scholarly journals Biomedical and Tissue Engineering Strategies to Control Foreign Body Reaction to Invasive Neural Electrodes

Author(s):  
Manuele Gori ◽  
Gianluca Vadalà ◽  
Sara Maria Giannitelli ◽  
Vincenzo Denaro ◽  
Giovanni Di Pino

Neural-interfaced prostheses aim to restore sensorimotor limb functions in amputees. They rely on bidirectional neural interfaces, which represent the communication bridge between nervous system and neuroprosthetic device by controlling its movements and evoking sensory feedback. Compared to extraneural electrodes (i.e., epineural and perineural implants), intraneural electrodes, implanted within peripheral nerves, have higher selectivity and specificity of neural signal recording and nerve stimulation. However, being implanted in the nerve, their main limitation is represented by the significant inflammatory response that the body mounts around the probe, known as Foreign Body Reaction (FBR), which may hinder their rapid clinical translation. Furthermore, the mechanical mismatch between the consistency of the device and the surrounding neural tissue may contribute to exacerbate the inflammatory state. The FBR is a non-specific reaction of the host immune system to a foreign material. It is characterized by an early inflammatory phase eventually leading to the formation of a fibrotic capsule around intraneural interfaces, which increases the electrical impedance over time and reduces the chronic interface biocompatibility and functionality. Thus, the future in the reduction and control of the FBR relies on innovative biomedical strategies for the fabrication of next-generation neural interfaces, such as the development of more suitable designs of the device with smaller size, appropriate stiffness and novel conductive and biomimetic coatings for improving their long-term stability and performance. Here, we present and critically discuss the latest biomedical approaches from material chemistry and tissue engineering for controlling and mitigating the FBR in chronic neural implants.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1708
Author(s):  
Saeedeh Darzi ◽  
Kallyanashis Paul ◽  
Shanilka Leitan ◽  
Jerome A. Werkmeister ◽  
Shayanti Mukherjee

Aloe vera (AV), a succulent plant belonging to the Liliaceae family, has been widely used for biomedical and pharmaceutical application. Its popularity stems from several of its bioactive components that have anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and even immunomodulatory effects. Given such unique multi-modal biological impact, AV has been considered as a biomaterial for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications, where tissue repair and neo-angiogenesis are vital. This review outlines the growing scientific evidence that demonstrates the advantage of AV as tissue engineering scaffolds. We particularly highlight the recent advances in the application of AV-based scaffolds. From a tissue engineering perspective, it is pivotal that the implanted scaffolds strike an appropriate foreign body response to be well-accepted in the body without complications. Herein, we highlight the key cellular processes that regulate the foreign body response to implanted scaffolds and underline the immunomodulatory effects incurred by AV on the innate and adaptive system. Given that AV has several beneficial components, we discuss the importance of delving deeper into uncovering its action mechanism and thereby improving material design strategies for better tissue engineering constructs for biomedical applications.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 136-141
Author(s):  
Prasetyanugraheni Kreshanti ◽  
Siti Handayani ◽  
Kristaninta Bangun ◽  
Melina Tiza

Background: To evaluate two pediatric patients with syndromic craniofacial anomaly that underwent craniofacial reconstructive surgery using resorbable plate-screw systems which have been claimed as biodegradable fixation materials and used in craniofacial reconstructive procedures owing to their advantages such as adequate biomechanical resistance, longer dwelling time, elimination through physiological routes without causing any foreign body reaction and/or significant sequale. Patient and Method: Resorbable plate-screw systems used in 2 patiens for craniofacial reconstructive procedures such as bilateral fronto-orbital advancement and segmental right orbita (four wall box) osteotomy were evaluated as for their efficacy. Result: Adequate fixation was obtained in both patient, but Infection complication was seen in segmental right orbita osteotomy patient that appear localized abcess formation on subciliary incision and fronto medial insicion. After drainage insicion and antibiotic administration for 1 week, the infection was relieved. Summary: Owing to resorbable copolymer which contain a polyester derivate of L- lactidc and glycolic acid are ideal fixation materials used favourably in pediatric craniofacial reconstructive surgery and have further advantages such as adequate biomechanical resistance against distraction and compression forces in the early postoperative period, longer dwelling time and elimination from the body through physiological routes without causing any foreign body reaction.


Author(s):  
Alejandro Carnicer-Lombarte ◽  
Shao-Tuan Chen ◽  
George G. Malliaras ◽  
Damiano G. Barone

The implantation of any foreign material into the body leads to the development of an inflammatory and fibrotic process—the foreign body reaction (FBR). Upon implantation into a tissue, cells of the immune system become attracted to the foreign material and attempt to degrade it. If this degradation fails, fibroblasts envelop the material and form a physical barrier to isolate it from the rest of the body. Long-term implantation of medical devices faces a great challenge presented by FBR, as the cellular response disrupts the interface between implant and its target tissue. This is particularly true for nerve neuroprosthetic implants—devices implanted into nerves to address conditions such as sensory loss, muscle paralysis, chronic pain, and epilepsy. Nerve neuroprosthetics rely on tight interfacing between nerve tissue and electrodes to detect the tiny electrical signals carried by axons, and/or electrically stimulate small subsets of axons within a nerve. Moreover, as advances in microfabrication drive the field to increasingly miniaturized nerve implants, the need for a stable, intimate implant-tissue interface is likely to quickly become a limiting factor for the development of new neuroprosthetic implant technologies. Here, we provide an overview of the material-cell interactions leading to the development of FBR. We review current nerve neuroprosthetic technologies (cuff, penetrating, and regenerative interfaces) and how long-term function of these is limited by FBR. Finally, we discuss how material properties (such as stiffness and size), pharmacological therapies, or use of biodegradable materials may be exploited to minimize FBR to nerve neuroprosthetic implants and improve their long-term stability.


