Physical, biochemical, and biological characterization of olive-derived lipid nanovesicles for drug delivery applications.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have shown great promise as drug delivery system (DDS). However, their complex and costly production limit their development for clinical use. Interestingly, the plant kingdom can also produce EV-like nanovesicles that can easily be isolated and purified from a large quantity of raw material at a high yield.

Evaluation of the orally bioavailable 4-phenylbutyrate-tethered trichostatin A analogue AR42 in models of spinal muscular atrophy.

Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a leading genetic cause for infant death in the world and results from the selective loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord. SMA is a consequence of low levels of SMN protein and small molecules that can increase SMN expression are of considerable interest as potential therapeutics. Previous studies have shown that both 4-phenylbutyrate (4PBA) and trichostatin A (TSA) increase SMN expression in dermal fibroblasts derived from SMA patients.

Precancerous Lesions of the Head and Neck Region and Their Stromal Aberrations: Piecemeal Data.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) develop through a series of precancerous stages from a pool of potentially malignant disorders (PMDs). Although we understand the genetic changes that lead to HNSCC, our understanding of the role of the stroma in the progression from precancer to cancer is limited. The stroma is the primary battleground between the forces that prevent and promote cancer growth.

Decellularized Spinach Biomaterials Support Physiologically Relevant Mechanical Cyclic Strain and Prompt a Stretch-Induced Cellular Response.

Recently, decellularized plant biomaterials have been explored for their use as tissue engineered substitutes. Herein, we expanded upon the investigation of the mechanical properties of these materials to explore their elasticity as many anatomical areas of the body require biomechanical dynamism. We first constructed a device to secure the scaffold and induce a strain within the physiological range of the normal human adult lung during breathing (12-20 movements/min; 10-20% elongation).

The Emerging Role of Decellularized Plant-Based Scaffolds as a New Biomaterial.

The decellularization of plant-based biomaterials to generate tissue-engineered substitutes or in vitro cellular models has significantly increased in recent years. These vegetal tissues can be sourced from plant leaves and stems or fruits and vegetables, making them a low-cost, accessible, and sustainable resource from which to generate three-dimensional scaffolds. Each construct is distinct, representing a wide range of architectural and mechanical properties as well as innate vasculature networks.

Evaluation of supercritical CO sterilization efficacy for sanitizing personal protective equipment from the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO) sterilization-based NovaClean process for decontamination and reprocessing of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as surgical masks, cloth masks, and N95 respirators. Preliminarily, Bacillus atrophaeus were inoculated into different environments (dry, hydrated, and saliva) to imitate coughing and sneezing and serve as a "worst-case" regarding challenged PPE. The inactivation of the microbes by scCO sterilization with NovaKill or HO sterilant was investigated as a function of exposure times ranging from 5 to 90 min with a goal of elucidating possible mechanisms.

Supercritical carbon dioxide decellularization of plant material to generate 3D biocompatible scaffolds.

The use of plant-based biomaterials for tissue engineering has recently generated interest as plant decellularization produces biocompatible scaffolds which can be repopulated with human cells. The predominant approach for vegetal decellularization remains serial chemical processing. However, this technique is time-consuming and requires harsh compounds which damage the resulting scaffolds.

Plant-Based Scaffolds Modify Cellular Response to Drug and Radiation Exposure Compared to Standard Cell Culture Models.

Plant-based scaffolds present many advantages over a variety of biomaterials. Recent studies explored their potential to be repopulated with human cells and thus highlight a growing interest for their use in tissue engineering or for biomedical applications. However, it is still unclear if these plant-based scaffolds can modify cell phenotype or affect cellular response to external stimuli.

Establishing a reference dataset for the authentication of spinal muscular atrophy cell lines using STR profiling and digital PCR.

Fibroblasts and lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from individuals with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have been and continue to be essential for translational SMA research. Authentication of cell lines helps ensure reproducibility and rigor in biomedical research. This quality control measure identifies mislabeling or cross-contamination of cell lines and prevents misinterpretation of data.

Identification of early gene expression changes in primary cultured neurons treated with topoisomerase I poisons.

Topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) poisons like camptothecin (CPT) are currently used in cancer chemotherapy but these compounds can have damaging, off-target effects on neurons leading to cognitive, sensory and motor deficits. To understand the molecular basis for the enhanced sensitivity of neurons to CPT, we examined the effects of compounds that inhibit TOP1-CPT, actinomycin D (ActD) and β-lapachone (β-Lap)-on primary cultured rat motor (MN) and cortical (CN) neurons as well as fibroblasts. Neuronal cells expressed higher levels of Top1 mRNA than fibroblasts but transcript levels are reduced in all cell types after treatment with CPT.

Protective effects of butyrate-based compounds on a mouse model for spinal muscular atrophy.

Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a childhood-onset degenerative disease resulting from the selective loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord. SMA is caused by the loss of SMN1 (survival motor neuron 1) but retention of SMN2. The number of copies of SMN2 modifies disease severity in SMA patients as well as in mouse models, making SMN2 a target for therapeutics development.

SMN1 and SMN2 copy numbers in cell lines derived from patients with spinal muscular atrophy as measured by array digital PCR.

Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an early-onset motor neuron disease characterized by loss of α-motor neurons and associated muscle atrophy. SMA is caused by deletion or other disabling mutation of survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1). In the human genome, a large duplication of the SMN-containing region gives rise to a second copy of this gene (SMN2) that is distinguishable by a single nucleotide change in exon 7.

The effect of the DcpS inhibitor D156844 on the protective action of follistatin in mice with spinal muscular atrophy.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a leading genetic cause of pediatric death in the world, is an early-onset disease affecting the motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord. This degeneration of motor neurons leads to loss of muscle function. At the molecular level, SMA results from the loss of or mutation in the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene.

Transcriptome profiling of spinal muscular atrophy motor neurons derived from mouse embryonic stem cells.

Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an early onset, autosomal recessive motor neuron disease caused by loss of or mutation in SMN1 (survival motor neuron 1). Despite understanding the genetic basis underlying this disease, it is still not known why motor neurons (MNs) are selectively affected by the loss of the ubiquitously expressed SMN protein. Using a mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) model for severe SMA, the RNA transcript profiles (transcriptomes) between control and severe SMA (SMN2+/+;mSmn-/-) mESC-derived MNs were compared in this study using massively parallel RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq).