Beeswax-enriched tricalcium phosphate/hydroxyapatite/sodium alginate/thymol 3D-printed scaffolds for application in bone tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering, particularly bone tissue engineering (BTE), continues to pose significant challenges to modern medicine. In this work, a rapid prototyping technique was explored to create 3D scaffolds using a Fab@Home 3D-Plotter extruder. For that purpose, a novel composite mixture containing tricalcium phosphate (TCP), hydroxyapatite (HAp), sodium alginate (SA), beeswax (BW), and thymol (TM) was formulated.

Polydopamine-coated mesoporous silica/gold nanoclusters for enhanced chemo-photothermal therapy of cancer.

Near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive nanomaterials have been widely explored to develop alternative approaches for cancer therapy. Herein, clustered gold nanospheres were coated with mesoporous silica (AuMSS) and functionalized with polydopamine (PDA) to create a novel anticancer nanomedicine capable of combining drug delivery and photothermal therapy. The AuMSS/PDA nanoclusters exhibited a mean size inferior to 200 nm, a close to neutral surface charge (≈ -10 mV), and promoted a temperature increase of 35 °C in response to NIR irradiation (808 nm, 1.

Recent advances in smart gold nanoparticles for photothermal therapy.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) possess unique properties, including low toxicity and excellent optical characteristics, making them highly appealing for biomedical applications. The plasmonic photothermal effect of AuNPs has been explored to trigger localized hyperthermia. Four commonly explored gold nanoparticles (spheres, rods, stars, and cages) are produced and optimized to present the localized surface plasmon resonance effect in the near-infrared region, exploiting the increased penetration in the human body.

Recent advances in microalgae encapsulation techniques for biomedical applications.

Microalgae are microorganisms that are rich in bioactive compounds, including pigments, proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides. These compounds can be utilized for a number of biomedical purposes, including drug delivery, wound healing, and tissue engineering. Nevertheless, encapsulating microalgae cells and microalgae bioactive metabolites is vital to protect them and prevent premature degradation.

Red blood cell membrane-camouflaged gold-core silica shell nanorods for cancer drug delivery and photothermal therapy.

Gold core mesoporous silica shell (AuMSS) nanorods are multifunctional nanomedicines that can act simultaneously as photothermal, drug delivery, and bioimaging agents. Nevertheless, it is reported that once administrated, nanoparticles can be coated with blood proteins, forming a protein corona, that directly impacts on nanomedicines' circulation time, biodistribution, and therapeutic performance. Therefore, it become crucial to develop novel alternatives to improve nanoparticles' half-life in the bloodstream.

Reduced graphene oxide-reinforced tricalcium phosphate/gelatin/chitosan light-responsive scaffolds for application in bone regeneration.

Bone is a mineralized tissue with the intrinsic capacity for constant remodeling. Rapid prototyping techniques, using biomaterials that mimic the bone native matrix, have been used to develop osteoinductive and osteogenic personalized 3D structures, which can be further combined with drug delivery and phototherapy. Herein, a Fab@Home 3D Plotter printer was used to promote the layer-by-layer deposition of a composite mixture of gelatin, chitosan, tricalcium phosphate, and reduced graphene oxide (rGO).

In situ formation of alginic acid-gold nanohybrids for application in cancer photothermal therapy.

Gold-based nanoparticles present excellent optical properties that propelled their widespread application in biomedicine, from bioimaging to photothermal applications. Nevertheless, commonly employed manufacturing methods for gold-based nanoparticles require long periods and laborious protocols that reduce cost-effectiveness and scalability. Herein, a novel methodology was used for producing gold-alginic acid nanohybrids (Au-Alg-NH) with photothermal capabilities.

Injectable hydrogels for the delivery of nanomaterials for cancer combinatorial photothermal therapy.

Progress in the nanotechnology field has led to the development of a new class of materials capable of producing a temperature increase triggered by near infrared light. These photothermal nanostructures have been extensively explored in the ablation of cancer cells. Nevertheless, the available data in the literature have exposed that systemically administered nanomaterials have a poor tumor-homing capacity, hindering their full therapeutic potential.

Interaction of Near-Infrared (NIR)-Light Responsive Probes with Lipid Membranes: A Combined Simulation and Experimental Study.

