RESUMO
Complicated wounds often require specialized medical treatments, and hydrogels have emerged as a popular choice for wound dressings in such cases due to their unique properties and the ability to incorporate and release therapeutic agents. Our focus was to develop and characterize a new optimized formula for biohybrid hydrogel membranes, which combine natural and synthetic polymers, bioactive natural compounds, like collagen and hyaluronic acid, and pharmacologically active substances (doxycycline or npAg). Dynamic (oscillatory) rheometry confirmed the strong gel-like properties of the obtained hydrogel membranes. Samples containing low-dose DOXY showed a swelling index of 285.68 ± 6.99%, a degradation rate of 71.6 ± 0.91% at 20 h, and achieved a cumulative drug release of approximately 90% at pH 7.4 and 80% at pH 8.3 within 12 h. The addition of npAg influenced the physical properties of the hydrogel membranes. Furthermore, the samples containing DOXY demonstrated exceptional antimicrobial efficacy against seven selected bacterial strains commonly associated with wound infections and complications. Biocompatibility assessments revealed that the samples exhibited over 80% cell viability. However, the addition of smaller-sized nanoparticles led to decreased cellular viability. The obtained biohybrid hydrogel membranes show favorable properties that render them suitable for application as wound dressings.
RESUMO
The aim of this review is to summarize some of the most recent work in the field of cardiovascular disease (CVD) diagnosis and therapy, focusing mainly on the role of nanobodies in the development of non-invasive imaging methods, diagnostic devices, and advanced biotechnological therapy tools. In the context of the increased number of people suffering from CVDs due to a variety of factors such as sedentariness, poor nutrition, stress, and smoking, there is an urgent need for new and improved diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Nanobodies can be easily produced in prokaryotes, lower eukaryotes, and plant and mammalian cells, and offer great advantages. In the diagnosis domain, they are mainly used as labeled probes that bind to certain surface receptors or other target molecules and give important information on the severity and extent of atherosclerotic lesions, using imaging methods such as contrast-enhanced ultrasound molecular imaging (CEUMI), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography coupled with computed tomography (SPECT/CT), and PET/CT. As therapy tools, nanobodies have been used either for transporting drug-loaded vesicles to specific targets or as inhibitors for certain enzymes and receptors, demonstrated to be involved in various CVDs.
RESUMO
Healthcare professionals face an ongoing challenge in managing both acute and chronic wounds, given the potential impact on patients' quality of life and the limited availability of expensive treatment options. Hydrogel wound dressings offer a promising solution for effective wound care due to their affordability, ease of use, and ability to incorporate bioactive substances that enhance the wound healing process. Our study aimed to develop and evaluate hybrid hydrogel membranes enriched with bioactive components such as collagen and hyaluronic acid. We utilized both natural and synthetic polymers and employed a scalable, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly production process. We conducted extensive testing, including an in vitro assessment of moisture content, moisture uptake, swelling rate, gel fraction, biodegradation, water vapor transmission rate, protein denaturation, and protein adsorption. We evaluated the biocompatibility of the hydrogel membranes through cellular assays and performed instrumental tests using scanning electron microscopy and rheological analysis. Our findings demonstrate that the biohybrid hydrogel membranes exhibit cumulative properties with a favorable swelling ratio, optimal permeation properties, and good biocompatibility, all achieved with minimal concentrations of bioactive agents.
RESUMO
LFIA is one of the most successful analytical methods for various target molecules detection. As a recent example, LFIA tests have played an important role in mitigating the effects of the global pandemic with SARS-COV-2, due to their ability to rapidly detect infected individuals and stop further spreading of the virus. For this reason, researchers around the world have done tremendous efforts to improve their sensibility and specificity. The development of LFIA has many sensitive steps, but some of the most important ones are choosing the proper labeling probes, the functionalization method and the conjugation process. There are a series of labeling probes described in the specialized literature, such as gold nanoparticles (GNP), latex particles (LP), magnetic nanoparticles (MNP), quantum dots (QDs) and more recently carbon, silica and europium nanoparticles. The current review aims to present some of the most recent and promising methods for the functionalization of the labeling probes and the conjugation with biomolecules, such as antibodies and antigens. The last chapter is dedicated to a selection of conjugation protocols, applicable to various types of nanoparticles (GNPs, QDs, magnetic nanoparticles, carbon nanoparticles, silica and europium nanoparticles).
