Med-X最新文献

{"title":"Examining the effect of lipid nanoparticle elasticity on endocytosis and mRNA delivery to cancer cells.","authors":"Cecilia F Shuler, Hannah C Safford, Ajay S Thatte, Melgious Ang, Michael J Mitchell","doi":"10.1007/s44258-026-00082-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44258-026-00082-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as modular and potent vehicles for nucleic acid delivery, offering a potentially promising new strategy for cancer therapy. This study investigates how LNP elasticity, modulated through variations in sterol lipid structure and sterol lipid molar ratio, affects LNP endocytosis and mRNA transfection in liver (HepG2), ovarian (OVCAR8), and lung (H1299) cancer cell lines. All LNP formulations were characterized for size, polydispersity index, and mRNA encapsulation efficiency and subsequently assessed for mRNA transfection in HepG2, OVCAR8, and H1299 cancer cells. In vitro screening showed that LNP elasticity influences mRNA transfection across all three cell types. Specifically, LNPs of intermediate stiffness enhanced mRNA transfection in HepG2 and OVCAR8 cells whereas LNPs with low stiffness improved mRNA transfection in H1299 cells. Mechanistic endocytosis studies showed that clathrin-mediated and lipid raft-mediated endocytosis pathways contribute to LNP uptake in all three cell lines. These findings highlight the promise of tuning LNP elasticity to enhance mRNA delivery to cancer cells and potentially improve the therapeutic efficacy of LNPs for cancer therapy applications.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44258-026-00082-w.</p>","PeriodicalId":74169,"journal":{"name":"Med-X","volume":"4 1","pages":"11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13132934/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147824461","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":"Bioinspired bioadhesion: translating nature's adhesive strategies into regenerative medicine.","authors":"Sushila Maharjan, Jacqueline Jialu He, David Hyram Hernández Medina, Bibhor Singh, Fabiola Chapa, Tsandni Wasram Jetha-Jamal, Yu Shrike Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s44258-026-00080-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44258-026-00080-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In nature, many organisms, such as mussels, geckos, tree frogs, octopuses, and salamanders, have evolved remarkable bioadhesion strategies, that enable them to attach to wet environments, climb vertical or inverted surfaces, and capture preys. These strategies rely on chemical interactions mediated by secreted bioadhesives as well as physical forces, including but not limited to friction, van der Waals interactions, capillary forces, and vacuum suction, arising from specialized micro- and nanostructures. Chemical bioadhesives, composed of proteins, polysaccharides, or other macromolecules, facilitate strong, reversible or irreversible adhesion to wet or dynamic surfaces, as exemplified by mussel byssal threads and tree frog toe pad mucus. These adhesives act through mechanisms such as covalent bonding, metal coordination, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions. This review outlines recent advances in both chemical and physical bioadhesion strategies. We examine the adhesion principles used by mussels, geckos, tree frogs, octopuses, and other organisms that secrete adhesive chemicals, emphasizing the roles of micro- and nanostructures, interfacial forces, and soft contact mechanics. We also present design strategies for creating artificial adhesives inspired by these biological systems and describe their applications in regenerative medicine. Finally, we discuss current challenges and future directions in bioinspired and chemically based adhesion.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p>","PeriodicalId":74169,"journal":{"name":"Med-X","volume":"4 1","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13038662/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147610859","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":"Engineering immune niches: biochemical, mechanical, and spatial design principles for translational hydrogels.","authors":"Robert Hincapie, Oriana Marrone Mantovani, José McFaline-Figueroa, Santiago Correa","doi":"10.1007/s44258-026-00087-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44258-026-00087-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leveraging advanced materials is an increasingly important direction in immune engineering, which aims to reprogram immune responses to treat disease. Once implanted, biomaterials rapidly become sites where immune cells assemble, interact, and collectively shape material performance. These organized multicellular environments, or immune niches, are linked to outcomes ranging from tissue regeneration to durable immune memory, yet the principles governing their formation and function remain poorly understood. In this Mini-Review, we examine how engineered translational hydrogels act both as modulators of immune niches and as tractable in vivo model systems for studying them. We highlight how biochemical cues such as antigens, adjuvants, cytokines, and chemokines control which cells enter a niche and how they become activated, and how biophysical properties including stiffness, viscoelasticity, porosity, and degradability influence cellular access, motility, and phenotype. Adhesion motifs are discussed as a hybrid class of signals that couple biochemical recognition to mechanical force transmission. We also describe how emerging spatial and multi-omic technologies are beginning to reveal the architecture and communication networks that define hydrogel-associated niches. Future progress will require close collaboration between materials scientists, immunologists, and computational biologists to establish the design principles needed to engineer immune niches that improve therapeutic outcomes.