Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Gerard Rubi-Sans, Agata Nyga, Elena Rebollo, Soledad Perez-Amodio, Jorge Otero, Daniel Navajas, Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Elisabeth Engel
Summary: The study introduced a novel method to produce mesenchymal cell-derived matrices (CDMs) aimed at mimicking the fibrotic tumor microenvironment, showing that they closely mimic the composition, structure, and mechanical properties of human fibrotic ECM. CDMs have highly reproducible composition and tunable mechanical properties, and exhibit increased doxorubicin resistance in cancer cells following chemotherapeutic treatment in comparison to 3D culture in collagen hydrogels.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shreemoyee De, Neetu Singh
Summary: This review summarizes the major techniques and materials used in developing three-dimensional platforms for cancer research and discusses the challenges and unresolved issues in the field, while highlighting some techniques that have been successfully brought to market.
Review
Cell Biology
Iwona Ziolkowska-Suchanek
Summary: This review summarizes the current knowledge in the field of tumor hypoxia in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including biology, biomarkers, in vitro and in vivo studies, and hypoxia imaging and detection. It also highlights the importance of three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models in accurately replicating the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, and discusses the utilization of different 3D models for studying NSCLC hypoxia.
Review
Oncology
Elaheh Dalir Abdolahinia, Xiaozhe Han
Summary: 3D culture models are valuable tools in oral cancer research, allowing for the investigation of oral microbial dynamics, cellular interactions, and the role of macrophage cells. They provide a more ethical and reproducible alternative to animal studies, and enable a better understanding of cancer immunology through the study of human cells.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ornella Urzi, Roberta Gasparro, Elisa Costanzo, Angela De Luca, Gianluca Giavaresi, Simona Fontana, Riccardo Alessandro
Summary: Although the traditional bidimensional in vitro cell system has been widely used in research, it does not fully reflect the complexity of in vivo systems. Three-dimensional (3D) models have emerged as a bridge between in vitro and in vivo models, allowing for cell differentiation and complexity without using animals. This review discusses the most common methods to establish 3D cell culture and their promising applications in studying organ physiology, diseases, cancer, drug screening, and regenerative medicine.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Camille Jubelin, Javier Munoz-Garcia, Laurent Griscom, Denis Cochonneau, Emilie Ollivier, Marie-Francoise Heymann, Francois M. Vallette, Lisa Oliver, Dominique Heymann
Summary: Cancer is a complex disease that requires multidimensional models to understand its development and drug response. Three-dimensional cell culture models, compared to traditional two-dimensional cultures, better mimic the biological behavior of tumor cells and provide a better platform for studying therapeutic escape and drug resistance.
CELL AND BIOSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Elizabeth Dunn, Kenny Chitcholtan, Peter Sykes, Ashley Garrill
Summary: This study investigated the potential efficacy of combining PI3K/mTOR and ERK inhibitors in treating ovarian cancer. The combination showed synergistic antiproliferative effect in some cell lines, and the use of different three-dimensional models influenced cell sensitivity to the inhibitors.
Review
Cell Biology
Paolo Raffa, Maria Easler, Anna Urciuolo
Summary: Skeletal muscle is reliant on the clear three-dimensional organization of myofibers and communication between myofibers and the nervous system for development and function. Various pathologies affecting muscle function are linked to alterations in the interaction between motor neurons and myofibers. Recent research indicates that three-dimensionality and integration of multiple cell types are essential for unveiling pathophysiologically relevant phenotypes in skeletal muscle modeling.
NEURAL REGENERATION RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Samantha Llewellyn, Marye Niemeyer, Penny Nymark, Martijn J. Mone, Bob van de Water, Gillian E. Conway, Gareth J. S. Jenkins, Shareen H. Doak
Summary: This review discusses the chronic liver damage caused by exposure to engineered nanomaterials and the challenges in using in vitro models to assess genotoxicity. It identifies the need for advancements in assessing DNA damage in the liver and highlights the importance of supporting various biochemical endpoints in nano(gen)toxicology research.
Review
Neurosciences
Jing Gong, Tianyue Meng, Jun Yang, Ning Hu, Hezhao Zhao, Tian Tian
Summary: Brain organoids are three-dimensional structures derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, capable of modeling brain development, evolution, and diseases in vitro. Advances in biomaterials, technologies, and cell biology have enabled the construction of human-specific brain structures, although challenges like long-term culture, necrosis, and hypoxic cores still hinder organoid growth.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Zhenzhen Zhou, Jianyu He, Yuan Pang, Wei Sun
Summary: Recent advances in tumor microenvironment (TME) modeling and its applications to cancer therapy have led to dramatic changes in the management of multiple malignancies. Various three-dimensional (3D) cell culture techniques have been developed to understand and replicate cancer biology. This review highlights the progress in in vitro 3D TME modeling techniques, such as cell-based, matrix-based, and vessel-based approaches, and their applications in studying tumor-stroma interactions and responses to cancer therapies. The review also addresses the limitations of current TME modeling approaches and proposes new ideas for constructing more clinically relevant models.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Eric N. Horst, Caymen M. Novak, Kathleen Burkhard, Catherine S. Snyder, Rhea Verma, Darel E. Crochran, Izabella A. Geza, Wesley Fermanich, Pooja Mehta, Denise C. Schlautman, Linh A. Tran, Michael E. Brezenger, Geeta Mehta
Summary: This article characterizes two interpenetrating network hydrogel scaffold platforms for use as 3D in vitro models of epithelial ovarian cancer ECM. These hydrogels replicate the critical signaling components present within the ovarian tumor microenvironment, providing a robust TME for studying mechanobiology in epithelial cancers.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Somnath Maji, Hyungseok Lee
Summary: The superiority of in vitro 3D cultures over conventional 2D cell cultures for mimicking native tissue architecture and functionality is well recognized. The development of 3D in vitro models using hydrogels as biomaterials has gained significant attention in the field of tissue engineering. This review highlights recent progress in the use of hydrogel-based biomaterials for developing 3D in vitro models, discussing sources, hybrid systems, crosslinking mechanisms, and available module systems. Future perspectives and challenges are also discussed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ivan Batalov, Kelly R. Stevens, Cole A. DeForest
Summary: Hydrogel biomaterials derived from natural biopolymers, such as fibrin and collagen, have advantages in cytocompatibility and biological integration. However, they lag behind synthetic alternatives in tunability, requiring further research to selectively modulate their biochemical properties.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elliot Lopez, Sahil Kamboj, Changchong Chen, Zixu Wang, Sabrina Kellouche, Johanne Leroy-Dudal, Franck Carreiras, Ambroise Lambert, Carole Aime
Summary: Ovarian cancer is a serious disease with a low survival rate, mainly due to late diagnosis and metastasis. Understanding the pathophysiology and developing relevant in vitro models are crucial for effective drug screening. Recent advances in 3D cell culture and microfluidics provide innovative models to bridge the gap between pathophysiology and clinical research.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj, Matthew Burnell, James Dilley, Andy Ryan, Chloe Karpinskyj, Richard Gunu, Susan Mallett, Jon Deeks, Stuart Campbell, Ian Jacobs, Sudha Sundar, Usha Menon
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Oncology
Harry J. Whitwell, Jenny Worthington, Oleg Blyuss, Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj, Andy Ryan, Richard Gunu, Jatinderpal Kalsi, Usha Menon, Ian Jacobs, Alexey Zaikin, John F. Timms
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. Petala, D. Dafou, M. Kostoglou, Th Karapantsios, E. Kanata, A. Chatziefstathiou, F. Sakaveli, K. Kotoulas, M. Arsenakis, E. Roilides, T. Sklaviadis, S. Metallidis, A. Papa, E. Stylianidis, A. Papadopoulos, N. Papaioannou
Summary: Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage is used as an early warning indicator of virus spreading in communities, but the accuracy of quantitative measurements may be affected by the adsorption of virus fragments onto suspended solids in wastewater. Factors such as the presence of other dissolved chemicals can influence the capacity of adsorption. The research develops a physicochemical model to rationalize the quantitative measurements of viral fragments in sewage, with the ratio of specific absorption over dissolved oxygen showing the highest correlation with viral copies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Roberto Di Blasi, Oleg Blyuss, John F. Timms, Daniel Conole, Francesca Ceroni, Harry J. Whitwell
Summary: Protein methylation, a key post-translational modification, has significant effects on gene expression and plays an important role in regulating cellular processes and protein activity. While synthetic histone protein methylation has been widely used for engineering gene expression, the engineering of non-histone protein methylation has not been fully explored yet, despite its fundamental role in cellular functions and disease implications.
ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jatinderpal K. Kalsi, Andy Ryan, Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj, Danielle Margolin-Crump, Naveena Singh, Matthew Burnell, Elizabeth Benjamin, Sophia Apostolidou, Mariam Habib, Susan Massingham, Chloe Karpinskyj, Robert Woolas, Martin Widschwendter, Lesley Fallowfield, Stuart Campbell, Steven Skates, Alistair McGuire, Max Parmar, Ian Jacobs, Usha Menon
Summary: The study examined the completeness and accuracy of national ovarian cancer and death registration in the UKCTOCS trial, finding that using other routinely collected data such as hospital episode statistics can reduce data incompleteness.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vadim Demichev, Pinkus Tober-Lau, Oliver Lemke, Tatiana Nazarenko, Charlotte Thibeault, Harry Whitwell, Annika Roehl, Anja Freiwald, Lukasz Szyrwiel, Daniela Ludwig, Clara Correia-Melo, Simran Kaur Aulakh, Elisa T. Helbig, Paula Stubbemann, Lena J. Lippert, Nana-Maria Gruening, Oleg Blyuss, Spyros Vernardis, Matthew White, Christoph B. Messner, Michael Joannidis, Thomas Sonnweber, Sebastian J. Klein, Alex Pizzini, Yvonne Wohlfarter, Sabina Sahanic, Richard Hilbe, Benedikt Schaefer, Sonja Wagner, Mirja Mittermaier, Felix Machleidt, Carmen Garcia, Christoph Ruwwe-Gloesenkamp, Tilman Lingscheid, Laure Bosquillon de Jarcy, Miriam S. Stegemann, Moritz Pfeiffer, Linda Juergens, Sophy Denker, Daniel Zickler, Philipp Enghard, Aleksej Zelezniak, Archie Campbell, Caroline Hayward, David J. Porteous, Riccardo E. Marioni, Alexander Uhrig, Holger Mueller-Redetzky, Heinz Zoller, Judith Loeffler-Ragg, Markus A. Keller, Ivan Tancevski, John F. Timms, Alexey Zaikin, Stefan Hippenstiel, Michael Ramharter, Martin Witzenrath, Norbert Suttorp, Kathryn Lilley, Michael Muelleder, Leif Erik Sander, Markus Ralser, Florian Kurth
Summary: This study investigates the time-dependent progression of COIVD-19 inpatients by measuring diagnostic parameters and plasma proteomes, revealing an initial spike in inflammatory response followed by tissue repair and immunomodulation. Prognostic marker signatures for treatment strategies were identified and machine learning models based on proteome show transferability to independent cohorts.
Article
Oncology
Elisavet Lioulia, Panagiotis Mokos, Emmanuel Panteris, Dimitra Dafou
Summary: This study demonstrates the UBE2T/MAPK-ERK/beta-catenin axis as a critical regulator of cell state transition and EMT in HCC.
MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lucy Oldfield, Anthony Evans, Rohith Gopala Rao, Claire Jenkinson, Tejpal Purewal, Eftychia E. Psarelli, Usha Menon, John F. Timms, Stephen P. Pereira, Paula Ghaneh, William Greenhalf, Christopher Halloran, Eithne Costello
Summary: This study aimed to find a blood biomarker that can differentiate newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients into T2DM and PDAC-related diabetes. Through analysis of multiple sample sets, the researchers found that the combination of adiponectin and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist showed strong diagnostic potential for distinguishing T3cDM from T2DM.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Korina Karagianni, Spyros Pettas, Georgia Christoforidou, Eirini Kanata, Nikolaos Bekas, Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Dimitra Dafou, Theodoros Sklaviadis
Summary: RNA editing plays a role in transcriptome diversification by modifying RNA in relation to genome-encoded information. This review focuses on RNA editing in psychiatric, neurological, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune brain disorders and discusses its potential as a therapeutic and diagnostic target. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of RNA editing in disease development.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Korina Karagianni, Spyros Pettas, Eirini Kanata, Elisavet Lioulia, Katrin Thune, Matthias Schmitz, Ioannis Tsamesidis, Evgenia Lymperaki, Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Theodoros Sklaviadis, Dimitra Dafou
Summary: The catechol-type diterpene Carnosic acid (CA) and its metabolite Carnosol (CS) from Rosmarinus officinalis have antioxidant and neuroprotective effects, reducing the accumulation and disrupting the aggregation of disease-associated PrP in prion diseases.
Review
Cell Biology
Spyros Pettas, Korina Karagianni, Eirini Kanata, Athanasia Chatziefstathiou, Nikoletta Christoudia, Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Theodoros Sklaviadis, Dimitra Dafou
Summary: This article summarizes recent studies on transcriptomic microglial subpopulations, revealing their molecular and functional differences using single-cell techniques and classifying them into distinct groups based on age, spatial distribution, and disease.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eirini Kanata, Ioannis Paspaltsis, Sotiris Sotiriadis, Chrysanthi Berberidou, Sophia Tsoumachidou, Dimitra Dafou, Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Minas Arsenakis, Athanasios Arsenakis, Ioannis Poulios, Theodoros Sklaviadis
Summary: Photocatalytic inactivation of pathogens in aqueous waste is a topic of increasing interest. This study compares the effectiveness of homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalysis using Fe+3 and TiO2, respectively, for inactivating various microorganisms. It is found that homogeneous photocatalysis achieves more efficient microorganism inactivation in a shorter processing time compared to heterogeneous photocatalysis. Additional optimization of TiO2 photocatalysis with H2O2 supplementation further enhances the inactivation efficiency.
Article
Cell Biology
Dimitra Dafou, Eirini Kanata, Spyros Pettas, Nikolaos Bekas, Athanasios Dimitriadis, Garyfalia Kempapidou, Roza Lagoudaki, Paschalis Theotokis, Olga Touloumi, Nikoleta Delivanoglou, Evangelia Kesidou, Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Nikolaos Grigoriadis, Fotini Nina Papavasiliou, Theodoros Sklaviadis
Summary: This study assessed the role of RNA editing in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and found that RNA-editing events mediated by APOBEC and ADAR deaminases were significantly reduced during the course of disease, potentially impacting protein expression necessary for normal neurological function. In addition, the severity of EAE was significantly higher in APOBEC-1 knockout mice.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Christos Milaras, Panagiotis Lepetsos, Dimitra Dafou, Michael Potoupnis, Eleftherios Tsiridis
Summary: This study systematically reviewed the literature on the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes encoding MMPs and the risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA), finding at least nine SNPs in four MMP genes associated with knee OA. A solid correlation between MMP genotype and knee OA phenotype was not found, suggesting the need for more high-quality studies and modern genetic testing methods.
CUREUS JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
(2021)
