Innovative gelatin-based micelles with AS1411 aptamer targeting and reduction responsiveness for doxorubicin delivery in tumor therapy.

Herein, we constructed innovative reduction-sensitive and targeted gelatin-based micelles for doxorubicin (DOX) delivery in tumor therapy. AS1411 aptamer-modified gelatin-ss-tocopherol succinate (AGSST) and the control GSST without AS1411 modification were synthesized and characterized. Antitumor drug DOX-containing AGSST (AGSST-D) and GSST-D nanoparticles were prepared, and their shapes were almost spherical. Reduction-responsive characteristics of DOX release in vitro were revealed in AGSST-D and GSST-D. Compared with non-targeted GSST-D, AGSST-D demonstrated better intracellular uptake and stronger cytotoxicity against nucleolin-overexpressed A549 cells. Importantly, AGSST-D micelles showed more effective killing activity in A549-bearing mice than GSST-D and DOX⋅HCl. It was revealed that AGSST-D micelles had no obvious systemic toxicity. Overall, AGSST micelles would have the potential to be an effective drug carrier for targeted tumor therapy.

Hydrogen production and solar energy storage with thermo-electrochemically enhanced steam methane reforming.

Hydrogen is widely regarded as a sustainable energy carrier with tremendous potential for low-carbon energy transition. Solar photovoltaic-driven water electrolysis (PV-E) is a clean and sustainable approach of hydrogen production, but with major barriers of high hydrogen production costs and limited capacity. Steam methane reforming (SMR), the state-of-the-art means of hydrogen production, has yet to overcome key obstacles of high reaction temperature and CO2 emission for sustainability. This work proposes a solar thermo-electrochemical SMR approach, in which solar-driven mid/low-temperature SMR is combined with electrochemical H2 separation and in-situ CO2 capture. The feasibility of this method is verified experimentally, achieving an average methane conversion of 96.8% at a dramatically reduced reforming temperature of 400-500 °C. The underlying mechanisms of this method are revealed by an experimentally calibrated model, which is further employed to predict its performance for thermo-electrochemical hydrogen production. Simulation results show that a net solar-to-H2 efficiency of 26.25% could be obtained at 500 °C, which is over 11 percentage points higher than that of PV-E; the first-law thermodynamic efficiency reaches up to 63.27% correspondingly. The enhanced efficiency also leads to decreased fuel consumption and lower CO2 emission of the proposed solar-driven SMR system. Such complementary conversion of solar PV electricity, solar thermal energy, and low-carbon fuel provides a synergistic and efficient means of sustainable H2 production with potentially long-term solar energy storage on a vast scale.

Steroidal saponins profiling of Rohdea chinensis (Baker) N.Tanaka by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

The rhizome of Rohdea chinensis (Baker) N.Tanaka (RRc) is a famous folk medicine for the treatment of carbuncles and pharyngitis. Steroidal saponins (SSs) were considered to be the most abundant active constituents in RRc. However, to date, the in-depth study of SSs is still lacking. This study was aimed to investigate the SSs profiles of RRc extract by HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS. Analysis was performed on an Agilent poroshell 120 EC-C18 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, i.d., 2.7 µm) with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile as the mobile phase under gradient conditions. The results showed that 32 SSs including 20 furospirostanol, 11 spirostanol and 1 pseudo-spirostanol saponins were identified, 5 of which were reported in this plant for the first time. This is the first report on the analysis of SSs in RRc. This novel analysis method may stimulate further research regarding the identification of SSs in other plant species.

Association between extremely high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and adverse cardiovascular outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The association between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and adverse cardiovascular outcomes is understudied. Based on cohort studies, the current study aimed to investigate the association of extremely high HDL-C with all-cause, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and stroke risk. Methods: A systematic literature search in Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was performed to collect relevant cohort studies published before August 20, 2022. A random-effects model was used to pool relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of 17 cohort studies involving 19,630,829 participants were included, encompassing 18,547,132 total deaths (1,328,036 CVD deaths). All-cause mortality, CVD mortality, and stroke risk in the extremely high HDL-C group were increased by 15% (RR = 1.15, 95% CI:1.05-1.25), 14% (RR = 1.14, 95% CI:0.96-1.35) and 14% (RR = 1.14, 95% CI:0.82-1.58), compared to the normal HDL-C group. In subgroup analyses, extremely high HDL-C was associated with a reduced risk of CVD mortality in women and a lower risk of stroke in men compared to normal HDL-C levels. Conclusions: The extremely high levels of HDL-C were associated with elevated risks of all-cause mortality, CVD mortality, and stroke. More well-designed studies are needed to confirm our findings. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=370201, identifier: CRD42022370201.

