ACS Applied Bio Materials最新文献

Postoperative adhesions remain a significant clinical challenge in patients undergoing various surgical procedures, as they can lead to severe complications, accelerated disease progression, and increased mortality risk. Furthermore, these adhesions impose a substantial economic burden due to prolonged hospital stays, extended operative times, and delayed recovery. Despite considerable advances over the past two decades in understanding the mechanisms underlying adhesion formation, many aspects of their etiology and pathogenesis remain poorly elucidated. Consequently, the development of effective preventive strategies and the application of tissue engineering approaches to inhibit postoperative tissue adhesions have proven difficult. Although several translationally researched anti-adhesion products (polymer solutions and solid films) have attained moderate clinical success, currently available products suffer from inherent drawbacks including inadequate tissue retention, leakage, poor conformability to irregular wounds, and cumbersome operation, which substantially restrict their therapeutic efficacy in clinical practice. It is urgent to engineer novel biomaterials that integrate facile administration, long-term local retention, and excellent conformability to complex wound surfaces for postoperative anti-adhesion applications. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms involved in postoperative tissue adhesions, current intervention strategies, and existing anti-adhesion barriers, including polysaccharide- and biodegradable polymer-based films and hydrogels. Additionally, it examines the mechanisms of action and limitations of these therapeutic biomaterials, thereby providing a solid theoretical foundation and technical guidance for the design of more effective anti-adhesion biomaterials.

Chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal failure continue to impose a significant global health burden, necessitating efficient and safe hemodialysis therapies. Conventional dialysis membranes, while widely used, suffer from limitations including insufficient clearance of middle- and protein-bound toxins, poor fouling resistance, and suboptimal hemocompatibility, which restrict long-term efficacy. Electrospinning has emerged as a versatile technology for fabricating nanofibrous dialysis membranes with tunable fiber morphology, porosity, and multilayer architectures, enabling enhanced solute selectivity, water permeability, and biocompatibility. This review critically examines materials employed in electrospun membranes, including synthetic, natural, and hybrid polymers, and explores strategies for surface functionalization such as anticoagulant immobilization, antifouling coatings, and smart responsive modifications. Key challenges addressed include mechanical stability, long-term performance under clinical conditions, sterilization effects, scalability, reproducibility, and regulatory compliance. Emerging trends, such as adsorptive mixed-mode filters, wearable and portable systems, and sustainable biobased platforms, highlight opportunities to improve patient outcomes and environmental sustainability. Finally, the review identifies knowledge gaps, emphasizes the trade-offs between performance and safety, and outlines future directions for translating electrospun membranes from laboratory innovation to clinically viable, next-generation hemodialysis devices. This work underscores the transformative potential of electrospinning to enhance dialysis efficacy while meeting stringent regulatory and clinical requirements.

Bioactive wound dressings that combine structural support with local biological activity are promising for skin repair. Nile tilapia skin peptides (NTSP) have demonstrated wound-healing potential, while chitosan (CS) offers favorable film-forming, biodegradable, and wound-contact properties. Combining these components may provide a structured platform for topical application of bioactive peptides. This study investigated incorporating NTSP into CS membranes and its effects on physicochemical performance and wound healing. CS membranes containing NTSP at 600 or 1000 μg/mL were characterized and evaluated in a full-thickness wound model in Wistar rats; peptide-free and bovine skin peptide-loaded CS membranes served as comparators. FTIR and XRD supported NTSP incorporation through predominantly noncovalent interactions, without forming a separate crystalline phase. NTSP significantly reduced water vapor permeability from 2.80 ± 0.22 g.mm.m^–2.day^–1.kPa^–1 in control membranes to 1.78 ± 0.16 and 1.63 ± 0.24 g.mm.m^–2.day^–1.kPa^–1 at 600 and 1000 μg/mL, respectively (p < 0.05). The 600 μg/mL membrane showed the highest swelling in simulated exudate fluid (2250.39 ± 64.98% at 24 h; p < 0.0001 vs control), whereas all formulations underwent progressive lysozyme-mediated degradation. Tensile strength decreased with peptide loading, with a significant difference between control and 1000 μg/mL membranes (p = 0.0181). On day 7, wound contraction reached 45.56 ± 8.22% and 55.73 ± 15.39% for the 600 and 1000 μg/mL membranes, compared with 36.60 ± 3.36% for peptide-free CS and 9.97 ± 2.98% for the bovine-peptide comparator. At day 14, the 600 μg/mL formulation remained superior to the 1000 μg/mL and bovine-peptide groups (p = 0.0157 and p = 0.0016). Histological and immunohistochemical findings showed temporal changes in inflammatory-cell recruitment, angiogenesis, fibroblast accumulation, matrix deposition, and TNF-α and IL-6 expression. Overall, the 600 μg/mL NTSP-loaded CS membrane provided the most favorable balance between material performance and biological response, supporting its development as a structured bioactive wound dressing.

