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11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

High-Purity Monovalent Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) show promise for probing molecular interactions at single-molecule resolution, yet generating SWCNT populations bearing a single defined functional tag remains challenging because surface functionalization is inherently stochastic. Here, we present a batch-scale strategy to produce predominantly singly tagged SWCNTs by leveraging the stochastic adsorption of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). Specifically, SWCNTs are dispersed using a mixture of unmodified ssDNA (um-ssDNA) and a minor fraction of modified ssDNA (m-ssDNA) carrying an affinity handle. We developed a probabilistic ssDNA-SWCNT binding model that predicts the distribution of m-ssDNA per nanotube as a function of the input minor-strand fraction p = m-ssDNA/total ssDNA, enabling selection of conditions that maximize single-tag purity. Using magnetic-bead capture via a biotin affinity interaction and subsequent release, we isolate SWCNTs with 97.6% predicted single-tag purity at 2% recovery. Single-molecule fluorescence imaging further supports predominantly single-label occupancy under the model-selected conditions. Thus, this approach provides a general route to SWCNTs bearing a single molecular handle for downstream conjugation and assembly, supporting diverse future applications in SWCNT-based nanotechnologies.

Nanotubes, Carbon↗

PubMed2025

Toxicological Assessment of Melamine-Functionalized Graphene Oxide and Carbon Nanotubes Using Zebrafish Models.

Graphene oxide (GO) and carbon nanotube (CNT)-based nanomaterials have attracted significant interest in various industrial and biomedical applications due to their unique physicochemical properties; however, concerns about their potential toxicity, especially when modified with additives like melamine (M), remain largely unresolved. This study investigates the toxicological effects and underlying mechanisms of graphene oxide-melamine (GO-M) and carbon nanotube-melamine (CNT-M) nanoparticles in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and larvae. To this end, developmental toxicity, phenotypic and behavioral changes, as well as histopathological and immunofluorescence alterations, were evaluated following acute exposure to GO-M and CNT-M nanoparticles at concentrations of 5, 10, and 20 mg/L. Results showed that both nanoparticles delayed larval hatching, particularly at higher concentrations (10 and 20 mg/L). Malformations were observed at 20 mg/L in the GO-M group and at 10 and 20 mg/L in the CNT-M group. Additionally, significant changes in larval length and eye area were observed at all concentrations for both nanoparticles. Behavioral assessments revealed that CNT-M exposure at 10 and 20 mg/L significantly impaired head sensorimotor reflexes, while all concentrations affected tail reflexes. In contrast, GO-M exposure did not significantly alter sensorimotor responses. These findings suggest differential toxic mechanisms and neurobehavioral effects of GO-M and CNT-M nanoparticles during early zebrafish development.

Animals↗

PubMed2025

Induction of tunnelling nanotube-like structures by influenza A viruses requires the onset of apoptosis.

As well as spreading through virions, influenza A viruses (IAVs) can evade antiviral drugs and neutralising antibodies by spreading directly from cell to cell. In cell culture this can occur by the induction of intercellular membrane connections known as tunnelling nanotube-like structures (TLSs), which are capable of trafficking the viral genome between cells. Here, we showed that TLSs are formed by IAV infected cells in vivo, and then used in vitro models to ask how IAVs induce their formation. We found that TLS formation is not induced by cytokine signalling from infected to uninfected cells, but induction does require intracellular IAV replication. IAV replication can form filamentous virions which have structural similarities to TLSs, but we found that TLS induction is independent of virion morphology. We therefore looked at the intracellular responses to infection and found that the induction of TLSs correlated with the induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, the ability of IAVs to drive TLS formation can be modulated by chemically inhibiting, or inducing apoptosis. Finally, we found that inhibiting apoptosis, which prevents IAVs from inducing TLSs, lead to a significant reduction in the ability of IAVs to directly spread between cells. Our results, which suggest that IAVs can control their ability to spread directly from cell to cell by driving infected cells into apoptosis, identifies a new way in which a virus can manipulate its host to evade antiviral immune responses.

Apoptosis↗

PubMed2026

Elucidating the In Vitro Adverse Effect of Functionalized Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Against Breast Cancer Cells at the Proteomics Level.

