Harnessing Normal and Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived Exosomes for Cancer Therapy: Opportunity and Challenges

There remains a vital necessity for new therapeutic approaches to combat metastatic cancers, which cause globally over 8 million deaths per year. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) display aptitude as new therapeutic choices for cancer treatment. Exosomes, the most important mediator of MSCs, regulate tumor progression. The potential of harnessing exosomes from MSCs (MSCs-Exo) in cancer therapy is now being documented. MSCs-Exo can promote tumor progression by affecting tumor growth, metastasis, immunity, angiogenesis, and drug resistance. However, contradictory evidence has suggested that MSCs-Exo suppress tumors through several mechanisms. Therefore, the exact association between MSCs-Exo and tumors remains controversial. Accordingly, the applications of MSCs-Exo as novel drug delivery systems and standalone therapeutics are being extensively explored. In addition, engineering MSCs-Exo for targeting tumor cells has opened a new avenue for improving the efficiency of antitumor therapy. However, effective implementation in the clinical trials will need the establishment of standards for MSCs-Exo isolation and characterization as well as loading and engineering methods. The studies outlined in this review highlight the pivotal roles of MSCs-Exo in tumor progression and the promising potential of MSCs-Exo as therapeutic drug delivery vehicles for cancer treatment.     

Quantification and elucidation of the UV-light triggered initiation kinetics of TPO and BAPO in liquid acrylate monomer

The initiation kinetics of two important UV-light-triggered initiators for the radical polymerization [diphenyl-2,4,6-trimethyl benzoyl phosphine oxide (TPO) and phenyl-bis(2,4,6-trimethyl benzoyl) phosphine oxide (BAPO)] has been quantified in dependence on the initiator concentration (0.25–2 mol %), the light intensity at 365 nm (0–2000 mW cm⁻²), the thickness of the sample (50–200 μm), the temperature (25–80 °C), the monomer [2-ethyl hexyl acrylate (EHA) and 2-ethyl hexyl methacrylate (EHMA)] and the atmosphere (oxygen free and air) directly in the liquid acrylate monomer. The determination of the kinetic parameters was done by applying two independent procedures: (1) following the initiator decay with respect to the irradiation time, evaluated by radiometric measurements of the UV-light absorption at 365 nm and (2) via titration of the initiation process by using defined under-stoichiometric to stoichiometric amounts of TEMPO as inhibitor, evaluated by means of FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The validity of the titration procedure was proven by means of ¹³C and ³¹P NMR studies of ¹³C-labeled TPO and was explained by a Lewis acid/base interaction between the carbonyl carbon of the initiator and the oxygen of TEMPO. Both methods resulted in very close kinetic parameters. Thus, reliable values for the extinction coefficients ε₃₆₅ at 365 nm, for the effective rate constants of the α cleavage (containing the quantum yield and the initiator efficiency) when dissolved in the liquid monomer could be provided for both initiators for the first time. The effect of dioxygen quenching in dependence of sample thickness and the temperature dependence on the initiation step were evaluated. EHA was compared with EHMA as liquid monomer, and a yet unmentioned inhibition in case of EHMA was discovered. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Applied Polymer Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48357.     

The effect of promoters on the CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> reforming activity and coke formation of nanocrystalline Ni/Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> catalysts prepared by microemulsion method

Mesoporous nanocrystalline nickel-alumina promoted catalysts with high surface area were prepared by microemulsion (ME) method and employed in dry reforming of methane reaction. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis (BET), temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and temperature programmed oxidation (TPO) techniques. The results showed that the prepared catalysts had high porosity with great surface area and small crystallite size. Among the K₂O, MgO, CaO and BaO promoters, the MgO promoter showed considerable effect on catalytic performance and coke suppression of catalyst.     

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigation of the Effect of pH on Micelle Formation by the Amino Acid‐Based Surfactant Undecyl l‐Phenylalaninate

