The Role of Freeze-Drying as a Multifunctional Process in Improving the Properties of Hydrogels for Medical Use.

Freeze-drying is a dehydration method that extends the shelf life and stability of drugs, vaccines, and biologics. Recently, its role has expanded beyond preservation to improve novel pharmaceuticals and their carriers, such as hydrogels, which are widely studied for both drug delivery and wound healing. The main aim of this study was to explore the multifunctional role of freeze-drying in improving the physicochemical properties of sodium alginate/poly(vinyl alcohol)-based hydrogels for medical applications.

Exploiting High Order Magnetic Anisotropy for Advanced Magnetocaloric Refrigerants.

Three new 3 d-4 f complexes of general formula trans-[MF(py)][LnDOTA] (M=Cr or Co, Ln=Dy or Y, py=pyridine and DOTA=tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetate) have been synthetised. The fluoride-bridged systems were designed to achieve perfect tetragonal symmetry by combining four-fold symmetric lanthanide and transition metal building blocks. From single crystal measurements, an unprecedented switch of the tetragonal anisotropy of the Dy complexes has been observed.

Systemic Treatment of Body-Wide Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Symptoms.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal X-linked disease that leads to premature death due to the loss of dystrophin. Current strategies predominantly focus on the therapeutic treatment of affected skeletal muscle tissue. However, certain results point to the fact that with successful treatment of skeletal muscle, DMD-exposed latent phenotypes in tissues, such as cardiac and smooth muscle, might lead to adverse effects and even death.