Kangliang Sheng

Background: Cordyceps militaris extracellular vesicle-enriched preparations, operationally designated CMEVs in this study, are being explored as food-derived nanomaterials, but the effects of source material, fermentation stage, and carbon source on their characteristics and biological activity remain unclear. We compared CMEVs obtained from fruiting bodies and submerged liquid fermentation, selected a collection time, and examined the effects of four carbon sources on CMEV characteristics and protection against UVB-induced injury.Results: Compared with fruiting body-derived CMEVs, fermentation-derived CMEVs yielded more BCA-detectable protein per gram of source dry mass, had a more negative zeta potential, and showed a narrower particle-size distribution. In UVB-damaged HaCaT cells, fermentation-derived CMEVs resulted in higher cell viability, lower MMP1 and IL6 expression, and higher COL1A2 expression. The two source groups had similar particle-to-protein ratios. Although the BCA-measured protein concentration was highest on fermentation day 5, CMEVs collected on day 4 had a higher particle-to-protein ratio and a more uniform particle-size distribution. Day 4 was therefore selected for the subsequent experiments. Tre-CMEVs and Glc-CMEVs had similar protein concentrations, particle-to-protein ratios, and zeta potentials, while Tre-CMEVs showed a relatively narrow particle-size distribution. In UVB-damaged HaCaT cells, Tre-CMEVs reduced ROS and MDA, decreased IL6 and MMP1 expression, and increased COL1A2 expression. Tre-CMEVs also reduced wrinkle formation, epidermal thickening, lipid peroxidation, inflammation, and collagen loss in UVB-exposed mice. Untargeted metabolomics distinguished Tre-CMEVs from Glc-CMEVs and identified differential features related to amino acid and energy metabolism, including signals putatively annotated as arginine, glutamate, and tricarboxylic acid-cycle intermediates.Conclusions: Day 4 was selected as the collection point based on particle characteristics and cellular activity. Tre-CMEVs reduced oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and matrix damage in HaCaT cells and alleviated UVB-induced skin injury in mice. These findings support further evaluation of Tre-CMEVs as a UVB-protective preparation.

Despite the promising potential of Cu‐based nanozymes in cancer therapy, the therapeutic efficacy remains limited by the difficulty of achieving controlled Cu‐ion release without compromising lattice integrity and catalytic activity. Herein, we developed a therapeutic nanoplatform utilizing bismuth (Bi)‐doping techniques to control the release of copper (Cu) ions, enabling synergistic ion interference therapy, chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) for tumor treatment. Based on the instability of Bi‐based compounds in the tumor microenvironment (TME), Bi ions are preferentially released from Bi‐doped CuS nanosheets (Bi‐CuS NSs), exposing more Cu vacancies and facilitating Cu ion release compared to CuS NSs. More importantly, upon cellular internalization, the released copper ions induce ionic homeostasis disruption, leading to cuproptosis in liver cancer cells. Simultaneously, the Cu vacancies generated by ion release enhance the peroxidase‐like activity to produce more reactive oxygen species and improve the photothermal conversion efficiency to induce localized hyperthermia, synergistically amplifying tumor cell destruction. Consequently, Bi‐CuS NSs exhibit excellent potential for synergistic metal ion interference and photothermal/chemodynamic therapy, enabling the multimodal treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. This study presents a Bi‐mediated strategy for regulating Cu‐ion release and catalytic activity in metal‐based cancer nanomedicines.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) progression is sustained by a positive feedback loop. Excessive mucosal ROS activate the TXNIP/NLRP3 inflammasome axis, which in turn drives interleukin‐1β‐mediated epithelial barrier disruption and dysbiosis. Conventional solid nanozymes suffer from limited catalytic efficiency because dense interiors restrict substrate access. Here, hollow cuprous oxide nanozymes (H‐Cu ₂ O) are engineered to overcome these limitations. The hollow architecture exposes a larger catalytically accessible surface area, enabling H‐Cu ₂ O to achieve broad‐spectrum reactive oxygen species scavenging with superior efficiency compared with its composition‐matched solid counterpart (S‐Cu ₂ O). In mouse models of colitis, low‐dose H‐Cu ₂ O (4 mg kg ⁻¹ ) attenuates oxidative damage, suppresses the TXNIP/NLRP3 cascade, and restores tight junction integrity. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing reveals that H‐Cu ₂ O remodels the dysbiotic gut microbiota toward homeostasis with Lactobacillus enrichment. Importantly, the sequential co‐administration of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum with H‐Cu ₂ O outperforms the electrostatically assembled hybrid LP@H‐Cu ₂ O, demonstrating that free nanozyme diffusion is more effective than surface immobilization for combination therapy. This work establishes hollow nanozyme architecture as a key determinant of anti‐inflammatory efficacy and validates nanozyme‐probiotic co‐delivery as a translatable IBD treatment strategy.

