Mid-term follow-up outcomes of single-level cervical total disc replacement versus anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for the treatment of cervical disc degenerative disease.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the clinical and radiographic results of cervical total disc replacement (CTDR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in the treatment of single-level cervical disc degenerative disease with a mid-term follow-up period. METHODS: Seventy-two patients with C5/6 single-level cervical degenerative disc disease refractory to conservative interventions were randomly assigned to two groups: ACDF and CTDR. Clinical outcomes were assessed by using the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and the Neck Disability Index (NDI). Radiographic evaluations included range of motion (ROM), Cobb angles, heterotopic ossification (HO) and adjacent segment degeneration during follow-up. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients (35 CTDR and 34 ACDF) were followed up over 4 years (mean 50.3 months). At 1 month postoperation, the NDI scores in CTDR patients were significantly higher than those in ACDF patients, especially in the work, driving and recreation aspects. There was significant improvement in global ROM in CTDR patients than in ACDF patients. The postoperative ROM of the C4/5 segment in ACDF patients increased significantly, and no significant difference was shown in other adjacent segments. The occurrence of HO was 42.9% (15/35) in the CTDR group at the last followup, with Grade I in 3 cases, Grade II in 11 cases and Grade III in 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: CTDR is an effective method in the treatment of single-level cervical disc degenerative disease. Compared to ACDF, CTDR is superior in the early improvement of quality of life, and restoration of segmental motion despite radiographic evidence of HO during a mid-term follow-up period.

Three-dimensional reduction method with a modified C2 isthmus screw in irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation: a technical note.

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional reduction plays a vital role in surgical reduction of irreversible atlantoaxial dislocation (IAAD). However, the most commonly used combination of C1 pedicle screw (PS) or lateral mass screw (LMS) and C2 PS or isthmus screw often fails to achieve satisfactory reduction at one time. The difficulty is usually caused by short anteroposterior and vertical distance between heads of C1 and C2 screws, which lack enough space for reduction operation. The objective of this study is to describe a three-dimensional reduction method with a modified C2 isthmus screw and to illustrate its advantage and effectiveness for IAAD. METHODS: Twelve patients with IAAD underwent reduction and fixation with modified C2 isthmus screw combined with C1 PS or LMS, fusion with autologous bone graft. The insertion point was lateral to the intersection of caudal edge of C2 lamina and lateral mass, with a trajectory towards C2 isthmus, via lateral mass. The three-dimensional reduction was achieved through pulling and distracting. Radiographic evaluation included anteroposterior and direct distance between different insertion points, the occipitoaxial angle (O-C2A), clivus-canal angle (CCA) and cervicomedullary angle (CMA). Clinical outcomes evaluation included the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Visual analog scale (VAS) and Neck Disability Index (NDI). RESULTS: All the patients maintained effective reduction during the follow-up. The anteroposterior and direct distance was significantly higher in modified C2 isthmus screw than C2 PS whether combined with C1 PS or LMS (P < 0.05). The degree of O-C2A, CCA and CMA, JOA score, NDI, and VAS were significantly improved after the surgery (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional reduction method with a modified C2 isthmus screw is effective and safe in managing IAAD. It can increase the anteroposterior and vertical distance between the heads of C1 and C2 screws, which is benefit for the three-dimensional reduction operation of IAAD.

Correction: Recent advances in cell membrane coated metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for tumor therapy.

Correction for 'Recent advances in cell membrane coated metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for tumor therapy' by Weicong Liu et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2021, DOI: 10.1039/d1tb00453k.

Recent Advances in Fe-MOF Compositions for Biomedical Applications.

BACKGROUND: To date, number of new and attractive materials have been applied in drug delivery systems (DDDs) to improve the efficiency of the treatment of cancers. Some problems like low stability, toxicity and weak ability of targeting have hampered most of materials for further applications in biomedicine. MIL(MIL = Materials of Institute Lavoisier), as a specific subclass of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) owns more advantages than other subclass MOFs, such as better biodegradability and lower cytotoxicity. However, until now, systematic -s and analyses of Fe-based MIL on medical applications are rarely though the majority of documents discussed one research branch of the porous materials MOFs. DISCUSSION: In this review, we have focussed mainly on the latest studies of applications, including bioimaging, biosensing, and antibacterial and drug delivery on Fe-based MIL. The existing shortcomings and future perspectives of the rapidly growing biomedical applications of Fe-based MIL materials addressing dosage and loading strategies issues are also discussed briefly, and further studies with the use of different therapies will be of great interest. CONCLUSION: This article reviews the Fe-based MOFs design and biomedical application, including biosensing, bioimaging, antibacterial agent, and drug delivery in recent years.

Recent advances in cell membrane coated metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for tumor therapy.

