Laponite nanoclays for the sustained delivery of therapeutic proteins.

Protein therapeutics hold immense promise for treating a wide array of diseases. However, their efficacy is often compromised by rapid degradation and clearance. The synthetic smectite clay Laponite emerges as a promising candidate for their sustained delivery.

Modulating the immune system towards a functional chronic wound healing: A biomaterials and Nanomedicine perspective.

Chronic non-healing wounds persist as a substantial burden for healthcare systems, influenced by factors such as aging, diabetes, and obesity. In contrast to the traditionally pro-regenerative emphasis of therapies, the recognition of the immune system integral role in wound healing has significantly grown, instigating an approach shift towards immunological processes. Thus, this review explores the wound healing process, highlighting the engagement of the immune system, and delving into the behaviors of innate and adaptive immune cells in chronic wound scenarios.

Hotspots of biogeochemical activity linked to aridity and plant traits across global drylands.

Perennial plants create productive and biodiverse hotspots, known as fertile islands, beneath their canopies. These hotspots largely determine the structure and functioning of drylands worldwide. Despite their ubiquity, the factors controlling fertile islands under conditions of contrasting grazing by livestock, the most prevalent land use in drylands, remain virtually unknown.

Genetically engineered loaded extracellular vesicles for drug delivery.

The use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) for drug delivery is being widely explored by scientists from several research fields. To fully exploit their therapeutic potential, multiple methods for loading EVs have been developed. Although exogenous methods have been extensively utilized, in recent years the endogenous method has gained significant attention.

PLGA-PEI nanoparticle covered with poly(I:C) for personalised cancer immunotherapy.

Melanoma is the main cause of death among skin cancers and its incidence worldwide has been experiencing an appalling increase. However, traditional treatments lack effectiveness in advanced or metastatic patients. Immunotherapy, meanwhile, has been shown to be an effective treatment option, but the rate of cancers responding remains far from ideal.

Usefulness of Procalcitonin Levels for Predicting the Microbiological Orientation in Patients with Sepsis.

The main objective of the study was to verify whether levels of procalcitonin (PCT) could guide us toward determining the type of bacteria causing the sepsis and to identify the discriminatory cut-off point in the first urgent laboratory test. This study is a single center retrospective analysis that includes 371 patients with a mean age of 71.7 ± 15.

3D-printed Laponite/Alginate hydrogel-based suppositories for versatile drug loading and release.

Traditional approaches to solid rectal therapies have halted progress, leading to a continual decline in the use of conventional suppositories. Additive manufacturing techniques have been recently explored as a suitable innovative tool for suppository fabrication. However, little advancement has been made in composition materials for 3D-printed suppository (3DPS) manufacturing and still, conventional vehicles are often used for construct fabrication, hindering the growth in the field.

Soy protein/β-chitin sponge-like scaffolds laden with human mesenchymal stromal cells from hair follicle or adipose tissue promote diabetic chronic wound healing.

Chronic wounds are a worldwide problem that affect >40 million people every year. The constant inflammatory status accompanied by prolonged bacterial infections reduce patient's quality of life and life expectancy drastically. An important cell type involved in the wound healing process are mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) due to their long-term demonstrated immunomodulatory and pro-regenerative capacity.

Agar/gelatin hydro-film containing EGF and Aloe vera for effective wound healing.

In the current study, we produced a hydro-film dressing for the treatment of chronic wounds. The hydro-film structure was composed of gelatin cross-linked with citric acid, agar and Aloe vera extract (AV); additionally epidermal growth factor (EGF) was loaded to promote wound healing. Due to the excellent hydrogel-forming ability of gelatin, the obtained hydro-film was able to swell 884 ± 36% of its dry weight, which could help controlling wound moisture.

Computational and Experimental Evaluation of the Immune Response of Neoantigens for Personalized Vaccine Design.

In the last few years, the importance of neoantigens in the development of personalized antitumor vaccines has increased remarkably. In order to study whether bioinformatic tools are effective in detecting neoantigens that generate an immune response, DNA samples from patients with cutaneous melanoma in different stages were obtained, resulting in a total of 6048 potential neoantigens gathered. Thereafter, the immunological responses generated by some of those neoantigens ex vivo were tested, using a vaccine designed by a new optimization approach and encapsulated in nanoparticles.

Targeting the central nervous system: From synthetic nanoparticles to extracellular vesicles-Focus on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are an accelerating global health problem as life expectancy rises worldwide. Despite their significant burden in public health systems to date, the existing treatments only manage the symptoms without slowing down disease progression. Thus, the ongoing neurodegenerative process remains untreated.

Extracellular vesicles released by hair follicle and adipose mesenchymal stromal cells induce comparable neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in primary neuronal and microglial cultures.

Background Aims: Despite intensive research, to date, there is no effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. Among the different therapeutic approaches, recently, the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) has gained attention.

Methods: In the present work, we focused on medium/large extracellular vesicles (m/lEVs) derived from hair follicle--derived (HF) MSCs, comparing their potential neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effect against adipose tissue (AT)-MSC-derived m/lEVs.

High resolution and fidelity 3D printing of Laponite and alginate ink hydrogels for tunable biomedical applications.

