In Situ Sustained Macrophage-Targeted Nanomicelle-Hydrogel Microspheres for Inhibiting Osteoarthritis.

There are still challenges in applying drug nanocarriers for in situ sustained macrophage targeting and regulation, due to the rapid clearance of nanocarriers and burst drug release in vivo. Herein, a nanomicelle-hydrogel microsphere, characterized by its macrophage-targeted nanosized secondary structure that allows it to accurately bind to M1 macrophages through active endocytosis, is employed for in situ sustained macrophage targeting and regulation, and addresses the insufficient osteoarthritis therapeutic efficacy caused by rapid clearance of drug nanocarriers. The 3-dimensional structure of a microsphere can prevent the rapid escape and clearance of a nanomicelle, thus keeping it in joints, while the ligand-guided secondary structure can carry drugs to accurately target and enter M1 macrophages, and release drugs via the transition from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity of nanomicelles under inflammatory stimulation inside the macrophages.

Living and Injectable Porous Hydrogel Microsphere with Paracrine Activity for Cartilage Regeneration.

Paracrine is an important mechanism in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that promotes tissue regeneration. However, anoikis is attributed to unsuitable adhesion microenvironment hindered this paracrine effect. In this study, a living and injectable porous hydrogel microsphere with long-term paracrine activity is constructed via the freeze-drying microfluidic technology and the incorporation of platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and exogenous MSCs.

MDH1 and MDH2 Promote Cell Viability of Primary AT2 Cells by Increasing Glucose Uptake.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a clinical disease with high morbidity and mortality, with limited treatment means. For primary alveolar epithelial type II (AT2) cells, glycolysis is an essential bioenergetic process. However, the significance of AT2 cell glycolysis in sepsis ALI remains unknown.

Injectable Double Positively Charged Hydrogel Microspheres for Targeting-Penetration-Phagocytosis.

The localization and accumulation of drugs in the body determine their therapeutic effects; however, the specific microstructure of damaged tissues hinders drug delivery. Currently, there is a shortage of effective drug carriers to breach these barriers and achieve efficient tissue and cellular delivery of drugs. In this study, an injectable double positively charged functional hydrogel microsphere with "targeting cartilage extracellular matrix", "cartilage penetration", and "cellular phagocytosis" is designed for matching the structural characteristics of joints, addressing the difficulties of drug delivery in joints.

Effect of α-tocopherol in alleviating the lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury via inhibiting nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathways.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) leads to the acute lung injury (ALI), a form of diffused alveolars injury, accompanied by severe inflammation and oxidative damage of alveolar epithelial cells. α-Tocopherol (α-TOH), one of the eight isoforms of vitamin E, is a natural antioxidant-free radical. We aimed to understand the effect of α-TOH and mechanism involved in inducing the ALI.

Isoorientin suppresses sepsis-induced acute lung injury in mice by activating an EPCR-dependent JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory syndrome, and acute lung injury (ALI) is one of the most common fatal complications of sepsis. Isoorientin (ISO) exerts a momentous role in the regulation of inflammation. However, whether ISO has a protective effect on sepsis-induced ALI remains unknown.

Fullerol-hydrogel microfluidic spheres for redox regulation of stem cell fate and refractory bone healing.

The balance of redox homeostasis is key to stem cell maintenance and differentiation. However, this balance is disrupted by the overproduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in pathological conditions, which seriously impair the therapeutic efficacy of stem cells. In the present study, highly dispersed fullerol nanocrystals with enhanced bioreactivity were incorporated into hydrogel microspheres using one-step innovative microfluidic technology to construct fullerol-hydrogel microfluidic spheres (FMSs) for regulating the redox homeostasis of stem cells and promoting refractory bone healing.

Biomimetic injectable hydrogel microspheres with enhanced lubrication and controllable drug release for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

The occurrence of osteoarthritis (OA) is highly associated with the reduced lubrication property of the joint, where a progressive and irreversible damage of the articular cartilage and consecutive inflammatory response dominate the mechanism. In this study, bioinspired by the super-lubrication property of cartilage and catecholamine chemistry of mussel, we successfully developed injectable hydrogel microspheres with enhanced lubrication and controllable drug release for OA treatment. Particularly, the lubricating microspheres (GelMA@DMA-MPC) were fabricated by dip coating a self-adhesive polymer (DMA-MPC, synthesized by free radical copolymerization) on superficial surface of photo-crosslinked methacrylate gelatin hydrogel microspheres (GelMA, prepared via microfluidic technology), and encapsulated with an anti-inflammatory drug of diclofenac sodium (DS) to achieve the dual-functional performance.

Structural and biological investigation of chitosan/hyaluronic acid with silanized-hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as an injectable reinforced interpenetrating network hydrogel for cartilage tissue engineering.

