Search

Plant‐derived exosomes (PEs) possess an array of therapeutic properties, including antitumor, antiviral, and anti‐inflammatory capabilities. They are also implicated in defensive responses to pathogenic attacks. Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) regeneration represents a global medical challenge, with appropriate research concentration on three pivotal domains: neural regeneration promotion, inflammation inhibition, and innovation and application of regenerative scaffolds. Unfortunately, the utilization of PE in SCI therapy remains unexplored. Herein, we isolated PE from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb, Lycium barbarum L. and discovered their inflammatory inhibition and neuronal differentiation promotion capabilities. Compared with exosomes derived from ectomesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs), PE demonstrated a substantial enhancement in neural differentiation. We encapsulated isoliquiritigenin (ISL)‐loaded plant‐derived exosomes (ISL@PE) from L. barbarum L. within a 3D‐printed bionic scaffold. The intricate construct modulated the inflammatory response following SCI, facilitating the restoration of damaged axons and culminating in ameliorated neurological function. This pioneering investigation proposes a novel potential route for insoluble drug delivery via plant exosomes, as well as SCI repair. The institutional animal care and use committee number is UJS‐IACUC‐2020121602. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unidirectional liquid transport, a special self‐propelled wetting phenomenon observed in natural structures like the Nepenthes pitcher plant peristome, Araucaria leaves, and Crassula muscosa shoots, has inspired scientists to develop various novel microfluidic devices for liquid collection, physical/chemical reactions, and irrigation. Recently, the concept of capillary transistors is proposed to enable a programmable transport area and a significant increase in unidirectional capillary height, which is expected to greatly expand the applications of conventional microfluidic chips. In this work, using black resin as the three‐dimensional (3D) printing material, we construct microfluidic chips with capillary transistors for photothermal‐responsive unidirectional liquid transport. The transistors consist of asymmetric overhanging structures with connected overhangs, allowing for fast, long‐distance, and large‐area unidirectional liquid transport, with a unidirectional capillary height exceeding 90.0 mm—more than double the values reported in most previous studies. Furthermore, smart control of capillary height is achieved by applying external photothermal stimuli to the capillary transistors, demonstrating their potential applications in photothermal‐responsive unidirectional liquid transport and mixing in 3D space. It is envisioned that additional functions such as liquid patterning, desalination, and biochemical microreactions would be developed by engineering capillary transistors and their responsiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]