Publications by authors named "Rui Reis"

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Early detection of precursor lesions or early-stage cancer could hamper cancer development or improve survival rates. Liquid biopsy, which detects tumor biomarkers, such as mutations, in blood, is a promising avenue for cancer screening.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer that remains challenging to treat, especially owing to the lack of effective targeting and drug delivery concerns. Due to its anatomical advantages, the nose-to-brain strategy is an interesting route for drug delivery. Nanoengineering has provided technological tools and innovative strategies to overcome biotechnological limitations, which is promising for improving the effectiveness of conventional therapies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a therapeutic modality that combines the application of a photoactive compound (photosensitizer, PS) with low-power light to generate reactive oxygen species in the target tissue, resulting in cytotoxic damage and cell death, while sparing adjacent tissues. The objective of this study was to evaluate the phototoxicity of a cyanine dye with two chromophores (biscyanines, BCD) in systems with varying levels of cellular organization, and we used the Photogem® (a photosensitizer approved by the Brazilian ANVISA agency for clinical use in Photodynamic Therapy) as a positive control.

Materials And Methods: The cytotoxicity of the compounds was assessed in vitro in 2D monolayers, 3D spheroid cultures, and artificial skin models.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic inflammatory-related diseases represent the greatest threat to human health. Indeed, failure in the resolution of inflammation leads to serious pathological conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders that are often associated with extremely high human suffering and societal and economic burdens. Despite the number and efficacy of available therapeutic agents have been increased, the serious side effects associated with some of them often create a very high risk/benefit ratio for patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ochratoxin-A (OTA) is a widespread foodstuff contaminant with potential carcinogenic effects. Innovative sensing technologies that allow on-site and sensitive food screening can have a significant impact on food and environment safety. A novel and quantitative label-free LSPR-based biosensor was specifically designed for OTA detection, employing a portable LSPR spectroscopy sensing system for efficient on-site and cost-effective analysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Current models for elastin-like recombinamer (ELR) design struggle to predict the effects of nonprotein fused materials on polypeptide conformation and temperature-responsive properties. To address this shortage, we investigated the novel functionalization of ELRs with cholesterol (CTA). We employed GROMACS computational molecular dynamic simulations complemented with experimental evidence to validate the predictions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Injured spinal cords struggle to regenerate due to a harmful environment that inhibits nerve regrowth and maintaining stable contact in lesions is a major challenge.
  • Researchers developed a new injectable adhesive hydrogel made from modified chitosan that can adhere well to biological tissues and has adjustable mechanical properties, making it suitable for minimally invasive procedures.
  • This hydrogel not only supports cellular attachment and growth but also enhances neuronal marker expression in neuroblastoma cells, showing promise for use in therapies aimed at repairing damaged nerve tissue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The functional restoration of a damaged cardiac tissue relies on a synchronized contractile capacity of exogenous and/or endogenous cardiomyocytes, which is challenging to achieve. Here, we explored the potential of the short glycopeptide diphenylalanine glucosamine-6-sulfate (FFGlcN6S) conjugated with an aromatic moiety, namely fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc), to enhance cardiac tissue regeneration. At physiological conditions, Fmoc-FFGlcN6S assembles into nanofibrous hydrated meshes, i.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A case-control study investigated specific SMAD7 SNPs (rs4464148, rs4939827, rs12953717) to determine their association with CRC risk and any impact on patient survival.
  • * The findings revealed that only the CT genotype of rs4939827 was associated with CRC risk, while no SNP genotype indicated any prognostic significance for survival, suggesting that further research is necessary to explore genetic variations and their effects in diverse populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The role of microbiome, particularly Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), in periodontal disease and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been recently explored. This study aimed to evaluate the Fn presence and its levels in oral rinse samples from Brazilian OSCC patients and healthy individuals and its association with sociodemographic, clinical, and oral health features.

