Smart nanocomposite hydrogels based on azo crosslinked graphene oxide for oral colon-specific drug delivery

Conception of pH-sensitive calcium alginate/poly vinyl alcohol hydrogel beads for controlled oral curcumin delivery systems. Antibacterial and antioxidant properties

Curcumin, a bioactive compound derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, has gained widespread attention for its potential therapeutic properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer effects. However, its poor aqueous solubility, instability and limited bioavailability have hindered its clinical applications. New beads formulations based on sodium alginate biopolymer (SA) and poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) were successfully prepared and evaluated as a potential drug vehicle for extended release of curcumin (Cur). Pristine and curcumin loaded calcium alginate/poly vinyl alcohol beads (CA/PVA and CA/PVA/Cur) at different compositions of SA and PVA were prepared by an ionotropic gelation method of SA followed by two freeze-thawing (FT) cycles for further crosslinking of PVA. Characterization techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Visible spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to confirm the successful microencapsulation of curcumin within the CA/PVA microcapsules. Furthermore, the swelling of pristine beads, pH-sensitive properties and in vitro release studies of curcumin loaded beads were investigated at 37 °C in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) and simulated colonic fluid (SCF). The effect of the polymer blend ratio, the encapsulation efficiency (EE %) of curcumin, the loading capacity (LC μg/mg), the sphericity factor (SF), the antioxidant activity of the elaborated beads and their antimicrobial properties against bacteria and fungi were just as much evaluated. The obtained results indicate that the swelling and the behavior of the developed beads were influenced by the pH of the test medium and the PVA content. The introduction of PVA into the SA matrix greatly enhanced the physicochemical properties, the encapsulation efficiency and the loading capacity of the elaborated microparticles. Results also suggested that the antioxidant activity of the loaded beads (CA/PVA/Cur) showed a higher DPPH radical scavenging activity while the bacterial and fungal strains proved sensitive to the different formulations used in the assay. Moreover, the important drug encapsulation efficiency and the sustainable drug release of these materials make them promising for the development of new drug carrier systems for colon targeting.

Rapidly degradable konjac glucomannan hydrogels cross-linked with olsalazine for colonic drug release

BACKGROUND

Polysaccharide hydrogel is one of the most important materials for the colon target drug release system. However, the degradation time of polysaccharide hydrogel is much longer than the retention time in the colon. The drugs are expelled from the body before being released.

OBJECTIVE

In order to match the degradation of drug carriers and their retention time in the colon, a rapidly degradable konjac glucomannan (KGM) hydrogel was designed for colon target drug release.

METHODS

A crosslinker containing azo bond, olsalazine, was used to prepare the rapidly degradable KGM hydrogel. The degradation and drug release of the hydrogels with different crosslinking densities in the normal buffer and the human fecal medium were studied to evaluate the efficiency of colon drug release.

RESULTS

More than 50% of the KGM hydrogel by weight was degraded and more than 60% of the 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) was released within 48 h in 5% w/v human fecal medium.

CONCLUSION

The drug was released more rapidly in a simulated colon environment than in a normal buffer. Furthermore, the drug release was controlled by the degradation of the hydrogel. The KGM hydrogel containing azo crosslinker has great potential for colon drug release.

Construction Of High Loading Natural Active Substances Nanoplatform and Application in Synergistic Tumor Therapy

Background

Natural bioactive substances have been widely studied for their superior anti-tumor activity and low toxicity. However, natural bioactive substances suffer from poor water-solubility and poor stability in the physiological environment. Therefore, to overcome the drawbacks of natural bioactive substances in tumor therapy, there is an urgent need for an ideal nanocarrier to achieve high bioactive substance loading with low toxicity.

Materials and Methods

Face-centered cubic hollow mesoporous Prussian Blue (HMPB) NPs were prepared by stepwise hydrothermal method. Among them, PVP served as a protective agent and HCl served as an etching agent. Firstly, MPB NPs were obtained by 0.01 M HCl etching. Then, the highly uniform dispersed HMPB NPs were obtained by further etching with 1 M HCl.

