancing its sterilization effect. Moreover, the ND nanozymes are biodegradable nanomaterials that do not cause any significant toxicity in vivo. Collectively, the ND nanozymes with excellent photothermal performance, catalytic activity, and GSH-depleting function are used for high-efficiency sterilization.

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ND nanozymes have good photothermal and catalysis effect and GSH-depleting function

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The multifunctional ND nanozymes have achieved satisfactory antibacterial effects

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The biodegradable ND nanozymes have a wide application in precise sterilization

Ultrasmall Rhodium Nanozyme with RONS Scavenging and Photothermal Activities for Anti-Inflammation and Antitumor Theranostics of Colon Diseases

Colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC), in which chronic inflammation is a well-recognized carcinogen, requires concurrent anti-inflammation and antitumor treatments in the clinic. Herein, we report polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated (PEGylated) ultrasmall rhodium nanodots (Rh-PEG NDs) can serve as a metallic nanozyme with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) scavenging properties as well as photothermal activities for anti-inflammation and antitumor theranostics in colon diseases. Benefiting from multienzyme activities against RONS, Rh-PEG NDs can decrease the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6), resulting in good anti-inflammatory effect on dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. By virtue of high photothermal conversion efficiency (48.9%), Rh-PEG NDs demonstrate complete ablation of CT-26 colon tumor without any recurrence. Most importantly, Rh-PEG NDs exhibit good biocompatibility both at the cellular and animal levels. Our findings provide a paradigm to utilize metallic nanozymes for the potential management of colon diseases.

Folin-Ciocalteu Assay Inspired Polyoxometalate Nanoclusters as a Renal Clearable Agent for Non-Inflammatory Photothermal Cancer Therapy

Similar to translated thermal ablative techniques in clinic, the occurrence of cellular necrosis during tumor photothermal therapy (PTT) would induce inflammatory responses that are detrimental to therapeutic outcomes. Inspired by the well-known colorimetric Folin-Ciocalteu assay, monodispersed and renal-clearable tungsten (W)-based polyoxometalate nanoclusters (W-POM NCs, average diameter of around 2.0 nm) were successfully obtained here through a facile redox reaction with natural gallic acid in alkaline aqueous solution. Apart from excellent stability in the form of freeze-dried powder, the as-prepared W-POM NCs occupied considerable biocompatibility toward normal cells/tissues both in vitro and in vivo, since no obvious toxicities were observed by treating female Balb/c mice with concentrated W-POM NCs during the 30 day post-treatment period. More importantly, W-POM NCs exhibited not only considerable near-infrared (NIR) light absorption (coloration effect originated from the existence of electron-trapped W⁵⁺) for efficient PTT but also impressive anti-inflammatory ability (eliminating inflammation-related reactive oxygen species by the oxidation of W⁵⁺ into W⁶⁺ state) to achieve better therapeutic outcomes. Thus, our study pioneers the application of POMs for non-inflammatory PTT with expected safety and efficiency.

Facile synthesis of monodisperse chromogenic amylose–iodine nanoparticles as an efficient broad-spectrum antibacterial agent

Monodisperse chromogenic amylose–iodine nanoparticles were developed as an efficient broad-spectrum antibacterial agent under the assistance of near-infrared laser irradiation.

Catalytic rhodium (Rh)-based (mesoporous polydopamine) MPDA nanoparticles with enhanced phototherapeutic efficiency for overcoming tumor hypoxia

Rh NPs/Ce6 loaded mesoporous polydopamine (Ce6-Rh@MPDA) nanoparticles were developed to achieve photoacoustic/fluorescence imaging-guided photothermal and photodynamic therapy to eliminate tumors and improve hypoxia in tumor microenvironments.

Landscape-level validation of allometric relationships for carbon stock estimation reveals bias driven by soil type

