115 research outputs found
The adaptation of lipid profile of human fibroblasts to alginate 2D films and 3D printed scaffolds
Background: The investigation of the interactions between cells and active materials is pivotal in the emerging 3D printing-biomaterial application fields. Here, lipidomics has been used to explore the early impact of alginate (ALG) hydrogel architecture (2D films or 3D printed scaffolds) and the type of gelling agent (CaCl2 or FeCl3) on the lipid profile of human fibroblasts. Methods: 2D and 3D ALG scaffolds were prepared and characterized in terms of water content, swelling, mechanical resistance and morphology before human fibroblast seeding (8 days). Using a liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry approach, selected ceramides (CER), lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC), lysophosphatidic acids (LPA) and free fatty acids (FFA) were analyzed. Results: The results showed a clear alteration in the CER expression profile depending of both the geometry and the gelling agent used to prepare the hydrogels. As for LPCs, the main parameter affecting their distribution is the scaffold architecture with a significant decrease in the relative expression levels of the species with higher chain length (C20 to C22) for 3D scaffolds compared to 2D films. In the case of FFAs and LPAs only slight differences were observed as a function of scaffold geometry or gelling agent. Conclusions: Variations in the cell membrane lipid profile were observed for 3D cell cultures compared to 2D and these data are consistent with activation processes occurring through the mutual interactions between fibroblasts and ALG support. These unknown physiologically relevant changes add insights into the discussion about the relationship between biomaterial and the variations of cell biological functions
3D Printing Technologies in Biosensors Production: Recent Developments
Recent advances in 3D printing technologies and materials have enabled rapid development of innovative sensors for applications in different aspects of human life. Various 3D printing technologies have been adopted to fabricate biosensors or some of their components thanks to the advantages of these methodologies over the traditional ones, such as end-user customization and rapid prototyping. In this review, the works published in the last two years on 3D-printed biosensors are considered and grouped on the basis of the 3D printing technologies applied in different fields of application, highlighting the main analytical parameters. In the first part, 3D methods are discussed, after which the principal achievements and promising aspects obtained with the 3D-printed sensors are reported. An overview of the recent developments on this current topic is provided, as established by the considered works in this multidisciplinary field. Finally, future challenges on the improvement and innovation of the 3D printing technologies utilized for biosensors production are discussed
Element-tagged immunoassay with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for multi-analyte detection
The multianalyte immunoassay approach is currently
attracting increasing attention due to its high sample
throughput, short assay time, low sample consumption and
reduced overall cost per assay. This paper reviews progress
in the field of multianalyte immunoassays using inductively
coupled plasma mass spectrometry, as well as applications
of this approach in different fields. Examples related to the
combination of protein microarray technology with the
multitag approach of the immunoassay ICP-MS method
and to the use of ICP-MS in the field of imaging are
described. A novel strategy that involves tagging antibodies
for ICP-MS detection in sensitive multitag bioassays is also
presented. Finally, the outlook for this promising technique
is discussed
Optimization of a rapid microwave assisted extraction method for the liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry determination of isoflavonoid aglicones in soybeans
A very fast chromatographic separation of isoflavonoids genistein, daidzein, formononetin and biochanin A was developed on a C18 high-speed
column under isocratic conditions. The method was validated in terms of detection limits, quantitation limits (LOQs), linearity and precision. LOQs
in 0.04–0.2 g/g range were calculated, making feasible the determination of these compounds of nutritional concern at trace levels. Good linearity
was demonstrated over three concentration orders of magnitude for each analyte (r2 0.990–1.000). The intra-day and inter-day repeatability was
evaluated in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD%) at two concentration levels for each analyte (RSD% <9%). An optimization strategy
was adopted to find the best conditions for the extraction of isoflavonoid aglycones from yellow soybeans using microwave-assisted extraction.
The most relevant parameters resulted to be the microwave power, the extraction time and the acid concentration, optimal values being 600W,
1 min and 12 M, respectively. When performing sample treatment on a fortified soybean sample, high recovery percentage was obtained for both
compounds (94±8% for daidzein and 97±5% (n = 4) for genistein). The concentration level at which daidzein and genistein were found in the
soybean sample were 1.21±0.15 mg/g and 2.38±0.09 mg/g (n = 4), respectively
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