Featured
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Article
| Open AccessSmart soft contact lenses for continuous 24-hour monitoring of intraocular pressure in glaucoma care
Continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure remains a grand challenge in glaucoma care. Here the authors develop smart soft contact lenses for continuous 24-hour monitoring of intraocular pressure in human eyes, even during sleep.
- Jinyuan Zhang
- , Kyunghun Kim
- & Chi Hwan Lee
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Article
| Open AccessClustering by measuring local direction centrality for data with heterogeneous density and weak connectivity
Clustering is a powerful machine learning method for discovering similar patterns according to the proximity of elements in feature space. Here the authors propose a local direction centrality clustering algorithm that copes with heterogeneous density and weak connectivity issues.
- Dehua Peng
- , Zhipeng Gui
- & Huayi Wu
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Article
| Open AccessAC amplification gain in organic electrochemical transistors for impedance-based single cell sensors
The authors develop a quantitative description of alternating current amplification gain in organic electrochemical transistors. The findings are applied to achieve detection of single glioblastoma cell adhesion with 20 dB gain compared to microelectrodes.
- Filippo Bonafè
- , Francesco Decataldo
- & Beatrice Fraboni
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Article
| Open AccessBiofeedback electrostimulation for bionic and long-lasting neural modulation
Designing wereable neural invasive electrical stimulation system remains a challenge. Here, researchers provide an effective technology platform for the elimination of tricky neural stimulus-inertia using bionic electronic modulation, which is a significant step forward for long-lasting treatment of nervous system diseases.
- Fei Jin
- , Tong Li
- & Zhang-Qi Feng
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Article
| Open AccessMsx1+ stem cells recruited by bioactive tissue engineering graft for bone regeneration
Critical-sized bone defects still present clinical challenges. Here the authors show that transplantation of neurotrophic supplement-incorporated hydrogel grafts promote full-thickness regeneration of the calvarium and perform scRNA-seq to reveal contributing stem/progenitor cells, notably a resident Msx1+ skeletal stem cell population.
- Xianzhu Zhang
- , Wei Jiang
- & Hongwei Ouyang
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Article
| Open AccessWireless charging-mediated angiogenesis and nerve repair by adaptable microporous hydrogels from conductive building blocks
Traumatic brain injury can cause long-term disability and thus constitutes a substantial healthcare burden worldwide. Here, the authors report a conductive microporous hydrogel to improve angiogenesis and recovery of brain function in traumatic brain lesions.
- Ru-Siou Hsu
- , Ssu-Ju Li
- & Shang-Hsiu Hu
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Article
| Open AccessSelf-shrinking soft demoulding for complex high-aspect-ratio microchannels
Microchannels are the essential elements for the design of artificial devices but the fabrication of three dimensional (3D) microchannels with complex geometry and a high aspect ratio remains challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate a simple and solvent-free fabrication method capable of producing monolithic microchannels with complex 3D structures, long length, and small diameter.
- Dongliang Fan
- , Xi Yuan
- & Peiwu Qin
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Article
| Open AccessIn-situ growth of robust superlubricated nano-skin on electrospun nanofibers for post-operative adhesion prevention
Post-operative adhesions are a major complication from surgical intervention. Here, the authors develop a technique to grow a super-lubricating layer over electrospun nanofibers which was demonstrated to prevent postoperative adhesions with better outcomes than commercial products when compared in two in vivo models.
- Yi Wang
- , Yuanhang Xu
- & Hongyu Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessLiquid-infused microstructured bioadhesives halt non-compressible hemorrhage
Non‐compressible wounds are a major source of high mortality in trauma victims. Here the authors report on the creation of xerogels impregnated with liquid adhesives which can rapidly absorb fluids promoting blood clotting while forming adhesions to tissue and demonstrate the xerogel in ex vivo and in vivo models.
- Guangyu Bao
- , Qiman Gao
- & Jianyu Li
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Article
| Open AccessA film-lever actuated switch technology for multifunctional, on-demand, and robust manipulation of liquids
Point-of-care testing offers rapid and accurate diagnostic potential being quite useful in resource-limited settings. Here, authors demonstrate a film-lever actuated switch technology for microfluidic manipulation enabling multifunctional dispensing, on-demand release, robust operation, and long-term storage.