In improving the tumor-targeting ability of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for tumor therapy and avoiding the clearance as well as capture by the immune system, there are still several challenges, which limit the development and bio-applications of MOFs. To overcome these challenges, various targeted modification strategies have been proposed. Amongst all the strategies, a promising cell membrane coating method has been explored and utilized for the syntheses of new cell membrane biomimetic MOFs (CMMs). Through such coating, various source cell membranes (e.g., red blood cell, immune cell, cancer cell, platelet, and fusion cell membranes) can be endowed with excellent properties such as long blood circulation, immune escape, and targeting ability. In the presented perspective, the synthetic method, characterization, and research progress in tumor therapy based on CMMs have been summarized. This is because, like many other technologies, the cell membrane coating technology also has several challenges to overcome. Hence, addressing and overcoming such challenges will promote and extend the bio-applications of MOFs which in the future may become a prospective carrier for cancer nano-medicine. Finally, the prospects and challenges of utilizing CMMs for tumor therapy have been discussed.

Metabolites analysis for cold-resistant yeast (Wickerhamomyces anomalus) strains own antioxidant activity on cold stored fish mince.

The effect of eight cold-resistant yeast strains (J3, J7, J8, J9, J12, J15, J18, and J25) of Wickerhamomyces anomalus on the lipid oxidation of cold stored fish mince (4 °C) were investigated. And the metabolites of these yeast were determined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These strains could effectively inhibit the increase of hydroperoxides value (p < 0.05), and the inhibiting rate was positively correlated with the content of isolongifolene, xylitol, turanose, thymol-glucoside, and uridine. Especially, the J3, J7, J8, J9, J12, and J18 could eliminate a large part of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (p < 0.05), the eliminating rate was proportionate to the aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. Several bacteriostatic metabolites were detected: thymol-glucoside, 2-phenylethanol, cedro, and 2,4-bis (1,1-dimethylethyl) phenol. In addition, W. anomalus produced many metabolites with fruit and floral notes. In conclusion, cold-resistant W. anomalus strains own antioxidant activity were potential new bio-preservatives in the cold storage of muscle products.

Metal-Organic Framework (MOF)-based Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications.

BACKGROUND: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as a new class of porous organic-inorganic crystalline hybrid materials that governed by the self-assembled of metal atoms and organic struts have attracted tremendous attention because of their special properties. Recently, some more documents have reported different types of nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) as biodegradable and physiological pH-responsive systems for photothermal therapy and radiation therapy in the body. DISCUSSION: In this review paper aims at describing the benefits of using MOF nanoparticles in the field of biomedicine, and putting into perspective their properties in the context of the ones of other NPs. The first section briefly reviews the biomaterial scaffolds of MOFs. The second section presents the main types of stimuli-responsive mechanisms and strategies from two categories: intrinsic (pH, redox state) and extrinsic (temperature, light irradiation and magnetic field) ones. The combinations of photothermal therapy and radiation therapy have been concluded in detail. Finally, clinical applications of MOFs, future challenges and perspectives are also mentioned. CONCLUSION: This review outlines the most recent advances MOFs design and biomedical applications, from different synthesis to their use as smart drug delivery systems, bioimaging technology or a combination of both.

Recent developments on zinc(ii) metal-organic framework nanocarriers for physiological pH-responsive drug delivery.

The high storage capacities and excellent biocompatibilities of zinc(ii) metal-organic frameworks (Zn-MOFs) have made them outstanding candidates as drug delivery carriers. Recent studies on the pH-responsive processes based on carrier-drug interactions have proven them to be the most efficient and effective way to control the release profiles of drugs. To satisfy the ever-growing demand in cancer therapy, great efforts are being devoted to the development of methods to precisely control drug release and achieve targeted use of an active substance at the right time and place. In this review article, we discuss the diverse stimuli based on Zn-MOFs carriers that have been achieved upon external activation from single pH-stimulus-responsive or/and multiple pH-stimuli-responsive viewpoints. Also, the perspectives and future challenges in this type of carrier system are discussed.

Selective adsorption and removal of drug contaminants by using an extremely stable Cu(II)-based 3D metal-organic framework.

The adsorption capacity of three representative pharmaceutical drugs and personal care products (PPCPs) viz. diclofenac sodium (DCF), chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CLF) and amodiaquin dihydrochloride (ADQ), were preliminarily studied using a water-stable Cu(II)-based metal organic framework (MOF) [Cu(BTTA)]n·2DMF (1) (H2BTTA = 1,4-bis(triazol-1-yl)terephthalic acid). We also investigated the factors influencing the adsorption such as concentration, pH, contact time, temperature and dosages. The results show that the adsorption capacity of 1 for DCF (650 mg g-1) from aqueous medium, which is higher in comparison to most of the reported MOFs. While the adsorption of CLF and ADQ are only 67 mg g-1 and 72 mg g-1, respectively. The adsorption isotherm and adsorption kinetics indicated that the adsorption of diclofenac sodium by 1 follows Freundlich model with R2 value of 0.9902 and pseudo-first-order kinetics with correlation coefficient 0.9939 and K1 value of 0.0058 min-1, respectively. Investigations indicate that 1 could become a potential material to adsorb DCF from aqueous medium.

