Current Innovations in Intraocular Pressure Monitoring Biosensors for Diagnosis and Treatment of Glaucoma-Novel Strategies and Future Perspectives.

Biosensors are devices that quantify biologically significant information required for diverse applications, such as disease diagnosis, food safety, drug discovery and detection of environmental pollutants. Recent advancements in microfluidics, nanotechnology and electronics have led to the development of novel implantable and wearable biosensors for the expedient monitoring of diseases such as diabetes, glaucoma and cancer. Glaucoma is an ocular disease which ranks as the second leading cause for loss of vision. It is characterized by the increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) in human eyes, which results in irreversible blindness. Currently, the reduction of IOP is the only treatment used to manage glaucoma. However, the success rate of medicines used to treat glaucoma is quite minimal due to their curbed bioavailability and reduced therapeutic efficacy. The drugs must pass through various barriers to reach the intraocular space, which in turn serves as a major challenge in glaucoma treatment. Rapid progress has been observed in nano-drug delivery systems for the early diagnosis and prompt therapy of ocular diseases. This review gives a deep insight into the current advancements in the field of nanotechnology for detecting and treating glaucoma, as well as for the continuous monitoring of IOP. Various nanotechnology-based achievements, such as nanoparticle/nanofiber-based contact lenses and biosensors that can efficiently monitor IOP for the efficient detection of glaucoma, are also discussed.

A review on background, process and application of electrospun nanofibers for tissue regeneration.

Electrospinning is a versatile method which is used to synthesize nano/micro sized fibers under the influence of an electric field. Electrospun nanoscaffolds are one of the widely accepted platforms for cultivating soft and hard tissues as they create a perfect micro-environment for cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. Nanoscaffolds are widely used in the field of tissue engineering due to their versatility in aiding the growth of different types of cells and tissues for varied applications. The composition, molecular weight and structure of polymer used to fabricate nanoscaffold plays an important role in determining the size and strength of the nanofibers prepared. This review gives information about the background, process and different types of polymers used in electrospinning. Recent advances in culturing liver cells, osteoblasts, skin cells, neural cells and coronary artery smooth muscle cells on nanoscaffolds are also elucidated.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Polymeric Biomaterials in Treating Diabetic Wounds-An Upcoming Wound Healing Technology.

Diabetic wounds are one of the serious, non-healing, chronic health issues faced by individuals suffering from diabetic mellitus. The distinct phases of wound healing are either prolonged or obstructed, resulting in the improper healing of diabetic wounds. These injuries require persistent wound care and appropriate treatment to prevent deleterious effects such as lower limb amputation. Although there are several treatment strategies, diabetic wounds continue to be a major threat for healthcare professionals and patients. The different types of diabetic wound dressings that are currently used differ in their properties of absorbing wound exudates and may also cause maceration to surrounding tissues. Current research is focused on developing novel wound dressings incorporated with biological agents that aid in a faster rate of wound closure. An ideal wound dressing material must absorb wound exudates, aid in the appropriate exchange of gas, and protect from microbial infections. It must support the synthesis of biochemical mediators such as cytokines, and growth factors that are crucial for faster healing of wounds. This review highlights the recent advances in polymeric biomaterial-based wound dressings, novel therapeutic regimes, and their efficacy in treating diabetic wounds. The role of polymeric wound dressings loaded with bioactive compounds, and their in vitro and in vivo performance in diabetic wound treatment are also reviewed.

Facile synthesis of sericin modified graphene oxide nanocomposites for treating ischemic diseases.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the major reason for death worldwide. Therapeutic angiogenesis serves as an effective approach to treat IHD. Sericin (S), a natural silk protein is widely used in regenerative medicine due to its excellent bioactive properties. Graphene oxide (GO) is extensively used in the field of biomedicine due to its amazing capacity to interact with biomolecules. The main objectives of the present study are to synthesize sericin functionalized graphene oxide (SGO) nanocomposites to treat diseases associated with deficient angiogenesis. Carbodiimide induced cross-linking strategy was employed to functionalize graphene oxide using sericin. The SGO nanocomposites had wrinkled flake like structure with good blood biocompatibility. In vivo chick embryo angiogenesis (CEA) assay was performed to prove the angiogenic potency of SGO nanocomposites. CEA assay results clearly indicated the development of new blood vessels in SGO treated chick embryos when compared with the control.