Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 22, 2026
Preparation, Characteristics, Toxicity, and Efficacy Evaluation of the Nasal Self-Assembled Nanoemulsion Tumor Vaccine In Vitro and In Vivo
Published on: September 28, 2022
Injectable natural hydrogel-loaded Ta4C3 quantum dots self-assembled with Phillyrin-mediated NIR-II anti-infection
Yuan Yuan1, Yongze Liu1, Lei He1,2
1Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Medical Key Discipline (Laboratory), Research Institute of Otolaryngology, Nanjing, China.
None:
Acute sinusitis, common across populations, worsens seasonally due to pollution and improper medication, increasing the risk of chronic disease and impairing quality of life. To improve treatment and limit antimicrobial resistance in acute sinusitis, we developed a natural injectable QACS/SA@Py@Ta4C3 hydrogel. It integrates the traditional Chinese medicine phillyrin with Ta4C3 quantum dots and natural polymers-quaternary chitosan and sodium alginate. The hydrogel is designed for NIR II-mediated treatment of acute sinusitis via combined photothermal and photodynamic therapy. It exhibited a photothermal conversion efficiency of 22.6% and generated transient ROS, as demonstrated in vitro. Bacteriostatic experiments revealed that the hydrogel inhibited S. aureus with an efficiency of 99.7%. Furthermore, cell studies showed that the hydrogel was minimally cytotoxic, modulated macrophage cytokine expression, and displayed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Finally, in a rabbit sinusitis model, hydrogel implantation at the treatment site significantly reduced bacterial burden and decreased inflammation after NIR II laser treatment, demonstrating promising therapeutic potential.
