Evaluating the performance of drug-repurposing technologies

Drug-repurposing technologies are growing in number and maturing. However, comparisons to each other and to reality are hindered because of a lack of consensus with respect to performance evaluation. Such comparability is necessary to determine scientific merit and to ensure that only meaningful predictions from repurposing technologies carry through to further validation and eventual patient use. Here, we review and compare performance evaluation measures for these technologies using version 2 of our shotgun repurposing Computational Analysis of Novel Drug Opportunities (CANDO) platform to illustrate their benefits, drawbacks, and limitations. Understanding and using different performance evaluation metrics ensures robust cross-platform comparability, enabling us to continue to strive toward optimal repurposing by decreasing the time and cost of drug discovery and development.

Decision-Making in the Era of New Medical Technologies in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology: The Death of Palliative Care?

BACKGROUND

Recent advances in immunology, genomics, and cellular therapy have opened numerous therapeutic possibilities in pediatric hematology-oncology, generating new hope in poor prognosis situations. How decisions are made when it comes to treatments and aims needs to be explored in this new technologic context. In particular, their impact on the gold standard of early referral to palliative care must be assessed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Stemming from an ethnographic study combining semistructured interviews and observations carried out in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant unit in a Montréal Pediatric Hospital, we discuss the decision-making process when a patient faces poor prognosis.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Although health care providers individually envisioned that palliative care may be the best course of action for patients receiving emergent therapy, they remained collectively in the curative mode. The intricate relationship between science, hope, caregiver, and care receiver sustains this perspective even when (near) death is the probable outcome. When proven treatment fails, emerging therapeutic possibilities offer new hope that can delay the referral to the palliative care team.

Neurodegeneration & imperfect ageing: Technological limitations and challenges?

Cellular homeostasis is regulated by the protein quality control (PQC) machinery, comprising multiple chaperones and enzymes. Studies suggest that the loss of the PQC mechanisms in neurons may lead to the formation of abnormal inclusions that may lead to neurological disorders and defective aging. The questions could be raised how protein aggregate formation precisely engenders multifactorial molecular pathomechanism in neuronal cells and affects different brain regions? Such questions await thorough investigation that may help us understand how aberrant proteinaceous bodies lead to neurodegeneration and imperfect aging. However, these studies face multiple technological challenges in utilizing available tools for detailed characterizations of the protein aggregates or amyloids and developing new techniques to understand the biology and pathology of proteopathies. The lack of detection and analysis methods has decelerated the pace of the research in amyloid biology. Here, we address the significance of aggregation and inclusion formation, followed by exploring the evolutionary contribution of these structures. We also provide a detailed overview of current state-of-the-art techniques and advances in studying amyloids in the diseased brain. A comprehensive understanding of the structural, pathological, and clinical characteristics of different types of aggregates (inclusions, fibrils, plaques, etc.) will aid in developing future therapies.

Recent Advances in Ionic Liquids in Biomedicine

The use of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents in biomedical applications has grown dramatically in recent years due to their unique properties and their inherent tunability. This review will introduce ionic liquids and deep eutectics and discuss their biomedical applications, namely solubilization of drugs, creation of active pharmaceutical ingredients, delivery of pharmaceuticals through biological barriers, stabilization of proteins and other nucleic acids, antibacterial agents, and development of new biosensors. Current challenges and future outlooks are discussed, including biocompatibility, the potential impact of the presence of impurities, and the importance of understanding the microscopic interactions in ionic liquids in order to design task-specific solvents.

Aptamer-Functionalized DNA-Silver Nanocluster Nanofilm for Visual Detection and Elimination of Bacteria

As a new type of nanomaterial, DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) have been widely studied because of their fluorescence and antibacterial properties. In this study, we combined the DNA-AgNCs with aptamers of bacteria to achieve a novel approach for the visual detection and effective elimination of bacteria. The aptamers of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were linked to G-rich sequences to achieve fluorescence enhancement when approaching the DNA-AgNCs. The capture of aptamers not only realized the visual monitoring of bacteria but also promoted the antibacterial effects. Additionally, a fluorescent nanofilm with excellent selectivity and antibacterial activity in the detection and elimination of S. aureus was developed based on the DNA-AgNCs. These aptamer-functionalized DNA-AgNCs show significant potential for many applications in food packaging and biomedical engineering.

Weaving Enzymes with Polymeric Shells for Biomedical Applications

Enzyme therapeutics have received increasing attention due to their high biological specificity, outstanding catalytic efficiency, and impressive therapeutic outcomes. Protecting and delivering enzymes into target cells while retaining enzyme catalytic efficiency is a big challenge. Wrapping of enzymes with rational designed polymer shells, rather than trapping them into large nanoparticles such as liposomes, have been widely explored because they can protect the folded state of the enzyme and make post-functionalization easier. In this review, the methods for wrapping up enzymes with protective polymer shells are mainly focused on. It is aimed to provide a toolbox for the rational design of polymeric enzymes by introducing methods for the preparation of polymeric enzymes including physical adsorption and chemical conjugation with specific examples of these conjugates/hybrid applications. Finally, a conclusion is drawn and key points are emphasized.

Isolation, Culture, Cryopreservation, and Preparation of Skin-Derived Fibroblasts as a Final Cellular Product Under Good Manufacturing Practice-Compliant Conditions

Cell-based therapies have become a popular approach in the field of regenerative medicine. Human fibroblast cells, one of the cell types widely used in clinical applications, have been used for skin regeneration and wound healing procedures. Furthermore, they are utilized for aesthetic purposes since fibroblasts lose their abilities such as collagen synthesis with age. Here, we describe detailed procedures for isolation, culture, cryopreservation, and preparation of fibroblasts derived from adult human skin as a final product under good manufacturing practice-compliant conditions.

Stereocomplex Polylactide for Drug Delivery and Biomedical Applications: A Review

Polylactide (PLA) is among the most common biodegradable polymers, with applications in various fields, such as renewable and biomedical industries. PLA features poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA) and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) enantiomers, which form stereocomplex crystals through racemic blending. PLA emerged as a promising material owing to its sustainable, eco-friendly, and fully biodegradable properties. Nevertheless, PLA still has a low applicability for drug delivery as a carrier and scaffold. Stereocomplex PLA (sc-PLA) exhibits substantially improved mechanical and physical strength compared to the homopolymer, overcoming these limitations. Recently, numerous studies have reported the use of sc-PLA as a drug carrier through encapsulation of various drugs, proteins, and secondary molecules by various processes including micelle formation, self-assembly, emulsion, and inkjet printing. However, concerns such as low loading capacity, weak stability of hydrophilic contents, and non-sustainable release behavior remain. This review focuses on various strategies to overcome the current challenges of sc-PLA in drug delivery systems and biomedical applications in three critical fields, namely anti-cancer therapy, tissue engineering, and anti-microbial activity. Furthermore, the excellent potential of sc-PLA as a next-generation polymeric material is discussed.

