Biomaterials articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Active nematics consist of self-driven components that develop orientational order and turbulent flow. Here Guillamat et al. investigate an active nematic constrained in a quasi-2D geometrical setup and show that there exists an intrinsic length scale that determines the geometry in all forcing regimes.

    • P. Guillamat
    • , J. Ignés-Mullol
    •  & F. Sagués

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The cystic cavity that develops following injuries to brain or spinal cord is a major obstacle. Here the authors show an injection of imidazole poly(organophosphazenes), a hydrogel with thermosensitive sol–gel transition behavior, almost completely eliminates cystic cavities in a clinically relevant rat spinal cord injury model.

    • Le Thi Anh Hong
    • , Young-Min Kim
    •  & Byung Gon Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The design of organic and polymeric soft materials showing isothermal reversible liquid–nonliquid conversion is challenging. Here, the authors show solvent-free repeatable molecular architectural transformation between liquid-star and non-liquid-network polymers by the cleavage and reformation of covalent bonds in the polymer chain.

    • Satoshi Honda
    •  & Taro Toyota

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Minerals are rarely explored as building blocks for dynamic inorganic materials. Here, the authors derive inspiration from fish scales to create mutable surfaces based on arrays of calcite crystals, in which one end of each crystal is immobilized in and regenerated from silicone, and the other functional end is left exposed.

    • Jaeseok Yi
    • , Yucai Wang
    •  & Bozhi Tian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The development of nanomaterials for imaging and drug delivery has been of great interest to the field. Here, the authors synthesized multifunctional enzyme-responsive hydrogels with self-assembling quantum dots for nucleic acid and drug delivery as well as having imaging capability.

    • Libing Zhang
    • , Sae Rin Jean
    •  & Shana O. Kelley

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The fabrication of vascularized 3D tissues requires an understanding of how material properties govern endothelial cell invasion into the surrounding matrix. Here the authors integrate a non-swelling synthetic hydrogel with a microfluidic device to study chemokine gradient-driven angiogenic sprouting and find that matrix degradability modulates the collectivity of cell migration.

    • Britta Trappmann
    • , Brendon M. Baker
    •  & Christopher S. Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The specific metabolism of cancer cells may allow for selective tumor therapeutics. Here, the authors show that a suitable combination of an enzyme and iron nanoparticles loaded on dendritic silica induces apoptosis of cancer cells in response to the glucose-reliant and mild acidic microenvironment.

    • Minfeng Huo
    • , Liying Wang
    •  & Jianlin Shi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The imaging of tumors in vivo using nanoprobes has been challenging due to the lack of sufficient tumor specificity. Here, the authors develop a tumor-specific quantum dot system that permits in vivo cation exchange to achieve selective background quenching and high tumor-specific imaging.

    • Xiangyou Liu
    • , Gary B. Braun
    •  & Kazuki N. Sugahara

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Artificial materials that replicate the mechanical properties of nacre represent important structural materials, but are difficult to produce in bulk. Here, the authors exploit the bottom-up assembly of 2D nacre-mimetic films to fabricate 3D bulk artificial nacre with an optimized architecture and excellent mechanical properties.

    • Huai-Ling Gao
    • , Si-Ming Chen
    •  & Shu-Hong Yu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Salt weathering enhanced by global warming and environmental pollution is increasingly threatening stone monuments and artworks. Here, the authors present a bacterial self-inoculation approach with indigenous carbonatogenic bacteria and find that this technique consolidates and protects salt damaged stone.

    • Fadwa Jroundi
    • , Mara Schiro
    •  & Carlos Rodriguez-Navarro

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Early in human embryonic development, it is unclear how amniotic sac formation is regulated. Here, the authors use a human pluripotent stem cell-based model, termed the post-implantation amniotic sac embryoid, to recapitulate early embryogenic events of human amniotic sac development.

    • Yue Shao
    • , Kenichiro Taniguchi
    •  & Jianping Fu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The use of drug delivery systems for the gastrointestinal tract has been faced with a number of drawbacks related to their prolonged use. Here, the authors develop a drug-loaded hydrogel with high strength to withstand long-term gastrointestinal motility and can be triggered to dissolve on demand.

