Regulating the tumor microenvironment (TME) has been a promising strategy to improve antitumor therapy. Here, a red blood cell membrane (mRBC)‐camouflaged hollow MnO2 (HMnO2) catalytic nanosystem ...embedded with lactate oxidase (LOX) and a glycolysis inhibitor (denoted as PMLR) is constructed for intra/extracellular lactic acid exhaustion as well as synergistic metabolic therapy and immunotherapy of tumor. Benefiting from the long‐circulation property of the mRBC, the nanosystem can gradually accumulate in a tumor site through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. The extracellular nanosystem consumes lactic acid in the TME by catalyzing its oxidation reaction via LOX. Meanwhile, the intracellular nanosystem releases the glycolysis inhibitor to cut off the source of lactic acid, as well as achieve antitumor metabolic therapy through the blockade of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) supply. Both the extracellular and intracellular processes can be sensitized by O2, which can be produced during the decomposition of endogenous H2O2 catalyzed by the PMLR nanosystem. The results show that the PMLR nanosystem can ceaselessly remove lactic acid, and then lead to an immunocompetent TME. Moreover, this TME regulation strategy can effectively improve the antitumor effect of anti‐PDL1 therapy without the employment of any immune agonists to avoid the autoimmunity.
A strategy based on intra/extracellular lactic acid exhaustion is reported to achieve synergistic metabolic therapy and immunotherapy of tumors. This strategy is performed by a cascade catalytic nanosystem (PMLR) that integrates a hollow MnO2 nanocarrier with lactate oxidase and a glycolysis inhibitor.
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) serves as a strong prognostic indicator for patients suffering from various diseases. Neutrophil activation promotes the recruitment of a number of different cell ...types that are involved in acute and chronic inflammation and are associated with cancer treatment outcome. Measurement of NLR, an established inflammation marker, is cost-effective, and it is likely that NLR can be used to predict the development of metabolic syndrome (MS) at an early stage. MS scores range from 1 to 5, and an elevated MS score indicates a greater risk for MS. Monitoring NLR can prevent the risk of MS.A total of 34,013 subjects were enrolled in this study. The subjects (score 0-5) within the 6 groups were classified according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria, and all anthropometrics, laboratory biomarkers, and hematological measurements were recorded. For the 6 groups, statistical analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify the development of MS.Analysis of the ROC curve indicated that NLR served as a good predictor for MS. An MS score of 1 to 2 yielded an acceptable discrimination rate, and these rates were even higher for MS scores of 3 to 5 (P < .001), where the prevalence of MS was 30.8%.NLR can be used as a prognostic marker for several diseases, including those associated with MS.
The preparation of chiral monohydrosilanes remains a rarely achieved goal. To this end a Rh‐catalyzed desymmetrization of dihydrosilanes by way of intramolecular C(sp2)−H functionalization under ...simple and mild conditions has now been developed. This method provides easy access to a broad range of chiral monohydrosilanes in good yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99 % ee). The resulting monohydrosilanes constitute a good platform to access stereogenic silicon compounds, as well as useful compounds to probe silicon stereochemistry.
A Rh‐chiral diphosphine complex was found to catalyze desymmetrization of dihydrosilanes by formal intramolecular Si−H/C−H dehydrogenative coupling reactions. This simple, mild, and practical method results in unprecedently high enantioselectivity and a broad substrate scope. The chiral monohydrosilanes could be further elaborated into various stereogenic silicon compounds in a stereospecific manner.
Continuous imaging of internal organs over days could provide crucial information about health and diseases and enable insights into developmental biology. We report a bioadhesive ultrasound (BAUS) ...device that consists of a thin and rigid ultrasound probe robustly adhered to the skin via a couplant made of a soft, tough, antidehydrating, and bioadhesive hydrogel-elastomer hybrid. The BAUS device provides 48 hours of continuous imaging of diverse internal organs, including blood vessels, muscle, heart, gastrointestinal tract, diaphragm, and lung. The BAUS device could enable diagnostic and monitoring tools for various diseases.
Continuous long-term ultrasound imaging
Ultrasound is widely used for the noninvasive imaging of tissues and organs, but this method requires close contact between the transducer and the target area. This can make it difficult to acquire images over a long period of time, especially if the patient needs to be mobile. Wang
et al
. describe a wearable ultrasound imaging device (see the Perspective by Tan and Lu). A rigid piezoelectric probe array is bonded to the skin with an acoustically transparent hydrogel elastomer. In vivo testing showed that the device could be comfortably worn for 48 hours, and hooking the array up to a commercially available ultrasound platform allowed for continuous ultrasound images of the carotid artery, lung, and abdomen. —MSL
A durable bioadhesive hydrogel-elastomer enables continuous imaging of internal organs and tissues.