Cancer is considered a major societal challenge for the next decade worldwide. Developing strategies for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment has been considered a promising tool for fighting cancer. For this, the development of nanomaterials incorporating prototypic near-infrared (NIR)-light responsive probes, such as heptamethine cyanines, has been showing very promising results.

Lignin-enriched tricalcium phosphate/sodium alginate 3D scaffolds for application in bone tissue regeneration.

The bone is a connective, vascularized, and mineralized tissue that confers protection to organs, and participates in the support and locomotion of the human body, maintenance of homeostasis, as well as in hematopoiesis. However, throughout the lifetime, bone defects may arise due to traumas (mechanical fractures), diseases, and/or aging, which when too extensive compromise the ability of the bone to self-regenerate. To surpass such clinical situation, different therapeutic approaches have been pursued.

Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-IR780 conjugate nanoparticles for breast cancer phototherapy.

To address the limitations of IR780 by preparing hydrophilic polymer-IR780 conjugates and to employ these conjugates in the assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) intended for cancer photothermal therapy. The cyclohexenyl ring of IR780 was conjugated for the first time with thiol-terminated poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx). This novel poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-IR780 (PEtOx-IR) conjugate was combined with D-α-tocopheryl succinate (TOS), leading to the assembly of mixed NPs (PEtOx-IR/TOS NPs).

Reduced graphene oxide-enriched chitosan hydrogel/cellulose acetate-based nanofibers application in mild hyperthermia and skin regeneration.

Asymmetric wound dressings have captured researchers' attention due to their ability to reproduce the structural and functional properties of the skin layers. Furthermore, recent studies also report the benefits of using near-infrared (NIR) radiation-activated photothermal therapies in treating infections and chronic wounds. Herein, a chitosan (CS) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hydrogel (CS_rGO) was combined with a polycaprolactone (PCL) and cellulose acetate (CA) electrospun membrane (PCL_CA) to create a new NIR-responsive asymmetric wound dressing.

Nanomaterials in Drug Delivery Applications.

The "magic bullet" concept paved the way for nanomaterials' development and innovation [...

Metal-Polymer Nanoconjugates Application in Cancer Imaging and Therapy.

Metallic-based nanoparticles present a unique set of physicochemical properties that support their application in different fields, such as electronics, medical diagnostics, and therapeutics. Particularly, in cancer therapy, the plasmonic resonance, magnetic behavior, X-ray attenuation, and radical oxygen species generation capacity displayed by metallic nanoparticles make them highly promising theragnostic solutions. Nevertheless, metallic-based nanoparticles are often associated with some toxicological issues, lack of colloidal stability, and establishment of off-target interactions.

Cell-Derived Vesicles for Nanoparticles' Coating: Biomimetic Approaches for Enhanced Blood Circulation and Cancer Therapy.

Cancer nanomedicines are designed to encapsulate different therapeutic agents, prevent their premature release, and deliver them specifically to cancer cells, due to their ability to preferentially accumulate in tumor tissue. However, after intravenous administration, nanoparticles immediately interact with biological components that facilitate their recognition by the immune system, being rapidly removed from circulation. Reports show that less than 1% of the administered nanoparticles effectively reach the tumor site.

Heptamethine Cyanine-Loaded Nanomaterials for Cancer Immuno-Photothermal/Photodynamic Therapy: A Review.

The development of strategies capable of eliminating metastasized cancer cells and preventing tumor recurrence is an exciting and extremely important area of research. In this regard, therapeutic approaches that explore the synergies between nanomaterial-mediated phototherapies and immunostimulants/immune checkpoint inhibitors have been yielding remarkable results in pre-clinical cancer models. These nanomaterials can accumulate in tumors and trigger, after irradiation of the primary tumor with near infrared light, a localized temperature increase and/or reactive oxygen species.

HA/PEI-coated acridine orange-loaded gold-core silica shell nanorods for cancer-targeted photothermal and chemotherapy.

To develop a tumor-targeted chemo-photothermal nanomedicine through the functionalization of acridine orange (AO)-loaded gold-core mesoporous silica shell (AuMSS) nanorods with polyethylenimine (PEI) and hyaluronic acid (HA). Functionalization of the AuMSS nanorods was achieved through the chemical linkage of PEI followed by electrostatic adsorption of HA. HA functionalization improved AuMSS' cytocompatibility by decreasing blood hemolysis, and PEI-HA inclusion promoted a controlled and sustained AO release.