    • Jinyao Liu
    • , Yan Pang
    •  & Giovanni Traverso

  • Article
    | Open Access

    At the molecular level, biological activities involve the transport of ions in a system. Here the authors demonstrate an ‘electron battery’ by inverting the configuration of a traditional Li-ion battery to generate an ionic current to interact with a biosystem for potential biomedical applications.

    • Chengwei Wang
    • , Kun (Kelvin) Fu
    •  & Liangbing Hu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Silk fibres currently used in biotechnology are chemically reconstituted silk fibroins (RSF), which are more stable than native silk fibroin (NSF) but possess different biophysical properties. Here, the authors use microfluidic droplets to encapsulate and store NSF, preserving their native structure.

    • Ulyana Shimanovich
    • , Francesco S. Ruggeri
    •  & Tuomas P. J. Knowles

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Palladium (Pd) is a well-known catalyst in organic chemistry but its use in nanomedicine is limited. Here, the authors design a Pd nanoparticle that triggers the activation of an antitumour prodrugin vivo, which shows efficacy and improves toxicity compared to traditional solvent- and nanoparticle-drug formulations.

    • Miles A. Miller
    • , Bjorn Askevold
    •  & Ralph Weissleder

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The extracellular matrix can affect cell behaviour both physically and biochemically. Here, the authors developed a substrate that is based on peptides and nucleic acids hybrids that can dynamically present signals upon demand which regulate cell adhesion and migration, thereby controlling cell organisation.

    • Ronit Freeman
    • , Nicholas Stephanopoulos
    •  & Samuel I. Stupp

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Tumour distribution of targeted therapies is intrinsically heterogeneous. Here, the authors develop a strategy to decorate entire tumour membranes with synthetic receptors for amplified targeting of therapeutics and show that such cooperative membrane-targeted phototherapy results in tumour regression in mice.

    • Heegon Kim
    • , Junsung Lee
    •  & Ji-Ho Park

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Natural complex systems are often constructed by sequential assembly but this is not readily available for synthetic systems. Here, the authors program the sequential self-assembly of DNA functionalized emulsions by altering the DNA grafted strands.

    • Yin Zhang
    • , Angus McMullen
    •  & Paul M. Chaikin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The majority of treatment options for cancers are ineffective due to limited therapeutic targeting. Here, the authors develop bispecific antibodies that effectively target nanomaterials to triple-negative breast cancer cell receptors and deliver therapeutics leading to inhibition of tumour growth.

    • Yu-Cheng Su
    • , Pierre-Alain Burnouf
    •  & Steve R. Roffler

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Lanthanide elements are difficult to separate from aqueous solution with low energy input. Here, the authors design a peptide that recognizes and drives the precipitation of an insoluble lanthanide complex under physiological conditions, introducing a biomineralization-based approach for rare earth recovery.

    • Takaaki Hatanaka
    • , Akimasa Matsugami
    •  & Nobuhiro Ishida

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Stimuli-responsive materials are commonly used in autonomous systems, whilst it is challenging to power them in a programmable manner. Here, Waniet al. use an optical fibre to control the shape of light-responsive liquid-crystal elastomers, which allow the device to detect and trap targeted objects.

    • Owies M. Wani
    • , Hao Zeng
    •  & Arri Priimagi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    There have been numerous attempts to develop nanomaterials to reach cells of the central nervous system for drug delivery. Here, the authors investigate the cellular fate of polymer-based nanoparticles with varying surface chemistries after administration directly into the brain.

    • Eric Song
    • , Alice Gaudin
    •  & W. Mark Saltzman

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A number of nanomaterials for dual diagnostic and therapeutic application have a number of limitations including poor signal-to-noise ratio. Here, the authors developed dual stimuli-responsive and reversibly activatable nanoprobes for tumour targeting and fluorescence-guided photothermal therapy.

