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Topic Review
Effects of Metformin Delivery
Bone tissue engineering is a promising approach that uses seed-cell-scaffold drug delivery systems to reconstruct bone defects caused by trauma, tumors, or other diseases (e.g., periodontitis). Metformin, a widely used medication for type II diabetes, has the ability to enhance osteogenesis and angiogenesis by promoting cell migration and differentiation. Metformin promotes osteogenic differentiation, mineralization, and bone defect regeneration via activation of the AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. Bone tissue engineering depends highly on vascular networks for adequate oxygen and nutrition supply. 
  • 1.1K
  • 16 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived sEV
Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) are a group of particles of nanometric size, released by virtually all cells. These vesicles function as biologic messengers, carrying proteins, lipids and nucleic acids as a form of paracrine cellular communication. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a priviledged source of sEV, due to its abundance in naïve cells with strong regenerative and immunomodulatory potential. Hence, UCB-derived sEV can be exploited for their therapeutic properties, taking advantage of nature's tools for achieving homeostasis.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Neutrophils and Platelets: Immune Soldiers
Neutrophils and platelets exhibit a diverse repertoire of functions in thromboinflammatory conditions such as stroke. Neutrophils can enable, as well as resolve, cerebrovascular inflammation via many effector functions including neutrophil extracellular traps, serine proteases and reactive oxygen species, and pro-resolving endogenous molecules such as Annexin A1. Like neutrophils, platelets also engage in pro- as well as anti-inflammatory roles in regulating cerebrovascular inflammation. These anucleated cells are at the core of stroke pathogenesis and can trigger an ischemic event via adherence to the hypoxic cerebral endothelial cells culminating in aggregation and clot formation.
  • 1.1K
  • 06 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Adipose Tissue Immunometabolism
Adipose tissue is unique in terms of its immune effects on apoptotic cell clearance, as adipocyte apoptosis triggers inflammatory cytokine responses in macrophages, and is a potential inducer of adipose tissue inflammation. Classically, there are two types of adipose tissue in mammals: white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). Adipocytes of the WAT accumulate neutral lipids in a large droplet, whereas BAT adipocytes have multilocular lipid droplets and high lipolytic activity, and oxidize fatty acids into ATP, and generate heat.
  • 1.1K
  • 24 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Nanoparticle-Based Approaches for Bone Regeneration
Bone regeneration is a complex process that includes skeletal cells such as osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and immune cells to regulate bone formation and resorption. Osteoimmunology, studying this complicated process, has recently been used to develop biomaterials for advanced bone regeneration. Ideally, a biomaterial shall enable a timely switch from early stage inflammatory (to recruit osteogenic progenitor cells) to later-stage anti-inflammatory (to promote differentiation and terminal osteogenic mineralization and model the microstructure of bone tissue) in immune cells, especially the M1-to-M2 phenotype switch in macrophage populations, for bone regeneration. Nanoparticle (NP)-based advanced drug delivery systems can enable the controlled release of therapeutic reagents and the delivery of therapeutics into specific cell types, thereby benefiting bone regeneration through osteoimmunomodulation.
  • 1.1K
  • 28 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Gut-On-Chip Systems
New mechanistic models, such as organ-on-a-chip provide a more accurate representation of human physiology and could help bridge the gap between clinical and pre-clinical studies. Gut-on-chip models allow researchers to better understand the underlying mechanisms of disease and the effect of different microbial compositions on the gut. They can help to move the field from correlation to causation and accelerate the development of new treatments for diseases associated with changes in the gut microbiome. Here the main properties of these systems to study host-microbial interactions were discussed.
  • 1.1K
  • 19 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Microspheres for Bone Tissue Engineering
Bone defects have caused immense healthcare concerns and economic burdens throughout the world. Traditional autologous allogeneic bone grafts have many drawbacks, so the emergence of bone tissue engineering brings new hope. Bone tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary biomedical engineering method that involves scaffold materials, seed cells, and “growth factors”. Microspheres are structures with diameters ranging from 1 to 1000 µm that can be used as supports for cell growth, either in the form of a scaffold or in the form of a drug delivery system.
