Ultrasound-Controlled Prodrug Activation: Emerging Strategies in Polymer Mechanochemistry and Sonodynamic Therapy.

Ultrasound has gained prominence in biomedical applications due to its noninvasive nature and ability to penetrate deep tissue with spatial and temporal resolution. The burgeoning field of ultrasound-responsive prodrug systems exploits the mechanical and chemical effects of ultrasonication for the controlled activation of prodrugs. In polymer mechanochemistry, materials scientists exploit the sonomechanical effect of acoustic cavitation to mechanochemically activate force-sensitive prodrugs. On the other hand, researchers in the field of sonodynamic therapy adopt fundamentally distinct methodologies, utilizing the sonochemical effect (e.g., generation of reactive oxygen species) of ultrasound in the presence of sonosensitizers to induce chemical transformations that activate prodrugs. This cross-disciplinary review comprehensively examines these two divergent yet interrelated approaches, both of which originated from acoustic cavitation. It highlights molecular and materials design strategies and potential applications in diverse therapeutic contexts, from chemotherapy to immunotherapy and gene therapy methods, and discusses future directions in this rapidly advancing domain.

The optimal exercise parameters of Tai Chi on the effect of glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the optimal exercise parameters of Tai Chi for improving glucose and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. METHODS: This meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the reporting guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Six databases were retrieved, with retrieval dates ranging from the establishment of the databases to December 2022. Data extraction and study quality assessment were independently performed by two researchers according to the Physical Therapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. The effects of different Tai Chi exercise parameters on glucose and lipid metabolism in T2DM patients were analyzed by subgroup analyses and meta-regressions. RESULTS: A total of sixteen randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that Tai Chi had a significant and moderate impact on fasting blood glucose in T2DM patients, as well as a significant and large impact on glycosylated hemoglobin. Tai Chi had a significant and moderate impact on triglyceride, and a small, non-significant improvement on total cholesterol. The intervention frequency and duration of a single session were identified as predictors of the impact of Tai Chi on triglyceride. The optimal exercise parameters identified were the 24-style simplified Tai Chi, with a recommended exercise duration of 45-60 min per session, performed 5-7 times per week, and continued for at least 4-7 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Tai Chi can significantly improve the glucose and lipid metabolism in T2DM patients, and the 24-style simplified Tai Chi with high exercise frequency and short duration may be the optimal exercise parameter for enhancing glucose and lipid metabolism. PROSPERO: Registration number: CRD42023395282.

Bipolar hemicyanine cationic probe for simultaneous sensing of ATP and GTP.

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) are the most essential energy source in enormous biological processes. Various probes for ATP or GTP sensing, have been widely established, but the probe that could simultaneously monitor ATP and GTP is still rarely reported. Herein, we report a bipolar hemicyanine cationic probe for simultaneous sensing of ATP and GTP via a one-step monitoring process. This probe exhibited strong affinity to ATP and GTP through intramolecular electrostatic and π-π stacking interactions, which the binding constant on each step were determined as 6.15 × 107 M-1 and 1.57 × 106 M-1 for ATP, 3.19 × 107 M-1 and 3.81 × 106 M-1 for GTP. The sensitivity and specificity of this probe toward ATP or GTP over other twelve biological analogues (adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP), guanosine 5'-monophosphate (GMP), Etc.) have also been successfully demonstrated. Furthermore, due to the rapid response rate (within 10 s), we also proved that this probe could be employed as a monitor tool during the ATP or GTP-related enzymatic reaction process.

Force-Triggered Atropisomerization of a Parallel Diarylethene to Its Antiparallel Diastereomers.

This paper describes a mechanical approach to inducing the atropisomerization of a parallel diarylethene into its antiparallel diastereomers exhibiting distinct chemical reactivity. A congested parallel diarylethene mechanophore in the (Ra,Sa)-configuration with mirror symmetry is atropisomerized to its antiparallel diastereomers with C2 symmetry under ultrasound-induced force field. The resulting stereochemistry-converted material gains symmetry-allowed reactivity toward conrotatory photocyclization.

Satellite-derived bathymetry integrating spatial and spectral information of multispectral images.

