A cascade nanosystem with "Triple-Linkage" effect for enhanced photothermal and activatable metal ion therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Due to the limitations of single-model tumor therapeutic strategies, multimodal combination therapy have become a more favorable option to enhance efficacy by compensating for its deficiencies. However, in nanomaterial-based multimodal therapeutics for tumors, exploiting synergistic interactions and cascade relationships of materials to achieve more effective treatments is still a great challenge. Based on this, we constructed a nanoplatform with a "triple-linkage" effect by cleverly integrating polydopamine (PDA), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and glucose oxidase (GOx) to realize enhanced photothermal therapy (PTT) and activatable metal ion therapy (MIT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. First, the non-radiative conversion of PDA under light conditions was enhanced by AgNPs, which directly enhanced the photothermal conversion efficiency of PDA. In addition, GOx reduced the synthesis of cellular heat shock proteins by interfering with cellular energy metabolism, thereby enhancing cellular sensitivity to PTT. On the other hand, H2O2, a by-product of GOx-catalyzed glucose, could be used as an activation source to activate non-toxic AgNPs to release cytotoxic Ag+, achieving activatable Ag+-mediated MIT. In conclusion, this nanosystem achieved efficient PTT and MIT for HCC by exploiting the cascade effect among PDA, AgNPs, and GOx, providing a novel idea for the design of multimodal tumor therapeutic systems with cascade regulation.

Chitosan as a biomaterial for the prevention and treatment of dental caries: antibacterial effect, biomimetic mineralization, and drug delivery.

Dental caries is a chronic, progressive disease caused by plaque, influenced by multiple factors and can damage the hard tissues of the teeth. In severe cases, it can also lead to the onset and development of other oral diseases, seriously affecting patients' quality of life. The creation of effective biomaterials for the prevention and treatment of dental caries has become one of the relentless goals of many researchers, with a focus on inhibiting the production of cariogenic plaque and retaining beneficial bacteria, guiding and promoting the reconstruction of dental hard tissues, and delaying the progression of existing caries. Chitosan is a natural cationic polymer extracted from the shells of crustaceans and shellfish. Since its discovery, chitosan has shown to have various biological functions such as antibacterial, biomimetic mineralization, drug delivery, etc., making it one of the most promising biopolymers for new caries prevention and materials of prostheses. Therefore, this article provides an overview of the anti-caries applications of chitosan, which mainly covers the basic research on the application of chitosan in caries prevention and treatment since 2010, with a focus on categorizing and summarizing the following characteristics of chitosan as a caries prevention material, including its antibacterial effect, biomimetic mineralization effect and delivery ability of caries prevention drugs and vaccines. It also explores the limitations of current research on chitosan as a caries prevention biomaterial and the difficulties that need to be focused on and overcome in the future to provide theoretical reference for the clinical implementation of chitosan as a caries prevention biomaterial.

"Medicine food homology" plants promote periodontal health: antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and inhibition of bone resorption.

"Medicine food homology" (MFH) is a term with a lengthy history. It refers to the fact that a lot of traditional natural products have both culinary and therapeutic benefits. The antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects of MFH plants and their secondary metabolites have been confirmed by numerous research. A bacterially generated inflammatory illness with a complicated pathophysiology, periodontitis causes the loss of the teeth's supporting tissues. Several MFH plants have recently been shown to have the ability to prevent and treat periodontitis, which is exhibited by blocking the disease's pathogens and the virulence factors that go along with them, lowering the host's inflammatory reactions and halting the loss of alveolar bone. To give a theoretical foundation for the creation of functional foods, oral care products and adjuvant therapies, this review has especially explored the potential medicinal benefit of MFH plants and their secondary metabolites in the prevention and treatment of periodontitis.

Facile synthesis of self-dispersed ß-cyclodextrin-coupled cellulose microgel for sustained release of vanillin.

A self-dispersed ß-cyclodextrin-coupled cellulose (ß-CD-Cel) microgel was firstly synthesized via chemically coupling cellulose and ß-CD in NaOH/urea aqueous solution. Following, after encapsulating the hydrophobic vanillin molecules into the cavities of ß-CD-Cel microgel through host-guest interaction, cellulose-based long-lasting fragrance-released complex was obtained. ß-CD was mainly bonded onto the hydroxyl groups at C6 in the AGU units of cellulose, and about 0.5 ß-CD molecule were introduced into the AGU unit when cellulose skeleton contained the ß-CD content of 19.33%. FTIR, 1H NMR, XRD, and UV-Vis provided evidences for the encapsulation of vanillin in the cavity of ß-CD-Cel, and the encapsulating efficiency of vanillin for the ß-CD-Cel inclusion complex was upped to 86.9%, which exceeded that of single ß-CD small molecule encapsulating fragrance. Benefiting from the reversible host-guest interaction between ß-CD and vanillin molecule, the continuous fragrance release time could exceed 196 h, and the sustained release behavior of ß-CD-Cel complex could be adjusted by temperature. Also, the fragrance-released ß-CD-Cel composite film showed high transparency, strong water resistance, and good flexibility. The vanillin retention of the composite film can keep 40% after soaking in ethanol solution for 96 h. This study will provide a new approach for the development of biomass functional coating.