Advances in Biomaterials for Breast Reconstruction

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies in women. Along with increasing demands for breast reconstruction, the attention given to the psychological and aesthetic benefits of breast reconstruction has also increased. As breast reconstruction and augmentation demands increase, biomaterials for breast reconstruction are being developed, and the related industry is growing quickly worldwide. Among the various biomaterials used for breast enlargement, breast implants have undergone a remarkable evolution since the 1960s. Despite unsatisfactory results and unexpected complications, research dedicated to achieving an ideal breast implant has progressed. In accordance with attention to tissue engineering, a three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technique for breast tissue regeneration has emerged to overcome the current limitations of breast biomaterials. Along with solid implants, injectable liquid-type fillers are also part of ongoing studies.

A REVIEW ON: ATRIGEL–THE MAGICAL TOOL

The widely effective and most common form of drug delivery is parenteral administration for active drug substances with poor bio-availability and the drugs with a narrow therapeutic index. Though parenteral administration of drug is often critical and associated with problems such as limited number of acceptable excipients, stringent requirements of aseptic production process, safety issues, patient noncompliance. Still this route maintains its value due to special advantages like quicker onset of action in case of emergency, target the drug quickly to desired site of action, prevention of first pass metabolism etc. The application of advanced drug delivery technology to parenteral administration lead to development of liposomes, nanosuspensions, solid implants etc. to overcome limitations of conventional parenteral delivery. Solid implants are reported to produce very reproducible release profiles. However, because of their size, they require surgical implantation or the use of large trochars to administer the product. Delivery systems consisting of microparticles can be injected into the body using conventional needles and syringes and have been the most widely accepted biodegradable polymer system for parenteral use. However, the manufacturing processes for microparticles are often complex and difficult to control leading to batch-to-batch product non uniformity. These methods of administration often limit the product's market potential due to patient and physician acceptance issues. Therefore, a delivery system that combines the simplicity and reliability of solid implant devices alongwith convenience and ease of administration of microparticles is desired. In situ gel forming systems represent a desired alternate. This article gives the idea about In situ gel forming system to provide drug release in sustained release manner.

Practical differences between luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists in prostate cancer: perspectives across the spectrum of care

Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists is well established for the treatment of men with metastatic prostate cancer. As clear differences in efficacy, safety, or tolerability between the available LHRH agonists are lacking, the healthcare management team needs to look to practical differences between the formulations when selecting therapy for their patients. Moreover, as the economic burden of prostate cancer rises alongside earlier diagnosis and improved survival, the possibility for cost savings by using products with specific features is growing in importance. Methods: A review was conducted to summarize the information on the different LHRH agonist formulations currently available and offer insight into their relative benefits and disadvantages from the perspectives of physicians, a pharmacist, and a nurse. Results: The leuprorelin acetate and goserelin acetate solid implants have the advantage of being ready to use with no requirement for refrigeration, whereas powder and microsphere formulations have to be reconstituted and have specific storage or handling constraints. The single-step administration of solid implants, therefore, has potential to reduce labor time and associated costs. Dosing frequency is another key consideration, as administering the injection provides an opportunity for face-to-face interaction between the patient and healthcare professionals to ensure therapy is optimized and give reassurance to patients. Prostate cancer patients are reported to prefer 3- or 6-monthly dosing, which aligns with the monitoring frequency recommended in European Association of Urology guidelines and has been shown to result in reduced annual costs compared with 1-month formulations. Conclusions: A number of practical differences exist between the different LHRH agonist preparations available, which may impact on clinical practice. It is important for healthcare providers to be aware and carefully consider these differences when selecting treatments for their prostate cancer patients.

Pore Geometry Optimization of Titanium (Ti6Al4V) Alloy, for Its Application in the Fabrication of Customized Hip Implants

The present study investigates the mechanical response of representative volume elements of porous Ti-6Al-4V alloy, to arrive at a desired range of pore geometries that would optimize the reduction in stiffness necessary for biocompatibility with the stress concentration arising around the pore periphery, under physiological loading conditions with respect to orthopedic hip implants. A comparative study of the two is performed with the aid of a newly defined optimizing parameter called pore efficiency that takes into consideration both the stiffness quantity and the stress localization around pores. To perform a detailed analysis of the response of the porous structure over the entire spectrum of loading conditions that a hip implant is subjected toin vivo, the mechanical responses of 3D finite element models of cubic and rectangular parallelepiped geometries, with porosities varying over a range of 10% to 60%, are simulated under representative compressive, flexural as well as combined loading conditions. The results that are obtained are used to suggest a range of pore diameters that lower the effective stiffness and modulus of the implant to around 60% of the stiffness and modulus of dense solid implants while keeping the stress levels within permissible limits.