SummaryThe bioactivity of biomaterials is closely related to cell response in contact with them. However, shortly after their insertion, materials are soon covered with proteins that constitute the biological fluids, and which render the direct surface recognition by cells almost impossible. The control of protein adsorption at the interface is therefore desirable. Extracellular matrix proteins are of particular interest in this sense, due to their well-known ability to modulate cell behavior. Particularly, fibronectin plays a leading role, being present in both healthy and injured tissues undergoing healing and regeneration. The aim of the present work is to give an overview on fibronectin and on its involvement in the control of cell behavior providing evidence of its pivotal role in the control of cell adhesion, spreading, migration, proliferation and differentiation. A deep insight into methods to enrich biomaterials surface with fibronectin will be then discussed, as well as new cues on the possibility to design tailored platforms able to specifically retain fibronectin from the surrounding extracellular milieu.

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The detection of salivary molecules associated with pathological and physiological alterations has encouraged the search of novel and non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for oral health evaluation. While genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic profiles of human saliva have been reported, its metabolic composition is a topic of research: metabolites in submandibular/sublingual saliva have never been analyzed systematically. In this study, samples of whole, parotid, and submandibular/sublingual saliva from 20 healthy donors, without dental or periodontal diseases, were examined by nuclear magnetic resonance. We identified metabolites which are differently distributed within the three saliva subtypes (54 in whole, 49 in parotid, and 36 in submandibular/sublingual saliva). Principal component analysis revealed a distinct cluster for whole saliva and a partial overlap for parotid and submandibular/sublingual metabolites. We found exclusive metabolites for each subtype: 2-hydroxy-3-methylvalerate, 3-methyl-glutarate, 3-phenylpropionate, 4-hydroxyphenylacetate, 4-hydroxyphenyllactate, galactose, and isocaproate in whole saliva; caprylate and glycolate in submandibular/sublingual saliva; arginine in parotid saliva. Salivary metabolites were classified into standard and non-proteinogenic amino acids and amines; simple carbohydrates; organic acids; bacterial-derived metabolites. The identification of a salivary gland-specific metabolic composition in healthy people provides the basis to invigorate the search for salivary biomarkers associated with oral and systemic diseases.

We report on the synthesis and characterization of a composite nanostructure based on the coupling of cerium fluoride (CeF3) and zinc oxide (ZnO) for applications in self-lighted photodynamic therapy. Self-lighted photodynamic therapy is a novel approach for the treatment of deep cancers by low doses of X-rays. CeF3 is an efficient scintillator: when illuminated by X-rays it emits UV light by fluorescence at 325 nm. In this work, we simulate this effect by exciting directly CeF3 fluorescence by UV radiation. ZnO is photo-activated in cascade, to produce reactive oxygen species. This effect was recently demonstrated in a physical mixture of distinct nanoparticles of CeF3 and ZnO [Radiat. Meas. (2013) 59:139-143]. Oxide surface provides a platform for rational functionalization, e.g., by targeting molecules for specific tumors. Our composite nanostructure is stable in aqueous media with excellent optical coupling between the two components; we characterize its uptake and its good cell viability, with very low intrinsic cytotoxicity in dark.

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