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Topic Review
Gold Nanoclusters in Tumor Theranostic and Combination Therapy
The rising incidence and severity of malignant tumors threaten human life and health, and the current lagged diagnosis and single treatment in clinical practice are inadequate for tumor management. Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are nanomaterials with small dimensions (≤3 nm) and few atoms exhibiting unique optoelectronic and physicochemical characteristics, such as fluorescence, photothermal effects, radiosensitization, and biocompatibility.
  • 778
  • 02 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Natural Superhydrophobic Surfaces and Wetting Regimes
In nature, many kinds of plants and animals have superhydrophobic surfaces, attracting extensive attention due to their unique properties, such as self-cleaning, water-proofing, uniaxial water transport, etc. Although the apparent contact angles (CAs) of these surfaces are similar, the CAHs may be different considering the chemical compositions of these surfaces. Additionally, the important “lotus leaf effect” and “rose petal effect” are proposed according to the water repellency/adhesion.
  • 778
  • 04 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Rationale for Biomimetic Materials Design
Biomimicry can take lessons regarding the secret laws that govern the perfect machines of our biological systems. Biomimetic materials are developed, thus, to emulate and replicate one or more attributes of a living organism, to restore a natural function, or to sustain an environment in terms of chemistry, processing, and structure of materials.
  • 773
  • 25 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogels Drug Delivery in Cancer Therapy
Hydrogels are three-dimensional crosslinked structures with physicochemical properties similar to the extracellular matrix (ECM). By changing the hydrogel’s material type, crosslinking, molecular weight, chemical surface, and functionalization, it is possible to mimic the mechanical properties of native tissues. Hydrogels are currently used in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields for drug delivery systems, wound dressings, tissue engineering, and contact lenses. Polysaccharide-based hydrogels can be used as drug delivery systems for the efficient release of various types of cancer therapeutics, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy and minimizing potential side effects.
  • 765
  • 01 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Carbohydrates for Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering
Carbohydrate-based biomaterials are a unique platform for active molecular transport and targeted drug delivery, providing biocompatibility, biodegradability, and a reduction in toxic side effects.
  • 764
  • 27 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Metal-Oxide FET Biosensor for Point-of-Care Testing
Metal-oxide semiconducting materials are promising for building high-performance field-effect transistor (FET) based biochemical sensors. The existence of well-established top-down scalable manufacturing processes enables the reliable production of cost-effective yet high-performance sensors, two key considerations toward the translation of such devices in real-life applications. Metal-oxide semiconductor FET biochemical sensors are especially well-suited to the development of Point-of-Care testing (PoCT) devices, as illustrated by the rapidly growing body of reports in the field. Yet, metal-oxide semiconductor FET sensors remain confined to date, mainly in academia.
  • 759
  • 31 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Silica-Based Stimuli-Responsive Systems
Silica nanoparticles are safe vehicles for antitumor molecules due to their stability in physiological medium, high surface area and easy functionalization, and good biocompatibility. Silica surface can be engineered with specific organic moieties for the development of stimuli-responsive systems (SRSs), that is, delivery nanostructures that release their cargo under the action of a specific stimulus. When used as drug carriers, these stimuli-responsive nanoparticles are good candidates for strong therapeutic activity with no toxicity effects.
  • 757
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Engineered Lipidic Nanomaterials for Cancer Therapy
Sphingomyelin (SM) and its metabolites are crucial regulators of tumor cell growth, differentiation, senescence, and programmed cell death. With the rise in lipid-based nanomaterials, engineered lipidic nanomaterials inspired by SM metabolism, corresponding lipid targeting, and signaling activation have made fascinating advances in cancer therapeutic processes.
  • 756
  • 26 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Natural Products in Oncology
In recent decades, increasing interest in the use of natural products in anticancer therapy field has been observed, mainly due to unsolved drug-resistance problems. The antitumoral effect of natural compounds involving different signaling pathways and cellular mechanisms has been largely demonstrated in in vitro and in vivo studies. The encapsulation of natural products into different delivery systems may lead to a significant enhancement of their anticancer efficacy by increasing in vivo stability and bioavailability, reducing side adverse effects and improving target-specific activity. More and more studies in the nanomedicine field aim to design nanostructured systems containing natural compounds for new drug delivery tools in anticancer therapies.
  • 754
  • 22 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Extracellular Matrix (ECM)
In tissues and organs, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is an essential extracellular element that surrounds cells, characterised by its sophisticated nanoarchitecture. It is a highly hydrated structure composed of cell-secreted proteins (e.g., collagen, fibronectin, elastin, etc.), macromolecules (e.g., polysaccharides, hyaluronan, glycosaminoglycans—GAGs—and proteoglycans—PGs), and specialised soluble factors (e.g., ions, growth factor, cytokines, and hormones).
  • 754
  • 09 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Applications of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)-Based Materials
Among the various biopolymers derived from the PHA family, the copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), commonly known as PHBV, stands out for its inherent versatility. Unlike many other members of the PHA family that are derived from a single monomer and exhibit consistent physicochemical properties, PHBV offers the unique advantage of tunability. By adjusting the ratio of 3HB to 3HV monomers, the material properties can be tailored to produce products from flexible films to rigid molded objects. This adaptability made PHBV more versatile and expanded its potential applications.
  • 754
  • 22 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Nanotechnology-Based Bioactive Antifeedant for Plant Protection
An antifeedant approach for insect control in crop management has been comprehensively studied by many researchers, though it has only been restricted to plant-based compounds and to the laboratory level at least. Nano-delivery formulations of biopesticides offer a wide variety of benefits, including increased effectiveness and efficiency with the improved properties of the antifeedant. An antifeedant nano-delivery system can increase their bioactivities, such as increasing sublethal bioactivity or reducing toxicity levels in both crude extracts/essential oils (EOs) and pure compounds.
