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Category: nanotechnology

Size-shifting nanoparticles successfully deliver mRNA medicine to the pancreas

In recent years, mRNA in lipid nanoparticles (mRNA–LNPs) has emerged as a promising strategy for treating numerous conditions, including COVID-19, various cancers and chronic genetic disorders. To date, this technology has not been successfully used for pancreatic diseases, but that could be about to change. In a paper published in Nature, scientists from China report the development of a new lipid nanoparticle drug-delivery system specifically designed for the pancreas.

Lipid nanoparticles are a special class of fat-based carriers that encapsulate and deliver nucleic acids such as messenger RNA into cells. Among the reasons they have not worked for the pancreas until now is that most LNPs naturally accumulate in the liver and spleen. That means the therapeutic molecules they carry can’t accumulate to high enough levels to be beneficial.

However, the research team realized that while the liver and spleen are wrapped in a dense, protective outer layer called a capsule, the pancreas is only covered by a thin layer of connective tissue. They wondered if these organ capsules act as a biological filter. If so, they could perhaps design nanoparticles large enough to be physically blocked by the walls of the spleen and liver, leaving the pancreas as the only place to go. They named this discovery the capsule-filter-mediated pancreatic-targeted (CAMP) mechanism.

Reconfigurable single-walled carbon nanotube ferroelectric field-effect transistors

Rhee et al. report scalable reconfigurable carbon nanotube transistors with a ferroelectric aluminum scandium nitride gate dielectric. They show balanced ambipolar currents, strong memory retention, and enable ternary content-addressable memory with fewer devices than traditional silicon circuits.

Metasurface-based SLM could enhance AR, VR and LiDAR performance

Many cutting-edge technologies, ranging from augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to LiDAR (light detection and ranging) systems, rely on components that enable the precise control of light. These components include so-called spatial light modulators (SLMs), systems that dynamically adjust the position of a light wave within its cycle (i.e., phase), as well as its amplitude or direction across several pixels.

Conventional SLMs rely on liquid crystals, materials in a state of matter at the intersection between solid and liquid. While these components are widely used, they typically struggle to reach the speed and pixel density required to create high-quality three-dimensional (3D) images known as holographs.

Researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and other institutes recently developed a new metasurface, an ultrathin and nano-engineered surface, that could be used to produce dynamic and high-quality holographic images in real time, with a remarkable definition. The new metasurface, introduced in a paper published in Nature Nanotechnology, was used to create a SLM that could be used to enhance the performance of AR, VR, and LiDAR technology.

Nano-cage removes up to 98% of PFAS in tap water tests

Contamination of ground, surface and drinking water by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) affects millions of people worldwide. A promising new method developed by Flinders University scientists paves the way to help remove the most difficult-to-capture variants of these persistent pollutants from water.

The research team, led by Flinders ARC Research Fellow Dr. Witold Bloch, has discovered adsorbents that effectively capture PFAS, including short-chain forms that are especially difficult to remove using existing technologies.

The study, published in the Angewandte Chemie International Edition, showcases the use of a nano-sized molecular cage that acts as a highly selective “PFAS trap.”

Nanoparticles for Targeted Drug Delivery to Cancer Stem Cells: A Review of Recent Advances

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of cells that can initiate, self-renew, and sustain tumor growth. CSCs are responsible for tumor metastasis, recurrence, and drug resistance in cancer therapy. CSCs reside within a niche maintained by multiple unique factors in the microenvironment. These factors include hypoxia, excessive levels of angiogenesis, a change of mitochondrial activity from aerobic aspiration to aerobic glycolysis, an upregulated expression of CSC biomarkers and stem cell signaling, and an elevated synthesis of the cytochromes P450 family of enzymes responsible for drug clearance. Antibodies and ligands targeting the unique factors that maintain the niche are utilized for the delivery of anticancer therapeutics to CSCs. In this regard, nanomaterials, specifically nanoparticles (NPs), are extremely useful as carriers for the delivery of anticancer agents to CSCs.

