(1) Background: Peripheral nerve injuries have a great impact on a patient’s quality of life and a generally poor outcome regarding functional recovery. Lately, studies have focused on different types of nanoparticles and various natural substances for the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries. This is the case of chitosan, a natural compound from the crustaceans’ exoskeleton. The present study proposes to combine chitosan benefic properties to the nanoparticles’ ability to transport different substances to specific locations and evaluate the effects of magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with chitosan (CMNPs) on peripheral nerve injuries’ rehabilitation by using an in vivo experimental model. (2) Methods: CMNPs treatment was administrated daily, orally, for 21 days to rats subjected to right sciatic nerve lesion and compared to the control group (no treatment) by analyzing the sciatic functional index, pain level, body weight, serum nerve growth factor levels and histology, TEM and EDX analysis at different times during the study. (3) Results: Animals treated with CMNPs had a statistically significant functional outcome compared to the control group regarding: sciatic functional index, pain-like behavior, total body weight, which were confirmed by the histological and TEM images. (4) Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that CMNPs appear to be a promising treatment method for peripheral nerve injuries.

Background. The inflammatory mechanisms occur with the highest prevalence in pulmonary pathology. In pharmaceutical industry, carrageenan is used as a pro-inflammatory agent when the activity of anti-inflammatory agents is tested. The oxidative stress represents the imbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants which can lead to the activation of the oxidative mechanisms with noxius potential to the body. In experimental studies, quercetin is the most active flavonoid, having the highest anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Curcumin has antioxidant effects that are similar to those of the standard antioxidants and exerts direct anti-inflammatory activity. Aims. The aim of this study is to determine the antioxidant effects of quercetin and curcumin on a carrageenan-induced pleural inflammation. Methods. Eight groups of adult male rats were used: Ia and Ib -control groups, IIa and IIb -with carrageenan administration, IIIa and IIIb -with curcumin and carrageenan, IVa and IVb -with quercetin and carrageenan administration. Blood and lung samples were taken at 4 hours (Ia, IIa, IIIa, IVa groups) and at 24 hours (Ib, IIb, IIIb, IVb groups) after carrageenan administration. Results. In serum, at 4 and at 24 hours, curcumin and quercetin showed protective effects, reducing the oxidative stress (malondialdehyde significantly decreased) and stimulating the antioxidant protection (ceruloplasmin and glutathione significantly increased) in rats with administration of these substances, in comparison to the group that received only carrageenan. In the lungs, at 4 hours, the oxidative stress was significantly reduced only in the rats that received quercetin (malondialdehyde significantly decreased), modifications that were not observed at 24 hours. Conclusions. In serum, curcumin presented higher antioxidant effects, compared to quercetin. In lungs, quercetin administration showed superior beneficial effects, but only temporarily.

Skin, the largest organ of the human body, serves as a critical physico-chemical barrier against environmental insults and plays essential roles in hydration, thermoregulation, immune defense, and metabolic functions. Wound healing is a complex, multistage biological process involving hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Hydrogels have emerged as a promising class of wound dressings due to their high moisture retention, biocompatibility, and ability to mimic the extracellular matrix, thereby supporting accelerated healing and controlled drug delivery. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current hydrogel types—classified by origin, crosslinking mechanisms, and responsiveness to stimuli—and evaluates their use in experimental research on in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo wound healing models. Furthermore, clinical applications of hydrogels in wound therapy are discussed. Advances in semisynthetic and stimuli-responsive hydrogels, along with improved testing models, offer enhanced therapeutic potential and underscore the need for continued innovation to optimize wound care outcomes and alleviate healthcare burdens.

Objective: Conventional therapeutic methods for psoriasis include topical and systemic drugs, phototherapy, and biologic agents. Despite the fact that these treatment methods, and especially biologic agents, are met with a considerable reduction in disease activity, they can sometimes be costly and are nonetheless accompanied by high risks of adverse events, ranging from mild to debilitating. Therefore, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), especially mind-and-body interventions, such as acupuncture, psychotherapy, climatotherapy, and cupping may provide a cheaper and potentially beneficial outcome for these patients. Methods: We performed a systematic review of articles pertaining to acupuncture, cupping, psychotherapy and meditation, as well climatotherapy and balneotherapy in the management of psoriasis, by using the PubMED, Medline and Google Academic research databases and reference cross-checking. Results: 12 articles on acupuncture, 9 on dry or wet cupping, 27 concerning meditation, hypnosis or psychotherapy, and 34 regarding climate therapy or balneotherapy were found. Discussion and Conclusions: Currently, there is a lack of evidence in the English literature to support acupuncture as an effective alternative therapy for psoriasis, whereas cupping has been described in the majority of instances to result in Koebner phenomenon and clinical worsening. Stress management therapies such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, and meditation have shown promising results as complementary treatment methods. Climatotherapy and balneotherapy have already been proven as effective means of achieving clinical improvement in psoriasis. Further research is still needed to verify the usefulness of the lesser studied treatment methods.

Nanotechnology has led to the development of numerous new systems for drug delivery into the target tissue, as well as novel methods that may be useful in the treatment of liver fibrosis. Inorganic and organic nanoparticles (NPs) are currently used in medical investigations and in the treatment of liver diseases, with adverse reactions observed in some cases. A revised treatment procedure involving NPs is necessary to develop future drug delivery systems having minimal noxious effects on the hepatic cells that take up and metabolize these particles in a different manner, in order to find the medication that is capable of blocking and even reversing fibrosis in an inflamed liver. In addition, the administered medication should not induce systemic responses against the NPs used in the treatment.

In urban areas, the diesel-fuelled and bio-fuelled vehicles represent the major sources of nanoparticles complemented by nanotechnology with different types of particles, in addition to natural and to other anthropogenic sources. The atmospheric nanoparticles differ in composition, size, shape or oxidant capacity, presenting a large variability that causes difficulties in their measurements and health impact identification. The oxidative stress can be initiated by atmospheric nanoparticles through different mechanisms: interaction between nanoparticles and tissue cells, cellular internalisation of nanoparticles, activation of signalling pathways, decrease of the cellular antioxidants, activation of the pro-inflammatory cascade, lipid peroxidation, activation of cellular signalling pathway that leads to apoptosis, etc. Ultrafine particles (<100 nm) represent ~80% of the total atmospheric particles and produce inflammation through oxidative stress mechanisms. The atmospheric nanoparticles can penetrate the skin and can be inhaled or ingested affecting different organs and leading to different diseases: neurodegeneration, thrombogenesis, atherosclerosis, asthma, lung cancer, heart arrest, etc.