Biomaterials articles within Nature Communications

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  • 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

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Shaping ceramics into complex forms is a formidable goal. Here, the authors present an approach to self-shaping ceramics, inspired by self-folding processes in plants, in which the ceramic microstructure is embedded with aligned platelets that control the orientation of heat-induced shrinkage.

    • Fabio L. Bargardi
    • , Hortense Le Ferrand
    •  & André R. Studart

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In active matter, chemical energy is transformed into mechanical motion; theoretical descriptions of nematic liquids are useful in understanding such phenomena. Here, Zhang et al. model the dynamics of active nematic liquid crystals confined onto a spherical shell in systems that mimic cell motion.

    • Rui Zhang
    • , Ye Zhou
    •  & Juan J. de Pablo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Piezoelectricity in diphenylalanine peptide nanotubes (PNTs) suggests an avenue towards green piezoelectric devices. Here the authors show ‘smart’ PNTs whose polarization can be controlled with an electric field, and a resultant power generator which harvests biomechanical energy with high power density.

    • Vu Nguyen
    • , Ren Zhu
    •  & Rusen Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Introducing organic guests to a crystal is a convenient way to tailor its properties. Here, the authors occlude fluorescent dyes within calcite to reveal that additives can occupy distinct zones of a crystal, and strategically embed green, blue, and red dyes to create white fluorescent calcite.

    • David C. Green
    • , Johannes Ihli
    •  & Fiona C. Meldrum

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The application of nanofibres formed from monomers of bacterial type IV pili in vitrohas proven to be complex. Here, the authors have overcome this limitation by using a reductionist approach to design a self-assembling pilin-based 20-mer peptide capable of forming a supramolecular beta sheet.

    • Tom Guterman
    • , Micha Kornreich
    •  & Ehud Gazit

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hyperaccumulation can allow facile enrichment of metal ions in halophytic plants. Here, the authors use the effect to convert plant structures into hierarchical carbon/metal-oxide nanocomposites and demonstrate the structures as battery electrodes combining high power density and excellent cycling stability.

    • Jian Zhu
    • , Yu Shan
    •  & Xiangfeng Duan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Stem cell therapy of myocardial infarction is hampered by poor survival of injected cells. Here the authors develop injectable aggregates of stem cells differentiated to an early cardiac stage and encapsulated in a biodegradable micromatrix, and show their enhanced therapeutic efficacy in a heart infarction mouse model.

    • Shuting Zhao
    • , Zhaobin Xu
    •  & Xiaoming He

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The organization of supramolecular peptide polymers determines their properties; however, controlling their dimensions still remains a problem. Here, Gazitet al. show the spontaneous elongation and shortening of these polymers at an individual nano-assembly level by using a microfluidic platform.

    • Zohar A. Arnon
    • , Andreas Vitalis
    •  & Ehud Gazit

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photothermal therapy can induce an anti-tumour immune response by producing tumour-associated antigens. Here, the authors design a nanoparticle that simultaneously acts as a photothermal agent and an immune-adjuvant and demonstrate the anti-tumour efficacy in combination with anti-CTLA4 therapy in preclinical murine cancer models.

    • Qian Chen
    • , Ligeng Xu
    •  & Zhuang Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Silk protein fibres are exceptionally strong, owing to their high β-sheet nanocrystal content. Here, the authors use an electron beam to guide silk β-sheet crystals through structural transitions, and visualize the changes by infrared near-field optics, achieving close to molecular-level resolution.

    • Nan Qin
    • , Shaoqing Zhang
    •  & Tiger H. Tao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Black phosphorus is a biodegradable 2D material that has attracted growing interest in biomedicine. Here, the authors carry out in vitro and in vivoexperiments to demonstrate that nanospheres loaded with black-phosphorus quantum dots perform as promising phothermal cancer therapy agents.

    • Jundong Shao
    • , Hanhan Xie
    •  & Paul K. Chu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Current vessel grafts must be surgically replaced when the recipient outgrows them. Here, Syedain et al.bioengineer a tube of acellular matrix produced from sheep fibroblasts that is capable of cellularizaton and somatic growth when transplanted into growing lambs, eliminating the need for multiple graft surgeries.

