The Production of Fat-Containing Cultured Meat by Stacking Aligned Muscle Layers and Adipose Layers Formed From Gelatin-Soymilk Scaffold.

Tissue engineered cultured meat has been proposed as an emerging innovative process for meat production to overcome the severe consequences of livestock farming, climate change, and an increasing global population. However, currently, cultured meat lacks organized tissue structure, possesses insufficient fat content, and incurs high production costs, which are the major ongoing challenges. In this study, a developed scaffold was synthesized using gelatin and soymilk to create a friendly environment for myogenesis and adipogenesis in C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells, respectively.

The Synthesis and Evaluation of RGD-Conjugated Chitosan Gel as Daily Supplement for Body Weight Control.

(1) Background: Obesity is one of the most widespread chronic diseases and increases the risk of several other chronic diseases, especially type 2 diabetes. (2) Methods: Endobarrier is a new medical device what is worn in the small intestines for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. However, given the invasive and other adverse effects of the Endobarrier, we propose the use of RGD peptide conjugated with chitosan (RC) as an alternative.

Transglutaminase Cross-Linked Gelatin-Alginate-Antibacterial Hydrogel as the Drug Delivery-Coatings for Implant-Related Infections.

Implant-related infection may be catastrophic and result in poor functional outcome, chronic osteomyelitis, implant failure or even sepsis and death. Based on a transglutaminase (TGase) cross-linked/antibiotics-encapsulated gelatin-alginate hydrogel, the main aim of this study is to establish an effective antibiotic slow-release system. The second aim is to evaluate the efficacy of a hydrogel-encapsulated antibiotic-containing titanium pin in preventing implant-related infections in a rat model.

Kartogenin Enhances Chondrogenic Differentiation of MSCs in 3D Tri-Copolymer Scaffolds and the Self-Designed Bioreactor System.

Human cartilage has relatively slow metabolism compared to other normal tissues. Cartilage damage is of great clinical consequence since cartilage has limited intrinsic healing potential. Cartilage tissue engineering is a rapidly emerging field that holds great promise for tissue function repair and artificial/engineered tissue substitutes.

Hyaluronic Acid Loaded with Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles as Antioxidant in Hydrogen Peroxide Induced Chondrocytes Injury: An In Vitro Osteoarthritis Model.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease type and is accompanied by varying degrees of functional limitation. Both hyaluronic acid (HA) joint injections and pain relievers are efficient treatments for early-stage osteoarthritis. However, for the decomposition by hyaluronidase and free radicals in the knee joint, HA injection treatment has limited effect time.

Doxorubicin-Gelatin/FeO-Alginate Dual-Layer Magnetic Nanoparticles as Targeted Anticancer Drug Delivery Vehicles.

In this study, magnetic nanoparticles composed of a core (doxorubicin-gelatin) and a shell layer (FeO-alginate) were developed to function as targeted anticancer drug delivery vehicles. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was selected as a model drug and embedded in the inner gelatin core to obtain high encapsulation efficiency. The advantage of the outer magnetic layer is that it targets the drug to the tumor tissue and provides controlled drug release.

Identification of biomarkers for early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease by multi-omics joint analysis.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify the biomarkers for early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) by multi-omics joint analysis, so as to identify the biomarkers for early diagnosis of PD, and to help clinicians make early diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: In this study, mice are taken as the study subjects. The model of PD mice is established, and then lymphocyte, striatum, substantia nigra protein and proteolysis are extracted.

Development of gelatin nanoparticles conjugated with phytohemagglutinin erythroagglutinating loaded with gemcitabine for inducing apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer cells.

Gelatin is an efficient drug delivery vehicle for attaching targeting molecules like phytohemagglutinin erythroagglutinating (PHA-E) and carrying the chemotherapeutic agent gemcitabine (GEM). Fluorescent gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) conjugated with PHA-E and carrying gemcitabine (GNP-(PHA-E)-GEM) were synthesized by nanoprecipitation for guiding gemcitabine-loaded gelatin nanoparticles to NSCLC by PHA-E targeting. GNPs have a uniform narrow size distribution and spherical shape, and their particle size is about 290 nm.

Radix Scrophulariae extracts (harpagoside) suppresses hypoxia-induced microglial activation and neurotoxicity.

Background: Hypoxia could lead to microglia activation and inflammatory mediators' overproduction. These inflammatory molecules could amplify the neuroinflammatory process and exacerbate neuronal injury. The aim of this study is to find out whether harpagoside could reduce hypoxia-induced microglia activation.

3D porous calcium-alginate scaffolds cell culture system improved human osteoblast cell clusters for cell therapy.

Age-related orthopedic disorders and bone defects have become a critical public health issue, and cell-based therapy is potentially a novel solution for issues surrounding bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Long-term cultures of primary bone cells exhibit phenotypic and functional degeneration; therefore, culturing cells or tissues suitable for clinical use remain a challenge. A platform consisting of human osteoblasts (hOBs), calcium-alginate (Ca-Alginate) scaffolds, and a self-made bioreactor system was established for autologous transplantation of human osteoblast cell clusters.

Improved peripheral nerve regeneration in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by oral lumbrokinase.

