In: BioResearch Open Access, 2015, vol. 4, no. 1, p. 457–468
Epithelial tissue serves as an interface between biological compartments. Many in vitro epithelial cell models have been developed as an alternative to animal experiments to answer a range of research questions. These in vitro models are grown on permeable two-chamber systems; however, commercially available, polymer-based cell culture inserts are around 10 μm thick. Since the basement...
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In: Chemical Society Reviews, 2015, vol. 44, no. 17, p. 6287–6305
Nanomaterials are finding increasing use for biomedical applications such as imaging, diagnostics, and drug delivery. While it is well understood that nanoparticle (NP) physico-chemical properties can dictate biological responses and interactions, it has been difficult to outline a unifying framework to directly link NP properties to expected in vitro and in vivo outcomes. When introduced to...
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In: Scientific Reports, 2015, vol. 5, p. -
Intensive efforts in recent years to develop and commercialize in vitro alternatives in the field of risk assessment have yielded new promising two- and three dimensional (3D) cell culture models. Nevertheless, a realistic 3D in vitro alveolar model is not available yet. Here we report on the biofabrication of the human air-blood tissue barrier analogue composed of an endothelial cell, basement...
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In: ACS Nano, 2014, vol. 8, no. 4, p. 3451–3460
A major contemporary concern in developing effective liposome–nanoparticle hybrids is the present inclusion size limitation of nanoparticles between vesicle bilayers, which is considered to be around 6.5 nm in diameter. In this article, we present experimental observations backed by theoretical considerations which show that greater structures can be incorporated within vesicle membranes by...
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In: Swiss Medical Weekly, 2013, p. -
Due to the constant expansion within the nanotechnology industry in the last decade, nanomaterials are omnipresent in society today. Nanotechnology-based products have numerous different applications ranging from electronic (e.g., advanced memory chips) to industrial (e.g., coatings or composites) to biomedical (e.g., drug delivery systems, diagnostics). Although these new nanomaterials can be...
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In: Euro Nanotox Letters, 2012, vol. 4, no. 01, p. 1-20
The human body can be exposed to nanomaterials through a variety of different routes. As nanomaterials get in contact with the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, and the respiratory tract, these biological compartments are acting as barriers to the passage of nano-sized materials into the organism. These structural and functional barriers are provided by the epithelia serving as an interface...
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In: FEBS Letters, 2011, p. -
The house mouse Mus musculus represents a valuable tool for the analysis and the understanding of the mammalian circadian oscillator. Forward and reverse genetics allowed the identification of clock components and the verification of their function within the circadian clockwork. In many cases unforeseen links were discovered between a particular circadian regulatory protein and various diseases...
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In: PLoS ONE, 2010, vol. 5, no. 9, p. e12540
Over time, organisms developed various strategies to adapt to their environment. Circadian clocks are thought to have evolved to adjust to the predictable rhythms of the light-dark cycle caused by the rotation of the Earth around its own axis. The rhythms these clocks generate persist even in the absence of environmental cues with a period of about 24 hours. To tick in time, they continuously...
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Thèse de doctorat : Université de Fribourg, 2009 ; Nr. 1625.
The continuous light-dark cycles caused by the rotation of the Earth around its own axis facilitated the evolution of circadian clocks, which have a huge impact on our daily life. Deregulation of the internal clock can lead to sleeping disorders, depression and various other health problems. Thus it is important to understand the mechanisms which allow our clock to tick properly. Since circadian...
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In: Chronobiology International, 2009, vol. 26, no. 7, p. 1462-1469
In our modern society, we are exposed to different artificial light sources that could potentially lead to disturbances of circadian rhythms and, hence, represent a risk for health and welfare. Investigating the acute impact of light on clock-gene expression may thus help us to better understand the mechanisms underlying disorders rooted in the circadian system. Here, we show an overall...
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