Cells, Scaffolds and Their Interactions in Myocardial Tissue Regeneration.

Cardiac regenerative therapy includes several techniques to repair and replace damaged tissues and organs using cells, biomaterials, molecules, or a combination of these factors. Generation of heart muscle is the most important challenge in this field, although it is well known that new advances in stem cell isolation and culture techniques in bioreactors and synthesis of bioactive materials contribute to the creation of cardiac tissue regeneration in vitro. Some investigations in stem cell biology shows that stem cells are an important source for regeneration of heart muscle cells and blood vessels and can thus clinically contribute to the regeneration of damaged heart tissue. The aim of this review was to explain the principles and challenges of myocardial tissue regeneration with an emphasis on stem cells and scaffolds. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 2454-2462, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cancer stem cells-emanated therapy resistance: Implications for liposomal drug delivery systems.

It is verified that failure in cancer therapy by conventional chemotherapeutic agents arise from cancer heterogeneity. That, a small subpopulation of cancer cells known as "cancer stem cells" (CSCs) are shown to be responsible for deriving clonal heterogeneity/diversity in tumors, which render them resistant to conventional treatment regimes. So far, efficient targeted cancer therapy by nanotechnology-based drug delivery approaches is well established. Among various introduced nanocarriers, the non-toxic nature and biocompatibility of liposome make it highly desirable for human studies. In addition, liposomal nanocarriers can be used to protect entrapped therapeutic agents against chemical and biological degradation, improve solubility of the encapsulated drugs, provide sustained drug release, extend in vivo half-life, reduce side effects, improve drug pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles, reduce drug dosage and administration frequency. Further, multifunctional liposomes can be envisioned that are simultaneously loaded with different theranostics and chemically-modified with different tumor-specific surface ligands for targeted therapy. Such versatile nanocarrier can influence the physicochemical characteristics, immunological mechanisms, and uptake mechanisms following systemic delivery. Other strategies to improve tumor-specific tropism include delivery systems involving immune cells or their modulators. Here, we describe mechanisms by which CSC can promote drug resistance to impair the efficacy of cancer therapies. Then, we summarize the implication of each of these mechanisms as potential therapeutics ways to overcome the therapeutically-resistant CSCs. Further, we discuss the status, therapeutic potential and prospect of different liposomal drug delivery systems in overcoming CSC drug resistance in the clinic.

Preparation and characterization of PLGA-ß-CD polymeric nanoparticles containing methotrexate and evaluation of their effects on T47D cell line.

Among all cancers that affect women, breast cancer has most mortality rate. It is essential to attain more safe and efficient anticancer drugs. Recent advances in medical nanotechnology and biotechnology have caused in novel improvements in breast and other cancer drug delivery. Methotrexate is an anticancer drug that prevents the dihydrofolate reductase enzyme, which inhibits in the formation of DNA, RNA and proteins which have poor water-solubility. For enhancing the solubility and stability of drugs in delivery systems, we used methotrexate-loaded PLGA- beta-cyclodextrin nanoparticles. The PLGA- beta-cyclodextrin nanoparticles were synthesized by a double emulsion method and characterized with FT-IR and SEM. T47D breast cancer cell lines were treated with equal concentrations of methotrexate-loaded PLGA- beta-cyclodextrin nanoparticles and free methotrexate. MTT assay confirmed that methotrexate-loaded PLGA- beta-cyclodextrin nanoparticles enhanced cytotoxicity and drug delivery in T47D breast cancer cells. These results indicate that encapsulated drugs could be effective in controlled drug release for a sustained period would serve the purpose for long-term treatment of many diseases such as breast cancer.

Recent advances on liposomal nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization and biomedical applications.

Liposome is a new nanostructure for the encapsulation and delivery of bioactive agents. There are a lot of bioactive materials that could be incorporated into liposomes including cosmetics, food ingredients, and pharmaceuticals. Liposomes possess particular properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability; accompanied by their nanosize they have potential applications in nanomedicine, cosmetics, and food industry. Nanoliposome technology offers thrilling chances for food technologists in fields including encapsulation and controlled release of food ingredients, also improved bioavailability and stability of sensitive materials. Amid numerous brilliant new drug and gene delivery systems, liposomes provide an advanced technology to carry active molecules to the specific site of action, and now days, various formulations are in clinical use. In this paper, we provide review of the main physicochemical properties of liposomes, current methods of the manufacturing and introduce some of their usage in food nanotechnology as carrier vehicles of nutrients, enzymes, and food antimicrobials and their applications as drug carriers and gene delivery agents in biomedicine.

Oral health status among Iranian veterans exposed to sulfur mustard: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Sulfur mustard (SM) is a chemical warfare agent that has been repeatedly used since World War I. SM has chronic and deleterious effects on different body organs such as lungs, skin and eyes. OBJECTIVES: To determine dental and oral health status of chemical victims of SM who were exposed to SM during the Iraqi-Iran war. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this case-control study, 100 male subjects exposed to SM were chosen as cases, and 100 non-exposed volunteers were chosen as controls. These groups were selected randomly according to their referral number, and were matched regarding age. Collection of information was performed using Oral Health Assessment Form designed by the World Health Organization. Quantitative and qualitative data were compared between the groups using independent samples t-test and Chi-square test, respectively. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the case and control groups with respect to the frequencies of oral candidiasis, pharyngeal erythema and/or hyperplasia, hairy tongue and reflux disease, being higher in the former group. There was also a positive association between the frequency of candidiasis and the percentage of disability; pharyngeal erythema and/or hyperplasia and use of salmeterol spray; and between hairy tongue and antibiotic use in the case group. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to SM and the use of drugs for controlling long-term complications does not increase the risk of tooth decay, tooth loss, and intra and/or extra oral lesions in patients, but may be associated with increased incidence of oral candidiasis, pharyngeal erythema and/or hyperplasia, hairy tongue and reflux disease.samples of oral precancerous and cancerous lesions to test sensitivity and specificity and thus validate the clinical applicability of fluorescence imaging in (pre)cancerous diagnostics. Key words:Sulfur mustard, oral health, candidiasis.