Cellulose and Lignin-Derived Scaffold and Their Biological Application in Tissue Engineering, Drug Delivery, and Wound Healing: A Review.

The goal of tissue engineering is to repair and regenerate diseased and damaged tissues and organs with functional and biocompatible materials that mimic native and original tissues which leads to maintaining and improvement of tissue function. Lignin and cellulose are the most abundant polymers in nature and have many applications in industry. Moreover, recently the physicochemical behaviors of lignin and cellulose, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical properties, have been used in diverse biological applications ranging from drug delivery to tissue engineering. To assess these aims, this review gives an overview and comprehensive knowledge and highlights the origin and applications of lignin and cellulose-derived scaffolds in different tissue engineering and other biological applications. Finally, the challenges for future development using lignin and cellulose are also included. Plant-based tissue engineering is a promising technology for progressing areas in biomedicine, regenerative medicine, and nanomedicine, with much research focused on the development of newer material scaffolds with individual specific features to make functional and biocompatible tissues and organs for medical applications.

The Study of Serum Level of Interleukin-2, Interleukin-6, and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha in Stable and Progressive Vitiligo Patients from Sina Hospital in Tabriz, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is an acquired depigmenting disorder characterized by the loss of functional melanocytes from the epidermis. Although the etiology of vitiligo is unknown, over the last few years, substantial data from clinical research have greatly supported the "Autoimmune theory." Vitiligo has two major forms: progressive and stable. As cytokines are important mediators of immunity, the most important of them are IL-2, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). OBJECTIVES: We aimed to study the serum level of IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α in stable and progressive vitiligo and compared them to find a useful lab test to determine the form of vitiligo for diagnose and treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α were done by the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 40 cases of stable and progressive vitiligo. RESULTS: Twenty patients had progressive vitiligo and 20 patients were stable vitiligo. In every group, there were seven male patients. Twenty-one patients had a positive family history of vitiligo and four patients had other autoimmune diseases. The average age and familial history between two groups and two genders were not meaningful. The mean serum TNF-α level was significantly higher in progressive than stable vitiligo. No significant difference was observed in the serum levels of IL-2, IL-6 between stable and progressive vitiligo. The mean serum IL-6 and TNF-α had higher levels in male patients. CONCLUSION: Analysis of TNF-α levels in every age or gender can show us the type of vitiligo, stable or progressive and we can choose the best form of treatment for patients.

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells upon decellularized ovine small intestine submucosa for tissue regeneration: An optimization and comparison method.

The extracellular matrix of different mammalian tissues is commonly used as scaffolds in the field of tissue engineering. One of these tissues, which has frequently been studied due to its structural and biological features, is the small intestine submucosal membrane. These research are mainly done on the porcine small intestine. However, a report has recently been published about a scaffold produced from the submucosal layer of the ovine small intestine. In the present study, ovine small intestine submucosal (OSIS) was decellularized in a modified manner and its histological, morphological, and biomechanical properties were studied. Decellularization was performed in two phases: physical and chemical. In this method, a chloroform-methanol mixture, enzymatic digestion, and a constant dose of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used in the least agitation time and its histological property and biocompatibility were evaluated in the presence of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs); furthermore, ADSCs were isolated with a simple method (modified physical washing non-enzymatic isolation). The results were showed that the use of OSIS could be effective and operative. Mechanical properties, histological structure and shape, and glycosaminoglycan content were preserved. In the SDS-treated group, more than 90% of the native cells of tissue were deleted, and also in this group, no toxicity was observed and cell proliferation was supported, compared to the untreated group. Therefore, our results indicate that ADSCs seeded on OSIS scaffold could be used as a new approach in regenerative medicine as hybrid or hydrogel application.

Comparative Study of Dermatoscopic and Histopathologic Results in Facial Basal Cell Carcinoma and Melanocytic Nevi.

BACKGROUND: Dermatoscopy can be applied to diagnose pigmented skin lesions. The aim of the present study was to compare dermatoscopic and histopathologic results in basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and melanocytic nevus of theface. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In an analytical-descriptive study, 61 patients suspected of BCC or melanocytic nevi of face were randomly selected. The skin lesions of patients were evaluated with dermatoscopic method from February 2012 to February 2014 and results were compared with pathological features of samples. RESULTS: In this study, mean age of patients was 49.5±18.9. Some 25 (41%) were men and 36 (59%) were women. In 27 cases (44.3%) there was diagnosis of melanocytic nevus, in 28 cases (45.9%) diagnosis of BCC, and in 3 cases (4.9%) there was mixed diagnosis. The relationship between patients' gender and dermatoscopic diagnosis of the patients was statistically significant (P=0.001). For BCC the sensitivity and specificity of dermatoscopic method were 100% and 97% respectively and for melanocytic nevi 96.4% and 97%. CONCLUSIONS: Dermatoscopic study not only can be helpful in improving clinical diagnosis while guiding missed malignant lesions to pathologic evaluations, but also could be useful in evaluating further suspicious or recurrent cases.

Comparative study of intralesional steroid injection and cryotherapy in alopecia areata.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common, non-scarring type of hair loss, affecting approximately 2.1% of the population, many modality of treatment recommended like steroid injection, topical Immunotherapy and several systemic therapies. The aim of this study was to compare intralesional steroid injection and cryotherapyoutcomes in AA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In an analytical-descriptive study, 120 AA patients treated with intralesionalsteroid injection and 120 AA patients treated with cryotherapy were randomly selected. These two groups matched for location, duration and size of lesion and also matched for age and gender. From March 2011 to September 2013, the effect and complications of the therapies after 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks were assessed and results were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Mean age of patients in steroid injection group was 30.2 ± 6.8 and in cryotherapy group was 31.8 ± 7.1. Sexual distribution in both groups was 56.7% and 43.3 % for male and female, respectively. Location of disease in 80% was in scalp and 20% was in face in both groups. The time of beginning response in steroid group was 4.13 ± 2.13 weeks and in cryotherapy group was 6.14 ± 0.29 weeks, difference between two groups was significant (P = 0.001). In term of clinical response at the end of study, in steroid group,20 patients (16.7%) no response, 32 patients (26.7%), moderate response and68 patients (56.7%) had a complete response, and also in cryotherapy group was, 52 patients (43.3%) no response, 40 patients (33.3%) moderate response and 28 patients (23.3%) had a complete response. There was significant different in complete response rate and steroid injection was more effective than cryotherapy(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: As the cryotherapy isa considerable treatment of AA, alsothis study proposes intralesional injection of corticosteroid, as a replacement of AA therapy; particularly the short-term complications are not significantly different.

The efficacy of permethrin 5% vs. oral ivermectin for the treatment of scabies.

Human scabies is caused by an infestation of the skin by the human itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis). The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of permethrin 5% lotion with oral ivermectin for the treatment of scabies. In total, 60 patients with scabies were enrolled, and randomized into two groups: The first group and their family contacts received 5% permethrin cream twice with a one week interval, and the other received a single dose of oral ivermectin. Treatment was evaluated at intervals of 2 and 4 weeks. A single dose of ivermectin provided a cure rate of 62.4%, which increased to 92.8% with 2 doses at a 2-week interval. Treatment with two applications of permethrin with a one week interval was effective in 96.9% of patients. Permethrin-treated patients recovered earlier. Two applications of permethrin with a one week interval is more effective than a single dose of ivermectin. Two doses of ivermectin is as effective as a single application of permethrin.