Fibroblast Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 Promotes Osteoclastogenesis in Odontogenic Keratocysts.

Local aggressive growth of odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs) can cause serious bone destruction, even resulting in pathologic fractures of the mandible. The mechanism of osteoclastogenesis in OKCs was explored by investigating the role of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), a key immune checkpoint, in OKCs and its relationship with the M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2), a key enzyme of glycolysis. The data from immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot, and flow cytometry indicated that the expression level of PD-L1 was significantly increased in the stroma and fibroblasts of OKCs (OKC-Fs) when compared with oral mucosa. Double-labeling staining demonstrated that osteoclasts in OKCs spatially interacted with PD-L1-positive OKC-Fs. Exogenous expression of PD-L1 in OKC-Fs promoted osteoclastogenesis when OKC-Fs were co-cultured with osteoclast precursors (RAW264.7 cells). Because OKC-Fs exhibit energy dependency and acquire energy from PKM2-mediated glycolysis, this study generated stable PKM2 knockdown OKC-Fs using shRNAs against PKM2, and found that PD-L1 expression level was decreased by PKM2 knockdown. Furthermore, Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between the immunostaining of PKM2 and PD-L1 in OKC samples. In addition, double-labeling immunofluorescence showed colocalizations between PKM2 and PD-L1 in the fibrous tissue walls of OKCs. In conclusion, PD-L1 in fibroblasts promotes osteoclastogenesis in OKCs, which is regulated by PKM2.

Polyamide Membranes with Tunable Surface Charge Induced by Dipole-Dipole Interaction for Selective Ion Separation.

Nanofiltration (NF) has the potential to achieve precise ion-ion separation at the subnanometer scale, which is necessary for resource recovery and a circular water economy. Fabricating NF membranes for selective ion separation is highly desirable but represents a substantial technical challenge. Dipole-dipole interaction is a mechanism of intermolecular attractions between polar molecules with a dipole moment due to uneven charge distribution, but such an interaction has not been leveraged to tune membrane structure and selectivity. Herein, we propose a novel strategy to achieve tunable surface charge of polyamide membrane by introducing polar solvent with a large dipole moment during interfacial polymerization, in which the dipole-dipole interaction with acyl chloride groups of trimesoyl chloride (TMC) can successfully intervene in the amidation reaction to alter the density of surface carboxyl groups in the polyamide selective layer. As a result, the prepared positively charged (PEI-TMC)-NH2 and negatively charged (PEI-TMC)-COOH composite membranes, which show similarly high water permeance, demonstrate highly selective separations of cations and anions in engineering applications, respectively. Our findings, for the first time, confirm that solvent-induced dipole-dipole interactions are able to alter the charge type and density of polyamide membranes and achieve tunable surface charge for selective and efficient ion separation.

Microgel-Crosslinked Thermo-Responsive Hydrogel Actuators with High Mechanical Properties and Rapid Response.

Smart hydrogels responsive to external stimuli are promising for various applications such as soft robotics and smart devices. High mechanical strength and fast response rate are particularly important for the construction of hydrogel actuators. Herein, tough hydrogels with rapid response rates are synthesized using vinyl-functionalized poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels as macro-crosslinkers and N-isopropylacrylamide as monomers. The compression strength of the obtained PNIPAM hydrogels is up to 7.13 MPa. The response rate of the microgel-crosslinked hydrogels is significantly enhanced compared with conventional chemically crosslinked PNIPAM hydrogels. The mechanical strength and response rate of hydrogels can be adjusted by varying the proportion of monomers and crosslinkers. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the PNIPAM hydrogels could be tuned by copolymerizing with ionic monomer sodium methacrylate. Thermo-responsive bilayer hydrogels are fabricated using PINPAM hydrogels with different LCSTs via a layer-by-layer method. The thermo-responsive fast swelling and shrinking properties of the two layers endow the bilayer hydrogel with anisotropic structures and asymmetric response characteristics, allowing the hydrogel to respond rapidly. The bilayer hydrogels are fabricated into clamps to grab small objects and flowers that mimicked the closure of petals, and it shows great application prospects in the field of actuators.

