Microfluidic organ-on-chip systems for periodontal research: advances and future directions.

Advances in tissue engineering and microfluidic technologies have enabled the development of sophisticated models known as organ-on-a-chip (OoC) or microphysiological systems. These systems enable to potential to simulate the dynamic interactions between host tissues and their microenvironment including microbes, biomaterials, mechanical forces, pharmaceutical, and consumer-care products. These fluidic technologies are increasingly being utilized to investigate host-microbe and host-material interactions in oral health and disease.

Instationary metabolic flux analysis reveals that NPC1 inhibition increases glycolysis and decreases mitochondrial metabolism in brain microvascular endothelial cells.

Niemann Pick Disease Type C (NP-C), a rare neurogenetic disease with no known cure, is caused by mutations in the cholesterol trafficking protein NPC1. Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC) are thought to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases; however, little is known about how these cells are altered in NP-C. In this study, we investigated how NPC1 inhibition perturbs BMEC metabolism in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived BMEC (hiBMEC).

3D Bioprinting and Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Biofabrication of Personalized Oral Soft Tissue Constructs.

Regeneration of oral soft tissue defects, including mucogingival defects associated with the recession or loss of gingival and/or mucosal tissues around teeth and implants, is crucial for restoring oral tissue form, function, and health. This study presents a novel approach using three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting to fabricate individualized grafts with precise size, shape, and layer-by-layer cellular organization. A multicomponent polysaccharide/fibrinogen-based bioink is developed, and bioprinting parameters are optimized to create shape-controlled oral soft tissue (gingival) constructs.

Development and characterization of nitazoxanide-loaded poly(ε-caprolactone) membrane for GTR/GBR applications.

Objective: Guided tissue/guided bone regeneration (GTR/GBR) membranes are widely used for periodontal bone regeneration, but their success depends on a bacteria-free environment. Systemic antibiotic treatment often proves inadequate, moreover, the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance in oral infections exacerbates this challenge. This study aimed to fabricate antibacterial membranes using a new class of antibiotics for local drug delivery, to eradicate infections and promote tissue regeneration.

Guidance on the assessment of biocompatibility of biomaterials: Fundamentals and testing considerations.

Background: Assessing the biocompatibility of materials is crucial for ensuring the safety and well-being of patients by preventing undesirable, toxic, immune, or allergic reactions, and ensuring that materials remain functional over time without triggering adverse reactions. To ensure a comprehensive assessment, planning tests that carefully consider the intended application and potential exposure scenarios for selecting relevant assays, cell types, and testing parameters is essential. Moreover, characterizing the composition and properties of biomaterials allows for a more accurate understanding of test outcomes and the identification of factors contributing to cytotoxicity.

Stearic acid nanoparticles increase acyclovir absorption by oral epithelial cells.

Objective: Acyclovir (ACY) is used to treat oral viral herpes but has low solubility and bioavailability. Stearic acid (SA) is lipophilic and can be combined with drugs. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the properties of SA nanoparticles in increasing the cellular uptake of ACY by oral epithelial cells.

PEDOT-Doped Mesoporous Nanocarbon Electrodes for High Capacitive Aqueous Symmetric Supercapacitors.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and PEDOT-functionalized carbon nanoparticles (f-CNPs) were synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization and pyrolysis methods. f-CNP-PEDOT nanocomposites were prepared by varying the concentration of PEDOT from 1 to 20% by weight (i.e.

Breakthrough in High-Efficiency Photocatalytic Degradation of Acebutolol by Advanced Binary CeO-MnO Oxide System.

The sustainable catalytic efficacy of transition metal oxides (TMO) and rare earth element-based oxides positions them as pivotal materials for effectively treating contaminated wastewater. This study successfully synthesized a series of Ce@MnO photocatalysts using a straightforward hydrothermal method. These photocatalysts were thoroughly characterized for their optical properties, structural morphology, and phase purity.

