Characterization of the mechanical behaviors and bioactivity of tetrapod ZnO whiskers reinforced bioactive glass/gelatin composite scaffolds

Gelatin and Bioactive Glass Composites for Tissue Engineering: A Review

Nano-/micron-sized bioactive glass (BG) particles are attractive candidates for both soft and hard tissue engineering. They can chemically bond to the host tissues, enhance new tissue formation, activate cell proliferation, stimulate the genetic expression of proteins, and trigger unique anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer functionalities. Recently, composites based on biopolymers and BG particles have been developed with various state-of-the-art techniques for tissue engineering. Gelatin, a semi-synthetic biopolymer, has attracted the attention of researchers because it is derived from the most abundant protein in the body, viz., collagen. It is a polymer that can be dissolved in water and processed to acquire different configurations, such as hydrogels, fibers, films, and scaffolds. Searching "bioactive glass gelatin" in the tile on Scopus renders 80 highly relevant articles published in the last ~10 years, which signifies the importance of such composites. First, this review addresses the basic concepts of soft and hard tissue engineering, including the healing mechanisms and limitations ahead. Then, current knowledge on gelatin/BG composites including composition, processing and properties is summarized and discussed both for soft and hard tissue applications. This review explores physical, chemical and mechanical features and ion-release effects of such composites concerning osteogenic and angiogenic responses in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, recent developments of BG/gelatin composites using 3D/4D printing for tissue engineering are presented. Finally, the perspectives and current challenges in developing desirable composites for the regeneration of different tissues are outlined.

Easily attainable and low immunogenic stem cells from exfoliated deciduous teeth enhanced the in vivo bone regeneration ability of gelatin/bioactive glass microsphere composite scaffolds

Repair of critical-size bone defects remains a considerable challenge in the clinic. The most critical cause for incomplete healing is that osteoprogenitors cannot migrate to the central portion of the defects. Herein, stem cells from exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) with the properties of easy attainability and low immunogenicity were loaded into gelatin/bioactive glass (GEL/BGM) scaffolds to construct GEL/BGM + SHED engineering scaffolds. An in vitro study showed that BGM could augment the osteogenic differentiation of SHED by activating the AMPK signaling cascade, as confirmed by the elevated expression of osteogenic-related genes, and enhanced ALP activity and mineralization formation in SHED. After implantation in the critical bone defect model, GEL/BGM + SHED scaffolds exhibited low immunogenicity and significantly enhanced new bone formation in the center of the defect. These results indicated that GEL/BGM + SHED scaffolds present a new promising strategy for critical-size bone healing.

Effect of gelatin treatment on tow deformation in resin-impregnated glass fiber

The potential use of gelatin materials in the liquid composite molding manufacturing (LCM) process was investigated, with specific focus on the reinforcement deformation phenomenon. The adoptability of gelatin as a binder in a composite material with glass fiber for application in the LCM process was evaluated by analyzing the permeability and microscopic structure of the gelatin-coated glass fiber. To assess the tow deformation, the permeability of the non-crimped unidirectional glass fiber mat was evaluated at different flow rates that could be applied in the LCM process. Hysteresis of the permeability was observed as the flow rate increased and decreased, indicative of tow deformation. The permeability of the gelatin-treated glass fiber mat exhibited a relatively smaller variation than that of the untreated glass fiber at the same flow rate. Tow deformation in the untreated and gelatin-treated non-crimped glass fiber mats at different flow rates was evaluated by microscopic analysis and quantified using the tow thickness index. Relatively smaller variations in the permeability and minimal changes in the tow thickness of the gelatin-treated glass fiber mat were observed via microscopic analysis, indicating that gelatin effectively maintained the binding structure of the glass fiber mat.