Construction of Zwitterionic Coatings with Lubricating and Antiadhesive Properties for Invisible Aligner Applications.

Invisible aligners have been widely used in orthodontic treatment but still present issues with plaque formation and oral mucosa abrasion, which can lead to complicated oral diseases. To address these issues, hydrophilic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (polySBMA) coatings with lubricating, antifouling, and antiadhesive properties have been developed on the aligner materials (i.e., polyethylene terephthalate glycol, PETG) via a simple and feasible glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-assisted coating strategy. Poly(GMA-co-SBMA) is grafted onto the aminated PETG surface via the ring-opening reaction of GMA (i.e., "grafting to" approach to obtain G-co-S coating), or a polySBMA layer is formed on the GMA-grafted PETG surface via free radical polymerization (i.e., "grafting from" approach to obtain G-g-S coating). The G-co-S and G-g-S coatings significantly reduce the friction coefficient of PETG surface. Protein adsorption, bacterial adhesion, and biofilm formation on the G-co-S- and G-g-S-coated surfaces are significantly inhibited. The performance of the coatings remains stable after storage in air or artificial saliva for 2 weeks. Both coatings demonstrate good biocompatibility in vitro and is not caused irritation to the oral mucosa of rats in vivo over 2 weeks. This study proposes a promising strategy for the development of invisible aligners with improved performance, which is beneficial for oral health treatment.

Exposure to high dose of polystyrene nanoplastics causes trophoblast cell apoptosis and induces miscarriage.

BACKGROUND: With rapid increase in the global use of various plastics, microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) pollution and their adverse health effects have attracted global attention. MPs have been detected out in human body and both MPs and NPs showed female reproductive toxicological effects in animal models. Miscarriage (abnormal early embryo loss), accounting for 15-25% pregnant women worldwide, greatly harms human reproduction. However, the adverse effects of NPs on miscarriage have never been explored. RESULTS: In this study, we identified that polystyrene (PS) plastics particles were present in women villous tissues. Their levels were higher in villous tissues of unexplained recurrent miscarriage (RM) patients vs. healthy control (HC) group. Furthermore, mouse assays further confirmed that exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs, 50 nm in diameter, 50 or 100 mg/kg) indeed induced miscarriage. In mechanism, PS-NPs exposure (50, 100, 150, or 200 µg/mL) increased oxidative stress, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased apoptosis in human trophoblast cells by activating Bcl-2/Cleaved-caspase-2/Cleaved-caspase-3 signaling through mitochondrial pathway. The alteration in this signaling was consistent in placental tissues of PS-NPs-exposed mouse model and in villous tissues of unexplained RM patients. Supplement with Bcl-2 could efficiently suppress apoptosis in PS-NPs-exposed trophoblast cells and reduce apoptosis and alleviate miscarriage in PS-NPs-exposed pregnant mouse model. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to PS-NPs activated Bcl-2/Cleaved-caspase-2/Cleaved-caspase-3, leading to excessive apoptosis in human trophoblast cells and in mice placental tissues, further inducing miscarriage.

The complex of tannic acid and cetylpyridinium chloride: An antibacterial and stain-removal cleaner for aligners.