Mitigation of climate change depends on accurate estimation and mapping of terrestrial carbon stocks, particularly in carbon dense tropical forests. Allometric equations can be used to robustly estimate biomass of tropical trees, but often require tree height, which is frequently unknown. Researchers and practitioners must, therefore, decide whether to directly measure a subset of tree heights to develop diameter : height (D:H) equations or rely on previously published generic equations. To date, studies comparing the two approaches have been spatially restricted and/or not randomly allocated across the landscape of interest, making the implications of deciding whether or not to measure tree heights difficult to determine. To address this issue, we use inventory data from a systematic-random forest inventory across Gabon (102 forest sites; 42,627 trees, including 7,036 height-measured trees). Using plot-specific models of D:H as a benchmark, we compare the performance of a suite of locally fitted and commonly used generic models (parameterized national, georegional, and pantropical equations) across a variety of scales, and assess which abiotic, anthropogenic, and topographical covariates contribute the most to bias in height estimation. We reveal marked spatial structure in the magnitude and direction of bias in tree height estimation using all generic models, due at least in part to soil type, which compounded to substantial error in site-level AGB estimates (of up to 38% or 150 Mg/ha). However, two generic pantropical models (Chave 2014; Feldpausch 2012) converged to within 2.5% of mean AGB at the landscape scale. Our results suggest that some (not all) pantropical equations can extrapolate AGB across large spatial scales with minimal bias in estimated mean AGB. However, extreme caution must be taken when interpreting the AGB estimates from generic models at the site-level as they fail to capture substantial spatial variation in D:H relationships, which could lead to dramatic under- or over-estimation of site-level carbon stocks. Validated allometric models derived at site- or soil-type-levels may be the best way to reduce such biases arising from landscape-level heterogeneity in D:H model fit in the Afrotropics.

PEGylated Tantalum Nanoparticles: A Metallic Photoacoustic Contrast Agent for Multiwavelength Imaging of Tumors

Elemental tantalum is a well-known biomedical metal in clinics due to its extremely high biocompatibility, which is superior to that of other biomedical metallic materials. Hence, it is of significance to expand the scope of biomedical applications of tantalum. Herein, it is reported that tantalum nanoparticles (Ta NPs), upon surface modification with polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules via a silane-coupling approach, are employed as a metallic photoacoustic (PA) contrast agent for multiwavelength imaging of tumors. By virtue of the broad optical absorbance from the visible to near-infrared region and high photothermal conversion efficiency (27.9%), PEGylated Ta NPs depict high multiwavelength contrast capability for enhancing PA imaging to satisfy the various demands (penetration depth, background noise, etc.) of clinical diagnosis as needed. Particularly, the PA intensity of the tumor region postinjection is greatly increased by 4.87, 7.47, and 6.87-fold than that of preinjection under 680, 808, and 970 nm laser irradiation, respectively. In addition, Ta NPs with negligible cytotoxicity are capable of eliminating undesirable reactive oxygen species, ensuring the safety for biomedical applications. This work introduces a silane-coupling strategy for the surface engineering of Ta NPs, and highlights the potential of Ta NPs as a biocompatible metallic contrast agent for multiwavelength photoacoustic image.

Liquid Exfoliation of Atomically Thin Antimony Selenide as an Efficient Two-Dimensional Antibacterial Nanoagent

The ever-growing global crisis of multidrug-resistant bacteria has triggered a tumult of activity in the design and development of antibacterial formulations. Here, atomically thin antimony selenide nanosheets (Sb₂Se₃ NSs), a minimal-toxic and low-cost semiconductor material, were explored as a high-performance two-dimensional (2D) antibacterial nanoagent via a liquid exfoliation strategy integrating cryo-pretreatment and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-assisted exfoliation. When cultured with bacteria, the obtained PVP-capped Sb₂Se₃ NSs exhibited intrinsic long-term antibacterial capability, probably due to the reactive oxygen species generation and sharp edge-induced membrane cutting during physical contact between bacteria and nanosheets. Upon near-infrared laser irradiation, Sb₂Se₃ NSs achieved short-time hyperthermia sterilization because of strong optical absorption and high photothermal conversion efficiency. By virtue of the synergistic effects of these two broad-spectrum antibacterial mechanisms, Sb₂Se₃ NSs exhibited high-efficiency inhibition of conventional Gram-negative Escherichia coli, Gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and wild bacteria from a natural water pool. Particularly, these three categories of bacteria were completely eradicated after being treated with Sb₂Se₃ NSs (300 μM) plus laser irradiation for only 5 min. In vivo wound healing experiment further demonstrated the high-performance antibacterial effect. In addition, Sb₂Se₃ NSs depicted excellent biocompatibility due to the biocompatible element constitute and bioinert PVP modification. This work enlightened that atomically thin Sb₂Se₃ NSs hold great promise as a broad-spectrum 2D antibacterial nanoagent for various pathogenic bacterial infections.

