TY - JOUR AB - Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe central nervous system disorder that disrupts neural circuit integrity, leading to significant motor and sensory dysfunction or loss. Despite the urgent need, no effective treatments are currently available in clinical practice. Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), a compound extracted from the plant Ligusticum wallichii, has shown therapeutic potential for SCI, but its efficacy is constrained by the blood-spinal cord barrier and a short half-life. To address this limitation, we developed a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel with an oriented porous structure (TMP/OPH) designed to achieve sustained, localized TMP delivery at the injury site. The TMP/OPH was synthesized via a combined sol–gel transition and freeze-casting method, which enables physical gelation of PVA without additional crosslinking agents, making it a simple, and safe approach that enables the gel to revert to sol upon heating for complete recyclability. TMP/OPH not only functions as a local drug delivery system but also features an anisotropic porous structure that supports axonal regeneration and synaptic reconstruction at the injury site. Mechanistic studies revealed that TMP/OPH, through the sustained TMP release in the early stages of SCI, regulates the TNF signaling pathway, promotes M2 polarization of microglia, suppresses neuroinflammation, and improves the local microenvironment, thus creating favorable conditions for nerve repair. Long-term therapeutic effects, including axonal regeneration, synaptic reconstruction, reduction of glial scar, and improved motor function further support TMP/OPH as a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI repair. AU - Liu, G.* AU - Li, S.* AU - Deng, B.* AU - Huo, L.* AU - Bai, H.* AU - Jiang, S.* AU - Zhou, Y.* AU - Pei, Z.* AU - Kimna, C. AU - Zhao, Y.* AU - Xu, L.* AU - Li, J.* AU - Mu, X.* AU - Song, J.* C1 - 73236 C2 - 56961 CY - Po Box 564, 1001 Lausanne, Switzerland TI - Phase-separated anisotropic PVA hydrogel loaded with tetramethylpyrazine for spinal cord injury repair. JO - Chem. Eng. J. VL - 506 PB - Elsevier Science Sa PY - 2025 SN - 1385-8947 ER - TY - JOUR AB - In infected wounds, adipocytes play a crucial role in resisting infection. Studies have demonstrated that a lack of adipocytes can reduce the recruitment of macrophages. When wounds are infected, dermal fibroblasts (dFBs) differentiate into adipocytes and produce antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to combat bacteria. However, in obesity mice, mature adipocytes hinder the adipogenic differentiation of dFBs and the production of AMPs. It is unclear whether promoting lipolysis can restore the function of AMPs secretion. Nickel ion (Ni2+) is known for promoting vascular regeneration and has been widely used in tissue regeneration. Therefore, the ROS-responsive ferulic acid (FA)@Ni@HA hydrogel was developed to promote infected wound healing. FA released from the hydrogel can promote the lipolysis of adipocytes to alleviate the inhibition of mature adipocytes on AMPs secretion from dFBs and enhance macrophage recruitment. Additionally, the loaded Ni2+ can stimulate local blood vessel formation, working in conjunction with FA to promote the healing of infected wounds. The results suggest that the use of FA@Ni@HA hydrogel expedites the repair of infected wounds, offering a promising strategy for wound healing. AU - Hu, W.* AU - Zhao, Y.* AU - Zhang, S.* AU - An, Y.* AU - Knoedler, S. AU - Christine Panayi, A.* AU - Obed, D.* AU - Kim, B.S.* AU - Zha, K.* AU - Zhang, W.* AU - Hu, Y.* AU - Mi, B.* AU - Feng, Q.* AU - Hu, H.* AU - Sun, Y.* AU - Liu, G.