The Role of Starch Incorporation into Waterborne Acrylic-Hybrid Nanoparticles for Film-Forming Applications.

The use of biopolymers as an alternative to petroleum-based polymers offers a sustainable solution with benefits such as biodegradability and unique functionalities. In this study, starch/zein bioparticles (BPs) obtained by nanoprecipitation were employed to synthesize acrylic polymer/biopolymer waterborne nanoparticles with excellent film formation capability. These hybrid nanoparticle dispersions were obtained through a semibatch emulsion polymerization using the previously synthesized BPs as seed and variable monomeric formulations composed of butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate.

Surgical stabilisation of a traumatic cervical subluxation in a cat.

Case Summary: A 2-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat presented with tetraparesis after being involved in a road traffic accident. Survey spine radiographs revealed a C2-C3 cervical subluxation, which was confirmed by a CT scan. Surgical stabilisation was performed using screws and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) via a ventral approach.

Validation of an immunochromatographic assay kit based on colored latex particles for the identification of the canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonotic infectious disease with a severe impact on humans and animals. Infection is transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. The dogs are main reservoir for human infection.

Gelatin and Tannic Acid Based Iongels for Muscle Activity Recording and Stimulation Electrodes.

Iongels are soft ionic conducting materials, usually composed of polymer networks swollen with ionic liquids (ILs), which are being investigated for applications ranging from energy to bioelectronics. The employment of iongels in bioelectronic devices such as bioelectrodes or body sensors has been limited by the lack of biocompatibility of the ILs and/or polymer matrices. In this work, we present iongels prepared from solely biocompatible materials: (i) a biobased polymer network containing tannic acid as a cross-linker in a gelatin matrix and (ii) three different biocompatible cholinium carboxylate ionic liquids.

Film Forming Nanogels for Needle-Free Transdermal Vaccination.

Transcutaneous immunization (TCI) provides a valuable alternative approach to conventional vaccination because of the high accessibility and the exceptional immunological characteristics of the skin, but its application is limited by the low permeability of the stratum corneum. Although nanogels (NGs) have proven to enhance skin penetration of macromolecules with minimum damage, their use in TCI remains almost unexplored. In this context, this article evaluates the performance of novel film-forming NGs (FF-NGs) as TCI.

New and rapid strategies for the diagnosis of bovine paratuberculosis "in situ" using latex particles.

The chemical coupling of a protoplasmatic antigen from Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratubeculosis onto core-shell carboxylated particles was investigated with the aim of producing latex-protein complexes to be used in immunoagglutination assays capable of detecting bovine paratuberculosis disease. For this purpose, sensitizations were carried out using both colored and not colored carboxylated latexes as well as the protoplasmatic antigen at pH close to its isoelectric point to favor the antigenic protein to approach the particle surface.

Exploiting cyanine dye J-aggregates/monomer equilibrium in hydrophobic protein pockets for efficient multi-step phototherapy: an innovative concept for smart nanotheranostics.

After several decades of development in the field of near-infrared (NIR) dyes for photothermal therapy (PTT), indocyanine green (ICG) still remains the only FDA-approved NIR contrast agent. However, upon NIR light irradiation ICG can react with molecular oxygen to form reactive oxygen species and degrade the ICG core, losing the convenient dye properties. In this work, we introduce a new approach for expanding the application of ICG in nanotheranostics, which relies on the confinement of self-organized J-type aggregates in hydrophobic protein domains acting as monomer depots.

Mucoadhesive and responsive nanogels as carriers for sustainable delivery of timolol for glaucoma therapy.

Topical administration to the eye for the treatment of glaucoma is a convenient route because it increases the patient comfort. Timolol can efficiently diminish the intraocular pressure (IOP) of the eye; however the topical application as a solution of timolol maleate (TM) has poor therapeutic index and presents severe side effects. The encapsulation of timolol in nanomaterials has appeared as a technology to increase its residence time in the eye thus achieving a sustained release and consequently diminishing the doses of this drug and their number.

A lateral flow immunoassay based on colored latex particles for detection of canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is the major source of human visceral leishmaniasis. To control the spread of this disease, early and accurate detection of infected dogs is critical but challenging. The serological diagnosis of CVL remains problematic because there are no reliable commercially available tests.

Thermally self-assembled biodegradable poly(casein-g-N-isopropylacrylamide) unimers and their application in drug delivery for cancer therapy.

In this work, we report the synthesis of graft copolymers based on casein and N-isopropylacrylamide, which can self-assemble into biodegradable micelles of approximately 80 nm at physiological conditions. The obtained copolymers were degraded by trypsin, an enzyme that is overexpressed in several malignant tumors. Moreover, graft copolymers were able to load doxorubicin (Dox) by ionic interaction with the casein component.

Crossing biological barriers with nanogels to improve drug delivery performance.

The current limitations in the use of nanocarriers to treat constantly evolving diseases call for the design of novel and smarter drug delivery systems (DDS). Nanogels (NGs) are three-dimensional crosslinked polymers with dimensions on the nanoscale and with a great potential for use in the biomedical field. Particular interest focuses on their application as DDS to minimize severe toxic effects and increase the therapeutic index of drugs.

