Advancements in exosome-based cancer diagnosis: from chipsets to nano vaccine.

Exosome-based therapies represent a pioneering frontier in cancer treatment, leveraging the natural cellular communication mechanisms encapsulated in exosomes. These nano-sized vesicles serve as carriers of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, reflecting the physiological state of their cells of origin, which makes them ideal candidates for targeted cancer therapies and diagnostics. Despite their potential, the path to clinical application is fraught with challenges.

Glycosaminoglycan depletion lowers the crack resistance of articular cartilage under impact loading.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative and debilitating disorder affecting diarthrodial joints, where articular cartilage degeneration occurs due to simultaneous, enzymatic degradation and mechanical damage through crack initiation and propagation. Healthy cartilage is effective in absorbing impact loads and resists cracking but physical impact beyond a certain high energy is considered as the critical reason for initiation and propagation of cracks. Enzymatic degradation destroys the molecular structure of cartilage affecting its biomechanical properties and is bound to affect its crack resistance.

Cognitive dynamics of drug-mediated zebrafish under sound stimuli in a microfluidic environment.

Larval zebrafish are an appropriate animal and laboratory model for exploring the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive abilities, especially concerning their applicability to human cognition. To replicate the natural habitats of such organisms at the laboratory level, microfluidic platforms are employed as a valuable tool in mimicking the intricate spatiotemporal stimuli together with high-throughput screening. This work investigated the memory capabilities of zebrafish larvae across different developmental stages (5-9 days post-fertilization) by employing sound stimuli within the microfluidic environment.

Antimicrobial efficacy of alternative root canal disinfection strategies: An evaluation on multiple working models.

Researching disinfection strategies is pivotal because effectively eliminating bacteria and their byproducts during root canal treatment (RCT) remains a challenge. This study investigated the antimicrobial efficacy of natural antimicrobial compounds, propolis (PRO) and copaiba oil-resin (COR), compared to conventional agents in Endodontics. Antimicrobials were tested against endodontic pathogens via macrodilution with standardized inoculums to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC).

Fibroblast alignment and matrix remodeling induced by a stiffness gradient in a skin-derived extracellular matrix hydrogel.

Large skin injuries heal as scars. Stiffness gradually increases from normal skin to scar tissue (20x higher), due to excessive deposition and crosslinking of extracellular matrix (ECM) mostly produced by (myo)fibroblasts. Using a custom mold, skin-derived ECM hydrogels (dECM) were UV crosslinked after diffusion of ruthenium (Ru) to produce a Ru-dECM gradient hydrogel.

Effects of natural antimicrobial compounds propolis and copaiba on periodontal ligament fibroblasts, molecular docking, and in vivo study in Galleria mellonella.

Root canal treatment addresses infectious processes that require control. Occasionally, the radicular pulp is vital and inflamed, presenting a superficial infection. To preserve pulpal remnants, conservative procedures have gained favor, employing anti-inflammatory medications.

A Review of the Role of Bioreactors for iPSCs-Based Tissue-Engineered Articular Cartilage.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease without an ultimate treatment. In a search for novel approaches, tissue engineering (TE) has shown great potential to be an effective way for hyaline cartilage regeneration and repair in advanced stages of OA. Recently, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been appointed to be essential stem cells for degenerative disease treatment because they allow a personalized medicine approach.

Quantum Sensing for Real-Time Monitoring of Drug Efficacy in Synovial Fluid from Arthritis Patients.

Diamond-based relaxometry is a new technique that allows nanoscale magnetic resonance measurements. Here we present its first application in patient samples. More specifically, we demonstrate that relaxometry can determine the free radical load in samples from arthritis patients.

Tribology of Pore-Textured Hard Surfaces under Physiological Conditions: Effects of Texture Scales.

Micro- and nanotexturing on hard biomaterials have shown advantages for tissue engineering and antifouling applications. However, a growing number of studies have also shown that texturing may cause an increase in friction, demanding further research on the tribological effects of texturing under physiological conditions. This study investigates the tribological effects of micro- and nanopore patterns on hard hydrophilic silicon sliding against soft hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) immersed in aqueous liquids with various viscosities, simulating the sliding of a textured implant surface against soft tissues.

The Vehicles of Calcium Hydroxide Pastes Interfere with Antimicrobial Effect, Biofilm Polysaccharidic Matrix, and Pastes' Physicochemical Properties.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the pH, volumetric alteration, antimicrobial action, and effect on biofilm matrix polysaccharides of calcium hydroxide (CH) pastes with different vehicles available in endodontics: CH + propylene glycol (CHP), UltraCal XS, Metapaste, and Metapex. The pH was analyzed at different time intervals using a pH meter. For volumetric alteration, a microtomographic assay was performed before and after immersion in water.

Association of human papillomavirus in penile cancer: A single-center analysis.

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a known risk factor of penile cancer (PeCa). However, studies evaluating its true association are limited. In this study, we aimed to estimate HPV prevalence and its true association with PeCa in terms of molecular biological activities.

Viscoelastic properties of plasma-agarose hydrogels dictate favorable fibroblast responses for skin tissue engineering applications.