The coumarin-based fluorophore, 7-(diethylamino-3-(5-(trifluoromethyl)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-2H-chromen-2-one (DTBTC), as synthesized in this work, exhibits excellent potential as a multifunctional photosensitizer for bioimaging and photodynamic therapy. DTBTC enables confocal cellular imaging at an exceptionally low concentration of 500 nM and efficiently generates reactive oxygen species under light irradiation, producing potent photocytotoxicity with IC50 values of 332 and 646 nM against HeLa and MCF-7 monolayer cells, respectively. It also demonstrates significant therapeutic efficacy in the corresponding tumors pheroid models (IC50 < 20 μM). Compared with reference compounds R1 [7-(diethylamino)-2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carboxylic acid] and R2 [coumarin-3-carboxylic acid], DTBTC displays distinctive aggregation-dependent photophysical behavior. In solution, it exhibits bright green emission with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (81.14%), a narrow emission bandwidth (FWHM = 41 nm), and a small Stokes shift (39 nm), characteristic of monomeric emission. Upon aggregation, the appearance of a dominant blueshifted absorption band (449 nm) and a weaker redshifted band (491 nm) indicates the coexistence of H- and T-type aggregates. While H-aggregates promote emission quenching, T-aggregates give rise to orange-red emission. This aggregation-sensitive luminescence further enables fluorescence turn-off detection of acids (acid detection threshold corresponds to an estimated pH of ~6.01) in water, with high sensitivity even toward weak acids such as acetic acid.

Zinc plays a critical role in β-cell physiology by regulating insulin storage, crystallization, and secretion. However, uncontrolled exposure to zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) can cause cytotoxic and inflammatory responses. Here, we investigated whether incorporation of ZnO-NPs within a hydrated carbohydrate-based nanocoating modifies their short-term biological effects. Five chitosan/hyaluronic acid (Cs/HA) bilayers containing ZnO-NPs in the HA deposition layers were assembled on MIN6 β-cell spheroids. Physicochemical characterization supported the formation of continuous Cs/HA multilayers and incorporation of ZnO-associated domains. A cell-free alginate-capsule model showed size-dependent transport of FITC−dextran probes, with high relative permeability to 4−10 kDa dextrans and reduced permeability to 40−70 kDa dextrans. Compared with dispersed ZnO-NPs, multilayer-incorporated ZnO-NPs produced lower acute cytotoxicity, DCFDA fluorescence following tert-butyl hydroperoxide challenge, and macrophage-derived TNF-α secretion under the conditions tested. At a formulation concentration of 25 μg mL⁻¹, ZnO-NP incorporation altered basal insulin secretion while maintaining glucose responsiveness and increased the abundance of transcripts associated with zinc transport and buffering. These findings establish a proof of concept that incorporating ZnO-NPs within Cs/HA multilayers changes their short-term presentation to β-cell spheroids and macrophages. Further studies are required to quantify ZnO retention and zinc release, establish long-term stability and function, and validate the platform using primary or human islet models.

Chondroitin sulfate (CS), a sulfated glycosaminoglycan, has attracted considerable attention in nanomedicine owing to its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and intrinsic bioactivity. Recent advances in CS-based nanoplatforms, including nanogels, nanoparticles, hydrogels, and other drug delivery systems, have enabled targeted drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine applications. These multifunctional systems facilitate controlled drug release, enhance cellular uptake, and regulate key biological processes such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Beyond their roles in material design, CS-based nanoplatforms have demonstrated promising preclinical potential in cancer therapy, osteoarthritis, periodontitis, cartilage regeneration, wound healing, ophthalmic disorders, liver fibrosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. This review first discusses the design principles and functional characteristics of CS-based material platforms followed by their therapeutic applications in tissue engineering and disease treatment. Finally, the current challenges, translational perspectives, and future opportunities for the clinical development of CS-based nanoplatforms are highlighted.