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p>","PeriodicalId":74169,"journal":{"name":"Med-X","volume":"4 1","pages":"16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13287234/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148321109","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":"Scalable optical metasurfaces for ultrasensitive, label-free and real-time biosensing.","authors":"Hao Wang, Nanzhong Deng, Yue Xiao, Ashish Pandey, Shunzhi Wang, Haogang Cai","doi":"10.1007/s44258-026-00090-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44258-026-00090-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Novel biosensors based on optical metasurfaces offer superior sensing performance in compact form factors, with transformative potential spanning biomedical research, clinical diagnostics and drug screening. However, their translation to real-world applications is hindered by a strong reliance on sophisticated and expensive top-down nanolithographic techniques with limited accessibility and low throughput. Here, we demonstrate scalable, high-throughput metasurfaces with optofluidic integration for label-free biosensing, exemplified by high-quality large-area gold nanohole arrays via nanosphere self-assembly lithography. Through comprehensive resonance analysis, we identified a surface plasmon polariton-Bloch wave mode that is both highly sensitive and experimentally accessible using cost-effective setups with incoherent visible light. Moreover, to improve the mass transport and analyte capture, we optimized the functionalization scheme, microfluidic design, and the metasurface placement within the microfluidic channel. The versatile meta-sensors were demonstrated with a broad range of targets, from biomolecules such as immunoglobulin G, streptavidin, to streptavidin-coated nanoparticles, which mimic virus particles and extracellular vesicles. By holistically improving the nanopatterning quality, functionalization efficiency and optofluidic integration, we achieved an experimental refractometric sensitivity of 498 nm/refractive index unit at 736 nm wavelength, a limit of detection of 0.17 ng/mL for biomolecules and ≲1 × 10⁷ /mL for nanoparticles. These scalable, cost-effective meta-sensors deliver sensing performance, dynamic range, and stability comparable to, or even surpass, those of state-of-the-art devices fabricated using top-down lithography, thereby bridging the gap toward practical applications.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44258-026-00090-w.</p>","PeriodicalId":74169,"journal":{"name":"Med-X","volume":"4 1","pages":"19"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13368885/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148457708","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":"Unlocking the potential of engineered circular RNA therapeutics.","authors":"Xueyan Zhen, Mahyar Mahmoudi, Xinrui Lan, Guanheng Huang, Wei Tao","doi":"10.1007/s44258-026-00079-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44258-026-00079-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Linear RNA-based therapeutics such as messenger RNAs, antisense oligonucleotides, and small interfering RNAs are limited by susceptibility to nuclease degradation, reduced in vivo stability, and potential immunogenicity, which hinder their broader clinical applications. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a type of single-stranded RNA molecule characterized by a covalently closed circular structure formed through back-splicing. Due to their resistance to exonuclease-mediated degradation and relatively decreased innate immune activation, circRNAs represent a versatile RNA tool capable of long-lasting protein expression. Endogenous circRNAs regulate gene expression via miRNA sponging and protein interactions and, in select cases, support cap-independent translation. Dysregulated circRNAs have been implicated in cancer, metabolic disease, and inflammation. Recent technological advances have enabled efficient engineering of synthetic circRNAs, incorporating optimized components for enhanced circularization, purification, and translational performance. In addition, progress in delivery platforms, including lipid nanoparticles, viral vectors, and biomimetic carriers, has expanded the therapeutic potential of circRNAs across oncology, infectious diseases, and immune modulation. Here, we summarize the biological features and therapeutic applications of circRNAs, highlight strategies to overcome manufacturing and delivery challenges, and discuss the future opportunities for unlocking the clinical potential of engineered circRNA therapeutics.