Di Hua , Xiexing Wu , Zebin Wu , Chunyang Fan , Jiale Wang , Wei He , Yongkang Deng , Yao Zhang , Hengxiang Shu , Meng Shen , Dechun Geng , Kai Chen
{"title":"Nanoparticles, a promising treatment for gastric cancer","authors":"Di Hua , Xiexing Wu , Zebin Wu , Chunyang Fan , Jiale Wang , Wei He , Yongkang Deng , Yao Zhang , Hengxiang Shu , Meng Shen , Dechun Geng , Kai Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.smaim.2025.01.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smaim.2025.01.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Globally, gastric cancer (GC), as a fatal malignant tumor, remains a significant health challenge. Thus, it is imperative to explore novel treatment strategies. Despite the fact that the survival rate of GC has improved over the past few decades, the median survival for patients with advanced GC is still less than one year. Recently, nanoparticles (NPs), as a potential approach for designing new treatment strategies, such as gold NPs (AuNPs) and metal oxides NPs (MONPs), not only possesses advantages such as multi-functional imaging and high stability, but also can deliver drugs, simultaneously achieve diagnostic and therapeutic effects. With the development and maturation of this technology, an increasing number of nano-drugs have been utilized in the diagnosis and treatment of GC. In this review, we have provided a detailed and separate elaboration on the NPs that play diagnostic, therapeutic and dual-functional roles in GC-related research. We also introduce the clinical research of nanomedicine in GC over the past few decades. Furthermore, we probed into the limitations of contemporary nanomedicine treatments and the future research directions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22019,"journal":{"name":"Smart Materials in Medicine","volume":"6 1","pages":"Pages 23-55"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143610205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Haochen Jiang , Xin Fu , Salma Althobaiti , Braeden Pinkerton , Shabnam Arash , Xiaoqing Du , Zhenshan Jia , Fang Yu , Kirk W. Foster , Geoffrey M. Thiele , Troy J. Plumb , Dong Wang
{"title":"A polymeric dexamethasone prodrug attenuates focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in an Adriamycin-induced mouse model with minimal glucocorticoid side effects","authors":"Haochen Jiang , Xin Fu , Salma Althobaiti , Braeden Pinkerton , Shabnam Arash , Xiaoqing Du , Zhenshan Jia , Fang Yu , Kirk W. Foster , Geoffrey M. Thiele , Troy J. Plumb , Dong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.smaim.2025.02.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smaim.2025.02.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is chronic renal injury characterized by proteinuria and podocyte injury with glomerulus scarring and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are the current first-line treatment. Long-term use of GCs, however, is associated with numerous off-target adverse effects. Thus, there is an urgent unmet clinical need for novel FSGS therapies. Recognizing potent efficacy of GCs in managing FSGS, we proposed the use of a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based nephrotropic dexamethasone (Dex) prodrug (ZSJ-0228 or PEG-Dex) to mitigate the GC side effects. The focus of the present study was to assess the therapeutic efficacy and safety of PEG-Dex in an Adriamycin-induced BALB/c mouse model of FSGS. A single dose of PEG-Dex treatment (35 mg/kg Dex dose equivalent) effectively reduced the proteinuria level, ameliorated FSGS lesions and restored kidney function when compared to the dose equivalent daily Dex treatment and Saline control. Additionally, PEG-Dex treatment also showed a much-improved safety profile than Dex with minimal adverse events detected. Collectively, these data suggest that PEG-Dex may be established as a promising drug candidate for more effective and safe clinical treatment of FSGS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22019,"journal":{"name":"Smart Materials in Medicine","volume":"6 1","pages":"Pages 56-66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143619732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yisi Liu , Jie Hu , Hao Jiang , Hui He , Liwei Yao , Qianglong Chen , Lijie Wang , Ting Liang , Bin Li , Fengxuan Han
