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Topic Review
Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells by Microfluidic Devices
During metastasis, cancer cells detach from the primary tumor and intrude apart into tissues in the bloodstream. To detect and isolate CTCs (circulating tumor cells), various techniques including centrifugation, magnetic separation, microchips, filtration, micro/nano substrates and biomarkers have been used. With the widespread adoption of microfluidic techniques, a large number of researchers have worked hard to develop more efficient and reliable CTC separation technologies ranging from immunomagnetic beads to size-based microfluidic devices. Currently, the major commercialised products for CTC separation techniques include the CellSearch system, which uses immunomagnetic beads, and the CelarCellFX1 system, which uses size-dependent isolation. The methods for isolating CTCs are mostly based on biological qualities of the tumor cells, such as specific antigen expression and receptor, or physical properties of the tumor cells, such as size and deformability. Inertial focusing, acoustics, microfluidic filters, optics and dielectrophoresis are some of the size and deformability-based approaches.
  • 776
  • 27 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Bio-Inspired Muco-Adhesive Polymers for Drug Delivery Applications
Muco-adhesive drug delivery systems continue to be one of the most studied for controlled pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Briefly, muco-adhesive polymers, can be described as bio-polymers that adhere to the mucosal (mucus) surface layer, for an extended residency period of time at the site of application, by the help of interfacial forces resulting in improved drug delivery. When compared to traditional drug delivery systems, muco-adhesive carriers have the potential to enhance therapeutic performance and efficacy, locally and systematically, in oral, rectal, vaginal, amongst other routes. Hence, and in light of accruing progress, evidence and interest, during the past, this E-entry aims to provide the reader with an overview of the theories, principles, properties, and underlying mechanisms of muco-adhesive polymers for pharmaceutics; from basics to design to characterization to optimization to evaluation to market. A special focus is devoted to the advances incorporating bio-inspired polymers for designing controlled muco-adhesive drug delivery systems. 
  • 776
  • 23 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Non-Invasive Micro-Test Technology
Non-invasive micro-test technology (NMT) is a scientific research technology used for measuring physiological events of intact biological samples. NMT is used for research in many biological areas such as gene function, plant physiology, biomedical research, and environmental science. Most living things experience a constant exchange of ions and molecules with their surroundings as a result of biological processes. NMT uses specialized flux sensors, derived from microelectrodes, to measure this dynamic ion/molecule activity called flux around an intact sample. These fluxes reveal information about physiological phenomena. Each NMT flux sensor is selective or specific for a particular ion/molecule of choice. Some of the more commonly published ion/molecule flux sensors are those that are commercially available, such as Ca2+, H+, K+, Na+, Cl−, Mg2+, Cd2+, NH4+, NO3−, Pb2+, Cu2+, O2, H2O2, and IAA (indole-3-acetic acid). Some other flux sensors include glutamate, glucose, Zn2+, Hg2+, and more that have been designed by individual laboratories. NMT measures how much, how fast, and in what direction the chosen ions/molecules are moving. This is defined as diffusion flux, which is the amount of substance per unit area per unit time. The principle of how NMT measures flux was described in the 1990s by a few different laboratories; Lionel Jaffe at the Marine Biological Laboratory described the Vibrating Probe technique, and Ian Newman at the University of Tasmania described the MIFE™ technique. There are also technologies SERIS and SIET that use this principle.
  • 772
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
M13 Bacteriophage-Based Biosensors
New virus-based sensor systems that operate on M13 bacteriophage infrastructure have attracted considerable attention. These systems can detect a range of chemicals with excellent sensitivity and selectivity. Filaments consistent with M13 bacteriophages can be ordered by highly established forms of self-assembly. This allows M13 bacteriophages to build a homogeneous distribution and infiltrate the network structure of nanostructures under mild conditions.
  • 767
  • 07 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Electrochemical Signal Amplification in Olfactory and Taste Evaluation
Biosensors are powerful analytical tools used to identify and detect target molecules. Electrochemical biosensors, which combine biosensing with electrochemical analysis techniques, are efficient analytical instruments that translate concentration signals into electrical signals, enabling the quantitative and qualitative analysis of target molecules. Electrochemical biosensors have been widely used in various fields of detection and analysis due to their high sensitivity, superior selectivity, quick reaction time, and inexpensive cost. However, the signal changes caused by interactions between a biological probe and a target molecule are very weak and difficult to capture directly by using detection instruments. Therefore, various signal amplification strategies have been proposed and developed to increase the accuracy and sensitivity of detection systems. 