A mobile technology-based cooperative learning platform for undergraduate biology courses in common college classrooms

As a high-impact educational practice, cooperative learning uses a structured group study to promote students' active learning. Currently, it lacks economical yet effective tools to facilitate the interactive nature of structured cooperative learning in regular classrooms. Here, we have established a mobile technology-based cooperative learning (MBCL) platform that comprises the 2018 iPad, Apple Pencil, LiveBoard, Google Forms, and Google Drive. We tested the MBCL platform in multiple undergraduate biology courses. During semester-long MBCL studies, the students engaged in cooperative learning to discuss a real-life issue or chapter-based contents. With the MBCL platform, the students' group study processes were shown on shared, visible electronic whiteboards that were updated in real-time, generating visible thinking and instant, interactive communication. The instructor was able to guide the students promptly to conduct knowledge integration and knowledge synthesis using tables and diagrams. The deep learning outcome was evident in the examples and quantitative analyses of students' whiteboard study results and team presentations. Thus, integrating innovative mobile technologies into high-impact teaching practices, exemplified by the MBCL platform, promotes deep learning in higher education.

Digital foot health technology and diabetic foot monitoring: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

In diabetic foot ulceration, a correlation between pressure and skin temperature is suspected. The aim of this systematic review is to provide a more rigorous analysis of existing literature related to the various technologies used to read and measure both in-shoe plantar pressures, and in-shoe skin temperatures simultaneously.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature related to the topic was searched in database sources such as Medline OVID, Cochrane Library, PubMed, CONAHL, PROSPERO, and Elsevier. Outcome measures of interest included validity, reliability and responsiveness of in-shoe temperature and/or pressure mapping device used, and characteristics and quantity of sensors used, anatomical landmarks and statistical analysis used to interpret the data. Quality of evidence and risk of bias was evaluated using the QUADAS-2.

RESULTS

Nineteen studies were identified and included in this review. The majority of studies used a small sample size (mean n = 17) and recruited healthy participants. All studies have shown excellent validity but only a few tested for the reliability of the device. None of the studies tested for responsiveness of the device. Quality assessment results scored high risk in view of 'patient selection', 'use of reference standard' and 'applicability', and low risk in view of 'use if index test' and 'flow and timing'.

CONCLUSIONS

The data outlined in this review confirms that further improvement, reliability testing and clinical validation of the developed systems is required despite the results of excellent performance in detecting changes of in-shoe skin temperature and pressure.

Effects of a health education technology program on long-term glycemic control and self-management ability of adults with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial

AIMS

This study aimed to explore the effects of a health technology education program on long-term glycemic control and the self-management ability of adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS

The study was a randomized controlled trial with repeated measures design. The experimental group (n = 53) received a novel health technologies education program plus focus groups and routine shared care, the control group (n = 55) received routine shared care. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and self-management ability were the primary and secondary outcomes. Subject self-management ability was evaluated using the Chinese version of Perceived Diabetes Self-Management Scale (PDSMS). A linear mixed-effect model for repeated measures was used to analyze changes in HbA1c level and self-management ability after controlling for pretest effects.

RESULTS

The mean HbA1c levels in the experimental group decreased by 0.692% (7.564 mmol/mol) and 0.671% (7.332 mmol/mol) at 3 and 6 months after the intervention (p < 0.05) while the mean increase in the PDSMS scores at 3 and 6 months after the intervention were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The health technology education program was more effective than routine shared care alone in lowering HbA1c and increasing self-management ability in T2D patients.

Impact of manufacturing technology and material composition on the surface characteristics of hydrogel contact lenses

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to investigate the impact of manufacturing method and material composition on the surface characteristics of hydrogel contact lenses.

METHODS

Five lens types were examined; three polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate (pHEMA) lenses, each manufactured by a different technique, namely, lathing, spin-casting and cast-moulding, a HEMA/methacrylic acid cast-moulded lens and a HEMA/glycerol methacrylate cast-moulded lens. Six lenses of each type were examined (front and back) using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, both surfaces of three lenses from each of the pHEMA lens groups were examined, partially hydrated, using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Qualitative data were gathered for both SEM and AFM studies in addition to root-mean-square (RMS) roughness values for the lenses investigated with AFM.

RESULTS

The surfaces of the lathed lenses were covered in lathing/polishing marks. RMS roughness values for the anterior surface (10.9 +/- 4.3 nm) were significantly greater (p = 0.02) than those of the posterior surface (9.3 +/- 0.8 nm). The two surfaces of the spun-cast lens appeared similar by SEM but AFM RMS roughness values were greater (p = 0.02) for the anterior (12.3 +/- 1.8 nm) than the posterior (5.8 +/- 1.9 nm) surface. Both SEM and AFM showed similar topographic appearances for the surfaces of the cast-moulded pHEMA lens, although RMS roughness values were greater (p = 0.02) for the anterior (5.8 +/- 0.9 nm) than the posterior (3.9 +/- 0.3 nm) surface. All three cast-moulded lenses had more processing debris than the lathed and spun-cast pHEMA lenses. Overall, the surfaces of the lathed lens were 'rougher' than those of the cast-moulded lens (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The surface topographies of the hydrogel contact lenses are dependent on the method of manufacture. Cast-moulded lenses are associated with apparently 'stickier' surfaces, which may be indicative of surface degradation during the manufacturing process.

Biomedical applications of 2D monoelemental materials formed by group VA and VIA: a concise review

The development of two-dimensional (2D) monoelemental nanomaterials (Xenes) for biomedical applications has generated intensive interest over these years. In this paper, the biomedical applications using Xene-based 2D nanomaterials formed by group VA (e.g., BP, As, Sb, Bi) and VIA (e.g., Se, Te) are elaborated. These 2D Xene-based theranostic nanoplatforms confer some advantages over conventional nanoparticle-based systems, including better photothermal conversion, excellent electrical conductivity, and large surface area. Their versatile and remarkable features allow their implementation for bioimaging and theranostic purposes. This concise review is focused on the current developments in 2D Xenes formed by Group VA and VIA, covering the synthetic methods and various biomedical applications. Lastly, the challenges and future perspectives of 2D Xenes are provided to help us better exploit their excellent performance and use them in practice.

