NIR-Responsive injectable hydrogel cross-linked by homobifunctional PEG for photo-hyperthermia of melanoma, antibacterial wound healing, and preventing post-operative adhesion.

Current therapeutic approaches for skin cancer face significant challenges, including wound infection, delayed skin regeneration, and tumor recurrence. To overcome these challenges, an injectable adhesive near-infrared (NIR)-responsive hydrogel with time-dependent enhancement in viscosity is developed for combined melanoma therapy and antibacterial wound healing acceleration. The multifunctional hydrogel is prepared through the chemical crosslinking between poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) and gelatin, followed by the incorporation of CuO nanosheets and allantoin. The synergistic inherent antibacterial potential of CuO nanosheets, the regenerative and smoothing effect of allantoin, the extracellular matrix-mimicking effect of gelatin, and the desirable swelling behavior of the hydrogel results in fast wound recovery after photothermal ablation of the tumor. Additionally, the hydrogel can serve as an alternative to sutures owing to its tissue adhesiveness ability, which can further render it the merits for accelerated repair of abdominal lesions while acting as a biocompatible barrier to prevent peritoneal adhesion.

Diatom-guided bone healing via a hybrid natural scaffold.

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) involves the design of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds that aim to address current challenges of bone defect healing, such as limited donor availability, disease transmission risks, and the necessity for multiple invasive surgeries. Scaffolds can mimic natural bone structure to accelerate the mechanisms involved in the healing process. Herein, a crosslinked combination of biopolymers, including gelatin (GEL), chitosan (CS), and hyaluronic acid (HA), loaded with diatom (Di) and ß-sitosterol (BS), is used to produce GCH-Di-S scaffold by freeze-drying method. The GCH scaffold possesses a uniform structure, is biodegradable and biocompatible, and exhibits high porosity and interconnected pores, all required for effective bone repair. The incorporation of Di within the scaffold contributes to the adjustment of porosity and degradation, as well as effectively enhancing the mechanical property and biomineralization. In vivo studies have confirmed the safety of the scaffold and its potential to stimulate the creation of new bone tissue. This is achieved by providing an osteoconductive platform for cell attachment, prompting calcification, and augmenting the proliferation of osteoblasts, which further contributes to angiogenesis and anti-inflammatory effects of BS.

Emerging strategies to bypass transplant rejection via biomaterial-assisted immunoengineering: Insights from islets and beyond.

Novel transplantation techniques are currently under development to preserve the function of impaired tissues or organs. While current technologies can enhance the survival of recipients, they have remained elusive to date due to graft rejection by undesired in vivo immune responses despite systemic prescription of immunosuppressants. The need for life-long immunomodulation and serious adverse effects of current medicines, the development of novel biomaterial-based immunoengineering strategies has attracted much attention lately. Immunomodulatory 3D platforms can alter immune responses locally and/or prevent transplant rejection through the protection of the graft from the attack of immune system. These new approaches aim to overcome the complexity of the long-term administration of systemic immunosuppressants, including the risks of infection, cancer incidence, and systemic toxicity. In addition, they can decrease the effective dose of the delivered drugs via direct delivery at the transplantation site. In this review, we comprehensively address the immune rejection mechanisms, followed by recent developments in biomaterial-based immunoengineering strategies to prolong transplant survival. We also compare the efficacy and safety of these new platforms with conventional agents. Finally, challenges and barriers for the clinical translation of the biomaterial-based immunoengineering transplants and prospects are discussed.

The effect of asthma on phonation: a controlled study of 34 patients.

The effect of upper respiratory tract diseases on phonation has been reviewed, but little is known about the influence of lower respiratory tract diseases. In particular, the effect of asthma as a reversible obstructive small-airway disease on phonatory variables is not yet clear. We conducted a cross-sectional controlled study to evaluate the quality of phonation in a group of 34 adults with untreated mild to severe persistent asthma who were seen at the Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. Patients with sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or primary laryngeal disease were ineligible for study participation. For comparison purposes, we identified a group of nonasthmatic, age- and sex-matched healthy controls. We evaluated eight voice parameters: basal voice frequency at the glottic level (F0), jitter, shimmer, breathiness, harshness, hoarseness, normalized noise energy (NNE), and S/Z ratio. These parameters were measured by a voice meter with Dr. Speech statistical software. We found that values for F0, jitter, and shimmer were very similar in the two groups, but there were statistically significant differences in values for harshness, hoarseness, NNE, S/Z ratio (all p < 0.01), and breathiness (p = 0.015). Our findings suggest that lower airway diseases such as asthma can impair phonation, and we recommend future studies with larger populations to further explore this issue.

Gabapentin effectiveness on the sensation of subjective idiopathic tinnitus: a pilot study.

This prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial evaluated the effectiveness of gabapentin in decreasing subjective features of idiopathic subjective tinnitus in the patients. Pure-tone audiograms, laboratory test and personal histories were used to exclude any particular etiology of tinnitus. Participants were restricted to those with moderate to severe idiopathic subjective tinnitus for at least 6 months. A total of 30 participants received gabapentin in a graduated ascending dose series extending over 4 weeks (peak dose of 900 mg/day). There was not a significant subjective improvement in tinnitus annoyance for the patients (37%) versus controls (42%). Comparison between the results before and after intervention for patients and controls according to subjective response, tinnitus questionnaire, tinnitus severity index and the loudness perception by the patient showed no significant differences (P > 0.05). There is insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of gabapentin in the treatment of tinnitus up to now.