scholarly journals Bioactive Inks Development for Osteochondral Tissue Engineering: A Mini-Review

Gels ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 274
Author(s):  
Negar Bakhtiary ◽  
Chaozong Liu ◽  
Farnaz Ghorbani

nowadays, a prevalent joint disease affecting both cartilage and subchondral bone is osteoarthritis. Osteochondral tissue, a complex tissue unit, exhibited limited self-renewal potential. Furthermore, its gradient properties, including mechanical property, bio-compositions, and cellular behaviors, present a challenge in repairing and regenerating damaged osteochondral tissues. Here, tissue engineering and translational medicine development using bioprinting technology provided a promising strategy for osteochondral tissue repair. In this regard, personalized stratified scaffolds, which play an influential role in osteochondral regeneration, can provide potential treatment options in early-stage osteoarthritis to delay or avoid the use of joint replacements. Accordingly, bioactive scaffolds with possible integration with surrounding tissue and controlling inflammatory responses have promising future tissue engineering perspectives. This minireview focuses on introducing biologically active inks for bioprinting the hierarchical scaffolds, containing growth factors and bioactive materials for 3D printing of regenerative osteochondral substitutes.

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 1027-1044 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Bicho ◽  
S. Ajami ◽  
C. Liu ◽  
R. L. Reis ◽  
J. M. Oliveira

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterized by the progressive deterioration of articular cartilage, synovial inflammation and changes in periarticular and subchondral bone, being a leading cause of disability.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Gerardo Asensio ◽  
Lorena Benito-Garzón ◽  
Rosa Ana Ramírez-Jiménez ◽  
Yasmina Guadilla ◽  
Julian Gonzalez-Rubio ◽  
...  

Regenerative therapies based on tissue engineering are becoming the most promising alternative for the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. However, regeneration of full-thickness articular osteochondral defects that reproduces the complexity of native cartilage and osteochondral interface still remains challenging. Hence, in this work, we present the fabrication, physic-chemical characterization, and in vitro and in vivo evaluation of biomimetic hierarchical scaffolds that mimic both the spatial organization and composition of cartilage and the osteochondral interface. The scaffold is composed of a composite porous support obtained by cryopolymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) in the presence of biodegradable poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), bioactive tricalcium phosphate β-TCP and the bone promoting strontium folate (SrFO), with a gradient biomimetic photo-polymerized methacrylated hyaluronic acid (HAMA) based hydrogel containing the bioactive zinc folic acid derivative (ZnFO). Microscopical analysis of hierarchical scaffolds showed an open interconnected porous open microstructure and the in vitro behaviour results indicated high swelling capacity with a sustained degradation rate. In vitro release studies during 3 weeks indicated the sustained leaching of bioactive compounds, i.e., Sr2+, Zn2+ and folic acid, within a biologically active range without negative effects on human osteoblast cells (hOBs) and human articular cartilage cells (hACs) cultures. In vitro co-cultures of hOBs and hACs revealed guided cell colonization and proliferation according to the matrix microstructure and composition. In vivo rabbit-condyle experiments in a critical-sized defect model showed the ability of the biomimetic scaffold to promote the regeneration of cartilage-like tissue over the scaffold and neoformation of osteochondral tissue.


Impact ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (6) ◽  
pp. 12-14
Author(s):  
Ryosuke Kohno

Cancer can reduce quality of life, place strain on families and even kill. Treatment methods are not always effective nor precise and involve either surgical removal of cancerous tissues or a combination of drugs and radiation. Advances in physics are providing new hope for treatment options in the form of radiation and, specifically, particle therapy, which includes proton beam therapy and carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT). This improves treatment precision as the beam can be targeted so that it kills cancer and not the surrounding tissue. Ryosuke Kohno, Department of Accelerator and Medical Physics, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Japan, is interested in how applied physics can bridge with medicine, becoming medical physics. He has developed several beam therapies protocols over the years and is particularly interested in CIRT and how the technique can be improved. Kohno is currently working on fine tuning a model that can be optimally calibrated to attack all types of tumours. He and his team are also working on Intensity-Modulated Composite Particle Therapy (IMPACT). Kohno is collaborating with a multidisciplinary radiotherapy team and his interdisciplinary research involves the integration of radiation/medical physics, radiation biology and radiation oncology. He is also assisting early-stage researchers so that the next-generation of researchers can form new bridges between basic science and medicine.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sokol ◽  
◽  
D. Grekov ◽  
G. Yemets ◽  
O. Galkin ◽  
...  

The decellularized bovine pericardium and its potential use as a natural scaffold is a promising approach in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The reaction of the host toward decellularized scaffolds depends on their biocompatibility, which should be satisfied being before applied in clinical use. Purpose: to evaluate the biocompatibility of the extracellular matrices, which were decellularized by trypsin enzyme and anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) detergent. Material and methods. Pericardial sacs were acquired from 12-18 months’ age bulls. Tissue decellularization was performed by using 0.25 % Trypsin solution and 1 % ionic SDS for group I and 0.1 % SDS for group II samples. The implantation was performed on Wistar rats. The tissue samples were stained with hematoxylin & eosin, Congo red and Masson's Trichrome for histological analysis. Results. In group 1 in 3 months after subcutaneous implantation in rats we noticed the inflammation in surrounding tissue and degradation of the implant. Under the same conditions in animals of group 2 implant replacement with growing immature connective tissue was noted. Bio-implant of this group did not degrade, moreover it's integrated to the tissues of experimental rats. Conclusion. Our results showed that decellularized bovine pericardium by 0.1 % SDS can become an alternative material for tissue engineering and has the potential for further use in human surgery.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 3392
Author(s):  
Joeri Lambrecht ◽  
Mustafa Porsch-Özçürümez ◽  
Jan Best ◽  
Fabian Jost-Brinkmann ◽  
Christoph Roderburg ◽  
...  

