Controlled delivery of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 by using glucose-sensitive core–shell nanofibers to repair the mandible defects in diabetic rats

A Clinical Study on the Effect of Different Ratios of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Compound to Autogenous Bone on Cervical Interbody Fusion Based on Smart Healthcare

With an increasing elderly population worldwide, the incidence of spine degenerative diseases with neck and shoulder pain as the main symptom is rising obviously, which has now become one of the important and difficult problems in sociomedical science. This study was to explore the effects of different ratios of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) compound to the autogenous bone on cervical interbody fusion. 90 cervical degeneration patients with the need of surgical treatment admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to January 2020 were selected as the research objects and equally divided into group A, group B, and group C according to the order of admission, with 30 cases in each group and the ratios of rhBMP-2 compound to autogenous bone being 2 : 1, 1 : 1, and 1 : 2 respectively, and standard anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) treatment was performed to all patients to compare their surgery-related indexes, the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, the visual analog scale (VAS) score, the effect of cervical interbody fusion, and the postoperative complication rate (CR). Compared with group A and group C, group B achieved the significantly better surgery-related indexes (P < 0.05), significantly higher postoperative JOA scores (P < 0.05), significantly lower postoperative neck and upper limb VAS scores (P < 0.05), significantly better effect of cervical interbody fusion (P < 0.05), and significantly lower postoperative CR (P < 0.05). 1 : 1 is the best ratio of rhBMP-2 compound to the autogenous bone, for it can optimize patients' perioperative indexes, reduce the postoperative pain, lower the possibility of complications, and improve the effect of cervical interbody fusion, which should be promoted and applied in practice.

On the road to smart biomaterials for bone research: definitions, concepts, advances, and outlook

The demand for biomaterials that promote the repair, replacement, or restoration of hard and soft tissues continues to grow as the population ages. Traditionally, smart biomaterials have been thought as those that respond to stimuli. However, the continuous evolution of the field warrants a fresh look at the concept of smartness of biomaterials. This review presents a redefinition of the term "Smart Biomaterial" and discusses recent advances in and applications of smart biomaterials for hard tissue restoration and regeneration. To clarify the use of the term "smart biomaterials", we propose four degrees of smartness according to the level of interaction of the biomaterials with the bio-environment and the biological/cellular responses they elicit, defining these materials as inert, active, responsive, and autonomous. Then, we present an up-to-date survey of applications of smart biomaterials for hard tissues, based on the materials' responses (external and internal stimuli) and their use as immune-modulatory biomaterials. Finally, we discuss the limitations and obstacles to the translation from basic research (bench) to clinical utilization that is required for the development of clinically relevant applications of these technologies.

Electrospun collagen core/poly-l-lactic acid shell nanofibers for prolonged release of hydrophilic drug

The development of sustained control drug release for delivering hydrophilic drugs has been challenging due to a burst release. Nanofibers are used as materials that enable efficient drug delivery systems. In this study, we designed drug-encapsulated core-shell nanofibers comprising a hydrophilic core of collagen (Col) incorporated with berberine chloride (BC), an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agent used as a model drug, and a hydrophobic shell of poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA). Long-term drug release profiles under both the physiological and hydrolysis-accelerated conditions were measured and analyzed using a Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetics model. We found that the Col/PLLA core-shell fiber achieved a controllable long-term release of the hydrophilic drug incorporated inside the core by the slow degradation of the PLLA shell to prevent the burst release while PLLA monolithic fibers showed early release due to the dissolution of drug and the following rapid hydrolysis of fibers. As shown by the results of Col/PLLA core-shell fiber under a hydrolysis-accelerated condition to promote the release of drugs test, it would provide sustained release over 16 days under physiological conditions. Here, the development of the nanomaterial for the long-term drug release of hydrophilic drugs was achieved, leading to its potential medical application including cancer treatment.

A core-shell guanosine diphosphate crosslinked chitosan scaffold as a potential co-encapsulation platform

Recent engineering strategies to better mimic native tissue architecture involve co-encapsulation of cell lineages and/or growth factors in multi-compartmental scaffolds. This study introduces a core-shell platform based on a rapidly gelling guanosine diphosphate cross-linked chitosan scaffold for co-culture. The core-shell sponge is fabricated through combination of chitosan and guanosine diphosphate in 3 steps with each shell layer deposited around the previous layer. Co-encapsulation of pre-osteoblastic MC-3T3 cells and growth factors in the core-shell sponge showed similar microstructure to the standard sponge with high pore connectivity and low closed porosity (<0.4 %). A viable cell population was maintained over time with enhanced cellular functionality when ascorbic acid was added in the same compartment. Co-culture was explored with a proof-of-concept study shown for MC-3T3 and endothelial cells showing homogeneous distribution of cells in their intended compartment. Overall, this core-shell scaffold shows potential as a platform for the regeneration of multiple tissues.