Aptamer/Peptide-Functionalized Nanoprobe for Detecting Multiple miRNAs in Circulating Malignant Cells to Study Tumor Heterogeneity.

Identification of diverse biomarkers in heterogenic circulating malignant cells (CMCs) such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor endothelial cells (CTECs) has crucial significance in tumor diagnosis. However, it remains a substantial challenge to achieve detection of multiple miRNA markers in living cells in blood. Herein, we demonstrate that an aptamer/peptide-functionalized vector can deliver molecular beacons into targeted living CMCs in peripheral blood of patients for detection of multiple cancer biomarkers, including miRNA-21 (miR-21) and miRNA-221 (miR-221).

A Multifunctional Delivery System for Remodulating Cell Behaviors of Circulating Malignant Cells to Prevent Cell Fusion.

Cell fusion plays a critical role in cancer progression and metastasis. However, effective modulation of the cell fusion behavior and timely evaluation on the cell fusion to provide accurate information for personalized therapy are facing challenges. Here, it demonstrates that the cancer cell fusion behavior can be efficiently modulated and precisely detected through employing a multifunctional delivery vector to realize cancer targeting delivery of a genome editing plasmid and a molecular beacon-based AND logic gate.

A Multiple Targeting Nanoprobe for Identifying Cancer Metastatic Sites Based on Detection of Various mRNAs in Circulating Tumor Cells.

Identification of cancer metastatic sites is of importance for adjusting therapeutic interventions and treatment choice. However, identifying the location of metastatic lesions with easy accessibility and high safety is challenging. Here we demonstrate that cancer metastatic sites can be accurately detected by a triple targeting nanoprobe.

Multi-Targeting Nano-Systems Targeting Heterogeneous Cancer Cells for Therapeutics and Biomarker Detection.

Cancer heterogeneity plays a vital part in cancer resistance and metastasis. To provide a reliable approach to exert a therapy action and evaluate its efficiency in heterogeneous cancer cells, a multiple targeting delivery vector composed of histone encapsulating the therapeutic or diagnostic agent, hyaluronic acid targeting CD44 overexpressed in stem tumor cells, SYL3C aptamer targeting epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) overexpressed in epithelial cancer cells, and CL4 aptamer targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpressed in mesenchymal cancer cells, is developed. The vector can efficiently target different cancer cells and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood of patients for mucin 1 (MUC1) knockout.

3D-Printed Poly(ε-caprolactone) Scaffold Augmented With Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Total Meniscal Substitution: A 12- and 24-Week Animal Study in a Rabbit Model.

Background: Total meniscectomy leads to knee osteoarthritis in the long term. The poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffold is a promising material for meniscal tissue regeneration, but cell-free scaffolds result in relatively poor tissue regeneration and lead to joint degeneration.

Hypothesis: A novel, 3-dimensional (3D)-printed PCL scaffold augmented with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) would offer benefits in meniscal regeneration and cartilage protection.

High-Pressure Compression-Molded Porous Resorbable Polymer/Hydroxyapatite Composite Scaffold for Cranial Bone Regeneration.

Fabricating porous scaffolds with sufficient mechanical properties is a challenge for healing bone defects. High-pressure compression-molded (HPCM) porous composite scaffold comprising poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), poly(lactide--glycolide) (PLGA), and hydroxyapatite (HA) was prepared and showed upregulated mechanical properties due to a solid network structure and a highly ordered crystalline architecture. The compressive yield strength and modulus of the HPCM scaffold molded at 1000 MPa and 180 °C were 0.

Role of scaffold mean pore size in meniscus regeneration.

Unlabelled: Recently, meniscus tissue engineering offers a promising management for meniscus regeneration. Although rarely reported, the microarchitectures of scaffolds can deeply influence the behaviors of endogenous or exogenous stem/progenitor cells and subsequent tissue formation in meniscus tissue engineering. Herein, a series of three-dimensional (3D) poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds with three distinct mean pore sizes (i.

Protective role of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in a mouse model of viral myocarditis.