INTRODUCTION: Effective aligner hygiene is recognized as an important part of orthodontic treatments and oral hygiene. However, there is no effective cleansing method for removable aligners. METHODS: In this study, we incorporated tannic acid (TA) with cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) to develop the TA-CPC complex. The antibacterial properties of 15.8 mg/mL TA-CPC against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated in vitro, which were compared with 5.1 mg/mL TA, 10.7 mg/mL CPC, a commercial denture cleansing solution (YA; 15 mg/mL), and water. As for the assessment of stain-removal ability, the aligners stained by coffee were soaked in cleansing solutions, and the color changes (ΔE∗) were calculated on the basis of the CIE L∗a∗b∗ color system, and the National Bureau of Standards system was used for the clinical interpretation of the color change. Atomic force microscope examination, tensile property assessment, and wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis were performed to investigate the material compatibility of TA-CPC, and Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and live/dead assay were used to test the cytotoxicity of TA-CPC. RESULTS: The results showed that TA-CPC had a positive zeta-potential, and cation-π interaction changed the chemical environments of the phenyl group in TA-CPC, resulting in greater inhibition zones of S. aureus and E. coli than other cleaners. The quantification of the biofilm biomass and the fluorescent intensities also reflected that the TA-CPC solution exhibited better antibacterial ability. As for the ability of stain removal, ΔE∗ value of group TA-CPC was 2.84 ± 0.55, whereas those of stained aligners immersed with deionized distilled water, TA, YA, and CPC were 10.26 ± 0.04, 9.54 ± 0.24, 5.93 ± 0.36, and 4.69 ± 0.35, respectively. The visual inspection and National Bureau of Standards ratings also showed that the color of stained aligners cleansed by TA-CPC was much lighter than those of the other groups. Meanwhile, TA-CPC had good compatibility with the aligner material and cells. CONCLUSIONS: TA-CPC is a promising strategy to inhibit the formation of biofilms and remove the stains on the aligners safely, which may disinfect the aligners to improve oral health and help keep the transparent appearances of aligners without impacting the morphology and mechanical properties.

Lactoferrin-Modified Gambogic Acid Liposomes for Colorectal Cancer Treatment.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy is a big challenge, and seeking an effective and safe drug is a pressing clinical need. Gambogic acid is a potent antineoplastic agent without the drawback of bone marrow suppression. To improve its druggability (e.g., poor water solubility and tumor delivery), a lactoferrin-modified gambogic acid liposomal delivery system (LF-lipo) was developed to enhance the treatment efficacy of CRC. The LF-lipo can specifically bind LRP-1 expressed on colorectal cancer cells to enhance drug delivery to the tumor cells and yield enhanced therapeutic efficacy. The LF-lipo promoted tumor cell apoptosis and autophagy, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in tumor cells, and inhibited angiogenesis; moreover, it could also repolarize tumor-associated macrophages from the M2 to M1 phenotype and induce ICD to activate T cells, exhibiting the capability of remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment. The liposomal formulation yielded an efficient and safe treatment outcome and has potential for clinical translation.

One-pot synthesis of magnetic sulfonated covalent organic polymer for extraction of protoberberine alkaloids in herbs and human plasma.

A novel magnetic sulfonated covalent organic polymer was prepared for magnetic solid-phase extraction of protoberberine alkaloids. The magnetic sulfonated covalent organic polymer was rapidly synthesized under mild conditions. The physicochemical properties of the prepared materials were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Several extraction parameters were systematically investigated, including desorption time, pH of sample solution, acetonitrile content, acetic acid content in the eluent, extraction time, and sample volume. By coupling magnetic solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography, an efficient and sensitive method for the extraction and determination of protoberberine alkaloids in complex samples was developed. The proposed method showed great linearity (r > 0.9989), low limits of detection (0.2-0.3 ng/ml), and high precision (relative standard deviations ≤ 5.74%). The proposed method was further applied to the analysis of protoberberine alkaloids in Cortex phellodendri and human plasma samples. The recoveries were 91.50%-110.31% with relative standard deviations less than 6.63% in Cortex phellodendri and 96.12%-111.20% with relative standard deviations lower than 5.56% in plasma samples.

Hydrolysis of propyrisulfuron in water: Kinetics, influence of 34 environmental factors, transformation products identification, mechanisms and toxicities.

