Role of exosomal circular RNAs as microRNA sponges and potential targeting for suppressing hepatocellular carcinoma growth and progression

In this editorial,we comment on the article by Lyu et al published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology(2023;2219-2840).Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a frequently encountered and highly aggressive primary liver cancer,which remains the third-commonest cause of cancer-related death despite the current therapeutic modalities.There is urgency in developing novel thera-peutic approaches,such as by manipulating extracellular vesicles,which con-stitute a highly heterogeneous nanoparticle population that contains various cargoes.These cargoes have a pivotal role in cell-to-cell communication and can modify the functional level of the recipient cells via their uptake by other recipient cells.Exosomal non-coding RNAs have particular evolving significance in HCC,such as circular RNAs,which have been found differentially expressed in normal hepatic and HCC tissues.The aberrations in their expression levels have a key role in the HCC development and progression and the overall prognosis.In this editorial,we will shed light on the emerging role of exosomal circular RNAs in HCC development and progression,focusing on the oncogenic or potentially tumor suppressive effect of mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomal non-coding RNAs.

A green cross-linking method for the preparation of renewable threedimensional graphene sponges for efficient adsorption of Congo red dye

Graphene-based materials possess significant potential for the treatment of dye wastewater due to their exceptional adsorption properties toward stubborn pollutants.However,their utilization is hindered by high preparation costs,low yields,environmental pollution during synthesis,and challenges in regenerating the adsorbent.This study proposes a novel approach to address these limitations by developing nitrogen-doped three-dimensional(3D)polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)crosslinked graphene sponges(N-PGA)using a cross-linking method with ammonium carbonate.This method offers a relatively mild,environmentally friendly approach.Ammonium carbonate serves as both a reducing and modifying agent,facilitating the formation of the intrinsic structure of N-PGA and acting as a nitrogen source.Meanwhile,PVA is utilized as the cross-linking agent.The results demonstrate that N-PGA exhibits a favorable internal 3D hierarchical porous structure and possesses robust mechanical properties.The measured specific surface area(BET)of N-PGA was as high as406.538 m^(2)·g^(-1),which was favorable for its efficient adsorption of Congo red(CR)dye molecules.At an initial concentration of 50 mg·L^(-1),N-PGA achieved an impressive removal rate of 89.6%and an adsorption capacity of 112 mg·g^(-1)for CR dye.Furthermore,it retained 79%of its initial adsorption capacity after 10 cycles,demonstrating excellent regeneration performance.In summary,the synthesized N-PGA displays remarkable efficacy in the adsorption of CR dye in wastewater,opening up new possibilities for utilizing 3D porous graphene nanomaterials as efficient adsorbents in wastewater treatment.

Characterization of Flame Retardancy and Oil-Water Separation Capacity of Superhydrophobic Silylated Melamine Sponges

A silylated melamine sponge(SMS)was prepared by two simple steps,namely,immersion and dehydration of a melamine sponge coated with methyltrichlorosilane.The silylated structure of SMS was characterized by FT-IR(Fourier-transform infrared)spectroscopy,SEM(Scanning electron microscopy)and in terms of water contact angles.Its oil-water absorption and separation capacities were measured by FT-IR and UV-visible spectrophoto-metry.The experimental results have shown that oligomeric silanol covalently bonds by Si-N onto the surface of melamine sponge skeletons.SMS has shown superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle exceeding 150°±1°,a better separation efficiency with regard to diesel oil(by 99.31%(wt/wt%)in oil-water mixture and even up to 99.99%(wt/wt%)for diesel oil in its saturated aqueous solution.Moreover,SMS inherited the intrinsicflame retardancy of the melamine sponge.In general,SMS has shown superhydrophobicity,high porosity,excellent selectivity,remarkable recyclability,and better absorption capacity for various oils and organic solvents,and a high separation efficiency for oil in saturated aqueous solutions.

