Advanced Healthcare Materials

A hydrogel-based dual film coating is electrofabricated for transducing bio-relevant chemical information into electronical output. The outer film has a synthetic biology construct that recognizes an external molecular signal and transduces this input into the expression of an enzyme that converts redox-inactive substrate into a redox-active intermediate, which is detected through an amplification mechanism of the inner redox-capacitor film.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable to internalize magnetic polyelectrolyte microcapsules with high efficiency and response to magnetic field. The influence of magnetic capsules on biological properties of MSCs such as cell viability, adhesion, and differentiation capacity has been demonstrated. Internalization of magnetic microcapsules by MSCs allows to manipulate individual cells and 3D spheroids consisting of MSCs upon magnetic field.

The cellular uptake and intracellular distribution of phosphine-stabilized cytotoxic 1.4 nm sized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are investigated. Therefore, well known ultrasmall AuNPs are modified by linking a fluorophore covalently to the ligand shell, which leads to quenching. Upon cellular uptake, the ligands are released, monitored by the evolution of the fluorescence with confocal laser scanning microscopy.

The advances of biomaterials and culture technologies promise future therapies for liver regeneration. Physical (stiffness and nano/microtopology) and chemical cues (surface-tethered molecules and delivered growth factors) provided by biomaterials and the culture conditions optimized through flow perfusion, dynamic chamber, and cocultures mimic the in vivo liver microenvironments for this regenerative approach.

Smart polysaccharide-based anticancer phototherapeutic nanoparticles are prepared via a coordination-induced assembly process. Upon irradiated with a near infrared laser, the nanoparticles are not only able to simultaneously generate reactive oxygen species and hyperthermia that ablate tumors, but also possess tumor microenvironment-responsive off/on near infrared fluorescence and enhancement in photothermal effect, making them promising theranostic platform of cancer.