Research progress in the effects of terahertz waves on biomacromolecules

With the rapid development of terahertz technologies,basic research and applications of terahertz waves in biomedicine have attracted increasing attention.The rotation and vibrational energy levels of biomacromolecules fall in the energy range of terahertz waves;thus,terahertz waves might interact with biomacromolecules.Therefore,terahertz waves have been widely applied to explore features of the terahertz spectrum of biomacromolecules.However,the effects of terahertz waves on biomacromolecules are largely unexplored.Although some progress has been reported,there are still numerous technical barriers to clarifying the relation between terahertz waves and biomacromolecules and to realizing the accurate regulation of biological macromolecules by terahertz waves.Therefore,further investigations should be conducted in the future.In this paper,we reviewed terahertz waves and their biomedical research advantages,applications of terahertz waves on biomacromolecules and the effects of terahertz waves on biomacromolecules.These findings will provide novel ideas and methods for the research and application of terahertz waves in the biomedical field.

The application of biomacromolecules to improve oral absorption by enhanced intestinal permeability:A mini-review

Oral administration has been widely regarded as the most conve nient,quick and safe approach compared to other routes of drug delivery.However,oral absorption of drugs is often limited due to rigorous environments and complex obstacles in gastrointestinal tract.Having received considerable attention,biomacromolecules have been applied for oral drug delivery to improve the bioavailability,which could be attributed to its stability and unique bioactivities,including intestinal adhesion,opening of epithelial tight junctions,inhibiting cell efflux and regulating relative protein expression.Specifically,enhancing intestinal permeability has been regarded as a promising strategy for improving bioavailability of oral drug delivery.In this review,a series of biomacromolecules and the related mechanisms of increasing intestinal permeability for enhanced oral bioavailability are comprehensively classified and elucidated.In addition,recent advances in biomacromolecules based oral delivery and related future directions are mentioned and predicted in this review article.

Research progress on the luminescence of biomacromolecules

Luminescent materials show great potential in various applications.Traditional aggregation-induced emission(AIE)luminogens are mostly produced by complex organic synthesis and have poor hydrophilicity and biocompatibility,which limit their practical applications.Therefore,it is of great significance to develop fluorescent materials with good hydrophilicity and biocompatibility,and biomacromolecules with these properties have attracted our attention.Partial biomacromolecules can generate unique new fluorophores during the gelation process to obtain hydrogels with good fluorescence properties.In addition,biomacromolecules can be modified with fluorescent groups to obtain fluorescent materials with excellent performance,thus improving the hydrophilicity and biocompatibility of fluorophore.In particular,grafting aggregation-caused quenching(ACQ)luminogens onto biomacromolecules can even effectively inhibit the aggregation and self-quenching of luminogens.It is well known that aromatic biological macromolecules such as green fluorescent protein have intrinsic fluorescence.Intrinsic fluorescence is also observed in nonaromatic biological macromolecules without traditional chromophores such as chitosan,cellulose and sodium alginate.The luminescence of nonaromatic biomacromolecule can be rationalized by the clustering-triggered emission(CTE)mechanism,namely,clustering of nonconventional chromophores and subsequent electron overlap and conformation rigidification are accountable for the emssion.In this review,fluorescence gels obtained from biomacromolecules,biomacromolecules modified with fluorophores,and the intrinsic luminescence of biomacromolecular luminogens are assessed.This review will help to develop low-cost,biocompatible luminescent materials and has great significance for comprehending the luminescence of nonconventional luminophores and expanding the application of luminescent compounds.

Biomacromolecules as carriers in drug delivery and tissue engineering

Natural biomacromolecules have attracted increased attention as carriers in biomedicine in recent years because of their inherent biochemical and biophysical properties including renewability,nontoxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, long blood circulation time and targeting ability. Recent advances in our understanding of the biological functions of natural-origin biomacromolecules and the progress in the study of biological drug carriers indicate that such carriers may have advantages over synthetic material-based carriers in terms of half-life, stability, safety and ease of manufacture. In this review, we give a brief introduction to the biochemical properties of the widely used biomacromoleculebased carriers such as albumin, lipoproteins and polysaccharides. Then examples from the clinic and in recent laboratory development are summarized. Finally the current challenges and future prospects of present biological carriers are discussed.

Dynamic modifications of biomacromolecules: mechanism and chemical interventions

Biological macromolecules(proteins,nucleic acids,polysaccharides,etc.)are the building blocks of life,which constantly undergo chemical modifications that are often reversible and spatial-temporally regulated.These dynamic properties of chemical modifications play fundamental roles in physiological processes as well as pathological changes of living systems.The Major Research Project(MRP)funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)—"Dynamic modifications of biomacromolecules:mechanism and chemical interventions"aims to integrate cross-disciplinary approaches at the interface of chemistry,life sciences,medicine,mathematics,material science and information science with the following goals:(i)developing specific labeling techniques and detection methods for dynamic chemical modifications of biomacromolecules,(ii)analyzing the molecular mechanisms and functional relationships of dynamic chemical modifications of biomacromolecules,and(iii)exploring biomacromolecules and small molecule probes as potential drug targets and lead compounds.

