Enhancement of BMP-2 and VEGF carried by mineralized collagen for mandibular bone regeneration

Repairing damage in the craniofacial skeleton is challenging.Craniofacial bones require intramembranous ossification to generate tissue-engineered bone grafts via angiogenesis and osteogenesis.Here,we designed a mineralized collagen delivery system for BMP-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)for implantation into animal models of mandibular defects.BMP-2/VEGF were mixed with mineralized collagen which was implanted into the rabbit mandibular.Animals were divided into(i)controls with no growth factors;(ii)BMP-2 alone;or(iii)BMP-2 and VEGF combined.CT and hisomputed tomography and histological staining were performed to assess bone repair.New bone formation was higher in BMP-2 and BMP-2-VEGF groups in which angiogenesis and osteogenesis were enhanced.This highlights the use of mineralized collagen with BMP-2/VEGF as an effective alternative for bone regeneration.

Gene mutation analysis and immune checkpoint therapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICI),represented by blocked programmed cell death-1(PD-1),is a group of novel medicines for anti-tumor immunotherapy.It has been approved by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration(FDA)in recent years for relapsed or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC),and brings promising treatment prospects.However,the instability caused by tumor gene mutations significantly compromises the therapeutic effect of ICI.Therefore,the identification and analysis of HNSCC gene mutations can further guide and optimize the application of ICIs in HNSCC.In this study,we preliminarily described the clinical research progress of ICI therapy and the potential immune escape mechanism in HNSCC.An overview of complete HNSCC gene mutation results was generated from the bioinformatics study of TCGA database to further explain and analyze the relevant molecular mechanisms,which may aid in designing future personalized therapeutic strategies for HNSCC patients.

Mechanical properties and biocompatibility of polymer infiltrated sodium aluminum silicate restorative composites

A new type of polymer-infiltrated-ceramic-network composites (PICNs) was fabricated by infiltrating methacrylate-based monomers into partially sintered porous ceramics.The mechanical properties (flexural strength,flexural modulus,elastic modulus,Vickers hardness,fracture toughness) were investigated and compared with that of the natural tooth and common commercial CAD/CAM blocks.Our results indicated that sintering temperature and corresponding density of porous ceramics have an obvious influence on the mechanical properties,and PICNs could highly mimic the natural tooth in mechanical properties.The biocompatibility experiments evaluated through in vitro cell attachment and proliferation of BMSCs showed good biocompatibility.The mechanical properties and biocompatibility confirmed that PICN could be a promising candidate for CAD/CAM blocks for dental restoration.