Results

In this work, we report a pH-responsive therapeutic nanoplatform based on HMPB NPs. Surprisingly, as-prepared HMPB NPs with ultra-high bioactive substances loading capacity of 329 μg mg⁻¹ owing to the large surface area (131.67 m² g⁻¹) and wide internal pore size distribution (1.8–96.2 nm). Moreover, with the outstanding photothermal conversion efficiency of HMPB NPs (30.13%), natural bioactive substances were released in the tumor microenvironment (TME). HMPB@PC B2 achieved excellent synergistic therapeutic effects of photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy (CT) in vivo and in vitro without causing any extraneous side effects.

Conclusion

A biocompatible HMPB@PC B2 nanoplatform was constructed by simple physical adsorption. The in vitro and in vivo experiment results demonstrated that the synergy of PTT/CT provided excellent therapeutic efficiency for cervical cancer without toxicity. Altogether, as-designed nanomedicines based on natural bioactive substances may be provide a promising strategy for cancer therapy.

Promising Therapeutic Strategies for Colorectal Cancer Treatment Based on Nanomaterials

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a global health problem responsible for 10% of all cancer incidences and 9.4% of all cancer deaths worldwide. The number of new cases increases per annum, whereas the lack of effective therapies highlights the need for novel therapeutic approaches. Conventional treatment methods, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are widely applied in oncology practice. Their therapeutic success is little, and therefore, the search for novel technologies is ongoing. Many efforts have focused recently on the development of safe and efficient cancer nanomedicines. Nanoparticles are among them. They are uniquewith their properties on a nanoscale and hold the potential to exploit intrinsic metabolic differences between cancer and healthy cells. This feature allows them to induce high levels of toxicity in cancer cells with little damage to the surrounding healthy tissues. Graphene oxide is a promising 2D material found to play an important role in cancer treatments through several strategies: direct killing and chemosensitization, drug and gene delivery, and phototherapy. Several new treatment approaches based on nanoparticles, particularly graphene oxide, are currently under research in clinical trials, and some have already been approved. Here, we provide an update on the recent advances in nanomaterials-based CRC-targeted therapy, with special attention to graphene oxide nanomaterials. We summarise the epidemiology, carcinogenesis, stages of the CRCs, and current nanomaterials-based therapeutic approaches for its treatment.

Advances in analysis of pharmaceuticals by using graphene-based sensors

Safe and effective use of drugs relies on proper pharmaceutical analysis. Graphene has been extensively used to construct sensors for this purpose. Over the years, a large variety of pharmaceutical sensors have been developed from graphene or its derivatives. This articles reviews the current status of sensor development from graphene and its derivatives, and discusses the use of graphene-based sensors in pharmaceutical analysis. It is hoped that this article cannot only offer a snapshot of recent advances in the fabrication and use of graphene-based sensors, but can also provide insights into future engineering and optimization of the sensors for effective pharmaceutical analysis.

3D-Printable Oxygen- and Drug-Carrying Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Enhanced Cell Viability

Nanocomposite (NC) hydrogels have been widely studied due to their tunable biochemical/ physical properties for tissue engineering and biomedical applications. Nanoparticles (NPs) that can carry bioactive hydrophilic/hydrophobic molecules and provide sustained release within hydrogels are an ideal all-in-one-platform for local drug delivery applications. Dual delivery of different bioactive molecules is desired to achieve synergetic therapeutic effect in biomedical applications. For example, the co-administration of drug molecules and oxygen (O₂) is an ideal choice to improve cell viability, while reducing the harmful effects of hypoxia. Therefore, we prepared drug-loaded O₂-carrying periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO-PFC) NPs and their 3D-printable hydrogel precursors based on gelatin methacryloyl (GelMa) to fabricate 3D-scaffolds to improve cell-viability under both normoxia (21% O₂) and hypoxia (1% O₂) conditions. We used rutin as the hydrophobic drug molecule to demonstrate that our O₂-carrying PMO-PFC NPs can improve hydrophobic drug loading and their sustained delivery over 7 days, while supporting sustained O₂-delivery for 14 days under hypoxia conditions. Furthermore, the fibroblast cells were interacted with NC hydrogel scaffolds to test their impact on cell-viability under both normoxia and hypoxia conditions. The improved rheological properties suggest the prepared NC hydrogels can be further tested or used as an injectable hydrogel. The improved mechanical properties and 3D printability of NC hydrogels indicate their potential use as artificial tissue constructs.

