Extraordinary microcarriers derived from spores and pollens

Zhao, Danshan; Li, Yawen; Zhang, Zhidong; Xu, Tongwen; Ye, Chao; Shi, Tian‐Qiong; Wang, Yuetong

doi:10.1039/d2mh01236g

Cited by 13 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 119 publications

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“…[38] Acid treatment is then used to remove residual proteinaceous materials and sporoplasmic organelles within the pollen grains. [29,39,40] The resulting pollen becomes a naturally-occurring and empty microcapsule (with the intine and exine layers still intact) suitable for encapsulating various active materials such as oil, proteins, and nanoparticles. [41][42][43][44][45][46] It has been demonstrated here that untreated pollen particles have the capability to be utilized in the formulation of uniform Pickering emulsions.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[25][26][27] Moreover, the size distribution of pollen varies from a few micrometers to several hundred micrometers, which is comparable to the size range observed in emulsions. [28,29] Herein, we utilized the inherent uniformity of natural pollen grains in shearing aqueous pollen dispersions into w/o Pickering emulsion droplets. The robust mechanical properties of pollen particles allow them to withstand high-speed shearing while staying intact in the aqueous phase, ultimately resulting in the formation of pollen-in-water-in-oil Pickering emulsions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Harnessing the Power of Nature: Monodisperse Pickering Emulsion Droplets and Yolk‐Shell Microcapsules Utilizing Bee Pollen Particles

Jiang,

Yu,

Guan

et al. 2024

Adv Funct Materials

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The preparation of monodisperse Pickering emulsions currently can only be achieved using microfluidics or membrane emulsification, limiting its widespread applications in many fields. Here, by simply introducing naturally occurring pollen grains during mechanical emulsification, it becomes extremely feasible to fabricate uniform Pickering emulsions. The process of shearing and turbulence leads to a constant reduction in the size of the droplets of the dispersed phase. The robust exine of the pollen grains in the continuous phase enables them to retain their structural integrity during emulsification, resulting in the formation of a single pollen‐in‐water‐in‐oil structure. Meanwhile, the intrinsic monodispersity of the pollen grains allows for the resulting emulsions to be similarly uniform, and they can be easily collected through centrifugation. As a result, this novel methodology achieves the effective formulation of monodisperse Pickering emulsions in an unprecedented way. Furthermore, the utilization of sporopollenin exine capsules (SECs) as a replacement for pollen, in conjunction with sol–gel interfacial engineering, enables the attainment of “yolk‐shell” dual‐shell microcapsules. This approach not only effectively addresses the issue of cargo leakage in SECs but also imparts exceptional uniformity and stability to the microcapsules.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harnessing the Power of Nature: Monodisperse Pickering Emulsion Droplets and Yolk‐Shell Microcapsules Utilizing Bee Pollen Particles

Jiang,

Yu,

Guan

et al. 2024

Adv Funct Materials

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…With a wide range of shapes and sizes, pollen grains of the same species exhibit characteristic features, including uniformity in size, dispersity, and shape. In recent years, pollen has gained significant attention as a drug delivery system due to its simplicity, low cost, large surface-to-volume ratio, high loading capacity, and high bioavailability [85]. The diverse array of pollen across plant species allows for the selection of suitable pollen with the desired shape and size for various applications [86].…”

Section: Pollenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bio-Hybrid Magnetic Robots: From Bioengineering to Targeted Therapy

Zhang,

Zeng,

Zhao

et al. 2024

Bioengineering

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Magnetic robots possess an innate ability to navigate through hard-to-reach cavities in the human body, making them promising tools for diagnosing and treating diseases minimally invasively. Despite significant advances, the development of robots with desirable locomotion and full biocompatibility under harsh physiological conditions remains challenging, which put forward new requirements for magnetic robots’ design and material synthesis. Compared to robots that are synthesized with inorganic materials, natural organisms like cells, bacteria or other microalgae exhibit ideal properties for in vivo applications, such as biocompatibility, deformability, auto-fluorescence, and self-propulsion, as well as easy for functional therapeutics engineering. In the process, these organisms can provide autonomous propulsion in biological fluids or external magnetic fields, while retaining their functionalities with integrating artificial robots, thus aiding targeted therapeutic delivery. This kind of robotics is named bio-hybrid magnetic robotics, and in this mini-review, recent progress including their design, engineering and potential for therapeutics delivery will be discussed. Additionally, the historical context and prominent examples will be introduced, and the complexities, potential pitfalls, and opportunities associated with bio-hybrid magnetic robotics will be discussed.

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Inhalation of Bioorthogonal Gene‐Editable Spiky‐Pollen Reprograms Tumor‐Associated Macrophages for Lung Cancer Immunotherapy

Lu,

Chen,

Zeng

et al. 2024

Adv Funct Materials

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As a major component of tumor infiltration, tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) primarily promote the M2 phenotype of tumors in the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, the overexpression of anti‐phagocytic molecules in TAMs facilitates tumor cell evasion of TAMs’ phagocytic arrest. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a reliable strategy to reprogram TAMs for more effective anti‐tumor outcomes. In this study, innovative inhalable bioorthogonal gene‐editable microparticles (SPR) have been engineered that reprogram TAMs for lung cancer therapy based on spike‐covered sunflower sporopollenin exine capsules (SECs). These microparticles utilize SECs as delivery vehicles, with reduced palladium (Pd) nanoparticles on their surface carrying CRISPR/Cas9 lipid nanoparticles (LNP‐RNPs) that specifically knock down the anti‐phagocytic SIRPα gene on TAMs. The SPR microparticles employ a tripartite strategy to reprogram the TAMs: the physical stimulation through pollen spikes, the production of a Toll‐like receptor 7 agonist (imiquimod, IMD) via Pd‐mediated bioorthogonal catalysis, and the employment of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. In an orthotopic mouse model, the inhalation of SPR microparticles not only reprograms macrophages efficiently but also bolsters their tumor‐fighting abilities. Notably, the cured mice show no signs of recurrence even upon re‐exposure to the tumor, indicating a long‐lasting anti‐tumor effect.

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Extraordinary microcarriers derived from spores and pollens

Abstract: Spores and pollens refer to the reproductive cells of seed plants and asexually reproducing sporophytes, exhibiting a natural core-shell structure and exquisite surface morphology. They possess extraordinary dimensional homogeneity, porosity,...

Cited by 13 publications

References 119 publications

Harnessing the Power of Nature: Monodisperse Pickering Emulsion Droplets and Yolk‐Shell Microcapsules Utilizing Bee Pollen Particles

Harnessing the Power of Nature: Monodisperse Pickering Emulsion Droplets and Yolk‐Shell Microcapsules Utilizing Bee Pollen Particles

Bio-Hybrid Magnetic Robots: From Bioengineering to Targeted Therapy

Inhalation of Bioorthogonal Gene‐Editable Spiky‐Pollen Reprograms Tumor‐Associated Macrophages for Lung Cancer Immunotherapy

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