Reaching the Tumor: Mobility of Polymeric Micelles Inside an Tumor-on-a-Chip Model with Dual ECM.

Degradable polymeric micelles are promising drug delivery systems due to their hydrophobic core and responsive design. When applying micellar nanocarriers for tumor delivery, one of the bottlenecks encountered is the tumor tissue barrier: crossing the dense mesh of cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Sometimes overlooked, the extracellular matrix can trap nanoformulations based on charge, size, and hydrophobicity.

Ultrabright Föster Resonance Energy Transfer Nanovesicles: The Role of Dye Diffusion.

The development of contrast agents based on fluorescent nanoparticles with high brightness and stability is a key factor to improve the resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of current fluorescence imaging techniques. However, the design of bright fluorescent nanoparticles remains challenging due to fluorescence self-quenching at high concentrations. Developing bright nanoparticles showing FRET emission adds several advantages to the system, including an amplified Stokes shift, the possibility of ratiometric measurements, and of verifying the nanoparticle stability.

Age-dependency of EHRA improvement based on quality of life at diagnosis of atrial fibrillation.

Background: In this study, the relationship between AF-related quality of life (AFEQT) at baseline in AF-patients and the improvement on perceived symptoms and general state of health (EHRA, European Heart Rhythm Association score) at 12 months was assessed across predefined age categories.

Methods: Between November 2014 and October 2019 patients diagnosed with AF de novo in four hospitals embedded within the Netherlands Heart Network were prospectively followed for 12 months. These AF-patients were categorized into quartiles based on their AFEQT score at diagnosis and EHRA score was measured at diagnosis and 12 months of follow-up.

Small Peptide-Protein Interaction Pair for Genetically Encoded, Fixation Compatible Peptide-PAINT.

Super-resolution microscopy via PAINT has been widely adopted in life sciences to interrogate the nanoscale architecture of many cellular structures. However, obtaining quantitative information in fixed cellular samples remains challenging because control of labeling stoichiometry is hampered in current approaches due to click-chemistry and additional targeting probes. To overcome these challenges, we have identified a small, PDZ-based, peptide-protein interaction pair that is genetically encodable and compatible with super-resolution imaging upon cellular fixation without additional labeling.

A Roadmap to Cardiac Tissue-Engineered Construct Preservation: Insights from Cells, Tissues, and Organs.

Worldwide, over 26 million patients suffer from heart failure (HF). One strategy aspiring to prevent or even to reverse HF is based on the transplantation of cardiac tissue-engineered (cTE) constructs. These patient-specific constructs aim to closely resemble the native myocardium and, upon implantation on the diseased tissue, support and restore cardiac function, thereby preventing the development of HF.

From the freezer to the clinic: Antifreeze proteins in the preservation of cells, tissues, and organs.

Understanding the mechanisms by which natural anti-freeze proteins protect cells and tissues from cold could help to improve the availability of donor organs for transplantation.

Judging Enzyme-Responsive Micelles by Their Covers: Direct Comparison of Dendritic Amphiphiles with Different Hydrophilic Blocks.

Enzymatically degradable polymeric micelles have great potential as drug delivery systems, allowing the selective release of their active cargo at the site of disease. Furthermore, enzymatic degradation of the polymeric nanocarriers facilitates clearance of the delivery system after it has completed its task. While extensive research is dedicated toward the design and study of the enzymatically degradable hydrophobic block, there is limited understanding on how the hydrophilic shell of the micelle can affect the properties of such enzymatically degradable micelles.

A quantitative view on multivalent nanomedicine targeting.

Although the concept of selective delivery has been postulated over 100 years ago, no targeted nanomedicine has been clinically approved so far. Nanoparticles modified with targeting ligands to promote the selective delivery of therapeutics towards a specific cell population have been extensively reported. However, the rational design of selective particles is still challenging.

PAINT-ing Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-Diphenylalanine Hydrogels.

Self-assembly of fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-protected diphenylalanine (FmocFF) in water is widely known to produce hydrogels. Typically, confocal microscopy is used to visualize such hydrogels under wet conditions, that is, without freezing or drying. However, key aspects of hydrogels like fiber diameter, network morphology and mesh size are sub-diffraction limited features and cannot be visualized effectively using this approach.

An Azobenzene-Based Single-Component Supramolecular Polymer Responsive to Multiple Stimuli in Water.

One of the most appealing features of supramolecular assemblies is their ability to respond to external stimuli due to their noncovalent nature. This provides the opportunity to gain control over their size, morphology, and chemical properties and is key toward some of their applications. However, the design of supramolecular systems able to respond to multiple stimuli in a controlled fashion is still challenging.

Ten Lessons for Good Practice for the INHERIT Triple Win: Health, Equity, and Environmental Sustainability.

The world's challenges of climate change, damage to ecosystems, and social and health inequalities require changes in human behaviours at every level of organisation, among governments, business, communities, and individuals. An important question is how behaviour change can be enabled and supported at the scale and speed required. The research reported in this paper describes important lessons for good practice in changing contexts to modify behaviours for a triple win for health, equity and environmental sustainability.

Time-dependent failure of amorphous poly-D,L-lactide: influence of molecular weight.

The specific time-dependent deformation response of amorphous poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is known to lead to rapid failure of these materials in load-bearing situations. We have investigated this phenomenon in uniaxial compression on P(L)DLLA samples with various molecular weights. The experiments revealed a strong dependence of the yield stress on the applied strain rate.