Enhancing the mechanical properties and providing bioactive potential for graphene oxide/montmorillonite hybrid dental resin composites.

This in vitro study synthetized hybrid composite nanoparticles of graphene oxide (GO) and montmorillonite MMt (GO-MMt) by ultrasound treatments. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT-Raman, FTIR, TEM and SEM. The effect of their incorporation (0.3% and 0.5%) on the mechanical properties in a resin-based composite (RBC) and their bioactivity potential were evaluated. The specimens were characterized by evaluating their 3-point flexural strength (n = 6), modulus of elasticity (n = 6), degree of conversion (n = 6), microhardness (n = 6), contact angle (n = 3) and SEM analysis (n = 3). In vitro test in SBF were conducted in the RBCs modified by the hybrid. Overall, the synthetized hybrid composite demonstrated that GO was intercalated with MMt, showing a more stable compound. ANOVA and Tukey test showed that RBC + 0.3% GO-MMt demonstrated superior values of flexural strength, followed by RBC + 0.5% GO-MMt (p < 0.05) and both materials showed higher values of microhardness. All groups presented a contact angle below 90°, characterizing hydrophilic materials. RBCs modified by the hybrid showed Ca and P deposition after 14 days in SBF. In conclusion, RBCs composed by the hybrid showed promising results in terms of mechanical properties and bioactive potential, extending the application of GO in dental materials.

Current Applications of Biopolymer-based Scaffolds and Nanofibers as Drug Delivery Systems.

BACKGROUND: The high surface-to-volume ratio of polymeric nanofibers makes them an effective vehicle for the release of bioactive molecules and compounds such as growth factors, drugs, herbal extracts and gene sequences. Synthetic polymers are commonly used as sensors, reinforcements and energy storage, whereas natural polymers are more prone to mimicking an extracellular matrix. Natural polymers are a renewable resource and classified as an environmentally friendly material, which might be used in different techniques to produce nanofibers for biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, implantable medical devices, antimicrobial barriers and wound dressings, among others. This review sheds some light on the advantages of natural over synthetic polymeric materials for nanofiber production. Also, the most important techniques employed to produce natural nanofibers are presented. Moreover, some pieces of evidence regarding toxicology and cell-interactions using natural nanofibers are discussed. Clearly, the potential extrapolation of such laboratory results into human health application should be addressed cautiously.

Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery: Blood-Brain Barrier as the Main Obstacle to Treating Infectious Diseases in CNS.

BACKGROUND: Parasitic infections affecting the central nervous system (CNS) present high morbidity and mortality rates and affect millions of people worldwide. The most important parasites affecting the CNS are protozoans (Plasmodium sp., Toxoplasma gondii, Trypanosoma brucei), cestodes (Taenia solium) and free-living amoebae (Acantamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris and Naegleria fowleri). Current therapeutic regimens include the use of traditional chemicals or natural compounds that have very limited access to the CNS, despite their elevated toxicity to the host. Improvements are needed in drug administration and formulations to treat these infections and to allow the drug to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). METHODS: This work aims to elucidate the recent advancements in the use of nanoparticles as nanoscaled drug delivery systems (NDDS) for treating and controlling the parasitic infections that affect the CNS, addressing not only the nature and composition of the polymer chosen, but also the mechanisms by which these nanoparticles may cross the BBB and reach the infected tissue. RESULTS: There is a strong evidence in the literature demonstrating the potential usefulness of polymeric nanoparticles as functional carriers of drugs to the CNS. Some of them demonstrated the mechanisms by which drugloaded nanoparticles access the CNS and control the infection by using in vivo models, while others only describe the pharmacological ability of these particles to be utilized in in vitro environments. CONCLUSION: The scarcity of the studies trying to elucidate the compatibility as well as the exact mechanisms by which NDDS might be entering the CNS infected by parasites reveals new possibilities for further exploratory projects. There is an urgent need for new investments and motivations for applying nanotechnology to control parasitic infectious diseases worldwide.