Carbon materials from melamine sponges for supercapacitors and lithium battery electrode materials: A review

With the increasing energy demand together with the deteriorating environment and decreasing fossil fuel resources,the development of highly efficient energy conversion and storage devices is one of the key challenges of both fundamental and applied research in energy technology.Melamine sponges(MS)with low density,high nitrogen content,and high porosity have been used to design and obtain three‐dimensional porous carbon electrode materials.More importantly,they are inexpensive,environment‐friendly,and easy to synthesize.There have been many reports on the modification of carbonized MS and MS‐based composites for supercapacitor and lithium battery electrode materials.In this paper,recent studies on the fabrication of electrode materials using MS as raw materials have been mainly reviewed,including carbonation,doping activation,and composite modification of MS,and expectations for the development of porous carbon materials for energy storage as a reference with excellent performance,environment‐friendliness,and long life.

Reduced graphene oxide modified melamine sponges filling with paraffin for efficient solar-thermal conversion and heat management

A novel type of reduced graphene oxide(rGO)modified melamine sponges(rGS)filling with paraffin(rGS-pf)is developed for efficient solar-thermal conversion and heat management.The microstructures,filling and holding capacity of paraffin in porous rGS,solar-thermal energy conversion and energy harvesting efficiency of the prepared rGS-pf have been investigated systematically.The content of rGO nanosheets coated on the skeletons of rGS-pf is only 0.11%,while the loading content of paraffin in the rGS-pf is as high as 97.53%.Based on the solar-thermal conversion property of rGO nanosheets in the rGS-pf and the heat storage ability of paraffin in the rGS-pf,the proposed rGS-pf provides excellent performance for heat management.The efficiency of solar-thermal conversion could reach up to 92.5%.The thermo-regulation provided by the proposed rGS-pf is real-time,repeatable and long-term stable.The results in this study provide valuable guidance for developing functional materials for efficient solarthermal conversion and heat management.

Cytotoxicity evaluation of extracts and fractions of five marine sponges from the Persian Gulf and HPLC fingerprint analysis of cytotoxic extracts

Objective: To screen the cytotoxic effects of some marine sponges extracts on HeLa and PC12 cells.Methods: Five marine sponges including Ircinia echinata(I. echinata), Dysidea avara,Axinella sinoxea, Haliclona tubifera and Haliclona violacea were collected from the Persian Gulf(Hengam Island). The cytotoxic effect of these sponges was evaluated by using MTT assay. The metabolic high performance liquid chromatography fingerprint of I. echinata was also carried out at two wavelengths(254 and 280 nm).Results: Among the sponges tested in this study, the extracts of I. echinata and Dysidea avara possessed the cytotoxic effect on HeLa and PC12 cells. The obtained fractions from high performance liquid chromatography were evaluated for their cytotoxic properties against the cell lines. The isolated fractions did not show significant cytotoxic properties.Conclusions: I. echinata could be considered as a potential extract for chemotherapy.Further investigation is needed to determine the accuracy of mechanism.

Study on Chitosan-Lactate Sponges with Oriented Pores as Potential Wound Dressing

The motive of this work was to provide an inexpensive potential wound dressing using chitosan lactate (LCH) which was synthesized by the grafting lactic acid onto the amino groups in chitosan (CH) without a catalyst. The XRD and 13CNMR results demonstrated that the grafting by lactic acid took place at C2 site in CH, leading to the destruction of the regularity of the packing in the original CH chains and formation of the amorphous CH salts. The unique device was developed in our experiments which could yield an approximately vertical thermal gradient, forming the uniformly vertical pores in LCH sponges. TEM images revealed that both TBA and LCH concentration affected the micro-structure of the sponges, although they worked via different mechanisms. In the water suction experiments, the capillary coefficient Ks was introduced to evaluate the structure-function relationship. The positive or negative influence of LCH, TBA and porosity on Ks clearly stood out when their relationships were plotted graphically. The in vitro biocompatibility of LCH sponges was evaluated. The results obtained indicated that LCH sponges exhibited bio-safety at lower concentration (25%) during short time (1 day). However, highly concentrated extraction showed a serious toxic effect on both HSF and HaCaT cells. The release kinetics for hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs with different formulation sponges was determined in in vitro release experiments. The contribution of the drug diffusion, matrix erosion and microstructure of porous materials must be taken into account on the release mechanism. The method and the structure described in present paper provided a starting point for the design and fabrication of a family of chitosan derivatives based porous materials with potentially broad

