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The viable use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in cancer therapy has never been fully realized because of its undesirable effects on healthy tissues. Herein we summarize some physicochemical factors that can make PDT a more viable and effective option to provide future oncological patients with better‐quality treatment options. These physicochemical factors include light sources, photosensitizer (PS) carriers, microwaves, electric fields, magnetic fields, and ultrasound. This Review is meant to provide current information pertaining to PDT use, including a discussion of in vitro and in vivo studies. Emphasis is placed on the physicochemical factors and their potential benefits in overcoming the difficulty in transitioning PDT into the medical field. Many advanced techniques, such as employing X‐rays as a light source, using nanoparticle‐loaded stem cells and bacteriophage bio‐nanowires as a photosensitizer carrier, as well as integration with immunotherapy, are among the future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Der Einsatz der photodynamischen Therapie (PDT) in der Krebstherapie ist aufgrund der unerwünschten Auswirkungen auf das gesunde Gewebe nie vollständig realisiert worden. Wir fassen hier einige physikalisch‐chemische Faktoren zusammen, die PDT zu einer tragfähigeren und effektiveren Methode machen, um zukünftigen Krebspatienten qualitativ bessere Behandlungsmöglichkeiten bieten zu können. Diese physikalisch‐chemischen Faktoren umfassen Lichtquellen, Träger für Photosensibilisatoren (PS), Mikrowellen, elektrische Felder, Magnetfelder und Ultraschall. Wir diskutieren aktuelle Ergebnisse zur Anwendung der PDT, einschließlich In‐vitro‐ und In‐vivo‐Studien und mit einem Schwerpunkt auf den physikalisch‐chemischen Faktoren der PDT. Eine Vielzahl von fortschrittlichen Techniken, wie z. B. der Einsatz von Röntgenstrahlung als Lichtquelle, die Nutzung von Nanopartikel‐beladenen Stammzellen und bakteriophagen Bionanodrähten als Photosensibilisatorträger sowie die Integration mit der Immuntherapie, sind Teil der Entwicklung des Gebiets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both melanoma cells and tissues were allowed to interact with an identical pool of billions of human-safe phage nanofiber clones with each genetically displaying a unique 12-mer peptide at the tips, respectively, resulting in the discovery of bionanofibers displaying a melanoma cell/tissue dual-homing peptide for personalized targeted melanoma therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the role of biocompatible protein nanoridges in directing stem cell fate and tissue regeneration due to the difficulty in forming protein nanoridges. Here an ice-templating approach is proposed to produce semi-parallel pure silk protein nanoridges. The key to this approach is that water droplets formed in the protein films are frozen into ice crystals (removed later by sublimation), pushing the surrounding protein molecules to be assembled into nanoridges. Unlike the flat protein films, the unique protein nanoridges can induce the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into osteoblasts without any additional inducers, as well as the formation of bone tissue in a subcutaneous rat model even when not seeded with MSCs. Moreover, the nanoridged films induce less inflammatory infiltration than the flat films in vivo. This work indicates that decorating biomaterials surfaces with protein nanoridges can enhance bone tissue formation in bone repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel affinity agents with high specificity are needed to make progress in disease diagnosis and therapy. Over the last several years, peptides have been considered to have fundamental benefits over other affinity agents, such as antibodies, due to their fast blood clearance, low immunogenicity, rapid tissue penetration, and reproducible chemical synthesis. These features make peptides ideal affinity agents for applications in disease diagnostics and therapeutics for a wide variety of afflictions. Virus-derived peptide techniques provide a rapid, robust, and high-throughput way to identify organism-targeting peptides with high affinity and selectivity. Here, we will review viral peptide display techniques, how these techniques have been utilized to select new organism-targeting peptides, and their numerous biomedical applications with an emphasis on targeted imaging, diagnosis, and therapeutic techniques. In the future, these virus-derived peptides may be used as common diagnosis and therapeutics tools in local clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both lytic and temperate bacteriophages (phages) can be applied in nanomedicine, in particular, as nanoprobes for precise disease diagnosis and nanotherapeutics for targeted disease treatment. Since phages are bacteria-specific viruses, they do not naturally infect eukaryotic cells and are not toxic to them. They can be genetically engineered to target nanoparticles, cells, tissues, and organs, and can also be modified with functional abiotic nanomaterials for disease diagnosis and treatment. This Review will summarize the current use of phage structures in many aspects of precision nanomedicine, including ultrasensitive biomarker detection, enhanced bioimaging for disease diagnosis, targeted drug and gene delivery, directed stem cell differentiation, accelerated tissue formation, effective vaccination, and nanotherapeutics for targeted disease treatment. We will also propose future directions in the area of phage-based nanomedicines, and discuss the state of phage-based clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dieser Aufsatz betrachtet Nanopartikel auf Basis lytischer und temperenter Bakteriophagen in der Nanomedizin, insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit der Entwicklung von Nanosonden für eine präzise Diagnostik und Nanotherapeutika für eine gezielte Krankheitsbehandlung. Phagen infizieren normalerweise keine eukaryotischen Zellen und sind daher für diese nicht toxisch. Sie können allerdings zum einen genetisch so verändert werden, dass sie spezifisch an Nanopartikel, Zellen, Gewebe und Organe binden, und können zum anderen in funktionale abiotische Nanomaterialien integriert werden, wo sie die Diagnose und Therapie von Erkrankungen ermöglichen. In diesem Aufsatz wird der Einsatz von Phagenstrukturen in der Nanomedizin zusammengefasst; Beispiele sind der hochempfindliche Nachweis von Biomarkern, eine verbesserte biologische Bildgebung zur Krankheitserkennung sowie zielgerichtete Wirkstoff ‐ und Genapplikation. Außerdem werden Vorschläge zur weiteren Entwicklung einer Phagen ‐ basierten Nanomedizin gemacht, und der aktuelle Stand entsprechender klinischer Studien wird dargestellt. Appetit auf Bakterien: Die zunehmenden Resistenzen von Bakterien gegen Antibiotika machen den Einsatz von Phagen zu einer vielversprechenden Alternative, und Phagen können auch noch weitere interessante medizinische Anwendungen finden. Dieser Aufsatz beleuchtet Phagen ‐ basierte Nanopartikel in der Nanomedizin im Zusammenhang mit der Entwicklung von Nanosonden für eine präzise Diagnostik und Nanotherapeutika für die gezielte Behandlung von Krankheiten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although dendritic nanoparticles have been prepared by many different methods, control over their degree of branching (DB) is still impossible, preventing us from understanding the effect of the DB on the properties of the nanodendrites as cancer therapeutics. Herein, we developed a novel seed-mediated method to prepare gold nanodendrites (AuNDs) in an organic solvent using long chain amines as a structural directing agent. We discovered that the DB could be tuned facilely by simply adjusting synthetic parameters, such as the solvent type, the type and concentration of the long chain amines. We found that DB tuning resulted in dramatic tunability in the optical properties in the near infrared (NIR) range, which led to significantly different performance in the photothermal cancer therapy. Our in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that AuNDs with a higher DB were more efficient in photothermal tumor destruction under a lower wavelength NIR irradiation. In