Design of nanoparticle-based systems for the systemic delivery of chemotherapeutics: Alternative potential routes via sublingual and buccal administration for systemic drug delivery.

Conventional therapeutic approaches for cancer generally involve chemo- and radiation therapies that often exhibit low efficacy and induce toxic side effects. Recent years have seen significant advancements in the use of protein biologics as a promising alternative treatment option. Nanotechnology-based systems have shown great potential in providing more specific and targeted cancer treatments, thus improving upon many of the limitations associated with current treatments. The unique properties of biomaterial carriers at the nanoscale have been proven to enhance both the performance of the incorporated therapeutic agent and tumor targeting; however, many of these systems are delivered intravenously, which can cause hazardous side effects. Buccal and sublingual delivery systems offer an alternative route for more efficient delivery of nanotechnologies and drug absorption into systemic circulation. This review concentrates on emerging buccal and sublingual nanoparticle delivery systems for chemo- and protein therapeutics, their development, efficacy, and potential areas of improvement in the field. Several factors contribute to the development of effective buccal or sublingual nanoparticle delivery systems, including targeting efficiency of the nanoparticulate carriers, drug release, and carrier biocompatibility. Furthermore, the potential utilization of buccal and sublingual multilayer films combined with nanoparticle chemotherapeutic systems is outlined as a future avenue for in vitro and in vivo research.

Immunotherapy approaches for hematological cancers.

Hematological cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma have traditionally been treated with chemo and radiotherapy approaches. Introduction of immunotherapies for treatment of these diseases has led to patient remissions that would not have been possible with traditional approaches. In this critical review we identify main disease characteristics, symptoms, and current treatment options. Five common immunotherapies, namely checkpoint inhibitors, vaccines, cell-based therapies, antibodies, and oncolytic viruses, are described, and their applications in hematological cancers are critically discussed.

Electrostatic and Covalent Assemblies of Anionic Hydrogel-Coated Gold Nanoshells for Detection of Dry Eye Biomarkers in Human Tears.

Although dry eye is highly prevalent, many challenges exist in diagnosing the symptom and related diseases. For this reason, anionic hydrogel-coated gold nanoshells (AuNSs) were used in the development of a label-free biosensor for detection of high isoelectric point tear biomarkers associated with dry eye. A custom, aldehyde-functionalized oligo(ethylene glycol)acrylate (Al-OEGA) was included in the hydrogel coating to enhance protein recognition through the formation of dynamic covalent (DC) imine bonds with solvent-accessible lysine residues present on the surface of select tear proteins. Our results demonstrated that hydrogel-coated AuNSs, composed of monomers that form ionic and DC bonds with select tear proteins, greatly enhance protein recognition due to changes in the maximum localized surface plasmon resonance wavelength exhibited by AuNSs in noncompetitive and competitive environments. Validation of the developed biosensor in commercially available pooled human tears revealed the potential for clinical translation to establish a method for dry eye diagnosis.

Development of a modular, biocompatible thiolated gelatin microparticle platform for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications.

The field of biomaterials has advanced significantly in the past decade. With the growing need for high-throughput manufacturing and screening, the need for modular materials that enable streamlined fabrication and analysis of tissue engineering and drug delivery schema has emerged. Microparticles are a powerful platform that have demonstrated promise in enabling these technologies without the need to modify a bulk scaffold. This building block paradigm of using microparticles within larger scaffolds to control cell ratios, growth factors and drug release holds promise. Gelatin microparticles (GMPs) are a well-established platform for cell, drug and growth factor delivery. One of the challenges in using GMPs though is the limited ability to modify the gelatin post-fabrication. In the present work, we hypothesized that by thiolating gelatin before microparticle formation, a versatile platform would be created that preserves the cytocompatibility of gelatin, while enabling post-fabrication modification. The thiols were not found to significantly impact the physicochemical properties of the microparticles. Moreover, the thiolated GMPs were demonstrated to be a biocompatible and robust platform for mesenchymal stem cell attachment. Additionally, the thiolated particles were able to be covalently modified with a maleimide-bearing fluorescent dye and a peptide, demonstrating their promise as a modular platform for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications.

Effect of bleaching with carbamide peroxide on shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets: A meta-analysis of in vitro studies.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of bleaching with carbamide peroxide (CP) according to different doses and intervals between bleaching and bonding on shear bond strength (SBS) of orthodontic brackets. METHODS: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for articles published up to June 2018. After removing the duplicates, two of the authors screened the titles and abstracts independently. Assessing the eligibility of the selected full texts was also conducted by two of the authors independently. Disagreements were resolved by discussion. Modified version of Cochrane's risk of bias tool was used to assess the quality of studies. Fifteen studies were selected. RESULTS: Overall, bleaching with CP decreased the SBS by around 2MPa (P<0.0001). Using 10% CP decreased the SBS of the immediately bonded brackets by 5.13MPa (P<0.005). This value was 1.67MPa when the bonding procedure was postponed by one day (P<0.0001). Postponing the bonding procedure for longer periods did not cause a statistically significant change in SBS. Using 11-16% CP, the reduction in SBS of the immediately bonded brackets was 8.51MPa (P<0.01). The SBS decreased by 4.12MPa when the bonding procedure was postponed for 20days (P<0.05). According to one study, use of CP with>16% concentration seemed not to affect the SBS. CONCLUSIONS: Bleaching with CP decreases the SBS, especially if the bracket bonding is performed shortly after bleaching. However, given the small number of articles interpretation should be made with caution.

In vitro bleaching effect of hydrogen peroxide with different time of exposition and concentration on shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets to human enamel: A meta-analysis of in vitro studies.

INTRODUCTION: Controversy exists regarding the effect of bleaching on shear bond strength (SBS) of orthodontic brackets to enamel. This study aims to do a review and meta-analysis on the effect of bleaching with hydrogen peroxide on SBS according to the interval between bleaching and bonding to human enamel and the concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide. METHODS: An electronic search of the literature was performed in Scopus, PubMed and Cochrane databases including CENTRAL and Cochrane library for relevant in vitro studies on the effect of bleaching with hydrogen peroxide on shear bond strength of human enamel, published until June 2018. Modified Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess the quality of the individual studies. AMSTAR tool was used for assessing the quality of the study. RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included in the qualitative analysis. Regardless of the interval between bleaching and bonding, reduction in SBS was not statistically significant when the hydrogen peroxide of less than 35% is used. Bleaching with 35% hydrogen reduces SBS when the bonding is conducted immediately (P<0.0001) or the time interval was shorter than one day (P<0.0005). On the other hand, use of high dose hydrogen peroxide resulted in a statistically significant reduction in SBS irrespective of the time interval between the procedures (P<0.05 for all categories of time interval). CONCLUSION: Bleaching with hydrogen peroxide decreases the SBS of brackets in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment especially if the time interval between bleaching and bonding procedures is short and a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide is used.