Cold atmospheric plasma-enabled platelet vesicle incorporated iron oxide nano-propellers for thrombolysis.

A new approach to treating vascular blockages has been developed to overcome the limitations of current thrombolytic therapies. This approach involves biosafety and multimodal plasma-derived theranostic platelet vesicle incorporating iron oxide constructed nano-propellers platformed technology that possesses fluorescent and magnetic features and manifold thrombus targeting modes. The platform is capable of being guided and visualized remotely to specifically target thrombi, and it can be activated using near-infrared phototherapy along with an actuated magnet for magnetotherapy. In a murine model of thrombus lesion, this proposed multimodal approach showed an approximately 80 % reduction in thrombus residues. Moreover, the new strategy not only improves thrombolysis but also boosts the rate of lysis, making it a promising candidate for time-sensitive thrombolytic therapy.

A Biomimicking and Multiarm Self-Indicating Nanoassembly for Site-Specific Photothermal-Potentiated Thrombolysis Assessed in Microfluidic and In Vivo Models.

Thrombolytic and antithrombotic therapies are limited by short circulation time and the risk of off-target hemorrhage. Integrating a thrombus-homing strategy with photothermal therapy are proposed to address these limitations. Using glycol chitosan, polypyrrole, iron oxide and heparin, biomimicking GCPIH nanoparticles are developed for targeted thrombus delivery and thrombolysis. The nanoassembly achieves precise delivery of polypyrrole, exhibiting biocompatibility, selective accumulation at multiple thrombus sites, and enhanced thrombolysis through photothermal activation. To simulate targeted thrombolysis, a microfluidic model predicting thrombolysis dynamics in realistic pathological scenarios is designed. Human blood assessments validate the precise homing of GCPIH nanoparticles to activated thrombus microenvironments. Efficient near-infrared phototherapeutic effects are demonstrated at thrombus lesions under physiological flow conditions ex vivo. The combined investigations provide compelling evidence supporting the potential of GCPIH nanoparticles for effective thrombus therapy. The microfluidic model also offers a platform for advanced thrombolytic nanomedicine development.

Biomimetic Platelet Nanomotors for Site-Specific Thrombolysis and Ischemic Injury Alleviation.

Due to the mortality associated with thrombosis and its high recurrence rate, there is a need to investigate antithrombotic approaches. Noninvasive site-specific thrombolysis is a current approach being used; however, its usage is characterized by the following limitations: low targeting efficiency, poor ability to penetrate clots, rapid half-life, lack of vascular restoration mechanisms, and risk of thrombus recurrence that is comparable to that of traditional pharmacological thrombolysis agents. Therefore, it is vital to develop an alternative technique that can overcome the aforementioned limitations. To this end, a cotton-ball-shaped platelet (PLT)-mimetic self-assembly framework engineered with a phototherapeutic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) platform has been developed. This platform is capable of delivering a synthetic peptide derived from hirudin P6 (P6) to thrombus lesions, forming P6@PEDOT@PLT nanomotors for noninvasive site-specific thrombolysis, effective anticoagulation, and vascular restoration. Regulated by P-selectin mediation, the P6@PEDOT@PLT nanomotors target the thrombus site and subsequently rupture under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, achieving desirable sequential drug delivery. Furthermore, the movement ability of the P6@PEDOT@PLT nanomotors under NIR irradiation enables effective penetration deep into thrombus lesions, enhancing bioavailability. Biodistribution analyses have shown that the administered P6@PEDOT@PLT nanomotors exhibit extended circulation time and metabolic capabilities. In addition, the photothermal therapy/photoelectric therapy combination can significantly augment the effectiveness (ca. 72%) of thrombolysis. Consequently, the precisely delivered drug and the resultant phototherapeutic-driven heat-shock protein, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and inhibitory plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activities can restore vessels and effectively prevent rethrombosis. The described biomimetic P6@PEDOT@PLT nanomotors represent a promising option for improving the efficacy of antithrombotic therapy in thrombus-related illnesses.

Enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting efficiency of hematite electrodes with aqueous metal ions as in situ homogenous surface passivation agents.

Passivation of surface states is known to reduce the onset photocurrent potential by removing the Fermi level pinning effect at the Helmholtz layer and enhance the photocurrent plateau by suppressing recombination loss in the space charge region. We report for the first time that metal ions can effectively passivate surface states in situ that improves the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of hematite electrodes. Among metal ions studied, Cr(iii), Mn(ii), Fe(ii), Co(ii), Cu(ii) and Zn(ii) were found to enhance the photocurrent by 30-300%; whereas photocurrent density significantly dropped by 90% in Ni(ii) solution after 90 min of illumination. We further hypothesized that the surface states might be the high affinity adsorption sites on hematite surfaces. Once the surface states are occupied by metal ions, along with the Schottky barrier effect at the hematite/electrolyte interface formed by adsorbed metal ions, the PEC performance is enhanced. Our results also enable the design of a potential PEC based water treatment method to extract additional energy, for example, in the brines (containing concentrated metal ions and electrolyte) of membrane processed wastewater.

Element distribution over the surface of fish scales and its connection to the geochemical environment of habitats: a potential biogeochemical tag.

The elemental content of fish scales is known to be a reliable biogeochemical tag for tracing the origin of fishes. In this study, this correlation is further confirmed to exist on the surface of fish scales using a novel environmental analytical method, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), which bypasses several complicated sample preparation procedures such as acid digestion and pre-concentration. The results suggest that the elemental ratios of Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca, and Mn/Ca on the surface of fish scales are strongly correlated with the geochemical environment of their original habitat. This correlation is further demonstrated to be sensitive to variation of water in the habitat due to the adsorbed inorganic ions. In this sense, the limitation of fish scales as a biogeochemical tag is the sensitivity of LA-ICP-MS toward the studied elements. Graphical abstract Illustration of the connection between element distribution pattern over the surface of fish scales and biogeochemical environment of its habitat.