This study evaluates the effect of incobotulinumtoxinA in the acute and chronic phases of facial nerve palsy after neurosurgical interventions. Patients received incobotulinumtoxinA injections (active treatment group) or standard rehabilitation treatment (control group). Functional efficacy was assessed using House-Brackmann, Yanagihara System and Sunnybrook Facial Grading scales, and Facial Disability Index self-assessment. Significant improvements on all scales were seen after 1month of incobotulinumtoxinA treatment (active treatment group, р<0.05), but only after 3months of rehabilitation treatment (control group, р<0.05). At 1 and 2years post-surgery, the prevalence of synkinesis was significantly higher in patients in the control group compared with those receiving incobotulinumtoxinA treatment (р<0.05 and р<0.001, respectively). IncobotulinumtoxinA treatment resulted in significant improvements in facial symmetry in patients with facial nerve injury following neurosurgical interventions. Treatment was effective for the correction of the compensatory hyperactivity of mimic muscles on the unaffected side that develops in the acute period of facial nerve palsy, and for the correction of synkinesis in the affected side that develops in the long-term period. Appropriate dosing and patient education to perform exercises to restore mimic muscle function should be considered in multimodal treatment.

Nanoribbon chips, based on “silicon-on-insulator” structures (SOI-NR chips), have been fabricated. These SOI-NR chips, whose surface was sensitized with covalently immobilized oligonucleotide molecular probes (oDNA probes), have been employed for the nanoribbon biosensor-based detection of a circular ribonucleic acid (circRNA) molecular marker of glioma in humans. The nucleotide sequence of the oDNA probes was complimentary to the sequence of the target oDNA. The latter represents a synthetic analogue of a glioma marker—NFIX circular RNA. In this way, the detection of target oDNA molecules in a pure buffer has been performed. The lowest concentration of the target biomolecules, detectable in our experiments, was of the order of ~10⁻¹⁷ M. The SOI-NR sensor chips proposed herein have allowed us to reveal an elevated level of the NFIX circular RNA in the blood of a glioma patient.

Herein, we report the development of a highly sensitive nanotechnology-based system—silicon-on-insulator nanowire biosensor for the revelation of microRNAs (miRNAs), associated with the development of glioma in the human. In this system, a sensor chip, bearing an array of silicon nanowire structures, is employed. The sensor chip is fabricated using a top-down technology. In our experiments reported herein, we demonstrated the detection of DNA oligonucleotide (oDNA), which represents a synthetic analogue of microRNA-363 associated with the development of glioma. To provide biospecific detection of the target oligonucleotides, the surface of the nanowire structures is modified with oligonucleotide probes; the latter are complementary to the target ones. The concentration limit of the target oligonucleotide detection, attained using our nanowire biosensor, is at the level of DL~10⁻¹⁷ M. The revelation of the elevated level of glioma-associated miRNA in plasma is also demonstrated.

The application of micro-Raman spectroscopy was used for characterization of structural features of the high-k stack (h-k) layer of “silicon-on-insulator” (SOI) nanowire (NW) chip (h-k-SOI-NW chip), including Al₂O₃ and HfO₂ in various combinations after heat treatment from 425 to 1000 °C. After that, the NW structures h-k-SOI-NW chip was created using gas plasma etching optical lithography. The stability of the signals from the monocrine phase of HfO₂ was shown. Significant differences were found in the elastic stresses of the silicon layers for very thick (>200 nm) Al₂O₃ layers. In the UV spectra of SOI layers of a silicon substrate with HfO₂, shoulders in the Raman spectrum were observed at 480–490 cm⁻¹ of single-phonon scattering. The h-k-SOI-NW chip created in this way has been used for the detection of DNA-oligonucleotide sequences (oDNA), that became a synthetic analog of circular RNA–circ-SHKBP1 associated with the development of glioma at a concentration of 1.1 × 10⁻¹⁶ M. The possibility of using such h-k-SOI NW chips for the detection of circ-SHKBP1 in blood plasma of patients diagnosed with neoplasm of uncertain nature of the brain and central nervous system was shown.

Application of micro-Raman spectroscopy for the monitoring of quality of nanowire sensor chips fabrication has been demonstrated. Nanowire chips have been fabricated on the basis of «silicon-on-insulator» (SOI) structures (SOI-NW chips). The fabrication of SOI-NW chips was performed by optical litography with gas-phase etching. The so-fabricated SOI-NW chips are intended for highly sensitive detection of brain cancer biomarkers in humans. In our present study, two series of experiments have been conducted. In the first experimental series, detection of a synthetic DNA oligonucleotide (oDNA) analogue of brain cancer-associated microRNA miRNA-363 in purified buffer solution has been performed in order to demonstrate the high detection sensitivity. The second experimental series has been performed in order to reveal miRNA-363 itself in real human plasma samples. To provide detection biospecificity, the SOI-NW chip surface was modified by covalent immobilization of probe oligonucleotides (oDNA probes) complementary to the target biomolecules. Using the SOI-NW sensor chips proposed herein, the concentration detection limit of the target biomolecules at the level of 3.3 × 10⁻¹⁷ M has been demonstrated. Thus, the approach employing the SOI-NW chips proposed herein represents an attractive tool in biomedical practice, aimed at the early revelation of oncological diseases in humans.

Vestibular schwannomas are relatively rare intracranial tumors compared to other brain tumors. Data on the molecular features, especially on schwannoma proteome, are scarce. The 41 cerebrospinal fluid (liquor) samples were obtained during the surgical removal of vestibular schwannoma. Obtained peptide samples were analyzed by shotgun LC-MS/MS high-resolution mass spectrometry. The same peptide samples were spiked with 148 stable isotopically labeled peptide standards (SIS) followed by alkaline fractionation and scheduled multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) for quantitative analysis. The natural counterparts of SIS peptides were mapped onto 111 proteins that were Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for diagnostic use. As a result, 525 proteins were identified by shotgun LC-MS/MS with high confidence (at least two peptides per protein, FDR < 1%) in liquor samples. Absolute quantitative concentrations were obtained for 54 FDA-approved proteins detected in at least five experimental samples. Since there is lack of data on the molecular landscape of vestibular schwannoma, the obtained datasets are unique and one of the first in its field.