Development of a Microphysiological Cartilage-on-Chip Platform for Dynamic Biomechanical Stimulation of Three-Dimensional Encapsulated Chondrocytes in Agarose Hydrogels.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent joint diseases globally, characterized by the progressive breakdown of articular cartilage, resulting in chronic pain, stiffness, and loss of joint function. Despite its significant socioeconomic impact, therapeutic options remain limited, largely due to an incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving cartilage degradation and OA pathogenesis. Recent advances in in vitro modeling have revolutionized joint tissue research, transitioning from simplistic two-dimensional cell cultures to sophisticated three-dimensional (3D) constructs that more accurately mimic the physiological microenvironment of native cartilage.

How to Use Macrophages Against Cancer.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the significant influence of immune cells on cancer development and treatment. This study specifically examines tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), detailing their characteristics and roles in tumorigenesis and analyzing the impact of the ratio of TAM subtypes on patient survival and prognosis. It is established that TAMs interact with immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, thereby influencing the efficacy of these treatments.

TissueGene-C induces anti-inflammatory activity and M2 macrophage polarization via activation of prostaglandin E signaling.

Background And Aim: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of degenerative joint disease that commonly affects the knees, hips and hands. OA is a mechano-inflammatory disease characterized by low-grade inflammation, which results in breakdown of the cartilage extracellular matrix within joints, leading to pain, stiffness and inflammation. TissueGene-C (TG-C) is a cell and gene therapy investigational drug for treating knee OA that comprises human allogeneic chondrocytes and an irradiated modified cell line stably expressing transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1).

Effects of carbon black particles on human monocyte-derived macrophages: type-dependent pro-inflammatory activation in vitro.

Carbon black is a key component of air-borne particulate matter, linked to adverse health outcomes, such as increased susceptibility to respiratory infections and chronic pulmonary disease exacerbations. Fine and ultrafine particles can penetrate the lungs, enter the bloodstream, and induce pathogenetic events. Macrophages play a crucial role in responding to inhaled particles, including carbon black, by initiating an innate immune response and upregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-oxidative enzymes.

The additive effect of 17β-estradiol on the modulation of electrochemotherapy with calcium ions or cisplatin in human clear carcinoma cells.

Calcium electroporation (CaEP) is an efficient approach for ovarian cancer treatment. It causes cell death by introducing elevated levels of calcium into cells. In this work, the research focused on two types of cell lines: CHO-K1, representing normal ovary cells, and OvBH-1, representing ovarian clear carcinoma cells.

A Comprehensive Review of Advanced Diagnostic Techniques for Endometriosis: New Approaches to Improving Women's Well-Being.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), endometriosis affects roughly 10% (190 million) of reproductive-age women and girls in the world (2023). The diagnostic challenge in endometriosis lies in the limited value of clinical tools, making it crucial to address diagnostic complexities in patients with suggestive symptoms and inconclusive clinical or imaging findings. Saliva micro ribonucleic acid (miRNA) signature, nanotechnologies, and artificial intelligence (AI) have opened up new perspectives on endometriosis diagnosis.

The Challenges of Local Intra-Articular Therapy.

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) are among the main disease-driving players in most cases of monoarthritis (MonoA), oligoarthritis, and polyarthritis. In this review, we look at the characteristics and therapeutic challenges at the onset of arthritis and during follow-up management. In some cases, these forms of arthritis develop into autoimmune polyarthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), whereas local eradication of the RA synovium could still be combined with systemic treatment using immunosuppressive agents.

The Influence of Environmental Exposure to Xenoestrogens on the Risk of Cancer Development.

Xenoestrogens (XEs) are a group of exogenous substances that may interfere with the functioning of the endocrine system. They may mimic the function of estrogens, and their sources are plants, water or dust, plastic, chemical agents, and some drugs. Thus, people are highly exposed to their actions.

Enhancing lung cancer growth inhibition with calcium ions: Role of mid- and high-frequency electric field pulses.

Calcium electroporation (CaEP) involves the combination of calcium ions with electroporation, which is induced by pulsed electric fields (PEFs). This study explores the application of high-frequency unipolar nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs: 8-14 kV/cm, 200 ns, 10 kHz, 100 kHz, 1 MHz repetition frequency pulse bursts, n = 100) and their potential in inhibiting lung cancer cell growth. As a reference, standard microsecond range parametric protocols were used (100 µs x 8 pulses).

Biocompatibility of 3D-printed vs. thermoformed and heat-cured intraoral appliances.

