A review on mechanobiology of cell adhesion networks in different stages of sporadic colorectal cancer to explain its tumorigenesis.

Sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) is strongly linked to extraneous factors, like poor diet and lifestyle, but not to inherent factors like familial genetics. The changes at the epigenomics and signalling pathways are known across the sporadic CRC stages. The catch is that temporal information of the onset, the feedback loop, and the crosstalk of signalling and noise are still unclear.

Fabrication and Characterization of Simple Structure Fluidic-Based Memristor for Immunosensing of NS1 Protein Application.

Non-structural protein 1 (NS1 protein) is becoming a commonplace biomarker for the diagnostic of early detection of dengue. In this study, we sought to use a label-free approach of detecting NS1 protein by harnessing fluidic-based memristor sensor. The sensor was fabricated using sol-gel spin coating technique, by which TiO thin film is coated on the surface of Indium tin oxide (ITO) and a glass substrate.

Human Wharton's Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Minimally Improve the Growth Kinetics and Cardiomyocyte Differentiation of Aged Murine Cardiac c-kit Cells in In Vitro without Rejuvenating Effect.

Cardiac c-kit cells show promise in regenerating an injured heart. While heart disease commonly affects elderly patients, it is unclear if autologous cardiac c-kit cells are functionally competent and applicable to these patients. This study characterised cardiac c-kit cells (CCs) from aged mice and studied the effects of human Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the growth kinetics and cardiac differentiation of aged CCs in vitro.

Extracellular matrix from decellularized mesenchymal stem cells improves cardiac gene expressions and oxidative resistance in cardiac C-kit cells.

Objective: Myocardial infarction remains the number one killer disease worldwide. Cellular therapy using cardiac c-kit cells (CCs) are capable of regenerating injured heart. Previous studies showed mesenchymal stem cell-derived (MSC) extracellular matrices can provide structural support and are capable of regulating stem cell functions and differentiation.

Biocompatible disulphide cross-linked sodium alginate derivative nanoparticles for oral colon-targeted drug delivery.

The application of layer-by-layer (LbL) approach on nanoparticle surface coating improves the colon-specific drug delivery of insoluble drugs. Here, we aimed to formulate a self-assembled cysteamine-based disulphide cross-linked sodium alginate with LbL self-assembly to improve the delivery of paclitaxel (PCX) to colonic cancer cells. Cysteamine was conjugated to the backbone of oxidized SA to form a core of self-assembled disulphide cross-linked nanospheres.

Characterisation and Evaluation of Trimesic Acid Derivatives as Disulphide Cross-Linked Polymers for Potential Colon Targeted Drug Delivery.

Discovery and use of biocompatible polymers offers great promise in the pharmaceutical field, particularly in drug delivery systems. Disulphide bonds, which commonly occur in peptides and proteins and have been used as drug-glutathione conjugates, are reductively cleaved in the colon. The intrinsic stability of a disulphide relative to thiol groups is determined by the redox potential of the environment.

Targeting Lung Cancer Stem Cells: Research and Clinical Impacts.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 1.8 million new cases and 1.6 million deaths in 2012.

Characterisation of electrospun gelatine nanofibres encapsulated with Moringa oleifera bioactive extract.

Background: Drumstick (Moringa oleifera) leaves have been used as a folk herbal medicine across many cultures since ancient times. This is most probably due to presence of phytochemicals possessing antioxidant properties, which could retard oxidative stress, and their degenerative effect. The current study deals with nanoencapsulation of Moringa oleifera (MO) leaf ethanolic extract within fish sourced gelatine matrix using electrospinning technique.

Formation of stable Si-O-C submonolayers on hydrogen-terminated silicon(111) under low-temperature conditions.

In this letter, we report results of a hydrosilylation carried out on bifunctional molecules by using two different approaches, namely through thermal treatment and photochemical treatment through UV irradiation. Previously, our group also demonstrated that in a mixed alkyne/alcohol solution, surface coupling is biased towards the formation of Si-O-C linkages instead of Si-C linkages, thus indirectly supporting the kinetic model of hydrogen abstraction from the Si-H surface (Khung, Y. L.

Preferential formation of Si-O-C over Si-C linkage upon thermal grafting on hydrogen-terminated silicon (111).

In a stringent and near oxygen-free environment, Si-H surfaces were introduced to a trifluoroalkyne, an alcohol-derivatized alkyne, as well as an equal mixture of both alkynes at a temperature of 130 °C. Contact angle measurements, high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and angle-resolved XPS were performed to examine the system. Si-H surfaces were found to have a strong preference towards the formation of Si-O-C rather than Si-C bonds when the alcohol and alkyne reactivities were compared.

Creating adhesive and soluble gradients for imaging cell migration with fluorescence microscopy.

Cells can sense and migrate towards higher concentrations of adhesive cues such as the glycoproteins of the extracellular matrix and soluble cues such as growth factors. Here, we outline a method to create opposing gradients of adhesive and soluble cues in a microfluidic chamber, which is compatible with live cell imaging. A copolymer of poly-L-lysine and polyethylene glycol (PLL-PEG) is employed to passivate glass coverslips and prevent non-specific adsorption of biomolecules and cells.

Using an electrical potential to reversibly switch surfaces between two states for dynamically controlling cell adhesion.

Smart surfaces presenting both antifouling molecules with a charged functional group at their distal end, and molecules that are terminated by RGD peptides for cell adhesion, were fabricated and characterized (see picture). By applying potentials of +300 or -300 mV, the surfaces could be dynamically switched to make the peptide accessible or inaccessible to cells.

How do cells make decisions: engineering micro- and nanoenvironments for cell migration.

Cell migration contributes to cancer metastasis and involves cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM), force generation through the cell's cytoskeletal, and finally cell detachment. Both adhesive cues from the ECM and soluble cues from neighbouring cells and tissue trigger intracellular signalling pathways that are essential for cell migration. While the machinery of many signalling pathways is relatively well understood, how hierarchies of different and conflicting signals are established is a new area of cellular cancer research.