Preparation and In Vitro Osteogenic Evaluation of Biomimetic Hybrid Nanocomposite Scaffolds Based on Gelatin/Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) and Lithium-Doped 45s5 Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles

Bone tissue engineering is an emerging technique for repairing large bone lesions. Biomimetic techniques expand the use of organic-inorganic spongy-like nanocomposite scaffolds and platelet concentrates. In this study, a biomimetic nanocomposite scaffold was prepared using lithium-doped bioactive-glass nanoparticles and gelatin/PRGF. First, sol-gel method was used to prepare bioactive-glass nanoparticles that contain 0, 1, 3, and 5%wt lithium. The lithium content was then optimized based on antibacterial and MTT testing. By freeze-drying, hybrid scaffolds comprising 5, 10, and 20% bioglass were made. On the scaffolds, human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) were cultured for adhesion (SEM), survival, and osteogenic differentiation. Alkaline phosphatase activity and osteopontin, osteocalcin, and Runx2 gene expression were measured. The effect of bioactive-glass nanoparticles and PRGF on nanocomposites' mechanical characteristics and glass-transition temperature (T _g) was also studied. An optimal lithium content in bioactive glass structure was found to be 3% wt. Nanoparticle SEM examination indicated grain deformation due to different sizes of lithium and sodium ions. Results showed up to 10% wt bioactive-glass and PRGF increased survival and cell adhesion. Also, Hybrid scaffolds revealed higher ALP-activity and OP, OC, and Runx2 gene expression. Furthermore, bioactive-glass has mainly increased ALP-activity and Runx2 expression, whereas PRGF increases the expression of OP and OC genes. Bioactive-glass increases scaffold modulus and T _g continuously. Hence, the presence of both bioactive-glass and nanocomposite scaffold improves the expression of osteogenic differentiation biomarkers. Subsequently, it seems that hybrid scaffolds based on biopolymers, Li-doped bioactive-glass, and platelet extracts can be a good strategy for bone repair.

The cardioprotective effect and mechanism of bioactive glass on myocardial reperfusion injury

Myocardial reperfusion treatment for ischemic infarction may cause lethal injury of cardiomyocytes, which is known as ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. As a kind of prospective biomaterial with superior properties, the application of bioactive glasses (BGs) in myocardial tissue engineering have received great interests. In this study, the cardioprotective effect and relevant mechanism of BG on myocardial reperfusion injury were investigatedin vitro. H9c2 cardiomyocytes were pretreated with BG extracts and then cultured in hypoxic environment for 30 min followed by reoxygenation for 1 h. The activity of released lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in H9c2 cells were tested by assay kits. Cell viability was analyzed by Live/Dead staining assay and the number of living cells was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The cytoskeletal protein F-actin was stained and observed under inverted fluorescence microscope. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) level, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis ratio were evaluated by fluorescent observation and flow cytometry simultaneously. The gene expressions relevant to apoptosis were detected by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. The results showed that BG extracts effectively inhibited hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cell injury by suppressing oxidative stress and mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) within H9c2 cells. Meanwhile, apoptosis caused by H/R injury was alleviated and three classic apoptotic signaling pathways were proved to be regulated by BG extracts. Further analysis showed that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway was up-regulated in H/R-induced H9c2 cells by BG extracts, leading to relieved cellular apoptosis. These results indicated that BG might exert cardioprotective effect in reperfusion injury when applied in myocardial tissue regeneration and repair.

Development of mangiferin loaded chitosan-silica hybrid scaffolds: Physicochemical and bioactivity characterization

Development of hybrid materials with molecular structure of organic-inorganic co-network is a promising method to enhance the stability and mechanical properties of biopolymers. Chitosan-silica hybrid nanocomposite scaffolds loaded with mangiferin, a plant-derived active compound possessing several bioactivities, were fabricated using the sol-gel synthesis and the freeze-drying processes. Investigation on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the fabricated scaffolds showed that their properties can be improved and tailored by the formation of 3-dimensional crosslinked network and the addition of ZnO nanoparticles. The scaffolds possessed porosity, fluid uptake, morphology, thermal properties and mechanical strength suitable for bone tissue engineering application. Investigation on the biomineralization and cell viability indicated that the inclusion of bioactive mangiferin further promote potential use of the hybrid nanocomposite scaffolds in guided bone regeneration application.