Cultivable yeasts associated with demosponges from Puerto Rico

Sponges are known for their symbiotic associations with bacteria and to a lesser extent with fungi.It has been argued that the association between fungi and sponges is not truly symbiotic,and fungal presence is incidental.Nevertheless,a vertically transmitted endosymbiotic yeast has been observed by transmission electron microscopy in sponges of the genus Chondrilla.Our work was focused on documenting the presence of yeasts associated with marine sponges from Puerto Rico.Sponge samples were taken from healthy mature colonies of Ircinia strobilina,Tedania ignis,and Chondrilla caribensis.A total of 36 yeast morphotypes were isolated and analysed by sequencing the nuclear ribosomal ITS region.Saccharomyces cerevisiae,was isolated from all the samples,comprising the first report of this yeast as a common inhabitant in marine sponges.Other yeasts isolated include the halophilic black yeast,Hortaea werneckii,and an unidentified species belongs to the Sporidiobolales(Basidiomycota).The high isolation frequency of S.cerevisiae from our sponge samples supports the possibility that Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an active member of the sponges’microbial community.

Microbiological Contamination and Disinfection Procedures of Kitchen Sponges used in Food Services

Kitchen sponges continue to be heavily used in Brazilian food services, even though they may be very contaminated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiological contamination and the efficacy of two procedures for the disinfection of kitchen sponges used in Brazilian food services. Eighty sponges were collected from food services and then analyzed for the quantification heterotrophic microorganisms (HM), fecal coliforms (CF), Staphylococcus coagulase-positive (SA) microorganisms and to the investigation of the presence of Salmonella sp. (SAM). After that, the sponges were disinfected, separately, by either boiling water for five minutes or immersed in 200ppm sodium hypochlorite, for 10 minutes, added to a rinse with potable water. The results showed that sponges presented HM counts between 3.4 and 10.4 log CFU/sponge, with an average of 9.1 log CFU/sponge, and 76.25% of them presented CF with average counts of 8.4 log CFU/sponge. SA and SAM were found in 2.5% of samples. Both disinfection procedures were able to significantly reduce the bacterial counts, but the boiling method showed a greater reduction (99.9999%) than the method of disinfection by 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite (99.9%). Based on the results it was possible to conclude that kitchen sponges can be very contaminated, but simple disinfection procedure can be applied to significantly reduce the microbial contamination.

Cultivation of marine sponges

Sponges are the most primitive of multicellular animals, and are major pharmaceutical sources of marine secondary metabolites. A wide variety of new compounds have been isolated from sponges. In order to produce sufficient amounts of the compounds of the needed, it is necessary to obtain large amount of sponges. The production of sponge biomass has become a focus of marine biotechnology.

High Oil-absorptive Composites Prepared from Non-woven Fiber and Sponges with 4-tert- butylstyrene-EPDM-divinylbenzene Graft Polymer

4-tert-butylstyrene-EPDM-divinylbenzene graft terpolymer (PBED) was prepared by graft cross-polymerization in toluene using BPO as an initiator. The gel-PBED and solPBED were isolated from extraction of tetrahydrofuran (THF), and then they were identified by IR spectroscopy. The maximum oil-absorptivity of gel-PBED produced from the optinum reaction conditions was 8 420% but its swelling rate was very low. The highest oil-absorptivity of photocrosslinked sol-PBED film was 5 800%. Although its oil absorbency was not as high as gel-PBED' s, swelling rate was higher than that of gelPBED and was suitable for commercial purpose. After swelling in oil, neither gel PBED nor photocrosslinked sol-PBED film having high oil-absorptivity had sufficient mechanical strength to be taken out of oil wholly. As is known, composite technique is one of the useful methods for reinforcing them. Fibers, sponges and non-woven cloths were used as reinforcers or supporters in this work. Oil-absorptivities and swelling kinetics were evaluated by method ASTM (F726 - 81 ) and an experimental equation. The mechanical properties and the morphologies of some composites were measured by tensile tester and SEM , respectively.