Design and Application of Microfluidic Capture Device for Physical-Magnetic Isolation of MCF-7 Circulating Tumor Cells.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are a type of cancer cell that spreads from the main tumor to the bloodstream, and they are often the most important among the various entities that can be isolated from the blood. For the diagnosis of cancer, conventional biopsies are often invasive and unreliable, whereas a liquid biopsy, which isolates the affected item from blood or lymph fluid, is a less invasive and effective diagnostic technique. Microfluidic technologies offer a suitable channel for conducting liquid biopsies, and this technology is utilized to extract CTCs in a microfluidic chip by physical and bio-affinity-based techniques.

Waterpipe smoke condensate induces epithelial-mesenchymal transformation and promotes metastasis of oral cancer by FOXD1 expression.

Background/purpose: Smoking is a major contributor to global oral cancer cases, necessitating urgent intervention. FOXD1, involved in developmental processes and various cancers, shows promise as a prognostic marker in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study investigates the impact of waterpipe smoke condensate (WPSC) on OSCC, focusing on FOXD1 role in inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis.

Correction: Therapeutic interventions on human breast cancer xenografts promote systemic dissemination of oncogenes.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Biofabrication Strategies for Oral Soft Tissue Regeneration.

Gingival recession, a prevalent condition affecting the gum tissues, is characterized by the exposure of tooth root surfaces due to the displacement of the gingival margin. This review explores conventional treatments, highlighting their limitations and the quest for innovative alternatives. Importantly, it emphasizes the critical considerations in gingival tissue engineering leveraging on cells, biomaterials, and signaling factors.

Therapeutic interventions on human breast cancer xenografts promote systemic dissemination of oncogenes.

Metastatic dissemination following successful treatment of the primary tumour remains a common cause of death. There is mounting evidence that therapeutic interventions themselves may promote development of metastatic disease. We earlier reported that cell-free chromatin particles (cfChPs) released from dying cancer cells are potentially oncogenic.

Cell-free chromatin particles released from dying cancer cells activate immune checkpoints in human lymphocytes: implications for cancer therapy.

Immune checkpoint blockade is the exciting breakthrough in cancer, but how immune checkpoints are activated is unknown. We have earlier reported that cell-free chromatin particles (cfChPs) that circulate in blood of cancer patients, or those that are released locally from dying cancer cells, are readily internalized by healthy cells with biological consequences. Here we report that treatment of human lymphocytes with cfChPs isolated from sera of cancer patients led to marked activation of the immune checkpoints PD-1, CTLA-4, LAG-3, NKG2A, and TIM-3.

Multistable ghost attractors in a switching laser system.

This paper studies the effects of a switching parameter on the dynamics of a multistable laser model. The laser model represents multistability in distinct ranges of parameters. We assume that the system's parameter switches periodically between different values.

Fluid flow-induced modulation of viability and osteodifferentiation of periodontal ligament stem cell spheroids-on-chip.

Developing physiologically relevant models for studying periodontitis is crucial for understanding its pathogenesis and developing effective therapeutic strategies. In this study, we aimed to integrate the spheroid culture of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) within a spheroid-on-chip microfluidic perfusion platform and to investigate the influence of interstitial fluid flow on morphogenesis, cellular viability, and osteogenic differentiation of PDLSC spheroids. PDLSC spheroids were seeded onto the spheroid-on-chip microfluidic device and cultured under static and flow conditions.

Microphysiological Modeling of Gingival Tissues and Host-Material Interactions Using Gingiva-on-Chip.

Gingiva plays a crucial barrier role at the interface of teeth, tooth-supporting structures, microbiome, and external agents. To mimic this complex microenvironment, an in vitro microphysiological platform and biofabricated full-thickness gingival equivalents (gingiva-on-chip) within a vertically stacked microfluidic device is developed. This design allowed long-term and air-liquid interface culture, and host-material interactions under flow conditions.

Microbial biomarkers as a predictor of periodontal treatment response: A systematic review.

