Remote Determination of Time-Dependent Stiffness of Surface-Degrading-Polymer Scaffolds Via Synchrotron-Based Imaging

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. K. Bawolin ◽  
X. B. Chen

Surface-degrading polymers have been widely used to fabricate scaffolds with the mechanical properties appropriate for tissue regeneration/repair. During their surface degradation, the material properties of polymers remain approximately unchanged, but the scaffold geometry and thus mechanical properties vary with time. This paper presents a novel method to determine the time-dependent mechanical properties, particularly stiffness, of scaffolds from the geometric changes captured by synchrotron-based imaging, with the help of finite element analysis (FEA). Three-dimensional (3D) tissue scaffolds were fabricated from surface-degrading polymers, and during their degradation, the tissue scaffolds were imaged via the synchrotron-based imaging to characterize their changing geometry. On this basis, the stiffness behavior of scaffolds was estimated from the FEA, and the results obtained were compared to the direct measurements of scaffold stiffness from the load–displacement material testing. The comparison illustrates that the Young's moduli estimated from the FEA and characterized geometry are in agreement with the ones of direct measurements. The developed method of estimating the mechanical behavior was also demonstrated effective with a nondegrading scaffold that displays the nonlinear stress–strain behavior. The in vivo monitoring of Young's modulus by morphology characterization also suggests the feasibility of characterizing experimentally the difference between in vivo and in vitro surface degradation of tissue engineering constructs.

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Hao Tsai ◽  
Chih-Hung Hung ◽  
Che-Nan Kuo ◽  
Cheng-Yu Chen ◽  
Yu-Ning Peng ◽  
...  

Recently, cases of bone defects have been increasing incrementally. Thus, repair or replacement of bone defects is gradually becoming a huge problem for orthopaedic surgeons. Three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds have since emerged as a potential candidate for bone replacement, of which titanium (Ti) alloys are one of the most promising candidates among the metal alloys due to their low cytotoxicity and mechanical properties. However, bioactivity remains a problem for metal alloys, which can be enhanced using simple immersion techniques to coat bioactive compounds onto the surface of Ti–6Al–4V scaffolds. In our study, we fabricated magnesium-calcium silicate (Mg–CS) and chitosan (CH) compounds onto Ti–6Al–4V scaffolds. Characterization of these surface-modified scaffolds involved an assessment of physicochemical properties as well as mechanical testing. Adhesion, proliferation, and growth of human Wharton’s Jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs) were assessed in vitro. In addition, the cell attachment morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy to assess adhesion qualities. Osteogenic and mineralization assays were conducted to assess osteogenic expression. In conclusion, the Mg–CS/CH coated Ti–6Al–4V scaffolds were able to exhibit and retain pore sizes and their original morphologies and architectures, which significantly affected subsequent hard tissue regeneration. In addition, the surface was shown to be hydrophilic after modification and showed mechanical strength comparable to natural bone. Not only were our modified scaffolds able to match the mechanical properties of natural bone, it was also found that such modifications enhanced cellular behavior such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, which led to enhanced osteogenesis and mineralization downstream. In vivo results indicated that Mg–CS/CH coated Ti–6Al–4V enhances the bone regeneration and ingrowth at the critical size bone defects of rabbits. These results indicated that the proposed Mg–CS/CH coated Ti–6Al–4V scaffolds exhibited a favorable, inducive micro-environment that could serve as a promising modification for future bone tissue engineering scaffolds.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Behrooz Fereidoonnezhad ◽  
Kevin Mattheus Moerman ◽  
Sarah Johnson ◽  
Ray McCarthy ◽  
Patrick McGarry

Mechanical thrombectomy can be significantly affected by the mechanical properties of the occluding thrombus. In this study we provide the first characterization of the volumetric behaviour of blood clots. We propose a new hyperelastic model for the volumetric and isochoric deformation of clot. We demonstrate that the proposed model provides significant improvements over established models in terms of accurate prediction of nonlinear stress-strain and volumetric behaviours of low and high haematocrit clots. We perform a rigorous investigation of the factors that govern clot occlusion of a tapered vessel. The motivation for such an analysis is two-fold: (i) the role of clot composition on the in-vivo occlusion location is an open clinical question that has significant implications for thrombectomy procedures; (ii) in-vitro measurement of occlusion location in an engineered tapered tube can be used as a quick and simple methodology to assess the mechanical properties/compositions of clots. Simulations demonstrate that both isochoric and volumetric behaviour of clots are key determinants of clot lodgement location, in addition to clot-vessel friction. The proposed formulation is shown to provide accurate predictions of in-vitro measurement of clot occlusion location in a silicone tapered vessel, in addition to accurately predicting the deformed shape of the clot.