Rationally Programming Nanomaterials with DNA for Biomedical Applications

DNA is not only a carrier of genetic information, but also a versatile structural tool for the engineering and self-assembling of nanostructures. In this regard, the DNA template has dramatically enhanced the scalability, programmability, and functionality of the self-assembled DNA nanostructures. These capabilities provide opportunities for a wide range of biomedical applications in biosensing, bioimaging, drug delivery, and disease therapy. In this review, the importance and advantages of DNA for programming and fabricating of DNA nanostructures are first highlighted. The recent progress in design and construction of DNA nanostructures are then summarized, including DNA conjugated nanoparticle systems, DNA-based clusters and extended organizations, and DNA origami-templated assemblies. An overview on biomedical applications of the self-assembled DNA nanostructures is provided. Finally, the conclusion and perspectives on the self-assembled DNA nanostructures are presented.

Young People's Use of Digital Health Technologies in the Global North: Narrative Review

BACKGROUND

A diverse array of digital technologies are available to children and young people living in the Global North to monitor, manage, and promote their health and well-being.

OBJECTIVE

This article provides a narrative literature review of the growing number of social research studies published over the past decade that investigate the types of digital technologies used by children and young people in the Global North, in addition to investigating which of these technologies they find most useful or not useful. Key findings as well as major gaps and directions for future research are identified and discussed.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of relevant publications listed in Google Scholar was conducted, supported by following citation trails of these publications. The findings are listed under type of digital technology used for health: cross-media, internet, social media, apps and wearable devices, sexual health support and information, and mental health support and information.

RESULTS

Many young people in the Global North are active users of digital health technologies. However, it is notable that they still rely on older technologies, such as websites and search engines, to find information. Apps and platforms that may not have been specifically developed for young people as digital health resources often better suit their needs. Young people appreciate the ready availability of information online, the opportunities to learn more about their bodies and health states, and the opportunities to learn how to improve their health and physical fitness. They enjoy being able to connect with peers, and they find emotional support and relief from distress by using social media platforms, YouTube, and online forums. Young people can find the vast reams of information available to them difficult to navigate. They often look to trusted adults to help them make sense of the information they find online and to provide alternative sources of information and support. Face-to-face interactions with these trusted providers remain important to young people. Risks and harms that young people report from digital health use include becoming overly obsessed with their bodies' shape and size when using self-tracking technologies and comparing their bodies with the social media influencers they follow.

CONCLUSIONS

Further details on how young people are using social media platforms and YouTube as health support resources and for peer-to-peer sharing of information, including attention paid to the content of these resources and the role played by young social media influencers and microcelebrities, would contribute important insights to this body of literature. The role played by visual media, such as GIFs (Graphics Interchange Format) and memes, and social media platforms that have recently become very popular with young people (eg, Snapchat and TikTok) in health-related content creation and sharing requires more attention by social researchers seeking to better understand young people's use of digital devices and software for health and fitness.

GMP-Grade Methods for Cardiac Progenitor Cells: Cell Bank Production and Quality Control

Cardiac explant-derived cells (cEDC), also referred as cardiac progenitors cells (CPC) (Barile et al., Cardiovasc Res 103(4):530-541, 2014; Barile et al., Cardiovasc Res 114(7):992-1005, 2018), represent promising candidates for the development of cell-based therapies, a novel and interesting treatment for cardioprotective strategy in heart failure (Kreke et al., Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 10(9):1185-1194, 2012). CPC have been tested in a preclinical setting for direct cell transplantation and tissue engineering or as a source for production of extracellular vesicles (EV) (Oh et al., J Cardiol 68(5):361-367, 2016; Barile et al., Eur Heart J 38(18):1372-1379, 2017; Rosen et al., J Am Coll Cardiol 64(9):922-937, 2014). CPC cultured as cardiospheres derived cells went through favorable Phase 1 and 2 studies demonstrating safety and possible efficacy (Makkar et al., Lancet 379(9819):895-904, 2012; Ishigami et al., Circ Res 120(7):1162-1173, 2017; Ishigami et al., Circ Res 116 (4):653-664, 2015; Tarui et al., J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 150(5):1198-1207, 1208 e1191-1192, 2015). In this context and in view of clinical applications, cells have to be prepared and released according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) (EudraLex-volume 4-good manufacturing practice (GMP) guidelines-Part I-basic requirements for medicinal products. http://ec.europa.eu/health/documents/eudralex/vol-4 ; EudraLex-volume 4-good manufacturing practice (GMP) guidelines-Part IV-guidelines on good manufacturing practices specific to advanced therapy medicinal products. http://ec.europa.eu/health/documents/eudralex/vol-4 ). This chapter describes GMP-grade methods for production and testing of a CPC Master Cell Bank (MCB), consisting of frozen aliquots of cells that may be used either as a therapeutic product or as source for the manufacturing of Exo for clinical trials.The MCB production method has been designed to isolate and expand CPC from human cardiac tissue in xeno-free conditions (Andriolo et al., Front Physiol 9:1169, 2018). The quality control (QC) methods have been implemented to assess the safety (sterility, endotoxin, mycoplasma, cell senescence, tumorigenicity) and identity/potency/purity (cell count and viability, RT-PCR, immunophenotype) of the cells (Andriolo et al., Front Physiol 9:1169, 2018).

Infectious disease antibodies for biomedical applications: A mini review of immune antibody phage library repertoire

Antibody phage display is regarded as a critical tool for the development of monoclonal antibodies for infectious diseases. The different classes of antibody libraries are classified based on the source of repertoire used to generate the libraries. Immune antibody libraries are generated from disease infected host or immunization against an infectious agent. Antibodies derived from immune libraries are distinct from those derived from naïve libraries as the host's in vivo immune mechanisms shape the antibody repertoire to yield high affinity antibodies. As the immune system is constantly evolving in accordance to the health state of an individual, immune libraries can offer more than just infection-specific antibodies but also antibodies derived from the memory B-cells much like naïve libraries. The combinatorial nature of the gene cloning process would give rise to a combination of natural and un-natural antibody gene pairings in the immune library. These factors have a profound impact on the coverage of immune antibody libraries to target both disease-specific and non-disease specific antigens. This review looks at the diverse nature of antibody responses for immune library generation and discusses the extended potential of a disease-specified immune library in the context of phage display.

Integrating emerging technologies into COVID-19 contact tracing: Opportunities, challenges and pitfalls

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

With no approved vaccines for treating COVID-19 as of August 2020, many health systems and governments rely on contact tracing as one of the prevention and containment methods. However, there have been instances when the infected person forgets his/her contact-persons and does not have their contact details. Therefore, this study aimed at analyzing possible opportunities and challenges of integrating emerging technologies into COVID-19 contact tracing.

