This study proposes a novel strategy to reduce fibrotic barrier and enhance efficacy of chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer.

Hydrogel-based wound dressings are often chosen for healing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) in combination with herbal extracts. Moringa oleifera leaf (MOL) extract is a potent herb containing antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory bioactive substances. In this work, wound dressings based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), MOL extract, and graphene oxide (GO) were developed for DFU wound dressing. The PVA/MOL/GO hydrogel was synthesized using four cycles of a freeze–thaw process with varying concentrations of MOL extract. All hydrogels showed a water content of 83–88% and an equilibrium swelling ratio between 155–171%. After degradation in phosphate-buffered saline, the hydrogels showed a more open porous structure. We observed a degradation rate of 26–28%. Although the increase in MOL extract reduced the tensile strength of the hydrogel, the addition of GO increased the tensile strength. The PVA/MOL/GO hydrogel showed the highest antibacterial activity, with a reduction of 94% Gram-positive S. aureus and 82% Gram-negative E. coli. Finally, all samples possessed appropriate cytocompatibility with cell viability reaching 83–135% in 3T3L1 mouse fibroblast cells. This result was verified by in vitro wound-healing analysis performed by scratch assay. This study presents the potency of combined PVA, MOL, and GO as a biocompatible DFU wound dressing.

Nano Zirconia (ZrO₂) has been used in dental implants due to having excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility that match the requirements for the purpose. Zirconia undergoes phase transformation during heating: monoclinic (room temperature to 1170 °C), tetragonal (1170 °C to 2370 °C), and cubic (>2370 °C). Most useful mechanical properties can be obtained when zirconia is in a multiphase form or in partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ), which is achieved by adding small amounts of a metal oxide dopant, such as MgO (magnesia). This study aimed to synthesize nano Mg-PSZ from a local resource found in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, and examine its structural stability, biochemical stability, and mechanical properties. Nano Mg-PSZ was prepared from a zircon local to Indonesia, from West Kalimantan Province, MgSO₄∙7H₂O, and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000 was used as a template. The obtained t-ZrO₂ after calcination at 800 °C was shown to be stable at room temperature. The highest percentage of the t-ZrO₂ phase was obtained at Zr_0.95Mg_0.05O₂ with a variation of 99.5%. The hardness of Mg-PSZ increased from 554 MPa for ZrO₂ without MgO doping to 5266 MPa for ZrO₂ with a doping of 10% MgO. An in vitro biodegradation test showed that the greater the concentration of MgO in doping the ZrO₂, the greater the degradation resistance of Mg-PSZ in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution.

The tumor–stroma interaction contributes to the aggressive and resistance nature of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), leading to treatment failure. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a key cell type in the stroma, produce abundant extracellular matrix (ECM) and exhibit crosstalk with cancer cells inducing chemoresistance. In this study, we designed a cyclic peptide (cyAV3.3) targeting integrin α5 (ITGA5) to disrupt CAF-induced desmoplasia and crosstalk with cancer cells. In vitro, cyAV3.3 inhibited the differentiation of pancreatic stellate cells into CAFs and reduced ECM production. In 3D co-cultured human spheroid models, the peptide decreased markers of resistance (ABCG1, BCL2, CXCR4), stemness (WNT1, CD44) and ECM remodeling (COL1A1, MMP2/9, LOX) and enhanced gemcitabine efficacy. In vivo, radiolabeled cyAV3.3 exhibited high tumor accumulation and retention following parenteral injections in a co-injection xenograft tumor model. Intriguingly, combination of cyAV3.3 with gemcitabine resulted in improved therapeutic efficacy of gemcitabine in co-injection xenograft and genetically engineered LSL-Kras^G12D/+LSL-Trp53^R172H/+Pdx1-Cre (KPC) PDAC models. These effects were attributed to reduced desmoplasia, vasculature compression and enhanced infiltration of cytotoxic T cells and apoptosis. This study presents a novel cyclic peptide inhibiting ITGA5-mediated tumor–stroma interaction and thereby reduce desmoplasia and resistance, ultimately enhancing chemotherapy efficacy in PDAC.

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid membranes developed for guided bone regeneration (GBR) in dental care have the shortcoming of not being rigid enough to withstand soft tissue stress during healing, which may significantly affect the bone formation process. This study aims to overcome the lack of mechanical properties of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) membranes for GBR by using cellulose nanofibers to reinforce the membranes. The manufacture of cellulose nanofibers begins with the wood pulping process of oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) residue. The fibers were then oxidized using the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) system at pH 10-11 and mechanically disintegrated using ultrasonication to produce nano-sized fibers (denoted as TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers – TOCNs). The resulting TOCNs were incorporated into PLGA at concentrations of 0.4%, 0.8%, and 1.0% (wt/wt). The incorporation of TOCNs modified PLGA membranes, increasing surface texture and crystallinity, as confirmed by SEM, XRD, and FTIR. Membranes thinned with TOCNs addition, with pore size/volume peaking at 0.4% loading (6.31 nm, 0.23 cm³/g), then reverting towards neat PLGA values at 1.0%. Optimal tensile strength was noted for 0.8% TOCNs. PLGA-TOCNs composites degraded slower than neat PLGA. The research results are expected to support the use of renewable natural fibers as reinforcement for PLGA membranes. The TOCNs can effectively modify PLGA membrane properties, offering potential for tailoring these materials for biomedical applications.