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (14) ◽  
pp. e1811725118
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Ruiz ◽  
Joshua D. Hutcheson ◽  
Luis Cardoso ◽  
Amirala Bakhshian Nik ◽  
Alexandra Condado de Abreu ◽  
...  

Vascular calcification predicts atherosclerotic plaque rupture and cardiovascular events. Retrospective studies of women taking bisphosphonates (BiPs), a proposed therapy for vascular calcification, showed that BiPs paradoxically increased morbidity in patients with prior acute cardiovascular events but decreased mortality in event-free patients. Calcifying extracellular vesicles (EVs), released by cells within atherosclerotic plaques, aggregate and nucleate calcification. We hypothesized that BiPs block EV aggregation and modify existing mineral growth, potentially altering microcalcification morphology and the risk of plaque rupture. Three-dimensional (3D) collagen hydrogels incubated with calcifying EVs were used to mimic fibrous cap calcification in vitro, while an ApoE−/− mouse was used as a model of atherosclerosis in vivo. EV aggregation and formation of stress-inducing microcalcifications was imaged via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In both models, BiP (ibandronate) treatment resulted in time-dependent changes in microcalcification size and mineral morphology, dependent on whether BiP treatment was initiated before or after the expected onset of microcalcification formation. Following BiP treatment at any time, microcalcifications formed in vitro were predicted to have an associated threefold decrease in fibrous cap tensile stress compared to untreated controls, estimated using finite element analysis (FEA). These findings support our hypothesis that BiPs alter EV-driven calcification. The study also confirmed that our 3D hydrogel is a viable platform to study EV-mediated mineral nucleation and evaluate potential therapies for cardiovascular calcification.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. eaat4537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Wang ◽  
W. J. Lee ◽  
B. T. H. Koh ◽  
M. Hong ◽  
W. Wang ◽  
...  

Structural and hierarchical anisotropy underlies the structure-function relationship of most living tissues. Attempts to exploit the interplay between cells and their immediate environment have rarely featured macroscale, three-dimensional constructs required for clinical applications. Furthermore, compromises to biomechanical robustness during fabrication often limit the scaffold’s relevance in translational medicine. We report a polymeric three-dimensional scaffold with tendon-like mechanical properties and controlled anisotropic microstructures. The scaffold was composed of two distinct portions, which enabled high porosity while retaining tendon-like mechanical properties. When tenocytes were cultured in vitro on the scaffold, phenotypic markers of tenogenesis such as type-I collagen, decorin, and tenascin were significantly expressed over nonanisotropic controls. Moreover, highly aligned intracellular cytoskeletal network and high nuclear alignment efficiencies were observed, suggesting that microstructural anisotropy might play the epigenetic role of mechanotransduction. When implanted in an in vivo micropig model, a neotissue that formed over the scaffold resembled native tendon tissue in composition and structure.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 484-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sushmita Shivanna ◽  
Dhanasekaran Sihivahanan ◽  
T Vinay Kumar Reddy ◽  
Anchu Rachel Thomas ◽  
Natarajan Senthilnathan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Aim The aim of the study is to compare the maximum stress distribution on the rotary retreatment instruments within the root canal at cervical, middle, and the apical one-third during retreatment of gutta-percha. Materials and methods A human mandibular premolar was scanned, and three-dimensional geometry of the root was reconstructed using finite element analysis (FEA) software package (ANSYS). The basic model was kept unchanged; tooth models were created using the same dimensions and divided into two groups as follows: Group I: ProTaper Universal retreatment system and group II: Mtwo rotary retreatment system. The stress distribution on the surface and within the retreatment files was analyzed numerically in the FEA package (ANSYS). Results The FEA analysis revealed that the retreatment instruments received the greatest stress in the cervical third, followed by the apical third and the middle third. The stress generated on the ProTaper Universal retreatment system was less when compared with the Mtwo retreatment files. Conclusion The study concludes that the retreatment instruments undergo higher stress in the cervical third region, and further in vivo and in vitro studies are necessary to evaluate the relationship between instrument designs, stress distribution, residual stresses after use, and the torsional fracture of the retreatment instrument. Clinical significance The stress developed on the rotary retreatment instruments during retrieval of gutta-percha makes the instrument to get separated. There is no instrument system, i.e., suitable for all clinical situations and it is important to understand how the structural characteristics could influence the magnitude of stresses on the instrument to prevent its fracture in use. How to cite this article Sihivahanan D, Reddy TVK, Thomas AR, Senthilnathan N, Sivakumar M, Shivanna S. Comparative Evaluation of Stress developed on Rotary Retreatment Instruments during Retrieval of Gutta-percha. J Contemp Dent Pract 2017;18(6):484-489.