METHODS

The study applied literature search from Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, IEEE and WHO COVID-19 reports and guidelines analyzed.

RESULTS

While the integration of technology-based contact tracing applications to combat COVID-19 and break transmission chains promise to yield better results, these technologies face challenges such as technical limitations, dealing with asymptomatic individuals, lack of supporting ICT infrastructure and electronic health policy, socio-economic inequalities, deactivation of mobile devices' WIFI, GPS services, interoperability and standardization issues, security risks, privacy issues, political and structural responses, ethical and legal risks, consent and voluntariness, abuse of contact tracing apps, and discrimination.

CONCLUSION

Integrating emerging technologies into COVID-19 contact tracing is seen as a viable option that policymakers, health practitioners and IT technocrats need to seriously consider in mitigating the spread of coronavirus. Further research is also required on how best to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the utilisation of emerging technologies in contact tracing while observing the security and privacy of people in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Water-Splitting Based and Related Therapeutic Effects: Evolving Concepts, Progress, and Perspectives

Water-splitting has been extensively studied especially for energy applications. It is often not paid with enough attention for biomedical applications. In fact, several innovative breakthroughs have been achieved in the past few years by employing water-splitting for treating cancer and other diseases. Interestingly, among these important works, only two reports have mentioned the term "water-splitting." For this reason, the importance of water-splitting for biomedical applications is significantly underestimated. This progress work is written with the aims to explain and summarize how the principle of water-splitting is employed to achieve therapeutic results not offered by conventional approaches. It is expected that this progress report will not only explain the importance of water-splitting to scientists in the biomedical fields, it should also draw attention from scientists working on energy applications of water-splitting.

A commentary on podiatry during the Covid-19 pandemic : Podiatry during the Covid-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The arrival of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has impacted the many aspects of modern life, especially, in the immediate term, the delivery of healthcare.

CONTEXT

This commentary examines the profession of podiatry and how it has adapted and responded to the emerging crisis. It focusses on but is not exclusive to the position in the United Kingdom (UK) and the edicts and direction from the UK Government.

PODIATRY ROLES DURING THE PANDEMIC

It describes the role of podiatry in the pandemic and highlights the deployment of podiatry resources to fight the pandemic beyond traditional podiatric practice. It also looks at the shift from conventional consultation to digital solutions for managing patients in an effort to achieve the goals of maintenance of foot health whilst reducing the spread of the virus. The commentary summarises the emerging data related to a possible foot related presentation of the coronavirus.

CONCLUSION

The podiatry profession proved its flexibility and adaptability during the pandemic, to adjust rapidly to ensure that patients were able to access treatment to reduce risk of infection, ulceration and amputation. Dermatological presentations on the feet have been associated with Covid-19 in adolescents as is often the case in viral infections. CPD webinars to support clinicians and manage and prevent the spread of Covid-19 have been widely disseminated along with algorithms to ensure that patients that need treatment are being treated appropriately. Podiatrists have embraced remote technology to ensure that patients are correctly and safely triaged and, signposted and given appropriate self-care advice. MSK podiatrists have the ability to play an intrinsic role within the post discharge rehabilitation pathway.

Implementation of Mobile Health Technologies in Clinical Trials of Movement Disorders: Underutilized Potential

Mobile health technologies (mHealth) are patient-worn or portable devices aimed at increasing the granularity and relevance of clinical measurements. The implementation of mHealth has the potential to decrease sample size, duration, and cost of clinical trials. We performed a review of the ClinicalTrials.gov database using a standardized approach to identify adoption in and usefulness of mHealth in movement disorders interventional clinical trials. Trial phase, geographical area, availability of data captured, constructs of interest, and outcome priority were collected. Eligible trials underwent quality appraisal using an ad hoc 5-point checklist to assess mHealth feasibility, acceptability, correlation with patient-centered outcome measures, and clinical meaningfulness. A total of 29% (n = 54/184) registered trials were using mHealth, mainly in Parkinson's disease and essential tremor (59.3% and 27.8%). In most cases, mHealth were used in phase 2 trials (83.3%) as secondary outcome measures (59.3%). Only five phase 3 trials, representing 9.3% of the total, used mHealth (1 as primary outcome measure, 3 as secondary, and 1 as tertiary). Only 3.7% (n = 2/54) of all trials used mHealth for measuring both motor and non-motor symptoms, and 23.1% (n = 12/52) used mHealth for unsupervised, ecologic outcomes. Our findings suggest that mHealth remain underutilized and largely relegated to phase 2 trials for secondary or tertiary outcome measures. Efforts toward greater alignment of mHealth with patient-centered outcomes and development of a universal, common-language platform to synchronize data from one or more devices will assist future efforts toward the integration of mHealth into clinical trials.

Superior Properties and Biomedical Applications of Microorganism-Derived Fluorescent Quantum Dots

Quantum dots (QDs) are fluorescent nanocrystals with superb photo-physical properties. Applications of QDs have been exponentially increased during the past decade. They can be employed in several disciplines, including biological, optical, biomedical, engineering, and energy applications. This review highlights the structural composition and distinctive features of QDs, such as resistance to photo-bleaching, wide range of excitations, and size-dependent light emission features. Physical and chemical preparation of QDs have prominent downsides, including high costs, regeneration of hazardous byproducts, and use of external noxious chemicals for capping and stabilization purposes. To eliminate the demerits of these methods, an emphasis on the latest progress of microbial synthesis of QDs by bacteria, yeast, and fungi is introduced. Some of the biomedical applications of QDs are overviewed as well, such as tumor and microRNA detection, drug delivery, photodynamic therapy, and microbial labeling. Challenges facing the microbial fabrication of QDs are discussed with the future prospects to fully maximize the yield of QDs by elucidating the key enzymes intermediating the nucleation and growth of QDs. Exploration of the distribution and mode of action of QDs is required to promote their biomedical applications.

Natural hydrogels R&D process: technical and regulatory aspects for industrial implementation

Since hydrogel therapies have been introduced into clinic treatment procedures, the biomedical industry has to face the technology transfer and the scale-up of the processes. This will be key in the roadmap of the new technology implementation. Transfer technology and scale-up are already known for some applications but other applications, such as 3D printing, are still challenging. Decellularized tissues offer a lot of advantages when compared to other natural gels, for example they display enhanced biological properties, due to their ability to preserve natural molecules. For this reason, even though their use as a source for bioinks represents a challenge for the scale-up process, it is very important to consider the advantages that originate with overcoming this challenge. Therefore, many aspects that influence the scaling of the industrial process should be considered, like the addition of drugs or cells to the hydrogel, also, the gelling process is important to determine the chemical and physical parameters that must be controlled in order to guarantee a successful process. Legal aspects are also crucial when carrying out the scale-up of the process since they determine the industrial implementation success from the regulatory point of view. In this context, the new law Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on biomedical devices will be considered. This review summarizes the different aspects, including the legal ones, that should be considered when scaling up hydrogels of natural origin, in order to balance these different aspects and to optimize the costs in terms of raw materials and engine.

