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Microalgal cells serve as solar-powered factories that produce pharmaceuticals, recombinant proteins (vaccines and drugs), and valuable natural byproducts that possess medicinal properties. The main advantages of microalgae as cell factories can be summarized as follows: they are fueled by photosynthesis, are carbon dioxide-neutral, have rapid growth rates, are robust, have low-cost cultivation, are easily scalable, pose no risk of human pathogenic contamination, and their valuable natural byproducts can be further processed. Despite their potential, there are many technical hurdles that need to be overcome before the commercial production of microalgal pharmaceuticals, and extensive studies regarding their impact on human health must still be conducted and the results evaluated. Clearly, much work remains to be done before microalgae can be used in the large-scale commercial production of pharmaceuticals. This review focuses on recent advancements in microalgal biotechnology and its future perspectives.

Background Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, the most common form of stroke, has high mortality and often brings persistent and serious brain dysfunction among survivors. Administration of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) has been suggested to alleviate the I/R brain injury, but the mechanism remains uncharacterized. Here, we aimed at investigating the mechanism of ASCs and their extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the repair of or protection from I/R injury. Methods We established the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/RP) neuron model. ASCs or ASC-derived EVs (ASC-EVs) were co-cultured with neurons. RT-qPCR and Western blot analyses determined microRNA (miRNA)-22-3p, BMP2, BMF, and KDM6B expression in neurons upon treatment with ASC-EVs. Bioinformatics analysis predicted the binding between miR-22-3p and KDM6B. Using gain- and loss-of-function methods, we tested the impact of these molecules on I/R injury in vivo and in vitro. Results Treatment with ASCs and ASC-derived EVs significantly alleviated the I/R brain injury in vivo , elevated neuron viability in vitro, and decreased apoptosis. Interestingly, miR-22-3p was upregulated in ASC-EVs, and treatment with EV-miR-22-3p inhibitor led to increased apoptosis and decreased neuronal. Of note, miR-22-3p bound to and inhibited KDM6B, as demonstrated by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and Western blot assay. Overexpression of KDM6B enhanced apoptosis of neurons in the OGD/RP model, and KDM6B bound to BMB2 and promoted its expression by binding to BMP2. Silencing of BMF reduced infarct volume and apoptosis in the stroke model. Conclusion Results support a conclusion that ASC-EV-derived miR-22-3p could alleviate brain ischemic injury by inhibiting KDM6B-mediated effects on the BMP2/BMF axis. These findings compelling indicate a novel treatment strategy for cerebral ischemic injury.

Magnesium (Mg) alloys have gained recognition as revolutionary biomaterials, owing to their inherent degradability, favorable biocompatibility and mechanical properties. Additive manufacturing (AM) provides high design flexibility and enables the creation of implants with personalized complex shapes and internal porous structures tailored to individual anatomical and functional needs. Particularly, laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), one prevalent AM technique, utilizes a fine laser beam as heat source and results in tiny molten pool with extremely fast cooling rate, which effectively restricts grain growth, inter-metallic precipitation and macroscopic segregation, thus facilitating the fabrication of high-performance metal parts. This review critically assesses the significance of biodegradable Mg alloys and investigates the feasibility of utilizing LPBF for Mg alloys applications in biomedical field. Detailed discussions on LPBF-processed biomedical Mg alloys parts cover process parameters, microstructure, metallurgical defects, and properties like mechanical performance, corrosion behavior, and biological response in both as-built and post-processed states. Additionally, suggestions for advancing knowledge in LPBF of biodegradable Mg alloys for biomedical applications are highlighted to propel further research and development in this field. The necessity and progress in laser powder bed fusion of biodegradable Mg alloys were elucidated. The relationship between process, formability and microstructure was reviewed. The mechanism behind microstructure evolution and performance regulation was discussed. The future challenges and upcoming research directions were provided.

