MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three categories of materials, namely, test group 1 (cGIC or type IX GIC), test group 2 (HA-GIC or hydroxyapatite-added GIC), and positive control (glass cover slips) were incubated with human periodontal ligament fibroblasts. The samples were viewed under scanning electron microscope to study the morphological characteristics of fibroblasts. Additionally, elemental analysis was performed to differentiate between the two test groups based on surface chemical composition.

RESULTS: Test group 1 (cGIC) exhibited cells with curled up morphology, indicative of poor attachment to the substrate. Test group 2 (Ha-GIC) exhibited cells with flattened morphology and numerous cellular extensions such as lamellipodia and blebs, indicative of good attachment to the substrate. The test group 2 (Ha-GIC) demonstrated higher surface elemental percentages of calcium and phosphorus.

CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study, it may be concluded that hydroxyapatite-added GIC is more biocompatible than conventional GIC (type IX), probably attributed to high elemental percentages of calcium and phosphorus.

MATERIALS & METHODS: Niosomes were prepared using film hydration and ultrasonication methods. Transferrin was coupled to the surface of niosomes via chemical linker. Nanovesicles were characterized for size, zeta potential, morphology, stability and biological efficacy.

RESULTS: When evaluated in MDA-MB-231 cells, entrapment of T3 in niosomes caused 1.5-fold reduction in IC50 value compared with nonformulated T3. In vivo, the average tumor volume of mice treated with tumor-targeted niosomes was 12-fold lower than that of untreated group, accompanied by marked downregulation of three genes involved in metastasis.

OBJECTIVES: This paper focused on how the refractive index based nanobio-sensoring gold platform can produce more efficient, adaptable and more practical detection techniques to observe molecular interactions at high degree of sensitivity. It discusses surface chemistry approach, optimisation of the refractive index of gold platform and manipulation of gold geometry augmenting signal quality.

METHODS: In a normal-incidence reflectivity, r0 can be calculated using the Fresnel equation. Particularly at λ = 470 nm the ratio of r / r0 showed significant amplitude reduction mainly stemmed from the imaginary part of the Au refractive index. Hence, the fraction of reduction, Δr = 1 - r / r0. Experimentally, in a common reference frame reflectivity of a bare gold surface, R0 is compared with the reflectivity of gold surface in the presence of biolayer, R. The reduction rate (%) of reflectivity, ΔR = 1 - R / R0 is denoted as the AR signal. The method therefore enables quantitative measurement of the surface-bound protein by converting ΔR to the thickness, d, and subsequently the protein mass. We discussed four strategies to improve the AR signal by changing the effective refractive index of the biosensing platform. They are; a) Thickness optimisation of Au thin layer, b) Au / Ag bimetallic layer, c) composing alloy or Au composite, and d) Au thinlayer with nano or micro holes.

RESULTS: As the result we successfully 'move' the refractive index, ε of the AR platform (gold only) to ε = -0.948 + 3.455i, a higher sensitivity platform. This was done by composing Au-Ag2O composite with ratio = 1:1. The results were compared to the potential sensitivity improvement of the AR substrate using other that could be done by further tailoring the ε advanced method.