Implantable versatile oxidized bacterial cellulose membrane for postoperative HNSCC treatment via photothermal-boosted immunotherapy

The recurrence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC)after surgical resection continues to pose a major challenge to cancer treatment.Advanced HNSCC exhibits a low response rate to immune checkpoint blockade(ICB),while photothermal therapy(PTT)can increase the infiltration of immune cells to make tumors more susceptible to cancer immunotherapy.In this regard,we designed and constructed a novel multifunctional nanocomposite comprised of oxidized bacterial cellulose(OBC),thrombin(TB),and gold nanocages(AuNCs)containing anti-programmed death 1(PD-1)antibody(αPD-1@AuNCs),which allows the combination of therapies with remarkable postoperative antitumor immunity to control local tumor recurrence.TheαPD-1@AuNCs displayed high light-to-heat conversion efficiency and induced pyroptosis under near infrared(NIR)irradiation,which activated a potent antitumor immune response.More importantly,the therapeutic system could induce tumor pyroptosis and enhance antitumor immune response by increasing T-cell infiltration and reducing the immune suppressive cells,when combined with local ICB therapy,which effectively avoided the tumor recurrence in a HNSCC postoperative mice model.Overall,the newly developed multifunctional nanocomposites could be a promising candidate for the treatment of postoperative HNSCC.

Immobilized thrombin on X-ray radiopaque polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan embolic microspheres for precise localization and topical blood coagulation

Trans-catheter arterial embolization(TAE)plays an important role in treating various diseases.The available embolic agents lack X-ray visibility and do not prevent the reflux phenomenon,thus hindering their application for TAE therapy.Herein,we aim to develop a multifunctional embolic agent that combines the X-ray radiopacity with local procoagulant activity.The barium sulfate nanoparticles(BaSO4 NPs)were synthesized and loaded into the polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan(PVA/CS)to prepare the radiopaque BaSO4/PVA/CS microspheres(MS).Thereafter,thrombin was immobilized onto the BaSO4/PVA/CS MS to obtain the thrombin@BaSO4/PVA/CS MS.The prepared BaSO4/PVA/CS MS were highly spherical with diameters ranging from 100 to 300μm.In vitro CT imaging showed increased X-ray visibility of BaSO4/PVA/CS MS with the increased content of BaSO4 NPs in the PVA/CS MS.The biocompatibility assessments demonstrated that the MS were non-cytotoxic and possessed permissible hemolysis rate.The biofunctionalized thrombin@BaSO4/PVA/CS MS showed improved hemostatic capacity and facilitated hemostasis in vitro.Additionally,in vivo study performed on a rabbit ear embolization model confirmed the excellent X-ray radiopaque stability of the BaSO4/PVA/CS MS.Moreover,both the BaSO4/PVA/CS and thrombin@BaSO4/PVA/CS MS achieved superior embolization effects with progressive ischemic necrosis on the ear tissue and induced prominent ultrastructural changes in the endothelial cells.The findings of this study suggest that the developed MS could act as a radiopaque and hemostatic embolic agent to improve the embolization efficiency.

Plant extract-loaded bacterial cellulose composite membrane for potential biomedical applications

Bacterial cellulose(BC)has been extensively explored as biomaterial for various biomedical applications owing to its non-toxic nature and unique structural morphology and impressive physicochemical and mechanical properties.However,its high production cost and lack of antimicrobial activity have restricted its large-scale production and therapeutic applications.Therefore,the current study is aimed to devise a strategy for low-cost BC production and develop its composite with bioactive materials to bless it with antimicrobial activity.Herein,5 mm thick reticulated fibrous and highly porous BC was produced by utilizing the wasted rotten tomatoes as the production medium.The produced bacterial cellulose waste(BCW)(i.e.,produced from wastes)was ex-situ modified with bioactive plant extract(PE)obtained from Euclea schimperi,and the bactericidal activity of the developed BCW/PE was evaluated against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli through disc diffusion and colony forming unit(CFU)count methods.The BCW/PE composite showed high bactericidal activities against S.aureus and produced clear inhibition zone whereas negligible activity was observed against E.coli,indicating its bactericidal activity mainly against the Gram-positive bacterium.Overall,this study illustrates that there is a huge potential for developing valuable biomaterials from food wastes and utilizing their liquid holding capabilities for value-added applications in medical and pharmaceutical fields.

Synthesis and applications of fungal mycelium-based advanced functional materials

Over the last couple of decades,the introduction of living systems to material science for the synthesis of functional materials from biological resources is receiving immense consideration.This is also in accordance with the need for green and sustainable development of new materi-als.For example,the growing concerns of the degradation of synthetic plastics are shifting the direction of materials-related research to the use of polymeric materials acquired from renewable resources.For example,the fungal mycelium-based materials are produced by growing the vegetative part of mushroom-forming fungi on different organic substrates.Such fungi are known for their ability to degrade agricultural wastes such as straws and sawdust.The mycelium-based composites having tailored structural,physical,chemical,mechanical,and biological properties are relying on the strain,feeding substrate,and the manufacturing process.The mycelium cell wall mainly contains the chitin,glucans,proteins,and lipids,whose concentrations depend upon the feeding substrate that ultimately defines the final properties of the synthesized materials.The mycelium-based functional materials with tunable properties are synthesized by selecting the desired components and the synthesis method.The pure and composites of stiff,elastic,porous,less dense,fast-growing,and low-cost mycelium-derived materials with efficient antimicrobial,antioxidant,and skin whitening properties pave their way in various applications such as construction,packaging,medicine,and cosmetics.This review describes the synthesis and structural organization of mycelium-based materials.It further discusses the effect of different factors on the material properties.Finally,it summarizes different applications of mycelium-based materials in medicine,cosmetics,packaging,and construction fields.

Bacterial cellulose/glycolic acid/glycerol composite membrane as a system to deliver glycolic acid for anti-aging treatment

Glycolic acid(GA),as an anti-aging skincare ingredient,plays a pivotal role in anti-aging treatment.However,its benefits could be overshadowed due to its side effects including skin burning and irritation when overused.Bacterial cellulose(BC)is a highly pure form of cellulose,biosynthesized in the form of a swollen membrane by several kinds of bacteria that was demonstrated to modulate the release of model drugs owing to its porous and 3D fibrous network structure,and glycerol(GL),as a plasticizer,could enhance the controlled drug delivery.Herein,we report a topical controlled drug delivery system based on BC membrane,GA and GL for controlling sustainable release of GA to reduce its side effects on the skin,while maintaining its prolonged and maximum therapeutic effect.The results showed that the incorporation of GL increased the malleability and flexibility of BC/GA/GL membrane,as compared with BC/GA membrane.In addition,the GL enhanced the control of the GA delivery,as evidenced by a higher swelling capacity and thereby a slower release of the GA from BC/GA/GL membrane.More importantly,in vitro study indicated that both BC/GA and BC/GA/GL membranes could effectively stimulate endogenous collagen synthesis in NIH3T3 cells owing to the release of GA,and that BC/GA/GL membrane is more conducive to a long-term cell adhesion,spreading,and proliferation of NIH3T3 and HaCaT cells due to its lower and sustainable release of GA than BC/GA membrane.This study suggests the BC/GL/GA composite membrane holds great promise as an appealing platform to control the release of GA to greatly promote renewal of skin cells for effective anti-aging treatment.