Fluorescent‐magnetic‐biotargeting multifunctional microcapsules (FMBMMs) are designed and fabricated via layer‐by‐layer assembly. It is found that the arginine‐glycine‐aspartate‐modified FMBMMs were capable of sensitively detecting and efficiently isolating approximately 80% target cancer cells within 20 min. More importantly, FMBMMs present a general template for identifying and separating multiple types of cancer cells simply by altering the recognition motif.
Affinity‐based drug delivery systems utilize interactions between the therapeutic drug and the delivery system to manipulate drug loading and to control drug release. In this paper, affinity‐based drug delivery system syntheses, types of therapeutic factors delivered, and delivery system loading and release are discussed in detail. The paper is divided into three subsections, based on the type of delivery system: molecular imprinting systems, growth‐factor delivery, and cyclodextrin‐based delivery. The objective of this paper is to examine the current state of research, highlight the breakthroughs and challenges, point out potential impacts of this relatively new technology, and explore future developmental areas.
The promising potential of a RAD‐16 self‐assembly‐peptide hydrogel as a scaffold for tissue‐engineered cartilage was investigated. Within 3 weeks of in vitro culture, chondrocytes within the hydrogel produced a high amount of GAG and type‐II collagen, which are the components of cartilage‐specific extracellular matrix (ECM). With the culture time increased, toluidine‐blue staining for GAG and immuno‐histochemistry staining for type‐II collagen of the chondrocytes‐hydrogel composites became more intense. Analysis of the gene expression of the ECM molecules also confirmed the chondrocytes in the peptide hydrogel maintained their phenotype within 3 weeks of in vitro culture.
