Chronic Osteomyelitis of Patella in a Child.

Osteomyelitis, an infection of bone, commonly affects long bones. Chronic osteomyelitis of patella is a rare entity, and diagnosis is often delayed. We present a case of an 11-year-old boy with chronic osteomyelitis of patella who underwent treatment at our center.

Inflammation-suppressing cornea-in-a-syringe with anti-viral GF19 peptide promotes regeneration in HSV-1 infected rabbit corneas.

Pathophysiologic inflammation, e.g., from HSV-1 viral infection, can cause tissue destruction resulting in ulceration, perforation, and ultimately blindness.

In situ Tissue Regeneration in the Cornea from Bench to Bedside.

Corneal blindness accounts for 5.1% of visual deficiency and is the fourth leading cause of blindness globally. An additional 1.

Folate-targeted nanostructured chitosan/chondroitin sulfate complex carriers for enhanced delivery of bortezomib to colorectal cancer cells.

Folate-targeting self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) using biocompatible and biodegradable natural polymers chitosan (Cs) and chondroitin sulfate (Chs) were developed to address the major challenge in cancer treatment, the selective delivery of nanoparticles to the target site. In this study, we successfully incorporated a hydrophobic drug, bortezomib (Bor), into folic acid (FA)-conjugated Cs/Chs self-assembled NPs (Bor/Cs/Chs-FA) for colorectal cancer therapy. The particle size and polydispersity index of Bor/Cs/Chs-FA were ∼196.

Multi-responsive albumin-lonidamine conjugated hybridized gold nanoparticle as a combined photothermal-chemotherapy for synergistic tumor ablation.

Herein, we developed a multifunctional nanoplatform based on the nanoassembly of gold nanoparticles (GNP) conjugated with lonidamine (LND) and aptamer AS1411 (AS-LAGN) as an effective cancer treatment. Conjugating AS1411 aptamer on the surface of the nanoparticle significantly improved particle accumulation in cancer cells via specific affinity toward the nucleolin receptors. In vitro study clearly revealed that laser irradiation-based hyperthermia effect enhanced the chemotherapeutic effects of LND.

Tailored Black Phosphorus for Erythrocyte Membrane Nanocloaking with Interleukin-1 siRNA and Paclitaxel for Targeted, Durable, and Mild Combination Cancer Therapy.

Several therapeutic nanosystems have been engineered to remedy the shortcomings of cancer monotherapies, including immunotherapy (stimulating the host immune system to eradicate cancer), to improve therapeutic efficacy with minimizing off-target effects and tumor-induced immunosuppression. Light-activated components in nanosystems confer additional phototherapeutic effects as combinatorial modalities; however, systemic and thermal toxicities with unfavorable accumulation and excretion of nanoystem components now hamper their practical applications. Thus, there remains a need for optimal multifunctional nanosystems to enhance targeted, durable, and mild combination therapies for efficient cancer treatment without notable side effects.

Plug-and-Play Continuous Gas Flow Assembly of Cysteine-Inserted AuCu Nanobimetals for Folate-Receptor-Targeted Chemo-Phototherapy.

Conjugatable nanobimetals exhibiting broadband light absorption for use as phototherapeutic platforms were assembled via a plug-and-play continuous gas flow route. Electrically produced AuCu nanobunches (NBs) under nitrogen gas flow were directly injected into cysteine (cys) solution through gas pressurization to mechanically spray the solution (AuCu into cys droplets). The sprayed droplets were then exposed to 185 nm UV light (higher photon energy [6.

Aerosol technique-based carbon-encapsulated hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles for synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy.

Near-infrared (NIR)-responsive drug delivery systems have enhanced tumor ablative efficiency through permeation and retention effects. Graphene oxide (GO) has shown great potential both in photothermal therapy and in drug delivery. Thus, in this study, we designed an ambient spark-generated GO, wrapped on topotecan (TPT)-loaded hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSN-NH2-TPT-CGO), to function as an efficient platform for pH-dependent sustained release of TPT.

Hyaluronic acid-capped compact silica-supported mesoporous titania nanoparticles for ligand-directed delivery of doxorubicin.

Mesoporous titania nanoparticles (MTN), owing to their high surface area to volume ratio and tunable pore sizes, appear capable of delivering sizable amounts of drug payloads, and hence, show considerable promise as drug delivery candidates in cancer therapy. We designed silica-supported MTN (MTNst) coated with hyaluronic acid (HA) to effectively deliver doxorubicin (DOX) for breast cancer therapy. The HA coating served a dual purpose of stabilizing the payload in the carriers as well as actively targeting the nanodevices to CD44 receptors.

