Here, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based approach was employed to optimize the production of electrospun scaffolds for in vivo wound healing applications. By combining polycaprolactone (PCL) and ...poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) in various concentration ratios, dissolved in chloroform (CHCl3) and dimethylformamide (DMF), 125 different polymer combinations were created. From these polymer combinations, electrospun nanofiber meshes were produced and characterized structurally and mechanically via microscopic techniques, including chemical composition and fiber diameter determination. Subsequently, these data were used to train a neural network, creating an AI model to predict the optimal scaffold production solution. Guided by the predictions and experimental outcomes of the AI model, the most promising scaffold for further in vitro analyses was identified. Moreover, we enriched this selected polymer combination by incorporating antibiotics, aiming to develop electrospun nanofiber scaffolds tailored for in vivo wound healing applications. Our study underscores three noteworthy conclusions: (i) the application of AI is pivotal in the fields of material and biomedical sciences, (ii) our methodology provides an effective blueprint for the initial screening of biomedical materials, and (iii) electrospun PCL/PEG antibiotic-bearing scaffolds exhibit outstanding results in promoting neoangiogenesis and facilitating in vivo wound treatment.
(1) Background: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of cells in a tumor that can self-regenerate and produce different types of cells with the ability to initiate tumor growth and ...dissemination. Chemotherapy resistance, caused by numerous mechanisms by which tumor tissue manages to overcome the effects of drugs, remains the main problem in cancer treatment. The identification of markers on the cell surface specific to CSCs is important for understanding this phenomenon. (2) Methods: The expression of markers CD24, CD44, ALDH1, and ABCG2 was analyzed on the surface of CSCs in two cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and HCT-116, after treatment with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) using flow cytometry analysis. A machine learning model (ML)-genetic algorithm (GA) was used for the in silico simulation of drug resistance. (3) Results: As evaluated through the use of flow cytometry, the percentage of CD24-CD44+ MDA-MB-231 and CD44, ALDH1 and ABCG2 HCT-116 in a group treated with 5-FU was significantly increased compared to untreated cells. The CSC population was enriched after treatment with chemotherapy, suggesting that these cells have enhanced drug resistance mechanisms. (4) Conclusions: Each individual GA prediction model achieved high accuracy in estimating the expression rate of CSC markers on cancer cells treated with 5-FU. Artificial intelligence can be used as a powerful tool for predicting drug resistance.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a key role in tumor progression, as they are often responsible for drug resistance and metastasis. Environmental pollution with polystyrene has a negative impact on ...human health. We investigated the effect of polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNPs) on cancer cell stemness using flow cytometric analysis of CD24, CD44, ABCG2, ALDH1 and their combinations. This study uses simultaneous
cell lines and an
machine learning (ML) model to predict the progression of cancer stem cell (CSC) subpopulations in colon (HCT-116) and breast (MDA-MB-231) cancer cells. Our findings indicate a significant increase in cancer stemness induced by PSNPs. Exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles stimulated the development of less differentiated subpopulations of cells within the tumor, a marker of increased tumor aggressiveness. The experimental results were further used to train an ML model that accurately predicts the development of CSC markers. Machine learning, especially genetic algorithms, may be useful in predicting the development of cancer stem cells over time.
Electrospun polymer-based nanofibers are of increasing interest in contemporary applied biomedicine. The challenge regarding modern surgery and tissue engineering is to discover a variety of ...manufactured scaffolds with improved properties that can replace and regenerate damaged skin and organs. The unique properties of polymer nanofibers, such as submicron and nanoscale diameters, large surface area, flexibility, etc., make them attractive objects for a wide range of applications. In this study, a combination of chitosan as a natural polymer and poly(lactic) acid as a synthetic polymer is studied with the aim of improving and accelerating the healing of skin wounds. Chitosan (Chi) is one of the most promising polymers for scaffold design, due to its high biodegradability, non-toxic, and antibacterial properties. On the other hand, poly(lactic) acid (PLA) possesses enhanced electrospinability potential and desirable mechanical strength. Therefore, the combination of Chi and PLA enhances the mutually superior properties of both. After optimizing the process parameters, imaging, and determining the diameter of the nanofibers, the scaffold potential for wound healing was investigated by in vitro scratch test on a healthy fibroblast cell line. The study concludes that ultrafine Chi:PLA nanofiber scaffolds have significant potential to regenerate and restore damaged tissue under in vitro conditions.