Artificial Intelligence and Health Technology Assessment: Anticipating a New Level of Complexity

Artificial intelligence (AI) is seen as a strategic lever to improve access, quality, and efficiency of care and services and to build learning and value-based health systems. Many studies have examined the technical performance of AI within an experimental context. These studies provide limited insights into the issues that its use in a real-world context of care and services raises. To help decision makers address these issues in a systemic and holistic manner, this viewpoint paper relies on the health technology assessment core model to contrast the expectations of the health sector toward the use of AI with the risks that should be mitigated for its responsible deployment. The analysis adopts the perspective of payers (ie, health system organizations and agencies) because of their central role in regulating, financing, and reimbursing novel technologies. This paper suggests that AI-based systems should be seen as a health system transformation lever, rather than a discrete set of technological devices. Their use could bring significant changes and impacts at several levels: technological, clinical, human and cognitive (patient and clinician), professional and organizational, economic, legal, and ethical. The assessment of AI's value proposition should thus go beyond technical performance and cost logic by performing a holistic analysis of its value in a real-world context of care and services. To guide AI development, generate knowledge, and draw lessons that can be translated into action, the right political, regulatory, organizational, clinical, and technological conditions for innovation should be created as a first step.

Technology Acceptance in Mobile Health: Scoping Review of Definitions, Models, and Measurement

BACKGROUND

Designing technologies that users will be interested in, start using, and keep using has long been a challenge. In the health domain, the question of technology acceptance is even more important, as the possible intrusiveness of technologies could lead to patients refusing to even try them. Developers and researchers must address this question not only in the design and evaluation of new health care technologies but also across the different stages of the user's journey. Although a range of definitions for these stages exists, many researchers conflate related terms, and the field would benefit from a coherent set of definitions and associated measurement approaches.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to explore how technology acceptance is interpreted and measured in mobile health (mHealth) literature. We seek to compare the treatment of acceptance in mHealth research with existing definitions and models, identify potential gaps, and contribute to the clarification of the process of technology acceptance.

METHODS

We searched the PubMed database for publications indexed under the Medical Subject Headings terms "Patient Acceptance of Health Care" and "Mobile Applications." We included publications that (1) contained at least one of the terms "acceptability," "acceptance," "adoption," "accept," or "adopt"; and (2) defined the term. The final corpus included 68 relevant studies.

RESULTS

Several interpretations are associated with technology acceptance, few consistent with existing definitions. Although the literature has influenced the interpretation of the concept, usage is not homogeneous, and models are not adapted to populations with particular needs. The prevalence of measurement by custom surveys suggests a lack of standardized measurement tools.

CONCLUSIONS

Definitions from the literature were published separately, which may contribute to inconsistent usage. A definition framework would bring coherence to the reporting of results, facilitating the replication and comparison of studies. We propose the Technology Acceptance Lifecycle, consolidating existing definitions, articulating the different stages of technology acceptance, and providing an explicit terminology. Our findings illustrate the need for a common definition and measurement framework and the importance of viewing technology acceptance as a staged process, with adapted measurement methods for each stage.

The Role of Protein Engineering in Biomedical Applications of Mammalian Synthetic Biology

Engineered proteins with enhanced or altered functionality, generated for example by mutation or domain fusion, are at the core of nearly all synthetic biology endeavors in the context of precision medicine, also known as personalized medicine. From designer receptors sensing elevated blood markers to effectors rerouting signaling pathways to synthetic transcription factors and the customized therapeutics they regulate, engineered proteins play a crucial role at every step of novel therapeutic approaches using synthetic biology. Here, recent developments in protein engineering aided by advances in directed evolution, de novo design, and machine learning are discussed. Building on clinical successes already achieved with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-) T cells and other cell-based therapies, these developments are expected to further enhance the capabilities of mammalian synthetic biology in biomedical and other applications.

Zinc Oxide Particles Catalytically Generate Nitric Oxide from Endogenous and Exogenous Prodrugs

Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent biological molecule that contributes to a wide spectrum of physiological processes. However, the full potential of NO as a therapeutic agent is significantly complicated by its short half-life and limited diffusion distance in human tissues. Current strategies for NO delivery focus on encapsulation of NO donors into prefabricated scaffolds or an enzyme-prodrug therapy approach. The former is limited by the finite pool of NO donors available, while the latter is challenged by the inherent low stability of natural enzymes. Zinc oxide (ZnO) particles with innate glutathione peroxidase and glycosidase activities, a combination that allows to catalytically decompose both endogenous (S-nitrosoglutathione) and exogenous (β-gal-NONOate) donors to generate NO at physiological conditions are reported. By tuning the concentration of ZnO particles and NO prodrugs, physiologically relevant NO levels are achieved. ZnO preserves its catalytic property for at least 6 months and the activity of ZnO in generating NO from prodrugs in human serum is demonstrated. The ZnO catalytic activity will be beneficial toward generating stable NO release for long-term biomedical applications.

Emerging Clinical Technology: Application of Machine Learning to Chronic Pain Assessments Based on Emotional Body Maps

Depression and anxiety co-occur with chronic pain, and all three are thought to be caused by dysregulation of shared brain systems related to emotional processing associated with body sensations. Understanding the connection between emotional states, pain, and bodily sensations may help understand chronic pain conditions. We developed a mobile platform for measuring pain, emotions, and associated bodily feelings in chronic pain patients in their daily life conditions. Sixty-five chronic back pain patients reported the intensity of their pain, 11 emotional states, and the corresponding body locations. These variables were used to predict pain 2 weeks later. Applying machine learning, we developed two predictive models of future pain, emphasizing interpretability. One model excluded pain-related features as predictors of future pain, and the other included pain-related predictors. The best predictors of future pain were interactive effects of (a) body maps of fatigue with negative affect and (b) positive affect with past pain. Our findings emphasize the contribution of emotions, especially emotional experience felt in the body, to understanding chronic pain above and beyond the mere tracking of pain levels. The results may contribute to the generation of a novel artificial intelligence framework to help in the development of better diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to chronic pain.