Polyamino Acid Layer-by-Layer (LbL) Constructed Silica-Supported Mesoporous Titania Nanocarriers for Stimuli-Responsive Delivery of microRNA 708 and Paclitaxel for Combined Chemotherapy.

Cellular Fas-associated protein with death domain-like interleukin-1β-converting enzyme-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP), often strongly expressed in numerous cancers, plays a pivotal role in thwarting apoptosis and inducing chemotherapy resistance in cancer. An integrated approach combining chemotherapy with suppression of c-FLIP levels could prove paramount in the treatment of cancers with c-FLIP overexpression. In this study, we utilized a polymeric layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of silica-supported mesoporous titania nanoparticles (MTNst) to co-deliver paclitaxel (PTX) and microRNA 708 (miR708) for simultaneous chemotherapy and c-FLIP suppression in colorectal carcinoma.

In situ fabrication of mesoporous silica-coated silver-gold hollow nanoshell for remotely controllable chemo-photothermal therapy via phase-change molecule as gatekeepers.

This study reports a new strategy for in situ fabrication of plasmonic hollow silver-gold nanoshell (with resonance tuned to NIR region) encased in the hollow mesoporous silica as an efficient platform to efficiently and precisely regulate the release of 5-fluorouracil (anticancer drug) for prostate cancer therapy and photothermal therapy. The mesopores were capped with thermosensitive phase-change material lauric acid, which allowed for remote, precise, and spatiotemporal control of drug release via external heating or photothermal heating of plasmonic silver-gold nanoshell via NIR laser irradiation. The system was nanometric, monodispersed, and showed negative surface charge.

Photoinduced Rapid Transformation from Au Nanoagglomerates to Drug-Conjugated Au Nanovesicles.

Gold (Au) agglomerates (AGs) are reassembled using Triton X-100 (T) and doxorubicin (D) dissolved in ethanol under 185 nm photoirradiation to form TAuD nanovesicles (NVs) under ambient gas flow conditions. The positively charged Au particles are then electrostatically conjugated with the anionic chains of TD components via a flowing drop (FD) reaction. Photoirradiation of the droplets in a tubular reactor continues the photophysicochemical reactions, resulting in the reassembly of Au AGs and TD into TAuD NVs.

Paclitaxel and Erlotinib-co-loaded Solid Lipid Core Nanocapsules: Assessment of Physicochemical Characteristics and Cytotoxicity in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The aim of this study was to design solid lipid core nanocapsules (SLCN) comprising a solid lipid core and a PEGylated polymeric corona for paclitaxel (PTX) and erlotinib (ERL) co-delivery to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and evaluate their physicochemical characteristics and in vitro activity in NCI-H23 cells.

Methods: PTX/ERL-SLCN were prepared by nanoprecipitation and sonication and physicochemically characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.

Direct fluorescent labeling for efficient biological assessment of inhalable particles.

Labeling of aerosol particles with a radioactive, magnetic, or optical tracer has been employed to confirm particle localization in cell compartments, which has provided useful evidence for correlating toxic effects of inhaled particles. However, labeling requires several physicochemical steps to identify functionalities of the inner or outer surfaces of particles, and moreover, these steps can cause changes in size, surface charge, and bioactivity of the particles, resulting in misinterpretations regarding their toxic effects. This study addresses this challenging issue with a goal of introducing an efficient strategy for constantly supplying labeled aerosol particles in a single-pass configuration without any pre- or post-physicochemical batch treatments of aerosol particles.

PEGylated thermosensitive lipid-coated hollow gold nanoshells for effective combinational chemo-photothermal therapy of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer has extremely poor prognosis with an 85% mortality rate that results from aggressive and asymptomatic growth, high metastatic potential, and rapid development of resistance to already ineffective chemotherapy. In this study, plasmonic hollow gold nanoshells (GNS) coated with PEGylated thermosensitive lipids were prepared as an efficient platform to ratiometrically co-deliver two drugs, bortezomib and gemcitabine (GNS-L/GB), for combinational chemotherapy and photothermal therapy of pancreatic cancer. Bortezomib was loaded within the lipid bilayers, while gemcitabine was loaded into the hydrophilic interior of the porous GNS via an ammonium sulfate-driven pH gradient method.

Single synchronous delivery of FK506-loaded polymeric microspheres with pancreatic islets for the successful treatment of streptozocin-induced diabetes in mice.

Immune rejection after transplantation is common, which leads to prompt failure of the graft. Therefore, to prolong the survival time of the graft, immunosuppressive therapy is the norm. Here, we report a robust immune protection protocol using FK506-loaded microspheres (FK506) in injectable hydrogel.

