Hydrogels are soft materials consisting of a three-dimensional network of polymer chains.Over the years,hydrogels with different compositions have been developed as drug carriers for diverse biomedical applications,ra...Hydrogels are soft materials consisting of a three-dimensional network of polymer chains.Over the years,hydrogels with different compositions have been developed as drug carriers for diverse biomedical applications,ranging from cancer therapy and wound care to the treatment of neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases.Most of these carriers,however,are designed only to deliver single agents.Carriers based on hydrogels for co-delivery of multiple agents,with the release rate of each of the co-delivered agents tunable,are lacking.This study reports a one-pot method of fabricating alginate-based complex fibers with the Janus morphology,with carboxymethyl cellulose sodium functioning as a polymeric modifier of the properties of each of the fiber compartments.By using malachite green and minocycline hydrochloride as model drugs,the generated fibers demonstrate the capacity of enabling the release profile of each of the co-delivered drugs to be precisely controlled.Along with their negligible toxicity and the retention of the activity of the loaded drugs,the complex fibers reported in this study warrant further development and optimization for applications that involve co-delivery of multiple agents.展开更多
Graphene possesses a large specific surface area, a high Young’s modulus, high fracture strength, high electrical conductivity, and excellent optical performance. It has been widely studied for biomedical use since i...Graphene possesses a large specific surface area, a high Young’s modulus, high fracture strength, high electrical conductivity, and excellent optical performance. It has been widely studied for biomedical use since its first appearance in the literature. This article offers an overview of the latest advances in the design of graphene-based materials for delivery of bioactive agents. To enhance the translation of these carriers into practical use, the toxicity involved is needed to be examined in future research in more detail. In addition, guidelines for standardizing experimental conditions during the evaluation of the performance of graphene-based materials are required to be established so that candidates showing higher practical potential can be more effectively identified for further development. This can streamline the optimization and use of graphene-based materials in delivery applications.展开更多
Polymers have a wide diversity of applications, ranging from therapeutics delivery to tissue engineering. While advances in polymer chemistry have facilitated synthesis and development of new polymers, increasing effo...Polymers have a wide diversity of applications, ranging from therapeutics delivery to tissue engineering. While advances in polymer chemistry have facilitated synthesis and development of new polymers, increasing efforts have also been directed to engineer properties of existing polymers. One of the common approaches to modify polymer properties is cold drawing, which can align polymer chains and orient the chains in a crystalline manner. Regarding the industrial significance of cold drawing in polymer engineering, this study used semi-crystalline high density polyethylene (HDPE) as a model to examine the effect of cold drawing on the anisotropic mechanical properties of polymers. During cold drawing, the yield strength of the polymer was shown to be in a positive relationship with the strain rate, and the hardness of the cold-drawn region was demonstrated to be significantly enhanced. Our results confirmed the feasibility of engineering the properties of polymers by applying tension for plastic deformation, and highlighted the importance of precise control of the strain rate in the treatment.展开更多
Farnesol is a C15 isoprenyl alcohol generated from the hydrolysis of farnesyl diphosphate under the action of farnesol synthase in plants.Although this sesquiterpenoid alcohol has been exploited in a wide variety of i...Farnesol is a C15 isoprenyl alcohol generated from the hydrolysis of farnesyl diphosphate under the action of farnesol synthase in plants.Although this sesquiterpenoid alcohol has been exploited in a wide variety of industrial applications,serious discussions on the possible use of this agent in disease treatment have been scant until now.In this article,we review the current understanding of the physiological properties of farnesol and the potential use of the agent as a candidate for treatment development.In fact,since the turn of the last century,farnesol has been found not only to trigger apoptosis in tumor cells but also to be able to function as a quorum-sensing molecule in Candida albicans to influence infection dynamics.By offering a snapshot of recent advances in research on farnesol,it is expected that this article can provide more insights into future research on farnesol for the development of different treatment strategies.展开更多
基金funding support from the Science,Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality(JCYJ20170818102436104)Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2018A030310485)the Chinese University of Hong Kong,Shenzhen(PF01001421).
文摘Hydrogels are soft materials consisting of a three-dimensional network of polymer chains.Over the years,hydrogels with different compositions have been developed as drug carriers for diverse biomedical applications,ranging from cancer therapy and wound care to the treatment of neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases.Most of these carriers,however,are designed only to deliver single agents.Carriers based on hydrogels for co-delivery of multiple agents,with the release rate of each of the co-delivered agents tunable,are lacking.This study reports a one-pot method of fabricating alginate-based complex fibers with the Janus morphology,with carboxymethyl cellulose sodium functioning as a polymeric modifier of the properties of each of the fiber compartments.By using malachite green and minocycline hydrochloride as model drugs,the generated fibers demonstrate the capacity of enabling the release profile of each of the co-delivered drugs to be precisely controlled.Along with their negligible toxicity and the retention of the activity of the loaded drugs,the complex fibers reported in this study warrant further development and optimization for applications that involve co-delivery of multiple agents.
基金financial support received from the Chinese University of Hong Kong,Shenzhen(PF01001421 and UDF01001421)Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2018A030310485)Research Grants Council of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region(C5012-15E)。
文摘Graphene possesses a large specific surface area, a high Young’s modulus, high fracture strength, high electrical conductivity, and excellent optical performance. It has been widely studied for biomedical use since its first appearance in the literature. This article offers an overview of the latest advances in the design of graphene-based materials for delivery of bioactive agents. To enhance the translation of these carriers into practical use, the toxicity involved is needed to be examined in future research in more detail. In addition, guidelines for standardizing experimental conditions during the evaluation of the performance of graphene-based materials are required to be established so that candidates showing higher practical potential can be more effectively identified for further development. This can streamline the optimization and use of graphene-based materials in delivery applications.
文摘Polymers have a wide diversity of applications, ranging from therapeutics delivery to tissue engineering. While advances in polymer chemistry have facilitated synthesis and development of new polymers, increasing efforts have also been directed to engineer properties of existing polymers. One of the common approaches to modify polymer properties is cold drawing, which can align polymer chains and orient the chains in a crystalline manner. Regarding the industrial significance of cold drawing in polymer engineering, this study used semi-crystalline high density polyethylene (HDPE) as a model to examine the effect of cold drawing on the anisotropic mechanical properties of polymers. During cold drawing, the yield strength of the polymer was shown to be in a positive relationship with the strain rate, and the hardness of the cold-drawn region was demonstrated to be significantly enhanced. Our results confirmed the feasibility of engineering the properties of polymers by applying tension for plastic deformation, and highlighted the importance of precise control of the strain rate in the treatment.
文摘Farnesol is a C15 isoprenyl alcohol generated from the hydrolysis of farnesyl diphosphate under the action of farnesol synthase in plants.Although this sesquiterpenoid alcohol has been exploited in a wide variety of industrial applications,serious discussions on the possible use of this agent in disease treatment have been scant until now.In this article,we review the current understanding of the physiological properties of farnesol and the potential use of the agent as a candidate for treatment development.In fact,since the turn of the last century,farnesol has been found not only to trigger apoptosis in tumor cells but also to be able to function as a quorum-sensing molecule in Candida albicans to influence infection dynamics.By offering a snapshot of recent advances in research on farnesol,it is expected that this article can provide more insights into future research on farnesol for the development of different treatment strategies.
