482 results match your criteria: "Research Institute of the University of Bucharest[Affiliation]"

Skin tissue injuries necessitate particular care due to associated complex healing mechanisms. Current investigations in the domain of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are focused on obtaining novel scaffolds adapted as potential delivery systems to restore lost tissue functions and properties. In this study, we describe the fabrication and evaluation of a novel 3D scaffold structure based on collagen and silk sericin (CollSS) enriched with microcapsules containing natural compounds, curcumin (C), and/or quercetin (Q).

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Aerogels have emerged as appealing materials for various applications due to their unique features, such as low density, high porosity, high surface area, and low thermal conductivity. Aiming to bring the advantages of these materials to the environmental field, this study focuses on synthesizing magnetic silica aerogel-based films suitable for water decontamination. In this respect, a novel microfluidic platform was created to obtain core-shell iron oxide nanoparticles that were further incorporated into gel-forming precursor solutions.

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Development of a multi-targeted chemotherapeutic approach based on G-quadruplex stabilisation and carbonic anhydrase inhibition.

J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem

December 2024

NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section and Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Cheminformatics & QSAR, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.

A novel class of compounds designed to hit two anti-tumour targets, G-quadruplex structures and human carbonic anhydrases (hCAs) IX and XII is proposed. The induction/stabilisation of G-quadruplex structures by small molecules has emerged as an anticancer strategy, disrupting telomere maintenance and reducing oncogene expression. hCAs IX and XII are well-established anti-tumour targets, upregulated in many hypoxic tumours and contributing to metastasis.

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Exploring In Vivo Pulmonary and Splenic Toxicity Profiles of Silicon Quantum Dots in Mice.

Materials (Basel)

June 2024

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, 050095 Bucharest, Romania.

Silicon-based quantum dots (SiQDs) represent a special class of nanoparticles due to their low toxicity and easily modifiable surface properties. For this reason, they are used in applications such as bioimaging, fluorescent labeling, drug delivery, protein detection techniques, and tissue engineering despite a serious lack of information on possible in vivo effects. The present study aimed to characterize and evaluate the in vivo toxicity of SiQDs obtained by laser ablation in the lung and spleen of mice.

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Probiotics in Wound Healing.

Int J Mol Sci

May 2024

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 030018 București, Romania.

Wound infections caused by opportunistic bacteria promote persistent infection and represent the main cause of delayed healing. Probiotics are acknowledged for their beneficial effects on the human body and could be utilized in the management of various diseases. They also possess the capacity to accelerate wound healing, due to their remarkable anti-pathogenic, antibiofilm, and immunomodulatory effects.

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This study's main objective was to fabricate an innovative three-dimensional microfluidic platform suitable for well-controlled chemical syntheses required for producing fine-tuned nanostructured materials. This work proposes using vortex mixing principles confined within a 3D multilayered microreactor to synthesize magnetic core-shell nanoparticles with tailored dimensions and polydispersity. The newly designed microfluidic platform allowed the simultaneous obtainment of FeO cores and their functionalization with a salicylic acid shell in a short reaction time and under a high flow rate.

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Osteoblast responsive biosilica-enriched gelatin microfibrillar microenvironments.

Biomater Adv

July 2024

University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania; Department of General Surgery, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 072202 Bucharest, Romania.

Engineering of scaffolds for bone regeneration is often inspired by the native extracellular matrix mimicking its composite fibrous structure. In the present study, we used low loadings of diatomite earth (DE) biosilica to improve the bone regeneration potential of gelatin electrospun fibrillar microenvironments. We explored the effect of increasing the DE content from 1 % to 3 % and 5 %, respectively, on the physico-chemical properties of the fibrous scaffolds denoted FG_DE1, FG_DE3, FG_DE5, regarding the aqueous media affinity, stability under simulated physiological conditions, morphology characteristics, and local mechanical properties at the surface.

