Coating of cochlear implant electrodes with bioactive DNA-loaded calcium phosphate nanoparticles for the local transfection of stimulatory proteins

Emerging biotechnologies and biomedical engineering technologies for hearing reconstruction

Hearing impairment is a global health problem that affects social communications and the economy. The damage and loss of cochlear hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) as well as the degeneration of neurites of SGNs are the core causes of sensorineural hearing loss. Biotechnologies and biomedical engineering technologies provide new hope for the treatment of auditory diseases, which utilizes biological strategies or tissue engineering methods to achieve drug delivery and the regeneration of cells, tissues, and even organs. Here, the advancements in the applications of biotechnologies (including gene therapy and cochlear organoids) and biomedical engineering technologies (including drug delivery, electrode coating, electrical stimulation and bionic scaffolds) in the field of hearing reconstruction are presented. Moreover, we summarize the challenges and provide a perspective on this field.

Beyond Tissue replacement: The Emerging role of smart implants in healthcare

Smart implants are increasingly used to treat various diseases, track patient status, and restore tissue and organ function. These devices support internal organs, actively stimulate nerves, and monitor essential functions. With continuous monitoring or stimulation, patient observation quality and subsequent treatment can be improved. Additionally, using biodegradable and entirely excreted implant materials eliminates the need for surgical removal, providing a patient-friendly solution. In this review, we classify smart implants and discuss the latest prototypes, materials, and technologies employed in their creation. Our focus lies in exploring medical devices beyond replacing an organ or tissue and incorporating new functionality through sensors and electronic circuits. We also examine the advantages, opportunities, and challenges of creating implantable devices that preserve all critical functions. By presenting an in-depth overview of the current state-of-the-art smart implants, we shed light on persistent issues and limitations while discussing potential avenues for future advancements in materials used for these devices.

Conversations in Cochlear Implantation: The Inner Ear Therapy of Today

As biomolecular approaches for hearing restoration in profound sensorineural hearing loss evolve, they will be applied in conjunction with or instead of cochlear implants. An understanding of the current state-of-the-art of this technology, including its advantages, disadvantages, and its potential for delivering and interacting with biomolecular hearing restoration approaches, is helpful for designing modern hearing-restoration strategies. Cochlear implants (CI) have evolved over the last four decades to restore hearing more effectively, in more people, with diverse indications. This evolution has been driven by advances in technology, surgery, and healthcare delivery. Here, we offer a practical treatise on the state of cochlear implantation directed towards developing the next generation of inner ear therapeutics. We aim to capture and distill conversations ongoing in CI research, development, and clinical management. In this review, we discuss successes and physiological constraints of hearing with an implant, common surgical approaches and electrode arrays, new indications and outcome measures for implantation, and barriers to CI utilization. Additionally, we compare cochlear implantation with biomolecular and pharmacological approaches, consider strategies to combine these approaches, and identify unmet medical needs with cochlear implants. The strengths and weaknesses of modern implantation highlighted here can mark opportunities for continued progress or improvement in the design and delivery of the next generation of inner ear therapeutics.

MCP mediated active targeting calcium phosphate hybrid nanoparticles for the treatment of orthotopic drug-resistant colon cancer

BACKGROUND

Colon cancer is a most common malignant cancer in digestive system, and it is prone to develop resistance to the commonly used chemotherapy drugs, leading to local recurrence and metastasis. Paris saponin VII (PSVII) could not only inhibit the proliferation of colon cancer cells but also effectively induce apoptosis of drug-resistant colon cancer cells and reduce the metastasis of drug-resistant colon cancer cells as well. However, PSVII was insoluble in water and fat. It displayed no selective distribution in body and could cause severe hemolysis. Herein, colon cancer targeting calcium phosphate nanoparticles were developed to carry PSVII to treat drug-resistant colon cancer.

RESULTS

PSVII carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion compound was successfully encapsulated in colon cancer targeting calcium phosphate nanoparticles (PSVII@MCP-CaP) by using modified citrus pectin as stabilizer agent and colon cancer cell targeting moiety. PSVII@MCP-CaP significantly reduced the hemolysis of PSVII. Moreover, by specific accumulating in orthotopic drug-resistant colon cancer tissue, PSVII@MCP-CaP markedly inhibited the growth of orthotopic drug-resistant colon cancer in nude mice. PSVII@MCP-CaP promoted the apoptosis of drug-resistant colon cancer cells through mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway. Moreover, PSVII@MCP-CaP significantly inhibited the invasion and migration of drug-resistant colon cancer cells by increasing E-cadherin protein expression and reducing N-cadherin and MMP-9 protein expression.

CONCLUSION

PSVII@MCP-CaP has great potential in the treatment of drug-resistant colon cancer. This study also explores a new method to prepare active targeting calcium phosphate nanoparticles loaded with a fat and water insoluble compound in water.