As a significant and cost-effective method of obtaining shallow seabed topography, satellite derived bathymetry (SDB) can acquire a wide range of shallow sea depth by integrating a small quantity of in-situ water depth data. This method is a beneficial addition to traditional bathymetric topography. The seafloor's spatial heterogeneity leads to inaccuracies in bathymetric inversion, which reduces bathymetric accuracy. By utilizing multispectral data with multidimensional features, an SDB approach incorporating spectral and spatial information of multispectral images is proposed in this study. In order to effectively increase the accuracy of bathymetry inversion throughout the entire area, first the random forest with spatial coordinates is established to control bathymetry spatial variation on a large scale. Next, the Kriging algorithm is used to interpolate bathymetry residuals, and the interpolation results are used to adjust bathymetry spatial variation on a small scale. The data from three shallow water sites are experimentally processed to validate the method. Compared with other established bathymetric inversion techniques, the experimental results show that the method effectively reduces the error in bathymetry estimation caused by spatial heterogeneity of the seabed, producing high-precision inversion bathymetry with a root mean square error of 0.78 to 1.36 meters.

A biophotonic device based on a conjugated polymer and a macrophage-laden hydrogel for triggering immunotherapy.

A biophotonic device is fabricated by a 3D printing technique for tumor immunotherapy utilizing a flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) with deep blue emission and a gelatin-alginate hydrogel that contains a poly(phenylene vinylene) (PPV) derivative and live immune cells of macrophages (M0-RAW264.7). PPV is excited by the OLED to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), enabling the macrophages to polarize to the M1 phenotype and secrete cytotoxic cytokines to induce the apoptosis of tumor cells. This strategy provides a new method for fabricating cell-involved biophotonic devices for immunotherapy.

The Effect of Resistance Training on the Rehabilitation of Elderly Patients with Sarcopenia: A Meta-Analysis.

Resistance training is considered to be an efficient treatment for age-related sarcopenia and can improve muscle strength and quality in patients. However, there are currently no recommendations on resistance training parameters to improve muscle strength and quality in elderly patients with sarcopenia. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and included 13 eligible RCTs. Resistance training significantly improved grip strength, gait speed, and skeletal muscle index in patients with age-related sarcopenia, and kettlebell was found to be the most effective modality. However, it is noteworthy that the elastic band is also a recommended form of resistance training considering that the kettlebell intervention was tested in only one study, while the elastic band was confirmed by multiple studies. Elastic band training (Hedges's g = 0.629, 95%CI = 0.090-1.168, p < 0.05) (40-60 min per session, more than three times per week for at least 12 weeks) was the most efficient training method. Thus, resistance training can significantly improve muscle strength and muscle quality in elderly patients with sarcopenia. In addition, moderate-intensity resistance training using elastic bands may be the best training prescription for elderly patients with sarcopenia.

Correction: Cationic conjugated polymer-based FRET aptasensor for label-free and ultrasensitive ractopamine detection.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D2RA00574C.].

Cationic conjugated polymer-based FRET aptasensor for label-free and ultrasensitive ractopamine detection.

A label-free fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) platform based on cationic conjugated polymers and aptamers for ultrasensitive and specific ractopamine detection was constructed. This method exhibited a wide linear range from 0.05 to 500 µM and a low limit of detection of 47 nM, which make it an attractive assay platform for foodborne doping.

Selective Fluorescence Imaging of Cancer Cells Based on ROS-Triggered Intracellular Cross-Linking of Artificial Enzyme.

Inside living cells, regulation of catalytic activity of artificial enzymes remains challenging due to issues such as biocompatibility, efficiency, and stability of the catalyst, by which the practical applications of artificial enzymes have been severely hindered. Here, an artificial enzyme, PTT-SGH, with responsiveness to reactive oxygen species (ROS), was obtained by introducing a catalytic histidine residue to pentaerythritol tetra(3-mercaptopropionate) (PTT). The artificial enzyme formed large aggregates in cells via the intracellular ROS-mediated oxidation of thiol groups. The process was significantly facilitated in tumor cells because of the higher ROS concentration in the tumor microenvironment. The catalytic activity of this artificial enzyme was intensively enhanced through deprotonation of cross-linked PTT-SGH, which showed typical esterase activities. Selective fluorescence imaging of tumor cells was achieved using the artificial enzyme to trigger the cleavage of the ester bond of the caged fluorophore inside living cells.

Near-Infrared-Light Remote-Controlled Activation of Cancer Immunotherapy Using Photothermal Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles.