  • 753
  • 07 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Sources and Isolation Methods for Nanocellulose Materials
Nanocelluloses (NCs) are appealing nanomaterials that have experienced rapid development, with great potential in the biomedical field. This trend aligns with the increasing demand for sustainable materials, which will contribute both to an improvement in wellbeing and an extension of human life, and with the demand to keep up with advances in medical technology. 
  • 752
  • 29 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Polyphosphorhydrazone-Based Radical Dendrimers
The search for new biomedical applications of dendrimers has promoted the synthesis of new radical-based molecules. In particular, obtaining radical dendrimers (dendrimers functionalized with organic radicals) has opened the door to their use in various fields such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as antitumor or antioxidant agents, or the possibility of developing new types of devices based on the paramagnetic properties of organic radicals.
  • 749
  • 22 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Musaceae Wastes
The Musaceae family has significant potential as a source of lignocellulosic fibres and starch from the plant’s bunches and pseudostems. These materials, which have traditionally been considered waste, can be used to produce fully bio-based composites to replace petroleum-derived synthetic plastics in some sectors such as packaging, the automotive industry, and implants. The fibres extracted from Musaceae have mechanical, thermal, and physicochemical properties that allow them to compete with other natural fibres such as sisal, henequen, fique, and jute, among others, which are currently used in the preparation of bio-based composites.
  • 747
  • 30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Organ-on-Chip
Organ-on-chip (OOC) devices are in vitro miniaturized multicellular systems with defined architectures that represent the new frontier in biomedical research to produce micro-organoids and tissues for drug testing and regenerative medicine. Although OOC devices can potentially improve the prediction capability of preclinical studies in comparison to in vitro tests and animal models, the successful transition from conventional 2D cell culture to human OOC implies the development of microfluidically supported 3D architectures to mimic the native extracellular matrix (ECM), to induce cell-ECM and multicellular interactions, as well as to modulate many cell functions including polarity, morphology, and motility. In this regard, cell-laden microgels (CLMs) represent a promising tool for 3D cell culturing and on-chip generation of micro-organs. 
  • 743
  • 08 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Antibacterial-Based Hydrogel Coatings
The antibacterial hydrogel coating interacts with organic and inorganic components as a biocompatible surface modifier, and the coating acts as a buffer between biomaterials and human tissues, making the biphasic interface of the material more stable and flexible and meeting the various needs of human tissue repair. The two key advantages of hydrogel coatings are as follows: Firstly, the coating can be firmly attached to the surface through chemical crosslinking and various anchoring reactions. Secondly, the coatings can attach to almost all kinds of materials, such as precious metals, oxides, polymers, and ceramics. Hydrogel coatings have excellent prospects for application, simple processing, stable performance, and wide application. The current research difficulties include the following: Firstly, the preparation method of antibacterial hydrogel coatings needs to be improved. Although the graft density of surface-initiated graft crosslinking polymerization is high, the initiator needs to be grafted to the surface, and the preparation process is relatively complex. The method of fixing the hydrogel coating to the substrate surface may result in uneven coverage of the hydrogel coating to the substrate surface due to the steric hinderance of the graft chain. Secondly, greater attention should be given to the study of the chemical stability of hydrogel coatings, including swelling, durability, degradability, mechanical properties, etc., which are important for the long-term effect of antibacterial hydrogel coatings on the human body. For example, swelling could be a problem for the coating of tubular medical devices, as the large swelling degree of hydrophilic hydrogels might block the tube. Finally, sterilization has been reported as an issue for most hydrogel coatings.
  • 741
  • 17 May 2023
Topic Review
Chronic Leg Ulcers' Biomaterials Science
Chronic leg ulcers (CLUs) are full thickness wounds that usually occur between the ankle and knee, fail to heal after 3 months of standard treatment, or are not entirely healed at 12 months. CLUs present a considerable burden on patients, subjecting them to severe pain and distress, while healthcare systems suffer immense costs and loss of resources. The poor healing outcome of the standard treatment of CLUs generates an urgent clinical need to find effective solutions for these wounds. Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Science offer exciting prospects for the treatment of CLUs, using a broad range of skin substitutes or scaffolds, and dressings. In this review, we summarize and discuss the various types of scaffolds used clinically in the treatment of CLUs. Their structure and therapeutic effects are described, and for each scaffold type representative examples are discussed, supported by clinical trials. Silver dressings are also reviewed due to their reported benefits in the healing of leg ulcers, as well as recent studies on new dermal scaffolds, reporting on clinical results where available. 
  • 738
  • 27 May 2021
Topic Review
Bioinspired Antibacterial Surfaces
Briefly, depending on whether extra interventions are needed, bioinspired antibacterial surfaces can be categorized into passive and active ones
  • 737
  • 14 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Bone Repair Strategies
In comparison with the bone tissue engineering (BTE) strategy, the facilitated endogenous tissue engineering (FEBTE) strategy as a novel practical approach tries to eliminate time-consuming and costly tedious process: tissue harvest, cell isolation and ex vivo co-culture with a scaffold. Based on this, the FEBTE strategy as a facile and effective strategy, is booming in bone tissue regeneration. Particularly,  chitosan (CS)-based scaffolds with versatile qualities including good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and tunable physicochemical and biological properties could recruit endogenous stem cells homing and differentiation towards lesion areas during  the process of bone repair.
  • 736
  • 29 Aug 2022
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