An insight into fluorescence and magnetic resonance bioimaging using a multifunctional polyethyleneimine-passivated gadocarbon dots nanoconstruct assembled with AS1411.

A nanoassembly of PEI-passivated Gd@CDs, a type of aptamer, is presented which was designed and characterized in order to target specific cancer cells based on their recognition of the receptor nucleolin (NCL), which is overexpressed on the cell membrane of breast cancer cells for fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging and treatment. Using hydrothermal methods, Gd-doped nanostructures were synthesized, then modified by a two-step chemical procedure for subsequent applications: the passivating of Gd@CDs with branched polyethyleneimine (PEI) (to form Gd@CDs-PEI1 and Gd@CDs-PEI2), and using AS1411 aptamer (AS) as a DNA-targeted molecule (to generate AS/Gd@CDs-PEI1 and AS/Gd@CDs-PEI2). Consequently, these nanoassemblies were constructed as a result of electrostatic interactions between cationic Gd@CDs-passivated PEI and AS aptamers, offering efficient multimodal targeting nanoassemblies for cancer cell detection.

An in vitro and in vivo study of PCL/chitosan electrospun mat on polyurethane/propolis foam as a bilayer wound dressing.

In the current study, we fabricated a bilayer wound dressing consisting of an electrospun poly-ε-caprolactone/chitosan (PCL/CS) fibrous mat as the sublayer and a polyurethane (PU) foam coated with ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) as the top layer. By blending the solutions of PCL and CS, we fabricated an electrospun mat consisting of bead-free and uniform nanofibers with enhanced hydrophilicity, swelling ratio, and degradation properties. To further enhance the mechanical and antibacterial properties, we electrospun the PCL/CS solution on a PU foam coated with EEP to fabricate the PCL/CS-PU/EEP bilayer wound dressing.