Cartilage damage continues to pose a threat to humans, but no treatment is currently available to fully restore cartilage function. In this study, a new class of composite hydrogels derived from water-soluble chitosan (CS)/hyaluronic acid (HA) and silanized-hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (Si-HPMC) (CS/HA/Si-HPMC) has been synthesized and tested as injectable hydrogels for cartilage tissue engineering when combined without the addition of a chemical crosslinking agent. Mechanical studies of CS/HA and CS/HA/Si-HPMC hydrogels showed that as Si-HPMC content increased, swelling rate and rheological properties were higher, compressive strength decreased and degradation was faster.

Ball-Bearing-Inspired Polyampholyte-Modified Microspheres as Bio-Lubricants Attenuate Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis, a lubrication dysfunction related disorder in joint, is characterized by articular cartilage degradation and joint capsule inflammation. Enhancing joint lubrication, combined with anti-inflammatory therapy, is considered as an effective strategy for osteoarthritis treatment. Herein, based on the ball-bearing-inspired superlubricity and the mussel-inspired adhesion, a superlubricated microsphere, i.

Thermo-Sensitive Dual-Functional Nanospheres with Enhanced Lubrication and Drug Delivery for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a typical degenerative joint disease related to a lubrication deficiency of articular cartilage, which is characterized by increased friction at the joint surface and severe inflammation of the joint capsule. Consequently, therapies combining lubrication restoration and drug intervention are regarded as a promising strategy for the treatment of osteoarthritis. In the present study, thermo-sensitive dual-functional nanospheres, poly[N-isopropylacrylamide-2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine] (PNIPAM-PMPC), are developed through emulsion polymerization.

Recent advance of erythrocyte-mimicking nanovehicles: From bench to bedside.

Erythrocyte-mimicking nanovehicles (EM-NVs) are developed by fusing nanoparticle cores with naturally derived erythrocyte membranes. Compared with conventional nanosystems, EM-NVs hold preferable characteristics of prolonged blood circulation time and immune evasion. Due to the cell surface mimetic properties, along with tailored core material, EM-NVs have huge application potential in a large variety of biomedical fields, which are anticipated to revolutionize the present theranostic modalities of diseases in clinic.

Bioinspired Hyaluronic Acid/Phosphorylcholine Polymer with Enhanced Lubrication and Anti-Inflammation.

Under pathological conditions, the joint is not well lubricated, which inevitably leads to osteoarthritis. Currently, in clinics injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) as an intra-articular viscosupplement is one of the main methods for alleviation of osteoarthritis. However, the viscosity of HA reduces dramatically under high shear rate due to the shear-thinning effect.

Application of biodegradable 3D-printed cage for cervical diseases via anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF): an in vitro biomechanical study.

Objectives: To design and fabricate a 3D-printed cervical cage composite of polylactic acid (PLA)/nano-sized and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP).

Results: CAD analysis provided a useful platform to design the preliminary cage. In vitro cell culture and in vivo animal results showed promising results in the biocompatibility of the constructs.

Reconstruct the proximal radius with iliac graft and elastic intramedullary nail fixation after tumor resection.

Background: This study aims to introduce a novel technique in treating benign bone tumors of the proximal radius by elastic intramedullary nail fixation and iliac graft after tumor resection.

Method: In this retrospective case series, the treatment outcomes of 17 patients with benign bone tumor involving the proximal radius were reported from January 2010 to August 2014. All the patients received reconstruction surgery with iliac graft and elastic intramedullary nail fixation after tumor resection.

Chromobox Homolog 4 is Positively Correlated to Tumor Growth, Survival and Activation of HIF-1α Signaling in Human Osteosarcoma under Normoxic Condition.

Objectives: The clinical significance and tumorigenesis of Chromobox homolog 4 (CBX4) have been reported in hepatocellular carcinoma. The purpose of this study is to confirm the expression, elucidate the biological function and investigate the potential mechanism of CBX4 in osteosarcoma (OS).

Methods: The expression of CBX4 in OS samples and cell lines was measured by RT-PCR and western blot test.

Efficacy of limb salvage with primary tumor resection simultaneously for solitary bone metastasis in limbs.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of limb salvage with primary tumor resection on patients with solitary bone metastasis.

Methods: A retrospective treatment outcome review was performed on 20 patients with solitary bone metastasis as the primary clinical symptom who were admitted to the hospital between 2006 and 2010. With primary tumor resection, 18/20 patients received limb salvage surgery simultaneously.

Overexpression of X-Box Binding Protein 1 (XBP1) Correlates to Poor Prognosis and Up-Regulation of PI3K/mTOR in Human Osteosarcoma.

Increasing evidence demonstrates that dysregulation of XBP1 function contributes to tumorigenesis in some cancers. However, little is known about the role of XBP1 in the progression of osteosarcoma (OS). The expression of XBP1 in OS samples was measured by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting assays.

The long-term outcomes following the use of inactivated autograft in the treatment of primary malignant musculoskeletal tumor.

Background: Biological reconstruction surgery is a tough but alluring option for treating primary malignant musculoskeletal tumors. In this article, we evaluate the clinical outcomes of primary malignant musculoskeletal tumors treated with inactivated autograft using alcohol.

Method: In this article, we include 58 patients who had primary malignant bone tumors treated with wide resection and recycling autograft reconstruction using alcohol between January 2003 and January 2013.