Rongxiang He

Capture and Release of Cancer Cells Based on Sacrificeable Transparent MnO2 Nanospheres Thin Film

A CTCs detection assay using transparent MnO2 nanospheres thin films to capture and release of CTCs is reported. The enhanced local topography interaction between extracellular matrix scaffolds and the antibody-coated substrate leads to improved capture efficiency. CTCs captured from artificial blood sample can be cultured and released, represent a new functional material capable of CTCs isolation and culture for subsequent studies.

Three-Dimensional Branched TiO2 Architectures in Controllable Bloom for Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries

Three-dimensional branched TiO2 architectures (3D BTA) with controllable morphologies were synthesized via a facile template-free one-pot solvothermal route. The volume ratio of deionized water (DI water) and diethylene glycol in solvothermal process is key to the formation of 3D BTA assembled by nanowire-coated TiO2 dendrites, which combines the advantages of 3D hierarchical structure and 1D nanoscale building blocks. Benefiting from such unique structural features, the BTA in full bloom achieved significantly increased specific surface areas and shortened Li(+) ion/electrons diffusion pathway. The lithium-ion batteries based on BTA in full bloom exhibited remarkably enhanced reversible specific capacity and rate performance, attributing to the high contact area with the electrolyte and the short solid state diffusion pathway for Li(+) ion/electrons promoting lithium insertion and extraction.

Multi-responsive drug release from hydrogen-bonding multilayers containing PEGylated nanoparticles and azobenzenes

Using PEGylated nanoparticles and light-sensitive azobenzenes, a multicolor fluorescence layer-by-layer film loading drug has been constructed based on hydrogen bonding. The multilayer film exhibited multi-responsive drug release properties.

Efficient Purification and Release of Circulating Tumor Cells by Synergistic Effect of Biomarker and SiO2@Gel‐Microbead‐Based Size Difference Amplification

Microfluidics-based circulating tumor cell (CTC) isolation is achieved by using gelatin-coated silica microbeads conjugated to CTC-specific antibodies. Bead-binding selectively enlarges target cell size, providing efficient high-purity capture. CTCs captured can be further released non-invasively. This stratagem enables high-performance CTC isolation for subsequent studies.

PDMS micropillar-based microchip for efficient cancer cell capture

We introduce a micropillar-based microfluidic device for efficient and rapid cancer cell capture. The microfluidic chip consists of two linear arrays of micropillars integrated with a herringbones flow-derived microstructure, and the separation distance between two adjacent micropillars is similar to the size of tumor cells. Cancer cells can be forced to come into contact with the micro-columns and are then captured by specific immune antibody–antigen interactions. Both previously published data and new available experimental data confirm the superiority of the proposed device. Different cancer cell lines were utilized to investigate the capture efficiency of our microfluidic device. MCF-7 cancer cells spiked into DMEM culture medium can be captured from a suspension with over 90% efficiency. The results of the present work provide a promising method for separation of rare cells, such as circulating tumor or fetal cells.

Fetal nucleated red blood cell analysis for non-invasive prenatal diagnostics using a nanostructure microchip

Cell-free DNA has been widely used in non-invasive prenatal diagnostics (NIPD) nowadays. Compared to these incomplete and multi-source DNA fragments, fetal nucleated red blood cells (fNRBCs), once as an aided biomarker to monitor potential fetal pathological conditions, have re-attracted research interest in NIPD because of their definite fetal source and the total genetic information contained in the nuclei. Isolating these fetal cells from maternal peripheral blood and subsequent cell-based bio-analysis make maximal genetic diagnosis possible, while causing minimal harm to the fetus or its mother. In this paper, an affinity microchip is reported which uses hydroxyapatite/chitosan nanoparticles as well as immuno-agent anti-CD147 to effectively isolate fNRBCs from maternal peripheral blood, and on-chip biomedical analysis was demonstrated as a proof of concept for NIPD based on fNRBCs. Tens of fNRBCs can be isolated from 1 mL of peripheral blood (almost 25 mL-1 in average) from normal pregnant women (from the 10th to 30th gestational week). The diagnostic application of fNRBCs for fetal chromosome disorders (Trisomy 13 and 21) was also demonstrated. Our method offers effective isolation and accurate analysis of fNRBCs to implement comprehensive NIPD and to enhance insights into fetal cell development.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes induced a controllable TiO2 morphology transformation for high-rate and long-life lithium-ion batteries

