Magnetic tissue scaffolds are a promising powerful tool for performing interstitial tumor hyperthermia against the residual bone cancer cells, after surgical intervention. The design of the implant architecture is crucial for several biomedical requirements. However, to date, the influence of implant topology on the hyperthermia treatment outcome has never been assessed. Furthermore, the heating ability is a function of sample mass and geometry. In this work, a simple methodology for designing biomimetic scaffolds using triply periodic minimal surfaces is presented. A set of geometries is 3D printed by fused deposition modeling, using a commercial poly-lactic acid filament filled with magnetite particles, never tested for biomedical applications. Magnetic scaffolds were thoroughly characterized by performing static magnetic measurements, differential scanning calorimetric and thermogravimetric analysis, but, mostly, by carrying out calorimetric measurements to determine their hyperthermic potential under different experimental conditions. Numerical multiphysics simulations with a commercial finite element software were performed, resulting in good agreement with the measurements. The scaffolds were exposed to a magnetic field with 15 mT strength, working at 400 kHz, in air, and the surface temperature was recorder using infrared camera. The manufactured magnetic scaffolds can increase the temperature above 41°C (about 54-57°C), in 40-60 s. In distilled water, for a 30 mT magnetic field and 400 kHz, the temperature was recorded using an optic fiber and we observed that all the sample could be used as thermo-seed for cancer therapy. Finally, the scaffolds were tested in agarose phantoms and their hyperthermic potential was quantified.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has emerged as a promising tool for meticulously fabricated scaffolds with high precision and accuracy, resulting in intricately detailed biomimetic 3D structures. Producing magnetic scaffolds with the aid of additive processes, known as 3D printing, reveals multitude and state-of-the-art areas of application such as tissue engineering, bone repair and regeneration, drug delivery and magnetic hyperthermia. A crucial first step is the development of innovative polymeric composite magnetic materials. The current work presents a fabrication protocol of 3D printed polymer-bonded magnets using the Fused Deposition Modeling 3D printing method. Polymer-bonded magnets are defined as composites with permanent-magnet powder embedded in a polymer binder matrix. By using a low-cost mixing extruder, four (4) different filament types of 1.75 mm were fabricated using commercial magnetite magnetic nanoparticles mixed with a pure polylactic acid powder (PLA) and a ferromagnetic PLA (Iron particles included) filaments. The powder mixture of the basic filaments was compounded mixed with the nanoparticles (NPs), and extruded to fabricate the 3D printing filament, which is subsequently characterized structurally and magnetically before the printing process. Magnetic polymer scaffolds are finally printed using composite filaments of different concentration in magnetite. Our results demonstrate that the heating efficiency (expressed in W g⁻¹) of the 3D printed magnetic polymer scaffolds (ranging from 2 to 5.5 W g⁻¹ at magnetic field intensity of 30 mT and field frequency of 365 kHz) can be tuned by choosing either a magnetic or a non-magnetic filament mixed with an amount of magnetite NPs in different concentrations of 10 or 20 wt%. Our work opens up new perspectives for future research, such as the fabrication of complex structures with suitable ferromagnetic custom-made filaments adjusting the mixing of different filaments for the construction of scaffolds aimed at improving the accuracy of magnetic hyperthermia treatment.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease that affects more than 10.5% of the world’s adult population. Biochemical and hematological parameters, such as albumin (ALB) and red cell distribution width (RDW), have been shown to be altered in diabetic patients. This study aimed to correlate hematological and biochemical parameters with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). A total of 777 adults (372 women and 405 men, aged 19–85 years) were divided into three groups: 218 participants with HbA1c < 5.7% (group A: non-diabetic), 226 with HbA1c ≥ 5.7% and <6.5% (group B: prediabetic) and 333 with HbA1c ≥ 6.5% (group C: diabetic). Biochemical and hematological parameters were compared among the three groups. An analysis of variance was performed to determine the correlations of the parameters among the groups. The ALB and sodium (Na) levels were significantly lower in group C than in groups A (ALB: 3.8 g/dL vs. 4.1 g/dL, p < 0.0001, Na: 138.4 mmol/L vs. 139.3 mmol/L, p < 0.001) and B (ALB: 3.8 g/dL vs. 4.0 g/dL, p < 0.0001, Na: 138.4 mmol/L vs. 139.6 mmol/L, p < 0.0001), whereas the RDW-standard deviation (RDW-SD) and urea were increased in group C as compared to group A (RDW: 45.8 vs. 43.9 fL, p < 0.0001, urea: 55.6 mg/dL vs. 38.5 mg/dL, p < 0.0001). The mean platelet volume (MPV) was increased in group C as compared to group A (9.3 fL vs. 9.1 fL, p < 0.05, respectively). Τhe increase in RDW-SD in group A as compared to B and C demonstrates the impact of hyperglycemia on red blood cells. Albumin and RDW might improve risk assessment for the development of diabetes. These results highlight the potential role of these parameters as an indication for prediabetes that would alert for measurement of HbA1c.