Optical imaging technology for body size and shape analysis: evaluation of a system designed for personal use

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Three-dimensional optical (3DO) imaging systems that rapidly and accurately provide body shape and composition information are increasingly available in research and clinical settings. Recently, relatively low-cost and space efficient 3DO systems with the ability to report and track individual assessments were introduced to the consumer market for home use. This study critically evaluated the first 3DO imaging device intended for personal operation, the Naked Body Scanner (NBS), against reference methods.

PARTICIPANTS/METHODS

Circumferences at six standardized anatomic sites were measured with a flexible tape in 90 participants ranging in age (5-74 years), ethnicity, and adiposity. Regression analysis and Bland-Altman plots compared these direct measurements and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) %fat estimates to corresponding NBS values. Method precision was analyzed from duplicate anthropometric and NBS measurements in a subgroup of 51 participants.

RESULTS

The NBS exhibited greater variation in test-retest reliability (CV, 0.4-2.7%) between the six measured anatomic locations when compared with manually measured counterparts (0.2-0.4%). All six device-derived circumferences correlated with flexible tape references (R2s, 0.84-0.97; p < 0.0001). Measurement bias was apparent for three anatomic sites while mean differences were present for five. The NBS's %fat estimates also correlated with DXA results (R2 = 0.73, p < 0.0001) with no significant bias.

CONCLUSIONS

This system opens a new era of digital home-based assessments that can be incorporated into weight loss or exercise interventions accessible to clinical investigators as well as individual users.

Biomedical Applications of TiO2 Nanostructures: Recent Advances

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructures are one of the most plentiful compounds that have emerged in various fields of technology such as medicine, energy and biosensing. Various TiO2 nanostructures (nanotubes [NTs] and nanowires) have been employed in photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing applications, greatly enhancing the detection of targets. TiO2 nanostructures, used as reinforced material or coatings for the bare surface of titanium implants, are excellent additive materials to compensate titanium implants deficiencies-like poor surface interaction with surrounding tissues-by providing nanoporous surfaces and hierarchical structures. These nanostructures can also be loaded by diversified drugs-like osteoporosis drugs, anticancer and antibiotics-and used as local drug delivery systems. Furthermore, TiO2 nanostructures and their derivatives are new emerging antimicrobial agents to overcome human pathogenic microorganisms. However, like all other nanomaterials, toxicity and biocompatibility of TiO2 nanostructures must be considered. This review highlights recent advances, along with the properties and numerous applications of TiO2-based nanostructure compounds in nano biosensing, medical implants, drug delivery and antibacterial fields. Moreover, in the present study, some recent advances accomplished on the pharmaceutical applications of TiO2 nanostructures, as well as its toxicity and biocompatibility, are presented.

Turning the Crisis Into an Opportunity: Digital Health Strategies Deployed During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Digital health technologies offer significant opportunities to reshape current health care systems. From the adoption of electronic medical records to mobile health apps and other disruptive technologies, digital health solutions have promised a better quality of care at a more sustainable cost. However, the widescale adoption of these solutions is lagging behind. The most adverse scenarios often provide an opportunity to develop and test the capacity of digital health technologies to increase the efficiency of health care systems. Catalonia (Northeast Spain) is one of the most advanced regions in terms of digital health adoption across Europe. The region has a long tradition of health information exchange in the public health care sector and is currently implementing an ambitious digital health strategy. In this viewpoint, we discuss the crucial role digital health solutions play during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to support public health policies. We also report on the strategies currently deployed at scale during the outbreak in Catalonia.

Assessment of Eye Disease and Visual Impairment in the Nursing Home Population Using Mobile Health Technology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To characterize the burden of eye disease and the utility of teleophthalmology in nursing home patients, a population with ophthalmic needs not commensurate with care received.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Informed consent was obtained from 78 California Bay Area skilled nursing facility patients. Near visual acuity (VA) and anterior/posterior segment photographs were taken with a smartphone-based VA app and ophthalmic camera system. The Nursing Home Vision-Targeted Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire was also administered. Risk factors for visual impairment were assessed. Institutional review board approval was obtained from Stanford University.

RESULTS

Cataracts (51%), diabetic retinopathy (DR) (12%), optic neuropathy (12%), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (10%) were common findings; 11.7% had other referral-warranted findings. AMD and DR correlated with a higher risk of poor VA, with adjusted odds ratios of 22 (P = .01) and 43 (P = .004).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated a high prevalence of poor VA and ophthalmic disease in the nursing home population impacting quality of life. Smartphone-based teleophthalmology platforms have the potential to increase access to eye care for nursing home patients. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2020;51:262-270.].

Mapping the coevolution, leadership and financing of research on viral vectors, RNAi, CRISPR/Cas9 and other genomic editing technologies

Genomic editing technologies are developing rapidly, promising significant developments for biomedicine, agriculture and other fields. In the present investigation, we analyzed and compared the process of innovation for six genomic technologies: viral vectors, RNAi, TALENs, meganucleases, ZFNs and CRISPR/Cas including the profile of the main research institutions and their funders, to understand how innovation evolved and what institutions influenced research trajectories. A Web of Science search of papers on viral vectors RNAi, CRISPR/Cas, TALENs, ZFNs and meganucleases was used to build a citation network of 16,746 papers. An analysis of network clustering combined with text mining was performed. For viral vectors, a long-term process of incremental innovation was identified, which was largely publicly funded in the United States and the European Union. The trajectory of RNAi research included clusters related to the study of RNAi as a biological phenomenon and its use in functional genomics, biomedicine and pest control. A British philanthropic organization and a US pharmaceutical company played a key role in the development of basic RNAi research and clinical application respectively, in addition to government and academic institutions. In the case of CRISPR/Cas research, basic science discoveries led to the technical improvements, and these two in turn provided the information required for the development of biomedical, agricultural, livestock and industrial applications. The trajectory of CRISPR/Cas research exhibits a geopolitical division of the investigation efforts between the US, as the main producer and funder of basic research and technical improvements, and Chinese research institutions increasingly leading applied research. Our results reflect a change in the model for financing science, with reduced public financing for basic science and applied research on publicly funded technological developments in the US, and the emergence of China as a scientific superpower, with implications for the development of applications of genomic technologies.

