Development of a microfluidic-assisted open-source 3D bioprinting system (MOS3S) for the engineering of hierarchical tissues.

The engineering of new 3D bioprinting approaches has shown great promise in the field of tissue engineering and disease modelling. However, the high cost of commercial 3D bioprinters has limited their accessibility, especially to those laboratories in resource-limited settings. Moreover, the need for a 3D bioprinting system capable of dispensing multiple materials is growing apace. Therefore, the development of a Microfluidic-assisted Open Source 3D bioprinting System (MOS3S) for the engineering of hierarchical tissues is needed to progress in fabricating functional tissues, but with a technology accessible to a wider range of researchers. The MOS3S platform is designed to allow the deposition of biomaterial inks using microfluidic printheads or coaxial nozzles for the in-situ crosslinking and scaffolds fabrication. The coupling of 3D printed syringe pumps with the motion control system is used for driving the tunable extrusion of inks for the fabrication of centimeter scale hierarchical lattice constructs for tissue engineering purposes. MOS3S performance have been validated to fabricate high-resolution structures with coaxial microfluidic technology, opening to new frontiers for seminal studies in pre-clinical disease modelling and tissue regeneration.

Revolutionizing agriculture: Harnessing nano-innovations for sustainable farming and environmental preservation.

The agricultural sector is currently confronted with a significant crisis stemming from the rapid changes in climate patterns, declining soil fertility, insufficient availability of essential macro and micronutrients, excessive reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and the presence of heavy metals in soil. These numerous challenges pose a considerable threat to the agriculture industry. Furthermore, the exponential growth of the global population has led to a substantial increase in food consumption, further straining agricultural systems worldwide. Nanotechnology holds great promise in revolutionizing the food and agriculture industry, decreasing the harmful effects of agricultural practices on the environment, and improving productivity. Nanomaterials such as inorganic, lipid, and polymeric nanoparticles have been developed for increasing productivity due to their unique properties. Various strategies can enhance product quality, such as the use of nano-clays, nano zeolites, and hydrogel-based materials to regulate water absorption and release, effectively mitigating water scarcity. The production of nanoparticles can be achieved through various methods, each of which has its own unique benefits and limitations. Among these methods, chemical synthesis is widely favored due to the impact that various factors such as concentration, particle size, and shape have on product quality and efficiency. This review provides a detailed examination of the roles of nanotechnology and nanoparticles in sustainable agriculture, including their synthetic methods, and presents an analysis of their associated advantages and disadvantages. To date, there are serious concerns and awareness about healthy agriculture and the production of healthy products, therefore the development of nanotech-enabled devices that act as preventive and early warning systems to identify health issues, offering remedial measures is necessary.

Bacterial cellulose-based composites as vehicles for dermal and transdermal drug delivery: A review.

In recent years, a significant amount of drugs have been taken orally, which are not as effective as desired. To solve this problem, bacterial cellulose-based dermal/transdermal drug delivery systems (BC-DDSs) with unique properties such as cell compatibility, hemocompatibility, tunable mechanical properties, and the ability to encapsulate various therapeutic agents with the controlled release have been introduced. A BC-dermal/transdermal DDS reduces first-pass metabolism and systematic side effects while improving patient compliance and dosage effectiveness by controlling drug release through the skin. The barrier function of the skin, especially the stratum corneum, can interfere with drug delivery. Few drugs can pass through the skin to reach effective concentrations in the blood to treat diseases. Due to their unique physicochemical properties and high potential to reduce immunogenicity and improve bioavailability, BC-dermal/transdermal DDSs are widely used to deliver various types of drugs for disease treatment. In this review, we describe the different types of BC-dermal/ transdermal DDSs, along with a critical discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of these systems. After the general presentation, the review is focused on recent advances in the preparation and applications of BC-based dermal/transdermal DDSs in various types of disease treatment.

5FU-loaded PCL/Chitosan/Fe3O4 Core-Shell Nanofibers Structure: An Approach to Multi-Mode Anticancer System.

Purpose: 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) and Fe3O4 nanoparticles were encapsulated in core-shell polycaprolactone (PCL)/chitosan (CS) nanofibers as a multi-mode anticancer system to study drug release sustainability. The structure of the core-shell drug delivery system was also optimized according to drug release behavior by artificial intelligence. Methods: The core-shell nanofibers were electrospun by a coaxial syringe. Artificial neural network (ANN) was used for function approximation to estimate release parameters. A genetic algorithm was then used for optimizing the structure. Chemical assay of the optimized sample was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). vibration sample magnetometer (VSM) test was conducted to measure the real amount of loaded magnetic nanoparticles. HepG2 cell cytotoxicity was studied and the results for the optimized samples with and without Fe3O4 after 72 hours were reported. Results: Feeding ratio of sheath to core and the amount of CS, Fe3O4, and 5FU had a statistical effect on nanofibers diameters, which were 300-450 nm. The drug loading efficiency of these nanofibers was 65-86%. ANN estimated the release parameters with an error of 10%. The temperature increased about 5.6°C in the alternative magnetic field (AMF) of 216 kA.m-1~300 kHz and 4.8°C in the AMF of 154 kA.m-1~400 kHz after 20 minutes. HepG2 cell cytotoxicity for the optimized samples with and without Fe3O4 after 72 hours were 39.7% and 38.8%, respectively. Conclusion: Since this core-shell drug release system was more sustainable compared to the blend structure despite the low half-life of 5FU, it is suggested to utilize it as post-surgical implants for various cancer treatments such as liver or colorectal cancer in the future. This system is capable of providing chemotherapy and hyperthermia simultaneously.