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Iatrogenic allogenosis is a disease caused by the injection of biopolymers with esthetic purposes. Clinical manifestations can occur between six hours and 30 years after the procedure with local and/or systemic symptoms. The pathological findings are characterized by the presence of foreign body granulomas with a sarcoid-like reaction. Its interpretation is difficult given its association with sarcoidosis. We report the clinical case of a female patient with granulomatous lesions in reaction to a foreign body secondary to the multiple application of unknown substances on the face and buttocks.

Background: The global healthcare sector has been dealing with a situation known as a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) since the end of 2019. Covid-19 is an acronym for Covid-19 (Coronavirus Disease- 2019). It causes a respiratory infection that includes cold, sneezing and coughing, and pneumonia. In the case of an animal, it causes diarrhea and upper respiratory diseases. Covid-19 transmitted human to human via airborne droplets. First Covid-19 emerged in Wuhan market China and it spread rapidly throughout the World. As we know nanoparticles are a novel drug delivery system. They have various advantageous effects like increasing the efficacy of the drug, safety, etc. In this review, we study about the nanoparticles and summarize how it is effective during drug delivery system in Covid-19. Chitosan is a much focused biopolymeric nanoparticle. It delivers drugs to the specific target site. In a recent health crisis, chitosan nanoparticles are one of the ways to release drugs of Covid-19, and specifically in the lungs of the affected patients. We studied and extracted our data from various research papers, review papers, and some other articles., Objective: The main goal is to study the nanoparticles and their future aspects which is an effective drug delivery system in Covid-19., Methods: The bibliographic search was done through a systematic search. The terms "Nanoparticles", "Covid-19 ", "Drug delivery" etc. were used to search the databases/search engines like "Google Scholar", "NCBI", "PubMed", "Science Direct" etc. These databases and search engines used here perform the limited criteria of search to conduct a systematic literature survey for the study and report writing. All the text from the articles and research papers were studied and analyzed. The various articles and research papers were used in writing this report and all of which are mentioned in the reference section of this report., Conclusion: Our current studies reveal that nanoparticles may prove very helpful in the delivery of drugs for Covid-19 treatment. Many cases showed that patients, where drugs are delivered with the help of nanoparticles, produced very few side effects., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

ε-Polylysine (ε-PL) is a potent cationic antimicrobial, but its application as a food additive is currently limited because it tends to precipitate with anionic species in food matrices. Previous research has shown that the formation of an electrostatic complex between cationic ε-PL and anionic pectin (P) improved the physical stability of ε-PL while maintaining its antimicrobial activity. However, the impact of complexation on the effects of ε-PL on health is currently unknown. A subchronic toxicity study was therefore carried out to determine the safety of ingested ε-PL-P complexes using high-fat diet-fed male and female mice. After a 13-week dietary treatment with P, ε-PL, or ε-PL-P complexes, no significant toxicological effects were observed on the survival, mean body weight, food consumption, and organ weights of the animals, suggesting that the complexes were safe for oral consumption. Interestingly, the ε-PL-P complexes were found to have several beneficial health effects: suppression of high-fat diet-induced elevation of serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities, reduction in serum total triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and an increase in fecal excretion of triglycerides. These effects were much stronger in female mice than in male mice. Moreover, the lipid-lowering effects were observed only for the ε-PL-P complexes but not for ε-PL or P alone at the same doses. Overall, our results demonstrate the oral safety of ε-PL-P complexes and their gender-specific lipid-lowering effects in high-fat diet-fed mice, which provide an important basis for the utilization of ε-PL-P complexes in food systems as functional ingredients.