Baicalin is an important flavonoid compound THAT is isolated from the Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi Chinese herb and plays a critical role in anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-infection and anti-tumor functions. Although baicalin can suppress the proliferation of tumor cells, the underlying mechanisms of baicalin in bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis remain to be elucidated. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the role of baicalin in pulmonary fibrosis and fibroblast proliferation in rats. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson staining were used to measure the morphology of pulmonary fibrosis, ELIASA kits were used to test the ROS and inflammation, and western blotting and TUNEL were performed to study the apoptosis proteins. In vitro, MTT assay, flow cytometry, western blotting and immunofluorescence were performed to investigate the effects of baicalin on proliferation of fibroblasts. The most significantly fibrotic changes were identified in the lungs of model rats at day 28. Baicalin (50 mg/kg) attenuated the degree of pulmonary fibrosis, and the hydroxyproline content of the lung tissues was decreased in the baicalin group, compared with the BLM group. Further investigation revealed that baicalin significantly increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px), total-superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and glutathione (GSH) levels, whilst decreasing that of serum malondialdehyde (MDA). TUNEL-positive cells were significantly decreased in rats treated with baicalin group, compared with the model group. Furthermore, it was found that BLM promoted fibroblasts viability in a dose-dependent manner in vivo, which was restricted following treatment with different concentrations of baicalin. Moreover, BLM promoted the expression levels of cyclin A, D and E, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, phosphorylated (p)-AKT and p-calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type. BLM also promoted the transition of cells from the G0/G1 phase to the G2/M and S phases, and increased the intracellular Ca2+ concentration, which was subsequently suppressed by baicalin. Collectively, the results of the present study suggested that baicalin exerted a suppressive effect on BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis and fibroblast proliferation.

To make full use of the solar energy, exploring broad spectrum active photocatalysts has become one of the core issues for photocatalysis. Here we report a novel hexagonal 2H-MoSe 2 photocatalyst with ultraviolet (UV)-visible-near infrared (NIR) light response for the first time. The results indicate that the MoSe 2 displays excellent photo-absorption and photocatalytic activity in the reduction of Cr(VI) under UV and visible even NIR light irradiation. MoSe 2 synthesized at pH value of 2 achieves the highest Cr(VI) reduction rates of 99%, 91% and 100% under UV, visible and NIR light irradiation, respectively, which should be attributed to its comparatively higher light absorption, efficient charge separation and transfer as well as relatively large number of surface active sites. The excellent broad spectrum active photocatalytic activity makes the MoSe 2 to be a promising photocatalyst for the effective utilization of solar energy.

Background Aspirin has become the drug of choice for the prevention and treatment of ischemic stroke (IS), but approximately a quarter of patients may be resistant to its effects and have an increased risk of recurrent ischemic events while also developing aspirin resistance. This study aimed to build a risk prediction model for aspirin resistance (AR) in IS patients, predicts the likelihood of IS patients developing AR . Methods The retrospective research study included the clinical data of patients with ischemic stroke were retrospectively collected from January 2021 to January 2023 at the Affiliated Hospital of Beihua University in the Jilin Province. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were used to construct a risk prediction model. The Hosmer–Lemeshow χ 2 test and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to check the differential validity and calibration of the risk prediction model. The AR risk assessment criteria for ischemic stroke were established based on the β values ​​of each risk factor and its variable types in the prediction model. The two evaluation criteria were compared and analyzed to determine the best criteria. Results A total of 285 patients participated in this study, of whom 206 did not have AR, while 79 had AR. Seven risk factors were included in the prediction model. Sex (female), age (≥ 60 years), smoking, diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidemia (HLP), platelets (PLT), > 350 × 10 9  g/L, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) > 6.5% were independent influencing factors for the occurrence of AR in IS. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the risk score model in the training group was 0.834 (0.772–0.896, P  < 0.001). The Hosmer–Lemeshow test predicted the model fit effect χ 2  = 9.979, P  = 0.267 > 0.05. In the validation group, the AUC was 0.819 (0.715–0.922, P  < 0.001). The Base score model showed higher PPV (86.1%), the β × 4 model had better NPV (83.4%) with fewer false negatives (39), β × 4 showed slightly higher accuracy (82.8% vs 81.4%), its primary strength lies in enhanced AR detection sensitivity. Using the β value × 4 partial regression coefficient method, the scores and stratification of the AR risk prediction model were divided into three groups: no risk (0–3 points), low risk (4–15 points), and high risk (16–36 points). Conclusions Gender (female), age, smoking, DM, HLP, PLT and HbA1c are independent risk factors for AR in IS. The AR risk prediction model for IS demonstrates strong predictive and discriminative performance, enabling precise identification of high-risk patients.