Propyrisulfuron is a novel sulfonylurea herbicide used for controlling annual grass and broad-leaved weeds in fields, but its fates and behaviors in environment are still unknown, which are of utmost importance for environmental protection. To reduce its potential environmental risks in agricultural production, the hydrolysis kinetics, influence of 34 environmental factors including 12 microplastics (MPs), disposable face masks (DFMs) and its different parts, 6 fertilizers, 5 ions, 3 surfactants, a co-existed herbicide of florpyrauxifen-benzy, humic acid and biochar, and the effect of MPs and DFMs on its hydrolysis mechanisms were systematically investigated. The main hydrolysis products (HPs), possible mechanisms, toxicities and potential risks to aquatic organisms were studied. Propyrisulfuron hydrolysis was an acid catalytic pyrolysis, endothermic and spontaneous process driven by the reduction of activation enthalpy, and followed the first-order kinetics. All environmental factors can accelerate propyrisulfuron hydrolysis to varying degrees except humic acid, and different hydrolysis mechanisms occurred in the presence of MPs and DFMs. In addition, 10 possible HPs and 7 possible mechanisms were identified and proposed. ECOSAR prediction and ecotoxicity testing showed that acute toxicity of propyrisulfuron and its HPs for aquatic organisms were low, but may have high chronic toxicity and pose a potential threat to aquatic ecosystems. The investigations are significantly important for elucidating the environmental fates and behaviors of propyrisulfuron, assessing the risks in environmental protection, and further providing guidance for scientific application in agro-ecosystem.

The coming of age of water channels for separation membranes: from biological to biomimetic to synthetic.

Water channels are one of the key pillars driving the development of next-generation desalination and water treatment membranes. Over the past two decades, the rise of nanotechnology has brought together an abundance of multifunctional nanochannels that are poised to reinvent separation membranes with performances exceeding those of state-of-the-art polymeric membranes within the water-energy nexus. Today, these water nanochannels can be broadly categorized into biological, biomimetic and synthetic, owing to their different natures, physicochemical properties and methods for membrane nanoarchitectonics. Furthermore, against the backdrop of different separation mechanisms, different types of nanochannel exhibit unique merits and limitations, which determine their usability and suitability for different membrane designs. Herein, this review outlines the progress of a comprehensive amount of nanochannels, which include aquaporins, pillar[5]arenes, I-quartets, different types of nanotubes and their porins, graphene-based materials, metal- and covalent-organic frameworks, porous organic cages, MoS2, and MXenes, offering a comparative glimpse into where their potential lies. First, we map out the background by looking into the evolution of nanochannels over the years, before discussing their latest developments by focusing on the key physicochemical and intrinsic transport properties of these channels from the chemistry standpoint. Next, we put into perspective the fabrication methods that can nanoarchitecture water channels into high-performance nanochannel-enabled membranes, focusing especially on the distinct differences of each type of nanochannel and how they can be leveraged to unlock the as-promised high water transport potential in current mainstream membrane designs. Lastly, we critically evaluate recent findings to provide a holistic qualitative assessment of the nanochannels with respect to the attributes that are most strongly valued in membrane engineering, before discussing upcoming challenges to share our perspectives with researchers for pathing future directions in this coming of age of water channels.

Mass Production of Hierarchically Designed Engine-Intake Air Filters by Multinozzle Electroblow Spinning.

Particulate matter damages engines of vehicles when blown into the ventilation system. Conventional engine-intake filter is cellulose microfiber board with an average diameter larger than ten microns, which has low removal efficiency of ultrafine particular matter. In this work, we apply ultrafine polyurethane nanofibers (∼122.8 nm) onto pleated cellulose board using scalable multinozzle electroblow spinning technology, which improves filtration efficiency of particulate matter with a diameter of less than 0.3 µm PM0.3 greatly. The thermoplastic polyurethane 85A nanofiber membranes are transparent, and display superior filtration performance which meets up with the 95% filtration efficiency standard in GB 19083-2010 technical requirements for protective face mask for medical use. The lightweight pleated thermoplastic polyurethane/cellulose composites intercept ∼90% ultrafine PM0.3 under airflow velocity of 32 L min-1 and possess great resistance to shock. These hierarchically designed filters follow a mechanical mechanism and can be used in on-road and off-road cars in the long run.