  • 767
  • 19 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Biological Killing by Cold Plasma
Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) is a near-room-temperature partially ionized gas, composed of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. CAP also generates physical factors, including ultraviolet irradiation, thermal emission, and an electromagnetic (EM) effect. The multimodal chemical and physical nature of CAP makes it a suitable, controllable, flexible, and even a self-adaptive tool for many medical and biological applications, ranging from microorganism sterilization, dermatitis, wound healing, and cancer therapy. It is promising that CAP could help to mitigate the COVID 19 pandemic by effectively inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus on diverse surfaces.  Biological killing is a foundation to understand these applications. Reactive species and their radical effects are the foundation to cause the CAP-based biological destruction in most cases. Basically, plasma medicine has even been regarded as a reactive species-based medicine. Here, we provide a systematic introduction and critical summary of the entire picture of biological killing due to CAP treatment and corresponding mechanisms based on the latest discoveries. This work provides guiding principles for diverse applications of CAP in modern biotechnology and medicine.
  • 766
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
PET/CT Radiomics in Lung Cancer
Quantitative extraction of imaging features from medical scans (‘radiomics’) has become a major research topic in recent years. Numerous studies have emphasized the potential use of radiomics for computer-assisted diagnosis, as well as for predicting survival and response to treatment in patients with lung cancer. Furthermore, radiomics is appealing in that it enables full-field analysis of the lesion, provides nearly real-time results, and is non-invasive.
  • 764
  • 17 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Osteoporotic Bone Tissue Engineering
Bone tissue engineering aims at delivering novel methods for treating bone tissue deficiencies of-ten resulting from polytrauma, pathological fractures, and osteonecrosis as there is an increasing need to provide functional replacement grafts for the patients.
  • 764
  • 26 Jan 2021
Topic Review
DOX Delivery Systems
Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most widely used anthracycline anticancer drugs due to its high efficacy and evident antitumoral activity on several cancer types. However, its effective utilization is hindered by the adverse side effects associated with its administration, the detriment to the patients’ quality of life, and general toxicity to healthy fast-dividing cells. Thus, delivering DOX to the tumor site encapsulated inside nanocarrier-based systems (like liposomes, micelles, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)) is an area of research that has garnered colossal interest in targeted medicine. Nanoparticles can be used as vehicles for the localized delivery and release of DOX, decreasing the effects on neighboring healthy cells and providing more control over the drug’s release and distribution.
  • 761
  • 24 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Neuroprotection and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation
Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive Magnetic Transcranial Stimulation (rTMS), are well-known non-pharmacological approaches to improve both motor and non-motor symptoms in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Their use is of particular interest especially for the treatment of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), as well as axial disturbances in Parkinson’s (PD), where conventional pharmacological therapies show very mild and short-lasting effects. However, their ability to interfere with disease progression over time is not well understood; recent evidence suggests that NIBS may have a neuroprotective effect, thus slowing disease progression and modulating the aggregation state of pathological proteins. 
  • 761
  • 23 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Implant
An implant is a medical device manufactured to replace a missing biological structure, support a damaged biological structure, or enhance an existing biological structure. Medical implants are man-made devices, in contrast to a transplant, which is a transplanted biomedical tissue. The surface of implants that contact the body might be made of a biomedical material such as titanium, silicone, or apatite depending on what is the most functional. In some cases implants contain electronics, e.g. artificial pacemaker and cochlear implants. Some implants are bioactive, such as subcutaneous drug delivery devices in the form of implantable pills or drug-eluting stents.
  • 758
  • 25 Oct 2022
Topic Review
COVID-19 Detection Based on ECG Processing
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been on alert since early 2020 regarding the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19). With well over 6 million deaths worldwide, the scientific community is developing new ways to detect the disease. As one of the most used clinical examination methods, it is of great importance to study the changes in the electrocardiographic (ECG) activity, as well as to understand the ECG features related to COVID-19.
  • 755
  • 07 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Silk Protein-Based Membrane for GBR
Silk derived from the silkworm is known for its excellent biological and mechanical properties. It has been used in various fields as a biomaterial, especially in bone tissue engineering scaffolding. Recently, silk protein-based biomaterial has been used as a barrier membrane scaffolding for guided bone regeneration (GBR). GBR promotes bone regeneration in bone defect areas using special barrier membranes. GBR membranes should have biocompatibility, biodegradability, cell occlusion, the mechanical properties of space-making, and easy clinical handling. Silk-based biomaterial has excellent biologic and mechanical properties that make it a good candidate to be used as GBR membranes. 
  • 754
  • 24 Jun 2021
Topic Review
3D Bioprinting Skin and Melanoma Models
Melanoma is a potentially fatal cancer with rising incidence, associated with enhanced sun exposure and ultraviolet radiation. Its incidence is highest in people of European descent and the ageing population. Although survival has improved due to advances in targeted and immunotherapies, new understanding of melanoma biology and disease progression is vital to improving clinical outcomes. Efforts to develop three-dimensional human skin equivalent models using biofabrication techniques, such as bioprinting, promise to deliver a better understanding of the complexity of melanoma and associated risk factors. These 3D skin models can be used as a platform for patient specific models and testing therapeutics.
