Sustained delivery of chABC improves functional recovery after a spine injury.

INTRODUCTION: Chondroitinase ABC (chABC) is an enzyme could improve regeneration and thereby improving functional recovery of spinal cord injury (SCI) in rodent models. Degradation of the active enzyme and diffusion away from the lesion are the causes of using hydrogels as a scaffold to deliver the chABC into the lesion site. In this meta-analysis, we investigated the effects of chABC embedded in a scaffold or hydrogel on the functional recovery after SCI. METHOD: Databases were searched based on keywords related to chABC and spinal cord injury (SCI). Primary and secondary screening was performed to narrow down study objectives and inclusion criteria, and finally the data were included in the meta-analysis. The standard mean difference of the score of the functional recovery that measured by Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) test after SCI was used to analyze the results of the reported studies. Subgroup analysis was performed based on SCI model, severity of SCI, transplantation type, and the follow-up time. Quality control of articles was also specified. RESULTS: The results showed that embedding chABC within the scaffold increased significantly the efficiency of functional recovery after SCI in animal models (SMD = 1.95; 95% CI 0.71-3.2; p = 0.002) in 9 studies. SCI model, severity of SCI, injury location, transplantation type, and the follow-up time did not affect the overall results and in all cases scaffold effect could not be ignored. However, due to the small number of studies, this result is not conclusive and more studies are needed. CONCLUSION: The results could pave the way for the use of chABC embedded in the scaffold for the treatment of SCI and show that this method of administration is superior to chABC injection alone.

Investigation of combined photodynamic and radiotherapy effects of gallium phthalocyanine chloride on MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

In this study, we evaluated the effect of gallium phthalocyanine chloride (GaPcCl) as a radio- and photosensitizer on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. We incubated cells with GaPcCl in different concentrations (from 3.125 to 100 µg/ml). Then cells in separate groups were exposed to different light doses (1.8 and 2.8 J/cm2) at wavelength of 660 nm and 2-Gy X-ray ionizing radiation, alone and in combination. Finally, cell survival and apoptosis were determined by MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The results showed that the deactivated GaPcCl at concentration of 100 µg/ml reduces the cell viability up to 15%. While, photoactivated GaPcCl (100 µg/ml) at light dose of 2.8 J/cm2 significantly decreases cell viability up to 55.3%. Although MTT assay demonstrated that GaPcCl is not act as a radiosensitizer, flow cytometry showed significant increase in cell apoptosis when GaPcCl was exposed to 2 Gy X-ray. Using of GaPcCl-PDT (photodynamic therapy) integration with X-ray substantially increased cell death in comparison to the absence of X-ray. Furthermore, flow cytometry displayed a significant increase in apoptosis cells (especially late apoptosis) in this combination therapy. Our result proved that GaPcCl is an effective photosensitizer in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. The combination of GaPcCl-PDT and radiotherapy can be an efficient treatment against cancer. This approach needs further investigations on animal models for human purposes.Graphic abstract.

Hybrid laser activated phycocyanin/capecitabine treatment of cancerous MCF7 cells.

Laser-induced fluorescence is recently used as an efficient technique in cancer diagnosis and non-invasive treatment. Here, the synergic therapeutical efficacies of the Capecitabine (CAP) chemodrug, photosensitive Phycocyanin (PC) and graphene oxide (GO) under laser irradiation were investigated. The therapeutical efficacies of diverse concentrations of CAP (0.001-10 mg/ml) and PC (0.5-10 mg/ml) alone and with laser irradiation on human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells were examined. The interactional effects of 100 mW SHG Nd:YAG laser at 532nm and GaAs laser at 808 nm ranging power of 150 mW- 2.2W were considered. The contribution of graphene oxide (GO) in biocompatible concentrations of 2.5-20 ng/ml and thermal characteristics of laser exposure at 808 nm on GO + fluorophores have been studied. The effects of the bare and laser-excited CAP + PC on cell mortality have been obtained. Despite the laser irradiation could not hold up the cell proliferation in the absence of drug interaction considerably; however, the viability of the treated cells (by a combination of fluorophores) under laser exposure at 808 nm was significantly reduced. The laser at 532 nm excited the fluorescent PC in (CAP + PC) to trigger the photodynamic processes via oxygen generation. Through the in-vitro experiments of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy of PC + CAP, the PC/CAP concentrations of the maximum fluorescence signal and spectral shifts have been characterized. The synergic effects of the laser exposures and (CAP + PC) treatment at different concentrations were confirmed. It has been shown here that the laser activation of (CAP + PC) can induce the mortality of the malignant cells by reducing the chemotherapeutic dose of CAP to avoid its non-desirable side effects and by approaching the minimally invasive treatment. Elevation of the laser intensity/exposure time could contribute to the therapeutic efficacy. Survival of the treated cells with a combination of GO and fluorophores could be reduced under laser exposure at 808 nm compared to the same combination therapy in the absence of GO. This survey could benefit the forthcoming clinical protocols based on laser spectroscopy for in-situ imaging/diagnosis/treatment of adenocarcinoma utilizing PC + CAP + GO.