(1) Background: Surveillance of at-risk patients for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly necessary, as curative treatment options are only feasible in early disease stages. However, to date, screening of patients with liver cirrhosis for HCC mostly relies on suboptimal ultrasound-mediated evaluation and α-fetoprotein (AFP) measurement. Therefore, we sought to develop a novel and blood-based scoring tool for the identification of early-stage HCC. (2) Methods: Serum samples from 267 patients with liver cirrhosis, including 122 patients with HCC and 145 without, were collected. Expression levels of soluble platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (sPDGFRβ) and routine clinical parameters were evaluated, and then utilized in logistic regression analysis. (3) Results: We developed a novel serological scoring tool, the APAC score, consisting of the parameters age, sPDGFRβ, AFP, and creatinine, which identified patients with HCC in a cirrhotic population with an AUC of 0.9503, which was significantly better than the GALAD score (AUC: 0.9000, p = 0.0031). Moreover, the diagnostic accuracy of the APAC score was independent of disease etiology, including alcohol (AUC: 0.9317), viral infection (AUC: 0.9561), and NAFLD (AUC: 0.9545). For the detection of patients with (very) early (BCLC 0/A) HCC stage or within Milan criteria, the APAC score achieved an AUC of 0.9317 (sensitivity: 85.2%, specificity: 89.2%) and 0.9488 (sensitivity: 91.1%, specificity 85.3%), respectively. (4) Conclusions: The APAC score is a novel and highly accurate serological tool for the identification of HCC, especially for early stages. It is superior to the currently proposed blood-based algorithms, and has the potential to improve surveillance of the at-risk population.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2090
Author(s):  
Dimitri Kasakovski ◽  
Marina Skrygan ◽  
Thilo Gambichler ◽  
Laura Susok

To date, the skin remains the most common cancer site among Caucasians in the western world. The complex, layered structure of human skin harbors a heterogenous population of specialized cells. Each cell type residing in the skin potentially gives rise to a variety of cancers, including non-melanoma skin cancer, sarcoma, and cutaneous melanoma. Cutaneous melanoma is known to exacerbate and metastasize if not detected at an early stage, with mutant melanomas tending to acquire treatment resistance over time. The intricacy of melanoma thus necessitates diverse and patient-centered targeted treatment options. In addition to classical treatment through surgical intervention and radio- or chemotherapy, several systemic and intratumoral immunomodulators, pharmacological agents (e.g., targeted therapies), and oncolytic viruses are trialed or have been recently approved. Moreover, utilizing combinations of immune checkpoint blockade with targeted, oncolytic, or anti-angiogenic approaches for patients with advanced disease progression are promising approaches currently under pre-clinical and clinical investigation. In this review, we summarize the current ‘state-of-the-art’ as well as discuss emerging agents and regimens in cutaneous melanoma treatment.


Author(s):  
Katja Voit ◽  
Cristian Timmermann ◽  
Florian Steger

This paper aims to analyze the ethical challenges in experimental drug use during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, using Germany as a case study. In Germany uniform ethical guidelines were available early on nationwide, which was considered as desirable by other states to reduce uncertainties and convey a message of unity. The purpose of this ethical analysis is to assist the preparation of future guidelines on the use of medicines during public health emergencies. The use of hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir and COVID-19 convalescent plasma in clinical settings was analyzed from the perspective of the ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and autonomy. We observed that drug safety and drug distribution during the pandemic affects all four ethical principles. We therefore recommend to establish ethical guidelines (i) to discuss experimental treatment options with patients from all population groups who are in urgent need, (ii) to facilitate the recording of patient reactions to drugs in off-label use, (iii) to expand inclusion criteria for clinical studies to avoid missing potentially negative effects on excluded groups, and (iv) to maintain sufficient access to repurposed drugs for patients with prior conditions.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3740
Author(s):  
Chunye Zhang ◽  
Ming Yang

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer, followed by cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). HCC is the third most common cause of cancer death worldwide, and its incidence is rising, associated with an increased prevalence of obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, current treatment options are limited. Genetic factors and epigenetic factors, influenced by age and environment, significantly impact the initiation and progression of NAFLD-related HCC. In addition, both transcriptional factors and post-transcriptional modification are critically important for the development of HCC in the fatty liver under inflammatory and fibrotic conditions. The early diagnosis of liver cancer predicts curative treatment and longer survival. However, clinical HCC cases are commonly found in a very late stage due to the asymptomatic nature of the early stage of NAFLD-related HCC. The development of diagnostic methods and novel biomarkers, as well as the combined evaluation algorithm and artificial intelligence, support the early and precise diagnosis of NAFLD-related HCC, and timely monitoring during its progression. Treatment options for HCC and NAFLD-related HCC include immunotherapy, CAR T cell therapy, peptide treatment, bariatric surgery, anti-fibrotic treatment, and so on. Overall, the incidence of NAFLD-related HCC is increasing, and a better understanding of the underlying mechanism implicated in the progression of NAFLD-related HCC is essential for improving treatment and prognosis.


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