contrast, those with a lower DB performed better in tumor destruction under a higher wavelength NIR irradiation, indicating that AuNDs of even lower DB should have even better photothermal cancer therapy efficiency within the second NIR window. Thus, the tunable optical properties of AuNDs in the NIR range allow us to selectively determine a suitable laser wavelength for the best cancer therapeutic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomacromolecules have been usedas templates to grow hydroxyapatitecrystals (HAps) by biomineralization to fabricate mineralized materialsfor potential application in bone tissue engineering. Silk sericinis a protein with features desirable as a biomaterial, such as increasedhydrophilicity and biodegradation. Mineralization of the silk sericinfrom Antheraea pernyi(A. pernyi) silkworm has rarely been reported. Here,for the first time, nucleation of HAps on A. pernyisilk sericin (AS) was attempted through a wet precipitation methodand consequently the cell viability and osteogenic differentiationof BMSCs on mineralized AS were investigated. It was found that ASmediated the nucleation of HAps in the form of nanoneedles while self-assemblinginto β-sheet conformation, leading to the formation of a biomineralizedprotein based biomaterial. The cell viability assay of BMSCs showedthat the mineralization of AS stimulated cell adhesion and proliferation,showing that the resultant AS biomaterial is biocompatible. The differentiationassay confirmed that the mineralized AS significantly promoted theosteogenic differentiation of BMSCs when compared to nonmineralizedAS as well as other types of sericin (B. morisericin), suggesting that the resultant mineralized AS biomaterialhas potential in promoting bone formation. This result representedthe first work proving the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs directedby silk sericin. Therefore, the biomineralization of A. pernyisilk sericin coupled with seeding BMSCson the resultant mineralized biomaterials is a useful strategy todevelop the potential application of this unexplored silk sericinin the field of bone tissue engineering. This study lays the foundationfor the use of A. pernyisilk sericinas a potential scaffold for tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antheraea pernyi (A. pernyi) silk fibroin, which is spun from a wild silkworm, has increasingly attracted interest in the field of tissue engineering. The aim of this study was to investigate the nucleation of hydroxyapatite (HAp) on A. pernyi fibroin film. Von Kossa staining proved that A. pernyi fibroin had Ca binding activity. The A. pernyi fibroin film was mineralized with HAp crystals by alternative soaking in calcium and phosphate solutions. Spherical crystals were nucleated on the A. pernyi fibroin film according to scanning electron microscopeimaging results. The FT-IR and X-ray diffraction spectra confirmed that these spherical crystals were HAp. The results of in vitro cell culture using MG-63 cells demonstrated that the mineralized A. pernyi fibroin film showed excellent cytocompatibility and sound improvement of the MG-63 cellviability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the mineralization of Antheraea pernyi (A. pernyi) silk sericin. Mineralization of A. pernyi sericin was performed by alternative soaking in calcium and phosphate. The inhibition of precipitation of calcium carbonate and von Kossa staining on A. pernyi sericin were tested, and the corresponding results prove that A. pernyi sericin has Ca binding activity. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation shows that spherical crystals could be nucleated on the A. pernyi sericin film. These crystals were confirmed to be hydroxyapatite according to FT-IR and XRD spectra, indicating that A. pernyi sericin is capable of mineralization. In addition, cell adhesion and growth activity assay demonstrate that A. pernyi sericin shows excellent biocompatibility for the growth of MG-63 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) is known to be capable of facilitating nucleation of the hydroxyapatite crystals (HAps). To find out how SF mediates the nucleation of HAps, self-assembly of SF in 1.5 simulated body fluid (SBF) was observed in this study through design of a co-solution of SF and 1.5-times SBF (SF/1.5 SBF). After the co-solution of SF/1.5 SBF was incubated at 37.2 °C up to 7 days, SEM, X-ray, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) observations indicated that nucleation of HAps was increased. In addition, the structure of SF was transited from random coil into β-sheet indicated by FTIR spectra. The β-sheet assembly of SF in 1.5 SBF was also supported by CD spectra. Atomic force microscopy provided detailed progress of the self-assembly that SF incubated in 1.5 SBF was self-assembled in the form from dot, through rod to final net. Therefore, this study suggested that nucleation of HAps of SF was controlled by its molecular self-assembly. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antheraea pernyi (A. pernyi) silk fibroin, which is spun from a wild silkworm, has increasingly attracted interest in the field of tissue engineering. The aim of this study was to investigate the nucleation of hydroxyapatite (HAp) on A. pernyi fibroin film. Von Kossa staining proved that A. pernyi fibroin had Ca binding activity. The A. pernyi fibroin film was mineralized with HAp crystals by alternative soaking in calcium and phosphate solutions. Spherical crystals were nucleated on the A. pernyi fibroin film according to scanning electron microscopeimaging results. The FT-IR and X-ray diffraction spectra confirmed that these spherical crystals were HAp. The results of in vitro cell culture using MG-63 cells demonstrated that the mineralized A. pernyi fibroin film showed excellent cytocompatibility and sound improvement of the MG-63 cellviability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the mineralization of Antheraea pernyi (A. pernyi) silk sericin. Mineralization of A. pernyi sericin was performed by alternative soaking in calcium and phosphate. The inhibition of precipitation of calcium carbonate and von Kossa staining on A. pernyi sericin were tested, and the corresponding results prove that A. pernyi sericin has Ca binding activity. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation shows that spherical crystals could be nucleated on the A. pernyi sericin film. These crystals were confirmed to be hydroxyapatite according to FT-IR and XRD spectra, indicating that A. pernyi sericin is capable of mineralization. In addition, cell adhesion and growth activity assay demonstrate that A. pernyi sericin shows excellent biocompatibility for the growth of MG-63 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to develop new silk-like materials in the form of fiber and non-woven nano-fiber, this study synthesized a new silk-like protein by selecting the sequence from the crystalline region of Bombyx mori silk fibroin, (GAGSGA)6, to imitate the processing condition of the silk fibroin with the combination of the sequence YGGLGSQGAGRG, the hydrophilic motif of spider dragline silk which was considered as the origin of supercontraction of spider dragline silk (Yang Z, et al. J Am Chem Soc 2000;122: 9019–25). The CD pattern of the silk-like protein in hexafluoroacetone (HFA) indicates that it takes helical structure. The solid-state structures of the silk-like protein before and after methanol treatment were determined to be random coil and Silk II structure (mainly β-sheet structure), respectively, using 13C CP/MAS NMR. The 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra of the protein after methanol treatment in hydrated state showed that the random coil peaks from Ala Cβ and Ser Cβ carbons become sharper compared with the corresponding peaks in the dry state. The 2D-WISE spectra in the hydrated state also showed increase of the narrow components for these carbons. Thus, water molecules are relatively easy to access at the random coil regions of the protein. The fiber formation of the silk-like protein was possible with wet-spinning or electrospinning methods using HFA as dope solvent and methanol as coagulation solvent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are specific antagonists against bacteria. T7 