Tailoring curcumin-loaded PLGA electrospun nanofibers for anti-cancer treatment via different delivery routes and for potential post-tumor removal implantation.

In this study, we addressed the challenge of enhancing the efficacy of curcumin (Cur) delivery for cancer treatment by developing Cur-loaded electrospun sheets (ES) fabricated from PLGA (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)) with a focus on tailoring both the dosage and the physical dimensions of the delivery device to suit specific therapeutic applications. Two formulations containing 10 % and 50 % Cur by weight relative to PLGA were designed and produced. We demonstrated that both formulations maintained the amorphous structure of PLGA, where increasing the Cur concentration enhanced the sheets' wettability, tensile extensibility, and mucoadhesive properties.

Laser-Induced Graphene: A Promising Conductive Platform for Cell Culture.

Cardiovascular mortality remains a major health challenge. Cardiomyocyte (CM)-based tissue engineering (TE) offers promising alternatives for developing therapies via in vitro models. However, the immature phenotype of CM in engineered tissues hampers progress.

Complex-Valued Chemometrics in Spectroscopy: Inverse Least Squares Regression.

Inverse least squares (ILS) regression is an advancement of classical least squares (CLS) regression, enabling the calculation of concentrations without requiring prior knowledge of the number of components in a mixture. Complex-valued ILS further enhances the performance of ILS by incorporating the complex refractive index function, as demonstrated in the thermodynamically ideal mixtures of benzene-toluene and benzene-cyclohexane. In both systems, the mean absolute error can be reduced by over 50% using the leave-one-out cross-validation (LVOOCV) scheme with complex-valued ILS.

Quantitative Chemometrics Using Refractive Index Spectra.

Classical quantitative chemometrics based on absorbance spectra has been routinely performed for approximately 40 years. Since absorbance is a function of the absorption index, it is natural to extend chemometric methods to the refractive index function. This function, related to the absorption index via the Kramers--Kronig relations, is derived from corrections applied to absorbance spectra to ensure compliance with wave optics principles.

Complex-Valued Chemometrics in Spectroscopy: Classical Least Squares Regression.

We present the first implementation of complex-valued classical least squares (CLS) regression in spectroscopy. Although the results indicate that complex-valued CLS does not outperform methods that utilize only the more suitable part of the complex refractive index spectra, it includes an error detection feature that enables a self-correction mechanism. This mechanism decreases the mean absolute error (MAE) to approximately 26% relative to using only the mid-infrared (MIR) absorption index () spectra for CLS, and to about 46% relative to using only the MIR refractive index () spectra of benzene-toluene mixtures.

Protocol for the use of Oredsson universal replacement medium for cell banking and routine culturing of monolayer and suspension cultures.

The Oredsson universal replacement (OUR) medium is the formulation of a universal xeno-free medium designed for the cultivation of human normal and cancer cells in 2D and 3D cultures. Here, we present a protocol for the use of OUR medium for routine culturing, cell banking, and medium modification for suspension culture. We describe steps for thawing, sub-culturing, and freezing cells.

Advancing humanized 3D tumor modeling using an open access xeno-free medium.

Despite limitations like poor mimicry of the human cell microenvironment, contamination risks, and batch-to-batch variation, cell culture media with animal-derived components such as fetal bovine serum (FBS) have been used for decades. Moreover, a few reports have used animal-product-free media in advanced high throughput three-dimensional (3D) models that closely mimic conditions. To address these challenges, we combined a high throughput 3D model with an open access, FBS-free chemically-defined medium, Oredsson Universal Replacement (OUR) medium, to create a more realistic 3D drug screening system.

Improving Meropenem Quantification in a Compact SERS-Based Centrifugal Microfluidic Platform: Toward TDM of Antibiotics in ICU.