2016 ◽  
Vol Volume 11 ◽  
pp. 6471-6483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Luo ◽  
Yunfan He ◽  
Qiang Chang ◽  
Gan Xie ◽  
Weiqing Zhan ◽  
...  

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1794
Author(s):  
Nina Noskovicova ◽  
Boris Hinz ◽  
Pardis Pakshir

Body implants and implantable medical devices have dramatically improved and prolonged the life of countless patients. However, our body repair mechanisms have evolved to isolate, reject, or destroy any object that is recognized as foreign to the organism and inevitably mounts a foreign body reaction (FBR). Depending on its severity and chronicity, the FBR can impair implant performance or create severe clinical complications that will require surgical removal and/or replacement of the faulty device. The number of review articles discussing the FBR seems to be proportional to the number of different implant materials and clinical applications and one wonders, what else is there to tell? We will here take the position of a fibrosis researcher (which, coincidentally, we are) to elaborate similarities and differences between the FBR, normal wound healing, and chronic healing conditions that result in the development of peri-implant fibrosis. After giving credit to macrophages in the inflammatory phase of the FBR, we will mainly focus on the activation of fibroblastic cells into matrix-producing and highly contractile myofibroblasts. While fibrosis has been discussed to be a consequence of the disturbed and chronic inflammatory milieu in the FBR, direct activation of myofibroblasts at the implant surface is less commonly considered. Thus, we will provide a perspective how physical properties of the implant surface control myofibroblast actions and accumulation of stiff scar tissue. Because formation of scar tissue at the surface and around implant materials is a major reason for device failure and extraction surgeries, providing implant surfaces with myofibroblast-suppressing features is a first step to enhance implant acceptance and functional lifetime. Alternative therapeutic targets are elements of the myofibroblast mechanotransduction and contractile machinery and we will end with a brief overview on such targets that are considered for the treatment of other organ fibroses.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnat Balabiyev ◽  
Nataly P. Podolnikova ◽  
Jacquelyn A. Kilbourne ◽  
D. Page Baluch ◽  
David Lowry ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTImplantation of biomaterials and medical devices in the body triggers the foreign body reaction (FBR) which is characterized by macrophage fusion at the implant surface leading to the formation of foreign body giant cells and the development of the fibrous capsule enveloping the implant. While adhesion of macrophages to the surface is an essential step in macrophage fusion and implanted biomaterials are known to rapidly acquire a layer of host proteins, a biological substrate that is responsible for this process in vivo is unknown. Here we show that mice with genetically-imposed fibrinogen deficiency display a dramatic reduction of macrophage fusion on implanted biomaterials and are protected from the formation of fibrin-containing granulation tissue, a precursor of the fibrous capsule. Furthermore, macrophage fusion on biomaterials implanted in FibAEK mice that express a mutated form of fibrinogen incapable of thrombin-mediated polymerization was strongly reduced. Surprisingly, despite the lack of fibrin, the capsule was formed in FibAEK mice, although it had a different composition and distinct mechanical properties than that in wild-type mice. Specifically, while mononuclear α-SMA-expressing macrophages embedded in the capsule of both strains of mice secreted collagen, the amount of collagen and its density in the tissue of FibAEK mice was reduced. These data identify fibrin polymer as a key biological substrate driving the development of the FBR.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. e237661
Author(s):  
Lin Wei Khoo ◽  
Sathish Srinivasan ◽  
Fiona Roberts

Scleritis is an idiopathic condition that may sometimes be associated with systemic immunological like disorders rheumatoid arthritis, Wegener’s granulomatosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. A variety of foreign material has been reported to result in granuloma formation in various parts of the body. We report a case of inflamed episcleral granulomas mimicking severe nodular anterior scleritis in a healthy Caucasian woman who underwent strabismus surgery in her childhood. Foreign body reaction on the episcleral/scleral surface is rare. It is extremely unusual for a non-absorbable suture that was used for childhood strabismus surgery to incite an acute inflammatory episode mimicking nodular anterior scleritis as in our case. As the strabismus surgery was performed 37 years prior to her presentation with anterior scleritis, we were unable to obtain any details of this surgical procedure. We presume that a non-absorbable suture like braided polyester or prolene may have been used.


2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Dolphijn

Starting with Antonin Artaud's radio play To Have Done With The Judgement Of God, this article analyses the ways in which Artaud's idea of the body without organs links up with various of his writings on the body and bodily theatre and with Deleuze and Guattari's later development of his ideas. Using Klossowski (or Klossowski's Nietzsche) to explain how the dominance of dialogue equals the dominance of God, I go on to examine how the Son (the facialised body), the Father (Language) and the Holy Spirit (Subjectification), need to be warded off in order to revitalize the body, reuniting it with ‘the earth’ it has been separated from. Artaud's writings on Balinese dancing and the Tarahumaran people pave the way for the new body to appear. Reconstructing the body through bodily practices, through religion and above all through art, as Deleuze and Guattari suggest, we are introduced not only to new ways of thinking theatre and performance art, but to life itself.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document