Multifunctional Casein-Based Wound Dressing Capable of Monitoring and Moderating the Proteolytic Activity of Chronic Wounds

Every 1.2 s, a diabetic foot ulcer is developed, and every 20 s, one amputation is carried out in diabetic patients. Monitoring and controlling protease activity have been considered as a strategy for more efficient management of diabetic and other chronic wounds. This study aimed to develop a casein-based dressing that, by its disappearance, provides information about the activity of proteases and simultaneously harnesses proteolytic activity. Casein films were fabricated by using an aqueous solution, and heat treatment was successfully deployed as a green and clean approach to confer hydrolytic stability. Our results showed that casein-based films' mechanical characteristics, water absorption, and proteolytic stability could be controlled by the length of the heat treatment, which proved to be a useful tool. An increase in the treatment duration from 30 min to 3 h led to toleration of 2.4 times higher stress, 2 times lower water uptake, and 3.4 times higher proteolytic stability at examined conditions. Selected casein-based structures responded to Bacillus sp. bacteria's protease (BSP) and human neutrophil elastase (HNE) as representatives of bacterial and nonbacterial proteases found in the wounds at 10 and 200 ng mL-1 levels, respectively. The hydrolysis was accompanied by a 36% reduction in proteolytic activity measured by using a casein-based universal protease activity assay. The released casein fragments could scavenge 90% of the examined radicals. In-vitro cell culture studies showed that the hydrolysates were not cytotoxic, and the casein-based film had a favorable interaction with fibroblast cells, indicating its potential as a scaffold in the case that proteolytic activity would not be to the extent that causes its rapid disintegration. In general, these findings hold promise for applying the developed casein-based structure for detecting proteolytic activity without the need for any equipment, kits, or expertise and, more importantly, in a highly economical manner. In the case that the proteolytic activity would not be severe, it could also serve as a substrate for cell adhesion and growth; this would aid in the healing process.

Surface Engineering of Nanomaterials with Polymers, Biomolecules, and Small Ligands for Nanomedicine

Nanomedicine is a speedily growing area of medical research that is focused on developing nanomaterials for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Nanomaterials with unique physicochemical properties have recently attracted a lot of attention since they offer a lot of potential in biomedical research. Novel generations of engineered nanostructures, also known as designed and functionalized nanomaterials, have opened up new possibilities in the applications of biomedical approaches such as biological imaging, biomolecular sensing, medical devices, drug delivery, and therapy. Polymers, natural biomolecules, or synthetic ligands can interact physically or chemically with nanomaterials to functionalize them for targeted uses. This paper reviews current research in nanotechnology, with a focus on nanomaterial functionalization for medical applications. Firstly, a brief overview of the different types of nanomaterials and the strategies for their surface functionalization is offered. Secondly, different types of functionalized nanomaterials are reviewed. Then, their potential cytotoxicity and cost-effectiveness are discussed. Finally, their use in diverse fields is examined in detail, including cancer treatment, tissue engineering, drug/gene delivery, and medical implants.

An Attempt to Optimize Supercritical CO2 Polyaniline-Polycaprolactone Foaming Processes to Produce Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

Conjugated polymers are biomaterials with high conductivity characteristics because of their molecular composition. However, they are too rigid and brittle for medical applications and therefore need to be combined with non-conductive polymers to overcome or lessen these drawbacks. This work has, consequently, focused on the development of three-dimensional scaffolds where conductive and non-conductive polymers have been produced by combining polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyaniline (PANI) by means of supercritical CO₂ foaming techniques. To evaluate their therapeutic potential as implants, a series of experiments have been designed to determine the most influential variables in the production of the three-dimensional scaffolds, including temperature, pressure, polymer ratio and depressurization rate. Internal morphology, porosity, expansion factor, PANI loads, biodegradability, mechanical and electrical properties have been taken as the response variables. The results revealed a strong influence from all the input variables studied, as well as from their interactions. The best operating conditions tested were 70 °C, 100 bar, a ratio of 5:1 (PCL:PANI), a depressurization rate of 20 bar/min and a contact time of 1 h.

Conductive photothermal non-swelling nanocomposite hydrogel patch accelerating bone defect repair

Bone defect repair is one of the most common issue in clinic. Developmental multifunctional scaffolds have become a promising strategy to effectively promote bone defect repair. Here, a series of...