Quadruple H-Bonding and Polyrotaxanes Dual Cross-linking Supramolecular Elastomer for High Toughness and Self-healing Conductors.

Tough and self-healable substrates can enable stretchable electronics long service life. However, for substrates, it still remains a challenge to achieve both high toughness and autonomous self-healing ability at room temperature. Herein, a strategy by using the combined effects between quadruple H-bonding and slidable cross-links is proposed to solve the above issues in the elastomer. The elastomer exhibits high toughness (77.3 MJ m-3 ), fracture energy (≈127.2 kJ m-2 ), and good healing efficiency (91 %) at room temperature. The superior performance is ascribed to the inter and intra crosslinking structures of quadruple H-bonding and polyrotaxanes in the dual crosslinking system. Strain-induced crystallization of PEG in polyrotaxanes also contributes to the high fracture energy of the elastomers. Furthermore, based on the dual cross-linked supramolecular elastomer, a highly stretchable and self-healable electrode containing liquid metal is also fabricated, retaining resistance stability (0.16-0.26 Ω) even at the strain of 1600 %.

Increased M2 Isoform of Pyruvate Kinase in Fibroblasts Contributes to the Growth, Aggressiveness, and Osteoclastogenesis of Odontogenic Keratocysts.

To investigate the role of glycolysis and the M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) in odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs), the glycolytic flux of primary odontogenic keratocyst fibroblasts (OKC-Fs) and normal oral mucosa fibroblasts (OM-Fs) was determined by glucose uptake, lactate production, and cell proliferation assays. Wound healing assay and Matrigel-coated chamber system were used to investigate the effects of PKM2 on migration and invasion capacities of OKC-Fs. Co-culture of OKC-Fs with osteoclast precursors (RAW264.7 cells) was used to clarify the role of glycolysis in the osteoclastogenic effects of OKC-Fs. In addition, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and some key enzymes related to glycolysis, including PKM2, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2, 6-biphosphatase 3, hexokinase 2, and lactate dehydrogenase A, were detected to assess the activation of glycolysis in OKC stroma by immunohistochemistry. Results showed that the glucose uptake and lactate production were significantly higher in OKC-Fs than OM-Fs. PKM2 was elevated in OKC-Fs compared with that in OM-Fs. PKM2 significantly regulated glycolysis, proliferation, migration, invasion, and osteoclastogenic effects of OKC-Fs. Additionally hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2, 6-biphosphatase 3, hexokinase 2, and lactate dehydrogenase A were markedly overexpressed in OKC stroma, and correlated with PKM2. Moreover, the expression of PKM2 was regulated by oxygen concentration in vitro. In sum, PKM2-mediated glycolysis regulated the growth, aggressiveness, and osteoclastogenesis of OKC.

Stability and Deformation of Vesicles in a Cylindrical Flow.

In this work, we used dissipative particle dynamics to study the stability, deformation, and rupture of polymer vesicles confined in cylindrical channels under the flow field. The morphological evolution, elongation, and rupture of vesicles and the corresponding mechanisms were intensively investigated. Bullet-like vesicles, leaking vesicles, spherical micelles, hamburger-like micelles, and bilayers were observed by changing the degree of confinement and dimensionless shear rate. We found that increasing the dimensionless shear rate and the degree of confinement can cause the deformation or rupture of polymeric vesicles. The asphericity parameter was utilized to describe the degree of elongation of vesicles deviating from the sphere in the direction of the flow. The results show that the aggregates are more likely to be spherical when the confinement is weak, while they become elongated bullet-like shapes when the confinement is strong. The investigation of dynamics reveals that the degree of confinement and the dimensionless shear rate can affect the chain stretching and reorganization during the process of vesicle elongation. Furthermore, the rupture time of the vesicle shows a nonlinear decrease with an increase in the dimensionless shear rate, and the confinement also contributes to the rupture. The results are very useful for guiding the application of vesicles in a flow environment.

