Seaweed polysaccharide-based hydrogels used for the regeneration of articular cartilage

This manuscript provides an overview of the in vitro and in vivo studies reported in the literature focusing on seaweed polysaccharides based hydrogels that have been proposed for applications in regenerative medicine, particularly, in the field of cartilage tissue engineering. For a better understanding of the main requisites for these specific applications, the main aspects of the native cartilage structure, as well as recognized diseases that affect this tissue are briefly described. Current available treatments are also presented to emphasize the need for alternative techniques. The following part of this review is centered on the description of the general characteristics of algae polysaccharides, as well as relevant properties required for designing hydrogels for cartilage tissue engineering purposes. An in-depth overview of the most well known seaweed polysaccharide, namely agarose, alginate, carrageenan and ulvan biopolymeric gels, that have been proposed for engineering cartilage is also provided. Finally, this review describes and summarizes the translational aspect for the clinical application of alternative systems emphasizing the importance of cryopreservation and the commercial products currently available for cartilage treatment.Authors report no declarations of interest. Authors thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for the PhD fellowship of Elena G. Popa (SFRH/BD/64070/2009) and research project (MIT/ECE/0047/2009). The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no REGPOT-CT2012-316331-POLARIS

Chikungunya virus: clinical aspects and treatment - A Review

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Campo Grande, MS, Brasil / Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul. Faculdade de Medicina. Campo Grande, MS, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Chikungunya is a severe and debilitating disease. Currently, Brazil is experiencing an epidemic caused by three arboviruses, which has changed the way health professionals have diagnosed and treated infected patients. The difficulty of diagnosis and the lack of a protocol for patient treatment, which fits Brazilian health system models, have made it difficult to manage this disease. It is necessary to implement a multidisciplinary network of patient care, in which primary care units play the main role. This review aims to present current information regarding the clinical aspects and treatment of Chikungunya virus infection