Citrate-modified bacterial cellulose as a potential scaffolding material for bone tissue regeneration.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a novel biocompatible polymeric biomaterial with a wide range of biomedical uses, like tissue engineering (TE) scaffolds, wound dressings, and drug delivery. Although BC lacks good cell adhesion due to limited functionality, its tunable surface chemistry still holds promise. Here, hydroxyapatite (HA) was incorporated into a citrate-modified BC (MBC) using the biomimetic synthesis in simulated body fluid (SBF).

Prevalence and trends of pregnancy-related acute kidney injury in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Pregnancy-Related Acute Kidney Injury (PRAKI) is an important contributor to maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality. The burden of PRAKI in sub-Saharan Africa is not well documented. We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of PRAKI in sub-Saharan Africa.

Autophagy-based therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: from standard treatments to combination therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, and targeted nanomedicines.

Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been identified as a significant cause of mortality worldwide. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted to understand the underlying mechanisms of autophagy in the pathogenesis of the disease, with the aim of developing novel therapeutic agents. Targeting autophagy with conventional therapies in invasive HCC has opened up new opportunities for treatment.

Fine-Tuned "Click" Functionalization of PAMAM Dendrimers with a Linear Fluorinated Guanidino Linker: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications.

This study presents the synthesis, characterization, and application of multifunctional PAMAM G2 and G4 dendrimers decorated with a linear fluorinated guanidino linker designed to improve gene delivery efficiency while minimizing cytotoxicity. For the first time, we were able to fine-tune the degree of grafting (DG) during the functionalization process through efficient "click" Michael addition, achieving the synthesis of a collection of six PAMAM conjugates that showed a significant enhancement in transfection efficiency (TE), surpassing the performance of traditional nonviral vectors. The incorporation of fluorinated moieties not only facilitated better deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) condensation and TE but also introduced potential applications in F magnetic resonance imaging thanks to the sharp and intense fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance signals and favorable relaxation parameters.