Mango industry processing disposes 40-60% of this fruit as residues, such as peels and kernels. The exploration of bioproducts from these industrial rejects can reduce environmental impact besides of producing high value-added materials. In this scenario, carboxymethyl starch nanoparticles were produced from mango (Mangifera indica L.) kernel starch. These nanoparticles were then decorated with thermoresponsive chains of the amino terminated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM-NH2), with the intention of evaluating their applicability in the biomedical area. Elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy confirmed successful grafting of PNIPAM-NH2 onto the carboxymethyl starch backbone. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and dynamic light scattering (DLS) data showed sizes of 100 and 112 nm in the dry state and of 744 and 598 nm in the hydrated state, when the grafting degree (GD) was of 6 and 14.3%, respectively. The degree of swelling was of 41,100 and 15,100% for GD of 6 and 14.3% respectively, suggesting that the nanogels are suitable for drug incorporation. The toxicity of the nanogels to human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and red blood cells (RBCs) was evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alamarBlue and hemolysis assays. Both nanogels were non-cytotoxic and non-hemolytic, suggesting the suitability of these biomaterials for cell-and blood-contacting applications.

Na atualidade cresce a preocupação com a neurotoxicidade do tratamento antineoplásico e o neurodesenvolvimento. O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar o impacto da modalidade de tratamento sobre a capacidade intelectiva de 22 sobreviventes de Tumores de Fossa Posterior e Leucemia Linfóide Aguda com idades entre seis e 14 anos. Participantes com astrocitoma foram submetidos à cirurgia; aqueles com meduloblastoma à cirurgia, à quimioterapia sistêmica e à radioterapia de crânio e neuroeixo (54Gy) e; aqueles com LLA à quimioterapia sistêmica e intratecal. Apenas os participantes com astrocitoma obtiveram desempenho dentro do esperado. Observou-se contrastes estatisticamente significativos entre os grupos, notadamente entre as crianças com meduloblastoma e as demais nos escores não verbais. Sugere-se que a combinação cirurgia, quimioterapia sistêmica e radioterapia potencializou as sequelas cognitivas, e reforça-se a hipótese de que a radioterapia acarreta danos à substância branca. A quimioterapia intratecal associada à sistêmica promoveu impactos significativos sobre o funcionamento executivo.

Concerns about the neurotoxicity of antineoplastic treatment and neurodevelopment are increasing nowadays. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of treatment modality on intellectual functioning of 22 survivors of Posterior Fossa Tumors and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia aged from six to 14 years. The astrocytoma group underwent surgery; the medulloblastoma group underwent surgery, systemic chemotherapy, and cranial and neuraxis radiation (54Gy); the LLA group underwent systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy. Only the astrocytoma group obtained average performance. Significant contrasts were obtained between groups, especially among the medulloblastoma group and others in non-verbal scores. Results suggest that the combination of surgery, radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy increase the cognitive sequelae and enhance the hypothesis that radiation damages white matter. The association between intrathecal and systemic chemotherapy leads to significant impact on executive functioning.