In vitro exposure of simulated meat-cooking fumes to assess adverse biological effects.

The heterocyclic amine 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is considered as a human carcinogenic or mutagenic compound that is produced from the co-condensation of creatinine and amino acids as meats cook at high temperatures. The cooking of meats at high temperatures produces fumes, and these fumes can be suspended as aerosols via the vapor-to-particle (or -droplet) process in a temperature gradient field. Size distributions of the aerosols included a significant portion of nano- and submicron-sized particles, and these can be directly deposited in the lungs and on skin by particle transport phenomena near cooking areas.

Smart chemistry-based nanosized drug delivery systems for systemic applications: A comprehensive review.

This review focuses on the smart chemistry that has been utilized in developing polymer-based drug delivery systems over the past 10years. We provide a comprehensive overview of the different functional moieties and reducible linkages exploited in these systems, and outline their design, synthesis, and application from a therapeutic efficacy viewpoint. Furthermore, we highlight the next generation nanomedicine strategies based on this novel chemistry.

On-Demand Gas-to-Liquid Process To Fabricate Thermoresponsive Antimicrobial Nanocomposites and Coatings.

Antimicrobial material is emerging as a major component of the mitigation strategy against microbial growth on abiotic surfaces. In this work, a newly designed process is proposed to fabricate thermoresponsive antimicrobial nanocomposites (TANs) and coatings (TACs) as an on-demand system. Thermoresponsive polymer (TRP)-incorporated silver (Ag) nanocomposites with silica nanoparticles (SNPs) or carbon nanotubes (CNTs; Ag-SNP@TRP or Ag-CNT@TRP) were produced by a single-pass gas-to-liquid process.

Folate receptor-targeted hybrid lipid-core nanocapsules for sequential delivery of doxorubicin and tanespimycin.

When exposed to cancer cells, cytotoxic drugs such as doxorubicin (DOX) can lead to the induction of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), a molecular chaperone associated with a number of cancer-related client proteins, and result in cell survival. Co-administration of DOX with tanespimycin (TNP), an Hsp90 inhibitor, can sensitize the cancer cells to the cytotoxic effects of DOX. The effect of such a combination has been found to depend on the schedule of administration.

Development of Bioactive PEGylated Nanostructured Platforms for Sequential Delivery of Doxorubicin and Imatinib to Overcome Drug Resistance in Metastatic Tumors.

Metastasis of cancers accounts for almost all cancer-related deaths. In this study, we report a PEGylated nanostructured platform for coadministration of doxorubicin (DOX) and imatinib (IMT) intended to effectively inhibit metastatic tumors. The DOX and IMT coloaded nanostructured system (DOX/IMT-N) is characterized by an excellent encapsulation potential for both drugs and shows sequential and sustained drug release in vitro.

Hybrid Congregation of Islet Single Cells and Curcumin-Loaded Polymeric Microspheres as an Interventional Strategy to Overcome Apoptosis Associated with Pancreatic Islets Transplantation.

Hypoxic or near-anoxic conditions that occur in the core of transplanted islets induce necrosis and apoptosis during the early stages after transplantation, primarily due to loss of vascularization during the isolation process. Moreover, secretion of various cytokines from pancreatic islets is detrimental to the viability of islet cells in vitro. In this study, we aimed to protect pancreatic islet cells against apoptosis by establishing a method for in situ delivery of curcumin to the pancreatic islets.

Development of polymeric irinotecan nanoparticles using a novel lactone preservation strategy.

Irinotecan (IRT) is an important part of the first- and second-line regimen for metastatic colorectal and some other cancers. However, IRT suffers the constraints of pH-dependent conversion of active lactone form to inactive carboxylate form, burst release owing to its aqueous solubility, short half-life and dose-dependent side effects. In this study, we developed polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) that not only deliver IRT to tumor sites, but also overcome its drawbacks by preserving active lactone conformation, prolonging the plasma circulation time, and by providing sustained release.

Liquid crystalline nanoparticles encapsulating cisplatin and docetaxel combination for targeted therapy of breast cancer.

Cancer remains a leading cause of death. A combination of anticancer agents can effectively kill cancer through multiple pathways; however, improvements to their delivery are needed. Hence, docetaxel and cisplatin-loaded liquid crystalline nanoparticles with folic acid were prepared for effective and targeted anticancer therapy.

Receptor-targeted, drug-loaded, functionalized graphene oxides for chemotherapy and photothermal therapy.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Although different chemotherapeutic agents have been developed to treat cancers, their use can be limited by low cellular uptake, drug resistance, and side effects. Hence, targeted drug delivery systems are continually being developed in order to improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents.