Protein Hydrogels: The Swiss Army Knife for Enhanced Mechanical and Bioactive Properties of Biomaterials

Biomaterials are dynamic tools with many applications: from the primitive use of bone and wood in the replacement of lost limbs and body parts, to the refined involvement of smart and responsive biomaterials in modern medicine and biomedical sciences. Hydrogels constitute a subtype of biomaterials built from water-swollen polymer networks. Their large water content and soft mechanical properties are highly similar to most biological tissues, making them ideal for tissue engineering and biomedical applications. The mechanical properties of hydrogels and their modulation have attracted a lot of attention from the field of mechanobiology. Protein-based hydrogels are becoming increasingly attractive due to their endless design options and array of functionalities, as well as their responsiveness to stimuli. Furthermore, just like the extracellular matrix, they are inherently viscoelastic in part due to mechanical unfolding/refolding transitions of folded protein domains. This review summarizes different natural and engineered protein hydrogels focusing on different strategies followed to modulate their mechanical properties. Applications of mechanically tunable protein-based hydrogels in drug delivery, tissue engineering and mechanobiology are discussed.

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The Effect of Mechanical Constraints on Gelatin Samples under Pulsatile Flux

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.706-709.449 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 706-709 ◽

pp. 449-454

Author(s):

Eugenia Blangino ◽

Martín A. Cagnoli ◽

Ramiro M. Irastorza ◽

Fernando Vericat

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Tissue Engineering ◽

Collagen Gel ◽

Biological Tissues ◽

Mechanical Stimuli ◽

Collagen Gels ◽

Collagen Network ◽

Mechanical Constraints ◽

Preparation Conditions ◽

Biological Compatibility

It is of great interest in tissue engineering the role of collagen gel-based structures (scaffolds, grafts and-by cell seeded and maturation-tissue equivalents (TEs) for several purposes). It is expected the appropriate biological compatibility when the extracellular matrix (ECM) is collagen-based. Regarding the mechanical properties (MP), great efforts in tissue engineering are focused in tailoring TE properties by controlling ECM composition and organization. When cells are seeded, the collagen network is remodeled by cell-driven compaction and consolidation, produced mainly through the mechanical stimuli that can be directed selecting the geometry and the surfaces exposed to the cells. Collagen gels have different (chemical and mechanical) properties depending on their origin and preparation conditions. The MP of the collagen network are derived from the degree of cross-linking (CLD) which can be modified by different treatments. One of the techniques to evaluate MP in the network is by ultrasound (US). In this work we analyse the effect of several mechanical constraints (similar to that imposed to promote cell growth on certain sample surfaces, when seeded) on samples of gelatin with a specific geometry (thick walls cylinders) under loading conditions of pulsatile flow. We checked US parameters and estimates evolution of the network structure for different restrictions in the sample mobility. It was implemented by adapting devices specially built to measure elastic properties of biological tissues by US. The material (origin and purity) and the preparation conditions for the gelatin were selected in order to compare the results with those of literature.

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Hydrogels as Antibacterial Biomaterials

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612824666180213122953 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (8) ◽

pp. 843-854 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Weiguo Xu ◽

Shujun Dong ◽

Yuping Han ◽

Shuqiang Li ◽

Yang Liu

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Drug Delivery ◽

Tissue Engineering ◽

Water Content ◽

Oxygen Permeability ◽

Structural Diversity ◽

High Water ◽

Clinical Applications ◽

High Water Content ◽

Biomedical Field

Hydrogels, as a class of materials for tissue engineering and drug delivery, have high water content and solid-like mechanical properties. Currently, hydrogels with an antibacterial function are a research hotspot in biomedical field. Many advanced antibacterial hydrogels have been developed, each possessing unique qualities, namely high water swellability, high oxygen permeability, improved biocompatibility, ease of loading and releasing drugs and structural diversity. In this article, an overview is provided on the preparation and applications of various antibacterial hydrogels. Furthermore, the prospects in biomedical researches and clinical applications are predicted.

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Is Dialdehyde Chitosan a Good Substance to Modify Physicochemical Properties of Biopolymeric Materials?

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22073391 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (7) ◽

pp. 3391

Author(s):

Sylwia Grabska-Zielińska ◽

Alina Sionkowska ◽

Ewa Olewnik-Kruszkowska ◽

Katarzyna Reczyńska ◽

Elżbieta Pamuła

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Tissue Engineering ◽

Physicochemical Properties ◽

Silk Fibroin ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Microscopy Imaging ◽