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Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the world's most prominent cause of mortality, continue to be challenging conditions for patients, physicians, and researchers alike. CVDs comprise a wide range of illnesses affecting the heart, blood vessels, and the blood that flows through and between them. Advances in nanomedicine, a discipline focused on improving patient outcomes through revolutionary treatments, imaging agents, and ex vivo diagnostics, have created enthusiasm for overcoming limitations in CVDs' therapeutic and diagnostic landscapes.

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The treatment of chronic wounds involves precise requirements and complex challenges, as the healing process cannot go beyond the inflammatory phase, therefore increasing the healing time and implying a higher risk of opportunistic infection. Following a better understanding of the healing process, oxygen supply has been validated as a therapeutic approach to improve and speed up wound healing. Moreover, the local implications of antimicrobial agents (such as silver-based nano-compounds) significantly support the normal healing process, by combating bacterial contamination and colonization.

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Pregnancy is a transformative period marked by profound physical and emotional changes, with far-reaching consequences for both mother and child. Emerging research has illustrated the pivotal role of a mother's diet during pregnancy in influencing the prenatal gut microbiome and subsequently shaping the neurodevelopment of her offspring. The intricate interplay between maternal gut health, nutrition, and neurodevelopmental outcomes has emerged as a captivating field of investigation within developmental science.

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Development of Penicillin-Based Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors Targeting Multidrug-Resistant .

J Med Chem

June 2024

NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section and Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Cheminformatics & QSAR, University of Florence, Via U. Schiff 6, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy.

Article Synopsis
  • * A multitarget strategy is suggested, creating penicillin-based hybrids that inhibit CAs and resensitize drug-resistant bacteria to existing antibiotics.
  • * Sulfonamide derivatives effectively inhibited CAs and showed strong effects against multidrug-resistant strains, outperforming traditional β-lactams and CA inhibitors.
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The type of experimental model for the in vitro testing of drug formulations efficiency represents an important tool in cancer biology, with great attention being granted to three-dimensional (3D) cultures as these offer a closer approximation of the clinical sensitivity of drugs. In this study, the effects induced by carboxyl-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes complexed with cisplatin (SWCNT-COOH-CDDP) and free components (SWCNT-COOH and CDDP) were compared between conventional 2D- and 3D-spheroid cultures of human breast cancer cells. The 2D and 3D breast cancer cultures were exposed to various doses of SWCNT-COOH (0.

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Host-Microbiome Crosstalk in Chronic Wound Healing.

Int J Mol Sci

April 2024

Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, Department of Botany-Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 050663 Bucharest, Romania.

The pathogenesis of chronic wounds (CW) involves a multifaceted interplay of biochemical, immunological, hematological, and microbiological interactions. Biofilm development is a significant virulence trait which enhances microbial survival and pathogenicity and has various implications on the development and management of CW. Biofilms induce a prolonged suboptimal inflammation in the wound microenvironment, associated with delayed healing.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cancer is a complex and aggressive disease that poses a significant health threat, linked to various factors like genetics, lifestyle, and environmental influences.
  • Patients undergoing treatment often face immunosuppression, making them vulnerable to infections that can accelerate tumor growth.
  • Recent research emphasizes the crucial role of microbiota in cancer progression and treatment response, highlighting their potential to enhance or interfere with anticancer therapies.
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Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic condition characterized by pancreatic autoimmunity and destruction of the insulin producing beta-cells. The risk of familial type 1 diabetes (FT1DM) is greater in families with paternal T1DM. The children with paternal FT1DM have a more severe form of the disease with diabetic ketoacidosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers developed five new sulfanilamide Schiff bases using microwave irradiation, testing them for antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against various bacteria, as well as their cytotoxicity on cancer cell lines.
  • * The Schiff bases showed better effectiveness than the original sulfanilamide, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria, with specific compounds significantly reducing cancer cell viability, indicating the importance of halogen groups in enhancing their effects.
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Novel Photothermal Graphene-Based Hydrogels in Biomedical Applications.

Polymers (Basel)

April 2024

Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University for Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Gh. Polizu St. 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania.

