Publications by authors named "Ana Melero"

Ionizing radiation has been a critical tool in various fields, such as medicine, agriculture, and energy production, since its discovery in 1895. While its applications-particularly in cancer treatment and diagnostics-offer significant benefits, ionizing radiation also poses risks due to its potential to cause molecular and cellular damage. This damage can occur through the direct ionization of biological macromolecules, such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), or indirectly through the radiolysis of water, which generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that further damage cellular components.

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Article Synopsis
  • Economic losses in livestock farming due to ticks are significant, with research focusing on plant extracts facing obstacles, particularly around formulation for effective use.
  • A study aimed to create a nanoformulation (AScn) using polycaprolactone nanoparticles and a hydrogel (ASlh) with xantan gum to enhance the efficacy and contact time of an extract against tick larvae.
  • Results showed the hydrogel (ASlh) significantly increased mortality of ticks at a concentration of 20 mg/mL, achieving 91.48% mortality, indicating its potential as a viable solution for tick control.
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Breweŕs spent grain (BSG) is the main by-product of the brewing industry, and due to its rapid decomposition, it generates serious environmental problems such as malodors and greenhouse gases emissions. On the other hand, this lignocellulosic compound contains a large number of antioxidants, being ferulic acid (FA) the most abundant. FA is a powerful antioxidant molecule that has demonstrated significant protective effects on key components of the skin, including keratinocytes, fibroblasts, collagen, and elastin.

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Inflammatory diseases of the skin have a considerable high prevalence worldwide and negatively impact the patients' quality of life. First-line standard therapies for these conditions inherently entail important side effects when used long-term, particularly complicating the management of chronic cases. Therefore, there is a need to develop novel therapeutic strategies to offer reliable alternative treatments.

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Several drugs can be used for treating inflammatory skin pathologies like dermatitis and psoriasis. However, for the management of chronic and long-term cases, topical administration is preferred over oral delivery since it prevents certain issues due to systemic side effects from occurring. Cyclosporin A (CsA) has been used for this purpose; however, its high molecular weight (1202 Da) restricts the diffusion through the skin structure.

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The development of a self-regulated minimally invasive system for insulin delivery can be considered as the holy grail in the field of diabetes mellitus. A delivery system capable of releasing insulin in response to blood glucose levels would significantly improve the quality of life of diabetic patients, eliminating the need for frequent finger-prick tests and providing better glycaemic control with lower risk of hypoglycaemia. In this context, the latest advances in glucose-responsive microneedle-based transdermal insulin delivery are here compiled with a thorough analysis of the delivery mechanisms and challenges lying ahead in their clinical translation.

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Antimicrobial resistance and tolerance (AMR&T) are urgent global health concerns, with alarmingly increasing numbers of antimicrobial drugs failing and a corresponding rise in related deaths. Several reasons for this situation can be cited, such as the misuse of traditional antibiotics, the massive use of sanitizing measures, and the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, fisheries, and cattle. AMR&T management requires a multifaceted approach involving various strategies at different levels, such as increasing the patient's awareness of the situation and measures to reduce new resistances, reduction of current misuse or abuse, and improvement of selectivity of treatments.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The hair follicle (HF) contains multipotent stem cells and traditional hair repair methods like drugs and transplants have limitations, leading to exploration of advanced nanotechnology for HF regeneration.
  • - Recent research has identified wound-induced hair neogenesis (WIHN) as a promising mechanism for hair follicle regeneration, expanding the understanding beyond embryonic development.
  • - The review discusses various nanotechnology strategies for targeted hair regeneration, covering areas such as hair cycle modulation, progenitor cell stimulation, and the potential regulatory challenges in developing these technologies.
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Propolis is a natural bee-produced substance with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties, containing some components from the leaves, buds and resins of plants. It has been used for centuries for various health benefits. In this manuscript, our group reviewed the radioprotective effect of propolis using PubMed and Embase, and our review was conducted according to the PRISMA statement.

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In recent years, there has been growing scientific interest in the search for natural radioprotectors that can be used to mitigate the effects of radiation on patients, healthcare personnel, and even for space travel. This narrative review covers the past fifty years and focuses on herbal preparations of Ayurvedic, Traditional Chinese, and Kampō Medicines that have the potential to reduce or eliminate the harmful effects of radiation. Our findings highlight ten herbal preparations, namely Abana, Amalakyadi Churna, Amritaprasham, Brahma, Bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang (BZYQT), Chyavanaprasha, Cystone, Geriforte, Mentat, and Triphala, which have demonstrated potential radioprotective effects.