Infections are the leading causes of death, especially in intensive care units (ICUs), necessitating immediate and optimal antibiotic treatment with proper monitoring of the drug dosage. Present analytical techniques measuring antibiotic levels result in a long lag time for dose adjustments. Therefore, introducing versatile techniques that quickly quantify antibiotic levels in a patient's blood is essential.

High-throughput non-homogenous 3D polycaprolactone scaffold for cancer cell and cancer-associated fibroblast mini-tumors to evaluate drug treatment response.

High-throughput screening (HTS) three-dimensional (3D) tumor models are a promising approach for cancer drug discovery, as they more accurately replicate cell behavior than two-dimensional (2D) models. However, assessing and comparing current 3D models for drug efficacy remains essential, given the significant influence of cellular conditions on treatment response. To develop mimicking 3D models, we evaluated two HTS 3D models established in 96-well plates with 3D polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds fabricated using two distinct methods, resulting in scaffolds with either homogenous or non-homogenous fiber networks.

Gas and vapor phase detection of chemical threats on cooled SERS substrates.

Detection of airborne chemical threats is an emerging challenge amidst the prevailing tumultuous global milieu. Extensive investigation has showcased the substantial promise of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for the on-site identification of hazardous chemicals present in liquid mediums, whether directly from a fluid source or through methodologies such as swab sampling. Nonetheless, exploration into the applicability of SERS for the detection of gas or vapor-phase chemical threats remains severely constrained.

Serotype switching in Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST111 enhances adhesion and virulence.

Evolution of the highly successful and multidrug resistant clone ST111 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa involves serotype switching from O-antigen O4 to O12. How expression of a different O-antigen serotype alters pathogen physiology to enable global dissemination of this high-risk clone-type is not understood. Here, we engineered isogenic laboratory and clinical P.

Shape-controlled movement of Zn/SU-8 micromotors.

Creating micromotors (MMs) that will have the highest possible velocities has become one of the main focuses in the field of autonomous microdevices research. The importance of velocity stems from various autonomous microdevices applications, ranging from faster drug delivery to the eradication of various bacterial biofilms using only mechanical movement. To investigate how different shapes affect the velocity of Zn/SU-8 micromotors in acid solution, we fabricated micromotors with various geometries (Zn/SU-8/Cylindrical, Zn/SU-8/Rectangular cuboid, Zn/SU-8/Triangular prism, Zn/SU-8/Pentagonal prism and Zn/SU-8/Pentagrammic prism MMs).

Smart pills and drug delivery devices enabling next generation oral dosage forms.

Oral dosage forms are the preferred solution for systemic treatment and prevention of disease conditions. However, traditional dosage forms face challenges regarding treatment adherence and delivery of biologics. Oral therapies that require frequent administrations face difficulties with patient compliance.

Development of a Lipid-encapsulated TGFβRI-siRNA Drug for Liver Fibrosis Induced by Schistosoma mansoni.

Schistosoma mansoni infection leads to chronic schistosomiasis and severe hepatic fibrosis. We designed a liver-targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) carrying siRNA against type I TGF-β receptor (TGFβRI) mRNA to treat schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis in BALB/c mice. Knockdown of TGFβRI by LNP-siTGFβRI reduced LX-2 cell activation in vitro and alleviated liver fibrosis in S.

Solid-phase extraction coupled to automated centrifugal microfluidics SERS: Improving quantification of therapeutic drugs in human serum.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful method in analytical chemistry, but its application in real-life medical settings has been limited due to technical challenges. In this work, we introduce an innovative approach that is meant to advance the automation of microfluidics SERS to improve reproducibility and label-free quantification of two widely used therapeutic drugs, methotrexate (MTX) and lamotrigine (LTG), in human serum. Our methodology involves a miniaturized solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE) method coupled to a centrifugal microfluidics disc with incorporated SERS substrates (CD-SERS).

Evaluation of the SERS performances of Tabun and VX label-free detection in complex and multicomponent fluids.

