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Topic Review
Biography
Topic Review
Applications of Liquid Biopsy in Colorectal Cancer Screening
Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents the third most prevalent cancer worldwide and a leading cause of mortality among the population of western countries. However, CRC is frequently a preventable malignancy due to various screening tests being available. While failing to obtain real-time data, current screening methods (either endoscopic or stool-based tests) also require disagreeable preparation protocols and tissue sampling through invasive procedures, rendering adherence to CRC screening programs suboptimal. In this context, the necessity for novel, less invasive biomarkers able to identify and assess cancer at an early stage is evident. Liquid biopsy comes as a promising minimally invasive diagnostic tool, able to provide comprehensive information on tumor heterogeneity and dynamics during carcinogenesis.
602
17 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Applications of Lysozyme
Lysozyme (or muramidase or N-acetylmuramic acid hydrolase E.C. 3.2.1.17) is a protein that exerts its enzymatic activity through the hydrolysis of the β-1,4-glycosidic bonds between N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) and N-acetylglucosamide (NAG) in the polysaccharide backbone of the peptidoglycans of the Gram-positive bacterial cell wall. Peptidoglycan is composed of polysaccharide chains cross-linked by short peptides. The polysaccharide chains contain alternate units of NAM and NAG.
2.1K
24 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Applications of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Haematology
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are immature cells of myeloid origin that have gained researchers’ attention, as they constitute promising biomarkers and targets for novel therapeutic strategies (i.e., blockage of development, differentiation, depletion, and deactivation) in several conditions, including neoplastic, autoimmune, infective, and inflammatory diseases, as well as pregnancy, obesity, and graft rejection. They are characterised in humans by the typical immunophenotype of CD11b+CD33+HLA-DR–/low and immune-modulating properties leading to decreased T-cell proliferation, induction of T-regulatory cells (T-regs), hindering of natural killer (NK) cell functionality, and macrophage M2-polarisation. The research in the field is challenging, as there are still difficulties in defining cell-surface markers and gating strategies that uniquely identify the different populations of MDSCs, and the currently available functional assays are highly demanding. There is evidence that MDSCs display altered frequency and/or functionality and could be targeted in immune-mediated and malignant haematologic diseases, although there is a large variability of techniques and results between different laboratories.
391
14 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Applications of Nanocellulose/Nanocarbon Composites: Focus on Biotechnology and Medicine
Nanocellulose/nanocarbon composites are newly-emerging smart hybrid materials containing cellulose nanoparticles, such as nanofibrils and nanocrystals, and carbon nanoparticles, such as “classical” carbon allotropes (fullerenes, graphene, nanotubes and nanodiamonds), or other carbon nanostructures (carbon nanofibers, carbon quantum dots, activated carbon and carbon black). The nanocellulose component acts as a dispersing agent and homogeneously distribute the carbon nanoparticles in aqueous environment. Nanocellulose/nanocarbon composites can be prepared with many advantageous properties, such as high mechanical strength, flexibility, stretchability, tunable thermal and electrical conductivity, tunable optical transparency, photodynamic and photothermal activity, nanoporous character and high adsorption capacity. They are therefore promising for a wide range of industrial applications, such as energy generation, storage and conversion, water purification, food packaging, construction of fire retardants and shape memory devices. They also hold great promise for biomedical applications, such as radical scavenging, photodynamic and photothermal therapy of tumors and microbial infections, drug delivery, biosensorics, isolation of various biomolecules, electrical stimulation of damaged tissues (e.g. cardiac, neural), neural and bone tissue engineering, engineering of blood vessels and advanced wound dressing, e.g. with antimicrobial and antitumor activity. However, the potential cytotoxicity and immunogenicity of the composites and their components must also be taken into account.
3.4K
01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Applications of Nanoparticles in Dentistry
Interest in the topic of nanoparticles (NPs) and nanomaterials used in dentistry is growing in research as well as clinical settings. An increasing number of nanomaterials have been developed and tested, enabling novel solutions unavailable in dentistry before. The shape and size of these particles influences the physicochemical properties of a substance, which in turn impacts their absorption characteristics. Nanomaterials have unique structures and properties that distinguish them from other materials. In the dental field, nanoparticles have a variety of applications, such as nanocomposites, antimicrobial nanomaterials and bio-mineralization systems.
540
11 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Applications of Nasal Nitric Oxide in Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis, a common allergic disease affecting a significant number of individuals worldwide, is observed in 25% of children and 40% of adults, with its highest occurrence between the ages of 20 and 40. Its pathogenesis, like other allergic diseases, involves innate and adaptive immune responses, characterized by immunologic hypersensitivity to environmental substances.
215
17 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Applications of Saponins
Saponins are a diverse group of naturally occurring plant secondary metabolites present in a wide range of foods ranging from grains, pulses, and green leaves to sea creatures. They consist of a hydrophilic sugar moiety linked to a lipophilic aglycone, resulting in an amphiphilic nature and unique functional properties. Their amphiphilic structures enable saponins to exhibit surface-active properties, resulting in stable foams and complexes with various molecules. In the context of food applications, saponins are utilized as natural emulsifiers, foaming agents, and stabilizers. They contribute to texture and stability in food products and have potential health benefits, including cholesterol-lowering and anticancer effects. Saponins possess additional bioactivities that make them valuable in the pharmaceutical industry as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antiparasitic agents to name a few. Saponins can demonstrate cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines and can also act as adjuvants, enhancing the immune response to vaccines.
938
11 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Applications of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles in Cancer
Cancer is recognized as one of the world’s most deadly diseases in its different forms. In the field of nanotechnology, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) play a vital role with a wide range of diverse applications, namely drug delivery, clinical medicine, and cancer therapeutics. SLNs establish a significant role owing to their ability to encapsulate hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds, biocompatibility, ease of surface modification, scale-up feasibility, and possibilities of both active and passive targeting to various organs. In cancer therapy, SLNs have emerged as imminent nanocarriers for overcoming physiological barriers and multidrug resistance pathways.
378
03 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Applications of Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy in Brain Research
Raman spectroscopy (RS) is a label-free method that provides a molecular signature of any type of biological sample, including tissue, live or fixed cells and biofluids for disease diagnosis. RS allows a sample’s biochemical structure to be fingerprinted by analyzing the molecular bond vibrations of its biocomponents and has been employed to detect subtle biomolecular changes, enabling comparisons between a variety of tissues and biofluids.
249
24 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Applications of Zebrafish in Biology
Zebrafish is a crucial in vivo model for lung cancer research and is widely employed in studies focusing on cancer proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis. It plays a pivotal role in cancer drug development, being used for target validation, compound screening, and personalized therapy.
257
23 Oct 2023
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