We assessed the therapeutic effects of lumbrokinase, a group of enzymes extracted from the earthworm, on peripheral-nerve regeneration using well-defined sciatic nerve lesion paradigms in diabetic rats induced by the injection of streptozotocin (STZ). We found that lumbrokinase therapy could improve the rats' circulatory blood flow and promote the regeneration of axons in a silicone rubber conduit after nerve transection. Lumbrokinase treatment could also improve the neuromuscular functions with better nerve conductive performances.

Time-course effect of electrical stimulation on nerve regeneration of diabetic rats.

Background: Electrical stimulation (ES) has been shown to promote nerve regeneration in rats with experimental diabetes induced using streptozotocin (STZ). However, the time-course effect of ES on nerve regeneration of diabetic animals has not been reported in previous studies. The present study attempted to examine the effect of different timing of ES after peripheral nerve transection in diabetic rats.

Arthropod steroid hormone (20-Hydroxyecdysone) suppresses IL-1β-induced catabolic gene expression in cartilage.

Background: In osteoarthritis (OA), the imbalance of chondrocytes' anabolic and catabolic factors can induce cartilage destruction. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine that is capable of inducing chondrocytes and synovial cells to synthesize MMPs. The hypoxia-inducible factor-2alpha (HIF-2alpha, encoded by Epas1) is the catabolic transcription factor in the osteoarthritic process.

Real-time visualization of pH-responsive PLGA hollow particles containing a gas-generating agent targeted for acidic organelles for overcoming multi-drug resistance.

Chemotherapy research highly prioritizes overcoming the multi-drug resistance (MDR) effect in cancer cells. To overcome the drug efflux mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) transporters, we developed pH-responsive poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) hollow particles (PLGA HPs), capable of delivering doxorubicin (DOX) into MDR cells (MCF-7/ADR). The shell wall of PLGA HPs contained DiO (a hydrophobic dye), and their aqueous core carried DOX hydrochloride salt and sodium bicarbonate, a gas-generating agent when present in acidic environments.

Pulsatile drug release from PLGA hollow microspheres by controlling the permeability of their walls with a magnetic field.

Pulsatile release: When a high-frequency magnetic field is applied, heat will be generated by coupling to the iron oxide nanoparticles encapsulated in the shells of PLGA hollow microspheres. As the temperature approaches the T(g) of PLGA, the polymer chains become more mobile, subsequently increasing the free volume of PLGA matrix and significantly enhancing the diffusion of drug molecules.

Multidrug release based on microneedle arrays filled with pH-responsive PLGA hollow microspheres.

This work presents an approach to codelivering transdermally two model drugs, Alexa 488 and Cy5, in sequence, based on a system of polyvinylpyrrolidone microneedles (PVP MNs) that contain pH-responsive poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) hollow microspheres (PLGA HMs). The MN system provides the green fluorescence of Alexa 488 in PVP MNs, the red fluorescence of the DiI-labeled PLGA shell of HMs, and the cyan fluorescence of Cy5 in their aqueous core. Combined together, the prepared MN arrays support the localization of the HMs and the monitoring of the release profiles of model drugs within the skin tissues.

Smart multifunctional hollow microspheres for the quick release of drugs in intracellular lysosomal compartments.

Prepared to self-destruct: when poly(D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) hollow microspheres containing NaHCO(3) entered the endocytic organelles of a live cell, the NaHCO(3) in the aqueous core reacted with protons that infiltrated from the compartment to generate CO(2) gas. The evolution of CO(2) bubbles led to the formation of small holes in the PLGA shell and thus rapid release of the encapsulated drug doxorubicin.

The characteristics, cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking of nanoparticles made of hydrophobically-modified chitosan.

It has been reported that nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by hydrophobically-modified polymers could accumulate passively in the tumor tissue; however, their cellular uptake mechanism and intercellular trafficking pathway have never been understood. This study was designed to address these concerns, using NPs prepared by a hydrophobically-modified chitosan (N-palmitoyl chitosan, NPCS). Molecular dynamic simulations found that a degree of substitution (DS) of 5% of palmitoyl groups on its backbone was sufficient to allow NPCS to form NPs, due to a significant increase in the intra- and intermolecular hydrophobic interactions.

Multifunctional core-shell polymeric nanoparticles for transdermal DNA delivery and epidermal Langerhans cells tracking.

Skin is a highly immune-reactive tissue containing abundant antigen-presenting cells such as Langerhans cells (LCs), and thus is a favorable site for DNA immunization. This study developed a multifunctional core-shell nanoparticle system, which can be delivered transdermally into the epidermis via a gene gun, for use as a DNA carrier. The developed nanoparticles comprised a hydrophobic PLGA core and a positively-charged glycol chitosan (GC) shell.

Effect of serum metabolites of Pueraria lobata in rats on peripheral nerve regeneration: in vitro and in vivo studies.

This study provides in vitro and in vivo evaluation of rat serum metabolites of the Pueraria lobata (SMP) on peripheral nerve regeneration. In the in vitro study, we found that the SMP caused a marked enhancement of the nerve growth factor (NGF)-mediated neurite outgrowth and the expression of synapsin I from PC12 cells. In the in vivo study, silicone rubber chambers filled with the SMP were used to bridge a 10-mm sciatic nerve defect in rats.