Micropore Particle Technology Promotes Wound Healing, Whereas Polyhexamethylene Biguanide Causes Tissue Degeneration: A Case Report

CASE REPORT

A 72-year-old woman with a nontraumatic spinal cord injury developed eschar on her lower right back. An underlying abscess was identified, which upon surgical debridement left a large wound extending down to the hip bone. In addition, the hip suffered from chronic osteomyelitis and was exposed at the bottom of the wound. The wound was initially treated for 5 weeks with Manuka honey but deteriorated further. Next, micropore particle technology (MPPT) was used. It cleared the wound of necrotic tissue based on autolytic debridement and removed the soft tissue infection; over a 3-month period, the wound reduced 50% in volume. Treatment approach was changed to polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) and was applied as a gel once every second day to the wound. After 6 days, it was observed to cause tissue degeneration, disruption of the structure of the exposed bone, and the appearance of froth coming through the hip bone. A pain syndrome developed and the use of PHMB was terminated on day 10. After a wash-out period, the use of MPPT was reinitiated. Over the following 8 months, MPPT continued to control the infectious debris coming from the hip bone and promote healing without affecting the bone or causing side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

It is generally assumed that the cytotoxic properties of antiseptics seen in cell culture experiments do not occur on wounds. The present case shows these cytotoxic properties are expressed on wounds, and they do disrupt tissues and tissue regeneration.

Digital Diabetes Care System Observations from a Pilot Evaluation Study in Vietnam

Digital technologies are gaining an important role in the management of patients with diabetes. We assessed clinical outcomes and user satisfaction of incorporating a digital diabetes care system in diabetes clinics of a developing country. The system integrated a wireless blood glucose monitor that communicates data to any smartphone utilizing a patented acoustic data transfer method, a mobile-app, and cloud-based software that stores, analyzes, and presents data. Five hospital endocrinology clinics in Vietnam sequentially recruited all patients willing to join the study, providing they had a smartphone and access to internet connectivity. Face-to-face visits were conducted at baseline and at 12 weeks, with monthly digital visits scheduled in the interim and additional digital visits performed as needed. HbA1c levels were measured at baseline and at 12 weeks (±20 days). The study included 300 patients of whom 279 completed the evaluation. Average glucose levels declined from 170.4 ± 64.6 mg/dL in the first 2 weeks to 150.8 ± 53.2 mg/dL in the last 2 weeks (n = 221; p < 0.001). HbA1c levels at baseline and 12 weeks declined from 8.3% ± 1.9% to 7.6% ± 1.3% (n = 126; p < 0.001). The digital solution was broadly accepted by both patients and healthcare professionals and improved glycemic outcomes. The durability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness of this approach merits further study.

Aligning in the dark: Variable and shifting (user-) settings in developing point-of-care diagnostics for tuberculosis and HIV

To be effective, healthcare technologies should be attuned to particular contexts of use. This article examines how such attuning is articulated in global innovation practices for tuberculosis and HIV diagnostics, and to what effect. It examines the development of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics - promised to be designed for users outside laboratories or in resource constrained settings - to study what developers and implementers do to align diagnostic technologies to the POC. Fieldwork among global health actors involved in diagnostic development, including manufacturers, donors, industry consultants, international organizations, policymakers, regulators and researchers, is combined with fieldwork among users of diagnostics in India, including decision-makers, NGOs, program officers, laboratory technicians and nurses. The article adds to STS's theory of alignment and user interaction, where the setting and user to which developers and implementers of global health diagnostics align are multiple, varied, emerging and keep shifting. The characteristics of a local user setting include multiple engaged and imagined user settings, but also the settings of developers, of global intermediaries, competitors and diseases. As such, alignment is happening across multiple dimensions and scales and has an important temporal dimension. The results reveal how alignment happens to some extent in the dark, characterized by uncertainty about the elements that should align. Standardizing elements, politics and scarce resources cause frictions in the temporalities of aligning and over what constitutes a well-aligned diagnostic.

[The technological tools of the diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity]

Attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity (ADHD) is the main reason for consultation in most Pediatric Neurology units in Spain. The new technologies also associate benefits for both patients and professionals and the health system itself, which makes its rational implementation essential. Genetics, neuroimaging or virtual reality, for example, are clear exponents of the results that can be achieved by optimizing traditional processes. The different technologies that we collect in this article are fully operational and have thousands of experience in patients. The incorporation of them to the usual clinical practice is in our hands.

Ambient virtual scribes: Mutuo Health's AutoScribe as a case study of artificial intelligence-based technology

Studies show that clinicians are increasingly burning out in large part from the clerical burden associated with using Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems. At the same time, recently developed health data analytic algorithms struggle with poor quality free-text entered data in these systems. We developed AutoScribe using artificial intelligence-based natural language processing tools to automate these clerical tasks and to output high-quality EMR data. In this article, we describe the benefits and drawbacks of our technology. Furthermore, we describe how we are positioning our company's culture within the existing healthcare system and suggest steps leaders of the system should consider in order to ensure that potentially transformative artificial intelligence-based technologies like ours are optimally adopted.

GMP-Compliant Adenoviral Vectors for Gene Therapy

Recently, gene therapy as one of the most promising treatments can apply genes for incurable diseases treatment. In this context, vectors as gene delivery systems play a pivotal role in gene therapy procedure. Hereupon, viral vectors have been increasingly introduced as a hyper-efficient tools for gene therapy. Adenoviral vectors as one of the most common groups which are used in gene therapy have a high ability for humans. Indeed, they are not integrated into host genome. In other words, they can be adapted for direct transduction of recombinant proteins into targeted cells. Moreover, they have large packaging capacity and high levels of efficiency and expression. In accordance with translational pathways from the basic to the clinic, recombinant adenoviral vectors packaging must be managed under good manufacturing practice (GMP) principles before applying in clinical trials. Therein, in this chapter standard methods for manufacturing of GMP-compliant Adenoviral vectors for gene therapy have been introduced.

The NASSS framework for ex post theorisation of technology-supported change in healthcare: worked example of the TORPEDO programme

BACKGROUND

Evaluation of health technology programmes should be theoretically informed, interdisciplinary, and generate in-depth explanations. The NASSS (non-adoption, abandonment, scale-up, spread, sustainability) framework was developed to study unfolding technology programmes in real time-and in particular to identify and manage their emergent uncertainties and interdependencies. In this paper, we offer a worked example of how NASSS can also inform ex post (i.e. retrospective) evaluation.

METHODS

We studied the TORPEDO (Treatment of Cardiovascular Risk in Primary Care using Electronic Decision Support) research programme, a multi-faceted computerised quality improvement intervention for cardiovascular disease prevention in Australian general practice. The technology (HealthTracker) had shown promise in a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT), but its uptake and sustainability in a real-world implementation phase was patchy. To explain this variation, we used NASSS to undertake secondary analysis of the multi-modal TORPEDO dataset (results and process evaluation of the RCT, survey responses, in-depth professional interviews, videotaped consultations) as well as a sample of new, in-depth narrative interviews with TORPEDO researchers.