{"title":"Progress of smart material in the repair of intervertebral disc degeneration","authors":"Yisi Liu , Jie Hu , Hao Jiang , Hui He , Liwei Yao , Qianglong Chen , Lijie Wang , Ting Liang , Bin Li , Fengxuan Han","doi":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.10.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.10.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a prevalent condition leading to back and leg pain as well as chronic disability. It refers to the degeneration of intervertebral disc structure, including the nucleus pulposus, annulus fibrosus, and cartilage endplate. Along with degeneration process, these components can deteriorate, causing pain and functional impairment. To address IVDD, researchers are exploring the use of smart materials as novel therapeutic approaches. This review aims to summarize the application of various stimuli-responsive smart materials (endogenous and exogenous stimuli-responsive materials) in the repair for Intervertebral disc. These smart materials, such as responsive hydrogels, shape-memory polymers, and nanoparticle-based delivery systems, have shown considerable potential in achieving targeted drug delivery and tissue regeneration, and improving clinical outcomes. The ongoing advancement of smart materials towards successful clinical translation holds promise for improving treatment outcomes for IVDD patients, providing more effective and safer therapeutic options.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22019,"journal":{"name":"Smart Materials in Medicine","volume":"5 4","pages":"Pages 488-500"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ling Wang , Ran Luo , Weilang Zhang , Hanyu Jiang , Yongkang Yu , Wenhu Zhou , Fan Zhang , Jian Ma , Lin Mei
{"title":"Nanobody-as versatile tool emerging in autoimmune diseases","authors":"Ling Wang , Ran Luo , Weilang Zhang , Hanyu Jiang , Yongkang Yu , Wenhu Zhou , Fan Zhang , Jian Ma , Lin Mei","doi":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.10.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.10.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nanobody (Nb) is derived from the variable domain of heavy-chain antibody (HCAb), naturally displaying notable properties like nano-scale size, exceptional stability, high specificity, low immunogenicity, and cryptic epitope accessibility. These features contribute to its great therapeutic potential as a valuable research tool across diverse diseases, especially autoimmune diseases (AIDs). Caplacizumab (Cablivi®) is the first nanobody drug approved for treating acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP). This review summarizes the biomolecular structure, usage of Nb as a foundation of recombinant constructs, and biochemical properties of nanobodies. As attractive therapeutic candidates, many clinical trials of Nbs have been conducted, elucidating potential therapeutic strategies for AIDs. Therefore, the preclinical development and application of Nbs in AIDs are emphasized throughout this review.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22019,"journal":{"name":"Smart Materials in Medicine","volume":"5 4","pages":"Pages 501-513"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maocheng Zuo , Rong Xiao , Fangxue Du , Chong Cheng , Raul D. Rodriguez , Lang Ma , Bihui Zhu , Li Qiu
{"title":"Ultrasound-activated mechanochemical reactions for controllable biomedical applications","authors":"Maocheng Zuo , Rong Xiao , Fangxue Du , Chong Cheng , Raul D. Rodriguez , Lang Ma , Bihui Zhu , Li Qiu","doi":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.09.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.09.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intramolecular bonds in small organic molecules, macromolecules, and organic-inorganic hybrids are broken or formed by ultrasound-activated mechanical force that can be applied with spatial and temporal precision for contactless external control of mechanochemical reactions. Ultrasound featuring non-invasiveness, high tissue penetration, and spatiotemporal controllability has shown great potential in controlling the activation of mechanochemical reactions such as chemical bond scission, natural enzyme activation, and catalytic radical generation for targeted drug or gene therapy. Here, we comprehensively summarize the latest research and future trends in ultrasound-activated mechanochemical reactions for smart biomedical applications. First, the mechanism of ultrasound-activated mechanochemical reactions will be outlined. Then, the types of mechanochemical reactions will be carefully discussed. After that, the representative biomedical applications have been summarized from a unique perspective. Finally, we systematically emphasize the current challenges and future outlooks to guide the rational design of ultrasound-activated drug release over conventional drug-loaded therapies. We believe that this review will substantially facilitate the progression and widespread utilization of ultrasound-activated mechanochemical reactions in biomedical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22019,"journal":{"name":"Smart Materials in Medicine","volume":"5 4","pages":"Pages 461-476"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Linfang Zhong , Xiaoying Tan , Wenhui Yang , Peishan Li , Lianbao Ye , Qi Luo , Honghao Hou