Treatment of cancer is often hindered by drug resistance and severe side effects associated with conventional chemotherapy. To address these limitations, multimodal therapeutic strategies, such as chemo-photodynamic therapy combining chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy, have emerged as a promising alternative. In this study, we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of BODIPY–N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)–silver complexes as chemophototheranostic agents for synergistic cancer treatment. A series of four BODIPY–NHC–silver complexes were synthesized and fully characterized using different spectroscopic techniques. These complexes integrate the imaging capability of BODIPY dyes with the chemotherapeutic potential of silver, while also acting as efficient photosensitizers for the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon light irradiation. Biological investigations revealed significant anticancer activity under dark conditions, confirming the chemotherapeutic activity of the silver complexes. Among the four BODIPY–NHC–silver complexes, di-iodo-di-styryl-BODIPY-NHC-silver complex 15 showed enhanced cytotoxicity to cancer cells upon photoactivation, confirming synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapeutic effects. Mechanistic studies indicated mitochondrial localization and ROS-mediated mitochondrial network disruption due to the chemo-photodynamic therapeutic effect successfully activating the apoptotic pathway, leading to efficient cancer cell death. Overall, this work highlights the potential of BODIPY–NHC–silver complexes as synthetically accessible and effective platforms for multimodal cancer therapy.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous type of breast cancer characterized by the absence of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression. Because of the lack of ER, PR, and HER2 targets, TNBC is unsuitable for endocrine therapy and HER2-targeted therapy and is associated with a higher risk of early recurrence, distant metastasis, and poorer prognosis than many other breast cancer subtypes, particularly in advanced or metastatic disease. Although surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy have been used for TNBC treatment, current therapeutic outcomes remain limited by systemic toxicity, high recurrence rates, insufficient tumor selectivity, and acquired drug resistance. Therefore, novel approaches are needed to address these challenges. Nanomaterials with optical, magnetic, catalytic, and porous properties can serve as imaging contrast agents, drug carriers, photosensitizers, nanozymes, radiosensitizers, and multifunctional theranostic platforms. However, the clinical translation of TNBC-oriented nanomedicines remains limited because of insufficient patient stratification, variable tumor accumulation, unclear long-term biosafety, and challenges in scalable manufacturing. To improve the clinical application of nanotechnology in TNBC treatment, it is imperative to integrate nanotechnology with existing clinical diagnosis and treatment methods. This integration may help overcome the limitations of individual diagnostic and therapeutic methods, enhance tumor targeting and radiotherapy sensitivity, reduce cytotoxicity and drug resistance, and maximize the efficiency of multimodal diagnosis and treatment.

Antibacterial alloys based on aluminum alloys have become a hot topic. However, most existing research is limited to a single antibacterial mechanism and may suffer from insufficient long-term efficacy, making it difficult to meet the requirements of large-scale production and applications in diverse scenarios. Therefore, the development of a synergistic, multi-mechanism antibacterial modification strategy for aluminum alloys is urgently needed. In this study, a dual-mechanism antibacterial aluminum alloy was developed by combining surface-structure-assisted antibacterial activity with ZnO-mediated antibacterial activity. By adjusting various process parameters, the surface roughness of the aluminum alloy and the microstructure of ZnO were regulated. This study systematically investigated the effects of aluminum-alloy surface roughness and ZnO microstructure on the antibacterial performance of the composite system. In vitro antibacterial test results showed that aluminum alloy subjected to the dual-mechanism modification exhibited excellent antibacterial activity: the antibacterial rate against E. coli and S. aureus reached 95 and 90%, respectively. This study provides a strategy to construct the dual-pathway synergistic antibacterial aluminum alloy, which possesses great potential in applications such as food processing, medical devices, and public health.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are widely explored as delivery vehicles for self-amplifying RNA (saRNA); however, incorporation of surface functionalities, such as fluorescent dyes for imaging and ligands for targeted delivery, remains challenging. In this study, we introduce a reactive poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate) (PPFPA)-based copolymer platform containing a terminal C12 alkyl chain for LNP incorporation and reactive sites for modular conjugation of near-infrared dye IR775, targeting peptides, and polyethylene glycol chains. The resulting copolymers are successfully incorporated into LNPs, enabling fluorescence imaging and targeted delivery while maintaining colloidal stability and low cytotoxicity. Systematic variation of peptide loading and composition identifies an optimal loading of 8 peptides per chain for cellular targeting. Additionally, dual-peptide-functionalized LNPs exhibit higher cellular uptake than single-peptide-functionalized LNPs, with 7-fold and 5-fold increases relative to nonpeptide-functionalized LNPs, respectively. This enhanced uptake translates into increased functional saRNA delivery, with the dual-peptide-functionalized LNPs showing a 128% enhancement in protein expression. These findings establish PPFPA-C12-based copolymers as a versatile platform for designing multifunctional LNP systems for RNA delivery.