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p>","PeriodicalId":74169,"journal":{"name":"Med-X","volume":"4 1","pages":"7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13085934/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147724916","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":"Repurposing the skin to heal the body: Tissue Nanotransfection (TNT) as a therapeutic platform.","authors":"Ana I Salazar-Puerta, Kristin Stanford, Natalia Higuita-Castro, Daniel Gallego-Perez","doi":"10.1007/s44258-026-00084-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44258-026-00084-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tissue Nanotransfection (TNT) is an emerging and transformative platform for non-viral drug and gene delivery that enables highly efficient, precise, and rapid (millisecond-scale) transfer of molecular cargo into solid tissues. Using silicon nanochannels, TNT electrophoretically drives charged payloads (<i>e.g.,</i> plasmid DNA, miRNA, etc.) through transient membrane pores created by brief electric pulses. Beyond its capacity for localized delivery, TNT can induce systemic therapeutic effects by repurposing tissues in situ to function as biofactories. Recent studies demonstrate that TNT-engineered skin can be harnessed to release extracellular vesicles (EVs) enriched with delivered molecular cargo and functionalized with targeting ligands, as well as potent metabolites capable of modulating distant tissues. These engineered products can engage in inter-organ communication, extending the biological reach of localized interventions for both therapeutic and fundamental research applications. Moreover, TNT could conceivably be used to generate reprogrammed cells within the skin that migrate to extracutaneous sites, where they may contribute to tissue repair, immune modulation, or other systemic effects. Altogether, this precision-driven and benign delivery approach positions TNT as a transformative non-viral technology capable of converting accessible tissues into programmable bioactive hubs that modulate systemic physiology and disease, offering new avenues for novel therapies and mechanistic discovery.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p>","PeriodicalId":74169,"journal":{"name":"Med-X","volume":"4 1","pages":"14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13222898/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148152393","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":"Intelligent sensing devices and systems for personalized mental health.","authors":"Yantao Xing, Yang Yang, Kaiyuan Yang, Albert Lu, Luyi Xing, Ken Mackie, Feng Guo","doi":"10.1007/s44258-025-00057-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44258-025-00057-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mental disorders disturb the cognition, emotion, and behavior of a diverse patient population, and can reduce their quality of life and even cause death. Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, challenges remain in achieving objective understanding, accurate assessment, and timely intervention for personalized conditions. Here, we review the recent development of intelligent sensing devices and systems for advancing the diagnosing, monitoring, and managing of mental disorders, with a special emphasis on personalized mental healthcare. We first introduce the mechanisms and clinical symptoms of mental disorders and related diagnostic principles. Then, we discuss the working principle and application of wearable sensors and systems to track various physiological parameters and markers for long-term monitoring, early screening, and treatment evaluation. Furthermore, we highlight recent emerging advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital health and give perspectives on their integration with sensing technologies to address the emergent challenges of personalized mental healthcare. We believe innovative intelligent sensing technologies may significantly improve the patient's quality of life, enhance the efficiency and robustness of current healthcare systems, and reduce the socioeconomic burden for mental disorders and other diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":74169,"journal":{"name":"Med-X","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12363438/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144981377","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":"Dysphagia assessment based on photoacoustic imaging: a pilot ex vivo and in vivo study in infant swine models.","authors":"Yanda Cheng, Chuqin Huang, Robert W Bing, Emily Zheng, Huijuan Zhang, Wenyao Xu, Christopher Mayerl, Rebecca German, Catriona M Steele, Jonathan Lovell, Lin Zhang, Jun Xia","doi":"10.1007/s44258-025-00062-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44258-025-00062-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Swallowing impairments, such as dysphagia, pose significant health risks, including aspiration pneumonia, especially in vulnerable populations like infants and the elderly. Traditional diagnostic methods like videofluoroscopy and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing have limitations, including radiation exposure and discomfort. This study explores the potential of photoacoustic imaging as a non-invasive alternative for detecting swallowing events. Utilizing a 10 mg/mL charcoal solution as a contrast agent, we conducted both ex-vivo and in-vivo experiments using pig models. The ex-vivo tests on pig cadavers validated the system's ability in detecting charcoal flow in the airway. Subsequent in-vivo experiments on live pigs, conducted with synchronized videofluoroscopy, demonstrated photoacoustic's potential in seeing the same structure as videofluoroscopy. Our preliminary investigation indicates that photoacoustic imaging could offer a safer, more accurate method for dysphagia assessment, particularly in pediatric settings.