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In this study, we investigated the role of tetrahedral framework nucleic acids (tFNAs) in irradiation‐induced salivary gland damage in vitro and in vivo. Irradiation‐damaged submandibular gland cells (SMGCs) were treated with different concentrations of tFNAs. Cell activity was measured by CCK‐8 assay. Cell death was detected by Calcein‐AM/PI double staining. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. The expression of apoptosis proteins and inflammatory cytokines were detected by western blot. Body weight, drinking volume, saliva flow rate and lag time was measured 8 weeks after irradiation. Micromorphological changes of submandibular gland were assessed by haematoxylin–eosin and masson staining. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and microvessel density of submandibular gland were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. tFNAs could promote cell proliferation, inhibit cell apoptosis of irradiation‐damaged SMGCs and reduce irradiation induced cell death. Mechanism studies revealed that tFNAs inhibited cell apoptosis through regulating the Bcl‐2/Bax/Caspase‐3 signalling pathway and inhibited the release of TNF‐α, IL‐1β and IL‐6 to reduce cell damage caused by inflammation. Animal experiments showed that tFNAs could alleviate irradiation‐induced weight loss, increased water intake, decreased saliva production and prolonged salivation lag time and could ameliorate salivary gland damage. tFNAs have a positive effect on alleviating irradiation‐induced salivary gland damage and might be a promising agent for the treatment of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The main purpose of current study was to explore the effects of tetrahedral DNA nanostructures (TDNs) on neuroectodermal (NE‐4C) stem cells migration and unveil the potential mechanisms. Materials and methods: The successfully self‐assembled TDNs were also determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). A bidirectional wound‐healing assay and transwell chamber assay were employed to test the migrating behaviour of NE‐4C stem cells cultured under different conditions. Results: Through an in vitro study, we found that stem cells could internalize TDNs quickly, and the cells' parallel and vertical migration was promoted effectively. Besides, the effects of TDNs were found being exerted by upregulating the gene and protein expression levels of RhoA, Rock2 and Vinculin, indicating that the RHOA/ROCK2 pathway was activated by the TDNs during the cell migration. Conclusions: In conclusion, TDNs could enter NSCs without the aid of other transfection reagents in large amounts, whereas only small amounts of ssDNA could enter the cells. TDNs taken up by NSCs activated the RHOA/ROCK2 signalling pathway, which had effects on the relevant genes and proteins expression, eventually promoting the migration of NE‐4C stem cells. These findings suggested that TDNs have great potential in application for the repair and regeneration of neural tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor vaccines that activate the autologous immune system to eliminate tumor cells represent a promising approach in cancer immunotherapy. However, challenges such as tumor heterogeneity, limited antigen selection, insufficient antigen presentation, and the slow onset of de novo immune responses have resulted in poor universality and suboptimal response rates. In contrast, pathogen-specific pre-existing immunity acquired through infection or vaccination, can rapidly generate a more potent and enduring immune response upon re-encounter with the same antigen. Here, an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based therapeutic vaccine capable of genetically modifying diverse tumor cells to uniformly overexpress and efficiently present the highly immunogenic transmembrane SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD), and to release RBD-enveloped virus-like particles, which awaken and enhance the RBD-specific pre-existing immunity, leading to significant tumor remission, is engineered. Mechanistically, this therapeutic vaccine leverages the robust RBD-specific pre-existing immunity and heightened antibody-mediated phagocytosis to eliminate engineered tumor cells while inducing antigen spreading, thereby provoking a more diverse tumor-specific cellular immune responses. Notably, widespread administration of vaccines against various pathogens has provided a versatile pool of pre-existing immunity that can be redirected to eradicate tumors. These findings offer a novel perspective on overcoming the limitations posed by tumor heterogeneity and personalized medicine., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Nucleic acid strands can be synthesized into various nucleic acid-based nanomaterials (NANs) through strict base pairing. The self-assembled NANs are programmable, intelligent, biocompatible, non-immunogenic, and non-cytotoxic. With the rapid development of nanotechnology, the application of NANs in the biomedical fields, such as drug delivery and biological sensing, has attracted wide attention. However, the stability of NANs is often affected by the cation concentrations, enzymatic degradation, and organic solvents. This susceptibility to degradation is one of the most important factors that have restricted the application of NANs. NANs can be denatured or degraded under conditions of low cation concentrations, enzymatic presence, and organic solvents. To deal with this issue, a lot of methods have been attempted to improve the stability of NANs, including artificial nucleic acids, modification with specific groups, encapsulation with protective structures, etc. In this review, we summarized the relevant methods to have a deeper understanding of the stability of NANs., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)