scholarly journals Recent Advances on Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogels Based on Tissue-Derived ECMs and Their Components: Towards Improving Functionality for Tissue Engineering and Controlled Drug Delivery

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 3263
Author(s):  
Julian A. Serna ◽  
Laura Rueda-Gensini ◽  
Daniela N. Céspedes-Valenzuela ◽  
Javier Cifuentes ◽  
Juan C. Cruz ◽  
...  

Due to their highly hydrophilic nature and compositional versatility, hydrogels have assumed a protagonic role in the development of physiologically relevant tissues for several biomedical applications, such as in vivo tissue replacement or regeneration and in vitro disease modeling. By forming interconnected polymeric networks, hydrogels can be loaded with therapeutic agents, small molecules, or cells to deliver them locally to specific tissues or act as scaffolds for hosting cellular development. Hydrogels derived from decellularized extracellular matrices (dECMs), in particular, have gained significant attention in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine due to their inherently high biomimetic capabilities and endowment of a wide variety of bioactive cues capable of directing cellular behavior. However, these hydrogels often exhibit poor mechanical stability, and their biological properties alone are not enough to direct the development of tissue constructs with functional phenotypes. This review highlights the different ways in which external stimuli (e.g., light, thermal, mechanical, electric, magnetic, and acoustic) have been employed to improve the performance of dECM-based hydrogels for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Specifically, we outline how these stimuli have been implemented to improve their mechanical stability, tune their microarchitectural characteristics, facilitate tissue morphogenesis and enable precise control of drug release profiles. The strategic coupling of the bioactive features of dECM-based hydrogels with these stimulation schemes grants considerable advances in the development of functional hydrogels for a wide variety of applications within these fields.

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Pina ◽  
Viviana P. Ribeiro ◽  
Catarina F. Marques ◽  
F. Raquel Maia ◽  
Tiago H. Silva ◽  
...  

During the past two decades, tissue engineering and the regenerative medicine field have invested in the regeneration and reconstruction of pathologically altered tissues, such as cartilage, bone, skin, heart valves, nerves and tendons, and many others. The 3D structured scaffolds and hydrogels alone or combined with bioactive molecules or genes and cells are able to guide the development of functional engineered tissues, and provide mechanical support during in vivo implantation. Naturally derived and synthetic polymers, bioresorbable inorganic materials, and respective hybrids, and decellularized tissue have been considered as scaffolding biomaterials, owing to their boosted structural, mechanical, and biological properties. A diversity of biomaterials, current treatment strategies, and emergent technologies used for 3D scaffolds and hydrogel processing, and the tissue-specific considerations for scaffolding for Tissue engineering (TE) purposes are herein highlighted and discussed in depth. The newest procedures focusing on the 3D behavior and multi-cellular interactions of native tissues for further use for in vitro model processing are also outlined. Completed and ongoing preclinical research trials for TE applications using scaffolds and hydrogels, challenges, and future prospects of research in the regenerative medicine field are also presented.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (23) ◽  
pp. 13047
Author(s):  
Maria Grazia Tupone ◽  
Gloria Panella ◽  
Michele d’Angelo ◽  
Vanessa Castelli ◽  
Giulia Caioni ◽  
...  

Thanks to their reduced size, great surface area, and capacity to interact with cells and tissues, nanomaterials present some attractive biological and chemical characteristics with potential uses in the field of biomedical applications. In this context, graphene and its chemical derivatives have been extensively used in many biomedical research areas from drug delivery to bioelectronics and tissue engineering. Graphene-based nanomaterials show excellent optical, mechanical, and biological properties. They can be used as a substrate in the field of tissue engineering due to their conductivity, allowing to study, and educate neural connections, and guide neural growth and differentiation; thus, graphene-based nanomaterials represent an emerging aspect in regenerative medicine. Moreover, there is now an urgent need to develop multifunctional and functionalized nanomaterials able to arrive at neuronal cells through the blood-brain barrier, to manage a specific drug delivery system. In this review, we will focus on the recent applications of graphene-based nanomaterials in vitro and in vivo, also combining graphene with other smart materials to achieve the best benefits in the fields of nervous tissue engineering and neural regenerative medicine. We will then highlight the potential use of these graphene-based materials to construct graphene 3D scaffolds able to stimulate neural growth and regeneration in vivo for clinical applications.