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44258-025-00062-6.</p>","PeriodicalId":74169,"journal":{"name":"Med-X","volume":"3 1","pages":"19"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12546401/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145379782","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":"The continuous actuation of liquid metal with a 3D-printed electrowetting device.","authors":"Samannoy Ghosh, Rajan Neupane, Dwipak Prasad Sahu, Jian Teng, Yong Lin Kong","doi":"10.1007/s44258-025-00052-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44258-025-00052-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The ability of liquid metals (LMs) to recover from repeated stretching and deformation is a particularly attractive attribute for soft bioelectronics. In addition to their high electrical and thermal conductivity, LMs can be actuated, potentially enabling highly durable electro-mechanical and microfluidics systems for applications such as cooling, drug delivery, or reconfigurable electronics. In particular, continuous electrowetting (CEW) phenomena can actuate liquid metal at relatively low voltage and affordable power requirements for wearable systems (~ < 10 V, ~ 10 - 100 µW) by inducing a surface tension gradient across the LM. However, sustaining LM actuation remains challenging due to factors such as electrolyte depletion, polarity changes in multi-electrode systems, and limitations related to LM composition. Here, we demonstrate LM actuation in a circular conduit for prolonged durations of at least nine hours. We enabled sustained actuation by sequentially applying short, direct current (DC) pulses through a multi-electrode system based on the dynamics of LM actuation. As a proof of concept, we also demonstrated the ability of LM to transport electrically conducting, non-conducting, and magnetic materials within a microchannel and show the liquid metal actuation system can be potentially miniaturized to the size of a wearable device. We envision that with further miniaturization of the device architectures, our CEW platform can enable future integration of low-voltage electro-mechanical systems into a broad range of wearable form factors.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44258-025-00052-8.</p>","PeriodicalId":74169,"journal":{"name":"Med-X","volume":"3 1","pages":"9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11958460/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143774938","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":"Wireless, passive inductor-capacitor sensors for biomedical applications.","authors":"Baochun Xu, Shubham Patel, Cunjiang Yu","doi":"10.1007/s44258-025-00060-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44258-025-00060-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In contemporary medical technologies, the necessity for efficient, precise, and real-time health monitoring and management is becoming increasingly critical with the prevalence of chronic diseases and the aging population. Traditional wired sensors and active wireless sensors continue to present numerous problems in practical applications, including complex structures, substantial size, frequent battery replacements, and an elevated risk of infection. Passive and wireless inductor-capacitor (LC) sensors are emerging as significant candidates to address these challenges. These sensors are typically constructed with a simple structure comprising a capacitor and an inductor, operating through magnetic coupling with external reading devices, thereby eliminating the necessity for batteries, connection wires, and peripheral circuits. This review commences with a succinct overview of the theoretical foundations, analyzing equivalent components and operational modes. It subsequently investigates sensor technologies by examining various types of sensors, including pressure, strain, humidity, temperature, and chemical sensors. Through the introduction of two primary scenarios-wearable and implantable-the review elucidates diverse advancements and requirements pertinent to biomedical applications. It concludes with a discussion of challenges and potential solutions to facilitate future developments in this field.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p>","PeriodicalId":74169,"journal":{"name":"Med-X","volume":"3 1","pages":"16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12370874/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144981370","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}