Peptide-modified bioresponsive chondroitin sulfate micelles for targeted doxorubicin delivery in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer is an offensive tumor that is highly challenging to cure. In this study, we developed novel polymeric nanoparticles that target dual receptors and respond to reducing conditions for chemotherapeutic drug release in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. Then we synthesized and characterized a targeted peptide-grafted chondroitin sulfate A-ss-deoxycholic acid (TCSSD) copolymer and prepare doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded TCSSD (TCSSD-D) micelles high-loading content. The bioresponsive drug release of TCSSD-D nanoparticles was demonstrated in a glutathione-containing phosphate buffer solution. We found that TCSSD-D effectively targeted CD44 and P-selectin receptors both in vitro and in vivo. TCSSD-D micelles were higher cytotoxicity and cellular uptake than unmodified DOX-containing micelles in MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, TCSSD-D micelles showed the strongest suppression of tumor growth among three DOX-based formulations in triple-negative MDA-MB-231-bearing nude mice. These results suggest that amphiphilic TCSSD nanoparticles can serve as a targeted and intelligent delivery vehicle for triple-negative breast cancer therapy.

Synthesis and characterization of a Cu(ii) coordination-containing TAM radical as a nitroxyl probe.

Nitroxyl (HNO) has been identified as an important signaling molecule in biological systems, and it plays critical roles in many physiological processes. However, its detection remains challenging because of the limited sensitivity and/or specificity of existing detection methods. Low-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and imaging, coupled with the use of exogenous paramagnetic probes, have been indispensable techniques for the in vivo measurement of various physiological parameters owing to their specificity, noninvasiveness and good depth of magnetic field penetration in animal tissues. However, the in vivo detection of HNO levels by EPR spectroscopy and imaging is limited due to the need for improved probes. We report the first "turn on-response" EPR probe for HNO utilizing a Cu(ii) coordination-containing TAM radical (denoted as CuII[TD1]). Upon reaction with HNO, CuII[TD1] shows a 16.1-fold turn-on in EPR signal with a low detection limit of 1.95 µM. Moreover, low-temperature EPR spectroscopic and ESI-MS studies showed that the sensing mechanism relies on the reduction of Cu(ii) by HNO. Lastly, CuII[TD1] is selective for HNO over other reactive nitrogen and oxygen species except for some reductants (Cys and Asc). This new Cu(ii) coordination-containing TAM radical shows great potential for in vivo EPR HNO applications in the absence of reducing agents and provides insights into developing improved and targeted EPR HNO probes for biomedical applications.

A Novel Cerium(IV)-Based Metal-Organic Framework for CO2 Chemical Fixation and Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting.

Cerium (IV)-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly desirable due to their unique potential in fields such as redox catalysis and photocatalysis. However, due to the high reduction potential of CeIV species in solution, it is still a great challenge to synthesize CeIV -MOFs with novel structures, which are extremely dominated by the hexanuclear Ce-O cluster inorganic building units (IBUs). Herein, a Ce-O IBU chain containing CeIV -MOF, CSUST-3 (CSUST: Changsha University of Science and Technology), was successfully prepared using the kinetic stabilization study of UiO-66(Ce)-NDC (H2 NDC=2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid). Furthermore, owing to the superior redox activity, Lewis acidity and semiconductor-like behavior owing to Ce4+ , activated CSUST-3 was demonstrated to be an excellent catalyst for CO2 chemical fixation. One-pot synthesis of styrene carbonate from styrene and CO2 was achieved under mild conditions (1 atm CO2 , 80 °C, and solvent free). Moreover, activated CSUST-3 was shown to be a remarkable co-catalyst-free photocatalyst for overall water splitting (OWS), rendering 59 µmol g-1 h-1 of H2 and 22 µmol g-1 h-1 of O2 under simulated sunlight irradiation (Na2 S-Na2 SO3 as sacrificial agent).