Background: Oregano essential oil (EO) was incorporated into film-forming dispersions (FFDs) based on biopolymers (chitosan and/or methylcellulose) at two different concentrations. The effect of the application of the FFDs was evaluated on tomato plants (cultivar Micro-Tom) at three different stages of development, and on pre-harvest and postharvest applications on tomato fruit., Results: The application of the FFDs at '3 Leaves' stage caused phytotoxic problems, which were lethal when the EO was applied without biopolymers. Even though plant growth and development were delayed, the total biomass and the crop yield were not affected by biopolymer-EO treatments. When the FFDs were applied in the 'Fruit' stage the pre-harvest application of FFDs had no negative effects. All FFDs containing EO significantly reduced the respiration rate of tomato fruit and diminished weight loss during storage. Moreover, biopolymer-EO FFDs led to a decrease in the fungal decay of tomato fruit inoculated with Rhizopus stolonifer spores, as compared with non-treated tomato fruit and those coated with FFDs without EO., Conclusion: The application of biopolymer-oregano essential oil coatings has been proven to be an effective treatment to control R. stolonifer in tomato fruit. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Purpose: To compare the inflammatory reaction caused by the injection of a sugarcane biopolymer (SCB) into the vocal fold of rabbits with that caused by calcium hydroxyapatite (CaH)., Methods: CaH (Radiesse(r)) and SCB gel were injected respectively into the right and left vocal cords of thirty rabbits. The rabbits were distributed into two equal groups and sacrificed at three and twelve weeks after injection. We then evaluated the intensity of the inflammatory reaction, plus levels of neovascularization, fibrogenesis and inflammatory changes in the vocal mucosa., Results: The vocal cords injected with CaH had a stronger inflammatory reaction by giant cells in both study periods. The SCB group had a more intense inflammatory involvement of polymorphonuclear cells three weeks after injection. SCB caused a higher level of neovascularization compared with CaH three weeks after the procedure., Conclusion: Whereas calcium hydroxyapatite triggers a more intense and lasting inflammatory reaction mediated by giant cells, sugarcane biopolymer causes a greater response from polymorphonuclear leukocytes, as well as higher levels of vneoascularization three weeks after injection.

