This review focuses on the expanding role of marine collagen (MC)-based scaffolds for biomedical applications. A scaffold—a three-dimensional (3D) structure fabricated from biomaterials—is a key supporting element for cell attachment, growth, and maintenance in 3D cell culture and tissue engineering. The mechanical and biological properties of the scaffolds influence cell morphology, behavior, and function. MC, collagen derived from marine organisms, offers advantages over mammalian collagen due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, easy extractability, water solubility, safety, low immunogenicity, and low production costs. In recent years, the use of MC as an increasingly valuable scaffold biomaterial has drawn considerable attention from biomedical researchers. The characteristics, isolation, physical, and biochemical properties of MC are discussed as an understanding of MC in optimizing the subsequent modification and the chemistries behind important tissue engineering applications. The latest technologies behind scaffold processing are assessed and the biomedical applications of MC and MC-based scaffolds, including tissue engineering and regeneration, wound dressing, drug delivery, and therapeutic approach for diseases, especially those associated with metabolic disturbances such as obesity and diabetes, are discussed. Despite all the challenges, MC holds great promise as a biomaterial for developing medical products and therapeutics.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a frequently used plasticizer that may be linked to the development of endometriosis, a common gynecological disorder with a profound impact on quality of life. Despite its prevalence, vital access to treatment has often been hampered by a lack of understanding of its pathogenesis as well as reliable disease models. Recently, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been suggested to have a significant role in endometriosis pathophysiology. In this study, we found that DEHP treatment enhanced proliferation, migration, and inflammatory responses, along with EMT and stemness induction in human endometrial and endometriotic cells. The selective transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) receptor type 1/2 inhibitor LY2109761 reversed the DEHP-induced cell proliferation and migration enhancement as well as the increased expression of crucial molecules involved in inflammation, EMT, and stemness, indicating that DEHP-triggered phenomena occur via the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. Our study clearly defines the role of DEHP in the etiology and pathophysiological mechanisms of endometriosis and establishes an efficient disease model for endometriosis using a biomimetic 3D cell culture technique. Altogether, our data provide novel etiological and mechanistic insights into the role of DEHP in endometriosis pathogenesis, opening avenues for developing novel preventive and therapeutic strategies for endometriosis.

Recent attention has focused on the development of an effective three-dimensional (3D) cell culture system enabling the rapid enrichment of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are resistant to therapies and serving as a useful in vitro tumor model that accurately reflects in vivo behaviors of cancer cells. Presently, an effective 3D in vitro model of ovarian cancer (OC) was developed using a marine collagen-based hydrogel. Advantages of the model include simplicity, efficiency, bioactivity, and low cost. Remarkably, OC cells grown in this hydrogel exhibited biochemical and physiological features, including (1) enhanced cell proliferation, migration and invasion, colony formation, and chemoresistance; (2) suppressed apoptosis with altered expression levels of apoptosis-regulating molecules; (3) upregulated expression of crucial multidrug resistance-related genes; (4) accentuated expression of key molecules associated with malignant progression, such as epithelial–mesenchymal transition transcription factors, Notch, and pluripotency biomarkers; and (5) robust enrichment of ovarian CSCs. The findings indicate the potential of our 3D in vitro OC model as an in vitro research platform to study OC and ovarian CSC biology and to screen novel therapies targeting OC and ovarian CSCs.

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) account for the most abundant and dominant stromal component of the thymus, where T cells mature. Oxidative- or cytotoxic-stress associated injury in TECs, a significant and common problem in many clinical settings, may cause a compromised thymopoietic capacity of TECs, resulting in clinically significant immune deficiency disorders or impairment in the adaptive immune response in the body. The present study demonstrated that fish collagen peptides (FCP) increase cell viability, reduce intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and impede apoptosis by repressing the expression of Bax and Bad and the release of cytochrome c, and by upregulating the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in cisplatin-treated TECs. These inhibitory effects of FCP on TEC damage occur via the suppression of ROS generation and MAPK (p38 MAPK, JNK, and ERK) activity. Taken together, our data suggest that FCP can be used as a promising protective agent against cytotoxic insults- or ROS-mediated TEC injury. Furthermore, our findings provide new insights into a therapeutic approach for the future application of FCP in the prevention and treatment of various types of oxidative- or cytotoxic stress-related cell injury in TECs as well as age-related or acute thymus involution.

Recently, the need to develop a robust three-dimensional (3D) cell culture system that serves as a valuable in vitro tumor model has been emphasized. This system should closely mimic the tumor growth behaviors observed in vivo and replicate the key elements and characteristics of human tumors for the effective discovery and development of anti-tumor therapeutics. Therefore, in this study, we developed an effective 3D in vitro model of human prostate cancer (PC) using a marine collagen-based biomimetic 3D scaffold. The model displayed distinctive molecular profiles and cellular properties compared with those of the 2D PC cell culture. This was evidenced by (1) increased cell proliferation, migration, invasion, colony formation, and chemoresistance; (2) upregulated expression of crucial multidrug-resistance- and cancer-stemness-related genes; (3) heightened expression of key molecules associated with malignant progressions, such as epithelial–mesenchymal transition transcription factors, Notch, matrix metalloproteinases, and pluripotency biomarkers; (4) robust enrichment of prostate cancer stem cells (CSCs); and (5) enhanced expression of integrins. These results suggest that our 3D in vitro PC model has the potential to serve as a research platform for studying PC and prostate CSC biology, as well as for screening novel therapies targeting PC and prostate CSCs.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the second most common female reproductive cancer and the most lethal gynecological malignancy worldwide. Most human OCs are characterized by high rates of drug resistance and metastasis, leading to poor prognosis. Improving the outcomes of patients with relapsed and treatment-resistant OC remains a challenge. This study aimed to investigate the role of epidermal growth factor-like domain 8 (EGFL8) in human OC by examining the effects of siRNA-mediated EGFL8 knockdown on cancer progression. EGFL8 knockdown in human OC cells promoted aggressive traits associated with cancer progression, including enhanced proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, chemoresistance, and reduced apoptosis. Additionally, knockdown upregulated the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers (Snail, Twist1, Zeb1, Zeb2, and vimentin) and cancer stem cell biomarkers (Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, KLF4, and ALDH1A1), and increased the expression of matrix metallopeptidases (MMP-2 and MMP-9), drug resistance genes (MDR1 and MRP1), and Notch1. Low EGFL8 expression also correlated with poor prognosis in human OC. Overall, this study provides crucial evidence that EGFL8 inhibits the proliferation and cancer aggressiveness of human OC cells by suppressing ERK/MAPK signaling. Therefore, EGFL8 may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker and a potential target for developing novel human OC therapies.