During the last couple of critical years, worldwide, there have been more than 550 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, including more than 6 million deaths (reported by the WHO); with respect to these cases, several vaccines, mainly mRNA vaccines, seem to prevent and protect from SARS-CoV-2 infection. We hypothesize that oxidative stress is one of the key factors playing an important role in both the generation and development of various kinds of disease, as well as antibody generation, as many biological paths can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), and cellular activities can be modulated when ROS/antioxidant balance is interrupted. A pilot study was conducted in two stages during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 involving 222 participants between the ages of 26 and 66 years. ROS levels were measured before an after vaccination in the blood samples of 20 individuals who were vaccinated with two doses of mRNA vaccine, and an increase in ROS levels was observed after the first dose, with no modifications observed until the day before the second vaccination dose. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) was observed between time points 3 and 4 (before and after second dose), when participants were vaccinated for the second time, and ROS levels decreased from 21,758 to 17,580 a.u. In the second stage, blood was collected from 28 participants 45 days after COVID-19 infection (Group A), from 131 participants 45 days after receiving two doses of mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 (Group B), and from 13 healthy individuals as a control group (Group C). Additionally, antibodies levels were measured in all groups to investigate a possible correlation with ROS levels. A strong negative correlation was found between free radicals and disease antibodies in Group A (r = −0.45, p = 0.001), especially in the male subgroup (r = −0.88, p = 0.001), as well as in the female subgroup (r = −0.24, p < 0.001). Furthermore, no significant correlation (only a negative trend) was found with antibodies derived from vaccination in Group B (r = −0.01), and a negative trend was observed in the female subgroup, whereas a positive trend was observed in the male subgroup.

Malaria and Leishmaniasis are two major parasitic diseases, endemic in large areas of tropical countries with high morbidity and mortality across the world. Nanoparticles in small sizes are specifically considered in medicine due to their ability to enter the cells, control the distribution of the administered drug and carry the drug specifically to the place of action. The present study aims to introduce the application of silica nanoparticles as new promising nanotools in malaria and leishmaniasis treatment. Ion doped silica nanomaterials revealed antileishmanial activities indicating the positive role of calcium, magnesium and copper to the surface of the particles against Leishmania parasites. Artemisinin-loaded nanoparticles presented the most promising antiparasitic properties with a sustained release able to overcome the parasite invasion. The sustainable release of artemisinin guarantee both the maintenance of its potential efficacy and also introduce an administration of drug to avoid subsequent drug resistance.

Glass-ceramic nanopowder with a composition of 55SiO₂-35CaO-10MgO (mol %) was synthesized by the sol–gel method and was heat treated at three temperatures (T1 = 835 °C, T2 = 1000 °C, T3 = 1100 °C) in order to obtain different materials (C1, C2, C3, respectively) varying in crystal structure. Bioactivity and oxidative stress were evaluated in simulated body fluid (SBF) for various time periods (up to 10 days). The structure of the synthesized materials and their apatite-forming ability were investigated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). The antibacterial properties of the synthesized materials were evaluated against three Gram-positive and four Gram-negative bacterial strains and their biocompatibility was verified on a primary cell line of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) by the MTT (3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. The crystallization of the materials was increased by sintering temperature. Heat treatment did not inhibit the bioactive behavior of the materials as apatite formation started after 3 days in SBF. C2, C3 showed some indications of apatite forming even from the first day. Regarding cell viability, a variety of biological behaviors, concerning both dose and time points, was observed between the positive control and the tested materials by both the MTT assay and oxidative stress analysis. In conclusion, the nanobioceramic materials of this study possess a multitude of attractive physicochemical and biological properties that make them suitable candidates for bone regeneration applications, fillers in nanocomposite scaffolds, or as grafts in bone cavities and periodontal lesions.