    • Zeeshan Syedain
    • , Jay Reimer
    •  & Robert T. Tranquillo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Blockade of PD-L1 is usually not very effective in colon cancer patients. Here, the authors show the efficacy of PD-L1 blockade in combination with coordination polymer nanoparticles carrying oxaliplatin and a photosensitizer to induce anti-tumor immunity in metastatic models of colon cancer.

    • Chunbai He
    • , Xiaopin Duan
    •  & Wenbin Lin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The evolution of vortex flow exhibits a rich spectrum of complicated geometries. Here, An et al. utilize these features to control and mass produce inorganic and organic particles via an electrospraying process, whereby the shape of vortex rings translates into particles during a freezing process.

    • Duo An
    • , Alex Warning
    •  & Minglin Ma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Application of carbon nanotubes as drug delivery carriers is stalled by uncertainties over their distribution and toxicity in vivo. Here, the authors use animal models to show that, while the bulk of nanotubes is renally cleared, a fraction can be eliminated through an alternative hepatobiliary pathway.

    • Simone Alidori
    • , Robert L. Bowman
    •  & Michael R. McDevitt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The biomolecule layer adsorbed at the nanoparticle surface and defined as protein corona affects the nanoparticle biophysical properties and functions. Here, the authors suggest that rapidly-exchanging proteins on the outermost layer of the corona modulate sulphidation of silver nanoparticles in vitro.

    • Teodora Miclăuş
    • , Christiane Beer
    •  & Duncan S. Sutherland

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The excipients used to solubilise hydrophobic drugs sometimes interfere with drug behaviour or induce adverse side effects once injected. Here, the authors use a low-temperature process to obtain surfactant-stripped micelles with high drug concentration for delivery of a wide range of hydrophobic cargoes.

    • Yumiao Zhang
    • , Wentao Song
    •  & Jonathan F. Lovell

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Human pluripotent stem cell derived neurons have the potential for cell replacement therapy for brain injury and disease but problems on transplantation need to be overcome. Here, the authors use a microtopographic scaffold to graft neurons into both hippocampal organoids and the mouse brain striatum.

    • Aaron L. Carlson
    • , Neal K. Bennett
    •  & Prabhas V. Moghe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    As a natural biocomposite, Strombus gigas, commonly known as the giant pink queen conch shell, exhibits outstanding mechanical properties such as fracture toughness. Here, the authors show that these properties can be partially attributed to nanoscale twin boundaries in the basic building block of the shell.

    • Yoon Ah Shin
    • , Sheng Yin
    •  & Sang Ho Oh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Self-assemblies of polymers to form polymersomes in solution can be used as carriers for drug delivery, but it is challenging to control polymer crystallization to improve their mechanical stability. Here, Wang et al.show the formation of nanosized crystalsomes composed of polymer lamellar single crystals.

    • Wenda Wang
    • , Hao Qi
    •  & Christopher Y. Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chemists increasingly seek to control monomer sequencing in aperiodic copolymers. Here, the authors show that the statistical nature of chain growth strongly limits the achievable control, and establish parameters for polymer design that balance precise control with simplicity of synthesis.

    • Guillaume Gody
    • , Per B. Zetterlund
    •  & Simon Harrisson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A broad application of liposomes calls for high throughout techniques to produce them in a controlled and fast manner. Here, Deshpande et al. show a microfluidic approach using alcohol-based lipid-carrying material to generate monodisperse and unilamellar liposomes within a just few minutes.

    • Siddharth Deshpande
    • , Yaron Caspi
    •  & Cees Dekker

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Light-based therapies are of growing importance in medicine, though penetrating tissue and reaching the targeted area can be difficult. Here, the authors report the use of biodegradable waveguides capable of directing light where desired, and demonstrate the potential for wound healing.

    • Sedat Nizamoglu
    • , Malte C. Gather
    •  & Seok Hyun Yun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Peptide nanostructures are currently arousing interest thanks to their potential applications in medicine, electronics and coatings. Here, through experiment and theory, the authors demonstrate exquisite control over surface peptide assembly behaviour through manipulation of amino acid sequence.

    • Sabine Abb
    • , Ludger Harnau
    •  & Klaus Kern

  • Article |

    Transgenic diatom algae can incorporate proteins in their silica shells. Here the authors design diatoms that can be decorated with tumour-specific antibody of choice and use them as natural nanoparticles for targeted delivery of a chemotherapeutic drug, impeding mouse xenograft tumour growth.

