Multiresponsive Nanogels for Targeted Anticancer Drug Delivery.

Nanogels with a biomolecular coating (biocoating) were shown to be capable of triggered delivery of anticancer drug Doxorubicin. The biocoating was formed utilizing binding between glycogen and the tetra-functional lectin Concanavalin A, which can be triggered to disassemble (and release) upon exposure to glucose and changes in solution pH. We also show the nanogel's thermoresponsivity can be used to accelerate Doxorubicin release. Moreover, we showed that transferrin immobilized on the nanogel surface could accelerate nanogel uptake by cancer cells. In these experiments, we showed that Doxorubicin was able to be released to the nucleus of human liver cancer cell line (HepG2) within 3 h. Doxorubicin-loaded nanogels exhibit a strong growth inhibition ability toward HepG2. This investigation showcases how nanogel design and chemistry can be tuned to achieve useful biomedical applications.

Dental therapists: a global perspective.

In 1921, New Zealand began training school dental nurses, subsequently deploying them throughout the country in school-based clinics providing basic dental care for children. The concept of training dental nurses, later to be designated dental therapists, was adopted by other countries as a means of improving access to care, particularly for children. This paper profiles six countries that utilise dental therapists, with a description of the training that therapists receive in these countries, and the context in which they practice. Based on available demographic information, it also updates the number of dental therapists practising globally, as well as the countries in which they practice. In several countries, dental therapy is now being integrated with dental hygiene in training and practice to create a new type of professional complementary to a dentist. Increasingly, dental therapists are permitted to treat adults as well as children. The paper also describes the status of a current initiative to introduce dental therapy to the United States. It concludes by suggesting that dental therapists can become valued members of the dental team throughout the world, helping to improve access to care and reducing existing disparities in oral health.

Optical Devices Constructed from Ferrocene-Modified Microgels for H2O2 Sensing.

Ferrocene-modified poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based microgels were synthesized, characterized, and used to construct optical devices (etalons). The response of the microgels and etalons to H2O2 was investigated, and we show that both the microgel diameter and the optical properties of the etalons depend on the solution concentration of H2O2 from 0.6 to 35 mM. This behavior is a direct result of the oxidation of ferrocene, which influences the microgel diameter. This was also demonstrated by electrochemical-mediated oxidation/reduction of ferrocene using cyclic voltammetry. We go on to show that these materials could be used to monitor H2O2 that is generated from enzymatic reactions. Specifically, we show that the H2O2 generated from the oxidation of glucose catalyzed by glucose oxidase could be quantified. Finally, the devices can be reused multiple times via a regeneration process. This investigation illustrates the versatility of the etalon system to detect species of broad relevance and how they could potentially be used to quantify products of biological reactions.

Lipase-modified pH-responsive microgel-based optical device for triglyceride sensing.

Lipase-modified pH-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based microgels were synthesized. An optical device was subsequently fabricated by sandwiching the enzyme loaded responsive microgels between two thin Au layers, and their response to triolein, a model triglyceride, was investigated. The device's response depended on the triglyceride concentration, demonstrating its potential application as a triglyceride biosensor.