Novel non-mulberry silk fibroin nanoparticles with enhanced activity as potential candidate in nanocarrier mediated delivery system

Silk fibroin (SF) is well known for its excellent biocompatible properties facilitating its application in the field of biomedical engineering through different biomaterial fabrications in the recent era. Here in this study, novel nanoparticles from non-mulberry SF of Antheraea assamensis were fabricated, characterized and evaluated for its applicability as nanocarrier. Fabricated nanoparticles were initially compared with prevailing SF nanoparticles from Bombyx mori. Fabricated A. assamensis silk fibroin nanoparticles (AA-SFNps) were found to be lesser in size (80–300 nm in diameter) than B. mori silk fibroin nanoparticles (BM-SFNps) (120–500 nm in diameter). When checked for stability, AA-SFNps were found to be more stable than BM-SFNps in biological media. FTIR and XRD studies revealed persistence of structural properties even after fabrication. TGA and DSC studies showed AA-SFNps to be thermally more stable than BM-SFNps without any cytotoxicity (MTT assay). On loading with model drug Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX), AA-SFNps exhibited an encapsulation efficiency of 94.47% with 11.81% loading of the anticancer drug. Cumulative release study revealed highest percentage release of DOX (42.1 ± 0.4%) at pH 5.2 on day 7 in comparison to pH 7.4 and 8.0. Sustained release profile of the DOX loaded AA-SFNps (AA-SFNps-DOX) was clearly reflected and it was found to be highly cytotoxic against triple negative MDA-MB-231 cells in comparison to free DOX at different time points. Overall, this study showed the efficacy of the AA-SFNps as a nanocarrier for future drug delivery applications.

Novel Antheraea assamensis silk fibroin nanoparticles (AA-SFNps) exhibiting enhanced activity as doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) loaded nanocarriers for future drug delivery applications.     

A heavy metal baseline score predicts outcome in acute myeloid leukemia

Despite abundant epidemiological data linking metals to leukemia and other cancers, baseline values of toxic and essential metals in patients with leukemia and the clinical impact of these metals remain unknown. Thus, we sought to quantify metal values in untreated patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and controls and determine the impact of metal values on AML patients' survival. Serum samples from patients with untreated AML and controls at Hospices Civils de Lyon were analyzed and compared for trace metals and copper isotopic abundance ratios with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Survival analysis was performed as a function of metal values, and a multi-metal score was developed for patients with AML. Serum samples were collected from 67 patients with untreated AML and 94 controls. Most patients had intermediate-risk cytogenetics (63.1%) without FLT3 internal tandem duplication mutations (75.6%) or NPM1 mutations (68.1%). Most metal values differed significantly between AML and control groups. Patients with lower magnesium and higher cadmium values had the worst survival rates, with only 36% surviving at 6 months (P = .001). The adverse prognostic effect of this combination was maintained on multivariate analysis. Based on this, we developed a novel metal score, which accounts for multiple relative abnormalities in the values of five toxic and five essential metals. Patients with a higher metal score had significantly worse survival, which was maintained on multivariate analysis (P = .03). This baseline metal scoring system was also prognostic when we applied it to a separate population of front-line AML patients.     

Ethics of iPSC-Based Clinical Research for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Patient-Centered Risk-Benefit Analysis

The opportunity to undergo an induced pluripotent stem cell-based autologous transplant can strike patients as a chance for a cure from a debilitating condition with few options for respite. However, when clinical studies of this caliber present themselves, patients and researchers, each with their own set of motives, may find it difficult to take a balanced approach to evaluating them. We present a patient-centered risk-benefit analysis of the iPSC-based clinical research currently underway in Japan, including a survey of in vitro and in vivo tests that support this project, an in-depth discussion of risks, and further elucidation of considerations patients may wish to consider. The arguments presented will assist patients in undertaking a more informed decision-making process.