PEGylated rhenium nanoclusters: a degradable metal photothermal nanoagent for cancer therapy

A common issue of functional nanoagents for potential clinical translation is whether they are biodegradable or renal clearable. Previous studies have widely explored noble metal nanoparticles (Au and Pd) as the first generation of photothermal nanoagents for cancer therapy, but all of the reported noble metal nanoparticles are non-degradable. On the other hand, rhenium (Re), one of the noble and precious metals with a high atomic number (Z = 75), has been mainly utilized as a jet superalloy or chemical catalyst, but the biological characteristics and activity of Re nanoparticles have never been evaluated until now. To address these issues, here we report a simple and scalable liquid-reduction strategy to synthesize PEGylated Re nanoclusters, which exhibit intrinsically high photothermal conversion efficacy (33.0%) and high X-ray attenuation (21.2 HU mL mg-1), resulting in excellent photothermal ablation (100% tumor elimination) and higher CT enhancement (15.9 HU mL mg-1 for commercial iopromide in clinics). Impressively, biocompatible Re nanoclusters can degrade into renal clearable ReO4 - ions after exposure to H2O2, and thus achieve much higher renal clearance efficiency than conventional gold nanoparticles. This work reveals the potential of theranostic application of metallic Re nanoclusters with both biodegradation and renal clearance properties and provides insights into the design of degradable metallic platforms with high clinical prospects.

Effect of dual versus mono antiplatelet therapy on recurrent stroke modulated by activated partial thromboplastin time

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The efficacy of dual antiplatelet treatment may be modified by many factors. The aim was to assess whether the effect of clopidogrel plus aspirin versus aspirin alone on recurrent stroke would be affected by admission activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT).

METHODS

Data were derived from the Clopidogrel in High-Risk Patients with Acute Nondisabling Cerebrovascular Events (CHANCE) trial. A total of 5074 patients were categorized into three groups based on the aPTT distribution according to the 15th and 85th percentile. The primary outcome was any stroke within 90 days. The interaction of aPTT with antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk was assessed with a Cox proportional hazards model with adjustment for covariates.

RESULTS

In the high aPTT group (defined as ≥35.9 s), stroke occurred in 6.7% of patients in the clopidogrel-aspirin arm and 11.9% in the aspirin arm [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.50; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29-0.85]. In the medium aPTT group (24.6-35.8 s), stroke occurred in 7.7% of patients in the clopidogrel-aspirin arm and 11.8% in the aspirin arm (adjusted HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.50-0.75). Furthermore, in the low aPTT group (≤24.5 s), stroke occurred in 11.2% of patients in the clopidogrel-aspirin arm and 9.9% in the aspirin arm (adjusted HR 1.07; 95% CI 0.65-1.62). The interaction P value of antiplatelet therapy with aPTT level at the cut-point of approximately 25 s or below was significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Dual antiplatelet therapy was superior to single antiplatelet therapy in the high or medium aPTT group but not in the low aPTT group.

Cryo-assisted exfoliation of atomically thin 2D Sb2Se3 nanosheets for photo-induced theranostics

A cryo-assisted liquid exfoliation approach was developed to prepare atomically thin Sb₂Se₃ colloidal nanosheets for simultaneous photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy.

Mesoporous NiS2 nanospheres as a hydrophobic anticancer drug delivery vehicle for synergistic photothermal–chemotherapy

Monodispersed mesoporous NiS₂ nanospheres (mNiS₂ NSs) have been successfully developed here through a facile solvothermal method to act as a hydrophobic drug delivery vehicle for synergistic photothermal–chemo treatment of cancer.

Dual-Stimuli Responsive Bismuth Nanoraspberries for Multimodal Imaging and Combined Cancer Therapy

Development of stimuli-responsive theranostics is of great importance for precise cancer diagnosis and treatment. Herein, bovine serum albumin (BSA) modified bismuth nanoraspberries (Bi-BSA NRs) are developed as cancer theranostic agents for multimodal imaging and chemo-photothermal combination therapy. The Bi-BSA NRs are synthesized in aqueous phase via a facile reduction method using Bi₂O₃ nanospheres as the sacrificial template. The morphology, biocompatibility, photothermal effect, drug loading/releasing abilities, chemotherapy effect, synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy efficacy, and multimodal imaging capacities of Bi-BSA NRs have been investigated. The results show that the NRs possess multiple unique features including (i) raspberry-like morphology with high specific surface area (∼52.24 m²·g^-1) and large cavity (total pore volume ∼0.30 cm³·g^-1), promising high drug loading capacity (∼69 wt %); (ii) dual-stimuli responsive drug release, triggered by acidic pH and NIR laser irradiation; (iii) infrared thermal (IRT), photoacoustic (PA) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) trimodality imaging with the CT contrast enhanced efficiency as high as ∼66.7 HU·mL·mg^-1; (iv) 100% tumor elimination through the combination chemo-photothermal therapy. Our work highlights the great potentials of Bi-BSA NRs as a versatile theranostics for multimodal imaging and combination therapy.