Combining QCM-D with live-cell imaging reveals the impact of serum proteins on the dynamics of fibroblast adhesion on tannic acid-functionalised surfaces.

Nanocoatings based on plant polyphenols have been recently suggested as a potent strategy for modification of implant surfaces for enhancing host cell attachment and reducing bacterial colonisation. In this study we aimed to investigate how serum proteins impact the early adhesion dynamics of human gingival fibroblasts onto titanium surfaces coated with tannic acid (TA). Silicate-TA nanocoatings were formed on titanium and pre-conditioned in medium supplemented with 0, 0.

Can polyphenolic surface modifications prevent fungal colonization of titanium dental implants?

Oral biofilms can be a major health problem causing infections and chronic inflammation of mucosal tissue. While much effort is put in the investigation of bacteria in biofilms, the role of fungi is often neglected, despite Candida albicans playing a key role in the formation of multispecies oral biofilms. With the rise of antibiotic resistance, new strategies to reduce microbial growth need to be found.

Alginate and tunicate nanocellulose composite microbeads - Preparation, characterization and cell encapsulation.

Alginate has been used for decades for cell encapsulation. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) from tunicates are desirable in biomedicine due to high molecular weight, purity, crystallinity, and sustainable production. We prepared microbeads of 400-600 μm of alginate and tunicate CNF.

High resolution imaging of soft alginate hydrogels by atomic force microscopy.

This work explores the largely unknown surface microstructure and elastic modulus of soft calcium-alginate hydrogels (E = 100-4500 Pa) in their hydrated state by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in quantitative imaging mode. Alginate concentration influenced the surface topography with surface roughness measured to be 101 ± 6 nm and 57 ± 1 nm for 0.5 and 2.

Alginate hydrogels functionalized with β-cyclodextrin as a local paclitaxel delivery system.

Modification of drug delivery materials with beta-cyclodextrins (β-CyD) is known to increase solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs, protect drugs from degradation and sustain release. In this study, we developed a hydrogel drug delivery system for local paclitaxel delivery using the natural polysaccharide alginate functionalized with β-CyD-moieties. Paclitaxel was chosen due to its ability to form inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins.

Injectable Gel Form of a Decellularized Bladder Induces Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Differentiation into Smooth Muscle Cells In Vitro.

Biologic scaffolds composed of extracellular matrix components have been proposed to repair and reconstruct a variety of tissues in clinical and pre-clinical studies. Injectable gels can fill and conform any three-dimensional shape and can be delivered to sites of interest by minimally invasive techniques. In this study, a biological gel was produced from a decellularized porcine urinary bladder by enzymatic digestion with pepsin.

Novel Doxorubicin Derivatives: Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Study in 2D and 3D Models.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) of tumors to chemotherapeutics often leads to failure of cancer treatment. The aim of the study was to prepare novel MDR-overcoming chemotherapeutics based on doxorubicin (DOX) derivatives and to evaluate their efficacy in 2D and 3D in vitro models. To overcome MDR, we synthesized five DOX derivatives, and then obtained non-covalent complexes with human serum albumin (HSA).

Comprehensive study of the drug delivery properties of poly(l-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol) nanoparticles in rats and tumor-bearing mice.

Nanoparticles made of polylactide-poly(ethylene glycol) block-copolymer (PLA-PEG) are promising vehicles for drug delivery due to their biodegradability and controllable payload release. However, published data on the drug delivery properties of PLA-PEG nanoparticles are heterogeneous in terms of nanoparticle characteristics and mostly refer to low injected doses (a few mg nanoparticles per kg body weight). We have performed a comprehensive study of the biodistribution of nanoparticle formulations based on PLA-PEG nanoparticles of ~100nm size at injected doses of 30 to 140mg/kg body weight in healthy rats and nude tumor-bearing mice.

Macroporous modified poly (vinyl alcohol) hydrogels with charged groups for tissue engineering: Preparation and in vitro evaluation.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels are widely employed for various biomedical applications, including tissue engineering, due to their biocompatibility, high water solubility, low protein adsorption, and chemical stability. However, non-charged surface of PVA-based hydrogels is not optimal for cell adhesion and spreading. Here, cross-linked macroporous hydrogels based on low molecular weight acrylated PVA (Acr-PVA) was synthesized by modification of the pendant alcohol groups on the PVA with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA).

3D in vitro co-culture models based on normal cells and tumor spheroids formed by cyclic RGD-peptide induced cell self-assembly.

Objectives: To design novel 3D in vitro co-culture models based on the RGD-peptide-induced cell self-assembly technique.

Results: Multicellular spheroids from M-3 murine melanoma cells and L-929 murine fibroblasts were obtained directly from monolayer culture by addition of culture medium containing cyclic RGD-peptide. To reach reproducible architecture of co-culture spheroids, two novel 3D in vitro models with well pronounced core-shell structure from tumor spheroids and single mouse fibroblasts were developed based on this approach.

Formation of multicellular tumor spheroids induced by cyclic RGD-peptides and use for anticancer drug testing in vitro.

Development of novel anticancer formulations is a priority challenge in biomedicine. However, in vitro models based on monolayer cultures (2D) which are currently used for cytotoxicity tests leave much to be desired. More and more attention is focusing on 3D in vitro systems which can better mimic solid tumors.

Polyelectrolyte microcapsules with entrapped multicellular tumor spheroids as a novel tool to study the effects of photodynamic therapy.

In the current study, semi-permeable alginate-oligochitosan microcapsules for multicellular tumor spheroids (MTS) generation were elaborated and tested, to estimate a response of the microencapsulated MTS (MMTS) to photodynamic therapy (PDT). The microcapsules (mean diameter 600 μm) with entrapped human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells were obtained using an electrostatic bead generator, and MMTS were generated by in vitro long-term cell cultivation. The formed MMTS were incubated in Chlorin e6 photosensitizer solution and then irradiated using 650-nm laser light.