Poly-L-Lysine and Human Plasmatic Fibronectin Films as Proactive Coatings to Improve Implant Biointegration

The success of stable and long-term implant integration implies the promotion, control, and respect of the cell microenvironment at the site of implantation. The key is to enhance the implant–host tissue cross talk by developing interfacial strategies that guarantee an optimal and stable seal of soft tissue onto the implant, while preventing potential early and late infection. Indeed, implant rejection is often jeopardized by lack of stable tissue surrounding the biomaterial combined with infections which reduce the lifespan and increase the failure rate of implants and morbidity and account for high medical costs. Thin films formed by the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes are particularly versatile and attractive for applications involving cell–material contact. With the combination of the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin (Fn, purified from human plasma) and poly-L-lysine (PLL, exhibiting specific chain lengths), we proposed proactive and biomimetic coatings able to guarantee enhanced cell attachment and exhibiting antimicrobial properties. Fn, able to create a biomimetic interface that could enhance cell attachment and promote extracellular cell matrix remodeling, is incorporated as the anionic polymer during film construction by the LbL technic whereas PLL is used as the cationic polymer for its capacity to confer remarkable antibacterial properties.

Novel green biodegradable polylactide based polyurethane triblock copolymers reinforced with cellulose nanowhiskers

Novel green classes of biodegradable polylactide-based triblock polyurethane (TBPU) polymers were synthesized. Owing to their tailored mechanical properties, improved degradation rates, and the enhance cell attachment potential compared with polylactide-homopolymer, they tested for biomedical applications. Triblock copolymers (TB) of different lactide and polyethylene glycol composition were first fabricated by ring-opening polymerization using tin octoate as catalyst. Afterwich polycaprolactone diole (PCL-diole) is reacted with TB copolymers using 1,4-butane diisocyanate (BDI) as nontoxic chain extender to form the final TBPUs. Final composition, molecular weight, thermal properties, hydrophilicity and biodegradation of the obtained TB and TBPU were studied and characterized using 1H-NMR, GPC, FTIR, DSC, SEM and contact angle measurements. Results obtained from the high molecular weight members of TBPUs showed improved hydrophilicity and degradation rates along with tailored mechanical properties. Nanocomposites obtained by reinforcing TBPU3 with 7% (w/w) BCNW showed ~16% increase in tensile strength and 330% in % elongation compared with PL-homopolymer. Those polymers and their nanocomposites demonstrated promising potential to be used as bone cement, and in regenerative medicin.

Novel green biodegradable polylactide based polyurethane triblock copolymers reinforced with cellulose nanowhiskers

Novel green classes of biodegradable polylactide-based triblock polyurethane (TBPU) polymers were synthesized. Owing to their tailored mechanical properties, improved degradation rates, and the enhance cell attachment potential compared with polylactide-homopolymer, they tested for biomedical applications. Triblock copolymers (TB) of different lactide and polyethylene glycol composition were first fabricated by ring-opening polymerization using tin octoate as catalyst. Afterwich polycaprolactone diole (PCL-diole) is reacted with TB copolymers using 1,4-butane diisocyanate (BDI) as nontoxic chain extender to form the final TBPUs. Final composition, molecular weight, thermal properties, hydrophilicity and biodegradation of the obtained TB and TBPU were studied and characterized using 1H-NMR, GPC, FTIR, DSC, SEM and contact angle measurements. Results obtained from the high molecular weight members of TBPUs showed improved hydrophilicity and degradation rates along with tailored mechanical properties. Nanocomposites obtained by reinforcing TBPU3 with 7% (w/w) BCNW showed ~16% increase in tensile strength and 330% in % elongation compared with PL-homopolymer. Those polymers and their nanocomposites demonstrated promising potential to be used as bone cement, and in regenerative medicin.

Self-stabilized fibronectin films at the air/water interface

ABSTRACTFibronectin (FN) is a mediator molecule, which can connect cell receptors to the extracellular matrix (ECM) in tissues. This function is highly desirable for biomaterial surfaces in order to support cell adhesion. Controlling the fibronectin adsorption profile on substrates is challenging because of possible conformational changes after deposition, or due to displacement by secondary proteins from the culture medium. Here, we aim to develop a method to realize self-stabilized ECM glycoprotein layers with preserved native secondary structure on substrates. Our concept is the assembly of FN layers at the air-water (A-W) interface by spreading FN solution as droplets on the interface and transfer of the layer by the Langmuir-Schäfer (LS) method onto a substrate. It is hypothesized that 2D confinement and high local concentration at A-W interface supports FN self-interlinking to form cohesive films. Rising surface pressure with time, plateauing at 10.5 mN·m-1 (after 10 hrs), indicated that FN was self-assembling at the A-W interface. In situ polarization-modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy of the layer revealed that FN maintained its native anti-parallel β-sheet structure after adsorption at the A-W interface. FN self-interlinking and elasticity was shown by the increase in elastic modulus and loss modulus with time using interfacial rheology. A network-like structure of FN films formed at the A-W interface was confirmed by atomic force microscopy after LS transfer onto Si-wafer. FN films consisted of native, globular FN molecules self-stabilized by intermolecular interactions at the A-W interface. Therefore, the facile FN self-stabilized network-like films with native anti-parallel β-sheet structure produced here, could serve as stable ECM protein coatings to enhance cell attachment on in vitro cell culture substrates and planar implant materials.

