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Background Face masks are basic protective equipment for preventing respiratory infectious diseases. The measures to properly dispose of and allocate face masks during the early stage of an epidemic caused by respiratory infectious diseases deserve worldwide attention. Methods A qualitative research approach was used to document the practice of a citywide face mask–wearing strategy of the Shanghai Municipal Government (called the “Shanghai solution” in this article). Based on data from government work documents, an online face mask–allocation and sales system was built to offer real-time updates of face-mask appointments and sales information in all designated pharmacies and neighborhood committees in Shanghai. Results In the Shanghai solution, a total of 24.8 million residents in 6,031 committees were covered, in order to achieve universal wearing of face masks during the COVID-19 crisis. Up to 110 million face masks were dispensed to residents in six rounds of face-mask allocation during February to April. This practical experience in Shanghai solved two key problems (insufficient face-mask capacity, protection of vulnerable population) with the supply of face masks by addressing four essential characteristics: overall coordination, on-demand distribution, efficient distribution, and technical support. Conclusion The practice of the citywide face mask–supply strategy of Shanghai could provide several pointers for management of a shortage of emergency materials, dispatch, and transport to other countries during the pandemic.

Melittin, the principal constituent in bee venom, is an attractive candidate for cancer therapy. However, its clinical applications are limited by hemolysis, nonspecific cytotoxicity, and rapid metabolism. Herein, a novel genetically engineered vesicular antibody‐melittin (VAM) drug delivery platform was proposed and validated for targeted cancer combination therapy. VAM generated from the cellular plasma membrane was bio‐synthetically fabricated, with the recombinant protein (hGC33 scFv‐melittin) being harbored and displayed on the cell membrane. The bioactive and targetable nanomelittin conjugated by hGC33 scFv could be released in an MMP14‐responsive manner at tumor sites, which reduced off‐target toxicity, especially the hemolytic activity of melittin. Importantly, VAM could be loaded with small‐molecule drugs or nanoparticles for combination therapy. Nanomelittin formed pores in membranes and disturbed phospholipid bilayers, which allowed the anticancer agents (i.e., chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin and sonosensitizer purpurin 18 nanoparticles) co‐delivered by VAM to penetrate deeper tumor sites, leading to synergistic therapeutic effects. In particular, the punching effect generated by sonodynamic therapy further improved the immunomodulatory effect of nanomelittin to activate the immune response. Taken together, our findings indicate that clinically translatable VAM‐based strategies represent a universal, promising approach to multimodal synergetic cancer therapy.

Background Emerging ferroptosis-driven therapies based on nanotechnology function either by increasing intracellular iron level or suppressing glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) activity. Nevertheless, the therapeutic strategy of simultaneous iron delivery and GPX4 inhibition remains challenging and has significant scope for improvement. Moreover, current nanomedicine studies mainly use disulfide-thiol exchange to deplete glutathione (GSH) for GPX4 inactivation, which is unsatisfactory because of the compensatory effect of continuous GSH synthesis. Methods In this study, we design a two-in-one ferroptosis-inducing nanoplatform using iron-based metal-organic framework (MOF) that combines iron supply and GPX4 deactivation by loading the small molecule buthionine sulfoxide amine (BSO) to block de novo GSH biosynthesis, which can achieve sustainable GSH elimination and dual ferroptosis amplification. A coated lipid bilayer (L) can increase the stability of the nanoparticles and a modified tumor-homing peptide comprising arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD/R) can achieve tumor-specific therapies. Moreover, as a decrease in GSH can alleviate resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy drugs, oxaliplatin (OXA) was also loaded to obtain BSO&OXA@MOF-LR for enhanced cancer chemo-ferrotherapy in vivo. Results BSO&OXA@MOF-LR shows a robust tumor suppression effect and significantly improved the survival rate in 4T1 tumor xenograft mice, indicating a combined effect of dual amplified ferroptosis and GSH elimination sensitized apoptosis. Conclusion BSO&OXA@MOF-LR is proven to be an efficient ferroptosis/apoptosis hybrid anti-cancer agent. This study is of great significance for the clinical development of novel drugs based on ferroptosis and apoptosis for enhanced cancer chemo-ferrotherapy. Graphical Abstract

Vaccination is the most cost-effective means in the fight against infectious diseases. Various kinds of vaccines have been developed since the outbreak of COVID-19, some of which have been approved for clinical application. Though vaccines available achieved partial success in protecting vaccinated subjects from infection or hospitalization, numerous efforts are still needed to end the global pandemic, especially in the case of emerging new variants. Safe and efficient vaccines are the key elements to stop the pandemic from attacking the world now; novel and evolving vaccine technologies are urged in the course of fighting (re)-emerging infectious diseases. Advances in biotechnology offered the progress of vaccinology in the past few years, and lots of innovative approaches have been applied to the vaccine design during the ongoing pandemic. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the-art vaccine strategies involved in controlling the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. In addition, challenges and future directions for rational vaccine design are discussed.

The activation of CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) plays the central role in cancer immunotherapy, which depends on the efficient recognition of peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) by the T cell receptor (TCR) for the first signal, and B7-CD28 co-stimulating for the second signal. To achieve the potent immune stimulatory effect, a genetically engineered cellular membrane nanovesicles platform that integrates antigen self-presentation and immunosuppression reversal (ASPIRE) for cancer immunotherapy was designed. In preclinical mouse models, ASPIRE could markedly improve antigen delivery to lymphoid organs and generate broad-spectrum T-cell responses that eliminate established tumors. This review highlights that the ASPIRE system represents a novel strategy for personalized cancer immunotherapy.

Cultivated land is a compound social-ecological system with the highest dependence on human beings. With changes in human demand, the function of the cultivated land system has undergone profound transformation. In this study, we analyze the development and evolution of cultivated land system functions, with the aim of providing decision-making support for national macro-management. Drawing on social-ecological system theory, and using multi-factor comprehensive analysis, ArcGIS spatial analysis, and a gray correlation model, this research evaluates the multifunctional temporal and spatial differences in the cultivated land system in 113 counties in Henan Province, China and analyzes their driving factors. The results show that: (1) the overall function of the cultivated system in Henan Province has obvious stage characteristics over the past 20 years, with the cultivated land function index being low from 1998 to 2013, and gradually increasing after 2013; (2) the trend of the cultivated land function has a progressive character, with the function index fluctuating from 0.3 to 0.6; (3) There is an obvious hierarchy among the sub-functions, showing the public role of production function, economic contribution function, employment guarantee function, food security guarantee function, and ecological security maintenance function; (4) Coordination analysis shows that there are trade-offs and synergies between sub-functions and the overall functions of the system; (5) Gray correlation analysis shows that urbanization, industrialization, agricultural modernization and agricultural policies play an important driving role in the evolution of cultivated land functions. These results not only provide a methodological and scientific basis for the evaluation, management and decision-making of cultivated land systems, but also provide a theoretical exploration of how the transformation of cultivated land goals can be integrated with sustainable development goals.

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