Bioactive glass activates VEGF paracrine signaling of cardiomyocytes to promote cardiac angiogenesis

The heart contains a wide range of cell types, which are not isolated but interact with one another via multifarious paracrine, autocrine and endocrine factors. In terms of cardiac angiogenesis, previous studies have proved that regulating the communication between cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells is efficacious to promote capillary formation. Firstly, this study investigated the effect and underlying mechanism of bioactive glass (BG) acted on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) paracrine signaling in cardiomyocytes. We found that bioactive ions released from BG significantly promoted the VEGF production and secretion of cardiomyocytes. Subsequently, we proved that cardiomyocyte-derived VEGF played an important role in mediating the behavior of endothelial cells. Further research showed that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) signaling pathway was upregulated by BG, which was involved in VEGF expression of cardiomyocytes. This study revealed that by means of modulating cellular crosstalk via paracrine signaling of host cells in heart is a new direction for the application of BGs in cardiac angiogenesis.

Role of Zinc-Doped Bioactive Glass Encapsulated with Microspherical Gelatin in Localized Supplementation for Tissue Regeneration: A Contemporary Review

Gelatin, a natural polymer, provides excellent tissue compatibility for use in tissue rehabilitation. Bioactive glasses (BAG) offer superior capacity in stimulating a bioactive response but show high variability in uptake and solubility. To tackle these drawbacks, a combination of gelatin with BAG is proposed to form composites, which then offer a synergistic response. The cross-linked gelatin structure's mechanical properties are enhanced by the incorporation of the inorganic BAG, and the rate of BAG ionic supplementation responsible for bioactivity and regenerative potential is better controlled by a protective gelatin layer. Several studies have demonstrated the cellular benefits of these composites in different forms of functional modification such as doping with zinc or incorporation of zinc such as ions directly into the BAG matrix. This review presents a comprehensive perspective on the individual characteristics of BAG and gelatin, including the synthesis and mechanism of action. Further, adaptation of the composite into various applications for bone tissue engineering is discussed and future challenges are highlighted.

A Review of Bioactive Glass/Natural Polymer Composites: State of the Art

Collagen, gelatin, silk fibroin, hyaluronic acid, chitosan, alginate, and cellulose are biocompatible and non-cytotoxic, being attractive natural polymers for medical devices for both soft and hard tissues. However, such natural polymers have low bioactivity and poor mechanical properties, which limit their applications. To tackle these drawbacks, collagen, gelatin, silk fibroin, hyaluronic acid, chitosan, alginate, and cellulose can be combined with bioactive glass (BG) nanoparticles and microparticles to produce composites. The incorporation of BGs improves the mechanical properties of the final system as well as its bioactivity and regenerative potential. Indeed, several studies have demonstrated that polymer/BG composites may improve angiogenesis, neo-vascularization, cells adhesion, and proliferation. This review presents the state of the art and future perspectives of collagen, gelatin, silk fibroin, hyaluronic acid, chitosan, alginate, and cellulose matrices combined with BG particles to develop composites such as scaffolds, injectable fillers, membranes, hydrogels, and coatings. Emphasis is devoted to the biological potentialities of these hybrid systems, which look rather promising toward a wide spectrum of applications.

Micro-Nano Bioactive Glass Particles Incorporated Porous Scaffold for Promoting Osteogenesis and Angiogenesis in vitro

Constructing the interconnected porous biomaterials scaffolds with osteogenesis and angiogenesis capacity is extremely important for efficient bone tissue engineering. Herein, we fabricated a bioactive micro-nano composite scaffolds with excellent in vitro osteogenesis and angiogenesis capacity, based on poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) incorporated with micro-nano bioactive glass (MNBG). The results showed that the addition of MNBG enlarged the pore size, increased the compressive modulus (4 times improvement), enhanced the physiological stability and apatite-forming ability of porous PLGA scaffolds. The in vitro studies indicated that the PLGA-MNBG porous scaffold could enhance the mouse bone mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs) attachment, proliferation, and promote the expression of osteogenesis marker (ALP). Additionally, PLGA-MNBG could also support the attachment and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and significantly enhanced the expression of angiogenesis marker (CD31) of HUVECs. The as-prepared bioactive PLGA-MNBG nanocomposites scaffolds with good osteogenesis and angiogenesis probably have a promising application for bone tissue regeneration.