The formulation of hydrogels that meet the necessary flow characteristics for their extrusion-based 3D printing while providing good printability, resolution, accuracy and stability, requires long development processes. This work presents the technological development of a hydrogel-based ink of Laponite and alginate and evaluates its printing capacity. As a novelty, this article reports a standardizable protocol to quantitatively define the best printing parameters for the development of novel inks, providing new printability evaluation parameters such as the Printing Accuracy Escalation Index.

Tumour-derived extracellular vesicle based vaccines for melanoma treatment.

The interest of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cancer immunotherapy is increasing every day. EVs are lipid bilayer vesicles released by most cells, which contain the molecular signature of their parent cell. Melanoma-derived EVs present antigens specific to this aggressive type of cancer, but they also exert immunomodulatory and pro-metastatic activity.

Hybrid 3D Printed and Electrospun Multi-Scale Hierarchical Polycaprolactone Scaffolds to Induce Bone Differentiation.

Complex scaffolds composed of micro- and nano-structures are a key target in tissue engineering and the combination of sequential 3D printing and electrospinning enables the fabrication of these multi-scale structures. In this work, dual 3D printed and electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with multiple mesh layers were successfully prepared. The scaffold macro- and micro-porosity were assessed by optical and scanning electron microscopy, showing that electrospun fibers formed aligned meshes within the pores of the scaffold.

Cell-based dressings: A journey through chronic wound management.

The field of regenerative medicine has undergone a paradigm shift in recent decades thanks to the emergence of novel therapies based on the use of living organisms. The development of cell-based strategies has become a trend for the treatment of different conditions and pathologies. In this sense, the need for more adequate, biomimetic and well-planned treatments for chronic wounds has found different and innovative strategies, based on the combination of cells with dressings, which seek to revolutionize the wound healing management.

Clinical progress in MSC-based therapies for the management of severe COVID-19.

Considering the high impact that severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases still pose on public health and their complex pharmacological management, the search for new therapeutic alternatives is essential. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) could be promising candidates as they present important immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties that can combat the acute severe respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and the cytokine storm occurring in COVID-19, two processes that are mainly driven by an immunological misbalance. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the intricate inflammatory process derived from the immune dysregulation that occurs in COVID-19, discussing the potential that the cytokines and growth factors that constitute the MSC-derived secretome present to treat the disease.

Bioactive and degradable hydrogel based on human platelet-rich plasma fibrin matrix combined with oxidized alginate in a diabetic mice wound healing model.

In the present study we developed an injectable, bioactive and degradable hydrogel composed of alginate at 2.5% oxidation degree and calcium-activated platelet rich plasma (PRP) for wound healing applications (PRP-HG-2.5%).

Green hemostatic sponge-like scaffold composed of soy protein and chitin for the treatment of epistaxis.

Epistaxis is one of the most common otorhinolaryngology emergencies worldwide. Although there are currently several treatments available, they present several disadvantages. This, in addition to the increasing social need of being environmentally respectful, led us to investigate whether a sponge-like scaffold (SP-CH) produced from natural by-products of the food industry - soy protein and β-chitin - can be employed as a nasal pack for the treatment of epistaxis.

Extracellular vesicles from hair follicle-derived mesenchymal stromal cells: isolation, characterization and therapeutic potential for chronic wound healing.

Background: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and their extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) have demonstrated to elicit immunomodulatory and pro-regenerative properties that are beneficial for the treatment of chronic wounds. Thanks to different mediators, MSC-EVs have shown to play an important role in the proliferation, migration and cell survival of different skin cell populations. However, there is still a big bid to achieve the most effective, suitable and available source of MSC-EVs.

Dual effect of TAT functionalized DHAH lipid nanoparticles with neurotrophic factors in human BBB and microglia cultures.

Background: Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are an accelerating global health problem. Nevertheless, the stronghold of the brain- the blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents drug penetrance and dwindles effective treatments. Therefore, it is crucial to identify Trojan horse-like drug carriers that can effectively cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain tissue.

Human Hair Follicle-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from the Lower Dermal Sheath as a Competitive Alternative for Immunomodulation.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have unique immunomodulatory capacities. We investigated hair follicle-derived MSCs (HF-MSCs) from the dermal sheath, which are advantageous as an alternative source because of their relatively painless and minimally risky extraction procedure. These cells expressed neural markers upon isolation and maintained stemness for a minimum of 10 passages.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Secretome for the Treatment of Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases: Latest Trends in Isolation, Content Optimization and Delivery Avenues.

Considering the high prevalence and the complex pharmacological management of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), the search for new therapeutic approaches for their treatment is vital. Although the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been extensively studied as a potential therapy in this field, direct MSC implantation presents some limitations that could slow down the clinical translation. Since the beneficial effects of MSCs have been mainly attributed to their ability to secrete a plethora of bioactive factors, their secretome has been proposed as a new and promising pathway for the treatment of IMIDs.

Immunomodulatory Biomaterials for Tissue Repair.

All implanted biomaterials are targets of the host's immune system. While the host inflammatory response was once considered a detrimental force to be blunted or avoided, in recent years, it has become a powerful force to be leveraged to augment biomaterial-tissue integration and tissue repair. In this review, we will discuss the major immune cells that mediate the inflammatory response to biomaterials, with a focus on how biomaterials can be designed to modulate immune cell behavior to promote biomaterial-tissue integration.