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Due to the obstruction and heterogeneity of the blood-brain barrier, the clinical treatment of glioma has been extremely difficult. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) exhibits antitumor effects, but its low solubility and bioavailability limit its application potential. Herein, we established a nanoscale hybrid membrane-derived system composed of erythrocytes and tumor cells. By encapsulating ISL in hybrid membrane nanoparticles, ISL is expected to be enhanced for the targeting and long-circulation in gliomas therapy. We fused erythrocytes with human glioma cells U251 and extracted the fusion membrane via hypotension, termed as hybrid membrane (HM). HM-camouflaged ISL nanoparticles (ISL@HM NPs) were prepared and featured with FT-IR, SEM, TEM, and DLS particle analysis. As the results concluded, the ISL active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) were successfully encapsulated with HM membranes, and the NPs loading efficiency was 38.9 ± 2.99% under maximum entrapment efficiency. By comparing the IC50 of free ISL and NPs, we verified that the solubility and antitumor effect of NPs was markedly enhanced. We also investigated the mechanism of the antitumor effect of ISL@HM NPs, which revealed a marked inhibition of tumor cell proliferation and promotion of senescence and apoptosis of tumor cells of the formulation. In addition, the FSC and WB results examined the effects of different concentrations of ISL@HM NPs on tumor cell disruption and apoptotic protein expression. Finally, it can be concluded that hybridized membrane-derived nanoparticles could prominently increase the solubility of insoluble materials (as ISL), and also enhance its targeting and antitumor effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ectomesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs) are typical adult stem cells obtained from the cranial neural crest. They have the potential to differentiate into various cell types, such as osseous cells, neurons and glial cells. Three-dimensional (3 D) printing is a novel method to construct biological structures by rapid prototyping. Previously, our group reported on the stemness and multi-lineage differentiation potential of EMSCs on gels. However, the exploration of EMSCs in 3 D printing and then evaluation of the growth and neuronal differentiation of EMSCs on extruded 3 D printable hybrid hydrogels has not been reported. Therefore, the current study explored the novel hybrid Sodium alginate-Matrigel (SA-MA) hydrogel extruded 3 D printing to design an in vitro scaffold to promote the differentiation and growth of EMSCs. In addition, the physical properties of the hydrogel were characterized and its drug-releasing property determined. Notably, the results showed that the construct exhibited a sustain-released effect of growth factor BDNF in accordance with the Higuchi equation. Moreover, the cell survival rate on the 3 D printed scaffold was 88.22 ± 1.13% with higher neuronal differentiation efficiency compared with 2 D culture. Thus, SA-MA's ability to enhanced EMSCs neuronal differentiation offers a new biomaterial for neurons regeneration in the treatment of spinal cord injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative strategy for the generation of chondrocytes was thoroughly studied in this paper. Polyetherimide-modified polysaccharides of Porphyra yezoensis (pmPPY) served as a nonviral gene vector and delivered Sox9 plasmid to directly reprogram mouse embryonic fibroblasts into chondrocytes. The gene transfer efficiency was evaluated through ELISA, RT-PCR, and Western blot. The induced chondrocytes were identified through toluidine blue, Safranin O, and the immunostaining. The expression level of collagen II was finally evaluated through western blot. The pSox9/pmPPY nanoparticles (1:50) showed lower cytotoxicity as well as greater gene transfection efficiency than Lipofectamine 2000 and polyetherimide (PEI) (p<0.05). The results of toluidine blue, Safranin O, and the immunostaining of collagen II further showed that the normal MEFs were successfully reprogrammed into chondrocytes. These findings indicate that pmPPY could be a promising gene vector for the generation of chondrocytes via single-gene delivery strategy, which might provide abundant chondrocytes for cartilage repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Punicic acid of pomegranate oil (PAP) has gained heightened interest due to several health benefits, such as anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, and antiatherosclerotic properties. However, these bioactivities have been hampered by chemical instability, poor water solubility, rapid metabolism, and low bioavailability of PAP. Therefore, this study was aimed at optimizing the liposomal formulation of Triacylglycerol‐bound punicic acid with its regioisomers (TPAR) for improved oral bioavailability and increased hepatoprotection through antioxidation and anti‐inflammation. Herein, the optimized TPAR nanoliposome (TPAR‐NL) was developed using thin‐film dispersion method and subsequently characterized with appropriate indices. The optimized TPAR‐NL produced fairly stable spherical nanoparticles (˂ 200 nm) with encapsulation efficiency (%EE) of 85.77%, as well as enhanced in vitro release and improved oral bioavailability. The TPAR‐NL exhibited profound antihepatotoxic effect in mice pretreated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) via reduction of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin levels compared with free TPAR. The TPAR‐loaded liposome also significantly reduced oxidative stress by increasing superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels while lowering malonaldehyde concentration compared with the free TPAR. The TPAR‐LNF further exhibited remarkable anti‐inflammatory activity compared with the free drug via inhibition of interleukin‐6 and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha generation. Thus, the developed nanoliposomes potentiated the antihepatotoxic activity of TPAR via antioxidation and anti‐inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] As the global number of chronic wound patients rises, the financial burden and social pressure on patients increase daily. Stem cells have emerged as promising tissue engineering seed cells due to their enriched sources, multidirectional differentiation ability, and high proliferation rate. However, delivering them in vitro for the treatment of skin injury is still challenging. In addition, bacteria from the wound site and the environment can significantly impact wound healing. In the last decade, 3D bioprinting has dramatically enriched cell delivery systems. The produced scaffolds by this technique can be precisely localized within cells and perform antibacterial actions. In this review, we summarized the 3D bioprinting-based external delivery of stem cells and their antibiosis to improve wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generating of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be achieved by ectopic expression of defined transcription factor sets. However, most instances of iPSC induction have been achieved using viral vectors, which carry the risk of unpredictable genetic dysfunction. Here, for the first time, a non-viral vector based on calcium phosphate nanoparticles for the generation of virus-free iPSCs from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) via co-delivery of the four plasmids (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc) is reported. As a result, a total of 98 colonies from 200 000 cells have been obtained, with a reprogramming efficiency of 0.049%. The iPSCs shows positive expression of pluripotency markers, including OCT4, SSEA-3, SSEA-4, NANOG, and TRA-1-81. Moreover, the iPSCs are able to differentiate into all three germ layers in vitro. Subcutaneous injection of the iPSCs into immunocompromised mice results in the formation of teratomas containing a variety of tissues from all three germ layers. These findings indicate that co-delivery of the four Yamanaka factors via plasmid-encapsulated calcium phosphate nanoparticles can provide a simple, safe, and efficient method for the generation of virus-free iPSCs, which is crucial for their future clinical applications in the field of regenerative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]