Effect of Delivery Platforms Structure on the Epidermal Antigen Transport for Topical Vaccination.

Transdermal immunization is highly attractive because of the skin's accessibility and unique immunological characteristics. However, it remains a relatively unexplored route of administration because of the great difficulty of transporting antigens past the outermost layer of skin, the stratum corneum. In this article, the abilities of three poly( N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL)-based thermoresponsive assemblies-PVCL hydrogels and nanogels plus novel film forming PVCL/acrylic nanogels-to act as protein delivery systems were investigated.

Leukemic transformation and second cancers in 3649 patients with high-risk essential thrombocythemia in the EXELS study.

EXELS, a post-marketing observational study, is the largest prospective study of high-risk essential thrombocythemia (ET) patients, with an observation time of 5 years. EXELS found higher event rates of acute leukemia transformation in patients treated with hydroxycarbamide (HC). In the current analysis, we report age-adjusted rates of malignant transformation from 3460 EXELS patients exposed to HC, anagrelide (ANA), or both.

Development and assessment of an improved recombinant multiepitope antigen-based immunoassay to diagnose chronic Chagas disease.

The use of chimeric molecules fusing several antigenic determinants is a promising strategy for the development of low-cost, standardized and reliable kits to determine specific antibodies. In this study, we designed and assessed a novel recombinant chimera that complements the performance of our previously developed chimera, CP1 [FRA and SAPA antigens (Ags)], to diagnose chronic Chagas disease. The new chimeric protein, named CP3, is composed of MAP, TcD and TSSAII/V/VI antigenic determinants.

Treatment of essential thrombocythemia in Europe: a prospective long-term observational study of 3649 high-risk patients in the Evaluation of Anagrelide Efficacy and Long-term Safety study.

Evaluation of Anagrelide (Xagrid) Efficacy and Long-term Safety, a phase IV, prospective, non-interventional study performed in 13 European countries enrolled high-risk essential thrombocythemia patients treated with cytoreductive therapy. The primary objectives were safety and pregnancy outcomes. Of 3721 registered patients, 3649 received cytoreductive therapy.

Development of a simple and economical diagnostic test for canine leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis is a public health problem worldwide. The early diagnosis in dogs is crucial, since they are an epidemiologically relevant reservoir of the disease. The aim of a field study is to early identify the disease allowing rapid intervention to reduce its effects.

Development and assessment of a new cage-like particle adjuvant.

Objectives: To obtain and assess stable cage-like particles with low surface charge density, which can be prepared using a standardized, economic and scalable method.

Methods: To form these nanoparticles, the lipid composition and proportion as well the method were modified in relation to cage-like particles previously described elsewhere. Bovine albumin was used to compare ISPA performance with that of other adjuvants in mice and to assess stability.

Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in pregnancy. Evaluation of latex-protein complexes by immnunoagglutination.

The aim of this work was to obtain a reagent based on latex particles for ruling out acute toxoplasmosis in pregnant women by immunoagglutination (IA). Latex-protein complexes (LPC) were previously synthesized coupling the recombinant protein of Toxoplasma gondii P22Ag and the homogenate of the parasite to latex particles with different size, chemical functionality and charge density. LPC were tested in IA assays against a panel of 72 pregnant women serum samples.

P35 and P22 Toxoplasma gondii antigens abbreviate regions to diagnose acquired toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: toward single-sample assays.

Background: P35 and P22 Toxoplasma gondii proteins are recognized by specific IgG at the early infection stage, making them ideal for acute toxoplasmosis pregnancy control. Both proteins have been studied to discriminate between acute and chronic toxoplasmosis. However, results were hardly comparable because different protein obtainment procedures led to different antigens, the reference panels used were not optimally typified, and avidity tests were either not performed or narrowly examined.

Unbiased pro-thrombotic features at diagnosis in 977 thrombocythemic patients with Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms.

In patients with Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), the anti-thrombotic and/or cytoreductive treatment in the follow-up may affect the evaluation of the pro-thrombotic weight of the clinical and biological characteristics at diagnosis. In order to avoid this potential confounding effect, we investigated the relationship between prior thrombosis (PrTh: thrombosis occurred before diagnosis and before treatment) and the characteristics at diagnosis in 977 thrombocythemic patients with MPN, reclassified according to the WHO 2008 criteria. PrTh occurred in 194 (19.

Essential Thrombocythemia: The Dermatologic Point of View.

Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by an increase in blood platelets and dominated by a predisposition to vascular events. Cutaneous manifestations can complicate its course. itching has been the most common symptom reported; however, the percentage has ranged from 3% to 46%, depending on the survey.

Anagrelide treatment and cardiovascular monitoring in essential thrombocythemia. A prospective observational study.

In this prospective observational single-center study, 55 patients with essential thrombocythemia who were candidates for second line treatment with anagrelide (ANA) received a preliminary cardiovascular (CV) clinical, instrumental and biochemical evaluation (CV history and symptoms, CV risk factors, blood pressure, heart rate, ECG and ECHO-cardio parameters, Troponin I, NT-proBNP). After this in-depth CV screening, 54 out of 55 patients were deemed to be fit for ANA treatment. Thirty-eight of the 55 patients received ANA treatment for a median of 36 months (range 3-48), and were monitored using the same CV evaluation.