The tremendous therapeutic potential of carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) has been limited by inconsistent data regarding the nanotoxicity assessment. Although a bulk of studies have been performed to assess the in vitro cytotoxicity mechanism of CNMs, the exact factors responsible for the cytotoxicity of CNMs have not been fully understood. With the rapid advancement of mass spectrometry technologies, proteomics has emerged as a powerful strategy for systematically investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying toxicity induced by nanomaterials. This study examined the in vitro cytotoxicity of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells by conducting a comparative proteome-level analysis using mass spectrometry. Initially, the characterized SWCNTs were incubated with MCF-7 cells for 3, 6, and 24 h. Proteins were subsequently extracted from each treatment group and subjected to nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-MS/MS) analysis. The relative abundance of the identified proteins was determined by comparison with the control group, and differential expression patterns, including upregulated and downregulated proteins, were assessed. A total of 3482 unique protein groups were identified across all exposure periods. Among these, 3466 protein groups were detected following 3 h of exposure, 3469 following 6 h of exposure, and 3480 following 24 h of exposure. Compared with the control group, the identified differentially expressed proteins exhibited fold changes ranging from 2-fold to 20-fold across the incubation periods. In total, 70 proteins were found to be significantly regulated following SWCNT exposure. Of the differentially expressed proteins, 45 were significantly upregulated, whereas 25 were significantly downregulated. Visualization of these regulations over time was shown in a heatmap of log2-transformed fold-change values to explore time-specific proteomic alterations. Functional enrichment analysis of these proteins also showed that the regulated proteins were significantly associated with Reactome pathways, including ER-to-Golgi anterograde transport, Golgi-to-ER retrograde transport, COPI-mediated vesicle trafficking, regulation of insulin-like growth factor transport and uptake by insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins, protein metabolism, and posttranslational protein modification. Furthermore, a systematic comparison of previous studies within the present findings was provided to situate our study within the broader context of understanding CNT-induced cellular toxicity. Collectively, these findings provided an important proteomic evidence of the adverse effects of SWCNTs on MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, this study showed a comprehensive proteomic landscape of cellular responses to SWCNT exposure, contributing to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying SWCNT-induced cytotoxicity and bridging the gap between protein regulation and the resulting cellular responses. In this study, we characterized the proteomic landscape of MCF-7 cells following SWCNT exposure, revealing molecular mechanisms associated with cellular responses and cytotoxicity. The identified differentially expressed proteins established a link between altered protein regulation and SWCNT-induced cellular effects. Moreover, these proteins need to be further validated in different cell models and would potentially represent promising candidates for the identification of novel molecular targets involved in SWCNT-induced cytotoxicity.

MCF‐7 cells↗

PubMed2026

Interfacial engineering of cobalt tungstate-halloysite nanotube nanocomposite for electrochemical detection of synthetic vanillin in food matrices.

In processed foods and medicine, synthetic vanillin is widely used, although excessive intake poses toxicological risks. Due to the rising usage of synthetic vanillin in food products and associated health hazards, quick, sensitive, and reliable analytical methods are needed to precisely measure vanillin in complex food matrices. This work introduces a CoWO4@F-HNT/GCE nanocomposite as an efficient electrocatalytic modifier for glassy carbon electrodes aimed at trace-level synthetic vanillin detection. Structural and microscopic analyses confirmed phase-pure monoclinic CoWO4, preservation of the tubular aluminosilicate framework, and homogeneous nanoparticle anchoring on F-HNT. Differential pulse voltammetry provided a broad linear range from 0.01 to 372.14 μM and a low detection limit of 4.3 nM, together with excellent selectivity against common interferents, good cycling stability, and high inter-electrode reproducibility. These characteristics position the CoWO4@F-HNT-modified electrode as a cost-effective and reliable platform for on-site quality control of synthetic vanillin in complex food matrices.

Benzaldehydes↗

PubMed2025

Ambient-Stable and Resilient Glycerogel Electrolytes for Flexible Solid-State Supercapacitors.

