Harnessing osmotic shock for enhanced intracellular delivery of (nano)cargos.

Efficient intracellular delivery of exogenous (nano)materials is critical for both research and therapeutic applications. The physicochemical properties of the cargo play a crucial role in determining internalization efficacy. Consequently, significant research efforts are focused on developing innovative and effective methodologies to optimize (nano)material delivery.

Enabling 3D bioprinting of cell-laden pure collagen scaffolds via tannic acid supporting bath.

The fabrication of cell-laden biomimetic scaffolds represents a pillar of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) strategies, and collagen is the gold standard matrix for cells to be. In the recent years, extrusion 3D bioprinting introduced new possibilities to increase collagen scaffold performances thanks to the precision, reproducibility, and spatial control. However, the design of pure collagen bioinks represents a challenge, due to the low storage modulus and the long gelation time, which strongly impede the extrusion of a collagen filament and the retention of the desired shape post-printing.

Development of a hyaluronic acid-collagen bioink for shear-induced fibers and cells alignment.

Human tissues are characterized by complex composition and cellular and extracellular matrix (ECM) organization at microscopic level. In most of human tissues, cells and ECM show an anisotropic arrangement, which confers them specific properties., the ability to closely mimic this complexity is limited.

Non-viral gene delivery to human mesenchymal stem cells: a practical guide towards cell engineering.

In recent decades, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have gained momentum in the field of cell therapy for treating cartilage and bone injuries. Despite the tri-lineage multipotency, proliferative properties, and potent immunomodulatory effects of hMSCs, their clinical potential is hindered by donor variations, limiting their use in medical settings. To address this challenge, gene delivery technologies have emerged as a promising approach to modulate the phenotype and commitment of hMSCs towards specific cell lineages, thereby enhancing osteochondral repair strategies.

Mucoadhesive chitosan-methylcellulose oral patches for the treatment of local mouth bacterial infections.

Mucoadhesive buccal patches are dosage forms promising for successful drug delivery. They show the distinctive advantages of long residence time on the oral mucosa and increased drug bioavailability. In this context, electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of chitosan (CS) has been demonstrated as a simple and easily tunable technique to produce mucoadhesive buccal patches.

Silk fibroin microgels as a platform for cell microencapsulation.

Cell microencapsulation has been utilized for years as a means of cell shielding from the external environment while facilitating the transport of gases, general metabolites, and secretory bioactive molecules at once. In this light, hydrogels may support the structural integrity and functionality of encapsulated biologics whereas ensuring cell viability and function and releasing potential therapeutic factors once in situ. In this work, we describe a straightforward strategy to fabricate silk fibroin (SF) microgels (µgels) and encapsulate cells into them.

A new microfluidic platform for the highly reproducible preparation of non-viral gene delivery complexes.

Transfection describes the delivery of exogenous nucleic acids (NAs) to cells utilizing non-viral means. In the last few decades, scientists have been doing their utmost to design ever more effective transfection reagents. These are eventually mixed with NAs to give rise to gene delivery complexes, which must undergo characterization, testing, and further refinement through the sequential reiteration of these steps.

Hybrid retrieval of crop traits from multi-temporal PRISMA hyperspectral imagery.

The recently launched and upcoming hyperspectral satellite missions, featuring contiguous visible-to-shortwave infrared spectral information, are opening unprecedented opportunities for the retrieval of a broad set of vegetation traits with enhanced accuracy through novel retrieval schemes. In this framework, we exploited hyperspectral data cubes collected by the new-generation PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa (PRISMA) satellite of the Italian Space Agency to develop and test a hybrid retrieval workflow for crop trait mapping. Crop traits were mapped over an agricultural area in north-east Italy (Jolanda di Savoia, FE) using PRISMA images collected during the 2020 and 2021 vegetative seasons.

Evaluation of Hybrid Models to Estimate Chlorophyll and Nitrogen Content of Maize Crops in the Framework of the Future CHIME Mission.