phage has drawn massive attention in precision medicine owing to its distinctive advantages, such as short replication cycle, ease in displaying peptides and proteins, high stability and cloning efficiency, facile manipulation, and convenient storage. By introducing foreign gene into phage DNA, T7 phage can present foreign peptides or proteins site‐specifically on its capsid, enabling it to become a nanoparticle that can be genetically engineered to screen and display a peptide or protein capable of recognizing a specific target with high affinity. This review critically introduces the biomedical use of T7 phage, ranging from the detection of serological biomarkers and bacterial pathogens, recognition of cells or tissues with high affinity, design of gene vectors or vaccines, to targeted therapy of different challenging diseases (e.g., bacterial infection, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, inflammatory disease, and foot–mouth disease). It also discusses perspectives and challenges in exploring T7 phage, including the understanding of its interactions with human body, assembly into scaffolds for tissue regeneration, integration with genome editing, and theranostic use in clinics. As a genetically modifiable biological nanoparticle, T7 phage holds promise as biomedical imaging probes, therapeutic agents, drug and gene carriers, and detection tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are specific antagonists against bacteria. T7 phage has drawn massive attention in precision medicine owing to its distinctive advantages, such as short replication cycle, ease in displaying peptides and proteins, high stability and cloning efficiency, facile manipulation, and convenient storage. By introducing foreign gene into phage DNA, T7 phage can present foreign peptides or proteins site‐specifically on its capsid, enabling it to become a nanoparticle that can be genetically engineered to screen and display a peptide or protein capable of recognizing a specific target with high affinity. This review critically introduces the biomedical use of T7 phage, ranging from the detection of serological biomarkers and bacterial pathogens, recognition of cells or tissues with high affinity, design of gene vectors or vaccines, to targeted therapy of different challenging diseases (e.g., bacterial infection, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, inflammatory disease, and foot–mouth disease). It also discusses perspectives and challenges in exploring T7 phage, including the understanding of its interactions with human body, assembly into scaffolds for tissue regeneration, integration with genome editing, and theranostic use in clinics. As a genetically modifiable biological nanoparticle, T7 phage holds promise as biomedical imaging probes, therapeutic agents, drug and gene carriers, and detection tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are specific antagonists against bacteria. T7 phage has drawn massive attention in precision medicine owing to its distinctive advantages, such as short replication cycle, ease in displaying peptides and proteins, high stability and cloning efficiency, facile manipulation, and convenient storage. By introducing foreign gene into phage DNA, T7 phage can present foreign peptides or proteins site‐specifically on its capsid, enabling it to become a nanoparticle that can be genetically engineered to screen and display a peptide or protein capable of recognizing a specific target with high affinity. This review critically introduces the biomedical use of T7 phage, ranging from the detection of serological biomarkers and bacterial pathogens, recognition of cells or tissues with high affinity, design of gene vectors or vaccines, to targeted therapy of different challenging diseases (e.g., bacterial infection, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, inflammatory disease, and foot–mouth disease). It also discusses perspectives and challenges in exploring T7 phage, including the understanding of its interactions with human body, assembly into scaffolds for tissue regeneration, integration with genome editing, and theranostic use in clinics. As a genetically modifiable biological nanoparticle, T7 phage holds promise as biomedical imaging probes, therapeutic agents, drug and gene carriers, and detection tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biologically derived hierarchical structural materials not only boast energy‐efficient processing but also exhibit impressive mechanical performance. Silk stands as the gold standard in hierarchical fiber production, leveraging a unique combination of advantages. Nevertheless, the artificial replication of silk poses technical challenges related to precision processing and comprehensive molecular control. To address such issues, this study investigates the hierarchical assembly of solid regenerated silk in an air atmosphere, facilitated by the incorporation of carbon nanotube (CNT) seeding. Results obtained highlight that this CNT seeding facilitates multiscale structure development in response to post‐spin tensile stress. Such CNT bridged structure assembly bypasses some natural processing control variables (pH, ions) and the necessary solvent immersed state for conventional silk post‐drawing. Combining secondary electron hyperspectral imaging and 3D synchrotron X‐ray ptychotomography, this study reports silk protein conversion from a disordered as‐spun state to a longitudinal orientated semi‐crystalline nano structure during drawing. The development of microscale structure during the drawing process is attributed to the presence of CNTs, yielding mechanical properties comparable to, and frequently surpassing, those exhibited by native fibers. These findings collectively propose a framework for exploring novel processing routes and offer a practical means controlling self‐assembly in silk materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain damage is a common tissue damage caused by trauma or diseases, which can be life-threatening. Stem cell implantation is an emerging strategy treating brain damage. The stem cell is commonly embedded in a matrix material for implantation, which protects stem cell and induces cell differentiation. Cell differentiation induction by this material is decisive in the effectiveness of this treatment strategy. In this work, we present an injectable fibroin/MXene conductive hydrogel as stem cell carrier, which further enables in-vivo electrical stimulation upon stem cells implanted into damaged brain tissue. Cell differentiation characterization of stem cell showed high effectiveness of electrical stimulation in this system, which is comparable to pure conductive membrane. Axon growth density of the newly differentiated neurons increased by 290% and axon length by 320%. In addition, unfavored astrocyte differentiation is minimized. The therapeutic effect of this system is proved through traumatic brain injury model on rats. Combined with in vivo electrical stimulation, cavities formation is reduced after traumatic brain injury, and rat motor function recovery is significantly promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-environment interactions are often directly reflected in land use changes. Subsequently, researching the impact of land use change on the uncertainty in ecosystem services under different scenarios can help convey how human-environment interactions create uncertainty in such services, thereby promoting the rational development of territorial spatial planning. Taking the Zhangjiakou-Chengde (abbreviated as "Zhang-Cheng") area in China as a case study, this research used the CA-Markov model to predict future spatial distribution of land use types under three scenarios in 2030, 2040, and 2050: business as usual, cropland protection, and ecological security. It employed the InVEST model to evaluate three major ecosystem services of the study area, including carbon storage, habitat quality, and soil conservation. Next, the uncertainty in ecosystem services under different policy scenarios was measured using the coefficients of variation. The results demonstrated that built-up land would continue to expand significantly under the business-as-usual scenario, with substantial increases in cropland under the cropland protection scenario