Effects of high-energy-pulse-electron beam radiation on biomacromolecules

To study the molecular mechanism of high mutation frequency induced by high-energy-pulse-electron (HEPE) beam radiation, the effects of HEPE radiation on yeast cells, plasma membrane, plasmid DNA, and protein activity were investigated by means of cell counting, gel electrophoresis, AO/EB double fluorescent staining, etc. The results showed that the viability of yeast cells declined statistically with increase of absorbed doses. The half lethal dose (LD50) was 134 Gy. HEPE beam radiation had little influence on the function of plasma membrane and protein, while it could induce much DNA damage of single strand breaks (SSB) and double strand breaks (DSB) that were required for gene mutation. The G-value for DSB formation of HEPE beam radiation in aqueous solution was 5.7 times higher than that caused by 60Co gamma rays. HEPE can be a new effective method for induced mutation breeding and deserves further research in the future.

The potential of ionic liquids in biopharmaceutical engineering

Biopharmaceuticals,such as proteins,peptides,nucleic acids and vaccines,bring about great hopes for the prevention and treatment of various diseases,but the industrialization of these products still faces challenges such as structural instability,inefficient bioactivity and low bioavailability.Ionic liquids(ILs),the marvelous solvent media with inimitable and tunable properties,may provide alternative solutions to overcome the above problems of biopharmaceutical industry.Progress has gradually been made through studies by combination of ILs with biomacromolecules.The applications involved the stabilization,protection,and delivery of biopharmaceuticals.Recent trends are being forwarded to using ILs in vaccines and nucleic acid drugs.However,challenges remain on the toxicity and safety issues.Besides,the cost of adding ILs to the benefits of biopharmaceuticals need to be considered.

Biocompatibility and Antibacterial Effects of 6-Deoxy-6-Aminoethyleneamino Cellulose

Recently, there is a need of alternatives to antibiotics due to increasing antibiotic-resistant microorganism. Promising classes of bioactive polymers are 6-deoxy-6-amino cellulose derivatives. The purpose of the study was the assessment of the biocompatibility of 6-deoxy-6-aminoethyleneamino cellulose (AEAC) with different degree of substitution (DS). HaCaT keratinocyte cell viability was analyzed by measuring the cellular ATP content. The antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae was examined by microplate laser nephelometry. Thus, the ratio of half-maximal lethal concentration (LC50) and half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was calculated and described as biocompatibility index. The study revealed that biocompatibility of AEAC depends on the DS. AEAC of low DS (0.3) showed the best biocompatibility.

Graphene-based nanomaterials in biosystems

Graphene-based nanomaterials have emerged as a novel type of materials with exceptional physicochemical properties and numerous applications in various areas. In this review, we summarize recent advances in studying interactions between graphene and biosystems. We first provide a brief introduction on graphene and its derivatives, and then discuss on the toxicology and biocompatibility of graphene, including the extracellular interactions between graphene and biomacromolecules, cellular studies of graphene, and in vivo toxicological effects. Next, we focus on various graphene-based practical applications in antibacterial materials, wound addressing, drug delivery, and water purification.We finally present perspectives on challenges and future developments in these exciting fields.

Advances in cyclodextrin polymers adsorbents for separation and enrichment:Classification,mechanism and applications

Over the past few decades,supramolecular chemistry has entered the field of scientific research and attracted extensive attention.Among supramolecular macrocycles,cyclodextrins(CDs)are widely applied in the field of adsorption due to their unique structure and properties.This review focuses on the important role of cyclodextrin polymers(CDPs)as adsorbents in the adsorption of different substances.It covers the category of CDPs adsorbents(including crosslinked CDPs,grafted CDPs,CD-based polyrotaxanes/pseudopolyrotaxanes,and imprinted CDPs),their adsorption mechanism and applications in the adsorption of inorganic metal ions,organic pollutants,and biomacromolecules.Finally,the challenges and future perspectives in relative research fields are discussed.

Release of deposited MnO2 nanoparticles from aqueous surfaces

Changes in solution chemistry and transport conditions can lead to the release of deposited MnO2 nanoparticles from a solid interface,allowing them to re-enter the aqueous environment.Understanding the release behavior of Mn02 nanoparticles from naturally occurring surfaces is critical for better prediction of the transport potential and environmental fate of Mn02 nanoparticles.In this study,the release of Mn02 nanoparticles was investigated using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring(QCM-D),and different environmental surface types,solution pH values and representative macromolecular organics were considered.Mn02 nanoparticles were first deposited on crystal sensors at elevated NaN03 concentrations before being rinsed with double-deionized water to induce their remobilization.The results reveal that the release rate of Mn02 depends on the surface type,in the decreasing order:SiO2>Fe304>Al2 O3,resulting from electrostatic interactions between the surface and particles.Moreover,differences in solution pH can lead to variance in the release behavior of Mn02 nanoparticles.The release rate from surfaces was significantly higher at pH 9.8 that at 4.5,indicating that alkaline conditions were more favorable for the mobilization of Mn02 in the aquatic environment.In the presence of macromolecular organics,bovine serum albumin(BSA)can inhibit the release of Mn02 from the surfaces due to attractive forces.In presence of humic acid(HA)and sodium alginate(SA),the Mn02 nanoparticles were more likely to be mobile,which may be associated with a large repulsive barrier imparted by steric effects.