Myc is a nuclear transcription factor that mainly regulates cell growth, cell cycle, metabolism, and survival. Myc family proteins contain c-Myc, n-Myc, and l-Myc. Among them, c-Myc can become a promising therapeutic target molecule in cancer. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are known to be responsible for the therapeutic resistance. In the previous study, we demonstrated that c-Myc mediates drug resistance of colorectal CSCs using a patient-derived primary three-dimensional (3D) organoid culture. In this review, we mainly focus on the roles of c-Myc-related signaling in the regulation of CSCs, chemotherapy resistance, and colorectal cancer organoids. Finally, we introduce the various types of c-Myc inhibitors and propose the possibility of c-Myc as a therapeutic target against colorectal cancer.

Recently, biomedicine and tissue regeneration have emerged as great advances that impacted the spectrum of healthcare. This left the door open for further improvement of their applications to revitalize the impaired tissues. Hence, restoring their functions. The implementation of therapeutic protocols that merge biomimetic scaffolds, bioactive molecules, and cells plays a pivotal role in this track. Smart/stimuli-responsive hydrogels are remarkable three-dimensional (3D) bioscaffolds intended for tissue engineering and other biomedical purposes. They can simulate the physicochemical, mechanical, and biological characters of the innate tissues. Also, they provide the aqueous conditions for cell growth, support 3D conformation, provide mechanical stability for the cells, and serve as potent delivery matrices for bioactive molecules. Many natural and artificial polymers were broadly utilized to design these intelligent platforms with novel advanced characteristics and tailored functionalities that fit such applications. In the present review, we highlighted the different types of smart/stimuli-responsive hydrogels with emphasis on their synthesis scheme. Besides, the mechanisms of their responsiveness to different stimuli were elaborated. Their potential for tissue engineering applications was discussed. Furthermore, their exploitation in other biomedical applications as targeted drug delivery, smart biosensors, actuators, 3D and 4D printing, and 3D cell culture were outlined. In addition, we threw light on smart self-healing hydrogels and their applications in biomedicine. Eventually, we presented their future perceptions in biomedical and tissue regeneration applications. Conclusively, current progress in the design of smart/stimuli-responsive hydrogels enhances their prospective to function as intelligent, and sophisticated systems in different biomedical applications.

In human and dogs, bladder cancer (BC) is the most common neoplasm affecting the urinary tract. Dog BC resembles human muscle‐invasive BC in histopathological characteristics and gene expression profiles, and could be an important research model for this disease. Cancer patient‐derived organoid culture can recapitulate organ structures and maintains the gene expression profiles of original tumor tissues. In a previous study, we generated dog prostate cancer organoids using urine samples, however dog BC organoids had never been produced. Therefore we aimed to generate dog BC organoids using urine samples and check their histopathological characteristics, drug sensitivity, and gene expression profiles. Organoids from individual BC dogs were successfully generated, expressed urothelial cell markers (CK7, CK20, and UPK3A) and exhibited tumorigenesis in vivo. In a cell viability assay, the response to combined treatment with a range of anticancer drugs (cisplatin, vinblastine, gemcitabine or piroxicam) was markedly different in each BC organoid. In RNA‐sequencing analysis, expression levels of basal cell markers (CK5 and DSG3) and several novel genes (MMP28, CTSE, CNN3, TFPI2, COL17A1, and AGPAT4) were upregulated in BC organoids compared with normal bladder tissues or two‐dimensional (2D) BC cell lines. These established dog BC organoids might be a useful tool, not only to determine suitable chemotherapy for BC diseased dogs but also to identify novel biomarkers in human muscle‐invasive BC. In the present study, for the 1st time, dog BC organoids were generated and several specifically upregulated organoid genes were identified. Our data suggest that dog BC organoids might become a new tool to provide fresh insights into both dog BC therapy and diagnostic biomarkers.