Author(s):  
Leila Ladani ◽  
Daniel Preston

Mechanical probing, stimulation and characterization of tissues are of the most challenging areas of engineering due to limitations of working with bio specimens. Understanding the bio-mechanics of tissues could potentially help to understand mechanical degradation of biological tissues due to disease or change in physiological condition of the body. Biomechanical processes at the microscopic level have become increasingly recognized as an important factor in different biological conditions. In many of these conditions analyzing biomechanics of tissues at microscale in vivo or in vitro will provide invaluable information on microenvironment and physiological parameters that affect the microenvironment and mechanical properties. To address the issue of measuring mechanical properties at microscale, an electroactive-based micro-electromechanical machine is designed. The device is comprised of two electroactive (piezoelectric) micro-elements mounted on a rigid frame. Electrical activation of one of the elements causes it to expand and induce a stress in the intervening micro-specimen. The response of the microspecimen to the stress is measured by the deformation and thereby voltage/resistance induced in the second electro-active element. Figure 1 shows the device design and architecture. Analytical analysis and multiphysics finite element analysis (FEA) are used to prove the concept. A summary of the results are shown in the next sections.


2001 ◽  
Vol 698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anatoly M. Kachurin ◽  
Robert L. Stewart ◽  
Kenneth H. Church ◽  
William L. Warren ◽  
John P. Fisher ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTA computer-controlled xyz dispensing system called the Biological Architecture Tool (BAT) has been extensively tested in the creation of multilayered and three-dimensional biological objects: tissue scaffolds and plain and patterned cellular-array slides. The BAT dispensing system has proven its versatility and reliability in tissue engineering and biological experiments. The potential employments of modified versions of the xyz dispensers for in vivo minimally invasive surgery and other in vitro aspects of biological and medical research are discussed.


Author(s):  
D. Reis ◽  
B. Vian ◽  
J. C. Roland

Wall morphogenesis in higher plants is a problem still open to controversy. Until now the possibility of a transmembrane control and the involvement of microtubules were mostly envisaged. Self-assembly processes have been observed in the case of walls of Chlamydomonas and bacteria. Spontaneous gelling interactions between xanthan and galactomannan from Ceratonia have been analyzed very recently. The present work provides indications that some processes of spontaneous aggregation could occur in higher plants during the formation and expansion of cell wall.Observations were performed on hypocotyl of mung bean (Phaseolus aureus) for which growth characteristics and wall composition have been previously defined.In situ, the walls of actively growing cells (primary walls) show an ordered three-dimensional organization (fig. 1). The wall is typically polylamellate with multifibrillar layers alternately transverse and longitudinal. Between these layers intermediate strata exist in which the orientation of microfibrils progressively rotates. Thus a progressive change in the morphogenetic activity occurs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 246-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Termini ◽  
Enrique Boccardo

In vitro culture of primary or established cell lines is one of the leading techniques in many areas of basic biological research. The use of pure or highly enriched cultures of specific cell types obtained from different tissues and genetics backgrounds has greatly contributed to our current understanding of normal and pathological cellular processes. Cells in culture are easily propagated generating an almost endless source of material for experimentation. Besides, they can be manipulated to achieve gene silencing, gene overexpression and genome editing turning possible the dissection of specific gene functions and signaling pathways. However, monolayer and suspension cultures of cells do not reproduce the cell type diversity, cell-cell contacts, cell-matrix interactions and differentiation pathways typical of the three-dimensional environment of tissues and organs from where they were originated. Therefore, different experimental animal models have been developed and applied to address these and other complex issues in vivo. However, these systems are costly and time consuming. Most importantly the use of animals in scientific research poses moral and ethical concerns facing a steadily increasing opposition from different sectors of the society. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of alternative in vitro experimental models that accurately reproduce the events observed in vivo to reduce the use of animals. Organotypic cultures combine the flexibility of traditional culture systems with the possibility of culturing different cell types in a 3D environment that reproduces both the structure and the physiology of the parental organ. Here we present a summarized description of the use of epithelial organotypic for the study of skin physiology, human papillomavirus biology and associated tumorigenesis.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 930
Author(s):  
Donatella Delle Cave ◽  
Riccardo Rizzo ◽  
Bruno Sainz ◽  
Giuseppe Gigli ◽  
Loretta L. del Mercato ◽  
...  

Pancreatic cancer, the fourth most common cancer worldwide, shows a highly unsuccessful therapeutic response. In the last 10 years, neither important advancements nor new therapeutic strategies have significantly impacted patient survival, highlighting the need to pursue new avenues for drug development discovery and design. Advanced cellular models, resembling as much as possible the original in vivo tumor environment, may be more successful in predicting the efficacy of future anti-cancer candidates in clinical trials. In this review, we discuss novel bioengineered platforms for anticancer drug discovery in pancreatic cancer, from traditional two-dimensional models to innovative three-dimensional ones.


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