Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Melatonin-incorporated brain extracellular matrix hydrogel enhances NSCs mitochondrial metabolism to promote neuroregeneration via the AMPK-PGC-1α-NRF1/TFAM axis after spinal cord injury

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.04.006

Figure Lengend Snippet: Melatonin dose modulates NSCs lineage commitment, viability, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial membrane potential at day 5. (A) Representative immunofluorescence images of TUJ1 with Nestin in NSCs cultured within the cell-laden MT/BEM matrix and exposed to melatonin (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 μM) for 5 days (scale bar, 50 μm). (B) Representative images of GFAP with Nestin under the same conditions (scale bar, 50 μm). (C) Representative images of Olig2 with Nestin (scale bar, 50 μm). (D) Percentages of TUJ1(+), GFAP (+), and Olig2(+) cells relative to total nuclei (DAPI) (n = 10 fields/group). (E) RT-qPCR of TUJ1, GFAP, and Olig2 normalized to GAPDH and expressed as fold change versus control (ΔΔCt) (n = 6). (F) Live/Dead staining (Calcein AM/EthD-1) at day 5. (G) Western blots of TUJ1 and GFAP with GAPDH loading control. (H) Densitometry of TUJ1/GAPDH and GFAP/GAPDH (n = 3 independent experiments). (I) ROS staining by DCFH-DA with Rosup as the positive control. (J) Quantification of ROS fluorescence intensity (n = 10 fields/group, compared to control). (K) JC-1 staining of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) with CCCP as the positive control for depolarization. (L) JC-1 red/green ratio (n = 10 fields/group, compared to control). Statistical analysis: Data are presented as mean ± SD. one-way ANOVA with Holm–Sidak's multiple comparisons for multi-group datasets (D, E, J, L); unpaired two-tailed t -test for the two-group comparison (H). Significance: ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Following blocking, membranes were incubated overnight at 4 °C with the following primary antibodies: GFAP (1:1000; #80788, CST, USA), TUJ1 (1:1000; #YA586, MCE, China), GAPDH (1:1000; #2118, CST, USA), phospho-ACC (Ser79) (1:1000; #11818, CST, USA), Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase (C83B10) (1:1000; #3676, CST, USA), Total OXPHOS Rodent WB Antibody Cocktail (1:1000; #ab110413, Abcam, UK), phospho-AMPKα (Thr172) (1:1000; #2535, CST, USA), and total AMPKα (1:1000; #2532, CST, USA).

Techniques: Membrane, Immunofluorescence, Cell Culture, Quantitative RT-PCR, Control, Staining, Western Blot, Positive Control, Fluorescence, Two Tailed Test, Comparison

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Melatonin-incorporated brain extracellular matrix hydrogel enhances NSCs mitochondrial metabolism to promote neuroregeneration via the AMPK-PGC-1α-NRF1/TFAM axis after spinal cord injury

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.04.006

Figure Lengend Snippet: Three-dimensional immunofluorescence and transcriptomic profiling of melatonin-treated NSCs. (A) Representative 3D confocal reconstructions of NSCs networks cultured for 5 days in BEM or MT/BEM hydrogels, immunostained for Nestin, TUJ1, GFAP and OLIG2 with DAPI nuclear counterstain. Scale bar: 50 μm. (B-C) Quantification of neurite outgrowth showing total neurite length (μm) (B) and neurite filament area (μm 2 ) (C) per field of view. (D) Quantification of astroglial differentiation expressed as GFAP + area (% of ROI). (E) Quantification of oligodendroglial lineage commitment expressed as OLIG2 + cells (% of DAPI + nuclei). Data are presented as mean ± SD. Statistical significance was assessed using an unpaired two-tailed t -test; ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01 versus NSCs@BEM.

Article Snippet: Following blocking, membranes were incubated overnight at 4 °C with the following primary antibodies: GFAP (1:1000; #80788, CST, USA), TUJ1 (1:1000; #YA586, MCE, China), GAPDH (1:1000; #2118, CST, USA), phospho-ACC (Ser79) (1:1000; #11818, CST, USA), Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase (C83B10) (1:1000; #3676, CST, USA), Total OXPHOS Rodent WB Antibody Cocktail (1:1000; #ab110413, Abcam, UK), phospho-AMPKα (Thr172) (1:1000; #2535, CST, USA), and total AMPKα (1:1000; #2532, CST, USA).