Hydrogel electrolytes are increasingly used for flexible solid-state supercapacitors emerged as promising power sources due to their similarity to aqueous electrolytes. However, their performance is limited by evaporation or freezing in challenging weather, restricting their practical applications. This study introduces a flexible glycerogel electrolyte with antidrying and antifreezing properties, offering exceptional durability under harsh conditions. Inspired by the role of glycerol and electrolytes in electrodermal activity of biological tissue, eco-friendly NaCl and hygroscopic glycerol are incorporated into a stretchable hydrogel matrix. The resulting glycerogel electrolyte retained hydration in the open air for 180 days. It also exhibited stable conductivity under extreme temperatures (-20 to 60 °C) and low-pressure conditions (∼2.4 kPa). A fibrous solid-state supercapacitor assembled using carbon nanotube yarns delivered a maximum gravimetric capacitance of 148 F·g-1 at 0.5 A·g-1. Notably, the device maintained 94%, 86%, and 90% of its initial capacitance after 30 days of exposure to -20 °C, 60 °C, and low-pressure conditions, respectively, without encapsulation. To demonstrate practical utility, this fibrous supercapacitor was integrated into the ear loop of a facial mask, enabling heat-induced sanitization that killed 99.999% of bacterial cells. This glycerogel electrolyte provides a sustainable, versatile solution for powering future wearable electronic devices across diverse environmental conditions.

Electric Capacitance↗

PubMed2026

Complementation of a human disease phenotype by intercellular mRNA transfer.

There is growing evidence that mRNAs undergo intercellular transfer through cytoplasmic connections called tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), but whether transferred mRNAs are translated and affect cellular changes post-transfer is unknown. Using multiple lines of evidence, we show that transferred mRNAs undergo translation and can complement the phenotype of genetic mutations in vitro. For example, the human peroxisome biogenesis disorder, Zellweger Syndrome, results from mutations in genes such as PEX5 and PEX6. We demonstrate that the co-culture of patient-derived PEX6 mutant fibroblasts or PEX5 knockout cells with wild-type cells leads to de novo peroxisome biogenesis. We provide additional examples of genetic complementation via transfer of mRNAs encoding the HSF1 transcription factor or CRE recombinase. Complementation occurs by TNT-mediated mRNA transfer and translation in acceptor cells, but not by exosomes, nor by protein or peroxisome transfer. Our study provides evidence for the physiological significance of mRNA transfer and suggests another approach for mRNA therapeutics.

CP: cell biology↗

PubMed2025

BMDx2: A Tool for Integrating Toxicogenomics-Based Dose-Dependency Analysis and AOP-Based Mechanistic Insights.

Despite the advent of mechanistic toxicology using omics data to link molecular perturbations with systemic outcomes, regulatory toxicology still lacks the application of mechanism-anchored metrics from such data. This is partially because traditional gene-centric analysis often falls short of linking molecular changes to adverse outcomes. To address this gap, BMDx2, an open-source tool that transforms multi-dose toxicogenomics datasets into quantitative, mechanistic evidence for human chemical safety assessment is developed. BMDx2 couples benchmark-dose modeling with Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) enrichment to derive transcriptomic-based points of departure, enabling potency ranking, chemical prioritization, and mechanistically anchored explanations of the effect of chemical exposures. BMDx2 can process a broad range of data, including DNA microarray and RNA sequencing studies. Here, case studies are used to illustrate the versatility of BMDx2 in characterizing the mechanism of action of chemicals. An initial case study on carbon nanotubes exposure applies integrative analysis of transcriptomics and genome-wide DNA methylation data, uncovering cellular reprogramming processes underlying fibrosis. A second case study on bleomycin exposure demonstrate how transcriptomic data alone can be mapped to fibrosis-related AOPs in a standardized, regulatory appropriate manner. Together, these examples show how BMDx2 supports the regulatory application of toxicogenomics and accelerates mechanism-based chemical safety evaluation.

Toxicogenetics↗

PubMed2026

Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) Therapy: Mechanisms, Clinical Efficacy, and Future Perspectives.

