Bio-Composite Nanogels Based on Chitosan and Hyaluronic Acid for the Treatment of Lung Infections.

Pathogen infections constitute a serious problem in the field of lung diseases, especially in severe conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Exacerbations of COPD and ARDS can be significantly influenced by bacterial infections from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, which can hasten the decline of lung function. Moreover, the abuse of high-dose antibiotics used to treat obstinate infections is contributing to the growing issue of multidrug resistance (MDR) by microorganisms.

The interplay between hyaluronic acid and stem cell secretome boosts pulmonary differentiation in 3D biomimetic microenvironments.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MCSs) secretome provide MSC-like therapeutic effects in preclinical models of lung injury, circumventing safety concerns with the use of live cells. Secretome consists of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), including populations of nano- to micro-sized particles (exosomes and microvesicles) delimited by a phospholipidic bilayer. However, its poor stability and bioavailability severely limit its application.

Design of Carboxymethylcellulose/Poloxamer-Based Bioformulation Embedding for Agricultural Applications.

Microbial biological control agents are believed to be a potential alternative to classical fertilizers to increase the sustainability of agriculture. In this work, the formulation of T22 (T22) spores with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and Pluronic F-127 (PF-127) solutions was investigated. Rheological and microscopical analysis were performed on T22-based systems at three different CMC/PF-127 concentrations, showing that polymer aggregates tend to surround T22 spores, without viscosity, and the viscoelastic properties of the formulations were affected.

Effect of Composition of Lung Biomimetic Niche on the Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation toward Alveolar Type II Pneumocytes.

Pulmonary niche dynamically orchestrates the signals, such as proliferation or differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which allows inducing tissue repair. Lung niche includes extracellular matrix (ECM), comprising hyaluronic acid (HA) and collagen (COLL), and several types of MSCs. Impaired ECM, in lung pathologies, makes the promising therapies based on MSCs ineffective, as it results in a reduced attachment and homing of MSCs, precluding their differentiation and viability.

Design of functional nanoparticles by microfluidic platforms as advanced drug delivery systems for cancer therapy.

Nanoparticle systems are functional carriers that can be used in the cancer therapy field for the delivery of a variety of hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic drugs. Recently, the advent of microfluidic platforms represents an advanced approach to the development of new nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. Particularly, microfluidics can simplify the design of new nanoparticle-based systems with tunable physicochemical properties such as size, size distribution and morphology, ensuring high batch-to-batch reproducibility and consequently, an enhanced therapeutic effect and .

A Hyaluronic Acid-Based Formulation with Simultaneous Local Drug Delivery and Antioxidant Ability for Active Viscosupplementation.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) and its derivatives are widely used for intra-articular injection to augment compromised viscoelastic properties of damaged synovial fluid. Combining HA-based devices with anti-inflammatory drugs or bioactive principles in order to provide an additional benefit to the viscosupplementation is emerging as a new promising approach to improve the clinical outcome. Here, we aim to design a novel active viscosupplementation agent that can load and release hydrophobic drugs and at the same time possessing antioxidant properties.

Advances in Hyaluronic-Acid-Based (Nano)Devices for Cancer Therapy.

Cancer is the main cause of fatality all over the world with a considerable growth rate. Many biologically active nanoplatforms are exploited for tumor treatment. Of nanodevices, hyaluronic acid (HA)-based systems have shown to be promising candidates for cancer therapy due to their high biocompatibility and cell internalization.

Effect of Hyaluronic Acid on the Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Mature Type II Pneumocytes.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an essential component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the healthy lung, playing an important role in the structure of the alveolar surface stabilizing the surfactant proteins. Alveolar type II (ATII) cells are the fundamental element of the alveolus, specializing in surfactant production. ATII cells represent the main target of lung external lesion and a cornerstone in the repair process of pulmonary damage.

[West Africa Ebola outbreak - immediate and hands-on formation: the pre-deployment training program for frontline aid workers of the German Red Cross, other aid organizations, and the German Armed Forces, Wuerzburg, Germany 2014/15].

Background: In September 2014, the German government mandated the German Red Cross (GRC) and the German Armed Forces to support the international efforts to stop the epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West-Africa. The GRC requested specific training from the Medical Mission Institute Wuerzburg (MI).

Objectives: We describe and discuss the development, strategy, results, and evaluation of the program to formulate conclusions and recommendations for similar emergencies.