Enhanced wound healing and hemostasis with exosome-loaded gelatin sponges from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells

BACKGROUND Rapid wound healing remains a pressing clinical challenge,necessitating studies to hasten this process.A promising approach involves the utilization of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hUC-MSCs)derived exosomes.The hypothesis of this study was that these exosomes,when loaded onto a gelatin sponge,a common hemostatic material,would enhance hemostasis and accelerate wound healing.AIM To investigate the hemostatic and wound healing efficacy of gelatin sponges loaded with hUC-MSCs-derived exosomes.METHODS Ultracentrifugation was used to extract exosomes from hUC-MSCs.Nanoparticle tracking analysis(NTA),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and western blot techniques were used to validate the exosomes.In vitro experiments were performed using L929 cells to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the exosomes and their impact on cell growth and survival.New Zealand rabbits were used for skin irritation experiments to assess whether they caused adverse skin reactions.Hemolysis test was conducted using a 2%rabbit red blood cell suspension to detect whether they caused hemolysis.Moreover,in vivo experiments were carried out by implanting a gelatin sponge loaded with exosomes subcutaneously in Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats to perform biocompatibility tests.In addition,coagulation index test was conducted to evaluate their impact on blood coagulation.Meanwhile,SD rat liver defect hemostasis model and full-thickness skin defect model were used to study whether the gelatin sponge loaded with exosomes effectively stopped bleeding and promoted wound healing.RESULTS The NTA,TEM,and western blot experimental results confirmed that exosomes were successfully isolated from hUC-MSCs.The gelatin sponge loaded with exosomes did not exhibit significant cell toxicity,skin irritation,or hemolysis,and they demonstrated good compatibility in SD rats.Additionally,the effectiveness of the gelatin sponge loaded with exosomes in hemostasis and wound healing was validated.The results of the coagulation index experiment indicated that the gelatin sponge loaded with exosomes had significantly better coagulation effect compared to the regular gelatin sponge,and they showed excellent hemostatic performance in a liver defect hemostasis model.Finally,the full-thickness skin defect healing experiment results showed significant improvement in the healing process of wounds treated with the gelatin sponge loaded with exosomes compared to other groups.CONCLUSION Collectively,the gelatin sponge loaded with hUC-MSCs-derived exosomes is safe and efficacious for promoting hemostasis and accelerating wound healing,warranting further clinical application.

Primmorph extracts and mesohyls of marine sponges inhibit proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro

Cancer recurrence and severe side effects of currently being used chemotherapeutic agents reduce their clinical efficacy. Thus, there is a constant need to develop alternative anticancer drugs. Sustainable supply is an important challenge facing marine-based drug discovery. Primmorph, a 3D cell culture system, could provide a sustainable source to produce metabolites for anticancer drugs from marine sponges. In the present work, the anticancer activity of primmorph extracts and mesohyls of Negombata magnifica, Hemimycle arabica, Crella spinulata, and Stylissa carteri sponges was evaluated. Antiproliferative activity was studied in terms of cytotoxicity, colony formation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. Migration was assessed by migration assay and matrix metalloproteinase activity. The expression of proliferation and migration-related genes was analyzed using real time PCR. Migration and proliferation activities of HepG2 cells were inhibited by treatment with primmorph extracts and mesohyls of N. magnifica, H. arabica, and C. spinulata. The mesohyl of S. carteri did not show any anticancer activity although the primmorph extract led to cell cycle arrest. Among the selected sponge species, the primmorph extract of C. spinulata was the most promising anticancer agent regarding antiproliferative and antimigratory activities. In addition, primmorph extracts have the advantage of working under welldefined and controlled conditions, which allows the easy application as a bioreactor.