To enhance the solubility and improve the bioavailability of hydrophobic curcumin, a new kind of imprinted-like biopolymeric micelles (IBMs) was designed. The IBMs were prepared via co-assembly of gelatin-dextran conjugates with hydrophilic tea polyphenol, then crosslinking the assembled micelles and finally removing the template tea polyphenol by dialysis. The obtained IBMs show selective binding for polyphenol analogous drugs over other drugs. Furthermore, curcumin can be effectively encapsulated into the IBMs with 5×10(4)-fold enhancement of aqueous solubility. We observed the sustained drug release behavior from the curcumin-loaded IBMs (CUR@IBMs) in typical biological buffers. In addition, we found the cell uptake of CUR@IBMs is much higher than that of free curcumin. The cell cytotoxicity results illustrated that CUR@IBMs can improve the growth inhibition of HeLa cells compared with free curcumin, while the blank IBMs have little cytotoxicity. The in vivo animal study demonstrated that the IBMs could significantly improve the oral bioavailability of curcumin., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In biomedical field, a variety of natural or synthetic polymers are being exponentially developed and used in vivo to improve human health. In practical applications, these biopolymers would enter blood circulation directly or indirectly, positively or passively, rapidly or slowly. Blood is a special tissue of human body, which fulfills many important missions to sustain normal metabolism. The contact with blood of the biopolymers, which are seen as foreign substances by the body, would be harmful or even instantaneously lethal, depending on the nature and the dose of the biopolymers administered. Therefore, it is critical to clearly understand the potential influences of the foreign polymers on blood before the polymers are applied from the lab to bedside. In this review, we discuss the recent studies on the interactions of foreign, solubilized polymer molecules (excluding formed polymer materials) with blood constituents (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, plasma proteins, etc.), to gain insight into the potential in vivo applications of the biopolymers in the biomedical field., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Injectable implants used for soft-tissue augmentation may lead to a granulomatous foreign-body reaction. The aim of this report is to present 7 new cases of foreign-body granulomas involving the oral and perioral tissues, after injection of biomaterials to achieve soft-tissue augmentation. In addition, the clinical and epidemiological profile of this condition is summarized, based on a review of the English-language literature of all previously described cases., Patients and Methods: We report on 7 new cases of granulomatous foreign-body reaction involving the oral and perioral tissues after the injection of biomaterials. A comprehensive literature review is also presented., Results: The literature search revealed 49 cases of this condition affecting the oral and perioral tissues. Our 7 patients were female, with a mean age of 52.8 years (range, 34 to 70 years). The lower lip was affected in 4 cases, 1 case was located in the upper lip, 1 case in the buccal mucosa, while 1 case involved 2 different sites (upper lip and buccal mucosa). Histopathologic examination revealed numerous cells with clear, often multiple, cytoplasmic vacuoles, bearing a resemblance to lipoblasts. Immunohistochemistry revealed diffuse positivity for the histiocytic marker CD68., Conclusions: The diagnosis of granulomatous foreign-body reactions may be challenging because of their microscopic resemblance to liposarcoma, and because of the occasional reluctance of patients to report the previously performed esthetic procedure. A clinical history, histopathologic examination, and immunohistochemical analysis (as needed) are essential in achieving an accurate diagnosis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro-in vivo degradation and tissue compatibility of three novel biopolymers viz. polymerized rosin (PR), glycerol ester of polymerized rosin (GPR) and pentaerythritol ester of polymerized rosin (PPR) and study their potential as implant matrix for the delivery of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride. Free films of polymers were used for in vitro degradation in PBS (pH 7.4) and in vivo in rat subcutaneous model. Sample weight loss, molecular weight decline, and morphological changes were analyzed after periodic intervals (30, 60, and 90 days) to monitor the degradation profile. Biocompatibility was evaluated by examination of the inflammatory tissue response to the implanted films on postoperative days 7, 14, 21, and 28. Furthermore, direct compression of dry blends of various polymer matrices with 20%, 30%, and 40% w/w drug loading was performed to investigate their potential for implant systems. The implants were characterized in terms of porosity and ciprofloxacin release. Biopolymer films showed slow rate of degradation, in vivo rate being faster on comparative basis. Heterogeneous bulk degradation was evident with the esterified products showing faster rates than PR. Morphologically all the films were stiff and intact with no significant difference in their appearance. The percent weight remaining in vivo was 90.70 +/- 6.2, 85.59 +/- 5.8, and 75.56 +/- 4.8 for PR, GPR, and PPR films respectively. Initial rapid drop in Mw was demonstrated with nearly 20.0% and 30.0% decline within 30 days followed by a steady decline to nearly 40.0% and 50.0% within 90 days following in vitro and in vivo degradation respectively. Biocompatibility demonstrated by acute and subacute tissue reactions showed minimal inflammatory reactions with prominent fibrous encapsulation and absence of necrosis demonstrating good tissue compatibility to the extent evaluated. All implants showed erosion and increase in porosity that affected the drug release. Increase in drug loading significantly altered the ciprofloxacin release in extended dissolution studies. PPR produced drug release >90% over a period of 90 days promising its utility in implant systems. The results demonstrated the utility of novel film forming biopolymers as implant matrix for controlled/sustained drug delivery with excellent biocompatibility characteristics., ((c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.)

The injectable polymer scaffolds which are biocompatible and biodegradable are important biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery. Hydrogels derived from natural proteins and polysaccharides are ideal scaffolds for tissue engineering since they resemble the extracellular matrices of the tissue comprised of various amino acids and sugar-based macromolecules. Here, we report a new class of hydrogels derived from oxidized alginate and gelatin. We show that periodate-oxidized sodium alginate having appropriate molecular weight and degree of oxidation rapidly cross-links proteins such as gelatin in the presence of small concentrations of sodium tetraborate (borax) to give injectable systems for tissue engineering, drug delivery and other medical applications. The rapid gelation in the presence of borax is attributed to the slightly alkaline pH of the medium as well as the ability of borax to complex with hydroxyl groups of polysaccharides. The effect of degree of oxidation and concentration of alginate dialdehyde, gelatin and borax on the speed of gelation was examined. As a general rule, the gelling time decreased with increase in concentration of oxidized alginate, gelatin and borax and increase in the degree of oxidation of alginate. Cross-linking parameters of the gel matrix were studied by swelling measurements and trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) assay. In general, the degree of cross-linking was found to increase with increase in the degree of oxidation of alginate, whereas the swelling ratio and the degree of swelling decreased. The gel was found to be biocompatible and biodegradable. The potential of the system as an injectable drug delivery vehicle and as a tissue-engineering scaffold is demonstrated by using primaquine as a model drug and by encapsulation of hepatocytes inside the gel matrix, respectively.