In the next few years, the new Copernicus Hyperspectral Imaging Mission (CHIME) is foreseen to be launched by the European Space Agency (ESA). This missions will provide an unprecedented amount of hyperspectral data, enabling new research possibilities within several fields of natural resources, including the "agriculture and food security" domain. In order to efficiently exploit this upcoming hyperspectral data stream, new processing methods and techniques need to be studied and implemented.

Assessment of maize nitrogen uptake from PRISMA hyperspectral data through hybrid modelling.

The spaceborne imaging spectroscopy mission (PRISMA), launched on 22 March 2019 by the Italian Space Agency, opens new opportunities in many scientific domains, including precision farming and sustainable agriculture. This new Earth Observation (EO) data stream requires new-generation approaches for the estimation of important biophysical crop variables (BVs). In this framework, this study evaluated a hybrid approach, combining the radiative transfer model PROSAIL-PRO and several machine learning (ML) regression algorithms, for the retrieval of canopy chlorophyll content (CCC) and canopy nitrogen content (CNC) from synthetic PRISMA data.

Vibropolyfection: coupling polymer-mediated gene delivery to mechanical stimulation to enhance transfection of adherent cells.

Background: With the success of recent non-viral gene delivery-based COVID-19 vaccines, nanovectors have gained some public acceptance and come to the forefront of advanced therapies. Unfortunately, the relatively low ability of the vectors to overcome cellular barriers adversely affects their effectiveness. Scientists have thus been striving to develop ever more effective gene delivery vectors, but the results are still far from satisfactory.

Tubular Bioartificial Organs: From Physiological Requirements to Fabrication Processes and Resulting Properties. A Critical Review.

In this featured review manuscript, the aim is to present a critical survey on the processes available for fabricating bioartificial organs (BAOs). The focus will be on hollow tubular organs for the transport of anabolites and catabolites, i.e.

A Novel Strategy to Coat Dopamine-Functionalized Titanium Surfaces With Agarose-Based Hydrogels for the Controlled Release of Gentamicin.

Introduction: The use of spinal implants for the treatment of back disorders is largely affected by the insurgence of infections at the implantation site. Antibacterial coatings have been proposed as a viable solution to limit such infections. However, despite being effective at short-term, conventional coatings lack the ability to prevent infections at medium and long-term.

In silico prediction of the in vitro behavior of polymeric gene delivery vectors.

Non-viral gene delivery vectors have increasingly come under the spotlight, but their performaces are still far from being satisfactory. Therefore, there is an urgent need for forecasting tools and screening methods to enable the development of ever more effective transfectants. Here, coarse-grained (CG) models of gold standard transfectant poly(ethylene imine)s (PEIs) have been profitably used to investigate and highlight the effect of experimentally-relevant parameters, namely molecular weight (2 vs.

Engineering the early bone metastatic niche through human vascularized immuno bone minitissues.

Bone metastases occur in 65%-80% advanced breast cancer patients. Although significant progresses have been made in understanding the biological mechanisms driving the bone metastatic cascade, traditional 2Dmodels and animal studies are not effectively reproducing breast cancer cells (CCs) interactions with the bone microenvironment and suffer from species-specific differences, respectively. Moreover, simplifiedmodels cannot realistically estimate drug anti-tumoral properties and side effects, hence leading to pre-clinical testing frequent failures.

Effect of UV Irradiation and TiO-Photocatalysis on Airborne Bacteria and Viruses: An Overview.

Current COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has put a spotlight on the spread of infectious diseases brought on by pathogenic airborne bacteria and viruses. In parallel with a relentless search for therapeutics and vaccines, considerable effort is being expended to develop ever more powerful technologies to restricting the spread of airborne microorganisms in indoor spaces through the minimization of health- and environment-related risks. In this context, UV-based and photocatalytic oxidation (PCO)-based technologies (i.