Methods: In this case-control study, 80 participants were included, 31 OSCC patients and 49 individuals without a cancer history.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Integrating biological material within soft microfluidic systems made of hydrogels offers countless possibilities in biomedical research to overcome the intrinsic limitations of traditional microfluidics based on solid, non-biodegradable, and non-biocompatible materials. Hydrogel-based microfluidic technologies have the potential to transformcell/tissue culture and modeling. However, most hydrogel-based microfluidic platforms are associated with device deformation, poor structural definition, reduced stability/reproducibility due to swelling, and a limited range in rigidity, which threatens their applicability.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

has been traditionally used to strengthen the immune system. Therefore, herein, we investigated the potential of aqueous extracts (AEs) obtained from flowers (F), leaves (L), or roots (R) as an immune booster in human primary monocyte-derived macrophages (hMDMs). Additionally, to identify the main class of compounds (phenolic/carboxylic acids vs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A novel dual-loading nanoplatform combines different therapeutic agents, including celecoxib and RNA technologies, to target macrophages more effectively and enhance treatment outcomes.
  • * Findings show that this nanoplatform successfully alters the inflammatory profile of macrophages, reducing chronic inflammation and promoting tissue healing, suggesting potential for advanced nanomedicine strategies in therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Germ cell tumors (GCTs) constitute diverse neoplasms arising in the gonads or extragonadal locations. Testicular GCTs (TGCTs) are the predominant solid tumors in adolescents and young men. Despite cisplatin serving as the primary therapeutic intervention for TGCTs, 10‑20% of patients with advanced disease demonstrate resistance to cisplatin‑based chemotherapy, and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a potential contributor to this resistance.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) has great potential for treating severely infected wounds, it is restricted by the short lifetime, limited diffusion distance of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and incomplete contact with bacteria. Herein, we report a novel nanosized ionic porous organic polymer (TPAPy-IPOP) based on the triphenylamine (TPA) moiety. Strong electron-deficient cationic groups were introduced into TPA to construct the donor-acceptor (D-A) system, in which the photoelectric effect of TPAPy-IPOP was greatly enhanced, and it was easily excited to produce ROS under irradiation with visible light.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A 3D tendon-on-chip model has been created to study the complex cellular and molecular mechanisms of tendons by integrating bioactive materials and magnetic microfibers to replicate tendon structure and function.
  • * This model allows researchers to examine the interaction between tendon cells and immune cells, revealing how inflammation in the tendon can be exacerbated and providing insights for future therapeutic approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Biopolymers are a versatile and diverse class of materials that has won high interest due to their potential application in several sectors of the economy, such as cosmetics, medical materials/devices, and food additives. In the last years, the search for these compounds has explored a wider range of marine organisms that have proven to be a great alternative to mammal sources for these applications and benefit from their biological properties, such as low antigenicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, among others. Furthermore, to ensure the sustainable exploitation of natural marine resources and address the challenges of 3R's policies, there is a current necessity to valorize the residues and by-products obtained from food processing to benefit both economic and environmental interests.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Researchers are exploring the use of nanostructured metal oxide surfaces to enhance the biocompatibility and bioactivity of biodegradable iron-based materials.
  • Iron oxide nanotubes were successfully synthesized on pure iron through an anodic oxidation process, creating a layer that primarily consists of α-FeO with small diameters (60-70 nm).
  • In vitro studies revealed that this nanotube layer did not negatively affect cell viability or morphology, and actually improved metabolic activity in human osteosarcoma cells, indicating potential for biomedical applications like stents or implants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs), ubiquitously released by blood cells, facilitate intercellular communication. In cancer, tumor-derived EVs profoundly affect the microenvironment, promoting tumor progression and raising the risk of recurrence. These EVs contain miRNAs (EV-miRNAs), promising cancer biomarkers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The current treatments for wounds often fail to induce adequate healing, leaving wounds vulnerable to persistent infections and development of drug-resistant microbial biofilms. New natural-derived nanoparticles were studied to impair bacteria colonization and hinder the formation of biofilms in wounds. The nanoparticles were fabricated through polyelectrolyte complexation of chitosan (CS, polycation) and hyaluronic acid (HA, polyanion).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bioactive agents have demonstrated regenerative potential for cell-free bone tissue engineering. Nevertheless, certain challenges persist, including ineffective delivery methods and confined therapeutic potency. Here, we demonstrated that the biomimetic calcium phosphate coating system (BioCaP) could effectively uptake and slowly release the incorporated bioactive agents compared to the surface absorption system via osteoclast-mediated degradation of BioCaP coatings.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF