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Front Cover -- EMERGING NANOTECHNOLOGIES FOR DIAGNOSTICS, DRUG DELIVERY, AND MEDICAL DEVICES -- EMERGINGNANOTECHNOLOGIESFOR DIAGNOSTICS,DRUG DELIVERY, ANDMEDICAL DEVICES -- Copyright -- CONTENTS -- LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS -- EDITOR BIOGRAPHIES -- 1 - Therapeutic Applications of Polymeric Materials -- 1. INTRODUCTION -- 2. POLYMERS AS DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS -- 2.1 Polymer-Drug Conjugates -- 2.2 Polymers in Ocular Drug Delivery -- 2.3 Polymers in Tissue Engineering -- 3. POLYMERS IN IMAGING AND DIAGNOSIS -- 4. CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- 2 - Multifunctional Micro- and Nanoparticles -- 1. INTRODUCTION -- 1.1 Microparticles -- 1.2 Nanoparticles -- 1.3 Trojan Microparticles -- 1.4 Multifunctional Micro- and Nanoparticles -- 2. MICRO- AND NANOMATERIALS IN THE SYNTHESIS OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL CARRIERS -- 2.1 Lipid-Based Micro/Nanocarriers -- 2.1.1 Liposome -- 2.1.2 Microemulsions -- 2.1.3 Solid-Lipid Nanoparticles -- 2.2 Polymeric Micro/Nanocarriers -- 2.2.1 Natural Polymers -- 2.2.1.1 Chitosan-Based Micro/nanoparticles -- 2.2.2 Synthetic Polymers -- 2.2.2.1 Dendrimers -- 2.2.2.2 Nanomicelles -- 2.2.2.3 Micro/Nanogel -- 2.3 Inorganic Micro/Nanocarriers -- 2.3.1 Quantum Dots -- 2.3.2 Magnetic Nanoparticles -- 2.3.3 Gold Nanoparticles -- 3. TYPES OF FUNCTIONAL MOIETIES -- 3.1 Peptides -- 3.2 Proteins and Antibodies -- 3.3 Nucleic Acids -- 3.4 Carbohydrates -- 3.5 Fluorescent Dyes -- 4. FUNCTIONALIZATION OF MICRO- AND NANOPARTICLES -- 4.1 Methods of Conjugating Functional Moieties to Micro- and Nanoparticles -- REFERENCES -- 3 - Nanomicelles in Diagnosis and Drug Delivery∗ -- 1. INTRODUCTION -- 2. NANOMICELLE PREPARATION -- 3. APPLICATION OF NANOMICELLE IN DIAGNOSTICS AND IMAGING -- 3.1 Computed Tomography -- 3.2 Magnetic Resonance Imaging -- 3.3 Near-Infrared Fluorescent Imaging -- 4. APPLICATION OF NANOMICELLES IN DRUG DELIVERY

Hongwu Sun,1,* Kaiyun Liu,1,* Wei Liu,1 Wenxiu Wang,2 Chunliang Guo,1 Bin Tang,1 Jiang Gu,1 Jinyong Zhang,1 Haibo Li,1 Xuhu Mao,1 Quanming Zou,1 Hao Zeng11National Engineering Research Center for Immunological Products, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China; 2Key Lab of Preventive Veterinary Science and Animal Biological Technology, Shandong Binzhou Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Institute, Binzhou, China *These authors contributed equally to this work.Background: The stability of protein drugs remains one of the key hurdles to their success in the market. The aim of the present study was to design a novel nanoemulsion drug-delivery system (NEDDS) that would encapsulate a standard-model protein drug – bovine serum albumin (BSA) – to improve drug stability.Methods: The BSA NEDDS was prepared using a phase-inversion method and pseudoternary phase diagrams. The following characteristics were studied: morphology, size, zeta potential, drug loading, and encapsulation efficiency. We also investigated the stability of the BSA NEDDS, bioactivity of BSA encapsulated within the NEDDS, the integrity of the primary, secondary, and tertiary structures, and specificity.Results: The BSA NEDDS consisted of Cremophor EL-35, propylene glycol, isopropyl myristate, and normal saline. The average particle diameter of the BSA NEDDS was about 21.8 nm, and the system showed a high encapsulation efficiency (>90%) and an adequate drug-loading capacity (45 mg/mL). The thermodynamic stability of the system was investigated at different temperatures and pH levels and in room-temperature conditions for 180 days. BSA NEDDS showed good structural integrity and specificity for the primary, secondary, and tertiary structures, and good bioactivity of the loaded BSA.Conclusions: BSA NEDDS showed the properties of a good nanoemulsion-delivery system. NEDDS can greatly enhance the stability of the protein drug BSA while maintaining high levels of drug bioactivity, good specificity, and integrity of the primary, secondary, and tertiary protein structures. These findings indicate that the nanoemulsion is a potential formulation for oral administration of protein drugs.Keywords: nanoemulsion, drug-delivery system, protein drug, oral administration, stability

In this manuscript, we report the development of a versatile, robust, and stable targeting nanocarrier for active delivery. This nanocarrier is based on bifunctionalized polymeric nanoparticles conjugated to a monoclonal antibody that allows for active targeting of either (i) a fluorophore for tracking or (ii) a drug for monitoring specific cell responses. This nanodevice can efficiently discriminate between cells in coculture based on the expression levels of cell surface receptors. As a proof of concept, we have demonstrated efficient delivery using a broadly established cell surface receptor as the target, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is overexpressed in several types of cancers. Additionally, a second validation of this nanodevice was successfully carried out using another cell surface receptor as the target, the cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147). Our results suggest that this versatile nanocarrier can be expanded to other cell receptors and bioactive cargoes, offering remarkable discrimination efficiency between cells with different expression levels of a specific marker. This work supports the ability of nanoplatforms to boost and improve the progress towards personalized medicine. ; Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII) DTS18/00121 ; Junta de Andalucia-FEDER, Ministry of Economy, Knowledge, Companies and University (University of Granada) B-FQM-475-UGR18 PT18-TP-1490 AT17_6096- OTRI ; Spanish State Research Agency RED2018-102469-T ; Fundación Benéfica Anticáncer San Francisco Javier y Santa Cándida ; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness PTQ-16- 08597 ; Spanish Government FPU 16/02061

Background: Inadequate funding for vaginal delivery can be one of the barriers to reducing the maternal mortality rate. It could be therefore critical to compare the vaginal delivery cost between total hospital cost and INA-CBGs cost in national health insurance.Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted from October to December 2019 in Universitas Airlangga Academic Hospital. It collected data on primary diagnosis, length of stay, total hospital cost, INA-CBGs cost, and counted disparity. The data analyzed statistically using t-test independent sample (or Mann-Whitney test).Results: A total of 149 vaginal delivery claims were found, with the majority having a level II severity (79.87%) and moderate preeclampsia as a primary diagnosis (20.1%). There was a significant disparity in higher total hospital costs compared with government INA-CBGs costs (Rp. 9,238,022.09±1,265,801.88 vs 1,881,521.48±12,830.15; p<0.001). There was also an increase of LOS (p<0.001), total hospital cost (p<0.001), and cost disparity (p<0.01) in a higher severity level of vaginal delivery.Conclusion: Vaginal delivery costs in INA-CBGs scheme are underneath the actuarial value. There was also an increase in total hospital costs and a more significant disparity in the higher severity levels of vaginal delivery.

