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Nucleic acid‐based hydrogels that integrate intrinsic biological properties of nucleic acids and mechanical behavior of their advanced assemblies are appealing bioanalysis and biomedical studies for the development of new‐generation smart biomaterials. It is inseparable from development and incorporation of novel structural and functional units. This review highlights different functional units of nucleic acids, polymers, and novel nanomaterials in the order of structures, properties, and functions, and their assembly strategies for the fabrication of nucleic acid‐based hydrogels. Also, recent advances in the design of multifunctional and stimuli‐responsive nucleic acid‐based hydrogels in bioanalysis and biomedical science are discussed, focusing on the applications of customized hydrogels for emerging directions, including 3D cell cultivation and 3D bioprinting. Finally, the key challenge and future perspectives are outlined., Nucleic acid‐based hydrogels present the trend of interdisciplinary development from the diversified construction building blocks to the extensive application fields, mainly including biosensing, drug delivery, 3D cell cultivation, 3D bioprinting, bioimaging, and treatment and analysis of environmental pollutants.

Although deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the genetic coding for the very essence of life, these macromolecules or components thereof are not necessarily lost after a cell dies. There appears to be a link between extracellular DNA and biomineralization. Here the authors demonstrate that extracellular DNA functions as an initiator of collagen intrafibrillar mineralization. This is confirmed with in vitro and in vivo biological mineralization models. Because of their polyanionic property, extracellular DNA molecules are capable of stabilizing supersaturated calcium phosphate solution and mineralizing 2D and 3D collagen matrices completely as early as 24 h. The effectiveness of extracellular DNA in biomineralization of collagen is attributed to the relatively stable formation of amorphous liquid droplets triggered by attraction of DNA to the collagen fibrils via hydrogen bonding. These findings suggest that extracellular DNA is biomimetically significant for fabricating inorganic–organic hybrid materials for tissue engineering. DNA‐induced collagen intrafibrillar mineralization provides a clue to the pathogenesis of ectopic mineralization in different body tissues. The use of DNase for targeting extracellular DNA at destined tissue sites provides a potential solution for treatment of diseases associated with ectopic mineralization.

ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) are among the most common opportunistic pathogens in nosocomial infections. ESKAPE pathogens distinguish themselves from normal ones by developing a high level of antibiotic resistance that involves multiple mechanisms. Contemporary therapeutic strategies which are potential options in combating ESKAPE bacteria need further investigation. Herein, a broad overview of the antimicrobial research on ESKAPE pathogens over the past five years is provided with prospective clinical applications., ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) are among the most common opportunistic pathogens in nosocomial infections. Herein, contemporary therapeutic strategies against drug‐resistance ESKAPE and antimicrobial agents with prospective clinical applications are summarized, with a forecast on the future tendency of ESKAPE infection control.

Humans are belittled in their confrontation with the ever expanding galaxies of multidrug‐resistant bacteria. New antibacterial agents are annulled by the emergence of sophisticated bacteria‐resistant strategies that are beyond the imagination of the human mind. In their exploration for new antimicrobial strategies against ESKAPE pathogens, humans have to adopt a surrealistic mindset to unlock their subconscious resourcefulness. In article number https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.201901872, Ji‐Hua Chen, Franklin R. Tay, Li‐Na Niu, and co‐workers review antimicrobial research on ESKAPE pathogens over the past five years and provide prospective clinical applications.

For the past two decades, the function of intrabony nerves on bone has been a subject of intense research, while the function of bone on intrabony nerves is still hidden in the corner. In the present review, the possible crosstalk between bone and intrabony peripheral nerves will be comprehensively analyzed. Peripheral nerves participate in bone development and repair via a host of signals generated through the secretion of neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, axon guidance factors and neurotrophins, with additional contribution from nerve‐resident cells. In return, bone contributes to this microenvironmental rendezvous by housing the nerves within its internal milieu to provide mechanical support and a protective shelf. A large ensemble of chemical, mechanical, and electrical cues works in harmony with bone marrow stromal cells in the regulation of intrabony nerves. The crosstalk between bone and nerves is not limited to the physiological state, but also involved in various bone diseases including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, heterotopic ossification, psychological stress‐related bone abnormalities, and bone related tumors. This crosstalk may be harnessed in the design of tissue engineering scaffolds for repair of bone defects or be targeted for treatment of diseases related to bone and peripheral nerves., Some clues are given during biological processes as well as pathological disorders to allow the detection of the communication between bone and nerves within bone. The pattern of strings on the hand created by nature are intriguing and waiting for the wise play.