Maximum Deformation ◽

One Step ◽

Chitosan Blends ◽

Fourier Transfer Infrared Spectroscopy

The aim of this work was to compare physicochemical properties of three dimensional scaffolds based on silk fibroin, collagen and chitosan blends, cross-linked with dialdehyde starch (DAS) and dialdehyde chitosan (DAC). DAS was commercially available, while DAC was obtained by one-step synthesis. Structure and physicochemical properties of the materials were characterized using Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance device (FTIR-ATR), swelling behavior and water content measurements, porosity and density observations, scanning electron microscopy imaging (SEM), mechanical properties evaluation and thermogravimetric analysis. Metabolic activity with AlamarBlue assay and live/dead fluorescence staining were performed to evaluate the cytocompatibility of the obtained materials with MG-63 osteoblast-like cells. The results showed that the properties of the scaffolds based on silk fibroin, collagen and chitosan can be modified by chemical cross-linking with DAS and DAC. It was found that DAS and DAC have different influence on the properties of biopolymeric scaffolds. Materials cross-linked with DAS were characterized by higher swelling ability (~4000% for DAS cross-linked materials; ~2500% for DAC cross-linked materials), they had lower density (Coll/CTS/30SF scaffold cross-linked with DAS: 21.8 ± 2.4 g/cm3; cross-linked with DAC: 14.6 ± 0.7 g/cm3) and lower mechanical properties (maximum deformation for DAC cross-linked scaffolds was about 69%; for DAS cross-linked scaffolds it was in the range of 12.67 ± 1.51% and 19.83 ± 1.30%) in comparison to materials cross-linked with DAC. Additionally, scaffolds cross-linked with DAS exhibited higher biocompatibility than those cross-linked with DAC. However, the obtained results showed that both types of scaffolds can provide the support required in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. The scaffolds presented in the present work can be potentially used in bone tissue engineering to facilitate healing of small bone defects.

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Development of Biopolymeric Hybrid Scaffold-Based on AAc/GO/nHAp/TiO2 Nanocomposite for Bone Tissue Engineering: In-Vitro Analysis

Nanomaterials ◽

10.3390/nano11051319 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 1319

Author(s):

Muhammad Umar Aslam Khan ◽

Wafa Shamsan Al-Arjan ◽

Mona Saad Binkadem ◽

Hassan Mehboob ◽

Adnan Haider ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Tissue Engineering ◽

Bone Tissue Engineering ◽

Bone Tissue ◽

Guar Gum ◽

Porous Scaffolds ◽

Vitro Assay ◽

Vitro Analysis ◽

Nanocomposite Scaffolds

Bone tissue engineering is an advanced field for treatment of fractured bones to restore/regulate biological functions. Biopolymeric/bioceramic-based hybrid nanocomposite scaffolds are potential biomaterials for bone tissue because of biodegradable and biocompatible characteristics. We report synthesis of nanocomposite based on acrylic acid (AAc)/guar gum (GG), nano-hydroxyapatite (HAp NPs), titanium nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), and optimum graphene oxide (GO) amount via free radical polymerization method. Porous scaffolds were fabricated through freeze-drying technique and coated with silver sulphadiazine. Different techniques were used to investigate functional group, crystal structural properties, morphology/elemental properties, porosity, and mechanical properties of fabricated scaffolds. Results show that increasing amount of TiO2 in combination with optimized GO has improved physicochemical and microstructural properties, mechanical properties (compressive strength (2.96 to 13.31 MPa) and Young’s modulus (39.56 to 300.81 MPa)), and porous properties (pore size (256.11 to 107.42 μm) and porosity (79.97 to 44.32%)). After 150 min, silver sulfadiazine release was found to be ~94.1%. In vitro assay of scaffolds also exhibited promising results against mouse pre-osteoblast (MC3T3-E1) cell lines. Hence, these fabricated scaffolds would be potential biomaterials for bone tissue engineering in biomedical engineering.

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Internal constraints and arrested relaxation in main-chain nematic elastomers

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-21036-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Takuya Ohzono ◽

Kaoru Katoh ◽

Hiroyuki Minamikawa ◽

Mohand O. Saed ◽

Eugene M. Terentjev

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Main Chain ◽

Polymer Networks ◽

Nematic Order ◽

Nematic Elastomers ◽

Nematic Director ◽

Highly Nonlinear ◽

Nonlinear Mechanical ◽

Liquid Crystal Elastomers ◽

Memory Applications

AbstractNematic liquid crystal elastomers (N-LCE) exhibit intriguing mechanical properties, such as reversible actuation and soft elasticity, which manifests as a wide plateau of low nearly-constant stress upon stretching. N-LCE also have a characteristically slow stress relaxation, which sometimes prevents their shape recovery. To understand how the inherent nematic order retards and arrests the equilibration, here we examine hysteretic stress-strain characteristics in a series of specifically designed main-chain N-LCE, investigating both macroscopic mechanical properties and the microscopic nematic director distribution under applied strains. The hysteretic features are attributed to the dynamics of thermodynamically unfavoured hairpins, the sharp folds on anisotropic polymer strands, the creation and transition of which are restricted by the nematic order. These findings provide a new avenue for tuning the hysteretic nature of N-LCE at both macro- and microscopic levels via different designs of polymer networks, toward materials with highly nonlinear mechanical properties and shape-memory applications.

