A study on the bio-applicability of aqueous-dispersed van der Waals 1-D material Nb2Se9 using poloxamer

The effect of deoxycholic acid-based hydrogels on hepatic, muscle and pancreatic beta cells

Aim: The aim of this study is to test the biocompatibility of hydrogels with polysaccharides and bile acids on three murine cell lines. Materials & methods: Novel hydrogels containing poloxamer 407, polysaccharides (starch, pectin, acacia, carboxymethyl and methyl 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose) and deoxycholic acid were prepared using cold method, sterilized and used in biological assays to determine effects on hepatic, muscle, and pancreatic beta cells. Results and conclusion: Hydrogels with deoxycholic acid had tissue-depending effects on cellular survival and bioenergetics, resulting in the best cellular viability and bioenergetics within pancreatic beta cells. Further research is needed as proposed hydrogels may be beneficial for cell delivery systems of pancreatic beta cells.

Bioessential Inorganic Molecular Wire-Reinforced 3D-Printed Hydrogel Scaffold for Enhanced Bone Regeneration

Materials with physicochemical properties and biological activities similar to those of the natural extracellular matrix are in high demand in tissue engineering. In particular, Mo₃ Se₃ ^- inorganic molecular wire (IMW) is a promising material composed of bioessential minerals and possess nanometer-scale diameters, negatively charged surfaces, physical flexibility, and nanotopography characteristics, which are essential for interactions with cell membrane proteins. Here, an implantable 3D Mo₃ Se₃ ^- IMW enhanced gelatin-GMA/silk-GMA hydrogel (IMW-GS hydrogel) is developed for osteogenesis and bone formation, followed by biological evaluations. The mechanical properties of the 3D printed IMW-GS hydrogel are improved by noncovalent interactions between the Mo₃ Se₃ ^- IMWs and the positively charged residues of the gelatin molecules. Long-term biocompatibility with primary human osteoblast cells (HOBs) is confirmed using the IMW-GS hydrogel. The proliferation, osteogenic gene expression, collagen accumulation, and mineralization of HOBs improve remarkably with the IMW-GS hydrogel. In in vivo evaluations, the IMW-GS hydrogel implantation exhibits a significantly improved new bone regeneration of 87.8 ± 5.9% (p < 0.05) for 8 weeks, which is higher than that from the gelatin-GMA/silk-GMA hydrogel without Mo₃ Se₃ ^- IMW. These results support a new improved strategy with in vitro and in vivo performance of 3D IMW enhanced scaffolds in tissue engineering.

In silico and experimental validation of a new modified arginine-rich cell penetrating peptide for plasmid DNA delivery

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) attracted great attention because of the capability to deliver various types of cargo molecules across into the cells. In this study, we presented a new arginine rich CPP, named MR, for efficient transporting plasmid DNA. We used a combined bioinformatic-based approach to improve the speed and accuracy of CPP evaluation. MR protein properties, structural models, interaction with DNA, as well as cell localization and membrane interaction were evaluated through multiple servers. Importantly, analysis using different algorithms showed the high CPP prediction confidence of MR. Experimental results also revealed the capacity of this gene delivery system in vitro for efficient plasmid DNA transfection. Additionally, in vitro mechanistically studies together with bioinformatic investigation suggested that MR peptide may internalize into the cell through endocytosis pathways. Moreover, in silico safety analysis such as immunogenicity, allergenicity, toxicity, and hemolysis activity as well as MTT assay also confirmed the safety of MR peptide. This study illustrated that MR peptide could be presented as remarkable potential gene delivery system for promising transport of plasmid DNA towards the therapeutic applications.

Theoretical Study of Anisotropic Carrier Mobility for Two-Dimensional Nb2Se9 Material

Finding new materials with satisfying all the desired criteria for nanodevices is an extremely difficult work. Here, we introduce a novel Nb2Se9 material as a promising candidate, capable of overcoming some physical limitations, such as a suitable band gap, high carrier mobility, and chemical stability. Unlike graphene, it has a noticeable band gap and no dangling bonds at surfaces that deteriorate transport properties, owing to its molecular chain structure. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations with deformation potential (DP) theory, we find that the electron mobility of 2D Nb2Se9 across the axis direction reaches up to 2.56 × 103 cm2 V-1 s-1 and is approximately 2.5-6 times higher than the mobility of other 2D materials, such as MoS2, black phosphorous, and InSe, at room temperature. Moreover, the mobility of 2D Nb2Se9 is highly anisotropic (μ a /μ c ≈ 6.5). We demonstrate the potential of 2D Nb2Se9 for applications in nanoscale electronic devices and, possibly, mid-infrared photodetectors.