• Application of 3D printing technology in creating molds.• 3D printing technology helps in creating personalized bone replacements.• Cranioplasty cosmesis is improved using 3D printed molds.• Time ...to market and resource use is reduced, lowering the cost of the final product.
Cranioplasty is the surgical repair of a bone defect in the skull resulting from a previous operation or injury, which involves lifting the scalp and restoring the contour of the skull with a graft made from material that is reconstructed from scans of the patient's own skull. The paper introduces a 3D printing technology in creating molds, which are filled with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) to reconstruct the missing bone part of the skull. The procedure included several steps to create a 3D model in an STL format, conversion into a G-code which is further used to produce the mold itself using a 3D printer. The paper presents our initial experience with 5 patients who undergone cranioplasty utilizing 3D printed molds. Making a patient-specific model is a very complex process and consists of several steps. The creation of a patient-specific 3D model loading of DICOM images obtained by CT scanning, followed by thresholding-based segmentation and generation of a precise 3D model of part of the patient's skull. Next step is creating the G-code models for 3D printing, after which the actual models are printed using Fused Deposition Modeling printer and PLA material. All surgeries showed good match of the missing bone part and part created using 3D printed mold, without additional steps in refinement. In such a way, 3D printing technology helps in creating personalized and visually appealing bone replacements, at a low cost of the final product.
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•Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) of the lower limbs affects 12-14% of the population.•Ankle-brachial index (ABI) is the standardized method for preoperative screening the PAD.•Virtual ABI is ...computational procedure for assessing outcome of PAD bypass surgery.•Virtual ABI utilizes preoperative measurements and blood flow numerical simulations.•Correlation of the Virtual ABI with experimentally measured ABI was R² = 0.9485.
Peripheral arterial disease of the lower limbs, which affects 12-14% of the population, is often treated by bypassing a blocked portion of the vessel. Due to the limited ability of clinicians to predict the outcome of a selected bypass strategy, the five-year graft occlusion ranges from 50% to 90%, with a 20% risk of amputation in the first 5 years after the surgery. The aim of this study was to develop a computational procedure that could enable surgeons to reduce negative effects by assessing patient-specific response to the available surgical strategies.
The Virtual ABI assumes patient-specific finite element modeling of patients’ hemodynamics from routinely acquired medical scans of lower limbs. The key contribution of this study is a novel approach for prescribing boundary conditions, which combines noninvasive preoperative measurements and results of numerical simulations.
The validation performed on six follow-up cases indicated high reliability of the Virtual ABI, since the correlation with the experimentally measured values of ankle-brachial index was R² = 0.9485.
The initial validation showed that the proposed Virtual ABI is a noninvasive procedure that could assist clinicians to find an optimal strategy for treating a particular patient by varying bypass length, choosing adequate diameter, position and shape.