Traditional Chinese exercise for non-valvular atrial fibrillation: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Traditional Chinese exercises have become an important part of cardiac rehabilitation. It can coordinate the essence, qi, and spirit of the human body, and has the functions of promoting joints, stretching muscles and bones, ventilating and blood circulation, so as to achieve the balance between hardness and softness, and between yin and yang. We hope that the research results based on systematic review and meta-analysis will provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) with traditional Chinese exercise. METHODS: The systematic review will be performed according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The protocol is being reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols Statement. An literature search strategy will be developed and adapted for 9 databases. Searches will be run from the database inception until the date of the search implementation and be updated before the review is completed. Meta analysis will be performed using Review Manager 5.3 and R packages. CONCLUSION: This protocol introduces a systematic review and meta-analysis of traditional Chinese exercises in the treatment of nonvalvular AF and will clarify the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese exercises in the treatment of AF. This will further provide theoretical support for clinical treatment of AF.

Efficacy and safety of cutting therapy in the treatment of migraine: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Migraine is a chronic paroxysmal neurovascular disease in which pain on one or both sides of the head is the main manifestation and is accompanied by other neurological manifestations. Clinical practice has shown that cutting therapy as a complementary alternative medicine can play a role in relieving migraine attacks. However, there is no consensus on the efficacy of cutting treatment in the treatment of migraine. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of cutting therapy in the treatment of migraine. METHODS: First, databases were searched for relevant literature. The main databases we searched were PubMed, the Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Science Journal Database, Wanfang Data, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. The keywords searched were "cutting treatment," " traditional Chinese medicine cutting treatment," and "migraine." The search was conducted from inception to November 2021. Second, 2 reviewers independently completed the process of study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment and data synthesis in strict accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Protocols statement guidelines. Finally, we will use Review Manager Version 5.3 software for meta-analysis. RESULTS: This study will provide the most recent evidence related to the treatment of migraine by cutting therapy. CONCLUSION: The results of this systematic evaluation will provide an objective evidence-based framework for judging the effectiveness and safety of cutting therapy in the treatment of migraine.

Protective Effects of Ethanolic Extract from Rhizome of Polygoni avicularis against Renal Fibrosis and Inflammation in a Diabetic Nephropathy Model.

Progressive diabetic nephropathy (DN) in diabetes leads to major morbidity and mortality. The major pathological alterations of DN include mesangial expansion, extracellular matrix alterations, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and glomerular sclerosis. Polygoni avicularis is widely used in traditional oriental medicine and has long been used as a diuretic, astringent, insecticide and antihypertensive. However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the effects of the ethanolic extract from rhizome of Polygoni avicularis (ER-PA) on DN have not yet been assessed. The present study aimed to identify the effect of ER-PA on renal dysfunction, which has been implicated in DN in human renal mesangial cells and db/db mice and investigate its mechanism of action. The in vivo experiment was performed using Polygoni avicularis-ethanol soluble fraction (ER-PA) and was administrated to db/db mice at 10 and 50 mg/kg dose. For the in vitro experiments, the human renal mesangial cells were induced by high glucose (HG, 25 mM). The ER-PA group showed significant amelioration in oral glucose tolerance, and insulin resistance index. ER-PA significantly improved the albumin excretion and markedly reduced plasma creatinine, kidney injury molecule-1 and C-reactive protein. In addition, ER-PA significantly suppressed inflammatory cytokines. Histopathologically, ER-PA attenuated glomerular expansion and tubular fibrosis in db/db mice. Furthermore, ER-PA suppressed the expression of renal fibrosis biomarkers (TGF and Collagen IV). ER-PA also reduced the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammatory factor level. These results suggest that ER-PA has a protective effect against renal dysfunction through improved insulin resistance as well as the inhibition of nephritis and fibrosis in DN.

The efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion for early and middle-stage osteonecrosis of the femeral head: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Osteonecrosis of the femeral head (ONFH) occurs predominantly in young- and middle-aged people, and the disability rate is high in the late stage of the disease and most patients have to undergo total hip replacement. Clinically, increasing attention is paid to intervening early and middle-stage ONFH so as to delay its progress. Acupuncture and moxibustion (AM) is a unique method for treating ONFH in China. This study aims to summarize the advantages of AM for the treatment of ONFH. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on the database with languages of English and Chinese. The medical subject titles used are "Osteonecrosis of the femoral head" and "acupuncture and moxibustion." Related words in the title or abstract including but were not limited to "necrosis of the femoral head," "avascular necrosis of the femoral head," "ischemic necrosis of the femoral head," "caput femoris necrosis," "bone paralysis," "bone erosion," and "bone atrophy." RESULTS: Nine randomized controlled trials were identified in this meta-analysis that included 630 subjects. Meta-analysis showed that the trial group that treated with conventional therapy combined with AM had a higher effective rate (Z = 2.27 P = 0.02) and excellent and good rate (Z = 4.85 P < 0.00001) and Harris hip function score (HHS) (Z = 2.31 P = 0.02) and lower incidence of related adverse reactions during treatment (Z = 2.82 P = 0.005) compared with the control group that treated with conventional therapy alone. CONCLUSIONS: AM for early and middle-stage ONFH is an effective and relatively safe intervention, which can improve the effective rate and excellent and good rate and HHS, and reduce the adverse reaction rate. Clinically, early and middle-stage ONFH can be intervened by combining with AM while taking conventional therapy to improve the efficacy.

Recent advances in black phosphorus-based electrochemical sensors: A review.

Since the discovery of liquid-phase-exfoliated black phosphorus (BP) as a field-effect transistor in 2014, BP, with its 2D layered structure, has attracted significant attention, owing to its anisotropic electroconductivity, tunable direct bandgap, extraordinary surface activity, moderate switching ratio, high hole mobility, good biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Several pioneering research efforts have explored the application of BP in different types of electrochemical sensors. This review summarizes the latest synthesis methods, protection strategies, and electrochemical sensing applications of BP and its derivatives. The typical synthesis methods for BP-based crystals, nanosheets, and quantum dots are discussed in detail; the degradation of BP under ambient conditions is introduced; and state-of-the-art protection methodologies for enhancing BP stability are explored. Various electrochemical sensing applications, including chemically modified electrodes, electrochemiluminescence sensors, enzyme electrodes, electrochemical aptasensors, electrochemical immunosensors, and ion-selective electrodes are discussed in detail, along with the mechanisms of BP functionalization, sensing strategies, and sensing properties. Finally, the major challenges in this field are outlined and future research avenues for BP-based electrochemical sensors are highlighted.

Oxygen Vacancy-Rich Mixed-Valence Cerium MOF: An Efficient Separator Coating to High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Mixed-valence metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have exhibited unique potential in fields such as catalysis and gas separation. However, it is still an open challenge to prepare mixed-valence MOFs with isolated Ce(IV, III) arrays due to the easy formation of CeIII under the synthetic conditions for MOFs. Meanwhile, the performance of Li-S batteries is greatly limited by the fatal shuttle effect and the slow transmission rate of Li+ caused by the inherent characteristics of sulfur species. Here, we report a mixed-valence cerium MOF, named CSUST-1 (CSUST stands for Changsha University of Science and Technology), with isolated Ce(IV, III) arrays and abundant oxygen vacancies (OVs), synthesized as guided by the facile and elaborate kinetic stability study of UiO-66(Ce), to work as an efficient separator coating for circumventing both issues at the same time. Benefiting from the synergistic function of the Ce(IV, III) arrays (redox couples), the abundant OVs, and the open Ce sites within CSUST-1, the CSUST-1/CNT composite, as a separator coating material in the Li-S battery, can remarkably accelerate the redox kinetics of the polysulfides and the Li+ transportation. Consequently, the Li-S cell with the CSUST-1/CNT-coated separator exhibited a high initial specific capacity of 1468 mA h/g at 0.1 C and maintained long-term stability for a capacity of 538 mA h/g after 1200 cycles at 2 C with a decay rate of only 0.037% per cycle. Even at a high sulfur loading of 8 mg/cm2, the cell with the CSUST/CNT-coated separator still demonstrated excellent performance with an initial areal capacity of 8.7 mA h/cm2 at 0.1 C and retained the areal capacity of 6.1 mA h/cm2 after 60 cycles.

