Comparative Analysis of Cardiovascular Development Related Genes in Stem Cells Isolated from Deciduous Pulp and Adipose Tissue

Human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) and adipose stem cells (ASC) were suggested as alternative cell choice for cardiac regeneration. However, the true functionability of these cells toward cardiac regeneration is yet to be discovered. Hence, this study was carried out to investigate the innate biological properties of these cell sources toward cardiac regeneration. Both cells exhibited indistinguishable MSCs characteristics. Human stem cell transcription factor arrays were used to screen expression levels in SHED and ASC. Upregulated expression of transcription factor (TF) genes was detected in both sources. An almost equal percentage of > 2-fold changes were observed. These TF genes fall under several cardiovascular categories with higher expressions which were observed in growth and development of blood vessel, angiogenesis, and vasculogenesis categories. Further induction into cardiomyocyte revealed ASC to express more significantly cardiomyocyte specific markers compared to SHED during the differentiation course evidenced by morphology and gene expression profile. Despite this, spontaneous cellular beating was not detected in both cell lines. Taken together, our data suggest that despite being defined as MSCs, both ASC and SHED behave differently when they were cultured in a same cardiomyocytes culture condition. Hence, vigorous characterization is needed before introducing any cell for treating targeted diseases

The Promise of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Dental Research

Induced pluripotent stem cell-based therapy for treating genetic disorders has become an interesting field of research in recent years. However, there is a paucity of information regarding the applicability of induced pluripotent stem cells in dental research. Recent advances in the use of induced pluripotent stem cells have the potential for developing disease-specific iPSC lines in vitro from patients. Indeed, this has provided a perfect cell source for disease modeling and a better understanding of genetic aberrations, pathogenicity, and drug screening. In this paper, we will summarize the recent progress of the disease-specific iPSC development for various human diseases and try to evaluate the possibility of application of iPS technology in dentistry, including its capacity for reprogramming some genetic orodental diseases. In addition to the easy availability and suitability of dental stem cells, the approach of generating patient-specific pluripotent stem cells will undoubtedly benefit patients suffering from orodental disorders

Extracellular vesicles from stem and progenitor cells for cell-free regenerative therapy

Cell-based regenerative therapies involving stem or progenitor cells are considered as possible therapeutic modalities to treat non-communicable and degenerative diseases. Recently, regenerative outcomes of cell-based therapies have been linked to paracrine factors and extracellular vesicles [EVs] released by the transplanted cells rather than the transplanted cells themselves. EVs contain a cargo that includes microRNAs [miRNAs], mRNAs, as well as proteins. Their role in mediating intercellular communication has been acknowledged in several studies. However, the regenerative potential of the miRNAs, mRNAs, and proteins that are present in EVs is a matter of ongoing scientific debate. In this review, we discuss EVs as an alternative to stem cell-based therapy to treat some of the non-communicable and degenerative diseases. Moreover, we also propose that pre-treatment of the cells could help to produce EVs enriched with particular miRNAs, mRNAs, and/or proteins that could support the successful regeneration of a targeted organ

First Cu-Nanostar as Sustainable Catalyst Realized through Synergistic Effects of Bowl-shaped Features and Surface Activation of Sporopollenin Exine

Recently, nanostar-shaped structures, including gold nanostars (NS), have drawn much attention for their potential use in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and catalysis. Yet, very few studies have been conducted on Cu-Au hybrid NS, and there are none for Cu-based NS. Herein, we describe an effective method for controlling copper oxide nanostar (ESP-PEI-CuI/IIO-NS) growth using sporopollenin as a sustainable template material. However, ESP-PEI-CuI/IIO-NS growth depends on sporopollenin surface functionalization. Sporopollenin surface activation was done by amine functionalization with polyethyleneimine (PEI), without which ESP-PEI-CuI/IIO-NS growth was not observed. The sporopollenin’s exine (outer wall) has bowl-like structures, which mediates the growth of Cu nanorods, resulting in an NS morphology. Furthermore, due to their increased surface area, ESP-PEI-CuI/IIO-NS showed excellent catalytic activity for Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions even when used in H2O and without additives under greener conditions. This approach utilising biomass as a sustainable template would pave the way for developing controlled growth of nanostructures for SERS-related and catalytic applications

New Access to the Synthesis of 1,1,4,4-Tetracyanobuta-1,3-Diene-Based Push–pull Chromophores Using Tetracyanoethylene Oxide via [3+2] Cycloaddition-Ring Opening Reactions

Herein we report a new way to access the synthesis of established invaluable push–pull chromophores based on 1,1,4,4-tetracyanobuta-1,3-dienes (TCBDs) using tetracyanoethylene oxide (TCNEO) upon reaction with alkynes substituted with an electron-donating group (EDG) via [3+2] cycloaddition (CA) followed by ring-opening (RO) reactions. Further, we uncovered that the facile [3+2] CA–RO reaction under simpler reaction condition is possible due to the presence of EDG group, otherwise, even the formation of [3+2] cycloadduct without EDG requires harsher condition and does not lead to TCBD as reported earlier in 1965 by Linn and Benson

