Macrophage immunomodulation: An indispensable tool to evaluate the performance of wound dressing biomaterials:

A major burden of the healthcare system resides in providing proper medical treatment for all types of chronic wounds, which are usually treated with dressings to induce a faster regeneration. Henc..

Transcranial direct current stimulation and cognitive training in the rehabilitation of Alzheimer disease: A case study

In the present study we tested the cognitive effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in a case of probable Alzheimer disease (AD). The patient (male, 60 years, mild AD) underwent two cycles of treatments, separated by 2 months. In the first cycle, active stimulation (10 sessions, 2 mA for 20 min; anode over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) was followed by computerised tasks (CTs) specifically chosen to engage the most impaired cognitive processes in the patient (tDCS+CT condition). In the second cycle, which was structured as the first, CTs were administered after placebo stimulation (sham+CT condition). Effects on cognitive performance were evaluated not only by the CTs, but also by neuropsychological tests assessing global cognitive functioning. Statistical analyses revealed that whereas the tDCS+CT condition had few effects on the CTs, it induced a stability of the patient\u2019s global cognitive functioning lasting approximately 3 months, which was not achieved when the patient underwent sham+CT condition. Therefore, the synergetic use of tDCS and CTs appeared to slow down the cognitive decline of our patient.This preliminary result, although in need of further confirmation, suggests the potentiality of tDCS as an adjuvant tool for cognitive rehabilitation in AD

Drug-free antibacterial polymers for biomedical applications

Microbial colonization on biomaterials is the main cause of failure of a successful implantation. In fact, local infections can eventually evolve in severe sepsis that might finally end up in a multi-organ failure and death of the patient.  Besides, infection has become one of the toughest problems in the medical world, as microorganisms become more resistant to known drugs. Scientific research has been focussing on exploring new strategies to combat this life-threatening problem. In this review, information was collected about currently used polymeric biomaterials in the medical field and the main bacterial infections associated with their implantation. Furthermore, drug-free strategies to overcome this complication are explored, and the existing methodology required for assessment of the antibacterial activity is also described.</jats:p

Injectable thermosensitive gels for the localized and controlled delivery of biomolecules in tissue engineering/regenerative medicine

The characteristic poor stability and high fluid permeability of Poloxamer®- based gels have severely limited their biomedical application. In this work, Poloxamer 407 was used as building block to synthesize a poly(ether urethane) (PEU), which aqueous solutions formed gels with improved stability and mechanics compared to Poloxamer itself. PEU chains formed micelles in aqueous solution (diameter ~40 nm at 25°C) and systems with PEU content higher than 5±1% w/v underwent a temperature- driven gelation. Gel properties were tuned acting on PEU concentration in the starting solutions, with compositions within the range 8-18% w/v showing high potential for biomedical applications (gelation at 37°C within 3-10 minutes, residence time from few days to many weeks, injectability). Model proteins (bovine serum albumin, horseradish peroxidase) were encapsulated in mild conditions and their release was modulated by gel composition (on day 3, approx. 85, 65 and 55% of encapsulated payload released from gels with 8, 15 and 18% w/v concentration). Released peroxidase retained approx. 30-40% of its activity up to 2 days, a key aspect for biomolecules in the drug delivery field

scaffold characterization using nlo multimodal microscopy in metrology for regenerative medicine

Metrology in regenerative medicine aims to develop traceable measurement technologies for characterizing cellular and macromolecule behaviour in regenerative medicine products and processes. One key component in regenerative medicine is using three-dimensional porous scaffolds to guide cells during the regeneration process. The regeneration of specific tissues guided by tissue analogous substrates is dependent on diverse scaffold architectural properties that can be derived quantitatively from scaffolds images. This paper discuss the results obtained with the multimodal NLO microscope recently realized in our laboratory in characterizing 3D tissue engineered (TE) scaffolds colonized from human Mesenchimal stem cells (hMSC), focusing on the study of the three-dimensional metrological parameters

Treatment of Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Neurocognitive Approach

The objective of the study was to treat fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) by a neurocognitive rehabilitation program aimed at improving motor planning by using motor imagery (MI). Twenty patients with clinically definite MS complaining of fatigue were treated for five weeks with exercises of neurocognitive rehabilitation twice a week. Patients were evaluated by Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), MSQoL54, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and MS Functional Composite (MSFC). After treatment, a decrease in fatigue was detected with both FSS (P = 0.0001) and MFIS (P = 0.0001). MSFC (P = 0.035) and MSQoL54 (P = 0.002) scores improved compared to baseline. At six-month followup, the improvement was confirmed for fatigue (FSS, P = 0.0001; MFIS P = 0.01) and for the physical subscale of MSQoL54 (P = 0.049). No differences in disability scales were found. These results show that neurocognitive rehabilitation, based on MI, could be a strategy to treat fatigue in MS patients