A photothermal bacterium (PTB) is reported for tumor‐targeted photothermal therapy (PTT) by using facultative anaerobic bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1 (S. oneidensis MR‐1) to biomineralize ...palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) on its surface without affecting bacterial activity. It is found that PTB possesses superior photothermal property in near infrared (NIR) regions, as well as preferential tumor‐targeting capacity. Zeolitic imidazole frameworks‐90 (ZIF‐90) encapsulating photosensitizer methylene blue (MB) are hybridized on the surface of living PTB to further enhance PTT efficacy. MB‐encapsulated ZIF‐90 (ZIF‐90/MB) can selectively release MB at mitochondria and cause mitochondrial dysfunction by producing singlet oxygen (1O2) under light illumination. Mitochondrial dysfunction further contributes to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis inhibition and heat shock proteins (HSPs) down‐regulated expression. The PTB‐based therapeutic platform of PTB@ZIF‐90/MB demonstrated here will find great potential to overcome the challenges of tumor targeting and tumor heat tolerance in PTT.
A bacteria‐based photothermal therapeutic platform comprising PTB@ZIF‐90/MB is developed, which reveals great potential to augment photothermal therapy efficacy by tackling the challenges of tumor targeting and heat resistance.
High‐efficiency, thermally activated delayed‐fluorescence organic light‐emitting diodes based on exciplex emitters are demonstrated. The best device, based on a TAPC:DPTPCz emitter, shows a high ...external quantum efficiency of 15.4%. Strategies for predicting and designing efficient exciplex emitters are also provided. This approach allow prediction and design of efficient exciplex emitters for achieving high‐efficiency organic light‐emitting diodes, for future use in displays and lighting applications.
Neutrophils are powerful effector leukocytes that play an important role in innate immune systems for opposing tumor progression and ameliorating pathogen infections. Inspired by their distinct ...functions against tumors and infections, the artificial “super neutrophils” are proposed with excellent inflammation targeting and hypochlorous acid (HClO) generation characteristics for targeting and eliminating malignant tumor cells and pathogens. The “super neutrophils” are fabricated by embedding glucose oxidase (GOx) and chloroperoxidase (CPO) into zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) for HClO generation via enzymatic cascades, and then encapsulating them with the neutrophil membrane (NM) for inflammation targeting. In vitro and in vivo results indicate that these artificial “super neutrophils” can generate seven times higher reactive HClO than the natural neutrophils for eradicating tumors and infections. The “super neutrophils” demonstrated here with easy fabrication and good neutrophil‐mimicking property exhibit great potential for biomedical applications.
Artificial “super neutrophils” (GCZM) are designed to simulate the inflammation targeting and HClO generation functions of natural neutrophils. GCZM can accumulate in inflammation sites and exhibit high efficacy to generate highly toxic HClO for complete tumor and pathogen elimination.
Due to its clear inherited backgrounds as well as simple and diverse genetic manipulation systems, Bacillus subtilis is the key Gram-positive model bacterium for studies on physiology and metabolism. ...Furthermore, due to its highly efficient protein secretion system and adaptable metabolism, it has been widely used as a cell factory for microbial production of chemicals, enzymes, and antimicrobial materials for industry, agriculture, and medicine. In this mini-review, we first summarize the basic genetic manipulation tools and expression systems for this bacterium, including traditional methods and novel engineering systems. Secondly, we briefly introduce its applications in the production of chemicals and enzymes, and summarize its advantages, mainly focusing on some noteworthy products and recent progress in the engineering of B. subtilis. Finally, this review also covers applications such as microbial additives and antimicrobials, as well as biofilm systems and spore formation. We hope to provide an overview for novice researchers in this area, offering them a better understanding of B. subtilis and its applications.
We report a method to construct chiral tetraorganosilicons by tandem silacyclobutane (SCB) desymmetrization–dehydrogenative silylations. A wide array of dibenzosiloles with stereogenic quaternary ...silicon centers were obtained in good yields and enantioselectivities up to 93 % ee. Chiral TMS‐segphos was found to be a superior ligand in terms of reactivity and enantioselectivity.
Chiral silicon: A Rh‐catalyzed reaction between silacyclobutane and (hetero)arenes in the presence of (R)‐ or (S)‐TMS‐segphos provides access to a wide array of chiral dibenzosiloles in good yields and enantioselectivities (up to 93 % ee). The reaction proceeds through a rarely documented desymmetrization of silacyclobutane, followed by intra‐ and intermolecular dehydrogenative silylation processes.
The protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) gene family is a protein family classically characterized by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) localization and isomerase and redox activity. ERp57, a prominent ...multifunctional member of the PDI family, is detected at various levels in multiple cellular localizations outside of the ER. ERp57 has been functionally linked to a host of physiological processes and numerous studies have demonstrated altered expression and aberrant functionality of ERp57 in association with diverse pathological states. Here, we summarize available knowledge of ERp57's functions in subcellular compartments and the roles of dysregulated ERp57 in various diseases toward an emphasis on the potential utility of therapeutic development of ERp57.