  • 1.0K
  • 09 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Oral Periodontal Tissues
The periodontium is a complex composite tissue consisting of the gingiva, the periodontal ligament (PDL), cementum, and the alveolar bone. Beneath harboring various cell types, amongst others, gingival keratinocytes (GKs), gingival fibroblasts (GFs), periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs), cementoblasts and osteoblasts, the ECMs of the different periodontal cell and tissue entities are considerably different .
  • 1.0K
  • 10 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Generating Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived-Organoid Culture
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have become a powerful tool to generate the various kinds of cell types comprising the human body. Organoid technology has emerged as a platform to generate a physiologically relevant tissue-like structure from PSCs. Compared to an actual human organ, this structure more closely represents a three-dimensional microenvironment than the conventional monolayer culture system for transplantation, disease modeling, and drug development.
  • 1.0K
  • 28 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Bone Regeneration Using MMP-Cleavable Peptides-Based Hydrogels
Bone tissue regeneration in orthopedic and maxillofacial surgery remains a common challenge. Trauma, tumors, infectious diseases, biochemical disorders, congenital disorders or abnormal skeletal development are the cause of bone defects, resulting in functional, esthetic and psychological defects in patients. Natural healing of skeletal structure is relatively limited and requires assistance during pathological conditions such as severe injuries, osteoporosis, osteosarcoma and infection.
  • 1.0K
  • 10 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Key Requirements for the Development of Skin-on-a-Chip Devices
The increased demand for physiologically relevant in vitro human skin models for testing pharmaceutical drugs has led to significant advancements in skin engineering. One of the most promising approaches is the use of in vitro microfluidic systems to generate advanced skin models, commonly known as skin-on-a-chip (SoC) devices. These devices allow the simulation of key mechanical, functional and structural features of the human skin, better mimicking the native microenvironment. Importantly, contrary to conventional cell culture techniques, SoC devices can perfuse the skin tissue, either by the inclusion of perfusable lumens or by the use of microfluidic channels acting as engineered vasculature. Moreover, integrating sensors on the SoC device allows real-time, non-destructive monitoring of skin function and the effect of topically and systemically applied drugs.
  • 1.0K
  • 13 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Biomaterials and Extracellular Vesicle Delivery
EVs are cell-derived membranous structures and are involved in many physiological processes. Naïve and engineered EVs have much therapeutic potential, but proper delivery systems are required to prevent non-specific and off-target effects. Targeted and site-specific delivery using polymeric scaffolds can address these limitations. EV delivery with scaffolds has shown improvements in tissue remodeling, wound healing, bone healing, immunomodulation, and vascular performance. Thus, EV delivery via biopolymeric scaffolds is becoming an increasingly popular approach to tissue engineering. 
  • 1.0K
  • 28 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells-Based Models of AD
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of death among older individuals. Available treatment strategies only temporarily mitigate symptoms without modifying disease progression. Recent studies revealed the multifaceted neurobiology of AD and shifted the target of drug development. Established animal models of AD are mostly tailored to yield a subset of disease phenotypes, which do not recapitulate the complexity of sporadic late-onset AD, the most common form of the disease. The use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (HiPSCs) offers unique opportunities to fill these gaps. Emerging technology allows the development of disease models that recapitulate a brain-like microenvironment using patient-derived cells. These models retain the individual’s unraveled genetic background, yielding clinically relevant disease phenotypes and enabling cost-effective, high-throughput studies for drug discovery.