Use of graphene-based materials as carriers of bioactive agents

Graphene possesses a large specific surface area, a high Young's modulus, high fracture strength, high electrical conductivity, and excellent optical performance. It has been widely studied for biomedical use since its first appearance in the literature. This article offers an overview of the latest advances in the design of graphene-based materials for delivery of bioactive agents. To enhance the translation of these carriers into practical use, the toxicity involved is needed to be examined in future research in more detail. In addition, guidelines for standardizing experimental conditions during the evaluation of the performance of graphene-based materials are required to be established so that candidates showing higher practical potential can be more effectively identified for further development. This can streamline the optimization and use of graphene-based materials in delivery applications.

Exploiting the Metabolism of the Gut Microbiome as a Vehicle for Targeted Drug Delivery to the Colon

The prevalence of colon-associated diseases has increased significantly over the past several decades, as evidenced by accumulated literature on conditions such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, colorectal cancer, and ulcerative colitis. Developing therapeutics for these diseases is challenging due to physiological barriers of the colon, systemic side effects, and the intestinal environment. Therefore, in a search for novel methods to overcome some of these problems, researchers discovered that microbial metabolism by gut microbiotia offers a potential method for targeted drug delivery This overview highlights several drug delivery systems used to modulate the microbiota and improve colon-targeted drug delivery. This technology will be important in developing a new generation of therapies which harness the metabolism of the human gut microflora.

Injectable Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Cancer Therapy

Hydrogel is a kind of 3D polymer network with strong swelling ability in water and appropriate mechanical and biological properties, which make it feasible to maintain bioactive substances and has promising applications in the fields of biomaterials, soft machines, and artificial tissues. Unfortunately, traditional hydrogels prepared by chemical crosslinking have poor mechanical properties and limited functions, which limit their further application. In recent years, with the continuous development of nanoparticle research, more and more studies have combined nanoparticles with hydrogels to make up for the shortcomings of traditional hydrogels. In this article, the types and functions of hydrogels and nanomaterials are introduced first, as well as the functions and applications of injectable nanocomposite hydrogels (INHs), then the latest progress of INHs for cancer treatment is reviewed, some existing problems are summarized, and the application prospect of NHs is prospected.

The influence of the gut microbiota on the bioavailability of oral drugs

Due to its safety, convenience, low cost and good compliance, oral administration attracts lots of attention. However, the efficacy of many oral drugs is limited to their unsatisfactory bioavailability in the gastrointestinal tract. One of the critical and most overlooked factors is the symbiotic gut microbiota that can modulate the bioavailability of oral drugs by participating in the biotransformation of oral drugs, influencing the drug transport process and altering some gastrointestinal properties. In this review, we summarized the existing research investigating the possible relationship between the gut microbiota and the bioavailability of oral drugs, which may provide great ideas and useful instructions for the design of novel drug delivery systems or the achievement of personalized medicine.

Drug Carriers Based on Graphene Oxide and Hydrogel: Opportunities and Challenges in Infection Control Tested by Amoxicillin Release

Graphene oxide (GO) was proposed as an efficient carrier of antibiotics. The model drug, amoxicillin (AMOX), was attached to GO using a peptide linker (Leu-Leu-Gly). GO-AMOX was dispersed in a hydrogel to which the enzyme responsible for releasing AMOX from GO was also added. The drug molecules were released by enzymatic hydrolysis of the peptide bond in the linker. As the selected enzyme, bromelain, a plant enzyme, was used. The antibacterial nature of the carrier was determined by its ability to inhibit the growth of the Enterococcus faecalis strain, which is one of the bacterial species responsible for periodontal and root canal diseases. The prepared carrier contained only biocompatible substances, and the confirmation of its lack of cytotoxicity was verified based on the mouse fibrosarcoma cell line WEHI 164. The proposed type of preparation, as a universal carrier of many different antibiotic molecules, can be considered as a suitable solution in the treatment of inflammation in dentistry.

