Microfluidics and Nanofluidics in Strong Light-Matter Coupling Systems.

The combination of micro- or nanofluidics and strong light-matter coupling has gained much interest in the past decade, which has led to the development of advanced systems and devices with numerous potential applications in different fields, such as chemistry, biosensing, and material science. Strong light-matter coupling is achieved by placing a dipole (e.g.

Interaction of Serum and Plasma Proteins with Polyelectrolyte Microparticles with Core/Shell and Shell-Only Structures.

Polyelectrolyte microparticles (MPs) synthesized on calcium carbonate cores are considered a promising basis for new drug delivery systems. It is known that microparticles entering a physiological environment absorb proteins on their surface, which can change the properties of the microparticles and alter their functional activity. This study aimed to compare the compositions of the adsorbed protein layer formed on microparticles with the core/shell and shell structures obtained by layer-by-layer deposition.

Cytotoxic Effects of Doxorubicin on Cancer Cells and Macrophages Depend Differently on the Microcarrier Structure.

Microparticles are versatile carriers for controlled drug delivery in personalized, targeted therapy of various diseases, including cancer. The tumor microenvironment contains different infiltrating cells, including immune cells, which can affect the efficacy of antitumor drugs. Here, prototype microparticle-based systems for the delivery of the antitumor drug doxorubicin (DOX) were developed, and their cytotoxic effects on human epidermoid carcinoma cells and macrophages derived from human leukemia monocytic cells were compared in vitro.

Impact of Macrophages on the Interaction of Cetuximab-Functionalized Polyelectrolyte Capsules with EGFR-Expressing Cancer Cells.

Polyelectrolyte capsules (PCs) are a promising tool for anticancer drug delivery and tumor targeting. Surface functionalization of PCs with antibodies is widely used for providing their specific interactions with cancer cells. The efficiency of PC-based targeted delivery systems can be affected by the cellular heterogeneity of the tumor, particularly by the presence of tumor-associated macrophages.

Enhanced spontaneous emission from two-photon-pumped quantum dots in a porous silicon microcavity.

Photoluminescence (PL)-based sensing techniques have been significantly developed in practice due to their key advantages in terms of sensitivity and versatility of the approach. Recently, various nanostructured and hybrid materials have been used to improve the PL quantum yield and the spectral resolution. The near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence excitation has attracted much attention because it offers deep tissue penetration and it avoids the autofluorescence of the biological samples.