Lipid nanoparticle GM-CSF replacement for autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis

One of the most-viewed PNAS articles in the last week is “Lipid nanoparticle GM-CSF replacement for autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.” Explore the article here: https://ow.ly/QMWH50Yl87H

For more trending articles, visit https://ow.ly/pmKX50Yl87I.

Granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) deficiency drives autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (aPAP), a disease characterized by impaired macrophage-mediated clearance of pulmonary surfactants. Clinical data suggest that inhaled recombinant GM-CSF reduces symptoms in aPAP patients, providing a rationale for mRNA-based GM-CSF replacement therapies. However, these require effective mRNA delivery after nebulization. Here, we report the iterative in vivo design of a lipid nanoparticle, named nebulized lung delivery 2 (NLD2), that efficiently delivers mRNA after nebulization. NLD2 carrying GM-CSF mRNA transfected alveolar macrophages in vivo, leading to interleukin-10 pathway activation and subsequent surfactant lipoprotein clearance. In a preclinical disease model of aPAP, GM-CSF mRNA delivery reduced surfactant protein thickness more than recombinant GM-CSF. These data support continued exploration of nebulized lipid nanoparticle therapies for aPAP.

When light ‘thinks’ like the brain: The connection between photons and artificial memory

An international study has revealed a surprising connection between quantum physics and the theoretical models underlying artificial intelligence. The study results from a collaboration between the Institute of Nanotechnology of the National Research Council (Cnr-Nanotec), the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), and Sapienza University of Rome, together with international research institutions. The research paper was published recently in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Italian researchers show that identical photons propagating within optical circuits spontaneously behave like a Hopfield Network, one of the best-known mathematical models used to describe the associative memory mechanisms of the human brain.

“Instead of using traditional electronic chips, we exploited quantum interference —the phenomenon that occurs in photonic chips when particles of light overlap and interact with one another to encode and retrieve information,” explains Marco Leonetti, coordinator and corresponding author of the study, senior researcher at Cnr-Nanotec and affiliated with the Center for Life Nano-and Neuro-Science at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Rome. “In this system, photons are not merely carriers of data, but themselves become the ‘neurons’ of an associative memory.”

Hair-width LEDs could eventually replace lasers

LEDs no wider than a human hair could soon take on work traditionally handled by lasers, from moving data inside server racks to powering next-generation displays. New research co-authored by UC Santa Barbara doctoral student Roark Chao points to a practical path forward. The study is published in the journal Optics Express.

“We’re talking about devices that are literally the size of a hair follicle,” said Chao, who studies electrical engineering. “If you can engineer how the light comes out, those microLEDs can start to replace lasers in short-distance data communication.”

The work builds on UCSB’s longstanding strengths in gallium nitride research and optoelectronics. Chao is co-advised by Steven P. DenBaars and Jon A. Schuller, both co-authors on the study, which also includes Nobel laureate Shuji Nakamura, whose pioneering work on blue LEDs transformed global lighting and display technologies. The research was conducted in the laboratories of the DenBaars/Nakamura and Schuller groups, where teams focus on gallium nitride materials growth and nanoscale photonics.

How chronic inflammation rewires macrophages

TIL therapy for glioblastoma.

Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy has demonstrated encouraging efficacy in melanoma and nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and is now being explored for glioblastoma despite its immunologically ‘cold’ microenvironment.

Recent studies confirm that functional TILs can be expanded from cold tumors such as glioblastoma, including solid tumor resections and aspirates, overcoming previous feasibility concerns.

Advances in cytokine support, gene editing, and artificial antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are improving TIL persistence, cytotoxicity, and manufacturing scalability.

Focused ultrasound and nanoparticle delivery offer innovative solutions to enhance TIL infiltration across the blood– brain barrier. Integration of spatial multi-omics enables high-resolution mapping of immune niches and identification of tumorreactive clones.

Combination strategies with checkpoint blockade, myeloid modulation, and oncolytic virotherapy are emerging as rational paths to enhance TIL efficacy sciencenewshighlights ScienceMission https://sciencemission.com/TIL-therapy-17895

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