Because of its high biocompatibility, bio-degradability, low-cost and easy availability, cellulose finds application in disparate areas of research. Here we focus our attention on the most recent and attractive potential applications of cellulose in the biomedical field. We first describe the chemical/structural composition of cellulose fibers, the cellulose sources/features and cellulose chemical modifications employed to improve its properties. We then move to the description of cellulose potential applications in biomedicine. In this field, cellulose is most considered in recent research in the form of nano-sized particle, i.e., nanofiber cellulose (NFC) or cellulose nanocrystal (CNC). NFC is obtained from cellulose via chemical and mechanical methods. CNC can be obtained from macroscopic or microscopic forms of cellulose following strong acid hydrolysis. NFC and CNC are used for several reasons including the mechanical properties, the extended surface area and the low toxicity. Here we present some potential applications of nano-sized cellulose in the fields of wound healing, bone-cartilage regeneration, dental application and different human diseases including cancer. To witness the close proximity of nano-sized cellulose to the practical biomedical use, examples of recent clinical trials are also reported. Altogether, the described examples strongly support the enormous application potential of nano-sized cellulose in the biomedical field.

The focus of this paper is on the theoretical interpretation of Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (LF-NMR) data regarding hydrogels architecture and on the most interesting applications of LF-NMR

hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) is the predominant form of primary liver cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. available therapies for hcc have limited efficacy due to often late diagnosis and the general resistance of hcc to anti-cancer agents; therefore, the development of novel therapeutics is urgently required. small-interfering rna (sirna) molecules are short, double-stranded rnas that specifically recognize and bind the mrna of a target gene to inhibit gene expression. despite the great therapeutic potential of sirnas towards many human tumors including hcc, their use is limited by suboptimal delivery. Areas covered: In this review, we outline the current data regarding the therapeutic potential of siRNAs in HCC and describe the development of effective siRNA delivery systems. We detail the key problems associated with siRNA delivery and discuss the possible solutions. Finally, we provide examples of the various siRNA delivery strategies that have been employed in animal models of HCC and in human patients enrolled in clinical trials. Expert opinion: Despite the existing difficulties in siRNA delivery for HCC, the increasing scientific attention and breakthrough studies in this field is facilitating the design of novel and efficient technical solutions that may soon find practical applications.

This paper focuses on a thermodynamic model\ud built to predict the reduction of organic drug melting\ud temperature and enthalpy with nanocrystal size decrease.\ud Indeed, this valuable information enables us to evaluate the\ud increase of drug solubility, an aspect of paramount importance\ud for poorly water-soluble organic drugs since a solubility\ud increase is reflected in a bioavailability enhancement. In\ud particular, the model considers the effect of nanocrystals shape\ud (spherical, cylindrical, and parallelepiped-shaped) and morphology\ud (from platelet to needle nanocrystals) on the melting\ud temperature and enthalpy reduction with crystal size decrease.\ud Nimesulide, a typical nonsteroidal and poorly water-soluble\ud drug with anti-inflammatory action, has been chosen as a\ud model drug to test model reliability. Model outcomes suggest that the reduction of melting temperature and enthalpy mainly\ud depends on the ratio between crystals surface area and volume, i.e., on the ratio between the number of surface and bulk\ud molecules constituting the nanocrystal network. The obtained prediction of solubility enhancement and the successful\ud comparison with the outcomes obtained from a molecular dynamics approach, in terms of melting temperature and enthalpy\ud decrease, have confirmed the reliability of the proposed mode

siRNAs are very potent drug molecules, able to silence genes involved in pathologies development. siRNAs have virtually an unlimited therapeutic potential, particularly for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. However, their use in clinical practice is limited because of their unfavorable properties to interact and not to degrade in physiological environments. In particular they are large macromolecules, negatively charged, which undergo rapid degradation by plasmatic enzymes, are subject to fast renal clearance/hepatic sequestration, and can hardly cross cellular membranes. These aspects seriously impair siRNAs as therapeutics. As in all the other fields of science, siRNAs management can be advantaged by physical-mathematical descriptions (modeling) in order to clarify the involved phenomena from the preparative step of dosage systems to the description of drug-body interactions, which allows improving the design of delivery systems/processes/therapies. This review analyzes a few mathematical modeling approaches currently adopted to describe the siRNAs delivery, the main procedures in siRNAs vectors' production processes and siRNAs vectors' release from hydrogels, and the modeling of pharmacokinetics of siRNAs vectors. Furthermore, the use of physical models to study the siRNAs vectors' fate in blood stream and in the tissues is presented. The general view depicts a framework maybe not yet usable in therapeutics, but with promising possibilities for forthcoming applications.