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Background/Aim. The best treatment for the occlusion of the largest artery in the thigh is a femorodistal (FD) bypass. Ankle-brachial index (ABI) and multidetector computed tomographic (MDCT) ...angiography are the gold standards for diagnosing peripheral arterial occlusive disease. The finite element analysis (FEA) method can help measure the quantity of blood flow and arterial pressure in the arteries in the leg. The aim of this study was to examine the possibility of using the FEA method in predicting the outcome of FD bypass surgery. Methods. The study involved 45 patients indicated for FD arterial reconstruction from December 1, 2021, to March 31, 2023. Each patient underwent pre- and postoperative MDCT angiography of the arteries of the lower extremities, on the basis of which, with the use of FEA, models were made for measuring ABI. All patients had their ABI measured pre-operatively and postoperatively using the Doppler ultrasound and sphygmomanometer. Based on the findings of the preoperative MDCT angiography, postoperative virtual surgical models were created using the FEA method, on which ABI were also measured. The values of ABI were divided into five groups: ABI measured preoperatively (ABI pre-op), ABI measured postoperatively (ABI post-op), ABI measured on FEA models based on the MDCT findings ABI (sim) pre-op, ABI sim post-op, and ABI measured on virtual surgery model ABI sim post-op (virtual). The ABI of the models were statistically compared with preoperative and postoperative measurements done on patients. Results. The values based on the virtual ABI model did not show significant differences compared to the values obtained on patients and values obtained with the FEA method using MDCT angiography (p < 0.001). A strong statistically significant correlation was shown between the virtual ABI and the values obtained by the other two methods, measured on the postoperative MDCT angiography model and virtual postoperative model (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Virtual simulation based on the MDCT angiography parameters of peripheral blood vessels can be successfully used to predict the immediate outcome of the FD bypass surgery.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
3D bioprinting is the hi-tech approach in tissue engineering science. Applying of modern 3D bioprinting systems allows production of tissue-like structures that could be used in regenerative ...medicine. Such tissues or primitive organ constructs could be used for substituting the parts of damaged organs, or for changing of organs in whole. Biomaterials must fulfill specific requirement to be applied in regenerative medicine: biocompatibility, biodegradability and possessing appropriate mechanical properties. PEG and PCL are widely used today in tissue engineering. We optimized wide range of PCL, PEG solutions alone and in combination. For 3D bioprinting was used Inkredible+ device. Optimization of experimental parameters for creating a scaffold that can be used in tissue engineering is a demanding process. As it is the first stage of developing the blood vessel, there is a high importance of ensuring they are formed well and with the desired properties. This innovative approach may be promising for further fabrication of a blood vessel.
Highlights • We evaluated the influences of the myocardial bridges on the plaque localization in the coronary arteries. • We investigated the prediction of “the best” position for plaque progression ...using WSS, OSI and residence time. • A good correlation between positions of the plaque at the proximal part of MB with WSS, OSI and residence time. • This computer model could be additional predictive tool for everyday clinical examination.
This is a feasibility study for the application of a novel concept of single-needle device for localized chemotherapy. Systemic chemotherapy has numerous and severe side effects. To conduct localized ...(electro)chemotherapy, we designed a novel device that does not currently exist on the market. Electrochemotherapy is based on the cell membranes temporary or permanent permeabilization using an electric current of defined characteristics. Electroporation can be reversible, when after a period of opened pores and membrane permeability increasing, membranes and cells return to their original state without damage. Electroporation can be an irreversible process when the pores on the membrane remain permanently open, electrolyte imbalance occurs resulting in cell death. Electrochemotherapy involves a combination of cytostatics and reversible electroporation, when pores on the cell membrane are temporarily opened and, during that short period, a large amount of cytostatic is entered into the cell, which is a macromolecule that would not normally penetrate the cell. After closing the pores, the cytostatic remains trapped in the cell in large quantities, multiplying its effect. In this paper, we present a feasibility study of electroporation application in irreversible mode without the use of cytostatics. Fresh porcine liver tissue was used to show that the constructed equipment was effective, thus opening the way for further investigations using reversible electroporation with the application of cytostatics, which would represent localized electrochemotherapy. We penetrated the virtual tumor area (liver metastases) with a specially designed needle with electrodes that generate an electric field and apply electroporation in the target tissue. We have shown that the constructed novel design single needle equipment for electroporation is effective on the experimental model of isolated porcine liver. Further steps in our study will be the testing of electrochemotherapy in an experimental animal model in vivo.
