Combination of Apigenin and Melatonin with nanostructured lipid carriers as anti-inflammatory ocular treatment.

Ocular inflammation is a complex pathology with limited treatment options. While traditional therapies have side effects, novel approaches, such as natural compounds like Apigenin (APG) and Melatonin (MEL) offer promising solutions. APG and MEL, in combination with nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), may provide a synergistic effect in treating ocular inflammation, potentially improving patient outcomes and reducing adverse effects.

A new coamorphous ethionamide with enhanced solubility: Preparation, characterization, in silico pharmacokinetics, and controlled release by encapsulation.

This study reports the synthesis and the experimental-theoretical characterization of a new coamorphous system consisting of ethionamide (ETH) and mandelic acid (MND) as a coformer. The solid dispersion was synthesized using the slow solvent evaporation method in an ethanolic medium. The structural, vibrational, and thermal properties of the system were characterized.

Multifunctional Indomethacin Conjugates for the Development of Nanosystems Targeting Cancer Treatment.

Purpose: It is well known that the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) indomethacin (IND) exhibits significant anticancer potential reported not only by in vitro and in vivo studies, but also in clinical trials. Despite promising results, IND is not widely used as an adjunctive agent in cancer therapy due to the occurrence of several gastrointestinal side effects, primarily after oral administration. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a nanosystem with reduced toxicity and risk of side effects for the delivery of IND for cancer treatment.

Liposomes and Niosomes: New trends and applications in the delivery of bioactive agents for cancer therapy.

Lipid-based nanocarriers have been in continuous development as strategies to enhance drug delivery efficiency. Liposomes are delivery systems primarily composed of phospholipids and cholesterol (or other suitable stabilizers) that have transformed the pharmaceutical field by improving drug targeting and release control. The success of this technology is strongly attributed to phospholipids, which are components of cell membranes, forming a biocompatible system.

Metallodrugs: Synthesis, mechanism of action and nanoencapsulation for targeted chemotherapy.

As a multifactorial and heterogeneous disease, cancer has a high mortality rate, and the search for more effective treatments is an enormous challenge. Metal coordination compounds open a range of possibilities that conventional organic and biological molecules can no longer fulfil due to increasing drug resistance. Metallodrugs still have tremendous potential to help overcome drug resistance and find new cures in medicine, considering that at least 25 metallic elements participate in healthy functioning of the human body.

Monoclonal Antibodies for the Treatment of Ocular Diseases.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have revolutionized the landscape of cancer therapy, offering unprecedented specificity and diverse mechanisms to combat malignant cells. These biologic agents have emerged as a cornerstone in targeted cancer treatment, binding to specific antigens on cancer cells and exerting their therapeutic effects through various mechanisms, including inhibition of signaling pathways, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP). The unique ability of mAbs to engage the immune system and directly interfere with cancer cell function has significantly enhanced the therapeutic armamentarium against a broad spectrum of malignancies.

Caspofungin formulations for buccal and sublingual mucosae anti-fungal infections: physicochemical characterization, rheological analysis, release and permeability profiles.

Aim: Oral candidiasis is often challenging due to limited effectiveness of topical treatments. This study aimed to develop novel caspofungin formulations for administration onto the oral mucosa to enhance drug retention and efficacy.

Method: Five caspofungin (2%, w/v) formulations were developed to assess their permeability, retention and mucoadhesiveness.

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for the delivery of bioactives sourced from plants: part I - composition and production methods.

Introduction: Nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in the pharmaceutical field to treat various human disorders. Among these, lipid-based NPs (LNPs), including solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), are favored for drug/bioactive delivery due to their high stability, biocompatibility, encapsulation efficiency, and sustained/controlled release. These properties make them particularly suitable as carriers of compounds derived from plant sources.

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for the delivery of bioactives sourced from plants: part II - applications and preclinical advancements.

Introduction: Numerous purified bioactive compounds, crude extracts, and essential oils have demonstrated potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties, particularly in vitro or in silico; however, their in vivo applications are hindered by inadequate absorption and distribution in the organism. The incorporation of these phytochemicals into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) or nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) has demonstrated significant advancements and represents a viable approach to improve their bioavailability through different administration routes.

Areas Covered: This review discusses the potential applications of SLN and NLC, loading bioactive compounds sourced from plants for the treatment of several diseases.