IR780 loaded gelatin-PEG coated gold core silica shell nanorods for cancer-targeted photothermal/photodynamic therapy.

Gold core silica shell (AuMSS) nanorods present excellent physicochemical properties that allow their application as photothermal and drug delivery agents. Herein, AuMSS nanorods were dual-functionalized with Polyethylene glycol methyl ether (PEG-CH ) and Gelatin (GEL) to enhance both the colloidal stability and uptake by HeLa cancer cells. Additionally, the AuMSS nanorods were combined for the first time with IR780 (a heptamethine cyanine molecule) and its photothermal and photodynamic capacities were determined.

Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) functionalized reduced graphene oxide: Optimization of the reduction process using dopamine and application in cancer photothermal therapy.

The high near infrared (NIR) absorption displayed by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanostructures renders them a great potential for application in cancer photothermal therapy. However, the production of this material often relies on the use of hydrazine as a reductant, leading to poor biocompatibility and environmental-related issues. In addition, to improve rGO colloidal stability, this material has been functionalized with poly(ethylene glycol).

Optimization of the GSH-Mediated Formation of Mesoporous Silica-Coated Gold Nanoclusters for NIR Light-Triggered Photothermal Applications.

Cancer light-triggered hyperthermia mediated by nanomaterials aims to eliminate cancer cells by inducing localized temperature increases to values superior to 42 °C, upon irradiation with a laser. Among the different nanomaterials with photothermal capacity, the gold-based nanoparticles have been widely studied due to their structural plasticity and advantageous physicochemical properties. Herein, a novel and straightforward methodology was developed to produce gold nanoclusters coated with mesoporous silica (AuMSS), using glutathione (GSH) to mediate the formation of the gold clusters.

Combinatorial delivery of doxorubicin and acridine orange by gold core silica shell nanospheres functionalized with poly(ethylene glycol) and 4-methoxybenzamide for cancer targeted therapy.

Combinatorial therapies based on the simultaneous administration of multiple drugs can lead to synergistic effects, increasing the efficacy of the cancer therapy. However, it is crucial to develop new delivery systems that can increase the drugs' therapeutic selectivity and efficacy. Gold core silica shell (AuMSS) nanoparticles present physicochemical properties that allow their simultaneous application as drug delivery and imaging agents.

Injectable in situ forming hydrogels incorporating dual-nanoparticles for chemo-photothermal therapy of breast cancer cells.

Chemo-photothermal therapy (chemo-PTT) mediated by nanomaterials holds a great potential for cancer treatment. However, the tumor uptake of the systemically administered nanomaterials was recently found to be below 1%. To address this limitation, the development of injectable tridimensional polymeric matrices capable of delivering nanomaterials directly into the tumor site appears to be a promising approach.

Sulfobetaine methacrylate-albumin-coated graphene oxide incorporating IR780 for enhanced breast cancer phototherapy.

Enhance the colloidal stability and photothermal capacity of graphene oxide (GO) by functionalizing it with sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA)-grafted bovine serum albumin (BSA; i.e., SBMA--BSA) and by loading IR780, respectively.

Electrospun Asymmetric Membranes as Promising Wound Dressings: A Review.

Despite all the efforts that have been done up to now, the currently available wound dressings are still unable to fully re-establish all the structural and functional properties of the native skin. To overcome this situation, researchers from the tissue engineering area have been developing new wound dressings (hydrogels, films, sponges, membranes) aiming to mimic all the features of native skin. Among them, asymmetric membranes emerged as a promising solution since they reproduce both epidermal and dermal skin layers.

Influence of and Agitation Conditions in the Fluorescence Imaging of 3D Spheroids.

3D tumor spheroids have arisen in the last years as potent tools for the in vitro screening of novel anticancer therapeutics. Nevertheless, to increase the reproducibility and predictability of the data originated from the spheroids it is still necessary to develop or optimize the techniques used for spheroids' physical and biomolecular characterization. Fluorescence microscopy, such as confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), is a tool commonly used by researchers to characterize spheroids structure and the antitumoral effect of novel therapeutics.