Importance of Serum Copper and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF-A) Levels in Postmenopausal Bleeding

Copper(II)-MOFs for bio-applications

The recent development and implementation of copper-based metal-organic frameworks in biological applications are reviewed. The advantages of the presence of copper in MOFs for relevant applications such as drug delivery, cancer treatment, sensing, and antimicrobial are highlighted. Advanced composites such as MOF-polymers are playing critical roles in developing materials for specific applications.

Bipolar Metal Flexible Electrospun Fibrous Membrane Based on Metal-Organic Framework for Gradient Healing of Tendon-to-Bone Interface Regeneration

Metal ions play a significant role in tissue repair, with widely application in clinical treatment. However, the therapeutic effect of metal ions is always limited due to metabolization and narrow repair capability. Here, a bipolar metal flexible electrospun fibrous membrane based on a metal-organic framework (MOF), which is bioinspired by the gradient structure of the tendon-to-bone interface, with a combination of regulating osteoblasts differentiation and angiogenesis properties, is constructed successfully by a continuous electrospinning technique and matching the longitudinal space morphology for synchronous regeneration. Furthermore, the MOF, acting as carriers, can not only achieve the sustainable release of metal ions, but promote the osteogenesis and tenogenesis on the scaffold. The in vitro data show that this novel hierarchical structure can accelerate the tenogenesis, the biomineralization, and angiogenesis. Moreover, in the in vivo experiment, the flexible fibrous membrane can promote tendon and bone tissue repair, and fibrocartilage reconstruction, to realize the multiple tissue synchronous regeneration at the damaged tendon-to-bone interface. Altogether, this newly developed bipolar metal flexible electrospun fibrous membrane based on a MOF, as a new biomimetic flexible scaffold, has great potential in reconstruct the tissue damage, especially gradient tissue damage.

Induced Biological Response in Contact with Ag-and Cu-Doped Carbon Coatings for Potential Orthopedic Applications

Silver and copper as additives of various biomaterials have been reported as the potential solutions for biomedicine applications, mostly because of inducing bactericidal effects. The application of those admixtures in diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings may be desirable for orthopedic implants. In the present manuscript, the biological effect of coatings with up to about 7 at.% and 14 at.% of, respectively, Cu and Ag is compared. The morphology, chemical structure, and composition of films deposited on AISI 316LVM and Ti6Al7Nb is characterized. The live/dead analysis conducted with Escherichia coli shows a higher bactericidal potential of silver than copper. Although the Cu-doped coatings can positively affect the proliferation of Saos-2 and EA.hy926 cell lines, the results of XTT test are on the verge of 70% of viability. Biological effect of silver on EA.hy926 cell lines is negative but that admixture ensures high proliferation of osteoblasts in contact with coatings deposited on titanium alloy (over 20% better than for substrate material). In that case, the viability is reaching about 85% for Ag-doped coatings on AISI 316LVM and 75% on Ti6Al7Nb. The results indicate that for the sake of bactericidal coatings that may promote osteointegration, the candidates are DLC with silver content no higher than 10 at.%.