Background: Activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, which relies on the α7nAchR (alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor), has been shown to decrease proinflammatory cytokines. This relieves inflammatory responses and improves the prognosis of patients with experimental sepsis, endotoxemia, ischemia/reperfusion injury, hemorrhagic shock, pancreatitis, arthritis and other inflammatory syndromes. However, whether the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway has an effect on acute viral myocarditis has not been investigated.

In vitro evaluation of anticancer nanomedicines based on doxorubicin and amphiphilic Y-shaped copolymers.

Four monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide)(2) (mPEG-P( LA-co-GA)(2)) copolymers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide and glycolide with double hydroxyl functionalized mPEG (mPEG-(OH)(2)) as macroinitiator and stannous octoate as catalyst. The copolymers self-assembled into nanoscale micellar/vesicular aggregations in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4.

PEGylation of bovine serum albumin using click chemistry for the application as drug carriers.

Monomethyl poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG)-modified bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugates (BSA-mPEG) were obtained by the mild Cu(I)-mediated cycloaddition reaction of azided BSA (BSA-N(3) ) and alkyne-terminated mPEG. The structure and characteristics of BSA-mPEG conjugates were thoroughly investigated. There were about two PEG chains conjugated onto each BSA molecule as determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis.

Synthesis of thermo-responsive polymers with both tunable UCST and LCST.

New water-soluble block copolymers of 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate (MEO(2) MA), oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (OEGMA), and N-(3-(dimethylamino) propyl) methacrylamide (DMAPMA) (poly(OEGMA-co-MEO(2) MA)-b-poly(DMAPMA)) were prepared via sequential reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Selective quaternization of poly(DMAPMA) block gives poly(OEGMA-co-MEO(2) MA)-b-poly((3-[N-(3-methacrylamidopropyl)-N,N-dimethyl]ammoniopropane sulfonate)-co-N-(3-(dimethylamino) propyl) methacrylamide), such block copolymer exhibits double thermo-responsive behavior in water, poly(MEO(2) MA-co-OEGMA) block shows a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), and poly((3-[N-(3-methacrylamidopropyl)-N,N-dimethyl]ammoniopropane sulfonate)-co-N-(3-(dimethylamino) propyl) methacrylamide) block shows a upper critical solution temperature (UCST). Both of LCST and UCST can be controlled: LCST could be tuned by the fraction of OEGMA units in poly(OEGMA-co-MEO(2) MA), and UCST was found to be dependent on the degree of quaternization (DQ).

Chemosynthesis of poly(ε-lysine)-analogous polymers by microwave-assisted click polymerization.

Poly(ε-lysine) (ε-PL)-analogous click polypeptides with not only similar α-amino side groups but also similar main chain to ε-PL were chemically synthesized for the first time through click polymerization from aspartic (or glutamic)-acid-based dialkyne and diazide monomers. With microwave-assisting, the reaction time of click polymerization was compressed into 30 min. The polymers were fully characterized by NMR, ATR-FTIR, and SEC-MALLS analysis.

[Embolization of aneurysm by chitosan-glycerophosphate-fibroblast tissue hydrogel, a tissue engineering material: experiment with rabbits].

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of the injectable thermosetting chitosan-glycerophosphate-fibroblast (C-GP-FB) hydrogel as an embolizing material of intracranial aneurysm.

Methods: 2% chitosan solution and 56% glycerophosphate solution were mixed in different volume ratio to detect the pH, colloidization time at 37 degrees C, and mechanic strength. Fibroblasts were isolated from the skin of a rabbit and cultured with C-GP hydrogel of different ratios so as to determine the best ratio.

Synthesis and characterization of photo-cross-linked hydrogels based on biodegradable polyphosphoesters and poly(ethylene glycol) copolymers.

Novel biodegradable hydrogels by photo-cross-linking macromers based on polyphosphoesters and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) are reported. Photo-cross-linkable macromers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of the cyclic phosphoester monomer 2-(2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphospholoyloxy) ethyl methacrylate (OPEMA) using PEG as the initiator and stannous octoate as the catalyst. The macromers were characterized by 1H NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography measurements.