    • Xu Zhao
    • , Cheng-Xiong Yang
    •  & Xiu-Ping Yan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging >1,000 nm allows deep tissue imaging, but available organic dyes display poor brightness and temporal resolution. Here, the authors synthesize a NIR dye that, upon binding serum proteins, exhibits a 110-fold increase in intensity, giving an 11% quantum yield.

    • Alexander L. Antaris
    • , Hao Chen
    •  & Zhen Cheng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Leukaemia cells resident in the bone marrow niche are often resistant to conventional therapies. In this study, the authors develop light-sensitive, polymeric, retinoic acid-containing nanoparticles that are able to modulate the differentiation of resistant leukaemia cells bothin vitro and in vivo.

    • Carlos Boto
    • , Emanuel Quartin
    •  & Lino Ferreira

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Although DNA nanopores are widely explored as synthetic membrane proteins, it is still unclear how the anionic DNA assemblies stably reside within the hydrophobic core of a lipid bilayer. Here, the authors use molecular dynamics simulations to reveal the key dynamic interactions and energetics stabilizing the nanopore-membrane interaction.

    • Vishal Maingi
    • , Jonathan R. Burns
    •  & Mark S. P. Sansom

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Glial scars are thought to provide a biochemical and mechanical barrier to neuronal regeneration post-injury, but the mechanical properties of the scars have not been studied in detail. Here the authors perform atomic force microscopy measurements of glial scars from the injured rat cortex and spinal cord, and find that brain tissue softens in response to the injury.

    • Emad Moeendarbary
    • , Isabell P. Weber
    •  & Kristian Franze

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The sustained release of drugs within the gastrointestinal tract as well as their detection following administration is a challenge. Here, the authors develop a microcarrier that supported sustained drug release in the gastrointestinal tractin vivoand could be monitored with real-time imaging.

    • Rui Wang
    • , Lei Zhou
    •  & Fan Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mussels attach to rocks using a byssus, which possesses unique properties of adhesion, toughness and self-healing. Here, the authors explore the fabrication process of mussel byssus demonstrating the self-assembly of specific proteins into multi-scale organized structures using artificially induced byssus threads.

    • Tobias Priemel
    • , Elena Degtyar
    •  & Matthew J. Harrington

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Alignment or anisotropic organisation within and between cells enables biological function but is challenging to engineer. Here, the authors align collagen fibres in a pre-strained polydimethylsiloxane mould to generate a 3D scaffold that guides hippocampal neuron axon growth to form CA3–CA1 neural circuits.

    • So Hyun Kim
    • , Sun-Kyoung Im
    •  & Eun-Mi Hur

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Solid-state NMR can in principle be used to study calcium environments in biomaterials such as bones/teeth, but43Ca lacks receptivity. Here the authors present an approach to acquire 43Ca data for hydroxyapatite at its natural isotopic abundance, distinguishing between core and surface Ca sites.

    • Daniel Lee
    • , César Leroy
    •  & Gaël De Paëpe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fluid frictional forces around cancer cells influence chemokine production and delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs but it is unclear if they directly impact tumour biology through biomechanical effects. Here, the authors show that wall shear stress stimulates cancer cell migration through a ROCK–LIMK–YAP axis.

    • Hyun Jung Lee
    • , Miguel F. Diaz
    •  & Pamela L. Wenzel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Use of soluble boron compounds in prostate cancer therapy is hampered by their short half-life time and low effectiveness. Here, the authors show that boron nitride nanospheres with controlled boron release can reduce proliferation of prostate cancer cells and inhibit tumour growth in animal models.

    • Xia Li
    • , Xiupeng Wang
    •  & Dmitri Golberg

  • Article
    | Open Access

    MicroRNAs regulate a wide range of biological processes and being able to inhibit their function could allow the development of therapeutic options. Here the authors describe a ‘small RNA zipper’ that sequesters miRNAs by forming a chain of DNA:RNA duplexes.

    • Lingyu Meng
    • , Cuicui Liu
    •  & Zuoren Yu

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