Microalgae-based drug delivery systems in biomedical applications

Over decades of development,the modern drug delivery system continues to grapple with numerous challenges,including drug loading inefficiencies,issues of immunogenicity,and cytotoxicity.These limitations restrict its application across various systems.Microalgae,as a natural resource,are not only abundant in bioactive com-pounds but also possess multiple biological properties,including active surface,photosynthesis capabilities,and excellent biocompatibility.These attributes make microalgae highly promising as carriers for targeted drug de-livery,offering significant potential for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.Therefore,leveraging the exceptional properties of microalgae for drug delivery and optimizing their qualities is of paramount importance.This article focuses on elucidating the biological characteristics of microalgae and their applications in drug de-livery,with a particular emphasis on emerging strategies for efficient drug loading and precise targeted delivery.Microalgae,as a natural biomaterial,hold immense potential for both commercial and clinical applications.

The regulatory role of m^(6)A modification in the maintenance and differentiation of embryonic stem cells

As the most prevalent and reversible internal epigenetic modification in eukaryotic mRNAs,N6-methyladenosine(m^(6)A)post-transcriptionally regulates the processing and metabolism of mRNAs involved in diverse biological processes.m^(6)A modification is regulated by m^(6)A writers,erasers,and readers.Emerging evidence suggests that m^(6)A modification plays essential roles in modulating the cell-fate transition of embryonic stem cells.Mechanistic investigation of embryonic stem cell maintenance and differentiation is critical for understanding early embryonic development,which is also the premise for the application of embryonic stem cells in regenerative medicine.This review highlights the current knowledge of m^(6)A modification and its essential regulatory contribution to the cell fate transition of mouse and human embryonic stem cells.

Naked-eye visualization of lymph nodes using fluorescence nanoprobes in non-human primate-animal models

Despite sufficient studies performed in non-primate animal models,there exists scanty information obtained from pilot trials in non-human primate animal models,severely hindering nanomaterials moving from basic research into clinical practice.We herein present a pioneering demonstration of nanomaterials based optical imaging-guided surgical operation by using macaques as a typical kind of non-human primate-animal models.Typically,taking advantages of strong and stable fluorescence of the small-sized(diameter:~5 nm)silicon-based nanoparticles(SiNPs),lymphatic drainage patterns can be vividly visualized in a real-time manner,and lymph nodes(LN)are able to be sensitively detected and precisely excised from small animal models(e.g.,rats and rabbits)to non-human primate animal models(e.g.,cynomolgus macaque(Macaca fascicularis)and rhesus macaque(Macaca mulatta)).Compared to clinically used invisible near-infrared(NIR)lymphatic tracers(i.e.,indocyanine green(ICG);etc.),we fully indicate that the SiNPs feature unique advantages for naked-eye visible fluorescence-guided surgical operation in long-term manners.Thorough toxicological analysis in macaque models further provides confirming evidence of favorable biocompatibility of the SiNPs probes.We expect that our findings would facilitate the translation of nanomaterials from the laboratory to the clinic,especially in the field of cancer treatment.

Iron metabolism,ferroptosis,and lncRNA in cancer: knowns and unknowns

Cancer cells undergo substantial metabolic alterations to sustain increased energy supply and uncontrolled proliferation.As an essential trace element,iron is vital for many biological processes.Evidence has revealed that cancer cells deploy various mechanisms to elevate the cellular iron concentration to accelerate proliferation.Ferroptosis,a form of cell death caused by iron-catalyzed excessive peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFAs),is a promising therapeutic target for therapyresistant cancers.Previous studies have reported that long noncoding RNA(lncRNA)is a group of critical regulators involved in modulating cell metabolism,proliferation,apoptosis,and ferroptosis.In this review,we summarize the associations among iron metabolism,ferroptosis,and ferroptosis-related lncRNA in tumorigenesis.This information will help deepen understanding of the role of lncRNA in iron metabolism and raise the possibility of targeting lncRNA and ferroptosis in cancer combination therapy.

Host-Defense-Peptide-Mimickingβ-Peptide Polymer Acting as a Dual-Modal Antibacterial Agent by Interfering Quorum Sensing and Killing Individual Bacteria Simultaneously

Host defense peptides(HDPs)are one of the potentially promising agents for infection diseases due to their broad spectrum and low resistance rate,but their clinical applications are limited by proteolytic instability,high-cost,and complicated synthesis process.Here,we report a host-defense-peptidemimickingβ-peptide polymer that resists proteolysis to have enhanced the activity under physiological conditions,excellent antimicrobial efficiency even at high density of bacteria,and low cost for preparation.Theβ-peptide polymer demonstrated quorum sensing(QS)interference and bactericidal effect against both bacterial communities and individual bacterium to simultaneously block bacterial communication and disrupt bacterial membranes.The hierarchical QS network was suppressed,and main QS signaling systems showed considerably down-regulated gene expression,resulting in excellent biofilm eradication and virulence reduction effects.The dual-modal antibacterial ability possessed excellent therapeutic effects in Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia,which could inhibit biofilm formation and exhibit better antibacterial and anti-inflammatory efficiency than clinically used antibiotics,levofloxacin.Furthermore,theβ-peptide polymer also showed excellent therapeutic effect Escherichia coli pyogenic liver abscess.Together,we believed that theβ-peptide polymer had a feasible clinical potential to treat bacterial infection diseases.