Titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanostructures are one of the most plentiful compounds that have emerged in various fields of technology such as medicine, energy and biosensing. Various TiO 2 nanostructures (nanotubes [NTs] and nanowires) have been employed in photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing applications, greatly enhancing the detection of targets. TiO 2 nanostructures, used as reinforced material or coatings for the bare surface of titanium implants, are excellent additive materials to compensate titanium implants deficiencies-like poor surface interaction with surrounding tissues-by providing nanoporous surfaces and hierarchical structures. These nanostructures can also be loaded by diversified drugs-like osteoporosis drugs, anticancer and antibiotics-and used as local drug delivery systems. Furthermore, TiO 2 nanostructures and their derivatives are new emerging antimicrobial agents to overcome human pathogenic microorganisms. However, like all other nanomaterials, toxicity and biocompatibility of TiO 2 nanostructures must be considered. This review highlights recent advances, along with the properties and numerous applications of TiO 2-based nanostructure compounds in nano biosensing, medical implants, drug delivery and antibacterial fields. Moreover, in the present study, some recent advances accomplished on the pharmaceutical applications of TiO 2 nanostructures, as well as its toxicity and biocompatibility, are presented.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), produced and emitted through the metabolism of cancer cells or the body’s immune system, are considered novel cancer biomarkers for diagnostic purposes. Of late, a large number of work has been done to find a relationship between VOCs’ signature of body and cancer. Cancer-related VOCs can be used to detect several types of cancers at the earlier stages which in turn provide a significantly higher chance of survival. Here we aim to provide an updated picture of cancer-related VOCs based on recent findings in this field focusing on cancer odor database.

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Probiotics are microorganisms that have beneficial health effects when administered in adequate dosages. The oral administration of probiotic bacteria is widely considered beneficial for both intestinal as well as systemic...

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Selective and sensitive detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is of great importance in applications involving monitoring of hazardous chemicals or non-invasive diagnosis. Here, polymethyl methacrylate nanoparticles with acetone recognition sites are synthesized and integrated into a 3D-printed microfluidic platform to enhance the selectivity of the device. The proposed microfluidic-based olfaction system includes two parylene C-coated microchannels, with or without polymer nanoparticles. The two channels are exposed to 200, 400, 800, 2000, and 4000 ppm of VOCs (methanol, ethanol, acetone, acetonitrile, butanone, and toluene), and sensor responses are compared using a 2D feature extraction method. Compared to current microfluidic-based olfaction systems, responses observed between coated and uncoated channels showed an increased recognition capability among VOCs (especially with respect to acetone), indicating the potential of this approach to increase and fine-tune the selectivity of microfluidic gas sensors.