Techniques: Immunofluorescence, Cell Culture, Two Tailed Test

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Melatonin-incorporated brain extracellular matrix hydrogel enhances NSCs mitochondrial metabolism to promote neuroregeneration via the AMPK-PGC-1α-NRF1/TFAM axis after spinal cord injury

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.04.006

Figure Lengend Snippet: Molecular validation of neural repair and mechanism activation in spinal cord tissue. Western blot and qPCR analyses of spinal cord tissue lysates from Sham, SCI, BEM, NSCs@BEM, and NSCs@MT/BEM groups. (A) Representative Western blots for the neuronal marker TUJ1 and the glial scar marker GFAP. (B) Representative Western blots for phosphorylated AMPK (p-AMPK), phosphorylated ACC (p-ACC), and their respective total proteins. (C) Representative Western blots for the five oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complex subunits. (D) Densitometric quantification of TUJ1 and GFAP protein levels. (E) Densitometric quantification of the p-AMPK/total AMPK and p-ACC/total ACC ratios. (F) Densitometric quantification of OXPHOS complex protein levels. (G) Relative mRNA expression of neural markers (TUJ1, GFAP, Olig2) and key mitochondrial biogenesis regulators (Ppargc1a, Tfam) determined by qPCR. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Statistical significance was determined by one-way ANOVA with Holm–Sidak's multiple comparisons test. (∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001).

Article Snippet: Following blocking, membranes were incubated overnight at 4 °C with the following primary antibodies: GFAP (1:1000; #80788, CST, USA), TUJ1 (1:1000; #YA586, MCE, China), GAPDH (1:1000; #2118, CST, USA), phospho-ACC (Ser79) (1:1000; #11818, CST, USA), Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase (C83B10) (1:1000; #3676, CST, USA), Total OXPHOS Rodent WB Antibody Cocktail (1:1000; #ab110413, Abcam, UK), phospho-AMPKα (Thr172) (1:1000; #2535, CST, USA), and total AMPKα (1:1000; #2532, CST, USA).

Techniques: Biomarker Discovery, Activation Assay, Western Blot, Marker, Phospho-proteomics, Expressing

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Aminated fullerene-based nanoplatform enables synergistic VEGFR2-targeted anti-angiogenesis and tumor immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.03.016

Figure Lengend Snippet: TAPC interacts with VEGFR2 and modulates downstream signaling. (a) Cell viability assay of MC38 cells treated with increasing concentrations of TAPC. (b) Immunoblot analysis of VEGFR2 and key regulators of the PI3K–AKT signaling pathway (PI3K, AKT, and STAT3) in MC38 cells treated with PEG-PO or TAPC (5 and 10 μM). β-Actin was used as a loading control. (c) Pull-down assay of VEGFR2 from MC38 cell lysates using biotinylated TAPC, beads-only sample served as control. (d) Confocal IF imaging of MC38 cells incubated with Cy5.5-labeled TAPC and stained for VEGFR2, nuclei counterstained with DAPI. Scale bars: 20 μm. (e) BLI analysis of TAPC binding to recombinant VEGFR2 using serial concentrations (100, 66.7, 44.4, 29.6, 19.8, 13.2, and 8.8 μM). (f) Molecular dynamics simulations showing predicted protein–ligand complexes (top) and binding pocket visualizations (bottom) of VEGFR2 with TAPC, NDMPFI, MBAMF, and TPFE. (g) Binding free energy calculations of these complexes, including van der Waals, electrostatic, solvation, and total energy components. (h) Extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) of MC38 cells treated with control (0 μM), TAPC (2.5 μM), or TAPC (10 μM), with sequential addition of glucose, oligomycin, and 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG). (i) Quantification of glycolysis and glycolytic capacity in MC38 cells treated with control (0 μM), TAPC (2.5 μM), or TAPC (10 μM) (n = 8). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Statistical significance was assessed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey's multiple comparisons test; ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Antibodies were listed as follows: Anti-VEGF Receptor 2 antibody [EPRER16Y] (Abcam, Cat: ab134191), Anti-PI 3 Kinase catalytic subunit gamma (Abcam, Cat: ab302958), Anti-AKT (phosphor T308) antibody (Abcam, Cat: ab38449), Anti-STAT3 antibody [EPR787Y] (Abcam, Cat: ab68153), β-Actin (13E5) rabbit mAb (CST, Cat: #4970), Anti-CD31 antibody [EPR17260-263] (Abcam, Cat: ab222783), FITC anti-mouse CD45 (Biolegend, Cat: 103108), PerCP/Cyanine5.5 anti-mouse CD4 (Biolegend, Cat: 100434), FOXP3 Monoclonal Antibody (NRRF-30), PE, eBioscience (Thermo, Cat: 12-4771-82), CD3 (Abcam, Cat: ab16669), CD4 (Servicebio, Cat: GB15064).

