When the trachea is excessively damaged because of diseases, accidents, or surgery, it is difficult to achieve both mucosal reconstruction and structural stability using current technologies. Here, a biomimetic tracheal graft (BTG) is developed through a hybrid process of 3D printing and electrospinning using polycaprolactone (PCL)polymer. First, a flexible PCL tracheal frame with a high rotation angle is prepared using 3D printing. Second, PCL nanofibers for mucosal reconstruction are placed inside the lumen, and PCL microfibers are placed on the outside of the frame to promote blood vessel formation. Air-liquid interface cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells on the nanofibers demonstrated the generation of epithelium, goblet cells, and ciliated cells after 14 days. Chondrocyte cultures and co-cultures of chondrocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells confirmed higher cell attachment and survival on the BTG than on the conventional tracheal graft (CTG). In a rabbit tracheal defect model, transplantation of the BTG and CTG revealed smooth cell infiltration and proliferation in the BTG, leading to the formation of epithelial, vascular, and connective tissues after 8 weeks without tracheal obstruction. These results demonstrate that the transplantation of cell-free biomimetic grafts alone is effective for reconstructing damaged tracheal tissue.

When the trachea is excessively damaged because of diseases, accidents, or surgery, it is difficult to achieve both mucosal reconstruction and structural stability using current technologies. Here, a biomimetic tracheal graft (BTG) is developed through a hybrid process of 3D printing and electrospinning using polycaprolactone (PCL)polymer. First, a flexible PCL tracheal frame with a high rotation angle is prepared using 3D printing. Second, PCL nanofibers for mucosal reconstruction are placed inside the lumen, and PCL microfibers are placed on the outside of the frame to promote blood vessel formation. Air-liquid interface cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells on the nanofibers demonstrated the generation of epithelium, goblet cells, and ciliated cells after 14 days. Chondrocyte cultures and co-cultures of chondrocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells confirmed higher cell attachment and survival on the BTG than on the conventional tracheal graft (CTG). In a rabbit tracheal defect model, transplantation of the BTG and CTG revealed smooth cell infiltration and proliferation in the BTG, leading to the formation of epithelial, vascular, and connective tissues after 8 weeks without tracheal obstruction. These results demonstrate that the transplantation of cell-free biomimetic grafts alone is effective for reconstructing damaged tracheal tissue.

Raw data were generated at NHIS-National Health Screening Cohort (NHIS-HEALS) database. Derived data supporting the findings of this study are available on request.

The updated KADA criteria provide a practical and intuitive diagnostic tool, effectively addressing the limitations of previous criteria and improving the efficient and comprehensive diagnosis of AD, especially in those with diverse presentations.

Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) is emerging as a favorable alternative to traditional oral and injectable drug administration routes, offering a noninvasive, pain-free option with controlled and sustainable drug delivery. However, developing a TDD patch that delivers drugs with a high efficiency while being skin-friendly is still challenging. Here, we report an ultrathin and breathable iontophoretic patch for TDD application. The ultrathin dye-loaded electronic tattoo (UDET) consists of silk nanofibers (SNFs) and graphene. Cationic rhodamine B (RB) and methylene blue (MB) model drugs are incorporated in SNFs. The UDETs can be seamlessly affixed to nonuniform and pliable pigskin. The performance of the iontophoretic system can be fine-tuned by adjusting the applied voltage and duration of the iontophoresis process. The UDET delivers the RB and MB model drugs into pigskin up to a depth of >800 μm under a bias voltage of 20 V within 2 h. Additionally, to evaluate the potential for real-world applications, the diffusion of Dextran molecules of varying molecular weights was examined. The penetration depth of low molecular weight Dextran (Dex-10,000) was significantly higher than that of high molecular weight Dextran (Dex-70,000), demonstrating the influence of molecular size on diffusion efficiency. Our results show the UDET patch’s controllable and efficient delivery capability as well as underscore the potential of UDETs in augmenting TDD through controlled electric fields. This feature would be pivotal for the delivery of therapeutics in scenarios where conventional methods may be inadequate.

hNTSCs improved the survival rate of dopaminergic neurons by manipulating the hippocampal pathway through Yes-associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional coactivator with a PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) by reducing inflammatory cytokines. In this study, we found that controlling the niche of hNTSCs had a therapeutic effect on PD lesions.