Electrophoretic coating of amphiphilic chitosan colloids on regulating cellular behaviour

Electrodeposition of Polysaccharide and Protein Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

In the last few decades, polysaccharide and protein hydrogels have attracted significant attentions and been applied in various engineering fields. Polysaccharide and protein hydrogels with appealing physical and biological features have been produced to meet different biomedical applications for their excellent properties related to biodegradability, biocompatibility, nontoxicity, and stimuli responsiveness. Numerous methods, such as chemical crosslinking, photo crosslinking, graft polymerization, hydrophobic interaction, polyelectrolyte complexation and electrodeposition have been employed to prepare polysaccharide and protein hydrogels. Electrodeposition is a facile way to produce different polysaccharide and protein hydrogels with the advantages of temporal and spatial controllability. This paper reviews the recent progress in the electrodeposition of different polysaccharide and protein hydrogels. The strategies of pH induced assembly, Ca2+ crosslinking, metal ions induced assembly, oxidation induced assembly derived from electrochemical methods were discussed. Pure, binary blend and ternary blend polysaccharide and protein hydrogels with multiple functionalities prepared by electrodeposition were summarized. In addition, we have reviewed the applications of these hydrogels in drug delivery, tissue engineering and wound dressing.

Nanostructured biointerfacing of metals with carbon nanotube/chitosan hybrids by electrodeposition for cell stimulation and therapeutics delivery

Exploring the biological interfaces of metallic implants has been an important issue in achieving biofunctional success. Here we develop a biointerface with nanotopological features and bioactive composition, comprising a carbon nanotube (CNT) and chitosan (Chi) hybrid, via an electrophoretic deposition (EPD). The physicochemical properties, in vitro biocompatibility, and protein delivering capacity of the decorated nanohybrid layer were investigated, to address its potential usefulness as bone regenerating implants. Over a wide compositional range, the nanostructured hybrid interfaces were successfully formed with varying thicknesses, depending on the electrodeposition parameters. CNT-Chi hybrid interfaces showed a time-sequenced degradation in saline water, and a rapid induction of hydroxyapatite mineral in a simulated body fluid. The nanostructured hybrid substrates stimulated the initial adhesion events of the osteoblastic cells, including cell adhesion rate, spreading behaviors, and expression of adhesive proteins. The nanostructured hybrid interfaces significantly improved the adsorption of protein molecules, which was enabled by the surface charge interaction, and increased surface area of the nanotopology. Furthermore, the incorporated protein was released at a highly sustained rate, profiling a diffusion-controlled pattern over a couple of weeks, suggesting the possible usefulness as a protein delivery device. Collectively, the nanostructured hybrid CNT-Chi layer, implemented by an electrodeposition, is considered a biocompatible, cell-stimulating, and protein-delivering biointerface of metallic implants.