  • 1.0K
  • 16 May 2022
Topic Review
Hydrogel-Based Bone-On-Chips
The recent development of bone-on-chips (BOCs) holds the main advantage of requiring a low quantity of cells and material, compared to traditional In Vitro models. By incorporating hydrogels within BOCs, the culture system moved to a three dimensional culture environment for cells which is more representative of bone tissue matrix and function. The fundamental components of hydrogel-based BOCs, namely the cellular sources, the hydrogel and the culture chamber, have been tuned to mimic the hematopoietic niche in the bone aspirate marrow, cancer bone metastasis and osteo/chondrogenic differentiation.
  • 1.0K
  • 19 May 2021
Topic Review
In Vitro Cancer Models
In vitro cancer models are envisioned as high-throughput screening platforms for potential new therapeutic discovery and/or validation. They also serve as tools to achieve personalized treatment strategies or real-time monitoring of disease propagation, providing effective treatments to patients. To battle the fatality of metastatic cancers, the development and commercialization of predictive and robust preclinical in vitro cancer models are of urgent need.
  • 1.0K
  • 21 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Anti-Cancer Properties of Flaxseed Proteome
Flaxseed has been recognized as a valuable source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, including proteins that possess various health benefits. In recent years, studies have shown that flaxseed proteins, including albumins, globulins, glutelin, and prolamins, possess anti-cancer properties. These properties are attributed to their ability to inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and interfere with cancer cell signaling pathways, ultimately leading to the inhibition of metastasis.
  • 995
  • 28 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Human Stem Cell Transplantation for Retinal Degenerative Diseases
Irreversible visual impairment is mainly caused by retinal degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. Stem cell research has experienced rapid progress in recent years, and researchers and clinical ophthalmologists are trying to implement this promising technology to treat retinal degeneration. There is currently no surgical or pharmacological solution to regenerate an injured or degenerative retina, and the only approach ophthalmologists can take is to slow the progress of the loss of vision. In the last decade, many efforts have been made to take advantage of the promising properties of the stem cell technology and apply them to retinal degenerative diseases.
  • 988
  • 08 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Exosomes for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enclosed particles released by cells into the extracellular space. EVs can be classified as exosomes (EXs), microvesicles, or apoptotic bodies based on their origin and size. EXs are enclosed within a single phospholipid bilayer, secreted by all cell types, formed by the inward invagination of the endosomal membrane and fusion of the multivesicular body (MVB), and are typically 30–150 nm in diameter. Microvesicles are EVs that form from direct outward budding from the cell’s plasma membrane and are typically 100 nm to 1 µm in diameter. Pathogenic forms of α-synuclein (α-syn) are transferred to and from neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, which spread α-syn pathology in the olfactory bulb and the gut and then throughout the Parkinson’s disease (PD) brain and exacerbate neurodegenerative processes.
  • 983
  • 05 May 2023
Topic Review
Dynamic Environment in Organ-on-a-Chip Platforms
Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) uses the microfluidic 3D cell culture principle to reproduce organ- or tissue-level functionality at a small scale instead of replicating the entire human organ. This provides an alternative to animal models for drug development and environmental toxicology screening. In addition to the biomimetic 3D microarchitecture and cell–cell interactions, it has been demonstrated that mechanical stimuli such as shear stress and mechanical strain significantly influence cell behavior and their response to pharmaceuticals. Microfluidics is capable of precisely manipulating the fluid of a microenvironment within a 3D cell culture platform. As a result, many OOC prototypes leverage microfluidic technology to reproduce the mechanically dynamic microenvironment on-chip and achieve enhanced in vitro functional organ models. Unlike shear stress that can be readily generated and precisely controlled using commercial pumping systems, dynamic systems for generating proper levels of mechanical strains are more complicated, and often require miniaturization and specialized designs.
  • 981
  • 15 Jul 2021
Topic Review
The Application of Photobiomodulation Therapy in Endodontics
Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) applied with a low-level laser (LLLT) provides endodontists with a non-invasive and non-thermal method that can be utilized as an adjunct to traditional root canal treatment (RCT) or as a therapeutic tool in regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) due to its anti-inflammatory effects, apical cicatrization, and acceleration benefits.
  • 981
  • 14 Apr 2023
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