Review of semi-dry electrodes for EEG recording.

Developing reliable and user-friendly electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes remains a challenge for emerging real-world EEG applications. Classic wet electrodes are the gold standard for recording EEG; however, they are difficult to implement and make users uncomfortable, thus severely restricting their widespread application in real-life scenarios. An alternative is dry electrodes, which do not require conductive gels or skin preparation. Despite their quick setup and improved user-friendliness, dry electrodes still have some inherent problems (invasive, relatively poor signal quality, or sensitivity to motion artifacts), which limit their practical utilization. In recent years, semi-dry electrodes, which require only a small amount of electrolyte fluid, have been successfully developed, combining the advantages of both wet and dry electrodes while addressing their respective drawbacks. Semi-dry electrodes can collect reliable EEG signals comparable to wet electrodes. Moreover, their setup is as fast and convenient similar to that of dry electrodes. Hence, semi-dry electrodes have shown tremendous application prospects for real-world EEG acquisition. Herein, we systematically summarize the development, evaluation methods, and practical design considerations of semi-dry electrodes. Some feasible suggestions and new ideas for the development of semi-dry electrodes have been presented. This review provides valuable technical support for the development of semi-dry electrodes toward emerging practical applications.

Erratum: Yoon, J.J., et al. Dianthus superbus Improves Glomerular Fibrosis and Renal Dysfunction in Diabetic Nephropathy Model. Nutrients 2019, 11, 553.

The authors have requested that the following changes be made to their paper [...].

Synergizing Photo-Thermal H2 and Photovoltaics into a Concentrated Sunlight Use.

Solar hydrogen and electricity are promising high energy-density renewable sources. Although photochemistry or photovoltaics are attractive routes, special challenge arises in sunlight conversion efficiency. To improve efficiency, various semiconductor materials have been proposed with selective sunlight absorption. Here, we reported a hybrid system synergizing photo-thermochemical hydrogen and photovoltaics, harvesting full-spectrum sunlight in a cascade manner. A simple suspension of Au-TiO2 in water/methanol serves as a spectrum selector, absorbing ultraviolet-visible and infrared energy for rapid photo-thermochemical hydrogen production. The transmitted visible and near-infrared energy fits the photovoltaic bandgap and retains the high efficiency of a commercial photovoltaic cell under different solar concentration values. The experimental design achieved an overall efficiency of 4.2% under 12 suns solar concentration. Furthermore, the results demonstrated a reduced energy loss in full-spectrum energy conversion into hydrogen and electricity. Such simple integration of photo-thermochemical hydrogen and photovoltaics would create a pathway toward cascading use of sunlight energy.

Titania/Electro-Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanohybrid as an Efficient Electrochemical Sensor for the Determination of Allura Red.

Titania/electro-reduced graphene oxide nanohybrids (TiO2/ErGO) were synthesized by the hydrolysis of titanium sulfate in graphene oxide suspension and in situ electrochemical reduction. It provides a facile and efficient method to obtain nanohybrids with TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) uniformly coated by graphene nanoflakes. TiO2/ErGO nanohybrids were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, cyclic voltammogram, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in detail. Compared with pure ErGO and TiO2 NPs, TiO2/ErGO nanohybrids greatly enhanced the electrocatalytic activity and voltammetric response of Allura Red. In the concentration range of 0.5-5.0 µM, the anodic peak currents of Allura Red were linearly correlated to their concentrations. However, the linear relationship was changed to the semi-logarithmic relationship at a higher concentration region (5.0-800 µM). The detection limit (LOD) was 0.05 µM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The superior sensing performances of the proposed sensor can be ascribed to the synergistic effect between TiO2 NPs and ErGO, which provides a favorable microenvironment for the electrochemical oxidation of Allura Red. The proposed TiO2/ErGO/GCE showed good reproducibility and stability both in determination and in storage, and it can accurately detect the concentration of Allura Red in milk drinks, providing an efficient platform for the sensitive determination of Allura Red with high reliability, simplicity, and rapidness.