Terpenes extracted from marine sponges with antioxidant activity:a systematic review

Marine biodiversity has emerged as a very promising resource of bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites from different sea organisms.The sponge’s secondary metabolites demonstrated various bioactivities and potential pharmacological properties.This systematic review of the literature focuses on the advances achieved in the antioxidant potential of marine sponges in vitro.The review was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.The main inclusion criterion for analysis was articles with identification of compounds from terpene classes that demonstrate antioxidant activity in vitro.Searching in three different databases,two hundred articles were selected.After screening abstracts,titles and evaluating for eligibility of manuscripts 14 articles were included.The most performed analyzes to detect antioxidant activity were scavenging activity 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)and measurement of intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS).It was possible to identify 17 compounds of the terpene class with pronounced antioxidant activity in vitro.Scientific evidence of the studies included in this review was accessed by the GRADE analysis.Terpenes play an important ecological role,moreover these molecules have a pharmaceutical and industrial application.

Design Strategies for Cellular Nanosponges as Medical Countermeasures

The interest in using therapeutic nanoparticles to bind with harmful molecules or pathogens and subsequently neutralize their bioactivity has grown tremendously.Among various nanomedicine platforms,cell membrane-coated nanoparticles,namely,“cellular nanosponges,”stand out for their broadspectrum neutralization capability challenging to achieve in traditional countermeasure technologies.Such ability is attributable to their cellular function-based rather than target structure-based working principle.Integrating cellular nanosponges with various synthetic substrates further makes their applications exceptionally versatile and adaptive.This review discusses the latest cellular nanosponge technology focusing on how the structure–function relationship in different designs has led to versatile and potent medical countermeasures.Four design strategies are discussed,including harnessing native cell membrane functions for biological neutralization,functionalizing cell membrane coatings to enhance neutralization capabilities,combining cell membranes and functional cores for multimodal neutralization,and integrating cellular nanosponges with hydrogels for localized applications.Examples in each design strategy are selected,and the discussion is to highlight their structure–function relationships in complex disease settings.The review may inspire additional design strategies for cellular nanosponges and fulfill even broader medical applications.

Hard Tissue-Forming Ability and Ultra-Micro Structure of Newly Developed Sponges as Scaffolds Made with Sodium Alginate Gel and Chondroitin Sulfate

To regenerate teeth and bones, a scaffold is essential. Hydroxyapatite has been used in many studies, but scaffolds made of hydrogel or sponge are also effective. The hardness of hydroxyapatite is a disadvantageous property for shaping. A sponge is suitable as a scaffold because the shape of the scaffold can be matched to the defect. Sodium alginate (AL) has excellent biocompatibility and a sponge can be made from this gel by lyophilization. The purpose of this study was to promote hard tissue formation with a sponge made of AL gel or AL gel and chondroitin sulfate (Chs). Sponges were made from AL gel, which were then used as a scaffold to investigate their effectiveness for the formation of hard tissue or bone. Hard tissue formation in the pores of these AL sponges was estimated in vitro and in vivo. In the sponge made from AL gel, the concentration of AL and the addition of Chs affected bone formation. Concentration of AL would affect the shape and size of the pores. ALP activity in the sponges was also enhanced by Chs. The amount of osteocalcin (OC) produced in the sponge by rat bone marrow cells increased depending on the AL and Chs concentrations in the gel. The level of OC amount in the sponges made from AL gel containing Chs was notable in vivo. Bone formation in the sponge in vivo was affected by the addition of Chs in AL gel. The quantity of OC and the bone formation in AL sponges in subcutaneous tissue in vivo suggested that AL sponges can be useful as a scaffold.

An Investigation of Thermomechanical Behavior of Tunisian Luffa Sponges’ Fibers

This work is realized in the context of valorizing natural and local resources, in particular, luffa plant fruit (luffa sponge). The raw fibers of the luffa sponge have a short lifetime. Hence, when they are chemically treated, it constitutes a solution is prepared to limit their degradation in the long term and to improve their mechanical characteristics. Therefore, this paper studies the effect of the chemical treatment on the mechanical properties of the luffa sponge’s fibers (fibers of luffa Sponge). The chemical process consists of dipping a brunch of luffa in various concentrations of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at different time intervals and at different temperature conditions. The luffa sponge’s fibers were mechanical. Characterized before and after the treatment, mechanically (micro traction test). It has been shown that an optimum of 61% increase in mechanical properties (tensile strength) has been reached in the following conditions: treatment with 1% concentration for 90 min at 50°C.