Author(s):  
Qing Zhang

The microenvironment in which cells reside in vivo dictates their biological and mechanical functioning is associated with morphogenetic and regenerative processes and may find implications in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. The development of nano- and micro-fabricated technologies, three-dimensional (3D) printing technique, and biomimetic medical materials have enabled researchers to prepare novel advanced substrates mimicking the in vivo microenvironment. Most of the novel morphologies and behaviors of cells, including contact guidance and cell bridges which are observed in vivo but are not perceived in the traditional two-dimensional (2D) culture system, emerged on those novel substrates. Using cell bridges, cell can span over the surface of substrates to maintain mechanical stability and integrity of tissue, as observed in physiological processes, such as wound healing, regeneration and development. Compared to contact guidance, which has received increased attention and is investigated extensively, studies on cell bridges remain scarce. Therefore, in this mini-review, we have comprehensively summarized and classified different kinds of cell bridges formed on various substrates and highlighted possible biophysical mechanisms underlying cell bridge formation for their possible implication in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.


Author(s):  
Junyao Cheng ◽  
Jianheng Liu ◽  
Bing Wu ◽  
Zhongyang Liu ◽  
Ming Li ◽  
...  

Bone regeneration or replacement has been proved to be one of the most effective methods available for the treatment of bone defects caused by different musculoskeletal disorders. However, the great contradiction between the large demand for clinical therapies and the insufficiency and deficiency of natural bone grafts has led to an urgent need for the development of synthetic bone graft substitutes. Bone tissue engineering has shown great potential in the construction of desired bone grafts, despite the many challenges that remain to be faced before safe and reliable clinical applications can be achieved. Graphene, with outstanding physical, chemical and biological properties, is considered a highly promising material for ideal bone regeneration and has attracted broad attention. In this review, we provide an introduction to the properties of graphene and its derivatives. In addition, based on the analysis of bone regeneration processes, interesting findings of graphene-based materials in bone regenerative medicine are analyzed, with special emphasis on their applications as scaffolds, membranes, and coatings in bone tissue engineering. Finally, the advantages, challenges, and future prospects of their application in bone regenerative medicine are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Floris Honig ◽  
Steven Vermeulen ◽  
Amir A. Zadpoor ◽  
Jan de Boer ◽  
Lidy E. Fratila-Apachitei

The ability to control the interactions between functional biomaterials and biological systems is of great importance for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, the underlying mechanisms defining the interplay between biomaterial properties and the human body are complex. Therefore, a key challenge is to design biomaterials that mimic the in vivo microenvironment. Over millions of years, nature has produced a wide variety of biological materials optimised for distinct functions, ranging from the extracellular matrix (ECM) for structural and biochemical support of cells to the holy lotus with special wettability for self-cleaning effects. Many of these systems found in biology possess unique surface properties recognised to regulate cell behaviour. Integration of such natural surface properties in biomaterials can bring about novel cell responses in vitro and provide greater insights into the processes occurring at the cell-biomaterial interface. Using natural surfaces as templates for bioinspired design can stimulate progress in the field of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and biomaterials science. This literature review aims to combine the state-of-the-art knowledge in natural and nature-inspired surfaces, with an emphasis on material properties known to affect cell behaviour.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhisen Shen ◽  
Jian Wang ◽  
Dakai Lu ◽  
Qun Li ◽  
Chongchang Zhou ◽  
...  

Biodegradable polyurethane is an ideal candidate material to fabricate tissue engineered hypopharynx from its good mechanical properties and biodegradability. We thus synthesized a hydrophilic polyurethane via reactions among polyethylene glycol (PEG), e-caprolactone (e-CL) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), and thrihydroxymethyl propane (TMP). The product possessed a fast degradability due to its good wettability and good mechanical parameters with the elongations at break (137 ± 10%) and tensile strength (4.73 ± 0.46 MPa), which will make it a good matrix material for soft tissue like hypopharynx. Its biological properties were evaluated viain vitroandin vivotests. The results showed that this hydrophilic polyurethane material can support hypopharyngeal fibroblast growth and owned good degradability and low inflammatory reaction in subcutaneous implantation. It will be proposed as the scaffold for hypopharyngeal tissue engineering research in our future study.