Conductive Polymeric-Based Electroactive Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications: Current Progress and Challenges from Biomaterials and Manufacturing Perspectives

The practice of combining external stimulation therapy alongside stimuli-responsive bio-scaffolds has shown massive potential for tissue engineering applications. One promising example is the combination of electrical stimulation (ES) and electroactive scaffolds because ES could enhance cell adhesion and proliferation as well as modulating cellular specialization. Even though electroactive scaffolds have the potential to revolutionize the field of tissue engineering due to their ability to distribute ES directly to the target tissues, the development of effective electroactive scaffolds with specific properties remains a major issue in their practical uses. Conductive polymers (CPs) offer ease of modification that allows for tailoring the scaffold's various properties, making them an attractive option for conductive component in electroactive scaffolds. This review provides an up-to-date narrative of the progress of CPs-based electroactive scaffolds and the challenge of their use in various tissue engineering applications from biomaterials perspectives. The general issues with CP-based scaffolds relevant to its application as electroactive scaffolds were discussed, followed by a more specific discussion in their applications for specific tissues, including bone, nerve, skin, skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle scaffolds. Furthermore, this review also highlighted the importance of the manufacturing process relative to the scaffold's performance, with particular emphasis on additive manufacturing, and various strategies to overcome the CPs' limitations in the development of electroactive scaffolds.

Carbon Nanomaterials Embedded in Conductive Polymers: A State of the Art

Carbon nanomaterials are at the forefront of the newest technologies of the third millennium, and together with conductive polymers, represent a vast area of indispensable knowledge for developing the devices of tomorrow. This review focusses on the most recent advances in the field of conductive nanotechnology, which combines the properties of carbon nanomaterials with conjugated polymers. Hybrid materials resulting from the embedding of carbon nanotubes, carbon dots and graphene derivatives are taken into consideration and fully explored, with discussion of the most recent literature. An introduction into the three most widely used conductive polymers and a final section about the most recent biological results obtained using carbon nanotube hybrids will complete this overview of these innovative and beyond belief materials.

Reduced graphene oxide coating enhances osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells on Ti surfaces

BACKGROUND

Titanium (Ti) has been utilized as hard tissue replacement owing to its superior mechanical and bioinert property, however, lack in tissue compatibility and biofunctionality has limited its clinical use. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is one of the graphene derivatives that possess extraordinary biofunctionality and are known to induce osseointegration in vitro and in vivo. In this study, rGO was uniformly coated by meniscus-dragging deposition (MDD) technique to fabricate rGO-Ti substrate for orthopedic and dental implant application.

METHODS

The physicochemical characteristics of rGO-coated Ti (rGO-Ti) substrates were evaluated by atomic force microscopy, water contact angle, and Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were cultured on the rGO-Ti substrate, and then their cellular behaviors such as growth and osteogenic differentiation were determined by a cell counting kit-8 assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay, and alizarin red S staining.

RESULTS

rGO was coated uniformly on Ti substrates by MDD process, which allowed a decrease in the surface roughness and contact angle of Ti substrates. While rGO-Ti substrates significantly increased cell proliferation after 7 days of incubation, they significantly promoted ALP activity and matrix mineralization, which are early and late differentiation markers, respectively.

CONCLUSION

It is suggested that rGO-Ti substrates can be effectively utilized as dental and orthopedic bone substitutes since these graphene derivatives have potent effects on stimulating the osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs and showed superior bioactivity and osteogenic potential.

Milk proteins and their derived peptides on bone health: Biological functions, mechanisms, and prospects

Bone is a dynamic organ under constant metabolism (or remodeling), where a delicate balance between bone resorption and bone formation is maintained. Disruption of this coordinated bone remodeling results in bone diseases, such as osteoporosis, the most common bone disorder characterized by decreased bone mineral density and microarchitectural deterioration. Epidemiological and clinical evidence support that consumption of dairy products is beneficial for bone health; this benefit is often attributed to the presence of calcium, the physiological contributions of milk proteins on bone metabolism, however, are underestimated. Emerging evidence highlighted that not only milk proteins (including individual milk proteins) but also their derived peptides positively regulate bone remodeling and attenuate bone loss, via the regulation of cellular markers and signaling of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. This article aims to review current knowledge about the roles of milk proteins, with an emphasis on individual milk proteins, bioactive peptides derived from milk proteins, and effect of milk processing in particular fermentation, on bone metabolism, to highlight the potential uses of milk proteins in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, and, to discuss the knowledge gap and to recommend future research directions.