Three dimensional Ni3S2 nanorod arrays as multifunctional electrodes for electrochemical energy storage and conversion applications.

The increasing demand for energy and environmental protection has stimulated intensive interest in fundamental research and practical applications. Nickel dichalcogenides (Ni3S2, NiS, Ni3Se2, NiSe, etc.) are promising materials for high-performance electrochemical energy storage and conversion applications. Herein, 3D Ni3S2 nanorod arrays are fabricated on Ni foam by a facile solvothermal route. The optimized Ni3S2/Ni foam electrode displays an areal capacity of 1602 µA h cm-2 at 5 mA cm-2, excellent rate capability and cycling stability. Besides, 3D Ni3S2 nanorod arrays as electrode materials exhibit outstanding performances for the overall water splitting reaction. In particular, the 3D Ni3S2 nanorod array electrode is shown to be a high-performance water electrolyzer with a cell voltage of 1.63 V at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 for overall water splitting. Therefore, the results demonstrate a promising multifunctional 3D electrode material for electrochemical energy storage and conversion applications.

Dianthus superbus Improves Glomerular Fibrosis and Renal Dysfunction in Diabetic Nephropathy Model.

Glomerular fibrosis is caused by an accumulation of intercellular spaces containing mesangial matrix proteins through either diffused or nodular changes. Dianthus superbus has been used in traditional medicine as a diuretic, a contraceptive, and an anti-inflammatory agent. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Dianthus superbus-EtOAc soluble fraction (DS-EA) on glomerular fibrosis and renal dysfunction, which has been implicated in diabetic nephropathy in human renal mesangial cells and db/db mice. DS-EA was administered to db/db mice at 10 or 50 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks. DS-EA treatment significantly ameliorated blood glucose, insulin, the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, and HbA1c in diabetic mice. DS-EA decreased albumin excretion, creatinine clearance (Ccr), and plasma creatinine levels. DS-EA also ameliorated the levels of kidney injury molecules-1 (KIM-1) and C-reactive protein. DS-EA reduced the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining intensity and basement membrane thickening in glomeruli of the diabetic nephropathy model. In addition, DS-EA suppressed transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß)/Smad signaling. Collagen type IV, a glomerular fibrosis biomarker, was significantly decreased upon DS-EA administration. DS-EA pretreatment attenuated levels of inflammation factors such as intracellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). DS-EA inhibited the translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in Angiotensin II (Ang II)-stimulated mesangial cells. These findings suggest that DS-EA has a protective effect against renal inflammation and fibrosis. Therefore, DS-EA may serve as a potential therapeutic agent targeting glomerulonephritis and glomerulosclerosis, which lead to diabetic nephropathy.

Lesson from Nature: Biomimetic Self-Assembling Phthalocyanines for High-Efficient Photothermal Therapy within the Biological Transparent Window.

Development of a facile but high-efficient small organic molecule-based photothermal therapy (PTT) in the in vivo transparent window (800-900 nm) has been regarded as a minimally invasive and most promising strategy for potential clinical cancer treatment. Phthalocyanine (Pc) molecules with remarkable photophysical and photochemical properties as well as high extinction coefficients in the near-infrared region are highly desirable for PTT, but as far satisfying single-component Pc-based PTT within the in vivo transparent window (800-900 nm) has very rarely been reported. Herein, inspired by the self-assembly algorithm of natural bacteriochlorophylls c, d, and e, biomimetic self-assembling tetrahexanoyl Pc Bio-ZnPc with outstanding light-harvesting capacity was demonstrated to exhibit excellent PTT efficacy evidenced by both in vitro and in vivo results, within the biological transparent window.