* C1 - 72384 C2 - 56570 TI - The ROS-responsive FA@Ni@HA hydrogel promotes infected wound healing in DIO mice through endogenous antimicrobial peptides and macrophage recruitment. JO - Chem. Eng. J. VL - 500 PY - 2024 SN - 1385-8947 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Parabens are used as preservatives in personal care products and many other products of daily use. Their removal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is inefficient, allowing their spread into the environment. A great diversity of biological and chemical transformations occurs in these water systems leading to the formation of parabens transformation products (PTP). The presence and persistence of PTP in water sources are primarily affected by the type of tertiary wastewater treatment employed and the extent to which paraben-containing products are used. Despite laboratory evidence of PTP formation, their detection in real-world water systems remains limited. Few reports described their presence in real WWTP, rivers, swimming pools, and even drinking water (DW), occasionally at concentrations surpassing their parent counterparts. Among them, para-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) is the most frequently detected, reaching concentrations up to 200 μg/L in WWTP influents, followed by hydroxylated parabens (1 μg/L), as well as chlorinated and brominated parabens (<0.1 μg/L). The toxicological implications of these PTP raise concerns, considering the health risks associated with parabens such as their potential endocrine disruption and toxicity. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of PTP formation during water treatment processes and its prevalence in water sources in real and laboratory conditions. Their environmental and public health impacts are also addressed, highlighting the need to invest in the monitoring of PTP in water systems using integrated water management approaches and promote community education to reduce the use of these compounds, safeguarding environmental and human health. AU - Rita Pereira, A.* AU - Gomes, I.B.* AU - Harir, M. AU - Santos, L.* AU - Simões, M.G.* C1 - 71533 C2 - 56124 CY - Po Box 564, 1001 Lausanne, Switzerland TI - Parabens transformation products in water and their (eco)toxicological implications. JO - Chem. Eng. J. VL - 498 PB - Elsevier Science Sa PY - 2024 SN - 1385-8947 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Efferocytosis is a critical process whereby macrophages residing in the wound area play a key role in the efficient clearing and degradation of apoptotic neutrophils. This process is followed by a phenotypic transition toward an anti-inflammatory state, essential for inflammation resolution and tissue repair. The cystine/glutamate antiporter SLC7A11 has recently been identified as an inhibitor of efferocytosis, and its blockade has been found to enhance wound healing. In this study, we demonstrated that tiliroside, a plant-derived glycoside containing flavones, binds directly to SLC7A11 and pyruvate kinase isozyme M2 (PKM2). This was established by molecular docking predictions and activity-based protein profiling (ABPP). Cytological experiments revealed that tiliroside promoted the process of efferocytosis and led to glycolysis-related macrophage reprogramming. To facilitate targeted drug delivery to macrophages at diabetic wound sites, we designed a novel hybrid biomaterial. This hybrid biomaterial, prepared as Gel@Til iRGD&PS@PLGA NPs is manufactured by loading tiliroside (Til)-conjugated iRGD&PS double modified lipid nanoparticles (iRGD&PS@PLGA NPs) into a pH-responsive hydrogel matrix. The administration of Gel@Til iRGD&PS@PLGA NPs in diabetic cutaneous wound models has been shown to significantly promote tissue regeneration through the promotion of efferocytosis and glycolysis-related macrophage reprogramming. Therefore, this study introduces a novel approach to diabetic wound management by leveraging the promotion of efferocytosis. AU - Zhang, W.* AU - Zhang, S.* AU - Knoedler, S.* AU - Han, W.* AU - Zha, K.* AU - Li, H.* AU - Christine Panayi, A.* AU - Alfertshofer, M.* AU - Kim, B.S.* AU - Hu, W.* AU - Zhao, Y.* AU - Feng, Q.* AU - Rinkevich, Y. AU - Mi, B.* AU - Liu, G.* C1 - 71535 C2 - 56125 CY - Po Box 564, 1001 Lausanne, Switzerland TI - Hybrid biomaterial hydrogel loading iRGD&PS double modified lipid nanoparticles ameliorates diabetic wound healing through promoting efferocytosis and glycolysis-related macrophage reprogramming. JO - Chem. Eng. J. VL - 497 PB - Elsevier Science Sa PY - 2024 SN - 1385-8947 ER -