Multifunctional Neomycin-Triazine-Based Cationic Lipids for Gene Delivery with Antibacterial Properties.

Cationic lipids (CLs) have gained significant attention among nonviral gene delivery vectors due to their ease of synthesis and functionalization with multivalent moieties. In particular, there is an increasing request for multifunctional CLs having gene delivery capacity and antibacterial activity. Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of a novel class of aminoglycoside (AG)-based multifunctional vectors with high transfection efficiency and noticeable antibacterial properties.

Cationic lipids for gene delivery: many players, one goal.

Lipid-based carriers represent the most widely used alternative to viral vectors for gene expression and gene silencing purposes. This class of non-viral vectors is particularly attractive for their ease of synthesis and chemical modifications to endow them with desirable properties. Despite combinatorial approaches have led to the generation of a large number of cationic lipids displaying different supramolecular structures and improved behavior, additional effort is needed towards the development of more and more effective cationic lipids for transfection purposes.

Electrophoretic processing of chitosan based composite scaffolds with Nb-doped bioactive glass for bone tissue regeneration.

Bioactive glasses (BGs), due to their ability to influence osteogenic cell functions, have become attractive materials to improve loaded and unloaded bone regeneration. BG systems can be easily doped with several metallic ions (e.g.

Non-Viral in Vitro Gene Delivery: It is Now Time to Set the Bar!

Transfection by means of non-viral gene delivery vectors is the cornerstone of modern gene delivery. Despite the resources poured into the development of ever more effective transfectants, improvement is still slow and limited. Of note, the performance of any gene delivery vector in vitro is strictly dependent on several experimental conditions specific to each laboratory.

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Novel Chiral 2-Amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrothieno[2,3-c]pyridine Derivatives.

New N-substituted-2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrothieno[2,3-c]pyridine derivatives were synthesized employing a convenient one-pot three-component method and their structures were characterized by H-NMR and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. All the synthesized compounds were in vitro screened for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive (Sarcina lutea) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli). In this work, we introduced a chiral residue on the tetrahydropyridine nitrogen, the hitherto the less investigated position on this pharmacophore in order to explore the effect.

Prothrombotic activity of cytokine-activated endothelial cells and shear-activated platelets in the setting of ventricular assist device support.

Background: We systematically analyzed the synergistic effect of: (i) cytokine-mediated inflammatory activation of endothelial cells (ECs) with and (ii) shear-mediated platelet activation (SMPA) as a potential contributory mechanism to intraventricular thrombus formation in the setting of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support.

Methods: Intact and shear-activated human platelets were exposed to non-activated and cytokine-activated ECs. To modulate the level of LVAD-related shear activation, platelets were exposed to shear stress patterns of varying magnitude (30, 50, and 70 dynes/cm, 10 minutes) via a hemodynamic shearing device.

Design and synthesis of biologically active cationic amphiphiles built on the calix[4]arene scaffold.

A promising strategy to design safer and more effective cationic lipids for gene delivery with inherent antibacterial properties is to covalently tether a lipophilic moiety with oligomeric aminoglycosides (AGs), a large family of Gram-negative-active antibiotics. Herein, we reported the development of a new class of multicationic-head AG-based amphiphiles built on the tetramino-tetrahexyloxycalix[4]arene (4A4Hex-calix-calix[4]) scaffold. Three different conjugates, namely 4A4Hex-calix-calix[4]-neomycin, -neamine, and -paromomycin, were synthesized and characterized.

BMP-2 and type I collagen preservation in human deciduous teeth after demineralization.

Background: Great interest has recently been focused on tooth and tooth derivatives as suitable substrates for the treatment of alveolar bone defects. Here, we propose the use of demineralized baby teeth (BT) as potential grafting materials for bone augmentation procedures.

Methods: Particles of human BT (Ø < 1 mm) were demineralized by means of a chemical/thermal treatment.