Nano-based drug delivery systems in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The high recurrence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and poor prognosis after medical treatment reflects the necessity to improve the current chemotherapy protocols, particularly drug delivery methods. Development of targeted and efficient drug delivery systems (DDSs), in all active, passive and stimuli-responsive forms for selective delivery of therapeutic drugs to the tumour site has been extended to improve efficacy and reduce the severe side effects. Recent advances in nanotechnology offer promising breakthroughs in the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of cancer cells.

P53/NANOG balance; the leading switch between poorly to well differentiated status in liver cancer cells.

Enforcing a well-differentiated state on cells requires tumor suppressor p53 activation as a key player in apoptosis induction and well differentiation. In addition, recent investigations showed a significant correlation between poorly differentiated status and higher expression of NANOG. Inducing the expression of NANOG and decreasing p53 level switch the status of liver cancer cells from well differentiated to poorly status.

3D-bioprinted GelMA/gelatin/amniotic membrane extract (AME) scaffold loaded with keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells for skin tissue engineering.

Gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) is a highly adaptable biomaterial extensively utilized in skin regeneration applications. However, it is frequently imperative to enhance its physical and biological qualities by including supplementary substances in its composition. The purpose of this study was to fabricate and characterize a bi-layered GelMA-gelatin scaffold using 3D bioprinting.

Enhancing maturity in 3D kidney micro-tissues through clonogenic cell combinations and endothelial integration.

As an advance laboratory model, three-dimensional (3D) organoid culture has recently been recruited to study development, physiology and abnormality of kidney tissue. Micro-tissues derived from primary renal cells are composed of 3D epithelial structures representing the main characteristics of original tissue. In this research, we presented a simple method to isolate mouse renal clonogenic mesenchymal (MLCs) and epithelial-like cells (ELCs).

Olfactory bulb-medial prefrontal cortex theta synchronization is associated with anxiety.

Anxiety is among the most fundamental mammalian behaviors. Despite the physiological and pathological importance, its underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we recorded the activity of olfactory bulb (OB) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of rats, which are critical structures to brain's emotional processing network, while exploring different anxiogenic environments.

Translational Approach using Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products for Huntington's Disease.

Current therapeutic approaches for Huntington's disease (HD) focus on symptomatic treatment. Therefore, the unavailability of efficient disease-modifying medicines is a significant challenge. Regarding the molecular etiology, targeting the mutant gene or advanced translational steps could be considered promising strategies.

Cartilage tissue engineering using decellularized biomatrix hydrogel containing TGF-β-loaded alginate microspheres in mechanically loaded bioreactor.

Physiochemical tissue inducers and mechanical stimulation are both efficient variables in cartilage tissue fabrication and regeneration. In the presence of biomolecules, decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) may trigger and enhance stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Here, we investigated the controlled release of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β1) as an active mediator of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in a biocompatible scaffold and mechanical stimulation for cartilage tissue engineering.

Bioengineering scalable and drug-responsive in vitro human multicellular non-alcoholic fatty liver disease microtissues encapsulated in the liver extracellular matrix-derived hydrogel.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a high-prevalence and progressive disorder. Due to lack of reliable models to recapitulate the consecutive phases, the exact pathogenesis mechanism of this disease and approved therapeutic medications have not been revealed yet. It has been proven that the interplay between multiple hepatic cell types and liver extracellular matrix (ECM) are critical in NAFLD initiation and progression.

Nanocurcumin modulates Th17 cell responses in moderate and severe COPD patients.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory process in the airways that results in airflow obstruction. It is mainly linked to cigarette smoke exposure. Th17 cells have a role in the pathogenesis of COPD by secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines, which cause hyperinflammation and progression of the disease.

Identification of miR-20a as A Potential Discerning Biomarker for Non-Invasive versus Invasive Retinoblastoma.

Objective: Intraocular retinoblastoma (RB) is common in kids. Although the cause of this disease is a mutation in the RB1 gene, the formed cancerous mass in different patients is seen in non-invasive states, limited to the ocular cavity or in invasive states distributed to other parts of the body. Because this tumor's aggressiveness cannot be predicted early, these patients receive systemic chemotherapy with multiple drugs.

Preclinical and Clinical Studies on the Use of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Chronic Wounds.

To date, the widespread implementation of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of chronic wounds, including debridement, infection control, and the use of grafts and various dressings, has been time-consuming and accompanied by many challenges, with definite success not yet achieved. Extensive studies on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have led to suggestions for their use in treating various diseases. Given the existing barriers to utilizing such cells and numerous pieces of evidence indicating the crucial role of the paracrine signaling system in treatments involving MSCs, extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from these cells have garnered significant attention in treating chronic wounds in recent years.

