Selective delivery of photothermal nanoparticles to tumors using mesenchymal stem cells as Trojan horses

The main challenge of cancer treatment is to avoid or minimize systemic side effects in off-target tissues. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be used as therapeutical carriers because of their ability to migrate and incorporate into inflammation areas including tumors. Here, this homing ability is exploited by carrying therapeutic nanoparticles (Hollow Gold Nanoparticles (HGNs)) following a “Trojan-horse” strategy. Amongst the different nanoparticles to be employed, HGNs have the capacity to resonate in the near infrared region when irradiated by an appropriated laser (808 nm). By transforming this absorbed energy into heat, they are capable to produce locally induced hyperthermia. At this wavelength healthy tissues have a minimal light absorption being the effect restricted to the tissues containing HGNs. By placing HGNs inside MSCs, the recognition, excretion and immune response are minimized. We demonstrate that MSCs internalize HGNs and reach the tumors still containing HGNs. After laser treatment this loaded cells are able to eradicate tumoral cells in vitro and in vivo without significant toxicity. Also Ki67 expression, which is usually correlated with proliferation, is reduced after treatment. This approach enhances the effectiveness of the treatment when compared to just the enhanced permeation and retention effect (EPR) of the HGNs by themselves

Zinc-Doped Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as a Proton-Activatable Agent for Dose Range Verification in Proton Therapy

Proton therapy allows the treatment of specific areas and avoids the surrounding tissues. However, this technique has uncertainties in terms of the distal dose fall-off. A promising approach to studying the proton range is the use of nanoparticles as proton-activatable agents that produce detectable signals. For this, we developed an iron oxide nanoparticle doped with Zn (IONP@Zn-cit) with a hydrodynamic size of 10 nm and stability in serum. Cytotoxicity, defined as half of the surveillance, was 100 μg Zn/mL in the U251 cell line. The effect on clonogenic cell death was tested after X-ray irradiation, which suggested a radioprotective effect of these nanoparticles at low concentrations (1–10 μg Zn/mL). To evaluate the production of positron emitters and prompt-gamma signals, IONP@Zn-cit was irradiated with protons, obtaining prompt-gamma signals at the lowest measured concentration (10 mg Zn/mL). Finally, 67Ga-IONP@Zn-cit showed accumulation in the liver and spleen and an accumulation in the tumor tissue of 0.95% ID/g in a mouse model of U251 cells. These results suggest the possibility of using Zn nanoparticles as proton-activatable agents to verify the range by prompt gamma detection and face the challenges of prompt gamma detection in a specific biological situation, opening different avenues to go forward in this field

The long-term effects of adolescent Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on brain structure and function assessed through neuroimaging techniques in male and female rats.

Several studies performed on human subjects have examined the effects of adolescent cannabis consumption on brain structure or function using brain imaging techniques. However, the evidence from these studies is usually heterogenous and affected by several confounding variables. Animal models of adolescent cannabinoid exposure may help to overcome these difficulties. In this exploratory study, we aim to increase our understanding of the protracted effects of adolescent Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in rats of both sexes using magnetic resonance (MR) to obtain volumetric data, assess grey and white matter microstructure with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and measure brain metabolites with 1H-MR spectroscopy (MRS); in addition, we studied brain function using positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose as the tracer. THC-exposed rats exhibited volumetric and microstructural alterations in the striatum, globus pallidus, lateral ventricles, thalamus, and septal nuclei in a sex-specific manner. THC administration also reduced fractional anisotropy in several white matter tracts, prominently in rostral sections, while in vivo MRS identified lower levels of cortical choline compounds. THC-treated males had increased metabolism in the cerebellum and olfactory bulb and decreased metabolism in the cingulate cortex. By contrast, THC-treated females showed hypermetabolism in a cluster of voxels comprising the entorhinal piriform cortices and in the cingulate cortex. These results indicate that mild THC exposure during adolescence leaves a lingering mark on brain structure and function in a sex-dependant manner. Some of the changes found here resemble those observed in human studies and highlight the importance of studying sex-specific effects in cannabinoid research.This work has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project n°: PSI2016–80,541-P to EA and A H-M); Ministry of Science (PID2019–104523RB-I00 to A-HM and PID2019–111594RB-100 to EA), Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality (Network of Addictive Disorders - Project n°: RTA-RD16/020/0022 of the Institute of Health Carlos III and National Plan on Drugs, Project n°: 2016I073 to EA and 2017I042, 2012I039 to A H-M); The BBVA Foundation (Leonardo Grants) to AH-M; The European Union (Project n°: JUST- 2017- AG- DRUG-806,996-JUSTSO) to EA; and the UNED (Plan for the Promotion of Research) to EA and AH-M. MLS was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PID2021-128862OB-100 funded/AEI /10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (project PI17/01,766), co-financed by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), “A way of making Europe”, CIBERSAM, Delegación del Gobierno para el Plan Nacional sobre Drogas (2017/085 and 2022/008917) and Fundación Alicia Koplowitz. Fundación Tatiana Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno supported MCV. The CNIC was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU) and the Pro-CNIC Foundation and is a Severo Ochoa center of Excellence. These funding agencies had no further role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.S

