Objectives RAD16-I (RADARADARADARADA) self-assembling peptides have demonstrated significant potential in supporting the growth and differentiation of various cell types, including the ability to reduce the automaticity of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) within a beating recipient heart. However, when used alone in scaffold-based three-dimensional (3D) culture, RAD16-I has not consistently yielded contractile hiPSC-CMs in vitro. This study aimed to generate beating cardioids using RAD16-I 3D culture. Methods We investigated the synergistic effects of combining suspension culture with RAD16-I 3D culture. The cell types, structural organization and function of cardioids were analyzed. And the functional maturation of hiPSC-CMs was further evaluated. Results Our results indicate that RAD16-I 3D culture promotes hiPSC-CM differentiation and supports spontaneous beating of the derived cardiomyocytes. Importantly, the integration of suspension embryoid body (EB) formation with subsequent RAD16-I 3D culture (SR culture) enabled the generation of complex cardiac organoids (cardioids) containing distinct cavitations, endothelial cells (ECs), smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and endoderm-like cellular components. Within these cardioids, hiPSC-CMs exhibited significantly enhanced functional maturity compared to those differentiated in two-dimensional (2D) culture. This improvement was evidenced by upregulation of cardiac-specific gene expression, improved calcium handling dynamics, and enhanced mitochondrial function. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that RAD16-I self-assembling peptides can be effectively utilized to generate physiologically relevant cardiac organoids and promote functional maturation of hiPSC-CMs. The SR culture strategy, using RAD16-I peptides, thus represents a novel and effective methodology for targeted cardiac tissue engineering applications.
Objectives Tribocorrosion, arising from the synergistic interaction between mechanical wear and electrochemical corrosion, is a critical factor affecting the long-term performance of dental implants. However, heterogeneity in experimental methodologies, loading conditions, electrolyte compositions, electrochemical protocols, and biological complexity limits reproducibility and cross-study comparisons. This review evaluates current experimental approaches and identifies priorities for methodological standardization. Methods The review critically examines tribological configurations, electrochemical characterization techniques, artificial saliva models, and emerging bio-tribocorrosion methodologies. Particular attention is given to experimental variables influencing tribocorrosion behavior and contributing to inconsistencies across studies. Results The assessment identifies major methodological challenges, including insufficiently standardized testing environments, limited clinical relevance of loading protocols, inadequate integration of biofilm-related effects, insufficient in vivo validation, and poor interlaboratory reproducibility. To address these limitations, a standardization roadmap is proposed, encompassing minimum recommended testing parameters, a tiered testing framework, interlaboratory round-robin studies, and a standardized reporting checklist. Emerging opportunities include high-throughput tribocorrosion screening, multiscale computational modeling, smart dental materials, and standardized bio-tribocorrosion protocols. Conclusions This review establishes methodological standardization as a priority for advancing dental tribocorrosion research. Implementing harmonized testing procedures, biologically relevant experimental models, and transparent reporting practices could improve reproducibility and facilitate comparisons across studies. The proposed framework provides practical guidance for developing more clinically relevant investigations and strengthening the evidence base for evaluating the long-term performance of dental implant materials.
Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) produced via bio-mediated (green) routes are attracting interest for antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic applications. SeNPs remain a very significant entity in nanobiotechnology. Green chemistry, which involves synthesizing nanoparticles (NPs) using biological materials such as plants, microorganisms, and fungi, is considered safe and offers significant advantages over other approaches. This review critically examines bacterial, fungal, and plant synthesis mechanisms, tunable parameters (pH, temperature, precursor, reaction time), and required physicochemical characterization (size, PDI, ζ-potential, crystallinity, surface chemistry). The synthesis evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies highlights variability introduced by capping chemistries and identifies common assay interferences and safety gaps (dose normalization to elemental Se, protein corona, biodistribution, immunotoxicity). Finally, we outline design rules and translational considerations (stability, sterilization, scalability) to guide the development of reproducible, biocompatible SeNPs. Notably, green chemistry for the synthesis of SeNPs has been experimentally demonstrated as a promising approach for addressing health challenges across antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities through multifaceted mechanistic pathways. However, these are greatly influenced by the capping agents and their phytochemical compositions. Despite considerable promise, some limitations have been identified: methodological variation encompassing the green-mediated synthesis conditions, a larger percentage of studies are mostly in vitro assays, and a lack of standardized physicochemical characterization across different studies. Hence, successful translation will depend on future prioritization of optimization of existing methods, with sufficient clinical studies (in vivo) executed, coupled with in-depth studies to understand their mechanism of action, and comprehensive toxicity.
Tumor treating fields (TTFields), a non-pharmacological physical antitumor modality, have been approved by the FDA for specific tumors; however, their inherent limitations restrict their broader clinical application. Recently, ultrasound-driven triboelectric nanogenerators (US-TENGs) have emerged to convert deep-tissue-penetrating ultrasound energy into electrical energy, offering a wireless and controllable strategy for tumor electric field therapy. Concurrently, ultrasound-driven contact-electro-catalysis (CEC) strategies that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) provide additional therapeutic avenues. Mechanistically, ultrasound-driven contact electrification for antitumor therapy operates primarily through two pathways: first, the physical pathway, where the electric field from US-TENGs directly interferes with tumor cell mitosis or promotes drug release to synergize with TTFields; and second, the chemical pathway, where ultrasound drives interfacial charge transfer to generate ROS via CEC. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in this field. By comparing the mechanisms and efficacy of implantable devices and dispersed catalytic systems, it highlights key challenges and future directions. Collectively, this review provides an integrated analytical framework and a novel perspective for understanding how ultrasound regulates tumor therapy through interfacial charge transfer.
In this work, we present an optically reconfigurable dual-functional terahertz (THz) metasurface that integrates broadband absorption and polarization conversion within a single ultrathin architecture. A wheel-like photoconductive-silicon pattern integrated onto a PTFE substrate enables switching between the two operating states through optical modulation of the Si conductivity. Here, we demonstrate broadband absorption exceeding 90% over 3.40–5.824 THz, thanks to the optical illumination-induced conductivity modulation of the silicon layer. The periodic grooves in the wheels cause strong entrapment of the THz wave, thereby contributing to obtaining a wider bandwidth. The principal illuminated-state full-wave response is further reproduced using a physics-guided eigenmode equivalent-circuit model. As a polarization converter, our proposed device transforms the incident linearly polarized electromagnetic signal into its cross-polarized component from 3.523 THz to 5.394 THz. The converter also achieves a maximum LP-to-CP bandwidth of 1.654 THz (1.864–3.518 THz). The performance exhibits robust angular stability, maintaining efficiency under TE polarization, for incidence angles up to 30° for the absorber and 10° for the polarization converter. A steady-state thermal analysis was performed to demonstrate a modest, manageable temperature rise under continuous optical excitation across realistic cooling conditions.