2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 341-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Semple ◽  
Nicholis Woolridge ◽  
Charles J. Lumsden

2008 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 474-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan S. Carp ◽  
Ann M. Tennissen ◽  
Donna L. Mongeluzi ◽  
Christopher J. Dudek ◽  
Xiang Yang Chen ◽  
...  

In vitro slice preparations of CNS tissue are invaluable for studying neuronal function. However, up to now, slice protocols for adult mammal spinal motoneurons—the final common pathway for motor behaviors—have been available for only limited portions of the spinal cord. In most cases, these preparations have not been productive due to the poor viability of motoneurons in vitro. This report describes and validates a new slice protocol that for the first time provides reliable intracellular recordings from lumbar motoneurons of adult rats. The key features of this protocol are: preexposure to 100% oxygen; laminectomy prior to perfusion; anesthesia with ketamine/xylazine; embedding the spinal cord in agar prior to slicing; and, most important, brief incubation of spinal cord slices in a 30% solution of polyethylene glycol to promote resealing of the many motoneuron dendrites cut during sectioning. Together, these new features produce successful recordings in 76% of the experiments and an average action potential amplitude of 76 mV. Motoneuron properties measured in this new slice preparation (i.e., voltage and current thresholds for action potential initiation, input resistance, afterhyperpolarization size and duration, and onset and offset firing rates during current ramps) are comparable to those recorded in vivo. Given the mechanical stability and precise control over the extracellular environment afforded by an in vitro preparation, this new protocol can greatly facilitate electrophysiological and pharmacological study of these uniquely important neurons and other delicate neuronal populations in adult mammals.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-264
Author(s):  
A V Kosulin ◽  
L N Beldiman ◽  
S V Kromsky ◽  
A A Kokorina ◽  
E V Mikhailova ◽  
...  

Short bowel syndrome is an important clinical problem characterized by a high incidence of serious complications, deaths and socioeconomic consequences. Parenteral nutrition provides only a temporary solution without reducing the risk of complications. This applies equally to surgical treatment, in particular to small intestine transplantation and related concomitant interventions, which only facilitate the adaptation of the intestine to new conditions. Potential approaches have been analyzed in the treatment of the syndrome of the small intestine, which can be offered by dynamically developing tissue engineering. Various types of carriers and cell types that are used in experiments for obtaining tissue engineering designs of the intestine are discussed. A wide range of variants of such constructions is analyzed that can lead to obtaining an organ prosthesis with a cellular organization and mechanical stability similar to those of the native small intestine, which will ensure the necessary biocompatibility. It is established that one of the optimal carriers for today are extracellular matrices obtained by decellularization of the native small intestine. This process allows to preserve the microarchitecture of the small intestine, which greatly facilitates the process of filling the matrix with cells both in vitro and in vivo. It has also been established that mesenchymal stromal multipotent cells and organoid units obtained from the tissue of the native small intestine are particularly prominent among the most promising participants in the cellular ensemble.


Gels ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
Bhaumik Patel ◽  
Ravi Manne ◽  
Devang B. Patel ◽  
Shashank Gorityala ◽  
Arunkumar Palaniappan ◽  
...  

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality across the globe, and transplant surgeries are not always successful since it is not always possible to replace most of the damaged heart tissues, for example in myocardial infarction. Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide, is an important biomaterial for many biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. Based on the origin, degree of deacetylation, structure, and biological functions, chitosan has emerged for vital tissue engineering applications. Recent studies reported that chitosan coupled with innovative technologies helped to load or deliver drugs or stem cells to repair the damaged heart tissue not just in a myocardial infarction but even in other cardiac therapies. Herein, we outlined the latest advances in cardiac tissue engineering mediated by chitosan overcoming the barriers in cardiac diseases. We reviewed in vitro and in vivo data reported dealing with drug delivery systems, scaffolds, or carriers fabricated using chitosan for stem cell therapy essential in cardiac tissue engineering. This comprehensive review also summarizes the properties of chitosan as a biomaterial substrate having sufficient mechanical stability that can stimulate the native collagen fibril structure for differentiating pluripotent stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes for cardiac tissue engineering.


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