Carbon Material-Reinforced Polymer Composites for Bipolar Plates in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Bipolar plates (BPs) are one of the most important components of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) because of their important role in gas and water management, electrical performance, and mechanical stability. Therefore, promising materials for use as BPs should meet several technical targets established by the United States Department of Energy (DOE). Thus far, in the literature, many materials have been reported for possible applications in BPs. Of these, polymer composites reinforced with carbon allotropes are one of the most prominent. Therefore, in this review article, we present the progress and critical analysis on the use of carbon material-reinforced polymer composites as BPs materials in PEMFCs. Based on this review, it is observed that numerous polymer composites reinforced with carbon allotropes have been produced in the literature, and most of the composites synthesized and characterized for their possible application in BPs meet the DOE requirements. However, these composites can still be improved before their use for BPs in PEMFCs

Environmental impact of the production of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide

1 Tabla, 5 Figuras.-- Material suplementario disponible en línea en la página web del editor.Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is widely seen as the most promising route for the low-cost mass production of graphene for many applications ranging from ultrathin electrodes to structural nanocomposites. The Hummers and Marcano methods are the two most successful approaches for producing high-performance rGO, but have been criticized for producing toxic emissions. We have applied life cycle assessment methodology to evaluate the environmental impacts of both production routes for GO and rGO in the context of applications requiring bulk materials or thin coatings. We find no current obstacle to the industrial scale production of graphene arising from its environmental impact. The cumulative energy demand is found to have a cap value between 20.7 and 68.5 GJ/Kg, a relatively high value; impact in other categories (such as human toxicity or resource depletion) is lower, and materials inventory does not include critical/strategic materials other than graphite itself. Our study proposes 1 kg of graphene as functional unit, and an application-specific functional unit normalized by conductivity which show that Hummers production method is far more suitable for bulk applications of graphene, with lower embedded energy per kg of graphene production, while Marcano’s production method is better suited for thin film electronic applications.This work was supported by Projects ENE2016-79282-C5-1-R and ENE2016-79282-C5-5-R funded by MINECO-Spain (including EU FEDER funds), Project 19882-GERM-15 funded by F. Séneca (Región de Murcia, Spain), and DGA Grupo Reconocido T03_17R by Gobierno de Aragón (including EU FEDER funds). L. S.-L. and C. T. are also grateful to F. Séneca for postdoctoral grant Ref. 19759/PD/15, and predoctoral grant Ref.19768/FPI/15 respectively. SVR thanks Spanish MINECO for her PhD grant (BES2014-068727 and associated EU Social Funds).Peer reviewe

Diario de Campo: Boletín Interno de los investigadores del área de Antropología. 93 (2007) agosto. Diario de Campo

- Códice Azoyú 1: un documento pictográfico colonial de la montaña de Guerrero por Elizabeth Jiménez García. - Nuevos hallazgos arqueológicos en la región del Valle del Río Fuerte, norte de Sinaloa por John P. Carpenter Slavens y Guadalupe Sánchez Miranda. - Historia dramática de un edificio en cuatros actos: el Colegio de Niñas, Casino Alemán, Teatro Colón y Club de Banqueros por Mauricio Gálvez Rosalez y Víctor Joel Santos Ramírez. - Antropología Física mexicana o Antropología Física en México: una reflexión por J. Erik Mendoza Luján. - Criterios de intervención en el patrimonio cultural de las comunidades por Blanca Noval Vilar y Luis Huidobro Salas. -Pedro Infante y los héroes nacionales por Francisco Javier Guerrero. - Y continúa la polémica. Unidad y diversidad en Mesoamérica: una discusión inacabada por Catharine Good Eshelman. - Unicidad y diversidad en Mesoamérica: una discusión inacabada por Alicia M. Barabas. - Ritualidad y cosmovisión: procesos de transformación de las comunidades mesoamericanas hasta nuestros días por Johanna Broda. - Mesoamérica, cultura y cambio: conceptos problemáticos en el estudio etnográfico de los pueblos indígenas por Catharine Good Eshelman. - Diversidad y unidad en Mesoamérica: otra perspectiva por David Robichaux. - Cuadernos de Etnohistoria 2. Documentos en náhuatl de Oztuma, Guerrero. - Cuadernos de Lingüística 1. Descubriendo una nueva imagen de Huitzilopochtli oculta en el texto náhuatl del Códice Florentino