We have demonstrate a facile strategy to achieve the controllable morphology transformation of TiO2 induced by the introduction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The intervention of functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is key to the formation of TiO2 nanopompons. Furthermore, the size of the obtained TiO2 nanopompons can be controlled by modulating the CNT amounts. The obtained TiO2 nanopompon-embedded CNT hybrid networks (TNP@CNT HNs) incorporate the advantages of hierarchical nanostructures and 3D interconnected conductive networks, including high surface area, uniform particle/pore size, short Li+ ion/electron transport pathway, and high electronic conductivity. These TNP@CNT HN-based anodes achieve a significant improvement in the insertion/extraction of Li+ ions and electrochemical performances via optimizing the CNT amounts and the size of the TiO2 nanopompons. The lithium-ion batteries based on the optimized TNP@CNT HNs exhibit excellent cycling stability (keeping approximately 200 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles at 2C rate, 1C = 170 mA g−1) and rate performance (approximately 125 mA h g−1 at 20C rate with a capacity retention of 77% after 2000 cycles).

Fluorescent Determination of Glucose Using Silicon Nanodots

ABSTRACT Here is reported a fluorescent biosensor for glucose detection based on water-soluble and pH-responsive silicon nanodots. The silicon nanodots were prepared using a facile hydrothermal method. The advantages of using the silicon nanodots as glucose sensor are twofold. Firstly, the fluorescence of silicon nanodots was quenched by hydrogen peroxide that was produced from glucose oxidation. Secondly, the fluorescence of silicon nanodots was highly sensitive to gluconic acid that was also produced by glucose oxidation. Our results show that this method detected glucose as low as 0.54 µM with a good selectivity and allowed the determination of glucose in serum samples. This method is also simple, rapid, low-toxic and low-cost, thereby hold high application potential for biological assays.

TiO2 Nanorods Arrays with Mesoscopic Micro-nano Interfaces for In Situ Regulation of Cell Morphology and Nucleus Deformation

Cell morphology and nucleus deformation are important when circulating tumor cells break away from the primary tumor and migrate to a distant organ. Cells are sensitive to the microenvironment and respond to the cell-material interfaces. We fabricated TiO2 nanorod arrays with mesoscopic micro-nano interfaces through a two-step hydrothermal reaction method to induce severe changes in cell morphology and nucleus deformation. The average size of the microscale voids was increased from 5.1 to 10.5 μm when the hydrothermal etching time was increased from 3 to 10 h, whereas the average distances between voids were decreased from 0.88 to 0.40 μm. The nucleus of the MCF-7 cells on the TiO2 nanorod substrate that was etched for 10 h exhibited a significant deformation, because of the large size of the voids and the small distance between voids. Nucleus defromation was reversible during the cells proliferate process when the cells were cultured on the mesoscopic micro-nano interface.This reversible process was regulated by combining of the uniform pressure applied by the actin cap and the localized pressure applied by the actin underneath the nucleus. Cell morphology and nucleus shape interacted with each other to adapt to the microenvironment. This mesoscopic micro-nano interface provided a new insight into the cell-biomaterial interface to investigate cell behaviors.

Visible-light-controllable drug release from multilayer-coated microneedles

A method for the generation of visible-light-controllable drug release polyelectrolyte multilayers on poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) microneedles is developed by host-guest chemistry. In response to visible light irradiation, model drugs encapsulated on polyelectrolyte multilayers transfer into the skin following brief microneedle application.