{"title":"Bioactive matters based on natural product for cardiovascular diseases","authors":"Linfang Zhong , Xiaoying Tan , Wenhui Yang , Peishan Li , Lianbao Ye , Qi Luo , Honghao Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.11.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.11.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural products are valuable sources of bioactive compounds for drug development. It is useful to explore natural products to treat cardiovascular disease. This review provides an overview of the natural products, including their general sources, structure types, functional methods, applications for cardiovascular diseases and future challenges. We highlight recent advances in drug delivery systems of natural products applicated in cardiovascular diseases such as nanoparticles, microspheres and hydrogels, and outline general strategies for functionalizing the natural product with various biological. Finally, we propose our perspective on challenges and future developments in this rapidly-evolving field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22019,"journal":{"name":"Smart Materials in Medicine","volume":"5 4","pages":"Pages 542-565"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142703734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Li Zhou , Haixia Zhuang , Xinyu Ye , Wei Yuan , Kai Wang , Donghan Hu , Xiangya Luo , Qiuyu Zhang
{"title":"Bioactive MXene hydrogel promotes structural and functional regeneration of skeletal muscle through improving autophagy and muscle innervation","authors":"Li Zhou , Haixia Zhuang , Xinyu Ye , Wei Yuan , Kai Wang , Donghan Hu , Xiangya Luo , Qiuyu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.10.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.10.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Complete skeletal muscle regeneration after traumatic injuries remains a challenge due to impaired regenerative capability and dysregulated microenvironments. Autophagy plays a crucial role in the muscle regeneration process by regulating myogenic and non-myogenic cells. Herein, we report a bioactive MXene hydrogel (FPGM) capable of upregulating autophagy and increasing muscle innervation to restore skeletal muscle structure and function. FPGM possessed excellent electrical conductivity, tissue adhesive ability and antioxidation, which could eliminate excess reactive oxygen species to reduce oxidative stress and decrease the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine. FPGM upregulated the autophagy level of myoblasts and promoted the migration and tube formation of endothelial cells as well as myogenic differentiation with negligible toxicity. FPGM accelerated muscle fiber formation and skeletal muscle regeneration by improving autophagy, which could regulate microenvironment through raising M2 macrophages to alleviate excessive inflammation, facilitating angiogenesis and decreasing fibrous scar tissue formation <em>in vivo</em>. Importantly, FPGM could efficiently restore muscle function by improving muscle innervation, tibialis anterior compound muscle action potential amplitude and neuromuscular conduction. This work demonstrates that bioactive MXene hydrogel should be a promising candidate for complete skeletal muscle regeneration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22019,"journal":{"name":"Smart Materials in Medicine","volume":"5 4","pages":"Pages 514-528"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142593132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Avery Gunderson, Maryam Ramezani, Thalma K. Orado, Mary Beth B. Monroe
{"title":"Programming-via-spinning: Electrospun shape memory polymer fibers with simultaneous fabrication and programming","authors":"Avery Gunderson, Maryam Ramezani, Thalma K. Orado, Mary Beth B. Monroe","doi":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.09.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.09.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Porous shape memory polymer (SMP) scaffolds are promising ‘smart’ materials for potential use in a wide range of biomedical applications. Electrospinning provides an approach to produce fibrous SMP scaffolds to enhance their porosity, mass transfer, and flexibility. Here, we studied the effects of electrospinning parameters (rotating collector rotational speed and solvent) on shape memory and mechanical properties of a biostable thermoplastic polyurethane (PUr) SMP. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that fiber diameter and tortuosity could be tuned using varied collector rotation speeds and/or solvents. Mechanical properties, including modulus, tensile strength, and ultimate elongation, were tuned independently of chemistry based on variations in fiber architectures. All scaffolds demonstrated shape memory properties. Additionally, due to strains that are trapped in the fibers during the electrospinning process, SMP fibers are programmed into a strained, temporary shape during the fabrication step. These fibers can be immediately triggered to recover to a non-strained primary shape after fabrication to reduce sample preparation time and complexity. As a proof-of-concept, bacterial protease-responsive SMPs were electrospun and exposed to <em>S. aureus</em> in programmed secondary shapes. Upon exposure to bacteria, these SMPs underwent shape recovery, which resulted in reduced bacterial attachment and biofilm formation. These materials could be employed as bacteria-responsive wound dressings in future work. Overall, electrospinning provides a valuable tool for tuning mechanical and shape memory properties independently from chemistry and for programming SMPs during fabrication to enable scale-up of electrospun SMP scaffolds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22019,"journal":{"name":"Smart Materials in Medicine","volume":"5 4","pages":"Pages 477-487"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Current situation and challenges of polyhydroxyalkanoates-derived nanocarriers for cancer therapy","authors":"Xiao-Yun Huang , Zheng-Dong Qi , Jin-Wei Dao , Dai-Xu Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.10.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.10.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sustained-release system for chemotherapeutic drugs or photosensitizer based on drug-loaded biopolyester nanocarriers can effectively reduce the overall dosage and frequency of administration, thereby mitigating side effects such as immunosuppression and drug resistance caused by prolonged chemotherapy. Compared to polylactic acid (PLA), microorganism-derived polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) exhibits superior biocompatibility and more flexible drug release behavior due to their diverse monomer compositions, slower degradation behavior, and milder acidic degradation products, 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3HB). It explains PHAs are more suitable carriers for chemotherapeutic drugs. In this review, we summarize the current situation of PHA-derived nanocarriers (PHA-NCs) for cancer therapy, including the advantages, preparation methods, and anticancer applications. Furthermore, we also analyzed the current limitations in the application of PHA-NCs for cancer therapy and proposed existing challenges along with strategies for future development. With the rapid advancements in synthetic biology and nanomedicine, we believe that PHA will once again attract significant attention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22019,"journal":{"name":"Smart Materials in Medicine","volume":"5 4","pages":"Pages 529-541"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142658255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yaqi Ouyang , Bo Nie , Zhenhui Huang , Liu Yu , Tianqi Wang , Meiying Wu , Yang Mai
{"title":"Pulmonary delivery of bioadhesive nanoparticles for ALI improvement and ARDS prevention with a single-dose administration","authors":"Yaqi Ouyang , Bo Nie , Zhenhui Huang , Liu Yu , Tianqi Wang , Meiying Wu , Yang Mai","doi":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.08.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smaim.2024.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a severe form of acute lung injury (ALI), is the major cause of intensive care unit death worldwide. ALI/ARDS is a common condition characterized by a storm of potent inflammatory cytokines. Lung delivery of glucocorticoids (GCs) by inhalation is a potential approach for ALI treatment and ARDS prevention; however, its efficacy is limited by the rapid clearance of GCs in lungs. In this study, we developed surface-modified poly(lactic acid)-hyperbranched polyglycerol nanoparticles (BNPs) with bioadhesive properties for local delivery to the epidermis of lung tissues, which exhibited prolonged release profile of payloads following intratracheal spraying administration. Compared with that of non-adhesive nanoparticles (NNPs), BNPs showed significantly enhanced adhesion and prolonged retention within lung tissues <em>in vivo</em>. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI mice treated with betamethasone dipropionate (BD)-loaded BNPs showed significantly fewer lung histological alterations and less lung inflammation than those administered free BD or BD-loaded NNPs, indicating the enhanced therapeutic efficacy of BD/BNPs in ALI. In contrast, the features of ARDS were observed in the animal models without any treatments. Our findings demonstrated that pulmonary delivery of BNPs can maintain their same surface structures and continuously form covalent connections with the contacted tissues, emphasizing their potential to improve the therapeutic efficacy in ALI and prevent from ARDS.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":22019,"journal":{"name":"Smart Materials in Medicine","volume":"5 3","pages":"Pages 348-358"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590183424000334/pdfft?md5=1acb277ba6a445c71eb2a6dca0ba19a4&pid=1-s2.0-S2590183424000334-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141951059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}