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'Don't forget the children': a qualitative review each time a parent are at terminal through cancers.
Accordingly, there is the possibility to explore yet novel properties, biological effects, and oncological applications.Despite the promising results from the placement of covered or uncovered self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) as a nonsurgical therapeutic option for the malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO), the long patency of the stent is still limited because of stent-induced tissue hyperplasia. Here, a local heat treatment using a nanofunctionalized SEMS is proposed for suppressing stent-induced tissue hyperplasia during GOO treatment. Highly efficient photothermal gold nanoparticle (GNP) transducer-coated SEMSs (GNP-SEMSs) were prepared for local heat treatment in rat gastric outlet. HS148 The in vivo heating temperature in rat gastric outlet model was evaluated and compared with in vitro heating temperature. Three groups of our developed 45 rat gastric outlet models were used group A, noncoated SEMS only; group B, GNP-SEMS plus local heating; and group C, GNP-SEMS only to investigate in vivo efficacy of GNP-SEMS mediated local heating. Ten rats per group were sacrificed for 4 weeks, and five rats per group were sacrificed immediately after local heat treatment. The in vivo heating temperature was found to be 10.8% lower than the in vitro heating temperatures. GNP-SEMSs were successfully placed through a percutaneous approach into the rat gastric outlet (n = 45). The therapeutic effects of GNP-SEMS were assessed by histologic examination including hematoxylin-eosin, Masson trichrome, immunohistochemistry (TUNEL and CD31), and immunofluorescence (Ki67), and the results showed significant prevention of tissue hyperplasia following stent placement without adjacent gastrointestinal tissue damage. GNP-SEMS-mediated local heating could be an alternative therapeutic option for the suppression of tissue hyperplasia following stent placement in benign and malignant GOOs.In the present study, heparin-mimetic magnetic nanoparticles (HMNPs), which might be used as recycling anticoagulants, were synthesized by coating heparin-mimetic sodium alginate (HLSA) on the surface of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), using 3,4,5-trihydroxyphenylalanine (TOPA) as a biological adhesive. HLSA was successfully immobilized on the MNP surface, as revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis, and the core (MNP)-shell (TOPA, HLSA) structure was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy observations. In addition, in vitro studies of protein adsorption, blood clotting time, and contact activation confirmed that the blood compatibility of the HMNP was significantly enhanced compared with the bare MNP. The improved hemocompatibility was attributed to the introduction of the multiple heparin-mimetic groups (-SO3Na, -COONa, and -OH). In addition, the HMNP showed outstanding recycle stability and, thus, can be reused if needed. The synthesized HMNP appeared to be a suitable biomaterial to safely replace heparin as an anticoagulant in patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis.Light-induced cell harvest shows much potential in in vitro cell culture. In this work, a light-responsive monolayer graphene (Gr)/titanium dioxide nanodot (TN) film is designed and used for light-induced cell harvest. It is found that after 20 min of 365 nm UV or 450 nm visible light illumination, different types of cells could be detached from the surface effectively. The highest cell detachment ratio reaches about 95%. The mechanism of such a cell detachment is contributed to light illumination generates charge accumulation, which, in turn, changes the conformation of the extracellular matrix protein molecules adsorbed to a more disordered state, and eventually leads to the cells detachment. Such UV and visible light responsive Gr/TiO2 film could be a good candidate for a surface with light-induced cell detachment property.Brain injury can lead to the loss of neuronal functions and connections, along with the damage of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Thus, it ultimately results in devastating long-term damage, and recovery from this damage is a challenging task. To address this issue, we have designed a sulfo-group-functionalized injectable biocompatible peptide hydrogel, which not only mimics the ECM and supports the damaged neurons but also releases a neurotrophic factor around the injured sites of the brain in the presence of the matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) enzyme. It has also been observed that the driving force of hydrogel formation is a β-sheet secondary structure and π-π stacking interactions between Phe-Phe moieties. The hydrogel is able not only to promote neurite outgrowth of PC12-derived neurons and primary neurons cultured in its presence but also to nullify the toxic effects of anti-nerve growth factor (Anti-NGF)-induced neurons. It also promotes the expression of vital neuronal markers in rat cortical primary neurons, displays substantial potential in neuroregeneration, and also promotes fast recovery of the sham injured mice brain. Increased expression of reactive astrocytes in the hippocampal dentate gyrus region of the sham injured brain clearly suggests its tremendous ability in the neural repair of the damaged brain. Thus, we can convincingly state that our hydrogel is capable of repairing brain injury by mimicking an ECM-like environment and providing neuroprotection to the damaged neurons.The addition of noble elements such as Ag was shown as a successful method to accelerate the corrosion rate of absorbable Fe-based alloys. One major concern of Ag addition is its effect on hemocompatibility and biocompatibility. In this study, in vitro degradation and surface analysis of Fe-30Mn-xAg (x = 0, 1, and 3 wt %) alloys as well as their effects on