Optimal human ovarian follicle isolation: A review focused on enzymatic digestion.

The damage or depletion of ovarian reserves due to aging or cancer treatment can increase the need for fertility preservation techniques. One of the most common ways of supporting fertility in prepubertal girls and women who require immediate cancer treatment is through ovarian tissue cryopreservation and re-transplantation following cancer treatment. However, a more appropriate method should be employed in diseases such as leukemia, where malignant cells may be present in cryopreserved tissue, instead of ovarian tissue transplantation.

Chitosan-coated nanoparticles in innovative cancer bio-medicine.

In the recent decade, nanoparticles (NPs) have had enormous implications in cancer biomedicine, including research, diagnosis, and therapy. However, their broad application still faces obstacles due to some practical limitations and requires further development. Recently, there has been more interest in the coated class of nanoparticles to address those challenges.

Sulfated polysaccharide as biomimetic biopolymers for tissue engineering scaffolds fabrication: Challenges and opportunities.

Sulfated polysaccharides play important roles in tissue engineering applications because of their high growth factor preservation ability and their native-like biological features. There are different sulfated polysaccharides based on different repeating units in the carbohydrate backbone, the position of the sulfate group, and the sulfation degree of the polysaccharide. These led to various sulfated polymers with different negative charge densities and resultant structure-property relationships.

The Application of Umbilical Cord Blood-derived Platelet Gel for Skin Ulcers Associated With Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Pediatrics: A Randomized Trial.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a curative strategy against a variety of malignant and nonmalignant disorders. However, acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD and cGVHD, respectively) commonly complicate this approach, culminating in substantial morbidities and mortalities. The integumentary system is the preponderant organ involved in cGVHD, and its response to existing treatments, including well-versed immunosuppressants and novel targeted therapies, is not desirable.

Evaluation puramatrix as a 3D microenvironment for neural differentiation of human breastmilk stem cells.

The extracellular matrix is recognized as an efficient and determining component in the growth, proliferation, and differentiation of cells due to its ability to perceive and respond to environmental signals. Applying three-dimensional scaffolds can create conditions similar to the extracellular matrix and provide an opportunity to investigate cell fate. In this study, we employed the PuraMatrix hydrogel scaffold as an advanced cell culture platform for the neural differentiation of stem cells derived from human breastmilk to design an opportune model for tissue engineering.

A Non-Apoptotic Pattern of Caspase-9/Caspase-3 Activation During Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Cardiomyocytes.

In vitro studies have demonstrated that the differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into cardiomyocytes requires activation of caspases through the mitochondrial pathway. These studies have relied on synthetic substrates for activity measurements, which can be misleading due to potential none-specific hydrolysis of these substrates by proteases other than caspases. Hence, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation are investigated during the differentiation of human ESCs (hESCs) by directly assessing caspase-9 and -3 cleavage.

2023, A Landmark Year in Biomedical Research; A Turning Point in Medical History.

The rapid development of knowledge on healthy nutrition, and hygiene practices, as well as the advent of antibiotics and vaccines, has led to increased life expectancy in the recent century. The extended lifespan has brought new challenges for healthcare professionals, including the management of chronic degenerative diseases, malignancies, and autoimmune disorders. Advanced therapeutic medicinal products (ATMPs) have emerged as a promising frontier alongside conventional therapeutic modalities, offering innovative solutions through cell-based therapies, gene therapy, and tissue engineering.

One-step and Rapid Identification of SARS-CoV-2 using Real-Time Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP).

Background: SARS-CoV-2 as the cause of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a member of the family that has generated an emerging global health concern. Controlling and preventing the spread of the disease requires a simple, portable, and rapid diagnostic method. Today, a standard method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 is quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR, which is time-consuming and needs an advanced device.

Conversion of Astrocyte Cell Lines to Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells Using Small Molecules and Transplantation to Animal Model of Multiple Sclerosis.

Astrocytes, the most prevalent cells in the central nervous system (CNS), can be transformed into neurons and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) using specific transcription factors and some chemicals. In this study, we present a cocktail of small molecules that target different signaling pathways to promote astrocyte conversion to OPCs. Astrocytes were transferred to an OPC medium and exposed for five days to a small molecule cocktail containing CHIR99021, Forskolin, Repsox, LDN, VPA and Thiazovivin before being preserved in the OPC medium for an additional 10 days.