Synthetic micro-nanomotors fueled by glucose are highly desired for numerous practical applications due to the biocompatibility of their required fuel. However, currently all of the glucose-fueled micro/nanomotors are based on enzyme-catalytic driven mechanisms, which usually suffer from strict operation conditions and weak propulsion characteristics that greatly limit their applications. Here, we report a highly efficient glucose-fueled cuprous oxide@N doped carbon nanotube

Owing to the unique advantages of photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and photothermal therapy (PTT) conducted over the near‐infrared‐II (NIR‐II) window, the development of high‐efficiency optical agents with NIR‐II light responsiveness is of great significance. Despite the diversity of optical agents developed for NIR‐II PAI and PTT, most of them are based on inorganic nanomaterials and small molecular dyes, whose biosafety and photostability need to be further assessed, respectively. Organic semiconducting macromolecular dyes (OSMDs) featuring a large semiconducting backbone are becoming alternative candidates for NIR‐II PAI and PTT owing to their reliable biocompatibility, durable photostability, and ideal photothermal conversion capability. This paper reviews the current progress of OSMD‐based PAI and PTT in the NIR‐II optical window. The three main types of OSMDs with different skeleton architectures are introduced, and their applications for NIR‐II PAI (tumor imaging, stem cell tracking, and vasculature imaging) and PTT (tumor ablation) are described. Viable strategies for further improving the NIR‐II PAI performance of OSMDs are discussed. Finally, some major issues faced by OSMDs in NIR‐II PAI and PTT are raised, and the future development directions of OSMDs are analyzed.

Although microRNAs are commonly known to function as a component of RNA-induced silencing complexes in the cytoplasm, they have been detected in other organelles, notably the nucleus and the nucleolus, of mammalian cells. We have conducted a systematic search for miRNAs in HeLa cell nucleoli, and identified 11 abundant miRNAs with a high level of nucleolar accumulation. Through in situ hybridisation, we have localised these miRNAs, including miR-191 and miR-484, in the nucleolus of a diversity of human and rodent cell lines. The nucleolar association of these miRNAs is resistant to various cellular stresses, but highly sensitive to the presence of exogenous nucleic acids. Introduction of both single- and double-stranded DNA as well as double stranded RNA rapidly induce the redistribution of nucleolar miRNAs to the cytoplasm. A similar change in subcellular distribution is also observed in cells infected with the influenza A virus. The partition of miRNAs between the nucleolus and the cytoplasm is affected by Leptomycin B, suggesting a role of Exportin-1 in the intracellular shuttling of miRNAs. This study reveals a previously unknown aspect of miRNA biology, and suggests a possible link between these small noncoding RNAs and the cellular management of foreign genetic materials.

BackgroundMounting evidence indicate patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have an accelerated fracture healing. The healing process of bone fractures is greatly dependent on infiltrated macrophages. The macrophages are categorized into M1 or M2 phenotypes with different functions. This study is aimed to address the potential role of subtypes of macrophages in the process of fracture healing in patients with TBI.MethodsTwenty-five cases of clavicle fracture alone (CF group) and 22 cases of clavicle fracture concomitant with TBI (CFT group) were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Callus tissues were harvested during operations. The expressions of COX-2, CD206, and CD68 were measured with immunohistochemistry.ResultsThe percentages of M2 macrophages in total macrophages increased after bone fracture in both groups, while the percentages of M1-type macrophages are decreased. Interestingly, the increased percentages of M2 macrophages are significantly higher in CFT group than in CF group. Compared to CF group, the fracture callus volume was much larger (21.9 vs 8.5 cm3) and the fracture healing time was much shorter (82.2 vs 127.0 days) in CFT group. The percentage of M2 macrophages was negatively correlated with fracture healing time in patients (r = − 0.575, p < 0.01).ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the percentages of M2 macrophages in callus tissues increased dramatically during the repairing stage in both CF and CFT group. Percentages of M2 macrophages are associated with accelerated fracture healing in patients with TBI. M2 macrophage polarization during the stage of bone regeneration may play a vital role in promoting bone fracture healing.

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