Infectious wound healing remains a significant medical challenge due to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) colonization. The development of nano-Chinese herbal medicines has provided new approaches for the application of nanomedicines. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play an important role as mediators of bacterial communication. However, the roles of Chinese herbal medicine-derived EV in S. aureus physiology and ecology have not been characterized. Furthermore, developing effective CHM-EV-based therapies for managing bacteria-infected wounds remains challenging. In this study, we found that S. aureus was specifically killed by EV derived from the traditional Chinese medicine pomegranate peel (PTP-EV). Furthermore, PTP-EV was taken up into S. aureus and could alter the expression of approximately 46.53% of all genes in the S. aureus genome, influencing diverse functions such as replication, division, and metabolism. Notably, PTP-EV downregulated the genes of key virulence factors, including saeS, saeR, and psmB. Incorporating PTP-EV into the GelMA (PEV-GM) hydrogel effectively promoted sustained slow release of EV. Furthermore, the PEV-GM hydrogel demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against S. aureus, thereby accelerating the wound healing process. Our findings offer information about the physiological and ecological significance of PEV-GM-bacterial interactions and the therapeutic potential of PEV-GM hydrogel as a promising and biocompatible dressing for managing biofilm-associated chronic wounds.

The isolation and identification of a new Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HMPM2111 strain showed that it exerts antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects against stresses, which could be helpful in food preservation and inflammation treatment.

Nanocatalysts hold significant promise in tumor therapy by facilitating the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Among these, single-atom nanozymes (SAzymes) stand out due to their atomically dispersed active sites, offering a viable alternative to natural enzymes. SAzyme can simulate the catalytic mechanisms of natural enzymes, such as peroxidase and catalase, achieving highly efficient biocatalytic effects. Moreover, they can maintain high catalytic activity and structural stability under extreme conditions. However, the application of SAzymes in anticancer treatments is still in its initial stages, necessitating further research and development. In this study, we have synthesized a single-atom catalytic enzymes with V₂O₅ coordination (vanadium-based single-atom catalysts, V-SAC) utilizing the electrospinning technique to enhance tumor suppression. The V-SAC demonstrates notable dual enzymatic activities, mimicking both peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase functions. It catalyzes the conversion of endogenous H₂O₂ to ·OH within the acidic tumor microenvironment, while simultaneously depleting glutathione (GSH). Significantly, V-SAC induces cuproptosis/ferroptosis/apoptosis, which further augments the efficacy of tumor treatment. Additionally, the exceptional photothermal properties of V-SAC enable photothermal therapy (PTT) for tumors. In vivo experiments reveal that V-SAC exhibits excellent antitumor capabilities coupled with high safety, underscoring its substantial potential for clinical applications in cancer treatment. These findings highlight the development of high-performance, biological safety single-atom catalysts for biomedical applications in tumor therapy.

Vanadium, a transition metal, has emerged as a promising element in the development of therapeutic drugs. While not an essential element for life, vanadium compounds have demonstrated significant potential as anticancer agents. Current evidence suggests that these compounds exert their anti-tumor effects through multiple mechanisms, including DNA damage, cell cycle regulation, induction of apoptosis and autophagy, inhibition of metastasis and invasion, and disruption of mitochondrial function. Furthermore, vanadium compounds have shown efficacy against a wide range of cancers, such as melanoma, breast, colorectal, pancreatic, liver, and central nervous system tumors, as well as oral squamous cell carcinoma. This review aims to comprehensively examine the anti-tumor properties and underlying mechanisms of various vanadium compounds while also providing an overview of their current biological applications.

Probiotics have been established to exert a positive impact on the treatment of various diseases. Indeed, these active microorganisms have garnered significant attention in recent years for their potential to prevent and treat illnesses. Their beneficial effects have been hypothesized to be linked to their released extracellular vesicles. These nanoscale structures, secreted during the growth and metabolism of probiotics, possess favorable biocompatibility and targeting properties, thereby promoting intercellular material transport and signaling. This article aimed to review the bioactive components and functions of these probiotics vesicles, highlighting their role in the treatment of various diseases and discussing their potential future applications. By exploring the mechanisms of probiotic extracellular vesicles in disease development, this review aimed to provide a theoretical reference for further research on their therapeutic potential. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.