Biomedical Technology最新文献

Recently, scientists at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea constructed a smart theranostic contact lens. The highly integrated smart contact lens is composed of an intraocular pressure (IOP) biosensor, a drug delivery system (DDS), a wireless communication system, as well as a circuit chip for IOP regulation. This design provides a new opportunity for wearable medical treatment in the individualized treatment of glaucoma and other ocular diseases.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs and tissues. However, only a handful of new drugs have been FDA-approved for SLE since the 1950s. Therefore, novel treatments for SLE are urgently needed to be developed. In recent years, various engineering technologies such as tissue engineering, organs-on-chips, and intelligent delivery systems have been rapidly developed in the field of biomedicine. Notably, engineered nanocarriers and cell-based therapies can address the problems faced by traditional drug delivery and cell transplantation. They have proven effective in the treatment of many areas of disease, including autoimmune diseases. This is an important opportunity to break through the limited treatment options for SLE. In this review, we summarize the application progresses of engineering technologies and also propose their challenges in SLE treatment. This paper aims to help readers to understand the perspective of engineering technologies on the direction of SLE treatments in forthcoming years.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a severely spreading pandemic, has dramatically brought physiological and economical burdens to people. Although the injectable vaccines have some achievements for coronavirus defense, they still generate accompanied pain, untoward reaction and cannot take part in mucosal immunity. Inhalable vaccines, as a safe, facile and efficient strategy, have been presented to protect body from virus by inducing robust mucosal immunity. Here, we give a perspective of an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine composed of lung-derived exosomes (a type of virus-like particle) conjugated with viral receptor-binding domain. The lung-derived exosomes act as carriers, such inhalable particles successfully reach at lung and reveal wider distribution and longer retention on respiratory mucosa. In addition, such vaccines induce the high production of specific antibodies and T cells in lung, significantly protecting host against coronavirus invasion. It is conceived that inhalable virus-like particles with long-term stability wound open a new avenue for vaccines delivery and further achieve vaccine popularization to against with COVID-19 pandemic.

Therapeutic DNAzymes with RNA depleting effect are multifunctional building blocks for constructing biological materials. In a recent work published in Nature Chemistry, Holliger group and Chaput group had a wonderful debate base on previously reported approach for tailoring DNAzymes with high mRNA cleavage activity in mammalian cells. Their perspective pushes the catalytic mechanism investigation of DNAzymes to a new stage with more standardization and clarity.

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are an emerging class of carbon-based nanomaterials. CQDs are receiving considerable interest in biomedical applications due to their low toxicity, stability profile, efficient surface tailorability, aqueous solubility, diverse functionality, biocompatibility, and size-tunable emission when compared to other conventional carbon quantum dots (CDs) of group II, III, IV & V. Improved photodynamic treatment, photosensitization, bioimaging, targeted drug delivery, fluorescent marker for disease-detection, cell tracking, and biosensors are made possible by the presence of diverse functional groups on the surface of CQDs, such as thiol, carboxyl, hydroxyl, etc. This article gives thorough understanding of CQDs for drug delivery applications by describing their origin and rationale. In addition, the in-vivo characteristics of CQDs are also examined in an initiative to strengthen the argument for CQDs as powerful drug delivery vehicles.

Digital Twin is a virtual replica of an item that is gaining traction in several sectors. This technology is creating significant advancements in the field of healthcare. A machine or a person's digital twin is a virtual replica of that entity. In order to create a digital model that can be tested and simulated, one has to gather enormous volumes of data through Internet of Things (IoT) sensors for the associated application. Based on the patient's lifestyle, regular eating habits, and blood sugar data, this technology helps to warn the patient about prescriptions, dietary adjustments, medical consultations, and other situations. Digital Twin uses a substantial quantity of data from multiple IoT devices and uses Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered models. Patients' own Digital Twin uses previous data insights to help select the most appropriate medication, forecast the results of a particular surgery, and control chronic illness. The main aim of this paper is to study Digital Twin and its need for the healthcare sector. This Paper discusses various features and services of Digital Twin for Healthcare. Various technologies and tools of Digital Twins for Healthcare are also briefed and further identified and discussed, along with significant applications. The healthcare sector has realised to create a framework focused on the patient. In the future, healthcare should think about more advanced ways to provide best-in-class treatment to the patient. Planning for the post-digital era is crucial as healthcare organisations continue their digital transformation initiatives.