    • Bahman Delalat
    • , Vonda C. Sheppard
    •  & Nicolas H. Voelcker

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetic manipulation of biological systems requires the development of improved molecular handles. Here the authors isolate ferritin mutants with enhanced biomineralization from a yeast genetic screen and show their application to cell separation, multiscale imaging, and construction of sensors.

    • Yuri Matsumoto
    • , Ritchie Chen
    •  & Alan Jasanoff

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Interfacial water constitutes a formidable barrier to strong surface bonding, hampering the development of water-resistant synthetic adhesives. Here, the authors elucidate the precise time-regulated secretion of mussel adhesive proteins in Perna viridis, probing their surface structures and subsequent roles.

    • Luigi Petrone
    • , Akshita Kumar
    •  & Ali Miserez

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Drug-loaded nanoparticles allow controlled release and enhanced delivery, yet understanding in vivobehavior has been difficult. Here, the authors develop a platinum prodrug coupled to a polymer platform, and use intravital imaging to show that the nanoparticle accumulates in macrophages, from the which drug redistributes to neighboring tumour cells.

    • Miles A. Miller
    • , Yao-Rong Zheng
    •  & Ralph Weissleder

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Superior mechanical properties in natural composites are frequently achieved by the inclusion of locally orientated reinforcing particles. Here, the authors implement this design strategy synthetically by employing a 3D magnetic printing protocol to create programmable composite architectures.

    • Joshua J. Martin
    • , Brad E. Fiore
    •  & Randall M. Erb

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mussels use strong filaments to adhere to rocks, preventing them from being swept away in strong currents. Here, the authors borrow and simplify chemistries from the mussel foot to create a one component adhesive system which holds potential for employment in nanofabrication protocols.

    • B. Kollbe Ahn
    • , Saurabh Das
    •  & J. Herbert Waite

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Scientists are increasingly realising the potential for natural materials in micro- and nanofabrication. Here, the authors employ silk-based resists for aqueous multiphoton lithography towards generating intricate structures by femtosecond direct writing.

    • Yun-Lu Sun
    • , Qi Li
    •  & Hong-Bo Sun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Synthetic switchable nanopores may be useful for mimicking biological processes. Here, the authors report dynamic tubular pores that undergo rapid switching between open and closed states in response to a thermal signal in water and which can mediate a controlled water-pumping catalytic action.

    • Yongju Kim
    • , Jiheong Kang
    •  & Myongsoo Lee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Sucker ring teeth from squid and cuttlefish represent rare examples of thermoplastic biopolymers. Here, the authors demonstrate how these materials may be processed for implementation in biomedical and 3D printing applications.

    • Victoria Latza
    • , Paul A. Guerette
    •  & Admir Masic

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Multiple extracellular matrix parameters influence cellular behaviour, but it is difficult to dissect their cooperative contributions. Here the authors describe a hydrogel system in which ligand density and substrate stiffness can be tuned orthogonally to study the contribution of combinations of these parameters simultaneously.

    • Andrew D. Rape
    • , Mikhail Zibinsky
    •  & Sanjay Kumar

  • Article |

    Tumour metastasis is a significant source of mortality, often because it is detected at an advanced stage. In this study, in an effort to identify metastasis at an early stage, Azarin et. al. capture and image metastasizing cells in mice in vivousing a biomaterial scaffold.

    • Samira M. Azarin
    • , Ji Yi
    •  & Lonnie D Shea

  • Article |

    Immune responses are induced in the organized, cytokine-rich environment of lymph nodes, which can be mimicked by biomaterials. Here the authors show that injectable sponge-like gels decorated with immunostimulatory factors attract dendritic cells and boost antitumour immune responses in mice.

    • Sidi A. Bencherif
    • , R. Warren Sands
    •  & David J. Mooney

  • Article |

    Telodendrimers are versatile and robust nanoparticle-based drug carriers. From a screen of potential small-molecule building blocks, Shi et al.identify rhein-containing telodendrimers as stable and effective nanocarriers of doxorubicin for treating a xenograft Raji lymphoma model.

    • Changying Shi
    • , Dandan Guo
    •  & Juntao Luo

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