- Chao Liang
- , Zihang Yang
- & Hanqing Jiang
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Article
| Open AccessDynamic actuation enhances transport and extends therapeutic lifespan in an implantable drug delivery platform
Drug delivery implants suffer from diminished release profiles due to fibrous capsule formation over time. Here, the authors use soft robotic actuation to modulate the immune response of the host to maintain drug delivery over the longer-term and to perform controlled release in vivo.
- William Whyte
- , Debkalpa Goswami
- & Ellen T. Roche
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Article
| Open AccessAdaptive wireless millirobotic locomotion into distal vasculature
Accessibility into the distal vascular systems to treat various diseases remains challenging using medical catheters. Here, Wang et al. demonstrate that a stent-shaped wireless magnetic soft robot enables adaptive locomotion and medical functions into these distal vascular regions.
- Tianlu Wang
- , Halim Ugurlu
- & Metin Sitti
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Article
| Open AccessEngineered bioorthogonal POLY-PROTAC nanoparticles for tumour-specific protein degradation and precise cancer therapy
Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have emerged as promising cancer therapy agents but have suffered from systemic toxicity issues. Here, the authors report on the creation of polymeric PROTAC nanoparticles for tumour targeting delivery and demonstrate protein degradation in vivo, in combination with photodynamic therapy.
- Jing Gao
- , Bo Hou
- & Haijun Yu
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Article
| Open AccessPartial freezing of rat livers extends preservation time by 5-fold
The limited preservation duration of donor organs is a big problem. Here the authors report a method for the freezing of whole rat livers at temperatures between −10 °C to −15 °C for up to 5 days, based on freeze-tolerant wood frogs, and term this partial freezing.
- Shannon N. Tessier
- , Reinier J. de Vries
- & Mehmet Toner
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Article
| Open AccessProgrammable CRISPR-Cas9 microneedle patch for long-term capture and real-time monitoring of universal cell-free DNA
Real-time sensing of biomarkers via the use of wearable devices is a major aim of personalised medicine. Here, authors demonstrate an on-line wearable microneedle patch for real-time capture and monitoring of universal cell-free DNA.
- Bin Yang
- , Jilie Kong
- & Xueen Fang
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Article
| Open AccessFlexible ultrasound-induced retinal stimulating piezo-arrays for biomimetic visual prostheses
Electronic visual prostheses, or biomimetic eyes, have shown capability of restoring functional vision through electrical pulses artificially initiating neural responses. Here, authors demonstrate a flexible piezo-array for ultrasound-induced retinal stimulation.
- Laiming Jiang
- , Gengxi Lu
- & Qifa Zhou
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Article
| Open AccessUpcycling Compact Discs for Flexible and Stretchable Bioelectronic Applications
Electronic waste is a global issue brought about by the short lifespan of electronics. Here, the authors report a process to upcycle compact discs into flexible and stretchable bio-electronics.
- Matthew S. Brown
- , Louis Somma
- & Ahyeon Koh
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Article
| Open AccessLight-induced charge generation in polymeric nanoparticles restores vision in advanced-stage retinitis pigmentosa rats
Retinal dystrophies such as Retinitis pigmentosa are among the most prevalent causes of inherited incurable legal blindness. Here the authors demonstrate that conjugated polymer nanoparticles reinstate visual functions in aged rats with fully degenerated and rewired retinas.
- S. Francia
- , D. Shmal
- & F. Benfenati
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Article
| Open AccessPOLYRETINA restores light responses in vivo in blind Göttingen minipigs
Retinal prostheses hold potential for artificial vision in blind people. Here, authors show that POLYRETINA, a large and high-density photovoltaic epiretinal device, restores light-evoked cortical responses in blind Göttingen minipigs at safe irradiance levels.