Controlling the two components modified on nanoparticles to construct nanomaterials.

Nanoparticle self-assembly technology has made great progress in the past 30 years. Many kinds of self-assembly strategies of modifiable nanoparticles have been developed and used to construct nano-aggregates by designing the shape, size and type of nanoparticles and controlling the components modified on nanoparticles. These strategies are widely used in many fields, such as medical diagnosis, biological detection, drug delivery, materials synthesis and sensors. The modified components can be DNA chains, polymer chains, proteins, and even organic molecules based on different molecular conformations and chemical properties. In recent years, the self-assembly of two-component modified nanoparticles has gradually attracted more attention. Nanoparticles modified with two components of different DNA strands can self-assemble to produce a variety of nano arrangement structures, such as BCC, FCC and other cubic crystals, which can be used in crystal materials. Two-component modification of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers can produce vesicular aggregates, which can be used for drug delivery. In this review, we summarize the latest experimental progress and theoretical simulation of self-assembly of two-component modified nanoparticles including different DNA chains, different polymer chains, DNA and polymer chains, proteins and polymer chains, and different organic molecules. Their self-assembly characteristics and application prospects were discussed. Compared with single-component modified nanoparticles, two-component nanoparticles have different tethered molecules or molecular chains, which can be multifunctional by regulating different modified components and types of nanoparticles and ultimately expand the scope of applications.

Usefulness of the combined orthodontic rubber band and clip method for gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Effective traction is an important prerequisite for successful endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The combined orthodontic rubber band (ORB) and clip method was effective in colorectal cancer ESD. To date, the method was not reported in gastric ESD. This study aimed to investigate its efficacy and safety for gastric neoplasms ESD. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data of 118 patients with gastric neoplasms treated by ESD from November 2020 to April 2022, 43 by ORB-ESD and 75 by the conventional ESD. The primary outcome measure was the ESD procedure time. Clinical data on efficacy and safety were also collected and analyzed. Propensity score matching (PSM) matched the patients in both groups. RESULTS: PSM successfully matched 31 pairs of patients. The ORB-ESD operation time was shorter (median [interquartile range], 35 [30-48] vs. 49 [40-70] min, P < 0.001) and dissection speed was higher (median [interquartile range], 22.6 [14.4-29.3] vs. 13.5 [9.6-17.9] mm2/min, P < 0.001) than in the conventional ESD. The groups were similar in muscular injury rate, frequency and time of use of thermal hemostatic forceps, postoperative adverse events, en bloc resection, and R0 resection rate (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the conventional ESD, ORB-ESD significantly reduced the procedure time and increased the dissection speed, proving beneficial to gastric ESD.

Proteoliposome-Incorporated Seawater Reverse Osmosis Polyamide Membrane: Is the Aquaporin Water Channel Effect in Improving Membrane Performance Overestimated?

The water channel feature of the aquaporin (AQP) is considered to be the key in improving the permselectivity of AQP-based thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide (PA) membranes, yet much less attention has been paid to the physicochemical property changes of the PA layer induced by AQP-reconstituted proteoliposomes. This study systematically investigated the roles of proteoliposome constituents (liposome/detergent/AQP) in affecting the physicochemical properties and performance of the membranes. For the first time, we demonstrated that the constituents in the proteoliposome could facilitate the formation of a PA layer with enlarged protuberances and thinner crumples, resulting in a 79% increase in effective surface area and lowering of hydraulic resistance for filtration. These PA structural changes of the AQP-based membrane were found to contribute over 70% to the water permeability increase via comparing the separation performance of the membranes prepared with liposome, detergent, and proteoliposome, respectively, and one proteoliposome-ruptured membrane. The contribution from the AQP water channel feature was about 27% of water permeability increase in the current study, attributed to only ∼20% vesicle coverage in the PA matrix, and this contribution may be easily lost as a result of vesicle rupture during the real seawater reverse osmosis process. This study reveals that the changed morphology dominates the performance improvement of the AQP-based PA membrane and well explains why the actual AQP-based PA membranes cannot acquire the theoretical water/salt selectivity of a biomimetic AQP membrane, deepening our understanding of the AQP-based membranes.