In the last decade, photothermal therapy (PTT) has attracted tremendous attention because it is non-invasive, shows high efficiency and antibacterial activity, and minimizes drug side effects. Previous studies demonstrated that PTT can effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria and promotes cell proliferation, accelerating wound healing and tissue regeneration. Among different NIR-responsive biomaterials, graphene-based hydrogels with photothermal properties are considered as the best candidates for biomedical applications, due to their excellent properties.

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Sarcopenia is a prevalent degenerative skeletal muscle condition in the elderly population, posing a tremendous burden on diseased individuals and healthcare systems worldwide. Conventionally, sarcopenia is currently managed through nutritional interventions, physical therapy, and lifestyle modification, with no pharmaceutical agents being approved for specific use in this disease. As the pathogenesis of sarcopenia is still poorly understood and there is no treatment recognized as universally effective, recent research efforts have been directed at better comprehending this illness and diversifying treatment strategies.

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Microbial infections represent a significant health risk, often leading to severe complications and, in some cases, even fatalities. As a result, there is an urgent need to explore innovative drug delivery systems and alternative therapeutic techniques. The photothermal therapy has emerged as a promising antibacterial approach and is the focus of this study.

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Background: Transient receptor potential channels (TRP) are overexpressed in some pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients and cell lines, settling them as putative therapeutic targets in this disease. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), with levels increased in PDAC, modulate some members of the TRP family renamed "redox channels". Here, we investigate the direct effects of 4-hydroxinonenal (4-HNE) on TRPA1, natively expressed in PDAC cell lines and in association with cell migration and cell cycle progression.

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N-acyl hydrazone (NAH) is recognized as a promising framework in drug design due to its versatility, straightforward synthesis, and attractive range of biological activities, including antimicrobial, antitumoral, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. In the global context of increasing resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics, NAHs represent potential solutions for developing improved treatment alternatives. Therefore, this research introduces six novel derivatives of ()-N'-benzylidene-2-(6-chloro-9-carbazol-2-yl)propanehydrazide, synthesized using a microwave-assisted method.

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Water contamination by harmful organic and inorganic compounds seriously burdens human health and aquatic life. A series of conventional water purification methods can be employed, yet they come with certain disadvantages, including resulting sludge or solid waste, incomplete treatment process, and high costs. To overcome these limitations, attention has been drawn to nanotechnology for fabricating better-performing adsorbents for contaminant removal.

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Benzothiadiazinone-1,1-Dioxide Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors Suppress the Growth of Drug-Resistant Strains.

Int J Mol Sci

February 2024

Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section, Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Cheminformatics & QSA, Neurofarba Department, University of Florence, Via U. Schiff 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy.

2-Benzo[e][1,2,4]thiadiazin-3(4)-one 1,1-dioxide (BTD) based carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitors are here explored as new anti-mycobacterial agents. The chemical features of BTD derivatives meet the criteria for a potent inhibition of β-class CA isozymes. BTD derivatives show chemical features meeting the criteria for a potent inhibition of β-class CA isozymes.

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Silica aerogels have gained much interest due to their unique properties, such as being the lightest solid material, having small pore sizes, high porosity, and ultralow thermal conductivity. Also, the advancements in synthesis methods have enabled the creation of silica aerogel-based composites in combination with different materials, for example, polymers, metals, and carbon-based structures. These new silica-based materials combine the properties of silica with the other materials to create a new and reinforced architecture with significantly valuable uses in different fields.

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In Vivo Assessment of Hepatic and Kidney Toxicity Induced by Silicon Quantum Dots in Mice.

Nanomaterials (Basel)

March 2024

Departament of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, 050095 Bucharest, Romania.

In the last decade, silicon-based quantum dots (SiQDs) have attracted the attention of researchers due to their unique properties for which they are used in medical applications and in vivo imaging. Detection of cytotoxic effects in vivo is essential for understanding the mechanisms of toxicity, a mandatory step before their administration to human subjects. In this context, we aimed to evaluate the in vivo hepatic and renal acute toxicity of SiQDs obtained by laser ablation.

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