Nanocomposite sponges for enhancing intestinal residence time following oral administration

In this work, nanocomposites that combine mucopenetrating and mucoadhesive properties in a single system are proposed as innovative strategy to increase drug residence time in the intestine following oral administration. To this aim, novel mucoadhesive chitosan (CH) sponges loaded with mucopenetrating nanoemulsions (NE) were developed via freeze-casting technique. The NE mucopenetration ability was determined studying the surface affinity and thermodynamic binding of the nanosystem with mucins. The ability of nanoparticles to penetrate across a preformed mucins layer was validated by 3D-time laps Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy imaging. Microscopy observations (Scanning Electron Microscopy and Optical Microscopy) showed that NE participated in the structure of the sponge affecting its stability and in vitro release kinetics. When incubated with HCT 116 and Caco-2 cell lines, the NE proved to be cytocompatible over a wide concentration range. Finally, the in vivo biodistribution of the nanocomposite was evaluated after oral gavage in healthy mice. The intestinal retention of NE was highly enhanced when loaded in the sponge compared to the NE suspension. Overall, our results demonstrated that the developed nanocomposite sponge is a promising system for sustained drug intestinal delivery.

Polyvinyl alcohol based-drug delivery systems for cancer treatment

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a biodegradable semicrystalline synthetic polymer that has been used for biomedical applications for several years. In the pharmaceutical area, PVA has been widely used to prepare solid dispersions to improve the solubility of drugs. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that PVA is highly biocompatible and non-toxic in in-vitro and in-vivo studies. Several reports provided in this review suggest a promising strategy for cancer treatment. Thus far, the current therapy includes a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, the effectivity can be limited due to the heterogeneous manifestations of the disease, dose-related toxicity, and side effects. A promising strategy is the implementation of a targeted therapy using hydrogels, microparticles, or nanoparticles (NPs), capable of encapsulating, protecting, transporting, and targeted administration of a therapeutic agent. Considering the relevance of the PVA in conjunction with their copolymers, it has become a promising biodegradable material to build novel functional composites used in the fabrication of hydrogels, microparticles, nanoparticles, and nanocomposites for drug delivery systems in cancer treatment.

New Insights of Oral Colonic Drug Delivery Systems for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Therapy

Colonic Drug Delivery Systems (CDDS) are especially advantageous for local treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Site-targeted drug release allows to obtain a high drug concentration in injured tissues and less systemic adverse effects, as consequence of less/null drug absorption in small intestine. This review focused on the reported contributions in the last four years to improve the effectiveness of treatments of inflammatory bowel diseases. The work concludes that there has been an increase in the development of CDDS in which pH, specific enzymes, reactive oxygen species (ROS), or a combination of all of these triggers the release. These delivery systems demonstrated a therapeutic improvement with fewer adverse effects. Future perspectives to the treatment of this disease include the elucidation of molecular basis of IBD diseases in order to design more specific treatments, and the performance of more in vivo assays to validate the specificity and stability of the obtained systems.

pH-dependent ileocolonic drug delivery, part II: preclinical evaluation of novel drugs and novel excipients

Novel drugs and novel excipients in pH-dependent ileocolonic drug delivery systems have to be tested in animals. Which animal species are suitable and what in vivo methods are used to verify ileocolonic drug delivery?

Curcumin as a Therapeutic Option in Retinal Diseases

The retina is subjected to oxidative stress due to its high vascularization, long time light exposition and a high density of mitochondria. Oxidative stress can lead to pathological processes, like cell apoptosis, angiogenesis and inflammation ending in retinal pathologies. Curcumin, a major bioactive component obtained from the spice turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome has been used for centuries in Asian countries for cooking and for curing all kinds of diseases like dysentery, chest congestion and pain in general, due to its antioxidant effects. Curcumin prevents the formation of reactive oxygen species and so it is a good protective agent. Curcumin has shown also anti-inflammatory, and antitumor properties. Curcumin is a natural product, which can be a therapeutic option in a variety of retinal diseases due to its pleiotropic properties. Some drawbacks are its poor solubility, bioavailability and lack of stability at physiological conditions; which have been shown in curcumin skeptical publications. In this review, we provide some lights and shadows on curcumin administration on the major retinal pathologies.

An oral drug delivery system with programmed drug release and imaging properties for orthotopic colon cancer therapy

Oral drug delivery systems (ODDSs) have attracted considerable attention in relation to orthotopic colon cancer therapy due to certain popular advantages. Unfortunately, their clinical applications are generally limited by the side-effects caused by systemic drug exposure and poor real-time monitoring capabilities. Inspired by the characteristics of pH changes of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and specific enzymes secreted by the colonic microflora, we anchored polyacrylic acid (PAA) and chitosan (CS) on Gd3+-doped mesoporous hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (Gd-MHAp NPs) to realize programmed drug release and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the tumor sites. In particular, the grafted PAA, as a pH-responsive switch, could effect controlled drug release in the colon. Further, CS is functionalized as the enzyme-sensitive moiety, which could be degraded by β-glycosidase in the colon. Gadolinium is a paramagnetic lanthanide element used in chelates, working as a contrast medium agent for an MRI system. Interestingly, after oral administration, CS and PAA could protect the drug-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) against variable physiological conditions in the GIT, allowing the drug to reach the colon tumor sites, preventing premature drug release. Enhanced drug concentrations at the colon tumor sites were achieved via this programmed drug release, which subsequently ameliorated the therapeutic effect. In addition, encapsulating both chemotherapeutic (5-fluorouracil, 5-FU) and targeted therapy drug (gefitinib, Gef) within Gd-MHAp NPs produced a synergistic therapeutic effect. In summary, this study demonstrated that such a novel drug system (Gd-MHAp/5-FU/Gef/CS/PAA NPs) could protect, transport, and program drug release locally within the colonic environment; further, this system exhibited a worthwhile therapeutic effect, providing a promising novel treatment strategy for orthotopic colon cancer.

Tailoring drug release rates in hydrogel-based therapeutic delivery applications using graphene oxide

Graphene oxide (GO) is increasingly used for controlling mass diffusion in hydrogel-based drug delivery applications. On the macro-scale, the density of GO in the hydrogel is a critical parameter for modulating drug release. Here, we investigate the diffusion of a peptide drug through a network of GO membranes and GO-embedded hydrogels, modelled as porous matrices resembling both laminated and ‘house of cards’ structures. Our experiments use a therapeutic peptide and show a tunable nonlinear dependence of the peptide concentration upon time. We establish models using numerical simulations with a diffusion equation accounting for the photo-thermal degradation of fluorophores and an effective percolation model to simulate the experimental data. The modelling yields an interpretation of the control of drug diffusion through GO membranes, which is extended to the diffusion of the peptide in GO-embedded agarose hydrogels. Varying the density of micron-sized GO flakes allows for fine control of the drug diffusion. We further show that both GO density and size influence the drug release rate. The ability to tune the density of hydrogel-like GO membranes to control drug release rates has exciting implications to offer guidelines for tailoring drug release rates in hydrogel-based therapeutic delivery applications.

In Vitro Methods to Study Colon Release: State of the Art and An Outlook on New Strategies for Better In-Vitro Biorelevant Release Media

The primary focus of this review is a discussion regarding in vitro media for colon release, but we also give a brief overview of colon delivery and the colon microbiota as a baseline for this discussion. The large intestine is colonized by a vast number of bacteria, approximately 1012 per gram of intestinal content. The microbial community in the colon is complex and there is still much that is unknown about its composition and the activity of the microbiome. However, it is evident that this complex microbiota will affect the release from oral formulations targeting the colon. This includes the release of active drug substances, food supplements, and live microorganisms, such as probiotic bacteria and bacteria used for microbiota transplantations. Currently, there are no standardized colon release media, but researchers employ in vitro models representing the colon ranging from reasonable simple systems with adjusted pH with or without key enzymes to the use of fecal samples. In this review, we present the pros and cons for different existing in vitro models. Furthermore, we summarize the current knowledge of the colonic microbiota composition which is of importance to the fermentation capacity of carbohydrates and suggest a strategy to choose bacteria for a new more standardized in vitro dissolution medium for the colon.

Comprehensive Application of Graphene: Emphasis on Biomedical Concerns

Graphene, sp² hybridized carbon framework of one atom thickness, is reputed as the strongest material to date. It has marked its impact in manifold applications including electronics, sensors, composites, and catalysis. Current state-of-the-art graphene research revolves around its biomedical applications. The two-dimensional (2D) planar structure of graphene provides a large surface area for loading drugs/biomolecules and the possibility of conjugating fluorescent dyes for bioimaging. The high near-infrared absorbance makes graphene ideal for photothermal therapy. Henceforth, graphene turns out to be a reliable multifunctional material for use in diagnosis and treatment. It exhibits antibacterial property by directly interacting with the cell membrane. Potential application of graphene as a scaffold for the attachment and proliferation of stem cells and neuronal cells is captivating in a tissue regeneration scenario. Fabrication of 2D graphene into a 3D structure is made possible with the help of 3D printing, a revolutionary technology having promising applications in tissue and organ engineering. However, apart from its advantageous application scope, use of graphene raises toxicity concerns. Several reports have confirmed the potential toxicity of graphene and its derivatives, and the inconsistency may be due to the lack of standardized consensus protocols. The present review focuses on the hidden facts of graphene and its biomedical application, with special emphasis on drug delivery, biosensing, bioimaging, antibacterial, tissue engineering, and 3D printing applications.

Stimuli-responsive graphene-incorporated multifunctional chitosan for drug delivery applications: a review

INTRODUCTION

Recently, the use of chitosan (CS) in the drug delivery has reached an acceptable maturity. Graphene-based drug delivery is also increasing rapidly due to its unique physical, mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties. Therefore, the combination of CS and graphene can provide a promising carrier for the loading and controlled release of therapeutic agents.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, we will outline the advantages of this new drug delivery system (DDS) in association with CS and graphene alone and will list the various forms of these carriers, which have been studied in recent years as DDSs. Finally, we will discuss the application of this hybrid composite in other fields.

EXPERT OPINION

The introducing the GO amends the mechanical characteristics of CS, which is a major problem in the use of CS-based carriers in drug delivery due to burst release in a CS-based controlled release system through the poor mechanical strength of CS. Many related research on this area are still not fully unstated and occasionally they seem inconsistent in spite of the intent to be complementary. Therefore, a sensitive review may be needed to understand the role of graphene in CS/graphene carriers for future drug delivery applications.

Raman spectral post-processing for oral tissue discrimination - a step for an automatized diagnostic system

Most oral injuries are diagnosed by histopathological analysis of a biopsy, which is an invasive procedure and does not give immediate results. On the other hand, Raman spectroscopy is a real time and minimally invasive analytical tool with potential for the diagnosis of diseases. The potential for diagnostics can be improved by data post-processing. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the performance of preprocessing steps and multivariate analysis methods for the classification of normal tissues and pathological oral lesion spectra. A total of 80 spectra acquired from normal and abnormal tissues using optical fiber Raman-based spectroscopy (OFRS) were subjected to PCA preprocessing in the z-scored data set, and the KNN (K-nearest neighbors), J48 (unpruned C4.5 decision tree), RBF (radial basis function), RF (random forest), and MLP (multilayer perceptron) classifiers at WEKA software (Waikato environment for knowledge analysis), after area normalization or maximum intensity normalization. Our results suggest the best classification was achieved by using maximum intensity normalization followed by MLP. Based on these results, software for automated analysis can be generated and validated using larger data sets. This would aid quick comprehension of spectroscopic data and easy diagnosis by medical practitioners in clinical settings.

In vitro polyphenol effects on apoptosis: An update of literature data

Polyphenols are secondary plant metabolites which have been studied extensively for their health-promoting properties, and which could also exert pharmacological activities ranging from anti-inflammatory effects, to cytotoxic activity against cancer cells. The main mechanism for programmed cell death is represented by apoptosis, and its dysregulation is involved in the etiopathology of cancer. As such, substances able to induce apoptosis in cancer cells could be used as new anticancer agents. The aim of this paper is to review literature data on the apoptotic effects of polyphenols and the molecular mechanisms through which they induce these effects in cancer cells. In addition, a brief summary of the new delivery forms used to increase the bioavailability, and clinical impact of polyphenols is provided. The studies reported show that many polyphenol rich plant extracts, originating from food and herbal medicine, as well as isolated polyphenols administered individually or in combination, can regulate cell apoptosis primarily through intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms of action in in vitro conditions. Due to these promising results, the use of polyphenols in the treatment of cancer should therefore be deeply investigated. In particular, because of the low number of clinical trials, further studies are required to evaluate the anticancer activity of polyphenols in in vivo conditions.

Graphene oxide-based silsesquioxane-crosslinked networks – synthesis and rheological behavior

Click reaction between octa(3-azidopropyl)polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS–(N₃)₈) and heavily alkyne-decorated graphene oxide (GO) has led to crosslinking POSS with GO.

Functional biomedical hydrogels for in vivo imaging

In vivo imaging of biomedical hydrogels enables real-time and non-invasive visualization of the status of structure and function of hydrogels.