- Paola Vagni
- , Marta Jole Ildelfonsa Airaghi Leccardi
- & Diego Ghezzi
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Article
| Open AccessIn situ 3D bioprinting with bioconcrete bioink
Bioinks used in current in-situ bioprinting have limitations when applied to complex operational environments. Here, the authors report on the creation of a microgel reinforced GelMA bioink which can be simply prepared and used in different biomedical settings. The application is demonstrated in a cranial defect model.
- Mingjun Xie
- , Yang Shi
- & Yong He
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Article
| Open AccessCyclic microchip assay for measurement of hundreds of functional proteins in single neurons
Current single-cell tools are limited by the number of proteins they can analyse. Here the authors report a single-cell cyclic multiplex in situ tagging (CycMIST) method for functional proteome profiling of single cells, allowing multiple rounds of multiplexing of the same single cells on a microchip.
- Liwei Yang
- , Avery Ball
- & Jun Wang
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Article
| Open AccessAugmented ultrasonography with implanted CMOS electronic motes
Ultrasound has had tremendous success in medical imaging. Here, Zhang et al demonstrate a batteryless implantable CMOS mote, to further augment the potential of ultrasound, providing additional information via the backscattering of the acoustic waves used in ultrasound imaging.
- Yihan Zhang
- , Prashant Muthuraman
- & Kenneth L. Shepard
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Perspective
| Open AccessA sound approach to advancing healthcare systems: the future of biomedical acoustics
Acoustic techniques are moving towards the clinic. Here the authors highlight recent developments in the areas of acoustic mechanobiology, point-of-care diagnostics, in vivo manipulation and tissues engineering, and provide their thoughts on the current challenges and directions for future work.
- Joseph Rufo
- , Peiran Zhang
- & Tony Jun Huang
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Article
| Open AccessHigh throughput, label-free isolation of circulating tumor cell clusters in meshed microwells
Metastatic CTC clusters remain relatively unexplored due to the lack of optimized and practical technologies for their detection. Here the authors report Cluster-Wells to isolate CTC clusters in whole blood; they show this allows viable cluster retrieval for further molecular and functional analysis.
- Mert Boya
- , Tevhide Ozkaya-Ahmadov
- & A. Fatih Sarioglu
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Article
| Open AccessMolecularly cleavable bioinks facilitate high-performance digital light processing-based bioprinting of functional volumetric soft tissues
Soft tissue fabrication using digital light processing remains challenging. Here the authors present a molecular cleavage approach to achieve high-performance bioprinting of constructs with tissue-matching mechanical properties and structural complexity.
- Mian Wang
- , Wanlu Li
- & Yu Shrike Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessSalivary gland organoid culture maintains distinct glandular properties of murine and human major salivary glands
The long-term maintenance of diverse salivary gland cells remains challenging. Here the authors establish a protocol for long-term maintenance of murine and human salivary gland organoids exhibiting gland-specific gene expression, gland functions, and cellular diversity confirmed by scRNA-seq.
- Yeo-Jun Yoon
- , Donghyun Kim
- & Jae-Yol Lim
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Article
| Open AccessElectro-optical mechanically flexible coaxial microprobes for minimally invasive interfacing with intrinsic neural circuits
The authors demonstrate a compact multi-modal electro-optical coaxial microprobe design that offers small cross-sectional dimensions and tunable lengths for minimally invasive interfacing with intrinsic neural circuits.
- Spencer Ward
- , Conor Riley
- & Donald J. Sirbuly
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Article
| Open AccessOn the damage tolerance of 3-D printed Mg-Ti interpenetrating-phase composites with bioinspired architectures
Bioinspired architectures are desired to achieve improved mechanical properties, but challenging to achieve in metallic systems. Here the authors fabricate a Mg-Ti interpenetrating phase composite with brick-and-mortar, Bouligand, and crossed-lamellar architectures by pressureless infiltrating method.
- Mingyang Zhang
- , Ning Zhao
- & Robert O. Ritchie
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Article
| Open AccessCatalytic activity imperative for nanoparticle dose enhancement in photon and proton therapy
Nanoparticles have recently received attention in radiation therapy since they can act as radioenhancers. In this article, the authors report on the dose enhancement capabilities of a series of nanoparticles based on their metal core composition and beam characteristics, obtaining designing criteria for their optimal performance in specific radiotreatments.