Background: Healon5, the first viscoadaptive agent introduced in ophthalmic surgery, has been judged to be superior to Healon GV in protecting corneal endothelial cells. The purpose of this study was to compare the endothelial protective effects of I-Visc Phaco, a newer viscoadaptive agent, with those of Healon5 in cataract phacoemulsification., Methods: A total of 96 unselected patients scheduled to undergo cataract surgery at a community-based hospital in St. Catharines, Ont., were assigned to receive I-Visc Phaco. This group was compared with 112 patients who had received Healon5 in a previous study by the author. The technique used to remove the cataract with phacoemulsification and insertion of an intraocular lens was the same in the two groups. Endothelial cell count and corneal thickness were measured preoperatively and 3 and 8 weeks postoperatively with a Konan noncontact specular microscope. One-way analysis of variance was used to analyse the data., Results: Preoperatively there was no statistically significant difference between the Healon5 and I-Visc Phaco groups in age, eye operated, or endothelial cell count or corneal thickness. At 3 weeks there was no significant difference between the two groups in mean endothelial cell count (2110.2 [standard deviation (SD) 529.9] cells/mm2 vs. 2113.5 [SD 566.6] cells/mm2) or mean corneal thickness (586.2 microm [SD 46.73 microm] vs. 583.9 microm [SD 42.23 microm]). Similarly, there was no significant difference between the two groups in mean endothelial cell count (2113.3 [SD 496.6] cells/mm2 vs. 2145.5 [SD 573.1] cells/mm2) or mean corneal thickness (570.9 microm [SD 44.09 microm] vs. 574.4 microm [SD 40.73 microm]) at 8 weeks., Interpretation: Results at 3 and 8 weeks postoperatively indicate that Healon5 and I-Visc Phaco protect the endothelium equally well during cataract phacoemulsification surgery.

It is generally acknowledged that artificial biomaterials are much less immunologically active than transplants or tissue derived biomaterials. However, activation of both the coagulation cascade and the complement system is a common occurrence when human blood is exposed to biomaterial surfaces during extracorporeal procedures, such as renal hemodialysis or cardiopulmonary bypass. Both individual and collective activation of these cascades often produce local and systemic effects. A number of complement activation products function as the mediators of inflammation. They serve as ligands for specific receptors on polymorphonuclear leukocytes, monocytes, macrophages, mast cells, and other cells. Such an interaction leads to induction of cellular responses in adhered cells, including release of oxidative products, lysosomal enzymes, or both, which often contribute to a number of pathologic conditions. Most pathogens invading the human body are attacked by the immune system directly following entry, especially when they are in contact with blood. However, bacteria and parasites have developed a large number of specific strategies to overcome immune defense among others by avoiding either recognition or eradication by complement. In this aspect, of concern are several microorganisms responsible for formation of antibiotic resistant biofilms on biomaterial surfaces, namely Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and effectiveness of orally administered SP-303 in patients with AIDS and diarrhea., Methods: This is a multicenter, phase II, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study. HIV-positive subjects with a history of a CD4 count <200 or an AIDS-defining illness were admitted to an inpatient study unit and screened for diarrhea defined as at least three abnormal (i.e., soft or watery) stools and >200 g of abnormal stool weight over a 24-h period. Subjects discontinued all antidiarrheal agents >24 h before enrollment. Stool samples were studied for routine pathogens. Subjects received 500 mg p.o. of SP-303 or placebo every 6 h for 96 h (4 days). Stool frequency and weights were recorded. Subjects were monitored for symptoms and side effects and were seen 1 wk later in follow-up., Results: A total of 26 subjects received SP-303, and 25 received placebo. There were no significant demographic differences between treatment arms. A total of 41 subjects (80%) were receiving antiretroviral therapy and 39 subjects (77%) were receiving at least one protease inhibitor. Stool studies revealed no pathogens in 48 of 51 patients (94%). There were no serious adverse events or laboratory abnormalities. The SP-303 treatment group demonstrated a mean reduction from baseline stool weight of 451 g/24 h versus 150 g/24 h with placebo on day 4 of treatment (p = 0.14), and a mean reduction in abnormal stool frequency of three abnormal stools in 24 h versus two in 24 h in the placebo group (p = 0.30). Daily measures analysis over 4 days of treatment demonstrated that SP-303 subjects had a significant reduction in stool weight (p = 0.008) and abnormal stool frequency (p = 0.04) when compared to placebo-treated subjects., Conclusions: SP-303 is safe and well tolerated. These results suggest that SP-303 may be effective in reducing stool weight and frequency in patients with AIDS and diarrhea.