A Newly Validated HPLC-DAD Method for the Determination of Ricinoleic Acid (RA) in PLGA Nanocapsules.

The assessment of ricinoleic acid (RA) incorporated into polymeric nanoparticles is a challenge that has not yet been explored. This bioactive compound, the main component of castor oil, has attracted attention in the pharmaceutical field for its valuable anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. This work aims to develop a new and simple analytical method using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) for the identification and quantification of ricinoleic acid, with potential applicability in several other complex systems.

Dual Chemotherapeutic Loading in Oxalate Transferrin-Conjugated Polymersomes Incorporated into Chitosan Hydrogels for Site-Specific Targeting of Melanoma Cells.

In this work, we developed a smart drug delivery system composed of poly (ethylene glycol)--poly (ε-caprolactone) (PEG-PCL)-based polymersomes (Ps) loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and vemurafenib (VEM). To enhance targeted delivery to malignant melanoma cells, these drug-loaded nanovesicles were conjugated to the oxalate transferrin variant (oxalate Tf) and incorporated into three-dimensional chitosan hydrogels. This innovative approach represents the first application of oxalate Tf for the precision delivery of drug-loaded polymersomes within a semi-solid dosage form based on chitosan hydrogels.

Biodegradable nanoplatforms for antigen delivery: part I - state of the art review of polymeric nanoparticles for cancer immunotherapy.

Introduction: Polymeric nanoparticles used for antigen delivery against infections and for cancer immunotherapy are an emerging therapeutic strategy in promoting the development of innovative vaccines. Beyond their capability to create targeted delivery systems with controlled release of payloads, biodegradable polymers are utilized for their ability to enhance the immunogenicity and stability of antigens.

Areas Covered: This review extensively discusses the physicochemical parameters that affect the behavior of nanoparticles as antigen-delivery systems.

Biodegradable nanoplatforms for antigen delivery: part II - nanoparticles, hydrogels, and microneedles for cancer immunotherapy.

Introduction: In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has resulted in a breakthrough in the treatment of patients with refractory or relapsed hematological malignancies. However, the identification of patients suitable for CAR-T cell therapy needs to be improved.

Areascovered: CAR-T cell therapy has demonstrated excellent efficacy in hematological malignancies; however, views on determining when to apply CAR-T cells in terms of the evaluation of patient characteristics remain controversial.

Identification of microRNAs expressed in an animal model of periodontal disease and their impact on pathological processes.

MicroRNAs represent a class of small RNAs that act to silence genes post-transcriptionally by inhibiting the translation of target messenger RNAs, and this study aimed to understand how miRNAs influence the set-up of periodontal disease. Periodontitis was induced by inserting a ligature into the left first mandibular molar in a rat model, which was kept for the entire 56 days-time of experiment. After 56 days post-periodontitis induction, the histopathological analysis showed an apical extension of the junctional epithelium, with areas of hyperplasia, exocytosis, and a mixed inflammatory infiltrate with a predominance of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and eventual plasma cells in the deeper layers.

Interaction between Engineered Pluronic Silica Nanoparticles and Bacterial Biofilms: Elucidating the Role of Nanoparticle Surface Chemistry and EPS Matrix.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are considered a promising tool in the context of biofilm control. Many studies have shown that different types of NPs can interfere with the bacterial metabolism and cellular membranes, thus making them potential antibacterial agents; however, fundamental understanding is still lacking on the exact mechanisms involved in these actions. The development of NP-based approaches for effective biofilm control also requires a thorough understanding of how the chosen nanoparticles will interact with the biofilm itself, and in particular with the biofilm self-produced extracellular polymeric matrix (EPS).

Improving Structural Stability and Anticoagulant Activity of a Thrombin Binding Aptamer by Aromatic Modifications.

The thrombin binding aptamer (TBA) is a 15-mer DNA oligonucleotide (5'-GGT TGG TGT GGT TGG-3'), that can form a stable intramolecular antiparallel chair-like G-quadruplex structure. This aptamer shows anticoagulant properties by interacting with one of the two anion binding sites of thrombin, namely the fibrinogen-recognition exosite. Here, we demonstrate that terminal modification of TBA with aromatic fragments such as coumarin, pyrene and perylene diimide (PDI), improves the G-quadruplex stability.

Enzyme-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles to Target and Disperse Biofilms.