Nerve agents represent a serious threat to security worldwide. Chemical terrorism has become an alarming danger since the technological progresses have simplified the production of nerve agents. Therefore, there is an immediate demand for a fast and precise detection of these compounds on-site and real-time.

Inflammatory and immunopathological differences in brains of permissive and non-permissive hosts with Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection can be identified using 18F/FDG/PET-imaging.

Background: Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasite that mainly infects the heart and pulmonary arteries of rats and causes human eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis in certain geographical areas. Current diagnostic methods include detection of the parasite in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and eosinophilic immune examination after lumbar puncture, which may be risky and produce false-positive results. 18F- Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), a Positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, has been used to assess different pathological or inflammatory changes in the brains of patients.

High-yield fabrication of monodisperse multilayer nanofibrous microparticles for advanced oral drug delivery applications.

Recent advances in the use of nano- and microparticles in drug delivery, cell therapy, and tissue engineering have led to increasing attention towards nanostructured microparticulate formulations for maximum benefit from both nano- and micron sized features. Scalable manufacturing of monodisperse nanostructured microparticles with tunable size, shape, content, and release rate remains a big challenge. Current technology, mainly comprises complex multi-step chemical procedures with limited control over these aspects.

Fully Biodegradable Elastomer-Based Device for Oral Macromolecule Delivery.

Oral devices, such as foil-type devices, show great potential for the delivery of poorly permeable macromolecules by enabling unidirectional release of the loaded pharmaceutical composition in close proximity to the epithelium in the small intestine or colon. However, one of the primary concerns associated with the use of foil-type devices so far has been the utilization of nonbiodegradable elastomers in the fabrication of the devices. Therefore, research into biodegradable substitute materials with similar characteristics enables drug delivery in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.

Optics miniaturization strategy for demanding Raman spectroscopy applications.

Raman spectroscopy provides non-destructive, label-free quantitative studies of chemical compositions at the microscale as used on NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars. Such capabilities come at the cost of high requirements for instrumentation. Here we present a centimeter-scale miniaturization of a Raman spectrometer using cheap non-stabilized laser diodes, densely packed optics, and non-cooled small sensors.

A perioperative layered autologous tissue expansion graft for hollow organ repair.

Tissue engineering has not been widely adopted in clinical settings for several reasons, including technical challenges, high costs, and regulatory complexity. Here, we introduce the Perioperative Layered Autologous Tissue Expansion graft (PLATE graft), a composite biomaterial and collagen-reinforced construct with autologous epithelium on one side and smooth muscle tissue on the other. Designed to mimic the structure and function of natural hollow organs, the PLATE graft is unique in that it can be produced in a standard operating theatre and is cost-effective.

Flexible Coatings Facilitate pH-Targeted Drug Release via Self-Unfolding Foils: Applications for Oral Drug Delivery.

Ingestible self-configurable proximity-enabling devices have been developed as a non-invasive platform to improve the bioavailability of drug compounds via swellable or self-unfolding devices. Self-unfolding foils support unidirectional drug release in close proximity to the intestinal epithelium, the main drug absorption site following oral administration. The foils are loaded with a solid-state formulation containing the active pharmaceutical ingredient and then coated and rolled into enteric capsules.

Label-free SERS assay combined with multivariate spectral data analysis for lamotrigine quantification in human serum.

Considering the need for a more time and cost-effective method for lamotrigine (LTG) detection in clinics we developed a fast and robust label-free assay based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for LTG quantification from human serum. The optimization and application of the developed assay is presented  showing the: (i) exploration of different methods for LTG separation from human serum; (ii) implementation of a molecular adsorption step on an ordered Au nanopillar SERS substrate; (iii) adaptation of a fast scanning of the SERS substrate, performed with a custom-built compact Raman spectrometer; and (iv) development of LTG quantification methods with univariate and multivariate spectral data analysis. Our results showed, for the first time, the SERS-based characterization of LTG and its label-free identification in human serum.