Dermal wound healing relies on the properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Thus, hydrogels that replicate skin ECM have reached clinical application. After a dermal injury, a transient, biodegradable fibrin clot is instrumental in wound healing.

Differential roles for lysyl oxidase (like), family members in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; from gene and protein expression to function.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by long-term airflow obstruction with cigarette smoke as a key risk factor. Extracellular matrix (ECM) alterations in COPD may lead to small airway wall fibrosis. Altered collagen cross-linking, potentially mediated by the lysyl oxidase (LO) family of enzymes (LOX, LOXL1-4), orchestrates disturbed ECM homeostasis.

An in vitro model of fibrosis using crosslinked native extracellular matrix-derived hydrogels to modulate biomechanics without changing composition.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is a dynamic network of proteins, proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, providing structure to the tissue and biochemical and biomechanical instructions to the resident cells. In fibrosis, the composition and the organization of the ECM are altered, and these changes influence cellular behaviour. Biochemical (i.

Lectin-Functionalized Polyethylene Glycol for Relief of Mucosal Dryness.

The importance of lubrication between oral surfaces provided by the salivary film is most acutely apparent when it is disrupted, a prevalent consequence of salivary gland hypofunction experienced with aging, a symptom of certain diseases, or a side effect of some medical interventions. Sufferers report difficulty with speech and oral food processing and collectively is detrimental to quality of life. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is widely employed as a successful biocompatible boundary lubricant in engineering and biomedical applications.

Architecture and Composition Dictate Viscoelastic Properties of Organ-Derived Extracellular Matrix Hydrogels.

The proteins and polysaccharides of the extracellular matrix (ECM) provide architectural support as well as biochemical and biophysical instruction to cells. Decellularized, ECM hydrogels replicate in vivo functions. The ECM's elasticity and water retention renders it viscoelastic.

Adipose Tissue-Derived Stromal Cells Alter the Mechanical Stability and Viscoelastic Properties of Gelatine Methacryloyl Hydrogels.

The extracellular matrix provides mechanical cues to cells within it, not just in terms of stiffness (elasticity) but also time-dependent responses to deformation (viscoelasticity). In this work, we determined the viscoelastic transformation of gelatine methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels caused by adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASCs) through mathematical modelling. GelMA-ASCs combination is of interest to model stem cell-driven repair and to understand cell-biomaterial interactions in 3D environments.

Tribological Properties of Micropored Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) Hydrogels in a Biomimetic Aqueous Environment.

The applications of hydrogels in tissue engineering as implants have rapidly grown in the last decade. However, the tribological properties of hydrogels under physiologically relevant conditions, especially those of textured hydrogels, have remained largely unknown due to the complexity of their mechanical and chemical properties. In this study, we experimentally investigated the tribological properties of micopored poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) with the lateral pore dimensions varied compared to untextured pHEMA, the most commonly used hydrogel in ophthalmology, under physiologically relevant conditions.

Nonviral Expression of LL-37 in a Human Skin Equivalent to Prevent Infection in Skin Wounds.

Inefficient autologous tissue recovery in skin wounds increases the susceptibility of patients to infections caused by multidrug resistant microorganisms, resulting in a high mortality rate. Genetic modification of skin cells has become an important field of study because it could lead to the construction of more functional skin grafts, through the overexpression of antimicrobial peptides that would prevent early contamination and infection with bacteria. In this study, we produce and evaluate human skin equivalents (HSEs) containing transfected human primary fibroblasts and keratinocytes by polyplexes to express the antimicrobial peptide LL-37.

Cartilage lamina splendens inspired nanostructured coating for biomaterial lubrication.

Biomaterials that are used in biological systems, such as polycarbonate urethane (PCU) knee joint implants and contact lenses, generally lack lubrication. This limits their integration with the body and impedes their function. Here, we propose a nanostructured film based on hydrophilic polysaccharide hyaluronic acid conjugated with dopamine (HADN) and zwitterionic reduced glutathione (Glu), which forms a composite coating (HADN-Glu) to enhance the lubrication between cartilage and PCU.

Lubricating properties of chewing stimulated whole saliva from patients suffering from xerostomia.

Objectives: The study aimed to quantify the lubricating properties of chewing stimulated whole saliva from healthy controls (n = 22), from patients suffering from primary Sjögren's syndrome (n = 37) and from patients undergoing head-and-neck radiotherapy (n = 34).

Materials And Methods: All participants had to complete the Xerostomia Inventory questionnaire to score dry mouth sensation. Lubrication was measured using an ex vivo tongue-enamel friction system in terms of Relief and Relief period.

Examining the uptake and bioaccumulation of molybdenum nanoparticles and their effect on antioxidant activities in growing rice seedlings.

The synthesized α-MoO and MoS NPs had nanosheet and nanoflower-like structures with crystallite size of 21.34 nm and 4.32 nm, respectively.

Role of endothelial glycocalyx in sliding friction at the catheter-blood vessel interface.

Catheterization is a common medical operation to diagnose and treat cardiovascular diseases. The blood vessel lumen is coated with endothelial glycocalyx layer (EGL), which is important for the permeability and diffusion through the blood vessels wall, blood hemodynamics and mechanotransduction. However EGL's role in catheter-blood vessel friction is not explored.