hemocompatibility and cell viability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were investigated. The static degradation rate of the alloys was 4.97, 4.69, and 4.49 mg/cm2 for Fe-30Mn, Fe-30Mn-1Ag, and Fe-30Mn-3Ag, respectively. The surface analysis after degradation showed that γ-FeOOH was formed on Fe-30Mn-3Ag, while α-FeOOH was more dominant on Fe-30Mn and Fe-30Mn-1Ag. As γ-FeOOH is more soluble than α-FeOOH, it assists further degradation of Fe-30Mn-3Ag alloy. The high amount of Ag, which induced the hemolysis ratio, however, inhibited coagulation by decreasing the platelet adhesion. Fe-30Mn-1Ag and Fe-30Mn-3Ag alloys show an improved cell viability as compared to that of Fe-Mn alloy. Shear yield strength and shear elastic modulus of the samples after immersion tests were increased, while the ultimate shear strength was not affected. On the basis of the acceptable hemolysis rate, low platelet adhesion, acceptable cell viability, and appropriate mechanical properties after degradation, Fe-30Mn-1Ag can be considered as a suitable blood-contacting Fe-based absorbable alloy.Spinal cord injury (SCI) is characterized by the disruption of neuronal axons and the creation of an inhibitory environment for spinal tissue regeneration. For decades, researchers and clinicians have been devoting a great effort to develop novel therapeutic approaches which include the fabrication of biocompatible implants that could guide neural tissue repair in the lesion site in an attempt to recover the functionality of the nervous tissue. In this context, although fiberlike structures have been hypothesized to serve as a topographical guidance for axonal regrowth, work on the exploration of this type of materials is still limited for SCI. Aiming to develop such guidance platforms, we recently designed and explored in vitro reduced graphene oxide materials in the shape of microfibers (rGO-MFs). After preliminary studies to assess the feasibility of their implantation at the injured spinal cord in vivo, no evident signs of subacute local toxicity were noticed (10 days of implantation). In this work, we spl functionalization might improve their therapeutic potential by a synergistic effect of topographical and chemical cues, thus boosting neural repair after SCI.The intestine epithelium is considered to be the most critical obstacle for nanoparticles for oral delivery of water-insoluble and poorly absorbed drugs. Based on the specific transporters located on the apical membrane of the intestinal epithelium, the carnitine-conjugated polymeric micelles targeting to the carnitine/organic cation transporter 2 (OCTN2) were developed by combining carnitine-conjugated poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-poly(d,l-lactide) with monomethoxy poly(ethylene-glycol)-poly(d,l-lactide). The carnitine-conjugated micelles with favorable stability in gastrointestinal fluid were validated to remarkably increase the cellular internalization and transcellular transport, while these were not the cases in the presence of free carnitine. These were further confirmed by more distribution of the micelles within epithelial cells, on the apical and basolateral side of the epithelium in mice. Additionally, identification of the carnitine-conjugated micelles by OCTN2 was detected to facilitate cellular uptake of the micelles via fluorescence immunoassay. Both clathrin and caveolae/lipid rafts pathways mediated endocytosis and transcellular transport of the carnitine-conjugated micelles, implying the enrichment of endocytic and transcellular transport pathway compared with that of carnitine-unconjugated micelles. Further, the intracellular trafficking process of the carnitine-conjugated micelles was tracked under confocal laser scanning microscopy, which involved in intracellular compartments such as late endosomes, lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi apparatus as well. In conclusion, the current study provided an efficient strategy to facilitate the oral absorption of water-insoluble and poorly absorbed agents using intestinal transporter-mediated polymeric micelles.The construction of a biomaterial matrix with biological properties is of great importance to developing functional materials for clinical use. However, the site-specific immobilization of growth factors to endow materials with bioactivities has been a challenge to date. Considering the wide existence of glycosylation in mammalian proteins or recombinant proteins, we establish a bioaffinity-based protein immobilization strategy (bioanchoring method) utilizing the native sugar-lectin interaction between concanavalin A (Con A) and the oligosaccharide chain on glycosylated bone morphogenetic protein-2 (GBMP-2). The interaction realizes the site-specific immobilization of GBMP-2 to a substrate modified with Con A while preserving its bioactivity in a sustained and highly efficient way, as evidenced by its enhanced ability to induce osteodifferentiation compared with that of the soluble GBMP-2. Moreover, the surface with Con A-bioanchored GBMP-2 can be reused to stimulate multiple batches of C2C12 cells to differentiate almost to the same degree. Even after 4 month storage at 4 °C in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), the Con A-bioanchored GBMP-2 still maintains the bioactivity to stimulate the differentiation of C2C12 cells. Furthermore, the ectopic ossification test proves the in vivo bioactivity of bioanchored GBMP-2. Overall, our results demonstrate that the tag-free and site (i.e., sugar chain)-specific protein immobilization strategy represents a simple and generic alternative, which is promising to apply for other glycoprotein immobilization and application. It should be noted that although the lectin we utilized can only bind to d-mannose/d-glucose, the diversity of the lectin family assures that a specific lectin could be offered for other sugar types, thus expanding the applicable scope further.
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