Virend (SP-303), a new topical antiviral agent with activity against herpesvirus, was evaluated in a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II study for safety and effectiveness against recurrent genital herpes lesions in patients with AIDS. The primary endpoints of this study were complete healing of lesions and time to healing. Patients had a history of recurrent genital or anogenital herpes with at least one lesion and positive HSV culture at enrollment. Participants received Virend (15% ointment; 24 patients) or matching placebo (21 patients) three times a day for 21 days. Excluding two patients in the Virend group who received an initial treatment but were lost to follow-up, 9 of 22 (41%) patients treated with Virend experienced complete healing of their lesions compared with three (14%) patients in the placebo group (P = 0.053). Viral culture revealed that 50% of Virend-treated patients and 19% of placebo-treated patients became culture-negative during treatment (P = 0.06). Based on these preliminary clinical findings, further evaluation of Virend for topical treatment of genital herpes in patients with AIDS is planned.

Several investigators have observed that free hemoglobin may increase the mortality rate in experimental Escherichia coli peritonitis in animals. This effect is probably mediated by the heme moiety of hemoglobin, but the mechanism remains controversial. Free hemoglobin might impair neutrophil function, and it might serve as a source of iron, which is necessary for bacterial replication. Several modified hemoglobin solutions, developed as blood substitutes, are currently being tested in clinical studies, but concern exists that these solutions may have the potential to exacerbate a bacterial infection. At the Central Laboratory of the Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, a blood substitute based on modified hemoglobin (PolyHbXl) has been developed that has improved oxygen affinity and prolonged vascular retention. In the present study the potential risk of this solution on the promotion of infections has been evaluated. PolyHbXl was intravenously injected into mice in a clinically relevant dose of 1.5 gm/kg body weight 1 hour before intravenous administration of a sublethal number of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, E. coli, or Candida albicans organisms. PolyHbXl did not promote the proliferation of any of these microorganisms in the liver and spleen, nor did it lead to an increased mortality rate in the mice. Also, the in vitro proliferation of L. monocytogenes, S. typhimurium, and E. coli was not increased by PolyHbXl. In conclusion, PolyHbXl does not affect the course of infection with various microorganisms in mice, and no indication was found that this new blood substitute compromises the host defense against infections.

The naturally occurring polyphenolic biopolymer SP-303 has in vitro activity against both HSV-1 and HSV-2, including strains that are resistant to acyclovir. Nine AIDS patients with acyclovir-unresponsive mucocutaneous herpes simplex virus infection were treated with thrice daily topical SP-303T ointment in an open-label pilot study. Although a transient decrease in lesion size was observed in 4 patients during study drug therapy, and 3 patients sustained a quantitative decrease in virus burden, neither complete healing nor cessation of virus shedding occurred in any patient. Seven patients complained of pain or burning upon application of the study ointment, causing 1 patient to terminate the study. In summary, application of SP-303T ointment effected no significant improvement in the clinical course of 9 AIDS patients with acyclovir-unresponsive HSV infection.