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Concomitant control of mechanical properties and degradation in resorbable elastomer-like materials using stereochemistry and stoichiometry for soft tissue engineering

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-020-20610-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mary Beth Wandel ◽

Craig A. Bell ◽

Jiayi Yu ◽

Maria C. Arno ◽

Nathan Z. Dreger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Drug Delivery ◽

Soft Tissue ◽

Tissue Regeneration ◽

Biological Tissues ◽

Soft Tissue Regeneration ◽

Soft Tissue Engineering ◽

Degradation Properties ◽

Enhance Cell Adhesion

AbstractComplex biological tissues are highly viscoelastic and dynamic. Efforts to repair or replace cartilage, tendon, muscle, and vasculature using materials that facilitate repair and regeneration have been ongoing for decades. However, materials that possess the mechanical, chemical, and resorption characteristics necessary to recapitulate these tissues have been difficult to mimic using synthetic resorbable biomaterials. Herein, we report a series of resorbable elastomer-like materials that are compositionally identical and possess varying ratios of cis:trans double bonds in the backbone. These features afford concomitant control over the mechanical and surface eroding degradation properties of these materials. We show the materials can be functionalized post-polymerization with bioactive species and enhance cell adhesion. Furthermore, an in vivo rat model demonstrates that degradation and resorption are dependent on succinate stoichiometry in the elastomers and the results show limited inflammation highlighting their potential for use in soft tissue regeneration and drug delivery.

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Stress relaxation in tunable gels

Soft Matter ◽

10.1039/d1sm00091h ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chiara Raffaelli ◽

Wouter G Ellenbroek

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Drug Delivery ◽

Tissue Engineering ◽

Stress Relaxation

Hydrogels are a staple of biomaterials development. Optimizing their use in e.g. drug delivery or tissue engineering requires a solid understanding of how to adjust their mechanical properties. Here, we...

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3D Printing for Soft Tissue Regeneration and Applications in Medicine

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines9040336 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 336

Author(s):

Sven Pantermehl ◽

Steffen Emmert ◽

Aenne Foth ◽

Niels Grabow ◽

Said Alkildani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tissue Engineering ◽

Additive Manufacturing ◽

Soft Tissue ◽

3D Printing ◽

Tissue Regeneration ◽

Research Area ◽

Modern Medicine ◽

Soft Tissue Regeneration ◽

General Overview

The use of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies is a relatively young research area in modern medicine. This technology offers a fast and effective way of producing implants, tissues, or entire organs individually adapted to the needs of a patient. Today, a large number of different 3D printing technologies with individual application areas are available. This review is intended to provide a general overview of these various printing technologies and their function for medical use. For this purpose, the design and functionality of the different applications are presented and their individual strengths and weaknesses are explained. Where possible, previous studies using the respective technologies in the field of tissue engineering are briefly summarized.

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Role of Interfacial Interactions on Mechanical Properties of Biomimetic Composites for Bone Tissue Engineering

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-0898-l08-03 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 898 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Devendra Verma ◽

Rahul Bhowmik ◽

Bedabibhas Mohanty ◽

Dinesh R Katti ◽

Kalpana S Katti

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Tissue Engineering ◽

Bone Tissue Engineering ◽

Bone Tissue ◽

Mechanical Response ◽

Density Ratio ◽

Interfacial Interactions ◽

Porous Composites ◽

Properties Of Composites

AbstractInterfaces play an important role in controlling the mechanical properties of composites. Optimum mechanical strength of scaffolds is of prime importance for bone tissue engineering. In the present work, molecular dynamics simulations and experimental studies have been conducted to study effect of interfacial interactions on mechanical properties of composites for bone replacement. In order to mimic biological processes, hydroxyapatite (HAP) is mineralized in presence of polyacrylic acid (PAAc) (in situ HAP). Further, solid and porous composites of in situ HAP with polycaprolactone (PCL) are made. Mechanical tests of composites of in situ HAP with PAAc have shown improved strain recovery, higher modulus/density ratio and also improved mechanical response in simulated body fluid (SBF). Simulation studies indicate potential for calcium bridging between –COO− of PAAc and surface calcium of HAP. This fact is also supported by infrared spectroscopic studies. PAAc modified surfaces of in situ HAP offer means to control the microstructure and mechanical response of porous composites. Nanoindentation experiments indicate that apatite grown on in situ HAP/PCL composites from SBF has improved elastic modulus and hardness. This work gives insight into the interfacial mechanisms responsible for mechanical response as well as bioactivity in biomaterials.

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Hybrid nanostructured hydroxyapatite–chitosan composite scaffold: bioinspired fabrication, mechanical properties and biological properties

Journal of Materials Chemistry B ◽

10.1039/c5tb00175g ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 (23) ◽

pp. 4679-4689 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Ya-Ping Guo ◽

Jun-Jie Guan ◽

Jun Yang ◽

Yang Wang ◽

Chang-Qing Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Tissue Engineering ◽

Bone Tissue Engineering ◽

Bone Tissue ◽

Composite Scaffold ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Chitosan Composite

A bioinspired strategy has been developed to fabricate a hybrid nanostructured hydroxyapatite–chitosan composite scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

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