Interfacial induction and regulation for microscale crystallization process:a critical review

Microscale crystallization is at the frontier of chemical engineering,material science,and biochemical research and is affected by many factors.The precise regulation and control of microscale crystal processes is still a major challenge.In the heterogeneous induced nucleation process,the chemical and micro/nanostructural characteristics of the interface play a dominant role.Ideal crystal products can be obtained by modifying the interface characteristics,which has been proven to be a promising strategy.This review illustrates the application of interface properties,including chemical characteristics(hydropho-bicity and functional groups)and the morphology of micro/nanostructures(rough structure and cavities,pore shape and pore size,surface porosity,channels),in various microscale crystallization controls and process intensification.Finally,possible future research and development directions are outlined to emphasize the importance of interfacial crystallization control and regulation for crystal engineering.

Kidney organoids as a promising tool in nephrology

Kidney disease has become a global public health problem affecting over 750 million people worldwide and imposing a heavy economic burden on patients.The complex architecture of the human kidney makes it very difficult to study the pathophysiology of renal diseases in vitro and to develop effective therapeutic options for patients.Even though cell lines and animal models have enriched our understanding,they fail to recapitulate key aspects of human kidney development and renal disease at cellular and functional levels.Organoids can be derived from either pluripotent stem cells or adult stem cells by strictly regulating key signalling pathways.Today,these self-differentiated organoids represent a promising technology to further understand the human kidney,one of the most complex organs,in an unprecedented way.The newly established protocols improved by organ-on-chip and coculture with immune cells will push kidney organoids towards the next generation.Herein,we focus on recent achievements in the application of kidney organoids in disease modelling,nephrotoxic testing,precision medicine,biobanking,and regenerative therapy,followed by discussions of novel strategies to improve their utility for biomedical research.The applications we discuss may help to provide new ideas in clinical fields.

Chemical construction and anti-HCoV-OC43 evaluation of novel 10,12-disubstituted aloperine derivatives as dual cofactor inhibitors of TMPRSS2 and SR-B1

Thirty-one new 10,12-disubstituted aloperine derivatives were subtly constructed through a selective oxidation on the 10-α-C-H induced by sulfonyl and a nucleophilic substitution with the stereoselectivity and scalability.Of them,compound 6b displayed a moderate anti-human coronavirus OC43(HCoV-OC43)potency and blocked the viral entry stage through a host mechanism of action.Using chemoproteomic techniques,both transmembrane serine protease 2(TMPRSS2)and scavenger receptor class B type 1(SR-B1)proteins,which act as host cofactors of viral entry,were identified to be the direct targets of 6b against HCoV-OC43.Furthermore,6b may deactivate the TMPRSS2 by inducing a change in protein conformation,rather than binding to its catalytic center,thus suppressing the viral membrane fusion.Accordingly,our study provided key scientific data for the development of aloperine derivatives into a new class of antiviral candidates against humanβ-coronavirus,including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2).