The three-dimensional (3D) multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTs) model is becoming an essential tool in cancer research as it expresses an intermediate complexity between 2D monolayer models and in vivo solid tumors. MCTs closely resemble in vivo solid tumors in many aspects, such as the heterogeneous architecture, internal gradients of signaling factors, nutrients, and oxygenation. MCTs have growth kinetics similar to those of in vivo tumors, and the cells in spheroid mimic the physical interaction of the tumors, such as cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix interactions. These similarities provide great potential for studying the biological properties of tumors and a promising platform for drug screening and therapeutic efficacy evaluation. However, MCTs are not well adopted as preclinical tools for studying tumor behavior and therapeutic efficacy up to now. In this review, we addressed the challenges with MCTs application and discussed various efforts to overcome the challenges.

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure (NAP) plasma has demonstrated potential in biomedical applications, such as cancer treatment, bactericidal sterilization, and cell growth promotion or inhibition. In this study, for the first time, we demonstrated on–off switching of cell cycle progression and regulated melanogenesis in normal human skin melanocytes by NAP plasma-activated medium (PAM). The melanocytes were exposed to NAP plasma at durations varying from 0 to 20 min, and the effects of PAM on cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and melanogenesis were investigated. Although PAM showed no cytotoxicity, the proliferation of melanocytes was inhibited. The melanocyte cell cycle was arrested by PAM for a relatively short period (48 h), after which it recovered slowly. PAM promoted melanogenesis through the activation of the enzymes tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1, and tyrosinase-related protein-2. These effects seem to be related to reactive oxygen species induced by PAM. Our finding that PAM modulates the cell cycle may provide insight into the recurrence of cancer. The regulation of the melanogenesis of melanocytes may facilitate the control of skin tone without incurring negative side effects.

Microfluidics is considered an important technology that is suitable for numerous biomedical applications, including cancer diagnosis, metastasis, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. Although microfluidics is still considered to be a new approach in urological research, several pioneering studies have been reported in recent years. In this paper, we reviewed urological research works using microfluidic devices. Microfluidic devices were used for the detection of prostate and bladder cancer and the characterization of cancer microenvironments. The potential applications of microfluidics in urinary analysis and sperm sorting were demonstrated. The use of microfluidic devices in urology research can provide high-throughput, high-precision, and low-cost analyzing platforms.

Background Red ginseng contains components, including microelements, vitamins, essential oils, and fatty acids, that can be used in skincare to delay the aging process. We investigated the effects of red ginseng treatment on skin elasticity by assessing cellular stiffness and measuring collagen protein synthesis. Methods Human dermal fibroblasts were treated with red ginseng, and the resulting changes in stiffness were investigated using atomic force microscopy. Cytoskeletal changes and mRNA expression of biomarkers of aging, including that of procollagens I and VII, elastin, and fibrillin-1, were investigated. Collagen in a human skin equivalent treated with red ginseng was visualized via hematoxylin and eosin staining, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Results and conclusion The stiffness of fibroblasts was significantly reduced by treatment with red ginseng concentrations of ≥ 0.8 mg/mL. The ratio of F-actin to G-actin decreased after treatment, which corresponded to a change in fibroblast stiffness. The storage modulus ( G ′) and loss modulus ( G ″) of the skin equivalent were both lowered by red ginseng treatment. This result indicates that the viscoelasticity of the skin equivalent can be restored by red ginseng treatment.

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