To evaluate the prognostic accuracy of microbial biomarkers and their associations with the response to active periodontal treatment (APT) and supportive periodontal therapy (SPT). Microbial dysbiosis plays a crucial role in the disease processes of periodontitis. Biomarkers based on microbial composition may offer additional prognostic value, supplementing the limitations of current clinical parameters.

Design of VO Blocks Decorated with Garlic Peel Biochar Nanoparticles: A Sustainable Catalyst for the Degradation of Methyl Orange and Its Antioxidant Activity.

In this study, novel VO-decorated garlic peel biochar (VO/GPB) nanocomposites are prepared via the facile hydrothermal technique. As-synthesized VO/GPB is characterized by various spectroscopic and analytical techniques. The surface morphology of the as-prepared samples was predicted by SEM analysis, which shows that the block-like VO was uniformly decorated on the stone-like GPB surface.

Accuracy of the American Association of Endodontists diagnostic criteria for assessing pulp health in primary teeth.

Objectives: There is a lack of studies evaluating the accuracy of the 2009 American Association of Endodontists (AAE) diagnostic criteria for diagnosing pulpal health in primary teeth. This study aimed to estimate and correlate the diagnostic accuracy of clinical diagnosis of reversible and irreversible pulpitis using the 2009 AAE criteria with histological findings in primary teeth.

Methods: Eighty primary teeth that were clinically diagnosed with normal pulp (n = 10), reversible pulpitis (n = 30), irreversible pulpitis (n = 30) and pulp necrosis (n = 10) were collected.

Recent Advances in the Production of Pharmaceuticals Using Selective Laser Sintering.

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an additive manufacturing process that has shown promise in the production of medical devices, including hip cups, knee trays, dental crowns, and hearing aids. SLS-based 3D-printed dosage forms have the potential to revolutionise the production of personalised drugs. The ability to manipulate the porosity of printed materials is a particularly exciting aspect of SLS.

Energy computation and multiplier-less implementation of the two-dimensional FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) neural circuit.

In this work, with the aim of reducing the cost of the implementation of the traditional 2D FHN neuron circuit, a pair of diodes connected in an anti-parallel direction is used to replace the usual cubic nonlinearity (implemented with two multipliers). Based on the stability of the model, the generation of self-excited firing patterns is justified. Making use of the famous Helmholtz theorem, a Hamilton function is provided for the estimation of the energy released during each electrical activity of the model.

Modeling periodontal host-microbe interactions using vascularized gingival connective tissue equivalents.

Gingival connective tissue and its vasculature play a crucial role in the host's immune response against the periodontal microbiome and serve as a bridge between the oral and systemic environments. However, there is a lack of representative models that mimic the complex features of vascularized gingival connective tissue and its interaction with the periodontal microbiome, hindering our understanding of periodontal health and disease. Towards this pursuit, we present the characterization of vascularized gingival connective tissue equivalents (CTEs) as a model to study the interactions between oral biofilm colonizers and gingival tissues in healthy and diseased states.

Cell-derived nanovesicles from mesenchymal stem cells as extracellular vesicle-mimetics in wound healing.

Wound healing is a dynamic process that involves a series of molecular and cellular events aimed at replacing devitalized and missing cellular components and/or tissue layers. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs), naturally cell-secreted lipid membrane-bound vesicles laden with biological cargos including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, have drawn wide attention due to their ability to promote wound healing and tissue regeneration. However, current exploitation of EVs as therapeutic agents is limited by their low isolation yields and tedious isolation processes.

Interpreting metabolic complexity via isotope-assisted metabolic flux analysis.

Isotope-assisted metabolic flux analysis (iMFA) is a powerful method to mathematically determine the metabolic fluxome from experimental isotope labeling data and a metabolic network model. While iMFA was originally developed for industrial biotechnological applications, it is increasingly used to analyze eukaryotic cell metabolism in physiological and pathological states. In this review, we explain how iMFA estimates the intracellular fluxome, including data and network model (inputs), the optimization-based data fitting (process), and the flux map (output).