Multi-functional epoxides cross-linked collagen sponges for tissue engineering scaffolds

With the efficient cross-linking abilities and the flexible regulation abilities to the performances of cross-linked products,the multi-functional aliphatic epoxides were once widely used to cross-link the collagen-based materials in the last century.In present work,the multi-functional epoxides were used to construct and cross-link collagen sponges for tissue engineering scaffolds,which was hoped to board the theoretical system of epoxides and explore their potentials for modern applications.The bi-to tetra-functional epoxides were used to cross-link collagen solutions and establish the gel-like precursors,then using freeze-drying to form the final sponges.The SEM observed that the sponges had shown regular porous structures with a wide range of pore sizes from 160 to 440μm.The sponges had presented the resistance to enzymatic degradation,shape-remaining ability,and reversible compressibility in aqueous environments,which all could be regulated through the functionalities of epoxides.The regulation abilities of multi-functional epoxides on the performances of sponges had been mainly achieved through the cross-linking degrees that the higherfunctionality of epoxides would bring higher cross-linking degree.Such higher cross-linking degrees could enhance the elastic behaviors of gel-like precursors,and improve the compressive strengths and thermal stabilities of sponges.Nevertheless,the multi-functional epoxides had barely affected the safety of collagen sponges at the cellular level according to the results of CCK8 assay and the SEM and CLSM images of L929 fibroblasts cultured on the cross-sections of sponges.

Superhydrophobic magnetic Fe_(3)O_(4) polyurethane sponges for oil-water separation and oil-spill recovery

The effective and affordable separation of oil and water,a crucial process in the safe han dling of environmental disasters such as crude oil spills and recovery of valuable resources is a highly sought-after yet challenging task.Herein,superhydrophobic PU sponge was fab ricated for the fast and cost-effective adsorptive separation of oil and different organic sol vents from water.Octadecyltrichlorosilane(OTS)-functionalized Fe_(3)O_(4)@SiO_(2)core-shell mi crospheres were dip-coated on the surface of porous materials via a dip-coating process thereby endowing them with superhydrophobicity.Owing to the hydrophobic interaction between OTS molecules and oil and increased capillary force in the micropores,the result ing superhydrophobic sponge served as a selective oil-sorbent scaffold for absorbing oil from oil-water mixtures,including oil-water suspensions and emulsions.Remarkably,after the recovery of the adsorbed oil via mechanical extrusion,these superhydrophobic materials could be reused multiple times and maintain their oil-water separation efficacy even afte 10 oil-water separation cycles.

Electrically conductive and highly compressible anisotropic MXene-wood sponges for multifunctional and integrated wearable devices

Although piezoresistive sensors have wide applications in human motion detection and wearable elec-tronics,it is still a challenge to produce multifunctional and integrated sensors with wide working ranges and linear sensing responses.Herein,electrically conductive,highly compressible,and structurally anisotropic MXene-wood(MW)sponges are fabricated by converting balsa wood blocks to compressible wood sponges with extremely low density and highly anisotropic porous structure,followed by deco-rating with conductive MXene sheets.The MW sponge is utilized to assemble a piezoresistive sensor with a large working range of 0-25 kPa,wide linear sensing ranges of 5%-50%and 0-180°,and excellent long-term reliability under a bending angle of 30°for 5000 cycles.Additionally,the sensor is suitable for monitoring practical human physiological signals including pulse beating,and finger and wrist bending.An all-MW sponge-based multifunctional and integrated sensing system is constructed by integrating the MW sponge piezoresistive sensor,the MW sponge-based solid-state supercapacitor,and the MW sponge electrophysiological electrodes.The sensing system can concurrently detect surface electromyogram and tactile pressures,and hence realize real-time closed-loop controls.The multifunctional and integrated MW sponge sensing system would have great potentials in real-time pressure recognition and human-machine interfaces.