Techniques: Viability Assay, Western Blot, Control, Pull Down Assay, Imaging, Incubation, Labeling, Staining, Binding Assay, Recombinant

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Aminated fullerene-based nanoplatform enables synergistic VEGFR2-targeted anti-angiogenesis and tumor immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.03.016

Figure Lengend Snippet: In vivo anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects of TAPC@CNPs. (a) Schematic illustration of the therapeutic study in Balb/c mice bearing subcutaneous MC38 tumors (n = 7). (b) Body weights of mice during treatment. (c) Photographs of excised tumors collected at endpoint. (d) Tumor growth curves during treatment. Tumor volume was calculated using the formula (length × width 2 )/2. (e) Tumor weights measured at endpoint. (f) Immunoblot analysis of VEGFR2 expression in tumor lysates from different treatment groups, β-actin was used as a reference protein. (g) IHC staining of CD31 in tumor sections from different treatment groups. Scale bar, 100 μm. (h) H&E staining of major organs (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney) and tumor tissues. (i) Serum ALT and AST levels measured at endpoint. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA with Tukey's multiple comparisons test, ns indicates not significant, ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Antibodies were listed as follows: Anti-VEGF Receptor 2 antibody [EPRER16Y] (Abcam, Cat: ab134191), Anti-PI 3 Kinase catalytic subunit gamma (Abcam, Cat: ab302958), Anti-AKT (phosphor T308) antibody (Abcam, Cat: ab38449), Anti-STAT3 antibody [EPR787Y] (Abcam, Cat: ab68153), β-Actin (13E5) rabbit mAb (CST, Cat: #4970), Anti-CD31 antibody [EPR17260-263] (Abcam, Cat: ab222783), FITC anti-mouse CD45 (Biolegend, Cat: 103108), PerCP/Cyanine5.5 anti-mouse CD4 (Biolegend, Cat: 100434), FOXP3 Monoclonal Antibody (NRRF-30), PE, eBioscience (Thermo, Cat: 12-4771-82), CD3 (Abcam, Cat: ab16669), CD4 (Servicebio, Cat: GB15064).

Techniques: In Vivo, Western Blot, Expressing, Immunohistochemistry, Staining

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Mesenchymal stromal cells-loaded 3D radially aligned composite scaffold with potentiated paracrine signaling for sequential bone regeneration

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.059

Figure Lengend Snippet: Temporal analysis of the BMSC paracrine profile on different scaffolds. (A) Confocal microscopy images from Live/Dead fluorescence staining of BMSCs encapsulated within the PCL/HAp-GelMA/BMSCs scaffold after 1, 3, 5, and 14 d of 3D culture (live cells, green; dead cells, red). (B) The concentrations of key paracrine factors (TGF-β, PGE2, VEGF, HGF, and BMP-2) from BMSCs cultured in different scaffolds, quantified from culture supernatants at day 3 and day 7. (C) Corresponding relative mRNA expression levels of TGFB1, PTGS2, VEGFA, HGF, and BMP-2 in BMSCs at day 3 and day 7, as determined by qPCR analysis. Data are presented as mean ± SD (n = 3) *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001; ns: not significant.

Article Snippet: ELISA kits for PGE2 (Cat. No. E-EL-0034), TGF-β (Cat. No. E-EL-0162), VEGF (Cat. No. E-EL-R2603), and HGF (Cat. No. E-EL-R0496) were purchased from Elabscience (Wuhan, China).

Techniques: Confocal Microscopy, Fluorescence, Staining, Cell Culture, Expressing