Objective The 5-year survival rate of patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) is very low. However, long-term aspirin use has been suggested to have an adjuvant therapeutic effect. We therefore investigated the effect of long-term aspirin use before ESCC diagnosis on postoperative patient survival. Methods We carried out a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent esophageal cancer resection in our hospital from 2008 to 2018. Patients were divided into an aspirin group (n = 79) and control group (n = 79), and were followed up until December 2019. We analyzed the clinicopathological and follow-up data of the patients during hospitalization, and the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression levels by immunohistochemistry, and related these to postoperative survival. Results Patients who took aspirin had significantly lower survival rates than those who did not. COX-2-negative patients had better survival than patients with either low or high COX-2 expression levels. T stage was the only independent predictor of survival in patients who took aspirin. Conclusions Long-term regular use of aspirin before diagnosis had an adverse effect on postoperative survival in patients with ESCC. Different COX-2 protein expression levels were associated with significantly different postoperative survival rates, with COX-2-positive patients having the poorest survival.

Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) is an important forage legume in farming and animal husbandry systems. This study assessed the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) on alfalfa growth under different phosphorus application levels. In this experiment, a complete randomized block design was used. The following four bacterial applications were used: inoculation of Funneliformis mosseae (Fm), inoculation of Bacillus megaterium (Bm), inoculation of mixed species (Fm × Bm) and noninoculation treatment (CK). Phosphorus (P) treatment was applied at the following four levels: 0 mg kg −1 (P 0 ), 50 mg kg −1 (P 1 ), 100 mg kg −1 (P 2 ) and 150 mg P kg −1 (P 3 ). The results showed that with the increase in phosphorus application, each index increased first and then decreased. The J 2 treatment was significantly greater than the J 0 treatment ( P  < 0.05) under the same bacterial treatment. In each cropping period the difference in each index to alfalfa was extremely significant under J, P treatment and J × P interactive treatment ( P  < 0.01). The indexes were compared by membership function. The priority order was as follows: J 3 P 2  > J 1 P 2  > J 3 P 1 treatment. Therefore, when phosphorus was applied at 100 mg kg −1 , the mixed inoculation of Fm × Bm was optimal, benefitting mycorrhiza growth and the production performance of alfalfa.

Used in Asian countries, including China, Japan, and Thailand, Houttuynia cordata Thumb (H. cordata; Saururaceae, HC) is a traditional herbal medicine that possesses favorable antiviral properties. As a potent folk therapy used to treat pulmonary infections, further research is required to fully elucidate the mechanisms of its pharmacological activities and explore its therapeutic potential for treating pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2. This study explores the pharmacological mechanism of HC on pneumonia using a network pharmacological approach combined with reprocessing expression profiling by high-throughput sequencing to demonstrate the therapeutic mechanisms of HC for treating pneumonia at a systemic level. The integration of these analyses suggested that target factors are involved in four signaling pathways, including PI3K-Akt, Jak-STAT, MAPK, and NF-kB. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation were applied to verify these results, indicating a stable combination between four metabolites (Afzelin, Apigenin, Kaempferol, Quercetin) and six targets (DPP4, ELANE, HSP90AA1, IL6, MAPK1, SERPINE1). These natural metabolites have also been reported to bind with ACE2 and 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2, respectively. The data suggest that HC exerts collective therapeutic effects against pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 and provides a theoretical basis for further study of the active drug-like ingredients and mechanism of HC in treating pneumonia.