Biomaterials articles within Nature Communications

Featured

  • 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

  • Review Article |

    There are many examples in nature of biological materials having developed interesting mechanical properties to enhance their functional performance. Here, Egan et al. review these materials and how they can inspire the design of biomimetic mechanical systems.

    • Paul Egan
    • , Robert Sinko
    •  & Sinan Keten

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Avoiding central cell necrosis at the centre of large engineered tissue constructs is an important issue forin vitrotissue engineering. Here, the authors demonstrate that this problem may be overcome by oxygenating human mesenchymal stem cells with artificial membrane-binding proteins.

    • James P. K. Armstrong
    • , Rameen Shakur
    •  & Anthony P. Hollander

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Spider webs have some intriguing mechanical properties, but understanding of the properties is limited to individual silk fibres. Here, the authors create mimics of spider web using 3D techniques, which enables them to acquire knowledge of mechanical strength of the entire synthetic web.

    • Zhao Qin
    • , Brett G. Compton
    •  & Markus J. Buehler

  • Article |

    Hydrogels are commonly used materials for tissue engineering, but they can lack the structural properties required for load-bearing and mechanical applications. Here, the authors prepare a polycaprolactone scaffold using melt-electrospinning to reinforce a gelatin methacrylamide hydrogel.

    • Jetze Visser
    • , Ferry P.W. Melchels
    •  & Jos Malda

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Controlling self-assembly of nanoparticles into superlattices is an important approach to build functional materials. Here, Lu et al. use directional binding provided by DNA-encoded polyhedral blocks—cubes or octahedrons—to guide spherical nanoparticles into clusters and three-dimensional lattices.

    • Fang Lu
    • , Kevin G. Yager
    •  & Oleg Gang

  • Article |

    Electrospinning is a useful method of biomaterial fabrication, but a lack of bioactivity in the final construct can limit their application as mimics for biological matrices. Here, the authors fabricate a degradable electrospun scaffold as an in vitro and in vivomimic of the extracellular matrix.

    • Ryan J. Wade
    • , Ethan J. Bassin
    •  & Jason A. Burdick

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Some oligomers exhibit liquid-crystal-like ordering in concentrated aqueous solutions. Here, Fraccia et al. show that this kind of ordering can further facilitate DNA ligation in a way similar to a catalytic process that arises from a hierarchical self-assembly, namely liquid crystal autocatalysis.

    • Tommaso P. Fraccia
    • , Gregory P. Smith
    •  & Tommaso Bellini

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photosynthetic reaction centres have been proposed for applications in bioelectronics. Here, the authors examine electron transport through the reaction centre from R. sphaeroidesusing conductive AFM, observing asymmetric conductance along only one cofactor wire under an applied bias.

    • Muhammad Kamran
    • , Vincent M. Friebe
    •  & Michael R. Jones

Browse broader subjects

Browse narrower subjects

Browse Biomaterials across other nature.com journals