Tremella fuciformis Inhibits Melanogenesis in B16F10 Cells and Promotes Migration of Human Fibroblasts and Keratinocytes

Synthesis of novel chitosan/sodium hyaluronate/iridium hydrogel nanocomposite for wound healing application

A novel chitosan/sodium hyaluronate/iridium (CHI/SH/Ir) hydrogel nanocomposite with a unique microstructure containing vertically aligned pores is fabricated via an electrophoresis technique. The formation of orderly vertical pores in CHI/SH/Ir hydrogel nanocomposite is due to the confinement of hydrogen bubbles produced from the water electrolysis during electrophoresis that limits their lateral movement and coalescence. In a wet state, the diameter for the vertical pores is 600-700 μm. With a thickness of 500 μm, the CHI/SH/Ir hydrogel nanocomposite exhibits a porosity of 76.7 % and a water uptake of 350 %. Its tensile strength is almost doubled to 8.7 MPa, as compared to that of counterpart without the addition of iridium. In CHI/SH/Ir hydrogel nanocomposite, the iridium nanoparticles are homogeneously distributed with an average size of 3 nm. The CHI/SH/Ir electrophoresis suspension exhibits a negligible cytotoxicity. In cell migration test using the human keratinocytes HaCaT cells, the CHI/SH/Ir hydrogel nanocomposite reveals a relative migration of 122.15 ± 9.02 % (p < 0.001) as compared to the blank sample. The presence of vertically aligned pores with the use of SH and iridium nanoparticles indicates a promising opportunity in wound healing application.

Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides induce ferroptosis in Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric cancer by inactivating NRF2/HO-1 signaling

Approximately 10% of gastric cancers are associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (TFPs) are characterized by antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects in different diseases. However, whether TFP improves EBV-associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC) has never been explored. The effects of TFP on EBV-infected GC cell viability were determined using a CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. Western blotting and RT-qPCR were performed to explore the expression of ferroptosis-related proteins. The CCK-8 assay showed that TFP decreased EBV-infected GC cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometry assays indicated that TFP significantly induced EBV-infected GC cell death. TFP also reduced the migratory capacity of EBV-infected GC cells. Furthermore, treatment with TFP significantly increased the mRNA levels of PTGS2 and Chac1 in EBV-infected GC cells. Western blot assays indicated that TFP suppressed the expression of NRF2, HO-1, GPX4 and xCT in EBV-infected GC cells. More importantly, overexpression of NRF2 could obviously rescue TFP-induced downregulation of GPX4 and xCT in EBV-infected GC cells. In summary, we showed novel data that TFP induced ferroptosis in EBV-infected GC cells by inhibiting NRF2/HO-1 signaling. The current findings may shed light on the potential clinical application of TFP in the treatment of EBVaGC.

The potential cutaneous benefits of Tremella fuciformis

Tremella fuciformis, also known as snow mushroom, is an edible mushroom that has historically been popular in herbal and Asian medicine and cuisine. The main polysaccharide ingredients have been extracted and used as treatment in a variety of conditions, demonstrating positive effects in a range of biological functions including those involved in antioxidation, antitumor, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective pathways. Studies have demonstrated the role this extract may play in skin antiaging, photoprotection, wound healing, and barrier protection. Most studies have been limited to in vitro and in vivo animal models. Future clinical research is needed to further understand the role of T. fuciformis in dermatology. This review will discuss the existing research findings and potential future applications for T. fuciformis as a treatment in skin conditions.

Tremella fuciformis Polysaccharide Induces Apoptosis of B16 Melanoma Cells via Promoting the M1 Polarization of Macrophages

Anti-tumor activity of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (TFPS) has been widely reported, but its mechanism remains poorly understood. In this study, we established an in vitro co-culture system (B16 melanoma cells and RAW 264.7 macrophage-like cells) to explore the potential anti-tumor mechanism of TFPS. Based on our results, TFPS exhibited no inhibition on the cell viability of B16 cells. However, significant apoptosis was observed when B16 cells were co-cultured with TFPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells. We further found that mRNA levels of M1 macrophage markers including iNOS and CD80 were significantly upregulated in TFPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells, while M2 macrophage markers such as Arg-1 and CD 206 remained unchanged. Besides, the migration, phagocytosis, production of inflammatory mediators (NO, IL-6 and TNF-α), and protein expression of iNOS and COX-2 were markedly enhanced in TFPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Network pharmacology analysis indicated that MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways may be involved in M1 polarization of macrophages, and this hypothesis was verified by Western blot. In conclusion, our research demonstrated that TFPS induced apoptosis of melanoma cells by promoting M1 polarization of macrophages, and suggested TFPS may be applied as an immunomodulatory for cancer therapy.

Gene-Expression Analysis of Human Fibroblasts Affected by 3D-Printed Carboxylated Nanocellulose Constructs

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as a highly valuable tool to manufacture porous constructs. This has major advantages in, for example, tissue engineering, in which 3D scaffolds provide a microenvironment with adequate porosity for cell growth and migration as a simulation of tissue regeneration. In this study, we assessed the suitability of three cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) that were obtained through 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpyperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation. The CNFs were obtained by applying three levels of carboxylation, i.e., 2.5, 3.8, and 6.0 mmol sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) per gram of cellulose. The CNFs exhibited different nanofibrillation levels, affecting the corresponding viscosity and 3D printability of the CNF gels (0.6 wt%). The scaffolds were manufactured by micro-extrusion and the nanomechanical properties were assessed with nanoindentation. Importantly, fibroblasts were grown on the scaffolds and the expression levels of the marker genes, which are relevant for wound healing and proliferation, were assessed in order to reveal the effect of the 3D-scaffold microenvironment of the cells.

Natural products in cosmetics

The global cosmetics market reached US$500 billion in 2017 and is expected to exceed US$800 billion by 2023, at around a 7% annual growth rate. The cosmetics industry is emerging as one of the fastest-growing industries of the past decade. Data shows that the Chinese cosmetics market was US$60 billion in 2021. It is expected to be the world's number one consumer cosmetics market by 2050, with a size of approximately US$450 billion. The influence of social media and the internet has raised awareness of the risks associated with the usage of many chemicals in cosmetics and the health benefits of natural products derived from plants and other natural resources. As a result, the cosmetic industry is now paying more attention to natural products. The present review focus on the possible applications of natural products from various biological sources in skin care cosmetics, including topical care products, fragrances, moisturizers, UV protective, and anti-wrinkle products. In addition, the mechanisms of targets for evaluation of active ingredients in cosmetics and the possible benefits of these bioactive compounds in rejuvenation and health, and their potential role in cosmetics are also discussed.