and forestland under the ecological security scenario. In 2050, carbon storage, habitat quality, and soil conservation under the ecological security scenario will be the highest at 901.39 × 105 Mg, 0.7240, and 458226.94 t, which are 1.10, 1.03 and 1.26 times higher than that of 2020, respectively. In each simulation scenario, the uncertainty in habitat quality will be higher than that in carbon storage and soil conservation. Under the ecological security scenario, uncertainty in both carbon storage and habitat quality will be the lowest compared to the other two scenarios. The greater the change in land use area, the higher the uncertainty in ecosystem services. In addition, uncertainty in ecosystem services is associated with changes in land types. Specifically, increases or decreases in water lead to high uncertainty in carbon storage, changes in built-up land result in high uncertainty in habitat quality, while changes in land types have small effects on uncertainty in soil conservation. Simulating future land use change dynamics and exploring ecosystem services and their uncertainties under different scenarios are conducive to constructing reasonable land use patterns and providing decision-making references for regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bombyx mori silk fibroin is a natural biomacromolecule that can be assembled into nanoparticles. Manganese dioxide (MnO2) is responsive to tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, SF and MnO2 is integrated to develop novel TME‐responsive drug carriers. Specifically, silk fibroin nanoparticles (SF‐NPs) are used as a biotemplates to regulate the nucleation and self‐assembly of MnO2 for designing the complex drug delivery (SM‐NPs). The SM‐NPs are further modified by polyethylene glycol and folic acid to improve their stability and tumor targeting. The resultant nanocarriers (SMPF‐NPs) present a raspberry‐like structure with lamellar MnO2 nanoparticles coating on its surface. The SMPF‐NPs show a high drug‐loading capability and selectively release drugs in acidic TME. Due to the catalytic activity of MnO2, the SMPF‐NPs generate high levels of oxygen under H2O2 and produce more reactive oxygen after loading Ce6. In vivo and in vitro analysis prove that SMPF‐NPs can accumulate in breast tumor tissues, efficiently kill cancer cells, and destroy breast cancer tumors by a combination of chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Moreover, the SMPF‐NPs also provide fluorescence and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for guiding cancer therapy. These results suggest that the self‐assembled SF and MnO2 nanocomplex could be a novel TME‐responsive nanodrug delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implantation of stem cells for tissue regeneration faces significant challenges such as immune rejection and teratoma formation. Cell‐free tissue regeneration thus has a potential to avoid these problems. Stem cell derived exosomes do not cause immune rejection or generate malignant tumors. Here, exosomes that can induce osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are identified and used to decorate 3D‐printed titanium alloy scaffolds to achieve cell‐free bone regeneration. Specifically, the exosomes secreted by hMSCs osteogenically pre‐differentiated for different times are used to induce the osteogenesis of hMSCs. It is discovered that pre‐differentiation for 10 and 15 days leads to the production of osteogenic exosomes. The purified exosomes are then loaded into the scaffolds. It is found that the cell‐free exosome‐coated scaffolds regenerate bone tissue as efficiently as hMSC‐seeded exosome‐free scaffolds within 12 weeks. RNA‐sequencing suggests that the osteogenic exosomes induce the osteogenic differentiation by using their cargos, including upregulated osteogenic miRNAs (Hsa‐miR‐146a‐5p, Hsa‐miR‐503‐5p, Hsa‐miR‐483‐3p, and Hsa‐miR‐129‐5p) or downregulated anti‐osteogenic miRNAs (Hsa‐miR‐32‐5p, Hsa‐miR‐133a‐3p, and Hsa‐miR‐204‐5p), to activate the PI3K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways. Consequently, identification of osteogenic exosomes secreted by pre‐differentiated stem cells and the use of them to replace stem cells represent a novel cell‐free bone regeneration strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thrombotic disease poses a significant threat to human health as it blocks blood vessels and leads to severe symptoms. Effective treatment requires targeted therapy and precise localization of the thrombus, but traditional drugs are limited in their targeting ability and ability to locate the thrombus. To overcome these issues, a nanoparticle capable of both thrombus targeting and computed tomography (CT) imaging is developed. Phage display technology is used to screen for the thrombus‐targeting peptide termed GK, which is then linked to the surface of macroporous silica (Mp‐SiO2) with a Bi core to create Mp‐Bi@SiO2‐GK. The large pores of Mp‐Bi@SiO2‐GK enable the transport of the drug Urokinase (UK), while the Bi core provides the capabilities of CT imaging and photothermal therapy. The Mp‐Bi@SiO2‐GK nanoparticles precisely target thrombi in mouse carotid arteries and locate them via CT imaging. Furthermore, the combination of Bi‐enabled photothermal therapy and UK‐induced chemotherapy enhance the thrombolysis efficiency. Treatment with Mp‐Bi@SiO2‐GK nanoparticles do not harm tissues/organs or affect liver/kidney metabolism. These results show that Mp‐Bi@SiO2‐GK exhibits precise thrombus targeting and efficient imaging/treatment capability, making it a promising tool for the diagnosis and treatment of thrombosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimodal therapy requires effective drug carriers that can deliver multiple drugs to specific locations in a controlled manner. Here, the study presents a novel nanoplatform constructed using zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8), a nanoscale metal‐organic framework nucleated under the mediation of silk fibroin (SF). The nanoplatform is modified with the newly discovered MCF‐7 breast tumor‐targeting peptide, AREYGTRFSLIGGYR (AR peptide). Indocyanine green (ICG) and doxorubicin (DOX) are loaded onto the nanoplatform with high drug encapsulation efficiency (>95%). ICG enables the resultant nanoparticles (NPs), called AR‐ZS/ID‐P, to release reactive oxygen species for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and heat for photothermal therapy (PTT) under near‐infrared (NIR) irradiation, promoting NIR fluorescence and thermal imaging to guide DOX‐induced chemotherapy. Additionally, the controlled release of both ICG and DOX at acidic tumor conditions due to the dissolution of ZIF‐8 provides a drug‐targeting mechanism in addition to the AR peptide. When intravenously injected, AR‐ZS/ID‐P NPs specifically target breast tumors and exhibit higher anticancer efficacy than other groups through ICG‐enabled PDT and PTT and DOX‐derived chemotherapy, without inducing side effects. The results demonstrate that AR‐ZS/ID‐P NPs are a promising multimodal theranostic nanoplatform with maximal therapeutic efficacy and minimal side effects for targeted and controllable drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Polymer-nanoparticles composites have attracted considerable attention over the years, due to the superior combination performance from both materials. As a versatile natural polymer, silk fibroin has been combined with various nanoparticles. The introduction of nanoparticles brings many optimized and new functionalities to silk fibroin, such as mechanical, biological, thermal, electrical, florescent and magnetical properties. This review focuses on the preparation methods and enhanced properties of silk fibroin-nanoparticle composites, especially their biomedical applications. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Various methods to prepare SF-NPs composites are introduced and discussed in detail. • The combination of SF and NPs is a win-win strategy for biomedical applications. • Important considerations and instructive outlooks about the preparation and application of SF-NPs composites are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the complexity and heterogeneity of cancer, the clear and accurate tumor imaging and image‐guided multimodal synergistic therapy are highly in demand. Here, bismuth (Bi)‐based mesoporous‐silica‐coated nanoparticles (BMSNs) are successfully fabricated with the silica shell thickness being lower than the Bi nanoparticle diameter. Then, an MCF‐7 breast cancer‐targeting peptide (termed AR) is modified onto the surface of BMSNs. The obtained nanoparticles (BMSN‐AR) show a significantly higher loading of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). The resultant BMSN‐AR‐DOX can agglomerate in the tumor site, enabling enhanced computed tomography (CT) imaging of the whole tumor. Under 808 nm near‐infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, the BMSN‐AR‐DOX also effectively converts light energy into thermal energy to achieve synergistic chemo‐photothermal therapy in vivo. The chemo‐photothermal combination therapy is found to be more effective than chemotherapy or photothermal therapy alone. This work demonstrates that tumor‐homing peptides can guide nanoparticles to tumors and allow the nanoparticles to enhance cancer imaging and photothermal/chemo combination therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac tissue engineering is a promising strategy for the treatment of myocardial damage. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are extensively used in tissue engineering. However, transformation of MSCs into cardiac myocytes is still a challenge. Furthermore, weak adhesion of MSCs to substrates often results in poor cell viability. Here, we designed a composite matrix based on silk fibroin (SF) and graphene oxide (GO) for improving the cell adhesion and directing the differentiation of MSCs into cardiac myocytes. Specifically, patterned SF films were first produced by soft lithographic. After being treated by air plasma, GO nanosheets could be successfully coated on the patterned SF films to construct the desired matrix (P-GSF). The resultant P-GSF films presented a nano-topographic surface characterized by linear grooves interlaced with GO ridges. The P-GSF films exhibited high protein absorption and suitable mechanical strength. Furthermore, the P-GSF films accelerated the early cell adhesion and directed the growth orientation of MSCs. RT-PCR results and immunofluorescence imaging demonstrated that the P-GSF films significantly improved the cardiomyogenic differentiation of MSCs. This work indicates that patterned SF films coated with GO are promising matrix in the field of myocardial repair tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating artificial enzymes onto nanostructures target‐ and site‐specifically is still a challenge. Here we show that target miRNAs trigger the formation of DNAzyme site‐specifically at the tip of filamentous phage for detecting miRNA biomarkers. Through an antibody‐modified oligonucleotide, the tip of the phage with magnetic nanoparticles on the sidewall captures a target miRNA, inducing the formation of DNAzyme that extends from the phage tip through a hybridization chain reaction. After magnetic separation, the resultant complex catalyzes a colorimetric reaction with the signal correlated to target concentrations, leading to the quantification of miRNAs with a detection limit of 5.0 fM, about 103 folds lower than the phage‐free approach. Our approach can differentiate miRNA mutants and quantify miRNA in human plasma, tumor cells, and tissues with high sensitivity, suggesting that the target‐triggered integration of enzymes and phages holds promise for searching for new catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating artificial enzymes onto nanostructures target‐ and site‐specifically is still a challenge. Here we show that target miRNAs trigger the formation of DNAzyme site‐specifically at the tip of filamentous phage for detecting miRNA biomarkers. Through an antibody‐modified oligonucleotide, the tip of the phage with magnetic nanoparticles on the sidewall captures a target miRNA, inducing the formation of DNAzyme that extends from the phage tip through a hybridization chain reaction. After magnetic separation, the resultant complex catalyzes a colorimetric reaction with the signal correlated to target concentrations, leading to the quantification of miRNAs with a detection limit of 5.0 fM, about 103 folds lower than the phage‐free approach. Our approach can differentiate miRNA mutants and quantify miRNA in human plasma, tumor cells, and tissues with high sensitivity, suggesting that the target‐triggered integration of enzymes and phages holds promise for searching for new catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silk fibers have many inherent properties that are suitable for their use in biomaterials. In this study, the silk fibroin was genetically modified by including a Ca-binding sequence, [(AGSGAG)6ASEYDYDDDSDDDDEWD]2 from shell nacreous matrix protein. It can be produced as fibers by transgenic silkworm. The Ca-binding activity and mineralization of the transgenic silk fibroin were examined in vitro. The results showed that this transgenic silk fibroin had relatively higher Ca-binding activity than unmodified silk fibroin. The increased Ca-binding activity could promote the usage of silk fibroin as a biomaterial in the pharmaceutical industry. This study shows the possibility of using silk fibroin as a mineralization accelerating medical material by generating genetically modified transgenic silkworm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To mimic the natural fibrous structure of the tissue extracellular matrix, a nano-fibrous silk fibroin (SF)/sodium alginate (SA) composite scaffold was fabricated by a thermally-induced phase-separation method. The effects of SF/SA ratio on the structure and the porosity of the composite scaffolds were examined. Scanning electron microscopy and porosity results showed that the 5SF/1SA and 3SF/1SA scaffolds possessed an excellent nano-fibrous structure and a porosity of more than 90%. Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry results indicated the physical interaction between SF and SA molecules and their good compatibility in the 5SF/1SA and 3SF/1SA scaffolds, whereas they showed less compatibility in the 1SF/1SA scaffold. Cell culture results showed that MG-63 cells can attach and grow well on the surface of the SF/SA scaffolds. The nano-fibrous SF/SA scaffold can be potentially used in tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms have gained defense systems during the lengthy process of evolution over millions of years. Such defense systems can protect them from being attacked by invading species (e.g., CRISPR–Cas for establishing adaptive immune systems and nanopore-forming toxins as virulence factors) or enable them to adapt to different conditions (e.g., gas vesicles for achieving buoyancy control). These microorganism defense systems (MDS) have inspired the development of biosensors that have received much attention in a wide range of fields including life science research, food safety, and medical diagnosis. This Review comprehensively analyzes biosensing platforms originating from MDS for sensing and imaging biological analytes. We first describe a basic overview of MDS and MDS-inspired biosensing platforms (e.g., CRISPR–Cas systems, nanopore-forming proteins, and gas vesicles), followed by a critical discussion of their functions and properties. We then discuss several transduction mechanisms (optical, acoustic, magnetic, and electrical) involved in MDS-inspired biosensing. We further detail the applications of the MDS-inspired biosensors to detect a variety of analytes (nucleic acids, peptides, proteins, pathogens, cells, small molecules, and metal ions). In the end, we propose the key challenges and future perspectives in seeking new and improved MDS tools that can potentially lead to breakthrough discoveries in developing a new generation of biosensors with a combination of low cost; high sensitivity, accuracy, and precision; and fast detection. Overall, this Review gives a historical review of MDS, elucidates the principles of emulating MDS to develop biosensors, and analyzes the recent advancements, current challenges, and future trends in this field. It provides a unique critical analysis of emulating MDS to develop robust biosensors and discusses the design of such biosensors using elements found in MDS, showing that emulating MDS is a promising approach to conceptually advancing the design of biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report the design of a uniquematrix, assembled from engineered M13 phage bionanofibers with specificcues of nanotopographies and versatile signal peptides to simulatenative niche for directing the fate of induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs). By independently varying the peptide sequences and nanotopographies,we find that the resident iPSCs on the phage matrix are first differentiatedinto mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs), which are further differentiatedinto osteoblasts in the absence of osteogenic supplements due to theelongation induced by phage nanofibers. The phage-based matrix representsnot only a biomimetic stem cell niche enabling independently varyingbiochemical and biophysical cues in one system but also a substratefor generating a safe and efficient cell source for tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of superabsorbent polymer composites based on sericin hydrolyzed with alkaline protease (AP) were prepared by grafting with acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM). The properties of the superabsorbent polymers (SAP) by using hydrolyzed sericin with different amount of alkaline protease ( nAPh-sericin) were compared. It was found that the polymer prepared from 5APh-sericin (the mass ratio of AP to sericin was 5.0 mg g−1) showed the highest graft percentage and water absorbency, this phenomenon may be attributed to the change of molecular weight of resulting sericin molecules. The molecular structure of the grafted polymers was proved by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements. Comparing with PAA-AM (poly AA- co-AM) and 0APh-sericin/PAA-AM polymer, 5APh-sericin/PAA-AM polymer had the most excellent water retention capacity and enzyme degradability. The morphological features of the polymers with different drying methods were evidenced by SEM images. The water absorbencies of 5APh-sericin/PAA-AM polymer prepared with freeze-drying were 896 g g−1 in deionized water, 424 g g−1 in tap water, and 83 g g−1 in 0.9 wt% aqueous NaCl solution. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:509-515, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of antibiotics is crucial for safeguarding the environment, ensuring food safety, and promoting human health. However, developing a rapid, convenient, low-cost, and sensitive method for antibiotic detection presents significant challenges. Herein, an aptamer-free biosensor was successfully constructed using upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) coated with silk fibroin (SF), based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and the charge-transfer effect, for detecting roxithromycin (RXM). A synergistic FRET efficiency was achieved by utilizing alizarin red and RXM complexes as energy acceptors, with UCNP as the energy donor, and immobilizing an ultrathin SF protein corona within 10 nm. The biosensor detects RXM in deionized water with high sensitivity primarily through monolayer adsorption, with a detection range of 1.0 nM–141.6 nM and a detection limit as low as 0.68 nM. The performance of this biosensor was compared with the ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for detecting antibiotics in river water separately and a strong correlation between the two methods was observed. The biosensor exhibited long-term stability in aqueous solutions (up to 60 d) with no attenuation of fluorescence intensity. Furthermore, the biosensor's applicability extended to the highly sensitive detection of other antibiotics, such as azithromycin. This study introduces a low-cost, eco-friendly, and highly sensitive method for antibiotic detection, with broad potential for future applications in environmental, healthcare, and food-related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of liquid metal (LM) and regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) hydrogel holds great potential for achieving effective antibacterial wound treatment through the LM photothermal effect. However, the challenge of LM's uncontrollable shape-deformability hinders its stable application. To address this, we propose a straightforward and environmentally-friendly ice-bath ultrasonic treatment method to fabricate stable RSF-coated eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) nanoparticles (RSF@EGaIn NPs). Additionally, a double-crosslinked hydrogel (RSF-P-EGaIn) is prepared by incorporating poly N-isopropyl acrylamide (PNIPAAm) and RSF@EGaIn NPs, leading to improved mechanical properties and temperature sensitivity. Our findings reveal that RSF@EGaIn NPs exhibit excellent stability, and the use of near-infrared (NIR) irradiation enhances the antibacterial behavior of RSF-P-EGaIn hydrogel in vivo. In fact, in vivo testing demonstrates that wounds treated with RSF-P-EGaIn hydrogel under NIR irradiation completely healed within 14 days post-trauma infection, with the formation of new skin and hair. Histological examination further indicates that RSF-P-EGaIn hydrogel promoted epithelialization and well-organized collagen deposition in the dermis. These promising results lay a solid foundation for the future development of drug release systems based on photothermal-responsive hydrogels utilizing RSF-P-EGaIn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, the recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) gene was cloned from MG-63 cells by RT-PCR, and the protein was expressed in Escherichia coli expression system, purified by Ni–NTA column under denaturing conditions and refolded at 4°C by urea gradient dialysis. We found that the protein refolding yield was increased with the increase of pH value from pH 6.0 to pH 9.0. The yield was 42% and 96% at pH 7.4 and pH 9.0, respectively, while that at pH 6.0 was only 3.4%. The cell culture results showed that the rhBMP-2 refolded at pH 7.4 urea gradient dialysis had higher biological activity for MG-63 cell proliferation and differentiation than that refolded at pH 9.0 since pH 7.4 is closer to the conditions in vivo leading to the formation of dimers through the interchain disulfide bond. Moreover, the biological activity for MG-63 was promoted with the increase of rhBMP-2 concentration in the cell culture medium. This work may be important for the in vitro production and biomedical application of rhBMP-2 protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Silkworms have been developed over thousands years to optimize folding and crystallization of fibroin under highly controlled conditions which have resulted in their efficient fiber formation. In this paper, we reconstructed the three-dimensional architecture of the spinneret of a wild silkworm Samia cynthia ricini from approximately 1000 optical micrographs of the semi-thin cross sections. The chitin plates and muscles were observed in the silk press part together with large change in the diameter of the spinneret lumen at the press part by large shear stress. This is similar to the case of the spinneret of Bombyx mori silkworm, indicating that the structural change in the silk fibroin of S.c. ricini silkworm occurs exclusively at the silk press part due to large shear stresses. Molecular dynamics (MD) calculations were then performed to study the structural change that occurs in the crystalline region of S.c. ricini silk fibroin under shear stress. Namely, using the peptide AGGAGG(A)12GGAGAG as a model of the crystalline part of the silk fibroin under different shear stresses in the presence of water molecules and followed by molecular mechanics (MM) calculation after removal of water molecules. The simulation indicates that the Ala residues in the model peptides adopt a predominantly β-sheet structure under shear stresses of above 1.0GPa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There are a variety of silkworms and silk fibroins produced by them. Silks have many inherent suitable properties for biomaterials. In this paper, a novel silk-like hybrid protein, [DGG(A)12GGAASTGRGDSPAAS]5, which consists of polyalanine region of silk fibroin from a wild silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini, and cell adhesive region including Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence, derived from fibronectin, was designed and produced. The genes encoding the hybrid protein were constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli. The main conformation of the polyalanine region, that is, either α-helix or β-sheet, could be easily controlled by treatment with different acidic solvents, trifluoroacetic acid or formic acid, respectively. This structural change was monitored with 13C CP/MAS NMR. Higher cell adhesive and growth activities of the hybrid protein compared with those of collagen were obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Objective] The paper was to clarify the application of biochemical fulvic acid potassium on the survival rate and growth of various trees transplanted in the process of landscaping. [Method] Two experimental treatments (i. e. decomposed organic fertilizer + biochemical fulvic acid potassium water soluble fertilizer, decomposed organic fertilizer + compound fertilizer) were designed to determine the changes in physical and chemical properties before and after soil treatment, and the survival rate, plant height and ground diameter of four different cultivated plants within one year, and the effects of applying biochemical fulvic acid potassium on cultivated plants were investigated. [Result] The soil organic matter, total nitrogen, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, soil available phosphorus, soil available potassium and pH value in the soil treated with decomposed organic fertilizer + biochemical fulvic acid potassium soluble fertilizer, and decomposed organic fertilizer + compound fertilizer increased significantly, and the soil bulk density decreased obviously. The survival rates, plant heights and ground diameters of four different cultivated plants were significantly improved after application of decomposed organic fertilizer + biochemical fulvic acid potassium water soluble fertilizer, and decomposed organic fertilizer + compound fertilizer (P<0.05). [Conclusion] The application of biochemical fulvic acid potassium on cultivated plants effectively improved soil fertility, increased the utilization of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, improved the growth of plants, and promoted the growth of landscaping plants after transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A framework for landscape ecological risk assessment based on appropriate scales was developed. • The spatio-temporal dynamics of landscape ecological risks in 50 m granularity and 5 km magnitude during 2000–2020 was grasped. • The relationship between landscape pattern and spatio-temporal variation in landscape ecological risks was revealed. • Control measures and policy recommendations were given for areas with prominent landscape ecological risks. Assessing the landscape ecological risk (LER) will facilitate optimal planning of land-use patterns and mitigating regional ecological risks, especially in megacities under rapid urbanization. And selecting the appropriate spatial analysis scales is the prerequisite for accurate assessment of the LER. In this study, we demonstrate the spatio-temporal dynamics of LER by determining the appropriate spatial scales in Beijing, China from 2000 to 2020. The results indicate that a granularity of 50 m and a magnitude of 5 km are optimal for regional LER assessment. The study area had predominantly medium risks, with medium, high and higher risks accounting for approximately 70% that revealed LER was at high level. Fortunately, the high and higher risks decreased by 14.64% while low and lower risks increased by 16.62% over the past two decades, which indicated LER was on a general downward trend. The LER pattern varies from east to west, with high and higher risks clustered in the northeast and southeast of the city center, and gradually dispersing elsewhere. In contrast, low and lower risks were predominantly in the city center and western regions, expanding outward from the city center. The LER was low in built-up land and cropland in the central city, but relatively high in areas away from it. The urban fringe areas dominated by woodland and grassland exhibited a high LER. The regional LER differentiation is spatially correlated with urban expressways and significant changes in LER were predominantly observed in areas adjacent to urban expressways. Specifically, the expansion of low and lower risks occurred outward along the ring roads of Beijing, and a typical case was that the lower risks were primarily enclosed by the fifth ring road in 2000 and gradually expanded towards the areas near the sixth ring road by 2020. Moreover, the LER manifests obvious spatial agglomeration influenced by human disturbance, with apparent high-high and low-low agglomerations. It is suggested to implement landscape optimization by enhancing the landscape diversity and connectivity to effectively mitigate ecological risks. These findings will provide scientific reference for researches aimed at mitigating ecological risks and fostering high-quality sustainable development in metropolitan areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriophage, also called phage, is a human-safe bacteria-specific virus. It is a monodisperse biological nanostructure made of proteins (forming the outside surface) and nucleic acids (encased in the protein capsid). Among different types of phages, filamentous phages have received great attention in tissue regeneration research due to their unique nanofiber-like morphology. They can be produced in an error-free format, self-assemble into ordered scaffolds, display multiple signaling peptides site-specifically, and serve as a platform for identifying novel signaling or homing peptides. They can direct stem cell differentiation into specific cell types when they are organized into proper patterns or display suitable peptides. These unusual features have allowed scientists to employ them to regenerate a variety of tissues, including bone, nerves, cartilage, skin, and heart. This review will summarize the progress in the field of phage-based tissue regeneration and the future directions in this field. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriophages, or more colloquially as phages, are viruses that possess the ability to infect and replicate with bacterial cells. They are assembled from two major types of biomolecules, the nucleic acids and the proteins, with the latter forming a capsid and the former being encapsulated. In the eukaryotic hosts, phages are inert particulate antigens and cannot trigger pathogenesis. In recent years, many studies have been explored about using phages as nanomedicine platforms for developing vaccines due to their unique biological characteristics. The whole phage particles can be used for vaccine design in the form of phage-displayed vaccines or phage DNA vaccines. Phage-displayed vaccines are the phages with peptide or protein antigens genetically displayed on their surfaces as well as those with antigens chemically conjugated or biologically bound on their surfaces. The phages can then deliver the immunogenic peptides or proteins to the target cells or tissues. Phage DNA vaccines are the eukaryotic promoter-driven vaccine genes inserted in the phage genomes, which are carried by phages to the target cells to generate antigens. The antigens, either as the immunogenic peptides or proteins displayed on the phages, or as the products expressed from the vaccine genes, can serve as vaccines to elicit immune responses for disease prevention and treatment. Both phage-displayed vaccines and phage DNA vaccines promise a brilliant future for developing vaccines. This review presents the recent advancements in the field of phage-based vaccines and their applications in both the prevention and treatment of various diseases. It also discusses the challenges and perspectives in moving this field forwards. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viruses lacking the capacity to infect mammals exhibit minimal toxicity, good biocompatibility, and well-defined structures. As self-organized biomolecular assemblies, they can be produced from standard biological techniques on a large scale at a low cost. Genetic, chemical, self-assembly, and mineralization techniques have been applied to allow them to display functional peptides or proteins, encapsulate therapeutic drugs and genes, assemble with other materials, and be conjugated with bioactive molecules, enabling them to bear different biochemical properties. So far, a variety of viruses (infecting bacteria, plants, or animals), as well as their particle variants, have been used as biomaterials to advance human disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Specifically, the virus-based biomaterials can serve as multifunctional nanocarriers for targeted therapy, antimicrobial agents for infectious disease treatment, hierarchically structured scaffolds for guiding cellular differentiation and promoting tissue regeneration, versatile platforms for ultrasensitive disease detection, tissue-targeting probes for precision bioimaging, and effective vaccines and immunotherapeutic agents for tackling challenging diseases. This review provides an in-depth discussion of these exciting applications. It also gives an overview of the viruses from materials science perspectives and attempts to correlate the structures, properties, processing, and performance of virus-based biomaterials. It describes the use of virus-based biomaterials for preventing and treating COVID-19 and discusses the challenges and future directions of virus-based biomaterials research. It summarizes the progressive clinical trials of using viruses in humans. With the impressive progress made in the exciting field of virus-based biomaterials, it is clear that viruses are playing key roles in advancing important areas in biomedicine such as early detection and prevention, drug delivery, infectious disease treatment, cancer therapy, nanomedicine, and regenerative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[ Objective] The paper was to analyze the meteorological epidemic factors for occurrence and prevalence of tobacco bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacarum), and to study control effects of different soil conditioners on the bacterial disease in Gaoligongshan demonstration area of green, ecological, high quality tobacco leaf production. [Method] The plots attacked by tobacco bacterial wilt over the years were selected and the incidence of the disease was periodically surveyed in tobacco growth period in 2012, 2103 and 2014, respectively. 10 d Effective accumulated temperature and rainfall were counted according to the meteorological data, and the relationship between meteorological factors and disease index was analyzed. The control effects of three kinds of soil conditioners "Zhuanggenfeng", refined fulvic acid and lime on tobacco bacterial wilt were tested. [Result] The analysis results of meteorological factors showed that 10 d effective accumulated temperature and rainfall were positively correlated to disease index. The variation curve of 10 d effective accumulated temperature and rainfall reflected the change trend of disease index. The pH values were increased by 0.57, 0.50 and 0.72 respectively after applying "Zhuanggenfeng", refined fulvic acid and lime. The average control effects on tobacco bacterial wilt were 60.74% - 62.18%, 53.05% - 59.53%, and 48.59% - 58.53%, respectively. [Conclusion] 10 d Effective accumulated temperature and rainfall could be used as important reference for disease forecasting and controlling. The usage of soil conditioner has a certain prevention and control effect on tobacco bacterial wilt disease by forming soil conditions conducive to flue-cured tobacco growth but adverse to disease survival, which is an effective auxiliary method against the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review presents an overview on the application of latent fingerprint development techniques in forensic sciences. At present, traditional developing methods such as powder dusting, cyanoacrylate fuming, chemical method, and small particle reagent method, have all been gradually compromised given their emerging drawbacks such as low contrast, sensitivity, and selectivity, as well as high toxicity. Recently, much attention has been paid to the use of fluorescent nanomaterials including quantum dots (QDs) and rare earth upconversion fluorescent nanomaterials (UCNMs) due to their unique optical and chemical properties. Thus, this review lays emphasis on latent fingerprint development based on QDs and UCNMs. Compared to latent fingerprint development by traditional methods, the new methods using fluorescent nanomaterials can achieve high contrast, sensitivity, and selectivity while showing reduced toxicity. Overall, this review provides a systematic overview on such methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regeneration of large bone defects is challenging in the next few years because the age of the population is growing. Bone grafting as a gold standard of bone repairing is limited as a result of many disadvantages. In recent years, many novel materials and processing methods have been introduced to construct the native bone extracellular matrix (ECM) and restore the functions of degenerated bone. Silk fibroin (SF) as a natural polymer, has established a good reputation for bone tissue engineering applications due to its many unique properties, including exceptional biocompatibility, biodegradability, mechanical behavior, and ease of processability. In this review, recent advances in the design and application of SF-based scaffolds for bone regeneration are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] This study was conducted to investigate the pathogenicity of Plasmodiophora brassicae on cabbage grown under different temperature and soil pH conditions. [Method] The pathogenicity of P. brassicae were tested at seven different temperatures and at six different soil pH values with the resting spore concentration of 1×108 (spores/g) in the soil. The plant survival rate and incidence rate of clubroot were investigated after 90 d. [Result] The incidence rate of clubroot on cabbage among the different temperature sets varied in a descending order as follows: 30 °C>25 °C>20 °C>35 °C>15 °C>10 °C>5 °C at soil pH value of 6, indicating that the pathogenicity of P. brassicae was weak at 5 and 10 °C. The incidence rate increased with soil temperature increasing from 15 to 30 °C, but decreased at 35 °C. The incidence rates of clubroot were 80.36%, 100%, 65%, 10.77%, 3.23% and 0% at soil pH 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 at 25 °C, respectively. The growth of cabbage was inhibited and the survival rate was reduced at pH 4The incidence rates of clubroot were low at pH value of 7 and 8, and was 0% at pH 9. The Chinese cabbage grew better at pH value of 5 and 6, but had high incidence rates of clubroot. [Conclusion] The results revealed that the incidence rate of clubroot on cabbage was closely related to the temperature and soil pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel silk fibroin spongy wound dressing (SFSD) incorporated with nano-Ag particles was prepared by coagulating with 1.25-5.0% (v/v) poly(ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether) (PGDE). The mechanical properties, moisture permeability and hygroscopicity of SFSD, and the nano-Ag release behavior from SFSD were evaluated. The results showed that the soft SFSD had satisfying tensile strength and flexibility, as well as excellent moisture permeability and absorption capability of wound exudates. The moisture permeability was 101 g/m2 per h and the water absorption capacity of SFSD was 595.2% and 251.9% of its own weight in dry and wet states, respectively. The nano-Ag in the SFSD was released continuously at a relatively stable rate in PBS resulting in a remarkable antibacterial property. A rabbit model was used to dynamically observe the healing process of full-thickness skin defects. Full-thickness wounds were created on the dorsal side of rabbits, which were covered with SFSD and porcine acellular dermal matrix (PADM) for comparison. The mean healing time of the wounds covered with SFSD was 17.7 ± 2.4 days, significantly shorter than that with PADM. The histological analysis showed that the epidermal cell layer formed with SFSD was very similar to normal skin, suggesting that SFSD may provide a good component for the development of new wound dressings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]