Nowadays, tissue engineering is described as an interdisciplinary field that combines engineering principles and life sciences to generate implantable devices to repair, restore and/or improve functions of injured tissues. Such devices are designed to induce the interaction and integration of tissue and cells within the implantable matrices and are manufactured to meet the appropriate physical, mechanical and physiological local demands. Biodegradable constructs based on polymeric fibers are desirable for tissue engineering due to their large surface area, interconnectivity, open pore structure, and controlled mechanical strength. Additionally, biodegradable constructs are also very sought-out for biomolecule delivery systems with a target-directed action. In the present review, we explore the properties of some of the most common biodegradable polymers used in tissue engineering applications and biomolecule delivery systems and highlight their most important uses. ; Authors acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), FEDER funds by means of Portugal 2020 Competitive Factors Operational Program (POCI) and the Portuguese Government (OE) for funding the project PEPTEX with reference PTDC/CTM-TEX/28074/2017 (POCI-01-0145- FEDER-028074). Authors also acknowledge project UID/CTM/00264/2020 of Centre for Textile Science and Technology (2C2T), funded by national funds through ...

A number of systems based on synthetic molecules, among them cationic liposomes and poly(ethylene imine)-based polymers, have been proposed as delivery vehicles for nucleic acids. Some of these systems have even reached the market, ensuring efficient and transient transfection levels in a variety of cell types. However, toxicity issues have limited their application in vivo. In this context, chitosan, a biocompatible and biodegradable polysaccharide, has been proposed as a promising alternative for the delivery of nucleic acid-based molecules. Here we present an overview of the state of the art of chitosan-based vectors for nucleic acid delivery and the most recent data on the in vivo testing of the proposed systems. We additionally express our view on the barriers that might be hampering the translation of this knowledge into clinical practice and the challenges that need to be fulfilled for these promising vehicles to reach patients. ; The Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade — COMPETE and the Portuguese funds through FCT— Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (PTDC/CTM-NAN/115124/2009 and PEst C/SAU/LA0002/2011) that supported this work. C.P.G. and C.D.F.L. acknowledge FCT for their PhD scholarships (SFRH/BD/79930/2011 and SFRH/BD/77933/2011). P.M.D.M. is supported by a Marie Curie Actions grant within the framework of the European Union's Seventh Framework Program (PIEF-GA-2011–300485). The authors would like to thank A. Nunes (IBMC-INEB) for her contribution to the graphic design of Figure 2.

Hyperthermia therapy is a potent enhancer of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In particular, microwave (MW) and radiofrequency (RF) hyperthermia devices provide a variety of heating approaches that can treat most cancers regardless the size. This review introduces the physics of MW/RF hyperthermia, the current state-of-the-art systems for both localized and regional heating, and recent advancements in hyperthermia treatment guidance using real-time computational simulations and magnetic resonance thermometry. Clinical trials involving RF/MW hyperthermia as adjuvant for chemotherapy are also presented per anatomical site. These studies favor the use of adjuvant hyperthermia since it significantly improves curative and palliative clinical outcomes. The main challenge of hyperthermia is the distribution of state-of-the-art heating systems. Nevertheless, we anticipate that recent technology advances will expand the use of hyperthermia to chemotherapy centers for enhanced drug delivery. These new technologies hold great promise not only for (image-guided) perfusion modulation and sensitization for cytotoxic drugs, but also for local delivery of various compounds using thermosensitive liposomes. ; Parts of this work was financially supported by the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) , the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and the Top Sector Life Science & Health (LSH) , all in the Netherlands: grants 11368 , 15195 and 17918 . This project also has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 845645 . ; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2020.03.004

"The Sustainable Development Goal 3 seeks to ensure health and well-being for all at every stage of life. This book discusses how to strengthen our healthcare systems and ensure sustainable community healthcare delivery by using systems thinking, an approach to understanding complex interactions of individual system elements in nature. Financing and manpower planning are integral processes to achieve health for all in the world. Adopting the Framework for Action of the World Health Organization for Strengthening Health Systems to Improve Health Outcomes, this book reviews and discusses, illustrated by case examples, the building blocks of healthcare systems, namely financing, human resources, management strategies, and leadership and governance in the context of accessibility, coverage, quality and safety of community health services to achieve selected targets in SDG Goal 3 in the context of global health. This book will be of interest to those who are researching on sustainable healthcare systems, as well as policy makers and healthcare professionals"--