- Lukas R. H. Gerken
- , Alexander Gogos
- & Inge K. Herrmann
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Article
| Open AccessAdaptive liquid interfaces induce neuronal differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells through lipid raft assembly
In this work the authors report how human mesenchymal stem cells rapidly adapt to dynamic microenvironment through lipid raft in membrane microdomains that direct neurogenesis.
- Xiaofang Jia
- , Jingwen Song
- & Katsuhiko Ariga
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Perspective
| Open AccessA role for microfluidic systems in precision medicine
Precision oncology is important for patient treatment. Here the authors review the current applications of microfluidic systems to cancer precision medicine, and discuss the issues that must be addressed prior to getting these technologies into the clinic.
- Jose M. Ayuso
- , María Virumbrales-Muñoz
- & David J. Beebe
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Article
| Open AccessWireless implantable optical probe for continuous monitoring of oxygen saturation in flaps and organ grafts
Although continuous monitoring of tissue oxygenation is critically important after tissue/organ graft procedures, current technologies have key limitations. Here, the authors develop a miniaturized, minimally invasive, self-anchoring optical probe and demonstrate continuous monitoring of oxygenation in porcine flap and organ models.
- Hexia Guo
- , Wubin Bai
- & John A. Rogers
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Article
| Open AccessA bio-functional polymer that prevents retinal scarring through modulation of NRF2 signalling pathway
One common cause of vision loss after retinal detachment surgery is retinal scarring. Here the authors demonstrate that a bio-functional polymer can prevent retinal scarring by suppression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and hyper-proliferation of retinal pigment epithelial cells.
- Bhav Harshad Parikh
- , Zengping Liu
- & Xinyi Su
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Article
| Open AccessIntelligent wireless theranostic contact lens for electrical sensing and regulation of intraocular pressure
Towards intelligent treatment for glaucoma, here authors demonstrate integrated wireless theranostic contact lenses for in situ electrical sensing of intraocular pressure and on demand anti-glaucoma drug delivery.
- Cheng Yang
- , Qianni Wu
- & Xi Xie
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Article
| Open AccessDandelion pappus morphing is actuated by radially patterned material swelling
The dandelion pappus opens and closes reversibly to tune seed dispersal according to environmental moisture levels. Here the authors combined experiments with a computational model to show that pappus closure is coordinated by radially-patterned tissue swelling at the base of floral organs.
- Madeleine Seale
- , Annamaria Kiss
- & Naomi Nakayama
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Article
| Open AccessAn instantly fixable and self-adaptive scaffold for skull regeneration by autologous stem cell recruitment and angiogenesis
Limited stem cells and mismatched interface fusion have plagued biomaterial-mediated cranial reconstruction. Here, the authors engineer an instantly fixable and self-adaptive scaffold to promote calcium chelation and interface integration, regulate macrophage M2 polarization, and recruit endogenous stem cells.
- Gonggong Lu
- , Yang Xu
- & Xingdong Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessProtective effect of platinum nano-antioxidant and nitric oxide against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury
Pharmacological interventions against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury remain limited. Here, the authors provide a nanotherapeutics-based solution combining reactive oxygen species scavenging and nitric oxide modulation.
- Jing Mu
- , Chunxiao Li
- & Xiaoyuan Chen
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Article
| Open AccessTransmembrane stem cell factor protein therapeutics enhance revascularization in ischemia without mast cell activation
Stem cell factor (SCF) is a cytokine with great potential for treating ischemia, stroke and heart attack, but therapies using SCF have been limited by acute allergic responses. The work describes a new therapeutic using transmembrane SCF delivered in lipid nanocarriers that is effective in treating ischemia without off-target effects.
- Eri Takematsu
- , Miles Massidda
- & Aaron B. Baker
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Article
| Open AccessMicrowave assisted antibacterial action of Garcinia nanoparticles on Gram-negative bacteria
Gram-negative bacteria are more resistant to antibacterial agents due to the outer membrane. Here, the authors use microwave irradiation to generate nanopores in the outer membrane allowing Garcinia nanoparticles to penetrate and damage the inner membrane leading to leakage and cell death.