Background: biofilms pose a unique challenge in healthcare due to their tolerance to a wide range of antimicrobial agents. The high cost and lengthy timeline to develop novel therapeutic agents have pushed researchers to investigate the use of nanomaterials to deliver antibiofilm agents and target biofilm infections more efficiently. Previous studies have concentrated on improving the efficacy of antibiotics by deploying nanoparticles as nanocarriers.

Surface functionalization-dependent localization and affinity of SiO nanoparticles within the biofilm EPS matrix.

The contribution of the biofilm extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix to reduced antimicrobial susceptibility in biofilms is widely recognised. As such, the direct targeting of the EPS matrix is a promising biofilm control strategy that allows for the disruption of the matrix, thereby allowing a subsequent increase in susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. To this end, surface-functionalized nanoparticles (NPs) have received considerable attention.

Tailoring Nanoparticle-Biofilm Interactions to Increase the Efficacy of Antimicrobial Agents Against .

Background: Considering the timeline required for the development of novel antimicrobial drugs, increased attention should be given to repurposing old drugs and improving antimicrobial efficacy, particularly for chronic infections associated with biofilms. Methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) are common causes of biofilm-associated infections but produce different biofilm matrices. MSSA biofilm cells are typically embedded in an extracellular polysaccharide matrix, whereas MRSA biofilms comprise predominantly of surface proteins and extracellular DNA (eDNA).

Ratiometric Imaging of the in Situ pH Distribution of Biofilms by Use of Fluorescent Mesoporous Silica Nanosensors.

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms enclosed in a self-generated matrix of extracellular polymeric substances. While biofilm recalcitrance and persistence are caused by several factors, a reduction in antimicrobial susceptibility has been closely associated with the generation of pH gradients within the biofilm structure. Cells embedded within the biofilm create a localized acidic microenvironment, which is unaffected by the external pH.

Population dynamics of a dual - biofilm in a capillary bioreactor.

Most biofilm studies employ single species, yet in nature biofilms exist as mixed cultures, with inevitable effects on growth and development of each species present. To investigate how related species of bacteria interact in biofilms, two spp., and , were cultured in capillary bioreactors and their growth measured by confocal microscopy and cell counting.

Transcriptomic analysis of IgG4 Fc-fusion protein degradation in a panel of clonally-derived CHO cell lines using RNASeq.

In this study, we report an investigation of a panel of clonally-derived Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines exhibiting variability in the proportion of full-length IgG4 Fc-fusion protein produced. The recombinant protein was found to be degraded during cell culture into four shorter "clipped" species (three of the four cleavage sites occurred at arginine residues) and preliminary analyses suggested that a host cell enzyme was responsible for proteolysis. To identify the specific enzyme responsible, RNA sequencing was used to identify gene expression differences between the cell lines with a "high" and "low" clipping phenotype.

5,6,7,3',4',5'-Hexamethoxyflavone inhibits growth of triple-negative breast cancer cells via suppression of MAPK and Akt signaling pathways and arresting cell cycle.

Natural components continue to be an important source for the discovery and development of novel anticancer agents. Polymethoxyflavones are a class of flavonoids found in citrus fruits and medicinal plants used in traditional medicine. In the present study, the anticancer activity of the well-known nobiletin (5,6,7,8,3',4'-hexamethoxyflavone) was compared against its less studied structural isomer 5,6,7,3',4',5'-hexamethoxyflavone.

FAK tyrosine 407 organized with integrin αVβ5 in Hs578Ts(i)8 advanced triple-negative breast cancer cells.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase known to promote cell migration and invasiveness. Overexpression and increased activity of FAK are closely associated with metastatic breast tumors and are linked to poor prognosis. This study discovered an inverse correlation between FAK activity and migratory and invasive behavior.

Closing the carbon cycle through rational use of carbon-based fuels.

In this paper, a brief overview is presented of natural gas as a fuel resource with subsequent carbon capture and re-use as a means to facilitate reduction and eventual elimination of man-made carbon emissions. A particular focus is shale gas and, to a lesser extent, methane hydrates, with the former believed to provide the most reasonable alternative as a transitional fuel toward a low-carbon future. An emphasis is placed on the gradual elimination of fossil resource usage as a fuel over the coming 35 to 85 years and its eventual replacement with renewable resources and nuclear power.