{"title":"Cell-imprinted substrates as biomimetic platforms for osteoarthritis modeling with mesenchymal stem cells.","authors":"Hanieh Sadat Hashemi Motahar, Mojtaba Tajbakhsh, Mahboobeh Tavassoli, Shahin Bonakdar, Mohammad Reza Sadeghi","doi":"10.34172/bi.32628","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/bi.32628","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p></p><p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The objective of this study is twofold: first, to investigate the relationship between chondrocyte morphology and their own gene and protein expression profiles in healthy and osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage; and second, to assess whether replicating the morphology of OA chondrocytes (OACs) can induce a hypertrophic expression pattern in MSCs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates were fabricated to replicate the morphologies of human OACs and healthy chondrocytes (HCs). MSCs were cultured on these imprinted substrates, and differentiation was assessed using real-time PCR, immunocytochemistry, Alcian blue/Safranin O staining, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>SEM and optical microscopy revealed that OACs had a larger surface area than HCs. Real-time PCR analysis showed morphology-dependent variations in the expression of cartilage- and OA-related markers, with statistically significant differences observed only for <i>SOX9</i>. Immunofluorescence analysis of collagen types I and II supported these findings, though visual inspection of the staining did not indicate any significant changes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results show that OACs-imprinted substrates can be effectively combined with other methods to improve in vitro models of OA. This offers a useful tool for exploring disease mechanisms and potential therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":48614,"journal":{"name":"Bioimpacts","volume":"15 ","pages":"32628"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12913206/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146229126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioimpactsPub Date : 2025-12-14eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.34172/bi.32630
Qian Wang
{"title":"Targeted therapy for liver cancer: Current status and future directions.","authors":"Qian Wang","doi":"10.34172/bi.32630","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/bi.32630","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Because of its intrinsic tumor heterogeneity, poor response to traditional chemotherapy, and lack of viable molecular targets, liver cancer mostly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to be a major worldwide health concern. With a focus on molecular processes, resistance routes, and combination therapy approaches, this review provides a thorough analysis of the status and new advancements in targeted therapeutics for liver cancer. By blocking the mechanisms that lead to angiogenesis and tumor growth, first-line systemic treatments, such the multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) lenvatinib and sorafenib, have shown moderate improvements in survival. However, their long-term efficacy is significantly reduced by intrinsic and acquired resistance, which is why second-line medications like regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab are being studied. When combined with anti-VEGF treatments, parallel developments in immunotherapy, in particular immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as atezolizumab and nivolumab, have shown promising outcomes. The review highlights the role of the tumor microenvironment, epigenetic regulators including EZH2 and HDACs, and key oncogenic drivers and aberrant signaling cascades in HCC, such as the Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathways. It also covers metabolic vulnerabilities, DNA damage response pathways, and new targets including FGFR4, AXL, and c-MET. To get around resistance mechanisms and improve therapeutic effectiveness, special attention is paid to logical combination treatments, which include combining targeted medicines with ICIs, irradiation, or synthetic lethality techniques. In the end, the review promotes the combination of dynamic molecular profiling and biomarker-driven precision medicine to enhance patient stratification, improve treatment decision-making, and provide long-lasting clinical effects. A strategic foundation for future advancements and individualized treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma is provided by this comprehensive synthesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":48614,"journal":{"name":"Bioimpacts","volume":"15 ","pages":"32630"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12913208/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146229296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Immune-modulatory biomimetic nanoparticles: Advances in design, mechanisms, and nanomedicine applications.","authors":"Somayeh Vandghanooni, Parniya Kehtari, Niloufar Ahdeno","doi":"10.34172/bi.33124","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/bi.33124","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The development of biomimetic nanoparticles (NPs) represents an innovative approach to address the lacks of conventional drug delivery systems. This advancement demonstrates promising potential in immunotherapy. Biomimetic NPs imitate biological structures to improve the effectiveness of drug delivery and enhance interactions with cancer cells. Their beneficial features include biocompatibility, long circulation time, tissue specificity, enhanced drug absorption, and low toxicity. Recent advancements confirm the efficacy of biomimetic NPs especially cell-membrane coated biomimetic NPs in immune modulation in cancer and inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, their integration with innovative gene engineering techniques, such as mRNA therapeutics and CRISPR-Cas9, for immune system targeting represents a novel therapeutic approach. This editorial explains the potential of biomimetic NPs in tumor immunotherapy and precision medicine, as well as the challenges they face in clinical translation, including biodistribution, long-term biosafety, the risk of unexpected activation of the immune system and scalability. Future recommendations emphasize the use of advanced biosensing tracking systems and the standardization of production for medicinal translation. BioImpacts invites researchers and scholars involved in this interdisciplinary field to collaborate to advance innovation at the intersection of nanotechnology and immunology.</p>","PeriodicalId":48614,"journal":{"name":"Bioimpacts","volume":"15 ","pages":"33124"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12907506/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146214704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioimpactsPub Date : 2025-12-09eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.34172/bi.33140
Ailar Nakhlband
{"title":"Organoid-engineered neurovascular units for drug discovery and neurodegeneration research.","authors":"Ailar Nakhlband","doi":"10.34172/bi.33140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/bi.33140","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The highly selective permeability of the human blood-brain barrier presents a major obstacle to neurological disease modeling. Established 2D cell cultures and animal models are unable to accurately reproduce the physiological and molecular features of the human blood-brain barrier, limiting the translation of bench to bedside. Recent advances in the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells and organoid engineering have enabled the development of more physiologically relevant <i>in vitro</i> brain models for studying blood-brain barrier function. Blood-brain barrier organoids, mimic key structural and functional features of the blood-brain barrier. Moreover, integration of blood brain barrier organoids with brain organoids or microphysiological systems allows the formation of functional neurovascular units that better represent <i>in vivo</i> conditions. The development of scalable, reproducible, and partially vascularized blood-brain barrier organoid models holds promise for high-throughput drug discovery platforms, and the development of personalized therapeutic strategies for central nervous system disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":48614,"journal":{"name":"Bioimpacts","volume":"15 ","pages":"33140"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12913201/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146229221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioimpactsPub Date : 2025-12-07eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.34172/bi.30813
Ali Reza Shafiee-Kandjani, Ali Bazzaz Haghighat Talab, Sara Farhang, Dariush Shanehbandi, Milad Asadi, Ailar Nakhlband
{"title":"Exploring the potential of tubulin-associated unit protein as a biomarker for schizophrenia.","authors":"Ali Reza Shafiee-Kandjani, Ali Bazzaz Haghighat Talab, Sara Farhang, Dariush Shanehbandi, Milad Asadi, Ailar Nakhlband","doi":"10.34172/bi.30813","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/bi.30813","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p></p><p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Schizophrenia is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric disease characterized by various causes and symptoms. The tau protein is recognized as a biomarker that plays a crucial role in neurocognitive and neurodegenerative diseases. Given the presence of cognitive symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia, the objective of this study was to measure to evaluate the diagnostic potential of measuring serum levels of total tau and phosphorylated tau in patients with schizophrenia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 40 patients with schizophrenia who met the inclusion criteria were selected, along with 40 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. Written consent was obtained from all participants, and blood samples were collected to measure the serum levels of total tau protein and phosphorylated tau. The obtained data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods with SPSS 23 software.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was no statistically significant disparity detected in the serum concentrations of total and phosphorylated tau protein when comparing individuals with schizophrenia to those without the disorder.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that total tau protein and phosphorylated tau cannot be considered as diagnostic biomarkers for schizophrenia. Furthermore, the findings of this study do not support the presence of neuroanalysis in schizophrenia.</p>","PeriodicalId":48614,"journal":{"name":"Bioimpacts","volume":"15 ","pages":"30813"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12913204/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146229283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioimpactsPub Date : 2025-12-01eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.34172/bi.33066
Morteza Eskandani
{"title":"Artificial intelligence-guided nanoparticle design for advanced targeted drug delivery.","authors":"Morteza Eskandani","doi":"10.34172/bi.33066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/bi.33066","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This editorial aimed to explore the critical role of artificial intelligence (AI) in accurately predicting the structural design of nanoparticles (NPs) during targeted therapy of diseases. Based on experience, it is always surprising that perfect control of NP properties-including size, zeta potential, type, and surface modifications-using smart tools, will be more critical for optimal outcomes than trial and error. It is envisioned that the AI will change the game by predicting NPs' behavior, optimizing formulations, and speeding up clinical trials via the use of supervised learning, deep neural networks, graph neural networks, and generative models. In this context, various AI have led to an increase in drug loading efficiency and mRNA medication delivery. To achieve personalized therapy using NPs, however, issues including data quality, model interpretability, ethical frameworks, and multidisciplinary cooperation should be resolved. To enhance human knowledge and facilitate safer and more precise advancements in healthcare, this editorial urges the proper integration of AI in pharmaceutical/medical nanotechnology.</p>","PeriodicalId":48614,"journal":{"name":"Bioimpacts","volume":"15 ","pages":"33066"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12913199/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146229181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioimpactsPub Date : 2025-12-01eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.34172/bi.33063
Parinaz Nezhad-Mokhtari