Micelle formation by the anionic amino acid‐based surfactant undecyl l ‐phenylalaninate (und‐Phe) was investigated as a function of pH in solutions containing either Na⁺, l ‐arginine, l ‐lysine, or l ‐ornithine counterions. In each mixture, the surfactant's critical micelle concentration (CMC) was the lowest at low pH and increased as solutions became more basic. Below pH 9, surfactant solutions containing l ‐arginine and l ‐lysine had lower CMC than the corresponding solutions with Na⁺ counterions. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) diffusometry and dynamic light scattering studies revealed that und‐Phe micelles with Na⁺ counterions had hydrodynamic radii of approximately 15 Å throughout the investigated pH range. Furthermore, l ‐arginine, l ‐lysine, and l ‐ornithine were found to bind most strongly to the micelles below pH 9 when the counterions were cationic. Above pH 9, the counterions became zwitterionic and dissociated from the micelle surface. In und‐Phe/l ‐arginine solution, counterion dissociation was accompanied by a decrease in the hydrodynamic radius of the micelle. However, in experiments with l ‐lysine and l ‐ornithine, micelle radii remained the same at low pH when counterions were bound and at high pH when they were not. This result suggested that l ‐arginine is attached perpendicular to the micelle surface through its guanidinium functional group with the remainder of the molecule extending into solution. Contrastingly, l ‐lysine and l ‐ornithine likely bind parallel to the micelle surface with their two amine functional groups interacting with different surfactant monomers. This model was consistent with the results from two‐dimensional ROESY (rotating frame Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy) NMR experiments. Two‐dimensional NMR also showed that in und‐Phe micelles, the aromatic rings on the phenylalanine headgroups were rotated toward the hydrocarbon core of micelle.     

An understanding of the electrodeposition process of Al–Mg alloys using an organometallic-based electrolyte

Al–Mg alloys were deposited using a base-electrolyte with the composition Na[AlEt₄] + 2Na[Et₃Al–H–AlEt₃] + 2.5AlEt₃ + 6toluene (where Et = −C₂H₅). Mg was introduced into this electrolyte by employing a pure Mg anode. It was found that initially the amount of Mg in the electrolyte increased with the deposition time but eventually a steady state was reached such that the amount of Mg dissolved at the anode became equal to that deposited at the cathode. Compositional and phase analyses indicated that this state is achieved at a critical Mg/Al ratio that resulted in the formation of the hcp Mg-rich phase. By devising various component electrolytes we have attempted to understand the roles of different compounds in the base-electrolyte and have proposed a scheme for the Al–Mg alloy deposition.     

Mesoporous silica coated gold nanorods: a multifunctional theranostic platform for radiotherapy and X-ray imaging

Journal of Porous Materials - The development of theranostic nanostructures is one of the most advanced branches of pharmaceutical and medical sciences in the world today. Due to the unique...     

CO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>-free hydrogen and carbon nanofibers production by methane decomposition over nickel-alumina catalysts

Nickel catalysts supported on mesoporous nanocrystalline gamma alumina with various nickel loadings were prepared and employed for thermocatalytic decomposition of methane into CO _x -free hydrogen and carbon nanofibers. The prepared catalysts with different nickel contents exhibited mesoporous structure with high surface area in the range of 121.3 to 66.2m²g^?1. Increasing in nickel content decreased the pore volume and increased the crystallite size. The catalytic results revealed that the nickel content and operating temperature both play important roles on the catalytic performance of the prepared catalysts. The results showed that increasing in reaction temperature increased the initial conversion of catalysts and significantly decreased the catalyst lifetime. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the spent catalysts evaluated at different temperatures revealed the formation of intertwined carbon filaments. The results showed that increasing in reaction temperature decreased the diameters of nanofibers and increased the formation of encapsulating carbon.     

Optimization-based design of sliding sector control for active seismic protection of structures

The active tuned mass damper (ATMD) is a reliable energy-dissipating device to effectively protect structures from serious damages due to earthquake excitations. This study proposes the optimal design of sliding sector control (SSC) for the seismic protection of an 11-story shear building structure equipped with ATMD. First, the SSC controller is optimally designed for the seismic control of the structure subjected to an artificial earthquake. Then, the effectiveness of the optimized SSC (OSSC) is assessed in reducing the seismic responses of the structure subjected to four near- and far-fault earthquake excitations. The efficient performance of the OSSC technique is also validated and compared with that of a number of the control techniques such as linear quadratic regulator (LQR), fuzzy logic control (FLC), proportional-integral-derivative (PID), and optimal sliding mode control (OSMC). Comparative results demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the proposed OSSC in comparison with those of the other controllers.     

Effect of Al on the hydrogenation characteristics of nanocrystalline Mg powder

We have fabricated nanocrystalline Mg–Al powders with nominal Al compositions of 4 and 8 at% by the electrodeposition technique and have compared their hydrogenation characteristics with those for a commercially available pure Mg powder. It is elucidated that interestingly the amount of Al incorporated in MgH₂ increases with decreasing the hydrogenation temperature. This observation indicates that the magnesium hydride phase has a limited solubility for aluminum and the supersaturation of hydride with Al is attributed to the slower mobility of aluminum at low temperatures. The rejection of Al during hydride formation is shown to result in a higher fraction of the intermetallic phase, thus reducing the hydrogen capacity. It is suggested that the presence of the intermetallic phase prior to hydrogenation enhances the hydride nucleation rate, which further decreases the hydrogen capacity in comparison to pure Mg.