The rising global burden of cancer necessitates innovative therapeutic strategies, with immunotherapy demonstrating remarkable potential. However, its clinical efficacy remains limited by low response rates and non-specific (off-target) delivery. Authors in this review highlights natural polymer-based hydrogels as emerging delivery platforms engineered to enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. These hydrogels exploit the biocompatibility and biodegradability of natural polymers, employing chemical or physical crosslinking to encapsulate and deliver immunotherapeutic agents. The versatility of these hydrogels is discussed in the context of oral, sprayable, injectable, and implantable formulations, adaptable to specific tumor sites. Their responsiveness to stimuli such as pH, temperature, and enzymatic activity enables controlled and sustained release of immunotherapeutic agents, including checkpoint inhibitors, cytokines, and Toll-like receptor agonists. These hydrogels can also modulate the tumor microenvironment by regulating pH, oxygen levels, and immune cell infiltration, thereby enhancing therapeutic efficacy. Moreover, immunotherapeutic hydrogels can act synergistically with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and phototherapies to enhance antitumor immune responses. Despite their potential, challenges such as degradation kinetics, bioactivity retention, and regulatory hurdles must be addressed to ensure successful clinical translation. This review provides insights into the rational design, development and application of stimuli-responsive hydrogels as next-generation platforms for effective cancer immunotherapy.

A novel catalyst developed by the research team offers a powerful solution for combating hard-to-degrade organic pollutants. By skillfully combining metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the team created a cobalt-based catalyst that efficiently activates peroxymonosulfate (PMS) through a highly selective non-radical pathway. This innovative approach ensures effective pollutant degradation across a wide pH range with strong anti-interference ability, marking a significant advance in green and sustainable water treatment technology.

This study reveals a novel multimodal mechanism for anti-photoaging by a topical lotion (JDY). Integrating transcriptomics, cellular assays, and clinical imaging, the authors demonstrate that JDY coordinates three key pathways: upregulating glutathione metabolism (GSTA4, GSTM2) to alleviate oxidative stress, activating TGF-β/Smad signaling (TGFBR1, SMAD3) to boost collagen/elastin synthesis, and suppressing MAPK/AP-1 (FOSL1, MMP1) to reduce matrix degradation. In UVA-irradiated fibroblasts, JDY enhances COL1 and ELN by ~14% and inhibits MMP-1. Clinical data show improved elasticity, hydration (+31.7%), and reduced wrinkles, providing a mechanism-based paradigm for anti-aging formulation development.

A new study shows that a retrieval-augmented generation-based intelligent learning companion can significantly enhance students’ practical skills and flow experience in analog circuit laboratory instruction. While the system does not replace teachers in conceptual or emotional guidance, it provides highly accurate, real-time support that strengthens hands-on learning and engages students more deeply during experiments.

Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) are beneficial microorganisms that colonize plant root zones. They promote plant growth and enhance resistance to abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity by producing hormones, solubilizing nutrients, and other mechanisms.

Plant immune inducers are crucial tools for the green management of crop diseases. As an environmentally friendly biological inducer, oligochitosan (COS) can activate plant defense mechanisms to resist pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses.