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Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease worldwide and a leading cause of disability. Characterized by degradation of articular cartilage, synovial inflammation, and changes in periarticular and subchondral bone, OA can negatively impact an individual's physical and mental well-being. Recent studies have reported several critical signaling pathways as key regulators and activators of cellular and molecular processes during OA development. Wnt signaling is one such pathway whose signaling molecules and regulators were shown to be abnormally activated or suppressed. As such, agonists and antagonists of those molecules are potential candidates for OA treatment. Notably, a recent phase I clinical trial (NCT02095548) demonstrated the potential of SM04690, a small-molecule inhibitor of the Wnt signaling pathway, as a disease-modifying oseoarthritis drug (DMOAD). This review summarizes the role and mechanism of Wnt signaling and related molecules in regulating OA progression, with a view to accelerating the translation of such evidence into the development of strategies for OA treatment, particularly with respect to potential applications of molecules targeting the Wnt signaling pathway.

Comparative studies have been carried out among solid-state chitosan soliquoid, chitosan acetic acid physiological saline solution, and carboxymethyl chitosan physiological saline solution to discover the hemostatic effect of molecular weight (M(w)) and deacetylation degree (DA) of chitosan. It was found that solid-state chitosan and chitosan acetic acid physiological saline solution performed different hemostatic mechanisms. When blood mixed with chitosan acetic acid physiological saline solution, the erythrocytes aggregated and were deformed. The DA, especially a low DA, in the chitosan acetic acid physiological saline solution, had a significant effect on the unusual aggregation and deformation of erythrocytes, compared with the effect of M(w) within a range between 10(5) and 10(6). However, this phenomenon could not be observed in solid-state chitosan soliquoid. Solid-state chitosan with a low DA absorbed more platelets and was more hemostatic. Carboxymethyl chitosan physiological saline solution had nothing to do with the aggregation and deformation of erythrocytes but caused local rouleau. The values of thrombin time (TT), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and fibrinogen concentration (FIB) were measured after the blood was mixed with solid-state chitosan soliquoid, chitosan acetic acid physiological saline solution, and carboxymethyl chitosan physiological saline solution, separately. The results demonstrated that coagulation factors might not be activated by them.

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This study investigated the characteristics and drug release properties of membranes of chitosan and alginate prepared via a casting/solvent evaporation technique. Membranes of chitosan and alginate with silver sulfadiazine as model drug incorporated in different concentrations and different membrane compositions were obtained. The polyblend solution viscosity reached to the highest at the composition polyblends of (1:1). This chitosan/alginate membranes showed pH- and ionic strength-dependent water uptake properties and had the WVTR rang from 442 to 618 g/m(2)/day. The maximum value of the dry membrane of breaking strength was 52.16 MPa and the maximum value of the wet membrane breaking elongation was 46.28%. The results of controlled release studies showed that the silver sulfadiazine release rate was the fastest when the alginate content was 50%. On the basis of the requisite physical properties, the chitosan-alginate PEC membrane can be considered for potential wound dressing or controlled release application.

Carbon dots (CDs) with quantum yield up to 83% have been synthesized with a Mg/N double doping fluorescence-enhanced strategy. Besides N-mediated surface passivation by ethylenediamine, the Mgcitric acid chelate played the roles of introducing Mg and preserving the carboxyl group, both greatly contributing to the photoluminescence enhancement of the final CDs. Importantly, the N-and Mgdoping functioned in concert without mutual influence.