- Yuqian Qiao
- , Yingde Xu
- & Shuilin Wu
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Article
| Open AccessAccurate auto-labeling of chest X-ray images based on quantitative similarity to an explainable AI model
Here the authors develop a method for accurate auto-labelling of CXR images from large public datasets based on quantitative probability-of similarity to an explainable AI model. The labels can be used to fine-tune the original model through iterative re-training.
- Doyun Kim
- , Joowon Chung
- & Synho Do
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Article
| Open AccessLithium Niobate Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers for high data-rate intrabody communication
This paper demonstrates Lithium Niobate based Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers. The devices allow activation of multiple vibration modes, achieve a high communication link, and monitor an implanted medical device up to 13.5 cm inside the body.
- Flavius Pop
- , Bernard Herrera
- & Matteo Rinaldi
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Article
| Open AccessProgrammable design of isothermal nucleic acid diagnostic assays through abstraction-based models
Detecting nucleic acids often requires choosing between different amplification mechanisms. Here the authors present a generalisable and programmable isothermal methodology, demonstrated in clinical applications, including for multiplexed detection of short miRNAs.
- Gaolian Xu
- , Julien Reboud
- & Jonathan M. Cooper
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Article
| Open AccessUltrasound-controllable engineered bacteria for cancer immunotherapy
Synthetic biology has enabled the design of strategies for bacteria-based cancer immunotherapy. Here the authors report the development of focused ultrasound-activatable therapeutic bacteria engineered to express anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-L1 nanobodies for cancer immunotherapy.
- Mohamad H. Abedi
- , Michael S. Yao
- & Mikhail G. Shapiro
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Article
| Open AccessSilicon-photonics acoustic detector for optoacoustic micro-tomography
High-resolution photoacoustic tomography is challenging due to reduced efficiency of miniaturized piezoelectric elements. Here, the authors fabricate a miniaturized silicon-photonics acoustic detector coated with a sensitivity-enhancing elastomer, and demonstrate high-resolution in vivo imaging.
- Yoav Hazan
- , Ahiad Levi
- & Amir Rosenthal
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Article
| Open AccessMicroalgae-based oral microcarriers for gut microbiota homeostasis and intestinal protection in cancer radiotherapy
Protecting the whole small intestine from radiation-induced intestinal injury during the radiotherapy of abdominal or pelvic solid tumors remains an unmet clinical need. Here the authors use a natural microalga to readily construct an oral delivery system to achieve effective radioprotection for the small intestine.
- Dongxiao Zhang
- , Danni Zhong
- & Min Zhou
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Review Article
| Open AccessPrinciples of human movement augmentation and the challenges in making it a reality
In this Review, the authors discuss recent technological and neuroscientific advances in human body augmentation. They construct a movement augmentation taxonomy, discuss how it is achieved, and propose a vision for the field.
- Jonathan Eden
- , Mario Bräcklein
- & Carsten Mehring
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Article
| Open AccessElectrical modulation of transplanted stem cells improves functional recovery in a rodent model of stroke
Paul George and colleagues developed a conductive polymer system to enable stem cell delivery and electrical modulation in vivo. Employing this system improved functional stroke recovery in rodents and identified important repair pathways.
- Byeongtaek Oh
- , Sruthi Santhanam
- & Paul M. George
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Article
| Open AccessA microphysiological model of human trophoblast invasion during implantation
Normal and abnormal pregnancy is challenging to study and involves complex interactions between maternal and fetal cells. Here the authors present an implantation-on-a-chip device capable of modeling trophoblast invasion, a process critical to the establishment of pregnancy.
- Ju Young Park
- , Sneha Mani
- & Dan Dongeun Huh
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Article
| Open AccessMicro-mechanical blood clot testing using smartphones
Therapy with anticoagulants requires frequent monitoring. Here the authors describe a proof-of-concept study of a simple and affordable blood clot test that uses a smartphone’s vibration motor and camera to track micro-movements in a single drop of blood.
- Justin Chan
- , Kelly Michaelsen
- & Shyamnath Gollakota