Purpose: Non-healing or slow healing chronic wounds are among serious complications of diabetes that eventually result in amputation of limbs and increased morbidities and mortalities. Chronic diabetic wounds show reduced blood vessel formation (lack of angiogenesis), inadequate cell proliferation and poor cell migration near wounds. In this paper, we report the development of a hydrogel-based novel wound dressing material loaded with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to promote cell proliferation, cell migration and angiogenesis for wound healing applications. Methods: Gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) based hydrogels loaded with different concentrations of rGO were fabricated by UV crosslinking. Morphological and physical characterizations (porosity, degradation, and swelling) of rGO incorporated GelMA hydrogel was performed. In vitro cell proliferation, cell viability and cell migration potential of the hydrogels were analyzed by MTT assay, live/dead staining, and wound healing scratch assay respectively. Finally, in vivo chicken embryo angiogenesis (CEO) testing was performed to evaluate the angiogenic potential of the prepared hydrogel. Results: The experimental results showed that the developed hydrogel possessed enough porosity and exudate-absorbing capacity. The biocompatibility of prepared hydrogel on three different cell lines (3T3 fibroblasts, EA.hy926 endothelial cells, and HaCaT keratinocytes) was confirmed by in vitro cell culture studies (live/dead assay). The GelMA hydrogel containing 0.002% w/w rGO considerably increased the proliferation and migration of cells as evident from MTT assay and wound healing scratch assay. Furthermore, rGO impregnated GelMA hydrogel significantly enhanced the angiogenesis in the chick embryo model. Conclusion: The positive effect of 0.002% w/w rGO impregnated GelMA hydrogels on angiogenesis, cell migration and cell proliferation suggests that these formulations could be used as a functional wound healing material for the healing of chronic wounds.

The biosynthesis of algal-based zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles has shown several advantages over traditional physico-chemical methods, such as lower cost, less toxicity, and greater sustainability. In the current study, bioactive molecules present in Spirogyra hyalina extract were exploited for the biofabrication and capping of ZnO NPs, using zinc acetate dihydrate and zinc nitrate hexahydrate as precursors. The newly biosynthesized ZnO NPs were characterized for structural and optical changes through UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). A color change in the reaction mixture from light yellow to white indicated the successful biofabrication of ZnO NPs. The UV-Vis absorption spectrum peaks at 358 nm (from zinc acetate) and 363 nm (from zinc nitrate) of ZnO NPs confirmed that optical changes were caused by a blue shift near the band edges. The extremely crystalline and hexagonal Wurtzite structure of ZnO NPs was confirmed by XRD. The involvement of bioactive metabolites from algae in the bioreduction and capping of NPs was demonstrated by FTIR investigation. The SEM results revealed spherical-shaped ZnO NPs. In addition to this, the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of the ZnO NPs was investigated. ZnO NPs showed remarkable antibacterial efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The DPPH test revealed the strong antioxidant activity of ZnO NPs.

Cancer is one of the foremost causes of death worldwide. Cancer develops because of mutation in genes that regulate normal cell cycle and cell division, thereby resulting in uncontrolled division and proliferation of cells. Various drugs have been used to treat cancer thus far; however, conventional chemotherapeutic drugs have lower bioavailability, rapid renal clearance, unequal delivery, and severe side effects. In the recent years, nanotechnology has flourished rapidly and has a multitude of applications in the biomedical field. Bio-mediated nanoparticles (NPs) are cost effective, safe, and biocompatible and have got substantial attention from researchers around the globe. Due to their safe profile and fewer side effects, these nanoscale materials offer a promising cure for cancer. Currently, various metallic NPs have been designed to cure or diagnose cancer; among these, silver (Ag), gold (Au), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) are the leading anti-cancer NPs. The anticancer potential of these NPs is attributed to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cellular compartments that eventually leads to activation of autophagic, apoptotic and necrotic death pathways. In this review, we summarized the recent advancements in the biosynthesis of Ag, Au, Zn and Cu NPs with emphasis on their mechanism of action. Moreover, nanotoxicity, as well as the future prospects and opportunities of nano-therapeutics, are also highlighted.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) techniques can perform analysis of transcriptome at the single-cell level and possess an unprecedented potential for exploring signatures involved in tumor development and progression. These techniques can perform sequence analysis of transcripts with a better resolution that could increase understanding of the cellular diversity found in the tumor microenvironment and how the cells interact with each other in complex heterogeneous cancerous tissues. Identifying the changes occurring in the genome and transcriptome in the spatial context is considered to increase knowledge of molecular factors fueling cancers. It may help develop better monitoring strategies and innovative approaches for cancer treatment. Recently, there has been a growing trend in the integration of RNA-seq techniques with contemporary omics technologies to study the tumor microenvironment. There has been a realization that this area of research has a huge scope of application in translational research. This review article presents an overview of various types of single-cell RNA-seq techniques used currently for analysis of cancer tissues, their pros and cons in bulk profiling of transcriptome, and recent advances in the techniques in exploring heterogeneity of various types of cancer tissues. Furthermore, we have highlighted the integration of single-cell RNA-seq techniques with other omics technologies for analysis of transcriptome in their spatial context, which is considered to revolutionize the understanding of tumor microenvironment.