Controlled Release of Metformin Hydrochloride from Core-Shell Nanofibers with Fish Sarcoplasmic Protein

Background and Objectives: A coaxial electrospinning technique was used to produce core/shell nanofibers of a polylactic acid (PLA) as a shell and a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) containing metformin hydrochloride (MH) as a core. Materials and Methods: Fish sarcoplasmic protein (FSP) was extracted from fresh bonito and incorporated into nanofiber at various concentrations to investigate the influence on properties of the coaxial nanofibers. The morphology, chemical structure and thermal properties of the nanofibers were studied. Results: The results show that uniform and bead-free structured nanofibers with diameters ranging from 621 nm to 681 nm were obtained. A differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis shows that FSP had a reducing effect on the crystallinity of the nanofibers. Furthermore, the drug release profile of electrospun fibers was analyzed using the spectrophotometric method. Conclusions: The nanofibers showed prolonged and sustained release and the first order kinetic seems to be more suitable to describe the release. MTT assay suggests that the produced drug and protein loaded coaxial nanofibers are non-toxic and enhance cell attachment. Thus, these results demonstrate that the produced nanofibers had the potential to be used for diabetic wound healing applications.

Special Issue: Novel Advances and Approaches in Biomedical Materials Based on Calcium Phosphates

Research on calcium phosphate use in the development and clinical application of biomedical materials is a diverse activity and is genuinely interdisciplinary, with much work leading to innovative solutions for improvement of health outcomes. This Special Issue aimed to summarize current advances in this area. The nine papers published cover a wide spectrum of topical areas, such as (1) remineralisation pastes for decalcified teeth, (2) use of statins to enhance bone formation, (3) how dolomitic marble and seashells can be processed into bioceramic materials, (4) relationships between the roughness of calcium phosphate surfaces and surface charge with the effect on human MRC osteogenic differentiation and maturation being investigated, (5) rheological and mechanical properties of a novel injectable bone substitute, (6) improving strength of bone cements by incorporating reinforcing chemically modified fibres, (7) using adipose stem cells to stimulate osteogenesis, osteoinduction, and angiogenesis on calcium phosphates, (8) using glow discharge treatments to remove surface contaminants from biomedical materials to enhance cell attachment and improve bone generation, and (9) a review on how classically brittle hydroxyapatite based scaffolds can be improved by making fibre-hydroxyapatite composites, with detailed analysis of ceramic crack propagation mechanisms and its prevention via fibre incorporation in the hydroxyapatite.

TOXICITY ANALYSIS OF CRAB SHELL CHITOSAN ARGINYLGLYCYLASPARTIC ACID SCAFFOLD MEMBRANE AND ITS EFFECT ON HUMAN DENTAL PULP CELL VIABILITY

Objective: Crab shell chitosan is a biomaterial used for scaffolding. In Indonesia, Badan Tenaga Nuklir Nasional has made a crab shell chitosan arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) scaffold membrane. The purpose of adding RGD was to enhance cell attachment to the scaffold. The objective of this research is to analyze the toxicity of crab shell chitosan RGD scaffold membrane on human dental pulp cells and its effect on their viabilityMethods: Human dental pulp cells were cultured for 5 days in Minimum Essential Medium Alpha (α-MEM) complete containing amphotericin B, penicillin, streptomycin, and fetal bovine serum. Then, the treatment group was exposed to crab shell chitosan RGD scaffold membrane and crab shell chitosan scaffold membrane incubated for 24 h. The toxicity of the crab shell chitosan RGD scaffold membrane was analyzed with a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay.Result: The result of this research is that crab shell chitosan RGD scaffold membrane did not decrease the percentage of viability of human dental pulp cells.Conclusion: It is concluded that crab shell chitosan RGD scaffold membrane does not have toxic effects on human dental pulp cells.

Strategies for the chemical and biological functionalization of scaffolds for cardiac tissue engineering: a review

The development of biomaterials for cardiac tissue engineering (CTE) is challenging, primarily owing to the requirement of achieving a surface with favourable characteristics that enhances cell attachment and maturation. The biomaterial surface plays a crucial role as it forms the interface between the scaffold (or cardiac patch) and the cells. In the field of CTE, synthetic polymers (polyglycerol sebacate, polyethylene glycol, polyglycolic acid, poly- l -lactide, polyvinyl alcohol, polycaprolactone, polyurethanes and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)) have been proven to exhibit suitable biodegradable and mechanical properties. Despite the fact that they show the required biocompatible behaviour, most synthetic polymers exhibit poor cell attachment capability. These synthetic polymers are mostly hydrophobic and lack cell recognition sites, limiting their application. Therefore, biofunctionalization of these biomaterials to enhance cell attachment and cell material interaction is being widely investigated. There are numerous approaches for functionalizing a material, which can be classified as mechanical, physical, chemical and biological. In this review, recent studies reported in the literature to functionalize scaffolds in the context of CTE, are discussed. Surface, morphological, chemical and biological modifications are introduced and the results of novel promising strategies and techniques are discussed.