  • 753
  • 11 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Pesticide Aptasensors
Contamination by pesticides in the food chain and the environment is a worldwide problem that needs to be actively monitored to ensure safety. Unfortunately, standard pesticide analysis based on mass spectrometry takes a lot of time, money and effort. Thus, simple, reliable, cost-effective and field applicable methods for pesticide detection have been actively developed. One of the most promising technologies is an aptamer-based biosensor or so-called aptasensor. It utilizes aptamers, short single-stranded DNAs or RNAs, as pesticide recognition elements to integrate with various innovative biosensing technologies for specific and sensitive detection of pesticide residues. Several platforms for aptasensors have been dynamically established, such as colorimetry, fluorometry, electrochemistry, electrochemiluminescence (ECL) and so forth. Each platform has both advantages and disadvantages depending on the purpose of use and readiness of technology. For example, colorimetric-based aptasensors are more affordable than others because of the simplicity of fabrication and resource requirements. Electrochemical-based aptasensors have mainly shown better sensitivity than others with exceedingly low detection limits. This paper critically reviews the progression of pesticide aptasensors throughout the development process, including the selection, characterization and modification of aptamers, the conceptual frameworks of integrating aptamers and biosensors, the ASSURED (affordable, sensitive, specific, user-friendly, rapid and robust, equipment-free and deliverable to end users) criteria of different platforms and the future outlook.
  • 749
  • 22 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Computational Health Engineering
Infectious diseases are the primary cause of mortality worldwide. The dangers of infectious disease are compounded with antimicrobial resistance, which remains the greatest concern for human health. Although novel approaches are under investigation, the World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, septicaemia caused by antimicrobial resistant bacteria could result in 10 million deaths per year. One of the main challenges in medical microbiology is to develop novel experimental approaches, which enable a better understanding of bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance. After the introduction of whole genome sequencing, there was a great improvement in bacterial detection and identification, which also enabled the characterization of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes. Today, the use of in silico experiments jointly with computational and machine learning offer an in depth understanding of systems biology, allowing us to use this knowledge for the prevention, prediction, and control of infectious disease. Herein, the aim of this review is to discuss the latest advances in human health engineering and their applicability in the control of infectious diseases. An in-depth knowledge of host–pathogen–protein interactions, combined with a better understanding of a host's immune response and bacterial fitness, are key determinants for halting infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance dissemination.
  • 746
  • 05 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Skin Cancer Detection Using Infrared Thermography
Infrared thermography technology has improved dramatically in recent years and is gaining renewed interest in the medical community for applications in skin tissue identification applications. However, there is still a need for an optimized measurement setup and protocol to obtain the most appropriate images for decision making and further processing. Nowadays, various cooling methods, measurement setups and cameras are used, but a general optimized cooling and measurement protocol has not been defined yet. It is possible to improve thermal images of skin lesions by choosing an appropriate cooling method, infrared camera and optimized measurement setup.
  • 745
  • 16 May 2022
Topic Review
Fretting Corrosion at Microgrooved Taper of Hip Implants
Fretting corrosion at the head–neck interface of modular hip implants entails regional inflammation and adverse local tissue reactions. Surface topography is one key factor which can influence the severity of this damage mechanism. The methodologies together with the assumptions and main findings from both the experimental and numerical studies are presented to evaluate the performance of the microgrooved junctions using two criteria as: stability and integrity; wear, corrosion, and material loss. Current research needs and possible future research directions for the microgrooved junctions are then identified and presented.
  • 743
  • 07 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Robot-Assisted Endovascular Interventions Technologies and Application
Prior methods of patient care have changed in recent years due to the availability of minimally invasive surgical platforms for endovascular interventions. These platforms have demonstrated the ability to improve patients’ vascular intervention outcomes, and global morbidities and mortalities from vascular disease are decreasing. 
  • 742
  • 28 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Additively Manufactured Polylactic Acid in Dentistry
Additive manufacturing (AM), which is also called rapid prototyping/3D printing/layered manufacturing, can be considered as a rapid conversion between digital and physical models. One of the most used materials in AM is polylactic acid (PLA), which has advantageous material properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and nontoxicity. For many medical applications, it is considered as a leading biomaterial. In dentistry, in addition to its uses in dental models (education, teaching, simulation needs), it can be used for therapeutic objectives and tissue engineering.
  • 742
  • 28 Jun 2023
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