Remote control of the therapeutic process is an ideal strategy for maximizing efficacy and avoiding side effects, especially for cancer immunotherapy. Herein, a conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs)-mediated optogenetic system for in situ activation of immunotherapy under near-infrared laser irradiation is reported. This system is composed of photothermal CPNs and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) plasmid driven by heat shock promoter HSP70. The photothermally responsive CPNs serve as a photo-heat nanotransducer to trigger the gene transcription of IFN-γ cytokine. The secreted IFN-γ from cancer cells can sufficiently elicit surrounding tumor-associated macrophages activation through IFN-γ-JAK-STAT1 transcription-factor signaling pathway and finally induce cancer cell killing by immunotherapy. Therefore, this synergetic optogenetic system provides a promising approach to remotely control the process of cancer immunotherapy.

Polymer nanoparticles regulate macrophage repolarization for antitumor treatment.

We demonstrate an intrinsic antitumor effect of polymer nanoparticles (P-NPs), which could re-program tumor-associated macrophages to pro-inflammatory phenotype. The intrinsic effect of P-NPs on macrophage repolarization and its combination with other therapies provide new ideas for drug delivery, macrophage regulation and immunotherapy in cancer treatment.

Wireless Charging Electrochemiluminescence System for Ionic Channel Manipulation in Living Cells.

Optogenetics holds great potential for precisely altering living cell behavior with the aid of light because of its high temporospatial resolution. However, the light-dependent manner severely limits its applications in deep tissues, particularly to those in the visible region. Here, we propose a wireless charging electrochemiluminescence (ECL) system, featured with long-time delayed luminescence, to remotely activate the light-gated ion channel (channelrhodopsin-2, ChR2) on the living cell membrane, followed by the intracellular influx of Ca2+ ions. Upon wireless charging ECL illumination, the influx of Ca2+ into the living cells triggers strong ion indicator fluorescence, suggesting the successful remote control on ChR2. As such, the wireless charging ECL strategy exhibits great potential to wireless control of optogenetics in deep tissues by implanting a device in vivo.

Optical Tuning of Antibacterial Activity of Photoresponsive Antibiotics.

Owing to the accumulation of high concentrations of antibiotics in the environment, antibiotic resistance has become a serious public health threat to modern society. Herein, developing antibiotic agents that could be externally inactivated for preventing bacterium from exposing to antibiotics continuously is highly desirable. We design and synthesize a photoresponsive, broad-spectrum antibiotic (azobenzene-norfloxacin), the antibacterial activity of azobenzene-norfloxacin can be "turned off" with light irradiation due to the conformation change of azobenzene, followed by minimizing the buildup of active antibiotics in the environment. This agent capable of inactivation exhibits potential to avoid the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains.

Supramolecular Nanofibers for Encapsulation and In Situ Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells.

Design and fabrication of fibrous materials by natural biological macromolecules in light of biomimetics to achieve spatially cellular arrangements are highly desirable in tissue engineering. Herein, chromatin-inspired supramolecular fibers formed through the interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation (IPC) process by DNA and histone proteins for encapsulation and in situ differentiation of murine brain-derived neural stem cells (NSCs) are reported. High cell viability of encapsulated NSCs demonstrates the excellent biocompatibility of fibers as 3D scaffolds. Moreover, a cell-adhesive peptide (K6 -PEG-RGD) is introduced into fibers by electrostatic interaction to improve NSCs encapsulation efficiency and prevent them from migrating out of fibers for enhanced spatially cellular arrangement. In situ differentiation of NSCs into oligodendrocytes within fibers is revealed by immunocytochemical staining assay. Due to the robust abilities to encapsulate and in situ differentiate NSCs, these chromatin-inspired supramolecular fibers show great potential in neural system-related tissue.

Optically-controlled supramolecular self-assembly of an antibiotic for antibacterial regulation.

We report a supramolecular photo-responsive antibiotic (azobenzene-norfloxacin/αCD). This supramolecule exhibited a higher "on-off" ratio of antibacterial ability than azobenzene-norfloxacin alone under UV irradiation. It offers an approach to efficiently regulate the activity of antibiotics by combining the supramolecular and light-regulating strategies together.

Supramolecular Strategy Based on Conjugated Polymers for Discrimination of Virus and Pathogens.

A conjugated polymer-based supramolecular system is designed for discrimination of virus and microbes. The supramolecular system is composed of cationic polythiophene derivative (PT) and barrel-shaped macrocyclic molecular cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]). Because PT and PT/CB[7] complexes possess different interaction manners toward virus and microbes, the rapid and simple discrimination of virus and microbes was realized through polymer fluorescence intensity change assisting with standard linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The supramolecular strategy would expand the idea of designing biological probes and further promote the extensive application of conjugated polymer materials in biosensor field.