Multiscale Simulation of Branched Nanofillers on Young's Modulus of Polymer Nanocomposites

Nanoscale tailoring the filler morphology in experiment offers new opportunities to modulate the mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites. Based on the conventical rod and experimentally available tetrapod filler, I compare the nanofiller dispersion and elastic moduli of these two kinds of nanocomposites via molecular dynamics simulation and a lattice spring model. The results show that the tetrapod has better dispersion than the rod, which is facilitate forming the percolation network and thus benefitting the mechanical reinforcement. The elastic modulus of tetrapod filled nanocomposites is much higher than those filled with rod, and the modulus disparity strongly depends on the aspect ratio of fillers and particle-polymer interaction, which agrees well with experimental results. From the stress distribution analysis on single particles, it is concluded that the mechanical disparity between bare rod and tetrapod filled composites is due to the effective stress transfer in the polymer/tetrapod composites.

Mechanical and biological performance of axially loaded novel bio-nanocomposite sandwich plate-type implant coated by biological polymer thin film

Post-surgical infection is one of the essential problems in bone scaffolds that is usually treated with antibiotics. This issue may be related to the poor blood supply for bone tissue due to high concentrations of drug. In the current study, the effect of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on the antibacterial behavior of the nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (n-HA) scaffolds coated by gelatin-ibuprofen (GN-IBO) is evaluated. To this end, the bio-nanocomposite scaffolds are fabricated via the space holder technique and then characterized with the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The compressive strength, fracture toughness, porosity, elastic modulus as the mechanical properties, and the apatite formation, biodegradation, drug release and wettability beside the roughness as the biological properties are predicted. The obtained experimental results indicate that the bio-nanocomposite scaffolds containing 10 wt% ZnO has suitable mechanical and biological properties. After that, an analytical model is developed to predict the nonlinear instability and vibration responses of an axially loaded sandwich plate-type implants made of the fabricated n-HA-ZnO bio-nanocomposites coated by GN-IBO thin film corresponding to various weight fractions of ZnO nanoparticles. It is found that ZnO peaks in the positions of 2θ are equal to 31.6°, 33.6°, 34°, 46.4°, and 62°, which represent the crystalline characteristics. Also, it is revealed that through addition of ZnO nanoparticles, the hardness and elastic modulus as well as the bone formation and biodegradation rate of the bio-nanocomposite scaffold enhance, while its drug release in the phosphate buffer solution detected with UV spectrum reduces. It is found that by increasing the ZnO weight fraction, the critical axial buckling load of the sandwich bio-nanocomposite implant enhances, and it buckles at lower axial shortening. However, it is seen that for higher value of wt% ZnO, its influence on the critical buckling load decreases.

ZnO Nanostructures for Tissue Engineering Applications

This review focuses on the most recent applications of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures for tissue engineering. ZnO is one of the most investigated metal oxides, thanks to its multifunctional properties coupled with the ease of preparing various morphologies, such as nanowires, nanorods, and nanoparticles. Most ZnO applications are based on its semiconducting, catalytic and piezoelectric properties. However, several works have highlighted that ZnO nanostructures may successfully promote the growth, proliferation and differentiation of several cell lines, in combination with the rise of promising antibacterial activities. In particular, osteogenesis and angiogenesis have been effectively demonstrated in numerous cases. Such peculiarities have been observed both for pure nanostructured ZnO scaffolds as well as for three-dimensional ZnO-based hybrid composite scaffolds, fabricated by additive manufacturing technologies. Therefore, all these findings suggest that ZnO nanostructures represent a powerful tool in promoting the acceleration of diverse biological processes, finally leading to the formation of new living tissue useful for organ repair.