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Transdermal delivery of drugs offers an interesting alternative for the administration of molecules that present certain troubles when delivered by the oral route. It can produce systemic effects or perform a local action when the formulation exerts an optimal controlled drug release or a targeted delivery to the specific cell type or site. It also avoids several inconveniences of the oral administration such as the hepatic first pass effect, gastric pH-induced hydrolysis, drug malabsorption because of certain diseases or surgeries, and unpleasant organoleptic properties.

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The radioprotective effect ex vivo, in vitro and in vivo of vitamins was reviewed using PubMed and Embase and conducted according to the PRISMA statement. A total of 38 articles were included in this review, which includes the radioprotective effect of vitamins from ex vivo, in vitro and in vivo studies. Vitamins A, C, D and E were used alone, in combination or with other nutritional and non-nutritional compounds.

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Lipid vesicles can provide a cost-effective enhancement of skin drug absorption when vesicle production process is optimised. It is an important challenge to design the ideal vesicle, since their properties and features are related, as changes in one affect the others. Here, we review the main components, preparation and characterization methods commonly used, and the key properties that lead to highly efficient vesicles for transdermal drug delivery purposes.

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Vitamins are widely found in nature, for example, in plants and fruits. Ascorbic acid and nicotinamide are examples of these compounds that have potent antioxidant properties, besides stimulating collagen production and depigmenting properties that protect the skin from premature aging. To overcome the skin barrier and reduce the instability of antioxidant compounds, alternative systems have been developed to facilitate the delivery of antioxidants, making them efficiently available to the tissue for an extended time without causing damage or toxicity.

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Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) deficiency is a widespread condition because of its different aetiologies, like malabsorption syndrome or lifestyles as strict veganism that is increasing its incidence and prevalence in developed countries. It has important haematological consequences that require pharmacological treatment. Current therapy consists of oral or parenteral supplements of cyanocobalamin; however, the oral route is discarded for malabsorption syndrome patients and the parenteral route is not well accepted generally.

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Down syndrome (DS) induces a variable phenotype including intellectual disabilities and early development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Moreover, individuals with DS display accelerated aging that affects diverse organs, among them the brain. The Ts65Dn mouse is the most widely used model to study DS.

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3D printing has been widely used for the personalization of therapies and on-demand production of complex pharmaceutical forms. Recently, 3D printing has been explored as a tool for the development of topical dosage forms and wound dressings. Thus, this review aims to present advances related to the use of 3D printing for the development of pharmaceutical and biomedical products for topical skin applications, covering plain dressing and products for the delivery of active ingredients to the skin.

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Costimulation via CD137 (4-1BB) enhances antitumor immunity mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Anti-CD137 agonist antibodies elicit mild liver inflammation in mice, and the maximum tolerated dose of Urelumab, an anti-human CD137 agonist monoclonal antibody, in the clinic was defined by liver inflammation-related side effects. A protease-activated prodrug form of the anti-mouse CD137 agonist antibody 1D8 (1D8 Probody therapeutic, Pb-Tx) was constructed and found to be selectively activated in the tumor microenvironment.

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Atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis are the most common chronic inflammatory skin disorders, which importantly affect the quality of life of patients who suffer them. Among other causes, nitric oxide has been reported as part of the triggering factors in the pathogenesis of both conditions. Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B) has shown efficacy as a nitric oxide scavenger and some clinical trials have given positive outcomes in its use for treating skin pathologies.

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Naringenin (NRG) is a polyphenolic phytochemical belonging to the class of flavanones and is widely distributed in citrus fruits and some other fruits such as bergamot, tomatoes, cocoa, and cherries. NRG presents several interesting pharmacological properties, such as anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the therapeutic potential of NRG is hampered due to its hydrophobic nature, which leads to poor bioavailability.

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Objective: The aim of this article was to study the outcome of patients who underwent cranioplasty with cryopreserved autologous bone after decompressive craniectomy.

Methods: Data from 74 patients were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into groups according to the storage time and the age at cranioplasty.

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Infections of the eye are among the leading causes of vision impairment and vision loss worldwide. The ability of a drug to access the anterior parts of the eye is negligible after systemic administration. Effective drug delivery to the eye is a major challenge due to the presence of protective mechanisms and physiological barriers that result in low ocular availability after topical application.

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Microneedle arrays (MNA) are considered as one of the most promising resources to achieve systemic effects by transdermal delivery of drugs. They are designed as a minimally invasive, painless system which can bypass the , overcoming the potential drawbacks of subcutaneous injections and other transdermal delivery systems such as chemical enhancers, nano and microparticles, or physical treatments. As a trendy field in pharmaceutical and biomedical research, its applications are constantly evolving, even though they are based on very well-established techniques.

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An increased interest in colonic drug delivery has led to a higher focus on the design of delivery devices targeting this part of the gastrointestinal tract. Microcontainers have previously facilitated an increase in oral bioavailability of drugs. The surface texture and shape of microcontainers have proven to influence the mucoadhesion ex vivo.

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