Ultrasound (US)-responsive microparticles show broad potential in controlled drug delivery systems. Compare with the traditional micron-scale material fabrication methods, capillary microfluidic technology features superior advantages in large-scale production, batch-to-batch similarity, high encapsulation efficiency, low cost, and so on. The excellent maneuverability and customizability of the capillary microfluidic devices allow the production of microparticles with various functionalities and fine-tuned chemical compartments. Moreover, the flexible regulation of the particle size and core-shell ratio can be easily realized by modulating the capillary orifices and flow rates of microfluidic channels. In this review, we introduce the fabrication of US-responsive microparticles with specific core-shell structures via capillary microfluidic methods, from single emulsion to triple emulsions. Then, we address some particular examples, where the drug delivery and US-triggered cargo release capacity of these microfluidic microparticles are demonstrated. Finally, we conclude the advanced achievements of the US-responsive microfluidic microparticles, summarize the obstacles to the development of this interdisciplinary field, and prospect their future applications.

Biomedical engineering is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering & technology that combines biomedical sciences with engineering principles. This discipline covers broad areas where biomedical engineers are involved in the fields of medicine, regenerative medicine & associated areas and in developing better products and services. Biomedical engineering offers software for simulation, 3D motion-catching and printing technologies for computer modelling and engineering. The discipline of biomedical engineering is a fast-moving, cross-disciplinary field covering medicine, biology, chemistry, engineering, nanotechnology and informatics. Innovative medical gadgets, vaccinations, disease control products, robotics, and algorithms that enhance human health worldwide are being developed by bioengineers. Living tissues are formed of bioactive cells and stored in regulated circumstances on biodegradable scaffolds. The use of biomedical engineering concepts is to address issues with healthcare. Biomedical engineers create medical tools and procedures that enhance people's health by combining their understanding of engineering, virology, and healthcare. Blood glucose monitoring, pacemakers, and prosthetic limbs are examples of biomedical equipment. The main purpose of this paper is to study Biomedical Engineering and its need in healthcare. The paper discusses various innovations and research aspects of Biomedical Engineering in the healthcare domain. The paper further identified and discussed significant applications of Biomedical engineering for healthcare. Biomedical engineering is a fascinating field of life science that can change healthcare and open the door to new technologies in prostheses, operating equipment, diagnoses, imaging and more. The multidisciplinary area of biomedical technology provides better possibilities for biological research and engineering and changes how we interact with the world.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rapidly progressing cancer and the main reason for cancer-related deaths. There are numerous risk factors for HCC, of which hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is recognized as a high risk. HBV infection is accompanied by gene integration, and the liver has undergone the process of continuous and repeated damage and repair. However, predictive factors of HBV-related HCC are still limited, and the prognostic regulatory genes have not been fully elucidated. This study aims to use bioinformatics analysis to search potential prognostic genes of HBV-related HCC. Based on the full utilization of the GEO database, we screened out prognostic-related genes by performing systematic Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The differences of the transcriptional information and protein expression were verified in the TCGA and HPA databases respectively, and the clinical characteristics of the screened genes were described by the boxplot. Five prognostic-related genes we screened, including CDK1, MAD2L1, SPP1, TYMS, and CCNA2, are strongly linked with poor prognosis in HBV-related HCC. The five prognostic-related genes have realistic clinical significance and potential as prognostic markers, and may provide new directions for basic research and clinical diagnosis.