Month: August 2025

J Nanobiotechnology. 2025 Jul 1;23(1):470. doi: 10.1186/s12951-025-03493-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: High myopia (HM) is a progressive ocular condition characterized by excessive axial elongation and severe refractive errors, often leading to sight-threatening complications. The underlying pathological driver of HM is the weakening of scleral biomechanics, making the sclera a key therapeutic target. While posterior scleral reinforcement (PSR) has been established as an effective intervention to strengthen the sclera, currently available PSR materials often fail to fully meet clinical demands.

RESULTS: Inspired by the electric eel, which generates surface electrolytes to facilitate electric discharge and influence interactions with its surroundings, we developed a biomimetic piezoelectric patch (BPP@PVDF) for HM treatment. This patch integrates a bovine pericardium (BPP) scaffold with a piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film, endowing the BPP with electrical properties and improved cell adhesion. Through electrical activation, the BPP enhances scleral mechanical strength and promotes collagen synthesis, effectively mitigating axial elongation in myopia.

CONCLUSIONS: Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that our precisely designed patch provided a stable and effective solution for reducing progressive axial elongation in HM. By leveraging nanotechnology, electrical stimulation, and scleral reinforcement surgery, this study offers a groundbreaking approach with significant implications for both scientific research and clinical practice. Our strategy paves the way for enhanced surgical outcomes in HM treatment, offering a promising avenue for future therapeutic advancements.

PMID:40598551 | PMC:PMC12211304 | DOI:10.1186/s12951-025-03493-w

Cardiovasc Pathol. 2025 Jul 4;79:107750. doi: 10.1016/j.carpath.2025.107750. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) constructed from bovine pericardium (BP) are widely used in valve replacement due to their favorable biocompatibility. However, early structural degeneration, particularly in younger recipients, remains a critical challenge, primarily driven by calcification. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a gut microbiota-derived metabolite elevated by high-choline diets, has been implicated in vascular and valvular calcification, but its role in BHV deterioration remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of TMAO on BP calcification. Three-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to six diet groups: Normal Chow Diet (NCD), High Choline Diet (HCD), High Fat Diet (HFD), combined High Fat and Choline Diet (HFD+HCD), HFD with TMAO supplementation (HFD+TMAO), and HFD with both HCD and the TMAO inhibitor 3,3-dimethyl-1-butanol (DMB). BHVs made of BP were implanted subcutaneously, and after 8 weeks, we assessed calcium deposition, osteogenic markers, plasma metabolites, inflammatory cytokines, inflammatory cell proportions, and macrophage pyroptosis using techniques such as colorimetry, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence. In vitro, RAW264.7 macrophages were exposed to TMAO, and pyroptosis was assessed by Western blotting, ELISA, and electron microscopy. Results indicated that HCD and HFD significantly increased BP calcification, osteogenic marker expression, and inflammatory responses in BHVs. The HFD+HCD and HFD+TMAO groups exhibited pronounced calcific and inflammatory effects, which were reduced by DMB. In vitro, TMAO induced macrophage pyroptosis, contributing to calcification. These findings suggest that TMAO promotes BP calcification through pyroptosis-driven inflammation, and that targeting TMAO via dietary or microbial modulation may offer a promising strategy to improve BHV durability, particularly in young patients.

PMID:40619044 | DOI:10.1016/j.carpath.2025.107750

Adv Mater. 2025 Aug 5:e2504765. doi: 10.1002/adma.202504765. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Cardiac patches to repair myocardial defects require mechanically stable materials that prevent bleeding and can be implanted via suturing. The current clinical standard, bovine pericardial patches (BPPs), serve this purpose but do not degrade or integrate with the myocardium, limiting their long-term effectiveness. Here, we present the reinforced cardiac tissue patch (RCPatch). This multimaterial patch comprises a stiffness-tuned, cardiomyocyte-infiltrated 3D metamaterial and a suturable, hydrogel-infiltrated mesh to reduce permeability and bleeding. Anisotropic metamaterials are designed and computationally optimized using a generative modeling approach and fabricated from poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) via volumetric 3D printing (VP). The metamaterial supports the infiltration of cardiomyocytes, which are viable and contract in vitro. The implantability and low blood permeability of the patch is enabled by adding a melt-electrowritten (MEW) mesh infiltrated with a fibrin hydrogel. In an acute large animal trial, the RCPatch was applied on an induced myocardial defect, where it withstood intraventricular blood pressure, prevented bleeding, and enabled hemodynamic restabilization (intraventricular pressure of 81 mmHg before, vs 66 mmHg after implantation). These findings establish a scalable framework for fabricating cardiac tissue patches that integrate mechanical reinforcement with biological function, offering a surgically implantable and future regenerative solution for intraventricular myocardial repair.

PMID:40761175 | DOI:10.1002/adma.202504765

Kyobu Geka. 2025 Aug;78(8):626-629.

ABSTRACT

Cardiac herniation is a rare complication after pulmonary surgery. A 59-year-old woman underwent right-sided pneumonectomy for right pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma, pulmonary vein was ligated intrapericardialy and the pericardial defect, which mesasured about 2 cm was not repaired. After four months, the patient complained of bilateral lower leg edema and dyspnea on effort. Computed tomography (CT) showed the right atrial herniation into the right-sided thoracic cavity. We diagnosed with symptomatic cardiac herniation and performed opration with small thoracotomy. At operation it was found that the right atrium herniated into the right-sided thoracic cavity. There were no adhesions between the pericardium and the right atrium. We placed the right atrium back within the pericardium and repaired using a bovine pericardial patch. The postoperative course was uneventful. Bilateral lower leg edema and cardiac herniation disappeared. Cardiac herniation did not recur over four years postoperatively.

PMID:40840886