Engineered Phage-Based Cancer Vaccines: Current Advances and Future Directions.

Bacteriophages have emerged as versatile tools in the field of bioengineering, with enormous potential in tissue engineering, vaccine development, and immunotherapy. The genetic makeup of phages can be harnessed for the development of novel DNA vaccines and antigen display systems, as they can provide a highly organized and repetitive presentation of antigens to immune cells. Bacteriophages have opened new possibilities for the targeting of specific molecular determinants of cancer cells. Phages can be used as anticancer agents and carriers of imaging molecules and therapeutics. In this review, we explored the role of bacteriophages and bacteriophage engineering in targeted cancer therapy. The question of how the engineered bacteriophages can interact with the biological and immunological systems is emphasized to comprehend the underlying mechanism of phage use in cancer immunotherapy. The effectiveness of phage display technology in identifying high-affinity ligands for substrates, such as cancer cells and tumor-associated molecules, and the emerging field of phage engineering and its potential in the development of effective cancer treatments are discussed. We also highlight phage usage in clinical trials as well as the related patents. This review provides a new insight into engineered phage-based cancer vaccines.

Recent Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy Delivery Modalities.

Immunotherapy is crucial in fighting cancer and achieving successful remission. Many novel strategies have recently developed, but there are still some obstacles to overcome before we can effectively attack the cancer cells and decimate the cancer environment by inducing a cascade of immune responses. To successfully demonstrate antitumor activity, immune cells must be delivered to cancer cells and exposed to the immune system. Such cutting-edge technology necessitates meticulously designed delivery methods with no loss or superior homing onto cancer environments, as well as high therapeutic efficacy and fewer adverse events. In this paper, we discuss recent advances in cancer immunotherapy delivery techniques, as well as their future prospects.

Bio-hybrid hydrogel comprising collagen-capped silver nanoparticles and melatonin for accelerated tissue regeneration in skin defects.

Hydrogel-based drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising platform for chronic tissue defects owing to their inherent ability to inhibit pathogenic infection and accelerate rapid tissue regeneration. Here, we fabricated a stable bio-hybrid hydrogel system comprising collagen, aminated xanthan gum, bio-capped silver nanoparticles and melatonin with antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Highly colloidal bio-capped silver nanoparticles were synthesized using collagen as a reducing cum stabilizing agent for the first time while aminated xanthan gum was synthesized using ethylenediamine treatment on xanthan gum. The synthesized bio-hybrid hydrogel exhibits better gelation, surface morphology, rheology and degelation properties. In vitro assessment of bio-hybrid hydrogel demonstrates excellent bactericidal efficiency against both common wound and multidrug-resistant pathogens and biocompatibility properties. In vivo animal studies demonstrate rapid tissue regeneration, collagen deposition and angiogenesis at the wound site predominantly due to the synergistic effect of silver nanoparticles and melatonin in the hydrogel. This study paves the way for developing biologically functional bio-nano hydrogel systems for promoting effective care for various ailments, including infected chronic wounds.

Bifunctional Hybrid Composites from Collagen Biowastes for Heterogeneous Applications.

We report the synthesis of an electrically conductive and magnetically active hybrid biocomposite comprising collagen and polyaniline (PAni) as the matrix and iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) as the filler through an in situ polymerization technique. Here, the matrix biopolymer, collagen, was extracted from trimmed wastes of animal hides generated from the leather industry. The as-synthesized C/PAni/IONP hybrid biocomposite powder possesses excellent electrical conductivity, thermal stability, and saturation magnetization, thereby providing scope for a wide range of applications. We show that the bifunctional composite has an ability to conduct electrons using a light emitting diode and battery setup, degrade dye under sunlight owing to its inherent photocatalytic activity, and absorb oil from oil-water mixtures with easier collection under magnetic tracking. We also demonstrate that the composite has remarkable electromagnetic interference shielding in the X-band frequency range. The results suggest that biowastes can be converted into useful high-value hybrid materials for applications in catalysis, biological, electronic, and environmental fields, thereby presenting a scalable and sustainable approach.

Collagen-poly(dialdehyde) guar gum based porous 3D scaffolds immobilized with growth factor for tissue engineering applications.

Here we report the preparation of collagen-poly(dialdehyde) guar gum based hybrid functionalized scaffolds covalently immobilized with platelet derived growth factor - BB for tissue engineering applications. Poly(dialdehyde) guar gum was synthesized from selective oxidation of guar gum using sodium periodate. The synthesized poly(dialdehyde) guar gum not only promotes crosslinking of collagen but also immobilizes the platelet derived growth factor through imine bonds. The covalent crosslinking formed in collagen improves thermal, swelling and biodegradation properties of the hybrid scaffolds. The prepared hybrid scaffolds show 3D interconnected honeycomb porous structure when viewed under a microscope. The release of immobilized platelet derived growth factor was seen up to 13th day of incubation thereby proving its sustained delivery. The developed hybrid scaffold leads to a quantum increase in NIH 3T3 fibroblast cell density and proliferation thereby demonstrating its potential for tissue engineering applications.