3D Scaffolds Based on Conductive Polymers for Biomedical Applications

3D scaffolds appear to be a cost-effective ultimate answer for biomedical applications, facilitating rapid results while providing an environment similar to in vivo tissue. These biomaterials offer large surface areas for cell or biomaterial attachment, proliferation, biosensing and drug delivery applications. Among 3D scaffolds, the ones based on conjugated polymers (CPs) and natural nonconductive polymers arranged in a 3D architecture provide tridimensionality to cellular culture along with a high surface area for cell adherence and proliferation as well electrical conductivity for stimulation or sensing. However, the scaffolds must also obey other characteristics: homogeneous porosity, with pore sizes large enough to allow cell penetration and nutrient flow; elasticity and wettability similar to the tissue of implantation; and a suitable composition to enhance cell-matrix interactions. In this Review, we summarize the fabrication methods, characterization techniques and main applications of conductive 3D scaffolds based on conductive polymers. The main barrier in the development of these platforms has been the fabrication and subsequent maintenance of the third dimension due to challenges in the manipulation of conductive polymers. In the last decades, different approaches to overcome these barriers have been developed for the production of conductive 3D scaffolds, demonstrating a huge potential for biomedical purposes. Finally, we present an overview of the emerging strategies developed to manufacture 3D conductive scaffolds, the techniques used to fully characterize them, and the biomedical fields where they have been applied.

Fabrication and characterization of hydroxypropyl guar-poly (vinyl alcohol)-nano hydroxyapatite composite hydrogels for bone tissue engineering

Biocompatible bone implants composed of natural materials are highly desirable in orthopedic reconstruction procedures. In this study, novel and ecofriendly bionanocomposite hydrogels were synthesized using a blend of hydroxypropyl guar (HPG), poly vinyl alcohol (PVA), and nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) under freeze-thaw and mild reaction conditions. The hydrogel materials were characterized using various techniques. TGA studies indicate that both composites, HPG/PVA and HPG/PVA/n-HA, have higher thermal stability compared to HPG alone whereas HPG/PVA/n-HA shows higher stability compared to PVA alone. The HPG/PVA hydrogel shows porous morphology as revealed by the SEM, which is suitable for bone tissue regeneration. Additionally, the hydrogels were found to be transparent and flexible in nature. In vitro biomineralization study performed in simulated body fluid shows HPG/PVA/n-HA has an apatite like structure. The hydrogel materials were employed as extracellular matrices for biocompatibility studies. In vitro cell viability studies using mouse osteoblast MC3T3 cells were performed by MTT, Trypan blue exclusion, and ethidium bromide/acridine orange staining methods. The cell viability studies reveal that composite materials support cell growth and do not show any signs of cytotoxicity compared to pristine PVA. Osteoblastic activity was confirmed by an increased alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity in MC3T3 bone cells grown on composite hydrogel matrices.

Graphene Family Materials in Bone Tissue Regeneration: Perspectives and Challenges

We have witnessed abundant breakthroughs in research on the bio-applications of graphene family materials in current years. Owing to their nanoscale size, large specific surface area, photoluminescence properties, and antibacterial activity, graphene family materials possess huge potential for bone tissue engineering, drug/gene delivery, and biological sensing/imaging applications. In this review, we retrospect recent progress and achievements in graphene research, as well as critically analyze and discuss the bio-safety and feasibility of various biomedical applications of graphene family materials for bone tissue regeneration.

Enhanced cell growth on 3D graphene scaffolds implanted with nitrogen ions

One of the key challenges in engineering tissues for cell-based therapies is developing biocompatible scaffold materials to direct cell behavior. In this paper, the cytocompatibilities of a flexible three-dimensional graphene scaffold (3D-G) and the same scaffold implanted with nitrogen ions (N⁺/3D-G) are compared using an in vitro assay based on 3(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide. The N⁺/3D-G samples were prepared from low-temperature hydrothermally synthesized flexible 3D-G by ion implantation and were found to display improved adhesion and proliferation of rat osteoblast and mouse fibroblast cells. In particular, the N⁺/3D-G sample with a nitrogen content of ∼10% showed the highest levels of cell viability and proliferation. The flexible N⁺/3D-G has potential applications as a biocompatible scaffold material that provides improved surface area and hydrophilic groups for cell growth and proliferation.

Determination of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine oxidative stress biomarker using dysprosium oxide nanoparticles@reduced graphene oxide

Electrochemical detection of 8-OHdG biomarker using Dy₂O₃@RGO/SPCE.

A guanidyl-functionalized TiO2 nanoparticle-anchored graphene nanohybrid for enhanced capture of phosphopeptides

A novel TiO₂-based MOAC hybrid nanomaterial was successfully synthesized and applied as a biofunctional adsorbent for selective enrichment of trace phosphopeptides.