Cyclodextrin-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks (CD-MOFs) in Pharmaceutics and Biomedicine.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show promising application in biomedicine and pharmaceutics owing to their extraordinarily high surface area, tunable pore size, and adjustable internal surface properties. However, MOFs are prepared from non-renewable or toxic materials, which limit their real-world applications. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are a typical natural and biodegradable cyclic oligosaccharide and are primarily used to enhance the aqueous solubility, safety, and bioavailability of drugs by virtue of its low toxicity and highly flexible structure, offering a peculiar ability to form CD/drug inclusions. A sophisticated strategy where CD is deployed as a ligand to form an assembly of cyclodextrin-based MOFs (CD-MOFs) may overcome real-world application drawbacks of MOFs. CD-MOFs incorporate the porous features of MOFs and the encapsulation capability of CD for drug molecules, leading to outstanding properties when compared with traditional hybrid materials. This review focuses on the inclusion technology and drug delivery properties associated with CD-MOFs. In addition, synthetic strategies and currently developed uses of CD-MOFs are highlighted as well. Also, perspectives and future challenges in this rapidly developing research area are discussed.

A 3D Stable Metal⁻Organic Framework for Highly Efficient Adsorption and Removal of Drug Contaminants from Water.

We herein selected a 3D metal⁻organic framework decorated with carboxylate groups as an adsorbent to remove the pharmaceutical molecules of diclofenac sodium and chlorpromazine hydrochloride from water. The experiment aimed at exploring the effect factors of initial concentration, equilibrium time, temperature, pH and adsorbent dosage on the adsorption process. The adsorption uptake rate of the diclofenac sodium is much higher than that of the chlorpromazine hydrochloride. This paper presents the high adsorption capacity of diclofenac sodium, in which porous MOFs are used for the removal of drug contaminants from water. According to linear fitting with adsorption isotherm equation and kinetic equations, diclofenac sodium conforms to the Langmuir model and pseudo-first-order kinetic equation, while chlorpromazine hydrochloride accords with the Temkin model and pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. The results of the study indicate that the title compound could be a promising hybrid material for removing diclofenac sodium and chlorpromazine hydrochloride from wastewater.

Gallie technique versus atlantoaxial screw-rod constructs in the treatment of atlantoaxial sagittal instability: a retrospective study of 49 patients.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study are to investigate the clinical curative effect of Gallie technique and atlantoaxial screw-rod constructs (SRC) on atlantoaxial sagittal instability and determine the indication of Gallie technique. METHODS: Data of 49 patients with atlantoaxial sagittal instability from February 2008 to May 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. The visual analog scale (VAS) score and the neck disability index (NDI) were used to evaluate the curative effect. Postoperative radiological outcomes were used to evaluate the stability of atlantoaxial joint and bone fusion. Perioperative parameters such as blood loss, operation time, radiographic exposure times, and hospital expense were also recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients (36 men and 13 women) were included in this study. The mean age was 41.4 ± 8.9 (range from 19 to 64). All patients were followed up for 24-67 months. Among these patients, 25 of these patients underwent Gallie surgery and 24 underwent SRC surgery. The pain in the occipitocervical area of all the patients has been relieved. NDI scores and VAS scores were lower in Gallie group than in SRC group in early postoperative period. The proportion of the patients who achieved good bone fusion within 3 months after operation was 88.0% (22/25) in the Gallie group and 100% (24/24) in the SRC group. The Gallie group is lower than the SRC group in blood loss, operation time, radiographic exposure times, and hospital expense. Statistical difference was observed between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with atlantoaxial instability who has (1) the atlantodental interval (ADI) which is bigger than 5 mm on lateral flexion-extension X-ray, or Anderson-D'Alonzo type II odontoid fracture, (2) no asymmetry between odontoid process and lateral mass on open-mouth anterior-posterior X-ray, and (3) no dislocation of lateral mass joint on the CT 3D reconstruction, Gallie technique can be chosen as a safe and effective method if atlantoaxial reduction can be achieved preoperatively. Compared with SRC, Gallie technique can relieve the pain in the occipitocervical area earlier and it can shorten operation time and reduce intraoperative bleeding, radiographic exposure times, and hospital expense effectively. However, for patients with irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation, the Gallie technique should be used with caution.

Two Unusual Nanocage-Based Ln-MOFs with Triazole Sites: Highly Fluorescent Sensing for Fe3+ and Cr2 O7 2- , and Selective CO2 Capture.

Luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs) containing fluorescent probes for the detection of pollutants such as organic solvents and heavy metals are becoming increasingly important, with lanthanide-MOF (Ln-MOF) materials receiving greater attention owing to the possibility of achieving fine-tuned luminescent properties. Herein, two unusual isostructural nanocage-based three-dimensional Ln-MOFs, 1-Ln (Ln=Tb, Eu), are constructed, using a new diisophthalate ligand with active Lewis basic triazole sites. Selective gas adsorption, especially the removal of CO2 from CH4 , a primary component of natural gas and biogas, is desirable in terms of both economic and environmental considerations. 1-Eu is found to exhibit highly efficient luminescent sensing for Fe3+ cations and Cr2 O7 2- anions, as well as selective CO2 capture over CH4 .