Airborne pathogens, such as the world-spreading severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), cause global epidemics via transmission through the
respiratory pathway. It is of great urgency to develop adequate interventions that can
protect individuals against future pandemics. This study presents a nasal spray that
forms a polysaccharide “armor” on the cell surface through the
layer-by-layer self-assembly (LBL) method to minimize the risk of virus infection. The
nasal spray has two separate components: chitosan and alginate. Harnessing the
electrostatic interaction, inhaling the two polysaccharides alternatively enables the
assembly of a barrier that reduces virus uptake into the cells. The results showed that
this approach has no obvious cellular injury and endows cells with the ability to resist
the infection of adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus. Such a method can be a potential
preventive strategy for protecting the respiratory tract against multiple viruses,
especially the upcoming SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Conductive polymers (CPs) are promising biomaterials to address signal connection at biointerfaces for tissue regeneration. However, regulating material microstructure at the subcellular scale to provide a more seamless interface between conductive substrates and cells remains a great challenge. Here, we demonstrate that chemical factors and enzyme-carried subcellular structures at lesion site provide a natural bioreactor to selfassemble conductive microvesicles (CMVs) for improving bioelectrical signal reconstruction. The synthesized CMVs contribute to the electrical conduction of the injured nerve in the early stage. Moreover, CMVs are eventually expelled via lymphatic capillary to minimize space-occupying and chronic inflammation. Therefore, we provide a prototype to integrate specific physiological microenvironments and polymer chemistry to manufacture subcellular functional materials with self-adaptive interface in vivo for biomedical applications.
Electrical stimulation is an effective strategy for facilitating wound healing. However, it is hindered by unwieldy electrical systems. In this study, a light‐powered dressing based on long‐lived photoacid generator (PAG)‐doped polyaniline composites is used, which can generate a photocurrent under visible light irradiation to interact with the endogenous electric field and facilitate skin growth. Light‐controlled proton binding and dissociation result in oxidation and reduction of the polyaniline backbone, inducing charge transfer to generate a photocurrent. Due to the rapid intramolecular photoreaction of PAG, a long‐lived proton‐induced localized acidic environment is formed, which protects the wound from microbial infection. In summary, a simple and effective therapeutic strategy is introduced for light‐powered and biocompatible wound dressings that show great potential for wound treatment.
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