Sorafenib and triptolide loaded cancer cell-platelet hybrid membrane-camouflaged liquid crystalline lipid nanoparticles for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

In addition to early detection, early diagnosis, and early surgery, it is of great significance to use new strategies for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Studies showed that the combination of sorafenib (SFN) and triptolide (TPL) could reduce the clinical dose of SFN and maintain good anti-HCC effect. But the solubility of SFN and TPL in water is low and both drugs have certain toxicity. Therefore, we constructed a biomimetic nanosystem based on cancer cell-platelet (PLT) hybrid membrane camouflage to co-deliver SFN and TPL taking advantage of PLT membrane with long circulation functions and tumor cell membrane with homologous targeting. The biomimetic nanosystem, SFN and TPL loaded cancer cell-PLT hybrid membrane-camouflaged liquid crystalline lipid nanoparticles ((SFN + TPL)@CPLCNPs), could simultaneously load SFN and TPL at the molar ratio of SFN to TPL close to 10:1. (SFN + TPL)@CPLCNPs achieved long circulation function and tumor targeting at the same time, promoting tumor cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumor growth, and achieving a better "synergy and attenuation effect", which provided new ideas for the treatment of HCC.

Encapsulation and release of drug nanoparticles in functional polymeric vesicles.

We investigated the co-assembly of amphiphilic diblock copolymers in solutions containing drugs and functional nanoparticles using the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method. By controlling the size and the concentration of the functional nanoparticles, the length of the hydrophobic blocks, and the interaction parameters between the hydrophobic block/solvent and the functional nanoparticles, we obtained the desired aggregates to load drugs. The aggregates loaded with drugs can be disk-like micelles, sphere-like micelles and vesicles with functional nanoparticles on the surface. When the solvent environment changes, the drugs loaded in the functional vesicles can release into the solvent. The release content is critically dependent on the repulsive interaction between the drugs and the solvent. The dynamic curve of drug release is obtained. The result is in agreement with the experiments about drug release. Our studies showed that we can precisely control the formation of functional vesicles to load and release drugs. Loading drugs in the process of self-assembly and controlling the release have broad potential in the field of clinical medicine and adding functional nanoparticles can be of great help in drug delivery and medical diagnosis.

Electrospray-Printed Three-Tiered Composite Membranes with Enhanced Mass Transfer Coefficients for Phenol Removal in an Aqueous-Aqueous Membrane Extractive Process.

The aqueous-aqueous membrane extractive process is an ideal approach to remove recalcitrant organics from highly saline and harsh wastewater. However, it is still challenging to develop highly efficient membranes for the extractive process. In this work, three-tiered polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofiber/nonwoven fabric composite membranes were prepared by electrospinning and electrospray printing for the first time. An ultrathin and defect-free PDMS selective layer was fabricated on the surface of a PVDF/nonwoven fabric nanofibrous substrate by electrospray printing. Meanwhile, the thicknesses of the PDMS selective layer were able to be finely controlled by electrospray printing. The novel three-tiered composite membrane #N3-1 with the thinnest PDMS layer (3.0 ± 0.4 µm) and a thin and porous supporting layer showed an exceptionally high k0 of 37.9 ± 2.8 × 10-7 m/s and an excellent salt rejection above 99.95% over a 105 h continuous operation. Moreover, #N3-1 exhibited outstanding k0 at feed pH of 2 and 11 over 100 h without loss of salt rejection. In addition, the effects of the nonwoven fabric supporting layer on the phenol mass transfer coefficient (k0, m/s) of resultant extractive membranes were also studied symmetrically. A thin and porous nonwoven supporting layer #N3 was capable of improving the k0 of resultant composite membrane significantly.