{"title":"Designing nanoconfined entanglements in hydrogels: Mechanisms, mechanical performance, and self-healing strategies.","authors":"Parinaz Nezhad-Mokhtari","doi":"10.34172/bi.33063","DOIUrl":"10.34172/bi.33063","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recently, hydrogels, ionogels, and organogels have emerged as promising 3D hydrophilic networks for biological tissues, but a main challenge remains: balancing mechanical robustness with self-healing materials. The primary objective of this brief perspective is to highlight a few nanoconfined entanglements approaches (i.e., polymer networks under co-planar nanoconfinement) that can lead to stable hydrogels with high modulus and effective self-healing properties. This editorial proposes that this nanoconfinement-based design paradigm marks a groundbreaking advance in soft materials development by basically uncoupling dynamic reconfigurability and stiffness. The broader applications include medical implants, wearable sensors, soft robotics, and adaptive biomimetic materials. In the future, these approaches can aid in designing hybrid materials that integrate colloidal materials, respond to multiple stimuli, and be tailored for real-world devices. The editorial article also discusses current challenges and future perspectives in advancing nanoconfined entanglement constructions as a promising candidate for the next generation of smart materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":48614,"journal":{"name":"Bioimpacts","volume":"15 ","pages":"33063"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12705281/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145775816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enantioselective analysis of metoprolol in plasma of hypertensive patients undergoing long-term therapy: Insights for personalized medicine.","authors":"Behrouz Seyfinejad, Kimiya Jouyban, Jalil Houshyar, Amirreza Jabbaripour Sarmadian, Abolghasem Jouyban","doi":"10.34172/bi.32645","DOIUrl":"10.34172/bi.32645","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p></p><p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Metoprolol is therapeutically formulated as a racemate with stereoselective pharmacokinetics influenced by CYP2D6 polymorphism. Understanding enantioselective disposition is critical for optimizing therapy in hypertensive patients, particularly during long-term treatment, where metabolic and excretory pathways may interact unpredictably.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study analyzed plasma samples from 18 hypertensive patients on long-term metoprolol therapy using a validated chiral capillary electrophoresis method. Enantiomer concentrations were quantified, and S/R ratios were evaluated alongside patient demographics, dosing regimens, and co-administered drugs. The study design focused on identifying deviations from expected enantiomeric patterns observed in single-dose or short-term multi-dose administration in healthy individuals studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>While most patients (70%) exhibited the anticipated S/R ratio≥1, 30% demonstrated inverted plasma S/R ratios (<1), suggesting altered renal excretion or CYP2D6 saturation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Long-term metoprolol therapy reveals complex enantioselective disposition influenced by metabolic phenotype, renal excretion and drug interactions. The unexpected S/R inversion underscores the need for personalized dosing, particularly in patients with renal impairment or polypharmacy. Enantiomer monitoring may complement pharmacogenomic strategies to optimize therapeutic outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":48614,"journal":{"name":"Bioimpacts","volume":"15 ","pages":"32645"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12705282/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145775797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioimpactsPub Date : 2025-11-29eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.34172/bi.33072
Mohammad Mostafa Pourseif, Seyed Ali Baradaran Hosseini, Seyed Hossein Khoshraftar, Yadollah Omidi
{"title":"The role of bioinformatics algorithms in modern biopharmaceutical design: Progress, challenges, and future perspectives.","authors":"Mohammad Mostafa Pourseif, Seyed Ali Baradaran Hosseini, Seyed Hossein Khoshraftar, Yadollah Omidi","doi":"10.34172/bi.33072","DOIUrl":"10.34172/bi.33072","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bioinformatics algorithms empowered by artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) are revolutionizing biopharmaceutical design and development. These methods accelerate discovery through rapid in silico prediction of protein structure, function, and immunogenicity, reducing experimental cost and time. Generative and hybrid frameworks, especially those combining AI with physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), enable interpretable, mechanism-aware modeling for enzyme kinetics and protein engineering. Multi-omics integration and graph-based network algorithms support systems-level understanding of therapeutic targets. Despite remarkable progress, challenges persist, including limited data for novel modalities, interpretability gaps, and computational scalability. Recent advances such as AlphaFold 3, OpenFold, and NeuralPlexer, alongside evolving FDA and EMA guidelines for AI-derived therapeutics, are helping bridge innovation and clinical translation. The future of drug discovery will rely on synergistic human-algorithm collaboration to ensure responsible, reproducible, and clinically relevant biopharmaceutical innovation.</p>","PeriodicalId":48614,"journal":{"name":"Bioimpacts","volume":"15 ","pages":"33072"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12705280/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145775926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioimpactsPub Date : 2025-11-22eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.34172/bi.33065
Zahra Karimzadeh
{"title":"Recent advances and future prospects of metal organic frameworks (MOF)-based biosensors.","authors":"Zahra Karimzadeh","doi":"10.34172/bi.33065","DOIUrl":"10.34172/bi.33065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As a wide-ranging category of nanostructured materials, metal-organic-frameworks (MOFs) display distinctive characteristics, including uniformly ordered porosity, exceptional stability, and extensive tunability. These attributes enable the strategic design of MOFs in advanced biosensing platforms, including electrochemical and fluorescent biosensors. This editorial discusses the latest developments in MOF-based biosensors, emphasizing structural and surface functionalization strategies, enzyme immobilization, and signal amplification approaches that enhance analytical sensitivity and selectivity. Particular focus is placed on the MOF hybrid nanocomposites and micro/nano-sensing architectures designed to achieve precise control over activity-structure relationships. Moreover, current challenges in accomplishing scalable, biocompatible, and reproducible synthesis as well as in balancing stability with diffusion efficiency are examined. Finally, emerging trends combining computational modeling, advanced characterization, and machine-learning (ML)-guided design are highlighted as pathways toward next-generation analytical and point-of-care sensors with improved performance and broader practical applicability.</p>","PeriodicalId":48614,"journal":{"name":"Bioimpacts","volume":"15 ","pages":"33065"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12663747/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145649817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}