There is currently no approved drug treatment for metabolic dysfunction-related fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) show therapeutic potential, but their mechanism of action is remains incompletely understood. Different from previous reviews that focused on a single pathway, this article presents three important contributions: First, it constructs an integrated "multi-target synergy network" model, clarifying how UC-MSCs coordinate and regulate the inflammatory, metabolic and fibrotic processes through the interactions between the AMPK/mTOR, Nrf2/HO-1 and TGF-β/Smad pathways; Second, it systematically assesses recent clinical trials (2022-2025), identifying several unaddressed barriers to transformation, including the lack of histological endpoint indicators, batch-to-batch differences, and the absence of dose exploration studies; Third, we integrate the latest developments from 2024 to 2025, particularly mitochondrial transfer (mediated by tunnel nanotubes and accompanied by quantitative efficacy data) and exosome circular RNA networks [Formula: see text], which have not been covered in previous reviews. Based on the above analysis, we also propose specific suggestions for standardized GMP production, mandatory genomic stability testing, and long-term safety registration. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of elaborates on the treatment of MAFLD with UC-MSCs from a mechanistic and translational perspective, based on the extensive updates of relevant literature.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

KDM6A loss enhances oxidative phosphorylation uncovering tissue-level convergent evolution.

The tumor suppressor KDM6A/UTX, a histone demethylase and a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, is frequently lost in many cancer types. We show that KDM6A loss pervasively activates oxidative phosphorylation in several solid tumors, generating a pseudo-hyperoxic environment, opposite from the pseudo-hypoxia observed in VHL-mutated renal carcinomas. Mechanistically, KDM6A sustains the expression of the coil-coil domain gene CCDC3, which inhibits CREB1-driven transcription of the mitochondrial regulator PPARGC1A. In the hematological cancer multiple myeloma where KDM6A is frequently deleted, its loss similarly promotes oxidative phosphorylation, but via an alternative mechanism: the increased transfer of mitochondria from stromal to myeloma cells via tunneling nanotubes, triggered by the loss of the mTORC1 inhibitor TRAF3IP3. Beyond cancer, KDM6A regulates oxidative phosphorylation also during development and in adult tissues, engaging either the CCDC3-CREB1 or the TRAF3IP3-mTORC1 pathways. These mutually exclusive associations suggest a tissue-level convergent evolution, positioning KDM6A as a central modulator of mitochondrial activity through context-specific partners.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Genomic Insights Into the Multimetal Resilience and Biofilm-Templated Nanorod Biosynthesis of Stenotrophomonas bentonitica BII-R7: Bioremediation and Green Nanotechnology Implications.

While microbial metal reduction is widely documented, the genomic determinants that govern the morphological transition from disordered phases to structured nanocrystals remain elusive. Here, we present an integrative study of Stenotrophomonas bentonitica BII-R7, a strain exhibiting exceptional metal resistance and the unique capacity to synthesize crystalline trigonal selenium (t-Se) nanorods. Comparative pangenomic analysis of 38 Stenotrophomonas strains revealed that BII-R7 possesses a notably large accessory genome of 2311 exclusive singletons. We identify a specialized genomic toolkit, absent in all related strains, comprising key metal resistance determinants (e.g., copB, copF, and czcA) alongside extracellular remodelling enzymes (Wzyligase and GH92-glycosyl hydrolase). This unique repertoire confers BII-R7 with significantly higher Cu and Ni tolerance compared to related Stenotrophomonas species, which we hypothesize is fundamental for maintaining metabolic activity in polymetallic environments. RT-qPCR and functional assays confirm that these singletons are not only upregulated under metal stress (e.g., czcA: 42.2-fold) but are also consistent with a critical role in maintaining biofilm resilience. Crucially, we propose a mechanistic model where this unique genetic repertoire governs the assembly of a compositionally distinctive Extracellular Polymeric Substance (EPS). Using a three-state (biofilm, planktonic, EPS-depleted) experiment, we provide direct phenotypic evidence that an intact EPS matrix is required for the efficient transition from amorphous nanospheres to highly ordered crystalline nanorods, and we propose that it acts as a molecular template directing the anisotropic growth of selenium. By bridging genomics and bionanotechnology, this work positions BII-R7 as a promising candidate for sustainable green synthesis and bioremediation, while defining the targeted gene-knockout and complementation experiments now required to establish direct causal roles for the candidate determinants.

Stenotrophomonas↗