Publications by authors named "Gloria Maria Pontes-Quero"

Current limitations of wound dressings for treating chronic wounds require the development of novel approaches. One of these is the immune-centered approach, which aims to restore the pro-regenerative and anti-inflammatory properties of macrophages. Under inflammatory conditions, ketoprofen nanoparticles (KT NPs) can reduce pro-inflammatory markers of macrophages and increase anti-inflammatory cytokines.

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Osteoarthritis is a high-prevalence joint disease characterized by the degradation of cartilage, subchondral bone thickening, and synovitis. Due to the inability of cartilage to self-repair, regenerative medicine strategies have become highly relevant in the management of osteoarthritis. Despite the great advances in medical and pharmaceutical sciences, current therapies stay unfulfilled, due to the inability of cartilage to repair itself.

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Due to the preservative, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and therapeutic properties of oregano essential oil (OEO), it has received an emerging interest for biotechnological and biomedical applications. However, stability and bioactivity can be compromised by its natural volatile and hydrophobic nature, and by external factors including light, heat, or oxygen. Therefore, micro- and nanoencapsulation are being employed to guarantee oregano oil protection from outside aggressions and to maximize its potential.

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The first-line treatment of osteoarthritis is based on anti-inflammatory drugs, the most currently used being nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, selective cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors and corticoids. Most of them present cytotoxicity and low bioavailability in physiological conditions, making necessary the administration of high drug concentrations causing several side effects. The goal of this work was to encapsulate three hydrophobic anti-inflammatory drugs of different natures (celecoxib, tenoxicam and dexamethasone) into core-shell terpolymer nanoparticles with potential applications in osteoarthritis.

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Oxidative stress and inflammation are two related processes common to many diseases. Curcumin is a natural compound with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, among others, that is recently being used as a natural occurring product alternative to traditional drugs. However, it has a hydrophobic nature that compromises its solubility in physiological fluids and its circulation time and also presents cytotoxicity problems in its free form, limiting the range of concentrations to be used.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The research focused on designing new bis-polyhydroxyphenyl derivatives that have shown high antioxidant capacity and significant radical scavenging activity in various assays.
  • * These newly developed compounds exhibited protective effects against oxidative stress in relevant biological systems, demonstrating potential benefits in treating cardiovascular diseases associated with inflammatory conditions.
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Objective: Osteoarthritis is a chronic, painful and disabling disease which prevalence is increasing in developing countries. Patients with osteoarthritis present a reduced synovial fluid viscoelasticity due to a reduction in concentration and molecular weight of hyaluronic acid. Currently, the main treatment used to restore the compromised rheological properties of synovial fluid is the viscosupplementation by hyaluronic acid injections that can be combined with oral anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief.

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In this work, the antimicrobial effect of silver nanoparticles in polyethylene based nanocomposites has been investigated using a non-conventional processing method to produce homogeneous materials. High energy ball milling under cryogenic conditions was used to achieve a powder of well-blended low-density polyethylene and commercial silver nanoparticles. The final composites in the form of films were obtained by hot pressing.

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