Unravelling the effect of non-drug spacers on a true drug-polymer and a comparative study of their antimicrobial activity

Several studies have been conducted on polymerisation of drug units using spacers or other polymeric units. In order to study the importance of spacers in drug polymers, we designed polymers with and without spacers. As a proof of concept, herein, we present a comparative study on the efficacy of antibacterial activity using a polymeric biocide (PB) C0P1 having no spacer (0%) and two other PBs with varied spacer content (C2P2:29%, C10P3:53%). We considered C0P1 as a potential new type of PB generated from a widely used fluoroquinolone antibiotic, ciprofloxacin 1, by a simple self-condensation activation with thionyl chloride. Monomer 2 (formylated methyl ester of 1) was polymerised with ethylenediamine (C2) and 1,10-diaminodecane (C10) to provide C2P2 and C10P3, respectively. The trend for minimum inhibitory concentration study against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was observed as 1>C0P1>C2P2=C10P3>>2. Further, after coating on nylon threads, the non-spacer polymer C0P1 showed enhanced zone of inhibition (ZOI) than monomer 1 as well as the spacer polymers owing to its superior coating ability and sustained drug release capabilities. Thus, this study clearly states that the bio-efficacy of a drug-polymer could be retained and enhanced in the absence of non-bioactive spacer units

A Subtle Change in Substituent Enabled Multi-Ways Fluoride Signals Including Paper-Strip Colorimetric Detection Using Urea Receptor Functionalized 1,1,4,4-Tetracyanobuta-1,3-Diene-Based Push-Pull Chromophore

A simple color change detection by the naked-eye using untreated paper for a biologically relevant fluoride (F–) anion in water is a challenge. New non-planar push-pull chromophore involving intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) from urea donor in 2,3-disubstituted-1,1,4,4-tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene (TCBD) turns out to be an efficient system for detecting F– ion giving various output signals. But, replacing phenyl (Ph) at C3-position with 4-(dimethylamino)phenyl (DMA) led to the absence of colorimetric and fluorometric detections due to the masking and quenching, nature of strong ICT by the DMA. NMR and electrochemical studies revealed that the sensing mechanism is governed by H-bonding as well as the deprotonation of N–H attached with TCBD moiety which reduces the HOMO–LUMO gap and causes the dramatic color change. Coupled with excellent sensitivity (3 ppm) and specificity towards F–, a successful demonstration of cheap tissue paper-based visual strip-detection in aqueous is presented

A Study of [2+2] Cycloaddition–Retroelectrocyclization in Water: Observation of Substrate-driven Transient Nanoreactor Induced New Reactivity

Organic solvents limit [2+2] cycloaddition-retroelectrocyclization (CA–RE) in biological fields. We examined the formation of 1,1,4,4-tetracyanobuta-1,3-dienes (TCBDs) through CA–RE reactions and their unusual reactivity to produce N-heterocyclic compounds when surfactant nature and concentrations were varied in the aqueous phase. An environment in which transient self-assembly (vesicles) was induced by substrate and surfactant molecules initiated new reactivity through H2O addition on the TCBD generating enol form of the intermediate which results in the formation of the 6,6-dicyano-heteropentafulvene (amidofulvene) compound while lamellar sheets at higher concentrations favored TCBD generation. Interestingly, the amidofulvene underwent a clean transformation to 6-membered-heterocycles via keto-enol tautomerism mediated by a polar aprotic solvent which resembles cardiotonic drugs (milrinone, amrinone), opening up a new avenue for drug discovery. Unlike organic solvent-mediated CA–RE reactions, the present nanoreactor-mediated approach enabled the selective production of TCBDs as well as new heterocycles using H2O as a green solvent. Besides the widely explored organic electronics/materials, we believe that this study would help overcome the long-standing limitation of CA–RE reaction applicability in biological fields

Design and Synthesis of Aviram-Ratner-Type Dyads and Rectification Studies in Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) Films

The design and synthesis of Aviram-Ratner-type molecular rectifiers, featuring an anilino-substituted extended tetracyanoquinodimethane (exTCNQ) acceptor, covalently linked by the sigma-spacer bicyclo[2.2.2]octane (BCO) to a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) donor moiety, are described. The rigid BCO spacer keeps the TTF donor and exTCNQ acceptor moieties apart, as demonstrated by X-ray analysis. The photophysical properties of the TTF-BCO-exTCNQ dyads were investigated by UV/Vis and EPR spectroscopy, electrochemical studies, and theoretical calculations. Langmuir-Blodgett films were prepared and used in the fabrication and electrical studies of junction devices. One dyad showed the asymmetric current-voltage (I-V) curve characteristic for rectification, unlike control compounds containing the TTF unit but not the exTCNQ moiety or comprising the exTCNQ acceptor moiety but lacking the donor TTF part, which both gave symmetric I-V curves. The direction of the observed rectification indicated that the preferred electron current flows from the exTCNQ acceptor to the TTF donor