RESULTS

Ex post analysis revealed multiple areas of complexity whose influence and interdependencies helped explain the wide variation in uptake and sustained use of the HealthTracker technology: the nature of cardiovascular risk in different populations, the material properties and functionality of the technology, how value (financial and non-financial) was distributed across stakeholders in the system, clinicians' experiences and concerns, organisational preconditions and challenges, extra-organisational influences (e.g. policy incentives), and how interactions between all these influences unfolded over time.

CONCLUSION

The NASSS framework can be applied retrospectively to generate a rich, contextualised narrative of technology-supported change efforts and the numerous interacting influences that help explain its successes, failures, and unexpected events. A NASSS-informed ex post analysis can supplement earlier, contemporaneous evaluations to uncover factors that were not apparent or predictable at the time but dynamic and emergent.

A bacterial gene-drive system efficiently edits and inactivates a high copy number antibiotic resistance locus

Gene-drive systems in diploid organisms bias the inheritance of one allele over another. CRISPR-based gene-drive expresses a guide RNA (gRNA) into the genome at the site where the gRNA directs Cas9-mediated cleavage. In the presence of Cas9, the gRNA cassette and any linked cargo sequences are copied via homology-directed repair (HDR) onto the homologous chromosome. Here, we develop an analogous CRISPR-based gene-drive system for the bacterium Escherichia coli that efficiently copies a gRNA cassette and adjacent cargo flanked with sequences homologous to the targeted gRNA/Cas9 cleavage site. This "pro-active" genetic system (Pro-AG) functionally inactivates an antibiotic resistance marker on a high copy number plasmid with ~ 100-fold greater efficiency than control CRISPR-based methods, suggesting an amplifying positive feedback loop due to increasing gRNA dosage. Pro-AG can likewise effectively edit large plasmids or single-copy genomic targets or introduce functional genes, foreshadowing potential applications to biotechnology or biomedicine.

Adapting Evidence-Based Treatments for Digital Technologies: a Critical Review of Functions, Tools, and the Use of Branded Solutions

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We provide a critical review of digital technologies in evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for mental health with a focus on the functions technologies are intended to serve. The review highlights issues related to clarity of purpose, usability, and assumptions related to EBT technology integration, branding, and packaging.

RECENT FINDINGS

Developers continue to use technology in creative ways, often combining multiple functions to convey existing EBTs or to create new technology-enabled EBTs. Developers have a strong preference for creating and investigating whole-source, branded solutions related to specific EBTs, in comparison to developing or investigating technology tools related to specific components of behavior change, or developing specific clinical protocols that can be delivered via existing technologies. Default assumptions that new applications are required for each individual EBT, that EBTs are best served by the use of only one technology solution rather than multiple tools, and that an EBT-specific technology product should include or convey all portions of an EBT slow scientific progress and increase risk of usability issues that negatively impact uptake. We contend that a purposeful, functions-based approach should guide the selection, development, and application of technology in support of EBT delivery.

Enzyme-Powered Nanomotors with Controlled Size for Biomedical Applications

Self-propelled motors have been developed with promising potential for medical applications. However, most of them have a size range at the microscale, which limits their further research for in vivo experiments. Previously, our group developed nanoscaled motors with a size of around 400 nm with several merits, for example, delivering both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs/proteins, using biocompatible fuels while being able to control their motion, and showing adaptive changes of their speed and navigation to changes in the environment. It is also well-known that nanoparticles that are around 20-200 nm in size have advantages in overcoming cellular barriers and being internalized into cells. Therefore, lowering the size range of this stomatocyte nanomotor is crucial. However, the strict control of the size of vesicles in such a low regime as well as their shape transformation into folded stomatocyte structures is not trivial. In this study, we fabricated ultrasmall stomatocyte polymersomes with the size of around 150 nm, which could be a promising carrier for biomedical purposes. We demonstrated that the addition of PEG additive allows for both shape transformation of small polymersomes into stomatocytes and encapsulation of biologics. Biocatalyst catalase was encapsulated in the inner compartment of the nanomotor, protecting the enzyme while providing enough thrust to propel the motors. The ultrasmall stomatocyte motor system allowed propelled motion by converting H₂O₂ into O₂ in the presence of only 2 mM H₂O₂, and the velocity of motors correlated to the O₂ production. Compared to small stomatocyte nanomotors, ultrasmall stomatocyte motors demonstrate enhanced penetration across the vasculature model and increased uptake by HeLa cells in the presence of fuel.

Gold nanoparticles and angiogenesis: molecular mechanisms and biomedical applications

Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels. It is a highly regulated process as determined by the interplay between pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors. Under certain conditions the balance between angiogenesis stimulators and inhibitors is altered, which results in a shift from physiological to pathological angiogenesis. Therefore, the goal of therapeutic targeting of angiogenic process is to normalize vasculature in target tissues by enhancing angiogenesis in disease conditions of reduced vascularity and blood flow, such as tissue ischemia, or alternatively to inhibit excessive and abnormal angiogenesis in disorders like cancer. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are special particles that are generated by nanotechnology and composed of an inorganic core containing gold which is encircled by an organic monolayer. The ability of AuNPs to alter vasculature has captured recent attention in medical literature as potential therapeutic agents for the management of pathologic angiogenesis. This review provides an overview of the effects of AuNPs on angiogenesis and the molecular mechanisms and biomedical applications associated with their effects. In addition, the main synthesis methods, physical properties, uptake mechanisms, and toxicity of AuNPs are briefly summarized.

Ferrogels Ultrasonography for Biomedical Applications

Ferrogels (FG) are magnetic composites that are widely used in the area of biomedical engineering and biosensing. In this work, ferrogels with different concentrations of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized by the radical polymerization of acrylamide in stabilized aqueous ferrofluid. FG samples were prepared in various shapes that are suitable for different characterization techniques. Thin cylindrical samples were used to simulate the case of targeted drug delivery test through blood vessels. Samples of larger size that were in the shape of cylindrical plates were used for the evaluation of the FG applicability as substitutes for damaged structures, such as bone or cartilage tissues. Regardless of the shape of the samples and the conditions of their location, the boundaries of FG were confidently visualized over the entire range of concentrations of MNPs while using medical ultrasound. The amplitude of the reflected echo signal was higher for the higher concentration of MNPs in the gel. This result was not related to the influence of the MNPs on the intensity of the reflected echo signal directly, since the wavelength of the ultrasonic effect used is much larger than the particle size. Qualitative theoretical model for the understanding of the experimental results was proposed while taking into account the concept that at the acoustic oscillations of the hydrogel, the macromolecular net, and water in the gel porous structure experience the viscous Stocks-like interaction.