Objectives: The development of additive manufacturing has the potential to revolutionize the fabrication of medical devices. This technology, also known as 3D printing, offers precise, cost-effective, and personalized approaches, which could be particularly beneficial in the production of intraoral appliances. Despite its promise, research on the biocompatibility of 3D-printed intraoral devices is still limited.

Insights into respiratory microbiome composition and systemic inflammatory biomarkers of bronchiectasis patients.

Unlabelled: The human microbiomes, including the ones present in the respiratory tract, are described and characterized in an increasing number of studies. However, the composition and the impact of the healthy and/or impaired microbiome on pulmonary health and its interaction with the host tissues remain enigmatic. In chronic airway diseases, bronchiectasis stands out as a progressive condition characterized by microbial colonization and infection.

Multi-centre modified Delphi exercise to identify candidate items for classifying early-stage symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: To generate a list of candidate items potentially useful for discriminating individuals with Early-stage Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis (EsSKOA) from those with other conditions and from established osteoarthritis (OA), and to reduce this list based on expert consensus.

Design: We conducted a three-round online international modified Delphi exercise with OA clinicians and researchers ("OA experts"). In Round 1, participants reviewed 84 candidate items and nominated additional item(s) potentially useful for EsSKOA classification; those nominated by ≥3 participants were added.

Obesity-induced fibrosis in osteoarthritis: Pathogenesis, consequences and novel therapeutic opportunities.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a significant global burden, affecting more than half a billion people across the world. It is characterized by degeneration and loss of articular cartilage, synovial inflammation, and subchondral bone sclerosis, leading to pain and functional impairment. After age, obesity is a major modifiable risk factor for OA, and it has recently been identified as a chronic disease by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The periaxonal space as a conduit for cerebrospinal fluid flow to peripheral organs.

Mechanisms controlling the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) toward peripheral nerves are poorly characterized. We found that, in addition to the foramina Magendie and Luschka for CSF flow toward the subarachnoid space and glymphatic system, CSF outflow could also occur along periaxonal spaces (termed "PAS pathway") from the spinal cord to peripheral organs, such as the liver and pancreas. When interrogating the latter route, we found that serotonin, acting through 5-HT receptors expressed in ependymocytes that line the central canal, triggered Ca signals to induce polymerization of F-actin, a cytoskeletal protein, to reduce the volume of ependymal cells.

Lipids associated with autophagy: mechanisms and therapeutic targets.

Autophagy is a molecular process essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis, with its impairment or dysregulation linked to the progression of various diseases in mammals. Specific lipids, including phosphoinositides, sphingolipids, and oxysterols, play pivotal roles in inducing and regulating autophagy, highlighting their significance in this intricate process. This review focuses on the critical involvement of these lipids in autophagy and lipophagy, providing a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of their functions.

The Potential of Nuclear Pore Complexes in Cancer Therapy.

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) play a critical role in regulating transport-dependent gene expression, influencing various stages of cancer development and progression. Dysregulation of nucleocytoplasmic transport has profound implications, particularly in the context of cancer-associated protein mislocalization. This review provides specific information about the relationship between nuclear pore complexes, key regulatory proteins, and their impact on cancer biology.

Targeting the TRPV1 pain pathway in osteoarthritis of the knee.

Introduction: The growing prevalence and lack of effective pain therapies for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) results in a substantial unmet need for novel analgesic therapies. The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptor is expressed in subsets of nociceptive sensory neurons and has major roles in pain transmission and regulation. In the structures of the knee joint, nociceptors are present in abundance.

Electroporation-derived melanoma extracellular particles activate fibroblasts.

Although the pulse electric field (PEF) has been used in electrochemotherapy (ECT) for many years, the kinetics and profile of extracellular particles (EPs) released as a result of reversible electroporation have yet to be studied. It also needs to be clarified whether and how the profile of released EPs depends on the parameters of the applied PEF. The presented studies investigated the effect of EPs released from human melanoma cells after various parameters of reversible electroporation on markers indicating EP-mediated transformation of normal fibroblasts into tumor-associated fibroblasts.

Effects of Corm Treatment with Cold Plasma and Electromagnetic Field on Growth and Production of Saffron Metabolites in .

L. is a widely cultivated traditional plant for obtaining dried red stigmas known as "saffron," the most expensive spice in the world. The response of to pre-sowing processing of corms with cold plasma (CP, 3 and 5 min), vacuum (3 min), and electromagnetic field (EMF, 5 min) was assessed to verify how such treatments affect plant performance and the quality and yield of herbal raw materials.

Corrigendum to "Tissue-engineered small-diameter vascular grafts containing novel copper-doped bioactive glass biomaterials to promote angiogenic activity and endothelial regeneration" [Mater. Today Bio 20 (2023): 100647].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.